cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rate and extent of gas-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange of bradykinins: evidence for peptide zwitterions in the gas phase

Abstract The gas-phase H/D exchange of bradykinin [M + H] + , [M + Na] + , [M + 2H] 2+ , and [M + H + Na] 2+ ions; des-Arg 1 -bradykinin, des-Arg 9 -bradykinin, and bradykinin fragment 2-7 [M + H] + ions; and O-methylbradykinin [M + H] + and [M + 2H] 2+ ions with D 2 O have been examined by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry at 9.4 T. The different peptides vary widely in exchange rate and extent of deuterium incorporation. H/D exchange was slowest and deuterium incorporation was least for bradykinin [M + H] + , [M + H + Na] 2+ and bradykinin methyl ester [M + 2H] 2+ ions. In contrast, H/D exchange and extent of deuteration are higher for des-Arg 1 -bradykinin, des-Arg 9 -bradykinin, and bradykinin fragment 2-7 [M + H] + ions; and highest for bradykinin [M + Na] + and [M + 2H] 2+ , and O-methylbradykinin [M + H] + . Because the most likely site of protonation is the guanidino group of arginine, the above reactivity pattern strongly supports a zwitterion form for protonated gas-phase bradykinin.
The effect of ethyl alcohol on the plasma vitamin A levels of calves and goats.

Summary Blood plasma vitamin A levels increased 14 to 18 γ per 100 ml. within 4 hours after ethyl alcohol was fed to calves and goats that were on adequate vitamin A rations. The alcohol did not cause a definite increase in plasma A levels of vitamin A-depleted animals. The effect of alcohol on plasma A levels and subsequent data on liver stores of the same animals indicated that there is a direct relationship between the amount of vitamin A stored in the liver and the amount of increase in plasma A levels after alcohol is fed. The increase in plasma vitamin A levels following alcohol feeding may be a useful method for determining the true vitamin A nutritional status of large animals without sacrificing them.
Protein and energy production in playas: Implications for migratory bird management

We examined protein and energy production of potential migratory bird foods produced in moist-soil managed versus unmanaged playa wetlands on the Southern High Plains of Texas (SHP) during fall and winter 1994–95 and 1995–96 to assess potential carrying capacity for wintering migratory birds. Total food (seeds and invertebrates) biomass, crude protein production, and gross energy production were greater in managed playas than unmanaged playas. There was no difference in food biomass or energy production between invertebrates and seeds when managed and unmanaged playas were combined, but protein production from invertebrates was greater than production from seeds. The estimated 160,000 ha of unmanaged playa wetland habitat in the SHP produces about 24.3 million kg of seeds and invertebrates, 9.2 million kg of protein, and 108.6 billion kcal of energy. When these playas have water, there are enough seeds and invertebrates to support 3 million ducks for 3 months. However, water is often limited, making much of this habitat unavailable to waterbirds in most years. Therefore, conservation of existing playas should be supplemented with intensive moist-soil management in some areas as the most economical strategy for providing proper nutrition to migratory birds and other wildlife in playas.
Influence of Local Wall Variation in the Elastic Properties of Planar Cellular Solids

A numerical model based on one-dimensional cell wall behavior is used to study the influence of changes in the cell wall properties on the global stiffness parameters of two-dimensional open-celled honeycombs. Following validation of results for intact microstructures, cases are considered, including regular and irregular cellular structures, structures with missing/broken cell walls, and structures with cell walls of non-uniform thickness. The influence of each of these flaws or changes in microstructure is quantified, with broken cell walls dominating changes in bulk behavior and varying cell wall thickness resulting in changes to bulk properties that can be considered negligible.
Functional Evolution of Automated Highway System for Incremental Deployment

A combination of market forces, cost constraints, and other factors necessitates incremental evolution of a fully automated highway system (AHS) rather than instantaneous deployment. Thus, an understanding of the inter-dependencies among required AHS functional capabilities is essential for planning. In this paper a set of three AHS functional evolution reference models is proposed that include essential as well as supplemental functions. The reference models include lateral motion handling, longitudinal motion handling, obstacle handling, and selected infrastructure support functions. This family of three models is used to present the needs of baseline autonomous tactical vehicle operation, the benefits of adding inter-vehicle communications, and the benefits of adding infrastructure support. The reference models reveal a critical need for vehicle motion prediction capability and suggest that both communications and infrastructure support are beneficial but not mandatory for achieving an AHS. Furthermore...
Highly damped carbon-fiber polymer-matrix composites

The incorporation of 0.1 - 0.2 micrometer diameter carbon filaments (0.6 vol.%) between continuous carbon fiber (7 micrometer diameter, 56.5 vol.%) layers in an epoxy-matrix composite during composite fabrication was found, under flexure to greatly increase transverse and longitudinal tan (delta) values, increase the storage modulus in the transverse direction, slightly decrease the storage modulus in the longitudinal direction, and increase both longitudinal and transverse loss moduli to values as high as 2 GPa.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A mathematical note on the slow diffusive character of the long-wave radiative transfer in the stable atmospheric nocturnal boundary layer

