cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prostaglandin F and E synthesis by specific tissue components of the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) ovary

The synthesis of prostaglandins (PGs) by several tissue components of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) ovaries was investigated using radiolabeled precursor incorporation and radioimmunoassays for PGE and PGF. PGE2 and PGF2α were synthesized from 14C arachidonic acid (AA) by the follicle walls of mature oocytes. Synthesis was significantly greater in follicles taken postovulation as compared to those sampled prior to germinal vesicle breakdown. However, the most extensive synthesis of PGs occurred with tissue outside of the mature follicles (i.e., extrafollicular[EF]). When incubated with AA, the predominant primary PG produced by this tissue was PGE2. EF tissue could be separated microscopically into two major fractions—immature follicles and stromal tissue. When these tissue fractions were incubated separately with AA the stromal fraction retained the ability to produce PGE2, while the immature follicles increased synthesis of PGF2α. 14C-Eicosatrienoic acid was converted to PGE1 and PGF1α by EF tissue but in significantly reduced quantities relative to AA. Fatty acid analysis indicated that there were significant quantities of arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids in both follicles and EF tissue, but there was not a significant difference between the two tissues in the absolute amount of arachidonate/mg tissue. In experiments using radioimmunoassays (RIAs), the highest quantities of PGE were measured in incubates containing EF tissue. This supported the results obtained through arachidonic acid incorporation and suggested that this tissue is the primary source of PGE in the brook trout ovary. In contrast, the mature follicules that were undergoing ovulation in vitro produced significant quantities of PGF, whereas the EF tissue production of PGF, measured by RIA, was very low. The results clearly indicate that there are several potential sites for PG synthesis within the trout ovary that differ in their capacity to produce E and F prostaglandins.
Effects of Hypothalamic Stimulation on Prolactin Secretion in Steroid Treated Rats

A study was performed to deter- mine the influence of ovarian steroids on the ability of an electrochemical stimulus or sham stimulus placed in the median eminence arcuate area to elicit prolactin release in ovariectomized rats. Both sham stimulation and electrochemical stimulation caused prolactin release in rats treated with 2 \ig of estradiol benzoate (EB). Rats receiv- ing simultaneous administration of 4 mg of pro- gesterone and 2 u,g of EB developed high serum prolactin levels in response to electrochemical stimulation, but had unchanged levels after sham stimulation. The reasons for this may be that the urethane anesthesia combined with stereotaxic immobiliza- tion and surgery created a stressful condition that influenced prolactin secretion in these animals. Estrogen appeared to act by lowering the threshold for excitation of neurons that respond to stressful stimuli, and also lower thresholds of neurons that inhibit prolactin inhibiting factor (PIF) secreting neurons or stimulate prolactin stimulating factor (PSF) neurons. Progesterone may have raised the threshold for excitation of neurons in the CNS which are capable of eliciting prolactin release in response to stress. The possibility also exists that EB may have a direct action on the pituitary to amplify the effects of small changes in hypo- thalamic inhibiting and/or stimulating factor secretion. (Endocrinology 89: 1317, 1971) T>ROLACTIN concentration in the anterior •*• pituitary (AP) of the rat markedly increases
Boten der Sterne

Es gibt Dinge, die man selbst erleben muss; manche Wunder konnen durch keine Beschreibung, keine Fotografie dargestellt werden — z. B. die Geburt eines Kindes, die Musik eines guten Orchesters, Liebe, Sex, vor einem Gemalde von Monet zu stehen. Eine Offenbarung dieser Art, die nicht viele erleben, ist der erste Blick durch ein Teleskop in die Sternennacht.
Hepatic sirtuin 1 is dispensable for fibrate-induced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α function in vivo.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) mediates metabolic remodeling, resulting in enhanced mitochondrial and peroxisomal β-oxidation of fatty acids. In addition to the physiological ...
Blood protein adsorption onto a polymeric biomaterial of polyethylene glycol and poly[(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-co-acrylonitrile] and evaluation of in vitro blood compatibility

A semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and crosslinked poly[(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-co-acrylonitrile] was prepared and adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the IPN surfaces was investigated. The dynamic nature of the adsorption process was studied, and the effects of various experimental factors such as pH and ionic strength on the adsorption isotherms of BSA were investigated. Various kinetic parameters, such as the adsorption coefficient, rate constant for adsorption and penetration rate constants, were calculated. For assessment of in vitro blood compatibility of the IPN surfaces, water sorption, blood clot formation tests and percent hemolysis measurements were performed. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
Physical Therapist Management of Patients With Ventricular Assist Devices: Key Considerations for the Acute Care Physical Therapist

