cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns and processes of genome-wide divergence between North American and African Drosophila melanogaster.

Genomic tools and analyses are now being widely used to understand genome-wide patterns and processes associated with speciation and adaptation. In this article, we apply a genomics approach to the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. This species originated in Africa and subsequently spread and adapted to temperate environments of Eurasia and the New World, leading some populations to evolve reproductive isolation, especially between cosmopolitan and Zimbabwean populations. We used tiling arrays to identify highly differentiated regions within and between North America (the United States and Caribbean) and Africa (Cameroon and Zimbabwe) across 63% of the D. melanogaster genome and then sequenced representative fragments to study their genetic divergence. Consistent with previous findings, our results showed that most differentiation was between populations living in Africa vs. outside of Africa (i.e., “out-of-Africa” divergence), with all other geographic differences being less substantial (e.g., between cosmopolitan and Zimbabwean races). The X chromosome was much more strongly differentiated than the autosomes between North American and African populations (i.e., greater X divergence). Overall differentiation was positively associated with recombination rates across chromosomes, with a sharp reduction in regions near centromeres. Fragments surrounding these high FST sites showed reduced haplotype diversity and increased frequency of rare and derived alleles in North American populations compared to African populations. Nevertheless, despite sharp deviation from neutrality in North American strains, a small set of bottleneck/expansion demographic models was consistent with patterns of variation at the majority of our high FST fragments. Although North American populations were more genetically variable compared to Europe, our simulation results were generally consistent with those previously based on European samples. These findings support the hypothesis that most differentiation between North America and Africa was likely driven by the sorting of African standing genetic variation into the New World via Europe. Finally, a few exceptional loci were identified, highlighting the need to use an appropriate demographic null model to identify possible cases of selective sweeps in species with complex demographic histories.
Algorithm-based fault location and recovery for matrix computations

Previous algorithm-based methods for developing reliable versions of numerical algorithms have mostly concerned themselves with error detection. A truly fault tolerant algorithm, however, needs to locate errors and recover from them once they are located. In a parallel processing environment, this corresponds to locating the faulty processors and recovering the data corrupted by the faulty processors. In our paper, we discuss in detail fault tolerant version of a matrix multiplication algorithm. The ideas developed in the derivation of the fault-tolerant matrix multiplication algorithms may be used to derive fault-tolerant versions of other numerical algorithms. We outline how two other numerical algorithms, QR factorization and Gaussian Elimination may be made fault-tolerant using our approach. Our fault model assumes that a faulty processor can corrupt all the data it possesses. We present error coverage and overhead results for the single faulty processor case for fault-locating and fault-tolerant versions of three numerical algorithms on an Intel iPSC/2 hypercube multicomputer. >
Measured and theoretical characterization of the RF properties of stacked, high-gradient insulator material

Recent high-voltage breakdown experiments of periodic metallic-dielectric insulating structures have suggested several interesting high-gradient applications. One such area is the employment of high-gradient insulators in high-current, electron-beam, accelerating induction modules. For this application, the understanding of the RF characteristics of the insulator plays an important role in estimating beam-cavity interactions. In this paper, we examine the RF properties of the insulator comparing simulation results with experiment. Different insulator designs are examined to determine their RF transmission properties in gap geometries.
Analytical prediction of condensing film heat-transfer coefficient for a horizontal rotating cylinder

Abstract The expression for the condensing-film heat-transfer coefficient for the case of a horizontal rotating cylinder is derived here by applying a macroscopic energy balance to a condensate fluid element that contains a finite number of protrusions, caused by Taylor instability on the vapor-liquid interface. The configuration of the protrusion model is developed here which is consistent with the effects of surface tension on vapor-liquid interfacial Taylor instability. The shape of the protrusion in the model is taken to be very close to that of a protrusion occurring in the real phenomenon of condensation under the influence of a force field.
Inheritance of Humeral Spotting in the Croaking Gourami (Osphronemidae: Trichopsis vittatus)

The croaking gourami (Trichopsis vittatus) exhibits two phenotypes associated with humeral spotting. Fish possess a prominent, dark humeral patch or spot located behind the operculum or lack this spotting pattern. Segregation patterns observed from the progenies of eleven different crosses support the hypothesis that the inheritance of humeral spotting in T. vittatus is controlled by the action of a single autosomal locus, with complete dominance of the allele controlling the spotted phenotype.
Design Team Convergence: The Influence of Example Solution Quality

This study examines how engineering design teams converge upon a solution to a design problem and how their solution is influenced by information given to them prior to problem solving. Specifically, the study considers the influence of the type of information received prior to problem solving on team convergence over time, as well as on the quality of produced solutions. To understand convergence, a model of the team members' solution approach was developed through a cognitive engineering design study, specifically examining the effect of the introduction of a poor example solution or a good example solution prior to problem solving on the quality of the produced solutions. Latent semantic analysis was used to track the teams' convergence, and the quality of design solutions was systematically assessed using pre-established criteria and multiple evaluators. Introducing a poor example solution was shown to decrease teams' convergence over time, as well as the quality of their design solution; introducing a good example solution did not produce a statistically significant different effect on convergence compared with the control (with no prior example solution provided) but did lead to higher quality solutions.
Optical Properties of Overfire Soot in Buoyant Turbulent Diffusion Flames At Long Residence Times

