cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Germplasm enhancement of maize: Utilization of doubled haploid breeding on adapted tropical sources

The allelic diversity (AD) project of the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize program utilized the double haploid (DH) breeding method to expedite release of lines from 300 exotic maize races. Differential effects on haploid induction rates (HIR) and chromosome doubling rates (DR) associated with the recurrent parents PHB47 and PHZ51, the elevation that the race is traditionally grown at, and the race itself were examined. Races from the AD project were grouped by elevation (high, middle, or low altitude) of their country of origin. Six races per elevation were randomly selected and backcrossed using both recurrent parents to generate 36 populations. Ten replications were randomized in a complete randomized design for two growing seasons (2011, 2012) to estimate HIR, and one growing season (2013) to estimate DR. In the HIR study, populations were pollinated with a haploid inducer line. Seed progeny were screened the following winter and the number of haploid, hybrid, and contaminate seeds were recorded and analyzed. The recurrent parent effect was significant with PHB47 having a higher HIR than PHZ51. Elevation was significant with higher HIR associated with low elevation origin, and race also proved to be significant. In the DR study, the populations were treated with colchicine as seedlings to promote chromosome doubling. Haploid plants that successfully doubled and had functional ear and tassel structures were selfpollinated. Recurrent parent, elevation, and race effects were all non-significant for DR and kernel set per ear. The doubled haploid breeding method can produce maize inbred lines more rapidly than traditional methods, but there are challenges. Sorting haploid from hybrid seed based on visual color markers is time consuming, and can be difficult due to color
Appropriate Technology in the Dual Economy: Reflections on Philippine and Taiwanese Experience

The biggest problem facing this author at least in tackling the topic assigned to him is to determine whether or not anything ‘appropriate’ can still be said about ‘appropriate technologies’. We have had in recent years quite a windstorm of discussion about adaptive, intermediate and/or appropriate technologies, all of which have had a good number of sensible things to say but not many of which have necessarily advanced us very far on the road either to enhanced theoretical or practical wisdom. I am not at all confident that this paper can do better.
Globalization and Transnational Corporations

This article first reviews debates that stress the contrasting interpretations of globalization existing at the social, political, and economic levels. Globalization is defined in terms of the combined processes of acceleration of time and compression of social space. The development of transnational corporations (TNCs) since the 1960s reveals that these organizations, that operate globally and do not necessarily identify with a particular country, play an increasingly important role in the global economy, politics, and society. This article reviews the primary interpretations of the position and role of TNCs under globalization.
The Rise of the Entrepreneurial State Governments in the United States: The Dilemma of Public Governance in an Era of Globalization

Subnational governments have increasingly become involved in international economic affairs that were previously reserved primarily for the nation-state. This international involvement by subnation...
Degradation of 3-nitro-1,2,4-trizole-5-one (NTO) in wastewater with UV/H2O2 oxidation

Abstract Insensitive Munition (IM) formulations contain 3-nitro-1,2,4-trizole-5-one (NTO), an energetic compound with the highest aqueous solubility (16 g L−1) among all IM explosives, including 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN) and 1-nitroguanidine (NQ); as a result wastewater streams from IM processing facilities can be highly contaminated and potentially toxic. The removal of energetic compounds from wastewater streams prior to their discharge in the environment is imperative, and new technology must be developed to efficiently treat high levels of NTO and other IM compounds in these streams. In this study, the treatment of NTO wastewater by a UV/H2O2 oxidation process under acidic conditions (pH = 3.0 ± 0.1) and a hydrogen peroxide concentration of at least 1500 mg L−1 resulted in successful removal of the energetic compound. The organic carbon from the NTO ring was completely converted to inorganic carbon (CO2), as confirmed through TOC measurements and GC–MS analysis on the reactor headspace. Nitrate and ammonium ions were the major nitrogen by-products, as indicated by mass spectrometry. The results obtained in this work demonstrate that the UV/H2O2 oxidation process can effectively mineralize high concentrations of NTO in wastewater streams leading to recovery of valuable nutrients that can be used for supporting algal biomass growth for biofuel/biogas generation.
Applied Behavior Analysis, Students With Autism, and the Requirement to Provide a Free Appropriate Public Education:

The prevalence of autism has been steadily rising over the previous decades. The diverse ways in which the disorder manifests in students and the free and appropriate public education (FAPE) mandat...
Frank Ledwidge, Aerial Warfare: The Battle for the Skies

Frank Ledwidge, Aerial Warfare: The Battle for the Skies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. 184pp. ISBN 978-0-19-881813-7 (hardback). Price £12.99.
EBV, an inhibited receptor kinase, and lymphoma

