cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Channel-fill coal beds along the western margin of the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field

Abstract Four channel-filling coal beds from the lower part of the Breathitt Formation (lower Middle Pennsylvanian, late Westphalian A) were examined palynologically, petrographically and geochemically to determine the paleoenvironmental conditions under which these peats accumulated. These results were then compared with detailed sedimentological analyses of the strata overlying the coal in the channels to see if any genetic relationship between coal composition and the origin of the overburden could be drawn. All four of the coal beds used in this study are located in the western-most part of the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field and occur at, or near, the Early Pennsylvanian unconformity (0–30 m). Lycospora and Densosporites (and related crassicingulate taxa, e.g. Cristatisporites , Cingulizonates and Radiizonates ) dominate the studied assemblages, with Granulatisporites (and related trilete, sphaerotriangular genera, e.g. Leiotriletes and Lophotriletes ), Laevigatosporites and Schulzospora being common accessory genera. Petrographically, all four coals contain high percentages of vitrinite macerals (avg. 78.6% mineral matter free), moderate amounts of liptinite (or exinite) macerals (avg. 14.9%, mmf) and low percentages of inertinite macerals (avg. 6.5%, mmf). Strata above the coals consist of dark, carbonaceous shales, and heterolithic strata that exhibit varying degrees of bioturbation. Commonly occurring trace fossils include Arenicolites , Monocraterion , Planolites and Skolithos . Although marine-influenced strata, as determined from detailed sedimentology and ichnology (the study of trace fossils), covers all four coal beds, they are not uniformly high in total total sulfur content as might be expected. Rather they are extremely variable, ranging from 1–9% (dry basis) total sulfur. Ash yields are also variable ranging from 6.2–54.3% (dry basis). It is probable that the origin of the very first sediments covering the peat, as well as the amount of brackish water influence during peat accumulation, were important factors in determining the total sulfur content of the resultant coal. Initial sedimentation of fresh water clays and silts may have acted as a barrier to downward percolation/diffusion of sulfate bearing waters, or may have served as a site for sulfide formation, thereby keeping the total sulfur content of the underlying coal low. If initial sedimentation was of brackish or marine origin, as indicated by bioturbated laminae directly above the coal, or if the peat was subject to frequent brackish or marine water influence during accumulation, then sulfide generation might proceed unchecked, resulting in high sulfur coal.
Smoking and hepatoblastoma: confounding by birth weight?

Sir, The finding reported by Pang et al (2003) that parental smoking increases the risk of hepatoblastoma (HB) in offspring is interesting, but we would like to suggest an alternative mechanism than that of direct carcinogenesis by tobacco metabolites. Recent reports indicate that the proportions of low and very low birth weight (LBW and VLBW) children among Japanese (Tanimura et al, 1998) and US (Feusner and Plaschkes, 2002) HB cases is greater than the proportions in their respective general populations. Also, survival of LBW and VLBW infants has improved since the 1980s (Avery and First, 1994), and the rate of HB increased significantly over roughly the same time period (at least in the US; Ross and Gurney, 1998). Taken together, these data strongly suggest that LBW and especially VLBW is a risk factor for HB. Meanwhile, cigarette smoking is an established risk factor for LBW (Horta et al, 1997). We would be interested to know if the authors could control for birth weight in their analysis.
Boundaries and handedness.

Sz~inmary.-The responses of 116 university students were used to assess a possible relation benveen scores on Hartmann's Boundary Questionnaire and the BriggsNebes Handedness Scale. Consistent with our prediction, the mean handedness score of the students with thin boundaries was signlficandy skewed in the direction of mixed-handedness. Recently, Hartmann and his colleagues (4) described his Boundary Questionnaire (2) as ". . . an instrument developed to measure personahty differences in boundary structure; the concept of thick and thin boundaries involves the degree of separateness (thick boundaries) versus connection (thin boundaries) between a broad range of mental functions, processes, and entities. . . ." (p. 32). To date, most of the research using the Boundary Questionnaire has been focused on correlating scores on this scale with dimensions of dreaming and broad dimensions of personality. Earlier, however, in listing the types of boundaries that should be considered, Hartmann and his colleagues (3) included body boundaries. Our purpose in conduct~n~ this study was to attempt to assess whether scores on the Boundary Questionnaire were related to body boundaries by measuring the relationship between this scale and handedness. We predicted that, were these variables related, relative to persons with thick boundaries, the handedness scores of persons with thin boundaries should be skewed in the direction of mixed
Acute and chronic efficacy of bumetanide in an in vitro model of posttraumatic epileptogenesis.

