cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Four-dimensional description of five-dimensional N-brane models

We propose a new method for obtaining the four-dimensional effective gravitational theory for five-dimensional braneworld models with arbitrary numbers of branes in a low-energy regime, based on a two-length-scale expansion. The method is straightforward and computationally efficient, and is applicable to both compactified and uncompactified models. Particular emphasis is placed on the behavior of the radion modes of the model, while the massive effective fields are automatically truncated. Generally, the radion modes are found to form an ($N\ensuremath{-}1$)-dimensional nonlinear sigma model. We illustrate the method for a $N$-brane model in an uncompactified extra dimension.
In vivo microdialysis sampling: theory and applications.

During the last two decades, a number of methods have been developed for in vivo collection, separation and characterization of biological samples and analytes. The capability and reliability of the microdialysis technique for measuring endogenous substances (such as neurotransmitters and their metabolites) as well as exogenous therapeutic agents in various tissue systems have brought it to the forefront of the in vivo tissue sampling methods. The usability of this technique is demonstrated by its application as reported in almost 3600 scientific papers (as of January 1998). This paper describes the general aspects and various applications of this fast growing technique. Emphasis has been given to analytical considerations with regards to microdialysis probe recovery and newer HPLC techniques.
Maverick's: big-wave surfing and the dynamic of ‘nothing’ and ‘something’

In this piece we explore one specific big-wave company, Mavericks Surf Ventures, and how it creates and distributes a distinct lifestyle product. We draw from Ritzer, who examines the tension in la...
Regional variation in child mortality at hospitals lacking a pediatric intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE To investigate statewide variation in failure to utilize existing regional pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). METHODS Deaths of children in hospitals lacking specialized units (non-PICU hospitals) were postulated to represent possible PICU utilization failures. A survey study was performed on hospital inpatient discharges and deaths in 1997, using data obtained from the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS). Children 0-14 yrs old were studied, excluding neonatal Diagnosis-Related Groups and emergency department deaths. Hospitals were considered to have a PICU if they had a board-certified pediatric intensivist on staff, and either New York State designation as a PICU or a separate dedicated unit for children. Non-PICU hospital pediatric death rates were compared for health service areas to determine whether regional variation occurred. RESULTS Statewide, 157 of 584 (27%) pediatric hospital inpatient deaths occurred in non-PICU hospitals. Significant variation was seen among eight regions in pediatric death rates in non-PICU hospitals (p < .05). The 114 of 328 (35%) New York City inpatient deaths occurring in non-PICU hospitals significantly exceeded the 43 of 256 (17%) throughout the remainder of the state (p < .05). New York City non-PICU hospital death rates also were higher than in the rest of the state, when expressed per 100,000 pediatric population (8.04 vs. 2.00), and per 1,000 non-PICU hospital discharges (2.25 vs. 1.18), respectively (p < .05). Forty percent of New York City non-PICU hospitals experienced a pediatric inpatient death compared with only 13% in the rest of the state (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS Although the death of some children in hospitals lacking a PICU is expected, the significant regional variation in these deaths suggests that local obstacles, perhaps unique to metropolitan areas, may interfere with access to existing pediatric critical care resources.
Separation and concentration of amino acids using liquid emulsion membranes

The separation and concentration of amino acids using liquid emulsion membranes (LEMs) are discussed. Using L- phenylalanines as a model solute, it is experimentally shown using a facilitated transport system that separation and concentration can be simultaneously achieved. The rate of separation, final product concentration, and membrane swell are shown to increase with increasing chloride driving forces in the membrane, These effects are shown to be insensitive to the particular salt used as the driving force. Changes in the carrier concentration are shown to result in higher initial fluxes and higher swell rates. Hydrodynamically induced membrane breakage is minimal for the system under consideration. Experiments indicate that osmotically induced water transport ("swelling") in the LEM system is mediated by both the carrier and the emulsion-stabilizing surfactant. The data suggest that this swell is a diffusion-limited process. The specificity of the carrier is examined and is found to be directly related to the hydrophobicity of the solute. Strategies for optimizing LEM formulations are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the hydration characteristics of the surfactant and the specificity of the carrier.
Cross-Racial Interaction among Undergraduates: Some Consequences, Causes, and Patterns.