This article provides an overview of the utilization of ventricular assist devices (VADs), reviews the common features of VADs and management of VAD recipients, discusses clinical considerations in the rehabilitation process, and describes the role of the acute care physical therapist in the care of VAD recipients. With more than 5 million people in the United States with heart failure, and with a limited ability to manage the progressive and debilitating nature of heart failure, VADs are becoming more commonplace. In order to prescribe a comprehensive and effective plan of care, the physical therapist needs to understand the type and function of the VADs and the goals of the VAD program. The goals for the physical therapist are: (1) to deliver comprehensive rehabilitation services to patients on VAD support, (2) to develop an understanding of the role of functional mobility in recovery, and (3) to understand how preoperative physical function may contribute to the VAD selection process. The acute care physical therapist has an increasing role in providing a complex range of rehabilitation services, as well as serving as a well-educated resource to physical therapists across the health care spectrum, as more VAD recipients are living in the community.
The Effect of Ethanol on Oral Cocaine Pharmacokinetics Reveals an Unrecognized Class of Ethanol-Mediated Drug Interactions

Ethanol decreases the clearance of cocaine by inhibiting the hydrolysis of cocaine to benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester by carboxylesterases, and there is a large body of literature describing this interaction as it relates to the abuse of cocaine. In this study, we describe the effect of intravenous ethanol on the pharmacokinetics of cocaine after intravenous and oral administration in the dog. The intent is to determine the effect ethanol has on metabolic hydrolysis using cocaine metabolism as a surrogate marker of carboxylesterase activity. Five dogs were administered intravenous cocaine alone, intravenous cocaine after ethanol, oral cocaine alone, and oral cocaine after ethanol on separate study days. Cocaine, benzoylecgonine, and cocaethylene concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Cocaine had poor systemic bioavailability with an area under the plasma concentration-time curve that was approximately 4-fold higher after intravenous than after oral administration. The coadministration of ethanol and cocaine resulted in a 23% decrease in the clearance of intravenous cocaine and a 300% increase in the bioavailability of oral cocaine. Cocaine behaves as a high extraction drug, which undergoes first-pass metabolism in the intestines and liver that is profoundly inhibited by ethanol. We infer from these results that ethanol could inhibit the hydrolysis of other drug compounds subject to hydrolysis by carboxylesterases. Indeed, there are numerous commonly prescribed drugs with significant carboxylesterase-mediated metabolism such as enalapril, lovastatin, irinotecan, clopidogrel, prasugrel, methylphenidate, meperidine, and oseltamivir that may interact with ethanol. The clinical significance of the interaction of ethanol with specific drugs subject to carboxylesterase hydrolysis is not well recognized and has not been adequately studied.
Integrated inventory ranking system for oilfield equipment industry

Purpose: This case study is motivated by the subcontracting problem in an oilfield equipment and service company where the management needs to decide which parts to manufacture in-house when the capacity is not enough to make all required parts. Currently the company is making subcontracting decisions based on management’s experience. Design/methodology/approach: Working with the management, a decision support system (DSS) is developed to rank parts by integrating three inventory classification methods considering both quantitative factors such as cost and demand, and qualitative factors such as functionality, efficiency, and quality. The proposed integrated inventory ranking procedure will make use of three classification methods: ABC, FSN, and VED. Findings: An integration mechanism using weights is developed to rank the parts based on the total priority scores. The ranked list generated by the system helps management to identify about 50 critical parts to manufacture in-house. Originality/value: The integration of all three inventory classification techniques into a single system is a unique feature of this research. This is important as it provides a more inclusive, big picture view of the DSS for management’s use in making business decisions.
Rapid cycles (continuous quality improvement), an essential part of the medical director's role.

Despite the emphasis on quality improvement in long-term care, there is a paucity of studies examining its effectiveness. Available studies tend to show that quality improvement projects improve staff satisfaction, but have not been clearly shown to improve overall outcomes. Report cards developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have limited values as they fail to adjust for differences in risk in different long-term care facilities. Clearly there is a need to use multilevel modeling to make Nursing Home Compare useful to the public. Inappropriate approaches to quality reporting and improvement by government agencies and facilities represents a major inhibition to improving care. Chart documentation as used for the development of the Minimum Data Set has been shown not to relate to the level of care received. The latest popular approach to improving quality of care in nursing homes is rapid cycles. This is the “plan-do-study-act” approach and is a component of continuous quality improvement. Based on articles in the Journal over the past few years, we have developed the top 10 areas in which the medical director can develop rapid cycles to improve quality of care (Table 1). An area of major problems for most physicians and nurses is out-of-hours telephone conversations. A simple education program for nurses on the evening and night shifts coupled with a reporting form that is completed before phoning the physician will greatly improve communication (Table 2). In addition, physicians should keep a log of calls received and action taken. The program is studied by comparing monthly the number of nursing forms completed, the physician logs, and outcomes. A similar simple approach can be used for a communication sheet for when the resident is
Processing irregular meshes

