cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using historical information and data to strengthen planning for environmental protection and management at Everglades National Park, South Florida

The early environmental conditions in many national parks fit the favorable description given to Everglades National Park (ENP) at the time of its founding that the park’s wilderness and ecological resources were “superlative in value.” With the understanding that wilderness does not mean complete human exclusion, this study examines the possibilities, interests, and difficulties associated with establishing the historical superlative state of the park’s resources as a target for current restoration efforts. The focus is specifically on ENP, as the park’s existence was considered justified only if its superlative and pristine wilderness conditions could be retained in the future. Data were gathered from 18 historical documents obtained from the ENP museum and the online archives of the library shared by Florida International University and the University of Miami. The 1979 Master Plan, 2000 Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and other literature provided planning information. Qualitative data analysis was performed using NVivo 11. The findings indicate that the current restoration targets are heavily influenced by shifting baseline syndrome and that outcomes fall short of no net loss of environmental resources. Therefore, the restoration targets not based on the region’s resources during the predrainage period are technically achievable but cannot produce a restored ecosystem in the long term. This study concludes that that planning initiatives should go beyond pollution reduction strategies to include historical conditions and acquisitions of conservation lands as targets for ongoing restoration efforts.
Preliminary Results of a Prospective Study of 68Ga-RM2 PET/MRI for Detection of Recurrent Prostate Cancer in Patients with Negative Conventional Imaging

650 Purpose: 68Ga-RM2 is a synthetic bombesin receptor antagonist targeting gastrin-releasing peptide receptors (GRPr) that are overexpressed in several human tumors, including prostate cancer (PC). We present data from the use of 68Ga-RM2 in patients with biochemically recurrent (BCR) PC and negative conventional imaging (CI). Methods: We enrolled 84 men with BCR PC, 59-83 year-old (mean±standard deviation (SD): 69.5±5.8). Imaging started at 40-89 minutes (mean±SD: 51.8±9.1 after injection of 127.5-152.6 MBq (mean±SD: 141.6±5.2) of 68Ga-RM2 using a time-of-flight (TOF)-enabled simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET) / magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. T1-weighted (T1w), T2-weighted (T2w) and diffusion-weighted images (DWI) were acquired. Results: All patients had rising prostate specific antigen (PSA) (range: 0.2-124 ng/mL; mean±SD: 8.0±9.4) and negative CI (CT or MRI, and 99mTc MDP bone scan) prior to enrollment. The observed 68Ga-RM2 PET detection rate was 70.2% (50% for PSA 5 ng/mL. 68Ga-RM2 PET identified recurrent PC in 59 of the 84 participants, while the simultaneous MRI scan identified findings compatible with recurrent PC in 25 of the 84 patients. PSA velocity (PSAv) values were 0.29±0.44 ng/ml/year (range: 0.03-1.9) in patients with negative PET scans and 2.29±2.01 ng/ml/year (range: 0.13-8.68) in patients with positive PET scans (P: 0.0042). Conclusions: 68Ga-RM2 PET identifies GRPr expression in BCR PC lesions despite negative CI, confirming it as a promising PET radiopharmaceutical in this clinical scenario. 68Ga-RM2 may identify higher risk patients given the highly statistically significant difference PSA velocity values between patients with negative and positive scans.
Averted Transfers in Rural Emergency Departments Using Telemedicine: Rates and Costs Across Six Networks.

Objective: This analysis identified the rate of transfers and averted transfers and their associated costs across multiple emergency department telemedicine (teleED) networks. Methods: This study is a prospective cohort analysis in six teleED networks operating in 65 hospitals in 11 states across the United States. Each submitted uniform data on all teleED encounters for a 26-month period to a data co-ordinating center. Averted transfers were identified if an encounter met specific criteria. Cost savings from averted transfers were estimated from hospital-specific costs of transferred patients. Results: A total of 4,324 teleED encounters were reported. Excluding patients who died, 1,934 (46.2%) were transferred to another inpatient facility. Records of the remaining 2,248 teleED patients were examined and 882 (39.2% of nontransfers; 20.4% of all teleED cases) teleED patients met the criteria for an averted transfer. Of the averted transfer cases, 53.3% were admitted to the local inpatient facility, and 43.5% were discharged. Patients who averted transfer had lower levels of severity and less billed services than those who were transferred. Transport savings for averted transfers were estimated to total $1,074,663 annually across the six teleED networks. Average estimated transport savings were $2,673 for each averted transfer. Conclusions: In a large cohort of teleED cases, 39% of nontransfer cases were averted transfers (20% of all teleED cases). Importantly, 43% of these patients were routinely discharged rather than being transferred. Averted transfers saved on average $2,673 in avoidable transport costs per patient, with 63.6% of these cost savings accruing to public insurance.
Sparse group fused lasso for model segmentation: a hybrid approach

