cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ecology of a steppe-tundra gradient in interior Alaska

Subarctic steppe is currently restricted in interior Alaska and the Yukon Territory to steep, south-facing river bluffs. Paleoecological and biogeographic evidence suggests that some steppe taxa may have been more widespread during the Full-Glacial. We examined factors controlling the distri- bution of steppe taxa on an elevation gradient across a steppe- tundra ecotone; such analyses may help define potential Full- Glacial distributions of these taxa. Multivariate analyses sug- gest that species can be divided into four spatially distinct groups, but individualistic species distributions create consid- erable overlap among these groups. The steppe-tundra eco- tone comprises a broad zone of mixing between steppe taxa and drought-tolerant alpine tundra taxa, followed by an abrupt shift to alpine shrub tundra. The transition from low steppe to tundra vegetation is primarily associated with a gradient of decreasing soil temperature. The more abrupt transition from mixed steppe-tundra to alpine shrub tundra vegetation is pri- marily associated with changes in soil depth and soil moisture. Variation in vegetation within steppe is associated with gradi- ents in soil phosphorus and moisture. Greenhouse experi- ments on drought tolerance of two steppe and two tundra taxa suggest that the individualistic distribution of species along the ecotone is partly a function of physiological differences among species. Our analyses of vegetation-environment rela- tionships support the hypothesis that some components of the steppe community could have been more widespread during the colder Full-Glacial.
Analysis of cell‐target encounter by random filopodial projections

Dynamic projections from the surface of many motile cell types provide for variable contact with the extracellular environment and can be important in regulating cell migration events. For example, during nerve development and regeneration, the sensory motile tip of the axon exhibits long, slender filopodia projecting from the growth cone periphery. Extension and retraction of these filopodia continually remodel the points of contact between axon and surroundings. Experimental studies show that filopodial contact with specific extracellular features can guide subsequent growth cone migration, suggesting a potentially important means of engineering nerve growth to repair nerve injury or construct biological neural networks. A simulation model is presented of the dynamic filopodial structure on the nerve growth cone based on recent experimental characterization. The model is analyzed to obtain quantitative relationships between average filopodial characteristics, which are commonly measured experimental quantities, and the underlying parameters of individual filopodium dynamics. It is then applied to simulate encounter between a growth cone and its target due to filopodial dynamics alone. Filopodial contribution to growth cone-target encounter is summarized in terms of a mean encounter time that is reminiscent of a first passage time for a diffusing particle. The parametric relationships in this study provide a basis for further investigation of filopodial-mediated mechanisms in nerve growth and other cellular processes.
The First Decade of the New Journal of Physics: An Analysis of Its Contributions to the Field

An analytical description using established bibliometric techniques of the New Journal of Physics (NJP) from its first issue in January of 1999 to the December issue of 2009 is presented. Data was collected from the NJP website and three other databases: INSPEC, the Web of Science Citation Index (SCI), and its Journal Citation Reports (JCR). The results present the general characteristics of NJP, and it compares NJP with other similar physics journals. It also reports about authors' productivity, institutional affiliations of authors, NJP subject coverage, funding agencies, international scope of NJP, and its impact as a physics journal.
Saying “that” in dialogue: The influence of accessibility and social factors on syntactic production

Previous evidence suggests that when speakers produce sentences from memory or as picture descriptions, their choices of sentence structure are influenced by how easy it is to retrieve sentence material (accessibility). Three experiments assessed whether this pattern holds in naturalistic, interactive dialogue. Pairs of speakers took turns asking each other questions, the responses to which allowed mention of an optional “that” before either repeated (accessible) or unrepeated (inaccessible) material. Speakers’ “that” mention was not sensitive to the repetition (accessibility) manipulation. Instead, “that” mention was sensitive to social factors: speakers said “that” more when adopting another's perspective rather than one's own, and tended to say “that” more when attributing emotions to oneself rather than another. A fourth experiment confirmed that in a memory task, the original pattern is observed. These results suggest that “that” mention is sensitive to the cognitive forces that operate within a prod...
Evolution of an innovative role: the clinical nurse leader.

Aims This study describes the evolution of the clinical nurse leader (CNL®) role and its utility in a tertiary care and community hospital. Background In the US, quality and safety metrics are being publically reported and healthcare organizations are just beginning to experience pay-for-performance and its impact. The American Association of the Colleges of Nursing (AACN) developed the role of the CNL to address the complexities and challenges of providing high-quality care in the current environment. Evaluation Since 2007, a cohort of CNLs in practice has evaluated the effectiveness of the role with measures of clinical outcomes, financial savings and case studies. Key issues Having CNLs with a strategic perspective acting as facilitators and integrators of care has proven invaluable. Leadership support has been critical and commitment to maintaining the integrity of the role has ensured its success and sustainability. Conclusions This role has established its value in risk assessment, strategic quality improvement, interdisciplinary collaboration and the implementation of evidence-based solutions. Implications for nursing management The flexibility and broad scope of this role allows for its use across practice settings and represents an exciting opportunity for nursing to drive quality of care to new levels while managing costs.
Angiotensin I converting enzyme activity in hypertension. Relationship to blood pressure, renin-sodium profiles, and antihypertensive therapy.

