cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Whitman and Spenser's "E.K."

Explores the origins of Whitman's assumption that Edmund Spenser and his early reviewer "E. K." were the same person; shows how Whitman may have taken his cue to self-review his own work from his mistaken notion that Spenser had done the same thing.
Accommodations and Item-Level Analyses Using Mixture Differential Item Functioning Models

The purpose of this study was to use differential item functioning (DIF) and latent mixture model analyses to explore factors that explain performance differences on a large-scale mathematics assessment between examinees allowed to use a calculator or who were afforded item presentation accommodations versus those who did not receive the same accommodations. Data from a state accountability assessment of mathematics for students in Grade 8 were analyzed. More than 73,000 students participated, of which 12,268 were students with disabilities (SWD) receiving test accommodations. DIF analyses detected performance differences between examinees without accommodations and those who used a calculator or those where the item presentation was altered. Latent performance class analyses revealed that performance differences were associated with item difficulty and abilty in addition to accommodation status. Results support validity studies that use mixture models that can consider context variables related to item t...
Mexico's labor market: The importance of education-occupation matching on wages and productivity in developing countries

Abstract The positive impact of education on earnings, wages, and economic growth is well documented; however, the issue of education-occupation matching in developing countries has been largely ignored. Since workers’ levels of schooling and their occupations’ required level of education both affect wages, policymakers may find it useful to note if such mismatches exist, if they impact wages, and if they can be avoided. Empirical results from Mexico suggest that in order to obtain the maximum economic benefits from increases in educational attainment levels, a developing country needs to take steps to assure increases in occupational levels also occur. Additional evidence of the positive link between educational attainment and wages is also provided. Due to the multi-period nature of the data; a new method of measuring required education is developed which opens up the education-occupation matching literature to data sets which are not cross sectional in nature.
Proximal figure effects on visual acuity.

This study was designed to investigate the influence of the presence and orientation of figures proximal to an acuity measurement line. Each of 16 Ss served under four conditions: acuity line alone, acuity line with proximal figures parallel with it, acuity line with 45° proximal figures, and acuity line with 90° proximal figures. All proximal figures tested resulted in decreased efficiency of acuity processes. Orientation of the proximal figure was an important factor with greater influence for 45° and 90° than for the parallel line situation. These results support the Fry-Bartley principle that contour processes interfere with each other and indicate that the influence is directional in character.
Performance and amino acid utilization of early lactation dairy cows fed regular or reduced-fat dried distillers grains with solubles

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate lactation response and AA utilization of early lactation cows fed 2 types of dried distillers grains with solubles (DG): regular (DDGS) or reduced-fat (RFDGS). Thirty-six Holstein cows 19.7±2.6 d in milk at the start of the experiment were used in a randomized complete block design for 14 wk including a 2-wk covariate period. Treatments consisted of the following diets: 1) control (CON) diet containing 0% DG; 2) diet containing 22% DDGS; and 3) diet containing 20% RFDGS. Distillers grains replaced soybean meal, expeller soybean meal, and soyhulls from the CON diet. Diets were formulated to be similar in crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, and net energy for lactation concentrations. Dry matter intake (24.7 kg/d) and milk yield (39.3 kg/d) were similar for all diets. Milk fat and lactose percentages were unaffected by diets; however, protein percentage was greater for cows fed the DG diets compared with the CON diet. Consequently, milk protein yield was also greater for the DG diets compared with CON. Milk urea nitrogen decreased for cows fed DG diets and averaged 11.8, 10.9, and 10.1 mg/dL, respectively, for CON, DDGS, and RFDGS. Feed efficiency tended to be greater and N efficiency was greater for cows fed DG compared with CON. Body weight (711kg), body weight change (+0.49 kg/d), and body condition score (3.36) were similar for all diets, but cows fed CON tended to gain more body condition (+0.14) than cows fed DG diets. Amino acid utilization was evaluated at the peak of milk production corresponding to wk 9 of lactation. Arterial Lys concentration was lower with DG diets (70.4, 58.6, and 55.8 μ M /L). Cows fed DG had greater arterial Met concentration (21.3 μ M ) compared with CON (14.9 μ M ). Arterio-venous difference of Lys was similar across diets, whereas that of Met was greater for the DG diets compared with the CON diet (10.3 vs. 13.0 μ M /L). Extraction efficiency of Lys by the mammary gland was greater for DG diets than for CON (76.1 vs. 65.4%). Mammary uptake of Lys (2.56 g/kg of milk) was similar for all diets, and the uptake of Met tended to increase in cows fed DG diets. Plasma glucose, triglyceride, and total cholesterol were unaffected by treatment; however, cows fed DG diets had lower β-hydroxybutyrate and tended to have lower nonesterified fatty acid concentrations than cows fed the CON diet. Despite the apparent deficiency of Lys, milk protein percentage was increased in cows fed DG diets.
New Linguistic Evidence and ‘The Bantu Expansion’

