cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reinforcement of least-frequent sequences of choices.

When a pigeon's choices between two keys are probabilistically reinforced, as in discrete trial probability learning procedures and in concurrent variable-interval schedules, the bird tends to maximize, or to choose the alternative with the higher probability of reinforcement. In concurrent variable-interval schedules, steady-state matching, which is an approximate equality between the relative frequency of a response and the relative frequency of reinforcement of that response, has previously been obtained only as a consequence of maximizing. In the present experiment, maximizing was impossible. A choice of one of two keys was reinforced only if it formed, together with the three preceding choices, the sequence of four successive choices that had occurred least often. This sequence was determined by a Bernoulli-trials process with parameter p. Each of three pigeons matched when p was ½ or ¼. Therefore, steady-state matching by individual birds is not always a consequence of maximizing. Choice probability varied between successive reinforcements, and sequential statistics revealed dependencies which were adequately described by a Bernoulli-trials process with p depending on the time since the preceding reinforcement.
Image formation of a one dimensional polynomial mirror: Numbers and parities of images

Abstract This paper addresses the image formation, including both real images and virtual images, of the polynomial mirrors when analyzed by using ray optics. The imaging properties of polynomial mirrors, including mirrors with quadratic, cubic, and quartic polynomial shapes, are reviewed and generalized to higher order polynomial mirrors by being approximated as a piecewise set of displaced parabolic mirrors. The conditions in which multiple virtual images can be formed and the parities of the virtual images are investigated both theoretically and experimentally.
State amplification under masking constraints

This paper considers a state dependent channel with one transmitter, Alice, and two receivers, Bob and Eve. The problem at hand is to effectively “amplify” the channel state sequence at Bob while “masking” it from Eve. The extent to which the state sequence cannot be masked from Eve is referred to as leakage, and the paper is aimed at characterizing the tradeoff-region between amplification and leakage rates for such a system. An achievable coding scheme is presented, wherein the transmitter enumerates the state sequence using two indices, and transmits one of the indices over the channel to facilitate the amplification process. For the case when Bob observes a “stronger” channel than Eve, the achievable coding scheme is enhanced with secure refinement. The optimal amplification-leakage rate difference, called as differential amplification capacity, is characterized for the degraded binary and the degraded Gaussian channels. For the degraded Gaussian model, extremal corner points of the tradeoff region are characterized. In addition, the gap between the outer bound and achievable rate-regions is determined, where it is shown that the gap is less than half a bit for a wide set of channel parameters.
Delayed transitions between fluid-like and solid-like granular states

Analysis of granular flows has been a significant theoretical challenge over the past several decades. These flows are difficult to analyze largely because they exhibit both solid-like and fluid-like behaviors side-by-side in single experiments. In this paper, we examine two experiments in which the co-existence between these states is especially marked and leads to unique patterns that may serve as signatures for underlying granular dynamics deserving of further scrutiny. In these experiments, we find that when fluidization of grains is prolonged — as can be expected to occur for example under reduced gravity environments or under conditions of strong kinetic forcing (e.g. during earthquakes) — grains can produce residual depositional patterns that are difficult to distinguish from fluvial deposits. This suggests that geological landforms under low gravity (for example on Mars) or influenced by strong forcing (for example during earthquakes) may behave in a fluid-like manner despite being entirely dry.
A Computational Modeling Tool for Welding Repair of Irradiated Materials

Weld repairs performed on irradiated reactor components can be problematic due to the presence of entrapped helium in the reactor internal components that is generated by boron and nickel transmutation under neutron irradiation. Under unfavorable conditions of high heat input, high tensile stress and high helium content, sufficient quantities of entrapped helium can migrate to and accumulate at grain boundaries during a welding operation thus resulting in cracks in the weld. Determining crack-free welding conditions solely based on extensive weldability testing for a given welding repair scenario could be very costly, time consuming, and in some cases infeasible.In this work, a computational model has been developed and sufficiently validated as a cost-effective alternative method for making this determination. This computational model considers the transient temperature profile in the material, the stress history in the material and the helium content. It further includes a methodology for determining the amount of helium that is released under the calculated temperature/stress conditions, a method for calculating the degree to which the helium bubbles grow, and a criterion for determining if the resulting helium bubble distribution will result in cracking as the weld cools. This computational tool is benchmarked with available experimental results on welding of irradiated materials. It is shown that such a model can be a cost-effective tool for determining suitable welding process conditions (heat input and process selection) for repair welding of irradiated materials of reactor internals.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Perfect phylogeny problems with missing values

The perfect phylogeny problem is of central importance to both evolutionary biology and population genetics. Missing values are a common occurrence in both sequence and genotype data, but they make the problem of finding a perfect phylogeny NP-hard even for binary characters. We introduce new and efficient perfect phylogeny algorithms for broad classes of binary and multistate data with missing values. Specifically, we address binary missing data consistent with the rich data hypothesis (RDH) introduced by Halperin and Karp and give an efficient algorithm for enumerating phylogenies. This algorithm is useful for computing the probability of data with missing values under the coalescent model. In addition, we use the partition intersection (PI) graph and chordal graph theory to generalize the RDH to multi-state characters with missing values. For a bounded number of states, we provide a fixed parameter tractable algorithm for the perfect phylogeny problem with missing data. Utilizing the PI graph, we are able to show that under multiple biologically motivated models for character data, our generalized RDH holds with high probability, and we evaluate our results with extensive empirical analysis.
Complementary expression and heterophilic interactions between IgLON family members neurotrimin and LAMP.

