cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulus-dependent spatial patterns of response in SI cortex

Background Recently we reported that vibrotactile flutter stimulation of a skin locus at different amplitudes evokes an optical response confined to the same local region of the primary somatosensory cortex (SI), where its overall magnitude varies proportionally to the flutter amplitude. In this report, we characterize the impact of the flutter amplitude on the spatial patterns of activity evoked within the responding SI region.
Some Challenges Facing Queer Youth Programs in Urban High Schools: Racial Segregation and De-Normalizing Whiteness.

Abstract Relatively little is known about the unique challenges facing queer youth programs such as Project 10 and Gay-Straight Alliances, housed in urban high schools where the majority of students are poor, non-White, and/or non-native English speakers. This article begins a conversation about two important issues that the author believes have an impact on queer youth programs in urban schools: racial segregation and the normalization of Whiteness. Data for the article are based on the author's participation in a school-university collaborative action research project at California High School (CHS) between 1996 and 2000. The project's research on participation in extracurricular activities led to the author's independent participant-observation in Project 10, the school's social/support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning students. The results of these investigations suggest that the racially segregated social environment of CHS greatly affects the participation of queer stud...
On the effectiveness of slicing hierarchical state machines: a case study

Formal specifications can be hundreds of pages in length-a reflection of the size and complexity of the systems being specified. Lengthy documents are difficult to read understand, and use. Program slicing was developed to address these issues for programs. The authors apply similar techniques to formal specifications expressed as hierarchical state machines. They present a two tiered approach to slicing (or simplification) of hierarchical state machines. They have applied their techniques to a large case study and present empirical data highlighting the reduction and simplification capabilities of their approach to large specifications.
Changing trends of speech outcomes after total laryngectomy in the 21st century: A single-center study

Objectives/Hypothesis To describe the speech rehabilitation outcomes of patients undergoing total laryngectomy (TL) in the 21st century. Study Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Tertiary academic center Subjects and Methods Retrospective review of 167 patients who underwent TL from June 2000 to February 2012. Demographics, disease variables, and surgical factors were reviewed. Primary alaryngeal speech modality, speech outcome, and tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) complication rates were assessed. Results Overall TEP speech success rate (primary or secondary) was 72%. Overall TEP speech success rate was 76% for those with primary TEP and was 68% for those with secondary TEP. TEP speech success rates at first, second, and beyond second year were 75%, 72%, and 70%, respectively. Success rates for primary TL, salvage TL, primary TL with pharyngeal reconstruction, or salvage TL with pharyngeal reconstruction groups were 71%, 72%, 73%, and 71%, respectively. TEP-related complications occurred in 43% of patients, with no difference in complication rates between primary versus salvage TL or primary versus secondary TEP. For those with complications, TEP success rate was 65%. Conclusion This study showed TEP speech-outcome success rates lower than what has been historically reported. There was no significant difference in TEP speech outcome between primary versus salvage TL or primary versus secondary TEP. Patients with TEP-related complications had TEP speech-outcome success rates comparable to those without any complication. TEP may continue to be a superior option as a mode of speech in patients with TL, including those undergoing salvage TL. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 124:2508–2512, 2014
A Convenience‐oriented Approach to Country Segmentation

Suggests that traditional approaches to the segmentation of international markets cluster countries according to discrete environmental macro factors. Instead, international markets need to be viewed on a continuum rather than as being entirely similar or dissimilar. Posits that the level of convenience demanded in products and services by consumers worldwide represents such a continuum. A cross‐cultural measure of convenience orientation can be adequately expressed in terms of two human dimensions: a time‐saving orientation and a comfort orientation. When used in conjunction with economic measures of affluence, a convenience orientation can serve as an effective international market segmentation variable. A convenience‐oriented framework is developed to help marketers identify global marketing opportunities and design appropriate strategies to reach consumers at various points on the convenience continuum.
Vehicle Sound Package - Art or Science?

The quiet car concept succeeds in organizing and ranking noise inputs in an objective way and as such is a valuable tool in the hands of the noise control engineer. If lab test procedures can be developed to a trustworthy level, considerable time can be saved in evaluating and developing materials for future applications.
BACILLUS SUBTILIS DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID TRANSFER IN PBS2 TRANSDUCTION.

