cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strength of fiber reinforced ceramics on the basis of a micromechanical analysis

Abstract A new analytical approach to the analysis of fiber reinforced brittle matrix composite is presented. The formulated model considers the failure mechanism as a formation of a crack through the matrix with intact fibers bridging the crack surfaces. The analysis accounts for a physical representation of discrete fiber distribution. The developed model is based on an implicit formulation of the exact solution to the corresponding boundary value problem. The composite strength is evaluated by relating the local stress intensity factor acting on an uncracked matrix with the remotely applied uniform stress. The growth of the internal fully bridged crack is followed from a small crack with one fiber bridging zone to an infinite number of fibers bridging the crack surfaces. The results obtained here directly involve fiber spacing, and evaluate the forces acting on each fiber and all fracture controlling parameters, such as all local stress intensity factors acting on the matrix and each fiber within the bridging zone.
E. coli RNA polymerase promoters on superhelical SV40 DNA are highly selective targets for chemical modification

Supercoiled DNAs are required or preferred in a number of biological processes such as repair and transcription. This requirement may be due to special properties which are present in supercoiled (FI) DNAs but not in the corresponding allomorphic forms. If sufficiently supercoiled, FI DNAs seem to contain single-stranded regions that are accessible to single-strand specific reagents and endonuclease1–3. The free energy associated with super helix formation may also be used to drive ligand–DNA or protein–DNA interactions3–7. In vitro studies have shown that superhelical DNA is a better template for transcription than its corresponding allomorphic forms8–15, and this is due probably to a change in the initial binding affinity of the RNA polymerase at promoter sites15–18. Previous work in our laboratory has suggested that the single-strand specific probe N-cyclohexyl-N′-β-(4-methylmorpholinium) ethyl carbodiimide (CMC), which almost totally inhibits transcription of SV40 and PM2 DNA14,18, is acting preferentially at promotor sites18–20. We report here experiments to determine the selectivity of CMC for promoters on superhelical SV40 DNA. After limited reaction with CMC there was substantially less Escherichia coli RNA polymerase bound to reacted SV40 DNA than to the unmodified DNA. Marked inhibition of transcription from the modified DNA demonstrated that CMC is highly selective for E. coli RNA polymerase promotors in superhelical DNA, suggesting that the introduction of superhelical turns may alter the parameters by which the enzyme interacts with DNA through promotor recognition and opening of the DNA.
The effects of fluvial processes and habitat heterogeneity on distribution, growth and densities of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), with consequences on abundance of the adult fish

– The required freshwater habitats of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are, in general, well known, but vary in quality, related to interacting effects of several variables, which may depend on different parts of a river system. Examples are given of ranges of densities and growth that can be found at various sites in eastern Canada, illustrating the biological and physico-chemical factors affecting production of juvenile salmon. Relative growth rates can indicate habitat quality and population densities. Salmon parr have negative effects on brook trout in riffle habitats. The effects of migrations within the river and of changes with stream succession on juvenile salmon production are illustrated with examples from a Newfoundland river. Migration of age-classes can be quantified from ‘self-thinning’ curves. Lakes have enhancing effects on downstream fluvial habitats, and, at least in Newfoundland, and probably in many boreal areas, the lacustrine proportion of the basin can be used as an index for deriving estimates of required spawning escapement. The factors described should be taken into account for more refined estimates of river production and management of the salmon resource.
Factors Contributing to the Final Selling Price of Auctioned Gift Cards

In a perfectly competitive market, the price obtained for a homogeneous good, when auctioned, should be consistent when measured as a percentage of the final bid (including shipping) to total gift card value. Rather than that being the case, however, prices varied significantly during the time period studied. This study employed linear regression on gift cards sold that utilized the standard auction format. Results indicated that card value, the time of day the auction ends, the seller's feedback score and percentage of positive feedback, as well as the number of cards auctioned on the same day, the buyer's feedback score, inclusion of an image, PayPal as a means of accepting payment, and the number of words in the description influence the percentage of total value obtained for the card.
Interspecific neighbors change seed dispersal pattern of an avian-dispersed plant

Ecologists increasingly recognize that plant–plant facilitation can influence plant community structure. However, seed dispersal facilitation among plant neighbors that share seed dispersal agents has received little study. Seed dispersal facilitation among neighboring plants can be defined as an increase in the number, distances, and/or places reached by a plant's seeds that is due to the presence of co-fruiting-plant neighbors with which it shares frugivore seed dispersers. I experimentally tested the potential for seed dispersal facilitation and competition among co-fruiting-plant neighbors using Solanum americanum and Cestrum diurnum, two plant species that co-occur in open habitats of Puerto Rico and whose seeds are dispersed by the same bird species. I constructed S. americanum neighborhoods with and without C. diurnum (i.e., mixed and non-mixed) while controlling plant ripe-fruit crop and surrounding fruiting landscape in six replicate fields. I quantified seed dispersal using a grid of seed-collec...
A new ring structure for muon (g¿2) measurements