Neurotrimin (Ntm) and the limbic system-associated membrane protein (LAMP) are members of the IgLON (LAMP, OBCAM, Ntm) family of glycorylphosphatidylinositol anchored neural cell adhesion molecules. We previously reported that LAMP and Ntm promote adhesion and neurite outgrowth via a homophilic mechanism, suggesting that these proteins promote the formation of specific neuronal circuits by homophilic interactions. In this report, we have further characterized the expression and binding specificity of Ntm. Using a newly generated monoclonal antibody to Ntm, we demonstrated that this protein is largely expressed in a complementary pattern to that of LAMP in the nervous system, with co-expression at a few sites. Ntm is expressed at high levels in sensory-motor cortex and, of particular note, is transiently expressed in neurons of cortical barrel fields and corresponding thalamic “barreloids.” Binding of a recombinant, soluble form of Ntm to CHO cells expressing either Ntm or LAMP demonstrates that Ntm and LAMP interact both homophilically and heterophilically. In contrast to conventional growth-promoting activity of Ig superfamily members, LAMP strongly inhibits the outgrowth of Ntm-expressing dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in a heterophilic manner. These anatomical and functional data support the concept that homophilic and heterophilic interactions between IgLON family members are likely to play a role in the specification of neuronal projections via growth promoting and inhibiting effects, respectively. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 51: 190–204, 2002
Müllerian Mimicry as a Result of Codivergence between Velvet Ants and Spider Wasps

Recent studies have delineated a large Nearctic Mullerian mimicry complex in Dasymutilla velvet ants. Psorthaspis spider wasps live in areas where this mimicry complex is found and are phenotypically similar to Dasymutilla. We tested the idea that Psorthaspis spider wasps are participating in the Dasymutilla mimicry complex and that they codiverged with Dasymutilla. We performed morphometric analyses and human perception tests, and tabulated distributional records to determine the fit of Psorthaspis to the Dasymutilla mimicry complex. We inferred a dated phylogeny using nuclear molecular markers (28S, elongation factor 1-alpha, long-wavelength rhodopsin and wingless) for Psorthaspis species and compared it to a dated phylogeny of Dasymutilla. We tested for codivergence between the two groups using two statistical analyses. Our results show that Psorthaspis spider wasps are morphologically similar to the Dasymutilla mimicry rings. In addition, our tests indicate that Psorthaspis and Dasymutilla codiverged to produce similar color patterns. This study expands the breadth of the Dasymutilla Mullerian mimicry complex and provides insights about how codivergence influenced the evolution of mimicry in these groups.
Economic juries and public project provision

Abstract Juries charged with evaluating economic policy alternatives are the focus of this study. The recruitment and management of juries is a principal–agent problem involving the design of incentive mechanisms for participation and truthful revelation of values. This paper considers a simple general equilibrium economy in which juries of consumers are used to estimate the value of public projects and determine their provision. The impact of participation fees on jury selection and representativeness, and on statistical mitigation of response errors, is analyzed. Manski set identification is used to bound selection bias and determine participation fee treatments that minimize welfare regret from imperfect jury findings.
Under-representation of women and ethnic minorities in vascular surgery randomized controlled trials

Objectives Gender and ethnicity are factors affecting the incidence and severity of vascular disease as well as subsequent treatment outcomes. Although well studied in other fields, balanced enrollment of patients with relevant demographic characteristics in vascular surgery randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is not well known. This study describes the reporting of gender and ethnicity data in vascular surgery RCTs and analyzes whether these studies adequately represent our diverse patient population. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of United States-based RCTs from 1983 through 2007 for three broadly defined vascular procedures: aortic aneurysm repair (AAR), carotid revascularization (CR), and lower extremity revascularization (LER). Included studies were examined for gender and ethnicity data, study parameters, funding source, and geographic region. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was analyzed to obtain group-specific procedure frequency as an estimate of procedure frequency in the general population. Results We reviewed 77 studies, and 52 met our inclusion criteria. Only 85% reported gender, and 21% reported ethnicity. Reporting of ethnicity was strongly associated with larger (>280 participants), multicenter, government-funded trials (P Conclusions Minority ethnicity and female gender are under-reported and under-represented in vascular surgery RCTs, particularly in small, non-government-funded and single-center trials. The generalizability of some trial results may not be applicable to these populations. Greater effort to enroll a balanced study population in RCTs may yield more broadly applicable results.
Family-based treatment of eating disorders.

