cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms to overcome ecosystem nitrogen and phosphorus limitation

Nutrients limit plant growth in many ecosystems, and many species develop adaptations to either obtain more nutrients or to avoid losses. Much past ecological work has focused either on temperate nitrogen-limited systems or has addressed infertile soils as a single entity, rather than addressing the nature of the limitation. Although low nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) soils are found worldwide, the consequences of N and P limitation for plants may vary due to fundamental differences in the soil mobility, availability, uptake, and cellular uses of N and P. Using a well-studied chronosequence in the Hawaiian Islands, which contains both low N and P soils but which is dominated by similar plant communities, foliar N and P plant responses to fertilization were examined across a diverse group of species and life forms. Here it is shown that in response to N fertilization, foliar N concentrations do not significantly increase. In contrast, P fertilization leads to highly elevated foliar P concentrations and lower N:P values. This accumulation of P is evident across all species, occurs regardless of site fertility, results in increased concentrations of P in both inorganic and organic forms, and may be highly advantageous due to the patchy nature of soil P availability. Results indicate that greater variation in foliar P than foliar N after fertilization transcends soil nutrient availability and may be widespread among ecosystems. Such P accumulation means that N and P concentrations may not be in close association after pulses of soil P. It also provides a mechanism whereby ecosystem P limitation may be overcome with external inputs more easily than N limitation and points for the need to think about N and P limitation not just as infertile stressful conditions for plants, but as two fundamentally different phenomena.
Truth Claims and Disputes in Ayurveda Medical Science

This article investigates how scientific truth claims are articulated and disputed by a community of practitioners of a South Asian system of medicine called Ayurveda. I first describe the epistemological criteria of authoritative knowledge in Ayurveda, which I theorize as a disciplinary ideology of truth. Next, I show how the protagonists at a scientific conference designed their truth claims to reference and index this ideological framework for evaluating truth. Ultimately, I argue that disputes over scientific truth constitute a stable and recurrent characteristic of the Ayurveda community because it is through such disputes that the community produces itself by maintaining and transforming its disciplinary boundaries. [Ayurveda, Kerala, truth claims, scientific debate, medical epistemology, postcolonial science]
Krüppel-like factor 4 regulates pressure-induced cardiac hypertrophy

Kruppel-like factors (KLF) are a subfamily of the zinc-finger class of transcriptional regulators that play important roles in diverse cellular processes. While a number of KLFs are expressed in cardiomyocytes, little is known about their specific roles in the heart in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that KLF4 is induced by hypertrophic stimuli in cultured cardiomyocytes and in the mouse heart. Overexpression of KLF4 in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes inhibits three cardinal features of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy: fetal gene expression, protein synthesis, and cell enlargement. Conversely, mice with cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of KLF4 (CM-K4KO) are highly sensitized to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and exhibit high rates of mortality. CM-K4KO mice that survive TAC display severe pathologic cardiac hypertrophy characterized by increased cardiac mass, depressed LV systolic function, pulmonary congestion, cavity dilation and attenuated LV wall thickening when compared to control genotypes. In addition, CM-K4KO mice develop increased myocardial fibrosis and apoptotic cell death after TAC. Collectively, these studies implicate KLF4 as a novel transcriptional regulator that is indispensible for the heart's response to stress in vivo.
Temperature dependent stability and protection parameters in an adiabatic superconducting magnet

Abstract Experiments were performed to determine the effect of operating temperature on the stability and protection parameters of a small adiabatic Nb - Ti magnet. Quench propagation velocity and minimum quench energy were measured for various combinations of temperature, magnetic field and transport current. The operating temperature ranged from 4.2 to 8 K; the transport current from 25 to 125 A; and the magnetic flux density from 0 to 6 T. An existing computer code was modified to predict the magnet's quench behaviour. The principal research objective was to improve existing analytical models of stability and protection and to use them as analytical tools in designing high T c superconducting magnets operating over a wide temperature range, up to ≈ 100 K.
Subcritical, critical, and supercritical directions of stress-rate in finite rigid plasticity

During loading of elastic-plastic materials, it has been shown previously that the direction of the Lagrangian strain-rate tensor can be either subcritical, critical, or super-critical. These three situations generalize the three types of softening behavior (subcritical, critical, and normal) observed in uniaxial compression tests on rocks. For rigid-plastic materials, the direction of the strain-rate during loading is fixed by a constitutive equation, and, as shown below, it is now the direction of the symmetric Piola-Kirchhoff stress tensor that can be either subcritical, critical, or supercritical.
Evaluation of macrocyclic Grb2 SH2 domain-binding peptide mimetics prepared by ring-closing metathesis of C-terminal allylglycines with an N-terminal β-vinyl-substituted phosphotyrosyl mimetic

