cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic diversity in a narrowly endemic, recently described dusky salamander, Desmognathus folkertsi, from the southern Appalachian Mountains

To understand patterns of biodiversity and whether populations and species are in decline, the detection and description of cryptic biodiversity are essential. Salamanders are of particular conservation interest because they potentially harbor many undescribed species due to morphological conservatism. The dusky salamanders, genus Desmognathus, are a species-rich group in which morphologically cryptic species are especially common. Using a portion of the mitochondrial genome and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), we investigated the genetic diversity of the highly endemic, stream-dwelling salamander, Desmognathus folkertsi, across its known range in the Appalachian Mountains. Mitochondrial data revealed three well-supported lineages, one of which consisted of only one specimen; however, AFLP data were not congruent with the mitochondrial data. There was 1.11% uncorrected sequence divergence between the two well-sampled lineages. Desmognathus folkertsi exhibited 4.29% sequence divergence from the closely related D. quadramaculatus. Isolation by distance was found for both the AFLP and mitochondrial data when stream distance, rather than when straight-line (i.e., geographic) distance was used. Although genetic diversity is often partitioned by river drainages in freshwater taxa, we did not observe such a pattern in D. folkertsi. We propose that human-mediated dispersal by bait-bucket release may augment natural gene flow via aquatic dispersal across streams. Because this species was only recently discovered, the full extent of the geographic range is unknown. Therefore, an ecological niche model, using climate variables and the Maxent algorithm, was used to determine whether additional regions may be suitable for the species. The model predicted a small range limited to extreme southwestern North Carolina and extreme northeastern Georgia. We suggest future surveys be focused in these regions.
Phonics Instruction With a Culturally Responsive Twist: Three Approaches to Transforming Curriculum

When I was a student teacher, I created a unit for my 3rd grade class that allowed them to fly on an imaginary plane consisting of chairs placed in rows and to receive stamps on their very own pass...
Optical detector for objects within an adjustable range.

This paper describes a relatively simple system for detecting in-focus objects. A nonlinear, wide-area photocell with parallel-plate electrodes is vibrated axially behind a lens. When the object is out of focus, the photocell conductance varies at the vibration frequency. When the object is in focus, the photocell conductance signal “folds over” because of the symmetry about the image plane. This “fold over” is detected by electronic circuitry. The scheme is shown to operate over a wide field of view, and the photocell conductance as a function of axial position is given for a number of idealized object patterns. An experimental unit built on these principles is described briefly.
Injection systems for AMS: simultaneous versus sequential

Abstract The Simon Fraser AMS spectrometer operated at McMaster University for a period of about ten years. This instrument was unique in that the isotope beams of interest were injected into the accelerator simultaneously rather than sequentially, using an achromatic multimagnet injector. As well, our group has also been involved in the design and operation of the LLNL spectrometer, which uses a more conventional fast-pulsing sequential system. We compare our first-hand experience with the two systems and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches.
The relationship between cell division and melanocyte differentiation in epidermal cultures from mouse embryos.

Abstract Cultures of 14-day embryonic mouse epidermis that include melanoblasts initiate melanin synthesis 30 hr after plating, a schedule that is 2.5 days earlier than in vivo. In order to determine if the accelerated differentiation of melanoblasts is related to a cessation of cell proliferation in the cultures, a study of [3H]thymidine incorporation by melanoblasts and melanocytes was made. Autoradiograms of 14-day epidermal cultures grown for 48 hr in medium containing [3H]thymidine revealed that melanoblasts continue to proliferate during this time period. A second population of melanoblasts that did not incorporate [3H]thymidine was also present in these cultures. The relative numbers of dividing and nondividing melanoblasts change with the age of the epidermis cultured. Ninety-one percent of the melanoblasts in 13-day epidermis take up [3H]thymidine, 63% incorporate [3H]thymidine in 14-day cultures, and only 29% take up label in cultures of 15-day epidermis. It appears from these results that melanoblasts during their migration from the neural crest are proliferative cells and that during the early invasion of the epidermis a nonproliferative population of melanoblasts is established. Both populations coexist in the epidermis and subsequently undergo differentiation on the same time schedule.
A Closer Look at the ‘New’ Principle

L'A. defend la validite, la rectitude et le caractere intuitif du principe principal indiquant la probabilite subjective des croyances, contre l'argument developpe par D. Lewis (et al.) en faveur d'un nouveau principe inferentiel regissant notre raisonnement sur les probabilites
TRANSFER OF OLD ASSOCIATIONS TO NEW PROBLEMS

