cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting sharp-tailed grouse brood habitat selection and survival

Sharp-tailed grouse occur across much of the northern Great Plains of North America where large grassland tracts remain. Though extirpated from areas within the Great Plains, primarily due to habitat loss, sharp-tailed grouse populations have remained relatively stable since European Settlement. Because of their need for large contiguous grasslands, sharp-tailed grouse typically occur in areas managed for or with cattle. In an effort to better understand how land management affects sharp-tailed grouse, we studied hen sharp-tailed grouse during the brooding season to identify habitat use and factors that influenced the daily survival rate of broods. We conducted our study on the Grand River National Grassland in South Dakota where cattle herbivory is the primary form of disturbance. We monitored 42 broods from 2013 to 2015. Using conditional logistic regression, we found brood-rearing hens used areas based on the distance to the nearest drainage and choose sites with less litter cover and bare ground relative to random sites at a microhabitat scale. Variables associated with variation in survival did not align with those shown to influence habitat selection. We found that brood survival decreased as the relative slope of a site increased and that survival increased as the distance a hen kept her chicks from a fence line also increased. At the microhabitat scale, survival was positively related to visual obstruction and vegetation height. Our findings demonstrate the importance of numerous variables across multiple scales to brood-rearing sharp-tailed grouse. Managers of grouse populations should manage for heterogeneity, as many factors appear to shape sharp-tailed grouse brood ecology in the Great Plains.
Correlates of Satisfaction with a Peer Evaluation System: Investigation of Performance Levels and Individual Differences

The present research examined the effects of performance level and individual differences on participants' satisfaction with a peer evaluation system. One hundred and fifty-three individuals working in groups completed a questionnaire assessing self-monitoring, self-esteem, and individualism. A peer evaluation system was used at the end of the project. Subjects indicated their satisfaction with and reaction to the peer evaluation system. The findings demonstrated that performance level, individualism, self-esteem, and self-monitoring helped to understand and to predict group members' reactions to the peer evaluation system. Implications for future research and implementation of peer rating systems are discussed.
International Knowledge Sourcing by Foreign MNE Subunits: Competence Creating vs. Exploiting

This paper examines the patterns of international knowledge sourcing in competence- creating (CC) vs competence-exploiting (CE) types of innovative activity by foreign-located MNE subunits in the p...
A Peripheral, South-South Literary Exchange: Balmori and the Reception of Latin American Modernismo in the Philippines

This chapter explores how Latin American Modernismo influenced Spanish-language Filipino writers, and Jesus Balmori in particular, as well as how this influence came to an abrupt end. More specifically, I focus on the limits of literary Modernismo in Los pajaros de fuego, a novel that openly rejects the Japonaiserie popularized by Latin American modernistas. This novel closes the door on the Orientalist affinities of modernistas as a direct result of the advent of the Pacific War and the brutal Japanese occupation of the Philippines (1942–1945).
Households as Crisis Shock Absorbers

In examining social responses to crises, including natural disasters, the focus is normally on the performance of economic, political, and social institutions. However, households play a crucial role in crisis response, serving as shock absorbers as crises affect other institutions. In particular, households are capable of expanding their size and the domain of household production in the face of a crisis and the failed response of other institutions. Doing so on a regular basis when either frequent crises or poor institutional response is expected requires shifts in the structure of human capital within households, and these do not come without costs. This paper offers empirical examples of the shock absorbing role of households drawn from both economic crises and natural disasters. It also explores the “coping costs” of household disaster preparedness and its effects on human capital by analogizing it to the deadweight losses associated with the prevention of theft or defending against inflation. The argument suggests the need for better crisis response policies that allow existing institutions to do their jobs more effectively to avoid the excessive costs associated with unnecessary household human capital restructuring.
Triage: Endgame Realities

This Article traces the etymological origins of triage—first, during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) as a form of screening or sorting and separating battle casualties in order to determine an order of priority for immediate medical treatment for the most seriously wounded soldiers and was used subsequently in the United States Civil War. The use and application of triage was expanded over time to include civilian disasters and to policy issues of allocating scarce medical resources on a day-to-day basis. Modernly, the broadening of triage results in a plethora of vexatious issues and direct challenges to the aspirational norm of distributive justice. Classically, the rationale for using triage as a construct for decision-making follows—strictly—utilitarian philosophies, with the foundational goal being to provide the greatest good (or medical care) to the greatest number of injured persons. Alternative decision-making methodologies are studied in this Article and a conclusion drawn that a humane standard of justice should, quite simply, be anchored in attitudes and virtues of love, concern, respect and compassion, applied situationally, and not tied to any a priori ethic or one philosophical construct.
LMX1B Locus Associated with Low-Risk Baseline Glaucomatous Features in the POAAGG Study

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and has been associated with multiple genetic risk factors. The LMX1B gene is a genetic susceptibility factor for POAG, and several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were shown to be associated with POAG in our own prior Primary Open-Angle African American Glaucoma Genetics (POAAGG) study genome-wide association study (GWAS). This study evaluated the association of the LMX1B locus with baseline optic disc and clinical phenotypic characteristics of glaucoma patients from our African American cohort. Compared to the GG genotype in SNP rs187699205, the GC genotype in this SNP was found to be significantly associated with a smaller cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) and increased (better) visual field mean deviation (MD) in glaucoma cases. None of the glaucoma cases with the GC genotype had disc hemorrhages, disc notching, or beanpot disc appearance. In conclusion, glaucoma phenotypes differed significantly by LMX1B variant in African American patients with POAG, and a SNP variant was associated with certain disease features considered lower risk.
Magnetic Resonance Prediction of Lung Maturity in Fetuses With Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.