The current article provides a brief description of the theory and empirical support for family treatment of eating disorders. The main literature related to family treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) is reviewed and the findings highlighted. Family treatment, particularly as devised by researchers at the Maudsley Hospital, appears to be an effective treatment for adolescents with short-term AN. It also may be an appropriate treatment for BN in the same age group, although evidence for this is in much shorter supply. Data support the use of family treatments for adolescents with eating disorders. Controlled trials and other systematic research are needed to determine whether family treatment is the best approach. © 2005 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
In situ hybridization for the detection of infectious agents

Abstract Fluorescent in situ hybridization (ISH) is used for a variety of assays in molecular pathology, including the identification of infectious agents. These methods, once complex, are becoming easier to use, and semi-automated platforms are available. Studies have shown that these methods allow for the accurate identification of microorganisms directly in clinical specimens and in positive cultures in a much shorter time than traditional methods. These methods have been used successfully for a variety of clinically relevant bacteria and fungi, as well as for the detection of viruses. The selection of hybridization probes may be based on the findings of the Gram stain or the characteristics of the patient population under consideration. ISH is another molecular diagnostic tool that if utilized to its full potential, could change the way we practice clinical microbiology.
Socratic Dialogue or Courtroom Debate? Judicial Rhetoric and Stasis Theory in the Dialogue on the Life of St. John Chrysostom

The Dialogue on the Life of St. John Chrysostom (written c. 407/8) has long puzzled modern readers on account of its choice of the dialogue form and its bewildering organization. Its attribution to Palladius of Helenopolis (c. 363-430) has often been contested, too. This article proposes that the dialogue form was chosen to convey the spirit of advocacy that lies at the heart of this composition, and then demonstrates that various compositional decisions can be explained by principles of judicial rhetoric and late antique stasis (issue) theory, particularly those of Hermogenes of Tarsus (c. 160-230) whose rhetorical handbook had become important by the fourth and fifth centuries in rhetorical training. These elements suggest that the author of the Dialogue was well trained in judicial rhetoric and that he composed this work primarily to make a case for John's restoration to the diptychs as bishop, rather than as a biographical or historical record as previously assumed. The influence of stasis theory in this composition also confirms the continued importance of judicial rhetoric in the late empire and bolsters the case for the authorship of Palladius, who had been commissioned by John to investigate charges raised against Antoninus of Ephesus and by Innocent of Rome to petition Arcadius for John's restoration.
Effects of Ethanol on Eye Movements in the Monkey

Abstract Ethanol (0.25–2.0 g/kg) was administered by remotely controlled intravenous infusion to monkeys engaged in performance of a short-term memory task which required attention to and retention of visual stimuli. Eye movements were monitored and measured by recording the electrooculogram with implanted periorbital Ag/AgCl electrodes. Ethanol induced the following dose-dependent changes of ocular motility: (a) diminution of the frequency of saccades; (b) prolongation of fixation (immobility) periods, though stimulus-elicited fixations became shorter; (c) increase in saccade excursion; (d) increase in saccade duration; and (e) decrease in saccade velocity (preceded at low doses by a transient increase). These changes were correlated with an impairment of behavioral performance. The results of eye movement analysis complement the results obtained on studies of human subjects by oral administration of ethanol. The findings of the present study in the nonhuman primate are interpreted as a reflection of the deleterious effects of alcohol on the cerebral substrate of visual attention.
Random walks whose concave majorants often have few faces

Abstract We construct a continuous distribution G such that the number of faces in the smallest concave majorant of the random walk with G -distributed summands will take on each natural number infinitely often with probability one. This investigation is motivated by the fact that the number of faces F n of the concave majorant of the random walk at time n has the same distribution as the number of records R n in the sequence of summands up to time n . Since R n is almost surely asymptotic to log n , the construction shows that despite the equality of all of the one-dimensional marginals, the almost sure behaviors of the sequences { R n } and { F n } may be radically different.
Biochemistry of the erythrocyte

Der Erythrozyt hat zwei Hauptwege fur den Glukoseabbau. Der Emden-Meyerhoff-Weg resultiert in der Phosphorylierung von ADP zu ATP und der Reduktion von NAD+ zu NADH. Der Hexose-Monophosphat-Weg ermoglicht andererseits die Reduktion von NADP+ zu NADPH. Es besteht eine beachtliche Beweglichkeit in der Kontrolle dieser Bahnen, die es dem Erythrozyten ermoglichen, seine Enzyme und sein Hamoglobin in aktiver Form und das Konzentrationsgefalle von Natrium und Kalium zwischen roten Blutkorperchen und Plasma zu erhalten.
A histone modifier's ill-gotten copy gains.

