cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do foliar, litter, and root nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations reflect nutrient limitation in a lowland tropical wet forest?

Understanding nutrient limitation of net primary productivity (NPP) is critical to predict how plant communities will respond to environmental change. Foliar nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations ([N] and [P]) and their ratio, have been used widely as indicators of plant nutritional status and have been linked directly to nutrient limitation of NPP. In tropical systems, however, a high number of confounding factors can limit the ability to predict nutrient limitation —as defined mechanistically by NPP responses to fertilization— based on the stoichiometric signal of the plant community. We used a long-term full factorial N and P fertilization experiment in a lowland tropical wet forest in Costa Rica to explore how tissue (foliar, litter and root) [N] and [P] changed with fertilization, how different tree size classes and taxa influenced the community response, and how tissue nutrients related to NPP. Consistent with NPP responses to fertilization, there were no changes in community-wide foliar [N] and [P], two years after fertilization. Nevertheless, litterfall [N] increased with N additions and root [P] increased with P additions. The most common tree species (Pentaclethra macroloba) had 9 % higher mean foliar [N] with NP additions and the most common palm species (Socratea exohrriza) had 15% and 19% higher mean foliar [P] with P and NP additions, respectively. Moreover, N:P ratios were not indicative of NPP responses to fertilization, either at the community or at the taxa level. Our study suggests that in these diverse tropical forests, tissue [N] and [P] are driven by the interaction of multiple factors and are not always indicative of the nutritional status of the plant community.
Characterization and expression analysis of three cold shock protein (CSP) genes under different stress conditions in the Antarctic bacterium Psychrobacter sp. G

Low temperature is one of the major environmental challenges that Antarctic bacteria must face. Detailed studies of cold shock responses of cold-adapted microorganisms are still insufficient. Here, we cloned three cold shock protein (CSP) genes (Csp1137, Csp2039, and Csp2531) in the Antarctic bacterium Psychrobacter sp. G and their regulatory sequences were identified. The three CSPs were highly conserved with other known CspAs. qRT-PCR was performed to evaluate their expression characteristics under stress conditions, and the potential influence of regulatory sequences also was analyzed. The expression of Csp1137 was enhanced both by low (0, 10 °C) and high temperature (30 °C). The expression of Csp2039 was enhanced by low temperature (0 °C), but was lower than that of Csp1137. This can be explained by the absence in Csp2039 of the AT-rich UP element. Different from Csp1137, the expression of Csp2531 was inhibited by low temperature (0 °C), even with the presence of AT-rich UP element, and it was not sensitive to high temperature (30 °C). The expression of Csp1137 was enhanced by high salinity (90, 120), whereas that of Csp2531was enhanced by low salinity (0, 15). At 0 °C and a salinity of 15, the expression of Csp1137 was repressed initially, but then it increased greatly during the next 10 h. The expressions of Csp2039 and Csp2531 were repressed significantly under four different combinations of stress conditions. Our results showed that the role of the upstream regulation sequences were much more complex than previously thought. Also, gene expressions were also affected by the environmental salinity. These are helpful in further clarification of the adaptation mechanism of Psychrobacter sp. G.
A Computational Study of One Aspect of Autoresonant Acceleration

Excitation and suppression of zero-frequency cyclotron waves on a relativistic electron beam in a parameter regime appropriate to autoresonant collective ion acceleration are examined through numerical simulation. The excitation mechanism considered is that of anode shorting, while suppression is achieved through a combination of nonadiabatic change in the guide magnetic field and the introduction of a finite radial velocity divergence in the beam. Some brief remarks are included concerning the effect of a scattered beam distribution.
An anaphylactic reaction to parathyroid hormone.

Abstract An immediate-type, generalized reaction consistent with anaphylaxis occurred after intravenous administration of bovine PTH to a patient with suspected hyperparathyroidism. Cutaneous testing with purified PTH preparations and other bovine proteins demonstrated reactivity only against the PTH preparations. IgE antibodies against the PTH preparations were detected in vitro by radioimmunoassay and are presumed to be responsible for the anaphylactic reaction.
Approaches to optimize scintillator polymers for optical radiation hardness

Abstract This paper is concerned with identifying optical polymers which are transparent after exposure to ionizing radiation. Annealable color centers are minimized when permeability and flexibility of the polymer matrix are enhanced. Four ways of altering the polymer matrix to enhance transparency resistance are discussed: side chain variation, copolymerization, blending, low molecular weight additives. Cross-linking does not interfere with measures taken to minimize color center formation or annealing and may be necessary to ensure mechanical stability.
Design and simulation of large breakaway signs