The optical properties of soot were studied for the fuel-lean (overfire) region of buoyant turbulent diffusion flames in still air. Results were limited to the long residence time regime where soot structure is independent of position in the overfire region and residence time for a particular fuel. Measurements included scattering, absorption, and extinction cross sections at 514.5 nm and extinction cross sections at 632.8 and 1157 nm for flames fueled with acetylene, propylene, ethylene, and propane. The measurements were used to evaluate scattering predictions based on the Rayleigh-Debye-Gans (RDG) approximation for randomly oriented polydisperse fractal aggregates of spherical primary soot particles having constant diameters
Assessment of peripheral vascular endothelial function in the ambulatory setting

Until now, peripheral vascular endothelial function testing has been performed in research laboratories under highly controlled conditions, thus limiting its clinical applicability. In this study, we evaluated endothelial function in two peripheral vascular beds before and during reactive hyperemia in an outpatient clinic setting. The brachial artery was imaged with a portable ultrasound device and changes in vessel diameter were expressed as percent flow-mediated dilation (%FMD). Pulse wave amplitude of the finger was detected by peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) and PAT hyperemia was defined as the maximal plethysmographic recording compared to baseline. Sixty individuals (43 men) were enrolled with an average age 53 2 years (mean SE). The 31 individuals with more than two cardiac risk factors (CRF) had lower FMD (7.0 1.1%) and PAT hyperemia (2.1 0.9) compared to the 29 individuals with 0-2 CRF (FMD 11.3 0.8%, PAT hyperemia 2.4 0.1; p 0.05 for both). The 32 individuals with coronary artery disease (CAD) had lower FMD (6.8 1.1%) and PAT hyperemia (2.0 0.1) compared to the 28 individuals without CAD (FMD 11.5 0.8%, PAT hyperemia 2.4 0.1; p 0.05 for both). Thus, peripheral vascular endothelial function testing in the ambulatory setting correlates with the extent of CAD risk and the presence or absence of CAD. In conclusion, these data suggest that peripheral vascular endothelial function testing is feasible in ambulatory patients, and this is an important next step in bringing this technology to clinical applicability.
Aspects of fundamental deuterium and second harmonic tritium heating in fusion plasmas

Summary form only given, as follows. This work examines fundamental deuterium and second harmonic tritium heating in ITER and TFTR. The fundamental heating scenario is (D)T in an ITER-like plasma with baseline parameters (R/sub major/=6 m; r/sub minor/=2.2 m; B/sub minor/=4.85 T; n/sub e/=9.0/spl times/10/sup 19/ m/sup -3/; T/sub e/=10-15 keV). The enhanced fusion reactivity resulting from the non-Maxwellian deuterium population (given by Stix's quasi-linear formalism) has been evaluated numerically. The absorption and reflection coefficients for the fast wave are calculated using the full-wave code XWAVE. For ITER, we find that the presence of the (D-T) hybrid resonance can give rise to a substantial enhancement of the local a particle absorbed power density and significant reflection. When the hybrid resonance layer is moved to the magnetic axis, the single-pass alpha power absorption coefficient can reach up to 70% (with greatly reduced reflection) for parameters corresponding to an advanced ITER design. The behavior of the distribution function of the alphas has also been investigated using FPPRF, a bounce-averaged Fokker-Planck code. These results can be relevant to a possible alpha current drive scheme in ITER-class machines. The second harmonic tritium heating scenario is a D-T plasma with hot D and T beams, and small concentrations of He/sup 3/ and /spl alpha/. The plasma parameters have been chosen from TRANSP calculations of recent D-T runs in TFTR, and the analysis is carried out with SEMAL, a global full-wave code based on a finite-element method. We find that the absorption by fusion alphas can be significant for large parallel wave numbers.
A role for action-potential activity in the development of neuronal connections in the kitten retinogeniculate pathway

