cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The design of sustainable wireless sensor network node using solar energy and phase change memory

Sustainability of wireless sensor network (WSN) is crucial to its economy and efficiency. While previous works have focused on solving the energy source limitation through solar energy harvesting, we reveal in this paper that sensor node's lifespan could also be limited by memory wear-out and battery cycle life. We propose a sustainable sensor node design that takes all three limiting factors into consideration. Our design uses Phase Change Memory (PCM) to solve Flash memory's endurance issue. By leveraging PCM's adjustable write width, we propose a low-cost, fine-grained load tuning technique that allows the sensor node to match current MPP of solar panel and reduces the number of discharge/charge cycles on battery. Our modeling and experiments show that our sustainable sensor node design can achieve on average 5.1 years of node lifetime, more than 2× over the baseline.
Metabolites of an Epac-selective cAMP analog induce cortisol synthesis by adrenocortical cells through a cAMP-independent pathway.

Adrenal zona fasciculata (AZF) cells express a cAMP-activated guanine nucleotide exchange protein (Epac2) that may function in ACTH-stimulated cortisol synthesis. Experiments were done to determine whether cAMP analogs that selectively activate Epacs could induce cortisol synthesis and the expression of genes coding for steroidogenic proteins in bovine AZF cells. Treatment of AZF cells with the Epac-selective cAMP analog (ESCA) 8CPT-2′-OMe-cAMP induced large (>100 fold), concentration-dependent, delayed increases in cortisol synthesis and the expression of mRNAs coding for the steroid hydroxylases CYP11a1, CYP17, CYP21, and the steroid acute regulatory protein (StAR). However, a non-hydrolyzable analog of this ESCA, Sp-8CPT-2′-OMe-cAMP, failed to stimulate cortisol production even at concentrations that activated Rap1, a downstream effector of Epac2. Accordingly, putative metabolites of 8CPT-2′-OMe-cAMP, including 8CPT-2′-OMe-5′AMP, 8CPT-2′-OMe-adenosine, and 8CPT-adenine all induced cortisol synthesis and steroid hydroxylase mRNA expression with a temporal pattern, potency, and effectiveness similar to the parent compound. At concentrations that markedly stimulated cortisol production, none of these metabolites significantly activated cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). These results show that one or more metabolites of the ESCA 8CPT-2′-OMe-cAMP induce cortico-steroidogenesis by activating a panel of genes that code for steroidogenic proteins. The remarkable increases in cortisol synthesis observed in this study appear to be mediated by a novel cAMP-, Epac- and PKA-independent signaling pathway.
For tridiagonals T replace T with LDL t

Abstract The same number of parameters determine a tridiagonal matrix T and its triangular factors L , D and U . The mapping T → LDU is not well defined for all tridiagonals but, in finite precision arithmetic, L , D and U determine the entries of T to more than working precision. For the solution of linear equations LDU x = b the advantages of factorization are clear. Recent work has shown that LDU is also preferable for the eigenproblem, particularly in the symmetric case. This essay describes two of the ideas needed to compute eigenvectors that are orthogonal without recourse to the Gram–Schmidt procedure when some of the eigenvalues are tightly clustered. In the symmetric case we must replace T , or a translate of T , by its triangular factors LDL t .
Medical consultation and best practices for preoperative evaluation of elderly patients

Preoperative evaluation of elderly patients is an important component of surgical practice in the 21st century. It can offer a comprehensive geriatric evaluation and be a key element in decreasing postoperative morbidity and mortality in this unique population group. Advanced surgical and anesthetic techniques have contributed to an increasing number of elderly and sicker geriatric patients undergoing surgery. Elderly patients have limited physiologic reserve and pose many challenges in the perioperative setting, and a careful preoperative risk assessment aimed toward minimizing operative risks is essential. Advanced age increases the risk of developing complications post-surgery, but comorbidities are more important than age alone. General recommendations include avoiding drugs that increase the risk of delirium, ensuring appropriate hydration and calorie intake, minimizing bed rest, promoting ambulation, and early planning for discharge. Collaboration between surgeons and medical consultants aids in the identification of functional, cognitive, and nutritional deficits, provides structure for development and implementation of management plans, and promotes optimal patient outcome after surgical intervention in the elderly.
Oxygen affinity of haemoglobin modulates cerebral blood flow in premature infants. A study with the non-invasive xenon-133 method.

