cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dual power source aware algorithms for green optical network survivability

Survivability is an essential feature of high-speed networks. Transmission rates have risen to hundreds of gigabits per strand of optical fiber, thus disruptions can cause terabytes of data to be lost. Quick restoration is necessary to fulfill the expectations and requirements of users and customers, defined via service level agreements (SLA). Common practice is to establish a primary path on which the signal is transmitted and to reserve a secondary path that will be used in case of failure. Inherently this addition is not free; extra paths may lead to more labor cost, need for supplemental equipment and certainly higher energy requirements. This increased energy consumption, widely generated from fossil fuels, leads to more pollution. However, if there are renewable energy sources available at a number of nodal sites in the network, some specific paths cause fewer CO2 emissions than others. Availability and spatial density of these green sources is increasing worldwide. To lower a network's overall green house gas (GHG) emissions we develop different approaches to setting up these paths and study their respective impact on the environment. We show that if we optimize both the primary and secondary paths by individual, unique metrics, we can considerably lower GHG emissions while maintaining the desired survivability. Our high utilization of low carbon (HULC) sites heuristic aims to minimize the primary path's ecological impact but allows higher emission values for the secondary paths. Therefore, smooth network operations are guaranteed, yet the carbon footprint is significantly reduced.
Two-dimensional crystals of proteins on lipid layers

Proteins bound to lipid layers form single-layer (two-dimensional) crystals amenable to structure determination by electron microscopy and image processing. Recent studies have extended the range of the lipid-layer crystallization approach. In some cases, a simple electrostatic interaction between a protein and a charged lipid will suffice to direct binding, obviating the requirement for a specific lipid-binding ligand for two-dimensional crystal growth. Alternatively, streptavidin can be used to couple a biotinylated protein to a biotinylated lipid layer. Streptavidin itself forms large two-dimensional crystals that diffract to 2.8 A resolution, showing that ordering on lipid layers can be comparable to that in three dimensions.
A framework for managing engineering change propagation

Engineering Changes (ECs) are facts of life for any company developing and introducing new products, despite a commonly held notion that they are distractions from normal operation. Companies can become more innovative by utilising ideas from the ECs or by learning how to handle the ECs. This paper presents a framework to manage the ECs effectively, particularly the issue of EC propagation. An EC seldom confines itself to a single change, but triggers other changes in different components. The framework is designed to identify the affected components automatically, capture the required knowledge during the design phase of the product life cycle, and use it during the Engineering Change Management (ECM) process.
Bissetone, a unique antimicrobial pyranone from the gorgonian

Abstract A novel antimicrobial pyranone has been obtained from the very polar extracts of the encrusting gorgonian Briareum polyanthes . Spectroanalytical and chemical methods were used to develop two possible structures; x-ray diffraction studies established the structure and relative stereochemistry.
The impact of mutual fund distributions on after-tax returns

Abstract This paper analyzes the impact of mutual fund distributions on after-tax returns. Mutual fund objective and management style are the two most important factors which determine the proportion of the fund's total return that is paid out in distributions. The larger the fund's annual distributions, the greater the amount of return lost to taxes. The correlation between portfolio turnover and after-tax return is examined and found to be low. A measure of effective portfolio turnover is developed to show the real effect of turnover on distributions. Within some mutual fund categories, the investor can increase after-tax returns by one or two percent by selecting funds with low distributions.
Suppression of autophagy enhances the cytotoxicity of the DNA-damaging aromatic amine p-anilinoaniline

p-Anilinoaniline (pAA) is an aromatic amine that is widely used in hair dying applications. It is also a metabolite of metanil yellow, an azo dye that is commonly used as a food coloring agent. Concentrations of pAA between 10 and 25 microM were cytostatic to cultures of the normal human mammary epithelia cell line MCF10A. Concentrations >or=50 microM were cytotoxic. Cytostatic concentrations induced transient G(1) and S cell cycle phase arrests; whereas cytotoxic concentrations induced protracted arrests. Cytotoxic concentrations of pAA caused DNA damage, as monitored by the alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay, and morphological changes consistent with cells undergoing apoptosis and/or autophagy. Enzymatic and western blot analyses, and binding analyses of fluorescent labeled VAD-FMK, suggested that caspase family members were activated by pAA. Western blot analyses documented the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II, a post-translational modification involved in the development of the autophagosome. Suppression of autophagosome formation, via knockdown of ATG7 with shRNA, prevented pAA-induced vacuolization, enhanced the activation of pro-caspase-3, and increased susceptibility of ATG7-deficient cells to the cytostatic and cytotoxic activities of markedly lower concentrations of pAA. Cells stably transfected with a nonsense shRNA behaved like parental MCF10A cells. Collectively, these data suggest that MCF10A cultures undergo autophagy as a pro-survival response to concentrations of pAA sufficient to induce DNA damage.
The M7 - A High Speed Digital Processor for Second Level Trigger Selections

