cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cultural tourism in an ethnic theme park: tourists’ views

The quest for cultural exoticism has inspired mass Han Chinese visits to regions in China, such as Yunnan, where several ‘ethnic theme parks’ have been developed. Employing surveys, informal interviews, observations and secondary sources, this study explores tourists’ views of their experiences, including their perceptions of cultural authenticity at an ethnic theme park in Yunnan, China. Mixed reactions existed to the experience of park patronage, with greater satisfaction with the overall experience than with the specific qualities and authenticity of park offerings. Most tourists had a favorable view of the site and enjoyed their overall experience. Many appreciated a packaged version of minority cultures. However, some visitors were concerned about misrepresentation, insufficient interpretation, poor service, high costs and inauthentic souvenirs. Tourists’ perceptions of authenticity and their satisfaction were significantly influenced by their individual backgrounds. The study raises important issues...
A generalized model of optimal diets

Abstract The scope of current optimal diet theory is greatly restricted by certain rather stringent assumptions upon which it rests. One of these is that the type of prey a predator encounters next is not influenced by the last type encountered. The purpose of this paper is to relax this and certain other assumptions and, in so doing, arrive at a set of rules for determining the structure of the optimal diet which are analogous to, but more general than, those of current theory. Once obtained, these rules are contrasted with their earlier analogues. The major findings are that (1) prey types are not necessarily added to the optimal diet in order of decreasing energy to handling time ratio, and (2) the abundance of a type initially excluded from the diet is not necessarily irrelevant in determining whether or not that type will be included in the future. These findings show that, in the more general case considered, the structure of the optimal diet may be quite different than predicted by current theory.
Guidelines For The Selection Of Raman Multichannel Detectors

The performance characteristics of seven Raman multichannel detectors are discussed. The detectors are proximity-focused MCP image-intensified diode array (P/IPDA), electrostatically-focused MCP image-intensified diode array (E/IPDA), double MCP image intensified diode (D/IPDA), dual, MCP image-intensified diode array (DIDA), charge couple device (CCD), intensified charge couple device (ICCD) and intensified resistive anode (IRA): also known as MEPSICRON. The main objective of this paper is to provide Raman spectroscopists with a comparative performance information that should facilitate the selection of the optimal detector for a particular application.
Development of cancer treatment guidelines

The use of guidelines in medicine has a long history. Many medical conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, are managed by physicians who use protocols in daily practice. These guidelines are...
Cesarean delivery on request: reproductive consequences.

Objective The objective of this review is to examine the long term reproductive health consequences of cesarean delivery on maternal request. Findings In the first delivery, cesarean delivery appears to hold small risk of reproductive complications compared to vaginal delivery. Primary cesarean delivery can affect subsequent pregnancies. The most serious reproductive health consequences of prior cesarean delivery occur in subsequent pregnancies. These complications include: unexplained fetal death apparent from 34 weeks gestation onward; abnormalities of placentation which increase with a greater number of cesarean deliveries; risk of uterine rupture and uterine scar dehiscence. Conclusions Primary cesarean delivery carries risk for subsequent pregnancies. While the studies reviewed do not specifically refer to cesarean delivery on request, it is likely that the results would be similar. Overall, in considering the specific question of long term reproductive health, the risks of maternal request cesarean delivery outweigh the benefits.
Dualities for torsion-free abelian groups of finite rank

Two well-known dualities have been very useful in the study of torsionfree abelian groups of finite rank: Warlield duality for locally free groups and Arnold duality for quotient divisible groups [Wa, Ar]. In this note we establish a duality, on classes of torsion-free abelian groups of finite rank, which generalizes both Warlield and Arnold duality. Our results were inspired by a recent paper of Fomin [FOG], who constructed a duality which is also a special case of the one presented here. The basic idea is to write a torsion-free abelian group of finite rank (hereafter, “group”) G as a sum G = G, + G,, where G, is locally free and G, is quotient divisible. A dual for G is then obtained by adding the War-field dual of G,, W(G,), and the Arnold dual of Gz, A(G,) (inside of Hom(G, Q)). The idea of breaking up G into a locally free and a quotient divisible part is not a new one-it was investigated by Murley in [Mu]. As noted by Murley, one easy way to obtain G, and Gz is to take a full free subgroup F of G and write G/F= D 0 R, where D is a divisible and R is a reduced torsion group. Then choose subgroups G, and G2 of G containing F so that G,IF = R and G,/F = D. In general, the G, obtained in this way is decidedly non-unique, even up to quasi-isomorphism. It is therefore somewhat surprising that we can form G* = W(G,) + A(G,) to obtain a group which, up to quasi-equality, is independent of the choice ofG,. Further complexity can be introduced due to the fact that the Warlield and Arnold duals treat free and divisible localizations differently, prompting our definition of PX-groups (Definition 2.1). On the category of PX-groups and quasi-homomorphisms (in which objects are quasi-equality classes), G + G* defines an exact contravariant functor (Theorem 2.13). The PX-group G* has a special property, which was also studied by Murley. On the PX-groups with this special property, the “dualizable PX-groups,” * determines a duality (Theorem 3.3), which generalizes the dualities of Warlield, Arnold, and Fomin (Proposition 3.5). We remark 474 OO21-8693/90 $3.00
Seasonal Correlations of SST, Water Vapor, and Convective Activity in Tropical Oceans: A New Hyperspectral Data Set for Climate Model Testing

