cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Salinity an Environmental “Filter” Selecting for Plant Invasiveness? Evidence from Indigenous Lepidium alyssoides on Chihuahuan Desert Shrublands

Abstract A better understanding of site-specific factors such as soil salinity that regulate plant invasions is needed. We conducted a 3-mo greenhouse study to evaluate the salinity responses of three local maternal sources of Lepidium alyssoides, which is an indigenous species shown to aggressively colonize disturbed shrubland sites in the southwestern United States, including those affected by high salinity and sodicity. Results indicated that there were little or no population effects on plant evapotranspiration (ET), growth, and tissue Na and Cl concentrations. Significant reductions in seedling growth and ET were largely independent of various isosmotic saline irrigation solutions that included NaCl, Na2SO4, and CaCl2, each at − 0.1 MPa and − 0.2 MPa, suggesting that ET and growth were controlled by solution osmotic potential. The combined Na and Cl concentrations in leaves were 9–10% of dry weight with no visible sign of injury. However, increasing leaf mortality and abscission as a proportion of total leaf production was observed in the high-salt treatments (− 0.2 MPa), with a combined Na and Cl concentration reaching 16% with high NaCl. Under saline conditions, considerable foliage salt loads of this species could deposit high-salt litter to potentially alter a landscape to its own favor and to the detriment of other salt-sensitive species. Results of this study add to a limited quantitative database on site-specific salinity factors governing plant invasions by showing the potential for these populations to behave invasively under saline conditions and, thus, potential for soil salinity assessment to predict incipient populations. However, due to its halophytic traits and indigenous status, L. alyssoides may alternatively provide ecosystem services to salinized shrublands of the arid and semiarid southwestern United States.
Analysis of Variance Designs: A Conceptual and Computational Approach with SPSS and SAS

Analysis of Variance Designs presents the foundations of experimental design: assumptions, statistical significance, strength of effect, and the partitioning of the variance. Exploring the effects of one or more independent variables on a single dependent variable as well as two-way and three-way mixed designs, this textbook offers an overview of traditionally advanced topics for progressive undergraduates and graduate students in the behavioral and social sciences. Separate chapters are devoted to multiple comparisons (post hoc and planned/weighted), ANCOVA, and advanced topics. Each of the design chapters contains conceptual discussions, hand calculations, and procedures for the omnibus and simple effects analyses in both SPSS and the new "click and shoot" SAS Enterprise Guide interface.
Mass and Viability Estimations of Nocardia in Activated Sludge and Anaerobic Digesters Using Conventional Stains and Immunofluorescent Methods

An immunofluorescent method was developed to estimate the quantity and viability of Nocardia filaments in activated sludge and anaerobically digested sludge on both a mass and volume basis. The Gram stain counting technique of Vega-Rodriguez (1983) and Pitt (1988) was modified to estimate the mass of Nocardia in activated sludge and compared to the immunofluorescent method. Both methods were calibrated on a pure culture of chemostat grown Nocardia amarae . Using the immunofluorescence technique, Nocardia were estimated to comprise an average of 18% by weight of the VSS in a foaming activated sludge plant. Nocardia were found to be, on average, 79% viable as judged by INT reduction staining. Nocardia were found to comprise 13% of the VSS in a foaming anaerobic digester sludge and had an average viability of 63%. These organisms were estimated to be 30 to 50% viable in a mixed anaerobic digester with a hydraulic detention time of 14 days.
Horizontal Concentration and Vertical Integration in the Cable Television Industry

In the recent past, the cable industry has exhibited a pronounced tendency toward increased vertical integration and concentration of cable system ownership. As a result, the 1992 Cable Act proposed and the Federal Communications Commission implemented restrictions on such activity. Two antitrust concerns include the size of programming discounts offered to large multiple-system operators and price and carriage discrimination by vertically integrated programming networks. The empirical model in this paper attempts to systematically measure the effect of ownership concentration and vertical integration on the programming cost and price of cable operators. We find that concentration and integration lower the programming cost to cable systems affiliated with larger multiple-system operators. These discounts are partially passed along to consumers in the form of lower prices.
Sensitivity analyses for effect modifiers not observed in the target population when generalizing treatment effects from a randomized controlled trial: Assumptions, models, effect scales, data scenarios, and implementation details.

