cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early Larval Growth of Pacific Halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis

Growth of Pacific halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis larvae was studied in the laboratory during 1989 and 1991. Larvae increased in length from 6.3 mm at hatching to 9.9 mm 20 d post-hatch. The average daily length increment was 0.17 mm. Dry weight of the larvae increased from an average of 210 μg at hatching to 570 μ g on day 20, providing a specific growth rate of 4.99. During the same period, mean yolk sac weight decreased from 1,390 μ g to 646 μ g, resulting in a yolk to body conversion efficiency of 48.5%. At hatching, the larval body made up only 13% of total dry weight. On day 20, the larval body made up 46.9% of the total weight. Larvae started feeding at a length of 12 mm after about 90% of their yolk sac had been absorbed.
A lower bound on complexity of optimization under the r-fold integrated Wiener measure

We consider the problem of approximating the global minimum of an r-times continuously differentiable function on the unit interval, based on sequentially chosen function and derivative evaluations. Using a probability model based on the r-fold integrated Wiener measure, we establish a lower bound on the expected number of function evaluations required to approximate the minimum to within @e on average.
Halomethyl-metal compounds LV. The synthesis of phenyl(trifluoromethyl)mercury by fluorination of phenyl(tribromomethyl)mercury

Abstract The reaction of phenylmercuric hydroxide with aqueous hydrofluoric acid gives a material which appears to be an HF adduct of phenylmercuric fluoride (“PhHgF·HF”). This material has been found to fluorine phenyl(tribromomethyl)-mercury in benzene or toluene medium at room temperature to give phenyl(trifluoromethyl)mercury in yields avaraging 60–65% when the reaction is carried out in the presence of 48% HF. Phenyl(trichloromethyl)mercury can be fluorinated to PhHgCF 3 in this manner, but a reaction temperature of 90° is required. Partial fluorination in good yield of phenyl(bromodichloromethyl)mercury to phenyl-(fluorodichloromethyl)mercury could be achieved at room temperature, but attempted partial fluorination of PhHgCBr 3 , PhHgCClBr 2 and PhHgCFBr 2 was unsuccessful, PhHgCF 3 being the major product obtained. The possible mechanism of this novel fluorination process is discussed.
MOLTING AND MORTALITY IN Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Mortality estimates for M. rosenbergii, grown from postlarvae to adult, range from 20 to nearly 50%. My observations indicated that certain types of mortality, previously reported as cannibalism by some authors, followed a characteristic pattern and were related to molt state. In order to explore the relationship between mortality and molt state, a method of fragmenting M. rosenbergii's molt cycle was used, in a 4 by 3 factorial experiment where the relationship of molt state and relative size to injury and mortality was tested. The results indicated that prawns of equal size were susceptible to behaviorally related deaths at 2 points in the molt cycle, late premolt and early postmolt. The importance of this finding to aquaculture and behavioral research on crustaceans is discussed.
The fine structure of fungiform papillae and epithelium of the tongue of a South American toad, Calyptocephalella gayi.

The epithelium covering the surface of the tongue of the South American toad Calyptocephalella gayi has been analyzed using large electron microscope photo-montages and has been compared with that covering the tongue of the frog, Rana pipiens. In both species four kinds of epithelia are similarly distributed over the surface, and relatively minor differences in the cytoplasm and intercellular relations have been identified. Stratified ciliated epithelium covers the ventral, nonpapillary surface. A simple columnar epithelium of mucous cells covers most of the irregular dorsal surface. A poorly stratified nonkeratinizing epithelium covers the apex of filiform papillae while stratified, columnar epithelium forms the thick epithelial disc of fungiform papillae. Emphasis is given to fungiform papillae as the basis for functional studies since they are the only structures receiving large numbers of nerve fibers. Sensory terminals do not appear to be acted on directly by chemicals since they are located near the base of the epithelium and since tight junctions unite cells at the outer surface. However, axons selectively contact the base of certain elongate cells which extend to the surface and are presumed to be receptor cells. It seems probable that recent intracellular potential changes, recorded from the toad tongue in response to chemical stimulation, originate from mucous cells. It is suggested that these potentials could affect the receptor cells if low resistance pathways are provided by tight junctions.
Treatment of menopausal hot flashes with 5-hydroxytryptophan

Abstract Objective Much recent research has focused on nonhormonal treatments for menopausal hot flashes. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of 5-hydroxytroptophan (5-HTP), the immediate precursor of serotonin, upon menopausal hot flashes. Selective, serotonergic, reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which increase the amount of serotonin in the synaptic gap, have shown some promise in the amelioration of hot flashes. Methods We administered 5-HTP or placebo, in double-blind fashion, to 24 postmenopausal women reporting frequent hot flashes. Treatment outcome was measured using a miniature, electronic, hot flash recorder. Results No significant effects of 150 mg/day 5-HTP upon hot flash frequency were found. The 5-HTP group had 23.8 ± 5.7 (SD) hot flashes/24 h prior to treatment and 18.5 ± 9.6 at the end of treatment. The placebo group had 18.5 ± 9.6 before treatment and 22.6 ± 12.4 at treatment completion. Conclusions At the dose given, 5-HTP does not significantly ameliorate frequency of menopausal hot flashes, as measured objectively with an electronic recorder. Given the small size, this study must be considered preliminary in nature.
A thermodynamic approach to non-local damage modelling of concrete

