cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydrogen isotope ratios of leaf wax n-alkanes in grasses are insensitive to transpiration

Abstract We analyzed hydrogen isotope ratios of high-molecular weight n-alkanes (δDl) and oxygen isotope ratios of α-cellulose (δ18OC) for C3 and C4 grasses grown in the field and in controlled-environment growth chambers. The relatively firm understanding of 18O-enrichment in leaf water and α-cellulose was used to elucidate fractionation patterns of δDl signatures. In the different relative humidity environments of the growth chambers, we observed clear and predictable effects of leaf-water enrichment on δ18OC values. Using a Craig–Gordon model, we demonstrate that leaf water in the growth chamber grasses should have experienced significant D-enriched due to transpiration. Nonetheless, we found no effect of transpirational D-enrichment on the δDl values. In field samples, we saw clear evidence of enrichment (correlating with relative humidity of the field sites) in both δ18OC and δDl. These seemingly contrasting results could be explained if leaf waxes are synthesized in an environment that is isotopically similar to water entering plant roots due to either temporal or spatial isolation from evaporatively enriched leaf waters. For grasses in the controlled environment, there was no enrichment of source water, whereas enrichment of grass source water via evaporation from soils and/or stems was likely for grass samples grown in the field. Based on these results, evaporation from soils and/or stems appears to affect δDl, but transpiration from leaves does not. Further evidence for this conclusion is found in modeling expected net evapotranspirational enrichment. A Craig–Gordon model applied to each of the field sites yields leaf water oxygen isotope ratios that can be used to accurately predict the observed δ18OC values. In contrast, the calculated leaf water hydrogen isotope ratios are more enriched than what is required to predict observed δDl values. These calculations lend support to the conclusion that while δ18OC reflects both soil evaporation and transpiration, δDl appears to only record evaporation from soils and/or stems. Therefore, the δD of n-alkanes can likely be used to reconstruct the δD of water entering a leaf, supporting the soil-enrichment model of Smith and Freeman (2006). In both the field and controlled studies, we found significant photosynthetic pathway effects on n-alkane δD suggesting that biochemical pathways or plant phylogeny have a greater effect on leaf wax δD than leaf-water enrichment in grasses.
Unique resistance of breast carcinoma cell line T47D to TRAIL but not anti-Fas is linked to p43cFLIP L

The majority of breast cancer cell lines are resistant to tumor necrosis factor -related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) induced apoptosis. TRAIL and Fas receptor death-inducing signaling complex (DISCs) formation are similar and involve ligand-dependent recruitment of FADD and caspase-8. We have found that the breast carcinoma cell line T47D is an unusual example of selective sensitivity to anti-Fas mAb treatment but resistant to TRAIL. Therefore, a detailed comparison of these two signaling pathways in one cell line should provide insight into the mechanism of TRAIL resistance. We observed that only anti-Fas mAb induces caspase activation and cell death in T47D. Further, FADD and caspase-8 interact with both TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2, and that the amount of caspase-8 recruited by Fas-, TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 are the same. cFLIPS and cFLIPR isoforms block death receptor-induced apoptosis by inhibiting caspase-8 activation at the DISC; the role of cFLIPL at the DISC is still controversial. It has been suggested that the presence of the cleaved form of FLIPL-p43 at the DISC prevents caspase-8 cleavage. We found that both TRAIL and anti-Fas mAb-induced DISCs contain the cleaved form of p43 cFLIPL and its amount at the Fas DISC was higher compared to the TRAIL DISC. We also found that inhibition of cFLIPL expression in T47D cells decreased Fas-mediated caspase-8 activation and activation of effector caspases. We propose that in T47D p43 cFLIPL in the Fas-DISC may promote caspase-8 activation. The mechanism by which different amounts of p43cFLIPL regulates caspase-8 activation remains to be investigated.
A Maternal Walking Test for the Evaluation of Fetal Well-Being

Maternal exercise is a simple and convenient way of inducing maternal cardiovascular stress. This report describes a technique for assessing fetal well-being during maternal ambulation using a newly developed multidirectional beltless ultrasound transducer system and a beltless tocotransducer. Fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern during and after a brief period of maternal ambulation was examined for presence of fetal tachycardia with loss of FHR variability or late decelerations. Maternal walking test, nonstress test, and biophysical profile results from 85 patients were compared using the FHR pattern observed in early labor as the end-point. Of the 13 patients with abnormal walking tests, 9 had abnormal early labor FHR pattern, while only 1 of the 72 patients with normal walking tests were abnormal in early labor (sensitivity = 90% (P < 0.05), specificity = 94.6%, positive predictive value (PPV) = 69%, negative predictive value (NPV) = 98.6%). By contrast, the NST detected 5 nonreactive fetuses, 4 of which sh...
Play and Cooperation: A Longitudinal Study of Chinese Children*

