cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of the Educator

In 1910, Abraham Flexner, changed a primarily proprietary-driven profession into a hospital-based, patient-centered, research-oriented and education-focused profession. With the publication of the Flexner Report, the trilogy of graduate medical education (GME) was born: patient care, research and teaching. Of the three, teaching continues to be undervalued but can be very rewarding for medical educators. There are as many methods of teaching as there are teachers but one of the earliest forms of medical instruction, was the apprenticeship model. The Halstedian approach to surgical education epitomized the apprenticeship model of teaching. This Germanic style of residency training started at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1889 and remains the cornerstone of all surgical training programs. Over time, though, this model has become impractical and unsustainable. Simulation-based medical education (SBME) provides a new foundation upon which structured surgical training can take place intentionally, consistently, efficiently and safely. Some challenges to surgical training, in general, include a required, shorter resident work week, higher volume, more complex patients and an emphasis on improving efficiency and decreasing error. The process of teaching takes time, as teachers require time to identify learners’ needs and time to evaluate their deficiencies; time to develop a curriculum; time to actually teach (including providing feedback); and time to evaluate the teaching process to make improvements. Teachers should not ignore the broad contexts and diversity of their learners so that they can most effectively communicate their message. Teachers should always be medical professionals in everything they do, from demeanor to dress. Our actions model essential messages of commitment to our patients and to our learners so we should always promote messages of improving patient care, professionalism, integrity, and accountability. Teachers need to be continuous learners themselves in order to provide proper communication, feedback, and evaluations for each new generation. The coin of realm for residents is experience, real, hard experiences that provide trainees with knowledge and skills. As teachers, we must provide them with observable and supervised experiences, but, residents must take time to reflect on these experiential opportunities and internalize their meaning in order to achieve success.
The Impact of Dedicated Cancer Centers on Outcomes Among Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Liver and Pancreatic Cancer Surgery

The Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers (DCCs) is comprised of 11 institutions that are exempt from the prospective payment system utilized by Medicare for hospital reimbursement. The aim of this study was to compare short- and long-term outcomes of patients undergoing liver and pancreatic surgery for cancer at DCCs versus non-DCCs. Patients who underwent a liver or pancreatic operation for a malignant indication between 2013 and 2015 were identified using the Medicare Inpatient Standard Analytic Files. Regression analyses and the Kaplan–Meier method were used to assess short- and long-term outcomes of patients at DCCs versus non-DCCs. Among 13,256 patients, 7.0% of patients were treated at a DCC. Median patient age and complexity of surgical procedures were comparable among DCCs and non-DCCs (all p > 0.05). Overall complications (16.5% vs. 23.6%), 90-day readmission (26.2% vs. 30.2%), and 90-day mortality (3.0% vs. 8.7%) were lower at DCCs compared with non-DCCs (all p < 0.001). In addition, long-term hazards of death among patients undergoing hepatectomy [hazard ratio (HR) 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54–0.75] and pancreatectomy (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.56–0.78) were lower among patients treated at DCCs (both p < 0.05). While Medicare payments for patients undergoing pancreatic surgery (DCC: $22,200 vs. non-DCC: $22,100; p = 0.772) were comparable among DCC and non-DCC hospitals, Medicare payments for liver resection at DCCs were 13.9% lower than non-DCCs (DCC: $16,700 vs. non-DCC: $19,400; p < 0.001). Patients undergoing hepatopancreatic surgery at DCCs had better short- and long-term outcomes for the same/lower level of Medicare expenditure as non-DCC hospitals. DCCs provide higher-value surgical care for patients undergoing liver and pancreatic cancer operations.
Batter Up: Classifying Pre-World War II Baseball Cards Using Dewey Decimal

AbstractWithin cataloging non-book items, literature on sports cards is limited and not rooted in academic research. Sports cards provide valuable statistical information and evidence of lineups. T...
Interpretive frames for responding to racially stressful moments in history discussions

A recent report by the Southern Poverty Law Center revealed that many history teachers avoid or minimize conversations about race for fear they will trigger “racialized conflict.” This silence should raise alarms, as we know that race and racism permeate the lived experiences of teachers and students and inevitably surface in historical discussions. In this article we use a racially charged moment from a middle school discussion of the New Deal to propose three interpretive frames that might support teachers in navigating moments of racial stress in history discussions. We understand interpretive frames to be schematic lenses that guide teacher perception, interpretation, and action in classrooms, and we propose three frames—disciplinary literacy, critical literacy, and racial literacy—that respectively address the historical, structural, and psychosocial dimensions of race and racism. We apply each frame to the classroom incident to illustrate how each might help teachers respond to moments of racial stress. Ultimately, we argue that these interpretive frames represent a suite of mutually reinforcing tools that might be leveraged by teacher educators to help teachers anticipate racial stress and turn paralysis to pedagogy.
DEVELOPMENT OF A SEQUENCING BATCH YEAST REACTOR SYSTEM FOR ASSIMILATION OF LOW pH WASTES

