cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The “Muslim Menace”, Violence and the De-Politicising Elements of the New Culturalism

This paper looks critically at the idea that the causes of political violence can be explained through a focus on innate human propensities rather than contingent social considerations. It traces the origins of this premise from socio-biological accounts of conflict causality, before going on to discuss perspectives that place a similarly determinative emphasis on cultural factors. It argues that the use of such culturalism has, having been elaborated during the Balkan wars of the mid-1990s, become extended and developed to direct attention towards the apparently peculiarly threatening nature of Muslims and Islam as a key part of the “global war on terror”. In conclusion, it suggests that characterising Muslim identity in this way ultimately serves three de-politicising purposes; firstly, it tends to endorse the status quo, secondly, it helps to legitimise a comprehensive program of securitisation, and thirdly, it offers an account of the causes of political violence which neither implicates external fact...
A basin-wide approach to dredged material management in New York/New Jersey Harbor.

Abstract In the last decade, an area of increasing estuarine research in the New York/New Jersey Harbor has been the identification of toxic contaminant sources, mapping of contaminant levels in water and sediments, and assessment of contaminant accumulation in biota. The accumulation of anthropogenic contamination in the harbor’s sediments has occurred for centuries, primarily from land-based municipal and industrial sources. Contaminants from land-based sources introduced into surface waters rapidly become scavenged by suspended particles that then tend to settle to the bottom, primarily in deep areas, such as berths and navigation channels. Several million cubic meters of sediments must be dredged annually to clear navigation channels. In the past, the dredged material was disposed in a designated ocean site. However, in1992, new testing procedures were implemented, and much of the harbor’s dredged material was determined to be unsuitable for ocean placement. It is ironic that these restrictions came at a time when the quality of harbor sediments is improving, largely because of pollution controls implemented as a result of the Clean Water Act and other environmental measures put in place by government and industry. For example, the harbor-wide concentration of mercury has decreased to 0.7–0.8 ppm, a level that is approaching the pre-industrial background level. Nevertheless, in certain areas of the harbor, there remain sufficiently high concentrations of contaminants to merit concern and to create serious problems for sponsors of dredging projects. Development of a basin-wide sediment management strategy is necessary to guide port decision-makers in their efforts to clean-up contaminant sources, to dredge regional waterways, and to ameliorate the contaminated sediment disposal problem. The backbone of this strategy is the integration of the data from an ongoing field monitoring and modeling program with a parallel investigation of watershed and airshed sources and sinks using industrial ecology methodology.
Random walks on adjacency graphs for mining lexical relations from big text data

Lexical relations, or semantic relations of words, are useful knowledge fundamental to all applications since they help to capture inherent semantic variations of vocabulary in human languages. Discovering such knowledge in a robust way from arbitrary text data is a significant challenge in big text data mining. In this paper, we propose a novel general probabilistic approach based on random walks on word adjacency graphs to systematically mine two fundamental and complementary lexical relations, i.e., paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations between words from arbitrary text data. We show that representing text data as an adjacency graph opens up many opportunities to define interesting random walks for mining lexical relation patterns, and propose specific random walk algorithms for mining paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations. Evaluation results on multiple corpora show that the proposed random walk-based algorithms can discover meaningful paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations of words from text data.
Performance of the Mir Cooperative Solar Array After 2.5 Years in Orbit

The Mir Cooperative Solar Array (MCSA) was developed jointly by the United States and Russia to produce 6 kW of power for the Russian space station Mir. Four, multi-orbit test sequences were executed between June 1996 and December 1998 to measure MCSA electrical performance. A dedicated Fortran computer code was developed to analyze the detailed thermal-electrical performance of the MCSA. The computational performance results compared very favorably with the measured flight data in most cases. Minor performance degradation was detected in one current generating section of the MCSA. Yet overall, the flight data indicated the MCSA was meeting and exceeding performance expectations. There was no precipitous performance loss due to contamination or other causes after 2.5 years of operation. In this paper, we review the MCSA flight electrical performance tests, data and computational modeling and discuss findings from data comparisons with the computational results.
Ouabain receptor in isolated adult dog heart myocytes.