*A study of cooperation in the American children who took part in the play study was planned but could not be completed due to extremely high participant loss in the intervening three years. This longitudinal study of the social development of urban Chinese children addressed their play skills as kindergartners and, three years later, their abilities to cooperate In potentially competitive games. First, 27 boys and 22 girls’ play was observed using M. Parten's (1932) system, modified to suit these subjects’ play environment and behaviors; a second sample of 30 boys and 33 girls in the United States was also studied. Although differences in play patterns were observed in the two samples, social contact scores were virtually identical. Second, 40 of the Chinese sample, with 4 more girls, were observed 3 years later playing 2 games devised by M. C. Madsen (1961) and others, the games having been widely used in cross‐cultural studies of children's cooperation. The participants compared favorably with other sa...
Implementing the precautionary principle.

The precautionary principle can be found in international treaties that protect human health and the environment from a variety of pollutants and perturbations.One of the earliest forms of the precautionary principle was used in the 1980s in Europe to protect the North Sea.In 1992, the Rio Declaration specifically included the precautionary principle in calling on nations to protect the environment.The US articulation that best embodies this approach to environment and human health protection is the Wingspread statement: ‘When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken, even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.’ The key element is the matter of acting in the face of uncertainty. Applications of the precautionary principle are not, however, new to US environmental policy and management.The present paper uses case studies to examine the application of the precautionary principle to environmental decisions.These cases range from ecosystem protection on the Charles River, Massachusetts, to the effort to prevent computer crashes at the end of the year 2000.These cases deal with the problem of uncertainty, whether concerning the cause, effect, systemic condition or multiple factors.Uncertainty represents one of the features that provoke controversy over these issues and the precautionary principle. � 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Yeast two-hybrid interaction partner screening through in vivo Cre-mediated Binary Interaction Tag generation

Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) has been successfully used for genome-wide screens to identify protein–protein interactions for several model organisms. Nonetheless, the logistics of pair-wise screening has resulted in a cumbersome and incomplete application of this method to complex genomes. Here, we develop a modification of Y2H that eliminates the requirement for pair-wise screening. This is accomplished by incorporating lox sequences into Y2H vectors such that cDNAs encoding interacting partners become physically linked in the presence of Cre recombinase in vivo. Once linked, DNA from complex pools of clones can be processed without losing the identity of the interacting partners. Short linked sequence tags from each pair of interacting partner (binary interaction Tags or BI-Tags) are then recovered and sequenced. To validate the approach, comparisons between interactions found using traditional Y2H and the BI-Tag method were made, which demonstrate that the BI-Tag technology accurately represents the complexity of the interaction partners found in the screens. The technology described here sufficiently improves the throughput of the Y2H approach to make feasible the generation of near comprehensive interaction maps for complex organisms.
Sterilization of various diameter dead-ended tubes

Effect of tube diameter on steam-in-place sterilization of dead-ended tubes was studied by examining temperature profiles and rates of kill of Bacillus stearothermophilus spores. Time required for sterilization was determined for 9.4-cm-long tubes with various inside diameters from 0.4 to 1.7 cm. Sterilization time increased with decreasing tube diameter. Experimentally measured kill kinetics in 1.7-cm tubes were in agreement with those predicted if measured temperatures represented saturated steam. A 12-log spore reduction was achieved in 1.7-cm diameter vertical and horizontal tubes in less than 63 minutes. For smaller diameter tubes, entrapped air remained after 2 hours and rates of kill were very dependent on position within the tube, tube diameter, and tube orientation with respect to the gravitational vector. Times to achieve a 1-log drop in spore population in the smaller tubes were as much as 10 times greater than those expected if measured temperatures represented saturated steam. Sterilization was not achieved throughout the 0.4-cm tubes. Recommendations are made for including steam bleeders or using prevaccum cycles for these smaller diameter tubes.
The battery of asthma illness behavior, III: Independence from longitudinal pulmonary functions

Previous research has demonstrated that the Battery of Asthma Illness Behavior is related to a wide variety of medical outcome variables in bronchial asthma. It has been maintained that BAIB scores reflect the degree to which psychological and behavioral factors can adversely affect medical management and prognosis. The present study advances previous research by investigating the relationship between BAIB scores and average longitudinal spirometry.
Incidence of Postoperative Elbow Contracture Release in New York State

