cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sexual Behavior and Testosterone in Middle-Aged Male Rats*

Various components of sexual behavior were compared in middle-aged (13 months) and young adult (3 months) male rats to ascertain the nature of behavioral differences and the role of testosterone (T) in these differences. Behavioral procedures included: 1) tests of mating behavior; 2) tests of mounting behavior with genital anesthetization that focused on sexual arousal; 3) tests of spontaneous seminal emission that focused on ejaculatory mechanisms. In Exp 1, sexually experienced or inexperienced middle-aged males showed evidence of reduced sexual arousal, with the inexperienced middleaged group demonstrating the greatest reduction. The two middle- aged groups did not differ in plasma T levels, but both had levels significantly below those of the young group. In Exp 2, spontaneous seminal emission was found to occur more often in middle-aged retired breeders than in young sexually inexperienced males. In Exp 3, the dose-response relationship of behavior and T was evaluated in groups of castrated middle-ag...
Inhibition of the action of Escherichia coli transcription termination protein ϱ by poly(C) and heparin

Poly(C) and heparin at low concentrations (1 microgram/ml) prevent the RNA synthesis termination protein rho from functioning during the biosynthesis of RNA from bacteriophage T7 DNA catalyzed by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. Both of these polyanions inhibit the binding of rho to isolated T7 RNA. Heparin also inhibits rho ATPase when isolated RNA transcripts are used as cofactors. It is concluded that the polyanions inhibit termination by binding to the site on rho that is normally used for the initial interaction with a nascent RNA transcript in the rho-mediated release of RNA. Since one of the inhibitors, poly(C), is itself a potent activator for rho ATPase, it is also concluded that the ATP hydrolysis step that is required for rho termination has to be coupled to an action of rho on the RNA molecule to be released from the transcription complex.
ANODE SOLID ELECTROLYTE INTERPHASE (SEI) OF LITHIUM ION BATTERY CHARACTERIZED BY MICROSCOPY AND SPECTROSCOPY

The surface reactions of electrolytes with a silicon anode in lithium ion cells have been investigated. The investigation utilizes two novel techniques that are enabled by the use of binder-free silicon (BF-Si) nanoparticle anodes. The first method, transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, allows straightforward analysis of the BF-Si solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). The second method utilizes multi-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of D2O extracts from the cycled anodes. The TEM and NMR data are complemented by XPS and FTIR data, which are routinely used for SEI studies. Coin cells (BF-Si/Li) were cycled in electrolytes containing LiPF6 salt and ethylene carbonate or fluoroethylene carbonate solvent. Capacity retention was significantly better for cells cycled with LiPF6/FEC electrolyte than for cells cycled with LiPF6/EC electrolyte. Our unique combination of techniques establishes that for LiPF6/EC electrolyte the BF-Si SEI continuously grows during the first ...
The Law Clerks' Recommendations and Chief Justice Vinson's Vote on Certiorari

There is continuing speculation about the impact of the law clerks' recommendations on the case selection process of the U. S. Supreme Court. Until recently, the unavailability of consistent information on both the clerks' recommendations and the justices' case selection votes precluded any empirical analysis. This study uses information gathered from the justices' private papers to compare the recommendations of Chief Justice Vinson's clerks with the certiorari votes cast by the justices during the Vinson era. The analyses of these recommendations and votes show that Vinson's clerks were trying to anticipate the chief justice's votes but that they displayed a liberal orientation during the first part of Vinson's tenure. During the second part of the Vinson era, when the Court had a more conservative membership, there is no indication of a liberal orientation in the clerks' recommendations.
The relationship of Parkinson disease with aging

Twentieth-century hypotheses attributing a substantive role to aging in Parkinson disease (PD) pathogenesis have been countered by evidence from clinical, pathological, and biochemical investigations. However, age influences the clinical progression of PD. Several studies have demonstrated that advancing age is associated with a faster rate of motor progression, decreased levodopa responsiveness, more severe gait and postural impairment, and more severe cognitive impairment and the development of dementia in patients with PD. A model for the relationship between PD and aging is proposed that incorporates the following 3 elements: (1) There occurs a superposition of a topographic gradient of neuronal loss in brainstem and basal forebrain structures related to the disease process and an aging-related temporal gradient. (2) While PD is a chronic progressive disorder, the most important determinant of clinical progression is advancing age rather than disease duration. (3) The effects of the disease process and aging on nondopaminergic structures involve a biologic interaction. The model implies that understanding the degenerative process in nondopaminergic structures in PD as it relates to molecular mechanisms accompanying the aging of the nervous system may create opportunities for interventions affecting the clinical progression of the disease.
Language and Culture in Secondary Level Spanish Textbooks

vide students with a knowledge of the language and culture of the target group. Language lessons are usually arranged so that students are presented with linguistic forms (e.g., grammatical structures, vocabulary, verb morphology) and communicative functions (e.g., asking for directions, greetings, apologizing, expressing personal opinions) in an organized manner. Specific aspects of language are often placed in the context of social situations such as shopping in a market, visiting a family, or going on a trip. Culture is sometimes presented within the framework of themes illustrating what and how the natives eat, dress, work, play, and live their daily lives. In some instances, examples of conventional behaviors are included to show the
Targeting Outflow Facility in Glaucoma Management

