cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
μCloud: Towards a New Paradigm of Rich Mobile Applications

Abstract Rich mobile applications are characterized by rich functionality, offline usability and portability. However, it isnot trivial to simultaneously satisfy all the three criteria. Existing approaches such stand-alone applications and the thin-client architecture satisfy only a subset of these criteria. In this paper, we show that rich mobile applications can be achieved through the convergence of mobile and cloud computing. We address two main issues in cloud-enabled mobile applications, namely complexity of application development and offline usability. We then propose μCloud framework which models a rich mobile application as a graph of components distributed onto mobile devices and the cloud. Lastly, we discuss μCloud's major research issues, i.e., workflow language for interactive applications, offline usability, secure and scalable multi-tenancy, portability and energy optimization.
Multiracial Self-Identification and Adolescent Outcomes: A Social Psychological Approach to the Marginal Man Theory

Recent public health research has consistently reported that self-identified multiracial adolescents tend to display more problem behaviors and psychological difficulties than monoracial adolescents. Relying on insights from qualitative analyses using small or clinical samples to interpret these empirical patterns, these studies implicitly assume a pejorative stance toward adolescents’ multiracial self-identification. Building on the social psychological arguments underlying Park’s and Stonequist’s seminal discussions of the “marginal man,” we derive hypotheses indicating that self-identified multiracial adolescents may show more psychological difficulties, but are also likely to have more active social interaction and participation than monoracial groups. We also incorporate later elaborations of the marginal man theory to develop alternative hypotheses regarding multiracial youth’s school and behavioral outcomes. Based on a nationally representative sample of racially self-identified youth, the results suggest that patterns of multiracial-monoracial differences are generally consistent with the hypotheses derived closely from the marginal man theory or its subsequent elaborations. We examine the heterogeneities within these general patterns across different multiracial categories and discuss the implications of these findings.
Health care expenditures among Medicaid enrolled children with and without orofacial clefts in North Carolina, 1995-2002.

BACKGROUND: National data that examine health costs among children with special needs are limited and do not address children with orofacial clefts (OFC). This study examines Medicaid expenditures among children with and without OFC. METHODS: North Carolina vital statistics, health services, birth defects registry, and Medicaid enrollment and paid claims were linked to identify resident children born 1995–2002 with and without OFC who were continuously enrolled in Medicaid. Outcome measures included average cost per child for medical, inpatient, outpatient, dental, well-child care, mental health, and home health. Average expenditures per child were also determined and were examined by the child's phenotypic characteristics including type of cleft and whether the defect was isolated or non-isolated. Expenditure ratios were calculated to compare cases and controls and differences in expenditures among cases by cleft type and by isolated/non-isolated occurrence. RESULTS: During infancy, average mental health expenditure per child with OFC was 37.2 times higher than for a child without OFC. Average home health expenditure per case was 45.0 times higher than for a control. Mean expenditure per child with OFC was $22,642 compared to $3,900 for an unaffected child. Mean expenditure for a child with cleft palate and child with cleft lip with cleft palate were about three times more than a child with cleft lip alone. Mean expenditure per child with non-isolated OFC also was substantially higher than the expenditure for a child with isolated OFC. CONCLUSIONS: Children with OFC have significantly higher health-related Medicaid expenditures than unaffected children. These findings are important for targeting care coordination and early intervention and for program planning and policy development related to special needs children. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Some reflections on “Future organizational trends of the ASA”

The Collins report on “Future Organizational Trends of the ASA” neglects three important areas: the distribution of participation and membership of sociologist in the ASA; the role of regional societies; and the politics of the ASA. This comment addresses the former two points, leaving the third for the author to develop during his future tenure as Editor of TAS.
Ram pressure stripping of hot coronal gas from group and cluster galaxies and the detectability of surviving X-ray coronae

Ram pressure stripping can remove hot and cold gas from galaxies in the intracluster medium (ICM), as shown by observations of X-ray and HI galaxy wakes in nearby clusters of galaxies. However, ram pressure stripping, including pre-processing in group environments, does not remove all the hot coronal gas from cluster galaxies. Recent high-resolution Chandra observations have shown that $\sim 1 - 4$ kpc extended, hot galactic coronae are ubiquitous in group and cluster galaxies. To better understand this result, we simulate ram pressure stripping of a cosmologically motivated population of galaxies in isolated group and cluster environments. The galaxies and the host group and cluster are composed of collisionless dark matter and hot gas initially in hydrostatic equilibrium with the galaxy and host potentials. We show that the rate at which gas is lost depends on the galactic and host halo mass. Using synthetic X-ray observations, we evaluate the detectability of stripped galactic coronae in real observations by stacking images on the known galaxy centers. We find that coronal emission should be detected within $\sim 10$ arcsec, or $\sim 5$ kpc up to $\sim 2.3$ Gyr in the lowest (0.1 - 1.2 keV) energy band. Thus the presence of observed coronae in cluster galaxies significantly smaller than the hot X-ray halos of field galaxies indicates that at least some gas removal occurs within cluster environments for recently accreted galaxies. Finally, we evaluate the possibility that existing and future X-ray cluster catalogs can be used in combination with optical galaxy positions to detect galactic coronal emission via stacking analysis. We briefly discuss the effects of additional physical processes on coronal survival, and will address them in detail in future papers in this series.
Arsenic(III) Oxidation and Arsenic(V) Adsorption Reactions on Synthetic Birnessite

