cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incumbency, Redistricting, and the Decline of Competition in U.S. House Elections

Competition in U.S. House elections has been declining for more than 50 years and, based on both incumbent reelection rates and the percentage of close races, the 2002 and 2004 House elections were the least competitive of the postwar era. This article tests three hypotheses that attempt to explain declining competition in House elections: the redistricting hypothesis, the partisan polarization hypothesis, and the incumbency hypothesis. We find strong support for both the partisan polarization hypothesis and the incumbency hypothesis but no support for the redistricting hypothesis. Since the 1970s there has been a substantial increase in the number of House districts that are safe for one party and a substantial decrease in the number of marginal districts. However, this shift has not been caused by redistricting but by demographic change and ideological realignment within the electorate. Moreover, even in the remaining marginal districts most challengers lack the financial resources needed to wage compet...
Economic Development and the Politics of Place, Empowerment, and Social Justice: A Review Essay

This review essay explores the growth and community-based approaches to development. The books under review deepen our understanding of how community-based development works, what it means to those actually involved, and its potential as an oppositional political practice. Specifically, the essay discusses development and its relation to culture, empowerment, and social justice. Also discussed are the authors' innovative methodologies and researcher reflexivity.
Neurite development in vitro: II. The role of microfilaments and microtubules in dibutyryl adenosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate and nerve growth factor stimulated maturation

Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DBC) and Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) have both been shown to enhance in vitro neuronal maturation in embryonic sensory ganglia. Since microfilaments and microtubules are known to be involved in neurite elongation, embryonic chick dorsal root ganglia have been treated with cytochalasin B and colcemid in the presence of these growth promoters (DBC or NGF). Established 48-hr cultures show drastic neurite retraction when treated with either inhibitor. The treatment of cultures with DBC or NGF in the presence of colcemid reverses the inhibitive effects and normal elongation occurs. The growth stimulators, however, are unable to effectively reverse the action of cytochalasin B. These data suggest that increased microtubule assembly is involved in DBC and NGF stimulation of neurite elongation, and hence provide further support for the suggestion that cyclic AMP mediates some of the actions of NGF.
Precession in transient X-ray sources

THE origin of both the relatively long period and the transient nature of the recently discovered X-ray sources Ariel 1118−61 (ref. 1) and Ariel 0535+26 (ref. 2), with pulse periods of about 405 and 104 s, respectively, and decay times of days, is unclear. The pulse rate of A1118−61 has been attributed to an extremely short binary star orbital period3, or to an extremely long neutron star rotation period4. The quasi-sinusoidal nature of both X-ray light curves, unlike the sharply pulsed flux from Her X-l and Cen X-3, would seem difficult to account for in a rotation model. The 104-s period, on the other hand, seems embarrassingly short for a binary orbital period. Therefore, I reiterate here an earlier suggestion5 that free precession may be important in such galactic X-ray sources. Such precession, which provides a plausible explanation for the 35-d quasi-sinusoidal period and intensity variation of Her X-l (which has a 1.25-s pulse period) could directly account for the shape of the light curves of the transient X-ray sources.
Getting a Poor Return Courts, Justice and Governing Coalitions and the Audits of Low-Income Taxpayers

Many years ago Robert Dahl (1957) argued that the courts are rarely out of alignment with the dominant national political coalition and more recent scholarship has built on this argument. However, despite this, it is still a prevalent belief that courts protect the minority against the power of the majority. This article analyzes these views by examining the influence of the national coalition and courts on tax policy. The article shows that from 1994 through 2000 a shift to more low-income audits results from political and judicial influence on the agency. The dominant national political coalition, the Tax Court, and to a lesser extent the District Courts, are major players in setting and determining agency policy. This confirms what Dahl noted years ago, namely that the courts are rarely out of alignment with the dominant national political coalition, and actually enforce the policy preferences of the dominant political coalition.
Control of Dopamine Release in the Retina: a Transgenic Approach to Neural Networks

Dopaminergic, interplexiform amacrines (DA cells) were labeled in transgenic mice with human placental alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme that resides on the outer surface of the cell membrane. It was therefore possible to investigate their activity in vitro after dissociation of the retina with whole-cell current and voltage clamp, as well as their connections in the intact retina with the electron microscope. DA cells generate action potentials even in the absence of synaptic inputs. This activity is abolished by the amacrine cell transmitters GABA and glycine, which induce an inward current carried by chloride ions, and is stimulated by kainate, an agonist at the receptor for the bipolar cell transmitter glutamate, which opens nonselective cation channels. Since DA cells are postsynaptic to amacrine and bipolar cells, we suggest that the spontaneous discharge of DA cells is inhibited in the dark by GABAergic amacrines that receive their input from off-bipolars. Upon illumination, the GABA-inhibition is removed, DA cells generate action potentials, and their firing is modulated by the excitation received from on-bipolars.
Seed harvesting by a generalist consumer is context-dependent: Interactive effects across multiple spatial scales

