cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Landscape and anthropogenic features influence the use of auditory vigilance by mule deer

While visual forms of vigilance behavior and their relationship with predation risk have been broadly examined, animals also employ other vigilance modalities such as auditory vigilance by listening for the acoustic cues of predators. Similar to the tradeoffs associated with visual vigilance, auditory behavior potentially structures the energy budgets and behavior of animals. The cryptic nature of auditory vigilance makes it difficult to study, but on-animal acoustical monitoring has rapidly advanced our ability to investigate behaviors and conditions related to sound. We utilized this technique to investigate the ways external stimuli in an active natural gas development field affect periodic pausing by mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) within bouts of rumination-based mastication. To better understand the ecological properties that structure this behavior, we investigate spatial and temporal factors related to these pauses to determine if results are consistent with our hypothesis that pausing is used for auditory vigilance. We found that deer paused more when in forested cover and at night, where visual vigilance was likely to be less effective. Additionally, deer paused more in areas of moderate background sound levels, though responses to anthropogenic features were less clear. Our results suggest that pauses during rumination represent a form of auditory vigilance that is responsive to landscape variables. Further exploration of this behavior can facilitate a more holistic understanding of risk perception and the costs associated with vigilance behavior.
Metacontrast and paracontrast: Both photopic and scotopic luminance levels yield monotones

Metacontrast and paracontrast were examined under a wide range of luminances and interstimulus intervals. Results show monotonic masking functions for both metacontrast and paracontrast. Luminance affected the detectability of targets and was shown to have small but significant effects on the extent, but not on the nature, of metacontrast and paracontrast functions.
Data Assimilation in the ADAPT Photospheric Flux Transport Model

Global maps of the solar photospheric magnetic flux are fundamental drivers for simulations of the corona and solar wind and therefore are important predictors of geoeffective events. However, observations of the solar photosphere are only made intermittently over approximately half of the solar surface. The Air Force Data Assimilative Photospheric Flux Transport (ADAPT) model uses localized ensemble Kalman filtering techniques to adjust a set of photospheric simulations to agree with the available observations. At the same time, this information is propagated to areas of the simulation that have not been observed. ADAPT implements a local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF) to accomplish data assimilation, allowing the covariance structure of the flux-transport model to influence assimilation of photosphere observations while eliminating spurious correlations between ensemble members arising from a limited ensemble size. We give a detailed account of the implementation of the LETKF into ADAPT. Advantages of the LETKF scheme over previously implemented assimilation methods are highlighted.
Factors Influencing Fish Food and Fish Production in Southwestern Streams

Abstract For the past two years surveys have been in progress on the mountain streams of the Southwest. These investigations included chemical analyses, quantitative counts of bottom food organisms, a study of the physical character of the streams, and studies of the fish such as species present, relative abundance, age, and growth rate. An intensive creel census has been undertaken in several streams. An intensive study is being made on two experimental streams, one of which has been improved to the practical limit and the other left in its original condition. The surveys have shown that vegetative cover on the watershed and especially in the canyon bottoms is of great importance in maintaining productivity. Vegetative cover is essential for retaining moisture and preventing severe floods which have been found to be the outstanding limiting factor in southwestern streams. Floods not only roll and grind the bottom materials and widen the stream bed, destroying pools and cover, but they also sweep away ric...
The Latency-Associated Nuclear Antigen of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Permits Replication of Terminal Repeat-Containing Plasmids

The latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus can associate with mitotic chromosomes and promote latent episome maintenance and segregation. Here we report that LANA also mediates the replication of plasmid DNAs bearing viral terminal repeats. The predicted secondary structure of LANA's C terminus reveals striking similarity to the known structure of the DNA-binding domain of Epstein-Barr virus EBNA1, despite the absence of primary sequence homology between these proteins, suggesting conservation of the key mechanistic features of latent gammaherpesvirus DNA replication.
Importance of Early Diagnosis in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) account for >$20 billion in direct and indirect costs annually, a large portion of which relates to making the diagnosis. The diagnosis of IBS is challenging because symptoms can vary between patients and overlap with those of other disorders. This review examines the current diagnostic approach in IBS and discusses new tools that may improve diagnostic confidence earlier in the process. The prevalence of organic disease among patients who meet symptom-based criteria for IBS (eg, Rome III) is generally low; therefore, in the absence of "alarm features," the probability for organic disease is very low. Increased public awareness of IBS symptoms and physician awareness of symptom-based criteria for IBS are needed to facilitate earlier diagnosis. Accumulating evidence suggests that fecal and/or serum biomarkers may be helpful in differentiating IBS from non-IBS disorders. These tools may help minimize unnecessary testing and diagnostic delays. As biomarkers are further studied and developed, they are likely to become an integral part of the diagnosis of IBS and reduce the potential for incorrect diagnosis and treatment delays.
Constraints on black hole remnants