Low cerebral blood flow (CBF) is thought to cause ischaemic brain lesions in premature infants, but a normal outcome has also been observed. Low oxygen affinity of haemoglobin and high arterial oxygen content, independently, reduce CBF under normal, physiological conditions. Transfusions lower the amount of fetal haemoglobin [HbF] and therefore the oxygen affinity of premature babies. In 47 premature babies (range of gestational age 25-34 weeks, birthweight 740-1370 g), CBF was measured with the i.v. Xenon 133 method on days 1, 3 and 7. The relative amount of fetal haemoglobin [HbF] was used as a marker of oxygen affinity of haemoglobin and the haematocrit as representing the arterial oxygen content. A significant influence of [HbF] on CBF was found on days 1, 3 and 7 in ultrasonographically normal babies (n = 13). In babies with subependymal and/or intraventricular haemorrhage (n = 15), this correlation was significant only on day 3 and in those with abnormal intraparenchymal echodensities (n = 19) only on day 7. The correlation between haemoglobin concentration and CBF was not significant. Multiple regression analysis showed a significant influence of [HbF] on CBF independent of haematocrit, pCO2 and blood pressure. It appears that, after blood transfusion, normal babies, and to a lesser extent those with haemorrhages are able to lower their CBF according to the actual oxygen affinity of blood. However, low CBF (less than 10 ml/100 g/min) in non-transfused babies was often associated with later development of cystic periventricular leukomalacia.)
The pathogenesis and therapy of multiple sclerosis is based upon the requirement of a combination of myelin antigens for autoimmune demyelination.

Abstract It is postulated that the pathogenesis of demyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS) might lie in the cooperative effect of a T cell response against one myelin antigen (e.g. myelin basic protein - MBP) and a B cell response against a second myelin component which may act as a hapten or a carrier for the primary antigen. The hypothesis is based upon recent experiments in guinea pigs in which the encephalitogenicity of MBP was enhanced by the myelin glycolipid, galastocerebroside. This pathogenetic mechanism might be analogous to antibody-dependent, cell-mediated demyelination. Based upon this assumption, therapeutic trials in MS should take into consideration the possibility that instead of MBP alone, MBP might be more effective in combination with a lipid hapten.
Time-Varying Latent Effect Model for Longitudinal Data with Informative Observation Times

In analysis of longitudinal data, it is not uncommon that observation times of repeated measurements are subject-specific and correlated with underlying longitudinal outcomes. Taking account of the dependence between observation times and longitudinal outcomes is critical under these situations to assure the validity of statistical inference. In this article, we propose a flexible joint model for longitudinal data analysis in the presence of informative observation times. In particular, the new procedure considers the shared random-effect model and assume a time-varying coefficient for the latent variable, allowing a flexible way of modeling longitudinal outcomes while adjusting their association with observation times. Estimating equations are developed for parameter estimation. We show that the resulting estimators are consistent and asymptotically normal, with variance-covariance matrix that has a closed form and can be consistently estimated by the usual plug-in method. One additional advantage of the procedure is that, it provides a unified framework to test whether the effect of the latent variable is zero, constant, or time-varying. Simulation studies show that the proposed approach is appropriate for practical use. An application to a bladder cancer data is also given to illustrate the methodology.
Concurrent validity of the BOD POD and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry techniques for assessing body composition in young women.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the concurrent validity of the BOD POD (BP) (Life Measurement Instruments) and Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) Elite 4500A (Hologic, Inc.) techniques for assessing the body fat percentage of young women. The participants were forty-three white college-aged women (19.4±1.4 years) with a BMI of 23.4±2.3. Both body composition analyses were completed on the same day and were taken within 10 minutes of each other. Body fat percentage was estimated to be 24.3 (SE=1.1) and 23.8 (SE=0.8) using the BP and DXA techniques, respectively. Exact matches, in terms of body fat percentage, were obtained for 10 of the 43 participants (23.3%). In conclusion, our data supports the concurrent validity of the BP and DXA techniques for assessing body fat in young women. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002;102:1677-1679.
Acid release, cytoplasmic alkalinization, and chromosome condensation during sea urchin fertilization and amine‐lnduced parthenogenesis

We have studied the relationship between acid release, cytoplasmic alkalinization, and the extent of chromosome condensation during parthenogenetic activation of sea urchin eggs. The relative rate of acid release in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus eggs was determined from pH measurements of egg suspensions. Acid release in inseminated eggs began after a lag of 0.4 min and the relative rate increased 108-fold, declined, and release was essentially complete by 8-min postinsemination. An average of 3.8 ± 0.23 × 10−12moles H+ cell− was released as determined by backtitration with NaOH. Acid release characteristics of eggs parthenogenetically activated with either NH4C1, methylamine ethylamine, n-propylamine, n-butylamine, or benzylamine were qualitatively similar. There was no detectable lag peroid and the increase in relative rate of acid release was directly proportional to the carbon number of the amine used, eg, from 8.3-fold methylamine to 470-fold with benzylamine. The total equivalents of acid released ranged from 0.50–8.2 × 10−12 moles H+·cell− in direct proportion to the concentration of amine used. The degree fo cytoplasmic alkalinization induced as a function of methylamine and benzylamine concentration was determined by pH measurements fo egg homogenates; egg cultures were also prepared for microscopic examination of chromosome condensation. None of the eggs had condensed chromosomes at 0.5-mM methylamine whereas a cytoplasmic alkalinization of 0.6 pH units was observed. Increased methylamine levels up to 10mM resulted in chromiosome condensation in only 20% of the eggs. A similar result was found with benzylamine. We conclude that acid release and cytoplasmic alkalinization during chemical parthenogenesis are insufficient to mimic sperm induction of chromiosome condensation and suggest that an additional factor(s) is required for chromosome condensation by low concentration of amines.
Detours on the Road to Diagnosis of Graves Disease