Breakaway supports are common devices used for dual-support signs located along the roadway. The sign system utilizes a fuse plate that is designed to support the wind loads on the sign as well as to allow the sign support to release on impact, and swing up and out of the way, when impacted by an errant vehicle. Two alternative designs for improving the wind load capacity of large dual-support signs were analyzed: a thicker fuse plate design and a balanced hinge design. The safety performance of the sign systems was evaluated using nonlinear, large deformation finite-element analysis (FEA). Crash simulation results indicated that both designs have the potential for meeting the safety recommendations set forth by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report No. 350.
Evolution of ozone, particulates, and aerosol direct radiative forcing in the vicinity of Houston using a fully coupled meteorology-chemistry-aerosol model

[1] A new fully coupled meteorology-chemistry-aerosol model is used to simulate the urban- to regional-scale variations in trace gases, particulates, and aerosol direct radiative forcing in the vicinity of Houston over a 5 day summer period. Model performance is evaluated using a wide range of meteorological, chemistry, and particulate measurements obtained during the 2000 Texas Air Quality Study. The predicted trace gas and particulate distributions were qualitatively similar to the surface and aircraft measurements with considerable spatial variations resulting from urban, power plant, and industrial sources of primary pollutants. Sulfate, organic carbon, and other inorganics were the largest constituents of the predicted particulates. The predicted shortwave radiation was 30 to 40 W m−2 closer to the observations when the aerosol optical properties were incorporated into the shortwave radiation scheme; however, the predicted hourly aerosol radiative forcing was still underestimated by 10 to 50 W m−2. The predicted aerosol radiative forcing was larger over Houston and the industrial ship channel than over the rural areas, consistent with surface measurements. The differences between the observed and simulated aerosol radiative forcing resulted from transport errors, relative humidity errors in the upper convective boundary layer that affect aerosol water content, secondary organic aerosols that were not yet included in the model, and uncertainties in the primary particulate emission rates. The current model was run in a predictive mode and demonstrates the challenges of accurately simulating all of the meteorological, chemical, and aerosol parameters over urban to regional scales that can affect aerosol radiative forcing.
Comment on “On past temperatures and anomalous late‐20th century warmth”

We write in response to the Forum article by Mann et al. (Eos, 8 July 2003;“M03”), noting first two points of apparent agreement with our work [Soon and Baliunas, 2003; Soon et al., 2003;“SB03”]: (1) Studies of climatic and environmental changes (including temperature) on hemispheric or global scales over time periods of millennia based on paleoclimate proxies must contend with significant uncertainties.
A typology of U.S. suburban places

Abstract Suburbs are becoming increasingly diverse as they continue to comprise larger portions of the metropolitan population and employment. Former perceptions of suburban uniformity are being eroded by the variance in form and function that now characterizes them. This article analyzes data collected on 3,567 non‐central‐city, incorporated, metropolitan places in the United States along the dimensions of population, place, economy, and government. Specifically, a hierarchical clustering procedure, combined with discriminant analysis, identifies 10 distinct types of suburbs in the data. Level, composition, and combinations of wealth, employment, and race drive the distinctions among suburban clusters, many of which do not fit our traditional characterizations of suburbia. In fact, only about half of all the suburbs considered are strongly characterized by these traditional traits, and these suburbs contain less than one out of every three residents considered in the analysis.
A comparison of reliable multicast protocols

We analyze the maximum throughput that known classes of reliable multicast transport protocols can attain. A new taxonomy of reliable multicast transport protocols is introduced based on the premise that the mechanisms used to release data at the source after correct delivery should be decoupled from the mechanisms used to pace the transmission of data and to effect error recovery. Receiver-initiated protocols, which are based entirely on negative acknowledgments (NAKS) sent from the receivers to the sender, have been proposed to avoid the implosion of acknowledgements (ACKS) to the source. However, these protocols are shown to require infinite buffers in order to prevent deadlocks. Two other solutions to the ACK-implosion problem are tree-based protocols and ring-based protocols. The first organize the receivers in a tree and send ACKS along the tree; the latter send ACKS to the sender along a ring of receivers. These two classes of protocols are shown to operate correctly with finite buffers. It is shown that tree-based protocols constitute the most scalable class of all reliable multicast protocols proposed to date.
Dual-channel speech enhancement with auditory spectrum based constraints

A frequency-domain, constrained iterative Wiener filtering algorithm is proposed for dual-channel speech enhancement. The iterative algorithm is shown to follow the expectation-maximization (EM) maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) technique. Constraints are applied over time and iteration on the MLE-cepstral parameters which parametrize an auditory spectrum. The constraints are adapted to changing speech characteristics over time with the aid of a speech boundary detector. The dual-channel algorithm is implemented using experimentally determined correlation functions between the two channels. Results from speech degraded by additive white Gaussian noise and actual aircraft cockpit noise are presented. Objective quality measures show improvement when compared to unconstrained dual-channel Wiener filter over a range of SNR and cross-talk levels. Time waveforms and frame-to-frame distance measures show good improvement, especially in unvoiced and transitional regions of speech. Distance measures over individual phonemes from a subset of the NIST/TIMIT database degraded with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) show consistent and superior quality improvement. >
National Board Certified Teachers are Making a Difference in Student Achievement: Myth or Fact?