The oxidation of arsenite (As(III)) by manganese oxide is an important reaction in both the natural cycling of As and the development of remediation technology for lowering the concentration of dissolved As(III) in drinking water. This study used both a conventional stirred reaction apparatus and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy to investigate the reactions of As(III) and As(V) with synthetic birnessite (MnO2). Stirred reactor experiments indicate that As(III) is oxidized by MnO2 followed by the adsorption of the As(V) reaction product on the MnO2 solid phase. The As(V)-Mn interatomic distance determined by EXAFS analysis for both As(III)- and As(V)-treated MnO2 was 3.22 A, giving evidence for the formation of As(V) adsorption complexes on MnO2 crystallite surfaces. The most likely As(V)-MnO2 complex is a bidentate binuclear corner sharing (bridged) complex occurring at MnO2 crystallite edges and interlayer domains. In the As(III)-treated MnO2 systems, reductive dissolution of the MnO2 solid during the oxidation of As(III) caused an increase in the adsorption of As(V) when compared with As(V)-treated MnO2. This suggested that As(III) oxidation caused a surface alteration, creating fresh reaction sites for As(V) on MnO2 surfaces.
Activation of an apomorphine behavior pattern by cocaine: a new behavioral test for drug substitution

Abstract In current tests for drug substitution using the 2-choice operant bar press paradigm, an animal can be trained to respond differentially between an interoceptive drug state stimulus vs. saline. Despite the long history and extensive number of investigations, the interpretation of such test results, nevertheless, is limited by number of potential sources of stimulus drug effects which can occur with repeated drug administration but which cannot be distinguished by this paradigm: (1) local effects at the injection site; (2) peripheral effects; (3) central activity effects; and/or (4) sensory-motor dysfunctional effects. By using a video-image analysis of behavior in an intact animal model and a pavlovian drug treatment protocol, new, spontaneous but environmentally contingent and stable behavior patterns emerge selectively in the paired treatment group with repeated drug administration which can be used as a behavioral marker to assess dose-response effects and drug substitution test results with a novel drug. A study with repeated administration of the DA agonist apomorphine and with a drug substitution assessement by a cocaine drug test is presented as a reference example to illustrate the new response-based methodological approach to the study of central mechanisms mediating the stimulus and response effects of drugs. Additionally, the observed efficacy of cocaine to activate a complex acquired behavioral pattern unique to repeated apomorphine treatment supports a critical role for dopaminergic mechanisms in the mediation of cocaine induced stereotypy.
Epigenetic Targets of Arsenic: Emphasis on Epigenetic Modifications During Carcinogenesis

DNA methylation and histone modification promote opening and closure of chromatin structure, which affects gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. Epigenetic markers regulate the dynamic nature of chromatin structure at different levels: DNA, histone, noncoding RNAs, as well as the higher-order chromatin structure. Accumulating evidence strongly suggests that arsenic-induced carcinogenesis involves frequent changes in the epigenetic marker. However, progress in identifying arsenic-induced epigenetic changes has already been made using genome-wide approaches; the biological significance of these epigenetic changes remains unknown. Moreover, arsenic-induced changes in the chromatin state alter gene expression through the epigenetic mechanism. The current review provides a summary of recent literature regarding epigenetic changes caused by arsenic in carcinogenesis. We highlight the transgenerational studies needed to explicate the biological significance and toxicity of arsenic over a broad spectrum.
Self-Selection, Socialization, And Distinctive Military Values: Attitudes of High School Seniors

It has long been accepted that military personnel share a set of beliefs, sometimes characterized as promilitary values, which are distinctive from those of civilians. This report focuses on whethe...
Cytomegalovirus Infections in Bone Marrow Transplant Recipients Given Intensive Cytoreductive Therapy

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections were studied in 785 bone marrow transplant recipients given intensive cytoreductive therapy. CMV excretion occurred in 24%, viremia in 9%, seroconversion in 40%, and overall active infection in 47%. CMV disease was much less common. Retinitis, enteritis, and pneumonitis occurred in only one, five (less than 1%), and 55 (7%) of the patients, respectively. Allograft recipients were more likely to develop CMV disease than were autograft patients (P = .0001) despite comparable rates of active CMV infection. CMV disease was rare after primary infection in both autograft and allograft recipients (0 and 1%, respectively). In contrast, CMV disease occurred in 16% of seropositive allograft recipients. Among allograft recipients, risk factors for CMV pneumonitis were seropositivity, age greater than 10 years, and acute graft-vs.-host disease, while the use of cyclosporine as prophylaxis against graft-vs.-host disease was protective. Although active infection rates did not decrease, the rates of CMV pneumonitis in allograft recipients during successive years declined significantly (P less than .001).
Shear properties of slurry-infiltrated fibre concrete (SIFCON)