Abstract The activity of the anglotensin I converting enzyme was measured in 55 patients with untreated essential hypertension, 11 patients with untreated renovascular hypertension, five patients with untreated primary aldosteronism, and 23 normotensive subjects. Converting enzyme activity was significantly higher (p
The exact likelihood for a multivariate ARMA model

Abstract A number of algorithms are presented for calculating the exact likelihood of a multivariate ARMA model. There are two aspects to the algorithms. Firstly, the parameterization is in terms of AR parameters and autocovariances. This obviates difficulties with initial MA estimates. Secondly, the algorithms explicitly account for specification of the lag structure of the multivariate time series. Additionally, an algorithm is presented to deal with missing data. The algorithms are, of themselves, not new but they have not been applied to likelihood construction in the manner discussed here.
Physiologic measurement of the ventricular fibrillation ECG signal: Estimating the duration of ventricular fibrillation

Estimating the duration of ventricular fibrillation may help determine the best initial therapy and provide estimates of the most appropriate dose of epinephrine to administer during cardiac arrest and resuscitation. In addition, estimating this time can provide a more sound methodologic approach to stratifying patients in the analysis of cardiac arrest studies. In an initial series of studies in swine, we attempted to determine whether changes in the frequency or amplitude (power) of the ventricular fibrillation ECG signal during cardiac arrest could be used to estimate this time. These studies characterized the dynamics of both the total power and the frequency distribution of the power in the ECG over time during ventricular fibrillation in swine. Our purpose was to determine wether sufficient information existed in either parameter to estimate the duration of ventricular fibrillation. The median frequency of the power spectrum was used to track power distribution. Both parameters followed a dynamic and repeatable pattern. A mathematical model of median frequency was developed and used with data obtained from additional swine to estimate the duration of ventricular fibrillation. The model estimated the duration of ventricular fibrillation to within ± 1.3 minutes of the actual duration from one to ten minutes after the onset of ventricular fibrillation. We recently characterized the time course of the median frequency during ventricular fibrillation in human beings. The median frequency was extracted from each four-second segment of the ventricular fibrillation ECG recordings and plotted versus time from the onset of cardiac arrest. The median frequency in human beings followed a repeatable time course during ventricular fibrillation. These preliminary data in human beings demonstrate that a characteristic pattern of median frequency exists that can be used to estimate the duration of ventricular fibrillation.
Estrogen and IGF-I Independently Down-Regulate Critical Repressors of Breast Cancer Growth.

Background: Estrogen receptor and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathways are important for both normal mammary gland development and breast cancer pathogenesis. Despite this evidence, cross-talk between these two critical mitogenic and survival pathways remains poorly understood, particularly at the level of downstream gene transcriptional networks. Methods: We performed microarray analysis on ER-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells following stimulation with either estradiol (10nM) or IGF-I (10nM) for 3hr or 24hr. We defined an E2-IGF gene expression signature and examined the effect of the gene signature on time to recurrence in ER+ tumors in the publicly available NKI dataset. Q-RT-PCR was used to validate the effects of IGF-I and E2 on mRNA of repressed genes. To examine gene regulation further, MCF-7 cells were incubated with various signaling inhibitors and gene expression measured. Results: We found 183 probesets to be co-regulated by E2 and IGF-I after 3hr of stimulation and 454 probesets to be co-regulated at the 24hr time point. Patients with tumors that had the same set of genes up- and down-regulated had a poor outcome (p=7.04E-07). E2-IGF co-regulated genes showed a significant enrichment for down-regulated genes (p Conclusions: E2 and IGF-I co-regulate a set of genes that affect breast cancer outcome. E2 and IGF-I down-regulate several critical tumor suppressor genes. While the down-regulation is independent of each other at the level of ER and IGF-IR, for some genes, there is convergence on the PI3K pathway for repression. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 1126.
Increase in globin chains and globin mRNA in erythroleukemia cells in response to hemin.

