cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Where the true power resides”: Student translanguaging and supportive teacher dispositions

Scholarship suggests that bilingual students’ translanguaging skills – their multilingual and multimodal communicative competencies – should be leveraged as a valuable meaning-making resource and t...
Bayesian hierarchical modeling for the linkages between air pollution and population health

Abstract Bayesian hierarchical modeling provides a flexible and robust framework to develop appropriate statistical models to better understand the complex relationships between air pollution and population health. Bayesian hierarchical modeling benefits from two most significant advances in modern applied statistics: generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) and Bayesian estimation via Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation. This chapter starts with a brief introduction to GLMMs and Bayesian inference; describes the three stages of Bayesian hierarchical modeling: data model, process model, and parameter model; and demonstrates how to construct and implement Bayesian hierarchical spatial modeling for the linkages between air pollution and population health using a case study.
Democracy’s capital: black political power in Washington, D.C., 1960s–1970s: Lauren Pearlman, Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina Press, 2019, 352 pp., US$29.95 (paperback).

In 2010, Heather Ann Thompson called on scholars to ‘reckon with’ the myriad effects of mass incarceration on urban transformations in post-World War II America. 1 Lauren Pearlman answers that call...
A Formative Experiment to Align Middle-School History Instruction with Literacy Goals

Background/ContextRecent curricular trends based on new standards emphasize the centrality of reading and studying texts in history instruction. That trend suggests a closer alignment between middl...
Abstract 13608: The Association Between Cardiometabolic Disorders/Cardiovascular Disease and the Distribution of Monocyte Subsets: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Monocytes play a crucial role in the pathology of atherosclerosis, a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Previous studies in preclinical models report that monocyte subsets (...
Open heavy flavor production from light ion collisions at RHIC

PHENIX measures leptons at mid and forward rapidities and extracts leptons resulting from semi-leptonic decays of heavy quarks. We present PHENIX results related to heavy quark production, specifically the invariant cross section of the non-photonic single electrons produced at midrapidity in p+p and d+Au collisions at \(\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 200\) GeV. The measured cross section for p+p collisions is compared with the NLO prediction, and a possible excess over the prediction is noted. The measured cross section for d+Au collisions scales with the number of colliding nucleon pairs from the p+p spectra.
To Sing Against Singing: Constraint and Liberation in the Spirituals of Roland Hayes

The tenor Roland Hayes came to international fame in the Harlem Renaissance, but the obscurity that followed his success reveals the catch-22 that confronted him and many of his contemporaries. Hay...
Integrating the tourist gaze with the social servicescape: Implications for creating memorable theme park experiences

Abstract This research examines how the social servicescape-directed gaze (i.e., perceptions of similarity, appearance, and behavior of other customers) influences theme park visitors’ affective states and experiences. A quantitative, survey-based research design was adopted with a total of 561 theme park patrons participating in the study. Results of structural equation modeling analyses reveal that similarity and behavior positively affect visitors’ feelings of arousal and curiosity, which in turn contribute to memorable theme park experiences. Other visitors’ appearances, however, are not a significant predictor of affect/experience. From a theory standpoint, this research represents a first attempt to study the tourist gaze at theme parks and makes a unique contribution by integrating the three dimensions of the social servicescape with the theoretical lens of the tourist gaze. Practically, this research provides suggestions for theme park management to create more memorable experiences by leveraging the social servicescape-directed gaze among visitors.
Optimization of short-term storage of pikeperch semen: an applicable approach.

Abstract Contamination of semen with urine and asynchronous maturation of males and females are main obstacles in artificial reproduction of pikeperch Sander lucioperca. The objective of this study was to overcome these obstacles using optimization of a procedure for short-term storage of pikeperch semen at 4 °C using two immobilizing media (IM): (a) IM1, 180 mM NaCl, 2.68 mM KCl, 1.36 mM CaCl2 ⋅ 2H2O and 2.38 mM NaHCO3, 343 mOsm/kg; and (b) IM2, 200 mM NaCl, 2.68 mM KCl, 1.36 mM CaCl2 ⋅ 2H2O and 2.38 mM NaHCO3, 381 mOsm/kg. Undiluted sperm was used as the control. At 6 h poststorage, there were no substantial changes in spermatozoa motility and velocity at 30 s postactivation in all groups. Over 48 h of storage, the highest spermatozoa motility and velocity were obtained in sperm diluted in IM2 compared to the other groups. IM2 could maintain a significantly higher ATP content of diluted sperm than IM1 and undiluted treatment for 2 days. Similarly, the highest values of eyeing and hatching rates were observed in sperm diluted in IM2 compared to sperm in the other studied groups. It can be concluded that the obtained result is a novel and applicable approach to maintain semen quality of pikeperch during short-term storage, suggesting IM2 as a promising medium for short-term storage. The present study also opens possibilities for ensuring a reliable source of semen as a convenient approach for increasing genetic diversity in hatcheries.
Nonflammable nonaqueous electrolytes for lithium batteries