Most meshes are usually produced with both topological and geometrical irregularity (arbitrary valence, non-uniform sampling). This has been seen as a flaw hindering subsequent mesh processing, because most of the other signals we manipulate everyday (sound, image, video) are acquired and processed as regularly sampled data. Three-dimensional (3D) signals, be they surfaces or volumes, are however drastically and inherently different. Although the main body of work on mesh processing has focused on semi-regular meshes (on which the usual DSP tools can be extended quite nicely), we have focused on fully irregular meshes. Understanding this problem of irregularity, inherent to 3D sampling, is fundamental in widely different applications ranging from mesh modeling to smoothing, parameterization, remeshing, and to even compression or animation. We show some of our latest results (both theoretical and practical) and also point to the remaining challenges.
Arrival Metering Precision Study

This paper describes the background, method and results of the Arrival Metering Precision Study (AMPS) conducted in the Airspace Operations Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center in May 2014. The simulation study measured delivery accuracy, flight efficiency, controller workload, and acceptability of time-based metering operations to a meter fix at the terminal area boundary for different resolution levels of metering delay times displayed to the air traffic controllers and different levels of airspeed information made available to the Time-Based Flow Management (TBFM) system computing the delay. The results show that the resolution of the delay countdown timer (DCT) on the controllers display has a significant impact on the delivery accuracy at the meter fix. Using the 10 seconds rounded and 1 minute rounded DCT resolutions resulted in more accurate delivery than 1 minute truncated and were preferred by the controllers. Using the speeds the controllers entered into the fourth line of the data tag to update the delay computation in TBFM in high and low altitude sectors increased air traffic control efficiency and reduced fuel burn for arriving aircraft during time based metering.
Gender Differences in the Relationship of Puberty with Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms: Do Body Perceptions Matter?

This study explored how pubertal status is related to depressive symptoms among adolescent boys and girls and whether body perceptions explained this relationship. This study is based on a national random US sample of adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (9,011 girls and 8,781 boys). Results showed that boys and girls responded differently to puberty. During the transition to puberty boys had higher depressive symptoms than post-pubertal boys, due to perceptions that they were not as physically large and developed as their peers. Pre-pubertal and post-pubertal boys did not significantly differ on depressive symptoms. Post-pubertal girls had higher depressive symptoms than pre-pubertal girls, due to perceptions that they were overweight and more physically developed than their peers.
Studies in histochemistry: effects of ACTH, cortisone, and desoxycorticosterone on the quantitative histological distribution of potassium in the monkey and guinea pig adrenal.

IT HAS been the purpose of the current series of studies on the adrenal gland to map out the quantitative histological distribution of substances and activities of functional importance, and to follow the effects of altered physiological states. Among the cations present in this tissue, potassium is of particular interest for its prominent role in cell function. The idea was entertained that certain responses of the adrenal gland to changes in the physiological state of the organism might be associated with changes in potassium ion concentrations in the tissue. Earlier Glick et al. (1955) found that the potassium concentration was relatively constant throughout all of the histological zones of the monkey and guinea pig adrenal with the exception of a small, but consistent, increase on a fat-free dry weight basis, in the border area between the glomerulosa and f asciculata. This work has now been extended to include a study of the effects of ACTH, cortisone and DC A on the adrenals of the same species.
Qualitative aspects of malingered memory deficits

Much has been written in recent years on methods for detecting malingered memory deficits. However, previous research has focused exclusively on quantitative analyses of the data. The purpose of this study was to investigate more qualitative aspects of malingering. Undergraduates, community volunteers, psychiatric inpatients, and federal inmates who participated in analogue malingering studies were interviewed to elicit their self-reported strategies for faking memory impairment. Some of these subjects indicated that if they were to malinger they may show poor cooperation, aggravation and frustration, slow response times and frequent hesitations, and general confusion during the testing process. The strategy reported with the greatest frequency was to fake total amnesia (i.e. for personal identity, past knowledge, family and friends, and all aspects of the accident.
Partial aircraft state estimation from optical flow using non-model-based optimization

Computer vision is an enabling technology for autonomous micro aerial vehicle (MAV) applications. This paper presents an approach for the estimation of aircraft angular rates and wind-axis angles using monocular vision. The solution is obtained through nonlinear optimization techniques applied to the optical flow of tracked feature points in the image. The coupled equations of motion for an aircraft and image-based features are developed and utilized to establish a mathematical framework for the estimation process. The technique is then demonstrated in simulation.
Does the “Marriage Benefit” Extend to Partners in Gay and Lesbian Relationships?: Evidence From a Random Sample of Sexually Active Adults

