cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Promoter for the Ovine Follicle-Stimulating Hormone-β Gene (FSHβ) Confers FSHβ-Like Expression on Luciferase in Transgenic Mice: Regulatory Studies in Vivo and in Vitro

Transgenic mice harboring the ovine FSHβ (oFSHβ) promoter plus first intron (from −4741 to +759 bp) linked to a luciferase reporter gene (oFSHβLuc) were generated to determine whether this promoter can direct tissue-specific expression in vivo and serve as a model for studying hormonal regulation of the FSHβ gene. Of six lines of transgenic mice analyzed, luciferase was detected uniquely in the pituitaries of five of them. Pituitary luciferase activity was decreased 51–99% by chronic GnRH treatment (Lupron depot). Orchidectomy caused a 2- to 8-fold increase, and ovariectomy caused a 2- to 27-fold increase in pituitary luciferase activity. Furthermore, pituitary luciferase expression was consistently higher on estrus than on diestrus (3- to 20-fold). These data strongly suggested that the transgene was expressed specifically in pituitary gonadotropes and regulated in the same way as the endogenous mouse FSHβ gene. Using primary pituitary cell cultures prepared from these transgenic mice, basal luciferase e...
Seasonal variation in antarctic aerosol

Abstract Antarctic aerosols were sampled from the Clean Air Facility at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Continuous measurements of condensation nucleus concentration and aerosol volumetric light scattering were made throughout the 1978–1979 austral summer and 1979 winter. In addition, size distribution and chemical composition were determined from samples taken on Nuclepore filters by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy spectrometry. This investigation showed not only a regular seasonal variation in concentration, size distribution and chemical composition, but also revealed events lasting several days in which the Antarctic inversion “lid” over the clean winter surface air broke down to allow an invasion by sea salt aerosol from the coast.
Endocrine Treatment of Enuresis

ENURESIS in the child is a condition which may have organic or psychogenic factors as a cause. The organic cause may be purely local and may consist of some palpable physical irritating stimulus, such as inflammatory conditions in the genito-urinary tract. It may be of a general physical nature such as great debility from nutritional causes or following severe illnesses. There may be endocrine dysharmony with its influence on neuromuscular function. It may be entirely neurogenic due to organic dissase and dysfunction or aplasia either central or local, of nerve structures which innervate the bladder. The cause may be entirely psychogenic. The hypersensitive neurolabile child with great neuro-instability or the psychopathic child with behavior complexes presents this type of case. Many believe that this type of etiology is predominant in all enuretics. The enuretic is an individual whose neuro-muscular micturition mechanism is not normally stabilized. Many factors which do not affect the normal child act a...
Modeling 3D scenes from video

We present a technique to obtain texture mapped models of real scenes with a high degree of automation using only a video camera and an overhead projector. The user makes two passes with a hand-held video camera. For the first pass the scene is under natural illumination, and a structure-frommotion technique recovers coarse scene geometry and textures. For the second pass a grid of lines is projected onto the scene which allows us to acquire dense geometric information. The information from both passes is automatically combined and a final model consisting of the dense geometry of the scene and a properly registered texture is created.
Direct observation of gold nanoparticle assemblies with the porin MspA on mica

The octameric porin MspA from Mycobacterium smegmatis is sufficiently stable to form a nonmembrane-supported stand-alone porin on mica surfaces. About 98% of all MspA octamers were found to stand upright on mica, with their periplasmic loop regions bound to the hydrophilic mica surface. Both, small (d = 3.7 nm) and large (d = 17 nm) gold nanoparticles bind to MspA, however, in different positions: small gold nanoparticles bind within the MspA pore, whereas the large gold nanoparticles bind to the upper region of MspA. These experiments demonstrate that gold nanoparticles can be positioned at different, well-defined distances from the underlying surface using the MspA pore as a template. These findings represent a significant step toward the use of electrically insulating stable proteins in combination with metal nanoparticles in nanodevices.
Negative Attitudes toward minimalistic Robots with intragroup communication styles

With robots becoming more prevalent in daily life, it is important to understand human attitudes toward robots not only when humans interact with them directly, as most research examines, but also when people are indirectly exposed to robots performing nonsocial tasks (e.g., cleaning) in their vicinity. Because minimalistic robots are at present more likely to be found in households than human-like robots, this study examined human reactions to nonsocial, nonanthropomorphic robots. The specific focus of this study was on how robot communication style during human-robot co-location affects human perceptions of a group of robots. This paper also evaluates the relationship between participants' scores on the Negative Attitudes toward Robots Scale (NARS) and their behavioral response to and perceptions of robots in their environment. Our results suggest that robot communication style did not affect perceptions of robots and that responses on the NARS may not translate directly to behavior toward robots.
Integrated optic devices using micromachined metal membranes