Background Randomized controlled trials are often used to inform policy and practice for broad populations. The average treatment effect (ATE) for a target population, however, may be different from the ATE observed in a trial if there are effect modifiers whose distribution in the target population is different that from that in the trial. Methods exist to use trial data to estimate the target population ATE, provided the distributions of treatment effect modifiers are observed in both the trial and target population-an assumption that may not hold in practice. Methods The proposed sensitivity analyses address the situation where a treatment effect modifier is observed in the trial but not the target population. These methods are based on an outcome model or the combination of such a model and weighting adjustment for observed differences between the trial sample and target population. They accommodate several types of outcome models: linear models (including single time outcome and pre- and post-treatment outcomes) for additive effects, and models with log or logit link for multiplicative effects. We clarify the methods' assumptions and provide detailed implementation instructions. Illustration We illustrate the methods using an example generalizing the effects of an HIV treatment regimen from a randomized trial to a relevant target population. Conclusion These methods allow researchers and decision-makers to have more appropriate confidence when drawing conclusions about target population effects.
Sources of Pathogenic Nucleic Acids in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

A hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and several related autoimmune diseases, is the presence of autoantibodies against nucleic acids and nucleic acid-binding proteins, as well as elevated type I interferons (IFNs), which appear to be instrumental in disease pathogenesis. Here we discuss the sources and proposed mechanisms by which a range of cellular RNA and DNA species can become pathogenic and trigger the nucleic acid sensors that drive type I interferon production. Potentially SLE-promoting DNA may originate from pieces of chromatin, from mitochondria, or from reverse-transcribed cellular RNA, while pathogenic RNA may arise from mis-localized, mis-processed, ancient retroviral, or transposable element-derived transcripts. These nucleic acids may leak out from dying cells to be internalized and reacted to by immune cells or they may be generated and remain to be sensed intracellularly in immune or non-immune cells. The presence of aberrant DNA or RNA is normally counteracted by effective counter-mechanisms, the loss of which result in a serious type I IFN-driven disease called Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome. However, in SLE it remains unclear which mechanisms are most critical in precipitating disease: aberrant RNA or DNA, overly sensitive sensor mechanisms, or faulty counter-acting defenses. We propose that the clinical heterogeneity of SLE may be reflected, in part, by heterogeneity in which pathogenic nucleic acid molecules are present and which sensors and pathways they trigger in individual patients. Elucidation of these events may result in the recognition of distinct "endotypes" of SLE, each with its distinct therapeutic choices.
Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: a Unique Association

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a rare disorder that is associated with lung or gynecological malignancies and Hodgkin lymphoma. Neurologic symptoms are commonly the initial presenting sign leading to the diagnosis of an underlying malignancy. We are presenting an Asian male with progressive lower extremity weakness with EBV-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and anti-Yo antibodies. Peculiarly, transient diffuse leptomeningeal enhancement is seen on MR imaging. This is the first report of PCD associated with NPC and thus illustrates that PCD embodies a boarder set of disease than previously described.
My neurofeedback story

Abstract This chapter summarizes the author’s personal introduction to Neurofeedback field and a brief history of the University of North Texas Neurotherapy Lab. In addition, the author reviews the evolution of professional and educational standards in the field of Neurofeedback.
Theoretical Progress at the Frontiers of Small-x Physics

In recent years, the theoretical foundations of small-x physics have made significant advances in two frontiers: higher-order (NLO) corrections and power-suppressed (sub-eikonal) corrections. Among the former are the NLO calculations of the linear (BFKL) and nonlinear (BK-JIMWLK) evolution equations, as well as cross sections for various processes. Among the latter are corrections to the whole framework of high-energy QCD, including new contributions from quarks and spin asymmetries. One common element to both of these frontiers is the appearance of collinear logarithms beyond the leading-order framework. The proper treatment of these logarithms is a major challenge in obtaining physical cross sections at NLO, and they lead to a new double-logarithmic resummation parameter which governs spin at small x. In this paper, I will focus on the role of these collinear logarithms in both frontiers of small-x physics, as well as give a brief sample of other recent advances in its theoretical foundations.The authors acknowledge support from the US-DOE Nuclear Science Grant No. DE-SC0019175, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Zuckerman STEM Leadership Program.
Limited evidence of tumour mutational burden as a biomarker of response to immunotherapy

