cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy-information tradeoffs in motion and sensing for target localization

Recent study in behavioral ecology reveal that certain species trade-off energy and information during various routine activities. This paper explores a similar tradeoff between sensing and motion of mobile agents tasked with target localization. Specifically, the goal is to balance the quality of information collected by sensing agents with the kinetic energy expended by their motion relative to the target. Following common practice, the determinant of the Fisher Information Matrix is chosen to represent the information-quality, while the kinetic energy is quantified by the usual Newton's laws. We argue that the quality of information has a form reminiscent of potential energy, and with such interpretation, we mimic the basic laws of mechanics by assuming the conservation of the total energy, which is the sum of the potential energy and kinetic energy. In this framework, we formulate an optimal path problem that aims at increasing the information quality while reducing the kinetic energy along the path of the agents. To solve this problem, we apply the calculus of variations, only to discover that the optimal solutions (paths) satisfy the Euler-Lagrange equations that are well known in classical mechanics. This realization suggests that the resulting trajectories may exhibit some well-known phenomena in classical mechanics. Simulation results support this hypothesis.
Low temperature sintering of Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 based ceramics

Bi-based piezoelectric ceramics are a good candidate to replace lead zirconate titanate (PZT) for use as multilayer actuators (MLA) in diesel fuel injectors due to their moderate piezoelectric properties at room temperature. Current MLA use PZT with copper internal electrodes and require sintering at low temperature and controlled oxygen atmosphere. A combination of Bi 2 O 3 , CuO, Li 2 CO 3 , ZnO, and B 2 O 3 are added to 0.88Bi 1/2 Na 1/2 TiO 3 - 0.08Bi 1/2 K 1/2 TiO 3 - 0.04BaTiO 3 (BNT-BKT-BT) for sintering at 900°C in air or controlled atmosphere. The low temperature sintered ceramics have similar room temperature properties compared to ceramics sintered at 1150°C. Low temperature sintering results in softening of piezoelectric properties and lower depolarization temperature. Sintering in controlled oxygen atmosphere enables the Bi-based ceramic to be co-fired with Cu electrodes. The co-fired ceramic with Cu electrodes demonstrates the feasibility of lead-free BNT-based multilayer actuators with Cu base metal electrodes.
Volvox: A Search for the Molecular and Genetic Origins of Multicellularity and Cellular Differentiation

The central thesis of this book is that Volvox and its unicellular and colonial relatives provide a wholly unrivalled opportunity to explore the proximate and ultimate causes underlying the evolution, from unicellular ancestors, of multicellular organisms with fully differentiated cell types. A major portion of the book is devoted to reviewing what is known about the genetic, cellular and molecular basis of development in the most extensively studied species of Volvox: V. cateri, which exhibits a complete division of labour between mortal somatic cells and immortal germ cells. However, this topic has been put in context by first considering the ecological conditions and cytological preconditions that appear to have fostered the evolution of organisms of progressively increasing size and with progressively increasing tendency to produce terminally differentiated somatic cells. The book concludes by raising the question of whether the germensoma dichotomy may have evolved by similar or different genetic pathways in different species of Volvox. Biologists and phycologists interested in development, genetics and cellular evolution will find this a fascinating work.
Strategic control of retrieval strategies.

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights the importance of considering the strategic components of memory retrieval when developing a model of memory and question answering. The chapter describes the type of architectural framework that accounts for basic memory phenomena and highlights the importance of assuming a strategy-selection component prior to careful memory search. These arguments are both theoretically and empirically based. The chapter describes the variables that affect strategy selection, presents the possible mechanisms involved in selection, and reviews the generality of these mechanisms for other cognitive tasks. The variables extrinsic to a memory probe that influence strategy selection include prior history of success with a strategy. Other situational variables such as explicit advice about successful strategies, task instructions, and knowledge of the age of the memories tested can also influence this bias in strategy selection. Activation determines the ease of access of information; the more active the information, the easier it is to access.
Cholinergic effects on gallbladder emptying in humans

The role of cholinergic mechanisms in the control of gallbladder emptying has not been defined. In this report a scintigraphic technique using 2,6-dimethylphenylcarbamoylmethyl iminodiacetic acid labeled with technetium 99m to visualize the gallbladder and its emptying and diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid labeled with indium 111 to visualize the stomach and its emptying was used to study 43 normal subjects and 18 patients with vagotomies. Direct cholinergic stimulation with bethanechol induced significant gallbladder emptying. Cholinergic blockade with atropine sulfate decreased the gallbladder emptying responses to a liquid meal, a solid meal, and the infusion of cholecystokinin-octapeptide. In patients with vagotomies, gallbladder emptying was decreased despite accelerated gastric emptying of an ingested liquid meal. The gallbladder emptying response to cholecystokinin-octapeptide was augmented in patients who had undergone vagotomy. These studies suggest that cholinergic receptors may be important in the regulation of human gallbladder emptying.
Field‐Scale Metolachlor Volatilization Flux Estimates from Broadcast and Banded Application Methods in Central Iowa