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, founded in 1987, serves as a clearinghouse for National Board Teacher Certification whereby individuals must demonstrate competence and professional teaching excellence through a two-part process. Accordingly, this particular advanced level of teacher certification has perpetuated the perception that increased knowledge and skill in teaching, recognized by this type of certification, may create a higher trained, better equipped workforce to meet the needs of the students, which may ultimately increase student achievement and academic performance. The debate over the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards movement to improve the quality of the teaching workforce suggests that this higher set of standards for teachers may impact the student achievement of youngsters across the nation. Fifty-four kindergarten through eighth grade National Board Certified Teachers and non–National Board Certified Teachers from one Local Educational Agency in ...
Volarly Displaced Transscaphoid, Translunate, Transtriquetrum Fracture of the Carpus: Case Report

A 16-year-old girl sustained a transscaphoid, translunate, transtriquetrum volarly displaced fracture due to shear stress in the coronal plane. Treatment involved open reduction and internal fixation of the fractures followed by immobilization. At 15 months' follow-up, grip strength and motion were diminished compared with the uninjured wrist. Radiographs demonstrated fully healed fractures with narrowing of the cartilage space between the capitate and the lunate.
Flexible histone tails in a new mesoscopic oligonucleosome model

We describe a new mesoscopic model of oligonucleosomes that incorporates flexible histone tails. The nucleosome cores are modeled using the discrete surface-charge optimization model, which treats the nucleosome as an electrostatic surface represented by hundreds of point charges; the linker DNAs are treated using a discrete elastic chain model; and the histone tails are modeled using a bead/chain hydrodynamic approach as chains of connected beads where each bead represents five protein residues. Appropriate charges and force fields are assigned to each histone chain so as to reproduce the electrostatic potential, structure, and dynamics of the corresponding atomistic histone tails at different salt conditions. The dynamics of resulting oligonucleosomes at different sizes and varying salt concentrations are simulated by Brownian dynamics with complete hydrodynamic interactions. The analyses demonstrate that the new mesoscopic model reproduces experimental results better than its predecessors, which modeled histone tails as rigid entities. In particular, our model with flexible histone tails: correctly accounts for salt-dependent conformational changes in the histone tails; yields the experimentally obtained values of histone-tail mediated core/core attraction energies; and considers the partial shielding of electrostatic repulsion between DNA linkers as a result of the spatial distribution of histone tails. These effects are crucial for regulating chromatin structure but are absent or improperly treated in models with rigid histone tails. The development of this model of oligonucleosomes thus opens new avenues for studying the role of histone tails and their variants in mediating gene expression through modulation of chromatin structure.
God in the Letter of James: Patron or Benefactor?

This article joins recent studies of the letter of James in arguing that the ancient system of patronage aids in illuminating the social situation of this short text. However, unlike other authors, I suggest that God is not understood as a substitute patron in James, but as an ideal benefactor, on whom the audience must rely. Building on the work of Stephan Joubert and others, the article first offers evidence that patronage and benefaction were understood as different relationships in parts of the Roman Empire. Subsequently it focuses on sections of James in which patronage is criticized and God is portrayed as a frank friend and benefactor, consistent with the image of the ideal benefactor in antiquity.
Modulation of Cellular Mechanics during Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Recognition of the growing role of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine requires a thorough understanding of intracellular biochemical and biophysical processes that may direct the cell's commitment to a particular lineage. In this study, we characterized the distinct biomechanical properties of hMSCs, including the average Young's modulus determined by atomic force microscopy (3.2 +/- 1.4 kPa for hMSC vs. 1.7 +/- 1.0 kPa for fully differentiated osteoblasts), and the average membrane tether length measured with laser optical tweezers (10.6 +/- 1.1 microm for stem cells, and 4.0 +/- 1.1 microm for osteoblasts). These differences in cell elasticity and membrane mechanics result primarily from differential actin cytoskeleton organization in these two cell types, whereas microtubules did not appear to affect the cellular mechanics. The membrane-cytoskeleton linker proteins may contribute to a stronger interaction of the plasma membrane with F-actins and shorter membrane tether length in osteoblasts than in stem cells. Actin depolymerization or ATP depletion caused a two- to threefold increase in the membrane tether length in osteoblasts, but had essentially no effect on the stem-cell membrane tethers. Actin remodeling in the course of a 10-day osteogenic differentiation of hMSC mediates the temporally correlated dynamical changes in cell elasticity and membrane mechanics. For example, after a 10-day culture in osteogenic medium, hMSC mechanical characteristics were comparable to those of mature bone cells. Based on quantitative characterization of the actin cytoskeleton remodeling during osteodifferentiation, we postulate that the actin cytoskeleton plays a pivotal role in determining the hMSC mechanical properties and modulation of cellular mechanics at the early stage of stem-cell osteodifferentiation.
Fundamental Analysis of Firm Performance Following Strategic Alliance Announcements