A digital processor is described which reconstructs mass and momentum as a second level trigger selection. The processor is a five-address, microprogrammed, pipelined, ECL machine with simultaneous memory access to four operands which load two parallel multipliers and an ALU. Source data modules are extensions of the processor.
Timing in simple conditioning and occasion setting: a neural network approach

We present a neural network model of Pavlovian conditioning in which a timing mechanism, by which a CS can predict when the US is presented, activates an architecture in which a stimulus acts as a simple CS and/or as an occasion setter. In the model, stimuli evoke multiple traces of different duration and amplitude, peaking at different times after CS presentation [Grossberg and Schmajuk, 1989. Neural Netw. 2, 79-102]. These traces compete to become associated directly and indirectly (through hidden units) with the US [Schmajuk and DiCarlo, 1992. Psychol. Rev. 99, 268-305]. The output of the system predicts the value, moment, and duration of presentation of reinforcement. Importantly, in contrast to the model by Schmajuk and DiCarlo [Schmajuk and DiCarlo, 1992. Psychol. Rev. 99, 268-305], in the present model a stimulus may assume different roles (simple CS, occasion setter, or both) at different time moments. Moreover, while in the Schmajuk and DiCarlo model [Schmajuk and DiCarlo, 1992. Psychol. Rev. 99, 268-305], competition between CSs is purely associative, in the present model competition between CSs is both associative and temporal. CSs compete to predict not only the presence and the intensity of the US, but also its temporal characteristics: time of presentation and duration. The model is able to address both the temporal and associative properties of simple conditioning, compound conditioning, and occasion setting.
Simulations for Bank Management Education

Computer‐based simulations have been widely used in banking education for many years. It is estimated that over 25,000 bank managers have been exposed to one or more of these simulations at some point during their careers. This article presents the background of simulation in banking education and describes how two simulations are currently used at the Stonier Graduate School of Banking.
Scientific Efficiency of Ground-based Telescopes

I scanned the six major astronomical journals of 2008 for all 1589 papers that are based on new data obtained from ground-based optical/IR telescopes worldwide. Then I collected data on numbers of papers, citations to them in 3+ years, the most-cited papers, and annual operating costs. These data are assigned to four groups by telescope aperture. For instance, while the papers from telescopes with an aperture >7?m average 1.29 more citations than those with an aperture of 2 to 7?m) telescopes. I wonder why the large telescopes do so relatively poorly and suggest possible reasons. I also found that papers based on archival data, such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, produce 10.6% as many papers and 20.6% as many citations as those based on new data. Also, the 577.2 papers based on radio data produced 36.3% as many papers and 33.6% as many citations as the 1589 papers based on optical/IR telescopes.
Olfactory bulb cells generated in adult male golden hamsters are specifically activated by exposure to estrous females.

Two experiments were carried out to test whether cells which are born in adulthood and migrate to the olfactory bulb of adult male golden hamsters are activated during sexual behaviors, to determine the time course over which such responsiveness appears, and to ask whether activation is specific to sexual cues. In the first experiment, adult male hamsters were injected with 5'-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU, 50mg/kg b.w.) 3 times over the course of one week in order to mark dividing cells. Ten days, three weeks, or seven weeks after the first BrdU injection, the animals were allowed to mate with an estrous female for half an hour before being sacrificed. Confocal analysis of fluorescent immunostaining of BrdU and c-Fos first revealed dual labeled cells in the olfactory bulb 3 weeks after injection of the thymidine analog. In order to determine whether the activation of these newly generated cells is specific to sexual cues, we next compared the incidence of c-Fos expression in newborn (BrdU positive) cells among male hamsters exposed to an estrous female, an aggressive male, a cotton swab containing vaginal secretion from an estrous female hamster (FHVS), a cotton swab containing peppermint, or a cotton swab containing distilled water. In the mitral and glomerular layers of the accessory olfactory bulb, animals exposed to an estrous female had significantly more double labeled cells than did those given other treatments (p < 0.01). In the mitral layer of the main bulb, animals exposed to an estrous female had a significantly higher percentage of double labeled cells than those of other groups, except those exposed to an aggressive male (p < 0.05). No double labeled cells were seen in medial preoptic area (MPOA), medial nucleus of the amygdala (Me), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), or the hypothalamus. Our results indicate that cells born in adulthood are more responsive to cues arising from estrous females than other stimuli, and thus may participate in sociosexual behaviors.
Colorectal cancer in familial adenomatous polyposis