ABSTRACT A sequencing batch (fill and draw) yeast reactor system has been developed for the assimilation of low pH waste effluents generated in the processing of acid foods. In this system a single tank was operated under controlled conditions to provide both aeration and sedimentation in the same tank. The results from a 7-liter bench-scale sequencing batch reactor with a minimum yeast solids concentration of 3,000 mg/liter indicate that greater than 90% reduction in COD (chemical oxygen demand) could be achieved with an operating cycle of approximately 5 hours. The success of this sequencing batch process was found to be strongly dependent upon the development of yeast solids with proper settling characteristics. KEYWORDS Assimilation, batch, biological waste treatment, COD, food processing wastes, low pH wastes, process control, settling characteristics, wastewater, yeast.
Storm-driven erosion and inundation of barrier islands from dune-to region-scales

Abstract Barrier islands are susceptible to erosion, overwash, and breaching during intense storms. However, these processes are not represented typically in large-domain models for storm surge and coastal inundation. In this study, we explore the requirements for bridging the gap between dune-scale morphodynamic and region-scale flooding models. A high-resolution XBeach model is developed to represent the morphodynamics during Hurricane Isabel (2003) in the North Carolina (NC) Outer Banks. The model domain is extended to more than 30 km of Hatteras Island and is thus larger than in previous studies. The predicted dune erosion is in good agreement with post-storm observed topography, and an ‘‘excellent’’ Skill Score of 0.59 is obtained on this large domain. Sensitivity studies show the morphodynamic model accuracy is decreased as the mesh spacing is coarsened in the cross-shore direction, but the results are less sensitive to the alongshore resolution. A new metric to assess model skill, Water Overpassing Area ( W O A ), is introduced to account for the available flow pathway over the dune crest. Together, these findings allow for upscaled parameterizations of erosion in larger-domain models. The updated topography, obtained from XBeach prediction, is applied in a region-scale flooding model, thus allowing for enhanced flooding predictions in communities along the Outer Banks. It is found that, even using a fixed topography in region-scale model, the flooding predictions are improved significantly when post-storm topography from XBeach is implemented. These findings can be generalized to similar barrier island systems, which are common along the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
What the Tests Don't Tell.

An assistant professor of education at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Donald Peck works primarily in the preparation of elementary teachers in the area of arithmetic methods. He also teaches courses for prospective secondary teachers of mathematics and supervises their student teaching. He has worked extensively with disadvantaged and remedial students. Stanley Jencks is an assistant professor of mathematics and education at the University of Utah and devotes most of his professional time to the preparation of elementary teachers. He teaches courses in both mathematics and the teaching of arithmetic.
Live Donor Liver Transplantation in the United States: Impact of Share 35 on Live Donor Utilization.

BACKGROUND Share 35 was a policy implemented in 2013 to increase regional sharing of deceased donor livers to patients with model for end-stage liver disease ≥ 35 to decrease waitlist mortality for the sickest patients awaiting liver transplantation (LT). The purpose of this study was to determine whether live donor liver transplantation (LDLT) volume was impacted by the shift in allocation of deceased donor livers to patients with higher model for end-stage liver disease scores. METHODS Using Network for Organ Sharing/Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Standard Transplant Analysis and Research files, we identified all adults who received a primary LT between October 1, 2008, and March 31, 2018. LT from October 1, 2008, through June 30, 2013, was designated as the pre-Share 35 era and July 1, 2013, through March 31, 2018, as the post-Share 35 era. Primary outcomes included transplant volumes, graft survival, and patient survival in both eras. RESULTS In total, 48 779 primary adult single-organ LT occurred during the study period (22 255 pre-Share 35, 26 524 post). LDLT increased significantly (6.8% post versus 5.7% pre, P < 0.001). LDLT volume varied significantly by region (P < 0.001) with regions 2, 4, 5, and 8 demonstrating significant increases in LDLT volume post-Share 35. The number of centers performing LDLT increased only in regions 4, 6, and 11. Throughout the 2 eras, there was no difference in graft or patient survival for LDLT recipients. CONCLUSIONS Overall, LDLT volume increased following the implementation of Share 35, which was largely due to increased LDLT volume at centers with experience in LDLT, and corresponded to significant geographic variation in LDLT utilization.
What CEOs Have to Say: Insights on the STEM Workforce

Establishing and maintaining the supply of skilled STEM workers are issues that many businesses are currently facing. CEOs can provide unique perspectives on the roles of parents, educators and schools, industry and community partners, and government on this issue. To this end, a Qualtrics panel was used to survey 45 CEOs located in the state of Georgia in the southeastern United States. CEOs responded to open-ended questions that were later analyzed using topic modeling techniques to uncover the themes and the factors that have the potential to increase the number of STEM-capable graduates and, ultimately, a sustained STEM workforce. The results of this study indicate that CEOs perceive parents, educators and schools, industry and community partners, and government as key players who are recommended to interact, engage and collaborate to successfully create a sustained pipeline of STEM talent. Business leaders, university business programs, and business faculty should stay abreast of the factors affecting the supply and demand of STEM workers, and this paper adds value by reporting on CEO perspectives on this important problem.
Pin(2)–equivariant KO–theory and intersection forms of spin 4–manifolds

