cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How Does the Distribution of Word-of-Mouth Across Websites Affect Online Retail Sales?

Consumers consistently resort to online Word-of-Mouth (WOM) as an effective remedy for the lack of physical trials in online shopping. Nevertheless, they are confronting relatively different levels of search costs for WOM information depending on the distribution of WOM across websites. This study investigates the sales impacts of dispersion of WOM volume and variation of WOM valence by using sales and WOM data of software programs from Amazon and download.com. Our results suggest that, conditional on the total number of WOM conversations from retailing websites and third-party websites, less evenly distributed WOM leads to more sales. And it is even more beneficial for a product’s sales if having this less dispersed WOM distribution skewed towards retailing websites. In addition, more consistent consumer evaluations across websites encourage online purchasing decisions. By comparing the volume dispersion and variance variation, we find that receiving one hundred reviews of 5-star average rating on Amazon leads to sales almost six time more than receiving fifty reviews of 5-star average rating on Amazon and another fifty reviews of 5-star average rating on download.com.
The physiological basis of ozone injury assessment attributes in Sierran conifers.

Abstract The generalized effects of ozone (O 3 ) exposure on plants are well known, but translating responses known under controlled conditions to effective tools for assessments under field conditions can be complex. There are two methods generally used for assessing yellow pine (ponderosa and Jeffrey) response to oxidant exposure in the Sierra Nevada: the Ozone Injury Index (OII) and the Forest Pest Management (FPM) assessment. For both methods, chlorotic mottle and needle retention form the basis of the assessment. The response of these two key attributes to cumulative O 3 exposure and uptake, nitrogen deposition (either associated with O 3 deposition as a correlative environmental factor or as an experimental manipulation), and drought stress are described using field examples from both ponderosa and Jeffrey pine. Specific suggestions are offered for future, repeated field assessments of O 3 injury for consistency, and to help interpret historical data sets.
Activation of microvascular endothelium by eicosanoid 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid leads to enhanced tumor cell adhesion via up-regulation of surface expression of alpha v beta 3 integrin: a posttranscriptional, protein kinase C- and cytoskeleton-dependent process.

Tumor cell interaction with endothelial cells is a crucial step leading to organ-selective metastasis. Adhesion of murine B16 amelanotic melanoma cells (B16a) to murine microvascular endothelial cells (CD3) was enhanced, in a dose- and time-dependent manner, by pretreating CD3 cells with 12(S)-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid [i.e., 12(S)-HETE], a 12-lipoxygenase metabolite of arachidonic acid. The metabolic precursor of 12(S)-HETE, 12-HPETE (12-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid) also enhanced B16a cell adhesion to CD3 monolayers, whereas other lipoxygenase products, i.e., 5(S), 11(S), and 15(S)-HETEs were ineffective. 12(S)-HETE-enhanced tumor cell adhesion was blocked by treating endothelial cells with antibodies against the alpha v beta 3 complex or against individual subunits but not with antibodies against alpha 5 beta 1. In contrast, neither of these two integrins appeared to be involved in tumor cell adhesion to unstimulated endothelium. Flow cytometric analysis, immunofluorescent labeling, and image analysis indicated that 12(S)-HETE induced a time- and dose-dependent increase in the surface expression of alpha v beta 3 but not alpha 5 beta 1 on CD3 cells. The increased surface expression of alpha v beta 3 on endothelial cells did not result from an increased transcription or translation of alpha v beta 3 message as confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Northern blotting, and quantitative Western blotting. Instead, subcellular fractionation studies revealed an increased translocation of alpha v beta 3 integrins from the cytosolic pool to the membrane fractions. Pretreatment of endothelial cells with several cytoskeleton-disrupting agents (i.e., cycloheximide or acrylamide to disrupt intermediate filament vimentin, cytochalasin D to disrupt microfilaments, colchicine or Nocodazole to disrupt microtubules) abolished the 12(S)-HETE-enhanced alpha v beta 3 surface expression as well as tumor cell adhesion to endothelial cells. Also, pretreatment of CD3 cells with protein kinase C inhibitor calphostin C, but not with protein kinase A inhibitor H8, blocked 12(S)-HETE-enhanced alpha v beta 3 surface expression and tumor cell adhesion. Collectively, these results suggest that eicosanoid 12(S)-HETE modulates tumor cell interaction with endothelium via protein kinase C- and cytoskeleton-dependent up-regulation of the surface expression of alpha v beta 3 integrin.
Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders.

