cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mapping the field of human-computer interaction (HCI)

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is a multidisciplinary field which combines the theories and practices from a number of fields including computer science, cognitive and behavioral psychology, anthropology, sociology, ergonomics, industrial design, and more. We use author cocitation analysis to explore the interrelationships between the specialties or sub-communities within the field of HCI.
Interstitial infusion of carmustine in the rat brain stem with systemic administration of O6-benzylguanine.

Interstitial infusion of carmustine (BCNU) into the rat brain stem in conjunction with systemic administration of O6-benzylguanine (O6-BG) was performed in an effort to assess clinical tolerance. A total of 12 rats underwent stereotactic cannula placement into the pontine segment of the brain stem. Six of the rats underwent a 24-h infusion of BCNU (Volume of infusion [Vi] 200 μl) at its maximal concentrated dose (3.3 mg/ml) in 5% dextrose water. Six additional rats underwent 24-h infusion of BCNU preceded by an intraperitoneal injection of O6-BG at a dose of 50 mg/kg. Serial neurological examinations were performed on all animals. Histologic analyses were performed immediately or 2 weeks following sacrifice. Postoperatively, there were no neurological changes in any of the animals. Postmortem histological examination of the brains showed small pontine cavitary lesions (ranging from 20 to 250 μm) containing variable numbers of macrophages or neutrophils consistent with an inflammatory response. No changes beyond these findings indicated any histological evidence of injury. These finding were limited only to the cannula site and no changes beyond region of the cannula tract were found. These findings indicate that interstitial infusion of BCNU into the brain stem in conjunction with systemic administration of O6-BG is safe in a small animal and may serve as a potential investigative strategy for children with diffuse pontine gliomas.
Placing Louisiana in the Francophone world: Opportunities and challenges

Abstract Louisiana has had a varied relationship with the geographical construct known as the Francophone World. Until the second half of the twentieth century, the state was only rarely associated with this particular geographical framing. Beginning in the 1960s, however, an explicit effort was made to embrace the Francophone World idea. The endeavor met with some success, yet this occurred precisely at a time when the use of French was declining in Louisiana and when concerns were mounting over the commodification of the culture of the Louisiana French. The irony is that these trends needed to be downplayed in order to claim a place for Louisiana in the Francophone World. Exploring the nature and significance of the effort at geographical positioning shows the importance of looking at spatial conceptualizations not just as passive compartments, but also as actively constructed frameworks that reflect and promote social, economic, and political agendas.
An Algorithm for Restricted Least Squares Regression

Abstract A commonly occurring problem in statistics is that of minimizing a least squares expression subject to side constraints. Here a simple iterative algorithm is presented and shown to converge to the desired solution. Several examples are presented, including finding the closest concave (convex) function to a set of points and other general quadratic programming problems. The dual problem to the basic problem is also discussed and a solution for it is given in terms of the algorithm. Finally, extensions to expressions other than least squares are given.
Indomethacin-induced intestinal lesions in the rat.

Abstract A single large po or sc dose of indomethacin, 80 times the antiinflammatory dose, produced a high incidence of intestinal perforations 72 hr after administration to fed rats; the perforations were confined to the mid-portion of the small intestine. When food was withheld from indomethacin-treated rats, the lesion incidence after a dose of 16 mg/kg po was reduced from 100% to zero. In a 72-hr study, it was found that food deprivation only on the day of drug administration prevented the intestinal perforations, while feeding the rats on the day of drug administration produced 100% ulcer incidence. Lesions produced by sc drug administration could also be prevented by starvation. The incidence of intestinal perforation was altered by the duration of food deprivation and the amount of food consumed. Intestinal ulcers could also be prevented, after either po or sc administration, by ligation of the bile duct. It appeared possible that there was a relationship between food intake, bile flow, and intestinal ulcers. Bile duct ligation reduced the incidence of intestinal perforation after indomethacin from 100% to zero. A time response curve indicated that bile duct ligation up to 8 hours after drug administration reduced the incidence of perforation; however, a 60% incidence of intestinal lesions was found when the bile duct was ligated 3 hours after indomethacin was given. When segments of the small intestine were isolated as Thiry loops, ulceration was prevented in the loops but occurred in the anastomosed intestine.
The Construction of Public Theology: An Ethnographic Study of the Relationship between the Theological Academy and Local Clergy in South Africa

This article presents findings of research conducted in the summer of 2006, and it focuses on how public theology is understood in the academy in relation to the realities encountered by clergy and lay leaders in a challenging ministry context. Through ethnographic research based in South Africa, I examined the relationship between congregations confronting the AIDS epidemic and widespread poverty, and the construction of public theology in the theological academy at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. The research asked: what is the nature of the correspondence between 'formal' public theology and the local, 'lived' theologies of those doing ministry in South Africa; how does local experience influence the ways that the academy prepares leaders for public ministry. The findings from this study, as discussed in this article, have implications for theological education, in terms of enhancing the public orientation of institutions and understanding the link between context and curriculum.
Effect of pin fin to channel height ratio and pin fin geometry on heat transfer performance for flow in rectangular channels

