cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing the role of North Atlantic freshwater forcing in millennial scale climate variability: a tropical Atlantic perspective

This study analyzes a three-member ensemble of experiments, in which 0.1 Sv of freshwater was applied to the North Atlantic for 100 years in order to address the potential for large freshwater inputs in the North Atlantic to drive abrupt climate change. The model used is the GFDL R30 coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation model. We focus in particular on the effects of this forcing on the tropical Atlantic region, which has been studied extensively by paleoclimatologists. In response to the freshwater forcing, North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation is reduced to roughly 40% by the end of the 100 year freshwater pulse. Consequently, the North Atlantic region cools by up to 8°C. The extreme cooling of the North Atlantic increases the pole-to-equator temperature gradient and requires more heat be provided to the high latitude Atlantic from the tropical Atlantic. To accommodate the increased heat requirement, the ITCZ shifts southward to allow for greater heat transport across the equator. Accompanying this southward ITCZ shift, the Northeast trade winds strengthen and precipitation patterns throughout the tropical Atlantic are altered. Specifically, precipitation in Northeast Brazil increases, and precipitation in Africa decreases slightly. In addition, we find that surface air temperatures warm over the tropical Atlantic and over Africa, but cool over northern South America. Sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic warm slightly with larger warm anomalies developing in the thermocline. These responses are robust for each member of the ensemble, and have now been identified by a number of freshwater forcing studies using coupled OAGCMs. The model responses to freshwater forcing are generally smaller in magnitude, but have the same direction, as paleoclimate data from the Younger Dryas suggest. In certain cases, however, the model responses and the paleoclimate data directly contradict one another. Discrepancies between the model simulations and the paleoclimate data could be due to a number of factors, including inaccuracies in the freshwater forcing, inappropriate boundary conditions, and uncertainties in the interpretation of the paleoclimate data. Despite these discrepancies, it is clear from our results that abrupt climate changes in the high latitude North Atlantic have the potential to significantly impact tropical climate. This warrants further model experimentation into the role of freshwater forcing in driving climate change.
Identification of soybean mosaic, southern bean mosaic and tobacco ringspot viruses from soybean in the People's Republic of China

SUMMARY Samples of soybean plants with virus-like symptoms were collected from several locations in the People's Republic of China in 1981. These samples were used to prepare inocula for mechanical inoculation to soybean. Twenty-one virus cultures were obtained, the identities of which were determined by serology, symptomatology and host range. Sixteen cultures contained only soybean mosaic virus, four of which were more pathogenic than any previously studied; one culture contained only tobacco ringspot virus, another only southern bean mosaic virus, and three other cultures mixed infections of soybean mosaic and southern bean mosaic viruses. This is the first report of the occurrence of tobacco ringspot virus and southern bean mosaic virus in soybean in the People's Republic of China.
Lymphoproliferative responses induced by streptococcal antigens in recurrent aphthous stomatitis and Behcet's syndrome.

Abstract The generation of cellular immune responses to antigens associated with Streptococcus sanguis type 2A has been implicated as a pathogenic mechanism in recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). The blastogenic responses of peripheral blood lymphocytes to soluble antigens from S. sanguis were measured during active episodes of oral ulceration and during periods of remission. Whole, heat-killed streptococci, sterile culture filtrates, and carbohydrate and protein extracts stimulated RAS lymphocytes in a dose-dependent fashion. However, responses by RAS lymphocytes were comparable in magnitude to those observed in normal controls and alterations in these responses did not occur throughout the course of the disease. Furthermore, no positive correlation between RAS and S. sanguis could be made since RAS lymphocytes were stimulated to a similar extent by antigen preparations derived from S. mutans . These results indicate that cellular hypersensitivity to S. sanguis may not be a distinguishing feature of RAS.
Noise Whitening in Airborne Wind Profiling With a Pulsed 2-Micron Coherent Doppler Lidar at NASA Langley Research Center

Two different noise whitening methods in airborne wind profiling with a pulsed 2-micron coherent Doppler lidar system at NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia are presented. In order to provide accurate wind parameter estimates from the airborne lidar data acquired during the NASA Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) campaign in 2010, the adverse effects of background instrument noise must be compensated properly in the early stage of data processing. The results of the two methods are presented using selected GRIP data and compared with the dropsonde data for verification purposes.
Phenotypic characterisation of a Neospora caninum temperature-sensitive strain in normal and immunodeficient mice

