cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetics of a sex-linked recessive red eye color mutant of the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris

An inbred colony of the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) (Miridae: Hemiptera), was observed to contain specimens with abnormal traits including red eyes, deformed antennae, and deformed legs. These specimens were isolated and back crossed to create stable phenotypic strains. The only successful strain established was a red eyed strain named Cardinal. The trait was more prevalent and stable in males, suggesting that it could be sex linked. To test the hypothesis that the trait was based on a recessive sex linked allele, classical genetic crosses were performed. The hypothesis was confirmed, and the eye color phenotype was measured and characterized using color analysis software. The trait is similar to other red eyed phenotypes described in this species, but is clearly based on a different mutation since it is sex linked rather than autosomal. The results of crossing experiments also suggest that inbreeding in this species results in substantial fitness cost to laboratory insects.
Prime products of general systems

A new construction of systems, based on a set of given systems, is presented. The concepts of direct product, prime product and prime power are discussed. Several comparisons between the new structures and free sum, cartesian product, direct sum and inverse limit of systems are given. Some open questions are posed.
Direct spectrophotometric analysis of hemoglobin in isoelectric focusing tube gels.

Abstract Methods are described for the direct spectrophotometric analysis of human oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and methemoglobin focused in polyacrylamide tube gels. Visible absorption spectra (350–650 nm) of electrofocused hemoglobin bands were recorded using a diode array rapid-scan spectrophotometer. Direct optical sam0ling of gels allowed the identification of focused hemoglobin valency hybrids which contain two oxidized monomers per tetramer.
Adjustment of global gridded precipitation for systematic bias

[1] Systematic biases in gauge-based measurement of precipitation can be substantial. Of the sources of bias, wind-induced undercatch of solid precipitation is by far the largest. A methodology for producing gridded mean monthly catch ratios (CRs) for the adjustment of wind-induced undercatch and wetting losses is developed, which is suitable for application to continental or global gridded precipitation products. The adjustments for wind-induced solid precipitation were estimated using gauge type-specific regression equations from the recent World Meteorological Organization Solid Precipitation Measurement Intercomparison. Wind-induced undercatch of liquid precipitation and wetting losses were estimated using methods employed in previous global bias adjustment efforts. Due to the unique nature of Canada's precipitation measurement network, the Canadian adjustments were determined using more detailed information than for the rest of the domain, and are therefore expected to be more reliable. The gridded gauge adjustment products are designed to be applicable both to climatological estimates and to individual years during the 1979 through 1998 reference period. Application of the CRs to an existing precipitation product yielded an increase in mean annual global terrestrial precipitation of 11.7%. As compared with recent (but more localized) studies that used a similar method to account for wind-induced catch deficiencies, our estimates of wind-induced undercatch are 1.6–7.9% higher on a mean annual basis. Compared to a previous global precipitation bias adjustment effort, our adjusted data set results on average in slightly greater warm season and lower cold season precipitation increases, greater precipitation increases over North America, and lower precipitation increases over Eurasia.
The effect of intracerebroventricularly infused satietin on conditioned taste aversion and feeding in rats fasted different lengths

Abstract Satietin is a glycoprotein (50,000–70,000 daltons MW) found in human serum (>2 ωg/ml) that is reported to be a strong anorexigenic agent when infused (10–100 ωg/rat) intracerebroventricularly (ICV) into rats. The initial three experiments presented here explored whether satietin suppresses food intake by making the animals ill or causing them to experience malaise. A two-bottle tatse aversion paradigm was used for this testing. In all experiments the rats were fitted with chronic third ventricle cannulas. After recovery from surgery the rats were trained for at least 6 days to drink their water in one hour a day, 1100–1200-hr (LD12:12-hr, lights out 12:00-hr). In Experiment 1 and 3 satietin (100 or 25 ωg/rat) or vehicle was infused ICV 30 minutes prior to exposure to a novel neutral preference fluid flavor (banana or almond flavoring in water). Three days later the rats were given a choice of the two flavors to consume; this was repeated the next day. In both experiments satietin treated rats showed strong aversion to the flavor paired with satietin infusion, while saline infused controls showed no aversion. A similar paradigm was used during the second experiment, except satietin or vehicle infusion was paired with a highly preferred saccharin-water solution. Three days later the rats were given a choice between water and the saccharin-water solution. The satietin (50 ωg/rat) treated rats exhibited a marked aversion to the saccharin-water solution. These data suggest that satietin may be an aversive substance. In Experiment 4, rats were ICV infused with satietin (25 ωg/rat) or vehicle 30 minutes prior to refeeding after a 12-hr or 46-hr fast. Satietin was less effective in suppressing feeding after a 46-hr fast than after a 12-hr fast. This has been suggested to indicate that a substance has some properties of being a satiety agent. The validity of this latter assumption is discussed in the text. Taken as a whole these data suggest that caution should be used in interpreting satietin's ability to suppress food intake as being physiological in nature.
Distribution and efficacy of drip-applied metam-sodium against the survival of Rhizoctonia solani and yellow nutsedge in plastic-mulched sandy soil beds.

