cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scaling and Structural Properties of Juvenile Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana).

Bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), the only canopy-forming kelp in the Salish Sea, provides primary production in the nearshore subtidal environment and serves as an important habitat for economically and ecologically important species. An annual species, each year juvenile bull kelp sporophytes must grow from the hydrodynamically more benign benthos to the water column, where they experience substantial drag at the surface. Because of the differences in morphology and ecology across life stages, and the fact that previous work has focused mainly on adult bull kelp, we tested whether morphology and structural properties change with stipe length, investigating scaling of both juvenile (stipe length 40 cm) kelp, and testing how juvenile stipes fail. Juvenile bull kelp grow proportionally (isometric growth) when young, but lengthen more quickly than would be predicted by bulb size (negative allometry) at maturity. Based on our data, the predicted breakpoint between isometric and allometric growth occurred at about 33 cm, likely approximately one to two weeks of growth. Cross-sectional area of the stipe, force to failure, work to failure, and stiffness (Young's modulus) all grow more slowly than would be predicted based on length, while maximum stress and toughness increase more quickly than predicted. There is no change in extensibility over the size range we tested, suggesting that this material property does not change with stipe length. The differences in biomechanics between juvenile and adult kelp are likely a response to the varied hydrodynamic environments experienced during the annual life cycle, which highlights the importance of studying organisms across life stages.
Pulpbow: A Method to Study the Vasculogenic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from the Dental Pulp

Understanding how Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) form blood vessels is critical for creating mechanism-based approaches for the therapeutic use of these cells. In addition, understanding the determinants and factors involved in lineage hierarchy is fundamental to creating accurate and reliable techniques for the study of stem cells in tissue engineering and repair. Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSC) from permanent teeth and Stem cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous teeth (SHED) are particularly interesting sources for tissue engineering as they are easily accessible and expandable. Previously, we have shown that DPSCs and SHEDs can differentiate into endothelial cells and form functional blood vessels through vasculogenesis. Here, we described how we created the “pulpbow” (pulp + rainbow), a multicolor tag experimental model that is stable, permanent, unique to each cell and passed through generations. We used the pulpbow to understand how dental pulp stem cells contributed to blood vessel formation in 3D models in in vitro and ex vivo live cell tracking, and in vivo transplantation assays. Simultaneous tracking of cells during sprout formation revealed that no single multicolor-tagged cell was more prone to vasculogenesis. During this process, there was intense cell motility with minimal proliferation in early time points. In later stages, when the availability of undifferentiated cells around the forming sprout decreased, there was local clonal proliferation mediated by proximity. These results unveiled that the vasculogenesis process mediated by dental pulp stem cells is dynamic and proximity to the sprouting area is critical for cell fate decisions.
Digital Security in the Expository Society: Spectacle, Surveillance, and Exhibition in the Neoliberal Age of Big Data

In 1827, Nicolaus Heinrich Julius, a professor at the University of Berlin, identified an important architectural mutation in nineteenth-century society that reflected a deep disruption in our technologies of knowledge and a profound transformation in relations of power across society: Antiquity, Julius observed, had discovered the architectural form of the spectacle; but modern times had operated a fundamental shift from spectacle to surveillance. Michel Foucault would elaborate this insight in his 1973 College de France lectures on The Punitive Society, where he would declare: “[T]his is precisely what happens in the modern era: the reversal of the spectacle into surveillance…. We have here a completely different structure where men who are placed next to each other on a flat surface will be surveilled from above by someone who will become a kind of universal eye.” What should we make of those archetypes today? Do they help us better understand our neoliberal digital condition of data collection, mining, and profiling by corporate giants such as Google and Facebook, and the NSA? With neoliberalism and digitization — in the age of digital security — I suggest, we have gone beyond both spectacle and surveillance to a new form: one that is captured best by the idea of exposition or exhibition. Guy Debord spoke of “the society of the spectacle,” Foucault drew our attention instead to “the punitive society,” but it seems as if, today, we live in the expository society. This essay offers an architectural schema to better understand our contemporary distributions of power, one that focuses on the themed space of consumption. It then actualizes the metaphor by exploring one particular manifestation of a fully-digitized themed space, and asks how we have come to embrace and love these new forms of exhibition today.
Ideologies about Work: Comparing Hospitality and Business Students and Managers

A little explored factor posited as underlying most managerial and organizational variables is work ideology. Work ideologies are surveyed to begin to show their ability to be studied and that patterned differences may be discovered. The author surveys several samples of students and managers pursuing careers in either the hospitality industry or business to show patterned differences in work ideologies and to note these
The Physicians' Point of View Concerning Medical Malpractice: A Sociological Perspective on the Symbolic Importance of 'Tort Reform'

