cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ORIGINAL RESEARCH—BASIC SCIENCE: Effect of the Destruction of Cells Containing the Serotonin Reuptake Transporter on Urethrogenital Reflexes

ABSTRACT Introduction The urethrogenital (UG) reflex is an autonomic and somatic response that mimics some of the physiological changes seen during ejaculation. The UG reflex is tonically inhibited by neurons in the ventral medulla, an area containing serotonin neurons. Aim To examine the effect of lesions of brain neurons containing the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) on ejaculatory-like reflexes. Methods Anti-SERT saporin (80 nL, 1 mM) or saline was injected bilaterally into the ventrolateral medulla of male Sprague–Dawley rats. Ten to 18 days later, animals were deeply anesthetized and the presence of the UG reflex was examined before and after acute spinal cord transection (T9–10). Following the experiment the presence and number of serotonin and norepinephrine containing neurons (using tryptophan hydroxylase and dopamine beta-hydroxylase, respectively) was performed. Main Outcome Measures The UG reflex and cell counts. Results In saline-injected controls the UG reflex was not evoked in the anesthetized, intact preparation, indicating the presence of the supraspinal inhibition, as previously reported. Injection of anti-SERT saporin into the ventrolateral medulla allowed the UG reflex to be activated in the intact preparation, thus removed the inhibition. This was associated with a decrease in the number of serotonin neurons in the ventrolateral medulla and raphe. No change in the number of noradrenergic neurons was observed. Conclusion These studies suggest that ventral medullary neurons containing SERT are involved in the tonic inhibition of the UG reflex. Gravitt K, and Marson L. Effect of the destruction of cells containing the serotonin reuptake transporter on urethrogenital Reflexes.
Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase in Allomyces arbuscula

Three distinct species of ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase were resolved from Allomyces arbuscula by diethylaminoethyl-cellulose chromatography and characterized as to ionic strength and divalent cation preference. α-Amanitin specifically inhibited enzyme II; neither rifampin nor cycloheximide had any effect on the three enzymes. RNA polymerase was isolated from three stages of the diploid life cycle: the hyphal growth stage, mycelia in the process of forming sporangia, and the mitospores. The same three enzyme species could be resolved from each stage. Thus, there is no evidence from this work that RNA polymerase plays a major role in the control of development.
Oblivious Image Matching

Video surveillance is an intrusive operation that violates privacy. It is therefore desirable to devise surveillance protocols that minimize or even eliminate privacy intrusion. A principled way of doing so is to resort to Secure Multi-Party methods, that are provably secure, and adapt them to various vision algorithms. In this chapter, we describe an Oblivious Image Matching protocol which is a secure protocol for image matching. Image matching is a generalization of detection and recognition tasks since detection can be viewed as matching a particular image to a given object class (i.e., does this image contain a face?) while recognition can be viewed as matching an image of a particular instance of a class to another image of the same instance (i.e., does this image contain a particular car?). And instead of applying the Oblivious Image Matching to the entire image one can apply it to various sub-images, thus solving the localization problem (i.e., where is the gun in the image?). A leading approach to object detection and recognition is the bag-offeatures approach, where each object is reduced to a set of features and matching objects is reduced to matching their corresponding sets of features. Oblivious Image Matching uses a secure fuzzy match of string and sets as its building block. In the proposed protocol, two parties, Alice and Bob, wish to match their images, without leaking additional information. We use a novel cryptographic protocol for fuzzy matching and adopt it to the bag-of-features approach. Fuzzy matching compares two sets (or strings) and declares them to match if a certain percentage of their elements match. To apply fuzzy matching to images, we represent images as a set of visual words that can be fed to the secure fuzzy matching protocol. The fusion of a novel cryptographic protocol and recent advances in computer vision results in a secure and efficient protocol for image matching. Experiments on real images are presented.
Semen characterization, seasonality of production, and in vitro sperm quality after chilled storage and cryopreservation in the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus)

Research was conducted to examine seasonal seminal traits and to establish short-term and long-term sperm preservation methods in the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) for use in genome banking and artificial insemination (AI). Spermic ejaculates (n = 87) obtained using a cooperative method were collected across multiple (n = 6, Male 1) and a single (Male 2) breeding season(s). Non-contaminated ejaculates (n = 69) were 0.36 ± 0.32 ml at 56.3 ± 62.7 × 107 sperm/ml with 85.3 ± 10.6% total motility (TMot), 52.5 ± 12.9% progressive motility (PMot), 86.6 ± 24.3 µm/sec average path velocity (VAP) and 92.3 ± 3.7% plasma membrane intact. In vitro quality of chilled semen was best maintained over 48 hr at 5°C than 21°C, with decreased (P < 0.05) motility and morphology parameters observed by 24 and 6 hr, respectively. A comparison of two freezing methods (straw [STR] vs. directional [DF]) demonstrated similar effects on post-thaw quality at 0 and 3 hr, with the exception of plasma membrane integrity which was higher (P < 0.05) at 0 hr for DF (48.7 ± 6.5%) than STR (41.2 ± 7.0%). At 0 hr post-thaw, DF samples retained 46%, 69%, and 52% of their initial PMot, VAP, and plasma membrane integrity, respectively. Normal morphology of motile cells was reduced (P < 0.05) during freeze–thawing from 84% post-collection to 37% and 34% at 0 and 3 hr post-thaw, respectively. Results indicate that chilled and cryopreserved semen from the king penguin has potential for use in AI. Zoo Biol. 33:99–109, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc.
"Shalom" means peace.