St/mmasy.-Two experiments, involving 120 subjects, examined the influence of previously established associations on solution of the candle-on-thewall problem. In Exp. I, subjects first learning a list-embedded, relevant association were more likely to solve the problem than control subjects who had learned a list-embedded, irrelevant association. The facilitative effect was greatest when subjects were informed, prior to the attempted solution, that one member bf the list of associations could help them solve the problem, but the facilitative effort did appear even when subjects were uninformed. In Exp. 11, where a verbal rather than a spatial problem was used, facilitation only occurred in the informed condition, underlining the importance of the relationship between the demands of a problem and the characteristics of prior associations. Psychologists have long assumed that associations formed in the past should help us solve new problems. Experimental work suggests that old associations do help but only under certain circumstances. For example, Weisberg, DiCamillo, and Phillips ( 1978) report a series of studies which indicate that a previously learned association between candle and box facilitated solution of the candle-onthe-wall problem (Duncker, 1945) only when the subjects were informed that one association from a just-learned list would help solve the problem. When subjects merely learned the candle-box pair, embedded in a list of similar pairs, problem solution was not helped even though it was demonstrated that they could remember the association. Because of the importance and persistence of the notion that old associations should aid us in solving new problems this investigation was designed to reconstruct the Weisberg, DiCarnillo, and Phillips ( 1978) paradigm and to examine results obtained using slightly different procedures and materials. Exp. I was patterned after the Weisberg, DiCamillo, and Phillips Exp. I with the exception that all subjects were, prior to learning paired-associate lists, encouraged to learn them by forming visual images involving some kind of ' interaction between the two elements of the pair. It was felt that the resultant associations might be more helpful in subsequent problem solving than simple, uninstructed rote memorization. This suggestion is based upon the pairedassociate literature where it has been demonstrated that paired associates will be better remembered if subjects are instructed to develop interacting visual images of the stimuli and responses. Interactive visual images appear to lead
A study of the hold-up in rotary drums with discharge end constrictions

Abstract This paper describes the results of a detailed investigation of operating conditions on the hold-up of material in a rotating drum. It was found that the hold-up increases linearly with increasing feed rate, decreases linearly with increasing slope of the drum, and behaves in a complex manner with increasing drum speed. The combined effect of some of these operating variables on the hold-up was also studied and interpreted in terms of the type of flow of material in the drum. A semi-empirical model was adopted to predict the hold-up of material in a horizontal rotating cylinder with an end constriction.
Spatially explicit modeling of 1992–2100 land cover and forest stand age for the conterminous United States

Information on future land-use and land-cover (LULC) change is needed to analyze the impact of LULC change on ecological processes. The U.S. Geological Survey has produced spatially explicit, thematically detailed LULC projections for the conterminous United States. Four qualitative and quantitative scenarios of LULC change were developed, with characteristics consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES). The four quantified scenarios (A1B, A2, B1, and B2) served as input to the forecasting scenarios of land-use change (FORE-SCE) model. Four spatially explicit data sets consistent with scenario storylines were produced for the conterminous United States, with annual LULC maps from 1992 through 2100. The future projections are characterized by a loss of natural land covers in most scenarios, with corresponding expansion of anthropogenic land uses. Along with the loss of natural land covers, remaining natural land covers experience increased fragmentation under most scenarios, with only the B2 scenario remaining relatively stable in both the proportion of remaining natural land covers and basic fragmentation measures. Forest stand age was also modeled. By 2100, scenarios and ecoregions with heavy forest cutting had relatively lower mean stand ages compared to those with less forest cutting. Stand ages differed substantially between unprotected and protected forest lands, as well as between different forest classes. The modeled data were compared to the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) and other data sources to assess model characteristics. The consistent, spatially explicit, and thematically detailed LULC projections and the associated forest stand-age data layers have been used to analyze LULC impacts on carbon and greenhouse gas fluxes, biodiversity, climate and weather variability, hydrologic change, and other ecological processes.
Big Men Stumbling: Dilemmas of Ethno-Accountability in Anthropology

Accountability is defined as the quality or state of being accountable, or the obligation or willingness to accept responsibility. However, as anyone who has worked in development or ever made a poor assumption regarding cultural similarity knows, modes of accountability vary from culture to culture. One of the key dilemmas of working with "natives" of any stripe is confronting the workings of cross-cultural understanding in terms of what behaviors and actions need to be justified. By whom should such reckoning take place, and why, how, when, and where? Although all of these questions loom large when one considers the implications of going to the field, the subject of ethno-accountability has been under-explored in both the theoretical and methodological literature. I introduce the question in this issue with ethnographic examples from Barbados, Montserrat, Ireland, the Philippines and the United States in the hope that many of the dilemmas of development, especially those that relate to tourism, might be...
Current Age and Race Adjusted Prostate Specific Antigen Threshold Values Delay Diagnosis of High Grade Prostate Cancer

Purpose: Age specific prostate specific antigen ranges have been advocated to increase the predictive value of prostate specific antigen based on increases that occur with aging. We suggest that prostate specific antigen is not a dichotomous biomarker and age specific reference ranges delays the diagnosis of high grade prostate cancer in older and black American men.Materials and Methods: Using the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial risk calculator we evaluated the impact of age on the risk of high grade prostate cancer in white and black men. We created a hypothetical population of men by standardizing risk variables, including negative family history, normal digital rectal examination and no history of negative biopsy. Results were compared in the 2 populations using 5-year age increments from ages 55 to 75 years and increasing prostate specific antigen.Results: Increasing age was associated with a higher risk of high grade prostate cancer in white and black men. The risk of high grade prostate cancer in ...
Fathers of young children with disabilities: How do they want to be involved?

