cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endogenous Group Formation

While the rules governing the formation of groups engaging in collective action may have significant impact on group size and behavior of members, most experiments on public goods have been conducted with the subjects in exogenously fixed groups or of fixed sizes. We study endogenous formation of groups in a public-goods provision game by allowing subjects to change groups under three sets of rules: free entry/exit, restricted entry with free exit, and free entry with restricted exit. We find that the rules governing entry and exit do have a significant impact on individual behavior and group-level outcomes.
Hip-Hop, Black Millennials, and Understandings of Blackness: 'I’m Black and I’m Proud'

This study researches what role, if any, hip-hop lyrics and culture play in shaping U.S.-based Black Millennials’ understandings of Blackness. There is not a wide range of current scholarly information about Black Millennials, hip-hop lyrics, hip-hop culture, and Blackness. Nine Black Millennial men and women from the ages of 22 through 37 were selected to interview for this research. These interviewees were picked through personal relationships and knowing the amount of knowledge they hold about hip-hop and Blackness. Scholarly books and articles were also a method used to conduct this research. This research seeks to contribute to this growing area of scholarship, and the Black Millennial Playlist, is the sonic corollary to the project.
Improv games in geoscience courses

Improvisational or “improv” theater is a live form where the elements of a scene are made up during the performance. Research in various academic disciplines has found the use of improv in classroo...
Examining Digital Inequities in Ohio’s K-12 Virtual Schools: Implications for Educational Leaders and Policymakers

One touted purpose of virtual schools is to expand learning opportunities for students, but in reality, virtual schooling may not be readily available to all students. This study analyzes inequitable access to Ohio’s virtual schooling by examining disaggregated student enrollment data. Similar to past research, we found racial minorities and students with limited English proficiency were under-represented in Ohio’s virtual schools in comparison to traditional schools. However, unlike past studies, we found economically-disadvantaged students and students with disabilities were over-represented in Ohio’s virtual schools. The findings are explained through policy and legal lenses, and potential legal issues are discussed.
Transistor-Level Simulation for Circuit Reliability

In Chapters 2 through 4, the basic physical principles of hot-carrier induced oxide degradation in MOS transistors were discussed. Also, device models were introduced (i) to estimate the amount of damage based on operating conditions, and (ii) to predict the current-voltage characteristics of the devices after hot-carrier damage. It can be seen intuitively that in a circuit environment, the degradation of individual MOS transistors will be determined by their operating conditions within the circuit, and that this device degradation will eventually lead to circuit performance degradation. In order to account for the influence of hot-carrier effects upon circuit-level reliability, the next step will be to extend the analytical reliability estimation models developed in the previous chapters to circuit-level applications.
Time in quantum gravity

Quantum gravity--the marriage of quantum physics with general relativity--is bound to contain deep and important lessons for the nature of physical time. Some of these lessons shall be canvassed here, particularly as they arise from quantum general relativity and string theory and related approaches. Of particular interest is the question of which of the intuitive aspects of time will turn out to be fundamental, and which 'emergent' in some sense.
Preventing and Treating Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis has been defined as "a progressive systemic disease characterized by low bone density and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture." Osteoporosis and the consequences of compromised bone strength--particularly vertebral and hip fractures--are a significant cause of frailty, and increased morbidity and even mortality and hence are a serious and costly public health problem in the elderly population. However, due to remarkable advances in basic and clinical research and in drug design, development, and testing, a number of efficacious, evidence-based options are available for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. These options extend far beyond estrogen/progestin therapy and include lifestyle and dietary changes such as increasing weight-bearing activity, enhancing calcium and vitamin D intake, as well as incorporating pharmacologic agents such as the bisphosphonates and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) such as raloxifene. In addition to its efficacy in increasing bone mineral density and reducing vertebral fractures by almost 40% in women with osteoporosis, the SERM raloxifene appears to promote a cardioprotective profile and to offer some protection against breast cancer. The potential of raloxifene to prevent or delay the development of a number of chronic diseases of aging such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and perhaps even Alzheimer's disease has stimulated the development and refinement of subsequent generations of SERMs aimed at maximizing beneficial effects in a wide variety of tissues while eliminating deleterious outcomes and side effects.
A direct measurement of internal model learning rates in a visuomotor tracking task

We investigate human motor learning in an unknown environment using a force measurement as the input to a computer controlled plant. We propose to use the Feedback Error Learning (FEL) framework to model the overt behavior of motor response to unexpected changes in plant parameters. This framework assumes a specific feedforward and feedback structure. The feedforward component predicts the required motor commands given the reference trajectory, and the feedback component stabilizes the system in case of imprecise estimates and initial conditions. To estimate the feedback gain, we employ a novel technique in which we probe the stability properties of the system by artificially inducing a time delay in the sensory feedback pathway. By altering the pole location of the plant during a sinusoidal tracking task, a feedforward learning bandwidth was computed for each subject which measures the ability to adaptively track time-varying changes in the plant dynamics. Lastly, we use the learning bandwidth to compute a learning rate with respect to the FEL model. This learning rate reflects the ability of the subjects' internal model to adapt to changes in an unknown environment.
Jost function description of near threshold resonances for coupled-channel scattering

