cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the mean cluster size of a network of cracks

Brittle polycrystalline materials such as rocks, ceramics, and certain metals contain microcracks that can grow and coalesce under sufficiently high stress, resulting in failure and, possibly, fragmentation. Such processes are idealized in this paper by treating the cracks as circular disks whose coalescence forms clusters and can terminate growth after a number of intersections. A non-linear recurrence relation for the probability of cluster size is developed and solved by means of a generating function, providing information on the mean size of the crack clusters and the standard deviation. This solution leads to a simple expression for the percolation threshold. The probability of clusters of size n is also determined. Above the percolation threshold the probabilities of finite and infinite clusters are treated separately. Explicit expressions for the probabilities can be approximated by taking a Laplace transform in a simple case, thus clarifying the behaviour of the solution. Appendices show the relation of the theory to practical problems, Monte Carlo approaches, the probability of infinite clusters, and discuss the uniqueness of solutions to such geometrical problems, i.e. Bertrand's Paradox. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
EuroNICHE 10th Anniversary Conference.

(1998). EuroNICHE 10th Anniversary Conference. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science: Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 389-390.
Selenium concentrations and glutathione peroxidase activities in a population exposed to selenium via drinking water

Selenium concentrations in blood, urine, hair, and tap water were determined in samples obtained from individuals exposed to varying amounts of the element via water from home wells. Glutathione peroxidase activities were also determined on the blood samples. Correlations of blood Se with the enzyme activity were not statistically significant. Correlations of water Se, urine Se, and hair Se with glutathione peroxidase activity were also not statistically significant. It is concluded that a relationship between Se and glutathione peroxidase activity does not exist when Se status is adequate.
Quantum nonlinear optics using cold Rydberg atoms

Although photons do no a ect each other in vacuum, interactions between individual photons could enable a wide variety of scienti c and engineering applications. Here we report on the creation of a quantum nonlinear medium with large photon-photon interactions at the single photon level. Our approach relies on Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) techniques, in which individual photons are coherently mapped onto strongly interacting Rydberg atoms. Under EIT conditions, photons traveling in the medium are best described as part-matter part-light quantum particles, called polaritons, which experience long-range interactions through the Rydberg blockade. In particular, we demonstrate coherent photon-photon interactions, akin to those associated with conventional massive particles, paving the way for novel photonics states and quantum simulation with light.
Instrument pointing technology for spaceborne science missions of the 1990's

The technologies which will permit sub-0.1 arcsec pointing accuracies on spacecraft in the 1990s are examined, along with the accuracies required and the current state of the art. Of particular interest are multi-mission spacecraft. Pointing accuracy can only be obtained by integrating the instrument (telescope) as part of the spacecraft, minimizing disturbances and using reaction wheels for pointing. The pointer could be isolated from complex spacecraft disturbances by soft mechanical mounts, e.g., inflatible tethers, guy-wire suspension and fluidic pointing systems. All design options are being explored for the Space Station, Earth Observing System, Co-orbiting platform and GEO platform spacecraft, and for near-term planetary spacecraft which will employ nuclear electric propulsion.
Domestic Competitive Position and Export Strategy of Japanese Manufacturing Firms: 1971-1985

This paper analyzes Japanese manufacturing firms' export behavior and their performance. In a slow growth era, leading firms' and minor firms' export ratio tended to be less than that of follower medium market share firms in the same industry; there appears to be an inverted-U shape between export ratio and relative size of firms. An affiliation with a large industrial group has no positive relationship with export ratio, while other firm-specific factors do not show consistent relationships with it in the years 1971 to 1985. Exports and firm performance do not have a positive relationship. Competitive environment in the domestic market is related to the export strategy of Japanese firms.
Sport and Racial Discrimination in Colonial Zimbabwe: A Reanalysis

The British colony of Southern Rhodesia, later governed by a white settler minority as unilaterally-independent Rhodesia, practiced racial segregation in many spheres, including education, health care access and political participation. Though racial segregation tended to exist on a less formal level than in Rhodesia's neighbour, apartheid South Africa, segregationist policies were nonetheless invasive and virtually complete in some areas. Sport was a heavily contested sphere, in which pockets of black African autonomy and advancement existed alongside near-complete white domination, largely, but not entirely, free of government intrusion. This article is an effort to develop a working hypothesis of racial discrimination in Rhodesian sport, discrimination that was never as formal or complete as in South Africa but which nonetheless provided a firm foundation for Rhodesia's exclusion from international sporting competition in the 1970s.
Web-based remote rendering with image-based rendering acceleration and compression

