cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated taxonomic classification of phytoplankton sampled with imaging-in-flow cytometry

High-resolution photomicrographs of phytoplankton cells and chains can now be acquired with imaging-in-flow systems at rates that make manual identification impractical for many applications. To address the challenge for automated taxonomic identification of images generated by our custom-built submersible Imaging FlowCytobot, we developed an approach that relies on extraction of image features, which are then presented to a machine learning algorithm for classification. Our approach uses a combination of image feature types including size, shape, symmetry, and texture characteristics, plus orientation invariant moments, diffraction pattern sampling, and co-occurrence matrix statistics. Some of these features required preprocessing with image analysis techniques including edge detection after phase congruency calculations, morphological operations, boundary representation and simplification, and rotation. For the machine learning strategy, we developed an approach that combines a feature selection algorithm and use of a support vector machine specified with a rigorous parameter selection and training approach. After training, a 22-category classifier provides 88% overall accuracy for an independent test set, with individual category accuracies ranging from 68% to 99%. We demonstrate application of this classifier to a nearly uninterrupted 2-month time series of images acquired in Woods Hole Harbor, including use of statistical error correction to derive quantitative concentration estimates, which are shown to be unbiased with respect to manual estimates for random subsamples. Our approach, which provides taxonomically resolved estimates of phytoplankton abundance with fine temporal resolution (hours for many species), permits access to scales of variability from tidal to seasonal and longer.
Suppressor system in Bacillus subtilis 168.

Multiple auxotrophic strains of Bacillus subtilis 168 were tested for joint one-step reversion of two or more auxotrophic markers to the wild-type phenotype. Mu8u5u5, a strain requiring leucine, methionine, and threonine, yielded revertants that grew without added methionine or threonine and proved to have a suppressor gene. When transferred by transformation with deoxyribonucleic acid, this suppressor gene also suppressed the adenine mutation in another strain, Mu8u5u6. The one-step double revertants fell into two distinct classes: strains of class su+I grow well in broth; strains of class su+II grow poorly. Strains su+II tend to revert frequently to the su+I or su− state. Conditional lethal mutants of phage φe were isolated which can grow on the su+ and not on the su− strains.
Thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation regarding Pispiza (black-tailed prairie dog, Cynomys ludovicianus)

Wildlife management decisions must be made with an understanding of the species and its relationship to stakeholders. However, relationships between Native American stakeholders and Pispiza, black-tailed prairie dogs, have not been examined even though the majority of prairie dog occupied habitat exists on Tribal lands. I addressed this gap in the literature by examining Pispiza-related attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation. A total of 109 high school students, culturally knowledgeable community members, and randomly selected general community members completed questionnaires administered interview style. Factor analysis and stepwise regressions explored potential relationships between stakeholder groups and attitudes and knowledge. Factors with significant effects included cultural differences and ranching experience. The evidence of such relationships, in addition to social justice, demands macro-level investigations and explanations in future research. Additionally, Tribes must not be excluded from Pispiza conservation and management decisions nor left shouldering the majority of the conservation “burden.”
Heegner point computations

We discuss the computational application of Heegner points to the study of elliptic curves over Q, concentrating on the curves E d : Dy2 = x3 − x arising in the “congruent number” problem. We begin by briefly reviewing the cyclotomic construction of units in real quadratic number fields, which is analogous in many ways to the Heegner-point approach to the arithmetic of elliptic curves, and allows us to introduce some of the key ideas in a more familiar setting. We then quote the key results and conjectures that we shall need concerning elliptic curves and Heegner points, and show how they yield practical algorithms for finding rational points on E d and other properties of such curves. We conclude with a report on more recent work along similar lines on the elliptic curves x3 + y3 = A.
Large space structures - Structural concepts and materials

Large space structures will be a key element of the future space activities. They will include spacecraft such as the planned Space Station and large antenna/reflector structures for communications and observations. These large structures will exceed 100 m in length or 30 m in diameter. Concepts for construction of these spacecraft on orbit and their materials of construction provide some unique research challenges. This paper will provide an overview of the research in space construction of large structures including erectable and deployable concepts. Also, an approach to automated, on-orbit construction will be presented. Materials research for space applications focuses on high stiffness, low expansion composite materials that provide adequate durability in the space environment. The status of these materials research activities will be discussed.
Synthesis and Structure-Property Relationships of Tl and Bi Containing Copper-Oxide Superconductors

Synthesis, structure and superconducting properties of two series of oxides, Tl2Ba2Can-1CUnO2n+4 and TlBa2Can-1CunO2n+3, are described. The structures consist of perovskite-like Ba2Can-1CunO2n+2 units which alternate with either bilayer (Tl2O2) or monolayer (TlO) units. A new superconductor (Tc ∼ 120K) with approximate formula (Tl,Pb)Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox has been characterized for the first time. Compositions in the Bi2Sr3-xYxCu2O8 system which traverse the insulator-superconductor boundary have been investigated.
Theory and applications of hyper-redundant robotic manipulators

