cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seed dynamics during forest succession in Costa Rica

Soil seed banks and current seed inputs each play a role in tropical succession. We compared the abundance and floristic composition of seeds from these two sources at a Costa Rican site by germinating seeds from the soil, measuring seed inputs for 3 yr, and monitoring the earliest colonists in a forest clearing. There were an estimated 6800 viable seeds/m2 in the soil of 3.3-yr-old vegetation, 9500 seeds/m2 in 11-yr-old vegetation, and 7000 seeds/m2 in a 75-yr-old forest. An estimated 10100 seeds/m2 fell on the soil surface of the young successional vegetation during 3 yr and 3700 seeds/m2 fell during that same time in the forest. Locally produced seeds accounted for about 75% of the seed input to the soil surface early in succession. Seeds dispersed out of young successional vegetation increased the quantity and species richness of the seed input and storage in an adjacent forest. Much of the species richness of the young successional vegetation resulted from seeds dispersed there from other communities by animals. Deforestation stimulated germination of most seeds in the surface soil of the old forest, including seeds of the dominant canopy tree. The recruitment of seedlings from the soil seed bank numerically overwhelmed that from post-disturbance seed rain and sprouts. We evaluated patterns of soil seed storage during succession and predicted the ability of vegetation of differing ages to respond to disturbance. Immediately after disturbance the number of seeds in the soil plummeted due to mortality, low inputs, and germination. As the vegetation regrew, the soil seed bank increased to a peak after 4 to 7 yr, then gradually decreased to its pre-disturbance size. High-frequency pulses of disturbance should result in reduced species richness, dominance by species with long-lived seeds, and fast recovery by seedling recruitment from the soil seed bank.
Hands-on Science

At its most basic level, the term “hands-on science” simply means that the student is doing something, perhaps manipulating something rather than just passively hearing or reading about science. The range of activities and practices that could be called hands-on is vast resulting in a continuum of activities.
The Peculiar Nature of Codon Usage in Primates

The triplet code provides more than enough codons to represent the twenty amino acids found in proteins. Despite this fact all codons are used to represent amino acids or stop signals. As a result most amino acids are represented by more than one codon. The distribution of codons for any particular amino acid is defined as the synonym codon usage for that amino acid. Although the code is virtually universal, synonym codon usage varies considerably from species to species. Furthermore it seems likely that synonym codon usage is subject to different selection pressures in different species and also serves different functions. In this work we will focus on the role of codon usage in primates (PRI). However, in order to appreciate the unusual properties of codon usage in primates we must have some basis for comparison, preferably provided by systems that seem to be better understood. Our main comparisons will be with the prokaryotic microorganisms Escherichia coli (ECO) and the eukaryotic microorganism Saccharomyces cerevisiae (YSC) which we shall refer to as yeast. Throughout our investigation we will take advantage of GenBank which is a large database readily accessible to analysis by modern computer methods. The latest GenBank available to us is version 63.
De Novo PITX1 Expression Controls Bi-Stable Transcriptional Circuits to Govern Self-Renewal and Differentiation in Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Summary Basal tumor propagating cells (TPCs) control squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) growth by self-renewing and differentiating into supra-basal SCC cells, which lack proliferative potential. While transcription factors such as SOX2 and KLF4 can drive these behaviors, their molecular roles and regulatory interactions with each other have remained elusive. Here, we show that PITX1 is specifically expressed in TPCs, where it co-localizes with SOX2 and TRP63 and determines cell fate in mouse and human SCC. Combining gene targeting with chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and transcriptomic analyses reveals that PITX1 cooperates with SOX2 and TRP63 to sustain an SCC-specific transcriptional feed-forward circuit that maintains TPC-renewal, while inhibiting KLF4 expression and preventing KLF4-dependent differentiation. Conversely, KLF4 represses PITX1, SOX2, and TRP63 expression to prevent TPC expansion. This bi-stable, multi-input network reveals a molecular framework that explains self-renewal, aberrant differentiation, and SCC growth in mice and humans, providing clues for developing differentiation-inducing therapeutic strategies.
The Influence of the Great Recession on the Identification of Students From Non-White Populations in the State of Texas

The Great Recession is an economic crisis which has had repercussions through different facets of U.S. society. Texas, despite overall economic health, enacted severe cuts to education as a result ...
The Influence of Dietary Salt Beyond Blood Pressure

Excess sodium from dietary salt (NaCl) is linked to elevations in blood pressure (BP). However, salt sensitivity of BP varies widely between individuals and there are data suggesting that salt adversely affects target organs, irrespective of BP. High dietary salt has been shown to adversely affect the vasculature, heart, kidneys, skin, brain, and bone. Common mediators of the target organ dysfunction include heightened inflammation and oxidative stress. These physiological alterations may contribute to disease development over time. Despite the adverse effects of salt on BP and several organ systems, there is controversy surrounding lower salt intakes and cardiovascular outcomes. Our goal here is to review the physiology contributing to BP-independent effects of salt and address the controversy around lower salt intakes and cardiovascular outcomes. We will also address the importance of background diet in modulating the effects of dietary salt.
Contributions of atmospheric and oceanic feedbacks to subtropical northeastern sea surface temperature variability