Abstract We study the effect of resonances near the threshold of low energy ( e ) reactive scattering processes, and find an anomalous behavior of the s-wave cross sections. For reaction and inelastic processes, the cross section exhibits the energy dependence σ ∼ e - 3 / 2 instead of the standard Wigner’s law threshold behavior σ ∼ e - 1 / 2 . Wigner’s law is still valid as e → 0 , but in a narrow range of energies. We illustrate these effects with two reactive systems, a low-reactive system (H2 + Cl) and a more reactive one (H2 + F). We provide analytical expressions, and explain this anomalous behavior using the properties of the Jost functions. We also discuss the implication of the reaction rate coefficients behaving as K ∼ 1 / T at low temperatures, instead of the expected constant rate of the Wigner regime in ultracold physics and chemistry.
Electrostatically Driven Protein Aggregation: β-Lactoglobulin at Low Ionic Strength

The aggregation of β-lactoglobulin (BLG) at ambient temperature was studied using turbidimetry and dynamic light scattering in the range 3.8 < pH < 5.2 in 0.0045 M NaCl, and in the ionic strength range 0.0045−0.5 M at fixed pH = 5.0. The initial rate of aggregation, taken as the initial slope of turbidity vs time, (dτ/dt)0, indicated maximum aggregation near pH 4.6 (below the isoelectric point of 5.2), but the dependence of the initial rate of aggregation on pH was highly asymmetric. At pH 5.0, (dτ/dt)0 strongly increased with a decrease in ionic strength I from 0.1 to 0.0045 M and was found to be nearly linear with 1/I. DLS measurements revealed an increase in particle size with time, with the appearance of bimodal distributions in which the fast and slow modes corresponded, respectively, to a BLG dimer and to larger aggregates in the 100−800 nm range. At conditions of slower aggregation, DLS revealed the consumption of dimers to form higher order aggregates with no intermediate species. Computer modelin...
Effects of Water Chemistry on the Life History of the Least Killifish Heterandria formosa and the Absence of Evidence for Local Adaptation

This study explored whether persistent differences in life history traits between populations of Least Killifish Heterandria formosa could be explained by differences in habitat-associated water type, reflecting either local adaptation or phenotypic plasticity. Fish native to a pond and a spring site were reared in the lab in either pond or spring water. Fish reared in pond water reached maturity faster and at the same size as fish reared in spring water, regardless of source population. There was no difference in daily mortality rate between fish raised in the different water types, but the longer time to maturity in spring water produced a lower cumulative survival to maturity. Water type did not affect fecundity, but fish from the spring population had larger offspring, contrary to patterns found in both the field and previously in the lab. Persistent differences among natural populations in life history traits have previously been attributed to differences in population density and predation pressure....
Defects and oxygen diffusion in high Tc superconductors

Abstract Oxygen stoichiometry and associated defects are known to play a central role in influencing the properties of the high T c superconductors as well as the rates at which they approach equilibrium during processing. It is only recently, however, that reliable data concerning oxygen diffusion have become available. We examine these data in the context of defect models proposed for the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ and La 2−x Sr x CuO 4 −δ systems.
Wetting and plasma-protein adsorption studies using surfaces with a hydrophobicity gradient

Abstract Wetting gradients on silica were prepared according to the technique developed by Elwing et al. (J. Colloid Interface Sci., 119 (1987) 1). The contact angle, determined by the Wilhelmy-plate method, showed an S-shaped dependence on the position along the gradient. The advancing water contact angle was 0° on the hydrophilic end and 97±3° on the hydrophobic end. The receding water contact angles were ∼40° smaller in the wetting transition region and ∼20° smaller on the hydrophobic side of the gradient. Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) was used to study the adsorption of three fluorescein-labelled proteins: human serum albumin, IgG and fibrinogen. The gradient surface exposed to a single protein solution resulted in an amount of adsorbed protein on the hydrophobic end that approximately corresponded to a monolayer. As a rule, lower adsorption was found on the hydrophilic end. When the proteins were adsorbed from a mixture, the surface concentration of albumin was generally not affected, the fibrinogen adsorption decreased by 40–50% and the IgG adsorption decreased to 10% of the adsorption measured from a single protein solution. The so-called Vroman effect (for example, transient IgG adsorption maximum in adsorption kinetics) was found on the hydrophobic side of the gradient. The desorption experiments were carried out with a nonionic polymeric surfactant, an ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymer: EO 100 -PO 70 -EO 100 . The adsorption affinity of albumin to the wetting transition region, as measured by surfactant induced desorption, was extraordinarily high.
Some developments in the phosphitetriester method for synthesis of oligonucleotides