A simple equation of diffusion is derived from the longwave radiative flux transfer equation for the atmospheric stable nocturnal boundary layer. This simplification is valid with clear-sky conditions, light wind speeds and near the top of the inversion layer which has already been established.
Feasibility Interval for the Transactional Event Handlers of P-FRP

declarative approach for modeling and building safety-critical embedded systems. Recently, Priority-based FRP (P-FRP) was introduced as a formalism that guarantees real-time response. Due to the state-less nature of execution of functional programs, P-FRP implements a transactional nature of execution where preempted lower priority tasks are aborted. This makes the response time of a lower priority task completely dependent on the execution pattern of higher priority tasks. The feasibility interval in the classical preemptive model of real-time systems is known and is dependent on the least common multiple (LCM) of task periods. However, since the abort nature of preemption can induce side-effects on the execution of lower priority tasks, it has been unknown to date if the feasibility in P-FRP is also dependent on the LCM. In this paper, we rigorously prove that these side-effects of preemption are bounded within the LCM and formally derive a value of the feasibility interval in P-FRP. This value of feasibility interval is vital for more robust schedulability analysis of the P-FRP execution model.
PS2-14: Ready to Change? The Role of Employee Engagement, Ownership, and Participation in Managing Change

Background/AimsHealthcare organizations are implementing an array of changes to provide more affordable, high quality care. Many organizations achieve only partial success when implementing improvement initiatives, with half of all failures due to a lack of readiness to change among personnel. This study examines factors that contribute to change readiness among employees in an organization undergoing system-wide transformation.MethodsBaseline data were collected from 706 physicians and staff in 19 primary care departments and 3 call centers in a large ambulatory care system. A validated, multi-dimensional Organizational Change Recipients’ Beliefs Scale was used to assess readiness to change. Multivariate regression was used to examine predictors of change readiness among physicians and non-physician personnel.ResultsNon-physicians (nurses, medical assistants, administrative staff) reporting a high level of engagement (e.g., “My ideas and suggestions are valued by my department”) and ownership (e.g., “I am willing to put in a great deal of effort to help my department succeed”) scored significantly high on four dimensions of readiness to change, including perceived appropriateness of the change, anticipated benefit from changes, perceived support for change among peers and leaders, and capability to implement changes (P <0.01). Among physicians, commitment was positively associated with these four dimensions as well as a fifth dimension of readiness -- perceived need for change. Both physicians and non-physicians reporting burnout in the form of emotional exhaustion perceived greater need for change (P <0.01), while those with longer tenure in their department perceived less need for change (P <0.01). Burnout among non-physicians in the form of depersonalizing patients was associated with less perceived capability of implementing changes (P <0.05). Last, participation in decision-making within departments was positively associated with non-physician engagement and ownership (P <0.05).ConclusionsPerceptions about work environment can affect employees’ beliefs about changes being undertaken by their organization. Both employee engagement and ownership were instrumental in preparing non-physicians for change; only ownership affected physicians’ readiness to change. Burnout and tenure universally affected a perceived need for change. Encouraging staff participation in decision-making can help instill a sense of engagement and ownership among non-physicians, though alternative mechanisms must be sought for preparing physicians for change.
The highways and byways of mRNA decay.

Turnover of mRNA is a key mechanism in regulated gene expression. In addition to turnover pathways for normal transcripts, there are surveillance mechanisms that degrade aberrant mRNAs. mRNA decay is regulated in response to cellular signals and coordinated with other mRNA-metabolic processes. When considering the control of gene expression, the focus has traditionally been on transcriptional regulation. Recently, however, the large contribution made by mRNA decay has become difficult to ignore. Large-scale analyses indicate that as many as half of all changes in the amounts of mRNA in some responses can be attributed to altered rates of decay. In this article, we discuss some of the mechanisms that are used by the cell to mediate and regulate this intriguing process.
Effect of Pertussis Toxin Injected Into the Ventral Tegmental Area on Amphetamine-Induced c-Fos in the Nucleus Accumbens

Abstract Amphetamine produces an enhanced locomotor stimulatory response in animals injected with pertussis toxin into the ventral tegmental area. This response is dependent on the activation of D1 receptors in the nucleus accumbens. The immediate early gene, c-Fos, has been used as a cellular marker for increases in dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the administration of pertussis toxin into the ventral tegmental area results in an increased ability of amphetamine to induce c-Fos-positive immunoreactivity in the nucleus accumbens. Amphetamine (1 mg/kg and 2 mg/kg IP) produced a greater number of c-Fos-positive cells in the nucleus accumbens of pertussis toxin-treated animals as compared to vehicle-treated controls. However, the increase in Fos immunoreactivity at the higher amphetamine dose was not associated with a corresponding increase in locomotor activity. These data suggest that amphetamine produces an enhanced increase in dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens of pertussis toxin-treated animals, resulting in an increased induction of c-Fos or Fos-related antigens.
A study of tighter lower bounds in LP relaxation based placement

