cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Constraints on Group Size in Red Colobus and Red-tailed Guenons: Examining the Generality of the Ecological Constraints Model

The ecological constraints model proposes that an increase in group size will increase intragroup feeding competition and thereby constrain group size. Although this model has received wide acceptance, tests of it are based only on a few studies of species that have similar ecological requirements and social organizations, and there are reasons to question the widespread acceptance of the assumptions underpinning it. Via a 2-year study, we explored determinants of group size in species that feed on markedly different types of foods: the folivorous red colobus (Procolobus pennantii) and the frugivorous/insectivorous red-tailed guenon (Cercopithecus ascanius). We established 4 study sites approximately 15 km apart in Kibale National Park, Uganda, to examine the relationship between average group size and food availability. In both species, we quantified interdemic variation in diet, density of food trees, rate of travel, and group size. Red colobus at all sites relied heavily on leaf resources (75.5%–86.9%), but fruit (6.4%–13.9%) and flowers (2.0%–13.9%) were important in some populations. In general, red-tailed guenons fed on fruit (35.7%–59.7%), insects (14.5%–17.6%), and young leaves (12.2%–32.8%), but the amount of time allocated to these foods varied among sites. Average monthly density of trees bearing food items ranged among sites from 45 to 79 trees/ha for red colobus and from 19.6 to 67.3 trees/ha for red-tailed guenons. For both species, rate of travel was similar among sites, with one exception for red colobus. Average red colobus group size varied among sites from 14 to 40 (28 groups counted). Red-tailed guenon group size varied among sites from 11 to 24 (16 groups counted). As predicted by the ecological constraints model, group size increased with food tree density across sites for both species.
Ecosystem science and human–environment interactions in the Hawaiian archipelago

Summary 1Tansley's ecosystem concept remains a vital framework for ecological research in part because the approach facilitates interdisciplinary analyses of ecological systems. 2Features of the Hawaiian Islands – particularly the nearly orthogonal variation in many of the factors that control variation among ecosystems elsewhere – make the archipelago a useful model system for interdisciplinary research designed to understand fundamental controls on the state and dynamics of ecosystems, and their consequences for human societies. 3Analyses of rain forest sites arrayed on a substrate age gradient from c. 300 years to over 4 million years across the Hawaiian archipelago demonstrate that the sources of calcium and other essential cations shift from > 80% rock-derived in young sites to > 80% derived from marine aerosol on substrates older than 100 000 years. Rock-derived phosphorus is retained longer within ecosystems, but eventually long-distance transport of continental dust from Asia becomes the most important source of phosphorus. 4A biogeochemical feedback from low nutrient availability to efficient resource use by trees to slow decomposition and nutrient regeneration accentuates the geochemically driven pattern of low phosphorus availability and phosphorus limitation to net primary productivity in the oldest site. 5Variations in ecosystem biogeochemistry across the archipelago shaped the development and sustainability of Polynesian agricultural systems in the millennium between their discovery of Hawai’i and contact by Europeans. Irrigated pondfields were largely confined to stream valleys on the older islands, while rain-fed dryland systems occupied a narrow zone of fertile, well-watered soils on the younger islands. 6The ecosystem approach often represents the most appropriate level of organization for analyses of human influences on ecological systems; it can play a central role in the design and analysis of alternative agricultural, industrial and residential systems that could reduce the human footprint on the Earth.
Budgeting Approaches in Community Colleges.

Several budgeting approaches have been initiated as alternatives to the traditional, incremental process. These include formula budgeting; zero-base budgeting; planning, programming, and budgeting systems; and responsibility center budgeting. Each is premised on assumptions about how organizations might best make resource allocation decisions. Though the incremental approach remains dominant, experience with the alternative approaches suggests key questions that can guide the work of community college budget developers.
The Constitutionality of the War Powers Resolution

A NYONE wishing to argue that the War Powers Resolution of 19731 is unconstitutional must be prepared to explain the purpose of article I, section 8, clause 11, of the Constitution. That provision expressly grants to Congress the power "To declare War."2 If the President of the United States is free to fight a war whether or not one has been declared, then this apparently unambiguous constitutional provision is devoid of significance. Opponents of the War Powers Resolution have traditionally claimed that clause 11 confers upon Congress only a narrow piece of war power.3 Defenders of the Resolution have argued in contrast that the Resolution constitutes an exercise of congressional authority under the clause.4 This last contention pokes at the truth without quite striking it. The War Powers Resolution is not constitutional as an exercise of the war power. It is constitutional because it defines the war power. The War Powers Resolution is nothing more or less than a congressional definition of the word "war" in
An mRNA stability complex functions with poly(A)-binding protein to stabilize mRNA in vitro.

