cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tests of the SMAP Combined Radar and Radiometer Algorithm Using Airborne Field Campaign Observations and Simulated Data

A soil moisture retrieval algorithm is proposed that takes advantage of the simultaneous radar and radiometer measurements by the forthcoming NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission. The algorithm is designed to downscale SMAP L-band brightness temperature measurements at low resolution ( ~ 40 km) to 9-km brightness temperature by using SMAP's L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) backscatter measurements at high resolution (1-3 km) in order to estimate soil moisture at 9-km resolution. The SMAP L-band SAR and radiometer instruments are designed to provide coincident observations at constant incidence angle, but at different spatial resolutions, across a wide swath. The algorithm described here takes advantage of the correlation between temporal fluctuations of brightness temperature and backscatter observed when viewing targets simultaneously at the same angle. Surface characteristics that affect the brightness temperature and backscatter measurements influence the signals at different time scales. This feature is applied in an approach in which fine-scale spatial heterogeneity detected by SAR observations is applied on coarser-scale radiometer measurements to produce an intermediate-resolution disaggregated brightness temperature field. These brightness temperatures are then used with established radiometer-based algorithms to retrieve soil moisture at the intermediate resolution. The capability of the overall algorithm is demonstrated using data acquired by the airborne passive and active L-band system from field campaigns and also by simulated global dataset. Results indicate that the algorithm has the potential to retrieve soil moisture at 9-km resolution, with the accuracy required for SMAP, over regions having vegetation up to 5- kg/m2 vegetation water content. The results show a reduction in root mean square error of volumetric soil moisture (40% improvement in the statistics) from the minimum performance defined as the soil moisture retrieved using radiometer measurements re-sampled to the intermediate scale.
Self-Handicapping The Moderating Roles of Public Self-Consciousness and Task Importance

A study was conducted to explore the role of individual differences in self-presentational concerns on a public form of self-handicapping. Male and female introductory psychology students, high and low in public self-consciousness, chose either facilitating or interfering music prior to taking a test described either as a valid predictor of academic success or as having unknown predictive ability. In addition, in an attempt to induce protective and acquisitive self-presentational styles, hay the subjects were given instructions that emphasized the likelihood of failure, while the remainder were given instructions that underscored the likelihood of success. Males handicapped more than females. High public self-conscious individuals handicapped more than their low public self-conscious counterparts, but only when they confronted a test characterized as valid. The success-versus failure-oriented instructions had no effect in the present study.
Iatrogenic skin injury in hospitalized patients

Iatrogenic skin injuries in hospitalized patients range from drug-related complications to those related to procedures. Common drug complications include drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), linear immunoglobulin (Ig) A bullous dermatosis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis, and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis. Contact dermatitis can result from surgical preparations of chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine, medical adhesives, topical postsurgical ointments, most commonly neomycin and bacitracin, and internal prostheses, including coronary stents, pacemakers, and metal joints. Complications arising from procedures include thrombosis caused by placement of peripherally inserted central catheters, pyoderma gangrenosum from sites of dermal trauma, and anetoderma of prematurity from cutaneous monitoring devices in neonates. Calcinosis cutis and decubitus ulcers are also hospital problems.
Growth arrest and non-apoptotic cell death associated with the suppression of c-myc expression in MCF-7 breast tumor cells following acute exposure to doxorubicin

In the MCF-7 human breast [correction of beast] adenocarcinoma cell line, acute exposure to 1 muM doxorubicin inhibited cell proliferation by approximately 75%. Analysis of cell cycle distribution indicated that within 24 hr, the G(2)/M fraction increased more than 3-fold and the S-phase population declined by >50%. In addition to growth arrest, there was an approximately 40% reduction in the viable cell population after 72 hr. Gel electrophoretic resolution of low molecular weight DNA immediately after exposure of cells to doxorubicin failed to demonstrate "laddered" oligonucleosomal profiles associated with apoptosis. The absence of intracellular DNA fragments or release of fragmented DNA into the incubation medium was confirmed by spectrofluorophotometry over a 72 hr interval following exposure of cells to 1 muM doxorubicin. In addition, there was no evidence of the morphological features associated with apoptosis during this period. Acute exposure to 1 muM doxorubicin also produced a transient increase in c-myc message expression (within the first hour) followed by a decline to 70% of control levels within 2-4 hr. The reduction in c-myc mRNA levels was concentration dependent and corresponded closely with growth arrest (as well as with inhibition of DNA synthesis). These findings (as well as similar reports demonstrating a correspondence between reduced c-myc expression and growth inhibition by VM-26 and m-AMSA in MCF-7 cells) suggest that the down-regulation of c-myc expression may reflect perturbations in regulatory processes contributing to growth arrest in MCF-7 cells exposed to topoisomerase II inhibitors.
Truths and lies: irony and intrigue in the Tarikh‐i Bayhaqi