We are very pleased to be presenting this issue on Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders (PIDD). PIDD is an essential clinical topic for Allergy/Immunology practitioners as well as primary care providers. Given the delay in diagnosis of over ten years in most patients, it is incumbent on us to have a better understanding of these disorders and to get the message of early diagnosis and treatment out to our colleagues. It has become very clear that early diagnosis and treatment of PIDD can reduce morbidity and mortality and improve all patients’ quality of life. We believe that this issue of Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America will add to our knowledge base and allow us to deliver higher-quality care to patients with PIDD. We have been very fortunate that many leaders in the field of PIDD have graciously contributed to this issue. We feel that the topics we selected summarize the most important areas in the field. Drs Chitra Dinakar and Nikita Raje present a concise and useful overview of PIDD that will allow the reader to direct their interests to further presentations. Since many of the PIDD present in childhood, Dr Hernandez-Trujillo has presented a practical approach to the child with recurrent infection. We have asked Drs Gelfand and Abbott to focus on Common Variable Immunodeficiency due to its protean manifestations and because this field has been expanding so rapidly. Dr Sorensen and colleagues have presented an outstanding review on functional antibody deficiency, which has emerged as an important and treatable syndrome in patients who present with recurrent infection and normal screening tests for immunoglobulin levels. Drs William Shearer and Ivan Chinn have been established leaders in the field of cellular immunodeficiency and have expertly presented an outstanding review on severe combined immunodeficiency. Their article outlines important aspects of diagnosis and management that are critical in saving the lives of these children. Dr Troy Torgerson and colleagues further detail the important emerging field of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for SCID as well as other disorders. Their article outlines
Cystatins--inhibitors of cysteine proteinases

The cystatin superfamily of proteins, derived from a common ancestor, is comprised of a diverse group of potent cysteine proteinase inhibitors and antibacterial/viral agents grouped into several families. This review concentrates on family 2 cystatins, namely, the human salivary cystatins and cystatin C. Emphasis is given to their physicochemical and functional properties at both the protein and the molecular level. The role of cystatins in disease processes, including those in the oral cavity, is also discussed. Finally, future directions for cystatin research in oral biology are presented.
MEMS ultrasonic ejector array for electrospray mass spectrometry of biomolecules

We developed a novel micromachined ultrasonic electrospray ionization (ESI) microarray which eliminates many limitations of the conventional capillary ESI technology. The proof-of-concept test results are presented and discussed. This technology has potential for operation at low voltages with wide range of solvents, capable of minimizing the required sample size and improving sample utilization, and is inherently suitable for parallel, high throughput mass spectrometric analysis of proteins mixtures of biological significance with multiplexing in the array format. Further, the ultrasonic ESI microarray can be made inexpensive to be disposable owing to its batch microfabrication using a simple process with only steps.
Phagocytosis and Encapsulation: Cellular Immune Responses in Arthropoda

The least understood aspects of the cellular immune reactions of arthropods are the earliest events: the initial recognition of foreignness, and the resulting changes in hemocyte behavior and morphology. There are indications that the recognition of a surface as foreign is based primarily upon its electrostatic charge, but more specific criteria may be utilized in some situations. Phagocytes are capable of recognizing foreignness without the intervention of soluble opsonins but, in some arthropods, there is in vitro evidence that opsonins can increase the efficiency of phagocytosis. It has been hypothesized, on the basis of ultrastructural evidence that encapsulation, a multicellular immune response, is induced when labile hemocytes rupture upon encountering a foreign object. The released products may promote the formation of a sheath of ameboid hemocytes around the object. This hypothesis is now supported by the results of experiments performed on an in vitro encapsulation system. This system may prove useful in the purification of encapsulation—promoting factors; in determining the mechanism of their release from hemocytes; and in investigating the possibility that the various cellular immune reactions of arthropods have a common underlying mechanism.
Interaction energies in the coagulation of calcium oxalate monohydrate.

In the present work, Gregory's approximation was used to calculate the Hamaker constant (A 131 ) for the van der Waals interactions between calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) particles in water. An average value of 1.135 (± 0.341) × 10 −20 J for A 131 was calculated for COM particles at 37°C in aqueous solutions. Theoretical calculations predicting coagulation behavior based on the calculated A 131 are consistent with experimental data.
Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Production Dynamics and Relations with Abiotic Factors in Two Southern Appalachian Mountain Streams

Abstract Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) annual production was estimated over two years in Laurel Branch and South Fork Citico Creek, Tennessee. Both streams are softwater, second order streams of the southern Appalachian Mountains with low inherent productivity (alkalinity <100 μeq·L−1 or 5 mg·L−1 as CaCO3). Annual production over the two years averaged 12.4 kg·ha−1 in Laurel Branch and 6.2 kg·ha−1 in South Fork Citico Creek. The majority of annual production (77%) occurred during the December-April period in Laurel Branch and was dominated by age-2 trout (44%). Though lower overall than Laurel Branch, annual production in South Fork Citico Creek was also dominated by age-2 trout (47%) but was more evenly distributed throughout the year. Seasonal mean flows and water chemistry measures were related to production and growth rates of age-1 and age-2 trout but not age-0 or age-3 trout. Annual production estimates represented the lowest reported values for rainbow trout and were similar to regional estim...
Electron-impact excitation and ionization of W 3+ for the determination of tungsten influx in a fusion plasma

