cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Channel Tracking in Wireless Communication Systems

Channel estimation is an integral part of standard adaptive receiver designs used in digital wireless communication systems. In this article, commonly used approaches to channel tracking are reviewed, including both filtering and recursive approaches. These approaches are based on approximate models of how the channel response changes with time. Both reference-assisted (pilot symbols, pilot channel) and data-directed channel tracking are considered. Applications include second and third generation digital cellular communication systems, which employ time-division multiple-access (TDMA) or direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA). Keywords: channel estimation; channel tracking; channel identification; parameter estimation; adaptive estimation; time-varying channels; dispersive channels; time-division multiple-access; code-division multiple-access
Postpartum lymphocytic thyroiditis in American women: A spectrum of thyroid dysfunction

Six episodes of primary hypothyroidism followed pregnancy in five women. Within 6 months post partum, all were clinically hypothyroid, with a diffuse goiter of two or three times normal size, altered thyroid function tests (average thyroxine [T4] = 2.6 micrograms/dl, thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH] = 58.2 microunits/ml), and elevated antithyroid antibodies. (All had antimicrosomal antibody titers of 1:6,400 or more.) After 5 more months, all patients had a decrease in antibody titer, resolution of symptoms, and recovery of thyroid hormone levels (average T4 = 7.3 micrograms/dl), although two patients had compensated hypothyroidism (their average TSH = 9.3 microunits/ml). Four patients had lymphocytic thyroiditis diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Despite the apparent transience of postpartum hypothyroidism, all five patients have chronic thyroid dysfunction: three women have persistent goiters (all less than twice normal size) and two have compensated hypothyroidism; one patient had previous Graves' hyperthyroidism, and two had recurrent transient hypothyroidism (at 21 months postpartum in one patient, and 5 months after another pregnancy in the other). Three women had transient, painless hyperthyroidism (average T4 = 16.1) before becoming hypothyroid: two patients within 8 weeks post partum, and the third patient at 20 months (preceding an episode of recurrent hypothyroidism). Previous reports of postpartum hypothyroidism have come from scattered locales abroad, and it is unclear whether local environmental factors are pathogenic. Nevertheless, this syndrome may, in general, have gone unrecognized and may be a significant cause of illness in postpartum women.
Frequency Mixing and Doubling in the New Nonlinear Crystals LiB3O5 by Temperature Tuning

The new nonlinear crystal of lithium triborate (LBO) was investigated for frequency doubling and mixing of 1064 nm, 1135 nm and 1908 nm operated at the noncritically phase-matched temperature. The temperature tuning curves, angular and temperature bandwidths are measured and compared with the calculated values.
Anomalous mode coupling in guided-wave structures containing metamaterials with negative permittivity and permeability

Summary form only given. The peculiar characteristics of the mode coupling between standard dielectric waveguides and waveguides formed by a material with negative index of refraction are presented. Some of our theoretical results, describing the anti-directional (antiparallel) nature of such coupling, are shown for the case of the two-parallel-slab geometry.
Structuring pervasive services in infrastructureless networks

Realizing the potential of pervasive computing will be predicated upon the availability of a flexible, mobility-aware infrastructure and technologies to support seamless service management, provisioning and delivery. Despite advances in routing and media access control technologies, little progress has been made toward large-scale deployment of services and applications in pervasive and ubiquitous environments. The lack of a fixed infrastructure, coupled with the time-varying characteristics of the underlying network topology, makes service delivery challenging. This paper addresses the need for new service models and proposes a mobility-aware service architecture to support pervasive service provisioning and delivery in an infrastructureless environment. The proposed methodology centers around the concepts of virtual homes and mobility signatures, and decouples service discovery from current location of the server. We discuss the main functionalities of the proposed architecture and describe the underlying service discovery mechanisms and protocols. We also present a novel, piece-meal, location-driven traffic forwarding algorithm, and analyze its performance using a simulation-based study. The results show that the algorithm exhibits good performance for a variety of network environments.
Weak thermal convection within tilted plume conduits

[1] Shear from flow in the mantle tilts the conduits of mantle plumes. The density stratification at the top of the plume conduit is then unstable in cross section with cold material over hot. This stratification drives cross-stream convection. Such convection including the Stokes' law rise of the plume conduit through the ambient mantle readily mixes isoviscous thermal plumes with their surroundings. Laboratory experiments by Kerr and Meriaux (2004) indicate that cross-stream convection is weak within plumes with strongly temperature-dependent viscosity and significant ∼56 viscosity contrasts. Analogy with stagnant-lid convection provides scaling relationships with a Rayleigh number for cross-stream convection within tilted plume conduits. Only material within a factor of a few e of the central viscosity of the plume convects significantly. The scaling analysis shows that the laboratory experiments by Kerr and Meriaux (2004) had the proper parameter range for the Hawaiian plume. The petrological conclusion that the plume conduit has been only mildly stirred by cross-stream convection is reasonable. Cross-stream convection is less likely for low-flux plumes, like Galapagos, than high-flux plumes and plumes in the deep mantle compared with those in the upper mantle.
Beam-beam effects at the Fermilab Tevatron: Theory

