cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of radon for evaluation of atmospheric transport models: sensitivity to emissions

This paper presents comparative analyses of atmospheric radon (Rn) distributions simulated using different emission scenarios and the observations. Results indicate that the model generally reproduces observed distributions of Rn but there are some biases in the model related to differences in large-scale and convective transport. Simulations presented here use an off-line three-dimensional chemical transport model driven by assimilated winds and two scenarios of Rn fluxes (atom/cm s) from ice-free land surfaces: (A) globally uniform flux of 1.0, and (B) uniform flux of 1.0 between 60 deg. S and 30 deg. N followed by a sharp linear decrease to 0.2 at 70 deg. N. We considered an additional scenario (C) where Rn emissions for case A were uniformly reduced by 28%. Results show that case A overpredicts observed Rn distributions in both hemispheres. Simulated northern hemispheric (NH) Rn distributions from cases B and C compare better with the observations, but are not discernible from each other. In the southern hemisphere, surface Rn distributions from case C compare better with the observations. We performed a synoptic scale source-receptor analysis for surface Rn to locate regions with ratios B/A and B/C less than 0.5. Considering an uncertainty in regional Rn emissions of a factor of two, our analysis indicates that additional measurements of surface Rn particularly during April-October and north of 50 deg. N over the Pacific as well as Atlantic regions would make it possible to determine if the proposed latitude gradient in Rn emissions is superior to a uniform flux scenario.
Overview of the North American Terrestrial Gastropod Fauna

Abstract: A revised database of terrestrial gastropods from North America north of Mexico was assembled in the spring of 2012, which included not only all likely species-level entities, updated family and naturalized exotic assignments, but also shell and body size data. Analyses of these reveal that: (1) the fauna represents approximately 1,200 species, and is dominated by the Polygyridae, Helminthoglyptidae, and Vertiginidae. This number is surprisingly small, with other land masses of ½ to 1/100th the size possessing a larger fauna; (2) naturalized species make up 6% of the total fauna; (3) while slugs represent only 7% of the native fauna, they constitute over 1/3 of the naturalized fauna; (4) the accumulation curve for recognized species is sigmoidal, with current rates being the lowest experienced in 200 years. As a result, it appears that only 150–300 net additional taxa may await description, with the principle future taxonomic activity being revisionary work; (5) like other faunas, both native an...
Frequency and structure of macrophages and abnormal sperm cells in guinea fowl semen.

Summary. Semen from young and old guinea fowl was examined for macrophages and abnormal sperm cells. Large numbers of macrophages were found in the semen from both groups. However, there were significantly more abnormal sperm cells in the semen of the young males. The abnormal cells consisted of large coiled cells, bent spermatozoa, and round-headed cells. The predominant abnormality in the young males was bent sperm, although their semen also contained large round cells. The large round cells were identified as abnormal spermatids by electron microscopy and were more prominent in the older males. The abnormal spermatids were pleomorphic and exhibited various stages of intermediate and late spermatid development. The macrophages were activated cells that exhibited phagocwosis of large number of normal spermatozoa but were never observed to engulf abnormal cells. Their ultrastructure consisted of numerous lipid droplets, vesicles of ingested Sperm8tOZ08, lysosomal structures, residual bodies, and undigested remnants of spermatozoa. The presence of macrophages and abnormal spermatids in semen has been associated with lowered fertility in other species; thus, semen with exorbitant numbers of these cells should not be used for anificial insemination of the guinea fowl.
The Charcoal Vision: A Win–Win–Win Scenario for Simultaneously Producing Bioenergy, Permanently Sequestering Carbon, while Improving Soil and Water Quality

Processing biomass through a distributed network of fast pyrolyzers may be a sustainable platform for producing energy from biomass. Fast pyrolyzers thermally transform biomass into bio-oil, syngas, and charcoal. The syngas could provide the energy needs of the pyrolyzer. Bio-oil is an energy raw material (∼17 MJ kg -1 ) that can be burned to generate heat or shipped to a refinery for processing into transportation fuels. Charcoal could also be used to generate energy; however, application of the charcoal co-product to soils may be key to sustainability. Application of charcoal to soils is hypothesized to increase bioavailable water, build soil organic matter, enhance nutrient cycling, lower bulk density, act as a liming agent, and reduce leaching of pesticides and nutrients to surface and ground water. The half-life of C in soil charcoal is in excess of 1000 yr. Hence, soil-applied charcoal will make both a lasting contribution to soil quality and C in the charcoal will be removed from the atmosphere and sequestered for millennia. Assuming the United States can annually produce 1.1 x 10 9 Mg of biomass from harvestable forest and crop lands, national implementation of The Charcoal Vision would generate enough bio-oil to displace 1.91 billion barrels of fossil fuel oil per year or about 25% of the current U.S. annual oil consumption. The combined C credit for fossil fuel displacement and permanent sequestration, 363 Tg per year, is 10% of the average annual U.S. emissions ofCO 2 -C.
Atrial Tachysystole with Block