Abstract In this storage ring of discrete magnets with uniform field and edge focusing, the field averaged over the orbit is independent of orbit radius (particle momentum). This ring is suitable for measuring the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. The field, averaged over the orbit, can be calibrated by injecting horizontally polarized protons of the same momentum and measuring the proton ( g −2) precession. The experiment then measures the ratio of muon to proton anomalous moments. A measurement of muon ( g −2) at the level of 0.03 ppm appears feasible.
The Collegial Environment and the Functional Organization

Libraries are generally organized by function in order to carry out their mission efficiently. Academic librarians who are faculty also have a collegial organization that exists apart from any functional arrangement. Public and technical services librarians in this sort of organization are colleagues who have responsibility for the library in the way that teaching faculty are responsible for the programs in their departments. This article discusses the characteristics of the successful collegial organization and the relationship of technical and public services librarians in a collegial library.
SU‐FF‐T‐581: To Reduce Hot Dose Spots in Craniospinal Irradiation: A Two‐Field IMRT Approach with Matching Beam Divergence

Purpose: In conventional craniospinal irradiation (CSI), hot/cold dose spots are commonly seen with two adjacent fields that cover the spinal cord due to different beam divergences. The purpose of this study was to develop new techniques to reduce or eliminate the hot/cold spots, and achieve a more uniform dose coverage of the spinal cord. Materials and Methods: Two approaches to reduce the effect of beam divergence were investigated. Tilted beams were used with the table in the 90° position and patient in prone position. In the first method, we used four beams in two pairs to reduce the divergence. Wedges were used to improve the dose uniformity. In the second method, two IMRT fields with beam‐divergence match were employed to compensate the dose inhomogeneity due to different SSD. Based on a phantom torso, plans were created for each new method and compared with the conventional CSI technique. Results: Both new techniques improved the dose homogeneity of spinal cord. When normalizing the mean dose to 180 cGy, the minimum dose is approximately 168 cGy for all three plans; however, the maximal cord doses are different: 237, 204 and 201 cGy for the conventional, 4‐field and IMRT plans, respectively. The maximal body dose is 269, 214 and 216 cGy, and the volumes receiving a dose >200 cGy are 128, 78 and 42 cm3, respectively. Conclusion: Two new techniques with matching beam‐divergence have been developed for CSI to effectively reduce hot/cold spots and improve the dose uniformity in the spinal cord. The two‐field IMRT technique showed the best improvement in dose homogeneity, and is feasible to be implemented clinically. The 4‐field technique can be used in IMRT‐incapable facilities. The observed improvements in dose coverage and homogeneity with the beam‐divergence matching techniques warrant further studies with more patient data.
Does Teaching Experience Matter

49 pairs of counselors with and without teaching experience were asked to rate their relationships with others and their ability to perform certain school-related and guidance tasks. The pairs were obtained from throughout the United States. Counselor educators were asked to identify pairs who had graduated from their institution, were of the same sex, and were working in approximately the same situation. Ratings were then obtained using a mailed questionnaire. The major findings were: (1) After counselors had been on the job for 8 weeks or more they perceived no difference in their relationships with others in the school. (a) Counselors with teaching experience had significantly higher ratings of their ability to perform 4 of the 6 routine school tasks listed. (3) No significant differences were found in ratings of their ability to perform guidance tasks with the exception of providing vocational information. Counselors with teaching experience had higher ratings in this area.
Bifid epiglottis: a case report

Bifid epiglottis is a rare congenital laryngeal anomaly, usually associated with multiple congenital anomalies which include digital anomalies and hypothalamic pituitary dysfunction manifesting as growth retardation. A case is presented of a 2-year-old child with this picture in whom the bifid epiglottis prolapsed over the laryngeal inlet to cause inspiratory airway obstruction. Corrective surgery was not successful and eventually a partial epiglottectomy was required.
Behavioral mechanism design: evidence from the modified first-price auctions

This paper tests the behavioral equivalence of a class of strategically-equivalent mechanisms that also do not differ in terms of their procedures. In a private value setting, we introduce a family of mechanisms, so-called Mechanism (α), that generalizes the standard first-price sealed-bid auction. In Mechanism (α), buyers are asked to submit a value which will then be multiplied by α to calculate the bids in the auction. When α = 1, Mechanism (α) is the standard first-price sealed-bid auction. We show that for any α, calculated bids should be identical across mechanisms. We conduct a laboratory experiment to test the behavioral equivalence of this class of mechanisms under different values of α. Even though the procedure and environment do not change across auctions, we do not observe the same bidding behavior across these strategically-equivalent mechanisms. Our research can inform mechanism design literature with respect to the design of optimal mechanisms.
Design guidelines for effective recommender system interfaces based on a usability criteria conceptual model: results from a college student population