Granivore foraging decisions affect consumer success and determine the quantity and spatial pattern of seed survival. These decisions are influenced by environmental variation at spatial scales ranging from landscapes to local foraging patches. In a field experiment, the effects of seed patch variation across three spatial scales on seed removal by western harvester ants Pogonomyrmex occidentalis were evaluated. At the largest scale we assessed harvesting in different plant communities, at the intermediate scale we assessed harvesting at different distances from ant mounds, and at the smallest scale we assessed the effects of interactions among seed species in local seed neighborhoods on seed harvesting (i.e. resource–consumer interface). Selected seed species were presented alone (monospecific treatment) and in mixture with Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass; mixture treatment) at four distances from P. occidentalis mounds in adjacent intact sagebrush and non-native cheatgrass-dominated communities in the Great Basin, Utah, USA. Seed species differed in harvest, with B. tectorum being least preferred. Large and intermediate scale variation influenced harvest. More seeds were harvested in sagebrush than in cheatgrass-dominated communities (largest scale), and the quantity of seed harvested varied with distance from mounds (intermediate-scale), although the form of the distance effect differed between plant communities. At the smallest scale, seed neighborhood affected harvest, but the patterns differed among seed species considered. Ants harvested fewer seeds from mixed-seed neighborhoods than from monospecific neighborhoods, suggesting context dependence and potential associational resistance. Further, the effects of plant community and distance from mound on seed harvest in mixtures differed from their effects in monospecific treatments. Beyond the local seed neighborhood, selection of seed resources is better understood by simultaneously evaluating removal at multiple scales. Associational effects provide a useful theoretical basis for better understanding harvester ant foraging decisions. These results demonstrate the importance of ecological context for seed removal, which has implications for seed pools, plant populations and communities.
Simultaneous determination of trace metals in industrial and domestic effluents by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry

Abstract Trace quantities of zinc, cadmium, lead, bismuth, and copper were determined simultaneously in industrial and domestic effluents by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry following digestion in a closed system. Fifteen (15) types of effluents of different industrial processings were employed. A procedure for providing low blank buffer and electrolyte systems was tested and the efficiency for the entire process including digestion, sample transfer and analysis was found to range from 93 to 100%. This system and technique is highly competitive with flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry in terms of precision and accuracy, and is superior to atomic absorption in terms of sensitivity, detection limits, and costs.
A review of African American-white differences in risk factors for cancer: prostate cancer.

Objective African American men have higher prostate cancer incidence rates than White men, for reasons not completely understood. This review summarizes the existing literature of race-specific associations between risk factors and prostate cancer in order to examine whether associations differ.
Drylot performance and ruminal papillae development of lambs exposed to a high concentrate diet while nursing

In 1986 (trial 1), lambs were exposed with their mothers to WB-PMP (whole barley and protein-mineral pellet) for 15 min/d for 0, 2, 4, 8 or 16 d. In 1987 (trial 2), they were exposed for 0, 4 or 8 d; two treatments for 8 d, with one receiving four times more WB-PMP (8H) than the other (8L). Following exposure to WB-PMP in both years, lambs and their dams grazed on summer range for 2 months before the drylot tests. Exposure for 4 d increased (P 0.05) in 1987. Lambs exposed for 2, 8 or 16 d in 1986 did not consume more WB-PMP than controls (P>0.05). In 1987, lambs in treatment 8L consumed more (P<0.05) WB-PMP than controls during the first 2 weeks in drylot. Amount of WB-PMP offered affected intake of WB-PMP in drylot. Lambs in treatment 8H consumed more (P<0.05) than controls during the first 3 weeks in drylot. Lambs with high WB-PMP intakes during weeks 1 and 2 in both years consumed less WB-PMP during weeks 3 and 4, especially in 1987. The reduction in intake was greater for lambs previously exposed to WB-PMP than for controls. In 1986, 81% of the lambs exposed for 4 or 8 d and 64% of the lambs for 16 d achieved slaughter condition by week 8 in drylot, while only 50% and 33% of the lambs exposed for 0 or 2 d reached slaughter condition by that time (P<0.05). In 1987, lambs on WB-PMP did not reach slaughter condition sooner than controls, probably due to severe decrease in intake that occurred during weeks 3 and 4 in drylot. Lambs exposed to WB-PMP for 8 d in 1987 entered the drylot with ruminal papillae that had 38% more surface area than did lambs not exposed to WB-PMP; however, the differences disappeared within 3 weeks. Results indicate that exposing lambs to a WB-PMP diet early in life enhanced performance in drylot. Development of rumen papillae as a result of exposure may contribute to this performance.
Phospholipid Scramblase 1 Contains a Nonclassical Nuclear Localization Signal with Unique Binding Site in Importin α