Glaucoma is often characterized by decreased pressure-sensitive aqueous outflow through the trabecular meshwork. This defect in pressure-sensitive aqueous outflow is evident from the low tonographic facility of outflow ("C") measured in many patients. The impairment in outflow facility causes the high intraocular pressure (IOP) and large diurnal IOP fluctuations often found in glaucoma. Because large diurnal IOP fluctuations have been shown to be a risk factor for glaucomatous progression, IOP-lowering therapy should aim to achieve a low, stable IOP. Pressure-sensitive aqueous outflow helps prevent and dampen pressure spikes; thus, drugs that enhance outflow facility, in particular, may stabilize as well as lower IOP. Outflow facility is an attractive target for glaucoma treatment because enhancing outflow facility tends to restore the self-regulating tendency of IOP. Older drugs such as the cholinergic pilocarpine and the catecholamine epinephrine act primarily by improving outflow facility. This action is also important for the recently introduced prostamide, bimatoprost, as well as for the prostaglandin prodrug, latanoprost. Realization of the importance of facility of outflow in lowering and stabilizing IOP will stimulate additional research into the mechanism of action of ocular hypotensive agents and will help optimize the medical treatment of glaucoma.
Identification and biochemical characterization of two novel collagen binding MSCRAMMs of Bacillus anthracis

Cell wall-anchored proteins play critical roles in the pathogenesis of infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. Through the analysis of the genome of Bacillus anthracis Ames strain, we identified two novel putative cell wall-anchored proteins, BA0871 and BA5258, which have sequence homology to CNA, a cell wall-anchored collagen adhesin of Staphylococcus aureus. The two proteins have similar domain organization to that of CNA, with typical signal peptide sequences, a non-repetitive A region followed by repeats, and a characteristic cell wall-anchoring region. They are expressed on the surface of B. anthracis. The A regions of the two proteins were predicted to adopt similar structural folds as CNA. Circular dichroism analysis of the recombinant A regions of the two proteins (rBA0871A and rBA5258A) indicate that their secondary structure compositions are similar to those of the A regions of CNA and other cell wall-anchored adhesins. We demonstrate through solid phase binding assays and surface plasmon resonance analyses that rBA0871A and rBA5258A specifically bound type I collagen in a dose-dependent and saturable manner. Their dissociation constants (KD) for collagen are 1.6-3.2 microm for rBA0871A and 0.6-0.9 microm for rBA5258A, respectively. We further demonstrate that BA0871 and BA5258 can mediate cell attachment to collagen when expressed on the surface of a heterologous host bacterium. To our knowledge these are the first two adhesins of B. anthracis described, which may have important implications for our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms explored by this organism.
Transgender People in the Military: Don't Ask? Don't Tell? Don't Enlist!

The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell offered legal equality to sexual minorities in the military. However, this big step forward had no impact on the policy of exclusion and rejection and the fear a...
Modeling acute and chronic toxicity of nonpolar narcotic chemicals and mixtures to Ceriodaphnia dubia

The response of the daphnid Ceriodaphnia dubia to six widely used industrial chemicals acting through nonpolar narcosis and a mixture was determined. Toxicological effect levels were based on reasonably steady-state, measured concentrations. Reproductive IC50S were 149 microM benzene, 82 microM trichloroethylene, 35 microM toluene, 31 microM ethylbenzene, 26 microM m-xylene, and 4 microM tetrachloroethylene. A QSAR describing 2-day LC50S as a function of log Kow accounted for 90.97% of the variation in response across chemical. A similar QSAR for chronic effects on reproduction accounted for 78.92%. Mixtures of benzene, trichloroethylene, and toluene had effects at concentrations below their individual LOELs. Observed effects of 20/24 mixtures tested fell within the 95% prediction interval for a concentration-addition model of joint action derived from tests with individual components. However, the observed response differed significantly from the predictive relationship. In general, the predictive relationship overestimated mixture toxicity. Fitted relationships reduced observed error by as much as 82% compared to the predictive model.
Clear cell sarcoma. A clinicopathologic study of 27 cases

Clear cell sarcoma is an indolent tumor of uncertain histogenesis. Twenty-seven patients ranging in age from 9 to 57 years (average, 28.5 years) were followed an average of 7.0 years. Females outnumbered males by 2 to 1. Distal extremity locations predominated. At presentation, the tumor was localized in 21 patients, regionally metastatic in 5, and disseminated in 1. Surgery was the primary therapy for 26 patients. Adjuvant treatment was nonstandardized, and its effectiveness is undetermined. Local recurrence developed in 10 patients, regional metastases in 9, and widespread dissemination in 12. Twelve patients died of the disease from 7 months to 10 years after diagnosis. Only 11 patients remained free of disease. It would appear that wide excision, or perhaps even radical excision or amputation, is the surgical treatment of choice.
Infectivity of Avian Influenza Virus-Positive Field Samples for Mallards: What Do Our Diagnostic Results Mean?