Tungsten will be employed as a plasma facing material in the ITER fusion reactor under construction in Cadarache, France; therefore, there is a significant need for accurate electron-impact excitation and ionization data for the ions of tungsten. We report on the results of extensive calculations of ionization and excitation for W3+ that are intended to provide the atomic data needed for the determination of impurity influx diagnostics of tungsten in several existing tokamak reactors. The electron-impact excitation rate coefficients for this study were determined using the relativistic R-matrix method. The contribution to direct electron-impact ionization was determined using the distorted-wave approximation, the accuracy of which was verified by an R-matrix with pseudo states calculation. Contributions to total ionization from excitation autoionization were also generated from the relativistic R-matrix method. These results were then employed to calculate values of ionization per emitted photon, or SXB ratios, for four carefully selected spectral lines; these data will allow the determination of impurity influx from tungsten facing surfaces. For the range of densities of importance in the edge region of a tokamak reactor, these SXB ratios are found to be nearly independent of electron density but vary significantly with electron temperature.
Organic molecular tracers for particulate air pollution sources

The contribution of the major urban air pollution sources to regional particulate air quality problems can be diagnosed by using organic molecular marker techniques. Distinctive organic compounds or compound groups that are present in the emissions from some source types but not others are used to quantify the presence of the effluent from different air pollution sources within atmospheric fine particle samples. The tracer compounds are measured in source samples and in atmospheric samples by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Some of the most valuable tracers include hopanes and steranes from petroleum use in motor vehicles; phytosterols, lignans, phenolic products from lignins, and diterpenoids from resins in wood smoke; cholesterol in meat charbroiling smoke; high-molecular-weight odd carbon number n-alkanes in the particles shed as leaves rub together in the wind, and iso- and anteiso-alkanes in cigarette smoke. To date it has been demonstrated that the particles from up to nine different source types can be distinguished from each other simultaneously in the southern California atmosphere by this method. In the future, new analytical methods will increase the family of tracer compounds, assist in the identification of markers for additional sources, and speed the chemical analysis process in the laboratory.
Modeling reaction time in the ankle

We are examining whether robust behavioral laws, initially designed to describe sensorimotor control of the upper extremities, can also describe lower extremity movements. Herein, we present our initial results of our research on measuring ankle reaction time (RT). We show that RT measured in ankle dorsiflexion (DP) and inversion-eversion (IE) of 7 healthy young subjects followed a у distribution, a typical finding in the upper limb response modalities. We propose that the low-order statistics (mean and variance) of the best-fit у function can be used to concatenate RT across subjects with similar performance and create super-subjects (SS). We then show that the most widely used model of RT cognitive processes, the Ratcliff diffusion model, is adequate to describe ankle RT in an SS. The combination of experimental data analysis with diffusion modeling of ankle RT proposed that at least two cognitive components of RT are accounted for a difference in mean RT observed between DP and IE, namely the speed of information accumulation and the non-decision time that includes, among others, the time for motor response encoding and execution. These results show a great potential to inform our adaptive assist-as-needed robotic therapy delivered to the lower limbs of children with Cerebral Palsy.
Transdermal nicotine replacement is associated with lower mortality among active smokers admitted with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage

Active smokers comprise 35–55% of patients admitted with acute spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Transdermal nicotine replacement is sometimes prescribed to these patients to prevent a withdrawal syndrome, but the safety of exogenous nicotine during the acute period after SAH is unknown.
Renaissance humanism and botany

Summary The enthusiasm of Renaissance humanists for classical learning greatly influenced the development of botany in the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Humanist scholars restored the treatises of Theophrastus, Pliny, Galen and Dioscorides on botany and materia medica to general circulation and argued for their use as textbooks in Renaissance universities. Renaissance botanists' respect for classical precepts and models of the proper methods for studying plants temporarily discouraged the use of naturalistic botanical illustration, but encouraged other techniques for collecting and communicating new observations: herbaria, botanical gardens and field trips.
Control of oscillating microbial cultures described by population balance models

Nonlinear feedback control laws are derived which attenuate undesired oscillations or induce synchrony in microbial cultures described by population balance models. The population balance model is ...
The effects of biogenic amines on color changes of the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator: Further evidence for roles of 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine as neurotransmitters triggering release of erythrophorotropic hormones

Abstract 1. 1. The effects of 5-hydroxytrytryptaminergic potentiators (Fluvoxamine and Fluoxetine), a 5-hydroxytryptaminergic antagonist (LY53857), a dopaminergic agonist (ADTN) and dopaminergic antagonists (Spiroperidol and γ-hydroxybutyrate) on color changes involving the erythrophores of the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator, were determined. 2. 2. The results were consistent with the hypotheses that 5-hydroxytryptamine triggers release of a red pigment-dispersing hormone and that dopamine triggers release of a red pigment-concentrating hormone in Uca pugilator.
Reducing Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) of Perception Systems in Small Autonomous Aerial Systems

