cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partially Coherent Scatterers in SAR Tomography: An Application on COSMO-SkyMed Data

Decorrelation is a major drawback in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry (InSAR) processing, causing poor density of measurement points, mainly outside of urbanized areas. SAR Tomography is one of the most suitable multi-temporal InSAR technique for built environment monitoring. Although typically capable of identifying a large number of scatterers, SAR Tomography detectors suffer the assumption of fully coherent scatterer response, which can be restrictive in real cases. In this work we address the test of a detector of partially correlated scatterers on a real COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) dataset, which was previously derived in the literature [1] as a Rao test for the single-look case and is here extended to the multi-look scenario. Experimental results are compared with those achieved by the Multi-look Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test (MGLRT). Both Partial Correlation and MGLRT have been implemented with a fixed multi-look degree.
On QoS-based scheduling of a meta-task with multiple QoS demands in heterogeneous computing

This paper investigates the problem of scheduling a set of independent tasks with multiple QoS needs, which may include timeliness, reliability, security, data accuracy, and priority, in a heterogeneous computing system. This problem is referred to as the QoS-based scheduling problem and proven to be NP-hard. In order to solve the QoS-based scheduling problem, a computationally efficient static scheduling algorithm (QSMTS_IP) is developed. The simulation studies carried out show that QSMTS_IP is capable of meeting diverse QoS requirements of marry users simultaneously, while minimizing the number of users whose tasks cannot be scheduled due to the scarcity of resources.
Rho GTPases regulate distinct aspects of dendritic arbor growth in Xenopus central neurons in vivo

The development and structural plasticity of dendritic arbors are governed by several factors, including synaptic activity, neurotrophins and other growth-regulating molecules. The signal transduction pathways leading to dendritic structural changes are unknown, but likely include cytoskeleton regulatory components. To test whether GTPases regulate dendritic arbor development, we collected time-lapse images of single optic tectal neurons in albino Xenopus tadpoles expressing dominant negative or constitutively active forms of Rac, Cdc42 or RhoA. Analysis of images collected at two-hour intervals over eight hours indicated that enhanced Rac activity selectively increased branch additions and retractions, as did Cdc42 to a lesser extent. Activation of endogenous RhoA decreased branch extension without affecting branch additions and retractions, whereas dominant-negative RhoA increased branch extension. Finally, we provide data suggesting that RhoA mediates the promotion of normal dendritic arbor development by NMDA receptor activation.
Agroterrorism and Ecoterrorism: A Survey of Indo-American Approaches Under Law and Policy to Prevent and Defend Against These Potential Threats Ahead

“Agroterrorism is a subset of bioterrorism, and is defined as the deliberate introduction of an animal or plant disease with the goal of generating fear, causing economic losses, and/or undermining social stability.” Its partner in crime is ecoterrorism, “the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against innocent victims or property by an environmentally-oriented, subnational group for environmental political reasons, or aimed at an audience beyond the target, often of a symbolic nature.” Furthermore, “[a]s recently as June 2004, the FBI designated ‘eco-terrorism’ . . . as the [U.S.’] number one militant challenge emanating from inside its own borders.”This article will survey such efforts in India and the U.S., with the suggestion of a three-pronged, combined, interagency approach to preventing agroterrorist and ecoterrorist attacks, enabling both nations to forge ahead in this critical effort.
Designing for a Dialogic View of Interpretation in Cross-Cultural IT Design

To search for ways of better communicating the intended meanings to culturally diverse users, this paper uses Bakhtin's concept of dialogicality and its application to examine how interpretation functions in cross-cultural design. It argues for a dialogical view of interpretation based on the genre notion with its features of situatedness and dynamism. This view of interpretation connects action and meaning in cross-cultural IT design and makes a design appealing to a local context without stereotyping the local culture in an essentialist fashion.
Atoms in plasmas

There are an enormous variety of conditions under which matter becomes an ionised gas or "plasma". For example, for atoms to be ionised the temperature must normally be greater than a few eV (1 eV ~ 104 K). In magnetic fusion machines such as the tokamak, the plasma density is 1012–1014 electrons or ions per cubic centimetre; in laser-produced plasmas the densities are much higher, 1020–1022 per cm3. Interstellar plasmas have much lower densities (a few particles per cm3), whereas much higher densities (~1025 per cm3) can be found in stellar interiors or in the fusion plasmas produced by laser-driven implosions.
Characteristics of tipping-bucket devices

The results of tests and a description of the behavior of a tipping-bucket gage for use in flow measurements are given. Procedures for the use of these devices to obtain as reliable flow data as possible are indicated. It is concluded that, because of the large head room required and the low capacity in addition to the poor hydraulic characteristics, this type of instrument is unsuitable for adoption for general use in the measurement of soil and water runoff from experimental areas.
Electronic structure of nickel silicides Ni 2 Si, NiSi, and NiSi 2