Prior research indicates that the married enjoy higher levels of well-being than the unmarried, including unmarried cohabiters. Yet, comparisons of married and unmarried persons routinely exclude partnered gays and lesbians. Using a large probability sample, this study assessed how the well-being of partnered gays and lesbians (282) compares with that of persons from other relationship status groups, including legally married spouses (6,734); unmarried heterosexuals who are cohabiting (614), dating (2,992), or unattached (750); and single gays and lesbians (59). After controlling for demographic variables, partnered gays and lesbians were found to report less happiness than married spouses but more happiness than singles, regardless of sexual orientation. Conversely, no differences were found between partnered gays and lesbians and married persons in health. On both measures, partnered gays and lesbians were similar to heterosexual cohabiters. The implications of these findings are considered in light of ...
INTERDEPENDENCY AND UNDERLYING DIMENSIONS OF SENSORY TEXTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED FOODS

Sensory texture profile data for butters, cheeses, fish gels, frankfurters, peanut butters, raw potatoes, and baked sweet potatoes were subjected to principal component analysis to study the interdependence and the underlying dimensions of the sensory textural characteristics. The results indicated that the character notes used by the panel to describe the texture profile of each product were not entirely independent but formed a pattern of interdependency in the underlying dimensional structure. The texture profile could be described by about ½ the orthogonal factors (underlying dimensions) compared to the original character notes and still explain about 72% of the original variance. It is concluded that the texture profile analysis for each of the products in this study could be simplified by reducing the character notes being evaluated.
Controlling charge transport in single molecules using electrochemical gate.

We have studied charge transport through single molecules covalently bound to two gold electrodes in electrolytes by applying a voltage between the two electrodes and a reference electrode (gate). This electrochemical gating can effectively control the current through the molecules, depending on the electronic properties of the molecules. For electrochemically inactive molecules, such as 4,4′-bipyridine and 1,4′-benzenedithiol, the gate voltage influences the transport current only slightly (less than 30%). This lack of significant gate effect is attributed to the large LUMO–HOMO gaps of the molecules and the screening of the gate field by the two electrodes. For nitro-oligo(phenylene ethynylene) (OPE-NO2), which undergoes multiple irreversible reductions at negative gate voltages, the current through the molecules can be modulated several folds by the gate. This gate effect is irreversible and associated with the reduction of the NO2 group to different products that have different electron withdrawing capabilities from the conjugate backbone of the molecule. The most interesting molecules are perylene tetracarboxylic diimide compounds (PTCDI), which exhibit fully reversible redox reactions. The current through PTCDI can be reversibly varied and controlled over three orders of magnitude with the gate. Such a large gate effect is related to a redox state-mediated electron transport process.
Causes of mortality in California sea otters during periods of population growth and decline

Elevated mortality appears to be the main reason for both sluggish growth and periods of decline in the threatened California sea otter population. We assessed causes of mortality from salvage records of 3,105 beach-cast carcasses recovered from 1968 through 1999, contrasting two periods of growth with two periods of decline. Overall, an estimated 40%-60% of the deaths were not recovered and 70% of the recovered carcasses died from unknown causes. Nonetheless, several common patterns were evident in the salvage records during the periods of population decline. These included greater percentages of (1) prime age animals (3–10 yr), (2) carcasses killed by great white shark attacks, (3) carcasses recovered in spring and summer, and (4) carcasses for which the cause of death was unknown. Neither sex composition nor the proportion of carcasses dying of infectious disease varied consistently between periods of population increase and decline. The population decline from 1976 to 1984 was likely due to incidental mortality in a set-net fishery, and the decline from 1995 to 1999 may be related to a developing live-fish fishery. Long-term trends unrelated to periods of growth and decline included a decrease in per capita pup production and mass/length ratios of adult carcasses over the 31-yr study. The generally high proportion of deaths from infectious disease suggests that this factor has contributed to the chronically sluggish growth rate of the California sea otter population.
Evaluation of Daptomycin Pharmacodynamics and Resistance at Various Dosage Regimens against Staphylococcus aureus Isolates with Reduced Susceptibilities to Daptomycin in an In Vitro Pharmacodynamic Model with Simulated Endocardial Vegetations

