cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of mine acid on the longevity and reproductive rate of the gastrotricha Lepidodermella squammata (Dujardin)

Effects of mine acid on longevity and reproductive rate of the parthenogenic gastrotrich Lepidodermella squammata were studied under laboratory culture conditions. Water from unpolluted and polluted streams was used, directly or mixed, to establish a series of test conditions at pH 8.1, 7.1, 6.4, 5.2, 4.6 and 3.3. Eggs, cultured individually under each test condition, were observed at 12 h intervals for hatching, daughter egg laying and death. Data representing 50 animals under each test condition were used in the construction of a series of life tables. From these were calculated maximal life expectancy (ex), net reproductive rate per individual lifetime (Ro) and intrinsic rate of natural increase (rmax).
Membrane fusion in the rod outer segment disk membrane

The rod outer segment disk membrane of bovine retina has been isolated in a predominantly fused state. The physical and chemical properties of the membrane in the fused state are profoundly different from the corresponding properties of the same membrane in the unfused state. Exposure to light induces the transition of the disk membrane from the fused to the unfused state. Evidence is presented which suggests that the fusion-defusion cycle of the disk membrane is a primary event of photoexcitation and nerve stimulation.
Molecular Composites of Rodlike/Flexible Polyimides

Mixtures of a rodlike and a flexible polyimide were prepared by solution-blending of the respective poly(amic alkyl ester) and poly(amic acid), followed by solvent evaporation and thermal imidization. The size scale of the phase separation, as measured by light scattering, is primarily set during the demixing of the precursor polymers, with no significant coarsening observed due to the imidization performed at 400°C. The observed variation of the domain size with parameters such as composition, molecular weight and film thickness is discussed in terms of the miscibility of the precursor polymers as well as the thermal history to which these were exposed.
Motivating and orienting novice students to value introductory software engineering

Students with little professional software development experience typically have low intrinsic motivation and beyond achieving a good grade, low extrinsic motivation to study and appreciate the value of software engineering curricula. Unlike other subjects, introductory software engineering instructors exert a great deal of effort justifying and motivating their course topics. Since 2006 the University of Hawaii has been developing a series of “early awareness” engagements within an introductory Systems Analysis and Design course designed to foster intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and orient students to value learning software engineering. Measuring motivation and perceived value is difficult, but there are key indicators to determine the impact of our improvements such as higher course evaluations, greater class attendance, and increased positive feedback from students and employers. Our results show that these key indicators have improved since introducing early engagements. Furthermore, students like this approach, value the course more, do better quality work, and evaluate the course more positively. Longitudinal follow-ups indicate greater interest and success in pursuing software engineering related careers. This paper shares the details of our early awareness engagements, how they are applied in the classroom, some of our experiences in using them, and evidence that they have a positive impact. Our goal is to provide specific and practical means that instructors can use immediately to improve the perceived value of software engineering for novice students prior to or while they study it.
Lookback Option Valuation: A Simplified Approach

The binomial model is a simple and straightforward way to price simple and straightforward options, like plain vanilla calls and puts, even with American exercise. But path-dependent contracts, such as lookback options, present problems for the binomial because of the need to keep track of a path statistic, in this case, the highest or lowest price attained, along each path through the lattice. Choi and Jameson present a very clever technique for stepping backward through the tree much more efficiently, so that one can value a lookback without carrying an auxiliary variable.
Stress-Related Growth: Pre-Intervention Correlates and Change Following a Resilience Intervention

Correlates of stress-related growth and the effectiveness of a resilience intervention to enhance stress-related growth were examined. College students were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 31) and waiting list control (n = 33) groups. The intervention group received the psychoeducational intervention, Transforming Lives Through Resilience Education, in four weekly 2-hour sessions. Measures of personal, environmental and stressor characteristics, coping strategies, adjustment and stress-related growth were assessed. Multiple regressions revealed that pre-intervention self-esteem, self-leadership, hopeful coping and depressive symptoms significantly related to pre-intervention growth. A repeated measures analysis of variance yielded a significant group by time interaction for total growth; the intervention group showed greater increases in growth pre- to post-intervention compared with the control group. Our results supported the relationships of self-esteem and adaptive coping strategies to stress-related growth and introduce a new correlate of growth, self-leadership, to the literature. In addition, our results highlighted the complex role depressive symptoms may play in relation to growth, indicating that depressive symptoms might decrease one's inner resources while simultaneously serving as a catalyst for growth. Further, the findings supported the resilience intervention as a promising approach to facilitate growth. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Histone H2A.Z Is Widely but Nonrandomly Distributed in Chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster

Variant histones that differ in amino acid sequence from S-phase histones are widespread in eukaryotes, yet the structural changes they cause to nucleosomes and how those changes affect relevant cellular processes have not been determined. H2A.F/Z is a highly conserved family of H2A variants. H2Av, the H2A.F/Z variant of Drosophila melanogaster, was localized in polytene chromosomes by indirect immunofluorescence and in diploid chromosomes by chromatin immunoprecipitation. H2Av was widely distributed in the genome and not limited to sites of active transcription. H2Av was present in thousands of euchromatic bands and the heterochromatic chromocenter of polytene chromosomes, and the H2Av antibody precipitated both transcribed and nontranscribed genes as well as noncoding euchromatic and heterochromatic sequences. The distribution of H2Av was not uniform. The complex banding pattern of H2Av in polytene chromosomes did not parallel the concentration of DNA, as did the pattern of immunofluorescence using H2A antibodies, and the density of H2Av measured by immunoprecipitation varied between different sequences. Of the sequences assayed, H2Av was least abundant on 1. 688 satellite sequences and most abundant on the hsp70 genes. Finally, transcription caused, to an equivalent extent, both H2Av and H2A to be less tightly associated with DNA.
Neural control of airway mucus secretion.

Abstract Neural mechanisms contribute to the control of secretion of mucus in the airways of a number of animal species including humans. The nerves involved are adrenergic, cholinergic and non-adrenergic, non cholinergic (NANC) and contribute to greater or lesser degrees, depending upon species, to secretion from submucosal glands and epithelial goblet cells. Experimental studies implicate abnormalities in neural control in the pathophysiology of certain bronchial diseases in humans which are associated with mucus hypersecretion. New observations indicate a number of novel interventions with therapeutic potential for control of mucus in chronic bronchitis and asthma. mucus / neuropeptides / asthma.
Nano-mechanical properties of internally cured kenaf fiber reinforced concrete using nanoindentation

Abstract Kenaf fiber reinforced concrete (KFRC) is being considered as a more sustainable fiber reinforced concrete. The effect of water-absorbing kenaf fibers on the microstructure of concrete was studied using nanoindentation. Results showed that cement hydration products found in KFRC are similar to those in conventional concrete, but relative volume fractions of these hydration products differ in KFRC. KFRC samples have more CH/C S H and less LD C S H in bulk than would be expected for plain concretes with similar water–cement ratios. Further nanoindentation experiments were performed in the interfacial transition zones around individual kenaf fibers, revealing a porous phase, a high percentage of LD C S H, and a lack of HD C S H in the fiber interfacial zones. The water absorbance of kenaf fibers and associated internal curing effects explain both results. Enhanced production of higher density hydration products in KFRC may provide a pathway for optimal design of these materials.
Cytogenetic findings in pituitary adenoma: Results of a pilot study

Abstract Pituitary adenomas are the most common tumors of the sellar region and are, with rare exception, benign neoplasms. The natural history of these lesions is only poorly understood and, although histologic, immunocytologic, and ultrastructural characteristics have been well established, predicting the natural history of individual tumors is, at best, unreliable. In an effort to better characterize pituitary adenomas, we have analyzed the karyotypes of 18 surgical specimens and attempted to correlate with the morphologic appearance and the clinical data, for example, endocrinologic subtypes, histology, and tumor invasiveness. Most hormonal subtypes were studied including seven growth hormone-prolactin (GH-PRL), two Prolactin (PRL), two Adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH), seven non-secretory (NULL). No correlations with morphology or invasiveness could be made. Of 7 null cell adenomas, five (71%) had normal karyotypes, whereas of 11 hormone-secreting adenomas three (28%) were normal. Of seven tumors with mixed GH-PRL activity, six had abnormal karyotypes. At least three chromosomes harbored abnormalities shared by more than two tumors. The results demonstrate that chromosome abnormalities are also found in benign tumors. These findings, however, suggest that hormone-secreting adenomas may be more likely to be associated with karyotypic abnormalities especially those of the GH-PRL variety. Genetic abnormalities associated with chromosomes 1, 4, 7, and 19 were common and warrant further investigation.
Crash patterns and potential engineering countermeasures at Maryland roundabouts.