The association of EBV with malignancy was first recognized with the discovery of the virus in association with African Burkitt lymphoma (BL).2,3 Shortly thereafter, the ability of the virus to immortalize B lymphocytes in vitro was appreciated. In those early days, it must have appeared that the link between viral infection and malignancy was straightforward. Immortalization of B lymphocytes was a model for tumorigenesis. Over the years, the spectrum of EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease has continued to increase. In addition to African BL, the virus is associated with a subset of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), posttransplant lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and natural killer/T-cell lymphoma among others.
Long-term forest soils research: lessons learned from the US experience

Abstract Long-term research studies are critical to understanding soil productivity and the sustainability of forest and woodland ecosystems around the world. They inform management decisions about best harvest techniques, soil property impacts and recovery, anthropogenic stressors (e.g., forest management, acid rain, climate change), and the influence if governmental policies, guidelines, and regulations. Forest ecosystems represent a major source of drinking water in much of the world making the interaction of atmospheric chemistry, vegetation, land use, soil and water one of global importance. This intimate connection among interacting variables also make forests a logical system to study ecosystem processes. In this chapter we discuss the challenges and benefits of establishing and maintaining long-term studies, the utility of these studies for informing decisions about how to manage forest soil to sustain the delivery of ecosystem services and lessons learned for forest research.
Complicating parents’ gender and sexual expectations for children: A comparison of biological parents and stepparents:

When social scientists argue that “families” reproduce and sometimes challenge gender and sexual norms, they tend to refer to biological, cisgender, and heterosexual families. We consider how one a...
Law and Neuroscience

This article discusses how the intersection of perennial legal questions and new neuroscientific advances has fueled the emergence of a new field: law and neuroscience. It provides an overview of issues, discussing both the promise and the limitations.
Comprehensive review of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province and has rapidly spread all over the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 01/30/2020 and recognized it as a pandemic on 03/11/2020. The number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 worldwide crossed the one million mark on 04/02/2020; two million mark on 04/15/2020; three million mark on 04/27/2020 and the four million mark on 05/09/2020. Despite containment efforts, more than 187 countries have been affected with more than 4,178,346 cases in the world with maximum being in USA (1,347,936) followed by 227,436 in Spain and 224,422 in United Kingdom as of May, 2020. COVID-19 is the latest threat to face mankind cutting across geographical barriers in a rapidly changing landscape. This review provides an update on a rapidly evolving global pandemic. As we face the threat of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, this is a stark reminder to invest in population health, climate change countermeasures, a global health surveillance system and effective research into identifying pathogens, their treatment and prevention and effective health delivery systems.
GC-eDRAM design using hybrid FinFET/NC-FinFET

Gain cell embedded DRAMs (GC-eDRAM) are a potential alternative for conventional static random access memories thanks to their attractive advantages such as high density, low-leakage, and two-ported operation. As CMOS technology nodes scale down, the design of GC-eDRAM at deeply scaled nanometer nodes becomes more challenging. Deeply-scale technology nodes suffer from high leakage currents and result in low data retention times (DRTs) for GC-eDRAMs. Negative capacitance FinFETs (NC-FinFETs) are a promising emerging device for ultra-low-power VLSI design. Due to the lower leakage currents, NC-FinFETs can facilitate GC-eDRAM design with higher DRTs. We show that though NC-FinFETs have lower OFF currents and higher ION/IOFF ratios, their ON current is lower than FinFETs by approximately 30%, which results in lower performance. To benefit from the potential power efficiencies and the high DRTs of NC-FinFETs without sacrificing performance, we propose hybrid FinFET/NC-FinFET configurations for some prior 2T, 3T, and 4T GC-eDRAM cells. Simulations based on a 14nm experimentally calibrated NC-FinFET model suggest that the hybrid designs offer up to 96.8% and 86.3% improvements in DRT and static power consumption, respectively, when compared to the FinFET implementation. They also offer up to 47% read delay improvement over the NC-FinFET design. We also study the voltage scaling effects on DRT and refresh-energy of the proposed GC-eDRAM cells. The associated simulation results reveal that, with different supply voltages, the proposed hybrid 4T GC-eDRAM cell offers up to 370× less refresh-energy when compared to the other designs.
Ecological niches of tree species drive variability in conifer regeneration abundance following fuels treatments

