cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do Female Red‐winged Blackbirds Engage in a Mixed Mating Strategy?

Parentage analyses of broods of nestling red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) revealed that extra-pair fertilizations (EPFs) accounted for 24% of the offspring. 8% of attempted copulations and 13% of male courtship displays during observations of focal females were by extra-pair males. In addition, mates and non-mates often chased and occasionally made physical contact with females; 34% of those chases in which contact was made were extra-pair chases. Females behaved variably during both within-pair and extra-pair events; females crouched less and resisted more frequently during extra-pair courtship than during within-pair courtship. All extra-pair events, whether natural or induced by male removal, were either resisted or accepted by the female. In 318 focal female-hours of observation during the fertilizable period, no female was ever seen in another male's territory soliciting a copulation. In addition, removal of females' mates resulted in frequent extra-pair courtship and copulation; all of these occurred on the removed male's territory. Some females left their mates' territories on occasion — these forays were nearly always off the study area, no female was ever seen copulating with an extra-pair male while on these forays, and neither the frequency nor the duration of female forays correlated with the frequency of extra-pair fertilizations within broods. There were no associations between extra-pair fertilizations and female age, settlement order, nest order, or clutch size. The number of fledglings produced from a nest was significantly positively associated with the number of sires of the brood. Fewer offspring apparently starved in broods that were multiply sired, yet males did not provide courtship feedings during either within-pair or extra-pair copulations, nor was any paternal care provided to young sired through extra-pair matings. The frequency of infertile eggs was low (< 1%); in those instances of infertile eggs the territory owner sired some young in the same nest or another nest on his territory. Fewer broods were a mixture of within-pair and extra-pair paternity than expected by chance. Clear evidence implicating a mixed strategy on the part of females could not be gathered. Because females behaved variably and because not all costs and benefits to females of extra-pair copulations could be measured, it remains possible that female behavior patterns are either (1) part of a mixed strategy, or (2) part of a strategy minimizing the costs of copulation.
Redefining computer literacy in the age of ubiquitous computing

Most computer literacy courses encountered by college students in a non-technical major encompass a foundation set of computing skills including efficient use of word processing, spreadsheet, database, and presentation software. Yet current college graduates are facing fresh challenges as end-users in a work force transformed by legislation that is revolutionizing digital data communication, by nearly boundary-less computer systems that include mobile and static devices, and by employer expectations for safeguarding critical data resources. For example, data privacy legislation affects all end-users of computer systems in the workplace. As employees, new graduates will have access to critical data to perform their jobs, yet they could be the weakest link in an otherwise effectively secure computer system, primarily because of inadequate education, negligence, and inexperience. Technical and mathematical computer security has progressed substantially in the last few years, but new graduates are typically lacking in the knowledge of computer security as a fundamental component of their workplace roles. This paper proposes a computer literacy course content and structure that incorporates substantial practice in end-user computer security.
Design and implementation of computer games: a capstone course for undergraduate computer science education

This paper presents a course in the design and implementation of computer games, offered as an upper-division computer science course at Colby College during the winter semester, 1999. The paper describes the material, topics, and projects included in the course. More generally, I argue that this course provides an ideal environment for students to integrate a wide base of computer knowledge and skills. The paper supports this argument by presenting the variety of computer science concepts covered in the course, as well as pointing out potential areas of variation in future courses, depending on the tastes and priorities of the instructor.
Multiple Ionic Mechanisms Activated by Bradykinin in Coronary Venular Endothelial Cells

In coronary endothelium, bradykinin (BK) modulates production of vasodilators by stimulating Ca2+ influx. To examine the ionic currents involved in this process, we applied BK (100 nM) to single bovine coronary venular endothelial cells (CVEC) while recording membrane potential (Em) or whole-cell current simultaneously with [Ca2+]i. The resting potential (Er) of unstimulated cells was bimodally distributed (-70 ± 9 mV, n = 26; -15 ± 8 mV, n = 30). Irrespective of Er, BK evoked a biphasic [Ca2+]i increase simultaneously with a change in Em. When Er was negative to -30 mV, depolarizations were typically observed. When Er was positive to -30 mV, transient hyperpolarizations were typically observed. Under voltage clamp, [Ca2+], increased as the membrane hyperpolarized and the ratio Δ[Ca2+]i/ΔEm was greater in the presence of BK than in unstimulated cells. Many, but not all, cells exhibited an outward K+ current that appeared to be Ca2+ dependent. When present, this current typically predominated over other cu...
ANALYTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR EXPANDING FIREBALLS