Objectives. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency at which spurious diagnoses and unnecessary treatment occurs prior to the diagnosis of Graves disease (GD) and to evaluate the economic consequences of these events. Methods. Retrospective chart review of children diagnosed with GD. Results. A total of 76 children (61 girls) aged 11.9 ± 3.8 years were identified. In all, 17 (22.4%) were referred to other subspecialists prior to diagnosis of GD. Six were hospitalized, and 2 visited emergency rooms. A total of 15 (19.7%) underwent nonthyroid-related studies. Estimated cost of testing and procedures ranged from $49 to $14 000. Twelve (15.8%) were diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and 16 (21.1%) were started on medications for other conditions prior to diagnosis of GD. Conclusions. Evaluation and treatment for presumed other disorders are common in children with GD. A high index of suspicion for hyperthyroidism by primary care providers may help to avoid clinical detours...
Biosynthesis of Rat Insulinlike Growth Factor II in Intact Cells and Cell-Free Translation

Dulak and Temin(1) first reported that the BRL-3A cell line established from normal rat liver secreted a family of polypeptides, which they termed MSA, that had multiplication-stimulating activity for chick embryo fibroblasts. MSA was purified by Moses and colleagues from conditioned media using Dowex chromatography, Sephadex G-75 gel filtration in 1 M acetic acid, and preparative gel electrophoresis, and shown to appear in multiple forms of Mr 16.3K, 8.7K, and 7.1K.(2) Marquardt et al. (3) purified MSA by a different purification scheme (i.e., Bio-Gel P-10 in 1 M acetic acid and high-performance liquid chromatography), and determined the amino acid sequence of a Mr 7484-dalton form. Mr 7484 MSA appears to correspond to our Mr 7.1K species. It is identical to human IGF-II at 62 of 67 amino acid loci, establishing that BRL-MSA represents the rat homologue of IGF-II.(3)
Full linearisation with closed-loop observer:

In this paper the problem of full linearisation, which means linearising the state and output equations simultaneously, is tackled. First we present necessary and sufficient conditions for the full linearisation of a class of non-linear systems; then a method to design a closed-loop observer for linearised system is presented. Finally, the developed technique is used to investigate the control of an activated-sludge process. Some simulation results are given.
Polymer microring resonators for biochemical sensing applications

Polymer microring resonators were demonstrated for sensing biomolecules without using fluorescent labels. The microring devices, fabricated by a direct imprinting technique, possess high Q factors of /spl sim/20000. This feature provides high sensitivity and a low detection limit for biochemical sensing applications. With these properties, the devices were used to detect and quantify the biomolecules present either in a homogeneous solution that surrounds the microring waveguide (homogeneous sensing) or specifically bound on the waveguide surface (surface sensing). In the former sensing mechanism, the current devices can detect an effective index change of 10/sup -7/ refractive index units (RIU); in the latter, they can reach a detection limit of /spl sim/250 pg/mm/sup 2/ of biomolecular coverage on the microring surface. In addition, the experiments show that the devices can detect both small and large biomolecules.
Getting Away with Murder: The Wrongful Deaths of Lascars Aboard the Union in 1802

In 1802, several “country ships” arrived in London from Bengal, their lascar crews having suffered severe casualties due to fatigue, exposure, and starvation. Aboard the Union, the officers’ treatment of the crew was so bad that the lascars and a sympathetic English sailor alerted the East India Company. Their testimony, recorded by the Company's Committee of Shipping, provides new insights into lascar living and working conditions – in particular the problem of undermanning ships – reminding us how the management–labour dynamic aboard a ship at sea always favoured owners and officers rather than workers.
Unemployment insurance and unemployment assistance : a comparison

This report examines the two most common programs that provide cash compensation to unemployed workers: unemployment insurance (UI) and unemployment assistance (UA). It compares them in two areas: costs and labor market disincentives. The cost analysis first derives a framework for examining costs, and then applies the framework to both UI and UA programs. Costs are estimated for several countries, but particular attention is given to Australia, Canada and the United States. A major finding is that UA is not necessarily less costly than UI even though UA conditions eligibility on household income and assets. One must examine the specifics of a country's situation to make a cost comparison. The analysis of labor market disincentive effects reviews much of the relevant literature. It notes that the disincentive effects are present for both UI and UA but that the disincentives are different for the two types of unemployment protection programs.
Influence of Hot Electron Scattering and Electron-Phonon Interactions on Thermal Boundary Conductance at Metal/Nonmetal Interfaces