The analysis of the response of the Earth Climate System to the seasonal changes of solar forcing in the tropical oceans using four years of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) data between 2002 and 2006 gives new insight into amplitude and phase relationships between surface and tropospheric temperatures, humidity, and convective activity. The intensity of the convective activity is measured by counting deep convective clouds. The peaks of convective activity, temperature in the mid-troposphere, and water vapor in the 0-30 N and 0-30 S tropical ocean zonal means occur about two months after solstice, all leading the peak of the sea surface temperature by several weeks. Phase is key to the evaluation of feedback. The evaluation of climate models in terms of zonal and annual means and annual mean deviations from zonal means can now be supplemented by evaluating the phase of key atmospheric and surface parameters relative to solstice. The ability of climate models to reproduce the statistical flavor of the observed amplitudes and relative phases for broad zonal means should lead to increased confidence in the realism of their water vapor and cloud feedback algorithms. AIRS and AMSU were launched into a 705 km altitude polar sun-synchronous orbit on the EOS Aqua spacecraft on May 4, 2002, and have been in routine data gathering mode since September 2002.
CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST SCORES AND OTHER DIAGNOSTIC VARIABLES.

For the clinician, the validity of a test or assessment technique resides in the range and structural clarity of the information it provides him about the individual client with whom he works. 2 devices, for example, might be equal in forecasting a particular criterion, yet differ widely in their personological implicatons. Analysis of this problem permits specification of 3 levels of evaluation: primary, secondary, and tertiary. The conceptual model defined by these levels would appear to incorporate the kind of information which the diagnostician desires, and which indeed he must have if he is to function in an insightful and fully professional manner. The purpose of this paper is to offer a point of view concerning the meaning of measurement in psychology. Attention is centered on the use or application of such measures, and what they tell the interpreter about the individual who has been tested. Significant prior discussions of the validity issue in testing and diagnosis have sought to classify tests according to the criteria employed in their construction and evaluation (cf. Cronbach & Meehl, 1955), and to specify ways in which discriminations may be sharpened (cf. Campbell & Fiske, 1959). These emphases are important, but nevertheless do not touch on all of the significant facets of meaning subsumed under the concept of validity. The intention here is to present a different perspective, one which stresses the implications of any scale or variable when it is brought to bear upon the analysis of the individual case. From this perspective, the practitioner in testing seeks variables which permit individuated descriptions of the subject who has been tested, forecasts of what he will say or do,
Thallium nitrate as a reagent for the conversion of epoxides into α-hydroxynitrate esters and for the cleavage of aliphatic ethers

Abstract Simple as well as steroidal oxiranes are converted into the corresponding α-hydroxy nitrate esters by treatment with Tl(NO3)3 in hexane solution. Moreover aliphatic ethers react with Tl(NO3)3 in acetic anhydride via cleavage of the ethereal bond and formation of the corresponding acetoxy derivatives.
A mentor training program improves mentoring competency for researchers working with early-career investigators from underrepresented backgrounds

Mentoring is increasingly recognized as a critical element in supporting successful careers in academic research in medicine and related disciplines, particularly for trainees and early career investigators from underrepresented backgrounds. Mentoring is often executed ad hoc; there are limited programs to train faculty to become more effective mentors, and the few that exist have a dearth of empirical support of their impact. In 2013, we recruited 34 faculty from across the US engaged in HIV-related clinical research to participate in a 2-day Mentoring the Mentors workshop. The workshop included didactic and interactive content focused on a range of topics, such as mentor-mentee communication, leadership styles, emotional intelligence, understanding the impact of diversity (unconscious bias, microaggressions, discrimination, tokenism) for mentees, and specific tools and techniques for effective mentoring. Pre- and post-workshop online evaluations documented high rates of satisfaction with the program and statistically significant improvements in self-appraised mentoring skills (e.g. addressing diversity in mentoring, communication with mentees, aligning mentor-mentee expectations), as assessed via a validated mentoring competency tool. This is the first mentoring training program focused on enhancing mentors' abilities to nurture investigators of diversity, filling an important gap, and evaluation results offer support for its effectiveness. Results suggest a need for refinement and expansion of the program and for more comprehensive, long-term evaluation of distal mentoring outcomes for those who participate in the program.
Objective Identification of Tornado Seasons and Ideal Spatial Smoothing Radii