Abstract 1,l-Dimethyl-2,2,2-trichloroethyl has merit as a protecting group for P-O in the phosphite-triester synthesis of oligonucleotides. Use of this group enables one to simplify procedures for preparing active nucleoside phosphorochloridite reagents, to remove oligonucleotide phosphotriester intermediates intact from a solid support, and to conduct block syntheses in solution or on a silica support viaphosphite chemistry. Deprotection can be achieved by warming the trihaloethyl phosphotriesters with tributylphosphine. The high efficiency of the coupling and deprotection reactions for oligomers bound to an insoluble support make this chemistry especially attractive.
The golden hour in heat stroke: Use of iced peritoneal lavage

Abstract A case of heat stroke is described in which the patient presented comatose with a rectal temperature exceeding 42.5°C. Standard external evaporative cooling and iced gastric lavage failed to alter his temperature or mental status. Iced peritoneal lavage brought about a decrease in rectal temperature to 39.4°C and significant improvement in mental status. The patient recovered uneventfully. Techniques of rapid cooling are discussed.
Risk factors for prostate cancer incidence and progression in the health professionals follow-up study

Risk factors for prostate cancer could differ for various sub-groups, such as for "aggressive" and "non-aggressive" cancers or by grade or stage. Determinants of mortality could differ from those for incidence. Using data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, we re-examined 10 factors (cigarette smoking history, physical activity, BMI, family history of prostate cancer, race, height, total energy consumption, and intakes of calcium, tomato sauce and alpha-linolenic acid) using multivariable Cox regression in relation to multiple subcategories for prostate cancer risk. These were factors that we previously found to be predictors of prostate cancer incidence or advanced prostate cancer in this cohort, and that have some support in the literature. In this analysis, only 4 factors had a clear statistically significant association with overall incident prostate cancer: African-American race, positive family history, higher tomato sauce intake (inversely) and alpha-linolenic acid intake. In contrast, for fatal prostate cancer, recent smoking history, taller height, higher BMI, family history, and high intakes of total energy, calcium and alpha-linolenic acid were associated with a statistically significant increased risk. Higher vigorous physical activity level was associated with lower risk. In relation to these risk factors, advanced stage at diagnosis was a good surrogate for fatal prostate cancer, but high-grade (Gleason >/= 7 or Gleason >/= 8) was not. Only for high calcium intake was there a close correspondence for associations among high-grade cancer, advanced and fatal prostate cancer. Tomato sauce (inversely) and alpha-linolenic acid (positively) intakes were strong predictors of advanced cancer among those with low-grade cancers at diagnosis. Although the proportion of advanced stage cancers was much lower after PSA screening began, risk factors for advanced stage prostate cancers were similar in the pre-PSA and PSA era. The complexity of the clinical and pathologic manifestations of prostate cancer must be considered in the design and interpretation of studies.
Experimental examination of growing and newly submerged sea ice including acoustic probing of the skeletal layer

Results of an in‐situ experiment to examine acoustic parameters and scattering properties of growing and newly submerged arctic sea ice are presented. The primary emphasis is on the acoustic properties of highly porous sea ice. High resolution (to about 1 cm) vertical profiles of the longitudinal wave speed in growing and submerged sea ice are derived from the experimental data. The results indicate a skeletal layer about 3 cm thick at the bottom of the growing ice. The time dependence of the vertical sound‐speed profile in a submerged block reveals a long time scale process of up to 80 h and a short process of a few hours. The former process is block warming, the latter is thought to be due to the disturbance of the hydrostatic equilibrium as the ice is submerged. Concurrently with the wave speed measurements, scattering from the underside of the ice was measured at several frequencies. A comparison with predictions based on the sound‐speed data demonstrate the ability to predict normal incidence reflect...
Development and Validation of a Fetal Cardiovascular Disease Severity Scale

Prenatal heart disease spans the spectrum of severity from very mild to severe life-threatening conditions. An accepted scale for grading fetal cardiovascular disease severity would aid in anomaly standardization, counseling, and future research. The Fetal Cardiovascular Disease Severity Scale with seven severity grades ranging from mild (grade 1) to severe (grade 7) disease was developed. Severity grade relates to the cardiovascular condition diagnosed by fetal echocardiography, with factors including postnatal intervention, number of interventions anticipated, likelihood of two-ventricle repair versus single-ventricle palliation, and overall prognosis. A survey describing 25 cardiac anomalies was offered to fetal cardiologists at six institutions for validation of scale reliability among practitioners. The study participants graded defects using this scale. A smaller group graded anomalies again more than 2 weeks after the initial survey. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess agreement of the respondents. The survey participants were 14 experienced fetal cardiologists: 9 from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and 5 from five additional institutions in the United States. The initial survey ICC was high [0.93; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.88–0.96]. The subanalysis showed a higher ICC for the participants outside CHOP (0.95; 95 % CI 0.91–0.98 vs. 0.92; 95 % CI 0.86–0.96, respectively). The ICCs were high for all the fetal cardiologists participating in the repeat evaluation, ranging from 0.92 to 0.99 (95 % CI 0.65–1.00). The Fetal Cardiovascular Disease Severity Scale demonstrated good inter- and intrarater reliability among experienced fetal cardiologists and is a valid tool for standardization of prenatal cardiac diagnostic assessment across institutions. The scale has applications for parental counseling and research in fetal cardiovascular disease.
Performance of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice under an incremental repeated acquisition of behavioral chains procedure