PURPOSE: This study was performed to determine the relationship among surgical treatment, colorectal cancer, and outcome in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). METHODS: Records of 115 patients with FAP who underwent surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center between 1947 and 1994 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients without cancer were compared with those with colorectal cancer at initial surgery and with patients who developed rectal cancer following colectomy. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients (27 percent) had colorectal cancer at the time of initial surgery (colon = 24; rectal = 7). Another 11 patients (26 percent) developed rectal cancer after colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis (IRA). Mean age of patients with colorectal cancer at initial surgery was significantly higher than those without cancer (P < 0.01). Patients who developed rectal cancer after IRA were significantly older than patients with colorectal cancer at initial surgery (P < 0.01). All patients with rectal cancer after IRA had advanced disease with either nodal or distant metastases at the time of diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Colorectal cancer remains a major problem in the treatment of patients with FAP. Nearly one-fourth of these patients have colorectal cancer at initial operation, and one-fourth of patients with IRA develop rectal cancer after a mean follow-up of 13 years. Patients with rectal cancer following IRA are more likely to have advanced tumors than patients with colorectal cancer at initial operation. The high incidence and late stage of rectal cancer detected while under surveillance after IRA supports excision of the entire colorectal mucosa as the treatment of choice for most patients with FAP.
Effect of previous lactose feeding upon intestinal absorption of lactose in the rat.

Summary The rate of intestinal “absorption” of lactose in the rat was greater after previous feeding for six weeks of a diet containing 25 per cent of lactose than after similar feeding of a comparable diet containing no lactose. The mean “absorption” coefficients (± the standard error of the mean) were 88 ± 12 and 57 ± 6 mg./100 g./hr., for the 25 per cent lactose-fed and the non-lactose fed groups, respectively.
Knowledge about Pronouns: A Developmental Study Using a Truth-Value Judgment Task

In this article we report on children's (3 to 7 years) and adults'knowledge of grammatical and pragmatic principles of pronoun interpretation. A controlled version of a truth-value judgment task involving sentence-picture matching revealed (i) a continuous role of structure-dependence in pronoun interpretation across the full age range tested; (ii) a significant effect of pronoun directionality (although its exact form changed with development); (iii) and a growth into adulthood of pragmatic bias in pronoun interpretation. The results contribute to current debates regarding the continuity of principles of “Universal Grammar” and also to issues of research methodology in first language acquisition.
Muon capture in hydrogen

Abstract Muon capture in hydrogen is a basic charged-current electroweak process. Historically, it played an essential role in establishing the structure of the weak interactions. More recently, the connection between nucleon and even few-nucleon observables at low energies and fundamental QCD has been elucidated within effective field theories. Muon capture experiments test the underlying QCD symmetries and will serve as a calibration of important astrophysical neutrino reactions. The current programme of high precision experiments is described.
Glutathione S-transferase class pi polymorphism in baboons

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) comprises a family of isozymes with broad substrate specificities. One or more GST isozymes are present in most animal tissues and function in several detoxification pathways through the conjugation of reduced glutathione with various electrophiles, thereby reducing their potential toxicity. Four soluble GST isozymes encoded by genes on different chromosomes have been identified in humans. The acidic class pi GST, GSTP (previously designated GST-3), is widely distributed in adult tissues and appears to be the only GST isozyme present in leukocytes and placenta. Previously reported electrophoretic analyses of erythrocyte and leukocyte extracts revealed single bands of activity, which differed slightly in mobility between the two cell types, or under other conditions, a two-banded pattern. To our knowledge, no genetically determined polymorphisms have previously been reported in GSTP from any species. We now report a polymorphism of GSTP in baboon leukocytes, and present family data that verifies autosomal codominant inheritance. 14 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
Magnetic resonance segmentation with the bubble wave algorithm

A new bubble wave algorithm provides automatic segmentation of three-dimensional magnetic resonance images of both the peripheral vasculature and the brain. Simple connectivity algorithms are not reliable in these medical applications because there are unwanted connections through background noise. The bubble wave algorithm restricts connectivity using curvature by testing spherical regions on a propagating active contour to eliminate noise bridges. After the user places seeds in both the selected regions and in the regions that are not desired, the method provides the critical threshold for segmentation using binary search. Today, peripheral vascular disease is diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging with a timed contrast bolus. A new blood pool contrast agent MS-325 (Epix Medical) binds to albumen in the blood and provides high-resolution three-dimensional images of both arteries and veins. The bubble wave algorithm provides a means to automatically suppress the veins that obscure the arteries in magnetic resonance angiography. Monitoring brain atrophy is needed for trials of drugs that retard the progression of dementia. The brain volume is measured by placing seeds in both the brain and scalp to find the critical threshold that prevents connections between the brain volume and the scalp. Examples from both three-dimensional magnetic resonance brain and contrast enhanced vascular images were segmented with minimal user intervention.
Measuring the impact of professional development on science teaching: a review of survey, observation and interview protocols