Abstract Ouabain binding was studied in isolated adult dog heart myocytes. The binding was correlated with the inhibition of K + -activated para -nitrophenylphosphatase (K + -PNPPase) activity and the beating response. It was shown that: (i) the specific binding was dependent upon Mg 2+ and was inhibited by K + ; (ii) the maximal binding capacity ( B max ) was 7.4 × 10 5 ouabain molecules per cell, or 410 pmol ouabain/K + -PNPPase unit (μmol/min); (iii) in the presence of Mg 2+ (5 m m ), there were two components in the Scatchard plot, i.e., a high-affinity component with a K d value of 5.6 × 10 −8 m and a low-affinity component with a K d value of 6.7 × 10 −7 m ; (iv) the Hill coefficient ( n ′) for ouabain binding was 0.72 with a S 0.5 value of 7.1 × 10 −7 m ; these values were compatible with the values obtained from studies of K + -PNPPase inhibition by ouabain ( n ′ = 0.55, S 0.5 = 3.6 × 10 −7 m) and remained unchanged in the presence of physiological concentrations of Na + plus K + ; (v) in the presence of Mg 2+ and K + , the high-affinity component tended to conform to the low-affinity component with an apparent decrease in B max ; (vi) in the presence of Mg 2+ and para -nitrophenylphosphate, the low-affinity component was changed to the high-affinity component with no change in B max ; (vii) the dissociation rate of the labeled ouabain in the highly dilute medium was not altered in the presence of excess amounts of unlabeled ligand; this eliminated the possibility that the apparent negative cooperativity was due to a site-to-site interaction between receptors; (viii) ouabain increased the number of beating cells and the frequency of beating. Based on these findings, it is concluded that: (i) isolated myocytes possess functional receptors for ouabain; (ii) the binding of ouabain is associated with its inhibition of K + -PNPPase activity; (iii) ouabain receptors in isolated myocytes are of one class with at least two interconvertible conformational states.
Food Insecurity and Increased BMI in Young Adult Women

Food insecurity has been associated with weight status in children and adults although results have been mixed. We aimed to identify whether food insecurity was associated with BMI in young adults and whether this association differed by gender and was modified by food stamp use and the presence of children in the home. Cross-sectional data from wave 4 (2007-2008) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were analyzed. Multiple linear regression was used to investigate the association between food insecurity and BMI in gender stratified models of young adult women (n = 7,116) and men (n = 6,604) controlling for age, race/ethnicity, income, education, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, the presence of children in the home, and food stamp use in young adulthood and/or adolescence. Food insecurity was more common in young adult women (14%) than young adult men (9%). After controlling for a variety of individual variables, food insecure women had a BMI that was on average 0.9 kg/m(2) units higher than women who were food secure. This difference in BMI persisted after controlling for recent or past food stamp use and was not different among women with or without children in the household. No relationship was found between food insecurity and BMI in young adult men. Providers should inquire about food insecurity, especially when treating obesity, and policy initiatives should address the role of access to healthy food in those facing food insecurity.
p‐Nitrobenzazide and p‐nitrophenyl isocyanate as reagents for the identification of amines

Fifty crystalline p-nitrophenyl-ureas have been prepared by the condensation of either p-nitrobenzazide or its pyrolysis product, p-nitrophenyl isocyanate, with various types of amines in boiling toluene solution. The yields were in general very high and the derivatives were suitable for the purpose of identification.
Chemiluminescence during the oxidation of alcohols by permanganate: Application to the determination of ethanol in gin

Chemiluminescence is observed during the oxidation of ethanol with potassium permanganate under very acidic conditions. Factors affecting the chemiluminescence signal are discussed. Based on this chemiluminescence reaction, a method for the determination of alcohol in gin was developed. The method, which has a detection limit of 0.3% (v/v) and a relative standard deviation of about 1% at 40.0% (v/v), was used in the determination of ethanol in three different brands of gin with no sample preparation.
Relationship between the Growth of Carbon Nanofilaments and Metal Dusting Corrosion

Raman scattering, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to study the mechanism of the catalytic crystallization of carbon and metal dusting corrosion. A mechanism is proposed for both metal dusting and the growth of carbon fibers. Carbon cannot crystallize well by deposition from carburizing gases at low temperature without catalytic activation because of its strong C−C bonds and high melting temperature. To form good crystalline carbon, the carbon atoms must dissolve, diffuse through metal particles, and crystallize on an appropriate facet that can act as a template to help the epitaxial growth of carbon crystals. In this process, metal particles are liberated from the pure metal and alloys. This liberation leads to the metal dusting phenomenon. The catalytic growth of carbon filaments is due to the transportation of carbon from one facet of a metal or carbide particle that favors carbon deposition to another facet that favors carbon precipitation...
Demonstration of the role of an implantable bioscaffold in airway reconstruction: A pilot study utilizing an animal model

Abstract Introduction Laryngotracheal reconstruction is a common procedure to repair subglottic stenosis. Despite a success rate upwards of 85%, this procedure has significant morbidity associated with it, specifically with the site of the graft harvest and recurrence of stenosis. We propose that a recently described cellular bioscaffold xenograft may be useful in reducing these complications. Methods and materials 10 Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 2 groups of 5. One group underwent incision through the cricoid and the first two tracheal rings followed by primary closure (G1); the second group underwent incision through the cricoid and the first two tracheal rings followed by placement of the xenograft (G2); additionally, a specimen was harvested from an animal which did not undergo any surgical procedure to compare to the two surgical groups. Specimen harvest occurred on post-operative days 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Results 6 of 10 animals provided usable data. All animals receiving the xenograft survived until the time of specimen harvest. Only 1 animal undergoing primary closure survived beyond post-operative day one. On histology review, the xenograft animals showed a progressive decrease in fibrosis relative to the animals that underwent primary closure. On POD 28, restoration of the respiratory epithelium and intact basement membrane was noted in the xenograft group. Conclusion We believe that this pilot study shows the potential of utilizing bio-implantable biomaterials, specifically a cellular bioscaffold which encourages the ingrowth of native tissue instead of fibrosis. Histologic analysis shows that use of the xenograft can initiate the proliferation of native tissues decreasing the amount of fibrosis present post-operatively, although significant further analysis is needed before definitively concluding that this approach is superior to utilization of a graft.
Graeber Companies, Inc.: Examining Impairment of Equity-Owned Investments