New linguistic evidence about the classification of the Bantu languages does not support the current view that these languages spread as the result of a massive migration or ‘expansion’ by its speakers. Rather the present geographic distribution of Bantu languages is the outcome of many complex historical dynamics involving successive dispersals of individual languages over a time span of millennia and involving reversals as well as successes. This is as true for eastern and southern Africa, where a close correlation between the archaeological evidence documenting the diffusion of basic food-related technologies, including metallurgy and the spreading of Bantu languages has become an axiom, as it is elsewhere. The linguistic evidence concerning the dispersal of Bantu languages in these regions of Africa is completely incongruent with the archaeological record. The existing Bantu expansion hypothesis must be totally abandoned. The scrapping of the hypothesis will make room for more realistic and quite different interpretations and research hypotheses. For example, it follows that the local or regional contribution of speakers of other languages, autochthons and others, to the development of later cultures and societies was probably considerably greater than has hitherto been acknowledged and that the continuities in historical dynamics of all sorts between the Bantu-speaking parts of Africa and areas further north and west are greater than has been hitherto realized.
Effects of phenytoin in two myotonic horses with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis.

The effects of phenytoin treatment were evaluated in 2 myotonic horses with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HPP). Phenytoin treatment abolished the clinical signs of muscle fasciculations following oral potassium challenge and decreased or abolished repetitive firing and myotonic discharges found on electromyographic examination. In both horses, an abnormally low threshold for calcium-induced calcium release was measured in heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum fractions from skeletal muscle, and this threshold increased with phenytoin treatment. Results suggest phenytoin is useful in modifying disordered ion regulation in the sarcolemma and sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle in equine hyperkalemic periodic paralysis. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The influence of various pharmacological agents on the desynchronization produced by DOPA in the cerveau isolé preparation.

The influence of various pharmacological agents on the desynchronizing action of DOPA in the cerveau isole preparation of the cat was studied. 1. 1. The desynchronizing effect of DOPA is prevented following inhibition of the aromatic acid decarboxylase and antagonized or partly reduced by disulfiram pre-treatment. Phenoxybenzamine, but not phentolamine, antagonizes the DOPA action, while propranolol delays the onset of desynchronization and decreases its intensity. Imipramine and chlorpromazine reverse the action of DOPA. The effect of this amino acid is not apparently modified in reserpinized animals. 2. 2. In cerveau isole preparations α-methyl-DOPA, in contrast to DOPA, causes a high voltage fast rhythm. 3. 3. Phentolamine in low doses activates the electroencephalogram in cerveau isole preparations. 4. 4. It is concluded that DOPA-induced desynchronization in cerveau isole preparations of the cat is mediated probably through dopamine as well as noradrenaline action and that it is not very dependent upon autonomic effects.
Bacteriopheophytin c in reaction center complexes of green photosynthetic bacteria

Abstract Two reaction center complexes prepared from cytoplasmic membranes of Chlorobium limicola f. thiosulfato-philum were compared by absorption and CD spectrophotometry. Bacteriopheophytin c (670 nm), which is optically active in one complex but not in the other, may serve as a secondary electron acceptor in the reaction center.
POPS: parallel opportunistic photointerpretation system

Photointerpretation is a computationally expensive process. An opportunistic knowledge-based approach to the problem has been developed and proven effective for target recognition on the ground and in the air. The system hypothesizes about the identity of regions in an image based on their geometric and intensity properties. Each region looks for support for its interpretation based on its spatial relationships with other hypotheses. In this paper parallel implementation using a supporting spatial representation on an eight node Hypercube (a coarse-grained, local memory, message passing machine) is described. The algorithm would be equally suitable for a local area network of workstations. A quadtree data structure representing each image region can be compactly and efficiently coded into a few integers; hence, passing regions between computer nodes becomes a reasonable algorithmic device.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Simplified Approach to Calculating Geometric Stiffness Properties of Tread Pattern Elements

Abstract The influence of tread designs on tire performance is well known. The tire industry spends significant effort in the development process to create and refine tread patterns. Creating an aesthetic yet functional design requires characterization of the tread design using many engineering parameters such as stiffness, moments of inertia, principal angles, etc. The tread element stiffness is of particular interest because of its use to objectively determine differences between tread patterns as the designer refines the design to provide optimum levels of performance. The tread designer monitors the change in stiffness as the design evolves. Changes to the geometry involve many attributes including the number of sipes, sipe depth, sipe location, block element edge taper, nonskid depth, area net‐to‐gross, and so forth. In this paper, two different formulations for calculating tread element or block stiffness are reviewed and are compared to finite element results in a few cases. A few simple examples a...
First Report of Meloidogyne marylandi Infecting Bermudagrass in Florida.