The effects of metam-sodium application rate on soil residence time, spatial and temporal distributions of methyl isothiocyanate and pest control efficacy were studied in a Georgia sandy soil. Metam-sodium 420 g L−1 SL was drip applied at rates of 147 and 295 L ha−1 in plastic-mulched raised beds. Methyl isothiocyanate concentrations in soil air space were monitored from four preselected sites: 10 and 20 cm below the emitter, and 20 and 30 cm laterally away from the emitter at 3, 12, 24, 48, 72, 120 and 240 h after chemigation. A higher rate of metam-sodium application resulted in higher methyl isothiocyanate concentrations in the soil. Highest methyl isothiocyanate concentrations were found at 20 cm below the emitter, and lowest at 30 cm laterally away from the emitter. Methyl isothiocyanate concentrations decreased with time and distance from the emitter. Lower methyl isothiocyanate concentration × time product values at 20 and 30 cm away from the emitter resulted in lower mortalities of Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn and yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.). The results demonstrated that methyl isothiocyanate can be delivered at lethal doses with drip-applied water downward within the beds. Lateral diffusion of methyl isothiocyanate from the point of application did not reach biologically active concentrations to affect the survival of R. solani or yellow nutsedge. Further studies on the lateral distribution of methyl isothiocyanate in sandy soils are needed to circumvent this limitation. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Results of routine shunting and patch closure during carotid endarterectomy.

Abstract Background The role of shunting and patching during carotid endarterectomy remains controversial. Methods This is a retrospective case series evaluating consecutive patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy with routine shunting and patching. The primary endpoints were perioperative stroke, arterial injury, and lesion recurrence by duplex. Results Of the 220 operations performed, 43% were for symptomatic disease. Successful shunt placement occurred in 98%, with no shunt-related injuries. There was 1 minor perioperative stroke and no major strokes. At a mean follow-up of 24 months (median = 12 months), there was 1 restenosis potentially related to shunt placement. The incidence of asymptomatic >50% stenosis in the patched segment was 8%. Conclusions A combined policy of routine shunting and patching simplifies intraoperative decision making with results that rival or exceed those of trials in which their use was not standardized. Shunts need not be avoided because of concern of arterial injury.
Bayes estimation of the multiple correlation coefficient

Let denote the population multiple correlation coefficient of one variable on the other (m-1), in a m-variate normal distribution. Bayes estimator of , given only the sample 2 multiple correlation coefficient R2, is derived with respect to the squared error loss function and a Beta prior distribution. These results are then related to the Bayes estimates of , a parameter considered recently by Muirhead (1985). The ideas are illustrated and the effect of various parameters studied through numerical examples. A Monte Carlo study indicates that the sampling mean squared error of the Bayes estimator is lower than that of R2 for plausible prior disributions.
Conservation of e/m in General Relativity

It is shown that when classical charged particles move under the influence of their mutual gravitational and electromagnetic forces, the charge-to-mass ratio of each particle remains constant in the particle's instantaneous rest frame, despite the fact that in general the particles are accelerating and therefore presumably radiation energy.
Unusual Complication of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia After Mitral Valve Surgery: Spontaneous Rupture of Spleen

A 64-year-old man presented with cardiac tamponade 2 weeks after mitral valve surgery. The patient was anticoagulated for persistent atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery. A pericardial catheter was placed. Five days after presentation the patient was started on intravenous heparin infusion. The patient had abdominal pain and hypotension develop. A splenic hematoma was diagnosed and a splenectomy was performed. Pathology showed multiple fibrin thrombi in the spleen. The heparin-associated antibodies were detected. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is a potentially fatal condition in patients requiring heparin after cardiac surgery. Evaluation for heparin-associated antibodies in these patients may be warranted before heparin therapy.
Impact of cytogenetics on outcome of de novo and therapy-related AML and MDS after allogeneic transplantation.

Abstract Cytogenetics has an important impact on the prognosis of patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, it is unclear whether currently accepted cytogenetic risk groups, which were established for patients treated mostly with standard therapy, are optimally discriminating for patients undergoing HSCT. Also, the impact of cytogenetics in the growing population of patients with therapy-related disease has not been completely elucidated. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed data on 556 patients with AML or MDS transplanted at our institution. We examined, in multivariate analyses, the contribution of cytogenetics to survival, relapse, and nonrelapse mortality for the 476 patients with de novo disease. We used these results to establish an optimal cytogenetic grouping scheme. We then applied this grouping scheme to the 80 patients with therapy-related disease. Our proposed 3-group cytogenetic classification outperformed the established grouping schemes for both de novo and therapy-related disease. When classified by this new scheme, cytogenetics was the strongest prognostic factor for overall survival in our cohort, through its impact on the risk of relapse (and not on nonrelapse mortality). After accounting for cytogenetics, patients with therapy-related AML or MDS had an equivalent outcome to those with de novo disease. This study demonstrates the impact of cytogenetics on the risk of relapse and death for patients with both de novo and therapy-related disease undergoing transplantation; it also emphasizes the necessity of using cytogenetics to stratify patients entering clinical trials, and provides a system for doing so, which can be validated in a multi-institutional database.
Examining the moderating effect of appearance impression motivation on the relationship between perceived physical appearance and social physique anxiety.

