cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic and Taxonomic Relationships Among Northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Populations of the Soft Coral Alcyonium Coralloides

Species boundaries among taxa of colonial marine organisms are often obscured by intraspecific morphological and ecological variation; genetic comparisons of recognized “ecotypes” frequently reveal them to be reproductively isolated species. Based on morphological similarities, it has been proposed that the Mediterranean soft coral Alcyonium (=Parerythropodium) coralloides Pallas, 1766 and its Atlantic congener A. hibernicum belong to one highly variable and geographically widespread species, A. coralloides. I collected A. coralloides from ten Atlantic and three Mediterranean locations in 1990 and 1994, and used differences in colony form, substrate use and color to separate them into five distinct morphotypes. Two occur sympatrically in the Mediterranean (M1, M2) and three have overlapping distributions in the Atlantic (A1, A2, A3). I used allozyme electrophoresis to compare morphotypes genetically at 14 enzyme loci. Where two morphotypes occurred sympatrically, fixed allelic differences at 4 to 6 loci indicated reproductive isolation. In all but one pairwise comparison (M1 and A2), morphotypes whose ranges did not overlap were also separated by large genetic distances. From these results I suggest that the five morphotypes represent four distinct species. A. coralloides comprises two morphotypes (M1, A2) with relatively high genetic identity. A. hibernicum (=A1) is reproductively isolated from A. coralloides and should be retained as a valid species; levels of genetic diversity and heterozygosity within populations support the absence of outcrossing in this reportedly asexual species. Morphotypes M2 and A3 are also reproductively isolated from A. coralloides; they are taxonomically distinct from but belong to the same phylogenetic clade as A. hibernicum. Although preliminary observations suggest that differences in reproductive timing maintain species boundaries in sympatry, wider geographic sampling will be required to elucidate the events leading to speciation within this species complex.
School Communication to Outside Publics: Truthfulness Must Be the Bottom Line:

Does the school's duty to report truthfully to the public require the school or school district to tell the public everything? What if telling the public everything results in confusion or an invasion of someone's privacy? Is it ever permissible for school administrators to tell a lie? Are all false statements lies?
Genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium in the chemokine receptor CCR2-CCR5 region among individuals and populations.

Background Chemokine receptors CCR2 and CCR5 play a key role in immune and inflammatory responses and have been associated with several diseases, including AIDS. In order to comprehend health disparities it is important to understand the nature of genetic variation in specific genes of interest in different populations. Current studies of the CCR2 and CCR5 receptor genes are primarily focused on the CCR5-Δ32, and CCR2-V64I SNPs.
Postreinforcement synchronization: Quantitative analysis of amphetamine effects

Low doses of amphetamine (.25,.50, & 1.00mg/kg up.) produced decrements in postreinforcement synchronization (PRS), but increased high voltage activity during nondrinking conditions. At 2.00 mg/kg the drug caused refusal to drink together with an increase in low-voltage activity during a nondrinking period. The complex array of amphetamine effects on ECG are discussed.
Public interest lobbies: membership and influence

In this paper we examine empirically the determinants of membership in Common Cause and Public Citizen, two “public interest” lobbies. We find that the only variable significantly associated with membership in these organizations is number of college graduates in a state. We also examine voting by Congressmen on five issues on which one of the lobbies had taken a stand, and we find that in four cases the number of members in a state in the lobby is significantly associated with voting on the bill by Congressmen from the state, after adjusting for all economic variables. We interpret these results to indicate that participation by citizens does have some impact on the legislative process.
K + -nucleus elastic scattering and charge exchange.

The problem of K/sup +/-nucleus scattering and charge exchange is treated in a multiple scattering (optical model) formalism. Comparison is made with existing data and fair agreement is found between theory and experiment.
Effect of irradiation on failure mode during creep

In-reactor stress to rupture results in excess of 11,000 hours are reported. Stress rupture properties during in-reactor testing of AISI 316 CW were demonstrated to be greater than or equal to the unirradiated material properties. Failure strains of the pressurized tube specimens were found to be stress dependent with a minimum in failure strain occurring at 200 MPa for unirradiated tests. Higher failure strains at lower stresses resulted from a transition in crack propagation mechanisms from triple point wedge cracking to grain boundary cavitation. The triple point cracking to cavitation transition was shifted to lower stresses by irradiation.
The influence of a Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere Transfer scheme on the simulated climate of LLNL/UCLA AGCM

Abstract The sensitivity of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)/University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM) to coupling with a Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere Transfer (SVAT) scheme is investigated in this paper. The SVAT leads to general warming of the climate over continents in association with enhanced sensible heat fluxes. The wetness bias of AGCM is reduced drastically with reductions in latent heat fluxes and precipitation. There is reduction in cloudiness when the SVAT is coupled which results in increased solar radiation at the surface. Upward long wave radiation increases in association with increases in land surface temperature. Although the coupling of SVAT improves surface fluxes of heat and water vapor, these changes are mainly offset by changes in solar and infrared radiative fluxes. Global mean energy balance at the surface and the top of atmosphere is improved marginally.
Bowen and Symbolic Experiential Family Therapy Theories