Abstract The efficiency of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) can be defined as the ratio of the power output to the heat input at the hot side of the device. This ratio is governed by the laws of thermodynamics and thus cannot exceed the Carnot efficiency. It follows that the greater the difference between the temperatures of the hot and cold sides of the device, the greater the efficiency and power output from the TEG. This study focuses on effective techniques to enhance heat transfer on the hot side of the TEG in order to increase the total power output from the device. In this study heat transfer enhancement mechanisms are evaluated for the hot side of a TEG system generating power from waste heat in automobile exhaust gases. The use of pin fins was examined, as they are a common and effective way to increase heat transfer in a channel. Heat transfer enhancement measurements are presented with 3-dimensional partial pin fin arrays of circular, triangular, hexagonal, and diamond shapes on the walls of a rectangular channel representing the hot side of the TEG system and the automobile exhaust duct. Channel heights are varied to measure the effect of the pin fin height to channel height ratio while keeping the pin fin height constant. Channel hydraulic diameter and configuration of the fins were chosen based on existing literature. Pin fin performance is studied over a range of Reynolds numbers, calculated based on full channel height. The pin fins with the best initial performance have been further analyzed by varying the channel height in order to change the pin fin to channel height ratio while keeping the hydraulic diameter to pin fin height ratio constant. The experiments use the transient liquid crystal method to measure detailed heat transfer coefficients on the test surface. Results show that the diamond pin fins perform the best in enhancing heat transfer. Lower channel heights that cause pin fins to block 50% of the channel provide significantly higher heat transfer coefficients.
Reconstrucción de la carótida en nonagenarios: ¿es la cirugía una opción viable?

Debido a la longevidad limitada y a la percepcion del mayor riesgo perioperatorio, en pacientes nonagenarios el tratamiento optimo de la estenosis carotidea significativa es motivo de controversia. El presente estudio se efectuo para evaluar nuestros resultados en este grupo demografico. Se llevo a cabo una revision retrospectiva de las endarterectomias carotideas (EAC) efectuadas en nonagenarios en el Cedars-Sinai Medical Center entre 1996 y 2006. Durante este periodo se efectuaron un total de 2.038 EAC en pacientes de todas las edades. Los datos extraidos incluyeron la demografia, factores de riesgo de los pacientes, indicaciones de la cirugia, complicaciones perioperatorias y supervivencia. Durante el periodo de estudio, como procedimiento primario, se efectuaron 53 (2,8%) EAC en 49 pacientes de 90 anos o mayores. De estos, 11 (22,4%) eran diabeticos, 38 (77,5%) eran hipertensos, y 31 (63,3%) presentaban estenosis de la arteria carotida. En 11 pacientes (22,4%) se identificaron antecedentes de tabaquismo y no habia fumadores actuales. En tres (6,1%) estaba presente una nefropatia, y uno de ellos era dependiente de la dialisis. La duracion media de la estancia hospitalaria despues de la cirugia fue de 3,4 ± 4,3 dias. Requirieron ingreso en la unidad de cuidados intensivos tras cirugia cinco pacientes (10,2%). No se produjeron ictus postoperatorios y ninguno de ellos habia experimentado un ictus homolateral durante el seguimiento. Un paciente (1,8%) experimento un infarto de miocardio y otro fallecio en el periodo perioperatorio (1,8%). Las tasas de ictus y mortalidad a 30 dias no difirieron significativamente de las de pacientes menores de 90 anos de edad, siendo del 0,3% y 0,4%, respectivamente (p = no significativa mediante la prueba exacta de Fisher). Utilizando el analisis de las tablas de vida de Kaplan-Meier, las tasas de supervivencia a 1 y 5 anos fueron del 84 ± 5% y del 33 ± 9%, respectivamente. El presente estudio demuestra que en un grupo de nonagenarios seleccionados apropiadamente, la EAC es un procedimiento sin riesgos con una morbilidad perioperatoria aceptable.
New technique for registration and integration of partial 3D models

A new technique is introduced for registration and integration of multiple partial 3D models of an object. The technique exploits the epipolar constraint for the multiple- view geometry. Partial 3D shapes of an object from multiple viewing directions are obtained using a digital vision system based on parallel-axis stereo. The vision system is calibrated to obtain an initial transformation matrix for both the stereo imaging geometry and the multiple-view geometry. A multi-resolution stereo matching approach is used for partial 3D shape recovery. The partial 3D shapes are registered approximately using the initial transformation matrix. The initial transformation matrix is then refined by iteratively minimizing the registration error. At this step, a modified Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm is used for matching corresponding points in two different views. A given point in one view is projected to another view using the transformation matrix, and a search is made for a closest point in the other view that lies on the epipolar line. A similar idea is used during partial model integration step to obtain improved results. Partial models are represented as linked lists of segments and integrated segment by segment. Experimental results are presented to show the effectiveness of the new technique.
Influence of envelope rise time on neural responses in the auditory system of anurans