The Tevatron in Run II is operating with three trains of 12 bunches each. Long-range beam-beam interactions have been significant sources of beam loss and lifetime limitations of antiprotons. The dynamics due to the long-range beam-beam interactions depends on several beam parameters such as tunes, coupling, chromaticities, beam separations, intensities, and emittances. We have developed analytical tools to calculate, for example, amplitude dependent tune shifts and chromaticities, beam-beam induced coupling, and resonance driving terms. We report on these calculations and estimates of dynamic aperture and diffusion coefficients with long-term tracking. These theoretical results are compared with observations and used to predict performance at design values of beam parameters.
Rapid-scanning frequency-domain fluorometer with picosecond time resolution.

A new frequency-domain fluorometer is described which is capable of operating over a frequency range between 10 MHz and 1 GHz. The instrument employs a mode-locked Ar–ion laser as an 82-MHz repetition-rate excitation source and an inexpensive extracavity acoustooptic light modulator for secondary-frequency generation. The instrument is very rapid and can acquire, in ∼10 s, the entire frequency spectrum necessary to determine excited-state lifetimes. Importantly, these frequency spectra are characterized by signal-to-noise ratios of at least 20 for moderate fluorescence signals (10–20 μA detector current). With this new instrument, multiple exponential decays can be easily resolved, and single exponential decays can be determined at a precision (standard deviation) of better than 20 ps.
Chronic cocaine administration does not modify haemodynamic responses to isoflurane anaesthesia in sheep

Cocaine use is epidemic in the developed world, resulting in numerous patients presenting for surgery and anaesthesia with a history of chronic cocaine exposure. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of chronic cocaine exposure on the cardiovascular response to isoflurane general anaesthesia. The changes m mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), central venous pressure (CVP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) with increasing concentration of isoflurane (1%. 1.7%, and 2.4% end tidal) were determined at baseline m six sheep. The animals then received a continuous cocaine infusion (0.2 mg·kg−1·hr−1) and twice daily cocaine boluses (4 mg·kg−1) for 17 days followed on day 18 by a cocaine binge consisting of eight cocaine boluses (4 mg·kg−1) administered at one hour intervals. The haemodynamic stuthes conducted at baseline pnor to cocaine exposure were then repeated on days 15 and 18. Increasing concentrations of isoflurane produced the expected dose-dependent cardiovascular depression, but this was not altered by cocaine exposure. Although chronic cocaine exposure has been shown to increase isoflurane minimum alveolar concentration by 25% m sheep: chronic cocaine exposure does not result in tolerance of the cardiovascular depression produced by isoflurane.
Control of electrospun mat width through the use of parallel auxiliary electrodes

Electrospinning offers a versatile way to produce one-dimensional micrometer or nanometer materials; however, electrospun fibers are typically collected in a random orientation limiting their applications. In the present study, we have expanded upon a technique used to align fibers for control of the fiber distribution during the spinning process through the use of auxiliary counter electrodes. The electrostatic force imposed by the auxiliary electrodes provides a converged electric field, which affords control over the distribution of the fibers on the rotating collector surface. Experimental results demonstrate that the width of electrospun mats can be decreased dramatically when parallel auxiliary electrodes are employed at the collector. There was no apparent difference in the average diameters of the electrospun fibers as a result of the additional auxiliary electrodes, but the fiber distribution density in terms of mat width was greatly improved. Thus, the use of auxiliary counter electrodes at the rotating collectors provides a viable method of converging and controlling the deposition of electrospun fibers.
Designing Effective Induction for Beginning Special Educators: Recommendations from a Review of the Literature.

A methodical review of the literature revealed that, although similarities exist, the needs of beginning special educators differ significantly from those of the general population of beginning teachers in the following areas: procedural information, curriculum and instruction, classroom management, and collegial interactions. The article reminds the reader of the research base that defines effective induction and offers suggestions for applying information from the literature review to common components of induction programs. Support for beginning teachers will be most effective when the specific needs of special educators are incorporated into program designs.
Spiritually Speaking: Student Oral Participation and Perceived Spiritual Experiences in Latter-Day Saint Seminary

The present study explored the relationship between Latter-day Saint seminary students’ in-class oral participation and their perceived in-class spiritual experiences. Data regarding in-class oral participation and perceived spiritual experience were obtained via a self-report survey from 563 Latter-day Saint seminary students in Utah. Findings indicated a statistically significant correlation (r = .32, p < .01) between amounts of in-class oral participation and perceived spiritual experience, with four significant (p < .05) oral participatory predictors of perceived in-class spiritual experience, and significant mean differences (p < .05) of perceived in-class spiritual experience between low, medium, and high oral participating seminary students.
High-risk features in radiation-associated breast angiosarcomas