The psychotherapy theory presented here has been influenced by Bowen Family Systems Theory and Symbolic Experiential Theory. It is suggested that life consists of struggles between many dichotomous spectra. Individuals in families engage in these struggles as well as in the struggle between autonomy and inclusion. It is suggested that the theory presented here is isomorphic to struggles people face in life everyday. Working from Bowen Systems Theory and Symbolic Experiential Theory at the same time creates tension as well as increases options for intervention in family therapy. How the theories diverge and how this difference qualifies the theories to be excellent companions is explained.
Tunneling of electromagnetic energy through subwavelength channels and bends using ε-near-zero materials

In this Letter, we demonstrate theoretically that electromagnetic waves can be ``squeezed'' and tunneled through very narrow channels filled with $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$-near-zero (ENZ) materials. We show that the incoming planar wave front is replicated at the output interface, independently of the specific geometry of the channel. A closed analytical formula is derived for the scattering parameters of a particular class of geometries. It is discussed that in some cases the isotropy of the ENZ material may not be an issue. A metamaterial realization of an anisotropic ENZ material is suggested and numerically studied.
Data association problems posed as multidimensional assignment problems: algorithm development

The central problem in multitarget-multisensor tracking is the data association problem of partitioning the observations into tracks and false alarms so that an accurate estimate of the true tracks can be recovered. Many previous and current methodologies are based on single scan processing, which is real-time, but often leads to a large number of partial and incorrect assignments, and thus incorrect track identification. The fundamental difficulty is that data association decisions once made are irrevocable. Deferred logic methods such as multiple hypothesis tracking allow correction of these misassociations and are thus considered to be the method for tracking a large number of targets. The corresponding data association problems are however NP-hard and must be solved in real-time. The current work develops a class of algorithms that produce near-optimal solutions in real-time and are potentially orders of magnitude faster than existing methods.
Conference Scene: Breast cancer management: towards optimum diagnostic and therapeutic methods

The second biennial congress of the Hellenic Society of Breast Surgeons took place in Athens, Greece, from 28 to 30 June 2013. It was highly attended by breast surgeons who are members of the society, but also by a large number of physicians of other specialties involved in the management of breast cancer, including pathologists, diagnostic radiologists, medical oncologists, radiotherapists and plastic surgeons. As well as surgical issues, important topics regarding the role of the radiologist in preoperative diagnosis, controversies in breast pathology, recent advances in systemic treatment and new techniques of radiotherapy were extensively debated in roundtable discussions. Finally, three workshops on diagnostic radiology, the importance of molecular biology in breast cancer treatment decisions and ‘surgical skills’ for young breast surgeons were also included in the 3-day scientific program. Here, we present a summary of the highlights of the congress.
The Downtime Donor Heart: Analysis of Pre-Transplant Function and Current Utilization for Transplantation

Purpose Previous investigation reveals that donors resuscitated following cardiorespiratory arrest can be utilized for cardiac transplantation with satisfactory post-transplant survival within recipients of these organs. We analyzed this donor group to determine its contribution to transplantation and evaluate donor heart function after resuscitation. Methods and Materials We reviewed 225 consecutive donor organs offered to our institution for cardiac transplantation. Demographic and clinical data was obtained from UNOS. Functional data was obtained by analyzing donor echocardiograms. “Downtime” donor hearts (DD) were compared with organs from conventional donors without a period of arrest (CD). Results A history of resuscitation following circulatory arrest was present in 99 donors (44%). The mean downtime was 30 +/- 21 minutes. Organ utilization was 48% in the DD group vs. 45% for CD; p=NS. Donor age was significantly lower in the DD group (41+/-15 vs. 36+/-14;p=0.01), there was no difference in height or weight. Peak troponin I concentration (DD 2.3+/-4.3 vs. CD 1.1 +/-3.6 ng/ml; p=0.04) was elevated in the DD group. Left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly greater in the CD group. (DD 58.6+/-9% vs. CD 61.3+/-8.7%; p=0.02). The percentage of donor hearts with LV dysfunction (LVEF Conclusions Organs procured from donors resuscitated following cardiocirculatory arrest currently contribute a substantial proportion of organs for cardiac transplantation. Cardiac function in these donors is acceptable, albeit marginally impaired in comparison to those without a history of arrest. The potential for recovery and utilization of donor hearts in this setting may further support the prospect of clinical DCD cardiac transplantation.
Shoc2 Is Targeted to Late Endosomes and Required for Erk1/2 Activation in EGF-Stimulated Cells

