cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bioindication in peatlands by means of multi-taxa indicators (Oribatida, Araneae, Carabidae, Vegetation)

Abstract Peatlands host a large number of highly specialised species and are important carbon storage and freshwater reservoirs, but are heavily threatened by, e.g., peat extraction and drainage. For improved protection of peatlands, the development of an ecological assessment system is necessary. Existing systems based, for instance, on peat formation and water level are rather coarse and differ between countries. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate the predictive power of biodiversity indicators – particularly invertebrates (Oribatida, Araneae, Carabidae) and vegetation – for more finely reflecting environmental conditions in Sphagnum-dominated peatlands in order to determine which taxonomic groups should be included in an ecological assessment system for peatlands. Therefore, we selected three plots in each of four peatland study sites in a German low mountain range and sampled the taxonomic groups using standard methods appropriate to represent assemblage structure and site diversity (Oribatida: Sphagnum samples; Araneae, Carabidae: pitfalls traps; vegetation: vegetation surveys). Our results indicate the necessity of implementing different taxonomic groups into an overall ecological assessment system, as all of them reacted differently to different ecological gradients. Oribatid mites were the best predictors of moisture, one of the most important factors in peatlands. Ground-dwelling spiders responded to several different factors; most remarkably, they strongly correlated with landscape area covered by peatland-related Natura 2000 habitat types, as a proxy for habitat quality. Carabidae most strongly correlated with the size of the Sphagnum plots, moss cover and moisture, but their species richness was very low. Vegetation, as the best established indicator group in peatlands, showed the weakest correlations to the tested environmental parameters, probably due to short-term changes in environmental conditions and a delayed response of the plant community. Hence, the set of most relevant environmental parameters can only be represented when multiple taxa are included in an assessment system. Also, overall biodiversity is not represented by a single taxon, because the correlation in assemblage similarity between the taxonomic groups was low. Considering ecological sensitivity, sampling effort (=number of samples and necessary site visits), taxonomic stability and state of knowledge on species’ habitat requirements, we therefore suggest the inclusion of ground-dwelling spiders, oribatid mites and vegetation in an ecological assessment system for peatlands, complemented by a few sensitive, easy to recognize indicator species of other taxonomic groups.
Device-free Multiple People Localization through Floor Vibration

Structural vibration-based human sensing provides an alternative approach for device-free human monitoring, which is used for healthcare, space and energy usage management, etc. Prior work on this approach mainly focused on one person walking scenarios, which limits their widespread application. The challenge with multiple walkers is that the observed vibration response is a mixture of each walker's footstep-induced response, and it is difficult to identify 1) how many concurrent walkers are present, and 2) the timing of their footstep impacts on the floor. As a result, the extraction of detailed location information for each walker is erroneous. To address this challenge, we propose a structure-informed vibration signal characterization method to enable the detection and localization of overlapping vibration signals induced by multiple concurrent walkers. The intuition is that, due to the randomness in people's behavior, their footsteps do not impact the floor exactly at the same time and overlap partially. We decompose the signal to a non-fundamental frequency band which contains the heel strike onset information. With this decomposed signal, we can identify the number of walkers and use the initial peak information to localize each person independently. We conducted real-world experiments with up to three concurrent walkers and our system achieved a detection rate of up to 90% and an average localization error of 0.65m (2.9X baseline improvement).
American Orthopaedic Association's (AOA) Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors (CORD) 2019 Summer Conference: Top Abstracts.

This article is a continuation of the collaboration between the American Orthopaedic Association's (AOA) Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors (CORD) and JBJS to highlight selected abstracts presented at the CORD Conference held at the AOA's annual national meeting in June 2018. These abstracts are representative in advancing CORD's purpose and mission:"The American Orthopaedic Association Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors (CORD) program strives to recognize best practices in orthopaedic residency education and fellowship education based on ACGME [Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education]-defined essential knowledge and skills in each of the residency education competency areas. CORD provides a forum for academic orthopaedic leaders to exchange ideas, discuss solutions to challenges, and find ways to effectively teach residents in orthopaedic programs." The following studies were presented at the 2018 Summer CORD Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. They exemplify education-related research and are offered to inspire further inquiry to advance the development of future orthopaedic surgeons.
Oasis of Resilience? An Empirical Investigation of Rain Water Harvesting Systems in a High Poverty, Peripheral Community

The southeastern mayorality of Mexico City known as Xochimilco has some of the highest poverty, unemployment, male suicide, and illegal land use rates in the region. Lakes and aquifers have dried up due to mismanagement and overall water quality is poor. NGOs and governments have sought to increase the water resilience of residents through policy interventions such as the installation of rainwater harvesting systems. Using geocoded, quantitative data on more than 700 residential households (half of which have rain water harvesting systems) and qualitative interviews with 40 households collected after the earthquake we seek to understand the relationship between demographic, environmental, and technical factors and water related outcomes in Xochimilco. We illuminate what drives demand for market-based water purchasing, the speed of diffusion of rainwater harvesting systems, and the drivers of adoption in this peripheral community. Our results show that vulnerable populations are on the whole less likely to receive rainwater harvesting systems than similar but better-resourced communities. Our findings bring with them a number of policy recommendations for residents, NGOs, and disaster managers.
The design of a line velocity interferometer for any reflector for inertial confinement experiments on the Z-machine

