cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vegetation and soil response to hydrology in a re-created Everglades

Water depth and flow effects on growth and nutrient content of three marsh plants (Cladium jamaicense Crantz, Eleocharis cellulosa Torr., and Nymphaea odorata Aiton) and on soil-building were estimated in the Loxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment where macrocosms contain habitats distinguished by relative water depth (deep slough, shallow slough, and mid-ridge) but that differ in flow. We hypothesized that optimal growth would vary with water depth and species, paralleling distributions in the natural environment, and that growth and tissue nutrients would be positively affected by flow. In addition, we hypothesized that plant morphology would influence sediment deposition with the dense growth of C. jamaicense supporting greatest accretion. Our hypotheses were partly supported. Cladium jamaicense unexpectedly grew best in deep sloughs at depths greater than previously reported. Eleocharis cellulosa had a wide depth tolerance and grew best in flowing conditions. Nymphaea odorata grew best in slough habitats. Nutrient contents differed among species and plant parts but were not affected by flow. Soil accretion did not vary with biomass but partially varied with depth and flow, both key factors in conceptual models of vegetation and soil dynamics in wetlands, especially in the Everglades ridge-and-slough topography.
Circulating adiponectin levels are lower in Latino versus non-Latino white patients at risk for cardiovascular disease, independent of adiposity measures

Latinos in the United States have a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes than non-Latino whites, even after controlling for adiposity. Decreased adiponectin is associated with insulin resistance and predicts T2DM, and therefore may mediate this ethnic difference. We compared total and high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin in Latino versus white individuals, identified factors associated with adiponectin in each ethnic group, and measured the contribution of adiponectin to ethnic differences in insulin resistance. We utilized cross-sectional data from subjects in the Latinos Using Cardio Health Actions to reduce Risk study. Participants were Latino (n = 119) and non-Latino white (n = 60) men and women with hypertension and at least one other risk factor for CVD (age 61 ± 10 yrs, 49% with T2DM), seen at an integrated community health and hospital system in Denver, Colorado. Total and HMW adiponectin was measured by RIA and ELISA respectively. Fasting glucose and insulin were used to calculate the homeostasis model insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). Variables independently associated with adiponectin levels were identified by linear regression analyses. Adiponectin's contribution to ethnic differences in insulin resistance was assessed in multivariate linear regression models of Latino ethnicity, with logHOMA-IR as a dependent variable, adjusting for possible confounders including age, gender, adiposity, and renal function. Mean adiponectin levels were lower in Latino than white patients (beta estimates: -4.5 (-6.4, -2.5), p < 0.001 and -1.6 (-2.7, -0.5), p < 0.005 for total and HMW adiponectin), independent of age, gender, BMI/waist circumference, thiazolidinedione use, diabetes status, and renal function. An expected negative association between adiponectin and waist circumference was seen among women and non-Latino white men, but no relationship between these two variables was observed among Latino men. Ethnic differences in logHOMA-IR were no longer observed after controlling for adiponectin levels. Among patients with CVD risk, total and HMW adiponectin is lower in Latinos, independent of adiposity and other known regulators of adiponectin. Ethnic differences in adiponectin regulation may exist and future research in this area is warranted. Adiponectin levels accounted for the observed variability in insulin resistance, suggesting a contribution of decreased adiponectin to insulin resistance in Latino populations.
Movement of Rocks by Northern Pocket Gophers

The relationship between composition of sizes of rocks in soils and digging behavior of Thomomys talpoides was studied in southwestern Colorado. Comparisons were made of the size-classes of rock in 1) the topsoil, 2) the soil mounds pushed to the surface in summer by pocket gophers, and 3) soil casts formed in winter by pocket gophers. Pocket gophers tended to avoid rocks larger than 2.5 cm diameter. They moved relatively fewer rocks to the surface when the soil was dry, and when the soil contained only a few large rocks. Rocks that were from 0.6 cm to 2.5 cm diameter were more abundant in mounds and casts than they were in the topsoil.
Insertion of methylene into the carbon-hydrogen bonds of the C1 to C4 alkanes☆

Abstract Relative rates of insertion of methylene into all the CH bonds of methane, ethane, propane, n-butane and isobutane have been measured. These molecules react in the ratios 1:2.52:3.32:4.28:3.89. When combined with the absolute reaction rate of 1.9 × 10−12 cm3 molecule −1 sec−1 for methane, rates of 4.8, 6.3, 8.1 and 7.4 × 10−12 cm3 molecule−1 sec−1 are obtained, respectively, for ethane, propane, n-butane and isobutane. Insertion at secondary carbons in propane and n-butane is favored by a factor of 1.29–1.31 over primary CH insertion in these compounds; insertion at the tertiary position in isobutane is favored by a factor of 1.33 over that at the primary position. These results can be explained in terms of the ability of methylene to exhibit considerable discrimination in insertion reactions, based on differences in bond energy and steric effects. Both nitric oxide and carbon monoxide are shown to be effective in suppressing reaction products attributed to the reactions of triplet methylene.
Improved Carrier Tracking by Smoothing Estimators