This study utilized a national longitudinal data set of college students to examine the educational relevance of cross-racial interaction and how campuses can best structure such opportunities. The general pattern of findings suggests that cross-racial interaction has positive effects on students' intellectual, social, and civic development. The results show that institutions could enhance such experiences by enrolling larger proportions of students of color and by offering students more opportunities to live and work part-time on campus. While these findings apply uniformly to white students, the frequency of cross-racial interaction does not always follow an expected path of steady gains for students of color as the student body becomes increasingly more diverse. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Slender-body analysis of the motion and stability of a vortex filament containing an axial flow

Previous results concerning the effects of axial velocity on the motion of vortex filaments are reviewed. These results suggest that a slender-body force balance between the Kutta–Joukowski lift on the vortex cross-section and the momentum flux within the curved filament will give some insight into the behaviour of the filament. These simple ideas are exploited for both a single vortex filament and a vortex pair, both containing axial flow. The stability of a straight vortex filament containing an axial flow to long wave sinusoidal displacements of its centre-line is investigated and the stability boundary obtained. The effect of axial flow on the stability of a vortex pair is explored. It is shown that to lowest order (in the ratio of vortex core radius to distance between the vortices) the effect of axial flow is to reduce the self-induced rotation of a single filament and that this effect can be considered as a change in effective core radius. To the next order, travelling waves appear in the instability, the instability mode for the vortex pair becomes non-planar but the amplification rate of the instability is not affected.
CELL PROLIFERATION AND SPECIALIZATION DURING ENDOCHONDRAL OSTEOGENESIS IN YOUNG RATS

Endochondral osteogenesis was studied autoradiographically in ribs and tibiae of 32 Long-Evans rats injected with 1 µc/gm H3-thymidine at 6 days of age and sacrificed at intervals between 1 hour and 2 weeks later. Proliferation and specialization of bone cells were studied by analyses of (a) the percentage of mitoses which were labeled, (b) the percentage of labeled nuclei in bone cells, and (c) grain counts. The following conclusions were derived: The various types of bone cells represent different functional states of the same cell. Cell division is usually restricted to cells in the morphologically unspecialized "osteoprogenitor" state. Specialized bone cells arise by modulation of osteoprogenitor cells. The average cell generation time is shortest in the metaphysis, longest in the periosteum, and intermediate in the endosteum. The average duration of DNA synthesis is relatively constant (about 8 hours). With increasing length of generation time there is a slight increase in G2 + mitosis, but the major change is a lengthening of G1. After dividing, cells in the osteoprogenitor state may remain within the progenitor pool or undergo modulation of cell type, specializing as osteoblasts or becoming incorporated in osteoclasts.
A note on the multidimensional sampling theorem

The multidimensional sampling theorem is extended to allow nonuniform, but periodic, sampling with explicit and simple reconstruction formulas. The extension is applicable to hexagonal and other nonrectangular lattices; such sampling schemes can be as efficient as rectangular sampling.
Influence of the Brewer‐Dobson circulation on stratosphere‐troposphere exchange

[1] A three-dimensional model of dynamics and photochemistry is used to investigate how transfers of mass and chemical constituents between the stratosphere and troposphere are influenced by changes of the residual mean circulation. Under climatological-mean conditions, the integration recovers a transfer of ozone into the extratropical troposphere that is consistent with the observed increase of tropospheric ozone during winter. Large at middle and high latitude, it reflects the downward transfer of stratospheric air, which is compensated at lower latitude by an upward transfer of tropospheric air. Changes representative of those observed between years modulate these transfers by ∼10%. The structure at low latitude, however, is sensitive to the quasi-biennial oscillation's residual circulation, which interferes with the upwelling that must return mass to the stratosphere at the same rate that it is rejected at middle and high latitude. These exchanges of mass couple the circulation in the troposphere to that in the stratosphere, implying the involvement of the Hadley circulation.
Basal and stress-inducible expression of HSPA6 in human keratinocytes is regulated by negative and positive promoter regions

Epidermal keratinocytes serve as the primary barrier between the body and environmental stressors. They are subjected to numerous stress events and are likely to respond with a repertoire of heat shock proteins (HSPs). HSPA6 (HSP70B′) is described in other cell types with characteristically low to undetectable basal expression, but is highly stress induced. Despite this response in other cells, little is known about its control in keratinocytes. We examined endogenous human keratinocyte HSPA6 expression and localized some responsible transcription factor sites in a cloned HSPA6 3 kb promoter. Using promoter 5′ truncations and deletions, negative and positive regulatory regions were found throughout the 3 kb promoter. A region between −346 and −217 bp was found to be crucial to HSPA6 basal expression and stress inducibility. Site-specific mutations and DNA-binding studies show that a previously uncharacterized AP1 site contributes to the basal expression and maximal stress induction of HSPA6. Additionally, a new heat shock element (HSE) within this region was defined. While this element mediates increased transcriptional response in thermally stressed HaCaT keratinocytes, it preferentially binds a stress-inducible factor other than heat shock factor (HSF)1 or HSF2. Intriguingly, this newly characterized HSPA6 HSE competes HSF1 binding a consensus HSE and binds both HSF1 and HSF2 from other epithelial cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the HSPA6 promoter contains essential negative and positive promoter regions and newly identified transcription factor targets, which are key to the basal and stress-inducible expression of HSPA6. Furthermore, these results suggest that an HSF-like factor may preferentially bind this newly identified HSPA6 HSE in HaCaT cells.
Geologic Evolution of the Northern Nazca Plate