Preferential binding of ligands to Grb2 SH2 domains in β-bend conformations has made peptide cyclization a logical means of effecting affinity enhancement. This is based on the concept that constraint of open-chain sequences to bend geometries may reduce entropy penalties of binding. The current study extends this approach by undertaking ring-closing metathesis (RCM) macrocyclization between i and i + 3 residues through a process involving allylglycines and β-vinyl-functionalized residues. Ring closure in this fashion results in minimal macrocyclic tetrapeptide mimetics. The predominant effects of such macrocyclization on Grb2 SH2 domain binding affinity were increases in rates of association (from 7- to 16-fold) relative to an open-chain congener, while decreases in dissociation rates were less pronounced (approximately 2-fold). The significant increases in association rates were consistent with pre-ordering of solution conformations to near those required for binding. Data from NMR experiments and molecular modeling simulations were used to interpret the binding results. An understanding of the conformational consequences of such i to i + 3 ring closure may facilitate its application to other systems where bend geometries are desired.
Bi-directional DPSK transmission of 16/spl times/10 Gb/s DWDM channels over 80 km SMF-28 using semiconductor optical amplifiers

The use of SOAs as in-line amplifiers in WDM systems leads to crosstalk as a result of cross-gain modulation. Constant intensity modulation format such as differential phase-shift-keying is in principle immune to XGM-induced crosstalk in SOAs. We report the reduction of crosstalk in a bi-directional system and successfully realize 16/spl times/10 Gb/s DWDM signals transmission over 80 km SMF-28 using DPSK modulation format for the first time.
Laboratory and field measurements of NOx produced from corona discharge

Abstract This research consists of a laboratory study and a field study. The laboratory research reports the formation of NO x from a point to plane corona discharge. Discharge polarity and relative humidity determined the amount of NO x that was produced. The positive point discharge caused more NO x to form than the negative point discharge. For both polarities NO x production showed a nonlinear increase with current. Relative humidity enhanced the NO x formation for both polarities. In each case, the amount of NO x formed was comparable to the quantity of N 2 O produced from corona discharge. The research also reports the results from a field study that measured the amounts of 03 and NO 2 produced by corona discharge during a thunderstorm. The study found that the ambient concentrations of 03 and NO 2 increased several fold due to corona discharge and returned to original levels after the thunderstorm.
Computational Simulation of Traveling Arrhythmic Waves in Myocardial Tissue

Cardiac arrhythmias are common cardiac disorders characterized by irregular electrical activity of the heart. Each year in the United States alone, about half a million deaths and 835,000 hospital discharges result from arrhythmias. In fact, atrial fibrillation is responsible for 15–20% of all ischemic strokes [1]. Due to the complexity of the electrical conduction pathways in myocardium, computational models are useful platforms for gaining insight into the origin of arrhythmias, as well as the development of corrective options. For these purposes, a quantitative finite element model based on the phenomenological Aliev and Panfilov model [2] was implemented to characterize the electrical behavior of cardiac tissue. Several examples of simulated re-entrant spiral waves demonstrate that our implementation can indeed capture the electrical aspects of cardiac tissue.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Beyond Marital Status: The Quality of the Mother–Father Relationship and Its Influence on Reproductive Health Behaviors and Outcomes Among Unmarried Low Income Pregnant Women

In populations where the majority of pregnancies occur to unmarried women, exploring the quality of partner relationships and reproductive health is warranted. This study assesses differences in psychosocial characteristics, health behaviors, and birth outcomes between unmarried pregnant women who reported having a ‘good’ relationship with their baby’s father, compared to those who reported having a ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ relationship with their baby’s father. This research was part of a prospective study of low-income urban women. All unmarried women (n = 3,633) enrolled during their first prenatal visit were asked questions designed to differentiate between being in a good, fair or poor relationship with the baby’s father. The worse the quality of the relationship, the worse the outcome, with dose–response associations between the quality of the relationship, emotional health, health behaviors, and birthweight. Compared to women in good relationships, those in poor relationships were more likely to have depressive symptoms (aPR 1.93; 95% CI: 1.65, 2.25), stress (aPR 1.24; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.35), use drugs (aPR 1.34; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.61) and smoke (aPR 1.28; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.49). Although infants born to mothers in poor relationships had the highest rate of low birth weight, the differences were not significant. Delving beyond marital status to assess the quality of partner relationships among unmarried mothers is important. Further research is needed to understand the complex interplay of individual, social and environmental factors promoting or hindering stable and supportive partner relationships among socially disadvantaged populations of pregnant women.
Barrier-controlled monitored natural attenuation.