Summary Background Seizures triggered by acute injuries to the developing brain respond poorly to first-line medications that target the inhibitory chloride-permeable GABAA receptor. Neuronal injury is associated with profound increases in cytoplasmic chloride ([Cl−]i) resulting in depolarizing GABA signaling, higher seizure propensity and limited efficacy of GABAergic anticonvulsants. The Na+-K+-2Cl− (NKCC1) cotransporter blocker bumetanide reduces [Cl−]i and causes more negative GABA equilibrium potential in injured neurons. We therefore tested both the acute and chronic efficacy of bumetanide on early posttraumatic ictal-like epileptiform discharges and epileptogenesis. Methods Acute hippocampal slices were used as a model of severe traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic epileptogenesis. Hippocampal slices were then incubated for 3 weeks. After a 1-week latent period, slice cultures developed chronic spontaneous ictal-like discharges. The anticonvulsant and anti-epileptogenic efficacy of bumetanide, phenobarbital, and the combination of these drugs was studied. Results Bumetanide reduced the frequency and power of early posttraumatic ictal-like discharges in vitro and enhanced the anticonvulsant efficacy of phenobarbital. Continuous 2–3 weeks administration of bumetanide as well as phenobarbital in combination with bumetanide failed to prevent posttraumatic ictal-like discharges and epileptogenesis. Conclusions Our data demonstrate a persistent contribution of NKCC1 cotransport in posttraumatic ictal-like activity, presumably as a consequence of chronic alterations in neuronal chloride homeostasis and GABA-mediated inhibition. New strategies for more effective reduction in posttraumatic and seizure-induced [Cl−]i accumulation could provide the basis for effective treatments for posttraumatic epileptogenesis and the resultant seizures.
Alternative Folding Nuclei Definitions Facilitate the Evolution of a Symmetric Protein Fold from a Smaller Peptide Motif

Protein 3° structure symmetry is a defining feature of nearly one-third of protein folds and is generally thought to result from a combination of gene duplication, fusion, and truncation events. Such events represent major replication errors, involving substantial alteration of protein 3° structure and causing regions of exact repeating 1° structure, both of which are generally considered deleterious to protein folding. Thus, the prevalence of symmetric protein folds is counterintuitive and suggests a specific, yet unexplained, robustness. Using a designed β-trefoil protein, we show that purely symmetric 1° structure enables utilization of alternative definitions of the critical folding nucleus in response to gross structural rearrangement. Thus, major replication errors producing 1° structure symmetry can conserve foldability. The results provide an explanation for the prevalence of symmetric protein folds and highlight a critical role for 1° structure symmetry in protein evolution.
A low-profile unidirectional antenna enabled by interdigital capacitor loaded metasurface

In this paper, a compact footprint and low-profile metasurface-enabled unidirectional antenna that operates from 4.11GHz to 4.26GHz with a center frequency at 4.2GHz is presented. The miniaturized metasurface, which has a reflection phase of -150 degree at 4.2GHz, was made possible by interdigital capacitor loading, resulting in a unit cell with an electrical dimension of only 0.02λ 0 2 . A finite-sized metasurface with two by three elements was integrated with a planar microstrip fed monopole antenna, enabling a total antenna footprint of around 0.13λ 0 2 and a thickness of 0.05λ 0 . Full-wave simulations show that, even with such a small footprint, the antenna achieves a large front-to-back ratio and a high gain within the targeted operational frequency band.
Micromagnetic studies of cobalt microbars fabricated by nanoimprint lithography and electrodeposition

Micromagnetic configurations and macromagnetic properties of electrodeposited nickel microbars with six different aspect ratios defined by nanoimprint lithography, and their magnetization switching properties along the long axis were investigated. It was found that the magnetization direction depends on the thickness of nickel microbars. In the remanent state, magnetization in microbars with smaller aspect ratios had a predominantly vortex configuration, while microbars with higher aspect ratios were predominantly in a single-domain state. Individual remanent curves, extracted from magnetic force microscopy images for microbars with all aspect ratios, show that in the range of magnetic fields investigated, complete switching of magnetization takes place only in microbars with aspect ratios larger than 2.86. Individual remanent curves were used to construct the net remanent curve, and its agreement with the macroscopic remanent magnetization curve is discussed. The switching mechanism of nickel microbars with rounded corners proceeds through vortex formation, as determined by micromagnetic modeling.
Structure and stratigraphy of the Luning allochthon and the kinematics of allochthon emplacement, Pilot Mountains, west-central Nevada

