cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A snapshot of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami: societal impacts and consequences

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the societal impacts and consequences of the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.Design/methodology/approach – One month after the tsunami, a group of social science researchers from the Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware, and the Emergency Administration and Planning Program, University of North Texas, participated in an Earthquake Engineering Research Institute reconnaissance team, which traveled to some of the most affected areas in India and Sri Lanka. Data were obtained through informal interviews, participant observation, and systematic document gathering.Findings – This research yielded important data and information on disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. A number of issues are identified that emerged from the field observations, including: tsunami education and awareness; the devastation and the loss; economic impact; mental health issues; irregularities and inequities in community based response and recovery efforts and...
Thief workers and variation in nestmate recognition behavior in a ponerine ant, Ectatomma ruidum

Our findings give new insight into the relationship between nestmate recognition and cleptobiosis, intraspecific thievery of newly collected food items, in a neotropical ponerine ant, Ectatomma ruidum. The expression of discrimination of nestmates from non-nestmates varied among local aggregations of E. ruidum in a population at Barro Colorado Island, Panama. This result is due to differences in the behavior of the guard ants among aggregations, rather than differences in the expression of recognition cues by ants. Baiting experiments show that E. ruidum colonies in Panama have a greater tendency to have overlapping home ranges than a similar population in Costa Rica. The pattern of cleptobiosis, however, is strikingly similar between the Panamanian and Costa Rican populations.
A MIXTURE MODEL OF ANNUAL PRECIPITATION IN PERU

A two component mixed log-normal distribution effectively models annual precipitation totals at two stations in Peru characterized by widely differing interannual patterns of precipitation. Physical evidence supports the division of station records into two subsamples. Years with ENSO events and years without ENSO events identify the components of a mixed probability model. The mixed model produces a superior fit to the two parameter log-normal distribution. Model application provides a reliable means of precipitation prediction and also quantitatively describes the highly variable temporal and spatial pattern of annual precipitation in western Peru.
A new event dispatch strategy to eliminate dispatch “glue”

In statically typed object-oriented languages such as Java, GUI event handling is traditionally handled through listener interfaces or similar types of polymorphic delegation. In the case of events that pass information about their source to the handling method, the programmer is required to perform runtime type checks to determine the true types of the components involved. This produces poorly designed code that contains a second layer of hand-written type-based dispatch before events can actually be handled. In this paper we present an alternative approach that builds this second dispatch layer into the underlying framework. The approach uses run-time reflection and overload resolution to automatically distinguish events based on method argument types, and to implicitly bind them to the event publishers. This approach combines the type safety of a statically typed language with the run-time flexibility of modern dynamic languages and enhances the readability of event handling code.
Fluorophore-cored dendrimers for patterns in metalloprotein sensing

In fluorophore-cored dendrimers with peripheral binding functionalities, the effect of generation upon protein binding-induced fluorescence quenching can be unpredictable; this is because the increase in fluorophore-binding functionality distance with generation is also accompanied by an increase in the number of binding moieties and the interplay between the two features is utilized to create patterns for metalloprotein sensing.
Chromosome abnormality in a human TCGF-dependent T-lymphocyte culture generated against autologous melanoma cells in vitro

Six T-cell growth promoting factor (TCGF)-dependent T-cell cultures and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes from a patient with metatastic malignant melanoma were karyotyped. Three of the TCGF-dependent cultures were noncloned, started after in vitro sensitization against autologous malignant melanoma cells in tissue culture. A fourth was a subculture of one of these. The two remaining T-cell cultures were generated by in vitro sensitization of the same individual's lymphocytes against allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B-cell lines. One of the cultures (AV7) and its subculture (AV/LDP39) showed a 17q+ anomaly in 100% of metaphases studied. All other TCGF-dependent T-cell cultures and fresh blood lymphocytes had normal karyotypes. The possible mode of origin of the abnormality and its significance are discussed.
Homing and straying by anadromous salmonids: a review of mechanisms and rates

There is a long research history addressing olfactory imprinting, natal homing, and non-natal straying by anadromous salmon and trout (Salmoni- dae). In undisturbed populations, adult straying is a fundamental component of metapopulation biology, facilitating genetic resilience, demographic stability, recolonization, and range expansion into unexploited habitats. Unfortunately, salmonid hatcheries and other human actions worldwide have affected straying in ways that can negatively affect wild populations through competitive interactions, reduced productiv- ity and resiliency, hybridization and domestication effects, and outbreeding depression. Reduced adult straying is therefore an objective for many managed populations. Currently, there is considerable uncer- tainty about the range of 'natural' stray rates and about which mechanisms precipitate straying in either wild or human-influenced fish. Research in several disci- plines indicates that adult straying is affected by endocrine physiology and neurological processes in juveniles, incomplete or interrupted imprinting during rearing and emigration, and by complex interactions among adult maturation processes, reproductive behaviors, olfactory memory, environmental condi- tions during migration, and senescence physiology. Reported salmonid stray rates indicate that the behavior varies among species, among life-history types, and among populations within species. Most strays enter sites near natal areas, but long-distance straying also occurs, especially in hatchery popula- tions that were outplanted or transported as juveniles. A majority of past studies has estimated straying as demographic losses from donor populations, but some have estimated straying into recipient populations. Most recipient-based estimates have substantiated concerns that wild populations are vulnerable to swamping by abundant hatchery and farm-raised strays.
Expression and localization of inhibin/activin subunits and activin receptors in the normal rat prostate

