cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Homicide as conflict resolution

Homicide research at societal, subcultural, and interaction levels of analysis has not produced a comprehensive model for the killer‐victim transaction. But rules for organizing the experience of homicide can be generated from Simmel's definition of conflict as a “resolution of divergent dualisms” (1955:11). A model of homicide as a form of conflict resolution is demonstrated through interviews with a random sample of 35 adjudicated killers. Respondents’ definitions of homicide correspond to the conflict resolution model, with their verbal accounts, their socio‐psychological orientation to the victim at the point of the killing, their method of killing, and the general dynamics of the killer‐victim transaction, all varying as a resolution of a distinctive relationship, either between lovers, adversaries, or strangers. The situational definition casts homicide within the realm of normal behavior and at the same time delineates its distinctive features.
Transient and Highly Polarized Double-Peaked Hα Emission in the Seyfert 2 Nucleus of NGC 2110

We have discovered an extremely broad, double-peaked Hα emission line in the polarized flux spectrum of NGC 2110, establishing that this well-studied Seyfert 2 galaxy contains a disk-like hidden broad-line region (BLR). Several properties of NGC 2110 suggest that it is an obscured twin of Arp 102B, the prototypical double-peaked emission-line active galactic nucleus (AGN). A comparison between our data and previous spectra of NGC 2110 indicates that the double-peaked Hα feature is transient. The presence of a disk-like BLR in NGC 2110 has important implications for AGNs: it expands the range of properties exhibited by Seyfert 2 galaxies, and the fact that the BLR is obscured by a torus-like structure provides the first evidence that double-peaked emitters and classical Seyfert nuclei may have the same basic parsec-scale geometry.
A convenient synthesis of spiro[3.4]octa-5,7-diene

Abstract A facile synthesis of spiro[3.4]octa-5,7-diene by way of dichloroketene addition to methylenecyclobutane is described.
An expert system for troubleshooting tractor hydraulic systems

Abstract An expert system was developed based on a knowledge domain provided in the hydraulic diagnosis manual for the John Deere 50 Series tractors. Texas Instrument's PCplus version 2.0 was used on an IBM/AT. PCplus provided good user I/O, but did not allow easy program control of the firing order of rules. Procedural control of rules is required to follow the John Deere diagnosis manual. A standard format for representing domain and procedural knowledge is presented.
Segmentation and classification of normal-appearing brain: how much is enough?

In this study, subsets of MR slices were examined to assess their ability to optimally predict the total cerebral volume of gray matter, white matter and CSF. Patients underwent a clinical imaging protocol consisting of T1-, T2-, PD-, and FLAIR-weighted images after obtaining informed consent. MR imaging sets were registered, RF-corrected, and then analyzed with a hybrid neural network segmentation and classification algorithm to identify normal brain parenchyma. After processing the data, the correlation between the image subsets and the total cerebral volumes of gray matter, white matter and CSF were examined. The 29 subjects (18F, 11M) assessed in this study were 1.7 ? 18.7 (median = 5.2) years of age. The five subsets accounted for 5%, 15%, 24%, 56%, and 79% of the total cerebral volume. The predictive correlation for gray matter, white matter, and CSF in each of these subsets were: 5% (R= 0.94, 0.92, 0.91), 15% (R= 0.93, 0.95, 0.94), 24% (R= 0.92, 0.95, 0.94), 56% (R= 0.75, 0.95, 0.89), and 79% (R= 0.89, 0.98, 0.99) respectively. All subsets of slices examined were significantly correlated (p<0.001) with the total cerebral volume of gray matter, white matter, and CSF.
Border Region Minority Students: A Note on Educational Policies for the 1990s

The quality of education and the economic development of the Mexican-American border population are closely related phenomena. Hansen (1981), for example, explains the high correlation between income and educational levels among the Mexican-American population. In his study of median income of Mexican-origin males and all males by school years completed, Hansen concluded that "as the Mexican-American's educational levels advance, so do their earnings in relation to the rest of the population" (Hansen 1981:142). Because of the significance of a completed high school education, we must pay particular attention to border school dropout problems and policies promoting increased retention. Researchers and the general public alike are impetuous in making vast educational generalizations such as: "Dropout rates are threatening minority border populations," "It is obvious that Hispanic dropout rates are increasing," "Dropout rates occur more often among Hispanics than among blacks and more often among blacks than whites" and "Fewer Hispanics are attending post-secondary educational institutions." Educators studying the border populations of minority high school students, are finding that there are confusing complexities, some truths, and many contradictions to these broad generalizations and assumptions. Unfortunately, this confusion is often reflected in educational policy. Thus, the purpose of this article is to examine some of these assertions and to suggest, in general terms, educational policies that may lead to improved educational opportunities in the border region.
Meta-analysis of plasma homocysteine, serum folate, serum vitamin B(12), and thermolabile MTHFR genotype as risk factors for retinal vascular occlusive disease.