Fathers of young children with disabilities were surveyed to determine their amount of involvement in the daily care and training of their children. Data were also collected on the fathers' perceptions of their own training and resource needs. Data were collected via questionnaire; 201 questionnaires were completed and returned. The results of the survey indicated that fathers of children with special needs are interested in their child's education. Fathers indicated their preference in types and format of services. Their top priorities were information about their child and available resources. Films and tapes were the most preferred format for receiving information. A parent newsletter was identified as an additional desired service. Implications for early childhood interventionists/child care providers are discussed.
Interaction of organophosphorous compounds with TiO2 and WO3 surfaces probed by vibrational spectroscopy

The interaction of organophosphorous compounds with TiO2 and WO3 high surface area powders has been studied by thin film infrared spectroscopy. Room temperature adsorption of dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP), dimethyl hydrogen phosphonate (DMHP), and trimethyl methyl phosphonate (TMP) is through hydrogen bonding of the PO functional group to the hydroxyl groups of the metal oxide surface. At higher reaction temperatures, these hydrogen bonded organophosphorous compounds dissociate and form covalently attached species. Above 200°C, the methoxy groups desorb from the surface while the methyl groups remain stable. Above 300°C, a stable phosphate surface complex is formed. The presence of the phosphate complex may be responsible for poisoning effects observed during DMMP gas exposure of chemiresistive sensors operating in this temperature range.
Comparison of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, ibuprofen and flurbiprofen, with methylprednisolone and placebo for acute pain, swelling, and trismus

Pain, swelling, loss of function, and hyperthermia are acute postoperative sequelae of inflammation due to tissue injury during surgical procedures. Pharmacologic strategies for minimizing the clinical manifestations of surgical trauma are often directed toward blocking the formation or inhibiting the effects of the biochemical mediators of acute inflammation. This study compared two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), flurbiprofen and ibuprofen, with a prototype glucocorticoid, methylprednisolone, in two replicate placebo-controlled studies for suppression of inflammation due to the surgical removal of impacted third molars. The results indicate that NSAIDs produce greater initial analgesia than do steroids, whereas steroids result in greater suppression of swelling and less loss of function. Examination of the pooled data from the two studies indicates that NSAID pretreatment results in a modest suppression of swelling in comparison with placebo. These data suggest that the acute analgesic effects of NSAIDs in the oral surgery model are due to suppression of a nociceptive process, presumably prostaglandin formation, rather than a generalized anti-inflammatory effect.
What's New in Sex Therapy (CME)

Introduction “Is there anything new in sex therapy?” Has the field of sex therapy been stagnating and failing to develop new treatments? Clearly, the important pharmaceutical advances of the past 11 years have overshadowed the developments in the field of sex therapy.
Determination of conformation of halomethyl ketones from the temperature dependence of Geminal H,H coupling constants

The temperature dependence of the geminal H,H coupling constant in solutions of α-chloroacetophenone, α-bromoacetophenone, 1-bromo-3-chloro-1-phenylpropan-2-one and 1,3-dibromo-1-phenylpropan-2-one has been determined at temperatures between 230 and 404 K. The values indicate that in the chloromethyl ketones the conformer with halogen and oxygen eclipsed is favored over that with hydrogen and oxygen eclipsed, while in the bromomethyl ketones the two conformers are of more nearly equal energy. The use of geminal coupling constants to indicate conformational preferences in substituted ketones appears promising.
Aspects of The Origins, Ecology, And Control Of Golden Alga Prymnesium parvum: Introduction To The Featured Collection1

Barkoh, Aaron and Loraine T. Fries, 2010. Aspects of the Origins, Ecology, and Control of Golden Alga Prymnesium parvum: Introduction to the Featured Collection. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(1):1-5. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2009.00394.x
A Simple Multivariate Test for Asymmetric Hypotheses

In this paper, we argue that claims of necessity and sufficiency involve a type of asymmetric causal claim that is useful in many social scientific contexts. Contrary to some qualitative researchers, we maintain that there is nothing about such asymmetries that should lead scholars to depart from standard social science practice. We take as given that deterministic and monocausal tests are inappropriate in the social world and demonstrate that standard multiplicative interaction models are up to the task of handling asymmetric causal claims in a multivariate, probabilistic manner. We illustrate our argument with examples from the empirical literature linking electoral institutions and party system size.
Hydrophobic forces in the wetting films of water formed on xanthate-coated gold surfaces