The need to investigate novel dosing regimens and combinations is essential in combating poor treatment outcomes for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and endocarditis. We evaluated the impact of simulated standard- and high-dose daptomycin in combination with gentamicin or rifampin against daptomycin-susceptible and nonsusceptible matched strains of S. aureus. These strains were collected from the daptomycin bacteremia and endocarditis clinical trial and consisted of three susceptible strains (MIC, 0.25 mg/liter) and four nonsusceptible isolates (MICs, 2 to 4 mg/liter). Daptomycin regimens of 6 and 10 mg/kg of body weight daily alone and in combination with gentamicin at 5 mg/kg daily or rifampin at 300 mg every 8 h were evaluated using an in vitro model with simulated endocardial vegetations over 96 h. Rapid bactericidal activity, identified by time to 99.9% kill, was displayed in all regimens with the daptomycin-susceptible strains. Concentration-dependent activity was noted by more-rapid killing with the 10-mg/kg/day dose. The addition of gentamicin improved activity in the majority of susceptible isolates. Daptomycin 6-mg/kg/day monotherapy displayed bactericidal activity for only one of the nonsusceptible isolates and for only two isolates with increased doses of 10 mg/kg/day. Combination regimens demonstrated improvement with some but not all nonsusceptible isolates. Three isolates developed a reduction in daptomycin susceptibility with 6-mg/kg/day monotherapy, but this was suppressed with both combination therapy and high-dose daptomycin. These results suggest that high-dose daptomycin therapy and combination therapy may be reasonable treatment options for susceptible isolates; however, more investigations are needed to confirm the variability of these regimens with nonsusceptible isolates.
The effect of ovarian follicle size on pituitary and ovarian responses to copulation in domesticated South American camelids.

The relation of ovarian follicle size to pituitary and ovarian responses to copulation was studied in domesticated South American camelids (llamas and alpacas). Females from each species were divided into four groups according to follicle size: small (4-5 mm), growing (6-7 mm), mature (8-12 mm), and regressing (10-7 mm). The pituitary response to copulation was determined by analysis of LH and FSH concentrations in plasma. The ovarian response to copulation was determined by ultrasonography and by analysis of estrone sulfate (follicular status) and pregnanediol glucuronide (luteal status) concentrations in urine. Females with small follicles (4-5 mm) released less LH after copulation than did those with larger follicles, and ovulation was not induced. Females with growing and mature follicles (7-12 mm) released LH in response to copulation that was adequate to induce ovulation and to initiate normal luteal activity. While copulation-induced LH release in females with regressing follicles was similar to that released in animals with growing and mature follicles, regressing follicles were luteinized instead of being ovulated. The luteal structure formed as a result of luteinization of follicles had a short life span, i.e., 5.1 days. Copulation-induced LH release was significantly higher in llamas vs. alpacas in animals with mature or regressing follicles, but not in those with small or growing follicles. Urinary estrone sulfate and pregnanediol glucuronide concentrations correlated positively with the presence of follicles and corpora lutea, respectively.
Subassembly identification and evaluation for assembly planning

This paper presents a method for the automatic generation of assembly sequences from a liaison graph representation of an assembly through the recursive decomposition of assembly into subassemblies. In order to increase the planning efficiency, the proposed assembly planning system automatically identifies and avoids those decomposition that incur physically infeasible assembly operation. This is achieved by merging those parts that can not be mutually separable at the current stage of assembly planning due to interconnection infeasibility as well as functional dependency. The above merging process transforms the original liaison graph into an abstract liaison graph with smaller number of nodes. Then, weights are assigned to each liaison of abstract liaison graph based on the stability and structural connectivity associated with liaison such that these weights are used to extract the tentative subassemblies. To select preferred subassemblies, the extracted tentative subassemblies are evaluated based on the subassembly selection indices defined in terms of mobility, structural preference, stability, and parallelism. Furthermore, by adjusting the assembly coefficients of subassembly selection indices according to given assembly environment, an optimal assembly sequence can be generated. The application of the proposed planning system to the tabletop vise assembly is illustrated as an example. >
Blood transfusion costs by diagnosis‐related groupsin 60 university hospitals in 1995

BACKGROUND: Transfusion services are frequently challenged to initiate efforts to reduce blood transfusion costs. One approach is to analyze blood transfusion costs for individual medical and surgical Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs). Rank ordering of DRGs by transfusion costs and interinstitutional comparisons of these costs may lead to the selection of DRGs for further analysis of the process of blood transfusion. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Common DRGs (n = 486) that were related to discharges in 1995 were analyzed from 60 university hospital members of the University HealthSystems Consortium (UHC). Cost data were tabulated by using cost-to-charge ratios reflecting all aspects of blood transfusion-related costs of participating institutions. RESULTS: Of these 486 DRGs, 471 had identifiable mean blood costs, and 34 had median blood costs, mostly for surgical conditions. Transfusion costs represented a small proportion (≤1%) of total hospitalization costs for most DRGs. Nonetheless, millions of dollars were spent on blood transfusion, and for the most expensive DRGs, the costs ranged from 5.0 to 8.6 percent of total hospitalization costs. Transfusion costs are more variable for the DRGs with the lowest transfusion costs than for those with the highest transfusion costs. CONCLUSION: Members of the UHC may utilize such analyses to identify surgical or medical diagnoses with transfusion costs at variance with the group norm. These DRGs could then be targeted for further evaluation of components contributing to high costs, for possible alterations in physician or clinical laboratory practices. Considering those conditions with the highest cumulative transfusion costs (e.g., BMT, liver transplant, acute leukemia, and cardiothoracic procedures), changes in transfusion practices that affect these particular patient categories may have a significant impact on global blood transfusion costs.
Design approaches for hybrid CMOS/molecular memory based on experimental device data