A line VISAR (Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector) has been designed and commissioned at the Sandia National Laboratory’s Z-machine. The instrument consists of an F/2 collection system, beam transport, and an interferometer table that contains two Mach–Zehnder type interferometers and an eight channel Gated Optical Imaging (GOI) system. The VISAR probe laser operates at the 532 nm wavelength, and the GOI bandpass is 540–600 nm. The output of each interferometer is passed to an optical streak camera with four selectable sweep speeds. The system is designed with three interchangeable optics modules to select a full field of view of 1 mm, 2 mm, or 4 mm. The optical beam transport system connects the target image plane to the interferometers and the gated optical imagers. The target is integrated into a sacrificial final optics assembly that is integral to the transport beamline.
CEO inside debt, income smoothing, and stock price informativeness

I examine whether the informativeness of income smoothing varies with the extent to which the CEO holds inside debt (i.e. pension benefits and deferred compensation). I document that for firms wher...
Neurosurgical Interactive Teaching Series: Multidisciplinary Educational Approach.

Objective The goal of this manuscript is to investigate the effects of a multidisciplinary multinational web-based teaching conference on trainee education, research, and patient care. Methods We present the structure, case selection, and presentation of our educational lectures. We retrospectively reviewed our database to gather data on the number of presentations, type of presentation, and the pathology diagnosis from November 11, 2016 until February 28, 2020. To investigate attendee satisfaction, we analyzed our yearly continuing medical education evaluation survey results to report the impact that this series may have had on our attendees. We assigned a numeric value to the answers, and the mean overall scores were compared through an analysis of variance. Further analysis on specific questions was performed with a Fisher exact test. Results We have hosted 150 lectures, in which we have presented 208 neurosurgical cases corresponding to 133 general session, 59 pituitary, and 16 spine cases, as well as 28 distinct lectures by guest speakers from institutions across the globe. We received 61 responses to our yearly continuing medical education evaluations over the course of 3 years. On these evaluations, we have maintained an excellent overall rating from 2017–2019 (two-sided P > 0.05) and received significantly less suggestions to improve the series comparing 2017 with 2019 (two-sided, P = 0.04). Conclusions As the world of medicine is constantly changing, we are in need of developing new tools to enhance our ability to relay knowledge through accredited and validated methods onto physicians in training, such as the implementation of structured, multidisciplinary, case-based lectures as presented in this manuscript.
Delphinidin, an anthocyanin present in pigmented fruits and vegetables, protects human HaCaT keratinocytes against UVB-mediated oxidative stress and apoptosis

4300 Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, in particular its UVB component, is the primary cause of many adverse biological effects, the most damaging of which is skin cancer. Studies have shown that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in UV-induced skin carcinogenesis. Primary prevention has proven inadequate in lowering the incidence of skin cancer, emphasizing the need to develop novel skin cancer chemopreventive agents. With a notion to protect humans against adverse effects of UV radiation, in recent years there is increasing use of botanicals in skin care products. Recently, we have shown that anthocyanin rich pomegranate fruit extract (PFE) inhibits UVB-mediated phosphorylation of MAPK and activation of NF-κB in NHEK (Afaq et al. Photochem. Photobiol. 2005, In press). Among six anthocyanins present in PFE delphinidin is the most abundant; it is also known to be present in many pigmented fruits and vegetables like berries, dark grapes, egg plant peels, tomato, carrot and red onion. Here, we assessed the photochemopreventive effect of delphinidin on UVB-mediated responses in human immortalized HaCaT keratinocytes. We found that UVB (15-30 mJ/cm2, 24 hrs post UVB) irradiation of HaCaT cells resulted in decrease in cell viability; pre-treatment of cells with delphinidin (1-20 μM for 24 hrs) protected against UVB-mediated decrease. Since ROS cause apoptosis and are induced by UVB irradiation, we found that pretreatment of HaCaT cells with delphinidin prevented UVB-induced apoptosis. In order to determine whether this protective effect of delphinidin is due to its antioxidant activities, we performed Trolox assay and found that delphinidin possesses strong antioxidant activities. Furthermore, we found that pretreatment of HaCaT cells with delphinidin inhibited UVB-mediated (i) increase in lipid peroxidation, (ii) formation of 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine, a sensitive biomarker of oxidative DNA damage, and (iii) decrease in expression of PCNA that plays a critical role in nucleotide base excision repair. Delphinidin pretreatment of HaCaT cells also resulted in inhibition of UVB-mediated (i) increase in PARP cleavage, and (ii) activation of caspases. Employing immunoblot analysis we found that pretreatment of HaCaT cells with delphinidin followed by UVB-irradiation resulted in decrease in Bax (proapoptotic protein) and increase in Bcl-2 (antiapoptotic protein), thereby shifting the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio that does not favor apoptosis. In addition, we also observed that the protein levels of Bid and Bak were upregulated and Bcl-XL was downregulated by UVB radiation and delphinidin treatment reversed this effect. Taken together our results suggest that treatment of HaCaT cells with delphinidin inhibited UVB-mediated oxidative stress and reduced DNA damage and thereby protecting the cells from UVB-induced apoptosis.
Ethical Work Climate 2.0: A Normative Reformulation of Victor and Cullen’s 1988 Framework