The stable globin mRNAs provide an ideal system for studying the mechanism governing mammalian mRNA turnover. α-Globin mRNA stability is dictated by sequences in the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) which form a specific ribonucleoprotein complex (α-complex) whose presence correlates with mRNA stability. One of the major protein components within this complex is a family of two polycytidylate-binding proteins, αCP1 and αCP2. Using an in vitro-transcribed and polyadenylated α-globin 3′UTR, we have devised an in vitro mRNA decay assay which reproduces the α-complex-dependent mRNA stability observed in cells. Incubation of the RNA with erythroleukemia K562 cytosolic extract results in deadenylation with distinct intermediates containing a periodicity of approximately 30 nucleotides, which is consistent with the binding of poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) monomers. Disruption of the α-complex by sequestration of αCP1 and αCP2 enhances deadenylation and decay of the mRNA, while reconstitution of the α-complex stabilizes the mRNA. Similarly, PABP is also essential for the stability of mRNA in vitro, since rapid deadenylation resulted upon its depletion. An RNA-dependent interaction between αCP1 and αCP2 with PABP suggests that the α-complex can directly interact with PABP. Therefore, the α-complex is an mRNA stability complex in vitro which could function at least in part by interacting with PABP.
Nucleotide sequence and regulation of a gene involved in bile acid 7-dehydroxylation by Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708.

Abstract Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708 is an anaerobic intestinal bacterium that has inducible bile acid 7-dehydroxylation activity. At least four new polypeptides were synthesized after addition of primary bile acids to the growth medium. One of these, of molecular weight 27,000 (P-27), was shown to be involved in the 7-dehydroxylation reaction sequence. The gene coding for P-27 was cloned, and the entire DNA sequence for the protein-coding region was determined. In addition, sequence information was obtained for 294 bases upstream from the translational start codon and 329 bases downstream from the stop codon. Induction studies with a synthetic oligonucleotide probe (16-mer) revealed the presence of a cholic acid-inducible mRNA species approximately 900 bases long. A 5' terminus of this mRNA was detected by primer extension analysis, and the location of the 3' terminus of the mRNA was estimated by using S1 nuclease mapping. The 3' terminus of the mRNA contained a large element with dyad symmetry of unknown function. The open reading frame contained 249 codons, and the corresponding polypeptide had a calculated molecular weight of 26,745. The amino acid sequence of P-27 showed significant homology to several previously described alcohol-polyol dehydrogenases ("nonzinc" dehydrogenases), especially in the region believed to contain a pyridine nucleotide-binding domain. The implications of this homology and the possible function of P-27 in bile acid 7-dehydroxylation are discussed.
Immunophenotypic profile of myeloid cells in granulocytic sarcoma by immunohistochemistry. Correlation with blast differentiation in bone marrow

The present study was designed to evaluate the lineage differentiation (particularly monocytic differentiation) of immature myeloid cells in granulocytic sarcoma (GS) by immunohistochemistry and correlate the results with lineage differentiation of blasts in the bone marrow and to determine the degree of maturation of the infiltrating myeloid cells in GS by immunohistochemistry using CD34 and HLA-DR. Immunohistochemical stains were performed on paraffin-embedded tissue from 17 GS lesions with lineage-associated markers: myeloperoxidase, CD68 (KP1), CD68 (PG-Ml), glycophorin A, factor VIII, and CD56; and with markers for blasts and immature myeloid cells: CD34 and HLA-DR. Our results show that positive staining with PG-M1, but not KP1, suggests monocytic differentiation of myeloid cells in GS and correlates with the monocytic differentiation of blasts in the bone marrow. Expression of CD56 is frequent in GS, especially when the marrow blasts have monocytic differentiation, and should not be interpreted as a primary natural-killer cell process. The immature myeloid cells in GS are frequently HLA-DR positive. However, CD34 positivity of the immature myeloid cells is relatively uncommon, except in cases with underlying myelodysplastic syndrome or chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Optical pulsations from HZ Herculis/Hercules X-1: the self-consistent 35 day picture

A detailed analysis of the optical pulsation data from HZ Her shows that all of the 35 day characteristics can be interpreted in the light of episodic mass transfer every 0.81 days lasting at least 4 hr and obscuration by a tilted accretion disk which undergoes one cycle of retrograded progression every approx.35 days. The predominant systematic shifts of the optical pulsation velocities can be related to the X-ray shadowing of the phid.7 = 0.75 side of the lobe of HZ Her by the mass transfer stream and the associated disk rim structure. In the context of this new understanding of the 35 day effects, the pulsation data strongly affirm the assumptions of prograde spin for Her X-1, and aligned corotation and Roche lobe filling for HZ Her. Consideration of the accurately measured X-ray eclipse duration and the minimum orbital co-inclination required to produce the observed 35 day optical and X-ray variability may limit the Her X-1 mass to less than 1.4 M/sub sun/. A good model atmosphere for the optical pulsations could reduce the Her X-1 mass error to less than 0.10 M/sub sun/.
New detailed images of the Sun

Newly released images of small-scale solar structures indicate that the Sun is much more turbulent that previously known. The images, produced by the satellite Hinode (formerly known as Solar-B), were released by NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on 21 March. Many of the recently released images focused on a large sunspot identified by scientists in December 2006. The sunspot, which was anomalous because it occurred in the declining phase of the 11-year sunspot cycle, ejected a flare of white light and protons.
Morphine alters macrophage and lymphocyte populations in the spleen and peritoneal cavity

