cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DNA from ancient stone tools and bones excavated at Bugas-Holding, Wyoming

DNA residues may preserve on ancient stone tools used to process animals. We studied 24 stone tools recovered from the Bugas-Holding site in northwestern Wyoming. Nine tools that yielded DNA included five bifaces, two side scrapers, one end scraper, and one utilized flake. The excavators did not handle three of these tools with bare hands, and they were sealed in separate plastic bags to minimize contact with modern DNA. Five sediment samples did not yield mammalian DNA. One tool contained DNA from three species, and these templates competed during polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. DNA identifications suggested a butchery pattern indicative of a human population under resource stress or a broader range of industrial activities at Bugas-Holding. We describe several improvements in DNA residue analysis, including a more effective DNA recovery protocol, methods to measure sensitivity and inhibition of PCR in each sample, and strategies to surmount competition between templates during PCR.
Prediction of maximal oxygen uptake in young adult women joggers.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictability of O2 max from a 1.5-mi running performance of young adult women joggers. Twenty-one healthy women students (mean age: 20.1 years) underwent a continuous graded treadmill run to exhaustion. Heart rates were electrocardiographically monitored and oxygen uptake values were determined for each min of the test. In addition, a 1.5 mi run on an indoor 220-yd track was completed within five days of the treadmill test. When various correlation methods were employed, the results indicated that O2 max, when expressed as m1/kg·min, provided the highest correlation (r = 0.915) with the running times for 1.5 mi. These data tended to indicate that body fat or body weight had little effect on the results. Thus, for young adult joggers, with no problem of excess body fat or weight, the 1.5-mi run tended to be a suitable distance for estimating cardiorespiratory endurance.
B decays into charm at CLEO

Recent measurements of the branching fractions and helicity amplitudes of the decays B–→ D⋆ 0 ρ– and ${\bar B}^0 \to D^{\star +} \rho^{-}$ by the CLEO collaboration are presented. The fraction of longitudinal polarization in the ${\bar B}^0 \to D^{\star +} \rho^{-}$ decay is found to be consistent with the factorization hypothesis, although the helicity amplitudes show evidence for nonzero final-state interaction phases. PACS: 13.25.Hw Decays of bottom mesons – 12.39.St Factorization – 14.40.Nd Bottom mesons
Myc-Mediated Proliferation and Lymphomagenesis, but Not Apoptosis, Are Compromised by E2f1 Loss

Myc and E2f1 promote cell cycle progression, but overexpression of either can trigger p53-dependent apoptosis. Mice expressing an Eμ- Myc transgene in B lymphocytes develop lymphomas, the majority of which sustain mutations of either the Arf or p53 tumor suppressors. Eμ- Myc transgenic mice lacking one or both E2f1 alleles exhibited a slower onset of lymphoma development associated with increased expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 Kip1 and a reduced S phase fraction in precancerous B cells. In contrast, Myc-induced apoptosis and the frequency of Arf and p53 mutations in lymphomas were unaffected by E2f1 loss. Therefore, Myc does not require E2f1 to induce Arf, p53, or apoptosis in B cells, but depends upon E2f1 to accelerate cell cycle progression and downregulate p27 Kip1 .
Bremsstrahlung Differential Cross-Section Measurements for 0.5- and 1.0-Mev Electrons

The bremsstrahlung cross section, differential in photon energy and angle, has been determined by measuring the x-rays emitted from thin targets of beryllium, aluminum, and gold, for incident electron energies of 0.5 and 1.0 Mev, with a 5-inch diameter, 4-inch long NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer at angles of 0, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, and 120 degrees. The results show that in this energy region, the Bethe-Heitler-Sauter (Born approximation) theory underestimates the cross section. A comparison of the cross section for beryllium and aluminum gives evidence for electron-electron bremsstrahlung. The experimental values for the Heitler parameter $\frac{{\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{\mathrm{rad}}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\varphi}}}$ with a gold target are 10 at 1.0 Mev and 9.5 at 0.5 Mev. The low-$Z$ values for $\frac{{\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{\mathrm{rad}}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\varphi}}(1+\frac{1}{Z})}$ are 8.8 for beryllium and 8.4 for aluminum at 1.0 Mev and 6.8 for aluminum at 0.5 Mev. The accuracy of these values is estimated to be better than 20%. The corresponding Bethe-Heitler values for $\frac{{\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{\mathrm{rad}}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\varphi}}}$ are 6.5 at 1.0 Mev and 5.5 at 0.5 Mev.
Summary of Hypersonic Boundary-Layer Transition Experiments on Blunt Bodies with Roughness

Laminar-turbulent transition on theCrewExplorationVehicle (orOrion) is likely to be dominated by the effects of ablation and the laminar-ablated roughness, both isolated and distributed. Although no single ground experiment can simultaneously duplicate all aspects of this complex process, many experiments have been carried out using roughness applied to nonporous models without blowing. The present paper reviews these data for the effect of roughness on hypersonic blunt-body transition.
Non-resonant multophoton ionization of cyclopentane and its heterocyclic analogues

