cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of honey bee division of labor by colony age demography

The age at which worker honey bees begin foraging varies under different colony conditions. Previous studies have shown that juvenile hormone (JH) mediates this behavioral plasticity, and that worker-worker interactions influence both JH titers and age at first foraging. These results also indicated that the age at first foraging is delayed in the presence of foragers, suggesting that colony age demography directly influences temporal division of labor. We tested this hypothesis by determining whether behavioral or physiological development can be accelerated, delayed, or reversed by altering colony age structure. In three out of three trials, earlier onset of foraging was induced in colonies depleted of foragers compared to colonies depleted of an equal number of bees across all age classes. In two out of three trials, delayed onset of foraging was induced in colonies in which foragers were confined compared to colonies with free-flying foragers. Finally, in three out of three trials, both endocrine and exocrine changes associated with reversion from foraging to brood care were induced in colonies composed of all old bees and devoid of brood; JH titers decreased and hypopharyngeal glands regenerated. These results demonstrate that plasticity in age-related division of labor in honey bee colonies is at least partially controlled by social factors. The implications of these results are discussed for the recently developed ‘‘activator-inhibitor” model for honey bee behavioral development.
Extremal temperature bounds from surface gradient measurements

Summary. Surface measurements of vertical temperature gradient do not uniquely specify the subsurface temperature distribution, both because of the incompleteness of the data and uncertainty in heat production by radioactivity. We derive a theory for discovering certain properties of the temperature function which, under several simplifying restrictions, can be recovered from the data if heat transfer is by steady-state conduction. In particular, with heat production constrained to lie within assigned bounds, we seek the greatest lower bound on the maximum temperature at any depth. Calculation of this bound as a function of depth allows us to deduce the maximum possible depth to a chosen isotherm. We demonstrate the use of linear programming in the computations. The method is applied to a twodata set in New England and the resulting optimal temperature bounds are compared with standard one-dimensional solutions.
Diurnal propagating tide in the presence of mean winds and dissipation : a numerical investigation

Abstract The propagation characteristics of the first symmetric or (1,1) tidal mode are investigated numerically for a background atmosphere characterized by mean winds, meridional temperature gradients, and mechanical and thermal dissipation. Mechanical and thermal dissipation are parameterized through effective Rayleigh friction and Newtonian cooling coefficients. The primary effects of dissipation are to produce an amplitude peak in the vicinity of 90 km, an increase in the vertical wavelength with height from 80 to 100 km and a broadening or spreading of the tidal oscillation to higher latitudes. This latter effect occurs via coupling into the first symmetric and antisymmetric evanescent modes, commonly known as (1, −2) and (1, −1), respectively, as the (1,1) mode is mechanically damped. These features are consistent with the behaviour of the diurnal tide as observed by partial reflection, meteor and incoherent scatter radars. During solstice conditions the presence of mean winds manifests itself by introducing significant asymmetries about the equator in amplitude and phase, which can be viewed as a coupling into the first antisymmetric propagating and evanescent modes, (1,2) and (1, −1), respectively. Available data are not inconsistent with these latter results, but true verification is precluded by the inadequacy of data below 30° latitude where effects of the mean winds are most pronounced.
Hypersonic boundary-layer instability with chemical reactions

Numerical simulations of a hypersonic boundary layer on a flat plate with chemical reactions are carried out. For all computations, the mixture of gases is assumed to be in chemical and thermal equilibrium. The boundary layer is perturbed with a smallamplitude disturbance of fixed frequency, which gets amplified in streamwise direction. Two different approaches have been implemented and are verified here. In the first approach, gas properties are tabulated, and Lagrange interpolation is used to retrieve the desired values during time advancement of the Navier-Stokes equations. In the second approach, the Navier-Stokes solver is directly coupled with a library to computing the gas properties based on kinetic theory. Since the table used in the first approach has been computed using the same library, result obtained from both approaches match closely. A comparison of simulation data with linear stability results reported in the literature shows good agreement with respect to disturbance amplification rate, phase velocity as well as amplitude and phase functions.
Signaling in time and space