Little is known about the molecular machinery that contributes to site-specific copy number variations or how CNVs fit into the chronology of tumor progression. Black et al. (2013) now demonstrate that the overexpression of a histone demethylase induces transient copy gain of specific genomic loci known to harbor proto-oncogenes.
Exploiting inter-sequence correlations for program behavior prediction

Prediction of program dynamic behaviors is fundamental to program optimizations, resource management, and architecture reconfigurations. Most existing predictors are based on locality of program behaviors, subject to some inherent limitations. In this paper, we revisit the design philosophy and systematically explore a second source of clues: statistical correlations between the behavior sequences of different program entities. Concentrated on loops, it examines the correlations' existence, strength, and values in enhancing the design of program behavior predictors. It creates the first taxonomy of program behavior sequence patterns. It develops a new form of predictors, named sequence predictors, to effectively translate the correlations into large-scope, proactive predictions of program behavior sequences. It demonstrates the usefulness of the prediction in dynamic version selection and loop importance estimation, showing 19% average speedup on a number of real-world utility applications. By taking scope and timing of behavior prediction as the first-order design objectives, the new approach overcomes limitations of existing program behavior predictors, opening up many new opportunities for runtime optimizations at various layers of computing.
Training engineering graduates in industry

Industry must train men to fill technical and administrative positions in a business world that becomes increasingly complex with economic, social, and legal aspects. Engineering graduates have shown definite advantages over nonengineering graduates for all types of positions; industry's objective is to get the best possible men and to train them with diligence.
Making Progress: Does Clinical Research Lead to Breakthroughs in Basic Biomedical Sciences?

In this article, Gershon uses two "basic scientific breakthroughs," one of which is Avery, MacLeod and McCarty's discovery that DNA was genetic material, which stemmed from Avery's research on pneumonia, to demonstrate the falsity of the assumption that breakthroughs in biological research result only from basic science and research and not applied clinical research.
Interactions between climate, beaver activity, and pond occupancy by the cold-adapted mink frog in New York State, USA

Abstract Mink frogs ( Rana septentrionalis ) are cold-adapted, climate-sensitive amphibians occurring above the 43rd parallel in North America. We conducted repeated night call surveys at 46 ponds near the southern edge of the species’ range to collect presence/absence data and used information-theoretic models to relate pond occupancy to historical climate and habitat factors. Mink frog occurrence was strongly and positively influenced by pond size (>1.5 ha) and the presence of beavers ( Castor canadensis ). Presence of calling mink frogs decreased sharply at sites with historical mean July air temperatures >19.5 °C. Our results suggest that predicted changes in temperature over the next century might reduce the range of mink frogs in New York, yet we hypothesize that any such reductions could be mitigated by generation of suitable breeding habitat associated with future expansion of beaver populations.
Linear Multiple Objective Problems with Interval Coefficients

In this paper we consider linear multiple objective programs with coefficients of the criteria given by intervals. This class of problems is of practical interest since in many instances it is difficult to determine precisely the coefficients of the objective functions. A subproblem to test if a feasible extreme point is efficient in the problem considered is obtained. A branch and bound algorithm to solve the subproblem as well as computational results are provided. Extensions are discussed.
Component and whole-system respiration fluxes in northern deciduous forests.

We measured component and whole-system respiration fluxes in northern hardwood (Acer saccharum Marsh., Tilia americana L., Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.) and aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) forest stands in Price County, northern Wisconsin from 1999 through 2002. Measurements of soil, leaf and stem respiration, stem biomass, leaf area and biomass, and vertical profiles of leaf area were combined with biometric measurements to create site-specific respiration models and to estimate component and whole-system respiration fluxes. Hourly estimates of component respiration were based on site measurements of air, soil and stem temperature, leaf mass, sapwood volume and species composition. We also measured whole-system respiration from an above-canopy eddy flux tower. Measured soil respiration rates varied significantly among sites, but not consistently among dominant species (P 0.1). Annual soil respiration ranged from 8.09 to 11.94 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1). Soil respiration varied linearly with temperature (P 0.1). Stem respiration rates per unit volume and per unit area differed significantly among species (P < 0.05). Stem respiration per unit volume of sapwood was highest in F. pennsylvanica (up to 300 micro mol m(3) s(-1)) and lowest in T. americana (22 micro mol m(3) s(-1)) when measured at peak summer temperatures (27 to 29 degrees C). In northern hardwood stands, south-side stem temperatures were higher and more variable than north-side temperatures during leaf-off periods, but were not different statistically during leaf-on periods. Cumulative annual stem respiration varied by year and species (P < 0.05) and averaged 1.59 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1). Leaf respiration rates varied significantly among species (P < 0.05). Respiration rates per unit leaf mass measured at 30 degrees C were highest for P. tremuloides (38.8 nmol g(-1) s(-1)), lowest for Ulmus rubra Muhlenb. (13.1 nmol g(-1) s(-1)) and intermediate and similar (30.2 nmol g(-1) s(-1)) for T. americana, F. pennsylvanica and Q. rubra. During the growing season, component respiration estimates were dominated by soil respiration, followed by leaf and then stem respiration. Summed component respiration averaged 11.86 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1). We found strong covariance between whole-ecosystem and summed component respiration measurements, but absolute rates and annual sums differed greatly.
Rank-based ridge estimation in multiple linear regression