One possible fate of information lost to black holes is its preservation in black hole remnants. It is argued that a type of effective field theory describes such remnants (generically referred to as informons). The general structure of such a theory is investigated and the infinite pair production problem is revisited. A toy model for remnants clarifies some of the basic issues; in particular, infinite remnant production is not suppressed simply by the large internal volumes as proposed in cornucopion scenarios. Criteria for avoiding infinite production are stated in terms of couplings in the effective theory. Such instabilities remain a problem barring what would be described in that theory as a strong coupling conspiracy. The relation to Euclidean calculations of cornucopion production is sketched, and potential flaws in that analysis are outlined. However, it is quite plausible that pair production of ordinary black holes (e.g., Reissner-Noerdstrom or others) is suppressed due to strong effective couplings. It also remains an open possibility that a microsopic dynamics can be found yielding an appropriate strongly coupled effective theory of neutral informons without infinite pair production.
Switching Energy of Ferromagnetic Logic Bits

Power dissipation in switching devices is believed to be the single most important roadblock to the continued downscaling of electronic circuits. There is a lot of experimental effort at this time to implement switching circuits based on magnets and it is important to establish power requirements for such circuits and their dependence on various parameters. This paper analyzes switching energy that is dissipated in the switching process of single-domain ferromagnets used as cascadable logic bits. We obtain generic results that can be used for comparison with alternative technologies or guide the design of magnet-based switching circuits. Two central results are established. One is that the switching energy drops significantly if the ramp time of an external pulse exceeds a critical time. This drop occurs more rapidly than what is normally expected of adiabatic switching for a capacitor. The other result is that under the switching scheme that allows for logic operations, the switching energy can be described by a single equation in both fast and slow limits. Furthermore, these generic results are used to discuss the practical consideration such as dissipation versus speed, increasing the switching speed and scaling. It is further explained that nanomagnets can have scaling laws similar to CMOS technology.
Flexural vibrations of clamped-free rhombic plates with corner stress singularities. Part I: review of research:

In this paper (part I) an ample review of the published literature of skew plate vibrations summarizes well over 100 references as background, bringing forth a need for accurate solutions incorporating stress singularity-based methodologies for analyzing this applied mechanics problem. Such an accurate method is presented in a part II companion paper for analysis of flexural vibrations of rhombic plates with all combinations of clamped and free edge conditions. The prime focus therein is that the analysis explicitly considers the bending stress singularities that occur in the two opposite, clamped-free corners with obtuse angles of the rhombic plates. The strength of these singularities increases significantly as the obtuse angles at the corners increase. Frequency relations summarized herein from this review of Mindlin and Reddy skew plate vibrations research enable investigators to obtain accurate 3–4 significant digit upper bounds on exact solutions of shear deformable skew plates, including the effect...
Analyses of urban drainage network structure and its impact on hydrologic response.

Meierdiercks, Katherine L., James A. Smith, Mary Lynn Baeck, and Andrew J. Miller, 2010. Analyses of Urban Drainage Network Structure and Its Impact on Hydrologic Response. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1-12. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00465.x Abstract: Urban flood studies have linked the severity of flooding to the percent imperviousness or land use classifications of a watershed, but relatively little attention has been given to the impact of urban drainage networks on hydrologic response. The drainage network, which can include storm pipes, surface channels, street gutters, and stormwater management ponds, is examined in the Dead Run watershed (14.3 km2). Comprehensive digital representations of the urban drainage network in Dead Run were developed and provide a key observational resource for analyses of urban drainage networks and their impact on hydrologic response. Analyses in this study focus on three headwater subbasins with drainage areas ranging from 1.3 to 1.9 km2 and that exhibit striking contrasts in their patterns and history of development. It is shown that the drainage networks of the three subbasins, like natural river networks, exhibit characteristic structures and that these features play critical roles in determining urban hydrologic response. Hydrologic modeling analyses utilize the Environmental Protection Agency’s Stormwater Management Model (SWMM), which provides a flexible platform for examining the impacts of drainage network structure on hydrologic response. Results of SWMM modeling analyses suggest that drainage density and presence of stormwater ponds impact peak discharge more significantly in the Dead Run subbasins than the percent impervious or land use type of the subbasins.
The transcriptional regulator AlgR is essential for Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenesis.

Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. One P. aeruginosa virulence factor unique to CF isolates is overproduction of alginate, phenotypically termed mucoidy. Mucoidy is the result of increased transcription from the algD gene and is activated by the transcriptional regulator AlgR. Mutations in algR result in a nonmucoid phenotype and loss of twitching motility. Additionally, AlgR controls transcription of algC, encoding a dual-function enzyme necessary for both lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and alginate production. Therefore, to determine the effect of algR on P. aeruginosa virulence, an algR mutant was examined for sensitivity to reactive oxygen intermediates, killing by phagocytes, systemic virulence, and the ability to maintain a murine lung infection. We found that P. aeruginosa PAO700 (algR::Gmr) was less lethal than PAO1, as tested in an acute septicemia infection mouse model, and was cleared more efficiently in a mouse pneumonia model. Additionally, the algR mutant (PAO700) was more sensitive to hypochlorite. However, PAO700 was more resistant to hydrogen peroxide and killed less readily in an acellular myeloperoxidase assay than PAO1. There was little difference in killing between PAO1 and PAO700 with macrophage-like J774 cells and human polymorhonuclear leukocytes. Two-dimensional gel analysis of P. aeruginosa algR mutant and wild-type protein extracts revealed 47 differentially regulated proteins, suggesting that AlgR plays both a positive role and a negative role in gene expression. Together, these results imply that AlgR is necessary for virulence and regulates genes in addition to the genes associated with alginate and LPS production and pilus function.
Spectral modification for digital singing voice synthesis using asymmetric generalized Gaussians

This paper examines the problem of modelling and resynthesis of voiced song with the goal of improving the subjective performance quality. A set of methods is introduced based on the sinusoidal model for speech which enables precise modification of spectral characteristics as well as vibrato structure while maintaining the original speech quality and naturalness of the voice. Spectral characteristics are modified by modelling the formant structure with a set of asymmetric generalized Gaussians. Subjective tests were conducted which show that the proposed methods are effective in providing high quality modifications to vocal characteristics.
Intravascular ultrasound ablation and imaging catheter for treatment of atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects 1% of the population and is associated with stroke and death. AF is often triggered by foci and reentrant pathways located near the pulmonary vein. Clinical studies show that circumferential pulmonary vein ablation destroys these electrical pathways, thereby eliminating AF (Pappone, C. et al., 2003). Currently, radiofrequency (RF) electrodes are used for such treatment. However, these procedures take over 7 hours and have <80% long term success. RF burn patterns often have discontinuities, which means that electrical pathways are still intact to trigger AF. Balloon and lasso catheters have been suggested to create a continuous circumferential burn, but are not successful because it can be difficult for the catheters to form good contacts with the tissue. Intravascular ultrasound arrays can be precisely electronically steered, making it easier to produce continuous burn patterns. The same array could also image the region of interest to position the burn correctly. While large external ultrasound transducers have been used ex vivo to ablate cardiac tissue (Strickberger, A.S. et al., 1999), external ultrasound for heart procedures is difficult because air in the lungs deflects much of the ultrasound. We propose the use of an intravascular linear ultrasound array placed at the end of a catheter. We present calculations, designs, and a proof of concept experiment demonstrating the feasibility of such an intravascular ablation system.
SSFP and GRE phase contrast imaging using a three-echo readout

A technique for rapid in-plane phase-contrast imaging with high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is described. Velocity-encoding is achieved by oscillating the readout gradient, such that each 2DFT phase-encode is acquired three times following a single RF slice-selective excitation. Three images are reconstructed, from which both flow velocity and local resonance offset are calculated. This technique is compatible with both gradient-recalled echo (GRE) and balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) imaging using a single steady-state. The proposed technique enables 1D velocity mapping with 40% higher temporal resolution and 80% higher SNR, compared to conventional PC-MRI using bipolar velocity-encoding gradient pulses.
A Configural Theory of Team Processes: Accounting for the Structure of Taskwork and Teamwork

Theories of team processes have focused on content and temporal relevance, while largely ignoring implications of structure. We apply social network concepts to propose theory that articulates structural configurations of taskwork and teamwork processes in terms of closure, centralization, and subgrouping. Our theory challenges the conventional view that increases in team processes are inherently and uniformly beneficial and explains how structural configurations involve trade-offs that must be acknowledged in our research and practice.
THE EFFECT OF POLYCATION COMPLEXATION ON METHOTREXATE RETENTION IN LIPOSOMES

AbstractMethotrexate and a methotrexate-DEAE dextran complex were encapsulated in dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline liposomes. In all cases, the degree of encapsulation of methotrexate in the methotrexate-DEAE dextran liposomes was higher than in the plain methotrexate liposomes.The kinetic permeability of methotrexate from both methotrexate and methotrexate-DEAE dextran dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline liposomes was studied at 37°C in pH 7.4 acetate buffer. All liposome systems appeared to show a biphasic first order kinetic release of methotrexate. The initial rapid release probably resulted from the desorption of adsorbed methotrexate, and the subsequent slow release was from the diffusion of the entrapped drug. The desorption kinetics were separated from the diffusion process in the first phase by graphing. The methotrexate-DEAE dextran liposome data showed 13% methotrexate bound to the liposome surface compared to 23% methotrexate bound on the plain methotrexate liposome surface.
Learning a meta-level prior for feature relevance from multiple related tasks