The term "hyper-redundant" refers to robotic manipulators and mobile robots with a very large, possibly infinite, number of actuatable degrees of freedom. These robots are analogous in morphology and operation to snakes, worms, elephant trunks, and tentacles. This thesis presents a novel kinematic framework for hyper-redundant manipulator motion planning and task implementation. The basis of this formulation is the use of a "backbone reference set" which captures the essential macroscopic geometric features of hyper-redundant robots. In the analytical part of this work, the backbone representation is developed and used to solve problems in obstacle avoidance, locomotion, grasping, and "optimal" end effector placement. The latter part of this thesis deals with the design and implementation of a thirty-degree-of-freedom planar hyper-redundant manipulator which is used to demonstrate these novel kinematic and motion planning techniques. Design issues such as robustness with respect to mechanical failure, and design for easy assembly and repair are also addressed. The analytical and design concepts are combined to illustrate tasks for which hyper-redundant robotic mechanisms are well suited.
The accuracy of abnormal lumbar sonography findings in detecting occult spinal dysraphism: a comparison with magnetic resonance imaging

Object The purpose of this study was to correlate lumbar ultrasound (LUS) and MRI findings in patients suspected of having occult spinal dysraphism (OSD). Methods Over a 5-year period, 1273 consecutive infants underwent an LUS study at a major pediatric tertiary referral center. Of these, 106 patients had abnormal LUS findings suggestive of an OSD, and 103 underwent subsequent MRI studies. The anatomical descriptions of the 2 studies were compared for agreement. Results The average age of the infants was 34 days at the time of the LUS study; OSD was suspected in these patients because of the presence of cutaneous stigmata and congenital defects. The most common anatomical descriptions from the LUS study included a thickened or fatty filum (32 cases), filum cyst (11 cases), and presence of a terminal ventricle or syrinx (9 cases). Using MRI findings as the standard reference, the sensitivity of LUS in detecting a thickened or fatty filum was 20%. The sensitivity of detecting an abnormal conus level at or b...
The discourse of awakening: rhetorical practice in classical Ch'an Buddhism

Les pratiques rethoriques du bouddhisme Ch'an constituent une forme tres developpee et unique de rethorique contrastant avec la pratique occidentale. On a analyse la tradition Ch'an comme entretenant de mauvais rapports avec le langage et la rethorique, comme une forme radicale et meditative de bouddhisme ayant rejette la dependance au langage en se centrant sur un reveil direct et non mediatise. L'A. presente quatre dimensions de la rhetorique Ch'an: la rhetorique de l'etrangete, de direct pointing, du silence et de perturbation
Theory for displacive excitation of coherent phonons.

We report femtosecond time-resolved pump-probe reflection experiments in semimetals and semiconductors that show large-amplitude oscillations with periods characteristic of lattice vibrations. Only ${\mathit{A}}_{1}$ modes are detected, although modes with other symmetries are observed with comparable intensity in Raman scattering. We present a theory of the excitation process in this class of materials, which we refer to as displacive excitation of coherent phonons (DECP). In DECP, after excitation by a pump pulse, the electronically excited system rapidly comes to quasiequilibrium in a time short compared to nuclear response times. In materials with ${\mathit{A}}_{1}$ vibrational modes, the quasiequilibrium nuclear ${\mathit{A}}_{1}$ coordinates are displaced with no change in lattice symmetry, giving rise to a coherent vibration of ${\mathit{A}}_{1}$ symmetry about the displaced quasiequilibrium coordinates. One important prediction of the DECP mechanism is the excitation of only modes with ${\mathit{A}}_{1}$ symmetry. Furthermore, the oscillations in the reflectivity R are excited with a cos(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\omega}}}_{0}$t) dependence, where t=0 is the time of arrival of the pump pulse peak, and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\omega}}}_{0}$ is the vibrational frequency of the ${\mathit{A}}_{1}$ mode. These predictions agree well with our observations in Bi, Sb, Te, and ${\mathrm{Ti}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$. The fit of the experimental \ensuremath{\Delta}R(t)/R(0) data to the theory is excellent.
FLORAL AND FRUIT MORPHOLOGY OF NEPENTHES LOWII AND N. VILLOSA, MONTANE CARNIVORES OF BORNEO

Floral structure and function and some aspects of development are illustrated for Nepenthes lowii and N. villosa. The floral nectar glands are similar in structure to nectar glands and digestive glands of pitchers. The stamens are fused and form an anther-head, but identities of individual stamens are mostly retained. Placentation is laminar. Evidence of entomophily is presented. Only 4.5% of the seeds in the sample bore embryos, and fertile seeds lack endosperm. There is need of field observations on pollination.
Education and empire, old and new: HR 3077 and the resurgence of the US university:

This essay examines HR 3077, the 2003 International Studies in Higher Act, which sought to tie federal funding for university-based area studies programs to the interests of the US security state. While locating it in the post-9/11 context, the essay situates HR 3077 in a broader frame that elucidates the shifting but always intimate relationship between education and imperialism. It discusses how knowledge production has long been tied to imperialist endeavors and examines the origins and development of US area studies during the Cold War and its critical turn in the late 1960s. The article closely reads HR 3077 and the neoconservative literature that grounds it to trace wide-ranging efforts to foreclose intellectual freedom and critiques of the US state. It argues that HR 3077 marks only one example of a troubling movement to arrest critical public discourse, one that subjects invested in maintaining vigorous democratic publics must contest.
Observability problem in target tracking via angles-only measurements

The problem of observability when tracking a target with noisy angles measurements by a single observer is addressed. Necessary and sufficient conditions on the observer maneuver to ensure the target observability are developed for the constant velocity target motion case.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Negotiations for hostages: implications from the police experience

The research examines the hostage situation precipitated by a group of Hanafi Muslims in March, 1977, in Washington, D.C. This episode is used to discuss a set of highly successful hostage negotiation procedures and their implications for bargaining with political terrorists. Some hostage situations are, as was the Hanafi episode, attempts by politically weak groups to gain access to the public agenda through political theater staged before the communications media. In such cases, the granting of symbolic rewards and face‐saving mechanisms to the terrorists through the ritual of negotiation can lead to their capitulation. These procedures, however, work neither in situations where the terrorists escalate demands nor with suicide missions. The frequency of suicide missions, however, has been largely overrated. The implications from the police experience and the ritualistic and symbolic aspects of hostage taking are discussed in terms of the U.S. Department of State's policy of nonnegotiation. The research ...
Acetylation of Werner syndrome protein (WRN): relationships with DNA damage, DNA replication and DNA metabolic activities

Loss of Werner syndrome protein function causes Werner syndrome, characterized by increased genomic instability, elevated cancer susceptibility and premature aging. Although WRN is subject to acetylation, phosphorylation and sumoylation, the impact of these modifications on WRN’s DNA metabolic function remains unclear. Here, we examined in further depth the relationship between WRN acetylation and its role in DNA metabolism, particularly in response to induced DNA damage. Our results demonstrate that endogenous WRN is acetylated somewhat under unperturbed conditions. However, levels of acetylated WRN significantly increase after treatment with certain DNA damaging agents or the replication inhibitor HU. Use of DNA repair-deficient cells or repair pathway inhibitors further increase levels of acetylated WRN, indicating that induced DNA lesions and their persistence are at least partly responsible for increased acetylation. Notably, acetylation of WRN correlates with inhibition of DNA synthesis, suggesting that replication blockage might underlie this effect. Moreover, WRN acetylation modulates its affinity for and activity on certain DNA structures, in a manner that may enhance its relative specificity for physiological substrates. Our results also show that acetylation and deacetylation of endogenous WRN is a dynamic process, with sirtuins and other histone deacetylases contributing to WRN deacetylation. These findings advance our understanding of the dynamics of WRN acetylation under unperturbed conditions and following DNA damage induction, linking this modification not only to DNA damage persistence but also potentially to replication stalling caused by specific DNA lesions. Our results are consistent with proposed metabolic roles for WRN and genomic instability phenotypes associated with WRN deficiency.
CD4+ T cells mediate preexposure-induced increases in murine intraabdominal abscess formation

We have previously shown that an increased number of Escherichia coli/Bacteroides fragilis intraabdominal abscesses are produced in mice after preexposure to small numbers of live E. coli or B. fragilis. Splenic lymphocyte subset changes and the importance of different elements of the immune response in this system were studied. Preexposure to bacteria induced a significant increase in the percentage of splenic T cells without altering the CD4/CD8 ratio. The passive transfer of either 10(7) mixed splenic lymphocytes, 5 x 10(6) mixed T cells, or 2.5 x 10(6) CD4+ T cells from preexposed animals to naive siblings 24 hr prior to abscess induction resulted in increased abscess formation. Transfer of serum, B cells, < 10(7) lymphocytes, CD8+ T cells, or any cell type from naive animals did not change abscess number. The bacterial composition of abscesses changed only in animals receiving either serum or B cells from donors preexposed to B. fragilis, where an increased number of B. fragilis per abscess was found. The CD4+ T cell response can be altered by transient infections and is critical to subsequent abscess formation, and a concurrent humoral response may play a role in determining an abscess' ultimate bacterial composition.
Research Note: Students as Subjects in Advertising and Marketing Research

The cost and data‐gathering problems associated with research in developing countries can be partially remedied by using students as surrogates of other populations. Reports the findings of two studies which investigated the efficacy of students as surrogates of adults in Saudi Arabia. One of these studies was in the domain of attitudes towards advertising and the other in the area of country‐of‐origin effects. Results of the studies suggest that the use of students is appropriate in modelling attitude‐behaviour relationships and scale development.
Ibuprofen in the Treatment of UV-B-Induced Inflammation

