cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subtype-specific influenza A virus antibodies in Canada geese (Branta canadensis)

A B S T R A C T Historically, surveillance for influenza A viruses (IAVs) in wild birds has relied on viral detection assays. This was largely due to poor performance of serological assays in wild birds; however, recently developed commercial serological assays have improved the ability to detect IAV antibodies in wild birds. Serological surveillance for IAV antibodies in Canada geese (Branta canadensis) has shown that, despite a low prevalence of virus isolations, Canada geese are frequently exposed to IAVs and that exposure increases with latitude, which follows virus isolation prevalence patterns observed in dabbling ducks. The objectives of this study were to further evaluate IAV antibodies in Canada geese using a subtype-specific serological assay to determine if Canada geese are exposed to subtypes that commonly circulate in dabbling ducks. We collected serum samples from Canada
Improving approximate matching capabilities for Meta Map Transfer applications

Using approximate matching technique for different application areas ranging from bioinformatics to wireless world is a challenging task. With the developments of new approximate matching techniques, the efficiency and speed are the main factors in deciding among different options available for each application area. Each application area has certain special features that can be used by approximate matching technique best suited for that area. In addition to direct application to information retrieval, the approximate matching techniques can also be used for complex computational procedures involving similarity search.In this paper, we present an approach for extension of Java class gov.nih.nlm.mmtx.ApproximateMatching from java.lang.Object using an approximate matching technique [1] which is based on reversing the conventional scheme of error-correction coding. This technique developed for multi-attribute objects can be applied to Meta Map Transfer application that assumes that the input is a term. As an extension of the Approximate Matching class we introduce the Store and Retrieve extensions which can be used to store and retrieve terms based on approximate matching technique. Mapping options for the Meta Map Transfer application are also discussed using this approximate matching technique.
Synthesis and pH-dependent self-assembly of semifluorinated calix[4]arenes

A new series of highly fluorinated calix[4]arene-based amphiphilic molecules was designed and synthesized. Using the calix[4]arene scaffold, four perfluorinated hyper-hydrophobic groups and four water solubilizing chains were introduced in the same molecule and also segregated in space following the scaffold directionality. Upon solubilization in aqueous solutions, these amphiphilic molecules form microscopic fluorous domains that drive the formation of various self-assembly patterns. We found that the self-assembly of these semifluorinated calix[4]arenes is dependent on external stimuli, such as changes in the polarity of the solvent or pH. As a consequence, by changing the pH of the solutions, it is possible to shift the aggregation pattern of these molecules, by a regular change either in the shape or in the size of the initially formed ordered aggregates. These are examples of the variety of structures and possibilities in nano-engineering offered by fluorous-phase driven molecular recognition.
JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway mediates the fluoride-induced down-regulation of MMP-20 in vitro

Delayed removal of amelogenins, which are initially hydrolyzed by matrix metalloproteinase MMP-20, is a characteristic of enamel fluorosis. In this study, we investigated the regulation of MMP-20 and possible effects of fluoride on MMP-20 expression in human ameloblast lineage cells. Protein expression and signaling pathways of human ameloblast lineage cells, exposed to 10 μM fluoride, were compared to control cells without fluoride exposure. The role of activator protein-1 in MMP-20 regulation was analyzed by DNA-protein affinity precipitation and luciferase reporter gene assays. MMP-20 protein levels in human ameloblast lineage cells decreased in the presence of fluoride, while amelogenin and TIMP-2 were not altered. Fluoride also decreased the transcription of a luciferase reporter gene driven by the MMP-20 promoter. Down-regulation of MMP-20 by fluoride was related to suppression of JNK/c-Jun phosphorylation. In contrast, the JNK activator elevated the expression of MMP-20. Three c-Jun binding sites on the MMP-20 promoter were identified for the first time, and were occupied by c-Jun as MMP-20 was induced. Deletion of any one of AP-1 binding sites on the MMP-20 promoter significantly reduced the transcription of downstream luciferase reporter. These in vitro findings suggest that c-Jun is a key regulatory element for MMP-20 expression, and human ameloblast lineage cells can respond to fluoride by down-regulating MMP-20 transcription through the JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway.
Applying Syndemics and Chronicity: Interpretations from Studies of Poverty, Depression, and Diabetes

Medical anthropologists working with global health agendas must develop transdisciplinary frameworks to communicate their work. This article explores two similar but underutilized theoretical frameworks in medical anthropology, and discusses how they facilitate new insights about the relationships between epidemiological patterns and individual-level illness experiences. Two cases from our fieldwork in New Delhi and Chicago are presented to illustrate how syndemics and chronicity theories explain the epidemic problems of co-occurring depression and type 2 diabetes. We use these case studies to illustrate how the holistic agendas of syndemics and chronicity theories allow critical scholars to attend to the macrosocial factors contributing to the rise of noncommunicable diseases while still honoring the diversity of experiences that make individual illness experiences, and actual outcomes, unique. Such an approach not only promotes a more integrative medical anthropology, but also contributes to global health dialogues around diabetes, depression, and their overlap.
Low-Speed Fan Noise Reduction with Trailing EDGE Blowing:

An experimental proof-of-concept test was conducted to demonstrate rotor-stator interaction tone noise reduction through rotor trailing edge blowing. The velocity deficit from the viscous wake of t...
Infection of soybeans with conidia of Cercospora kikuchii.