Volatilization of pesticides has been considered to be a large part of the loss from fields after application; however, there have been relatively few studies conducted to quantify the amount lost to the atmosphere. This study was designed to evaluate volatilization rates of a preemergent herbicide Dual [a.i. metolachlor 2.24 kg ha -1 (2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)-acetamide)] from two fields (175 and 45 ha) in central Iowa under contrasting tillage operations and pesticide application scenarios. Metolachlor vapor was trapped using polyurethane foam plugs at six heights on a profile mast. Average concentrations were measured at each height every 2 h for the first 4 d after application, then every 4 h thereafter. Volatilization rates were calculated with a flux-gradient technique using data from Bowen ratio and eddy correlation measurements. Flux profile concentrations of metolachlor were large during the first 24 h and quickly declined for the duration of the study. There was approximately a threefold greater cumulative volatilization loss of applied metolachlor from the broadcast (22%) treatment than from the banded treatment (6%) for the 10-d study period. Metolachlor volatilization was affected by residue cover, spatial concentration on the surface, and timing of precipitation.
University of Massachusetts: description of the CIRCUS system as used for MUC-3

In 1988 Professor Wendy Lehnert completed the initial implementation of a semantically-oriented sentence analyzer named CIRCUS [1]. The original design for CIRCUS was motivated by two basic research interests: (1) we wanted to increase the level of syntactic sophistication associated with semantically-oriented parsers, and (2) we wanted to integrate traditional symbolic techniques in natural language processing with connectionist techniques in an effort to exploit the complementary strengths of these two computational paradigms.
An apparatus for investigating fretting fatigue in vacuum

Abstract An apparatus needed for investigating the effect of environment on fretting fatigue is described.
Lekton: Stoic Logic and Ontology

For the Stoics, the lekton is as an intermediary between the thought and the object. They do not exist independently of the mind, but, at the same time, the mind does not create them. Due to this status, they guarantee intersubjectivity of the rational discourse. They are incorporeals that do not exist, but subsist and the Stoic Logos-God guarantees their permanent subsistence. The lekta are semantico-syntactic entities. Their role is analogous to the role of an interlingua used as a tool for automated translation of languages.
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of circadian control in insects

Abstract Genetic analysis in Drosophila melanogaster has identified molecules important for the function of insect circadian clocks, and this has resulted in the elaboration of explicit biochemical models of the clock mechanism. Comparable molecular genetic analysis coupled with neuroanatomical approaches has also delineated cellular elements of the circadian pacemaker controlling insect activity rhythms. However, not much is known about the transfer of temporal information from clock cells in the insect brain to downstream neural elements or other target cells that are regulated by the clock (i.e. clock output pathways). In this review, we focus on the insect literature, with special reference to the fruitfly D. melanogaster and the hawkmoth Manduca sexta, to discuss the candidate molecules, biochemical mechanisms and cell types implicated in the clock control of behavior.
Laser physico-chemical vapour deposition of cubic boron nitride thin films

A laser physico-chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD) technique was developed based on the interaction of an ultraviolet laser beam with a boron nitride target and borazine gas to synthesize cubic boron nitride (CBN) thin films on silicon substrates. The process involved a hybrid of pulsed laser ablation (PLA) of a solid HBN target and chemical vapour deposition (CVD) using borazine as a feed stock. The films were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. Results indicate that the thin films consisted of almost single-crystalline CBN structures and that the film quality in terms of adherence, particulate density and smoothness was excellent. The purity and crystal structure of target material, laser beam wavelength and energy fluence were the key variables that controlled the film characteristics. In contrast to LPCVD, the conventional PLA method did not generate CBN films.
Another Look at Decoupling: Additional Evidence on the Production Effects of Direct Payments

An important shift in U.S. agricultural policy occurred with the 1996 Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act. Although the actual intent and effects of the Act remain a topic of debate, many observers believed that the 1996 legislation signaled a transition toward a new policy environment characterized by diminished government involvement in agricultural markets. Perhaps the biggest change in policy under the Act pertained to the use of fixed, decoupled payments (called “production flexibility contract” or “Agricultural Market Transition Act” [AMTA] payments). Under the terms of the FAIR Act, AMTA payments were intended to decline each year until the FAIR Act expired in 2002. However, periods of low prices and localized yield shortfalls during the late 1990s led Congress to pass supplemental, ad hoc payments to farmers. These payments, known as “Market Loss Assistance,” were also decoupled since they were paid on the basis of historical base acreage and thus carried no current production requirements. These payments were, however, tied to market prices in that they were a response to poor market conditions.
Selective inhibition of ATPase activity during contraction alters the activation of p38 MAP kinase isoforms in skeletal muscle.