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are common parasites attacking turfgrasses in the United States, but the species of these nematodes is typically unresolved unless targeted surveys are performed (3). Using morphometric analysis and an RFLP method (3), an investigation of a golf course green in Florida with a history of infestation by root-knot nematodes was conducted to identify the species present. This ‘Tifdwarf’ bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis) putting green at the University of Florida Research Unit in Citra, FL, exhibited irregular patches of declining turf. Turf roots in these symptomatic areas had galled root tips with adhering egg masses, characteristic of infection from Meloidogyne spp. Mean populations of 5,149 ± 708 Meloidogyne second stage juveniles per 100 cm3 of soil were extracted from the rhizosphere of these symptomatic plants. Morphological measurements from 20 of these juveniles were slightly less than those published previously for M. marylandi, but were still ...
Flexible update propagation for weakly consistent replication

Bayou's anti-entropy protocol for update propagation between weakly consistent storage replicas is based on pair-wise communication, the propagation of write operations, and a set of ordering and closure constraints on the propagation of the writes. The simplicity of the design makes the protocol very flexible, thereby providing support for diverse networking environments and usage scenarios. It accommodates a variety of policies for when and where to propagate updates. It operates over diverse network topologies, including low-bandwidth links. It is incremental. It enables replica convergence, and updates can be propagated using floppy disks and similar transportable media. Moreover, the protocol handles replica creation and retirement in a light-weight manner. Each of these features is enabled by only one or two of the protocol's design choices, and can be independently incorporated in other systems. This paper presents the anti-entropy protocol in detail, describing the design decisions and resulting features.
Modeling and analysis of vehicle transmissions in Modelica/Dymola environment

This paper presents a systematic model for the analysis of vehicle automatic transmissions. The characteristics of powertrain components are formulated either based on experimental data or by models in the Modelica/Dymola library. The integrated vehicle model is used to simulate the shift dynamics of vehicle transmissions and the overall vehicle performance under various operation conditions. Transient variables such as clutch apply pressure, transmission output torque, shift time, etc., and their influence on shift quality are quantitatively analyzed for various transmission shift processes based on model simulation. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the powertrain model as an analysis and calibration tool for the development of powertrain control systems.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Ergonomic Design in Hospital Beds: Comparison of Brake Pedal Design and Steering-assistance Features:

Transporting patients using a hospital bed is a common and often difficult task in a healthcare environment. The aim of this study was to compare the usability and physical demands of alternative b...
Survival, recruitment, and population growth rate of an important mesopredator: the northern raccoon.

Populations of mesopredators (mid-sized mammalian carnivores) are expanding in size and range amid declining apex predator populations and ever-growing human presence, leading to significant ecological impacts. Despite their obvious importance, population dynamics have scarcely been studied for most mesopredator species. Information on basic population parameters and processes under a range of conditions is necessary for managing these species. Here we investigate survival, recruitment, and population growth rate of a widely distributed and abundant mesopredator, the northern raccoon (Procyon lotor), using Pradel’s temporal symmetry models and >6 years of monthly capture-mark-recapture data collected in a protected area. Monthly apparent survival probability was higher for females (0.949, 95% CI = 0.936–0.960) than for males (0.908, 95% CI = 0.893–0.920), while monthly recruitment rate was higher for males (0.091, 95% CI = 0.078–0.106) than for females (0.054, 95% CI = 0.042–0.067). Finally, monthly realized population growth rate was 1.000 (95% CI = 0.996–1.004), indicating that our study population has reached a stable equilibrium in this relatively undisturbed habitat. There was little evidence for substantial temporal variation in population growth rate or its components. Our study is one of the first to quantify survival, recruitment, and realized population growth rate of raccoons using long-term data and rigorous statistical models.
Logistics planning under uncertainty for disposition of radioactive wastes

The US Department of Energy (DOE) faces an enormous environmental remediation challenge involving highly radioactive wastes at former weapons production facilities. The purpose of this analysis is to focus on equipment acquisition and fleet sizing issues related to transportation of wastes from remediation sites to disposal sites. Planning for the transportation of these wastes must be done with recognition of important uncertainties related to overall quantities of waste to be moved, the rate at which the wastes will be prepared for transport, and the certification of suitable transportation containers for use in the effort. However, deadlines for completion of the effort have already been set by the political process, without much regard for these uncertainties. To address this fleet sizing problem, we have created a robust optimization model that focuses on equipment investment decisions. Through this robust optimization, we illustrate how modeling can be used to explore the effects of uncertainty on the equipment acquisition strategy. The disposition of radioactive wastes from DOE sites is an important illustration of a category of problems where equipment investments must be made under conditions of considerable uncertainty. The methodology illustrated in this paper can be applied to this general class of problems.
Trajectories of adjustment of international students: U‐curve, learning curve, or Third Space 1

International students may need to adapt their approaches to learning and their views of themselves as learners in their new situation. The research reported on in this paper concerns a pre‐sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course for international students entering Higher Education in the UK—mostly Masters students entering a Business School—having a focus on assisting change rather than addressing deficit. Theories of cultural adaptation—U‐curve and learning curve—are discussed in the light of theories of place and space taken from phenomenological geography, and of identity and ‘third space’ taken from cultural studies. The seminar—as this is understood in UK Higher Education—is described as an existential space, and reflective accounts of international students are analysed to see how these narratives both record and create their varying feelings of identifying with the epistemological requirements of seminars. The conclusions drawn are that interventions should be designed to encourage re...
Multilayer nano-particle image velocimetry