Abstract Purpose To assess the role of plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels, serum folate and vitamin B 12 levels, and homozygosity for the thermolabile methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotype (TT) as risk factors for retinal vascular occlusive disease. Design Meta-analysis of literature. Methods A MEDLINE search was performed to identify all published case–control studies of plasma tHcy levels, serum folate and vitamin B 12 levels, and TT genotype in persons with retinal vascular occlusive disease. Main outcome measures included calculation of plasma tHcy, serum folate, and serum vitamin B 12 standard differences and odds ratios (OR) of TT genotype between cases and controls. Results In total, 614 patients with all types of retinal vein occlusion had higher plasma tHcy levels than 762 control subjects (standard difference, 0.867; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.735, 0.999; P P 12 levels, were lower in 287 patients with retinal vascular occlusion than in the same number of control subjects (standard difference, 0.508; 95% CI=0.340, 0.675; P P = .474, respectively). Similar proportions of 690 patients with retinal vein occlusion and 2754 control subjects demonstrated the TT genotype (OR = 1.332; 95% CI=0.995, 1.783; P = .054) as did 152 patients with retinal artery occlusions and 435 control subjects (OR = 1.716; 95% CI=0.977, 3.014; P = .060). Conclusions Retinal vascular occlusion is associated with elevated plasma tHcy levels and low serum folate levels, but not serum vitamin B 12 levels and TT genotype. Until a prospective multicenter trial is undertaken, plasma tHcy levels and serum folate levels should be determined in patients with retinal vascular occlusions, and dietary supplementation with low doses of folate and vitamin B 12 should be considered for affected persons.
Parameters affecting adaptation to and retention of open-field elimination in the rat

Abstract In Experiment 1, rats descended from Car-worth Farms CFE strain, of 23, 40 and 70 days of age, were tested either weekly or twice daily in an open field. Massed tests (twice daily) required more trials to adapt than distributed (weekly) trials, although distributed Ss required longer, in terms of total time, to adapt. The younger the S, the more trials required to adapt. Retention tests 150 and 225 days following adaptation suggested that Ss which adapt most rapidly show greater emotionality as measured by number of boluses in the retention tests. Accordingly, Experiment 2 used rats of 23, 40 or 70 days of age and gave these Ss either 20, 40 or 60 open field tests. Retention was measured after 150 and 225 days. The results show that the fewer the number of trials, the more emotional the animal at retention. It is suggested that retention of emotional behaviour in the rat is a function of both constitutional factors and experiential factors.
Investigating Cognitive Representations of Spatial Relationships

Samples of subjects from three different residential locations were asked to indicate their knowledge of the same environment by (a) estimating the distances between pairs of geographic locations and (b) arranging markers on a "map-board" to represent the locations and the distances between them. Comparisons of the results between methods revealed striking differences which lead to discrepant and even contradictory conclusions about the impact of residential location on cognitive representations of distance and of spatial relationships. On the basis of a logical analysis of task demands, it was tentatively concluded that the distance estimation procedure probably yields a more accurate portrayal of internal representations than does the mapping technique.
ON GROUP SPECIFIC A SUBSTANCES : IV. THE SUBSTANCE FROM HOG STOMACH.

An investigation is presented on the A substance contained in swine stomach. Preparations made by several procedures, and largely consisting of carbohydrates, were found by means of the ninhydrin method of Van Slyke and his colleagues to contain amino acids accounting for the bulk of the non-hexosamine nitrogen. As a working hypothesis the idea is advanced that amino acid structures can play a role in the serological specificity of haptens consisting predominantly of polysaccharides.
Interfacial Catalysis of Formation and Dissociation of Tervalent Lanthanide Complexes in Two-Phase Systems

The metallochromic indicator method which was previously developed for studying in micelles metal complex formation and dissociation reactions without an adequate spectral change has been adapted here for the organic−aqueous phase pair to discern the factors affecting the efficiencies of separations of metal ions by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC). A novel hydrophilic phase separator capable of operating under high aqueous phase flow rates has been introduced to accomplish these studies. The kinetics of formation and dissociation of representative tervalent lanthanide (M3+ = Pr3+, Eu3+, Tb3+, Ho3+, Yb3+)−acylpyrazolone (HL = 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-5-pyrazolone (HPMBP) or 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-capryloyl-5-pyrazolone (HPMCP)) complexes (ML3) in the toluene−water phase pair have been studied by monitoring the fate of the M3+−Arsenazo III (AZ) complex (MAZ) in the aqueous phase with the hydrophilic phase separator. Mechanistic studies indicate that the formation and dissociation reactions of ML3...
Impact of infection on glucose-dependent liver glucose uptake during TPN: interaction with insulin.