Abstract Addition of 50 μ m hemin to mouse erythroleukemia cells cultured in 0.5% dimethyl-sulfoxide (DMSO) resulted in >10-fold stimulation of globin chain synthesis as a percentage of acid precipitable protein. In cultures fully induced with 1.5% DMSO, addition of 15 m m 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AT), an inhibitor of heme synthesis, reduced globin chain synthesis to uninduced levels and reduced globin mRNA levels to less than 20% of induced values. The inhibition of AT was prevented by simultaneous addition of 25 μ m hemin to the cultures. Using RNA-DNA hybridization analysis, the amount of globin mRNA sequences as a fraction of total cytoplasmic RNA was also increased by addition of 50 μ m hemin to cultures with 0.5% DMSO. The results suggest that exogenous hemin can promote globin chain synthesis, that endogenously synthesized heme can be required for globin chain synthesis, and that hemin directly or indirectly also alters the appearance or degradation of globin mRNA sequences in the cytoplasm.
Cognitive load during computed-tomography interpretation

In this paper, we consider the nature of mental workload and how one might determine whether mental workload effects the potential accuracy of a particular medical image display method. Then we detail observer experiments we have conducted evaluating electronic display of CT images. While detailing these results, we will focus on the evidence we have accumulated which suggests that mental workload has a significant influence on workstation accuracy and interpretation speed. These results suggest that experiments involving interpretation tasks that are very similar to those in the clinic are needed in addition to conventional ROC analysis when evaluating the effectiveness of a new display device or method.
High temperature hardness of tungsten carbide

The effect of crystallographic orientation and test temperature on hardness of WC single crystals was investigated along with the hot hardness of poly crystalline tungsten carbide. Also investigated was the effect of carbide grain size and the amount of binder phase on the hot hardness of some cemented tungsten carbides. The hot hardness of single crystal WC on all major crystallographic orientations evaluated decreases very rapidly for increasing temperature, and the single crystal hardness on its hardest orientation is only about half of the polycrystalline material depending on the test temperature. Because of its polycrystalline character, some cobalt bonded cemented tungsten carbides can be harder than single crystal WC over some intermediate temperature range.
Government action, social capital and development: Reviewing the evidence on synergy

Abstract Instead of assuming a zero-sum relationship between government involvement and private cooperative efforts, the five preceding articles argue for the possibility of “state-society synergy,” that active government and mobilized communities can enhance each others' developmental efforts. This article draws on these articles to explore the forms and sources of state-society synergy. I argue that synergy usually combines complementarity with embeddedness and is most easily fostered in societies characterized by egalitarian social structures ard robust, coherent state bureaucracies. I also argue, however, that synergy is constructable, even in the more adverse circumstances typical of Third World countries.
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in Sierra Leone: Thomas Decker's Juliohs Siza, Roman Politics, and the Emergence of a Postcolonial African State

This project examines the manner in which the Sierra Leonean playwright and political figure Thomas Decker, in 1964, during the African decade of independence, translated and appropriated Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar into the Krio lingua franca of Sierra Leone. The Shakespearean English of Julius Caesar was transformed into the Krio of Juliohs Siza by Decker, a nationalist and pioneer, who understood the great potential and power of language as a unifying force of a nation and its people. The act of translation and appropriation of Juliohs Siza amounts to both an assertion of a sovereign linguistic identity after having gained independence from England in 1961, as well as an appropriation of the powerful democratic message carried by the political legacy of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar for a newly independent Sierra Leone.
Temporal dynamics of the Venetian blind effect.

Abstract When square wave gratings are viewed binocularly with lower luminance or contrast in one eye, the individual bars of the grating appear to rotate around a vertical axis (Venetian blind effect). The effect has typically been thought to occur due to retinal disparities that result from irradiation and, therefore, are entirely entoptic. If so, the visual system should process disparities from a luminance or contrast disparity and a geometric disparity at the same rate. Studies of motion-in-depth using geometric disparities have shown that the visual system is unable to process depth cues when those cues are oscillated at frequencies greater than 5 Hz. By changing contrast (experiments one and two) and geometric (experiment three) disparity cues over time, the present study measured the frequency at which both the perception of motion-in-depth and the perception of depth diminish. The perception of motion-in-depth from contrast disparities decreased near 1.1 Hz (experiments one and four) and the perception of depth from contrast disparities decreased near 1.3 Hz (experiments one, two and four); both of which are lower than the frequency where depth from a geometric disparity diminished (near 4.8 Hz in experiment three). The differences between the dynamics of depth from contrast and geometric disparities suggest that the perception arises from separate neural mechanisms.
Kairomones and their use for management of entomophagous insects

In laboratory experiments conducted to compare the kairomonal activity forMicroplitis croceipes (Cresson) of frass fromHeliothis zea (Boddie) larvae fed on different host plants,M. croceipes females responded to extracts of frass from larvae reared on cotton or soybeans but not on corn. The lack of response to frass from larvae reared on corn was shown to be a result of a lack of some appropriate chemical(s) in the corn.
A Novel Dendritic Cell-Based Cancer Vaccine Produces Promising Results in a Syngenic CC-36 Murine Colon Adenocarcinoma Model