AbstractThe fundamental purpose of this research is to highlight the spatial seasonality of tornado risk. This requires the use of objective methods to determine the appropriate spatial extent of the bandwidth used to calculate tornado density values (i.e., smoothing the raw tornado data). With the understanding that a smoothing radius depends partially upon the period of study, the next step is to identify objectively ideal periods of tornado analysis. To avoid decisions about spatial or temporal boundaries, this project makes use of storm speed and tornado pathlength data, along with statistical cluster analysis, to establish tornado seasons that display significantly different temporal and spatial patterns. This method yields four seasons with unique characteristics of storm speed and tornado pathlength.The results show that the ideal bandwidth depends partially upon the temporal analysis period and the lengths of the tornadoes studied. Hence, there is not a “one size fits all,” but the bandwidth can b...
The frequency, distribution, and pathology of three diseases of demersal fishes in the Bering Sea

During September and October, 1975, bottom-dwelling fish from the Bering Sea were examined for diseases. The three most commonly observed diseases and their frequency of occurrence were epidermal papillomas of rock sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata Ayres), 1-0%; lymphocystis of yellowfln sole (Limanda aspera Pallas), 2-1 %; and epidermal tumours of the pseudobranch of adult Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus Tilesius), 7-4%. Both the appearance and the histological characteristics of epidermal papillomas on rock sole resembled those found on several species of flatfish in Puget Sound. The frequency of tumour-bearing rock sole ranged from 0-23%, with the highest occurrence at sampling stations around the periphery of the Bering Sea in water depths of 20-30 fathoms (36-54 m). The virus-caused lymphocystis lesions were usually on the ‘blind’ side fins and skin surfaces of yellowfin sole, the largest lesions being found on the operculum, and the most common site of infection was the pectoral fin. The frequency of lymphocystis was 0-15 %, with a gradual increase of prevalence from the northern to southern sampling stations. The Pacific cod tumours were always bilateral, and contained remnants of normal-appearing pseudobranchial tissue on the surface or deep inside the tumours. Portions of some tumours were necrotic and liquefied. Tumour-bearing cod were most commonly found in the south and south-eastern Bering Sea and the frequency of affected cod ranged from 0-100%.
Power-oscillator based high efficiency inductive power-link for transcutaneous power transmission

Transcutaneous power transmission is a critical issue for long term reliable operation of implantable systems. This paper reports a power-oscillator based inductive power link to power up any implantable unit inside the human body. Instead of using power amplifier which requires high drive requirement, two power-oscillator based inductive powering schemes have been presented to achieve high link efficiency. The first scheme utilizes a class-E power oscillator whereas the second scheme uses a differential cross-coupled power oscillator to drive the inductive link. Resonant inductive link has been used to achieve better link efficiency. Simulation results indicate that for a coupling coefficient of 0.45, the class-E power-oscillator based scheme shows a link efficiency of 66% and the differential cross-coupled power-oscillator based scheme shows more than 90% link efficiency. The system has been designed using 0.5-µm standard CMOS process and both of the systems can handle more than 10 mW of power which is adequate for safe operation of biomedical implants.
Fairness Monitoring: Linking Managerial Controls and Fairness Judgments in Organizations

We argue that different types of perceived managerial controls that convey performance standards to subordinates increase the perceived relevance of particular aspects of fairness in organizations....
Single‐Mother Families and Air Pollution: A National Study*

In a recent study of 14 U.S. metropolitan areas, Downey (2005a) found that the presence of single-mother families in a Census tract was a relatively strong predictor of tract proximity to industrial activity. The statistically significant associations Downey found between the percentage of single-mother families in a tract and tract proximity to industrial activity persisted after controlling for tract income levels and tract racial composition. Moreover, percent single-mother families was one of the strongest predictors included in the study. Like Downey (2005a), this study asks whether single-mother families are overrepresented in environmentally hazardous Census tracts and whether the percentage of single-mother families in a Census tract is a statistically significant predictor of environmental hazard presence levels even after controlling for other important predictors of environmental hazard presence. This study also asks whether the representation of single-mother families in environmentally hazardous Census tracts is similar to that of single-father families and married-parent families. Determining whether this is the case is important because if single-mother families are overrepresented in environmentally hazardous Census tracts this may simply be due to the fact that all families with children are overrepresented in such tracts. Despite their similarities, this study extends Downey (2005a) in four important ways. First, it includes complete Census tract coverage of the continental United States (the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC). Second, it uses toxicity-weighted air pollutant concentration estimates, rather than industrial facility proximity data, to indicate environmental risk. Third, it includes several control variables that have been associated with environmental hazard presence in previous studies but were not included in Downey (2005a). Fourth, in addition to asking whether all families with children are overrepresented in environmentally hazardous Census tracts, this study also asks whether families with children less than six years old are overrepresented in environmentally hazardous Census tracts. These differences are important because (1) Downey's findings cannot be generalized to other metropolitan areas or to the United States as a whole, (2) several researchers have raised concerns about the quality of hazard proximity data (Bowen, 2002), (3) young children are particularly susceptible to the negative health effects of toxic pollution (Pastor, Sadd, and Morello-Frosch, 2004), and (4) including additional control variables in the analysis increases our confidence in the validity of our results.
Continuum limits for lattice strings

Abstract We report on a numerical simulation of a dynamically triangulated random surface with extrinsic curvature. Evidence for a crumpling transition at finite coupling is shown. By measuring loop correlation functions we are able to extract both the mass gap and string tension. Preliminary results indicate that the latter may scale close to the new critical point in such a way as to ensure that the continuum limit describes the fluctuations of a genuine 2D surface.
Path-integral methods for treating quantal behavior in solids: Mean-field theory and the effects of fluctuations.