In many prediction tasks, selecting relevant features is essential for achieving good generalization performance. Most feature selection algorithms consider all features to be a priori equally likely to be relevant. In this paper, we use transfer learning---learning on an ensemble of related tasks---to construct an informative prior on feature relevance. We assume that features themselves have meta-features that are predictive of their relevance to the prediction task, and model their relevance as a function of the meta-features using hyperparameters (called meta-priors). We present a convex optimization algorithm for simultaneously learning the meta-priors and feature weights from an ensemble of related prediction tasks which share a similar relevance structure. Our approach transfers the "meta-priors" among different tasks, which makes it possible to deal with settings where tasks have nonoverlapping features or the relevance of the features vary over the tasks. We show that learning feature relevance improves performance on two real data sets which illustrate such settings: (1) predicting ratings in a collaborative filtering task, and (2) distinguishing arguments of a verb in a sentence.
Recombinant Avian Adeno-Associated Virus: Transgene Expression In Vivo and Enhancement of Expression In Vitro

Abstract Recombinant avian adeno-associated viruses coding for the LacZ gene were used to inoculate embryonating chicken eggs, to assess the usefulness of the system for the expression of a transgene in vivo. The results obtained indicate significantly higher levels of expression of the reporter gene at various time intervals in the embryos inoculated with the recombinant virus in comparison with the mock-inoculated controls. At the embryo level, significant differences were evident at 120 hr postinoculation; hatched chicks showed transgene expression up to 14 days of age. In a second experiment, different cell-line cultures were transfected with plasmids encoding for a reporter gene flanked by the avian adeno-associated virus inverted terminal repeats (ITR), either alone or in the presence of the major nonstructural proteins of the virus (Rep 78/68) to assess the ability of these proteins and DNA elements to enhance gene expression. Results indicate that the inclusion of the viral ITR alone or during coe...
Colonic Compensation in Transmissible Gastroenteritis of Swine

Absorption of water and electrolytes by the small and large intestine was examined using a nonabsorbable marker technique in 3-day-old and 3-wkold pigs. One-half of the pigs in each group were orally infected with transmissible gastroenteritis virus; the remaining pigs served as controls. Threeday-old control pigs concentrated the nonabsorbable fluid marker twelve f old along the small and large intestine, indicating an efficiency of about 95% in absorption of the exogenous daily fluid load presented to the intestine. In contrast, the marker concentration in infected pigs showed no change whatsoever along either the small or large intestine, indicating a complete absence of net fluid absorption or secretion in these animals. Three-week-old control pigs concentrated the marker similarly to the 3-day-old group, with the bulk of the fluid absorption occurring in the small intestine. Infected pigs in the 3-wk-old group had marked net fluid secretion in the proximal small intestine, so that about twice the fluid load was presented to the large intestine of the 3-wk-old infected pigs as compared to the 3-day-old infected group. However, in contrast to the 3-day-old infected group, the large intestine of the 3-wk-old infected pigs increased fluid absorption some six times over the control, and this compensatory response prevented diarrhea in these older animals. Analysis of luminal contents indicated that in the older pigs, unabsorbed carbohydrate was almost completely fermented to short-chain fatty acids in the colon, whereas in the younger pigs the carbohydrate passed through the colon unchanged. These results demonstrate that development of microbial digestion, together with rapid short-chain fatty acid absorption, is a primary feature responsible for the colonic compensation in the older pigs with transmissible gastroenteritis.
Bilateral Language and Commissurotomy

Although the behavioral study of commissurotomy patients has focused almost exclusively on questions about the functional differences between the disconnected hemispheres, the surgical procedure has also provided an opportunity to study a wide range of interactions between the hemispheres that have significant effects on behavior (e.g., see Holtzman, this volume, Chapter 19). With the development of the staged surgical technique (see Roberts, this volume, Chapter 11) it not only has become possible to study interhemispheric interaction with and without a corpus callosum, but also to study interactions that occur with only the anterior or posterior half of the callosum intact. Behavioral examinations of patients during pre-, inter-, and postoperative periods have provided new insights into sensory and motor interhemispheric interaction (see Volpe, this volume, Chapter 21), as well as a first glimpse of how the two hemispheres can interact on a cognitive level in the absence of direct sensory or perceptual information (Sidtis et al., 1981a). This chapter will focus on cognitive interactions between the hemispheres by describing some of the recent work on semantic information processing carried out with commissurotomy patients who have some bilateral language capacity.
20.5 1.4THz, −13dBm-EIRP frequency multiplier chain using symmetric- and asymmetric-CV varactors in 65nm CMOS