From the physicians’ point of view, flaws in the tort system have caused medical malpractice claims to reach or approach a level that is so excessive that intolerably high premiums for malpractice insurance have resulted or will result. Their cure for this problem is “tort reform,” which physicians believe will not only help prevent “frivolous” claims, but also hold individual claim awards to reasonable amounts. These views are understandable; claims levels and insurance premiums have increased, and it is at least plausible to assume that “tort reform” could solve the problem. Initially, however, it is hard to understand why the medical profession has shown very little interest in systematic studies which indicate that premium costs are not excessively high nationally and that most “tort reforms” will have very little effect on claims costs. Disagreement and dispute concerning these studies would be expected, but lack of concern about the need for or the effectiveness of reform is surprising. This lack suggests that other concerns are involved and indicates the need for a study of the physicians' point of view concerning “tort reform.” This Article argues that the combination of physicians' certainty of the need for “tort reform” and simultaneous lack of interest in the utility of such reform can be understood only by adopting a sociological perspective. Such a perspective is necessary because the economic impact of the increase in insurance premiums on most physicians is not adequate to explain the physicians' intense concern for “tort reform.” Once it is understood that affordability of malpractice premiums is not really the problem, it is no longer puzzling that physicians have shown virtually no interest in the effectiveness of “tort reform” in limiting premiums. Instead, it becomes clear that “tort reform” functions as a symbol used by physicians to register their protest against a broad range of changes in the American health care system. Physicians are seeking social support for a symbolic reaffirmation of their role and importance in society. Consequently, from their point of view, opposition to the fairness or efficacy of the reform proposals is tantamount to opposition to the medical profession.
Effect of swainsonine on the processing and turnover of lysosomal beta-galactosidase and beta-glucuronidase from mouse peritoneal macrophages

The effect of swainsonine, an inhibitor of Golgi alpha-mannosidase II and lysosomal alpha-mannosidase, on the synthesis, processing, and turnover of two glycoproteins, lysosomal beta-galactosidase and lysosomal beta-glucuronidase, has been studied in cultured mouse peritoneal macrophages. No effect of the inhibitor on the relative rates of synthesis of the precursor form of either enzyme was observed. On the other hand, carbohydrate processing of beta-galactosidase and beta-glucuronidase was markedly altered by swainsonine, consistent with a blockage by the inhibitor of the removal of the alpha-1,3- and alpha-1,6-linked mannose residues which occurs in normal processing. In homogenates of both normal and swainsonine-treated cells, the precursor forms of the enzymes were found exclusively in the light membrane fraction on Percoll gradients and the mature forms exclusively in the lysosomal fractions indicating that translocation from Golgi to lysosomes and proteolytic processing in the lysosome were not impaired by the presence of abnormal oligosaccharide side chains. There was no detectable effect of swainsonine during a 4-day chase period on the total cellular turnover of these enzymes which involves two processes, secretion and degradation. In the absence of swainsonine, secretion represented about 40% of the total turnover of beta-galactosidase and about 50% with beta-glucuronidase. The presence of swainsonine increased these proportions to about 60 and 70%, respectively.
Evolution and organisational choice in nineteenth-century Britain

This paper offers an explanation for the dearth of labor-managed firms in western economies. It argues that the historical evolution of labor-managed firms put them at a disadvantage relative to their classical, capitalist counterparts. In Britain, the government played an instrumental role in creating the initial disadvantage. Specifically, it took too long for the British government to remove the legal burden of unlimited liability and other company laws that were especially costly of labor-managed firms. Early financial instruments were also ill-suited to the establishment and continuation of producers' cooperatives of the day. Since organizational forms and their supporting institutions must coevolve, a path dependent process has continued to impede the development of labor-managed firms. (c) 1993 Academic Press, Inc. Copyright 1993 by Oxford University Press.
XML4MAT: Inter-conversion between MatlabTMstructured variables and the markup language MbML

The Matlab™ programming environment and related public license environments such as Octave are gaining in popularity for the identification of algorithms and the rapid prototyping of applications in bioinformatics. At the same time, there is a strong push to standardize the identification of extended modelling languages (XML) and their underlying ontologies, to facilitate bioinformatic integration of data and methods. We hereby introduce a new -file library, XML4MAT, that supports the inter-conversion between any Matlab™ structured variable and a specialized extended markup language (XML), designated as MbML. The library developed also includes functions to import non-MbML compliant XML structures. The functionality described is achieved without object-oriented programming, which makes it ideal for inclusion in declarative programming and implicitly turns into generalpurpose object models for data structures. The new library is made freely available at It is ideally suited for 1) computation of XML structures in Matlab programming environments and 2) its inter-conversion to and from a specialized markup language, MbML. This also enables using Matlab structures as a format to identify new markup languages that are MbML compliant, with the corresponding gain in clarity and computability for bioinformatic applications in that environment.
L ∞ -Induced Norm of Sampled-Data Systems

In this paper, we consider a general linear interconnection of a continuous-time plant and a discrete-time controller via sample and hold devices. Under the assumption of internal stability, bounded inputs produce bounded outputs. Some results on the induced operator norm of the closed loop system with L∞(i.e., peak value) norm on the input and output signals are presented.
Where are the Women? Rhetoric of Gendered Labor in University Communities