We have previously shown that subcutaneous implantation of a 75 mg morphine pellet results in suppression of the ability of murine splenocytes to mount an antibody response to sheep red blood cells, due in part to a reduction of macrophage function. The present studies used flow cytometry to examine whether the decrement in macrophage function in the spleens of morphine-treated mice results from a reduction in macrophage numbers. Parallel analysis was carried out on non-elicited peritoneal cells. In the spleen, morphine resulted in a reduction in the relative proportion of macrophages and B-cells, with a concomitant increase in the proportion of T-cells. Alteration in the ratio of CD4+ to CD8+ T-cells was not observed. In contrast, in the peritoneal cavity, morphine increased the number of macrophages and reduced the number of B-cells. Naltrexone blocked all of the changes in cellular composition. These results support the conclusion that an important mechanism in the immunosuppression seen in the spleens of mice implanted with morphine pellets is a differential reduction in the number of macrophages and B-cells as compared with T-cells. Further, these studies show that subsets of cells of the immune system are differentially affected by morphine in different anatomical compartments.
Review of the neotropical genus Cacocharis Walsingham (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutini), with a new synonymy and comments on its host plants and geographic distribution

Cacocharis is a small Neotropical genus comprised of two species: C. albimacula Walsingham, 1872 and C. cymotoma (Meyrick 1917). The synonymy of Olethreutes canofascia Forbes 1930 (new syn.) with C. cymotoma is proposed. The two recognized species are sympatric in the Caribbean on Jamaica, Dominica, and St. Vincent, indicating considerable independent dispersal or inadvertent introduction events. Based on literature and specimen sources, the larval food plants for the genus are Phyllanthus acidus Skeels and P. niuri L. (Euphorbiaceae), which are widely known for their medicinal properties. A possible explanation for the high level of sympatry of the moth species in the Caribbean is that they have been transported throughout the region along with their larval hosts.
A multi-fluid stagnation-flow plasma model with self-consistent treatment of the collisional sheath

A two-temperature, multifluid model of a plasma in stagnation flow against a cooled, electrically biased surface is presented. The model couples bulk fluid motion, species diffusion and convection, electron and bulk energy equations, and net finite-rate ionization with Poisson's equation for the electric field in a generalized formulation. Application of the model to argon flow reveals important interactions between thermal, hydrodynamic, chemical and electrical boundary layers, with implications for current-limiting regimes of arcjet operation. The response of a planar Langmuir probe in contact with a collisional, flowing plasma is examined. Determinations of current-voltage behavior compare well with simple theory, including dependence on incident plasma velocity. Departures from this theory arise from boundary-layer perturbations near the electrode surface, away from free-stream conditions. The computational model incorporates a finite-rate catalytic recombination of ions and electrons at the electrode surface together with a specified current. >
Violation of the Spin-Temperature Hypothesis

A "Loschmidt demon" is exhibited which effectively reverses the spin-spin relaxation of a system of interacting magnetic dipoles in a strong external field, thereby demonstrating that this system does not approach internal thermodynamic equilibrium in a time ${T}_{2}$ as was implicitly recognized by Philippot.
Induction of neuronal cell death by paraneoplastic Ma1 antigen

Paraneoplastic Ma1 (PNMA1) is a member of a family of proteins involved in an autoimmune disorder called paraneoplastic neurological syndrome. Although it is widely expressed in brain, nothing is known about the function of PNMA1 in neurons. We find that PNMA1 expression is highest in the perinatal brain, a period during which developmentally regulated neuronal death occurs. PNMA1 expression increases in cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) induced to die by low potassium (LK) and in cortical neurons following homocysteic acid (HCA) treament. Elevated PNMA1 expression is also observed in the degenerating striatum in two separate mouse models of Huntington's disease, the R6/2 transgenic model and the 3-nitropropionic acid-induced chemical model. Suppression of endogenous PNMA1 expression inhibits LK-induced neuronal apoptosis. Ectopic expression of PNMA1 promotes apoptosis even in medium containing high potassium, a condition that normally ensures survival of CGNs. Deletion of the N-terminal half of the PNMA1 protein abrogates its apoptotic activity, whereas deletion of the C-terminal half renders the protein more toxic. Within the N-terminal half, the ability to induce neuronal death depends on the presence of a BH3-like domain. In addition to being necessary for apoptosis, the BH3-like domain is necessary for self-association of PNMA1. Apoptosis by PNMA1 expression is inhibited by overexpression of Bcl2, suggesting that PNMA1-induced neuronal death may depend on the binding of a proapoptotic member of the Bcl2 family to the BH3 domain. Taken together, our results suggest that PNMA1 is a proapoptotic protein in neurons, elevated expression of which may contribute to neurodegenerative disorders.
Patterns in visual interpretation of coronary arteriograms as detected by quantitative coronary arteriography