BALB/c (n = 8) and C57BL/6 (n = 11) male mice were trained under an incremental repeated acquisition (IRA) procedure using two distinct training procedures: forward and backward chaining. A new metric for assessing progress on the IRA procedure, progress quotient (PQ), quantified progress as the product of chain length and number of reinforcers earned during a session divided by the total number of reinforcers earned. BALB/c mice progressed further, had higher overall responding, earned more reinforcers, and acquired the response sequences faster than the C57BL/6 mice on both training procedures. There were only minimal effects of training procedure for either strain. The strain differences found between BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice confirm the importance of genetic background to behavior. C57BL/6 mice may be deficient in learning as compared with BALB/c mice but other contributing factors probably include overall responding, motivation, and more rapid satiation or habituation to sucrose reinforcement by the C57BL/6 mice. PQ is a sensitive and valid measure of progress for use in studies of mastery-based incremental repeated acquisition and BALB/c mice perform this challenging learning task better than do C57BL/6 mice.
A performance measure for mutual funds using the Connor-Korajczyk methodology: An empirical study

This article examines the performance of a sample of bond, stock, and balanced funds. Close attention is paid to the bond versus equity composition of the mutual funds and how this asset composition affects the performance measure. This research includes the period from January 1977 through March 1984. The results of the analysis show that none of these mutual funds categories has outperformed the market. Fund managers in this sample are unable to predict security prices consistently to warrant the associated costs. In addition, the “goodness of fit” varied significantly between the types of funds examined.
Compromise screening strategies for chronic disease

When the technology used to screen a large population for a chronic disease is potentially harmful in itself, it becomes necessary to consider alternative screening strategies. These alternatives are compromises, since although less people are exposed to the danger of the screening technology, some who would have benefited from the examination never receive it. A previously developed mathematical model for mass screening programs is used to evaluate one type of compromise screening strategy, namely, a two stage screening examination with the first stage a harmless, relatively inaccurate test and the second stage the more accurate, potentially harmful examination. The formulas are then used to calculate the effectiveness of a one stage screening examination for breast cancer using mammography, relative to a two stage screening examination for which the first stage measures the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the second stage is a mammography examination. It is shown that the numerical values obtained are not too far from a conjecture made in an earlier paper. It is concluded that a two stage screening examination should be used in any program which uses mammography to screen a large population of asymptomatic women for breast cancer.
Citizens, community, and crime control: The problems and prospects for negotiated order

How do communities control crime, and what does this tell us about the problem of negotiating order at the local level? This article will draw on empirical research in two US cities to illustrate h...
Relationship Between Cooperation in an Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma Game and the Discounting of Hypothetical Outcomes

A number of authors have proposed that preference for a larger, delayed reward in delay discounting is similar to cooperation in a repeated prisoner's dilemma game versus tit-for-tat. This proposal was examined by correlating delay-discounting (Experiment 1) and probability-discounting (Experiment 2) rates for hypothetical monetary gains and losses with performance in a repeated prisoner's dilemma game. Correlations between rate of delay discounting (discounting parameters and area under the curve) and proportion of cooperation in the repeated prisoner's dilemma game versus tit-for-tat were significant across three magnitudes, and correlations were generally higher with discounting for losses than with that for gains. As was expected, correlations between rate of delay discounting and performance versus a random strategy in the prisoner's dilemma game were not significant. Correlations between rate of probability-discounting and cooperation rate in a repeated prisoner's dilemma game versus neither a tit-for-tat nor a random strategy were significant.
RISER FLUCTUATIONS AND VORTICES AT SHAPIRO STEPS IN JOSEPHSON-JUNCTION ARRAYS

Numerical simulations of the giant Shapiro steps on two-dimensional arrays of resistively shunted Josephson junctions were performed at nonzero but low temperatures. When an ac current at frequency \ensuremath{\omega} is applied, large phase fluctuations occur just at the risers of the Shapiro steps where the system is making the transition to the next harmonic of the applied ac current. These phase fluctuations lead to the creation of large numbers of vortices just on the risers and a large increase in noise output.
Examiner expectancy effects in the measurement of pressure pain thresholds