Mahler, I. (Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass.), M. Cahoon, and J. Marmur. Bacillus subtilis deoxyribonucleic acid transfer in PBS2 transduction. J. Bacteriol. 87:1423–1428. 1964.—Lysates of the general transducing bacteriophage PBS2 grown on Bacillus subtilis SB19 were fractionated by preparative CsCl density-gradient centrifugation. Five distinct and separate bands which varied in their ability to transduce three nutritional markers were obtained by this procedure. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples prepared from unfractionated lysates and from each of the separate bands were examined by analytical CsCl density-gradient centrifugation. In addition to a major band (density, 1.723 g/cc) identified as PBS2 DNA, a satellite band of lighter density was detectable in the nucleic acids obtained from whole lysates and those bands that possessed transducing activity. The biological activity of the purified nucleic acids, determined by transformation experiments, was found to reside in the light satellite band (1.703 g/cc) characteristic of B. subtilis DNA. In view of the correlation between general transducing ability of phage particles and the presence of bacterial DNA which appears not to be physically associated with the phage DNA, it is suggested that transduction by bacteriophage PBS2 does not depend upon areas of homology between the phage genome and the host chromosome but resides in specific particles which have incorporated segments of bacterial DNA.
Chapter 2. Color-coded fluorescent mouse models of cancer cell interactions with blood vessels and lymphatics.

Abstract Several new strategies now exist for imaging cancer cell interactions with both blood vessels and lymphatics in living animals. Tumors labeled with fluorescent proteins allow the nonluminous capillaries and larger blood vessels to be clearly visualized against the bright tumor fluorescence via either intravital or whole‐body imaging. Signal attenuation by overlying tissue can be markedly reduced by opening a reversible skin flap in the light path, increasing detection sensitivity. With this increase in observable depth of tissue, many previously obscured small tumor vessels can be imaged. In addition, dual‐color fluorescence imaging, effected by using red fluorescent protein (RFP)–expressing tumors growing in green fluorescent protein (GFP)–expressing transgenic mice, can show with great clarity tumor–stroma interactions, including the developing tumor vasculature. The GFP‐expressing host vasculature, both mature and nascent, can be distinguished from the RFP‐expressing tumor itself in this model. Transgenic mice with GFP gene expression driven by the nestin promoter offer another way to image the developing tumor vasculature. In this model system, only nascent blood vessels express GFP, allowing newly developing blood vessels to be imaged against a background of RFP‐expressing tumor cells. Finally, dual‐color imaging technology can facilitate the imaging of cancer cell interactions with lymphatics. Delivery of FITC‐dextran or fluorescent antibodies specific for lymphatic endothelium to the lymphatics around an RFP‐expressing tumor allows imaging of tumor cell shedding into the lymphatic system. This imaging technology has the potential to visualize each step of tumor progress.
Nanophotonic coherent light-matter interfaces based on rare-earth-doped crystals.

Quantum light–matter interfaces connecting stationary qubits to photons will enable optical networks for quantum communications, precise global time keeping, photon switching and studies of fundamental physics. Rare-earth-ion-doped crystals are state-of-the-art materials for optical quantum memories and quantum transducers between optical photons, microwave photons and spin waves. Here we demonstrate coupling of an ensemble of neodymium rare-earth-ions to photonic nanocavities fabricated in the yttrium orthosilicate host crystal. Cavity quantum electrodynamics effects including Purcell enhancement (F=42) and dipole-induced transparency are observed on the highly coherent ^4I_(9/2)–^4F_(3/2) optical transition. Fluctuations in the cavity transmission due to statistical fine structure of the atomic density are measured, indicating operation at the quantum level. Coherent optical control of cavity-coupled rare-earth ions is performed via photon echoes. Long optical coherence times (T_2~100 μs) and small inhomogeneous broadening are measured for the cavity-coupled rare-earth ions, thus demonstrating their potential for on-chip scalable quantum light–matter interfaces.
High-density packaging: future outlook

Describes the general packaging outlook for the 1990s for primarily low-end to intermediate systems. It is pointed out that the key drivers on packaging are: (1) the trend towards higher performance which drives electrical and thermal design in a cost/performance environment; and (2) the trend toward portable and notebook systems which drives low weight and thin packages in a cost conscious environment. Attention is given to the SCM strategy, the MCM (multichip module) strategy, chip-on-board considerations, and wiring and surface area comparisons. >
Free Hydromagnetic Oscillations of the Earth's Core and the Theory of the Geomagnetic Secular Variation

Free hydromagnetic oscillations of a rotating spherical shell of an incompressible fluid are investigated by means of a simple theoretical model. For each spatial harmonic, rotation gives rise to two distinct modes of oscillation, ‘magnetic’ and ‘inertial’, which propagate with different velocities. As an application of the theory, it is shown that if the strength of the toroidal magnetic field in the Earth’s core is 100 Oe, then many of the properties of the observed secular changes, including the slow westward drift, of the main geomagnetic field at the Earth’s surface can be accounted for in terms of the interaction of magnetic modes in the core with the Earth’s poloidal magnetic field. Concomitant magnetic variations due to inertial modes in the core would, owing to their relatively short periods (several days), fail to penetrate to the surface of the Earth, although the eddy currents induced in the lower mantle by these modes might affect the mechanical coupling between the mantle and the core.
Application of remote sensing observations as APEX model input for estimating soil erosion

Soil erosion is one of the processes responsible for water and soil quality deterioration and is impacted by local soil and land cover conditions. One of the primary functions of land cover is to protect the soil and prevent land degradation by water and wind erosion [1]. Recent interest in biofuel energy production can compromise soil quality due to increased removal of crop residue to be used as source of biofuel feedstocks. Knowledge of the impact of human-induced changes to land cover is critical to developing ecosystem-based management approaches to address these issues.
Repair of full-thickness femoral condyle cartilage defects using allogeneic synovial cell-engineered tissue constructs.