Abstract Cancer immunotherapy by immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is effective for several cancer types 1, however, its clinical use is encumbered by a high variability in patient response. Several studies have suggested that Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB) correlates with patient response to ICB treatments 2–6, likely due to immunogenic neoantigens generated by novel mutations accumulated during cancer progression 7. Association of TMB and response to checkpoint inhibitors has become widespread in the oncoimmunology field, within and across cancer types 7–11, and has led to the development of commercial TMB-based biomarker platforms. As a result, patient prioritization for ICB based on individual TMB level was recently approved by the FDA 12. Here we revisit the association of mutational burden with response to checkpoint inhibitors by aggregating pan-cancer data of ICB-treated patients with whole-exome sequencing and clinical annotation. Surprisingly, we find little evidence that TMB is predictive of patient response to immunotherapy. Our analysis suggests that previously reported associations arise from a combination of confounding disease subtypes and incorrect statistical testing. We show that using a TMB threshold for clinical decisions regarding immunotherapy could deprive potentially responding patients of receiving efficacious and life-extending treatment. Finally, we present a simple mathematical model that extends the neoantigen theory, is consistent with the lack of association between TMB and response to ICB and highlights the role of immunodominance. Our analysis calls for caution in the use of TMB as a biomarker and emphasizes the necessity of continuing the search for other genetic and non-genetic determinants of response to immunotherapy.
Are All Movements in Food and Energy Prices Transitory? Evidence from India

This paper seeks to answer two questions in the context of the Indian economy. First, are all movements in food and energy prices transitory? Second, is there a significant relationship between permanent and transitory shocks to different components of the aggregate price level? Using monthly price data for India and a multivariate correlated unobserved component model based on Morley et al. ((2003), The Review of Economics and Statistics, 85(2): 235) and Bradley et al. (Forthcoming)), we find that both food and energy prices have significant permanent components. Further, we find a significant feedback effect between permanent components of food prices and manufacturing good prices. These findings suggest that neglecting food and energy prices may render the core inflation measure based solely on manufacturing prices a biased measure of long run inflation. Finally, using a forecasting experiment, we show that a measure of the trend inflation that explicitly accounts for long run price movements in food and energy prices provides a superior forecast of future inflation when compared with alternative measures of the trend inflation.
Enhanced inter-regional coupling of neural responses and repetition suppression provide separate contributions to long-term behavioral priming.

Stimulus identification commonly improves with repetition over long delays (“repetition priming”), whereas neural activity commonly decreases (“repetition suppression”). Multiple models have been proposed to explain this brain-behavior relationship, predicting alterations in functional and/or effective connectivity (Synchrony and Predictive Coding models), in the latency of neural responses (Facilitation model), and in the relative similarity of neural representations (Sharpening model). Here, we test these predictions with fMRI during overt and covert naming of repeated and novel objects. While we find partial support for predictions of the Facilitation and Sharpening models in the left fusiform gyrus and left frontal cortex, the data were most consistent with the Synchrony model, with increased coupling between right temporoparietal and anterior cingulate cortex for repeated objects that correlated with priming magnitude across participants. Increased coupling and repetition suppression varied independently, each explaining unique variance in priming and requiring modifications of all current models. Gotts et al. test different theoretical model predictions for repetition-associated alterations in functional and/or effective brain connectivity using fMRI. They report that the generated data is most consistent with a Synchrony model-based prediction and provide data which informs the refinement of all models tested.
Photoacoustic computed tomography of mechanical HIFU-induced vascular injury.

Mechanical high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been used for cancer treatment and drug delivery. Existing monitoring methods for mechanical HIFU therapies such as MRI and ultrasound imaging often suffer from high cost, poor spatial-temporal resolution, and/or low sensitivity to tissue’s hemodynamic changes. Evaluating vascular injury during mechanical HIFU treatment, therefore, remains challenging. Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is a promising tool to meet this need. Intrinsically sensitive to optical absorption, PACT provides high-resolution imaging of blood vessels using hemoglobin as the endogenous contrast. In this study, we have developed an integrated HIFU-PACT system for detecting vascular rupture in mechanical HIFU treatment. We have demonstrated singular value decomposition for enhancing hemorrhage detection. We have validated the HIFU-PACT performance on phantoms and in vivo animal tumor models. We expect that PACT-HIFU will find practical applications in oncology research using small animal models.
Imposter Syndrome & The Non-Traditional Law Professor

As members of the lower ranks of the hierarchical law school caste system, professors of legal skills courses are often branded as “others” in legal academia. This status is reinforced through weaker job security, less respect, and lower pay than received by their doctrinal colleagues. Given this inequality, imposter syndrome plays a pervasive role in the lives and careers of these “non-traditional” law professors. Relying on qualitative and associative data obtained from a survey of teaching faculty and staff at ABA accredited and approved law schools nationwide, this article analyzes how the law school hierarchy manifests as imposter syndrome in professors of legal skills courses and detrimentally impacts their relationships with colleagues; teaching; relationships with students; publication and promotion of scholarship; and personal health and wellbeing. Based on these findings, the article argues that the impacts of imposter syndrome on skills professors—many of which have gendered and racial implications—promote a recurring cycle of classism and discrimination within legal academia. Imposter syndrome is an institutionalized, rather than an individualized, problem and therefore must be addressed as such. Thus, this article concludes that the only way to reduce the insidious presence of imposter syndrome in legal academia is to dismantle the law school caste system and work towards equality.
Impacts of the North Atlantic Oscillation on sea surface temperature on the Northeast US Continental Shelf