Nuclear import of proteins containing a classical nuclear localization signal (NLS) is an energy-dependent process that requires the heterodimer importin α/β. Three to six basic contiguous arginine/lysine residues characterize a classical NLS and are thought to form a basic patch on the surface of the import cargo. In this study, we have characterized the NLS of phospholipid scramblase 1 (PLSCR1), a lipid-binding protein that enters the nucleus via the nonclassical NLS 257GKISKHWTGI266. This import sequence lacks a contiguous stretch of positively charged residues, and it is enriched in hydrophobic residues. We have determined the 2.2 A crystal structure of a complex between the PLSCR1 NLS and the armadillo repeat core of vertebrate importin α. Our crystallographic analysis reveals that PLSCR1 NLS binds to armadillo repeats 1–4 of importin α, but its interaction partially overlaps the classical NLS binding site. Two PLSCR1 lysines occupy the canonical positions indicated as P2 and P5. Moreover, we present in vivo evidence that the critical lysine at position P2, which is essential in other known NLS sequences, is dispensable in PLSCR1 NLS. Taken together, these data provide insight into a novel nuclear localization signal that presents a distinct motif for binding to importin α.
Bedside sonographic measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter as a predictor of increased intracranial pressure in children.

Study objective We investigate the test performance of emergency physician–performed sonographic measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter for diagnosis of increased intracranial pressure. Methods Children between the ages of 0 and 18 years with suspected increased intracranial pressure were prospectively recruited from the emergency department and ICU of an urban, tertiary-level, freestanding pediatric facility. Pediatric emergency physicians with goal-directed training in ophthalmic sonography measured optic nerve sheath diameter. Images were recorded and subsequently reviewed by a pediatric ophthalmologist and an ophthalmic sonographer, both of whom were blind to the patient's clinical condition. Measurements obtained by the ophthalmic sonographer were considered the criterion standard. An optic nerve sheath diameter greater than 4.0 mm in subjects younger than 1 year and greater than 4.5 mm in older children was considered abnormal. The diagnosis of increased intracranial pressure was based on results of cranial imaging or direct measurement of intracranial pressure. Results Sixty-four patients were recruited, of whom 24 (37%) had a confirmed diagnosis of increased intracranial pressure. The sensitivity of optic nerve sheath diameter as a screening test for increased intracranial pressure was 83% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60 to 0.94); specificity was 38% (95% CI 0.23 to 0.54); positive likelihood ratio was 1.32 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.79) and negative likelihood ratio was 0.46 (95% CI 0.18 to 1.23). There was fair to good interobserver agreement between the pediatric emergency physician and ophthalmic sonographer (κ 0.52) and pediatric ophthalmologist (κ 0.64). Conclusion The sensitivity and specificity of bedside sonographic measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter is inadequate to aid medical decisionmaking in children with suspected increased intracranial pressure. Pediatric emergency physicians with focused training by a pediatric ophthalmologist familiar with ophthalmic sonography can measure optic nerve sheath diameter accurately.
Search for Evidence of Axial Current Flow in Peripheral Nerves of Salamander

The demonstrated association of the d-c bioelectric field with central nervous system elements implies the longitudinal flow of charge carriers within that system. Transverse d-c voltages, attributed to the Hall effect, have been obtained from the extremities of intact salamanders under circumstances suggesting such electric current. These voltages disappeared after nerve section, and their magnitude was related to the depth of anesthesia.
Opinions of Obesity Experts on the Causes and Treatment of Obesity - A New Survey

A survey of opinions on the causes of and effectiveness for treatment of obesity was carried out on data provided by questionnaires from 57 physicians and scientists involved in obesity research. Responses were grouped by region (Europe, North America, and South America), gender, age (30-50 and over 50 years), and professional training (MD or PhD). Metabolic factors were considered the most important cause of obesity overall with physical inactivity only slightly behind. There were no gender differences, but the older group thought physical inactivity was a more important cause than the younger group. Weight cycling overall was not considered very important, although it was significantly more important among the Ph.D. group. Low-fat diets were considered the most effective treatment, with the older group of respondents rating low-fat diet more highly than their younger colleagues. Exercise was viewed as a more important treatment among North Americans, and medications as less in the treatment of obesity. All groups viewed serotonergic and thermogenic drugs as the most effective treatments whose usefulness would increase during the next 10 years.
Ribonuclease activity during induction of cold hardiness in mimosa epicotyl and hypocotyl tissues.