Summary Objective Synovium-derived stem cells (SDSCs) have proven to be superior in cartilage regeneration compared with other sources of mesenchymal stem cells. We hypothesized that conventionally passaged SDSCs can be engineered in vitro into cartilage tissue constructs and the engineered premature tissue can be implanted to repair allogeneic full-thickness femoral condyle cartilage defects without immune rejection. Methods Synovial tissue was harvested from rabbit knee joints. Passage 3 SDSCs were mixed with fibrin glue and seeded into non-woven polyglycolic acid (PGA) mesh. After 1-month incubation with growth factor cocktails, the premature tissue was implanted into rabbit knees to repair osteochondral defects with Collagraft ® as a bone substitute in the Construct group. Fibrin glue-saturated PGA/Collagraft ® composites were used as a Scaffold group. The defect was left untreated as an Empty group. Results SDSCs were engineered in rotating bioreactor systems into premature cartilage, which displayed the expression of sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG), collagen II, collagen I, and macrophages. Six months after implantation with premature tissue, cartilage defects were full of smooth hyaline-like cartilage with no detectable collagen I and macrophages but a high expression of collagen II and GAG, which were also integrated with the surrounding native cartilage. The Scaffold and Empty groups were resurfaced with fibrous-like and fibrocartilage tissue, respectively. Conclusion Allogeneic SDSC-based premature tissue constructs are a promising stem cell-based approach for cartilage defects. Although in vitro data suggest that contaminated macrophages affected the quality of SDSC-based premature cartilage, effects of macrophages on in vivo tissue regeneration and integration necessitate further investigation.
Gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (nafarelin) test to differentiate gonadotropin deficiency from constitutionally delayed puberty in teen-age boys--a clinical research center study

The objective of this study was to determine whether the hormonal response to a GnRH agonist (nafarelin) challenge differentiates hypogonadotropinism from delayed puberty as well as the sleep test does. We studied boys ages 13.25-17.6 yr with prepubertal constitutional delay of puberty (CDP, n = 11), prepubertal gonadotropin deficiency (GnD, n = 10), pubertal CDP (PCDP, n = 11) and partial GnD (PGnD, n = 2). These disorders were defined on the basis of the following independent criteria: CDP = isolated delayed puberty with documentation of subsequent pubertal progression; GnD = panhypopituitarism or anosmia with absence of subsequent pubertal progression; PCDP = isolated delayed puberty in an early pubertal child; and PGnD = arrest of puberty in boys with partial hypopituitarism. CDP was compared with GnD and PCDP was compared with PGnD by analysis of variance and two-tailed t tests. Each patient had a nafarelin test with measurement of LH, FSH, and testosterone responses at intervals after nafarelin admi...
Control of sugar‐beet downy mildew (Peronospora farinosa) by sprays

SUMMARY No fungicide tested gave more than partial control of sugar-beet downy mildew in root crops or steckling beds and even frequent spraying beginning shortly after seedling emergence rarely did more than halve the incidence. This degree of control is not adequate for commercial use on root crops, but is helpful on steckling beds in conjunction with other control measures.
Cardiorespiratory arrest in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (ASAH) can cause sudden death from cardiorespiratory arrest (CRA). Successful resuscitation (SR) allows diagnosis and treatment of survivors. We studied incidences of CRA and the influence of SR in ASAH prognosis. Hospital records of patients with ASAH diagnosed by computed tomography, lumbar puncture, surgery, or autopsy and treated from 1980 to 1988 were reviewed. Symptoms, aneurysm location, treatment, course, and outcome were tabulated. The literature was reviewed. Of 95 consecutive ASAH patients, 15 (16%, 2 males, 13 females) had CRA, seven primary cardiac, six primary respiratory, and two combined CRA. Four of 11(36.4%) had posterior circulation aneurysm (PCA);13 (86.6%) had intracerebral-ventricular clot (ICC). All were clinically Stage V, six improved and had angiography, two had surgery, and one (7%) survived hospitalization. Of other ASAH patients (37 males and 43 females), 4.4% of 68 had PCA, 37.5% had ICC, and 56% survived hospitalization. Of 287 patients hospitalized after out-of-hospital SR in the same period, 18% survived; 14 (4.9%) had ASAH and 1 (7%) survived hospitalization. CRA is not infrequent after onset of ASAH and occurs more commonly in women with PCA. Most likely, it is due to a very large initial hemorrhage disrupting diencephalic circulatory and respiratory centers. Prognosis of patients suffering CRA from ASAH is dismal and not influenced by SR.
Direct finite element equation solving algorithms