Synchrotron-radiation photoemission studies of bulk samples of Ni/sub 2/Si, NiSi, and NiSi/sub 2/ show valence-band emission dominated by Ni 3d-derived features. These d bands shift toward E/sub F/ and broaden with increasing Ni concentration and Ni-Ni interaction, falling at -3.2 eV for NiSi/sub 2/ and -1.3 eV for Ni/sub 2/Si. In each case, the density of states near E/sub F/ is very low. These results are interpreted in terms of recent calculations which are shown to forecast correctly the general trends and modifications of the silicide electronic structure. Further, they indicate that the d-band features observed in photoemission reflect d states which are not directly involved in the Ni--Si bonds. Core-level studies show that charge transfer plays a minor role in the chemical bond, but changes in the electronic configuration account for the observed shifts in the Ni 3p binding energy.
On the Recovery of 3D Spatial Statistics of Particles from 1D Measurements: Implications for Airborne Instruments

AbstractThe spatial positions of individual aerosol particles, cloud droplets, or raindrops can be modeled as a point processes in three dimensions. Characterization of three-dimensional point processes often involves the calculation or estimation of the radial distribution function (RDF) and/or the pair-correlation function (PCF) for the system. Sampling these three-dimensional systems is often impractical, however, and, consequently, these three-dimensional systems are directly measured by probing the system along a one-dimensional transect through the volume (e.g., an aircraft-mounted cloud probe measuring a thin horizontal “skewer” through a cloud). The measured RDF and PCF of these one-dimensional transects are related to (but not, in general, equal to) the RDF/PCF of the intrinsic three-dimensional systems from which the sample was taken. Previous work examined the formal mathematical relationship between the statistics of the intrinsic three-dimensional system and the one-dimensional transect; this...
Chromosome-mediated transfer of murine alleles for hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) and ouabain resistance into human cell lines.

Genetic drug-resistance markers were transferred via purified metaphase chromosomes from mouse L cells into the human fibrosarcoma line HT1080 and HeLa S3 cells. Interspecific chromosome-mediated transfer of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT; EC 2.4.2.8) from mouse L cells into HGPRT− HT1080 cells occurred at a frequency of approximately 1×10−7. The presence of the mouse allele for HGPRT in transferent isolates was confirmed by isoelectric focusing. Transfer of ouabain resistance from mouse L cells to HT1080 and HeLa S3 cells occurred at an average frequency of approximately 4×10−7. Expression of the mouse trait in transferent isolates was confirmed by their ability to withstand doses of ouabain which would be lethal to spontaneous ouabain-resistant mutants of the human cells but not to mouse L cells. Ouabain-resistant transferents of human cells showed 104- to >105-fold enhanced drug resistance, characteristic of either wild-type or mutant alleles, respectively, from ouabain-resistant donor L cells. Unstable expression of the transferred phenotypes in the absence of selection was seen in some isolates, but expression was lost at slow rates.
An investigation of the college and career counseling needs of economically disadvantaged, minority gifted students

This study is an investigation of the college and career counseling needs of economically disadvantaged, academically gifted minority students. Two groups of students were studied and compared ‐ one group of 50 low‐income students, predominantly minority, who were chosen for a special college counseling program, and a second group of 42 middle to high income students, predominantly Asian and Caucasian, who were participating in a summer academic program. Students were compared on college plans and preparations, aspirations and expectations about higher education, support from others, motivation, values, and career interests and maturity. Results showed that the gifted disadvantaged students had lower educational aspirations, felt somewhat less prepared for college and less confident about being admitted, had unrealistic ideas about how to finance college, and perceived that college life would be more frightening and lonely compared to nondisadvantaged students. Student groups were similar in motivation to...
Autonomous robotic weed control systems: A review

Autonomous robotic weed control systems hold promise toward the automation of one of agriculture's few remaining unmechanized and drudging tasks, hand weed control. Robotic technology may also provide a means of reducing agriculture's current dependency on herbicides, improving its sustainability and reducing its environmental impact. This review describes the current status of the four core technologies (guidance, detection and identification, precision in-row weed control, and mapping) required for the successful development of a general-purpose robotic system for weed control. Of the four, detection and identification of weeds under the wide range of conditions common to agricultural fields remains the greatest challenge. A few complete robotic weed control systems have demonstrated the potential of the technology in the field. Additional research and development is needed to fully realize this potential.
Advancements in Heterogeneous Catalysis for Biodiesel Synthesis