Instrument choice is a crucial part of evaluation of professional development programmes. The use of multiple evaluation methods helps in triangulation, and offers insight into the developmental sequence involved in the changes in teacher beliefs and practice. Most current instruments are self‐contained and not designed for use in conjunction with other instruments. Linking such instruments poses challenges for evaluators. We performed an extensive literature survey to identify instruments best aligned with each other. We describe here our evaluation needs, examine the subset of instruments selected based upon these needs, and discuss our choice of instruments guided by specific principles.
Troglitazone Use in Insulin-Treated Type 2 Diabetic Patients

OBJECTIVE To determine the ability of troglitazone to reduce requirements for injected insulin while maintaining blood glucose levels in insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This 26-week double-blind study with open-label extension included patients who had failed previous oral antidiabetic medication and took ≥30 but 1c . The open-label extension included 173 patients. They received 200 mg of troglitazone with optional titration to 400 mg, and insulin dose was adjusted based on investigators9 standards of care. Open-label measures were change in insulin dose, HbA 1c , and fasting serum glucose (FSG). RESULTS In the double-blind phase, 22 and 27% of the 200- and 400-mg troglitazone groups, respectively, reached target, compared with placebo (7%) ( P 1c decreased 0.09 ± 0.14% for placebo, 0.13 ± 0.14% for 200 mg, and 0.41 ± 0.14% for 400 mg ( P 50% reduction from baseline in daily insulin dose and decreases in HbA 1c of 1% and in FSG of >17%. CONCLUSIONS Troglitazone decreases daily injected insulin dose requirements and improves glycemic control in insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes.
Psychology and Religion at Rice University: A Brief History

This essay provides a brief history and overview of the psychological, especially psychoanalytic, study of religion at Rice University.
Xenopus laevis fertilisation: analysis of sperm motility in egg jelly using video light microscopy.

Xenopus laevis eggs are surrounded by an extracellular matrix consisting of a vitelline envelope, and three jelly layers, J1, J2, and J3 (from egg surface outward). The jelly layers vary in thickness (about 150, 15 and 200 μm for J1, J2 and J3 respectively) but all are translucent allowing observation of sperm penetration. Video microscopy demonstrated that sperm are able to penetrate and traverse J3 at velocities approaching 30 μm/s. Sperm swim through jelly in a corkscrew-like manner with their rotational and forward velocities being tightly coupled at about 30°/μm forward travel. They are propelled by whip-like power strokes involving hairpin bends in the flagellum that are generated every 180° of rotation and which are propagated from base to tip. The overall trajectories of individual sperm are quite variable. Many sperm head directly for J2 but some do not, these swimming circumferentially, or even away from the egg surface. Most sperm (over 97%) that enter the jelly do not get to the egg surface but are stopped at a variety of positions within J3 or at the outer surface of J2. Efficient sperm penetration and passage through the jelly layers requires a low electrolyte concentration in the surrounding medium, and is inhibited by the lectin wheat germ agglutin (WGA) in a dose-dependent manner. WGA does not block sperm penetration of J3 but does block further progression towards the egg surface. This observation suggests that sperm motility within the jelly is dependent on the carbohydrate moieties of the large glycoconjugates present, and that their alteration by WGA binding accounts for the inability of sperm to reach the egg surface and fertilise the egg.
Descent of the nation: Kinship and citizenship in Lebanon

The mechanisms which underpin kinship are mobilized by states to organize the citizenry for state‐building, often transporting patriarchy and (reinscribing it in public arenas. While the gendering and aging of citizenship is predictable in the deployment of patriarchal kin institutions for state‐building, the focus of this paper is less on these outcomes (well theorized elsewhere) and more on a mechanism undertheorized in feminist analyses of patriarchy and state dynamics—patrilineality. Patrilineality is commonly subsumed in feminist analyses of patriarchy, particularly in the study of the Middle East. Understood as kinship descent through the father's lineage, patrilineality is often conflated with patriarchy in societies in which both are present, resulting in the essentialization of patriarchy and a glossing of critical cultural differences in the gendering and aging of citizenship. While kinship in Lebanon has been fluid and Lebanese have mobilized both patrilineal and matrilineal principles of kinsh...
Panfacial Volume Restoration with Fat

Background. A careful look at the aging face shows it to consist of more than loose skin and rhytids. With aging, the face loses its anterior projection, with a resultant displacement of skin inferiorly. There is mimetic muscular accentuation and an abundance of deep grooves and shadows. In addition, fat redistributes in specific patterns in overweight versus lean individuals. Objective. To restore the three-dimensional projection and overall shape of the face to more youthful contours and to eliminate shadowing and muscle to skin interactions. Methods. Autologous fat is harvested with an open-tipped, blunt cannula under tumescent anesthesia. It is then transferred to 1 mL syringes for injection into the face under local anesthesia. Fat is woven into the deep tissues of the face using a small-bore blunt cannula. The entire face is addressed by filling one cosmetic unit at a time. Fat is anchored deep to the muscles, in the muscles, and subcutaneously depending on the anatomic site and desired result. Results. Dramatic changes in contour are achieved with judicious placement of fat. Skin redraping and the interruption of muscle to skin interactions occur when autologous fat is infiltrated in small aliquots, with specific direction at appropriate tissue levels. Complications are rare and minor with this technique. Conclusions. Autologous fat is an excellent tool for replacing volume and restoring contour to the aging face.
An Architecture for a Multiple Function Speech Processor