Activin, a member of transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta), plays an important role during embryonic development, and defects of this growth factor results in degenerative disorders as demonstrated by gene knock out studies. TGF beta has been shown to have dual effects on the regulation of growth of prostate cancer cells. Recently, we have reported that activin was localized and messenger RNAs encoding activin and its receptors were expressed in human prostate cancer cells. To determine whether normal prostate cells produce inhibin and/or activin, immunohistochemistry was conducted on rat prostate glands using specific antibodies for inhibin and activin. The inhibin and activin were present in the cytoplasm and nuclei of epithelial cells whereas stromal cells were not stained. The expression of mRNA for the inhibin/activin subunits was determined using both in situ hybridization and the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. In addition, the identity of the cDNA product of RT-PCR was verified with DNA sequencing. These findings suggest that inhibin is only produced and mRNA encoding the alpha-subunit for inhibin is only expressed in the normal rat prostate but activin and its receptors are produced and expressed in both normal rat prostate as well as human prostate cancer cells.
A second gene for gonadotropin-releasing hormone: cDNA and expression pattern in the brain.

Abstract In vertebrates, the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) decapeptide is secreted from hypothalamic nerve terminals to regulate reproduction via control of synthesis and release of pituitary gonadotropins. Only one GnRH peptide has been found in mammals, with one exception, although numerous other vertebrate species express more than one of the eight known decapeptide forms as shown by immunocytochemical labeling of distinct cell groups in the brain. However, neither the functional nor the evolutionary relationships among these GnRH forms are clear, because only one preprohormone gene sequence from any species has been reported. The most ubiquitous alternative form of GnRH is [His5,Trp7,Tyr8]GnRH (also referred to as chicken-II), which differs from the mammalian sequence at amino acids 5, 7, and 8. This peptide has been shown to have the most potent releasing-hormone activity, although immunocytochemical staining has suggested it is synthesized only in the mesencephalon. Here we report the cloning and expression pattern of the gene for the precursor of this form from the teleost fish Haplochromis burtoni. This is the second GnRH-encoding gene to be characterized in this species. The newly discovered preprohormone gene differs from that previously reported in two ways. First, whereas the original gene predicts only a single associated peptide, this one predicts two associated peptides, both of which appear to be unique. Second, the gene for [His5,Trp7,Tyr8]GnRH is expressed in only one cell group in the mesencephalon. In contrast, the previously reported gene is expressed only in the terminal nerve. The striking differences between the preprohormone structure and localization suggest that the genes coding for the two known GnRH forms in H. burtoni did not arise from a recent duplication event. Interestingly, neither of the two genes found to date in this species is expressed in cells which project from the hypothalamus to the pituitary, suggesting that yet a third gene coding for GnRH may exist.
Biochemical alterations induced by citrinin in cultured kidney epithelial cell systems.

Citrinin is a fungal metabolite and a common food contaminant. Cytotoxicity of this nephrotoxic mycotoxin in renal epithelial cells was recently reported. The primary effect of this chemical was on the adherence of cells to the culture dish. We have evaluated the effect of citrinin on macromolecular syntheses and selected cellular enzymes in Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells and primary fetal bovine kidney (PFBK) cultures. Citrinin inhibited the synthesis of macromolecules, especially DNA, perhaps due to inhibition of the transport of precursor compounds into the cells. Protein and RNA synthesis followed a parallel trend. Enzyme activities, namely K+-dependent phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and succinic dehydrogenase, were subsequently reduced. The cellular enzyme activities were not directly influenced by the presence of citrinin. Results suggested that citrinin affects cellular metabolism leading to cytotoxicity in renal cells.
Toxic Effects of Gentamicin on Marrow-derived Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