Nano-particle image velocimetry (nPIV), based on evanescent-wave illumination of fluorescent colloidal tracers, measures the two velocity components parallel to the wall averaged over the first few hundred nanometers next to the wall. The intensity of the evanescent wave decays exponentially with z, or the distance normal to the wall. Illuminated tracers closer to the wall therefore have images that are brighter than those farther from the wall. This nonuniform illumination presents the possibility to extend the technique to “multilayer nPIV,” where the two velocity components parallel to the wall can be estimated at different z-locations within the illuminated region. In this paper, the variation of tracer image intensity with distance from the wall was predicted using diffraction optics-based approaches. The predictions, which were validated by calibration experiments, show that particle image intensity decays exponentially with distance normal to the wall. The feasibility of multilayer nPIV was evaluated using artificial images of plane Couette flow that incorporate evanescent-wave illumination, hindered Brownian diffusion and image noise. Each image was divided into three sub-images based on tracer image intensity, and standard techniques were then used to extract temporally and spatially averaged velocities at three different z-locations. In these simulations, velocity data were obtained within 80 nm of the wall, a threefold improvement over previous measurements. The results demonstrate that multilayer nPIV is feasible if appropriate classification techniques are developed and used to separate tracer images into different layers.
Small molecules affecting transcription in Friedreich ataxia

This review concerns the development of small molecule therapeutics for the inherited neurodegenerative disease Friedreich ataxia (FRDA). FRDA is caused by transcriptional repression of the nuclear FXN gene, encoding the essential mitochondrial protein frataxin and accompanying loss of frataxin protein. Frataxin insufficiency leads to mitochrondrial dysfunction and progressive neurodegeneration, along with scoliosis, diabetes and cardiomyopathy. Individuals with FRDA generally die in early adulthood from the associated heart disease, the most common cause of death in FRDA. While antioxidants and iron chelators have shown promise in ameliorating the symptoms of the disease, there is no effective therapy for FRDA that addresses the cause of the disease, the loss of frataxin protein. Gene therapy and protein replacement strategies for FRDA are promising approaches; however, current technology is not sufficiently advanced to envisage treatments for FRDA coming from these approaches in the near future. Since the FXN mutation in FRDA, expanded GAA•TTC triplets in an intron, does not alter the amino acid sequence of frataxin protein, gene reactivation would be of therapeutic benefit. Thus, a number of laboratories have focused on small molecule activators of FXN gene expression as potential therapeutics, and this review summarizes the current status of these efforts, as well as the molecular basis for gene silencing in FRDA.
The Historically Black College and University Community and the Obama Administration: A Lesson in Communication

The Obama administration has some improbable critics: members of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) community. What started out as carefully worded commentaries have given way to ...
The white plague goes to college: tuberculosis prevention programs in colleges and universities, 1920-1960.

Dans cet article, l'auteur utilise les programmes de prevention de la tuberculose comme etude de cas pour montrer comment et pourquoi les programmes de sante universitaires se sont multiplies au debut du 20e siecle et quelles etaient les idees vehiculees quant a la nature de la propagation de la maladie parmi les populations etudiantes, en rapport avec le contexte social et ethnique.
Class-reconstruction of total graphs

It is shown that given any vertex-deleted total graph, every reconstruction into a total graph by the addition of a vertex yields the original total graph. The proof indicates how the reconstruction can be done.
Thermal Expansion of Silicon Carbide Monofilaments and Silicon Carbide–Borosilicate Composites

The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of a 140-μm-diameter SiC monofilament was determined to be 6.5 ± 0.5 × 10−60C−1 in the temperature range 25°–900°C. Heat treatment of the fibers at 1400°C for 90 min resulted in both an increase in the intensities of the SiC peaks and a reduction of their width, indicating some grain growth. Furthermore, heat treatment of the fibers for 2 h at 1600°C in vacuum reduced their CTE to 5.7 × 10−60C−1. The anomalously high CTE and its decrease upon heat treatment were attributed to the presence of a large fraction of the atoms in the boundaries between the nanometer β-SiC grains. The thermal expansion coefficients of a series of SiC/borosilicate composites were measured as a function of fiber volume fraction in the temperature range 25°–500°C and found to follow the rule of mixtures.
Refactoring Java programs using concurrent libraries

Multithread programming is becoming ever-more important to exploit the capabilities of multicore processors. Versions of Java prior to version 5 provide only the synchronized construct as a consistency primitive, which causes a performance scalability problem for multicore machines. Therefore, Java 5 added the java.util.concurrent package to reduce lock contention. Programmers must manually rewrite their existing code to use this package in existing programs. There are two typical rewritings methods. One is to replace an operation on a variable within a synchronized block with an atomic-lock-free version. The other is to replace a sequential concurrent class with its concurrent version. The conventional rewriting approach has three deficiencies. One problem is transformations that may change the behavior of a program. The second problem is missed modifications to be rewritten. The third problem is two difference writing techniques are applied individually to each code fragment even in the same method. This paper describes our refactoring algorithms that address these three problems as they rewrite Java code for scalable performance. We use inter-procedural pointer analysis and consistency tests among the candidate code fragments.
Effect of finishing instrumentation on the marginal integrity of resin-based composite restorations.