Shoc2 is the putative scaffold protein that interacts with RAS and RAF, and positively regulates signaling to extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). To elucidate the mechanism by which Shoc2 regulates ERK1/2 activation by the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR), we studied subcellular localization of Shoc2. Upon EGFR activation, endogenous Shoc2 and red fluorescent protein tagged Shoc2 were translocated from the cytosol to a subset of late endosomes containing Rab7. The endosomal recruitment of Shoc2 was blocked by overexpression of a GDP-bound H-RAS (N17S) mutant and RNAi knockdown of clathrin, suggesting the requirement of RAS activity and clathrin-dependent endocytosis. RNAi depletion of Shoc2 strongly inhibited activation of ERK1/2 by low, physiological EGF concentrations, which was rescued by expression of wild-type recombinant Shoc2. In contrast, the Shoc2 (S2G) mutant, that is myristoylated and found in patients with the Noonan-like syndrome, did not rescue ERK1/2 activation in Shoc2-depleted cells. Shoc2 (S2G) was not located in late endosomes but was present on the plasma membrane and early endosomes. These data suggest that targeting of Shoc2 to late endosomes may facilitate EGFR-induced ERK activation under physiological conditions of cell stimulation by EGF, and therefore, may be involved in the spatiotemporal regulation of signaling through the RAS-RAF module.
Paramagnetic Resonance of Cr 3 + in the Layer Structure of NaIn S 2

The resonance of a localized paramagnetic impurity in a ternary layer structure is reported for the first time. The ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{3+}$ substitutes for the ${\mathrm{In}}^{3+}$ and shows a resolved hyperfine interaction with the six coplanar next-neighbor indium cations. An in-plane fractional charge transfer of 3.0% on the indium ions or 1.0% per $3d$ electron is deduced. $g=1.983\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.001$ and $D=\ensuremath{-}0.0392\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.003$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The axial $D$ parameter changes linearly with temperature down to 120\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K at a high rate of $\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}D}{\ensuremath{\partial}T}=\ensuremath{-}0.86$ G/\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, which is ascribed to the thermal expansion of the lattice. A comparison between the $D$ parameter observed at 4.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and the total uniaxial magnetic anisotropy field of NaCr${\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ is made, from which it is concluded that about $\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{7}$ of the latter quantity results from single-ion ligand field effects.
Molecular Interaction and Lateral Domain Formation in Monolayers Containing Cholesterol and Phosphatidylcholines with Acyl- or Alkyl-Linked C16 Chains

The interactions of cholesterol with phosphatidylcholines having acyl- or alkyl-linked C16 chains have been determined in mixed monolayers using fluorescence microscopy to visualize lateral domain formation and cholesterol oxidase to probe for the relative strength of sterol-phospholipid interaction. The phosphatidylcholines of this study included 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1-palmitoyl-2-O-hexadecyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PHPC), 1-O-hexadecyl-2-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (HPPC), and 1,2-O-dihexadecyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DHPC). As the two-dimensional crystallization of the liquid-condensed phase was visualized with fluorescence microscopy (using 0.5 mol % NBD-cholesterol as a probe), both DPPC and HPPC displayed a similar nucleation and growth of the liquid-condensed phase at the onset pressure of the liquid-expanded to liquid-condensed phase transition (although the size and shapes of the condensed domains differed). However, with both PHPC and DHPC, laterally condensed phases were evident well before the onset of the phase transition as determined fro the force-area isotherms of these lipids. Therefore, the pattern of formation of condensed phases was different, depending on the position of the alkyl function. When cholesterol was mixed with these phosphatidylcholines (at 20, 25, or 33 mol %), cholesterol-rich condensed domains were formed. The domain morphology was similar in cholesterol-DPPC and cholesterol-PHPC mixed monolayers, whereas cholesterol-HPPC and cholesterol-DHPC mixed monolayers had partly different domain morphologies, with more extensive fusion of the cholesterol-rich domains. When cholesterol oxidase was used to probe for the relative strength of intermolecular association between cholesterol and each of the phosphatidylcholines, it was observed that the interaction was loosest with DPPC (highest rate of cholesterol oxidation catalyzed by cholesterol oxidase), whereas the association was somewhat stronger in PHPC (lower rate of cholesterol oxidation) and much stronger in HPPC and DHPC mixed monolayers (no detectable oxidation). In conclusion, the presence of an alkyl function at position 1 or 2 (or both) of a phosphatidylcholine molecule markedly changed its properties in monolayer membranes.
Histones of chick embryonic lens nuclei.