The role of action potentials in the development of proper synaptic connections in the mammalian CNS was studied in the kitten retinogeniculate pathway. Our basic finding is that there is improper segregation of retinal inputs onto LGN cells after prolonged retinal action-potential blockade. Retinal ganglion cell firing was silenced from birth by repeated monocular injections of TTX. The resulting ganglion cell connections in the LGN were studied electrophysiologically after the action-potential blockade was ended. Most cells in the deprived LGN layers received excitatory input from both ON-center and OFF-center type ganglion cells, whereas LGN cells normally receive inputs only from ON-center or OFF-center ganglion cells, but not from both types. Improper segregation of ON and OFF inputs has never been reported after other types of visual deprivation that do not block ganglion cell activity. Control experiments showed that receptive fields in the nondeprived LGN layers were normal, that ganglion cell responses remained normal, and that there was no obvious ganglion cell loss. We also showed that individual LGN cells with ON and OFF excitatory inputs were not present in normal neonatal kittens. Two other types of improper input segregation in response to action-potential blockade were also found in the deprived LGN layers. (1) A greater than normal number of LGN cells received both X- and Y-type ganglion cell input. (2) Almost half of the cells at LGN layer borders were excited binocularly. Recovery of LGN normality was rapid and complete after blockade that lasted for only 3 weeks from birth, but little recovery was seen after about 11 weeks of blockade. The susceptibility to action-potential blockade decreased during the first 3 postnatal weeks. These findings may result from axon-terminal sprouting or from the failure of axon terminals to retract. The results are consistent with the idea that normally synchronous activity of neighboring ganglion cells of like center-type may be used in the refinement of retinogeniculate synaptic connections.
Mechanisms of Self-Motion Perception

Guiding effective movement through the environment is one of the visual system's most important functions. The pattern of motion that we see allows us to estimate our heading accurately in a variety of environments, despite the added difficulty imposed by our own eye and head movements. The cortical substrates for heading perception include the medial superior temporal area (MST) and the ventral intraparietal area (VIP). This review discusses recent work on these two areas in the context of behavioral observations that establish the important problems the visual system must solve. Signals relevant to self motion are both more widespread than heretofore recognized and also more complex because they are multiplexed with other sensory signals, such as vestibular, auditory, and tactile information. The review presents recent work as a background to highlight important problems that remain unsolved.
Spectrally encoded angular light scattering

The angular light scattering profile of microscopic particles significantly depends on their morphological parameters, such as size and shape. This dependency is widely used in state-of-the-art flow cytometry methods for particle classification. We introduce a new spectrally encoded angular light scattering method, with potential application in scanning flow cytometry. We show that a one-to-one wavelength-to-angle mapping enables the measurement of the angular dependence of scattered light from microscopic particles over a wide dynamic range. Improvement in dynamic range is obtained by equalizing the angular dependence of scattering via wavelength equalization. Continuous angular spectrum is obtained without mechanical scanning enabling single-shot measurement. Using this information, particle morphology can be determined with improved accuracy. We derive and experimentally verify an analytic wavelength-to-angle mapping model, facilitating rapid data processing. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate the method’s capability of distinguishing differently sized polystyrene beads. The combination of this technique with time-stretch dispersive Fourier transform offers real-time and high-throughput (high frame rate) measurements and renders the method suitable for integration in standard flow cytometers.
Granule cargo release from bone marrow-derived cells sustains cardiac hypertrophy.

Bone marrow-derived inflammatory cells, including platelets, may contribute to the progression of pressure overload-induced left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). However, the underlying mechanisms fo...
Partial nucleotide sequence of the pts operon in Salmonella typhimurium: comparative analyses in five bacterial genera

Summary The nucleotide sequence of a Salmonella typhimurium DNA segment of 549 base pairs which encompasses the operator-promoter of the pts operon, the entirety of the ptsH gene, encoding HPr of the phosphotransferase system (PTS), the first 29 nucleotides of the ptsl gene, encoding Enzyme I of the PTS, and the intercistronic region between the ptsH and ptsl genes was determined and compared with the corresponding sequence from Escherichia coli (De Reuse et al., 1985). The two sequences showed 91 % overall identity, with some regions showing sequence conservation and others exhibiting relative divergence. Two open reading frames were identified in both species: one encoded HPr on the ‘sense’ strand (255 nucleotides; 12 nucleotide differences, no amino acid differences); the other, on the anti-sense strand, consisted of 291 nucleotides (13 nucleotide differences, 13 amino acid differences). While HPr bears a net negative charge, the putative protein encoded by the open reading frame on the anti-sense strand is strongly basic. Computer analyses of HPr proteins from five different bacterial genera revealed four regions which show strong sequence identity and therefore are presumed to be critical for maintenance of biological activity. Two of these regions were specific to Gram-positive bacteria. Proposed functions for each of these regions are discussed. Relative evolutionary distances between the HPr proteins were also computed.
A stochastic-dynamic approach to pension funding☆

A stochastic-dynamic pension fund model is introduced via a stochastic differential equation in the variable, Xt, representing the fund ratio. The process Xt is analyzed by Lyapunov type methods and also the first and second moments of the process are computed. The advantages of these two methods of analysis are discussed.
Voice, speech, and swallowing outcomes in laser-treated laryngeal cancer.