(2005). Examining the Moderating Effect of Appearance Impression Motivation on the Relationship Between Perceived Physical Appearance and Social Physique Anxiety. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport: Vol. 76, No. 4, pp. 507-513.
Evaluation of the nutritional quality of co-products from the nut industry, algae and an invertebrate meal for rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

Abstract The static supply and increasing demand for fishmeal has created a need to evaluate a variety of alternate proteins. Many species of algae are being grown as a potential source of bio-fuels, and mussel meals have been shown to increase feed intake. The tree nut industry is based primarily on whole nuts with production totaling ~ 1,081,000 tons in California during 2010. A portion of this production does not meet criteria for certification and must be sold for “non-human uses”. Evaluation of ingredients included three types of experiments with rainbow trout: fry screening study, digestibility study, and growth study. First feeding trout were fed a control diet containing 45% fishmeal and the test diets contained 5% fishmeal with the remainder of the protein replaced by the test ingredients. Trout gained between 636 and 1331% of their initial weight after 6 weeks. Trout fed the pistachio and almond meals gained as much weight as trout fed the fishmeal diet, but trout fed the algae's and mussel meal diets grew much slower and were dropped from further evaluation. Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) for crude protein, lipid, and amino acids were determined for pistachio and almond meals, fishmeal, whey protein and soy protein concentrate (SPC) for comparison. Almond and pistachio meals had ADCs for protein, fat and amino acids similar to fishmeal, but phosphorus ADC for pistachio meal was 27% compared to 40% for fishmeal. In the final study, trout with an average initial weight of 20 g were fed one of ten diets for 12 weeks. There were two series of diets; protein from fishmeal was either 50% or 100% replaced with pistachio or almond meal, or the protein from SPC was either 50% or 100% replaced with pistachio or almond meal. The trout fed the nut meals in the fishmeal series all had weight gains equivalent to trout fed the fishmeal control (753%) except the trout fed the partial replacement with almond meal (614%). When SPC was replaced with the nut meals, growth of the fish fed the SPC diet (648%) was the same as fish fed the nut meals except for the fish fed the 100% replacement with pistachio meal which had a greater gain of 830%. These three studies demonstrate that pistachio and almond meals are palatable, digestible, and support high levels of growth whether replacing fishmeal or SPC.
Coronary pressure-derived fractional flow reserve in the assessment of coronary artery stenoses.

Catheter-based angiography is the reference-standard to establish coronary anatomy. While routinely employed clinically, lumen assessment correlates poorly with physiological measures of ischaemia. Moreover, functional studies to identify and localise ischaemia before elective angiography are often not available. This article reviews fractional flow reserve (FFR) and its role in guiding patient management for patients with a potentially haemodynamic significant coronary lesion. This review discusses the theory, evidence, indications, and limitations of FFR. Also included are emerging non-invasive imaging FFR surrogates currently under evaluation for accuracy with respect to standard FFR. Coronary pressure-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) rapidly assesses the haemodynamic significance of individual coronary artery lesions and can readily be performed in the catheterisation laboratory. The use of FFR has been shown to effectively guide coronary revascularization procedures leading to improved patient outcomes. FFR is an invaluable modality in guiding coronary disease treatment decisions. It is safe, cost-effective and leads to improved patient outcomes. Non-invasive imaging modalities to assess the physiologic significance of CAD are currently being developed and evaluated. • Coronary pressure-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) is an important adjunct to angiography. • FFR is an invaluable technique in guiding coronary disease treatment decisions. • FFR is safe, cost-effective and leads to improved patient outcomes. • New directions include CT-based non-invasive conventional FFR surrogates for functional lesion significance.
Characterization of titania surface area in titania/silica SCR catalysts by temperature-programmed reaction of 2-propanol

Abstract This work describes the adaptation of a temperature-programmed reaction (TPRe) analysis to determine the effective titania surface area (ETSA) in mixed titania/silica catalysts used for the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides. Isopropanol is used as the probe molecule. Since dehydration of the alcohol adsorbed on the titanyl and silanol groups occurs at two distinct temperatures, the exposed (or effective) titania surface area can be measured through quantitation of evolved propene over the titanyl groups via mass spectrometry. Relevance of the use of this technique in the evaluation of raw powders and finished monoliths prior to active metal impregnation is demonstrated through comparison of ETSA data to catalyst activity data with good results.
Linguistics and psychology