Abstract As the energy density of state-of-the-art lithium (Li)-ion batteries (LIBs) increases, the safety concern of LIBs using liquid electrolytes is drawing increasing attention. Flammability of electrolytes is a critical link of the overall safety performance of LIBs and Li metal batteries. For this reason, intensive efforts have been devoted to suppressing the flammability of liquid electrolytes. In this short review, the common approaches to reduce the flammability of the nonaqueous liquid electrolytes will be summarized. The advantages and limitations of these approaches will also be discussed.
Adenovirus prevents dsRNA formation by promoting efficient splicing of viral RNA

Eukaryotic cells recognize intracellular pathogens through pattern recognition receptors, including sensors of aberrant nucleic acid structures. Sensors of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) are known to detect replication intermediates of RNA viruses. It has long been suggested that annealing of mRNA from symmetrical transcription of both top and bottom strands of DNA virus genomes can produce dsRNA during infection. Supporting this hypothesis, nearly all DNA viruses encode inhibitors of dsRNA-recognition pathways. However, direct evidence that DNA viruses produce dsRNA is lacking. Contrary to dogma, we show that the nuclear-replicating DNA virus adenovirus (AdV) does not produce detectable levels of dsRNA during infection. In contrast, abundant dsRNA is detected within the nucleus of cells infected with AdV mutants defective for viral RNA processing. In the presence of nuclear dsRNA, the cytoplasmic dsRNA sensor PKR is relocalized and activated within the nucleus. Accumulation of viral dsRNA occurs in the late phase of infection, when unspliced viral transcripts form intron/exon base pairs between top and bottom strand transcripts. We propose that DNA viruses actively limit dsRNA formation by promoting efficient splicing and mRNA processing, thus avoiding detection and restriction by host innate immune sensors of pathogenic nucleic acids.
Sustained IGF-1 delivery ameliorates effects of chronic denervation and improves functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury and repair

Functional recovery following peripheral nerve injury is limited by progressive atrophy of denervated muscle and Schwann cells (SCs) that occurs during the long regenerative period prior to end-organ reinnervation. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a potent mitogen with well-described trophic and anti-apoptotic effects on neurons, myocytes, and SCs. Achieving sustained, targeted delivery of small protein therapeutics remains a challenge. We hypothesized that a novel nanoparticle (NP) delivery system can provide controlled release of bioactive IGF-1 targeted to denervated muscle and nerve tissue to achieve improved motor recovery through amelioration of denervation-induced muscle atrophy and SC senescence and enhanced axonal regeneration. Biodegradable NPs with encapsulated IGF-1/dextran sulfate polyelectrolyte complexes were formulated using a flash nanoprecipitation method to preserve IGF-1 bioactivity and maximize encapsulation efficiencies. Under optimized conditions, uniform PEG-b-PCL NPs were generated with an encapsulation efficiency of 88.4%, loading level of 14.2%, and a near-zero-order release of bioactive IGF-1 for more than 20 days in vitro. The effects of locally delivered IGF-1 NPs on denervated muscle and SCs were assessed in a rat median nerve transection-without- repair model. The effects of IGF-1 NPs on axonal regeneration, muscle atrophy, reinnervation, and recovery of motor function were assessed in a model in which chronic denervation is induced prior to nerve repair. IGF-1 NP treatment resulted in significantly greater recovery of forepaw grip strength, decreased denervation-induced muscle atrophy, decreased SC senescence, and improved neuromuscular reinnervation.
It Usually Works: The Temporal Logic of Stochastic Systems

In this paper the branching time logic pCTL* is defined. pCTL* expresses quantitative bounds on the probabilities of correct behavior; it can be interpreted over discrete Markov processes. A bisimulation relation is defined on finite Markov processes, and shown to be sound and complete with respect to pCTL*. We extend the universe of models to generalized Markov processes in order to support notions of refinement, abstraction, and parametrization. Model checking pCTL* over generalized Markov processes is shown to be elementary by a reduction to RCF. We conclude by describing practical and theoretical avenues for further work.
Counseling & Diversity, by Devika D. Choudhuri, Azara L. Santiago-Rivera, & Michael T. Garrett

Diversity & Counseling, by Choudhuri, Santiago-Rivera, and Garrett, is a textbook in which the authors addressed three dimensions of counseling competency with special emphasis on understanding the...
An Integrative Research Strategy for Exploring Synergies in Natural Language Performance

I argue that a synthetic explanatory strategy is an important step forward for developing a more comprehensive understanding of human language, in particular natural language performance. By considering some statistical definitions of the notion of synergy, I argue that we should expect very low-level units of measure, such as voice or body movement, to predict higher level units of measure, such as complex linguistic functions like discourse. It would be useful to tie the structured behavior at this low level to high-level constraints, such as discourse goals. I refer to this as an “integrative strategy” to getting the synthetic approach going, and I briefly sketch our preliminary methods in conducting this integration across different timescales.
Situation Theory and Social Structure