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study evaluated the effect of the use of different finishing instruments on the marginal integrity of resin composite restorations. Materials and Methods: Bovine incisors (N = 75) embedded in epoxy resin had the facial enamel ground and polished to 1200-grit. A standardized cavity (3 × 3 mm, 2 mm deep) was prepared on each specimen and restored with a 2-step total-etch adhesive (Single Bond, 3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA) and a hybrid resin composite (Filtek Z250, 3M ESPE) in a single increment. The restorations were mechanically polished to 1200-grit. Specimens were randomized into different groups (N = 5) according to finishing technique: positive control (1200-grit paper), negative control (regular-grit diamond), fine cross-cut laminated burs, straight-cut laminated burs, spiral-cut laminated burs, and finishing diamonds. The straight-cut burs, spiral-cut burs, and finishing diamonds were tested individually as fine, extra-fine, and ultra-fine, as well as sequentially as a series. A high-speed, water-cooled handpiece under standardized pressure (0.5 N) and time (40 seconds) was used for all finishing procedures. Specimens were processed for scanning electron microscope, and margin gaps were systematically measured. Data were analyzed with one-way analysis of variance and Duncan test. Results: The negative control specimens (course diamond) presented the largest gaps, whereas the positive control specimens (mechanically polished) generated the smallest gaps. No statistically significant difference was noted between the finishing diamonds and the positive control. The negative control exhibited significantly larger gaps when compared with the other finishing instruments. Intermediate results were observed for cross-cut, straight-cut, and spiral-cut laminated burs. Fine, extra-fine and ultra-fine finishing diamonds generated smaller gaps compared with laminated burs, but the differences were not always statistically significant. Conclusion: Fine, extra-fine and ultra-fine finishing diamonds used to finish composite restorations generated better marginal integrity when compared with carbides and regular-grit diamonds. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE When finishing composite restorations, finishing diamond burs result in better composite margins than carbide laminated burs. (J Esthet Restor Dent 22:104–113, 2010)
Preventing the work-related carpal tunnel syndrome: physician reporting and diagnostic criteria.

Excerpt The carpal tunnel syndrome is a relatively common disorder. As described by Katz and colleagues in this issue (1), the disorder is characterized by pain and paresthesias in the distribution...
X-Ray Performance Of The LAMAR Protoflight Mirror

A grazing incidence x-ray mirror in the Kirkpatrick-Baez geometry was constructed and tested. Its geometric aperture measures 20 by 30 cm and its length is 100 cm. The focal length is 3.4 m measured from the front to the focal plane. It is the first of eight mirrors to be built for the LAMAR experiment of the Shuttle High Energy Astrophysics Laboratory. Its angular resolution was measured at 1.5 and 6.4 keV in a quasiparallel x-ray beam at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The half-power width (HPW) of the resolution function projected along a horizontal axis is 31 sec of arc at both energies and in visible light. With the addition of small isolation pads the mirror is able to withstand the vibration and acceleration levels of a Space Shuttle launch. The resolution remains under 35-sec of arc HPW for changes in temperature of 9.5°C and when a modest temperature gradient is imposed on the mirror.
The structure of soft-bottom benthic communities in the vicinity of the Texas Flower Garden Banks, Gulf of Mexico

Biological and sedimentological samples were obtained in June 1980 from box cores taken in 100–200 m of water on sandy-mud sediments near the East and West Flower Garden Bank reefs, on the Texas-Louisiana Continental Shelf. The objective was to obtain baseline information about sedimentary parameters and organisms adjacent to the FGB environments in order to allow inferences to be made about potential effects of physical disturbance of the seafloor on the resident benthos. Most infaunal organisms are found in the upper 3–5 cm of the bottom. Permanent meiofauna dominate in both numbers and biomass. X-radiographs of sediment fabrics show all stations to be reworked by head-down deposit-feeders or errant bioturbators. Taxa responsible for this bioturbation were not quantitatively sampled. Macrofaunal densities range from 3000 to 25000 m−2 and total meiofauna from 221 to 892 × (10 cm)−2. Nematodes dominate followed in equal abundance by foraminiferans, polychaetes, and copepods. Seventy-five percent of the total sediment ATP in the top 3 cm is contributed by meiofauna. These benthic assemblages are hypothesized to represent a mixture of pioneering and high-order successional stages. Bacterial abundances are positively correlated with organic content and inversely correlated with macro- and meiofaunal densities. This inverse relationship may reflect consumer cropping intensities. Both microbial ATP and bacterial biomass are lower than reported for the Georgia Bight Shelf, Cape Blanc, West African Shelf, western coast of Norway, and Long Island Sound. Bacterial counts are lower than those recorded for the East China Sea and the Amazon River shelf. Moderate to low standing stocks of benthos, dominated by meiofaunal-sized taxa, further suggest that this area of the Gulf of Mexico is a relatively oligotrophic system for infaunal benthic consumers. Higher order successional stages are, in general, adversely affected to a greater extent than pioneering stages by physical disturbance. In the Texas-Louisiana shelf region, dilution of an already food limited system by inert barium sulphate would be expected to result in even lower standing stocks of benthic infaunal invertebrates.
Comparative thermal ecology of two lizards.