Objectives: Each year in the United States more than 1.2 million injuries and 9,000 deaths occur in motor vehicle crashes at intersections. Previous research has found that construction of roundabouts in place of traditional intersections can decrease crash frequency and severity. Despite these safety benefits, some crashes still occur at roundabouts. The present study systematically reviewed police crash reports for a set of roundabouts in Maryland to develop a typology of crashes and identify potential countermeasures. Methods: A total of 283 crash reports were reviewed including 149 crashes at 29 single-lane roundabouts and 134 crashes at 9 double-lane roundabouts. Based on the police reports, crash types were developed and examined by type of roundabout (single-lane, double-lane), crash location within the roundabout (entrance, circular roadway, exit), and other variables. Field observations were conducted at 8 roundabouts with above-average crash histories to aid in identifying potential countermeasu...
Comparison of sugar content for ionic liquid pretreated Douglas-fir woodchips and forestry residues

The development of affordable woody biomass feedstocks represents a significant opportunity in the development of cellulosic biofuels. Primary woodchips produced by forest mills are considered an ideal feedstock, but the prices they command on the market are currently too expensive for biorefineries. In comparison, forestry residues represent a potential low-cost input but are considered a more challenging feedstock for sugar production due to complexities in composition and potential contamination arising from soil that may be present. We compare the sugar yields, changes in composition in Douglas-fir woodchips and forestry residues after pretreatment using ionic liquids and enzymatic saccharification in order to determine if this approach can efficiently liberate fermentable sugars. These samples were either mechanically milled through a 2 mm mesh or pretreated as received with the ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [C2mim][OAc] at 120°C and 160°C. IL pretreatment of Douglas-fir woodchips and forestry residues resulted in approximately 71-92% glucose yields after enzymatic saccharification. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the pretreated cellulose was less crystalline after IL pretreatment as compared to untreated control samples. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (2D-NMR) revealed changes in lignin and hemicellulose structure and composition as a function of pretreatment. Mass balances of sugar and lignin streams for both the Douglas-fir woodchips and forestry residues throughout the pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification processes are presented. While the highest sugar yields were observed with the Douglas-fir woodchips, reasonably high sugar yields were obtained from forestry residues after ionic liquid pretreatment. Structural changes to lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose in the woodchips and forestry residues of Douglas-fir after [C2mim][OAc] pretreatment are analyzed by XRD and 2D-NMR, and indicate that significant changes occurred. Irrespective of the particle sizes used in this study, ionic liquid pretreatment successfully allowed high glucose yields after enzymatic saccharification. These results indicate that forestry residues may be a more viable feedstock than previously thought for the production of biofuels.
Angiotensin II regulation of renal vascular ENaC proteins.

BACKGROUND The importance of beta and gamma epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC) proteins in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC)-mediated pressure-induced constriction in renal interlobar arteries has been demonstrated recently. In renal epithelial tissue, ENaC expression is regulated by angiotensin II (Ang II). However, whether Ang II regulates vascular ENaC expression has never been determined. Therefore, the goal of the current investigation was to determine whether Ang II affects vascular ENaC expression and its contribution to pressure-induced constriction. METHODS To address this goal, Sprague-Dawley rats were infused with Ang II (50 ng/kg/min) via osmotic minipump for 1 week. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured using radiotelemetry. Interlobar arteries were isolated from these animals to assess VSMC ENaC protein expression, pressure-induced constriction, and agonist induced vascular reactivity. RESULTS MAP was not different in control (113 +/- 2 mm Hg) and Ang II- (114 +/- 2 mm Hg) infused mice. We found that Ang II infusion decreased renal VSMC beta and gammaENaC immunolabeling by 18%. Consistent with this finding, we also found that ENaC-dependent peak pressure-induced constriction was inhibited from 38 +/- 3% to 25 +/- 1% at 125 mm Hg. Vasoreactivity to KCl, phenylephrine (PE), and acetylcholine (ACh) was unchanged. CONCLUSIONS Ang II suppression of pressure-induced constrictor responses in renal interlobar arteries may be mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of beta and gammaENaC protein expression.
The Brave new World of Central Banking: Polcy Challenges posed by Asset Price Booms and Busts

At the dawn of the 21st century, property and equity ownership are spread more broadly across the population than they once were. One consequence of this is that asset price booms and crashes now h...
Boundary Layer for the Navier-Stokes-alpha Model of Fluid Turbulence

We study boundary-layer turbulence using the Navier-Stokes-alpha model obtaining an extension of the Prandtl equations for the averaged flow in a turbulent boundary layer. In the case of a zero pressure gradient flow along a flat plate, we derive a nonlinear fifth-order ordinary differential equation, which is an extension of the Blasius equation. We study it analytically and prove the existence of a two-parameter family of solutions satisfying physical boundary conditions. Matching these parameters with the skin-friction coefficient and the Reynolds number based on momentum thickness, we get an agreement of the solutions with experimental data in the laminar and transitional boundary layers, as well as in the turbulent boundary layer for moderately large Reynolds numbers.
Image restoration of dispersion-degraded images from a liquid-crystal beam steerer