Two patients are reported who demonstrated bouts of rapid atrial activity with associated AV block at times unrelated to the administration of digitalis. The criteria of Lown and Levine for the differentiation of PAT with block from atrial flutter are examined. The application of atrial rate in the region of the arbitrary borderline is not a useful criterion. Determination of P-wave direction in leads II and III cannot be made in the presence of an undulating baseline. Identification, when possible, is not sufficient evidence for distinguishing the two arrhythmias. The appearance of the baseline may not warrant the decisive weight commonly given to it. A combination of recording instrument characteristics, the appearance of atrial repolarization at critical rates, as well as subjective factors may explain the undulatory baseline rather than denote a special electrocardiographic entity. Alternation of the P-P cycle length in PAT with block occurs inconstantly and is not an intrinsic property of the arrhythmia. Digitalis, which has a vagal effect, may contribute to the presence of this [see figure in the PDF file] phenomenon. The occurrence of ventricular premature contractions, response to carotid sinus pressure, and the AV ratio are nonspecific findings. The mode of termination of the arrhythmia may also lack specificity. Restoration of sinus rhythm following potassium administration will be, at times, coincidental. Moreover, the successful outcome of such a therapeutic trial is evidence of digitalis intoxication not proof of a specific arrhythmia. Experimental and clinical evidence has firmly established that digitalis is capable of producing an atrial arrhythmia attended by AV block. This report does not contest the observation. A critical review of the contrasting features of atrial flutter and PAT with block and an analysis of the data in the present cases suggest that the electrocardiogram does not provide a means for the clear-cut separation of atrial tachycardia from flutter in certain cases and questions the existence of such a division. The term atrial tachysystole with block is offered as a designation for such tracings.
Some Properties of Random Variables

IN text-books on probability the following (perhaps curious) properties of random variables do not appear to have been noticed so far.
Radioresistance of culture-induced augmented natural killer-like activity

Human NK activity is radiosensitive under the control of X-linked genes. We have evaluated the expression of these genes in other forms of cellular cytotoxicity. The NK radioresistant and radiosensitive phenotype is expressed in ADCC. Specific cellular cytotoxicity, generated in a MLC with a radiosensitive donor as responder, was radioresistant. NK-like activity recruited from nonadherent cells of radiosensitive subjects stimulated with allogenic cells, mitogens (PHA, Con A or PWM), or recall antigens (TT or PPD) was radioresistant. The acquisition of radioresistance was relatively rapid, beginning within 24 hr after exposure to PHA, prior to detectable proliferation. Radioresistance of MLR augmented NK-like activity was maximal 3 days after initiation of the culture. MLR augmented NK-like activity was spared by the immunosuppressive polypeptide antibiotic CsA at doses up to 1 micrometer/ml. CsA did, however, reduce acquisition of radioresistance by the NK-like activity at doses above 0.01 mu gm/ml, a concentration which does not inhibit uptake of 3H-thymidine but does reduce the level of specific CML. These data suggest that mitogens and antigens, including allogeneic cells, are recruiting radioresistant NK-like activity which can be distinguished from the radiosensitive spontaneous NK activity of the cell donor. Further, in the MLR, both radiosensitive and radioresistant NK-like activity may be recruited.
All aboard or standing on the shore? Gifted educators and the educational reform movement

Many curricular and instructional changes have been proposed and implemented as part of educational reform efforts aimed at improving general education for all students. To continue to serve gifted students in this new climate, educators of the gifted may want to consider new roles and responsibilities. One important role is to help general educators implement reforms in ways that maximize the promise and minimize the problems of those reforms for gifted students. With reform efforts now directed to areas that have long been the province of educators of the gifted, a second responsibility is sharing the expertise gained from years of experience. A third focus is finding ways to work more collaboratively with colleagues in general education at the school, district, and university level.
The efficacy of progressive relaxation in systematic desensitization and a proposal for an alternative competitive response--the relaxation response.

Abstract The theoretical basis of systematic desensitization is reciprocal inhibition in which an alternative, competitive response to anxiety is conditioned to arousal-producing, phobic stimuli. Abbreviated training in progressive relaxation is believed to serve as a competitive response to anxiety by decreasing autonomic nervous system activity. However, physiologic studies of progressive relaxation have not substantiated that its practice is associated with such decreased autonomic activity. Consequently, the use of progressive relaxation has been a confounding factor in the determination of the function of reciprocal inhibition in systematic desensitization. To confirm and refine the theoretical constructs of reciprocal inhibition, it is necessary to test the effects of a response which is competitive to the anxiety response. Such a response may be the relaxation response which is characterized by physiologic changes consistent with decreased autonomic nervous system activity. Derived from meditational practices, techniques which ehcit the relaxation response incorporate the element of focused attention which has been implicated as a critical factor in systematic desensitization. Thus, the use of the relaxation response should be a more appropriate method than progressive relaxation if the therapeutic usefulness of systematic desensitization is indeed due to reciprocal inhibition.
In vitro action of mescaline. Possible mode of action