This article introduces the sparse group fused lasso (SGFL) as a statistical framework for segmenting sparse regression models with multivariate time series. To compute solutions of the SGFL, a nonsmooth and nonseparable convex program, we develop a hybrid optimization method that is fast, requires no tuning parameter selection, and is guaranteed to converge to a global minimizer. In numerical experiments, the hybrid method compares favorably to state-of-the-art techniques with respect to computation time and numerical accuracy; benefits are particularly substantial in high dimension. The method’s statistical performance is satisfactory in recovering nonzero regression coefficients and excellent in change point detection. An application to air quality data is presented. The hybrid method is implemented in the R package sparseGFL available on the author’s Github page.
Arbitrary Boolean logical search operations on massive molecular file systems

DNA is an ultra-high-density storage medium that could meet exponentially growing worldwide data storage demand. However, accessing arbitrary data subsets within exabyte-scale DNA data pools is limited by the finite addressing space for individual DNA-based blocks of data. Here, we form files by encapsulating data-encoding DNA within silica capsules that are surface-labeled with multiple unique barcodes. Barcoding is performed with single-stranded DNA representing file metadata that enables Boolean logic selection on the entire pool of data. We demonstrate encapsulation and Boolean selection of sub-pools of image files using fluorescence-activated sorting, with selection sensitivity of 1 in 106 files per channel. Our strategy in principle enables retrieval of targeted data subsets from exabyte- and larger-scale data pools, thereby offering a random access file system for massive molecular data sets.
The evolution of biogeochemistry: revisited

The evolution of biogeochemistry, retraces the important historical steps in part, covered by Gorham (Biogeochemistry 13:199–239, 1991) in the 18–19th centuries—with new emergent linkages and trends in 20–21st centuries. In the post-phlogiston period, key synthetic connections are made between weathering, atmospheric chemistry, carbon cycling, and climate change. Early work in the 19th century, focused on weathering and the importance of organisms in the exchange of carbon dioxide between the rocks and the atmosphere, provided foundations for new analytical approaches. The role microbes in connecting abiotic and biotic processes begins to emerge, based largely on the existing knowledge of stoichiometry in agricultural soils and plants. This in part, leads to the founding of ecology and its linkages with evolution and biogeography. Verandsky boldly emerges in the 20th century, with his concepts of a biosphere and a noosphere, as concerns begin to arise about human impacts on nature. The development of organic geochemistry as a discipline, allowed for new roots to develop in the evolution of biogeochemistry through linkages between short and long-term carbon cycles. In the 20th century, a new interesting stoichiometry emerges in biogeochemistry—as related to the Green Revolution, human population growth, and eutrophication problems. The advent of long-term and large-scale experiments help to constrain the complexity of non-linearity and regional differences in fluxes and rates in biogeochemical work. A new age begins in the 21st century whereby molecular approaches (e.g. omics) combined with large-scale satellite, monitoring, survey, observatory approaches are combined in the development of Earth System models. These new connections with ecological/evolutionary genetics are one of the more dramatic and important aspects of biogeochemistry in modern times.
The Real and Nature: A Heretical Nature contra Philosophy’s Nature

Author(s): Anthony Paul Smith Title (English): The Real and Nature: A Heretical Nature contra Philosophy’s Nature Journal Reference: Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Summer 2011) Publisher: Department of Gender Studies, Euro-Balkan Institute Page Range: 55-67 Page Count: 12 Citation (English): Anthony Paul Smith, “The Real and Nature: A Heretical Nature contra Philosophy’s Nature,” Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Summer 2011): 55-67.
Mental Health Conditions Among Struggling GME Learners: Results From a Single Center Remediation Program.

Background Graduate medical education (GME) learners may struggle with clinical performance during training. A subset of these trainees has mental health conditions (MHCs). Objective To characterize the MHCs that underlie poor trainee performance and their relationship to specific clinical performance deficit (CPD). Methods At the University of Virginia (UVA), GME learners not meeting appropriate milestones, or who request help, have the option to self-refer or be referred to COACH (Committee on Achieving Competence Through Help). A physician remediation expert assesses the learner and identifies a primary CPD. If there is concern for an MHC, referral is made to a psychologist with expertise in working with trainees. All learners are offered remediation for the CPD. Using descriptive statistics, we tracked the prevalence of MHC and their correlation with specific CPDs. Results Between 2016 and 2019, COACH assessed 7% (61 of 820) of GME learners at UVA. Thirty-eight percent (23 of 61) had an MHC associated with the CPD. Anxiety was the most common MHC (48%), followed by depression (17%), cognitive dysfunction (17%), adjustment disorder (13%), and other (4%). Professionalism was the most identified CPD among learners with MHCs (52%). Of remediated learners, 47% have successfully finished remediation, 21% were terminated or voluntarily left their program, and 32% are still being remediated (83% of whom are in good standing). Conclusions MHCs were identified in nearly 40% of struggling learners referred to a centralized remediation program. Professionalism is the most identified CPD among learners with MHCs.
Potato Seed Decay and Stand Loss is Not Caused by Dickeya Spread during Cutting and Handling of Seed Potatoes