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the dominant large-scale atmospheric oscillation in the North Atlantic and has profound effects on water temperatures in the North Atlantic. In this paper we diagnosed the effects of the NAO on sea surface temperature (SST) in the Northeast US Continental Shelf (NES). Waters in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) originate primarily from Scotian Shelf Water (SSW) at the surface and Labrador Slope Water (LSW) and Warm Slope Water (WSW) at depth through the Northeast Channel. By using a high-resolution SST dataset, we found that the correlation between the NAO and annual mean SST in the GOM is significant and negative at lag of four years. Further spatial correlation analysis shows that the NAO influences SST in the GOM primarily through advection of SSW or shelf water at the surface from the Labrador Sea. Cross-correlation analysis was also applied between the NAO and SSTs in other subregions of the NES (Georges Bank, Southern New England, and Mid-Atlantic Bight), but no statistically significant relationships were found at any lags. Different from temperature at depth in the GOM that is positively influenced by the NAO with a lag of two years, we concluded that the NAO has a significant negative effect on SST in the GOM four years later, while its effects on SSTs in the other three subregions of the NES are negligible. The four-year lagged relationship we found between the NAO and annual mean SST in the GOM provides a robust empirical method to predict the effect of the NAO on annual mean SST in the GOM four years in advance.
Mechanisms of chromosome segregation in meiosis – new views on the old problem of aneuploidy

Sexually reproducing organisms produce gametes with half the somatic chromosome number to maintain genome size with each generation. This is achieved through meiosis, in which two rounds of chromosome segregation follow a single round of DNA replication. The first meiotic division separates maternal and paternal copies of each chromosome, but, in order for this segregation to occur properly, the homologous chromosomes must first pair with their correct partner and then become physically connected so that they orient together on the meiotic spindle.
NSC 68 and the Political Economy of the Early Cold War

Introduction 1. NSC 68 and the problem of origins 2. Multilateralism, the Soviet threat, and the origins of the Cold War 3. Multilateralism, the dollar gap, and the origins of the Cold War 4. The dollar gap and its discontents 5. The British sterling-dollar crisis of 1949-50 6. The origins and development of NSC 68 7. The political economy of rearmament Conclusion.
The demand and utilization of recreational facilities: A probability model

Abstract While it is evident that there is a need to provide greater quantity, quality and diversity in recreational facilities, it is difficult to estimate a potential population demand and utilization for such facilities. This paper provides a probability model for estimating the probability distributions of both these demands and utilizations and draws implications for public decision making concerning the location of such facilities. Because of the numerical difficulties inherent in computing these probability distributions, process simulation is suggested as an efficient mechanism testing alternative locational decisions.
Lessons from the Carnegie and Best Practices Reports: A Look at the Street Law Program as a Model for Teaching Professional Skills

There has been much discussion over the impact the Carnegie Report and Best Practices Report have had and will continue to have on legal education. This article offers a unique way that law schools can meet some of the challenges of the reports. The reports focused, in part, on the academy's role in preparing students for practice. They concluded that law schools must devote more attention and resources to helping students develop the professional skills they will need in practice. The consensus was that the traditional case method of teaching is insufficient on its own to train students for practice. Thus, they recommended that law schools broaden the ways in which they teach their students to become lawyers by, for example, incorporating "settings and pedagogies different from those used in the teaching of legal analysis." (Carnegie Report at 14). They suggested that law schools can unite "formal knowledge" and "the experience of practice" by also offering non-traditional curricular offerings, such as clinics, externships, simulations, and other like opportunities. (Carnegie Report at 12). The Street Law program, a course that allows students to teach a law-related education course to high school students in the community, uniquely incorporates many of the recommendations of the reports. Through their teaching, law students learn the practical applications of legal concepts and practice important lawyering skills. Using the Street Law program as an illustration, this article demonstrates how non-traditional course offerings can provide powerful professional development opportunities for students. Thus, the program serves as an excellent model for how law schools can integrate the teaching of knowledge, skills, and values into their curricula.
'Duel' Diligence: Second Thoughts About the Supremes as Sultans of Swing