The objectives are to examine recent trends in the reduction of size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements of sensor systems for environmental perception and to explore new technology that may overcome limitations in current systems. Improving perception systems to facilitate situation awareness is critical in the move to introduce increasing autonomy in aerial systems. Whether the autonomy is in the current state-of-the-art of increasing automation or is enabling cognitive decisions that facilitate adaptive behavior, collection of environmental information and fusion of that information into knowledge that can direct actuation is imperative to decisions resulting in appropriate behavior. Artificial sensory systems such as cameras, radar, LIDAR, and acoustic sensors have been in use on aircraft for many years but, due to the large size and weight of the airplane and electrical power made available through powerful engines, the SWaP requirements of these sensors was inconsequential. With the proliferation of Remote Piloted Vehicles (RPV), the trend is in significant reduction in SWaP of the vehicles. This requires at least an equivalent reduction in SWaP for the sensory systems. A survey of some currently available sensor systems and changing technology will reveal the trend toward reduction of SWaP of these systems and will predict future reductions. A new technology will be introduced that provides an example of a desirable new trend. A new device replaces multiple conventional sensory devices facilitating synchronization, localization, altimetry, collision avoidance, terrain mapping, and data communication in a single integrated, small form-factor, extremely lightweight, and low power device that it is practical for integration into small autonomous vehicles and can facilitate cooperative behavior. The technology is based on Ultra WideBand (UWB) radio using short pulses of energy rather than continuous sine waves. The characteristics of UWB yield several desirable characteristics to facilitate integration of perception for autonomous activities. The capabilities of this device and its limitations will be assessed.
Sheltered in cyberspace? Computer use among the unsheltered 'street' homeless

Although physical health, mental health, and substance use problems are disproportionately high among the homeless, those with greater access to their social support systems report better outcomes than others. Communication with loved ones can be challenging for this population because of lack of access to telephone landlines. Computer technology may be an alternative medium for this population to access their social support systems, which, in turn, could lead toward better health outcomes. This exploratory study examined the computer use of 100 unsheltered homeless men and women in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Participants were interviewed using the Homeless Supplement to the Diagnostic Interview Schedule, a technology use module created for this investigation, and the substance use and psychiatric sections of the Addiction Severity Index. Almost half (47%) of the sample reported computer use in the past 30days (averaging 17.67h and 30days). Participants used computers to maintain their sense of social connectedness, for business purposes (job and housing searches), and for leisure. Computer technology could be used to disseminate information, prevent, screen, and treat many conditions, and collect data with this difficult-to-reach population. This technology has the potential to increase access to much needed services at a relatively low cost.
Serotonin microinfusion into the ventral tegmental area increases accumbens dopamine release

The effects of microinfusion of serotonin (5-HT) agents as well as glutamate and muscimol into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) on dopamine (DA) release in the ipsilateral nucleus accumbens (ACC) were investigated in freely moving rats, using a push-pull perfusion procedure. The baseline values for DA, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were approximately 0.24, 8.4, 2.1 and 2.7 pmol/15 min, respectively, in the push-pull perfusate of the ACC. When microinfused into the VTA, glutamate (0.74 μg) significantly (p<0.05) increased the contents of DOPAC (110%) and HVA (90%) over baseline levels in the perfusate. On the other hand, 0.5 μg muscimol (a γ-amino-n-butyric acid, GABA, agonist) significantly, (p<0.05) decreased both DA (40%) and DOPAC (20%) levels relative to baseline values. Administration of 2 μg 5-HT into the VTA caused a significant (p<0.05) elevation in the perfusate levels of DOPAC (80%) and HVA (70%) over baseline values. A similar effect was obtained with a nonselective 5-HT1 agonist but not with a selective 5-HT1A agonist. The results suggest that 5-HT innervations in the VTA may have an excitatory action possibly via 5-HT1B rather than 5-HT1A receptors on the mesolimbic DA system projecting to the ACC and that this DA system may also be regulated by glutamatergic and GABAergic (via GABAA receptors) inputs.
Plate boundary geometry to Moho depths within the 9°03′N and 12°54′N overlapping spreading centers of the East Pacific Rise