Many models of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) as well as of soft gamma repeaters (SGRs) involve a fireball — an optically thick concentration of radiation energy with a high ratio of energy density to rest mass. We study the asymptotic behavior of an ultrarelativistic fireball consisting of electron-positron pairs and photons. We show that in the ultrarelativistic limit, after photons decouple from the pairs, the photon distribution function remains a blackbody spectrum in some appropriate Lorentz frame, allowing us to define an effective Lorentz factor and temperature for the photon gas. We also study the freezing out of electron-positron pairs and their asymptotic Lorentz factor γ∞. The dependence of these quantities on initial conditions can be described by simple scaling laws. We apply our results to SGR 1806-20 and find that the energy carried by electron-positron pairs is higher than calculated by former estimates, but is still an order of magnitude short of the minimum energy required to produce the observed afterglow. A viable solution of the energy budget is that the fireball is loaded by baryons or electromagnetic flux.
Quantifying inorganic sources of geochemical energy in hydrothermal ecosystems, Yellowstone National Park, USA

Abstract Combining analytical data from hot spring samples with thermodynamic calculations permits a quantitative assessment of the availability and ranking of various potential sources of inorganic chemical energy that may support microbial life in hydrothermal ecosystems. Yellowstone hot springs of diverse geochemical composition, ranging in pH from 9 were chosen for this study, and dozens of samples were collected during three field seasons. Field measurements of dissolved oxygen, nitrate, nitrite, total ammonia, total sulfide, alkalinity, and ferrous iron were combined with laboratory analyses of sulfate and other major ions from water samples, and carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide in gas samples to evaluate activity products for ∼300 coupled oxidation–reduction reactions. Comparison of activity products and independently calculated equilibrium constants leads to values of the chemical affinity for each of the reactions, which quantifies how far each reaction is from equilibrium. Affinities, in turn, show systematic behavior that is independent of temperature but can be correlated with pH of the hot springs as a proxy for the full spectrum of geochemical variability. Many affinities are slightly to somewhat dependent on pH, while others are dramatically influenced by changes in chemical composition. All reactions involving dissolved oxygen as the electron acceptor are potential energy sources in all hot spring samples collected, but the ranking of dominant electron donors changes from ferrous iron, and sulfur at high pH to carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and magnetite as pH decreases. There is a general trend of decreasing energy yields depending on electron acceptors that follows the sequence: O 2 (aq) > NO 3 − ≈ NO 2 − ≈ S > pyrite ≈ SO 4 −2 ≈ CO(g) ≈ CO 2 (g) at high pH, and O 2 (aq) ≈ magnetite > hematite ≈ goethite > NO 3 − ≈ NO 2 − ≈ S ≈ pyrite ≈ SO 4 −2 at low pH. Many reactions that are favorable sources of chemical energy at one set of geochemical conditions fail to provide energy at other conditions, and vice versa . This results in energy profiles supplied by geochemical processes that provide fundamentally different foundations for chemotrophic microbial communities as composition changes.
PWR annulus thermal hydraulics important to analysis of pressurized thermal shock

Abstract Analysis of plume mixing in the annulus of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) are presented. The plume mixing analysis is based on a simple two-dimensional model that accounts for the surrounding flow and confinement. A correlation for entrainment is presented and comparison with experiment is made. Mixed convection resulting from downflow between parallel heated plates is studied experimentally. The experimental system used to obtain the data is described with the scaling rationale for choosing the working fluid. Heat transfer results are presented in terms of a Nusselt number and a correlation is given. Results show an enhancement in heat transfer with increasing Gr Dh /Re Dh 2 due to an increase in turbulence intensity associated with the buoyant wall layer. The correlation obtained for Gr Dh /Re Dh 2 was found to be Nu Dh /Nu Dh,0 = 1 + 2.93 (Gr Dh /Re Dh 2 ) 0.54 , where where Nu Dh,0 is given by the Dittus-Boelter correlation. Use of this correlation for Gr Dh /Re Dh 2 > 2.29 is not recommended due to an observed flow bifurcation in this neighborhood.
Peptide-binding motifs for the I-Ad MHC class II molecule: alternate pH-dependent binding behavior.

The ability of peptides to form stable complexes with MHC class II molecules expressed in the host determines their ability to recruit CD4 T cells during an immune response. In this study, we sought to define the features of the antigenic peptides that control their kinetic stability with I-A d because of the diversity of peptides that this molecule is known to present. Peptide dissociation assays indicated that each pocket of I-A d displays exquisite sensitivity to side chain structure, size, and charge. Most surprising were results related to the P1 pocket, which has been difficult to define by conventional competition assays. Our studies revealed a considerable degree of specificity in the P1 pocket but also an unexpected degree of structural flexibility. Amino acids with neutral side chains such as Met and the alternatively negatively charged Glu are both highly favored at P1. Interestingly, these two options at the P1 pocket in I-A d display dramatically different pH-dependent interactions with the class II molecule. These findings are discussed in the context of a structural model to explain these data and in light of the immunological implications of pH-dependent behavior of class II-peptide complexes in acidic endosomal compartments, where DM-catalyzed loading of class II molecules takes place, and at the neutral pH of the APC cell surface, where class II-peptide complexes promote activation of CD4 T cells.
Wave Instability of Natural Convection Flow on Inclined Surfaces