ABSTRACT : The Graeber Companies, Inc. case illustrates the implications of the Fair Value Measurements Standard (FASB ASC 820 or IFRS 13) and the Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities (FASB ASC 825 or IAS 39) on the accounting and auditing issues regarding fair value accounting. Based on an actual company's experience, the case provides an application of the new standards on fair value measurement, which is one major achievement of the FASB/IASB convergence project. Graeber Companies, Inc. is a 100-year-old financial boutique firm that, through its wholly owned and partially owned subsidiaries, is engaged in financial service activities. One of Graeber's proprietary investments is an equity investment in Advisor Group, Inc. (AGI)—an early stage development company. Students evaluate AGI's financial performance and strategic activities, including operating losses, issuance of preferred stock and proposed acquisitions by another investor company relative to its materiality, and ...
Structural Equation Modeling: Foundations and Extensions (second edition)

David Kaplan. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2009, 255 pages, $67.95 (hardcover). For those researchers who are selecting a text on structural equation modeling (SEM) either for use in a graduate course ...
Fast imaging polarimetry with precision universal compensator

A new type of imaging polarimeter for fast and orientation independent measurement of birefringent fine structures is proposed. The new imaging polarimeter was implemented as a polarized light microscope incorporating a precision universal compensator made of two electro-optic modulators. A video camera and computer-assisted image analysis system provide fast measurements of optical anisotropy (retardance magnitude and azimuth) in the specimen at ALL POINTS of the image constituting the field of view. The images document fine structural and molecular organization within a thin optical section of the specimen. The sensitivity of the current instrument is 0.1 nm of specimen retardance, measured in 0.43 seconds at all 640 X 480 image points. Examples of measurements of birefringent fine structures are presented.
Comparative evaluation of the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis based on serum and urine enzyme assays

We compared the diagnostic sensitivities of serum amylase, lipase (assayed enzymatically and immunologically), trypsinogen and elastase-1, the 2-h-timed urine amylase excretion and the ratio of amylase and creatinine clearances in the recognition of acute pancreatitis. Serial serum and urine findings from 39 patients with acute pancreatitis, and from 42 patients with non-pancreatic causes of abdominal pain (controls), as well as findings from 24 healthy subjects (normals) were studied. Decision thresholds were established for each parameter using either the control or the normal population, and the resulting diagnostic sensitivities determined. On hospital admission, all serum assays were equally sensitive, but on subsequent days lipase, trypsinogen and elastase-1 assays all significantly surpassed the sensitivity of the serum amylase assay. On the second and subsequent hospitalization days, determination of timed urine amylase excretion offered no advantage over the serum amylase, and the ratio of amylase and creatinine clearances lacked discrimination altogether.
Analysis of point source emissions in the Texas-Mexico border region

Pollutant emissions in the Texas-Mexico border were investigated using an emission database that covers 25 Texas counties and the states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas in Mexico. Major emissions are from energy generation, mainly from two coal-fired facilities in Coahuila, which also generate most of carbon dioxide. Texas exhibits a larger concentration of sources; around Laredo and the Lower Rio Grande Valley and a sugarcane mill is a significant contributor to particles emissions. In Mexico the minerals and metals industries are the second major contributors to emissions, especially particles. Fossil fuel production is the main source of VOCs.
Change in the Spin State of an FeIII Center upon One N‐to‐O Switch in the Coordination of a 2,6‐Pyridinedicarboxamido Unit: The Effect of Methyl Thioether and Methyl Ether Appendages at the Ligand Periphery