Mescaline (TMPEA) elicited a motor response (dependent upon segment and concentration) from isolated guinea pig, rat, and cat ileum. It did not alter inotropic or chronotropic activity of isolated mammalian atria. Estrogen dominated uteri responded similarly. TMPEA antagonized serotonin-induced motor responses of rat and guinea pig uteri. High concentrations of ganglionic blocking agents potentiated TMPEA motor effects. Evidence suggests that TMPEA does not act via a cholinergic mechanism, but rather through catecholamine mechanisms. The end result varies in definite situations. The primary site of action of TMPEA appears to be at the α-adrenergic receptor site.
Wind extraction potential from ensemble Kalman filter assimilation of stratospheric ozone using a global shallow water model

Abstract. The feasibility of extracting wind information from stratospheric ozone observations is tested using ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation (DA) and a global shallow water model that includes advection of an ozone-like tracer. Simulated observations are created from a truth run (TR) that resembles the Northern Hemisphere winter stratosphere with a polar vortex disturbed by planetary-scale wave forcing. Ozone observations mimic sampling of a polar-orbiting satellite, while geopotential height observations are randomly placed in space and time. EnKF experiments are performed assimilating ozone, height, or both, over a 10-day period. The DA is also implemented using two different pairs of flow variables: zonal and meridional wind (EnKF-uv) and stream function and velocity potential (EnKF-ψχ). Each experiment is tuned for optimal localization length, while the ensemble spread is adaptively inflated using the TR. The experiments are evaluated using the maximum wind extraction potential (WEP). Ozone only assimilation improves winds (WEP = 46% for EnKF-uv, and 58% for EnKF-ψχ), but suffers from spurious gravity wave generation. Application of nonlinear normal mode initialization (NMI) greatly reduces the unwanted imbalance and increases the WEP for EnKF-uv (84%) and EnKF-ψχ (81%). Assimilation of only height observations also improved the winds (WEP = 60% for EnKF-uv, and 69% for EnKF-ψχ), with much less imbalance compared to the ozone experiment. The assimilation of both height and ozone performed the best, with WEP increasing to ~87% (~90% with NMI) for both EnKF-uv and EnKF-ψχ, demonstrating that wind extraction from ozone assimilation can be beneficial even in a data-rich environment. Ozone assimilation particularly improves the tropical winds, which are not well constrained by height observations due to lack of geostrophy.
Gravity wave feedback effects on the diurnal migrating tide

Abstract Previous studies have suggested the interaction of gravity waves with the diurnal tide could account for some of the semiannual variation observed in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. This study investigates these effects using the JHU/APL spectral tidal model and a new parameterization scheme for gravity wave induced heating. Further effects on the tides are also examined using diurnal chemical heating from the JHU/APL coupled 2D chemical-dynamical model. Of these processes, gravity wave driven eddy diffusion is found to produce the largest variations in the diurnal tides.
Distribution and Depletion of Radioactivity in Hens Treated Dermally with 14C-Labeled Permethrin

Abstract The 25/75 cis-trans mixture of permethrin (BW21Z), one of the new broad-spectrum pyrethroid insecticides, was labeled with 14C in the alcohol methylene carbon moiety and mist sprayed at two rates (3.77 or 11.94 mg/hen) on 28 hens. Peak permethrin equivalents in both treatment groups were found in the skins, .414 and 6.69 ppm, respectively. Total permethrin equivalents peaked 3 days after treatment, but permethrin equivalents in eggs peaked 5 days after treatment.
The fluorescence protease protection (FPP) assay to determine protein localization and membrane topology

Correct localization and topology are crucial for the cellular function of a protein. To determine the topology of membrane proteins, a new technique, called the fluorescence protease protection (FPP) assay, can be applied. This assay uses the restricted proteolytic digestibility of GFP-tagged transmembrane proteins to indicate their intramembrane orientation. The sole requirements for FPP are the expression of GFP fusion proteins and the selective permeabilization of the plasma membrane, which permits a wide range of cell types and organelles to be investigated. The FPP assay can be carried out in a straightforward manner to obtain reliable results within minutes. Here we provide a step-by-step protocol for the assay. As an example, we use FPP to determine which terminus of an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) transmembrane protein is lumenal and which one is facing the cytosol.
Myosin light chain phosphorylation and evidence for latchbridge formation in norepinephrine stimulated canine veins.