Soft rot bacteria are the main cause of early seed decay and stand losses in field grown potatoes. These bacteria are present in most surface water and colonize lenticels of early generation seed potatoes and cause disease when conditions are favorable for bacterial growth. Soft rot bacteria, formerly in the genus Erwinia, have been reclassified into the genera Dickeya and Pectobacterium. Because of their ubiquitous association with potato tubers, it is assumed that the soft rot bacteria is spread during handling and planting of seed potatoes and can potentially cause seed decay and blackleg. A soft rot bacterium new to the United States, Dickeya dianthicola was first recognized in 2015 (Secor, unpublished) as the cause of serious stand losses of potatoes in production sites in the eastern US. Replicated and commercial field trials using seed laboratory inoculated and naturally infected with D. dianthicola were conducted in multiple locations to determine spread from infected seed potatoes to healthy seed potatoes during handling and cutting. There is no evidence of increased stand losses or blackleg after simultaneous handling and cutting of Dickeya infected seed potatoes with seed potatoes free of Dickeya. Laboratory trials with labeled soft rot bacteria demonstrated spread of bacteria by cutting knives. There may be other factors that prevent establishment and infection by soft rot bacteria that may spread during seed potato cutting that need to be investigated. We conclude that spread of Dickeya bacteria during handling and cutting of seed potatoes is not a major cause of subsequent seed decay and blackleg resulting in increased stand losses in the field.
Naturalise or deport? the distinct logics of support for different immigration outcomes

Existing literature examines how different immigrant attributes influence support for admission and naturalisation, but few studies consider how they affect support for deportation. Naturalisation ...
Areas of satisfaction and challenges to success of mid-career nurse scientists in academia.

Abstract Background Mid-career nurse scientists in academia face many challenges that can lead to burnout and exiting the profession. Finding ways to increase satisfaction and support will help retain these critical faculty in research positions. Purpose Describe areas of satisfaction and challenges to success in the faculty role for mid-career nurse scientists in academia. Method Cross-sectional, descriptive. A total of 65 self-identified mid-career nurse scientists completed an online survey. Findings Mid-career nurse scientists were most satisfied with their role at their organization, least satisfied with time for research and opportunities to receive mentoring. They felt moderately supported by colleagues and deans, least supported by their ADR. Differences in satisfaction among nurse scientists in different levels of research institutions were noted. Discussion Challenges to success in mid-career nurse scientists exist. Loss of nurse scientists at mid-career threatens to undermine the knowledge base of the individuals who mentor the next generation of scientists. The discipline must support mid-career scientists in their efforts to be successful in research.
Disparity in utilization of multiagent therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL): A large National Cancer Database (NCDB) analysis.

6587Background: Clinical trials have demonstrated a high rate of cure in APL with the use of multiagent therapy; however, overall survival in real world practice is significantly lower than that in...
Phenomenal properties are luminous properties

What is the connection between having a phenomenal property and knowing that one has that property? A traditional view on the matter takes the connection to be quite intimate. Whenever one has a phenomenal property, one knows that one does. Recently most authors have denied this traditional view. The goal of this paper is to defend the traditional view. In fact, I will defend something much stronger: I will argue that what it is for a property to be phenomenal is for it to be a (consistent) property one must know oneself to have when on has it. As we will see, this theory has a number of surprising and welcome upshots, suggesting that the traditional view has been unjustly maligned.
Crisis Management: Coping Mechanisms of Family Firms in Pakistan with the Ongoing Covid-19 Crisis

Within a very short period of time, the unexpected pandemic crisis has resulted in a major havoc. Not only has it claimed precious lives but has also affected every walk of life in one way or another. Stock markets have crashed and businesses have faced losses. Demand in some industries has increased whereas, some industries have faced a major decrease in demand. Unemployment rates have doubled and countries across the globe have faced overall economic consequences. Thus, considering the need of time, this empirical study aims to explore the effects of Covid-19 crisis on family firms as most of the businesses in Pakistan are family owned. Interviews have been conducted with key respondents of family firms of various sizes in order to analyze how they are coping strategically with the ongoing pandemic crisis. Findings represent how challenging this pandemic crisis has proved to be for various firms. Not all industries have been equally affected by the crisis but nonetheless, cultural change has been a major issue faced by all. With digitization being the need of time, firms have become more closer to technology and are also intending to change or extend their existing business models if the pandemic situation does not improve in a few months. The study contributes to the literature of crisis management and proposes a model for firm adaptation and positioning.
Defining and Valuing Properties and Individuals