The in vivo persistence, immunogenicity and pathogenicity of a recently described temperature-sensitive (ts) strain from Neospora caninum, NCts-8, was investigated in normal and immunodeficient mice. Groups of BALB/c and SCID/Bg mice were infected s.c. with 5 x 10(6) wild-type NC-1, control NCts-8 (pass 0) or NCts-8 tachyzoites prepared at four in vitro passage levels (pass 7, 13, 21 and 28). For persistence and immunogenicity studies, BALB/c mice were bled and sacrificed at 4, 6 or 8 weeks p.i. Sera were analysed by IFAT and brain tissues examined for lesions by histology and tested for parasite presence by PCR. For pathogenicity studies, SCID/Bg mice were monitored by clinical signs and survival time. Results from parasite persistence experiments demonstrated microscopic lesions and PCR positive brain tissues in NC-1 infected mice. In contrast, brain tissues from NCts8-infected groups were consistently negative by histology and PCR. Based on IFAT titres, all parasite strains were immunogenic, although parasite-specific IgG levels were lower in the NCts-8 infected groups. Results from pathogenicity studies in SCID/Bg mice demonstrated a significantly (P < 0.0001) longer mean survival time in NCts-8 vs NC-1 infected groups. In addition, there was no significant difference in mean survival time between control NCts-8 and experimental passage NCts-8 infected mice. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that the NCts-8 strain maintains a stable phenotype following multiple passages in vitro, and possesses an attenuated, shorter persistence phenotype in vivo compared with the parental wild-type NC-1.
Concerted regulation of protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation by calmodulin.

The multiple functions of calmodulin in brain bring to light an apparent paradox in the mechanism of action of this multifunctional regulatory protein: How can the simultaneous calmodulin stimulation of enzymes with opposing functions such as cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases and adenylate cyclase, which are responsible for the degradation and synthesis of cAMP, respectively, be physiologically significant? The same question applies to the simultaneous activation of protein kinases (in particular calmodulin kinase II) and a protein phosphatase (calcineurin). One could propose that the protein kinase(s) and the phosphatase may be located in different cells or in different cellular compartments, and are therefore not antagonizing each other. The same result could be achieved if the specific substrates of these enzymes have different cellular localizations. This does not seem to be the case. In many areas of the brain the two enzymes and their substrates coexist in the same cell. For example, the hippocampus is rich in calmodulin kinase II, calcineruin and substrates for the two enzymes. A more general scheme is presented here, based on different mechanisms of the calmodulin regulation of the two classes of enzyme, which helps to solve this apparent inconsistency in the mechanism of action of calmodulin.
Replacement of the axial copper ligand methionine with lysine in amicyanin converts it to a zinc-binding protein that no longer binds copper.

The mutation of the axial ligand of the type I copper protein amicyanin from Met to Lys results in a protein that is spectroscopically invisible and redox inactive. M98K amicyanin acts as a competitive inhibitor in the reaction of native amicyanin with methylamine dehydrogenase indicating that the M98K mutation has not affected the affinity for its natural electron donor. The crystal structure of M98K amicyanin reveals that its overall structure is very similar to native amicyanin but that the type I binding site is occupied by zinc. Anomalous difference Fourier maps calculated using the data collected around the absorption edges of copper and zinc confirm the presence of Zn2+ at the type I site. The Lys98 NZ donates a hydrogen bond to a well-ordered water molecule at the type I site which enhances the ability of Lys98 to provide a ligand for Zn2+. Attempts to reconstitute M98K apoamicyanin with copper resulted in precipitation of the protein. The fact that the M98K mutation generated such a selective zinc-binding protein was surprising as ligation of zinc by Lys is rare and this ligand set is unique for zinc.
Nosocomial infections in pediatric cardiac surgery, Italy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence of nosocomial infection (NI) in pediatric patients who received cardiothoracic surgery and to identify possible associated risk factors. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: The cardiac surgery and cardiac intensive care units at the Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy. PATIENTS: All patients who underwent surgery from July 20, 1998, to July 19, 1999, were enrolled, except patients with operative catheterization only. METHODS: Clinical data were collected daily from July 20, 1998, to July 19, 1999. NIs were diagnosed according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. RESULTS: 104 patients were included in the present study, 80 (76.9%) of whom underwent extracorporeal circulation. The NI ratio was 48.1% (50/104); the percentage of patients with NI was 30.8% (32/104): 23.1% developed one infection, 7.7% two or more. The rate of NI was 2.17 per 100 days of hospitalization (50/2,304). The most common pathogen was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Important risk factors were length of preoperative admission >5 days, total length of admission >10 days, open chest during postoperative phase, and cyanotic heart disease. There was a significant association between sepsis and central venous catheterization for 3 days or more. Rate of sepsis was 19 per 1,000 catheter days (16/852). CONCLUSION: NIs represent a frequent complication for children who undergo heart surgery. Based on our data, we suggest decreasing the preoperative stay as much as possible. The higher NI incidence in patients with an open chest postoperatively suggests that an alternative antibiotic strategy should be considered for these patients.
SELF-MONITORING AND WORK PRODUCTIVITY WITH MENTALLY RETARDED ADULTS