Two ligands bearing the 2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide unit, namely PyPSMeH2 and PyPOMeH2, have been used to prepare complexes of FeIII which have been structurally characterised. The potentially pentadentate thioether ligand PyPSMeH2 affords only the bis complex (Et4N)[Fe(PyPSMe)2] (1), irrespective of the metal to ligand ratio, due to the weak affinity of the thioether groups for the FeIII center. In [Fe(PyPSMe)2]−, the two PyPSMe2− ligands bind to the iron center in a mer fashion and steric crowding among the pendant thioether groups forces one of the four deprotonated carboxamido moieties to bind to the FeIII center through the carbonyl oxygen, giving rise to an FeN5O chromophore. The tridentate ligand PyPOMeH2, in its deprotonated form, also gives rise to a bis complex, (Et4N)[Fe(PyPOMe)2] (2), in which the two PyPOMe2− ligands bind to the iron center in a mer fashion. In this case, however, less steric crowding among the smaller pendant ether groups allows binding of all four carboxamido nitrogens to the FeIII center in [Fe(PyPOMe)2]− giving rise to an FeN6 chromophore. This one N-to-O switch in donor atom makes the two complexes 1 and 2 very different. While complex 2 is low spin (g = 2.18, 1.94) much like the other reported FeIII bis complexes with two ligated 2,6-pyridinedicarboxamido units, complex 1 is high spin (g = 4.3). The spin flip due to a switch in only one N or O donor atom in these two complexes is unprecedented. The two complexes also exhibit different stability towards water. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003)
A Pattern-Recognition-Based Algorithm and Case Study for Clustering and Selecting Business Services

Positioned as the backbone of service asset management console, a service registry has to enable real-time and offline service selection in an effective manner. This paper presents an analytic algorithm that is used to guide the architectural design of service exploration in a service registry. Service assets are proposed to be framed into a well-established categorical structure based on pattern recognition algorithm. This design aims to provide systematic methodology and enablement architecture for analyzing, clustering, and adapting heterogeneous services for dynamic application integration. The exploitation of pattern recognition algorithm maps a large amount of services into a manageable feature space, which consists of attributes that are related to static description and dynamic features, such as historical QoS and service-level agreement. The proposed architecture and associated service exploration methodology have been integrated into an industry strength service-oriented architecture solution design platform. We also present a case study using the developed platform to illustrate the proposed algorithm for business service clustering and selection.
Keeping sports safe: physicians should take the lead.

The image is familiar and dramatic. An elite athlete is injured, and a sports medicine physician is at his or her side while the athlete is carried from the field or arena to the sidelines and perhaps to a waiting ambulance. Thousands in the stands and millions more in front of televisions watch the physician practicing sports medicine in a most public way and are reminded that sports participation is a risky business. Language: en
Expanding the theory of symptom modeling in patents with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures

Symptom modeling has been used to explain the development of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) in predisposed patients, but has been understood only in the context of individuals who have both PNES and epileptic seizures. Our aim in the study described here was to learn whether this concept applies to patients with PNES who do not have epileptic seizures, that is, to determine whether the prevalence of having personally witnessed a seizure prior to the occurrence of their event differs in patients with PNES and those with epileptic seizures. We interviewed 27 patients with PNES and 35 patients with epileptic seizures. A significantly larger number of patients with PNES (66%) admitted to having witnessed a seizure prior to their event compared with patients with epileptic seizures (11%) (P<0.001). This suggests that symptom modeling plays a key role in the development of PNES, even among individuals without a coexisting history of epilepsy.
African Intellectuals and the Neglect of Economic Reality

Much analysis of African political economy ignores the long tradition of markets in Africa and misrepresents important aspects of her history. Professor George Ayittey. the Ghanaian economist currently working at the University of Bloomsburg in Pennsylvania, takes issue with a recent book and television series.
Do forehead lifts lift or unfurl

Forehead lifts are becoming increasingly more popular as an adjunct to facial rejuvenation. Considerable confusion exists as to how much the eyebrow should be elevated and how much scalp should be removed to achieve this goal. In an effort to evaluate this question, we have reviewed our recent forehead lift experience. These were done with forehead flap dissection down to glabella and supraorbital ridge, partial resection of corrugator supercilii, procerus, and frontalis muscles, and limited skin resection. We suggest that a natural-appearing, rejuvenating forehead lift should unfurl facial wrinkles without excessive eyebrow elevation. Technical maneuvers to obtain this goal are discussed.
Pointwise Bias Error Bounds and Min-Max Design for Response Surface Approximations

Bounds on response surface approximation errors as a result of model inadequacy (bias error) are presented, and a design of experiments minimizing the maximal bias error is proposed. The bias-error bounds are considered as a tool to identify locations in the design space where the accuracy of the approximation fitted on a given design of experiments might be poor. Two approaches to characterize the bias error assume that the functional form of the true model is known and seek, at each point in design space, worst-case bounds on the absolute error. The first approach is implemented before data generation. This data-independent error bound can easily be implemented in a search for a design of experiments that minimize the bias error bound as it requires very little computation. The second approach is to be used posterior to the data generation and provides tightened error bound consistent with the data. This data-dependent error bound requires the solution of two linear-programming problems at each point. The data-independent error bound for design of experiments of two-variable examples is demonstrated. Randomly generated polynomials in two variables are then used to validate the data-dependent bias-error bound distribution. Although the two approaches are used in conjunction in the given examples, the data-independent error bound design of experiment is not a prerequisite for the application of the data-dependent error bounds in search for the high bias-error regions.
Argon ion excitation by relativistic electrons: II. Chemical kinetics