Metal membranes fabricated using a surface micromachining process can be integrated with passive optical waveguides on silicon substrates to form active devices. Electrostatic actuation of a membrane into contact with a waveguide alters both the real and imaginary parts of the propagation constant of the guided mode. This effect has been used to demonstrate both on-off and routing type integrated optic switches, and has potential application to other devices such as variable attenuators and tunable Bragg filters.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Principal Component Analysis, Classifier Complexity and Robustness of Sonographic Breast Lesion Classification

We investigated three classifiers for the task of distinguishing between benign and malignant breast lesions. Classification performance was measured in terms of area under the ROC curve (AUC value). We compared linear discriminant analysis (LDA), quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) and a Bayesian neural net (BNN) with 5 hidden units. For each lesion, 46 image features were extracted and principal component analysis (PCA) of these features was used as classifier input. For each classifier, the optimal number of principal components was determined by performing PCA within each step of a leave-one-case-out protocol for the training dataset (1125 lesions, 14% cancer prevalence) and determining which number of components maximized the AUC value. Subsequently, each classifier was trained on the training dataset and applied ‘cold turkey’ to an independent test set from a different population (341 lesions, 30% cancer prevalence). The optimal number of principal components for LDA was 24, accounting for 97% of the variance in the image features. For QDA and BNN, these numbers were 5 (70%) and 15 (93%), respectively. The LDA, QDA and BNN obtained AUC values of 0.88, 0.85, and 0.91, respectively, in the leave-one-case-out analysis. In the independent test – with AUCs of 0.88, 0.76, and 0.82 – only LDA achieved performance identical to that for the training set (lower bound of 95% non-inferiority interval -.0067), while the others performed significantly worse (p-values << 0.05). While the more complex BNN classifier outperformed the others in leave-one-case-out of a large dataset, LDA was the robust best-performer in an independent test.
Productivity and Performance Effects of Business Process Reengineering: A Firm-Level Analysis

We empirically investigate whether business process reengineering (BPR), which requires substantial investment in information technology to integrate separate tasks into complete cross-functional processes, is associated with enhanced firm productivity and performance. We analyze firm-level panel data covering the period 1987-2008 using fixed effects and first differencing, standard methods that account for unobservable firm-level effects. We find that return on assets drops significantly during the project initiation year. According to fixed effects results, the performance and productivity measures improve in a decreasing manner after project initiation, suggesting that BPR indeed positively affects firm performance on average. We also find that enterprise-wide BPR projects are associated with more negative returns during project initiation than functionally focused projects. However, there is no clear evidence regarding their superiority over functionally focused BPR projects in terms of performance improvements after project initiation, perhaps because grand projects are risky and sometimes lead to grand failures.
Rate measurements by the pulsed-accelerated-flow method.

A pulsed-accelerated-flow spectrophotometer with UV−visible capability is described that permits measurement of pseudo-first-order rate constants as large as 500 000 s-1 (t1/2 = 1.4 μs). Chemical r...
The Development of Coordinated Communication in Infants at Heightened Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study evaluated the extent to which developmental change in coordination of social communication in early infancy differentiates children eventually diagnosed with ASD from those not likely to develop the disorder. A prospective longitudinal design was used to compare nine infants at heightened risk for ASD (HR) later diagnosed with ASD, to 13 HR infants with language delay, 28 HR infants with no diagnosis, and 30 low risk infants. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses revealed that ASD infants exhibited significantly slower growth in coordinations overall and in gestures coordinated with vocalizations, even relative to HR infants with language delay. Disruption in the development of gesture-vocalization coordinations may result in negative cascading effects that adversely impact later social and linguistic development.
Potential-, pH-, and isotope-dependence of proton-coupled electron transfer of an osmium aquo complex attached to an electrode.

An osmium complex, [OsII(bpy)2(4-aminomethylpyridine)(H2O)]2+, is attached to a mixed self-assembled monolayer on a gold electrode. The complex exhibits 1-electron, 1-proton redox chemistry (OsIII(OH)/OsII(H2O)) at pHs and potentials that are experimentally accessible with gold electrodes in aqueous electrolytes. The thermodynamic behavior and kinetic behavior of the system are investigated as a function of pH in both H2O and D2O. The two formal potentials and two pKa values are relatively constant for two chain lengths in H2O and in D2O. The standard rate constants at all pHs are strongly and uniformly affected by chain length, indicating that electronic coupling is the dominant factor controlling the rate of electron transfer. In both H2O and D2O, the standard rate constant is weakly dependent on the pH, exhibiting a minimum value midway between the pKa values. The kinetic isotope effect is small; standard rate constants decrease by roughly a factor of 2 in D2O over a wide range of pHs, but not at the m...
Cultural diversity in pastoral care