Objective: To describe preliminary voice, speech, and swallowing outcomes in patients treated by endoscopic laser excision of laryngeal cancer with or without adjuvant radiation therapy. Study Design: Retrospective review. Methods: Seventeen surgically treated patients (five T2 glottic and 12 clinically staged T2 supraglottic squamous cell carcinomas) participated in the study. Self-ratings of voice (Voice Handicap Index) and swallowing (M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory) were completed, as well as independent auditory-perceptual ratings of voice and speech recordings. Resuits: Although no significant difference between Voice Handicap Index, M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory, and listener ratings was identified based on tumor site and irradiation status, there was a trend toward poorer outcomes in patients who received adjuvant radiation therapy. Whereas the patients having supraglottic cancer tended to report better voice but poorer swallowing outcomes, the glottic cancer group displayed the opposite pattern. Severity on Voice Handicap Index correlated significantly with listener severity ratings of speech, suggesting that the patients' perception of their voice handicap was similar to the listeners' judgments of their speech severity. Conclusions: The results suggest the following trends: 1) Adjuvant radiation therapy was associated with poorer outcomes for voice, speech, and swallowing and may be associated with more impairment than surgery alone and 2) poorer outcomes on voice and swallowing were observed for the glottic and supraglottic cancer groups, respectively. To bolster these preliminary findings, additional outcomes studies in patients treated with conservation therapy are needed.
Trends in Revision Circumcision at Pediatric Hospitals

Background. We sought to determine the incidence of revision circumcision at freestanding children’s hospitals, and examine trends over time. Methods. We searched the Pediatric Health Information Systems database to identify boys undergoing revision circumcision (RC), primary non-newborn circumcision (PC), or lysis of penile adhesions (LPA) from 2004 to 2009. Rates of RC procedures were calculated by dividing the incidence of procedures by the total male ambulatory surgical volume. Results. We identified 34 568 patients of whom 5632 underwent RC, 25 768 PC, and 3168 LPA. The rate of RC increased 119%, which was significantly more than PC (19%; P < .001) or LPA (37%; P < .001). Urologists performed 76% of RC and 12% were performed with other genitourinary procedures. Boys undergoing RC were predominately white (60%) and publicly insured (61%). Conclusions. There was a disproportionate increased rate of RC performed at Pediatric Health Information Systems hospitals compared with PC or LPA. Wide variation ex...
SPURIOUS REFLECTION OF ELASTIC WAVES IN NONUNIFORM FINITE ELEMENT GRIDS

Elastic wave propagation in a one-dimensional grid of finite elements whose size if uniform from element to element except at one node is analyzed, using complex variables. It is found that spurious wave reflection, along with an increase of amplitude of the diffracted wave, takes place when a wave passes between two finite elements of different sizes. Spurious reflection is significant only for relatively small wavelengths (less than ten times the size of the larger elements) and is important even for very small differences in element size (10%). If the wave arrives from finite elements of smaller size, the transmitted wave has a larger amplitude than the incident wave although the mean energy flux is less. The consistent mass matrix is found to give much smaller spurious reflections than the lumped mass matrix and to enable resolution of smaller wavelengths. This contrasts with the fact that for numerical stability (and suppression of spurious grid oscillations) the lumped mass matrix is better, and for suppression of wave dispersion a combination of lumped and consistent mass matrices is best. The study is restricted to explicit time-step algorithm, second-order (central) difference formulas, and finite elements with linear spatial expansions. In this case it is found that the time step has negligible effects.
Behind the T(rope): One Boxer's Story

In diesem Beitrag beschaftigen wir uns mit der Lebensgeschichte eines professionellen Juniormittelgewicht-Boxers. Wir nutzten fur die Untersuchung einen Boxring in einer nordamerikanischen Stadt; insgesamt wurden funf, teilweise sehr langdauernde Gesprache gefuhrt und mit dem Life-Story-Ansatz ausgewertet. Die Ergebnisse prasentieren wir in einem dialogischen Format. Es handelt sich dabei um die gemeinsame Produktion einer Wissenschaftlerin mit einem Sportjournalisten, Mutter und Sohn, um die teilweise glamourose, teilweise banale Lebenswirklichkeit im Ring zu rekonstruieren. Zum Gegenstand der Forschung gibt es auch einen familiaren Bezugspunkt: Unser Vater bzw. Grosvater war Boxer in der US-Marine. Als Amateurchampion im Weltergewicht verzeichnete Bob "The Brick Wall" KETELLE 17 Siege, davon 10 durch K.O., keine Niederlage und ein Unentschieden. Aus diesem familiaren Hintergrund heraus ist unser Interesse am Thema erwachsen und der Wunsch, mehr uber das Leben von Boxern zu erfahren. Boxen war haufig Gegenstand von Literatur und Filmen, besonders bekannte Beispiele sind Raging Bull (1980) und Rocky (1976). Die Geschichte ist hinlanglich bekannt: Ein junger, unbekannter Sportler mit grosem Herzen kampft sich an die Spitze, wird innerhalb nur weniger Kampfe vom Nobody zum Champion. Aber stimmt dieses Klischee mit der Wirklichkeit uberein? Mit unserer Forschung versuchen wir, einen Blick hinter den Vorhang zu werfen, um am Beispiel eines professionellen Boxers zu verstehen, was Boxlegenden und das Alltagsleben von Boxern miteinander zu tun haben./p> URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1503207
Contraction duration affects metabolic energy cost and fatigue in skeletal muscle