SUMMARYSoybean (cultivar Bragg) plants at full flower to young pod stage were more susceptible to infection by Cercospora kikuchii than plants at other growth stages. Plants inoculated during this ...
Cadmium Influence on Respiratory Gas Exchange of Pinus resinosa Pollen

Release of CO2 and uptake of O2 by Pinus resinosa Ait. pollen treated with 0, 0.004, 0.045, or 0.450 mM Cd2+ were determined manometrically. Respiration after 1.5 h was stimulated in the 0.450 mM treatment, but declined sharply after 3.5 h. CO2 evolution was inhibited more than O2 uptake. Pretreatment with Cd2+ inhibited aflization of exogenous sucrose, and conversely, exogenous sucrose did not overcome Cd2+ effects on gas exchange. Cd2+ did not act as a classical uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation. There was no correlation of pollen germination and germ tube elongation with Cd2+ effects on gas exchange.
La Malinche Speaks Back: Colonialism and Resistance in Ireneo Paz's Doña Marina (1883)

Literary and cultural investigations into the indigenous * *A preliminary version of this paper was presented at the Latin American Studies Association Conference in March 2006. A later version ben...
Broadband piezoelectric power generation on high-energy orbits of the bistable Duffing oscillator with electromechanical coupling

An important issue in resonant vibration energy harvesters is that the best performance of the device is limited to a very narrow bandwidth around the fundamental resonance frequency. If the excitation frequency deviates slightly from the resonance condition, the power out is drastically reduced. In order to overcome this issue of the conventional resonant cantilever configuration, a non-resonant piezomagnetoelastic energy harvester has been introduced by the authors. This paper presents theoretical and experimental investigations of high-energy orbits in the piezomagnetoelastic energy harvester over a range of excitation frequencies. Lumped-parameter nonlinear equations (electromechanical form of the bistable Duffing oscillator with piezoelectric coupling) can successfully describe the large-amplitude broadband voltage response of the piezomagnetoelastic configuration. Following the comparison of the electromechanical trajectories obtained from the theory, it is experimentally verified that the piezomagnetoelastic configuration can generate an order of magnitude larger power compared to the commonly employed piezoelastic counterpart at several frequencies. Chaotic response of the piezomagnetoelastic configuration is also compared against the periodic response of the piezoelastic configuration theoretically and experimentally. Overcoming the bias caused by the gravity in vertical excitation of the piezomagnetoelastic energy harvester is discussed and utilization of high-energy orbits in the bistable structural configuration for electrostatic, electromagnetic and magnetostrictive transduction mechanisms is summarized.
Purification and characterization of two isozymes of 3-phosphoglycerate kinase from the mouse

Abstract Two isozymes of 3-phosphoglycerate kinase (ATP:3-phospho- d -glycerate 1-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.2.3), designated PGK-A and PGK-B, were purified from separate extracts of muscle and testicular tissue of DBA/2J mice, respectively. A similar procedure was used to purify the corresponding isozymes from C57BL/6J mice in order to make inter-strain comparisons. The purification involved the use of affinity chromatography with an 8-(6-aminohexyl)amino-ATP-Sepharose column and DEAE-Sephadex chromatography. Lactate dehydrogenase isozyme LDH-X was also co-purified from extract of mouse testes by this two-step procedure. The same isozyme isolated from either mouse strain was found to be identical in physical and biochemical properties. Both isozymes are monomeric as determined by gel filtration chormatography and by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Furthermore, the isozymes have similar molecular weights, of 47 000 ± 2000 and exhibit similar K m values for both coenzymes and substrate, as well as temperature dependence of enzyme activity. However, it was observed that the B isozyme is more labile than the A isozyme by denaturation at high temperature, urea and acidic pH.
Robusta: taming the native beast of the JVM