Purpose To determine the incidence of elbow contracture requiring release after surgically treated elbow trauma and to identify patient, injury, and treatment factors that may predict contracture development. Methods The New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database identified 32,708 patients who were surgically treated for elbow trauma from 1997 to 2009. The database identified 270 of those patients who underwent subsequent contracture release. The median time from index fracture procedure to contracture release was 31 weeks. Results Patients requiring a contracture release were younger (43 vs 56 y) and more commonly male (57%). Injuries classified as severe were more common in the contracture group (11% vs 5%), as were open fractures (17% vs 11%). A multivariate regression analysis revealed that patients with burns were 16 times more likely to require surgical contracture release, and the use of internal fixation to treat the fracture was protective against contracture development. Conclusions The incidence of elbow contractures treated with release after surgically treated elbow trauma was low but increased with the severity of the initial trauma. Level of evidence Prognostic II.
Role-based access control on the web

Current approaches to access control on the Web servers do not scale to enterprise-wide systems because they are mostly based on individual user identities. Hence we were motivated by the need to manage and enforce the strong and efficient RBAC access control technology in large-scale Web environments. To satisfy this requirement, we identify two different architectures for RBAC on the Web, called user-pull and server-pull. To demonstrate feasibility, we implement each architecture by integrating and extending well-known technologies such as cookies, X.509, SSL, and LDAP, providing compatibility with current web technologies. We describe the technologies we use to implement RBAC on the Web in different architectures. Based on our experience, we also compare the tradeoffs of the different approaches.
Hypoxia-inducible factors: Mediators of cancer progression and targets for cancer therapy

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) mediate adaptive physiological responses to hypoxia. In human cancers that are accessible for O 2 electrode measurements, intratumoral hypoxia is common and severe hypoxia is associated with increased risk of mortality. HIF activity in regions of intratumoral hypoxia mediates angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stem-cell maintenance, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. A growing number of drugs have been identified that inhibit HIF activity by a variety of molecular mechanisms. Because many of these drugs are already FDA-approved for other indications, clinical trials can (and should) be initiated to test the hypothesis that incorporation of HIF inhibitors into current standard-of-care therapy will increase the survival of cancer patients.
Primary and recurrent early stage laryngeal cancer: preliminary results of 2-[fluorine 18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose PET imaging.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of 2-[fluorine 18]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in the identification of early stage (T1–T2) primary and recurrent laryngeal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients with T1 or T2 laryngeal cancer underwent imaging prospectively with PET. Seven patients had new disease, and five had recurrent disease. All patients underwent imaging prior to planned therapy and tissue biopsy. PET images were evaluated by using standardized uptake ratios and visual analysis. RESULTS: Histopathologic evidence of early stage cancer was documented in the 12 patients. One had a carcinoma in situ, nine had T1 tumors, and two had T2 tumors. Of the 12 patients, 10 had vocal cord tumors, one had a hypopharyngeal tumor, and one had a preepiglottic tumor. Eleven (92%) patients with early stage cancer had standardized uptake ratios indicative of malignancy (mean, 4.6; SD, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2; range, 2.8–7.6). One had false-negative results (standardized upta...
The Medical Research Council Myeloma IX Trial: The Impact on Treatment Paradigms

Osteolytic bone disease is a hallmark of symptomatic multiple myeloma. Bisphosphonates have been the mainstay of treatment to preserve skeletal integrity and prevent skeletal-related events in patients with myeloma-related bone disease. Recently, the MRC Myeloma IX trial demonstrated for the first time improved survival and delayed disease progression with the use of an intravenous amino-bisphosphonate, zoledronic acid, vs. an oral agent, clodronate, with intensive and non-intensive anti-myeloma treatment regimens in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. These results validate a large body of preclinical, translational and other clinical data suggesting anti-myeloma effects of amino-bisphosphonates. In addition, this trial also provided the first head-to-head evidence for superiority of one bisphosphonate over another (zoledronic acid vs. clodronate) for reducing skeletal morbidity in patients with multiple myeloma, as well as a prospective comparison of toxicities. Despite the use of non-bortezomib containing anti-myeloma treatment regimens in the MRC Myeloma IX trial, these results are encouraging and provide an impetus to continue to evaluate current treatment guidelines for myeloma-associated bone disease.
Type III export: New uses for an old pathway

Gram-negative bacteria use type III secretion (TTS) systems to translocate proteins into the extracellular environment or directly into eukaryotic cells. These complex secretory systems are assembled from over 20 different structural proteins, including 10 that have counterparts in the flagellar export pathway. Secretion substrates are directed to the TTS machinery via mRNA and/or amino acid secretion signals. TTS chaperones bind to select secretion substrates and assist in the export process. Recent progress in the understanding of TTS is reviewed.
Interactions between late-acting proteins required for peptidoglycan synthesis during sporulation.

