cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors predictive of tumor growth, tumor decalcification, choroidal neovascularization, and visual outcome in 74 eyes with choroidal osteoma.

Objective To evaluate choroidal osteoma for tumor growth, tumor decalcification, related choroidal neovascularization, visual acuity loss, and poor visual acuity. Design Retrospective nonrandomized single-center case series. Setting Ocular Oncology Service at Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa. Participants There were 74 eyes of 61 patients with choroidal osteoma evaluated between January 1, 1977, and January 1, 2003. Main Outcome Measures The 5 outcome measures included tumor growth, tumor decalcification, related choroidal neovascularization, visual acuity loss of 3 or more Snellen lines, and poor visual acuity of 20/200 or worse. Results At 5 and 10 years, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed tumor growth in 22% and 51% of eyes, tumor decalcification in 28% and 46% of eyes, choroidal neovascularization in 31% and 31% of eyes, visual acuity loss in 26% and 45% of eyes, and poor visual acuity in 45% and 56% of eyes, respectively. The clinical factor predictive of tumor growth was absent overlying retinal pigment epithelial alterations. The factor predictive of decalcification was irregular tumor surface. Of the 15 tumors that showed partial decalcification at the first visit, there was no further tumor growth in any case. Of the remaining 12 tumors that later developed decalcification, tumor growth, if it occurred, was along the margin opposite the decalcification. No tumor showed growth in the region of decalcification. Factors predictive of choroidal neovascularization included irregular tumor surface and subretinal hemorrhage. In 6 eyes that had both choroidal neovascularization and tumor decalcification, the neovascularization was detected prior to or at the same time as the decalcification. The factor predictive of visual acuity loss was presence of subretinal fluid whereas the factors predictive of poor visual acuity included symptoms and tumor decalcification. A comparison of eyes with subfoveal vs extrafoveal choroidal osteoma showed poor visual acuity in 15 (34%) of 44 eyes and 3 (10%) of 30 eyes, respectively. Eyes with decalcified choroidal osteomas manifested poor visual acuity in 13 (48%) of 27 eyes whereas those with nondecalcified tumors showed poor visual acuity in 5 (11%) of 47 eyes. Conclusions Choroidal osteoma showed evidence of growth in 51% of eyes and decalcification in nearly 50% of eyes by 10 years. Tumors with any degree of decalcification at the initial visit showed no further growth. Overall, poor visual acuity of 20/200 or worse was found in 56% of eyes by 10 years, and decalcified subfoveal choroidal osteomas displayed a particularly poor visual prognosis.
On the filter of computably enumerable supersets of an r-maximal set

We study the filter ℒ*(A) of computably enumerable supersets (modulo finite sets) of an r-maximal set A and show that, for some such set A, the property of being cofinite in ℒ*(A) is still Σ03-complete. This implies that for this A, there is no uniformly computably enumerable “tower” of sets exhausting exactly the coinfinite sets in ℒ*(A).
Elastostatics of a spherical inclusion in homogeneous biological media

A three-dimensional spherical inclusion model that approximates a lesion bonded to a tissue matrix is proposed for biomedical elastography. Analytical formulae describing spatial strain and stress distributions generated in infinite media by uniform loading are given under a linear, homogeneous, isotropic elasticity assumption. Strain and stress distributions are also calculated using finite-element analysis (FEA) for a variety of cases to determine the effects of shear modulus distribution, external loading conditions (uniform stress versus uniform displacement), compressor size and matrix dimensions on the elastostatics of the tissue. Analytical strain and stress predictions are shown to agree with the FEA results to within 10% accuracy provided that the matrix dimensions are at least ten times that of the inclusion. Also for these cases, uniform-stress boundary conditions can be equivalently represented by uniform displacement of the boundary. Spherical inclusions exhibit a lower efficiency for transferring elastic shear modulus contrast into strain contrast than cylindrical or planar inclusions. Additional compression will increase the strain contrast. However, large compressions also lead to increases in ultrasonic signal decorrelation and strain and stress concentrations in the homogeneous matrix around the inclusion. Although strain concentrations may help describe the boundaries of the inclusion more clearly, they also increase the risk of damaging the tissue. Understanding the strain and stress distributions in a biological tissue containing a lesion is necessary for optimizing the experimental configurations and consequently improving the diagnostic values of elasticity imaging.
Influence of fixation on physiological properties of frog gastric mucosa.