Muscle contractions strongly activate p38 MAP kinases, but the precise contraction-associated sarcoplasmic event(s) (e.g. force production, energetic demands and/or calcium cycling) that activate these kinases are still unclear. We tested the hypothesis that during contraction the phosphorylation of p38 isoforms is sensitive to the increase in ATP demand relative to ATP supply. Energetic demands were inhibited using N-benzyl-p-toluene sulphonamide (BTS, type II actomyosin) and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA, SERCA). Extensor digitorum longus muscles from Swiss Webster mice were incubated in Ringer’s solution (37°C) with or without inhibitors and then stimulated at 10 Hz for 15 min. Muscles were immediately freeze-clamped for metabolite and western blot analysis. BTS and BTS+CPA treatment decreased force production by 85%, as measured by the tension time integral, while CPA alone potentiated force by 310%. In control muscles, contractions resulted in a 73% loss of ATP content and a concomitant 7-fold increase in IMP content, a measure of sustained energetic imbalance. BTS or CPA treatment lessened the loss of ATP, but BTS+CPA treatment completely eliminated the energetic imbalance since ATP and IMP levels were nearly equal to those of non-stimulated muscles. The independent inhibition of cytosolic ATPase activities had no effect on contraction-induced p38 MAPK phosphorylation, but combined treatment prevented the increase in phosphorylation of the γ isoform while the α/βisoforms unaffected. These observations suggest that an energetic signal may trigger phosphorylation of the p38γ isoform while other factors are involved in activating the α/β isoforms, and also may explain how contractions differentially activate signaling pathways.
Leaf resin variation in Copaifera langsdorfii: Relation to irradiance and herbivory

Abstract The influence of irradiance and herbivory on intraspecific patterns of leaf resin variability was investigated for the leguminous tree Copaifera langsdorfii in a Brazilian woodland. An irradiance experiment showed that seedlings in full sun had significantly higher leaf resin yield than in shade (6% full sun), supporting expectations based on plant metabolism. On the other hand, saplings growing under natural conditions had higher resin yields in shade (6% full sun) than in full sun—thus contradicting metabolic predictions. Herbivory by an oecophorid leaf tier was also higher in the shaded than in the full sunlit saplings. Since other factors, such as leaf specific weight, soil nitrogen and soil moisture, were found not to influence leaf resin yield in the two irradiance regimes, it was concluded that the higher herbivory in the shade could have selected for the higher leaf resin yield there.
Crowded ripening in unsaturated solutions

Abstract In supersaturated solutions, large particles of the solute grow by withdrawing single atoms from the bulk of the solution, while smaller particles lose single atoms to the solution. Generally in unsaturated solutions, particles of all sizes lose single atoms to the solution. However, in isolated regions where particles are sufficiently crowded due to local fluctuation, a form of ripening is possible even for unsaturated solutions. In this case, the single atoms do not pass through the bulk of the solution but are transferred directly, as it were, from the smaller particle to the larger particle.
Hemodynamic effects of small amounts of endotoxin in the bovine.

SummaryThe effects of 1–10 μg/kg Escherichia coli endotoxin on the pulmonary and systemic circulations were studied in unanesthetized calves. Typically, no change in hemodynamic variables occurred until 8 min had elapsed, after which there was a significant increase in PA pressure and heart rate, a decrease in FA pressure and CO, with no change in LV diastolic or PAW pressures. Arterial pO2 decreased and pH increased slightly. In calves pretreated with either ASA or IM, endotoxin produced no significant change in PA, PAW, FA, or LV diastolic pressures, CO or HR. Continuous inhalation of 100% O2 did not modify the effect of endotoxin. Thus, this study indicates that the bovine pulmonary circulation is exceedingly sensitive to minute amounts of endotoxin. The mechanism whereby this response occurs is not clear.
Nerve growth factor neuroprotection of ethanol-induced neuronal death in rat cerebral cortex is age dependent

Organotypic cultures of rat cortex were used to test the hypotheses that nerve growth factor (NGF) is neuroprotective for immature cortical neurons and that ethanol abolishes this neuroprotection in a developmental stage-dependent manner. Samples were obtained on gestational day (G) 16 or postnatal day (P) 3 and cultured with ethanol (0 or 400 mg/dl) and NGF (0 or 30 ng/ml) for 72 h. Dying neurons were identified as exhibiting terminal nick-end labeling, immunoreactivity for activated caspase 3, or condensed nuclear chromatin. Two cortical compartments were examined in fetal tissue: a superficial, cell-sparse marginal zone (MZ) and a cell-dense cortical plate (CP). At P3, the CP was subdivided into a cell-dense upper cortical plate (UCP) and a less densely packed lower cortical plate (LCP). Neuronal death in the MZ was affected by neither NGF nor ethanol at both ages. In the fetal CP, NGF did not affect the incidence of cell death, but ethanol increased it. Treatment with NGF caused an upregulation of the expression of Neg, a gene known to be affected by NGF and ethanol. NGF did not ameliorate the ethanol-induced death. In pups, ethanol increased the amount of death in the LCP. NGF did protect against this death. Neither ethanol nor NGF altered the incidence of cell death in the UCP. The laminar-dependent neuroprotection did not correlate with expression of NGF receptors or Neg. Thus, NGF can be protective against the neurotoxic effect of ethanol in the neonatal brain. This effect is site selective and time dependent and it targets postmigratory, differentiating neurons.
Metacognitive theory applied: Strategic reading instruction in the current generation of basal readers