The requirement of peptidoglycan synthesis for growth complicates the analysis of interactions between proteins involved in this pathway. In particular, the later steps that involve membrane-linked substrates have proven largely recalcitrant to in vivo analysis. Here we have taken advantage of the peptidoglycan synthesis that occurs during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis to examine the interactions between SpoVE, a non-essential, sporulation-specific homolog of the well-conserved and essential SEDS proteins, and SpoVD, a non-essential class B penicillin binding protein (PBP). We found that localization of SpoVD is dependent on SpoVE and that SpoVD protects SpoVE from in vivo proteolysis. Co-immunoprecipitations and Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer experiments indicated that SpoVE and SpoVD interact and co-affinity purification in E. coli demonstrated that this interaction is direct. Finally, we generated a functional protein consisting of a SpoVE-SpoVD fusion and found that a loss-of-function point mutation in either part of the fusion resulted in a loss of function of the entire fusion that was not complemented by a wild type protein. Thus, SpoVE has a direct and functional interaction with SpoVD and this conclusion will facilitate understanding the essential function SpoVE and related SEDS proteins such as FtsW and RodA play in bacterial growth and division.
Adaptive Performance Control of Computing Systems via Distributed Cooperative Control: Application to Power Management in Computing Clusters

Advanced control and optimization techniques offer a theoretically sound basis to enable self-managing behavior in distributed computing models such as utility computing. To tractably solve the performance management problems of interest, including resource allocation and provisioning in such distributed computing environments, we develop a fully decentralized control framework wherein the optimization problem for the system is first decomposed into sub-problems and each sub-problem is solved separately by individual controllers to achieve the overall performance objectives. Concepts from optimal control theory are used to implement individual controllers. The proposed framework is highly scalable, naturally tolerates controller failures and allows for the dynamic addition/removal of controllers during system operation. As a case study, we apply the control framework to minimize the power consumed by a computing cluster subject to a dynamic workload while satisfying the specified quality-of-service goals. Simulations using real-world workload traces show that the proposed technique has very low control overhead and adapts quickly to both workload variations and controller failures.
Cardiovascular Outcomes and Mortality in Patients Using Clopidogrel With Proton Pump Inhibitors After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention or Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background— Recent studies have raised concerns about the reduced efficacy of clopidogrel when used concurrently with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), but those studies may have overestimated the risk. Methods and Results— We studied the potential for increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events among users of clopidogrel with versus without concurrent use of PPIs in 3 large cohorts of patients ≥65 years of age, treated between 2001 and 2005. All patients had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention or had been hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or British Columbia, and subsequently had initiated treatment with clopidogrel. We recorded myocardial infarction hospitalization, death, and revascularization among PPI users and nonusers. We assessed our primary end point of myocardial infarction hospitalization or death using cohort-specific and pooled regression analyses. We entered 18 565 clopidogrel users into our analysis. On a pooled basis, 2.6% of those who also ini...
Is Newer Safer? Adverse Events Associated with First-Line Therapies for ANCA-Associated Vasculitis and Lupus Nephritis

Clinical outcomes in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and lupus nephritis have improved greatly with treatment regimens containing high-dose glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide. However, with the use of these medications come significant adverse events, most notably infections, cytopenias, malignancies, and reproductive abnormalities. Multiple recent randomized controlled trials in AAV and lupus nephritis have compared cyclophosphamide-based regimens with agents such as rituximab, mycophenolate mofetil, and azathioprine, with the hope of providing better clinical outcomes with improved safety profiles. Although some of these newer regimens are now considered first-line treatments of these diseases, their adverse event profiles have been disappointingly similar to those of cyclophosphamide-based protocols. Physicians and patients should consider the adverse event profiles generated by these trials in the context of their extensive use in other patient populations, as well as available measures to prevent such events, when choosing the ideal regimen for an individual patient.
Characteristics Associated With Postdischarge Medication Errors

Objective: To examine the association of patient- and medication-related factors with postdischarge medication errors. Patients and Methods: The Vanderbilt Inpatient Cohort Study includes adults hospitalized with acute coronary syndromes and/or acute decompensated heart failure. We measured health literacy, subjective numeracy, marital status, cognition, social support, educational attainment, income, depression, global health status, and medication adherence in patients enrolled from October 1, 2011, through August 31, 2012. We used binomial logistic regression to determine predictors of discordance between the discharge medication list and the patient-reported list during postdischarge medication review. Results: Among 471 patients (mean age, 59 years), the mean total number of medications reported was 12, and 79 patients (16.8%) had inadequate or marginal health literacy. A total of 242 patients (51.4%) were taking 1 or more discordant medication (ie, appeared on either the discharge list or patient-reported list but not both), 129 (27.4%) failed to report a medication on their discharge list, and 168 (35.7%) reported a medication not on their discharge list. In addition, 279 participants (59.2%) had a misunderstanding in indication, dose, or frequency in a cardiac medication. In multivariable analyses, higher subjective numeracy (odds ratio [OR], 0.81; 95% CI, 0.67-0.98) was associated with lower odds of having discordant medications. For cardiac medications, participants with higher health literacy (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.74-0.95), with higher subjective numeracy (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.63-0.95), and who were female (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.46-0.78) had lower odds of misunderstandings in indication, dose, or frequency. Conclusion: Medication errors are present in approximately half of patients after hospital discharge and are more common among patients with lower numeracy or health literacy.
The Vaccinia-related Kinases Phosphorylate the N' Terminus of BAF, Regulating Its Interaction with DNA and Its Retention in the Nucleus