With the retail electronic commerce being a major global shopping phenomenon, retailers need to develop additional tools to improve their sales. One such tool is a recommender system through which the shopping page recommends products to the shoppers using their past Web shopping and product search behaviour. While recommender systems are common, few studies exist regarding their usability and user preferences. In this study, a structured survey concerning what recommender systems should contain and how this content should be presented was administered on 131 college-aged online shoppers. Results indicate participants prefer specific recommender content. Price, image and names of products are identified as essential information, while product promotions, customer ratings and feedback are identified as secondary types of information. Shoppers preferred short and relevant recommender information, with a maximum of three recommendations on one page. Future studies may explore differences in preference of recommender systems based on different product types.
Comparison of microwave digestion with block digestion for selenium and boron analysis in plant tissues

Abstract Microwave digestion and block digestion of selected plant tissues, including National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Materials, were conducted and evaluated for their effectiveness in the determination of selenium (Se) and boron (B). With microwave digestion, two major parameters were manipulated for digesting botanical materials, microwave energy power profiles (power, time, and pressure) and volume of chemical reagents. Results show that microwave digestion is at least four hours faster than block digestion. However, the recovery rates for Se and B are 20–30% lower by microwave digestion if there is no predigestion and the inappropriate volume and combination of chemical reagents are used. The optimal combinations for microwave digestion of the tested parameters are as follows: for Se, the 0.25 g of sample material is predigested for fourhours with 2 mL nitric acid (HNO3), 2 mL 30% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and 1 mL H2O. The microwave is set at 95% power and pre...
Debating on a statewide educational television network

In the spring of 1964 six Alabama colleges and universities participated in nine debates over the Alabama Educational Television Network. Here is a brief review of that series. A few recommendations concerning televised debating are added.
Elevated concentrations of free fatty acids are associated with increased insulin response to standard glucose challenge in human immunodeficiency virus-infected subjects with fat redistribution.

Fat redistribution, defined by both increased abdominal visceral fat and/or decreased abdominal, extremity, and facial subcutaneous fat, is increasingly recognized among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients treated with combination antiretroviral therapy. Fat redistribution in this population is associated with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia and is often referred to as the HIV lipodystrophy syndrome (LIPO). Fatty acids are known to modulate insulin resistance in other disease states, but a comprehensive evaluation of fatty acids has not been undertaken among HIV-infected patients with fat redistribution. In this study, we investigated fatty acid concentrations in 64 HIV-infected individuals (45 men and 19 women) with evidence of fat redistribution (LIPO) in comparison to 30 HIV-infected individuals (20 men and 10 women) without evidence of fat redistribution (NONLIPO) and 32 HIV-negative healthy control subjects (C) (21 males and 11 females) of similar age and body mass index (BMI). Glucose, insulin, and free fatty acid (FFA) levels were measured in response to a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in the LIPO, NONLIPO, and C subjects. In addition, fasting lipids were obtained, and body composition was determined by anthropometric measurements and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Fasting FFA concentrations were significantly increased in the LIPO group as compared with NONLIPO and C subjects (0.74 +/- 0.03 v 0.60 +/- 0.04 [mean +/- SEM] mmol/L, P =.002, LIPO v NONLIPO; 0.74 +/- 0.03 v 0.59 +/- 0.03 mmol/L, P =.001, LIPO v C). In contrast, fasting FFA concentrations were not increased in the NONLIPO group (0.60 +/- 0.04 v 0.59 +/- 0.03, P =.909, NONLIPO v C). Similarly, fasting triglycerides and 120-minute OGTT FFA were significantly increased in the LIPO group as compared with the NONLIPO and C group. FFA decreased in HIV-infected LIPO, NONLIPO, and C subjects in response to OGTT, but the 120-minute FFA concentrations remained significantly elevated in LIPO patients compared with NONLIPO and C subjects. In a multivariate regression model of LIPO patients, fasting FFA (P =.027) was a strong independent predictor of insulin area under the curve (AUC), controlling for age, BMI, gender, and body composition (r(2) for model =.31). No differences were observed in FFA concentrations in the LIPO group in an analysis based on current protease inhibitor (PI) use. These data suggest that FFA concentrations are increased in HIV-infected patients with fat redistribution. Increased fasting concentrations of fatty acids are associated with abnormal insulin responses to standard glucose challenge in HIV-infected patients with fat redistribution. Further studies are necessary to determine the mechanism of increased fatty acid concentrations and the role played by increased FFA in mediating insulin resistance in this population.
Designing the LIT KIT, an interactive, environmental, cyber-physical artifact enhancing children's picture-book reading