Abstract One goal of fuels treatments is to limit potential fire behavior by reducing overstory tree density, but this may precipitate regeneration, which contributes to increasing potential fire behavior over time. To understand factors that influence tree regeneration in treated stands, we compared abundance of advance and post treatment regeneration in 5–14-year-old thinning and mastication treatments covering approximately 2600 ha within two National Forests in Colorado, U.S.A. The study sites were dominated by two species with complimentary regeneration niches. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex P. Lawson & C. Lawson) is less shade tolerant, but more fire and drought resistant than Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco). We considered three critical features of the post treatment environment: species composition, forest structure (especially density), and site characteristics. Regeneration densities at the plot level varied considerably: 37% of the plots had no regeneration, while 15% had more than double the average density. High-density areas tended to occur in moist sites, mostly on north aspects that were dominated by Douglas-fir in the overstory. These areas are where wildfire mitigation benefits will likely deteriorate most rapidly. The vast majority (69%) of all regeneration was Douglas-fir. 31% of all regeneration occurred post treatment. In this group, ponderosa pine abundance was positively related to time since treatment but Douglas-fir was not, suggesting a stronger positive effect of treatment for ponderosa pine, although Douglas-fir was still more abundant. This is likely because treatments reduced the seed source for Douglas-fir more than for ponderosa pine while reducing total overstory density to create conditions that met the regeneration requirements of this shade intolerant species. Advanced regeneration was common throughout the study area, consisting of nearly 80% Douglas-fir and only 13% ponderosa pine. Although the abundance of advance regeneration decreased over time since treatment, likely due to mortality given that we encountered few sapling-sized trees, surviving trees reduce treatment longevity and have the potential for subsequent growth release and contribution to fuel hazard development. Conifer regeneration did not vary between mastication and thinning treatments. The impact of regeneration on treatment longevity was highly variable at smaller-than-stand scales. On the Colorado Front Range, moist sites with low overstory density and mature Douglas-fir to provide a seed source are where treatment effectiveness is likely to degrade most rapidly. These areas with abundant regeneration may be best left untreated, or managers should anticipate the need to re-treat them more frequently.
Tracking Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in a Complex Microbial Community Using Metagenomic Hi-C: The Case of Bovine Digital Dermatitis

Bovine digital dermatitis (DD) is a contagious infectious cause of lameness in cattle with unknown definitive etiologies. Many of the bacterial species detected in metagenomic analyses of DD lesions are difficult to culture, and their antimicrobial resistance status is largely unknown. Recently, a novel proximity ligation-guided metagenomic approach (Hi-C ProxiMeta) has been used to identify bacterial reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) directly from microbial communities, without the need to culture individual bacteria. The objective of this study was to track tetracycline resistance determinants in bacteria involved in DD pathogenesis using Hi-C. A pooled sample of macerated tissues from clinical DD lesions was used for this purpose. Metagenome deconvolution using ProxiMeta resulted in the creation of 40 metagenome-assembled genomes with ≥80% complete genomes, classified into five phyla. Further, 1959 tetracycline resistance genes and ARGs conferring resistance to aminoglycoside, beta-lactams, sulfonamide, phenicol, lincosamide, and erythromycin were identified along with their bacterial hosts. In conclusion, the widespread distribution of genes conferring resistance against tetracycline and other antimicrobials in bacteria of DD lesions is reported for the first time. Use of proximity ligation to identify microorganisms hosting specific ARGs holds promise for tracking ARGs transmission in complex microbial communities.
Band structures and heterojunction alignment of ScAlN alloy

The band structure and band alignment for ScxAl1-xN /AlN heterojunctions, with Sc-content x up to 25%, are investigated via first principle density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The supercell approach is utilized to build the crystal structure of ScAlN and AlN alloys and we investigate the natural band offsets of ScxAl1-xN relative to AlN through the potential line-up method. Our calculations suggest a type-I ScAlN / GaN heterostructure with large band offsets. The implementation of ScAlN will have impacts for deep ultraviolet, power electronics, and laser devices.
Protein cost minimization promotes the emergence of coenzyme redundancy

Coenzymes distribute a variety of chemical moieties throughout cellular metabolism, participating in group (e.g., phosphate, acyl) and electron transfer. For a variety of reactions requiring acceptors or donors of specific resources, there often exist degenerate sets of molecules (e.g., NAD(H) and NADP(H)) that carry out similar functions. Although the physiological roles of various coenzyme systems are well established, it is unclear what selective pressures may have driven the emergence of coenzyme redundancy. Here we use genome-wide metabolic modeling approaches to decompose the selective pressures driving enzymatic specificity for either NAD(H) or NADP(H) in the metabolic network of Escherichia coli. We found that few enzymes are thermodynamically constrained to using a single coenzyme, and in principle, a metabolic network relying on only NAD(H) is feasible. However, structural and sequence analyses revealed widespread conservation of residues that retain selectivity for either NAD(H) or NADP(H), suggesting that additional forces may shape specificity. Using a model accounting for the cost of oxidoreductase enzyme expression, we found that coenzyme redundancy universally reduces the minimal amount of protein required to catalyze coenzyme-coupled reactions, inducing individual reactions to strongly prefer one coenzyme over another when reactions are near thermodynamic equilibrium. We propose that protein minimization generically promotes coenzyme redundancy, and that coenzymes typically thought to exist in a single pool (e.g., CoA) may exist in more than one form (e.g., dephospho-CoA).
Influence of age on the relationship between apixaban concentration and anti-factor Xa activity in older patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation

Abstract Background/Objectives Despite lower major bleeding rates associated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) as compared to conventional warfarin therapy, bleeding rates remain higher in older patients compared to younger patients suggesting a potential role for DOAC measurements. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of age on the relationship between apixaban concentrations and anti-Factor Xa activity in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Methods This is a retrospective analysis based on a database created using data from the ARISTOTLE study. Outpatient, stable adult patients with NVAF receiving apixaban were included in this study. Data collection consisted of apixaban concentration, anti-Factor Xa activity, age, weight, creatinine, and co-medications. Results The database composed of 2058 patients receiving apixaban. Distribution of race, NVAF subtype, and aspirin use was fairly similar across each age quantile. Older patients received a higher number of co-medications and received the 2.5 mg apixaban dose more often as compared to younger patients (22% vs. Conclusion Data on apixaban concentrations and anti-Factor Xa activity from a pivotal randomized double-blind study of apixaban for the prevention of stroke in NVAF patients have confirmed that the chromogenic anti-Factor Xa activity assay can accurately assess apixaban concentrations in patients regardless of age. Age was not associated with a clinically relevant change in the apixaban vs. anti-Factor Xa activity response relationship and target ranges are unchanged.
Discharge Characteristics of Rectangular Thin-Plate Weirs

Solution proposed for discharge characteristics, based on simple equation of discharge and experimentally derived coefficients which account for influence of fluid properties and physical characteristics of weir and weir channel; effects of viscosity and surface tension are related to increase in effective head and increase or decrease in effective notch width.
Comparison of the Lipids of Intracellular and Extracellular Rabies Viruses

The lipid composition of both intracellular and extracellular forms of the ERA strain of rabies virus grown in BHK/21 cells was determined. The lipids from purified preparations of both intracellular and extracellular virus yielded 57 and 58% neutral lipid, respectively. The phospholipids of the intracellular and extracellular virus constituted 43 and 42%, respectively. Triglyceride and cholesterol appear to be the major neutral lipids, whereas sphingomyelin, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylcholine comprise the major bulk of phospholipid in both virus types. The molar ratio of cholesterol to phospholipid was 0.87 (intracellular) and 0.92 (extracellular). On the basis of the data presented, it is reasonable to assume that the lipids of both intracellular and extracellular rabies virus are similar.
Abrasion of Candidate Spacesuit Fabrics by Simulated Lunar Dust

A protocol has been developed that produced the type of lunar soil abrasion damage observed on Apollo spacesuits. This protocol was then applied to four materials (Kevlar (DuPont), Vectran (Kuraray Co., Ltd.), Orthofabric, and Tyvek (DuPont)) that are candidates for advanced spacesuits. Three of the four new candidate fabrics (all but Vectran) were effective at keeping the dust from penetrating to layers beneath. In the cases of Kevlar and Orthofabric this was accomplished by the addition of a silicone layer. In the case of Tyvek, the paper structure was dense enough to block dust transport. The least abrasive damage was suffered by the Tyvek. This was thought to be due in large part to its non-woven paper structure. The woven structures were all abraded where the top of the weave was struck by the abrasive. Of these, the Orthofabric suffered the least wear, with both Vectran and Kevlar suffering considerably more extensive filament breakage.
WE-G-304-04: My Personal Experience

In the past few years, several high-profile medical physicists found their positions terminated. It is a fact that no medical physics job is a sinecure, and that individuals can be terminated through no fault of their own. Medical physicists need to be prepared for such an occurrence. Termination provisions in an employment contract, whether individually negotiated or as part of an employee manual, are important, and also generally overlooked when one is going into a new job. Coupled with the fact that most states are “at-will,” that makes for a tough position for any physicist who finds his/her position terminated. In this course, a medical physicist who is also a practicing attorney will start the discussion with a description of the various types of employment situations and employment agreements. This will be followed by two high-profile medical physicists who had their positions terminated in recent years, who will describe their experiences, including answering such questions as How much time were you given before termination was effective? Did you have any foreshadowing of what was coming? How did you deal with the termination? Given hindsight, what would you have done differently to mitigate the effects of your termination? During job interviews, are there ways to open closets to find the skeletons? What advice would you give medical physicists if faced with a similar situation? What can you negotiate in a termination agreement? What kinds of termination agreements could be presented? The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion. Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the various types of employment contracts with an emphasis on termination provisions. 2. Recognize the implications of non-compete clauses in employment contracts. 3. Recognize the possibility of termination of employment. 4. Identify ways to recognize possibly poor employment situations 5. Identify steps that one could take to mitigate the effects of termination.
Raman scattering in K4C60 and Rb4C60 fullerenes.