Heterogeneous catalysts are promising for the transesterification reaction of vegetable oils to produce biodiesel and have been studied intensively over the last decade. Unlike the homogeneous catalysts, heterogeneous catalysts can be easily separated from reaction mixture and reused for many times. They are environmentally benign and could be easily operated in continuous processes. This review classifies the solid catalysts into two categories based on their catalytic temperature, i.e. high temperature catalysts and low temperature catalysts. The nature of the catalysts can be specified into solid bases and solid acids. Three aspects, catalyst activity, catalyst life and oil flexibility, will be reviewed. Two kinds of heterogeneous catalysts, reported by IFP Inc. and by WSU, respectively, show a high catalytic activity, long catalyst life and low leaching of catalyst components. These two catalysts also show ability to simultaneously catalyze esterification and transesterification, and can be used in half-refined or crude oil system which provide a potential for greatly decrease the feedstock cost.
A Note on the Use of Sample Estimates in Optimization Models

sider seriously, is X10 = max (X11, X12, ...., Xm,), the sample maximum. The disadvantage of this particular estimator is that it is biased, for it is well known (Gumbel) that the mean of the distribution of the sample maximum increases with sample size. This bias would discourage most from knowingly using X1 as an estimator of, l. Unknowingly, however, one might use it; and it is suggested in this paper that many situations arise in economics where one, in essence, does precisely that. Consider the following scenario: a firm, about to implement a particular plan of action in a deterministic environment, is contemplating the performance measure, or the objective function value, pI, that will be achieved by implementing the plan. The firm possesses some less than perfect information
Hypothetical Consent in Kantian Constructivism

Epistemology, as I understand it, is a branch of philosophy especially concerned with general questions about how we can know various things or at least justify our beliefs about them. It questions what counts as evidence and what are reasonable sources of doubt. Traditionally, episte-mology focuses on pervasive and apparently basic assumptions covering a wide range of claims to knowledge or justified belief rather than very specific, practical puzzles. For example, traditional epistemologists ask “How do we know there are material objects?” and not “How do you know which are the female beetles?” Similarly, moral epistemology, as I understand it, is concerned with general questions about how we can know or justify our beliefs about moral matters. Its focus, again, is on quite general, pervasive, and apparently basic assumptions about what counts as evidence, what are reasonable sources of doubt, and what are the appropriate procedures for justifying particular moral claims.
Cell Transplantation Therapy for Stroke

No treatment currently exists to restore lost neurological function after stroke. A growing number of studies highlight the potential of stem cell transplantation as a novel therapeutic approach for stroke. In this review we summarize these studies, discuss potential mechanisms of action of the transplanted cells, and emphasize the need to determine parameters that are critical for transplantation success.
Old Europe Goes to Work

The conventional wisdom in the United States is that the European model is failing. There are not enough jobs for those who want them. But these two economists paint a different picture—in fact, an eyeopening one.
Ago1 Interacts with RNA Polymerase II and Binds to the Promoters of Actively Transcribed Genes in Human Cancer Cells

Argonaute proteins are often credited for their cytoplasmic activities in which they function as central mediators of the RNAi platform and microRNA (miRNA)-mediated processes. They also facilitate heterochromatin formation and establishment of repressive epigenetic marks in the nucleus of fission yeast and plants. However, the nuclear functions of Ago proteins in mammalian cells remain elusive. In the present study, we combine ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with massively parallel sequencing) with biochemical assays to show that nuclear Ago1 directly interacts with RNA Polymerase II and is widely associated with chromosomal loci throughout the genome with preferential enrichment in promoters of transcriptionally active genes. Additional analyses show that nuclear Ago1 regulates the expression of Ago1-bound genes that are implicated in oncogenic pathways including cell cycle progression, growth, and survival. Our findings reveal the first landscape of human Ago1-chromosomal interactions, which may play a role in the oncogenic transcriptional program of cancer cells.
Targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signaling in renal cancer: the sooner the better?

Over the past decade, the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has dramatically changed with the introduction of antiangiogenic therapies. Five drugs are now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies, directed at the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGF receptor (VEGFR) signaling axis: four orally bioavailable small molecule multikinase inhibitors with activity against VEGFR (sorafenib, sunitinib, pazopanib, and axitinib) and an intravenously administered monoclonal antibody that binds the VEGF ligand (bevacizumab). These regulatory approvals were largely based on improvements in time-to-event end points (eg, progressionfree survival) compared with placebo or control and were all based on trials completed in the metastatic setting. Consistent with an oncologic drug-development paradigm that has existed for>50 yr, after establishing the safety and efficacy of VEGFR-targeted agents in metastatic RCC, these drugs are now being studied in earlier clinical disease states in the hope of achieving an even greater impact on the natural history of the disease. In fact, a large number of randomized trials evaluating adjuvant VEGFR kinase inhibitors and collectively enrolling >7000 patients have been are ongoing or have completed accrual (Table 1). In this context, several critical questions emerge: Based on theirmechanism of action, is it reasonable to expect that the perioperative application of VEGFR-targeted therapies will increase the likelihood of cure in patients with clinically localized disease (or at least significantly delay recurrence)?What are the relative risks and benefits of application of these therapies in the neoadjuvant setting versus the adjuvant setting? What is the optimal antiangiogenic drug and duration of treatment in the perioperative setting? And,
Improved spatial learning in aged rats by genetic activation of protein kinase C in small groups of hippocampal neurons