Placement strategies for cell-based designs which use a linear programming (LP) relaxation are widely believed to have certain weaknesses. Among these is the phenomenon that the relaxed placement produced by the LP-solver often has excessive cell overlap; this makes the relaxed solution quite distant from a legal one and raises questions about the value of the relaxed solution. An implication of this phenomenon is that, while the objective function value (HPWL) yielded by the LP is a valid lower bound on the achievable wire-length, it is quite distant from known upper bounds produced by quality placement tools - i.e., the lower bounds appear to be loose. In this paper we experiment with some straightforward generalizations of the basic LP-formulation aimed at tightening the lower bound. We show that this approach has an interesting dual effect: in addition to tightening lower bounds, it also results in a quantifiably better cell distribution than the simpler LP-formulation. Based on this idea, we have developed a placer which employs the Relaxation Based Local Search framework. Experimental results are reported for PEKO and MCNC FPGA benchmarks.
Synthesis and characterization of polyimide‐polysiloxane segmented copolymers for fuel cell applications

Sulfonated polyimides exhibit high strength, good film-forming ability, resistance and in their hydrated state relatively high proton conductivity chemical resistance, and, in their hydrated state, relatively high proton conductivity. Here we report the one-pot synthesis of sulfonated polyimide-polysiloxane segmented copolymers through the reaction of a dianhydride with a mixture of three diamines: a nonionic aromatic diamine (4,4'-oxydianiline), a sulfonated diamine (4,4'-diamino-2,2'-biphenyldisulfonic acid), and a telechelic diamino polysiloxane. Copolymer compositions were evaluated using 1 H NMR and size-exclusion chromatography. The presence of ion-containing diamines in the reaction mixture inhibited stoichiometric incorporation of hydrophobic siloxane segments. Siloxane segments were found to lower the thermal stability of the polyimide host. Copolymers with and without siloxane segments were cast into free-standing films. Equilibrium water sorption studies of cast films show that, for the compositions studied here, the presence of siloxane segments does not interfere with water swelling, suggesting that a microphase-segregated morphology may exist. TEM and SAXS analyses show evidence of phase-segregation in sulfonated polyimides and reveal that siloxane segments strongly affect ionic clustering. However, proton conductivity only changes slightly when polysiloxane segments are incorporated.
Three-dimensional analysis of scattering losses due to sidewall roughness in microphotonic waveguides

We present a three-dimensional (3-D) analysis of scattering losses due to sidewall roughness in rectangular dielectric waveguides valid for any refractive-index contrast and field polarization. The analysis is based on the volume current method and uses array factors to introduce significant mathematical simplifications to better understand the influence of individual waveguide parameters on scattering losses. We show that the typical two-dimensional (2-D) analyses can substantially overestimate scattering losses in small waveguides and that scattering losses exhibit considerable polarization dependence. We produce scattering-loss estimates for a wide variety of waveguides and provide guidelines for design of waveguide cross sections that are less sensitive to sidewall roughness.
The effect of labor market monopsony on economic growth

Abstract In this endogenous growth model, a minimum efficient scale of production and workers’ home-to-work travel costs combine to give firms monopsony power, and this monopsony power leads to slower growth. Monopsony drives the wage below the marginal product of labor. This lower wage leads to lower investment in human capital and thereby to a lower growth rate. This makes investment in human capital – and therefore the growth rate – suboptimal. We provide evidence from a cross-country panel to support our model: Urbanization, which we assume is determined by a country’s exogenous population density and cropland area, positively impacts the wage share of output; the wage share positively impacts educational attainment; higher-income countries have higher wage shares; and within-country upticks in the wage share have a positive lagged effect on the growth rate.
Characterization of the closed porosity in plasma-sprayed alumina

The porous phase of plasma-sprayed alumina was characterized using mercury intrusion porosimetry, water immersion methods, and small-angle neutron scattering. A comparison of the results shows that the intrusion techniques did not yield a full porous phase characterization. It has been found that while the amount of closed porosity was 1.4%(±0.5%) of the sample volume, this volume accounted for only 60% of the total internal surface area. The smallest void diameter was found to be 10 nm.
A Solvable Model for Gravity Driven Granular Dynamics

We discuss a toy model to study the dynamics of individual particles in avalanches. The model describes a particle launched from an inclined infinite staircase. The particle is not allowed to bounce when it collides with the staircase. During the collision, the particle loses some energy, and after that slides on to the end of the step it landed on. The process then repeats itself. The dynamics of this no-bounce model can essentially be completely understood. Partial versions of some results were stated and argued in previous work. Here we give a full description together with all the proofs. We also briefly mention a second model where the no-bounce restriction is lifted and briefly describe the main features of that more complicated model.
"Stop smoking!" Do we say it enough?