The kinetics of thinning of water films on hydrophobic gold substrates has been studied using the thin film pressure balance (TFPB) technique. The changes in the thickness of the wetting films have been monitored by recording the profiles of the dimpled films as a function of time using a high-speed video camera. It was found that the kinetics, measured at the barrier rim of a wetting film formed on a hydrophilic silica surface, could be predicted using the Reynolds lubrication approximation with the no-slip boundary condition. However, the wetting films formed on hydrophobized gold substrates thinned much faster, and the kinetics increased with increasing hydrophobicity. The data obtained with gold surfaces of different hydrophobicities have been fitted to the Reynolds approximation to determine the hydrophobic force constants (K132) of a power law. K132 increased with increasing contact angle and decreased with electrolyte (NaCl) concentration. It was also found that the K132 values can be predicted from the hydrophobic force constants (K131) for the interaction between hydrophobic surfaces and the same (K232) for the foam films using the geometric mean combining rule that is frequently used to predict asymmetric molecular forces from symmetric ones.
Synuclein expression is decreased in rat substantia nigra following induction of apoptosis by intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine

We have previously shown that synuclein is upregulated in the substantia nigra following developmental lesion of the target striatum. In this model, synuclein is preferentially expressed in normal-appearing neurons, rather than those which undergo apoptosis. It has been proposed, however, that synuclein may mediate apoptosis in other contexts, such as that induced by neurotoxins. To examine this possibility, we have studied a model in which apoptosis is induced in dopamine neurons by intrastriatal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine. In this model synuclein mRNA and protein expression are not upregulated at any time point, but instead diminish as dopamine neurons die. We observe a complete dissociation between apoptotic morphology and synuclein protein expression. We conclude that synuclein is unlikely to play a direct role in apoptotic death in dopamine neurons and is more likely, in the target injury model, to play a role in protection or restoration of neurons which survive.
Agronomic characteristics and genetics of a chromosome interchange in soybean

A chromosome interchange in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) was studied agronomically and genetically, and comparisons of seed or abortion position within the pod were related to chromosome structure. Comparisons were among plants heterozygous for a chromosome interchange (N/T), plants homozygous for the interchange (T/T), and homozygous normal-chromosome plants (N/N). The latter two genotypes were male fertile and female fertile. Heterozygous interchange plants, which are about 50% pollen sterile and ovule sterile, are typical of a large number of plants that have equally frequent alternate and adjacent chromosome segregation. Yield, lodging, plant height, and seed oil and protein percentages among all three genotypes were similar even though significant differences existed for seed weight, seed number, and pod number per plant. Seed abortions were more frequent in the basal position of the pod than in either the middle or apical positions in N/N and T/T genotypes. Ovule abortions in N/T plants were equally frequent among all positions both in two- and three-ovule pods. The middle seed in a three-ovule pod was heavier than the basal or apical seed among all three genotypes.
Ferulic acid: Pharmacological and toxicological aspects

Abstract Ferulic acid (FA) belongs to the family of phenolic acids and is very abundant in fruits and vegetables. Over the past years, several studies have shown that FA acts as a potent antioxidant by scavenging free radicals and enhancing the cell stress response through the up-regulation of cytoprotective systems, e.g. heme oxygenase-1, heat shock protein 70, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and the proto-oncogene Akt. Furthermore, FA was shown to inhibit the expression and/or activity of cytotoxic enzymes, including inducible nitric oxide synthase, caspases and cyclooxygenase-2. Based on this evidence, FA has been proposed as a potential treatment for many disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and skin disease. However, despite the great abundance of preclinical research, only a few studies were carried out in humans, the majority of which used foods containing FA, and therefore the clinical efficacy of this mode of administration needs to be further documented. New efforts and resources are needed in clinical research for the complete evaluation of FA therapeutic potential in chronic diseases.
Conservation of Structure and Mechanism between Eukaryotic Topoisomerase I and Site-Specific Recombinases

Vaccinia DNA topoisomerase breaks and rejoins DNA strands through a DNA-(3'-phosphotyrosyl)-enzyme intermediate. A C-terminal catalytic domain, Topo(81-314), suffices for transesterification chemistry. The domain contains a constellation of five amino acids, conserved in all eukaryotic type IB topoisomerases, that catalyzes attack of the tyrosine nucleophile on the scissile phosphate. The structure of the catalytic domain, consisting of ten alpha helices and a three-strand beta sheet, resembles the catalytic domains of site-specific recombinases that act via a topoisomerase IB-like mechanism. The topoisomerase catalytic pentad is conserved in the tertiary structures of the recombinases despite scant sequence similarity overall. This implies that the catalytic domains of type IB topoisomerases and recombinases derive from a common ancestral strand transferase.
Holographic displacement analysis using wave front modulation techniques