Fukuyama and Sevig are counseling psychologists who have a particular interest in the integration of spirituality into multicultural counseling and training. In this article the authors address the complexity of integrating religious and cultural diversity and spirituality into chaplaincy care in the context of an increasingly diverse society. By posing a series of questions, the authors systematically clarify definitions and meanings of culture, spirituality, cultural diversity and multiculturalism, multicultural and spiritual competencies in counseling, and ethical considerations. The authors discuss clinical applications in the context of a "spirituality and health movement," and provide suggestions for continuing professional development. The authors support the notion that multicultural engagement is spiritually synergistic, and encourage health care providers to communicate across professional disciplines to broaden and enrich discourse on these topics.
Shifting Power, Commitment Problems, and Preventive War

Many scholars argue that leaders' expectations about future shifts in the distribution of power can result in preventive war. If a leader expects her adversary to be significantly stronger in the future, the leader may choose to go to war with that adversary rather than bargain with a stronger adversary in the future. However, quantitative evaluations of this argument prove difficult, as they require a measure of leaders' expectations about future shifts in power rather than simply a measure of observed power. In this paper, we develop an empirical model of future power to create this measure. We then use that measure to evaluate the preventive war hypothesis. Our results support the preventive war hypothesis. Increases in a state's expected future probability of winning in war increase its probability of another state in a dyadic relationship initiating war against it.
Martin D. Kamen: An Interview with a Nuclear and Biochemical Pioneer

Martin D. Kamen (born in Chicago on August 27, 1913), codiscoverer of carbon-14 and a Nobel Prize-caliber nuclear scientist and biochemist whose life is replete with triumph and tragedy, discusses his life, career, and views of science, education, and politics in this wide-ranging interview, which is prefaced with and followed by a brief summary of his life, including his education, work on the Manhattan Project, his unexplained dismissal from this classified war work, his ultimate vindication from unjustified accusations of disloyalty, and his “second career” in biochemistry.
Primary amyloidoma of the chest wall

Primary amyloidoma of the chest wall presents as an aggressive tumor that causes local destruction. It is best treated with wide local excision and reconstruction as required, which usually is curative. A search for occult systemic disease also is recommended.
Recombination And Dissociative Recombination Of H2+ And H3+ Ions On Surfaces With Application To Hydrogen Negative Ion Sources

A four-step model for recombination and dissociative recombination of H2+ and H3+ ions on metal surfaces is discussed. Vibrationally excited molecules, H2(v''), from H3+ recombination are produced in a broad spectrum that enhances the excited level distribution. The application of this latter process to hydrogen negative ion discharges is discussed.
The Electrical Cost Threshold As a Measure of Economic Viability for Combined Heating and Power Applications

ABSTRACT “Spark spread” refers to the difference between the cost of electricity and the cost of fuel on a per-MMBtu basis. This metric is often used when considering the economic feasibility of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems. A spark spread of at least $12 per MMBtu is considered the threshold for economic viability of CHP systems. However, this study shows that increases in the electric or fuel utility rates have an impact on the spark spread required to achieve economic viability of a CHP project. This challenges the paradigm that a single value for spark spread can be used as a “rule of thumb” for determining the economic viability of CHP projects. There are five factors that must be considered when using the spark spread threshold: (1) thermal energy cost, (2) thermal energy recovery efficiency, (3) generator heat rate, (4) installed equipment cost, and (5) desired payback. The combination of these values into an electrical cost threshold provides a more reliable indicator of the economic viab...
Proximal humeral fractures

Proximal humeral fractures may present with many different configurations in patients with varying co-morbities and expectations. As a result, the treating physician must understand the fracture pattern, the quality of the bone, other patient-related factors, and the expanding range of reconstructive options to achieve the best functional outcome and to minimize complications. Current treatment options range from non-operative treatment with physical therapy to fracture fixation using percutaneous or open techniques to arthroplasty reconstructions. This article reviews the current literature on the classification and treatment options for proximal humeral fractures, while seeking to help the reader to define the most appropriate treatment plan for each individual patient with this type of fracture.
Proteomic identification of galectin-3 binding ligands and characterization of galectin-3 proteolytic cleavage in human prostasomes.

Summary Galectin-3 is a multifunctional carbohydrate-binding protein that was previously characterized as a proteolytic substrate for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and was shown to be associated with prostasomes in human semen. Prostasomes are exosome-like vesicles that are secreted by the prostatic epithelium and have multiple proposed functions in normal reproduction and prostate cancer. In the current study, galectin-3 binding ligands in human prostasomes were identified and characterized with the goal to investigate galectin-3 function in prostasomes. Galectin-3 binding proteins were isolated by affinity column chromatography. Candidate ligands identified by MS/MS were PSA, prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), zinc alpha-2-glycoprotein (ZAG), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (CD26), aminopeptidase N (CD13), neprilysin, clusterin, antibacterial protein (FALL-39) and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (ORM1). Biochemical methods were used to characterize the ability of galectin-3 to bind to selected ligands, and galectin-3 cleavage assays were utilized to investigate the protease(s) in prostasomes that cleaves galectin-3. CD26, CD13, PSA, PAP and ZAG immunoreactivity were detected in extracts of purified prostasomes. One-dimensional electroblot analysis of prostasomes demonstrated that CD26, PAP and CD13 immunoreactivity co-migrated with galectin-3-reactive protein bands. PSA and ZAG were found to be associated with the surface of prostasomes. Both intact and cleaved galectin-3 were detected in prostate and prostasome extracts. Cleavage and inhibition assays indicated that PSA in prostasomes proteolytically cleaves galectin-3. The identification of these glycoproteins as galectin-3 ligands lays the groundwork for future studies of galectin-3 and prostasome function in reproduction and prostate cancer.
Impulse oscillometry provides an effective measure of lung dysfunction in 4-year-old children at risk for persistent asthma