The vaccinia-related kinases (VRKs) comprise a branch of the casein kinase family whose members are characterized by homology to the vaccinia virus B1 kinase. The VRK orthologues encoded by Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster play an essential role in cell division; however, substrates that mediate this role have yet to be elucidated. VRK1 can complement the temperature sensitivity of a vaccinia B1 mutant, implying that VRK1 and B1 have overlapping substrate specificity. Herein, we demonstrate that B1, VRK1, and VRK2 efficiently phosphorylate the extreme N' terminus of the BAF protein (Barrier to Autointegration Factor). BAF binds to both DNA and LEM domain-containing proteins of the inner nuclear membrane; in lower eukaryotes, BAF has been shown to play an important role during the reassembly of the nuclear envelope at the end of mitosis. We demonstrate that phosphorylation of ser4 and/or thr2/thr3 abrogates the interaction of BAF with DNA and reduces its interaction with the LEM domain. Coexpression of VRK1 and GFP-BAF greatly diminishes the association of BAF with the nuclear chromatin/matrix and leads to its dispersal throughout the cell. Cumulatively, our data suggest that the VRKs may modulate the association of BAF with nuclear components and hence play a role in maintaining appropriate nuclear architecture.
First Report of Tobacco ringspot virus in Blackberry (Rubus sp.) in Alabama

In 2006, primocane stunted growth and crumbly berry development were observed on 4-year-old Kiowa and Apache blackberry cultivars grown at the Chilton Research and Extension Center, Clanton, AL. Samples from affected plants were tested for virus infection by ELISA kits (Agdia, Inc., Elkhart, IN) specific to each of 14 different viruses. Most samples tested positive for Tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV). TRSV was detected in blackberry samples from North Carolina and South Carolina (2). Bray et al. (1) studied the incidence of viruses in blackberry nursery stock in the United States and reported that 9% of the tested samples contained TRSV. Thus, a survey was conducted for TRSV incidence among commercial blackberry stands in eight counties in Alabama during July 2007. Blackberry plants were observed to express virus-like symptoms including chlorotic spots on leaves, leaf veinal chlorosis, stunting, and combinations thereof. Fruit-bearing plants sometimes had crumbly fruit symptoms characteristic of virus infec...
Breast cancer and serum ferritin - Menopausal status perspective: Menopause - A fickle determinant -

Background: Association of raised serum ferritin levels with breast carcinoma is a well established fact on account of iron enhanced free radical mediated oestrogen induced carcinogenesis. Previous literatures report variations in serum ferritin levels with menopause, especially indicating its association with metabolic syndrome in post-menopausal women. Seldom has any study focussed upon influence of age and menopausal status towards serum ferritin level determination in breast cancer patients. Assess an impact of age and menopausal status over serum ferritin levels in patients with breast cancer and in healthy females; and their comparisons. Methods: Enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay based estimation of serum ferritin was carried out in patients with breast carcinoma and healthy females. Objective: Age-wise and menopausal status-wise grouped numerical data were analyzed through intra- and inter-group comparisons. Results: Higher serum ferritin levels were observed in all age groups as well as pre-menopausal and post-menopausal groups of breast cancer subjects than their respective groups among healthy subjects. No particular age or menopausal status-wise pattern could be identified among cases as well as healthy controls. Conclusions: Serum ferritin levels abide no obvious influence of age or menopausal status in breast cancer patients as well as post-menopausal women devoid of metabolic syndrome. The present study reiterates the possible role of iron in breast carcinogenesis.
Polymer waveguides and modulators for optical interconnects

Electro-optic (EO) polymers are attractive for passive and active interconnections in electronic systems because they are compatible with standard processing and packaging conditions. We have an ongoing program to develop high temperature EO polymers jointly with the IBM Almaden Research Center. This effort is aimed at investigating various polymer backbone systems with both guest host and side chained active materials, in an effort to improve their temperature stability, EO coefficient, ease of processing, and device characteristics. The work is concentrated on directional coupler devices, fabricated from these materials.
Inhibition of DNA replication by ultraviolet light