Java applications often need to incorporate native-code components for efficiency and for reusing legacy code. However, it is well known that the use of native code defeats Java's security model. We describe the design and implementation of Robusta, a complete framework that provides safety and security to native code in Java applications. Starting from software-based fault isolation (SFI), Robusta isolates native code into a sandbox where dynamic linking/loading of libraries in supported and unsafe system modification and confidentiality violations are prevented. It also mediates native system calls according to a security policy by connecting to Java's security manager. Our prototype implementation of Robusta is based onNative Client and OpenJDK. Experiments in this prototype demonstrate Robusta is effective and efficient, with modest runtime overhead on a set of JNI benchmark programs. Robusta can be used to sandbox native libraries used in Java's system classes to prevent attackers from exploiting bugs in the libraries. It can also enable trustworthy execution of mobile Java programs with native libraries. The design of Robusta should also be applicable when other type-safe languages (e.g., C#, Python) want to ensure safe interoperation with native libraries
Effects of chronic beta-amyloid treatment on fatty acid incorporation into rat brain

The present study evaluated the effects of chronic A beta administration on radio-labeled plasma fatty acid incorporation in rat brain. A beta was chronically infused intraventricularly via an osmotic minipump, for 1 week, at a concentration of 460 microM. After the infusion, fatty acid incorporation was quantified using an in vivo method developed in this laboratory. Three radiolabeled fatty acids were separately infused IV in awake animals. Biochemical analyses of fatty acid incorporation and histology for A beta showed no differences between control (vehicle infusion only) and experimental groups. However, in vitro tests on the cytotoxicity of A beta showed that it caused significant cell death relative to controls (PC-12 cells). The lack of effect of infused A beta on radiolabeled fatty acid incorporation is discussed.
Management of cryptorchidism

The forces guiding testicular descent have not been completely elucidated. Both testosterone and anti-Mullerian hormone might play a role. Available evidence suggests that malfunction of the testes of some sort usually precedes maldescent. The proper management of cryptorchidism has long been a controversial issue. In unilateral cryptorchidism, hormonal function and fertility are generally normal. To maximize fertility in patients with bilateral cryptorchidism, surgical treatment should be completed ideally by the first birthday. GnRH is unlikely to be of much help in initiating testicular descent. Cryptorchidism is associated with a three- to tenfold increase in testicular cancer. Twenty percent of tumors in unilateral cryptorchidism are in the normally descended testes. The condition of all boys and men with a history of cryptorchidism should be followed by physicians their entire lives, and these boys and men must become proficient in self-examination.
Controlling Test Size While Gaining the Benefits of an Internal Pilot Design

SUMMARY. To compensate for a power analysis based on a poor estimate of variance, internal pilot designs use some fraction of the planned observations to reestimate error variance and modify the final sample size. Ignoring the randomness of the final sample size may bias the final variance estimate and inflate test size. We propose and evaluate three different tests that control test size for an internal pilot in a general linear univariate model with fixed predictors and Gaussian errors. Test 1 uses the first sample plus those observations guaranteed to be collected in the second sample for the final variance estimate. Test 2 depends mostly on the second sample for the final variance estimate. Test 3 uses the unadjusted variance estimate and modifies the critical value to bound test size. We also examine three sample-size modification rules. Only test 2 can control conditional test size, align with a modification rule, and provide simple power calculations. We recommend it if the minimum second (incremental) sample is at least moderate (perhaps 20). Otherwise, the bounding test appears to have the highest power in small samples. Reanalyzing published data highlights some advantages and disadvantages of the various tests.
State-to-State Rates for the D + H2(v = 1, j = 1) → HD(v', j') + H Reaction: Predictions and Measurements

A fully quantal wavepacket approach to reactive scattering in which the best available H3 potential energy surface was used enabled a comparison with experimentally determined rates for the D + H2(v = 1, j = 1) → HD(v9 = 0, 1, 2; j9) + H reaction at significantly higher total energies (1.4 to 2.25 electron volts) than previously possible. The theoretical results are obtained over a sufficient range of conditions that a detailed simulation of the experiment was possible, thus making this a definitive comparison of experiment and theory. Good to excellent agreement is found for the vibrational branching ratios and for the rotational distributions within each product vibrational level. However, the calculated rotational distributions are slightly hotter than the experimentally measured ones. This small discrepancy is more marked for products for which a larger fraction of the total energy appears in translation. The most likely explanation for this behavior is that refinements are needed in the potential energy surface.
Control of Crabs with Crude BHC

CRABS, of which the commonest is Sesarma africanum, H. M. Edw., are numerous on the tidal rice lands of Sierra Leone and destroy large numbers of newly planted rice seedlings. In normal farming practice, this has little appreciable effect on yields as sufficient seedlings are planted in each stand to allow for losses. In the past three years, however, there has been a considerable increase in the crab population on the farm of the West African Rice Research Station, and serious damage has been caused to experimental material.
Infant Physiological Regulation and Maternal Risks as Predictors of Dyadic Interaction Trajectories in Families with a Preterm Infant.