Web-based remote rendering enables Interactive 3D graphics visualization on the Web (Web3D). Web3D is gaining popularity and plays an important role in Scientific Visualization, E-business and Education. The additional expense of Web3D applications over streaming video is the transmission of 3D models and their rendering costs at the client side. As the 3D model size increases, both transmission and rendering costs increase. Providing interactive 3D graphics over a network with large 3D models is challenging. To increase the efficiency of Web3D, especially with large data sets, the developed method, Image-Based Rendering Acceleration and Compression (IBRAC) utilizes previously rendered and transmitted images for compression instead of transmitting 3D models to the client. The method adapts an image-based rendering acceleration method to the direct rendering of compressed images; IBRAC exploits spatial and temporal coherence between new and previously rendered images and utilizes them for compression. As result, IBRAC requires only modest computing power and low bandwidth at the remote client. Without 3D models at the client, IBRAC can provide dynamic shading (changing lights and materials) by re-projecting the surface orientation (Normal Reprojection). Normal reprojection eliminates inconsistencies in shading that plague other image-based rendering methods. IBRAC also enables a remote user to interactively classify volume data without the 3D model at the client, using a new image structure, Isomap. The efficiency of IBRAC increases with data size since the rendering time is predominantly a function of image size. This approach is attractive for remote rendering applications where a client system may be a relatively low-performance machine with limited network bandwidth, including wireless or palm computing systems.
Animal Abuse as Dirty Play

Animal abuse by children is generally regarded as an impulsive psychological act without instrumental benefit. This research takes a sociological approach to the topic, exploring the deliberate harm of animals as a particular kind of unsavory or dirty play that is part of adolescent socialization. Interviews were conducted with twenty-five college undergraduate students who admitted to abusing animals earlier in their lives. Respondents considered their prior acts a form of everyday play having serious and thrilling overtones. At a deeper level, their abuse was an extraordinary form of play in that they also were appropriating adult culture. Because their appropriations stemmed from a wider culture racked with inconsistencies about the proper treatment of animals, respondents' presentations of self were split between those who no longer spoke of abuse as fun and admonished themselves for having done this and those who still clung to the idea that harming animals was fun and were seemingly untroubled by their former acts.
Dose optimization via index-dose gradient minimization.

This paper presents an iterative optimization algorithm based on gradient minimization of index dose, defined as the product of physical dose and a numerical index. Acting as a template the index distribution is designed to represent the dosimetry that meets the dose volume histogram-based optimization objectives. The treatment dosimetry is optimized when the uniformity of the index-dose distribution is maximized. Prior to optimization the user can select all or only some of the beams to be intensity modulated. The remaining unmodulated beams can be either open or wedged photonbeams,electron beams, or beams of previous treatments. The optimization result and treatment delivery efficiency can often be enhanced by including not only the IM photonbeams but also all suitable fixed-beams available on the linac in the treatment plan. In addition, the doses from previous treatments can also be considered in the optimization of current treatment. Five clinical examples with different complexities in optimization objective are presented. The effects of two nonoptimization variables, beam setup and initial beam weights, on the quality of the dose optimization are also presented. The results are analyzed in terms of isodose distribution, dose volume histograms, and a dose optimization quality factor. The optimization algorithm, implemented in our in-house TPS PLanUNC, has been used in clinical application since 1996. The primary advantages of our optimization algorithm include computational efficiency, intensity modulation selection choice, and performance reliability for a wide range of clinical beam setups and optimization objectives.
ASSESSING THE ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT OF EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT: KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IN SOCIAL NETWORKS

For the past 30 years, scholars and practitioners alike have joined in lamenting the lack of progress made in determining how to assess the impact of professional development. The purpose of this paper is to posit a new approach to impact assessment by shedding light on the microprocesses of knowledge transfer. We present findings from an exploratory qualitative study of social networks consisting of 7 participants in an executive education program and their 98 coworkers. We find support for the transfer of novel knowledge from program participants to their network alters, and we posit cognitive factors that mediate the transfer. We discuss the implications of this approach for assessing the impact of executive education programs and investigating the mechanisms of knowledge transfer in organizations.
Observations of Material Behavior Under Isothermal and Thermo-Mechanical Loading

Deformation and damage behavior of a 1070 steel (class U wheel steel) under thermo-mechanical and isothermal loading have been examined. Fatigue lives under thermo-mechanical and isothermal loading were compared for similar conditions of strain and temperature. For most cases, maximum tensile stresses developed in thermo-mechanical tests exceeded those obtained under isothermal conditions (at Tmin ) for the same strain amplitude. Cyclic hardening was observed at 200 to 300°C in isothermal tests. Under thermo-mechanical loading, static strain aging resulted in added hardening due to alternate exposure of the material to high and low temperatures. When thermal recovery effects become dominant at the high temperature end, strengthening upon cooling was suppressed. Oxide scales readily formed at high temperatures (≥400°C) and resulted in an increase in damage accumulation rates. Oxygen penetration into crack flanks and the ensuing loss of carbon was identified using Auger spectroscopy. The severity of oxide penetration into the base metal increased with increase in surface crack density, longer oxidation times and higher temperatures.
Cell surface proteoglycan binds mouse mammary epithelial cells to fibronectin and behaves as a receptor for interstitial matrix