Smoothing as a way to improve the carrier phase estimation is proposed and analyzed. The performance of first-and second-order Kalman optimum smoothers are investigated. This perfomance is evaluated in terms of steady-state covariance error computation, dynamic tracking, and noise response. It is shown that with practical amounts of memory, a second-order smoother can have a position error due to an acceleration or jerk step input less than any prescribed maximum. As an example of importance to the NASA deep space network (DSN), a second-order smoother can be used to track the Voyager spacecraft at Uranus and Neptune encounters with significantly better performance than a second-order phaselocked loop.
Early life stressors and suicidal ideation: Mediation by interpersonal risk factors

Childhood abuse is a major public health concern that has been consistently associated with many deleterious outcomes, including suicidal ideation (SI) and behavior. The processes through which early abuse experiences confer risk for suicidality are unclear. Drawing on Joiner's (2005) interpersonal theory of suicide, we hypothesized that the relationship between SI and childhood abuse would be specific to childhood emotional abuse, and that this relationship would be mediated by thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. Participants (n = 189) with moderate to severe childhood abuse completed measures of childhood abuse, perceived burdensomeness, and lack of belongingness at the baseline assessment, and a measure of SI at a 7-week follow-up assessment. We found partial support for the study hypotheses. Childhood emotional abuse, but not childhood physical or sexual abuse, was found to be prospectively associated with SI. Perceived burdensomeness but not thwarted belongingness mediated this relationship. These findings suggest that the relationship between SI and childhood abuse may be specific to emotional abuse, and that this abuse subtype confers risk for ideation through increasing the individual's sense of hindering or burdening to others within the social network. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Local number portability and local loop competition. Critical issues

Abstract Local telephone number portability (LNP), the ability of a telephone subscriber to change local exchange carriers, location or type of service without changing telephone numbers, is an essential feature of a competitive local loop market. This article describes these three types of portability and then examines the implications for local loop competition of specific LNP issues: implementation techniques; E-911 emergency services delivery; neutrality of subscriber database and number administration; infrastructure cost allocation and cost recovery. Evolution of number portability policy in the US, including jurisdictional complications, is reviewed.
Prototype and Applications for Asynchronous Rotation of Magnetic Microspheres

Magnetic microsphere suspended in a fluid aligns its magnetic moment with external magnetic field and follows a rotating external field with a constant phase lag. While this is true for low enough driving frequencies, the dynamics of the rotation change above some critical frequency and the particle rotates asynchronously with the driving field. This nonlinear response of the microsphere depends on physical parameters such as the magnetic moment and the size of the particle as well as the viscosity of the surrounding fluid.Asynchronous rotation of magnetic microspheres has many applications including magnetic particle characterization, viscosity measurements in small amounts of fluid, and pathogen detection. The technique enables continuous sensing of the sample which allows for real time viscosity measurements and single cell growth analysis.One of our technological and research goals is to develop a portable, easy to use and low power device that utilizes a magnetic field to asynchronously rotate magnetic particles. Owing to the platform technology nature of the method, the prototype setup explained in this poster can be utilized in many applications with minor modifications. Asynchronous rotation analysis can be done using off the shelf magnetic particles (usually used for magnetic separation) or custom made Janus particles (MagMoons) depending on the application. This poster will discuss progress toward this device as well as the applications of asynchronous rotation of magnetic microspheres.
Chronic Suppression of Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase 1 in β-Cells Impairs Insulin Secretion via Inhibition of Glucose Rather Than Lipid Metabolism

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1) currently is being investigated as a target for treatment of obesity-associated dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. To investigate the effects of ACC1 inhibition on insulin secretion, three small interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes targeting ACC1 (siACC1) were transfected into the INS-1-derived cell line, 832/13; the most efficacious duplex was also cloned into an adenovirus and used to transduce isolated rat islets. Delivery of the siACC1 duplexes decreased ACC1 mRNA by 60–80% in 832/13 cells and islets and enzyme activity by 46% compared with cells treated with a non-targeted siRNA. Delivery of siACC1 decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) by 70% in 832/13 cells and by 33% in islets. Surprisingly, siACC1 treatment decreased glucose oxidation by 49%, and the ATP:ADP ratio by 52%, accompanied by clear decreases in pyruvate cycling activity and tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates. Exposure of siACC1-treated cells to the pyruvate cycling substrate dimethylmalate restored GSIS to normal without recovery of the depressed ATP:ADP ratio. In siACC1-treated cells, glucokinase protein levels were decreased by 25%, which correlated with a 36% decrease in glycogen synthesis and a 33% decrease in glycolytic flux. Furthermore, acute addition of the ACC1 inhibitor 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furoic acid (TOFA) to β-cells suppressed [14C]glucose incorporation into lipids but had no effect on GSIS, whereas chronic TOFA administration suppressed GSIS and glucose metabolism. In sum, chronic, but not acute, suppression of ACC1 activity impairs GSIS via inhibition of glucose rather than lipid metabolism. These findings raise concerns about the use of ACC inhibitors for diabetes therapy.
Homological versus algebraic equivalence in a jacobian.