Article for LiCS special issue The New Activism: Composition, Literacy Studies, and Politics.
Carl Wilhelm von Sydow: A Swedish Pioneer in Folklore

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Nils-Arvid Bringeus Translators: John Irons Year: 2009 Pages: 272 Publisher: Academia Scientiarum Fennica/Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia ISBN: 978-951-41-1050-4 (hard cover).
Torque development in isokinetic training

Twenty men were randomized into three groups that performed maximal isokinetic knee extensions five days a week for 12 weeks; a fourth group was a control group. The training protocol was different for the opposite lower extremity of each subject, such that subjects in group I trained at 36 degrees/sec with 20 or 60 repetitions, group II did 20 repetitions at 36 degrees/sec with one limb and 60 repetitions at 108 degrees/sec contralaterally, and group III trained at 108 degrees/sec with 20 or 60 repetitions. Group IV did no training. Bilateral pretraining and posttraining vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were done, and maximal torque-velocity tests (0 degrees to 234 degrees/sec at 18 degrees/sec steps) were performed every two weeks. The muscle biopsies were examined for muscle-fiber area and enzyme activity. Statistical analysis of the torque-velocity curves showed that subjects who trained at 36 degrees/sec made significant overall gains in torque and significantly greater torque gains than those training at 108 degrees/sec. Torque gains were not made uniformly during the 12 weeks of training; they occurred primarily during the initial 4 to 8 weeks. There were no significant increases in muscle-fiber areas in response to training, but there were increases in glycolytic and mitochondrial enzyme activities. These findings suggest that the critical variable for developing strength (maximal torque), at least within the context of isokinetic training, is the amount of torque developed during training.
Nonnegative Matrix Factorization for Semi-supervised Dimensionality Reduction

We show how to incorporate information from labeled examples into nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF), a popular unsupervised learning algorithm for dimensionality reduction. In addition to mapping the data into a space of lower dimensionality, our approach aims to preserve the nonnegative components of the data that are important for classification. We identify these components from the support vectors of large-margin classifiers and derive iterative updates to preserve them in a semi-supervised version of NMF. These updates have a simple multiplicative form like their unsupervised counterparts; they are also guaranteed at each iteration to decrease their loss function---a weighted sum of I-divergences that captures the trade-off between unsupervised and supervised learning. We evaluate these updates for dimensionality reduction when they are used as a precursor to linear classification. In this role, we find that they yield much better performance than their unsupervised counterparts. We also find one unexpected benefit of the low dimensional representations discovered by our approach: often they yield more accurate classifiers than both ordinary and transductive SVMs trained in the original input space.
NC Algorithms for Circular-Arc Graphs

Circular-arc graphs are an important class of intersection graphs. They have been applied to problems in genetics [17], traffic control [18], multidimensional scaling [11], computer compiler design [22], characterization of a certain class of lattices [19], and some other areas [13] [23]. Many sequential algorithms have been designed for circular-arc graphs(see, for example, [10] [14] [20] [21] [24]). The problem of coloring circulararc graphs has been investigated by Tucker [22], and the problem was later proved to be NP-complete by Garey, Johnson, Miller and Papadimitriou [6]. Bonuccelli [1] has shown that the domatic number problem for circular-arc graphs is NP-complete. In this paper, we give several parallel algorithms for circular-arc graphs and some subclasses of circular-arc graphs. We begin with the graph recognition problem, which is the first important problem for any class of graphs. It sets the foundation for solving many other problems of that class of graphs. Here we show, for the first time, three subclasses of circular-arc graphs can be recognized in polylogarithmic time with polynomially bounded processors. Specifically,
Natural childbirth--a global perspective.

Developed countries can learn much about safe birthing practices from initiatives implemented in first-world countries.
Combined effects of packaging atmosphere and lactic acid on growth and survival of Listeria monocytogenes in crayfish tail meat at 4°C

The effect of lactic acid on growth and survival of Listeria monocytogenes in crayfish tail meat stored under refrigeration and various gas environments was investigated. Frozen crayfish tail meat was thawed overnight, autoclaved, cooled, and inoculated with approximately 4 log colony-forming units (CFU) of a mixed-strain (Scott A and F5027) L. monocytogenes culture per gram of meat. Inoculated samples were blended with 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0% lactic acid and packaged under air, vacuum, or modified atmosphere (74.8% CO2, 10.4% O2, and 14.8% N2) and stored at 4 degrees C for 20 days. Results demonstrated that modified atmosphere packaging inhibited the growth of L. monocytogenes more than air and vacuum packaging at 0 and 1% lactic acid. Microbial counts declined steadily in crayfish tail meat treated with 2% lactic acid, with no differences among the packaging atmospheres. The lag phase was extended by 8 days in samples treated with 1% lactic acid and modified atmosphere compared to that in air or vacuum packaging. Overall, the combination of lactic acid and modified atmosphere had the greatest potential to prevent growth of L. monocytogeines.
Organizing for Survival: From the Civil Rights Movement to Black Anarchism through the Life of Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin

This paper considers the influence of civil rights era community organizing on the formation of Black Anarchism, and the combination of the two for helping imagine a more open trajectory for anti-authoritarian politics. We will argue that while Black Anarchism is still perhaps more of a notion, than a movement, it is still an important lens through which to consider radical politics in the US, given its racist and patriarchal history. We will explore this through the thought, radical organizing, and life of Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin. Ervin’s seminal written contributions to the development of Black Anarchism, coupled with his influential organizing experiences with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the Black Panther Party, Anarchist People of Color and Black Autonomy Network of Community Organizers situates him as an organic black intellectual with powerful insights to share. One of Ervin’s greatest contributions has been demonstrating the potential of anarchist praxis to both transform and link revolutionary conceptions of social transformation with people’s everyday struggles for survival.
Model predictive control of nonlinear parameter varying systems via receding horizon control Lyapunov functions

The problem of rendering the origin an asymptotically stable equilibrium point of a nonlinear system while, at the same time, optimising some measure of performance has been the object of much attention in the past few years. In contrast to the case of linear systems where several optimal synthesis techniques (such as H∞, H2 and l1) are well established, their nonlinear counterparts are just starting to emerge. Moreover, in most cases these tools lead to partial differential equations that are difficult to solve. In this chapter we propose a suboptimal regulator for nonlinear parameter varying, control affine systems based upon the combination of model predictive and control Lyapunov function techniques. The main result of the chapter shows that this controller is nearly optimal provided that a certain finite horizon problem can be solved online. Additional results include: (a) sufficient conditions guaranteeing closed-loop stability even in cases where there is not enough computational power available to solve this optimisation online; and (b) an analysis of the suboptimality level of the proposed method.
Nuclear translocation of Skp2 facilitates its destruction in response to TGFβ signaling

Skp2, a F-box protein that determines the substrate specificity for SCF ubiquitin ligase, has recently been demonstrated to be degraded by Cdh1/APC in response to TGFβ signaling. The TGFβ-induced Skp2 proteolysis results in the stabilization of p27 that is necessary to facilitate TGFβ cytostatic effect. Previous observation from immunocytochemistry indicates that Cdh1 principally localizes in the nucleus while Skp2 mainly localizes in the cytosol, which leaves us a puzzle on how Skp2 is recognized and then ubiquitylated by Cdh1/APC in response to TGFβ stimulation. Here, we report that Skp2 is rapidly translocated from the cytosol to the nucleus upon the cellular stimulation with TGFβ. Using a combinatorial approach of immunocytochemistry, biochemical-fraction-coupled immunoprecipitation, mutagenesis as well as protein degradation assay, we have demonstrated that the TGFβ-induced Skp2 nucleus translocation is critical for TGFβ cytostatic effect that allows physical interaction between Cdh1 and Skp2 and in ...
Intra-Aneurysmal Flow Complexity Quantification Using Flowlines Geometry

We present a quantified description of the fluid flow and a novel flowline-based meshing technique to create adaptive grids for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations in patient-specific intracranial aneurysms. The adaptive grid density is obtained such that it captures the fine geometrical details of the flow with high grid density, while smoother flow characteristics are calculated with a coarser grid density. The correlation between the topological characteristics of the flow and the element size of the adaptive grid results in a practical mathematical formula for calculating the element size using only one uniform base mesh and a user defined implementation in CFD post processors.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Phospholipase from Trypanosoma brucei releases arachidonic acid by sequential sn-1, sn-2 deacylation of phospholipids

Previously, we showed that arachidonic acid (AA) stimulates Ca2+ currents in pathogenic Trypanosoma brucei (Eintracht J, Maathai R, Mellors A, Ruben L. Calcium entry in Trypanosoma brucei is regulated by phospholipase A2 and arachidonic acid. Biochem. J 1998;336:659-666). Here we examine the mechanism used by T. brucei to release AA from the sn-2 position of diacyl glycero-phospholipids. We report that T. brucei accomplishes this feat in the apparent absence of phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Instead, deacylation is initiated at the sn-1 position, followed by acyl migration and hydrolysis with LysoPLA. Neither whole cell homogenates nor enriched protein fractions could release AA from substrates whose sn-1 position contained a non-hydrolyzable alkyl ether linkage. These same fractions however, released AA from ester linked phospholipids, and TLC analysis of the reaction products supported the sequential deacylation process. The release of sn-2 AA from 1-palmitoyl-2-[1-14C]arachidonyl-sn-glycero-3-PC was linear up to 90 min at an average rate of 50 nmol x min(-1) x mg(-1). sn-2 AA was processed more efficiently than sn-2 palmitate. The reaction was also greatest for: LysoPC>diacyl-PC (sn-1 labeled)>diacyl-PC (sn-2 labeled). Product formation was sensitive to polar head group, and PI was processed at less than 10% the rate of PC or PE. The enzymatic deacylation was inhibited by the serine specific reagent, methyl arachidonyl fluorophosphonate (MAFP) and the cysteine reagent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). Both NEM and MAFP inhibited LysoPLA activity under conditions where there was little effect on PLA1 activity. Overall, we conclude that T. brucei can release AA from diacyl glycero-phospholipids by a sequential deacylation process. Two independent active sites appear to be involved. Interestingly, a high percentage of inner leaflet phospholipids are protected from degradation since they occur in the non-hydrolyzable 1-alkyl ether form.
The Globalization of Environmental Protection: The Case of Environmental Impact Assessment