Abstract Background: Objective lung function measurements are routinely used to diagnose and manage asthma, but their utility for young children has not been defined. Objective: Bronchodilator responses were measured by means of impulse oscillometry (IOS) and compared with conventional spirometry to determine the value of lung function measures in 4-year-old asthma-prone children. Methods: The study participants were in the Childhood Asthma Prevention Study (National Institute of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) and at risk for asthma. At age 4 years, concurrent asthma was determined by using a previously validated modified American Thoracic Society questionnaire. Children performed IOS and spirometry before and after albuterol administration and underwent skin prick testing to 13 common allergens to assess atopy. IOS measures were as follows: airways resistance at 5 Hz and 10 Hz, airways reactance at 5 Hz and 10 Hz, and resonant frequency. Results: Asthmatic patients versus nonasthmatic patients significantly differed in their IOS-assessed bronchodilator responses through Δ resistance at 5 Hz (medians, 27% vs 17%; P = .02) and Δ resistance at 10 Hz (24% vs 16%; P = .03). Because atopic children who have frequent wheezing are at risk for persistent asthma, the data were analyzed in regard to atopic patients with or without asthma. IOS strongly distinguished atopic asthmatic children through Δ resistance at 5 Hz (36% vs 13%, P = .007), Δ resistance at 10 Hz (25% vs 11%, P = .02), and Δ reactance at 10 Hz (47% vs 12%, P = .03). Conventional spirometry did not establish similar statistically significant findings. Conclusion: IOS bronchodilator responses are remarkably abnormal in 4-year-old children, who are most likely to have persistent asthma. IOS is a useful diagnostic tool in early asthma development and might be a helpful objective outcome measure of early interventions. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003;112:317-22.)
Seasonal responses of lentic midge assemblages to environmental gradients

We examined biotic and abiotic factors associated with density and diversity of larval midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) in the littoral zone of Par Pond, an 1100 ha cooling reservoir located near Aiken, South Carolina, USA. A total of 144 core samples were removed from 12 areas during each of 3 sample periods. Principal component analysis. Mantel analysis, and various univariate statistical tests were used to detect seasonal differences in (1) associations among areas and genera of Chironomidae, and (2) responses of midges to a multi-faceted environmental gradient. Water temperature, which in this case was a function of both season and thermal effluents, was the factor most strongly associated with relative changes in density and diversity within the chironomid assemblages. Plant biomass and/or plant diversity were significant factors correlated with midge density and diversity. Both particle size and organic content of the substratum, which varied little across stations, were relatively unimportant factors. Despite the presence of a multifaceted environmental gradient, the composition and relationships within the midge assemblages were remarkably similar across areas although total abundance and diversity varied. On the basis of their similarity in structure and function, we classify the midge assemblages within the reservoir as members of the same community. However, in response to dissimilar or unequal selective forces (principally the area-specific effects of thermal effluents), these assemblages appear to behave environmentally as multiple units rather than as a single component of the benthic community in Par Pond.
Shape, gravity, and the perception of the right angle

Past efforts to determine whether orientation-dependent sensitivity to right angles is due to retinal or environmental/gravitational frames of reference have produced conflicting conclusions. I attempt to show that the chief factor underlying this phenomenon is, rather, the shape of the object containing the angle. This shape mediates the typical orientation of the object in a ground- gravity context and the consequent force-structure of the incorporated angle-a force structure that is reflected in the percept.
Start-up and frequency stability in high-frequency oscillators

Start-up criteria in harmonic oscillators are explored. Conventional criteria for start-up prediction are shown to be necessary but not always sufficient for high-frequency oscillators, due to the effects of parasitic elements. Design methods are derived to allow design of reliable oscillators with a well-defined frequency of oscillation. The theory is confirmed with the design, fabrication, and characterization of a 2-GHz monolithic LC oscillator. >
Shape correspondence through landmark sliding