Three existing technologies (source containment, source reduction, and monitored natural attenuation) are integrated in barrier-controlled monitored natural attenuation (BCMNA)a new approach for managing plumes of contaminated groundwater and remediating contaminated sites. The basic BCMNA concept uses a low-permeability, nonreactive barrier to release contaminants into an aquifer at a rate that optimizes natural attenuation. A simplified, one-dimensional model of the process is developed, and a hypothetical example of BCMNA is presented for a site contaminated with benzene. The analytical solution is used to demonstrate how contaminant concentrations can be controlled at a downgradient point of environmental compliance by manipulating design variables. BCMNA provides a greater degree of process control and risk reduction than monitored natural attenuation alone. BCMNA also holds promise for reducing remediation costs because (1) barriers can be constructed relatively inexpensively and (2) a cost-effectiv...
Pesticide Exposures and Fetal Death: A Review of the Epidemiologic Literature

Despite considerable concern regarding the effects on reproductive outcome of exposures to pesticides, convincing evidence for the developmental toxicity of occupational and environmental pesticide exposure in humans is lacking. In this comprehensive review of the English language epidemiologic literature, we summarize studies that have examined potential associations between fetal deaths (both spontaneous abortions and stillbirths) and specific pesticides, as well as maternal and paternal employment in occupations with potential for exposure. While many of the epidemiologic studies to date suffer from methodologic problems, the data are suggestive of increased risks of fetal deaths associated with pesticides in general and maternal employment in the agricultural industry. There is a clear need for epidemiologic research that focuses on specific pesticide products or chemical families, with improved exposure assessment. The potential role of solvents in developmental toxicity associated with pesticide use by both males and females should also be considered.
SURVIVAL OF SKIN HOMOGRAFTS IN ADULT MICE AFTER COMBINED THYMECTOMY-SPLENECTOMY AND STEROID THERAPY.

SummaryIn young adult C3H mice combined thymectomy-splenectomy with or without hydrocortisone and testosterone therapy failed in general to affect the fate of skin homografts from CE/J and SWR/J donors. A significant but modest delay in “second-set” graft rejection was achieved by combined thymectomy-splenectomy supplemented with hydrocortisone injections. Likewise, following the intraperitoneal injections of several antigens, animals which had undergone combined thymectomy and splenectomy and/ or had been treated with hydrocortisone or testosterone showed a significant impairment in the anticipated rise of serum γ2-globulin without, however, showing any appreciable suppression of precipitin antibody response.These findings underline the difficulty of effectively suppressing homograft rejection and humoral antibody formation in adult mice in spite of ablation of 2 major lymphoid organs and intensive steroid therapy.
Global risk assessment for lipid therapy to prevent coronary heart disease.

Randomized clinical trials have established that lipidlowering pharmacologic therapy can substantially reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with known coronary artery disease (CAD). Researchers are now working to define the role of lipid-lowering agents in the primary prevention of CAD to extend their benefit to patients at increased risk for future coronary events. The risk assessment models presently used for secondary prevention are not sufficient to identify high-risk, asymptomatic patients. Building on the accumulated data about the physiologic mechanisms and metabolic factors that contribute to CAD, novel serum markers and diagnostic tests are being critically studied to gauge their utility for the assessment of high-risk patients and occult vascular disease. New risk prediction models that combine traditional risk factors for CAD with the prudent use of new screening methods will allow clinicians to target proven risk reduction therapies at high-risk patients before they experience a cardiac event.
Toward New Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Diseases

Cardiometabolic diseases can be present long before becoming clinically apparent. Accurate predictors of disease are of particular importance since the delay or prevention of morbidity is possible via pharmacological and behavioral interventions. Metabolomics is increasingly applied to biomarker discovery. Understanding how metabolites relate with established cardiometabolic risk factors is critical in evaluating their potential value as clinical biomarkers. Large epidemiological cohort studies can assess whether metabolite biomarkers improve upon existing disease markers. Furthermore, experimental work in model systems and integration with other functional genomic approaches will facilitate the discovery of causal links between select biomarkers and disease pathogenesis.
Changes in the Microvasculature and Interstitium of Aged Human Mandibles and Maxillae1

The present study describes the age changes to the microvasculature and connective tissue interstitium of the osteons and periosteums of aged human mandibles and maxillae. The mandibles and maxillae obtained from 14 and 19 year old males, respectively, were also studied. In the nutrient canals of the aged osteons, the walls of the arterioles and venules stained intensely PAS positive, and alcian blue negative. The walls of the blood capillaries were thick and strongly PAS positive. There was a deposition of PAS positive material in the connective tissue stroma of the nutrient canals which progressed to the obliteration of the canal space. Many of the nutrient canals exhibited diffuse calcification within the connective tissue interstitium localized around the blood vessels. The lacunae and canaliculi of those osteons in which the nutrient canals were partially or completely obliterated were filled with PAS material. None of these histochemical changes were seen in the osteons of young individuals. The microvasculature of the aged periosteum showed similar changes. The periosteal tissue consisted of thick collagenous bundles and few osteogenic cells. There was a thin darkly stained amorphous calcified layer forming the bone surface.
Adaptation to unemployment: Effects of a mine closure on husbands and wives

The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of how individuals/couples respond to the unemployment of the primary breadwinner. Data were collected from 66 individuals (33 couples) shortly after becoming unemployed and again one year later. Results determined that the significant predictor variables of economic satisfaction, marital adjustment, and depression were primarily economic, marital, and emotional variables, respectively. Findings also showed that interaction existed among economic, marital, and emotional variables in predicting the three well-being outcomes. Additionally, differences were found in the pattern of results for husbands and for wives. Based on these findings, areas and hypotheses for future study are proposed.
Erratum: Recent Advances in Dendritic Cell Biology