Abstract Ribonuclease activities in both epicotyl and hypocotyl tissues of Albizzia julibrissin seedlings decreased during induction of cold hardiness. Small decreases in fresh weights during induction of cold hardiness suggest a possible relationship between RNase activities and desiccation. Relative to increases in total protein during induction of cold hardiness, decreases in RNase activities suggest some degree of specificity, possibly invloved in regulation of RNAs and protein synthesis during induction of cold hardiness.
An Efficient Method of Sampling for Statistical Circuit Design

In circuit design with component values that are subject to variation from circuit to circuit, we often wish to find a statistical distribution for these component values that yields an acceptable level for the mean of some cost function. Statistical methods for solving this problem have become popular in recent years, especially in circuits with large numbers of varying components, as deterministic methods are hard to use in these cases. In using these methods, we are often faced with the problem of estimating the cost under one distribution given that we have sampled under another distribution. However, if the sampling distribution and the distribution under which the expected cost is to be estimated differ too much, then a poor estimator of the expected cost may be obtained. A new method of doing further sampling only in regions where the original sampling distribution under-sampled is introduced. By using this procedure, large reductions in variance are possible with only a small amount of additional sampling.
Localization of cytochrome b5 in rat organs and tissues by immunohistochemistry.

Abstract We employed an immunohistochemical technique for a study of the localization of cytochrome b 5 in paraffin-embedded tissues of the rat. The presence of cytochrome b 5 was limited to the centrilobular areas of the liver, the distal tubules and the collecting ducts of the kidney and the absorptive cells of the villi in the small intestine.
Negotiating Work and Womanhood

Alors que le feminisme s'est battu pour l'egalite des sexes, aujourd'hui, aux Etats-unis, la legislation du travail et le droit de la famille soulevent le probleme d'un traitement special des femmes enceintes qui souhaitent beneficier de conges parental ou medical. En Albanie (New York) le debat entre coalitions a ete mene en terme de legislation « pro-familiale » plutot qu'en terme de droit des travailleurs en tant qu'individus ; debat fortement influence par la conception americaine de la frontiere entre sphere privee (organisation familiale) et sphere publique (activite professionnelle)
Review: mothers with HIV infection worked hard to protect their children and preserve a positive maternal identity.

Sandelowski M, Barroso J. Motherhood in the context of maternal HIV infection. Res Nurs Health 2003;26:470–82. [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Q How do women with HIV infection experience motherhood? ### ![Graphic][5] Data sources: {16 electronic databases; reference lists; and hand searches of Qual Health Res and J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care .}* ### ![Graphic][6] Study selection and assessment: published and unpublished qualitative studies on women who had HIV infection and lived in the US. Metasummary and metasynthesis techniques were used to synthesise findings across reports. 56 studies (36 published, 20 unpublished) met the selection criteria. Mother work. Mothers with HIV worked to deal with their illness and its social consequences. They sought to protect their children from HIV infection and HIV related stigma. Tasks included finding information for making decisions; weighing the benefits and costs of disclosing their HIV status; establishing and maintaining the mother-child relationship; coping with the physical aspects of their illness and child care; and grieving the death of HIV positive children. Different factors influenced maternal work: age and HIV status of the child, maternal health status, ethnic/racial and socioeconomic position, maternal temporal orientation, … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DResearch%2Bin%2Bnursing%2B%2526%2Bhealth%26rft.stitle%253DRes%2BNurs%2BHealth%26rft.aulast%253DSandelowski%26rft.auinit1%253DM.%26rft.volume%253D26%26rft.issue%253D6%26rft.spage%253D470%26rft.epage%253D482%26rft.atitle%253DMotherhood%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bcontext%2Bof%2Bmaternal%2BHIV%2Binfection.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1002%252Fnur.10109%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F14689463%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1002/nur.10109&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=14689463&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F7%2F3%2F90.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000187714600006&link_type=ISI [5]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif [6]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif
Tunable diode laser measurements of water vapour absorption line parameters

Tunable diode laser measurements of water vapour lines in the 5 μm region have been extended to include oxygen as well as nitrogen broadening. Positive pressure shifts of line positions have been observed for the first time in the v 2 band. Absolute calibration of a line position using the CO laser as a reference has also been carried out.
Cloning of an L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase that interacts with the GLUT4 C-terminus.

Abstract Evidence indicates that the carboxy-terminal cytoplasmic domain of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) is important for the regulation of GLUT4 in muscle and adipocytes. We cloned from a human skeletal muscle cDNA library a 34-kDa protein which interacts with GLUT4 C-terminal cytoplasmic domain in a two-hybrid system and also with GLUT4 C-terminus synthetic peptide in anin vitrobinding assay. This protein, called YP10, showed a high degree (>90%) of sequence homology with l -3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) and had a dehydrogenase activity similar to pig heart HAD, which was inhibited by GLUT4 C-terminus synthetic peptide. An antiserum raised against pig heart HAD also reacted with YP10. Western blot analysis using this antiserum revealed abundant immunoreactivity only in the mitochondria- and plasma membrane-enriched fractions of rat adipocytes. Northern blots revealed that YP10 mRNA is most abundant in skeletal and heart muscle. These findings suggest that YP10, a HAD isoform, interacts with GLUT4 at the plasma membrane and may play a role in cross-talk between glucose transport and fatty acid metabolism.
Calprotectin, an Abundant Cytosolic Protein from Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes, Inhibits the Growth of Borrelia burgdorferi