ABSTRACT To determine if lung to liver MR T2 signal ratio is predictive of neonatal outcome in fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).After Interal Review Board approval, the PACS systems at the University of Washington and University of Utah were searched for cases having an in utero fetal MR examination diagnostic of CDH. Inclusion criteria were at least 1 prior ultrasound demonstrating a CDH and an MR obtained within 1 week of that prior ultrasound.A total of 69 patients from the University of Utah and 13 from the University of Washington satisfied the inclusion criteria for a total of 82. After adjusting for gestational age and contralateral lung volume, there was little apparent association between contralateral lung to liver MR T2 signal and 5-minute Apgar score and neonatal mortality When considering neonatal Apgar and mortality, increasing contralateral lung volume was significantly associated with lower risk (hazard ratio, 0.40 per doubling; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.69; P = 0.001) as expected.Our data demonstrate that the lung to liver MR signal ratio was not predictive of outcome. The measurement of contralateral lung area, and gestational age at the time of the examination (time of diagnosis) are still the best predictors of poor neonatal outcome.
China’s food news going forward

China’s food demand is projected to grow and reshape its production and trade relations. A new study evaluates the consequent challenges for agricultural land, greenhouse gas emissions, fertilizer and irrigation water use in China and its trading partners.
Effects of Irrigation Volume and Frequency on Shrub Establishment in Florida

Abstract Irrigation frequency and volume effects were evaluated on recently installed #3 container grown shrubs of three taxa, Ilex cornuta Lindl. & Paxt. ‘Burfordii Nana’, Pittosporum tobira Thunb. ‘Variegata’, and Viburnum odorotissimum Ker Gawl. Irrigation frequency and volume had no effect on Pittosporum at any time for any measured root or shoot parameter. Irrigation frequency and volume had no effect on Ilex and Viburnum canopy biomass, root biomass, root dry weight:canopy dry weight ratio, and stem water potential at any time after planting. Canopy growth was affected by irrigation treatment only for Viburnum plants installed in May 2004, and growth response to more frequent irrigation only occurred while plants were irrigated, with no lasting impact on growth once irrigation ceased. Root spread and root spread:canopy spread ratio for only one species, Ilex, were influenced by irrigation treatment. Applying excessive irrigation volume (in this case 9L) reduced root dry weight: shoot dry weight rati...
SU-D-BRA-06: Dual-Energy Chest CT: The Effects of Virtual Monochromatic Reconstructions On Texture Analysis Features

Purpose: To characterize the effect of virtual monochromatic reconstructions on several commonly used texture analysis features in DECT of the chest. Further, to assess the effect of monochromatic energy levels on the ability of these textural features to identify tissue types. Methods: 20 consecutive patients underwent chest CTs for evaluation of lung nodules using Siemens Somatom Definition Flash DECT. Virtual monochromatic images were constructed at 10keV intervals from 40–190keV. For each patient, an ROI delineated the lesion under investigation, and cylindrical ROI’s were placed within 5 different healthy tissues (blood, fat, muscle, lung, and liver). Several histogram- and Grey Level Cooccurrence Matrix (GLCM)-based texture features were then evaluated in each ROI at each energy level. As a means of validation, these feature values were then used in a random forest classifier to attempt to identify the tissue types present within each ROI. Their predictive accuracy at each energy level was recorded. Results: All textural features changed considerably with virtual monochromatic energy, particularly below 70keV. Most features exhibited a global minimum or maximum around 80keV, and while feature values changed with energy above this, patient ranking was generally unaffected. As expected, blood demonstrated the lowest inter-patient variability, for all features, while lung lesions (encompassing many different pathologies) exhibited the highest. The accuracy of these features in identifying tissues (76% accuracy) was highest at 80keV, but no clear relationship between energy and classification accuracy was found. Two common misclassifications (blood vs liver and muscle vs fat) accounted for the majority (24 of the 28) errors observed. Conclusion: All textural features were highly dependent on virtual monochromatic energy level, especially below 80keV, and were more stable above this energy. However, in a random forest model, these commonly used features were able to reliably differentiate between most tissues types regardless of energy level. Dr Godoy has received a dual-energy CT research grant from Siemens Healthcare. That grant did not directly fund this research.
Evaluation of complication rates of pediatric spinal procedures in which a polyethylene glycol sealant was used.