Ethical work climate (EWC), introduced by Bart Victor and John Cullen, plays a central role in the business ethics literature due to its influence on employee’s ethical decision-making. Yet, the often-used framework is limited as a descriptive and prescriptive model because it lacks a normative focus and does not allow for organizations guided by (arguably) universal ethical principles. We revisit Victor and Cullen’s original conceptualization of ethical climate and propose a reformulation of the ethical criteria to be conceptually consistent with Kohlberg’s theory of cognitive moral development and to accommodate principled climates. We also describe how the locus of analysis dimension can be simplified to allow for a more parsimonious and potentially more valid theory. In doing so, we eliminate redundancy noted in the original model and clarify normative preference among the ethical climate types. We discuss implications for research, teaching, and practice.
Empathy in context: Socioeconomic status as a moderator of the link between empathic accuracy and well-being in married couples:

The present laboratory-based study investigated socioeconomic status (SES) as a moderator of the association between empathic accuracy and well-being among married couples from diverse socioeconomi...
Multi-system Monitoring for Identification of Seizures, Arrhythmias and Apnea in Conscious Restrained Rabbits

Patients with ion channelopathies are at a high risk of developing seizures and fatal cardiac arrhythmias. There is a higher prevalence of heart disease and arrhythmias in people with epilepsy (i.e., epileptic heart.) Additionally, cardiac and autonomic disturbances have been reported surrounding seizures. 1:1,000 epilepsy patients/year die of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The mechanisms for SUDEP remain incompletely understood. Electroencephalograms (EEG) and electrocardiograms (ECG) are two techniques routinely used in the clinical setting to detect and study the substrates/triggers for seizures and arrhythmias. While many studies and descriptions of this methodology are in rodents, their cardiac electrical activity differs significantly from humans. This article provides a description of a non-invasive method for recording simultaneous video-EEG-ECG-oximetry-capnography in conscious rabbits. As cardiac electrical function is similar in rabbits and humans, rabbits provide an excellent model of translational diagnostic and therapeutic studies. In addition to outlining the methodology for data acquisition, we discuss the analytical approaches for examining neuro-cardiac electrical function and pathology in rabbits. This includes arrhythmia detection, spectral analysis of EEG and a seizure scale developed for restrained rabbits.
Pioneer advantage: Marketing logic or marketing legend?

Several studies have shown that pioneers have long-lived market share advantages and are likely to be market leaders in their product categories. However, that research has potential limitations: t...
Treatment utilization and drug survival of systemic medications among commercially insured children with psoriasis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Systemic medications and phototherapy are used to treat pediatric psoriasis, but real-world data on treatment utilization and persistence are limited. The study objective was to determine systemic and phototherapy treatment utilization and compare drug survival among systemics in pediatric psoriasis. METHODS Using United States commercial insurance claims data, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted to describe the prevalence of systemic treatment and phototherapy use among patients <18 years old with psoriasis. We compared drug survival among new users of methotrexate, adalimumab, etanercept, and ustekinumab using a retrospective cohort design. RESULTS Among 13 759 patients, 14.6% used systemic or phototherapy treatment during 2001-2016, with rising utilization of systemics over this period. Among 579 new users of methotrexate, adalimumab, etanercept, and ustekinumab, the median durations of the initial treatment course were 141 (IQR 59-314), 179 (79-339), 175 (90-419), and 216 (64-435) days, respectively (P = .04). Drug discontinuation was less likely among ustekinumab (HR 0.47 [95% CI 0.27-0.83]), etanercept (0.74 [0.59-0.92]), and adalimumab (0.75 [0.55-1.02]) initiators than methotrexate initiators after adjustment for sociodemographic factors and psoriatic arthritis. Drug survival differences were limited to systemic-naive patients. Potential limitations include short follow-up and residual confounding. CONCLUSIONS Utilization of systemic therapies for pediatric psoriasis is increasing, but differences in drug survival exist.
Grain Structure and Grain Boundaries in High Tc Superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−x Thin Films