Background This study was conducted to test the efficacy of a new cancer vaccine, composed of dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with an interleukin-2 gene-encoded vaccinia virus tumor oncolysate (DC-IL-2VCO) in a CC-36 murine colon adenocarcinoma model. Materials and methods CC-36 tumor cells were injected subcutaneously into the left flank of four- to six-week old male BALB/c mice. The mice were divided into three groups, each of which received one of the following treatments: (1) DCs pulsed with the IL-2 gene-encoded vaccinia oncolysate (DC-IL-2VCO), (2) DCs pulsed with the tumor oncolysate alone (DC-CO), or (3) no treatment (control). Tumor incidence was measured, and survival rates were compared using a paired Student’s t-test. Cytolytic T cell activity was measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and splenic lymphocytes using a 51Cr-release assay. Lastly, mice were depleted of either CD4+ or CD8+ lymphocytes prior to receiving the vaccine to test the mechanism of tumor immunity in these mice. Results Mice treated with DC-IL-2VCO demonstrated decreased tumor burden, increased survival, and greater cytolytic activity compared with control mice and mice receiving DC-CO. In addition, mice depleted of CD8+ T cells prior to immunization with IL-2VV + DC-IL-2VCO had a significant increase in the incidence of tumor, similar to the untreated control mice. Conclusions DCs pulsed with an IL-2 gene-encoded vaccinia virus tumor oncolysate (DC-IL-2VCO) produced safe and effective immune responses in a murine CC-36 colon adenocarcinoma model. This vaccine (DC-MelVac; Patent no. 11221/5) has the potential to treat humans with cancer, and has received FDA approval for use in Phase I clinical trials.
High Ligation of the Greater Saphenous Vein for Treatment of Lower Extremity Varicosities: The Fate of the Vein and Therapeutic Results

This study was carried out to determine the subsequent fate of the greater saphenous vein and the efficacy of its high ligation along with surgical excision or sclerotherapy of varicosities. From 1988 to 1990, 22 patients underwent high ligation and sclerotherapy, 22 underwent high ligation and varicose vein excision, and four underwent high ligation alone. There were 36 women and 12 men patients. The average patient age was 48. Sixty limbs were scanned by duplex ultrasound pre- and postoperatively to determine the status of the greater saphenous vein. Average follow-up time was 10 months. Patients and surgeons rated the results of therapy for ablation of varicosities and alleviation of symptoms. Surgical complications were evaluated. At postoperative scan, 47 greater saphenous veins (78%) were found to be completely patent, nine (15%) were thrombosed for a short segment (less than 10 cm) and four (7%) were more significantly thrombosed. Those limbs in which high ligation and sclerotherapy were performed had the highest complete patency rate (96%). Patient and surgeon satisfaction was good to excellent in every case. The only complications were three symptomatic greater saphenous vein thromboses. Although follow-up is relatively brief, complete patency of the ligated greater saphenous vein was found in most cases. High ligation allows preservation of a patent greater saphenous vein, which can be used as an arterial conduit at a later date and gives therapeutic results comparable to stripping without the additional morbidity.
Suppression of spatial hole burning in polarization coupled resonators.

A twisted-mode technique is presented for elimination of spatial hole burning is laser gain media. Application to Nd:YAG lasers in considered. (AIP)
Synthesis, densification, and mechanical properties of TaB2

Abstract Tantalum diboride (TaB 2 ) was synthesized by reducing Ta 2 O 5 using B 4 C and graphite at 1600 °C under flowing Ar. The powder had an average particle size of 0.4 μm with both needle-like and rounded particles. The TaB 2 powder was hot pressed to relative densities of 97% at 2000 °C (3.6 μm grain size) and 98% at 2100 °C (5.3 μm grain size). Mechanical properties were measured for TaB 2 hot pressed at 2100 °C and were comparable to those of the commonly studied diborides, ZrB 2 and HfB 2 . The Young's modulus was 551 GPa, Vickers' hardness was 25.6 GPa, flexure strength was 555 MPa, and fracture toughness was 4.5 MPa-m 1/2 .
Imaging evaluation of fetal vascular anomalies

Vascular anomalies can be detected in utero and should be considered in the setting of solid, mixed or cystic lesions in the fetus. Evaluation of the gray-scale and color Doppler US and MRI characteristics can guide diagnosis. We present a case-based pictorial essay to illustrate the prenatal imaging characteristics in 11 pregnancies with vascular malformations (5 lymphatic malformations, 2 Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, 1 venous-lymphatic malformation, 1 Parkes-Weber syndrome) and vascular tumors (1 congenital hemangioma, 1 kaposiform hemangioendothelioma). Concordance between prenatal and postnatal diagnoses is analyzed, with further discussion regarding potential pitfalls in identification.
Evaluation of the Analytical Capabilities of a dc Plasma-Echelle Spectrometer System:

The analytical capabilities of a dc plasma used in combination with an echelle spectrometer have been evaluated. Measurements of the spectrometer resolution capabilities have demonstrated that they closely approximate the high values theoretically predicted but are ultimately limited by Doppler broadening effects occurring in the plasma. Investigations of possible ionization interference effects have shown that enhancements due to the addition of easily ionized elements are generally observed for elements having ionization potentials below approximately 8.5 eV; these may be compensated for by the addition of an excess of an easily ionized element. Evaluation of solute vaporization interference effects indicates that they also occur but can be negated by proper choice of operational conditions and/or the addition of releasing agents. Comparison of the detection capabilities of the system with those reported for other techniques shows that they are equivalent or superior to those characteristic of flame atomic absorption and often competitive with those obtained with the inductively coupled plasma, atomic emission system.
A method for determining dynamic stress intensity factors from cod measurement at the notch mouth in dynamic tear testing