We hypothesized that the high concentrations of gentamicin achieved after local administration would have toxic effects on human mesenchymal stem cells. These cells were isolated from bone marrow from three healthy adult donors and cultured with different concentrations of gentamicin (0 microg/mL, 50 microg/mL, 100 microg/mL, and 200 microg/mL) for 7 days. After 7 days of gentamicin exposure, we examined cell viability, proliferation, and in vitro and in vivo osteochondrogenic capacity. Gentamicin did not have an adverse effect on the viability of human mesenchymal stem cells in all test groups, but did inhibit cell proliferation at concentrations of 100 microg/mL and 200 microg/mL. In in vitro osteogenesis, gentamicin decreased the DNA content and alkaline phosphatase activity of human mesenchymal stem cells at an early stage (Days 4 and 8) in a dose-dependent manner. For chondrogenesis, glycosaminoglycan content and Type II and Type X collagen deposition were lower in the pellets made with cells expanded in gentamicin at 100 or 200 microg/mL relative to cells expanded in medium without gentamicin. A comparable effect on osteochondrogenesis was observed in an in vivo model. At a high concentration, gentamicin inhibits proliferation and differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and could compromise the bone-healing process.
Open and endovascular repair of the nontraumatic isolated aortic arch aneurysm

Objective Repair of isolated aortic arch aneurysms (nontraumatic) by either open (OAR) or endovascular (TEVAR) methods is associated with need for hypothermic circulatory arrest, complex debranching procedures, or use of marginal proximal landing zones. This study evaluates outcomes for treatment of this cohort. Methods Of 2153 patients undergoing arch repair (1993-2013), 137 (mean age, 60 years) were treated with isolated arch resection for nontraumatic aneurysms. Treatment was by open (n = 93), hybrid (n = 11), or TEVAR (n = 33) methods, with the last two approaches reserved for poor OAR candidates. Treatment was predominantly for saccular (n = 53) or fusiform (n = 30) aneurysms or dissection (n = 15). Rupture was present in 15%. Prior aortic repair was performed in the ascending (n = 30), arch (n = 40), descending (n = 24), or abdominal (n = 9) aorta. Propensity score adjustment was performed for multivariable analysis to account for baseline differences in patient groups as well as treatment selection bias. Results Early mortality was seen in nine patients (7%). Morbidity included stroke (n = 9), paraplegia (n = 1), and need for dialysis (n = 5) or tracheostomy (n = 10). A composite outcome of death and stroke was independently predicted by advancing age ( P = .055) and performance of a hybrid procedure ( P = .012). The 15-year survival was 59%, with late mortality predicted by increasing age, presence of peripheral vascular disease, and perioperative stroke (all P P = .018). After propensity-adjusted Cox regression analysis, both prior abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy ( P = .017) and an endovascular or hybrid procedure ( P = .001) independently predicted late aortic rupture or need for reintervention. Conclusions Isolated arch repair remains a high-risk procedure occurring frequently in the reoperative setting. Despite being performed in a higher risk group, endovascular strategies yielded similar outcomes but with an increased risk for aorta-related complications. These data support ongoing efforts to develop branched endografts specifically tailored for arch disease to potentially reduce morbidity related to currently available approaches.
Acoustic analysis of voice in individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and perceptually normal vocal quality

Summary Currently, early phonatory changes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS) are not well understood. The aim of this study was to compare acoustic parameters of voice in ALS subjects who demonstrated perceptually normal vocal quality on sustained phonation with a control group. We hypothesized that objective analysis of voice would reveal significant differences on specific acoustic parameters of voice compared to the control group. Results revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups on measures related to frequency range and phonatory stability. The findings suggest that early bulbar signs affecting the laryngeal system may be present in patients with ALS before the occurrence of perceptually aberrant vocal characteristics.
Synthesis, structure, and electrochemical studies of molybdenum and tungsten dinitrogen, diazenido, and hydrazido complexes that contain aryl-substituted triamidoamine ligands.

One-electron reduction of [ArN3N]MoCl complexes (Ar = C6H5, 4-FC6H4, 4-t-BuC6H4, 3,5-Me2C6H3) yields complexes of the type [ArN3N]Mo−NN−Mo[ArN3N], while two-electron reduction yields {[ArN3N]Mo−NN}...
STUDIES IN THE BLOOD CYTOLOGY OF THE RABBIT : II. CONSECUTIVE ERYTHROCYTE AND HEMOGLOBIN OBSERVATIONS ON GROUPS OF NORMAL RABBITS.