We report non-resonant multiphoton ionization time-of-flight mass spectra for cyclopentane, tetrahydrofuran, tetrahydrothiophene and pyrrolidine for 355 nm excitation over a wide range of laser intensities. Unlike the corresponding three-membered ring system, there is little dependence of the fragmentation pathways upon the laser intensity. The results also indicate that the mechanisms for the molecules studied cannot be generalized and are not necessarily related to those of the three-membered rings.
Flavor- vs. tone-cued shock avoidance

In a direct comparison, flavor-cued rats learned to avoid shock in a two-way shuttlebox as well as, or better than, tone-cued rats. These results stand in contrast to the prevalent view that rats encounter difficulty in forming flavor-shock, but not tone-shock, associations. In attempting to account for this contrast, we note that experiments revealing cue-modality specificity employ an aversion paradigm and record ingestive behavior. It is argued that both the paradigm and the dependent variable are inappropriate for assessing shock-avoidance learning, and that cue-modality specificity in such a setting reflects paradigm and response choice rather than a general characteristic of rats.
Religious Attitudes of Students at the University of Hawaii

(1949). Religious Attitudes of Students at the University of Hawaii. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 161-179.
Modeling and Control of Manufacturing Processes: Getting More Involved

The discipline of control has had numerous yet sporadic contacts with the manufacturing world over the past few decades, almost always as an afterthought or addendum, and typically in the role of machine and not as process control. Much of this detachment comes from an absence of control technique that can deal directly with the actual manufacturing process, i.e., a material transformation process that produces a desired object both in terms of specific geometry and internal properties. Instead, most efforts have focused on using existing methods on process independent problems, such as position control and trajectory following, or on straightforward process parameter control, thereby only indirectly influencing the actual process output
Comprehensive and Minimalist Dimensions of Ecotourism

Abstract Analysis of core criteria of ecotourism suggests two “ideal types” based on the level of sustainability outcomes. The minimalist emphasizes superficial learning opportunities focused on charismatic megafauna, while its sustainability objectives are site-specific and status quo-oriented. The comprehensive model adopts a holistic and global approach to attractions and interpretation that fosters environmental enhancement, deep understanding, and transformation of behavior. It is argued that the comprehensive model can best promote global sustainability by accommodating selected hard (or small-scale) and soft (or large-scale) characteristics, thereby taking advantage of the economies of scale offered by the latter.
Accurate Determination of Colloidal Micro-particle Size and Distribution Using Spectral Analysis of Angular Resolved Far-field Scattering Patterns

We present a technique for accurate size and distribution measurements of micro-particles based on angular and spectral resolved far field scattering patterns combined with coherent backscattering characterization. This technique is potentially suitable for biosensing applications.
Wind Velocities on Venus: Vector Determination by Radio Interferometry

To determine the wind directions and speeds on Venus, as each Pioneer probe fell to the surface we tracked its motion in three dimensions using a combination of Doppler and long-baseline radio interferometric methods. Preliminary results from this tracking, coupled with results from test observations of other spacecraft, enable us to estimate the uncertainties of our eventual determinations of the velocity vectors of the probes with respect to Venus. For altitudes below about 65 kilometers and with time-averaging over 100-second intervals, all three components of the velocity should have errors of the order of 0.3 meter per second or less.
The use of primary cultures of brain cells from tilapia Oreochromis nilotica and other teleost cells in toxicity testing

Abstract Chemical, bacterial, fungal and algal toxins occurring in the aquaculture and natural environments justify the need for rapid, inexpensive and accurate in vitro tests to predict toxicity. Primary cultures of teleost brain cells and cytotoxicity assays have not been previously employed to assess toxicity of these agents. Primary cultures of brain cells from tilapia and the following colorimetric assays, 5-(3-carboxylmethoxy-phenyl)-2-(4,5-dimethylthiazoyl)-3-(4-sulfophenyl) tetrazolium, inner salt (MTS), 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-(diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), lactate dehydrogenase (LHD), bromodeoxyuridine and neutral red (NR), were used to measure cytotoxicity and compared to results from other teleost primary cultures of brain cells and established cell lines. The results showed that primary brain cells were more sensitive than cell lines in predicting aquatic neurotoxicity. Significant positive correlations between MTS and MTT and between these tetrazolium-based assays and LDH were found. The NR assay was the least sensitive and was not positively correlated to the other assays.
Jewish Humor and Popular Culture in Fin-de-Siècle Budapest

In hisStudy inAustrianIntellectualHistory, Robert Kann unobtrusively posed a pivotal question that continues to engage practitioners of intellectual history. Whose culture, he asked, are we talking about when we generalize about the literary, artistic, and musical products of an age? His unhesitating answer, “the culture of the select few,” reflected the dominant view of intellectual historians in 1960, the year when the book was first published. Since then, our sense of what constitutes historical relevance has expanded, and the automatic equation of culture with social and intellectual elites has eroded but has by no means disappeared.
A longitudinal study of stressful life events assessed at interview with an epidemiological sample of adult twins: the basis of individual variation in event exposure