This paper focuses on the development of a thermodynamic approach to constitutive modelling of concrete materials, with emphasis on the use of non-local damage models. Effort is put on the construction of a consistent and rigorous thermodynamic framework, which readily allows the incorporation of non-local features into the constitutive modelling. This is an important feature in developing non-local constitutive models based on thermodynamics. Examples of non-local constitutive models derived from this framework and numerical examples are given to demonstrate the promising features of the proposed approach.
Methamphetamine activates DNA binding of specific redox-responsive transcription factors in mouse brain

Cellular oxidative stress and alterations in redox status can be implicated in methamphetamine (METH)-induced neurotoxicity. To elucidate the molecular signaling pathways of METH-induced neurotoxicity, we investigated the effects of a single intraperitoneal injection of METH (1.0, 10, or 20 mg/kg) on DNA-binding activity of specific redox-sensitive transcription factors in mouse brain. Transcription factors studied included activator protein-1 (AP-1), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB), SP-1, and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT1 and STAT3). Significant and dose-dependent inductions of AP-1 and CREB DNA-binding activities were observed in four different regions (striatum, frontal cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum) isolated from the brains of mice injected with METH. However, injections with METH did not affect DNA binding activities of NF-kappaB, SP-1, STAT1, and STAT3. These results suggest that METH-induced oxidative stress may trigger the molecular signaling pathways via specific and selective activation of AP-1 and CREB.
Ultralow noise in pulsed GaAs avalanche diode oscillators

Amplitude modulated (AM) noise measurements have been performed on pulsed vapor-grown GaAs avalanche diode oscillators operated at high input power densities. It has been found that at these high input power levels the AM signal-to-noise ratio drops to values 15 to 20 dB lower than has been indicated possible in CW noise measurements.
Characteristics of VCSELs and VCSEL arrays for optical data links

High performance, low cost, and highly reliable vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) have been developed and are currently being used in both parallel and serial optical interconnect applications. For example, Motorola's OPTOBUSTM parallel optical interconnect relies heavily on the unique characteristics of arrays of GaAs based VCSELs emitting at 850 nm to achieve its stringent performance goals at low cost. Representative parametric results of discrete VCSELs and VCSEL arrays will be compared, including `optical power output-current' and `current-voltage' curves, optical wall plug efficiencies, and modulation characteristics. The use of statistical parameter analysis across a wafer and subsequent parametric wafer maps has proven to be a valuable tool for maintaining control of the fabrication process. The consistency of VCSEL parameters across individual VCSEL arrays will be discussed. VCSELs are very robust devices. Life times at room ambient in excess of 3E6 hours have been reported by several groups. Degradation behavior of selected device parameters will be discussed. Failure analysis demonstrating the effect of proton implant depth on reliability will be presented. ESD damage at forward bias is shown to be process related, while ESD damage at reverse bias is shown to be material related. These VCSELs are ESD Class 1 devices.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Concurrent Endophthalmitis and Retinal Detachment

Conclusions: Eyes with concurrent endophthalmitis and retinal detachment usually have a poor anatomic and visual outcome after treatment. The purpose of this study is to define the relation among the causative organism, the results of retinal detachment repair, and the final visual acuity. Methods: Data were retrieved by a retrospective, computer-assisted review of the coded inpatient diagnoses from April 1987 through March 1992. Results: This study included 16 patients (9 males, 7 females) ranging in age from 5 to 88 years (average, 58.7 years). Endophthalmitis was classified as exogenous in 13 (81%) patients and endogenous in 3 (19%). Two groups were identified: a virulent group that included eight (50%) patients ( Staphylococcus aureus , streptococci, gramnegative, Bacillus ), and a less-virulent group that included eight (50%) patients ( Staphylococcus epidermidis, Propionibacterium acnes , fungal). The initial surgical procedure consisted of diagnostic vitreous fluid collection by pars plana vitrectomy (11 cases), anterior vitrectomy (1 case), or vitreous aspiration (4 cases). Additional initial adjunctive surgical procedures included pars plana lensectomy (2 cases), sclera) buckling (6 cases), fluid-gas exchange (7 cases), and intraocular antibiotic injections (9 cases). In six (75%) of eight patients with endophthalmitis in the virulent group, the retina remained detached. However, in seven (88%) of eight patients with endophthalmitis in the less-virulent group, the retina remained reattached postoperatively, and the remaining patient had a stable, nonprogressive peripheral tractional retinal detachment. None of the eight patients with endophthalmitis in the virulent group retained a postoperative visual acuity of better than 3/200, and four (50%) lost all light perception. Five (62%) of the eight patients with endophthalmitis in the less-virulent group retained a postoperative visual acuity of 5/ 200 or better, and none lost all light perception. Conclusions: Concurrent endophthalmitis and retinal detachment patients with virulent organisms have a poor prognosis. Visual and anatomic outcomes were better in the less-virulent group.
Individual differences in typical reappraisal use predict amygdala and prefrontal responses.