Abstract The influence of envelope rise time on neural responses was investigated in the central auditory pathway of frogs. Single unit and evoked potential recordings were made from the dorsal medullary nucleus (DMN) and thalamus, respectively. It was found that phasic neurons (15% of the population) in the DMN responded preferentially to stimuli with rapid ( 100 ms) envelope rise time and elicited little, if any, response. These findings indicate the presence of neural specializations within the frog's auditory pathway for the optimal detection of the conspecific mating call. The relevance of these findings for stimulus coding in the auditory pathway of other vertebrates is discussed.
Effects of Cone/Axle Rubbing Due to Roller Bearing Seizure on the Thermomechanical Behavior of a Railroad Axle

A thermomechanical analysis of a railroad axle with a 6 1/2 x 12 tapered roller bearing assembly is conducted to determine the effects of a loose cone rubbing on the axle. For this analysis, it is assumed that the bearing elements have seized or jammed and the smallest resistance torque is due to the friction at the loose cone-axle interface. Temperature-dependent material properties are used as well as a coefficient offriction obtained by means of a pin-on-disk apparatus over a range of temperatures up to 1000°C. For initial radial clearances between cone and axle varying from 0.05 to 5.0 mm and an initial ambient temperature of 25°C, the thermomechanical degradation of the axle is examined as a function of time. The times required for plastic collapse of the axle to occur are determined for the various clearances. For the conditions considered, this collapse takes place in less than three minutes.
Guide on the Side: Testing the Tool and the Tutorials

Guide-on-the-Side (GOTS) open source software is emerging as a popular new platform for library tutorials. Unlike video tutorials, GOTS tutorials provide an active learning experience for students. This research sought to determine student preference for passive video screencast tutorials versus interactive GOTS tutorials. In addition, the study compared creation time for GOTS versus video screencast tutorials, an important consideration in the adoption of this technology. Findings suggest that students are evenly split on tutorial preference, largely based on their individual learning styles. Furthermore, results showed that GOTS tutorials take significantly longer to create than simple screencasts, but may save time in the long-run because they are easily edited.
Making Headway: The Roles of Hox Genes and Neural Crest Cells in Craniofacial Development

Craniofacial development is an extraordinarily complex process requiring the orchestrated integration of multiple specialized tissues such as the surface ectoderm, neural crest, mesoderm, and pharyngeal endoderm in order to generate the central and peripheral nervous systems, axial skeleton, musculature, and connective tissues of the head and face. How do the characteristic facial structures develop in the appropriate locations with their correct shapes and sizes, given the widely divergent patterns of cell movements that occur during head development? The patterning information could depend upon localized interactions between the epithelial and mesenchymal tissues or alternatively, the developmental program for the characteristic facial structures could be intrinsic to each individual tissue precursor. Understanding the mechanisms that control vertebrate head development is an important issue since craniofacial anomalies constitute nearly one third of all human congenital defects. This review discusses recent advances in our understanding of neural crest cell patterning and the dynamic nature of the tissue interactions that are required for normal craniofacial development.
Overview and classification of wavefield seismic imaging methods

The literature and seismic processing practice overflow with a diversity of wave-equation migration methods. So what makes wave-equation migration a wave-equation migration? What is the commonality of these methods and how do they differ? This article provides a framework for understanding different wave-equation migration methods.
On the Importance of History for Responsible Agency

In this article I propose a resolution to the history issue for responsible agency, given a moderate revisionist approach to responsibility. Roughly, moderate revisionism is the view that a plausible and normatively adequate theory of responsibility will require principled departures from commonsense thinking. The history issue is whether morally responsible agency – that is, whether an agent is an apt target of our responsibility-characteristic practices and attitudes – is an essentially historical notion. Some have maintained that responsible agents must have particular sorts of histories, others have argued that no such history is required. Resolution of this contentious issue is connected to a wide range of concerns, including the significance and culpability of different forms of manipulation, the plausibility of important incompatibilist criticisms of compatibilism, and of course, a satisfactory account of moral responsibility. As it turns out, history matters sometimes, but less frequently than we might think.
Rotational Relaxation in Fluids

In this paper a number of expressions for angular momentum and reorientation correlation times are obtained. The inverse of the angular momentum correlation time is related to a sum of two terms, one of which involves the shear viscosity of the medium and the other of which describes the precessional relaxation of the molecule. The derivation is based on the similarity of the time dependences of the torque and the force exerted on the molecule of interest. The reorientation correlation time is related to the angular momentum relaxation time in the diffusion and the near‐diffusion limits. The expressions obtained here have been confirmed by a number of ESR experiments.
Sequence-specific Priming and Exonuclease-released Fluorescence Assay for Rapid and Reliable HLA-A Molecular Typing.