Previous studies show that the dominant mode of variability in the Northeastern subtropical Pacific and Atlantic are analogous. Most attention has been given to the wind-evaporation-sea surface temperature (WES) feedback, but more recent studies suggest that clouds and ocean play a role. Here, it is shown that, while the mode of variability is similar, the quantitative role of clouds and ocean are different. Using Community Earth System Model, version 1.2, cloud feedbacks and interactive ocean dynamics are disabled separately to diagnose the relative contributions of each to sea surface temperature (SST) variability in subtropical northeastern ocean basins. Results from four experiments show that the relative contributions from WES and cloud radiative feedback depend on the role of the ocean. Positive cloud radiative feedback is evident in both basins but has less impact on SST variance in the Atlantic than in the Pacific. The reason for this is that ocean processes strongly damp SST anomalies in the Pacific and weakly enhance SST anomalies in the Atlantic. When cloud feedbacks are disabled, ocean processes become a larger driver of SST variability in the Atlantic. In line with previous studies, the Northeast Pacific SST variability may be understood as a white-noise-forced linear stochastic system with positive feedback from cloud and damping by latent heat flux and ocean processes, while Atlantic SST is driven partially by variations in ocean circulation and requires vertical mixing for rendition. Between these two regions, different ocean dynamics lead to different roles for atmospheric feedbacks but still result in similar patterns of SST variability.
Spinal cord float back is not an independent predictor of postoperative C5 palsy in patients undergoing posterior cervical decompression

Abstract BACKGROUND Of the more than 30,000 posterior cervical spine fusions performed annually, 7%–12% will be complicated by postoperative C5 palsy, a condition characterized by new-onset deltoid weakness with or without C5 dermatomal findings and biceps weakness. Posterior translation of the cervical spinal cord has been proposed as a risk factor for this complication. PURPOSE To evaluate if C5 palsy can be predicted by spinal cord float back. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective cohort. PATIENT SAMPLE Patients ≥18 years of age undergoing posterior cervical decompression between 2002 and 2017 for degenerative cervical spine pathologies. OUTCOME MEASURES Occurrence of C5 palsy as evaluated by manual motor testing (MMT). METHODS We recorded baseline neurological status, operative notes, details of postoperative course, and both pre- and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging images. Float back was defined by the change in the distance between the spinal cord and posterior face of the C4/5 annulus from preoperative to postoperative imaging. C5 palsy was defined by new-onset deltoid weakness on MMT. RESULTS We identified 242 patients with a mean age of 62.4 years and mean follow-up of 27.9 months. Forty-two (17.4%) experienced postoperative C5 palsy. On univariable analysis, significant predictors of postoperative C5 palsy were mean C4/5 foraminal diameter (2.8 vs. 3.2 mm; p CONCLUSIONS Spinal cord float back was not an independent predictor of C5 palsy on multivariable analysis. Only smaller foraminal diameter was independently predictive of postoperative C5 palsy. This suggests that chronic preoperative compression of the C5 roots, not postdecompression float back may be the biggest contributor to the etiology of postoperative C5 palsy.
Consistency of self-reported drug use among electronic dance music party attendees.

Introduction and aims Longitudinal studies have found that recanting of drug use is common. We investigate the extent to which individuals in a high-risk population-electronic dance music (EDM) party attendees-provide inconsistent reports of drug use. Design and methods Nine hundred and thirty-three EDM party attendees were intercept-surveyed before entering randomly selected parties in 2017. A quarter (n = 236) completed the optional follow-up survey (63.1% of those providing an email address to be contacted for follow up). We compared self-reported past-year drug use on baseline and follow-up surveys (mean = 3.6 days post-baseline) among those who completed both. Predictors for providing discordant responses were also examined. Results About 42.4% provided a discordant response between surveys, but discord regarding reported use of individual drugs (measured in changes in absolute percentage) ranged from 0.0% to 5.1%. At follow up, prevalence of reported use of LSD decreased (by 3.8%, P = 0.013) and prevalence of reported use of shrooms also decreased (by 5.1%, P = 0.005); however, test-retest reliability was strong or almost perfect for all 17 drugs (κ range: 0.88-1.00). Those reporting the use of a higher number of drugs at baseline were at increased risk of providing discordant responses. Those surveyed outside of festivals were less likely to provide more discordant responses than those surveyed outside of nightclubs. Discussion and conclusions Although reporting of drug use was very reliable in this high-risk population, inconsistent self-reported use of some drugs was still common. Research is needed to determine how to acquire more accurate responses in this population at the point of recruitment without relying on follow-up surveys.
Intercultural, postcolonial, experiential: A case study in forming congregational mission leaders in seminaries:

This article describes the objectives, methodology, and outcomes of a course designed to accompany seminary-organized intercultural learning trips. The course is framed around race as a primary mar...
Correlates of intentional weight loss among American adults

Obesity has become a global epidemic. Intentional weight loss has significant health benefits for people who are overweight and obese. This study used the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance S...
Representing surface roughness in eddy resolving simulation

The motive behind the present paper is to investigate a method for representing the effect of surface roughness in eddy resolving simulations of turbulent flow, without including the geometric form of the roughness as a boundary. It is found that introducing a drag force, quadratic in a reference velocity, and confined to a zone next to the wall, is remarkably possible to capture the dominant effects of roughness. The drag representation is not new; indeed, it is motivated by Reynolds averaged models. The present assessment provides a new perspective on the fluid dynamical action of distributed roughness: its dominant effect is not to create eddies in the wake of asperities, or to provide a geometric obstruction. The drag model, with no geometrical features, suppresses streaks that occur over smooth walls, and generates large, outer region eddies, in a quite similar way to resolved roughness. In a sense, this is an expanded perspective on Townsend’s hypothesis. As in that hypothesis, Reynolds stresses scale on friction velocity; but, expanding on the original hypothesis, spectra over the forcing layer agree closely with those over resolved roughness, when the force is calibrated to produce the same friction Reynolds number as the resolved roughness.
Economic Foundations of Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

To address controversies in the applications of cost-effectiveness analysis, we investigate the principles underlying the technique and discuss the implications for the evaluation of medical interventions. Using a standard von Neumann-Morgenstern utility framework, we show how a cost-effectiveness criterion can be derived to guide resource allocation decisions, and how it varies with age, gender, income level, and risk aversion. Although cost-effectiveness analysis can be a useful and powerful tool for resource allocation decisions, a uniform cost-effectiveness criterion that is applied to a heterogeneous population level is unlikely to yield Pareto-optimal resource allocations.
New data infrastructures for environmental monitoring in Myanmar: Is digital transparency good for governance?:

The design and use of environmental data infrastructures, including software platforms, sensors, satellite data, mobile phone apps, and digitally generated visual representations, is increasingly i...
Discovery of a Nearby Halo White Dwarf with Proper Motion μ = 2.″55 yr–1

We report the discovery of PM J13420-3415, a faint (V = 17) white dwarf with a very high proper motion μ = 255 yr-1. The star was found in the southern sky extension of the SUPERBLINK proper-motion survey. A red spectrum shows the classical signature of a DA white dwarf, with a weak Hα line in absorption as the only prominent feature. The star is also found to have a large radial velocity Vrad = +212 ± 15 km s-1. At the adopted distance of 18 pc, the star has a very large space motion of 313 km s-1 relative to the Sun. An integration of the space motion shows that the star is on a nearly polar Galactic orbit and is thus an unambiguous member of the Galactic halo. However, with an estimated effective temperature 5000 K < Teff < 5500 K, the white dwarf appears to be much younger than expected for a denizen of the halo. The apparent paradox can be explained if the white dwarf is the relatively young (~2 Gyr) remnant of a longer lived (10-14 Gyr) main-sequence star, in which case the object is predicted to be a low-mass white dwarf with M ≈ 0.45 M☉.
The Association Between Monocyte Subsets and Cardiometabolic Disorders/Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Monocyte subsets in humans, i.e. classical (CM), intermediate (IM), and non-classical monocytes (NCM), are thought to differentially contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, the leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the association between monocyte subsets and cardiometabolic disorders and CVD is not well understood. Thus, the aim of the current systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate recent findings from clinical studies that examined the association between the distribution of monocyte subsets in subjects with cardiometabolic disorders and CVD compared to healthy controls. Methods: Articles were systematically searched in CINAHL, PubMed and Cochrane Library. Articles were independently screened and selected by two reviewers. Studies that reported the percentages of each monocyte subset were included in the meta-analyses. For the meta-analyses, a random-effects model was used to generate pooled standardized mean differences (SMD) between subjects with cardiometabolic disorders and healthy controls. Results: A total of 1693 articles were screened and 27 studies were selected for qualitative analyses. Among them, six studies were included in the meta-analysis. In total, sample size ranged from 22 to 135 and mean or median age from 22 to 70 years old. We found studies that reported higher percentage and number of IM and/or NCM in subjects with cardiometabolic disorders (9 out of 13 studies) and in subjects with CVD (11 out of 15 studies) compared to healthy controls. In the meta-analyses, the percentage of CM was lower [SMD = –1.21; 95% CI (–1.92, –0.50); P = 0.0009; Ι^2 = 91%] and the percentage of IM [SMD = 0.56; 95% CI (0.23, 0.88); P = 0.0008; Ι^2 = 65%] and NCM [SMD = 1.39; 95% CI (0.59, 2.19); P = 0.0007; Ι^2 = 93%] were higher in subjects with cardiometabolic disorders compared to healthy controls. Conclusions: There may be a shift in the distribution of monocyte subsets from CM towards IM and NCM in individuals with cardiometabolic disorders and CVD. Future studies are needed to evaluate the cause and biological significance of this potential shift in the distribution monocyte subsets.
Playful provocations and playful mindsets: teacher learning and identity shifts through playful participatory research