Functional properties of the in vitro frog gastric mucosa were studied during fixation with glutaraldehyde (G4) or OsO4. The acid secretory rate dropped quickly and was completely absolished within 5–15 min. When fixative was added to either the serosal or mucosal surface of the mucosa the potential difference decreased rapidly within the first minute and frequently became temporarily inverted. The electrical resistance changes almost always included an initial drop. With GA added to either side and with OsO4 added to the serosal side the resistance then rose to values above the controls, again returning to very low values after intervals usually between 15 min and 2 h. With OsO4 added to the mucosal side the resistance decreased rapidly to low levels and did not recover. The selective permeability of the nutrient membrane of K+ over Na- was decreased within 5 to 10 min, but was not abolished until about 35 min after the addition of the fixatives, at which time the mucosal resistance was still high. It is concluded that the ion-conducting pathways in the plasma membranes are greatly changed by the fixatives, which should be taken into consideration when interpreting electron micro-graphs.
Outbreak of pertussis in a residential facility for handicapped people

An outbreak of pertussis was recognized and investigated in a home for neurologically impaired people. Of 66 residents, 44 (67%) had evidence of recent pertussis infection, although only 12 (27%) had respiratory symptoms. Pertussis was diagnosed by culture, direct fluorescent antibody testing of nasal secretions, agglutinating antibody titer, pertussis antitoxin titer, IgG antibody to pertussis toxin, IgA antibody to pertussis toxin, IgA antibody to filamentous hemagglutinin, or IgG antibody to filamentous hemagglutinin. No single test identified more than 66% of people with pertussis. Of those with positive serologic findings, 95% had a positive test result for IgA antibody to filamentous hemagglutinin or for IgG antibody to pertussis toxin or for both. Pertussis occurred in both immunized and unimmunized residents. Seven carriers were identified; these residents had positive cultures or positive direct fluorescent antigen test results but negative serologic findings. Treatment of residents and caretakers with erythromycin halted the outbreak.
The PROMIS Physical Function Correlates With the QuickDASH in Patients With Upper Extremity Illness

Background To assess disability more efficiently with less burden on the patient, the National Institutes of Health has developed the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function—an instrument based on item response theory and using computer adaptive testing (CAT). Initially, upper and lower extremity disabilities were not separated and we were curious if the PROMIS Physical Function CAT could measure upper extremity disability and the Quick Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH).
Prevention of Nutritional Muscular Dystrophy in Suckling E-low Rats with Alpha-tocopherol and Related Substances.∗

SummaryThe dystrophy that almost invariably appears toward the end of the lactation period in the suckling young of vitamin E-low mothers can be prevented by the administration of 10 mg of alpha-tocopherol to the mother on the day of littering or the feeding of 1 mg daily to the young from day 10 or 3 mg from day 15. The administration of 3 mg of alpha-tocopherol daily from day 18 was ineffective. The following compounds related chemically to alpha-tocopherol were tested for anti-dystrophic activity and found inactive: 2,2,5,7,8-penta-methyl, 6 hydroxy chromane, phytol, gamma lactone and vitamin K1.
Measurement of System Inertia Tensors in Precessing Nonrigid Systems

Theme A a considerable body of literature exists for the motions of precessing nonrigid systems, there have been relatively few attempts at formulating or measuring their system inertia tensors. One motivation for doing so is to achieve equations that are more easily included in the over-all transfer function of a space vehicle than is the case for the equations of a continuously deformable medium, e.g., a liquid fuel. This paper presents an apparatus and experimental technique for measuring system inertia tensors of precessing nonrigid systems and includes preliminary results for liquids in a filled precessing spherical cavity.
Genome-Wide High-Throughput Mining of Natural-Product Biosynthetic Gene Clusters by Phage Display

We have developed a phage-display method for high-throughput mining of bacterial gene clusters encoding the natural-product biosynthetic enzymes, polyketide synthases (PKSs) and nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). This method uses the phosphopantetheinyl transferase activity of Sfp to specifically biotinylate NRPS and PKS carrier-protein domains expressed from a library of random genome fragments fused to a gene encoding a phage coat protein. Subsequently, the biotinylated phages are enriched through selection on streptavidin-coated plates. Using this method, we isolated phage clones from the multiple NRPS and PKS gene clusters encoded in the genomes of Bacillus subtilis and Myxococcus xanthus. Due to the rapid and unambiguous identification of carrier domains, this method will provide an efficient tool for high-throughput cloning of NRPS and PKS gene clusters from many individual bacterial genomes and multigenome environmental DNA.
Serum lipid levels in infants and mothers at parturition.

Abstract The concentrations in umbilical cord serum and maternal venous serum of triglycerides, cholesterol and lipid phosphorus were established for a group of 56 American newborns and their mothers. Maternal lipid levels are elevated at the time of parturition while those of the infants are far below the mothers' values. The triglyceride levels in the newborns are 20% of the maternal concentration while those for cholesterol and lipid P are 40% as high. All lipid concentrations increased appreciably in the infants by the third day of life, with the greatest relative rise occurring in the glyceridc fraction. The serum triglyceride concentration in the American newborns was identical with that of a Swedish group despite the fact that the other lipid components were higher in the former population. A comparison of the serum cholesterol concentration of newborns in various countries revealed that it generally is highest in America.
Direct cell cycle regulation by the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) kinase through phosphorylation-dependent release of Cks1 from FGFR substrate 2.