Recent developments in the chemical literature have shown how discretized path integrals may be used to treat the quantum-mechanical internal degrees of freedom of molecules in liquids. This paper suggests that analogous methods might also be useful for quantum-mechanical solid-state problems, such as those posed by lattice-spin systems. The idea, illustrated in this paper by a common model for tunneling in solids, the transverse Ising model, is to transform the quantal spins into classical spins with ``internal structure.'' The resulting classical system can then be treated by analytical methods. For the transverse Ising model, both the traditional mean-field theory and a new approximation (which includes a fluctuation correction) are derived in this way. The effects of thermal and quantum-mechanical fluctuations are shown to be largely identical for the example considered.
Excited-State Coordination Chemistry: Excited-State Basicity of Bis(2,2′-bipyridyl)(2,3-dipyridylpyrazine)ruthenium(II)

The proton dependencies of the absorption and emission spectra of bis(2,2′-bipyridyl)(2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine)ruthenium(II), (bpy)2Ru(dpp) 2+ indicate that population of the dpp-localized MLCT state increases the basicity of dpp peripheral nitrogens. NMR spectra reveal the protonation of the peripheral dpp pyridine in the ground state, pKa of 1.12 ( 0.03, occurs intermediate between the changes evident in the absorption and emission spectra. As a result, the emissivity of aqueous solutions of (bpy)2Ru(dpp) 2+ as a function of [H + ] derives from two emissive species: the unprotonated complex and the monoprotonated complex [(bpy)2Ru(dppHpy)] 3+ with the proton attached to the peripheral dpp pyridine. Although protonation in the MLCT state generally quenches the emission, the emissivity of the monoprotonated complex, albeit weak, is attributed to the asymmetric distribution of the charge in the MLCT state. The majority of the transferred charge resides at the peripheral pyrazinyl nitrogen, and excited-state acid-base chemistry occurs predominantly at this site. Nonetheless, ground-state protonation of the peripheral dpp pyridine dramatically increases the nonradiative decay rate and significantly influences subsequent excited-state protonation processes. Protonation of the excited state changes from a bimolecular process to a combination of inter- and intramolecular processes where the proton transfers from the dpp pyridyl nitrogen to the dpp pyrazinyl nitrogen and from the surrounding aqueous solvent shell. Energetically, changes in the absorption spectra originally attributed to the first protonation of the complex and from which the ∆pKa of the excited state have been estimated, in fact, correspond to the second protonation of the complex.
Climate change and conservation implications for wet meadows in dry Patagonia

Climate change is predicted to be a major threat for biodiversity and, from a conservation prospective, it is important to understand how ecosystems may respond to that change. Predicted climate change effects on the distribution of meadows in the arid and semi-arid Argentinean Patagonia by 2050 were assessed for change trends and areas of desertification vulnerability using species distribution models (SDM) and climate-change models. Four modelling techniques composed an ensemble-forecasting approach. Suitable areas for meadows will decrease by 7.85% by 2050 given predicted changes in climate. However, there were two contrasting trends: severe reduction of suitable areas for meadows in north-west Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego Island, and an expansion of suitable areas for meadows in the south and a small section in the north-west. Meadows in Patagonia will likely be impacted by climate change, probably due to changes in precipitation regimes, and consequently many species that rely on meadows in an arid environment will also be impacted. Given the low level of protection of meadows in Patagonia, such information on meadow distribution and vulnerability to climate change will be important for increasing and improving the network of conservation areas through conservation planning.
Capital Market Experience for Financial Accounting Students

Abstract. In this paper we present an innovative teaching tool for introductory financial accounting students that promotes active learning using methods at the frontier of market research. We describe the implementation of an asset market where students assume the role of traders in order to learn the role of information in price formation. We discuss the pedagogical questions which are addressed in the design of this market, and we relate the responses to questionnaires distributed to students at the end of the quarter. When we control for prior grade point averages (GPAs) of students, we find that those who participate in the market had better classroom performance. Resume. Les auteurs presentent ici un instrument pedagogique innovateur, a l'intention des etudiants des cours d'introduction a la comptabilite financiere, favorisant l'apprentissage dynamique grâce a l'utilisation de methodes voisinant de pres l'etude de marche. Ils decrivent la mise en place d'un marche de biens ou les etudiants assument les fonctions de negociateurs en vue d'apprendre quel est le role de l'information dans la formation des prix. Ils analysent les questions pedagogiques que souleve la conception de ce marche et font etat des reponses des etudiants aux questionnaires qui leur sont distribues a la fin du trimestre. Lorsqu'ils controlent les notes moyennes anterieures des etudiants, les auteurs constatent que ceux qui ont participe au marche font preuve d'un rendement superieur en classe.
Comparison of a new variant of PMF with other receptor modeling methods using artificial and real sediment PCB data sets