This study investigates the basis of individual variation in exposure to stressful life events (SLEs). A population based sample of 547 MZ and 390 DZ female-female twin pairs, aged between 17 and 55 years, were surveyed by two structured interviews, separated by at least 1 year, that enquired about SLEs experienced during the preceding 12 months. Data were analysed with a model that resolves occasion specific ("random') versus enduring ("stable') influences on SLEs. The latter is partitioned into that due to genetic, familial environmental and unique environmental factors. We demonstrate that both random factors and stable individual differences underlie variation in self-reported exposure to SLEs. For most network events this stable variance makes a relatively small contribution to the total variance in SLEs exposure and is almost entirely due to genetic or familial environmental effects. Stable individual differences are more important determinants of personal SLEs, and these reflect both familial factors as well as previous experiences unshared by relatives.
Subacute Infection with Temperature-Sensitive Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Mutant G41 in the Central Nervous System of Mice. I. Clinical and Virologic Studies

Inoculation of three- to four-week-old BALB/c mice with temperature-sensitive (ts) vesicular stomatitis virus mutant G41 produced a subacute neurological disease, initially characterized by development of lethargy, hunched posture, and ruffled fur within five to seven days after infection. More than 90% of infected mice developed these clinical signs. In approximately 60% of infected mice, the initial neurological signs proceeded to striking hind-limb paralysis and weight loss. These signs usually appeared by seven to nine days after infection and lasted for 21-28 days. Only 16% of the mice died as a result of infection; death usually occurred eight to 12 days after infection. Most of the infected mice recovered from the acute phase of disease and appeared normal by four weeks after infection. However, hind-limb paralysis persisted in 4% of the mice for as long as the mice were observed, i.e., 42 days. The mutant ts-G41 was recovered from the brains and spinal cords of infected mice for the first seven days after infection. Peak titers of virus were modest, 10(4)-10(5) pfu/ml in brain tissue and 10(3)-10(4) pfu/ml in spinal cord tissue. Virus isolated after in vivo infection was temperature-sensitive and thus not revertant wild-type virus. Although virus was recoverable by homogenization for only the first seven days of infection, use of cocultivation techniques permitted the detection of ts-G41 in brains and spinal cords of infected animals for as long as 21 days after infection. Virus recovered by cocultivation was also temperature-sensitive.
Observation of light-induced current from a porous silicon device

Abstract Many technological and scientific applications of porous silicon arise from its unique properties, which include photoluminescence and electroluminescence. Here we report for the first time the observation of a photocurrent from a micro-porous silicon device. The wavelength dependence of the photocurrent from the porous silicon device is shown and compared to the photoluminescence spectrum. A high-concentration phosphorus profile between a metal layer and a layer of p-type porous silicon is used to form an electrical contact to the porous p-type silicon. The phosphorus profile results in a n-type porous layer and in a p/n-junction in the porous silicon. The resulting n + /p-structure possesses a much lower electrical resistance than a metal contact directly on p-type porous silicon. The current voltage characteristic of the device shows ohmic current limitation.
Behavioral effects of the inhibitors of phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase, LY 78335 and LY 134046, and their interactions with ethanol.

The centrally active inhibitors of phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT), LY 78335 and LY 134046, were investigated both alone and in combination with ethanol (2 g/kg) in a holeboard test of directed exploration and locomotor activity. Both PNMT inhibitors showed dose-related reductions in exploratory head-dipping but were without effect on locomotor activity. In combination with ethanol both PNMT inhibitors tended to attenuate the ethanol-induced reductions in exploratory head-dipping but did not effect ethanol's locomotor stimulant properties. LY 134046 showed neither an anxiolytic nor an anxiogenic profile in the plusmaze test of anxiety, nor did it alter the anxiolytic effects of either 1.2 g/kg or 2 g/kg ethanol. LY 134046 did, however, attenuate the ataxic effects of a 2.4 g/kg dose of ethanol. These results may suggest a role for adrenaline synthesis in some, but not all, of the behavioral effects of ethanol.
Excess Maternal Weight Gain and Large for Gestational Age Risk among Women with Gestational Diabetes

Objective To determine whether, among women with gestational diabetes (GDM), gestational weight gain above Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines increases the risk of large for gestational age (LGA) neonates. Study Design We conducted a retrospective cohort study of singleton term pregnancies with GDM delivered at University of North Carolina Women's Hospital, Chapel Hill, NC from January 2002 to May 2010. We used Poisson regression modeling to estimate LGA risk (birth weight > 90th percentile for gestational age), by body mass index class and adherence to 2009 IOM weight gain guidelines. Women meeting IOM guidelines were the referent group. Final adjusted models included race/ethnicity, medical management of GDM, and gestational age at delivery. Results Among the 466 women studied, mean ± standard deviation birth weight was 3,526 ± 544 g; 18% (82/466) delivered LGA neonates. Birth weight was greatest among women exceeding, compared with meeting or gaining less than, IOM guidelines (3,703 ± 545 vs. 3,490 ± 505 vs. 3,328 ± 503, p = 0.001). Exceeding IOM guideline was associated with LGA among obese women (adjusted risk ratio 2.62, 95% confidence interval 1.25, 5.50) but not among overweight or normal weight women. Conclusion Targeting gestational weight gain, a modifiable risk factor, independent of GDM treatment, may decrease LGA risk. Women with GDM may benefit from tailored weight gain recommendations.
Posterolateral Approach for Treatment of Posterior Malleolus Fracture of the Ankle