We examined the use of self-monitoring to increase the productivity of five mentally retarded adults in a sheltered workshop. Data were collected daily during a 30-minute intervention and 30-minute generalization period. Following baseline, verbal praise, prompts, and physical encouragement were administered contingent on productive behavior on a specific task during the intervention period. In the next phase, self-monitoring was trained during the intervention period. During both phases, baseline conditions prevailed in the generalization periods. In the final phase, self-monitoring was extended across the intervention and generalization periods. Results showed that increased productivity levels, evident when praise and prompting were being administered, maintained with self-monitoring alone. Minimal generalization across time was observed until self-monitoring was begun in the generalization period.
Conservation of a rare arboreal mammal: habitat preferences of the Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo, Dendrolagus lumholtzi

Success of conservation efforts of large and cryptic mammals is often limited due to a lack of knowledge of their habitat preferences. This study investigates factors that affect the habitat selection of the rare Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo, Dendrolagus lumholtzi, using signs of its activity. The presence and absence of scratch marks on tree trunks and faecal pellets within a 100-cm radius around them were surveyed on 23 ha within a 65-ha large fragment of rainforest on the Atherton Tablelands, north-eastern Australia in order to classify trees as ‘actively used’ or ‘inactive’. Structural features of the 315 surveyed tree trunks were also recorded. Using discriminant function analysis, ‘actively used’ trees were found to have no epiphytes on the main trunk, less obstruction by neighbouring trees, shrubs or lianas within a 0.5-m radius of the trunk (particularly in the eastern direction), and a smaller diameter at breast height than ‘inactive’ trees. Smaller tree trunks and less obstruction may facilitate a more rapid movement into the canopy as well as provide potential escape routes from predators. More specific knowledge on factors that affect habitat selection of the Lumholtz’ tree-kangaroo will help in a reclassification of the threatened status of this species and assist in more effective conservation efforts.
The fine structure of charmonium and the Lorentz structure of the confining potential

Abstract We find that we can explain quantitatively the fine and hyperfine mass splittings of the charmonium system provided that the long-range confining potential be predominantly scalar, and the (small) vector part has an effective anomalous moment term.
Linear quadratic distributed self-tuning control of vibration in a cantilever beam

In this paper a new method of distributed adaptive control of vibration in flexible structures is presented. It is based on finite element approximation from which the auto-regressive parametric representation of the structure is obtained. This representation is used to estimate the structural parameters, viz., mass, stiffness and damping coefficient, using recursive least squares method. The finite dimensional model is then used to design a state-space controller based on the linear quadratic regulator principle. The on-line structural parameter estimation and the controller are then combined using certainty equivalence principle to obtain linear quadratic self-tuning controller for vibration suppression in flexible structures. The performance of the controller (without the self-tuning pat of the algorithm) in suppressing vibrations in an aluminum cantilever beam with surface mounted piezo-electric sensor and actuators is demonstrated experimentally. The spatial recursive algorithm to estimate transverse and angular displacement/velocity from the measured set of strain/strain-rate data, developed in the companion paper, is used as a state estimation algorithm for the state feedback controller.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Duration and Placement of Sleep in a “Disentrained” Environment

Sleep/wake cycles of 9 young adults were electrographically recorded during 60 hrs of enforced bedrest. During this period subjects were required to lie quietly, with no time cues and minimal exogenous stimulation. Sleep and wakefulness patterns were clearly modified under these conditions. There was an alternation of waking periods with an average length of 2.7 hrs and sleep episodes with a mean duration of 2.99 hrs. Eighty percent of both sleep and waking periods were less than 4 hrs duration. The circadian pattern of sleep period duration persisted in disentrainment, but temporal organization of sleep episodes was substantially disrupted; sleep episodes occurred throughout the 24-hr day. The results suggest the presence of two distinct components of the human sleep system–one, sleep duration, is controlled by an endogenous circadian oscillatory system; another, sleep placement, is controlled primarily by behavioral controls, in the form of social and occupational pressures, and self-imposed behavioral alternatives to sleep.
Comparative Dynamics in Aggregate Models of Optimal Capital Accumulation

The hypothesis that capital increases at each time in response to an increase in the discount factor is explored for a class of aggregate models of optimal accumulation. When the optimal program is monotonic, capital is shown to increase with an increase in the discount factor. A counterexample in the case of oscillating programs is discussed. An application of the monotone case is given for an adjustment cost model of the firm.
Stable isotope fractionations during reactive transport of phosphate in packed-bed sediment columns