Abstract Let Z be an algebraic p cycle homologous to zero in an algebraic complex manifold V. Associated to Z is a linear function ν on holomorphic (2p + 1)-forms on V, modulo periods, that vanishes if Z is algebraically equivalent to zero in V. I give a formula for ν for the case of V the jacobian of an algebraic curve C and Z=C - C′ (C′ = “inverse” of C′) in terms of iterated integrals of holomorphic 1-forms on C. If C is the degree 4 Fermat curve, I use this formula to show that C - C′ is not algebraically equivalent to zero.
Modification of Wood Flour Surfaces by Esterification with Acid Chlorides: Use in HDPE/Wood Flour Composites

Modification of wood fiber/flour (WF) surfaces can improve their compatibility with hydrophobic plastic matrices and reduce composite water uptake. WF was esterified with octanoyl chloride and palmitoyl chloride. Modified WF was analyzed by FT-IR. More extensive esterification occurred in highly polar dimethylformamide (DMF) than in much less polar CHCl3 or methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). DMF penetrates into the fiber far more than CHCl3 or MTBE, making more –OH groups available for esterification. Increasing the acid chloride chain length from C8 to C16 decreased the mole fraction of esterification. Longer chains cover surface –OH groups, retarding reactions with nearby hydroxyls after esterification. Longer chain acid chlorides also have lower reactivity and penetrate into the hydrophilic wood fiber more slowly. Modified wood flour surfaces were covered by a hydrophobic layer of ester groups (SEM). Modified wood flour surfaces and WF/HDPE composite fracture surfaces were studied by SEM. C8-modified wood...
Simulation of phase space hole growth and the development of intermittent plasma turbulence

An unstable, highly intermittent state of turbulence is observed to evolve from a quiescent homogeneous plasma that is linearly stable. This intermittent state, which consists of isolated phase space density holes, produces a pronounced non‐Gaussian distribution of fluctuation amplitudes. The skewness becomes increasingly more negative with time. The plasma is nonlinearly unstable because the holes grow in amplitude by accelerating to regions of higher average phase space density. The instability can be interpreted as a collection of colliding, growing holes and, in its early stages, is consistent with theoretical predictions for the clump instability. A series of runs with a single isolated hole indicates that an isolated hole grows for any finite electron‐ion drift velocity. The isolated hole growth rate is consistent with theoretical predictions. The implications of the instability to laboratory and space plasma are discussed.
American medical education. Has it created a Frankenstein

The solutions to the problems cited and to many others regarding medical education in America are not simple ones. But it is clearly time to recognize that this system is failing to produce physicians that best meet the needs of the patient, society, and the medical field in general. It is essential for those of us involved in medical education to recognize these facts and to make major changes to help correct them. Failure to do so will only increase the severity of the problems.
Interface vulnerability and knowledge of the subjunctive/indicative distinction with negated epistemic predicates in L2 Spanish

Much recent research in SLA is guided by the hypothesis of L2 interface vulnerability (see Sorace 2005). This study contributes to this general project by examining the acquisition of two classes of subjunctive complement clauses in L2 Spanish: subjunctive complements of volitional predicates (purely syntactic) and subjunctive vs. indicative complements with negated epistemic matrix predicates, where the mood distinction is discourse dependent (thus involving the syntax–discourse interface). We provide an analysis of the volitional subjunctive in English and Spanish, suggesting that English learners of L2 Spanish need to access the functional projection Mood P and an uninterpretable modal feature on the Force head available to them from their formal English register grammar, and simultaneously must unacquire the structure of English for-to clauses. For negated epistemic predicates, our analysis maintains that they need to revalue the modal feature on the Force head from uninterpretable to interpretable, within the L2 grammar.With others (e.g. Borgonovo & Prevost 2003; Borgonovo, Bruhn de Garavito & Prevost 2005) and in line with Sorace’s (2000, 2003, 2005) notion of interface vulnerability, we maintain that the latter case is more difficult for L2 learners, which is borne out in the data we present. However, the data also show that the indicative/subjunctive distinction with negated epistemics can be acquired by advanced stages of acquisition, questioning the notion of obligatory residual optionality for all properties which require the integration of syntactic and discourse information.
Changes in cerebral blood volume and cytochrome aa3 during hypertensive peaks in preterm infants