: This paper is based on firsthand information learned through observation-participation and speaking with individuals directly involved with postwar activities in Israel. Contacts with psychologists, social workers, and military personnel involved in postwar activities were the sources for much of the information. My personal experiences in Israel during the last 5 years (1969–1974) were the basis for my speculations.
Short Stature Associated with Normal Growth Hormone and Decreased Somatomedin-C Concentrations: Response to Exogenous Growth Hormone

Two prepubertal males with low somatomedin-C concentrations in their sera, but normal growth hormone concentrations, had positive metabolic responses when human growth hormone was administered. An accelerated velocity of growth accompanied the long-term administration of growth hormone. This response was dependent upon the administration of exogenous hormone inasmuch as linear growth was subnormal both before and after administration of growth hormone. The extreme short stature in these individuals may be secondary to a biologically inactive growth hormone molecule that is immunologically reactive or to a decreased dose responsiveness of the cells that produce somatomedin when exposed to the usual concentrations of endogenous growth hormone.
Modeling dislocation breakaway damping and harmonic generation

Amplitude-dependent damping, being nonlinear, has associated with it an acoustic harmonic spectrum. Sufficient data have now accumulated to make desirable an effort to understand the complicated results. We have recently suggested that a sharp dip as a function of amplitude of the third harmonic in iron can be explained as a phase cancellation effect. A simple model, a discontinuous jump in amplitude of a sine wave, indicated that the phase of the emitted acoustic radiation depended on the phase of the jump. Supposing a distribution of breakaway stresses for dislocation segments, one expects that some segments will be emitting with a phase sufficiently different from others to give significant cancellation effects. In this paper, using a more physical representation of the breakaway event, we confirm the results on the tendency of the phases and observe qualitatively that they may be adequate to explain the data for brass as well as iron. Detailed modeling now seems worthwhile.
Family configuration and intelligence.

An attempt is made to show generally that variations in aggregate intelligence scores are closely associated with variations in patterns of family configuration and that these aggregate family factors are deeply implicated in the declining Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores the discussion summarizes a recent theoretical analysis that specifies the conditions under which family configuration may foster or impede intellectual growth and examines some relevant empirical findings finally returning to the special case of the SATs. A variety of findings reveal the impact of family configuration on intelligence: intellectual performance increases with decreasing family size; children born early in the sibship perform births are relatively short; long intersibling spacing appears to cancel the negative effects of birth order and in extreme cases to reverse them; in general long intervals enhance intellectual growth; the adverse effects of short intervals are reflected in the typically low intelligence quotients (IQs) of children of multiple births; only children the benefits of a small family are apparently counteracted by the lack of opportunities to serve as teachers to younger children; last children suffer that handicap also; temporal changes in family patterns such as birthrates average orders of births intervals between children and family size are reflected in temporal changes in aggregate measures of intellectual performance; and males and females differ in average birth order and this difference is reflected in aggregate intellectual performance scores. The pattern of these diverse data is consistent with the analysis of intellectual development based on the confluence model. Not all variation in intelligence is accounted for by variation in family configuration. For example the large decline in SAT Scores in the US cannot be a function of changes in family configuration alone because it is considerably larger that would be expected on the basis of a simple extrapolation from the four national samples.
RAB11-mediated trafficking in host–pathogen interactions

Many bacterial and viral pathogens block or subvert host cellular processes to promote successful infection. One host protein that is targeted by invading pathogens is the small GTPase RAB11, which functions in vesicular trafficking. RAB11 functions in conjunction with a protein complex known as the exocyst to mediate terminal steps in cargo transport via the recycling endosome to cell-cell junctions, phagosomes and cellular protrusions. These processes contribute to host innate immunity by promoting epithelial and endothelial barrier integrity, sensing and immobilizing pathogens and repairing pathogen-induced cellular damage. In this Review, we discuss the various mechanisms that pathogens have evolved to disrupt or subvert RAB11-dependent pathways as part of their infection strategy.
Optimal Control of a Quasi-Linearized On Demand All Wheel Drive System