In part 1 of a three-part study, 14 novice readers and 6 experienced cardiologists interpreted phantom images of known stenosis severity. No difference between the interpretations of experienced and novice readers was detectable. Visual estimates of "moderately" severe stenosis were 30% higher than actual percent diameter stenosis. In part 2 of the study, visual interpretation of percent diameter stenosis from 212 stenoses on 241 arteriograms was compared with quantitative coronary arteriographic assessment. The visual analysis overestimated disease severity in arteries with greater than or equal to 50% diameter stenosis (except for right coronary lesions) and underestimated severity in all arteries with less than 50% diameter stenosis. Of the 241 arteriograms, 40 had quantitative and visual analysis of all three coronary arteries for assessment of significant disease. In only 62% of the cases did visual and quantitative methods agree on the presence of severe disease; visual estimates diagnosed significantly (p less than 0.05) more three-vessel disease. In part 3 of the study, comparison of percent diameter stenosis by visual estimate with quantitative coronary arteriographic assessment before and after balloon angioplasty of 38 stenoses showed that visual interpretation significantly (p less than 0.001) overestimated initial lesion severity and underestimated stenosis severity after angioplasty.
Coverage For Low-Income Immigrant Children Increased 24.5 Percent In States That Expanded CHIPRA Eligibility

The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 provided states with the option of expanding eligibility for federally funded public insurance to low-income immigrant children within their first five years of legal residence in the United States. By 2011 twenty states and the District of Columbia had adopted that option. Using cross-sectional data from the 2003, 2007, and 2011–12 National Survey of Children’s Health, we compared trends in coverage and access to care among immigrant children in states that did expand eligibility to children in states that did not. Compared to immigrant children in states that did not expand eligibility, children in states expanding eligibility experienced a 24.5 percent increase in insurance coverage, largely due to greater enrollment in public insurance. Immigrant children in states that expanded eligibility also experienced significant reductions in unmet health care needs, compared to their counterparts in nonexpansion states. Disparities re...
Novel mechanisms and targets: miscellaneous agents.

Increased understanding of the molecular biology of lung cancer has led to substantial progress in the treatment of lung cancer and stimulated further research toward finding novel therapeutics. This session covered drugs that exploit well-known pathways through unique mechanisms, including an antifolate, an anthracycline/topoisomerase II inhibitor, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor(PPAR) agonist, and aromatase and estrogen inhibitors. Others explored innovative targets, including an integrin inhibitor, a telomerase antagonist, an antiapoptotic agent, a mitotic inhibitor, a vascular disrupting agent, and a Janus-associated kinase (JAK) 2 inhibitor.
Implications of a Model for Conceptualizing Change in Mathematics Teachers' Instructional Practices.

Abstract Because change in mathematics teachers' instructional practices is fundamental to the vision of mathematicseducation in schools embodied in the NCTM Standards documents, it is critical that mathematics teacher educators develop a thorough understanding of the process of change in teaching practice. To date, the process of change has remained somewhat opaque. In order to better understand the process, a model for conceptualizing teacher change was developed during a two-year study of mathematics teachers' implementation of an innovative curriculum. The model, which evolved as the study unfolded, is based on a constructivist view of teaching and learning and holds important implications for inservice mathematics teacher education.
Antioxidant therapy in ALS

(2000). Antioxidant therapy in ALS. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Other Motor Neuron Disorders: Vol. 1, No. sup4, pp. S5-S15.
Solidification point curves of binary acid mixtures II. Palmitic, stearic, arachidic, behenic, lignoceric

Earlier studies on solidification point curves for binary systems of the saturated fatty acids of even-number carbon atom content have been extended to include the C16 to C24 group. The effect of homology in here beginning to become more obvious than it is in the lower brackets of this series of compounds in that the three-segment curve which is there a characteristic feature is gradually approaching in form that of the smooth, continuous type. This phenomenon has been interpreted in the light of a decreasing tendency toward compound-formation. It has been postulated that one equi-molecular compound is formed between adjacent pairs of fatty acids of even-number carbon atom content.
NMDA antagonists recreate signal-to-noise ratio and timing perturbations present in schizophrenia