Play is a core resource for how children learn. Yet current efforts to bring playful learning into schools often neglect the role adults play in embracing and modeling playfulness. This paper prese...
Husserl, Heidegger, and the paradox of subjectivity

This article considers the differences between Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger in light of Pascal’s distinction between the esprit de geometrie and the esprit de finesse. According to Pascal, the essential “principles” dominating our perceptual lives cannot be clearly and confidently demonstrated in a manner akin to logic and mathematics, but must be discerned in a more spontaneous or intuitive manner. It is unsurprising that Husserl, originally a student of mathematics, might seem closer to the esprit de geometrie, whereas Heidegger, trained in theology and drawn to poets and poetic thinkers, is closer to the esprit de finesse. This difference is clear from the styles of writing of these two seminal figures. I consider how this stylistic difference is also linked with the substance of their respective philosophies, and with the approaches they recommend for exploring subjective life. A related difference concerns how each theorist responds to what Husserl called the “paradox of human subjectivity” and what Michel Foucault later termed the “empirico-transcendental doublet”: the fact that, in doing phenomenology, human consciousness exists as both the subject and the object of our knowing. Husserl mostly emphasized the advantages, epistemological and existential, that this potential reflexivity can afford. Heidegger was more interested in the obstacles or traps it sets—both for accurate self-knowledge and for authentic living. These issues are discussed in relation to the “natural attitude” and “everydayness,” and to the linguistic grounding of human existence and knowledge—especially as these issues emerge in Foucault’s Les mots et les choses and Eugen Fink’s Sixth Cartesian Meditation.
Attachment as a predictor of attraction to humor styles

Abstract A sense of humor is highly valued in potential mates, although not all types of humor positively impact romantic relationships. In a preregistered study (N = 788), we examined whether adult attachment predicted attraction to humor styles using both frequentist and Bayesian analyses. We found an overall strong preference for positive humor styles that foster emotional closeness and relationship satisfaction (affiliative and self-enhancing) over negative humor styles that reduce emotional closeness and relationship satisfaction (aggressive and self-defeating). As expected, avoidant attachment was associated with relatively more attraction to negative humor styles and less attraction to positive humor styles. Though not consistent with our preregistered hypotheses, anxious attachment was also associated with relatively more attraction to negative humor styles and less attraction to an affiliative humor style, and these associations strengthened as avoidant attachment increased. Thus, insecure attachment was generally associated with greater attraction to humor styles that harm relationships and less attraction to humor styles that foster strong relationships.
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF A SUSTAINABLE HYBRID HEATING SYSTEM IN A GREEN INFRASTRUCTURAL BUILDING

Traditional energy production from fossil fuel conversion process creates negative environmental impact and affects human health. Thus, the usage of solar space heating piques the interest of several countries and organizations because it can reduce fossil energy consumption and is environmentally friendly. This paper conducted a comparative study between the advantages and impacts of using a sustainable Hybrid Heating System (HHS) and a Conventional Heating System (CHS) in an infrastructural building. The Centre for the Built Environment and Infrastructure Studies (CBEIS), a GOLD LEED-certified building of Morgan State University (MSU) is currently using an HHS for heating and cooling of electricity production. Several testing and analysis were used to compare and evaluate the performance and advantages of the HHS. The results showed that HHS has a significant edge over the CHS and was able to reduce the annual cost of the electric bill for almost $25,000. The statistical results and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) confirmed that there was a significant difference during the months of winter and summer season in determining how much Kilowatt (kW) produced during the process.
Neural Spintronics: Noninvasive Augmentation of Brain Functions

Understanding the complexity of the brain ultimately requires insight into the decoding of local microcircuit functionality by noninvasive approaches. Recently, the new field of Spintronics is attracting a lot of attention with its noninvasive abilities to sense the magnetic field of neurons and to modulate their firing with spintronics devices. The two emerging tools are transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and magnetic encephalography (MEG). The proposed nano-TMS device will use magnetic nanowires—the electromagnetic coils’ nanoscale cousins—to generate focused and programmable magnetic fields. Preliminary theoretical calculations show that proposed devices can provide programmable, focused stimulation for noninvasive neuromodulation of neural microcircuits with unprecedented high spatial and temporal resolutions. The nano-MEG is based on a simple version of the magnetometer capable of imaging the neural connections in the brain. The proposed magnetometer will realize the simple quantum limit (SQL) of the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) of a “YIG” oscillator and/or spin-torque nano-oscillators (STNO) using a phase-locked loop (PLL) synchronized to a quartz clock. This micro-to-nano-metric technology is comparable with silicon integrated circuits and promises a “laboratory on a chip” approach to MEG that permits millions of detectors to be used. The design is aimed at reducing the massive magnetic screening associated with the usual superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID) or optically pumped magnetometers (OPM).
Gender, Race, and Mourning in American Modernism