The structural features and evolution of the northern Nazca plate can be explained by the existence of an east-trending spreading center in the eastern Pacific from approximately 40 to 25 m.y. ago, and reorganization of spreading centers about 10 m.y. ago. East-west anomalies from the Oligocene spreading center are found between the Carnegie Ridge and Grijalva scarp to the south. The offset along the scarp is the result of a northeastward-increasing age difference between crust to the north and south. Volcanic extrusions during a period of very slow spreading along this center may have built the ancestral Carnegie-Cocos Ridge. This east-trending spreading center was reactivated during late Miocene time along the present Galapagos rift zone.
An innovative model for constructing a teaching-learning performance indicator

In this research, a novel model has been developed to incorporate teaching and learning effectiveness factors and construct a Teaching-Learning Performance Indicator (TPI). The basis for the TPI is a comprehensive teaching-learning paradigm derived from learning theories, motivational theories and experimental design that creates a mono-index to measure teaching effectiveness. Correlational scrutiny, factor and component analysis upon empirical data are used here to demonstrate the validity of the proposed TPI. It is also demonstrated that the proposed TPI is useful for rating and comparing courses or evaluating techniques and can guide the educator or administrator's decisions regarding course improvements, instruction styles and alternative teaching methodologies. It is suggested that the proposed model be used as a standard or baseline for teaching-learning performance measurements.
Device characteristics of high performance Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 solar cell

Recently we reported a record efficiency of 8.4% for Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) solar cell made by vacuum process [1]. We present a more comprehensive characterization of this CZTS cell employing various techniques such as temperature dependent I–V and biased quantum efficiency. By comparing the cell with the data from a reference champion CdTe cell that has similar bandgap, we identify that the biggest problem is the V OC deficit followed by J SC deficit and low fill factor issue. We present analyses of various characterization results to elucidate the underlying factors in the performance bottleneck issues in this present generation of CZTS cell.
Benefits of a new testosterone gel formulation for hypogonadal men

Hypogonadism is a common problem in men. It affects 2% to 30% of men aged 40 to 59 years, 20% to 45% aged 60 to 69 years, 34% to 70% aged 70 to 79 years, and most men aged >80 years. Hypogonadism is also highly prevalent in men with chronic illnesses, such as HIV infection. The low testosterone (T) levels associated with hypogonadism impair sexual function and many other aspects of health and well-being. In aging men and in those who are chronically ill, impaired gonadal function is characterized by subtle changes at many stages of T regulation. T therapy reverses the effects of hypogonadism, improving sexual function, body composition, mood, and well-being. Although many forms of T therapy are available, some therapies have limitations that render them ineffective or inconvenient. A new type of T gel has improved pharmacokinetic and clinical profiles compared with other forms of T therapy. This T gel has been shown to be effective in older men and in men with HIV infection, despite unsatisfactory response to earlier T-gel therapy.
A new 11 point degree 6 cubature formula for the triangle

We present a new cubature formula in the triangle which exactly integrates polynomials up to degree 6, using only 11 points. The formula was computed by starting with a 12 point cubature formula and applying the reduced basis method to drive one of the weights to zero, resulting in an 11 point formula with positive weights and no points outside the triangle. This improves upon the previously best known positive inside formulas, which have 12 or more points. The lower bound on the number of points for a degree 6 cubature formula in the triangle is 10, which to date has only been obtained by allowing some of the points to be outside the triangle. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The Function of Operations Research Specialists in Large Urban School Districts

The high cost of public education has stimulated interest in applying the techniques of operations research and systems analysis to the management of schools. These applications are generally intended to promote greater efficiency in school operations and insure more effective use of educational resources. Due to the sociopolitical nature of public elementary and secondary educational institutions, the role of the operations research (OR) specialist-systems analyst in the education sector might be considered different from his counterpart in the military and industrial sectors. The function of the OR specialist in a large urban school district is particularly affected and influenced by political action groups, both in the school itself, e.g., teacher organizations, and by the community. Yet it is in these large urban districts where problems are most serious and the skills of the OR specialist-systems analyst are in greatest need. An attempt is made to demonstrate the role of the OR specialist in large urban school districts by using a problem situation which concerned itself with the politically sensitive question of developing an alternative to the fixed step salary schedule. A model is developed and analyzed, showing in a scenario fashion the functions of the OR specialist. The highly political nature of certain school district planning problems, such as salary evaluation, strongly suggests that the OR specialist in school districts be highly skilled in working with political action groups and possess communications skills to articulate various aspects of the planning effort, in addition to possessing the usual mathematical competencies.
Abstract 4910: Unveiling the role of network and systems biology in pancreatic cancer drug discovery