Treatment of the posterior malleolus has been debated among orthopedic surgeons. Most orthopedic surgeons will fix the posterior malleolus if it is larger than 25% to 30% of the distal articular surface. The most common method of fixation of the posterior malleolus is by indirect reduction and anteroposterior screws. In the present study, we describe the technique and results of treatment of the posterior malleolus by direct reduction through the posterolateral approach to the ankle. The decision to fix the posterior malleolus was determined by its size and displacement. A total of 12 consecutive patients underwent the posterolateral approach to reduce the posterior malleolus, and these were fixed by posterior plate. Two patients were lost to follow-up in the early postoperative period (both after 2 months). No deep infection or wound dehiscence occurred. Ten patients had adequate (<2-mm displacement of the articular surface) radiologic reduction at the final follow-up visit. There were 2 cases of 2 mm or more of articular surface displacement at the final follow-up visit (1 patient had 2-mm displacement noted in the immediate postoperative period and 1 patient had adequate reduction in the beginning but was displaced with additional follow-up). The posterolateral approach to the ankle is a useful tool to treat certain cases of posterior malleolus fracture. It allows good visualization and stable fixation of the posterior malleolus.
Patterns of microsatellite evolution inferred from the Helianthus annuus (Asteraceae) transcriptome

The distribution of microsatellites in exons, and their association with gene ontology (GO) terms is explored to elucidate patterns of microsatellite evolution in the common sunflower, Helianthus annuus. The relative position, motif, size and level of impurity were estimated for each microsatellite in the unigene database available from the Compositae Genome Project (CGP), and statistical analyses were performed to determine if differences in microsatellite distributions and enrichment within certain GO terms were significant. There are more translated than untranslated microsatellites, implying that many bring about structural changes in proteins. However, the greatest density is observed within the UTRs, particularly 5′UTRs. Further, UTR microsatellites are purer and longer than coding region microsatellites. This suggests that UTR microsatellites are either younger and under more relaxed constraints, or that purifying selection limits impurities, and directional selection favours their expansion. GOs associated with response to various environmental stimuli including water deprivation and salt stress were significantly enriched with microsatellites. This may suggest that these GOs are more labile in plant genomes, or that selection has favoured the maintenance of microsatellites in these genes over others. This study shows that the distribution of transcribed microsatellites in H. annuus is nonrandom, the coding region microsatellites are under greater constraint compared to the UTR microsatellites, and that these sequences are enriched within genes that regulate plant responses to environmental stress and stimuli.
Evolving cooperative pheromone usage in digital organisms

The use of chemicals to communicate among organisms has enabled countless species, from microorganisms, to colonies of insects, to mammals, to survive and flourish in their respective environments. Ants, arguably nature's most successful exploiters of this behavior, have evolved the use of pheromones to communicate in a wide range of situations, including mating, colony recognition, territory marking, and recruitment to new nest sites and food sources. We examine the evolution of the use of pheromones to aid in the location of, and migration to, a target area by groups of digital organisms. In an initial set of experiments, these organisms evolved efficient patterns of exploration that obviated the need for pheromones. When evolved in a more adverse environment, organisms again evolved effective search strategies, but also evolved the use of pheromones to enable the task to be completed by group members more quickly and with fewer movements. We also show that evolved organisms are more robust and better able to react to a change in the environment than a handbuilt solution. This work demonstrates the complexities that exist in the evolution of pheromone-enabled cooperation and provides insight into the behaviors executed by seemingly simple organisms in nature.
Large-Eddy Simulation of Moist Convection during a Cold Air Outbreak over the Gulf Stream