THz region of electromagnetic spectrum has unique features making it attractive in spectroscopic studies, material inspection, tera-bit/sec communication, and biological- and non-biological-imaging applications. Owing to challenges in producing sufficiently strong signals, this region of spectrum has been exclusively served by III–V electronics or bulky cryogenic-temperature technologies such as QCLs [1]. Recently, advanced half-THz SiGe technologies and multi-element spatial power-combining techniques to increase the output power were successfully used to generate 0dBm of power at 0.53THz and −17dBm peak EIRP at 0.82THz [2–4]. Both solutions, however, suffer from low realized bandwidths (3%), limiting their utility in a slew of imaging and communication applications. Alternatively, high-quality accumulation-mode symmetric MOS varactors (SVARs) [5] in standard CMOS have been demonstrated as efficient odd-harmonic generators in broadband tripler and quintupler operating around 0.4THz [6] and 0.7THz [7], respectively. In this work, a 1.4THz multiplier chain of 10th order using MOS VARs in a 65nm standard CMOS process is demonstrated. The multiplier incorporates a new asymmetric VAR (ASVAR) for multiplication by 2 in addition to an SVAR for frequency quintupling. The circuit produces −13dBm peak EIRP at 1.33THz and operates over a setup-limited bandwidth of more than 11%. The fully integrated multiplier chain does not require any silicon lens or substrate thinning making it a compact and affordable solution for emerging THz applications.
Time for Change? Up and Away…Storage in a Cloud or Feet on the Ground?

It seems that Australia is moving against the grain of time and development! Optus has exhausted legal avenues (at least for now), following its denial of leave to appeal by the High Court of Australia on 7 September 2012, resulting in cessation of its web-based TV recording service.
Cotton Micronaire Measurements Using Small Portable Near-Infrared (NIR) Analyzers

A key quality and processing parameter for cotton fiber is micronaire, which is a function of the fiber's maturity and fineness. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has previously shown the ability to measure micronaire, primarily in the laboratory and using large, research-grade laboratory NIR instrumentation. International interest has been expressed by the industry in the measurement of fiber micronaire using small, portable NIR spectroscopy instruments for both laboratory and outside the laboratory (e.g., field or greenhouse) locations. New, very small NIR micro-spectrometers have been commercialized that offer the potential advantages of smaller size and lower weight, lower cost, and increased portability over current portable units. A program was implemented to determine the feasibility of a small NIR micro-spectrometer to measure fiber micronaire both in the laboratory and outside the laboratory, with initial emphasis on laboratory measurements prior to moving to field evaluations. In the laboratory, distinct spectral differences with increasing micronaire were observed. Optimal sampling and instrumental procedures and protocols for two units (different spectral wavelength capabilities) were established. Comparative evaluations established very good method micronaire agreement between the micro-spectrometer and a standard portable spectrometer, with high Regression (R) value, low residuals, and few outliers (less than 20%). The NIR micro-spectrometer measurements were fast (<1 min per sample), required no sample preparation, and were easy to perform. All end-state criteria were exceeded. The rapid and accurate laboratory measurement of fiber micronaire with a NIR micro-spectrometer was demonstrated.
The Application of Porous Graphitic Carbon as an HPLC Stationary Phase

Etude de la phase stationnaire pour la separation des isomeres du cresol, des analogues des steroides, des antibiotiques et des isomeres de produits naturels
SLIDING MODE TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO THE CONTROL OF A MICRO-AIR VEHICLE

Sliding mode techniques are applied to the control of a six-degree-of-freedom model of a micro air vehicle linearized about a hover condition. The vehicle in question is a generic, small, lift-augmented ducted fan. An asymptotic observer is used to minimize the sensitivity of the sliding mode controller to parasitic dynamics, here considered to be the dynamics of the vehicle’s actuators. The robustness of the sliding mode design is compared to that of a controller designed using classical loop-shaping techniques in a computer simulation of the vehicle in automated slow speed flight between pre-selected waypoints. The sliding mode design is shown to be superior to the loop-shape approach when variations in vehicle dynamics and actuator characteristics are introduced.
Lower extremity nerve decompression in burn patients.

IntroductionGeneralized neuropathy after burn injury is quite common, but the diagnosis and management of peripheral nerve compression, late after injury, can be difficult. Although the release of upper extremity nerves has been reported, the indications, timing, and outcomes of lower extremity nerv
Noise Source Ranking of a Hairdryer

Most hairdryers are capable of producing significantly loud noise and because of their proximity to the users’ ears, may potentially pose health problems. There are several patents with new ideas about how to reduce the sounds produced by hairdryer. Although, these ideas suggested by patentees are promising, hairdryer noise still lacks academic investigation and needs to be thoroughly studied before applying serious noise reduction methods. In a typical hand-held hairdryer, air moves over and through several parts of the hairdryer, which in many ways can be compared to a mini aero-engine. Even the noise sources are similar to those in an aero-engine. Noise in a hairdryer is generated by a fan at its inlet, by the jet exhaust mixing at its outlet, and by the flow moving over various obstructions within the flow path, which include its heating element, the front and rear grills, and the air filters. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on noise source ranking of two generic hairdryers. As the authors’ literature review found noise ranking of some other devices, the paper summarizes some of those studies also as the techniques used in these investigations proved to be useful to the current investigation also.
Sex-ratio manipulation in response to host size by the parasitoid wasp Spalangia cameroni: a laboratory study.