We present electron microscopy studies of YBa2Cu3O7−x high temperature superconducting thin films grown by reactive evaporation, reactive sputtering and laser-ablation deposition on MgO, SrTiO3 and ZrO2 substrates at various temperatures. Combination of this work with studies of the superconducting properties of small (1μm wide) lines patterned in these films and X-ray pole figure studies has focused attention on large angle tilt boundaries found in c-axis films. Different epitaxial arrangements, corresponding grain boundaries and the grain size distributions can be generated by different choices of substrate, substrate temperature and deposition mode. Examples of grain structure, grain size distribution and high resolution studies of high angle tilt boundaries are presented. The role of the substrate in nucleating defects and grain boundaries will be reviewed. Correlation of these studies with the superconducting properties identifies high angle boundaries as a possible source of significant weakening of the critical current density. Alternatively, misoriented grains may be associated with the weak link behavior. High resolution electron microscopy permits atom structure imaging of these boundaries and, together with microanalytical work, these observations show the boundaries to be normally clean.
SOS methods for semi-algebraic games and optimization

Semialgebraic computations, i.e., the manipulation of sets and logical conditions defined by polynomial inequalities in real variables, are an essential ”primitive” in the analysis and design of hybrid dynamical systems. Fundamental tasks such as reachability analysis, abstraction verification, and the computation of stability and performance certificates, all use these operations extensively, and can quickly become the computational bottleneck in the design process. Although there is a well-developed body of both basic theory and algorithms for these tasks, the practical performance of most available methods is still far from being satisfactory on real-world problems. While there are several possible causes for this (besides the NP-hardness of the task), a sensible explanation lies in the purely algebraic nature of the usual methods, as well as the insistence on exact (as opposed to approximate or ”relaxed”) solutions. For these reasons, there is a strong interest in the development of efficient techniques for (perhaps restricted) classes of semialgebraic problems. In this talk we review the basic elements and present several new results on the SOS approach to semialgebraic computations, that combines symbolic and numerical techniques from real algebra and convex optimization. Its main defining feature is the use and computation of sum of squares (SOS) decompositions for multivariate polynomials via semidefinite programming. These are extended, using the Positivstellensatz, to structured infeasibility certificates for polynomial equations and inequalities. The developed techniques unify and generalize many well-known existing methods. In particular, we will discuss semialgebraic problems with at most two quantifier alternations (i.e., classical polynomial optimization problems as well as the related games and minimax problems). As an example, we will solve in detail a class of zero-sum two-person games with an infinite number of pure strategies, where the payoff function is a polynomial expression of the actions of the players. Although particular emphasis will be given to the hybrid systems viewpoint, the basic ideas and algorithms, as well as these recent extensions, will be illustrated with examples drawn from a broad range of related domains, including dynamical systems and geometric theorem proving.
Effect of estradiol-17β on blood flow to reproductive and nonreproductive tissues in pregnant ewes

Abstract The effect of estradiol-17β (1 μg per kilogram) on regional blood flow and cardiac output was studied by means of radionuclide-labeled microspheres in 6 nonpregnant and 13 pregnant ewes five to seven days after operation. Estradiol caused vasodilation in myometrium, endometrium, and placental cotyledons throughout pregnancy, but these responses were significantly less than the fifteenfold increase seen in the nonpregnant uterine tissues. Significant vasodilation also occurred in the ovaries, cervix, vagina, uterine tubes, mammary gland, skin, and adrenal glands of pregnant ewes. Cardiac output increased by 14 per cent. No significant change in uterine oxygen consumption was associated with the increase in blood flow to the pregnant uterus.
Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death: Automated External Defibrillators in Ohio High Schools

Context: Ohio passed legislation in 2004 for optional public funding of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in all Ohio high schools. Objective: To report occurrences of sudden cardiac arrest ...
Stress Levels and Health Status of Victims of a Natural Disaster

Bereaved, property loss, and control groups (N = 155) were compared 11 months after the volcanic eruption of Mt. St. Helens using standardized instruments and structured interviews. It was hypothesized that the greater the loss the greater the stress and the poorer the health. Bereaved subjects reported significantly higher levels of stress and lower levels of mental health, but not physical health. Persons who lost their permanent homes reported high rates of stress, but did not report significantly higher levels of depression, somatization, or poorer physical health. Conceptual and methodological implications are discussed.
Oxygen isotopic composition of minerals in the Kenna ureilite

The δ18O and δ17O values of olivine from Kenna are 7.6 and 3.0%, respectively, relative to SMOW. These values are typical of ureilites which form a unique group on a δ17O -δ18O graph. The ureilites are related to, but not directly derived from, the anhydrous phases of C2 and C3 meteorites. The 18O/16O fractionation between pyroxene and olivine is 0.60, indicating a temperature of last equilibration of 1000 ± 100°C.
The role of iron in phytoplankton photosynthesis, and the potential for iron-limitation of primary productivity in the sea.

