cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Citizen science, computing, and conservation: How can “Crowd AI” change the way we tackle large-scale ecological challenges?

Camera traps - remote cameras that capture images of passing wildlife - have become a ubiquitous tool in ecology and conservation. Systematic camera trap surveys generate ‘Big Data’ across broad spatial and temporal scales, providing valuable information on environmental and anthropogenic factors affecting vulnerable wildlife populations. However, the sheer number of images amassed can quickly outpace researchers’ ability to manually extract data from these images (e.g., species identities, counts, and behaviors) in timeframes useful for making scientifically-guided conservation and management decisions. Here, we present ‘Snapshot Safari’ as a case study for merging citizen science and machine learning to rapidly generate highly accurate ecological Big Data from camera trap surveys. Snapshot Safari is a collaborative cross-continental research and conservation effort with 1500+ cameras deployed at over 40 eastern and southern Africa protected areas, generating millions of images per year. As one of the first and largest-scale camera trapping initiatives, Snapshot Safari spearheaded innovative developments in citizen science and machine learning. We highlight the advances made and discuss the issues that arose using each of these methods to annotate camera trap data. We end by describing how we combined human and machine classification methods (‘Crowd AI’) to create an efficient integrated data pipeline. Ultimately, by using a feedback loop in which humans validate machine learning predictions and machine learning algorithms are iteratively retrained on new human classifications, we can capitalize on the strengths of both methods of classification while mitigating the weaknesses. Using Crowd AI to quickly and accurately ‘unlock’ ecological Big Data for use in science and conservation is revolutionizing the way we take on critical environmental issues in the Anthropocene era.
Experimental Status of Neutrino Mass

Neutrino physics faces a number of interesting challenges, among them are the following fundamental questions: Are neutrinos massive? Are physical neutrinos pure or mixed states? Are neutrinos Dirac or Majorana particles? Evidence for neutrino mass and mixing would lend support to grand unified theories or other schemes beyond the standard electroweak model.
The role of deoxyribonucleic acid in ribonucleic acid synthesis. II. The influence of deoxyribonucleic acid on the reaction.

The base composition of RNA produced in the reaction was shown to be dependent upon the base composition of DNA used to prime the system. The present communication is a further report on the role of DNA in this reaction. We have now shown that under a variety of conditions, with various DNA preparations as primers, RNA formed appears to be a complementary copy of DNA and that both strands of DNA are copied. The amount of RNA formed may exceed the amount of DNA added, which suggests a catalytic role for DNA in RNA production. There are many striking similarities between the enzymatic synthesis of RNA and that of DNA4 (13)) but one important difference between these two reactions concerns the nature of the priming DNA. Thus DNA polymerase from both animal and bacterial sources is poorly active with preparations of native DNA (14, 15). RNA polymerase, however, is primed by either native DNA or denatured DNA. In contrast to DNA poly- merase, RNA polymerase is primed to a lesser extent by de- natured DNA. These results are presented below.
Design of polarization-insensitive SOI ring resonators using cladding stress-induced birefringence and MMI couplers

A novel silicon-on-insulator ring resonator design is described that uses a multi-mode interference coupler to achieve polarization independent coupling, and cladding stress induced birefringence control to eliminate the difference in round trip phase accumulation between the TE and TM polarized waveguide modes. The design parameters are determined for a polarization independent SOI ring resonator with 1.5 /spl mu/m ridge height and width. The resonator has a 0.5 nm free spectral range and -30 dB transmission contrast ratio, and with very modest fabrication requirements.
TGF-beta does not inhibit IL-12- and IL-2-induced activation of Janus kinases and STATs.

The immune system is an important target for the cytokine TGF-β1, whose actions on lymphocytes are largely inhibitory. TGF-β has been reported to inhibit IL-12- and IL-2-induced cell proliferation and IFN-γ production by T cells and NK cells; however, the mechanisms of inhibition have not been clearly defined. It has been suggested by some studies that TGF-β blocks cytokine-induced Janus kinase (JAK) and STAT activation, as in the case of IL-2. In contrast, other studies with cytokines like IFN-γ have not found such an inhibition. The effect of TGF-β on the IL-12-signaling pathway has not been addressed. We examined this and found that TGF-β1 did not have any effect on IL-12-induced phosphorylation of JAK2, TYK2, and STAT4 although TGF-β1 inhibited IL-2- and IL-12-induced IFN-γ production. Similarly, but in contrast to previous reports, we found that TGF-β1 did not inhibit IL-2-induced phosphorylation of JAK1, JAK3, and STAT5A. Furthermore, gel shift analysis showed that TGF-β1 did not prevent activated STAT4 and STAT5A from binding to DNA. Our results demonstrate that the inhibitory effects of TGF-β on IL-2- and IL-12-induced biological activities are not attributable to inhibition of activation of JAKs and STATs. Rather, our data suggest the existence of alternative mechanisms of inhibition by TGF-β.
Gene therapy for Fabry disease.