The proteoglycan (PG) on the surface of NMuMG mouse mammary epithelial cells consists of at least two functional domains, a membrane-intercalated domain which anchors the PG to the plasma membrane, and a trypsin-releasable ectodomain which bears both heparan and chondroitin sulfate chains. The ectodomain binds cells to collagen types I, III, and V, but not IV, and has been proposed to be a matrix receptor. Because heparin binds to the adhesive glycoproteins fibronectin, an interstitial matrix component, and laminin, a basal lamina component, we asked whether the cell surface PG also binds these molecules. Cells harvested with either trypsin or EDTA bound to fibronectin; binding of trypsin-released cells was inhibited by the peptide GRGDS but not by heparin, whereas binding of EDTA-released cells was inhibited only by a combination of GRDS and heparin, suggesting two distinct cell binding mechanisms. In the presence of GRGDS, the EDTA-released cells bound to fibronectin via the cell surface PG. Binding via the cell surface PG was to the COOH-terminal heparin binding domain of fibronectin. In contrast with the binding to fibronectin, EDTA-released cells did not bind to laminin under identical assay conditions. Liposomes containing the isolated intact cell surface PG mimic the binding of whole cells. These results indicate that the mammary epithelial cells have at least two distinct cell surface receptors for fibronectin: a trypsin-resistant molecule that binds cells to the sequence RGD and a trypsin-labile, heparan sulfate-rich PG that binds cells to the COOH-terminal heparin binding domain. Because the cell surface PG binds cells to the interstitial collagens (types I, III, and V) and to fibronectin, but not to basal lamina collagen (type IV) or laminin, we conclude that the cell surface PG is a receptor on epithelial cells specific for interstitial matrix components.
Method for solving the Korteweg-deVries equation

A method for solving the initial-value problem of the Korteweg-deVries equation is presented which is applicable to initial data that approach a constant sufficiently rapidly as $|x|\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$. The method can be used to predict exactly the "solitons," or solitary waves, which emerge from arbitrary initial conditions. Solutions that describe any finite number of solitons in interaction can be expressed in closed form.
Relationships of secretagogue-induced cAMP accumulation and acid secretion in elutriated rat gastric parietal cells

Abstract Centrifugal elutriation was adapted and analyzed as a method to separate rat gastric parietal cells from other fundic mucosal cells. Elutriated parietal cell fractions provided sufficient purity by morphological criteria, and fluorescence activated cell sorting analyses, yield, reproducibility and maintenance of functional responses. These characteristics allowed the study and comparison of the kinetics of histamine, isoproterenol, and forskolin-induced cyclic AMP and 14 C-aminopyrine accumulations in the presence of 1-methyl-3-isobutyl xanthine (IBMX) in parietal-cell-rich and parietal-cell-poor fractions. All three acid secretagogues studied produced the same maximal rate of acid secretion as judged by 14 C-aminopyrine accumulation. Each secretagogue action peaked at different times and had different accumulation kinetics. For each agonist, cyclic AMP accumulation preceded secretion. However, the rate, extent, and temporal changes of cyclic AMP accumulation were independent of aminopyrine accumulation. HPLC separation and drug inhibition studies of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activities indicated the presence of multiple, high affinity (Type IV), but not lower affinity (Types I and II), enzyme forms in gastric mucosal cells. IBMX did not distinguish between the two forms, but SQ 65442 and RO 20-1724 were selective inhibitors. Inhibition constants of IBMX for phosphodiesterase hydrolysis agreed closely with its EC50 for histamine-stimulated acid secretion (2–8 μM). Elutriated parietal cells maintained their responses to selective receptor antagonists in the micromolar concentration range.
Evaluation of a novel bis-naphthalimide anticancer agent, DMP 840, against human xenografts derived from adult, juvenile, and pediatric cancers

The new bis-naphthalimide antitumor agent (R,R)2,2′-[1,2-ethanediylbis[imino(1-methyl-2.1-ethanediyl)]-bis {5-nitro-1H-benz[de]-isoquinoline-1,3-2H) dione} dimethanesulfonate (DMP 840) was evaluated against parental and multidrug-resistant human KB cell lines in vitro and against these lines growing as xenografts in immunedeprived mice. In vitro, KB8-5 cells were 50-fold resistant to vincristine but only 16-fold resistant to DMP 840 as measured by clonogenic survival. For in vivo evaluation, DMP 840 was given by i. v. injection daily for 9 days or for 5 days/week for 2 consecutive weeks [(dx5)2]. In contrast to the cross-resistance of KB cell lines in vitro, both KB3-1 and KB8-5 tumors were highly and equally sensitive to DMP 840; only KB3-1 xenografts demonstrated sensitivity to vincristine, which was consistent with the in vitro results. DMP 840 was also evaluated against a panel of human tumors comprising colon adenocarcinoma and rhabdomyosarcoma xenografts. Against eight lines of colon adenocarcinoma, DMP 840 caused a high frequency of partial and complete regressions in two lines and significant inhibition of growth in two lines. DMP 840 caused complete regressions in five of six lines of advanced rhabomyosarcomas, demonstrating a broad range of effective dose levels. The pattern of activity against this tumor panel was similar but not identical to that of two inhibitors of topoisomerase I. There was no cross-resistance to DMP 840 in xenografts selected for resistance to vincristine or in a rhabdomyosarcoma selected for resistance to the topoisomerase I inhibitor topotecan. In contrast, a colon tumor selected for topotecan resistance was completely resistant to DMP 840. Slight cross-resistance to DMP 840 was demonstrated in a rhabdomyosarcoma xenograft that was selected for primary resistance to melphalan and was cross-resistant to topoisomerase I inhibitors. The pattern of activity and cross-resistance in these tumors was compared with that shown by two agents that inhibit topoisomerase I: topotecan and CPT-11.
Sarcosine dehydrogenase and the vital economy of hepatic mitochondria utilizing riboflavin homologs.