The ascending Method of Limits, used for the determination of pressure pain thresholds (PPT), is not a psychophysically robust method. The present study sought to determine if the examiner's expectancy, based on whether the measurement site was clinically 'painful' or 'non-painful', would bias the obtained PPT values. Twenty-eight patients with facial or temporal area pain served as subjects, and in each subject, a pain site and a control site were identified and marked. According to a randomization schedule, the pain and control sites were correctly marked in half of the subjects and were mis-labeled in the other half, thereby controlling the examiner's knowledge of a site and thus the examiner's expectancy of what the PPT should be. Two examiners, shown to be reliable with each other in both pre-clinical and post-clinical reliability studies, were blind to the true purpose of the study and to the marking procedures. Each examiner made one PPT measurement at each marked site in a counterbalanced measurement order. Manipulating the examiner's prior knowledge of the measurement site's characteristics significantly lowered the obtained PPT values for control sites but did not significantly alter the PPT at the clinically painful sites. Nevertheless, the pain sites still had significantly lower PPTs than did control sites. We conclude that: (i) PPTs at pain sites are robust to a major source of measurement bias associated with the ascending Method of Limits; (ii) measurement order and knowledge of measurement site characteristics can influence obtained PPT; and (iii) the common protocol in which the examiner monitors the amount of pressure during PPT measurement in order to control the force application rate may serve as a mechanism that can bias the obtained values.
Mechanisms of photoadaptation in three strains of the symbiotic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium microadriaticum

Mechanisms of photoadaptation of photosynthesis have been studied in three strains of the symbiotic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium microadriaticum. Algal strains isolated from the clam Tridacna maxima, the sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella, and the scleractinian coral Montipora verrucosa were maintained in the defined medium ASP-8A, and were grown at irradiances ranging from 22 to 248 μE m-2 s-1 on a 14 h:10 h (light:dark) photoperiod at 26°C. All algal cultures were analysed during log-phase of growth. At all light levels, rates of cell division and photosynthesis were determined, as were cell volumes, pigmentation (including chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c 2, peridinin, β-carotene and xanthophylls), and carbon and nitrogen content. Low light-induced changes in pigmentation were evident to varying degrees in all three algal strains, although alterations in the photosynthesis-irradiance relations were distinctly different in each strain. The algae from T. maxima show the least photoadaptive capability, and seem to photoadapt by changing photosynthetic unit (PSU) size. Algae from A. pulchella appear to adapt by changing PSU number, while algae from M. verrucosa appear to photoadapt by changes in the activities of CO2-fixing enzymes or electron transport systems. These are the first observations that demonstrate functional differences in different strains of S. microadriaticum. The adaptive capabilities of the algae appear to correlate well with the ecological distribution of their respective hosts. The study was made from July 1981 through December 1982.
Multi‐level 3D VSP travel time inversion in VTI media, Weyburn Field, Canada

A 12-level 3D vertical seismic profile (VSP) is acquired as part of Weyburn Project with of Reservoir Characterization Project (RCP) at Colorado School of Mines. Travel times from direct arrivals of compressional sources are used to invert for Thomsen’s parameters for a transversely isotropic with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI) media. Near offsets are used to estimate the vertical travel time and normal moveout (NMO) velocity, while the non-hyperbolic moveout of all offsets are fitted to estimate the horizontal velocity. and δ parameters are estimated from these velocities. A sensitivity and error analysis on the parameters that control the non-hyperbolic moveout equation is performed.
A Prospective, Randomized Trial Evaluating the Use of Hydrogel Coated Latex Versus All Silicone Urethral Catheters After Urethral Reconstructive Surgery

Purpose: The superiority of silicone over latex based catheters following urethral reconstructive surgery for stricture disease has been theorized, and yet data comparing their use in this group of patients are lacking. We present our findings from a prospective, randomized trial comparing silicone to hydrogel coated latex catheters in patients following urethral reconstructive surgery.Materials and Methods: From February 2004 to August 2006 men undergoing urethral reconstructive surgeries were randomized to receive an all-silicone or a hydrogel coated latex urethral catheter for postoperative bladder drainage. Patient demographics and the various reconstructive procedures used were analyzed. Complications and stricture recurrence were evaluated in the 2 groups.Results: A total of 85 men were randomized to receive a silicone (43) or a latex (42) catheter following reconstructive surgery. Median followup was 20 months (range 10 to 36). Mean patient age, urethral stricture length, complication rate and type...
Dissociation of Novelty- and Cocaine-Conditioned Locomotor Activity from Cocaine Place Conditioning

High locomotor response to novelty is associated with ease of drug self-administration but does not predict greater place-conditioning effects of drugs. Yet, the latter reflects context conditioning and high responders (HR), compared to low responders (LR), show greater conditioned locomotor effects. Conditioned locomotor effects may occur in place conditioning, perhaps confounding its measure. To examine whether conditioned locomotor effects occur in place conditioning, the present study classified rats as HR vs. LR by using approximately the two extreme 15% percentiles of the distributions. The place conditioning and locomotor sensitizing effects of cocaine were tested. In Experiment 1, HR rats exhibited more crossings between compartments but did not differ from LR rats in cocaine place conditioning. Further, both groups showed increased crossings at test compared to baseline, indicative of a conditioned locomotor effect. In Experiment 2, HR rats showed greater acute locomotor activation to cocaine, whereas LR rats tend to show greater locomotor sensitization. Finally, in Experiment 3, HR rats showed habituation in locomotor responses, whereas LR rats did not. Results of these studies suggest that inherent and conditioned locomotor activity levels are dissociated from place-conditioning effects.
The social behaviour of free-ranging suburban dogs