A new variant of positive matrix factorization (PMF) is developed and compared to existing methods of PMF and eigenvalue-based factor analysis (FA) using an artificially created data set, including environmental variability and an environmental data set. Diagnostic tools are considered for the determination of the number of significant factors for all methods. The methodology for the new method of PMF is based on a nonnegative least squares (NNLS) technique combined with iterative rotations to eliminate negative elements from the source profile and source contribution matrices. The PMF and FA methods reproduce the source profiles for the artificial data set well, and the PMF method provides realistic source profiles for the real data set, whereas the FA method does not. The new method may be able to reproduce zero values better than PMF using penalty terms, and also appears to provide a better fit for the data since the minimum value of the weighted sum of squares of residuals Q is maintained during the rotations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A time to listen.

As methods of health care delivery, and advances in technology change our lives and practices, an essential element of personal and professional relationships has become neglected. We have stopped listening to each other, to our patients, and to ourselves; we have lost the art of communication. The essential aspects of optimal communication and the power of nonverbal signals are reviewed. Only by recognizing the importance of communication in surgical education, practice, and in fact in all aspects of daily life, will this encroaching societal deafness be rebuffed.
A Chunking Method for Euclidean Distance Matrix Calculation on Large Dataset Using Multi-GPU

Calculating Euclidean distance matrix is a data intensive operation and becomes computationally prohibitive for large datasets. Recent development of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) has produced superb performance on scientific computing problems using massive parallel processing cores. However, due to the limited size of device memory, many GPU based algorithms have low capability in solving problems with large datasets. In this paper, a chunking method is proposed to calculate Euclidean distance matrix on large datasets. This is not only designed for scalability in multi-GPU environment but also to maximize the computational capability of each individual GPU device. We first implement a fast GPU algorithm that is suitable for calculating sub matrices of Euclidean distance matrix. Then we utilize a Map-Reduce like framework to split the final distance matrix calculation into many small independent jobs of calculating partial distance matrices, which can be efficiently solved by our GPU algorithm. The framework also dynamically allocates GPU resources to those independent jobs for maximum performance. The experimental results have shown a speed up of 15x on datasets which contain more than half million data points.
Formation and resolution of double-strand break intermediates in V(D)J rearrangement.

A recently described pre-B cell line can be induced at high temperature to actively rearrange its immunoglobulin light-chain loci. We used this cell line to determine the fate of double-strand breaks generated by V(D)J rearrangement. After induction, 30%-40% of K loci had broken /K1 signal ends. /Kl-coding ends were detectable, but 10- to 100-fold less frequent. Both covalently closed (hairpin) and open, blunt, processed coding ends were observed. Coding junctions involving /K1 accumulated with similar kinetics as /K1 signal ends, arguing that coding ends can be resolved quickly and efficiently to coding junctions, whereas signal ends remain mostly unjoined. Signal ends are then joined rapidly when cells are returned to the low temperature. These results support the model that broken signal ends and hairpin coding ends are authentic intermediates in V(D)J recombination. It appears that hairpin coding ends are rapidly opened, processed, and resolved to coding junctions, whereas joining of signal ends is clearly uncoupled from the joining of coding ends and can be much slower. Efficient formation of signal junctions may require cell cycle progression, or down-regulation of the recombination machinery.
Identification of Avian Malaria (Plasmodium Sp.) and Canine Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) in the Mosquitoes of Tennessee

Abstract: Plasmodium reticulum, the causative agent for avian malaria (a protozoan), and Dirofilaria immitis, the causative agent for canine heartworm (a filarial nematode), are 2 obligate parasites transmitted by mosquitoes. The objective of this project was to identify whether either parasite was present in Tennessee mosquitoes and to illustrate the need for collecting spatial and temporal vector–parasite data. During 2012, mosquitoes were collected from the East Tennessee Research and Education Center (ETREC) in eastern Tennessee and the Ames Plantation Research and Education Center (AMES) in western Tennessee using CO2 traps and gravid traps. Once mosquitoes were identified to species, their heads and thoraces were pooled in groups of ≤10, and the entire pool underwent DNA extraction and parasite amplification via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Plasmodium and Haemoproteus parasite DNA (cytochrome b) and for Dirofilaria species DNA (internal transcribed spacer-2 ribosomal DNA). All positive PCR am...
Navigating Deep Time: Landmarks for Time From the Big Bang to the Present