(1999). Truths and lies: irony and intrigue in the Tarikh‐i Bayhaqi. Iranian Studies: Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 243-259.
Evidence for a hyporesponsive limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis following early-life repetitive hypoglycemia in adult male rats

The developing limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis is highly vulnerable to programming by early-life environmental factors, including exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids and nutrien...
Transesophageal Two‐ and Three‐Dimensional Echocardiographic Diagnosis of Combined Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm and Ventricular Septal Rupture

Two- (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) were useful in making the diagnosis of combined left ventricular pseudoaneurysm and ventricular septal rupture in an elderly patient presenting with mediastinitis and worsening heart failure following coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The diagnosis was not suspected clinically. Three-dimensional TEE served to increase the confidence level with which the diagnosis of this combined lesion was made. Additionally, 3-D TEE proved superior to 2-D TEE in assessing the size of the left ventricular rupture site.
The circadian patterns of spontaneous seminal emission, sexual activity and penile reflexes in the rat

Abstract Spontaneous seminal emission (SSE) by sexually naive and experienced rats occurred almost exclusively in the light period of a 14:10 LD cycle. The circadian pattern of SSE slowly shifted following an LD reversal and was completely reversed by three weeks. The diurnal variation in parameters of sexual activity which are associated with sexual arousal shifted much more readily such that it was reversed within one week of the LD reversal. In contrast, parameters of sexual behavior which are associated with the ejaculatory mechanism were altered following the LD shift with a phase-shifting pattern more similar to that exhibited for SSE, such that the diurnal variation seen before the LD shift was not reestablished until the third week after the shift. The characteristic pattern of SSE in 14:10 LD lighting was disrupted with two weeks of a shift to constant illumination, but the number and weight of spontaneously produced plugs did not change. Finally, there were no differences in any component of the display of penile reflexes by 29 rats tested in the dark period compared to 19 rats tested in the light period, despite significant circadian variation in the copulatory activity of these animals.
Polyaniline-containing electrical conductive composite prepared by two inverted emulsion pathways

Abstract Two inverted emulsion pathways were employed to prepare polyaniline-containing composites. In Method 1, an organic solution of aniline was introduced into an inverted emulsion in which an organic solution of a host polymer and a dispersant was used as the continuous phase and an aqueous solution of an oxidant and a dopant as the dispersed phase. After the completion of polymerization, the composite was obtained by precipitating the polyaniline and the host polymer together. In Method 2, an aqueous solution of an oxidant and a dopant was introduced into an inverted emulsion in which an organic solution of a dispersant, aniline and a host polymer was used as the continuous phase and pure water as the dispersed phase. The composites prepared by Method 1 had conductivities as high as 0.35–0.48 S/cm, tensile strengths of 2.9-2.8 MPa and elongations of 221-30% at break point, respectively. The composites prepared by Method 2 had conductivities as high as 1.0–2.8 S/cm, tensile strengths of 8.0–6.1 MPa and elongations of 95.6-23.3% at break point, respectively. The conductivities of the composites changed little with time.
Importance of including ammonium sulfate ((NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ) aerosols for ice cloud parameterization in GCMs

Abstract. A common deficiency of many cloud-physics parameterizations including the NASA's microphysics of clouds with aerosol-cloud interactions (hereafter called McRAS-AC) is that they simulate lesser (larger) than the observed ice cloud particle number (size). A single column model (SCM) of McRAS-AC physics of the GEOS4 Global Circulation Model (GCM) together with an adiabatic parcel model (APM) for ice-cloud nucleation (IN) of aerosols were used to systematically examine the influence of introducing ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4 aerosols in McRAS-AC and its influence on the optical properties of both liquid and ice clouds. First an (NH4)2SO4 parameterization was included in the APM to assess its effect on clouds vis-a-vis that of the other aerosols. Subsequently, several evaluation tests were conducted over the ARM Southern Great Plain (SGP) and thirteen other locations (sorted into pristine and polluted conditions) distributed over marine and continental sites with the SCM. The statistics of the simulated cloud climatology were evaluated against the available ground and satellite data. The results showed that inclusion of (NH4)2SO4 into McRAS-AC of the SCM made a remarkable improvement in the simulated effective radius of ice cloud particulates. However, the corresponding ice-cloud optical thickness increased even more than the observed. This can be caused by lack of horizontal cloud advection not performed in the SCM. Adjusting the other tunable parameters such as precipitation efficiency can mitigate this deficiency. Inclusion of ice cloud particle splintering invoked empirically further reduced simulation biases. Overall, these changes make a substantial improvement in simulated cloud optical properties and cloud distribution particularly over the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in the GCM.
Myocardial Metabolism after Collagen‐Tube Revascularization of the Ischemic Heart: Experimental Study and Review of Literature*