We respond to Professor Lynn A. Baker's criticisms of our article, The Most Dangerous Justice: The Supreme Court at the Bar of Mathematics. Professor Baker fundamentally misunderstands our measure of Supreme Court voting power. Moreover, she erroneously presumes that the "median Justice" wields the bulk of the Court's power. Even if there were a median Justice, it is far from clear whether he would be the Most Dangerous Justice. We conclude with a clarification of the median voter theorem and its implications for the distribution of voting power within the Supreme Court.
Adult Amino Acid Requirements: The Case for a Major Revision in Current Recommendations

This is a brief review about the current state of knowledge concerning the minimum physiological requirements for indispensable amino acids in healthy adult humans. It is hypothesized that current international estimations of these requirements are far too low, except for the sulfur-containing amino acids. Stable isotope tracer studies of amino acid kinetics are described, and that it is concluded that they support this hypothesis. Tentative revised estimates of requirements are presented.
The Impact of a Therapy Dog Program on Children’s Reading Skills and Attitudes toward Reading

An existing school program in which therapy dogs are integrated into the reading curriculum was analyzed to determine the effect on student reading. Previous literature suggests an improvement in both reading skills and attitudes towards reading when students read in the presence of a therapy dog. Using a mixed method model, the researchers analyzed standardized reading test scores of 169 students in kindergarten through fourth grade and conducted interviews with educators and dog owners. A series of t tests conducted by grade indicated a significant difference, but only in kindergarten where the children in the dog reading group achieved higher end-of-year reading scores than a control cohort. A follow-up analysis of covariance controlling for mid-year reading scores confirmed that these differences were not related to preexisting reading levels. Interview results agreed with earlier studies noting improvements in reading and writing skills as well as attitude and enthusiasm for reading across all grade levels but with greatest gains for Special Education, ESL, and children who struggle with reading. Archival data from subsequent years is being collected and will seek to replicate the findings in kindergarten and to examine the cumulative effect of the reading program.
Commentary: On Being Autistic, and Social

Abstract In psychology and allied disciplines, autism has been erroneously conceived as a disease that precludes meaningful social behavior. Anthropologists are beginning to address this problem by rejecting the narrow confines of what constitutes human social functioning, and by showing the complex ways in which autistic children and adults participate in and contribute to their societies. At the same time, anthropologists have begun to contextualize public debates about autism prevalence and etiology in historical and cultural processes. This commentary identifies two major disjunctions in contemporary public debates about autism: the first between a depersonalized form of knowledge constructed by science and a narcissistic claim for knowledge that privileges anecdotal, personal experience; the second between a “mainstream” discourse on science and a new discourse on science that explains autism in terms of environmental insults. These new environmental perspectives, especially those that concern vaccine damage, can be situated in late modernity. They mediate between a nostalgic memory of ontological certainty, trust, and authenticity and a postmodern world characterized by a loss of faith in scientific institutions. [autism, sociality, vaccines, advocacy]
Matrix Metalloproteinase-10/TIMP-2 Structure and Analyses Define Conserved Core Interactions and Diverse Exosite Interactions in MMP/TIMP Complexes.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play central roles in vertebrate tissue development, remodeling, and repair. The endogenous tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) regulate proteolytic activity by binding tightly to the MMP active site. While each of the four TIMPs can inhibit most MMPs, binding data reveal tremendous heterogeneity in affinities of different TIMP/MMP pairs, and the structural features that differentiate stronger from weaker complexes are poorly understood. Here we report the crystal structure of the comparatively weakly bound human MMP-10/TIMP-2 complex at 2.1 A resolution. Comparison with previously reported structures of MMP-3/TIMP-1, MT1-MMP/TIMP-2, MMP-13/TIMP-2, and MMP-10/TIMP-1 complexes offers insights into the structural basis of binding selectivity. Our analyses identify a group of highly conserved contacts at the heart of MMP/TIMP complexes that define the conserved mechanism of inhibition, as well as a second category of diverse adventitious contacts at the periphery of the interfaces. The AB loop of the TIMP N-terminal domain and the contact loops of the TIMP C-terminal domain form highly variable peripheral contacts that can be considered as separate exosite interactions. In some complexes these exosite contacts are extensive, while in other complexes the AB loop or C-terminal domain contacts are greatly reduced and appear to contribute little to complex stability. Our data suggest that exosite interactions can enhance MMP/TIMP binding, although in the relatively weakly bound MMP-10/TIMP-2 complex they are not well optimized to do so. Formation of highly variable exosite interactions may provide a general mechanism by which TIMPs are fine-tuned for distinct regulatory roles in biology.
Microstructure and magnetic properties of electrodeposited cobalt films