Organisms sense and interpret numerous internal and external signals by activating various signal transduction pathways. Past studies have illustrated that not only the presence or absence of one signal matters, but also that the frequency, amplitude, and duration of the signal provide crucial information to control many biological processes such as DNA repair, cell cycle, cell proliferation and differentiation. For example, oscillation of p35 activity is associated with cell-cycle arrest and recovery, whereas a single long-lasting activation of p35 leads to apoptosis. As a result, it is critical to have methods for detection of signal activity in vivo and in real time. Although the application of genetically encoded fluorescent proteins (FPs) as live signal reporters has revolutionized the field, most of the FP-based transcriptional reporters suffer from slow maturation (>1 hr) and extremely long half-life (>24 hr). This limitation greatly reduces the ability of these reporters to reveal the real-time dynamics of signals. To address this issue, new FP variants such as superfolder GFP (sfGFP) with a faster maturation time and high brightness have been engineered. In addition, the half-life of FPs can be shortened to about 2 hr by tagging them with a PEST domain for protein degradation. However, although short-lived FPs can report changes more faithfully, they have a major drawback in that they show a dramatic decrease in the fluorescent signal since much less FP is left for detection. I will discuss our recent efforts at developing new FP with improved temporal resolution. In addition, our laboratory is exploring methods to interrogate the organization of protein complexes in polarized cells. Polarization of the epithelial cell defines its functions, including selective absorption, secretion, and transport. Along the apical to basal axis, at least five distinct membrane domains can be defined. Numerous methods have been developed to determine the protein composition of polarized plasma membrane domains in epithelia. However, results to date have been inadequate, and have yielded relatively few insights into the biogenesis or functional differentiation of these domains. I will discuss our recent efforts at implementing in vivo methods of live cell proteomics using engineered peroxidase.
Rapid, active hair bundle movements in hair cells from the bullfrog's sacculus.

Hair bundles, the mechanically sensitive organelles of hair cells in the auditory and vestibular systems, are elastic structures that are deflected by sound or acceleration. To examine rapid mechanical events associated with mechanoelectrical transduction, we stimulated individual hair bundles with flexible glass fibers and measured their responses with a temporal resolution of 400 μsec. When a hair bundle from the bullfrog’s sacculus was abruptly deflected in the positive direction, the bundle’s motion in the direction of stimulation was interrupted within the initial few milliseconds by an active movement, or twitch. This response was biphasic, with an initial component in the direction of the stimulus and a second component in the opposite direction. The amplitude and duration of the twitch depended on the bundle’s initial position and the size and rise time of the stimulus; the twitch was largest over the range of bundle deflections in which transduction was most sensitive. Under displacement clamp conditions, in which a hair bundle’s position was changed and then held constant with negative feedback, the twitch manifested itself as a biphasic force exerted by the bundle. Some hair bundles produced twitches in response to negatively directed stimuli, exhibited stimulus-evoked damped oscillations, or twitched spontaneously. The hair bundle’s ability to perform work against an external load and to oscillate in response to stimulation indicates that the bundle could supply feedback for mechanical amplification in vertebrate auditory organs.
Scaling and asymptotic compensation techniques for early-time response calculation by transform methods

Various approaches to improving the computational efficiency in obtaining the early-time response, by inverse Laplace transform, in pulse propagation and transient scattering analysis are described. Depending on the asymptotic characteristics of the response function in the frequency domain, expanding the time scale and shifting the origin of time often result in accelerated convergence of the numerical Bromwich integral. The use of multiplicative functions such as sech (as) to control the asymptotic growth of the response function in the frequency domain enables the early-time return signals in scattering problems to be represented in terms of the superposition of exponential functions. >
Anhydrous state proton conduction in sulfonated bisphenol a polyetherimide with 1H-1,2,4 triazole as proton solvent

In this study, bisphenol A polyetherimide was sulfonated to various degrees (22, 48, and 62%) by trimethylsilylchlorosulfonate (TMSCS). Novel anhydrous proton conducting polyelectrolytes were prepared by the incorporation of 1H-1,2,4-triazole (Taz) as proton solvent in sulfonated polyetherimide (SPEI) matrix. The conductivity reached about 2 × 10–3 S/cm at 80 °C and 10–2 S/cm at 140 °C. The temperature dependence proton conductivity of the polyelectrolytes followed Arrhenius equation. The conductivity improved considerably at a temperature close to the triazole melting temperature in SPEI(X)H matrix. It was proposed that the high mobility of the triazolium ions (vehicle diffusion), in addition to structure diffusion, contribute to the high conductivity of these proton conducting electrolytes above the melting temperature of triazole. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 2178–2187, 2009
Orientation of the protonmotive force in membrane vesicles of Escherichia coli.

Membrane vesicles of Escherichia coli can be produced by 2 different methods: lysis of intact cells by passage through a French pressure cell or by osmotic rupturing of spheroplasts. The membrane of vesicles produced by the former method is everted relative to the orientation of the inner membrane in vivo. Using NADH, D-lactate, reduced phenazine methosulfate, or ATP these vesicles produce protonmotive forces, acid and positive inside, as determined using flow dialysis to measured the distribution of the weak base methylamine and the lipophilic anion thiocyanate. The vesicles accumulate calcium using the same energy sources, most likely by a calcium/proton antiport. Calcium accumulation, therefore, is presumably indicative of a proton gradient, acid inside. The latter type of vesicle, on the other hand, exhibits D-lactate-dependent proline transport but does not accumulate calcium with D-lactate as an energy source. NADH oxidation or ATP hydrolysis, however, will drive the transport of calcium but not proline in these vesicles. Oxidation of NADH or hydrolysis of ATP simultaneous with oxidation of D-lactate does not result in either calcium or proline transport. These results suggest that the vesicles are a patchwork or mosiac, in which certain enzyme complexes have an orientation opposite to that found in vivo, resulting in the formation of electrochemical proton gradients with an orientation opposite to that found in the intact cell. Other complexes retain their original orientation, making it possible to set up simultaneous proton fluxes in both directions, causing an apparent uncoupling of energy-linked processes. That the vesicles are capable of generating protonmotive forces of the opposite polarity was demonstrated by measurements of the distribution of acetate and methylamine (to measure the ΔpH) and thiocyanate (to measure the Δψ).
Nanophotonic waveguides by self-assembly of multiple-type quantum dots