One of the largest controversies in death and dying focuses on what dies and what is lost when that entity is dead. For the most part, those who work in the field are interested in the death of people, but it is a reasonable position that people are not the only things that matter in the discussion. Properties other than being a human person can confer intrinsic value on those beings that instantiate them. For example, in the animal rights debate, some argue that anything that is living deserves moral consideration based upon that fact. Others draw the line among the entities we must respect somewhere between those beings with the ability to feel pleasure or pain and those who can feel neither. Other folks have a different standard that will create bigger or smaller groups depending on what properties they think are relevant. In this chapter, I will argue that an adequate, pragmatic value theory must be very, very complex. First, it should view value as hierarchical . Some properties being instantiated matter more than others, although each is worthy of consideration in its own right. In addition, how we value life depends on the context we have carved out to consider the living thing. Sometimes, we focus on the general properties it has, whereas in other cases, its individuality should be of main concern.
Biomimetic Adhesive Polymers Based on Mussel Adhesive Proteins

Nature provides many outstanding examples of adhesive strategies from which chemists and material scientists can draw inspiration in their pursuit of new adhesive materials. As described in other chapters of this book, detailed studies of the adhesive mechanisms of geckos, mussels and other organisms during the past several decades have enhanced our understanding of the underlying physicochemical principles to the extent that direct translation of this knowledge into biomimetic strategies for synthesizing new practical adhesives is now possible. Although new biomimetic adhesives have the potential for impact in many areas of technology, one of the more compelling outlets for these materials is in healthcare delivery, which will be the focus of this chapter. Obvious parallels exist between the marine and human physiologic environment, and a strategy that works well in one context may be useful in the other. Efforts to develop biomimetic adhesives are most effective when guided by detailed understanding of the key features and mechanisms of natural adhesives. A simple example of this is given by recent mimicry of gecko adhesive in photolithographically micropatterned polymers (Geim et al. 2003), an approach made possible by earlier studies elaborating the fine morphological detail and adhesive force of individual gecko foot setae (Autumn et al. 2000). In the case of secreted adhesives such as those employed by marine organisms, biomimetic efforts are only possible when there is basic understanding of the key macromolecular components and their compositions. In the case of barnacle adhesives only limited information is known about the adhesive mechanism and component proteins (Naldrett and Kaplan 1997; Kamino et al. 2000; Kamino 2001), providing little guidance to biomimetic efforts. Such is not the case with mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs), which have been extensively studied and the subject of numerous biomimetic efforts. We begin with a brief review of the unique chemical features of MAPs, a subject that is discussed in greater detail in a recent review (Waite et al. 2005) and in Chap. 7 of the present volume. Several 13 Biomimetic Adhesive Polymers Based on Mussel Adhesive Proteins
A new large-stroke compliant joint & micro/nano positioner design based on compliant building blocks

During the phase of concept design of compliant joints & mechanisms, also synthesis of the mechanism, an effective design method is definitely important for generating a creative design. Currently, these design methods can boil down to three categories: creative thinking stepped from designer's intuition and experience, systematic design method based on topological synthesis or pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM), and a “nature” design method in terms of compliant building block (CBB), whilst CBB method combines the advantages of the first two kinds of approaches. This paper mainly introduces the CBB design method which may lead to some new large-stroke compliant joints & micro/nano positioners. All joint and mechanism design is based on a special CBB family, i.e. Virtual-Center-of-Motion (VCM) pivots including a leaf-type isosceles-trapezoidal flexural (LITF), etc. The main advantage of the VCM CBBs is that they can achieve a virtual center of motion and regarded as a kind of high-performance flexure primitive as well. A method to construct complex compliant joints and micro/nano positioners is presented by combination of several identical or different CBBs. This method is mainly considering the trends of center-shift or error motion after combination. Some applications of this design method is tested correspondingly. As a result, a novel family of high-performance complex compliant joints or micro/nano positioners can be obtained.
Landscape-scale geomorphic change detection: Quantifying spatially variable uncertainty and circumventing legacy data issues

Abstract Repeat surveys of high-resolution topographic data enable analysis of geomorphic change through digital elevation model (DEM) differencing. Such analyses are becoming increasingly common. However, techniques for developing robust estimates of spatially variable uncertainty in DEM differencing estimates have been slow to develop and are underutilized. Further, issues often arise when comparing recent to older data sets, because of differences in data quality. Airborne lidar data were collected in 2005 and 2012 in Blue Earth County, Minnesota (1980 km2) and the occurrence of an extreme flood in 2010 produced geomorphic change clearly observed in the field, providing an opportunity to estimate landscape-scale geomorphic change. Initial assessments of the lidar-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) indicated both a vertical bias attributed to different geoid models and localized offset strips in the DEM of difference from poor coregistration of the flightlines. We applied corrections for both issues and describe the methods we used to discern those issues and correct them. We then compare different threshold models to quantify uncertainty. Poor quantification of uncertainty can erroneously over- or underestimate real change. We show that application of a uniform threshold, often called a minimum level of detection, overestimates change in areas where change would not be expected, such as stable hillslopes, and underestimates change in areas where it is expected and has been observed, such as channel banks. We describe a spatially variable DEM error model that combines the influence of slope, point density, and vegetation in a fuzzy inference system. Vegetation is represented with a metric referred to as the cloud point density ratio that assesses the complete point cloud to describe the density of above ground features that may hinder bare-earth returns. We compare the significance of spatially variable versus spatially uniform DEM errors on change detection by thresholding the DEM of Difference at a 95% confidence interval (2σ). Results indicate significant geomorphic change in relatively predictable locations, such as erosion on the outside and deposition on the inside, of bends. Final totals indicated net erosion of [2,625,100] ± 2,389,000 m3 in the county between 2005 and 2012. Of this, 39% was generated from bluffs, 1% from ravines, and the remainder came from banks and floodplain areas.
Metabolic regulation of apoptosis via coenzyme A mediated activation of CaMKII (577.2)