: This study involved 6 dogs in which collagen tubes had been implanted in the left ventricle, while the right ventricle was left as a control. The dogs had led a normal life for twelve months after operation. Studies of myocardial metabolism, initiated a year after collagen-tube revascularization, were performed as follows: Under anesthesia, samples of myocardium were taken from the left ventricle in which the left anterior descending coronary and circumflex coronary arteries had been ligated, and also from the right untreated ventricle. Oxygen uptake studies demonstrated that the myocardium of the treated ventricle respired at the same rate as that of the control ventricle, indicating that the revascularized tissue was efficiently perfused with blood and oxygen, that the cells of the revascularized myocardium were viable, and that the revascularization method would probably be adequate to maintain homeostasis in an ischemic heart. A review of the literature shows that previous methods of treatment leave much to be desired. This method is offered as another means of treating the ischemic heart early in the patient's history of complaints. The procedure is simple, does not require a pump oxygenator, and is not time-consuming. However, it does require a second operation to remove the polyethylene tube.
The optimal radiation dose for competitive males of Culex tarsalis (Diptera: Culicidae).

Five kR of gamma radiation from a 60Co source was the optimal dose to decrease the fertility rate of male Culex tarsalis to 5%. Such males were competitive with unirradiated males from laboratory colony and field populations when tested in small cages indoors or in large outdoor cages.
Modeling multi-scale spatial ecological processes under the discrete event systems paradigm

A multi-scale spatial ecological model of a wet sclerophyllous forest subject to recurrent fires is presented. The model is specified in a Discrete Event Systems framework (DEVS) (Zeigler, 1990) interfaced with a Geographic Information System (GIS), and includes the ability to simulate landscape dynamics at several levels of resolution simultaneously. This is achieved by encoding a modular hierarchical representation of the forest landscape components into a set of nested, interconnected, and spatially referenced dynamic models. The results of the landscape dynamics simulations are displayed as sequences of maps through time, illustrating the potential of this modeling methodology for dealing with complex hierarchical structures that operate at several spatial and temporal resolutions.
Rare earth doped polymer optical amplifiers

There has been much recent interest in rare earth doped systems for their application in photonics as fiber and waveguide amplifiers and lasers [1, 2].
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA): Good or bad trans fat?

Even though trans fatty acids (TFAs) are present in natural sources such as foods from ruminant origins, the development of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil contributed to a significant increase in total TFAs consumption in humans. Currently, TFA consumption is considered to be a risk factor for coronary heart diseases. Researchers are now starting to discover that not all TFAs behave in a similar manner, that is, isomer specificity may be found. Among non-conjugated TFAs, plant originated TFAs (mainly elaidic and linolelaidic acids) are particularly linked to increased risk for coronary heart diseases, while animal originated TFAs (mainly vaccenic acid) are not. Among conjugated TFAs, two major isomers of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), cis-9,trans-11 and trans-10,cis-12, show distinctive biological activities. A number of clinical trials of CLA with effects on body composition have been reported, but effects on coronary heart disease risk factors have been inconsistent. Meanwhile, safety concerns regarding CLA, in particular isomer specificity, have also been raised. Thus, it is critical to identify isomer specific effects of TFAs on particular risk factors, to determine their health impact.
Further genetic and serological analysis of the LyM-1 alloantigenic system

LyM-1 is the provisional designation given to a system of murine cell-surface alloantigens which are controlled by genes closely linked to those of theMls system. Formal genetic analysis has failed to disclose separation of genes determiningMls and LyM-1 antigens, but studies of the distribution of these antigens among inbred strains shows that the LyM-1 polymorphism is not primarily responsible for the MLR activity associated with Mls differences, and suggests that LyM-1 and Mls substances are products of genes at closely linked, but probably separate loci. Absorption analysis shows that strains whose cells react with anti-LyM-1.2 can be divided into at least two classes on the basis of the efficiency with which their cells remove anti-LyM-1.2 antibodies. This provides evidence for the existence of two LyM-1 alleles in addition to the one(s) possessed by nonreactive mouse strains.
General Lagrange multiplier theorems

A cone constraint is used to develop a general Lagrange multiplier theorem for normed linear spaces. Conditions for the payoff functional multiplier to be less than zero are given for Banach spaces. Sufficiency theorems involving Lagrange multipliers are developed for abstract programming problems. Generalizations of certain properties of convex functions will be used for optimization problems.
Microvascular invasion of the seminal vesicles in adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

The objective of this article is to determine the relationship between microvascular invasion and seminal vesicle invasion in prostatic adenocarcinoma. Radical prostatectomies with seminal vesicle involvement were examined histologically and immunohistochemically with antibodies directed against S-100 protein and factor VIII. Microvascular invasion of the seminal vesicles showed a positive correlation with microvascular and capsular invasion of the prostate (P = 0.006 and 0.048, respectively) and lymph node metastases. Tumor progression was found in 8 of 14 (57%) patients with microvascular invasion of the seminal vesicles, compared with 3 of 22 (14%) without microvascular invasion (P = 0.001). Microvascular invasion of the seminal vesicles is predictive of tumor progression and lymph node metastases in prostatic adenocarcinoma. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Activation of antioxidant/electrophile-responsive elements in IMR-32 human neuroblastoma cells.