Wave instability of nautral convection boundary layer flow adjacent to inclined surfaces is analyzed by a linear theory. The effects of the nonparallelism of the main flow and thermal fields are taken into account in the analysis. Neutral stability results for Prandtl numbers of 0.7 and 7.0 are presented for upward-facing heated surfaces, for angles of inclination ranging from 0 to 90 deg. These results are compared with available analytical wave instability results for small angles of inclination. They are also compared with analytical vortex instability results and with available experimental data.
Cell division: Why daughters cannot be like their mothers

A cell-fate determinant that segregates asymmetrically at cell division has been identified in budding yeast. Possible mechanisms for this asymmetric segregation are suggested by the identification of mutants in genes encoding cortically localized proteins.
The protective effects of religiosity on maladjustment among maltreated and nonmaltreated children.

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the role of child religiosity in the development of maladaptation among maltreated children.
The differential inactivation of reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide oxidase and of succinate oxidase by freezing

Abstract 1. 1. Freezing the Keilin-Hartree heart muscle preparation in an ice-salt mixture for 2 h inactivates NADH oxidase (NADH:OO 2 oxidoreductase) activity more than succinate oxidase (succinate: O 2 oxidoreductase). This treatment also inactivates cytochrome c oxidase (cytochrome c : O 2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.9.3.1). 2. 2. The inactivation is correlated with the lenght of time that the preparation is frozen rather than with the act of freezing. The decrease in O 2 uptake can be prevented if the suspension contains a certain minimal concentration of additional solute. 3. 3. The succinate oxidase activity can be fully restored by the addition of soluble cytochrome c ; however, the NADH oxidase is not restored. 4. 4. Differences in the NADH to cytochrome c and the succinate to cytochrome c segments of the respiratory chain are discussed.
Joint Modeling of Longitudinal Data in Multiple Behavioral Change

Multiple behavioral change is an exciting and evolving research area, albeit one that presents analytic challenges to investigators. This manuscript considers the problem of modeling jointly trajectories for two or more possibly non-normally distributed dependent variables, such as marijuana smoking and risky sexual activity, collected longitudinally. Of particular scientific interest is applying such modeling to elucidate the nature of the interaction, if any, between an intervention and personal characteristics, such as sensation seeking and impulsivity. The authors describe three analytic approaches: generalized linear mixed modeling, group-based trajectory modeling, and latent growth curve modeling. In particular, the authors identify identify the strengths and weaknesses of these analytic approaches and assess their impact (or lack thereof) on the psychological and behavioral science literature. The authors also compare what investigators have been doing analytically versus what they might want to be doing in the future and discuss the implications for basic and translational research.
RULE OF LAW AND BALANCE OF POWER IN CLASSICAL ISLAM

Abstract (This article is excerpted by permission from: Noah Feldman, The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008), 19–35.) Many factors contributed to the rise of Islamic political views over the last quarter century, and the movement's central goal is the restoration of the shari'a to its central role in Islamic society. This legal system developed over time. A self-regulating community of scholars had exclusive rights to explicate law, allowing them to subtly check a ruler's power. With uncertain rules of succession, rulers upheld divine law in exchange for the legitimacy conferred by scholars.
The Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 Single-strand DNA-binding Protein (ICP8) Promotes Strand Invasion

ICP8, the herpes simplex virus type-1 single-strand DNA-binding protein, was recently shown to promote strand exchange in conjunction with the viral replicative helicase (Nimonkar, A. V., and Boehmer, P. E. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 15182–15189). Here we show that ICP8 also catalyzes strand invasion in an ATP-independent manner. Thus, ICP8 promotes the assimilation of a single-stranded donor molecule into a homologous plasmid, resulting in the formation of a displacement loop. Invasion of a homologous duplex by single-stranded DNA requires homology at either 3′ or 5′ end of the invading strand. The reaction is dependent on the free energy of supercoiling and alters the topology of the acceptor plasmid. Hence, strand invasion products formed by ICP8 are resistant to the action of restriction endonucleases that cleave outside of the area of pairing. The ability to catalyze strand invasion is a novel activity of ICP8 and the first demonstration of a eukaryotic viral single-strand DNA-binding protein to promote this reaction. In this regard ICP8 is functionally similar to the prototypical prokaryotic recombinase RecA and its eukaryotic homologs. This strand invasion activity of ICP8 coupled with DNA synthesis may explain the high prevalence of branched DNA structures during viral replication.
Forty Years with Moses

Noting that he has been in academia for 40 years, the author likens his experience to that of being among the group that emigrated from Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron and wandered in the desert for 40 years. The biblical story is used to identify the various problems that one is likely to confront under the leadership of contemporary versions of Moses and Aaron. Survival strategies are also proposed for those who find themselves in this predicament.
Emerging ocean issues