Abstract Rationale There is increasing evidence that functional deficits in schizophrenia may be driven by a reduction in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and consistent timing of neural signals. This study examined the extent to which exposure to the NMDA receptor antagonists ketamine and MK801, frequently used pharmacological models of schizophrenia, recreate deficits in electrophysiological markers of disturbed brain circuits that are thought to underlie the illness. Furthermore, this study characterizes the specificity of these differences across the frequency spectrum so as to help identify the nature of selective circuit abnormalities that mediate each oscillatory response as relevant to schizophrenia. Design Mouse EEG was recorded during exposure to repeated auditory stimuli after injection of either vehicle or drug. The dose–response relationship for each electrophysiological measure was determined for ketamine and MK-801. Time-frequency analyses were performed to assess baseline, total, and evoked power and intertrial coherence (ITC) at low (5–10 Hz) and high (35–80 Hz)-frequencies. Results High frequency evoked and total power was decreased by MK-801 and ketamine in a dose-dependent fashion. High frequency baseline power was increased by MK-801 and ketamine in a dose-dependent fashion. Similar to evoked power, high frequency inter-trial coherence was dose-dependently decreased by both drugs. Low frequency ITC was only decreased by ketamine. Conclusions Both ketamine and MK-801 cause alterations in high-frequency baseline (noise), total (signal), and evoked (signal) power resulting in a loss of high frequency SNR that is thought to primarily reflect local circuit activity. These changes indicate an inappropriate increase in baseline activity, which can also be interpreted as non-task related activity. Ketamine induced a loss of intertrial coherence at low frequencies, indicating a loss of consistency in low-frequency circuit mechanisms. As a proportion of baseline power, both drugs had a relative shift from low to high frequencies, reflecting a change in the balance of brain activity from coordination of global regions to a pattern of discoordinated, autonomous local activity. These changes are consistent with a pattern of fragmented regional brain activity seen in schizophrenia.
Spine immobilization in penetrating trauma: more harm than good?

Background: Previous studies have suggested that prehospital spine immobilization provides minimal benefit to penetrating trauma patients but takes valuable time, potentially delaying definitive trauma care. We hypothesized that penetrating trauma patients who are spine immobilized before transport have higher mortality than nonimmobilized patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of penetrating trauma patients in the National Trauma Data Bank (version 6.2). Multiple logistic regression was used with mortality as the primary outcome measure. We compared patients with versus without prehospital spine immobilization, using patient demographics, mechanism (stab vs. gunshot), physiologic and anatomic injury severity, and other prehospital procedures as covariates. Subset analysis was performed based on Injury Severity Score category, mechanism, and blood pressure. We calculated a number needed to treat and number needed to harm for spine immobilization. Results: In total, 45,284 penetrating trauma patients were studied; 4.3% of whom underwent spine immobilization. Overall mortality was 8.1%. Unadjusted mortality was twice as high in spine-immobilized patients (14.7% vs. 7.2%,p p < 0.001). The odds ratio of death for spine-immobilized patients was 2.06 (95% CI: 1.35-3.13) compared with nonimmobilized patients. Subset analysis showed consistent trends in all populations. Only 30 (0.01%) patients had incomplete spinal cord injury and underwent operative spine fixation. The number needed to treat with spine immobilization to potentially benefit one patient was 1,032. The number needed to harm with spine immobilization to potentially contribute to one death was 66. Conclusions: Prehospital spine immobilization is associated with higher mortality in penetrating trauma and should not be routinely used in every patient with penetrating trauma.
Scientific Application Demands on a Reconfigurable Functional Unit Interface

Modern scientific applications are large, complex, and highly parallel they are commonly executed on supercomputers with tens of thousands of processors. Yet these applications still commonly require weeks or even months to execute. Thus, single-thread performance remains a concern for highly parallel scientific applications. Adding a reconfigurable accelerator to each CPU could improve system performance; however, scientific applications have design constraints that differ from most application domains commonly accelerated by reconfigurable logic. In this article, we discuss the constraints imposed by scientific applications on the computation model, the accelerator architecture, and the accelerator’s communication interface with the CPU. Based on these constraints and application analysis, we have previously proposed adding a Reconfigurable Functional Unit (RFU) to accelerate integer graphs that calculate complex memory addresses. In this work, we now propose a flexible multi-instruction interface technique that allows dataflow graphs implemented on the RFU to access a large number of inputs and outputs with minor CPU datapath modifications. We present an in-depth examination of the performance effects of different communication interfaces that use this technique, and select one that best matches the needs of Sandia’s scientific applications. Although RFU execution overall improves performance, we also isolate two key negative performance effects introduced by aggregating CPU instructions into dataflow graphs: delayed issue and graph serialization. Finally, to demonstrate the marketability of an RFU beyond scientific applications, we reanalyze the proposed interfaces using the SPEC-fp benchmark suite. We show that although choosing an interface based on SPEC-fp needs is detrimental to Sandia application performance, choosing an interface based on Sandia demands works well for more general-purpose applications.
A bacterial symbiont is converted from an inedible producer of beneficial molecules into food by a single mutation in the gacA gene

Stable multipartite mutualistic associations require that all partners benefit. We show that a single mutational step is sufficient to turn a symbiotic bacterium from an inedible but host-beneficial secondary metabolite producer into a host food source. The bacteria’s host is a “farmer” clone of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum that carries and disperses bacteria during its spore stage. Associated with the farmer are two strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens, only one of which serves as a food source. The other strain produces diffusible small molecules: pyrrolnitrin, a known antifungal agent, and a chromene that potently enhances the farmer’s spore production and depresses a nonfarmer’s spore production. Genome sequence and phylogenetic analyses identify a derived point mutation in the food strain that generates a premature stop codon in a global activator (gacA), encoding the response regulator of a two-component regulatory system. Generation of a knockout mutant of this regulatory gene in the nonfood bacterial strain altered its secondary metabolite profile to match that of the food strain, and also, independently, converted it into a food source. These results suggest that a single mutation in an inedible ancestral strain that served a protective role converted it to a “domesticated” food source.
The flow field of a body-stabilized two-dimensional V-flame