We previously showed that numerous polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) granule components efficiently kill Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease. In addition, motile, granule-poor cytoplasts (U-Cyt) from human blood PMN can exert anti-Borrelia activity against opsonized B. burgdorferi independently of oxidative mechanisms. Here we show that lysates of U-Cyt also possess anti-Borrelia activity, a portion of which comes from the abundant cytosolic protein calprotectin. The anti-Borrelia activity of U-Cyt lysates and recombinant calprotectin was partially or completely reversed by specific antibody to calprotectin and by Zn(2+), a cation essential for the growth of B. burgdorferi and known to inhibit the antimicrobial activity of calprotectin. Quantitative microscopic and regrowth assays revealed that calprotectin acted in a bacteriostatic fashion against B. burgdorferi. We conclude that calprotectin, a potent bacteriostatic agent from a cell primarily recognized for its oxidative and granular antibacterial mechanisms, may play a modulatory role in infection by the Lyme spirochete, particularly at sites of acute inflammation.
The design of multidimensional FIR perfect reconstruction filter banks for arbitrary sampling lattices

Summary form only given. The design of multidimensional perfect reconstruction filter banks (PRFBs) for arbitrary sampling lattices has been addressed. Necessary and sufficient conditions have been formulated for perfect reconstruction within this general context, and the design of multidimensional finite-impulse-response (FIR) PRFBs has been shown using a method that optimizes directly over the impulse response coefficients of the analysis and synthesis filters, expressing the perfect reconstruction condition as a set of equality constraints involving the impulse response coefficients. Symmetries among various filters in the filter bank or within a single filter not only serve to reduce the number of variables in the design problem, but also manifest themselves in the form of automatically satisfied constraints and redundancies among the constraints. In both cases, the total number of constraints in the design problem is reduced. The multidimensional filter banks share some desirable properties with their one-dimensional counterparts: the analysis and synthesis filters are equal complexity FIR filters, and it is possible to design systems with any number of channels. >
Accuracy assessment of the processed SRTM-based elevation data by CGIAR using field data from USA and Thailand and its relation to the terrain characteristics

Shuttle radar topographic mission (SRTM) has created an unparalleled data set of global elevations that is freely available for modeling and environmental applications. The global availability (almost 80% of the Earth surface) of SRTM data provides baseline information for many types of the worldwide research. The processed SRTM 90 m digital elevation model (DEM) for the entire globe was compiled by Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research Consortium for Spatial Information (CGIAR-CSI) and made available to the public via internet mapping interface. This product presents a great value for scientists dealing with terrain analysis, thanks to its easy download procedure and ready-to-use format. However, overall assessment of the accuracy of this product requires additional regional studies involving ground truth control and accuracy verification methods with higher level of precision, such as the global positioning system (GPS). The study presented in this paper is based on two independent datasets collected with the same GPS system in Catskill Mountains (New York, USA) and Phuket (Thailand). Both datasets were corrected with differential base station data. Statistical analysis included estimation of absolute errors and multiple regression analysis with slope and aspect variables. Data were analyzed for each location separately and in combination. Differences in terrain and geographical location allowed independent interpretation of results. The results of this study showed that absolute average vertical errors from CGIAR dataset can range from 7.58±0.60 m in Phuket to 4.07± 0.47 m in Catskills (mean±S.E.M.). This is significantly better than a standard SRTM accuracy value indicated in its specification (i.e. 16 m). The error values have strong correlation with slope and certain aspect values. Taking into account slope and aspect considerably improved the accuracy of the CGIAR DEM product for terrain with slope values greater than 10°; however, for the terrain with slope values less than 10°, this improvement was found to be negligible. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Abomasal Coccidiosis Associated with Proliferative Abomasitis in a Sheep