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are upstream activators of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and mitogens in a wide variety of cells. However, whether the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway solely accounts for the induction of cell cycle or antiapoptotic activity of the FGF receptor (FGFR) tyrosine kinase is not clear. Here we report that cell cycle inducer Cks1, which triggers ubiquitination and degradation of p27Kip1, associates with the unphosphorylated form of FGFR substrate 2 (FRS2), an adaptor protein that is phosphorylated by FGFR kinases and recruits downstream signaling molecules. FGF-dependent activation of FGFR tyrosine kinases induces FRS2 phosphorylation, causes release of Cks1 from FRS2, and promotes degradation of p27Kip1 in 3T3 cells. Since degradation of p27Kip1 is a key regulatory step in activation of the cyclin E/A-Cdk complex during the G1/S transition of the cell cycle, the results suggest a novel mitogenic pathway whereby FGF and other growth factors that activate FRS2 directly activate cyclin-dependent kinases.
Assessment of Lymphatic Contractile Function After Manual Lymphatic Drainage Using Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging

Abstract Tan I-C, Maus EA, Rasmussen LC, Marshall MV, Adams KE, Fife CE, Smith LA, Chan W, Sevick-Muraca EM. Assessment of lymphatic contractile function after manual lymphatic drainage using near-infrared fluorescence imaging. Objective To investigate the feasibility of assessing the efficacy of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), a method for lymphedema (LE) management, by using near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging. Design Exploratory pilot study. Setting Primary care unit. Participants Subjects (N=10; age, 18–68y) with a diagnosis of grade I or II LE and 12 healthy control subjects (age, 22–59y). Intervention Indocyanine green (25 μg in 0.1 mL each) was injected intradermally in bilateral arms or legs of subjects. Diffused excitation light illuminated the limbs, and NIR fluorescence images were collected by using custom-built imaging systems. Subjects received MLD therapy, and imaging was performed pre- and posttherapy. Main Outcome Measures Apparent lymph velocities and periods between lymphatic propulsion events were computed from fluorescence images. Data collected pre- and post-MLD were compared and evaluated for differences. Results By comparing pre-MLD lymphatic contractile function against post-MLD lymphatic function, results showed that average apparent lymph velocity increased in both the symptomatic (+23%) and asymptomatic (+25%) limbs of subjects with LE and control limbs (+28%) of healthy subjects. The average lymphatic propulsion period decreased in symptomatic (−9%) and asymptomatic (−20%) limbs of subjects with LE, as well as in control limbs (−23%). Conclusions We showed that NIR fluorescence imaging could be used to quantify immediate improvement of lymphatic contractile function after MLD.
The challenge of comparative health policy research for applied medical anthropology

In this paper I argue that medical anthropologists can work in settings outside of academia to effect policy and that this work can simultaneously contribute to scientific knowledge and to the discipline of anthropology. In doing this, I first discuss the concept of policy and bind these ideas within the framework of health policy. Then I discuss the roles of anthropologists in the health policy field and the problems of selecting issues for research and the concern about the dichotomy between pure and applied research. Finally, I review some key health policy issues in American society and discuss how medical anthropologists can work toward practicing their craft in practical ways.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Adults with Serious Mental Illness and Substance Abuse

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder continues to be under-diagnosed among individuals with severe mental illness and substance abuse. In a convenience sample of 64 patients with severe mental disorders being treated at an urban outpatient clinic, 24% met full criteria for PTSD based upon a comprehensive assessment protocol while only 3% were diagnosed with PTSD by clinicians in the medical record (Cochran's Q = 11.267, df 1, p <.001). In contrast, there was a high rate of diagnostic agreement for psychotic and affective illnesses as well as substance abuse. More attention needs to be given to systematically assessing PTSD among severely mentally ill and dually diagnosed individuals because even highly skilled diagnosticians miss the complex presentation of symptoms with which these patients present for treatment.
Purification, Cloning, and Bacterial Expression of Retinol Dehydratase from Spodoptera frugiperda

Abstract Anhydroretinol and 14-hydroxy-4,14-retro-retinol, retro-retinoids endogenous to both mammals and insects, act as agonist and antagonist, respectively, in controlling proliferation in lymphoblasts and other retinol-dependent cells. We describe here the identification, purification, cloning, and bacterial expression of the enzyme retinol dehydratase, which converts retinol to anhydroretinol in Spodoptera frugiperda. Retinol dehydratase has nanomolar affinity for its substrate and is, therefore, the first enzyme characterized able to utilize free retinol at physiological intracellular concentrations. The enzyme shows sequence homology to the sulfotransferases and requires 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate for activity.
Optical access: networks and components (overview)