• Ibuprofen and placebo were compared in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study of 19 psoriatic patients receiving UV-B phototherapy to evaluate the symptomatic relief of UV-B-induced inflammation. Signs and symptoms of UV-B-induced inflammation (erythema, pruritus, skin pain, general discomfort, and nocturnal restlessness) were assessed for each treatment. An evaluation of 104 treatments disclosed that, although ibuprofen significantly reduced technician-observed erythema, it was not significantly different from placebo for the five other end points studied. Separate evaluations of higher dose UV-B treatments showed a small, but statistically significant, reduction with ibuprofen for four of the six end points evaluated. The data suggest that ibuprofen is more effective than placebo for the relief of symptoms associated with UV-B-induced inflammation after high dose UV-B phototherapy for psoriasis, but the drug has limited usefulness in the treatment of sunburn reaction from these same doses. ( Arch Dermatol 1985;121:508-512)
A voltage-gated sodium channel is essential for the positive selection of CD4 + T cells

Calcium signals are required for thymocyte positive selection. Allen and colleagues show that thymic selecting ligands induce SCN5a-SCN4b voltage-gated sodium channels and sustained calcium influx necessary for CD4+ selection.
Inhibition of Mg++ATPase activity of actin-activated acanthamoeba myosin by muscle troponin-tropomyosin: Implications for the mechanism of control of amoeba motility and muscle contraction

Abstract Troponin-tropomyosin is known to inhibit the Mg++ATPase activity of muscle actomyosin in the absence, but not in the presence, of Ca++. In contrast, we have now found that muscle troponin-tropomyosin inhibits the Mg++ATPase activity of muscle actin-activated Acanthamoeba myosin both in the presence and the absence of Ca++. Addition of purified tropomyosin and troponins-I, C and T demonstrated that it is troponin-T that acts differently in the two systems which differ only in the source of the myosin. These data suggest that myosin, as well as actin, plays a role in the troponin-tropomyosin control of muscle contraction and make it unlikely that control proteins identical to troponin-tropomyosin function in this amoeba.
Thiamine Deficiency in a Developed Country Acute Lactic Acidosis in Two Neonates Due to Unsupplemented Parenteral Nutrition

Thiamine is a water-soluble vitamin implicated in several metabolic processes. Its deficiency, due to prolonged parenteral nutrition without adequate vitamin supplementation, can lead to multiorgan failure characterized by cardiovascular impairment and metabolic acidosis refractory to bicarbonate administration. Only thiamine administration allows the remission of symptoms. We report 2 preterm infants with acute thiamine deficiency due to prolonged parenteral nutrition without adequate vitamin supplementation.
Photostable o‐Hydroxyphenylquinazolines

The correlation between intrinsic photostability (ϕ−1R) and structure of several intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded heterocycles containing suitable o-hydroxyphenyl groups is briefly discussed in terms of the changes in resonance energy resulting in such compounds from a reversible keto-enol rearrangement in the lowest excited singlet state. The influence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding, resonance and steric effects on photostability in o-hydroxyphenylquinazolines as elucidated with the aid of spectroscopic methods is discussed in detail.
Don't ask; don't tell: a flawed approach to technology standards in higher education

Abstract This discussion explores challenges that college of education faculty members in the United States encountered when developing and implementing technology standards for students. The goal of this research project was to gain an understanding of faculty members' experience with technology, particularly in the context of implementing standards in response to the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education requirements for teacher education academic programs. Findings of this qualitative, naturalistic research project revealed a number of faculty concerns regarding technology in teaching and standards for students, including technology's impacts on communication and relationships in teaching, and anxiety around technology use. The discussion concludes with implications for practice and suggestions for further research
Cytochrome P-420: Tubular Aggregates from Hepatic Microsomes

Aggregates were formed when clear supernatants from hepatic microsomes that had been treated with steapsin were desalted and concentrated. These aggregates contain large numbers of uniform tubular elements. These structures resemble microtubules seen in many cells but differ in their substructure. The aggregates were rich in cytochrome P-420. Unlike soluble cytochrome P-420, the cytochrome P-420 contained in the aggregates combines with drugs to give the characteristic difference spectra normally seen only with cytochrome P-450 contained in intact microsomes.
Gene Profiling of Mta1 Identifies Novel Gene Targets and Functions

Background Metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1), a master dual co-regulatory protein is found to be an integral part of NuRD (Nucleosome Remodeling and Histone Deacetylation) complex, which has indispensable transcriptional regulatory functions via histone deacetylation and chromatin remodeling. Emerging literature establishes MTA1 to be a valid DNA-damage responsive protein with a significant role in maintaining the optimum DNA-repair activity in mammalian cells exposed to genotoxic stress. This DNA-damage responsive function of MTA1 was reported to be a P53-dependent and independent function. Here, we investigate the influence of P53 on gene regulation function of Mta1 to identify novel gene targets and functions of Mta1. Methods Gene expression analysis was performed on five different mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) samples (i) the Mta1 wild type, (ii) Mta1 knock out (iii) Mta1 knock out in which Mta1 was reintroduced (iv) P53 knock out (v) P53 knock out in which Mta1 was over expressed using Affymetrix Mouse Exon 1.0 ST arrays. Further Hierarchical Clustering, Gene Ontology analysis with GO terms satisfying corrected p-value<0.1, and the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis were performed. Finally, RT-qPCR was carried out on selective candidate genes. Significance/Conclusion This study represents a complete genome wide screen for possible target genes of a coregulator, Mta1. The comparative gene profiling of Mta1 wild type, Mta1 knockout and Mta1 re-expression in the Mta1 knockout conditions define “bona fide” Mta1 target genes. Further extensive analyses of the data highlights the influence of P53 on Mta1 gene regulation. In the presence of P53 majority of the genes regulated by Mta1 are related to inflammatory and anti-microbial responses whereas in the absence of P53 the predominant target genes are involved in cancer signaling. Thus, the presented data emphasizes the known functions of Mta1 and serves as a rich resource which could help us identify novel Mta1 functions.
Effects of Online Service Providers for Nonprofits on Fundraising Markets: An Economic Analysis