The prediction of Charnov et al.'s (1981) host-size model that there should be a negative relationship between host size and wasp sex ratio (proportion sons) was supported for Spalangia cameroni, a solitary parasitoid wasp. The relationship was shown to be a result of offspring sex manipulation by females in response to host size rather than a result of differential mortality of the sexes. A major assumption of the host-size model is that host size has a greater effect on the ultimate reproductive success of emerging female wasps than of males. This assumption was not supported. Host size had a positive effect on the size of both male and female S. cameroni. However, neither host size nor wasp size affected longevity, production of offspring by females, or ability of males to compete for mates. Host size may differentially affect the reproductive success of female and male wasps through effects on other aspects of reproductive success. Tests of the assumptions of offspring sex-ratio manipulation hypotheses are scarce but critical, not only for parasitoid wasps, but also for other organisms.
System Trade-offs in Multi-UAV Networks

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) networks are used in a variety of missions such as surveillance, law enforcement, agricultural, search and rescue, and payload delivery. However, creating a UAV network requires flexible integration of multiple, potentially heterogeneous UAVs and conducting in-depth trade-off during system design. UAV networks typically operate in an open environment susceptible to disruptions. Thus, system resilience is a highly desirable system attribute. In this regard, trade-off analysis is central to designing such complex networked system with multiple, occasionally conflicting, requirements. To design such a network of UAVs, an organizing framework is needed to manage the trade-off space (or tradespace, for short) of multiple system attributes. This paper presents an illustrative example of how trade-offs can be identified and subsequently conducted in a systematic fashion.
Finlayson, C. 2004. Neanderthals and Modern Humans: An Ecological and Evolutionary Perspective. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. 255 pp. ISBN 0-521-82087, price (hardbound), $85.00

C. Finlayson 2004.Neanderthals and Modern Humans: An Ecological and Evolutionary Perspective.Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 255 pp. ISBN 0-521-82087, price (hardbound), $85.00. This book discusses competition, overspecialization, and hybridization of anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals. More broadly, these issues concern speciation, species recognition, and competitive exclusion. Stepping back from previous analyses of modern human origins, Clive Finlayson delves into the ecology and evolution of these 2 hominid groups. He addresses one of science's hottest questions, what happened to the Neanderthals? Neanderthals and Modern Humans begins by journeying through competing hypotheses, all presented in a fair and thorough manner, although readers are aware of Finlayson's stance on each. Additional questions in the field of paleoanthropology are gradually introduced, …
Human mast cells use conservation and condensation mechanisms during recovery from degranulation. In vitro studies with mast cells purified from human lungs.

Abstract Human lung mast cells were isolated from enzymatically digested lung fragments and partially purified by countercurrent centrifugation elutriation before stimulation with anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE). Stimulated cells and control preparations were fixed for electron microscopy, and replicate samples were obtained for histamine determinations at early times (0 to 20 minutes) after stimulation. Other samples of stimulated and control cells were placed in culture media and recovered for electron microscopic studies after variable times spanning 3 to 48 hours. Two complete kinetic studies of release and recovery were studied. The starting purity of mast cells was 59% and 66% and the maximal histamine release at 20 minutes poststimulus was 72% and 45%, respectively, for these two studies. Mast cells underwent granule swelling and fusion with elongation and enlargement of granule chains to form degranulation channels which permeated the cytoplasm. Granule patterns became swollen and altered within channels which ultimately opened to the exterior through multiple pores. Altered granule matrix disappeared from many open channels. Residual granules that did not participate in this process did not swell and fuse their membranes. Early recovery events included conservation of granule containers (membranes) and contents. Degranulation channels became centrally located and developed granule-shaped domains. Strings of vesicles, lipid bodies, filament-rich cytoplasmic invaginations, and membranes were found at constriction points in resolving channel-granules. As resolution of channel-granules occurred, condensation of channel-granule contents also took place. Progressively dense content developed in granule containers within which focal areas of crystallization and content organization were noted. Eventually, numerous granules with a crystal pattern were found in recovering mast cells. Other granule patterns (scrolls, particles, and mixed) were present but in smaller numbers. Human lung mast cells have the ability to repackage contents in the same container after stimulation with anti-IgE. Although this was a prominent recovery pattern in the earlier periods examined, this did not constitute the only recovery pattern. Overlap with different events at later times was noted. These are currently being further investigated. The biochemical composition and physiologic function(s) of human mast cell granule membranes are unknown. Our findings suggest that certain analogies to other secretory granule membranes may exist. Clearly, containers can be reused, nearly in toto.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Falls as Risk Factors for Fracture