DNA replication in ultraviolet-irradiated HeLa cells was studied by two different techniques: measurements of the kinetics of semiconservative DNA synthesis, and DNA fiber autoradiography. In examining the kinetics of semiconservative DNA synthesis, density label was used to avoid measuring the incorporation due to repair replication. The extent of inhibition varied with time. After doses of less than 10J/m2 the rate was initially depressed but later showed some recovery. After higher doses, a constant, low rate of synthesis was seen for at least the initial 6 h. An analysis of these data indicated that the inhibition of DNA synthesis could be explained by replication forks halting at pyrimidine dimers. DNA fiber autoradiography was used to further characterize replication after ultraviolet irradiation. The average length of labeled segments in irradiated cells increased in the time immediately after irradiation, and then leveled off. This is the predicted pattern if DNA synthesis in each replicon continued at its previous rate until a lesion is reached, and then halted. The frequency of lesions that block synthesis is approximately the same as the frequency of pyrimidine dimers.
On the geodetic number of a graph

For two vertices u and v of a graph G, the set I(u, v) consists of all vertices lying on some u − v geodesic in G. If S is a set of vertices of G, then I(S) is the union of all sets I(u, v) for u, v ∈ S. The geodetic number g(G) is the minimum cardinality among the subsets S of V(G) with I(S) = V(G). It is shown that if G is a graph of order n and diameter d then g(G) ≤ n − d + 1 and this bound is sharp. For positive integers r, d, and k ≥ 2 with r ≤ d ≤ 2r, there exists a connected graph G of radius r, diameter d, and g(G) = k. Also, for integers n, d, and k with 2 ≤ d < n, 2 ≤ k < n, and n − d − k + 1 ≥ 0, there exists a graph G of order n, diameter d, and g(G) = k. It is shown, for every nontrivial connected graph G, that g(G) ≤ g(G × K2). A sufficient condition for the equality of g(G) and g(G × K2) is presented. A graph F is a minimum geodetic subgraph if there exists a graph G containing F as an induced subgraph such that V(F) is a minimum geodetic set for G. Minimum geodetic subgraphs are characterized. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Normal Testicular Structure and Methods of Evaluation Under Experimental and Disruptive Conditions

Although there are many environmental/toxic agents which lead to male infertility, there are few descriptions of testicular pathology which provide meaningful mechanistic interpretations. Several methodological guidelines are suggested. In using experimental animals, it is necessary to obtain properly-fixed tissue; perfusion fixation by one of several methods affords excellent tissue preservation. Light microscopic resolution is greatly improved with plastic embedment such that many subcellular organelles may be distinguished with relative ease. The investigator should be thoroughly familiar with the normal spermatogenesis and techniques to quantitate spermatogenesis. Short periods in the transformation of an abnormal degenerating cell may be pinpointed and the phase of its development correlated with its known functional activity. Through comparisons of this type, clues to the mechanisms of action of agents may be sought. The dogma persists that a germinal cell develops at a prescribed rate throughout spermatogenesis, and that various agents can not speed up or slow down its progress. If it degenerates, it is easily identifiable in early phases of degeneration and it can be determined precisely when its development was arrested. Treatments with short-term sacrifice provide insight into mechanisms since damage is restricted to primary effects. Long-term studies answer the following questions: is there testicular damage due to a particular agent and, if so, how severely is it capable of affecting the seminiferous epithelium? It is convenient to describe a morphological pattern of response by assuming that the number of pathways necessary for normal spermatogenesis is limited, but the number of agents affecting these pathways is much greater.
Entrepreneurial Attitudes Of MBA Students In The United States Relative To The CIS: The Case Of Armenia

This paper compares the entrepreneurial attributes of MBA students in Armenia to those in the United States. If entrepreneurial attributes are more learned cultural behaviors and not only inherent personality factors, business students in a recently-privatized economy such as Armenia would not score as high on an entrepreneurial personality index as would business students in the U.S. where both models of entrepreneurship and expectations of certain proactive characteristics in individuals entering the business world are widespread.
Daily Otolith Increments in the Early Stages of Tropical Fish

Our understanding of the ecological dynamics of early life stages of marine fish has frequently been referred to as the great unknown “black box” (Sale 1980). Fortunately, however, Pannella’s (1971) discovery several decades ago that the otoliths of marine fish record age and growth information on a daily basis provided a critical tool for us to begin propping open the box lid. Increasing research and much technological advancement since then have enabled scientists to obtain accurate and detailed measurements of multiple early life history traits from the otoliths of young fish. Use of the wealth of data contained in the microstructure of fish otoliths is one of the most significant advantages that studies of fish populations have over similar studies of invertebrates. Age data from individuals can be used to examine patterns of larval dispersal, recruitment dynamics, early growth and survivorship, and selective mortality in addition to the more familiar age-specific growth rates.
Identity and icons: conflict and consequences surrounding the University of North Dakota's "Fighting Sioux" name and logo

iv Acknowledgements v Introduction 1 History 6 Legal Developments 18 2005 UND vs NCAA Court Case 18 2011 North Dakota State Law 22 2011 UND Students’ Lawsuit 25 2011 Repeal and Petition Action/Measure 4 28 Theory 30 Post-Colonialism and Orientalism 30 Social Identity and Identity Theory 41 Social Dominance Theory 47 Conflict/Conflict Resolution Theory 51 Visual 59 Discourse 59 American Indian Imagery Use 65 UND Logo Image 70
Induktive Schnellerwärmung von Formplatinen für die Warmumformung im Karosseriebau