This paper presents and examines direct solution algorithms for the linear simultaneous equations that arise when finite element models represent an engineering system. It identifies the mathematical processing of four solution methods and assesses their data processing implications using concurrent processing.
Traumatic Subdural Hygroma in Adults

The authors review 25 cases of post-traumatic subdural hygroma in adults and report the findings of computer tomography in 4 cases. There was marked diversity in the severity of injury and in chronicity. The site of the lesion was consistently delineated by angiography, but preoperative differentiation from subdural hematoma was possible only with computed tomography. The mortality was 28%. Good recovery occurred in 48%. The prognosis was best among younger patients with subacute or chronic lesions.
The role of visualisation in the simulation of quantum electronic transport in semiconductors

Using the Wigner function to simulate semiconductor processes and depicting the results graphically is leading to new insights concerning these devices. The Wigner function, which uses a formalism that correctly incorporates all the quantum mechanics inherent in a problem, is the Fourier transform of the density matrix, taken with respect to a difference variable. The tunneling problem and the simulation of the resonant tunneling diode are discussed. >
Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Upper Extremity Secondary to Blunt Trauma That Resulted in Closed Disruption of an Arteriovenous Fistula in the Absence of Fracture: A Case Report.

Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) occurs when the pressure within a fibro-osseous compartment increases to such a point that the perfusion gradient is decreased at the capillary level. In the upper extremity, ACS can be caused by anything that increases volume within the confined spaces of the fascia or physically restricts expansion of the compartment externally1. This case report describes the unreported incidence of ACS in the upper extremity as a consequence of hemorrhage from a ruptured brachiocephalic arteriovenous (AV) fistula following closed blunt trauma. The patient was informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication, and he provided consent. A forty-three-year-old male driver was involved in a rollover motor vehicle collision; he presented to our level-1 trauma facility within one hour of injury. He had been wearing a seat belt and had not been ejected from the vehicle. He had a history of hypertension and renal failure. Four years ago, a brachiocephalic AV fistula had been created in his left arm for hemodialysis. One year prior to presentation, he had received a cadaveric renal transplant and had been off dialysis since then; the fistula was no longer being used. He had been taking Prograf (tacrolimus) and prednisone as immunosuppressive therapy for the renal transplant. The patient was alert and oriented upon presentation, with a score of 15 on the Glasgow Coma Scale. The airway was adequate, breathing was spontaneous, and there was no obvious external bleeding on arrival. Symptoms included mild shortness of breath and pain in the left upper extremity. There were multiple areas of ecchymosis along the anteromedial aspect of the arm and forearm, but no open wounds were present (Fig. 1). The skin overlying the arm and forearm was taut, and the compartments were noncompressible. He had palpable radial pulses and was …
In vitro modulation of human neutrophil superoxide anion generation by various calcium channel antagonists used in ischemia-reperfusion resuscitation.

Abstract Generation of toxic oxygen species by activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) may represent an important mechanism of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Concentration-response data concerning inhibition of Superoxide anion (O 2 − ) generation by NADPH oxidoreductase (NADPH OR) from isolated human PMN were generated for five calcium channel antagonists commonly utilized in ischemia-reperfusion investigational therapeutics. Regression analysis derived IC 50 values for verapamil, nimodipine, nicardipine and lidoflazine were 45, 20, 12 and 7 μM respectively. Inhibition of the extent of reaction at 5 min paralleled inhibition of initial velocity. No inhibition by flunarizine was noted at concentrations ≤ 25 μM (where it did not alter reaction mixture composition). Only nicardipine demonstrated a significant concentration-response effect relative to prolonging lag time preceding O 2 − synthesis. Inhibition appeared at least partially reversible for all five agents. Neither PMN activation/ desensitization, free-radical scavenging, nor PMN cytotoxicity appeared to be involved in the inhibition of PMN O 2 − synthesis by these agents. Ca 2+ antagonist inhibition of PMN NADPH OR appears to involve more than simple inhibition of Ca 2+ flux across the PMN plasma membrane. Direct inhibition of the intracellular events involved in the activation and/or activity of NADPH OR may be operative.
The beta decay of K40

The beta decay of K40 has been studied using a 1 inch diameter × 1 inch high KI(Tl) scintillation crystal. The Kurie plot of the beta spectrum was made linear down to less than 200 keV by the use of the exact third forbidden correction factor. The uncertainty in the correction for electron escape is suggested as the main source of non- linearity below this energy. The extrapolated end point energy was 1.35±0.02 MeV. A specific activity of 27.2±0.5 betas per second per g of natural potassium was obtained. This corresponds to a decay constant λ(β) = (4.72±0.09) × 10−10y−1 and a half- life t(β) = (1.47±0.03) × 109y.
Seasonal Changes in Net Photosynthesis of Atriplex hymenelytra Shrubs Growing in Death Valley, California