This paper presents an optimal algorithm to enhance the performance of an On-demand All Wheel Drive (ODAWD) vehicle by traction improvement through regulation of wheel slip. A “Minimum Fuel Problem” is developed with a cost function minimizing the slip error and the control action which is the ratio of the torque transmitted to the non driven wheels (rear wheels) to the total torque from engine. A simplified vehicle model (bicycle model) is used for the derivation and the system produces a Two Point Boundary Value Problem (TPBVP) once the Hamiltonian is formed and Pontryagin minimum Principle is used. An iterative algorithm based on the “Shooting Method” is then used to arrive at the optimal control action. The proposed controller optimally reduces the wheel slip error by engaging and dynamically controlling a hydraulic clutch which transmits the optimal torque to the rear wheels, thus reducing the vehicle longitudinal slip and enhancing vehicle traction. The controller was simulated in two phases where the first phase was an open loop simulation for a desired vehicle speed profile and the second phase, a closed loop system where the controller was integrated on a validated 14 degree-of-freedom detailed vehicle model in SIMULINK. The two phased simulation results provide high promise of the controller performance on low friction coefficient surfaces with enhanced traction and reduced vehicle longitudinal slip in an acceleration event.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Confidentiality and therapy: an agency perspective.

Abstract The present paper discusses the current interpretations of confidentiality restrictions and indicates the limitations of these for certain specialized treatment programs such as those for sex offenders. The interpretation of confidentiality regulations are usually based on weighing the benefits of maintaining a therapeutic relationship versus the risk to society that accrues when a therapist does not report a potentially dangerous person. The paper will point out that this limited view of confidentiality does not take into account the effect of such limitations on an agency's ability both to monitor patient progress and to reach a substantial number of patients. These issues are developed, based on a specific case encountered by an outpatient sex-offender treatment program.
Exact results for the Kondo effect in a Luttinger liquid.

The Kondo effect in a Luttinger liquid composed of right-moving, spin-up electrons and left-moving, spin-down electrons is mapped exactly onto the Kondo effect in a Fermi liquid. The transformation generates anisotropy in the exchange coupling, which explains the two most notable features of the Kondo effect in a full Luttinger liquid: the quenching of the impurity moment for ferromagnetic, as well as antiferromagnetic, exchange and a power-law dependence of the Kondo temperature on the exchange coupling. Impurity contributions to the low-energy thermodynamics have the same temperature dependence as in a Fermi liquid.
State diagram and water adsorption isotherm of raspberry (Rubus idaeus)

Abstract Thermal transitions of freeze-dried raspberry powder ( Rubus idaeus ) were analyzed by using differential scanning calorimetry. Freeze-dried raspberry powders containing unfreezable and freezable water were examined to develop the state diagram of raspberry. The state diagram of freeze-dried raspberry powders included the glass line; glass transition temperature versus solids content, freezing curve; initial freezing point versus solids content; end point of freezing T m ′ , corresponding solids content X s ′ , characteristic glass transition T g ′ and corresponding solids contents X s ″ of maximally-freeze-concentrated raspberry. The conditions of the maximal-freeze-concentrate obtained from freezing curve corresponded to T m ′ = - 38 ° C and X s ′ = 0.78 kg solids/kg raspberry and T g ′ = - 47 ° C and X s ″ = 0.82 kg solids / kg raspberry. The T g ′ was determined by extending the freezing curve to glass line. The quantities of unfreezable water identified from enthalpy data and the freezing curve were comparable. Adsorption isotherms of freeze-dried raspberries were determined at room temperature by the isopiestic method and the data was modeled with BET and GAB equations. The BET and GAB monolayer moisture contents were observed to be 0.045 and 0.074 kg water/kg dry raspberry solids, respectively. The state diagram and water sorption properties of raspberries are useful in optimizing the retention of anthocyanins, phenolics concentrations and antioxidant activities in freeze-dried and frozen raspberries during storage.
Large-scale seismic signal analysis with Hadoop

In seismology, waveform cross correlation has been used for years to produce high-precision hypocenter locations and for sensitive detectors. Because correlated seismograms generally are found only at small hypocenter separation distances, correlation detectors have historically been reserved for spotlight purposes. However, many regions have been found to produce large numbers of correlated seismograms, and there is growing interest in building next-generation pipelines that employ correlation as a core part of their operation. In an effort to better understand the distribution and behavior of correlated seismic events, we have cross correlated a global dataset consisting of over 300 million seismograms. This was done using a conventional distributed cluster, and required 42 days. In anticipation of processing much larger datasets, we have re-architected the system to run as a series of MapReduce jobs on a Hadoop cluster. In doing so we achieved a factor of 19 performance increase on a test dataset. We found that fundamental algorithmic transformations were required to achieve the maximum performance increase. Whereas in the original IO-bound implementation, we went to great lengths to minimize IO, in the Hadoop implementation where IO is cheap, we were able to greatly increase the parallelism of our algorithms by performing a tiered series of very fine-grained (highly parallelizable) transformations on the data. Each of these MapReduce jobs required reading and writing large amounts of data. But, because IO is very fast, and because the fine-grained computations could be handled extremely quickly by the mappers, the net was a large performance gain. A global dataset of over 300 million waveforms has been cross correlated.The algorithms have been adapted to run as MapReduce jobs on a Hadoop cluster.Increased parallelism was required to make best use of mappers.IO was significantly increased but had little impact on performance.A factor of 19 speedup was achieved relative to initial implementation.
Forced Waves Near Resonance at a Phase‐Speed Minimum