Chronic total parenteral nutrition (TPN) markedly augments net hepatic glucose uptake (NHGU). This adaptive increase is impaired by an infection despite accompanying hyperinsulinemia. In the nonada...
Exact and Optimal Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Boundaries

Motivated by recent work in density matrix embedding theory, we define exact link orbitals that capture all quantum mechanical (QM) effects across arbitrary quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) boundaries. Exact link orbitals are rigorously defined from the full QM solution, and their number is equal to the number of orbitals in the primary QM region. Truncating the exact set yields a smaller set of link orbitals optimal with respect to reproducing the primary region density matrix. We use the optimal link orbitals to obtain insight into the limits of QM/MM boundary treatments. We further analyze the popular general hybrid orbital (GHO) QM/MM boundary across a test suite of molecules. We find that GHOs are often good proxies for the most important optimal link orbital, although there is little detailed correlation between the detailed GHO composition and optimal link orbital valence weights. The optimal theory shows that anions and cations cannot be described by a single link orbital. However, ex...
Galactosylceramide-β-galactosidase deficiency in association with cherry red spot

A 13-month-old white girl was the product of a normal pregnancy and delivered by caesarean section for breech presentation. Regression of motor milestones started by 11 months, when delayed language development was also noted. She was normocephalic without major dysmorphic features or organomegaly. Fundus examination disclosed a subtle cherry red spot bilaterally. No startle response was elicited. By 17 months she was extremely irritable and unable to tolerate liquids; there was symmetrical spasticity and florid cherry red spots. She died at 18 months of age. A systematic search for conditions associated with a cherry red spot was unrevealing. The absence of galactosylceramide galactosidase activity was unexpected and was confirmed on three occasions in two laboratories. Lactosylceramide I content, an enzyme thought to be identical to galactosylceramide-beta-galactosidase, was significantly decreased. The presence of a cherry red spot in Krabbe's disease, indicative of neuronal storage, has not been previously recognized. The existence of this variant has implications for genetic and biochemical studies.
Crystallization of amorphous iron-nickel-phosphorus alloys prepared by electrodeposition

Abstract The crystallization behaviour of amorphous FeNiP alloy electrodeposits has been studied over a wide range of compositions using both isothermal and dynamic annealing methods. X-ray and electron diffraction along with microhardness measurements were used to monitor the crystallization process. Isothermal crystallization kinetics suggests mainly a growth process on pre-existing random nuclei. No evidence of metastable intermediate phases was found in isothermally crystallized alloys. The activation energy for crystallization is very sensitive to the phosphorus content of the alloys. The decrease in the activation energy and enthalpy for crystallization imply a greater degree of supersaturation with increase in the phosphorus content. Both enthalpy and activation data suggest that 10 wt.% phosphorus is the critical concentration to obtain an amorphous rather than microcrystalline structure.
A comparison of two individual amiodarone regimens to placebo in open heart surgery patients

Abstract Background . This study compares the ability of two oral amiodarone regimens to reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) as compared with the placebo among elderly open heart surgery (OHS) patients receiving β blockade. Methods . This is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of 220 patients undergoing OHS. Patients (average age, 73 years) received 7 g of oral amiodarone more than 10 days starting 5 days before OHS (slow load; n=56), a 6 g oral amiodarone regimen more than 6 days starting 1 day before OHS (fast load; n=64), or matching placebo in one of the two previously mentioned regimens (n = 100). Results . Patients receiving the slow load amiodarone regimen had a significant reduction in the risk of AF (48.4%; p = 0.013), AF lasting more than 24 hours (76.5%; p = 0.003), symptomatic AF (90.0%; p = 0.002), and recurrent AF (64.5%; p = 0.025) as compared with the placebo. Patients receiving the fast load amiodarone regimen had significant reductions in the risk of AF lasting more than 24 hours (52.6%; p = 0.038) and symptomatic AF (65.0%; p = 0.024), but the incidence of any AF or any recurrence of AF only showed a trend toward significance (34.0% and 45.5%; p = 0.054 and 0.09, respectively). Conclusions . Oral amiodarone in a slow loading regimen provides significant suppression of all AF factors and can be used when a patient has started it at least 5 days before OHS. If a patient has less than 5 days before OHS, the fast loading regimen is an efficacious alternative as it provides significant benefits in preventing AF from lasting more than 24 hours and for preventing symptomatic AF. Both regimens were well tolerated and safe in elderly patients receiving β blockade according to the hospital's standard protocol.
Supporting Preschoolers and Their Families Who Are Recently Resettled Refugees.

According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the number of refugees worldwide was 10.5 million in 2009 and this number continues to grow (United Nations Refugee Agency, 2010). There is a shortage of evidence based practices and information regarding the state of service provision for young refugee children and their families in preschool programs. In this qualitative study, 25 early childhood educators participated in semi-structured interviews to illuminate the experiences of teachers as they work with preschool children and families in a small New England refugee resettlement community. Themes identified were barriers and facilitators related to two main categories of communication issues and cultural complexities. Implications for future research, teacher preparation programs, professional development and early childhood programs are discussed.
Nucleic Acid Related Compounds. 94. Remarkably High Stereoselective Reductions of 2′- and 3′-Ketonucleoside Derivatives To Give Arabino, Ribo, and Xylofuranosyl Nucleosides with Hydrogen Isotopes at C2′ and C3′