Motivated by improving statistical shape analysis, this paper presents a novel landmark-based method for accurate shape correspondence, where the general goal is to align multiple shape instances by corresponding a set of given landmark points along those shapes. Different from previous methods, we consider both global shape deformation and local geometric features in defining the shape-correspondence cost function to achieve a consistency between the landmark correspondence and the underlying shape correspondence. According to this cost function, we develop a novel landmark-sliding algorithm to achieve optimal landmark-based shape correspondence with preserved shape topology. The proposed method can be applied to correspond various 2D shapes in the forms of single closed curves, single open curves, self-crossing curves, and multiple curves. We also discuss the practical issue of landmark initialization. The proposed method has been tested on various biological shapes arising from medical image analysis and validated in constructing statistical shape models.
Preservice Music Teachers Reflect on First Experiences in Elementary Classrooms

Changes that took place in the perceptions of 18 preservice music teachers during their first experiences performing and teaching in two different field experiences in elementary music classrooms were examined. Following each experience, preservice music teachers were asked to individually view recordings of their lessons, analyze the experience using specially designed observation forms, select two 12- to 15-minute excerpts (one labeled by the participant as “good” and the other as “not so good”), and write reflection paragraphs for each excerpt. The reflection paragraphs were analyzed by coding the ideas discussed in each paragraph as positive, negative, or neutral using the categories for teachers (use of strategies, affect, music skills and knowledge, other) and students (music skills and knowledge, social skills, affect, other). Of all statements, 75% were related to preservice music teachers’ perceptions of themselves as teachers and only 25% were related to their students’ behaviors. Participants’ ...
Estimation of unknown parameters in system dynamics models using the method of simulated moments

In principle the Method of Simulated Moments (MSM) combines simulation-based methods (e.g. Monte Carlo methods) with non-parametric statistical estimations techniques such as General Method of Moments (GMM). The MSM is useful when there are empirical data related to the behavior of different entities. Different statistical moments (e.g. mean, variance, correlation, etc.) of empirical data can be matched against the moments of model-generated data in order to estimate some structural parameters of the model. In this paper, we introduce the MSM as a non-parametric method of estimating the parameters of dynamic models. The major value of the MSM for estimating dynamic models is in its flexibility to be used with any type of data, including cross-sectional data and time series data.
Tensorial generalized Stokes-Einstein relation for anisotropic probe microrheology

In thermal “passive” microrheology, the random Brownian motion of anisotropically shaped probe particles embedded within an isotropic viscoelastic material can be used to extract the material’s frequency-dependent linear viscoelastic modulus. We unite the existing theoretical frameworks for separately treating translational and rotational probe motion in a viscoelastic material by extending the generalized Stokes–Einstein relation (GSER) into a tensorial form that reflects simultaneous equilibrium translational and rotational fluctuations of one or more anisotropic probe particles experiencing viscoelastic drag. The tensorial GSER provides a formal basis for interpreting the complex Brownian motion of anisotropic probes in a viscoelastic material. Based on known hydrodynamic calculations of the Stokes mobility of highly symmetric shapes in a simple viscous liquid, we show simple examples of the tensorial GSER for spheroids and half-stick, half-slip Janus spheres.
Taxation and the political economy of the tariff

Traditional accounts of U.S. tariff policy emphasize trade strategies and interest group politics. This article makes a departure. It opens with an observation: up until World War I, the tariff was the largest single source of federal government revenues. It then explores the significance of tariffs as taxes, theoretically and empirically. In its first part, the article develops a theory of taxation politics and applies it to the tariff. In its second part, it submits the theory to an empirical test, modeling changes in U.S. tariff rates from 1829 to 1940. The politics of tariff revision, it argues, followed from two characteristics of the tariff as tax: from the extent of the treasury's dependence upon it and from the distributive pattern of its burdens and benefits. Taken together, the article concludes, revenue dependence and distributive incidence account for several diverse aspects of American tariff policy, including the structure of its coalitions, the shifts in its objectives, and the timing of its innovations.
Would East African savanna rodents inhibit woody encroachment? Evidence from stable isotopes and microhistological analysis of feces

It is well established that massive consumption of plants by the abundant and diverse assemblage of savanna ungulates in East Africa competitively suppresses the native guild of herbivorous to omnivorous small mammals. An important role of woody plant suppression in the Acacia-dominated savannas for this guild of rodents, when released from ungulate competition, has been demonstrated only recently, but without direct evidence of which species are involved. In an effort to establish which of the common species in this guild are most likely to impact growth of trees and forbs, as opposed to grasses or insects, or both, I present data on atomic and isotopic ratios of fecal carbon and nitrogen from 8 commonly occurring muroid rodents from savanna and bush habitats on the Laikipia Plateau of central Kenya: Acomys percivali, Acomys wilsoni, Aethomys hindei, Arvicanthis niloticus, Mastomys natalensis, Mus spp. (thought to be mostly M. minutoides), Saccostomus mearnsi, and Gerbilliscus robustus. In this region where all grasses are C4 and all trees and other nongrasses are C3, different ratios of 13 C: 12 C( d 13 C) in plant tissues give pure grazers, pure browsers, and mixed-feeding herbivores distinctive carbon isotope signatures. Degree of omnivory is revealed by C:N and, arguably, by d 15 N, but the latter is influenced by dietary protein quality and varies widely by plant species and soil type. Joint consideration of stable-isotope data, total C:N, and microhistological analysis of feces allowed better resolution of dietary niche of each species than any of these data sets could, alone. Grass was either coequal to browse (dicots) or dominated the plant portion of each species’ diet, which was somewhat unexpected given rodents’ hypothesized role in limiting Acacia recruitment. All species consumed some arthropods. A. niloticus, the only diurnal species, was the most herbivorous, being largely a grazer. S. mearnsi, A. hindei, and M. natalensis were mixed-feeding (grass–browse) herbivores. Mus spp. and Acomys spp. were omnivores whose plant components were largely grass. G. robustus was primarily an insectivore–omnivore whose smaller plant component was grass. Both S. mearnsi and A. niloticus displayed a significant increase in proportion of C4 grasses in the diet in periods following significant rains, a pattern previously documented from d 13 C diet studies in large mammalian herbivores. Fecal d 15 N was significantly higher for rodents that consumed more grass and for rodents released from competition with ungulates, suggesting a partial mechanism for that competitive release. S. mearnsi, followed by A. hindei and M. natalensis, were most likely to feed on woody dicots including Acacia.
Special values of hypergeometric functions over finite fields