A study of the feasibility of realizing a compact, multiple function speech processor is presented in this paper. The processor is required to accommodate either a 2400 bps Linear Predictive Coder, a 9600 bps Adaptive Predictive Coder, or a wireline modem at one of the corresponding data rates. This capability is obtained by designing a speech processing board whose function can be customized to any single task by inserting the appropriate set of PROMs. The concurrent goals of compactness and processor sophistication are achieved by augmenting a digital signal processing integrated circuit chip with external support hardware. An example of such an implementation, which uses the Fujitsu MB8764 as the computation engine, is presented. Because the Fujitsu chip lacks a hardware interrupt and has a limited memory address space, special purpose hardware was designed to implement the interrupt capability externally and to expand both program and data memory using a paging scheme. A detailed study of the design indicates that a compact realization of the multiple function processor can be realized using commercially available hardware and one readily designed custom integrated circuit.
Advancing Prostate Cancer: Treatment Options for the Urologist

Today's urologists often face the dilemma of how to treat patients who have advancing prostate cancer. The diversity of this patient population makes treatment decisions challenging. For over 60 years the mainstay of treatment for patients who have advancing prostate cancer has been androgen deprivation therapy. Now there are new chemotherapeutic options, novel hormone manipulations, and other adjunctive therapies available. Based on a case presentation, the authors have attempted to outline for the practicing urologist, a logical progression of treatment options for advancing prostate cancer.
Standardization versus customization in international marketing: An investigation using bridging conjoint analysis

We present and illustrate a methodology by which researchers can assess the relative importance and test the significance of various marketing-related factors as they influence the degree of standardization/customization of international marketing strategy. The standardization decision is viewed as a continuum with complete standardization and complete customization as the two extremes. Specific hypotheses related to the impact of marketing mix variables on the degree of standardization are formulated. These hypotheses are empirically investigated through a survey of international marketing managers. This investigation is carried out using conjoint analysis. Bridging methodology is introduced in order to accommodate the large number of variables in the study. The analysis is conducted at the individual level, at the group level, and at the aggregate level. Finally, we discuss the methodological and managerial implications of the findings and potential areas of future research.
Statins decrease the occurrence of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer.

Abstract Background Recent data suggest a reduction in the occurrence of venous thromboembolism in select groups of patients who use statins. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of statin use on the occurrence of venous thromboembolism in patients with solid organ tumor. Methods We conducted a retrospective, case-control study reviewing 740 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of solid organ tumor who were admitted to the Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, Penn, between October 2004 and September 2007. Patients treated with anticoagulation therapy before their first admission were excluded. The occurrence of venous thromboembolism, risk factors for venous thromboembolism, and statin use were recorded. Patients who never used statins or had used them for less than 2 months were relegated to the control group. Results The mean age of the study population was 65 years, and 52% of the patients were women and 76% were African American. The occurrence of venous thromboembolism was 18% (N=132), and 26% (N=194) were receiving statins. Among patients receiving statins, 8% (N=16) developed a venous thromboembolism compared with 21% (N=116) in the control group (odds ratio 0.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.19-0.57). A logistic regression analysis including risk factors for venous thromboembolism (metastatic disease, use of chemotherapy, immobilization, smoking, and aspirin use) along with statin use yielded the same results. Conclusion This study suggests that the use of statins is associated with a significant reduction in the occurrence of venous thromboembolism. This pleiotropic effect warrants further investigation.
Diurnal Periodicity in the Black Bullhead, Ictalurus melas (Rafinesque)

Abstract The 24-hour activity patterns of young and adult black bullheads have been investigated in a pool of a Wisconsin stream as well as in the laboratory. The young were found to exhibit two primary feeding periods in nature, one around dawn and the other around dusk. The young swim actively in schools during most of the daylight hours with an apparent depression of activity occurring around midday. They appear to be relatively inactive at night. Adults apparently remain inactive in the weed beds during the daylight hours, but they move around extensively at night. Trapping evidence suggests that the adults tend to forsake the pool during the early hours of darkness and return shortly before dawn. Feeding of the adults takes place after dark, but its exact timing is unknown. Behavior of the bullheads appears to be controlled by a combination of internal and external factors. Internal factors include hunger and “social appetite.” External factors include food, other bullheads, and possibly light.
Complications of Whipple surgery: imaging analysis.