Abstract Histones from nuclei of nondividing lens fiber and lens epithelial cells have been compared with histones from nondividing erythroid cells, and from dividing fibroblasts; all cells were derived from chick embryos. Lens fiber and lens epithelial nuclei contain a very large amount of a characteristic f1 histone, but they do not have the specific f2c histone characteristic of the chick erythroid nucleus. Neither the lens fiber f1 histone nor the f2c histone are found in fibroblast nuclei.
Conditioning against the Grain

This paper discusses counterexamples to the thesis that the probabilities of conditionals are conditional probabilities. It is argued that the discrepancy is systematic and predictable, and that conditional probabilities are crucially involved in the apparently deviant interpretations. Furthermore, the examples suggest that such conditionals have a less prominent reading on which their probability is in fact the conditional probability, and that the two readings are related by a simple step of abductive inference. Central to the proposal is a distinction between causal and purely stochastic dependence between variables.
Off and Out: The Spaces for Certification—Offshore Outsourcing in St Petersburg, Russia:

The offshore outsourcing of software-production services to places outside of the established networks in well-developed core economies is a dynamic and topical aspect of contemporary reorganizations in the software-development industries. Software production and related information technology services are outsourced to firms offshore or, more specifically, to places where labor skills appropriate to these industries are available at lower costs. Notable offshore destinations include: India, Russia, Ireland, Israel, Romania, and Ukraine, among several others. The offshore outsourcing of software production involves complex introductions, reorganizations, and compositions of production chains and management structures in the continuing negotiation of how relations and work processes will be governed across spaces. The author documents the roles of certification—ISO 9000 and CMM—as new governmental forms that shape understandings, perceptions, and strategies for becoming recognized within the offshore. Draw...
Measurement of thermal stress in graphite intercalated with bromine

The thermal stress of graphite intercalated with bromine was found to increase from zero at about 100°C to about 1.3 MPa at 200°C. The effect was reversible with hysteresis. The thermal stress increase had a sharp temperature dependence due to its association with the exfoliation phase transition.
Employee-related environmental information systems

Most industrial organizations must collect various types of employee-related environmental exposure information to satisfy governmental regulations and to provide managers with the information which is required to control employee exposures to adverse environmental conditions. The three basic elements of systems which are designed to collect and store employee-related environmental information are examined and the characteristics of 21 different systems which can be constructed from these basic elements are discussed. Some techniques which are useful for the selection of the best environmental information system for a specific plant or group of employees are discussed and illustrated by examples. Some problems which require further investigation to improve the design and selection of environmental information systems are also identified and discussed.
A re-examination of the I.R. spectrum of dinitrogen trioxide

Assuming a planar geometry of C s symmetry and using a Urey-Bradley potential field, the force constants of dinitrogen trioxide have been re-determined within the formalism of Wilson's G-F matrix method. The outcome of the present investigation suggests a new set of force constants some of which are drastically (∼ 50 per cent) different than those previously reported. Furthermore, since the i.r. frequencies used in the present investigation were obtained both in the solid state and at low temperatures, the mean amplitudes of thermal vibrations of both 14N2O3 and 15N2O3 are given at 77°k. Finally, it is suggested that more isotopic i.r. data is necessary to ascertain unequivocably the geometry of dinitrogen trioxide.
The ethological study of four psychiatric wards: behavior changes associated with new staff and new patients.

THE STUDY reported in this paper was undertaken to identify those features of psychiatric ward behaviour and social organization that are stable over time in spite of changes in ward policy, ward personnel, and patients, and conversely, to identify those features that are sensitive to policy and personnel changes. Acquiring such data would allow one to classify behavior on a scale ranging from stable to labile along with details specifying the conditions under which behavioral change is likely to occur. Such a scale, we feel, would be invaluable in understanding mental illness and in planning treatment environments. The study also had the aim of illustrating the insights that can be gained through directly observing behavior. Clinical psychiatry has largely overlooked this possibility, mainly because it has developed its view of behavior through attention to verbal reports, attitudes, feeling states, or stimulusresponse paradigms related to target symptoms. While this information is important, it has seemed to us, as well as a growing body of other investigators,1 that it provides an incomplete picture of psychopathological disorders and treatment systems and thus should be supplemented with the empirical study of overt, observable behavior. A previous study2 demonstrated that naturalistic observation of behavior on psychiatric wards could provide valuable information on the structure and dynamics of ward organization as well as indications of how behavior might be modified through manipulation of the physical and social environment. In all, four psychiatric wards were studied. The findings from the earlier study may be summarized as follows : (1) all wards were highly structured on certain dimensions, such as the social and spatial segregations of patients and staff; and (2) all were responsive to variations in certain environmental circumstances, such as patient behavior profiles which were ward specific. The present study was designed to carry the data and arguments of the first study further by assessing stability and change on the same four wards over time and in response to planned changes in ward policy and personnel. Of the four psychiatric inpatient wards used as study sites, two were located in a Veterans
β-Adrenergic receptor gene polymorphisms and hemodynamic response to dobutamine during dobutamine stress echocardiography