Radiation-associated breast angiosarcoma (RT-AS) is an uncommon malignancy with an incidence of less than 1 % of all soft tissue sarcomas. The overall prognosis is quite dismal with high rates of recurrences and poor overall survival. There is an obvious paucity of data regarding clinical outcomes of patients with breast RT-AS. We identified all patients with RT-AS treated at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1982–2011 and collected their correlative clinical information. We identified 79 women with RT-AS with a median age of 68 (range 36–87). The median interval between radiation and development of RT-AS was 7 years (range 3–19). The median time to local and distant recurrence was 1.29 years (95 % CI 0.72–NA) and 2.48 years (95 % CI 1.29–NA), respectively. The median disease-specific survival was 2.97 years (95 % CI 2.21–NA). Independent predictors of worse disease-specific survival included age ⩾68 years (HR 3.11, 95 % CI 1.20–8.08, P=0.020) and deep tumors (HR 3.23, 95 % CI 1.02–10.21, P=0.046.) RT-AS has high local/distant recurrence rates, limited duration on standard chemotherapy and poor disease-specific survival.
Effect of nalidixic acid on Euglena gracilis: induced loss of chloroplast deoxyribonucleic acid.

Abstract Optimum conditions for bleaching of Euglena gracilis by nalidixic acid were 50 μg/ml at pH 3.8. The inhibitor did not affect cell division; however, the bleaching efficiency approached 100% after 2 generations. Within 1.5 generations of exposure to nalidixic acid the quantity of chloroplast DNA decreased at least 10-fold and was no longer detectable by equilibrium density-gradient ultracentrifugation. Replication of chloroplast deoxyribonucleic acid was completely inhibited by nalidixic acid.
Fabrication of a micro DMFCs array made of photosensitive glass

Abstract We propose a novel design for a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) by using micromachining technologies. Thirteen micro DMFCs were fabricated on a photosensitive glass substrate containing a micro-holes array (diameter = 50–200 μm). Our concept is that a high voltage DMFC can be achieved by the integration of the micro DMFC array on one substrate. The first purpose of the experimental trials was to verify the feasibility of the novel structure. Preliminary testing results show that our new DMFC design is useful as a miniature DMFC.
Liquid scintillators. XIII. steric inhibition of resonance in liquid scintillators

2″,3′ - Dimethyl - p - quaterphenyl (I), 2″, 3′, 5′, 6″ -tetramethyl - p - quaterphenyl (II), 6,7 - dihydro - 6 - methyl - 3, 9 - diphenyl - 5H - dibenz[c,e]azepine (III), 5,7 - dihydro - 3, 9 - diphenyl - dibenzo[c,e]thiepin (IV), 5,7 - dihydro - 3,9 - diphenyldibenzo[c,e]selenepin (V), and 6, 6 - dicarbethoxy - 6,7 - dihydro - 3,9 - diphenyl - 5H - dibenzo[a,c]cycloheptene (VI) have been synthesized and screened as potential primary liquid scintillation solutes. The scintil- lation properties of I, II, III, IV, V, and VI have been compared with 2,7-diphenyl- fluorene (VII) (4), 9,10-dihydro-2,7-diphenylphenanthrene (VIII) (5), and 5,7-dihydro- 3, 9-diphenyldibenz[c,e]oxepin (IX) (5). The relative pulse-heights of I, VI, VII, VIII, and IX at 3 mM in toluene gave a linear relationship when plotted against the cos2 of the respective estimated angles of torsion about the 1″. 4′-bond in the p-quaterphenyl system. The azepine III, thiepin IV, selenepin V, and tetramethyl-p-quaterphenyl II were very poor scintillators in toluene solution.
The African-American Entrepreneur–Crime Drop Relationship: Growing African-American Business Ownership and Declining Youth Violence

Although much of the urban violence literature focuses on the link between urban disadvantage and crime rates, in this article we explore the relationship between African-American entrepreneurship ...
Field‐of‐view overlap effects in helmet‐mounted night‐vision systems

The effect of increasing the field of view by partial-overlap technique was investigated experimentally for both static and moving images. A number of factors, such as binocular rivalry, suppression, image breakup, resolution, and search time were investigated. The experimental results show that the binocular overlap area should be greater than 40% for the display to be comfortable to the eye. Image breakup effect was found to be predominant for static images but negligible for moving images. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Molecular Mechanisms of GD3-Induced Apoptosis in U-1242 MG Glioma Cells

An increasing amount of evidence indicates that the disialoganglioside GD3 is involved in apoptosis in many cell lines. Our previous studies demonstrated that endogenous GD3 expression induced apoptosis in U-1242 MG glioma cells transfected with the GD3 synthase gene (U1242MG-GD3 cells). In this paper, we present further investigations on the molecular mechanisms of GD3-induced apoptosis in this cell line. We found that endogenously synthesized GD3 localizes to the caveolae of this cell line, where it promotes the localization of death receptor 5 (DR5), tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (TNF-R1), and Fas (Apo-1) to the caveolae. In addition, caspase-8 was translocated to the caveolar fraction and cleaved; the cleaved proteins were then re-located into the high density fractions. However, GD3 had no effect on the distribution of the adapter protein Fas-associated death domain (FADD). We conclude that GD3 functions as a regulatory molecule early in the extrinsic apoptosis pathway.
Using livestock to manage plant composition: A meta-analysis of grazing in California Mediterranean grasslands