Abstract Multichannel seismic reflection data from the East Pacific Rise provide a three-dimensional view of overlapping spreading centers (OSCs) at 9°03′N and 12°54′N. Previous studies of the 9°03′N OSC, based on position of the axial magma chamber top, are extended to the base of the crust using the observation that the Moho reflection is disrupted in the vicinity of the ridge axis. The smaller 12°54′N OSC is investigated for comparison. Like the shallower features, the Moho disruption is offset within the OSCs. At the larger 9°03′N OSC, misalignment between the morphologic ridge axis and the axial magma body extends to the base of the crust, where the axial gap in the reflection Moho does not consistently underlay the shallower structures. Spatial relationships within the OSCs between axial topography, axial magma chamber and axial gap in reflection Moho, suggest that ridge tips propagate first by brittle fracturing of the upper crust, followed by intracrustal magma residence, followed finally by establishment or capture of magma pathways from the mantle. Interpreting all three features as demarcating the axial zone of weakness, along which new magma enters the crust, the axial plane within the 9°03′N OSC appears to dip and to rotate with depth. The sense of overlap in the shallow crust is dextral while the sense of offset in the deep crust is sinistral. Spatial relationships within the 9°03′N OSC suggest that the northern, propagating ridge tip has already captured a portion of the deep crustal magma conduit connected with the southern ridge.
Hydrogen Dynamics and Characterization of the Tetragonal-to-Orthorhombic Phase Transformation in Ammonia Borane

The anelastic spectrum of ammonia borane (NH3BH3) was measured in the temperature range between 1.3 and 300 K. The structural phase transition near 220 K is accompanied by a substantial variation o...
Information linkages in regional market networks with applications to healthcare markets

The spatial availability of information as a determinant of consumer choice and export sales is analyzed along with other spatial-economic determinants of export competition. A spatial interaction framework is applied to two alternative specifications; a pair-wise model of information dominance and a spatially dispersed information model for consumers located in different market areas. Model estimates of the role of spatial availability of information, market power, distance, and populati on demand thresholds on export sales are based on national data from The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. The regional application is for Medicare health exports from the Seattle hospital market to markets throughout the state of Washington. Information availability increases export sales of hospital Medicare services with the strongest impact occurring for the pair-wise model of information dominance. The spatially dispersed information model shows a smaller and less significant impact of information availa bility on export sales. Distance between Seattle and export markets has a strong, negative effect on export sales and on intra-regional patient mobility. Market power within the Seattle center exerts a positive impact on sales and mobility.
Partitioning strategies for parallel KIVA-4 engine simulations

Abstract Parallel KIVA-4 is described and simulated in four different engine geometries. The Message Passing-Interface (MPI) library was used to parallelize KIVA-4. Changes in the mesh size during a transient engine simulation present challenges to domain decomposition. In this study, three partitioning strategies were developed in light of the fact that cells can become deactivated and activated during a simulation which will affect the load balance between processors. The first approach partitions the domain vertically. Cells are partitioned in vertical columns to the direction of piston motion using METIS, a software package for partitioning unstructured graphs. The second approach partitions three regions – bowl, squish, and ports – sequentially in the vertical direction using hMETIS with constraints on boundary cells. In the third approach, the mesh is periodically repartitioned during the simulation using a combination of the first two approaches. The overall results show that good parallel performance can be obtained with four processors. The first partitioning strategy performs well compared to the other two more complex approaches for the grids tested in this study. On the other hand, the second approach shows some promise for larger grids with more than four processors.
The quasi-linear equilibration of a thermally maintained, stochastically excited jet in a quasigeostrophic model

Abstract A theory for quasigeostrophic turbulence in baroclinic jets is examined in which interaction between the mean flow and the perturbations is explicitly modeled by the nonnormal operator obtained by linearization about the mean flow, while the eddy–eddy interactions are parameterized by a combination of stochastic excitation and effective dissipation. The quasi-linear equilibrium is the stationary state in dynamical balance between the mean flow forcing and eddy forcing produced by the linear stochastic model. The turbulence model depends on two parameters that specify the magnitude of the effective dissipation and stochastic excitation. The quasi-linear model produces heat fluxes (upgradient), momentum fluxes, and mean zonal winds, which are remarkably consistent with those produced by the nonlinear model over a wide range of parameter values despite energy and enstrophy imbalances associated with the parameterization for eddy–eddy interactions. The quasi-linear equilibrium also appears consistent...
Recruitment behavior, home range orientation and territoriality in harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex

1. Scouts of the harvester ant Pogonomyrmex barbatus, P. maricopa and P. rugosus which discovered a new rich foraging area recruit nestmates by laying a trail with poison gland contents from the feeding site to the nest. Laboratory experiments have shown that Pogonomyrmex workers are stimulated to follow the trail by the trail pheromone alone. 2. The biological significance of the recruitment behavior was analyzed in the mesquite-acacia desert in Arizona-New Mexico, where the three species occur sympatrically. P. maricopa recruits less efficiently to food sources than does P. barbatus and P. rugosus. Generally the recruitment activity depends on a number of parameters of the food source, such as distance to the nest, density of the seed fall and size of the grains. 3. The recruitment activity is also affected by the presence, absence or distance of hostile neighboring colonies. 4. The use of chemically and visually marked trunk trails which originate from recruitment trails, guarantees and efficient partitioning of foraging grounds. It could be demonstrated that trunk trails, used by P. barbatus and P. rugosus during foraging and homing, have the effect of avoiding aggressive confrontations between neighboring colonies of the same species. They channel the mass of foragers of hostile neighboring nests into diverging directions, before each ant pursues its individual foraging exploration. This channeling subtly partitions the foraging grounds and allows a much denser nest spacing pattern than a foraging strategy without trunk trails, such as that employed by P. maricopa. 5. The behavioral mechanisms which maintain overdispersion both within and between species of Pogonomyrmex were investigated. Aggressive confrontations at the colony level and aggressive expulsion of foundress queens from the nest territories of mature colonies play thereby a major role. Observational as well as experimental data led to the conclusion that the farther away from its nest the intruder is, the less vigorous are the aggressive confrontations with the defenders. Only when neighboring colonies are located too close together will increased aggressive interactions eventually lead to the emigration of the weaker colony. 6. P. barbatus and P. rugosus have a wide niche overlap, whereas P. maricopa seems to be more specialized in regard to food. This is consistent with the findings that interspecific territoriality between P. barbatus and P. rugosus is considerably more developed than between these species on the one side and P. maricopa on the other. 7. Although foundress queens, which venture into a territory of a conspecific mature colony are fiercely attacked, most of them are not injured, but rather dragged or carried to the territorial border and then released. 8. Nevertheless foraging areas, even of conspecific colonies, frequently overlap, but aggressive interactions there are usually less intense than at the core areas (trunk trails plus nest yards), which normally do not overlap and are vigorously defended.
Members of native coral microbiota inhibit glycosidases and thwart colonization of coral mucus by an opportunistic pathogen.

The outcome of the interactions between native commensal microorganisms and opportunistic pathogens is crucial to the health of the coral holobiont. During the establishment within the coral surface mucus layer, opportunistic pathogens, including a white pox pathogen Serratia marcescens PDL100, compete with native bacteria for available nutrients. Both commensals and pathogens employ glycosidases and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase to utilize components of coral mucus. This study tested the hypothesis that specific glycosidases were critical for the growth of S. marcescens on mucus and that their inhibition by native coral microbiota reduces fitness of the pathogen. Consistent with this hypothesis, a S. marcescens transposon mutant with reduced glycosidase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase activities was unable to compete with the wild type on the mucus of the host coral Acropora palmata, although it was at least as competitive as the wild type on a minimal medium with glycerol and casamino acids. Virulence of the mutant was modestly reduced in the Aiptasia model. A survey revealed that ∼8% of culturable coral commensal bacteria have the ability to inhibit glycosidases in the pathogen. A small molecular weight, ethanol-soluble substance(s) produced by the coral commensal Exiguobacterium sp. was capable of the inhibition of the induction of catabolic enzymes in S. marcescens. This inhibition was in part responsible for the 10–100-fold reduction in the ability of the pathogen to grow on coral mucus. These results provide insight into potential mechanisms of commensal interference with early colonization and infection behaviors in opportunistic pathogens and highlight an important function for the native microbiota in coral health.
Sex- and diagnosis-dependent differences in mortality and admission cytokine levels among patients admitted for intensive care.

Objectives:To investigate the role of sex on cytokine expression and mortality in critically ill patients.Design:A cohort of patients admitted to were enrolled and followed over a 5-year period.Setting:Two university-affiliated hospital surgical and trauma ICUs.Patients:Patients 18 years old and old
Phase transition behavior of hydroxypropylcellulose under interpolymer complexation with poly(acrylic acid)

The phase transition behavior of hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) under interpolymer complexation with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) has been studied by turbidity and laser light scattering measurements. It...
Identifying statistical mimicry attacks in distributed spectrum sensing

In this work, we consider the spectrum sensing problem in cognitive radio applications where a fusion center collects reports from secondary users (SUs) and fuses them to estimate spectrum occupancy. Some SUs may be malicious and provide false reports. In particular, instead of sensing the spectrum, a malicious SU may use another SU's report in order to reduce their power consumption, or hide their identity and location. We prove that when the identity of mimic SUs is known, the sufficient test statistic for the optimal fusion rule ignores the mimics' reports. We show that the joint distribution of the SU reports can be represented by a graphical model. Based on the structural properties of this graphical model, we design an algorithm to learn its structure and thus identify the mimic SUs in the system. We derive an approximation to the probability of misclassification for our proposed algorithm. Simulation results are provided for evaluating performance.
Diet of Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica): Relationship to Sexual Dimorphism and Potential Impacts of an Altered River System in Maryland