Field measurements of CO2 and water vapor exchange were made on Atriplex hymenelytra (Torr.) Wats. shrubs growing in Death Valley, California during March 1971 and July 1972. Rates of CO2 uptake and leaf conductances were substantially higher in March as compared to July. In spite of the large differences in ambient temperatures in March and July, no adaptive acclimation response was apparent in the temperature dependence of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis transpiration ratios at typical midday leaf temperatures were much higher in March than in July. High water use efficiency results from a combination of the C4 photosynthetic pathway, relatively low leaf conductances, and maximum growth and photosynthetic activity during the cooler months of the year.
Evaluation of pulmonary artery pressure and resistance by pulsed Doppler echocardiography

Pulsed Doppler echocardiography was used to examine the relation between pulmonary valve motion and pulmonary artery (PA) flow velocity patterns in 39 adults. In 16 patients with normal PA pressure (mean pressure less than 20 mm Hg), PA flow velocity accelerated slowly to a peak flow velocity at midsystole (time to peak flow velocity, or acceleration time = 134 +/- 20 ms [mean +/- standard deviation]), followed by a slow deceleration to the end of ejection, producing a "dome-like" appearance. In contrast, in 23 patients with elevated PA pressure (mean pressure 20 mm Hg or more), flow velocity accelerated rapidly to a peak flow velocity in early systole (acceleration time = 88 +/- 25 ms, p less than 0.01), followed by rapid flow velocity deceleration to a nadir in midsystole. In 13 of these patients, a transient increase in flow velocity occurred in late systole, producing a "spike and dome" appearance. In patients with an acceleration time of 120 ms or less, there was a negative linear correlation with mean PA pressure, expressed by the equation: mean PA pressure = 90 - (0.62 X acceleration time). The standard error of the estimate was 8.3 mm Hg. A similar negative linear correlation was found between PA acceleration time and total pulmonary resistance. Using a PA acceleration time of 100 ms or less resulted in a 78% sensitivity and a 100% specificity for detection of elevated PA pressure. Although this Doppler method cannot precisely estimate PA pressure, it can be helpful in separating patients with normal pressure from those with elevated PA pressure.
Parallel cellular automata: A model program for computational science

We develop a model program for parallel execution of cellular automata on a multicomputer. The model program is then adapted for simulation of forest fires and numerical solution of Laplace's equation for stationary heat flow. The performance of the parallel program is analyzed and measured on a Computing Surface configured as a matrix of transputers with distributed memory.
Effect of Valvular Surgery on Antibody to the Group A Streptococcal Carbohydrate

Because previous studies revealed that high levels of antibody to the group A streptococcal carbohydrate (A-antibody) persist in the serum of patients with chronic rheumatic valvular disease, the effect of valvular surgery on the level of this antibody was examined in the present study. Streptococcal antibody titers (ASO, anti-DNAse B, and A-antibody) were determined on 73 patients admitted for cardiac surgery: 36 with chronic rheumatic valvular disease and 37 with nonrheumatic cardiac or coronary disease. While the ASO and anti-DNAse B presurgical titers were similar in rheumatic and nonrheumatic individuals, the levels of A-antibody were significantly higher in rheumatic patients. The effect of blood perfusion during cardiac surgery was reflected by reversion of antibody titers towards the mean value for a normal population. A trend toward a rise in all antibodies was seen in all patients two to seven weeks after surgery. However, after an interval of eight weeks or more following surgery, a significant decline in the A-antibody occurred in rheumatic patients who had undergone excision and replacement of the affected valve, but not in those who had experienced a simple commissurotomy. These findings provide additional evidence to support a relationship between valvular disease and A-antibody level in rheumatic patients.
Timing of endoscopic sinus surgery in children: is there an impact on outcome?

Objectives/Hypothesis: Endoscopic sinus surgery in children continues to be a controversial issue. Major factors in determining when to operate are the duration of the disease and duration of medical treatment. Study Design: Prospective study of children referred to a tertiary center. Patients and Methods: Eighty-three patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery for refractory chronic sinusitis. All patients were followed prospectively to evaluate their response to surgery for a mean follow-up period of at least 1 year. A X 2 analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed to determine statistical difference between duration of symptoms and outcome. Results: The overall success rate of endoscopic sinus surgery was 80%. Children who had surgery between 6 and 12 months of symptoms despite continued medical therapy had an 84% success rate, those who had surgery between 12 and 18 months had a 74% success rate, and those with more than 18 months of treatment for symptoms had an 81% success rate (P >.05). Conclusions: Duration of the symptoms of chronic sinusitis in children of more than 6 months was not a predictor of success of endoscopic sinus surgery in these children. Although there seemed to be a trend toward having a more successful procedure in children who had surgery between 6 and 12 months of medical treatment versus those who had surgery after more than 12 months of medical treatment, this did not reach statistical significance. A prospective study with more patients may shed more light on this subject.
Predictive quality of macroinvertebrate-habitat associations in lower navigation pools of the Mississippi River