Background: The rapid and sensitive method described for low-resolution DNA typing of alleles at the HLA-A locus is based on a sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction approach that eliminates post-polymerase chain reaction gel electrophoresis to analyze the results. Methods and Results: This method takes advantage of the 5' --> 3' exonuclease activity of the Taq polymerase normally present during polymerase chain reaction. This sequence-specific priming and exonuclease-released fluorescence assay was conducted on 40 DNA samples derived from homozygous cell lines and peripheral blood lymphocytes that represented the majority of the HLA-A alleles. There was 100% condordance with the results obtained by serologic typing of these same samples. Conclusions: The advantages of this system are that assays can be performed in 2 hours, the results are easy to interpret, and no gel electrophoresis is required. The same strategy can be used for high-resolution DNA typing once appropriate primer pairs are added to the panel used for first-level discrimination.
Thyroid hormone levels and psychological symptoms in sexually abused adolescent girls

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationships between psychological symptoms and thyroid hormone levels in adolescent girls who had experienced the traumatic stress of sexual abuse. METHOD: The study design was cross-sectional/correlational. Subjects (N=22; age range=12-18 years) had their blood drawn, and they completed 2 psychological tests (depression and general distress/posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD). A pediatrician completed a sexual abuse questionnaire after reviewing law enforcement and Child Protective Services reports and conducting forensic interviews and medical examinations. RESULTS: Girls' average free T4, total T4, free T3, total T3, and TSH levels were within age-specific laboratory reference range limits, as were most individual concentrations. The strongest correlations (p Language: en
The Relationship between Academic Achievement and Social Self-Image During Early Adolescence

This study of 242 young adolescents examined the link between social self-image and academic achievement, as measured by grade point averages (GPAs). Subjects were categorized as academically, socially, or athletically oriented. Among socially oriented girls, those with an average GPA in mathematics had relatively large gains on social self-image, whereas among athletically oriented girls; those with a low GPA in mathematics also had relatively large gains on social self-image. Among socially oriented boys, those with low GPAs in mathematics and science had relatively large gains on social self-image. In contrast, no significant effects were linked to GPAs in non mathematics and science for young people who were oriented toward popularity or athletics. This research may help educators identify factors that turn capable adolescents away from careers in mathematics and science
Habsburg Household or Habsburg Government? A Sixteenth-Century Administrative Dilemma

Luck, Opportunism, and persistence made the Habsburgs the predominant ruling house of Europe by 1527. The extent of the lands under their control awed both their neighbors and themselves. Emperor Ferdinand I, who, as Archduke Ferdinand I, added the venerable crowns of Bohemia and Hungary to his family's titles, later attributed his good fortune and that of his line as a whole to their staunch support of Catholicism.
Adjoint-based sensitivity analysis for multi-component models

Abstract In typical design calculations, a multi-component model (i.e. a chain of codes) is often employed to calculate the quantity of interest. For design optimization, sensitivity analysis studies are often required to find optimum operating conditions or to propagate uncertainties required to set design margins. This manuscript presents a hybrid approach to enable the transfer of sensitivity information between the various components in an efficient manner that precludes the need for a global sensitivity analysis procedure, often envisaged to be computationally intractable. The presented method has two advantages over existing methods which may be classified into two broad categories: brute force-type methods and amalgamated-type methods. First, the presented method determines the minimum number of adjoint evaluations for each component as opposed to the brute force-type methods which require full evaluation of all sensitivities for all responses calculated by each component in the overall model, which proves computationally prohibitive for realistic problems. Second, the new method treats each component as a black-box as opposed to amalgamated-type methods which requires explicit knowledge of the system of equations associated with each component in order to reach the minimum number of adjoint evaluations. The discussion in this manuscript will be limited to the evaluation of first-order derivatives only. Current work focuses on the extension of this methodology to capture higher order derivatives.
Mammalian Spermatozoa Possess A Voltage-Gated Proton Channel

Mature mammalian spermatozoa are stored in quiescent state in the male reproductive tract. Upon ejaculation and during their transit through the female reproductive tract, they acquire progressive motility and undergo other important functional changes that enable them to reach and fertilize the egg. Sperm intracellular pH controls intracellular Ca2+ concentration, membrane potential and motility of the axoneme, and appears to be a key regulator of the sperm functional changes in the female reproductive tract. Unfortunately, the mechanisms controlling sperm intracellular pH remain poorly understood. Here we applied the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique to identify and characterize these mechanisms. In human sperm, when pH of the pipette and bath solutions was 6.0 and 7.4 correspondingly, we observed a robust voltage-gated proton current with a half-activation voltage +13 mV. Similar to voltage-gated proton channels found in other cell types, the sperm proton channel (sHv) was strongly up-regulated by unsaturated fatty acids and potently blocked by Zn2+ with IC50 = 340 nM. Millimolar concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ slowed down sHv activation kinetic but did not significantly reduced its amplitude. The amplitude of the voltage-gated proton current observed in human sperm was one of the highest among different cell types, with average current density ∼ 50 pA/pF at +100 mV; however in mouse sperm the amplitude of the voltage-gated proton current at the same conditions was only about 5 pA/pF. Intracellular alkalinization induced by sHv can lead to activation of pH-sensitive CatSper calcium channel resulting in well-known phenomenon of voltage-gated Ca2+ entry into the sperm cell. Here we present a model of how sHv may regulate sperm motility and discuss its role in male fertility and contraception.
Interviewing in Health Psychology and Medical Settings