Seven topics have been identified by the topics committee of the Year of the Ocean as focal points of discussions as part of the Year of the Ocean celebration. The Year of the Ocean (Eos, June 19, 1984, p. 402, and April 24, 1984, p. 326) is a year-long commemoration and celebration, begun on July 1, of the oceans. The commemoration has been endorsed by Congress and by President Ronald Reagan. The topics committee is composed of nearly 20 representatives from government, industry, and academia. Thomas Maginnis, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's office of policy and planning, is the chairman of the topics committee.
A Simple Level Set Method for Solving Stefan Problems

A simple level set method for solving Stefan problems is presented. This method can be applied to problems involving dendritic solidification. Our method consists of an implicit finite difference scheme for solving the heat equation and a level set approach for capturing the front between solid and liquid phases of a pure substance. Our method is accurate with respect to some exact solutions of the Stefan problem. Results indicate that this method can handle topology changes and complicated interfacial shapes and that it can numerically simulate many of the physical features of dendritic solidification.
Final Consonant Deletion in African American Children Speaking Black English

The purpose of this study was to determine whether African American children who delete final consonants mark the presence of those consonants in a manner that might be overlooked in a typical spee...
Giant Cell Myocarditis: Most Fatal of Autoimmune Diseases

Abstract Objective: To increase awareness of giant cell myocarditis (GCM), its pathogenesis, and treatment. Methods: Review of relevant publications from the English-language literature. Results: GCM is a rare, frequently fatal inflammatory disorder of cardiac muscle of unknown origin, characterized by widespread degeneration and necrosis of myocardial fibers. Congestive heart failure and ventricular tachycardia are common clinical manifestations. GCM occurs primarily in previously healthy adults, although it is frequently associated with various systemic diseases, primarily of autoimmune causes. The inflammatory infiltrate is characterized by the presence of multinucleated giant cells and is distinct from cardiac sarcoidosis. Animal models of GCM are similar to models of other autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. The prognosis, which is poor despite partial responsiveness to immunosuppressive medications, is improved with cardiac transplantation. Conclusions: The clinical and immunopathogenetic similarities with classical rheumatologic diseases, the differential diagnosis with sarcoidosis and other inflammatory conditions, and the use of standard immunosuppressive medications make GCM a disease process that should be added to the rheumatologist's expertise. Semin Arthritis Rheum 30:1-16. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company
Design and calibration of the fast ion diagnostic experiment detector on the poloidal divertor experiment

A special purpose charge‐exchange analyzer was constructed to measure the spatial distribution of hot‐plasma ions, as a function of energy and time, in the poloidal divertor experiment (PDX). The fast neutrals produced by charge exchange within the tokamak are reionized as they pass through a helium stripping cell in the detector. The energies of these ions are determined by the trajectories they follow between cylindrical deflection plates which are set at known electrostatic potentials. We describe the technique used to calibrate the response of this system as it depends on the energies and the masses of the particles which are being detected.
Influence of methoprene on the age-related mating propensity of males of the oriental fruit fly and the Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae).

The application of juvenile hormone (or chemical analogs, such as methoprene) to newly emerged adult male fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) represents a promising method to improve the efficiency of the Sterile Insect Technique against economically important species. This procedure has been shown to accelerate male sexual maturity in species with a long pre-copulatory period, and could allow for release of sterile males at younger ages and a greater release rate of sterile males overall. Topical application of methoprene has been shown to enhance male mating competitiveness. The present study investigated the effect of methoprene on maturation speed in males of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (a ‘slow’ maturing species) and the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (a ‘fast’ maturing species). For both species, newly emerged males were treated with acetone containing methoprene (treated) or acetone alone (control). The mating propensity of males was then monitored in non-competitive environments with mature females. Contrary to other studies, we found no evidence that methoprene accelerated male sexual activity in either a wild-like or mass-reared strain of B. dorsalis or a mass-reared (genetic sexing strain) of C. capitata. Possible explanations for these results are discussed.
Synthesis and Thermal Chemistry of Copper (I) Guanidinates

Copper (I) guanidinate dimers were generated by a salt metathesis route and structurally characterized. The guanidinates differed from the known amidinate dimers because of a large torsion of the dimer ring. This had a direct effect on their thermal chemistry. The thermal reactivity was investigated by several methods, including a novel temperature-resolved, gas-phase method that was monitored by mass spectrometry. The copper guanidinates underwent carbodiimide deinsertion to produce copper metal at temperatures between 225 -and 250 degrees C in the gas phase and at 125 degrees C in solution. The amidinate investigated also showed copper deposition at 190 degrees C in the gas phase, and 135 degrees C in solution, but without carbodiimide deinsertion. The guanidinate compounds deposited crystalline copper at 225 degrees C in a simple chemical vapor deposition experiment.
Influence of a dual-injection regimen, plerixafor and CXCR4 on in utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and engraftment with use of the sheep model.