Observations are reported on the consecutive weekly erythrocyte counts and the hemoglobin contents of the peripheral blood in 5 groups of normal rabbits, comprising 45 animals, during a period of 20 months from October, 1927 to July, 1929. The duration of individual group examinations varied from 8 to 35 weeks. The results are analyzed on the basis of the weekly mean values of each group. On the whole, the erythrocyte values were quite uniform within a narrow range of variation, while the hemoglobin content was comparatively irregular within a wider range of variation. The major changes in the levels of mean values of both the red cells and the hemoglobin, however, were found to be statistically significant. The directions or trends in the levels of the erythrocyte and hemoglobin mean values did not necessarily move in opposite directions. The general levels of the erythrocyte and hemoglobin mean values were not identical for two consecutive years, those of 1927–28 being higher than those of 1928–29. The fluctuations of both red cell and hemoglobin mean values observed in one group of animals were also usually observed in another group examined during the same months.
Plasma Insulin Response to An Oral Glucose Load in Noncoronary Heart Disease

Fourteen patients with noncoronary heart disease (mean age 46 years) and 14 controls (mean age 46 years) had oral glucose tolerance tests with plasma glucose and plasma immunoreactive insulin levels determined. None of the 28 subjects was obese, malnourished, or had a history of angina or diabetes, a family history of diabetes, liver, renal, thyroid disease, hypokalemia, or was on diuretics. Eight of 14 patients (57 percent) with noncoronary heart disease had abnormal plasma insulin response compatible with maturity-onset diabetes, and one of these 14 patients (7 percent) had a diabetic glucose tolerance curve. Three of 14 control subjects (21 percent) had a plasma insulin response compatible with maturity-onset diabetes, and none of these controls (0 percent) had abnormal glucose tolerance. These results indicate that the abnormal plasma insulin response to an oral glucose load found in many patients with noncoronary heart disease represents a nonspecific metabolic abnomality.
Journals to Die For

Following in the tracks of Pullum's search for the perfect linguistics journal, we hunt the perfect theory journal.
Effects of host endocrine gland removal on the permissive status of laboratory rodents to infection by Schistosoma mansoni.

Abstract Knopf P. M. and Soliman M. 1980. Effects of host endocrine gland removal on the permissive status of laboratory rodents to infection by Schistosoma mansoni . International Journal for Parasitology , 10 : 197–204. The capacity of Schistosoma mansoni to complete its life cycle was compared in CD-1 mice (permissive hosts) and Sprague-Dawley rats (nonpermissive hosts) from which the pituitary gland had been removed prior to infection with cercariae. Except for a modest decrease in egg burden, none of the parameters of worm life cycle assessed were affected in hypophysectomized mice. In contrast, all these parameters were affected in hypophysectomized rats, e.g. onset of adult worm elimination was delayed, worm development improved, oviposition increased and miracidia developed. Effects of removal from rats of the thyroid/parathyroid glands on the parasite life cycle were similar to hypophysectomy; adrenalectomy or gonadectomy were without affect. Differences between thyroidectomized and thymectomized rats are discussed. It is concluded that host hormones contribute to the nonpermissive status of rats to Schistosoma mansoni infections.
A study of 244 prematurely born infants

Summary This study was based on the medical records of all infants born prematurelyin the New Haven Hospital during a ten-year period, and included every liveborn infant who was described in the medical records as “premature” and who weighed at birth 2,500 gm. or less. There were 244 such infants, of whom 66 died without having been discharged from the hospital and 178 were discharged alive. More than half the deaths occurred within twenty-four hours of birth. The mortality was five times as high among the infants weighing 1,500gm. or less as among those weighing 1,501 to 2,500 gm. It was nearly twice as high among single born infants as among those the result of multiple pregnancy. The mortality among the infants of the mothers who had had one ormore complications of pregnancy was not significantly higher than among the infants whose mothers had not had complications. The infant mortality did not seem to be influenced by the duration oflabor—normal or abnormal; nor by the type of delivery—spontaneous or operative; but it was higher when labor had been induced than when it had occurred spontaneously. More than half the infant daths were reported as caused by prematurity,about one-fourth by infection, and about one-sixth by intracranial hemorrhage. Atelectasis occurred in nearly half of the infants who died and in about one-seventh of those who survived. The effect on the fetus of morphine given to the mother was shown by the fact that of the 63 infants whose mothers had received morphine, 38 per cent died; and of the 125 whose mothers had not received morphine, only 23 per cent died, in spite of the fact that among the infants who died the proportion of infants of low birth weight was slightly greater among the infants of mothers who had had no morphine. When the mother had received morphine, the onset of respiration in the infant was delayed in 41 per cent of the cases; when the mother had not received morphine, in only 16 per cent. In studying the effects on the infant of complications of the mother's pregnancy, labor, and delivery and the results of various abnormal conditions in the infants, the birth weights of the infants should always be taken into consideration and the proportion of those of higher or lower weight known.
Ethnic culture, religion, and the mental health of Slavic-American women

Findings of a comparative research study of women of different ethnic back-grounds suggest that the Slavic religioethnic culture acts to promote successful aging and stable mental health among women of Slavic heritage. Home and family structure, deep religiosity, and participation in church and community affiars provide function and meaningful purpose to life that tends to mitigate the losses inherent in the aging process.
Middle school students' understanding and application of the engineering design process