Background Participants who are instructed to use reappraisal to downregulate negative emotion show decreased amygdala responses and increased prefrontal responses. However, it is not known whether individual differences in the tendency to use reappraisal manifests in similar neural responses when individuals are spontaneously confronted with negative situations. Such spontaneous emotion regulation might play an important role in normal and pathological responses to the emotional challenges of everyday life. Methods Fifty-six healthy women completed a blood oxygenation-level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging challenge paradigm involving the perceptual processing of emotionally negative facial expressions. Participants also completed measures of typical emotion regulation use, trait anxiety, and neuroticism. Results Greater use of reappraisal in everyday life was related to decreased amygdala activity and increased prefrontal and parietal activity during the processing of negative emotional facial expressions. These associations were not attributable to variation in trait anxiety, neuroticism, or the use of another common form of emotion regulation, namely suppression. Conclusions These findings suggest that, like instructed reappraisal, individual differences in reappraisal use are associated with decreased activation in ventral emotion generative regions and increased activation in prefrontal control regions in response to negative stimuli. Such individual differences in emotion regulation might predict successful coping with emotional challenges as well as the onset of affective disorders.
Genome rearrangements can make and break small RNA genes

Small RNAs (sRNAs) are short, transcribed regulatory elements that are typically encoded in the intergenic regions (IGRs) of bacterial genomes. Several sRNAs, first recognized in Escherichia coli, are conserved among enteric bacteria, but because of the regulatory roles of sRNAs, differences in sRNA repertoires might be responsible for features that differentiate closely related species. We scanned the E. coli MG1655 and Salmonella enterica Typhimurium genomes for nonsyntenic IGRs as a potential source of uncharacterized, species-specific sRNAs and found that genome rearrangements have reconfigured several IGRs causing the disruption and formation of sRNAs. Within an IGR that is present in E. coli but was disrupted in Salmonella by a translocation event is an sRNA that is associated with the FNR/CRP global regulators and influences E. coli biofilm formation. A Salmonella-specific sRNA evolved de novo through point mutations that generated a σ70 promoter sequence in an IGR that arose through genome rearrangement events. The differences in the sRNA pools among bacterial species have previously been ascribed to duplication, deletion, or horizontal acquisition. Here, we show that genomic rearrangements also contribute to this process by either disrupting sRNA-containing IGRs or creating IGRs in which novel sRNAs may evolve.
Stability of Native Folate and Added Folic Acid in Micronutrient-Fortified Corn Masa and Tortillas

ABSTRACTDegradation of added folic acid and native folates in micronutrient-fortified corn masa and tortillas was evaluated using masa prepared from either nixtamalized corn flour or fresh nixtamal. Variations in masa pH, masa holding time at an elevated temperature, and iron source failed to show significant differences in folate loss in corn flour masa prepared in the laboratory. Masa was subsequently prepared from fresh nixtamal in a commercial mill in Mexico, and fortified with one of two different micronutrient premixes containing iron, zinc, B-vitamins, and either unencapsulated or lipid-encapsulated folic acid. Folate loss in commercial masa increased significantly with prebake masa holding time for both premixes. Unencapsulated folic acid showed a 73% loss after 4 hr of holding, compared to 60% loss for encapsulated. The difference was statistically significant, indicating a protective effect from the lipid coating. No significant differences in folate levels were found between prebake masa and ba...
A continuous asymptotic tracking control strategy for uncertain nonlinear systems

In this note, we present a new continuous control mechanism that compensates for uncertainty in a class of high-order, multiple-input-multiple-output nonlinear systems. The control strategy is based on limited assumptions on the structure of the system nonlinearities. A new Lyapunov-based stability argument is employed to prove semiglobal asymptotic tracking.
Antibodies Elicited by a Cryptococcus neoformans-Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine Have the Same Specificity as Those Elicited in Infection

The antibody responses of BALB/c mice to serotype A Cryptococcus neoformans capsular polysaccharide (CNPS) were compared after cryptococcal infection and immunization with a serotype A glucuronoxylomannan-tetanus toxoid conjugate (GXM-TT). Infection rarely resulted in a rise of serum antibody titer to CNPS. In contrast, mice immunized with GXM-TT produced serum IgM and IgG to CNPS. Six IgM and one IgG1 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were generated from the spleen of one infected mouse. Nine IgM, 1 IgG3, 16 IgG1, and 7 IgA MAbs were generated from the spleen of one GXM-TT-immunized mouse. All MAbs generated from both mice bound to the GXM fraction of the capsular polysaccharide. For some MAbs, de-O-acetylation of serotype A GXM abolished or greatly reduced MAb binding compared with the native GXM. All MAbs reacted with CNPS from C. neoformans serotypes A-D. MAbs generated from the infected mouse competitively inhibited the binding of MAbs generated from the GXM-TT-immunized mouse. These results indicate that some antibodies elicited by infection with C. neoformans or by immunization with GXM-TT bind to the same antigenic determinant in the GXM.
Genotype-by-sex interaction in the aetiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus: Support for sex-specific quantitative trait loci in Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network participants