Abstract The wave fronts from two holographic displacement patterns are modulated by equal but opposite plate rotations and are superimposed to form a moire pattern. Displacement information contained in the Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of the two superimposed gratings is analysed, and spatial filtering techniques are used to isolate full-field projections of displacement along and normal to the line of sight. Experimental results taken from a pipe subjected to pure torsion show that the method is not only accurate but that the technique is applicable to curved surfaces.
African history in the 1960's: religion

Of all the “subfields” of African history, religion is in the most preliminary condition. It is also, in all probability, the most difficult to treat in an orderly fashion, owing to the constant spillover into other areas generally regarded to be more preemptive in modern historiography. Our task in isolating religion as a subfield entails in part an operation of retrieval from political, social, and intellectual sectors of the discipline. Problems of definition must also be tackled. Are we primarily concerned with religion in history or the history of religion? Where is the cutoff mark in considering myth, ritual, and other phenomena that are related, but not at all times central, to religion? The following frame of reference is necessarily sketchy but is offered as a foundation for ensuing historiographical remarks. References to the major types of religion, whether “traditional,” Christian, or Muslim, will be minimized for the present. Religions have secular and spiritual aspects, the secular being most frequently observed and reported in connection with political and social institutions or behavior. The spiritual aspect and the internal development of a belief system are comparatively inaccessible, but highly significant. Popular beliefs, as well as more formal ideological and theological tenets, fall into this category. Owing to the role of religion in supporting a style of life and/or a political system, the survival of certain religious values may offer clues about a former epoch and the process of historical change in a society.
Addressing security in medical sensor networks

We identify the security challenges facing a sensor network for wireless health monitoring, and propose an architecture called "SNAP" (Sensor Network for Assessment of Patients) to address these challenges. SNAP protects the privacy, authenticity, and integrity of medical data, with low-cost energy-efficient mechanisms. We have incorporated the following mechanisms in SNAP: (1)an ECC-based secure key exchange protocol to set up shared keys between sensor nodes and base stations; (2)symmetric encryption and decryption for protecting data con?dentiality and integrity; (3) a two-tier authentication scheme for verifying data source. We have developed a prototype on the Tmote Sky platform for evaluating the proposed architecture and mechanisms.
HONO Solubility and Heterogeneous Reactivity on Sulfuric Acid Surfaces

The solubility of HONO in various wt % sulfuric acid solutions was measured. HONO becomes increasingly more soluble in high acid wt % solutions, probably resulting from the protonation of HONO to give H2ONO+, followed by dissociation and association to give NO+HSO4- (nitrosyl sulfuric acid). The reaction of HONO with HCl on 50, 60, 67, and 70 wt % sulfuric acid solutions was also studied. The measured uptake coefficients could not be explained simply by the occurrence of a bulk phase reaction, and a surface effect is found to contribute to the uptake. The reaction of HONO with HCl was measured on sulfuric acid particles, and a small reacto-diffusive length further supports a surface reaction. From extrapolating our measured uptake values to stratospheric conditions, the formation of ClNO from the heterogeneous reaction of HONO and HCl is concluded to be an insignificant process in the volcanically unperturbed stratosphere.
Training endusers/remote users

The advent of new technology has changed the teach- ing role of librarians. The increased role of enduser searching in academic libraries has meant that library instruction is now more important that ever. The experiences of Texas A&M University are examined as an example of a variety of teaching methods employed by one university library to meet the increased demands of its pa- trons for better enduser searches. Librarians, concerned over inade- quate search strategies employed by patrons, design individualized instructions for a variety of databases, provide some individual, one-to-one instruction and teach in you situations employing P equipment that allows onscreen projectton rom a monitor. Remote users have been trained to use the online catalog by development of a specialized training manual.
Water diffusion and surface structural relaxation of silica glasses

Surface structural relaxation of silica glass takes place more rapidly than bulk structural relaxation when the glasses are heat-treated in the presence of water vapor at temperatures below the glass transition temperature. It appears that water enters into silica glass and accelerates the structural change. When silica glass with high hydroxyl content is heated in a relative dry atmosphere, the hydroxyl concentration in the surface decreases. Yet, surface structural relaxation still occurs more rapidly than bulk structural relaxation during such dehydration experiments. For commercially available silica glasses, water exists in the glass predominantly as hydroxyl, but a small fraction can exist as molecular water. The observed surface structural relaxation phenomena are consistent with the postulation that surface structural relaxation is promoted by the presence of this immeasurably small quantity of molecular water rather than the hydroxyl water.
A practical approach to reinforcing concepts in introductory operating systems

The challenge of including both theory and practical experience to reinforce the concepts of theory in Introductory Operating Systems is discussed. The traditional approaches to answering this challenge are presented. A practical approach that uses straightforward programming problems rather than problems that involve modification of an existing operating system is described. Examples of the types of problems used are presented and experience with the proposed approach is described.
Evaluation of a Thermoprotective Gel for Hydrodissection During Percutaneous Microwave Ablation: In Vivo Results