It has recently been demonstrated that under certain conditions of electron nonequilibrium, electron to substrate energy coupling could represent a unique mechanism to enhance heat flow across interfaces. In this work, we present a coupled thermodynamic and quantum mechanical derivation of electron–phonon scattering at free electron metal/ nonmetal substrate interfaces. A simplified approach to the Fermi’s Golden Rule with electron energy transitions between only three energy levels is adopted to derive an electron–phonon diffuse mismatch model, that account for the electron–phonon thermal boundary conductance at metal/insulator interfaces increases with electron temperature. Our approach demonstrates that the metal-electron/nonmetal phonon conductance at interfaces can be an order of magnitude larger than purely phonon driven processes when the electrons are driven out of equilibrium with the phonons, consistent with recent experimental observations. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4027785]
Waiting for the next Shoe to Drop: The Experience of Parents of Children with Fanconi Anemia

Fanconi Anemia (FA) is a rare genetic disease that generally affects children and results in bone marrow failure requiring blood or marrow transplantation for survival. A unique feature of the condition is the long, often many years, waiting period between genetic diagnosis and treatment. This qualitative study looked at the lived experience of parents confronting their child's diagnosis of FA. We aimed to describe factors which parents found helpful or detrimental during the waiting time period and to recommend strategies to support families who will have these experiences in the future. Categories that emerged were: parents' emotional responses, thoughts about FA (which occurred daily for most parents), sources of stress, mechanisms of coping, family dynamics and responses that were supportive and non-supportive. We found that most parents experience stress, uncertainty, and active surveillance throughout the course of the illness. Healthcare professionals, and especially physicians, were agents of both the most and least supportive experiences of parents. Parents described family centered team care as helpful throughout the illness and health professional education as a priority need.
Consequences of riverine flooding for seston and theperiphyton of floating meadows in an Amazon floodplain lake

Algal biomass and the chemical composition of seston and floating meadow periphyton were measured in an Amazon floodplain lake during a period of channelized river inflow and a period of overbank flow. During both periods, sedimentation of riverine particulates and loss of dissolved nutrients created strong spatial chemical gradients from the river onto the floodplain which were stable for months at a time. The molar N : P of dissolved inorganic nutrients supplied by river water was very low (NO, + NH,+ : SRP 50 mg liter’) and phytoplankton biomass was low. Later in the year, overbank flow elevated dissolved nutrient levels inside the lake and disrupted thermal stratification. This transition from lentic to lotic conditions coincided with the seasonal high for epiphytic algal biomass and the seasonal low for phytoplankton biomass. Overall, epiphytic algal biomass was 4-10 times higher than phytoplankton biomass on a per unit area basis. In situ bag experiments revealed that inorganic turbidity regulates the ability of attached algae to utilize nutrients supplied by river water. Epiphytic algal biomass decreased after contact with undiluted river water. Epiphytic algal biomass increased 5-fold in river water diluted by 90%.
Content, quality, and readability of website information on dental care for patients with cancer.

Objective This study assessed content, quality, and readability of patient-directed Internet materials about dental care support and oral toxicities/complications of cancer therapy. Study Design A total of 32 websites meeting inclusion criteria from a Google search using terms “cancer>dental>care” were categorized for parameters of content, benchmarks for website quality as defined by JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), display of the Health on the Net (HON) seal, and Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES). Results Treatment modalities included radiation therapy, chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, and surgery. Dental care was discussed before, during, or after cancer treatment, or a combination of those. The most common oral toxicities/complications discussed were xerostomia, rampant caries, and mucositis. Only 1 site met all 4 JAMA benchmarks; 2 displayed the HON seal; only 9% were written at the 9th-grade FRES reading level; and none were written at the 6th- to 7th-grade level. Conclusions Websites addressing dental care for patients with cancer are broad in content yet are limited in quality and are written at difficult reading levels.
Consistency on the PGA tour.

Consistency is sought after by professional golfers and commended by analysts, but tournament theory predicts that inconsistency is beneficial when the reward scheme is top heavy. Simulating a typi...
Benchmarking XML processors for applications in grid web services

Web services based specifications have emerged as the underlying architecture for core grid services and standards, such as WSRF. XML is inextricably inter-twined with Web services based specifications, and as a result the design and implementation of XML processing tools plays a significant role in grid applications. These applications use XML in a wide variety of ways, including workflow specifications, WS-Security based documents, service descriptions in WSDL, and on-the-wire format in SOAP-based communication. The application characteristics also vary widely in the use of XML messages in their performance, memory, size, and processing requirements. Numerous XML processing tools exist today, each of which is optimized for specific features. To make the right decisions, grid application and middleware developers must thus understand the complex dependencies between XML features and the application. We propose a standard benchmark suite for quantifying, comparing, and contrasting the performance of XML processors under a wide range of representative use cases. The benchmarks are defined by a set of XML schemas and conforming documents. To demonstrate the utility of the benchmarks and to provide a snapshot of the current XML implementation landscape, we report the performance of many different XML implementations, on the benchmarks, and draw conclusions about their current performance characteristics. We also present a brief analysis on the current shortcomings and required critical design changes for multi-threaded XML processing tools to run efficiently on emerging multi-core architectures.1
Function and Factor Interactions of a Locus Control Region Element in the Mouse T Cell Receptor-α/Dad1 Gene Locus