ABSTRACT People make sense of the world by comparing and relating new information to their existing landmarks. Each individual may have different landmarks, developed through idiosyncratic experiences. Identifying specific events that constitute landmarks for a group of learners may help instructors in gauging students' prior knowledge and in planning instruction that helps students build additional landmarks events. This paper proposes an operationalized definition for collective landmarks based on importance, accuracy, and precision. Including precision in the definition allows landmarks to be characterized for a group rather than an individual. This study evaluated the ability of undergraduate students in an interdisciplinary course to estimate scales of time related to major cosmological, geological, and historical events. Individual students responded to replicate questions in different formats with the same answers, indicating the testing format was valid. The students' estimates were then used to d...
Prevalence of a Trypanosomatid in the Southern Green Stink Bug, Nezara viridula

The southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), and certain of its host plants were examined to determine the prevalence and biological characteristics of an intestinal trypanosomatid. Promastigotes with short ( or = 25.0 microm) usually infected 50% (maximum 95%) during August-October, but prevalence was not host-density dependent. The flagellate was detected in adults and in all nymphal instars, at all sampling sites where at least 10 bugs were captured, and in bugs from all host plants sampled (soybean, red clover, vetch). Of bugs with flagellates, 27% were heavily infected (> 20 flagellates per 160X microscope field). Weights of infected and uninfected adults did not differ. Live flagellates were detected in bug feces and in one stem of red clover. When bugs were fed soybean pods, tomatoes, or snap beans in the laboratory, only once were flagellates detected in plant tissue (snap beans). The flagellate was cultured in modified Medium 199. This flagellate is prevalent in N. viridula populations in Louisiana and apparently does not cause significant pathological effects in N. viridula or its host plants, including soybean.
Computation and inversion of ion spectra for neutron depth profiling of curved surfaces

Neutron depth profiling (NDP) is a nondestructive technique for determining the concentration of special isotopes within several microns of a sample's surface. Previous NDP analyses, however, have been restricted to samples with plane surfaces. Here samples with curved surfaces are considered. In particular, a method for estimating the energy spectrum of ions emitted from curved surfaces is presented. Also, a robust method for inverting the NDP ion energy spectra is presented that yields accurate concentration profiles for both under- and overdetermined NDP spectra.
A key pre-distribution scheme for wireless sensor networks

Key technological advances in wireless communications, micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), and digital circuitry have energized the research community to focus on the challenges of wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we propose a new pre-distribution key management scheme that meets the operational and security requirements of wireless sensor networks and provides authentication and key distribution in one set of protocols. Our scheme allows selective key revocation and node rekeying and posits improved network resiliency over existing key pre-distribution schemes. The scheme is based on probability key sharing among sensor nodes of a random graph and incorporates a threshold property. Uncompromised nodes in a sensor network are secure provided that an adversary compromises less than a threshold-number of nodes. We describe the details of our algorithm and briefly compare it with other proposed schemes.
Morphogenesis and cell cycle progression in Candida albicans.

Candida albicans, an opportunistic human pathogen, displays three modes of growth: yeast, pseudohyphae and true hyphae, all of which differ both in morphology and in aspects of cell cycle progression. In particular, in hyphal cells, polarized growth becomes uncoupled from other cell cycle events. Yeast or pseudohyphae that undergo a cell cycle delay also exhibit polarized growth, independent of cell cycle progression. The Spitzenkorper, an organelle composed of vesicles associated with hyphal tips, directs continuous hyphal elongation in filamentous fungal species and also in C. albicans hyphae. A polarisome mediates cell cycle dependent growth in yeast and pseudohyphae. Regulation of morphogenesis and cell cycle progression is dependent upon specific cyclins, all of which affect morphogenesis and some of which function specifically in yeast or hyphal cells. Future work will probably focus on the cell cycle checkpoints involved in connecting morphogenesis to cell cycle progression.
Nomogram for use with cardiac output measuring equipment

A nomogram is described which facilitates rapid calculation of the cardiac output from the integral of a dye dilution curve.
Performance of a continuous-wave forsterite laser with krypton ion, Ti:sapphire, and Nd:YAG pump lasers

The authors characterize continuous-wave operation of a chromium-doped forsterite (Cr/sup 4+/:Mg/sub 2/SiO/sub 4/) laser using krypton ion, Ti:sapphire, and Nd:YAG lasers as pump sources. Measurements were made pumping at 647 nm and 676 nm with the krypton ion laser, between 690 and 1010 nm with the Ti:sapphire laser, and at 1.06 mu m with the Nd:YAG laser. Threshold pump powers and slope efficiencies are compared for output coupler transmissions varying between 1 and 15.5%. Room-temperature operation was only achieved using the Nd:YAG pump laser. Forsterite laser output power as a function of both temperature and pumping wavelength is discussed. >
Fast Ring: a distributed architecture and protocol for local area distributed processing