This longitudinal study examined predictors of rates of growth in dyadic interaction quality in children born preterm who did not experience significant neurological findings during neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization. Multiple methods were used to collect data from 120 preterm infants (48% girls, 52% boys) and their mothers. Infant heart rate variability (HRV), gestational age, neonatal health, feeding route, and maternal socioeconomic (SES) risks were assessed at NICU discharge (mean of 36 weeks postconception). Mother-child interactions were observed at 4, 9, 16, and 24 months postterm and analyzed with hierarchical linear modeling. On average, children's quality of play, interest, and attention increased over time while their dysregulation and irritability decreased, whereas average maternal positive affect and involvement declined in quality (ps < .05), although there was individual variation in rates of change. Mothers of infants with higher postfeeding HRV (i.e., vagal regulation) exhibited less decrease in positive affect and involvement between 4 months and 24 months, compared with mothers of infants with lower HRV (p < .05). Although infants with higher postfeeding HRV showed less positive affect and communication at 4 months, they exhibited significantly greater increases in positive affect and social competence and decreases in dysregulation and irritability between 4 months and 24 months, compared with infants with lower HRV (ps < .05). Dyads experiencing more SES risks showed less optimal interactions at 4 months; this difference remained as children grew older (ps < .05). Results have implications for our understanding of social development in preterm infants.
RNA-binding properties of in vitro expressed histidine-tagged RB69 RegA translational repressor protein.

To facilitate RNA-binding studies of the phage RB69 RegA translational repressor protein, regA was configured to add six histidines to the carboxyl end of the protein. In vitro transcription-translation from the T7 promoter on plasmid pSA1 yielded a RegA69-His6 protein that binds nickel-Sepharose and elutes with 0.5 M imidazole. The system was further modified to avoid cloning and the toxic effects of RegA on Escherichia coli by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), producing linear templates with the configuration T7 promoter-TIR-regA-His6. A translation initiation region was used that conforms to consensus E. coli and eukaryotic initiation sites and eliminates the target for RegA autogenous repression. RegA69-His6 synthesized in E. coli S30 or wheat germ extracts displayed RNA-binding properties similar to wild-type RB69 RegA. Specificity of RNA binding was demonstrated by in vitro repression of T4 gp44 and gp45 but not beta-lactamase, by differential binding to poly(U)- and poly(C)-agarose, and by site-specific binding to a 23-base gene 44 target RNA but not to mutant 44 RNA. Therefore, addition of the His6 tag to the C-terminus of RB69 RegA does not dramatically alter RNA binding, indicating that this region is not directly involved in site recognition. With access to several T4-like phage genomes and regA mutant sequences, in vitro synthesis of His-tagged proteins directly from linear PCR products provides a convenient and efficient system to study RegA and other interesting RNA-binding proteins.
Texture and Microstructure Development in Al2O3-Platelet Reinforced Ce-ZrO2/Al2O3 Laminates Produced by Centrifugal Consolidation

complexity and anisotropy of the microstructure warrants a quantitative analysis of the microstructural evolution prior to any property evaluation. Quantitative image analysis was used to examine changes in the volume fraction, dimensional anisotropy, and gradient of pores and platelets with sintering time. In all cases, special attention was given to the effects of texture during microstructural evolution. Platelet alignment enhanced densification via anisotropic shrinkage, overcoming constraint that otherwise inhibits densification in platelet-containing materials. Also, platelet alignment and microstructural design were used to initiate and control anisotropic grain growth. Platelet growth (at the expense of smaller particles of the same phase) during annealing promoted further phase segregation and produced higher platelet content composites consisting of larger platelets, without having to consolidate high contents of large platelets.
Plasma levels and effects of nortriptyline in geriatric depressed patients

Pharmacokinetic, therapeutic effects, and side effects of nortriptyline were studied in geriatric depressed patients treated with a standard dose of 150 mg/day. Plasma levels and elimination half-life of nortriptyline were no different in geriatric patients than younger patients. The antidepressant therapeutic effects of nortriptyline appeared to be similar in geriatric patients as in younger depressed patients. Geriatric patients experienced few subjective side effects of nortriptyline. Overall, the drug produced no clinically significant changes in several parameters of the EKG, and no geriatric patient experienced tachycardia on nortriptyline. Nortriptyline did induce significant orthostatic hypotension in the systolic component, but not in the diastolic component. However, the orthostatic hypotension produced by nortriptyline was not greater in geriatric patients than in younger patients treated with the same dose.
Irrigation and soil temperature effects on Russet Burbank quality