The outcome of a multidisciplinary and iterative process, the LIT KIT is a portable, cyber-physical artifact supporting children's picture-book reading. The LIT KIT follows from the hypothesis that children's literacy can be advanced in a tangible, co-creative environment that is both physical and digital. The LIT KIT employs color, sound and movement to scaffold meaning-making through the creation of an environment that is evocative of the picture-book being read. Designed with a Sifteo™ cube [16] interface, the LIT KIT creates room-scaled audio-visual and spatial effects to both contextualize language and provide feedback during dialogical interactions between a child and an adult reader. Children can customize the LIT KIT settings to actively interpret the ideas, concepts and environments inherent in the picture-book's words and images. The LIT KIT is an outreach component, for home or classroom use, of our developing room-scaled LIT ROOM for a major public library. Presented here are motivations for the LIT KIT, and an elaboration of its design and development. Usability evaluations have begun and continue, as we further the prototype with expected completion in Summer 2013.
Two more moons found orbiting Uranus

With an hour of free time on the Hale telescope at Mount Palomar, California, last September, a team of astronomers testing a hunch pointed the 5-M instrument toward Uranus and discovered two previously undetected irregular moons orbiting the planet. The moons are the faintest ever detected from the ground, and they solve a puzzle about Uranus.
ATTRIBUTE SELECTION USING ROUGH SETS IN SOFTWARE QUALITY CLASSIFICATION

Finding techniques to reduce software developmental effort and produce highly reliable software is an extremely vital goal for software developers. One method that has proven quite useful is the application of software metrics-based classification models. Classification models can be constructed to identify faulty components in a software system with high accuracy. Significant research has been dedicated towards developing methods for improving the quality of software metrics-based classification models. It has been shown in several studies that the accuracy of these models improves when irrelevant attributes are identified and eliminated from the training data set. This study presents a rough set theory approach, based on classical set theory, for identifying and eliminating irrelevant attributes from a training data set. Rough set theory is used to find small groups of attributes, determined by the relationships that exist between the objects in a data set, with comparable discernibility as larger sets of attributes. This allows for the development of simpler classification models that are easy for analyst to understand and explain to others. We built case-based reasoning models in order to evaluate their classification performance on the smaller subsets of attributes selected using rough set theory. The empirical studies demonstrated that by applying a rough set approach to find small subsets of attributes we can build case-based reasoning models with an accuracy comparable to, and in some cases better than, a case-based reasoning model built with a complete set of attributes.
Hydrologic and geomorphic considerations in restoration of river-floodplain connectivity in a highly altered river system, Lower Missouri River, USA

Planning for restoration of river-floodplain systems requires understanding how often and how much of a floodplain may be inundated, and how likely the floodplain is to retain the water once flooded. These factors depend fundamentally on hydrology and geomorphology of the channel and floodplain. We discuss application of an index of river-floodplain connectivity, the Land Capability Potential Index (LCPI), to regional-scale restoration planning along 600 km of the Lower Missouri River. The LCPI integrates modeled water-surface elevations, floodplain topography, and soils to index relative wetness of floodplain patches. Geomorphic adjustment of the Lower Missouri River to impoundment and channel engineering has altered the natural relations among hydrology, geomorphology, and floodplain soils, and has resulted in a regional upstream to downstream gradient in connectivity potential. As a result, flow-regime management is limited in its capacity to restore floodplain ecosystems. The LCPI provides a tool for identifying and mapping floodplain restoration potential, accounting for the geomorphic adjustment. Using simple criteria, we illustrate the utility of LCPI-like approaches in regional planning for restoration of plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides) communities, hydrologically connected floodplain wetlands, and seasonal floodplain wetlands.
Giving the Forest Eyes: The Benefits of Using Camera Traps to Study Unhabituated Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Southeastern Senegal

Habituation has been the standard methodology used to study the natural history of great apes and other primates. Habituation has invaluable strengths, particularly in quantity and diversity of data collected, but along with these come substantial weaknesses, i.e., costs both in time and effort, health risks, and potential exposure of subjects to poaching. With new technologies, we are able to extend our studies beyond the limitations of habituation; camera traps are one technology that can be used to study unhabituated primate groups. In this study we used eight camera traps over the course of 2 yr (1542 camera trap days) to capture thousands of still images of West African savanna chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Faleme region of southeastern Senegal. Images corroborated behavioral observations from habituated chimpanzees at the Fongoli site, where researchers have observed nocturnal activity and cave use. The cameras also captured interspecies interactions at water sources during the dry season and allowed us to determine demographic composition and minimum community size. The photographs provide data on local fauna, including predators (Panthera pardus pardus, Panthera leo senegalesis, and Crocuta crocuta), potential prey, and competitor species (Papio papio, Cercopithecus aethiops, and Erythrocebus patas). As primate habitat across Africa is further threatened and human–wildlife conflict increases, camera trapping could be used as an essential conservation tool, expanding studies of primates without exacerbating potential threats to the species.
Hec1 and Nuf2 Are Core Components of the Kinetochore Outer Plate Essential for Organizing Microtubule Attachment Sites