Abstract A formula is derived for determining dynamic stress intensity factors directly from crack mouth opening displacements in dynamic tear test specimen. The results obtained by the present estimation method for stationary as well as propagating cracks agree excellently with those directly obtained through a highly accurate moving-singularity finite element method. The present method can also be applied for other types of specimen which have a relatively short edge crack without any loading on the crack surface. The present simple estimation method should be of great value in the experimental measurement of dynamic stress-intensity factors for propagating cracks in (opaque) structural steel dynamic tear test specimens.
Chemical studies of the passivation of GaAs surface recombination using sulfides and thiols

Steady-state photoluminescence, time-resolved photoluminescence, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have been used to study the electrical and chemical properties of GaAs surfaces exposed to inorganic and organic sulfur donors. Despite a wide variation in S2–(aq) concentration, variation of the pH of aqueous HS–solutions had a small effect on the steady-state n-type GaAs photoluminescence intensity, with surfaces exposed to pH=8, 0.1-M HS–(aq) solutions displaying comparable luminescence intensity relative to those treated with pH=14, 1.0-M Na2S·9H2O(aq). Organic thiols (R-SH, where R=–CH2CH2SH or –C6H4Cl) dissolved in nonaqueous solvents were found to effect increases in steady-state luminescence yields and in time-resolved luminescence decay lifetimes of (100)-oriented GaAs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that exposure of GaAs surfaces to these organic systems yielded thiols bound to the GaAs surface, but such exposure did not remove excess elemental As and did not form a detectable As2S3 overlayer on the GaAs. These results imply that complete removal of As0 or formation of monolayers of As2S3 is not necessary to effect a reduction in the recombination rate at etched GaAs surfaces. Other compounds that do not contain sulfur but that are strong Lewis bases, such as methoxide ion, also improved the GaAs steady-state photoluminescence intensity. These results demonstrate that a general class of electron-donating reagents can be used to reduce nonradiative recombination at GaAs surfaces, and also imply that prior models focusing on the formation of monolayer coverages of As2S3 and Ga2S3 are not adequate to describe the passivating behavior of this class of reagents. The time-resolved, high level injection experiments clearly demonstrate that a shift in the equilibrium surface Fermi-level energy is not sufficient to explain the luminescence intensity changes, and confirm that HS– and thiol-based reagents induce substantial reductions in the surface recombination velocity through a change in the GaAs surface state recombination rate.
The use of insulin and glucose during resuscitation from hemorrhagic shock increases hepatic ATP.

Abstract Background. Hemorrhagic shock produces a marked decrease in hepatic ATP, adenylate energy charge, and total adenosine nucleotides. This is followed by slow recovery to normal levels after resuscitation. Nucleotide metabolites are increased following shock and resuscitation. Previous experimental work has shown that supraphysiologic doses of insulin have salutary effects in animals with hemorrhagic shock and in cardiac patients. It appears that insulin causes increased availability of glucose and energy-producing substrates. This study examined whether resuscitation with glucose and insulin after hemorrhagic shock would alter the changes previously seen to occur in hepatic ATP levels, adenylate energy charge, or nucleotide metabolites. Methods. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were bled to a mean arterial blood pressure of 40 mm Hg for 30 min. They were then resuscitated with the shed blood and one of three fluids: (1) lactated Ringer's, (2) lactated Ringer's with 10% glucose, (3) lactated Ringer's with 10% glucose + 6 units/kg regular insulin. Liver biopsies were obtained prior to shock (baseline), after 30 min of shock (shock), and 90 min after resuscitation (90 min). Tissue levels of ATP, ADP, AMP, adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine, and xanthine were measured. Serum at 90 min was evaluated for potassium, glucose, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Results. The insulin-treated group had significantly increased hepatic ATP and energy charge following resuscitation compared with the other two groups. The insulin group also exhibited significant hypoglycemia. Total adenine nucleotides (ATP, ADP, and AMP) were significantly elevated 90 min postresuscitation in the insulin group. Mean blood pressures throughout the experiment were not significantly different among groups. TNF-α was highest in the insulin-treated group, but this was not significant. Conclusions. Resuscitation with insulin and dextrose significantly increased hepatic ATP and adenylate energy charge after hemorrhagic shock in rats. Total nucleotide pool levels were not different between groups, indicating that there was a shift of the equilibrium away from the metabolites toward ATP and ADP in the insulin-treated group. Insulin treatment had no significant effect on blood pressure or TNF-α. However, it caused significant hypoglycemia and hypokalemia.
We ARE Darwinians, and this is what the fuss is all about