Potato growers in the Pacific Northwest suffer large economic losses in seasons with above normal temperatures, due to excess reducing sugars in tubers, which cause dark-end French fries. Our objective was to study irrigation management effects on potato quality, particularly the factors causing dark-end French fries or sugar-end syndrome. Solid-set sprinkler irrigated plots were established on potatoes at Kimberly, Idaho during the 1987, 1988 and 1989 irrigation seasons, and at Parma, Idaho in 1987 and 1988. Irrigation treatments were high and low frequency (3/week and I/week) and two or three water application amounts referenced to estimated evapotranspiration (ET, ET+20%, and ET-20%). Neither frequency nor amount significantly affected yields. Irrigation frequency had more influence on potato quality than application amount. More frequent irrigation produced slightly higher quality tubers and lower incidence of dark-ends when fried. Soil temperature was inversely related to tuber grade quality and directly related to percentage of sugar-end tubers. Soil temperature was about 0.5 C lower under the high frequency than under the low frequency irrigation regime. On these silt loam soils, allowing available soil water to decline to 50 percent had no adverse affect on yield or quality.
Course allocation by proxy auction

We propose a new proxy bidding mechanism to allocate courses to students given students' reported preferences. Our mechanism is motivated by a specific strategic downgrading manipulation observed in the course allocation mechanism currently used at Harvard Business School (HBS). The proxy bidding mechanism simplifes students' decisions by directly incorporating downgrading into the mechanism. Our proxy bidding mechanism is Pareto efficient with respect to lexicographic preferences and can be extended to allow for a more expressive preference language which allows complementarity, substitutability, and indifference. Simulations suggest that the proxy bidding mechanism is robust to the manipulations observed in the HBS mechanism and may yield welfare improvements.
Handheld data protection using handheld usage pattern identification

Mobile handheld devices such as smart cellular phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are easily lost because of their small sizes and high mobility. Personal data like addresses and telephone numbers stored in the devices are revealed when the devices are lost. This research proposes a novel approach of applying handheld usage pattern identification to handheld data protection. Handheld usage data is collected before applying this method. Usage patterns are discovered and saved by using a finite automaton, which is then used to check device usage. When an unusual usage pattern such as an unlawful user trying to access the handheld data is detected, the device will automatically lock itself down until an action, like entering a password, is taken. Preliminary experimental results show this method is effective and convenient for handheld data protection.
Neurological considerations: Autism and Parkinson's disease

Within the spectrum of disorders that manifest obsessive-compulsive (OC) features lies a sub-cluster of neurological conditions. Autism and Parkinson's disease (PD) are examples of two such neurological disorders that seem quite dissimilar on the surface. Yet, both conditions can include repetitive behaviors of a compulsive-impulsive nature. Furthermore, while autism and PD differ in other associated symptom domains that shape the course of each disorder, both disorders share some phenomenology in the core domain of repetitive behaviors and involve basal ganglia and frontal lobe dysfunction, similar to OC disorder (OCD). Accordingly, examination of the similarities and differences between autism and PD may provide insight into the pathophysiology and treatment of OC spectrum disorders. The current review focuses on the phenomenology, comorbidity, course of illness, family history, brain circuitry, and treatment of autism and PD, as they relate to OCD and OC spectrum disturbances.
The world at your feet: desert biological soil crusts

Desert soil surfaces are generally covered with biological soil crusts, composed of a group of organisms dominated by cyanobacteria, lichens, and mosses. Despite their unassuming appearance, these tiny organisms are surprisingly important to many processes in past and present desert ecosystems. Cyanobacteria similar to those seen today have been found as 1.2 billion-year-old terrestrial fossils, and they probably stabilized soils then as they do now. Biological crusts are vital in creating and maintaining fertility in otherwise infertile desert soils. They fix both carbon and nitrogen, much of which is leaked to the surrounding soils. They also capture nutrient-rich dust, and can stimulate plant growth. These organisms are able to tolerate extreme temperatures, drought, and solar radiation, despite having relatively little wet time for metabolic activity. Under most circumstances, they are extremely vulnerable to climate change and disturbances such as off-road vehicles and grazing livestock. Recovery tim...
Mass and Light in the Universe

We present a weak lensing and photometric study of six 05 × 05 fields observed at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope using the UH8K CCD mosaic camera. The fields were observed for a total of 2 hr each in I and V, resulting in catalogs containing ~20,000 galaxies per passband per field. We use V-I color and I magnitude to select bright early-type galaxies at redshifts 0.1 < z < 0.9. We measure the gravitational shear from faint galaxies in the range 21 < mI < 25 from a composite catalog and find a strong correlation with that predicted from the early types if they trace the mass with M/LB 300 ± 75 h M☉/L☉ for a flat (Ωm0 = 0.3,Ωλ0 = 0.7) lambda cosmology and M/LB 400 ± 100 h M☉/L☉ for Einstein-de Sitter. We make two-dimensional reconstructions of the mass surface density. Cross-correlation of the measured mass surface density with that predicted from the early-type galaxy distribution shows a strong peak at zero lag (significant at the 5.2 σ level). We azimuthally average the cross-correlation and autocorrelation functions. We conclude that the profiles are consistent with early-type galaxies tracing mass on scales of ≥45'' (≥200 h-1 kpc at z = 0.5). We subdivide our bright early-type galaxies by redshift and obtain similar conclusions. These M/LB ratios imply Ωm0 0.10 ± 0.02 (Ωm0 0.13 ± 0.03 for Einstein-de Sitter) of closure density.
Comparing MOS and bipolar integrated circuits