Characterizing reactivity and fate of contaminants in subsurface environments that are isolated from direct visualization is a major challenge. Stable isotopes coupled with concentration could be used as a potential tool to quantitatively analyze the chemical variability of the contaminant during reactive transport processes in the subsurface environment. This study was aimed at determining whether abiotic reactions of phosphate during its transport involve fractionation of oxygen isotopes in phosphate (δ(18)Op). It included the effects of solution chemistry and hydrodynamics on δ(18)Op values during phosphate transport through a packed-bed column prepared by using natural sediment collected from the Cape Cod aquifer in Massachusetts. Results show that the isotopic fractionation between effluent and influent phosphate at early stage of transport could be ~1.3‰ at higher flow rates with isotopically-light phosphate (P(16)O4) preferentially retained in the sediment column. This fractionation, however, decreased and became insignificant as more phosphate passed through the column. Mobilization of phosphate initially sorbed onto sediments caused a large kinetic isotopic fractionation with isotopically-light phosphate preferentially remobilized from the sediment column, but over longer time periods, this fractionation decreased and became insignificant as well. These results collectively suggest that abiotic reactive transport processes exert minimal influence on the δ(18)Op composition of subsurface systems. Alternatively, fluctuation in flow rate and subsequent remobilization of phosphate could be detectable through transient changes in δ(18)Op values. These findings extend the burgeoning application of δ(18)Op to identify the different sources and geochemical processes of phosphate in the subsurface environments.
Quantized Control of Compliant Cellular Actuator Arrays for Biological Movement Generation

Human-like motion is characterized by a straight or slightly curved trajectory with a smooth, bell-shaped end-point velocity. In order to achieve such a human-like point-to-point reaching motion with a robot, the best approach would be to create an actuation system that mimics key aspects of the human actuation system, specifically the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. The actuator type selected for the robot must be compliant and form force-generating subunits, much like human skeletal muscle. A key feature of human motion is the presence of motor variability and consequent errors in task performance. This suggests some form of randomness in the neuromuscular system. Harris and Wolpert first presented the concept of signal dependent noise (SDN), in which motor variability is caused by noise that is linearly proportional to the magnitude of the motor command. This can be modeled as multiplicative noise in the system. A straightforward implementation of SDN in a robot would require the introduction of a Gaussian noise generator; however, this is not preferable from a hardware perspective because it requires additional componentry. Further, no such extraneous noise generator has been found in the biological system. Therefore, an alternative, biologically inspired method of introducing SDN into the system was needed. Floating point quantization (FPQ), a popular numbering scheme in digital communications, appeared as a viable option which mimics aspects of Henneman’s size principle of motor unit recruitment. This paper presents a non-uniform recruitment method for compliant actuator arrays. FPQ results in larger deviations from the original signal as amplitude increases, in the same manner as SDN.© 2012 ASME
Classical Marxism and the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Marx/Engels, the Heat Death of the Universe Hypothesis, and the Origins of Ecological Economics

Today's understanding of the significance of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels's work for the development of both ecological economics in particular and ecology in general has been hindered by persist...
Immersion, presence, and flow in robot-aided isr simulation-based training

The Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) domain offers a rich application environment for Soldier-Robot teaming and involves multiple tasks that can be effectively allocated across human and robot assets based upon their capabilities. The U.S. Armed Forces envisions Robot-Aided ISR (RAISR) as a strategic advantage and decisive force multiplier. Given the rapid advancement of robotics, Human Systems Integration (HSI) represents a critical risk to the success of RAISR. Simulation-Based Training (SBT) will play a key role in mitigating HSI risks and migrating from traditional Soldier-Robot operation to mixed-initiative teaming. However, research is required to understand the SBT methods and tools most applicable to the RAISR task domain. This paper summarizes results from empirical experimentation aimed at comparing traditional SBT strategies (e.g., Massed Exposure, Highlighting), and understanding the impact of Immersion, Presence, and Flow on performance. Relationships between Immersion, Presence, and Flow are explored and recommendations for future research are included.
Amino acids as modulators of endothelium-derived nitric oxide.

To examine the mechanisms whereby amino acids modulate nitric oxide (NO) production and blood flow in the renal vasculature, chemiluminescence techniques were used to quantify NO in the renal venou...
Design Space Exploration for Power-Efficient Mixed-Radix Ling Adders

We present an integer linear programming (ILP) method that optimizes generalized prefix Ling adders in terms of area, delay, and power. The contribution is listed in the following.
Measurement of Acid Diffusion in Canned Vegetables Using pH Sensitive Indicators

The use of pH sensitive fluorescent dyes and color indicators for measuring acid diffusion in pH modified foods was investigated. Colorimetric pH profiles compared well with electrometric measurements. Colorimetric measurement techniques were applicable with both lightly colored vegetables (e.g., potatoes, onions) and highly colored vegetables (e.g., beets, carrots). Effective mass diffusivities were calculated from pH measurement and were on the order of 10-10 m2/sec for a variety of acids in potatoes.
Practical Compression with Model-Code Separation

Current compression systems incorporate a data model, however formed, deeply into the coding process, leading to difficulties of an architectural nature. This work contributes an alternative "Model-Code Separation" architecture for general compression, based on model-free coding and iterative message-passing algorithms over graphical models representing the modeling and coding aspects of compression in decoding. Systems following this architecture resolve important challenges posed by current systems, and stand to benefit further from advances in the understanding of data and the algorithms that process them.
Yersinia-induced apoptosis in vivo aids in the establishment of a systemic infection of mice.