When a dispersive wave system is subject to forcing by a moving external disturbance, a maximum or minimum of the phase speed is associated with a critical forcing speed at which the linear response is resonant. Nonlinear effects can play an important part near such resonances, and the salient characteristics of the nonlinear response depend on whether the maximum or minimum of the phase speed is realized in the long-wave limit (zero wavenumber) or at a finite wavenumber. The focus here is on the latter case that, among other physical systems, applies to gravity–capillary waves on water of finite or infinite depth. The analysis, for simplicity, is based on a forced–damped fifth-order Korteweg–de Vries equation, a model problem that features a phase-speed minimum at a finite wavenumber. When damping is not too strong compared with forcing, multiple subcritical finite-amplitude steady-solution branches coexist with the small-amplitude response predicted by linear theory. For forcing speed well below critical, the transient response from rest approaches the small-amplitude state, but at speeds close to critical, jump phenomena can occur, and reaching a time-periodic state that involves shedding of wavepacket solitary waves is also possible.
Multiple echogenic liver masses from multifocal nodular steatosis in a 55–year-old male with chronic hepatitis C

Hepatic steatosis is often seen in patients with hepatitis on screening ultrasound as generalized increased liver echogenecity. However, its nodular form can present as multiple echogenic masses, which can mimic hepatocellular carcinoma or metastasis by ultrasound and computed tomography. Small hepatocellular carcinomas are often hyperechoic and have a trend towards lower alpha-fetoprotein levels. Magnetic resonance imaging can accurately identify microscopic fat within the lesions and demonstrate lack of associated enhancing soft tissue. If this entity is not appropriately characterized using magnetic resonance imaging, it can lead to additional imaging workup and unnecessary biopsy.
Universal Design and the Library Website

Universal Design (UD) is a term that means different things depending on the context and audience, and the direction or goal of the design process. Essentially, UD is the practice of designing for ...
Evaluation of Starter Fertilizers for Corn on Soils Testing High for Phosphorus

Many soils are testing in the above optimum range for phosphorus (P) in our region. The use of traditional starter fertilizers for corn (Zea mays L.) that supply 20–36 kg P ha−1 on these soils may not be desirable. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of corn to starter fertilizers on typical high P soils and to investigate the need for nitrogen (N), P, potassium (K), or sulfur (S) as a component of starter fertilizers. A starter fertilizer evaluation study was conducted at four sites to evaluate the effects of six materials in no-till high P soils. The liquid starter fertilizers were formulated using UAN (Urea–Ammonium nitrate), APP (Ammonium Polyphosphate), AS (Ammonium Sulfate), and KCl (liquid KCl). Starter treatments (kg ha−1 N–P2O5–K2O–S) consisted of none, 56-0-0 (UAN), 56-34-0 (UAN+APP), 34-34-0 (UAN+APP), 34-34-0-11S(UAN+APP+AS), 10-34-0 (APP), and 11-34-11 (APP+KCl) kg ha−1 N–P2O5–K2O–S. In the starter fertilizer evaluation study, responses to starter were variable. Generally...
X-ray fluorescence analysis of tree rings

X-ray fluorescence analysis was applied to the determination of the concentration of trace elements in the growth rings of trees. Some of these mineral elements can affect the growth and development of the plant. The results of the analytical measurements can provide information concerning the geochemical and atmospheric environment to which the tree has been exposed. It has been demonstrated that conventional x-ray fluorescence equipment is adequate to perform such measurements but, more important, the high intensity available from synchrotron radiation is an ideal source to probe the spatial variation in the low-level concentrations which can be transposed to an absolute temporal scale knowing the history of the tree. The ability to aperture or focus the synchrotron radiation to submillimeter size allows several points within individual rings to be analyzed, permitting a study of differences within a single growing season. Concentrations of mineral elements were determined in two types of tree samples, a cross-section of the trunk of a small sassafras tree and an incremental core from a red oak. Two experimental arrangements were employed, a special energy-dispersive x-ray analyzer with a primary beam size of 0.5 mm and a beam line at the National Synchrotron Light Source where the radiation was focused and apertured to 50 μm × 1 mm. Concentrations as low as 1 ppm were determined for nine elements. Major year-to-year variations were observed, implying that cross-ring elemental migration is slow (possibly negligible). The x-ray technique is fast and non-destructive, permitting the sample to be retained for additional studies.
An Inductorless DC–DC Converter for an Energy Aware Power Management Unit Aimed at Microbial Fuel Cell Arrays