Abstract This study examines the content of eight of the current generation of basal reading series to determine how and the extent to which lessons and activities that promote metacomprehension behaviors necessary for independent strategic reading were included in the second‐, fourth‐, and sixth‐grade levels of these series. The data derived from page‐by‐page inspections of current programs suggest that basal authors have made considerable efforts to incorporate activities and lessons that promote or foster strategic reading through comprehension skill instruction, through explicit strategy instruction, and in the context of directed reading activities that accompany reading selections.
ψ Phenomenology and the nature of quark confinement

Abstract The nonrelativistic Schrodinger equation is used with confinement potentials that are either fractional power laws or logarithmic functions of the radial coordinate to investigate the spectrum of states, leptonic decay widths, and radiative decays of the ψ family of resonances. The spectrum of states and the leptonic decay widths are in good agreement with the data for the entire class of potentials considered here. The radiative decays are still somewhat large for the standard model but could be brought into agreement with the data when threshold and relativistic effects are taken into account.
The complexity of PDL with interleaving

To provide a logic for reasoning about concurrently executing programs, Abrahamson has defined an extension of propositional dynamic logic (PDL) by allowing interleaving as an operator for combining programs, in addition to the regular PDL operators union, concatenation, and star. We show that the satisfiability problem for interleaving PDL is complete for deterministic double-exponential time, and that this problem requires time double-exponential in cnlog n for some positive constant c. Moreover, this lower bound holds even when restricted to formulas where each program appearing in the formula has the form a1¦a2¦ … ¦ak where ¦ denotes the interleaving operator and where a1, …, ak are regular programs, i.e., programs built from atomic programs using only the regular operators. Another consequence of the method used to prove this result is that the equivalence problem for regular expressions with interleaving requires space 2cnlog n and that this lower bound holds even to decide whether (E1¦E2¦ … ¦Ek) ∪ F ≡ ∑∗ where E1, …, Ek, F are ordinary regular expressions; this improves a previous result of the authors. Moreover, the same lower bound holds for the containment problem for expressions of the form E1¦E2¦ … ¦Ek.
Ultrahydrophobic polymer surfaces prepared by simultaneous ablation of polypropylene and sputtering of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) using radio frequency plasma

Ultrahydrophobic polypropylene surfaces were prepared by the simultaneous etching of polypropylene and etching/sputtering of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) using inductively coupled radio frequency argon plasma. The semicrystalline polypropylene surface is roughened due to the differential rates at which the crystalline and amorphous regimes ablate and is also fluorinated by the fluorocarbon plasma that results from the ablation/depolymerization of PTFE. The roughness of the polypropylene is controlled by the time of plasma etching. The presence of PTFE increases the rate of polypropylene roughening by reactive ion etching. The resulting roughened and fluorinated polypropylene surfaces were characterized by water contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Wettability was found to depend on the size scale and topology of the roughness. The most hydrophobic surfaces exhibited advancing and receding water contact angles of θA/θR =...
Effect of Atmospheric Ions on Interfacial Water

The effect of atmospheric positivity on the electrical properties of interfacial water was explored. Interfacial, or exclusion zone (EZ) water was created in the standard way, next to a sheet of Nafion placed horizontally at the bottom of a water-filled chamber. Positive atmospheric ions were created from a high voltage source placed above the chamber. Electrical potential distribution in the interfacial water was measured using microelectrodes. We found that beyond a threshold, the positive ions diminished the magnitude of the negative electrical potential in the interfacial water, sometimes even turning it to positive. Additionally, positive ions produced by an air conditioner were observed to generate similar effects; i.e., the electrical potential shifted in the positive direction but returned to negative when the air conditioner stopped blowing. Sometimes, the effect of the positive ions from the air conditioner was strong enough to destroy the structure of interfacial water by turning the potential decidedly positive. Thus, positive air ions can compromise interfacial water negativity and may explain the known negative impact of positive ions on health.
Analytical information from mass spectrometry, past and future.