Pathogenic Yersinia cause a systemic infection in mice that is dependent on the presence of a large plasmid encoding a number of secreted virulence proteins called Yops. We previously demonstrated that a plasmid-encoded Yop, YopJ, was essential for inducing apoptosis in cultured macrophages. Here we report that YopJ is a virulence factor in mice and is important for the establishment of a systemic infection. The oral LD50 for a yopJ mutant Yersinia pseudotuberculosis increases 64-fold compared with wild-type. Although the yopJ mutant strain is able to reach the spleen of infected mice, the mutant strain seldom reaches the same high bacterial load that is seen with wild-type Yersinia strain and begins to be cleared from infected spleens on day 4 after infection. Furthermore, when in competition with wild-type Yersinia in a mixed infection, the yopJ mutant strain is deficient for spread from the Peyer's patches to other lymphoid tissue. We also show that wild-type Yersinia induces apoptosis in vivo of Mac-1+ cells from infected mesenteric lymph nodes or spleens, as measured by quantitative flow cytometry of TUNEL (Tdt-mediated dUTP–biotin nick-end labeling)-positive cells. The levels of Mac-1+, TUNEL+ cells from tissue infected with the yopJ mutant strain were equivalent to the levels detected in cells from uninfected tissue. YopJ is necessary for the suppression of TNF-α production seen in macrophages infected with wild-type Yersinia, based on previous in vitro studies (Palmer, L.E., S. Hobbie, J.E. Galan, and J.B. Bliska. 1998. Mol. Microbiol. 27:953–965). We conclude here that YopJ plays a role in the establishment of a systemic infection by inducing apoptosis and that this is consistent with the ability to suppress the production of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor α.
Factor Structure of the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire and Measurement Invariance Across Gender

Confirmatory factor analysis was applied in a test of alternative factor models and measurement invariance across gender groups using data from the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire (EATQ). Mothers rated their 10- to 14-year-old children (116 girls and 115 boys) on the EATQ Shyness, High-Intensity Pleasure, Activity Level, Attention, Irritability, and Fear scales. A first-order six-correlated factor model best represented the structure of temperament. As expected, factor models based on composite indicators showed better overall model fit than did those based on single items. The measurement invariance of the first-order model across gender suggests that the EATQ measures the same aspects of temperament regardless of gender. A significant gender difference emerged at the latent mean level: Boys were rated high in high-intensity pleasure and activity level, and girls were rated high in attention.
Replication under scalable hashing: a family of algorithms for scalable decentralized data distribution

Summary form only given. Typical algorithms for decentralized data distribution work best in a system that is fully built before it first used; adding or removing components results in either extensive reorganization of data or load imbalance in the system. We have developed a family of decentralized algorithms, RUSH (replication under scalable hashing), that maps replicated objects to a scalable collection of storage servers or disks. RUSH algorithms distribute objects to servers according to user-specified server weighting. While all RUSH variants support addition of servers to the system, different variants have different characteristics with respect to lookup time in petabyte-scale systems, performance with mirroring (as opposed to redundancy codes), and storage server removal. All RUSH variants redistribute as few objects as possible when new servers are added or existing servers are removed, and all variants guarantee that no two replicas of a particular object are ever placed on the same server. Because there is no central directory, clients can compute data locations in parallel, allowing thousands of clients to access objects on thousands of servers simultaneously.
Food and the Senses

This review makes the case for anthropological reflection on the intersection of food and the senses. Given that a focus on food and the senses allows us to explore some of the most basic boundaries of inside and outside, private and public, individual and collective, this topic offers an excellent window onto that elusive notion of everyday life that anthropologists wish to understand theoretically and examine ethnographically. At the same time, food is a key component of ritual, which has typically been understood as heightening or stimulating sensory experience to instill social or cosmological values. Food and the senses overlap in notions of taste as distinction and in an increasing recognition of the culturally cultivated phenomenon of synesthesia. Furthermore, in making food and the senses central to understanding wider social issues, this review argues for the productivity of a concept of “gustemology” in opening up new realms of ethnographic and theoretical inquiry.
Automatically Learning Source-side Reordering Rules for Large Scale Machine Translation