While there are sex-related differences in both the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and disease risk factors, there is only limited research on sex-specific influences on type 2 diabetes aetiology within the same study population. Thus, we assessed genotype-by-sex interaction using a liability threshold model in an attempt to localise sex-specific type 2 diabetes quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Hypertensive siblings and their offspring and/or parents in the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network of the Family Blood Pressure Program were recruited from five field centres. The diabetic phenotype was adjusted for race, study centre, age and non-linear age effects. In total, 567 diabetic individuals were identified in 385 families. Variance component linkage analyses in the combined sample and stratified by sex and race were performed (SOLAR program) using race-specific marker allele frequencies derived from a random sample of participants at each centre. We observed a QTL-specific genotype-by-sex interaction (p=0.009) on chromosome 17 at 31 cM, with females displaying a robust adjusted logarithm of odds (LOD) of 3.0 compared with 0.2 in males and 1.3 in the combined sample. Three additional regions demonstrating suggestive evidence for linkage were detected: chromosomes 2 and 5 in the female sample and chromosome 22 (adjusted LOD=1.9) in the combined sample. These findings suggest that multiple genes may regulate susceptibility to type 2 diabetes, demonstrating the importance of considering the interaction of genes and environment in the aetiology of common complex traits.
P3P-4 Optimizing the Design of a 2D Array Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasound Transducer for 3D Echo Particle Image Velocimetry

In this paper, we explored the utility of a 2D piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasound Transducers (pMUTs) for a 3D Echo Particle Image Velocimetry (Echo PIV) system. The design was achieved by first examining optimal mechanical-electrical coupling coefficient (MECC) for a pMUT subsequently characterizing system performance. A combination of analytical and finite element modeling was used to accomplish the optimization. In the final design, the resonant frequency of each element was 6.0 MHz with a relative bandwidth of 120% in water. By optimizing gaps, the axial resolution and lateral resolution were respectively 0.05mm and 0.35mm in water, which is sufficient for Echo PIV system
Malpractice Crisis and Reform

Medical liability coverage has become increasingly expensive and scarce since 2001, especially for obstetrics and other high-risk specialties. Physicians, whose own fees are constrained, see this as a crisis needing tort reform to cap payouts. Plaintiffs' lawyers fight caps; they blame insurance trends and call for stronger regulation of insurers and physicians. Doctors' arguments are somewhat better than lawyers' about insurance developments, but the huge tort reform battle wholly ignores the biggest problems--the medical system has too many preventable medical injuries, and the legal system fails to prevent them. It is time to try out better approaches, three of which are discussed in this paper.
Geographical Data Structures Compared: A Study of Data Structures Supporting Region Queries

This paper compares three data structures that support area operations on 2-space: linked lists, quad trees, and multidimensional binary trees (k-d trees). Region searching is the most important operation these data structures must support in many applications. Insertion and deletion must also be reasonably fast. The three data structures are described and implementation considerations are discussed. Extensive experimentation was done using an experimental program that executed algorithms for all three data structures on the same problem. Results of this experimentation is presented to show the superior performance of k-d trees. The conclusion of this paper is that in applications where region search (or point search) on large problems is crucial (as in computer-aided design), k-d trees provide superior performance. Quad trees have become quite popular recently to solve the same problem--this may be due to unfamiliarity with k-d trees or a feeling that they are hard to implement. Actual working code for k-d trees (and quad trees) is included in this paper in an attempt to address both these problems.
Formulation of a standardized protocol and determination of the size and appearance of the spleen in healthy cats

Standard protocol for splenic measurement is warranted to aid in interpretation when sonographically imaging the spleen of cats. The purpose of this study was to describe the appearance and size of healthy cat spleens, and to develop a standard method of evaluation. Data were obtained from 31 clinically healthy non-sedated cats with no sonographic abnormalities. The sonographic appearance of the spleen's relative echogenicity compared to the left renal cortex and the hepatic parenchyma was recorded. Splenic height was measured at three sites. Three measurements were determined at each site, and the mean value of these three measurements was determined and used for data analysis. A significance level of P <0.05 was used for analysis, which was performed using S-PLUS software (version 8.1). The mean proximal height of the spleen was 7.1 mm. The mean body sagittal height was 9.3 mm. The mean height of the tail of the spleen was 8.7 mm (95% confidence interval). The splenic parenchymal echogenicity was less than the left renal cortex echogenicity and greater than the liver in 17/31cats; less than the left kidney cortex and equal to the liver in 5/31cats; equal to the cortex of the left kidney and greater than the liver in 5/31 cats; equal to the liver and renal cortex in 2/31 cats; and less than the liver and kidney with the renal cortex less than the liver in 2/31 cats. The protocol recommended for consistent evaluation of the spleen in the cat includes three specific measurements.
Unfolding the mystery of the T-wave loop