Evolutionary accounts of human behavior often involve constructing the past from the present. For this reason, such accounts are highly susceptible to ideological biases and cultural blinders. Sociobiology is a variant of competitive individualism that also underlies many economic and psychological models. These assumptions must be tested against competing models of human sociality if evolutionary psychology is to be science rather than dogma. Nonbelief, when rigorous, systematic, and searching was considered a threat to all orthodoxy; no institution is safe if people simply stop believing in the assumptions that justify its existence. Margaret C. Jacob,The Cultural Meaning of the Scientific Revolution
Client-centered energy savings for concurrent HTTP connections

In mobile devices, the wireless network interface card (WNIC) consumes a significant portion of overall system energy. One way to reduce energy consumed by a WNIC is to transition it to a lower-power sleep mode when data is not being received or transmitted.This paper investigates client-centered techniques for saving energy during web browsing. The basic idea is that the client predicts when packets will arrive, keeping the WNIC in high-power mode only when necessary. This is challenging because web browsing generally results in concurrent HTTP connections. To handle this, we maintain the state of each open connection on the client and then transition the WNIC to sleep mode when no connection is receiving data. Our technique is compatible with standard TCP and does not rely on any assistance from the server, a proxy, or IEEE 802.11b power-saving mode (PSM). Our technique combines the performance of regular TCP with nearly all the energy-saving of PSM during web downloads, and we save more energy than PSM during client think times. Results show that over an entire web browsing session (downloads and think times), our scheme saves up to 21% energy compared to PSM and incurs less than a 1% increase in transmission time compared to regular TCP.
Generation of gas and oil from coal and other terrestrial organic matter

Abstract Late Carboniferous-Permian sedimentary rocks contain the world's largest coal reserves which have generated and released gas but little if any oil. In comparison, organic matter deposited in lacustrine, fluvial, deltaic or brackish water sediments has sourced large quantities of waxy oils in countries such as China, Australia, the U.S.A., Argentina, Venezuela and Indonesia plus gas and condensate in deltas worldwide. Why is more oil coming from land derived organic matter disseminated in sediments than from the Carboniferous-Permian coal beds which also are land deposits? The answer appears to be in the hydrogen content and the ease of migration. When organic matter and coals have high hydrogen contents relative to carbon they can form oil. When the hydrogen is low, mainly gas is formed. Most of the world's coal is low in hydrogen whereas much of the terrestrial organic matter disseminated in sediments is higher in hydrogen so it forms more oil. Also, both gas and oil are adsorbed on coal more strongly than on the disseminated kerogen of sedimentary rocks. This makes migration of oil out of the coal more difficult compared to migration from conventional shale source rocks.
Energetics of homogeneously-random fcc Al-Ag alloys: A detailed comparison of computational methods

Abstract Generally speaking, the formation energies, ΔE f , of homogeneously-random alloys have important consequences for thermodynamic behavior; and, in the case of Al-Ag, these energies already provide insight into the driving force for GP-zone formation. We therefore focus on a detailed comparison of three complementary (and approximate) electronicstructure-based methods for calculating ΔE f in disordered alloys: the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker coherent-potential approximation (KKR-CPA) method, and, based on the linear-muffin-tin orbital (LMTO) method, the so-called special quasi-random structure (SQS) method and the structural-inversion method (SIM). Although the ΔE f versus concentration trends that we find are robust, we detail the sensitivity of the calculated energetics, and the subsequent comparisons, including: muffin-tins versus atomic-spheres, combined-corrections, charge-correlation within the CPA, and the neglect of relativity. The main finding: The mixing energies obtained from the CPA, SIM, and SQS methods agree well as long as one is careful to use similar approximations amongst the different approaches!
Acute Phase Protein in Serum of Women Using Hormonal Contraceptives

Acute phase protein precipitating sonatic C-polysaccharide of pneumococci appears in serum of women under treatment with hormonal contraceptives in a significantly higher number of cases when compared with control groups. The summarized results of three preliminary studies show that in 80 control serums there were four positive specimens (5 percent) and in 80 serums from women using hormonal contraceptives there were 58 positive specimens (72.5 percent).
Arrays of square cross-section microdischarge devices fabricated in glass and driven by interdigitated electrodes

Arrays of microdischarge devices, 100/spl times/100 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ in cross section, have been fabricated in a photodefinable glass, and electrically driven by interdigitated electrodes. Operated in Ne gas at pressures from 200 to 600 torr, 5/spl times/5 arrays of square microdischarge pixels are bright and draw a total current of 0.4-1.5 mA for direct current operating voltages of <200 V.
Optimally balanced forward degree sequence

Forward degree seqences, arising from orderings of the vertices in a graph, carry a lot of vital information about the graph. In this paper, we focus our work on two special classes of forward degree sequences, which we named balanced and strongly balanced. Our main result is to prove that any chordal graph has a strongly balanced forward degree sequence and any graph with all degrees at most 3 has a balanced forward degree sequence. Moreover, we show that the strongly balanced forward degree sequence can be computed in polynomial time in the above cases.
Growth and Maintenance of Vero Cell Lines