For an odd prime p, define \(H_{p}(z)=\sum_{u,v\ (\mathop{\mathrm{mod}}p)}(\frac{uv(1-u)(1-v)(1-uvz)}{p})\) , where z is an integer (mod p) and the summands are Legendre symbols. The function Hp(z) was explicitly evaluated for z=1 by Evans (1981) and for z=−1 by Greene and Stanton (1986). Koike (1992) determined Hp(1/4) (mod p), and Ono (1998) evaluated Hp(z) for z=1/4,−1/8, and 1/64. This paper evaluates Hp(z) for infinitely many new classes of arguments z.
Decomposition rates of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) wood and implications for coarse woody debris pools

Observations of the rapid growth and slow decomposition of American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.) suggest that its reintroduction could enhance terrestrial carbon (C) sequestration. A suite of decomposition models was fit with decomposition data from coarse woody debris (CWD) sampled in Wisconsin and Virginia, U.S. The optimal (two-component exponential) model was integrated with generic growth curves and documented longevity and typical stem density to evaluate how CWD and biomass pools relate to decomposition. CWD decomposed faster in Wisconsin (4.3% ± 0.3% per year) than in Virginia (0.7% ± 0.01% per year), and downed dead wood decomposed faster (8.1% ± 1.9% per year) than standing dead wood (0.7% ± 0.0% per year). We predicted considerably smaller CWD pools in Wisconsin (maximum 41 ± 23 Mg C·ha-1) than in Virginia (maximum 98 ± 23 Mg C·ha-1); the predicted biomass pool was larger in the faster growing Wisconsin trees (maximum 542 ± 58 Mg C·ha-1) compared with slower growing trees in Virginia (maximum 385 ± 51 Mg C·ha-1). Sensitivity analysis indicated that accurate estimates of decomposition rates are more urgent in fertile locations where growth and decomposition are rapid. We conclude that the American chestnut wood is intermediate in resistance to decomposition. Due to the interrelatedness of growth and decomposition rates, CWD pool sizes likely do not depend on species alone but on how the growth and decomposition of individual species vary in response to site productivity.
Decoding Sound Source Location and Separation Using Neural Population Activity Patterns

The strategies by which the central nervous system decodes the properties of sensory stimuli, such as sound source location, from the responses of a population of neurons are a matter of debate. We show, using the average firing rates of neurons in the inferior colliculus (IC) of awake rabbits, that prevailing decoding models of sound localization (summed population activity and the population vector) fail to localize sources accurately due to heterogeneity in azimuth tuning across the population. In contrast, a maximum-likelihood decoder operating on the pattern of activity across the population of neurons in one IC accurately localized sound sources in the contralateral hemifield, consistent with lesion studies, and did so with a precision consistent with rabbit psychophysical performance. The pattern decoder also predicts behavior in response to incongruent localization cues consistent with the long-standing “duplex” theory of sound localization. We further show that the pattern decoder accurately distinguishes two concurrent, spatially separated sources from a single source, consistent with human behavior. Decoder detection of small amounts of source separation directly in front is due to neural sensitivity to the interaural decorrelation of sound, at both low and high frequencies. The distinct patterns of IC activity between single and separated sound sources thereby provide a neural correlate for the ability to segregate and localize sources in everyday, multisource environments.
Diffuse neutrino flux from supernovae: Upper limit on the electron neutrino component from the nonobservation of antineutrinos at SuperKamiokande