Abstract Oxidation of 2′,5′- and 3′,5′- O -( tert -butyldimethylsilyl)-protected ribonucleosides gave the corresponding 3′-keto and 2′-keto derivatives, whose complete oxidation was assayed by total release of the heterocyclic base upon treatment with tetrabutylammonium fluoride/THF. Treatment of the protected ketones with sodium triacetoxyborohydride (generated in situ from sodium borohydride and acetic acid) in acetic acid resulted in hydride delivery at the α face with high stereoselectivity. The xylo/ribo (∼49:1) and arabino/ribo (∼49:1) diastereomers, respectively, were obtained in good to high overall yields upon deprotection. Selective removal of the TBDMS group from O5′ (trifluoroacetic acid/water, 9:1, 0 °C) and treatment of these 5′-hydroxy-(3′- and 2′)-ketones with sodium triacetoxyborohydride effected remarkably selective delivery of hydride at the β face. Deprotection gave the ribo/xylo (∼99:1) and ribo/arabino (∼99:1) nucleosides in high yields. Comparable results were obtained with sodium borodeuteride in acetic acid to give the four 2′[ 2 H] and 3′[ 2 H] arabino, ribo, and xylo isotopomers with > 95% incorporation of deuterium. Development of efficient procedures and comparison with previous methods are discussed.
Comparison of flat cleaved and cylindrical diffusing fibers as treatment sources for interstitial photodynamic therapy.

Purpose: For interstitial photodynamic therapy (iPDT) of bulky tumors, careful treatment planning is required in order to ensure that a therapeutic dose is delivered to the tumor, while minimizing damage to surrounding normal tissue. In clinical contexts, iPDT has typically been performed with either flat cleaved or cylindrical diffusing optical fibers as light sources. Here, the authors directly compare these two source geometries in terms of the number of fibers and duration of treatment required to deliver a prescribed light dose to a tumor volume. Methods: Treatment planning software for iPDT was developed based on graphics processing unit enhanced Monte Carlo simulations. This software was used to optimize the number of fibers, total energy delivered by each fiber, and the position of individual fibers in order to deliver a target light dose (D90) to 90% of the tumor volume. Treatment plans were developed using both flat cleaved and cylindrical diffusing fibers, based on tissue volumes derived from CT data from a head and neck cancer patient. Plans were created for four cases: fixed energy per fiber, fixed number of fibers, and in cases where both or neither of these factors were fixed. Results: When the number of source fibers was fixed at eight, treatment plans based on flat cleaved fibers required each to deliver 7180–8080 J in order to deposit 90 J/cm2 in 90% of the tumor volume. For diffusers, each fiber was required to deliver 2270–2350 J (333–1178 J/cm) in order to achieve this same result. For the case of fibers delivering a fixed 900 J, 13 diffusers or 19 flat cleaved fibers at a spacing of 1 cm were required to deliver the desired dose. With energy per fiber fixed at 2400 J and the number of fibers fixed at eight, diffuser fibers delivered the desired dose to 93% of the tumor volume, while flat cleaved fibers delivered this dose to 79%. With both energy and number of fibers allowed to vary, six diffusers delivering 3485–3600 J were required, compared to ten flat cleaved fibers delivering 2780–3600 J. Conclusions: For the same number of fibers, cylindrical diffusers allow for a shorter treatment duration compared to flat cleaved fibers. For the same energy delivered per fiber, diffusers allow for the insertion of fewer fibers in order to deliver the same light dose to a target volume.
Serological studies on crystalline adrenocorticotrophic hormone; the production of antiadrenocorticotrophin.

Current interest in the adrenocorticotrophic hormone has continued to expand at a rapid rate, and a vast quantity of data concerning the physiology and metabolism of this hormone and its influence upon the adrenal gland, has been accumulated. In view of this widespread use of the adrenocorticotrophic hormone, both in clinical and animal experimentation, the problem of the formation of a substance antagonistic to the action of this hormone is a pertinent one. It is a well known fact that certain hormones, when administered parenterally over a long period of time, stimulate the production of substances which have been called “antihormones.” These substances have the property of inhibiting the action of any further injected hormone. The phenomenon of antihormone formation and action was discovered by Collip (1934; 1935) during the course of his work with the pituitary-trophic hormones; it was found that sera of refractory animals (those which did not respond to injections of pituitary gonadotrophic hormone) ...
Perceptions of Heterosexual African American Males’ High-Risk Sex Behaviors

African American heterosexual men’s perceptions of HIV/AIDS risks has not been well explored. This study’s objectives were to gain insight into how heterosexual African American men’s unsafe sexual behavior may place them at higher risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Sexually active, heterosexual African American men (N = 57) participated in semi-structured focus group discussions. Themes were identified to assess the men’s responses regarding high-risk sex practices and cultural influences. The results highlight risk behaviors and cultural influences. Understanding these men’s risky sex behaviors and their culture can assist researchers to develop more effective HIV and STI interventions.
The impact of novel retinoids in combination with platinum chemotherapy on ovarian cancer stem cells.