Abstract Background aims Inadequate engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) after in utero HSC transplantation (IUHSCT) remains a major obstacle for the prenatal correction of numerous hereditary disorders. HSCs express CXCR4 receptors that allow homing and engraftment in response to stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) ligand present in the bone marrow stromal niche. Plerixafor, a mobilization drug, works through the interruption of the CXCR4-SDF-1 axis. Methods We used the fetal sheep large-animal model to test our hypotheses that (i) by administering plerixafor in utero before performing IUHSCT to release fetal HSCs and thus vacating recipient HSC niches, (ii) by using human mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) to immunomodulate and humanize the fetal BM niches and (iii) by increasing the CXCR4 + fraction of CD34 + HSCs, we could improve engraftment. Human cord blood-derived CD34 + cells and human bone marrow-derived MSCs were used for these studies. Results When MSCs were transplanted 1 week before CD34 + cells with plerixafor treatment, we observed 2.80% donor hematopoietic engraftment. Combination of this regimen with additional CD34 + cells at the time of MSC infusion increased engraftment levels to 8.77%. Next, increasing the fraction of CXCR4 + cells in the CD34 + population albeit transplanting at a late gestation age was not beneficial. Our results show engraftment of both lymphoid and myeloid lineages. Conclusions Prior MSC and HSC cotransplantation followed by manipulation of the CXCR4–SDF-1 axis in IUHSCT provides an innovative conceptual approach for conferring competitive advantage to donor HSCs. Our novel approach could provide a clinically relevant approach for enhancing engraftment early in the fetus.
Hierarchical Topic Modeling for Analysis of Time-Evolving Personal Choices

The nested Chinese restaurant process is extended to design a nonparametric topic-model tree for representation of human choices. Each tree path corresponds to a type of person, and each node (topic) has a corresponding probability vector over items that may be selected. The observed data are assumed to have associated temporal covariates (corresponding to the time at which choices are made), and we wish to impose that with increasing time it is more probable that topics deeper in the tree are utilized. This structure is imposed by developing a new "change point" stick-breaking model that is coupled with a Poisson and product-of-gammas construction. To share topics across the tree nodes, topic distributions are drawn from a Dirichlet process. As a demonstration of this concept, we analyze real data on course selections of undergraduate students at Duke University, with the goal of uncovering and concisely representing structure in the curriculum and in the characteristics of the student body.
CD44, α4 integrin, and fucoidin receptor‐mediated phagocytosis of apoptotic leukocytes

Various types of phagocytes mediate the clearance of apoptotic cells. We previously reported that human and murine high endothelial venule (HEV) cells ingest apoptotic cells. In this report, we examined endothelial cell fucoidin receptor-mediated phagocytosis using a murine endothelial cell model mHEV. mHEV cell recognition of apoptotic leukocytes was blocked by fucoidin but not by other phagocytic receptor inhibitors such as mannose, fucose, N-acetylglucosamine, phosphatidylserine (PS), or blocking anti-PS receptor antibodies. Thus, the mHEV cells used fucoidin receptors for recognition and phagocytosis of apoptotic leukocytes. The fucoidin receptor-mediated endothelial cell phagocytosis was specific for apoptotic leukocytes, as necrotic cells were not ingested. This is in contrast to macrophages, which ingest apoptotic and necrotic cells. Endothelial cell phagocytosis of apoptotic cells did not alter viable lymphocyte migration across these endothelial cells. Antibody blocking of CD44 and alpha4 integrin on the apoptotic leukocyte inhibited this endothelial cell phagocytosis, suggesting a novel function for these adhesion molecules in the removal of apoptotic targets. The removal of apoptotic leukocytes by endothelial cells may protect the microvasculature, thus ensuring that viable lymphocytes can successfully migrate into tissues.
Lymphedema: classification, diagnosis and therapy:

This review presents the diagnostic features, the pathophysiology and the available therapies for lymphedema. This disease is often able to be diagnosed by its characteristic clinic- cal presentation, yet, in some cases, ancillary tests might be necessary to establish the diag- nosis, particularly in the early stages of the disease and in edemas of mixed etiology. These diagnostic modalities are also useful in clinical studies. Available modalities include isotopic lymphoscintigraphy, indirect and direct lymphography, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and ultrasonography. Lymphedema may be primary or secondary to the presence of other diseases and/or to the consequences of sur- gery. Primary lymphedema may occur at any phase of life but it most commonly appears at puberty. Secondary lymphedema is encountered more often. The most prevalent worldwide cause of lymphedema is filariasis, which is particularly common in south-east Asia. In the USA, postsurgical lymphedema of the extremity prevails. Complications of chronic limb lymphedema include recurrent cellulitis and lymphangiosarcoma. Most patients are treated conservatively, by means of various forms of compression therapy, including complex physical therapy, pneumatic pumps and compressive garments. Volume reducing surgery is performed rarely. Lymphatic microsurgery is still in an experimental stage, although a few centers consistently report favorable outcomes.
Transformation in Tetrahymena thermophila. Development of an inducible phenotype.