In a habitat judged to be energetically costly for thermoregulation, mean body temperatures (MBT's) ofAnolis sagrei are significantly higher than those ofA. distichus. As indexed by the slope of the regression of body temperatures (Tb) on substrate temperature (Ts),A. sagrei is more dependent upon environmental temperatures thanA. distichus.
Intracellular calcium enhances the ethanol sensitivity of NMDA receptors through an interaction with the C0 domain of the NR1 subunit.

Abstract: Previous studies in this laboratory have shown that the ethanol inhibition of recombinant NMDA receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes is subunit-dependent, with the NR1/2A receptor being more sensitive than NR1/2C receptors. The ethanol sensitivity of NR1/2A receptors is reduced by substitution of the wild-type NR1-1a (NR1011) subunit with the calcium-impermeable NR1 (N616R) subunit. In the present study, the ethanol inhibition of NMDA receptors was determined under different conditions to examine the role that calcium plays in determining the ethanol sensitivity of recombinant NMDA receptors. The ethanol sensitivity of NR1/2B or NR1/2C receptors was not affected by alterations in extracellular calcium levels or by coexpression with calcium-impermeable NR1 mutants. In contrast, the inhibition of NR1/2A receptors by 100 mM ethanol was reduced in divalent-free recording medium and was significantly increased when 10 mM calcium was used as the only charge carrier. The increase in the ethanol sensitivity of NR1/2A receptors under high-calcium conditions was prevented by preinjection of oocytes with the calcium chelator 1,2-bis-(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA) but not by inhibitors of calmodulin or protein kinase C. Ethanol did not alter the channel blocking activity of divalent cations on NMDA-induced currents. The enhanced ethanol sensitivity of NR1/2A receptors in 10 mM calcium persisted when the NR1 subunit was replaced by the alternative splice variant NR1-4a (NR1000), which lacks the C1 and C2 cassettes. However, expression of a mutant NR1 subunit that lacked the C0, C1, and C2 domains abolished the calcium-dependent enhancement of ethanol's inhibition of NR1/2A receptors. Finally, the ethanol sensitivity of wild-type NR1/2A receptors measured in transfected HEK 293 cells by whole cell patch-clamp electrophysiology was significantly reduced by expression of the C-terminal truncated NR1 subunit. These results demonstrate that the ethanol sensitivity of certain NMDA receptors is modulated by an intracellular, calcium-dependent process that requires the C0 domain of the NR1 subunit.
Geldanamycin inhibits the production of inflammatory cytokines in activated macrophages by reducing the stability and translation of cytokine transcripts.

Objective Heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is critical in the intracellular signaling pathways that promote inflammatory cytokine production. Geldanamycin (GD) is a benzoquinone ansamycin that inhibits the function of Hsp90. GD inhibits the production of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in activated macrophages and suppresses the progression of adjuvant-induced arthritis and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in rodents. GD has been used to investigate the mechanisms by which Hsp90 regulates inflammatory cytokine production. Methods The macrophage cell line RAW264.7 (or primary peritoneal macrophages) was activated with lipopolysaccharide in the absence or presence of GD. The effect of GD on the transcription, stability, and translation of inflammatory cytokine messenger RNA (mRNA) was determined using nuclear run-on assays, mRNA decay assays, and sucrose gradient polysome profiles, respectively. Results Our data revealed that GD potently inhibits the production of TNFα, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β in activated macrophages. Although GD did not significantly reduce the transcription of inflammatory cytokine mRNA, it significantly decreased the stability of these transcripts. Polysome profiles indicated that GD also inhibited the translation of TNFα and IL-6 transcripts. These effects may be due, in part, to inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, a kinase known to regulate the stability and translation of inflammatory cytokine transcripts. Conclusion These results indicate that the function of Hsp90 is important in the posttranscriptional control of inflammatory cytokine production.
Fracture Modes in MoSi2

The room-temperature fracture behavior of polycrystalline MoSi2 was characterized using Vickers indentation fracture. Fracture analysis was aided by the optically active grain structure of MoSi2 revealed under polarized light. Radial crack propagation from indentations was found to be predominantly transgranular. The approximate indentation fracture toughness of MoSi2 was 3 MPa.m1/2, while the measured hardness was 8.7 GPa. Fracture behavior is believed to be controlled by anisotropy and cleavage energy of the tetragonal MoSi2 crystal structure.
Vitamin substitution therapy in severe cases of pulmonary tuberculosis