Macroinvertebrate community structure was compared between habitat types within a navigation pool and between navigation pools of the Upper Mississippi River. Bottom samples were taken using a grab or Wilding sampler from 40 and 14 stations on Pool 19 and 26, respectively. In both Pools, distinct communities developed based on substrate type or the presence of aquatic macrophytes rather than specific habitats as defined by river morphometry. Areas with sand substrates usually had communities of low density and diversity. Communities of the highest density, including Hexagenia or Musculium or both, occurred in habitats with silt-sand substrates. However, these areas were low in diversity. High diversity was found in both vegetated areas and habitats with coarse substrates, the latter dominated by net-spinning caddisfly larvae. Due to pool age and longitudinal distribution of species, community similarity between Pools 19 and 26 was not significant, p < 0.05, but functional feeding similarities occurred between communities from the same type of substrate.
Towards power-aware rendezvous

In this paper we connect the power consumed by agents in a network to how much they move. In other words, by moving around, the agents' power levels decrease, which in turn impacts the range at which they can sense/communicate with neighboring agents. This work constitutes the first, explicit connection between mobility and power consumption from the point of view of being able to carry out the coordinated controls task and we, in particular, investigate the effect of power consumption on the rendezvous problem, i.e., the problem of having the agents meet at a common location. Conditions are given for when the rendezvous problem can be achieved for a two-agent problem as well as for a network of agents organized in a directed cycle graph.
Survival after partial breast brachytherapy in elderly patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer.

Abstract Background Despite growing utilization of accelerated partial breast irradiation using brachytherapy (APBI-Brachy) for elderly breast cancer patients, there are limited data from randomized Phase III trials to support its routine use. This study uses population-based data to examine whether APBI-Brachy results in comparable survival rates compared with whole breast irradiation (WBI). Methods A sample of 29,647 female patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic breast cancer in 2002–2007 treated with breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy was identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program-Medicare data set. Log-rank tests, Cox proportional hazards models, instrumental variable analysis, and subgroup analysis were used to study the comparative effectiveness of APBI-Brachy and WBI. Results During a median followup of 3.6 and 4.8 years, 123 (7.7%) and 3438 (13.6%) patients died after APBI-Brachy and WBI, respectively. Recurrence-free survival ( p = 0.9711) and overall survival rates ( p = 0.0551) did not differ significantly between the two radiation modalities. After accounting for tumor characteristics, patient characteristics, community factors, and comorbidities, the recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 0.90–1.23; p = 0.5125) and overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.72–1.04; p = 0.1332) rates were still not significantly different between patients treated with APBI-Brachy and WBI. Conclusion Partial breast brachytherapy and WBI resulted in similar recurrence-free and overall survival rates in this cohort of elderly breast cancer patients, even after adjustment for the more favorable characteristics of patients in the former group. These findings will need to be confirmed by the randomized trials comparing these modalities.
Hyaluronic acid in a cardiac myxoma: A biochemical and histological analysis

Cardiac myxoma is the most common primary tumor of the heart. This tumor has a gelatinous stroma that is thought to be composed of glycosaminoglycans, the classical acid mucopolysaccharide ground substance. We examined both biochemically and histologically the hyaluronic acid in a case of cardiac myxoma using a newly developed hyaluronic acid-binding protein probe. We observed that hyaluronic acid was localized in the amorphous stroma and occurred at levels 30 times that found in normal atrial septum.
Change in the forested and developed landscape of the Lake Tahoe basin, California and Nevada, USA, 1940-2002.