A model of an electron beam interacting with neutral argon was developed by solving the chemical kinetic rate equations for the time-dependent populations of ground and excited levels of Arl and Aril as well as the populations of electron energy groups. Intensities of spectral lines were calculated, from predicted population densities and Einstein coefficients, and compared to experimental results. The thermal plasma is generated during the beam pulse and persists for some time after the pulse is terminated. Low energy levels of Arii with a 4 s or 4 p valence electron have similar time profiles to the plasma density. However, high energy levels of Aril with a 4 p ′ or 4 p ′ valence electron have similar temporal profiles as the beam current. They are populated predominantly by direct ionization and exceed levels populated by thermal electrons. The 4 p ′ levels decay rapidly to 4 s ′ levels, which have very high beam deposition efficiencies for being pumped back to the 4 p ′ levels. In this way, certain transitions such as 4 s ′–4 p ′ in ArII are pumped directly by the electron beam. Without direct ionization, these transitions would be negligible compared to those transitions which have lower energy levels.
Socially facilitated drinking behavior in chicks (Gallus domesticus): Relative effects of drive and stimulus mechanisms

The drinking behavior of individual chicks (n = 168) was studied in two discrimination situations when the individual was alone or with an audience of merely present (not drinking) or coacting (drinking) conspecifics. In one discrimination task, a familiar and an unfamiliar drinking tube (FU) were presented simultaneously; in the other discrimination task, two unfamiliar tubes (UU) were presented. The coacting audience received a familiar and an unfamiliar tube; their familiar tube was always unfamiliar to the subject. Subjects drank more when conspecifics were present, intake being highest in the presence of coacting conspecifics. Intake was higher in the FU discrimination than in UU. However, in the UU discrimination, individuals that were tested with coactors drank most of their total intake from the tube that was similar to the coactors’ familiar tube. In the FU task, individual subjects drank mostly from their familiar tube in each social condition. However, this effect was smaller for those tested with coacting conspecifics than for those tested with merely present conspecifics.
Extremely simple intensity-and-phase ultrashort-pulse measurement device with no spectrometer, thin crystal, or delay line

Summary form only given.Ultrashort-pulse measurement remains a difficult task. Frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG), a spectrally resolved autocorrelation, is the simplest reliable intensity-and-phase measurement device. But the addition of a spectrometer to an autocorrelator complicates the apparatus. We have developed a remarkably simple pulse-measurement device that 1) uses no spectrometer, 2) uses no beam-splitter or delay line, 3) uses a more convenient, thick SHG crystal, and 4) yields about a thousand times more signal. It involves no sensitive alignment parameters. We call this new device grating eliminated no-nonsense observation of ultrafast incident light E-fields (GRENOUILLE).
A finite element approximation of the Benard problem

The finite element method is used to approximate a solution to the Benard problem. Non-dimensional heat transfer rates are computed over a range of Rayleigh numbers in three cases: when the upper and lower boundaries are rigid, the upper boundary is free while the lower is rigid, and both upper and lower boundaries are free. In the first case, these values are compared with previously reported numerical work using the finite difference method and with experiments.
Viral oncogenes accelerate conversion to immortality of cultured conditionally immortal human mammary epithelial cells

Our recent studies on the process of immortalization of cultured human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) have uncovered a previously undescribed, apparently epigenetic step, termed conversion. When first isolated, clonally derived HMEC lines of indefinite lifespan showed little or no telomerase activity or ability to maintain growth in the presence of TGFbeta. Cell populations whose mean terminal restriction fragment length had declined to <3 kb also exhibited slow heterogeneous growth, and contained many non-proliferative cells. With continued passage, these conditionally immortal cell populations very gradually converted to a fully immortal phenotype of good growth+/-TGFbeta, expression of high levels of telomerase activity, and stabilization of telomere length. We now show that exposure of the early passage conditionally immortal 184A1 HMEC line to the viral oncogenes human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16)-E6, -E7, or SV40T, results in either immediate (E6) or rapid (E7; SV40T) conversion of these telomerase negative, TGFbeta sensitive conditionally immortal cells to the fully immortal phenotype. Unlike conditional immortal 184A1, the HPV16-E7 and SV40T exposed cells were able to maintain growth in TGFbeta prior to expression of high levels of telomerase activity. A mutated HPV16-E6 oncogene, unable to inactivate p53, was still capable of rapidly converting conditional immortal 184A1. Our studies provide further evidence that the transforming potential of these viral oncogenes may involve activities beyond their inactivation of p53 and pRB functions. These additional activities may greatly accelerate a step in HMEC immortal transformation, conversion, that would be rate-limiting in the absence of viral oncogene exposure.
Making a Pituitary Gland in a Dish

The adenohypophysis secretes multiple hormones that control vital physiological functions. A recent article in Nature (Suga et al., 2011) describes a 3D protocol for the derivation of several endocrine pituitary cell types from mouse ESCs.
Ephrin-dependent growth and pruning of hippocampal axons