The present investigation demonstrates distinct patterns of activation for antioxidant/electrophile-responsive elements (ARE/EpREs) in cells of neuronal versus hepatic origin suggesting the possibility of cell-/tissue-specific signaling pathways and/or transcription factors required for ARE/EpRE activation. The ARE/EpRE is a cis-acting regulatory element found in 5'-flanking regions of numerous genes including NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (QR) and glutathione S-transferases. Insomuch as ARE/EpRE activation has been studied primarily in hepatoma cell lines there is little information on how these responsive elements and corresponding genes are regulated in brain. ARE/EpRE-reporter constructs were transiently transfected into IMR-32 human neuroblastoma cells. Activation of ARE/EpRE sequences by tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ), a redox-cycling compound, in IMR-32 cells (20- to 30-fold) is dramatically different from the minimal response seen in HepG2 human hepatoma cells (2- to 3-fold). beta-napthoflavone, an ARE/EpRE inducer in HepG2 cells, as well as the oxidants hydrogen peroxide and tert-butyl hydroperoxide did not induce the ARE/EpRE in IMR-32 cells. In addition, we show that the core sequence containing a complete 5' palindrome is necessary for maximal activation of the ARE/EpRE in IMR-32 cells. Mutations within this palindromic sequence decrease basal level expression and block induction by tBHQ but not phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Furthermore, activation of the hQR-ARE/EpRE by tBHQ correlates with induction of endogenous QR activity in IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells (15-fold). Thus, elucidating the mechanism of ARE/EpRE activation in this human neuroblastoma cell line may identify unknown transcription factors or signal transduction cascades regulating ARE/EpRE-driven gene expression.
Disaster reconstruction and business geography following the 2007 Greensburg, Kansas Tornado

In May 2007, a tornado (classified as EF-5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale) touched down in the small Midwestern town of Greensburg, Kansas. Eleven people lost their lives, 95 per cent of the urbanized landscape was destroyed and hundreds of residents were left temporarily homeless. The town's decision to rebuild as a ‘green city’, and the many implications of that approach, has been well documented in the popular media. However, geographic change, derivative of the overall reconstruction process, has not received the same attention in ether popular or scholarly literature. Previous research on disaster reconstruction in developed cities indicates two tendencies: an areal expansion of urbanized landscapes related to structural rebuilding and an acceleration of pre-disaster development patterns, particularly within the urbanized area. Previous research has also focused on recovery among businesses in disaster reconstruction scenarios as a surrogate measure of a community's overall return to pre-disaster condi...
Tobacco industry strategies for influencing European Community tobacco advertising legislation

Summary Restrictions on tobacco company advertising and sponsorship are effective parts of tobacco control programmes worldwide. Through Council Directive 98/43/EC, the European Community (EC) sought to end all tobacco advertising and sponsorship in EC member states by 2006. Initially proposed in 1989, the directive was adopted in 1998, and was annulled by the European Court of Justice in 2000 following a protracted lobbying campaign against the directive by a number of interested organisations including European tobacco companies. A new advertising directive was proposed in May, 2001. We reviewed online collections of tobacco industry documents from US tobacco companies made public under the US Master Settlement Agreement of 1998. Documents reviewed dated from 1978 to 1994 and came from Philip Morris, R J Reynolds, and Brown and Williamson (British American Tobacco) collections. We also obtained approximately 15 000 pages of paper records related to British American Tobacco from its documents' depository in Guildford, UK. This information was supplemented with information in the published literature and consultations with European tobacco control experts. The tobacco industry lobbied against Directive 98/43/EC at the level of EC member state governments as well as on a pan-European level. The industry sought to prevent passage of the directive within the EC legislature, to substitute industry-authored proposals in place of the original directive, and if necessary to use litigation to prevent implementation of the directive after its passage. The tobacco industry sought to delay, and eventually defeat, the EC directive on tobacco advertising and sponsorship by seeking to enlist the aid of figures at the highest levels of European politics while at times attempting to conceal the industry's role. An understanding of these proposed strategies can help European health advocates to pass and implement effective future tobacco control legislation.
A Language Pattern Co-Occurring with Violence-Permissiveness.