The current ecological state of the Lake Tahoe basin has been shaped by significant landscape-altering human activity and management practices since the mid-1850s; first through widespread timber harvesting from the 1850s to 1920s followed by urban development from the 1950s to the present. Consequences of landscape change, both from development and forest management practices including fire suppression, have prompted rising levels of concern for the ecological integrity of the region. The impacts from these activities include decreased water quality, degraded biotic communities, and increased fire hazard. To establish an understanding of the Lake Tahoe basin’s landscape change in the context of forest management and development we mapped, quantified, and described the spatial and temporal distribution and variability of historical changes in land use and land cover in the southern Lake Tahoe basin (279 km 2 ) from 1940 to 2002. Our assessment relied on post-classification change detection of multi-temporal land-use/cover and impervious-surface-area data that were derived through manual interpretation, image processing, and GIS data integration for four dates of imagery: 1940, 1969, 1987, and 2002. The most significant land conversion during the 62year study period was an increase in developed lands with a corresponding decrease in forests, wetlands, and shrublands. Forest stand densities increased throughout the 62-year study period, and modern thinning efforts resulted in localized stand density decreases in the latter part of the study period. Additionally forests were gained from succession, and towards the end of the study period extensive tree mortality occurred. The highest rates of change occurred between 1940 and 1969, corresponding with dramatic development, then rates declined through 2002 for all observed landscape changes except forest density decrease and tree mortality. Causes of landscape change included regional population growth, tourism demands, timber harvest for local use, fire suppression, bark beetle attack, and fuels reduction activities. Results from this study offer land managers within the Lake Tahoe basin and in similar regions a basis for making better informed land-use and management decisions to potentially minimize detrimental ecological impacts of landscape change. The perspective to be gained is based on quantitative retrospection of the effects of human-driven changes and the impacts of management action or inaction to the forested landscape. # 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A generalized model of void swelling-the depth dependent swelling by self-ion irradiation

Abstract The depth dependence of void swelling in self-ion irradiated pure metals has been investigated by using the general rate theory model of void swelling that includes the effects of displacement cascades and deposited self-ions. Three major physical sources of the depth dependent void swelling are identified as the free surface, the displacement damage, and the deposited self-ions. Calculations for nickel self-ion damage with ion energy in the MeV range show that the deposited self-ions produce a substantial perturbation on the swelling profile expected on the basis of the damage profile alone, and that the surface effect on void swelling is relatively small. The significance of the calculated results is discussed in view of the development of simulation techniques.
Evidence that the gene encoding ZDHHC8 contributes to the risk of schizophrenia.

Using a relatively dense genetic map of 72 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) distributed across the entire 1.5-Mb locus on chromosome 22q11 associated with susceptibilit to schizophrenia1,2, we previously identified two subregions that were consistently associated with the disease3,4. In the distal subregion, we detected an association signal with five neighboring SNPs distributed over a haplotypic block of 80 kb encompassing six known genes4. One of these five SNPs, rs175174, had the strongest association of all 72 SNPs that we tested. Here we show that rs175174 regulates the level of the fully functional transcript by modulating the retention of intron 4 of the gene ZDHHC8, which encodes a putative transmembrane palmitoyltransferase. Zdhhc8-knockout mice had a sexually dimorphic deficit in prepulse inhibition, a gene dosage–dependent decrease in exploratory activity in a new environment and a decreased sensitivity to the locomotor stimulatory effects of the psychomimetic drug dizocilpine (MK801). SNP rs175174 shows differences in transmission distortion between sexes in individuals with schizophrenia. Our results indicate that there is an unexpected connection between impaired palmitate modification of neuronal proteins and the psychiatric phenotypes associated with microdeletions of chromosome 22q11.
Laterality affects spontaneous recovery of contralateral hand motor function following motor cortex injury in rhesus monkeys

The purpose of this study was to test whether brain laterality influences spontaneous recovery of hand motor function after controlled brain injuries to arm areas of M1 and lateral premotor cortex (LPMC) of the hemisphere contralateral to the preferred hand in rhesus monkeys. We hypothesized that monkeys with stronger hand preference would exhibit poorer recovery of skilled hand use after such brain injury. Degree of handedness was assessed using a standard dexterity board task in which subjects could use either hand to retrieve small food pellets. Fine hand/digit motor function was assessed using a modified dexterity board before and after the M1 and LPMC lesions in ten monkeys. We found a strong negative relationship between the degree of handedness and the recovery of manipulation skill, demonstrating that higher hand preference was associated with poorer recovery of hand fine motor function. We also observed that monkeys with larger lesions within M1 and LPMC had greater initial impairment of manipulation and poorer recovery of reaching skill. We conclude that monkeys with a stronger hand preference are likely to show poorer recovery of contralesional hand fine motor skill after isolated brain lesions affecting the lateral frontal motor areas. These data may be extended to suggest that humans who exhibit weak hand dominance, and perhaps individuals who use both hands for fine motor tasks, may have a more favorable potential for recovery after a unilateral stroke or brain injury affecting the lateral cortical motor areas than individuals with a high degree of hand dominance.
Jesus Christ is the Life of the Mind: A Review of Mark Noll's The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind (1994) and Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind (2011)

The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind By Mark Noll Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1994, 274 pp. $25.00 (paperback) Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind By Mark Noll Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2011, 18...
Upper semicontinuous functions and the stone approximation theorem