Much of the literature on environmental protection focuses on domestic actors and domestic political activity. However, the degree to which environmental policies are influenced by international or...
Analytical design for mobile anchor systems

Cable yarding systems are a common method for transporting materials in mountainous terrain in situations that do not allow for ground-based skidding, forwarding or shovel-logging. Cable yarding, although effective in steep locations, requires anchored guylines to support the skyline and operating lines. The skyline and operating lines rely on a fixed anchor, or tailhold, to provide adequate tension for effective yarding. Anchored guylines and skylines usually depend on available stumps or trees. Where these are not available, mobile anchors such as bulldozers can be used. Mobile equipment anchors have an advantage of known resisting capacity, as opposed to trees and stumps, but there are no well-defined design criteria for the application of the system. Here an analytical design solution for mobile anchor capacity is presented, based on force equilibrium analyses, and accompanied by a series of design charts. A moment equilibrium analysis involving vehicle center of gravity and anchor attachment points i...
Low risk of significant echocardiographic valvulopathy in patients treated with anorectic drugs

Abstract Background: Phentermine–fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine use for weight loss has been previously associated with increased prevalence of valvular heart disease. This association was initially based on small numbers of patients, limited data on dose and duration of drug therapy, and no correlation with matched controls. Methods: Our investigation involved 343 obese subjects enrolled in a prospective, strict weight loss, research protocol from September 1994 to September 1997. All subjects underwent transthoracic echocardiography for significant valvular lesions within a mean of 121 days from the manufacturer's announcement of the voluntary withdrawal of fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine from the market. All echocardiograms were interpreted by 2 independent readers. Results: The study population included 281 females and 62 males with a mean age of 46.7±9.1 years and mean initial body mass index of 40.1±8.1 kg/m 2 . Using the Food and Drug Administration's criteria, only 21 subjects (6.1%) had significant valvular lesions. Aortic regurgitation was detected in 18 subjects, mitral regurgitation in 3 subjects, and both aortic and mitral regurgitation in 1 subject; no one had severe regurgitation. Significant valvular disease did not correlate with age, gender, initial/ending body mass index, the drug dose, duration of drug therapy, or serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Conclusions: Anorexigen therapy is associated with a low prevalence of significant valvular regurgitation. Late valvular abnormalities from drug treatment await long term prospective studies.
Benchmarking MOC practices in the process industries

Chemical, oil, and gas plants process many potentially hazardous chemicals. Historically, a variety of measures have been used for hazard reduction and risk management. However, a number of catastrophic chemical incidents can be attributed to incorrect handling of process changes. During the last decade, federal regulations have been promulgated in the United States mandating a well-defined administrative procedure for “management of change” as a key element of a process safety management system. OSHA's Process Safety Management Program and EPA's Risk Management Program provide the baselines and framework for the development of Management of Change programs. Due to the performance-based nature of these regulatory requirements, there is wide variation in management of change programs and practices. This paper summarizes the results of a benchmarking exercise aimed at identifying the diversity of implementation practices in industry.
High richness and dense seeding enhance grassland restoration establishment but have little effect on drought response

Restorations commonly utilize seed addition to formerly arable lands where the development of native plant communities is severely dispersal limited. However, variation in seed addition practices may profoundly affect restoration outcomes. Theory and observations predict that species-rich seed mixtures and seeding at high densities should enhance native plant community establishment, minimize exotic species cover, and may promote resistance and resilience to, and recovery from, environmental perturbations. We studied the post-seeding establishment of native plant communities in large grassland restoration plots, which were sown at two densities crossed with two levels of species richness on formerly arable land in Nebraska, USA, and their responses to drought. To evaluate drought resistance, recovery, and resilience of restored plant communities, we erected rainfall manipulation structures and tracked the response of seeded species cover and total plant biomass during experimental drought relative to controls and in the post-drought growing season. High seed richness and high-density seeding treatments resulted in greater richness and cover of native, seeded species per 0.5 m2 compared to low-richness and low-density treatments. Cover differences in response to seed mixture richness were driven by native forbs. Richness and cover of exotic species were lowest in high-richness and high-density treatments. We found little evidence of differential drought resistance, recovery, and resilience among seeding treatments. Increases in exotic species across years were restricted to drought subplots, and were not affected by seeding treatments. Grassland restoration was generally enhanced and exotic cover reduced both by the use of high-richness seed mixtures and high-density seeding. Given the lack of restoration treatment effects on the resistance, recovery, or resilience of seeded species exposed to drought, and the increases in exotic species following drought, other forms of active management may be needed to produce restored plant communities that are robust to climate change.
Effect of cortisone and growth hormones on cellular proliferation during early embryogenesis.