This paper describes a cross-cultural study comparing features of grammatical structure and features of social structure. The linguistic variable is the degree to which subject pronouns are pre-posed to predicating elements. The cultural variable is the relative amount of legal control of homicide. It was hypothesized that in a society providing a greater degree of personal protection to its members, individuals will have a relatively greater sense of personal security, and this attitude may be expressed in the associated language by a greater emphasis on self (i.e., pre-posing subject pronouns more than post-posing them). Arguments from anthropology, linguistics, and information theory are given to support the possibility of a correlation between these variables. To test the hypothesis, data was collected on 60 world cultures and the associated languages. The two variables were separately rated on scales of one to ten. These ratings were subjected to a correlation coefficient test.
Inspiration (and Perspiration) from Biology

The exquisite structures produced by biological systems provide inspiration for the fabrication of nanomaterials. We sometimes forget, however, that Nature can provide muscle while serving as a Muse--a wide array of nanosystems are produced biologically that can be used for the design of functional materials. At the 2007 Materials Research Society Fall Meeting in Boston, Symposium MM (Biomolecular and Biologically Inspired Interfaces and Assemblies) highlighted the synergy between researchers using biomaterials and those using nature as a model for synthetic and quasi-synthetic systems. The symposium was organized by Vincent Rotello, Paula Hammond, Molly Stevens, Jeffrey Tok, and Darrin Pochan, with support provided by the U.S. Army Research Office and the RSC journal Soft Matter, and featured over 70 talks and 75 posters.
Physiological inhibitors of protein kinase C

Increasing numbers of proteins that have the capacity of interacting with protein kinase C isozymes in vitro and inhibiting their enzymatic activity in a noncompetitive manner have been purified. While these proteins can be hypothesized to be part of a tight regulatory system for protein kinase C enzymatic activity, critical examinations of the roles of these proteins in the context of whole cells have not yet been performed. Interesting new data suggest that some of the classes of protein kinase C inhibitors may have a much broader role of interacting with multiple types of kinases and proto-oncogene products. cDNAs encoding a number of these inhibitor proteins have been isolated, which will allow the design and implementation of experiments on their cell biology and help address their function outside of the context of their operational definitions.
Electron attachment to Cl2

Abstract The electron attachment rate constant for Cl 2 as a function of the mean electron energy (0.04–0.78 eV) and temperature (213–323 K) has been measured and is reported; it shows a maximum at near thermal energy and is attributed to dissociative electron attachment via the ground state 2 Σ u + of Cl 2 − from the ground state 1 Σ g + of Cl 2 .
Disrupted sleep is associated with altered pain processing by sex and ethnicity in knee osteoarthritis.

Abstract Studies indicate that improving sleep decreases reported pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis, but it is unclear if this association extends to experimentally induced pain responses. A community-based sample of 88 African American and 52 non-Hispanic white adults (45–76 years) with knee osteoarthritis completed the Insomnia Severity Index and the arousal subscale of the Sleep Hygiene and Practices Scale. Participants underwent quantitative sensory testing, including measures of pain sensitivity and facilitation at the knee, and pain inhibition. Outcomes were analyzed with multiple Tobit hierarchical regression models, with adjustment for relevant covariates. Ethnicity and sex by sleep interactions were also entered into the models. After covariate adjustment, main associations were not observed. However, sex interacted with insomnia severity to predict greater temporal summation of heat and punctate pressure pain among women and lower heat temporal summation among men. Men and women who engaged in frequent arousal-associated sleep behaviors demonstrated higher and lower heat temporal summation, respectively. Non-Hispanic whites with greater insomnia severity displayed lower pressure pain thresholds and pain inhibition. Our findings are the first to demonstrate that disrupted sleep is associated with altered pain processing differentially by sex and ethnicity/race among people with knee osteoarthritis. Perspective This article presents the association between insomnia severity, maladaptive sleep behaviors, and experimentally induced pain responses among people with knee osteoarthritis. Disrupted sleep was associated with altered pain processing by sex and ethnicity/race. Offering sleep interventions may help ameliorate pain, but treatment may need to be tailored by sex and ethnicity/race.
Investigations of amino acids in the ATP binding site of 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate synthetase.

5-Formyltetrahydrofolate is a compound that is administered as a rescue agent in methotrexate chemotherapy and in 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy for synergistic effects. It has also recently been suggested to play a role in bacterial resistance to antifolate therapy. 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate synthetase (MTHFS) is the only enzyme known to catalyze the conversion of this compound to 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate along with the hydrolysis of ATP to ADP. To better understand the roles of specific amino acids in the ATP binding pocket of this enzyme, we used site-directed mutagenesis to create 10 modified forms of the Mycoplasma pneumoniae ortholog. The Michaelis constant (Km) for each substrate and the turnover number (kcat) was determined for each mutant to help elucidate the role of individual amino acids. Data were compared to crystal structures of human and M. pneumoniae orthologs of MTHFS. Results were largely consistent with a simple coulombic and proximity model; the larger the predicted charges of an interaction and the closer those interactions were to the phosphate transferred between the substrates, the greater the reduction in ATP binding and catalytic activity of the enzyme.
Intercellular signaling is required for developmental gene expression in Myxococcus xanthus