1. GOALS Since the early sixties, the received view among generative grammarians has been that linguistics is a branch of cognitive psychology. On this view, grammars constructed by linguists are hypotheses about psychologically real rules which are responsible for speakers' linguistic abilities and which are causally involved in the production of (some significant portion of) their linguistic behavior. Universal grammar (linguistic theory) is taken to be a theory of the role of innate linguistic knowledge in first language acquisition. I will argue for a different conception in which theories in linguistics are not psychological in this way. It is important to emphasize, however, that my critique of the received view is not an attack on mentalistic accounts of linguistic behavior, nor on cognitive psychology in general. Thus, one must distinguish the following claims:
The Value Relevance of Accounting Information during a Financial Crisis: Thailand and the 1997 Decline in the Value of the Baht

This study addresses whether the financial turmoil surrounding the devaluation of the baht affected the value relevance of Thai accounting information. Our results suggest a decline in the value relevance of Thai book values and earnings following the devaluation. Prior to mid 1997 the Bank of Thailand pegged the value of the baht to a basket of currencies of which 80% was weighted to the US dollar. In response to pressure by currency speculators the bank abandoned its peg on July 2 1997 in favor of a managed float. The devaluation was followed by volatile exchange rates. The change in value relevance of accounting information after the devaluation may be attributable to the initial recognition of foreign exchange losses and the subsequent recognition of foreign exchange gains as exchange rates fell and then recovered.
Field tests of denatonium benzoate to reduce seedling damage by pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides Rich.)

Abstract The repellency of a bitter compound, denatonium benzoate, to reduce pocket gopher damage to conifer seedlings was tested in two independent field trials in Oregon and Idaho. In the Oregon trial (1992 to 1993), treatments included a denatonium benzoate tablet placed in-ground with the seedling roots; a tablet plus denatonium benzoate foliar spray applied to both roots and foliage; and no chemical application (i.e. control). No significant difference between treatments was noted for ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.) or Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco) seedlings suffering gopher-related mortality. Non-animal mortality (58.2% of all seedlings) accounted for a greater loss of seedlings than gophers (38.2%). Composite foliage and composite soil samples collected from the treatment plots were all negative for the presence of denatonium benzoate. In the Idaho trial (1993 to 1994), similar treatments (but with an additional spray-only treatment) were used on ponderosa pine seedlings. There was no significant difference in gopher-related mortality levels between treatments. A large portion (72.5%) of all seedlings was destroyed by gophers. It appears that the bitter compound, denatonium benzoate, as evaluated in these trials, is not an effective gopher repellent.
Evaluating fire protection investment decisions for homeowners

Abstract This paper examines the use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for evaluating fire protection systems for homeowners. It explores how to include in the decision-making process information on an individual's risk exposure and risk attitude. The AHP is applied to the choice of purchasing smoke detectors, a sprinkler system, or a combination of the two. Two hypothetical cases are assumed, one in which the homeowner is risk-taking and has lower-than-average risk exposure, and one in which the homeowner is risk-averse and has higher-than-average risk exposure. Probabilities of fire, death, injury, and property loss, subjectively derived from national fire statistics, are used in combination with more easily quantifiable benefit and cost criteria such as system price, property tax increase, and insurance savings. The study focuses on the decision making of homeowners, but the results are also of interest to builders of residential homes, fire chiefs, policy makers, and others who make decisions about fire protection investments.
Does Lack of Access to Formal Credit Constrain Agricultural Production? Evidence from the Land Tenancy Market in Rural India

While it is commonly believed that lack of access to government-subsidized "formal" credit underlies observed differences in farm productivity in rural India, there is little empirical evidence on this issue. In this paper I address this issue by examining whether households use the farm land rental market to equilibrate their access to formal credit, as they are known to do in the case of other imperfectly marketable inputs. This research reveals, however, that the advantage formal borrowers enjoy in the tenancy market does not reflect their access to formal credit per se, but their greater ownership of inputs such as irrigated land.
African American children's ability to identify emotion in facial expressions and tones of voice of European Americans.