Raman-scattering measurements have been performed in situ in ultrahigh vacuum on ${\mathit{A}}_{4}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ (A=Rb,K) body-centered-tetragonal films prepared by sublimation of alkali metals from ${\mathit{A}}_{6}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$. The polarized and depolarized spectra indicate substantial broadening of tangential ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{g}}$ modes as well as large disorder-induced radial-mode scattering. Alkali-metal local-site disorder due to either compositional fluctuations or site displacements are suggested. This disorder, in addition to electron-correlation effects, is expected to influence the nonmetallic nature of these materials. Variations in ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{g}}$ mode frequencies and widths for all x values emphasize radial-mode electron-phonon damping for x=3.
Assessing educational needs of potential hepatitis C patients at a Veterans Affairs medical center.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health threat throughout the world because of its ability to lead to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and need for liver transplant. Findings from studies have illustrated that levels of knowledge and awareness are low among those populations most affected by hepatitis C. The purpose of this descriptive pilot study was to assess the educational needs of potential hepatitis C patients at a Veterans Administration (VA) medical center. Few studies have identified the educational strategies preferred among patients who are diagnosed with hepatitis C. Methods: Potential hepatitis C patients in this study are defined as those individuals who had laboratory tests indicating abnormal liver enzymes and liver function tests. A survey 'Assessing Educational Needs of Potential Hepatitis C Patients' included 13 questions relating to the educational needs of this population. Results: A total of 152 patients completed the survey over a period of six months. The participants from the study did not agree that there was adequate educational material available to them in the hepatitis C clinic (71%). Out of the several educational delivery methods listed, presentations given by healthcare professionals to a large group of people were most popular at 36.2%. Participants (61%) would be interested in joining a support group and 56% felt comfortable receiving advice from health care professionals via a computer. The topic that participants would most like to learn about was living with hepatitis C. Conclusion: Assessing educational needs of potential hepatitis C patients provides a starting point in the discussion of how healthcare professionals can best deliver education. It is important to note that hepatitis C patients worldwide have a high degree of heterogeneity based upon their differing comorbid conditions, which would warrant specialized educational programs with the utilization of a variety of educational strategies.
Required Elements of Integrated Vehicle Control Systems

Electronic technology has made it possible to apply large scale system control techniques to integrated control of the entire vehicle. Elimination of redundancy, powerful diagnostics, failure management techniques and new vehicle features are possible by designing the vehicle as an integrated system rather than a confederation of independent subsystems. This paper discusses the required elements of an integrated vehicle control system, drawing upon experience obtained from the design, fabrication and operation of a highly integrated concept vehicle. The electrical/electronics architecture is discussed in terms of its physical and functional partitioning, communications, failure management and power management aspects.
Screening and Early Intervention Strategies for Harmful Drinkers: Initial Lessons from the Amethyst Project

This paper reviews recent advances in the secondary prevention of alcohol-related problems. Demonstration projects, clinical trials and early identification programs are discussed. Special emphasis is given to theoretical assumptions, intervention strategies and barriers to implementation in the primary care setting. Common features of these programs include their low cost, minimal demands on health professionals' time and resources, emphasis on self-help and behavioural self-management strategies, and their apparent effectiveness in reducing hazardous drinking. The final part of this paper illustrates this new approach to secondary prevention by describing the design and initial implementation of the ‘Amethyst’ Project, a multinational field trial of early intervention strategies sponsored by the World Health Organization. It is concluded that while secondary prevention of alcohol-related problems is still in its early stages, the promising initial findings warrant a more systematic effort to evaluate th...
Virtual and real object collisions in a merged environment

See-through head-mounted display capability is becoming an important part of Virtual Environment applications. In such applications, it may be desirable to model the physical behavior of the virtual objects and their interaction with the real objects. This paper describes a software system which integrates interactive collision detection, collision response and seethrough head-mounted displays. The system employs a static model of the real world environment and allows for arbitrary convex virtual objects to be placed in the environment. The user may control the positions and velocities of the virtual objects. An approximately constant time collision detection algorithm and a Newtonian Mechanics based single point contact collision response is used to model the apparent physical interaction of the virtual and real objects for moderately complex environments.
Responses of pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae) to changes in diet quality.

We examined digestibility of dry matter, nutrients, and fiber, and food intake, metabolic fecal losses, weight change, and gut size of pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae) in relation to diet quality in the laboratory. Pocket gophers were maintained for 15–20 days on one of seven diets which contained from 18% to 56% neutral detergent fiber (NDF). NDF content of the diet was an excellent predictor of diet quality. Digestibility of dry matter, NDF, and nitrogen all decreased with increasing NDF content of the diet. In general, pocket gophers compensated for low diet quality by increasing dry matter intake, but those given high quality forage before the lowest quality diet reduced their intake. Thus, the response of pocket gophers to low quality diets may depend on their body condition. Because increased food intake resulted in increased total metabolic fecal losses and metabolic fecal nitrogen losses, decreasing food intake on low-quality diets may be advantageous. A further response of pocket gophers to decreased food quality was an increase in size of cecum and large intestine, suggesting that fermentation of cell walls became increasingly important as diet quality decreased.
Observation of chaotic bursting and attractor switching in a fluid.