Kurzfassung Im Zuge immer strikter werdender Regulierungen von einerseits CO2-Emissionen sowie andererseits der Bedeutung von Crash-Sicherheit und Insassenschutz ist die Warmumformung zu einer der bedeutendsten Leichtbautechnologien im Automobilbau geworden. Beschichtete Formplatinen der Gute 22MnB5 werden in langen gasbeheizten Rollenherdofen auf eine Temperatur oberhalb von 900 °C erwarmt und anschliesend in einem gekuhlten Werkzeug simultan umgeformt und abgeschreckt. Die zeitintensive Erwarmung mittels Strahlung und Konvektion im Ofen bietet groses Potenzial fur die Anwendung von Schnellerwarmungsmethoden wie der induktiven Erwarmung. An einer Versuchsfertigungslinie besteht die Moglichkeit, Formplatinen induktiv zu erwarmen und anschliesend bei variablen Ofendauern das Austenitisieren durchzufuhren. An somit hergestellten Bauteilen wird der Einfluss der Induktion auf die Material- sowie Schichtentwicklung im Hinblick auf essentielle Weiterverarbeitungskriterien wie Schweisbarkeit und Lackierbarkeit b...
The Pig Olfactory Brain: A Primer

Despite the fact that pigs are reputed to have excellent olfactory abilities, few studies have examined regions of the pig brain involved in the sense of smell. The present study provides an overview of the olfactory bulb, anterior olfactory nucleus, and piriform cortex of adult pigs using several approaches. Nissl, myelin, and Golgi stains were used to produce a general overview of the organization of the regions and confocal microscopy was employed to examine 1) projection neurons, 2) GABAergic local circuit neurons that express somatostatin, parvalbumin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, or calretinin, 3) neuromodulatory fibers (cholinergic and serotonergic), and 4) glia (astrocytes and microglia). The findings revealed that pig olfactory structures are quite large, highly organized and follow the general patterns observed in mammals.
Intramuscular administration of digoxin in propylene glycol.

SummaryDigoxin in 40% propylene glycol and 10% ethanol was injected intramuscularly in 7 patients with auricular fibrillation. Its full cardiac effect was reached in 8 hours, while intravenous digoxin in the same patients reached full effect in 2 hours. Intensity and persistence of action were the same for both routes. Additional intramuscular injections in 26 patients revealed pain but no permanent tissue damage.
Additional Notes on Erythrodiplax Maculosa (Hagen) (Odonata: Libellulidae)

At the time of the writer's revision of the genus Erythrodiplax only three specimens of this species were known, the type male and a female in European collections, and a female (Forster's type of Diplacodes friedericella ) in the Museum of Zoology at Ann Arbor, Michigan. Of these, only the latter specimen was available for study. Because of this lack of material, and particularly because no males of maculosa were studied, only a brief description could be given in the revision, and the status of the species in the genus could not be stated with certainty.
A mixed continuous/discontinuous finite element discretization of the incompressible NS equations

A projection scheme for the numerical solution of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is presented. Finite element discontinuous Galerkin (dG) discretization for the velocity in the momentum equations is employed. The incompressibility constraint is enforced by numerically solving the Poisson equation for the pressure by using a continuous Galerkin (cG) discretization. The main advantage of the method is that it does not require the velocity and pressure approximation spaces to satisfy the usual inf-sup condition, thus equal order finite element approximations for both velocity and pressure can be used. Furthermore, by using cG discretization for the Poisson equation, no auxiliary equations are needed as it is required for dG approximations of second order derivatives. In order to enable large time steps for time marching to steady-state and time evolving problems, implicit schemes are used in connection with high order implicit RK methods. Numerical tests demonstrate that the overall scheme is accurate and computationally efficient.
Cis- and trans-acting factors affecting the structure of yeast centromeres.