The northern Pilot Mountains of west-central Nevada consist of a complexly deformed terrane of imbricate thrust sheets composed of rocks of Mesozoic and possible late Paleozoic ages. Thrust nappes within the allochthonous terrane, named the Luning allochthon, are principally constituted by the Upper Triassic Luning Formation. Locally, the nappes contain numerous imbricate thrust slices, some of which are composed of undifferentiated Sunrise-Gabbs Formation (Triassic and Jurassic) and unnamed volcanic-carbonate assemblages of probable Permian or Triassic age. Three episodes of folding and thrusting are recognized on the basis of folded thrusts and thrusted folds, and deformation and emplacement of the allochthon is constrained as late Mesozoic. Folds apparently formed coevally with thrust faults and fold geometry is used to determine approximate directions of thrust transport. Thrust displacements are responsible for 35 to 40 km of an estimated 70 km of intra-allochthon contraction which is inferred from lithofacies analysis of rocks juxtaposed by thrust nappes and from the structural overlap of imbricate thrusts. The history of thrust displacement is complex and involves three directions of motion on a regionally extensive detachment surface, the Luning thrust. First motion, from northwest to southeast, resulted in the major component of stratal contraction and is the probable result of northwest-southeast regional compression. The final two episodes of motion are northeast to southwest followed by east to west; they resulted in small displacements and are possibly the product of gravity sliding of the thrust sheets into a depression formed beneath part of the allochthon within the autochthon. The site of downwarp in the autochthon may have formed by either load-induced subsidence or regional compression.
Xanthine Dehydrogenase: Differences in Activity among Drosophila Strains

In Drosophila melanogaster, mutants at two loci are known to lack detectable amounts of xanthine dehydrogenase activity. These are the maroon-like eye-color locus on the X chromosome and the rosy-eye-color locus on the third chromosome (52+/-). A survey was made of the xanthine dehydrogenase content of 98 wild-type strains of D. melanogaster. One strain with 25 percent of the xanthine dehydrogenase activity found in normal flies is described. Strains with high xanthine dehydrogenase activity have also been obtained by selection.
Abstract 5262: Activating transcription factor 4 regulates RET autophosphorylation and ubiquitin-dependent degradation

RET proto-oncogene, a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), activates a complex network of signal transduction pathways that when unregulated contributes to cell transformation. Germ line missense mutations, which give rise to constitutively active oncogenic RET, were found to cause multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2), a dominant inherited cancer syndrome that affects multiple neuroendocrine organs. Recent findings also suggest that impairment of RTK down-regulation or deactivation may be involved in tumorigenesis. The molecular mechanism that functions to attenuate RET signaling remain elusive. ATF4 is a central mediator of integrated stress response pathway. Activation of ATF4 results in tumor cell death under stress conditions thereby suggesting that ATF4 agonists constitute a potential therapeutic strategy for inhibiting tumor growth. Here, we report that ATF4 overexpression in medullary thyroid cancer cells harboring RET C634W mutation decreases RET protein expression but not the mRNA levels. In addition, ATF4 accelerates RET turnover and promotes its ubiquitination. Moreover, a RET kinase dead mutant is more stable than wild type or M918T RET suggesting that kinase activity is required for ATF4-mediated degradation. Finally, ATF4 depletion upregulates RET protein levels and RET autophosphorylation. Our findings unravel ATF4 as a feedback negative attenuator of RET signaling that could be used as a potential therapeutic target for medullary thyroid cancer or other malignancy with RET abnormalities. Citation Format: Rozita Bagheri-Yarmand, Gilbert J. Cote, Robert F. Gagel. Activating transcription factor 4 regulates RET autophosphorylation and ubiquitin-dependent degradation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5262. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5262
Biological effects of ultrasound on cultured mammalian cells

Ultrasonic waves are sonic vibrations of frequencies above 16 to 20 KHz which is the upper limit of audibility for the human ear. Above 15 MHz, ultrasonic waves are referred to as microwave ultrasound because at these high frequencies ultrasound tends to act like electromagnetic radiation even though particle vibration is still being produced. Due to practical limitations set by ultrasonic generators the upper limit of ultrasonic frequencies is around 500 MHz. The frequencies of biological interest are in the range of a few KHz to a few MHz.© (1975) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Modified variance ratio for objective detection of transient evoked potentials in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

Evoked potential studies have often relied on one or more human observers to visually assess the averaged waveforms and decide if a response is present. Although simple and easy to implement, response detection strategies based on human observers are inherently subjective and depend on the observers’ experience and biases. To avoid these shortcomings, some recent marine animal studies utilizing auditory steady-state responses have applied frequency-domain, statistically based objective detection methods; however, statistically based objective methods have not yet been applied to marine animal tests involving transient evoked responses, which are normally analyzed in the time domain. The present study applied a modified version of the variance ratio FSP to determine the presence or absence of evoked responses in two bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) stimulated with tone pips. The appropriate degrees of freedom for the statistical tests were empirically determined in four dolphins. The modified varia...
Human hepatocyte-mediated mutagenesis and DNA repair activity

Combined cultures of human hepatocytes and human fibroblasts constitute a system composed entirely of normal human cells that can be used to investigate the mutagenicity of chemicals requiring metabolic activation. Addition of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) to this system resulted in mutations at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase locus of the human fibroblasts. In separate experiments with cultures of hepatocytes alone, DEN induced unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in the human hepatocytes. A comparative analysis of UDS and hepatocyte-mediated mutagensis indicates a great degree of similarity between the human and previously studied rat hepatocytes in their response to DEN in vitro.
Cytotoxicity Effects of Graphene and Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes in Neural Phaeochromocytoma-Derived PC12 Cells