Object Cerebrospinal fluid leakage following durotomy in spinal surgery can lead to significant patient morbidity and mortality, including meningitis and even death. Usage of a polyethylene glycol (PEG) sealant in combination with standard closure techniques has been shown to be effective in preventing CSF leaks in animal models and adult patients, but the results of its use have not been reported in the pediatric population. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of pediatric neurosurgery patients (0–18 years of age) treated at The Johns Hopkins Hospital from 2003 to 2010. There were 93 spinal surgery patients identified in whom PEG was applied. The incidence of CSF leakage, meningitis, and neurological injury was recorded. There were 54 males and 39 females in this study with an average age of 8.7 years. Of the identified patients, 16.1%, 28%, and 55.9% underwent surgery in the cervical region, thoracic region, and lumbar region, respectively. Results At 90-day follow-up, 5 patients (5.4%) had a...
Chapter 114 Experimetrics: The Use of Market Experiments to Evaluate the Performance of Econometric Estimators

Publisher Summary Experiments with human subjects have been widely used to test hypotheses derived from economic theory and to provide stylized facts about empirical regularities in economics. One of the clear implications of experimental economics is that the efficiency and distributional properties of market allocations are dependent on the market institutions through which exchange takes place. This makes clear the limitations of economic theories of markets that are institution-free. Econometric theory, as conventionally taught in graduate schools and applied by many economists, is largely institution-free. Properties of econometric estimators are derived from assumptions about the data generating process (DGP) and the error distribution. A clear example is provided by the most central simultaneous equations in economics, supply and demand equations. The basic results in econometric textbooks, that ordinary least squares is an inconsistent estimator and two stage least squares is a consistent estimator, are derived from the assumption that the DGP is competitive equilibrium with zero-mean random error.
Personality Factors in Highway Accidents

In general, the accident-haver is described as being emotionally less mature, less responsible, more asocial/anti-social, and not as well adjusted. He also tends to have a more disturbed history, such as an unhappy childhood, delinquency, family disruption, and uneven work record. Variety of specific behaviors is listed under these general terms. Many characteristics of the accident-haver are age related, and among normal people tend to be modified as one matures. The role of external stress and the concept of accident proneness are also discussed.
Implications of I/O for Gang Scheduled Workloads

The job workloads of general-purpose multiprocessors usually include both compute-bound parallel jobs, which often require gang scheduling, as well as I/O-bound jobs, which require high CPU priority for the individual gang members of the job in order to achieve interactive response times. Our results indicate that an effective interactive multiprocessor scheduler must be flexible and tailor the priority, time quantum, and extent of gang scheduling to the individual needs of each job.
Physical activity is associated with incident disability in community-based older persons.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between physical activity and the risk of incident disability, including impairment in activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), in community-based older persons free of dementia. DESIGN: Prospective, observational cohort study. SETTING: Approximately 40 retirement communities across the Chicago metropolitan area. PARTICIPANTS: More than 1,000 older persons from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal clinical-pathological study of common chronic conditions of old age. MEASUREMENTS: All participants underwent detailed annual clinical evaluations that included assessments of physical activity, ADLs, IADLs, and gait performance. The associations between physical activity, mortality, and incident disability were examined using a series of Cox proportional hazards models controlled for age, sex, education, and baseline gait. RESULTS: At baseline, participants spent a mean±standard deviation of 3.0±3.5 hours per week engaging in physical activity (range 0–35). In a proportional hazards model, the risk of death decreased 11% (hazard ratio (HR)=0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.83–0.95) for each additional hour of physical activity per week. For those who were not disabled at baseline, the risk of developing disability in ADLs decreased 7% (HR=0.93, 95% CI=0.88–0.98) for each additional hour of physical activity per week. Similarly, the risk of disability in IADLs decreased 7% (HR=0.93, 95% CI=0.89–0.99) for each additional hour of physical activity. CONCLUSION: For community-based older persons without dementia, physical activity is associated with maintenance of functional status, including a reduced risk of developing impairment in ADLs and IADLs.
Chromatin insulators and position effects

Publisher Summary Most mechanisms of stable gene transfer in mammalian cells, including methods of physical transfection and virus transduction, require chromosomal integration. This allows for the stable and faithful transmission of the transferred gene to all of the progeny of the targeted cell. However, once integrated, expression of the transferred gene is subject to the influence of surrounding chromatin, a phenomenon known as “position effects.” Because chromosomal integration is generally random and the majority of the mammalian genome is often in the form of silent and condensed heterochromatin, position effects generally manifest as the partial or complete loss of expression. There are several potential approaches to overcoming the negative influence of position effects on the expression of randomly integrated genes. Such effects can be mitigated through the use of appropriate transcriptional promoters or other cis -regulatory elements such as enhancers, matrix-attachment regions, and locus control regions (LCRs). Another approach involves the use of homologous recombination to integrate the transferred gene into a specific site where the surrounding chromatin can support the desired pattern of expression. A growing body of literature has emerged on the use of an alternative class of cis -regulatory elements, known as “chromatin insulators,” as a means of overcoming the influence of position effects on the expression of genes transferred in mammalian cells. These are naturally occurring DNA elements found in a diverse range of species which function as boundary elements to separate differentially regulated chromosomal loci. This chapter discusses the problems of position effects as they apply to gene transfer and expression in mammalian cells, the properties of chromatin insulators which make them useful for abrogating these position effects, and several examples where chromatin insulators have been used successfully for this and other purposes.
Phenomenological study of the photodisintegration of the deuteron by polarized photons