We report observations of chaotic bursting in a fluid, a convecting layer of {sup 3}He--superfluid-{sup 4}He. At an aspect ratio {Gamma}=6.0 and Prandtl number Pr=0.3 we find intermittent bursts out of a fully developed chaotic state. Above the onset of bursting the average length of a burst-free region varies as ({ital R}{minus}{ital R}{sub {ital b}}){sup {minus}{gamma}} with {gamma}=4.6. The average length of a burst varies as ({ital R}{minus}{ital R}{sub {ital b}}){sup {delta}} with {delta}=2.0. A particularly novel state was seen for {Gamma}=4.25 and Pr=0.12, where there occurs a reversible switching transition involving two chaotic attractors.
Swainsonine, a potent mannosidase inhibitor, elevates rat liver and brain lysosomal α-d-mannosidase, decreases Golgi α-d-mannosidase II, and increases the plasma levels of several acid hydrolases☆

Swainsonine, a toxic plant alkaloid reported to be the agent that induces in animals a neurological condition very similar to the hereditary lysosomal storage disease mannosidosis, and to inhibit the formation of complex glycoproteins of the asparagine-linked class, was recently shown [D. R. P. Tulsiani, T. M. Harris, and O. Touster, (1982) J. Biol. Chem.257, 7936–7939] to be a highly potent and specific inhibitor of Golgi mannosidase II in addition to being a strong inhibitor of lysosomal mannosidase. In the present study the effect of administered swainsonine on tissue enzyme levels was investigated. The activity of Golgi mannosidase II was markedly decreased (22% of control) without changes occurring in the activities of several other Golgi enzymes. However, the effects of swainsonine on lysosomal enzymes was unexpected. In liver, acid mannosidase increased markedly, instead of decreasing as would be expected from a compound reported to induce a mannosidosis-like condition. Similarly, the principal change in brain was a substantial increase in lysosomal mannosidase levels. In plasma, most lysosomal enzymes increased. These results indicate that the pathological effects of swainsonine are not solely attributable to its being an inhibitor of lysosomal α-d-mannosidase and are probably a consequence of abnormal processing of glycoproteins.
Phase diagrams of cubic systems under uniaxial quadratic symmetry-breaking fields.

The effect of uniaxial quadratic symmetry-breaking fields on two- and three-component systems which possess cubic symmetry is studied. A Landau free-energy expansion which includes sixth-order terms in the order parameter is constructed and analyzed in the context of mean-field theory. A remarkably rich spectrum of complex phase diagrams featuring several ordered phases is predicted. The phase diagrams exhibit a variety of multicritical points including triple, bicritical, tetracritical, tricritical, and critical-end points. We also predict the existence of two consecutive tricritical points along phase boundaries separating ordered phases. Some of these phase diagrams may be realized in certain compounds corresponding to two- and three-component cubic systems such as ${\mathrm{Tb}}_{2}$(${\mathrm{MoO}}_{4}$${)}_{3}$ and ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$.
Observations on the morphology and taxonomy of two Parachordodes species (Nematomorpha, Gordioida, Chordodidae) in southern New England (USA)

Two nematomorph species are recorded from New England and described: Parachordodes lineatus, a little-known North American species, and P. violaceus, a European species not previously verified for North America. The identity and species status of P. lineatus is firmly established and the presence of P. violaceus in North America is confirmed. Description is based both on light microscopy, which is found to be sufficient to distinguish the two species of Parachordodes, and scanning electron microscopy, which is necessary to elucidate details of cuticle structure and male posterior morphology. The status of the genus Gordionus in North America and the practice of splitting genera within the Gordioida are discussed.
Tl2Ba2−xSrxCuO6: A system exhibiting a compositionally controlled superconductor-metal transition

Abstract Strontium-substituted thallium cuprates of the type Tl2Ba2−xSrxCuO6 have been synthesized for various values of x. Single phases were obtained for x ≤ 1.2. The compounds crystallize in the tetragonal structure with space group I4 mmm as the parent Tl2Ba2CuO6 oxide. Both a and c lattice parameter decrease with increase in x. Tc decreases gradually from 92 to 77 K (x = 0.8). Beyond x = 1.0 superconductivity is lost. The x = 1.2 comparison is metallic down to 4.2 K.
Disruption of Mitotic Progression by Arsenic