Relative changes in cerebral blood volume and in the oxidation/reduction state of cytochrome aa 3 , the terminal member of the electron transport chain in oxidative metabolism, can be simultaneously observed with near infrared spectroscopy. Using this technique, we studied movement-associated blood pressure elevations in three nonparalyzed very low birth weight infants receiving mechanical ventilation. We defined hypertensive peaks as increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressures ≥30% over baseline and lasting at least 2 seconds. Ninety percent of monitored time, an increase in tissue blood volume (tBV) immediately followed each blood pressure elevation, with deoxygenated hemoglobin providing the sole or predominant increase in tBV. A simultaneous shift of cytochrome aa 3 to a more reduced state usually accompanied the rise in tBV, probably indicating a transient imbalance between oxygen delivery and cellular oxygen utilization and a failure of mechanisms that normally regulate cerebral oxygenation. The consistent association of hypertensive peaks with body movement, coughing, and breath holding, and the predominant increase in deoxygenated hemoglobin suggest that increased intrathoracic pressure transiently impedes cerebral venous return. The repeated fluctuations in intracerebral blood volume and associated shifts to greater cytochrome aa 3 reduction with hypertensive peaks provide a possible explanation for the association of fluctuating blood pressure patterns and increased risk for intraventricular hemorrhage.
An Empirical Assessment of Health Care Management Journals: A Business Perspective

The study assesses the perceived quality and relevance of health care management journals by surveying university faculty with both a health care and business orientation. The results identify a concise list of 33 health care management journals as approprite outlets for business-oriented health care research. Relative rankings and tierings of the journals are provided that are consistent with traditional journal evaluation methods used in the primary business disciplines. Results demonstrate a high correlation between the quality rankings of the journals that are common to the current study and the prior study of Brooks, Walker, and Szorady (1991). However, substantial changes in the relative rankings of some individual journals have occurred. The research also analyzes the effect of tenure, rank, and administrative responsibility on journal evaluation and finds no significant differences among the ratings based on these respondent characteristics. Finally, findings regarding the relationship between the...
Direct sequencing is more accurate and feasible in detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms than RFLP: using human vascular endothelial growth factor gene as a model.

Since the sequencing of the human genome, there has been increased interest in understanding the distribution and effects of genetic variations among individuals. Restriction fragment length polymo...
Determination of advanced glycation endproducts in cooked meat products.

Abstract Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), a pathogenic factor implicated in diabetes and other chronic diseases, are produced in cooked meat products. The objective of this study was to determine the AGE content, as measured by Ne-carboxymethyllysine (CML) levels, in cooked chicken, pork, beef and fish (salmon and tilapia) prepared by three common cooking methods used by U.S. consumers: frying, baking, and broiling. The CML was detected in all the cooked samples, but the levels were dependent on types of meat, cooking conditions, and the final internal temperature. Broiling and frying at higher cooking temperature produced higher levels of CML, and broiled beef contained the highest CML content (21.8 μg/g). Baked salmon (8.6 μg/g) and baked tilapia (9.7 μg/g) contained less CML as compared to the other muscle food samples.
Distribution system voltage stability analysis with wind farms integration

As the installed capacity of wind power generation is increasing continuously, its impacts on system voltage stability have been intensively studied in recent days. In this paper, only the wind farms connected to distribution network are treated. Wind gusts will produce output power spikes and cause poor feeder voltage regulation, which may lead to voltage collapse when there is no sufficient reactive power support. An accurate voltage stability index (VSI) is needed to quantify the voltage stability margin in real time. This paper addresses such an index for distribution systems, where the required measurements are available only at feeder roots. The proposed VSI has been implemented in simulations with wind farms integrated. Simulation results are presented to examine the performance of both fixed-speed wind turbine and variable speed wind turbine. STATCOM is also included to demonstrate its capability for voltage stability improvement.
Women, Descent, and Tenure Succession among the Bambara of West Africa: A Changing Landscape

This article describes the impact of land tenure changes that negatively effect womens access to land for subsistence farming. The framework for describing changes in Mali has emphasized shifts from communal to more individualized tenure and commercialized agricultural practices. It is argued that this emphasis obscures the displacement of "bush fallow" farming and loss of greater access to a broad range of resources for women. Data are obtained from interviews collected over a six-month period during the early 1990s in rural Mali. It is posited that womens limited access to land hinders womens potential to contribute to development. Patrilineal descent and patrilocal residence patterns limit womens access to land. Land constraints of women are viewed as only partially related to gender-biased development interventions and the closing of traditional land tenure arrangements. This study focuses on the Bambara a Mande speaking ethnic group that is dependent on cereal crop production. Women share cooking and fuelwood responsibilities and thus have more time for small-scale market activity or work related to land-based resources. One manifestation of changes is the decline in patrilineal control over land use and access but little change is manifested in transfers of land. The shift to commercialization and individualization and the reduction in bush fallow land means increased open access and increased competition for alternative sources of fuelwood and income-producing forest products. It is suggested that planning must identify spatial and organization openings that accommodate women and increase their potential to contribute to development. Women in Bambara villages have successfully exploited social groups as the locus for gaining access to land for collective crop and garden production. It is suggested that future studies examine stratification of land based on gender and class factors.
Do University Centers Produce Comparable Teacher Education Candidates