Certainly, transmuraldispersion of repolarization alone does not fully explaindifferences in three-dimensional T-vector orientation in theintact heart. For example, changes in T-vector directionassociated with cardiac memory have been demonstrated tobe associated not only with transmural dispersion of repo-larization
Estimating splash pine biomass using radar backscatter

L-band HV multiple-incidence-angle aircraft synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data were analyzed in relation to average stand biomass, basal area, and tree height for 55 slash pine plantations located in northern Florida. This information was used to develop a system of equations to predict average stand biomass as a function of L-band (24.5-cm) radar backscatter. The system of equations developed in this study using three-stage least-squares and combinatorial screening accounted for 97% of the variability observed in average stand biomass per hectare. When applied to an independent data set, the biomass equations had an average bias of less than 1% with a standard error of approximately 3%. >
Increasing Frequency of Left Ventricular Assist Device Exchanges in the United States.

Background Recent reports indicate an increased prevalence and earlier onset of pump thrombosis and associated pump exchanges after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Questions remain regarding the current rate and clinical effect of pump exchanges. Methods All United States Medicare fee-for-service patients undergoing LVAD implantations (n = 3,166) between January 2009 and December 2012 were identified by procedural codes present on carrier claims collected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Pump exchange, pump removal, heart transplantation, and death were collected from subsequent carrier claim and denominator files. Comorbidities present before implantation were generated using the Elixhauser comorbidity index. Results Compared with patients who received LVADs before March 1, 2011, LVAD recipients after March 1, 2011, were older on average (63.9 vs 62.2 years, p p = 0.04), and had a higher incidence of common comorbidities. The later cohort had higher occurrence of pump exchange by Kaplan-Meier time-to-event estimates and Fisher exact tests at 3 months (1.8 vs 0.8, p = 0.02), 6 months (3.3 vs 1.0, p p p Conclusions Although LVAD exchanges remain relatively uncommon, a significant increase in the incidence of the procedure has occurred since March 1, 2011. Pump exchanges are highly associated with death, and further research is required to understand the cause of this disturbing trend and surveillance to determine its trajectory.
On sequential watermark detection

This paper introduces a new watermark detection paradigm based on sequential hypothesis testing. It is shown that this framework leads to significantly faster watermark detection compared with more commonly used detectors. Fundamental issues such as joint design of watermark encoding and detection are addressed within this framework. Theoretical results are validated through experiments. On an average, the proposed framework can detect watermarks 70% faster than popular detectors. We believe that this could potentially have significant impact on many applications such as video watermark detection and searching for watermarks in a large database of digital contents.
Explaining Fluctuations in Gasoline Prices: A Joint Model of the Global Crude Oil Market and the U.S. Retail Gasoline Market

The distinction between the price of gasoline in the U.S. and the price of crude oil in global markets is often ignored in discussions of the impact of higher energy prices. This article makes explicit the relationship between demand and supply shocks in these two markets. Building on a recently proposed structural VAR model of the global crude oil market, it explores the implications of a joint VAR model of the global market for crude oil and the U.S. market for motor gasoline. It is shown that it is essential to understand the origins of a given gasoline price shock, when assessing the responses of the price of gasoline and of gasoline consumption, since each demand and supply shock is associated with responses of different magnitude, pattern and persistence. The article assesses the overall importance of these shocks in explaining the variation in U.S. gasoline prices and consumption growth, as well as their relative contribution to the evolution of U.S. gasoline prices since 2002. 1. Int ROdUCt IOn The distinction between the price of gasoline in the U.S. and the price of crude oil in global markets is often ignored in discussions of the impact of higher energy prices. This article makes explicit the relationship between demand and supply shocks in these two markets. Building on a structural vector autoregressive (VAR) model of the global crude oil market proposed in Kilian (2009), the article
Mapping Unexplored Genomes: A Genetic Linkage Map of the Woody Sonchus Alliance (Asteraceae: Sonchinae) in the Macaronesian Islands

As an initial step to mapping quantitative trait loci for species differences and adaptive radiation of insular endemics in Macaronesia, a genetic linkage map was constructed from an intergeneric backcross between Lactucosonchus webbii and Sonchus radicatus, core members of the tree lettuces in the Macaronesian Islands. A total of 152 amplified fragment length polymorphism markers were mapped into 10 major and 3 minor linkage groups for a total map length of 644 cM with an average distance of 4.53 cM for the 10 major groups. The genetic linkage map length is considerably less than the estimated, and this may reflect incomplete genomic coverage in the current study or reduced recombination, which is a common feature of maps for hybrids of divergent taxa. Segregation distortion occurred in 34% of the mapped markers, and they were located primarily in 4 linkage groups. Segregation distortion in the current BC1 intergeneric population is slightly lower than average (40%) for BC1 interspecific populations. This level of segregation distortion implies that unlike what we normally assume no to few reproductive barriers, oceanic island plant taxa do exhibit some degree of postmating reproductive isolation.
« Concurrence fiscale : un survol »

Une decentralisation des decisions fiscales et l'utilisation du stock de capital comme assiette fiscale peuvent entrainer une competition entre Etats. Cette competition fiscale a pour consequence que trop peu de biens publics sont produits et ce peu importe si ce sont les habitants ou les firmes de la region qui en beneficient. Ce survol explore certaines facettes du probleme de la competition fiscale.
Learning to do well or learning to do good? Estimating the effects of schooling on civic engagement, social cohesion, and labor market outcomes in the presence of endowments.