Iron supply has been suggested to influence phytoplankton biomass, growth rate and species composition, as well as primary productivity in both high and low NO3− surface waters. Recent investigations in the equatorial Pacific suggest that no single factor regulates primary productivity. Rather, an interplay of bottom-up (i.e., ecophysiological) and top-down (i.e., ecological) factors appear to control species composition and growth rates. One goal of biological oceanography is to isolate the effects of single factors from this multiplicity of interactions, and to identify the factors with a disproportionate impact. Unfortunately, our tools, with several notable exceptions, have been largely inadequate to the task. In particular, the standard technique of nutrient addition bioassays cannot be undertaken without introducing artifacts. These so-called ‘bottle effects’ include reducing turbulence, isolating the enclosed sample from nutrient resupply and grazing, trapping the isolated sample at a fixed position within the water column and thus removing it from vertical movement through a light gradient, and exposing the sample to potentially stimulatory or inhibitory substances on the enclosure walls. The problem faced by all users of enrichment experiments is to separate the effects of controlled nutrient additions from uncontrolled changes in other environmental and ecological factors. To overcome these limitations, oceanographers have sought physiological or molecular indices to diagnose nutrient limitation in natural samples. These indices are often based on reductions in the abundance of photosynthetic and other catalysts, or on changes in the efficiency of these catalysts. Reductions in photosynthetic efficiency often accompany nutrient limitation either because of accumulation of damage, or impairment of the ability to synthesize fully functional macromolecular assemblages. Many catalysts involved in electron transfer and reductive biosyntheses contain iron, and the abundances of most of these catalysts decline under iron-limited conditions. Reductions of ferredoxin or cytochrome f content, nitrate assimilation rates, and dinitrogen fixation rates are amongst the diagnostics that have been used to infer iron limitation in some marine systems. An alternative approach to diagnosing iron-limitation uses molecules whose abundance increases in response to iron-limitation. These include cell surface iron-transport proteins, and the electron transfer protein flavodoxin which replaces the Fe-S protein ferredoxin in many Fe-deficient algae and cyanobacteria.
Space: The Final Frontier

Traditionally, until the early 1990s, spatial economics -- the study of where economic activity takes place and why -- was pretty much neglected. Even now not one of the best-selling introductory textbooks in economics contains a single index entry for "location," "space," or "regions." In the last six or seven years, however, interest in spatial economics has surged. In this article I will try to summarize briefly the reasons for that surge; the key elements of the so-called "new economic geography;" the current state of research; and the prospects and difficulties facing this subfield of economics.
Performance and Evaluation of the Circular Ring Transverse Axial Positron Camera (CRTAPC)

Transverse axial positron annihilation coincidence detection tomography with a stationary circular ring posi tron camera system is described. A prototype constructed with 64 NaI(T1) crystal system has the capability of recording 736 - 1312 simultaneous coincidence pairs and is able to perform certain dynamic function studies.
Multiply‐polarized shear‐wave VSPs from the Cajon Pass Drillhole

A 3-component VSP data set was acquired in the Cajon Pass Drillhole, with a multiply-polarized shear-wave source and a conventional P-wave source, producing a 9-component data set. The VSP data show effects on the full wavefield from the sediment-granite interface. Mode-converted waves are identified, with significant scattering of S-wave energy from the leading P-wavefront. Hodographs are used to display S-wave particle motions in two dimensions. Shear-wave splitting is observed in the hodographs. The shear-wave particle motion is used to infer anisotropy orientation with respect to the local strike of the San Andreas fault. Stress-induced fracturing is assumed to be a possible cause of the shear-wave splitting. A variation of particle motion orientation with depth is observed, implying a variation in anisotropy orientation as a function of depth.
Narrow Subthreshold Quantum Mechanical Resonances in the Li + HF → H + LiF Reaction†

State-to-state, state-specific, and cumulative reaction probabilities are presented for the bimolecular scattering process Li + HF → H + LiF in the ground electronic state. Calculations were performed for zero total angular momentum at total energies from 0.26 to 0.50 eV (relative to HF at its classical equilibrium bond distance and infinitely far from Li). The energy dependence of the state-to-state, initial-state-selected, and cumulative reaction probabilities for LiFH in the low-energy regime displays a pronounced resonance structure due to quasibound states associated with a Li...FH van der Waals well in the entrance valley of the potential energy surface. The lifetimes of the long-lived resonances are obtained by fitting the calculated eigenphase sum to the multichannel Breit-Wigner formula. The final rotational state distributions of the LiF product fragment resulting from decay of the resonance state complexes are presented for two resonances. Quantum numbers are assigned to the resonances using bound-state and quasibound-state calculations in the Li...FH van der Waals well, and possible decay mechanisms are discussed. The lifetimes show a systematic dependence on the translational vibrational quantum number.
Dynamics of Sorbitol at Elevated Pressure

Dielectric relaxation measurements were carried out on sorbitol as a function of pressure at various temperatures. The almost linear dependence of the structural relaxation times on pressure yields values for the activation volume. In light of results for xylitol and glycerol, the activation volume is found to be an increasing function of molecular size. Because the pressure coefficients of the glass temperature for these polyalcohols are all equal, their fragilities should parallel their respective activation volumes. This expectation is borne out by experimental measurements at ambient pressure. Analysis of the volume dependence of the relaxation times reveals that temperature, rather than density, dominates the structural relaxation of sorbitol. At frequencies higher than the structural relaxation, a secondary process is observed. The weaker pressure sensitivity of the latter effects better resolution of the two peaks at high pressures. The relaxation time for the secondary process is consistent with a calculation from the coupling model based on identification of the secondary process as the precursor to the highly cooperative structural relaxation.
GABA directly affects electrophysiological properties of pituitary pars intermedia cells