Vero cells are derived from the kidney of an African green monkey, and are one of the more commonly used mammalian continuous cell lines in microbiology, and molecular and cell biology research. This unit includes protocols for the growth and maintenance of Vero cell lines in a research laboratory setting.
Characterization of the glnK-amtB Operon of Azotobacter vinelandii

To determine whether in Azotobacter vinelandii the PII protein influences the regulation of nif gene expression in response to fluxes in the ammonium supply, the gene encoding PII was isolated and characterized. Its deduced translation product was highly similar to PII proteins from other organisms, with the greatest degree of relatedness being exhibited to the Escherichia coli glnK gene product. A gene designated amtB was found downstream of and was cotranscribed with glnK as in E. coli. The AmtB protein is similar to functionally characterized ammonium transport proteins from a few other eukaryotes and one other prokaryote. glnK and amtB comprise an operon. Attempts to isolate a stable glnK mutant strain were unsuccessful, suggesting that glnK, like glnA, is an essential gene in A. vinelandii. amtB mutants were isolated, and although growth on limiting amounts of ammonium was similar in the mutant and wild-type strains, the mutants were unable to transport [14C]methylammonium.
Residual Stress Analysis with Neutrons

The use of neutrons for the measurement of stress is complementary to and extends traditional x-ray diffraction methods to new types of problems. This is due to the lower absorption of neutrons compared to x-rays by most engineering materials, which increases the sampling depth from microns to millimeters. It is particularly suitable for triaxial macrostress gradients through the depth of engineering components and volumetric microstresses in composites. In addition, applied stress studies may also be performed. This paper briefly describes the nature of residual stresses, the use of diffraction for stress measurements, experimental aspects of the use of neutrons, and illustrative applications.
Retrospective cost model reference adaptive control for nonminimum-phase discrete-time systems, Part 2: Stability analysis

This paper is the second part of a pair of papers, which together present a direct model reference adaptive controller for discrete-time (including sampled-data) systems that are possibly nonminimum phase. The present paper and its companion paper (Part 1) together analyze that stability of the retrospective cost model reference adaptive controller.
Simulation and Games Forum

The purpose of the "Simulation and Games Forum" is to provide a medium for informal and informative discussion about games and simulation. The forum may contain comments on papers previously published; initiate a topic for discussion, unrelated to previous publications in SIMULATION AND GAMES; or give a prospectus of research projects, prior to their initiation, so that researchers with similar interests may exchange ideas and possibly arrange to share data. This section is intended to generate debate, to lay out issues on which readers might differ, and to foster communication among readers. Submissions will be published in the issue following receipt. They should be limited to 700 words (approximately 2Y2 pages, typed double-space) and sent in letter form addressed to the Editors.
A Transition To Distance Education: Lessons Learned

Developing and implementing distance education courses for the clinical laboratory science (CLS) profession is becoming an option in both the undergraduate and graduate experience. Whether it is done to remove geographic barriers for students, as is the case here, or to offer continuing education to those already in the profession, the design of the course can impact the outcome. In this study, students were faced with transitioning from the traditional “on campus” classroom to a totally distance education format in their final semester of a CLS bachelor’s degree program after a successful professional practice experience. Previously, we had reported on the importance of preferred learning style(s) 1 in trying to identify why some students may fit in or perform better in some parts of the laboratory experience than in others during their professional practice or as new graduates, 2 and in this study, we used the data on preferred learning style(s) to help develop and deliver distance education curriculum.
Excitation and Propagation of Surface Plasmons in a Metallic Nanoslit Structure

We provide an analysis of optical interactions with a nanoslit structure formed on a metal film. In particular we analyzed the excitation and coupling of surface plasmons (SPs) at the input and output apertures of the nanoslit as well as the propagation of light in the nanoslit waveguide structure. In the input coupling case, an incident light (TM polarized) is found to induce polarization charges on the surface around the aperture. These charges generate the normal component of electric field on the incident surface around the corner. This results in an inward flow (funneling) of incident power into the slit. At the output side, the slit corners again play a critical role, exciting SPs on the exit surface, which propagate away from the slit, and also allowing for decoupling of the SP power into free-space radiation. In the case of narrow slits, the incident optical power is carried exclusively via the SP mode that has an antisymmetric distribution of polarization charges on the slit walls. The materials required to support a surface-bound wave are also discussed, taking into account the dielectric loss of metal.
Teaching Methodology to Distance Education Students Using Rich-Media and Computer Simulation

This article addresses the two major issues involved in the teaching of an introductory methodology course versus face-to-face instruction. The first issue incorporates a rich-media solution, specifically streaming video, to precede traditional notes on any topic and second the use of a computer simulation software created by the authors, which can be placed on a matriculated distance education student's desktop remotely, without the legal or logistical problems of using commercial software, for example, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) or Statistical Analysis Software (SAS). Technical and pedagogical dimensions of these particular issues are discussed as well.
The Limits of Design: Explaining Institutional Origins and Change