The use of livestock to manage vegetation composition has become a common element of conservation planning in many regions of the world. Similar to many arid and semi-arid grasslands throughout the world, California grasslands have a history of invasion by non-native grasses and forbs. Attempts to restore native plant populations using managed grazing are common, despite the lack of an overarching quantitative basis for assessing livestock effects on different plant groups. Given the wide range of soils, climate and topography over which grasslands are found, it is important to understand the context-dependency of grazing effects across a region. We performed a meta-analysis of livestock grazing within California grasslands to investigate the response of different plant groups to grazing relative to precipitation, grassland type, soil and grazing regime. We found that exotic forbs showed a dramatic, uniform increase in cover with grazing, but no increase in richness. By contrast, native forbs increased in richness yet their cover response was weak and variable depending on grazing regime and precipitation. Exotic grass cover was unaffected while richness was enhanced by grazing. Native grass cover generally increased with grazing, although the high variation among studies was not predicted by the explanatory variables we evaluated. These results lend support to the use of grazing to enhance native forb richness and native grass cover in some settings although this must be weighed against increases in the cover of exotic forbs.
Regulation of folate-binding protein gene expression by DNA methylation in methotrexate-resistant KB cells

Abstract Folate-binding protein (FBP) is responsible for the cellular transport of folate and methotrexate (MTX) in human KB (nasopharyngeal epidermoid carcinoma) cells. The levels of membrane-associated FBP and FBP mRNA are decreased 70–80% in an MTX-resistant KB subline (KB1BT) (Hsueh C-T and Dolnick BJ, Oncol Res 4 : 497–505, 1992). Southern blot analysis did not reveal any differences in FBP gene organization of copy number between KB1BT and KB cells. However, there was a 70% decrease in the FBP gene transcription rate and no change in FBP mRNA stability in KB1BT cells. Assessing genomic DNA methylation by Msp I and Hpa II restriction analysis suggested that the FBP gene in KB1BT cells was more methylated than in KB cells. These alterations in the expression, transcription rate and DNA methylation state of the FBP gene did not change when KB1BT cells were grown in the absence of MTX for 8 months (MTX-free KB1BT). When MTX-free KB1BT cells were exposed to 2.5 μM 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine for 72 hr, the FBP gene became hypomethylated and the levels of membrane-associated FBP and FBP mRNA increased by 2- to 3-fold. These data indicate that decreased FBP gene associated in KB1BT cells result from increased DNA methylation.
High voltage insulator mechanical load limitations and load resistance factor design

This paper discusses the current practice for selecting high voltage insulators and the changes needed to accommodate Load Resistance Factor Design. Conversion of insulator rated strength, defined according to ANSI C29 Standards, to damage limit strength to provide the service limit resistance required by LRFD is discussed. Specific values of service limit resistance and strength factors for different types of high voltage insulators are presented for further consideration by those responsible for revising current line loading and strength regulations and insulator standards.
Spatially regulated translation in embryos: asymmetric expression of maternal Wnt-11 along the dorsal-ventral axis in Xenopus.

Abstract Transition from symmetry to asymmetry is a central theme in cell and developmental biology. In Xenopus embryos, dorsal–ventral asymmetry is initiated by a microtubule-dependent cytoplasmic rotation during the first cell cycle after fertilization. Here we show that the cytoplasmic rotation initiates differential cytoplasmic polyadenylation of maternal Xwnt-11 RNA, encoding a member of the Wnt family of cell–cell signaling factors. Translational regulation of Xwnt-11 mRNA along the dorsal–ventral axis results in asymmetric accumulation of Xwnt-11 protein. These results demonstrate spatially regulated translation of a maternal cell-signaling factor along the vertebrate dorsal–ventral axis and represent a novel mechanism for Wnt gene regulation. Spatial regulation of maternal RNA translation, which has been established in invertebrates, appears to be an evolutionarily conserved mechanism in the generation of intracellular asymmetry and the consequential formation of the multicellular body pattern.
How the pulmonary veins 'talk' to the sinoatrial node: new insights into an old mystery.