Abstract Tetrahymena thermophila transforms from a pyriform-shaped trophic form to an elongate rapidly swimming, dispersal form under the appropriate conditions of starvation [Nelsen, E. M., and DeBault, L. E. (1978). J. Protozool. 25, 113–119] . The development and control of the dispersal phenotype are examined. After an initial starvation period, the cell replaces its oral structures. During oral replacement, a caudal cilium emerges at the posterior end of the cell. As oral replacement is completed, the cell becomes spindle shaped and the newly-formed oral membranelles are positioned beneath the surface of the cell with somatic ciliary rows exterior to them. The spindle-shaped cell then elongates to become the dispersal form. While the cell is developing the new oral structures, it is also drastically increasing its numbers of somatic basal bodies and cilia. The events in the transformation pathway may be arrested or reversed by feeding the cell, except that once oral replacement has begun, it is completed along with an associated streamlining of the cell. Refed cells revert to the normal vegetative phenotype, except that some shape changes persist for several hours, suggesting that they are compatible with, but independent of, growth. Blockage of protein synthesis with cycloheximide prevents all changes associated with transformation, including the shape changes and elongation of the caudal cilium. The relation between transformation and conjugation has also been examined. Less transformation takes place when mating is possible, but transformed cells may also mate.
Dependence of the excitation wavelength on the Raman-active phonons of YBa2Cu3O7: Search for Landau damping in single-domain crystals

Abstract In single-domain crystals of YBa2Cu3O7, we examine the dependence of phonon linewidth on wavevector by varying the wavelength of the exciting laser. In three crystals, we find the linewidths of the Raman-active phonons at 120 and 150 cm−1 to be nearly invariant for excitation wavelengths between 647 and 413 nm. That is, we find no broadening of the phonon linewidths with increasing phonon wavevector (decreasing excitation wavelength), and thus no evidence of Landau damping in our crystals. In addition, the correlation between the intensity of the chain-related Raman feature at ≈232 cm−1 and the temperature dependence of the B1g-like phonon at 340 cm−1 has been investigated. In all three crystals, we find a net sharpening of the 340 cm−1 phonon below Tcand essentially no intensity for the ≈232 cm−1 mode under resonance conditions.
Opposing Functions of the Ets Factors NERF and ELF-1 During Chicken Blood Vessel Development

Objective — The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of the Ets factor NERF in the regulation of the Tie1 and Tie2 genes during chicken blood vessel development. Methods and Results — We have isolated the full-length cDNA for the chicken homologue of the human Ets factor NERF2 (cNERF2). Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization demonstrate that cNERF2 is enriched in the developing blood vessels of the chicken chorioallantoic membrane. Interestingly, cNERF2 functions as a competitive inhibitor of a highly related Ets factor cELF-1, which we have previously shown to be enriched in chicken blood vessel development. Although in vitro–translated cELF-1 and cNERF2 can bind equally well to conserved Ets binding sites in the promoters of the Tie1 and Tie2 genes, cELF-1 preferentially binds to the Ets sites in these promoters during early stages of chicken blood vessel development, suggesting that cNERF may bind during later stages of blood vessel development and vascular remodeling. Conclusions — cNERF2 is enriched during embryonic and extraembryonic blood vessel development in the chicken and facilitates tight control of Tie1 and Tie2 gene regulation.
Approximate maximum likelihood parameter estimates for stochastic distributed parameter systems

We describe a fast method to calculate maximum likelihood parameter estimates for stochastic distributed parameter systems from sampled data. We characterize the observations by an approximate one step predictor that uses a fixed number of past observations, and its error co-variance. From these we calculate the log-likelihood functional, and find the estimate by iterative search. Estimators for an integral equation and two heat equations driven by white noise are derived and simulated.
Neuroimaging, Gut Peptides and Obesity: Novel Studies of the Neurobiology of Appetite

Two major biological players in the regulation of body weight are the gut and the brain. Peptides released from the gut convey information about energy needs to areas of the brain involved in homeostatic control of food intake. There is emerging evidence that human food intake is also under the control of cortical and subcortical areas related to reward and cognition. The extent to which gut hormones influence these brain areas is not fully understood. Novel methods combining the study of neural activity and hormonal signalling promise to advance our understanding of gut-brain interactions. Here, we review a growing number of animal and human studies using neuroimaging methods (functional magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography) to measure brain activation in relation to nutrient loads and infusion of gut peptides. Implications for current and future pharmacological treatments for obesity are discussed.
Mott Insulating Ground State on a Triangular Surface Lattice