Liquid-crystal arrays represents one of the first practical technologies capable of steering light by electronic control only. We use such a device to steer the field of view of a broadband imaging sensor. Unfortunately, dispersion degrades the image quality by smearing out details in the image and by introducing multiple diffraction orders (echoes) at the detector plane. We present a method to compensate for these unwanted effects and thus restore the broadband images obtained with the beam steerer. We use the beam-propagation method to find the wavelength-dependent impulse response, from which we determine the appropriate Wiener filter. When training data are available, we improve the filter with the adaptive least mean square algorithm. We present restored images that demonstrate the capabilities of this technique.
Preventing lead poisoning in children

Lead poisoning is the most significant and prevalent disease of environmental origin among US children. Despite over 100 years’ knowledge of the special hazards of lead exposure for young children, it has taken over a century for effective primary prevention to be adopted. Obstacles to primary prevention have included deliberate campaigns by industry to prevent restrictions upon such uses on lead as plumbing, paints, and gasoline additives; influence of industrial support of biomedical research at major US medical schools; lack of appropriate policy mechanisms to identify and control lead exposures; and opposition to investing resources in lead poisoning prevention. The removal of lead from gasoline, which began in the United States in 1972 and was completed in 1995, has resulted in almost fourfold reductions in median blood lead levels in US children from 1976 to 1991. Increased screening and interventions to identify and abate lead sources, such as lead in housing, also contributed to this major public health success. Nevertheless, lead exposures remain prevalent, although increasingly less generally distributed. Perhaps because of the renewed “ghettoization” of lead, support for lead poisoning prevention has waned. Objections to investing public and private resources in screening and source abatement have challenged the continuing commitment of public health officials to prevention. The demonstrable success and social benefits of preventing lead toxicity are cited in support of continued preventive health policies.
Dissecting the determinants of malaria chronicity: why within-host models struggle to reproduce infection dynamics

The duration of infection is fundamental to the epidemiological behaviour of any infectious disease, but remains one of the most poorly understood aspects of malaria. In endemic areas, the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum can cause both acute, severe infections and asymptomatic, chronic infections through its interaction with the host immune system. Frequent superinfection and massive parasite genetic diversity make it extremely difficult to accurately measure the distribution of infection lengths, complicating the estimation of basic epidemiological parameters and the prediction of the impact of interventions. Mathematical models have qualitatively reproduced parasite dynamics early during infection, but reproducing long-lived chronic infections remains much more challenging. Here, we construct a model of infection dynamics to examine the consequences of common biological assumptions for the generation of chronicity and the impact of co-infection. We find that although a combination of host and parasite heterogeneities are capable of generating chronic infections, they do so only under restricted parameter choices. Furthermore, under biologically plausible assumptions, co-infection of parasite genotypes can alter the course of infection of both the resident and co-infecting strain in complex non-intuitive ways. We outline the most important puzzles for within-host models of malaria arising from our analysis, and their implications for malaria epidemiology and control.
Gene association studies in acute lung injury: replication and future direction.

acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) usually develops in response to a major insult such as sepsis, trauma, pneumonia, and multiple transfusions. Our current understanding of why some patients develop and die from ALI while others do not is incomplete. Although
Interleukin-2: Use in solid tumors

Recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) is a cytokine that has a central immunoregulatory role in controlling T cell function and growth. Clinical trials of rIL-2 regimens in various solid tumors have been initiated, and 337 patients at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation have been treated in a sequence of trials. The studies have involved rIL-2 or poly-ethylene-glycol conjugated rIL-2 (PEG-IL-2) as single agents, combinations of rIL-2 with recombinant interferon alpha, IL-4, or doxorubicin, and trials of rIL-2 with tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). These studies are summarized and involve Phase I or Phase II investigations in patients with renal cell carcinoma (191 patients), malignant melanoma (49 patients) or miscellaneous solid tumors (97 patients). Response rates in each category, respectively, were 12%, 20% and 2%. Toxicity varied depending on the regimen and generally reflected the dose and schedule of rIL-2 being employed. This series of clinical studies demonstrates the role of rIL-2 in various malignancies and documents the activity in patients with malignant melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. Additional studies to investigate potential mechanisms of antitumor activity and response determinants are underway.
The Use of Synchrotron Radiation in UPS: Theory and Results