This editorial refers to ‘Nerves projecting from the intrinsic cardiac ganglia of the pulmonary veins modulate sinoatrial node pacemaker function’ by M. Zarzoso et al ., pp. 566–575, this issue. The role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in the genesis of atrial arrhythmias has been extensively studied in the past,1,2 with both the parasympathetic and the sympathetic nervous system having been implicated in the genesis of atrial fibrillation (AF).3,4 The discovery over a decade ago of the role of the pulmonary veins (PVs) in the genesis of AF has generated renewed interest in understanding the autonomic profile of the atria, in order to understand the role of the ANS in the genesis of focal triggers in the PVs. Clinical and animal data suggest that these PV trigger and drivers appear to be at least partially modulated by the ANS,4–6 with different studies implicating either the sympathetic or the parasympathetic nervous system in the genesis and/or maintenance of focal AF. More recent studies postulate a dominant role for the parasympathetic nervous system (in focal AF), in part on account of the vagal or Bezold–Jarisch-like reflexes (e.g. sinus bradycardia, asystole, AV block, or hypotension) noted during radiofrequency ablation of the PV tissues in patients with paroxysmal focal AF.7 Indeed, some clinical studies have suggested that the attenuation of these …
Evaluation of Chromatographic Sorbents Used in Air Pollution Studies

Abstract Laboratory and field experiments were performed to examine potential in situ formation of chemical substances or their decomposition on the surface of Tenax GC, XAD-2 and carbon sorbents. The effects no NO x and ozone in air were tested for conversion of olefins plus molecular halogens into halogenated hydrocarbons. Possible reactions between ozone and olefins producing polar products on sorbent surface were studied. Trace quantities of halogenated hydrocarbons were produced in reactions between molecular halogens (bromide and chlorine) and 2-butene and cyclohexene but not with ethylene or propylene. These in situ reactions were prevented by using a sodium thiosulfate impregnated glass fiber filter in front of the sorbent cartridge to quench the reactive gases.
The influence of narrative and expository lesson text structures on knowledge structures: alternate measures of knowledge structure

This investigation applies two approaches for representing and comparing text structures as undirected network graphs to describe the influence of narrative and expository lesson texts on readers’ knowledge structure elicited as free recall. Narrative and expository lesson texts and undergraduate participants’ free recall essays (n = 90) from a study by Wolfe and Mienko (Br J Educ Psychol 77, 541–564, 2007) were reanalyzed for lexical proximity as sequential occurrence of selected important terms in the text and as actual minimum distances between these terms. The proximity data were then rendered as Pathfinder networks for analysis. Compared to human-rater benchmark measures, the convergent validity of the sequential approach (range of r = .53 to .83, median r = .70) was a little better than that of the minimum distance approach (.51 to .80, median r = .67). Further, we anticipated that the lesson text structure would be reflected in the text structure of the free recall essays, but this was not observed. On average, the essays in all three lesson conditions tended to converge on a sequential expository structure. Further, compared to the expository lesson texts, the narrative lesson text had a distinctly different influence on posttest recall essay text structures. Overall then, the sequential occurrence approach appears to provide a reasonably good, automatically derived method for representing and comparing lesson texts and participants’ essays as network graphs. If further confirmed and fully automated, there is a wide range of application of such measurement approaches for learning and research.
The great narcissist: a study of Fitzgerald's Jay Gatsby.

Many critics of The Great Gatsby believe, as John Chambers (1989) does, that Jay Gatsby "has a vitality and potential for intense happiness" (p. 115). A few critics, of whom Bettina (1963)is typical, believe that the best than can be said of Gatsby is that he is "a self-made phony" (p. 141). Obviously, those who admire Gatsby find Nick Carroway to be a reliable narrator, and those who deplore Gatsby's character believe Nick to be so morally obtuse that his ideas about Gatsby cannot be trusted. Critics who admire Gatsby, as well as those who do not, adduce a great deal of evidence to support their views. There is probably not a single image, act, or statement in this short novel that has not been subjected to extensive analysis in support of both the admiring and the denigrating view of Gatsby. There is at least one item lacking, however, in criticism of the novel, and that is a clincial profile of Gatsby's personality. My thesis is that the novel contains insuperable evidence that Gatsby is a pathological narcissist who by the end of the novel has lost the will to live. I do not delude myself with the belief that Fitzgerald critics the world over will welcome a psychoanalytic study of Gatsby. Nevertheless, the analysis that I propose to do provides an original context for examining Gatsby's death by comparing it with the death of the classical Narcissus. I will not deal with arguments that exonerate and praise Gatsby except, as noted above, to acknowledge their existence. I realize that Gatsby is not merely a sick character who can be dismissed after diagnosis. The complexity and richness of The Great Gatsby resists any one approach. The analysis presented here is intended to analyze Gatsby in clinical terms only. It does not attempt to describe his eatire personhood. Although The Great Gatsby has been so widely read that its plot is virtually common knowledge, I will supply the following brief summary. With Nick's help, Gatsby arranges a reunion with Daisy Buchanan, whom
Shrubland longevity and rare plant species in the northeastern United States