Die Moglichkeiten der Entstehung von Hypovitaminosen bei schweren Verlaufsformen von Lungentuberkulose werden in einem Schema aufgegliedert, das eine Erweiterung der Einteilung vonMouriquand fur die speziellen Bedurfnisse der Tuberkulose darstellt. Einige wichtige Erkenntnisse der Vitaminforschung werden in gedrangter Form wiedergegeben, soweit sie vor allem auf den Forschungen der letzten Jahre beruhen und beziehungen zum Stoffwechsel des tuberkulosekranken Organismus besitzen. Zur Vitaminsubstitution wurden die Polyvitaminpraparate Protovit und Davitamon angewandt. Es wurde der Versuch unternommen, fur den einzelnen Patienten die Frage zu beantworten, ob eine eingetretene gunstige Entwicklung des Krankheitszustandes — nach Kenntnis des bisherigen Verlaufes — dieser Therapie zugeschrieben werden kann. Die Untersuchungen wurden an 28 Patienten (19 Manner und 9 Frauen) vorgenommen, bei denen schwere Verlaufsformen von Lungentuberkulose sowie hypovitaminotische Zustande verschiedener art vorlagen und die zumeist sehr lange vorbeobachtet werden konnten. Nach Analyse der einzelnen Krankheitsverlaufe, wofur Beispiele gebracht werden, ergibt sich folgendes Resultat: Bei 28 Patienten wurde in 14 Fallen durch eine Polyvitamin-Substitutionstherapie mit Wahrscheinlichkeit eine gunstige Wirkung im Sinne einer Stabilisierung der immun-biologischen Abwehrlage und einem verbesserten Ansprechen auf eine spezifische Therapic erzielt; bei 6 Fallen weit-fortgeschrittener Tuberkulose mit abnormer Resistenzschwache war keine Beeinflussung des Krankheitsgeschehens festzustellen; in 8 Fallen war eine annahernd wahrscheinliche Aussage wegen verschiedener gleichzeitig beteiligter Faktoren nicht moglich. Abschliesend wird der konsequente, sinnvolle Einbau der Vitamintherapie unter besonderer Berucksichtigung der Polyvitaminpraparate in den Heilplan der Tuberkulose gefordert, wobei 5 verschiedene Gruppen von Tuberkulosekranken herausgearbeitet werden, die unserer Ansicht nach dieser zusatzlichen Therapie besonders bedurfen. Zugleich wird die ForderungHeupkes hervorgehoben, der Zusammensetzung und Zubereitung der Krankenhauskost grosere Aufmerksamkeit, besonders im Hinblick auf mogliche Vitamindefizite, zu widemen.
Encoding and Media Effects on Consumer Learning Deficiencies in the Elderly

Alternative cognitive explanations of memory deficiencies in the elderly suggest certain conditions in which elderly might be expected to learn less than younger adults in a consumer information pr...
Effects of 6-hydroxydopamine on brain catecholamines and on acute actions of ethanol in LS/Ibg and SS/Ibg mice.

LS/Ibg (LS) and SS/Ibg (SS) mice differ in ethanoHnduced duration of loss of righting response or sleep time, hypothermia, hyperglycemia, and blood ethanol concentrations at regaining righting response. These differences in response to ethanol are a result of differences in central nervous system sensitivity and are mediated by polygenic systems. Studies have indicated that catecholaminergic systems may be involved in the differential effects of ethanol in LS and SS lines of mice (Masserano JM, Werner N: Investigations into the neurochemical mechanisms mediating differences in ethanol sensitivity in two lines of mice. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 221:404–408, 1982). In this study the neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), intracerebroventricular, was used to test this hypothesis. Administration of 6-OHDA markedly altered thermoregulation in LS mice but produced little effect in SS mice, and ethanoHnduced hyperglycemia was attenuated in both LS and SS mice by 6-OHDA. EthanoHnduced sleep time was increased in SS mice pretreated with 100 μg of 6-OHDA, intracerebroventricular, whereas this response in LS mice was unaffected by 6-OHDA administration. Changes in sleep time were not related to changes in blood ethanol concentrations, indicating that 6-OHDA alters ethanoHnduced sleep time by mechanisms other than brain sensitivity. Levels of norepinephrine and dopamine were determined in three brain regions, and the altered capacities for thermoregulation and glucoregulation were associated with changes in hypothalamic catecholamine levels.
Theoretical Studies of Mixed-Valence Transition Metal Complexes for Molecular Computing

Possible molecular implementations of quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) with mixed-valence ruthenium complexes are discussed. A study of the geometric and electronic structures of three mixed-valence ruthenium dimers has been done using ab initio Hartree-Fock and hybrid density functional methods at the HF/3-21G and B3LYP/3-21G levels of theory. These complexes are representatives of Robin and Day classes I, II, and III. Predicted geometries are compared to experimental data, as well as previous computational studies, where available. The B3LYP method predicts structures in better agreement with experiment than the HF method. The analysis of the orbital energies and localization provides insights into the degree of localization and the Robin-Day classification. They are therefore useful tools for the design of mixed valence compounds for use in molecular QCA.
The Influence of Patient Insurance Status on Access to Outpatient Orthopedic Care for Flexor Tendon Lacerations