Fabry disease is an X-linked metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency ofα-galactosidase A (α-Gal A). Lack of this lysosomal hydrolase results in theaccumulation of galactose-terminal glycosphingolipids in a number of tissues,including vascular endothelial cells. Premature death is predominantly associated withvascular conditions of the heart, kidneys and brain. Historically, treatment has largelybeen palliative. Alternative treatments for many lysosomal storage diseases have beendeveloped, including allogeneic organ and bone marrow transplantation, enzymereplacement therapy, and gene therapy. Significant clinical risks still exist withallogeneic transplantations. α-Gal A enzyme replacement therapy has beenimplemented in clinical trials. This approach has been effective but may havelimitations for long-term systemic or cost-effective correction. As an alternative, genetherapy approaches, involving a variety of gene delivery systems, have been pursuedfor the amelioration of Fabry disease. Fabry disease is a compelling disorder for genetherapy, as target cells are readily accessible and relatively low levels of enzymecorrection may suffice to reduce storage. Importantly, metabolic cooperativity effectsare also manifested in Fabry disease, wherein corrected cells secrete α-Gal A that cancorrect bystander cells. In addition, a broad therapeutic window probably exists, andmouse models of Fabry disease have been generated to assist studies. As an example,in vitro and in vivo studies using α-Gal A-transduced haematopoietic cells from Fabrymice have demonstrated enzymatic correction of recipient cells and dissemination ofα-Gal A upon transplantation, leading to reduced lipid storage in a number ofclinically relevant organs. This corrective enzymatic effect has recently been shown tobe even further enhanced upon pre-selection of therapeutically transduced cells priorto transplantation. This review will briefly detail current gene delivery methods andsummarize results to date in the context of gene therapy for Fabry disease.
Women and the Criminal Justice System

Abstract Proportionately women offenders are growing among the ranks of those involved in the correctional system in the U.S. This paper presents an overview of the characteristics of women offenders, our state of knowledge about programs and services for women, and policy choices regarding how to handle the increasing number of women in the criminal justice system. Using the evidence-based practices literature, the needs of the women are compared to the research on effective practices using the Risk-Needs-Responsivity model. This model purports that low risk offenders should not be the priority for intensive services in the criminal justice system; instead high risk offenders should receive such services. Based on this model, the paper discusses whether services in the criminal justice system are the best option given the consequences of involving the correctional system to assist women who are poor, underskilled, and undereducated to become productive citizens.
Form and feeding mechanism of a living Planctosphaera pelagica (phylum Hemichordata)

We describe aspects of the anatomy and suspension-feeding mechanism of a single Planctosphaera pelagica captured from the plankton in June 1992 off Bermuda in the western Atlantic. We also describe several unusual features of the larva, including its occurrence in surface waters, unusually large size, and limited swimming ability. Our account of the form and feeding behavior of P. pelagica is the first based on observations of a specimen captured and observed alive. Our limited observations suggest that the planctosphaera may use a suspension-feeding mechanism much like that of the other feeding deuterostome larvae (the pluteus and bipinnaria larvae of echinoderms and the tornaria larva of enteropneust hemichordates) known to capture food particles using a single ciliated band. Although we could not observe cilia directly, the movement of dye streams and food particles and the structure of the ciliated band suggest that some particles may be captured at the ciliated band by the reversal of ciliary beat. The planctosphaera possesses many prominent mucous glands near the food grooves. This suggests an important role of mucus in the biology of the larva, but we were not able to observe directly any role of mucus in particle capture.
THE INTERACTION OF LUNG ANNEXIN I WITH PHOSPHOLIPID MONOLAYERS AT THE AIR/WATER INTERFACE

Lung annexin I (LAI), a calcium-ion-dependent phospholipid-binding protein, has been shown earlier to cause aggregation and fusion of bilayered vesicles containing phospholipids found in lung surfactant, and to be a very likely factor in the assembly of lung surfactant into the lamellar bodies stored in the Type II cell. In this study, we have measured the accumulation of LAI into spread monolayers of some major lipid components of lung surfactant, dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylglycerol (DPPG), palmitoyl-oleyoyl-phosphatidylglycerol (POPG), and selected mixtures, as a function of calcium-ion concentration and surface concentration (degree of packing) of the phospholipid monolayer. The ability of LAI to significantly penetrate such monolayers was calcium-ion-dependent and only occurred in the presence of DPPG or POPG. The relative extent of penetration into DPPG and POPG was directly related to the available free area in the monolayer, penetration being greater with POPG. Fluorescence microscopy measurements revealed that DPPC mixed with either DPPG or POPG caused a change in surface phase behavior in a manner believed to be related to certain types of bilayer fusion. A chemical breakdown product of LAI, LAI-bp, previously found not to cause aggregation and fusion of bilayers, did not exhibit comparable monolayer penetration or surface phase separation to LAI.
Modern approaches to the study of mammalian cells in culture