A major goal in the study of vertebrate mitosis is to identify proteins that create the kinetochore-microtubule attachment site. Attachment sites within the kinetochore outer plate generate microtubule dependent forces for chromosome movement and regulate spindle checkpoint protein assembly at the kinetochore. The Ndc80 complex, comprised of Ndc80 (Hec1), Nuf2, Spc24, and Spc25, is essential for metaphase chromosome alignment and anaphase chromosome segregation. It has also been suggested to have roles in kinetochore microtubule formation, production of kinetochore tension, and the spindle checkpoint. Here we show that Nuf2 and Hec1 localize throughout the outer plate, and not the corona, of the vertebrate kinetochore. They are part of a stable “core” region whose assembly dynamics are distinct from other outer domain spindle checkpoint and motor proteins. Furthermore, Nuf2 and Hec1 are required for formation and/or maintenance of the outer plate structure itself. Fluorescence light microscopy, live cell imaging, and electron microscopy provide quantitative data demonstrating that Nuf2 and Hec1 are essential for normal kinetochore microtubule attachment. Our results indicate that Nuf2 and Hec1 are required for organization of stable microtubule plus-end binding sites in the outer plate that are needed for the sustained poleward forces required for biorientation at kinetochores.
Plant-parasite interactions: has the gene-for-gene model become outdated?

Abstract The detection of pathogens by plants is often described as a ‘gene-for-gene’ interaction. However, recent work from several laboratories indicates that, in some instances, a single gene product in the plant can mediate the recognition of multiple pathogen signals, and that multiple plant genes are required for the recognition of, and response to, a single pathogen signal.
Misperspectives on Literacy: A Critique of an Anglocentric Bias in Histories of American Literacy.

This article argues that historians of literacy, including Carl Kaestle, Harvey Graff, Suzanne de Castell, and Allan Luke, have not taken into account America's Hispanic literacy legacy. Drawing ex...
Getting What You Expect: Effects of Expectation on Intragroup Attraction and Interpersonal Distancel

An experiment examined the effects of expectations about an interaction and sex of subjects on member attraction and interpersonal distance in a small group. Groups of subjects and a moderator completed ratings, discussed a socially relevant issue, then again completed ratings. Participants were completely "free" to select their own seating positions. Results indicated that type of expectation produced specific alterations in intersubject attraction, but did not influence subject-moderator attraction. These differences were neatly reflected in subjects' seating choices. Finally, the importance of expected interaction "cli mate" was underscored for any theory of human spatial behavior.
Equilibrium with Non-convex Transactions Costs: Monetary and Non-monetary Economies

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the equilibrium with nonconvex transactions costs for monetary and nonmonetary economies. The idea that transaction costs display a scale economy is commonplace. This cost structure enters essentially as an explanation of the demand for inventories of goods, and for idle balances of money. Hence, a theory of a monetary economy with nonconvex transaction costs is a necessary generalization of the transaction cost theory so far developed. The now standard technique in a discrete finite economy is to approximate the nonconvex economy by a convex economy. Equilibrium is established for the (artificial) convex economy, and finally it is shown that a small reallocation from this point represents an approximate equilibrium for the nonconvex economy. The equilibrium includes idle balances of money and inventories of goods. Both are held to economize on transaction costs. The model uses the individualized transactions technologies of Kurz to formalize the idea of a nonconvexity facing individual agents. Nonconvexities in transactions cost may provide a strong motive for making transactions and payments in large discrete amounts rather than smaller or, indeed, continuous amounts.
Trajectories of Self-efficacy and Achievement Goals: A Developmental Approach

An emerging interest in cognition and motivation has recently involved the study of rate of change of self-efficacy and achievement goals. We used latent growth modeling (LGM) to test a structural equation model that involved prior academic grades, self-efficacy, mastery and performance-approach goals, and academic achievement measured over a two-year period. A sample of 228 (106 females, 122 males) of second-year students enrolled in mathematic participated in this study. Multivariate growth curve analyses indicated statistically significant effects of prior academic achievement on the intercept factors of the three mentioned constructs; prior academic achievement also exerted a negative effect on the slope factor of mastery goals, and a positive effect on mathematic achievement. Examination of the three trajectories showed increases in change in all three constructs. Evidence ascertained from this research investigation is informative in instructional policies and applied teaching practices.
Foreign Aid to Education: Recent U.S. Initiatives--Background, Risks, and Prospects.