Neuronal connections are arranged topographically such that the spatial organization of neurons is preserved by their termini in the targets. During the development of topographic projections, axons initially explore areas much wider than the final targets, and mistargeted axons are pruned later. The molecules regulating these processes are not known. We report here that the ligands of the Eph family tyrosine kinase receptors may regulate both the initial outgrowth and the subsequent pruning of axons. In the presence of ephrins, the outgrowth and branching of the receptor-positive hippocampal axons are enhanced. However, these axons are induced later to degenerate. These observations suggest that the ephrins and their receptors may regulate topographic map formation by stimulating axonal arborization and by pruning mistargeted axons.
Researchers investigate inter‐hemispheric climate linkages in the Americas and their societal effects

Records from the past document natural climate variability on all timescales, from seasons to decades to centuries. Documenting and understanding the nature and cause of past climate variability is the key to predicting future climate change, especially since climate will continue to change in response to humankind's impact on the environment. The International Geosphere-Biosphere Program on Past Global Change (IGBP-PAGES) is providing global evidence of natural climate variability and its forcing to establish a framework that will help society and decision-makers prepare for future change. Because no single record can adequately represent past global climate change, regional paleoclimate evidence from both the ocean and land must be assembled and integrated. Within IGBP-PAGES, the Pole-Equator-Pole Paleoclimate of the Americas (PEP 1) initiative attempts to provide an interhemispheric view by focusing on the integration of paleoclimate data along a longitudinal transect in the western hemisphere [PAGES, 1995].
Differential priming of soil carbon driven by soil depth and root impacts on carbon availability

Enhanced root-exudate inputs can stimulate decomposition of soil carbon (C) by priming soil microbial activity, but the mechanisms controlling the magnitude and direction of the priming effect remain poorly understood. With this study we evaluated how differences in soil C availability affect the impact of simulated root exudate inputs on priming. We conducted a 60-day laboratory incubation with soils collected (60 cm depth) from under six switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) cultivars. Differences in specific root length (SRL) among cultivars were expected to result in small differences in soil C inputs and thereby create small differences in the availability of recent labile soil C; whereas soil depth was expected to create large overall differences in soil C availability. Soil cores from under each cultivar (roots removed) were divided into depth increments of 0–10, 20–30, and 40–60 cm and incubated with addition of either: (1) water or (2) 13C-labeled synthetic root exudates (0.7 mg C/g soil). We measured CO2 respiration throughout the experiment. The natural difference in 13C signature between C3 soils and C4 plants was used to quantify cultivar-induced differences in soil C availability. Amendment with 13C-labeled synthetic root-exudate enabled evaluation of SOC priming. Our experiment produced three main results: (1) switchgrass cultivars differentially influenced soil C availability across the soil profile; (2) small differences in soil C availability derived from recent root C inputs did not affect the impact of exudate-C additions on priming; but (3) priming was greater in soils from shallow depths (relatively high total soil C and high ratio of labile-to-stable C) compared to soils from deep depths (relatively low total soil C and low ratio of labile-to-stable C). These findings suggest that the magnitude of the priming effect is affected, in part, by the ratio of root exudate C inputs to total soil C and that the impact of changes in exudate inputs on the priming of SOC is regulated differently in surface soil compared to subsoil.
Trust extension for commodity computers

As society rushes to digitize sensitive information and services, it is imperative to adopt adequate security protections. However, such protections fundamentally conﬂict with the beneﬁts we expect from commodity computers. Consumers and businesses value commodity computers because they provide good performance and an abundance of features at relatively lowcost, but attempts to construct secure systems “from the ground up” have proven expensive, time-consuming, and unable to keep pace with the changing demands of the marketplace [2, 9, 12, 13]. For example, the VAX VMM security kernel was developed over the course of eight years of considerable effort, but in the end, the project failed, and the kernel was never deployed. This failure was due, in part, to the absence of support for Ethernet – a feature considered critical by the time the kernel was completed, but not anticipated when it was initially designed [12].
Bacteremia due to Clostridium difficile—review of the literature

Extracolonic Clostridium difficile infections have been infrequently reported. Extracolonic manifestations of C. difficile include bacteremia, intra-abdominal abscess, osteomyelitis, visceral abscess, empyema, reactive arthritis, and small bowel disease with formation of pseudomembranes on ileal mucosa. Most cases of extracolonic C. difficile have been preceded by gastrointestinal disease, either C. difficile colitis or surgical and anatomical disruption of the colon. Bacteremia due to C. difficile has previously been described in 14 patients with underlying gastrointestinal processes. We report a unique case of monomicrobial C. difficile bacteremia in a young woman with an underlying hematologic malignancy. The patient lacked gastrointestinal symptoms or radiologic findings suggestive of colitis or ongoing gastrointestinal pathology.
Does Creativity Take a Village? A Model of Community Participation and Entrepreneurial Creativity