In spite of evidence that smoking cessation is beneficial even after the diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma, physicians are not counseling their patients sufficiently.
CONVERSION OF AN EXTRACELLULAR CYTOLYSIN INTO A PHAGOSOME-SPECIFIC LYSIN WHICH SUPPORTS THE GROWTH OF AN INTRACELLULAR PATHOGEN

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular pathogen which secretes a pore-forming cytolysin, listeriolysin O (LLO), necessary for intracellular growth. Clostridium perfringens is an extracellular pathogen which secretes a related cytolysin, perfringolysin O (PFO). When PFO is secreted by intracellular L. monocytogenes, it is toxic to the infected host cell. PFO-mediated toxicity renders the infected host cell permeable to gentamicin and leads to the death of the intracellular bacteria. In this study, we selected for L. monocytogenes mutants in which PFO supported the intracellular growth of L. monocytogenes. Six independent mutants were isolated, each containing a single amino acid change within the PFO protein. Three classes of PFO mutations were identified, all capable of mediating lysis of the vacuole but without a toxic effect upon the infected host cell. The first class had a severe defect in haemolytic activity. The second class had a change in the pH optimum of PFO. The third class had nearly wild-type levels of haemolytic activity, but had a decrease in protein half-life in the host-cell cytosol. Acquisition of single amino acid changes in PFO were sufficient to convert an extracellular cytolysin into a vacuole-specific lysin which mediated growth of L. monocytogenes in cultured cells.
Low-level mechanical signals and their potential as a non-pharmacological intervention for osteoporosis

Background: exercise is recognised as a critical regulatory signal to the skeletal system, but which specific aspects of exercise are responsible for influencing bone mass and morphology and resisting fractures remains unknown. Recent data indicate that extremely low-level mechanical signals are anabolic to bone, and thus may be used, non-invasively, as a form of ‘passive’ exercise to positively influence skeletal status. Objective: to summarise recent experimental studies on the effect of low-level mechanical signals (hypothesised to serve as a surrogate for the spectral content of muscle contractility) as a potential non-pharmacological intervention for osteoporosis. Results: low magnitude mechanical signals are anabolic to bone if applied at a high frequency (15–90 Hz). Long-term animal studies (1 year) show that these low-magnitude mechanical signals can increase cancellous bone volume fraction, trabecular thickness, trabecular number and enhance bone stiffness and strength. Studies in the mouse have shown that these low-level signals will stimulate bone formation rate and labelled surface in cortical and cancellous bone, but the molecular and genetic regulation of this mechanosensitivity is extremely complex. Preliminary studies in children with disabling conditions and post-menopausal women indicate that such signals can be efficacious in reversing and/or preventing bone loss. Conclusions: considering that the strains (deformations) that result from these low-level vibrations are far below (<1/1000th) those which may cause damage to the bone, we believe they represent a unique, non-pharmacological prophylaxis for osteoporosis. Given that so many physiologic systems are tuned to specific frequencies, such as sight, hearing and touch, it should not be entirely surprising that the musculoskeletal system would be responsive to frequency as well.
Learning to explore and build maps

Using the methods demonstrated in this paper, a robot with an unknown sensorimotor system can learn sets of features and behaviors adequate to explore a continuous environment and abstract it to a finite-state automaton. The structure of this automaton can then be learned from experience, and constitutes a cognitive map of the environment. A generate-and-test method is used to define a hierarchy of features defined on the raw sense vector culminating in a set of continuously differentiable local state variables. Control laws based on these local state variables are defined for robustly following paths that implement repeatable state transitions. These state transitions are the basis for a finite-state automaton, a discrete abstraction of the robot's continuous world. A variety of existing methods can learn the structure of the automaton defined by the resulting states and transitions. A simple example of the performance of our implemented system is presented.
Secchi disk and photometer estimates of light regimes in Alaskan lakes: Effects of yellow color and turbidity

Variations in underwater light regimes among 58 Alaskan lakes were indexed by Secchi disk (SD) transparency and by vertical attenuation coefficients (&) and euphotic zone depths (EZD) derived from using a submarine photometer (SP) sensitive to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Lake-specific ratios between turbidity (light scattering) and color (light absorption) explained 52% of the variation (P < 0.0001) in Kd x SD values, which ranged as a continuum between 0.52 and 3.83. A clear-water median value of 1.86 (range, 1.13-3.26) is elevated by color to a median of 2.70 (range, 1.81-3.83), whereas turbidity reduces the median value of 0.93 (range, 0.52-2.56). EZD : SD, PAR at the SD depth, and PAR reflection (backscatter) also changed with the turbidityto-color ratio. The nearly lo-fold ranges between & x SD (05911.09) and EZD: SD (0.89-8.67) values taken from 35 studies on lakes, estuaries, and oceans could be explained by color and turbidity differences. Background attenuation from small amounts of color (< 10 Pt units) and turbidity (~5 NTU) uncoupled SD and SP measurements from changes in Chl a, limiting their use as an index of trophic state. Changes in Kd x SD can serve, however, as a useful index of system loading by turbid particulate material or organic color.
Variation in Salinity Tolerance among Larval Anurans: Implications for Community Composition and the Spread of an Invasive, Non-native Species