Most surveillance programs for avian influenza (AI) virus in wild birds utilize molecular tests such as real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RRT-PCR) or virus isolation (VI) in embryonating chicken eggs. To provide insight into the relationship between positive diagnostic test results and infectivity for an avian host, we challenged Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) with Mallard-derived cloacal swab field samples found positive by VI or RRT-PCR. Six of 11 samples that were both RRT-PCR positive and VI positive infected Mallards. Sample infectivity for Mallards appeared to be dependent on concentration of infectious virus in the sample; five of the six samples that replicated in Mallards had a measurable virus titer, whereas four of the five samples that did not infect Mallards had titers below the limit of detection (100.9 median embryo infectious dose/0.2 mL). None of seven samples that were RRT-PCR positive and VI negative infected Mallards. These results indicate that embryonating chicken eggs are a sensit...
Regulation of excitation energy distribution in subchloroplast particles: photosystem I.

Abstract Mono- and divalent cations were found to increase the transfer of excitation energy within Photosystem I from the light-harvesting chlorophyll a molecules to P700. The P700-chlorophyll a protein of Shiozawa et al. ( J. A. Shiozawa, R. S. Alberte, and J. P. Thornber, 1974 , Arch. Biochem. Biophys.165, 388–397) was used for these studies. Cations stimulated the quantum yields for electron transport when the light-harvesting chlorophyll a molecules were irradiated. They also decreased chlorophyll a fluorescence. Half-maximal effects were observed at 0.5–0.6 m m for divalent cations and at 5–6 m m for monovalent cations. Triton X-100, 0.02%, also increased energy transfer. The increases in energy transfer are due to an intramolecular conformational change in the protein. A structural change is involved, since there is a correlation between the cation-induced changes in energy transfer and increases in 90 ° light scattering. However, there was no change in the molecular weight upon the addition of MgCl2. The molecular weight, as determined by gel filtration, was 105,000 in the presence of 0.05% Triton X-100. On the other hand, circular dichroism measurements showed an increase in the α-helical content from 51 to 63% when 5 m m MgCl2 was added. Changes in the absorption spectra were also observed. We believe that the cation regulation of Photosystem I activity provides a fine-tuning mechanism for the regulation of energy transfer.
Adverse effects of dextromethorphan on the spatial learning of rats in the Morris water maze

The effects of the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist dextromethorphan on spatial learning were assessed using the Morris water maze. Dextromethorphan was administered to 4 groups of rats in 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/kg doses. An additional group of rats was administered saline to serve as a vehicle control group. Dextromethorphan impaired learning dose dependently in the initial training phase of the experiment. During the probe trial, dose-dependent performance deficits were noted in the first 15 s of the trial only. Search strategy differences between the lowest and highest dose groups were also observed during the probe trial. During the reversal training phase, when the platform was moved to a new location, the dose-dependent impairment was seen again, but the 40 mg/kg group perseverated to the former location longer than the other groups. A cued control trial indicated that in addition to the learning impairment produced, the highest dose of dextromethorphan may also impair sensory-motor coordination.
A survey of stand establishment and in-row spacing uniformity in Washington potato fields

Missing plants and non-uniform in-row plant spacing can result in economic loss for potato growers. In-row seedpiece and plant spacing uniformity of 70 Washington potato fields was measured, and factors contributing to missing plants investigated from 2000 through 2002. Ninety-one percent of the fields were planted with cut seedpieces, and the remaining 9% were planted with cut seedpieces, and the remaining 9% were planted with whole, uncut seed tubers. Russet-type cultivars were planted in 79% of the fields, and the remaining 21% were planted with red-skinned and yellow- and white-fleshed cultivars. Seedpiece or plant spacing deviated an average of 25% from the intended spacing mean, with a range of 7% to 43%. Coefficients of variation (CV) for grower in-row plant and seedpiece spacing ranged from 18% to 69% compared with a hand-planted check average of 13%. Based on the growers’ intentions, the average plant population of the 70 fields should have been 44,000 plants ha−1, but averaged only 40,600 plants ha−1. On average, 6% of the grower-intended stand was missing because of planter skips, while less than 1% was missing due to seedpiece failure or decay. There were 1,980 clumped seedpieces ha−1 and each clump typically contained two seedpieces. Twenty-one percent of the fields had at least 700 planter-skips ha−1 where three or more consecutive plants were missing. Despite management efforts, planters were typically unable to place seed uniformly at the intended spacing. Improved planter and seed-cutting-operation management along with new planter technology would likely improve Washington potato stands.
Long-wavelength radiation along a straight-section axis in an electron storage ring