We demonstrate the design and fabrication of optically pumped sub-diffraction nanophotonic waveguides using a self assembly process to attach two different types of quantum dots on a silicon dioxide substrate, thus enabling low crosstalk.
An improved pi /4-QPSK with nonredundant error correction for satellite mobile broadcasting

An improved pi /4-quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) receiver that incorporates a simple nonredundant error correction (NEC) structure is proposed for satellite and land-mobile digital broadcasting. The bit-error rate (BER) performance of the pi /4-QPSK with NEC is analyzed and evaluated in a fast Rician fading and additive white Gaussian noise. (AWGN) environment using computer simulation. It is demonstrated that with simple electronics the performance of a noncoherently detected pi /4-QPSK signal in both AWGN and fast Rician fading can be improved. When the K-factor (a ratio of average power of multipath signal to direct path power) of the Rician channel decreases, the improvement increases. An improvement of 1.2 dB could be obtained at a BER of 10/sup -4/ in the AWGN channel. This performance gain is achieved without requiring any signal redundancy and additional bandwidth. Three types of noncoherent detection schemes of pi /4QPSK with NEC structure, such as intermediate frequency band differential detection, baseband differential detection, and FM discriminator, are discussed. It is concluded that the pi /4-QPSK with NEC is an attractive scheme for power-limited satellite land-mobile broadcasting systems. >
Reduced content of connexin43 gap junctions in ventricular myocardium from hypertrophied and ischemic human hearts.

BACKGROUNDGap junctions are a determinant of myocardial conduction. Disturbances of gap-junctional content may account for abnormalities of impulse propagation, contributing to the arrhythmic tendency and mechanical inefficiency of ischemic and hypertrophied myocardium. The aim of this study was to characterize gap junction organization in normal human ventricular myocardium and to establish whether abnormalities exist in myocardium of chronically ischemic and hypertrophied hearts.METHODS AND RESULTSCardiac gap-junctional connexin43 antibodies and confocal microscopy were used in a quantitative immunohistochemical study of surgical myocardial samples to explore the structural basis of electromechanical ventricular dysfunction in chronic ischemic and hypertrophic heart diseases. Normal adult human left ventricular myocardium had a gap-junctional surface area of 0.0051 micron2/micron3 myocyte volume; gap junctions were confined to intercalated disks, of which there was a mean of 11.6 per cell. The right ven...
Improved monoclonal antibody tumor/background ratios with exchange transfusions.

Blood exchange transfusions were performed in nude rats with subcutaneous HTB77 human ovarian carcinoma xenografts in an attempt to improve specific monoclonal antibody (MoAb) tumor/non-tumor uptake ratios. Animals were injected intravenously with both ‘3’1-5G6.4 specific and ‘251-UPC-10 non-specific MoAb. Twenty-four hours later 6580% of the original blood was exchanged with normal heparinized rat blood and then these rodents were sacrificed. Exchange transfusion significantly (P < 0.05) decreased normal tissue activities of “‘I (except for muscle) by 6385%. while tumor activity decreased only 5%. Tumor to background ratios increased from 0.1-0.8 to 2.3-6.3. Exchange transfusions substantially enhance tumor/normal tissue antibody uptake ratios and, along with plasmapheresis, may be useful in enhancing antibody localization
Putting feet to what we pray about: The experience of caring by faith-based care team members.

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of caring by faith-based care team members. Nondirective, in-depth phenomenological interviews were conducted, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for themes. Participants included 19 care team members who served on faith-based care teams providing in-home support for families with chronic and/or terminal illness. Analysis of the interview texts resulted in the following four themes: putting feet to what we pray about, building and sharing relationships, it makes you more aware and because it's a team.? Participants expressed a strong reciprocity in their experience; for example, it's a mutual thing but I think I've gotten a lot out of it. In some cases the caregiving experience was a lesson in survival, you don't just lie down and die, you get back up. The findings from this study contribute to the limited body of knowledge concerning experiences of participants on faith-based care teams.
Resource allocation for coarse-grain FPGA development