Cobalt films were electrodeposited onto both iron and copper substrates from an aqueous solution containing a mixture of cobalt sulfate, boric acid, sodium citrate, and vanadyl sulfate. The structural, intermetallic diffusion and magnetic properties of the electrodeposited films were studied. Cobalt electrodeposition was carried out in a passively divided cell aided by addition of vanadyl sulfate to keep the counter electrode clean. The divided electrolytic cell with very negative current densities cause the electrodeposited Co to adopt a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure, which is more magnetically reversible than the hexagonally close-packed (hcp) structured Co. The coercive field is also significantly less in the fcc-electrodeposited cobalt than in the hcp. SEM images show dense, uniform Co films without any cracks or porosity. Beside the deposition current, thickness of the film was also found to affect the crystal orientation particularly on iron substrates. Diffusion of cobalt film into the iron substrate was studied under reduced environment and a fast process was observed.
Turbulent heat-transfer characteristics of viscoelastic fluids

Abstract An analysis of experimental heat-transfer results taken over fairly broad ranges of the pertinent variables is presented for purposes of establishing the major heat-transfer characteristics of these systems and delineating the areas in which further and more detailed studies may be helpful These results, when analyzed in terms of the analogy equations, suggest major decreases to occur in the eddy transport coefficients, at least in wall regions, when the fluid elasticity level, as measured by its relaxation time, is increased to the level of 10−3−10−2 s. This tentative conclusion is of importance from the viewpoint of defining in part the structure of the turbulence in these systems, as direct measurements with the usual kinds of turbulence probes may be difficult or even impossible to carry out. Thus the present results also suggest that the very low drag coefficients frequently observed with these systems do not arise as a result of a “conservative”, as opposed to a “dissipative”, turbulent field but rather because of the strong suppression of turbulence in the fluid when the Deborah number of the flow becomes sufficiently great.
CONTINUOUS-FLOW CULTURE OF THE ERK AND L TYPES OF MAMMALIAN CELLS.

Abstract Equipment used for the continuous-flow culture of animal cells included a 2 l fermenter and a new simplified apparatus with a 100 ml culture vessel. Steady-state growth was obtained with flow rates in the range 0.2 to 0.9 culture volumes per day. The maximum population density of L cells (1.5 million ml) was obtained with a flow rate of 0.4 culture volumes per day. The normal maximum population density in ERK cell cultures was 0.6 million/ml with a flow rate of 0.3 culture volumes per day. There was wide variation in the population density from culture to culture and at widely separated times (intervals of two or more weeks) in a continuous culture, other conditions being equal. Cultures were grown at different pH values maintained constant by automatic addition of HCl or NaOH. Maximum population densities of L cells were obtained in the pH range 6.8 to 7.5. In L cell cultures at high pH values the requirement for glucose increased.
Perceptions of graduating nursing students regarding life experiences that promote culturally competent care

This article describes a qualitative study that explored the perceptions of graduating students from a northeast baccalaureate nursing program regarding their life experiences with cultural diversity. Thirteen students were interviewed using an interview guide, and interviews were recorded on audiotape. Information obtained included participants' cultural heritage, life experiences before entering a nursing program, educational and clinical experiences in the nursing program, knowledge about cultural competence, and the students' reflections on their ability to provide culturally competent care. Primarily qualitative methods were used to gather and analyze data. This article focuses on one of the major themes that emerged: defining life experiences related to cultural diversity. Data were reanalyzed focusing on this theme, and three life patterns emerged: positive, neutral, and conflicted. These patterns affected the students' interest and desire to provide culturally competent care. Implications for further research and nursing education are discussed.
An inverse method of modeling thermal histories from apatite fission-track data

Abstract Apatite fission-track (FT) ages and track length distributions are important sources of information about the thermal histories of rocks. Recent advances in the understanding of track annealing in apatite provide a solution to the forward problem of predicting FT ages and track length distributions that result from a given thermal history. In this paper, a method is presented to address the inverse problem—estimation of the thermal history from FT data. The inverse method uses an iterative approach (the downhill simplex) to systematically modify a starting thermal history to achieve satisfactory statistical agreement between the predicted and observed FT age and track length distribution. However, because of analytical uncertainties, a unique thermal history does not exist. Monte Carlo simulations are used to take into account the uncertainties in the data and yield a spectrum of possible thermal histories. The results are based on the isothermal annealing model of Laslett et al. ([1], Chem. Geol. Isot. Geosci. Sect., Vol. 65) but because the method uses forward predictions and not an analytical formula specific to a single annealing model, alternative annealing models could be used within the same framework. This method is an improvement in interpreting fission-track data because the range of thermal histories permitted by the data can be evaluated. To demonstrate the method, it is applied to several sets of test data created by forward modeling of idealized thermal histories. The results show that the age at which the sample cooled through its closure temperature and the most general features of the thermal history are revealed. However, data from partially annealed samples have wide spectra that reflect large uncertainties in the form of the thermal history. For such samples, FT data alone are not likely to provide strong tests of geologic hypotheses. Conversely, geologic information may play a crucial role in constraining the thermal history spectrum. In application to uplift-related cooling, this inverse method can provide much more realistic assessments of the cooling rate and its uncertainty than are otherwise possible.
Band gaps in some group-IV materials: A theoretical analysis.