Graphitic nanomaterials such as graphene layers (G) and single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) are potential candidates in a large number of biomedical applications. However, little is known about the effects of these nanomaterials on biological systems. Here we show that the shape of these materials is directly related to their induced cellular toxicity. Both G and SWCNT induce cytotoxic effects, and these effects are concentration- and shape-dependent. Interestingly, at low concentrations, G induced stronger metabolic activity than SWCNT, a trend that reversed at higher concentrations. Lactate dehydrogenase levels were found to be significantly higher for SWCNT as compared to the G samples. Moreover, reactive oxygen species were generated in a concentration- and time-dependent manner after exposure to G, indicating an oxidative stress mechanism. Furthermore, time-dependent caspase 3 activation after exposure to G (10 μg/mL) shows evidence of apoptosis. Altogether these studies suggest different biological...
An Efficient Parallel Algorithm for the Solution of a Tridiagonal Linear System of Equations

Tridiagonal linear systems of equations can be solved on conventional serial machines in a time proportional to N, where N is the number of equations. The conventional algorithms do not lend themselves directly to parallel computation on computers of the ILLIAC IV class, in the sense that they appear to be inherently serial. An efficient parallel algorithm is presented in which computation time grows as log2N. The algorithm is based on recursive doubling solutions of linear recurrence relations, and can be used to solve recurrence relations of all orders.
Eosinophil migration in response to three molecular species of platelet activating factor

Multiple molecular species of the eosinophil chemoattractant platelet activating factor (PAF) are produced as a result of inflammatory processes. We therefore compared the ability of three naturally occurring PAF species (C16∶0, C18∶0, and C18∶1), which only varied at carbon 1, to induce eosinophil chemotaxis through naked 3-μm pore polycarbonate filters. Timecourse experiments indicated that all species of PAF tested induced significant and equivalent eosinophil migration at 1 h which peaked at 2 h. Overall, the rank order of chemotactic potency for the PAF species was relatively equivalent. The specific PAF antagonist WEB 2086 inhibited eosinophil migration induced by all three PAF species equally. We conclude that the degree of PAF-induced eosinophil migration is not dependent upon the molecular species of PAF.
The relative importance of time and dollar values in new product introduction decisions

This study investigates managerial sensitivity to timing differences in new product introduction decisions. Using a case scenario as the research setting, the study finds that in managerial decisions involving a choice between two-attribute alternatives (dollar value and time), respondents shifted their emphasis between attributes when they were personally affected by the decision outcome. Specifically, it was found that an additive constant manipulation (adding a constant to the dollar amount of each alternative) caused respondents to place more emphasis on the time attribute, and a multiplicative constant manipulation (multiplying the dollar amount of each alternative by a constant) caused them to place more emphasis on the dollar-value attribute.
Space station solar concentrator materials research

The Space Station will represent the first time that a solar dynamic power system will be used to generate electrical power in space. In a system such as this, sunlight is collected and focused by a solar concentrator onto the receiver of a heat engine which converts the energy into electricity. The concentrator must be capable of collecting and focusing as much of the incident sunlight as possible, and it must also withstand the atomic oxygen bombardment which occurs in low Earth orbit (LEO). This has led to the development of a system of thin film coatings applied to the concentrator facet surface in a chamber designed especially for this purpose. The system of thin film coatings employed gives both the necessary degree of reflectance and the required protection from the LEO atomic oxygen environment.
Intrinsic thermal noise of optical fibres due to mechanical dissipation

The spontaneous length fluctuation of optical fibres caused by mechanical dissipation is analysed using a one-dimensional model based on the Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem. Scale estimate shows evidence that the 1/f thermal noise originated from this fluctuation dominates at low frequencies in fibre interferometers and fibre cavities.
Dual-earner dads may be the latest victims of salary discrimination

The article reports on a study by Linda K. Stroh and Jeanne M. Brett which focused on dual-earner couples and found a salary gap between traditional fathers whose wives stay at home and those whose wives have jobs. The research data shows that some managers at 20 Fortune 500 companies appear to be victims of salary discrimination. For example, salary increases for traditional fathers were 11 percent higher than for the men in dual-earner families. A possible factor in the salary gap is the “wife-as-a-resource” explanation.
Instantons and wormholes in N=2 supergravity