This paper seeks to utilize situation theory as a framework (or formalism) for the description and analysis of the fundamental social structures that underlie the way we encounter the world, and which influence our behavior and communication in society.
Public Libraries as Rhetorical Devices: Reimagining Print, Dewey, and Memory as Invention in the Digital Age

This article frames the public library and its system of organization as rhetorical tools. By providing an historic overview of libraries and their formation, the author recognizes the severed connection between library systems and the field of rhetoric, specifically the rhetorical canon of memoria. He seeks to reconnect memoria to the public library by recognizing the place-based nature of both classical memoria and library classification systems. The implications, he contends, run deep in libraries as seemingly neutral entities shape collective memory and education. Finally, the author provides a section that focuses on how digital-age libraries could be shaped, maintained, and managed in a way that recognizes memory as a rhetorical tool that aids in knowledge formation.
Real-time Demonstration of DMT-based DDO-OFDM Transmission and Reception at 50Gb/s

Real-time DMT-based DDO-OFDM transmission and reception is successfully demonstrated at a record line rate of 50Gbps. The measured BER after 20-km LEAF is less than the SD pre-FEC limit of 2.7×10-2.
Visible Spectrum Frequency Comb for Astronomical Spectrograph Calibration

We have developed a visible wavelength frequency comb at 420nm with a 21GHz mode spacing to calibrate astronomical spectrographs used in searches for planets similar to the Earth near stars similar to the Sun.
Degradation of human myelin phospholipids by phospholipas-enriched culture media of pathogenic Naegleria fowleri

Cell-free media from cultures of virulent Naegleria fowleri were tested for phospholipase activities and their ability to degrade phospholipids of human myelin. Virulent N. fowleri selectively released lipolytic enzymes into the media at various times during growth and hydrolyzed the phospholipids of human myelin, while media from virulent-attenuated and nonpathogenic Naegleria spp. were almost totally inactive. Hydrolysis of myelin phospholipid increased concomitantly with amebal growth, and the relative rate of breakdown at pH 7.5 was sphingomyelin greater than phosphatidylcholine greater than phosphatidylethanolamine. Elevated levels of lysophosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylethanolamine were also noted.
Agonist-dependent Single Channel Current and Gating in α4β2δ and α1β2γ2S GABAA Receptors

The family of γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs) mediates two types of inhibition in the mammalian brain. Phasic inhibition is mediated by synaptic GABAARs that are mainly comprised of α1, β2, and γ2 subunits, whereas tonic inhibition is mediated by extrasynaptic GABAARs comprised of α4/6, β2, and δ subunits. We investigated the activation properties of recombinant α4β2δ and α1β2γ2S GABAARs in response to GABA and 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3(2H)-one (THIP) using electrophysiological recordings from outside-out membrane patches. Rapid agonist application experiments indicated that THIP produced faster opening rates at α4β2δ GABAARs (β ∼1600 s−1) than at α1β2γ2S GABAARs (β ∼ 460 s−1), whereas GABA activated α1β2γ2S GABAARs more rapidly (β ∼1800 s−1) than α4β2δ GABAARs (β < 440 s−1). Single channel recordings of α1β2γ2S and α4β2δ GABAARs showed that both channels open to a main conductance state of ∼25 pS at −70 mV when activated by GABA and low concentrations of THIP, whereas saturating concentrations of THIP elicited ∼36 pS openings at both channels. Saturating concentrations of GABA elicited brief (<10 ms) openings with low intraburst open probability (PO ∼ 0.3) at α4β2δ GABAARs and at least two “modes” of single channel bursting activity, lasting ∼100 ms at α1β2γ2S GABAARs. The most prevalent bursting mode had a PO of ∼0.7 and was described by a reaction scheme with three open and three shut states, whereas the “high” PO mode (∼0.9) was characterized by two shut and three open states. Single channel activity elicited by THIP in α4β2δ and α1β2γ2S GABAARs occurred as a single population of bursts (PO ∼0.4–0.5) of moderate duration (∼33 ms) that could be described by schemes containing two shut and two open states for both GABAARs. Our data identify kinetic properties that are receptor-subtype specific and others that are agonist specific, including unitary conductance.
Purification of wheat germ agglutinin by affinity chromatography.