Abstract Over a period of 7 months, a residential area of Berkeley, California, was surveyed at hourly intervals throughout the day and night for free-ranging dogs, dogs with people, and cats. The animals' locations and behaviours were recorded. The highest frequency of sightings of free-ranging dogs occurred at 07.00 h, with a secondary peak at 17.00 h. The abundance of dogs with people followed a similar pattern except that the morning peak occurred 2 h later. Cats were most abundant at night between 18.00 and 04.00 h. The observable number of free-ranging dogs increased with increasing temperature to a maximum at 23° C and then declined with higher temperatures. The number of cat sightings was fairly constant with increasing temperature up to 17° C then declined with further temperature increase. Free-ranging dogs were sighted most frequently on private property. Street and side-walk use was greatest in the mornings; free-ranging dogs tended to travel in the morning and rest as the temperature increased later in the day. Most dogs were sighted within 1 or 2 blocks of their homes. The home ranges of 8 dogs are illustrated and described. These showed considerable individual variation, but generally had dense core areas and sparse travel areas (mean corridor home range = 1.74 hectares). Most free-ranging dogs were solitary and social groupings occurred only randomly. Despite their apparent lack of sociability, the dogs did not exhibit any signs of territoriality and agonistic encounters were never observed.
The biogeographic histories of Pinus edulis and Pinus monophylla over the last 50,000 years

Abstract Well-preserved pine needles found in fossil packrat middens document the biogeographic responses of pinyon pines to changing climates over the last 50,000 years. During the full glacial Wisconsinan (MIS2), Pinus monophylla (single-needle pinyon), Pinus edulis (Colorado pinyon), and P. edulis var. fallax (Arizona singleleaf pinyon) all grew along the southern portions of their current ranges. P. monophylla extended from the southern Sierra Nevada across the Mojave Desert to northwestern Arizona. P. edulis grew from northwestern Arizona across central Arizona to New Mexico and south to westernmost Texas. P. edulis var. fallax grew throughout what is now the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona. Application of the modern climate requirements for these species suggest that winter precipitation at this time was at least 150% of modern, but also that summer precipitation may have been somewhat greater than today, at least at the northernmost end of the Gulf of California. During the Bolling and Allerod intervals P. edulis and P. edulis var. fallax quickly expanded northward over the Mogollon Rim of central Arizona into the Little Colorado River basin and northwestern Arizona. This northerly expansion of the fallax variety during the Allerod interval suggests that temperatures were warmer than most of the latest Wisconsinan and that summer precipitation was at least 120% of modern. After the rapid warming at the start of the Holocene (11.7 ka), P. monophylla and P. edulis populations were reduced in extent as their retreating southerly stands were not immediately replaced by expansion into cooler regions. These populations slowly expanded 300–500 km northward at rates between 20 and 60 m y−1, reaching some of their current northern limits only within the last millennium. Increases in temperature expected over the next several hundred years will result in a similar reduction in populations unless this warming is ameliorated by favorable increases in precipitation. The consistent needle anatomy and distributions of the three types relative to each other suggest that there has been little evolutionary change discernible from these needles over at least the last 25,000 years.
Using the Active and Passive Voice Appropriately in On-the-Job Writing

Many current technical writing handbooks still advise writers to avoid the passive voice except in certain limited situations, primarily when the agent is unknown, understood, unimportant, or bette...
Stimulation of non-neuronal cell proliferation in vitro by mitogenic factors present in highly purified sympathetic neurons

Abstract Sympathetic neurons have been demonstrated to contain one or more mitogens which are active on highly purified non-neuronal cells cultured in medium containing an optimal concentration of fetal calf serum. Neurons and homologous non-neuronal cells were separated by a method recently developed in this laboratory. The highly purified neurons were either sonicated or homogenized prior to addition to non-neuronal cultures. The presence of neuronal sonicate (1) greatly stimulated [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation into acid-precipitable macromolecules without altering the soluble [ 3 H]thymidine pool, (2) increased both the fraction of non-neuronal cells which took up [ 3 H]thymidine and the density of labeling as observed by autoradiography, and (3) increased the number of cells present in treated cultures after 40 h. The enhancement of [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation was dose-dependent and did not involve cyclic AMP. Addition of neuronal sonicate also caused marked non-neuronal cell elongation which resulted in the elaboration of very long cell processes. The active factor(s) in the neuronal sonicate were partially heat-labile. Norepinephrine was ruled out as a possible mitogenic factor.
THE ACCURACY OF MONTHLY WEIGHT ASSESSMENTS IN NURSING HOMES: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF WEIGHT LOSS