A ring-based media access control protocol and architecture, Fast Ring, which combines the best features of the token ring and contention ring, is proposed. For this protocol, a free token circulates on the ring when the ring is idle. A ready station can transmit either by capturing the token or sensing the ring idle. The protocol works in such a way that the ready node which captures the free token, before or while transmitting, is able to continue transmission. All the other contending nodes have to stop their transmissions and then send the abort signal when they receive the upstream transmission. After its transmission, the successful station puts a free token on the ring and the protocol enters the token mode. It behaves like the token ring protocol until the ring becomes idle again when all the ready nodes complete their transmissions. Comparison of the performance of Fast Ring with those of contention ring, token ring, and carrier-sense multiaccess with collision detection protocols shows that the Fast Ring outperforms all these local area network protocols over the whole throughput range at all transmission rates. >
Sonogashira reactions catalyzed by water-soluble, β-cyclodextrin-capped palladium nanoparticles

The Sonogashira reaction was efficiently catalyzed by β-cyclodextrin-capped Pd nanoparticles (β-CD/Pd) in aqueous solution at room temperature. In addition, PPh3 was not necessary to be present in the reaction media, and CuI, one major requirement for the typical homogeneous Sonogashira reaction, could be completely omitted without affecting the catalytic activity of β-CD/Pd nanoparticles. This study offers a new example of using β-CD-capped metal nanoparticles as a novel nanocatalyst for catalytic organic reaction in aqueous solution.
The Cation Denudation Rate as a Quantitative Index of Sensitivity of Eastern Canadian Rivers to Acidic Atmospheric Precipitation

A model has been developed that relates the cation denudation rate (CDR) of a watershed (the rate that cations derived from chemical weathering are carried off by runoff), the atmospheric load of excess SO4 − −, and the pH of the river. Chemical and discharge data for rivers in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland were used to develop and test the model, which is based upon the common major ion chemistry of soft surface waters, and may be expressed by three statements: (1) CDR (meq m−2 yr−1) − Excess SO4 − − load (meq m−2 yr−1) = HCO3 − (meq m−2 yr−1), (2) HCO3 − (meq m−2 yr−1)/Runoff (m3 m−2 yr−1) = HCO3 − (meq m−3), (3) $$ pH\, = \,pK\, + \,pP_{CO_2 } \, - \,pHCO_3 ^ - $$ The model in concentration form applies well to lakes.
Double mutant MBP refolds at same rate in free solution as inside the GroEL/GroES chaperonin chamber when aggregation in free solution is prevented

Under “permissive” conditions at 25°C, the chaperonin substrate protein DM-MBP refolds 5–10 times more rapidly in the GroEL/GroES folding chamber than in free solution. This has been suggested to indicate that the chaperonin accelerates polypeptide folding by entropic effects of close confinement. Here, using native-purified DM-MBP, we show that the different rates of refolding are due to reversible aggregation of DM-MBP while folding free in solution, slowing its kinetics of renaturation: the protein exhibited concentration-dependent refolding in solution, with aggregation directly observed by dynamic light scattering. When refolded in chloride-free buffer, however, dynamic light scattering was eliminated, refolding became concentration-independent, and the rate of refolding became the same as that in GroEL/GroES. The GroEL/GroES chamber thus appears to function passively toward DM-MBP.
Injury-related consequences of alcohol misuse among injured patients who received screening and brief intervention for alcohol: A latent class analysis

ABSTRACT. Background: Screening and brief alcohol intervention has demonstrated efficacy in improving drinking and other risk behaviors for some patient populations. However, it is not clear that brief interventions are helpful to all injured patients who drink at risk levels. This paper identifies latent classes of intervention recipients based on injury-related consequences and risks of alcohol misuse and then determines which profiles experienced the greatest improvements in drinking. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted using data from injured patients (N = 737) who reported heavy drinking and received a brief alcohol intervention in a Level I trauma center. Latent class analysis was used to determine patient profiles, and 7 indicators commonly associated with alcohol-related injury from the Short Inventory of Problems+6 were used to determine the latent class measurement model. Covariates were regressed onto the model to assess factors related to class membership, and drinking outcomes were an...
The origin of correlated variations in in-situ and elemental concentrations in metamorphic garnet from southeastern Vermont, USA

Abstract CO2 laser-heating in a fluorinating atmosphere was used to obtain 18 O 16 O analyses of coexisting garnet, staurolite, muscovite, chlorite, and quartz from a sample of the Gassetts schist, southeastern Vermont, USA. Garnet and quartz δ18Ov-smowvalues vary on a millimeter scale while values for other minerals are uniform within analytical uncertainties. Garnets exhibit 18 O 16 O zoning with core δ18O values of 10.9 ± 0.3‰ and rim values of 10.1 ± 0.2. The depletion of 18O in garnet rims correlates with reversals in cation zonation and intracrystalline textural unconformities. Quartz plucked from a garnet core yields a δ18O of 14.8‰ while vein quartz δ18O values vary from 14.3 ± 0.2 in centers to 13.8 ± 0.1 at margins. Staurolite, muscovite, and chlorite have mean δ18O values of 10.8, 11.9, and 10.3, respectively. Two parageneses are distinguished on the basis of the mineral δ18O and expected isotope partitioning and on the basis of textures. One consists of garnet cores, staurolite, muscovite, and quartz included in garnet. Garnet rims, chlorite, and vein quartz comprise the other. Quantitative models which explain the lower bulk δ18O of the garnet-rim assemblage show that garnet textural unconformities represent resorption during infiltration of externally derived aqueous fluid. Chlorite grew by this hydration reaction and was the principal storage site for low 18 O 16 O oxygen. Low-δ18O garnet rims later grew at the expense of chlorite with little change in modal abundances of staurolite and muscovite. Retention of pre-infiltration δ18O in muscovite precludes significant diffusion of oxygen in this phase and indicates that the total duration of external fluid flow was ≤ 105 years.
DE FINETTI WAS RIGHT: PROBABILITY DOES NOT EXIST