Abstract A two-dimensional, V-shaped flame is simulated by a combination of source and sink sheets of fluid in a general stream. Complex variable theory is used to determine the flow field of the simulated flame. Adjustment of the strength of the sink sheet on the interior symmetry flame axis yields a flame speed that is constant within about one per cent along the front. Three 22° half-angle flames are calculated. About one third of the flame front near the apex of the flame and the sink are found to be enclosed within a body shaped as a flameholder. Actual flames in the calculated approach fields would generate appreciable vorticity in the flame gas, but the calculated fields downstream from the simulated flame is irrotational. For these cases the vorticity generated by a real flame may change the flame speed by about 15 per cent from the theoretical.
NASA's SkyView

Contrary to comments in “The dial-up sky” by Ann Finkbeiner (Research News, 7 Nov, p. [1010][1]) that the goal of a digital multi-wavelength survey is a few years off, such a capability already exists (and has for several years) at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) SkyView site, skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov. Users can get images derived from surveys ranging from 33-megahertz radio data through gigavolt gamma rays—a substantially wider range than is discussed in the article. We hope to provide SkyView access to new surveys as they are made available to the public, and access to some FIRST radio-survey data are already available. We look forward to the new datasets coming online. Resolution and sensitivity are dramatically increased from those in existing surveys, and we anticipate that new techniques will be needed to help users effectively sift these large data volumes. However, SkyView's implementation of a digital, multi-wavelength database of surveys is already well proven, as tens of thousands of requests by researchers every month—and a capsule review by Science itself (Webwatch, 1 Aug., p. [649][2])—show. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.278.5340.1010 [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.277.5326.649
Ultrasound attenuation of the calcaneus: A sensitive and specific discriminator of osteopenia in postmenopausal women

Recent studies have evaluated techniques for estimating bone mass without radiation. The present study compares broadband ultrasound attenuation of the calcaneus and bone densities of the femoral neck and the lumbar spine in 17 normal women and 41 women with osteoporosis. Twenty of the osteoporotic women had spine (n=16) or femoral neck (n=4) fractures. There was a significant decrease in the broadband ultrasound attenuation (P<0.001) in women with osteoporosis compared with normal women. The osteoporotic women also showed a decrease in vertebral (P<0.0001) and femoral neck (P<0.0001) densities compared with normal women. At 63 dB/MHz, the sensitivity and specificity of broadband ultrasound attenuation for decreased bone mineral density with or without fractures were 76%. All women with fractures had a broadband ultrasound attenuation less than 72 dB/MHz. This corresponded to a specificity of 41%. To determine whether broadband ultrasound attenuation correlated with trabecular bone volume, samples of cadaver calcaneus were analyzed. The histologic determination showed a significant correlation between broadband ultrasound attenuation and trabecular bone volume (r=0.992,P=0.008). These results suggest broadband ultrasound attenuation of the calcaneus reflects bone mass and can be used as a safe and sensitive indicator for decreased axial bone density.
The relationship of endogenous ACTH levels to visual. Attentional functioning in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia

The within subject experimental approach of either doubling cortisone medication dose or withdrawing steroid treatment for 36 hr preceding behavioral testing was found to induce corresponding significantly elevated or suppressed plasma ACTH levels, as measured by radioimmunoassay, in six of eight adults diagnosed as having congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). During the session characterized by elevated ACTH levels, the CAH patients exhibited significantly reduced median reaction times on the Sternberg Item Recognition Task. Their response pattern was suggestive of facilitated visual attentional functioning and/or overt motor response capacity rather than alteration of simple cognitive processing. Moreover, Sternberg performance was significantly correlated with endogenous ACTH levels but not with levels of plasma cortisol or cortisone replacement medication. This enhancement of performance paralleled a previous finding of improved performance on the Sternberg paradigm by normal adults following exogenous administration of ACTH 4-10 (Ward et al., 1979). Further analysis of the Sternberg performance suggests that other variables such as mineralocorticoid treatment, type of CAH impairment, and sex may act to moderate the degree of ACTH-related facilitation on this task. Performance on other visual and verbal attention and memory tasks, found earlier to be sensitive indices of exogenous administration of ACTH 4-10 and related fragments, was not significantly altered by manipulation of endogenous ACTH levels in these CAH patients.
Induced fit and wit: celebrating the life of Daniel E. Koshland, Jr. (1920 - 2007).