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Over the last half decade our laboratory has extensively worked on the preclinical development of small molecule inhibitor of HDM2 (MI-219-Ascenta Therapeutics) in multiple tumor models with especial emphasis on the intractable pancreatic cancer (PC). During this discourse we have observed significant anti-tumor activity when MI-219 was given with oxaliplatin that lead to tumor free survival in 50% of the animals. However, not much is known about the exact mechanism behind this synergy. Here we applied a network-centric approach to identify the global expression changes and the networks involved in this two drug combination without losing the key molecular details. Gene analysis of wt-p53 capan-2 cells shows that MI-219 alone induces a minimal alteration (only 48 genes). Oxaliplatin (a cytotoxic drug) treatment, on the other hand showed alterations of 700 genes. However, the combination of MI-219-oxaliplatin resulted in emergence of 286 synergy unique genes. Principal component analysis revealed that each drug treatment had unique global gene signatures. Further analysis of the synergy unique genes revealed the presence of 14 statistically enriched functional pathways. Overall, the central p53 activity hub was found to be supported by 5 crucial players; CREBBP which is ubiquitously expressed in PC and is involved in the transcriptional co-activation of p53. CARF that is responsible for p53 stability along with NF-κB and EGR1 tumor suppressor modules, all positively affecting p53 re-activation that drives cells towards apoptosis. Additionally, our analysis revealed a novel role of hepatocyte nuclear factor alpha (HNF4α) in aiding this synergy. In addition to PC, the gene signatures could be verified and validated at the RNA and protein level in multiple wt-p53 solid tumor cell lines like MCF-7 for breast and HCT-116 for Colon. siRNA knockdown of key network genes abrogated apoptotic potential of MI-219-oxaliplatin in all three cell lines and confirmed their key role in the observed anticancer effects of this combination. Our findings show that Network and Systems biology can be utilized in identification of crucial driver genes and help in the design of drug combinations in a genetically pre-defined subset of patients that would positively impact treatment outcome. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4910. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4910
Fertility preferences and contraceptive use among couples in sub-Saharan Africa.

Fertility remains high and contraceptive use is low in much of sub-Saharan Africa despite high levels of unmet need for contraception and clear evidence of excess fertility. Using data from recent Demographic and Health Surveys this paper revisits the issue of gender differences in fertility goals, and how these differences may contribute to the lack of substantial declines in fertility in the region. The results show that most spouses agreed with respect to their fertility preferences, whether in terms of desired number of children or desire for a future birth. When there were disagreements, men tended to want more children than their spouses. In most countries, contraceptive use among couples was not associated with differences in spouses’ desires for a future birth. However, for the few countries where a significant association was observed, couples were less likely to be using a method when the wife wanted to have more children and more likely to be using one when she wanted to stop childbearing. To ensure open and sustained use of contraception within a union, family planning programs must continue to involve men by helping them understand the importance of fewer and well spaced births for the health of women and their children.
Supply response reconsidered: Cocoa in Western Nigeria, 1909–44

This essay uses time‐series data on cocoa plantings in Western Nigeria to re‐examine some popular conclusions about the price responsiveness of farmers in underdeveloped economies. Annual variations in the rate of planting were found to be more closely related to farmers’ income from cocoa sales than to current price. Qualitative evidence suggests that longer‐term trends in cocoa plantings were also influenced by changing opportunity costs and by the institutional structure of rural factor markets. These results cast some doubt on commonly accepted capital stock adjustment models of investment in tree crops, which assume that farmers rely heavily on forecasting future price trends when deciding how much to plant. Given the uncertainty of future crop prices, it seems more likely that farmers plant more trees when they can afford to do so, so long as opportunity costs are not prohibitive.
The occurrence and properties of Gemmiger formicilis and related anaerobic budding bacteria in the avian caecum

Gram negative budding bacteria with a characteristic morphology have been observed in the caeca of chickens, turkeys, ducks and guinea fowl at levels between 0–4 and 24% of the total flora. Using strict anaerobic techniques a detailed study has been made of the organisms isolated from the caeca of chickens aged between 15 and 44 d. The majority of isolates were identified as Gemmiger formicilis, the strains being divided into twomajor types according to the relative amounts of butyric acid and lactic acid produced from glucose. A second group of isolates could not be related to any known species. Amongst properties of ecological interest studied were limiting temperatures for growth, ammonia utilization, ability to utilize various carbon sources and survival in environments outside the intestine. Attempts to produce a selective medium for the isolation of these organisms when present at less than 2% of the total flora were unsuccessful.
A Union/Management Cooperative Program Gone Wrong: Some Unintended Consequences of a Fact-Finding Program:

A large public utility company and a labor union recently agreed on a cooperative program to introduce fact-finding into the dispute resolution process. After 2 years, despite a number of positive outcomes, it was mutually agreed that the program would be discontinued. This article is an ex post facto case analysis of and report on this fact-finding program. Issues regarding the nature of the fact-finding program, the organizational consequences of the program, and the theoretical and practical implications of fact-finding are discussed.
Sucking in the newborn infant during the first hour of life

Abstract The sucking response was studied in 13 low-birth-weight (LBW) newborns and 17 normal-birth-weight (NBW) newborns. An electronic suckometer was used to measure maximum intensity pressure for the suction and expression components of the sucking response for four consecutive 15 sec intervals at 5, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min of life. At these times LBW newborns exerted mean suction pressures of 5.8, 8.7, 3.1, 7.8, and 9.3 mm Hg and mean expression pressures of 14.0, 11.9, 13.0, 8.5, and 5.0 mm Hg. NBW newborns exerted mean suction pressures of 2.1, 25.0, 34.0, 68.2, and 93.7 mm Hg and mean expression pressures of 4.6, 5.6, 7.3, 8.3, and 7.0 mm Hg. Positive correlations were found for both LBW and NBW infants between suction pressure and birth weight (p
Reinforcing Adherence to Antihypertensive Medications

This pilot study evaluated a reinforcement intervention to improve adherence to antihypertensive therapy. Twenty-nine participants were randomized to standard care or standard care plus financial reinforcement for 12 weeks. Participants in the reinforcement group received a cell phone to self-record videos of adherence, for which they earned rewards. These participants sent videos demonstrating on-time adherence 97.8% of the time. Pill count adherence differed significantly between the groups during treatment, with 98.8%±1.5% of pills taken during treatment in the reinforcement condition vs 92.6%±9.2% in standard care (P<.002). Benefits persisted throughout a 3-month follow-up, with 93.8%±9.3% vs 78.0%±18.5% of pills taken (P<.001). Pill counts correlated significantly (P<.001) with self-reports of adherence, which also differed between groups over time (P<.01). Systolic blood pressure decreased modestly over time in participants overall (P<.01) but without significant time-by-group effects. These results suggest that reinforcing medication adherence via cellular phone technology and financial reinforcement holds potential to improve adherence.
Technological Trajectories of Construction Innovation

This paper analyzes four streams of building products to show that successful innovative building products are those that offer cost, time, and performance advantages through progress along four technological trajectories: location of the work, means of production, materials used, and incorporation of system design principles. Market and production factors that hinder progress along these trajectories are identified. The future success of innovative products can be predicted by evaluating their progress along the four trajectories.
Efficient Synthesis and Evaluation of Quorum-Sensing Modulators Using Small Molecule Macroarrays

A method for the synthesis of small molecule macroarrays of N-acylated l-homoserine lactones (AHLs) is reported. A focused library of AHLs was constructed, and the macroarray platform was found to be compatible with both solution and agar-overlay assays using quorum-sensing (QS) reporter strains. Several QS antagonists were discovered and serve to showcase the macroarray as a straightforward technique for QS research.
Simulations of light scattering from a biconcave red blood cell using the finite-difference time-domain method

Numerical simulations of light scattering by a biconcave shaped human red blood cell (RBC) are carried out using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. A previously developed FDTD code for the study of light scattering by ice crystals is modified for the current purpose and it is validated against Mie theory using a spherically shaped RBC. Numerical results for the angular distributions of the Mueller scattering matrix elements of an RBC and their dependence on shape, orientation, and wavelength are presented. Also calculated are the scattering and absorption efficiencies. The implication of these results on the possibility of probing RBC shape changes is discussed.
Influence of counter-ions on the crystal structures of DNA decamers: binding of [Co(NH3)6]3+ and Ba2+ to A-DNA.

A-DNA is a stable alternative right-handed double helix that is favored by certain sequences (e.g., (dG)n.(dC)n) or under low humidity conditions. Earlier A-DNA structures of several DNA oligonucleotides and RNA.DNA chimeras have revealed some conformational variation that may be the result of sequence-dependent effects or crystal packing forces. In this study, four crystal structures of three decamer oligonucleotides, d(ACCGGCCGGT), d(ACCCGCGGGT), and r(GC)d(GTATACGC) in two crystal forms (either the P6(1)22 or the P2(1)2(1)2(1) space group) have been analyzed at high resolution to provide the molecular basis of the structural difference in an experimentally consistent manner. The study reveals that molecules crystallized in the same space group have a more similar A-DNA conformation, whereas the same molecule crystallized in different space groups has different (local) conformations. This suggests that even though the local structure is influenced by the crystal packing environments, the DNA molecule adjusts to adopt an overall conformation close to canonical A-DNA. For example, the six independent CpG steps in these four structures have different base-base stacking patterns, with their helical twist angles (omega) ranging from 28 degrees to 37 degrees. Our study further reveals the structural impact of different counter-ions on the A-DNA conformers. [Co(NH3)6]3+ has three unique A-DNA binding modes. One binds at the major groove side of a GpG step at the O6/N7 sites of guanine bases via hydrogen bonds. The other two modes involve the binding of ions to phosphates, either bridging across the narrow major groove or binding between two intra-strand adjacent phosphates. Those interactions may explain the recent spectroscopic and NMR observations that [Co(NH3)6]3+ is effective in inducing the B- to A-DNA transition for DNA with (G)n sequence. Interestingly, Ba2+ binds to the same O6/N7 sites on guanine by direct coordinations.
Biochemical weathering of calcium-bearing minerals by rhizosphere micro-organisms, and its influence on calcium accumulation in trees