Abstract Wheat germ agglutinin was isolated in pure form and in high yield from an extract of wheat germ by affinity chromatography of 6-amino-1-hexyl-2-deoxy-β- d -glucopyranoside-Sepharose 4B. The purified agglutinin behaved as a single species electrophoretically and, as judged by its migration on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, has an apparent molecular weight of 17,000. The amino acid composition of the isolated agglutinin was in good agreement with that previously reported.
Religious programs and recidivism among former inmates in Prison Fellowship programs: A long-term follow-up study

In the mid-1990s, Prison Fellowship (PF), a nonprofit religious ministry to prisoners, commissioned a study to determine the relationship, if any, between religious programming and recidivism. Subsequent research found no difference between PF and non-PF inmates on measures of recidivism. Inmates most active in PF Bible studies, however, were significantly less likely to be arrested during a 1-year follow-up period. This study extends and improves on previous research by: (1) increasing the recidivism window from 1 to 8 years; (2) incorporating new approaches to measuring program participation; (3) including two measures of recidivism—rearrest and reincarceration; and (4) using survival analysis and proportional hazards modeling to present and analyze the data. Results from survival analyses indicate: (1) no difference in median time to rearrest or reincarceration between PF and non-PF groups throughout the 8-year study period; (2) participants with higher levels of participation in Bible studies were les...
Design of a Cylindrical Shaped Scintillation Camera for Positron Tomographs

The design of a cylindrically shaped scintillation camera for volume imaging of positron emitters is discussed. The design is based on the detector concepts developed for a single ring scintillation camera, i.e., the Massachusetts General Hospital analog ring camera. Detector characteristics derived from both computer modeling and measurements are presented.
The impact of case characteristics on child abuse reporting decisions.

Abstract Drawing distinctions on the basis of at least some case characteristics in making reporting decisions makes considerable sense. Using data from a national survey of mandated reporters that included vignettes in which case and personal characteristics were systematically varied, this paper examines the impact of selected characteristics while controlling for others. The data reveal that respondents noticed and responded to case characteristics. Abuse-relevant judgments and reporting intentions varied, often substantially, as a function of case characteristics. Three case characteristics—previous abuse, severity of abuse, and recantation—were powerful predictors of vignette outcomes. A history of previous abuse led to judgments of greater seriousness, a more salutary impact of a report, and greater likelihood of reporting. More severe abuse was more likely to be labelled as abuse, and was more likely to be reported. When the alleged victim retracted her accusation upon questioning by an authority figure, respondents were significantly less likely to intend a report. Child age, perpetrator intent and family socioeconomic status also influenced abuse-relevant judgments and reporting intentions. Respondents were more likely to intend a report when younger children, lazy or angry perpetrators and children from poorer families were portrayed.
Immobilized enzyme catalysis with reaction‐generated pH change

Many enzyme-catalyzed reactions involve the liberation or consumption of hydrogen ions. In this paper a mathematical model is employed to investigate how such reactions behave when the enzyme is immobilized. Shifted pH optima, disappearance of an optimum pH, insensitivity to bulk pH, and very large effectiveness factors are some of the phenomena which appear as a result of pH coupling between the reaction and the enzyme's activity. Several of the qualitative features revealed by the model are consistent with earlier experimental observations. In addition, preliminary guidelines for optimal choice of enzyme support are suggested.
World of Race War: Race and Learning in World of Warcraft

Stereotypical portrayals of race are common in many modern video games. However, research on games and game environments has often overlooked race as an important consideration when evaluating games for their educational potential. This is particularly true of the educational literature on online games, which has tended to emphasize virtual game spaces as intrinsically exemplary learning environments while deemphasizing the narrative content of the games themselves. This article addresses this oversight. Through a close reading of game communications and fan-created content, the authors examined how developer-produced racial narratives influence players' experience of the game world. The authors find that players and player communities reproduce and reinforce narrow developer-produced interpretations of race during in-game interactions as well as in player forums and virtual communities beyond the confines of the game world. Because the game environment is not conducive to players' critical examination of race, the authors conclude that the game does not intrinsically provide a means for players to engage critically with game content. They further conclude that as educational environments these games must be situated and contextualized within the ideologies and discourses of the physical world.
Cover crops enhance soil organic matter, carbon dynamics and microbiological function in a vineyard agroecosystem

Abstract Impacts of soil tillage and cover crops on soil carbon (C) dynamics and microbiological function were investigated in a vineyard grown in California's mediterranean climate. We (1) compared soil organic matter (SOM), C dynamics and microbiological activity of two cover crops [Trios 102 (Triticale × Triosecale) (‘Trios’), Merced Rye (Secale cereale) (‘Rye’)] with cultivation (‘Cultivation’) and (2) evaluated seasonal effects of soil temperature, water content, and precipitation on soil C dynamics (0–15 cm depth). From treatments established in November 2001, soils were sampled every 2–3 weeks from November 2005 to November 2006. Gravimetric water content (GWC) reflected winter and spring rainfall. Soil temperature did not differ among treatments, reflecting typical seasonal patterns. Few differences in C dynamics between cover crops existed, but microbial biomass C (MBC), dissolved organic C (DOC), and carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux in ‘Trios’ and ‘Rye’ were consistently 1.5–4-fold greater than ‘Cultivation’. Cover crops were more effective at adding soil C than ‘Cultivation’. Seasonal patterns in DOC, and CO2 efflux reflected changes in soil water content, but MBC displayed no temporal response. Decreases in DOC and potential microbial respiration (RESPmic) (i.e., microbially available C) also corresponded to or were preceded by increases in CO2 efflux, suggesting that DOC provided C for microbial respiration. Despite similar MBC, DOC, RESPmic, annual CO2 efflux and aboveground C content between the two cover crops, greater aboveground net primary productivity and SOM in ‘Trios’ indicated that ‘Trios’ provided more soil C than ‘Rye’.
Using hyperthermal ions to selectively adsorb surface intermediates: evidence for the adsorption of CH3 on platinum from a 1–3 eV CH+3 ion beam