To evaluate whether thermoreversible poloxamer 407 15.4 % in water (P407) can protect non-target tissues adjacent to microwave (MW) ablation zones in a porcine model. MW ablation antennas were placed percutaneously into peripheral liver, spleen, or kidney (target tissues) under US and CT guidance in five swine such that the expected ablation zones would extend into adjacent diaphragm, body wall, or bowel (non-target tissues). For experimental ablations, P407 (a hydrogel that transitions from liquid at room temperature to semi-solid at body temperature) was injected into the potential space between target and non-target tissues, and the presence of a gel barrier was verified on CT. No barrier was used for controls. MW ablation was performed at 65 W for 5 min. Thermal damage to target and non-target tissues was evaluated at dissection. Antennas were placed 7 ± 3 mm from the organ surface for both control and gel-protected ablations (p = 0.95). The volume of gel deployed was 49 ± 27 mL, resulting in a barrier thickness of 0.8 ± 0.5 cm. Ablations extended into non-target tissues in 12/14 control ablations (mean surface area = 3.8 cm2) but only 4/14 gel-protected ablations (mean surface area = 0.2 cm2; p = 0.0005). The gel barrier remained stable at the injection site throughout power delivery. When used as a hydrodissection material, P407 protected non-targeted tissues and was successfully maintained at the injection site for the duration of power application. Continued investigations to aid clinical translation appear warranted.
Attentional Trade-offs in Pigeons Learning to Discriminate Newly Relevant Visual Stimulus Dimensions☆

Abstract Theories of selective attention posit that the amount of attention paid to some stimulus dimensions is inversely related to that paid to others, particularly under demanding task conditions. This “inverse hypothesis” and the data that support it have long been controversial. We developed a new, attentionally demanding, stepwise discrimination task to test the inverse hypothesis. Eight pigeons discriminated among 16 visual stimuli consisting of all combinations of four binary dimensions: brightness (black/white), size (large/small), line orientation (vertical/horizontal), and shape (circle/square). Each of four consecutive training phases required attention to one additional, more difficult stimulus dimension. As discriminative dimensions were added, discrimination of previously learned dimensions temporarily worsened in five of the pigeons. We conclude that attending to new dimensions transiently reduced these pigeons' attention to previously learned dimensions. Of the three pigeons that did not show attentional trade-offs, two learned exceptionally quickly, suggesting that the inverse hypothesis predominately prevails under challenging circumstances.
Tolerance-based error reduction in multi-agent bioassays

Some degree of error is inevitable in multi-agent bioassays regardless of design or measurement technology. Estimation error can be reduced post facto by exploiting the matrix partial ordering of the bioassay survival estimates. The standard method for this is order-restricted regression (ORR). If the joint action of the bioassay agents admits a tolerance-based interpretation, additional structure beyond matrix partial ordering is available, leading to a new method of error reduction. This tolerance-based error reduction (TBER) procedure almost always outperforms ORR. Like ORR, TBER applies to complete factorial bioassay designs and, using weighting, to incomplete designs. RESUME L'estimation des probabilites de survie d'ětres vivants exposes a differentes doses d'agents toxiques est sujette a une erreur experimentale qui peut ětre reduite post facto en exploitant certaines relations liant les probabilites de survie multivariees entre elles. Pour ce faire, on utilise generalement les techniques de regression avec contraintes d'ordre (RCO). Si l'action simultanee des agents toxiques admet une interpretation en terme de seuils de tolerance, les contraintes supplementaires imposees aux probabilities de survie peuvent ětre mises a profit au moyen d'une nouvelle methode (TBER) qui domine presque toujours la RCO et qui, a l'instar de cette derniere, s'applique aux plans factoriels complets et, une fois ponderee, aux plans incomplets
Quarter-End Effects in Banks: Preferred Habitat or Window Dressing?

Allen and Saunders [Allen, A., and A. Saunders. “Bank Window Dressing: Theory and Evidence.” Journal of Banking and Finance 16 (1992), 583–623.] document abnormal behavior of bank assets and liabilities at the turn-of-the-quarter and attribute it to window dressing by banks. Using different methods we re-visit bank turn-of-the-quarter balance sheet activity. We also examine quarter-end changes in the effective fed funds rates and fed funds rate standard deviations. We confirm the presence of turn-of-the-quarter activity on bank balance sheets and in the fed funds market. However, we conclude that the turn-of-the-quarter effects are more consistent with customer preferred habitats than window dressing.
The effect of early and midday prolactin injection on the lipid content of fundulus kansae held on a constant photoperiod

Abstract 1. 1. Ovine prolactin caused different effects upon the lipid content of the euryhaline teleost, Fundulus kansae, depending upon the time of injection. 2. 2. Prolactin administered in the early hours of a 16-hr photoperiod caused a 19 per cent decrease in total body lipid, when administered during the middle of the photoperiod, total body lipid increased 22 per cent. 3. 3. The affected lipids were primarily even-numbered, long-chain fatty acids in the C-14 to C-24 range. 4. 4. Results with hypophysectomized animals were similar, with a 13 per cent decrease in lipid noted after prolactin injections given early in the photoperiod, and a 13 per cent increase in lipid after midday injections.
Comparing the Glance Patterns of Older versus Younger Experienced Drivers: Scanning for Hazards while Approaching and Entering the Intersection.