Today, in the 21st century, knowledge of science, technology and especially engineering are necessary to make informed decisions in most aspects of everyday life and the demand to fill jobs in these areas, especially engineering, is growing rapidly. Recent research indicates that a majority of college students who enter Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors became interested in STEM-related subjects when they were in high school or even earlier, in middle school. But the absence of engineering topics in K-12 science and mathematics curricula means that most potential college students are not prepared academically to study engineering in college or pursue careers in engineering. To address this problem the Next Generation Science Standards integrate engineering design and mathematics into science education. The engineering design process provides an opportunity to teach students about scientific inquiry and helps make connections between the science used in engineering applications in the real world and their classroom science lessons. Most current teachers have not been trained to incorporate engineering topics into classroom lessons and while professional development for teachers is being developed to address this need, summer enrichment programs such as those offered through the Center for Pre-college programs at New Jersey Institute of Technology can be instrumental in filling this void. The current paper describes a summer program for middle school students who would not otherwise have been exposed to engineering topics. Students were presented with a scenario that contains a core problem to be solved. Students were assigned to work in teams and were introduced to the Engineering Design Process as a means to develop a solution to the problem. Students completed a pre and post test which included questions about the Engineering Design Process (EDP) and were required to make a presentation about their solution to the core problem. A rubric has been developed to evaluate students' understanding and application of the EDP from their presentations. Analyses of the pre- and post-tests indicate that most students had no prior knowledge of the engineering design process but learned the steps during the course of the program. Correlations among students' responses to the post-test and scores from the rubric have been found. Results include a preliminary examination of the psychometric properties of the rubric.
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors.

This session not only described several poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors but also included talks on the science of nuclear excision repair, an oxidized glutathione, and a heat shock protein (HSP) 90 inhibitor. SUMMARY OF PRESENTATIONS Science of Nuclear Excision Repair Dr. George Simon opened the session by presenting the science of nuclear excision repair. He reviewed preclinical data, including evidence that apoptosis increases in cell lines exposed to cisplatin when excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) siRNA is added. He also reviewed clinical data from the International Adjuvant Lung Trial, in which improved survival with adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy was restricted to tumors with low ERCC1. 1 He then focused on trials that designed to tailor therapy to repair genes. The Spanish Customized Adjuvant Treatment trial randomly assigns postresection patients with positive N1 or N2 nodes to docetaxel cisplatin or an experimental arm. Based on data correlating higher breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) mRNA levels with cisplatin resistance and docetaxel sensitivity, 2 the experimental arm assigns treatment by quartile expression for BRCA1 (lowest: gemcitabine cisplatin; 2‐3: docetaxel cisplatin; and highest: docetaxel). The TAilored post-Surgical Therapy in Early-stage NSCLC (TASTE) trial randomizes postsurgical patients to cisplatin pemetrexed or an experimental arm. In the experimental arm, mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) lead to treatment with erlotinib, whereas treatment for EGFR wild-type patients are assigned based on ERCC1 status (cisplatin pemetrexed versus observation). He then discussed the MADe IT Trail, in which patients with metastatic disease were assigned treatment regimen based on ERCC1 and ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1) levels (Figure 1). Outcomes in this trial exceeded selected historical controls, and the difference was more apparent for
An accurate analog frequency measuring circuit

An instrument has been developed which will automatically convert frequency into shaft position, with an accuracy of ±0.1% over a temperature range of -55 C to +55 C. Methods are shown for compensating for the imperfections of diodes as switches, thereby achieving a high degree of linearity and stability.
Soliciting advice: The role of sequential placement in mitigating face threat

Brown and Levinson's (1987) politeness theory emphasizes threats to face that arise from the defining features of speech acts. In contrast, the two studies reported here demonstrate how the sequencing of acts affects type and degree office threat. By exploring these issues as they apply to the solicitation of advice, these studies also shed light on the practical problem of how to give face‐sensitive advice. Study 1 proposes a typology of six advice sequences derived from ethnographic observation of 93 advice‐giving episodes among white, middle‐class, college educated Americans. Study 2 tests whether the six types of sequence differ in perceived advice solicitation and regard for face by asking 420 college students to rate sample dialogues. Results show the sequential placement of advice has a significant and substantial effect on the degree to which advice is seen as solicited and this, in turn, is associated with perceived regard for face.
Increased damping of natural rubber stocks from prior elongation-retraction