Abstract Thickets in the northeastern United States typically consist of opportunistic, early successional plants, a category that includes few if any rare species. Nonetheless, some of the region’s globally rare plants and many regionally rare, disjunct and edge-of-range species are shrubs or herbaceous plants with high fidelity to shrublands. Some shrub-dominated ecosystems harbor clusters of rare plant taxa. Shrubland longevity seems to be the key. Because shrublands tend to be isolated and small in the Northeast and dispersal of rare plants is further limited by the sparseness of propagule-exporting populations, multiple rare species are likely to accumulate and persist only in shrublands that are stable over long time periods. Zones at the two extremes of the soil moisture gradient, at the highest elevations, and exposed to marine salt spray often are occupied by relatively stable shrublands that include rare plant populations. In a few cases, shrublands also have persisted on mesic, fertile soils for long enough to accumulate clusters of rare plant species. High rates of human disturbance might provide an explanation, but it is unlikely that such disturbance regimes would have been sustained uninterrupted over centuries and across the transition from Native American to European land-use practices. Alternatively, mesic shrublands could persist with only moderate rates of disturbance and through extended disturbance-free periods if the plants themselves are slowing succession or changing its trajectory. Evidence is reviewed that some shrubs may alter the environment and ecosystem processes in ways that favor their own ability to persist and reproduce while making a site less hospitable to the establishment of forest trees. Plants ordinarily thought of as early successional species do the opposite, changing the environment in ways that ultimately hinder their own ability to persist by incidentally making the site more hospitable to species that outcompete them. Hypothesized processes that sustain northeastern shrublands on mesic soils involve fire, frost pockets, soil hardpans, soil acidification, nitrogen sequestration, and allelopathy. They can account for shrubland persistence if dominant shrub species (in some cases with a boost from human activity) foster one or more of these processes to the greater detriment of their potential competitors than to themselves. Subordinate shrubland species, including rare plants, do not need to be active in fostering such processes to benefit from them.
Assessing the Satisfaction of Older Adults With Long-Term Care Services: Measurement and Design Challenges for Social Work

During the past decade, the movement to empower consumers in all areas of social work practice has been joined by the growing recognition of the importance of the consumer's perspective in assessing and monitoring health and social services. An increasing number of social work practitioners and researchers have called for greater consumer involvement in assessing the quality of services related to the long-term care needs of older adults. This article presents an overview of strategies and approaches that social workers can use to measure the satisfaction of older consumers with long-term care services. Specific issues in the design of satisfaction instruments are discussed in detail. The article concludes by arguing that these issues, although technical in nature, must be addressed in social work research if the professton's claim of concern for consumer empowerment is to be realized.
Diabetic Kidney Disease in Transitional and Disadvantaged Populations

The International Diabetes Federation estimates that the number of people with diabetes worldwide is 171 million and projects that number will increase to 334 million by the year 2030 (1). Most of the increase will be the result of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and disadvantaged people and those from transitional populations—people undergoing rapid change in their economies, lifestyles, and health—will be affected disproportionately (Fig. 1). Transitional and disadvantaged populations may include people of any race or ethnicity, but those most at risk for T2DM are Asians, Pacific Islanders, Australian Aborigines, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. These particular populations are also at higher risk for developing diabetic nephropathy (DN). Factors contributing to the high rate of DN in these transitional and disadvantaged populations may include differences in access to health care, genetic susceptibility, and environmental exposures.
Status signalling in dark-eyed juncos, Junco hyemails: plumage manipulations and hormonal correlates of dominance

Status signalling in dark-eyed juncos was investigated by using plumage manipulations and observing interactions within pairs of birds. Plumage manipulations included darkening of the hood and mantle and the addition of white tail feathers to mimic the appearance of adult males. Plumage characteristics predicted dominance relationships within pairs of first-year males when body size and prior residence in cages was controlled. These characteristics were also strong enough to reverse previously established intra-class relationships within pairs of first-year males and first-year and adult females. The results fail to support the incongruence hypothesis (Rohwer: Behaviour, 1977, 61, 107–129; Rohwer &Rohwer: Anim. Behav., 1978, 26, 1012–1022). In contrast to recent studies using exogenous testosterone to investigate dominance behaviour, circulating plasma levels of testosterone were measured and a comparison made between those of dominants and those of subordinates. Plasma levels of corticosterone were also analysed as a measure of stress. No correlation between either hormone and dominance status was found. Hypotheses are proposed to explain the absence of a relationship between circulating levels of testosterone and winter aggression in flocking birds.
Preclinical efficacy of a prototype DNA vaccine: Enhanced protection against antigenic drift in influenza virus

Vaccination with plasmid DNA expression vectors encoding foreign proteins elicits antibodies and cell-mediated immunity and protects against disease in animal models. We report a comparison of DNA vaccines, using contemporary human strains of virus, and clinically licensed (inactivated virus or subvirion) vaccines in preclinical animal models, to better predict their efficacy in humans. Influenza DNA vaccines elicited antibodies in both non-human primates and ferrets and protected ferrets against challenge with an antigenically distinct epidemic human influenza virus more effectively than the contemporary clinically licensed vaccine. These studies demonstrate that DNA vaccines may be more effective, particularly against different strains of virus, than inactivated virus or subvirion vaccines.
Homogeneity of powers of spaces and the character

A space is said to be power-homogeneous if some power of it is homogeneous. We prove that if a Hausdorff space X of point-countable type is power-homogeneous, then, for every infinite cardinal r, the set of points at which X has a base of cardinality not greater than T, is closed in X. Every power-homogeneous linearly ordered topological space also has this property. Further, if a linearly ordered space X of point-countable type is power-homogeneous, then X is first countable.
iCanPlot: visual exploration of high-throughput omics data using interactive Canvas plotting.