Momentum-resolved direct and inverse photoemission spectra of the $\mathrm{K}/\mathrm{Si}\left(111\right)\ensuremath{-}(\sqrt{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{3})R30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{B}$ interface reveals the presence of strongly localized surface states. The K overlayer remains nonmetallic up to the saturation coverage. This system most likely presents the first experimental realization of a frustrated spin $1/2$ Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a two-dimensional triangular lattice.
Expanders, randomness, or time versus space

Let EH be the hypothesis that a certain type of expander graph has an explicit construction. Let io-SPACE(T(n)) be the class of problems solvable by algorithms which for infinitely many inputs use at most space t(n). Then the following holds:
Hypertext laboratory assistant

The authors chronicle the development of a software tool that uses hypermedia techniques to enhance the educational experience in undergraduate electrical and electronic circuits laboratory courses. The Hypermedia Laboratory Assistant addresses the described pedagogical problem by allowing the student to query a database that contains the text and graphics pertinent to electrical engineering laboratory procedure. If this database contains the appropriate information, and if it allows the student to explore it in the manner most consistent with her/his learning style, it will reduce both student down-time and instructor pressure. A description of a plan for continued development and implementation is also presented. >
A method for analyzing how various parts of clouds influence each other's brightness

This paper proposes a method for obtaining new information on 3D radiative effects that arise from horizontal radiative interactions in heterogeneous clouds. Unlike current radiative transfer models, it can not only calculate how 3D effects change radiative quantities at any given point, but can also determine which areas contribute to these 3D effects, to what degree, and through what mechanisms. After describing the proposed method, the paper illustrates its new capabilities both for detailed case studies and for the statistical processing of large datasets. Because the proposed method makes it possible, for the first time, to link a particular change in cloud properties to the resulting 3D effect, in future studies it can be used to develop new radiative transfer parameterizations that would consider 3D effects in practical applications currently limited to 1D theory-such as remote sensing of cloud properties and dynamical cloud modeling.
The Geopolitics of Terrorism: A Commentary on Flint and Radil's Approach

An American political geographer and prominent specialist in electoral geography presents a measured and informative critique of the preceding paper by Colin Flint and Steven M. Radil (2009) on "Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism: Situating al-Qaeda and the Global War on Terror within Geopolitical Trends and Structures." Among the issues explored are the extent to which the observed patterns of terrorism might differ depending on whether "international" or "domestic" incidents are the focus of attention, and whether fatalities associated with incidents might prove a better metric of terrorism's psychological impact than per capita incident frequency alone. A deeper issue debated in the critique involves the thorny question of whether a singular focus on relative economic deprivation (and on its variations between countries rather than also within countries) offers an adequate explanation for the incidence of terrorism given the complexity of cultural (including ethnicity and religion), social, economic, and ...
Investigating the Relationship of Library Usage to Student Outcomes

This study connects library user surveys, a common library assessment technique, to institutional data to demonstrate the value an academic library brings to student learning and student outcomes. Using regression techniques, the study identifies multiple significant correlations, both positive and negative, between student use of the library and student learning and outcomes as measured by retention, graduation, and grade point average (GPA). The library factors associated with student outcomes change over the course of the four-year undergraduate experience. Methods used in this study could be a model for other institutions seeking a means for assessing the library’s relationship to student learning and outcomes.
Introducing Reality Play Therapy: Reactions and Perceptions From Elementary School Counselors

Many elementary school students lack school relationships required for positive personal, social, and academic interactions. Reality therapy and play therapy both seek to address these relationships through developmentally appropriate and effective interventions. Integrating these 2 approaches has the potential for elementary school counselors to provide students with opportunities to create positive relationships and develop problem-solving skills. In this study, 8 school counselors participated in a series of trainings introducing reality play-therapy techniques to assess this potential. A thematic analysis conducted on feedback sessions following the trainings yielded themes related to the participants’ positive perceptions to the training and possible application.
Acoustical detection of Aedes taeniorhynchus swarms and emergence exoduses in remote salt marshes.

Swarms and emergence exoduses of Aedes taeniorhynchus mosquitoes produce sounds detectable from 10 to 50 m in a quiet environment. Background noise levels as low as 21 dB (decibels referenced to 20 μPa) are present at dusk between frequencies of 0.3 and 3.4 kHz. A mosquito swarm with a sound pressure level of 25-35 dB is detectable over tens of meters in the marsh, if not in the 40-60-dB background noise of a typical urban environment. Individually caged Ae. taeniorhynchus also aredetectable, but only within 2-5-cm distances where the sound pressure level rises to 22-25 dB. These differences between signal and noise levels indicate that it is technologically feasible to construct an acoustical device for remote surveillance of large swarms or emergence exoduses of Ae. taeniorhynchus
Temperament of asthmatic children. A preliminary study.