Abstract Certain developmental mutants of Myxococcus xanthus can be complemented (extracellularly) by wild-type cells. Insertions of Tn5 lac (a transposon which couples β-galactosidase expression to exogenous promoters) into developmentally regulated genes were used to investigate extracellular complementation of the A group mutations. A − mutations reduced developmental β-galactosidase expression from 18 of 21 Tn5 lac insertions tested and that expression was restored to A − Tn5 lac cells by adding wild-type cells. The earliest A-dependent Tn5 lac normally expresses β-galactosidase at 1.5 hr of development indicating a developmental block at 1–2 hr in A − mutants. A substance which can rescue the expression of this early Tn5 lac is released by wild-type (A + ) but not by A − cells. This substance appears in a cell-free wash of wild-type cells or in starvation buffer conditioned by wild-type cells 1–2 hr after development is initiated. The conditioned starvation buffer also restores normal morphological development to an A − mutant.
Field evaluation for the combination of white mould and tomato spotted wilt disease resistance among peanut genotypes

Abstract White mould, stem rot, and southern blight are caused by the same soilborne fungus, Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. and when combined with tomato spotted wilt caused by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), result in major disease problems in the cultivated peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.). These disease problems are universal and occur not only in the southeast U.S.A. but also in most peanut production areas. Consequently, there is an increasing need for genotypic resistance as the most cost effective way to reduce the financial loss due to the combination of these two diseases. During five years (2004–08), several advanced breeding lines and recently released peanut cultivars from the Georgia peanut breeding program were evaluated for combined resistance to both pathogens. The best combination of white mould and TSWV resistance and highest yield over multiple years was consistently found in the recently released medium-maturity, runner-type peanut cultivars, Georgia-07W, Georgia-03L, and AP-3. However, all of the other Georgia cultivars and advanced Georgia breeding lines were also found to be either similar or significantly better than the check cultivars C-99R and Florida-07.
Recurrent Hemizygous Deletions in Cancers May Optimize Proliferative Potential

Tumors exhibit numerous recurrent hemizygous focal deletions that contain no known tumor suppressors and are poorly understood. To investigate whether these regions contribute to tumorigenesis, we searched genetically for genes with cancer-relevant properties within these hemizygous deletions. We identified STOP and GO genes, which negatively and positively regulate proliferation, respectively. STOP genes include many known tumor suppressors, whereas GO genes are enriched for essential genes. Analysis of their chromosomal distribution revealed that recurring deletions preferentially overrepresent STOP genes and underrepresent GO genes. We propose a hypothesis called the cancer gene island model, whereby gene islands encompassing high densities of STOP genes and low densities of GO genes are hemizygously deleted to maximize proliferative fitness through cumulative haploinsufficiencies. Because hundreds to thousands of genes are hemizygously deleted per tumor, this mechanism may help to drive tumorigenesis across many cancer types.
Measurement and modeling of the thermal behavior of a laboratory DASH interferometer

A Doppler Asymmetric Spatial Heterodyne (DASH) interferometer is a device that is suited to making line-of-sight measurements of thermospheric wind speeds from either ground- or space-based platforms. However, DASH interferometer characteristics are sensitive to temperature changes. These instrument changes can be tracked with calibration sources and subsequently corrected during data analysis. Even though these thermal effects can be corrected, a quantitative understanding of the physics driving them is important for future instrument designs. A previous study of the thermal behavior of a monolithic DASH system [Harlander et al, Opt. Express, 2010] measured a thermal response that was not consistent with a simplified model. It was suggested that this discrepancy was a result of the rotation of various optical components caused by the thermoelastic distortion of the monolithic interferometer elements which were cemented together yet had different coefficients of thermal expansion. This distortion effect was not included in the simplified model. In this study we assemble an interferometer with separate optical components which are allowed to expand independently with changes in temperature and therefore eliminates any distortion due to stresses induced by different coefficients of thermal expansion. Thus, by measuring the thermally induced change to the interference pattern generated by this interferometer, we may characterize the thermal behavior of the system and verify whether all the relevant physics is included in the simplified model. We find that the thermal drift measured by the experimental interferometer closely matches that predicted by the model. This important result will help in the material selection and overall design of future monolithic interferometers.
L-Type Ca2+ Channel Density and Regulation Are Altered in Failing Human Ventricular Myocytes and Recover After Support With Mechanical Assist Devices

Ca2+ influx through the L-type calcium channel (LTCC) induces Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and maintains SR Ca2+ loading. Alterations in LTCC properties, their contribution to the blunted adrenergic responsiveness in failing hearts and their recovery after support with LV assist devices (LVAD) were studied. L-type Ca2+ current (I(Ca,L)) was measured under basal conditions and in the presence of isoproterenol (ISO), dibutyryl-cAMP (db-cAMP), Bay K 8644 (BayK), Okadaic acid (OA, a phosphatase inhibitor), and phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in nonfailing (NF), failing (F), and LVAD-supported human left ventricular myocytes (HVMs). Basal I(Ca,L) density was not different in the 3 groups but I(Ca,L) was activated at more negative voltages in F- and LVAD- versus NF-HVMs (V(0.5): -7.18+/-1.4 and -7.0+/-0.9 versus 0.46+/-1.1 mV). Both ISO and db-cAMP increased I(Ca,L) in NF- and LVAD- significantly more than in F-HVMs (NF >LVAD> F: ISO: 90+/-15% versus 77+/-19% versus 24+/-12%; db-cAMP: 235%>172%>90%). ISO caused a significant leftward shift of the I(Ca,L) activation curve in NF- and LVAD- but not in F-HVMs. After ISO and db-cAMP, the I(Ca,L) activation was not significantly different between groups. BayK also increased I(Ca,L) more in NF- (81+/-30%) and LVAD- (70+/-15%) than in F- (51+/-8%) HVMs. OA increased I(Ca, L) by 85.6% in NF-HVMs but had no effect in F-HVMs, while PP2A decreased I(Ca, L) in F-HVMs by 35% but had no effect in NF-HVMs. These results suggest that the density of LTCC is reduced in F-HVMs but basal I(Ca,L) density is maintained by increasing in LTCC phosphorylation.
Bond Market Volatility Compared to Stock Market Volatility