Psychologists are increasingly being employed in health-care settings, in the specialty area of clinical health psychology, where they address a wide range of mind-body issues. This trend marks a shift away from the centuries old Cartesian mind-body dualism that permeated the fields of psychology and medicine for most of their modern history. The biopsychosocial model (Engel, 1977) represents a contemporary alternative to mind-body dualism. This paradigm recognizes that the interrelationship between medical, psychological, behavioral, sociocultural, and environmental factors impact objective and subjective experiences of health and illness. The dualistic question of whether a patient has a “mental or physical problem” is viewed as an artificial one, as psychologists strive to facilitate an integrative understanding and treatment of psyche and soma. As an extension of the biopsychosocial model, psychologists in medical settings are simply seen as health professionals, rather than mental health professionals, in recognition of their participation in improving both the mental and physical health of their patients. They are, in fact, regarded as a central part of the health-care team in many settings discussed below.
A Mathematical Model of Pattern Formation in the Vascular Cambium of Trees

The beautiful patterns apparent in wood grain have their origin in the alignment of fusiform initial cells in the vascular cambium of trees. We develop a mathematical model to describe the orientation of fusiform initial cells, and their interaction with the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (auxin). The model incorporates the following four assumptions: (1) auxin is actively transported parallel to the long axis of the initials, (2) auxin diffuses perpendicular to the long axis of the initials, (3) the initials tend to orient parallel to the flux of auxin through the cambium, and (4) adjacent initials tend to orient parallel to one another. Each assumption is justified on the basis of available evidence and cast in mathematical form. Our main result is a pair of nonlinear differential equations that describe the coupling between the distribution of auxin in the cambium and the orientation of fusiform initials. Numerical solutions to the equations show qualitative resemblance to the wood grain patterns observed at branch junctions, wounds and knots, and topological defects.
Rate and Gender Dependence of the Sweating, Vasoconstriction, and Shivering Thresholds in Humans

Background:The range of core temperatures not triggering thermoregulatory responses (“interthreshold range”) remains to be determined in humans. Although the rates at which perioperative core temperatures vary typically range from 0.5 to 2°C/h, the thermoregulatory contribution of different core coo
The Global Dynamics of Gender and Philanthropy in Membership Associations A Study of Charitable Giving by Lions Clubs International Members

This study investigates how women influence charitable giving in a large, international voluntary service organization—Lions Clubs International (LCI). Data were collected from a survey of Lions cl...
Approximate Analysis and Design Tools

Dynamic analysis generally implies the calculation of the time-history response (usually displacements and member forces). The response spectrum method of analysis is sometimes also used as a dynamic analysis method, because the response is computed in terms of mode shapes, although that is not dynamic analysis in a strict sense. Dynamic time history analysis of linear systems is now a practical and reliable analysis procedure. However, the analysis of nonlinear systems involves many difficulties and uncertainties and therefore is not yet recommended for routine use. The hysteretic properties of RC elements are functions of many different variables and difficult to reproduce analytically, as discussed in Chapter 2. The response of nonlinear systems can be very sensitive to the properties of the ground motion input. That means that in practice several possible inputs need to be selected and a nonlinear analysis performed for each. The unknown characteristics of future earthquakes adds to the uncertainties met in doing nonlinear analyses.
Nutrient-Dependent Acetylation Controls Basic Regulatory Metabolic Switches and Cellular Reprogramming

Organisms must be able to selectively tailor their ability to use the macronutrients of carbohydrate, protein, and fat based on their availability. In different cell types, how the nutrient fluctuations are sensed and the mechanisms by which the pathways of central metabolism are switched to favor the use of one particular nutrient type over another are topics of intense interest. Protein acetylation is one major evolutionary conserved mechanism by which nutrient fluctuations are sensed within cells and subsequently coupled with metabolic switching. In this review, we present the case of PGC-1α acetylation and how the control of PGC-1α's activity by acetylation sets into motion a wide range of metabolic adaptations that makes this protein an exemplary model for acetylation-mediated mechanisms of nutrient sensing and communication.
Direct fabrication of silicon photonic devices on a flexible platform and its application for strain sensing