Objective Retinoids are important modulators of cell growth, differentiation, and proliferation. 9cUAB30, 9cUAB124, and 9cUAB130 are three novel retinoid compounds that show cytotoxic effects in other malignancies. We evaluated these novel retinoids in combination with chemotherapy against ovarian cancer stem cells (CSCs) in vitro and in an ex vivo model.
Mechanism of ethanol-induced aggregation in whole blood

Effects of ethanol on blood clotting and platelet aggregation have been reported in many models, but its in vitro actions in whole blood, impedance aggregometry have not been reported. We investigated the effect of ethanol in vitro in whole blood and platelet rich plasma of humans and rats, as measured by impedance aggregometry. Ethanol (34 to 170 mM) induced concentration-dependent aggregation in whole blood but not platelet rich plasma. In further studies in rats, aggregation was inhibited by pretreatment of whole blood with the prostacyclin analog iloprost or the enzyme apyrase, which degrades ADP to AMP. Levels of ethanol which produced aggregation in whole blood were also associated with concentration-dependent hemolysis. Based on the requirement for whole blood for ethanol-induced aggregation, the inhibitory effect of apyrase and our observation of hemolysis, and previous studies which have demonstrated the potential contribution of ADP from lysed red blood cells to platelet aggregation, we conclude that ethanol-induced aggregation in whole blood is mediated by erythrocyte lysis and the ADP released from these cells.
Dynamic phase diagram derived from large deformation non-linear mechano-optical behavior of polyethylene naphthalate nanocomposites

Abstract The effect of nanoparticles on the mechano-optical behavior of PEN was investigated using a real time true stress–true strain birefringence measuring system [Toki S, Valladares D, Sen TZ, Cakmak M. ANTEC Proc 2001:1830; Koike Y, Cakmak M. Polymer 2003;44:4249]. The large deformation stress–optical behavior revealed that there are at most three distinct regimes that may be augmented by an initial additional glassy component at lower temperatures and/or high rates. The presence of nanoparticles did not change the birefringence development of PEN before strain induced crystallization. However, after strain induced crystallization occurred in PEN, the birefringence increase was found to be diminished due primarily to the decrease in the amount of crystallinity and amorphous chain orientation with the addition of nanoparticles. The final structure and deformation behavior of the nanocomposites have been mapped out in a dynamic phase diagram as a function of stretching temperature, rate and nanoparticle content. This dynamic phase diagram shows that the material undergoes three critical structural transitions: (i) nematic–crystalline transition wherein the material stretched below a certain temperature does not undergo orientation-induced crystallization but develops a highly ordered nematic state. (ii) A kinematic transition wherein the material transforms from a ‘structured liquid’ to a ‘true liquid’ state exhibited by the disappearance of the initial glassy component as the material becomes devoid of the inherent structure due to segmental correlations. (iii) While unfilled PEN remains amorphous at high temperatures due to high relaxation rates combined with decreased thermal crystallizability, the presence of nanoplatelets was found to facilitate strain induced crystallization even at such high temperatures primarily due to the decrease in orientation relaxation in their presence.
Disrupted retention of the classically conditioned nictitating membrane response in the aluminum-intoxicated rabbit using electrical stimulation of the brain as a conditioned stimulus.

Abstract Rabbits were classically conditioned to emit an eyeblink conditioned response (CR) to electrical stimulation (ESB) of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) paired with a corneal air puff until they attained a criterion of two consecutive days of greater than 90% CRs. They then received intraventricular injections of 1% AlC1 3 , HCL, or normal saline. Ten days postinjection, each animal underwent a retention test consisting of 50 ESB alone presentations. Whereas all saline and HCL animals gave at least 90% CRs during retention, no aluminum rabbit emitted more than 30% CRs. Considered with the results of previous work, these data suggest that aluminum-induced neurofibrillary degeneration disrupts retention of the CR by affecting central associative processes.
Using neural networks to predict the risk of cardiac bypass operations

Experiments demonstrate that sigmoid multilayer perceptron (MLP) networks provide slightly better risk prediction than conventional logistic regression and Bayesian models when used to predict the risk of death using a data base of 41,385 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass operations in 1993. MLP networks with no hidden layers (single-layer MLPs), networks with one hidden layer (two-layer MLPs), and networks with two hidden layers (three-layer MLPs) were trained using stochastic gradient descent with early stopping. All prediction techniques used the same input features and were evaluated by training on 20,698 patients and testing on a separate 20,687 patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve areas for predicting mortality were roughly 75% for all classifiers. Risk stratification or accuracy of posterior probability prediction was slightly better with three-layer MLP networks which did not inflate risk for high-risk patients. Simple approaches were developed to calculate effective odds ratios for MLP networks and to generate confidence intervals for MLP risk predictions using an auxiliary `confidence MLP.' The confidence MLP is trained to reproduce confidence intervals that were generated during training using the outputs of 50 MLP networks trained with different bootstrap samples. © (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Understory plant community responses to hazardous fuels reduction treatments in pinyon-juniper woodlands of Arizona, USA