Age-related decline in human cognition is well known, and there are correlative changes in the function of neocortical and hippocampal neurons. Similarly, age-related decline in learning has been observed in rodents, including deficits in a hippocampal-dependent learning paradigm, the Morris water maze. Furthermore, there are correlative deficits in specific signaling pathways, including protein kinase C (PKC) pathways, in cerebellar, hippocampal, or neocortical neurons. PKC pathways are strong candidates for mediating the molecular changes that underlie spatial learning, as they play critical roles in neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity, including long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), and deletion of specific PKC genes results in deficits in learning. Conversely, genetic activation of PKC pathways in small groups of hippocampal or cortical neurons enhances learning in specific paradigms. In this study, the authors delivered a constitutively active PKC into small groups of hippocampal dentate granule neurons in aged rats (using a herpes simplex virus-1 vector). Aged 2-year-old rats that received the constitutively active PKC displayed improved performance in the Morris water maze relative to controls in three different measures. These results indicate that PKC pathways play an important role in mediating spatial learning in aged rats. Additionally, these results represent a system for studying the neural mechanisms underlying aging-related learning deficits, and potentially developing gene therapies for cognitive and age-related deficits.
Bis(pyridyl)siloxane-Pd(II) complex catalyzed oxidation of alcohol to aldehyde: Effect of ligand tethering on catalytic activity and deactivation behavior

Abstract A series of oligomeric methylsiloxane compounds functionalized with pyridyl groups was synthesized and used as ligands in the aerobic Pd(OAc) 2 -catalyzed oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde at 353 K. The effect of tethering two pyridine ligands at the terminal positions of linear siloxanes of varying length was systematically investigated, as was the effect of the attachment point of the pyridine ring ( meta or para ). It was found that meta -substituted pyridylsiloxanes were generally more effective in protecting the catalyst against Pd agglomeration. For this purpose, the optimal meta -pyridylsiloxane ligands had 4–6 silicon atoms or 10 silicon atoms for para -pyridylsiloxane ligands. The metal–ligand binding properties were used to interpret the catalytic behavior, and the ability of the catalyst stability correlated with ability of the bis-pyridyl ligand to form a mononuclear cyclic complex with Pd.
Importance of the two-step crystal growth model

Background and evolution of the two-step crystal growth model is reviewed. The previously introduced kinetic equation combining the three constants of this model, i.e. the mass transfer coefficient, kd, the surface reaction rate constant, kr, and the surface reaction order, r, is discussed in detail. It is shown that neither the correlation errors of the kinetic equation nor values of the mass transfer coefficient are considerably affected by a choice of the surface reaction order. By setting r = 2.0 a standardized pair of kd and kr constants is obtained and shown to be a valuable tool in either quantitative descriptions or clarification of the effects of various factors on the crystal growth kinetics. Examples of applications of the standardized constants cover the effects of temperature, hydrodynamics and cationic admixtures on the crystal growth kinetics as well as the interrelations of crystal growth vs dissolution and of crystal growth vs secondary nucleation.
The influence of extracellular and intracellular calcium on the secretion of renin

Changes in plasma, extracellular, and intracellular calcium can affect renin secretion from the renal juxtaglomerular (JG) cells. Elevated intracellular calcium directly inhibits renin release from JG cells by decreasing the dominant second messenger intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) via actions on calcium-inhibitable adenylyl cyclases and calcium-activated phosphodiesterases. Increased extracellular calcium also directly inhibits renin release by stimulating the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) on JG cells, resulting in parallel changes in the intracellular environment and decreasing intracellular cAMP. In vivo, acutely elevated plasma calcium inhibits plasma renin activity (PRA) via parathyroid hormone-mediated elevations in renal cortical interstitial calcium that stimulate the JG cell CaSR. However, chronically elevated plasma calcium or CaSR activation may actually stimulate PRA. This elevation in PRA may be a compensatory mechanism resulting from calcium-mediated polyuria. Thus, changing the extracellular calcium in vitro or in vivo results in inversely related acute changes in cAMP, and therefore renin release, but chronic changes in calcium may result in more complex interactions dependent upon the duration of changes and the integration of the body’s response to these changes.
Patterns of cyto-nuclear linkage disequilibrium in Silene latifolia: genomic heterogeneity and temporal stability.