Evidence that the endocrine cells of the pars intermedia of the mammalian pituitary gland secrete not only melanotropins but corticotropins and endorphins1 heightens interest in the nervous control of these cells. Within the mammalian adenohypophysis the pars intermedia is unique in being directly innervated by neurones whose cell bodies lie in the brain2. However, the nature and function of this innervation is poorly understood. A dopaminergic tract has been identified in rats3,4, which appears to have an inhibitory function5, and dopamine applied directly to isolated rat pars intermedia cells inhibits both the discharge of spontaneous action potentials6 and secretion7,8. In addition, recent immunohistochemical studies in rats indicate that central neurones which apparently contain γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) also project to the pars intermedia9,10. Here we report that in the same species GABA directly affects the electrophysiological properties of endocrine cells isolated from the pars intermedia and that the ionic and pharmacological characteristics of this action of GABA resemble those encountered at many GABAergic synapses in the central nervous system (CNS). We conclude that the brain can influence the endocrine cells of the pars intermedia directly through GABAergic mechanisms.
Writing, Mathematics, and Metacognition: Looking for Connections Through Students' Work in Mathematical Problem Solving

This study investigated whether students' writing about their mathematical problem solving processes showed evidence of a metacognitive framework. Twenty ninth-grade algebra students provided written descriptions of their problem solving processes as they worked mathematics problems. A qualitative analysis of the data indicated the presence of a metacognitive framework. Students' written descriptions demonstrated engagement of various metacognitive behaviors during orientation, organization, execution, and verification phases of mathematical problem solving. This article provides a description of the more predominant metacognitive behaviors identified through the data analysis. The findings of this study underscore the importance of implementing writing as an integral part of the mathematics curriculum and emphasize the need for additional research on writing in mathematics.
Tikhonov regularization via flexible Arnoldi reduction

Flexible GMRES, introduced by Saad, is a generalization of the standard GMRES method for the solution of large linear systems of equations. It is based on the flexible Arnoldi process for reducing a large square matrix to a small matrix. We describe how the flexible Arnoldi process can be applied to implement one-parameter and multi-parameter Tikhonov regularization of linear discrete ill-posed problems. The method proposed is well suited for large-scale problems. Moreover, computed examples show that our method can give approximate solutions of higher accuracy than available direct methods for small-scale problems.
The relationship between the overcontrolled‐hostility scale and the MMPI 4–3 high‐point pair

Investigated the relationship between the MMPI 4--3 high-point pair and the Overcontrolled-Hostility (O-H) scale in three different populations. Ss were assigned to the 4--3 condition based on the following two criteria: (1) Scales 3 (HY) and 4 (PD) greater than or equal to T-score of 65; (2) Scale 4 (PD) greater than Scale 3 (HY) greater than or equal to all other clinical scales. In the prison sample (N = 200), inmates who achieved the 4--3 high-point pair were found to earn significantly higher scores on the O-H scale relative to a group of age-matched controls. These results were cross-validated successfully in a sample of psychology clinic outpatients (N = 500), where patients were matched on both age and sex. A similar relationship was found between the presence of a 4-3 high-point pair and higher scores on the O-H scale in a state hospital (N = 102) sample, although the results did not reach statistical significance because of the restricted sample size.
Localization of endophytic Undifilum fungi in locoweed seed and influence of environmental parameters on a locoweed in vitro culture system.

Endophytic Undifilum oxytropis (Q. Wang, Nagao & Kakish) Pryor, Creamer, Shoemaker, McLain-Romero, & Hambleton found within toxic locoweeds (Astragalus and Oxytropis spp.) produces the alkaloid swa...
Analysis of differential gene expression patterns in colon cancer and cancer stroma using microdissected tissues

Background & Aims: The surrounding cancer stroma is increasingly recognized as playing an important role in cancer proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Here, we analyzed patterns of gene expression in colon cancer cells, surrounding stroma, and normal mucosa and normal stroma using laser capture microdissection. Methods: Tissues were fixed from 11 patients undergoing colorectal resection for cancer, and laser capture microdissection was performed. Samples (4 per patient) were extracted for RNA, which was then used for focused gene arrays. In addition, protein expression of selected genes was determined by Western blot or immunohistochemistry. Results: We showed differential expression patterns in cancer cells and surrounding stroma compared with their normal counterparts. Genes contributing to angiogenesis, cell cycle regulation, and proliferation were significantly increased in cancer cells compared with the adjacent normal mucosa. Genes contributing to angiogenesis, cancer invasion, and metastasis were significantly increased in surrounding cancer stromal cells compared with normal stroma. Conclusions: Delineating the differential patterns of gene expression between colon cancers and the surrounding reactive stroma will better determine the role of the stromal components in the progression of colon cancers and may lead to chemopreventive therapy targeted specifically to the stroma.
Effect of cavitation on the performance of a grooved misaligned journal bearing