Dendritic cells are professional antigen presenting cells that are central to the induction and regulation of immunity. This review discusses recent advances in the understanding of dendritic cell biology.
Indigenous Youth as Language Policy Makers

This article offers a grounded view of language shift as experienced by Native American youth across a range of early- to late-shift settings. Drawing on data from a long-term ethnographic study, we demonstrate that the linguistic ecologies in which youth language choices play out are more complex than a unidirectional notion of shift might suggest. We focus on 3 areas of the research: youth language practices, communicative repertoires, and language attitudes and ideologies. The portraits of language use that emerge show these to be dynamic, heteroglossic environments in which youth deploy diverse sociolinguistic abilities for specific purposes in the context of peer, school, and community cultures. Further, we argue that youth's communicative practices represent de facto manifestations of language policy making. The final sections examine the mechanisms underlying this implicit policy making and the implications for school-community language planning and youth empowerment.
Transient appearance of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus Otx in micromere nuclei: Cytoplasmic retention of SpOtx possibly mediated through an α- actinin interaction

At the 16-cell stage, the sea urchin embryo is partitioned along the animal-vegetal axis into eight mesomeres, four macromeres, and four micromeres. The micromeres, unlike the other blastomeres, are autonomously specified to produce skeletogenic mesenchymal cells and are also required to induce the vegetal-plate territory. A long-held belief is that micromeres inherit localized maternal determinants that endow them with their cell autonomous behavior and inducing capabilities. Here, we present evidence that an orthodenticle-related protein, SpOtx appears transiently in nuclei of micromeres but not in nuclei of mesomeres and macromeres. At later stages of development, SpOtx was translocated into nuclei of all cells. To address the possibility that SpOtx was retained in the cytoplasm at early developmental stages, we searched for cytoplasmic proteins that interact with SpOtx. A proline-rich region of SpOtx resembling an SH3-binding domain was used to screen an embryo cDNA expression library, and a cDNA clone was isolated and shown to be alpha-actinin. A yeast two-hybrid analysis showed a specific interaction between the proline-rich region of SpOtx and a putative SH3 domain of the sea urchin alpha-actinin. Because micromeres lack an actin-based cytoskeleton, the results suggested that, at the vegetal pole of the 16-cell stage embryo, SpOtx was translocated into micromere nuclei, whereas in other blastomeres SpOtx was actively retained in the cytoplasm by binding to alpha-actinin. The transient appearance of SpOtx in micromere nuclei may be associated with the specification of micromere cell fate.
Spontaneous physiologic closure of an atrial septal defect after infancy

Abstract The rare occurrence of spontaneous physiologic closure of an atrial septal defect in an older child was reported. Associated lesions were mild pulmonary valve stenosis and a right aortic arch. Closure of the defect was documented by two right heart catheterizations and selective angiocardiography in the left atrium. The exact incidence, as well as mechanism of closure, is unknown.
Risk for physical restraint or seclusion in the psychiatric emergency service (PES)

Objective We describe risk factors associated with patients experiencing physical restraint or seclusion in the psychiatric emergency service (PES). Methods We retrospectively reviewed medical records, nursing logs and quality assurance data for all adult patient encounters in a PES over a 12-month period (June 1, 2011-May 31, 2012). Descriptors included demographic characteristics, diagnoses, laboratory values, and clinician ratings of symptom severity. χ(2) and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results Restraint/seclusion occurred in 14% of 5335 patient encounters. The following characteristics were associated with restraint/seclusion: arrival to the PES in restraints; referral not initiated by the patient; arrival between 1900 and 0059 hours; bipolar mania or mixed episode; and clinician rating of severe disruptiveness, psychosis or insight impairment. Severe suicidality and a depression diagnosis were associated with less risk of restraint or seclusion. Conclusion Acute symptomatology and characteristics of the encounter were more likely to be associated with restraint/seclusion than patient demographics or diagnoses. These findings support recent guidelines for the treatment of agitation and can help clinicians identify patients at risk of behavioral decompensation.
Selective Detection of Derivatized Alcohols and Phenols in Essential Oils by Electrospray-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract Primary and secondary alcohols of rose absolute, sandalwood oil and peppermint oil, together with the phenols of clove oil were selectively derivatized at ambient temperature using l-methyl-2-fluoropyridinium tosylate. The alkyl N-methylpyridinium ether derivatives were selectively detected by electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry (ES-MS/MS) without the need for sample cleanup. ES-MS/MS precursor ion and neutral loss spectra of the unpurified, derivatized oils revealed the expected compounds. The derivatization ES-MS/MS method provides a rapid, selective, and sensitive means for detection of primary and secondary alcohols and phenols in a complex mixture. It does not work for tertiary alcohols or geraniol. The derivatizations were successful at micromolar concentrations of the alcohols and detection levels approached the 100 amol level. No systematic study of intrasample reproducibility was carried out. The derivatization ES-MS/MS method might be used for the rapid screening of oils for selected ...
Thermodynamic relationships between the oxidation-reduction reactions and the ATP synthesis in suspensions of isolated pigeon heart mitochondria☆