Summary The isolation of yeast centromeres has provided the opportunity to describe the molecular structure of chromosome attachments to the mitotic spindle. Nucleolytic probes of chromatin structure and analysis of genetically altered centromeres have been used to determine the primary sequence and positional requirements for assembly of this chromosomal domain into a functional unit. Structural analysis of the centromere in wild-type and mutant strains provides the first indication of specific proteins associated with centromere DNA in vivo.
The European VAT Experience: VAT in a Common Market: Lessons for the GCC

This paper is based on a presentation to the GCC VAT conference, hosted by the Dubai Economic Council in Dubai in November 2008. The paper provides a background knowledge of EU Value Added Tax (VAT), focusing on the way in which the EU VAT deals with the common market. The EU has the longest and most extensive experience in operating a harmonized VAT system in a common market and as a result a basic knowledge of the EU VAT is likely to be of assistance to policy makers in designing a common VAT framework for the GCC.Section II explains the role VAT played in the EU internal market integration process and the elements of the continued integration process that in turn contributed to the development of EU VAT. Section III discusses the basic characteristics of EU VAT, comparing it with a “model” or “best practice” VAT. Section IV deals with one aspect of EU VAT in particular, the intra-EU trade arrangements. These arrangements, and especially the fraudulent use that has been made of them in recent years, continue to be at the forefront of VAT debate in Europe. These issues will be of particular importance to the GCC if it intends to operate a common VAT in a borderless common market without a centralized VAT administration. Section V concludes by providing some useful lessons from the European VAT experience, which the GCC might wish to consider when designing a common VAT framework for its common market.
Self-diffusion of heptane inside aggregates of porous alumina particles by pulsed field gradient NMR

Abstract 1H and 13C pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR was used to study the self-diffusion of heptane in porous alumina exhibiting a hierarchy of pore sizes that cover the range from micropore to macropore sizes. Diffusion measurements were performed for the lengths scales of displacements comparable with and smaller than the sizes of aggregates of porous alumina particles. The measured heptane diffusivities inside the particle aggregates were found to be several times smaller than the diffusivity in the bulk liquid heptane. The diffusivities inside the aggregates were correlated with the aggregate structural characteristics, which include pore volume, pore size and packing density of the individual particles in the aggregates.
The effects of informational audiotapes on knowledge and self-care behaviors of patients undergoing radiation therapy.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To develop and test the effects of informational audiotapes on knowledge and management of side effects in subjects undergoing radiation therapy. DESIGN: Post-test-only control group design. SETTING: A large urban radiation oncology department. SAMPLE: Seventy-five adult patients (with a mean age of 53 years) who were receiving radiation therapy. METHODS: Subjects were randomized into control and experimental groups. The control group received the facility's standard care, while the experimental group received the standard care and also listened to informational audiotapes. Patients completed a demographic data form, a knowledge test, and the Radiation Side Effects Profile (RSEP). MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Number and severity of side effects, self-care measures used to manage the side effects, and helpfulness of these measures. FINDINGS: Patients in the experimental group were more knowledgeable about radiation therapy and its side effects, used more self-care measures, and practiced more helpful self-care behaviors than control group subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Audiotapes are an effective strategy for teaching self-care practices to patients undergoing radiation therapy. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: An important role of the nurse is to assess clients for side effects of treatment and provide the knowledge necessary for patients to become active participants in their care. Use of audiotapes ensured that patients received the information they needed at times and places that were convenient to them.
The Errors of a Land Gone Weary: James Madison’s Address to the Agricultural Society of Albemarle

Andrea Wulf asserts in her book, Founding Gardeners The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation , that James Madison was the “forgotten father of environmentalism” in America. The purpose of my project was primarily to delve into this claim, and I concluded that Wulf was only partially right. Wulf primarily uses Madison’s Address to the Agricultural Society of Albemarle, May 18, 1818 as a basis for her claims. While this address is noteworthy for many features, I assert that it’s only part of a growing movement that started before Madison’s speech. From individual planter efforts, to agricultural newspapers and societies, to books, Madison joined a relatively small group of Virginia planters that were attempting to reverse the state’s steady agricultural decline. My project attempted to put Madison’s speech in the proper context of a Virginian agricultural movement that had other forgotten fathers.
Assessing the Cost of Accounting-Based Long-Short Trades: Should You Invest a Billion Dollars in an Academic Strategy?

We highlight key assumptions implicit in the models used by academics conducting research on market efficiency. Most notably, many academics assume that investors can borrow unlimited amounts and construct long-short portfolios at zero cost. We relax these assumptions and examine the attractiveness of long-short strategies as stand-alone investments and as a part of a diversified portfolio. Our analysis illustrates that the key benefit of long-short investing is adding diversification to a portfolio beyond what the market provides. We show that as stand-alone investments, nontrivial risk remains in the “hedge” strategies and that the returns generally do not beat the market in a head-to-head contest. Our findings raise questions about the degree of inefficiency in anomaly studies because plausible measures of costs generally offset strategy returns. The ability to achieve greater diversification may be, but is not necessarily, due to market inefficiency. We also highlight the key role of the generally ignored but critically important short interest rebate and show that absent this rebate, the long-short strategies we examine generally yield insignificant returns.