Abstract The role of 20000 dalton myosin light chain phosphorylation in mediating venous smooth muscle contraction was studied in isolated preparations of canine jugular and femoral vein. One min 10−5M norepinephrine-induced contraction was accompanied by significant increases in phosphorylation (jugular — 21 to 46%; femoral — 19 to 54%) which were reversed within 10 min after agonist washout. During 40 min stimulation, phosphorylation and isometric force redevelopment rates declined to near basal levels while force was maintained. These findings implicate light chain phosphorylation as a prerequisite for initial tension development by crossbridge cycling in venous smooth muscle. However, long term tension can be maintained through a process similar to the latchbridge state in tracheal and arterial smooth muscle.
Globalization, globalisation: Trade, technology, and wages

Abstract I address a complex of globalization issues: the effect of globalization on the skill premium; on unemployment; on the ability of national governments to conduct independent social policies; the relative importance of globalization and exogenous technical change. A large empirical literature concludes that trade has played a relatively minor role, relative to skill-biased technical change, in the rise of the skill premium. This paper replaces the Stolper–Samuelson theorem's focus on inter-sectoral with attention to intra-sectoral relations between inputs. Specifically, I assume out-sourcing and unskilled labor are highly substitutable, equipment and skilled labor are complementary, production methods are flexible, and that the country undertaking out-sourcing has a significantly different structure from that providing it. Globalization then offers a simple and immediate possible explanation for prominent stylized facts regarding the skill premium and the presence of skill-biased technical change.
SIM PlanetQuest: Progress Report

SIM-PlanetQuest is a NASA astrophysics mission that is implementing the National Research Counsel's recommended Astrometric Interferometry Mission (AIM) to develop the first, in-space, optical, long-baseline Michelson Stellar Interferometer for performing micro-arcsecond-level astrometry. This level of astrometric precision will enable characterization of planetary systems around nearby stars and enable a number of key investigations in astrophysics including calibration of the cosmological distance scale, stellar and galactic structure and evolution, and dark matter/energy distribution. This paper provides an update on the SIM-PlanetQuest Mission covering the results of the 2005 mission redesign and the recent completion of the last in a series of technology "gates." The SIM-PlanetQuest mission redesign was directed by NASA to recover eroded mass and power margins and to meet specific implementation cost targets. The resulting mission redesign met all redesign objectives with minimal impact to mission science performance. This paper provides the mission redesign objectives and describes the resulting mission and system design including changes in science capability. SIM-PlanetQuest also completed the last of eight major technology development gates that were established in 2001 by NASA, completing the enabling technology development. The technology development program, the last gate, and its significance to the project's flight verification and validation (V&V) approach are briefly described (covered in more detail in a separate paper at this conference). An update on project programmatic status and plans is also provided.
Catalytic oxidation of model waste aromatic hydrocarbons in a dense fluid

Abstract Aromatic compounds dissolved in dense COa (with stoichiometric air) were oxidized at 80-140 bar and 453-573 K. A range of behavior from partial oxidation to complete combustion was observed upon varying the active metal oxide on an Al2O3, support. This process can be joined to supercritical fluid extraction as a waste treatment technology; some of the rates of destruction observed here compare favorably to those obtained for similar compounds in supercritical water or wet-air oxidation processes. The results of experiments where pressure was varied, but reactant mole fractions held constant, suggest the absence of rate-limiting fluid-phase reactions, or of diffusional control; the catalyst itself appears to be the locus of the rate-limiting reactions at these conditions.
From Darwin's finches to canaries in the coal mine--mining the genome for new biology.

Now, more than 150 years after Darwin's theory of the origins of interspecies differences, genomewide association studies have identified more than 100 new chromosomal regions at which DNA variation influences risk of common human diseases and clinical phenotypes. Drs. David Hunter, David Altshuler, and Daniel Rader write that this moment constitutes a watershed in the history of genetics in medicine.
Delay-Limited Throughput of Space-Time Codes with Channel Estimation Errors

Lower bounds are computed on the throughput of packet-switched space-time coded systems with delay constraints. The delay constraints are accounted for by defining a delay-limited throughput as the instantaneous throughput of each packet that can be maintained with a certain probability. The analysis assumes quasi-static and independent fading across packets, packet retransmissions until success, and negligible overhead for acknowledgment packets and guard times. Upper bounds on the outage probabilities of orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBC) and spatial multiplexing with horizontal encoding (SM-HE) are computed in the presence of channel estimation errors to obtain lower bounds on the delay-limited throughput. The target physical-layer data rate is selected at each signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to maximize the lower bounds on the throughput. The results indicate that higher throughput is achieved using OSTBC at low SNR and SM-HE at high SNR. Furthermore, the loss of throughput due to channel estimation errors is quantified.
Hospital Governance And The Quality Of Care

Hospitals' boards may influence the quality of care that hospitals provide, but their engagement in quality-related issues is largely unknown. We surveyed a nationally representative sample of board chairs of 1,000 U.S. hospitals to understand their expertise, perspectives, and activities in clinical quality. We found that fewer than half of the boards rated quality of care as one of their two top priorities, and only a minority reported receiving training in quality. The large differences in board activities between high-performing and low-performing hospitals we found suggest that governing boards may be an important target for intervention for policymakers hoping to improve care in U.S. hospitals.
Polarization insensitive band conversion with low cross talk in high nonlinearity fibers