Two basic reasons are proposed for the tremendous success and future promise of mass spectrometry: (1) the unusually high volume of data obtainable from unusually small samples and (2) the success in converting these data into structural and quantitative information. The ion abundance dimension of mass spectrometric data is remarkable in its pico-to-ttogram sensitivity and >106 dynamic range, and the mass scale dimension is uniquely high in the number of resolution increments for larger molecule ionization and high resolution. Additional dimensions of data arise from chromatographic coupling to mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry, as well as from alternative ionization and ion reaction methods. Converting these data into chemical information is equally important. Past progress in these areas has been cyclical; for the immediate future a greater research emphasis is urged to convert data to information through better understanding of the relevant chemistry and better utilization of modern computer methods.
Geostrophic approximation in the St. Lawrence estuary

A 1965 survey of currents and geostrophic currents in the St. Lawrence estuary is described. An innovation employed in the survey was to moor the strings of oceanographic bottles in the cross-section and trip them simultaneously. A tidal oscillation was detected in the vertical shear of the geostrophic current as well as in the vertical shear of the axial and cross-channel current components. The observations qualitatively confirm predictions from a simple theory that is presented for geostrophic response on one-and two-layer canals. The theory suggests that the period of resonant cross-channel oscillation is an important time scale since current fluctuations of much longer periods reflect accurately in the geostrophic current, while fluctuations of shorter periods may appear as considerable distortions in the geostrophic current. From this, it is concluded that a single determination of geostrophic current may represent neither the instantaneous nor the long-term average current. The average geostrophic current over a time interval longer than the resonant period may, however, represent the average current over the same interval. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1970.tb01936.x
The emotions of graduating medical students about prior patient care experiences.

Abstract Objectives To determine the emotional responses to patient care activities described by fourth year medical students. Methods Qualitative content analysis for emerging themes in letters written by graduating medical students to patients during a Capstone Course. The patient need not be alive and the letter would never be sent. Results Six themes emerged from student letters: (1) Sorrow for the depths of patient suffering; (2) Gratitude towards patients and their families; (3) Personal responsibility for care provided to patients; (4) Regret for poor care provided by the student or student's team; (5) Shattered expectations about medicine and training; and (6) Anger towards patients. Students expressed sensitivity to vulnerable patients, including those who were alone, unable to communicate, or for whom care was biased. Students’ expressed powerlessness (inability to cure, managing a work–life balance, and challenges with hierarchy) in some essays. Conclusion At graduation, medical students describe strong emotions about previous patient care experiences, including difficulty witnessing suffering, disappointment with medicine, and gratitude to patients and their families Practice implications Providing regular opportunities for writing throughout medical education would allow students to recognize their emotions, reflect upon them and promote wellness that would benefit students and their patients.
Criterion shifts and the determination of the memory operating characteristic

Seven university students ran seven sessions in a continuous recognition memory experiment. Responses were made on a 6-point rating scale which was used to construct a memory operating characteristic (MOC). The S’s criteria were manipulated by varying the probability distribution of the outcomes, and the effects of the criterion shifts on the MOC were examined. The MOCs for the different conditions were found to be shifted but overlapping.
X-Ray Measurement of Thermal Expansion Perpendicular to the Layer Planes of Artificial and Natural Graphites

Preliminary results are reported from x-ray measurements of the thermal expansion perpendicular to the layer planes of artificial and natural graphites. (C.H.)
Predator foraging behavior in response to perception and learning by its prey: interactions between orb-spinning spiders and stingless bees

Although rewarded bees learn and remember colors and patterns, they have difficulty in learning to avoid negative stimuli such as decorated spider webs spun by Argiope argentata. A. argentata decorates its web with silk patterns that vary unpredictably (Fig. 1) and thus foraging insects that return to sites where spiders are found encounter new visual cues daily. Stingless bees can learn to avoid spider webs but avoidance-learning is slowed or inhibited by daily variation in web decorations (Figs. 3,4; Tables 1,2). In addition, even if bees learn to avoid decorated webs found in one location, they are unable to generalize learned-avoidance responses to similarly decorated webs found at other sites. A. argentata seems to have evolved a foraging behavior that is tied to the ways insects perceive and process information about their environment. Because of the evolutionary importance of bee-flower interdependence, the predatory behavior of web-decorating spiders may be difficult for natural selection to act against.
Absolute dating of dedolomitization by means of paleomagnetic techniques

Paleomagnetic analysis, in conjunction with petrographic studies, is an approach whereby absolute dates can be placed on diagenetic events. Hematite is associated with dedolomite in the Lower Ordovician Kindblade Formation in south-central Oklahoma and is interpreted as a by-product of the dedolomitization of ferroan dolomite. Paleomagnetic results date the time of dedolomitization as Late Pennsylvanian-Early Permian. Dedolomitization was probably caused by oxidizing fluids with high calcium contents that migrated through the Kindblade Formation following uplift of the Arbuckle Mountains.
Interannual mean sea level change and the Earth's water mass budget

The relationship between interannual global mean sea level change and the Earth's water mass budget is examined between 1993 and 1998 by removing the steric (thermal) component from mean sea level computed with TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) altimetry. The steric component is calculated from subsurface temperatures measured by expendable bathythermographs and interpolated to a global grid by empirical orthogonal function (EOF) reconstruction. Results indicate that from late-1995 to early-1998, the thermal expansion of sea level was significantly higher than the total sea level change measured by T/P, suggesting that fresh water mass was lost from the ocean. The size of the maximum water mass lost is equivalent to about 18 mm of sea level. An error analysis indicates that this value is significant at the 95% confidence level. Results from numerical models show similar magnitudes of water mass change in the ocean at interannual periods, but at different phases.
DNA elements are asymmetrically joined during the site-specific recombination of kappa immunoglobulin genes