It has been suggested that during a skeletal muscle contraction the metabolic energy cost at the onset may be greater than the energy cost related to holding steady-state force. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of contraction duration on the metabolic energy cost and fatigue process in fully perfused contracting muscle in situ. Canine gastrocnemius muscle (n = 6) was isolated, and two contractile periods (3 min of isometric, tetanic contractions with 45-min rest between) were conducted by each muscle in a balanced order design. The two contractile periods had stimulation patterns that resulted in a 1:3 contraction-to-rest ratio, with the difference in the two contractile periods being in the duration of each contraction: short duration 0.25-s stimulation/0.75-s rest vs. long duration 1-s stimulation/3-s rest. These stimulation patterns resulted in the same total time of stimulation, number of stimulation pulses, and total time in contraction for each 3-min period. Muscle O2 uptake, the fall in developed force (fatigue), the O2 cost of developed force, and the estimated total energy cost (ATP utilization) of developed force were significantly greater (P < 0.05) with contractions of short duration. Lactate efflux from the working muscle and muscle lactate concentration were significantly greater with contractions of short duration, such that the calculated energy derived from glycolysis was three times greater in this condition. These results demonstrate that contraction duration can significantly affect both the aerobic and anaerobic metabolic energy cost and fatigue in contracting muscle. In addition, it is likely that the greater rate of fatigue with more rapid contractions was a result of elevated glycolytic production of lactic acid.
Microsatellite Marker Development and Mendelian Analysis in the Matschie's Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei)

Matschie's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is an endangered arboreal macropodid endemic to the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea (PNG). We developed 5 microsatellite markers for D. matschiei, which are the first markers developed for Dendrolagus. We screened 17 additional markers that were developed for other marsupial taxa and identified 3 that were polymorphic in D. matschiei. We estimated allelic and genetic diversity with the set of 8 markers by analyzing 22 D. matschiei from Wasaunon on the Huon Peninsula, PNG. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 9 and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.440 to 0.794. We tested for null alleles and Mendelian inheritance by analyzing 19 pairs of D. matschiei parents and offspring from Association of Zoos and Aquariums institutions. Null alleles were not detected and Mendelian inheritance was followed for all 8 markers. We also evaluated the reliability of using the markers to amplify DNA extracted from D. matschiei fecal samples and the ability of the markers to amplify DNA samples from Goodfellow's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi ssp.), Doria's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus dorianus ssp.), and Grizzled tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus inustus ssp.). Microsatellite markers can be used to inform management decisions to conserve D. matschiei in captivity and the wild.
Social Mobility and Language Use in an American Company in Japan

This paper is based on a year of ethnographic research in an American company in Japan. The company, a high-tech computer firm, has a policy of requiring English to be used in all overseas offices. Like most other foreign companies in Japan, this company has difficulty attracting high quality Japanese employees. They need to hire Japanese managers who have both business experience and English language skills. At the same time the company attempts to compete with the Japanese business community by hiring new college graduates, overlooking the English language requirement. As a result, there is considerable variation in the English language abilities of Japanese employees. This causes problems because the American managers insist on the use of English for meetings, classes, and any interactions involving foreigners. English facility and the ability to deal with Americans socially becomes a source of power for English proficient Japanese employees. The use of English and Japanese in the company becomes an im...
Investigation of Oscillatoria spongeliae-Dominated Bacterial Communities in Four Dictyoceratid Sponges

Certain species of marine sponges in the order Dictyoceratida harbor large populations of the cyanobacterial symbiont Oscillatoria spongeliae in the mesohyl (interior) of the sponge. We show that in four of these sponge species (Lamellodysidea herbacea, Lamellodysidea chlorea, Lendenfeldia chondrodes, and Phyllospongia papyracea) from Palau there is a consistent community of α-proteobacteria in addition to O. spongeliae that fall within the Rhodobacter group based on 16S rRNA gene analysis. Some of the α-proteobacteria in Lendenfeldia chondrodes and P. papyracea but not in the Lamellodysidea spp. contained site-specific insertions in the 16S rRNA gene. Reverse transcription-PCR experiments demonstrated that the largest insertion found in this study (63 bp) is present in the mature rRNA. Lendenfeldia chondrodes was the only sponge found to have another cyanobacterium in the tissue, a Synechocystis sp. We found that the Synechocystis sp. was present in both the pinacoderm (surface epithelial tissue) and mesohyl, in contrast to O. spongeliae, which was only found in the mesohyl through the use of specific fluorescence in situ hybridization experiments. Of the four sponge species, only P. papyracea was found to contain a significant number of γ-proteobacteria. These results demonstrate that O. spongeliae-dominated bacterial communities in different sponge species can vary considerably and increase our understanding of the bacterial communities found in marine invertebrates.
PAINTED TURTLES (CHRYSEMYS PICTA) OF VERMONT: AN EXAMINATION OF PHENOTYPIC VARIATION AND INTERGRADATION