In recent years many advances have been made in the development of molecular scale devices. Experimental data shows that these devices have potential for use in both memory and logic. This paper describes the challenges faced in building crossbar array based molecular memory, and develops a methodology to optimize molecular scale architectures based on experimental device data taken at room temperature. In particular, we discuss reading and writing such memory using CMOS and compiling a solution for easily reading device conductivity states (typically characterized by very small currents). Additionally, a metric is derived to determine the voltages for writing to the crossbar array. Simulation results, incorporating experimental device data, are presented using Cadence Spectre.
Brood Care Strategies by Newly Mated Monogyne Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Queens During Colony Founding

Abstract For most species of ants, newly mated queens found new colonies from stored body reserves, and without the assistance of workers. Consequently, until the first batch of colony members hatches, newly mated queens face a potential shortage of labor for brood care. The purpose of this study was to describe the brood rearing strategies of newly mated monogyne Solenopsis invicta queens, under controlled laboratory conditions, to determine how they compensated for the lack of worker labor in rearing the first batch of colony members. Newly mated S. invicta queens were collected (n = 60) and reared individually in artificial nests in the laboratory under optimal incubation conditions. Using video-technology, brood care activity by newly mated queens was quantified and compared with brood care activity of mature queens who were incubated with workers. In addition, newly mated queens and their offspring (i.e., the incipient colony) were censused biweekly for 6 mo to determine the ontogeny of the adult:lar...
Shaking All Over? International Trade and Industrial Dynamics

This paper develops a model of international trade and industrial evolution. Evolution is driven by the endogenous technology choices of firms which generates a rich industrial environment that includes the possibility of a dramatic shakeout. The likelihood, magnitude and timing of this shakeout is characterized and depends not only on the size of the innovation but also on the structure of production costs. In this setting, trade liberalization is shown to reduce the likelihood of a shakeout, resulting in a more stable industrial structure. However, when shakeouts arise in global markets, the distribution of firm exits can vary widely across countries. Thus, open economy models of industrial evolution offer very different conclusions from closed economy models.
Electrical power system support-function capabilities of residential and small commercial inverters

Presently, approximately 20 GW or 2% of the nation's generating capacity comes from solar, and solar penetration is increasing. However, for this trend to continue without adversely affecting electrical power system (EPS) performance, the photovoltaic inverters must participate in voltage- and frequency-regulation requirements. EPS support capabilities under development are the low-/high-voltage and low/high-frequency ride through, volt-VAr, frequency-watt, watt-power factor, commanded power factor, commanded power functions, and others. Each of the functions have parameter set points, and most have ramp rates for implementation of the functions as defined in the International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Report 61850-90-7. This paper focuses on methods to quantify EPS support functions for DER certification. Sandia National Laboratories and Underwriters Laboratories, in collaboration with industry stakeholders, have developed a draft test protocol that efficiently and effectively evaluates support-function capabilities. This paper describes the functions, their intended use, and results of EPS support functions in a controlled laboratory environment.
Mode I Steady Crack-Growth in Superelastic Shape Memory Alloys

A numerical analysis of quasi-static, steady state crack growth in superelastic Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) under small-scale transformation conditions is carried out for plane strain, mode I loading. Crack growth is assumed to proceed at a critical level of the crack-tip energy release rate. Finite-element results concerning the mechanical fields near the advancing crack tip are presented and the ratio of the far-field applied energy release rate to the crack-tip energy release rate is obtained for a range of thermomechanical parameters. A substantial fracture toughening is observed associated with closure stresses placed on the crack tip by the transformed material left behind in the wake of the advancing crack tip.© 2012 ASME
Practical and Theoretical Considerations for Choice of a Dna Sequence Region in Insect Molecular Systematics, with a Short Review of Published Studies Using Nuclear Gene Regions

Simon et al. (Simon, C., F. Frati, A. Beckenbach, B. Crespi, H. Liu & P. Flook. 1994. Evolution, weighting, and phylogenetic utility of mitochondrial gene sequences and a compilation of conserved polymerase chain reaction primers. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 87: 651-701) examined the dynamics of sequence evolution in mitochondrial DNA with respect to choice of a gene region of the molecule as a source of characters for systematics. Here, we present a brief companion discussion of nuclear genes that are potentially useful for phylogenetic studies in arthropods. Although we are in agreement with most of the Simon et al. discussion on levels of variation and phylogenetic utility of the various available classes of genes, we supplement their discussion of sequence alignment and character weighting and congruence versus combination of data with our own views on these matters, as they pertain to both nuclear and mitochondrial genes. We also offer some guidelines on nuclear primer design and methods for exploring less well-known parts of the genome.
Evolved foraging psychology underlies sex differences in shoping experiences and behaviors.