Immunoglobulin K genes are constructed during lymphocyte differentiation by the joining of two DNA elements, VK and JK, to form both a VKJK coding unit and a reciprocal recombination product. The two products formed in single VK-to-JK joining events can be directly isolated through the use of a retrovirally introduced recombination substrate. The structural analysis of a number of recombinants and the derivation of secondary recombination products define some of the basic features of the mechanism of immunoglobulin gene assembly.
Observing behavior in the albino rat: a within-subjects' comparison of increasing levels of visual complexity.

54 male CD strain Charles River albino rats were tested for complexity preference using a non-locomotor response. Each subject was presented an array of photographic slides containing an incremental series of complexity elements, i.e., 1, 2, 5 and 25 elements. All photographic slides were randomized both within and across subjects. Each photographic slide of each level of complexity was repeated three times. Results of an analysis of covariance, with luminance as the covariate, showed that cummulative viewing time increased with an increase in stimulus complexity. The relationship between looking and level of complexity was shown to be different when covariance procedures were used than without them.
Gulf of Mexico hydrocarbon seep communities—IX. Sterol biosynthesis of seep mussels and its implications for host-symbiont association

Abstract The sterol analysis of six hydrocarbon seep mussels (mytilid II and mytilid Ib) from the Alaminos Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico is reported. The sterol composition of the mussel-symbiotic bacteria complex reflects a preponderant synthesis of 4α-methyl sterols (seep mytilid II), and a predominant biosynthesis of 4-desmethyl sterols with some amounts of 4α-methyl sterols (seep mytilid Ib). This suggests a methane-based symbiotic relationship between the mussels and methanotrophic bacteria. It also suggests that the biosynthesis of sterols in the mussel-bacteria complex is completed to the level of cholest-5-en-3s-ol (mytilid II) or 5α-cholestan-3s-ol (mytilid Ib).
A PREDICTION MODEL FOR THE FIRST YEAR GROWTH RESPONSE TO GROWTH HORMONE IN TURNER SYNDROME (TS) BASED ON KIGS (Kabi Pharmacia International Growth Study) DATA

In order to optimize treatment with GH, a large-scale, complex analysis on the response to GH in terms of auxological data, as well as treatment modalities is essential.1 We analyzed 175 TS patients <11 yrs. The median values were: CA=7.9 yrs; HT SDS = -2.5 SD; target HT=0.0 SD; Weight for Height index (WHI %)=97; GH dose (IU/kg/wk)=0.8; No. of GH inj/wk = 6). Out of 10 potential predictors, only the following were validated: No. of inj/wk, GH dose, CA and WHI. The corresponding regression equation is: HV (cm/yr)=9.02 + [0.36 × No. inj/wk] + [2.01 × GH dose (IU/kg/wk) ] - [0.25 × CA (yrs)] - (0.036 × WHI (%)]; r2=0.37; error SD=1.26 cm/yr). We concluded firstly that the mode of treatment rather than the auxology determines growth in TS, early treatment being possibly advantageous. Secondly, in contrast to GHD, WHI is negatively correlated to the growth response, thus pointing to a different body composition in TS. Thirdly, we found the growth response to GH in TS was less predictable with the variables used. Lastly, other predictors eg. degree of dysmorphology, may improve the prediction model.
In vivo administration of allopurinol affects ovulation and early embryonic development in rabbits

The potential role of the hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system in human chorionic gonaclotropin-induced ovulation, nuclear maturation, and preimplantation development was investigated in the rabbit by use of the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol. Allopurinol (50 mg/kg) or vehicle was injected, followed by human chorionic gonadotropin (100 IU). Administration of inhibitor or vehicle was repeated 3 hours later. Ovaries and ovulated ova were inspected 12 or 24 hours after human chorionic gonadotropin administration for follicle rupture, cumulus dispersal, and nuclear maturation. Ova were inseminated in vitro and assessed for development to the blastocyst stage, up to 96 hours after insemination. Allopurinol significantly reduced ovulatory efficiency, defined as the percent of large follicles that ovulate, and decreased the percent of ova with cumulus dispersal. Allopurinol significantly inhibited morula and blastocyst formation. These data suggest that the xanthine oxidase system may play a role in ovulation and early embryonic development.
Hearing Footsteps in the Dark: African American Students' Descriptions of Effective Teachers