We examine whether accounting-based fundamental analysis can predict long term market performance in a strategic alliance context. We first evaluate whether Mohanram's (2005) G-Score explains differences in long-term buy and hold returns following announcements that firms have formed strategic alliances. We show that the G-Score does help explain future market performance following alliance announcements; however, Mohanram's signals focus on the financial characteristics of individual firms and may fail to account fully for the intangible benefits of interfirm relationships. From information disclosed in the alliance announcements and other context-specific information, we develop an alliance score (A-Score) that alone and in conjunction with the G-Score explains differences in future returns. We also document that the market does not correctly predict long term performance for the firms participating in the alliances. These results suggest that prior research that focuses on the short term reaction to alliance announcements, may overstate the benefits of alliances.
Mechanomyographic amplitude and mean power frequency versus torque relationships during isokinetic and isometric muscle actions of the biceps brachii.

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to determine the mechanomyographic (MMG) amplitude and mean power frequency (MPF) versus torque (or force) relationships during isokinetic and isometric muscle actions of the biceps brachii. Ten adults (mean±SD age=21.6±1.7 years) performed submaximal to maximal isokinetic and isometric muscle actions of the dominant forearm flexors. Following determination of isokinetic peak torque (PT) and the isometric maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), the subjects randomly performed submaximal step muscle actions in 10% increments from 10% to 90% PT and MVC. Polynomial regression analyses indicated that MMG amplitude increased linearly with torque during both the isokinetic ( r 2 =0.982) and isometric ( r 2 =0.956) muscle actions. From 80% to 100% of isometric MVC, however, MMG amplitude appeared to plateau. Cubic models provided the best fit for the MMG MPF versus isokinetic ( R 2 =0.786) and isometric ( R 2 =0.940) torque relationships, although no significant increase in MMG MPF was found from 10% to 100% of isokinetic PT. For the isometric muscle actions, however, MMG MPF remained relatively stable from 10% to 50% MVC, increased from 50% to 80% MVC, and decreased from 80% to 100% MVC. The results demonstrated differences in the MMG amplitude and MPF versus torque relationships between the isokinetic and isometric muscle actions. These findings suggested that the time and frequency domains of the MMG signal may be useful for describing the unique motor control strategies that modulate dynamic versus isometric torque production.
Age cohort analysis of the 20th century decline in U.S. farm numbers

Abstract The demographic component of the decline in U.S. farm numbers is analysed by tracking the size of farm operator age cohorts. Interpolation of recent irregularly-spaced census data facilitates comparison with earlier agricultural censuses. Cohort profiles indicate an inverted U-shape in the relationship between farm numbers and cohort age. Successive cohorts have been smaller than their predecessors, and withdrawal rates of older operators have fallen in recent years. Projections based on entry-withdrawal patterns for 1987–1992 suggest decline in farm numbers from 1.93 million in 1992 to 1.48 million in 2002 and 1.29 million in 2007. Imbalance between withdrawing older operators and younger new entrants could encourage a broadening of the pool of farm entrants and changes in farm ownership, operating and financing arrangements.
Measurement of the nonlinear momentum compaction factor in RHIC

During gold beam acceleration in the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), the transition energy has to be crossed at /spl gamma//sub t/ /spl ap/ 23. Since close to /spl gamma//sub t/ the longitudinal slip factor /spl gamma//sub t//sup -2/ - /spl gamma//sup -2/ becomes very small, the longitudinal momentum compaction factor /spl alpha//sub 1/ becomes significant. Measurements of this factor using longitudinal phase space tomography will be reported.
Plant response to climate change along the forest-tundra ecotone in northeastern Siberia

Russia's boreal (taiga) biome will likely contract sharply and shift northward in response to 21st century climatic change, yet few studies have examined plant response to climatic variability along the northern margin. We quantified climate dynamics, trends in plant growth, and growth-climate relationships across the tundra shrublands and Cajander larch (Larix cajanderi Mayr.) woodlands of the Kolyma river basin (657 000 km(2) ) in northeastern Siberia using satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI), tree ring-width measurements, and climate data. Mean summer temperatures (Ts ) increased 1.0 °C from 1938 to 2009, though there was no trend (P > 0.05) in growing year precipitation or climate moisture index (CMIgy ). Mean summer NDVI (NDVIs ) increased significantly from 1982 to 2010 across 20% of the watershed, primarily in cold, shrub-dominated areas. NDVIs positively correlated (P 0.05), which significantly correlated with NDVIs (r = 0.44, P < 0.05, 1982-2007). Both satellite and tree-ring analyses indicated that plant growth was constrained by both low temperatures and limited moisture availability and, furthermore, that warming enhanced growth. Impacts of future climatic change on forests near treeline in Arctic Russia will likely be influenced by shifts in both temperature and moisture, which implies that projections of future forest distribution and productivity in this area should take into account the interactions of energy and moisture limitations.
Automated Software Product Line Engineering and Product Derivation