sifcon displays significantly different strengths in different directions due to its anisotropic nature. Early attempts to determine the shear strength of sifcon involved tests on deep beams and direct shear specimens. Different shear strengths were measured. In this research, the shear properties of sifcon were examined by testing cored cylindrical specimens under pure torsion. Specimens of two different diameters and fibre aspect ratios were tested. Deep beams of sifcon were tested in bending to obtain the shear resistance properties. Anisotropy in sifcon was investigated by coring specimens from a slab of sifcon with the fibres oriented both perpendicular and parallel to the direction of coring. The torsion of cored samples was selected as the testing technique both for the ease of obtaining specimens at a job site, and for the simplicity of analysis. This paper discusses the experimental programme and design implications when a high volume of fibres (up to 12% by volume) is used in a cementitious composite.
Origin, course, and endings of abnormal enteric nerve fibres in Hirschsprung's disease defined by whole-mount immunohistochemistry

Accurate delineation of the intramural pathway of abnormal enteric nerve fibres in Hirschsprung's disease has previously proved impossible because the neural network is invariably transected in conventional histological sections. With the technique of wholemount immunohistochemistry (WI), the bowel segment is converted into a rectangular sheet and the serosa, long muscle (LM), circular muscle (CM), submucosa, and mucosa are separated into layers to allow each nerve plexus to be examined intact and neural pathways traced. The entire resected bowel specimens of nine HD infants and five infants serving as controls were investigated, using neuron-specific enolase and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) for WI. The major new findings are (1) More VIP fibres were observed in aganglionic bowel with WI than with conventional sections; (2) Thick nerve trunks in aganglionic bowel do not descend from intrinsic neurons of oligoganglionic bowel as previously suggested, but have an extrinsic origin, accompanying blood vessels as small nerves initially, expanding subsequently, and ending blindly in submucosa; (3) CM nerve fibres follow muscle fibres concentrically for long distances in aganglionic bowel; and (4) LM nerve fibres meander in spirals in aganglionic bowel instead of running straight. This study shows that (1) WI is highly sensitive; (2) nerve fibres in aganglionic bowel have an extrinsic origin; and (3) innervation abnormalities in Hirschsprung's disease are not only quantitative but qualitative.
Selectivity of non-thermal atmospheric pressure microsecond pulsed dielectric barrier discharge plasma induced apoptosis in malignant cells over normal cells

Initiation of apoptosis is an important issue in cancer treatment as cancer cells frequently have acquired the ability to block apoptosis and thus are more resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs. The non-functioning of a tumor-suppressor gene that facilitates apoptosis, or the over expression of an anti-apoptotic protein are both important pathways in cancer development. Many anti cancer therapies are aimed at modulating these factors with various bioactive agents as well as radiation in an attempt to target components of the apoptotic pathway. However, many of these approaches remain in preclinical development due to either low efficacy or tumor drug resistance. Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma is being widely developed for various clinical applications ranging from wound healing to cancer therapy and may prove to be a novel clinical tool for cancer treatment.
CHANGES IN PANDORA MOTH OUTBREAK DYNAMICS DURING THE PAST 622 YEARS

Episodic outbreaks of pandora moth (Coloradia pandora Blake), a forest insect that defoliates ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) and other pine species in the western United States, have recurred several times during the 20th century in forests of south-central Oregon. We collected and analyzed tree-ring samples from stands affected by recent outbreaks of pandora moth to develop a long-term record of outbreaks. Outbreaks were evident in tree-ring series as a characteristic ''signature'' of sharply reduced latewood width within a ring, followed by reduced ring widths lasting 4-20 yr. We verified that this tree-ring signature was unrelated to drought or other climatic fluctuations by comparing the timing of known and inferred outbreaks with independent climatic data. Using the pandora moth tree-ring signature, we reconstructed a 622-year record of 22 individual outbreaks in 14 old-growth ponderosa pine stands. This is currently the longest regional reconstruction of forest insect outbreak history in North America. Intervals between pandora moth outbreaks were highly variable within individual forest stands, ranging from 9 yr to 156 yr. Spectral analyses of a composite time series from all stands, however, showed more consistent intervals between outbreaks, suggesting quasicyclical population dynamics at regional and decadal scales. Waveforms extracted from the regional outbreak time series had periods ranging over ;18-24 yr (39.7% variance explained) and ;37-41 yr (37.3% variance explained). The periods and strengths of these cycles varied across the centuries, with the largest outbreaks occurring when relatively high-amplitude periods of the dominant cycles were in phase. Twentieth-century outbreaks were not more synchronous (extensive), severe, or longer in duration than outbreaks in previous centuries, but there was an unusual 60-yr reduction in regional activity during ;1920-1980. The changing dynamical behavior of pandora moth populations highlights the need to evaluate historical factors that may have influenced this system, such as climatic variations, forest fires, and human land uses. Although cyclical dynamics in animal populations have most commonly been attributed to endogenous, ecological processes (e.g., ''delayed density dependence,'' predators, patho- gens, and parasites) our findings suggest that exogenous processes (e.g., climatic oscilla- tions) may also be involved.
A 32-channel active high density connector for biomedical applications