The metabolic status of a cell is a fundamentally important factor in deciding whether or not a cell engages its apoptotic machinery. We have previously shown that active metabolism regulates oocyte cell death via calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) mediated phosphorylation of caspase-2(1) but the link between metabolic activity and CaMKII is poorly understood. In this study(2) we identify coenzyme A (CoA) as the key metabolic signal that inhibits Xenopus laevis oocyte apoptosis, in a novel mechanism of CaMKII activation. We found that CoA directly binds to the CaMKII regulatory domain in the absence of Ca2+ to activate CaMKII in a calmodulin-dependent manner; effectively lowering the activation threshold of CaMKII for Ca2+/calmodulin. Furthermore, we show that CoA inhibits apoptosis not only in X. laevis oocytes, but also in Murine oocytes. These findings uncover a novel mechanism of CaMKII regulation by metabolism and further highlight the importance of metabolism in preserving oocyt...
Biosynthetic Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus bulgaricus

This paper describes the first detailed study on a dihydroorotate dehydrogenase involved in pyrimidine biosynthesis. In most organisms the enzyme is membrane-bound; however, a soluble dihydroorotate dehydrogenase was produced in relatively high levels when the anaerobe, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, was released from repression. The enzyme was purified 213-fold over derepressed levels with a 39% recovery of enzyme units. The enzyme showed only one minor protein contaminant when analyzed by polyacrylamide electrophoresis. It was characterized as a flavoprotein containing only flavine mononucleotide as the prosthetic group. Molecular weight estimations by gel filtration gave a value of approximately 55,000, which is one-half that of the degradative enzyme described by others. During aerobic oxidation of dihydroorotate, the rates of oxygen consumption, orotate formation, and hydrogen peroxide formation were equal, as would be expected in a flavoprotein-catalyzed reaction. The enzymatic activity with ferricyanide as acceptor was optimum around pH 7.7. The stimulation of enzymatic activity over a wide pH range by ammonium sulfate was attributed to an effect on the maximum velocity of the reaction. As analyzed by polyacrylamide electrophoresis, inactivation of the enzyme by visible light resulted in the appearance of a second protein band with lowered specific activity. The purified enzyme used redox dyes, oxygen, or cytochrome c as electron acceptors but was not active with pyridine nucleotides. Flavine adenine dinucleotide has been implicated at the active site for pyridine nucleotide reduction in the degradative enzyme. The biosynthetic enzyme lacks this flavine and the associated activity.
Evolutionary analysis of the global landscape of protein domain types and domain architectures associated with family 14 carbohydrate-binding modules

Domain promiscuity is a powerful evolutionary force that promotes functional innovation in proteins, thus increasing proteome and organismal complexity. Carbohydrate-binding modules, in particular, are known to partake in complex modular architectures that play crucial roles in numerous biochemical and molecular processes. However, the extent, functional, and evolutionary significance of promiscuity is shrouded in mystery for most CBM families. Here, we analyzed the global promiscuity of family 14 carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM14s) and show that fusion, fission, and reorganization events with numerous other domain types interplayed incessantly in a lineage-dependent manner to likely facilitate species adaptation and functional innovation in the family.
State Liability for Environmental Violations: The U.S. Supreme Court’s 'New' Federalism

This article examines whether the Supreme Court’s decisions in Alden v. Maine, College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board, and Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board v. College Savings Bank, restrict the ability of Congress to regulate state compliance with federal environmental statutes. The article discusses the various enforcement mechanisms identified in Alden v. Maine and that remain valid, notwithstanding any Eleventh Amendment or constitutional immunity the States may retain. The article concludes that the Supreme Court’s federalism decisions will likely have limited practical impact upon Congress’ authority to enact and ensure the enforcement of environmental statutes.
Aspiration of oocytes from mature and immature preovulatory follicles in the mare