Abstract This study examined whether African American children's ability to identify emotion in the facial expressions and tones of voice of European American stimuli was comparable to their European American peers and related to personality, social competence, and achievement. The Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy (DANVA; Now-icki & Duke, 1994) was administered to 84 African American children. It was found that they performed less accurately on adult and child tones of voice and adult facial expressions. Further, girls' ability to read emotion in tones of voice was related to better social competence and achievement, whereas boys' ability to identify emotion in adult tones of voice was related to teacher-rated social competence. Results suggest that more research is needed with ethnic groups to clarify the impact of nonverbal processing skills on social and achievement outcomes.
Bivariate frailty model for the analysis of multivariate survival time

Because of limitations of the univariate frailty model in analysis of multivariate survival data, a bivariate frailty model is introduced for the analysis of bivariate survival data. This provides tremendous flexibility especially in allowing negative associations between subjects within the same cluster. The approach involves incorporating into the model two possibly correlated frailties for each cluster. The bivariate lognormal distribution is used as the frailty distribution. The model is then generalized to multivariate survival data with two distinguished groups and also to alternating process data. A modified EM algorithm is developed with no requirement of specification of the baseline hazards. The estimators are generalized maximum likelihood estimators with subject-specific interpretation. The model is applied to a mental health study on evaluation of health policy effects for inpatient psychiatric care.
Persistent Seoul virus infection in Lewis rats

Mechanistic studies of hantavirus persistence in rodent reservoirs have been limited by the lack of a versatile animal model. This report describes findings from experimental infection of inbred Lewis rats with Seoul virus strain 80–39. Rats inoculated with virus intraperitoneally at 6 days of age became persistently infected without clinical signs. Tissues from Seoul virus-inoculated 6-day-old rats were assessed at 6, 9, and 12 weeks post-inoculation for viral RNA by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization (ISH) and for infectious virus by inoculation of Vero E6 cells. Virus was isolated from lung and kidney of infected rats at 6 weeks and viral RNA was detected in lung, kidney, pancreas, salivary gland, brain, spleen, liver and skin at 6, 9 and 12 weeks. Rats inoculated with Seoul virus intraperitoneally at 10 or 21 days of age became infected without clinical signs but had low to undetectable levels of viral RNA in tissues at 6 weeks post-inoculation. ISH identified vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells as common sites of persistent infection. Cultured rat smooth muscle cells and to a lesser extent cultured endothelial cells also were susceptible to Seoul virus infection. Pancreatic infection resulted in insulitis with associated hyperglycemia. These studies demonstrate that infant Lewis rats are uniformly susceptible to asymptomatic persistent Seoul virus infection. Additionally, they offer opportunities for correlative in vivo and in vitro study of Seoul virus interactions in host cell types that support persistent infection.
Effects of ACL Reconstruction Techniques on the Kinematics of the Knee in a Computational Knee Model

This study examines the effects of different Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction techniques on computational multibody knee models. The knee models were derived from two cadaver knees that underwent simulated walk cycles while the kinematics of the knee geometries were collected in a dynamic knee simulator. Once the computational models performed well compared to experimental data, multiple simulated ACL reconstruction surgeries were done on each model. For each simulated reconstruction technique, overall knee kinematics was compared to the experimental cadaver results and anterior-posterior movement of the tibia relative to the femur was compared to the original, intact computational model. The factors examined were ACL reconstruction method, adding preload to the reconstruction element, and reconstruction element type.© 2011 ASME
Neuropsychological and cognitive effects of Chinese language instruction.

Since little is known concerning the cortical and cognitive effects resulting from the study of a tonal, logographic language which is read from top to bottom and in a right-to-left direction, neuropsychological and intellectual measures on 51 bilingual and 41 monolingual Chinese-American children aged 9 to 12 years were compared. Multivariate statistical analyses yielded significant group differences. As predicted, the over-all mean IQ of bilinguals was higher than that of monolinguals. Other than coding skills, expected superior performance of bilinguals on right-hemisphere or bilaterally sensitive measures was not found; rather, the left-dominant sequential abilities of bilinguals surpassed those of their monolingual peers. English fluency of the two groups was equivalent and monolingual youngsters obtained higher scores on two of five academic achievement tests than bilinguals. The effects of Chinese language instruction among Chinese-American children are discussed in relation to the distinguished ed...
Tension-tension fatigue behavior of carbon nanotube wires

The tension–tension fatigue behavior of three types of as-received carbon nanotube (CNT) wires, comprising of 30-, 60-, and 100-yarn, was investigated. Fatigue tests were conducted at 35%, 50%, 60%, 75% and 80% of their ultimate tensile strengths which provided the fatigue life data (S–N curves). Their electrical conductivities were measured as a function of the number of cycles. Fatigue strength of the CNT wires at a given number of cycles decreased with an increase in the number of yarns. Their electrical conductivity increased with increase of applied fatigue load and number of fatigue cycles. Damage and failure mechanisms involved relative sliding of yarns in CNT wires leading to the formation of kink bands, followed by plastic deformation and then breakage of yarns. Microtomography density measurements provided the evidence that the increase in conductivity was due to the reduction of micro/nano voids between and inside the yarns, which decreased with increasing fatigue load and number of fatigue cycles.
Effects of predation risk on population variation in adult size in a stream-dwelling isopod