The high volatility of rates of returns on bonds during the 1980s received a great deal of attention because it is readily acknowledged that bond return volatility is critical to the analysis and management of bonds. Yet there has been no detailed analysis of bond market volatility for the pre–1980 period that would allow the experience during the 1980s and the 1990s to be put into perspective. The authors analyze the changing volatility of the government bond market over the past 50 years and examine how these changes compare to the well–documented volatility changes for the stock market. A comparison of Treasury bond market volatility to stock market volatility indicates that the volatility for these two markets has differed dramatically over time. The difference in volatility is confirmed by an analysis of the systematic risk of bonds versus stocks and the moving correlations between bonds and stock over time. In both instances, the pattern indicates a very cyclical series with wide ranges, but also a positive trend. An analysis of the time series properties of bond and stock volatility likewise indicates significant differences.
In situ hybridization histochemistry of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase in developing rat brain

Oligonucleotide DNA probes were used to determine the distribution of mRNAs encoding the alpha- and beta-subunits of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II (CaM-KII) in developing rat brain. The regional and temporal distribution of these mRNAs closely paralleled the distribution and developmental appearance previously reported for their respective protein subunits. alpha-Subunit mRNA was barely detectable in sagittal sections at 4 d postnatal but increased as much as 10-fold in frontal cortex by day 16. beta-Subunit mRNA, on the other hand, was readily detected at 4 d postnatal and changed only slightly during development. Telencephalic structures exhibited the highest levels of CaM-KII mRNA and the brain stem displayed the least. alpha-Subunit mRNA was not observed in cerebellar granule cells and was barely detectable in Purkinje cells, while the beta-mRNA was easily detected in both neuronal types. mRNAs for both alpha- and beta-subunits were present in many neuronal cell bodies; however, only the alpha-subunit mRNA was localized to molecular layers of the hippocampus and lamina I of the frontal cortex. These layers of neuropil are relatively cell sparse and contain extensive dendritic arborizations and synaptic contacts. Since polyribosomes have been observed near hippocampal dendritic spines, the localization of alpha-subunit mRNA to dendrites of pyramidal and dentate granule cells suggests that this subunit is synthesized in situ at postsynaptic sites. The co-localization of translational machinery and high concentrations of CaM-KII in postsynaptic elements suggests an important relationship between alpha-subunit synthesis and the maintenance and plasticity of postsynaptic structures.
The influence of prior record evidence on juror decision making

Several researchers have investigated the impact of evidence of prior convictions on jurors' decision making. Very little is known about a related issue, the impact of prioracquittal evidence introduced by the prosecution on jurors' decisions. The Supreme Court recently held (Dowling v. U.S., 1990) that the admission of prior acquittal evidence does not unfairly prejudice the defendant. We conducted a simulation study to examine the effects of prior record evidence (prior convictions, prior acquittals, and no prior record) on jurors' decisions. We also manipulated the presence of judicial instructions on the limited use jurors can make of extrinsic acts evidence. Mock jurors were more likely to convict the defendant when they had evidence of a prior conviction than when they had evidence of a prior acquittal or no record evidence. This effect was mediated by attributions about criminal propensity. Judge's limiting instructions were ineffective in guiding jurors' use of prior record evidence.
Blind volterra system linearization with applications to post compensation of ADC nonlinearities

Blind Volterra system linearization is a challenging problem with a variety of applications where nonlinearities are present and training signals are not. This paper focuses on digital post compensation of nonlinear analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and proposes a blind linearization approach based on the Volterra series. Assuming that the input signal does not occupy the full Nyquist bandwidth, i.e., there exists an energy-free band, the Volterra series coefficients are estimated by minimizing the linearized signal power in the energy-free band. Simulation results are presented which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Educational and Employment Testing: Changing Concepts in Measurement and Policy

How will the expansion of the concept of construct validity affect validation practice in employment testing? How does the need for consequential validity differ in educational and employment testing? How do the research bases differ for performance assessment in these settings? Are there parallel trends in policies for test use in education and industry?
Contemporary Human Impacts on Alpine Ecosystems in the Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Khumbu, Nepal