We have studied the effects of expansion of the lattice on band-edge levels in Si, Ge, Sn, and SiSn. The variation in the gap in the Si\ensuremath{\rightarrow}Ge\ensuremath{\rightarrow}Sn series can be explained as moving along a universal curve of the variation of band-edge levels with the combined effect of volume and potential. For all of the materials studied, the gap at low volumes is from \ensuremath{\Gamma} to X. There is a small range of volumes where the gap is from \ensuremath{\Gamma} to L, and at high voulmes the gap is direct until it closes. Thus, in addition to the usual process of applying positive pressure to close the gap, applying negative pressure also causes band overlap and metal- lization.
The forces of inertial oscillations

By starting with a free particle and successively adding constraints, it is shown that the free motion of a particle constrained to the Earth's surface is inertial, despite statements in the literature to the contrary, and that an observer on this particle would not measure a force tangent to the Earth's surface. However, if the observer extended his measurements to include the direction normal to the Earth's surface then he would detect an oscillating force. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Testing Writing on Computers

Computer use has grown rapidly during the past decade. Within the educational community, interest in authentic assessment has also increased. To enhance the authenticity of tests of writing, as well as of other knowledge and skills, some assessments require students to respond in written form via paper-and-pencil. However, as increasing numbers of students grow accustomed to writing on computers, these assessments may yield underestimates of students' writing abilities. This article presents the findings of a small study examining the effect that mode of administration -- computer versus paper-and-pencil -- has on middle school students' performance on multiple-choice and written test questions. Findings show that, though multiple-choice test results do not differ much by mode of administration, for students accustomed to writing on computer, responses written on computer are substantially higher than those written by hand (effect size of 0.9 and relative success rates of 67% versus 30%). Implications are discussed in terms of both future research and test validity.
Higher than Everest: An Adventurer's Guide to the Solar System and Turn Right at Orion: Travels through the Cosmos

A little light reading is desirable now and then, especially over the holidays and/or during times of stress or periods of reflection. With this idea in mind, I reviewed two books that may be viewed as “science entertainment.” The first is Higher than Everest by Paul Hodge. Set some 200 years in the future, this book is structured as a guidebook for adventurers who are looking for thrills and spills at spectacular sites in the Solar System. Based on undergraduate-level lectures in planetary science, the book has 20 chapters focusing on sites such as Olympus Mons and Valles Marineris, Mars; Copernicus Crater on the Moon; Maxwell Montes, Venus; Euboea Montes, Io; and geysers on Triton. With a “peak bagging” emphasis on exploring the highest (or lowest) features, recommendations are provided for siting base camps, including necessary equipment, recognizing environmental constraints, and mapping out traverses and itineraries. Along the way, participants are advised to keep an eye out for aspects of their surroundings that would help to resolve long-standing “mysteries” regarding their origin. Parallels are drawn between extraterrestrial features and their terrestrial counterparts, and numerous photos are provided to reinforce the similarities among planetary surfaces in different environments.
Expression of two novel alternatively spliced COL2A1 isoforms during chondrocyte differentiation

Alternative splicing of the type II procollagen gene (COL2A1) is developmentally regulated during chondrogenesis. Type IIA procollagen (+ exon 2) is synthesized by chondroprogenitor cells while type IIB procollagen (- exon 2) is synthesized by differentiated chondrocytes. Here, we report expression of two additional alternatively spliced COL2A1 isoforms during chondrocyte differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). One isoform, named IIC, contains only the first 34 nucleotides of exon 2 by the use of an alternative 5' splice site, resulting in a premature termination codon and possible nonsense-mediated decay of IIC mRNA. Low levels of the IIC isoform were detected by RT-PCR and Southern analysis of COL2A1 cDNA amplified from differentiating rabbit and human MSCs. A second novel transcript, named IID, arises by the use of another 5' alternative splice site in intron 2. The IID isoform contains exon 2 plus 3 nucleotides, resulting in the insertion of an additional amino acid. The IID isoform was co-expressed with the IIA isoform during chondrogenesis, and was approximately one-third as abundant. Deletion of the IIC alternative 5' splice site from a COL2A1 mini-gene construct resulted in a significant increase in the IIA:IIB ratio. A mutant mini-gene that inhibited production of the IID isoform, however, had differential effects on the production of the IIA and IIB isoforms: this was apparently related to the differentiation status of the cell type used. These data suggest that COL2A1 mRNA abundance and other aspects of chondrocyte differentiation may be regulated by the use of these previously undetermined alternative splice sites.
Three balanced anesthetic techniques for neuroanesthesia: infusion of thiopental sodium with sufentanil or fentanyl compared with inhalation of isoflurane.