The Internet is transforming the way nonprofits have been disseminating information about themselves, interacting with potential donors, and fundraising. In this article, the authors focus on a special type of online service providers for nonprofits (OSPNs) that bring donors and nonprofits together in an electronic environment to help them find a suitable match. The authors investigate the effects of OSPNs on the outcomes of fundraising markets by developing an economic model. They compare the total net revenues of nonprofits competing for donations in two different settings: while nonprofits in the first market use both the traditional fundraising techniques and the services provided by OSPNs, those in the second market implement the traditional method only. They derive analytical conditions under which the first setting provides better outcomes than the second one can generate.
Interaction of perpendicular π-electron systems—II Amino-biphenyls

Abstract The near ultraviolet absorption spectra of a series of ortho -ammonio substituted biphenyls are determined and interpreted as indicating some significant resonance interaction between perpendicular phenyl rings in the most sterically hindered biphenyls.
Bradykinin Receptor Blockade Does Not Affect oxygen-Mediated Pulmonary Vasodilation in Fetal Lambs

Bradykinin Receptor Blockade Does Not Affect oxygen-Mediated Pulmonary Vasodilation in Fetal Lambs
Differential monooxygenase-like activity of fetal and adult erythrocytes

Abstract The monooxygenase-like activity of human erythrocytes was measured by monitoring the rate of para-hydroxylation of aniline. Erythrocytes from umbilical cord blood samples were found to be 3–5 times more active than erythrocytes from adult peripheral venous blood samples. This result may be attributed to an intrinsic difference in the reactivity of the particular form of hemoglobin which predominates in each of these erythrocyte types. Thus, the fetal hemoglobin isolated and purified from the cord blood displayed 2–6 times more activity than purified adult hemoglobin when each was tested in reconstituted aniline hydroxylation systems containing NADPH.
Electronic and structural studies of carbon/carbon composites

Abstract Room temperature Raman microprobe, (00 l ) x-ray diffraction and electrical resistivity measurements have been performed on carbon/carbon composites made from mesophase pitch which were heat treated (T HT ) at 2680°C, 2820°C and 3015°C. Results of these measurements indicate that both the ex-pitch carbon fiber and mesophase pitch matrix constituents of the composites were highly graphitic, exhibiting in-plane crystallite dimensions (L a ) greater than 1000 A for this range of T HT values. The c-axis crystallite dimensions (L c ) were determined by analysis of x-ray diffraction peak widths to be ∼ 150 A . CuCl 2 was successfully reacted with T HT = 3020°C composites forming a stage 3 intercalation compound in both the fibers and the matrix, as determined by their Raman spectra.
Approximating eigenfunctions of Fredholm operators in Banach spaces

Abstract A singular Fredholm operator A is perturbed by an operator of finite rank to obtain an invertible operator B. Theory previously developed for A and B in Hilbert spaces is extended here to Banach spaces. The operator B−1 is used to construct independent elements in the null spaces N(A), N(A2),…, N(Ak), for some positive integer k, and a basis for N(A) and N(A2). The theory is used to compute approximations to eigenfunctions and generalized eigenfunctions of integral operators.
Protein patterns of the pituitary gland of goldfish, Carassius auratus, during dietary controlled gonadal regression.

Abstract 1. 1. Dietary controlled gonadal regression of male goldfish was accompanied by a decrease in twelve of the seventeen separate pituitary protein fractions resolved by disc electrophoresis. 2. 2. Reduced gonadal hydration activity in the pituitaries of regressed fish was correlated with the disappearance of three pituitary protein bands. 3. 3. The lack of gaondotropic activity in the pituitaries of regressed fish suggests that inanition results in a condition of “pseudohypophysectomy” with respect to gonadotropins. 4. 4. Adequate food reversed the effectsof inanition in both the gonad and pituitary in 7 months. 5. 5. Changes in the pituitary and gonad before and after winter solstice indicate that photoperiod is an important regulator of pituitary activity. 6. 6. The condition of the pituitary and gonad of goldfish from a natural environment suggests that regression condition may exist in nature when water temperatures are 30°C or higher.
Corticosterone and growth hormone levels in shorebirds during spring and fall migration stopover.