The exponential gtowth of traffic delivered to an individual customer both for business and personal needs puts tremendous pressure on the telecommunications networks. Because the development of the long-haul and metro networks has advanced rapidly and their capacity much eceeds demand, tremendous pressure now falls in the local networks to provide customers with access to the global telecom infrastructure. Building a broadband access network enabling fast delivery of high-volume traffic is the current task of network operators. A brief review of broadband access networks brings us to the conclusion that only wired optical networks can serve as an immediate and future solution to the "last-mile" problem. After discussin goptical access network classification, we focus mainly on passive optical networks (PON) because PON is a major technology today. From the network standpoint, we discuss the principle of PON operation, architectures, topologies, protocols and standards, design issues, and network management and services. We also discuss the main problems with PON and the use of WDM technology. From the hardware standpoint, we consider both active and passive components. We analyze the structure and elements of these components, including their technical characteristics.
Syntheses of radioactive furan fatty acids

A novel route for the synthesis of naturally occurring furan fatty acids with particular emphasis on labeling with14C is described. Methyl [2-14C] 9-(5-pentyl-3,4-dimethyl-2-furyl)nonanoate was synthesized from 3,4-dimethyl-2-pentylfuran by a new route. [3-14C]11-(5-Pentyl-3-methyl-2-furyl)undecanoate and [2-14C] 9-(5-pentyl-2-furyl)nonanoate were prepared from their lower homologs. The label was introduced in all cases by means of the Arndt-Eistert method for chain elongation, using14CH2N2. Comparisons of yields show that, with increasing number of substituents on the ring, the furan compounds are increasingly subject to uncontrollable side reactions.
Legacies of Tortured Sensibility; or, what Shakira learned from Sade

Apropos of the title, this essay traces the surprising connections between the eighteenth-century pornographer and the contemporary Latina superstar’s portrayals of eroticized torture, as well as elucidates the cultural significance of what I am calling a legacy of tortured sensibility. By illuminating how the gendered spectatorial politics of sensibility—particularly in its fetishization of the (female/feminized) body in pain—continues to inform the numerous interlocking discourses of race, gender, and sexuality we have inherited from Sade’s Europe, and especially from the early sentimental novel, this paper demonstrates how the transnational artist taps into a Sadean resistance to figurations of distressed hearts and flayed skin as sites of geopolitical and individual transcendence. Finally, examining 120 Days of Sodom and “La Tortura” side by side revitalizes attention to the ethical crisis surrounding aesthetic voyeurism: where does the anguish of reading Sade—with his relentless scenes of corporeal torment—go?
Accounting for Spatial Autocorrelation in Linear Regression Models Using Spatial Filtering with Eigenvectors

Ordinary least squares linear regression models are frequently used to analyze and model spatial phenomena. These models are useful and easily interpreted, and the assumptions, strengths, and weaknesses of these models are well studied and understood. Regression models applied to spatial data frequently contain spatially autocorrelated residuals, however, indicating a misspecification error. This problem is limited to spatial data (although similar problems occur with time series data), so it has received less attention than more frequently encountered problems. A method called spatial filtering with eigenvectors has been proposed to account for this problem. We apply this method to ten real-world data sets and a series of simulated data sets to begin to understand the conditions under which the method can be most usefully applied. We find that spatial filtering with eigenvectors reduces spatial misspecification errors, increases the strength of the model fit, frequently increases the normality of model r...
Classification of facial translocation approach to the skull base

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To categorize a surgical approach to the skull base. DESIGN: Retrospective assessment of an evolving concept pertaining to the facial translocation procedure. SETTING: Schematic/conceptual. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To allow favorable surgical reach of the essential anatomy at the cranial base with the potential for functional and esthetic reconstruction. INTERVENTION: Systematic craniofacial disassembly. RESULTS: The facial translocation technique of modular craniofacial disassembly of facial units permits a satisfactory match between a skull base tumor and a selected surgical approach. Individual units have a complementary relationship to one another, allowing an expansion of the surgical approach as needed. (OTOLARYNGOL HEAD NECK SURG 1995;112:579-85.)
Age at menarche and weight concerns in relation to smoking trajectory and dependence among adolescent girls enrolled in a smoking cessation trial

Many girls adopt dieting and other practices (i.e. cigarette smoking) to control weight during puberty. This analysis explored the relationship between age at menarche and onset of daily smoking, and whether this relationship was influenced by weight concerns among treatment seeking female adolescents. The sample consisted of 71 participants enrolled in a smoking cessation trial (age 15.2+/-1.3 years; 74.7% European American, baseline BMI 24.7+/-5.4, age at menarche 11.7+/-1.3 years, Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence score 7.0+/-1.2). Over 60% of participants reported weight concerns at baseline, based on responses to the Eating Disorders module from the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents. Linear regression analyses revealed a significant association between age at menarche and age of onset of daily smoking (beta=0.18+/-0.09, p=0.038). Having weight concerns did not modify the relationships between age at menarche and smoking trajectory/severity or abstinence. Findings support previous research showing that early maturation represents a risk factor for substance use. Further study in larger samples that include non-treatment-seeking adolescent female smokers is warranted.
Feasibility study through design and implementation of a web services based RFID solution