Although some point to the large effects of schooling on civic engagement (usually measured in terms of volunteering and participation in civic organizations) and social cohesion (usually measured in terms of social networks and relationship quality), the effects of schooling on social outcomes have not been estimated with the same rigor as the effects of schooling on labor-market outcomes, such as earnings. In particular, previous research has failed to consider (i) the many potential and often unobserved confounding factors (“endowments”) influencing both schooling and social outcomes, including family upbringing, innate characteristics, and personality, and (ii) the ways in which schooling pushes individuals in multiple directions simultaneously, including toward greater social engagement, but also toward more independent and market-driven pursuits. Using samples of unrelated persons, ordinary siblings, and identical twins, this study explores the effects of schooling on measures of civic engagement and social relationships, as well as labor-force earnings and labor-force participation. The siblings models reveal a more complex picture than typically suggested by standard individual estimates. On one hand, the results reveal a robust positive effect of schooling on earnings: well-schooled persons work more and earn more, albeit not as much as associations without control for endowments suggest. On the other hand, the results reveal more tenuous and occasionally negative effects of schooling on social outcomes. The effects of schooling on volunteering and membership in civic organizations, for example, disappear almost entirely with control for endowments. Also, within-identical-twins models reverse the positive effects of schooling on reports of support from friends, family, and coworkers. These results may reflect the tension schooling creates between market and non-market commitments, as well as between independence and interpersonal reliability. Schooling may, indeed, induce some pro-social behaviors, but schooling allows individuals choices of whether to pursue more personal interests as well.
Fracture Phenomena in Advanced Fiber Composite Materials

The extension of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) from metallic alloys to advanced fiber composite laminates is considered. LEFM is shown to be applicable to both isotropic and anisotropic homogeneous continua; the applicability of LEFM to advanced fiber composites is thus dependent on the validity of a homogeneous continuum model for such materials. An experimental program to determine the validity of such a model for graphite/epoxy laminates is reviewed. Such laminates are found to have an apparent fracture toughness, from which it is inferred that a homogeneous material model is appropriate for the particular specimen geometry and composite laminates considered. Strain energy release rates are calculated from the experimentally determined fracture toughnesses of the test laminates. These strain energy release rates fall into two distinct groups, corresponding to fracture across fibers and fracture between fibers. The latter case is further investigated. It is concluded that matrix fracture is governed by the tensile stress normal to the crack path.
Buffer Constrained Proactive Dynamic Voltage Scaling for Video Decoding Systems

Significant power savings can be achieved on voltage/frequency configurable platforms by dynamically adapting the frequency and voltage according to the workload (complexity). Video decoding is one of the most complex tasks performed on such systems due to its computationally demanding operations like inverse filtering, interpolation, motion compensation and entropy decoding. Dynamically adapting the frequency and voltage for video decoding is attractive due to the time-varying workload and because the utility of decoding a frame is dependent only on decoding the frame before the display deadline. Our contribution in this paper is twofold. First, we adopt a complexity model that explicitly considers the video compression specifics to accurately predict execution times. Second, based on this complexity model, we propose a dynamic voltage scaling algorithm that changes effective deadlines of frame decoding jobs. We pose our problem as a buffer-constrained optimization and show that significant improvements can be achieved over the state-of-the-art dynamic voltage scaling techniques without any performance degradation.
Optimal membership functions for multi-modal control

In order to manage the rapidly growing complexity associated with many modern control applications, multimodal control has emerged as a viable option. In this paper, we assume that an ensemble of individual controllers or modes have been designed, and concentrate on the problem of combining these controllers in an optimal manner. In particular, we use variational arguments for shaping parameterized membership functions in order to minimize a given performance cost, thus resulting in a systematic method for optimal mode fusion in a general setting. This view complements the standard fuzzy logic control approach, where the modes are combined according to some given (and possibly fine-tuned) membership functions. Moreover, the new controller fusion methodology is transitioned onto a real robotic platform navigating in an unknown environment to compare the performance of the proposed method with the standard approach.
Interplay between ethylene, ETP1/ETP2 F-box proteins, and degradation of EIN2 triggers ethylene responses in Arabidopsis