We demonstrate a process to fabricate silicon photonic devices directly on a plastic film which is both flexible and transparent. This process allows the integration of complex structures on plastic films without the need of transferring from another substrate. Waveguides, grating couplers, and microring resonators are fabricated and optically characterized. An optical strain sensor is shown as an application using 5 µm-radius microring resonators on the flexible substrate. When strain is applied, resonance wavelength shifts of the microring resonators are observed. Contributions of different effects are analyzed and evaluated. Finally, we measure the influence of residual strain and confirm the material undergoes elastic deformation within the applied strain range.
Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine content of partially synchronized rice cell suspension cultures

Knowledge of phospholipids in relation to cell cycle phases would facilitate the manipulation of tissue culture cells for crop improvement. Rice cells, Oryza sativa L. introduction PI 353–705, were initiated from anther cultures and grown as liquid suspensions. Replicate cultures were harvested for analysis at various time periods up to 21 days. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PEA) content rapidly increased 2.5 fold by 3 days, follwed by a progressive decrease in both compounds to 15 days to below initial transfer levels. There was an increase in PC and PEA back to transfer levels from 16 to 21 days. Cells in the linear phase were transferrred 11 days after inoculation to media minus sucrose. Carbohydrate starvation of the cells and subsequent release from inhibition with 3% sucrose resulted in partially synchronized cultures as seen by rapid [3H]-thymidine incorporation up to 24 h followed by a decrease to a minimum at 72 h. Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine increased linearly throughout the DNA synthesis period in synchronized cells, reaching a maximum at 48 h and 60 h, respectively. The levels of both compounds 72 h after release from sucrose starvation are only 30% of non-starved controls 72 h after transfer to fresh media.
Relative effects of diarrhea, fever, and dietary energy intake on weight gain in rural Bangladeshi children

Quantitative studies of morbidity, food intake, and somatic growth were done prospectively during 14 mo for 70 children aged 5-18 mo in two Bangladeshi villages. When random-effect regression models were used, monthly changes in weight were inversely related to proportions of days in the month with fever and diarrhea and positively related to energy intake per kilogram body weight. Interestingly, weight changes did not vary with age in this interval. Estimates indicate that increasing energy intakes to the recommended World Health Organization level would have a significantly greater effect on weight gain than would the elimination of diarrhea and fever. With energy at recommended intake and diarrhea and fever prevalence as found in US children, weight gain is predicted to be near that of the international reference population. Therefore, interventions aimed at improving dietary intake may be as important as infection-control programs for improving growth of children in poor developing nations.
Tradeoffs between hydraulic efficiency and mechanical strength in the stems of four co-occurring species of chaparral shrubs.

Possible tradeoffs between efficiency of water transport and mechanical strength were examined in stems of two congeneric pairs of co-occurring chaparral shrubs. First, since previously published results indicated that Adenostoma sparsifolium (Rosaceae) had greater specific conductivity (k s or hydraulic conductivity per xylem transverse area) than A. fasciculatum, it was hypothesized that A. sparsifolium would have greater vessel lumen area per square millimeter of xylem area, and less mechanical strength, than A. fasciculatum. Secondly, since Ceanothus megacarpus (Rhamnaceae) is a non-sprouter (unable to sprout from the root crown following fire or other major disturbance) whereas C. spinosus is a sprouter and thus able to form new stems following disturbance, it was hypothesized that C. megacarpus would have greater mechanical strength, but lower k s, than C. spinosus. Both hypotheses were supported. Based upon computer-aided image analyses, A. sparsifolum had significantly higher mean and maximum vessel diameters (16.4, 40.5 vs. 14.6, 35.7 μm), a 34% greater percent vessel lumen area, and a two-fold greater measured and theoretical k s than A. fasciculatum. This corresponded to 14% lower stem density (wet weight/volume) and less mechanical strength, with a 37% lower modulus of elasticity (MOE) and a 30% lower modulus of rupture (MOR) than A. fasciculatum. Similarly, C.␣spinosus had a significantly higher maximum vessel diameter (52.7 vs. 41.8 μm) and a 92% higher theoretical k s (and 43% higher measured k s) than C. megacarpus. This corresponded to a 9% lower stem density and 20% lower MOR than for C. megacarpus. Thus, at least within these two congeneric pairs of chaparral shrubs growing together in the same habitat, there may be tradeoffs between mechanical strength and conductive efficiency of the stem xylem which correspond to differences in transport physiology and life history traits of sprouter versus non-sprouter species.
Sexy gene conversions: locating gene conversions on the X-chromosome