Abstract Older drivers are known to look less often for hazards when turning at T-intersections or at four way intersections. The present study is an extension of Romoser and Fisher (2009) and attempts to further analyze the differences in scanning behavior between older and experienced younger drivers in intersections. We evaluated four hypotheses that attempt to explain the older drivers’ failure to properly scan in intersections: difficulty with head movements, decreases in working memory capacity, increased distractibility, and failure to recall specific scanning patterns. To test these hypotheses, older and younger experienced drivers’ point-of-gaze was monitored while they drove a series of simulated intersections with hidden hazards outside of the turning path. Our results suggest that none of these hypotheses can fully explain our finding that older adults are more likely to remain fixated on their intended path of travel and look less than younger drivers towards other areas where likely hazards might materialize. Instead, the results support a complementary hypothesis that at least some of the difficulties older adults have scanning intersections are due to a specific attentional deficit in the older drivers’ ability to inhibit what has become their prepotent goal of monitoring the vehicle’s intended path of travel, thereby causing older drivers to fail to scan hazardous areas outside this intended path of travel.
Language Outcomes at 12 Years for Children Exposed Prenatally to Cocaine

Purpose In this study, the authors aimed to examine the long-term effects of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) on the language development of 12-year-old children using a prospective design, controlling for confounding prenatal drug exposure and environmental factors. Method Children who were exposed to cocaine in utero (PCE; n = 183) and children who were not exposed to cocaine (i.e., no cocaine exposure [NCE]; n = 181) were followed prospectively from birth to 12 years of age and were compared on language subtests of the Test of Language Development—Intermediate, Third Edition (Hammill & Newcomer, 1997b), and phonological processing as measured by the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (Wagner & Torgesen, 1999). The authors evaluated the relationship of PCE to language development through a multivariate analysis of covariance and regression analyses while controlling for confounders. Results Results show that PCE has small effects on specific aspects of language, including syntax and phonologic...
Miscellanea. A note on tests for nonlinearity in a vector time series

A multivariate extension of the univariate nonlinearity test of Tsay (1986) is presented. Simulation results show that the multivariate test is more powerful than its univariate counterpart, especially for series having nonlinear structure involving several components of the vector process and weakly or moderately cross-correlated process error terms. For illustration, the test is applied to a set of seasonally adjusted quarterly capital expenditures and appropriations in U.S. manufacturing and a vector nonlinear model for the data is constructed.
To the Slimmer Go the Spoils: Heterogeneous Responses to Bodyweight Incentives in Olympic Weightlifting Tournaments

When competitive weightlifters tie — a fairly frequent occurrence at the international level — the higher final rank is awarded to the lifter with the lower official bodyweight. Since winning a tiebreaker is more beneficial at higher ordinal ranks, tournament theory suggests a negative relationship between ability and bodyweight. Analysis from 58 Olympic tournaments shows evidence of a significantly negative relationship between ability and bodyweight except in heavier weight-classes. Cross-class differences in bodyweight reduction among high-ability lifters appear to be primarily attributable to cross-class differences in the expected benefits of bodyweight reduction.
Evaluation of radiocerium as a nonabsorbed reference material for determining gastrointestinal sites of nutrient absorption and excretion in cattle.

Abstract A series of experiments utilizing 38 dairy cattle was conducted to evaluate radiocerium as a nonabsorbed reference material. Dry matter and daily administered Ce 144 were measured throughout the gastrointestinal tracts of animals ranging in age from young calves to mature cows. Daily fecal recovery of Ce 144 from 11 animals fed grain and hay averaged 97% (CV=19%) of the daily dose after the fourth day. No pattern of diurnal variation in Ce 144 excretion was evident in fecal concentrations during successive 2-hr collections for 90 hr from two cows. The first measurable amounts of radiocerium appeared in fecal samples collected 10 hr after single doses to two cows. Maximum excretion occurred between 20 and 40 hr after dosing. Similar results were obtained with simultaneously administered chromic oxide. Within-animal comparisons of Ce 144 given by capsule with Ce 144 previously mixed in the feed were made for both milk- and grain-fed calves. With grain-fed calves, no differences were detected in gastrointestinal distributions of the two radiocerium isotopes. However, with milk-fed calves, capsules containing Ce 144 went to the rumen, whereas milk containing the Ce 144 was directed to the abomasum. In the digestive tracts contents of 19 animals over 90% of the radiocerium was adsorbed on to undigested residue, as indicated by ultracentrifugation or availability to cation exchange resin.
Memory Servers: A Scope of SOA for High-End Computing