Non-random association of alleles in the nucleus and cytoplasmic organelles, or cyto-nuclear linkage disequilibrium (LD), is both an important component of a number of evolutionary processes and a statistical indicator of others. The evolutionary significance of cyto-nuclear LD will depend on both its magnitude and how stable those associations are through time. Here, we use a longitudinal population genetic data set to explore the magnitude and temporal dynamics of cyto-nuclear disequilibria through time. We genotyped 135 and 170 individuals from 16 and 17 patches of the plant species Silene latifolia in Southwestern VA, sampled in 1993 and 2008, respectively. Individuals were genotyped at 14 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers and a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the mitochondrial gene, atp1. Normalized LD (D′) between nuclear and cytoplasmic loci varied considerably depending on which nuclear locus was considered (ranging from 0.005–0.632). Four of the 14 cyto-nuclear associations showed a statistically significant shift over approximately seven generations. However, the overall magnitude of this disequilibrium was largely stable over time. The observed origin and stability of cyto-nuclear LD is most likely caused by the slow admixture between anciently diverged lineages within the species' newly invaded range, and the local spatial structure and metapopulation dynamics that are known to structure genetic variation in this system.
An Elaborate Data Set for Mechanical Characterization of the Foot

Experimental testing of cadaver specimens is a useful means to quantify structural and material response of tissue and passive joint properties against applied loading[1,4]. Very often, specific material response (i.e., stress-strain behavior of a ligament or plantar tissue) has been the goal of experimental testing and is accomplished with uniaxial and/or biaxial tests of prepared tissue specimens with uniform geometries[2,5]. Material properties can then be calculated directly and if testing data involves individual sets of multiple loading modes (e.g. compression only, shear only, volumetric) an accurate representation of the global response of the specimen may be possible. In foot biomechanics, however, it is practically impossible to perform isolated mechanical testing in this manner. The structural response, therefore the stiffness characteristics, of the foot have been quantified, usually using a dominant loading mode: e.g., whole foot compression [6], heel pad indentation [3]. This approach ignores the complexity of most in vivo loading conditions, in which whole foot deformation involves interactions between compression, shear (e.g. heel pad) and tension (e.g. ligaments). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to quantify the mechanical response of a cadaver foot specimen subjected to compression and anterior-posterior (AP) shear loading of isolated heel and forefoot regions as well as whole foot compression. Results from the experimental tests represent a novel methodology to quantify a complete structural biomechanical response. Combined with medical imaging, followed by inverse finite element (FE) analysis, the data may also serve for material characterization of foot tissue.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Reply, on chaos

The letter from Foster Morrison is both provocative and much appreciated. It is a veritable syllabus for an advanced course on everything not as yet resolved by applied mathematicians. Not being one, despite my simplified application of some properties of numbers, it might be best to leave sleeping tigers alone on that score. However, I will venture some responses in the same spirit of enquiry that marks the tone of Morrison's remarks. The points I take up are fairly evident in following the sequence of paragraphs in his letter (if I have missed anything, it is either because the response is implicit in other remarks or there was nothing to add).
Falsely Low Hemoglobin A1c Levels in a Patient Receiving Ribavirin and Peginterferon alfa-2b for Hepatitis C

The effect of treatment for hepatitis C viral infection on hemoglobin A(1c) (A1C) levels is not well described in the literature. We describe a 59-year-old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus whose A1C level became falsely low when ribavirin and peginterferon alfa-2b therapy were started for treatment of hepatitis C. After treatment was discontinued, the patient's A1C returned to its previous baseline value. Use of the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated a probable relationship (score of 7) between the patient's low AIC level and his ribavirin-peginterferon alfa-2b therapy. Clinicians should be aware that combination therapy for hepatitis C may affect A1C values. To maintain accurate glucose control in patients with diabetes who are receiving treatment for hepatitis C, it is important that they self-monitor their blood glucose levels in conjunction with A1C data, especially when A1C values become falsely low.
Brain Arachidonic Acid Cascade Enzymes are Upregulated in a Rat Model of Unilateral Parkinson Disease

Arachidonic acid (AA) signaling is upregulated in the caudate-putamen and frontal cortex of unilaterally 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rats, a model for asymmetrical Parkinson disease. AA signaling can be coupled to D2-like receptor initiated AA hydrolysis from phospholipids by cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and subsequent metabolism by cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. In unilaterally 6-OHDA- and sham-lesioned rats, we measured brain expression of cPLA2, other PLA2 enzymes, and COX-2. Activity and protein levels of cPLA2 were significantly higher as was COX-2-protein in caudate-putamen, frontal cortex and remaining brain on the lesioned compared to intact side of the 6-OHDA lesioned rats, and compared to sham brain. Secretory sPLA2 and Ca2+-independent iPLA2 expression did not differ between sides or groups. Thus, the tonically increased ipsilateral AA signal in the lesioned rat corresponds to upregulated cPLA2 and COX-2 expression within the AA metabolic cascade, which may contribute to symptoms and pathology in Parkinson disease.
Constitutive expression of fluorescent protein by Aspergillus var. niger and Aspergillus carbonarius to monitor fungal colonization in maize plants

Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus carbonarius are two species in the Aspergillus section Nigri (black-spored aspergilli) frequently associated with peanut (Arachis hypogea), maize (Zea mays), and other plants as pathogens. These infections are symptomless and as such are major concerns since some black aspergilli produce important mycotoxins, ochratoxins A, and the fumonisins. To facilitate the study of the black aspergilli-maize interactions with maize during the early stages of infections, we developed a method that used the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP) and the monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP1) to transform A. niger and A. carbonarius, respectively. The results were constitutive expressions of the fluorescent genes that were stable in the cytoplasms of hyphae and conidia under natural environmental conditions. The hyphal in planta distribution in 21-day-old seedlings of maize were similar wild type and transformants of A. niger and A. carbonarius. The in planta studies indicated that both wild type and transformants internally colonized leaf, stem and root tissues of maize seedlings, without any visible disease symptoms. Yellow and red fluorescent strains were capable of invading epidermal cells of maize roots intercellularly within the first 3 days after inoculation, but intracellular hyphal growth was more evident after 7 days of inoculation. We also tested the capacity of fluorescent transformants to produce ochratoxin A and the results with A. carbonarius showed that this transgenic strain produced similar concentrations of this secondary metabolite. This is the first report on the in planta expression of fluorescent proteins that should be useful to study the internal plant colonization patterns of two ochratoxigenic species in the Aspergillus section Nigri.
Repetition rate of calls used in multiple contexts communicates presence of predators to nestlings and adult birds

In multispecies communities, animals may come to recognize the signals of other species both by responding to common signal features and by learning about associations between signals and relevant threats. However, some signals are produced in multiple contexts. To a given receiver, such a signal may only sometimes be relevant. Here, I demonstrate that receivers use contextual variation in signal form as a cue to their relevance. Individuals from 15 species of songbirds repeated their calls rapidly when confronting widely threatening predators, but repeated the same calls more slowly during other types of social interactions. In playback experiments, repetition rate was a cue to nestling Ficedula flycatchers, which reduced their activity in response to quickly but not slowly repeated calls, and also to adult birds from a variety of species, which responded more strongly to the calls of their own and other species produced at faster rates. These results show that repetition rate is an innate or early learned contextual cue and, in combination with learning about heterospecific signals, allows receivers to fine-tune their responses to the calls of their own and other species according to their relevance, suggesting that simple rules facilitate widespread heterospecific communication networks.
Biochemical components of the mysid shrimp Taphromysis bowmani Bacescu

Biochemical analyses of adult Taphromysis bowmani Bacescu indicate 55.4–58.2% protein, 14.3–15.2% lipid, 1.8–2.5% carbohydrate. 6.6–9.5% chitin, and 16.4–20.0% ash on a dry wt basis. Sexual differences in chemical composition were relatively small but significant for protein, ash, and chitin. Caloric values for females, 4428–4712 cal/g dry wt, were consistently higher than for males, 4178–4227 cal/g dry wt. Caloric content per individual adult female was 10.2 cal and per male, 4.5 cal. Adult females were twice the size of males (2.2 and 1.1 mg dry wt, respectively). The water content for both sexes ranged from 76–82%. There were relatively small, though statistically significant, month to month variations in chemical composition. No seasonal trends were apparent. The disappearance of animals from shallow areas in summer appears to be a regular seasonal phenomenon which may be preceded by a decline in caloric values.
Comfort Zones and Their Dangers: Who Are We?Qui Sommes-Nous?

ABSTRACT This Presidential Address examines contemporary U.S. anthropological rhetoric regarding the profession of anthropology and related habits of professional self-understanding that warrant a second look. It is most concerned with aspects of our widespread self-understanding that often function (esp. in conversation and in writing) to assert and reassert a truth we tell ourselves about ourselves, even in the absence of sustained research. Arguing for moving beyond comfortable zones of self-understanding and dwelling instead on “zones of discomfort” (and not just in “the field”), it specifically queries the common notions (1) that anthropologists constitute a “progressive” (or liberal or left-of-center) discipline, (2) that anthropology is in decline or on the verge of disappearing (what I call the “doom and gloom” scenario), and (3) that the AAA exists to serve anthropologists in the United States yet is open-minded enough, liberal enough, globally oriented enough, and anti-imperialistic enough to keep its “Americanness” at bay. [the profession of anthropology, comfort zones, racism, disability, international(ism)]
IBUPROFEN COMBINED WITH ANTIBIOTICS SUPPRESSES RENAL SCARRING DUE TO ASCENDING PYELONEPHRITIS IN RATS