Der Verfasser gibt eine kurze Ubersicht uber die neueren Methoden derin vitro-Kultur von Saugerzellen. Eingehend wird die Entwicklung von stabilen Kulturen diploider Zellen und Untersuchungen uber die spezifischen Wachstumsfaktoren isolierter menschlicher Zellen besprochen. Auch die Wirkung der Ultraviolettstrahlung auf solche Zellen wird diskutiert.
HYDROGEN-INDUCED STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN TETRAHEDRAL AMORPHOUS CARBON

The influence of hydrogen on the structure and properties of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) is studied by tight-binding molecular-dynamics simulations. The results show that hydrogen tends to break carbon-carbon bonds in ta-C. Reduction of C-C coordinations makes ta-C softer and introduces more electronic states in the energy-gap region.
The influence of patient- and facility-specific factors on nutritional status and survival in hemodialysis.

Abstract Background Parameters of nutritional status, including serum albumin, serum creatinine, and body mass index (BMI), are powerful predictors of mortality and hospitalization in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Patient-specific characteristics and facility-related practice patterns modify certain parameters of nutritional status. We aimed to determine whether patient and facility characteristics modify the risk profiles associated with malnutrition in hemodialysis patients. Methods We analyzed data on 5,234 prevalent hemodialysis patients from the Dialysis Morbidity and Mortality Study (DMMS) Wave 1 for whom information on demographic, clinical, nutritional, and facility-related characteristics were available. We evaluated the associations among facility characteristics and serum albumin, serum creatinine, and BMI, adjusting for the effects of age, sex, race/ethnicity, diabetes, and dialysis vintage. We determined correlates of mortality and hospitalization, focusing on nutritional parameters, facility effects, and the interactions among patient-specific and facility-specific characteristics, albumin, creatinine, and BMI. Results Serum albumin was lower with older age, diabetes, nonblack race, and hemodialysis using a catheter. Serum albumin was higher with annual vascular access surveillance, higher BMI among women, higher urea reduction ratio, among patients in whom dialyzers were reprocessed (particularly with bleach), among dialysis units in which water purification was used, and when vascular access blood flow rates were ≥350 mL/min. Overall survival was decreased with lower albumin, creatinine, and BMI. There were interactions among albumin, age, and vintage. Whereas lower serum albumin concentrations consistently were associated with an increased risk of death, the differences were attenuated among older patients and accentuated among patients of longer vintage. Conclusion Some facility-specific factors are associated with nutritional parameters including serum albumin, serum creatinine, and BMI. The associations of nutritional parameters with mortality and hospitalization vary by age, sex, and vintage but not by facility-specific factors, including those associated with the nutritional parameters themselves.
Intrapreoptic microinjection of TNF-α enhances non-REM sleep in rats

Abstract Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) is involved in sleep regulation. Peripheral or central administration of TNFα induces non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) in many species. However, the brain site responsible for TNF-enhanced NREMS remains unclear. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that the preoptic area (POA) of the anterior hypothalamus, a crucial site for sleep regulation, is involved in TNF-induced sleep responses in rats. Unilateral microinjection of TNFα (2, 20 and 100 ng) or a TNF receptor fragment (TNFRF; 1.25, 5.0 and 12.5 μg) into the POA was performed at dark onset and light onset, respectively. The two higher doses of TNFα increased NREMS and brain temperature with little effect on REMS and EEG slow wave activity. These effects were lost after the heat-treatment of TNFα. The two higher doses of the TNFRF decreased NREMS without affecting the other parameters measured. Combined with previous results showing diurnal variations of TNFα in the hypothalamus, the present data suggest that POA TNFα is involved, in part, in the regulation of physiological sleep.
The febrile response to intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide: strain and gender differences in rats.

The acute-phase febrile responses of the inbred Lewis (LEW) and Fischer 344 (F344) rat strains and their parent Sprague-Dawley (S-D) strain to immune challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were compared. LEW and S-D males and females displayed a biphasic febrile response with a markedly attenuated second phase in F344 rats. At 2 h after LPS (50 μg/kg), corticosterone was significantly higher in F344 than in LEW rats, but serum interleukin-1β was higher only in F344 than LEW males. These data suggest that the greater LPS-induced corticosterone response of F344 rats mediates differences between febrile responses of F344 and LEW males and females.
Quasicoordinate equations for flexible spacecraft

Equations of motion equivalent to Lagrange's equations for generalized coordinates can be formulated in quasi-coordinate form. An analysis of the resulting equations is conducted and some alternative methods are considered. It is found that Lagrange's quasi-coordinate equations produce precisely the same equations of motion for any material system as would energy from the combination of Lagrange's generalized coordinate equations and Euler's rotational equation in vector form.
Understanding Gender and Intimate Partner Abuse

This issue represents our efforts to apply a feminist or gender lens to the research on violence in intimate relationships and to forward our understanding of gender and interpersonal violence. The paper introduces the articles in this special issue on “Understanding Gender and Intimate Partner Violence” within a framework of theoretical and methodological issues in feminist research. The current articles are viewed as contributing to our understanding of gender and interpersonal violence: by investigating patterns of interpersonal violence; by examining interpersonal violence with the context of lifespan and culture; by positing or testing theoretical models for gender and interpersonal violence; and by arguing for methodological or conceptual advances in the field.
Processing Additives for Improved Efficiency from Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