Amphibians in freshwater coastal wetlands periodically experience acute exposure to salinity from hurricane-related overwash events, as well as chronic exposure associated with rising sea levels. In a comparative experimental approach, we examined whether seven species of anuran amphibians vary in their tolerance to changes in salinity. In a laboratory study, we exposed larval Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog), H. squirella (Squirrel Treefrog), Lithobates catesbeianus (American Bullfrog), L. sphenocephalus (Southern Leopard Frog), Anaxyrus terrestris (Southern Toad), and Gastrophryne carolinensis (Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad) from an inland population in north central Florida, USA, and Osteopilus septentrionalis (Cuban Treefrog) tadpoles from an inland population in southwest Florida, to acute salinity for 72 h. For each species, we replicated trials in which tadpoles were exposed to salinities of 0.2 (control), 5, 10, 12, 14, and 16 ppt. For all species, tadpoles reared in the control and 5 ppt treatments ha...
Spatial Weights Matrices

The impetus for Cliff and Ord's landmark article, “The Problem of Spatial Autocorrelation,” was to avoid the problem of topological invariance in the spatial weights matrix. The problem and three points of view on it – theoretical, topological, and empirical – are discussed.
An analysis of transformational analogy: general framework and complexity

We present TransUCP, a formalism for Transformational Analogy in the context of classical domain-independent planning. TransUCP defines precisely possible plan modification operations for Transformational Analogy and covers a wide range of existing implementations. We use TransUCP to analyze the implications for Transformational Analogy of well-known results about the complexity of general plan adaptation.
Patterning the topographical environment for mammalian cell culture using laminar flows in capillaries

This paper describes the use of patterned flows of multiple laminar streams of etching solutions in capillaries to create various topographical features with sizes of 10-200 /spl mu/m in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). A variety of topographical features were created by using channels with obstacles, by adjusting the flow rates of etchant, or by controlling the duration of etching. Bovine capillary endothelial cells aligned parallel to features when grown inside these topographically patterned capillaries with 10 /spl mu/m ridges. The capillaries with topographical features could also be further patterned with surface-attached red blood cells and surface-adsorbed proteins, using laminar flows. This two-stage patterning produces patterns of proteins and cells on the topography with alignment between the different features and patterns. The technique allows simultaneous micropatterning of multiple cell culture environments using the same capillary system.
Fast Flexible Plastic Substrate ZnO Circuits

We report thin-film transistors (TFTs) and circuits fabricated on flexible plastic substrates using ZnO thin films deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition at 200°C. Crossover test structures fabricated on flexible substrates have a good yield, and ZnO TFTs have a field-effect mobility of 20 cm2/V · s. The 15-stage ring oscillators are operated at > 2 MHz with a supply voltage of VDD = 18 V, corresponding to a propagation delay of < 20 ns/stage. To the best of our knowledge, these are the fastest oxide-semiconductor circuits on flexible substrates reported to date.
Endothelin inhibits fluid and bicarbonate transport in part by reducing Na+/K+ ATPase activity in the rat proximal straight tubule.

The effects of endothelin on fluid and bicarbonate absorption and Na+/K+ ATPase activity in the proximal straight tubule were investigated. During the control period, fluid absorption was 0.59 +/- 0.03 nL/mm.min when tubules were perfused at 4.76 nL/mm.min. After treatment with 10(-9) M endothelin, fluid absorption fell to 0.36 +/- 0.06 nL/mm.min when perfused at a similar flow rate. During the control period, bicarbonate absorption was 67.9 +/- 3.6 pmol/mm.min. After treatment with endothelin, it fell to 42.8 +/- 4.3 pmol/mm.min, an inhibition of 38%. To test whether inhibition of fluid and bicarbonate absorption was due to suppression of Na+/K+ ATPase activity, the effect of endothelin on pump activity was investigated. In control tubules, Na+/K+ ATPase activity was 85 +/- 5 pmol/mm.min. In endothelin-treated tubules, Na+/K+ ATPase activity was 68 +/- 4 pmol/mm.min, a reduction of 20%. From these data, it was concluded that endothelin inhibits fluid and bicarbonate transport in the proximal tubule and that this inhibition is in part due to suppression of Na+/K+ ATPase activity.
Juvenile coloration of Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) is sexually dichromatic and correlated with condition