The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) is a commitment of the United States to raise its grant aid by a factor of 50% over the next 3 years and will result in a $5 billion annual increase over current foreign aid levels. Many other countries and multinational development assistance agencies will be asked to help cofinance this new account, and their participation would augment this original proposal from the United States. The MCA offers the opportunity for a quantum change in the prospects for peace, stability, and the alleviation of poverty. However, will it work? This article suggests that the MCA will work only if it addresses several important dilemmas in the nature of foreign aid conditionality and the terms of reference of foreign aid organizations.
Suppression of Heterodera glycines in soils from fields with long-term soybean monoculture

Abstract Experiments were conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate soils for their degree of suppressiveness against the soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines. The soils were collected in 2003 and 2004 from two fields with long-term soybean monoculture and one field with corn/soybean annual rotation. The soils were autoclaved, treated with formalin, or untreated. Both formalin and autoclave treatments removed suppressive factors and increased the nematode egg population density as compared with untreated soil. The mixture of 10% untreated soil with 90% treated soil resulted in similar nematode population densities as in the untreated soils collected from the two monoculture fields, indicating the suppressive factors were biological and can be transferred. The soils from the monoculture fields appeared to be more suppressive than the soil from the corn/soybean rotation. Hirsutella rhossiliensis was observed in all three soils, and parasitised a large percentage of second-stage juveniles of H. glycines in...
Cotton Mather and Boston's “Seafaring Tribe”

This essay tells the compelling story of Cotton Mather's struggle to ride the stormy waves of colonial Boston's rise as an Atlantic port by focusing his ministerial and intellectual energies on a growing and volatile seafaring population. Seafarers' reactions to his efforts produced a complex, at times paradoxical, relationship.
Luminescence of cerium in the system Ba1-xCexMgF4-x☆

Cerium-activated BaMgF4 is shown to be an efficient ultraviolet emitter up to high cerium concentrations, which seems to induce a change in crystal structure.
Dipolophoresis in large-scale suspensions of ideally polarizable spheres

The nonlinear dynamics of uncharged ideally polarizable spheres freely suspended in a viscous electrolyte in a uniform electric field are analysed using theory and numerical simulations. When a sphere polarizes under the action of the field, it acquires a non-uniform surface charge, which results in an electro-osmotic flow near its surface that scales quadratically with the applied field magnitude. While this so-called induced-charge electrophoresis yields no net motion in the case of a single sphere, it can drive relative motions by symmetry breaking when several particles are present. In addition, Maxwell stresses in the fluid also result in non-zero dielectrophoretic forces, which also cause particle motions. The combination of these two nonlinear electrokinetic effects, termed dipolophoresis, is analysed in detail by using numerical simulations. An efficient simulation method based on our previous analysis of pair interactions is presented and accounts for both far-field and near-field electric and hydrodynamic interactions in the thin-Debye-layer limit, as well as steric interactions using a novel contact algorithm. Simulation results in large-scale suspensions with periodic boundary conditions are presented. While the dynamics under dielectrophoresis alone are shown to be characterized by particle chaining along the field direction, in agreement with previous investigations, chaining is not found to occur under dipolophoresis, which instead causes transient particle pairings and results in a non-uniform microstructure with large number of density fluctuations, as we demonstrate by calculating pair distribution functions and particle occupancy statistics. Dipolophoresis is also found to result in significant hydrodynamic dispersion and velocity fluctuations, and the dependence of these two effects on suspension volume fraction is investigated.
Coming to terms with heritability

The complex mechanisms of heredity are little appreciated by non-specialists, in some measure, because of misunderstandings that are perpetuated when words used for technical terms have other, more widely understood, folk meanings. When a word has both technical and folk meanings, it is the responsibility of the specialist to avoid promoting confusion by either using extremely cautious and precise language when using the term or, in cases when confusion is inevitable, abandoning the term in favor of one without a widely understood folk meaning. The study of heredity is beset by such confusion, and the term heritability appears to be at the heart of some of the confusion. In this article, I discuss both the technical and folk meanings of heritability and examine the bridge between them. By continuing to use the term heritability, we risk promulgating serious misunderstanding about the workings of heredity, therefore I suggest selectability as an alternative term to avoid such pitfalls.
Adjuvant radiotherapy with and without concurrent chemotherapy for locally advanced transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract is a relatively uncommon malignancy. The role of adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy is not well defined. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 31 patients who underwent surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy to determine overall outcome as well as impact of concurrent chemotherapy administration.Materials and Methods: Between 1970 and 1997, 31 patients with nonmetastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract (renal pelvis in 13, ureter in 15, and renal pelvis and ureter in 3) were treated with radiotherapy following attempted curative resection. Most patients (28 of 31) had T3/4 and/or N+ disease. The median radiation dose was 46.9 Gy. Nine pati-ents received methotrexate, cisplatin and vinblastine chemotherapy for 2 to 4 cycles, followed by concurrent cisplatin with radiation.Results: Median followup was 2.6 years in all patients and 8.5 years in survivors. Med...
Association of estrogen and aromatase gene polymorphisms with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Experimental and animal studies suggested that estrogens play an important role in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) through a variety of mechanisms involved in the regulation o...
Gene expression assays for actin, ubiquitin, and three microsatellite-encoding genes in Helianthus annuus (Asteraceae)