Two criteria for processing additives introduced to control the morphology of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) materials for use in solar cells have been identified: (i) selective (differential) solubility of the fullerene component and (ii) higher boiling point than the host solvent. Using these criteria, we have investigated the class of 1,8-di(R)octanes with various functional groups (R) as processing additives for BHJ solar cells. Control of the BHJ morphology by selective solubility of the fullerene component is demonstrated using these high boiling point processing additives. The best results are obtained with R = Iodine (I). Using 1,8-diiodooctane as the processing additive, the efficiency of the BHJ solar cells was improved from 3.4% (for the reference device) to 5.1%.
Illumination invariant face recognition and impostor rejection using different MINACE filter algorithms

A face recognition system that functions in the presence of illumination variations is presented. It is based on the minimum noise and correlation energy (MINACE) filter. A separate MINACE filter is synthesized for each person using an automated filter-synthesis algorithm that uses a training set of illumination differences of that person and a validation set of a few faces of other persons to select the MINACE filter parameter c . The MINACE filter for each person is a combination of training images of only that person; no false-class training is done. Different formulations of the MINACE filter and the use of two different correlation plane metrics: correlation peak value and peak-to-correlation plane energy ratio (PCER), are examined. Performance results for face verification and identification are presented using images from the CMU Pose, Illumination, and Expression (PIE) database. All training and test set images are registered to remove tilt bias and scale variations. To evaluate the face verification and identification systems, a set of impostor images (non-database faces) is used to obtain false alarm scores (PFA ).© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cardiovascular disease in women.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women. Clear gender differences exist in the incidence, prevalence, presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. Over the past 15 years, robust efforts focused on the evidence-based prevention and treatment of CVD in women have resulted in a steeper decrease in cardiovascular (CV) mortality rates in women compared to men beginning in 2000. The prominent decline in female CV mortality rates is a new phenomenon, as decreases in male CV mortality rates outpaced those in women during the 1980s and 1990s. Historically, women have been underrepresented in clinical trials investigating cardiovascular diseases. Over the past decade, the representation of women in clinical trials has improved, and nuanced treatment approaches and prevention strategies have resulted from the dedicated study of gender differences. The traditional CV research focus has been on obstructive coronary disease and the development and complications of ischemic heart disease in men. Research has shown multiple layers of complexity in the etiology and pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases in women differing from those predominating in men. Investigation has also shown a relationship between the hormonal fluctuations women experience throughout life and the development of ischemic heart disease and arrhythmias. Therefore, cardiovascular disease processes in women should not be equated to those traditionally encountered in the male population, and these differences should alter the physicians’ approach to the female patient.
Acute-onset cerebellar symptoms in Lhermitte-Duclos disease: case report.

Adult-onset Lhermitte–Duclos disease (LD), or dysplastic cerebellar gangliocytoma, is a hamartoma considered pathognomonic for Cowden disease. Classically, LD has a progressive and insidious onset of symptoms. In this case report, we present a patient having rapid neurological deterioration from acute-onset LD. There are only three reported cases of acute LD presentation. A 22-year-old female presented to the emergency department with diplopia, dysarthria, dysphagia, and gait instability which developed within 6 h. A non-contrast CT scan revealed diffuse attenuation in the left cerebellum and mild ventricular dilatation. LP revealed no organisms. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed salient “tiger stripe” appearance of the left cerebellar cortex and effacement of the fourth ventricle. The patient subsequently underwent suboccipital craniotomy and gross total resection of the lesion. The tumor histology showed distortion of normal cerebellar architecture with dysplastic ganglion cells, loss of Purkinje cells, atrophy of the white matter, and expansion of cerebellar folia. Findings were consistent with adult-onset Lhermitte–Duclos disease.
Improved Method for the Estimation of Spacecraft Free-Molecular Aerodynamic Properties

A numerical procedure for calculating free-molecular aerodynamic properties of spacecraft is revisited and redeveloped using improved discretization and shading techniques. New complex geometric shapes are included, allowing the user to model a high-fidelity spacecraft model divisible into elemental panels of approximately equal area to conserve resolution. The forces on exposed elements are summed across the entire geometry. New analytic methods for determining exposed panels have been developed. Combined with the use of array algebra, the improvements considerably enhance processing speeds. The fidelity of the data is tested by application to the geometry of theMars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The resulting data are comparedwith direct simulationMonte Carlo predictions. Additional case studies serve to inspect implications of geometry design versus output accuracy and processing speed.
Development and clinical evaluation of a three-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography estimation method using a deformation field map.