Multicollinearity and model misspecification are frequently encountered problems in practice that produce undesirable effects on classical ordinary least squares (OLS) regression estimator. The rid...
Subnanosecond polarized fluorescence photobleaching: rotational diffusion of acetylcholine receptors on developing muscle cells

Polarized fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (PFRAP) is a technique for measuring the rate of rotational motion of biomolecules on living, nondeoxygenated cells with characteristic times previously ranging from milliseconds to many seconds. Although very broad, that time range excludes the possibility of quantitatively observing freely rotating membrane protein monomers that typically should have a characteristic decay time of only several microseconds. This report describes an extension of the PFRAP technique to a much shorter time scale. With this new system, PFRAP experiments can be conducted with sample time as short as 0.4 microseconds and detection of possible characteristic times of less than 2 microseconds. The system is tested on rhodamine-alpha-bungarotoxin-labeled acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) on myotubes grown in primary cultures of embryonic rat muscle, in both endogenously clustered and nonclustered regions of AChR distribution. It is found that approximately 40% of the AChRs in nonclustered regions undergoes rotational diffusion fast enough to possibly arise from unrestricted monomer Brownian motion. The AChRs in clusters, on the other hand, are almost immobile. The effects of rat embryonic brain extract (which contains AChR aggregating factors) on the myotube AChR were also examined by the fast PFRAP system. Brain extract is known to abolish the presence of endogenous clusters and to induce the formation of new clusters. It is found here that rotational diffusion of AChR in the extract-induced clusters is as slow as that in endogenous clusters on untreated cells but that rotational diffusion in the nonclustered regions of extract-treated myotubes remains rapid.
Alterations in activities of cyclic nucleotide systems and in β-adrenergic receptor-mediated activation of cyclic amp-dependent protein kinase during progression and regression of isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy

Abstract Initial and transient increases in the basal levels of cyclic GMP in the heart were noted prior to cardiac hypertrophy in rats administered isoprotenol. Increased levels of cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase (in both the soluble and particulate fractions) and stimulatory modulator of cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase, however, were associated with the progression, or the state, of cardiomegaly, with their levels returning to the control values upon regression of the hypertrophy. The levels of cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase in the soluble fraction were lower, whereas those in the particulate fraction were higher, in the hypertrophied heart than the control. In cardiac hypertrophy, the maximal activity ratio (−cyclic AMP/+cyclic AMP) of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase in the incubated minced heart caused by isoproterenol was lower, whereas the concentration of isoproterenol required to increase the activit ratio half-maximally was higher than controls; The reduced responsiveness to the drug, however, was reversed when the hypertrophy regressed. These observations, taken collectively, appear to suggest that the desensitization of the β-adrenergic mechanism seen in the cardiac hypertrophy produced by repeated administration of isoproterenol is associated with adaptive modifications in certain parameters of the cyclic nucleotide systems.
Building a motor simulation de novo: observation of dance by dancers.

Research on action simulation identifies brain areas that are active while imagining or performing simple overlearned actions. Are areas engaged during imagined movement sensitive to the amount of actual physical practice? In the present study, participants were expert dancers who learned and rehearsed novel, complex whole-body dance sequences 5 h a week across 5 weeks. Brain activity was recorded weekly by fMRI as dancers observed and imagined performing different movement sequences. Half these sequences were rehearsed and half were unpracticed control movements. After each trial, participants rated how well they could perform the movement. We hypothesized that activity in premotor areas would increase as participants observed and simulated movements that they had learnt outside the scanner. Dancers’ ratings of their ability to perform rehearsed sequences, but not the control sequences, increased with training. When dancers observed and simulated another dancer’s movements, brain regions classically associated with both action simulation and action observation were active, including inferior parietal lobule, cingulate and supplementary motor areas, ventral premotor cortex, superior temporal sulcus and primary motor cortex. Critically, inferior parietal lobule and ventral premotor activity was modulated as a function of dancers’ ratings of their own ability to perform the observed movements and their motor experience. These data demonstrate that a complex motor resonance can be built de novo over 5 weeks of rehearsal. Furthermore, activity in premotor and parietal areas during action simulation is enhanced by the ability to execute a learned action irrespective of stimulus familiarity or semantic label.
Degeneration of last instar Heliothis virescens prothoracic glands by Campoletis sonorensis polydnavirus