Large numbers of shorebirds stop over at Delaware Bay during spring migration and undergo major mass increases within a two- to three-week period. We studied plasma levels of corticosterone and growth hormone in three species of migrants that use this site, sanderlings, Calidris alba, semipalmated plovers, Charadrius semipalmatus, and semipalmated sandpipers, Calidris pusilla. Semipalmated sandpipers were also studied at a fall migration stopover in Manomet, Massachusetts. These two hormones were chosen because they modulate the physiological processes of lipogenesis/lipolysis and promote increased feeding in birds. The stress response was not suppressed in the shorebirds studied, and plasma levels of corticosterone were elevated compared to other studies. We believe that the high levels of corticosterone relate to the rapid fat deposition that takes place at this stop-over site. There was a significant negative correlation between plasma growth hormone and body mass, indicating the lipolytic effects of the growth hormone. Because the lighter birds are recent arrivals to Delaware Bay they may have elevated plasma growth because of fat breakdown during flight to this stop-over site. High levels of growth hormone may also result in protein synthesis, replenishing tissues broken down during the previous migratory bout. J. Exp. Zool. 284:645–651, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Price of anarchy for supply chains with partial positive externalities

Abstract We consider the impact of partial positive externalities (imperfect complementarity) among downstream retailers on supply chain performance. We show that double marginalization may fail to exist in a decentralized setting when some retailers carry multiple imperfect complements. By giving a precise characterization on the degree of complementarity, we prove that a decentralized supply chain loses at least 25% of the optimal profit and that its performance degrades rapidly with the complementarity effect.
Electoral coordination and the strategic desertion of strong parties in compensatory mixed systems with negative vote transfers

Abstract Through the analysis of the 1994 and 1996 elections of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies, this article examines the incentives that partially compensatory mixed-member majoritarian systems with negative vote transfers provide to voters and parties. I find that the plurality tier of such systems is not affected by contamination from the PR tier. In the PR tier, however, negative vote transfers are found to affect election results, beyond the mechanical correction of disproportionality, by providing voters with the incentive to defect from strong lists when district magnitude is small. I show that the PR tier is characterized by a negative relationship between district magnitude and the number of parties. These results are consistent with recent findings indicating that mixed systems are empirically distinct from pure PR and plurality systems.
Conditional Deletion of Krüppel-Like Factor 4 Delays Downregulation of Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation Markers but Accelerates Neointimal Formation Following Vascular Injury

Phenotypic switching of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) plays a key role in vascular proliferative diseases. We previously showed that Kruppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) suppressed SMC differentiation markers in cultured SMCs. Here, we derive mice deficient for Klf4 by conditional gene ablation and analyze their vascular phenotype following carotid injury. Klf4 expression was rapidly induced in SMCs of control mice after vascular injury but not in Klf4-deficient mice. Injury-induced repression of SMC differentiation markers was transiently delayed in Klf4-deficient mice. Klf4 mutant mice exhibited enhanced neointimal formation in response to vascular injury caused by increased cellular proliferation in the media but not an altered apoptotic rate. Consistent with these findings, cultured SMCs overexpressing Klf4 showed reduced cellular proliferation, in part, through the induction of the cell cycle inhibitor, p21(WAF1/Cip1) via increased binding of Klf4 and p53 to the p21(WAF1/Cip1) promoter/enhancer. In vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation assays also showed increased Klf4 binding to the promoter/enhancer regions of the p21(WAF1/Cip1) gene and SMC differentiation marker genes following vascular injury. Taken together, we have demonstrated that Klf4 plays a critical role in regulating expression of SMC differentiation markers and proliferation of SMCs in vivo in response to vascular injury.
Radiative corrections and semileptonic B decays.

A prescription for approximating electroweak radiative corrections to weak decays is given. The method is illustrated for \ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\nu}\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} and a simplified (structureless) model of B\ensuremath{\rightarrow}Me\ensuremath{\nu}\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}, M=D or \ensuremath{\pi}, where the complete O(\ensuremath{\alpha}) corrections are known. Our procedure is shown to provide a proper description of radiation damping near the electron's end-point energy and a reasonable estimate of radiative corrections for much of the spectrum as well as the integrated rate. As a practical application, it is applied to the semileptonic decays B\ensuremath{\rightarrow}Xe\ensuremath{\nu}\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} where an exact O(\ensuremath{\alpha}) treatment of radiative corrections is very difficult, but an estimate of their effect is important for the extraction of ${V}_{\mathrm{ub}}$ and leptonic branching ratios. We also discuss an 18% enhancement of \ensuremath{\Upsilon}(4S)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${B}^{+}$${B}^{\mathbf{\ensuremath{-}}}$ relative to ${B}^{0}$B\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} $^{0}$ due to large Coulomb corrections near threshold.
Comorbid ADHD: Implications for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Despite high comorbidity rates and potential clinical implications, the influence of co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on outcomes of cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for anxious youth remains poorly understood. In this qualitative review, the current literature on the influence of comorbid ADHD on CBT of youth with diverse anxiety disorders is explored. Peer-reviewed studies examining ADHD, at the diagnostic and symptom level, received highest priority. In addition, inasmuch as some studies did not isolate the effects of ADHD from other disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs: oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorders), studies with the three DBDs were explored as well. Ten studies met our specified methodological criteria. Findings are discussed in relation to the following two factors: type of anxiety disorder and measurement of ADHD (diagnostic or symptom level) in these studies. There was evidence that youth with a variety of anxiety disorders and with co-occurring ADHD fared worse than their counterparts without ADHD. Additionally, grouping ADHD with other DBDs tended to obscure the negative impact of ADHD on treatment outcomes. Additional research is needed to delineate the influence of comorbid ADHD specifically on treatment outcomes for the various anxiety disorders. Clinical implications of treating anxious youth with comorbid ADHD are explored.
The inhibitoty effect of DDT on insulin secretion in mice