The use of photoemission as a tool for the investigation of the electronic structure of matter has grown at an explosive rate in the last 15 years. For those of you who have become interested in the field in the last few years, it is probably difficult to realize that fifteen or twenty years ago only a small number of papers (approximately 10–20) were being published throughout the world on photoemission per year. Today there are many individual laboratories or groups which publish more than this number per year and the total number of papers are in the hundreds per year. To properly appreciate the growing effect of the use of synchrotron radiation on photoemission, one must view the opportunities opened by synchrotron radiation in terms of the continuous development of photoemission as a tool for exploring the electronic structure of matter. One aspect of this development would be the study of atoms or molecules in the gaseous state. We will not attempt to cover this aspect here but will concentrate on the use of photoemission to study the electronic structure of solids or gases sorbed on or in solids.
Medieval Pigment and Plaster Technology in the XII-XIII Century Mural Paintings at David-Garedji, Georgia

The David-Garedji mural painting of XII-XIII cent. were made on gypsum plaster with tempera technique “in secco”. The egg yolk and organic glue served as a colour bound agent. The plaster substratum designed for painting was mixed with organic glue.
Angiotensin converting enzyme gene polymorphism and influence of ACE inhibition.

Sir, This letter is in reference to the article “Angiotensin converting enzyme gene polymorphism in type II diabetics with nephropathywhich suggests the association between the DD polymorphism and type II diabetes with nephropathy[1] in the Indian population. In the Caucasian population, the DD genotype has been associated with accelerated progression of other renal conditions too such as IgA nephropathy,[2] and FSGS. Studies on the I/D polymorphism also provides information on the variation of response to ACE inhibition in related studies. It has been seen in the Caucasian population that the DD genotype translated into more sensitivity to ramipril treatment.[3,4] However, subgroup analyses in these studies found that unlike in men, in women the response to ACE inhibition was fully independent of the underlying genotype. Hence, ramipril tended to provide renoprotection in men with DD genotype, but such a beneficial effect was not apparent in those with II or ID genotye. But women with the DD and the II or ID genotype had a response to ramipril completely independent of the genotype. Taking in account the high prevalence of diabetic nephropathy in the Indian population, it would be very interesting to know if there has been any evidence of variation in responses to ACE inhibition on the basis of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism in type II diabetics with nephropathy in the Indian population. As such, an observation may markedly influence the scope of treatment in these patients.
Kernel support for the event-based cooperation of distributed resource managers

Multimedia and real-time applications require end-to-end QoS support based on the cooperative management of their distributed resources. This paper introduces a kernel-level facility, called Q(uality)-channel, which provides a flexible fabric with which Operating System developers can efficiently implement policies for managing the resources used by distributed applications. The inherent complexity of resource management in large-scale distributed applications is addressed by the event-based cooperation over asynchronous and anonymous Q-channels. Q-channel creation and operation (such as resource monitoring and adaptation) is hidden behind standard communication mechanisms, i.e., transparent to applications and thereby offering quality of service support with minimal application involvement. However an application can influence the manner in which its operation is affected by Q-channels, such as permitting resource managers to customize individual application-level communications by dynamically installing Q-filters into data streams. Such Q-filters can also be parameterized, thereby permitting continuous manipulations of application-level communications based on requirement and performance information dynamically collected from event publishers and subscribers.
Termination of a tachyarrhythmia by flunarizine is not a specific marker for a triggered mechanism.

Background Prior studies have indicated that tachyarrhythmia termination by flunarizine demonstrates a triggered mechanism. This concept was not confirmed in atrial tachyarrhythmias. Objective The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that flunarizine will not terminate reentrant atrial flutter (AFL). Methods We administered flunarizine (2 mg/kg intravenously over 2 minutes) in 11 episodes of reproducibly inducible, sustained AFL in eight canines with sterile pericarditis. If flunarizine terminated AFL, we studied AFL reinducibility. We also studied pacing thresholds, refractoriness, and intra-atrial conduction time during closed-chest studies and pacing at selected cycle lengths (CLs) from selected sites before and after flunarizine administration. Atrial mapping (510 electrodes) assessed the epicardial activation sequence during AFL and its termination in six episodes. Four AFL episodes were studied in the closed-chest state. Results Flunarizine increased AFL CL in all episodes (mean 21 ms; range 7–49 ms), which is explained by slowing conduction in the AFL reentrant circuit, principally in the area of slow conduction. AFL was terminated in 10/11 episodes after drug initiation (mean 3.7 minutes; range 0.5–6.5 minutes) by block in the area of slow conduction. AFL was then not immediately reinducible until >20 minutes after drug administration. Flunarizine had no meaningful effect on atrial pacing thresholds for capture or refractoriness and only affected conduction time in the area of slow conduction in the reentrant circuit. Conclusions Flunarizine (1) causes progressive slowing and block in the area of slow conduction of the AFL reentrant circuit in the canine sterile pericarditis model and (2) is effective in terminating reentrant AFL and so is not a specific marker for a triggered mechanism.
Formation and Transport of Correlated Electron States at Room Temperature in Graphene Bilayers