Locus control regions (LCRs) refer to cis -acting elements composed of several DNase I hypersensitive sites, which synergize to protect transgenes from integration-site dependent effects in a tissue-specific manner. LCRs have been identified in many immunologically important gene loci, including one between the TCRδ/TCRα gene segments and the ubiquitously expressed Dad1 gene. Expression of a transgene under the control of all the LCR elements is T cell specific. However, a subfragment of this LCR is functional in a wide variety of tissues. How a ubiquitously active element can participate in tissue-restricted LCR activity is not clear. In this study, we localize the ubiquitously active sequences of the TCR-α LCR to an 800-bp region containing a prominent DNase hypersensitive site. In isolation, the activity in this region suppresses position effect transgene silencing in many tissues. A combination of in vivo footprint examination of this element in widely active transgene and EMSAs revealed tissue-unrestricted factor occupancy patterns and binding of several ubiquitously expressed transcription factors. In contrast, tissue-specific, differential protein occupancies at this element were observed in the endogenous locus or full-length LCR transgene. We identified tissue-restricted AML-1 and Elf-1 as proteins that potentially act via this element. These data demonstrate that a widely active LCR module can synergize with other LCR components to produce tissue-specific LCR activity through differential protein occupancy and function and provide evidence to support a role for this LCR module in the regulation of both TCR and Dad1 genes.
Coupling Community Heterogeneity and Perceptions of Conservation in Rural South Africa

Concerns about the impacts of national parks and protected areas upon local populations have generated significant interest in community conservation initiatives that attempt to include local knowledge and participation in natural resource decision-making. While there has been much interest in the institutional frameworks and livelihood impacts of community conservation, emerging research is documenting the various factors that shape local perceptions. This paper uses a case study of the Mahushe Shongwe Game Reserve in South Africa to examine the key variables shaping community perceptions of community conservation. We employ multinomial logistic regression models to understand views of the benefits and future direction of the reserve. These models are coupled with information collected from semi-structured interviews that assists in providing a detailed, and more complex, understanding of the diverse ways that community conservation is perceived by local residents. The paper demonstrates that multiple factors, particularly household history, education, and gender contribute in shaping views of the reserve. While these variables are often identified in the academic literature as important, we argue that the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods helps reveal the interplay between them in shaping perceptions of community conservation.
Book Review Essays

The Culture-Producing Classes of Southeast Asia: Inside Southeast Asia: Thai, Javanese and Filipino Interpretations of Everyday Life. Niels Mulder. The Culture-Producing Classes of Southeast Asia: An Anarchy of Families: State and Family in the Philippines. Alfred W. McCoy, ed.
FAITH‐BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

This article identifies factors that appear to contribute to the economic development activities of faith-based institutions. Based on in-depth interviews with churches in Detroit, it concludes that size and revenue of concretion, theology of the head clergy, active initiative by the head pastor or other religious leader, and location in a census tract with residents with lower educational attainment are important determinants of activities. Churches with primarily African American congregations appear to be more active in financing economic development. Denominations of the church appear to have little effect, and deficits in size and resources can be balanced by other attributes.
Advances in the vascular pathophysiology of ischemic stroke.

Abstract The cerebral vascular supply is constructed to protect the cerebral hemispheres and brainstem from the consequences of blood flow cessation. Reversal of blood flow around local obstructions is a feature of the microvascular beds of the striatum and cerebral cortex. Cerebral capillaries of these beds consist of endothelial cells, basal lamina, and astrocyte end-feet that sit in close apposition. The interaction of astrocytes with neurons indicates the close relationship of microvessels to neurons. These relationships are altered when blood flow ceases in the supplying artery. Increased endothelial cell permeability and endocytoses lead to edema formation, and matrix degradation is associated with hemorrhage. Autoregulation is lost. Ischemia initiates leukocyte adhesion receptor expression, which is promoted by cytokine generation from the neuropil and activated monocytes. "Preactivation" may further augment the inflammatory responses to ischemia. The activation of cerebral microvessels by ischemia is heterogeneous, involving alterations in integrin–matrix interactions, leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesion, permeability changes, and the "no-reflow" phenomenon due to platelet activation, fibrin formation, and leukocyte adhesion. Ischemia produces swelling of the microvascular endothelium, and rapid detachment and swelling of the astrocyte end-feet. Ischemic injury targets the microvasculature, where the inflammatory responses are initiated and contribute to tissue injury.
Extent, pattern, and multifunctionality of treed habitats on farms in Vermont, USA