ABSTRACTPurpose: In acute pyelonephritis renal scarring may be decreased by immediate antibiotic therapy. Unfortunately in children there is often a delay in starting treatment, which increases the likelihood of renal scarring. In rodents immediate antibiotic therapy is effective for preventing renal scar formation resulting from experimentally induced pyelonephritis. However, the same treatment beginning 72 hours after infection does not prevent renal scarring in this paradigm. We examined whether delayed administration of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent ibuprofen only or combined with antibiotics suppresses renal scarring in a model of ascending pyelonephritis in rats.Materials and Methods: An inoculum of 5 × 109 organisms per ml. of Escherichia coli strain BH-5 was instilled into the bladder of rats and the urethra was occluded for 4 hours. Groups of animals were and were not treated with 15 mg./kg. cefadroxil or 10 mg./kg. ibuprofen given twice daily for 5 days, or the 2 drugs combined. Treat...
Symmetry and Stability of Membrane Protein Lattices

Experimental surveys of the protein content in cell membranes suggest that membrane proteins exhibit great diversity in their oligomeric state and transmembrane shape. Furthermore, membrane proteins are often observed to form clusters, which can be composed of thousands of proteins. Recent breakthroughs in high-resolution imaging techniques have shown that the arrangement of proteins in membrane protein clusters is often far from random, with spatial ordering of proteins into regular two-dimensional lattices and, depending on the protein oligomeric state and transmembrane shape, distinct orientational ordering of neighboring membrane proteins. These observations have led, on the one hand, to the proposal that the regular arrangement of membrane proteins may play a role in the biological function of cell membranes. On the other hand, the question arises as to what are the physical mechanisms responsible for the self-assembly, symmetry, and stability of membrane protein lattices. Based on experimental observations and physical models, membrane-mediated interactions between proteins, which result from protein-induced lipid bilayer deformations, have been advanced as a general mechanism for long-ranged interactions between membrane proteins. Here we develop a computational framework for the calculation of membrane-mediated interactions in the large and complicated membrane protein lattices observed in experiments. We find that, depending on the specific shape and oligomeric state of the protein under consideration, membrane-mediated interactions can be attractive or repulsive, several kBT in strength, and depend crucially on the spatial and orientational symmetry in membrane protein lattices. Combining our approach with the theory of regular lattices of polygons, we carry out a systematic survey of the connection between the shape of membrane proteins, and the symmetry and stability of membrane protein lattices. Our results suggest direct experimental tests of how the self-assembly and biological function of membrane protein lattices is influenced by membrane-mediated interactions.
Craft Production and the Challenge of the Global Market: An Artisans' Cooperative in Oaxaca, Mexico

In 1987 the Artisans' Society of Santa Ana was founded to bring the global market for handmade woolen textiles to Santa Ana del Valle, Oaxaca, a rural Zapotec community. Santa Ana is part of Oaxaca's well-documented treadle loom industry, but remains in the shadow of its economically dominant neighbor, Teotitlan del Valle. The Artisans' Society was established in response to Teotitlan's control and was generally well supported by villagers. However, the cooperative has not accomplished its goal of gaining better market access for local weavers. Over the last decade the Society has struggled, nearly collapsing in 1995. The example of the Artisans' Society allows an opportunity to examine the advantages and disadvantages of cooperatives as avenues toward economic development. The problems facing Santanero weavers are not solely local. The evidence presented suggests our anlysis must take account of the control and flow of information and market knowledge; the place of the cooperative in regional, national a...
IVE: Improving the value of information in energy-constrained intruder tracking sensor networks

This paper proposes a reporting decision protocol called IVE (for Information Value - Energy tradeoff), where individual nodes of an intruder tracking sensor network make decisions about the transmission of information chunks. Instead of trying to achieve raw data metrics (such as total transmitted data) the protocol aims to optimize the value of information (VoI) maintained by the customer. To achieve this, the nodes will need to perform inferences about the behavior of other nodes and the customer, such that the nodes do not need to send information which the customer already received from other sources or information which it can guess based on previous data. A simulation study compares the performance of the IVE protocol with the current state of the art of on-demand periodic reporting.
Yttria-stabilized zirconia films of different composition as buffer layers for the deposition of epitaxial diamond/Ir layers on Si(001)

Diamond/iridium/yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ)/silicon is a promising multilayer structure for the future realization of single crystal diamond wafers. In the present work we studied the heteroepitaxial growth of YSZ films on Si(001) prepared by pulsed laser deposition. Films deposited from three ablation targets with different yttrium content were compared systematically. Depending on the specific target purely c-axis oriented tetragonal or cubic films were obtained. The films were epitaxial with a low mosaicity of about 1°. Iridium layers deposited on top by e-beam evaporation showed a perfect cube-on-cube epitaxial alignment on all types of YSZ films. The iridium films exhibit a smooth surface with only few holes. All the multilayer structures were stable in subsequent diamond nucleation processes via bias enhanced nucleation (BEN).
History and Prospect of Muslims in South America