The rhizosphere microflora of redcedar was found to have a higher percentage of calcium silicate-solubilizing rhizosphere bacteria than the rhizosphere microflora of white pine of similar age growing in the same locality under identical conditions. Though the species composition of the silicatesolubilizing microbial population varied considerably from winter to spring, the redcedar roots had more silicate-solubilizers than the white pine roots inboth seasons. Since redcedar is known to have a higher calcium content than white pine, these results indicate that calcium accumulation by redcedar and white pine is strongly influenced by the rate at which calcium is released from soil minerals by the weathering action of the trees' rhizosphere micro-organisms. A symbiotic relationship between the trees and the microflora is suggested.
Implementing evidence-based practices: considerations for the hospice setting

With increased regulation and scrutiny of outcomes, hospice programs are being challenged to consider the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). This study reports findings from hospice director interviews and staff focus groups, which occurred following the completion of a multifaceted translating research into practice (TRIP) intervention designed to promote evidence-based pain management practices. The purpose of this article is to provide background on the use of EBPs, to report facilitators and barriers to overall implementation of pain management EBPs in hospice, and to provide recommendations for hospices interested in increasing the use of EBPs. Three areas for evaluation prior to implementing an EBP initiative in hospices were identified: community, agency, and staff cultures. Recommendations for implementation of EBPs in hospices are provided.
Scattering theory and quadratic forms: on a theorem of Schechter

We show how to extend Cook's method to a class of pairs whose difference is only a quadratic form.
Interspecific signalling competition between two hood-building fiddler crab species, Uca latimanus and U. musica musica

Competition between species can include signal competition in addition to competition for space and resources. Fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) are an excellent system for examining visual signal competition given their use of visual displays and burrow structures such as sand hoods. Where fiddler crab species overlap in habitat, females may face challenges as signal receivers to avoid heterospecifics and simultaneously discriminate among conspecific males. We investigated the consequences of competition between two species, U. latimanus and U. musica, which both build hoods and intermingle in the same habitat. Males of U. latimanus were larger than U. musica and had claws that were relatively shorter but potentially more powerful, suggesting that U. latimanus may be a superior competitor in direct combat. The hoods of the two species differed significantly in average size and shape, and in areas where they had heterospecific neighbours, U. musica males built hoods that were more distinct from heterospecific hoods, whereas U. latimanus built hoods that were more similar to heterospecific hoods. Wandering male U. musica were less likely to approach heterospecific than conspecific males, whereas U. latimanus were not. Wandering females of both species approached significantly more conspecific than heterospecific males, although some U. musica females entered heterospecific burrows. Uca latimanus females were significantly more attracted to conspecifics with hoods than without hoods; and although U. musica females showed the same tendency, the trend was only marginally significant. The high density of heterospecific males may reduce the ability of female U. musica to discriminate among conspecific males.
What's in a gaze?: the role of eye-gaze in reference resolution in multimodal conversational interfaces

Multimodal conversational interfaces allow users to carry a dialog with a graphical display using speech to accomplish a particular task. Motivated by previous psycholinguistic findings, we examine how eye-gaze contributes to reference resolution in such a setting. Specifically, we present an integrated probabilistic framework that combines speech and eye-gaze for reference resolution. We further examine the relationship between eye-gaze and increased domain modeling with corresponding linguistic processing. Our empirical results show that the incorporation of eye-gaze significantly improves reference resolution performance. This improvement is most dramatic when a simple domain model is used. Our results also show that minimal domain modeling combined with eye-gaze significantly outperforms complex domain modeling without eye-gaze, which indicates that eye-gaze can be used to potentially compensate a lack of domain modeling for reference resolution.
The Effect of Dynamic Alterations in Stiffness of the Substrate on Cell Growth