Our objective was to determine if β1-adrenergic receptor (β1-AR) and β2-AR gene polymorphisms influence heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) response to dobutamine during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). Patients (n=163) undergoing clinically indicated DSE were enrolled. Dobutamine doses were titrated from 5 to 40 μg kg−1 min−1 at 3 min intervals and HR, SBP and DBP were measured. Genotypes were determined for β1-AR Ser49Gly, β1-AR Arg389Gly, β2-AR Arg16Gly and β2-AR Gln27Glu polymorphisms by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, pyrosequencing and single primer extension methods. β2-AR Glu27 homozygotes had a greater HR response at the highest dobutamine dose than Gln27 carriers (P=0.002). β2-AR Gly16 homozygotes had a lower HR response during 5–30 μg kg−1 min−1 of the dobutamine infusion protocol compared to Arg16 carriers (P=0.03). Differences in SBP by β2-AR codon 16 genotype and DBP by β1-AR codon 389 genotype were found at baseline and were maintained throughout DSE (P=0.06 and 0.02, respectively). However, the magnitude of SBP and DBP response to dobutamine did not differ significantly by β2-AR codon 16 or β1-AR codon 389 genotypes, respectively. These data suggest that the four selected β1- and β2-AR polymorphisms do not substantially influence the magnitude of hemodynamic response to dobutamine during DSE.
Transcripts of MYB-like genes respond to phosphorous and nitrogen deprivation in Arabidopsis

In Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., AtPhr2 and AtNsr1 encode proteins with MYB-like and alpha-helical domains. They resemble CrPsr1, a nuclear-localized MYB protein that is critical for acclimation to phosphorous (P) starvation in the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis of the first unique exons indicated that AtPhr2 mRNA increased as early as 6 h after P deprivation (-P), whereas nitrogen deprivation (-N) had no effect. The AtNsr1 mRNA level increased exclusively under -N, an increase first noted by 2 days in -N. In spite of P- and N-specific effects on expression of AtPhr2 and AtNsr1 there appeared to be P-N cross-talk at the whole-plant level. Total non-secreted acid phosphatase activity increased under both -P and -N within 2 days of deprivation. Further, the pho2-1/pho2-1 mutant, reported to be a phosphate accumulator, showed no increase in AtPhr2 mRNA in response to -P and a 70% reduction in the response of AtNsr1 mRNA to -N. Consistent with this pattern, there was no increase in acid phosphatase activity in pho2-1/pho2-1 plants deprived of P or N. However, when deprived of P, pho2-1/pho2-1 plants accumulated much higher levels of nitrate. T-DNA disruption of AtNsr1 resulted in altered expression of at least one nitrate transporter (AtNRT2.5). Further evidence of cross-talk between N and P responses was altered expression of N-responsive genes in pho2-1/pho2-1.
Smectite-Illite Transition in Barbados Accretionary Wedge Sediments: TEM and AEM Evidence for Dissolution/Crystallization at Low Temperature

Sediments from depths to 670 m in the Barbados accretionary complex and transecting the decollement zone have been studied by transmission and analytical electron microscopy (TEM/AEM). The sediments consist of claystone and mudstone intercalated with layers of volcanic ash. Smectite comprises the bulk of the noncalcareous sediments and forms a continuous matrix enveloping sparse, irregular, large grains of illite, chlorite, kaolinite and mixed-layer illite/chlorite of detrital origin at all depths. The detrital origin of illite is implied by illite-smectite textural relations, well-ordered 2M polytypism, and a muscovite-like composition. K is the dominant interlayer cation in smectite at all depths, in contrast to the Na and Ca that are normally present in similar rocks. Deeper samples associated with the decollement zone contain small (up to 100 A thick) illite packets included within still-dominant subparallel layers of contiguous smectite. AEM analyses of these packets imply illite-like compositions. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns show that this illite is the 1Md polytype. Packets display step-like terminations like those seen in illite of hydrothermal origin. The data collectively demonstrate that smectite transforms progressively to illite via a dissolution-re-crystallization process within a depleting matrix of smectite, and not by a mechanism of layer replacement. This illite seems to form at depths as shallow as 500 m and temperatures of 20°-30°C, which is in marked contrast to the much higher temperature conditions normally assumed for this transformation. This implies that the high water/rock ratios associated with the decollement zone are significant in promoting reaction.
Adding the Lipo to Lipopeptides: Do More with Less

Surfactin is a member of the lipopeptide family of antibiotics, which includes the clinical drug daptomycin (Cubicin). The potency of these antibiotics is affected by the attached lipid chain, which is incorporated into the nonribosomally assembled peptidyl backbone via a process known as lipoinitiation. Kraas et al. (2010) have provided valuable insights into the lipoinitiation mechanism, which will be useful for future biosynthetic modifications of lipopeptide antibiotics.
Near-Infrared Imaging of Early-Type Galaxies III. The Near-Infrared Fundamental Plane