The increasing availability of cheap yet powerful RFID infrastructure is enabling many organizations to harness the benefits of this technology. However, the growing scale of reader devices and tags of all types by different vendors is also leading to increasing challenges in managing the information flowing from them. The RFID based management systems presently being used by organizations in supply chain visibility and other operations are in the form of standalone localized systems. These systems also have many limitations such as lack of multiple hardware vendor compatibility, limited data storage capacity, primitive event processing rule engines etc. We propose the possibility of a service to store RFID data and manage associated operations independent of the geographic location of the client, or the nature of hardware used by the client. Such a service needs to readdress the issues of database design, complex event processing, data security etc. In this paper, we will discuss these issues and how we are addressing them.
When Is a Guess a Guess: Children's Sensitivity to Inference Constraint in Assessing Understanding of Story Information.

Abstract Four experiments determined if second and fourth grade children and college students are sensitive to inference constraint both in making causal inferences and in assessing understanding of a story. Inference constraint reflected the interaction of encoding and retrieval variables. The encoding variable concerned clues that referenced a critical concept used in the inference. Retrieval varied in the number of inferences that were probed, the response options, and the instructions about guessing. Feelings of understanding were assessed after, during, and before the question process in Experiments 1 through 3. Experiment 4 concerned the relation between understanding monitoring and text monitoring. The results were that both inference likelihood and understanding ratings varied with constraint for all grades. The novel developmental findings included the surprising competence of second graders in assessing understanding, marked differences with grade in dealing with uncertainty, and contrasting patterns of performance for the children in evaluating understanding and story adequacy. The results suggest that comprehension monitoring and text monitoring should be distinguished empirically and theoretically.
Endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful: Elinor Ostrom and the diversity of institutions

Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone circling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved (Darwin [1876] 1976, p. 445).
Uridinediphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase from skeletal muscle.

Abstract Uridinediphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase has been purified from skeletal muscle over 1300-fold. It appears to be present with an activity of 30 mmoles/100 g. muscle/hr. at 30 °C. The enzyme seems to be specific for glucose 1-phosphate. The K m for UDPG is 4.5 × 10 −5 M ; the calculated K m for both Mg ++ and pyrophosphate is 1 + 10 −4 M . The pH optimum of stability is 9.8, and the pH optimum of activity is 7.5.
Parenting and Academic Socialization as They Relate to School Readiness: The Roles of Ethnicity and Family Income.

Relationships between parenting and children's school readiness were examined within socioeconomically comparable samples of African American and Euro-American kindergarten children, mothers, and teachers. The moderating role of family income and ethnicity for the relationships between parenting behaviors, parental expectations, and school involvement and children's early school performance were also examined. Although there were many similarities across ethnic groups in the relationships between parenting and school performance, family income moderated the relationship between parenting behaviors and prereading scores: Parenting had a much stronger relationship with prereading performance for lower income families than for higher income families. Ethnicity moderated the relationships between parental school involvement and children's premath performance. Implications of these findings for prevention and intervention programs are discussed.
CMV antigenemia following bone marrow transplantation: risk factors and outcomes.

Abstract Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection remains a major problem in blood and bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients. Recent efforts have been directed at prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of CMV disease following BMT. Assay for CMV early antigen pp65 on circulating leukocytes has been shown to be sensitive, and specific in detecting early CMV infection. We examined the frequency, risk factors, and outcomes of a positive CMV antigen assay in 118 consecutive BMT patients. Forty-three (36%) of the 118 patients developed CMV antigenemia a median of 26 days post-BMT (range, -6 to 209 days). The incidence of antigenemia in autologous, related donor, and unrelated donor BMT recipients was 15%, 50%, and 48%, respectively (P Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2000;6(3):280-8.
Sarcoma Care in an Urban Health-care System: Which Factors Lead to Variance of Care?

Bone and soft tissue sarcomas are rare diagnoses in the orthopedic patient population. Without rapid evaluation and proper treatment, mortality is increased in these patients. The purpose of our study is to identify factors associated with a variance of care in bone and soft tissue sarcoma patients within a large urban hospital system. Our study retrospectively reviewed the charts of 117 patients with orthopedic tumors at both private and public hospital settings, and we recorded their treatment course. Race, insurance type, and hospital type were associated with variations in sarcoma care in our large urban hospital system. Surgeons should be aware of these variances when treating these groups of patients.
Chick colour approach preferences are altered by cold stress; colour pecking and approach preferences are the same.