Cold air outflow over the Gulf Stream is modeled using a cloud-resolving large-eddy simulation model with three classes of precipitation. Simulations are conducted in a quasi-Lagrangian framework using an idealized sounding and uniform geostrophic winds based on observations taken on 20 February 2007 as part of the World Climate Research Program Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) Mode Water Dynamics Experiment (CLIMODE) project. Two cases are considered, one with an increasing sea surface temperature (SST) representing the crossing of the Gulf Stream front, and a second case with constant SST. Cloud systems develop in the model with strong convective plumes that spread into regions of stratus clouds at the top of the boundary layer. Simulated boundary layer growth is forced by a combination of evaporative cooling at the cloud top, upward radiative flux, and mechanical entrainment of the overlying warmer and drier air. Constant growth of the boundary layer acts to maintain a near-constant water vapor level in the boundary layer, promoting high latent and sensible heat fluxes. Frictional surface drag is distributed throughout the boundary layer by convection, causing increased shear at the cloud top, qualitatively agreeing with observed sounding profiles. Overall, the frontal case develops stronger precipitation and turbulence in comparison with the constant SST case. A near-uniform stratocumulus layer and stronger radiative cooling are produced in the constant SST case, whereas the frontal case generates open cumuliform clouds with reduced cloud coverage. Cloud evolution in the frontal case is similar to the transition from stratocumulus to shallow cumulus observed in the subtropics, as cumuliform clouds enhance cloud-top entrainment and evaporation of stratus clouds.
Posterior sampling with constructed likelihood functions: an application to flowgraph models

We consider posterior sampling in situations where data are incomplete in such a way that likelihood functions corresponding to portions of the data must be constructed. Slice sampling, a recently developed Markov chain Monte Carlo method, makes such computation feasible. Such situations arise in the context of stochastic networks where an overall predictive waiting time is comprised of convolutions and finite mixtures of individual transitions and portions of the individual transition information is unobserved for some records. We present applications involving flowgraph models in the reliability setting; however, the methodology presented is relevant to any application where likelihood functions cannot be specified in closed form but can be evaluated numerically. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sulfite oxidase enzyme activity in soil

Several methods for measuring sulfite oxidases (EC 1.8.2.1 and EC 1.8.3.1) have been developed for microbial systems, but none have been systematically adopted for soils. We describe an assay method to measure sulfite oxidase in soil that is based on the use of potassium sulfite (K2SO3) serving as the substrate and electron donor, and potassium ferricyanide [K3Fe(CN6)] serving as the electron acceptor. Sulfite oxidase activity is expressed as micromoles of K3Fe(CN)6 reduced g-1 soil 4 h-1. Sulfite oxidase activity was linearly related to amount of soil in the assay (up to 3 g) and incubation time (up to 5 h). The average K m value for K2SO3 serving as the substrate for the sulfite oxidase reaction in four diverse soils was 3.48 mM. The activation energy values calculated for soil sulfite oxidase ranged from 40.4 to 61.4 kJ mol-1. The sulfite oxidase assay does not require any specialized equipment and is expected to be useful in studying biological sulfite oxidation in soils treated with sulfites or in naturally occurring soils where sulfur cycles between reduced (i.e., sulfite) and oxidized (i.e., sulfate) states due to flooding and drying.
Magnetoelectric macro fiber composite

Abstract This paper describes the fabrication and performance results of a magnetoelectric macro fiber composite (ME MFC). The magnetoelectric composite was fabricated by bonding a magnetostrictive layer to a piezoelectric layer using a novel approach of low temperature transient liquid phase (LTTLP) bonding. The composite was diced into 150 micron wide fibers and bonded to a custom designed copper flexible circuit using a spin coated low viscosity room temperature curing epoxy. ME MFC’s with varying ferrite thicknesses of 0.6 mm and 0.5 mm were fabricated and characterized for energy harvesting. The composite with 0.6 mm ferrite thickness achieved an open circuit voltage of 101 mV (ME voltage coefficient of 6740 mV/cmOe) and peak power of 3.1 nW across 356 kΩ matching load at 264 Hz.
MinGPU: a minimum GPU library for computer vision

In the field of computer vision, it is becoming increasingly popular to implement algorithms, in sections or in their entirety, on a graphics processing unit (GPU). This is due to the superior speed GPUs offer compared to CPUs. In this paper, we present a GPU library, MinGPU, which contains all of the necessary functions to convert an existing CPU code to GPU. We have created GPU implementations of several well known computer vision algorithms, including the homography transformation between two 3D views. We provide timing charts and show that our MinGPU implementation of homography transformations performs approximately 600 times faster than its C++ CPU implementation.
An Assessment of the Classroom Performance of Music Teachers.

Information from a statewide norming study of all teachers was used to compare the I performance of music teachers and other teachers on 10 competencies and a variety of classroom behaviors. Music ...
Effect of thymosin on thymocyte proliferation and autoimmunity in NZB mice.

Donor NZB mice were treated with various regimens of thymosin in an attempt to preserve a normal DNA synthetic response in 8 week old NZB thymocytes. Results suggest that abnormal thymocyte differentiation and loss of suppression can be prevented by administration of thymosin either prophylactically to young mice (under 28 days) or in larger doses to older mice (35 days). It is hoped that the abnormal thymocyte proliferation will correlate with the subsequent emergence of autoimmune disease and that treatment with thymosin may have therapeutic possibilities. Results suggest that thymosin might act either to induce the appearance of new T-cells with suppressor-like characteristics or to influence aberrant T-cells to revert to more normal modes of function. These results raise the interesting possibility that an endocrine disturbance may underlie many of the immunologic abnormalities associated with autoimmunity and lymphoid malignancy in New Zealand mice and, by analogy, in humans. (MFB)
Effect of model of care delivery on mammography use among elderly breast cancer survivors.

Background Despite gaps in the quality of follow-up care for breast cancer survivors, the most effective model for such care remains unclear. We evaluated receipt of mammography among survivors followed by generalist physicians, specialists, or both (referred to as ‘shared care’).
Adaptation of children’s speech with limited data based on formant-like peak alignment

Abstract Automatic recognition of children’s speech using acoustic models trained by adults results in poor performance due to differences in speech acoustics. These acoustical differences are a consequence of children having shorter vocal tracts and smaller vocal cords than adults. Hence, speaker adaptation needs to be performed. However, in real-world applications, the amount of adaptation data available may be less than what is needed by common speaker adaptation techniques to yield reasonable performance. In this paper, we first study, in the discrete frequency domain, the relationship between frequency warping in the front-end and corresponding transformations in the back-end. Three common feature extraction schemes are investigated and their transformation linearity in the back-end are discussed. In particular, we show that under certain approximations, frequency warping of MFCC features with Mel-warped triangular filter banks equals a linear transformation in the cepstral space. Based on that linear transformation, a formant-like peak alignment algorithm is proposed to adapt adult acoustic models to children’s speech. The peaks are estimated by Gaussian mixtures using the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm [Zolfaghari, P., Robinson, T., 1996. Formant analysis using mixtures of Gaussians, Proceedings of International Conference on Spoken Language Processing, 1229–1232]. For limited adaptation data, the algorithm outperforms traditional vocal tract length normalization (VTLN) and maximum likelihood linear regression (MLLR) techniques.
Isosurface extraction in time-varying fields using a temporal branch-on-need tree (T-BON)

The Temporal Branch-on-Need Tree (T-BON) extends the three dimensional branch-on-need octree for time-varying isosurface extraction. At each time step, only those portions of the tree and data necessary to construct the current isosurface are read from disk. This algorithm can thus exploit the temporal locality of the isosurface and, as a geometric technique, spatial locality between cells in order to improve performance. Experimental results demonstrate the performance gained and memory overhead saved using this technique.
Rethinking Digital Cultures and Divides: The Case for Reflective Media

Research exploring the means by which new media technologies can shape development within marginalized communities worldwide has began to move away from discussion limited to technical and infrastructural, to consider the interactions, beliefs, and values of local communities. Yet most projects continue to focus on enabling communities to access external information, rather than on the possibility of using media to catalyze community reflection and thereby developmental activity from within. This article shows how this promise can be actualized by providing an overview of an experimental project that made available a set of video cameras to a carefully selected group of community members in a ritualized, largely nonliterate village in Andhra Pradesh, India. It concludes that policymakers, researchers, and practitioners would benefit from considering the possibilities that reflective media hold to generate collective action and consensus building, and that these possibilities can synergize with the need to...
A study of the relationships between oligonucleotide properties and hybridization signal intensities from NimbleGen microarray datasets

Well-defined relationships between oligonucleotide properties and hybridization signal intensities (HSI) can aid chip design, data normalization and true biological knowledge discovery. We clarify these relationships using the data from two microarray experiments containing over three million probes from 48 high-density chips. We find that melting temperature (Tm) has the most significant effect on HSI while length for the long oligonucleotides studied has very little effect. Analysis of positional effect using a linear model provides evidence that the protruding ends of probes contribute more than tethered ends to HSI, which is further validated by specifically designed match fragment sliding and extension experiments. The impact of sequence similarity (SeqS) on HSI is not significant in comparison with other oligonucleotide properties. Using regression and regression tree analysis, we prioritize these oligonucleotide properties based on their effects on HSI. The implications of our discoveries for the design of unbiased oligonucleotides are discussed. We propose that isothermal probes designed by varying the length is a viable strategy to reduce sequence bias, though imposing selection constraints on other oligonucleotide properties is also essential.
The global distribution of cultivable lands: current patterns and sensitivity to possible climate change

Aim This study makes quantitative global estimates of land suitability for cultivation based on climate and soil constraints. It evaluates further the sensitivity of croplands to any possible changes in climate and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. Location The location is global, geographically explicit. Methods The methods used are spatial data synthesis and analysis and numerical modelling. Results There is a cropland ‘reserve’ of 120%, mainly in tropical South America and Africa. Our climate sensitivity analysis indicates that the southern provinces of Canada, north-western and north-central states of the United States, northern Europe, southern Former Soviet Union and the Manchurian plains of China are most sensitive to changes in temperature. The Great Plains region of the United States and north-eastern China are most sensitive to changes in precipitation. The regions that are sensitive to precipitation change are also sensitive to changes in CO 2 , but the magnitude is small compared to the influence of direct climate change. We estimate that climate change, as simulated by global climate models, will expand cropland suitability by an additional 16%, mainly in the Northern Hemisphere high latitudes. However, the tropics (mainly Africa, northern South America, Mexico and Central America and Oceania) will experience a small decrease in suitability due to climate change. Main conclusions There is a large reserve of cultivable croplands, mainly in tropical South America and Africa. However, much of this land is under valuable forests or in protected areas. Furthermore, the tropical soils could potentially lose fertility very rapidly once the forest cover is removed. Regions that lie at the margins of temperature or precipitation limitation to cultivation are most sensitive to changes in climate and atmospheric CO 2 concentration. It is anticipated that climate change will result in an increase in cropland suitability in the Northern Hemisphere high latitudes (mainly in developed nations), while the tropics will lose suitability (mainly in developing nations).
In vivo construction of recombinant molecules within the Caenorhabditis elegans germ line using short regions of terminal homology

Homologous recombination provides a means for the in vivo construction of recombinant DNA molecules that may be problematic to assemble in vitro. We have investigated the efficiency of recombination within the Caenorhabditis elegans germ line as a function of the length of homology between recombining molecules. Our findings indicate that recombination can occur between molecules that share only 10 bp of terminal homology, and that 25 bp is sufficient to mediate relatively high levels of recombination. Recombination occurs with lower efficiency when the location of the homologous segment is subterminal or internal. As in yeast, recombination can also be mediated by either single- or double-stranded bridging oligonucleotides. We find that ligation between cohesive ends is highly efficient and does not require that the ends be phosphorylated; furthermore, precise intermolecular ligation between injected molecules that have blunt ends can also occur within the germ line.
Handling shape and contact location uncertainty in grasping two-dimensional planar objects

This paper addresses the problem of selecting contact locations for grasping objects in the presence of shape and contact location uncertainty. Focusing on two-dimensional planar objects and two finger grasps for simplicity, we present a principled approach for selecting contact points by analyzing the risk of force closure failure. The key contribution of this paper is the development of a method that incorporates shape uncertainty into grasp stability analysis. We propose a grasp quality metric that can be used to identify stable contact regions in the face of shape and contact location uncertainty. The proposed method successfully distinguishes grasps that are equivalent without uncertainty, and we illustrate the properties of this technique with simulation experiments in two classes of objects.
Distinctive patterns of GABAA receptor subunit mRNAs in 13 cell lines

We have investigated the GABAA receptor mRNA composition in 13 cell lines, using 13 subunit-specific oligo-primers (alpha 1-6, beta 1-3, gamma 1-3, and delta) and reverse transcriptase PCR amplification. Cell lines (B35, B65, B103, B104, RINm5F, Rat1, PC12, C6, C17, C27, beta TC3, NB41A3, AtT-20), derived from diverse tissue origins, were investigated in order to identify homogeneous cellular sources with distinctive GABAA receptor subunits. Fifteen GABAA receptor subunits have been cloned from mammalian tissue (those listed above plus the retinal subunits rho 1 and rho 2). This multiplicity of GABAA receptor subunits underlies the diverse pharmacology of the GABAA receptor. Attempts to understand the regulation and pharmacology of individual subunits and of the heterooligomeric receptor combinations have been impeded by a lack of pure populations of cells expressing GABAA receptor subunits. Permanent cell lines provide such a resource. Each GABAA receptor subunit mRNA, alpha 1-5, beta 1-3, gamma 1-3, and delta, was detected in at least one cell line. All cell lines examined contained detectable levels of at least one GABAA receptor subunit mRNA. Each cell line contained distinctive combinations of subunit mRNAs. None of the cell lines examined contained detectable amounts of alpha 6 mRNA. These cell lines, which transcribe GABAA receptor subunit mRNAs, provide useful cellular sources for transcriptional and pharmacological studies. Our data also suggest that endogenous GABAA receptor subunit mRNAs may be present in cells that are routinely used for transfection studies, and that this expression might confound interpretation of the studies. In the following companion article, we have looked for functional GABAA receptor Cl- ion channels in these cell lines, using the patch-clamp technique (Hales and Tyndale, 1994).
Identification and characterization of a new Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus replication and transcription activator (RTA)-responsive element involved in RTA-mediated transactivation

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) replication and transcription activator (RTA) is well established as a key transcriptional activator that regulates the KSHV life cycle from latency to lytic replication. It is expressed immediately after infection and activates a number of viral genes leading to virus replication. The RTA-responsive element (RRE) in the RTA target gene promoters is critical for RTA to mediate this transactivation. A number of non-conserved RREs have been identified in various RTA-responsive promoters, and AT-rich sequences have been proposed to serve as RTA targets, but no consensus RRE sequence has been identified so far. Two non-conserved RREs (RRE1 and RRE2) containing AT-rich sequences have been identified previously in the promoter of one of the KSHV lytic genes, ORF57, which can be strongly activated by RTA. Based on homology with the consensus sequence of the Epstein–Barr virus Rta RRE, this study identified a third RTA-responsive element (RRE3) in the ORF57 promoter. This RRE comprised a GC-rich sequence that could bind RTA both in vitro and in vivo, and plays a role in RTA-mediated transactivation of the ORF57 promoter. The presence of two of the three RREs in close proximity to each other was required for optimal RTA-mediated transactivation of the ORF57 promoter, even though the presence of only one RRE is needed for RTA binding. These results suggest that the ability of RTA to mediate transcriptional activation is distinct from its ability to bind to its target elements.
The Impact of Weather on Kingbird Foraging Behavior