Abstract Study Objective: To compare emergence from anesthesia and the hemodynamic and respiratory depressant effects of thiopental sodium infusion plus sufentanil or fentanyl with those of isofurane as the primary component of a balanced technique for neuroanesthesia. Design: Randomized, double-blind, prospective study. Setting: University hospital and its affiliated Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Patients: Thirty patients undergoing elective craniotomy for aneurysm or tumor. Interventions: Thiopental with infusion of sufentanil 0.1 μg/kg/hr, thiopental with infusion of fentanyl 1 μ/kg/hr, or inhalation of 0.25% to 2% isofurane as the major component of a balanced anesthesia technique that included nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and vecuronium (potency ratio of sufentanil to fentanyl, 10:1). Measurements and Main Results: Intraoperative stress response (as indicated by intraoperative hypertension) was said to be the percentage of time the patient required administration of an antihypertensive drug, measuring from the first dose of thiopental to discontinuation of N 2 O at the end of the procedure, excluding any period of induced hypotension. Rapidity of emergence was measured by the number of minutes from discontinuation of N 2 O to first opening of the eyes on command. Adequacy of spontaneous ventilation was evaluated by determining partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide 1, 2, and 3 hours after discontinuation of N,O. Extent of vasoactive drug administration for control of intraoperative hypertension (as determined by the clinicians caring for the patients) was described by minutes of vasodilator infusion and milligrams of propranolol or labetalol administered. The frequency of postoperative hypertension was defined as the number of patients in each group who required medication for postoperative hypertension. No significant differences in variables were found for thiopentallsufentanil, thiopentallfentanyl, or isoflurane when these drugs were used with N 2O and vecuronium. Conclusions: Any one of these balanced anesthetic techniques appears appropriate for craniotomy.
Laser-Initiated Chain Reactions In The Partial Oxidation Of Methane

Using both thermal initiation and laser photolytic techniques, we have been studying important kinetic processes in the partial oxidation of methane. Prompt production of a relatively high concentration of free radicals via laser photolysis makes it possible to separate the thermal initiation step from the subsequent chain propagation steps. If a particular product such as methanol is desired, the conditions (temperature, pressure, and mixture composition) for rapid thermal initiation and optimum yield may differ and laser initiation of the chain provides an exciting potential application for laser-induced chemistry. We report our results on the partial oxidation of methane by oxygen at moderate temperatures and pressures. Using 193 nm photolysis of trace amounts of acetone as a source of methyl radicals, dramatic evidence of chain reaction processes is observed for laser initiation under experimental conditions where thermal initiation is not. significant. Details of the proposed mechanism are discussed as well as application of the technique to technologies for methane conversion to transportable fuels such as methanol.
Managing the consequences of aggressive conservative treatment for refractory retinoblastoma with vitreous seeding

A 4 year-old girl with bilateral, non-familial retinoblastoma (RB) was referred to our care after primary enucleation OS and active tumor OD refractory to multiple therapies (intravenous chemotherapy, laser/cryotherapy, and I-125 plaque radiotherapy). Vitreous seeding OD, initially controlled by several sessions of Ophthalmic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy (OAIC) and periocular chemotherapy, recurred shortly thereafter. The patient underwent intravitreal (IVit) Melphalan injections achieving tumor control despite the concurrent development of keratopathy, pupillary synechiae, cataract, and necrosis of the inferior fornix and the adjacent orbital fat, all secondary to the treatments administered. Repeated amniotic membrane implants and tarsorrhaphy were performed to alleviate the symptoms. Despite being tumor free for 6 months, a poor fundus view and treatment-related complications prompted us to consider enucleation, but parents declined. Following recent negative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), her cataract was removed. She was then found to have tumor recurrence. Her eye was enucleated 12 months ago and she recovered well from the surgery. As ocular oncology embarks in eye-preserving treatments for retinoblastoma, it is important to address the cumulative effects and associated impact of such treatments and the possibility of failure.