SummaryThe effects of cortisone and pituitary growth hormone on embryonal tissues have been studied in chick embryos at time periods varying between 18 and 72 hours of incubation. No effects were noted at 18 and 30 hours. Mitotic counts have demonstrated the basic mitotic suppressing effect of cortisone in mesoderm at 60 hours and in ectoderm and mesoderm at 72 hours, although there were no changes in endoderm. An increase in mitotic activity was observed in embryos receiving growth hormone in the ectoderm and mesoderm at 60 hours, but not at 72 hours. However, an increase in cell density was observed in these embryonal tissues at 72 hours of incubation. Endoderm was also refractory to this hormone.
Poly(Vinyl Butyral) Pyrolysis: Interactions with Plasticizer and Ain Ceramic Powder

TGA and FTIR were employed to investigate the effects of dibutyl phthalate and butyl benzyl phthalate on the thermal degradation behavior of PVB, a binder used commonly for tape casting. Butyl benzyl phthalate was found to enhance the crosslinking of the PVB binder when heated in a nitrogen atmosphere during binder pyrolysis, which retarded its thermal degradation. The interaction between AIN powder and PVB binder was also studied by using TGA, XPS and a special furnace for collecting residual carbon. Intrinsic char and gas phase mediated char were studied separately.
Fish Cleaning Symbiosis: Notes on Juvenile Angelfishes (Pomacanthus, Chaetodontidae) and Comparisons with Other Species

Juvenile gray (Pomacanthus arcuatus) and French (P. paru) angelfish cleaned other fish and the observers' wounds in Florida's inshore waters where host species commonly congregate. Comparisons between the behavior of these facultative cleaners and published descriptions of obligate and other facultative cleaners suggested twelve specific questions about the control and function of cleaning symbiosis. Zusammenfassung Die auffalligen schwarz-gelb gestreiften Jungtiere von Pomacanthus arcuatus und Pomacanthus paru (Chaetodontidae) wurden vor der Kuste Floridas beobachtet, wie sie andere Fischarten und die Wunden der Beobachterin putzten. Das Putzen geschah in flachem, verhaltnismasig stillem Wasser, wo die Putzgaste sich normalerweise auch ohne Putzfische versammelten. Die Putzgaste zeigten keine besonderen Aufforderungsstellungen, blieben aber fur kurze Zeit bewegungslos, wahrend der Putzfisch ihre Hinterflanke bearbeitete. Meist ging eine “Besichtigung” voraus, wobei der Putzer den Putzgast mit seinen Bauchflossen beruhrte. Das Abpicken war weder fur die Putzfischart, den Putzgast noch fur das Putzfressen spezifisch. Vergleiche mit anderen veroffentlichten Beschreibungen versuchen, verschiedene Fragen zu dieser Putzsymbiose zu beantworten. Die Vielfalt des Putzverhaltens konnte durch den Grad der Abhangigkeit der Putzerfische von dieser Tatigkeit fur ihre Ernahrung erklart werden.
Tactical Differences in Problem Representations and Solutions in Collegiate Varsity and Beginner Female Tennis Players

Youth tennis experts' tactical problem representations have been linked to their superior response selections during competition (McPherson & Thomas, 1989). To expand this research to adults, collegiate varsity (experts, n = 6) and beginner (novices, n = 6) female tennis players participated in an interview session to elicit problem representations and solutions to six tennis game situations. Interviews, transcribed verbatim, were coded for accuracy in solutions to each situation. Novices did not generate any solutions (actions), while experts generated similar and tactical solutions. Quantitative analysis of verbal data revealed expertise differences in problem representations and solution processes. Mann-Whitney U tests revealed that experts accessed more tactical and associated response selection and response execution concepts than novices. Findings indicate that experts will generate specialized cognitive processes to develop, monitor, and regulate their condition profiles and action plans during competition.
Using local-spin k -exclusion algorithms to improve wait-free object implementations

We present the first shared-memory algorithms for k-exclusion in which all process blocking is achieved through the use of "local-spin" busy waiting. Such algorithms are designed to reduce interconnect traffic, which is important for good performance. Our k-exclusion algorithms are starvation-free, and are designed to be fast in the absence of contention, and to exhibit scalable performance as contention rises. In contrast, all previous starvation-free k-exclusion algorithms require unrealistic operations or generate excessive interconnect traffic under contention. We also show that efficient, starvation-free k-exclusion algorithms can be used to reduce the time and space overhead associated with existing wait-free shared object implementations, while still providing some resilience to delays and failures. The resulting "hybrid" object implementations combine the advantages of local-spin spin locks, which perform well in the absence of process delays (caused, for example, by preemptions), and wait-free algorithms, which effectively tolerate such delays. We present performance results that confirm that this k-exclusion-based technique can improve the performance of existing wait-free shared object implementations. These results also show that lock-based implementations can be susceptible to severe performance degradation under multiprogramming, while our hybrid implementations are not.
Factors associated with perceived barriers to pediatric palliative care: a survey of pediatricians in Florida and California:

Purpose: The provision and uptake of pediatric palliative care continues to be plagued by barriers. Several studies have documented these barriers, but none have done so with a diverse sample (most are at a single institution) or specifically about pediatric palliative care. Moreover, none have investigated the factors associated with perceived barriers. Our study has two aims: (1) to describe the barriers to pediatric palliative care as reported by a group of pediatricians practicing in two large States in the US; and (2) to identify factors associated with these perceived barriers.Methods: Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 303 pediatricians in Florida and California.Results: The two greatest barriers reported by the pediatricians were related to families’ reluctance to accept palliative care (95%) and families viewing palliative care as giving up (94%). Only 42% of pediatricians noted that reimbursement was a barrier. Across all the regressions, three factors were consistently associated w...
Resonant vibrational excitation of ethylene molecules in laser-assisted diamond deposition

The influence of resonant vibrational excitation of ethylene molecules in combustion chemical vapor deposition of diamond was investigated. Resonant vibrational excitation of the CH2-wagging mode (a type c fundamental band, υ7, at 949.3 cm−1) in ethylene molecules was achieved by using a wavelength-tunable CO2 laser with a matching wavelength at 10.532 µm. By comparing to laser irradiation at off-resonance wavelengths, an on-resonance vibrational excitation is more efficient in energy coupling, increasing flame temperatures, accelerating the combustion reactions, and promoting diamond deposition. An enhanced rate of 5.7 was achieved in terms of the diamond growth rate with an improved diamond quality index at a high flame temperature under a resonant excitation of the CH2-wagging mode. This study demonstrates that a resonant vibrational excitation is an effective route for coupling energy into the gas phase reactions and promoting the diamond synthesis process.
A Review of Empirical Studies of Aggregate Marketing Costs and Productivity in the United States

This article reviews empirical studies of aggregate marketing cost and aggregate marketing productivity in the United States. A methodological comparison is made of five cost studies for 1929 and seven productivity studies covering a period from 1869 to 1968. The cost studies do not clarify—one way or the other—if marketing costs too much or too little. The productivity studies, on the other hand, despite a variety of methodologies, reveal a rising secular trend over the past century. Thus, it may be concluded that irrespective of changes in cost, marketing is becoming more productive.
Peptide mass mapping of acetylated isoforms of histone H4 from mouse lymphosarcoma cells treated with histone deacetylase (HDACs) inhibitors

The acetylated isoforms of histone H4 from mouse lymphosarcoma cells treated with HDAC inhibitors trichostatin A (TSA) and depsipeptide (DDP) were separated by acetic acid urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (AU-PAGE), in-gel digested, and analyzed by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The acetylation pattern of histone H4 in mouse lymphosarcoma cells induced by TSA was established in which acetylation initially occurred at K16 followed by K12 and then K8 and/or K5. An identical order of acetylation was found for cells treated with DDP.
Membrane-based scintillation proximity assays. I: Detection and quantification of 14CO2

Abstract 14 CO 2 is a radioactive byproduct of numerous clinical exams and enzymatic assays. Traditional methods for capturing and quantifying 14 CO 2 produce a large quantity of radioactive liquid organic waste, which is both difficult and expensive to handle. A polymeric membrane which can simultaneously capture and quantify 14 CO 2 has been developed to circumvent both problems. The membrane contains a quaternary amine trapping agent (Hyamine TM ) and an organic fluor for β − detection. A 12% (w/v) polysulfone/sulfonated polysulfone blend membrane containing 0.5 mmol of Hyamine TM captured 4.0 × 10 −5 mmol/cm 2 of 14 CO 2 with a counting efficiency of 70%. The membrane retained all of the 14 CO 2 for at least a three-day period.
Groundwater monitoring strategies for variable contaminant migration boundaries

Abstract Detection efficiencies of alternative groundwater monitoring networks were evaluated in relation to distance to a buffer zone (contaminant migration) boundary. This boundary establishes a distance limit within which contaminant plumes should pass through monitoring wells, located on curvilinear segments (monitoring loci) near a waste storage facility. Alternative strategies allocated monitoring wells to loci at specified distances, measured parallel to groundwater flow, from the downgradient boundaries of a landfill. One approach constrained wells to equal spacing, measured perpendicular to groundwater flow. Compressing well locations 10% closer to the downgradient corner of the landfill rendered alternative monitoring configurations. Computations by a monitoring efficiency model indicated: (a) networks largely maintained detection efficiency for different contaminant migration boundaries; (b) one network most efficiently attained a target detection capability for all contaminant migration bounda...
Structural features of cell-wall polysaccharides of potato (Solanum tuberosum)