We describe an approach to automatically learn reordering rules to be applied as a preprocessing step in phrase-based machine translation. We learn rules for 8 different language pairs, showing BLEU improvements for all of them, and demonstrate that many important order transformations (SVO to SOV or VSO, head-modifier, verb movement) can be captured by this approach.
Phototaxis in Euglena 1: Physiological Basis of Photoreception and Tactic Orientation

As an introduction, perhaps a few words concerning the definition of the term “phototaxis” would be in order. At present, the most generally acceptable description of phototaxis defines it as orientation and subsequent oriented movement of freely motile organisms in response to light — towards the light in the case of positive, and away from it in the case of negative phototaxis. While in the past, some authors have distinguished between “topo-phototaxis” and “phobo-phototaxis”, the former term actually means phototaxis proper, while the latter refers to a light-induced nondirectional shock response (positive or negative, respectively, if occurring upon a decrease or an increase of light intensity). Since a nondirectional response is not a true taxis, I have proposed that the term “photophobic response” be used instead of “phobophototaxis” (Diehn, 1969 a, 1970 a), and will adhere to that terminology throughout this presentation.
On the connection between maze-searching and robot motion planning algorithms

It is shown that the path-planning problem for a point automaton operating in a finite or infinite environment filled with unknown obstacles of arbitrary shapes can be reduced to that of searching a finite graph of a special structure. Then, any maze-searching algorithm described in graph theory, and any path planning algorithm developed in robotics, can be used to direct the automaton's motion. A performance criterion is introduced and used to assess and compare the performance of different algorithms, both among themselves and with the best theoretically possible algorithm, as indicated by the universal lower bound. >
Evidence for a Prolonged Biological Half-Life of Na22 in Patients with Hypertension

The biological half-life of Na22 was found to be significantly longer ( p <0.01) in seven hypertensive adults than in eight normotensive adults on equivalent NaCl intakes. Calculations based on approximations of leanbody mass suggest that the hypertensive subjects may have a larger sodium pool to explain this disparity.
Immunophilin FK506-binding protein 52 (not FK506-binding protein 12) mediates the neurotrophic action of FK506.

The neurotrophic property of the immunosuppressant drug FK506 (tacrolimus) is believed to depend on the 12-kDa FK506-binding protein (FKBP-12). Here, we show that FK506 maintains its neurotrophic activity in primary hippocampal cell cultures from FKBP-12 knockout mice. In human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, the neurotrophic action of FK506 (10 pM to 10 nM) is completely prevented by the addition of a monoclonal antibody (50-100 nM) to the immunophilin FKBP-52 (also known as FKBP-59 or heat shock protein 56), a component of mature steroid receptor complexes. By itself, the FKBP-52 antibody is also neurotrophic. The neurotrophic activity of dexamethasone (50 nM) is potentiated by FK506, whereas that of beta-estradiol (50 nM) is not altered, suggesting a common mechanisms of action. Geldanamycin (which disrupts mature steroid receptor complexes) is also neurotrophic (0.1-10 nM), whereas it reduces the neurotrophic activity of FK506 and steroid hormones (dexamethasone and beta-estradiol). Conversely, 20 mM molybdate (which prevents the disruption of mature steroid receptor complexes) decreases the neurotrophic activity of FK506, FKBP-52 antibody, dexamethasone, and beta-estradiol. In rats, FK506 (10 mg/kg s.c.) augments the regenerative response of regenerating motor and sensory neurons to nerve injury as shown by its ability to increase the axotomy-induced induction of c-jun expression. A model is proposed to account for the neurotrophic action of both neuroimmunophilin ligands (FK506) and steroid hormones. Components of steroid receptor complexes represent novel targets for the rational design of new neurotrophic drugs.
Adolescent-evaluated quality of life: a longitudinal study.

Opportunities for adolescents with cancer to interact with each other are few. This project provided a weekend retreat for adolescents with cancer and obtained longitudinal self-evaluated quality of life data. Data were collected using the Adolescent Quality of Life instrument, which is a 16-item Likertscaled survey that assesses quality of life. Twenty-two adolescents attended the weekend, and 17 participated in the study. Evaluations of the weekend retreat were positive, with “making friends” and “meeting others like me” the most frequent comments. Data from the Adolescent Quality of Life instrument revealed that for this population, quality of life was unchanged directly after the weekend and was statistically worse 1 month later. Enrollment methods skewed study participation toward individuals receiving treatment, which may explain these results. The reliability of the Adolescent Quality of Life instrument remained stable over time, and it appears to accurately assess and reflect changes in quality of...
The Perverse Effects of Biofuel Public-Sector Policies