Abstract 1. 1. The activities of sarcosine dehydrogenase were measured in hepatic mitochondria obtained from rats utilizing either ribroflavin or one or another homolog of riboflavin. 2. 2. The acid-extractable flavins from the above mitochondria were measured and partitioned into their derivative forms. 3. 3. The respiratory rates of the above mitochondria were measured while they were metabolizing various substrates to provide information about the P:O ratios, respiratory control ratios and the efficiency of utilization of the flavins. 4. 4. The low-amplitude swelling patterns were determined for the above mitochondria.
MARKEDLY ENHANCING ENZYMATIC ENANTIOSELECTIVITY IN ORGANIC SOLVENTS BY FORMING SUBSTRATE SALTS

A new approach is proposed to enhance enzymatic enantioselectivity in organic solvents. It is based on the presumption that the less reactive substrate enantiomer experiences greater steric hindran...
Simulated Enhanced Buoyancy Convection on Structure of 304 GMA Welds

The purpose of this research project is to examine the effects of “simulated” enhanced buoyancy convection on gas-metal arc (GMA) weld bead geometry of 304 stainless steel welds at various “simulated” gravity conditions (g -levels). It was evident that gravity did have an effect on shape and geometry of the weld zone. The 4g and 8g welds had wider but shallower weld zones. The competition among the main convective forces such as Buoyancy, Lorentz, and Marangoni can significantly alter the weld zone aspect ratio as well as the shape.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
A low-power wide dynamic range envelope detector

We report a 75-dB 2.8-/spl mu/W 100-Hz-10-kHz envelope detector in a 1.5-/spl mu/m 2.8-V CMOS technology. The envelope detector performs input dc insensitive voltage-to-current converting rectification followed by novel nanopower current-mode peak detection. The use of a subthreshold wide linear range transconductor allows greater than 1.7-V/sub pp/ input voltage swings. We show theoretically that the optimal performance of this circuit is technology independent for the given topology and may be improved only by spending more power due to thermal noise rectification limits. A novel circuit topology is used to perform 140-nW peak detection with controllable attack and release time constants. We demonstrate good agreement of experimentally measured results with theory. The envelope detector is useful in low-power bionic implants for the deaf, hearing aids, and speech-recognition front-ends.
Thermodynamics and thermal decomposition for shape memory effects with crystallization based on dissipation and logarithmic strain

The present effort provides a 3-D thermodynamic framework generalizing the 1-D modeling of 2-way shape memory materials described by Westbrook et al. (J. Eng. Mater. Technol. 312:041010, 2010) and Chung et al. (Macromolecules 41:184–192, 2008), while extending the strain-induced crystallization and shape memory approaches of Rao and Rajagopal (Interfaces Free Bound. 2:73–94, 2000; Int. J. Solids Struct. 38:1149–1167, 2001), Barot and Rao (Z. Angew. Math. Phys. 57:652–681, 2006), and Barot et al. (Int. J. Eng. Sci. 46:325–351, 2008) to include finite thermal expansion within a logarithmic strain basis. The free energy of newly-formed orthotropic crystallites is assumed additive, with no strains in their respective configurations of formation. A multiplicative decomposition is assumed for the assumed thermoelastic orthotropic expansional strains of the respective crystallites. The properties of the crystallites are allowed to depend both on current temperature and their respective temperatures of formation. The entropy production rate relation is written in the frame rotating with the logarithmic spin and produces stress and entropy relations incorporating the integrated configurational free energies, and a driving term for the crystallization analogous to that obtained by the previous studies of Rao et al. The salient attributes of the 1-D modeling of Westbrook et al. are recovered, and applications are discussed.
Local parallel iteration in x10

X10 programs have achieved high efficiency on petascale clusters by making significant use of parallelism between places, however, there has been less focus on exploiting local parallelism within a place. This paper introduces a standard mechanism - foreach - for efficient local parallel iteration in X10, including support for worker-local data. Library code transforms parallel iteration into an efficient pattern of activities for execution by X10’s work-stealing runtime. Parallel reductions and worker-local data help to avoid unnecessary synchronization between worker threads. The foreach mechanism is compared with leading programming technologies for shared-memory parallelism using kernel codes from high performance scientific applications. Experiments on a typical Intel multicore architecture show that X10 with foreach achieves parallel speedup comparable with OpenMP and TBB for several important patterns of iteration. foreach is composable with X10’s asynchronous partitioned global address space model, and therefore represents a step towards a parallel programming model that can express the full range of parallelism in modern high performance computing systems.
Position preferences within groups : do whirligigs select positions which balance feeding opportunities with predator avoidance ?