This paper introduces an inductorless dc–dc converter for an energy-aware power management unit aimed at microbial fuel cell (MFC) arrays capable of performing a dc step-up gain of up to $10\times $ and achieving efficient maximum power point (MPP) tracking. Due to the MFC’s varying power profile over time, identifying and selecting the best MFC harvesting point enhances efficiency and overall power delivery. Currently, MFC series or parallel connections have limited application due to the voltage reversal issue present in MFCs; this makes time multiplexing harvesting a more reliable approach. However, each time a new MFC is allotted the time for harvesting, a new MPP is required. The proposed converter dynamically adapts to achieve MPP as well as adjust the converter’s own power consumption to maximize efficiency. The converter was designed and fabricated in 0.18- $\mu \text{m}$ CMOS process and shows a maximum efficiency of 65% for 1.6 mW of input power.
Blood pressure regulation X: what happens when the muscle pump is lost? Post-exercise hypotension and syncope

Syncope which occurs suddenly in the setting of recovery from exercise, known as post-exercise syncope, represents a failure of integrative physiology during recovery from exercise. We estimate that between 50 and 80% of healthy individuals will develop pre-syncopal signs and symptoms if subjected to a 15-min head-up tilt following exercise. Post-exercise syncope is most often neurally mediated syncope during recovery from exercise, with a combination of factors associated with post-exercise hypotension and loss of the muscle pump contributing to the onset of the event. One can consider the initiating reduction in blood pressure as the tip of the proverbial iceberg. What is needed is a clear model of what lies under the surface; a model that puts the observational variations in context and provides a rational framework for developing strategic physical or pharmacological countermeasures to ultimately protect cerebral perfusion and avert loss of consciousness. This review summarizes the current mechanistic understanding of post-exercise syncope and attempts to categorize the variation of the physiological processes that arise in multiple exercise settings. Newer investigations into the basic integrative physiology of recovery from exercise provide insight into the mechanisms and potential interventions that could be developed as countermeasures against post-exercise syncope. While physical counter maneuvers designed to engage the muscle pump and augment venous return are often found to be beneficial in preventing a significant drop in blood pressure after exercise, countermeasures that target the respiratory pump and pharmacological countermeasures based on the involvement of histamine receptors show promise.
Can we restore the Colorado River delta

The Colorado River delta in Mexico merits conservation due to the value of its habitat and wildlife resources. Colorado River water sustains the delta's current extent of 60,000 ha but the instream flow is not protected. Analysis of Colorado River water use by different sectors of the United States and Mexican economies demonstrates that agriculture uses most of the river's water but contributes only a small portion of the regional economy. Despite increasing consumptive demands on the river, it may be possible to purchase or dedicate water for the delta ecosystem if government commitments to ecosystem restoration and species preservation can be implemented.
Opening the black box of field experiences: How cooperating teachers' beliefs and practices shape student teachers' beliefs and practices

Abstract This study employed ethnographic methods to describe and explain changes to beginning science teachers' ( n = 6) practices and beliefs during a year long internship. Teaching practices were strongly influenced by the cooperating teachers. Initially, all six interns attempted to re-enact lessons they witnessed their cooperating teachers teach, including following lesson structures and borrowing representations, anecdotes, and jokes. Later, they independently implemented instruction that emphasized similar strategies as their mentors, regardless of whether or not they were experiencing success. Interns who were successful also shifted their beliefs to match their mentors.
Numerical solution of the radiative transfer equation in spherically symmetric dust shells

Abstract An efficient numerical method is presented for solving problems of radiative transfer in dust shells with spherical symmetry. The method can be applied to a wide variety of radiative transfer problems in planetary atmospheres, circumstellar dust envelopes and extended stellar atmospheres. The computational procedure and practical considerations for implementing the method are described in detail. As an illustration, the method is used to determine the grain temperature distribution and far i.r. emission from interstellar dust clouds associated with compact HII regions. Generalizations to problems involving cylindrical geometry and multi-temperature dust shells are discussed in the appendices.
Electron production in proton collisions with atoms and molecules: energy distributions

All known data on the energy distribution of secondary electrons from collisions of protons with atoms and molecules have been reviewed and differential cross sections have been collected. The two experimental methods used to obtain the data are discussed and possible sources of error pointed out. Theoretical treatments are reviewed and several methods of checking the consistency of the data are discussed. Two semiempirical models have been chosen to represent the differential cross sections, and parameters for these models are given which fit the average of the experimental data, subject to known constraints. Recommended values of differential cross sections are given for ten target gases by means of these models.
Mosaic: cross-platform user-interaction record and replay for the fragmented android ecosystem