The Florida Scrub-Jay is a monogamous cooperative breeder in which both males and females display extensive structurally based blue plumage. Juveniles of this species exhibit blue tail and wing feathers that they begin growing as nestlings, and some of these feathers are retained throughout their first year. Although the birds appear to be sexually monochromatic, we assessed whether cryptic dichromatism exists in both the magnitude and pattern of coloration in tail feathers of juvenile Florida Scrub-Jays. We then determined whether variation in plumage coloration is associated with nutritional condition during molt. Tails of juvenile male Florida Scrub-Jays exhibit a greater proportion of UV reflectance than those of females. Mass at age 11 days and ptilochronology of the juvenile tail feathers were used as measures of individual nutritional condition during feather growth, and the latter was found to be positively associated with UV chroma. These data demonstrate that Florida Scrub-Jays are sexually dichromatic and suggest that variation in plumage color may be condition dependent, although we cannot rule out alternative explanations. Juvenile plumage coloration, therefore, has the potential to function as a signal of individual quality in both males and females.
Gamma ray large area space telescope balloon flight engineering model: overview

The Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Large Area Telescope (LAT) is a pair-production high-energy (>20 MeV) gamma-ray telescope being built by an international partnership of astrophysicists and particle physicists for a satellite launch in 2006, designed to study a wide variety of high-energy astrophysical phenomena. As part of the development effort, the collaboration has built a Balloon Flight Engineering Model (BFEM) for flight on a high-altitude scientific balloon. The BFEM is approximately the size of one of the 16 GLAST-LAT towers and contains all the components of the full instruments: plastic scintillator anticoincidence system (ACD), high-Z foil/Si strip pair-conversion tracker (TKR), CsI hodoscopic calorimeter (CAL), triggering and data acquisition electronics (DAQ), commanding system, power distribution, telemetry, real-time data display, and ground data processing system. The principal goal of the balloon flight was to demonstrate the performance of this instrument configuration under conditions similar to those expected in orbit. Results from a balloon flight from Palestine, Texas, on August 4, 2001, show that the BFEM successfully obtained gamma-ray data in this high-background environment.
Existence and Uniqueness Theorems

In this chapter we are concerned with the first-order vector differential equation $$x^\prime = f(t, x).$$
Dynamical Response of the Movement Coordination System of Patients with Parkinson’s Syndrome

Parkinson’s syndrome is a common affliction, especially of elderly persons, well known in the neurological literature for the past hundred years. The muscles and nerves of Parkinsonian patients are generally not at all affected by the disease (until late secondary changes occur). Evidence for this comes from observation both of patients able to walk normally when sleepwalking and of the modification of this syndrome by certain brain operations. Approximately 35 years ago, it was demonstrated that interruption of the stretch reflex markedly reduced the rigidity which is a prominent sign of this syndrome [78, 112]. Recently, as a result of studies of the neurological organization of the control system of movement of normal subjects, a model of much of this system was put forward [75].
Playgrounds at the Crossroads

Public playgrounds in the United States have entered a crisis stage in their evolution. They have been criticized as adults’ attempts to control children’s behavior (Wood 1977), damned as irrelevant to children’s developmental needs (Frost & Klein, 1983), and described by children as boring, hurtful, and anti social (Moore, 1989a). More often than not, these supposed spaces for healthy child development contain vast expanses of hot, hard asphalt, poorly maintained old metal equipment—oftentimes installed without adequate safety surfaces—water features that have not worked for years, pokey sandboxes without sand, and vegetation—if it exists at all—installed as an esthetic buffer rather than as a play setting (Bruya & Langendorfer, in press). And yet these spaces where children spend so much of their time could very well support educational principles and stimulate child development (Schools Council, 1974b; Sebba & Churchman, 1986).
First principles exploration of near-equiatomic NiFeCrCo high entropy alloys

Abstract High entropy alloy NiFeCrCo was systematically studied in the range of near-equal atomic concentrations, i.e., 10–40 at.%, by first-principles tools and high throughput calculations. Enthalpy of mixing, lattice parameter ( a 0 ), bulk modulus ( B ), and shear modulus ( G ) were calculated by the exact muffin-tin orbital method combined with coherent potential approximation (EMTO-CPA) for over 2700 compositions of the NiFeCrCo alloy as a single-phase solid solution in paramagnetic state. It was found that certain elements have the most significant influence on each property, namely, Cr on enthalpy of mixing, Co on a 0 , Fe on B , Co on G , and Cr on the ratio of B / G . An equation to predict the enthalpy of mixing by use of binary enthalpy data was evaluated and was found to have a good accuracy with a root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) of 42 meV per formula unit in the prediction. A similar equation to predict bulk modulus with weighted contribution from first–shell interaction is proposed and tested on all alloys. This equation was also found to be accurate with a RMSD of 6 GPa. Finally, it was found that shear moduli of all tested alloys are largely dependent on C 44 , while the concentration of Co has a noticeable control on C 44 . Spin polarized calculations were performed for a select group of alloys with both EMTO-CPA and the Vienna ab-initio Simulation Package (VASP) with special quasi-random structure models for comparison. Good agreement was found between these methods.
Truth or Consequences

I often tell my students in Professional Responsibility class that a large portion of the material in the course boils down to the statement, Don't lie, cheat, or steal. In other words, do not act dishonestly. This article discusses this basic principal as it applies to all facets of a lawyer's life.
Effects of culture conditions on mycelial growth and luminescence in Panellus stypticus