Abstract Results are presented which suggest that CH 3 species can be grafted onto a platinum surface from a hyperthermal (1–3 eV) CH + 3 ion beam. An ion current greater than 100 nA for the low-energy CH + 3 ion allows us to adsorb a significant fraction of a monolayer of adsorbate in less than 300 s, while maintaining an ultra-high vacuum environment for analysis by standard surface science technique. We detect the desorption of methane and hydrogen as the products from a platinum surface that had been dosed with the CH + 3 ions.
Observed dynamical coupling through tidal wave propagation in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere at midlatitudes

Abstract The incoherent scatter radar at Millstone Hill (42.6 °N, 71.5 °W) and the nearby meteor wind radar at Durham have been used in coordinated experiments to study the characteristics of the semidiurnal tide that dominates the dynamics of the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere at midlatitudes. Observations of horizontal neutral winds during 10–16 August 1994 at Millstone Hill have provided the first opportunity to derive neutral wind data at altitudes as low as 94 km, overlapping the Durham meteor wind observations with good agreement. Comparisons of the results with those obtained during 20–30 January 1993 suggest that the seasonal phase transition of the semidiurnal tide is smaller in the lower thermosphere than in the upper mesosphere. The Millstone Hill meridional wind measurements were also extended to 250 km altitude and reveal that the semidiurnal tide reaches a maximum amplitude of 70 m s −1 in a relatively narrow layer with a peak altitude of 110 km. The dynamo currents induced by the observed winds and electric fields agree with observed magnetic field fluctuations, indicating overall consistency of the observations.
A polymerase chain reaction-based method to detect cisplatin adducts in specific genes

Every bulky lesion in DNA can potentially inhibit the Taq DNA polymerase and thereby decrease the amplification produced in the polymerase chain reaction. We investigated the feasibility of using this inhibition to quantify DNA lesions produced by the anticancer drug cisplatin. Products were detected by electrophoresis followed by ethidium bromide staining. Quantitation was obtained by including [32P]dCTP in the amplification reaction and subsequently assessing the incorporated radioactivity. Hamster genomic DNA was platinated in vitro to defined levels and amplified with primers that produce either a 150, 750 or 2,000 base pair fragment. The degree of inhibition of PCR agreed with the predicted level of DNA platination in each size of fragment, suggesting that the polymerase was inhibited by every cisplatin-induced lesion. This method was used to detect cisplatin-induced lesions in the adenine phosphoribosyltransferase gene of CHO cells. Cells were incubated with 0-125 microM cisplatin for 2 h, the DNA was purified and subjected to PCR. A significant decrease in amplification of the 2 kbp fragment was observed in DNA from cells incubated with cisplatin at 75 microM. The degree of inhibition agreed closely with the amount of DNA damage in the overall genome as measured by atomic absorption. No change was detected in amplification of the 150 base fragment which can therefore be used to normalize data for any variations between DNA samples. This assay has the same sensitivity as other methods currently used for the analysis of gene-specific damage. The advantage of this assay is that it obviates the need for specific endonuclease complexes to recognize and cleave DNA adducts as previously required when analyzing damage in specific genomic sequences.
A Sampling Protocol for Composting, Recycling, and Re-use of Municipal Solid Waste

Abstract This article reports on development of a protocol for characterizing municipal solid waste (MSW). This protocol is similar to that recommended by the American Society for Testing and Materials but includes a distinction between pure and mixed loads of MSW. Thirteen component categories were used with a focus on material feed stock for composting, recycling, and reuse. The required number of samples was determined to achieve a 80%, 90%, and 95% statistical accuracy for characterizing MSW categories at 1% and 2% sampling error. This study found that a maximum of 25 randomly collected samples of 200 pounds will reflect each component category of mixed load MSW with at least a 95% confidence level and 2% error. This protocol was successfully tested in Monongalia County, West Virginia, to provide a “snapshot” MSW characterization during early summer.
Limit to Improvement: Myth or Reality?

The evolution of civilisation appears to have primarily resulted from continuous improvement made possible by technological advances. A group of social evolutionists and economists have identified, among others, energy, transport, as well as information and communication to be the three most influential technologies. On the other hand, a number of eminent scholars have cited several forces, natural, physiological, technological, as well as environmental, which can place a limit on on-going improvement. The purpose of this chapter is to empirically explore the continuous improvement process as well as the limit placed on these three technologies. Using the framework of both connected and disconnected multiple technology S-curves and X-factor, historical improvement data on these three elements have been analysed. The results of our analysis indicate that improvement in general has continued without limit mainly due to a series of emerging new technologies. These emerging technologies can be either connected or disconnected from the existing mature technologies. Our preliminary analysis shows that much of the past improvement comes from new technologies that on first serious application appear to be substantially superior from earlier technologies. In addition, enormous continuous improvement, which has accompanied both connected and disconnected new technologies, appear to have played the critical role in sustaining the evolution of civilisation. The chapter discusses a number of policy implications and suggests topics for future research.
Cre/ lox site-specific recombination controls the excision of a transgene from the rice genome.