The small dimensions of graphene bilayers suggest that exotic quantum states may be sustainable at room temperatures, which would offer great opportunties for post-CMOS device applications (1). In this work, we use quantum many-body computer simulations techniques with experimentally verified input to establish the transition temperature of an excitonic condensate in bilayer graphene and explore its transport properties (2).
Suppressed mite reproduction explained by the behaviour of adult bees

SUMMARYSuppressed mite reproduction (SMR) is a heritable trait of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) that can control the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor. The purpose of this study was to determine whether adult bees with the SMR trait affect mites in brood after cells are capped. Colonies with or without the SMR trait were each given a comb of newly-capped worker brood that was naturally infested with varroa. Each of 7 source colonies provided a comb of brood to at least one SMR (n = 9) and one control colony (n = 8). These combs were removed from their host colonies 8 days later and mite populations evaluated in cells with bee pupae that were >8 days post-capping. Colonies with SMR bees averaged 2.2% of their cells infested with mites; controls averaged 9.0%. Therefore, bees with the SMR trait apparently removed mites from capped cells. Of the mites that remained, the SMR colonies had a much lower rate of reproductive mites, 20% vs. 71%. This suggests that bees with the SMR trait removed reproductive mite...
Historical and Political Perspective: Women and Drug Use

Societies have usually regulated the use of drug substances with differences in rules of usage for men and women. This paper explores the political and historical factors contributing to this difference. Gender is linked to the use of drugs for therapeutic or recreational purposes and there seems to be greater social sanction for medicinal use for women. Women are bigger users of psychoactive drugs. Some possible reasons discussed are women's physiology, the relative health status of men and women, different aspects of sexually assigned role, and socially determined double standards in substances prescribed and proscribed. Women and alcohol in the U.S. history are traced from colonial days through the temperance movement to the present.
TIME-FOR-CHANGE MODEL AGAIN RIGHT ON THE MONEY IN 2008

The October 2008 issue of PS published a symposium of presidential and congressional forecasts made in the summer leading up to the election. This article is an assessment of the accuracy of their models. The Time-for-Change Model proved one of the most accurate of the 2008 presidential election forecasts run in the October PS symposium. Using three predictors—the president's approval rating at mid-year, the growth rate of real GDP during the second quarter, and the time-for-change dummy variable—the model predicted that Barack Obama would win the presidential election with 54.3% of the major-party vote. According to nearly final tabulations compiled by uselections.org, as of December 8, Obama has received just over 53.6% of the major-party vote. However, it is likely that Obama's final total will reach 53.7% of the major-party vote. Therefore, the model's current error of 0.9 percentage points is likely to decrease further. The model has now correctly predicted the winner of the popular vote in all six presidential elections since its creation in 1988.
An assessment and prioritization of "design for recycling" guidelines for plastic components

The current paper summarizes the results of a study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of design for recycling strategies for plastic components. Interviews and site visits were conducted with computer disassemblers and plastics recyclers based in the United States and Europe to investigate the effectiveness of design for recycling guidelines. Both manual and automated recycling technologies for plastics were investigated. Based on this investigation, six key designs for recycling guidelines are prioritized based on their potential for improving the recyclability of plastic components. The results of this study can be used to help prioritize design for recycling strategies so that both product recyclability and design productivity are maximized.
Plant functional traits suggest novel ecological strategy for an invasive shrub in an understorey woody plant community

Summary 1. Understanding ecological strategies of invasive species relative to the entire native community is important in understanding and managing both the mechanisms and the potential impacts of invasion, but few studies have taken this approach. 2. We utilize advances in plant ecology to compare functional traits of an invasive shrub species, autumn-olive Elaeagnus umbellata, to those of the understorey native woody plant community in a southeast Michigan forest. We estimate species trait distributions for six leaf functional traits (specific leaf area, leaf laminar area, leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen content, leaf carbon: nitrogen ratio and delta 15 N) using a kernel estimator. We then use pairwise trait distance and overlaps to describe the ecological strategy of the invasive shrub relative to that of the native understorey woody plant community. 3. The overlap of the invasive shrub’s trait distribution with those of the native species was found to be smaller than the overlap of a native shrub’s distribution with other native species, consistent with the empty niche hypothesis of invasion. However, the invasive species’ mean leaf functional trait values typically fall outside of the range of most native species’ mean trait values, suggesting the invasive shrub extends trait space for understorey individuals of the native woody plant community. 4. The invasive shrub’s leaf trait values are characteristic of a sun-demanding species, contradicting its presence in the shaded forest understorey community and its persistence in an empty niche. We propose that this novel use of leaf functional traits by the invasive shrub could indicate that the invasion is facilitated by additional mechanisms such as release from natural enemies, association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, use of an empty temporal niche (namely the light available to the understorey early in the growing season), bird dispersal or some synthesis of these factors. 5. Synthesis and applications. This study develops plant functional trait theory by studying an invasive species within the context of the entire native woody plant community. The approach can improve our understanding of the potential mechanisms of an invasion event and suggest ecological consequences and related management strategies for the maintenance of native forest communities. Specifically, this study, along with known data on the invasive species, suggests aggressive management in sunny gap and edge habitat provides the best strategy for long-term control.
Oxidative Phosphorylation and Rotenone-insensitive Malate- and NADH-Quinone Oxidoreductases in Plasmodium yoelii yoelii Mitochondria in Situ*