Introduction 1. Gender, melancholy, and the whiteness of impersonal form in The Great Gatsby 2. Redeeming violence in The Sun Also Rises: phallic embodiment, primitive ritual, fetishistic melancholia 3. Versions of traumatic melancholia: the burden of white man's history in Light in August and Absalom, Absalom! 4. The Professor's House: primitivist melancholy and the gender of Utopian forms Afterword Index.
Interoperability among independently evolving web services

The increasing popularity of XML Web services motivates us to examine if it is feasible to substitute one vendor service for another when using a Web-based application, assuming that these services are "derived from" a common base. If such substitution were possible, end users could use the same application with a variety of back-end vendor services, and the vendors themselves could compete on price, quality, availability, etc. Interoperability with substituted services is non-trivial, however, and four types of incompatibilities may arise during such interoperation -- structural, value, encoding and semantic. We address these incompatibilities three-fold: (1) static and dynamic analysis tools to infer whether an application is compatible with a substituted service, (2) semi-automatically generated middleware components called cross-stubs that actually resolve incompatibilities and enable interoperation with substituted services, and (3) a lightweight mechanism called multi-option types to enable applications to be written from the ground up in an interoperation-friendly manner. Using real applications and services as examples, we both demonstrate and evaluate our tools and techniques for enabling interoperation with substituted services.
Perspectives on the New Kidney Disease Education Benefit: Early Awareness, Race and Kidney Transplant Access in a USRDS Study

Education services for Stage-IV chronic kidney disease patients were added in 2010 as a Part B covered benefit under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act. Desired outcomes include early pursuit of kidney transplantation by more patients and reduction of racial disparities in access to transplantation. During 2005–2007, a United States Renal Data System (USRDS) special study surveyed 1123 patients in a national cohort who had recently started dialysis, identified themselves as black or white, and were reported by their physician as potentially eligible transplant candidates. Patients were asked if kidney transplantation had been discussed with them before they initiated renal replacement therapy, and survey responses were linked with subsequent wait listing and transplant events in USRDS registry files. Kaplan–Meier analyses showed a significant association between early transplant awareness and subsequent wait listing. Adjusted Cox models showed a significant race/early transplant awareness interaction, however, with the impact of early awareness on wait listing much stronger for whites. Ongoing support and education about kidney transplantation for patients after dialysis start could help to build on early education and foster greater quality improvement in patient outcomes.
Scaffolding learning from contrasting video cases

Video cases can serve as valuable instructional tools for preservice teachers by presenting examples of effective and ineffective student learning and pedagogical approaches. However, merely seeing video-cases without in-depth, interpretive analysis may not ensure learning. This study examined the effects of cognitive, metacognitive, combination, and affective questions, on preservice teachers' declarative knowledge of formative assessment, case-interpretation skills and ability to redesign formative assessments in similar and novel classroom contexts. All participants showed significant improvements from pretest to posttest on declarative knowledge and case-interpretation skills. A-priori planned contrasts revealed that the cognitive-questions group outperformed the metacognitive group on declarative knowledge whereas the metacognitive-questions group outperformed the cognitive group on video case-interpretation at posttest and transfer tasks. The results suggest practical implications for using specific scaffolding questions that are effective in improving conceptual knowledge and applied case-interpretation skills during contrasting video case analysis activities.
The politics of constitutional review in Germany

1. The politics of constitutional review 2. Implementation, public support, and transparency 3. The Federal Constitutional Court in comparative perspective 4. Transparency and judicial deference 5. From the inside looking out: judicial and legislative perceptions 6. Pushing the limits: party-finance legislation and the Bundesverfassungsgericht 7. Prudent jurists Bibliography Index.
Planning Monitoring Frequencies for CPM Projects

A construction project, planned and scheduled with the aid of the Critical Path Method, needs to be controlled so that corrective measures may be implemented in order to curb excessive costs. A near-optimal frequency of monitoring a project in order to establish control is based on minimizing certain costs, namely: (1) Penalties which may be incurred for not finishing a project on time; (2) costs of taking corrective measures in order to bring a project back on schedule; and (3) expense incurred from monitoring. Cost comparisons of three different approaches for establishing monitoring intervals are presented based on model sample of three building projects and three road projects. A monitoring plan specially adapted to a particular project appears to provide lower cost control than a periodic frequency or a decreasing period plan for building projects whereas certain periodic and decreasing period approaches appear to be quite satisfactory in addition to a specially tailored plan for road projects.
Nuclear and cytoskeletal fluorescence microscopy techniques.