Most osteoporotic fractures occur in the setting of a fall. This chapter reviews chronic risk factors for falls that are common in older adults including impaired balance and gait, impaired vision, comorbidities, and many classes of medications. Acute illnesses, medication changes, and environmental factors are often the inciting events that precipitate a fall in these high-risk individuals. Interventions that have been effective in reducing the risk of falls in the community setting include individualized exercises for improving strength and balance, Tai-Chi, a home hazards assessment for people at high risk for falls, removal of psychotropic medications, vitamin D supplementation, multidisciplinary interventions, and certain footwear and podiatry-based interventions. In the nursing home setting, only multifactorial interventions initiated by a team and vitamin D supplementation were effective in reducing the risk of falls. Although there are no data to support these interventions' work to reduce the incidence of fragility fractures, there is good reason to believe that they will. Future efforts to reduce osteoporotic fracture should focus not only on bone mineral density but also on fall reduction measures.
Chapter 40 – The Structural Basis of Arrhythmia

Cardiac arrhythmias reflect disturbances in the normal temporal or spatial aspects of cardiac excitation. The anatomic structure of the heart and tissue level organization play crucial roles in the maintenance of normal electrical impulse generation and its propagation throughout the myocardium. Disturbances of cardiac structure at either microscopic or macroscopic levels of resolution can negatively impact the substrate necessary for the maintenance of normal cardiac electrical activity. Structural defects may result from monogenetic disorders, complex interactions between genetic predisposition and the environment, as well as acquired etiologies. In this chapter we discuss the broad spectrum of structural heart disease etiologies and relate these abnormalities to specific arrhythmic syndromes including both brady- and tachyarrhythmias.
Acid-Base Balance of the Diet: Implications for Bone

With aging, men and women develop a mild and progressive metabolic acidosis. This occurs as a result of the combination of declining renal function and ingestion of acid-producing diets. Acid-producing diets are generally low in fruits and vegetables in relation to their content of cereal grains and protein. There is extensive evidence that severe metabolic acidosis causes bone loss, but the impact of the chronic, low-grade acidosis on bone mass and fracture risk in older individuals has not been established and remains controversial. In a recent dose-finding trial in healthy older men and women, the dose of 81 mmol/day of potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) produced the greatest reduction in urinary excretion of N-telopeptide (NTX), a biochemical marker of bone resorption over a 3-month period. Findings from the two available placebo-controlled, 2-year alkali intervention trials are conflicting, with one null and the other indicating favorable effects of potassium citrate on rates of bone loss and on trabecular bone density. Reductions in bone turnover markers and calcium excretion in the absence of changes in calcium absorption have been observed in short-term studies. Further work is needed to assess the long-term skeletal effects of lowering dietary acid loads.
Mental Status Examination

The child neurologists’ approach to the mental status examination of children with learning problems was examined by questionnaires randomly submitted to 163 attendees at the 16th Annual Child Neurology Society Meeting in 1987 and the results are reported from the Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Newington Children’s Hospital and Biostatistics Research Center, Farmington, Connecticut.
Parents' Primary Professional Sources of Parenting Advice Moderate Predictors of Parental Attitudes toward Corporal Punishment.

Despite the risk it poses to children’s mental and physical health, approval and use of corporal punishment (CP) remains high in the United States. Informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, we examined potential predictors of attitudes supportive of CP while assessing the moderating effects of parents’ (N = 500) chosen primary professional source of advice regarding child discipline: pediatricians (47.8 %), religious leaders (20.8 %), mental health professionals (MHPs) (n = 18.4 %), or other identified professionals (13.0 %). We conducted a random-digit-dial telephone survey among parents ages 18 and over within New Orleans, LA. The main outcome measure was derived from the Attitudes Toward Spanking scale (ATS). The main “predictors” were: perceived injunctive norms (i.e., perceived approval of CP by professionals; and by family and friends), perceived descriptive norms of family and friends regarding CP, and expected outcomes of CP use. We used multivariate OLS models to regress ATS scores on the predictor variables for each subset of parents based on their chosen professional source of advice. Perceived approval of CP by professionals was the strongest predictor of parental attitudes supportive of CP, except for those seeking advice from MHPs. Perceived injunctive and descriptive norms of family and friends were important, but only for those seeking advice from pediatricians or religious leaders. Positive expected outcomes of CP mattered, but only for those seeking advice from religious leaders or MHPs. In conclusion, the strength and relevance of variables predicting attitudes toward CP varied according to the professional from which the parent was most likely to seek advice.
Enhanced Lithium Ion Transport in Poly(ethylene glycol) Diacrylate-Supported Solvate Ionogel Electrolytes via Chemically Cross-linked Ethylene Oxide Pathways

Lithium-ion solvate ionic liquids (SILs), consisting of complexed Li+ cations and a weakly basic anion, represent an emergent class of nonvolatile liquid electrolytes suitable for lithium-based electrochemical energy storage. In this report, solid-state, flexible solvate ionogel electrolytes are synthesized via UV-initiated free radical polymerization/cross-linking of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) in situ within the [Li(G4)][TFSI] electrolyte, which is formed by an equimolar mixture of lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and tetraglyme (G4). Ion diffusivity measurements reveal enhanced Li+ diffusion in PEGDA-supported solvate ionogels, as compared to poly(methyl methacrylate)-supported gels that lack ethylene oxide chains. At 21 vol% PEGDA, a maximum Li+ transport number of 0.58 and a room temperature ionic conductivity of 0.43 mS/cm have been achieved in a solvate ionogel electrolyte that exhibits an elastic modulus of 0.47 MPa. These results demonstrate the importance of polyme...
Circulating micro-RNAs as biomarkers of coronary artery disease: is it ready for primetime or still a work in progress?