Gene conversion can have a profound impact on both the short- and long-term evolution of genes and genomes. Here, we examined the gene families that are located on the X-chromosomes of human (Homo sapiens), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), mouse (Mus musculus) and rat (Rattus norvegicus) for evidence of gene conversion. We identified seven gene families (WD repeat protein family, Ferritin Heavy Chain family, RAS-related Protein RAB-40 family, Diphosphoinositol polyphosphate phosphohydrolase family, Transcription Elongation Factor A family, LDOC1-related family, Zinc Finger Protein ZIC, and GLI family) that show evidence of gene conversion. Through phylogenetic analyses and synteny evidence, we show that gene conversion has played an important role in the evolution of these gene families and that gene conversion has occurred independently in both primates and rodents. Comparing the results with those of two gene conversion prediction programs (GENECONV and Partimatrix), we found that both GENECONV and Partimatrix have very high false negative rates (i.e. failed to predict gene conversions), which leads to many undetected gene conversions. The combination of phylogenetic analyses with physical synteny evidence exhibits high resolution in the detection of gene conversions.
Changes in the Relative Provision of Public-Sector Pensions

A decline in pension coverage during the 1980s for males in the private sector is confirmed and is contrasted with the federal, state, and local sectors in which no such decline is found. As a consequence, the governmental advantage in the probability of coverage grew over the 1980s. This remains true even in the most appropriate testing methodology m which worker earnings are endogenous and in which otherwise constant characteristics are moved between years and sectors. Government wage differentials are estimated as a byproduct of this methodology and show a tendency toward comparability over the 1980s.
Protection Against Gastroenteritis in US Households With Children Who Received Rotavirus Vaccine

We used Truven Health Marketscan claims database (2008-2011) to compare gastroenteritis rates during January-June among households whose child had received rotavirus vaccine with those whose child did not receive vaccine. Statistically significantly lower rates of hospitalization with a rotavirus gastroenteritis or unspecified-gastroenteritis discharge code occurred in vaccinated households among persons 20-29 years and females 20-29 years (2008/2009), and males 30-39 years (2009/2010). Lower emergency department gastroenteritis rates occurred in vaccinated households among females 20-29 years (2009/2010) and individuals 5-19 years (2010/2011). These data suggest rotavirus vaccination of infants provides indirect protection against moderate-to-severe rotavirus disease in young parents and older siblings.
Photorefractive two-beam coupling in cubic crystals

The photorefractive coupling of two polarized electromagnetic waves in cubic crystals is considered. Exact solutions for the cross-polarization coupling are obtained. Both codirectional and contradirectional coupling are considered. The results are presented and discussed.
Minimum cross-entropy spectral analysis and prewhitening methods

Parallels between the minimum cross-entropy spectral estimate and traditional estimates using prewhitening are discussed.
Surface runoff and soil erosion under eucalyptus and oak canopy

To assess potential differences in stormwater runoff and sediment yield between plots of blue gum eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) and coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), we measured runoff, sediment yield, water repellency and soil moisture at eight paired sites. Eucalyptus has been associated in many studies worldwide with elevated soil water repellency and increased runoff, a likely contributor to soil erosion. To better understand these connections and their relationship to land cover, there is a need for studies employing either rainfall simulators or natural rainfall. Our research employs the latter, and was subject to contrasting hydrologic conditions in the two years of the study. Fieldwork was conducted from October 2006 to February 2008 in the San Francisco Bay Area of central California. During the 2006–2007 winter wet season, runoff was significantly higher under eucalypts than at paired oak sites, and in the early phases of the season was connected with elevated water repellency. However, sediment yield at all sites during the 2006–2007 hydrologic year was below the detection limit of the Gerlach sediment collection traps, possibly due to a limited wet season, and only appeared as suspended sediment captured in overflow buckets. Intensive rainfall events in January 2008 however created substantial runoff of sediment and litter with significantly greater yield at oak sites compared to paired eucalyptus sites. Water repellency likely had little effect on runoff during these events, and the primary cause of greater erosion under oaks is the thinner cover of leaf litter in comparison to eucalyptus. Our study is limited to undisturbed sites with intact litter cover that have not experienced recent wildfires; if disturbed, we would expect a different picture given the propensity for crown fires of eucalypts, enhancement of rainsplash erosion, and the likely greater potential for stream-connected sediment yield from post-disturbance soil erosion events. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Non-Democratic Constitutionalism in the European Union

Constitutionalism has long been a byword for legitimate government. Recently, however, legal scholars and political theorists have begun attending to the ways in which constitutional rule can fail to realize (or actively hinder) the lofty ideals with which it is traditionally associated. This paper is a comment on the important but, as I argue, contingent relationship between constitutionalism and one of these lofty ideals, namely democracy. A legal system can be configured on a constitutional footing, and still thwart democratic rule to a far more systematic extent than the occasional “counter­‐majoritarian difficulty.” I analyze the European Union as an example of non-­democratic constitutionalism, and suggest that other international regimes share similar features. In doing so, I also address the long-­standing debate concerning whether constitutionalism can be adapted to international institutions, and if so, what form it might take.
Effects of Chill Temperatures on Developing Western Corn Rootworm Eggs