The Cre/lox site-specific recombination controls the excision of a target DNA segment by recombination between two lox sites flanking it, mediated by the Cre recombinase. We have studied the functional expression of the Cre/lox system to excise a transgene from the rice genome. We developed transgenic plants carrying the target gene, hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt) flanked by two lox sites and transgenic plants harboring the Cre gene. Each lox plant was crossed with each Cre plant reciprocally. In the Cre/lox hybrid plants, the Cre recombinase mediates recombination between two lox sites, resulting in excision of the hpt gene. The recombination event could be detected because it places the CaMV 35S promoter of the hpt gene adjacent to a promoterless gusA gene; as a result the gusA gene is activated and its expression could be visualized. In 73 Cre/lox hybrid plants from various crosses of T0 transgenic plants, 19 expressed GUS, and in 132 Cre/lox hybrid plants from crosses of T2 transgenic plants, 77 showed GUS expression. Molecular data proved the excision event occurred in all the GUS+ plants. Recombination occurred with high efficiency at the early germinal stage, or randomly during somatic development stages.
Revenge of the Managers: Labor Cost-Cutting and the Paradoxical Resurgence of Managerialism in the Shareholder Value Era, 1984 to 2001

Institutional changes associated with the rise of shareholder value capitalism have had seemingly contradictory effects on managers and managerialism in the United States economy. Financial critiqu...
Increasing Spontaneous Play by Suppressing Self-Stimulation in Autistic Children.

Appropriate play with toys was studied in two autistic children with high occurrences of self-stimulatory behavior. Each child participated in the experimental sessions in an A-B-A design, where “A” refers to baseline sessions and “B” refers to self-stimulation suppression sessions. It was found that: (a) during the baseline sessions, the children exhibited low levels of play and high levels of self-stimulatory behavior; (b) the per cent of unreinforced, spontaneous, appropriate play increased when self-stimulatory behavior was suppressed; and (c) when the suppression of self-stimulation was discontinued, the per cent of self-stimulation and that of appropriate play approached their presuppression levels. These results seem particularly significant because they identify a set of conditions under which spontaneous appropriate behavior, uncommon in autistic children, occurs at an increased level.
Phase Models For Weak Fluctuations

By building upon the compound field model that leads to the I-K distribution, we develop simple phase distribution models for an optical wave propagating through a turbulent medium that are applicable in weak turbulence regimes. In one case both the absolute phase and phase-difference distributions are closely approximated by the family of one-dimensional K distributions, while in another case the functional form of the phase distribution is that of a simple exponential function.
Journalism as “Prostitution”: Understanding Russia's Reactions to Anna Politkovskaya's Murder

When the Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was gunned down in her apartment building in Moscow in October 2006, heads of Western governments and nongovernmental organizations hurried to make strong statements condemning the murder, and public rallies in Politkovskaya's honor were held in front of Russian embassies across the world. In contrast to this swift and unequivocal response, the reaction of Russian officials, journalists, and the public at large was delayed, lukewarm, or nonexistent, much to the incomprehension of Western observers. To understand why the majority of Russian citizens were unmoved by Politkovskaya's murder, this article will contend, we need to understand the specific history of media-political transformation in Russia over the past decade and a half. This includes (a) approaching Soviet journalism as a unique nexus of ethics and politics, (b) studying the centrifugal forces unleashed during Russia's media privatization in the 1990s, and (c) understanding how those forces (in te...
Fate of riverine nitrate entering an estuary: I. Denitrification and nitrogen burial

Fate of riverine nitrate entering a well defined turbid estuary receiving discharges from the Atchafalaya River, a distributary of the Mississippi River, was determined. Seasonal distribution of NO3 and its transformations were measured in Four League Bay (9,300 ha). Denitrification was estimated by incubating wet samples in the presence of acetylene and monitoring N2O production. The annual sediment accumulation of N was also determined within the bay and within the adjacent marshes. Nitrogen accumulation ranged from 6.0 to 23 gN per m2 per yr on the marsh and 6.1 to 11.2 gN per m2 per yr in the bay. Denitrification in this system was controlled by the availability of NO3 − with fluxes ranging from 2 to 70 ngN per g per hr. The annual (N2O +N2)-N emission was equivalent to 142 and 120 μg per g or 2.1 and 1.7 gN per m2 from the 5 bay and 5 marsh stations, respectively. Approximately 1.95×105 kgN, predominantly as N2, is being returned to the atmosphere via denitrification. We estimate this to be equivalent to 50% of the riverine NO3 − entering this estuary. A significant amount was also assimilated within the estuary.
Composition modulation of K-Rb mixtures in graphite