The development of domain-specialized reconfigurable devices, and even the nature of domains themselves, has been largely unexplored. In part this is because the same architectural improvements that allow domain-specialized field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to outperform conventional reconfigurable devices also significantly change the design problem. The migration from completely generic lookup tables (LUTs) and highly connected routing fabrics to specialized coarse-grain functional units and very structured communication resources presents designers with the problem of how to best customize the system based upon anticipated usage. In this paper, the authors establish the nature of many of these problems and illustrate the difficulties of determining the appropriate number and ratio of functional units considering the demands of a diverse domain. The authors present three algorithms that attempt to balance the hardware needs of the domain while considering design constraints such as the performance and area of the system.
A simple model-based online rotor time constant estimator for an induction machine

A new model-based online rotor time constant estimator for an induction machine is developed. The estimation algorithm is based on induction machine models in two different reference frames. Novel mechanism is proposed to avoid the singularity problem. Encouraging simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the simple yet accurate estimator.
Adaptive Sliding Mode Control with Bound Estimation for MEMS Angular Rate Sensor

This paper presents a sliding mode adaptive controller for MEMS z-axis gyroscope, an adaptive model reference state tracking controller which can real-time estimate the angular velocity vector, and the damping and stiffness model coefficients is proposed. The adaptive law to estimate the unknown upper bound of the parameter uncertainties and external disturbance is developed. The numerical simulation for MEMS gyroscope model is investigated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive sliding mode control scheme. It is shown that the proposed adaptive sliding mode control scheme offers several advantages such as on-line estimation the angular rate, upper bound of disturbance, and large robustness to parameter variations and external disturbance.
A Feasibility Study of a Hydromagnetic Waterjet Propulsion System

This paper presents an analytical study for the determination of the performance characteristics of a proposed underwater waterjet propulsion system. The system is powered by the viscous drag pumping action of spherical micron-sized ferromagnetic particles accelerated by an external magnetic field. Some preliminary geometry details and thrust characteristics of a small system using a superconducting magnet and associated hardware are presented. The thrust/weight ratio of the proposed system is shown to be much less than one over the range of design parameters considered, placing serious limitations on the use of such a system.
Mother-Daughter Relationships, Self-Esteem, and Problem Solving: Do Socialization Practices Matter?

This article addresses how racial/ethnic socialization practices shape self-esteem and influence problem-solving skills among African Americans. Attachment theory provides a conceptual model for understanding the importance of the parent-child relationship with regard to stress management. Empirical studies bolster the discussion of culturally relevant socialization practices that influence whether stress management among African American women is reduced or increased with each generation. The article concludes with practice, research, and pedagogical implications.
The Growing Importance of Family: Evidence from Brothers’ Earnings

We examine between-brother correlation of earnings, family income, and wages from two cohorts of the National Longitudinal Surveys. Young brothers who entered the labor market in the 1970s had lower correlations of economic outcomes than did those who entered in the 1980s and early 1990s. Neither the rising brother correlation in education nor the rising return to schooling accounts for much of the increase in the brother correlation in earnings. These results suggest that family and community influences other than years of education that are shared by brothers have become increasingly important in determining economic outcomes.
Evaluation of intracellular ascorbate deficiency and the cytotoxicity of sulfamethoxazole nitroso in healthy and HIV-infected subjects

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) hypersensitivity affects 20–50% of treated HIV patients. SMX-nitroso (SMX-NO), the cytotoxic metabolite thought to mediate these reactions, is non-enzymatically reduced by ascorbate (AA). The purpose of these studies was to determine the relationship between intracellular AA deficiency (reported in HIV-infection) and in vitro cytotoxicity in the presence of SMX metabolites (which has been used as a marker for sulfonamide hypersensitivity). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained from HIV-positive patients and healthy controls. PBMC AA concentrations and SMX-NO reduction were determined by HPLC. PBMC from each subject were also exposed to 0.1-1.0 mM SMX-NO for 2 h., followed by overnight incubation in media. Cytotoxicity was quantified using YO-PRO-1® fluorescence. In preliminary results from 22 subjects, intracellular AA was strongly correlated with PBMC reduction of SMX-NO (r=0.73; P=0.0001). In addition, AA was depleted during exposure to SMX-NO, with a strong linear correlation between nmoles SMX-NO reduced and nmoles AA depleted (r=0.75; P<0.0001). There was a trend toward an inverse relationship between intracellular AA and cytotoxicity (r= -0.31; P=0.18), and between SMX-NO reduction and cytotoxicity (r= -0.36; P=0.14), but the association was not significant in this preliminary sample. Additional patient recruitment is underway to further characterize the relationship between ascorbate deficiency and sulfonamide toxicity. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P15–P15; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.056
Mining Periodic Behavior in Dynamic Social Networks

Social interactions that occur regularly typically correspond to significant yet often infrequent and hard to detect interaction patterns. To identify such regular behavior, we propose a new mining problem of finding periodic or near periodic subgraphs in dynamic social networks. We analyze the computational complexity of the problem, showing that, unlike any of the related subgraph mining problems, it is polynomial. We propose a practical, efficient and scalable algorithm to find such subgraphs that takes imperfect periodicity into account. We demonstrate the applicability of our approach on several real-world networks and extract meaningful and interesting periodic interaction patterns.
Early child grammars: qualitative and quantitative analysis of morphosyntactic production.