This paper describes a prototype automated software product line engineering environment, in which a multiple view model of the product line architecture and components are developed and stored in a product line repository. Automated software product derivation consists of tailoring the product line architecture given the product features and selecting the components to be included in the product. The automated environment is built on top of Rational Rose RT. Automated support is provided for developing multiple product line views, using the feature model as the unifying view, an underlying product line meta-model that provides a schema for a product line repository, support for consistency checking among the multiple views, and support for feature-based product line derivation
FEEDING BEHAVIOR AND GROWTH OF BROILER CHICKS FED LARVAE OF THE DARKLING BEETLE, ALPHITOBIUS DIAPERINUS

Abstract Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of feeding larvae of the darkling beetle (lesser mealworm), Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) to broiler chicks on chick growth. Chicks readily fed on the larvae and exhibited reduced growth in the absence of other feed. Chicks 3 to 8 d old restricted to a diet of only larvae consumed 1,552±172 (mean±SD) larvae per chick per day and their body weights were significantly less (mean = 84 g) at the end of the 6 d than for chicks on starter feed during the same time. After return to starter feed for 8 d after feeding on larvae for 6 d, the chicks did not compensate for the reduced weight and their body weights were significantly less (mean = 170 g) than for chicks on starter feed for the 14 d. Chicks from age 2 through 9 d were given a choice between broiler starter feed and darkling beetle larvae. The numbers (mean±SD) of larvae consumed per chick per day were: 389±18, 631±14, 496±20, and 287±33, for Days 2 to 3, 4 to 5, 6 to 7, and 8 to 9, respectively. The body weight of chicks feeding on starter feed and larvae was significantly greater than the weight of chicks consuming feed only. In the presence of larvae, the mean feed consumption per chick was less than for chicks provided with only starter feed. The beetle larvae were 68% crude protein and 21% fat (DM basis) and had higher amounts of 18 amino acids than the starter feed.
Geometric and Crystallographic Characterization of WC Surfaces and Grain Boundaries in WC-Co Composites

Electron backscattered diffraction has been used to determine the orientation of WC crystals in a WC-Co composite and atomic force microscopy has been used to measure the shapes of planar sections of the same crystals. A stereological analysis has been used to determine that {101¯0} prism facets and the {0001} basal planes are the WC surfaces that are most frequently in contact with Co. Further, the WC habit is an approximately equiaxed trigonal prism bound by three prism facets and two basal facets. An analysis of ∼15,600 grain boundaries shows that certain interfaces occur with a frequency that is much higher than would be expected in a random distribution and that the grain boundary habit planes also have {101¯0} and {0001} orientations. Eleven percent of all the observed WC-WC interfaces are 90° twist boundaries about [101¯0]. Two types of boundaries with a 30° rotation about [0001], a twist and an asymmetric tilt, comprise 3% of the population.
HLAMatchmaker-driven analysis of responses to HLA-typed platelet transfusions in alloimmunized thrombocytopenic patients

￻￻ This study describes a novel application of HLAMatchmaker to determine platelet compatibility in 16 alloimmunized patients with aplastic anemia refractory to random donor platelet transfusions. HLAMatchmaker is a software algorithm that predicts HLA compatibility by identifying immunogenic epitopes represented by amino acid triplets in antibody-accessible regions of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules and determines the number of triplet mismatches (TMMs) and highly immunogenic triplet mismatches (HIMMs). Corrected count increments (CCIs) and molecular HLA typing were available for 523 transfusions. Conventional compatibility assessment based on cross-reactive group (CREG) determination was not predictive of transfusion outcome. Low HIMMs and TMMs numbers were associated with a higher likelihood of satisfactory (CCIs > 8) compared with unsatisfactory (CCIs < 8) outcomes (median HIMMs 4v s 6, p 2 value < .001; median TMMs 11 vs 13, p2value< .001). Although receiver operator characteristic curves revealed that HIMMs or TMMs number are not powerful predictors of individual transfusion outcome, a threshold of at least 3 HIMMs or at least 9 TMMs appeared to be associated with successful transfusions. Triplet-matched transfusions weresuccessful,regardlessofCREGmatching. Our data validate HLAMatchmaker for platelet transfusions and demonstrate its potential to refine and expand donor selectionforHLA-alloimmunizedpatients.(Blood. 2006;107:1680-1687)
Model for currency exchange rates and its violation

A volume-independent model for currency exchange rates in international business gaming simulations is presented that is shown to be stable, simple, and fair. Based on foreign holdings of money, the model pegs exchange rates to allow for currency speculation. The effects of international trade, deposits, loans, and investments are discussed. Proof is given that the model is self-limiting and risk compensating. An empirical study of the model was conducted with 116 undergraduates participating in an international-business gaming simulation. Results show that in the very long term, currency values of the model move in rough correspondence with monetary theory, and in the short term, a high degree of uncertainty with no repeating pattern is evident. Uncertainty rose with the elapse of time between observations at the rate of about 1% per period. The adequate model is sensitive, capable, stable, simple, and fair.
Cefoperazone Pharmacokinetics in Preterm Infants.