Near-infrared imaging data on 251 early-type galaxies in clusters and groups are used to construct the near-infrared Fundamental Plane (FP) r_eff ~ sigma_0^1.53 _eff^-0.79. The slope of the FP therefore departs from the virial expectation of r_eff ~ sigma_0^2 _eff^-1 at all optical and near-infrared wavelengths, which could be a result of the variation of M/L along the elliptical galaxy sequence, or a systematic breakdown of homology among the family of elliptical galaxies. The slope of the near-infrared FP excludes metallicity variations as the sole cause of the slope of the FP. Age effects, dynamical deviations from a homology, or any combination of these (with or without metallicity), however, are not excluded. The scatter of both the near-infrared and optical FP are nearly identical and substantially larger than the observational uncertainties, demonstrating small but significant intrinsic cosmological scatter for the FP at all wavelengths. The lack of a correlation of the residuals of the near-infrared FP and the residuals from the Mg_2-sigma relation indicates that the thickness of these relations cannot be ascribed only to age or metallicity effects. Due to this metallicity independence, the small scatter of the near-infrared FP excludes a model in which age and metallicity effects ``conspire'' to keep the optical FP thin. All of these results suggest that the possible physical origins of the FP relations are complicated due to combined effects of variations of stellar populations and structural parameters among elliptical galaxies.
Ten Years Down the Road: Predictors of Driving Cessation

PURPOSE: Recent prospective studies have found that cognition is a more salient predictor of driving cessation than physical performance or demographic factors among community-dwelling older adults. However, these studies have been limited to 5 years of follow-up. The current study used data from the Maryland Older Drivers Project to examine predictors of driving cessation in older adults over a 10-year period. DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants (N = 1,248) completed baseline and 5-year assessments of physical and cognitive abilities. Driving status was ascertained at baseline and annually thereafter. RESULTS: Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the risk of driving cessation as a function of demographic, physical, and cognitive predictors. The final model indicated three significant predictors of driving cessation, older age at baseline (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.12, p Language: en
Government Stability and Regime Support: A Cross-National Analysis

This article is an attempt to begin to fill the void in the empirical political science literature concerning the direction and strength of the hypothesized bond between government stability and support for the democratic regime. Alternative measures of government stability are considered, and four are chosen and used throughout the analyses based on data for nine EEC countries. Substantial relationships are found to exist in predictable directions, and those relationships remain for "passive" measures of satisfaction even when controls for legislative fractionalization and macroeconomic performance are introduced. Evidence is provided, however, which suggests that relationships between government change and support for "radical change" in the system may be spurious, resulting from relationships of both variables with macroeconomic performance.
Biomimetic model of skeletal muscle isometric contraction: I. an energetic-viscoelastic model for the skeletal muscle isometric force twitch.

This paper describes a revision of the Hill-type muscle model so that it will describe the chemo-mechanical energy conversion process (energetic) and the internal-element sti2ness variation (viscoelastic) during a skeletal muscle isometric force twitch contraction. The derivation of this energetic–viscoelastic model is described by a 3rst-order linear ordinary di2erential equation with constant energetic and viscoelastic coe5cients. The model has been implemented as part of a biomimetic model, which describes the excitation–contraction coupling necessary to drive the energetic–viscoelastic model. Finally, the energetic–viscoelastic model is validated by comparing its isometric force–time pro3le with that of various muscles reported in the literature. ? 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Preparedness of Engineering Freshman to Inquiry-Based Learning

Educational experts, past and present, urge engineering colleges nationwide to transform their pedagogical paradigm from a predominantly lecture- to an inquiry-based teaching approach. Written comments by two seniors, deploring having to read and write in a required course of an ABET accredited program, highlight a common expectation of today’s students. Presented are the disturbing results of a survey that assessed the level of learning skills exhibited by 1,020 engineering freshmen. Time management not only surfaced as needing drastic remediation but it also correlated with the level of students’ motivation to succeed in college. Problems with poor time management were listed by 25% of the freshman cohort at the end of the first semester. From monitoring the submittals of online homework it was learned that timeliness corresponded with the final grade achieved in a course. The work presented in this paper indicates that universities need not only to address the students’ learning preferences but also eq...
Occupational Therapy Education in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Educational experiences and didactic materials on health promotion are necessary for occupational therapists to remain current in the profession. This paper reviews health promotion learning experiences to determine the "state of the art" in this important area. It was found that few papers or workshops have been given at recent AOTA Annual Conferences; five universities received Allied Health Grants, which included occupational therapists, to develop health promotion learning materials; and occupational therapy educational curricula for the most part do include something on health promotion. The AOTA Special Interest Sections have shown interest in health promotion.
An image coding algorithm in the vector transform domain

The authors introduce a new algorithm for coding in the vector transform domain based upon a thresholding technique. First a set of image vectors is transformed into the vector transform domain by using a 2D vector transform. Vector quantization is performed on only those transform domain vectors having a length exceeding a specified threshold value. A general approach to optimizing the threshold map for the human visual system is discussed. Simulation results based on a specific threshold map are presented and compared with those using other techniques. >
Is solar variability reflected in the Nile River