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to investigate methods for aspirating oocytes from immature preovulatory follicles in the mare. In Experiment 1, the ovary was manipulated per rectum and the follicle was punctured by a needle introduced through the flank. Suction was provided by either a syringe or by a vacuum pump connected to the needle via tubing. The preovulatory follicle was aspirated when it reached a diameter of 32 ± 2 mm (Group A); 37 ± 2 mm (Group B); or 42 ± 2 mm (Group C). There was no significant difference in oocyte recovery rates between the two methods ( 7 24 vs 3 19 ). Oocyte recovery rates were higher for Groups B and C ( 5 14 and 4 12 , respectively) than for Group A ( 1 17 ; P 9 13 (69%) for mares treated with human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and 15 21 (71%) for unstimulated mares. This difference was not significant. The oocyte recovery rate for unstimulated follicles (average diameter 39.7 mm) in Experiment 2 was significantly higher than those for Group B and Group C in Experiment 1 (P
Sustainability Impacts of a Program of Decommissioning Older Automobiles for Replacement With Newer, More Efficient Vehicles

This paper investigates a representative vehicle replacement scenario on a comprehensive basis, including energy for fabrication, operation and decommissioning, together with the associated environmental and economic impacts. It is postulated that to lessen the environmental impact of older, inefficient devices, legislation may be passed to require the decommissioning and purchase of newer equipment. However, the energy consumed, greenhouse gases emitted, and economic costs of building a new product and decommissioning the old product may outweigh the benefit of removing an inefficient device from service on a life-cycle basis. A representative case of retirement of automobiles from 1990 and earlier by comparable 2007 model internal combustion engine automobiles is considered. The energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and economic cost to the consumer are compared for two cases, one that includes the production and operation of a new car and decommissioning of the older car, and a second case accounting for only the continued operation of the older car. It was found that from an energy and emissions standpoint, it is beneficial to require the decommissioning of older automobiles. However in the same time period, economic considerations from the customer’s perspective favor continued operation of the older automobile. Therefore, the study concludes that without such an economic basis, legislation and incentives would be required to enable the replacement of older automobiles with more efficient models.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Complexes of 2,6-dicarboxypiperidineacetic acid with some divalent metal ions

Abstract The preparation of a new quadridentate ligand related to nitrolotriacetic acid, 2,6-dicarboxypiperidineacetic acid, has been carried out and the solution stabilities of some complexes which are formed by it with divalent metal ions have been measured (25°C, μ = 0·1). The piperidine ring introduces some steric effects into this ligand and the ways in which these are reflected in the stability constants are described. On the basis of the linear relationship between pkN and log K found previously for ligands related to nitrilotriacetic acid, it is shown that the magnesium chelate has been markedly stabilized. This is in contrast with the results obtained for related ligands. The copper(II) complex is particularly stable and a possible explanation for this enhanced stability in terms of the shape of the chelating cavity is discussed.
Using linear programming to optimize rehabilitation and restoration of injured land: an application to US army training sites

Abstract Rehabilitating damaged lands is often necessary to repair environmental damage from natural and man-induced activities. Damage and its rehabilitation present a trade-off in cost where increasing rehabilitation costs reduce the cost of damage. To manage this trade-off a Linear Program (LP) was formulated to minimize the cost of rehabilitation plus damage. The cost minimization techniques were applied to the Fort Carson Military Reservation in Colorado. This fort sustains heavy military training activity and is characterized by diverse terrain and complex vegetation. Data were obtained from site assessments and interviews with land managers, rehabilitation cost information was used to arrive at five treatment alternatives available for each acre identified as needing rehabilitation. The program identified the optimal treatment schedule given limited resources including budget and three kinds of land; grassland, shrubland and woodland. The results suggest that such LP formulations can provide an important tool for military land managers seeking cost-effective rehabilitation of their sites. The LP application provided an insightful and convenient way to optimize the schedule of treatments that would minimize total cost across the different cover types while producing ancillary output on the value of additional budget and land. The process has potentially broader appeal as a tool to guide land managers in the optimal allocation of rehabilitation resources. 1998 Academic Press Limited
Modulation of the keratinocyte-fibroblast paracrine relationship with gelatin-based semi-interpenetrating networks containing bioactive factors for wound repair.

Gelatin-based semi-interpenetrating networks (sIPNs) containing soluble and covalently-linked bioactive factors have been shown to aid in wound healing; however, the biological responses elicited by the introduction of sIPN biomaterials remain unclear. In the current study, modulation of the re-epithelialization phase of wound healing by sIPNs grafted with PEGylated fibronectin-derived peptides and utilized as platforms for the delivery of exogenous keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) was evaluated. Following wounding, keratinocyte migration, proliferation and protein secretion is largely controlled by diffusible factors, such as KGF, released by the underlying fibroblasts. The impact of sIPNs and exogenous KGF upon the latter keratinocyte–fibroblast paracrine relationship and keratinocyte behavior was explored by monitoring keratinocyte adhesion and cytokine (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, KGF, GM-CSF and TGF-α) release. Results were generally similar for keratinocyte monoculture and keratinocyte–fibroblast co-culture...
Sanctioning Models: The Epistemology of Simulation

In its reconstruction of scientific practice, philosophy of science has traditionally placed scientific theories in a central role, and has reduced the problem of mediating between theories and the world to formal considerations. Many applications of scientific theories, however, involve complex mathematical models whose constitutive equations are analytically unsolvable. The study of these applications often consists in developing representations of the underlying physics on a computer, and using the techniques of computer simulation in order to learn about the behavior of these systems. In many instances, these computer simulations are not simple number-crunching techniques. They involve a complex chain of inferences that serve to transform theoretical structures into specific concrete knowledge of physical systems. In this paper I argue that this process of transformation has its own epistemology. I also argue that this kind of epistemology is unfamiliar to most philosophy of science, which has traditionally concerned itself with the justification of theories, not with their application. Finally, I urge that the nature of this epistemology suggests that the end results of some simulations do not bear a simple, straightforward relation to the theories from which they stem.
Partisan Affections and Change in Partisan Self-Images:

This article seeks to differentiate between partisan affections and partisan self-images and analyzes how changes in respondents' partisan affections may relate to changes in their partisan self-images. Analysis revealed that changes in partisan affections (1) precede adoption of partisan self-images on the part of self-classified Independents, and (2) precede changes in the nature of partisan self-images on the part of those identifying with a major political party.
Freehand full-thickness grafting for facial defects: a review of methods.

Abstract Purpose This article reviews the use of full-thickness skin grafts for closure of facial defects. Patients and Methods In almost 3 years, 30 patients had full-thickness skin grafting after removal of premalignant or malignant facial skin lesions. The most common graft harvest sites included the preauricular and postauricular, neck, and supraclavicular areas. Results Few complications were seen except for rare surface necrosis and depression of the grafted site, and the esthetic results were generally satisfactory. Conclusio Full-thickness skin grafts offer a reliable alternative to the use of flaps in selected cases.
Ligand Extraction Properties of the GM2 Activator Protein and Its Interactions with Lipid Vesicles

The GM2 activator protein (GM2AP) is an accessory protein required for the enzymatic conversion of GM2 to GM3 by hydrolases in the lysosomal compartments of cells. Here, GM2AP interactions with lipid vesicles are investigated by sucrose-loaded vesicle sedimentation and gel filtration assays, and the effects of pH and lipid composition on membrane binding and lipid extraction are characterized. The sedimentation experiments allow for facile quantification of the percentage of protein in solution and on the bilayer surface, with detailed analysis of the protein:lipid complex that remains in solution. Optimum binding and ligand extraction is found for pH 4.8 where <15% of the protein remains surface associated regardless of the lipid composition. In addition to extracting GM2, we find that GM2AP readily extracts dansyl-headgroup-labeled lipids as well as other phospholipids from vesicles. The ability of GM2AP to extract dansyl-DHPE from vesicles is altered by pH and the specific ligand GM2. Although the unique endosomal lipid, bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate, is not required for ligand extraction, it does enhance the extraction efficiency of GM2 when cholesterol is present in the vesicles.
Effect of acridine orange upon an Hfr strain of Escherichia coli K12 displaying unusual transfer kinetics.

Donor Hfr CS101 has gene transfer curves displaying two distinct parts; an initial low slope which breaks sharply into a second steep slope. We have established that the first slope represents the true time of gene entry into receptor cells. Under similar conditions of mating, donor Hfr C shows classical linear transfer curves with no marked break in the slope. When chromosome transfer was followed in specific mating pairs formed five minutes after contact, it was found that although both Hfr CS101 and Hfr C gave rise to equal numbers of effective contacts, Hfr C gave rise to from 10 to 30 times the number of recombinants as Hfr CS101. Also, Hfr C has a transfer delay of between 15 and 20 minutes from the time of gene entry till plateau, while Hfr CS101 has a transfer delay of from 40 to 50 minutes. Therefore, these kinetic transfer results of Hfr CS101 appear to be the result of a unique alteration of chromosome mobilization and transfer. Transfer of genetic markers has been followed in the donor Hfr C which gives rise to classical kinetics and in the unusual donor in the presence and absence of acridine orange, a dye previously found to inhibit chromosome transfer during conjugation. At a concentration of 30 μg acridine orange/ml. in the mating broth, transfer of the markers by Hfr C is inhibited by about 50% but the unusual transfer of Hfr CS101 is unaffected. We have isolated the sex factor segment from Hfr CS101 and tested the autonomous F′ factor's sensitivity to curing by acridine orange. As controls, strains A237 and P678-F8 carrying autonomous F′ factors were also subjected to acridine orange treatment after the method of Hirota. Following growth in broth containing 50 μg acridine orange/ml., strains A327 and P678-F8 had lost their autonomous F′ factors but strain P678-3 still retained its autonomous F′ factor isolated from Hfr CS101. Therefore, in contrast to all prior reports in the literature with other sex factors, the replicating mechanism of the sex factor segment derived from Hfr CS101 is resistant to curing by acridine orange.
Case Report Spur Reformation After Arthroscopic Acromioplasty

Rotator cuff pathology has been associated with a hooked acromial morphology. Impingement syndrome has traditionally been considered to be the result of bony encroachment into the subacromial space. This report of a spur recurrence after acromioplasty presents evidence that acromial morphology may be a reactive change attributable to primary rotator cuff insufficiency.
HEAT KERNEL MEASURE ON LOOP AND PATH GROUPS

Diffusions on the pinned loop and pathgroup of a general (non-compact) Lie group are constructed. The laws of the endpoint processes satisfy heat equations related to second order differential operators associated to subspaces of the Cameron–Martin space.
Semiconductor manufacturing scheduling: maximizing delivery performance in semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities

This paper is motivated by the problem of scheduling customer orders (jobs) in a semiconductor fabrication facility ("wafer fab") to maximize delivery performance when the jobs have non-identical priorities (weights). As each job is typically assigned a weight based on its size, value, and/or requesting customer, a wafer fab's delivery performance can be evaluated in terms of minimizing the sum of each job's weighted tardiness. A heuristic has been proposed for obtaining "good" solutions to this complex problem. Using a "real world" wafer fab data model, the heuristic is compared to a number of dispatching rules in terms of how well each method produces job sequences that maximize delivery performance of customer orders. Results suggest that the heuristic consistently produces the best overall schedules, but there is a price to be paid in terms of solution speed.
Some Ideas on the Teaching of Engineering Science: A Student Centered Approach

In an effort to enhance learning in the engineering science classroom, several instructional techniques, including mind-or concept mapping, a variation of the one minute paper termed a “discovery sheet,” and the inclusion of discussion of the nature of scientific paradigm shifts, which have been used successfully are described. A cast study is also included.
FROM SINAI TO ANANDPUR: EXPLORING IDENTITY THROUGH NARRATIVES

In both Sikh and Jewish scriptures and histories, there can be found numerous, notable similarities and parallels. This article analyzes a small portion of those parallels in an attempt to derive a picture of collective and cultural identity for both traditions. The first half of the article begins with a discussion of similar ideas of ‘nation’ and also engages the use and interaction of scriptural narratives in their conception. The second half discusses the prevalence of sacrificial imagery and the necessity of sacrifice and gift in the formation and continuity of both traditions.
The rotational spectrum of ozone

Abstract Frequencies and intensities have been calculated for the lines of the rotational spectrum of ozone which are likely to contribute noticeably either to microwave absorption or to atmospheric absorption in the far infrared. The frequencies of these lines range from 0 to about 2,700,000 Mc/sec (∼90 cm−1). An estimate of the maximum absorption coefficient of the predicted lines is given for T = 220°K, the average temperature of the atmospheric ozone layer. The results obtained may also prove useful in the analysis of the rotational fine structure of the ozone bands. The values of the molecular constants used in the calculations have been determined from the frequencies of ozone microwave absorption lines measured by Hughes and Trambarulo et al.
Greening Africana Studies: Redemption, Redevelopment, and Remuneration in the Black Community:

This year marks the 40th year of Africana Studies in the academy, and while great gains have been made, there is one glaring area of study absent from the field—the environment. Given that African peoples globally suffer disproportionately from environmental degradation as well as the role that the burgeoning “Green Jobs” sector could have in engendering job growth in the Black community, the environment should play a role in Africana Studies programs and research. This article showcases the absence of an environmental focus in both Black scholarly research and Africana Studies programs—and other academic programs—across the country. Given the important role that the environment plays in the Black community and could continue to play in the near future, this article advocates for the necessity of an environmental focus within the field of Africana Studies.
Student Physical Therapists' Attitudes Toward Working with Elderly Patients

Although attitudinal studies of health care providers toward elderly patients have been done in the past, this study is unique in that it simultaneously addresses student physical therapists' attitudes toward the elderly, their attitudes toward working with elderly patients, and their attitudes toward a variety of work environments. Students (n = 190) enrolled in 3 physical therapy programs in one state completed a 4-page questionnaire that consisted of the Kogan Scale, the modified Coren scale, attitudes toward different work environments, and demographic and cur-ricular information. Data were analyzed using descriptive, ANOVA and multiple regression techniques. Taking a class in geriatrics did not result in higher scores on the Kogan or Coren scale. Out of ten possible work environments, a Nursing Home ranked 9th. Students more positively identifying the nursing home as an enjoyable place to work scored higher on the Coren scale and had experienced a predominantly geriatric clinical affiliation per OLS ...