The birth of Islam over fourteen centuries ago was a monumental event in human history with an everlasting effect on humanity. For centuries researchers contemplated on the growth and distribution of Muslims throughout the World. The purpose of this manuscript is to present a reliable estimate of the Muslim population in South America since the inception of Islam at the start of the seventh century to the start of the twenty fourth century. The considered region consists of fourteen countries and territories: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. A centennial data estimate for these countries from 600 to 2300 (approximately 1H to 1700H) of the total population, and corresponding Muslim population and its percentage is provided. Furthermore, the same data in decennial order from 1790 to 2100 (or 1210H to 1520H) is provided for each country. These data are summarized to be a reference for other studies and discussions related to the Muslim population.
Dispersion of the soft E-mode polariton in batio3

In the Raman spectra of BaTiO3, the soft E-symmetry phonon appears as an over-damped mode with its pcak at zero frequency. We have investigated the polariton behavior of this mode by means of near-forward Raman scattering. We found that for small wave vectors the quasi-harmonic frequency of the E-mode polariton follows a dispersion curve similar to that for under-damped polaritons in other crystals. From the experimentally obtained dispersion curve of the quasi-harmonic polariton frequency, we obtained the value of the static dielectric constant e1(0) perpendicular to the c-axis to be 1250 ± 350. Our present study shows that the soft E-mode has the dispersive character appropriate for phonons.
The role of β-catenin, TGFβ3, NGF2, FGF2, IGFR2, and BMP4 in the pathogenesis of mesenteric sclerosis and angiopathy in midgut carcinoids

A subset of midgut carcinoids (MCs) result in mesenteric angiopathy (MA) and bowel infarction as a consequence of vascular compression caused by extensive mesenteric sclerosis (MS). The goal of this study was to determine whether the level of expression of several fibrosing-related growth factors was related to the finding of MA and/or MS in MCs. Eighteen cases of MC, 6 with both extensive MS and MA (group I), 5 with extensive MS only (group II), and 7 with ordinary MS only (group III), were analyzed for immunoexpression of β-catenin, transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGFβ2), nerve growth factor 2 (NGF2), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), insulin growth factor receptor (IGFR), and bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. Standard immunohistochemical technique was used following antigen retrieval. Immunostaining was scored semiquantitively as the product of the percentage and intensity (0 to 2+) of the immunostaining, giving a possible range of 0 to 200. One-way analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney nonparametric analyses were used for statistical analysis. The mean scores of immunoreactivity of each factor in groups I, II, and III were as follows: 135, 174, and 147 for β-catenin (cytoplamic reactivity only); 106, 112, and 92 for TGFβ3; 1.67, 32, and 36 for NGF-2; 2.5, 48, and 55 for FGF-2; 19, 112, and 66 for IGFR2; 140, 45, and 52 for BMP4. There were significant differences in NGF-2 immunoreactivity between groups I and III (P = 0.0023) and in BMP4 immunoreactivity between groups I and II (P = 0.017) and groups I and III (P = 0.022). All MCs expressed high levels of membranous β-catenin, moderate levels of TGFβ3 and IGFR2, and low levels of FGF-2, with no significant differences seen among the groups. MCs with prominent MS and MA (group I) expressed significantly higher BMP4 than those in groups II and III, suggesting a potential role of BMP4 in the pathogenesis of MA. The level of NGF-2 expression was significantly lower in group I than in group III, possibly indicating abnormal angiogenesis in the formation of angiopathy.
The 2H4 molecule but not the T3-receptor complex is involved in suppressor inducer signals in the AMLR system

Abstract It is suggested that autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) may play an important role in generating suppressor inducer signals and in down-regulating the immune response following self-major histocompatibility recognition. In the present study, monoclonal antibodies directed at cell surface structures on T4+ cells activated in AMLR were used to define the molecules important in the generation of the suppressor inducer signal. The density of a 200 220 -kDa structure, termed 2H4, increased on T4 cells during activation in AMLR and furthermore a strong correlation was observed between the generated suppressor inducer activity of such cells and the density of the 2H4 antigen. More importantly, we showed that treatment of AMLR activated T4 cells with anti-2H4 but not anti-T3 or T4 antibody abolished the suppressor inducer function of these cells. These results suggest that the 2H4 molecule but not the T3-receptor complex plays an important role in generating suppressor inducer signals in the AMLR system.
Fatigue crack growth and stress redistribution at interfaces

The role of the interface in redistributing stress around cracks in multilayered ceramic/metal composites is investigated. The emphasis is on the different effects of interfacial debonding or of plastic slip in the metal phase adjacent to strongly bonded interfaces. The experiments are conducted on alumina/aluminum multilayered composites. Monotonic loading precracked test pieces causes plastic shear deformation within the aluminum layer at the tip of the notch without debonding. However, interfacial debonding can be induced by cyclic loading, in accordance with a classical fatigue mechanism. Measurements of the stress around the crack demonstrate that debonding is much more effective than slip at reducing the stress ahead of the crack.