Abstract The painted turtle, Chrysemys picta Schneider (family Emydidae), has been divided into four subspecies (with differing morphological characteristics), two of which intergrade in the northeastern United States. The intergradation of C. p. marginata (midland painted turtle) and C. p. picta (eastern painted turtle) has been well studied in some areas, but has been poorly studied in Vermont, an area that could contribute important information on this species and the process of intergradation. Turtles were trapped and released from three different watersheds in Vermont, and others were examined from collections at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History from within the center of the ranges of the two parent subspecies to investigate the hypotheses that Vermont's turtles are intergrades, and that the amount of influence from each subspecies differs with drainage in Vermont. For the external characteristics of scute disalignment, scute border width, and plastral figure, many of Vermont's turtles were det...
Studies on the immunologic and physiologic activities of radiolabeled human chorionic gonadotropin in the mouse ovary

Abstract The ovary of the mouse has been employed as a target organ to study the physiologic activity of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). The present study involved a 125 I labeled-HCG preparation with demonstrable immunologic and biological activities. Immunologic inhibition in vivo indicated that HCG antibody aggregates were not concentrated by the ovary but rather were entrapped by the liver. Presumably, HCG receptor sites either do not recognize the immune complexes or are incapable of binding them. In mice primed with exogenous steroids, the uptake levels of 125 I-HCG were depressed in the mouse ovary. The greatest reduction was noted in animals pretreated with androgen, and a lesser but still significant decrease resulted with estrogen. Finally, the use of exogenous iodocholesterol resulted in a small depression of HCG uptake by the ovary. The radiolabeled cholesterol was found to be organ specific for the adrenal gland.
Analysis of the comparative advantages of unlike exercises in relation to prior individual strength level.

Abstract This study was conducted at the United States' Military Academy at West Point to determine (a) the quantitative effects of isometric and stool stepping programs for the development of knee extension strength and (b) the relationship of the effectiveness of these programs to prior strength levels. Three groups of 59 cadets were selected and randomly assigned. All participated in the same outside Academy activities. One group was administered isometric exercises, the second was administered stool stepping, and the third group served as a control which undertook no special exercises. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine whether quantitative differences existed between the two experimental exercise groups. It was found that regardless of whether significant difference in strength occurred between the groups, there were individual differences based upon prior strength level. Those individuals who were initially lower in strength gained more force with the application of stool step...
1.1 Moore's law: A path going forward

Semiconductors continue to be the foundation for computing and communications solutions, the basis of the Internet of Everthing, and the primary driver in the future of electronics applications. Moore's Law has led to evermore-powerful smart phones, tablets, personal computers, and data centers. It has enabled computing to become a seamless and powerful force in our homes, offices, cars, factories, and much more. Much has been written about the end of Moore's Law. More recently, speculation has focused on the economic end of Moore's Law. Gordon Moore initially projected 10 years of visibility. [35] Over fifty years later, the Moore's Law horizon remains around 10 years. Moore's Law was never guaranteed. It has thrived and will continue to do so as the result of continuous innovation, rigorous planning, and technology execution. Even though it is getting more expensive to build wafers, improvements in density can provide real cost reduction at the most fundamental level, and this economic benefit drives the ability to continue investing in Moore's Law. Innovations have driven Moore's Law through numerous technological transitions and will continue to power us into the future of CMOS and beyond. As long as there is a cost benefit and rich options for future innovations there is no reason to predict an early end!
The Politics of Environmental Quality

(1971). The Politics of Environmental Quality. Environmental Education: Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 12-14.
Pentafluorophenyl copper-pyridine complexes: Synthesis, supramolecular structures via cuprophilic and π-stacking interactions, and solid-state luminescence

The effect of the binding of pyridine ligands to pentafluorophenyl copper, [C6F5Cu]4 (1), on structural features and photophysical properties has been investigated through a combined multinuclear NMR, X-ray crystallography, and photoluminescence study. Reaction of 1 with 2 equiv of pyridine yields a novel pyridine complex, 3, in which the tetranuclear framework of 1 is retained. Complex 3 features a rhombus-shaped tetracopper core with a short diagonal Cu···Cu distance of 2.5941(6) A between the dicoordinate copper centers and a longer distance between the pyridine-coordinated copper centers of 4.178(1) A. In contrast, treatment of 1 with 4 equiv of pyridine results in complete breakdown of the tetranuclear aggregate to give the formally dicoordinate species C6F5Cu(py) (4-H). Reaction of 1 with 2,2′-bipyridine results in formation of the tricoordinate complex C6F5Cu(2,2′-bipy) (5). Aggregate breakdown in species 4 and 5 is reflected in a significantly reduced chemical shift difference Δδ(19Fmeta/para) and...
Why (not) arrest? Third-party state compliance and noncompliance with international criminal tribunals