Agroecosystems can serve as multifunctional landscapes when treed habitats such as woodlots, hedgerows, riparian buffers, windbreaks, and orchards, are conserved on farms. We investigated the extent, pattern, and multifunctionality of on-farm treed habitats for 16 Vermont farms in the Lamoille watershed of the Lake Champlain Basin. The site was selected because the land use pattern is representative of the region, containing a mixture of agriculture and forest in different habitat types. We used a GIS-based approach to delineate treed habitats on farms and conducted semi-structured interviews with farmers to explore their perception of the functions of treed habitats. Through an evaluation of the relationship between farm characteristics and spatial attributes of treed habitats, we found farm size to be an important variable. Larger farms had more land in treed habitats, while the pattern of these habitats was more complex on smaller farms. Average elevation of the farm, an indicator of biophysical conditions, was a stronger predictor of the extent of treed habitats than farm characteristics. From interviews, we found that farmers benefited from alternative forest products, both for direct consumption and sale, including firewood, timber, maple sugar, edible fruits and nuts, and wood crafts. Most farmers also recognized cultural and ecological functions provided by treed habitats. These results have implications for developing policies to promote the conservation of treed habitats, considering the preferences of the landowner or farmer.
Expression of Estrogen Receptor β Is Developmentally Regulated in Reproductive Tissues of Male and Female Mice

By the use of ribonuclease protection assay (RPA) combined with immunohistochemical techniques, the expression of estrogen receptor (ER) a and ERb was mapped in the developing gonads and reproductive tracts of male and female mice from fetal day 14 to postnatal day 26 (PND 26). This study was designed to determine the pattern of expression of both ER subtypes in specific tissue compartments during development. In ovaries, ERa mRNA was detected at all ages examined; ERb mRNA was seen as early as PND 1, and its expression increased with age. Immunolocalization showed ERb in differentiating granulosa cells of the ovary, whereas ERa was predominantly seen in interstitial cells. The remainder of the female reproductive tract showed ERa mRNA at all ages examined with little or no significant levels of ERb, except on PND 1 when a low level of message appeared. In males, ERa and ERb mRNA were detected in the fetal testis; however, ERb gradually increased until PND 5 and subsequently diminished to undetectable levels by PND 26. Immunolocalization showed ERa in the interstitial compartment of the testis, whereas ERb was seen predominantly in developing spermatogonia. The remainder of the male reproductive tract showed varying amounts of both receptors by RPA and immunostaining throughout development. These studies provide information useful in studying the role of both ER subtypes in normal differentiation, and they provide indications of differential tissue expression during development.
The default mode of human brain function primes the intentional stance

Humans readily adopt an intentional stance to other people, comprehending their behavior as guided by unobservable mental states such as belief, desire, and intention. We used fMRI in healthy adults to test the hypothesis that this stance is primed by the default mode of human brain function present when the mind is at rest. We report three findings that support this hypothesis. First, brain regions activated by actively adopting an intentional rather than nonintentional stance to a social stimulus were anatomically similar to those demonstrating default responses to fixation baseline in the same task. Second, moment-to-moment variation in default activity during fixation in the dorsomedial PFC was related to the ease with which participants applied an intentional-but not nonintentional-stance to a social stimulus presented moments later. Finally, individuals who showed stronger dorsomedial PFC activity at baseline in a separate task were generally more efficient when adopting the intentional stance and reported having greater social skills. These results identify a biological basis for the human tendency to adopt the intentional stance. More broadly, they suggest that the brain's default mode of function may have evolved, in part, as a response to life in a social world.
The G2-phase Decatenation Checkpoint Is Defective in Werner Syndrome Cells

It has been proposed that cells monitor chromatid catenation status after DNA replication and inhibit progression into mitosis until chromatids are correctly decatenated by topoisomerase II (TopoII). Studies in yeast have suggested that TopoII may interact with RecQ helicases during this process. Using ICRF187, a TopoII catalytic inhibitor that prevents chromatid decatenation without producing DNA strand breaks, we demonstrated that cells deficient of WRN, a human RecQ helicase, displayed a defect in decatenation checkpoint activation, which was corrected by ectopic expression of wild-type WRN. We also provide evidence that BRCA1 is phosphorylated in an ATR-dependent manner in response to decatenation checkpoint activation and that this phosphorylation is not detectable in Werner syndrome cells. Furthermore, ICRF187 treatment resulted in coimmunoprecipitation of WRN and TopoII. Finally, we demonstrated that override of the decatenation checkpoint resulted in enhanced chromosomal damage and apoptosis only in the absence of WRN, but not in normal cells. Our findings suggest that WRN plays a role in the activation of G(2) decatenation checkpoint and that the abortive function of this pathway itself does not appear to be sufficient to cause genomic instability but rather predisposes to genomic instability and apoptotic cell death in the absence of other "caretaker" genes, such as WRN.
Growth of II-VI Thin-Films from Single-Source Precursors Based on Sterically Encumbered Sitel Ligands