A 32-channel micromachined connector with active buffers for use with implanted neural recording probes has been fabricated and tested. The connector operates by lowering an array of micromachined polyimide cantilever beams onto a corresponding array of gold bumps on the probe back end. The connector has a footprint of 5.9/spl times/5.1mm/sup 2/ and a height of 5.1mm, small enough to fit on a rat skull. Reliability characterization of the connector was performed by repeated connection/disconnection cycles. Testing showed that electrical contacts were formed 99.6% of the time. Electrical characterization has determined the average contact resistance for each channel is 205m/spl Omega/ at 1kHz and the cross-talk between channels is -51.5dB. RMS noise for the entire connector assembly from 100-10,000Hz is 53.4/spl mu/V.
Improved memory function two years after bariatric surgery

Objective Obesity is as an independent risk factor for poor neurocognitive outcomes, including Alzheimer’s disease. Bariatric surgery has recently been shown to result in improved memory at 12-weeks post-operatively. However, the long-term effects of bariatric surgery on cognitive function remain unclear.
Forecasting of Software DevelopmentWork Effort: Introduction

JiFFDrgensen's paper examines the application of the one of the most well established findings in forecasting - namely, the superior accuracy of quantitative models in comparison to judgmental forecasts. Models improved accuracy in 72% of the 136 studies in the meta-analysis by Grove, et al. (2000). However, in Jorgensen's metaanalysis, restricted to forecasts of software effort, models were superior for only 38% of the studies. Jorgensen examines what happens when practitioners use quantitative models to forecast how long it takes to complete software development projects. Forecast errors in this area tend to be large, so improvements would be of great practical value. But his paper and the commentaries are also important for the more general topic of how to implement new forecasting methods most effectively. The main paper by Jorgensen went through a review process that led to many revisions. Once accepted in 2005, the paper was scheduled for discussion at the International Symposium on Forecasting in Santander, Spain, in June 2006. This led to further revisions. The commentaries from the symposium were also subjected to peer review and these are published along with the main paper. Jorgensen did an excellent job of searching for relevant studies and in summarizing their findings. To ensure that he properly quoted the authors in the meta-analysis, he contacted each of them. This is a key issue because, as shown in Wright and Armstrong (2007), it is common for papers to be misquoted. The findings were unexpected. On average, there was no gain. What is going on? There are two practical considerations. First, the conditions might have been unfavorable to the use of quantitative models, And, second, the quantitative models may not have been properly implemented. JiFFDrgensen's analysis revealed that many of the studies on software work effort did not report fully on the conditions. Journals should insist on full disclosure. There is no longer any excuse that space is limited; details can be provided on the Internet. Details were also lacking in many studies as to the implementation of the procedures. The procedures seem critical. For example, in many of the studies, the forecasts were not separated from the planning process. That is, the planners/decision makers made the forecasts, and then they had the ability to modify the inputs to achieve the desired results. 2 The commentators address key issues involved in using important findings for practical problems.
Principles of epidemiology for the orthopaedic surgeon.

It has been stated that “\`the object of any science is the accumulation of systematized verifiable knowledge,' and that this is to be achieved through \`observation, experiment and thought.'”12 Orthopaedists are concerned primarily with individual patients; epidemiologists study the occurrence of disease or other health-related conditions or events in defined populations26. Epidemiological research is based on the systematic collection of observations related to the phenomenon of interest in a defined population. These data then are subjected to quantification, which includes the measurement of random variables, the estimation of population parameters, and the statistical testing of hypotheses22. The changing profile of health-care-delivery systems requires orthopaedists to go beyond the individual and to consider their practices in terms of their effects on the lives entrusted to them. Epidemiology is the biomedical discipline focused on the distribution and determinants of disease in groups of individuals who happen to have some characteristics, exposures, or diseases in common. Viewed as the study of the distribution and societal determinants of the health status of populations, epidemiology is the basic-science foundation of public health38. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has launched a national public-education effort, the Play It Safe program, for the prevention of injuries in children. This program calls attention to the problem and offers safety guidelines for the maintenance and layout of playgrounds. It is one of several new campaigns sponsored by The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in which orthopaedists clearly assume an expanded role compared with their role in the past. Other programs of The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons address areas such as safety in sports and the prevention of domestic violence. These programs demonstrate that The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recognizes the increasing responsibility of its members in the field of population …
Microbial community assimilation of cover crop rhizodeposition within soil microenvironments in alternative and conventional cropping systems