Purpose To develop a three-dimensional (3D) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) estimation method using a deformation field map, and to evaluate and optimize the efficiency and accuracy of the method for use in the clinical setting. Methods and Materials We propose a method to estimate patient CBCT images using prior information and a deformation model. Patients' previous CBCT data are used as the prior information, and the new CBCT volume to be estimated is considered as a deformation of the prior image volume. The deformation field map is solved by minimizing deformation energy and maintaining new projection data fidelity using a nonlinear conjugate gradient method. This method was implemented in 3D form using hardware acceleration and multi-resolution scheme, and it was evaluated for different scan angles, projection numbers, and scan directions using liver, lung, and prostate cancer patient data. The accuracy of the estimation was evaluated by comparing the organ volume difference and the similarity between estimated CBCT and the CBCT reconstructed from fully sampled projections. Results Results showed that scan direction and number of projections do not have significant effects on the CBCT estimation accuracy. The total scan angle is the dominant factor affecting the accuracy of the CBCT estimation algorithm. Larger scan angles yield better estimation accuracy than smaller scan angles. Lung cancer patient data showed that the estimation error of the 3D lung tumor volume was reduced from 13.3% to 4.3% when the scan angle was increased from 60° to 360° using 57 projections. Conclusions The proposed estimation method is applicable for 3D DTS, 3D CBCT, four-dimensional CBCT, and four-dimensional DTS image estimation. This method has the potential for significantly reducing the imaging dose and improving the image quality by removing the organ distortion artifacts and streak artifacts shown in images reconstructed by the conventional Feldkamp–Davis–Kress (FDK) algorithm.
Microsatellites and kinship

Many evolutionary studies, particularly kinship studies, have been limited by the availability of segregating genetic marker loci. Microsatellites promise to alleviate these problems. Microsatellite loci are segments of DNA with very short sequence motifs repeated in tandem; their often numerous alleles differ in the number of these repeat units. They are very common in eukaryotic DNA and can be amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, which allows the use of minute or degraded DNA samples. The alleles can be scored consistently and compared unambiguously, even across different gels.
Changes in photosynthetic rates and growth following root treatments of tomato plants with phytohormones.

The effects of root applications of kinetin, gibberellic acid (GA3) and indoleacetic acid (IAA) on photosynthesis was measured using an open infrared CO2 gas-exchange system. There was a 30–35% increase in the photosynthetic rates (mg CO2/dm2/hr) of attached leaves within 8 hr following root treatment with 0.47 μM kinetin. On a short-term basis (up to 2 days) 0.47 μM kinetin was shown to have the optimal stimulatory effect on photosynthesis, relative growth rate (RGR) and total plant dry weight. If the roots were in contact with 0.47 μM kinetin for longer than two days there was severe branching of the root system and growth was severely decreased. When plants were left in contact with the kinetin treatment for up to 7 days the optimal stimulatory concentration was considerably lower (0.0047 μM) . Plants receiving a 4, 8, or 12 hr pulse with 0.47 μM kinetin to the roots exhibited higher leaf photosynthetic rates than the control. Plants receiving an 8 or 12 hr pulse with 0.47 μM kinetin maintained photosynthetic rates higher than the control for the duration of the experiment (8 days) while the 4 hr pulse remained higher than the control for only 5 days. A sharp decrease in the photosynthetic rate, RGR and total plant dry weight was observed two days following continual treatments with 0.47 μM kinetin to the roots. At low light levels there was approximately a 100% increase in the photosynthetic rate two days following treatment with 0.47 μM kinetin while at a saturating irradiance there was a 30 to 35% increase. Indoleacetic acid either showed no effect on the photosynthetic rate, RGR and total plant dry weight or an inhibitory effect was observed. Either GA3 or kinetin alone were shown to stimulate photosynthesis, RGR and total plant dry weight, however, when GA3 at a 1.4 μM concentration was applied in combination with kinetin at a 0.0047 μM concentration to the roots of tomato plants there was no additive effect. In all cases kinetin dramatically reduced leaf resistance whereas GA3 had no effect.
Carbenicillin: Chemistry and Mode of Action

form of the disodium salt, and ampicillin was used as the trihydrate. The various microorganisms utilized were either stock cultures that had been maintained in this laboratory for a number of years or fresh clinical isolates from hospitals in different geographical locations. Tests of in-vitro susceptibility were done by the conventional 2-fold serial dilution technique in Brain-Heart Infusion broth (Difco). The inoculum consisted ofO.SmlofalXlO-3 dilution of an overnight culture incubated at 37 C. The tests were carried out in plastic Disposotrays (Linbro Chemical Co., New Haven) instead of in glass tubes. Total final volume in each cup was 1 ml. The test was read visually; i.e., the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) is the lowest concentration of antibiotic preventing visual turbidity after overnight incubation of the culture at 37 C.
Relation between the dominance rank of female rhesus monkeys and their access to males