In terms of speed and speed/power performance, bipolar integrated circuits are superior to metal-oxide-semiconductor integrated circuits. This superiority is based on the high transconductance inherent in bipolar transistors and is technology-independent. For the MOS case, transconductance is highly technology-dependent, and hence the performance difference will probably diminish in the future. Comparisons of the two technologies in their mid-1966 forms are made; the bipolar performance advantage in most cases is between 10 and 100. MOS integrated circuits have an area-per-function advantage ratio of about 5 for equivalent-function circuits, but a ratio of between 5 and 10 when circuits exploiting the unique MOS properties are considered. In addition, MOS processing is simpler than bipolar processing by approximately 40 percent.
Determinants of differential reproductive allocation in wolf and nursery-web spiders

We used data from 33 species of cursorial spiders in northern Mississippi (USA) to investigate the relative contributions of ecology and phylogeny to the reproductive trade-off between number and size of offspring. Sixty percent of the variation among genera for female reproductive allocation was due to differences between the family Pisauridae and the family Lycosidae. Temporal variation in reproductive allocation during the reproductive season was not observed for the majority of species examined. We found significantly different patterns of reproductive allocation among species within genera, suggesting that each species has responded to distinct selection pressures. Preliminarily, this extensive variation appears to be due mostly to interspecific competition and predation risk from other spiders. However, the patterns of reproductive allocation of species within a single guild (i.e., a group of species potentially competing for the same resources) for the two families are very different. Larger species of wolf spiders (family Lycosidae) within a given guild produce smaller numbers of larger offspring relative to the size of the mother, and smaller species produce the reverse. However, in nursery-web spiders (family Pisauridae) the larger species within a guild produce larger numbers of smaller offspring than expected. The current study provides an example of the flexibility of life history evolution despite phylogenetic constraints. It also demonstrates the potential for varying life history strategies to mediate competition, allowing similar species to coexist.
ROLL CONTROL FOR A MICRO AIR VEHICLE USING ACTIVE WING MORPHING

A micro air vehicle is a ight system being designed for operation within urban environments. Such vehicles are small and highly agile but often have limited control authority. This paper investigates the use of morphing as an effector to provide control authority. Simple mechanisms for morphing are designed to twist the wings of a 24 in vehicle and to curl the wings of a 12 in vehicle. Flight tests show the morphing is an excellent strategy to command roll maneuvers. The resulting vehicles are relatively easy to y and consequently are suitable for autopilot design and mission deployment.
Thwarting Software Attacks on Data-Intensive Platforms with Configurable Hardware-Assisted Application Rule Enforcement

Security is difficult to achieve on general-purpose computing platforms due to their complexity, excess functionality, and resource sharing. An alternative is the creation of a Tailored Trustworthy Space for the system or application class of interest. We focus on data-intensive computing systems using reconfigurable hardware to implement streaming operations, and provide security assurances that are independent of application software, middleware, or operating system integrity and correctness. All interaction between software and the dataflow hardware passes through an automatically synthesized and formally verified hardware controller incorporating enforcement and real-time monitoring of application-specific rules. Abstractions provided by the Blue spec high-level language assist in the translation of domain-specific policy rules to synthesized logic. For the cognitive radio example used, hardware-enforced policies include physical layer rules such as sanctioned spectrum usage. Policy changes cause the secure generation and transfer of a new controller-wrapped datapath hardware plug-in. Datapath dynamic block swaps and cryptographic operations are managed entirely by the hardware controller rather than software drivers. Design for performance and design for security are therefore simultaneously addressed since the datapath is configured and monitored at hardware speeds, and software has no access to datapath configurations and cryptographic keys.
Both Costs and Benefits of Sex Correlate With Relative Frequency of Asexual Reproduction in Cyclically Parthenogenic Daphnia pulicaria Populations

Sexual reproduction is generally believed to yield beneficial effects via the expansion of expressed genetic variation, which increases the efficiency of selection and the adaptive potential of a population. However, when nonadditive gene action is involved, sex can actually impede the adaptive progress of a population. If selection promotes coupling disequilibria between genes of similar effect, recombination and segregation can result in a decrease in expressed genetic variance in the offspring population. In addition, when nonadditive gene action underlies a quantitative trait, sex can produce a change in trait means in a direction opposite to that favored by selection. In this study we measured the change in genotypic trait means and genetic variances across a sexual generation in four populations of the cyclical parthenogen Daphnia pulicaria, which vary predictably in their incidence of sexual reproduction. We show that both the costs and benefits of sex, as measured by changes in means and variances in life-history traits, increase substantially with decreasing frequency of sex.
Divergent Effects of Genetic Variation in Endocannabinoid Signaling on Human Threat- and Reward-Related Brain Function