Respiration, membrane potential, and oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondria of Plasmodium yoelii yoelii trophozoites were assayed in situ after permeabilization with digitonin. ADP induced an oligomycin-sensitive transition from resting to phosphorylating respiration in the presence of oxidizable substrates. A functional respiratory chain was demonstrated. In addition, the ability of the parasite to oxidize exogenous NADH, as well as the insensitivity of respiration to rotenone and its sensitivity to flavone, suggested the presence of an alternative NADH-quinone (NADH-Q) oxidoreductase. Rotenone-insensitive respiration and membrane potential generation in the presence of malate suggested the presence of a malate-quinone oxidoreductase. These results are in agreement with the presence of genes in P. yoelii encoding for proteins with homology to NADH-Q oxidoreductases of bacteria, plant, fungi, and protozoa and malate-quinone oxidoreductases of bacteria. The complete inhibition of respiration by antimycin A and cyanide excluded the presence of an alternative oxidase as described in other parasites. An uncoupling effect of fatty acids was partly reversed by bovine serum albumin and GTP but was unaffected by carboxyatractyloside. These results provide the first biochemical evidence of the presence of an alternative NADH-Q oxidoreductase and a malate-quinone oxidoreductase and confirm the operation of oxidative phosphorylation in malaria parasites.
An Adaptive Hypothesis for the Evolution of the Y Chromosome

Population geneticists remain unsure of the forces driving the evolution of Y chromosomes. Here we consider the possibility that the degeneration of the Y reflects its inability to evolve adaptively. Because the overwhelming majority of favorable mutations on a nonrecombining proto-Y suffer a zero probability of fixation, the fitness of the Y must lag far behind that of the recombining X. At some point, this disparity will grow so large that selection favors an increase in the expression of (fit) X-linked alleles and a decrease in the expression of (unfit) Y-linked alleles. Our calculations suggest that this process acts far more rapidly than hitchhiking-induced erosion of the Y and at least as rapidly as the fixation of deleterious alleles on the Y by background selection. Most important, this hypothesis can explain the evolution of Y chromosomes in taxa such as Drosophila that have very large population sizes.
Role of the fragility of the pulmonary blood-gas barrier in the evolution of the pulmonary circulation

In 1953 Frank Low published the first high-resolution electron micrographs of the human pulmonary blood-gas barrier. These showed that a structure only 0.3-μm thick separated the capillary blood from the alveolar gas, immediately suggesting that the barrier might be vulnerable to mechanical failure if the capillary pressure increased. However, it was 38 years before stress failure was recognized. Initially it was implicated in the pathogenesis of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, but it was soon clear that stress failure of pulmonary capillaries is common. The vulnerability of the blood-gas barrier is a key factor in the evolution of the pulmonary circulation. As evolution progressed from the ancestors of fishes to amphibians, reptiles, and finally birds and mammals, two factors challenged the integrity of the barrier. One was the requirement for the barrier to become increasingly thin because of the greater oxygen consumption. The other was the high pulmonary capillary pressures that were inevitable before there was complete separation of the pulmonary and systemic circulations.
Heterogeneous Expression Patterns and Separate Roles of the SEPALLATA Gene LEAFY HULL STERILE1 in Grasses