The expanding gap between microprocessor and disk performance has initiated new techniques of providing memory as a service in high-end computing (HEC). Although the processor and disk densities have improved over the last decades, the improvement of disk performance is inferior to that of processors, which is causing a bottleneck for HEC. With the rapid growth of network technology for cluster computers, the idea of accessing memory of an idle peer node has proven to be faster than accessing a disk. With this motivation, many researchers developed systems that offer idle memory as a service. In this paper, we present a brief survey of various systems that offer memory service in improving the disk access performance and discuss the scope of applying service oriented architecture (SOA) for HEC.
Scalar transport in random cylinder arrays at moderate Reynolds number

This paper theoretically describes and experimentally verifies two mechanisms leading to longitudinal dispersion of a passive tracer in a random array of circular cylinders. We focus on moderate Reynolds numbers of order 10–1000, specifically the range characterized by unsteady cylinder wakes. In this regime, two mechanisms contribute to dispersion, each associated with a distinct region of the cylinder wakes: (i) the unsteady recirculation zone close to each cylinder, and (ii) the velocity defect behind each cylinder, which extends downstream of the cylinder over a distance of the order of the cylinder spacing. The first mechanism, termed vortex-trapping dispersion, is due to the entrainment of tracer into the unsteady recirculation zone, where it is momentarily trapped and then released. A theoretical expression for this dispersive mechanism is derived in terms of the residence time and size of the recirculation zone. The second mechanism is due to advection through the random velocity field created by the random distribution of the wake velocity defect. We derive an expression for the defect behind an average cylinder, and show that it decays owing to array drag over a length scale called the attenuation length, which is of the order of the cylinder spacing. The superposition of the wake defect behind each cylinder creates the random velocity field. Theoretical predictions for dispersion agree very well with observations of tracer transport in a laboratory cylinder array, correctly capturing the dependence on array density and Reynolds number. The laboratory studies also document a transition in small-scale mixing at cylinder Reynolds number . Below this limit, individual filaments of tracer remain distinct, producing significant fluctuations in the local concentration field. At higher Reynolds number, cylinder wakes contribute sufficient turbulence to erase the filament signature and smooth the tracer distribution.
Courtship dives of Anna's hummingbird offer insights into flight performance limits

Behavioural displays are a common feature of animal courtship. Just as female preferences can generate exaggerated male ornaments, female preferences for dynamic behaviours may cause males to perform courtship displays near intrinsic performance limits. I provide an example of an extreme display, the courtship dive of Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna). Diving male Anna's hummingbirds were filmed with a combination of high-speed and conventional video cameras. After powering the initial stage of the dive by flapping, males folded their wings by their sides, at which point they reached an average maximum velocity of 385 body lengths s(-1) (27.3 m s(-1)). This is the highest known length-specific velocity attained by any vertebrate. This velocity suggests their body drag coefficient is less than 0.3. They then spread their wings to pull up, and experienced centripetal accelerations nearly nine times greater than gravitational acceleration. This acceleration is the highest reported for any vertebrate undergoing a voluntary aerial manoeuvre, except jet fighter pilots. Stereotyped courtship behaviours offer several advantages for the study of extreme locomotor performance, and can be assessed in a natural context.
Image interpolation using wavelet-based contour estimation

Successful image interpolation requires proper enhancement of high frequency content of image pixels around edges. In this paper, we introduce a simple edge model to estimate high resolution edge profiles from lower resolution values. Pixels around edges are viewed as samples taken from one dimensional (1-D) continuous edge profiles according to 1-D smooth edge contours defining the sampling instants. The image is highpass filtered by wavelets and subpixel edge locations are estimated by minimizing the modeling error in the wavelet domain. Interpolation is carried out by applying the model, wherever applicable, together with a baseline interpolator (here, bilinear) in order to make edges look sharper without introducing artifacts. The results are compared to bilinear interpolation, and significant improvement in terms of SNR, edge sharpness and contour smoothness is observed.
Structuring International Cooperative Ventures

We examine the effect of bargaining power and informational asymmetry on the design of international cooperative ventures in the presence of restrictions on equity participation and investment. When the bargaining advantage rests with the multinational, equity participation restrictions can increase the profits to domestic firms and encourage sub-optimal investment policies. Overinvestment occurs when the multinational's bargaining advantage is reinforced by an informational advantage, while underinvestment occurs when the domestic firm possesses the informational advantage. In contrast, when the bargaining advantage rests with the domestic firm, equity participation restrictions do not affect investment levels.