ABSTRACTWhy do some states comply with their legal obligations to arrest suspects indicted by international criminal tribunals (ICTs) while others do not? Research on this question has mostly focused on “target” states, like the former Yugoslav republics, where ICTs have intervened. In contrast, this article offers the first test of theories regarding ICT arrest-warrant compliance and noncompliance by third-party states. I examine the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and 26 third-party states implicated in the pursuit of the court's 91 indicted suspects. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, I find support for the procompliance influence of liberal democratic norms and foreign aid dependency on third-party states. I also find that noncompliance — something existing studies tend to leave untheorized — can be explained by the presence of either non- compliance constituencies or high official corruption. By testing several theories of compliance and noncompliance on a so far unde...
Tubular elements in platelet granules.

Improved fixation of platelets has facilitated recognition of tubular elements in the hyaloplasm of the cells. Marginal band microtubules, hyaloplasmic microtubules, and a system of tubular channels have been dealt with in several publications. The purpose of this investigation is to describe a third type of tubular element in platelets which has not previously been reported. Observation of the substructure of hyaloplasmic particles in normal platelets has revealed small, tubelike elements occurring singly or in groups of two or three in many granules. Exposure of platelets to digitonin shock appears to increase the number of tubular elements inside the particles. The tubelike components in granules superficially resemble microtubules, but their origin, nature, and function remain obscure.
Virus Purification, Preparation of Infectious Virus Stock, and Virus Storage

An important step in the characterization of a virus is its purification and biochemical analysis. Purification can generally be achieved either by column chromatography or by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The protein components of the purified virions can then be resolved on an acrylamide gel, yielding a biochemical profile of proteins indicated by their molecular weights. In this chapter, protocols are presented related to the techniques of SIV purification and the use of purified viral antigens as substrate for serologic assays. These protocols were developed for use with SIV, but they are also directly applicable to use with HIV. A technique used for long-term storage of titered stock of these retroviruses is also presented.
Interpreting the Baseline Regime

The interpretation of international agreements is not an intuitive exercise, but a prescribed, disciplined procedure which reflects centuries of experience and a variety of important and continuously confirmed policy choices. The customary law in this matter has been codified by the International Law Commission and thereafter adopted by an international conference convened by the UN General Assembly. The result is the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.1 The provisions which address interpretation have been authoritatively held to be a codification of customary law and, as such, are binding erga omnes.2 Article 31 of the Vienna Convention provides:
Costas loop and FFT based BPSK demodulation for pulsed radar receivers

This study presents an algorithm to demodulate Binary Phase-Shift Keying (BPSK) signal of unknown frequency and phase contained in wideband radar pulse signal. The algorithm utilizes Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Costas Loop in order to lock onto the frequency and phase of the BPSK carrier wave. It was found that the FFT can produce a peak frequency within 25MHz of the actual carrier frequency for BPSK signals. This was using random signal characteristics in the 125MHz to 1375MHz range and from 4-128 bits per 4k samples. The FFT is used to identify the initial peak frequency with which to work with. It was found that an accurate frequency within approximately +165kHz was needed for good demodulation within a Costas Loop. An innovative algorithm was designed to improve the accuracy. This algorithm involves running parallel Costas Loops in 200kHz increments at all frequencies within +25MHz of the obtained frequency. The output phase is then analyzed for a locked state using several derivatives and FIR filters. The algorithm then produces a scalar value for each loop which represents the phase stability. The loop with the lowest scalar value, which corresponds to higher stability, is then chosen for its frequency and final phase value. The carrier wave is then reconstructed and multiplied into the received BPSK signal to recover the modulated data wave. Extensive simulations were performed to ascertain the performance of the algorithm; 10,000 trials were performed with randomized signal values of 125-1375MHz, 0-20dB SNR, and 8-128 bits per 4k samples. The algorithm can demodulate a BPSK signal successfully for 82% of the total 10,000 random trials. While this algorithm is expected to require a large amount of resources, either software or hardware related, it only needs to run once to obtain an accurate frequency. After this initial run, only one Costas Loop needs to run for the rest of the demodulation process, unless the carrier frequency is altered or if frequency-hopping is being used.
Enhanced Recovery Protocols

Traditional empirically derived postoperative measures failed to produce the intended benefits for patients after major abdominal surgery and may in fact have been doing harm. Routine nasogastric tube decompression, fasting until first stool, long periods of bed rest, and excessive doses of narcotic analgesics have largely been replaced with immediate diet advance, early ambulation, and nonnarcotic analgesia. These enhanced recovery protocols result in shorter hospital stays, improved outcomes, and happier patients. Although most studies have been performed in adults, there is increasing evidence that children also benefit when treated using these progressive protocols.
Pharmacologic Replacement of BIM BH3 Reactivates Apoptosis in Hematologic Cancer and Lymphoproliferative Disease.