Background Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a key enzyme in regulating endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling. A common single nucleotide polymorphism (C385A) in the human FAAH gene has been associated with increased risk for addiction and obesity. Methods Using imaging genetics in 82 healthy adult volunteers, we examined the effects of FAAH C385A on threat- and reward-related human brain function. Results Carriers of FAAH 385A, associated with reduced enzyme and possibly increased eCB signaling, had decreased threat-related amygdala reactivity but increased reward-related ventral striatal reactivity in comparison with C385 homozygotes. Similarly divergent effects of FAAH C385A genotype were manifest at the level of brain-behavior relationships. The 385A carriers showed decreased correlation between amygdala reactivity and trait anxiety but increased correlation between ventral striatal reactivity and delay discounting, an index of impulsivity. Conclusions Our results parallel pharmacologic and genetic dissection of eCB signaling, are consistent with the psychotropic effects of Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol, and highlight specific neural mechanisms through which variability in eCB signaling impacts complex behavioral processes related to risk for addiction and obesity.
A novel numerical technique for dielectric measurement of generally lossy dielectrics

A method for determining the dielectric properties of infinite half-space of generally lossy dielectric materials is described. This method utilizes the measurement of the admittance of a rectangular waveguide radiating into such dielectrics. It is shown that the real part of the admittance is relatively insensitive to the variations of the imaginary part of the dielectric constant. A numerical procedure is initiated which provides a simple and fast-converging approach for calculating the dielectric properties. This numerical procedure lends itself to implementation by personal computers. The theoretical formulation for the expression of the admittance of an open-ended waveguide and the numerical procedure are discussed in detail. Results of several measurements of freespace and lossy dielectric samples (rubber with carbon black) to verify the theory and the numerical scheme are given. The results give good agreement with other measurement schemes. Comments on the accuracy of the results are also provided. >
End-processing during non-homologous end-joining: a role for exonuclease 1

Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) is a critical error-prone pathway of double strand break repair. We recently showed that tyrosyl DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (Tdp1) regulates the accuracy of NHEJ repair junction formation in yeast. We assessed the role of other enzymes in the accuracy of junction formation using a plasmid repair assay. We found that exonuclease 1 (Exo1) is important in assuring accurate junction formation during NHEJ. Like tdp1Δ mutants, exo1Δ yeast cells repairing plasmids with 5′-extensions can produce repair junctions with templated insertions. We also found that exo1Δ mutants have a reduced median size of deletions when joining DNA with blunt ends. Surprisingly, exo1Δ pol4Δ mutants repair blunt ends with a very low frequency of deletions. This result suggests that there are multiple pathways that process blunt ends prior to end-joining. We propose that Exo1 acts at a late stage in end-processing during NHEJ. Exo1 can reverse nucleotide additions occurring due to polymerization, and may also be important for processing ends to expose microhomologies needed for NHEJ. We propose that accurate joining is controlled at two steps, a first step that blocks modification of DNA ends, which requires Tdp1, and a second step that occurs after synapsis that requires Exo1.
Eusebius and the Gospel Text

some time that Mr. Wallace-Hadrill was working on this problem with what appeared to be unusual thoroughness.2 His published conclusions in the Harvard Theological Review come as something of a surprise and require some attention. Mr. Wallace-Hadrill finds strong Alexandrian testimony to the Eusebian text of all four Gospels. The present writer's study of Eusebius 3 did not yield sufficient information concerning the historian's text of Mark to question Wallace-Hadrill's conclusions. Very different results were drawn from the evidence concerning the Fourth Gospel, and a partial report on this material has appeared.4 Attention in this note will center, therefore, on WallaceHadrill's conclusions with respect to Eusebius' text in Matthew and Luke. Mr. Wallace-Hadrill writes:
A Comparative Genomics, Network-Based Approach to Understanding Virulence in Vibrio cholerae

Our views of the genes that drive phenotypes have generally been built up one locus or operon at a time. However, a given phenotype, such as virulence, is a multilocus phenomenon. To gain a more comprehensive view of the genes and interactions underlying a phenotype, we propose an approach that incorporates information from comparative genomics and network biology and illustrate it by examining the virulence phenotype of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor N16961. We assessed the associations among the virulence-associated proteins from Vibrio cholerae and all the other proteins from this bacterium using a functional-association network map. In the context of this map, we were able to identify 262 proteins that are functionally linked to the virulence-associated genes more closely than is typical of the proteins in this strain and 240 proteins that are functionally linked to the virulence-associated proteins with a confidence score greater than 0.9. The roles of these genes were investigated using functional information from online data sources, comparative genomics, and the relationships shown by the protein association map. We also incorporated core proteome data from the family Vibrionaceae; 35% of the virulence-associated proteins have orthologs among the 1,822 orthologous groups of proteins in the core proteome, indicating that they may be dual-role virulence genes or encode functions that have value outside the human host. This approach is a valuable tool in searching for novel functional associations and in investigating the relationship between genotype and phenotype.
Envirofit International: A Venture Adventure