Last recorded in Maryland in the early 1990’s, the Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica) is listed as state endangered and is currently only known in the lower Susquehanna River drainage. This river is divided by a hydroelectric dam, used for recreation, and has increasing shoreline development, all of which may negatively impact this population. Knowing this population’s diet and if alterations to the river affect their prey base is important to understanding the species’ current status. Northern Map Turtles are mostly molluscivorous but will also consume other invertebrates. Studies have shown that map turtle species will subsidize their diet with invasive mussels, potentially decreasing dietary diversity. The Susquehanna River contains both native and nonnative mollusks species. Recently, Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), an invasive species known to have large effects on aquatic food webs and nutrient cycling, have been found in the lower Susquehanna. Given the absence of basic data on Northern Map Turtle diet in Maryland, fecal samples of 32 turtles were examined. Three operational taxanomic units predominated across samples: gastropods, trichopteran larvae, and Corbicula fluminea. Pronounced sexual differences occurred for these taxa, as adult males (n=14) fed primarily on trichoptera, a small unidentified gastropod species (~2 mm), and Corbicula sp. while the females (n=18) fed almost exclusively on Pleurocerid snails. This research has provided us baseline data on Northern Map Turtle diet and monitoring of the diet will allow us to not only understand impacts of dam operations on composition of their prey base, but the potential shift to zebra mussels as well.
On the regioselectivity of coupling of substituted allyl radicals. Steric versus FMO control

Abstract The photo-induced decomposition of substituted-homoallylic 4-nitrobenzenesulfenates produces substituted allyl radicals which undergo dimerization and coupling with the 4-nitrobenzenethiyl radical. The regioselectivity of the dimerization of the allyl radicals is controlled by both steric and FMO properties depending on the nature of the substituent.
Tight-binding theory of chemisorption: CO on Ni(100) and (111)

Abstract A localized orbital method, with no adjustable parameters, is used to investigate the relative binding strengths of CO to various sites on Ni (100) and (111) surfaces. In the most stable configuration the CO molecule bonds through the C atom in a 4-fold coordinated site on (100) and a 3-fold site on (111). Calculated electronic energy levels of the chemisorbed gas are in good agreement with photoemission spectra.
Fast Full-Band Device Simulator for Wurtzite and Zincblende GaN MESFET Using a Cellular Monte Carlo Method

A fast full-band device simulator for wurtzite and zincblende GaN using a Cellular Monte Carlo (CMC) approach is reported for wurtzite and zincblende GaN. The full-phonon dispersion relationship including anisotropic polar-optical phonon scattering is taken into account for the wurtzite GaN calculation. In the bulk simulation, the CMC model is about 30–100 times faster than the conventional Ensemble Monte Carlo model at high electric field region. This CMC model is applied to the simulator of MESFET devices, and the calculation speed is significantly improved.
Preservation of high-moisture corn: a microbiological evaluation

Abstract Ammonia, ammonium isobutyrate, isobutyric acid, and propionic-acetic acid at concentrations of .5%, 1.75%, 1.5%, and 1.2%, respectively, were applied to comparable 52.8m 3 lots of freshly harvested yellow dent corn having a moisture content of 27%. Treated corn was stored in partially open wooden bins. Harvestore ® and barrell storage of untreated corn were included as controls. Temperature and microbiological changes were evaluated throughout 6 mo of storage. As the corn came from the field, log counts of 6.3, 5.8, 5.3, and 3.0 per g were determined for bacteria, molds, yeasts, and actinomycetes, respectively. All chemicals immediately reduced bacterial and actinomycete counts and eliminated molds and yeasts. All treatments after approximately 30 days' storage had secondary fungal growth. Scopulariopsis brevicaulis predominated on ammonia-treated corn; Mucorales, and species of Monascus, Peniaillium, Fusarium , and Aspergillus flavus , as well as A. fumigatus , were in ammonium isobutyrate-treated corn. A. flavus was the predominant mold infecting isobutyric acid and propionic-acetic acid treated corn late in storage.
NEW ENTIRE SOLUTIONS TO SOME CLASSICAL SEMILINEAR ELLIPTIC PROBLEMS

This paper deals with the construction of solutions to autonomous semilinear elliptic equations considered in entire space. In the absence of space dependence or explicit geometries of the ambient space, the point is to unveil internal mechanisms of the equation that trigger the presence of families of solutions with interesting concentration patterns. We discuss the connection between minimal surface theory and entire solutions of the Allen-Cahn equation. In particular, for dimensions 9 or higher, we build an example that provides a negative answer to a celebrated question by De Giorgi for this problem. We will also discuss related results for the (actually more delicate) standing wave problem in nonlinear
Quantification of cortical arousal: Correlation with locomotor activity