The elimination pharmacokinetics of cefoperazone, a new cephalosporin, were studied in 15 preterm infants ranging in gestational age from 32 to 36 weeks and in postnatal age from 1 to 6 days. The infants received a single dose of either 50 or 250 mg of cefoperazone per kg by intravenous infusion. Blood samples were collected at specified times after completion of the drug infusion and then assayed for cefoperazone. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined by noncompartmental analysis. Mean values for plasma half-life, elimination rate constant, apparent steady-state volume of distribution, and total body clearance were 5.53 h, 0.15 h-1, 124 ml/kg, and 36 ml/h per kg, respectively, for the group receiving a 50-mg/kg dose and 5.76 h, 0.14 h-1, 111 ml/kg, and 35 ml/h per kg, respectively, for the group receiving a 250-mg/kg dose. Positive correlations between gestational age and clearance and elimination rate were detected. A 50-mg/kg dose every 12 h ensured adequate serum levels for most of the common neonatal pathogens. Other than a transient rise in eosinophils in four subjects, no adverse effects were noted.
Testosterone and Social Behavior

Popular perceptions of the effect of testosterone on "manly" behavior are inaccurate. We need to move away from such simplistic notions by treating testosterone as one component along with other physiological, psychological and sociological variables in interactive and reciprocal models of behavior. Several hormones can now be measured in saliva, removing the need for blood samples. Conceptual shifts have moved research from biological determinism to biosocial models in which the social environment plays a key role in understanding behavior-hormones associations. As a result, more social scientists are incorporating testosterone in their studies. Following a primer on testosterone, we describe testosterone's link to (a) gaining, maintaining and losing social status, (b) aggression and antisocial behavior, (c) peer and family relationships, and (d) gender similarities and differences. Research needed to take us to the next level of understanding is outlined.
Economic Growth and Development in the Undergraduate Curriculum

A central theme of this article is that economics instructors should spend more time teaching about economic growth and development at the undergraduate level because the topic is of interest to students, is less abstract than other macroeconomic topics, and is the focus of exciting research in economics. Facts and data can be presented to describe the economic growth problem facing nations, both rich and poor. Instructors can then use key elements of the Solow growth model and discuss the importance of technology to explain economic growth to students. Recent research in economics can be used in the classroom to discuss the reasons why some countries are rich and others are poor.
Use and Implications of Fidelity in Helicopter Underwater Egress Training

This chapter outlines the current understanding of how fidelity (physical, functional, and cognitive) influences helicopter underwater egress training (HUET). The distinction between the three constructs is used to consider implications of how offshore personnel are currently training in egress from a wide variety of simulators located around the globe. The discussion is framed by exploring contextual interference as it relates to skill acquisition and retention. Interior helicopter cabin configuration factors such as seating arrangements, exit positions, the use of crash-attenuating seats with four-point harnesses, and the forces required to open a simulated cabin exit are discussed as they relate to survivability and egress difficulties. Finally, this chapter considers the influence of simulation fidelity in training on the capability to predict future HUET performance in an actual helicopter ditching.
In vivo platform for translational drug development and biomarker discovery in pancreatic cancer

4000 While there are many new agents entering clinical development, there is very little data to prioritize which agents should be explored in pancreas cancer. Furthermore, often there is no information on biomarkers that may predict the activity of these drugs in pancreas cancer. In this project, we have generated a cohort of 30 pancreatic cancer xenografts by implanting in nude mice tumor materials from surgical specimens. Molecular studies show that a) these tumors maintain the genetic features of the originator cancer such as KRAS, p53 and DPC4 gene status; b) tumors represent the heterogeneity of pancreatic cancer well (there is not selection of any genotype in the xenograft ) and c) features do not changed over time. We have used this platform to explore the activity of a battery with a total of 10 new anticancer agents including inhibitors of MAPK, EGFR, mTOR, src kinase, Ras oncogene, mitosis regulators, angiogenesis, heat shock protein and hedgehog pathway inhibitors using a methodology similar t...
The Role of Inflammation and Immunity in the Pathogenesis of Liver Fibrosis

Hepatic fibrosis represents a ubiquitous response of the liver to acute or chronic injury. Tremendous progress in understanding the pathophysiology of this wound-healing response has led to realistic expectations for treating fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease owing to either viral hepatitis or metabolic or autoimmune diseases, among others. There has been continued clarification of the cellular source of extracellular matrix (ECM) in hepatic fibrosis, major advances in understanding signaling and transcriptional events, and exciting insights into the biology of fibrosis progression and resolution (see refs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and references therein for more general reviews).
Physical Modeling of Stress Communication between Chromosome Loci