We investigate the possibility that solar variability influences North African climate by using annual records of the water level of the Nile collected in 622–1470 A.D. The time series of these records are nonstationary, in that the amplitudes and frequencies of the quasi-periodic variations are time-dependent. We apply the Empirical Mode Decomposition technique especially designed to deal with such time series. We identify two characteristic timescales in the records that may be linked to solar variability: a period of about 88 years and one exceeding 200 years. We show that these timescales are present in the number of auroras reported per decade in the Northern Hemisphere at the same time. The 11-year cycle is seen in the Nile's high-water level variations, but it is damped in the low-water anomalies. We suggest a possible physical link between solar variability and the low-frequency variations of the Nile water level. This link involves the influence of solar variability on the atmospheric Northern Annual Mode and on its North Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean patterns that affect the rainfall over the sources of the Nile in eastern equatorial Africa.
Spacecraft Formation Flying Control Using Mean Orbit Elements

Two nonlinear feedback control laws are presented for reestablishing a desired J2 invariant relative orbit. Since it is convenient to describe the relative orbit of a deputy with respect to a chief satellite in terms of mean orbit element differences, and because the conditions for a relative orbit being J2 invariant are expressed in terms of mean orbit elements, the first control law feeds back errors in terms of mean orbit elements. Dealing with mean orbit elements has the advantage that short period oscillations are not perceived as tracking errors; rather, only the long term tracking errors are compensated for. The second control law feeds back traditional Cartesian position and velocity tracking errors. For both of the control laws, the desired orbit is computed using mean orbit elements. A numerical study compares and contrasts the two feedback laws.
Effecting change: coordination in large-scale software development

Large-scale software development requires coordination within and between very large engineering teams, each of which may be located in different locations and time zones. Numerous studies, and indeed, a whole conference (ICGSE), are dedicated to discovering the causes of problems with distributed development in the software industry. Microsoft has long had product teams too large to be considered co-located, even when sitting in neighboring buildings on the same campus. Recently, it has been expanding its engineering workforce into India and China, and our research is showing that Microsoft is encountering many of the coordination problems that go along with differences of location, time zone, and culture. As we go forward, our research has been changing from learning about the problem to experimenting with solutions. What are the best practices for improving coordination? Can they be applied to all software teams? How does one move past simple readings of research results towards effective intervention?
Rotigotine: Transdermal Dopamine Agonist Treatment of Parkinson's Disease and Restless Legs Syndrome

Objective:To evaluate the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, and tolerability of rotigotine, a nonergoline D3/D2/D1 dopamine receptor agonist in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome (RLS).Data Sources:A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE (1996–December 2006) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, using the search terms rotigotine and dopamine agonist. References cited in the articles were reviewed for additional information. Information was also obtained from Schwarz Pharma. Abstracts for posters at scientific conferences were accessed from conference Web sites.Study Selection and Data Extraction:English-language literature reporting controlled animal and human clinical studies was reviewed to evaluate the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use, and adverse effects of rotigotine. Clinical trials selected for inclusion were limited to those with human subjects; data from animal studies were included if human data were not available.Data Sy...
Fluid Models for Multiserver Queues with Abandonments

Deterministic fluid models are developed to provide simple first-order performance descriptions for multiserver queues with abandonment under heavy loads. Motivated by telephone call centers, the focus is on multiserver queues with a large number of servers and nonexponential service-time and time-to-abandon distributions. The first fluid model serves as an approximation for the G/GI/sGI queueing model, which has a general stationary arrival process with arrival rate , independent and identically distributed (IID) service times with a general distribution, s servers and IID abandon times with a general distribution. The fluid model is useful in the overloaded regime, where > s, which is often realistic because only a small amount of abandonment can keep the system stable. Numerical experiments, using simulation for M/GI/sGI models and exact numerical algorithms for M/M/sM models, show that the fluid model provides useful approximations for steady-state performance measures when the system is heavily loaded. The fluid model accurately shows that steady-state performance depends strongly upon the time-to-abandon distribution beyond its mean, but not upon the service-time distribution beyond its mean. The second fluid model is a discrete-time fluid model, which serves as an approximation for the Gt (n)/GI/sGI queueing model, having a state-dependent and time-dependent arrival process. The discrete-time framework is exploited to prove that properly scaled queueing processes in the queueing model converge to fluid functions as s . The discrete-time framework is also convenient for calculating the time-dependent fluid performance descriptions.
A Critique of Recent Writings on Political Parties