Systematic observations were made on 12 measures of the sexual, aggressive, and social interactions of 24 male-female pairs of rhesus monkeys in six social groups, each consisting of one male and four ovariectomized females tested in a large room. Each female in a group was treated in turn first with estradiol alone and then with estradiol and progesterone in combination. When hormone-treated, the female was also observed during pair tests with the male in the same large observation room (four males, eight females, 240 group tests, 240 pair tests). The dominance ranks of females during group tests were determined post hoc by means of the dominance index [Zumpe & Michael, American Journal of Primatology 10:291-300, 1986]. In all six groups, the most dominant female virtually monopolized the male, and the subordinate females' interactions with the male, assessed during pair tests, were almost completely suppressed during group tests. This "dominant female effect" was a robust phenomenon that depended solely on female dominance rank. It was independent of the identity and hormonal status of females and of the social preferences of males as expressed in pair tests. These findings demonstrate the existence of female mate competition in an Old World primate.
Effects of internet path selection on video-QoE: analysis and improvements

This paper presents large-scale Internet measurements to understand and improve the effects of Internet path selection on perceived video quality, or quality of experience (QoE). We systematically study a large number of Internet paths between popular video destinations and clients to create an empirical understanding of location, persistence, and recurrence of failures. These failures are mapped to perceived video quality by reconstructing video clips and conducting surveys. We then investigate ways to recover from QoE degradation by choosing one-hop detour paths that preserve application-specific policies. We seek simple, scalable path selection strategies without the need for background path monitoring. Using five different measurement overlays spread across the globe, we show that a source can recover from over 75% of the degradations by attempting to restore QoE with any $k$ randomly chosen nodes in an overlay, where $k$ is bounded by $O(\ln(N))$ . We argue that our results are robust across datasets. Finally, we design and implement a prototype packet forwarding module called source initiated frame restoration (SIFR). We deployed SIFR on PlanetLab nodes and compared the performance of SIFR to the default Internet routing. We show that SIFR outperforms IP-path selection by providing higher on-screen perceptual quality.
Asset holding and educational attainment among African American youth

Abstract This study extends previous analyses in several ways. First, in addition to parental wealth, the relationship between children's wealth and math and reading scores are examined. Second, we examine different mediating pathways that wealth may affect children's math and reading scores in a single path analysis model. The advantage of path analysis over traditional regression analyses, which are typically used in this area, is that researchers can get a glimpse of relationships among variables. Furthermore, mediation can be tested more easily and extensively in path analysis compared to regression. Third, we examine whether different forms of wealth (net worth, homeownership, and children's savings for school) have different effects. Forth, we examine whether wealth (parental and/or children's) effects vary across racial groups.
Tests of a ladder of density functionals for bulk solids and surfaces

The local spin-density approximation (LSDA) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) of Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof (PBE) are fully non-empirical realizations of the first two rungs of ``Jacob's ladder'' of exchange-correlation density functionals. The recently proposed non-empirical meta-GGA of Tao, Perdew, Staroverov, and Scuseria (TPSS), featuring the kinetic energy density as an additional local ingredient, completes the third rung. A hierarchy of these functionals, complemented by the meta-GGA of Perdew, Kurth, Zupan, and Blaha (PKZB), is tested in self-consistent Gaussian-type orbital calculations of equilibrium lattice constants, bulk moduli, and cohesive energies for 18 solids, and in studies of the jellium surface energy. The ascent of the ladder generally results in better performance, although most of the improvement for bulk solids occurs in the transition from LSDA to PBE. For the jellium surface energy, PBE is less accurate than LSDA, but PKZB and TPSS are more accurate. We support the idea that most of the error of these functionals for bulk solids arises in the description of core--valence interaction, by demonstrating that it can be removed through adjustment of the corresponding term in the equation of state. Overall, TPSS gives the best description of solids and surfaces, as it was found to do for molecules in earlier work.
Post-mortem degradation kinetics of brain norepinephrine.

Abstract The post-mortem degradation kinetics of norepinephrine (NE) from brain stored at 25°, 15°, 0°, −5° and −10° have been determined. The first 20 per cent of NE was lost by zero-order kinetics, while degradation of the major part of the remaining NE followed two consecutive first-order processes. Both the zero- and first-order constants showed a temperature dependency and were used to construct Arrhenius temperature plots. The zero- and first-order rate constants yielded energies of activation of 17.2 and 16.3 kcal mole respectively. When stored at 25°, approximately 25 per cent of total NE remained in mouse brain 144 hr after death. The amount of NE remaining 144 hr postmortem increased as the storage temperature decreased. Post-mortem NE degradation kinetics also were studied in rats. The NE degradation kinetics in rat brain were similar to those observed in mice. Although the zero-order degradation rate constant for rats was about one-third that found for mice, no difference was found in the first-order rate constants. Oxidative metabolism of NE in rat brain stopped shortly after death and metabolism proceeded non-oxidatively via normetanephrine. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in mouse brain post-mortem also was found to be temperature dependent. Approximately 75 per cent of MAO activity remained in mouse brain when stored for 144 hr at 25°, while approximately 90 per cent remained when stored at −10°.
Tuberculous peritonitis--do not miss it.