Background/Aims The purpose of this article is to describe and illustrate anatomic findings after the Whipple procedure, and the appearance of its complications, on imaging.
Prophenoloxidase binds to the surface of hemocytes and is involved in hemocyte melanization in Manduca sexta

In insects, melanotic encapsulation is an important innate immune response against large pathogens or parasites, and phenoloxidase (PO) is a key enzyme in this process. Activation of prophenoloxidase (proPO) to PO is mediated by a serine proteinase cascade. PO has a tendency to adhere to foreign surfaces including hemocyte surfaces. In this study, we showed that in the naive larvae of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta, hemolymph proPO bound to the surface of granulocytes and spherule cells but not to oenocytoids, and about 10% hemocytes had proPO on their surfaces. When larvae were injected with water (injury) or microsphere beads (immune-challenge), hemolymph proPO was activated, and the number of hemocytes with surface proPO/PO increased at 12 h post-injection, but dropped to the normal level at 24 h. Hemocyte surface proPO can be activated in vitro, leading to melanization of these hemocytes. The number of melanized hemocytes from the larvae injected with water or microsphere beads significantly increased. We also showed that neither hemocytes nor cell-free plasma alone triggered melanization of immulectin-2-coated agarose beads in vitro. However, agarose beads were effectively melanized by isolated hemocytes in the presence of cell-free plasma. Our results suggest that activation of hemocyte surface proPO may initiate melanization, leading to the systemic melanization of hemocyte capsules.
Literacy in Melanesian and Australian Pidgins and Creoles

Recent descriptions of literacy in the English-lexified pidgins and Creoles of Melanesia and Australia have described it as being imposed by outsiders, irrelevant to speakers of these languages and unsuitable for use in formal education. This article presents an opposing point of view. First it outlines recent developments in the region, showing that while literacy may have been introduced from the outside, it has been embraced by many pidgin and creole speakers and used for their own purposes, including education. Second, it describes research findings refuting claims that using a pidgin or creole as a language of education will cause confusion among students and interfere with their acquisition of English.
Effects of Tarnished Plant Bug, (Lygus lineolaris), Infestation on Presquaring Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)

Tarnished plant bug ( Lygus lineolaris Palisot de Beauvois) infestation of presquaring cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) resulted in plants with aborted terminals (98%), swollen nodes, shortened internodes, deformed leaves, and excessive branching of the main stem. Fruiting and boll maturity were delayed. Dry weight and overall plant height were reduced. There was no interaction between cultivars or presquare stages in response to plant bug infestation.
Comparison of the Tecra VIA kit, oxoid BCET-RPLA kit and CHO cell culture assay for the detection of Bacillus cereus diarrhoeal enterotoxin

Two commercial serological kits (Oxoid BCET-RPLA and Tecra VIA) and a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell cytotonicity assay for the detection of Bacillus cereus diarrhoeal enterotoxin were compared. Eleven B. cereus strains and one enterotoxigenic B. thuringiensis strain were evaluated. Both kits and the CHO cell assay yielded positive toxin responses for cell-free culture filtrates from eight out of 11 diarrhoeal enterotoxigenic strains. An emetic enterotoxin producing strain was negative with all three assays. Two B. cereus strains were negative using the BCET-RPLA kit, but positive with the Tecra VIA kit and CHO cell assay. The BCET-RPLA indicated significant levels of enterotoxin after samples were boiled, whereas the CHO cell and Tecra assays were negative. Overall, the cell culture assay was the most sensitive. However, the Tecra VIA kit provided similar results and was better suited for the rapid detection of B. cereus diarrhoeal enterotoxin.
Microstructure determination of AOT + phenol organogels utilizing small-angle X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy.

Dry reverse micelles of the anionic twin-tailed surfactant bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) dissolved in nonpolar solvents spontaneously form an organogel when p-chlorophenol is added in a 1:1 AOT:phenol molar ratio. The solvents used were benzene, toluene, m-xylene, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (isooctane), decane, dodecane, tetradecane, hexadecane, and 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane (TMPD). The proposed microstructure of the gel is based on strands of stacked phenols linked to AOT through hydrogen bonding. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) spectra of the organogels suggest a characteristic length scale for these phenol−AOT strands that is independent of concentration but dependent on the chemical nature of the nonpolar solvent used. Correlation lengths determined from the SAXS spectra indicate that the strands self-assemble into fibers. Direct visualization of the gel in its native state is accomplished by using tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). It is shown that these organogels consist of...
Development of the Perioperative Nursing Data Set

Nursing practice is a major component of health care. Yet, it remains undervalued and essentially invisible because little data exist to substantiate the influence of nurses on patient outcomes. The research-based Perioperative Nursing Data Set (PNDS), with an easily automated nomenclature capable of describing the specialty practice of perioperative nursing, was designed to fill this gap. Four domains (i.e., safety, physiologic response to surgery, patient and family behavioral response to surgery, health system) form the foundation of the PNDS. Each domain, with accompanying desired outcomes, nursing interventions, and nursing diagnoses, has reliability, content validity, and evidence of construct validity. The purpose of this article is to introduce the conceptual framework, taxonomy, and potential clinical applications of the PNDS.
Accuracy of Scale Conceptions in Science: Mental Maneuverings across Many Orders of Spatial Magnitude.