STASIOLOGY, THE SCIENCE OF POLITICAL PARTIES,1 has advanced greatly during the present decade. Before 1951, writings in this field had been confined largely to histories of parties, accounts of their electoral fortunes, and discussions of their programs and ideologies. Only two works by Western scholars, both written early in this century, stood out as significant works in analytical stasiology: M. I. Ostrogorski's Democracy and the Organization of Political Parties2 and Robert Michels' Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy.3 The development of analytical stasiology was propelled by the appearance, in 1951, of Maurice Duverger's Les partis politiques.4 This work with its categorization of party organizations and party systems, the critiques elicited by the book, and monographs that developed alongside, most of them independently of Duverger's effort, caused Sigmund Neumann to write, in 1954: "Only of late, and at last, has the role of the political party entered the center of our professional concern."5 Neumann himself took the latest
Impact of Central Neuraxial Analgesia on the Progress of Labor

E pidural and spinal anesthesia have become the de facto gold standard for pain relief during labor and delivery. Multiple randomized controlled trials comparing epidural analgesia with systemic opioid analgesia or nitrous oxide have demonstrated lower pain scores and higher patient satisfaction with neuraxial analgesia [1–4]. Furthermore, neuraxial analgesia has been shown to impart significant safety and physiologic benefits to mother and fetus [5–8]. As such, the use of neuraxial techniques for labor analgesia has progressively increased over the past 3 decades. In the United States, the percentage of women receiving neuraxial analgesia for labor had risen to 77% in 2001 from 21% in 1981; in the United Kingdom, approximately 36% of parturients chose epidural analgesia for labor in 2007/2008 [9,10]. Despite the increased use and proposed benefits of neuraxial labor analgesia, there has been significant controversy regarding the impact of neuraxial analgesia on the progress of labor and mode of delivery. Although it seems at first glance that parturients who have neuraxial analgesia for labor have higher cesarean delivery rates, higher rates of instrumental vaginal delivery, and longer duration of labor, the cause-effect relationship of these associations remains controversial and unclear. The purpose of this article is to summarize the literature exploring this topic to arrive at a clearer understanding of how, and to what extent, neuraxial analgesia impacts labor and delivery.
Towards Maintenance‐Free Biosensors for Hundreds of Bind/Release Cycles

A single aptamer bioreceptor layer was formed using a common streptavidin-biotin immobilization strategy and employed for 100-365 bind/release cycles. Chemically induced aptamer unfolding and release of its bound target was accomplished using alkaline solutions with high salt concentrations or deionized (DI) water. The use of DI water scavenged from the ambient atmosphere represents a first step towards maintenance-free biosensors that do not require the storage of liquid reagents. The aptamer binding affinity was determined by surface plasmon resonance and found to be almost constant over 100-365 bind/release cycles with a variation of less than 5% relative standard deviation. This reversible operation of biosensors based on immobilized aptamers without storage of liquid reagents introduces a conceptually new perspective in biosensing. Such new biosensing capability will be important for distributed sensor networks, sensors in resource-limited settings, and wearable sensor applications.
Enhancement of theophylline clearance by oral activated charcoal.

A randomized crossover trial of the effect of oral activated charcoal on the kinetics of intravenous theophylline was carried out in six normal male subjects. After intravenous aminophylline (6 mg/kg), subjects received water or water with activated charcoal (140 gm) in divided doses over 12 hr. Serum theophylline concentrations were measured from 0 to 24 hr after the aminophylline infusion. Treatment with activated charcoal decreased the serum t 1/2 from 6.4 +/- 1.2 to 3.3 +/- 0.4 (SEM) hr and the serum AUC from 78 +/- 14 to 42 +/- 4 mg . hr/l. Percent decrease in AUC after treatment with charcoal correlated positively with the endogenous theophylline serum t 1/2 (r = 0.94). These results suggest that oral activated charcoal (1) enhanced the total body clearance of theophylline and (2) may be efficacious in the treatment of theophylline poisoning, especially in patients with prolonged serum t 1/2s of theophylline.
Investigation of Titanium Silicon and Germanium Reaction

It has been shown that, across the full range of Si-Ge alloy compositions, C54 Ti(Si y Ge 1-y ) 2 will form from the reaction of Ti with Si x Gei 1-x (0 ≥ x ≥ 1.00). X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) have been used to define consistent labeling of the C54 lattice parameters. In C54 Ti(Si y Ge 1-y )2 the Si and Ge atoms occupy sites equivalent to the Si sites in C54 TiSi 2 . The Si and Ge atoms form shells about the Ti atoms that, within error, have Si and Ge occupancies consistent with the net Si and Ge atomic percents as determine by Auger microprobe depth profiled compositional analysis. There is an increase in the Si/Ge ratio (i.e., y>x) in the Titanium Germanosilicide. This increase may be due, in part, to the relative diffusion rates of Si, Ge, and Ti. The morphologies of the reacted films can be divided into three groups based on their similarity to the morphologies of C54 TiSi 2 and C54 TiGe 2 formed from similar solid phase reactions. The morphological groupings indicate that the morphology of the final C54 phase (and probably the reaction path) is strongly related to the Si/Ge content of the film.