Using the Seiberg‐Witten Floer spectrum and Pin.2/‐equivariant KO‐theory, we prove new Furuta-type inequalities on the intersection forms of spin cobordisms between homology 3‐spheres. We then give explicit constrains on the intersection forms of spin 4‐manifolds bounded by Brieskorn spheres U.2;3;6k 1/. Along the way, we also give an alternative proof of Furuta’s improvement of 10 8 ‐theorem for closed spin 4‐manifolds. 57R58; 57R57
The Concept of Enterprise BIM: Current Research Practice and Future Trends

The construction industry lacks a comprehensive and holistic way of utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM) throughout a building’s life-cycle, where the transition to Asset Management (AM) and Facility Management (FM) is particularly lacking. Enterprise BIM (EBIM) is an emerging, unexplored, holistic organizational concept that is designed to support and optimize business management throughout the entire life-cycles of buildings and infrastructure. However, current understanding and implementation of EBIM is rare. To fix this gap in knowledge, this paper defines the EBIM concept and assesses associated perspectives from research and practice in order to integrate BIM more strongly into the enterprise’s core processes and other needs at different levels within the organization and externally. To achieve a higher and more efficient utilization of building data, however, EBIMs need to develop a clear life-cycle-based information management strategy, including coordination and communication between all stakeholders. The paper highlights and discusses the importance of both available and missing standards related to the effective implementation of EBIM. Several existing open standards have been identified to help strengthen the EBIM concept. The paper identifies a need to develop standards to integrate BIM and IoT (the Internet of Things) and standards that can handle both structured and unstructured data. The authors have conducted a wide-ranging review of research, practice and existing standards and considers today’s potential for using EBIM, as well as discusses existing challenges and future research needs. Furthermore, the EBIM concept is contextualized by providing a case study with focus on cleaning. This study identifies a need to develop best practices in interdisciplinary collaborative projects. Such practical implementation requires integrated and standardized information and technology management and the exploitation of the available technologies in interdisciplinary interaction with those involved in the various processes and the flow of information throughout the life-cycle.
The Elasticity of Aggregate Output with Respect to Capital and Labor

I estimate the elasticity of GDP with respect to aggregate capital and labor using industry-specific cost structures and without assuming an aggregate production function exists. Different assumptions about industry capital costs provide upper and lower bounds for the elasticities. In the U.S. from 1948-1995 the capital elasticity bounds were 0.18-0.33, and rose to 0.21-0.39 in 1995-2018. Excluding housing and government or de-capitalizing intellectual property lowers the capital elasticity bounds. Elasticities are similar in other OECD countries from 2005-2015. Based on these boundaries for the capital elasticity, common estimates of total factor productivity growth represent a lower bound.
The Knowledge Tax

Government subsidies to higher education have recently become a hot button political issue. But what if the federal government doesn’t actually subsidize higher education, but rather, taxes it? This article gauges efficient investment levels based on marginal rates of return relative to other investments. Labor economists struggle to explain why the rates of return to higher education have remained much higher than the rates of return to other investments. This article proposes a novel explanation: distortionary taxation. Economic theory suggests that when investments that are substitutes for one another are taxed inconsistently, investors are less likely to choose the investment option that is taxed more heavily. Unfavorable tax treatment of higher education relative to other forms of investment could create an undersupply of educated labor. This distortion would increase pretax returns to education and reduce economic growth and social welfare.Part I of this article reviews empirical evidence linking higher education to increased earnings and economic growth, and considers student responsiveness to financial incentives. Part II explains why the unusually high rates of return to higher education may indicate underinvestment. Part III presents a mathematical model illustrating the link between tax rates and rates of return. Part IV reviews optimal tax theory and the distortion problem. Part V contrasts taxation of favored investments with taxation of higher education. Part VI considers policy implications.
The importance of subcellular localization of SBP2 and EFsec for selenoprotein synthesis

Recoding of UGA from a stop codon to selenocysteine poses a dilemma for the protein translation machinery. The presence of a UGA codon within the coding region of selenoprotein mRNAs render them susceptible to degradation by nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) immediately after export to the cytoplasm. To avoid NMD and assure efficient translation of selenoprotein mRNA, assembly of the selenocysteine incorporation factors, including Selenocysteine Binding Protein 2 (SBP2) and selenocysteine-specific elongation factor (EFsec), onto the mRNA most likely occurs in the nucleus, at least for some selenoprotein mRNAs. The amino acid sequences of SBP2 and EFsec both contain functional nuclear localization signals (NLSs) and nuclear export signals (NESs). In fact, several lines of evidence suggest that these proteins are capable of shuttling between the cytoplasm and nucleus. SBP2 contains multiple NLSs and NESs and may be particularly important for final export of a stable protein/mRNA complex from the nucleus to the cytoplasm for translation. In this context, the subcellular location of these important components of the selenocysteine incorporation machinery is as essential for proper translation and may prove to be an important regulatory step in selenoprotein synthesis.
Quality and quantity in the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology

Abstract Physicians have always carried the obligation for training their own successors. This in turn gives them a vital interest in the caliber of man being proselyted into their own discipline. This interest became a serious concern for Dr. Taylor and occupied much of his energies from 1953 to the publication, in 1961, of “The recruitment of talent for a medical specialty”.
Using the Pathfinder System to Reduce Missed Abnormal Cervical Cytologic Smear Cases in a Rescreening Program

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of Pathfinder (CompuCyte Corp., Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.), a Process control instrument for microscopes used by cytotechnologists to monitor the mechanical aspects of their screening process, on the false negative cervical cytologic smear rate as detected in daily quality assurance rescreening. STUDY DESIGN: Pathfinder was put into routine use in a large cytology laboratory. After cytotechnologists were trained in its use, they monitored their time spent screening each slide, the area (percent) of the slide screened and the average percentage of overlap of fields of view. The number of abnormal cases missed in screening before and after the introduction of Pathfinder was determined by rescreening a random 10% of the negative cases. The evaluation took place over a nine-month period. RESULTS : A decrease in the number of missed abnormal cases was identified. The false negative rate for atypical cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) fell from 37/2,336 (1.6%) to 12/1,772 (0.7%), for a 56% decrease. The change in the number of squamous intraepithelial lesion cases, even over a nine-month period, was too small for comment. CONCLUSION: The effect of the continuous feedback and process standardization provided by the Pathfinder system was a decrease in the number of abnormal cases missed. This was due primarily to a marked decrease in the number of ASCUS cases missed. The Pathfinder provides a number of innovative management tools to ensure consistent high quality screening.
Interaction of Physical and Mental Work

The objective of the research was to determine the effect of mental load on the physical capacity of an individual. An experiment involving 9 combinations of lifting tasks, 1 lowering task, and 3 treadmill tasks was conducted. Heart rate was measured and maximum acceptable weight of lift was determined using the psychophysical method. A simple multiplication task was used as the mental load. The output variables were determined with and without the mental task. The results indicate that the individual’s physical capacity decreased with the mental task while lifting from floor to knuckle and shoulder to reach lifting heights.
Nalidixic Acid-Resistant Mutants of Escherichia coli Deficient in Isocitrate Dehydrogenase

icd Mutants of Escherichia coli K-12, selected for their resistance to nalidixic acid, are deficient in isocitrate dehydrogenase.
Selection Interviewing: Current Issues and Future Research Directions

Selection interviews are a popular method used to assess and select applicants for jobs. Interviewers want the opportunity to meet the candidate. Applicants expect to have the chance to explain their skills, abilities, and to evaluate their fit to the job. After more than 100 years of research, much is known about employment interviews to increase the chances of making a good hiring decision, yet more questions remain to be answered. Keywords: structured interviews; interview process model; legal issues; interview constructs
The dependence of braking strategies on optical variables in an evolved model of visually-guided braking

This paper presents results from two sets of experiments which investigate how strategies used by embodied dynamical agents in a simple braking task are affected by the perceptual information that the agents receive. Agents are evolved in a simple 2D environment containing one stationary object. The task of the agents is to stop as close as possible to the object without hitting it. The results of these experiments demonstrate that most of the evolved agents use an impulsive braking strategy, in which deceleration is not controlled continuously. Potential causes of this impulsive braking strategy and possible future directions are discussed.
Anaesthetists' role in neonatal resuscitation and care of the newborn

The simple mnemonic ABCDE summarizes the five key principles of neonatal resuscitation: 1 Airway. 2 Breathing. 3 Circulation. 4 Drugs. 5 Evaluation, of concurrent and causative problems and maintenance of a neutral thermal environment.
Scaling Criteria for Two-Phase Flow Loops and Their Application to Conceptual 2×4 Simulation Loop Design

Scaling criteria for a natural circulation loop under single- and two-phase flow conditions are derived from the fluid balance equations, boundary conditions, and solid energy equations. For a sing...
Analysis of structure-function from expression of G protein-coupled receptor fragments.