The effects of elongation on the audiofrequency dynamic mechanical properties of a natural rubber (Hevea) gum stock have been described previously in terms of the elastic (J') and the viscous (J') components of a complex shear compliance, J* equals J' - iJ'. In this prior work emphasis was on the changes in compliance levels and the frequency dependencies of the elastic and viscous components at static elongations from 0 to 400%, and after retractions to elongations below 300%. At elongations above 300%, several large, sharp resonances appeared in the compliance-frequency plots coincident with the well known stretch-induced, oriented crystallinity above 300% elongation for the initially amorphous rubber at room temperatures. In the present work attention is on the loss tangent, J'/J', which governs vibration damping, and for which no data were given in the earlier report. After extensions to 400%, as described above, followed by retraction to 275%, for example, values of loss tangent were two or three times those found at any of the first elongations from 0 to 400%. Current measurements using an automated measurement system yield similar results. Additional information on the effect of time at an elongation and the elongation-retraction sequence on enhanced damping has also been gathered. In any case, it is evident that natural rubber gum stocks, ordinarily with low damping, when treated smartly can be changed to high damping materials at some audio frequencies.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ecological Site Development: Accelerating the Effort

E cological site descriptions (ESDs) have unmatched potential as rangeland classification tools with practical management applications. Yet despite their great potential, the majority of ESDs cur- rently lack sufficient detail to satisfy the needs of land man- agers, researchers, and other ESD users. Fortunately, however, a notable increase in the tools, resources, and support needed for ESD development promises to improve the concepts, delivery, and application of this important management resource. DOI: 10.2458/azu_rangelands_v34i2_johanson
Prolonged reproductive consequences of short-term biomass loss in seaweeds

This study describes the reproductive collapse of a large giant-kelp forest (Macrocystis pyrifera; Point Loma, southern California, USA) and the dynamics of its subsequent recovery. High-frequency sampling within a 100-m2 area, combined with a 3-year reproduction time-series from four other sites over a broad depth gradient, were used to (1) quantify temporal and spatial patterns of change in size and fertility of adult sporophytes, and (2) examine physical and biological factors that regulate such changes. Giant-kelp sporophytes have the potential for continuous reproduction, yet from March to November 1999, sporophytes at the high-frequency sampling site went from completely sloughing (actively releasing zoospores) to completely sterile, despite a relatively constant biomass of sporogenous tissues. This shift to sterility was rapid, with 65% of sporophytes ceasing to slough during late-June/early-July 1999, and did not co-occur with stressful physical conditions (i.e. high temperatures, low nutrients, or high wave intensity). Instead, the cessation of reproductive output corresponded to an episodic, sublethal amphipod-grazing event that stripped blade biomass from all sporophytes. Although the grazer infestation affected the entire kelp forest, peaks in grazer abundance were localized, moving through the population during late spring and summer, and causing patchiness in sporophyte size and fertility on a scale of meters. The reproductive collapse was size-dependent, since smaller sporophytes were the first to cease sloughing. The grazing event waned in the fall and sporophyte vegetative growth rapidly recovered lost biomass (within ~2 months). Such growth, however, occurred at the expense of the production of sporogenous tissue and caused a prolonged period (>4 months) of decreased reproductive output. These results suggest a trade-off between sporophyte growth and reproduction, allowing short-term disturbances to have lasting impacts on the reproductive output of giant-kelp populations.
Hierarchical Clustering and the Concept of Space Distortion.

Using an occupancy model developed from combinatorics, the prototypic single-link and complete-link hierarchical clustering methods are considered to be at the two extremes of a space distortion clustering continuum. Two approaches for attacking the space distortion problem are suggested: (i) using an intermediate r-diameter criterion that includes the single-link and complete-link methods as special cases, and (ii) preprocessing the original proximity measures to force a metric structure on the input data that will lead to a better correspondence between the results produced by the two extreme clustering strategies. In addition to several numerical examples that typify the effect of using an r-diameter criterion or, alternatively, an initial preprocessing of a given set of proximity measures, Monte Carlo results are presented illustrating empirically the space distortion properties of the single-link and complete-link methods.
Kinetics of the addition of p-aminophenylthiyl radicals to vinyl monomers

Abstract The kinetics of the addition of p-aminophenylthiyl radicals to vinyl monomers were studied in cyclohexane. Thiyl radicals, generated by flash photolysis of the p-aminophenyldisulfide, react with monomers in a reversible fashion. These addition rates show a good correlation with the electron density of the monomer double bond and with stability parameters of the resulting adduct.
[Commnet on “Seismic predictors of El Niño revisited”] Comment on an atmospheric stochastic trigger for El Niño