Biofuel policies are a subset of policies designed to achieve energy security, an improved environment, enhanced agricultural incomes, technological change, and overall economic benefits, with increased domestic energy production creating green jobs and foreign exchange savings. In assessing this broad spectrum of proclaimed policy goals with the outcome of biofuel mandates, subsidies, import barriers, binary sustainability standards, and indirect land use measures, we identify many perverse and contradictory effects. Most importantly, we show how biofuel policies established the crop-energy price link and hence the food-fuel trade-off, the contradictory effects of combining mandates with different subsidies, the various surprising welfare economic effects, and the various inconsistencies associated with binary sustainability standards and carbon leakages. We conclude with examples of how biofuel policies have generated paradoxical effects in many other different dimensions.
The Marriage Debate and Minority Stress

Healthy adult development commonly includes a desire and intent to form intimate, long-term relationships. For individuals attracted to members of the other sex, these relationships may be formed, socially affirmed, and, by mutual choice, legally recognized by government agencies in the U.S. For individuals attracted to members of the same sex, these relationships may be formed, but social affirmation and legal recognition are only sporadically available. Thus, the normative relational developmental processes for same-sex attracted individuals incur unique challenges that other-sex attracted individuals do not.
Large intra-thoracic desmoid tumor with airway compression: A case report and review of the literature

Intra-thoracic desmoid tumors are exceedingly rare tumors in the pediatric population, and can present with compression of cardiopulmonary structures and respiratory compromise. Surgical and anesthetic management of these tumors are challenging. We report the case of a 14-year-old male who presented with dyspnea, found to have a large intra-thoracic mass that was critically compressing his trachea. We provide a review of the literature of desmoid tumors and discuss the management of intra-thoracic masses.
Disclosure of Complications and Error

Communication with patients about medical error is one of the most difficult issues which confront the surgeon. While surgeons strive to care for patients without mistakes, the complexity of the care process allows for the possibility of surgeon error, systems error, or error committed by any member of the care team.
The Bright Side of Distress Risk

The paper shows that distressed firms have positive abnormal returns when aggregate volatility unexpectedly increases. This hedging property of distressed firms explains the puzzling negative relation between firm-specific distress risk and future alphas from benchmark asset-pricing models. Controlling for aggregate volatility risk exposure also explains why the negative relation is stronger for volatile firms and growth firms.
Performing Belonging in Public Space Mexican Migrants in New York City

Playing soccer in public parks, participating in parades, or marching in religious processions are public performances that express membership in a political community. When these practices are performed by noncitizens, they highlight how the public space—in its physical and symbolic character—is not a space exclusive to members of the political community. Rather, public space is a terrain subject to contestation. In this article, I explore the ways Mexican migrants in New York City use and appropriate public spaces and in doing so expand the boundaries of the political community. I argue that by gaining access to public spaces, appropriating them, and then transforming them, noncitizens claim recognition as members of the political community and thus unsettle its boundaries.
Structure of Unhydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Carbide

Simulations of unhydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide, formed by condensing a vapor of silicon and carbon atoms, indicate partial chemical ordering, with heteronuclear bonds predominating. We find no evidence of phase separation. Carbon atoms are predominantly three-fold coordinated while silicon atoms have four-fold coordination. By combining these results with results of experimental studies, we speculate on the role of hydrogenation in determining the structure of amorphous silicon carbide.
Optical constants of amorphous, transparent titanium-doped tungsten oxide thin films

We report on the optical constants and their dispersion profiles determined from spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) analysis of the 20%-titanium (Ti) doped of tungsten oxide (WO3) thin films grown by sputter-deposition. The Ti-doped WO3 films grown in a wide range of temperatures (25-500 °C) are amorphous and optically transparent. SE data indicates that there is no significant interdiffusion at the film-substrate interface for a W-Ti oxide film growth of ~90 nm. The index refraction (n) at λ = 550 nm vary in the range of 2.17-2.31 with a gradual increase in growth temperature. A correlation between the growth conditions and optical constants is discussed.
Medical aspects of diabetes in pregnancy and the diabetogenic effects of oral contraceptives.