Publisher Summary Mutagenesis studies have played a major role in defining the structure and the molecular mechanisms that govern G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) function. Structure–function analysis from expression of GPCR fragments has become a powerful tool in the study of GPCRs and other membrane proteins. The split receptor approach could be a general, rapid, and easy assay for the routine determination of tertiary contacts in single chain, polytopic, integral membrane proteins. Split receptors used in combination with techniques such as Cys cross-linking and site-directed reporter attachment studies would prove extremely useful. Cys cross-linking demonstrates that the two candidate residues are capable of coming close together enough to form a covalent bond in the protein. The approach is to use disulfide cross-linking of site-directed Cys mutations to demonstrate the proximal location of residue side chains within the protein. Cys residues can be engineered into split receptor constructs. Cross-linking can be detected readily by a mobility shift on SDS–PAGE. This approach has been used successfully in rhodopsin.
Hardware-in-the-loop evolution of a 3-bit multiplier

In this paper, we focus on evolving a 3-bit multiplier from scratch. This method assume a dual-redundant FPGA system whereby the faulty FPGA undergoes evolution to recover its functionality, while the redundant FPGA maintains proper functionality during an evolution of the faulty FPGA. After the fault is detected, redundancy is lost for a short period of time and restored. The multiplier design is purely combinational, so that no feedbacks are allowed and can potentially take up to 48 LUTs. ECJ a Java-based evolutionary computation and genetic programming system is used for task like decoding.
Snakes and Splines for Tracking Non-Rigid Heart Motion

MRI is unique in its ability to non-invasively and selectively alter tissue magnetization, and create tagged patterns within a deforming body such as the heart muscle. The resulting patterns (radial or SPAMM patterns) define a time-varying curvilinear coordinate system on the tissue, which we track with B-snakes and coupled B-snake grids. The B-snakes are optimized by a dynamic programming algorithm operating on B-spline control points in discrete pixel space. Coupled B-snake optimization based on an extension of dynamic programming to two dimensions, and gradient descent are proposed. Novel spline warps are also proposed which can warp an area in the plane such that two embedded snake grids obtained from two SPAMM frames are brought into registration, interpolating a dense displacement vector field. The reconstructed vector field adheres to the known displacement information at the intersections, forces corresponding snakes to be warped into one another, and for all other points in the plane, where no information is available, a second order continuous vector field is interpolated.
Relationships between the distribution and stable isotopic composition of living benthic foraminifera and cold methane seep biogeochemistry in Monterey Bay, California

[1] As part of an ongoing effort to explore the use of foraminifera as a means to assess modern and ancient methane release, we compared ambient pore water chemistry with the distribution and stable isotopic composition of living (rose Bengal stained) foraminifera in MBARI ROV Ventana tube cores taken from modern seepage areas (about 1000 m water depth) in Monterey Bay, California. Benthic foraminiferal isotopic differences between sites clearly indicate that methane-influenced pore waters affect foraminiferal distributions and carbonate isotope geochemistry. Carbon isotope signatures of living benthic foraminifera did not conform to the very negative (−30 to −48‰), methane-influenced carbon isotope values of the pore waters they live in. Instead, the influence of methane seep pore waters was reflected in the greater range and carbon isotopic variability of living seep foraminifera compared with published δ13C values of foraminifera living in nonseep habitats. It is not clear what relative influences biological, ecological, and physical factors have on the carbon isotopic signatures observed in seep foraminifera. Substantial carbon isotope differences can exist between individuals of the same seep species. For instance, δ13C values of living Globobulimina pacifica varied by as much as 2.9‰ between seeps within 8 km of each other, whereas δ13C values of living Uvigerina peregrina varied by as much as 1.95‰ within the same seep. Provided there is no diagenetic alteration of the test carbonate, isotopic results of individual seep foraminifera support the hypothesis that foraminifera can be used to assess past and present methane seepage.
Oxidized phospholipid based pH sensitive micelles for delivery of anthracyclines to resistant leukemia cells in vitro.

Abstract A self-assembled micelle drug delivery system was constructed with an oxidized phospholipid for anthracycline anti-cancer drug delivery. An oxidized phospholipid, 1-palmitoyl-2-azelaoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PazPC), was chosen to fabricate micelles via both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions for delivery of doxorubicin (DOX) and idarubicin (IDA). The formation of ion–pair complexes between PazPC and DOX was first investigated under different pH conditions. Drug-loaded PazPC micelles at a 5:1 molar ratio of lipid/drug at pH 7.0 were then prepared by the solvent evaporation method. The empty and drug-loaded PazPC micelles exhibited a small particle size (∼10 nm) and high encapsulation efficiency. In vitro stability and release profile indicated that the micelles were stable at physiological conditions, but exhibited pH-sensitive behavior with accelerated release of DOX or IDA in an acidic endosome environment. Finally, in vitro uptake and cytotoxicity were evaluated for leukemia P388 and its resistant subline P388/ADR. The drug-loaded PazPC micelles enhanced drug uptake and exhibited higher cytotoxicity in both leukemia cells in comparison to free drugs. In conclusion, we developed a novel pH sensitive oxidized phospholipid-based micellar formulation which could potentially be useful in delivering anthracycline anti-cancer drugs and provide a novel strategy for increasing the therapeutic index while overcoming multidrug resistance for leukemia treatment.
Production and viability of unreduced gametes in triploid interspecific blueberry hybrids.