A recent Eos article [Walker, 1999] describes a correlation between El Nino occurrence and seismicity along the most rapidly spreading portion of the East Pacific Rise, located below the eastern Pacific atmospheric high-pressure zone most strongly influenced by El Nino.The correlation between seismicity and El Nino is accentuated by seismic precursors to the development of an El Nino. Walker suggests that a trigger for El Nino has not been unambiguously identified. Walker concludes that increased seismicity is likely to be associated with enhanced heat flow, which might ultimately trigger, or be connected with a trigger for, El Nino. Assuming that a correlation between seismicity and El Nino does exist, other explanations might be found, and one is suggested here to be at least more likely, if also improbable. Changes of sea level resulting from El Nino can induce small crustal stresses, which in an area of intense seismicity may have a small effect on earthquake statistics or trigger an earthquake that was about to happen anyway While I suspect that the counter-proposal is, by itself, insufficient cause to discuss the correlation further, this argument is strengthened by the known correlation between reservoir filling and increased seismicity [Gupta and Chandha, 1995].The main problem with my counter-argument is that the changes in sea level resulting from El Nino are only tens of centimeters, resulting in stresses of less than .lbar. Probably no seismologist would be comfortable with the suggestion that such a small stress could materially affect earthquake frequencies, even in an area with exceptionally high seismicity.The counterproposal is based on the statistics of global temperature and understanding the role of El Nino therein.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow? Post-Racial & Pan-Racial Politics in the Age of Obama

After Barack Obama's historic election, media reports overwhelmingly credited white independents with setting aside decades of racially polarized voting to send the nation's first black president to the White House. Lee looks more closely to reveal that Obama owes a greater debt to non-white voters (partisan and nonpartisan) than to white independents. As more people of color – including immigrant and second-generation Latinos and Asian Americans – join the ranks of nonpartisan voters, the concept of pan-racialism can shed light on how individuals of a shared demographic category come to engage, politically, as a group. The age of Obama calls not for the celebration of a post-racial politics, but rather for a collective struggle to build a pan-racial politics: that is, a politics of mutual recognition, inclusion, and moral partiality between all racial and ethnic groups.
The role of endogenous opioid peptides in the regulation of the menstrual cycle.

Abstract This brief review, which is solely based on research performed in our laboratory in a non-human primate model, examines the central role which endogenous opioid peptides, principally β-endorphin, may exert in the physiology and pathology of the menstrual cycle.
Characterization of Endocarp Biomass and Extracted Lignin Using Pyrolysis and Spectroscopic Methods

Pyrolysis-GC/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to analyze the thermal decomposition of several endocarp sources, namely, coconut shells, walnut shells, peach pits, and olive pits, as well as their respective lignin fractions. To determine whether extraction procedures influenced pyrolysate composition and thermal decomposition processes, lignin was extracted from these feedstocks using two different procedures based on the use of formic acid and sulfuric acid (National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) laboratory analytical procedure), after which the lignin-derived pyrolysates and TGA profiles were compared. Qualitative analysis of the distribution of pyrolysates provided predictive information about the structure and composition of the lignin in each sample. Results suggest that the lignin extract pyrolysates contained a different distribution of linkages and monomers in comparison to the non-extracted biomass, suggesting that lignin processing can influence bio-oil composition. Moreover, we identify the types of products obtainable by pyrolysis of these feedstocks and their lignin extracts. Heteronuclear single quantum coherence nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HSQC NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were also used to elucidate the structures of the extracted lignin samples.
Microleakage of core materials for complete cast gold crowns

This study evaluated the microleakage patterns of complete cast-gold crowns cemented onto teeth rebuilt with pin-retained cores made from cast gold, amalgam, composite resin, and silver-reinforced glass ionomer by using three different cements (zinc phosphate, glass ionomer, and resin cement). Crowns cemented onto unrebuilt tooth preparations with zinc phosphate cement served as controls. The cemented specimens were thermocycled between 4° and 50° C in waterbaths. They were then embedded in epoxy resin and sectioned. The extent of marginal micro-leakage was evaluated with a stereomicroscope and scored. The findings indicated that the type of luting agent used appeared to affect microleakage more than the core material. No significant differences in the degree of microleakage were found under crowns cemented onto teeth rebuilt with the four core materials when cemented with the same luting cement.
Molecular distribution in condensation polymers

The theory of molecular distribution in condensation polymers has been extended to include systems of a rather general type. Equations for the distribution and the weight-average molecular weight are given.
Estimation of nonlinear refractive index in various silica-based glasses for optical fibers

The dependence of the nonlinear refractive index n2 on glass compositions for optical fibers is clarified. The relation between n2 and germanium- or fluorine-doped SiO2 is calculated on the basis of the measurement of n2 at 1.55 μm with the improved cross-phase-modulation method, taking into account the radial distribution of the optical power in the fibers.
Does contour classification precede contour grouping in perception of partially visible figures