From the recently measured asymmetry Σ for the photodisintegration of the deuteron and employing the existing experimental data on the differential cross-section with unpolarized γ-rays, the quantities (dσ/dΩ)‖ and (dσ/dΩ)⊥ have been calculated in the energy region (80÷400) MeV. The results show a bump for (dσ/dΩ)⊥ at about 250 MeV incident-photon energy, while the available experimental data are not sufficient to make clear whether the behaviour of (dσ/dΩ)‖ is similar to that of (dσ/dΩ)⊥. A comparison of various theoretical approximations with the values of Σ, (dσ/dΩ)‖ and (dσ/dΩ)⊥ is carried out. It is shown that none of these approximations based only on the direct radiative interaction predicts the behavior of Σ, (dσ/dΩ)⊥ and (dσ/dΩ)‖. The observed discrepancy is attributed to the unreliability of the calculation of the magnetic-dipole amplitudes based on the direct radiative interaction. Evidence for the significance of the meson-effect contributions to the quantities Σ, (dσ/dΩ)‖ and (dσ/dΩ)⊥ has been obtained. An estimate of the nucleon isobar contribution to the quantities Σ, (dσ/dΩ)‖ and (dσ/dΩ)⊥, superimposed on an electric-dipole background is carried out.
TECHNIQUES FOR THE REMOTE SENSING OF SPACE PLASMA IN THE HELIOSPHERE VIA ENERGETIC NEUTRAL ATOMS: A REVIEW

A survey is conducted for state-of-the-art techniques for detecting energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) in the 100-300 keV range, in regions from the heliospheric boundary to the auroral zones where the solar wind plays a crucial role. While ENA spectrometry allows sampling of the mass and energy distributions of a distant plasma, ENA imaging gives a global view of the structures and dynamics of an extended plasma. The ENA instrument designs discussed share many components which exhibit excellent flight performance as elements in charged-particle analyzers for space missions.
Differential trace amine alterations in individuals receiving acetylenic inhibitors of MAO-A (clorgyline) or MAO-B (selegiline and pargyline)

Marked, dose-dependent elevations in the urinary excretion of phenylethylamine, para-tyramine, and meta-tyramine were observed in depressed patients treated for three or more weeks with 10, 30, or 60 mg/ day of the partially-selective inhibitor of MAO-B, selegiline (1-deprenyl). In comparative studies with other, structurally similar acetylenic inhibitors of MAO, pargyline, an MAO-B > MAO-A inhibitor used in doses of 90mg/day for three or more weeks, produced elevations in these trace amines which were similar to those found with the highest dose of selegiline studied. Clorgyline, a selective inhibitor of MAO-A used in doses of 30mg/ day for three or more weeks (a dose/time regimen previously reported to reduce urinary, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid 3-methoxy-4hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (MHPG) > 80%, indicating a marked inhibitory effect on MAO-A in humans in vivo) produced negligible changes in trace amine excretion. In comparison to recent studies of individuals lacking the genes for MAO-A, MAO-B, or both MAO-A and MAO-B, the lack of change in trace amine excretion in individuals with a mutation affecting only MAO-A is in agreement with the observed lack of effect of clorgyline in the present study. Selegiline produced larger changes in trace amines — at least at the higher doses studied — than found in individuals lacking the gene for MAO-B, in agreement with other data suggesting a lesser selectivity for MAO-B inhibition when selegiline was given in doses higher than 10mg/day. Overall, trace amine elevations in individuals receiving the highest dose of deprenyl or receiving pargyline were approximately three to five-fold lower than the elevations observed in individuals lacking the genes for both MAOA and MAO-B, suggesting that these drug doses yield incomplete inhibition of MAO-A and MAO-B.
Predicting Unroll Factors Using Supervised Classification

Compilers base many critical decisions on abstracted architectural models. While recent research has shown that modeling is effective for some compiler problems, building accurate models requires a great deal of human time and effort. This paper describes how machine learning techniques can be leveraged to help compiler writers model complex systems. Because learning techniques can effectively make sense of high dimensional spaces, they can be a valuable tool for clarifying and discerning complex decision boundaries. In this work we focus on loop unrolling, a well-known optimization for exposing instruction level parallelism. Using the Open Research Compiler as a testbed, we demonstrate how one can use supervised learning techniques to determine the appropriateness of loop unrolling. We use more than 2,500 loops - drawn from 72 benchmarks - to train two different learning algorithms to predict unroll factors (i.e., the amount by which to unroll a loop) for any novel loop. The technique correctly predicts the unroll factor for 65% of the loops in our dataset, which leads to a 5% overall improvement for the SPEC 2000 benchmark suite (9% for the SPEC 2000 floating point benchmarks).
Non-random layout of the amino acid loci on the genome of Escherichia coli