The benefits and costs of group living are likely to be asymmetric within a group. Animals at the edge of a group are more at risk from predators, according to the selfish herd hypothesis, but are also more likely to obtain scattered food resources. Does an animal's choice between these two conflicting positions depend on its body reserves? The hunger level of marked whirligig beetles (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) was manipulated and the positions of individuals relative to the rest of the group on the surface of the water were determined with image analysis software. In 12 out of 13 groups, of approximately 18 beetles each, hungry beetles were closer to the edge of a group and had a higher distance to their nearest neighbor than well-fed beetles. Hungry beetles at the edge obtained nearly all of the food particles dropped onto the surface of the water. These results show that position preferences within groups may involve a dynamic feedback between foraging, predator avoidance, and shortterm hunger levels.
Effects of matter oscillations on supernova neutrino flux

Abstract If neutrinos have mass it is likely that, as a result of the effect of matter, neutrino flavor eigenstates are converted to mass eigenstates as they emerge from a supernova. In the case of large neutrino mixing angles there can be a significant increase in the mean energy and detected flux of neutrinos from a supernova.
The Knife Switch, The Relay and the IC

Remote control and data acquisition on a single or at most several wires has been under study at the AGS for some time. Recent advances in integrated circuit technology and significant reductions in the cost of Analog/Digital and Digital/Analog converters has enabled us to design a control system far cheaper (per channel) than similar automatic control schemes and which appears when all costs are included (wire, installation, etc.) to be competitive with conventional manual multiwire systems. The system is based upon the premise that the attached computer does not have to function in order for the control system to operate, but we have rejected the notion that duplicate (computer and manual) controls be developed. The new system might be likened to replacing switches with relays. The relays added additional reliability problems to the system, but their presence permitted control sequences unattainable with practical switch arrays, as well as operation with fewer personnel. The integrated circuit, serial, time multiplex system is the next evolutionary step.
The relationship between continuing medical education, physician behavior, and patient outcomes

Arguments continue regarding the value of continuing medical education (CME) and its impact on physician behavior and ultimately on the quality of life of patients. Through the years considerable emphasis has been placed on assessing the value of CME, usually through end-of-course evaluations. Realizing that this form of physician assessment only implied that physician behavior in a medical setting changed, attention was refocused on evaluating actual practice through chart audits and the like. While studies on physician behavior tended to support the positive impact of CME on physician behavior, the paucity of data on the effect of CME on patient outcomes suggests that considerable research in this area is needed.
Interaction in bilingual phonological acquisition: evidence from phonetic inventories

Abstract Purpose. To examine how interaction contributes to phonological acquisition in bilingual children in order to determine what constitutes typical development of bilingual speech sound inventories. Method. Twenty-four children, ages 3–4, were included: eight bilingual Spanish–English-speaking children, eight monolingual Spanish speakers, and eight monolingual English speakers. Single word samples were obtained to derive phonetic inventories. After Dinnsen, Chin, Elbert and Powell for English and Catano, Barlow, and Moyna for Spanish, the children's inventories were assigned to one of five levels of complexity. Levels were compared for similarities and differences within bilinguals and between monolinguals and bilinguals. Inventories were examined for evidence of interaction in the form of phonological transfer. Results. Bilinguals had phonetic inventories that were commensurate in complexity with monolinguals. Bilingual children acquire two inventories in the same amount of time that monolinguals a...
Some factors influencing family expenditures for outdoor recreation.