Colour approach preferences in 1-day-old New Hampshire and White Leghorn chicks were assessed by choice preference tests between pairs of differently coloured floors, illuminated by light passed through different interference filters and adjusted to equal luminance. In experiment 1, the preferences found closely resembled colour pecking preferences reported previously for domestic chicks, e.g. a preference for blue over green. Experiment 2 showed that the latter preference could be reversed by cold stress. That is, chicks tested similarly but in a cold noisy room (18.9 C) preferred green over blue. Experiment 3 eliminated the role of noise in this reversal effect, since chicks tested in a warm noisy room showed the normal blue over green preference. It was concluded, in disagreement with prior findings and their interpretations, that chick colour pecking and approach preferences are normally the same, not different, and certainly not spectral mirror-image reversals. Instead, a more restricted preference reversal (i.e. in the blue-green spectral regions) occurs as a result of cold stress.
Ultrasonic determination of the effect of shear on lipid crystallization

The design and calibration of a novel rheometer incorporating ultrasonic sensors are described. The instrument is capable of the simultaneous measurements of torque, rate of temperature change, and ultrasonic properties of a liquid as a function of time, temperature, and shear rate. The effect of shear rate on the crystallization onset temperature of a sample of confectionery coating fat is studied using this device. The instrument detected the phase transition in the sheared sample as abrupt changes in all of the measured parameters. The onset temperature increased significantly with shear rate, implying lipid crystallization can be accelerated by mixing. There were also significant differences between sensing modalities.
Prostaglandins act as neurotoxin for differentiated neuroblastoma cells in culture and increase levels of ubiquitin and β-amyloid

Although chronic inflammatory reactions have been proposed to cause neuronal degeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the role of prostaglandins (PGs), one of the secretory products of inflammatory reactions, in degeneration of nerve cells has not been studied. Our initial observation that PGE1-induced differentiated neuroblastoma (NB) cells degenerate in vitro more rapidly than those induced by RO20-1724, an inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase, has led us to postulate that PGs act as a neurotoxin. This study has further investigated the effects of PGs on differentiated NB cells in culture. Results showed that PGA1 was more effective than PGE1 in causing degeneration of differentiated NB cells as shown by the cytoplasmic vacuolation and fragmentation of soma, nuclei, and neurites. Because increased levels of ubiquitin and β-amyloid have been implicated in causing neuronal degeneration, we studied the effects of PGs on the levels of these proteins during degeneration of NB cells in vitro by an immunostaining technique, using primary antibodies to ubiquitin and β-amyloid. Results showed that PGs increased the intracellular levels of ubiquitin and β-amyloid prior to degeneration, whereas the degenerated NB cells had negligible levels of these proteins. These data suggest that PGs act as external neurotoxic signals which increase levels of ubiquitin and β-amyloid that represent one of the intracellular signals for initiating degeneration of nerve cells.
The status of Paykull's Curculio fuscirostris (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Although Paykull cited Fabricius as author of the name Curculio fuscirostris, several authors have wrongly attributed the name to Paykull, listing it as a synonym of Tychius picirostris (Fabricius) or T. stephensi Schonherr. Paykull's usage, however, was based on a misidentification, so Paykull cannot be cited as author, nor can the name replace any currently in use in Tychius.
Simple Smale flows with a four band template

Abstract We study simple Smale flows on S 3 and other 3-manifolds modeled by the Lorenz template and another template with four bands but that still has cross section a full 2-shift.
A Practical Coding Scheme for Interference Channel Using Constrained Partial Group Decoder

We propose novel coding and decoding methods for a fully connected K-user Gaussian interference channel via assigning multiple codebooks (layers) to each transmitter, such that at each receiver decoding interferers partially becomes feasible. Each receiver first identifies which interferers it should decode and which layers of them should be decoded, and then successively decodes a group of layers with a constraint on its group size treating the remaining layers as Gaussian noise. We provide a distributed algorithm that determines the transmission rate at each transmitter also finds the order of the layers to be successively decoded at each receiver. We also consider practical design of a system that employs the quadrature amplitude modulations (QAM) and rateless codes. Numerical results are provided on the achievable sum-rate under the ideal case of Gaussian signaling with random codes as well as on the system throughput under practical modulations and channel codes. The results show that the proposed multi-layer coding scheme with CPGD offers significant performance gain over the traditional un-layered transmission with single-user decoding.
A probabilistic model of eye movements in concept formation