Abstract A strong correlation exists between the relative frequencies of occurrence of the amino acids in bulk Escherichia coli protein and their genetic map positions when the latter are indexed against the position of the origin of DNA synthesis. The greater the production of the amino acid, the closer its operon is to the origin.
Effects of lithium and rubidium on shock-induced changes in open-field activity

Lithium chloride and rubidium chloride were tested under conditions in which the effects of their chronic administration on aversively-controlled behavior could be assessed. Lithium attenuated shock-induced suppression of open-field activity when that suppression was under the control of mild or moderate stimulus parameters, but had no effect on the suppression produced by the presence of shock itself. Rubidium, on the other hand, increased shock-induced suppression under all conditions. When shock was removed and extinction of the activity suppression was investigated, lithium subjects failed to return to their original baseline activity levels, while subjects receiving rubidium recovered baselines in a manner indistinguishable from that observed in control animals.
Abnormal Adenosine 3'5'-Monophosphate Stimulation of Renal 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Production in Hyp Mice: Evidence that 25-Hydroxyvitamin D-lα- Hydroxylase Dysfunction Results from Aberrant Intracellular Function*

Previously we have established that abnormal regulation of renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD)-la-hydroxylase in Hyp mice involves the PTH-adenylate cyclase component of enzyme activation. However, it remains unknown if the muted effects of PTH result from 1) abnormal second messenger production or 2) an intracellular defect limiting enzyme activation. To distinguish between these possibilities, we compared cAMP stimulation of renal 25OHD-lα-hydroxylase in normal, phosphate-depleted normal, and Hyp mice. Administration of N6-monobutyryl cAMP iv (200 mg/kg/day) increased enzyme activity in normal (4.1 ± 1.7 vs. 40.7 ± 7.0 fmol/mg kidney-min) and phosphate-depleted mice (13.3 ± 1.8 vs. 78.2 ± 10.4) to a level significantly greater than that achieved in Hyp mice (7.4 ± 1.1 vs. 22.7 ± 3.6). Moreover, similar to our observations after PTH stimulation, the apparent abnormal cAMP effect did not result from an altered time course of enzyme activation or a rightward shift in the dose response. Collectively, these da...
Regulation of cell-surface galactosyltransferase in isoproterenol-treated mouse parotid glands.

Abstract Chronic injection of isoproterenol into mice resulted in hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the parotid gland. As previously described for the rat, cell proliferation was accompanied by an increase in total membrane-associated galactosyltransferase. A plasma membrane localization was determined by fluorescence-activated sorting of intact cells. Co-administration of the galactosyltransferase modifier protein, α-lactalbumin, or the calmodulin inhibitor, trifluoperazine, blocked acinar cell proliferation by 96 h post-treatment but not at 24 h. While α-lactalbumin appeared to interfere with galactosyltransferase-substrate interactions, trifluoperazine prevented the appearance of cell-surface enzyme in isoproterenol-treated animals.
DETECTION OF PRO-OPIOMELANOCORTIN MRNA IN HUMAN AND RAT CAUDAL MEDULLA BY RT-PCR

Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA has been localized in the NTS of the rat, but not in the human or other species. Here, we report that RT-PCR amplification of human caudal medulla RNA generated a distinct band on agarose gels corresponding in size and sequence to the predicted 742-bp POMC PCR product. The 742-bp signal was undetectable following amplification of cortex, amygdala or caudate nucleus RNA. An homologous, 678-bp band was amplified from rat caudal medulla and, unexpectedly, from other brain regions. Competitive RT-PCR demonstrated that POMC cDNA from rat cortex, striatum and cerebellum was 17%, 22% and 45% of caudal medulla levels. These data indicate that the POMC gene is expressed in human caudal medulla and suggest that small amounts of POMC mRNA are present in regions other than the hypothalamus and NTS of rat brain.
Considering the Meaning of Wisconsin Right to Life for the Corporate Free-Speech Movement

The test for determining the “functional equivalency of express advocacy” established by Chief Justice John Roberts in 2007 could well signal a propitious turning point for the corporate free-speech movement—efforts to develop First Amendment protection for corporate political media spending. The test creates the potential to undermine the doctrine the Supreme Court of the United States constructed in support of more than a century of legislative judgment seeking to wall off the corrupting force of such spending from candidate elections. This article assesses that potential through analysis of Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., in which the Chief Justice established that test. His test attracted sharp criticism from so many other justices that the case may offer less than clear guidance for lower courts on its rationale. But the fact that there can be no confusion as to its holding would seem to offer reason for optimism to corporate interests in similar cases.
The Osmotic-1 Locus of Neurospora crassa Encodes a Putative Histidine Kinase Similar to Osmosensors of Bacteria and Yeast