Abomasal coccidiosis was diagnosed in an 11-month-old female sheep that died after a 2-week period of anorexia and diarrhea. The abomasal mucosa was grossly thickened with a nodular surface and focal areas of hemorrhage. Microscopically, the middle to deep abomasal mucosa contained many intact and ruptured giant protozoal schizonts associated with hyperplasia of mucous neck cells, parietal cell atrophy, moderate lymphocytic-plasmacytic inflammation, and fibrosis centered on mineralized remnants of degenerate schizont walls. Sexual tissue stages and oocysts were not present. Microscopic features of schizonts and ultrastuctural features of merozoites were comparable to previous descriptions of Eimeria (Globidium) gilruthi, a coccidian of uncertain taxonomic status historically associated with incidental infections of the abomasum in sheep and goats. The distinctive lesions suggest that, similar to ostertagiasis, heavy coccidial infection of the abomasum should be considered as a cause of anorexia, diarrhea,...
Regulated expression of focal adhesion kinase-related nonkinase, the autonomously expressed C-terminal domain of focal adhesion kinase.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) has been implicated in cellular processes that control cell adhesion, migration, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. FRNK (FAK-related nonkinase) is the autonomously expressed, noncatalytic C-terminal portion of FAK. When ectopically expressed in cells, FRNK has been shown to act as a negative regulator of FAK activity, inhibiting cell spreading, migration, and cell cycle progression. The mechanisms that regulate FRNK expression during embryonic development and the functional role of FRNK in normal cell homeostasis remain poorly understood. Herein we show that FRNK expression in chicken cells is directed by an alternative promoter residing within an intron of FAK, positioned 3′ of the exon encoding sequences for the catalytic domain and 5′ of the exon encoding sequences for the C-terminal domain of FAK (e.g., FRNK). Using probes specific for FRNK, we show that FRNK expression occurs early in chicken embryogenesis, being readily detected at day 3, 6, or 9. Late in embryogenesis, at day 18, FRNK is expressed in a tissue-specific manner, predominately in lung and intestine cells. Western blot analysis of mouse tissues with a FAK-specific antibody revealed the expression of FRNK in the mouse lung. Reverse transcriptase PCR analysis of mouse lung RNA revealed the presence of spliced FRNK mRNAs containing 5′ untranslated sequences derived from a positionally conserved exon present in the mouse genome. FAK is the first example of a tyrosine kinase regulated by a domain under the control of an alternative intronic promoter. It is also the first example of a focal adhesion-associated protein regulated by such a mechanism and thus represents a novel means for the modulation of cell adhesion signaling.
Nutritional Control of Growth and Development in Yeast

Availability of key nutrients, such as sugars, amino acids, and nitrogen compounds, dictates the developmental programs and the growth rates of yeast cells. A number of overlapping signaling networks—those centered on Ras/protein kinase A, AMP-activated kinase, and target of rapamycin complex I, for instance—inform cells on nutrient availability and influence the cells’ transcriptional, translational, posttranslational, and metabolic profiles as well as their developmental decisions. Here I review our current understanding of the structures of the networks responsible for assessing the quantity and quality of carbon and nitrogen sources. I review how these signaling pathways impinge on transcriptional, metabolic, and developmental programs to optimize survival of cells under different environmental conditions. I highlight the profound knowledge we have gained on the structure of these signaling networks but also emphasize the limits of our current understanding of the dynamics of these signaling networks. Moreover, the conservation of these pathways has allowed us to extrapolate our finding with yeast to address issues of lifespan, cancer metabolism, and growth control in more complex organisms.
Low cost high efficiency DC-DC converter for fuel cell powered auxiliary power unit of a heavy vehicle

In this paper, a new dc-dc converter for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) powered auxiliary power unit (APU) is proposed. The proposed converter does not consider the leakage inductance of the transformer as a parasite and uses it for energy transfer, thus avoiding problems of low efficiency and difficulty in control, caused by leakage inductance. The need for a separate filter inductor is also eliminated. Soft switching is done for some of the switches of the proposed converter, thereby further increasing the efficiency of the converter. Thus, the achieved low cost and high efficiency of the proposed converter make it suitable for SOFC powered APU applications. Simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the proposed dc-dc converter. The achieved cost and efficiency of the prototype are 50.8$/kW and 90%, respectively
An Ecobehavioral Examination of High School Classrooms That Include Students with Disabilities

This study examined teacher behaviors, student responses, and classroom ecology in inclusive classrooms in four high schools that have had success at including students with disabilities in general education, and examined the differences in teacher and student behavior for students with and without disabilities. Using a computerized ecobehavioral assessment tool (EBASS), 199 observations in 118 inclusive classrooms were conducted. Major results were that (a) students with and without disabilities showed high levels of academic engagement and low levels of inappropriate behavior; (b) there were no significant differences in the behavior of students with and without disabilities; (c) teachers were active in their classrooms, spending more than 75% of their time involved in instructing, managing, and interacting with their students; and (d) students with disabilities were more often the focus of the teachers' attention than students without disabilities. Possible explanations for these results and implicatio...
Retinal Vessel Radius Estimation and a Vessel Center Line Segmentation Method Based on Ridge Descriptors

This paper studies the retinal vessel radius estimation and proposes a segmentation method for vessel center lines based on ridge descriptors. The study on radius estimation reveals that the radius estimation by the matched filters based on the second order derivatives of Gaussian kernels is only correct at the vessel center. The relation between the vessel radius and the scale of the Gaussian kernel in the estimation method based on the normalized largest curvature is also studied. The ridge descriptor proposed in this paper contains the normalized largest curvature and the orientations of gradients in the local neighborhood. For vessels of a certain scale, the distribution of the descriptors is assumed to be a normal distribution and is learned from a training set with known truth. Vessel center line segmentation can be then performed based on the distance between the ridge descriptor at candidate pixels and the learned model. Evaluation of the vessel center line segmentation based on the descriptors is done on both DRIVE and STARE databases using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The areas under the ROC curves on DRIVE and STARE databases are 0.9584 and 0.9421 respectively.
Image texture synthesis-by-analysis using moving-average models