Abstract Although hazardous fuels reduction projects are being implemented widely in dry forests of the western United States, information concerning ecological responses of pinyon-juniper woodlands to fuels treatments is minimal. In this study we used a randomized block experimental design to investigate effects of fuels treatments on understory responses at a pinyon-juniper woodland site in northern Arizona. Treatment alternatives replicated ( n = 12) on 1-ha units across the 760-ha site were thinning from below (Thin), prescribed burning, (Burn), thinning followed by prescribed burning (Thin + Burn), and untreated controls (Control). We measured cover of vascular plant species, biological soil crust, and forest floor substrate prior to treatment and one year, 2 years, and five years post-treatment. After five years, Thin and Thin + Burn plots showed statistically similar total plant cover but both showed significantly greater cover than Burn and Control plots. Cover increases on Thin + Burn plots were driven mainly by annual forb and nonnative species groups. Graminoid species with the C 4 photosynthetic pathway showed significantly greater cover in all treatment groups compared with Control plots. Burning alone tended to reduce shrub cover whereas thinning alone tended to increase shrub cover. We found no significant effects of treatment on cover of biological soil crust or bare soil. Regression analysis showed significant negative relationships between total understory plant cover and overstory canopy cover on burned and unburned plots. We found no significant effect of treatment on species richness over the measurement period. We observed 124 taxa in total, and mean richness ranged from 31.8 to 36.8 species per 500 m 2 in 2011. Similar to results for plant cover, we found significantly greater numbers of annual forb species in Thin + Burn compared with Control plots and significantly greater numbers of nonnative species in Thin + Burn compared with all other treatment groups. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance showed no significant differences in overall plant community composition among treatments. These results indicate that fuel reduction treatments on woodland sites may not dramatically affect understory abundance or composition within five years. Although treatments did not significantly differ in cover of biological soil crust or bare soil – indicators of ecosystem function – our results showed that thinning treatments followed by prescribed fire led to increases in cover of nonnative plant species.
A rapid quantitative method for determination of astaxanthin pigment concentration in oil extracts

Power models were developed to demonstrate relationships between absorption maxima (λmax) and specific extinction coefficients (E 1cm 1% ) for the carotenoid astaxanthin and astacene in different oils and organic solvents. An accurate and rapid determination of concentration of astaxanthin-enriched oil can be achieved by using the predicted E 1cm 1% value based on absorption maxima in the visible light spectrum. Several vegetable or fish oils have been shown to be comparatively efficient in extracting astaxanthin pigment from crustacean waste in a pilot plant.
The Stability of Thermohaline Circulation in a Two-Box Model

Abstract In Stommel’s simple two-box model, which has provided an insight on the thermohaline circulation and climate instability mechanisms, a linear mass transport was used. However, a scaling law based on geostrophy and advective–diffusive heat balance suggests a nonlinear mass transport relation for the oceans. By including this nonlinear mass transport relation to Stommel’s box model, it is possible to study the effects of the thermocline, which was not considered before, on the stability of the thermohaline circulation while keeping the simplicity of Stommel’s box model. The results were compared with those obtained with the traditional model using a linear mass transport relation. The thermal mode circulation of the nonlinear model is significantly more stable than that of the linear model, suggesting the thermohaline catastrophe is less likely to occur in the present North Atlantic if the thermocline is considered. In the nonlinear model, the circulation removes density anomalies rapidly so that s...
Direct and Indirect Measures of Writing for Nonlearning Disabled and Learning Disabled College Students.

Direct and indirect measures were used to compare the written language abilities of three groups of college students: two with learning disabilities and one without learning disabilities. Main effects were found for group, but not gender. Differences between nonlearning disabled students (NLD) and those with learning disabilities (LD) in writing were evident on both types of measures. Performance by LD students with disabilities in an area other than writing differed depending on the type of measure and often was no different from either of the other two groups. The combined use of direct and indirect measures appeared most effective for examining the complexities of writing produced by all groups.
A Phase II Trial of Paclitaxel in Patients with Advanced or Recurrent Adenocarcinoma of the Endometrium: A Gynecologic Oncology Group Study

Abstract Objective: To determine the efficacy and toxicity of paclitaxel in advanced or recurrent adenocarcinoma of the endometrium. Methods: Thirty patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer with measurable disease not previously treated with chemotherapy were treated with paclitaxel, 250 mg/m 2 , over 24 hr with G-CSF, 5 mcg/kg/day, from Days 2 to 12. The cycle was repeated every 21 days. Patients who had received previous pelvic radiation were treated at an initial paclitaxel dose of 200 mg/m 2 . Twenty-eight patients were evaluable for response, and 29 patients for toxicity. All patients were Gynecologic Oncology Group performance status 0, 1, or 2. Results: Complete responses were observed in 4 (14.3%) and partial responses in 6 patients (21.4%) for a response rate of 35.7%. Severe (grade 3 or 4) leukopenia or thrombocytopenia was seen in 18 and 2 patients, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 gastrointestinal toxicity was seen in 5, neurotoxicity in 3, anemia in 2, and cardiac toxicity in 1 patients. Alopecia was reported in 16 patients. Conclusions: This dose and schedule of paclitaxel are active in patients with advanced or recurrent adenocarcinoma of the endometrium and should be considered for inclusion in phase III trials.
Prediction of survival to discharge following cardiopulmonary resuscitation using classification and regression trees.