This article reports on a series of 5 analyses of spontaneous production of verbal inflection (tense and person–number agreement) by 2-year-olds acquiring French as a native language. A formal analysis of the qualitative and quantitative results is developed using the unique resources of Optimality Theory (OT; Prince & Smolensky, 2004). It is argued that acquisition of morphosyntax proceeds via overlapping grammars (rather than through abrupt changes), which OT formalizes in terms of partial rather than total constraint rankings. Initially, economy of structure constraints take priority over faithfulness constraints that demand faithful expression of a speaker’s intent, resulting in child production of tense that is comparable in level to that of child-directed speech. Using the independent Predominant Length of Utterance measure of syntactic development proposed in Vainikka, Legendre, and Todorova (1999), production of agreement is shown first to lag behind tense then to compete with tense at an intermediate stage of development. As the child’s development progresses, faithfulness constraints become more dominant, and the overall production of tense and agreement becomes adult-like.
Cloning, sequencing and expression of the major rainbow trout constitutive cytochrome P450 (CYP2K1). Identification of a new cytochrome P450 gene subfamily

Abstract A full-length cDNA has been cloned and sequenced for the major constitutive rainbow trout liver cytochrome P450 that had earlier been designated as cytochrome P450 LMC2. This cDNA clone encodes for a protein of 504 amino acids with a calculated M r of 56,795. While the cDNA nucleotides for trout P450 LMC2 shared a 49 and 47% homology, respectively, with the two rainbow trout P450s previously sequenced (hepatic P4501A1 and an ovarian 17-hydroxylase), it showed a 54–56% nucleotide identity with several human or other mammalian P450 forms from family 2. From amino acid sequence comparisons, the trout P450 LMC2 has been assigned to a new cytochrome P450 gene family designated P4502K1 (CYP2K1). Northern blots of total RNA isolated from sexually mature male and female rainbow trout examined with a cDNA probe (2K1,7c), indicated that mRNA levels were substantially higher in the trunk kidney of male trout compared to that seen in females. Multiple 2K1,7c hybridizable bands at about 2.8 kb and 1.6–1.9 kb were found in the trunk kidney preparations, with the 2.8 kb band predominating. A major 1.9 kb mRNA band, detectable with the 2K1,7c probe, was present at similar concentrations in livers of both sexes.
Conversation and Social Exchange: Managing Identities in Old Age

It has been argued previously that, due to industrial development and the related ideology of modernity, old people in contemporary society are less able to negotiate favorable or, even, equitable exchange rates. This structural analysis, however, leaves unanswered important issues concerning the "working out" of the terms of the exchange agreement. The focus of this paper is the negotiation and maintenance of exchange relationships. How, for example, does the individual old person and his or her exchange partner(s) decide such issues as the relative "social worth" of the partners, the resources each possesses and is willing to exchange, the value of the resources to be exchanged, or the rate at which resources are to be exchanged. While such terms may occasionally be submitted in written form for the approval of each partner, in most cases such issues are resolved in a much more informal manner. Approval or consent to an exchange agreement is generally reached through a process of informal negotiation wh...
Gravity Load and Vertical Ground Motion Effects on Earthquake Response of Simple Yielding Systems

Computed responses of idealized one-story yielding systems to earthquake ground motion are presented with the objective of evaluating the effects of gravity loads and vertical ground motions. These results demonstrate that the coupling between lateral and vertical deformations created by yielding in the system must be considered in order to predict the plastic part of vertical deformations due to horizontal ground motion. However, simpler analysis without such deformation coupling, but with reduction of lateral yield strength due to gravity load, would generally be satisfactory for predicting the lateral response of the system. The principal effect of the vertical component of ground motion is to superpose elastic vertical oscillations about the gradually growing vertical deformation that resulted from yielding due to horizontal ground motion alone. Lateral deformations are not influenced significantly by vertical ground motion; thus they may be determined from analysis of response to horizontal ground motion only.
The Structure of an Oxalate Oxidoreductase Provides Insight into Microbial 2-Oxoacid Metabolism

Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), a derivative of vitamin B1, is a versatile and ubiquitous cofactor. When coupled with [4Fe-4S] clusters in microbial 2-oxoacid:ferredoxin oxidoreductases (OFORs), TPP is involved in catalyzing low-potential redox reactions that are important for the synthesis of key metabolites and the reduction of N2, H+, and CO2. We have determined the high-resolution (2.27 A) crystal structure of the TPP-dependent oxalate oxidoreductase (OOR), an enzyme that allows microbes to grow on oxalate, a widely occurring dicarboxylic acid that is found in soil and freshwater and is responsible for kidney stone disease in humans. OOR catalyzes the anaerobic oxidation of oxalate, harvesting the low-potential electrons for use in anaerobic reduction and fixation of CO2. We compare the OOR structure to that of the only other structurally characterized OFOR family member, pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase. This side-by-side structural analysis highlights the key similarities and differences that are re...
An Ancient Law of Care

This article published in the Whittier Law Review shows that torts professors commonly teach that a previously absent or barbaric tort law evolved out of the medieval laws of England. Historical and contemporary analysis of ancient texts shows that it did not. Strict liability, negligence, intentional torts, indirect causation, degrees of negligence, objective reasonableness, notice and knowledge, fixed and variable compensation, and other principal features of modern tort law have been present from ancient times, influencing our own tort law. Interpretive principles help us appreciate the breadth, sensitivity, and timelessness of the ancient tort laws.
Teaching localization in probabilistic robotics

In the field of probabilistic robotics, a central problem is to determine a robot's state given knowledge of a time series of control commands and sensor readings. The effects of control commands and the behavior of sensor devices are both modeled probabilistically. A variety of methods are available for deriving the robot's belief state, which is a probabilistic representation of the robot's true state (which cannot be directly known). This paper presents a series of five weekly assignments to teach this material at the advanced undergraduate/ graduate level. The theoretical aspect of the work is reinforced by practical implementation exercises using ROS (Robot Operating System), and the Bilibot, an educational robot platform.
Attenuation of blood flow-induced dilation in arterioles after muscle contraction

The response of third-order arterioles (n = 15) in rat cremaster muscle to increased luminal flow was studied after brief (20-30 s) occlusion of a neighboring arteriole in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats. Red cell velocity increased almost fivefold (485 +/- 54% of control) during occlusion, and vessel diameter increased 63 +/- 11%. Initially, the calculated wall shear rate increased to 430 +/- 40% of control during occlusion but then decreased to 308 +/- 35% of control as a consequence of arteriolar dilation. The muscle was subsequently stimulated to contract for 1 min, and the occlusion procedure was repeated after arteriolar diameter and red cell velocity had returned to control levels. In this instance the vessel dilation was 34 +/- 10% or about one-half of that seen during the previous occlusion, although velocity and shear rate rose to a similar degree (474 +/- 54 and 397 +/- 35%, respectively). Dilation during a third occlusion 2-7 min after the vessel recovered from the second occlusion was as great as during the first occlusion (77 +/- 20%). The results indicate that flow-induced dilation in arterioles of rat cremaster muscle is transiently attenuated after muscle contraction.
Past environmental changes: Characteristic features of Quaternary climate variations

Climate varies, both temporally and spatially, and the focus of the body of palaeoclimatic research has been to characterize and explain this variation. What has emerged is a view of climate as a multi-component system that varies across a range of temporal and spatial scales. Embedded in these variations are some characteristic features such as trends, abrupt changes, periodicities, and the formation of spatial mosaics of climatic changes; these features occur on many scales and are the subject of this paper.
Consumer Discontent Revisited

Lundstrom and Lamont's seminal article on consumer discontent was published in 1976. Since that time, the literature on consumer discontent has evolved and fragmented. New research themes include consumer satisfaction and consumer complaint behavior. The purpose of this project is to revisit Lundstrom and Lamont's 1976 study, and to compare the data from that study to a recent survey of consumer levels of satisfactions/dissatisfaction with business. Similarities and differences in consumer discontent are delineated and discussed.
Analysis of Marketing of Garri in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract The study examined the marketing of a cassava-based product (garri) in Delta State, Nigeria. Data was collected from 168 respondents using structured questionnaire. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed in selecting 168 respondents from six markets in Delta State where garri is produced and marketed. Data was analyzed by the calculation of percentages, means and running of regression. The study revealed that the marketing of garri in Delta State was predominantly a female activity. The study also revealed that the garri was marketed in three channels and that 46.4% were retailers. The study further revealed a reasonable degree of freedom of entry and exit in the garri business in Delta State. Each trader or marketer was able to earn an average profit margin of N2 190.00 (for garri marketers), while the marketing margins for garri was 13.1%. Although the marketers were faced with some challenges the average profit per marketer per month was reasonably high (N40 722). The study further showed that the socio-economic characteristics of the marketers to a large extent had a positive influence on the quantity of garri sold in the study area. From the findings it was recommended that storage facilities, extension services and good road network among others should be provided to improve the marketing of garri in Delta State, Nigeria.
The long non-coding RNA FMR4 promotes proliferation of human neural precursor cells and epigenetic regulation of gene expression in trans.