I derive an upper bound on the electron neutrino component of the diffuse supernova neutrino flux from the constraint on the antineutrino component at SuperKamiokande. The connection between antineutrino and neutrino channels is due to the similarity of the muon and tau neutrino and antineutrino fluxes produced in a supernova, and to the conversion of these species into electron neutrinos and antineutrinos inside the star. The limit on the electron neutrino flux is $5.5\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}\text{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ above 19.3 MeV of neutrino energy, and is stronger than the direct limit from Mont Blanc by 3 orders of magnitude. It represents the minimal sensitivity required at future direct searches, and is intriguingly close to the reach of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) and of the ICARUS experiment. The electron neutrino flux will have a lower bound if the electron antineutrino flux is measured. Indicatively, the first can be smaller than the second at most by a factor of 2--3 depending on the details of the neutrino spectra at production.
A Human Mitochondrial GTP Binding Protein Related to tRNA Modification May Modulate Phenotypic Expression of the Deafness-Associated Mitochondrial 12S rRNA Mutation

Human mitochondrial 12S rRNA A1555G mutation has been found to be associated with deafness. However, putative nuclear modifier gene(s) has been proposed to regulate the phenotypic expression of this mutation. In yeast cells, mutant alleles of MSS1, encoding a mitochondrial GTP-binding protein, manifest a respiratory-deficient phenotype only when coupled with mitochondrial 15S rRNA PR454 mutation corresponding to human A1555G mutation. This suggests that an MSS1-like modifier gene may influence the phenotypic expression of the A1555G mutation. We report here the identification and characterization of human MSS1 homolog, GTPBP3, the first identified vertebrate gene related to mitochondrial tRNA modification. The Gtpbp3 is the mitochondrial GTPase evolutionarily conserved from bacteria to mammals. Functional conservation of this protein is supported by the observation that isolated human GTPBP3 cDNA can complement the respiratory-deficient phenotype of yeast mss1 cells carrying PR454 mutation. GTPBP3 is ubiquitously expressed in various tissues as multiple transcripts, but with a markedly elevated expression in tissues of high metabolic rates. We showed that Gtpbp3 localizes in mitochondrion. These observations suggest that the human GTPBP3 is a structural and functional homolog of yeast MSS1. Thus, allelic variants in GTPBP3 could, if they exist, modulate the phenotypic manifestation of human mitochondrial A1555G mutation.
Tesile toughness of microcellular foams of polystyrene, styrene‐acrylonitrile copolymer, and polycarbonate, and the effect of dissolved gas on the tensile toughness of the same polymer matrices and microcellular foams

This paper reports on the tensile properties of microcellular foams of three different thermoplastics, since there have been several reports in the literature, but with indefinite conclusions so far, that microbubbles act in a manner similar to rubber particles in toughening thermoplastics. Polystyrene (PS), styreneacrylonitrile copolymer (SAN), and polycarbonate (PC), were selected based on their different intrinsic ductilities. The gas supersaturation technique was used to generate samples with microbubbles. The effect of the presence of microbubbles inside the polymer matrix was separated from the effects of the pressure and thermal history experienced by the samples. Nitrogen gas dissolved into PS, and to a lesser extent into SAN, caused and increase of the tensile toughness, but this increased decayed with time as nitrogen gas diffused out of the samples. Furthermore, microcellularly foamed PS samples showed some limited improvement in terms of tensile toughness after all the nitrogen gas diffused out. SAN and PC showed deterioration of the tensile toughness in the presence of microbubbles.
Molecular Features and Survival Outcomes of the Intrinsic Subtypes Within HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Results Compared with clinically HER2 (cHER2)-negative breast cancer, cHER2+ breast cancer had a higher frequency of the HER2-enriched (HER2E) subtype (47.0% vs 7.1%) and a lower frequency of Luminal A (10.7% vs 39.0%) and Basal-like (14.1% vs 23.4%) subtypes. The likelihood of cHER2-positivity in HER2E, Luminal B, Basal-like and Luminal A subtypes was 64.6%, 20.0%, 14.4% and 7.3%, respectively. Within each subtype, only 0.3% to 3.9% of genes were found differentially expressed between cHER2+ and cHER2-negative tumors. Within cHER2+ tumors, HER2 gene and protein expression was statistically significantly higher in the HER2E and Basal-like subtypes than either luminal subtype. Neither cHER2 status nor the new 10-subtype copy number-based classification system (IntClust) added independent prognostic value to intrinsic subtype.
Real-Time 2-D Temperature Imaging Using Ultrasound