In convex function theory it has long been recognized as useful to identify a convex function with its epigraph, the convex set of points on or above its graph. Similarly, a concave function is identified with its hypograph, the convex set of points on or below its graph. Analysis is then performed in the product space. We present two standard examples. First, the interior of the epigraph of a convex function f consists of those points (x, a) for which x lies in the interior of the domain off and a > f(x). As a result f is upper semicontinuous on the interior of its domain. Second, a closed convex set is the intersection of the closed half spaces that contain it. As a result, a lower semicontinuous convex function is the pointwise supremum of the affine functions that it majorizes. Such techniques have enjoyed only limited popularity in other branches of real analysis; that is, the topology and/or linear structure of the graph, epigraph, or hypograph of a real valued function are rarely used to define the fundamental concepts of analysis or to prove theorems. Their role has been essentially descriptive. It is the purpose of this paper to “perform analysis in the product” to gain a new understanding of the notion of uniform approximation. Our basic tool will be the Hausdorff metric on closed subsets of the product. Using this metric we present a generalization of the Stone Approximation Theorem to the space of upper semicontinuous functions defined on a compact metric space. In the process we extend Dini’s theorem, characterizing those sequences of upper semicontinuous functions convergent pointwise from above to a continuous function that converge uniformly. Finally, since the topology on the continuous functions on a compact metric space induced by the Chebyshev norm coincides with the one induced by the Hausdorff metric when restricted to their graphs, we obtain a different view of equicontinuity and its place in the Arzela-Ascoli theorem.
Brazilian policies that encourage deforestation in the Amazon

This paper shows that general tax policies, special tax incentives, the rules of land allocation, and the agricultural credit system all accelerate deforestation in the Amazon. These policies increase the size of land holdings and reduce the chances of the poor to become farmers. The following are the key provisions: (i) the virtual exemption of agricultural income from income taxation makes agriculture a tax shelter; (ii) rules of public land allocation provide incentives for deforestation because the rules used in determining the security of a claim and its land area encourage land clearing; (iii) the progressive land tax contains provisions that encourage the conversion of forest to crop land or pasture; (iv) the tax credit scheme aimed toward corporate livestock ranches subsidizes inefficient ranches established on cleared forest land; and (v) subsidized credit is available for SUDAM-approved ranches.
Multiple Optimal Solutions in Linear Programming Models: A Further Reply

I thank Miller for pointing out three references (Miller 1963, 1972; Laidlaw 1972) which deal with the problem of multiple optimal solutions in linear programming (LP). My previous strong statements have succeeded in flushing out some information on the subject. I am thus ready to amend my previous proposition: very few empirical works can be found in the literature on multiple optimal solutions. With this priority issue hopefully settled, it is important to emphasize the negative attitude taken by my predecessors with respect to the problem of multiple optimal solutions. Both Miller and Laidlaw regard the presence of such solutions as troublesome and as a nuisance. While discussing degeneracy in the aircraft allocation problem, Miller writes (p. 26): "And, as has been discussed above, this (degeneracy) signals troubles for the imputed profit maximization problem, for it means that it will have more than one optimal solution and thus that, in general, the dual valuations and also the delta js themselves will not be unique." And a little farther on (p. 26): ". . . the fact that the dual valuations are not unique does not imply that all is lost." On his part, Laidlaw (p. 242) states that "Most linear programming problems have a unique minimum or maximum solution for any particular objective function." When, however, he is confronted with multiple optimal solutions even in his rather small LP problem he states (p. 243): "Curiously enough, this could be a useful piece of information." His next section is entitled (p. 244), "Degeneracy as a Development Programming Nuisance." But, since degeneracy is a necessary (not sufficient) condition for multiple optimal solutions, one is left with the impression that Laidlaw has no clear understanding of the connection between the two concepts. On the contrary (to reiterate my personal viewpoint), multiple optimal solutions, whether primal or dual, reflect a richness of information which ought to be welcomed by the researcher because it may provide the needed flexibility for greater realism. Hence, one should search out not only all multiple optimal solutions but also those solutions which can be termed quasi-optimal and are associated with small variations of the optimal value of the objective function. Miller's comment concludes on a very fundamental point with a strange warning. He writes: "Of course, when one moves away from basic optimal solutions, a number of the usual primal-dual properties (e.g., complementary slackness) are disturbed." Does he mean that, if one constructs a convex combination of two primal basic optimal solutions, complementary slackness does not hold? This interpretation is not possible because it would invalidate the very meaning of optimality, as can be demonstrated easily. Consider the dual pair of LP problems such as
A New Class of White Noise Generalized Functions

The S-transform is studied as a mapping from a space of tensors to a space of functions over a complex space. The range of this transform is characterized in terms of analyticity and growth. These results are applied to a broad class of generalized functions in white noise analysis. These correspond to completions of the Gaussian L2-space which preserve orthogonality of Hermite polynomials. The S-transform is defined for the new generalized functions, and the range of this S-transform is identified in terms of analyticity and growth. Examples of the new spaces of generalized functions are given; these include distributions considered by Kondratiev and Streit, as well as new classes of distributions whose S-transforms have growth bounded by iterated exponentials.