Abstract An integrated analysis of landscape change in the alpine zone of Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Nepal, is presented based on the results from five separate research expeditions conducted between 1984 and 2004. Research results indicate that alpine ecosystems (4,000–5,200 m) within the Imja and Gokyo valleys have been significantly impacted during the past twenty to thirty years as a result of poorly controlled tourism. Impacts within the alpine zone include the overharvesting of fragile alpine shrubs and plants for expedition and tourist lodge fuel, overgrazing, accelerated erosion, and uncontrolled lodge building. Evidence suggests that similar scenarios of landscape change in the alpine zone are occurring elsewhere around the Everest massif as the result of adventure tourism. This article stresses that the alpine zone is a comparatively neglected landscape that is in need of greater protection, conservation, and restoration involving integrated, applied research to the clarification of...
Inter-block GPU communication via fast barrier synchronization

While GPGPU stands for general-purpose computation on graphics processing units, the lack of explicit support for inter-block communication on the GPU arguably hampers its broader adoption as a general-purpose computing device. Interblock communication on the GPU occurs via global memory and then requires barrier synchronization across the blocks, i.e., inter-block GPU communication via barrier synchronization. Currently, such synchronization is only available via the CPU, which in turn, can incur significant overhead. We propose two approaches for inter-block GPU communication via barrier synchronization: GPU lock-based synchronization and GPU lock-free synchronization. We then evaluate the efficacy of each approach via a micro-benchmark as well as three well-known algorithms — Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), dynamic programming, and bitonic sort. For the microbenchmark, the experimental results show that our GPU lock-free synchronization performs 8.4 times faster than CPU explicit synchronization and 4.0 times faster than CPU implicit synchronization. When integrated with the FFT, dynamic programming, and bitonic sort algorithms, our GPU lock-free synchronization further improves performance by 10%, 26%, and 40%, respectively, and ultimately delivers an overall speed-up of 70x, 13x, and 24x, respectively.
Rate of Use of Referrals in the Emergency Department

The objectives of this article are: First, to determine the rate of referral completions for primary care physicians (PCPs) given out in the emergency department (ED) to the patients who are present without a PCP. The second objective is to determine the reasons given by the individuals who did not use the referrals given.The methods used during this article are: A retrospective study looking at who uses the referrals given to them in the ED during a six month ED-based pilot programme. A second prospective study using a phone survey was then done; those who did not use the referrals were contacted, which helped in determining the reasons for the non-usage. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).The results of this article indicate that there was a significant difference based on gender (p = 0.001). Males, who made up 48 per cent of the total survey population, used referrals only 9 per cent of the time as compared to females. Females, at 52 per cent of the total respondents, used r...
TARA: thermal-aware routing algorithm for implanted sensor networks

Implanted biological sensors are a special class of wireless sensor networks that are used in-vivo for various medical applications. One of the major challenges of continuous in-vivo sensing is the heat generated by the implanted sensors due to communication radiation and circuitry power consumption. This paper addresses the issues of routing in implanted sensor networks. We propose a thermal-aware routing protocol that routes the data away from high temperature areas (hot spots). With this protocol each node estimates temperature change of its neighbors and routes packets around the hot spot area by a withdraw strategy. The proposed protocol can achieve a better balance of temperature rise and only experience a modest increased delay compared with shortest hop, but thermal-awareness also indicates the capability of load balance, which leads to less packet loss in high load situations.
Automated eye-movement protocol analysis

This article describes and evaluates a class of methods for performing automated analysis of eye-movement protocols. Although eye movements have become increasingly popular as a tool for investigating user behavior, they can be extremely difficult and tedious to analyze. In this article we propose an approach to automating eye-movement protocol analysis by means of tracing--relating observed eye movements to the sequential predictions of a process model. We present three tracing methods that provide fast and robust analysis and alleviate the equipment noise and individual variability prevalent in typical eye-movement protocols. We also describe three applications of the tracing methods that demonstrate how the methods facilitate the use of eye movements in the study of user behavior and the inference of user intentions.
‘What’s Teleology Got To Do With It?’ A Reinterpretation of Aristotle’s Generation of Animals V

Despite the renewed interest in Aristotle’s Generation of Animals in recent years, the subject matter of GA V, its preferred mode(s) of explanation, and its place in the treatise as a whole remain misunderstood. Scholars focus on GA I-IV, which explain animal generation in terms of efficient-final causation, but dismiss GA V as a mere appendix, thinking it to concern (a) individual, accidental differences among animals, which are (b) purely materially necessitated, and (c) are only tangentially related to the topics discussed in the earlier books. In this paper, we defend an alternative and more integrated account of GA V by closely examining Aristotle’s methodological introduction in GA V.1 778a16-b19 and his teleological explanation of the differences of teeth in GA V.8. We argue for the unity of both GA V and of GA as a whole and present a more nuanced theory of teleological explanation in Aristotle’s biology.