Cells reside in a dynamic environment composed of extracellular matrix (ECM) and other cells, and take a variety of cues, of which mechanical stresses and strains are an important subset. ECM undergoes constant synthesis and degradation, and its mechanical stiffness can also be altered, with ageing, upon external assault or via pathological processes. Particularly in load barring tissues, the mechanical properties of the ECM can vary, by exposure to changing load conditions through, for example, collagen realignment. Tissue-implant interfaces also present medically important dynamic mechanical environment. Furthermore, recent studies revealed that the ranges of mechanical stiffness of ECM or substrates can alter specific cellular properties in distinct ways. From an engineering viewpoint, it is thus beneficial to be able to modify the physical properties of the biomaterials for the implants, providing optimal conditions for a specific desired outcome at different points during time progression. All of these reasons make it desirable to have a dynamic culture system with controlled property changes.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The death of distinctions: From 9/11 to Abu Ghraib.

War, the great simplifier, is the inevitable enemy of distinctions, especially when conflicts evoke survival fears, sounding echoes from humanity's environment of evolutionary adaptation. Throughout the twentieth century, attackers and targets grew more distant, weaponry grew more destructive, and distinctions — between combatants and civilians, between legitimate and protected targets, between defensive and offensive strategies, between the innocent and the guilty — faded. In the twenty-first century's first major conflict, “the war against terror,” distinctions have faded still further, making nearly indistinguishable the frontier between preemption and prevention and between interrogation and torture. Proclaimed a “new type of war” in which old rules and customary safeguards would often be inapplicable, this conflict quickly came to be characterized by political embarrassment and operational scandal.
Crystallization and preliminary diffraction analysis of a hyperthermostable DNA polymerase from a Thermococcus archaeon

The hyperthermostable DNA polymerase from a marine Thermococcus archaeon has been crystallized in space group P212121, with unit-cell dimensions a = 94.8, b = 98.2, c = 112.2 A with one molecule per asymmetric unit. Conditions for data collection at 98 K have been identified, and a complete data set was collected to 2.2 A resolution. Strategies employed here may facilitate crystallization of other hyperthermostable proteins. The structure of this enzyme will provide the first structural data on the archaeal and hyperthermostable classes of DNA polymerases. Sequence homology to human polymerase \alpha (polymerase B family) may make it a model for studying eukaryotic and viral polymerases and for the development of anti-cancer and anti-viral therapeutics.
Assay of proteins in the presence of interfering materials.

The Lowry protein assay is a sensitive but highly nonspecific procedure. The standard Lowry protein assay has been modified so that protein can be assayed in the presence of interfering chemicals. The method is based on the observation that in the presence of 125 μg/ml of Na-deoxycholate, bovine serum albumin (5—50 μg) is reproducibly precipitated (90–104%) by 6% trichloroacetic acid. Interference by sucrose, glycerol, Tris—HCl, Tricine, and EDTA can be eliminated. Protein samples containing carrier ampholytes can also be assayed provided their NaCl concentration is adjusted to 1 m .
A Comparative Study of Dopant-Segregated Schottky and Raised Source/Drain Double-Gate MOSFETs

The performance of symmetric double-gate MOSFETs with dopant-segregated Schottky (DSS) source/drain (S/D) regions is investigated through a TCAD modeling study and compared to the performance of raised S/D (RSD) MOSFETs. It is shown that, while the doped extension region adjacent to the S/D Schottky barrier (SB) improves drive current by shrinking the SB, it is fundamentally limited by its dual role as a heavily doped S/D contact region to improve drive current and as a more lightly doped S/D extension region to reduce BTBT leakage. This restricts the design space for meeting low-standby-power leakage specifications, and so, the RSD structure ends up prevailing both in terms of leakage design space and on-state performance. For high-performance (HP) design, where the higher leakage specification permits heavier extension doping, the performances of optimized DSS and RSD MOSFETs are shown to be very similar. Thus, the optimal S/D design for HP is more likely to be decided by practical considerations such as process integration.
DIFFERENTIATION OF PATHOGENIC AND SAPROPHYTIC LEPTOSPIRES WITH 8-AZAGUANINE

Johnson, Russell C. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis), and Palmer Rogers. Differentiation of pathogenic and saprophytic leptospires with 8-azaguanine. J. Bacteriol. 88:1618–1623. 1964.—The use of the purine analogue, 8-azaguanine, as a differential agent for the separation of pathogenic and saprophytic leptospires was investigated. Growth of strains of the saprophyte Leptospira biflexa was almost insensitive to the bacteriostatic action of 8-azaguanine at concentrations varying from 25 to 600 μg/ml; these saprophytic leptospires were serially transferred five times in media containing 225 μg without any change in growth rate or cell yield. In contrast, decreased growth rate and cell yield of the pathogenic serotypes were observed with 25 to 50 μg/ml of 8-azaguanine. Complete inhibition of growth occurred at concentrations of 100 μg/ml and above. A medium containing 225 μg/ml of 8-azaguanine was successfully used to differentiate 20 serotypes of pathogenic leptospires and 10 saprophytic strains. L. andaman CH11, L. semarang Veldrat S1 73, and L. andaman Correa, were classified with the L. biflexa strains on the basis of their growth response to 8-azaguanine.
Replica time integrators