Premise of the study The "tuning knob" model of King et al. (Endeavor 21: 36-40, 1997) postulates that microsatellite mutations can alter phenotypes in a stepwise fashion. Some proposed mechanisms involve regulation of gene expression. To study the effect of microsatellites harbored in untranslated regions on gene expression in Helianthus annuus, we have developed TaqMan assays for three microsatellite-encoding genes, and two constitutively expressed genes, actin and ubiquitin, to serve as standards. Methods and results All five TaqMan assays yielded strong log-linear relationships between cycle threshold (C(T)) values and cDNA concentrations (R(2) = 0.98-0.99). Standard curves were based on five concentrations for each of five individuals. Efficiencies ranged from 0.83 to 1.03. Conclusions The developed tools will allow for relative quantification of gene expression across individuals. Genotyping these loci will allow for testing the "tuning knob" hypothesis. Further, the actin and ubiquitin assays should be generally applicable to gene expression studies in H. annuus.
The meaning and function of grunt variants in baboons.

Wild baboons, Papio cynocephalus ursinus, give tonal, harmonically rich vocalizations, termed grunts, in at least two distinct, behavioural contexts: when about to embark on a move across an open area (‘move’ grunts); and when approaching mothers and attempting to inspect or handle their young infants (‘infant’ grunts). Grunts in these two contexts elicit different responses from receivers and appear to be acoustically distinct (Owren et al. 1997, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 101, 2951‐2963). Differences in responses to grunts in the two contexts may, then, be due to acoustic differences, reflecting at least a rudimentary capacity for referential signalling. Alternatively, responses may differ simply due to differences in the contexts in which the grunts are being produced. We conducted playback experiments to test between these hypotheses. Experiments were designed to control systematically the effects of both context and acoustic features so as to evaluate the role of each in determining responses to grunts. In playback trials, subjects differentiated between putative move and infant grunts. Their responses based only on the acoustic features of grunts were functionally distinct and mirrored their behaviour to naturally occurring move and infant grunts. However, subjects’ responses were in some cases also affected by the context in which grunts were presented, and by an interaction between the context and the acoustic features of the grunts. Furthermore, responses to grunts were affected by the relative rank difference between the caller and the subject. These results indicate that baboon grunts can function in rudimentary referential fashion, but that the context in which grunts are produced and the social identity of callers can also affect recipients’ responses. © 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Frame synchronization without attached sync markers

We describe a method to synchronize codeword frames without making use of attached synchronization markers (ASMs). Instead, the synchronizer identifies the code structure present in the received symbols, by operating the decoder for a handful of iterations at each possible symbol offset and forming an appropriate metric. This method is computationally more complex and doesn't perform as well as frame synchronizers that utilize an ASM; nevertheless, the new synchronizer acquires frame synchronization in about two seconds when using a 600 kbps software decoder, and would take about 15 milliseconds on prototype hardware. It also eliminates the need for the ASMs, which is an attractive feature for short uplink codes whose coding gain would be diminished by the overheard of ASM bits. The lack of ASMs also would simplify clock distribution for the AR4JA low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes and adds a small amount to the coding gain as well (up to 0.2 dB).
Ex vivo promoter analysis of antiviral heat shock cognate 70B gene in Anopheles gambiae

Background: The Anopheles gambiae heat shock cognate gene (hsc70B) encodes a constitutively expressed protein in the hsp70 family and it functions as a molecular chaperone for protein folding. However, the expression of hsc70B can be further induced by certain stimuli such as heat shock and infection. We previously demonstrated that the An. gambiae hsc70B is induced during o'nyongnyong virus (ONNV) infection and subsequently suppresses ONNV replication in the mosquito. To further characterize the inducibility of hsc70B by ONNV infection in An. gambiae, we cloned a 2.6-kb region immediately 5' upstream of the starting codon of hsc70B into a luciferase reporter vector (pGL3-Basic), and studied its promoter activity in transfected Vero cells during infection with o'nyong-nyong, West Nile and La Crosse viruses. Results: Serial deletion analysis of the hsc70B upstream sequence revealed that the putative promoter is likely located in a region 1615–2150 bp upstream of the hsc70B starting codon. Sequence analysis of this region revealed transcriptional regulatory elements for heat shock element-binding protein (HSE-bind), nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), dorsal (Dl) and fushi-tarazu (Ftz). Arbovirus infection, regardless of virus type, significantly increased the hsc70B promoter activity in transfected Vero cells. Conclusion: Our results further validate the transcriptional activation of hsc70B during arbovirus infection and support the role of specific putative regulatory elements. Induction by three taxonomically distinct arboviruses suggests that the HSC70B protein may be expressed to cope with cellular stress imposed during infection.
Genetic Cellular Resistance to Subgroup E Avian Leukosis Virus in Slow-Feathering Dams Reduces Congential Transmission of an Endogenous Retrovirus Encoded at Locus ev21