Abstract The development of last instar Heliothis virescens larvae was experimentally arrested by ligation between the head and thorax or by injection with calyx fluid from the endoparasitoid Campoletis sonorensis . Prothoracic glands were removed from these larvae at various times after treatment and the gland cells were either measured or prepared for electron microscopy. At 4 days postligation, gland cell ultrastructure was similar to that of cells from unligated larvae and cell size was not significantly reduced until 7 days after ligation. In contrast to ligated controls, cells from calyx fluid-injected larvae were significantly smaller 24 hr after injection. Significant degeneration in gland cell ultrastructure was observed 2 days after injection and by 7 days postinjection, prothoracic glands showed gross degeneration. Similarly, injection of purified polydnavirus caused gross gland degeneration by 7 days after injection. Irradiating calyx fluid abolished its ability to cause gland degeneration. Our results indicate that C. sonorensis polydnavirus stimulates prothoracic gland degeneration. This virally induced degeneration of the prothoracic glands may account for our previously reported observation that injection of calyx fluid causes a drastic reduction in hemolymph ecdysteroid titer and consequent developmental arrest.
Dissociations between the effects of hallucinogens on behavior and raphe unit activity in behaving cats.

Abstract The hypothesis that hallucinogenic drugs exert their behavioral effects by an action at pre- or postsynaptic serotonin receptors was evaluated by co-administering various drugs that possess either serotonin agonist or antagonist properties, while concurrently monitoring behavior and the electrophysiological activity of serotonin-containing dorsal and median raphe neurons in freely moving cats. Co-administration of the serotonin receptor blockers, metergoline or mianserin, with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) produced no change in the inhibitory effects of LSD on raphe neurons, but produced a dose-dependent blockade of the behavioral effects of LSD in the cat. The latter data suggest that perhaps LSD exerts its behavioral effects by an action at postsynaptic serotonin receptors. Co-administration of drugs that increase synaptic serotonin, L-5-hydroxytryptophan, tranylcypromine, fluoxetine or p-chloramphetamine with LSD greatly potentiated the inhibitory effect of LSD on raphe unit activity, but also produced dose-dependent decreases in these behavioral effects of LSD in the cat. Thus, both enhancing the activity at postsynaptic serotonin receptors and receptor antagonism blocked the behavioral effects of LSD. Co-administration of dopamine receptor blockers, haloperidol or chlopromazine, produced no significant change in the response of raphe neurons to LSD, but these drugs also produced a dose-dependent blockade of the behavioral effects of LSD in the cat. Co-administration of the dopamine agonists, apomorphine or d-amphetamine, however, potentiated the behavioral effects of LSD, while producing a partial reversal of the inhibitory effects of LSD on raphe unit activity. The results are discussed in the context of using animal model to study the possible actions of hallucinogens in humans.
Impact of Device Landing Zone Calcification on Paravalvular Regurgitation after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Real-Time Three-Dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiographic Study

Background Determinants of paravalvular regurgitation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of aortic valve calcification (AVC) on paravalvular regurgitation after TAVR using real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography. Methods A total of 227 patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVR using the Edwards SAPIEN or SAPIEN XT valve were retrospectively analyzed. Severity of AVC was assessed on a visual scale ranging from 0 to 3 at the aortic annulus, the leaflets near the nadir, and the commissure. The shape of calcification was assessed by measuring the radial and circumferential lengths of annular calcification and by focusing on the calcification protruding into the left ventricular outflow tract from the annular level. Severity of paravalvular regurgitation was determined by the sum of the cross-sectional area of the vena contracta from two-dimensional or three-dimensional color Doppler transesophageal echocardiographic data. Significant paravalvular regurgitation was defined as at least a moderate grade. Results After excluding 25 patients with inadequate image quality of three-dimensional and color Doppler data for analysis, AVC could be evaluated in 202 patients. Significant paravalvular regurgitation was occurred in 37 patients (18%). The sum of the AVC scale at the annulus was significantly correlated with the grade of paravalvular regurgitation, while those at the leaflets near the nadir and the commissure were not. As assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the radial and circumferential length of the annular calcification had good discriminatory ability for significant paravalvular regurgitation, with areas under the curve of 0.91 and 0.81, respectively. On multivariate analysis, annular calcification with radial length ≥ 3.0 mm, circumferential length ≥ 8.0 mm, and calcification protruding into the left ventricular outflow tract were independently associated with significant paravalvular regurgitation. Conclusions Assessment of AVC by real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography is feasible and has good discriminatory value for paravalvular regurgitation in patients who undergo TAVR. Significant paravalvular regurgitation after TAVR is associated with the location and size of calcification at the aortic annulus and left ventricular outflow tract, not with its severity.
Peak changes in electrocardiograms of rats exposed to air ions