This paper is concerned with the classical problem of wave propagation in discrete models of nonuniform spatial resolution. We develop a new class of Replica Time Integrators (RTIs) that permit the two-way transmission of thermal phonons across mesh interfaces. This two-way transmissibility is accomplished by representing the state of the coarse regions by means of replica ensembles, consisting of collections of identical copies of the coarse regions. In dimension d, RTIs afford an O(n^d) speed-up factor in sequential mode, and O(n^(d + 1)) in parallel, over regions that are coarsened n-fold. In this work, we restrict ourselves to the solution of the 3d continuous wave equation, for both linear and non-linear materials. By a combination of phase-error analysis and numerical testing, we show that RTIs are convergent and result in exact two-way transmissibility at the Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy limit for any angle of incidence. In this limit, RTIs allow step waves and high-frequency harmonics to cross mesh interfaces in both directions without internal reflections or appreciable loss or addition of energy. The possible connections of RTIs with discrete-to-continuum approaches and, in particular, with the transition between molecular dynamics and continuum thermodynamics are also pointed to by way of future outlook.
Juvenile Transfer and Deterrence: Reexamining the Effectiveness of a “Get-Tough” Policy:

Although research has examined the effectiveness of juvenile transfer on recidivism, there has been a lack of research done in assessing how well juvenile waiver to adult court meets the criteria necessary for deterrence to occur (i.e., certainty, severity, and swiftness of punishment). The purpose of this study is to assess how well juvenile transfer meets these criteria, using data on 345 youths legislatively waived to adult court in Pennsylvania. The findings indicate that there is greater punishment severity in adult court, but there is no difference in punishment certainty between the two court systems. In addition, court processing occurred more quickly in juvenile court. In other words, only one element of deterrence theory is achieved with juvenile transfer. Implications for subsequent research and policy are discussed.
An architecture for making data available ceaselessly during recovery

Existing recovery schemes, developed for defensive information warfare scenario, range from completely prohibiting access to affected databases to prohibiting access specifically to damaged data items. In many cases this prohibition is undesirable. We have introduced a recovery model that can substantially reduce the database down-time during the recovery process, while attempting to provide repaired data as accurately as possible. The mechanism itself is divided into two activities. The first activity is the process of gathering summary information about all the database attributes, which is an on going process throughout the lifetime of the database. The second activity which occurs during and after an attack is recognized, providing acceptable values for damaged data items instantaneously, effectively keeping the database available at all times.
Applications of a Rapid Endospore Viability Assay for Monitoring UV Inactivation and Characterizing Arctic Ice Cores

We have developed a rapid endospore viability assay (EVA) in which endospore germination serves as an indicator for viability and applied it to (i) monitor UV inactivation of endospores as a function of dose and (ii) determine the proportion of viable endospores in arctic ice cores (Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 [GISP2] cores; 94 m). EVA is based on the detection of dipicolinic acid (DPA), which is released from endospores during germination. DPA concentrations were determined using the terbium ion (Tb3+)-DPA luminescence assay, and germination was induced by L-alanine addition. The concentrations of germinable endospores were determined by comparison to a standard curve. Parallel EVA and phase-contrast microscopy experiments to determine the percentage of germinable spores yielded comparable results (54.3% ± 3.8% and 48.9% ± 4.5%, respectively), while only 27.8% ± 7.6% of spores produced CFU. EVA was applied to monitor the inactivation of spore suspensions as a function of UV dose, yielding reproducible correlations between EVA and CFU inactivation data. The 90% inactivation doses were 2,773 J/m2, 3,947 J/m2, and 1,322 J/m2 for EVA, phase-contrast microscopy, and CFU reduction, respectively. Finally, EVA was applied to quantify germinable and total endospore concentrations in two GISP2 ice cores. The first ice core contained 295 ± 19 germinable spores/ml and 369 ± 36 total spores/ml (i.e., the percentage of germinable endospores was 79.9% ± 9.3%), and the second core contained 131 ± 4 germinable spores/ml and 162 ± 17 total spores/ml (i.e., the percentage of germinable endospores was 80.9% ± 8.8%), whereas only 2 CFU/ml were detected by culturing.
Hormones, Health, and Behavior: A Socio‐Ecological and Lifespan Perspective

Hormones, Health, and Behavior:. Socio-Ecological and Lifespan Perspective. C. Panter-Brick and C. M. Worthman. eds. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999. 290 pp.