In this paper, we construct Euclidean instanton and wormhole solutions in $d=4$, $N=2$ supergravity theories with hypermultiplets. The analytic continuation of the hypermultiplet action, involving pseudoscalar axions, is discussed using the approach originally developed by Coleman, which determines the appearance of boundary terms. In particular, we investigate the conditions obtained by requiring the action to be positive definite once the boundary terms are taken into account. The case of two hypermultiplets parameterizing the coset ${G}_{2,2}/SU(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(2)$ is studied in detail. Orientifold projections that reduce the supersymmetry to $N=1$ are also discussed.
Thermodynamics of dissolving and solvation processes for benzoic acid and the toluic acids in aqueous solution

Experimental data are presented for the solubility in water of benzoic and toluic acids from 5° to 65°C. From the solubility the molality of the monomeric form of the acid is calculated using literature data for both ionization and dimerization of the acid. These data for the monomer combined with data from the literature for vaporization of the solid and ionization in both the gas phase and the aqueous phase yield entropy and enthalpy changes for the solvation of molecular and anionic forms of the acid. A similar procedure is also applied to literature data for the solubility of benzene in water. It is shown that the hydration entropies of the monomeric forms are a linear function of their partial molar volumes. It is concluded that hydration of the undissociated o-toluic acid may be crucial to the increased acidity of that acid compared to benzoic acid.
Exploring the Role of Neighborhood Socio-Demographic Factors on HPV Vaccine Initiation Among Low-Income, Ethnic Minority Girls

Little is known about whether neighborhood factors are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake, especially among disadvantaged groups that can benefit most from the vaccine. We used data collected from immigrant, low-income mothers of adolescent girls and data from the 2005–2009 American Community Survey to investigate the relationship between HPV vaccine initiation and neighborhood characteristics. We compared initiation rates across levels of neighborhood disadvantage and employed multilevel logistic regression models to examine contextual effects on uptake. Overall, 27 % of girls (n = 479) initiated the vaccine. Initiation rates were highest among girls from the most disadvantaged neighborhoods (30 %), however, neighborhood factors were not independently associated with vaccine initiation after adjusting for individual factors. Mother’s awareness of HPV, age, and insurance status were strong predictors for initiation. Future interventions should focus on improving awareness among low-income mothers as well as targeting vulnerable families outside the catchment area of public programs.
Subgingival spirochete and leukocyte counts as indicators of response to therapy

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine whether changes in probing attachment levels are related to subgingival spirochete or leukocyte counts in periodontal pockets. Following initial clinical recordings and therapy consisting of oral hygiene instruction and root debridement, the probing attachment levels of proximal sites of 120 single-rooted teeth in 7 patients were measured every 3 months for 12 months. The measurements of each site were subjected to regression analysis, which determined whether the site was deteriorating, improving, or non-changing. Subgingival washings were taken of 19 deteriorating, 22 improving, and 127 non-changing sites to determine the number and % of spirochetes and the number of leukocytes at each site. Improved probing attachment levels were associated with reduced numbers of spirochetes and leukocytes. However, the ranges of individual measurements of subgingival washing variables overlapped considerably between groups. Spirochete and leukocyte counts related better to the 12-month probing depths than to changes in probing attachment levels during the preceding 12 months. These findings suggest that none of the tested subgingival washing parameters are suitable indicators of changes in attachment levels on an individual site basis.
Time‐steppers and ‘coarse’ control of distributed microscopic processes

We present an equation-free multiscale computational framework for the design of ‘coarse’ controllers for complex spatially distributed processes described by microscopic/mesoscopic evolution rules. We illustrate this framework by designing discrete-time, coarse linear controllers for a Lattice–Boltzmann (LB) scheme modelling a reaction–diffusion process (a kinetic-theory based realization of the FitzHugh–Nagumo equation dynamics in one spatial dimension). Short ‘bursts’ of appropriately initialized simulation of the LB model are used to extract the stationary states (stable and unstable) and to estimate the information required to design the coarse controller (e.g. the action of the coarse slow Jacobian of the process). Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genius of democracy: implications for the governance of professional organizations.

The governance of professional organizations is an important matter. In radiology, substantial challenges warranting urgent attention confront the profession. These include the inability of our current training programs to meet the projected demand for radiologists, a dire shortage of academic radiologists, declining reimbursements, increased workloads, and ongoing tensions between radiologists and members of other medical specialties over who should provide certain services (eg, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and vascular intervention). If radiology does not respond effectively to these challenges, it will lose opportunities to serve patients and suffer a decline in power and prestige. It will recruit and retain fewer highquality researchers and educators to build the future of radiologic practice. Specialists in other fields may skim the cream from the top of radiologic practice, leaving services that may be professionally uninteresting or financially unrewarding to provide. If these difficulties are to be surmounted, our national organizations must lead the charge. This renders the leadership of these organizations a matter of vital importance. If the future of radiology hinges on the leadership of national organizations, then how the leaders of those organizations are chosen is no less vital. If radiology’s organizations are to react with sufficient speed, vigor, and acumen to meet these challenges, they must ensure that the selection of leaders remains a fully democratic and participatory process. It is now more important than ever that they avoid allowing leadership to become a largely honorific or ceremonial posting requiring little grasp of the challenges and opportunities facing the profession. Leadership must never be regarded as a mere “right of passage” that naturally devolves upon individuals after long and distinguished careers. In a time when adaptability and innovation are called for, professional organizations must avoid the tendency to play it safe by controlling the process from above. They must avoid electing candidates who have not offered a vision of the profession’s future, a practice that invites failure in strategic planning. One of the most important functions of elections is to enable members to choose. When only one slate of candidates is offered, there is no choice. This lack of a meaningful choice, in turn, can leave members feeling disengaged from the organization. Such a system of governance was more characteristic of the former Soviet Union than the United States. Professional organizations should strive to ensure that their elections provide members an opportunity to exercise genuine influence within the organization. The election of a leader should not become a mere formality but should remain a genuine choice beAcad Radiol 2002; 9:1119–1121
The effects of expertise and feedback on search term selection and subsequent learning