Electrocardiograms were obtained from rats exposed to air ions both by inhalation and by non inhalation. Progressive changes were noted in the peak heights of the P, Q, and S waves when ions were inhaled. No such changes were observed when ion exposure was by external surface contact alone.
Treating azotemia-induced anemia with erythropoietin improves diabetic eye disease

Treating azotemia-induced anemia with erythropoietin improves diabetic eye disease. Background Coincidental with the pandemic growth of diabetes as the prime cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), blindness attributable to diabetic retinopathy has become a major concern for all those involved in the care of diabetic ESRD patients. Vision loss is linked to progression of proliferative retinopathy and macular edema. Methods Extracted from a study of azotemic anemic pre-ESRD patients treated with erythropoietin, a cohort of five diabetic subjects was reassessed in terms of stability of renal function, changes in blood rheology, and course of diabetic eye disease. Results All subjects reported subjective improvement in well-being, including enhanced effort tolerance following an increase in hematocrit from a baseline level of to 29.6 ± 2.0% to a level of 39.5 ± 2.4% after one year of treatment with erythropoietin ( P = Conclusion Erythropoietin treatment of anemic azotemic diabetic patients is well tolerated. In a small observational retrospective study of three patients with macular edema, retention of vision and resolution of exudates was noted.
Some Remarks by L. White on Two Contributions by G. Weiss

their members to distinguish themselves from the other people. This had "tremendously widened the gap between the Christian groups and the rest of the families in the village" (Yang 1947:158). In his sociological study of Chinese familism in Fukien, Lin Yueh-Hwa imaginatively describes the difficulties of a family member and his wife who had "sworn never again to worship ancestors" when the traditional rituals were performed (Lin 1947:65, 67, 131). I would add a further point. Among his "general conclusions" Hsu remarks: "Even in the role of fact-gatherers, White anthropologists would like non-Whites to confine themselves to their own native non-White
A Smart Home Test Bed for Undergraduate Education to Bridge the Curriculum Gap From Traditional Power Systems to Modernized Smart Grids

There is a worldwide trend to modernize old power grid infrastructures to form future smart grids, which will achieve efficient, flexible energy consumption by using the latest technologies in communication, computing, and control. Smart grid initiatives are moving power systems curricula toward smart grids. Although the components of smart grids fall within the broader discipline of electrical and computer engineering, undergraduate students are rarely assigned single design projects that require classic power systems knowledge combined with communication, computing, and control. Therefore, as a significant step toward potential curriculum changes, this paper presents such a project, a smart home test bed based on the pedagogical model of project-based learning (PBL) for undergraduate education. The proposed test bed allows undergraduates to gain key knowledge in smart grid topics, such as flattening demand peaks, real-time price response, wireless sensor networks, machine learning, pattern recognition, embedded system programming, user interface design, circuit design, and databases. This is well aligned with smart grid initiatives and provides a platform for students to develop their creativity in engineering design. It also offers real-life examples to be used for raising general public awareness of energy conservation.
Kinetic studies on chloroplastic ribosomal RNA and chlorophyll development during greening of pea buds.

Abstract The developmental kinetics of cytoplasmic and chloroplastic ribosomal RNA (r-RNA) and chlorophyll in pea buds upon transfer from dark to light were investigated. A relationship was found between the light-dependent development of chloroplastic r-RNA and chlorophyll while cytoplasmic r-RNA showed no direct relationship to these two. Chloroplastic r-RNA showed no lag period in its rate of formation while chlorophyll showed a lag of 24 hr after initiation of the light. Inhibition studies with cycloheximide and chloramphenicol showed a parallel inhibition between chloroplastic r-RNA and chlorophyll. The constant relationship between these two components in the developing pea buds and the appearance of chloroplastic r-RNA before chlorophyll leads to the conclusion that there is a direct dependence of the production of chlorophyll on the amount and appearance of chloroplastic r-RNA. This supports the hypothesis that the enzymatic or structural proteins involved in chlorophyll production are formed on the chloroplast ribosomes.
Quasiclassical trajectory study of the reaction of fast H atoms with C–H stretch excited CHD3

Abstract Quasiclassical trajectory calculations are reported of the reactions H + CHD 3 ( ν C–H stretch = 0, 1) to give H 2 + CD 3 and HD + CHD 2 using a recent ab initio -based CH 5 potential energy surface. The cross-sections, angular, and internal energy distributions are calculated at the initial relative kinetic energy of 1.53 eV in order to make comparisons with corresponding recent experiments [J.P. Camden, H.A. Bechtel, D.J.Akeny Brown, R.N. Zare, J. Chem. Phys. 124 (2006) 034311].
The Seldinger technique for ventricular catheter exchange: a technical note