Arsenic is an enigmatic xenobiotic that causes a multitude of chronic diseases including cancer and also is a therapeutic with promise in cancer treatment. Arsenic causes mitotic delay and induces aneuploidy in diploid human cells. In contrast, arsenic causes mitotic arrest followed by an apoptotic death in a multitude of virally transformed cells and cancer cells. We have explored the hypothesis that these differential effects of arsenic exposure are related by arsenic disruption of mitosis and are differentiated by the target cell’s ability to regulate or modify cell cycle checkpoints. Functional p53/CDKN1A axis has been shown to mitigate the mitotic block and to be essential to induction of aneuploidy. More recent preliminary data suggest that microRNA modulation of chromatid cohesion also may play a role in escape from mitotic block and in generation of chromosomal instability. Other recent studies suggest that arsenic may be useful in treatment of solid tumors when used in combination with other cytotoxic agents such as cisplatin.
Geographic differences and the location of new manufacturing facilities

Abstract This paper introduces two innovations to the empirical study of plant location: (1) division of the decision into stages, and (2) use of plant-specific characteristics to either magnify or temper factors defined at the state level. The plant-specific characteristics derive from a study of Fortune 500 plants that were opened in the 1970s. A number of relationships are derived from considerations of expected profitability that relate site selection to state and firm characteristics. These are tested through a series of multinomial logit models. The results confirm that the plant location decision can be usefully approached as a staged process and that geographically defined differences are not sufficient, by themselves, to explain why some states do better than others in attracting new plants. When plant-specific characteristics are used to modify the state-based factors, the explanation becomes much richer and more powerful.
Reliability-based control optimization for active base isolation systems

A probability-based active control synthesis is proposed for seismic base isolation of a structure that is modeled as a linear dynamical system subjected to uncertain future ground motions that are modeled as a stochastic process. The performance objective is the minimization of the probability of failure, where failure is defined as the ﬁrst-passage of the system trajectory across a generalized set of hyperplanes in the system response space. Versions of the approach are described for the case with no model uncertainty, as well as for the case with uncertain model parameters with probabilistically distributed values. Numerical issues pertaining to the optimization of the controller are discussed. The method is illustrated in a civil engineering context through application to the eight-storey base isolation benchmark structure model, using an array of ideal active control devices working in tandem with the passive base isolation bearings. Controllers are presented for cases with specified and uncertain earthquake spectral parameters, and for two different actuator conﬁgurations. Transient simulations are presented for seven earthquake records, and the performances of the controllers are analyzed under a number of metrics. Comparisons with the performance of a related linear-quadratic controller are presented and discussed, both for stationary as well as transient response.
Increased frequency of FBN1 truncating and splicing variants in Marfan syndrome patients with aortic events.

Increased frequency of FBN1 truncating and splicing variants in Marfan syndrome patients with aortic events
The use of agarose bead culture for the regeneration of single cell-derived colonies from protoplasts isolated from suspension cultures of Humulus lupulus

A cell-wall digestion medium has been devised to isolate protoplasts from suspension cultures of Humulus lupulus. Conditions have been developed for colony formation from protoplasts and the plating efficiency determined in three types of agar and by two culture methods. Viable calli were produced only when protoplasts embedded in Seaplaque agarose were incubated in a defined liquid medium. HPLC analysis showed that none of the isolated colonies accumulated α-acids.
Does a patient with hereditary spherocytosis qualify for preoperative autologous blood donation

BACKGROUND: Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is characterized by osmotically fragile spherocytic red cells (RBCs), mild to moderate hemolysis, and splenomegaly. Little is known about the safety of blood bank storage of HS RBCs. CASE REPORT: A 50-year-old man with mild autosomally dominant HS asked to make an autologous RBC deposit before his scheduled surgery. His RBCs were serially tested for osmotic fragility during 4 weeks of blood bank storage in CPD with adenine- saline. Aliquots of his fresh and 4-week-old RBCs were also labeled with 51Cr for measurement of in vivo survival. The osmotic fragility of the patient's fresh RBCs was normal, with 50-percent hemolysis at approximately 0.43-percent NaCl and a sigmoid lysis curve. Incubated osmotic fragility (24 hours at 37 degrees C) was abnormal, with 50- percent hemolysis at 0.64-percent NaCl. Median survival of his fresh 51Cr-labeled RBCs was moderately shortened at 17.5 days. Osmotic fragility increased during storage, with 50-percent lysis occurring at 0.58-percent and 0.62-percent NaCl after 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. Volunteer normal donor RBCs exhibited 50-percent lysis in 0.48-percent NaCl after 4 weeks. Median survival of the patient's 4-week-old 51Cr- labeled RBCs was severely shortened, at 3.5 days. At surgery, intraoperatively salvaged RBCs demonstrated osmotic fragility identical to that of the patient's RBCs freshly obtained by venipuncture. CONCLUSION: HS RBCs may lose membrane under optimum storage conditions, becoming unsuitable for transfusion at surgery. Intraoperative autologous transfusion may be preferable to preoperative deposit for avoidance of allogeneic RBC transfusion in patients with HS.
A First Comparison Between Aqueous and Nonaqueous Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Systems

Liquid crystals of the lecithin/ethylene glycol and the lecithin/water systems were compared using X-ray data and optical microscopy. The ethylene glycol system showed shorter interlayer spacings a...
The impact of non-economic damages caps on obstetrics: incentives versus practice style.