The organizational dynamics of chromosomal DNA are critical to many biological processes including genetic regulation, recombination, condensation, and segregation. The physical understanding of such processes would be greatly improved by predictive, quantitative modeling that can be directly compared to experimental measurements. Previous work has examined or modeled either single locus dynamics or the organization of multiple loci through static or ensemble measurements. New tools in fluorescence microscopy now enable the real-time tracking of several loci simultaneously, requiring additional physical model development to interpret the observed behaviors. Toward this end, we employ a polymer dynamics framework to predict the correlation in the velocities of two loci connected by chromatin. This predictive theory uses a minimal number of fitting parameters and reveals that the signature of correlated motion between loci can be identified by varying the lag time between locus position measurements. Our results predict that as the lag time interval increases, the dual-loci dynamic behavior changes from being uncorrelated to behaving as an effective single locus. This transition is determined by the timescale of the stress communication between loci through the intervening segments. We show that this single transition timescale is the only fit parameter needed to make direct quantitative comparisons to the in vivo motion of fluorescently labeled chromosome loci. We further show that our predictions are qualitatively consistent with recently published experimental measurements of the motion of sets of two loci on a single chromosome in budding yeast during interphase. Furthermore, this theoretical framework enables the detection of dynamically coupled chromosome regions from the signature of their correlated motion.
Evolution of Cheek Pouches in African Pouched Rats (Rodentia: Cricetomyinae)

There are two subfamilies of murid rodents whose members possess spacious internal cheek pouches with retractor muscles: Cricetinae and Cricetomyinae. In cricetine hamsters, the pouch is retracted by a muscle derived from the trapezius muscle group and innervated by cranial nerve XI. In contrast, two of the three genera of African cricetomyines have a pouch retractor derived from facial muscles and innervated by cranial nerve VII. The third cricetomyine, Cricetomys gambianus , was described as having a pouch-retractor muscle (Vorontsov, 1979), but in the three specimens that I dissected no retractor was found. Based on cheek-pouch morphology, I hypothesize that cricetomyines and cricetines each form monophyletic groups derived from a common ancestor and that cheek pouches and retractor muscles evolved independently in these two subfamilies of murid rodents.
The Bluetooth Radio Ball Interface (BRBI): A Wireless Interface for Music/Sound Control And Motion Sonification

The Bluetooth Radio Ball Interface (BRBI) is a wireless interface for motion tracking and sonification. The device is embedded in a palm sized foam ball. A 3-dimensional sensor with a Bluetooth module seated in the center of the ball transmits acceleration/tilt measurement data to a computer. Data is then converted into Open Sound Control messages for use with other applications. This paper presents the design concept and implementation of BRBI. Details of its hardware and data handling software are also discussed. Applications include gesture control in music performance as well as sonification of athletics.
Effects of Multiple Risks on Farm Income and Willingness to Pay for Agricultural Insurance: A Case Study of the Greater Accra Region in Ghana

This paper analyzes the determinants of farm income among farmers producing crops and animals in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. It further estimates the willingness to pay for agricultural insurance by farmers. The farm income function was evaluated using a logarithmic function in which farm income is regressed as a function of determinants affecting it. The econometric results suggest that gender, education, farm size, farming experience, fertilizer usage and input cost all have a positive and statistically significant association with farm income. The results indicate that when investing in agriculture in the study region, weather hazards and pest and disease attacks are two important risk factors that need to be considered in the implementation of insurance policies since they have and statistically significant negative associations with farm income. The paper further observes that weather and pest/disease attacks are two significant risk factors that tend to influence farmers’ willingness to adopt and pay for agricultural insurance.
Young Children's Motivational Frameworks and Math Achievement: Relation to Teacher-Reported Instructional Practices, but Not Teacher Theory of Intelligence.

Although students’ motivational frameworks (entity vs. incremental) have been linked to academic achievement, little is known about how early this link emerges and how motivational frameworks develop in the first place. In a year-long study (student N = 424, Teacher N = 58), we found that, as early as 1st and 2nd grade, children who endorsed an incremental framework performed better on a nationally normed standardized math test than children who held an entity framework (i.e., believe ability is stable, prefer easy tasks). Furthermore, teachers’ self-reported instructional practices (mastery- vs. performance-oriented) played an important role in the development of students’ motivational frameworks. The more a teacher reported emphasizing that children demonstrate competence in the classroom (i.e., performance-oriented instructional practices), the more students endorsed an entity framework at the end of the school year, even after controlling for students’ beginning-of-year frameworks. These findings have significant implications for theory as well as practice, as they show that even in the early elementary grades, teacher-reported instructional practices are linked to the development of students’ motivational frameworks, which in turn, are linked to students’ mathematics achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution of Boronophenylalanine Following Intraperitoneal Injection in Nude Rats with Intracerebral Melanoma