Publisher Summary There are two fluorescent nuclear stains that are extremely useful: [4',6 diamino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI); Sigma D-9542] for conventional fluorescence microscopy and SYTOX (Molecular Probes S-7020) for use with confocal, laser-scanning microscopy. DAPI is a highly versatile and very forgiving stain for nuclei. To view chromosome structure, cells and nuclear membranes must be disrupted enough to release chromosomes from the micronuclear envelope without causing chromosomes to scatter far from the resident cell profile. For conventional fluorescence microscopy, cells may either be processed as a pelleted suspension or attached to poly-L-lysine-coated coverslips. Cells need not be affixed to the coverslip for conventional fluorescence microscopy. Fixation, staining, and washing can all occur as treatments of the pelleted cells (handled in a centrifuge tube), and the final washed pellet can be resuspended in an antiquench medium and delivered to a clean slide for observation.
Galaxy Morphology and Classification

A brief discussion of the de Vaucouleurs revised Hubble classification system is given, with special emphasis on ring and lens morphologies. The possible physical interpretations of each dimension of the system are summarized.
An octave band GaAs analog phase shifter

A GaAs variable-gain analog phase shifter, which operates with high phase and amplitude resolution over an octave band, has been demonstrated. An all-pass approach to the phase shifter design eliminated the need for bulky hybrid couplers and allowed better than 0.5 degrees phase resolution over an octave band. The phase shifter consists of three GaAs MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) chips in a hybrid package. It exhibits greater than 10-dB gain and 100-mW output power from 400 MHz to 1400 MHz, with a phase/amplitude settling time of less than 100 ns. The authors address the design of the three MMIC chips contained in the module and the performance of the module itself. >
Coupled length scales in eroding landscapes

We report results from an empirical study of the anisotropic structure of eroding landscapes. By constructing a novel correlation function, we show quantitatively that small-scale channel-like features of landscapes are coupled to the large-scale structure of drainage basins. We show additionally that this two-scale interaction is scale-dependent. The latter observation suggests that a commonly applied effective equation for erosive transport may itself depend on scale.
Tests of an Alternative Explanation of Data Supporting the R Scale of the MMPI as a Measure of Acquiescence

Summary.-An alternative hypothesis explaining the greater proportion of True responses given by Ss with low scores on the R scale of the MMPI when compared with Ss with high scores on the R scale was not supported in two experiments. The results supporred the original hypothesis of Edwards and Abbott that the R scale is measuring in some degree the tendency to respond True to personality items and trait adjectives without regard to the substantive content of these items. Several studies (Abbott, Fry, & Keim-Abbott, 1972; Edwards & Abbotc, 1969, 1972 ) have reported evidence which supported an acquiescence interpretation of the R scale of the ,WI. The same basic experimental paradigm was used in the three studies. Sets of self-report personality statements or trait adjectives were ordered according to the Social Desirability Scale Values (SDSVs) of the items. "Scales" of heterogeneous content were then formed by taking successive sers of 20 statements or adjectives and keying the items all true. High and Low scorers on the R scale of the MMPI were then identified and their mean scores on each of the true-keyed "scales" was determined. In general, the above studies reported that Ss with High-R scale scores had lower mean scores on the "scales" than Ss with Low-R scale scores. This was interpreted as evidence that the R scale is in some degree measuring individual differences in rates of True responding. Additionally, for the entire sample of each of the experiments, the correlations were negative between R scale score and score on the arbitrary truekeyed "scales." Thus, the lower the R scale score, the higher the score on the
Metric for web accessibility evaluation

A novel metric for quantitatively measuring the content accessibility of the Web for persons with disabilities is proposed. The metric is based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) checkpoints, an internationally accepted standard, that can be automatically tested using computer programs. Problems with current accessibility evaluation and the need for a good Web accessibility metric are discussed. The proposed metric is intended to overcome the deficiencies of the current measurements used in Web accessibility studies. The proposed metric meets the requirements as a measurement for scientific research. Examples of large-scale Web accessibility evaluations using the metric are given. The examples cover a comparison of Web accessibility of top medical journal Web sites and a longitudinal study of a Web site over time. The validity of the metric was tested using a large number of Web sites with different levels of compliance (rating categories) to the standard WCAG. The metric, which uses a predetermined simple weighting scheme, compares well to the more complex C5.0 machine learning algorithm in separating Web sites into different rating categories.
Natural language techniques for intelligent information retrieval