Three triploid (2n=3x=36) blueberry hybrids were obtained by hand-pollinating approximately 7,000 flowers of tetraploid highbush blueberry cultivars (based on Vaccinium corymbosum L.) with pollen from the diploid species V. elliottii Chapm. Meiotic analysis of these triploids revealed trivalents, bivalents and univalents in all metaphase I cells, with lagging chromosomes evident at anaphase I. Pollen of the three triploids was mostly aborted and did not stain with acetocarmine. However, the three triploids did produce from 0.9%–1.3% giant pollen grains that stained with acetocarmine and were present as monads, dyads or triads, rather than the normal tetrads. Pollination of 10,853 flowers of hexaploid V. ashei Reade cultivars with pollen from the triploids produced 266 berries, which averaged fewer than two fully-developed seeds per berry. One triploid clone showed partial female fertility when crossed to hexaploids, self-pollinated, or intercrossed with other triploids. Ploidy levels of the resulting hybrids were determined.
Novel magnetic properties of carbon nanotubes.

A magnetic field is found to have strong effects on the electronic structure and bulk properties of carbon nanotubes. A field-induced metal-insulator transition is predicted for all pure nanotubes. In a weak field, nanotubes exhibit both large diamagnetic and paramagnetic responses depending on the field direction, the Fermi energy, the helicity, and the nanotube radius. Universal scalings are found in the susceptibility as functions of the Fermi energy, the temperature, and the size of nanotubes. Comparison with recent experiments are discussed.
Epiphysiodesis with infusion of stromal cell-derived factor-1 in rabbit growth plates.

Background: The mechanism of physeal closure is poorly understood, although both mechanical and biological factors may play a role in the process. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the application of a chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) to rabbit physes in vivo with regard to growth inhibition. Methods: A continuous infusion system consisting of a fenestrated catheter and an osmotic pump were implanted into the right proximal tibial physis of twenty six-week-old New Zealand White rabbits. Ten of the pumps were loaded with human recombinant SDF-1α, and ten were loaded with phosphate-buffered saline solution (sham treatment). The left leg was used as the uninvolved control. The growth of the tibiae was followed radiographically for eight weeks, and histologic analysis was performed for both the SDF-1-treated rabbits and the sham-treated rabbits at two, four, and eight-week time-points. Results: Radiographic evaluation showed a significant growth inhibition in the SDF-1α-treated physes (4.5 ± 3.0 mm; p = 0.007) compared with the sham-treated physes after eight weeks. No difference was noted when the sham-treated leg was compared with the contralateral, control leg (0.2 ± 2.9 mm; p = 0.465). Histologic evaluation showed marked physeal disorganization, narrowing, and proteoglycan loss and a significant decrease in physeal height (p < 0.0001) for the SDF-1-treated group. Reversible growth slowing was noted in the uninvolved, control leg of the SDF-1-treated group at six weeks, with resolution of the difference by eight weeks. Conclusions: SDF-1 may be used to induce physeal closure through a targeted infusion system. However, transient systemic effects of SDF-1 may exist and must be evaluated further prior to its clinical use for epiphysiodesis. Clinical Relevance: The use of biologic agents to effect physeal closure could offer a biological therapeutic alternative to mechanical ablation of the physis for the treatment of limb-length inequality in children.
Strengthening and stiffening carbon fiber epoxy composites by halloysite nanotubes, carbon nanotubes and silicon carbide whiskers

Abstract Low-cost natural halloysite (Hal) nanotubes (0.1 μm diameter) were effective for strengthening and stiffening continuous fiber epoxy composites, as shown for cross-ply carbon fiber (5 μm diameter, ~ 59 vol.%) epoxy nanocomposites under flexure, giving 17% increase in strength, 11% increase in modulus and 21% decrease in ductility. They were less effective than expensive multiwalled carbon nanotubes (0.02 μm diameter), which gave 25% increase in strength, 11% increase in modulus and 14% decrease in ductility. However, they were more effective than expensive silicon carbide whiskers (1 μm diameter), which gave 15% increase in strength, 9% increase in modulus and 20% decrease in ductility. Each filler, at ~ 2 vol.%, was incorporated in the composite at every interlaminar interface (interface between adjacent fiber laminae) by fiber prepreg surface modification. The flexural strength increase due to Hal nanotubes incorporation corroborated with the interlaminar shear strength increase. The measured values of the composite modulus agreed roughly with the calculated values based on the Rule of Mixtures. The interlaminar interface thickness was higher for the SiC whiskers case than the carbon nanotubes or Hal nanotubes case. The lamina thickness was not affected by the fillers. The composite density was 2% higher for the Hal nanotubes and SiC whiskers cases than the carbon nanotubes case.
Chemisorptions of bacterial receptors for hydrophobic amino acids and sugars on gold for biosensor applications: a surface plasmon resonance study of genetically engineered proteins.