The work week is becoming shorter, family incomes are rising, and population is increasing. This provides more opportunity for outdoor recreation and probably increases the demand for such facilities and related services. This paper is directed to the user of outdoor recreation facilities and attempts to analyze some factors influencing user expenditures. A sample of families from Census tract areas with low to high median family incomes, a major part of a relatively large Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area, was interviewed to obtain the empirical information treated in this paper. Factors expected to influence annual expenditures for outdoor recreation were annual family income, age of head of household, education, race, distance to outdoor recreation facilities and time spent participating in outdoor recreation outside an urban area. The principal findings indicate that most people travelled relatively short distances to outdoor recreation sites, and that family income, education, distance to recreation facility and time spent were significantly related to annual family expenditures. The authors believe that increased demand for outdoor recreation will significantly influence additional development of people-oriented outdoor recreation facilities and services. LOCALISATION ET LOISIRS DE PLEIN AIR –La semaine de travail est en train de diminuer. les revenus des families s'elevent et la population s'accroit. Tout cela procure des occasions supplementaires pour les loisirs de plein air et probablement augmente la demande de biens de ce type, et de services divers. Cet article concerne ceux qui ont des loisirs de plein air et essaie d'analyser les facteurs influencant leur depenses. Un echantillon des families a partir des zones de recensement avec des revenus bas jusqu'aux revenus medians, la plus grande partie de la zone statistique metropolitaine type, a ete interviewee dans le but d'obtenir I'information empirique decrite et analysee dans eel article. Les facteurs qui sont supposes influencer les depenses annuelles directes de loisirs de plein air etaient le revenu familial annuel, l'âge du chef de famille, l'education, la race, la distance jusqu'aux lieux de loisirs et le temps passe en participant aux loisirs a l'interieur de la zone urbaine echantillonnee. Les principales conclusions indiquent que la plupart des gens voyagent sur de courtes distances jusqu'aux installations de loisirs et que le revenu familial, l'education, la distance jusqu'aux lieux de loisir et le temps passe en loisirs sont relies d'une facon significative aux depenses annuelles des families pour ce genre de loisirs. Les auteurs pensent qu'une demande croissante de loisirs de plein air contribuera, d'une facon significative au developpement supplementaire des services et installations des loisirs de plein air.
CHARACTERIZATION OF TISSUE CULTURE INITIATION AND PLANT REGENERATION IN SPOROBOLUS VIRGINICUS (GRAMINEAE).

Tissue cultures of the halophytic saltmarsh grass Sporobolus virginicus were initiated from unemerged immature inflorescence tissue. Typical graminaceous embryogenic and nonembryogenic callus and cell types were noted. Embryogenic callus was compact golden yellow. Histological evidence indicated that proliferation of the ovary tissue of the immature pistil was the source for embryogenic callus. Plants regenerated after first reducing and then eliminating auxin from the culture medium. Regeneration was observed both through the concerted development of bipolar meristems from somatic embryos and by the formation of multiple shoot meristems that were either connected through callus tissue to root meristems or which later adventitiously rooted. The main mode of regeneration appeared to be somatic embryogenesis with additional multiple shoot formation probably due to precocious germination of somatic embryos. Plants recovered from culture were acclimated to soil, grown up in a greenhouse, and planted in field plots with saline irrigation to ensure stability of salt tolerance.
Serum albumin stimulation of synaptosomal proline uptake: Partial identification of the active site

Abstract Synaptosomal uptake of proline is stimulated by serum albumin. Evidence is presented which indicates that peptide fragments isolated from the N-terminal region of serum albumin do not stimulate synaptosomal uptake of proline, while fragments derived from the C-terminal region have stimulatory capacities comparable to that of the parent albumin. The site responsible for the stimulatory effect has been tentatively located in the sequence region 377–504 of the albumin molecule.
Interactive software for dynamic system modeling using linear graphic

A description is given of Lgraph, which is an interactive, graphical software package for creating, modifying, and reducing linear graphs. Linear graphing, a structured method for formulating and representing lumped-element, linear dynamic system models containing connected single-port energy storage, dissipative, and source elements, and two-port transduction elements, is explained through the example of a simplified, quarter-body car suspension. Lgraph enables the user to place elements from several domains in a connected graph, and then computes and displays elemental equations, constraint (loop and node) equations, and state equations for the dynamic system, all in symbolic form. Its operation is described by a second example, the modeling of a DC servomotor drive system. The procedural algorithms are described. The package was implemented using X Windows graphics and runs on Unix-based engineering workstations. >
What does commonsense psychology tell us about meaning

Michael Devitt tells us to look to everyday talk about meaning to discover meaning's nature. We should determine what purposes, explanatory and otherwise, lay behind such talk; meanings are the sorts of things whose ascription would serve such semantic purposes. According to Devitt, propositional attitude talk is the locus of folk semantics. Its primary purposes are two: to explain and anticipate behavior, and to use believers as "guides to reality" (in virtue of the fact that their beliefs tend to be true). Propositional attitudes, says Devitt, are token mental structures, sentence-like enought to license identification of beliefs with "mental sentences." To utter
Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy: Examining the Effects of Paraeducator Implemented Early Literacy Instruction

This study examined the effect of explicit and engaging supplemental early literacy instruction on at-risk kindergarten children’s literacy development. Sixty-three kindergarten-aged children who h...
Weather-based prediction of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in epidemic-prone regions of Ethiopia I. Patterns of lagged weather effects reflect biological mechanisms