In contrast to traditional computing systems, such as desktops and servers, that are programmed to perform “compute-bound” and “run-to-completion” tasks, mobile applications are designed for user interactivity. Factoring user interactivity into computer system design and evaluation is important, yet possesses many challenges. In particular, systematically studying interactive mobile applications across the diverse set of mobile devices available today is difficult due to the mobile device fragmentation problem. At the time of writing, there are 18,796 distinct Android mobile devices on the market and will only continue to increase in the future. Differences in screen sizes, resolutions and operating systems impose different interactivity requirements, making it difficult to uniformly study these systems. We present Mosaic, a cross-platform, timing-accurate record and replay tool for Android-based mobile devices. Mosaic overcomes device fragmentation through a novel virtual screen abstraction. User interactions are translated from a physical device into a platform-agnostic intermediate representation before translation to a target system. The intermediate representation is human-readable, which allows Mosaic users to modify previously recorded traces or even synthesize their own user interactive sessions from scratch. We demonstrate that Mosaic allows user interaction traces to be recorded on emulators, smartphones, tablets, and development boards and replayed on other devices. Using Mosaic we were able to replay 45 different Google Play applications across multiple devices, and also show that we can perform cross-platform performance comparisons between two different processors under identical user interactions.
Meeting Technology: From Low-Tech to High-Tech.

This article describes a series of low-tech and high-tech options for use in meeting management and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of each. These options include (1) face-to-face meetings, with choices of flipcharts, non-electronic boards, electronic boards, handouts, still projectors, and multimedia projectors; and (2) groupware meetings, with choices of audio- and videoteleconferencing, e-mail meetings, and electronic meetings.
Elicitation of strategy profiles in large group coordination games

The strategy method is an experimental procedure for eliciting a complete strategy of play for all information sets, not only the ones that happen to be reached during the course of a play of a game. We use it to elicit individual strategy profiles for a class of large group, market entry games in which the payoff for a player who enters on a given market capacity value decreases linearly in the difference between the capacity value and the corresponding number of entrants. Our results show that the aggregate frequencies of entry do not differ from previous results obtained under the more common decision method. Under both methods, the number of entrants across a large set of market capacity values is organized remarkably well by the equilibrium solution. In contrast, the individual profiles do not support mixed equilibrium play; only three of the sixty profiles suggest attempts at randomization or “mixing” between periods. About half of the individual profiles appear to converge, albeit slowly, to cutoff decision policies and more than a quarter of the profiles exhibit a variety of patterns that defy classification.
Enacting Cultural Interests How Intergroup Contact Reduces Prejudice by Sparking Interest in an Out-Group’s Culture

In the present research, we examined the hypothesis that cues of social connectedness to a member of another social group can spark interest in the group’s culture, and that such interest, when freely enacted, contributes to reductions in intergroup prejudice. In two pilot studies and Experiment 1, we found that extant and desired cross-group friendships and cues of social connectedness to an out-group member predicted increased interest in the target group’s culture. In Experiments 2 and 3, we manipulated cues of social connectedness between non–Latino American participants and a Latino American (i.e., Mexican American) peer and whether participants freely worked with this peer on a Mexican cultural task. This experience reduced the participants’ implicit bias against Latinos, an effect that was mediated by increased cultural engagement, and, 6 months later in an unrelated context, improved intergroup outcomes (e.g., interest in interacting with Mexican Americans; Experiment 4). The Discussion section ad...
Development, validation and limitations of toxic equivalency factors

Halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs) such as the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and biphenyls (PCBs) are complex mixtures of industrial compounds or by-products which have been identified as contaminants in almost every component of the global ecosystem. High resolution analytical techniques can unequivocally identify and quantitate most of the individual HAH congeners present in different matrices. The most toxic halogenated aromatic is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and, based on in vivo and in vitro studies, the relative toxicities of individual HAHs have been determined relative to TCDD (i.e. toxic equivalency factors, TEFs). The derived toxic equivalents (TEs or TEQs) can be used for hazard and risk assessment of halogenated aromatic mixtures. This approach can be used for estimating the TEQs from high resolution analytical data obtained for PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs; however, it is clear that this approach can only be used for those congeners which exhibit TCDD-like activity.
Gene Density and Human Nucleotide Polymorphism