Abstract Triplet repeat expansions in the Fragile X mental retardation 1 ( FMR1 ) gene cause either intellectual disability and autism, or adult-onset neurodegeneration, with poorly understood variability in presentation. Previous studies have identified several long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) at the FMR1 locus, including FMR4 . Similarly to FMR1 , FMR4 is silenced by large-repeat expansions that result in enrichment of DNA and histone methylation within the shared promoter and repeat sequence, suggesting a possible role for this noncoding RNA in the pathophysiology of Fragile X. We therefore assessed the functional role of FMR4 to gain further insight into the molecular processes in Fragile X-associated disorders. Previous work showed that FMR4 does not exhibit cis -regulation of FMR1 . Here, we found that FMR4 is a chromatin-associated transcript and, using genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments, showed that FMR4 alters the chromatin state and the expression of several hundred genes in trans . Among the genes regulated by FMR4 , we found enrichment for those involved in neural development and cellular proliferation. S-phase marker assays further demonstrated that FMR4 may promote cellular proliferation, rather than differentiation, of human neural precursor cells (hNPCs). By establishing this novel function for FMR4 in hNPCs, we lend support to existing evidence of the epigenetic involvement of lncRNA in nervous system development, and increase our understanding of the complex pathogenesis underlying neurological disorders associated with FMR1 repeat expansions.
Pharmacokinetics of the poly-γ-glutamyl metabolites of methotrexate in skin and other tissues of rats and hairless mice

The time course of methotrexate (MTX) and its poly-gamma-glutamyl metabolites (PGGs) was examined in the skin, liver and blood of rats and full-thickness skin, epidermis and blood of hairless mice to determine their contribution to the persistence of antifolate activity after a single dose of MTX. [3H]MTX was administered i.v. to rats and i.p. to mice in a dose similar, on a microgram per kilogram basis, to that administered to humans for the treatment of psoriasis. The animals were sacrificed at various times after the dose and skin and other tissues were analyzed for the presence of MTX and the PGGs. The percentage of total antifolates in the skin of rats that was attributable to the PGGs was less than 30% at all times examined (6 to 72 hr). However, more than half of the PGGs present contained three or more glutamic acid residues. The skin from the hairless mice was separated into dermis and epidermis to determine if MTX and its metabolites were present in the ostensible site of action in psoriasis, the epidermis (separation of epidermis from dermis is prohibited by hair in the rat). The PGGs accounted for less than 13% of total antifolates in full-thickness skin of mice at all times studied. The epidermis contained more antifolates, on a picomole per gram basis, at all times (4 to 24 hr) than did the full-thickness skin. In the epidermis, the percentage of total antifolates contributed by the PGGs rose to 35% by 24 hr, more than twice its value at earlier times.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Net for the Mass Collection of Alfalfa Weevils

A program requiring the collection of large numbers of adult alfalfa weevils, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), necessitated the development of an effective collection apparatus. A “trawl net” was designed and constructed to be dragged behind a field motorcycle (Fig. 1). The rectangular outer rim of the net consisted of ½-in.-diam steel rod, 5 ft long and 1 ft high. The net itself consisted of 4 pieces of “tuff-tarp” (vinylized nylon) sewn together. The 2 pieces which made up the top and the bottom were triangular with a base and height of 5 ft. The 2 side pieces were 66 in. long and tapered from a 1 ft width at the base to 6 in. at the point of the net. Lightweight chain was used to attach the net to the rear of the motorcycle.
Notes on the First Cubital Cell in Certain Hymenoptera

Tillyard, in his “Insects of Australia and New Zealand,” (1926) figures (p. 264) a sawfly, Xiphydria decepta Smith, in which the vein separating the first and second marginal cells in called rm2 (second radio-median cross-vein); it is the r of MacGillivray (1906). On page 290 he figures an ant ( Polyrhachis ammon Fabricius), the base of the marginal cell being duly labelled rm2. A more primitive ant ( Myrmecia gulosa Fabricius), on page 287, shows the same thing. There can be no doubt that this vein forms the base of the marginal cell as understood in most of the higher Hymenoptera. The base of the first marginal cell in sawflies is the radial sector according to MacGillivray, but Tillyard regards it as rm1 (first radio-median cross-vein). This is the vein which becomes obsolescent or disappears, as shown by Miss Gibbons. However, as MacGillivray shows (Proc. U. S. Nat. Museum, XXIX, 1906), in numerous genera of sawflies it is the rm2 (or his r) which has disappeared, while rm1 (or Rs) remains. In this regard it is interesting to consider the Mesozoic and Eocene family Pseudosiricidae. Tillyard (Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1927) actually refers the British Eocene form ( Megapterites mirabilis Cockerell) to Siricidae. In former times, the Mesozoic representatives were thought to be ants, or allied thereto, and Westwood named one of them Formicium brodiei (for a figure, see Canadian Entomologist, January, 1921, p. 22). But the wing-structure is closely similar to that of the Siricidae, and is not like that of the ants. More recently (Journal Washington Academy of Sciences, 19, August, 1929) Carpenter has described a large form from the Lower Eocene of Tennessee, regarding it as an ant, and naming it Eoponera berryi . Comparison of his figure (p. 301) with the wing of Megapterites (Canad. Ent., Jan., 1921, p. 22) shows that it is nearly the same, but rm2 has disappeared. The base of the marginal cell is rm1, as may be seen in sawflies, but apparently never in ants.
Interrelationships Among Various Measures of Central Artery Stiffness