SEPALLATA (SEP) genes exhibit distinct patterns of expression and function in the grass species rice (Oryza sativa) and maize (Zea mays), suggesting that the role of the genes has changed during the evolution of the family. Here, we examine expression of the SEP-like gene LEAFY HULL STERILE1 (LHS1) in phylogenetically disparate grasses, reconstruct the pattern of gene expression evolution within the family, and then use the expression patterns to test hypotheses of gene function. Our data support a general role for LHS1 in specifying determinacy of the spikelet meristem and also in determining the identity of lemmas and paleas; these two functions are separable, as is the role of the gene in specifying floret meristems. We find no evidence that LHS1 determines flower number; it is strongly expressed in all spikelet meristems even as they are producing flowers, and expression is not correlated with eventual flower number. LHS1 expression in only the upper flowers of the spikelet appears to be the ancestral state; expression in all flowers is derived in subfamily Pooideae. LHS1 expression in pistils, stamens, and lodicules varies among the cereals. We hypothesize that LHS1 may have affected morphological diversification of grass inflorescences by mediating the expression of different floral identity genes in different regions of the floret and spikelet.
High-intensity third-harmonic generation

The azimuthal dependence of third-order and cascaded second-order nonlinear coupling are used to measure the relative contributions of each to direct third-harmonic generation in β-barium borate. This enabled the measurement of the values of χ10(3),χ11(3), and χ16(3) relative to the known χij(2). Finally, conversion efficiencies to 3ω of up to 6% from a single crystal were achieved with a femtosecond chirped-pulse-amplification laser with 200 GW/cm2 in collimated beams.
Multi packet reception and network coding

We consider throughput and delay gains resulting from network coding used to complement multi-packet reception in a fully connected network with broadcast traffic. The network is comprised of N nodes, J of which have data packets to be distributed to all other nodes. Owing to half-duplex constraints, a transmitting node is not able to receive data from other transmitting nodes in the same time slot. This requires a node to be back-filled with the information that it is missing. We consider singlepacket reception, (for which network coding alone yields no gain), multi-packet reception without network coding, and combined multi-packet reception and network coding. We show that the initial transmissions and the back-filling process can be greatly sped up through a combination of network coding and multi-packet reception. In particular, we show that MPR capability of 2 will not reduce the total delivery time for packets within a data network unless network coding is used. We also demonstrate that a combination of network coding and multi-packet reception can reduce this time by a factor of m, where m is the MPR capability of the system. We demonstrate that network coding can substitute for some degree of MPR and achieve the same, or almost the same, performance as the higher degree of MPR without network coding. In effect, network coding allows almost double the traffic for a given level of MPR.
Effect of Treatment with Chorionic Gonadotropic Substance–A Report of 23 Cases

IN RECENT YEARS the use of chorionic gonadotropic substance in the treatment of various pathological conditions occurring in children has increased tremendously. This increase became especially marked when concentrated preparations began to be used for the treatment of cryptorchidism, gonadal hypoplasia, and genital hypoplasia. Since then many conflicting reports have been published relative not only to the efficacy of chorionic gonadotropic substance in these particular conditions, but also regarding the possible harmful effects of its use on bone growth especially in regard to early epiphyseal closure. Animal experimentation has indicated a definite relationship between the administration of active hormonal agents and growth of skeletal tissue. That such a direct relationship does exist has been recognized over a long period of time.
Photoacoustic monitoring of steam bubble cavitation in water superheated by TEA CO 2 laser

Using a TEA CO 2 laser for explosive surface boiling of bulk water, oscillatory acoustic transients from steam bubbles were recorded using a contact photoacoustic technique. Multiple well-resolved, high-amplitude multi-MHz spectral features representing high-order combination acoustic oscillations of steam bubbles were revealed in spectra obtained by means of numerical Fast Fourier Transformation of these transients. A potential parametric generation mechanism for these high-order combination oscillation modes of steam bubbles is discussed.
Self-determination of work play asynchronous mobile communication

Text messaging is an asynchronous communication tool for both utilitarian and entertainment activities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the self-determined motivation of text messaging behaviours through Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Data collected via a web-based survey were used to examine the effects of autonomy, competence and relatedness on self-determined Short Message Service (SMS). Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) revealed that only competency and relatedness increase self-determined SMS, while autonomy affected it negatively. The result implies that the ability to engage in personal communication and the desire to become socially connected are the essence of SMS internal motivation. This study also suggests that higher self-determined information technology usage reduces freedom to disengage from it and that obligated communication becomes another determining factor of usage. Practitioners and researchers can benefit from these findings by incorporating self-determined usage behaviours into work play aspects of modern day ubiquitous computing usage.
X-Ray Emission Analysis in Biological Specimens

X-ray emission techniques which include (a) non-dispersive (b) dispersive-nondispersive and (c) dispersive-dispersive have been used for quantitative assays of certain elements in biological specimens. One or more of these approaches allow for a detectable limit of about 10−9 grams of the element of interest for 10 minute integration times for most elements of biological interest from phosphorous (atomic number 15) to iodine (atomic number 53).