Background The prevalence of weight loss is a quality indicator for nursing homes (NH), and monthly weight assessments are conducted by NH staff to determine weight loss.
The horizons of thought

I KNOW that a reviewer's comments on a book, especially when published in an international journal, travel many leagues while an author's reply is getting into an envelope, but for all that I would ask you to allow me to comment on your reviewer's words (in NATURE of October 20, 1934, p. 617) concerning my book, “The Horizons of Thought”. I am surprised to read that there is a “peculiar method” employed in the book; the reviewer seems to imply that it is a superficial eclecticism, which of course no one could countenance. As a matter of fact, the quotations are used for illustration and application of principles previously worked out and published in preliminary form elsewhere, as indicated in the preface. The reviewer seems to complain because contexts are not stated; they are omitted for the sake of brevity, and also because I was interested not so much in contexts as in contacts and conflicts with the principles worked out. I was interested not so much in elaborating my perhaps “general and obvious”, and perhaps even “more or less relevant” conclusions, as in showing how often in contemporary thought their principles are disregarded, with consequences all the way “from mathematics to ethics”. Finally, I must disclaim the wish which the reviewer imputes to me, of solving problems which lie beyond the horizons. I think the primary task of philosophy is to work within the island-universe of the sciences (logical, mathematical, natural and social), and treat a great mass of traditional outlying questions non-committally.
Photoreceptors in evolution and disease.

A new study identifies the gene that, when mutated, causes autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa 25 (arRP25). The RP25 gene encodes an ortholog of Drosophila spacemaker (eyes shut), thus emphasizing common biological functions between Drosophila sensory systems and the human eye.
Human digestive effects on a micromammalian skeleton

Abstract This study describes the results of an experiment involving the consumption of a skinned, eviscerated, and segmented insectivore by an adult human male. Bone remains from recovered faecal contents are examined for skeletal element representation, breakage and digestive damage. Detailed examination of each category suggests severe skeletal attrition which is comparable to, and at times in excess of, the damage exhibited in microvertebrate skeletal accumulations originating from the scats of small mammalian carnivores.
Three new fusidic acid derivatives and their antibacterial activity

Two steroid acids, cephalosporin P1 and isocephalosporin P1, were isolated from Hapsidospora irregularis FERM BP-2511. These compounds are structurally related to fusidic acid. Their NMR data were completely assigned on the basis of the 2D NMR spectra. Incubation of these two compounds with Microbacterium oxydans CGMCC 1788 in Luria-Bertani broth yielded the same set of three new 3-dehydrogenated products, 3-keto-isocephalosporin P1, 3-keto-cephalosporin P1 and 6-deacetyl-3-keto-cephalosporin P1. The final pH of the bacterial culture was 9.0. Incubation of 3-keto-isocephalosporin P1 or 3-keto-cephalosporin P1 in Tris-HCl buffer (pH 9.0) revealed that these two compounds can convert to each other by shifting the acetyl group between C-6 and C-7. The acetyl group at C-6 or C-7 can also be removed by hydrolysis to yield the minor product 6-deacetyl-3-keto-cephalosporin P1. These fusidic acid derivatives were tested for the antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. 3-Keto-cephalosporin P1 showed the highest activity among the five compounds, with a minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) of 4 μg/mL, which is more potent than the substrate cephalosporin P1. Both cephalosporin P1 and 3-keto-cephalosporin P1 were active against methicillin-resistant S. aureus, with the same MIC of 8 μg/mL.
An assay for picomole levels of tyrosine and related phenols and its application to the measurement of phenylalanine hydroxylase activity

Abstract Detection of tyrosine and related compounds by their native fluorescence is coupled to high-pressure liquid chromatography to provide a highly specific assay linear over almost five orders of magnitude, with a limit of sensitivity of 2 pmol (signal/noise = 2). Requiring no derivatization and minimal sample preparation, high throughput is obtained. The technique is illustrated by its application to the quantitation of (i) tyrosine produced by phenylalanine hydroxylase, and (ii) tyrosine levels in plasma and tissue extracts. Following removal of protein by precipitation with trichloroacetic acid and centrifugation, 30 samples per hour can be chromatographed. The maximum volume which can be injected onto a 10 × 0.46-cm column of 5-μm C 18 bonded phase silica, without peak distortion, is 50 μl, corresponding to a minimum detectable concentration of 4 × 10 −8 m . Optimization of the fluorometric and chromatographic parameters allows analysis of other hydroxylated aromatic compounds, as exemplified by the separation of o-, m- , and p -tyrosine, and dihydroxyphenylalanine.
Interactions of septal evoked responses to stimulation of the fornix and medial forebrain bundle.