De Finetti's treatise on the theory of probability begins with the provocative statement PROBABILITY DOES NOT EXIST, meaning that prob- ability does not exist in an objective sense. Rather, probability exists only subject- ively within the minds of individuals. De Finetti defined subjective probabilities in terms of the rates at which individuals are willing to bet money on events, even though, in principle, such betting rates could depend on state-dependent marginal utility for money as well as on beliefs. Most later authors, from Sav- age onward, have attempted to disentangle beliefs from values by introducing hypothetical bets whose payoffs are abstract consequences that are assumed to have state-independent utility. In this paper, I argue that de Finetti was right all along: PROBABILITY, considered as a numerical measure of pure belief uncon- taminated by attitudes toward money, does not exist. Rather, what exist are de Finetti's 'previsions', or betting rates for money, otherwise known in the literature as 'risk neutral probabilities'. But the fact that previsions are not measures of pure belief turns out not to be problematic for statistical inference, decision analysis, or economic modeling.
Osseocartilaginous Rib Graft Rhinoplasty: A Stable, Predictable Technique for Major Dorsal Reconstruction

Objective To assess the long-term stability of osseocartilaginous dorsal onlay rib grafts used for augmentation rhinoplasty. Methods Patients who had rib grafts used for augmentation rhinoplasty from 2000 through 2009 were assessed for graft viability, graft mobility, graft warping, maintenance of dorsal projection, functional airway status, need for revision surgery, and donor site morbidity. A retrospective cohort study using telephone follow-up was conducted. Results A total of 58 rib graft rhinoplasties were performed in the 10-year review period, 39 of which used dorsal onlay grafts. The mean duration of clinical follow-up was 24 months, and the median duration of clinical follow-up was 16 months. Thirty-three of 33 osseocartilaginous onlay grafts (100%) and 5 of 6 cartilaginous onlay grafts (83%) were viable, rigid, and had maintained dorsal projection at last follow-up. None of the grafts warped. Twenty-nine of 33 patients receiving osseocartilaginous onlay grafts (88%) and 5 of 6 patients receiving cartilaginous onlay grafts (83%) had persisting relief of their nasal obstruction. Twelve of the 39 patients (30%) had revision surgery, mostly performed for minor cosmetic revision. Conclusions Osseocartilaginous onlay rib grafts provide an ideal scaffold for dorsal nasal augmentation and restoration of nasal airway in patients with collapse of the nasal framework due to a saddle deformity, history of trauma, or history of multiple septorhinoplasties. The graft has excellent viability, lacks potential for long-term warping, achieves bony fusion to the nasal bones, and allows surgical molding of the cartilaginous tip.
COMPLEX MODELS FOR THE STUDY OF GENE FUNCTION IN CARDIOVASCULAR BIOLOGY

Advances in molecular genetics have fostered powerful new approaches to animal models of human disease and to potential molecular genetic treat­ ments. The introduction of recombinant DNA into recipient cells provides an opportunity to evaluate gene function in vivo (75). For several years, it has been possible to introduce genes into the germ line of animals. Such transgenic animals gain new genetic information from the addition of foreign DNA to cells, which can be maintained in the germ line and subsequently expressed in somatic tissues (74). More recently, it has been possible to introduce recombinant DNA into somatic cellS of animals without introduc­ tion into the germ line (32, 67,68). Both of these methods may be employed to examine gene expression and regulation in cells or tissues in vivo. At the same time, gene transfer may also be employed to deliver an exogenous gene to an animal to replace or complement a missing or defective gene. The new gene product may provide a therapeutic effect for the host animal, i.e. gene therapy (3, 61). In this review, we discuss strategies for gene transfer relevant to cardiovascular diseases. The relative advantages and limitations of vectors, as well as animal models of vascular and myocardial
Knowledge and the Politics of Transition

I shall discuss the role of knowledge in transitions to democracy. More accurately, I shall discuss the role of beliefs in the transition, whether or not they turn out to be accurate. The main thrust of my argument is, in fact, that in this area reliable knowledge is hard to come by and, even when it exists, may not be used. I limit myself to cases in which the pre-democratic regime was lacking in legitimacy and maintained itself in power by sheer force.
Functional Analyses of the Leech Swim Oscillator

The oscillations that underlie swimming movements in the leech arise from a series of identified concatenated circuits within the ventral nerve cord. In the intact nerve cord, ascending and descend...