Abstract Studies on the suspension of isolated pigeon heart mitochondria demonstrate that the mitochondrial respiratory chain consists of isopotential groups of components. The transfer of the reducing equivalents between two neighboring groups is coupled to the synthesis of ATP. The free energy change of the transfer of the reducing equivalents between the NADH and cytochrome c equals, within experimental error, the free energy change required to synthesize 2 moles of ATP outside the mitochondria. This indicates that the coupled reactions remain in near equilibrium. The K e q for the first two phosphorylation sites in State 4 is 6.8 × 10 6 m −2 and is very close to the theoretical value (3.2 × 10 6 m −2 ).
Obese Patients with Abdominal Pain Presenting to the Emergency Department Do Not Require More Time or Resources for Evaluation Than Nonobese Patients

Objectives: The authors describe the evaluation of obese and nonobese adult patients with abdominal pain presenting to an emergency department (ED). The hypothesis was that more ED and hospital resources are used to evaluate and treat obese patients. Methods: A prospective observational study of obese (n = 98; body mass index $30 kg/m 2 ) and nonobese (n = 176; body mass index ,30 kg/m 2 ) adults presenting to the ED with abdominal pain was performed. ED length of stay (LOS) was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included use of laboratory tests, computed tomography, and ultrasonography, and rates of consultations, operations, and admissions. ED diagnoses were compared between the two groups. Results: Obese patients were older (41.9 vs. 38.3 years; p = 0.027) and more often female (69% vs. 51%; p = 0.003) than nonobese patients. There were no significant differences between obese and nonobese patients in either the primary or the secondary outcome measures. Obese patients were similar to nonobese patients in regard to LOS (457 vs. 486 minutes), laboratory studies (3.2 vs. 2.9 tests), abdominopelvic computed tomographic scans (30% vs. 31%), and abdominal ultrasounds (16% vs. 13%). Obese and nonobese patients were also similar in their rates of consultations (27% vs. 31%), operations (14% vs. 12%), and admissions (18% vs. 24%). No difference was found for LOS between obese and nonobese patients as evaluated by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test (p = 0.81). Logistic regression analysis controlling for baseline characteristics revealed no significant differences between obese and nonobese patients for secondary outcome variables. ED diagnoses for obese and nonobese patients were similar except that genitourinary diagnoses were less common in obese patients (8% vs. 21%; p = 0.01). Conclusions: In contradiction to the hypothesis, the results suggest that LOS and ED resource use in obese patients with abdominal pain are not increased when compared with nonobese patients.
Reaction of 2-chlorophenol with CuO: XANES and SEM analysis

Abstract It is well documented that the presence of copper in combustion-generated fly-ash accelerates the formation of polychlorinated dibenzo- p -dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) from molecular precursors in the post-combustion region. We have studied the thermal reaction of 2-chlorophenol with a CuO/SiO 2 substrate using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. CuO/SiO 2 serves as a simple fly-ash surrogate, and 2-chlorophenol is a known PCDD/F precursor. We compare the rate of reduction of Cu(II) in two CuO samples during exposure to 2-chlorophenol at 375 °C. One CuO sample had not previously been exposed to 2-chlorophenol. The second sample had been pre-treated by reducing it to completion through exposure to 2-chlorophenol at 375 °C and then re-oxidizing it back to Cu(II). In each case, the substrate is found to form a mixture of Cu(II), Cu(I), and Cu(0). We show that reduction is a faster process in the redox-cycled sample than for the uncycled sample. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to examine the morphology of the copper particles at various stages during the course of reaction. This provides insight into how the substrate history affects reactivity. XANES is also used to explore the temperature dependence of the Cu(II) reduction kinetics from 275 to 375 °C. The work presented here supports the contention that redox reactions of copper promote the formation of chlorinated phenoxyl radicals, which are likely intermediates in PCDD/F formation, and provides new insights into how the rate of the reaction is dependent upon the history of the fly-ash particles.
PREJUDICE AND AGGRESSION: A STUDY OF SPECIFIC SOCIAL SCHEMATA.