Osmotically sensitive mutants of Neurospora crassa are unable to grow on medium supplemented with 4% NaCl, have altered morphologies and cell-wall compositions, and are resistant to dicarboximide fungicides. Osmotic-1 (os-1) mutants have a unique characteristic of forming protoplasts that grow and divide in specialized liquid medium, suggesting that the os-1+ gene product is important for cell-wall assembly. A cosmid containing the os-1+ locus of N. crassa, isolated from a genomic cosmid library by chromosomal walk from a closely linked gene, was used to subclone the os-1+ gene by functional complementation of an os-1 mutant. Analysis of the sequence of complementing DNA predicts that os-1+ encodes a predicted protein similar to sensor-histidine kinases of bacteria and a yeast osmosensor-histidine kinase. Importantly, the predicted os-1+ protein is identical to the N. crassa nik-1 predicted protein that was identified by using polymerase chain reaction primers directed against histidine kinase consensus DNA sequences. Our results indicate that nik-1 and os-1 encode the same osmosensing histidine kinase that plays an important role in the regulation of cell-wall assembly and, probably, other cell responses to changes in external osmolarity.
Insights into homogeneous catalysis from first-principles theory : density functional studies of inorganic cobalt complexes

Abstract Density functional theory (DFT) has been used to predict geometries, energies and spin states of a series of inorganic cobalt complexes containing the geometry-constraining Tp (tris(pyrazolyl borate)) ligand. For example, the carbonyl, TpCoCO, is a stable 16-electron compound with an unusual asymmetric geometry. This molecule is the structural and electronic analog of an unstable intermediate in C–H bond activation. DFT studies of TpCoCO permit detailed comparisons of theory to experiment, and a rationale for the structure that applies to unstable species as well. More recent work has focused on reactive molecules, including (TpCo)2O2 complexes (with 36 heavy atoms) that may be useful in catalyzing alkane oxidation. DFT provides a useful guide to the feasibility of proposed oxidation mechanisms.
Characterization of ribonucleolytic activity of angiogenin towards tRNA.

Abstract Yeast tRNA is a convenient substrate for the assay of the ribonucleolytic activity of human angiogenin. The optimal pH, [NaCl], and temperature for tRNA cleavage by angiogenin are ∼6.8, 15–30 mM, and ∼55°C, respectively, as compared with ∼8.0, 100–200 mM, and ∼65°C, respectively, for RNase A. Polyanions and metals both inhibit angiogenin and RNase A but to different extents.
The role of simultaneous substitution of Cr and Ru on the thermoelectric properties of defect manganese silicides MnSiδ (1.73 < δ < 1.75)

Abstract Defect manganese silicides have been substituted with Cr and Ru, in order to study the role of these substitutions on the resulting resistivity ( ρ ), Seebeck ( α ) and Hall coefficients and thermal conductivity. The resistivity and Seebeck coefficient measurements suggest that these compounds are degenerate semiconductors. The Hall measurements indicate that the carrier concentration increases in Cr and Ru substituted compounds. The majority carriers are holes and the change of hole concentration is only marginal. While the hole concentration ( p ) of MnSi 1.74 is ∼2.1 × 10 21 cm −3 , in heavily substituted Mn 0.65 Cr 0.2 Ru 0.15 Si 1.74 , p increases only to ∼4.5 × 10 21 cm −3 . The increase in p is presumably due to Si precipitation. One interesting feature is the low lattice thermal conductivity ( κ L ) which is ∼2–2.5 W/m K at 300 K depending upon the composition. In addition, κ L shows a weak temperature dependence. Because of the combination of high power factor ( α 2 / ρ ) ∼ 2 mW/m K 2 and low thermal conductivity ∼2.5–2.7 W/m K, Mn 0.95 Cr 0.5 Si 1.74 and Mn 0.97 Cr 0.3 Si 1.74 exhibit highest ZT of 0.6 at 850 K. For other compounds, a moderate ZT value of 0.3–0.5 is realized at 850 K. In Ru substituted compounds, the ZT is not improved beyond 0.5, due to the decrease of charge carrier mobility.
Sinus node dysfunction, atrioventricular block, and bundle branch and fascicular blocks: Morphologic aspects

Abstract This review begins with an overview of the normal conduction system and then considers the abnormal situations relevant to the morphologic bases of sinus nodal dysfunction and atrioventricular, bundle branch, and fascicular blocks in children. The etiology for sick sinus syndrome is multifactorial but may show changes in histological appearance of the sinus node or occlusion of the nodal artery. Sinus node dysfunction in congenitally malformed hearts is usually related to trauma during surgical repair of the intracardiac lesions. With regard to the atrioventricular conduction system, the morphologic substrates of congenitally complete atrioventricular block are well recognized. Three patterns of discontinuity of the conduction axis are described. Atrioventricular, bundle branch, and fascicular blocks are usually caused by damage, direct or indirect, to the conduction system during surgical repair or intracardiac defects.
Wear of truck brake lining materials using three different test methods