Query formation and expansion is an integral part of nearly every effort to search for information. In the work reported here we investigate the effects of domain knowledge and feedback on search term selection and reformation. We explore differences between experts and novices as they generate search terms over 10 successive trials and under two feedback conditions. Search attempts were coded on quantitative dimensions such as the number of unique terms and average time per trial, and as a whole in an attempt to characterize the user's conceptual map for the topic under differing conditions of participant-defined domain expertise. Nine distinct strategies were identified. Differences emerged as a function of both expertise and feedback. In addition, strategic behavior varied depending on prior search conditions. The results are considered from both a theoretical and design perspective, and have direct implications for digital library usability and metadata generation, and query expansion systems.
Plasma sheath evolution from perturbed electrodes in a negative-ion plasma. Part 2. Experiment and PIC simulation

The two-dimensional spatial and temporal evolution of a plasma surrounding an electrode whose potential is suddenly decreased is experimentally investigated. The electrode contains a localized convex or a localized concave perturbation. The quasineutral plasma consists of positive ions and various proportions of negative ions and electrons. The results are compared and contrasted with those that are obtained numerically using a particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation and those that had previously been obtained using a fluid-model code.
Phase 1 pharmacogenetic and pharmacodynamic study of sorafenib with concurrent radiation therapy and gemcitabine in locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer.

Purpose To define the safety, efficacy, and pharmacogenetic and pharmacodynamic effects of sorafenib with gemcitabine-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods and Materials Patients received gemcitabine 1000 mg/m 2 intravenously weekly × 3 every 4 weeks per cycle for 1 cycle before CRT and continued for up to 4 cycles after CRT. Weekly gemcitabine 600 mg/m 2 intravenously was given during concurrent intensity modulated radiation therapy of 50 Gy to gross tumor volume in 25 fractions. Sorafenib was dosed orally 400 mg twice daily until progression, except during CRT when it was escalated from 200 mg to 400 mg daily, and 400 mg twice daily. The maximum tolerated dose cohort was expanded to 15 patients. Correlative studies included dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and angiogenesis genes polymorphisms ( VEGF-A and VEGF-R2 single nucleotide polymorphisms). Results Twenty-seven patients were enrolled. No dose-limiting toxicity occurred during induction gemcitabine/sorafenib followed by concurrent CRT. The most common grade 3/4 toxicities were fatigue, hematologic, and gastrointestinal. The maximum tolerated dose was sorafenib 400 mg twice daily. The median progression-free survival and overall survival for 25 evaluable patients were 10.6 and 12.6 months, respectively. The median overall survival for patients with VEGF-A -2578 AA, -1498 CC , and -1154 AA versus alternate genotypes was 21.6 versus 14.7 months. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI demonstrated higher baseline K trans in responding patients. Conclusions Concurrent sorafenib with CRT had modest clinical activity with increased gastrointestinal toxicity in localized unresectable pancreatic cancer. Select VEGF-A/VEGF-R2 genotypes were associated with favorable survival.
“Fanon's no-man's land”: The difficult inheritance of anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa's HIV/AIDS literature

Abstract Assessing the contribution made by recent literature dealing with HIV/AIDS in South Africa, this essay considers the influence of the tradition of anti-apartheid struggle on writers on both sides of the denialism controversy. A close reading of Roshila Nair's poem, “Fanon's land”, attends to her hesitation to apply straightforwardly the received forms and idioms of South African literary dissidence in dealing with HIV/AIDS as topic. Nair's unease sets her apart from many other writers who have written on the subject; readings are offered of texts aligned with the Treatment Action Campaign, and of Castro Hlongwane, South Africa's primary denialist document. On both sides, a recuperation of the liberationist rhetoric of popular anti-governmental antagonism is shown to impair – conceptually and aesthetically – attempts by writers to reckon with the HIV/AIDS crisis. Nair's conception of South Africa as “Fanon's no-man's land” is analysed, extrapolating a critique of the relation between viral and cap...
Reply to Sun et al.: Myosin VI movement: Wiggly or straight?