Ss with high scores on the Negro sub-scale of the Ethnocentrism Scale grouped figures cut from black and white felt separately by color. Low scoring Ss did not employ color grouping schemata. Other sets of figures contained a man with a rifle. Ss who employed aggressive schemata when organizing these groups gave more extrapunitive responses on the Rosenzweig P-F Study than did Ss who employed fewer aggressive schemata in the free organization situations. Specific acceptable aggression schemata were shown to have very high commonality while certain unacceptable schemata were almost entirely absent. There was no significant relationship between prejudice and aggression whether measured by verbalizations or by organizational schemata.
Citizen Organizing in Cyberspace Illustrations from Health Care and Implications for Public Administration

This article investigates two examples ofcitizen cyber-organizing in the context ofthe literatures on social capital and organizing. It asks, What can cyber-organizations teach us about the current state of social capital? What are the implications ofcyber -organizing for the context ofpublic administration? What implications do cyber-organizations hold for the role of the public administrator? The author concludes that the continuous communication ofparticipants in cyber-organizations, as well as their transitory and informal roles and rules, their social and emotional support, and their development of a shared understanding of the issues they face function as forms of social capital that facilitate civic engagement. Furthermore, cyber-organizations add to the fragmented and fluid social and political environment confronting public administration. Finally, to realize the potential power and significance of cyberorganizing, public administrators should begin to see such organizations through a lens that i...
Solar Rotation Measurements at Mount Wilson over the Period 1990-1995

One of the most fundamental properties of the Sun is its rate of rotation. Kinetic energy of large-scale circulation might interact with rotation and cause the surface rate to vary throughout the solar cycle. The solar wind carries off angular momentum from the Sun, and the coupling between the outer and inner parts of the heliosphere might produce effects that are evident in the photosphere and chromosphere. The quadrapole moment of Sun's gravitational potential depends on the rotation rate. The interaction between rotation, convection, and solar magnetic fields forms the solar dynamo which governs the solar cycle of activity. Although the rate of solar rotation has been measured for decades, several key questions remain: What is the rotation rate, and what is the uncertainty in this value? Does the rotation rate depend on the solar cycle? Can the gradient of rotation rate as a function of distance from the solar center be detected within the solar atmosphere? The synoptic program of solar observations carried out at the 150 foot tower of the Mount Wilson Observatory has long been a source of measurements which address these questions. Improvements in the facilities of this program over the past decade have led to a reduction in the errors of measurement which now permit a new examination of these questions. Key improvements were: 12/81?installation of a fiber-optic image reformattor to select the spectral sampling of the absorption lines; 2/86?multiple daily observations were begun; 12/87?the Cr II line at ?5237.3 was added to the regular program of observation; 9/90?the grating mount and alignment system were replaced; 7/91?the polarization analysis optics were placed in a new alignment box and index matching fluid was introduced around the KDP variable retarder; 11/95?antireflection optics were installed for the KDP end windows to reduce interference fringes. Each of these changes resulted in a noticeable reduction in the rms error in the measured rotation rate which is now at the level of 7 m s-1. Within this error we find that there is no solar cycle variation in the rotation rate and the rate is the same for both ?5250 and ?5237. We find that the synodic rotation rate is 2.84 ? 0.01 ?rad s-1. This value agrees well with most recent determinations.
On the magnitude of vacancy supersaturations in silver during deformation at elevated temperatures

Abstract The electrical resistivity of large silver single crystals was measured during and directly after plastic deformation under essentially isothermal conditions near 700 and 800°C. Strain rates of 11.6 × 10−5 and 58.3 × 10−5 sec−1, and total strains between 0.07 and 0.09 were employed. Particular efforts were made to detect transient resistivity decays directly after the cessation of deformation such as would be produced by the possible decay of deformation-induced crystal defects. In two runs no resistivity decay greater than the experimental sensitivity of about 2.6 × 10−10 Ωcm was found. In three runs extremely small apparent decays of the order of 10−9 Ω cm were found. These small effects could conceivably have been due, in whole or in part, to: (1) experimental factors not related to the actual relaxation of defects in the specimens; (2) decay of excess dislocations; and, (3) decay of excess point defects. Possibility (1) could not be confirmed or rejected by any independent means. Possibility (2) was practically eliminated by approximate calculations which indicated that the resistivity due to the excess dislocations was well below the level of detection. Possibility (3) was shown to correspond to vacancy supersaturations in the specimens during deformation no larger than those in the range between 6 and 50 per cent. The experimental results are therefore completely consistent with the diffusion-deformation measurements of Savitskii and Darby et al. which predict vacancy supersaturations less than ≅50 per cent during similar deformation in silver but are in marked disagreement with the diffusiondeformation experiments of Forestieri and Girifalco and Lee and Maddin which imply supersaturations at least two orders-of-magnitude larger.
Components of the metabolic syndrome and incidence of diabetes in elderly Italians: The Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship among components of the metabolic syndrome and their role in the development of diabetes. We included 2295 subjects, aged 65-84 years, participating in the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging, a population-based study conducted in 1992 and with a follow-up in 1996. Factor analysis was conducted, separately for diabetic and non-diabetic men and women, using the principle components method and varimax rotations. Factor scores for the baseline were used as independent variables in logistic regressions models to determine risk factors predicting the development of diabetes. Factor analysis among non-diabetic elderly showed two factors for men (body size/insulin resistance, blood pressure/lipids) and three for women (body size, lipids, blood pressure). Among diabetic subjects, three factors emerged for men (body size/lipids/insulin resistance, body size/blood pressure, glucose) and four for women (body size/lipids/insulin resistance, lipids, body size/glucose/insulin resistance, lipids/blood pressure). For non-diabetic men and women, the body size factor (body size/insulin resistance factor for men) was strongly associated with diabetes incidence (OR=2.30, 95% CI 1.41-3.74 and OR=2.06, 95% CI 1.33-3.17, respectively). This study confirms that the metabolic syndrome (MetS) does not recognize one single underlying factor in an elderly cohort and that the obesity factor is a strong predictor of development of new onset diabetes.
Industry's efforts: Devices and pharmaceuticals