Cortical arousal has been assumed to be a continuous rather than “all or none” phenomenon. Few studies using quantitative techniques for the examination of cortical activity have been sensitive enough to detect such an arousal continuum, if one does exist. Typically, these studies have quantified cortical activity by using period analysis or amplitude analysis. A technique is presented which incorporates both of these types of analysis and yields a derived measure sensitive to alterations in cortical arousal. This derived measure was found to be significantly correlated with locomotor activity.
From Husbands and Housewives to Suckers and Whores: Marital‐Political Anxieties in the ‘House of Egypt’, 1919–48

This article traces the transformation in the symbolic role of the modern, bourgeois Egyptian home and the political and personal relationships it allegedly engendered, showing that what had originally appeared as promising became the potential site of treason and deceit. The article relies on archival materials, political caricatures and articles from the popular press. Beginning with an assessment of the political discourse of 1919, it then illustrates how, by the 1930s, home life and marriage appeared as zones of crisis rather than promise. By the late 1940s, as a stand-in for political commentary, the domicile appeared as a space from which men had to escape at all costs, presaging a revolution in which a new political order would restore the household to its previous order and centrality.
The fluctuating-masker benefit for normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners with equal audibility at a fixed signal-to-noise ratio

While normal-hearing (NH) listeners demonstrate better speech intelligibility for fluctuating-masker than for stationary-noise conditions, hearing-impaired (HI) listeners generally show little or no fluctuating-masker benefit (FMB). This result has been interpreted in terms of suprathreshold deficits (e.g., reduced spectral or temporal resolution or distorted stream-segregation cues) that limit ?dip-listening?. However, reduced FMB for HI listeners might instead be attributable to audibility limitations or to differences between the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) at which NH and HI listeners are tested. This study examined this issue by equalizing stationary-noise performance to allow measurements at a common SNR, equalizing audibility, and presenting identical signals to pairs of NH and HI listeners. Audibility was equalized using linear gain, low-pass filtering (4 kHz) and intensity filtering to remove speech-signal elements below the HI audiometric threshold. Nonsense-syllable identification performance in stationary noise was equalized by adjusting the response set size. Stationary-noise trials (adapting set size) were interleaved with fluctuating-masker trials (adapting SNR), ensuring stable stationary-noise performance throughout the test. Fluctuating maskers included low- and high-rate modulated noise, speech-modulated noise and an interfering-talker condition. Results determine whether and under which conditions the HI listeners demonstrate reduced FMB not attributable to SNR or audibility effects.
Probability of internal ionization during nuclear β decay: Effect of final-state interaction

A full calculation of the probability of ionization of a K-shell electron during nuclear ..beta.. decay, including the effect of final-state interaction (direct-collision mechanism), has been carried out using nonrelativistic hydrogenic wave functions. Numerical results are presented for /sub 28//sup 63/Ni, /sub 46//sup 107/Pd, and /sub 62//sup 151/Sm; they are found to be larger than the predictions of shake-off theory by 12--15%. A comparison with other recent theoretical results is made; significant differences are found.
Stability, microstructural evolution, grain growth, and coarsening in a two-dimensional two-phase microstructure

Abstract The stability of certain microstructural features and how this affects grain growth and coarsening in a two-dimensional polycrystalline two-phase material with isotropic energies for the two grain boundaries and the interphase interface is examined using classical concepts. A catalog of stable microstructural features depends on surface-energy ratios; it is shown to include a four-grain junction that is stable for a range of surface-energy ratios, and, for a given set of ratios, is stable over a range of angles. Three-grain junctions and grain boundaries had been known to have a limited range of stability with respect to being “wet” by the other phase. Inferences about grain growth, coarsening, and evolving morphology are obtained from the integrated curvature of the bounding surface of a grain, which depends on the number and phase of neighboring grains, as well as the order of their arrangement. Under some conditions, a dispersion of second phase grains grain boundaries will tend to a uniform size; this second phase resists coarsening.
Bound sugars in hepatic glycoproteins from male rats during dietary citrus bioflavonoid and/or ascorbic acid supplementation.

The purpose of these experiments was to determine whether quantitative changes take place in the attached sugars of hepatic (postmitochondrial) glycoproteins isolated from rats fed a diet supplemen...
Manipulating Nanoparticle Size within Polyelectrolyte Multilayers via Electroless Nickel Deposition

Palladium nanoparticles within polyelectrolyte multilayers of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were prepared as seeds for further growth by electroless nickel deposition. The seeds were generated by binding tetraaminepalladium from aqueous solution to PAA carboxylic acid functionalities in the polymer film and subsequent reduction. Nickel was electrolessly deposited on the small, 2-nm-diameter catalytic particles. By manipulation of the rate and duration of the electroless deposition, a nickel shell of arbitrary thickness could be grown; up to 14-nm-diameter particles were obtained. Elemental analyses showed that the composition of the electrolessly deposited material, nickel with several weight percent boron, was similar to that obtained from macroscopic surface electroless nickel plating. The electroless chemistry facilitated control over nanoparticle size independent of the process of nanoparticle nucleation and hence particle concentration.