This study investigates the effectiveness of a two-plus-two university center teacher education program. In this program, the entire curriculum is delivered on community college campuses; community college faculty members deliver the general education coursework, and university faculty members deliver coursework in the teacher education program area. A comparison of university center teacher education graduates with graduates who completed their programs on the university campus yielded no significant differences across several measures, including grades, assessments of dispositions, progress reports, and self-assessments of competence. The findings suggest that the university center model is a viable alternative to traditional, on-campus teacher education programs and may help address the teacher shortage—especially in rural areas—by reducing geographic and fiscal barriers to baccalaureate teacher education programs.
Adenocarcinoma of prostate in a twenty-seven-year-old man

A case of adenocarcinoma of the prostate in a twenty-seven-year-old man is reported. He responded initially to cobalt radiation to the prostate, but metastases developed subequently and he died thriteen months after the histologic diagnosis was made. Three of the 4 previously documented cases in men below age thirty who also presented with symptoms of obstruction of the lower urinary tract or bone pain died four, five, and twelve months later. The other patient was asymptomatic and alive thirty-one months after detection on a routine physical examination. Although based on a small number of cases, men below age thirty with prostatic adenocarcinoma have a poor prognosis, which appears to be related to the presence of symptoms at the time of diagnosis.
The bulimia syndrome: Course of the illness and associated problems

Abstract Data concerning the longitudinal course of illness and associated problems reported by a series of 275 female patients with bulimia are presented. Eighty-five percent of these patients indicated that they had started binge-eating during a period of voluntary dieting, and the majority indicated that they had perceived pressure from family members and/or friends to lose weight in association with this dieting episode. Although the development of binge-eating usually preceded or coincided with the development of self-induced vomiting behavior, a pattern of habitual self-induced vomiting developed prior to the onset of binge-eating in 44 (18.4%) patients. Most patients reported having experienced several periods of abstinence from bulimic behavior during the course of the illness, with the majority indicating periods of abstinence of at least two weeks in duration, suggesting that the symptoms of bulimia may wax and wane over time. Several problems were reported at high frequencies by this patient group including a history of self-injurious behavior (34.4%) and a history of at least one suicide attempt (18.8%).
Non-invasive evaluation of mammary artery flow reserve and adequacy to increased myocardial oxygen demand.

Objective: To evaluate the flow reserve and adequacy to meet myocardial requests in stress conditions of mammary artery-left anterior descending (IMA-LAD) grafts using a non-invasive method. Methods: Patients (20) with angiographic evidence of normofunctioning left IMA-LAD grafts were submitted to dypiridamole Tl 201 myocardial scintigraphy and concomitant transthoracic echo-doppler evaluation of the IMA flow at a mean interval of 32.5 months after surgery. Results: Under basal conditions, the mean peak and end flow velocities in systole were 0.39 and 0.06 m/s, respectively. In diastole, the mean peak and end flow velocities were 0.27 and 0.02 m/s and mean tele-diastolic flow velocity was 0.14 m/s, with a mean systolic/diastolic ratio of 1.51. After dypiridamole infusion, mean systolic velocities were 0.47 (peak) and 0.23 (end) m/s, respectively + 20 and + 283%, whereas mean diastolic velocities were 0.56 (peak) and 0.06 (end) m/s, + 107 and + 200%, respectively. Mean tele-diastolic flow velocity increased to 0.32 m/s (+ 128%) and the systolic-diastolic index changed to 0.85. In all cases no significant scintigraphic evidence of induced ischemia was demonstrated in the LAD region. Conclusions: Transthoracic echo-doppler evaluation combined with Tl 201 myocardial scintigraphy is a useful tool for the assessment of IMA flow reserve and adequacy to stress conditions. In the late postoperative period, the IMA shows the possibility of increasing the flow velocity, almost 2-fold: the increase in flow is prevalently diastolic and leads to a complete reversal of the physiological systolic/diastolic flow ratio. The flow reserve of IMA is always able to meet the augmented myocardial oxygen demand after dypiridamole infusion.
Real-Time Freeway-Experienced Travel Time Prediction Using N-Curve and k Nearest Neighbor Methods

This study presents a methodology for freeway travel time prediction that uses only count data. The proposed models include the generalized N-curve method in conjunction with the k nearest neighbor (kNN) method so that the travel time predicted for traversing a defined freeway segment at a certain departure time is similar to what a driver actually experiences. A real-world traffic network and demand are replicated in a traffic simulation model in which several scenarios are produced to serve as the test bed for evaluation and validation of the proposed algorithms. The proposed single-NN algorithm best predicts travel times for light, free-flow traffic conditions, and the multiple-NN algorithm best predicts travel times for congested traffic conditions. The hybrid-NN algorithm merges the single-NN and multiple-NN algorithms, exploiting each one where most suitable. A numerical analysis concludes the potential of the proposed models.
Vertebral fracture assessment: impact of instrument and reader