The pharmaceutical industry has been irreversibly affected by the changes occurring in healthcare. Despite the obvious contributions of pharmaceuticals to human health, our customers are demanding that we help the patient and contribute to value, whether it be in terms of cost, clinical outcomes, or quality of life. We are learning to balance the variables to ensure that cost plus quality equals value in the marketplace in three ways: by focusing on the needs of the customers and demonstrating value through outcomes research, by maintaining an emphasis on innovation, and by taking an active role in the public arena to direct the course of our future. Outcomes research proves the value of what we do. Economic data will have to be correlated with clinical data. In addition to standard clinical and economic parameters, we must also provide quality of life data. Collaboration between the academic and the practicing community produces a win-win situation for both parties. Industry and practitioners are bonded together ineluctably in the service of the patient. Working together we can shape our future and the future of our patients.
DETERMINANTS OF PHOTOSENSITIZATION BY MONO‐L‐ASPARTYL CHLORIN e6

The mono-N-aspartyl derivative of chlorin e6 (MACE) is a new photosensitizer being examined for use in anti-neoplastic photodynamic therapy. Studies were carried out to identify unique aspects of MACE localization by murine leukemia L1210 cells in vitro. Octanol/water partitioning studies were used to quantitate the hydrophobicity of MACE and two analogs, chlorin e6 and mesochlorin. Sites of cellular localization of these dyes were probed by fluorescence studies, and by examining loci of photodamage. These studies indicate that MACE, a hydrophilic dye, partitions to cytoplasmic loci. Data obtained with chlorin e6, a more hydrophobic dye, are consistent with binding at both membrane and cytoplasmic sites. A substantially more hydrophobic product, meso-chlorin, binds primarily to the cell membrane. While the tumor-localizing porphyrin product HPD binds to plasma LDL less than HDL, MACE and CE are predominantly bound to plasma protein and HDL. Patterns of distribution and localization of MACE differ substantially from those observed with HPD and other hydrophobic sensitizers. Phototoxic effects of MACE could not be specifically attributed to membrane or mitochondrial damage.
Use of the FlowCAM for semi-automated recognition and enumeration of red tide cells (Karenia brevis) in natural plankton samples

Abstract Early detection is the most effective way to mitigate the effects of harmful algal blooms (HAB). Cell counts based on examination of microplankton samples using settling chambers and visual inspection with an inverted microscope are tedious and time consuming, and counting precision is generally poor at low cell densities. The FlowCAM is a continuous imaging flow cytometer designed to characterize particles in the microplankton size range (20–200 μm diameter). In this study we examined the ability of the FlowCAM to improve routine monitoring protocols for HAB species by automatically recording information on size and fluorescence per cell. This will eliminate the need to examine cells outside the ranges of these measurements for our target species, Karenia brevis . We also tested the ability of image comparison software to match images of cells in mixed assemblages to images of the target species. For simple mixtures of cultured dinoflagellates, the ability of the image matching software to discriminate target cells varied greatly depending on how similar the two species were in size and shape. When target cells were added to natural plankton samples, the image recognition software correctly identified 80–90% of the target cells, but misidentified 20–50% of non-target cells in the size range of the target species. We conclude that the FlowCAM is less tedious and time-consuming than microscopy, allowing for examination of more cells for greater counting precision. The cell recognition software helps reduce the numbers of cells that must be screened, but images must still be examined by a trained operator to identify the HAB species of interest.
The effect of sedation on gastric emptying of a liquid marker in ponies.

Objective The effect of sedation on gastric emptying was evaluated in six ponies by monitoring serum concentrations of acetaminophen (AP) after intragastric administration. Experimental Design Prospective randomized experimental study. Animals Six adult ponies, 135 to 275 kg. Methods Fifteen minutes after the intravenous administration of xylazine (1 mg/kg), butorphanol (0.05 mg/kg), acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg) or saline, ponies were given AP (20 mg/kg in 350 mL water) by stomach tube. Blood for AP analysis was collected at baseline and 15, 30, 45, 75, 90, 105, and 120 minutes after AP administration. The time (Tmax) to reach peak serum concentration (Cmax), and the area under the AP serum concentration versus time curve (AUC) were determined for each treatment group. Results Tmax was 31 mins in the control group, and this increased significantly (P < .05) after sedation. Cmax decreased (P < .05) after xylazine administration, and AUC decreased (P < .05) after acepromazine. Conclusions This study indicated that sedation has a significant effect on the gastric emptying rate of a liquid in ponies. Clinical Relevance Although sedation produced a significant delay in gastric emptying, the influence was transient and unlikely to be of clinical significance in healthy ponies. However, the ability of these agents to slow gastric emptying should be considered in the surgical patient.
Pyrene biodegradatin in aqueous solutions and soil slurries by Mycobacterium PYR-1 and enriched consortium.