Foraging data on Eastern Kingbirds (Tyrannus tyrannus) were collected during the early breeding season in eastern Kansas to test the hypothesis that foraging rate and other aspects of foraging behavior vary with weather. Foraging characteristics of five additional kingbird species were also examined to assess Fitzpatrick's 1980 generalization that kingbirds (Tyrannus spp.) are aerial hawking specialists. In Eastern Kingbirds, total foraging rate was independent of air temperature, cloud cover, wind speed, and time of day, but the rate of aerial hawking varied directly with air temperature and inversely with cloud cover (both P < 0.05). Effects of the two variables were additive. The percentage of foraging movements that were aerial hawks also increased with temperature and declined with cloud cover, and hover-gleaning and perch-to-ground sallying were observed mainly during cloudy weather. Sally (i.e., foraging flight) distance correlated directly with perch height and air temperature, and large insects were captured almost exclusively in long upward or horizontal flights. I interpret these data to indicate that foraging behavior and the capture of large, flying insects depends on weather because of how it affects the activity of insect prey. Foraging data on kingbirds support Fitzpatrick's generalization, but the relative use of aerial hawkingmore » varies considerably among species. Resident Tropical Kingbirds (T. melancholicus) are the most specialized foragers, whereas the migrant and widely distributed Eastern Kingbird appears to be the most generalized. Certain habitats also appear to favor the use of particular foraging methods (e.g., outward striking in grasslands, and perch-to-ground sallying in drier, open habitats).« less
Do Emotions Expressed Online Correlate with Actual Changes in Decision-Making?: The Case of Stock Day Traders

Emotions are increasingly inferred linguistically from online data with a goal of predicting off-line behavior. Yet, it is unknown whether emotions inferred linguistically from online communications correlate with actual changes in off-line activity. We analyzed all 886,000 trading decisions and 1,234,822 instant messages of 30 professional day traders over a continuous 2 year period. Linguistically inferring the traders’ emotional states from instant messages, we find that emotions expressed in online communications reflect the same distributions of emotions found in controlled experiments done on traders. Further, we find that expressed online emotions predict the profitability of actual trading behavior. Relative to their baselines, traders who expressed little emotion or traders that expressed high levels of emotion made relatively unprofitable trades. Conversely, traders expressing moderate levels of emotional activation made relatively profitable trades.
The Myth of the Resource Curse: A Case Study for Algeria

In October 1988, Algeria went through the autumn of its own discontent and yet more than two decades later, the country is still ruled by the "old guard", namely the veterans of the war of independence. This paper examines the reasons Algeria has resisted the winds of change blowing through the region with emphasis in the role of oil and democracy. Much of the scholarship that deals with the resource curse concludes that Oil is at the root of economic troubles and social unrest. This is not the case in Algeria, rather like many countries, its institutions are what greatly affect the economic and political ills of the country. The paper highlights the importance of institutions and presents empirical evidence to support the claim that contrary to Jeffrey Sachs they matter for everything.
Psychiatric Comorbidity and Substance Use Outcomes in an Office-Based Buprenorphine Program Six Months Following Hurricane Sandy

Background: On October 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck New York City, resulting in unprecedented damages, including the temporary closure of Bellevue Hospital Center and its primary care office-based buprenorphine program. Objectives: At 6 months, we assessed factors associated with higher rates of substance use in buprenorphine program participants that completed a baseline survey one month post-Sandy (i.e. shorter length of time in treatment, exposure to storm losses, a pre-storm history of positive opiate urine drug screens, and post-disaster psychiatric symptoms). Methodology: Risk factors of interest extracted from the electronic medical records included pre-disaster diagnosis of Axis I and/or II disorders and length of treatment up to the disaster. Factors collected from the baseline survey conducted approximately one month post-Sandy included self-reported buprenorphine supply disruption, health insurance status, disaster exposure, and post-Sandy screenings for PTSD and depression. Outcome variables r...
Chemical contaminants: their metabolism and their residues

Chemical contaminants which food animals may be exposed to include agricultural chemicals (e.g. insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, fumigants), industrial chemicals, metals and natural toxins (e.g. mycotoxins, phytotoxins, bacterial toxins). In the past, most intoxications of food animals resulted from natural toxicants. However, rapid development and usage of synthetic chemicals, while greatly benefitting society, have also provided new sources of potential chemical contamination. Various sources of contamination exist, but generally at least 80% of all residues in food animals are estimated to occur through the feed. Residues from water contamination or other sources occur less frequently. This paper reviews the sources, metabolism and residue problems created by various contaminants and outlines factors and therapeutic approaches utilized in alleviating some of the common chemical residues in food animals.