Abstract Gross and single unit septal evoked response to stimulation of the fornix and medial forebrain bundle (MFB) were studied in anesthetized, acutely prepared rats. Stimulation of the fornix and MFB produced short-latency antidromic and synaptic activation of localized groups of septal target cells. In addition, stimulation of either pathway produced inhibition of spontaneous single cell activity. The interactions of these responses were studied by delivering paired stimuli to the fornix and/or MFB. A prior stimulus to the fornix potentiated the responses of cell groups synaptically activated by subsequent fornical stimulation, but briefly depressed the synaptic activation of septal cells by subsequent MFB stimulation. A prior stimulus to the MFB slightly potentiated the synaptic activation of septal cells by a subsequent MFB stimulus, but depressed the responses of cell groups synaptically activated by a subsequent stimulus to the fornix. These results were discussed in terms of their implications for septal organization and function.
ERβ protein expression in female cynomolgus monkey and CF‐1 mouse brain: Western analysis

In humans and rodents, multiple ERβ variants with sizes ranging from 477–549 amino acids (aa) have been described. The identification of these variants in target tissues has important implications for estrogen signaling and cellular responsiveness. Western blot analysis using two anti-ERβ antibodies specific for mammalian ERβ sequences (PA1-310B and PA1-311) was employed to examine ERβ protein expression in neural tissues from ovariectomized (OVX) cynomolgus macaques and CF-1 mice as well as to assess potential regulatory effects of acute and extended estradiol (E2) treatment. In hypothalamic extracts from both species, a single ERβ immunoreactive (ERβ-ir) band was detected at approximately 54 kDa, corresponding to the expected molecular weight for ERβ477 and/or 485. In cynomolgus females, oral E2 administration for 16 weeks had no apparent effect on hypothalamic ERβ protein expression. In mouse, a single injection of E2 did not change hypothalamic ERβ protein levels 1.5, 4, 8, 16, or 24 h after injection. Extending the hormonal treatment to 4 or 21 days in OVX female mice also had no effect on the level of hypothalamic ERβ protein. Additional regional analyses in female mouse brain with PA1-310B antibody showed that a second, 59 kDa ERβ-ir band was present in cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and amygdala that could represent one or both of the larger ERβ variants (530 and 549aa). The expression level of the second ERβ isoform exhibited regional variation, with the strongest immunoreactivity detected in cortex and amygdala. Elucidating the functions of these ERβ isoforms in the CNS will facilitate our understanding of the tissue- and promoter-specific actions of estrogen. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol, 2005
Synoptic volumetric variations and flushing of the Tampa Bay estuary

Two types of analyses are used to investigate the synoptic wind-driven flushing of Tampa Bay in response to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle from 1950 to 2007. Hourly sea level elevations from the St. Petersburg tide gauge, and wind speed and direction from three different sites around Tampa Bay are used for the study. The zonal (u) and meridional (v) wind components are rotated clockwise by 40° to obtain axial and co-axial components according to the layout of the bay. First, we use the subtidal observed water level as a proxy for mean tidal height to estimate the rate of volumetric bay outflow. Second, we use wavelet analysis to bandpass sea level and wind data in the time–frequency domain to isolate the synoptic sea level and surface wind variance. For both analyses the long-term monthly climatology is removed and we focus on the volumetric and wavelet variance anomalies. The overall correlation between the Oceanic Nino Index and volumetric analysis is small due to the seasonal dependence of the ENSO response. The mean monthly climatology between the synoptic wavelet variance of elevation and axial winds are in close agreement. During the winter, El Nino (La Nina) increases (decreases) the synoptic variability, but decreases (increases) it during the summer. The difference in winter El Nino/La Nina wavelet variances is about 20 % of the climatological value, meaning that ENSO can swing the synoptic flushing of the bay by 0.22 bay volumes per month. These changes in circulation associated with synoptic variability have the potential to impact mixing and transport within the bay.
Reaction of 6-mercaptopurine with inosine- and guanosine-5'-phosphate pyrophosphorylase purified from E. coli.

Abstract An enzyme has been purified from E. coli which, in a reaction with 5-phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) and guanine, hypoxanthine or 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP). converts the purine bases to the corresponding 5'-nucleotides. Kinetic data demonstrate an affinity of 6-MP for the enzyme greater than that of guanine and equal to that of hypoxanthine.
Atmospheric Pressure DC Plasma Microdischarges: A Characterization Study

Atmospheric pressure dc plasma microdischarges were generated between a thin cylindrical electrode and a flat surface. The glow discharges were characterized both experimentally and numerically. As the applied voltage is increased, the plasma potential in the plasma microdischarge remains constant while the plasma current increases proportionally. For the types of electrode materials and the range of the electrode diameters considered, the current-voltage characteristics of the plasma microdischarge are almost independent of the electrode material and the diameter of the electrodes. Predictions from a numerical model of the argon microdischarge compare favorably with the experimental measurements and the visualization studies. The atmospheric pressure plasma microdischarge can be used for deposition of thin films and for microfabrication.© 2003 ASME