In their letter to PNAS (1) and with further material referenced online (2), Sun et al. list three criticisms of our recent work (3). First, they mention that the artifactual dipole transitions between upper and lower hemispheres are reported in J. G. Reifenberger's PhD thesis (4) but not in our paper (3). These events are rare and not associated with myosin VI steps. They falsely appear when the dipole is nearly parallel to the specimen plane due to its intrinsic dipolar degeneracy. We did not include this technical issue in our paper because this phenomenon is sufficiently described by us elsewhere (4, 5). Regardless of the hemisphere selected for data analysis, any polarization methods are prone to similar artifacts. Indeed, similar flipping events were observed in all three traces of Sun et al.’s original article (Figure 2, bottom panel, open circles, in ref. 6). Sun et al. also state that there might be a bias for selection of recordings in our paper. In fact, there is no data elimination or biased selection of the recordings in our work. Our only criterion was whether there was myosin VI motility or not.
Bio-mass sensor using an electrostatically actuated microcantilever in a vacuum microchannel

The present work focuses on the dynamic analysis of a bio-mass sensor. The main component of this microsystem is a cantilever beam placed in a vacuum microchannel with a proof mass attached to its end. The rigid mass is coupled to an electrode to capacitively drive the beam. The operating principle is based on detecting the shift in the resonance frequency of the microbeam to measure the mass of a cell deposited on the sensing tip. We show that the present system enables easy detection and measurement of the added mass. To gain insight into the microsystem sensitivity to variations in its parameters, such as the gap distance and tip mass, as well as the use of higher-order modes, we examine their effects on the variation of the resonance frequency shift with respect to the added mass.
Genotype × Environment Interactions within Iron Deficiency Chlorosis-Tolerant Soybean Genotypes

Iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) reduces total soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production in the USA by several million metric tonnes each year. Although IDC-tolerant soybean varieties are available, variety screening is difficult and does not always provide reproducible results. More robust screening methods are needed, but it is unclear how soil properties impact varietal responses to IDC. This study evaluated genotype by environment (G X E) interactions among nine IDC-tolerant soybean genotypes and one moderately tolerant genotype in IDC prone environments in Minnesota to determine which environmental factors most affect this putative G x E effect. Although visual severity of IDC within environments varied from moderate to severe over time, relative genotypic responses were similar, indicating that the timing of IDC ratings may not be critically important in ranking varieties for IDC. Across all environments a highly significant G X E interaction for yield was discovered, with soil factors creating a larger impact than year to year variation. Moreover, G x E interactions were found for visual IDC scores even when significant effects on yield were not found, indicating that variety screening based on IDC scores requires multiple locations to be predictive. Seed quality characteristics, as measured by protein and oil concentrations, were significantly affected by genotype, environment, and their interaction; however, these traits are likely indirectly affected by IDC through its effect on yield. A linear model based on three common soil chemical factors was developed to help predict future IDC severity by soil analysis alone.
Female European starling preference and choice for variation in conspecific male song

Data from several field studies support the hypothesis that female European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, attend to variation among the songs of conspecific males when making mate-choice decisions. However, for a variety of methodological reasons, direct evidence for female preferences based on song in starlings has been lacking. This study presents a novel technique for assaying directly female preference and choice in European starlings by using the presentation of conspecific male song as an operant reinforcer in a controlled environment. Using an apparatus in which the playback of songs from different nestboxes is under the operant control of the subject, we demonstrate how the reinforcing properties of conspecific song can be used to measure female preference and choice. The results of the study suggest three conclusions. First, female starlings prefer naturally ordered conspecific male songs over reversed songs. Second, female starlings display robust preferences for longer compared with shorter male song bouts. Behaviour in the operant apparatus varied directly with male song bout length. Third, preferences based on song bout length are sex specific. Male starlings failed to respond differentially to the same stimuli for which females showed strong preferences. These results suggest that male–male variation in song bout length is important for mate choice among starlings. In addition, we detail the use of a novel behavioural assay for measuring female preferences that can be applied to similar behaviours in other species of songbirds.  2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour Female mate choice based on variation in one or more male characteristics is a fundamental component of sexual selection theory (Darwin 1871). From a proximate perspective the process of female choice is thought to act through mechanisms of female preference. A female preference can be defined as any trait that makes a female more likely to mate with one male compared to another (Kirkpatrick & Ryan 1991). Among songbirds, a large body of evidence, from both field and laboratory experiments, links variation in female behaviour and mating success to variation in male song. In particular, variation in male song bout length and repertoire size can influence female choice in a number of species (reviewed by Catchpole & Slater 1995; Searcy & Yasukawa 1996). Thus, it is reasoned that selection pressures resulting from female choice influence the evolution and maintenance of male song among these species, and that female songbirds possess preferences based on male song. We examined the proximate perceptual mechanisms of
Practical escape analyses: how good are they?