There has been scant research examining African American students' perceptions of their learning environments. Nonetheless, the persistent underachievement of African American students merits an investigation into their viewpoints as to what types of teaching and learning environments promote high achievement. In this article, I detail findings from a qualitative case study that examined African American elementary and secondary students' descriptions of teaching practices and learning environments within urban contexts. The student interpretations identified 3 central teaching strategies that had a positive affect on student effort, engagement in class content, and overall achievement. The 3 key strategies were (a) teachers who establish family, community, and home-like characteristics; (b) teachers who establish culturally connected caring relationships with students; and (c) the use of certain types of verbal communication and affirmation.
Parent Stars of Extrasolar Planets. V. HD 75289

The results of a new spectroscopic analysis of HD 75289, recently reported to harbor a Jovian-mass planet, are presented. From high-resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio spectra, we derive [Fe/H] = +0.28 ± 0.05 for this star, in agreement with the spectroscopic study of Gratton et al. published 10 years ago. In addition, we present a reanalysis of the spectra of υ And and τ Boo; our new parameters for these two stars are now in better agreement with photometrically derived values and with the recent spectroscopic analyses of Fuhrmann et al. We also report on extended abundance analyses of 14 Her, HD 187123, HD 210277, and ρ1 Cnc. If we include the recent spectroscopic analyses of HD 217107 by Randich et al. and Sadakane et al., who both reported [Fe/H] ~ +0.30 for this star, we can state that all the "hot-Jupiter" systems studied to date have metal-rich parent stars. We find that the mean [C/Fe] and [Na/Fe] values among the sample of stars with planets are smaller than the corresponding quantities among field stars of the same [Fe/H].
Institutional Arrangements for Macroprudential Policy in Asia

This paper surveys institutional arrangements for macroprudential policy in Asia. Central banks in Asia typically have a financial stability mandate, and play a key role in the macroprudential framework. Smaller and more open economies with prudential regulation inside the central bank tend to have institutional arrangements that give the central bank a leading role. In larger and more complex economies where prudential regulation is outside the central bank, the financial stability mandate is usually shared with other agencies and the government tends to play a leading role. Domestic policy coordination is typically performed by a financial stability committee/other coordination body while cross-border cooperation is largely governed by Memoranda of Understanding.
Vasopressin administration to neonatal rats reduces antidiuretic response in adult kidneys

Abstract Neonatal rats who had been given injections of vasopressin on days 1–7 after birth exhibited polyuria as adults. In vivo antidiuresis bioassays demonstrated that their kidneys were deficient in their ability to concentrate urine in response to stimulation with vasopressin. The kidneys also showed a reduction in vasopressin-induced cyclic AMP production, although parathyroid hormone- and calcitonin-induced levels were normal. This suggests a specific deficit in vasopressin receptor-adenylate cyclase function. In contrast, the neonatal treatment had no effect on the sensitivity of the adult vasculature to the hypertensive effects of vasopressin. These results show that short exposures to high levels of vasopressin early in development can produce a long-term defect in vasopressin responsiveness that is specific to the kidney.
Spectral (Finite) Volume Method for Conservation Laws on Unstructured Grids. Basic Formulation

A high-order, conservative, yet efficient method named the spectral volume (SV) method is developed for conservation laws on unstructured grids. The concept of a “spectral volume” is introduced to achieve high-order accuracy in an efficient manner similar to spectral element and multidomain spectral methods. Each spectral volume is further subdivided into control volumes, and cell-averaged data from these control volumes are used to reconstruct a high-order approximation in the spectral volume. Then Riemann solvers are used to compute the fluxes at spectral volume boundaries. Cell-averaged state variables in the control volumes are updated independently. Furthermore, total variation diminishing and total variation bounded limiters are introduced in the SV method to remove/reduce spurious oscillations near discontinuities. Unlike spectral element and multidomain spectral methods, the SV method can be applied to fully unstructured grids. A very desirable feature of the SV method is that the reconstruction is carried out analytically, and the reconstruction stencil is always nonsingular, in contrast to the memory and CPU-intensive reconstruction in a high-order k-exact finite volume method. Fundamental properties of the SV method are studied and high-order accuracy is demonstrated for several model problems with and without discontinuities.
Vocational integration for persons with mental handicaps: A cross-cultural perspective

Descriptive information was presented which related to the vocational integration of persons with mental handicaps in five Western European countries. The investigator based his findings on a five-month visit to Denmark, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and West Germany. Observations, interviews, and documents were synthesized to draw conclusions about employment programs. Inferences were made about the development of vocational models in these countries and the United States. Potential variables were identified which influence systems change toward integrated models of work.
DKSM: Subverting Virtual Machine Introspection for Fun and Profit

Virtual machine (VM) introspection is a powerful technique for determining the specific aspects of guest VM execution from outside the VM. Unfortunately, existing introspection solutions share a common questionable assumption. This assumption is embodied in the expectation that original kernel data structures are respected by the untrusted guest and thus can be directly used to bridge the well-known semantic gap. In this paper, we assume the perspective of the attacker, and exploit this questionable assumption to subvert VM introspection. In particular, we present an attack called DKSM (Direct Kernel Structure Manipulation), and show that it can effectively foil existing VM introspection solutions into providing false information. By assuming this perspective, we hope to better understand the challenges and opportunities for the development of future reliable VM introspection solutions that are not vulnerable to the proposed attack.
Gout, Have We Met before? No, Not Like This…