Abstract To better understand complex bioavailability issues, pyrene degradation was examined in aqueous and soil slurry solutions using pure Mycobacterium sp. PYR-1 and a microbial consortium. The intrinsic rates of the aqueous pyrene degradation were very similar, 1.3×10 −9 μg pyrene/CFU-h for Mycobacterium sp. PYR-1 and 1.1×10 −9 μg pyrene/CFU-h for the consortium. Rates were much lower with the soil-slurry experiments, ranging from 1.2×10−12 to 7.8×10 −10 μg/CFU-h , depicting the strong negative effects of soils on bioavailability. Supernatants from the slurry experiments were found to increase the aqueous-phase pyrene solubility significantly. Pyrene solubility was increased from 120.5 to over 230 μg/l . However, the linear adsorption constants of pyrene on the soil were reduced.
Transcriptional regulation by iron of genes encoding iron- and manganese-superoxide dismutases from Pseudomonas putida.

Abstract Genes from Pseudomonas putida (Pp), sodA, encoding manganese-superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and, sodB, iron-superoxide dismutase (FeSOD) were cloned by hybridization with digoxigenin (dig)-labeled PCR products generated from Pp genomic DNA. The sodB gene had a 594 bp open reading frame (ORF), corresponding to 198 amino acids (aa), and a transcript of 880 bases. The sodA gene contained a 609 bp ORF encoding 203 aa and was transcribed as part of a polycistronic operon, consisting of orfY-fumC-orfX-sodA. Pp sodA or sodB genes both restored aerobic growth, growth on paraquat, and growth on minimal medium to an Escherichia coli (Ec) mutant deficient in SOD activity. Paraquat treatment did not enhance mRNA transcription of the sod genes or increase SOD activity in Pp. The Pp sodB gene was highly expressed throughout logarithmic-(log) growth phase and stationary-phase cells grown in medium supplemented with FeCl3, but was down-regulated in iron-deficient conditions, such as in stationary-phase or generated by 2,2′-dipyridyl (DP) treatment. This is the first evidence that iron regulates expression of the sodB gene at the transcriptional level. In contrast, iron-deficient conditions, or addition of MnCl2 to the growth medium, induced transcripts (2.4 kb and 1.2 kb) from the sodA operon. Our results reveal an intricate role of iron in the transcriptional regulation of both Pp sodA and sodB genes.
Purification and properties of the isolated honeybee Z-disc

Abstract Z-discs have been isolated from honeybee indirect flight muscle fibers with 0.43% lactic acid, and have been purified with differential and sucrose density-gradient centrifugation. In the light microscope, isolated Z-discs are pale, round, homogeneous structures with diameters ranging from 2 μm to 9 μm, depending on the nature of the suspending medium. In the electron microscope, small Z-discs (2 μm in diameter) examined on Formvar-coated grids are thick, dense and lacking in detail; swollen Z-discs (6 μm in diameter) have a reticular pattern with 3-fold symmetry. Sectioned isolated Z-discs show fine projections extending about 1300 A from both surfaces. These projections may represent insoluble stubs of thin filaments or “C” filaments, which connect thick filaments to the Z-band. Although honeybee isolated Z-discs are very resistant structures that remain insoluble in a number of protein solvents and in solutions reported to extract Z-band material from vertebrate fibrils, it has been possible to solubilize them in 7 m -guanidine-HCl, 2.5 m m -dithiothreitol, 2.5 m m -EDTA (pH 7.5), and to resolve their components electrophoretically. Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis studies indicate that there are at least four polypeptides, with molecular weights of 87,000, 113,000, 158,000, and 175,000, localized in the isolated Z-disc. The Z-disc backbone contains no significant quantity of lipid as earlier reports have suggested. Total lipid extracted from Z-disc preparations with chloroform/ methanol comprises less than 1% of the Z-disc protein.
The Weimar dilemma: Intellectuals in the Weimar Republic

(1987). The Weimar dilemma: Intellectuals in the Weimar Republic. History of European Ideas: Vol. 8, No. 6, pp. 756-758.
Discovery in toxicology: mediation by gene expression array technology.

Toxicogenomics is a term that represents the merging of toxicology with novel genomics techniques. Data generated in the new-age era of toxicology is relatively complex, requires new bioinformatics tools for adequate interpretation, and allows for the rapid generation of testable hypotheses. Hazard identification and risk assessment processes will advance from the use of genomics techniques, which will lead to greater understanding of mechanism(s) of action of toxicants, development of novel biomarkers of exposure and effect, and better identification of sensitive subpopulations. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. * J Biochem Mol Toxicol 15:231–242, 2001