In an increasingly competitive and fast-paced economy, creativity and innovation are increasingly being demanded of entrepreneurs. Though many of the sources of such entrepreneurial creativity may be internal characteristics, the entrepreneur’s social environment plays a large role in his ultimate creative output. Recent years have seen the emergence and growth in popularity of a new type of social environment: entrepreneurial communities, which are created to further entrepreneurial activity among members. However, little is known about such communities, why entrepreneurs choose to join them and whether they in fact further their members’ creative output. This paper begins to answer those questions by presenting a holistic model of causes and effects of entrepreneurial community participation, grounded in sociological and institutional theory.
Analysis of the isoprene chemistry observed during the New England Air Quality Study (NEAQS) 2002 intensive experiment

[1] Isoprene and its first and second generation photochemical products, methyl vinyl ketone (MVK), methacrolein (MACR), and peroxymethacrylic nitric anhydride (MPAN), were measured off the coast of New England during the 2002 New England Air Quality Study (NEAQS) on board the NOAA Research Vessel Ronald H. Brown. The results of these measurements were analyzed using a simple sequential reaction model that has been used previously to examine regional oxidant chemistry. The highest isoprene impact was observed in air masses that had passed over an area of high isoprene emission WSW of Boston. The relative concentrations of isoprene and its first generation products show that the photochemistry is consistently ‘‘older’’ than the isoprene photochemistry observed at continental sites. The sequential reaction model was also applied to the aldehyde-PANs (Peroxycarboxylic nitric anhydride) system, and the resulting PPN (peroxypropionic nitric anhydride)/propanal and PAN (peroxyacetic nitric anhydride)/ acetaldehyde relationships were consistent with additional sources of PAN in this environment, e.g., isoprene photochemistry. This isoprene source was estimated to result in approximately 1.6 to 4 times more PAN in this environment relative to that produced from anthropogenic VOCs (volatile organic compounds) alone.
On the bio-electrocatalytic activity of tyrosinase for oxygen reduction reaction

The application of tyrosinase, a type 3 di-nuclear copper enzyme, as a catalyst for electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been explored. During the reaction, O2 binds to the coupled type 3 copper atoms inside the redox site of tyrosinase and gets reduced to water. Besides the lack of the type 1 copper atom in its structure, unlike the multi-copper oxidases, tyrosinase exhibited direct electro-catalytic activity upon employing the electrode as a pseudo-substrate. The electrocatalytic activity of tyrosinase was further enhanced by using catechol/quinone as the redox shuttle for mediated electron transfer. This enhanced bio-electrocatalytic activity of tyrosinase for ORR has been reported in detail, which could open a new frontier in mediated enzyme reactions for biological fuel cell applications.
Correlation of Archeological and Palynological Data

Analysis of a series of pollen samples and artifact materials, taken from the same excavation units in prehistoric sites in the Middle Pecos River, valley of central eastern New Mexico, shows meaningful correlations between some major pollen groups and categories of artifacts. The correlations suggest the use of relative quantities of artifact materials to correct the distortion, resulting from cultural activity, in pollen sanmples from archeological sites.
Infrageneric groups in Senecio, S.L., and Cacalia, S.L. (Asteraceae: Senecioneae) in Mexico and Central America

The Mexican and Central American complex of Senecio, s.l., and Cacalia, s.l., is divided into eleven informal groups, with several subgroups, in order to define more or less natural assemblages for detailed revisionary studies. The groups are separated by a key. The discussion accounts for the disposition of the segragate genera recognized by H. Robinson and co-workers, as well as the subgenera employed by Greenman.
Recurrent ovarian theca granulosa cell tumor presenting as bladder neoplasm.

Abstract-An unusual case of a recurrent ovarian theca granulosa cell tumor presenting as a bladder neoplasm is described.
Phase I trial of Orzel (UFT plus leucovorin), cisplatin, and radiotherapy in the treatment of potentially resectable esophageal cancer.

Purpose: Fluorinated pyrimidines have been established as radiosensitizers in the combined modality therapy of esophageal cancer. UFT, an oral combination of a 5-fluorouracil pro-drug (uracil) and a dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase inhibitor (ftorafur), may provide improvement in the ease of administration with equal efficacy. This Phase I study was designed to determine the maximal tolerated dose and dose-limiting toxicity of UFT, leucovorin, and cisplatin when given with radiotherapy in the neoadjuvant treatment of resectable esophageal cancer. Methods: Chemotherapy consisted of i.v. cisplatin 80 mg/m 2 (Days 1 and 22) and UFT with leucovorin orally on Days 1–35. UFT was escalated in 50-mg/m 2 increments, starting at 200 mg/m 2 /d. Radiotherapy consisted of 4500 cGy in 25 fractions. Patients underwent resection 4–6 weeks after chemoradiotherapy. Results: Ten patients with resectable esophageal cancer were enrolled. Of the 7 patients entered at dose level 1, 1 developed a dose-limiting toxicity of nausea. All 3 patients entered at dose level 2 developed dose-limiting toxicity. The maximal tolerated dose for UFT was the starting level, 200 mg/m 2 /d. Of the 10 patients enrolled, 8 underwent esophagectomy and 2 developed progressive disease and did not undergo surgery. The disease of 6 of the 8 patients was downstaged at surgery. Conclusion: The recommended UFT dose for Phase II studies is 200 mg/m 2 /d given orally in two divided doses when given with leucovorin, cisplatin, and radiotherapy.
Simultaneous excitation of broadband electrostatic noise and electron cyclotron waves in the plasma sheet