The use of unifying themes that span the various branches of science is recommended to enhance curricular coherence in science instruction. Conceptions of spatial scale are one such unifying theme. This research explored the accuracy of spatial scale conceptions of science phenomena across a spectrum of 215 participants: fifth grade, seventh grade, ninth grade, twelfth grade, and doctoral students in science. Conceptions spanning sizes from one nanometer to one billion meters were investigated through use of written assessments and individual interviews. Results showed that accuracy of conceptions at small scale were not symmetrical with respect to conceptions at large scale. Large scale accuracy tended to decline in a smooth, uniform fashion as the scale increased, whereas small scale accuracy displayed a discontinuity at the microscopic level. To conceptually interact with scales far removed from human scale, experts used strategies of mentally jumping to a new scale-world. Experts tended not to transition smoothly between the differently scaled worlds but rather to make a discontinuous leap, maintaining abstract linkages between the worlds via mathematics. Implications of these findings for curriculum development and classroom instruction are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 43: 1061–1085, 2006
The Decline of Traditional Christian Beliefs in Germany

This is a report of two national surveys carried out in Germany, one in 1967, the other in 1992, showing the extent of change in religions beliefs and attitudes over a twenty-five year period in both East and West Germany and among Catholics and Protestants. It was revealed that there was a considerable decline in traditional Christian beliefs - especially regarding Christ as the son of God, the infallibility of the Pope, the virgin birth, supernatural miracles, belief in the Bible as the word of God - and in regular church attendance. Greater support was expressed for the wedding of divorced persons, abolition of celibacy, and the permission of priests to marry
Excretion and conservation of glycerol, and expression of aquaporins and glyceroporins, during cold acclimation in Cope's gray tree frog Hyla chrysoscelis

Cope's gray tree frog Hyla chrysoscelis accumulates glycerol during cold acclimation. We hypothesized that, during this process, gray tree frogs adjust renal filtration and/or reabsorption rates to retain accumulated glycerol. During cold acclimation, plasma concentrations of glycerol rose >200-fold, to 51 mmol/l. Although fractional water reabsorption decreased, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and, consequently, urine flow were <5% of warm levels, and fractional glycerol reabsorption increased. In contrast, dehydrated frogs increased fractional water reabsorption, decreased GFR, and did not accumulate glycerol. We hypothesized that expression of proteins from the aquaporin (AQP)/glyceroporin (GLP) family was associated with changing patterns of water and glycerol movement. We cloned the cDNA for three such proteins, quantified mRNA expression in nine tissues using real-time quantitative PCR, and functionally characterized them using a Xenopus oocyte expression system. HC-1, an AQP1-like water channel conferring low glycerol permeability, is expressed ubiquitously in warm- and cold-acclimated tissues. HC-2, a water channel most similar to AQP2, is primarily expressed in organs of osmoregulation. HC-3, which is most similar to AQP3, is functionally characterized as a GLP, with low permeability to water but high permeability to glycerol. Aspects of expression levels and functional characteristics varied between cold and warm conditions for each of the three AQPs, suggesting a complex pattern of involvement in osmoregulation related to thermal acclimation.
Pythons in Burma: Short-tailed python (Reptilia: Squamata)

Abstract Short-tailed pythons, Python curtus species group, occur predominantly in the Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. The discovery of an adult female in Mon State, Myanmar, led to a review of the distribution of all group members (spot-mapping of all localities of confirmed occurrence) and an examination of morphological variation in P. brongersmai. The resulting maps demonstrate a limited occurrence of these pythons within peninsular Malaya, Sumatra, and Borneo with broad absences in these regions. Our small samples limit the recognition of regional differentiation in the morphology of P. brongersmai populations; however, the presence of unique traits in the Myanmar python and its strong allopatry indicate that it is a unique genetic lineage, and it is described as Python kyaiktiyo new species.
Cercopithecoid cervical vertebral morphology and implications for the presence of Theropithecus in early Pleistocene Europe.