It has been unclear whether optimal experimental design accounts of data selection may offer insight into evidence acquisition tasks in which the learner's beliefs change greatly during the course of learning. Data from Rehder and Hoffman's [Eyetracking and selective attention in category learning, Cognitive Psychol. 51 (2005) 1-41] eye movement version of Shepard, Horland and Jenkins' classic concept learning task provide an opportunity to address these issues. We introduce a principled probabilistic concept-learning model that describes the development of subjects' beliefs on that task. We use that learning model, together with a sampling function inspired by theory of optimal experimental design, to predict subjects' eye movements on the active learning version of that task. Results show that the same rational sampling function can predict eye movements early in learning, when uncertainty is high, as well as late in learning when the learner is certain of the true category.
Natural Growth Rates of Ambystoma maculatum in Alabama

The Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) is widespread throughout the eastern United States and southern Canada. In 1997, we initiated a long-term study of A. maculatum at a breeding pond in Calhoun County, Alabama. Each winter, we captured salamanders as they returned to breed and inserted passive integrated transponders to permit positive identification of recaptures. We fit the von Bertalanffy growth-interval equation to data on snout-vent length taken from individuals captured and recaptured in different years and estimated intrinsic growth rates for both males and females. Males displayed rapid juvenile growth, which slowed as they neared estimated maximum size. Females, however, displayed relatively constant growth until nearing their estimated maximum size. The intrinsic growth rate of females was lower than that estimated for males. We hypothesize that sex-specific growth patterns maximize reproductive efforts of A. maculatum.
Establishing Credibility in the Multicultural Classroom: When the Instructor Speaks with an Accent

Applying theories of cultural dimensions, teacher credibility, and nonverbal immediacy, this chapter explores classroom management techniques used by Asian female teachers to establish credibility.
Loss of function of KRE5 suppresses temperature sensitivity of mutants lacking mitochondrial anionic lipids.

Disruption of PGS1, which encodes the enzyme that catalyzes the committed step of cardiolipin (CL) synthesis, results in loss of the mitochondrial anionic phospholipids phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and CL. The pgs1Δ mutant exhibits severe growth defects at 37°C. To understand the essential functions of mitochondrial anionic lipids at elevated temperatures, we isolated suppressors of pgs1Δ that grew at 37°C. One of the suppressors has a loss of function mutation in KRE5, which is involved in cell wall biogenesis. The cell wall of pgs1Δ contained markedly reduced β-1,3-glucan, which was restored in the suppressor. Stabilization of the cell wall with osmotic support alleviated the cell wall defects of pgs1Δ and suppressed the temperature sensitivity of all CL-deficient mutants. Evidence is presented suggesting that the previously reported inability of pgs1Δ to grow in the presence of ethidium bromide was due to defective cell wall integrity, not from “petite lethality.” These findings demonstrated that mitochondrial anionic lipids are required for cellular functions that are essential in cell wall biogenesis, the maintenance of cell integrity, and survival at elevated temperature.
A Situative Perspective on Cognition and Learning in Interaction

My goal is to contribute to concepts that can explain aspects of social interaction and of subject-matter information content in cognition and learning. The approach I take, which I call situative, takes activity systems as the main focus of study and analysis, and attempts to understand processes in which participants construct information in common ground that they deem relevant to their progress on the task they are working on. I argue that this situative perspective and the individual information-processing perspective both are valid in a way that encourages development of integration between them. I cite previous research that shows that positioning in the participant framework is an important factor for explaining productive and not-so-productive cognitive phenomena. The analysis of FastPlant data that I present shows, further, that positioning of students can differ in different phases of activity in a task. Specifically, students’ agency can differ between activities that generate alternatives to be considered and activities that determine which alternative will be favored.
The Response of Buoyant Coastal Plumes to Upwelling-Favorable Winds

Abstract To better understand the response of a buoyant coastal plume to wind-induced upwelling, a two-dimensional theory is developed that includes entrainment. The primary assumption is that competition between wind-driven vertical mixing and lateral buoyancy forcing in the region where the isopycnals slope upward to intersect the surface results in continual entrainment at the offshore edge of the plume. The theory provides estimates of the buoyant plume characteristics and offshore displacement as a function of time t, given the wind stress, the characteristics of the buoyant plume prior to the onset of the wind forcing, and a critical value for the bulk Richardson number (Ric). The theory predicts that, for t ≡ t/ts, the plume density anomaly decreases as (1 + t)−1, the thickness increases as (1 + t)1/3, the width increases as (1 + t)2/3, and the plume average entrainment rate decreases as (1 + t)−2/3. Here ts = 2Ao/(RicUE) is the time for entrainment to double the cross-sectional area of the pl...
Inverse scattering method applied to degenerate two-photon propagation in the low-excitation limit

The propagation of an optical pulse in a two-photon absorber is studied under the conditions that the initial pulse is detuned from exact resonance, and the population of the upper level remains small. The problem is solved by use of a recently developed variant of the inverse scattering technique on a finite interval.
Reproduction of Diaeretiella rapae on Russian wheat aphid hosts at different temperatures

Diaeretiella rapae (M’Intosh), a polyphagous and cosmopolitan parasite of aphids, was imported from China to the USA for biological control of Diuraphis noxia(Mordwilko), a pest of small grains. We studied several aspects of its biology on D. noxia hosts in the laboratory at 3 constant temperatures, 10.0, 21.1, and 26.7 C. Females lived significantly longer than males at all 3 temperatures, and longevity was greatest at 10 C, followed by 21.1 and 26.7 C. Fecundity ( number of mummies) did not differ significantly among the 3 temperatures studied. The ovarian egg-load was 129 1 9 3, and was significantly affected by the size of adult females. A pre-oviposition period (0 95 0 26 days) was detected at 10 C, but not at the other temperatures. Pre-imaginal survivorship was similar among temperatures, while and decreased with temperature, and increased with temperature. The offspring sex ratio (proportion females) was lowest at 26.7 C, and similar between 10.0 and 21.1 C. In addition, the offspring sex ratio significantly declined with the age of the female parent. The suitability of D. rapae for colonization against D. noxia in North America is discussed in relation to its responses to temperature and the climate of its home range.
Improved virtual cathode formation in Inertial Electrostatic Confinement

Continued experimentation on the Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) of ions in a virtual cathode potential well at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is presented. The IEC virtual cathode is formed by focusing six diametrically opposed electron beams to the center of a spherical vacuum chamber. The electrons are accelerated using two highly transparent, concentric spherical grids held at positive potential. The converging electron beams generate a parabolic potential well inside of the innermost grid, which is measured using a tungsten filament emissive probe. Ions created inside of the virtual cathode will remain trapped, with the maximum ion energy determined by the well depth.
Quantitative Trait Loci Affecting Life Span in Replicated Populations of Drosophila melanogaster. I. Composite Interval Mapping

Composite interval mapping was used to identify life-span QTL in F2 progeny of three crosses between different pairs of inbred lines. Each inbred line was derived from a different outbred population that had undergone long-term selection for either long or short life span. Microsatellite loci were used as genetic markers, and confidence intervals for QTL location were estimated by bootstrapping. A minimum of 10 QTL were detected, nine of which were located on the two major autosomes. Five QTL were present in at least two crosses and five were present in both sexes. Observation of the same QTL in more than one cross was consistent with the hypothesis that genetic variation for life span is maintained by balancing selection. For all QTL except one, allelic effects were in the direction predicted on the basis of outbred source population. Alleles that conferred longer life were always at least partially dominant.
Inactivation of bacteria by Purogene

The bacteriocidal efficacy of Purogene, a stabilized aqueous solution of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) was examined using bacteria of concern to public health. The organisms tested were: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Yersinia enterocolitica, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes Group A, Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus subtilis. The test organisms responded differently to inactivation by Purogene. At least a 4 log reduction in bacterial counts was noted when Purogene was applied at a concentration of 0.75 mg/l. Since Purogene is a stabilized complex, it was necessary to provide a chemical environment suitable for the release of ClO2 in this solution. This was done by varying the pH of Purogene from 3.5 to 8.6 (pH of Purogene is 8.6) while keeping the pH of the experimental medium constant (pH 7.0). The results showed that Purogene was most efficacious at the lowest pH tested (pH 3.5). This indicates that as chlorine dioxide solutions were reduced to chlorite (which predominates at pH 8.6), their bacteriocidal efficacy was reduced, suggesting free chlorine dioxide as the active disinfecting species.
Performance review of integrated CMOS VCO circuits for wireless communications

This paper reviews monolithically integrated CMOS voltage controlled oscillators (VCO) for wireless communications. The key challenges in VCO development include: design of a high Q tank on a substrate tailored for CMOS, multiband operation using a single VCO, enhanced manufacturability using digital frequency tuning, and optimization of the overall VCO topology for low power operation. Recent developments in each of these areas are examined and a comparison of various VCO topologies versus figure of merit (FOM) is presented.
The Number of Required Observations in Data Assimilation for a Shallow-Water Flow

AbstractThe authors consider statistical ensemble data assimilation for a one-layer shallow-water equation in a twin experiment: data are generated by an N × N enstrophy-conserving grid integration scheme along with an Ekman vertical velocity at the bottom of an Ekman layer driving the flow and Rayleigh and eddy viscosity dissipation damping the flow. Data are generated for N = 16 and the chaotic flow that results is analyzed. This analysis is performed in a path-integral formulation of the data assimilation problem. These path integrals are estimated by a Monte Carlo method using a Metropolis Hastings algorithm. The authors' concentration is on the number of measurements Lc that must be assimilated by the model to allow accurate estimation of the full state of the model at the end of an observation window. It is found that for this shallow-water flow approximately 70% of the full set of state variables must be observed to accomplish either goal. The number of required observations is determined by examin...