Many osteoporotic vertebral fractures are not clinically recognized but increase fracture risk. We hypothesized that a newer generation densitometer increases the number of evaluable vertebrae and vertebral fractures detected. We also explored the impact of reader experience on vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) interpretation. VFA images obtained using Prodigy and iDXA densitometers in 103 older adults were evaluated for vertebral visualization and fracture presence in the T4–L5 region. A “true” read for each densitometer was achieved by consensus. If readers disagreed, the evaluation of a third expert physician was taken as true. Main outcomes were evaluable vertebrae, vertebral fractures, and intrareader/interreader reproducibility. Using the “true” reads, 92% of vertebrae were visualized on iDXA and 76% on Prodigy. Numerically, more fractures were identified with iDXA; the “true” reads found 43 fractures on iDXA and 21 on Prodigy. The experienced reader had better intrareader and interreader reproducibility than the inexperienced reader when compared with the “true” read. Using the newer iDXA densitometer for VFA analysis improves vertebral body visualization and fracture detection. Training and experience enhance result reproducibility.
Hydrogen isotope values in lacustrine kerogen

Abstract Kerogen derived from plankton and sedge/cattail that accumulated in sediment during two distinct phases of Swan Lake's development was extracted from segments of radiocarbon dated cores. Carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and nitrogen (N) amounts, and the δ D values of kerogen extracts were determined. Kerogen extracts younger than 3900 YBP contained higher average H/C and N/C atom ratios than older kerogen (5000 to 3900 YBP). The more recent kerogen extracts were derived primarily from plankton in open water sediment and are characterized by significantly higher lipid and protein fractions than those from the sedge/cattail that formed the marsh layer. Plankton-derived kerogen was more depleted in δ D , averaging ∼20 per mil (‰) lighter than that from older extracts (∼5000 to 3900 YBP) which, according to pollen analysis, were dominated by sedge/cattail-derived kerogen. In the sediment profiles, differences in the δ D values appear more related to kerogen source than to postdepositional hydrogen loss or temperature.
Limits on heavy chain junctional diversity contribute to the recurrence of an antibody variable region

Antibody V region structural diversity in the mouse is generated, in part, by the combinatorial joining of different gene segments, as well as by the “imprecision” of these joining events. The same two gene segments can be joined at different locations, and nucleotides can be deleted or added de novo to the segment junction. While it is clear that such junctional processes are a major contributor to V region diversity, the mechanisms that generate this diversity are poorly understood. Here I present sequences in the vH-D-jH region of 34 VH genes that are composed of the same three VH gene segments. In combination with a single VK-JK pair, these VH genes encode a family of V regions that are recurrently expressed in the immune response of A/J mice to p-azophenylarsonate (Ars). The germline sequences of the three constituent gene segments for these VH genes are known, making it possible to determine the origin of the nucleotides in junctional regions. An examination of the frequency and type of nucleotides present in these regions provides insight into the properties of the segment joining mechanism. In addition, the data suggest that recurrent expression of the anti-Ars V regions which these VH genes partially encode is due not only to antigenic selection, but to the high probability with which these VH genes are formed during B cell differentiation.
Predicting kindergarten academic skills: Interactions among child care, maternal education, and family literacy environments

Abstract This investigation used structural equation modeling to examine sources of children's reading, vocabulary, general information, mathematics, and letter recognition skills upon entrance to kindergarten. Potential predictors included ethnicity, gender, child IQ, family literacy environment, maternal education, and months in child care centers. Family literacy environment had positive causal links with four of five academic measures. Greater number of months in child care centers was associated with higher mathematics scores among children from less educated mothers who scored low on a measure of family literacy environment. In contrast, no effects of child care were found for children from mothers with more education. Implications include the need for strong parental involvement in children's development and subsidized child care for children in need.
Dual regulation of voltage-gated calcium channels by PtdIns(4,5)P2.

Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) conduct calcium into cells after membrane depolarization and are vital for diverse biological events1. They are regulated by various signalling pathways, which has profound functional consequences1,2. The activity of VGCCs decreases with time in whole-cell and inside-out patch-clamp recordings3. This rundown reflects persistent intrinsic modulation of VGCCs in intact cells. Although several mechanisms have been reported to contribute to rundown of L-type channels3,4,5,6, the mechanism of rundown of other types of VGCC is poorly understood. Here we show that phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2), an essential regulator of ion channels and transporters7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14, is crucial for maintaining the activity of P/Q- and N-type channels. Activation of membrane receptors that stimulate hydrolysis of PtdIns(4,5)P2 causes channel inhibition in oocytes and neurons. PtdIns(4,5)P2 also inhibits P/Q-type channels by altering the voltage dependence of channel activation and making the channels more difficult to open. This inhibition is alleviated by phosphorylation by protein kinase A. The dual actions of PtdIns(4,5)P2 and the crosstalk between PtdIns(4,5)P2 and protein kinase A set up a dynamic mechanism through which the activity of VGCCs can be finely tuned by various neurotransmitters, hormones and trophic factors.
NMR studies of the reaction between amino-phenylene vinylene thiophene and tetracyanoethylene ☆

Amino tricyanovinyl thiophene chromophores (A-TCVT) are prepared by a substitution reaction of amino-phenylene vinylene thiophene (A-PVT) with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE). This reaction does not occur directly. The vinylene double bond in the PVT unit first reacts rapidly with TCNE to form a [2+2] cycloaddition product. It is then reverted to PVT unit prior to the subsequent substitution at 50 °C. This reversible cycloaddition converts the cis-isomer of PVT units into the trans-counterparts, thus the final TCNE substituted products can be expected for a better performance as non-linear optical materials.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Achieving the Beginning Teacher Standards Inventory.

The purpose of this study was to examine the factorial validity and reliability of the Achieving the NASPE Standards Inventory (ANSI) that assesses pre-service physical education teachers' perceptions of achieving the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) beginning teacher standards (2003). Four hundred fifty-two pre-service teachers from 15 Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programs voluntarily and anonymously completed the inventory. The hypothesized measurement models were analyzed by means of a confirmatory factor analysis. The Goodness-of-fit statistics indicated that the modified 3-factor model with 38 items represented a best fitting model with the data. The scores generated by the total and the 3 subscales of the 38-item ANSI demonstrated a high level of internal consistency.
Ozonation of seawater: preliminary observations on the oxidation of bromide, chloride and organic carbon

Abstract Exhaustive ozonation of surface seawater results in a rapid oxidation of Br −1 to BrO −1 , and there is evidence for the transitory formation of CIO - . The dissolved organic carbon is 25% oxidized in 1 h under similar conditions. The possible formation of other oxidation products is discussed.
Helicobacter pylori NikR Protein Exhibits Distinct Conformations When Bound to Different Promoters

Helicobacter pylori NikR (HpNikR) is a ribbon-helix-helix (RHH) DNA-binding protein that binds to several different promoter regions. The binding site sequences are not absolutely conserved. The ability of HpNikR to discriminate specific DNA sites resides partly in its nine-amino acid N-terminal arm. Previously, indirect evidence indicated that the arm exists in different conformations when HpNikR is bound to the nixA and ureA promoters. Here, we directly examined HpNikR conformation when it was bound to nixA and ureA DNA fragments by tethering (S)-1{[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]methyl}-2-{4-[(2-bromoacetyl)amino]phenylethyl}(carboxymethyl)amino]acetic acid, iron(III) to different positions in the N-terminal arm and RHH DNA binding domain. Different cleavage patterns at each promoter directly demonstrated that both the RHH domain and the arm adopt different conformations on the nixA and ureA promoters. Additionally, the two RHH domain dimers of the HpNikR tetramer are in distinct conformations at ureA. Site-directed mutagenesis identified an interchain salt bridge (Lys48-Glu47′) in the RHH domain remote from the DNA binding interface that is required for high affinity binding to ureA but not nixA. Finally, DNA affinity measurements of wild-type HpNikR and a salt bridge mutant (K48A) to hybrid nixA-ureA promoters demonstrated that inverted repeat half-sites, spacers, and flanking DNA are all required for sequence-specific DNA binding by HpNikR. Notably, the spacer region made the largest contribution to DNA affinity. HpNikR exhibits a substantially expanded regulon compared with other NikR proteins. The results presented here provide a molecular basis for understanding regulatory network expansion by NikR as well as other prokaryotic regulatory proteins.
Aggregation with multiple conservation laws

Aggregation processes with an arbitrary number of conserved quantities are investigated. On the mean-field level, an exact solution for the size distribution is obtained. The asymptotic form of this solution exhibits nontrivial ``double'' scaling. While processes with one conserved quantity are governed by a single scale, processes with multiple conservation laws exhibit an additional diffusionlike scale. The theory is applied to ballistic aggregation with mass and momentum conserving collisions and to diffusive aggregation with multiple species. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Anti-Adrenergic Effects of Nitroglycerin on the Heart

The therapeutic effect of nitroglycerin is generally attributed to its coronary dilator effect alone. In contrast, it could be shown that nitroglycerin also counteracts the chronotropic as well as the electrocardiographic T-wave depressing effects of epinephrine, arterenol and cardiac sympathin upon the heart. Accordingly, its therapeutic action in angina pectoris is suspected as being largely due to a chemical protection of the heart muscle against the chemically anoxia-producing effects of sympathomimetic amines.
Mullerian inhibiting substance ontogeny and its modulation by follicle-stimulating hormone in the rat testes

Mullerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS) production in rat testes from the late fetal to the adult period and its modulation by gonadotropins in neonatal testes were studied using immunohistochemistry, northern analysis, and a graded organ culture bioassay for MIS. The intense immunohistochemical staining for MIS seen in fetal and newborn testes began to decrease gradually after the third postnatal day, then decreased dramatically on the fifth postnatal day. MIS immunohistochemical activity was then present at a low level until about the 20th postnatal day, after which it was barely detectable. The testes from rats treated with FSH at birth showed a considerable drop in MIS immunohistochemical activity on the third postnatal day to 29% of control testes, and a less profound decrease on the second and fourth postnatal days to 46% and 61% of control, respectively; thereafter MIS levels were the same in treated and untreated animals. With shorter courses of FSH treatment, immunohistochemical staining showed less depression of MIS on the third day, and no difference by the fourth postnatal day, indicating that the inhibitory effect on testicular MIS production may require continued FSH exposure. Three-day testes that had been treated with FSH for 2-1/2 days had less MIS messenger RNA compared to control testes of the same age, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of FSH on MIS production could be transcriptionally mediated. In contrast LH treatment produced no difference in either messenger RNA expression or immunohistochemical staining for MIS. These findings suggested that FSH may be a modulator of MIS production in neonatal testes.
SU-GG-J-65: CBCT Image Guidance for Head and Neck IMRT Radiation Therapy—A Study on the Tumor Coverage and Critical Structure Avoidance

Purpose:Cone beam computed tomography(CBCT) is becoming more prevalently used for image‐guidedradiation therapy(IGRT). The ideal CBCT frequency and protocol will limit patient imagingdose, while insuring the accuracy of the radiation therapy (RT). We herein examine the effects of a possible CBCTimaging protocol on the delivered RT. Methods and Materials: The intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) plans for 6 head and neck cancer patients undergoing IGRT with CBCT were retrospectively studied. The CBCT protocol called for daily IGRT for the first treatment week, followed by twice‐weekly imaging for the remaining RT fractions. The statistics of the IGRT patient set‐up shifts throughout the treatment course was used to create the treatmentdose for non‐IGRT days using our in‐house TPS PlanUNC. The cumulative dose from the entire treatment course is the sum of the non‐IGRT daily doses and the planned daily doses for IGRT days. The resulting cumulative doses to the clinical target volume (CTV) and critical structures were examined.Results: The deliveredtreatment plans maintained the CTV treatment planning goals for 6 patients. Incorporating the IGRT shift statistics caused the CTV of one patient to be under dosed. The hotspots for the optic chiasm, cord, and brainstem were all within the treatment goals, and the absolute doses were within 5% of the planned RT. The dose constraints for the larynx and parotids were all maintained in the deliveredtreatment plans.Conclusions: The proposed CBCT protocol is sufficient for accurate RT delivery to the target volumes and critical structures of head and neck IMRT patients.
Structure of Bacillus subtilis phage SP02 and its DNA: Similarity of Bacillus subtilis phages SP02, φ105 and SPP1

Abstract Several properties of B. subtilis phage SP02 are described and compared with two other phages, SPP1 and φ105. All three phages are similar in morphology and size; each has a hexagonal-shaped head, which is probably a regular icosahedron, and a long flexible tail without a sheath. SP02 and φ105 have complex structures at the base of the tail which consist of six subunits surrounding a central core. The diameter of the head of SP02 is 495 A and the length of the tail is 1770 A. Phages SP02 and φ105 are antigenically related. The DNA from SP02 and SPP1 phage particles is very similar in molecular weight (25–26 × 106 daltons). The DNA from phages SP02, SPP1 and φ105 is infectious in a transfection system. The DNA from SP02 phage has cohesive ends.
Effects of Coupled Solute and Water Flow in Plant Roots with Special Reference to Brouwer's Experiment

This paper presents a further examination of the effects of coupled solute and water flow as it applies to plant roots. A cylindrical two-compartment membrane root model can account for many diverse root phenomena. Among these are (1) non-linear pressure flow, (2) interval osmotic dilution, (3) negative resistance effects, (4) non-osmotic water flux, and (5) the internal osmotic compensation effect. In addition, we have now demonstrated that the same model is capable of reproducing the complex patterns of root resistance profile change noted by some workers. In none of these instances is there need to invoke any change in the hydraulic con ductivity of the system to explain the observed effects. The only features necessary to explain these phenomena are a membrane-like structure and a mechanism for actively accumulating solutes.
The Technique of Vessel Sparing Excision and Primary Anastomosis for Proximal Bulbous Urethral Reconstruction

Purpose: We present a technique not previously described for proximal bulbous or bulbomembranous urethral reconstruction of excision and primary anastomosis. The technique has the potential advantages of preserving the proximal urethral blood supply.Materials and Methods: From June 2003 to October 2006, 10 patients underwent vessel sparing urethral reconstruction including 3 after radical prostatectomy, 6 following straddle trauma and 1 potentially with a congenital stricture. A plane was developed between the urethra and the proximal blood supply at the bulbospongiosum, allowing for division of the urethra without dividing the spongy tissue of the corpus spongiosum or the arteries to the bulb. Only 7 patients are presented for data analysis because the other 3 have not had sufficient followup to date.Results: Patient age range was 15 to 72 years (mean 47). The patient with a congenital stricture was 2 years old. Stricture length ranged from 0.5 to 2.5 cm (mean 1.5). The patients who had undergone radical...