Abstract While it is recognized that the overall configuration of the vertebral column, as well as the size and shape of individual vertebrae, differ within and between primate taxa, relatively little is known about the degree to which vertebral morphology reflects a phylogenetic signal or the degree to which vertebral elements can be used in accurate taxonomic classification. Isolated vertebrae are occasionally found in fossil assemblages, and proper taxonomic identification is necessary to make inferences about the animal's biology and place it in a broader phylogenetic and evolutionary context. Recently, three large primate cervical vertebrae (C3, C5, and C6) from Pirro Nord, Italy (early Pleistocene, late Villafranchian) were attributed to the genus Theropithecus based on size comparisons with extant cercopithecoid primates (Rook et al., 2004, J. Hum. Evol. 47, 267–277). These fossils were suggested to indicate an early dispersal of this genus out of Africa around 1.6–1.3 Ma possibly co-incident with early Pleistocene dispersals of Homo. Because of the potential importance of these fossils for interpreting Theropithecus evolution and the relatively few morphological data on primate cervical vertebral morphology, we examined the size and shape of cervical vertebrae in a large sample of extant cercopithecoid taxa (n = 106). Specifically, we evaluated whether subfamily and genus level assignments can be made on the basis of isolated cervical elements. Discriminant analyses reveal that scaled shape variables are good discriminators of taxonomic affinity at the subfamily level but are poor discriminators at the genus level. Least-squares regressions show that raw linear dimensions of cervical vertebral morphology are good predictors of body mass in the extant sample. Our regression results produce a likely body mass estimate of 22–38 kg for the Pirro Nord cervical vertebrae. Based on these regression estimates, the poor ability to discriminate cervical vertebrae at the genus level, and paleoenvironmental reconstructions of Pirro Nord, it is unlikely that the Pirro Nord fossils can be confidently attributed to the genus Theropithecus. These findings have important implications for recent interpretations of the nature of Theropithecus dispersal out of Africa.
Geological Expression, a data driven and interpreter guided approach to interpretation

Fully volumetric interpretation needs to encompass 3D delineation of geological features beyond the extraction of top and base horizons. To address this issue 3D geobody delineation techniques based on thresholding and voxel connectivity have been developed. Such techniques have limited applicability as there is often insufficient information to enable the discrimination of the constituent components of a geological system based on the seismic data alone. Understanding how we perceive objects in images is central to the development of better interpretation tools. What we perceive in data is strongly influenced by geological knowledge, previous experience and analogues. These are subjective factors but to produce geologically realistic results we need to find a way of incorporating them within 3D geobody interpretation. A large step in this direction has been taken with a technology known as “adaptive geobody delineation”. The adaptive geobodies technique combines an adaptive, classification based region growing method, with interactive 3D surface manipulation techniques. This enables delineation of 3D geobodies that are a best fit to the data whilst matching the interpreter’s view of what is geologically realistic. We present the potential utility of these techniques applied to the delineation of a variety of geological elements from seismic data acquired from the North Carnarvon Basin, North-Western Australia.
Transport effects on surface reaction arrays: Biosensor applications

The ubiquity of surface-volume reactions in biological and industrial processes makes knowledge of their kinetics critical. This has spurred technological advances in several biosensors designed to measure rate constants, such as the Flexchip and the dotLab. These biosensors have multiple reacting zones in a single flow channel, and hence they also serve as good model systems for biochemical systems with multiple reacting zones, such as cell membranes. A correct mathematical model for such systems must incorporate the effects of transport and zone position. A basic unidirectional flow model is developed in general and solved for typical experimental parameters using perturbation methods. The effect of zone placement along the channel can be quantified in terms of an effective Damkohler number based upon position. Moreover, it is established that zone placement across the channel does not affect the measurements.
Black carbon emissions in the United Kingdom during the past four decades: an empirical analysis

We use data from a unique 40-year recordof 150 urban andrural stations in the ‘‘Black Smoke andSO 2 Network’’ in Great Britain to infer information about sources of atmospheric black carbon (BC). The data show a rapid decline of ambient atmospheric BC between 1962 and the early 1990s that exceeds the decline in official estimates of BC emissions basedonly on amount of fuel use andmostly fixedemission factors. This provid es empirical confirmation of the existence and large impact of a time-dependent ‘‘technology factor’’ that must multiply the rate of fossil fuel use. Current ambient BC amounts in Great Britain comparable to those in western andcentral Europe, with diesel engines being the principal present source. From comparison of BC andSO 2 data we infer that current BC emission inventories understate true emissions in the UK by about a factor of two. The results imply that there is the potential for improved technology to achieve large reduction of global ambient BC. There is a need for comparable monitoring of BC in other countries. r 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Embryonic development and pregnancy test sensitivity: the importance of earlier pregnancy detection

Embryogenesis research provides information on a time of heightened vulnerability in embryo development: the time from conception to the day a woman misses her menstrual period. During this period, it is vital for the woman to be aware of exposures, behaviors and nutritional factors that could negatively impact the developing embryo. This article discusses this critical, often-overlooked window of development and will review the various types of teratogens that affect pregnancy. Over-the-counter pregnancy tests are widely used to determine pregnancy status. Earlier test models detected only the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin in the urine, but it is now known that there are other key forms of human chorionic gonadotropin that are relevant when determining pregnancy status. This article will explain why early knowledge of pregnancy status is important for both woman and embryo, and the role that patient education and pregnancy test choice can have on normal embryonic development.