Neither natural language processing nor information retrieval is any longer a young field, but the two areas have yet to achieve a graceful interaction. Mainly, the reason for this incompatibility is that information retrieval technology depends upon relatively simple but robust methods, while natural language processing involves complex knowledge-based systems that have never approached robustness. We provide an analysis of areas in which natural language and information retrieval come together, and describe a system that joins the two fields by combining technology, choice of application area, and knowledge acquisition techniques.
Partitioning of Serpin-Proteinase Reactions between Stable Inhibition and Substrate Cleavage Is Regulated by the Rate of Serpin Reactive Center Loop Insertion into β-Sheet A

The serpin family of serine proteinase inhibitors is a mechanistically unique class of naturally occurring proteinase inhibitors that trap target enzymes as stable covalent acyl-enzyme complexes. This mechanism appears to require both cleavage of the serpin reactive center loop (RCL) by the proteinase and a significant conformational change in the serpin structure involving rapid insertion of the RCL into the center of an existing β-sheet, serpin β-sheet A. The present study demonstrates that partitioning between inhibitor and substrate modes of reaction can be altered by varying either the rates of RCL insertion or deacylation using a library of serpin RCL mutants substituted in the critical P14 hinge residue and three different proteinases. We further correlate the changes in partitioning with the actual rates of RCL insertion for several of the variants upon reaction with the different proteinases as determined by fluorescence spectroscopy of specific RCL-labeled inhibitor mutants. These data demonstrate that the serpin mechanism follows a branched pathway, and that the formation of a stable inhibited complex is dependent upon both the rate of the RCL conformational change and the rate of enzyme deacylation.
The Cost of Government and the Misuse of Public Assets

This paper deals with efficiency in the public sector. It argues that the habit of relating efficiency to public spending, as is generally done, may give wrong results when, as is often the case, public institutions use public assets (land, buildings, etc.) without imputing a cost for that use. The paper argues that, because of lack of incentives, governments are ofter wasteful in their use of publicly held assets. It recommends the creation of "cadastres" of publicly owned assets that could be used for several purposes including increasing public sector efficiency.
Theory-infected: or how i learned to stop worrying and love universal quantification

Writing developer tests as software is built can provide peace of mind. As the software grows, running the tests can prove that everything still works as the developer envisioned it. But what about the behavior the developer failed to envision? Although verifying a few well-picked scenarios is often enough, experienced developers know bugs can often lurk even in well-tested code, when correct but untested inputs provoke obviously wrong responses. This leads to worry.We suggest writing Theories alongside developer tests, to specify desired universal behaviors. We will demonstrate how writing theories affects test-driven development, how new features in JUnit can verify theories against hand-picked inputs, and how a new tool, Theory Explorer, can search for new inputs, leading to a new, less worrysome approach to development.
877 SICKLE CELL ANEMIA IN SAUDI ARABIA: SPECULATIONS ABOUT REGIONAL VARIABILITY IN FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY

877 SICKLE CELL ANEMIA IN SAUDI ARABIA: SPECULATIONS ABOUT REGIONAL VARIABILITY IN FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY
Traffic flow stability induced by constant time headway policy for adaptive cruise control vehicles

Abstract This paper is concerned with the traffic flow stability/instability induced by a particular adaptive cruise control (ACC) policy, known as the “constant time headway (CTH) policy”. The control policy is analyzed for a circular highway using three different traffic models, namely a microscopic model, a spatially discrete model, and a spatially continuous model. It is shown that these three different modeling paradigms can result in different traffic stability properties unless the control policy and traffic dynamics are consistently abstracted for the different paradigms. The traffic dynamics will, however, be qualitatively consistent across the three modeling paradigms if a consistent biasing strategy is used to adapt the CTH policy to the various modeling frameworks. The biasing strategy determines whether the feedback quantity for use in the control, is taken colocatedly, downstream or upstream to the vehicle/section/highway location. For ACC vehicles equipped with forward looking sensors, the downstream biasing strategy should be used. In this case, the CTH policy induces exponentially stable traffic flow on a circular highway in all three modeling frameworks. It is also shown that traffic flow stability will be preserved for an open stretch highway if the entry and exit conditions are made to observe the downstream biasing strategy.
Synthesis of silicon–substituted azonitriles and their use in preparing caulks

A silicon-substituted azonitrile, has been synthesized by the hydrosilation of 5-hexene-2-one azine with methyldichlorosilane in the presence of chloroplatinic acid, followed by hydrocyanation with anhydrous HCN, and subsequent oxidation with chlorine. The azonitrile is an initiator for radical polymerizations. It is especially useful for the preparation of low molecular weight polymers that, after treatment with acetic anhydride, cure at room temperature in the presence of atmospheric moisture. The preparation of a series of room temperature- vulcanizable materials based on a tetrafluoroethylene/methyl vinyl ether copolymer is described.
Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) Spectroscopy Studies of Compomer Type Dental Restoratives