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in September, scientists, friends, and family gathered in UC Berkeley’s newly-opened Stanley Hall to celebrate the life of Daniel E. Koshland, Jr., Professor of Biochemistry at UC Berkeley, former editor of Science, and human being extraordinaire. There were hugs, laughter, and reunions of friends who had not seen each other for decades. There was also sadness – for the loss of a friend and a giant. This seemingly disparate group of people had one common thread in the tapestry of their lives: they had all been touched by a visionary biochemist. An afternoon of science – a symposium called ‘Induced Fit: The Science and Wit of Daniel E. Koshland, Jr.’ – preceded a memorial. At the symposium, students whose careers had been launched by Koshland, colleagues who had been mentored and inspired by Koshland, and the two of his children who chose careers in science (Doug Koshland, Carnegie Institution and Gail Koshland, University of Arizona) presented research talks in which the enormous influence of Dan Koshland and his incomparable humor permeated the outstanding scientific presentations. Koshland received a BSc in Chemistry from UC Berkeley in 1941. In 1949, the same year his wife, Marian (Bunny) Koshland earned her PhD in Immunology, he was awarded a PhD in inorganic chemistry, working with Wendell Latimer, from the University of Chicago. He joined the Manhattan Project, working with Glenn Seaborg in Chicago, and could have earned his reputation as an inorganic chemist. Instead, with the type of bold action that he repeated numerous times throughout his scientific career, he immersed himself in biochemistry. After two years of postdoctoral work at Harvard working in Fritz Lipmann’s laboratory, he and his wife moved to Brookhaven, where they raised their five children. He was recruited back to UC Berkeley in 1958. As he liked to explain, he told Marian that if they moved to Berkeley he would be nice to her forever, but if they stayed in Brookhaven, she would need to be nice to him forever. They moved. In 1958, in a symposium on amino acid activation, Koshland proposed a revolutionary theory that he coined ‘induced fit’ (see ‘Application of a theory of enzyme specificity to protein synthesis’ (1)). The title of the paper revealed nothing about the theory or its importance. Koshland suggested that ‘the substrate may cause an appreciable change in the three-dimensional relationship of the amino acids at the The late Daniel E. Koshland, Jr. Dr. Koshland was a founding editor of IUBMB Life (The photograph was taken by permission from the University of California at Berkeley website: http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/download/)
The influence of sympathetic adrenergic nerve stimulation on pre- and postcapillary resistance.

Abstract The influence of sympathetic adrenergic stimulation on pre- and postcapillary resistance was examined in the isolated, pump-perfused dog gracilis muscle. Total tissue vascular resistance was calculated and considered to reflect primarily the status of small arteries and arterioles. The change in extraction of 86 Rb from the perfusing blood was regarded as evidence of changes in precapillary sphincter activity. Postcapillary resistance changes were deduced from changes in venous blood colloidal osmotic pressure. Stimulation was performed at maximal voltage of 10-msec duration at frequencies of 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 impulses/sec. Sympathetic stimulation over this range produced graded increases in total vascular resistance, decreases in 86 Rb extraction, and increases in venous blood colloidal osmotic pressure. These changes are considered to reflect vasoconstriction of small arteries and arterioles, precapillary sphincters, and postcapillary resistance vessels. The order of sensitivity reactivity of these vascular elements, as reflected in the rate of development of a maximal response, were comparable.
Implicit commitments: heterogeneous agent coordination for retrieval and assembly of distributed image data

This paper describes a multiple agent system for distributed planning, specifically for intelligent network information retrieval. The system consists of a set of reactive agents located at each information- or capability-provider site plus an agent to track each information request. The agents negotiate with each other to assemble a distributed plan for satisfaction of each information need and each agent also interfaces with local retrieval and data processing functions. The idea of an implicit commitment is presented as providing a way to enable automated coordination of resources (information and capabilities) localized among heterogeneous agents. The advantages of a “shared machine” implemented by such a commitment protocol are discussed and an implementation called TRACS for retrieval and assembly of satellite image data is presented.
OFDM signal classification in frequency selective rayleigh channels

OFDM signal classification has become an important requirement in many cognitive radios and military systems. Implementing such a requirement under Frequency Selective Rayleigh fading is a challenging task. In this paper, we explore different blind OFDM parameter and channel estimation techniques based on Maximum Likelihood techniques and higher order signal processing to ascertain the reception of an OFDM waveform. The algorithms presented are robust to different channel fading and low signal to noise ratio environments.
Studying the role of microcracks in the pathophysiology of BRONJ.

There has been a speculation about the potential role of microdamage in the pathophysiology of bisphosphonaterelated osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) since the condition was first described five years ago. Much of the speculation is fueled by studies showing that treatment with bisphosphonates causes significant reductions in bone turnover and is associated with significant accumulation of microdamage at multiple bone sites [1–6]. In a recent paper, Hoefert et al. [7] report that microdamage exists in just over 50% of bone tissue samples collected from patients with BRONJ and conclude that microdamage “ could be af irst step in the pathogenesis of bisphosphonate-related ONJ.” Given the importance of trying to understand the pathogenesis of BRONJ, Hoefert and colleagues are commended for attempting to study the role of microdamage accumulation in this condition. However, there are several aspects of this study that are important to consider when evaluating the conclusions. Hoefert and colleagues studied bone tissue samples from patients who had been diagnosed with BRONJ, as well as from patients who had various other conditions (radiationinduced osteonecrosis, osteomyelitis, bisphosphonatetreated patients without osteonecrosis of the jaw, and individuals with osteoporosis who were untreated). Bone samples were collected during routine oral surgeries such as extractions, resections, or removal of the sequestra. The evaluation of the tissue was focused on microdamage, which the authors assessed using scanning electron microscopy. They found that 54% of the samples from patients
INFORMATION ASYMMETRY, MANAGEMENT CONTROL, AND METHOD OF PAYMENT IN ACQUISITIONS