Summary form only given. We demonstrate optical wavelength conversion by modulation instability (MI) effect in high nonlinearity dispersion shifted (HNL-DS) fibers with loop configuration formed by a polarization beam splitter. The polarization sensitivity is to 30 nm conversion band.
Characteristics of Children Who Are Unresponsive to Early Literacy Intervention A Review of the Literature

This article reviews the research literature that describes children who are unresponsive to generally effective early literacy interventions. Studies were selected in which (a) children ranged from preschoolers to third graders and were at risk for reading disabilities, (b) treatments targeted early literacy, (c) outcomes reflected reading development, and (d) students' unresponsiveness to intervention was described. The literature review included a computer search of several databases, an ancestral search of relevant articles and books, and a manual search of 11 journals. Twenty-three studies were identified, 8 of which were designed primarily to identify characteristics of unresponsive students; the remaining 15 studies focused on treatment effectiveness but also identified and described unresponsive students. A majority of unresponsive students had phonological awareness deficits. Additional characteristics included phonological retrieval or encoding deficits, low verbal ability, behavior problems, an...
An improved dust emission model – Part 2: Evaluation in the Community Earth System Model, with implications for the use of dust source functions

Abstract. The complex nature of mineral dust aerosol emission makes it a difficult process to represent accurately in weather and climate models. Indeed, results in the companion paper indicate that many large-scale models underestimate the dust flux's sensitivity to the soil's threshold friction velocity for erosion. We hypothesize that this finding explains why many dust cycle simulations are improved by using an empirical dust source function that shifts emissions towards the world's most erodible regions. Here, we both test this hypothesis and evaluate the performance of the new dust emission parameterization presented in the companion paper. We do so by implementing the new emission scheme into the Community Earth System Model (CESM) and comparing the resulting dust cycle simulations against an array of measurements. We find that the new scheme shifts emissions towards the world's most erodible regions in a manner that is strikingly similar to the effect of implementing a widely used source function based on satellite observations of dust source regions. Furthermore, model comparisons against aerosol optical depth measurements show that the new physically based scheme produces a statistically significant improvement in CESM's representation of dust emission, which exceeds the improvement produced by implementing a source function. These results indicate that the need to use an empirical source function is eliminated, at least in CESM, by the additional physics in the new scheme, and in particular by its increased sensitivity to the soil's threshold friction velocity. Since the threshold friction velocity is affected by climate changes, our results further suggest that many large-scale models underestimate the global dust cycle's climate sensitivity.
A Queueing Network Analysis of Computer Communication Networks with Window Flow Control

A computer communication network with window flow control is modeled by a closed multichain queueing network. The severe computational limitation of previous solution algorithms is overcome with a heuristic derived from the recently found mean value analysis. A large numerical example is given.
Methods for Choosing Actuators and Transmission Components for High Performance Manipulators

Recently, the importance of the design of high performance machines and particularly of robotic manipulators has been widely acknowledged [1]. However relatively little work has been done on the choice and design of the mechanical components for the best dynamic performance. Various authors have evaluated manipulator kinematic performance and have set guidelines for configuration of manipulator links and joints [2,3]. Others [A,5] have developed algorithms for defining the boundaries of the workspace for manipulators with arbitrarily complex kinematic configurations. A thorough study of the state of the art in the computer control of robot manipulators has been presented by Paul [6]. A number of authors have studied methods for enhancing manipulator performance using special control algorithms [7]. Hollerbach [8] has developed an efficient analytical formulation of manipulator dynamics for use in real time control. Methods for feedback control of flexible link manipulators have been presented by Book [9] and Book et al. [10]. Sunada and Dubowsky [11] have developed methods for the analysis of industrial manipulators with complex shaped flexible links. They have concluded that link and joint flexibility can have significant impact on system performance and stability.
Potential Therapeutic Effects of Curcumin, the Anti-inflammatory Agent, Against Neurodegenerative, Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, Metabolic, Autoimmune and Neoplastic Diseases

Although safe in most cases, ancient treatments are ignored because neither their active component nor their molecular targets are well defined. This is not the case, however, with curcumin, a yellow-pigment substance and component of turmeric (Curcuma longa), which was identified more than a century ago. For centuries it has been known that turmeric exhibits anti-inflammatory activity, but extensive research performed within the past two decades has shown that this activity of turmeric is due to curcumin (diferuloylmethane). This agent has been shown to regulate numerous transcription factors, cytokines, protein kinases, adhesion molecules, redox status and enzymes that have been linked to inflammation. The process of inflammation has been shown to play a major role in most chronic illnesses, including neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases. In the current review, we provide evidence for the potential role of curcumin in the prevention and treatment of various proinflammatory chronic diseases. These features, combined with the pharmacological safety and negligible cost, render curcumin an attractive agent to explore further.
Dominance, aggression and testosterone in wild chimpanzees: a test of the ‘challenge hypothesis’