A pure culture of Panellus stypticus was isolated from a mature basidiocarp and studied for its growth and luminescence abilities under various environmental and nutritional conditions. The culture...
R&D's contributions to strategic decision-making: Rationale, content, and process

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to identify the major informational domains for R&D's contribution to the strategic planning process. Choosing to invest in an important new technology or planning for a mature one significantly impacts the future of technologybased companies. R&D knowledge can help companies better create their futures in a world of increasingly complex and rapid change. The authors surveyed the technology management, planning, engineering management, and general management literature and have developed several recommendations to help R&D perform its important informational role in the corporate planning process.
Special issue of Rock Music Studies: Global Psychedelia and Counterculture

Submissions are invited for a special issue of Rock Music Studies on the topic of “Global Psychedelia and Counterculture.”Most narratives of psychedelic rock music and the counterculture that accom...
A Continuous Bijection from ℓ 2 onto a Subset of ℓ 2 Whose Inverse Is Everywhere Discontinuous

AbstractWe show that the series equivalent of a Lebesgue integral used by Mazur to develop a homeomorphism gives a continuous bijection whose inverse is everywhere discontinuous.
Newer techniques to detect venous thrombosis with special reference to electrical impedance plethysmography.

A combination of the 125I-labeled fibrinogen method and the impedance method may, in the future, prove to be the best screening technique to detect deep venous thrombosis of the legs in surgical patients. Venography is by far the most definitive method of elucidating the course of this disease once suspicion is aroused by clinical signs or one of the screening techniques described.
Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging Provides New Insights Into the Microstructural Alterations in Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a promising technique capable of probing the myocardial microstructure by assessing the myofiber orientation.1,2 New technical developments in CMR DTI in recent years3–8 have allowed the clinical application of this powerful imaging technique. CMR DTI has been used to study myocardial infarction9,10 and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy11,12 in patients, revealing their adverse effects on myocardial microstructure. The article in this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging by von Deuster et al13 describes a new clinical application of CMR DTI. See Article by von Deuster et al In this single-center study, von Deuster et al13 studied patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) using CMR DTI and assessed the change in the myocardial fiber orientation by imaging at 2 separate time points in the cardiac cycle. DCM is a major cause of heart failure that causes ventricular chamber enlargement, wall thinning, and systolic dysfunction. The authors hypothesized that a combination of CMR DTI, myocardial tagging, and biomechanical modeling will shed new insight into the alterations of myocardial microstructure and functional performance …
Population Structure of Alligator Gar in a Gulf Coast River: Insights from Otolith Microchemistry and Genetic Analyses

AbstractGrowing interest in the Alligator Gar Atractosteus spatula among anglers and fishery managers has inspired efforts to better manage populations. Successful management requires identifying population structure and understanding the distribution of stocks and associated differences in life history. This is particularly important in river systems along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, where transitions from freshwater rivers to saltwater bays provide the potential for life history diversification. We used otolith microchemistry and genetics to assess population structure of Alligator Gars in the Guadalupe River–San Antonio Bay system, Texas. Lifetime Sr:Ca revealed three, distinct life histories that differed in prevalence across the system. River-resident fish (i.e., fish exclusive to freshwater) were present throughout the river but were most common in the uppermost river reach (74% of upper river fish). Transient fish that used both river and bay habitats were also found throughout the river but w...
Loss of Twist1 in the Mesenchymal Compartment Promotes Increased Fibrosis in Experimental Lung Injury by Enhanced Expression of CXCL12.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease characterized by the accumulation of apoptosis-resistant fibroblasts in the lung. We have previously shown that high expression of the transcription factor Twist1 may explain this prosurvival phenotype in vitro. However, this observation has never been tested in vivo. We found that loss of Twist1 in COL1A2 + cells led to increased fibrosis characterized by very significant accumulation of T cells and bone marrow–derived matrix-producing cells. We found that Twist1-null cells expressed high levels of the T cell chemoattractant CXCL12. In vitro, we found that the loss of Twist1 in IPF lung fibroblasts increased expression of CXCL12 downstream of increased expression of the noncanonical NF-κB transcription factor RelB. Finally, blockade of CXCL12 with AMD3100 attenuated the exaggerated fibrosis observed in Twist1-null mice. Transcriptomic analysis of 134 IPF patients revealed that low expression of Twist1 was characterized by enrichment of T cell pathways. In conclusion, loss of Twist1 in collagen-producing cells led to increased bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, which is mediated by increased expression of CXCL12. Twist1 expression is associated with dysregulation of T cells in IPF patients. Twist1 may shape the IPF phenotype and regulate inflammation in fibrotic lung injury.
Holocene Astrangia (Scleractina) In Foreshore Shell Accumulations, Bouge Banks, North Carolina