Electron cyclotron harmonics and broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) are often observed in the Earth's outer plasma sheet. While it is well known that ion beams in the plasma sheet boundary layer can generate BEN, new two dimensional electrostatic simulations show that field-aligned ion beams with a small perpendicular ring distribution can drive not only BEN, but also electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves simultaneously. Simulation results are presented here using detailed diagnostics of wave properties, including dispersion relations of all wave modes.
Abdominal obesity predicts declining insulin sensitivity in non-obese normoglycaemics: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS).

Aim Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated a relationship between obesity and insulin sensitivity (S(I)); however, there is a lack of evidence from longitudinal studies. Methods The Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS) estimated S(I) (x10(-4)/min.microU/ml) directly using a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test with minimal model analysis in 504 normoglycaemic subjects. Partial correlation coefficients (r) were calculated to compare the relationship of change in S(I) from baseline to 5 years later (DeltaS(I)) with baseline waist circumference (waist) as a measure of abdominal obesity and body mass index (BMI) as a measure of overall obesity. Mean DeltaS(I) was -1.06 (SD = 1.85). Results Higher baseline waist (r = -0.16; p = 0.0005), but not BMI (r = -0.005; p = 0.91), was associated with (-) DeltaS(I) in models including sex, ethnicity, clinical centre and baseline S(I), BMI, waist, age and physical activity. The waist-DeltaS(I) relationship differed across the levels of baseline BMI, being significant only in normal weight (r = -0.21) and overweight subjects (r = -0.16), but not in obese subjects. DeltaS(I) was correlated with a 5-year change in either obesity measure (Deltawaist: r = -0.22 and DeltaBMI: r = -0.20; p = 0.0001). Conclusions Among non-diabetics, waist circumference was a strong predictor of declining S(I) among lean subjects, a modest predictor among overweight subjects, but was not predictive among obese individuals. Waist circumference should be considered, in addition to BMI, when identifying individuals at high risk of diabetes or the insulin resistance syndrome.
An ecological basis for future fish habitat restoration efforts in the Huron-Erie Corridor

Abstract This perspective describes the major natural and anthropogenic forces driving change in the abundance and quality of fish habitats in the Huron-Erie Corridor (HEC), the Great Lakes connecting channel comprised of the St. Clair River, the Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River. Channels connecting the Laurentian Great Lakes discharge large volumes of water equal to or greater than most other large rivers in the world that is of consistent high quality and volume, all year. Owing to creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway through the Great Lakes, the connecting channels have been modified by dredging over 200 km of deep-draft shipping lanes with a maintained depth of no less than 8.2 m. Combined with modification of their shorelines for housing and industries, use of the connecting channels for discharges of industrial and municipal wastes and shipping has resulted in numerous beneficial use impairments, such as restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption, degradation of fish and wildlife populations, and losses of fish and wildlife habitat. Various options for remediation of native fish populations and their habitats in the Great Lakes connecting channels, including construction of spawning habitat for threatened and high-value food fishes, such as lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ), walleye ( Sander vitreus ), and lake whitefish ( Coregonus clupeaformis ), have been implemented successfully in two of the channels, and form the basis for further recommended research described in this article.
Deformation and fracture of materials near spheroidal inclusions

We have proposed a model of the deformation and fracture of an elastoplastic body with an elastic spheroidal inclusion. The problem has been reduced to the solution of an integro-differential equation, and its numeral solution has been obtained by the method of mechanical quadratures. Using the strain criterion of crack initiation in the neighborhood of an inclusion, we have established the main parameters affecting local fracture. The results of investigations are presented in the form of plots.
Online model racing based on extreme performance

Racing algorithms are often used for offline model selection, where models are compared in terms of their average performance over a collection of problems. In this paper, we present a new racing algorithm variant, Max-Race, which makes decisions based on the maximum performance of models. It is an online algorithm, whose goal is to optimally allocate computational resources in a portfolio of evolutionary algorithms, while solving a particular problem instance. It employs a hypothesis test based on extreme value theory in order to decide, which component algorithms to retire, while avoiding unnecessary computations. Experimental results confirm that Max-Race is able to identify the best individual with high precision and low computational overhead. When used as a scheme to select the best from a portfolio of algorithms, the results compare favorably to the ones of other popular algorithm portfolio approaches.