The gaseous plant hormone ethylene can trigger myriad physiological and morphological responses in plants. While many ethylene signaling pathway components have been identified and characterized, little is known about the function of the integral membrane protein ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE2 (EIN2), a central regulator of all ethylene responses. Here, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis thaliana EIN2 is a protein with a short half-life that undergoes rapid proteasome-mediated protein turnover. Moreover, EIN2 protein accumulation is positively regulated by ethylene. We identified two F-box proteins, EIN2 TARGETING PROTEIN1 (ETP1) and EIN2 TARGETING PROTEIN2 (ETP2), that interact with the EIN2 C-terminal domain (EIN2-CEND), which is highly conserved and sufficient to activate most ethylene responses. Overexpression of ETP1 or ETP2 disrupts EIN2 protein accumulation, and these plants manifest a strong ethylene-insensitive phenotype. Furthermore, knocking down the levels of both ETP1 and ETP2 mRNAs using an artificial microRNA (amiRNA) leads to accumulation of EIN2 protein, resulting in plants that display constitutive ethylene response phenotypes. Finally, ethylene down-regulates ETP1 and ETP2 proteins, impairing their ability to interact with EIN2. Thus, these studies reveal that a complex interplay between ethylene, the regulation of ETP1/ETP2 F-box proteins, and subsequent targeting and degradation of EIN2 is essential for triggering ethylene responses in plants.
Direct sampling of resting codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) adults in apple tree canopies and surrounding habitats.

Field investigations were conducted to determine the resting locations of codling moth (Cydia pomonella (L.)) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) males and females in mating disrupted and nondisrupted apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) orchard plots. A custom-made sampling device, con- sisting of a leaf blower converted into a powerful vacuum, yielded 20 Ð24% success in recovering marked moths, released in the tree canopy in orchards. Four collections each were made between 0900 and 1800 hours and 1800 and 2200 hours in 2005. Ninety-four moths were collected during the 1800 Ð2200 hours samples. In mating disruption plots, 42% of females and 22% of males were found in the top third of the tree canopy (3.0 Ð 4.5m), 46% females and 43% males in the middle third (1.5Ð3.0m), and 12% female and 35% male in the lower third (0 Ð1.5m). In nondisrupted plots 36.4% of females and 40% of males were in the top third of the canopy, 36.4% females and 52% males in the middle third, and 27.2% females and 8% males in the lower third of the tree canopy. Daylight vacuum sampling recovered only one female and two male moths from the top, four males from the middle and one male from the lower third of the tree canopy. Release-recapture studies of marked adult codling moths were conducted in 2006 Ð2007 in screened tents to determine within orchard habitats for adult moths during 0900 Ð1800 hours. Of moths recaptured, 14.6% of females and 13.5% of males were from the ground (herbicide strip and drive-row grass) and 32.9% of females and 24.6% of males were captured in the tree canopy 16-h post release, 17.4% of females and 3.4% of males from the ground and 26.5% of females and 38.2% of males in the tree 40-h post release, and 15.1% of females and 18.6% of males from the ground and 15.7 of females and 25.5% of males in the tree 64-h post release. Application of pyrethrum PBO by using an orchard blast sprayer in 2007 resulted in the recapture of 28% and 37% of laboratory reared male and female moths, respectively, from trees during 0900 Ð1800 h. Our results suggest that distributing pheromone dispensers throughout the tree canopy may be more effective than placing them in one location, such as near the tree crown.
Addenda to "The Entropy Formula for Linear Heat Equation"

We add two sections to (8) and answer some questions asked there. In the first section we give another derivation of Theorem 1.1 of (8), which reveals the relation between the entropy formula, (1.4) of (8), and the well-known Li-Yau's gradient estimate. As a by-product we obtain the sharp estimates on 'Nash's entropy' for manifolds with nonnegative Ricci curvature. We also show that the equality holds in Li-Yau's gradient estimate, for some positive solution to the heat equation, at some positive time, implies that the complete Riemannian manifold with nonnegative Ricci curvature is isometric to R n .I n the second section we derive a dual entropy formula which, to some degree, connects Hamilton's entropy with Perelman's entropy in the case of Riemann surfaces. 1. The relation with Li-Yau's gradient estimates In this section we provide another derivation of Theorem 1.1 of (8) and discuss its relation with Li-Yau's gradient estimates on positive solutions of heat equation. The formulation gives a sharp upper and lower bound estimates on Nash's 'entropy quantity' − M H log Hd vin the case M has nonnegative Ricci curvature, where H is the fundamental solution (heat kernel) of the heat equation. This section is following the ideas in the Section 5 of (9). Let u(x, t) be a positive solution to ∂ ∂t − � u(x, t) = 0 with M ud v= 1. We define
The copper transporter CTR1 regulates cisplatin uptake in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Resistance to cisplatin (DDP) is often accompanied by impaired accumulation in mammalian cells. The mechanism of impaired DDP accumulation is unknown, but copper uptake is diminished as well. We investigated the ability of the copper transporter CTR1 to control the accumulation of DDP in Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Parallel studies of copper and DDP cellular pharmacokinetics were carried out using an isogenic pair of wild-type CTR1 and ctr1 knockout S. cerevisiae strains. Both copper and platinum accumulation increased linearly as a function of time and drug concentration in the parental cells. Deletion of CTR1 resulted in a 16-fold reduction in the uptake of copper and an 8-fold reduction in the uptake of DDP measured at 1 h. The CTR1-deficient cells accumulated 2.3-fold ( p < 0.05) less platinum in their DNA and were 1.9-fold more resistant to the cytotoxic effect of DDP than the CTR1-replete cells. The kinetics of cellular copper accumulation were similar to those of DDP. Based on measurements of accumulation at 1 h, the K m for copper influx was 128.8 μM, and the V max was 169.5 ng/mg of protein/min; for DDP, the K m was 140.2 μM and the V max was 76.9 ng/mg of protein/min. DDP blocked the uptake of copper into the parental cells but not ctr1 -deficient cells. CTR1-deficient cells also demonstrated impaired accumulation of the DDP analogs carboplatin, oxaliplatin, and ZD0473 [ cis -amminedichloro(2-methylpyridine) platinum (II)]. These results indicate that CTR1 function markedly influences the uptake of all of the clinically used platinum-containing drugs and suggest that this copper transporter may also transport DDP.
A case study to apply mobile technology into individual's local community