The effects of pregnancy and oral contraceptives on the management of diabetes are discussed. Pregnancy alters carbohydrate metabolism due to 2 factors: (1) the fetus is continually draining glucose from the mother and (2) the placenta creates hormones which diminish the effectiveness of insulin. Fetal drains on the mother occur at a rate of 20 mg of glucose/minute throughout pregnancy. During the second half of the pregnancy period the placenta creates hormones such as chorionic somatomammotropin which diminish the effectiveness of maternal insulin. Also present during this time are increased amounts of estrogen and progesteron both known as contra-insulin factors. To insure the safety of the fetus it is recommended that oral glucose tolerance tests be performed on all women in order to detect diabetes. Therapy for diabetes during pregnancy varies according to the pregnancy-phase. In early pregnancy insulin needs are less than during pre-pregnancy when there are demands made by the fetus for glucose. The second half of the pregnancy period requires an increased insulin dosage of 67 to 100% due to the release of the anti-insulin hormones by the placenta. After birth insulin should be 2/3 whatever the pre-pregnancy dosage was and should be administered for 6 weeks. Any development of ketoacidosis during pregnancy must be treated promptly. It can be distinguished from starvation ketosis by the accompanying glucose overproduction which will show up as glycosuria and hyperglycemia. Oral contraceptives affect carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Estrogen impairs insulin effectiveness. Diabetic glucose tolerance curves occur in 15 to 40% of all women using oral contraceptives. Effects on glucose tolerance may not be reversible. Women with overt or gestational diabetes should not be administered oral contraceptives.
The Impact of Celebrity and the Spokesperson’s Ethnicity on Country-of-Origin Effects

Advertisers in the U.S. continue to employ celebrities of various ethnic origins in advertising campaigns. At the same time, with greater regularity, more products are appearing in the market place from different countries. This study examined the impact of celebrity and the spokesperson’s ethnicity and country-of-origin (CO) on consumer evaluations of a product. The results suggest that advertisers need to be less concerned about the ethnicity of the spokesperson than CO and celebrity. The former did not appear to affect the communications effectiveness or purchase intention. However, both CO and celebrity status of the spokesperson affected the communications effectiveness as well as purchase intention.
Mechanical Improvements to TCERA, a Tunable Compliant Energy Return Actuator

TCERA Tunable Compliance Energy Return Actuator is a robotic emulation of a human femur-tibia system in a walking or running gait. TCERA features two parallel air springs to compliantly transmit or absorb torque about the knee. The radial positions of the springs as well as their relative lengths are adjustable, which effectively alter the torsional stiffness and equilibrium angle of the knee system, respectively. These functions are operable independently, and thus decouple the kinematic relationship and control of the torsional stiffness and femur-tibia angle. The actuator derives its inspiration from an analysis of the human gait, in which it can be seen that the torsional compliance about the knee is varied to specific stiffness values throughout the cycle. Special mechanical considerations have been taken into account to achieve swift changes in position without compromising the static integrity of the actuator.
Issues in the Theory of Rate of Return

From the analysis of the traditional and the more recent models described in the previous four chapters, the overriding question that emerges is, “which model is best?” But the models are fundamentally different and the determination of what is “best” becomes the issue. Presumably, the answer to this question is that the best model is one that allows the most “accurate” calculation of the “true” required rate of return.
Recruitment of Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon in the Savannah River, Georgia

AbstractAtlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus were once abundant along the Atlantic coast of North America from the Saint Lawrence River, Canada, to the St. Johns River, Florida. Severe overfishing, coupled with habitat losses during the 1900s, resulted in major population declines that eventually led to the subspecies’ listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2012. Despite this listing, quantified recruitment data are largely lacking for most Atlantic Sturgeon populations, particularly those within the South Atlantic distinct population segment. The objective of this study was to quantify annual recruitment of Atlantic Sturgeon in the Savannah River, Georgia, by estimating annual abundance of age-1, river-resident juveniles. During the summers of 2013–2015, we used anchored gill nets and trammel nets to sample juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon throughout the Savannah River estuary. Ages of captured juveniles were determined by using length-frequency analysis, and abundance of each juvenile a...
Stable mineral recrystallization in low temperature aqueous systems: A critical review

Minerals may undergo recrystallization reactions in low temperature (<100 °C) aqueous systems, during which they exchange isotopes and trace elements with the dissolved reservoir without undergoing overt structural, bulk compositional, or morphological changes. These interfacial reactions, which are often referred to in the literature as “atom exchange” and herein as “stable mineral recrystallization”, have important implications for the use of isotopic and elemental proxies to interpret past temperatures, oxidation states, and aqueous chemistries on Earth. The reactions are also significant for modern environments, including engineered systems, as they imply that mineral lattices may be substantially more open to exchanging toxic elements and radionuclides with coexisting solutions than previously thought. To date, observations of stable mineral recrystallization are distributed among several disciplines, and no work has attempted to review their findings comprehensively. Accordingly, this review article presents laboratory evidence for stable mineral recrystallization, describes data collection and interpretation strategies, summarizes similar recrystallization systematics observed in multiple studies, explores the potential occurrence of stable mineral recrystallization in natural systems, and discusses possible mechanisms by which stable mineral recrystallization occurs. The review focuses primarily on carbonates, sulfates, and iron oxides because these minerals have been studied most extensively to date. The review concludes by presenting key questions that should be addressed in this field to further understand and account for stable mineral recrystallization in natural and engineered aqueous systems at low temperatures.