Abstract Selective targeting of deregulated apoptotic protein networks is a promising pharmacologic strategy for subverting diseases of unrestrained cellular survival, such as cancer. BCL-2 family protein interactions constitute a critical control point for the regulation of apoptosis. Whereas multidomain anti-apoptotic proteins such as BCL-2 guard against cell death, multidomain pro-apoptotic proteins such as BAX constitute a gateway to cell death through mitochondrial damage. The BH3-only proteins function as death sentinels situated throughout the cell, poised to transmit signals of cellular injury to multidomain members. BH3-only proteins deliver their death messages via their conserved alpha-helical BH3 domains. Whereas the indirect activator class of BH3-only proteins (e.g. BAD) counteract anti-apoptotic proteins, the direct activator subgroup (e.g. BIM) is believed to trigger apoptosis both by neutralizing anti-apoptotics and by directly activating the mitochondrial executioners BAX and BAK. The essential roles of BH3-only proteins in maintaining cellular homeostasis is highlighted by the development of autoimmune disease and cancer in mouse models of BH3-only protein deficiency. By inserting hydrocarbon “staples” into native BH3 peptide sequences, we have produced a chemical toolbox of stabilized alpha-helices of BCL-2 domains (SAHBs) to dissect apoptotic signaling pathways in vivo and explore the pharmacodynamic effects of “BH3 replacement” in cancer cells and mouse models of deregulated apoptosis. Whereas SAHBs display high affinity binding to anti-apoptotic targets, BID and BIM SAHBs also directly engage BAX and are thus especially potent in inducing apoptosis of a panel of leukemia and lymphoma cell lines. To evaluate the impact of selective BH3 replacement in vivo, we tested the capacity of BIM SAHB to reactivate apoptosis in the lymphoproliferative disease of Bim-/- mice. Strikingly, Bim-/- mice treated with BIM SAHB displayed marked influx of tingible-body macrophages into the lymphoid infiltrates of affected organs, with scattered cells throughout the infiltrate robustly positive for activated caspase-3, suggestive of SAHB induced apoptosis induction. Our studies highlight the therapeutic potential of BH3 replacement to circumvent apoptotic blockade and restore the death pathway in hematologic cancer and lymphoproliferative disease.
The Effects of Father Figure Involvement on Educational Outcomes in Black Adolescents

This study aims to extend the existing literature by examining the influence of father figures on educational success in Black adolescents. It was hypothesized that adolescents who live with a biol...
On 'Reconsidering Regional Political Ecologies' 13 years on

Is the region "dead"? I argue that for all its ambiguity, complexity, negotiability, fluidity, and socially-constructedness, the region is not dead and neither should it be. If for no other reason, this is true because so many non-geographers continue to firmly believe in and practice the heresy of the region. Perhaps equally importantly, can it really be argued that no important geographic phenomena occur at the meso-scale? There are certainly many quite real geographic phenomena that exist at scales that cannot be described as either global or local—and for which we have no better word than "regional." The region is a cognitive expression of geographic coherence; and all things put together can and do fall apart through continuous processes of social, environmental, political and economic change. In the end, the declaration of the "death" of the region is not really a choice that geographers will make. The world will go on thinking and acting in regional ways. The question is not whether the region is dead—it is not. And the question is not even whether the region is problematic—it is. The question instead is whether geographers will take the lead in understanding and educating about the region in all its problematic complexity, a task, I argue, we are well suited to do. Keywords: region, political ecology, geography
Professional Athletes’ Return to Play and Performance After Operative Repair of an Achilles Tendon Rupture:

Background:Most Achilles tendon ruptures are sports related. However, few studies have examined and compared the effect of surgical repair for complete ruptures on return to play (RTP), play time, ...
Understanding suicide risk within the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework: A meta‐analytic review

Background The field is in need of novel and transdiagnostic risk factors for suicide. The National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) provides a framework that may help advance research on suicidal behavior. Method We conducted a meta-analytic review of existing prospective risk and protective factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (ideation, attempts, and deaths) that fall within one of the five RDoC domains or relate to a prominent suicide theory. Predictors were selected from a database of 4,082 prospective risk and protective factors for suicide outcomes. Results A total of 460 predictors met inclusion criteria for this meta-analytic review and most examined risk (vs. protective) factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The overall effect of risk factors was statistically significant, but relatively small, in predicting suicide ideation (weighted mean odds ratio: wOR = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.59–1.87), suicide attempt (wOR = 1.66 [1.57–1.76), and suicide death (wOR = 1.41 [1.24–1.60]). Across all suicide outcomes, most risk factors related to the Negative Valence Systems domain, although effect sizes were of similar magnitude across RDoC domains. Conclusions This study demonstrated that the RDoC framework provides a novel and promising approach to suicide research; however, relatively few studies of suicidal behavior fit within this framework. Future studies must go beyond the “usual suspects” of suicide risk factors (e.g., mental disorders, sociodemographics) to understand the processes that combine to lead to this deadly outcome.