Extra-articular symptoms could be the first manifestation of gouty arthritis (GA); polyarticular GA can mimic an infectious arthritis; infection can complicate GA. A 66-year-old male with a history of gout presented with high fever and excruciating bilateral calf pain for 1 day. Examination revealed chronic knee effusions; range of motion in both knees was limited by calf pain. Joint aspiration showed negatively birefringent intracellular crystals and normal gram stain. While receiving empiric antibiotics fever continued and he developed bilateral knee, right ankle, and shoulder pain. After demonstration of urate crystals and exclusion of infection, antibiotics were discontinued and steroids initiated. Fever, calf pain, and polyarthritis quickly resolved. Polyarticular gouty attack is an uncommon presentation of gout, and can mimic several other conditions. An exceptional presentation of this entity is excruciating calf pain, probably caused by tenosynovitis or referred pain preceding an acute polyarticular gouty attack.
Paperless and Soulless: E-signatures Diminish the Signer’s Presence and Decrease Acceptance

E-signatures are one of the fastest growing global practices because of their convenience. Much less is known, however, about whether people perceive e-signatures to be symbolically equivalent to traditional hand signatures. Results of four studies demonstrate that although functionally the same, e-signatures evoked markedly different psychological reactions than hand signatures. Namely, e-signatures evoked a weaker sense of the signer’s presence and involvement. This weaker sense of social presence, in turn, induced negativity: People were more likely to discount the validity of an e-signed application than that of an identical application signed by hand. They also anticipated that e-signed contracts would lead to greater likelihood of contract breaches. This negativity toward e-signatures persisted across five different types of e-signatures, regardless of an individual’s level of comfort with technology. Taken together, the studies reveal deeply rooted psychological reactions to a practice that is now ...
Self-administration of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) by drug naive squirrel monkeys

Interest in therapeutic activities of cannabinoids has been restrained by the fact that they are most often mediated through activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors, the same receptors that mediate the effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and are responsible for the abuse liability of marijuana. Persistent intravenous self-administration of THC by animals was first demonstrated in squirrel monkeys and shown to be mediated by CB1 receptors, but monkeys in the study had a history of cocaine self-administration, raising the possibility that persistent neurobiological adaptations might subsequently predispose animals to self-administer THC. To demonstrate persistent intravenous self-administration of THC in drug-naive squirrel monkeys. Monkeys with no history of exposure to other drugs learned to press a lever for intravenous injections (0.2 ml in 0.2 s) of THC under a 10-response, fixed-ratio schedule with a 60-s time-out after each injection. Acquisition of THC self-administration was rapid and the final schedule was reached in 11–34 sessions. Dose of THC was then varied from 1 to 16 µg/kg per injection with vehicle extinction following each dose of THC. THC maintained significantly higher numbers of self-administered injections per session and higher rates of responding than vehicle at doses of 2, 4 and 8 µg/kg per injection, with maximal rates of responding at 4 µg/kg per injection. Response rates, injections per session and total THC intake per session were two- to three-fold greater in monkeys with no history of exposure to other drugs compared to previous findings in monkeys with a history of cocaine self-administration. THC can act as an effective reinforcer of drug-taking behavior in monkeys with no history of exposure to other drugs, suggesting that self-administration of THC by monkeys provides a reliable animal model of human marijuana abuse.
Maximum achievable traffic load balancing in cellular radio networks

In a cellular wireless communication system, channel bandwidth is a scarce resource. Even if the network design takes into account the average traffic pattern in a geographical area, time-dependent variation of traffic often creates load imbalance (commonly known as hot spots) in different parts of the network. Some attempts have been made to alleviate the time-varying network congestion in cellular networks. However, because of co-channel interference problem associated with the concept of frequency re-use in a cellular system, maximum possible channel capacity gain cannot be achieved through these conventional load balancing schemes. If somehow the co-channel interference problem could be avoided while balancing the traffic load in different cells, the maximum achievable capacity gain could be attained. In this paper, we provide an analytical framework to show the maximum possible capacity gain in a cellular system. Through an analogy of fluid flow among the connected reservoirs, we study the load balancing dynamics. An example of 3-tier cellular structure is used to demonstrate that the maximum achievable capacity gain could be as much as 69%. In an identical scenario, the best known technique such as load balancing with selective borrowing achieves a maximum capacity gain of only up to 18%.
Benchmarking small area estimators

This paper considers benchmarking issues in the context of small area estimation. We find optimal estimators within the class of benchmarked linear estimators under linear constraints. This extends existing results for external and internal benchmarking, and also links the two. Necessary and sufficient conditions for self-benchmarking are found for an augmented model. Most results of this paper are found using ideas of orthogonal projection Copyright 2013, Oxford University Press.