MicroRNAs (miRs) are small non-coding RNAs that play a significant role in epigenetic regulation of gene expression (1,2). Several miRs have been established to play crucial roles in a spectrum of different cardiovascular diseases (3,4). Since the initial identification of detectable levels of circulating miRs in plasma (5-7), circulating miRs have become the spotlight of investigation as potential biomarkers for several diseases. Micro-RNAs in circulation have two important features of ideal biomarkers: they are remarkably stable and safe from degradation by RNases, and they are easily measured in the circulation using sensitive and specific quantitative PCR techniques. Thus, circulating miRs can be linked to specific disease processes or to specific tissue and/or cell types.
Abstract 033: Neuronal Knock-out of AT1 Receptor Attenuates the Development of Doca-salt-induced Hypertension

We previously reported that neurogenic hypertension is associated with an increase in A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease 17 (ADAM17) activity and a reduction of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) activity in the hypothalamus. In addition, we showed that silencing ADAM17 or blocking Angiotensin (Ang)-II type 1 receptors (AT1R) in the central nervous system (CNS) prevented DOCA-salt hypertension, confirming the pivotal role of AT1R and ADAM17 in neurogenic hypertension. However, the interaction between AT1R, ADAM17, and ACE2 is still unclear. Since ADAM17 is known to be expressed in multiple cell types and can be activated by various receptors, we tested the hypothesis that neuronal AT1R are necessary for ADAM17-mediated ACE2 shedding in neurogenic hypertension. Male neuronal AT1R knockout (AT1R floxed crossed with Nefh-cre recombinase mice, 12-16 week-old, n=5) and littermate mice (n=8) were implanted with telemetry probes for continuous recording of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). Following DOCA-salt treatment, both strains developed hypertension, however mean arterial pressure (MAP; 123.9 ±6.4 vs. 138.4 ±4.3 mmHg) and HR (483.9 ±24.1 vs. 520.3 ±22.5 bmp) were significantly lower in neuronal AT1R knockout mice after 2 weeks of treatment, compared to controls. Western blot and enzyme activity assays from the hypothalamus of these DOCA-salt-treated mice revealed that the expression of pro-ADAM17 (inactive form) was significantly increased (+17.0 ±5.3%, P
Substrate Recognition of MARTX Ras/Rap1-Specific Endopeptidase

Ras/Rap1-specific endopeptidase (RRSP) is a cytotoxic effector domain of the multifunctional autoprocessing repeats-in-toxin (MARTX) toxin of highly virulent strains of Vibrio vulnificus. RRSP blocks RAS-MAPK kinase signaling by cleaving Ras and Rap1 within the switch I region between Y32 and D33. Although the RRSP processing site is highly conserved among small GTPases, only Ras and Rap1 have been identified as proteolytic substrates. Here we report that residues Y32 and D33 at the scissile bond play an important role in RRSP substrate recognition, while the nucleotide state of Ras has an only minimal effect. In addition, substrate specificity is generated by residues across the entire switch I region. Indeed, swapping the Ras switch I region into either RalA or RhoA, GTPases that are not recognized by RRSP, generated chimeras that are substrates of RRSP. However, a difference in the processing efficiency of Ras switch I in the context of Ras, RalA, or RhoA indicates that protein regions outside Ras swit...
Integrated isolated power converter using active rectification and closed-loop CRM control for secondary side regulation in E-meters

An integrated isolated power converter is presented to mitigate efficiency, accuracy and cost challenges on secondary side regulation. It employs time-multiplexing scheme to seamlessly power the non-isolated primary and the isolated secondary output. With the coordination of proposed primary state detection (PSD) circuit, the secondary side output is accurately regulated and automatically synchronized to the primary side without the use of bulky transformers or optocouplers. In collaboration with the PSD, an active rectifier is adopted, which replaces conventional power diode and LDO for efficiency enhancement. Designed in a 0.35μm BCD process, the converter achieves closed-loop regulations on both the non-isolated and the isolated output at 5V, with an input source of 24V. Thanks to the proposed circuits and control scheme, the peak efficiency at secondary side is improved by 12.4%, with the output variation reduced to 0.6% in a load range of 500mA.