Objectives:To predict the likelihood that an inpatient who experiences cardiopulmonary arrest and undergoes cardiopulmonary resuscitation survives to discharge with good neurologic function or with mild deficits (Cerebral Performance Category score = 1).Design:Classification and Regression Trees wer
X-ray scattering analysis of the average poly-cyclic aromatic unit in argonne premium coal 401

Abstract An X-ray scattering study of APC 401 (a coal taken from the Pittsburgh seam), using MoK α X-rays, indicates that the longest distance between carbon atoms in the mean poly-cyclic aromatic (PCA) unit is approx. 7.5 A. The radial-distribution function indicates that, on the average, each carbon 2.2 nearest carbon neighbors at an average distance of 1.43 A. This information is consistent with the interpretation that 27% of the CC bonds in this coal involve at least one alkyl carbon, while 73% of the CC bonds are between aryl carbons. Comparisons of the atom-pair correlation function to simulated one-dimensional structure functions calculated from three-dimensional structural models of several poly-cyclic molecules indicate that a ribbon-shaped C 14 unit (analogous to anthracene) best agrees with the results of our X-ray scattering data. Interpretation of the atom-pair correlation function also suggests that the alkyl carbons are predominantly, if not exclusively, bonded to the PCA unit.
República Dominicana: Crecimiento macroeconómico y estabilidad política versus desigualdad social e insatisfacción popular

Este articulo analiza la situacion politica, economica y social de la Republica Dominicana en el 2009 en el marco de la crisis economica global del capitalismo y la dependencia economica del pais caribeno de los Estados Unidos. Se observan los efectos del crecimiento macroeconomico y la escasa redistribucion de los recursos en un aumento de la pobreza y la marginalidad como resultado de las inequidades producidas por una estructura gubernamental neoliberal que opera para satisfacer las demandas de las organizaciones crediticias mediante el aumento del producto interno bruto, las inversiones foraneas y la amortizacion de la deuda externa al margen de las demandas sociales. Asimismo, se remarcan las criticas de sectores de la opinion publica hacia el rampante crecimiento de la corrupcion publica y el narcotrafico que permean impunemente las diferentes esferas de la administracion de Leonel Fernandez. El analisis de estudios cuantitativos y cualitativos da cuenta de crecientes niveles de insatisfaccion de la poblacion hacia el gobierno, los partidos politicos dominantes y el Congreso, y el reclamo de politicas publicas coherentes con la situacion socioeconomica y politica de la nacion. En ese contexto se examina la formacion de organizaciones civicas y grupos politicos no partidistas, asi como el alto nivel de abstencion en las elecciones congresuales y municipales de mayo de 2010
Van't Hoff and calorimetric enthalpies from isothermal titration calorimetry: are there significant discrepancies?

The enthalpy of a reaction is most often determined through one of two means; it can be determined directly using calorimetry or indirectly by measuring the temperature dependence of the equilibrium constant (i.e., the van't Hoff method). Recently, discrepancies have been noted between the enthalpy measured by calorimetry, , and the enthalpy determined by the van't Hoff method, . This has been suggested to indicate that the binding reaction is more complex than the simple one-to-one binding model used to describe the data. To better understand possible discrepancies between and , we have undertaken both experimental studies using isothermal titration calorimetry to measure the binding energetics of Ba2+ binding 18-crown-6 ether and 2‘-CMP binding RNase A, along with a simulation of a system involving a molecule in conformational equilibrium coupled with binding. We find that when experimental setup and analysis are correctly performed, no statistically significant discrepancies between and exist even for ...
Sex, power, and dominance: the evolutionary psychology of sexual harassment

Among the effects of sexual integration of the workplace has been an increase in the opportunities for, and incidence of, sexual harassment. Sexual harassment, and women's responses to it, can be understood as reflections of the different evolved sexual psychologies of the sexes. Among the issues discussed are whether the abusiveness of work environments should be viewed from the perspective of the ‘reasonable person’ or the ‘reasonable woman,’ whether sexual harassment is really ‘about power’ rather than about sex, and whether harassment that takes a sexual form is necessarily ‘because of’ the sex of the victim. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adaptation and maladaptation of the heart in diabetes: Part II: Potential mechanisms