We have previously introduced methods for noninvasive estimation of temperature change using diagnostic ultrasound. The basic principle was validated both in vitro and in vivo by several groups worldwide. Some limitations remain, however, that have prevented these methods from being adopted in monitoring and guidance of minimally invasive thermal therapies, e.g., RF ablation and high-intensity-focused ultrasound (HIFU). In this letter, we present first results from a real-time system for 2-D imaging of temperature change using pulse-echo ultrasound. The front end of the system is a commercially available scanner equipped with a research interface, which allows the control of imaging sequence and access to the RF data in real time. A high-frame-rate 2-D RF acquisition mode, M2D, is used to capture the transients of tissue motion/deformations in response to pulsed HIFU. The M2D RF data is streamlined to the back end of the system, where a 2-D temperature imaging algorithm based on speckle tracking is implemented on a graphics processing unit. The real-time images of temperature change are computed on the same spatial and temporal grid of the M2D RF data, i.e., no decimation. Verification of the algorithm was performed by monitoring localized HIFU-induced heating of a tissue-mimicking elastography phantom. These results clearly demonstrate the repeatability and sensitivity of the algorithm. Furthermore, we present in vitro results demonstrating the possible use of this algorithm for imaging changes in tissue parameters due to HIFU-induced lesions. These results clearly demonstrate the value of the real-time data streaming and processing in monitoring, and guidance of minimally invasive thermotherapy.
Evaluation of Proliferative Disorders in Canine Bone Marrow by Use of Flow Cytometric Scatter Plots and Monoclonal Antibodies

The combination of flow cytometric scatterplot analysis and specific monoclonal antibodies was used to evaluate the lineage of cells from six dogs with proliferative disorders of bone marrow. Scatterplot analysis was used to identify mature and immature myeloid and erythroid cells. The immunophenotype of cells in the immature myeloid gate was determined by labeling cells with four monoclonal antibodies. These results were compared to results of cytologic and cytochemical evaluation. The immunophenotype of a dog with a diagnosis of myelogenous leukemia was a cluster of differentiation-18 (CD-18) positive, CD-14 negative, Thy- 1 negative, and a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II negative. The immunophenotype of a dog with a diagnosis of myelomonocytic leukemia was CD-18 positive, CD-14 positive, Thy-1 positive, and MHC class II positive. Although this phenotype clearly differentiated myelomonocytic leukemia from myelogenous leukemia, it was similar to the immunophenotype of dogs with a diagnosis of malignant histiocytosis or hem- ophagocytic syndrome. The immunophenotype of two dogs with myelodysplastic syndrome was CD-18 positive and CD-14 negative. Results for Thy-1 and MHC class II were variable. As additional lineage-specific mono- clonal antibodies become available, immunophenotyping should become a valuable tool for determination of the lineage of cells in canine myeloproliferative disorders.
Integrating DNA vectors for gene therapy.

The many platform and poster presentations at the last annual meeting of the American Society for Gene Therapy (ASGT) make it clear that nonviral, integrating DNAs have reached a tipping point in establishing themselves as potential vectors for gene therapy.1 These vectors currently include the Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system,2 the first such vector used in gene therapy experiments,3 the C31 and BT1 integrase systems from Streptomyces,4, 5 and more recently the insect piggyBac6 and fish Tol27 transposon systems. Several other transposon systems are under development.
Critical Thinking, Epistemic Virtue, and the Significance of Inclusion: Reflections on Harvey Siegel's Theory of Rationality

Among proponents of critical thinking, Harvey Siegel stands out in his attempt to address fundamental epistemological issues. Siegel argues that discursive inclusion of diverse groups should not be confused with rational justification of the outcome of inquiry. He maintains that epistemic virtues such as inclusion are neither necessary nor sufficient for rational judgment, and that if we are to avoid falling prey to relativism, criteria are needed to distinguish which of these virtues are indeed rational. However, the author argues that at least some of Siegel's own rational criteria cannot pass the “necessary or sufficient” standard by which he measures epistemic virtues. Moreover, reliance upon criteria fails to settle conflict in cases of disagreement over what constitutes authoritative evidence. Jurgen Habermas's theory of communicative rationality can help us to overcome this impasse, because it provides a nonrelativistic basis for justifying inclusion and giving it a place of priority in practical reasoning.
Competing motivations for NP order in Kenyan English

Constituent order in Kenyan English is influenced by two motivations: the animacy hierarchy, which results in a tendency to give prominence to noun phrases referring to people, and the discourse pressure to place given information before new information. In this study, the competition between these two conflicting principles in Kenyan English is used as a case study illustrating the application of some typological concepts to the study of new varieties of English. The analysis of spoken Kenyan English in Nyaggah (1990) is extended to Kenyan English news discourse. Some differences between spoken and written Kenyan English point to a tendency towards a more standard native-speaker variety in news discourse. The results also suggest that the animacy hierarchy is the most important determinant of constituent order in Kenyan English. The animacy hierarchy causes the [+human] NP to be placed first in most cases. However, if a [–human] NP competing for the first position is one whose referent is mentioned in the immediately preceding sentence, it becomes more topic- worthy and is less easily shunted into a secondary position. Other possible factors influencing constituent order are outlined.
RADLAC Technology Review

In this paper we review the technology development associated with the RADLAC program. A basic description of the pulsed transmission line approach for constructing high power electron linacs is given, and two examples, RADLAC I and RIIM, are described in some detail. Important problems associated with the design of the high current beam transport line are also discussed. Finally, we describe a recirculating linac concept based on the use of closed accelerating cavities and ionization channel beam transport.