Para-boronophenylalanine (BPA) has been used as a boron delivery agent for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of melanoma1. As an analogue of phenylalanine, a melanin precursor, it has been postulated that melanoma cells selectively take up BPA. The effectiveness of BNCT is dependent, in part, upon the concentration gradient of boron in the tumor in comparison with the surrounding normal tissues and blood. Consequently, it is important to determine the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of BPA and other boron compounds in order to evaluate the potential effectiveness of BNCT agents.
Psychostimulant-Induced Gene Regulation in Striatal Circuits

Psychostimulants alter the expression of hundreds of genes in the basal ganglia. This review discusses mechanisms of psychostimulant-induced gene regulation in the striatum (receptors involved, cell types, and functional domains affected), with focus on examples of effector genes such as neuropeptides, and neuroplasticity-related molecules such as transcription factors and others. Studies show that psychostimulants alter gene regulation predominantly in neurons of the direct striatal output pathway, with lesser effects in the indirect pathway. These changes are caused by excessive stimulation of D1 dopamine receptors (in interaction with glutamate inputs) and are modulated by D2, D3, and serotonin receptors. Some gene regulation occurs in limbic domains, which mediate reward processes. However, these drug-induced molecular changes are most pronounced in associative and sensorimotor domains, which mediate switching functions (motor acts, thoughts), procedural learning, and other functions. Limbic effects likely underlie motivational aspects of drug taking. Sensorimotor changes may be responsible for aberrant habit formation and compulsive behavior that signify drug addiction.
Collective rights organizations: A guide to benefits, costs and antitrust safeguards

Collective rights organizations (CROs) are patent pools, copyright collectives and cross-licensing arrangements that coordinate the licensing of intellectual property rights. CROs can have efficiency benefits by reducing transaction costs, eliminating royalty stacking and resolving conflicting claims by rights owners. However, CROs also can have potential antitrust risks by raising prices, excluding competition for technology rights or downstream products, shielding weak patents and reducing incentives for innovation. The availability of independent licensing mitigates but does not eliminate the risk of anticompetitive practices by a collective rights organization. Antitrust enforcers should be vigilant about collective rights organizations that may harm competition while also respecting the large benefits that these institutions can create for consumers.
Solvent co-mediated synthesis of ultrathin BiOCl nanosheets with highly efficient visible-light photocatalytic activity

A series of bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) nanostructures were prepared via a facile solvothermal method. Well-crystallized BiOCl nanosheets were successfully obtained by controlling the ratio of different solvents. With an optimal volume ratio of solvents, sodium chloride (NaCl) and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) were chosen to provide the chloride sources, separately. Compared with NaCl, besides acting as one kind of chloride source, it was found that CTAC could play a significant role in controlling the square-like structure of BiOCl. In addition, the obtained ultrathin square-like BiOCl nanosheets with 3–7 nm thickness exhibited high activity for rhodamine B (RhB) photosensitization degradation under visible-light irradiation. The BiOCl nanosheets synthesized from this study had large surface areas from 20 m2 g−1 to 35 m2 g−1, which are favorable for providing more active sites for dye adsorption and degradation. The possible mechanisms of crystal growth and degradation for RhB are discussed.
Cytomegalovirus-associated acute pancreatic disease in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome : report of two patients

Pancreatic disease has been infrequently reported in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Over the last 3 years at our hospital, two patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and acute pancreatic or biliary disease, demonstrated at autopsy to be secondary to cytomegalovirus infection of the pancreas, have been evaluated. However, pancreatic disease was not recognized antemortem in our two patients because of their underlying diseases and the atypical presentation. Cytomegalovirus infection of the pancreas may cause acute symptomatic disease in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Photophysical properties of near-IR cyanine dyes and their application as photosensitizers in dye sensitized solar cells

Abstract The photophysical properties of eight structurally diverse near-infrared cyanine dyes were investigated with respect to their structural features and potential use as light-harvesting sensitizers of dye sensitized solar cells. The absorption, emission, and lifetime characteristics of the dyes were assessed under a variety of conditions. The photophysical properties and sensitizing efficiency of three of the eight dyes, with an additional six-membered cyclic ring, were markedly different from the other five. The dyes absorbed light of wavelength within the range of 779–823 nm and emitted within the range of 832–876 nm.The dyes had fluorescence quantum yield in the range of 14–22%. The surface morphology and elemental analysis of the cyanine dye sensitized photoanodes were characterized via Field-Emission Scanning Microscopy Imaging (FESEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The performance of the fabricated cyanine dye sensitized solar cells was assessed via current-voltage and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic measurements. The solar-to-electric power conversion efficiency ranged from 0.04% to 0.24%.