The temperamental profile of a group of 12 asthmatic children between 3 and 7 years of age was compared to those of two comparison groups, each consisting of 12 normal well children and 12 children of the same age range with chronic eczema, allergic rhinitis, or both, but without asthma. The children with asthma differed significantly from the comparison groups in their temperamental profile, which was characterized by lower rhythmicity (regularity), lower adaptability, lower intensity of reaction, lower mood value, and lower persistence. The results indicate the need for further longitudinal studies of large populations of children with asthma to explore the implications and behavioral consequences of “the asthma temperament” and its interaction with other developmental factors.
Summer habitat ecology of Northern Spotted Owls in northwestern California

We studied the summer habitat ecology of 12 Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) in two areas of northwestern California. Spotted Owls used mature or old-growth conifer forests significantly more than expected relative to their availability within their home ranges. In contrast, Spotted Owls used forests of intermediate and young age significantly less than expected relative to their availability within their home ranges. Eighty four percent of 616 Spotted Owl radiotelemetry locations were recorded in mature or old-growth forests. Spotted Owls used forests of complex structure and old age. There were significant differences in habitat structure (e.g., canopy closure, shrub cover, herb cover, old-growth conifer basal area, and hardwood tree density) among habitats used for frequent foraging, infrequent foraging, and roosting. In addition, male and female owls appeared to select habitats with different structure for foraging. Male owls which are smaller than female owls foraged in habitats which had higher tree density than female owls. The mean summer home-range size was 413 ha (SD = ?+196 ha) with males having smaller mean home-range size than females (338 ha and 538 ha, respectively).
RankingFuzzy Numbers with Goodness Criteria and Its Applications in Stock Performance Evaluation

This work summarizes some ranking methods for fuzzy numbers. A point view of reference system is proposed as a general way to establish ranking methods on sets of fuzzy numbers. Four goodness criteria of ranking methods are established, which can be applied further to decision-making on environment with uncertainty. The idea of ranking fuzzy numbers can also be used for ranking stock performance. As an application, a set of real NASDAQ data is adopted in an example to show the details of the ranking method by lexicography that is a reference system as well.
Pollution monitoring of foodborne pathogens in food of Yuecheng district,Shaoxing city

Objective:To study the pollution monitoring status of foodborne pathogens in food of Yuecheng district of Shaoxing city,discuss the cause of pathogenic bacteria pollution and predict the potential food poisoning,so as to provide basic data and scientific basis for foodborne disease control.Methods:According to the monitoring task of Zhejiang province,a total of 400 local samples in 10 kinds with timeliness and typical representative,were collected to carry out the detection of salmonella bacteria,listeria monocytogenes,enterohemorrhagic E.coli O157:H7,vibrio parahemolyticus,coliform groups and so on according to GB4789.Results:29 samples were found the above pathogenic bacteria among 400 samples.The total pathogenic bacteria detection rate was 7.25%.Conclusion:The pollution of foodborne pathogens is a potential risk factor for foodborne diseases,and it's better to analyse the reason and take targeted measures to improve the food security.
Care Versus Justice: Two Moral Perspectives in the Baby “M” Surrogacy Case

The late Lawrence Kohlberg of Harvard University advanced a universal theory of moral development in 1969. Carol Gilligan, a colleague, has challenged his theory by suggesting that women and men ma...
Readout electronics for Belle II imaging time of propagation detector

An electronic readout system for a novel 8192-channel Belle II imaging Time of Propagation detector was designed, built and integrated. The purpose of this Cerenkov detector is to identify charged hadrons with high precision. Sampling of the analog waveforms is achieved through switched-capacitor arrays, while data acquisition is done by Xilinx Zynq FPGAs.
Optical Somatic Cell Counting and Total Protein Analysis in a Dairy Herd Improvement Program1

Milk sample preparation for Optical Somatic Cell Counter II operation was simplified by using a diluter to add fixative, mix, and dilute samples. Potassium dichromate preservative tablets produced a mean increase of 7,000 in somatic cell counts in fresh milk. Samples held at 20-23 C beyond 2 days or at 4-7 C beyond 4 days showed a reduction in somatic cell count. The mean somatic cells in 3 Holstein herds tested over a 6-month period was 3.8 × 105/ml. A 22-month survey of 52.6 thousand Utah Dairy Herd Improvement samples which were shipped under ambient conditions and then held at 5 C until tested, indicated 75% below 400,000 and 2.7% above 1.6 million somatic cells/ml. Casein, noncasein protein, total protein, fat and milk weight data were also obtained on the three herds. Multiple correlations were obtained. The best correlations suggested that testing for total protein and somatic cells in a central laboratory would estimate casein and noncasein protein. Such tests are most valuable for the cheese industry.
A Decade of Analysis: Household Food Insecurity Among Low-Income Immigrant Children:

Our study advances literature on immigrant food insecurity by examining whether national-level differences in immigrant and nonimmigrant families’ risk of food insecurity persist across time and fo...