Monolayers of mixed alkali-metal atoms ${K}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}x}$${\mathrm{Rb}}_{x}$ (x=0.52, 0.80) intercalated in graphite (stage 2) were synthesized and studied by x-ray scattering to determine the structure. Below the ordering temperature (${T}_{U}$=149 and 159 K respectively) peaks corresponding to a discommensuration domain structure are observed, which represents the compositional average of the unmixed compounds. Below a second transition temperature ${T}_{L}$apeq2100 K, the domain structure becomes unstable against a compositional modulation, which is due to the relative strengths of the K and Rb interactions with the graphite substrate.
Resonances as components of bound states

We show that by exploiting the resonance pole, one can give an unambiguous definition for the amplitude or wave function of a resonance in a bound state. The amplitude is of the standard form of vertex over on-shell energy denominator, but not subject to normalization constraints.
A method to generate antigen-specific suppressor T cells in vitro from peripheral blood T cells of honey bee venom-sensitive, allergic patients

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients allergic to honey bee venom were stimulated with denatured bee venom phospholipase A2, and the antigen-activated T cells were propagated for 4 days by human IL-2 in the presence or absence of recombinant human lipocortin I. Upon antigenic stimulation with the denatured phospholipase A2 and autologous monocytes or by cross-linking of CD3 by anti-CD3 antibody, the activated T cells, which had propagated by IL-2 alone, formed N-glycosylated IgE-binding factors and glycosylation enhancing factor (GEF), while those propagated in the presence of lipocortin formed unglycosylated IgE-binding factors and glycosylation inhibiting factor (GIF). The GEF and GIF formed by the antigen- or anti-CD3-stimulated T cells had affinity for bee venom phospholipase A2 and could be purified by using anti-lipomodulin Sepharose. In the mouse lymphocyte system, the major cell source of GIF is antigen-specific suppressor T cells, and the antigen-binding GIF from the cells suppressed the in vivo antibody response in an antigen (carrier)-specific manner. In view of the findings in the mouse system, the present results may provide an immunological maneuver to generate allergen-specific suppressor T cells, and to obtain allergen-specific suppressor factor from T cell populations in the peripheral blood of allergic patients.
Observing programmatics and planning for the ORION MIDEX mission

The ORION MIDEX mission is a 1.2m UV-visual observatory orbiting at L2 that will conduct the first-ever high spatial resolution survey of a statistically significant sample of visible star-forming environments in the Solar neighborhood in emission lines and continuum. This survey will be used to characterize the star and planet forming environments within 2.5 kpc of the Sun, infer global properties and star formation histories in these regions, understand how environment influences the process of star and planet formation, and develop a classification scheme for star forming regions. Based on these findings a similar survey will be conducted of large portions of the Magellanic Clouds, extending the classification scheme to new types of regions common in external galaxies, allowing the characterization of low mass star forming environments in the Magellanic Clouds, study of the spatial distribution of star forming environments and tracing of star formation history. Finally the mission will image a sample of external galaxies out to ~5 Mpc. The distribution of star forming region type will be mapped as a function of galactic environment to infer the distribution and history of low-mass star formation over galactic scales, and characterize the stellar content and star formation history of galaxies.
The B2 Aluminides As Alternative Materials

The potential of the B2 aluminides as structural material alternatives for the strategic element containing superalloys currently used in gas turbine engines is being explored with emphasis on the equiatomic Fe and Ni aluminides. Although Co is a strategic material, the equiatomic Co aluminide is also being studied to gain a more complete understanding of these fourth period intermetallics. Research focuses on initial processing techniques such as ingot melting, power metallurgy, and rapid solidification with and without additional thermomechanical processing; high temperature deformation - primarily compressive creep; compositional effects within the binary B2 aluminides; third-element alloying addition effects on high temperature strength and oxidation resistance, and near room temperature ductility as influenced by processing, alloying, and grain size. Various programs now underway are reviewed and some highlights of research results are presented.
On the Probability of Winning with Different Tournament Procedures

Abstract Paired comparisons among competing items are analogous to games between contestants and the process of determining the winning item among t contestants is analogous to a tournament. In this paper four different types of tournaments are investigated for the eight-player case. Expressions are developed for (1) the probability that each player wins and (2) the expected number of games required. Examples are presented for comparison of tournament types and to study the effects of (a) the initial draw, (b) mis-classification when using a priori information in initial pairing, and (c) “byes.” Some generalizations in terms of number of players and replication are developed.
CASK interacts with PMCA4b and JAM‐A on the mouse sperm flagellum to regulate Ca2+ homeostasis and motility