This case focuses on Envirofit International, a student start-up venture that began in an undergraduate entrepreneurship course. Two engineering students and two faculty members at a land grant university in the United States designed a retrofit kit to vastly reduce emissions from dirty two-stroke motorcycles, which are used throughout Asian cities as taxis. This case presents the beginnings of the Envirofit story, and the issues involved in creating an entrepreneurial venture focused on triple bottom line objectives in “base of pyramid” markets. Specifically, the case examines the ambiguity facing a start-up as it begins to develop a technology, a business model, and a management team. The case demonstrates the tension between planning and doing in managing the uncertainty facing a new venture.
A knowledge-based scale for the analysis and prediction of buried and exposed faces of transmembrane domain proteins

Motivation: The dearth of structural data on α-helical membrane proteins (MPs) has hampered thus far the development of reliable knowledge-based potentials that can be used for automatic prediction of transmembrane (TM) protein structure. While algorithms for identifying TM segments are available, modeling of the TM domains of α-helical MPs involves assembling the segments into a bundle. This requires the correct assignment of the buried and lipid-exposed faces of the TM domains. Results: A recent increase in the number of crystal structures of α-helical MPs has enabled an analysis of the lipid-exposed surfaces and the interiors of such molecules on the basis of structure, rather than sequence alone. Together with a conservation criterion that is based on previous observations that conserved residues are mostly found in the interior of MPs, the bias of certain residue types to be preferably buried or exposed is proposed as a criterion for predicting the lipid-exposed and interior faces of TMs. Applications to known structures demonstrates 80% accuracy of this prediction algorithm. Availability: The algorithm used for the predictions is implemented in the ProperTM Web server (http://icb.med.cornell.edu/services/propertm/start).
Property & Transitional Justice

Transitional justice is the study of those mechanisms employed by communities, states and the international community to deal with a legacy of systematic human rights abuses and authoritarianism in order to promote social reconstruction. There is a well developed transitional justice literature on how states can deal with past violations of civil and political rights, which discusses the value of truth commissions, and international and domestic prosecutions. The transitional justice literature on how to deal with past violations of property rights, however, is significantly less developed. The goal of this essay is to begin an important conversation about how transitional states can deal with multiple layers of past land dispossession in order to promote social reconstruction. I discuss the strengths and weakness of a state’s three main options: Maintaining the present property status quo, fully or partially returning to a prior status quo, or creating a new property status quo altogether. I argue that a state should decide which option it will choose in the context of a well-informed, inclusive public dialogue rather than through a less time consuming process involving only elites.
Kinase regulation of hENaC mediated through a region in the COOH-terminal portion of the α-subunit

In an effort to gain insight into how kinases might regulate epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) activity, we expressed human ENaC (hENaC) in Xenopus oocytes and examined the effect of agents that modula...
Monsanto and the Monarch Butterfly

This technical note, which outlines Monsanto's response to public claims of damage to monarch butterflies from Monsanto's Bt corn, is a good companion piece to cases involving new technology, particularly in the field of biotechnology and genetically modified organisms. Other issues addressed are crisis management, the reported effects of new technology on the environment, and good public relations.
Predictors of Surgical Feeding Tube Placement after Acute Stroke (P02.045)

OBJECTIVE: We aim to identify predictors for and outcomes associated with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement in patients with stroke. BACKGROUND: PEG placement often follows acute stroke and may be associated with more severe stroke and graver patient outcomes. DESIGN/METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients admitted within 24 hours of acute stroke to our center between 07/08 and 12/10. We compared admission and discharge data in patients that required PEG during hospital stay with those who did not. We also analyzed the differences between acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Our primary outcome was PEG or other surgical feeding tube placement. RESULTS: Of 711 screened patients, 76 underwent PEG placement. PEG placement was associated with black race (p=0.0051), earlier emergency department arrival (p=0.0079), higher admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) Score (19 vs. 6, p ≥ 2-points in 24hrs, p CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that admission findings may be indicative of impending PEG placement. Further, PEG placement was found to be associated with significantly worse functional and neurological outcomes. Supported by: Award Numbers 5 T32 HS013852-10 from The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and 3 P60 MD000502-08S1 from The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the AHRQ or the NIH. Disclosure: Dr. Dubin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Boehme has nothing to disclose. Dr. Schluter has nothing to disclose. Dr. Siegler has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shaban has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sudkamp has nothing to disclose. Dr. Albright has received research support from The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institutes of Health. Dr. Martin-Schild has nothing to disclose.