The long-wavelength radiation emitted along a straight-section axis of an electron storage ring is considered. A bending magnet at the beginning or end of a straight section produces cylindrically-symmetric “edge” radiation with radial polarization, collimated in a cone with opening angle of -1 ly, where y is the relativistic mass factor. A small deflection from a steering magnet or misaligned quadrupole results in “kicker” radiation, also collimated with an opening angle of -1 ly, for which the photon flux is proportional to the square of the deflection angle. Intermediate deflection angles of -1 ly produce a photon flux comparable to edge radiation. Downstream of a typical straight section which includes entrance and exit bending magnet edges, wiggler or undulator. and miscellaneous steering kicks comparable to 1 /y. the long-wavelength radiation is a superposition from numerous sources, each producing a comparable photon flux with opening angle of -1 /y,
Bias-assisted in vitro calcification of calcium disilicide growth layers on spark-processed silicon

A dry-etch spark ablation method was used to produce calcium disilicide (CaSi2/Si) layers on silicon (Si) surfaces for the electrochemical growth of apatitic phosphates (calcium phosphate, CaP). CaSi2/Si composite electrodes readily calcify in vitro under the application of a small electric potential, and with proper treatment, the electrodeposition of CaP is localized to the sparked areas. In addition to increasing the local concentration of calcium, interfacial layers of CaSi2 on Si exhibit exceptional site selectivity towards CaP formation under bias due to the difference in conductivity between Si and CaSi2. The proposed mechanism for bias-assisted biomineralization of CaSi2/Si layers on spark-processed Si accounts for the physicochemical properties of deposited CaP films. This work also describes routes to surface modification of calcified composite electrodes with medicinally relevant compounds such as alendronate and norfloxacin. To assess the suitability of this material as a drug-delivery platform, release of the latter compound was also monitored as a function of time.
Convergence criteria establishment for 3D simulation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Abstract A validated 3 dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics model of a single cell proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was used for investigating convergence criteria. The simulation study was carried out using the commercial PEMFC simulation module built in to ANSYS FLUENT 12.1 software package and compared with published experimental data. Convergence data up to 19,000 iterations were collected in order to establish expectations for convergence errors and differences in convergence rates for different boundary conditions. Species mass fluxes and current density were used to perform a dual verification of experimentally verifiable simulation predictions. The results of the simulation showed that convergence trends were consistent for different boundary conditions and that the solution trends asymptotically to a final value with species mass flux errors approaching to constant values. The data were used to establish convergence criteria for future 3D PEMFC simulations where residual monitoring alone is insufficient to ensure convergence.
Fuel reactivity effects on the efficiency and operational window of dual-fuel compression ignition engines

Abstract An experimental engine efficiency study was conducted that explores the effects of direct injected fuel properties on gross thermal efficiency and operational authority as functions of intake pressure and temperature, and equivalence ratios (premixed and global) using the Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) combustion strategy. The experiments were conducted in a heavy-duty single-cylinder engine at constant net IMEP of 8.45 bar, 1300 rev/min engine speed, with 0% EGR, and a CA50 combustion phasing of 0.5°CA ATDC. The engine was port fueled with E85 for the low reactivity fuel and direct injected with either #2 ULSD or 3% 2-ethylhexyl nitrate doped into 91 Anti-Knock Index (AKI) gasoline for the high reactivity fuel. The reactivity of the EHN enhanced fuel has been correlated to an AKI of approximately 56 and a cetane number of approximately 28. Intake pressure and temperature were swept independently of each other while combustion phasing and load were maintained by adjusting the global fuel reactivity and DI fuel timing as needed. The results demonstrate that for fixed cycle thermodynamics, sources of engine inefficiency are functions of the premixed and global equivalence ratios. At extremes in either, excessive losses occur, decreasing the gross thermal efficiency. The study’s findings demonstrate that losses can be minimized through proper balancing of the intake pressure and temperature, which are affected by fuel reactivity differences. Specifically, when the reactivity difference between the high and low reactivity fuel streams is reduced, with the EHN + Gas/E85 strategy, the control and effectiveness of the DI fuel is reduced, making combustion more abrupt. To reduce the peak pressure rise rate, leaner conditions were required, and the peak gross thermal efficiency increased. The results demonstrate that through proper optimization of both engine conditions, and fuels, increases in engine efficiency are possible with RCCI.
High quality ultra-thin tunneling N2O oxides fabricated by RTP

In this paper, a detailed reliability investigation is presented for ultra-thin tunneling (∼50 A) oxides grown in N2O ambient using rapid thermal processing (RTP). These N2Oss-oxides are compared with oxides of identical thickness grown in O2 ambient by RTP. The reliability investigations include time-dependent dielectric breakdown as well as stress-induced leakage current in MOS capacitors with these gate dielectrics. Results show that ultra-thin N2O-oxides show much improved reliability as compared to oxide grown in O2 ambient.
Rotational X‐ray coronary angiography

We designed and implemented a digital flat-panel-based rotational X-ray coronary angiography technique hypothesizing that luminal disease could be identified with less radiation exposure and contrast usage compared to conventional angiography. Individuals scheduled for diagnostic coronary angiography were prospectively enrolled. In addition to conventional acquisitions in standard planes, subjects underwent one additional left coronary artery (LCA) or right coronary artery (RCA) rotational (spin) acquisition using a predefined trajectory. Radiation exposure and contrast volume were recorded for each run. Seventy-five subjects were enrolled. When compared with standard five-view cine acquisition, LCA spin angiography with one cranial and one caudal run resulted in 34.38% +/- 13.65% less radiation, 18.98% +/- 4.97% less contrast, and comparable assessment of stenosis severity. One spin acquisition compared with three standard cine acquisitions for RCA angiography resulted in 59.31% +/- 29.07% lower radiation, no significant change in contrast, and comparable assessment of stenosis severity. Rotational X-ray coronary angiography provides comparable visualization of coronary anatomy compared with traditional nonrotational coronary angiography with significantly less radiation exposure and contrast volume.
Superior vena cava syndrome associated with childhood malignancy: Analysis of 24 cases

Twenty-four children with superior vena cava obstruction at initial presentation or associated with disease recurrence were treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital from 1973 to 1988. Of the 16 patients with superior vena cava syndrome at presentation, eight had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, four had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, two had Hodgkin's disease, one had neuroblastoma, and one had a yolk sac tumor. Their clinical condition at presentation was often critical and required rapid treatment. In all cases, histopathologic diagnosis was obtained without complication by either bone marrow aspiration, lymph node biopsy, thoracentesis, or thoracotomy prior to the initiation of definitive therapy. Eight children had superior vena cava syndrome as a late complication during the course of their therapy. None had an antecedent history of superior vena cava obstruction. In contrast to the patients with superior vena cava obstruction at presentation, this group was composed predominantly of patients with recurrent solid tumors. Other causes included disseminated candidiasis and superior vena cava thrombosis, thus underscoring the importance of recognizing the etiology of superior vena cava syndrome to facilitate proper treatment.
Discriminating between wealth and information effects in event studies in accounting and finance research

This article examines the power of tests of given size to detect and distinguish between wealth (i.e., mean) and information (i.e., variance) effects in event studies. We find that an Estimated Generalized Least Squares (EGLS) mean-effects test is consistently more powerful than the test based upon the average standardized residual and is as powerful as a nonparametric rank test. Unlike the test based upon the average standardized residual and the rank test, the EGLS test is well specified even when the event affects the variances of the prediction errors. We also find that conventional parametric tests to detect changes in the variance of the event-day average abnormal return are misspecified when the null of no change is true. We analyze the reasons this occurs and suggest a rank procedure that produces tests of the correct size under the null. Our evidence suggests that the critical factors allowing researchers to distinguish between wealth and information effects are an estimation procedure incorporating the heteroskedasticity inherent in market model prediction errors and an explicit test for event-day variance changes.
Analysis of flow behavior in fractured lithophysal reservoirs

This study develops a mathematical model for the analysis of pressure behavior in fractured lithophysal reservoirs. The lithophysal rock is described as a tri-continuum medium, consisting of fractures, rock matrices, and cavities. In the conceptual model, fractures have homogeneous properties throughout and interact with rock matrices and cavities that have different permeabilities and porosities. Global flow occurs through the fracture network only, while rock matrices and cavities contain the majority of fluid storage and provide fluid drainage to the fractures. Interporosity flows between the triple media are described using a pseudosteady-state concept and the system is characterized by interporosity transmissivity ratios and storativity ratio of each continuum. Pressure behavior is analyzed by examining the pressure drawdown curves, the derivative plots, and the effects of the characteristic parameters. Typical pressure responses from fractures, matrices, and cavities are represented by three semilog straight lines; the transitions by two troughs below the stabilization lines in the derivative plots. The analytical solution to the proposed model is further verified using a numerical simulation. The analytical model has also been applied to a published field-buildup well test and is able to match the pressure buildup data.
Microsite availability and establishment of native species on degraded and reclaimed sites

Summary 1 Restoration of native plant communities on previously disturbed land requires the identification and modification of environmental factors that impede or restrict ecosystem succession or development. One of the key factors in successful reclamation is to ensure colonization and persistence of native species within an area. Therefore, the identification of microsite types that favour colonization by native species should improve our ability to successfully reclaim degraded areas. 2 The objectives of this study were to (i) identify and describe microsite types that were conducive to the establishment of five native plant species (Euphrasia frigida, Galium normanii, Thymus praecox, Cerastium spp. and Rumex acetosa) on degraded and reclaimed sites in Iceland; and (ii) to determine the effects of reclamation activities that included the application of manure and inorganic fertilizer on the distribution of microsite types and seedling establishment. Reclamation sites of different ages were examined on an eroded area where the target community was a grass or shrub heath. 3 The spatial distribution of plant establishment was not random but varied among microsite types and study sites. More seedlings than expected were found in microsite types characterized by small rocks and biological soil crusts. These may have entrapped seed and provided more soil stability and moisture than other microsite types. The cover of these microsite types varied among the study sites but the pattern of seedling establishment among the five native forbs was similar. 4 Synthesis and applications. Practical reclamation methods are improved by identifying those factors that promote successful seedling establishment by native species. Application of fertilizer without additional seeding proved to be a simple reclamation approach that increased the availability of one favourable microsite type, enhanced the establishment of native species and subsequently allowed vegetation cover to expand. Seed of native plants may be difficult to obtain commercially, but this approach can be used on degraded land where propagules are available but recovery is slowed by soil instability or nutrient limitations.
Biopolitics in the EU and the U.S.: A Race to the Bottom or Convergence to the Top?

This paper examines the circumstances under which economic globalization has led (and not led) to a convergence in the regulation of agricultural biotechnology in the European Union (EU) and the United States. While the EU has taken a precautionary approach to regulating biotech products, the U.S. has decided that these products are no different from those made using more traditional methods. As such, the U.S. government has implemented no novel legislation or risk assessment procedures to regulate them. These varying regulatory responses pose an interesting puzzle for scholars who are interested in examining the impact of economic globalization on domestic regulatory institutions and policy outcomes. Despite the fact that agricultural biotech products were developed for highly competitive and globally integrated agri-business markets, the paper argues that biotechnology regulation has followed very different paths in the two polities with the EU mimicking the environmental politics model and the U.S. remaining largely nonadversarial in its approach. We investigate why this has occurred by focusing on differences in the domestic political economies surrounding biotechnology issues in the two regions. The paper then examines why the U.S. biotechnology policy mode recently has shown signs of gravitating toward the EU model, signifying a potential for convergence to the top. Although no new statutes have been enacted or rules adopted yet, there are noticeable changes in the regulatory climate. The paper argues that these changes can be attributed to developments in the domestic political economy, especially the StarLink episode and how this opened the ‘‘policy window’’ for the pressures of globalization to influence the potential ratcheting-up of U.S. standards. Background This paper examines why the regulation of agricultural biotechnology in the European Union (EU) and the United States (U.S.) has diverged and, why in the last three years, the U.S. is showing signs of moving toward the EU regulatory model. Given that multinational enterprises (MNEs) dominate the agricultural Authors’ note: Previous versions of this draft were presented at the Seminar on Political Consumerism, Stockholm, 2001 annual conferences of the Academy of Management and the International Studies Association. We received valuable feedback from David Levy, Michele Micheletti, Jacqueline Miller, Tom Prescot, Bryan Ritchie, Shanthu Shantharam, David Vogel, and Naoh Zerbe.
Hedging Under Output Price Randomness

In a recently published paper Meyer notes that the maximization of expected utility (EU) and choosing among random alternatives based on their first two moments are equivalent procedures if a location and scale (LS) condition is satisfied. This condition is shown to hold in a variety of economic models and has not been fully recognized or exploited in previous studies. In this article the above result is used to examine the hedging model developed by Feder, Just, and Schmitz and by Holthausen. Two basic reasons underlie this analysis. First, two-dimensional mean-standard deviation (MS) techniques can provide more intuition for the rather strong conclusions obtained by Feder, Just, and Schmitz and by Holthausen, simplify the proofs of their propositions, and indicate certain weaknesses in the hedging model. The second purpose is methodological. The analysis illustrates the importance and usefulness of recognizing the LS condition when constructing a model. By selecting a familiar model in agricultural economics, we do this without going into great detail concerning the model itself. The article is organized as follows. First, the hedging model and the LS condition are briefly reviewed, and the hedging model is shown to satisfy the LS condition. This result is then used to analyze the hedging model graphically. The Hedging Model and the Location and Scale Condition Feder, Just, and Schmitz, and Holthausen each develop a hedging model which extends Sandmo's work concerning a competitive firm facing a random output price. Although the two hedging models differ in minor details,
Photon-Assisted Tunneling in a Biased Strongly Correlated Bose Gas

We study the impact of coherently generated lattice photons on an atomic Mott insulator subjected to a uniform force. Analogous to an array of tunnel-coupled and biased quantum dots, we observe sharp, interaction-shifted photon-assisted tunneling resonances corresponding to tunneling one and two lattice sites either with or against the force and resolve multiorbital shifts of these resonances. By driving a Landau-Zener sweep across such a resonance, we realize a quantum phase transition between a paramagnet and an antiferromagnet and observe quench dynamics when the system is tuned to the critical point. Direct extensions will produce gauge fields and site-resolved spin flips, for topological physics and quantum computing.
Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Utility of Biomarkers and Clinical Factors for Risk Stratification

BACKGROUND: Menopausal hormone therapy (HT) continues to have a clinical role in symptom management, but identifying women for whom benefits will outweigh the risks remains a challenge. Although hormone therapy (HT) is the most effective strategy for ameliorating vasomotor and other symptoms, randomized clinical trials show an unfavorable balance of benefits and risks for many women. However, closer examination of data from these trials suggests that it may be possible to classify women as better or worse candidates for HT by using individual risk stratification. CONTENT: Data from 2 landmark trials—the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) and the Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS)—suggest an important role for clinical characteristics, serum biomarkers, genomic markers, and gene–environment interactions in developing a personalized approach to the prediction of risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events for women while on HT. The available data suggest several characteristics of women who are optimal candidates for HT use: younger age (<60 years), recent onset of menopause (<10 years), favorable lipid profile (LDL cholesterol <130 mg/dL or LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio <2.5), absence of metabolic syndrome, and absence of factor V Leiden genotype. The identification of other characteristics is an area of active investigation. In addition, women at high risk for venous thromboembolism should avoid systemic HT or choose a transdermal rather than oral delivery route. SUMMARY: Personalized medicine—i.e., the use of the specific biological profile of an individual to guide the choice of treatment—is highly relevant for clinical decision-making regarding HT and offers promise for improved treatment efficacy and safety.
Dispersion equations in moving media

The derivation of dispersion equations for electromagnetic waves in moving media is considered. Absorption is included. It becomes clear that conduction current or polarization current models lead to identical dispersion equations in moving media. The invariance of dispersion equations is defined and discussed. The question of velocity induced wave modes in moving media is considered, and conditions for appearance of these new modes are stated.
Incorporating the Star: The Intersection of Business and Aesthetic Strategies in Early American Film

Scholars generally have studied the emergence of American film stars in one of two ways: as an aesthetic, cultural phenomenon or as part of the larger story of corporate consolidation in the film industry. This article combines these approaches, arguing that the early film star played two overlapping roles. Within the new long feature films, stars served as focal points for continuity across complex narratives; within the new vertically integrated film corporations, they became focal points for the coordination of production, distribution, and promotion. The article concludes by suggesting that the interconnections between aesthetic practice and industrial organization bear further examination.
A fine-grained data-flow analysis framework

A fine-grained data-flow analysis framework (L, F) where the elements of the semilattice L are mappings from a set of items I to a semilattice of values V is introduced, and an algorithm is presented to solve this framework by considering the elements of I and V individually, rather than regarding the elements of L as atomic values. It is shown that a variety of useful data-flow problems fit into the fine-grained data-flow analysis framework, and can be solved in O(∣I∣×∣N∣) time.
An efficient algorithm for generating generalized decision forests

A shortcoming of univariate decision tree learners is that they do not learn intermediate concepts and select only one of the input features in the branching decision at each intermediate tree node. It has been empirically demonstrated that cascading other classification methods, which learn intermediate concepts, with decision tree learners can alleviate such representational bias of decision trees and potentially improve classification performance. However, a more complex model that fits training data better may not necessarily perform better on unseen data, commonly referred to as the overfitting problem. To find the most appropriate degree of such cascade generalization, a decision forest (i.e., a set of decision trees with other classification models cascaded to different degrees) needs to be generated, from which the best decision tree can then be identified. In this paper, the authors propose an efficient algorithm for generating such decision forests. The algorithm uses an extended decision tree data structure and constructs any node that is common to multiple decision trees only once. The authors have empirically evaluated the algorithm using 32 data sets for classification problems from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) machine learning repository and report on results demonstrating the efficiency of the algorithm in this paper.
Tracking of multiple maneuvering targets in clutter with possibly unresolved measurements using IMM and JPDAM coupled filtering

We present a (suboptimal) filtering algorithm for tracking multiple highly maneuvering targets in a cluttered environment using multiple sensors. We concentrate on the case of two targets which may temporarily move in close formation, giving rise to a single detection due to the resolution limitations of the sensor. The proposed filtering algorithm is developed by applying the basic interacting multiple model (IMM) approach and the joint probabilistic data association with merged measurements (JPDAM) technique and coupled target state estimation to a Markovian switching system. The algorithm is illustrated via a simulation example.
CONFLICT AND REVELATION: LITERALIZATION IN THE NOVELS OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT, WITH the publication of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte established a landmark in the history of the novel, but there is little agreement as to exactly what she accomplished or how she pulled it off. Bronte's detractors, as well as her defenders, have often stopped short of treating her as a mature artist or social theorist, explaining her power as “personal” or “autobiographical.” They adjourn further analysis of such qualities by expressing their distaste for, or at best, faintly embarrassed appreciation of, her intensely personal, perilously autobiographical, violently passionate style. There is a family resemblance between Matthew Arnold's disgust at Bronte's “hunger, rebellion and rage” (Letters 132), Virginia Woolf's wariness of her “self-centered and self-limited” but “overpowering personality” (Common Reader 222–23), and Terry Eagleton's ambivalent acknowledgment that Bronte's novels, though politically compromising, nonetheless contain a radical “sexual demand – an angry, wounded, implacable desire for full personal acceptance and recognition” (xix). Each of these critics, to varying degrees, distrusts the personal and emotional as factors that pull Bronte (and her readers) too close to herself and too far away from either her social conscience or her art. Of course, in The Madwoman in the Attic, Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar valorize rather than regret Brontean rage, but they still emphasize the violent emotion, on the verge of spinning out of control, pervading her “confessional art” (440).Gilbert and Gubar consider Bronte's oeuvre, especially Villette, “a literature of consciousness,” claiming that Bronte is “in some ways, a phenomenologist – attacking the discrepancy between reason and imagination, insisting on the subjectivity of the objective work of art, choosing as the subject of her fiction the victims of objectification, inviting her readers to experience with her the interiority of the Other” (440).
Hepatic differentiation of porcine induced pluripotent stem cells in vitro

Porcine hepatocytes are potentially important in liver regeneration and in the treatment of humans with acute and chronic liver diseases. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are a valuable source of hepatocytes for these applications as they have unlimited potential to propagate in vitro. An efficient and robust differentiation of iPS cells generated from porcine fetal fibroblasts into functional hepatocyte-like cells in vitro is reported. The methodology followed a three-step differentiation protocol using several growth factors, namely, activin A, basic fibroblast growth factor, bone morphogenetic protein-4, and oncostatin M. Porcine iPS cell-derived hepatocyte-like (piPS-Hep) cells were characterized by morphological analysis and were tested for the expression of hepatocyte-specific genes using RT-PCR. Functional analyses for albumin production and glycogen storage were also carried out. These differentiated hepatocyte-like cells could represent a valuable source for studies of drug metabolism and for cell transplantation therapy for a variety of liver disorders.
Massively parallel 454 sequencing indicates hyperdiverse fungal communities in temperate Quercus macrocarpa phyllosphere

* This study targeted the fungal communities in the phyllosphere of Quercus macrocarpa and compared the fungal species richness, diversity and community composition among trees located within and outside a small urban center using recently developed 454 sequencing and DNA tagging. * The results indicate that the fungal phyllosphere communities are extremely diverse and strongly dominated by ascomycetes, with Microsphaeropsis [two Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs); 23.6%], Alternaria (six OTUs; 16.1%), Epicoccum (one OTU; 6.0%) and Erysiphe (two OTUs; 5.9%) as the most abundant genera. * Although the sequencing effort averaged 1000 reads per tree and detected nearly 700 distinct molecular OTUs at 95% internal transcribed spacer 1 similarity, the richness of the hyperdiverse phyllosphere communities could not be reliably estimated as nearly one-half of the molecular OTUs were singletons. * The fungal communities within and outside the urban center differed in richness and diversity, which were lower within the urban development. The two land-use types contained communities that were distinct and more than 10% of the molecular OTUs differed in their frequency.
Understanding individual differences in spatial ability within females: A nature/nurture interactionist framework.

Abstract This paper reviews a program of research, conducted in collaboration with several of my colleagues, which examines individual differences in spatial ability from a biological/environmental interaction perspective. Our research strategy has been to identify the females who provide the exceptions to the male advantage in mental rotation ability. We tested a “bent twig” model, identifying a subgroup of females predicted to have a combination of genetic potential (assessed through familial handedness patterns) and prior experiences (assessed through choice of major and number of spatial experiences). The identified subgroup of women significantly outperformed all other groups of women on the Vandenberg Mental Rotation Test. Using a selective interference paradigm, we also found spatial strategy differences both within and between gender groups. To demonstrate the importance of mental rotation skills for females, we documented a relation between this type of spatial ability and both math SAT's and math self-confidence.