Incidence of tuberculosis is sharply rising in the United States, and tuberculous peritonitis is often diagnosed late in the course of the disease, resulting in undue patient morbidity and mortality. PURPOSE: Purpose of this study was to better identify which clinical, laboratory, radiologic, and invasive procedures were most useful in diagnosing tuberculous peritonitis. METHODS: All cases of tuberculous peritonitis diagnosed between 1982 and 1994 were reviewed retrospectively to discern which laboratory, radiographic, and procedural tests were helpful in diagnosing the condition. RESULTS: Twenty-eight cases of tuberculous peritonitis were diagnosed during the studied period. Two patients were not diagnosed until autopsy. Patients from all socioeconomic classes and multiple races ranged in age from 3 to 69 (mean, 29.5) years. Most patients presented with a chronic wasting illness, mild abdominal pain, and fever. Purified protein derivative was only positive in 5 of 16 patients. Chest radiographs were suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in five patients. Ultrasound examination of the abdomen was helpful in five patients, and computed tomographic scan was suspicious in 16 of 17 patients. Sputum for acid fast bacillus (AFB) smear was positive in 3 of 14 patients, and paracentesis for AFB smear was positive in 1 of 8 patients. Routine blood work was not helpful. Laparoscopy was diagnostic in five of seven patients. Laparotomy and tissue biopsy of characteristic tissue for AFB smear and culture was diagnostic in 20 of 20 patients. Once diagnosed, all patients responded rapidly to empiric antituberculous medical therapy, except one patient with miliary TB who died shortly after diagnosis. A trend in earlier diagnosis was noted in recent years and is felt to be the result of an elevated index of suspicion. CONCLUSIONS: TB peritonitis may be fatal but is medically cured if diagnosed in a timely fashion. It is essential that the clinician suspect the disease in appropriate patients. Tests frequently associated with TB such as chest radiograph and purified protein derivative are not sensitive in detection of TB peritonitis. Computed tomographic scan is the most useful radiographic study. Mini laparotomy with tissue biopsy for smear and culture is the most sensitive and specific diagnostic procedure.
Effects of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 on renal handling of phosphorus, calcium, and sodium in normal humans

Abstract The effects of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) on renal handling of phosphorus, calcium, and sodium were evaluated in eight healthy men while they lived in a clinical research center for slightly more than 5 days. Subjects received a continuous intravenous infusion throughout the study of 0.45% saline and 2.5% d-glucose at 50 mL/hr (group 1, four subjects) or 150 mL/hr (group 2, four subjects). Recombinant human IGF-1 (rhIGF-1), 60 μg/kg body weight, was injected subcutaneously three times daily for 10 doses from day 2 until the beginning of day 5. After commencing the rhIGF-1 injections, there was a marked decrease in the fractional excretion of phosphorus in both groups that was sustained throughout the study. Urine phosphorus excretion also decreased significantly on days 2 to 5 in group 1 and on day 2 in group 2. In group 1, the fractional excretion of calcium decreased on day 2; urine calcium did not change. The fractional excretion of sodium decreased on days 2 and 4; urine sodium decreased significantly only on day 2. In group 2, the fractional and absolute urine excretion of calcium did not change. Fractional sodium excretion was not altered, and urine sodium increased only on day 5. The average serum phosphorus, calcium, and sodium did not change from baseline in groups 1 or 2. The pattern of the circadian rhythms for serum concentrations, urine excretion, and fractional excretion of phosphorus and calcium did not appear to be affected by the rhIGF-1 injections. These findings indicate that in normal adult men IGF-1 stimulates renal phosphorus reabsorption and, in the absence of volume expansion, may stimulate renal absorption of sodium and possibly calcium.
Derivation of governing equation describing time-dependent penetration length in channel flows driven by non-mechanical forces.

Abstract Several past attempts were made to describe the penetration length in microchannels as a function of time for electroosmotic or capillary flow. In all of these studies, a complex governing equation is derived by taking into account the inertial contributions along with other forces. The system being unsteady, this derivation requires the consideration of proper unsteady flow-profile inside the channel. However, the past theories introduced an inconsistency by using parabolic velocity-field valid only for steady systems. This discrepancy creates an error of the same order as the inertial contribution leading to two consequences. Firstly, the inherent inaccuracy makes the past theories inapplicable when Reynolds number is greater than unity. Secondly, it renders the inclusion of inertial terms pointless for low Reynolds number systems—the additional complexity due to inertia does not serve any purpose because error of similar order is already present in the formulation. In this paper, we address this problem by rectifying the mathematical derivation where instead of the parabolic velocity-profile, proper analytical expression for unsteady flow is used. As a result, the correct governing equation is derived for the penetration length for any laminar system with arbitrary Reynolds number. We also simplify the equation for low Reynolds number cases by considering appropriate limiting conditions. The equation for low Reynolds number flow, while being as accurate as the ones obtained in the earlier studies, is much simpler than the previous versions.
Visual Loss in Cytomegalovirus Retinitis Caused by Cystoid Macular Edema in Patients without the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