Abstract A single oral dose of 50 mg/kg of DDT administered to mice 18 hr prior to experimentation was found to reduce glucose tolerance without affecting the basal blood concentration of glucose. Also, the treatment inhibited both d -glucose and tolbutamide-stimulated insulin release by isolated pancreatic islets. Hyperglycemia was not noted during the 18-hr period after DDT. The effect of DDT on glucose tolerance persisted for at least 1 week. Reduced pancreatic secretory activity after DDT administration is consistent with the increased activity of gluconeogenic enzymes as well as decreased glycogen synthetase activity reported by earlier workers.
Simple vs Complex Urethral Diverticulum: Presentation and Outcomes

Objective To determine whether complex anatomic configurations of urethral diverticula (UD), namely circumferential UD (cUD), present differently or confer a worse prognosis as compared with simple UD (sUD). Methods After institutional review board approval, a retrospective review of patients who underwent transvaginal urethral diverticulectomy at a single institution over an 8-year period was performed. A total of 43 patients were identified, of which 11 were found to have cUD. These lesions were repaired with complete division of the urethra to access the dorsally located portion of the UD, followed by end-to-end anastomosis for urethral reconstruction with a Martius flap and/or autologous fascial pubovaginal sling performed as needed. Presenting symptoms and surgical outcomes were reviewed. Results Mean age was 50.9 years in the cUD vs 52.7 years in the sUD. Patients with cUD were more likely to present with stress urinary incontinence than those with sUD (90.9% vs 56.3%; P = .04). There was no statistical difference in the rate of preoperative urgency, pelvic pain and/or dyspareunia, postvoid dribbling, and urinary tract infection. Postoperatively, patients with cUD were more likely to have a urinary tract infection (27% vs 3%; P = .2); otherwise, rates of postoperative results were similar. Conclusion Urethral transection and end-to-end anastomosis for the repair of complex UD is a feasible approach and results in similar clinical outcomes compared with the repair of sUD.
Greenland Sea Odden: intra- and interannual variability

The 'Odden' is a large sea ice feature that forms in the East Greenland Sea which generally forms at the beginning of the winter season and can cover 300,000 km2. Throughout the winter, the outer edge of the Odden may advance and retreat by several hundred kilometers on time scales of a few days to weeks. Satellite passive microwave observations from 1978 through 1995 provide a continuous record of the spatial and temporal variations of this extremely dynamic phenomenon. The 17 year record shows both strong inter- and intra-annual variations in Odden extent and temporal behavior. An analysis of the satellite passive microwave derived ice area and extent time series along with meteorological data from the Arctic Drifting Buoy Network determined the meteorological forcing required for Odden growth, maintenance and decay. The key meteorological parameters which cause the rapid ice formation and decay associated with the Odden are, in order of importance, air temperature, wind speed, and wind direction. Atmospheric pressure was found not to play a significant role in the Odden events. Air temperature and wind direction are the dominant variables with temperatures below -9.5 degrees C and winds from the west required to trigger significant Odden ice formation events.
Conditioning of Induced Electroencephalographic Sleep Patterns in the Cat

Stimulation of the basal forebrain synchronizing area of the cat induces the behavioral and electroencephalographic manifestations of sleep. By pairing such stimulation with a neutral auditory stimulus we were able to evoke electroencephalographic synchronization and sleep preparatory behavior to the presentation of a tone, and to temporal factors associated with the conditioning procedure.
The Effect of a Stabilizing Temperature Gradient on Heat Transfer From a Molten Fuel Layer With Volumetric Heating

The Landau method is used to determine the heat transfer to the upper and lower surfaces of a volumetrically heated layer of molten fuel for various fixed values of the upper and lower surface temperatures. To use the Landau method, the Stuart shape assumption is imposed and solutions to the linearized stability problem are used. The results are generalized in terms of two Nusselt numbers (upper and lower surface heat transfer) which are presented as a function of the Rayleigh number based on the internal heat generation rate for various values of an external Rayleigh number based on the surface to surface temperature difference. Results are also presented for a molten UO$sub 2$ layer for various typical values of decay heat. Comparison is made with experiment, where possible, and found to be good. 12 references. (auth)
Overview of Lamotrigine and the New Antiepileptic Drugs: The Challenge

Lamotrigine, like all antiepileptic drugs, can be effective when used as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy. In general, adverse effects are reduced when monotherapy is employed. The most frequent a...
Are emerging stock market price indices really stationary

This study re-examines the univariate property of stock market price indices in ten emerging markets which are evidenced by prior empirical work, specifically by Chaudhuri and Wu (2003), to be I(0) or stationary. Important findings from variants of standard Dickey and Fuller (1979, 1981) and Zivot and Andrews (1992) unit root tests include: (1) the majority of these price indices can be more appropriately regarded as I(1) or non-stationary, and (2) the I(1) processes in these price indices have been increasingly discernible over time. These results imply non-mean reversion in stock market prices and unpredictability based on past prices in the majority of emerging stock markets under investigation.
Reactivity and spectral comparisons of alkylresorcinol laminating resins with phenolic and resorcinolic resins

Abstract Two alkylresorcinol-based laminating resins, DFK-14R and FR-100, are compared in reactivity and structure with resorcinol- and phenol-based adhesive resins. The alkylresorcinols, derived from Estonian shale oil, replace costlier, less-reactive resorcinol in adhesives in the USSR. Differential scanning calorimetry quantitates the reactivity advantage. Infrared spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance provide spectral patterns to distinguish the alkylresorcinol resins from the families of resorcinol-and phenol-based resins. Structural features are assigned for most of the spectral absorptions, with aid from 13 carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the shale oil resins.
Intercalibration in chemical oceanography—Getting the right number

Intercalibration has a strict metrological definition, but in brief, it’s an open sharing of methods and results between laboratories to achieve the most accurate data with the fewest random and systematic errors. In the field of chemical oceanography where concentrations of many constituents can be in the nano- to picomolar range, the salt water matrix can be difficult to analyze, and knowing the exact concentrations, or even chemi cal forms, of biologically required elements is essential, intercalibration is a very relevant and needed tool. Implementing it is not simple because errors can occur at any step in the process of taking a water or particle sample, handling and processing it, and finally analyzing it and treating the resulting data. The international GEOTRACES program provides a good example of implementing intercalibration for studies of dissolved and particulate trace elements and isotopes, and is described here.
A novel broadband antenna, the low profile dipole planar inverted cone antenna (LPdiPICA)

A new broadband dipole teardrop antenna, the LPdiPICA (low profile dipole planar inverted cone antenna), is proposed for wireless communication applications. The antenna element has the shape of dual teardrops printed on a dielectric material. The element is backed with a finite ground plane for a high gain unidirectional pattern. The antenna is linearly polarized and provides more than 10:1 impedance bandwidth and 2.2:1 pattern bandwidth. The HPBW (half power beam width) of the antenna is 50/spl deg/-60/spl deg/ and 70/spl deg/-90/spl deg/ in the E- and H-planes, respectively, and a maximum gain of 6-10 dBi over the bandwidth. The dipole teardrop antenna is modeled as made up of wire and tapered slot antenna components that operate in the lower and upper bands, respectively.
Using a sharp instrument to parse apart strategy and consistency: an evaluation of PPT and its assumptions.

ABSTRACT Potential Performance Theory (PPT) is a general theory for parsing observed performance into the underlying strategy and the consistency with which it is used. Although empirical research has supported that PPT is useful, it is desirable to have more information about the bias and standard errors of PPT findings. It also is beneficial to know the effects of violations of PPT assumptions. The authors present computer simulations that evaluate bias and standard errors at varying levels of strategy, consistency, and number of trials per participant. The simulations show that, when the assumptions are true, there is very little bias and the standard errors are low when there are moderate or large numbers of trials per participant (e.g., N = 50 or N = 100). But when the independence assumption is violated, PPT provides biased findings, although the bias is quite small unless the violations are large.
Segregation to fiber/matrix interfaces in Ni3Al IMCs reinforced with single crystal Al2O3 fibers

Abstract Previous studies have shown that both precipitation and impurity segregation occur at fiber/matrix interfaces in composites based on NiAl matrices modified by zirconium plus boron and reinforced with Al 2 O 3 fibers. Precipitation reactions involve formation of Zr-rich oxides, and sulfur (a trace impurity) is observed to segregate strongly to the interfaces. In combination, these effects influence the mechanical interaction between the fiber and the matrix. The purpose of this paper is to report observations concerning the segregation and precipitation processes at fiber/matrix interfaces, resulting from several different thermal histories, in a single intermetallic-matrix composite. These results, obtained using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), indicate that the sulfur segregation present at fiber/matrix interfaces in as-fabricated composites is diminished after annealing in the temperature range between 600°C and 1050°C. The effects of this variation in segregation level on fiber push-out test results are small, but fractographic and AES analyses suggest that sulfur segregation lowers fiber/matrix cohesion.