Abstract Frictional stability and wear resistance are key performance requirements for heavy truck brake linings. Lining-counterface friction affects the rate of vehicle deceleration, but wear also affects stopping characteristics because uneven or high wear can alter the contact geometry of the lining, change the pattern of frictional heat generation, and degrade the response of the braking system. Inertia dynamometer wear tests are commonly conducted in the linings industry, but are expensive and time consuming. It is therefore of interest to seek more convenient, lower-cost test methods that still enable wear rates of various linings to be effectively differentiated. The purposes of the current study were to determine whether the wear of brake lining materials can be measured in shorter-term laboratory tests, and if so, to determine to what extent the relative ranking of several lining materials’ wear resistance depends on the method of testing. To investigate these issues, three commercial truck brake lining materials were worn against gray cast iron using three different laboratory-scale wear testing machines. Assessments of wear by gravimetric methods and dimensional changes using the same test apparatus were compared. The three linings ranked in similar order in all three kinds of wear tests, but the relative differences between the wear of one lining and another differed among the test methods. Results are discussed in terms of what test conditions are required to simulate brake lining wear in trucks, and how in situ lining material aging and transfer film formation can affect the wear of brake lining materials. Differences in the entrapment of third-bodies entering the contact had an important influence on the wear results and an additional set of block-on-ring experiments was conducted to demonstrate that effect. Removing wear debris with a wiper pad altered the relative wear ranking of the three materials.
Teaching via Interactive Television: An Examination of Teaching Effectiveness and Student Satisfaction

Abstract Interactive television (ITV) is becoming more commonplace in higher education as an effective means of reducing costs and expanding course offerings as well as increasing the number of students served in outlying areas. This article examines concerns of the instructor faced with teaching via ITV for the first time: teaching effectiveness and student satisfaction. Teaching effectiveness was researched in two main areas: in a comparison of performance on exams by students in remote and live settings, and in teacher satisfaction as a component of teaching effectiveness. Research findings show that though “remote” and oncampus students performed equally well on exams, ITV teachers are mixed in their level of satisfaction with the medium, which requires extra training and preparation. Students generally considered ITV a good alternative.
Recent experience with Pseudomonas aeruginosa immune globulin for the treatment of experimental pneumonia

A guinea-pig model of experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia was used to determine what factors affect the efficacy of passive immune therapy with a hyperimmune P. aeruginosa globulin (PA-IGIV). Animals treated 2 h after infection with a single iv infusion of PA-IGIV, 500 mg kg-1, demonstrated 33% survival. Lower dosages were less effective and there were no survivors among albumin-treated controls. Treatment with PA-IGIV was effective if given 2 or 8 h after infection but not if delayed until 24 h after infection. Animals rendered neutropenic with cyclophosphamide did not survive if treated with PA-IGIV alone. However, when PA-IGIV was added to tobramycin treatment, a significant increase in survival occurred (86%) as compared with that observed with tobramycin alone (43%) (P less than 0.05). We conclude that PA-IGIV may offer a useful therapeutic option in management of P. aeruginosa pneumonia.
Mean cytoplasmic protein concentration of host erythrocytes and the reticulocyte response inPlasmodium berghei infected mice

the decreasing mean cytoplasmic protein concentration (MPC) ofP. berghei host cells is paralled by an increasing parasitemia and percent reticulocyte response. The reticulocyte response parallels the percent parasitemia except during a period of accelerated reticulocytosis noted during the midpoint of the infection at which time the percent reticulocytes increases at a rate more than double the rate of increase of percent parasitemia. Although the reticulocyte population and the host cell population are usually equivalent, the disparity noted suggests the existence of unique characteristics in the reticulocyte response ofP. berghei infected mice.
Microfabricated transmission-line transformers with DC isolation

A transmission line transformer (TLT) is a device that transforms a circuit impedance and is implemented with interconnected transmission lines. While traditional TLTs, operating at UHF and low microwave frequencies, are constructed from pairs of coaxial lines wound around ferrite cores, various compact implementations at higher frequency without magnetic materials have been demonstrated with multilayer circuit boards, monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) and air-filled microcoaxial lines implemented in the PolyStrata® wafer-scale technology. Microfabricated Guanella TLTs in the microwave range typically span several GHz of bandwidth, but they are not suitable for impedance matching of power amplifiers and active devices because the input and output ports are shorted to ground and therefore lack DC isolation. A compact and DC-isolated TLT would be especially useful in small-size, low-loss and high-speed DC-to-DC converters.
Regularity of weak solutions to critical exponent variational equations

We present a general method for proving regularity of weak solutions to variational equations with critical exponent nonlinearities. We will focus primarily on the C∞ regularity of L2 solutions to a nonlinear fourth order variational equation in 4 dimensions. This equation was considered by Chang, Gursky, and Yang in [CGY99], where regularity was obtained only for minimizers using techniques from Morrey [Mor48] and Schoen-Uhlenbeck [SU82]. The methods in this paper apply to a more general class of critical exponent variational equations in n dimensions with leading term a power of the Laplacian.
On the Contribution of Active Galactic Nuclei to the Cosmic Background Radiation