This paper demonstrates potential applications of two periplasmic receptor proteins from E. coli as sensing elements for biosensors using the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique. These molecules, namely the aspartate to cysteine mutant of the leucine-specific receptor (LS-D1C) and the glutamine to cysteine mutant of the D-glucose/D-galactose receptor (GGR-Q26C) proteins, are chemisorbed on a thin (� /40 nm) Au film in neutral K2HPO4 buffers. Using angle and time resolved SPR measurements; we show that adsorption behaviors of both proteins are dominated by diffusion-free second order Langmuir kinetics. We also show that the protein-modified Au films exhibit measurable SPR shifts upon binding to their respective target ligands. According to these SPR data, the kinetics of ligand binding for both LS-D1C and GGR-Q26C are governed by irreversible first order diffusion limited Langmuir model. The utility of the SPR technique for studying reactions of biological molecules is further illustrated in this work. # 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Conflict over flying fish: The dispute between Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados

Abstract This paper explains the ongoing conflict between Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados over the right to catch flying fish off the coast of Tobago. The aim of the paper is to present the different scenarios arising from the conflict and to determine the best outcome for managing the flying fish. The history and current situation of the conflict is presented. The possible outcomes are evaluated with a framework developed in the paper. It is concluded that a negotiated agreement between the two countries gives the best result. Future negotiations should focus on developing a limited access program like Individual Transferable Quotas.
ASHG Presidential Address: Who Is under the Umbrella—and Why Are We Here?

Colleagues and friends—welcome to the 57th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics. I thank you for the honor of serving as your president. We come together with good reason to celebrate: There has never been a better time for human genetics research. Genomic tools are providing us with new insights about genomic structure and gene function; the pace of gene discovery is faster than ever; and we now have a handful of innovative therapies based on genetic research, with prospects of more to come.
Immigrants' welfare use and opportunity for contact with co-ethnics.

In this article we examine the relationship between immigrants’ welfare use and their social capital, using the 1990 census. We measure community social capital using contact with co-ethnics and coethnics’ economic inactivity, and examine the use of AFDC and SSI in two subpopulations: single-mother families and elderly units. Major findings are that the effects of social capital differ between immigrant single-mother families and elderly units; the effects of social capital differ between the young-at-arrival elderly and the old-at-arrival elderly; and the process of AFDC use is similar for immigrants and for natives, whereas the process of SSI use is more complicated for immigrants than for natives.
Management systems for creative product development

A consideration of various routes for creative product development has suggested that ambidextrous methods of management are most appropriate. This has led to an examination of how group vs. individual processing affects the individual engaged in creative product development. Based on certain scenarios and field experiences supported by the literature, it is postulated that participation in innovating groups can have positive as well as negative impacts. Thus, creativity may be facilitated or impeded, depending on the quality and duration of group involvement. This analysis suggests that management approaches should permit certain contingencies to inject variety into experiences of individuals responsible for new product development. A flexible management style allows for stimulation within groups as well as satisfaction of self-actualization needs of individuals engaged in the creative process.
Adsorption of oxygen on gold electrodes in aqueous solutions

Abstract The double layer capacitance was measured on gold-bead electrodes in N 2 -stirred 2 N Na 2 SO 4 solution as a function of the pre-treatment of the gold surface. Such measurements are sensitive to small quantities of adsorbed oxygen. It is suggested that oxygen may be adsorbed in rather small quantities on gold at potentials as low as 800 mV vs H 2 (1 atm) in the same solution. The observed values of the capacitance agree with those in the literature. If Au 2 O 3 is formed on the gold surface and then reduced, abnormally high capacitance values are observed, because such a surface has been greatly roughened and the true current density is much lower than that calculated. The voltage-sweep methods as described in the literature may not be sensitive enough to detect the small quantities of oxygen adsorbed on gold in the region around 900 mV.
Shape-based segmentation and characterization of biomedical images

Shape is a powerful descriptor in identifying and describing objects in images, but is largely unused as a tool for object segmentation and computer-aided image analysis. We extract shape descriptors of objects, 'cores,' in computer images derived from a variety of sources, and prove their utility in important biomedical applications, including segmentation of the hippocampus and cerebral ventricles from MR images, and discrimination between normal and abnormal nerve axons in photomicrographs.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Bounds on the density of states of random Schrödinger operators

Bounds are obtained on the unintegrated density of states ρ(E) of random Schrodinger operatorsH=−Δ + V acting onL 2(ℝ d ) orl 2(ℤ d ). In both cases the random potential is $$V: = \sum\limits_{y \in \mathbb{Z}^d } {V_y \chi (\Lambda (y))}$$ in which the $$\left\{ {V_y } \right\}_{y \in \mathbb{Z}^d }$$ areIID random variables with densityf. The χ denotes indicator function, and in the continuum case the $$\left\{ {\Lambda (y)} \right\}_{y \in \mathbb{Z}^d }$$ are cells of unit dimensions centered ony∈ℤ d . In the finite-difference case Λ(y) denotes the sitey∈ℤ d itself. Under the assumptionf ∈ L 0 1+ɛ (ℝ) it is proven that in the finitedifference casep ∈ L ∞(ℝ), and that in thed= 1 continuum casep ∈ L loc ∞ (ℝ).
Structural Damage to Lactate Dehydrogenase during Copper Iminodiacetic Acid Metal Affinity Chromatography