Background and Aim Root-derived carbon (C) is preferentially retained in soil compared to aboveground C inputs. Microbial communities in the rhizosphere are crucial to nutrient and organic matter cycling within agroecosystems. The overall aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of crop management on microbial community structure and processing of rhizodeposit-C within microenvironments of two soil zones, the rhizosphere versus non-rhizosphere.
The Real Lessons of Howard Dean: Reflections on the First Digital Campaign

Howard Dean's presidential bid was notable for many things, including the mixed reaction it drew from political scientists. Many scholars found Dean's ultimate failure predictable. Longstanding political science wisdom suggests several explanations for Dean's defeat: the central issue of electability, which seemed to weigh heavily against his campaign; the fact that primary voters are more moderate than party activists; the well-documented difficulty of regaining lost momentum. Less systematic factors—such as numerous verbal gaffes and one infamous scream—surely contributed as well.Matthew Hindman is an assistant professor of political science at Arizona State University (matthew.hindman@asu.edu). This research was supported by the National Center for Digital Government, with funding from the National Science Foundation under grant no. 0131923. The author thanks Jennifer Hochschild, Larry Bartels, Chris Karpowitz, Gabriel Lenz, David Lazer, Alan Abramowitz, James McCann, and the three anonymous reviewers for their contributions.
Field Evaluation of Interfacial and Partitioning Tracers for Characterization of Effective NAPL‐Water Contact Areas

The use of surface-active tracers for measuring the interfacial area between nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) and water was evaluated in a hydraulically isolated test cell installed in a surficial aquifer located at Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah. Interfacial tracers were developed at the University of Florida for quantifying immiscible fluid-fluid interfaces (air-water or NAPL-water) in porous media. Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) was used as the interfacial tracer to measure the effective NAPL-water interfacial area (a{sub Nw}), while 2,2-dimethyl-3-pentanol (DMP) was used as the partitioning tracer to estimate the NAPL saturation (S{sub N}). The observed retardation of SDBS and DMP when compared to a nonreactive tracer (bromide or methanol) at eight multi-level sampling locations and one extraction well, was used to quantify the a{sub Nw} and S{sub N} values averaged over the interval between the injection wells and each monitoring point. The NAPL morphology index, defined here as H{sub N} = a{sub Nw}/{psi}S{sub N} ({psi} = porosity), varied significantly within the test cell. In locations where the magnitude of H{sub N} was large, the NAPL was assumed to be more or less uniformly spread, providing good contact with the mobile fluid. In contrast, regions with low H{sub N} valuesmore » were assumed to have NAPL that was more heterogeneously distributed as isolated patches providing poor contact with the mobile fluid. The index H{sub N}, provided by the combined use of interfacial and partitioning tracers, has important implications for NAPL source region remediation employing in situ flushing technologies.« less
Cellular Uptake and Infection by Canine Parvovirus Involves Rapid Dynamin-Regulated Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis, Followed by Slower Intracellular Trafficking

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a small, nonenveloped virus that is a host range variant of a virus which infected cats and changes in the capsid protein control the ability of the virus to infect canine cells. We used a variety of approaches to define the early stages of cell entry by CPV. Electron microscopy showed that virus particles concentrated within clathrin-coated pits and vesicles early in the uptake process and that the infecting particles were rapidly removed from the cell surface. Overexpression of a dominant interfering mutant of dynamin in the cells altered the trafficking of capsid-containing vesicles. There was a 40% decrease in the number of CPV-infected cells in mutant dynamin-expressing cells, as well as a ∼40% decrease in the number of cells in S phase of the cell cycle, which is required for virus replication. However, there was also up to 10-fold more binding of CPV to the surface of mutant dynamin-expressing cells than there was to uninduced cells, suggesting an increased receptor retention on the cell surface. In contrast, there was little difference in virus binding, virus infection rate, or cell cycle distribution between induced and uninduced cells expressing wild-type dynamin. CPV particles colocalized with transferrin in perinuclear endosomes but not with fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran, a marker for fluid-phase endocytosis. Cells treated with nanomolar concentrations of bafilomycin A1 were largely resistant to infection when the drug was added either 30 min before or 90 min after inoculation, suggesting that there was a lag between virus entering the cell by clathrin-mediated endocytosis and escape of the virus from the endosome. High concentrations of CPV particles did not permeabilize canine A72 or mink lung cells to α-sarcin, but canine adenovirus type 1 particles permeabilized both cell lines. These data suggest that the CPV entry and infection pathway is complex and involves multiple vesicular components.
Smaller inner ear sensory epithelia in neurog1 null mice are related to earlier hair cell cycle exit