Abstract A modified version of the Elrod cavitation algorithm, which automatically predicts film rupture and reformation in bearings, is used to analyze a misaligned grooved journal bearing. Two types of misalignment, axial (vertical displacement) and twisting (horizontal displacement), are considered. The predicted performance of the misaligned bearing is compared with available experimental and theoretical results. The analysis is performed on a line-grooved misaligned bearing for both flooded and starved inlet conditions. Effects of various degrees of starvation or higher lubricant supply pressure and bearing length-to-diameter ratio are also investigated for a particular misalignment condition.
BLUE LIGHT INDUCED PHOTOTRANSFORMATION OF PHYTOCHROME IN THE PRESENCE OF FLAVIN

— Irradiation of the Pr form of phytochrome in the presence of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) which absorbs the actinic blue light yields Pfr at a rate greater than that in the absence of FMN. The actinic blue light absorbed by FMN enhances the phototransformation of Pr via the energy transfer from the former to the latter. On the other hand, the photoreversion of Pfr was inhibited by the presence of FMN when illuminated with blue light. The lack of photo-enhancement of the reversion of Pr, by blue light suggests that the Pfr chromophore (acceptor) transition dipole is virtually perpendicular to the FMN transition dipole, as the result of a chromophore reorientation in the PrPfr phototransformation. The fact that blue light absorbed by flavin preferentially enhances the forward phototransformation of phytochrome while inhibiting the reversion may have an important implication in the high irradiance responses in plants in terms of a preferential accumulation of Pfr by blue light excitation.
Efficacy of in-furrow zinc phosphide pellets for controlling rodent damage in no-till corn

Abstract Plagues of rodents in field crops have been a problem of human societies for centuries. These problems diminished with the onset of effective herbicides and clean farming practices in the 1960s, but there has been a resurgence of rodent irruptions in cropfields since the advent of conservation tillage systems. We examined the efficacy of in-furrow applications of 2% zinc phosphide (Zn 3 P 2 ) pellets (27.5 kg ha −1 [5 lb acre −1 ]) at planting for the control of rodent damage in no-till corn. Three independent field studies were conducted in northeastern NE, southern IL, and southern IN. Vole populations in the most severely damaged fields (IL) ranged from 104 to 138 active colonies ha −1 . Zn 3 P 2 reduced yield loss in the three study areas by 7–34%. Projected economic returns ranged from US$1044 to US$5360, based on representative 64-ha fields and a net profit of US$250 ha −1 . Benefit:cost ratios ranged from 1.1 to 5.6:1 and were directly related to vole population levels. To prevent rodent damage in no-till cornfields, we recommend an integrated pest management approach that incorporates the use of a combination of the following techniques: rodent population monitoring, economic thresholds, mowing, early pre-plant herbicides, broadcast whole-kernel corn, and in-furrow applications of Zn 3 P 2 pellets.
As individual as death itself: a focus group study of terminal care in nursing homes.

One in four Americans who reach the age of 65 will die in a nursing home, yet little research exists to define the end of life care needs of this population. We used focus groups with experienced nursing home staff and physicians to: (1) define a good death in a nursing home and (2) describe factors that promote or prevent good care for the dying in this setting. We audiotaped 11 focus groups with 77 participants. Discussions were structured around 3 questions: "How does someone die in the nursing home?" "What makes the difference between a good death and a bad death?," and "What can aides, nurses, or physicians do to help ensure that when someone dies it is a good death?" Participants described lack of training, regulatory emphasis on rehabilitation, and a resource-poor setting as important barriers to high quality care of the dying in nursing homes. They affirmed the value of their experience and personal relationships with residents as the basis for good care. Three major themes emerged to define a goo...
Molecular Cloning and Developmental Expression of the Xenopus Homolog of Integrin α4a

Integrin receptors containing an alpha 4 subunit mediate cell-cell adhesion by binding to VCAM and MadCAM-1 in addition to supporting cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion by binding to the alternatively spliced V-region of fibronectin (FN). Studies in chick and mouse embryos have implicated these integrins in neural crest migration, myotube formation, heart development, and placentation. Because integrin-FN adhesive interactions have been shown to play essential roles in mammalian development, studies were initiated of integrin alpha 4 in amphibian embryos, which are better suited to experimental analyses of the earliest stages of embryogenesis. Here, the cDNA cloning and pattern of expression of the Xenopus laevis homolog of integrin alpha 4 is reported. Xenopus alpha 4 is 55% identical at the amino-acid level to both its human and mouse counterparts, including conservation of an alpha 4-specific protease cleavage site, 11 potential N-linked glycosylation sites, and 24 cysteine residues. In situ hybridization analysis reveals that transcripts encoding alpha 4 are expressed in epidermis and the branchial arches. Although alpha 4 transcripts can be detected as early as gastrulation, the protein is observed only after tailbud stages of development and is spatially restricted to the epidermis and gills of tadpole stage embryos. From these data it is concluded that Xenopus integrin alpha 4 has structural features in common with other vertebrate alpha 4 homologs, but is detected in a more restricted tissue distribution during development than alpha 4 in other species.
CHANGING CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY AT TYUONYI, NEW MEXICO