The prevailing concept of the heart’s response to changes in its environment is a complex network of inter-connecting signal transduction cascades.1 In such a scheme, the focus is on communication of various cell surface receptors, heterotrimeric G-proteins, protein kinases, and transcription factors.2–4⇓⇓ Diabetes is a disorder of metabolic dysregulation. At first glance it appears that metabolism and the metabolic consequences of diabetes do not fit into this signal-response coupling scheme. Two questions arise. First, is metabolism simply an “effect” rather than a “cause” of adaptation? Second, is metabolism only a by-product of signal transduction-induced adaptation, allowing equilibrium (and therefore maintenance of function) in the presence of the other adaptational responses? An alternative is to take a new, less restricted view of metabolism. Beyond its stereotypical function as a provider of ATP, alterations in metabolic flux within the cell create essential signals for the adaptation of the heart to situations such as diabetes. This concept is novel for the heart, but has already been considered in the liver. Like the phosphorylation events occurring in signal transduction cascades, changes in metabolic flux are extremely rapid. For example, translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface in response to insulin occurs within a second.5 We have previously found that increases or decreases in workload also change metabolic fluxes in seconds.6,7⇓ Therefore, changes in metabolites are rapid enough to allow them to act as signaling molecules. Many of these acute changes in metabolic flux are brought about by the same signal transduction cascades believed to be involved in the adaptation of the heart to changes in its environment. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, Ca2+, and protein kinase C, all of which play a role in cardiac adaptation, regulate metabolism in the heart.8,9⇓ Metabolic signals therefore provide a …
What Should Realists Say About Honor Cultures

Richard Nisbett and Dov Cohen’s (1996) influential account of “cultures of honor” speculates that honor norms are a socially-adaptive deterrence strategy. This theory has been appealed to by multiple empirically-minded philosophers, and plays an important role in John Doris and Alexandra Plakias’ (2008) antirealist argument from disagreement. In this essay, I raise four objections to the Nisbett-Cohen deterrence thesis, and offer another theory of honor in its place that sees honor as an agonistic normative system regulating prestige competitions. Since my account portrays honor norms as radically different from liberal ones, it actually strengthens Doris and Plakias’ case in some respects: cultures of honor are not merely superficially different from Western liberal ones. Nonetheless, the persistent appeal of honor’s principles, and their moral plausibility in certain contexts, suggests not antirealism, but pluralism—a reply on behalf of realism that itself has considerable empirical support.
What is your recession playbook

Purpose – This paper aims to examine how managers can respond to recessions and navigate their companies to success looking at the last two recessions in the US.Design/methodology/approach – The research identified those companies that substantially exceeded the performance of their peers in the last two recessions. News stories and publications on these companies were cross case analyzed to establish hypotheses of how managers can best manage through a recession.Findings – The research found those organizations that sustained their focus on revenue growth and market share, and where managers had broad mindset and considered a broad set of options for action were most likely to succeed, in contrast to those who did across the board staff and cost cuts.Originality/value – This examination of prior strategies offers managers guidelines for navigating recessions. There is little published research on this topic in strategy.
Intragenic and Extragenic Suppression of a Mutation in Herpes Simplex Virus 1 UL34 That Affects both Nuclear Envelope Targeting and Membrane Budding

ABSTRACT Late in infection herpesviruses move DNA-filled capsids from the nucleus to the cytoplasm by enveloping DNA-containing capsids at the inner nuclear membrane (INM) and deenveloping them at the outer nuclear membrane. This process requires two conserved herpesvirus proteins, pUL31 and pUL34. Interaction between pUL34 and pUL31 is essential for targeting both proteins to the nuclear envelope (NE), and sequences that mediate the targeting interaction have been mapped in both proteins. Here, we show that a mutation in the INM-targeting domain of pUL34 fails to support production of infectious virus or plaque formation. The mutation results in multiple defects, including impaired interaction between pUL34 and pUL31, poor NE targeting of pUL34, and misregulated, capsid-independent budding of the NE. The mutant defects in virus production, plaque formation, and pUL31 interaction can be suppressed by other mutations in the INM-targeting domain of pUL31 and by additional mutations in the pUL34 coding sequence.
Preventive dental care for young, Medicaid-insured children in Washington state.

BACKGROUND: Children from low-income families face barriers to preventive dental care (PDC) and are disproportionately affected by dental caries. The Access to the Baby and Childhood Dentistry (ABCD) program of Washington State is targeted to Medicaid-insured children OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that residing in an ABCD county improves the likelihood of receiving PDC and, to compare PDC use among young, Medicaid-insured children in Washington to national statistics. METHODS: We extracted 2003 Washington Medicaid dental claims for continuously enrolled children ≤6 years of age. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify variables independently associated with ≥1 preventive dental visit (PDV) in 2003. For national comparison, we used the 2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). RESULTS: Among Medicaid-insured children ≤6 yrs of age from WA counties with ABCD program, 45% had at least 1 PDV compared with 36% from non-ABCD counties (P CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed our hypothesis that residing in an ABCD county was associated with a higher likelihood of having ≥1 PDV in 2003. We also found that significantly more children in established ABCD counties received PDC compared with privately insured US children. These findings provide additional evidence that the ABCD program reduces disparities in dental care access among young, Medicaid-insured children in Washington and point to the importance of expanding the ABCD program to other states.