Purpose To determine the effect of patient insurance status on access to outpatient orthopedic care for acute flexor tendon lacerations. Methods The research team contacted 100 randomly chosen orthopedic surgery practices in North Carolina by phone on 2 different occasions separated by 3 weeks. The research team attempted to obtain an appointment for a fictitious 28-year-old man with an acute flexor tendon laceration. Insurance status was presented as Medicaid in 1 call and private insurance in the other call. Ability of an office to schedule an appointment was recorded. Results Of the 100 practices, 13 were excluded because they did not perform hand surgery, which left 87 practices. The patient in the scenario with Medicaid was offered an appointment significantly less often (67%) than the patient in the scenario with private insurance (82%). The odds of the patient with private insurance obtaining an appointment were 2.2 times greater than the odds of the Medicaid patient obtaining an appointment. The Medicaid patient was more likely not to be offered an appointment owing to the lack of a hand surgeon at a practice (28% of appointment denials) than privately insured patients (13% of appointment denials). Conclusions For patients with acute flexor tendon lacerations, insurance status has an important role in the ability to obtain an orthopedic clinic appointment. We found that patients with Medicaid have more barriers to accessing care for a flexor tendon laceration than patients with private insurance. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic II.
BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF COTTON LEAVES AND THEIR CHEMICAL DEFOLIATION AS AFFECTED BY ENVIRONMENT.

Induced defoliation of cotton became a necessity with the perfection of the mechanical cotton picker. Fortunately, a defoliant and some knowledge of its effectiveness was already available as a result of research to prevent boll rot in rank cotton (7). GULL (4) reported on the use of calcium cyanamide to remove the leaves from cotton plants to reduce the amount of leaf trash and stain in mechanically harvested cotton, and also, to reduce damage from certain insects and diseases that decrease production and lower the grade of lint cotton (5). The initial field trials for induced defoliation were extremely successful and a solution to the problem was thought to have been found. In subsequent years, however, it was soon found that effective defoliation was dependent upon the status of environmental factors (6); the physiological condition of the leaf, at the time the defoliant is applied, becomes the determining factor in causing abscission. Many field experiments have been conducted to determine the extent to which variation in different phases of the environment occasions alteration in the efficiency of chemical defoliation. From such studies it has been determined that vegetative-reproductive balance, moisture availability, and nutrient level each play a definite role in the efficiency of the defoliation process. EATON and RIGLER (2) report that a low concentration of carbohydrates in the cotton plant is responsible for much of the physiological shedding of small floral buds. Later, EATON and ERGLE (1) found that drought appeared to depress carbohydrate utilization to a greater extent than it did photosynthesis with the result that water deficit greatly increased the carbohydrate concentration within the cotton plant. The following experiment was designed to determine the influence that variation in boll load, moisture availability, and nutrient supply would have upon defoliation and to investigate the associated biochemical status of the leaves. The study was carried out under greenhouse conditions so that other variables, besides those specifically controlled, could also be held relatively uniform. The investigation was designed as a factorial experiment in order to allow for statistical evaluation of each variable and its influence upon the other variables in the study.
Using functional diversity patterns to explore metacommunity dynamics: a framework for understanding local and regional influences on community structure

Th e metacommunity concept, describing how local and regional scale processes interact to structure communities, has been successfully applied to patterns of taxonomic diversity. Functional diversity has proved useful for understanding local scale processes, but has less often been applied to understanding regional scale processes. Here, we explore functional diversity patterns within a metacommunity context to help elucidate how local and regional scale processes infl uence community assembly. We detail how each of the four metacommunity perspectives (species sorting, mass eff ects, patch dynamics, neutral) predict diff erent patterns of functional beta- and alpha-diversity and spatial structure along two key gradients: dispersal limitation and environmental conditions. We then apply this conceptual model to a case study from alpine tundra plant communities. We sampled species composition in 17 ‘ sky islands ’ of alpine tundra in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, USA that diff ered in geographic isolation and area (key factors related to dispersal limitation) and temperature and elevation (key environmental factors). We quantifi ed functional diversity in each site based on specifi c leaf area, leaf area, stomatal conductance, plant height and chlorophyll content. We found that colder high elevation sites were functionally more similar to each other (decreased functional beta-diversity) and had lower functional alphadiversity. Geographic isolation and area did not infl uence functional beta- or alpha-diversity. Th ese results suggest a strong role for environmental conditions structuring alpine plant communities, patterns consistent with the species sorting metacommunity perspective. Incorporating functional diversity into metacommunity theory can help elucidate how local and regional factors structure communities and provide a framework for observationally examining the role of metacommunity dynamics in systems where experimental approaches are less tractable.