Population genetics theory indicates that natural selection will affect levels and patterns of genetic variation at closely linked loci. Background selection (Charlesworth, Morgan, and Charlesworth 1993) proposes that the removal of recurrent deleterious mutations and associated neutral variants will cause a reduction of nucleotide variation in low-recombination regions. The strength of background selection depends on the deleterious mutation rate, the magnitude of selection and dominance, and the recombination rate. Genetic hitchhiking (Maynard Smith and Haigh 1974), the fixation of advantageous alleles and the associated fixation of linked neutral alleles, can also decrease nucleotide diversity in low-recombination regions. The extent of genetic hitchhiking depends on the strength of selection and the rate of recombination. Therefore, under both background selection and genetic hitchhiking, theory predicts that genomic regions that rarely recombine may be subject to reductions in nucleotide diversity. Furthermore, if the rate of deleterious mutation or selective sweeps (or both) is sufficiently high, background selection (Hudson and Kaplan 1995) and genetic hitchhiking (Wiehe and Stephan 1993) models predict an overall positive correlation between nucleotide polymorphism and recombination rate. Empirical investigations of nucleotide variation support these predictions. In Drosophila melanogaster, regions of the genome with little recombination show reduced heterozygosity (Aguade, Miyashita, and Langley 1989; Begun and Aquadro 1991; Berry, Ajioka, and Kreitman 1991). Furthermore, there is evidence that nucleotide variation and recombination rate are positively correlated in several taxa, including fruit flies (Begun and Aquadro 1992), house mice (Nachman 1997), goatgrasses (Dvorak, Luo, and Yang 1998), sea beets (Kraft et al. 1998), tomatoes (Stephan and Langley 1998), humans (Nachman et al. 1998; Przeworski, Hudson, and Di Rienzo 2000; Nachman 2001), and maize (Tenaillon et al. 2001). The combination of theoretical and empirical results indicates that selection acting at linked sites is likely to be a major force shaping genomic patterns of nucleotide variation. The documented relationship between nucleotide variation and recombination rate raises the question of whether other measurable variables can explain additional variation in nucleotide polymorphism in the context of selection at linked sites. We predict that the effects of selection at linked sites will depend on local
Improving health through coverage expansion.

In this issue, Sommers and colleagues' study on mortality changes after the 2006 Massachusetts health care reform found that for every 830 adults who gained insurance after the reform, 1 death was ...
Identifying Discriminating Locations for Cultivar Selection in Louisiana

Plant breeders generally conduct the selection phase of their program at few locations, mainly on the basis of geography and resource limitations. We conducted this study to identify test locations that optimize genotype selection on the basis of discriminating ability and representativeness. GGE Biplot Pattern Explorer was used to rank six test locations in Louisiana for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lint yield and fiber length using data from the 1993 to 2003 Louisiana Official Variety trials (early and medium maturity). Biplots were generated and distances between the "ideal" and actual test locations were measured. Locations with shorter distances were closer to the ideal location and were considered more desirable test locations for the traits of interest Each test location's distance was standardized by the mean distance of all locations for each biplot. For lint yield, on the basis of its close proximity to the ideal test location and the low standard deviation, the most desirable selection location was St. Joseph loam (Commerce silt loam; fine-silty, mixed, nonacid, thermic, Aeric, Fluvaquent). Winnsboro nonirrigated and Bossier City were not good selection locations for lint yield. For fiber length, Winnsboro irrigated was ranked first and St. Joseph loam was ranked third. Winnsboro nonirrigated was ranked sixth. A composite distance, reflecting the distance between the actual and "ideal" location for lint yield weighted at 60% and fiber length weighted at 40%, was used to determine the desirability of test locations on the basis of simultaneous selection for lint yield and fiber length. St. Joseph loam ranked first, Winnsboro irrigated ranked second, and Winnsboro nonirrigated ranked sixth. St. Joseph loam or Winnsboro irrigated should be used for selecting cultivars for lint yield and fiber length. Winnsboro nonirrigated should not be used for selecting cultivars because of its low level of discrimination and unique behavior.
The MMPI-2 Clinical Scales and Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales: Comparative Psychometric Properties and Relative Diagnostic Efficiency in Young Adults

We examined the psychometric properties of the Restructured Clinical (RC) scales (Tellegen et al., 2003) of the MMPI–2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) in a large sample (N = 744) of 18-year-old college freshman. We found that the RC scales demonstrated good convergence with their Clinical scale counterparts and were more distinctive than the Clinical scales. The patterns of discriminant correlations for the RC scales were slightly clearer than those of the Clinical scales and a set of other existing MMPI–2 scales. Diagnostic efficiency statistics based on Clinical and RC scale elevation status did not differ appreciably. However, the diagnostic efficiency statistics of cutoff scores derived from mean RC and Clinical scale T scores improved on the traditional scale elevation measures. We consider the clinical implications of these findings.
WAKING DREAMS: GEORGE ELIOT AND THE POETICS OF DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS

In a letter that she wrote to her childhood governess and religious mentor Maria Lewis in 1839, George Eliot describes a pervading and distressful mental anxiety – one that would come to greatly influence both the constitution and development of her fiction. Still within the throes of her evangelical ardor, Eliot laments in this letter that the “disjointed specimens” of history, poetry, science, and philosophy have become “all arrested and petrified and smothered by the fast thickening every day accession of actual events, relative anxieties, and household cares and vexations” (Eliot, Letters 1: 29). The letter illustrates more the disjointed nature of Eliot's own mind than the disjointed nature of the things occupying it. Apparently under the weight of some religious guilt, she retracts this complaint and apologizes for it; but, then she immediately contradicts her retraction and defends her struggle by expanding her own individual failure into the larger realm of universal human failure: How deplorably and unaccountably evanescent are our frames of mind, as various as the forms and hues of the summer clouds. A single word is sometimes enough to give an entirely new mould to our thoughts; at least I find myself so constituted, and therefore to me it is pre-eminently important to be anchored within the veil, so that outward things may only act as winds to agitating sails, and be unable to send me adrift. (Letters 1: 30) Possibly fearing a rebuke from Lewis, Eliot finds it necessary to call upon the evanescence of “our frames of mind” to characterize her early struggle with the painful inconsistency of her own consciousness. On the one hand, Eliot feels a sense of evangelical guilt that her consciousness can be so influenced by “a single word” that her household duties and her spiritual life suffer. She equates this aspect of her mind to a deplorable, moral failing that threatens to set her adrift from her religious foundation. But on the other hand, Eliot contradicts this sense of failure with her resentment at the household anxieties and everyday vexations that are able to smother and petrify the extraordinary workings of her mind. To prevent herself from “saying anything still more discreditable to my head and heart,” she imagines herself as a child “wand'ring far alone, / That none might rouse me from my waking dream” (Letters 1: 30). But Eliot awakes from this dream to the disheartening revelation of “life's dull path and earth's deceitful hope” (Letters 1: 30). For a time, this painful deceit compels her to remain solidly within the confines of her duty and faith, but it simultaneously begins to unravel the binding that so ardently holds her.
Cryogenic and Refrigerated Storage of Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax Spermatozoa

The effects of extender composition, cryoprotectant, and freezing rate on post-thaw rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax sperm motility were examined, and the fertilization capacity of fresh and post-thaw sperm were compared. The highest post-thaw motility (75%) was obtained when milt was diluted 1:3 with an extender containing 600 mM sucrose supplemented with 10% dimethyl sulfoxide and 1.5% bovine serum albumin and frozen at a rate of –20 C/min. Post-thaw motility for sperm stored in this extender was similar to fresh sperm and did not change after 90 d of storage. Furthermore, there were no differences in fertilization rate or embryo survival to the eyed stage between fresh and post-thaw sperm frozen in this extender. The lowest post-thaw motility was observed when sperm were frozen with methanol at a rate of -30 C/min. Refrigerated sperm diluted 1:3 with the 600 mM sucrose extender remained motile for 30 d. These data demonstrate that rainbow smelt spermatozoa can be effectively used following short and long-term storage using a simple, sucrose-based extender.
Stability-based and energy-efficient distributed data gathering algorithms for wireless mobile sensor networks

Abstract The high-level contributions of this paper are the design and development of two distributed spanning tree-based data gathering algorithms for wireless mobile sensor networks and their exhaustive simulation study to investigate a complex stability-delay-throughput vs. node-network lifetime-coverage loss tradeoff that has been hitherto not explored in the literature. The topology of the mobile sensor networks changes dynamically with time due to random movement of the sensor nodes. Our first data gathering algorithm is stability-oriented and it is based on the idea of finding a maximum spanning tree on a network graph whose edge weights are predicted link expiration times (LETs). Referred to as the LET-DG tree, the data gathering tree has been observed to be more stable in the presence of node mobility, as well as incur a significantly lower delay per round of data gathering (due to the shorter height of the tree with more leaf nodes) and larger throughput per tree. However, stability-based data gathering coupled with more leaf nodes has been observed to result in unfair use of certain nodes (the intermediate nodes spend more energy compared to leaf nodes), triggering premature node failures eventually leading to network failure (disconnection of the network of live nodes). As an alternative, we propose an algorithm to determine a minimum-distance spanning tree (MST) based data gathering tree that is more energy-efficient and prolongs the node and network lifetimes as well as inflicts a lower coverage loss on the underlying network at any time instant, all of these at the cost frequent tree reconfigurations. The MST-DG trees also incur a significantly longer delay per round, due to their larger height and fewer leaf nodes.
The pierce-blitzstein stellar radiometric system

Throughout the development of the system, since its initiation in the 1940's, the philosophy has been to (a) take advantage of any new technological advances which become available commercially, (b) develop auxiliary testing facilities for the components of the system, (c) pursue a continuous theoretical and experimental analysis of the system in order to verify all significant specifications, (d) verify by astronomical observation that the predictions of the system analyses are valid. The author believes that this review of the development of the system and a theoretical and/or experimental analysis will be instructive to others involved in the design and use of astronomical radiometric systems.
Pulsed Gamma Rays from the Crab Nebula

RECENTLY Vasseur et al.1 reported the possible detection of pulsed gamma emission above 50 MeV from the Crab Nebula. They analysed their data from two balloon flights and stated that the probability of the observed pulsed effects on each flight had a 2 per cent chance of resulting from random fluctuations as they did not know in which of the twenty time channels to expect the pulsation. The overall chance probability for both flights is 0.04 per cent. The purpose of this letter is to point out that their method of analysis leads to a much higher probability for these effects to arise from random fluctuations.