The ‘challenge hypothesis’ posits that variation in male testosterone levels is more closely associated with aggression in reproductive contexts than it is with changes in reproductive physiology. Numerous bird studies support this idea, but few tests have been conducted with primates. We conducted behavioural observations and noninvasive hormone sampling of 11 male chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, in the Kanyawara study site, Kibale National Park, to test predictions of the challenge hypothesis. Results indicated that adult male chimpanzees showed significant testosterone increases during periods when parous females showed maximally tumescent sexual swellings. These periods were also marked by increased rates of male aggression. Male testosterone levels did not increase in the presence of maximally tumescent nulliparous females. Such females are less attractive to males: they are not mate-guarded, nor do rates of male aggression increase when they are swelling. Male chimpanzees copulate with parous and nulliparous females at similar rates, however, suggesting that testosterone increases in the presence of cycling parous females are associated with aggression rather than sexual behaviour. High-ranking chimpanzees were more aggressive than low-ranking males and produced higher levels of urinary testosterone. Thus, the predictions of the challenge hypothesis were generally upheld. This suggests that the hypothesis may have wider applicability among primates, including humans.
The evolution of a flexible classroom

Stanford University's Meyer Library Flexible Class-Lab opened in January of 1996. The multicolored beanbags, mobile furniture, rear-projection display system, and wireless laptops marked the space as a technologically advanced learning environment ideal for small-group collaborative activities. Thirteen years later, the Meyer Flex Class has received its first major revision. This revision incorporates advances in display and collaborative technologies. The primary goal of the new Flex Class is to support collaborative pedagogies that integrate the use of large- and small-group shared displays and collaborative software while striving to retain the ease of use and scalable support model of its predecessor.
A client-centric grid knowledgebase

Grid computing brings with it additional complexities and unexpected failures. Just keeping track of our jobs traversing different grid resources before completion can at times become tricky. We introduce a client-centric grid knowledgebase that keeps track of the job performance and failure characteristics on different grid resources as observed by the client. We present the design and implementation of our prototype grid knowledgebase and evaluate its effectiveness on two real life grid data processing pipelines: NCSA image processing pipeline and WCER video processing pipeline. It enabled us to easily extract useful job and resource information and interpret them to make better scheduling decisions. Using it, we were able to understand failures better and were able to devise innovative methods to automatically avoid and recover from failures and dynamically adapt to grid environment improving fault-tolerance and performance.
Inhibition of Caenorhabditis elegans vulval induction by gap-1 and by let-23 receptor tyrosine kinase

During induction of the Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite vulva, a signal from the anchor cell activates the LET-23 epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/LET-60 Ras/MPK-1 MAP kinase signaling pathway in the vulval precursor cells. We have characterized two mechanisms that limit the extent of vulval induction. First, we found that gap-1 may directly inhibit the LET-60 Ras signaling pathway. We identified the gap-1 gene in a genetic screen for inhibitors of vulval induction. gap-1 is predicted to encode a protein similar to GTPase-activating proteins that likely functions to inhibit the signaling activity of LET-60 Ras. A loss-of-function mutation in gap-1 suppresses the vulvaless phenotype of mutations in the let-60 ras signaling pathway, but a gap-1 single mutant does not exhibit excess vulval induction. Second, we found that let-23 EGFR prevents vulval induction in a cell-nonautonomous manner, in addition to its cell-autonomous role in activating the let-60 ras/mpk-1 signaling pathway. Using genetic mosaic analysis, we show that let-23 activity in the vulval precursor cell closest to the anchor cell (P6.p) prevents induction of vulval precursor cells further away from the anchor cell (P3.p, P4.p, and P8.p). This result suggests that LET-23 in proximal vulval precursor cells might bind and sequester the inductive signal LIN-3 EGF, thereby preventing diffusion of the inductive signal to distal vulval precursor cells.
Depression and Survival in Metastatic Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Effects of Early Palliative Care

Purpose In a randomized trial, early palliative care (EPC) in patients with metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was observed to improve survival. In a secondary analysis, we explored the hypothesis that the survival benefit resulted from improving depression. Patients and Methods In total, 151 patients with newly diagnosed metastatic NSCLC participated in a randomized trial of EPC integrated with standard oncology care versus standard oncology care alone. Depression was assessed at baseline and at 12 weeks with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and was scored diagnostically by using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, criteria for major depression syndrome (MDS). Depression response was considered ≥ 50% reduction in PHQ-9 scores at 12 weeks. Survival differences were tested with log-rank and Cox proportional hazards models. Results At baseline, 21 patients (14%) met MDS criteria. MDS significantly predicted worse survival (hazard ratio, 1.82; P = .02). Pa...
Who shall treat acute gonorrhea in the U.S. Army? Spicy correspondence of 1944