Purpose: Although serous macular exudation has been described in patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) with active cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, cystoid macular edema (CME) is not encountered in this clinical setting. In contrast to these findings, we describe vision loss due to CME occurring in immunosuppressed patients without AIDS treated for CMV retinitis. Methods: Three patients (four eyes) with systemic immunodeficiency presenting with vision loss underwent ophthalmologic examination, including fundus photography and fluorescein angiography. Systemic evaluation was performed to establish the etiology of immunodeficiency and to rule out human immunodeficiency virus infection. Patients were treated with topical corticosteroid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications for CME. Results: All patients had severe generalized immune deficiency, related either to drug-induced immunosuppression or primary immunodeficiency. Laboratory studies confirmed the presence of systemic CMV infection. Affected eyes had mild reduction of central vision (range, 20/40 to 20/60). Three of four affected eyes had resolving CMV retinitis outside the posterior pole with mild panuveitis. These eyes showed CME on clinical examination and fluorescein angiography. The CMV lesions regressed after reduction of immunosuppressive agents or after systemic antiviral treatment. Response of CME to topical anti-inflammatory medication was variable. Conclusions: Cystoid macular edema can occur in the setting of resolving CMV retinitis in patients with immunodeficiency other than AIDS. This entity is distinct from serous macular exudation, which can occur in patients with AIDS with active CMV retinitis involving the posterior pole. The disparity between patients with and without AIDS in the development of CME may be important in understanding the pathogenesis of CME.
Performance variations of two open-source cloud platforms

The performance of workloads running on cloud platforms varies significantly depending on the cloud platform configurations. We evaluated the performance variations using two open-source cloud platforms, OpenNebula and Eucalyptus.
Surface Grafting on Polymer Surface Using Physisorbed Free Radical Initiators

A new strategy for creation of radicals on an inert polymer surface has been developed. This new method combines free radical polymerization with a surface graft polymerization. The polymer film, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), was selected as an inert model material and was immersed into acetone containing azo-bis-isobutyrylnitrile (AIBN). We speculate that the AIBN becomes physically adsorbed or partially penetrates the hydrophobic polymer surface. The polymerization of water-soluble monomers was initiated by the absorbed initiator and polymer surface became modified by the hydrophilic monomers. We speculate this process was facilitated by the poor diffusion of physisorbed radicals derived from AIBN into an aqueous medium. ATR−IR, XPS, and contact angle measurements were used to characterize the surface modification. This method provides a potential modification method for the coating of many polymer surfaces possessing complicated geometrical shapes. The principle relies on the insolubility of the physi...
Three New Serovars of Chlamydia trachomatis: Da, la, and L2a

Three new Chlamydia trachomatis serovars were identified by several monoclonal antibodies in the microimmunofluorescence test and are proposed to be called Da, Ia, and L2a. Each was clearly distinguishable from the related serovars D, I, and L2. To date, 7, 41, and 4 isolates of the respective serovars have been identified. Each appears to be distributed worldwide. The findings meet previously established criteria for establishment of new serovars.
Theory of proton-proton bremsstrahlung consistent with experiment☆

Abstract Proton-proton bremmstrahlung is calculated with the Bryan-Scott and the Hamada-Johnston potentials. Quantitative agreement with exsisting experiments, including photon angular distributions, is obtained. The results disagree in part with those of previous calculations.
Solving φ1,24 field theory with Monte Carlo

Abstract We study lattice g0φ4 field theory for all g0 and fixed renormalized mass M in one and two dimensions using Monte Carlo techniques. We calculate the dimensionless renormalized coupling constant g R = g R M 4−d , where d is the dimension of space—time, at fixed small values of the lattice spacing a for various g0 and lattice sizes. Our results are in quantitative agreement with the analyses of high temperature and strong coupling series which rely on extrapolation from large to small lattice spacing.
Dynamically programmable cache

Reconfigurable machines have recently been used as co- processors to accelerate the execution of certain algorithms or program subroutines. The problems with the above approach include high reconfiguration time and limited partial reconfiguration. By far the most critical problems are: (1) the small on-chip memory which results in slower execution time, and (2) small FPGA areas that cannot implement large subroutines. Dynamically Programmable Cache (DPC) is a novel architecture for embedded processors which offers solutions to the above problems. To solve memory access problems, DPC processors merge reconfigurable arrays with the data cache at various cache levels to create a multi-level reconfigurable machines. As a result DPC machines have both higher data accessibility and FPGA memory bandwidth. To solve the limited FPGA resource problem, DPC processors implemented multi-context switching (Virtualization) concept. Virtualization allows implementation of large subroutines with fewer FPGA cells. Additionally, DPC processors can parallelize the execution of several operations resulting in faster execution time. In this paper, the speedup improvement for DPC machines are shown to be 5X faster than an Altera FLEX10K FPGA chip and 2X faster than a Sun Ultral SPARC station for two different algorithms (convolution and motion estimation).© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.