We investigated whether co-expression of Neurog1 and Atoh1 in common neurosensory precursors could explain the loss of hair cells in Neurog1 null mice. Analysis of terminal mitosis, using BrdU, supports previous findings regarding timing of exit from cell cycle. Specifically, we show that cell cycle exit occurs in spiral sensory neurons in a base-to-apex progression followed by cell cycle exit of hair cells in the organ of Corti in an apex-to-base progression, with some overlap of cell cycle exit in the apex for both hair cells and spiral sensory neurons. Hair cells in Neurog1 null mice show cell cycle exit in an apex-to-base progression about 1–2 days earlier. Atoh1 is expressed in an apex-to-base progression rather then a baseto-apex progression as in wildtype littermates. We tested the possible expression of Atoh1 in neurosensory precursors using two Atoh1-Cre lines. We show Atoh1-Cre mediated -galactosidase expression in delaminating sensory neuron precursors as well as undifferentiated epithelial cells at E11 and E12.5. PCR analysis shows expression of Atoh1 in the otocyst as early as E10.5, prior to any histology-based detection techniques. Combined, these data suggest that low levels of Atoh1 exist much earlier in precursors of hair cells and sensory neurons, possibly including neurosensory precursors. Analysis of Atoh1-Cre expression in E18.5 embryos and P31 mice reveal -galactosidase stain in all hair cells but also in vestibular and cochlear sensory neurons and some supporting cells. A similar expression of Atoh1-LacZ exists in postnatal and adult vestibular and cochlear sensory neurons, and Atoh1 expression in vestibular sensory neurons is confirmed with RT-PCR. We propose that the absence of NEUROG1 protein leads to loss of sensory neuron formation through a phenotypic switch of cycling neurosensory precursors from sensory neuron to hair cell fate. Neurog1 null mice show a truncation of clonal expansion of hair cell precursors through temporally altered terminal mitosis, thereby resulting in smaller sensory epithelia. Developmental Dynamics 234:633– 650, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
ROBUST ESTIMATION AND ADAPTIVE CONTROLLER TUNING FOR VARIANCE MINIMIZATION IN SERVO SYSTEMS

Improving storage density by means of an enhanced servo system typically requires the reduction of variance of the Position Error Signal (PES). The variance of the PES is determined by both period and non-repeatable disturbances for which the characteristics are often not known a-priori during the servo algorithm design. Moreover, the servo control algorithm is often limited to a standard Proportional, Integral and Derivative (PID) controller as more complicated algorithms are viewed to be less robust. In this document it is shown how a standard (PID) servo control algorithm can be augmented with an additional feedback loop that can be tuned automatically by estimating the actual disturbance spectra seen in the PES. Adaptation to the disturbance spectra is done in lieu of possible model uncertainties in the servo actuator, guaranteeing stability robustness. As such, the control algorithm provides a Robust Estimation and Adaptive Controller Tuning (REACT) to disturbance spectra to minimize PES variance in high performance servo systems in data storage applications.
Spatial and temporal variability of precipitation and chemistry: Case studies from the Frontal Boundary Study

Sequential precipitation and precipitation chemistry measurements were conducted on a 37-site, 100 km×100 km array in central Ohio during four cyclonic storms during the fall of 1989. Spatial (network) averages and variances in rainfall rate and inorganic chemical concentrations were calculated for hourly and total-event time periods. The average fractional intersite differences in concentrations vary among the events, and range from about 0.1 to 1, with sulfate among the least variable species. This variability is at best weakly correlated with intersite distance over the range 10-90 km. Removal of the estimated effect of rainfall rate variations on chemistry reduces interevent and intersite distance variability. In these events, there appears to be a baseline subgrid-scale spatial variability (including measurement error) for sulfate of no more than about 20%
On the interpretation of multiple questions

The paper shows that crosslinguistically, overt movement of a wh-phrase to SpecCP results in the loss of the single-pair interpretation for multiple questions, i.e. it forces the pair-list interpretation. It is shown that the damaging effect of overt movement to SpecCP on the availability of single-pair answers can be accounted for with an extension of Hagstrom’s (1998) semantics of questions to languages with overt wh-movement. More precisely, the effect is argued to follow from Relativized Minimality: In questions with a single-pair interpretation, the Q morpheme, which is base-generated below C, induces a relativized minimality effect when a wh-phrase crosses it on its way to SpecCP.
Studies on the nutritional value of sorghum grains with varying tannin contents for chicks. 1. growth studies