Introduction Previously, the Seldinger technique has been used for insertion of difficult-to-place vascular catheters. The authors describe the use of this technique in exchanging difficult-to-place ventricular catheters in a child with multiloculated hydrocephalus and ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection.
PHOTOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF PHYCOBILIPROTEINS FROM PHYCOBILISOMES: FLUORESCENCE LIFETIMES, QUANTUM YIELDS, AND POLARIZATION SPECTRA

— Absorption and fluorescence polarization spectra, as well as absolute fluorescence quantum yields, and lifetimes of phycobiliproteins separated from intact phycobilisomes of Porphyridium cruentum, Nostoc sp. and Fremyella diplosiphon were measured. Two different types of phycoerythrin, in addition to phycocyanin and allophycocyanin, were separated from both Porphyridium cruentum and Nostoc sp. phycobilisomes. They were distinguishable by the shape of their absorption spectra, values of fluorescence quantum yields and their limiting polarization. Phycobilisomes of Fremyella diplosiphon had a type of phycoerythrin that was different from the above kinds. By the use of fluorescence quantum yields and lifetime data, the values of natural lifetimes, the decadic molar extinction coefficients, as well as Forster's critical distances R0 for excitation energy transfer, between phycobiliproteins in phycobilisomes, were estimated. The values obtained of Forster's critical distances indicate that for most efficient energy transfer from phycoerythrin to allophycocyanin, the outer layers of Porphyridium cruentum and Nostoc sp. phycobilisomes should be composed of bangiophycean, phycoerythrin and cyanophytan phycoerythrin-II respectively.
Wind Measurements on a Maneuvering Twin-Engine Turboprop Aircraft Accounting for Flow Distortion

Abstract Traditional techniques for the calibration of the aircraft-relative wind vector from flight maneuvers are discussed with special regard to the effects of perturbations in the flow patterns around the aircraft body during periods of significant accelerations and angular rates (rapidly varying motion). A procedure is developed that allows both unbiased determination of steady-flight calibration parameters and explicit determination and characterization of errors in measured flow quantities that result from flow perturbations induced during the rapidly varying motion. This technique is applied to the case of air vector measurements from a five-hole pressure probe mounted under the wing of a Convair 580 research aircraft operated by the Canadian National Research Council. Results indicate that during pitching, yawing, and rolling maneuvers air data measurements at the pressure probe contain substantial errors that are associated with adjustments of the oncoming airflow to the sudden wing translations...
Performance assessment of topologically diverse power systems subjected to hurricane events

Large tropical cyclones cause severe damage to major cities along the United States Gulf Coast annually. A diverse collection of engineering and statistical models are currently used to estimate the geographical distribution of power outage probabilities stemming from these hurricanes to aid in storm preparedness and recovery efforts. Graph theoretic studies of power networks have separately attempted to link abstract network topology to transmission and distribution system reliability. However, few works have employed both techniques to unravel the intimate connection between network damage arising from storms, topology, and system reliability. This investigation presents a new methodology combining hurricane damage predictions and topological assessment to characterize the impact of hurricanes upon power system reliability. Component fragility models are applied to predict failure probability for individual transmission and distribution power network elements simultaneously. The damage model is calibrated using power network component failure data for Harris County, TX, USA caused by Hurricane Ike in September of 2008, resulting in a mean outage prediction error of 15.59% and low standard deviation. Simulated hurricane events are then applied to measure the hurricane reliability of three topologically distinct transmission networks. The rate of system performance decline is shown to depend on their topological structure. Reliability is found to correlate directly with topological features, such as network meshedness, centrality, and clustering, and the compact irregular ring mesh topology is identified as particularly favorable, which can influence regional lifeline policy for retrofit and hardening activities to withstand hurricane events.
Dislocations and disclinations in transversely isotropic elastic solids

Abstract A recently developed method to obtain the elastic fields due to defects in isotropic solids has been extended to include the case of fields due to dislocations and disclinations with arbitrary orientations in transversely isotropic infinite solids. The extension hinges on the introduction of a newly defined stress vector function, the hexagonal stress vector, which, together with the Green functions for double force and for double force with moment, yields closed-form solutions. The solution is first obtained for infinitesimal Volterra dislocation loops. The elastic fields due to dislocations and disclinations are then obtained by integrating the solution for the infinitesimal loop over the surface of the cut that generates the line defects. Along with the Newtonian and biharmonic potential functions that are used for isotropic solids, two more harmonic potential functions are introduced to express the solution in transversely isotropic solids. Closed-form solutions for straight dislocation and d...
Theory Of Optical Pulse Propagation In A Bulk Resonant Exciton Semiconductor

A brief tutorial review will be given on the origin of optical non-locality in the resonant, excitonic region of a semiconductor. The consequences of resonant exciton interactions for propagation of optical transients and pulses in semiconductors will be high lighted.