We present the results of calculations of the cosmic AGN background spectrum from 3 keV (4 × 10-4 μm) to 1000 μm. These computations make use of the measured X-ray luminosity function and its evolution, as well as fits from synthesis models of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB), to predict the AGN contribution to the cosmic infrared background (CIRB) for different models of the location and distribution of the absorbing material. By comparing our results to observational constraints, we conclude that the current deep Spitzer surveys can account for the entire AGN contribution to the CIRB at 24 μm, but these AGNs are almost all Compton-thin. In fact, the calculations show that Compton-thick AGNs are a small fraction of the CIRB for λ < 100 μm. For this reason, the most efficient method of identifying the Compton-thick AGN population is through hard X-ray imaging at energies 40 keV. Selection of AGNs based on their rest-frame near-IR colors will miss low-luminosity type 2 AGNs, due to contamination from the host galaxy. Finally, the AGNs that dominate the CXB must have star formation rates <100 M☉ yr-1, consistent with them having properties similar to the sources that dominate the CIRB at z ~ 1. Including the estimated reradiated emission from star formation, AGNs and their host galaxies may contribute ~30% of the CIRB at 70 μm, dropping to ~10% at 24 μm and ~1% at 1-10 μm.
A role for mu opioid receptors in cocaine-induced activity, sensitization, and reward in the rat.

Considerable evidence suggests that the endogenous opioid system plays a role in mediating the behavioral effects of psychostimulants. Opioidergic drugs have been shown to have profound effects on cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization and conditioned reward. However, the role specifically of the mu opioid receptor in this regard is unclear as most previous pharmacological studies have used nonselective opioid receptor ligands. The objective of this series of experiments was to elucidate the role of mu opioid receptors in the behavioral effects of cocaine in the rat. Adult male rats were used to assess the effects of the selective mu opioid receptor antagonist d-Phe-Cys-Tyr-d-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr (CTAP) on acute hyperactivity, locomotor sensitization, and conditioned place preference induced by cocaine. Intracerebroventricular administration of CTAP, 4 μg, was paired with peripheral injections of cocaine, 10–15 mg/kg. Mu receptor blockade significantly attenuated cocaine-induced hyperactivity, as well as the development of behavioral sensitization. Pretreatment with CTAP also prevented the development of conditioned place preference to cocaine. Administration of CTAP alone had neither effect on locomotor activity nor did it demonstrate aversive or rewarding properties. These results suggest that activation of mu opioid receptors by endogenous opioids is an important contributor to cocaine-induced hyperactivity and the development of behavioral sensitization and conditioned reward.
Thermodynamic transition of small superconducting particles

Measurements are presented which show that the specific heat of small tin particles exhibits a BCS-like structure at the superconducting transition even if the particle size is much smaller than the superconducting coherence length. This structure remains, broadened by fluctuation effects, down to dimensions so small that size quantization produces an electronic energy level spacing larger than the superconducting energy gap. Our results suggest that this energy ratio determines the crossover from bulk behavior (with a well-defined phase transition) to zero-dimensional behavior (with no superconducting order).
Mouse transient receptor potential channel 6: Role in hemostasis and thrombogenesis

Although changes in the intracellular levels of calcium (Ca(2+)) are a central step in platelet activation, the underlying mechanism of Ca(2+) entry is still unclear. Previous studies have demonstrated that TRPC6, a member of the canonical transient receptor potential channel (TRPC) family is expressed in platelets in a significant amount, and is predominantly found on the plasma membrane. Based on these considerations, we hypothesized that TRPC6 plays a critical role in platelet function. To characterize the role of TRPC6 in platelet function in vivo, we employed a genetic approach, subjecting TRPC6 knockout mice to the tail bleeding time test and a carotid artery injury thrombosis model. We found that TRPC6-deficient animals displayed a prolonged bleeding time, and an increased time for occlusion of the injured carotid artery, compared to their wild-type littermates. Taken together, our data demonstrate for the first time, that TRPC6 deletion in mice results in defects in hemostasis and protection against thrombogenesis, suggesting a vital role in platelet function. Furthermore, TRPC6 may define a new therapeutic target for managing multiple thrombosis-based disorders.
Giant fetal hepatic hemangioma. Case report and literature review.

The purpose of this case report is to demonstrate the importance of prenatal imaging for treatment management of fetal giant hepatic hemangiomas. Prenatal ultrasound revealed an abdominal mass with several cystic areas and punctate calcifications in a fetus at 29 weeks' gestation. Doppler scans confirmed the highly vascular nature of the mass. In this case, ultrasound diagnosed the mass was of hepatic origin, while magnetic resonance imaging at 32 weeks' gestation was more equivocal with respect to the anatomy source of the lesion. Imminent hydrops caused by a rapidly enlarged liver tumor was sonographically demonstrated at 34 weeks' gestation. An elective C-section and immediate tumor resection was performed. At the age of 20 months the infant is thriving. This case supports the notion that the survival rates for giant hepatic hemangiomas improve when fetal hydrops is averted and specific pre- and postnatal treatment is applied based on correct prenatal imaging diagnostics.
Uniqueness of entire and meromorphic functions sharing finite sets

We show, using Cartan's Theorem, that certain sets given by Li and Yang are uniqueness sets for entire and meromorphic functions ignoring multiplicities. We also show that a generic polynomial of degree ≥ 4, resp. ≥ 5, is a uniqueness polynomial for entire functions, resp. meromorphic functions on