Increasing use of high throughput genomic scale assays requires effective visualization and analysis techniques to facilitate data interpretation. Moreover, existing tools often require programming skills, which discourages bench scientists from examining their own data. We have created iCanPlot, a compelling platform for visual data exploration based on the latest technologies. Using the recently adopted HTML5 Canvas element, we have developed a highly interactive tool to visualize tabular data and identify interesting patterns in an intuitive fashion without the need of any specialized computing skills. A module for geneset overlap analysis has been implemented on the Google App Engine platform: when the user selects a region of interest in the plot, the genes in the region are analyzed on the fly. The visualization and analysis are amalgamated for a seamless experience. Further, users can easily upload their data for analysis—which also makes it simple to share the analysis with collaborators. We illustrate the power of iCanPlot by showing an example of how it can be used to interpret histone modifications in the context of gene expression.
The classical limit of the relativistic Vlasov-Maxwell system in two space dimensions

The motion of a collisionless plasma is modelled by the Vlasov–Maxwell system. In this paper, solutions of the relativistic Vlasov–Maxwell system are considered in two space dimensions. The speed of light, c, appears as a parameter in the system. With representations of the electric and magnetic fields, conditions are established under which solutions of the relativistic Vlasov–Maxwell system converge pointwise to solutions of the non-relativistic Vlasov–Poisson system as c tends to infinity, at the asymptotic rate of 1/c. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
STUDIES OF THE SITE OF ACTION OF INSULIN IN THE PENETRATION OF MUSCLE FIBERS BY 14C-D-XYLOSE BY MEANS OF A GENERAL AUTORADIOGRAPHIC METHOD FOR LOCALIZATION OF DIFFUSIBLE SUBSTANCES.

Abstract A general method was developed for the histochemical localization in cells and tissues of water-soluble substances which emit β particles. With this method, it was found that all muscle cells are permeable to d -xylose in the presence or absence of added insulin. The sugar in both conditions seems to be uniformly distributed in the protoplasm of muscle cells, at least at the resolution achieved.
LOCUS OF CONTROL AND EFFECTS OF PERCEPTUAL TASKS ON HEARTRATE

Summary.-The hypothesis was tested that the relationship found in prior research between heartrate changes produced in biofeedback settings and locus of control scores derives from the heart-brain relationship described by the Laceys in 1967, as well as from "expectancies for control." 48 subjects were tested on two perceptual tasks known to elicit changes in heartrate. Significant heartrate changes were observed in response to both tasks, but those changes did not correlate with locus of control as measured by scores on the Rotter I-E Scale and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale. Explanations for these results are offered. The effectiveness of heartrate biofeedback for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders, e.g., tachycardia, arrychmia, has not been conclusively demonstrated. Although several studies have generated positive results (Engel & Bleecker, 1974; Weiss & Engel, 1975; Miller, 1975), such findings do not appear common (Shapiro & Surwit, 1979). Research involving heartrate biofeedback may nevertheless be clinically relevant, to the extent that it helps to elucidate the factors which contribute to the relative success or failure of biofeedback as a general mode of treatment. One such class of factors is personality constructs, of which locus of control is a widely studied example (Lang & Twentyman, 1974; Blankstein & Egner, 1977; Logsdon, Bourgeois, & Levenson, 1978; Schneider, Sobol, Herman, & Cousins, 1978). As initially postulated by Rotter (1966) locus of control is a personality construct derived from social learning theory which describes an individual's orientation to reinforcement. Persons who maintain the consistent expectation that reinforcement will follow their behavior on a contingency basis are said to have an internal orientation, while those who feel that rewards are delivered independently of their actions are considered to be more external. Investigators have consistently found that persons manifesting a highly internal locus of control are typically more adept at learning to increase heartrate using biofeedback than are their "less internal" peers (Garchel, 1975a, 1975b; Fotopolous, 1970; Ray & Lamb, 1974). Some studies also suggest that highly external subjects are superior at learning to decrease heartrate (Ray, 1974) although this finding is less consistent.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity in neuronal perikarya in dorsal root

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has been localized in neuronal cell bodies in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and in fibers of the dorsal horn (DH), where it may be involved in transmission of a sensory signal. The capacity of neurons from DRG and dorsal roots (DR) to produce CGRP in culture was examined in this investigation. CGRP-like immunoreactivity was observed in cultured neuronal cell bodies in the DRG and DR. CGRP-positive cell bodies in the DR explains why extirpation of the DRG fails to eliminate CGRP-positive fibers from the DH.
Feasibility of intravenous glucose tolerance testing prior to puberty