Abstract Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy was used to evaluate the curing kinetics of compomer type dental restoratives, determining rate constants and half-life of radicals. Physical strength measurements of the compomers were also determined for correlation with the ESR results. Compoglass (Ivoclar-Vivadent), Dyract (Dentsply), ANA (Nordiska) and Luxat (DMG) compomers were used in the study. Specimens, 3. 2 mm diameter x 6. 6 mm length, were cured in a plastic mold for 2 minutes, using an Elipar lamp. Immediately after curing, samples were examined by ESR, establishing time zero. The influence of conditioning at 37°CC in water, 0.1M lactic acid, and 75% ethanol was examined. A Varian (E—9 X-band) ESR spectrometer was used to follow radical decay in all dental compomers studied. Peak intensities decrease during storage under dark conditions, accelerated by solution sorption which causes the matrix to swell, bringing about faster radical decay. Rate constants and half-lives of the radicals were ...
Identification of differentially expressed genes by mutually subtracted RNA fingerprinting.

A mutually subtracted RNA fingerprinting (SuRF) method has been developed that allows efficient identification of differentially expressed sequence tags between two samples. Mutual subtractions of two RNA samples are achieved by first synthesizing cDNAs using oligo(dT) coupled with magnetic beads which are then reciprocally hybridized to starting RNA samples to remove common mRNAs between them. The second step involves differential fingerprinting of the subtracted RNA samples by polymerase chain reaction with specially designed degenerate primers. SuRF was applied to identify alteration in gene expression pertinent to osteogenic sarcoma which was achieved by employing the method between FOB (an immortalized fetal osteoblast) and MG63 (an osteosarcoma) cell lines. An estimated 10% of the total expressed genes in these two cell types were screened by the method. This analysis identified 96 differentially expressed sequences, none of which was identified repeatedly. A subset of these sequences was subsequently confirmed to have differential expression between the two cell types. Removal of common mRNAs prior to differential display should diminish redundant identification of abundant genes and increase the chance of identifying rare differentially expressed genes.
Cold hardiness of Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of pyralid moths.

Abstract The ectoparasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Say) attacks stored-product infesting pyralid moths that are able to overwinter under extremely cold conditions. The extent to which H. hebetor can withstand these conditions is not known, but has important implications for the ability of H. hebetor to provide long-term suppression of these pests in temperate climates. We investigated basic cold hardiness aspects of a mutant eye-color strain of H. hebetor. Feeding larvae and adults of H. hebetor had supercooling points (SCPs) at temperatures higher than those of eggs and pupae. Mean SCPs of females and males were equivalent, as were those of naked and silk-encased pupae. Feeding on honey prior to being subjected to low temperatures significantly increased the SCP of adult females by approximately 8 °C. Mortality of pupae and adults increased significantly whenever the temperature dropped below the mean SCP, indicating that H. hebetor does not tolerate freezing. For pupae and adults exposed to −12 and −5 °C, the hourly mortality rate increased with time of exposure. Pupae and adults exposed to −12 °C for different time intervals showed high mortality after only 1 d of exposure. At −5 °C, none survived 12 d of exposure. A better understanding of how well this parasitoid tolerates low temperatures will be useful in evaluating its potential as a biological control agent of stored-product moths in temperate regions.
Dehydration-induced luminescence in clay minerals

Reports of triboluminescent phenomena in organic crystalline materials prompted a search for related processes in clay minerals. The reported extensive mechanical distortion produced on freezing and drying of montmorillonite was particularly interesting because of studies of condensation reactions in a wet/dry cycled reaction sequence. The discovery of an unusual luminescent process in several clay minerals is reported and its characteristics are described.
Social Work Education and Public Child Welfare: A Review of the Peer-Reviewed Literature on Title IV-E Funded Programs

Collaboration between public child welfare agencies and social work education is not a new strategy. The relationship was kindled in the 1909 White House Conference and enshrined in Title IV-E support for social work education for public child welfare workers (Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980). Federal support for the preparation of social workers in the field of child welfare can be traced as far back as 1935 with the inception of the Child Welfare Provisions of the Social Security Act (Zlotnik, 2002). Although IV-E program evaluation research remains small, the contributions of existing studies have added to the field. This review highlights those contributions and accentuates the need to improve research efforts in terms of designs rigor, including sample size, power, effect size, instrumentation, analyses, and outcomes. In addition, it underscores the need to move forward in connecting outcomes to families and children by focusing on safety, permanence, and well-being.
THE INFLUENCE OF HEAT ON DIFFERENT SERA AS CULTURE MEDIA FOR GROWING TISSUES.

1. Bone marrow of guinea pigs grows better in autogenic than in homogenic serum. 2. Bone marrow of guinea pigs grows more extensively and rapidly in unheated than in heated autogenic and homogenic serum (56° C. for half an hour). 3. In different heterogenic sera, there are differences in the growth of the tissue. In none of the sera examined, was the growth so extensive as in homogenic and autogenic serum. 4. Heated heterogenic serum is a better culture medium and shows more extensive tissue growth than normal unheated heterogenic serum.