When a figure is only partially visible and its contours represent a small fraction of total image contours (as when there is much background clutter), a fast contour classification mechanism may filter non-figure contours in order to restrict the size of the input to subsequent contour grouping mechanisms. The results of two psychophysical experiments suggest that the human visual system can classify figure from non-figure contours on the basis of a difference in some contour property (e.g. length, orientation, curvature, etc). While certain contour properties (e.g. orientation, curvature) require only local analysis for classification, other contour properties (e.g. length) may require more global analysis of the retinal image. We constructed a pyramid-based computational model based on these observations and performed two simulations of experiment 1: one simulation with classification enabled and the other simulation with classification disabled. The classification-based simulation gave the superior account of human performance in experiment 1. When a figure is partially visible, with few contours relative to the number of non-figure contours, contour classification followed by contour grouping can be more efficient than contour grouping alone, owing to smaller input to grouping mechanisms.
The Social Environment and Psychopathology

The present paper describes a research program designed to investigate features of the social environment that may influence the development or maintenance of psychopathology. The guiding philosophy has been to understand the processes through which general social constructs, such as social support and life stress, may modulate vulnerability to psychological disorder. Over a number of years, the program has focused specifically upon depression and its episodic nature, attempting to explain the onset and remission of the disorder with respect to life stress and interpersonal environments. The concepts studied, however, are intimately tied to pathological functioning in diverse ways, only some of which are informative for developing descriptive models of the processes involved. The paper describes several strategies for controlling spurious influences (e.g. self-report biases in retrospective reporting of life stress and social relationships in depression). These strategies provide a foundation for uncoveri...
Comparison of Robotics, Functional Electrical Stimulation, and Motor Learning Methods for Treatment of Persistent Upper Extremity Dysfunction After Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Objective To compare response to upper-limb treatment using robotics plus motor learning (ML) versus functional electrical stimulation (FES) plus ML versus ML alone, according to a measure of complex functional everyday tasks for chronic, severely impaired stroke survivors. Design Single-blind, randomized trial. Setting Medical center. Participants Enrolled subjects (N=39) were >1 year postsingle stroke (attrition rate=10%; 35 completed the study). Interventions All groups received treatment 5d/wk for 5h/d (60 sessions), with unique treatment as follows: ML alone (n=11) (5h/d partial- and whole-task practice of complex functional tasks), robotics plus ML (n=12) (3.5h/d of ML and 1.5h/d of shoulder/elbow robotics), and FES plus ML (n=12) (3.5h/d of ML and 1.5h/d of FES wrist/hand coordination training). Main Outcome Measures Primary measure: Arm Motor Ability Test (AMAT), with 13 complex functional tasks; secondary measure: upper-limb Fugl-Meyer coordination scale (FM). Results There was no significant difference found in treatment response across groups (AMAT: P≥.584; FM coordination: P≥.590). All 3 treatment groups demonstrated clinically and statistically significant improvement in response to treatment (AMAT and FM coordination: P≤.009). A group treatment paradigm of 1:3 (therapist/patient) ratio proved feasible for provision of the intensive treatment. No adverse effects. Conclusions Severely impaired stroke survivors with persistent (>1y) upper-extremity dysfunction can make clinically and statistically significant gains in coordination and functional task performance in response to robotics plus ML, FES plus ML, and ML alone in an intensive and long-duration intervention; no group differences were found. Additional studies are warranted to determine the effectiveness of these methods in the clinical setting.
Symptom status and functional status outcomes: humanistic outcomes in obesity disease management.

Introduction Obesity is a complex, chronic health problem that is associated with increased mortality, morbidity, and health care costs, as well as decreased life quality (1–6). “The pathway to obesity is a complex journey,” involving biologic and genetic, emotional, social, and cultural factors (7). Changes in the U.S. health care delivery system, including managed care or disease management approaches, necessitate the development of systems that can be used to assess quality of care and demonstrate accountability in the health care of obese populations. Inherent in this is the identification of outcome, intermediate, and process measures (8,9). Disease management outcome measures must meet identified standards for scientific validity, relevance, and feasibility as outlined in the charge to the Team on Developing Obesity Outcomes and Learning Standards (TOOLS) Task Force of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) (10). The purpose of this paper is to recommend obesity disease management outcome measures to assess symptom status and functional status of populations in outcomes research evaluating the effectiveness of the management of obesity (grades I to III).
A Multi-Element VLC Architecture for High Spatial Reuse

Visible light communication (VLC) is an emerging wireless technology that offers more capacity than legacy radio frequency (RF) communications can offer. Free-space-optical (FSO) communication is VLC's general form spanning infrared bands, and it has an upper hand on traditional RF systems due to license-free spectrum, containment of beams, inherent security, energy efficient communications, and high transmission rates. In this paper, we consider a hybrid RF/FSO mechanism to transmit multiple data streams over multi-element VLC modules. We evaluate the link quality performance of a novel multi-element hemispherical design that can simultaneously provide good lighting and communication coverage across a room.