This study documents that men and women experience and perform consumer shopping differently, and in ways consistent with adaptations to the sexually dimorphic foraging strategies utilized during recent human evolution. There is an abundant literature on sex differences in spatial abilities and object location that follow from the specific navigational strategies associated with hunting and gathering in the ancestral environment. In addition to sex differences in navigational strategies, the unique features of hunting and gathering may have influenced other aspects of foraging psychology that underlie sex differences in modern male and female shopping experiences and behaviors. Scales were developed to assess several aspects of shopping psychology that may be based on sexually differentiated ancestral adaptations. Results generally confirmed the predicted directions of sex differences. Compared to men, women relied more on object oriented navigation strategies and scored higher on skills and behaviors associated with gathering, the degree to which shopping is seen as recreational, the degree to which shopping is a social activity, and the tendency to see new locations as opportunities for shopping. Men scored higher on skills and behaviors thought to be associated with hunting. Most effect sizes were moderate or strong. These results suggest that shopping experiences and behaviors are influenced by sexually divergent adaptations for gathering and hunting.
Nomenclatural solutions in the Gesneriaceae

Summary Feuillet, C.: Nomenclatural solutions in the Gesneriaceae. - Taxon 42: 105-109. 1993. - ISSN 0040-0262. Following the rejection of the spelling Jankaea versus Jancaea, a new spelling is given for the name of intergeneric hybrids. A new nothogeneric name, xCoracaea Feuillet, is established, with a new combination, xC. bluemelii (Halda) Feuillet. The case of the overlooked generic name Columnea Raf. is presented. The status of Aikinia Wall. vs. Aikinia R. Br. is discussed. Arctocalyx Fenzl and Gesnera Mart. are typified. In the preparation of an index of generic names in the family Gesneriaceae, several problems need to be solved. Those related to Columnea L. will be treated by J. F. Smith in the near future. Most of the remaining problems are the core of this paper.
MT-diet demo: Demonstration of automated smartphone based diet assessment system

Background: According to several recent research results [1]-[4], obesity can increase the risk of many diseases such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, etc. To prevent and treat the obesity efficiently and effectively, diet monitoring is an important factor. Purpose: Manual self-monitoring techniques for diet suffer from drawbacks such as low adherence, underreporting, and recall error [5]-[7]. Camera based applications that automatically extract type and quantity of food from an image of the food plate can potentially improve adherence and accuracy. However, state-of-the-art systems [8] have fairly low accuracy for identifying cooked food (only 63%) and are not fully automatic. To overcome these drawbacks such as low adherence, underreporting, recall error, low accuracy, and semi-automatedness, we introduce MT-Diet, a fully automated diet assessment system. It can identify cooked food with an accuracy of 88.93%. This is a significant improvement (over 20%) from the current state-of-the art system. Method: MT-Diet is a smartphone-based system that interfaces a thermal sensor with a smartphone. Using this system a user can take both thermal and visual images of her food plate with just one click. We used a database of 80 frozen meals which contain several different types of foods so that the actual total number of our food database 244 and the database has 33 different types of foods. By using the database, we demonstrate two core components: a) food segmentation, separating food items from the plate and recognizing multiple food items as a single food item, and b) food identification, determining the type of foods. Result: MT-Diet food segmentation methodology is fully automatic and requires no user input as opposed to recent works, the accuracy of separating food parts from the plate was 97.5%. The accuracy of food identification using Support Vector Machine with Radial Basis Function kernel based on color, texture, and histogram of oriented gradients features is 88.5%. Conclusion: We suggest a new and novel approach for diet assessment, MT-Diet. Our approach can potentially be an inexpensive, real time for the feedback on calorie intake, easy-to-use, privacy preservation, personalization based on eating habits of individuals, and fully automated diet monitoring system. The tool can also be used to conduct clinical studies to develop models of meal patterns that can be incorporated to design better artificial pancreas.
Deliberative Democracy and the Institutions of Judicial Review: From Majoritarian to Deliberative Theories of Constitutional Democracy