We examine the information asymmetry hypothesis and the management control hypothesis by examining the relation between insider trading and insider holdings to the choice of payment method in acquisitions. Our results indicate that both insider ownership and insider trading are significantly related to payment method. These results provide additional evidence for both the management control theory and the asymmetric information theory in the choice of payment method in acquisitions. Furthermore, we find a significant relation between insider trading activity and the market reaction to the announcement of acquisitions. We conclude that information asymmetry exists in the takeover market and that it influences the payment method decision.
Revision der Amara‐Untergattung Camptocelia Jeannel, 1942, und taxonomische Bemerkungen zu Arten anderer Subgenera (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

Im ersten Teil wird das von Jeannel ausgearbeitete System der Gattung Amara Bon. kritisch uberpruft und geandert. Es ergibt sich eine neue subgenerische Zuordnung vieler Arten der westeuropaisch-nordafrikanischen Fauna. Im zweiten Teil ist die Untergattung Camptocelia neu definiert und eine Revision der 14 Arten dieser Gruppe vorgenommen worden. Der dritte Teil enthalt eine kritische Untersuchung des Status vieler Amara-Arten verschiedener Subgenera. Es werden die neue Untergattung Bradytodema, drei neue Arten (barcelonensis, kaszabiella und malacensis) und zwei neue Unterarten beschrieben. Als neue Synonyme erwiesen sich die Untergattungen Atlantocelia Ant., Leuris Lutsn., Oreoamara Lutsn. und 28 Arten. Neun Arten werden in andere Subgenera umgesetzt und vier Namen erhalten einen neuen Status.
Increases in cellular calcium concentration stimulate pepsinogen secretion from dispersed chief cells

Abstract Intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca]i) and pepsinogen secretion from dispersed chief cells from guinea pig stomach were determined before and after stimulation with calcium ionophores. [Ca]i was measured using the fluorescent probe quin2. Basal [Ca]i was 105±4 nM. Pepsinogen secretion was measured with a new assay using 125 I-albumin substrate. This assay is 100-fold more sensitive than the widely-used spectrophotometric assay, technically easy to perform, rapid, and relatively inexpensive. The kinetics and stoichiometry of ionophore-induced changes in [Ca]i and pepsinogen secretion were similar. These data support a role for calcium as a cellular mediator of pepsinogen secretion.
Effects of Capillary Condensation in Adhesion between Rough Surfaces

Experiments on the effects of humidity in adhesion between rough surfaces have shown that the adhesion energy remains constant below a critical relative humidity (RHcr) and then abruptly jumps to a higher value at RHcr before approaching its upper limit at 100% relative humidity. A model based on a hierarchical rough surface topography is proposed, which quantitatively explains the experimental observations and predicts two threshold RH values, RHcr and RHdry, which define three adhesion regimes: (1) RH RHcr, water menisci freely form and spread along the interface between the rough surfaces.
Investigation of conspecific male odours by female prairie voles

Female prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster, spent more time investigating odours from the anogenital and mouth regions of non-sibling than sibling males, and discriminated saliva and urine of siblings from those of non-sibling males. Among non-sibling dyads, nose-to-nose contacts were brief but frequent and decreased over each 10-min interval of the test; female contacts with the male anogenital region were less frequent, longer lasting and did not decrease during the 30-min test period. The possible functions of different male odours and female behavioural responses to these odours are discussed in relation to their potential role in conspecific identification and oestrus-induction in this species.
Reply to Ming-Sung Kuo

If members of a populace consciously share a description of an essential, durable feature of the constitution in force in their country (say, its provision for resolving disputes concerning the constitution's meaning and application), must they also share a view of that constitution as the prior utterance of authors whose word is deemed binding? Can a constitution's liberal legitimacy be grounded in the historical facts of its authorship, as opposed to present and personal assessments of that constitution's substantive rightness? If the answers to those questions are “no” and “no,” are referrals to authorship to be excluded from any place in an account of the possibility of constitutional legitimacy on liberal terms? These questions arise in the wake of Ming-Sung Kuo's contention that certain writings of Frank Michelman attempt yet fail to show how confirmations of constitutional legitimacy can be “unhinged” from referrals to constitutional authorship. All three should be answered “no.”
Subarachnoid hemorrhage incidence among Whites, Blacks and Caribbean Hispanics: the Northern Manhattan Study.

American blacks and Hispanics may have a greater incidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) than whites, but incidence data are scant. We used an active hospital and community surveillance program and