Abstract Cell-wall material from the parenchyma of mature potato tubers was fractionated by successive extractions with cyclohexane-trans-1,2-diaminetetra-acetate (CDTA) at 20°, 0.05 m Na2CO3 at 1° and 20°, 0.5 m and m KOH at 1°, m and 4 m KOH at 20°, and 4 m KOH + borate at 20° to leave the α-cellulose residue, which contained a significant amount of pectic material. The isolated polymers were fractionated by anion-exchange chromatography. The CDTA-soluble pectic polysaccharides were less branched than those solubilised by Na2CO3. The Na2CO3 (20°) extract contained appreciably more neutral side-chains. The residual cell wall contained cellulose and a highly branched pectic polysaccharide with a significant content of (1→4)-linked galactose residues. There were two main types of xyloglucan that had different degrees of branching. The less branched, solubilised by stronger alkali, were more strongly associated with the cellulose microfibrils. The cell wall contained 1.7% of protein and the content of hydroxyproline was low. Several of the fractions contained protein (0.2–18.0%), but only the fraction solubilised by 4 m KOH + borate contained a high level of hydroxyproline. The neutral component of this fraction was also rich in hydroxyproline and contained (1→2)- and (1→3)-linked arabinose.
The optical properties of p-type Bi2Te3Sb2Te3 alloys between 2–15 microns

Abstract Transmittance and reflectance measurements have been made on a number of p-type Bi2Te3Sb2Te3 alloys. With the electric vector in the cleavage plane, the index of refraction, energy gap, and average effective mass have been calculated. The absorption edge indicates indirect transitions but the analysis based on phonons of a single energy is inconsistent. The reduction of the dielectric constant due to the free carrier susceptibility is observed in the alloys. In contrast to thermal energy gaps the optical energy gaps increase with increasing Sb content, a result attributed in part to the increasing degeneracy of the charge carriers. Temperature dependencies of the optical energy gaps are also reported.
α‐Crystallin quaternary structure: molecular basis for its chaperone activity

α-Crystallin, the major protein in all vertebrate lenses, functions as a chaperone. In the present analysis, an ‘open’ micellar structure composed of αA subunits is used to simulate chaperoning of partially heat denatured soluble γ-crystallin. The interaction is both electrostatic and hydrophobic and satisfies experimental evidence for a 1:1 α/γ molar ratio, a doubling of molecular mass and a minimal increase in the dimensions of the complex [J. Biol. Chem. (1994) 269, 13601–13608; Invest. Opthalmol. Vis. Sci. (1995) 36, 311–321]. These data are also in accord with Farahbaksh et al. [Biochemistry (1995) 34, 509–516]; i.e. the bound γ-crystallin monomers are not in a central cavity, but are separated by αA subunits.
Dynamic Testing, Working Memory, and Reading Comprehension Growth in Children With Reading Disabilities

This longitudinal study assessed (a) whether performance changes in working memory (WM) as a function of dynamic testing were related to growth in reading comprehension and (b) whether WM performance among subgroups of children with reading disabilities (RD; children with RD only, children with both reading and arithmetic deficits, and low verbal IQ readers) varied as a function of dynamic testing. A battery of memory and reading measures was administered to 78 children (11.6 years) across three testing waves spaced 1 year apart. WM tasks were presented under initial and dynamic testing conditions (referred to as gain and maintenance testing). The important results were that (a) WM performance as a function of maintenance testing was a significant moderator of growth in reading comprehension and (b) WM performance of children with RD was statistically comparable within subgroups of RD but inferior to that of skilled readers across all testing conditions. The results support the notion that children's WM performance under dynamic testing conditions was related to the rate of growth in reading comprehension but unrelated to subgroup differences in reading.
SU-E-T-392: A Software Tool of Extracting Dose Plane for Tomotherapy Delivery QA.

Purpose: To develop a software tool to extract dose planes base on on the setup (red) laser positions for Tomotherapy delivery QA(DQA). Methods: We have a develop a simple tool to simplify a time‐consuming step for tomotherapy DQA. The DQA analysis tools in Tomotherapy software was useful for filmdosimetry but not convenient for 2D‐array QA devices. Current DQA software requires the user to perform alignments twice: one for setting DQA phantom and the other for extracting dose plane. These two steps can be simplified into one if both alignments are based on the central axis of the detector plane. Once the setup (red) lasers are set for DQA, the dose plane can be extracted from the dicom dose file and the dicom plan file automatically. An open source software was written in C using dicomtk library. The accuracy of the program has been tested by comparing the extracted dose plane to the same dose plane but extracted by the manual method. Results: The maximum dose difference is 0.5% and the mean difference is 0.2%. The differences are probably due to the variation between two manual alignments. The software extracts 2D‐dose plane in a simple and automatic way. This not only cuts workload but also reduce the degree of human error because only one manual alignment is needed. A copy of this open source software is available upon request. We also hope Tomotherapy provides similar function in future upgrade. Conclusions: A software tool has been developed to simplify Tomotherapy DQA procedure.