Abstract This paper uses 1989–2010 county-level data to reexamine the effect of non-economic damages caps on the field of obstetrics. Previous literature found that caps on damages lead to both changes in the number of physicians and changes in treatment patterns. This paper investigates whether the changes in procedures are attributable to changes in incentives or to selection when new entrants could have a different practice style than incumbents. First, I find that the relationship between non-economic damages caps and the number of physicians and procedures identified in previous literature is not robust to the inclusion of the newer policy changes. Second, over the period when such changes were observed, the impact on procedures is concentrated in areas with the greatest changes in the number of obstetricians/gynecologists per capita, suggesting that most of the effect on procedures is driven by differences in practice style between entrants and incumbents.
Multiple Scintillation Arcs in Six Pulsars

Low-intensity scattering in discrete screens gives rise to parabolic scintillation arcs in pulsar secondary spectra. The curvature of the arc boundary is uniquely determined by the location of the screen along the line of sight, the distance to the pulsar, and the relative velocity of pulsar and Earth (assuming the transverse screen velocity to be small). This information is usually available for the strong pulsars needed to exhibit clear scintillation arcs. Early studies reported single arcs along most lines of sight. This seemed puzzling given the variety of distances and sight lines being probed. We report new, higher sensitivity observations that show up to four scintillation arcs for a particular sight line.
Evaluation of a commercially available beneficial insect habitat for management of lepidoptera pests.

A field study was conducted in 2003 and 2004 at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems in Goldsboro, NC, to evaluate the effectiveness of a commercially available beneficial insect habitat in decreasing pest caterpillar populations in organically managed tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., plots. Six pairs of tomato plots were established and a commercial beneficial insect habitat seed mix (Peaceful Valley’s Good Bug Blend) transplanted around the perimeter of treatment plots, whereas a brown-top millet, Brachiaria ramose (L.) Stapf., border was planted around control plots. Egg predation, egg parasitism by trichogrammatid wasps, and larval parasitism by braconid wasps was monitored throughout the growing season to determine whether habitat increased their activity. In both years of this study, the density of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and Manduca spp. eggs was not significantly different between treatment and control plots. Although parasitism was the most important component of egg mortality (19–49%), parasitism was not significantly different between habitat types. Identifiable predation was a minor component (3–9%) of egg fate; it is possible that unidentified predation may be part of the ≈35–52% of eggs that met unknown fates. Larval parasitism levels ranged from ≈10 to 90% but was not significantly influenced by the presence of beneficial insect habitat in either year of the study. These results demonstrate that natural enemy activity in organic tomatoes was not amplified, and pest populations were not reduced by the presence of a commercially available beneficial insect habitat.
Identification, characterization, and comparison of RNA-degrading enzymes of wheat and barley

RNA-degrading enzymes play an important role in regulating gene expression, and sequence analyses have revealed significant homology among several plant RNA-degrading enzymes. In this study we surveyed crude extracts of the above-ground part of the common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and the cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) for major RNA-degrading enzymes using a substrate-based SDS-PAGE assay. Fifteen wheat and fourteen barley RNA-degrading enzymes, with apparent molecular masses ranging from 16.3 to 40.1 kD, were identified. These RNA-degrading enzymes were characterized by their response to pH changes and addition of EDTA and ZnCl2 to the preincubation or incubation buffers. The 33.2- to 40.1-kD wheat and barley, 31.7-kD wheat, and 32.0-kD barley enzyme activities were inhibited by both zinc and EDTA and were relatively tolerant to alkaline environment. The 22.7- to 28.2-kD enzymes were inhibited by zinc but stimulated by EDTA. The 18.8-kD enzyme exists in both wheat and barley. It was active in an acid environment, was inhibited by zinc, but was not affected by EDTA. Two enzyme activities (31.0 and 32.0 kD) are unique to the common wheat.
The resonance of natural convection in an enclosure heated periodically from the side

Abstract This is a numerical and theoretical investigation of natural convection in a two-dimensional square enclosure with one side cold and isothermal, and the other side heated with pulsating heat flux. It is shown numerically that the buoyancy induced circulation resonates to a certain (single) frequency of the pulsating heat input. The resonance is characterized by maximum fluctuations in the total heat transfer rate through the vertical midplane of the cavity. The numerical experiments cover the Prandtl number range 0.01–7, the heat flux Rayleigh number range 103–109, and the nondimensional frequency range 0– 0.3. It is shown that the critical frequencies determined numerically can be anticipated based on theoretical grounds, by matching the period of the pulsating heat input to the period of the rotation (circulation) of the enclosed fluid. In the last section, the same theoretical argument is used to predict the critical period for natural convection resonance in an enclosed porous medium saturated with fluid.