Political scientists have paid much more attention to the effects of institutions than to issues of institutional origins and change. One result has been a marked tendency to fall back on implicit or explicit functional accounts, in which the effects of institutions explain the presence of those institutions. Institutional effects may indeed provide part of such an explanation. Yet the plausibility of functional accounts depends upon either a set of favorable conditions at the design stage or the presence of environments conducive to learning or competition. Exploring variability in the relevant social contexts makes it possible to both establish the restricted range of functional accounts and specify some promising lines of inquiry into the subject of institutional origins and change.
Three-Dimensional Structure of ras p21 Proteins

ras genes (review in Barbacid, 1987) have been found in a large number of eukaryotic organisms, from Saccharomyces and Drosophila to chicken, rat, and man. Moreover, ras gene products of various species show a very high degree of homology: even between proteins from yeast and man there is approximately 54% identity between corresponding amino acids, and ras proteins from chicken and man differ only in three amino acids. Such evolutionary conservation implies an important cellular function for these proteins, and they have indeed been implicated in playing a crucial role in cell proliferation and terminal differentiation. Based on these observations and on biochemical similarities with G-proteins, it is thought that ras proteins participate as signal transducers at the beginning of the cascade of reactions leading to various essential cellular processes.
Resection of a recurrent nasal tumor via Le Fort I osteotomy approach

(Editorial Comment: The authors describe another approach to the nasal cavity. The Le Fort osteotomy is commonly used to expose the clivus on nasopharynx. The nasal cavity is most often exposed with either a lateral rhinotomy or midface degloving. Surgeons must consider the relative merits and difficulties inherent in selecting any surgical approach.) Pleomorphic adenoma most commonly affects the major salivary glands. The minor salivary glands are involved in only 8% of cases,l whereas most cases involve the palate. Nasal cavity involvement may be difficult to treat because of inadequate exposure that may lead to recurrence of the tumor. Compagno and Wang’ reviewed the files of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and found a 10% recurrence rate following conservative resection of
Calcium and Vitamin D

Of the various agents tested in clinical trials against colorectal neoplasms, only two, calcium and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), have been found to have preventive efficacy, and calcium is the only one for which significant longterm adverse consequences have not been demonstrated. Vitamin D alone, and in combination with calcium, is now being tested in a large, long-term, randomized, placebo-controlled chemoprevention trial of sporadic colorectal adenoma recurrence, and is of current intense interest. This chapter summarizes calcium and vitamin D physiology and metabolism and the mechanistic, genetic, and epidemiologic evidence for these agents in preventing colorectal cancer.
Durable Goods and Product Obsolescence

The issue of product obsolescence is addressed by examining the optimal sales strategy of a monopolist firm that may introduce an improved version of its current product. Consumers' expectations of a forthcoming product lowers the price that they are willing to pay for the current product because of its loss in value due to obsolescence. The new product is characterized by consumers' increased willingness to pay and by its competitive interaction with the old product. These characteristics affect the tradeoff that the firm makes between the cost of waiting for new product sales versus the cost of cannibalizing these sales. We analyze the effect of these characteristics of the new product on the firm's optimal sales strategy. We consider the various policy measures available to the firm, including limiting initial sales in order to lower cannibalization of the new product, buying back the earlier version of the product in order to generate greater demand for the new product, and announcements of future product introductions. We find that, for modest levels of product improvement, the firm's optimal policy is to phase out sales of the old product, while for large improvements a buy-back policy is more profitable. Lastly we find that the firm is better off if it informs consumers whether a new product is forthcoming.
Multiphoton angiogenesis and tumor biomarker imaging

The imaging of tumors using techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), and near infrared fluorescence (NIRF) has seen significant advances in recent years. Two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM) offers several advantages, such as deeper tissue penetration along with more confined excitation and emission that leads to an increase in imaging resolution. Although biomedical applications of two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM) are steadily increasing, the technique still suffers from the lack of efficient, photostable two-photon absorbing fluorescent probes that possess high target specificity. In order to be truly useful for such applications, it is necessary to have not only an imaging component that undergoes two-photon absorption (2PA) at wavelengths longer than 700 nm, but also a vector that targets the fluorescent probe selectively to a particular tissue, cell, organelle, receptor, or protein. We describe approaches to 2PFM imaging that targets important biomarkers, including proteins that are expressed in tumors and the targeting of vasculature around the tumors rather than tumors themselves. In this work, we describe the preparation and the use of novel, efficient two-photon absorbing (2PA) fluorescent probes that target the vascular endothelial growth factor 2 (VEGFR-2), folate receptors, and integrin proteins. Comprehensive linear and nonlinear photophysical and biological characterization of the new probes will be presented along with 2PFM imaging.