A key analysis developed for the compilation of parallel programs is thread escape analysis (hereafter referred to as escape analysis), which determines what objects are accessed in more than one thread, and which references within a program are references to such objects. Escape analysis has several important client optimizations: identifying objects on which races may exist, identifying locks that can be removed, identifying heap allocated objects referenced within a single thread, and compiling for strict memory models. While the effectiveness of individual escape analyses has been measured for different client optimizations, there has been no effort to compare the effectiveness of the different escape analyses over all the different clients. Nor has therebeen any attempt to develop a perfect escape analysis and measure how far from it the different escape analyses are. This paper presents a perfect escape analysis for specific runs of Java programs, which tracks all possibly escaping objects at runtime, and determines precisely which ones escape. It uses a caching technique to reduce the time and space needed for collecting access information by 8 times and 48 times, respectively, relative to not using the caching technique. We compare the perfect escape analysis results with the results from the practical escape analyses, using the four clients above or metrics that are significant for those clients. From this comparison we conclude that the relative precision of different escape analyses changes with different clients and that the most precise analysis for each client is "close enough" to the perfect analysis for three out of the four clients.
Further evidence for the vitality of chondrocytes in the mandibular condyle as revealed by 35 S-sulfate autoradiography.

Histochemical and autoradiographic studies using 35S-sulfate indicate that the majority of the cartilage cells in the developing mandibular condyle of the young mouse are active, vital cells. Concomitant with the increase of hypoxic conditions within the deeper layers of the cartilage, an increase in sulfated glycosaminoglucuronoglycans synthesis takes place. Hypertrophic chon-drocytes in the premineralized and mineralized zones reveal marked 35S-sulfate uptake in comparison with the less differentiated cells in the chondroblastic and perichondrial zones. These observations of radiosulfate activity support the concept that calcification processes in the condylar cartilage are not necessarily accompanied by degeneration and death of the hypertrophic chondrocytes. The radiosulfate activity of the surviving chondrocytes in the vicinity of the ossification front indicates possible modulation into osteoprogenitor cells.
Smoke-Free Homes for Smoke-Free Babies: The Role of Residential Environmental Tobacco Smoke on Low Birth Weight

There is growing evidence that environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure may negatively affect birth outcomes, especially birth weight. This study evaluates the effect of residential ETS exposure on the risk of having a low birth weight (LBW) infant and investigates whether there is a dose-response relationship. This retrospective cohort study comprised 2,206 women who participated in the 2004-2005 North Carolina Phase V Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. Women self-reported information on ETS exposure and birth weight was obtained from birth certificates. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. When adjusted for marital status and income, women exposed to ETS during pregnancy had increased odds of delivering a LBW baby (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.57). After adjustment for the same covariates, a weak dose-response relationship between ETS and LBW was found (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.60 for women who were exposed to ETS generated by one cigarette smoker; OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.31 for those who were exposed to ETS generated by two or more cigarette smokers). This study provides evidence of the adverse effect of residential ETS on pregnancy outcomes. The observed relationship emphasizes the health hazard that ETS exposure in the home poses to pregnant women and their unborn babies. Educational anti-tobacco campaigns and quit smoking initiatives should target both mothers and fathers to ensure smoke-free living conditions and a healthy environment for all family members.
Scattering of directed radiation by a cylinder

A new asymptotic method of Karp and Zitron is employed to study the effect of the directivity of a source on the scattering pattern when the radiation emanating from the source is incident upon a circular cylinder. Numerical results are obtained and presented graphically when the source is a slotted cylinder for the case of H-polarization.
Pore fluid pressure effects in anisotropic rocks: Mechanisms of induced seismicity and weak faults

Many observations and studies indicate that pore fluid pressure in the crustal rocks plays an important role in deformation, faulting, and earthquake processes. Conventional models of pore pressure effects often assume isotropic porous rocks and yield the nondeviatoric pressure effects which seem insufficient to explain diverse phenomena related to pore pressure variation, such as fluid-extraction induced seismicity and crustal weak faults. We derive the anisotropic effective stress law especially for transversely-isotropic and orthotropic rocks, and propose that the deviatoric effects of pore fluid pressure in anisotropic rocks not only affect rock effective strength but also cause variation of shear stresses. Such shear stress variations induced by either pore pressure buildup or pore pressure decline may lead to faulting instability and trigger earthquakes, and provide mechanisms for the failure of crustal weak faults with low level of shear stresses. We believe that the deviatoric effects of pore fluid pressure in anisotropic rocks are of wide application in studies of earthquake precursors and aftershocks, oil and gas reservoir characterization, enhanced oil recovery, and hydraulic fracturing.