I used a combination of laboratory experiments and field surveys to examine the role that population-specific predation risk may play in shaping the life history strategy of a stream-dwelling isopod Lirceus fontinalis. Two focal populations were identified that were exposed to different predator types. The first population was exposed to larvae of the streamside salamander (Ambystoma barbouri) and the second to banded sculpin (Cottus carolinae). A laboratory experiment, in which different size classes of prey were offered simultaneously to individual predators, revealed that L. fontinalis suffered greatest mortality risk at small sizes with A. barbouri. Alternatively, with C. carolinae the risk of mortality was independent of size. Life history theory predicts that L. fontinalis from populations exposed to the gape-limited salamander larvae should be larger at maturity relative to individuals from populations exposed to C. carolinae. Field surveys on the two focal populations both within 1 year and across 4 years supported this prediction. Four other populations, two exposed to streamside salamander larvae and two to fish, provided additional support for the prediction. I concluded that L. fontinalis exhibited an adaptive response in size at maturity in response to population-specific predation risk. I then used gut content assays of the major predators to assess whether the population-specific life history strategies adopted by L. fontinalis were successful in avoiding predation.
C3-heteroaroyl cannabinoids as photolabeling ligands for the CB2 cannabinoid receptor.

A series of tricyclic cannabinoids incorporating a heteroaroyl group at C3 were prepared as probes to explore the binding site(s) of the CB1 and CB2 receptors. This relatively unexplored structural motif is shown to be CB2 selective with Ki values at low nanomolar concentrations when the heteroaromatic group is 3-benzothiophenyl (41) or 3-indolyl (50). When photoactivated, the lead compound 41 was shown to successfully label the CB2 receptor through covalent attachment at the active site while 50 failed to label. The benzothiophenone moiety may be a photoactivatable moiety suitable for selective labeling.
Nebula feature: A space-time feature for posed and spontaneous 4D facial behavior analysis

In this paper, we propose a new, compact, 4D spatio-temporal “Nebula” feature to improve expression and facial movement analysis performance. Given a spatio-temporal volume, the data is voxelized and fit to a cubic polynomial. A label is assigned based on the principal curvature values, and the polar angles of the direction of least curvature are computed. The labels and angles for each feature are used to build a histogram for each region of the face. The concatenated histograms from each region give us our final feature vector. This feature description is tested on the posed expression database BU-4DFE and on a new 4D spontaneous expression database. Various region configurations, histogram sizes, and feature parameters are tested, including a non-dynamic version of the approach. The LBP-TOP approach on the texture image as well as on the depth image is also tested for comparison. The onsets of the six canonical expressions are classified for 100 subjects in BU-4DFE, while the onset, offset, and non-existence of 12 Action Units (AUs) are classified for 16 subjects from our new spontaneous database. For posed expression recognition, the Nebula feature approach shows improvement over LBPTOP on the depth images and significant improvement over the non-dynamic 3D-only approach. Moreover, the Nebula feature performs better for AU classification than the compared approaches for 11 of the AUs tested in terms of accuracy as well as Area Under Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC).
Autocatalytic aptazymes enable ligand-dependent exponential amplification of RNA

RNA enzymes have been developed that undergo self-sustained replication at a constant temperature in the absence of proteins. These RNA molecules amplify exponentially through a cross-replicative process, whereby two enzymes catalyze each other's synthesis by joining component oligonucleotides. Other RNA enzymes have been made to operate in a ligand-dependent manner by combining a catalytic domain with a ligand-binding domain (aptamer) to produce an 'aptazyme'. The principle of ligand-dependent RNA catalysis has now been extended to the cross-replicating RNA enzymes so that exponential amplification occurs in the presence, but not the absence, of the cognate ligand. The exponential growth rate of the RNA depends on the concentration of the ligand, allowing one to determine the concentration of ligand in a sample. This process is analogous to quantitative PCR (qPCR) but can be generalized to a wide variety of targets, including proteins and small molecules that are relevant to medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring.
Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: impact of the MELD allocation system and predictors of survival.

Background & Aims: Since February 27, 2002, patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have received priority for liver transplantation in the United States under the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) allocation system. We aimed to determine the impact of this system on liver transplantation for HCC. Methods: Data were provided by the United Network for Organ Sharing on 19,404 first-time, cadaveric, adult liver transplantations performed in the United States between 2002 and 2007 and 15,906 performed between 1997 and 2002, an equal-duration period immediately preceding the MELD allocation system. Results: In 1997–2002, 4.6% of liver transplant recipients had HCC compared with 26% in 2002–2007, the majority of whom received "HCC-MELD-exceptions" allowing expedited transplantation. Posttransplantation survival of patients with HCC without an "HCC-MELD-exception" was significantly worse than the survival of patients without HCC. In 2002–2007, patients with an "HCC-MELD-exception" had similar survival to patients without HCC. However, for the subgroup of patients with tumors 3–5 cm in size had significantly worse survival. When compared with patients with similar MELD scores, patients in the "HCC-MELD-exception" group had worse posttransplantation survival than patients without HCC. The most important predictors of poor posttransplantation survival were MELD score ≥20 (hazard ratio, 1.61; 95% CI: 1.3–2.1) and serum α-fetoprotein level ≥455 ng/mL (hazard ratio, 2.15; 95% CI: 1.5–2.0). Conclusions: The adoption of the MELD allocation system has led to a 6-fold increase in the proportion of transplantation patients with HCC. Patients with larger (3–5 cm) tumors, serum α-fetoprotein level ≥455 ng/mL, or a MELD score ≥20 have poor posttransplantation survival.
Optics in the Large