Background: Malaria epidemics due to Plasmodium falciparum are reported frequently in the East African highlands with high case fatality rates. There have been formal attempts to predict epidemics by the use of climatic variables that are predictors of transmission potential. However, little consensus has emerged about the relative importance and predictive value of different factors. Understanding the reasons for variation is crucial to determining specific and important indicators for epidemic prediction. The impact of temperature on the duration of a mosquito's life cycle and the sporogonic phase of the parasite could explain the inconsistent findings. Methods: Daily average number of cases was modeled using a robust Poisson regression with rainfall, minimum temperature and maximum temperatures as explanatory variables in a polynomial distributed lag model in 10 districts of Ethiopia. To improve reliability and generalizability within similar climatic conditions, we grouped the districts into two climatic zones, hot and cold. Results: In cold districts, rainfall was associated with a delayed increase in malaria cases, while the association in the hot districts occurred at relatively shorter lags. In cold districts, minimum temperature was associated with malaria cases with a delayed effect. In hot districts, the effect of minimum temperature was non-significant at most lags, and much of its contribution was relatively immediate. Conclusions: The interaction between climatic factors and their biological influence on mosquito and parasite life cycle is a key factor in the association between weather and malaria. These factors should be considered in the development of malaria early warning system.
Hormonal regulation of Cyp4a isoforms in mouse liver and kidney

Mouse Cyp4a subfamily, including Cyp4a10, Cyp4a12a, Cyp4a12b and Cyp4a14, demonstrate a gender- and strain-specific expression in liver and kidney. In C57BL/6 mouse liver and kidney, Cyp4a12a and 4a12b are male-predominant, whereas Cyp4a14 is female-predominant. Cyp4a10 is female-predominant in liver, but shows no gender difference in kidney. The present study was aimed to determine whether sex hormones and/or growth hormone (GH) secretion patterns are responsible for the gender-specific Cyp4a expression in C57BL/6 mice. Gonadectomized mice, GH-releasing hormone receptor-deficient little (lit/lit) mice and hypophysectomized mice were used with replacement of sex hormones or GH in male or female secretion patterns. Both androgens and male-pattern GH regulated the gender-divergent Cyp4a10, 4a12a and 4a12b in liver, whereas androgens played an exclusive role in regulating Cyp4a10 and 4a12a in kidney. In contrast, Cyp4a12b was increased by male-pattern GH but not androgens in kidney. The female-predominant Cyp4a14 in liver and kidney was due to a combined effect of male-pattern GH and androgens. In addition, estrogens played a minor role in regulation of Cyp4a isoforms through an indirect pathway. In conclusion, gender-divergent Cyp4a mRNA expression in liver is caused by male-pattern GH secretion pattern and androgens, whereas in kidney, Cyp4a mRNA expression is primarily regulated by androgens.
Neurological disorders and the potential role for stem cells as a therapy

Introduction Neurological disorders are routinely characterized by loss of cells in response to an injury or a progressive insult. Stem cells could therefore be useful to treat these disorders. Sources of data Pubmed searches of recent literature. Areas of agreement Stem cells exhibit proliferative capacity making them ideally suited for replacing dying cells. However, instead of cell replacement therapy stem cell transplants frequently appear to work via neurotrophic factor release, immunomodulation and upregulation of endogenous stem cells. Areas of controversy and areas timely for developing research Many questions remain with respect to the use of stem cells as a therapy, the answers to which will vary depending on the disorder to be treated and mode of action. Whereas the potential tumorigenic capability of stem cells is a concern, most studies do not support this notion. Further determination of the optimal cell type, and whether to perform allogeneic or autologous transplants warrant investigation before the full potential of stem cells can be realized. In addition, the use of stem cells to develop disease models should not be overlooked.
Binary increase congestion control (BIC) for fast long-distance networks

High-speed networks with large delays present a unique environment where TCP may have a problem utilizing the full bandwidth. Several congestion control proposals have been suggested to remedy this problem. The existing protocols consider mainly two properties: TCP friendliness and bandwidth scalability. That is, a protocol should not take away too much bandwidth from standard TCP flows while utilizing the full bandwidth of high-speed networks. This work presents another important constraint, namely, RTT (round trip time) unfairness where competing flows with different RTTs may consume vastly unfair bandwidth shares. Existing schemes have a severe RTT unfairness problem because the congestion window increase rate gets larger as the window grows ironically the very reason that makes them more scalable. RTT unfairness for high-speed networks occurs distinctly with drop tail routers for flows with large congestion windows where packet loss can be highly synchronized. After identifying the RTT unfairness problem of existing protocols, This work presents a new congestion control scheme that alleviates RTT unfairness while supporting TCP friendliness and bandwidth scalability. The proposed congestion control algorithm uses two window size control policies called additive increase and binary search increase. When the congestion window is large, additive increase with a large increment ensures square RTT unfairness as well as good scalability. Under small congestion windows, binary search increase supports TCP friendliness. The simulation results confirm these properties of the protocol.
Contemporary Issues in the Prevention and Management of Postthrombotic Syndrome