Abstract Studies were conducted on the performance of chicks fed diets containing either a bird resistant sorghum (BR64) or an intermediate bird resistant sorghum (NK300) as compared with that observed when chicks were fed diets containing a bird susceptible sorghum (RS610) or corn as the cereal grain. Chicks fed sorghum BR64 exhibited poorer growth and feed conversion as compared with chicks fed sorghum RS610. In general, the performance of chicks fed sorghum NK300 was intermediate between the other two sorghums. Chicks fed the corn diets consistently exhibited superior weight gains and, in some cases, superior feed conversion as compared with chicks fed the various sorghum containing diets. Weight gains and feed conversion were decreased when tannic acid was added to the corn, sorghum RS610 and sorghum NK300 diets to the level found in the sorghum BR64 diet. The performance of chicks fed the corn and sorghum RS610 diets with added tannic acid was still superior to those of chicks fed the BR64 or the NK300 diet with added tannic acid. These results suggest that the poor performance of chicks fed the latter two diets was not due solely to the presence of tannic acid. Chicks adapted to a high tannin diet during 1–21 days of age and fed the high tannin diet from 21 to 35 days showed weight gains of 54.7% and an increase in feed required per gram gain of 60.6% as compared with adapted chicks fed a low tannin diet from 21 to 35 days. Chicks fed a low tannin diet from 1 to 21 days of age and switched to a high tannin diet from 21 to 35 days exhibited weight gains of 43.5% and an increase in feed required per gram gain of 85.1% as compared with non-adapted chicks fed a low tannin diet from 21 to 35 days. Similar weight gains and feed conversions were noted when essential amino acids were added to corn and sorghum RS610 diets to raise the levels to those found in the other grain. A significant improvement in weight gain and feed conversion as compared with chicks fed an unsupplemented diet was noted when chicks were fed a sorghum BR64 diet with essential amino acids added up to the levels found in corn. Weight gain, but not feed conversion, of chicks fed the supplemented sorghum BR64 diet was equal to that of chicks fed the unsupplemented RS610 diet, but chick performance was poorer than that observed with an unsupplemented corn diet, a supplemented corn diet or a supplemented RS610 diet.
Junior high school science teacher preparation, teaching behavior, and student achievement

The findings challenge both practices and prejudices in junior high school science teacher preparation.
Psychometric Properties of the Revised Grasha-Riechmann Student Learning Style Scales

The 60-item version of Grasha and Riechmann's Student Learning Style Scales (six scales, 10 items per scale) was administered to a large sample of college freshmen on each of three campuses (total N = 870) in the northeast. The Participative, Avoidant, and Collaborative scales showed acceptable internal consistency, but the Dependent, Independent, and Competitive scales did not. Factor analyses of items and scales produced no solution approximating simple structure in any sample. Neither items nor scales yielded a factor pattern resembling the theoretical structure postulated by Grasha and Riechmann in any sample, although scale scores in two samples yielded a Participative-Avoidant factor that is one of the theoretical dimensions. Properties of the 60-item version are thus very similar to those reported for an earlier 90-item version.
“A review of Biersack, Aletta and James B. Greenberg, eds. Reimagining Political Ecology”.

Biersack and Greenberg offer an interesting collection of ecological anthropology essays that collectively provide the reader an introduction to the “the new ecological anthropology” (see Kottak 19...
Psychological and behavioural therapies in fibromyalgia and related syndromes

Psychological and behavioural therapies are being applied to patients with fibromyalgia (FM) with increasing frequency. The rationale for including psychological therapies is not for the treatment of co-morbid mood disorders, but rather to manage the many non-psychiatric psychological and social factors that comprise pain perception and its maintenance. This chapter reviews the involvement of mental health professionals under both the biomedical and biopsychosocial models of illness and describes cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a commonly used form of psychological therapy in the management of chronic pain conditions. The empirical literature supports the use of CBT with FM in producing modest outcomes across multiple domains, including pain, fatigue, physical functioning and mood. Greatest benefits appear to occur when CBT is used adjunctively with exercise. While the benefits are not curative or universally obtained by all patients, the benefits are sufficiently large to encourage future refinement of CBT for this population of patients.
Attachment Orientations, Dependence, and Behavior in a Stressful Situation: An Application of the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model

In this study, we assessed how attachment orientations and degree of relationship dependence influence individuals' own behavior and their partners' behavior in a stressful situation using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM; Kashy & Kenny, 2000). Dating couples were videotaped while the female partner was waiting to engage in an anxiety-provoking task. Raters then evaluated the behavior of each partner on theoretically relevant dimensions. We found that more avoidantly attached individuals behaved more negatively toward their partners. Moreover, people behaved more negatively if their partners were more avoidant. Very few direct effects of dependence emerged. However, attachment orientations, particularly avoidant attachment and level of dependence, interacted to predict the behavior of both partners. In particular, less avoidant and highly dependent people behaved less negatively toward their partners, whereas more avoidant and less dependent people behaved more negatively. These results are d...
Critical role for glucocorticoid receptors in stress- and ethanol-induced locomotor sensitization.

Locomotor sensitization, the augmentation of the locomotor-activating effects of stimuli with repeated exposure, is being evaluated as a partial model for several phenomena including drug addiction. Alteration of dopaminergic systems has been found in sensitized animals and dopamine neurotransmission appears to be crucial for the expression of sensitized behaviors. However, stress hormones, which are released after exposure to many of the stimuli that produce sensitization, may also be involved in the development of this phenomenon. Corticosterone appears to be important in the development of amphetamine sensitization and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) have been hypothesized to mediate this effect. The purpose of these experiments was first, to determine whether repeated restraint stress sensitizes DBA/2J mice to the activating effect of ethanol (EtOH), and second, to explore the role of GR in stress- and EtOH-induced sensitization with the GR antagonist, RU 38486. This antagonist was administered before restraint or i.p. EtOH (1.5 g/kg) on each of 10 consecutive days of pretreatment. In addition, plasma corticosterone levels were determined at various points throughout the pretreatment period and on test days. The results demonstrated that 10 consecutive days of 2-hr restraint sensitized mice to EtOH's locomotor-stimulating effect. Both stress- and EtOH-induced sensitization were attenuated by administration of RU 38486 during the pretreatment phase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Two-photon coherent states of the radiation field

The concept of a two-photon coherent state is introduced for applications in quantum optics. It is a simple generalization of the well-known minimum-uncertainty wave packets. The detailed properties of two-photon coherent states are developed and distinguished from ordinary coherent states. These two-photon coherent states are mathematically generated from coherent states through unitary operators associated with quadratic Hamiltonians. Physically they are the radiation states of ideal two-photon lasers operating far above threshold, according to the self-consistent-field approximation. The mean-square quantum noise behavior of these states, which is basically the same as those of minimum-uncertainty states, leads to applications not obtainable from coherent states or one-photon lasers. The essential behavior of two-photon coherent states is unchanged by small losses in the system. The counting rates or distributions these states generate in photocount experiments also reveal their difference from coherent states.
Detrital zircon geochronology from Cenomanian–Coniacian strata in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, U.S.A.: Implications for stratigraphic correlation and paleogeography

A high-flux, Late Cretaceous magmatic event in the western United States has been tested as a zircon source for high-resolution chronostratigraphic correlation in coeval sedimentary rocks in northwest Wyoming. Thirteen samples of Cenomanian–Coniacian sandstone in the Bighorn Basin yielded more than 1200 U/Th/Pb detrital zircon ages from the Mowry Shale, the Frontier Formation, and the Cody Shale. In addition, two individual clast ages were obtained from a conglomerate located near the top of the Frontier Formation. These formations are dominated by detrital zircon grains that yield paleontologically constrained depositional or near-depositional ages. Each sample has a minimum of 22 grains comprising the youngest age peak. Individual youngest peak ages range from 99.4 to 87.7 Ma, spanning Cenomanian through Middle Coniacian time (Gradstein et al., 2012). Three of four stratigraphic sections yield samples with minimum age peaks that young upward, are consistent with available paleontological control, and suggest an age resolution of one–two million years despite an estimated analytical error of 2 percent (+/− 2 Ma for 100 Ma samples). An age reversal at the top of the fourth section demonstrates that recycling of older sediments into younger beds can be an important control on the age of zircon populations, even during intervals of sediment accumulation dominated by first-cycle zircons from an active magmatic arc. The presence of nearly depositional age volcanic cobbles at the top of the Frontier Formation implies rapid erosion and transport of coarse material from a volcanic source eastward into the foreland basin. The new detrital zircon data, in conjunction with available paleontological constraints, provide a framework for detailed stratigraphic correlation.
PRESIDENTIAL TENURE AND THE TWO-TERM TRADITION

foundation for a two-term tradition ... 2 But historical acceptance of a two-term limit leaves unanswered the question: how much time does an incumbent actually serve in the office? Implicit in the two term formula is the notion that a president normally serves two full terms. The eminent student of the presidency, James David Barber, has stated the conventional view well: ". . . we all know that a first-term incumbent President usually has an excellent chance of being reelected to a second term."3 The formula for this side of the two-term tradition may be interpreted to read this way: an incumbent president will usually have the
Furnace Sorbent Injection

(1990). Furnace Sorbent Injection. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association: Vol. 40, No. 12, pp. 1716-1718.
Effect of Propionic Acid Producing Bacteria on Corn Silage Fermentation11Reference to a company or product name does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the University of California over others of a similar nature that may be suitable.

The effects of applying two levels of a silage additive containing Propionibacterium acidipropionici on cornsilage fermentation and aerobic stability were examined. Whole plant corn silage was ensiled for 0, 30, 60, 90, and 180 d in triplicate silo bags containing no additive; low inocula(P. acidipropionici at 1.0 × 104 cfu/g fresh forage); or high inocula (P. acidipropioniciat 1.0 × 106 cfu/g fresh forage). After each fermentation period, silage was removed and analyzed for DM, pH, water-soluble carbohydrates, acetic, propionic, and lactic acids, total N, and ammonia N. Aerobic stability of silage was recorded upon opening silage bags at 90 and 180 d. The pH of corn silage at 0 and 30 d was lowest for high inocula treated silage. No differences were noted forwater soluble carbohydrates, acetic, propionic, or lactic acids. Ammonia N, as a percentage of total N and as a percentage of DM, was not affected by treatment except at 90 d, when high inocula treated silage was lower in ammonia N. Following 24 h of silage exposure to air, silage from all treatments were approximately 5°C greater than ambient temperature. Yeast and mold counts increased for all treatments but were not different. These data suggest that an application of P. acidipropionicito corn silage did not appreciably improve silage fermentation or aerobic stability.