The introduction of the natural and the diapoint variables has simplified considerably the investigation of problems in the large, problems where we can give the eiconal in closed form, and therefore for each object ray the image ray. The author and H. Boegehold have, first together and then alone, investigated problems of this kind. The author sketches first once more his new method, and gives then a series of examples, such as the eiconal for the case where to each object point belongs a rotation symmetric caustic, the eiconal for sharp image formation of two surfaces, the eiconal in the case where there is perfect centric symmetry, and other examples which are discussed as far as the time limit permits.
DEV 14 and HotMobile 15

The Fifth ACM Symposium on Computing for Development (DEV-5) focused on applications, technologies, architectures, and protocols for computing in developing regions. It highlighted research results from contexts where conventional computing solutions are often inappropriate due to limited resources and a variety of contextual factors. Focusing on innovative technical solutions to diverse contextual, infrastructural, and user challenges, the DEV-5 conference fostered exchange between computer scientists, engineers, and others interested in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development. The second report covers the ACM HotMobile 2015 workshop. HotMobile focused on mobile applications, systems, and environments, particularly for new directions or nontraditional approaches in mobile computing.
Digitizing archaeology: a subtle revolution in analysis

AbstractDigital data constitute a rapidly increasing body of archaeological evidence, used on widely varying scales to capture and represent an equally wide range of subjects. Introducing an issue that presents recent digital applications in archaeology, this article considers particularly the challenges and prospects for analysis of digital models of stone tools, and surveys some of them in workflow sequence (acquisition, modeling, analysis, archiving). Using geomorphometric methods, lithic analysts now can characterize, measure and analyze stone tools in ways scarcely imaginable even a few years ago.
Applying a regional community concept to forest birds of eastern North America

The regional community concept embraces the idea that species interactions across large areas shape both the geographic/ecological distributions and the local abundances of populations. Within this framework, I analyzed the distribution and abundance of 79 species of land birds across 142 ca. 10-ha census plots from standardized breeding bird censuses in deciduous and mixed forests of eastern North America. To characterize the regional ecological space, plots were ordinated on the basis of species abundances. Within the regional community defined by these synthetic axes, the distribution and abundance of individual species did not appear to be shaped by competition or to reflect the adaptations of individuals: (i) local abundance and population extent across the ordination axes were unrelated, (ii) pairwise correlation coefficients of species abundances were centered on 0, (iii) average species distribution and abundance were independent of the number of close relatives, and (iv) distribution and abundance exhibited no evolutionary (phylogenetic) conservatism. To explain these seemingly random patterns, I speculate that species are approximately evenly matched competitors over much of the region and that their distributions and relative abundances are determined by the labile coevolutionary outcomes of interactions with specialized pathogens. Thus, despite the appearance that random processes determine patterns in the distribution and abundance of populations in the regional community, it is plausible that species-specific deterministic interactions are responsible. Although competition is a dominant force in ecological communities, variation in the distribution and abundance of individual species might instead reflect the outcome of interactions with specialized antagonists, including pathogens.
Calcium and secretion in normal and supersensitive submaxillary glands of the cat

Abstract The effect of stimulation of normal and supersensitive cat salivary glands on the subcellular distribution of hexosamine, calcium and protein has been examined. Selective accumulation of calcium and hexosamine in the granular mucin fraction especially of stimulated glands accompanying a greater secretion of hexosamine and calcium indicates that stimulation leads to accelerated hexosamine synthesis with a concomitant increased uptake of calcium into the gland. The possible meaning of the relative amounts of granular hexosamine, calcium and protein are discussed in relation to the formation of hexosamine-rich granules after the secretory stimulus.
Effects of temperature and disorder on thermal boundary conductance at solid-solid interfaces: Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations

Abstract Thermal transport across interfaces is becoming increasingly important with the advent of nanostructures and nanocomposite materials. A nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) approach is developed to investigate thermal transport across solid–solid interfaces. Thermal boundary conductance is calculated for a range of mismatched interfaces and compared to the diffuse mismatch model (DMM). The interfacial conductance decreased with increasing mismatch, as expected. The DMM fits the NEMD results well for poorly matched interfaces at a temperature approximately half of the melting temperature of the material, but it underpredicts the conductance for highly matched interfaces. One of the key findings of this study is that there is a significant interfacial thermal transport dependence on temperature in the NEMD simulations, which is not accounted for by the mismatch models where only elastic scattering is considered. For large lattice mismatches that resulted in numerous defects at the interface, the thermal interfacial conductance dramatically decreased for interfaces with similar vibrational density of states. The presence of the defects had a minimal impact on the thermal transport for highly mismatched interfaces. Interface mixing improves thermal transport by nearly a factor of two for mixing depths of 20 atomic planes for highly mismatched interfaces.
Role of the 18:1 Lysophosphatidic Acid–Ovarian Cancer Immunoreactive Antigen Domain Containing 1 (OCIAD1)–Integrin Axis in Generating Late-Stage Ovarian Cancer

Chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer remains an unsolved problem in caring for women with this disease. We now show that ovarian cancer immunoreactive antigen domain containing 1 (OCIAD1) has higher expression in chemoresistant compared with chemosensitive ovarian cancer cell lines. We have designed a novel secondary cell homing assay (SCHA) to test the ability of cells to withstand chemotherapy and form secondary colonies that could form recurrent disease. OCIAD1 upregulated cells had significantly higher secondary colony-forming ability than had OCIAD1 downregulated cells following treatment with paclitaxel. Additionally, 18:1 lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) increases OCIAD1 expression in a time- and dose-dependent manner. LPA stimulates OCIAD1 serine phosphorylation within two hours of stimulation. Transfection of MKK6 increases OCIAD1 expression but nuclear translocation is inhibited. Inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase blocks LPA-induced OCIAD1 expression. Cycloheximide treatment of MKK6-transfected cells does not inhibit OCIAD1 expression, suggesting that MKK6 upregulation is not translationally controlled. OCIAD1 downregulation knocks down LPA-induced cell adhesion to collagen I and laminin 10/11 and specifically inhibits cell attachment to alpha2, alpha5, alphaV, and beta1 integrins. Proteomic studies indicate that OCIAD1 is physically attached to alpha actin 4 and beta actin. Thus, OCIAD1 may play a role in cytoskeletal function which can alter sensitivity to paclitaxel. This is the first study to indicate that OCIAD1 is a key player in generating ovarian cancer recurrence; it is functionally controlled by LPA and MKK6 signaling, and inhibition of OCIAD1 could be an important strategy in the management of recurrent ovarian cancer.
Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Associations of the Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata) in Washington State

Abstract The Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata) is a secretive snake that is rarely encountered. Subsequently, little is known about the ecology of this species. Since it was first collected in 1943 in Washington State, few (<40) specimens have been found. From May to October 2004 and 2005, I collected 121 specimens from 8 counties in eastern Washington State by road-cruising appropriate habitat. Snakes were collected crossing roads bisecting a variety of habitats including areas of talus (such as rocky canyons), oak savannah-woodlands, sagebrush-rabbitbrush flats, pine-fir forests, grasslands, and areas of agricultural development (cropland). Snakes were most often observed in areas with an abundance of talus, followed by oak savannah-woodlands, sagebrush-rabbitbrush flats, and to a much lesser extent pine-fir forests, grasslands, and croplands. Based upon my research, H. torquata is much more common in Washington than previous work has shown.
Up-regulation of GRP78 and antiapoptotic signaling in murine peritoneal macrophages exposed to insulin

The unfolded protein response pathway (UPR) compensates for excessive protein accumu- lation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). As insu- lin induces global protein synthesis, it may cause accumulation of unfolded proteins in the ER, thus triggering UPR. We assessed UPR activation in insulin-treated murine peritoneal macrophages us- ing a number of markers including 78 kDa glucose response protein (GRP78), X-box-binding protein (XBP)-1, pancreatic ER kinase (PERK), eukary- otic initiation factor 2 (eIF2), and growth arrest and DNA damage (GADD)34. Exposure of cells to insulin activated UPR, as evidenced by an in- creased expression of GRP78, XBP-1, phosphor- ylated PERK (p-PERK), and p-eIF2. The insulin- induced, elevated expression of GRP78 was com- parable with that observed with tunicamycin, a classical inducer of ER stress. Concomitantly, in- sulin also up-regulated prosurvival mechanisms by elevating GADD34 and elements of the antiapo- ptotic pathway including Bcl-2, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis, and phosphorylated forkhead tran- scription factor. In conclusion, we show here that insulin treatment does cause ER stress in macro- phages, but insulin-dependent mechanisms over- come this ER stress by up-regulating UPR and the antiapoptotic pathway to promote cell survival. J. Leukoc. Biol. 78: 000-000; 2005.
Integral Transforms and Differential Equations

The discussion in Chap. 15 introduced a general method of solving differential equations by power series—also called the Frobenius method—which gives a solution that converges within a circle of convergence. In general, this circle of convergence may be small; however, the function represented by the power series can be analytically continued using methods presented in Chap. 12.