We have developed a new route to MOCVD of II-VI compounds based on the use of novel single-source precursors in which the II-VI elements are combined at the molecular level in a single covalent compound. We have prepared and fully characterized a number of new derivatives of zinc, cadmium and mercury incorporating large, sterically demanding tellurolate ligands of general formula: M(sitel){sub 2} where sitel = -TeSi(SiMe{sub 3}){sub 3}. The crystalline compounds are relatively volatile and are easily manipulated under nitrogen. Several of these compounds have been tested for their suitability as precursors in the MOCVD process. Clean pyrolysis reactions and deposition of thin films were achieved. The stoichiometry of the pyrolysis reaction has been determined by analysis of the reaction by-products.
Spin Transfer Stimulated Microwave Emission in MgO Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

In this work, current-driven precession of magnetization in multilayers with Co-Fe-B/MgO/Co-Fe-B MTJ in the form of dots has been investigated.
Joint Source and Space Time Decoding over Fading Channels

For high data rate communications, variable length codes (VLC) and multiple input multiple output (MIMO) techniques are required in the application layer and the physical layer, respectively. In this paper, we study the joint decoding for systems that consist of reversible VLC (RVLC) as the source codes and recursive space time trellis codes (STTC) as the coded modulation. The maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) decoding algorithm is modified to accommodate issues including the inseparable systematic information, the unsymmetric trellis structure, and information in both bit and symbol domains. Further, by converting extrinsic information based on the modulation mode and the mapping method, iterative information exchange can be performed so as to fully utilize the redundancy in both RVLC and recursive STTC. The performance of the proposed joint decoding is evaluated over both rapid fading and quasi- static flat fading channels, which shows significant improvement in coding gain in comparison with the non-iterative receiver.
Nitrate Leaching, Farming Systems and Diet—Comparative Evaluation and Research

ABSTRACT Nitrate contamination of ground and surface waters by leaching has increased over the past four decades. The productive capacity of intensive farming has become a problem and the environmental and social consequences are unacceptable. ‘Alternative’ approaches to food production are increasingly important. Organic farming systems represent the most well defined alternative with inherent characteristics which can limit the potential disruption which is the inevitable consequence of ‘conventional’ farming. Nitrate leaching is the result of intensification of agriculture involving regionalisation and specialisation of farming systems reliant on fertilisers, other agrochemical inputs and animal feedstuffs. Rotational cropping within mixed farming systems dependant on a low external input of nitrogen has largely been replaced. National and international diets dictate food production priorities which have been met by sophisticated food—and agri-businesses. Nitrate leaching is one cumulative consequence ...
Clinical outcomes of reirradiation of brain metastases from small cell lung cancer with Cyberknife stereotactic radiosurgery

Purpose: To analyze outcomes of reirradiation with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for patients with brain metastases from small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Materials and Methods: We reviewed the clinical outcomes of 27 patients with brain metastases from SCLC treated with CyberKnife® robotic radiosurgery (Accuray Inc., Sunnyvale, CA). Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to estimate local control (LC), intracranial control (IC), and overall survival (OS). The Graded Prognostic Assessment (GPA) prognostic index was determined with a Cox Regression analysis to model predictors of outcome. Results: The median follow-up from SRS was 12 months (2-24 months). Nine patients (32.1%) had Graded Prognostic Assessment (GPA) scores 0-1 and 19 patients (67.9%) had GPA scores 1.5-2.5. 19 patients (70%) received whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) and 8 patients (30%) received prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI). The median SRS dose was 20.5 Gy (15-24 Gy) in 1 fraction. Actuarial LC at 6 months and 12 months was 76.5% and 76.5%, respectively. New metastases outside the treated area developed in 60% of assessable patients at a median 3.5 months; 78% received previous WBRT. The median OS was 3 months from SRS with actuarial 6-month and 12-month rates of 25% and 3.6%, respectively. On multivariate analysis no factors were associated with LC, IC, or OS. Conclusions: SRS for reirradiation of brain metastases from SCLC is safe and achieves local tumor control in the majority of patients. Despite SRS, these patients are at high risk of distant brain failure.
A model of e-commerce adoption MOCA: consumer's perceptions and behaviours

The paper analyses factors that usually influence the adoption of online commerce, focusing in particular on how social influence acts in this process considering in particular an Italian sample. It investigates about the actual transaction behaviour, and not just the intention to shop online. Starting from analysing technology acceptance models of literature, the paper proposes and empirically validates a new model for e-commerce adoption. A self-administered survey approach was used to collect data from a sample of different ages, genders and educational levels by using a structured questionnaire. Empirical data were analysed using correlation and regression analysis. Results showed that social influence, usability and perceived usefulness are predictors of the frequency of use and then, of e-commerce adoption. The paper gives both a theoretical and an empirical contribution to the e-commerce literature by designing and testing a model for predicting online consumers’ behaviour and enhancing the e-commerce adoption understanding.
Determination of Signaling Pathways in Proteins through Network Theory: Importance of the Topology.