Objectives. 1) Report the feasibility of completing the 180-minute Frequently Sampled Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test (FSIVGTT) in healthy weight, overweight and obese pre-pubertal children and, 2) describe the finalized FSIVGTT protocol after addendums were implemented to decrease the frequency of mild adverse events and improve test completion rates. Methods. Insulin sensitivity was determined by FSIVGTT. Results. FSIVGTT was attempted in a total of 22 study participants. Insulin sensitivity was successfully assessed in 15 study participants (8 males, 7 females, 10 Caucasian, 4 African American, 1 Pacific Islander, age range 7–9 years). Mean insulin sensitivity was 15.1±9.8 (mµ/l)−1 min−1 range 4.4–43.2 (mµ/l)−1 min−1. However, seven study participants experienced mild adverse events of hypoglycemia. Several addendums were made to the FSIVGTT protocol to ensure study participants' comfort and safety, and to decrease the frequency of mild adverse events and increase test completion rates. Conclusions....
Marked point process models of raindrop-size distributions

The principal process considered in this paper is the flux of raindrops through a volume of the atmosphere. This process is of fundamental importance for a wide variety of engineering and environmental problems, notably remote sensing of precipitation, infiltration of rainfall, soil erosion, atmospheric deposition of pollutants, and design of microwave communication systems. A marked point process model is developed in which the point process represents the arrival times of drops at the upper surface of a sample volume and the mark associated with a drop is its diameter. In the model, both the rate of occurrence of raindrops and the distribution of drop diameters vary randomly over time. Results that relate the drop-size distribution within the sample volume to the probability law of the drop-arrival process are presented. These results allow straightforward comparisons between temporal characterizations of drop-size distributions and spatial characterizations. Representations for derived processes such as rainfall rate and reflectivity are shown to be quite accurate using raindrop data from North Carolina.
Temperature dependent surface electrochemistry on Pt single crystals in alkaline electrolyte

The kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was studied in alkaline electrolyte at 293–333 K on Pt(hkl) surfaces by means of the rotating ring-disk electrode technique with solution phase peroxide detected at the ring electrode. The ORR on Pt(hkl) was found to be highly structure sensitive with activities increasing in the sequence (111) > (100) > (110)(1 × 2). Very similar apparent activation energies (37–45 ± 5 kJ mol−1, η = 0.35 V) were found on all three surfaces. Furthermore, at elevated temperature, significantly smaller amounts of peroxide are formed in agreement with enhanced peroxide reduction rates by increasing temperature. We found that the Tafel slopes on all three single crystal surfaces decrease with increasing temperature, indicating that the log i–E relationship is not represented by a classical Butler–Volmer expression. Based on the kinetic analysis of the polarization curves and from simulations of log i–E curves, we propose that the rate of the ORR on Pt(hkl) in alkaline solution is mainly determined by the potential/temperature dependent surface coverage by OHad. We propose two modes of action of the OHad: (i) OHad blocks the adsorption of O2 on active platinum sites; and (ii) OHad alters the adsorption energy of intermediates which are formed during the ORR on Pt sites.
Strategic fools: electoral rule choice under extreme uncertainty

Abstract We compare patterns of electoral rule choice in two periods, that following the First World War in Western Europe and that following the end of the Cold War in Central and Eastern Europe. Heretofore, scholars have studied these two instances of electoral rule choice separately and have come to quite different conclusions about the implications of strategic behavior of the relevant actors. In the case of early 20th Century Western Europe, Rokkan and later Boix cast the choice of electoral rules as a result of coordinated strategic behavior by established parties in reaction to increasing support for new parties of the left. In contrast, recent analyses of the post-Cold War period in Central and Eastern Europe suggest that while all political actors acted strategically, an extreme lack of information prevented them from making choices that served their self-interest in the long run. Indeed, many party leaders supported electoral rules that later eliminated them from politics. We argue that uncertainty was a major factor in both periods of electoral rule design, so that political elites often made serious miscalculations of the effect of particular electoral rules on their own future success. A reanalysis of the Boix data suggests that efforts to explain the choice of electoral rules as a coordinated response by established parties to electoral threat must be viewed with skepticism, since uncertainty made success or failure almost impossible to predict. Instead, any strategic behavior was short-term at best, reflecting the largest party's most recent experience in the preceding election.
Julian Steward and the Evolution of Culture

Julian H. Steward. Evolution and Ecology. Jane C. Steward and Robert F. Murphy, eds. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1977. 406 pp. $12.95.
An Analysis of Shear Failure Mechanisms for Compression-Loaded [±θ] S Laminates

An analysis of interlaminar and in-plane shear failures for (+/-theta)s composite laminates loaded in uniaxial compression is described. A laminate model is presented that idealizes each ply as a plate supported by an elastic foundation. A nonlinear analysis for plies with short-wavelength initial imperfections is used to determine laminate stresses and interlaminar strains. A failure criterion that uses the results of the nonlinear analysis is introduced.
A minicomputer system for long-term automatic blood pressure monitoring

An automated system for the indirect measurement of blood pressure on seacted factory workers has been developed and has been in continuous daily operation for nine months. Six industrial workers on a conveyor assembly line are monitored serially. Because of completely automatic operation of this system, blood-pressure data can be collected over a long time period without any experimenter intervention.