Before turning to the deliberative democratic arguments for and against the judicial institutionalization of constitutional review in subsequent chapters, it will help to have some rough sense of the basic theoretical distinctions and issues that will repeatedly reappear. My contention in those chapters is that the most important differences between the various arguments can be captured by attending to the underlying conceptions of “democracy,” “constitutionalism,” and their interrelationships in “constitutional democracy” that the various theories employ. And, as I hope to be able to show, the most convincing accounts of how the function of constitutional review should be institutionalized depend not only on empirical and prudential considerations arising from realistic appraisals of the performance of extant political institutions but also on normative considerations about the acceptable shape of political decision-making processes. Thus, it will help to get at least a clearer articulation of the central analytic and normative concepts applied. DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY: FOUR AXES OF ANALYSIS Major transformations have occurred in the last fifteen to twenty years of normative democratic theory, that is, in those theories that attempt to justify principles of political morality that should govern the structures of social and political institutions in contemporary democratic societies. This section focuses mainly on those changes initiated by one major subgroup of theorists: those who can plausibly be considered deliberative democrats. The various issues and problems ranged under this banner are wide and diverse.
High-resolution MR imaging of microadenomas at 1.5 T: experience with Cushing disease

The MR images of 27 patients with clinically and biochemically suspected Cushing disease were evaluated retrospectively in a blinded fashion. The MR interpretation was compared with detailed operative diagrams and operative and pathologic reports. The examinations were performed on a 1.5-T MR system with thin-section sagittal and coronal T1-weighted (short TR/TE) images. Each pituitary half was considered separately (54 “halves”). Twenty-one pituitary halves were considered to have glandular abnormalities on MR. Compared with surgical findings, 17 MR findings were true positives and four were false positives (one pars intermedia cyst, three normal tissue). Of the 33 pituitary halves considered normal on MR, 26 were true negatives and seven were false negatives. MR had an overall sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 87% for these adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)–secreting pituitary adenomas. A focal glandular hypointensity identified on coronal images was the most sensitive predictor of adenoma location. Sagittal images were not useful in either detection or localization. Upward convexity of the gland and deviation of the stalk were less useful indicators. Abnormalities of the sellar floor were the least reliable. In comparison with the capabilities of CT detection of microadenomas described in the current literature, it appears that high-field thin-section MR of the sella is the most sensitive imaging method for preoperative localization of ACTH-secreting adenomas in patients with Cushing disease.
Geometry of Supersymmetry

These lectures are divided into three parts. The latter two chapters are mathematical, in the sense that all definitions are precise and results are formulated as theorems. The present chapter plays a different role. It provides a mixture of motivation and formal calculation. Some of the materials is or can be made mathematical; the presentation, however, is distinctly that from physics. A mathematician may wish to read this chapter for an overview; he will be more familiar with the style of Chapters II and III.
A Comparison of Jordanian Bankruptcy Models: Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network and Discriminant Analysis

The main purpose of this study is to develop and compare the classification accuracy of bankruptcy prediction models using the multilayer perceptron neural network, and discriminant analysis, for the industrial sector in Jordan. The models were developed using the ten popular financial ratios found to be useful in earlier studies and expected to predict bankruptcy. The study sample was divided into two samples; the original sample (n=14) for developing the two models and a hold-out sample (n=18) for testing the prediction of models for three years prior to bankruptcy during the period from 2000 to 2014. The results indicated that there was a difference in prediction accuracy between models in two and three years prior to failure. The results indicated that the multilayer perceptron neural network model achieved a higher overall classification accuracy rate for all three years prior to bankruptcy than the discriminant analysis model. Furthermore, the prediction rate was 94.44% two years prior to bankruptcy using multilayer perceptron neural network model and 72.22% using the discriminant analysis model. This is a significant difference of 22.22%. On the other side, the prediction rate of 83.34% three years prior to bankruptcy using multilayer perceptron neural network model and 61.11% using discriminant analysis model. We indicate there was a difference exists of 22.23%. In addition, the multilayer perceptron neural network model provides in the ﬁrst two years prior to bankruptcy the lowest percentage of type I error.
Light Quality Effects on Intumescence (Oedema) on Plant Leaves

Intumescence is a physiological disorder that is characterized by abnormal outgrowths of epidermal and/or palisade parenchyma cells on the leaf, petiole or stem surfaces of affected plants. Intumescences are a different disorder than oedema based on anatomy of affected cells and causal agents. This disorder is most often observed on crops produced in controlled environments and has been reported on a wide range of plant species, including ornamental sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), cuphea (Cuphea spp.) and solanaceous crops of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and potato (Solanum tuberosum). When susceptible crops are grown under ultraviolet-deficient environments, such as light-emitting diode (LED) sole-source lighting that supplies only red wavelengths, intumescences are most severe. However, the incidence of the disorder can be diminished or prevented if crops are grown in environments providing ample blue or ultraviolet wavelengths of light. End-of-day far-red lighting has also shown some promise in mitigating the disorder.