Over forty years ago in June of 1944 there began a yearlong sharp exchange of letters regarding to whom should be assigned the treatment of gonorrhea in the U.S. Army. The principal correspondence was between David M. Davis, Professor of Genitourinary Surgery, Jefferson Medical College, (Fig. 1) and Hugh J. Morgan, Professor of Internal Medicine, Vanderbilt University, but in 1944 serving as Chief Consultant in Medicine to the Surgeon General of the Army (Fig. 2). Both men were trained in the scientific milieu of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, were eminent in their specialties, and highly regarded in the academic and clinical spheres wherein they moved. The spirited debate between the protagonist of Urology and that for Internal Medicine in a short time spread from the proverbial teapot to involve the officers of the American Urological Association and the American College of Physicians, the American Board of Urology, the Surgeon General of the United States Army, the editors of national medical journals, and both Edward L. Keyes, Jr., and Hugh Hampton Young who were the premier urologists of their day. The spark which set off the controversy occurred at the 1944 meeting of the American Urological Association, in St. Louis, with the result that David M.
The ROS planning system: Evolution, basic concepts, and research needed

Abstract This paper describes the evolution of the concept of the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS)—a largely resource‐based approach to providing recreational diversity. It explains the needs of the USDA Forest Service and USDI Bureau of Land Management for a recreation resource planning system and relates those needs to the development of the ROS system to guide recreation planning of large areas. The basic concepts and tenets of the ROS system are explained and needed research is outlined.
Build-by-number: rearranging the real world to visualize novel architectural spaces

We present build-by-number, a technique for quickly designing architectural structures that can be rendered photorealistically at interactive rates. We combine image-based capturing and rendering with procedural modeling techniques to allow the creation of novel structures in the style of real-world structures. Starting with a simple model recovered from a sparse image set, the model is divided into feature regions, such as doorways, windows, and brick. These feature regions essentially comprise a mapping from model space to image space, and can be recombined to texture a novel model. Procedural rules for the growth and reorganization of the model are automatically derived to allow for very fast editing and design. Further, the redundancies marked by the feature labeling can be used to perform automatic occlusion replacement and color equalization in the finished scene, which is rendered using view-dependent texture mapping on standard graphics hardware. Results using four captured scenes show that a great variety of novel structures can be created very quickly once a captured scene is available, and rendered with a degree of realism comparable to the original scene.
An 11 GHz photonic band gap accelerator structure with wakefield suppression

We report the design and cold test results for an 11 GHz photonic band gap (PBG) cell, which can be utilized as an accelerator cavity with reduced long-range wakefields. The eigenmodes of the two-dimensional (2D) PBG cavities formed by the defect in a triangular array of metal rods were studied numerically. A 2D PBG cavity with reduced HOM content was designed and built. Cold test results proved the suppression of the higher order modes (HOM) in the PBG cavity. A 6-cell 17.137 GHz PBG accelerator structure is proposed and designed.
Gaussian network variants: a preliminary study

Five variants of a Gaussian network are compared with respect to learning capabilities on three different data sets. The variations allow different degrees of flexibility in approximating a function. Greater flexibility is incurred at the cost of increased processing time. Simulation results indicate a point of diminishing returns with increasing flexibility. >
Detecting regularity in minefields and chaotic signals using the empty boxes test

A simple, flexible, and robust procedure to detect regularity in point processes versus the alternative of randomness (i.e., a Poisson point process) is the empty boxes test (EBT). The EBT can be extended to a multivariate statistical test in several ways including an implementation of a skeptical likelihood test (SLT). These approaches have previously been used to detect the regularity of minefields, a two-dimensional point process, where the alternative is termed complete spatial randomness (CSR). These methods are applied to the problem of detecting regularity in chaotic signals such as pseudo-random number generators.
Effects of Early Quantitative Feed Restriction on Live Performance and Carcass Composition of Male Broilers Grown for Further Processing

Abstract Three trials with identical design were conducted to examine the effects of early feed restriction on broiler chickens grown for further processing. Diets provided a minimum of 107.5% of NRC amino acid requirements, maintained in proportion to dietary energy levels. Varying energy levels were obtained by adding 0, 3, and 6% poultry oil. Diets within each age period (starter, 0 to 21 d; grower, 21 to 42 d; and finisher, 42 to 63 d) had similar calorie:protein ratios. Feed was given ad libitum for the first 7 d; feed intake was restricted for half the replicate pens during the periods of 7 to 14 d based on 7-d BW. From 14 to 63 d birds were given access to ad libitum feed intake. Live performance was examined at 14, 21, 42, and 63 d. Carcass characteristics were examined at 63 d. Body weight gain was significantly reduced at all ages as a result of early feed restriction. Feed intake following restriction was significantly lower at all ages. However, feed conversion was significantly improved at all ages after the restriction period for the restricted group compared with the control group fed ad libitum. Similarly, caloric efficiency was significantly improved by restriction. Mortality following feed restriction was significantly lower. Dressing percentage and quantitative breast yield were significantly reduced by restriction. Overall percentage breast yield was not affected. Abdominal fat, expressed either as a percentage of carcass or absolute weight, was not significantly affected by early feed restriction.
Elite Values, Ideology, and Power in Post-Independence Zambia