Objective:To provide an evidence-based review and clinical summary of postthrombotic syndrome (PTS).Data Sources:A literature review was performed via MEDLINE (1950–July 1, 2009) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–June 2009) searches using the terms post-thrombotic syndrome, post-phlebitic syndrome, deep vein thrombosis, and compression stockings.Data Synthesis:PTS is best characterized as a chronic syndrome of clinical signs and symptoms including pain, swelling, parasthesias, and ulceration in the affected limb following deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It occurs in up to hall of patients with symptomatic DVT, usually within the first 2 years. Although the pathophysiology of PTS is not well understood, a thrombus may cause venous hypertension and valvular incompetence resulting in edema, tissue hypoxia, and in severe cases, ulceration. Risk factors for PTS include recurrent ipsilateral DVT, obesity, and poor quality of anticoagulant therapy. PTS diagnosis is based on the presence of typical sig...
Normative biometrics for fetal ocular growth using volumetric MRI reconstruction.

Objective To determine normative ranges for fetal ocular biometrics between 19 and 38 weeks gestational age (GA) using volumetric MRI reconstruction. Method The 3D images of 114 healthy fetuses between 19 and 38 weeks GA were created using super-resolution volume reconstructions from MRI slice acquisitions. These 3D images were semi-automatically segmented to measure fetal orbit volume, binocular distance (BOD), interocular distance (IOD), and ocular diameter (OD). Results All biometry correlated with GA (Volume, Pearson's correlation coefficient (CC) = 0.9680; BOD, CC = 0.9552; OD, CC = 0.9445; and IOD, CC = 0.8429), and growth curves were plotted against linear and quadratic growth models. Regression analysis showed quadratic models to best fit BOD, IOD, and OD and a linear model to best fit volume. Conclusion Orbital volume had the greatest correlation with GA, although BOD and OD also showed strong correlation. The normative data found in this study may be helpful for the detection of congenital fetal anomalies with more consistent measurements than are currently available. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gap Junction–Mimetic Peptides do Work, but in Unexpected Ways

Gap junction mimetic peptides containing sequences of the extracellular loops of connexins inhibit the de-novo formation of gap junction channels but do not impair the function of existing cell-cell channels. Recently, a flurry of publications appeared showing that such “GAP” peptides attenuate ATP release and/or surrogate measures of it. Although no direct effect on putative connexin “hemichannels” has ever been shown, the peptide effect has been used as diagnostic tool for demonstrating the existence of such channels. However, testing of the peptides on genuine unapposed membrane channels formed by connexins failed to reveal any inhibitory action of the peptides on channel activity. Instead, membrane channels formed by the unrelated pannexin1 were inhibited in the same concentration range as described for the release of ATP. Consequently, rather than indicating connexin involvement in ATP release, the GAP peptide effects represent supporting evidence for a role of pannexin1 in this process.
Distribution of Benefits in Teacher Retirement Systems and Their Implications for Mobility

While it is generally understood that defined benefit pension systems concentrate benefits on career teachers and impose costs on mobile teachers, there has been very little analysis of the magnitude of these effects. The authors develop a measure of implicit redistribution of pension wealth among teachers at varying ages of separation. Compared with a neutral system, we find that often about half of an entering cohort’s net pension wealth is redistributed to teachers who separate in their fifties from those who separate earlier, and we also identify some variation across six state systems. This implies large costs for interstate mobility. We estimate that teachers who split a thirty-year career between two pension plans often lose over half their net pension wealth compared with teachers who complete a career in a single system. Plan options that permit purchases of service years mitigate few or none of these losses. It is difficult to explain these patterns of costs and benefits on efficiency grounds. More likely explanations include the relative influence of senior versus junior educators in interest group politics and a coordination problem between states.
Comparative morbidity and mortality from cervical or thoracic esophageal anastomoses

Background In the modern era of esophagectomy, we hypothesized that perioperative morbidity and mortality from cervical or thoracic sites of anastomoses would not be different. Methods We used the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database to identify patients who underwent esophagectomy for lower esophageal or gastroesophageal (GE) junction malignancies from 2005 to 2010. Patients were categorized as having either a cervical or thoracic anastomosis based on CPT codes. Results There were 601 (66%) cervical and 308 (34%) thoracic anastomoses. Cervical anastomoses were associated with greater than 2 units of blood transfusion in a higher proportion of patients (10% vs. 3%, P = 0.001), and higher superficial surgical site infections (13% vs. 7%, P = 0.003). There were no difference in rates of organ/space infections (6% vs. 7%, P = 0.70), overall morbidity (38% vs. 39%, P = 0.84), or mortality (3% vs. 4%, P = 0.34). Median length of stay was similar (11.5 days cervical vs. 11 days thoracic, P = 0.89), even among patients with organ/space infections (18 days cervical vs. 21 days thoracic, P = 0.49). On multivariate analysis thoracic anastomosis was not a significant predictor of increased overall morbidity (OR 1.13: 95%CI 0.83–1.54). Conclusion After esophagectomy, the site of anastomosis does not predict an increased risk of perioperative morbidity or mortality. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013; 108:472–476. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.