Deletion of the highly conserved gene for the major Ca2+ efflux pump, Plasma membrane calcium/calmodulin-dependent ATPase 4b (Pmca4b), in the mouse leads to loss of progressive and hyperactivated sperm motility and infertility. Here we first demonstrate that compared to wild-type (WT), Junctional adhesion molecule-A (Jam-A) null sperm, previously shown to have motility defects and an abnormal mitochondrial phenotype reminiscent of that seen in Pmca4b nulls, exhibit reduced (P<0.001) ATP levels, significantly (P<0.001) greater cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) and ~10-fold higher mitochondrial sequestration, indicating Ca2+ overload. Investigating the mechanism involved, we used coimmunoprecipitation studies to show that CASK (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent serine kinase), identified for the first time on the sperm flagellum where it co-localizes with both PMCA4b and JAM-A on the proximal principal piece, acts as a common interacting partner of both. Importantly, CASK binds alternatively and non-synergistically with each of these molecules via its single PDZ (PDS-95/Dlg/ZO-1) domain to either inhibit or promote efflux. In the absence of CASK-JAM-A interaction in Jam-A null sperm, CASK-PMCA4b interaction is increased, resulting in inhibition of PMCA4b’s enzymatic activity, consequent Ca2+ accumulation, and a ~6-fold over-expression of constitutively ATP-utilizing CASK, compared to WT. Thus, CASK negatively regulates PMCA4b by directly binding to it and JAM-A positively regulates it indirectly through CASK. The decreased motility is likely due to the collateral net deficit in ATP observed in nulls. Our data indicate that Ca2+ homeostasis in sperm is maintained by the relative ratios of CASK-PMCA4b and CASK-JAM-A interactions.
LEVEL OF DISPLAY INTEGRATION IN COMPENSATORY TRACKING.

Summary.-Four male Ss performed compensatory tracking for 20, 2-min. trials on each of four displays differing in the degree of integration of two input signals and in the presence or absence of a secondary interference task with each display. The order of superiority of the displays was consistent with their level of integration, with the most highly integrated display yielding the best performance. The interference task lowered performance on each display, but an expected interaction between display integration and interference task did not prove to be significant. The term "display integration" may mean anything from computer processing prior to presentation, to combining several types of information in single complex displays, b~it whatever is meant is usually regarded as a desired end in the design of new man-machine systems. In spite of this interest, basic principles applicable to display integrarion are still inadequate. The most relevant general principle suggests that information should be displayed as directly as possible, requiring a minimum of transformations by the operator. But such a principle is not sufficiently concrete for the display designer. A more specific recommendation is made by Baker and Grether (1963, Ch. 2). They suggest that, when two signals (one the first derivative of the other) govern a response, it is best to use one as the moving reference for the other. Thus the operator may respond to the difference between the signals rather than to each one separately. Put in other words, Ritchie and Bamford (1958) suggest that display integration by grouping of elements should be done so as to generate a new parameter which the operator can use directly. Fitts and Seegar ( 1953) found an optimum response pattern for each stimulus configuration, by pairing three scimulus and response sets. When a response incompatible with the stimuliis was required, errors increased and information transmitted was reduced. Their three displays may be interpreced as representing three levels of integration. One display required that two elements be combined by S to select the correct response. This display proved inferior to the others. In an older study by Forbes, Garner, and Howard ( 1945) Ss attempting to control simulated aircraft flight by means of auditory signals, performed best when they perceived the auditory signals as unitary but changing in several dimensions (integrated) rather than as several separate signals varying simultaneously (unintegrated) . 'This research was conducted at Tufa University's Institute for Psychological Research under a Fellowship in Aviation Psychology from the Link Foundation, granted to Dr. Elkin.
Complexity Of Relationship Between STIM1, iPLA2β And Orai1 Expression, Puncta Formation And SOCE Activation In Native And Heterologous Systems

STIM1, Orai1 and iPLA2β have been identified as crucial elements of the store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) pathway, but the mechanism of their functional interaction and molecular requirements for SOCE activation remain controversial. Here we used high resolution imaging, patch clamp, molecular and pharmacological approaches to study functional behavior and mutual relationship between STIM1, Orai1 and iPLA2β in native cells and heterologous systems in which fluorescently tagged STIM1 and/or Orai1 were over-expressed. We found that STIM1 accumulated in puncta equally well in the presence or absence of Orai1, and STIM1 accumulation in puncta is not sufficient for Orai1 accumulation in the same areas. The normal ICRAC could be activated in STIM1-deficient cells. We further found that the effects of C-terminus of STIM1 may be profoundly different in native cells and in cells in which Orai1 and/or full length STIM1 were over-expressed. Also, we found that while inhibition of iPLA2β caused dramatic impairment of endogenous SOCE in native cells, its effects on SOCE in heterologous expressing systems may be less prominent, and may require higher concentrations of inhibitors. Our new data provide first indications of the potential differences in SOCE between native cells and heterologous systems, and challenge the idea of a direct conformational coupling between STIM1 and Orai1 as a mechanism of puncta formation and SOCE activation in native cells.