Three types of culinary ware from a stratified plaza test unit at Classic-period Tyuonyi (LA 82) at Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico, were analyzed for changes in hardness, thickness, and temper type to assess the impact on firing regime of possible aggregation-related changes in fuel resources. Imported micaceous ware shows no significant changes over time, which might indicate standardized production by part-time specialists. Local plain ware shows significant changes in all three attributes. Smeared-indented corrugated ware (SIC) shows significant changes in hardness. Potters may have made changes in temper to maintain required hardness in the face of firing regime modifications.
Evaluating deep uncertainties in strategic priority-setting with an application to facility energy investments

A recent paper in this journal described the identification and integration of sources of risk in a systems engineering process model [Lambert, Jennings, and Joshi, Syst Eng 9(3) (2006), 187–198]. The earlier effort falls short in addressing sources of deep, nonprobabilistic uncertainty that should enter to strategic systems design and reengineering. Our new paper incorporates the earlier effort to a framework for evaluating which are the deep uncertainties that most influence a priority-setting among investments in large-scale systems with multiple stakeholders, and therefore warrant more investigation. The framework addresses that deep uncertainties are continuously discovered and reflective of diverse and unique stakeholder experiences, knowledge bases, and advocacy positions. Deep uncertainties are epistemic viewpoints across which the strategic priorities for investments will differ. The framework modifies existing tools of scenario analysis and multicriteria analysis to process and filter the deep uncertainties. The framework is demonstrated in an application to reengineering of an energy system for a defense installation where frequent outages are disruptive to scientific and other missions. The sources of deep uncertainty in the demonstration include regulatory, economic, environment, cyber-threat, and others. The investments include innovative microturbine and microgrid technologies. An example of a result is that international economic disruption is relatively more influential than cyber-threats to strategic priority-setting for investing in a microgrid at the particular installation. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 15 © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Sociocognitive Analysis of Substance Abuse: An Agentic Perspective

This article presents a social-cognitive theory of substance abuse. The exercise of self-regulatory agency plays a central role in this approach. Perceived self-efficacy is the foundation of human agency. Unless people believe they can produce desired effects by their actions, they have little incentive to act. Self-efficacy beliefs promote desired changes through cognitive, motivational, affective, and choice processes. Perceived self-efficacy exerts its effects on every phase of personal change—the initiation of efforts to overcome substance abuse, achievement of desired changes, recovery from relapses, and long-term maintenance of a drug-free life. Assessments of perceived efficacy identify areas of vulnerability and provide guides for treatment. Substance abuse is a social problem, not just a personal one. Reducing substance abuse also requires policy initiatives and social remedies achieved through the exercise of collective efficacy.
The ultraviolet spectra of matrix isolated disulfur monoxide and sulfur dioxide

Abstract The absorption spectrum of disulfur monoxide was observed in matrices at 20°K. All 18 observed bands of the (0, 0, ν3) - (0, 0, 0) progression fit the equation G(ν 3 ′) = 29 070 + 426 (ν 3 ′ + 1 2 ) − 4.80 (ν 3 ′ + 1 2 ) 2 + 0.075 (ν 3 ′ + 1 2 ) 3 . The matrix data was used to reassign the reported gas-phase data and to deduce ν2′ and ν2″. The absorption spectrum of sulfur dioxide in a krypton matrix at 20°K is tentatively assigned to a progression A(ν1, ν2, 0) ← X(0, 0, 0). The SO2 a-X phosphorescence, excited by absorption of light in either the C or A system, is strongly enhanced in the matrix. T00, ν1 and ν2 shifts are listed for solid argon, krypton, xenon, nitrogen, methane, SF6, and C4F8. The phosphorescence intensity is strongly temperature dependent. The temperature-intensity curves are consistent with an energy transfer model involving interaction of the SO2 triplet state with the lattice vibration.
Referent-Based Verbal Behavior Instruction for Children with Autism.

Skinner’s (1957) analysis of verbal behavior deconstructed language according to stimulus control. Although the functional independence of these verbal operants has been empirically demonstrated, more commonly, a speaker’s verbal behavior is induced by a convergence of controlling stimuli. However, circumscribed stimulus control may inhibit the development of complex verbal repertoires for some individuals, including those with autism spectrum disorders. For this reason, in the current paper, we propose a behavior analytic intervention with the overarching goal of establishing multiple control over verbal behavior through the conditioning of referent stimuli. Referent-based instruction emphasizes teaching the operant class over specific targets Multiple control is established by converging verbal behavior around the referent Progress is measured in terms of a stimulus control ratio Eliminates arbitrary decision making