Eggs of western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera LeConte, in different embryonic stages separated according to their sp. gr. were exposed to 4 temperatures and their viability was determined. Results indicated that, in developing eggs, survival was adversely affected by a chill period of 12 wk. The effect was more pronounced at more advanced stages of development and at lower chill temperatures. Overall % hatch means for 20°, 10°, 5°, and 0°C were 81.7, 63.3, 45.7, and 31.0, respectively. Results also showed that time to hatch was delayed and the duration of hatching was shortened following chill. Thus, if eggs developed in the field during the fall they would not survive and hatch in the spring, and the species would not adapt to produce 2 generations per season.
Electrostriction Properties of Oxygen Octahedron Ferroelectrics

For the materials with diffuse phase transitions it is suspected that the long-range coupling may be weakened by local composition fluctuations and thus near Tc strong local fluctuations could develop in Ps. In the case of Sr0.61Ba0.39Nb2O6 (SEN) measurements of the electric polarization. Ps, thermal strain x1, and x3, dielectric constant, K3 and optical birefringence are used to confirm that the polarization P32 is not zero for a range of temperature above c The values of P32 deduced from xi vs T and birefringence vs T, the two independent methods are in good agreement indicating substantial polarization fluctuations which decay slowly above the mean Curie temperature. c.
Interactive Performance Assessment in Computer Science: The Advanced Placement Computer Science (APCS) Practice System

The Advanced Placement Computer Science (APCS) Practice System is an instructional assessment device meant to give students practice in, and feedback on, elementary programming tasks. The system includes a programming editor, item pool, two feedback facilities, and electronic portfolio tools. Students write Pascal procedures using the editor, test them with system-generated data, and, for selected problems, can call for a nonsyntactic analysis that produces a partial-credit score and a diagnostic commentary. Results of solution testing and nonsyntactic analysis are recorded by the portfolio tools. This article describes the system's background, instructional model, feedback facilities, and potential uses.
Foreign Legal Policies of Farmland Protection and Their Implications to China

Along with the rapid development of social economy and the consistent growth of population,many countries in the world have to face the problem that the quantity and quality of farmland is continuously on the decrease. Therefore,these countries have introduced different types of legal policies to protect farmland,which include full property interests,partial property interests,taxation,TDR,and command-and-control regulation. Based on their experiences,the protection policies that make economic incentive as the core value seem to work the best. Currently,the main policies of farmland protection implemented in China are enforced by the government's intervention,which are classified into command-and-control regulation. Due to a lack of economic incentive mechanisms, the legislative agenda of farmland protection is difficult to achieve.Accordingly,in order to better protect the increasingly scarce farmland resources,it is necessary to enact the legislative contents in improving the relevant legal policies,which include applying more economic means,limiting the government's excessive intervention,and introducing such policies as partial property interests and TDR so as to achieve the goal of farmland protection.
Clinical Investigations in the Treatment of Meningeal Leukemia : Radiation Therapy Regimens vs. Conventional Intrathecal Methotrexate

Abstract 1. Using IT MTX as standard therapy for CNS leukemia, the comparative effectiveness of three radiation therapy regimens and a combination radiation-IT MTX regimen was determined by the Pediatric Division of the Southwest Cancer Chemotherapy Study Group. 2. IT MTX, 0.5 mg./Kg. every 2-3 days until the spinal fluid mononuclear cell count decreased to 10/mm3 or less, produced spinal fluid remissions in 78 per cent of 51 children experiencing their first episode of CNS leukemia. The duration of remission ranged from 6-414 days (median 87 days). These figures are comparable to those previously reported for IT antifol therapy. 3. Radiation therapy to the entire cranium using tumor doses of 500 rads and 1000 rads was ineffective in normalizing the CSF, although symptomatic relief was often obtained. 4. Radiation of the entire cerebrospinal axis using a tumor dose of 1000 rads resulted in a spinal fluid remission rate of 92 per cent. Remissions persisted for 13-527 days (median 52 days). Six of seven children in marrow remission when radiation therapy was administered showed evidence of myelosuppression. 5. A combination therapy regimen with two injections of MTX preceding radiation of the entire cerebrospinal axis (750-1000 rads tumor dose for children in marrow remission and 250-500 rads tumor dose for children in marrow relapse) and one injection of MTX intrathecally following radiation resulted in spinal fluid remission in 100 per cent of the evaluable children in the treatment group. Symptomatic remissions occurred in 94 per cent of the children. The duration of remission, however, was similar to that obtained with conventional IT MTX therapy. Evidence of myelosuppression appeared in half of the children in bone marrow remission. 6. None of the radiation regimens was superior to IT MTX when the following parameters were considered: (1) duration of CNS remission; (2) duration of existing bone marrow remission; (3) survival from onset of meningeal leukemia; and (4) number of CNS relapses.
The Natural History of Thoracic Aortic Disease: So Much Left to Learn.

Thoracic aortic disease has long presented diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Thoracic aortic aneurysms are typically difficult to diagnosis, because they usually have no associated symptoms or findings on physical examination. Moreover, once discovered, the optimal medical management of