The stability of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was evaluated by measuring structural damage and activity loss after exposure to copper-iminodiacetic acid (IDA) immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) under oxidizing conditions at pH 7.0. Oxidizing conditions were produced by adding reductants commonly employed in bioprocessing and biomedical applications (glutathione, beta-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, cysteine, or ascorbate) and/or hydrogen peroxide to the mobile phase. Most of these additives have been shown recently to give rise to metal-catalyzed oxidation (MCO) reactions on copper-iminodicaetic acid IMAC columns. Structural damage in the form of increased susceptibility to proteolytic degradation, fragmentation, and cross-linking were measured. Increased sensitivity to proteolysis was significant in virtually all cases tested, even when activity remained high (>95% specific activity recovered). In contrast fragmentation and cross-linking were minimal in all cases, even when activity was low (<50%). As the damage was believed to have been caused primarily by MCO reactions, preventative measures consistent with this reaction pathway were tested. The most successful measure for all of the conditions studied was addition of the Cu+ chelating agent bicinchoninic acid (BCA) to the mobile phase. Decreased contact time with the column decreased damage in the case where glutathione was added. Removal of dissolved oxygen by nitrogen sparging and use of Tris-acetate buffer in place of phosphate had no measurable effect. The success of BCA addition in reducing structural damage and activity loss strengthens the conclusion that MCO reactions can occur on copper-iminodiacetic acid IMAC columns. However, the addition of BCA and the other protective measures described were not successful in eliminating the increased proteolytic susceptibility observed when LDH in buffer was exposed to the copper-charged column with no oxidizing additives. This suggests that at least one other pathway for damage exists. This damage is difficult to detect as it did not cause statistically significant losses in enzymatic activity, fragmentation, or cross-linking.
Feeling the Heat: An Analysis of Illinois Firefighter Strikes, 1968-1980

In his seminal book, Success While Others Fail: Social Movement Unionism and the Public Workplace, Paul Johnston argues that the success of any collective action conducted by public sector unions depends upon 1) the capability of the union to formulate its demands in terms of the “public interest” and 2) the capacity of the union to construct coalitions that may incorporate clients, other public sector employees in the agency, the agency’s supervisors, politicians, etc. during the collective actions. This hypothesis was tested by investigating 11 firefighter union strikes that occurred throughout Illinois from 1968 to 1980. It was determined that strike success was dependent on the union being able to create successful coalitions but not on the union’s ability to base its demands in public interest terms.
Farm operators who sell crop production inputs: The case of Ohio farmers who sell seed

A random sample of Ohio farm operators was surveyed about the revenue they earned from selling seed to farmers. Approximately 15% of the survey respondents reported selling seed to farmers. For most respondents who sold seed the seed dealership was not an important source of income. However, some sold substantial amounts. Those who sold more than $5000 of seed were more likely to be full-time farmers than other survey respondents. Lastly, selling seed was associated with a greater discount on seed purchased for the farming operation.
Characterization of LY806303 as a potent and selective inhibitor of thrombin

Abstract Methyl 3-(2-methyl-1-oxopropoxy)[1]benzothieno[3,2-b]furan-2-carboxylate (LY806303; 1) has been characterized as a novel, potent and selective inhibitor thrombin.
INCOME INEQUALITY IN URBAN COLOMBIA: A DECOMPOSITION ANALYSIS

The persistence of poverty and income inequality in less developed countries (LDCs) is a source of serious concern to development economists. To understand the structure of inequality, several researchers using a variety of methodologies have measured the importance of various contributory factors to overall income variability. The available literature—which now includes studies of Brazil, Mexico, Iran, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Pakistan, and Colombia-has been reviewed elsewhere (Fields, forthcoming). This paper presents additional evidence for urban Colombia, in the process raising some important methodological issues which bear on the design of future research studies. The data set used in this paper is described in Section I. The decomposition of Colombian inequality by functional income source is presented in Section 11 for micro data. Section I11 examines the robustness of source decomposition procedures to data aggregation. Section IV presents inequality decompositions by city, and Section V by other income-determining characteristics. Conclusions appear in Section VI.
Quantization error in hexagonal sensory configurations

The authors develop mathematical tools for estimating quantization error in hexagonal sensory configurations. These include analytic expressions for the average error and the error distribution of a function of an arbitrary number of independently quantized variables. These two quantities are essential for assessing the reliability of a given algorithm. They can also be used to compare the relative sensitivity of a particular algorithm to quantization error for hexagonal and other spatial samplings, e.g., square, and can have an impact on sensor design. Furthermore, it is shown that the ratio of hexagonal error to square error is bounded between 0.90 and 1.05. >