A synthesis-by-analysis model for texture replication or simulation is presented. This model can closely replicate a given textured image or produce another image that although distinct from the original, has the same general visual characteristics and the same first and second-order gray-level statistics as the original image. The texture synthesis algorithm, proposed contains three distinct components: a moving-average (MA) filter, a filter excitation function, and a gray-level histogram. The analysis portion of the texture synthesis algorithm derives the three from a given image. The synthesis portion convolves the MA filter kernel with the excitation function, adds noise, and modifies the histogram of the result. The advantages of this texture model over others include conceptually and computationally simple and robust parameter estimation, inherent stability, parsimony in the number of parameters, and synthesis through convolution. The authors describe a procedure for deriving the correct MA kernel using a signal enhancement algorithm, demonstrate the effectiveness of the model by using it to mimic several diverse textured images, discuss its applicability to the problem of infrared background simulation, and include detailed algorithms for the implementation of the model. >
Epilepsy and psychopathology in childhood: a controlled study with carbamazepine.

Abstract The relationship between epilepsy, abnormal electroencephalograms, and behavior disorders in children is briefly addressed. The use of carbamazepine in an epileptic child with a behavior disorder is reliably evaluated using a controlled A-B-A-B single case experimental design. Advantages and disadvantages of this treatment plan are discussed, and recommendations are made to help the individual practitioner use this format in a clinical setting.
Space diversity for the multimode optical fiber channel

Multimode optical fiber links for local area networks have been challenged by the ever increasing demand for higher data rates. The understanding of their fundamental limits thus becomes crucial. Recent research results show that multimode optical fiber channels have much higher channel capacity from the information-theoretic point of view. A modulation method utilizing the space diversity of multimode optical fibers is introduced and studied in this paper. It asymptotically approaches the channel capacity promised by information theory. Experiments are also conducted to demonstrate the feasibility
A model for visual observation under uncertainty

The problem of observing a moving agent is addressed. A modeling approach for the visual system and its observer is advocated in which a discrete-event dynamic system (DEDS) framework is developed and events are defined as ranges on parameter subsets. In particular, a system for observing a process in which a robot hand manipulates an object is proposed. A stabilizing observer is constructed, and low-level modules are developed for recognizing the events that cause state transitions within the dynamic manipulation system. The work examines closely the possibilities for errors and uncertainties in the manipulation system, observer construction process, and event identification mechanisms. The system utilizes different tracking techniques to observe and recognize the task in an active, adaptive, and goal-directed manner. >
Zinc Status in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection and Illicit Drug Use

Zinc deficiency is the most prevalent micronutrient abnormality seen in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Low levels of plasma zinc predict a 3-fold increase in HIV-related mortality, whereas normalization has been associated with significantly slower disease progression and a decrease in the rate of opportunistic infections. Studies in Miami, Florida, indicated that HIV-positive users of illicit drugs are at risk for developing zinc deficiency, at least partially because of their poor dietary intake. Zinc deficiency characterized by low plasma zinc levels over time enhances HIV-associated disease progression, and low dietary zinc intake is an independent predictor of mortality in HIV-infected drug users. The amount of zinc supplementation in HIV infection appears to be critical, because deficiency, as well as excessive dietary intake of zinc, has been linked with declining CD4 cell counts and reduced survival. More research is needed to determine the optimal zinc supplementation level in HIV-infected patients, to prevent further burden on an already compromised immune system.
A Formal Analysis and Taxonomy of Task Allocation in Multi-Robot Systems

Despite more than a decade of experimental work in multi-robot systems, important theoretical aspects of multi-robot coordination mechanisms have, to date, been largely untreated. To address this issue, we focus on the problem of multi-robot task allocation (MRTA). Most work on MRTA has been ad hoc and empirical, with many coordination architectures having been proposed and validated in a proof-of-concept fashion, but infrequently analyzed. With the goal of bringing objective grounding to this important area of research, we present a formal study of MRTA problems. A domain-independent taxonomy of MRTA problems is given, and it is shown how many such problems can be viewed as instances of other, well-studied, optimization problems. We demonstrate how relevant theory from operations research and combinatorial optimization can be used for analysis and greater understanding of existing approaches to task allocation, and show how the same theory can be used in the synthesis of new approaches.
Simultaneous transmission of wireless and wired data using coherent subcarrier modulation of optically generated 60 GHz signals

We designed and experimentally demonstrated coherent subcarrier modulation, transmitting 10-Gb/s baseband and 2.5-Gb/s wireless data over single 60GHz radio-over-fiber channel simultaneously and BER performance at 10−10 after 25-km SMF were measured with ≪1dB power penalty.
Cultural Influences on Emotional Responding Chinese American and European American Dating Couples During Interpersonal Conflict