The gene ev21, which encodes an infectious endogenous subgroup E avian leukosis virus (ALV-E), designated EV21, is closely linked to the sex-linked, slow-feathering (SF) gene K. To address the relationship between congenital transmission of EV21 and host susceptibility to ALV-E infection, SF roosters that were heterozygous for the dominant gene for susceptibility to ALV-E were mated with ev-negative rapid-feathering (RF), subgroup E-resistant dams to produce SF and RF progeny. The SF female progeny that were heterozygous ALV-E susceptible were viremic at hatch and, when mature, consistently shed the ALV group-specific antigen, p27, in the egg albumen they produced. In contrast, SF females that were homozygous ALV-E resistant were neither viremic at hatch nor shedders of ALV p27. Infectious ALV-E assays of progeny from susceptible and resistant SF dams confirmed that maternal cellular resistance to ALV-E limited congenital transmission of EV21. It is proposed that, in progeny, immunologic tolerance toward exogenous ALV infection due to congenital transmission of antigenically related endogenous viruses may be abrogated by selection for cellular resistance to ALV-E in SF lines used as female parents of feather-sexed crosses.
Engineering Approach for Tier 2 RBCA Evaluations at NAPL-Contaminated Sites

Groundwater contaminated with non-aqueous-phase liquids (NAPLs) poses human health risks and evaluation of these risks requires estimated groundwater NAPL concentrations. Site NAPL concentrations are typically evaluated using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's tiered risk-based corrective action (RBCA) system. Tier 1 uses conservative assumptions and little site-specific data, while tier 2 requires more detailed site-specific data. This paper presents an engineering approach that can be used to predict maximum groundwater NAPL concentrations resulting from NAPL spills. This screening tool was developed by deriving an analytical solution for a partial differential equation describing NAPL transport through the unsaturated zone. Model processes include dissolution, advection, dispersion, sorption, volatilization, and first-order degradation. Results are obtained using two nondimensional parameters and engineering plots for a wide range of conditions. A brief study is provided to demonstrate the application of the model. Because the engineering plots are easy to use and facilitate sensitivity analyses, the model is recommended for screening and RBCA tier 2 analyses.
CODA: high dimensional copula discriminant analysis

We propose a high dimensional classification method, named the Copula Discriminant Analysis (CODA). The CODA generalizes the normal-based linear discriminant analysis to the larger Gaussian Copula models (or the nonparanormal) as proposed by Liu et al. (2009). To simultaneously achieve estimation efficiency and robustness, the nonparametric rank-based methods including the Spearman's rho and Kendall's tau are exploited in estimating the covariance matrix. In high dimensional settings, we prove that the sparsity pattern of the discriminant features can be consistently recovered with the parametric rate, and the expected misclassification error is consistent to the Bayes risk. Our theory is backed up by careful numerical experiments, which show that the extra flexibility gained by the CODA method incurs little efficiency loss even when the data are truly Gaussian. These results suggest that the CODA method can be an alternative choice besides the normal-based high dimensional linear discriminant analysis.
"Urban Built Environments and Trajectories of Mobility Disability: Findings from a National Sample of Community-Dwelling American Adults (1986–2001)"

As people age, they become more dependent on their local communities, especially when they are no longer able to drive. Uneven or discontinuous sidewalks, heavy traffic, and inaccessible public transportation, are just some of the built environment characteristics that can create barriers for outdoor mobility in later adulthood. A small body of literature has been investigating the role of the built environment on disability, but has been limited to cross-sectional analyses. The purpose of this paper is to further advance this area of research by examining the role of the built environment on long-term trajectories of mobility disability in a national sample of American adults (age 45+) followed over a 15-year period. Using multilevel logistic growth curve models with nationally representative data from the Americans' Changing Lives Study (1986-2001), we find that trajectories of mobility disability are steeper in older age groups. Women and those with lower education had a higher odds of mobility disability over time. The presence of just one chronic health condition doubled the odds of mobility disability at each of the four study waves. Among older adults (age 75+), living in neighborhoods characterized by more motorized travel was associated with an odds ratio for mobility disability that was 1.5 times higher in any given year than for older adults living in environments that were more pedestrian friendly. These results suggest that the built environment can exacerbate mobility difficulties for older adults. When considering ways to minimize disability as the population ages, simple changes in the built environment may be easier to implement than efforts to change risk factors at the individual level.