Shell accumulations in the foreshore zone at Pine Knoll Shores, near the eastern end of Bogue Banks, contain a complex environmental and temporal mixture of molluscs, including Pleistocene estuarine species, subfossil marine Holocene material, and modern shells derived mostly from the adjacent shoreface. Mixed with these shells are the coralla of Astrangia danae, also mostly derived from the modern shoreface. The coral colonized mollusc shells from a variety of sources during varied intervals of exposure at the seafloor. Occurrence of the coral facilitates identification of pathways of shell transport and shell exposure intervals in modern nearshore environments. Astrangia danae is interesting in its own right because it is one of the only shallow-water scleractinians now living in the Cape Lookout area.
Estimating the Cost-Effectiveness of Resilience to Disasters: Survey Instrument Design & Refinement of Primary Data

The chapter provides a methodology for measuring the cost-effectiveness of resilience to disasters. Whereas the vast majority of extant literature in the resilience field focuses on regional and community resilience, this work extends prior work by the authors on microeconomic (i.e., firm-level) resilience and its measurement. Firm-level resilience actions, or tactics, are identified and described within an established economic resilience framework (Rose, 2017: Dormady et al., 2017). A survey-based approach is presented with an explicit application to businesses impacted by Superstorm Sandy in the NY and NJ coastal areas. A small sample demonstration of resilience cost-effectiveness results is presented in the form of statistical cost curves. The chapter concludes with a discussion of both methodological and public policy applications of the approach.
Protection Not for Sale, But for Tax Compliance

This paper presents a theory of endogenous market protection and state capacity. Based on historical accounts of pre-modern Europe, Latin America and East Asia, I claim that rulers might strategically raise entry barriers to induce higher tax compliance by key domestic producers. A game-theoretical analysis proves that Protection for Tax Compliance, as I refer to this exchange, is not only revenue-effective but welfare-maximizing if the initial stock of fiscal capacity is sufficiently low and policy capture by interest groups is limited. The theoretical prediction, which challenges the standard assumption that protection is always for sale, is tested against a sample of 32 developing states in Latin American and Eastern Europe circa 2005. The empirical analysis indicates that, conditional on low fiscal capacity, declining industries pay higher taxes (or evade less) if they are granted tariff protection from international competitors. The results add to recent scholarship studying the conditions under which entry barriers, otherwise inefficient institutions, result in second-best solutions for states whose capabilities are still consolidating.
BARTONELLA ENDOCARDITIS INVOLVING THE MITRAL AND AORTIC VALVES COMPLICATED BY COMPLETE HEART BLOCK AND CEREBRAL MYCOTIC ANEURYSM

Bartonella endocarditis is a rare and potentially lethal infection characterized by a subacute course, severe valvulopathy and periannular complications. A 37-year-old male with known bicuspid aortic valve with moderate-severe aortic regurgitation presented with lightheadedness and syncope during
bHLH-PAS Proteins in C. Elegans

During development and homeostasis, individual cells must divide, differentiate, migrate, adapt to the environment, or die at the appropriate times and places. A key to deciphering the molecular mechanisms by which cells make these decisions is to characterize the regulation and function of the proteins that regulate important changes in gene expression. The family of transcription factors that contain basic-helix-loop-helix and PAS motifs has been shown to control many critical developmental events and to mediate responses to certain environmental stimuli. For example, bHLH-PAS proteins play central roles in the development of specific neural tissues and vasculature, and they are core components of the molecular clock that govern circadian rhythms. bHLH-PAS proteins are also integral to the pathways that sense and respond to hypoxia (low oxygen) and certain xenobiotics (1). Phylogenetic analyses suggest that bHLH-PAS genes arose early in animal development, and in some cases, the functions of individual genes are largely conserved across phyla. This review describes the bHLH-PAS gene family in a genetic model organism, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
Wallabia (Protemnodon) bicolor (Black-tailed wallaby)

All chromosome pairs are morphologically distinguishable. The X chromosome, approximately 5% of the haploid set, is a small acrocentric that is translocated onto the large acrocentric autosome. This interpretation differs from the opinions published of a Y1Y2 system but is in conformity with other mammals having such a sex chromosomal arrangement.
Expression of the IGF-II Gene in Brain and Muscle

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have been implicated in many processes related to growth and development. Despite a growing interest by many investigators into the biological role of the insulin-like growth factors, their function remains poorly understood. Advances in molecular biological techniques have allowed for the characterization of the genes for these factors, and provided tools with which to study their expression. Using these tools, investigators have been elucidating the pattern of IGF gene expression in various tissues throughout a wide range of species. We have examined the expression of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) during development in the nervous system and in muscle. IGF-II gene expression is developmentally regulated in both sites, suggesting that it plays an important role during the developmental program.
Drag control in wall-bounded turbulent flows via spanwise opposed wall-jet forcing

Drag control using a newly developed spanwise opposed wall-jet forcing (SOJF) method is studied via direct numerical simulation of the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations in a turbulent channel flow (at the friction Reynolds numbers via a proper choice of the SOJF parameters.