Ethnographic descriptions suggest that compared to European Americans, Chinese Americans place a greater emphasis on emotional moderation. To assess whether such cultural differences influence actual emotional responding, we compared the physiological responses and reported affect of 22 Chinese American and 20 European American college-age dating couples in an interpersonal context, that is, during conversations about areas of conflict in their relationship. Although some of our findings were consistent with ethnographic notions of greater emotional moderation in Chinese culture (Chinese Americans demonstrated less variable and less positive reported affect and less variable cardiac interbeat intervals than European Americans), other findings were not (Chinese Americans and European Americans did not differ in most measures of physiological responding and in reported negative affect).
Determination of Depth of Surface Cracks in Asphalt Pavements

Nondestructive measurement of crack depths of asphalt pavements in situ could be a valuable tool for engineers in rehabilitation planning. Such measurements currently must be made by first coring or trenching a pavement and then measuring the crack by hand. Two methods for performing this task nondestructively are presented. The two methods, surface wave and ultrasonic, use the slowing effect that a crack has on a wave. Two signal-processing techniques were used to analyze the surface wave method—the fast Fourier transform (FFT) and the short kernel method (SKM). The FFT method provided a frequency spectrum that was used to find the energy carried by specific frequencies. The percent energy reduction (PER) was computed and plotted at each crack depth; this plot revealed that PER values increase as crack depth increases. The SKM method showed the wave velocity to decrease as the crack depth in creased. By comparing the wave velocity of the cracked pavement with that of the undamaged pavement, a phase veloc...
Neuromorphic control of robotic manipulators

A simple decentralized neuromorphic controller (NMC) for multijoint robotic manipulators with unknown dynamics is presented. The control scheme is computationally very fast and amenable to parallel processing implementation. The NMC is employed to generate the proper control torques to achieve a desired trajectory for the manipulator given both the measurements of the current states and the desired values of the current states. The NMC parameters are adjusted online in real time by the popular backpropagation algorithm which minimizes the error between the desired and current plant states. This method is illustrated by several examples where a two-degree-of-freedom robotic manipulator is controlled to a desired trajectory under a variety of conditions. >
Habitat suitability for three species of Anopheles mosquitoes: larval growth and survival in reciprocal placement experiments.

ABSTRACT Larval habitats of the main malaria vectors in Belize are associated with three distinctly different aquatic environments: marshes with sparse macrophytes and cyanobacterial mats (Anopheles albimanus), tall dense macrophyte marshes (An. vestitipennis), and floating detritus assemblages within freshwater rivers (An. darlingi). We assessed species specific habitat suitability based upon nutrient characteristics using larval survival rates (SR) and wing lengths (WL) from floating habitat enclosures. Anopheles albimanus showed a high SR (81%) in all three habitats, while An. vestitipennis had a similarly high SR in its own habitat (82%) and An. darlingi's habitat (81%). Anopheles darlingi only showed high SR (85%) in its own habitat. Both An. vestitipennis and An. darlingi showed very low SR in the An. albimanus habitat. There were no significant WL differences among field-caught, laboratory-reared, and experimental populations of An. vestitipennis and An. albimanus, with the exception of An. vestiti...
Compositional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Measures of Cartilage--Endpoints for Clinical Trials of Disease-modifying Osteoarthritis Drugs?

Because compositional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques enable detection of biochemical and microstructural changes in the cartilage extracellular matrix before gross morphological changes occur, they may be useful as outcome measures for clinical trials focusing on early and potentially reversible disease stages1. To date, many of these compositional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have not been thoroughly validated in human patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and thus are not presently in routine clinical use. Therefore compositional MRI techniques have rarely been applied in clinical trials2, but they have been used with increasing frequency in OA research for “premorphologic” evaluation of cartilage. Techniques comprise relaxometry measurements (T2, T2* and T1rho mapping) including T2* mapping with ultrashort echo-time imaging, sodium imaging, delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC), magnetization transfer contrast and glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-specific chemical exchange saturation transfer (gagCEST), diffusion-weighted imaging, and diffusion tensor imaging. Moreover, they seem to have the potential to serve as quantitative, reproducible, noninvasive, and objective endpoints for OA research, particularly in early and preradiographic stages of the disease. Table 1 summarizes available compositional MRI techniques in the context of OA research. Below we describe recent evidence regarding their potential utility. View this table: Table 1. Summary of compositional MRI techniques. Numerous clinical studies using T2 mapping have shown that subjects with knee pain have elevated T2 values3. Other studies have also associated T2 values with risk factors for OA including age, sex, obesity, and physical activity levels4. One study suggested that addition of a T2 mapping sequence to a routine MRI protocol at 3.0 T improved sensitivity in the detection of cartilage lesions in the knee joint, with only a slight reduction in specificity5. A more recent study showed that higher T2 values at baseline predicted disease onset in a cohort of subjects at … Address correspondence to Dr. A. Guermazi, Boston University School of Medicine, 820 Harrison Ave., FGH Building, 3rd Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA; E-mail: guermazi{at}bu.edu