A community within a shared geographical location is usually referred as a "local community". However, it is difficult to measure boundaries of local communities due to the complex of modern life. In this paper, we propose a new sociological term, as "Individual's Local Community (ILC)", which addresses on the unique environment of each individual. ILC is designed as the smallest measurable unit crossover local communities. An android-based mobile application is developed to collect and demonstrate ILC in certain period. To extend the concept, one resident's risk to be involved into crime incidents is evaluated by estimated values based on "stable" ILC and historical crime records. The evaluation system is developed as a mobile app, named as "Are You Safe". The application contains local crime maps and a GPS tracking component. Mathematical formulas are developed to evaluate the potential risk. Furthermore, a re-routing function is provided for "safer" ILC. The prototype of "Are You Safe" app is implemented and tested on a city in northwestern Pennsylvania, United States. We believe the ILC concept will enrich the study of Personal Big Data and enable us to study social science in a different level. Also the app will help residents to have a better understanding on their environment.
Inflammatory Disorders of the Pediatric Airway

Inflammatory disorders of the pediatric airway compromise a distinct group of diseases that can present with acute and chronic airway compromise. Acute causes of inflammation include croup, epiglottitis, and membranous laryngotracheobronchitis. Chronic causes of inflammation include GERD and eosinophilic esophagitis. Diagnosis is based on clinical presentation, diagnostic studies, and endoscopy. Management is based on the specific disorder and the degree of airway distress. Acute causes of inflammation are often self-limited but can be life threatening. Chronic causes of inflammation can mimic some acute causes of obstruction and resolution of symptoms is based on appropriate diagnosis of the disorder and its treatment.
Coaching Classroom-Based Preventive Interventions

The high prevalence of student behavioral and mental health challenges points to schools as a critical context for prevention and service delivery (Hoagwood et al., 2007). There is a growing recognition of the importance of teachers in the implementation of school-based programs that benefit the social-emotional and behavioral outcomes of students. Despite the growing evidence base for the efficacy of preventive interventions (for reviews, see Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011; Hoagwood & Burns, 2005; O’Connell, Boat, & Warner, 2009; Wilson & Lipsey, 2007), the implementation of these interventions is often lacking (Gottfredson, Jones, & Gore, 2002) and likely requires ongoing, interactive professional development that allows teachers to reflect on their practice and provides support to teachers to them for high-quality implementation (Darling-Hammond, 2009).
Tight super-edge-graceful labelings of trees and their applications

Abstract The concept of graceful labeling of graphs has been extensively studied. In 1994, Mitchem and Simoson introduced a stronger concept called super-edge-graceful labeling for some classes of graphs. Among many other interesting pioneering results, Mitchem and Simoson provided a simple but powerful recursive way of constructing super-edge-graceful trees of odd order. In this note, we present a stronger concept of “tight” super-edge-graceful labeling. Such a super-edge graceful labeling has an additional constraint on the edge and vertices with the largest and smallest labels. This concept enables us to recursively construct tight super-edge-graceful trees of any order. As applications, we provide insights on the characterization of super-edge-graceful trees of diameter 4, a question posed by Chung, Lee, Gao and Schaffer. We also observe infinite families of super-edge-graceful trees that can be generated from tight labelings. Given the direct applications of “tight” super-edge-graceful labeling to the study of super-edge-graceful labelings, we note that it is worthwhile to further examine recursively generated tight super-edge-graceful trees.
Nocturnal diaphoresis and coronary artery spasm. Contribution of the parasympathetic nervous system.

Coronary artery spasm may be important in a number of cardiovascular disorders including exertional angina, Prinzmetal’s angina, silent ischemia, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death. Abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system may play an integral role. In a 62-year-old woman with recurrent episodes of nocturnal diaphoresis, intracoronary acetylcholine administration provoked near-total occlusion of the left anterior descending artery. Episodic parasympathetic outflow may be responsible for coronary artery spasm in some patients.
The Final Steps Leading to the Anesthetic Use of Muscle Relaxants

The first use of a neuromuscular blocking agent (muscle relaxant; MR) for relaxation of the abdominal muscles was reported by Arthur Lawen in 1912.1