In this paper an attempt will be made to provide answers to the following questions: (1) What was the pattern of political values held by members of the Zambian elite soon after independence? (2) How did these values develop out of the experiences of elite members during the struggle for independence? (3) How have the events of subsequent post-independence years influenced these elite values, and specifically, what is the relationship between earlier elite values and the ideology of “Zambian Humanism” which has only recently been articulated in a systematic way? (4) What have been the consequences for the Zambian political system of the interaction among elite values, ideology, and problems of exercising power? The answers given to these questions will be more meaningful and more easily understood if we first present briefly a theoretical framework which includes definitions of the principal concepts employed in the paper and a discussion of the interrelations among them.
Effect of corticosteroids on the thymus in myasthenia gravis

The weight and histological appearance of the thymus from patients with myasthenia gravis were studied. Nine patients treated with corticosteroids were compared with 10 patients not treated with corticosteroids before thymectomy. The thymuses of corticosteroid-treated patients were found to have significantly increased fat and connective tissue, decreased germinal centers, and poorer corticomedullary differentiation than those of untreated patients. The glandular weight and degree of myoepithelial stroma were the same in both groups. The changes following corticosteroid treatment mimic those following aging or acute stress, with retention of the myoepithelial stroma but depletion of thymic lymphoid elements. In myasthenic patients not undergoing thymectomy, the possibility remains that persistent myoepithelial tissue can adversely affect the prognosis.
Contributions of molecular motor enzymes to vesicle-based protein transport in gastrointestinal epithelial cells

Two major functions of gastrointestinal (GI) epithelial cells are the secretion of nascent proteins into blood or a duct and the endocytic uptake and processing of macromolecules. It is well established that these processes are dependent on an elaborate vesicle transport machinery by which proteins are translocated between distinct membranous compartments. Far from being a randomized process, this transport is active, extremely well ordered, and regulated by two separate but interactive cytoskeletal networks, actin and microtubules. In association with these structural systems are two extensive families of mechanochemical enzymes that hydrolyze Mg:adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to translocate along the surface lattice of a microtubule or actin filament while carrying a specific membrane organelle. These enzymes have been termed ‘‘molecular motors’’ and include the actin-based nonmuscle myosins, the microtubule-associated kinesins, and cytoplasmic dynein. In the last decade, the number of identified motors has exploded from only 2‐3 enzymes to more than 100, and new motors are still being identified. These enzymes are found in cells from yeast to human, with many expressed in a tissue-specific manner. This review does not attempt to summarize the vast literature accumulated either on protein trafficking or molecular motors in eukaryotic cells. Instead, we summarize the specific properties and organization of actin, microtubules, and associated motor enzymes in mammalian neurons and epithelial cells. Next, we describe how these cytoskeletal systems are modified to meet the specific needs of three classic epithelial cell models central to the field of gastroenterology: the enterocyte of the small bowel, the pancreatic acinar cell, and the hepatocyte.
Enhanced virome sequencing using targeted sequence capture

Metagenomic shotgun sequencing (MSS) is an important tool for characterizing viral populations. It is culture independent, requires no a priori knowledge of the viruses in the sample, and may provide useful genomic information. However, MSS can lack sensitivity and may yield insufficient data for detailed analysis. We have created a targeted sequence capture panel, ViroCap, designed to enrich nucleic acid from DNA and RNA viruses from 34 families that infect vertebrate hosts. A computational approach condensed ∼1 billion bp of viral reference sequence into <200 million bp of unique, representative sequence suitable for targeted sequence capture. We compared the effectiveness of detecting viruses in standard MSS versus MSS following targeted sequence capture. First, we analyzed two sets of samples, one derived from samples submitted to a diagnostic virology laboratory and one derived from samples collected in a study of fever in children. We detected 14 and 18 viruses in the two sets, comprising 19 genera from 10 families, with dramatic enhancement of genome representation following capture enrichment. The median fold-increases in percentage viral reads post-capture were 674 and 296. Median breadth of coverage increased from 2.1% to 83.2% post-capture in the first set and from 2.0% to 75.6% in the second set. Next, we analyzed samples containing a set of diverse anellovirus sequences and demonstrated that ViroCap could be used to detect viral sequences with up to 58% variation from the references used to select capture probes. ViroCap substantially enhances MSS for a comprehensive set of viruses and has utility for research and clinical applications.