Network theory methods are being increasingly applied to proteins to investigate complex biological phenomena. Residues that are important for signaling processes can be identified by their condition as critical nodes in a protein structure network. This analysis involves modeling the protein as a graph in which each residue is represented as a node and edges are drawn between nodes that are deemed connected. In this paper, we show that the results obtained from this type of network analysis (i.e., signaling pathways, key residues for signal transmission, etc.) are profoundly affected by the topology of the network, with normally used determination of network edges by geometrical cutoff schemes giving rise to substantial statistical errors. We propose a method of determining protein structure networks by calculating inter-residue interaction energies and show that it gives an accurate and reliable description of the signal-propagation properties of a known allosteric enzyme. We also show that including co...
Septonema Toruloideum: A Stage of Mytilidion Scolecosporum

This paper presents a taxonomic study of Septonema toruloideum Cooke & Ellis and the cultural evidence which establishes this long-known but seldom reported Hyphomycete as a stage of the recently d...
PHOSPHOTUNGSTIC ACID-HEMATOXYLIN; SPECTROPHOTOMETRY OF THE LAKE IN SOLUTION AND IN STAINED TISSUE.

Job's method of continuous variation (Ann. Chim., ser. 10; 9, 113-203, 1928) was applied to tungstate-hematein and molybdate-hematein lakes. For phosphotungstic acid-hematein (PTA-Hn), sodium tungstate-hematein, or molybdic acid-hematein, it demonstrates that each forms a single complex in solution, with ratios of composition (PTA to Hn) 1:2, 1:2 and 1:1 respectively. PTA-Hn was the best stain, as judged by its ability to differentiate collagenous connective tissues from muscle, and to delineate nuclear and cytoplasmic detail. Hematein is used in place of hematoxylin because a reproducible, potent staining solution can be prepared without lengthy aging periods or uncertain oxidants. With this lake, staining is independent of fixation and obviates the necessity of mordanting procedures prior to staining. Microspectrophotometric evidence indicates that the blue component of the well-recognized polychromasia of these lakes is a true example of bathochromic metachromasia. Staining by the lake at various pH va...
A New Representation Model of Rotating Blade-casing Rub-impact

A new characterization model for rotating blade-casing rub-impact is deduced based on the law of conservation of mechanical energy. This model includes not only the bending deflection of blade during rub-impact, but also the casing deformation due to impact with introducing the equivalent stiffness into characterization model. The model is used in rub-impact between the taper blade and the casing in addition to straight blade. Besides the operating conditions, such as, rotating speed, friction coefficient and so on, are also considered and the relation between the rub-impact force and each parameters is discussed. The model is verified by the rub-impact force data obtained through blade-casing rub-impact experimental test. It is shown that the model and test data are approximately identical, and the rub-impact force is described preferably by the new model through the comparison with existing models.
On the consistency between nearest-neighbor peridynamic discretizations and discretized classical elasticity models

The peridynamic theory of solid mechanics is a nonlocal reformulation of the classical continuum mechanics theory. At the continuum level, it has been demonstrated that classical (local) elasticity is a special case of peridynamics. Such a connection between these theories has not been extensively explored at the discrete level. This paper investigates the consistency between nearest-neighbor discretizations of linear elastic peridynamic models and finite difference discretizations of the Navier–Cauchy equation of classical elasticity. While nearest-neighbor discretizations in peridynamics have been numerically observed to present grid-dependent crack paths or spurious microcracks, this paper focuses on a different, analytical aspect of such discretizations. We demonstrate that, even in the absence of cracks, such discretizations may be problematic unless a proper selection of weights is used. Specifically, we demonstrate that using the standard meshfree approach in peridynamics, nearest-neighbor discretizations do not reduce, in general, to discretizations of corresponding classical models. We study nodal-based quadratures for the discretization of peridynamic models, and we derive quadrature weights that result in consistency between nearest-neighbor discretizations of peridynamic models and discretized classical models. The quadrature weights that lead to such consistency are, however, model-/discretization-dependent. We motivate the choice of those quadrature weights through a quadratic approximation ofmore » displacement fields. The stability of nearest-neighbor peridynamic schemes is demonstrated through a Fourier mode analysis. Finally, an approach based on a normalization of peridynamic constitutive constants at the discrete level is explored. This approach results in the desired consistency for one-dimensional models, but does not work in higher dimensions. The results of the work presented in this paper suggest that even though nearest-neighbor discretizations should be avoided in peridynamic simulations involving cracks, such discretizations are viable, for example for verification or validation purposes, in problems characterized by smooth deformations. Furthermore, we demonstrate that better quadrature rules in peridynamics can be obtained based on the functional form of solutions.« less