Background A number of different techniques and methodologies have been applied to quantify stiffness of arteries. Because measures of arterial stiffness differ in regards to measurement locations as well as properties, it is not clear how well these measures that are supposed to reflect the same arterial wall properties are related. Methods Interrelationships between different measures of arterial stiffness were evaluated in 50 apparently healthy subjects varying in age. Results Significant relations ranging from mild to strong were observed among measures of arterial stiffness while some measures were not significantly associated. Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was significantly associated with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). Ultrasound-derived measures of arterial stiffness (e.g., compliance, distensibility) were weakly or not significantly related to pulse wave velocity (PWV) measures. The limits of agreement between each of arterial stiffness measures based on the Bland-Altman analyses indicate that there were close agreements (CI = 1.12-1.52) between CAVI, cfPWV, and baPWV. However, agreements between PWV measures and ultrasound-derived measures were mild to moderate. β-stiffness index demonstrated large 95% CIs with other measures. When associations between relative changes in various measures of arterial stiffness in response to isometric handgrip exercise were evaluated, the general trend of associations was similar to the relations observed at rest. β-stiffness index was not related to most measures of arterial stiffness. Conclusion These results suggest that the techniques used to assess arterial stiffness may not be interchangeable in clinical and research settings and that comparisons of findings obtained with different arterial stiffness measures should be conducted with caution.
Predictors of survival in parotid adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified: a National Cancer Database study of 3155 patients.

Background Parotid adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified (PANOS) is a common parotid cancer, but studies specifically on this subject are limited. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of the National Cancer Database. Results Ten percent of all parotid cancers were PANOS (n = 3155). Median age was 67 years. Most patients were men (62.8%) with high-grade histology (67.2%). Regional metastasis was common (35.9%), whereas occult nodal metastasis (20.2% overall) was less frequent in non-high-grade lesions (8.5% vs 31.6%; p < .001). Distant metastasis was rare (7.9%). Five-year overall survival (OS) was 47%. In multivariate analysis, age, regional metastasis, distant metastasis, high-grade, and T classification were predictors of lower survival. Patients with stage III to IV disease receiving surgery and radiotherapy had a better OS than those receiving surgery alone (51% vs 41%; p < .001). Conclusion PANOS is an aggressive disease with frequent regional metastasis and low survival. Numerous variables are associated with worse survival. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2016
Current is the one that's mean: the development of engineering student trajectories of identification

The role of identity construction in learning to become an engineer is explored through the examination of ethnographic interviews over the course of four years and video data from group-work in engineering senior design projects. Focusing upon engineering students' identity development within the figured world of engineering we trace the development of trajectories of identification. We focus upon what can be traced over time along trajectories of identification in becoming an engineer.
Effect of cyclosporin on blood pressure and renin-aldosterone axis in rats.

Although hypertension is a frequent complication of cyclosporin A (CSA) therapy in clinical practice, little experimental information is available on the nature and the mechanism of this form of hypertension. We studied the effect of currently recommended therapeutic dosages of CSA, i.e., 5 (CSA5) and 20 (CSA20) mg.kg-1.day-1, on blood pressure and the renin-aldosterone system (RAS) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Influence of in vivo CSA treatment on in vitro angiotensin II (ANG II)-stimulated aldosterone secretion by isolated adrenal glomerulosa cells (AGC) was also measured. CSA treatment in SHR resulted in a consistent increase in systolic blood pressure. This increase in blood pressure occurred in the absence of significant changes in creatinine clearance in CSA5 rats, whereas in CSA20 rats a significant reduction in creatinine clearance was observed. Sodium balance and serum calcium and magnesium concentrations were not different between the control group and either of the two CSA-treated groups of rats. Plasma renin concentration (PRC) and inactive renin (IR) were markedly elevated, but plasma renin substrate remained unchanged with CSA administration. Despite the presence of hyperreninemia, plasma aldosterone was not elevated, suggesting that CSA may induce relative adrenal resistance to ANG II. This possibility was tested using AGC isolated from CSA-treated rats. ANG II-stimulated aldosterone secretion in AGC was diminished by low dose and aborted by high dose CSA-treatment. Thus CSA administration in SHR induces a predictable increase in blood pressure in association with "hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism."