cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energetics of Singing in Crickets: Effect of Temperature in Three Trilling Species (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

1. Oxygen consumptions of resting and trilling crickets were measured at various temperatures. Oscillograms taken at comparable temperatures were used to identify the major factors determining the cost of stridulation. 2. Species used wereAnurogryllus arboreus (mass ≃0.4 g), wing stroke rate at 23°C of 71 strokes per s; andOecanthus celerinictus andO. quadripunctatus, two sibling species, (masses ≃0.06 g), wing stroke rates at 23°C of 57 and 38 strokes per s respectively. 3. At 23°C the three species have similar total mass-specific metabolism during singing (\(\dot V_{O_2 }\) μl·(g·h)−1; Table 3) even though their wing stroke rates are different. 4. A. arboreus has no change in net singing metabolism with increasingTa; however, cost per wing stroke decreases slightly. TheOecanthus both increase their net singing costs with increasedTa and the cost per wing stroke remains roughly constant.O. quadripunctatus has a cost per wing stroke about 1.6 timesO. celerinictus (Tables 1, 3; Fig. 10).A. arboreus does not elevate its thoracic temperature significantly while stridulating and it is doubtful that tree crickets thermoregulate due to their small size. 5. The cost of singing inA. arboreus varies from 10 to 16 times resting; inOecanthus, from 6 to 12 times resting (Table 3). 6. Although the two tree cricket species have different wing stroke rates at any common temperature, the number of file teeth struck per s is almost the same;A. arboreus strikes nearly twice as many teeth per s as do either of the tree crickets (Fig. 9). 7. The two factors that explain most of the variation in net cost of trilling are the wing stroke rate (Fig. 10) and the number of teeth struck·(wing stroke)−1. Related factors that merit study are interspecific differences in file tooth depth and angle, wing mass, and wing velocity. 8. For three species of crickets and two species of katydids the average net cost of trilling is about 1.5×10−5 ml O2·(g·wing stroke)−1 (Fig. 10). 9. Chirping should be energetically less expensive than trilling, with costs equivalent to the average cost per wing stroke times the total number of wing strokes per time. The latter factor is 10–95% lower in chirping species than in trillers. 10. An estimated daily respiratory energy budget shows calling taking about 56% of the daily respiratory budget ofO. celerinictus and 26% forA. arboreus (Table 4).
i speak, therefore i am: identity and self-construction as motivation to engage in electronic word of mouth

To paraphrase an old bromide, “you are what you consume.” Consumers derive their sense of self through products, brands, performances and a host of other meaning-laden materials that they consume. The marketing literature has long recognized possessions as an extension of the self-concept. Although hundreds of studies have examined the linkage between consumption and the self, surprisingly few have examined a related phenomenon—the relationship between the self-concept and word of mouth (WOM). A handful of studies have demonstrated the use of WOM to enhance the consumer’s self-image, but most extant research focuses on how the act of engaging in WOM is used to build the self-concept. To date there has not been an extensive examination of the process by which WOM transfers the meaning of a product, brand, advertisement or narrative from one consumer to another as part of identity construction. This dissertation attempts to answer the following research questions: (1) Do self-concept and identity motivate consumers to engage in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM)? (2) Is there a conceptual model to represent the effects of message characteristics, product/brand characteristics and individual personality differences on the self-enhancement value of eWOM and resulting eWOM behaviors? A conceptual model was proposed and, using an experimental research design, hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results suggest that self-concept and identity indeed motivate consumers to engage in eWOM, and a number of brand and message traits comprise eWOM’s self-enhancement value. This dissertation both contributes to the theoretical understanding of eWOM and assists managers in developing marketing strategy. The use of WOM for identity construction remains an understudied area in marketing when compared to the consumption of products as self-expression. This research provides suggestions for practitioners in harnessing the potential of eWOM as a marketing strategy through message development and targeting of lucrative segments with viral campaigns.
Compound D159687, a phosphodiesterase 4D inhibitor, induces weight and fat mass loss in aged mice without changing lean mass, physical and cognitive function

Abstract Aims Therapies that recapitulate the health benefits of caloric restriction in older adults are needed. Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors demonstrate such promise. We examined their effects on body weight and composition, physical and cognitive function in aged mice using Compound D159687 (D159687). Methods Nineteen 18-months old mice were randomized to receive either control (DMSO) or D159687 for seven weeks. We assessed food intake, body weight and body composition over time and performed once the following tests: treadmill, inverted grip strength, rotarod, spontaneous Y maze tests and skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis. Results Four of the D159687 treated mice died in the first week. Necropsy suggests acute lung injury. D159687 treated mice weighed more than control mice at baseline. After controlling for baseline weight, D159687 treated mice lost 4.2 grams(g) more weight than control mice, mainly from fat mass loss (p value Conclusion Compound D159687 induced weight loss, predominantly fat mass loss and increased food intake in aged mice. The caloric restriction and lean mass preservation potential of PDE4D inhibitors deserve further verification. Findings may have major therapeutic implications when translated to the older adult population. Although physical and cognitive parameters were unchanged in this study, further studies would be needed to verify these results. The high death rate in the D159687 treated mice may have been due to the technical aspects of oral gavage.
Medicine Has Gone to the Dogs: Deep Learning and Robotic Olfaction to Mimic Working Dogs

Canines and humans have coexisted for millennia, to our mutual benefit. Our estimated 35 000+ year history of coevolution, including selective breeding, has lead to the development of intimate forms of cooperation, perhaps unparalleled among mammalian species [26]. In addition to providing companionship, dogs can perform critical roles for humans, such as mental health support and aid for the disabled. Recent years have seen growth in the deployment of service dogs, which are trained to perform a specialized task to mitigate a disability, providing higher quality care, increased independence, and peace of mind for those with life-threatening illnesses.
Fusion of Propagation Observations and Numerical Weather Prediction via Warping Functions

The inverse problem in trans-horizon electromagnetic (EM) propagation has been solved by mapping modeled refractive environments ( $\mathcal{M}$ ‘s) into the space of observed propagation d and selecting the best $\mathcal{M}$ based on goodness-of-fit. Up to the present, parametric ad hoc refractivity models have been used, e.g., [2]–[4]. We modify this approach by using an a priori $\mathcal{M}$ from numerical weather prediction (NWP) and solving for warping coefficients (v's) within a 2-dimensional variational (2DVAR) analysis.
Low-energy-electron-diffraction study of multilayer relaxation on a Pb{311} surface.

Multilayer relaxation on clean Pd{311} has been determined by analysis of low-energy-electron-diffraction intensity data collected from a sample at -140 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The results, in terms of changes \ensuremath{\Delta}${\mathit{d}}_{\mathit{i}\mathit{k}}$ from the bulk value ${\mathit{d}}_{\mathrm{bulk}}$ (1.485 \AA{}) of the interlayer spacing ${\mathit{d}}_{\mathit{i}\mathit{k}}$ between layers i and k, are as follows: \ensuremath{\Delta}${\mathit{d}}_{12}$=(-0.21\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03) \AA{} or (-14.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.0)% of ${\mathit{d}}_{\mathrm{bulk}}$, \ensuremath{\Delta}${\mathit{d}}_{23}$=(-0.03\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03) \AA{} or (-2.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.0)% of ${\mathit{d}}_{\mathrm{bulk}}$, \ensuremath{\Delta}${\mathit{d}}_{34}$=(-0.01\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05) \AA{} or (-0.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.4)% of ${\mathit{d}}_{\mathrm{bulk}}$, and \ensuremath{\Delta}${\mathit{d}}_{45}$=(0.08\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05) \AA{} or (+5.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4.0)% of ${\mathit{d}}_{\mathrm{bulk}}$. Since the {311} surface has only one mirror line, parallel relaxations along the mirror line (the x direction) are possible and indeed found. The changes along x are \ensuremath{\Delta}${\mathit{s}}_{12}^{\mathit{x}}$=(0.08\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05)\AA{} or (+3.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.9)% of the bulk value 2.626 \AA{}, and \ensuremath{\Delta}${\mathit{s}}_{23}^{\mathit{x}}$=(-0.05\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05) \AA{} or (-1.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.9)% of the bulk value. The contraction of ${\mathit{d}}_{12}$ is comparable in magnitude to that found on {311} surfaces of other face-centered-cubic metals, in contrast to the results obtained earlier on Pb{110}, Pb{001}, and Pb{111}. However, as on these low-index surfaces, the relaxations extend more deeply into the bulk than on surfaces of other fcc metals.
Predictive Factors and Duration to Return to Sport After Isolated Meniscectomy.

Background:Return to sport (RTS) after meniscectomy is an important metric for young, active patients. However, the impact of the duration from surgery to RTS on clinical outcomes is not fully unde...
Centralization or Decentralization in Multi-Agency Contracting Games?

I explore whether two major contracting procedures, decentralized menu design and centralized mechanism design, are strategically equivalent in multi-agency contracting games. Unlike single-agency, multi-agency suggests strategic behaviors of the agents and the interrelated impacts of di¤erent agentsasymmetric information on the principals objective. I nd that centralization can take advantage of jointbase mechanisms, as a useful communication device related to relative information evaluation, to better deal with the interrelated information asymmetry in general multi-agency games with ex post implementation. Technically, my main contribution is to show that ex post menu design is merely strategically equivalent to individual-based ex post mechanism design rather than joint-based ex post mechanism design, which actually makes the principal better o¤ than the former two. My ndings support the rationale of centralized economics design and associated information communication from another perspective. Keywords: multi-agency, ex post equilibrium, mechanism design, menu design, revelation principle, delegation principle, relative information evaluation JEL Classi cation: C79 D82 D86 For their helpful comments and stimulating remarks, I gratefully acknowledge Frank Page, Seungjin Han, Kim-Sau Chung, Yongchao Zhang, Ronald M. Giammarino, Michael Koss, Robert Becker, Filomena Garcia, Haomiao Yu, Ran Shao, and the participants/audiences at PET annual meeting 2012, Indiana University Microeconomics Workshop Fall 2012, and St Louis Fed/Missouri Economics Conference 2012. I am solely responsible for any errors. yDepartment of Economics, Indiana University, 100 S. Woodlawn, Wylie Hall Rm 105, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; (+1) 8126063578, chen21@indiana.edu.
Utilization of Surgery and Its Impact on Survival in Patients With Early Stage Small-cell Lung Cancer in the United States.

Abstract Introduction For patients with T1 or T2 N0 M0 small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), lobectomy followed by chemotherapy is the standard of care. However, because of its tendency for early dissemination, patients are often treated with concurrent chemo-radiation without surgery. This study was conducted to evaluate the utilization of surgery and its impact on survival in patients with early stage SCLC. Materials and Methods The National Cancer Database was queried to identify patients with T1 or T2 N0 M0 SCLC diagnosed from 2004 to 2013. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was utilized to identify factors associated with receipt of surgery. Patients were stratified into 3 groups: chemo-radiation, surgery followed by chemotherapy, and surgery followed by chemotherapy and prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI). Kaplan-Meier estimators and Cox proportional-hazards regression were used to compare overall survival. Patients were matched on the propensity score. Results A total of 3879 SCLC cases were identified. Of those cases, 80.7% received chemo-radiation. Surgery followed by chemotherapy with or without PCI was associated with better median overall survival (93.0 months [lower 95% confidence interval (CI), 72.5] and 61.7 months [95% CI, 51.8-76.5], respectively) compared with chemo-radiation (31.2 months [95% CI, 26.3-37.0]). PCI offered survival benefit in addition to surgery and chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.75). Conclusions Our study showed a significant survival benefit with surgery (lobectomy or more), adjuvant chemotherapy, and PCI in patients with T1-T2 N0 M0 SCLC.
Advanced Process Controls of Underdetermined Systems of Feature Profiles in Semiconductor Manufacturing

Typical solutions of Advanced Process Controls in semiconductor manufacturing are focused on the eliminations of target offsets for the process results of some device features. Normally the process models are square and of full ranks, thus enabling unique determinations of the adjustments of control inputs. As complexity of semiconductor devices evolves from planar to 3D structures, elementary controls of simple target offsets are no longer sufficient as concurrent controls of both target and uniformity have become essential. For the latter it may refer to within-wafer uniformity for variations of the same device feature over the entire wafer surface; or it may refer to the in-situ profiles of different features at the same spot. In either case, they result in largely underdetermined systems as the number of control inputs is finite and fewer than the possible number of all control outputs. Conventional APC solutions in semiconductor manufacturing are incapable of handling these situations. This paper presents an approach using multivariate optimal control techniques to achieve the desired performances.
The damping properties of C6070-copper composite

Abstract C 60 70 powder compact and C 60 70 infiltrated copper were prepared and some of their mechanical properties measured. Young's modulus of C 60 70 compact is lower than those of molecular dynamics calculation and CS 2 crystallized C 60 crystal. Since C 60 70 did not seem to enhance bonding of porous copper during compression, it decreases Young's modulus of porous copper by 7 to 17% and increases the damping of porous copper by 25 to 45% in peak values between 1.5 × 10 −4 and 5 × 10 −4 dynamic strain amplitudes.
Female Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence (UI) has long been recognized as a prevalent and morbid, but treatable problem for women of all ages. Despite this, only a minority of those affected seek care and many of those do not receive effective therapy. It is imperative that primary care providers work with urologists and gynecologists to identify women with UI and provide efficient evaluation and appropriate treatment.
Private Information Acquisition via Freedom of Information Act Requests Made to the Securities and Exchange Commission

There is limited empirical evidence about when and why individuals incur costs to acquire information about a firm that is not publicly available, which we refer to as private information acquisition. This lack of evidence is due in large part to the difficulty of observing private information acquisition. To overcome this difficulty, we use Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for information that is not otherwise publicly available. We find that the perception of information asymmetry between managers and outsiders resulting from both proprietary and agency cost considerations triggers information acquisition via the FOIA process. A significant portion of FOIA search stems from non-investor groups, including law and intellectual property firms. Consistent with these stakeholders finding this information useful, we find that FOIA search is associated with changes in the competitive landscape and patent infringement and securities class action lawsuit filings.
Pathways to post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependence: Trauma, executive functioning, and family history of alcoholism in adolescents and young adults

Author(s): Subbie-Saenz de Viteri, Stacey; Pandey, Ashwini; Pandey, Gayathri; Kamarajan, Chella; Smith, Rebecca; Anokhin, Andrey; Bauer, Lance; Bender, Annah; Chan, Grace; Dick, Danielle; Edenberg, Howard; Kinreich, Sivan; Kramer, John; Schuckit, Marc; Zang, Yong; McCutcheon, Vivia; Bucholz, Kathleen; Porjesz, Bernice; Meyers, Jacquelyn L | Abstract: IntroductionFamily history (FH) of alcohol dependence is likely to increase the risk of trauma exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol dependence. FH of alcohol dependence and trauma has been separately shown to adversely affect planning/problem-solving aspects of executive function. However, few studies have examined these risk factors in an integrated model.MethodsUsing data from trauma-exposed individuals from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism prospective cohort (Nn=n1,860), comprising offspring from alcohol-dependent high-risk and comparison families (mean age [SE]n=n21.9 [4.2]), we investigated associations of trauma (nonsexual assaultive, nonassaultive, sexual assaultive) with DSM-IV PTSD and alcohol dependence symptom counts, and planning/problem-solving abilities assessed using the Tower of London Test (TOLT). Moderating effects of family history density of alcohol use disorder (FHD) on these associations and sex differences were explored.ResultsFamily history density was positively associated with PTSD in female participants who endorsed a sexual assaultive trauma. Exposure to nonsexual assaultive trauma was associated with more excess moves made on the TOLT.ConclusionFindings from this study demonstrate associations with PTSD and alcohol dependence symptom counts, as well as poor problem-solving ability in trauma-exposed individuals from families densely affected with alcohol dependence, depending on trauma type, FHD, and sex. This suggests that having a FH of alcohol dependence and exposure to trauma during adolescence may be associated with more PTSD and alcohol dependence symptoms, and poor problem-solving abilities in adulthood.
Evaluation of Changes in Beverage Prices and Volume Sold Following the Implementation and Repeal of a Sweetened Beverage Tax in Cook County, Illinois.

Importance Health taxes are policy tools used to reduce harmful consumption of products and raise tax revenue, and they may also be associated with signaling (ie, informational and educational) factors that enhance their impact. Objectives To examine changes in prices and volume sold of sweetened beverages following the implementation and repeal of the Cook County, Illinois, Sweetened Beverage Tax (SBT) compared with the comparison site of St Louis County and city, Missouri, which did not impose a tax. Design, Setting, and Participants This study used interrupted time series analyses to assess changes in price and volume sold of taxed (based on beverage type and sweetener status) and untaxed beverages in Cook County compared with St Louis following the implementation of the SBT on August 2, 2017, and its repeal effective December 1, 2017. Statistical analysis was performed from January to June 2020. Exposures Implementation and repeal of the Cook County SBT. Main Outcomes and Measures Changes in taxed and untaxed beverage prices and volume sold. Nielsen food store scanner data were obtained for weekly volume and dollar amount sold of nonalcoholic beverage universal product codes (UPCs) for each site in supermarkets and mass merchandise, grocery, drug, convenience, and dollar stores. Results The analytic samples included 16 510 UPCs for volume and 2141 UPCs (balanced sample) for prices for 122 pretax weeks, 16 tax weeks, and 35 postrepeal weeks. Compared with St Louis, posttax implementation in Cook County resulted in a level increase in taxed beverage prices of 1.13 cents per fluid ounce (95% CI, 1.01 to 1.25 cents per fluid ounce), representing a slight overshifting, followed by a posttax repeal level decrease of −1.19 cents per fluid ounce (95% CI, −1.33 to −1.04 cents per fluid ounce), with no resulting change pretax to posttax repeal. Volume sold of taxed beverages in Cook County compared with St Louis exhibited a posttax implementation level decrease of 25.7% (β = −0.297; 95% CI, −0.415 to −0.179) and a posttax repeal level increase of 30.5% (β = 0.266, 95% CI, 0.124 to 0.408), with no net change in volume sold from pretax to 8 months after repeal. Conclusions and Relevance This study using interrupted time series analysis found no net change in volume sold of taxed beverages following the implementation and repeal of the Cook County SBT, suggesting the tax had no signaling association. Repeals of such taxes may fully reverse their associations with reduced demand and harms associated with sweetened beverage intake.
Early Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 Elevation Predicts Surgical Site Infections after Blunt Trauma

Background: Dysregulation of the inflammatory and immune response to injury may increase susceptibility to secondary infections after trauma. It is unknown whether cytokines involved in this respon...
Monitoring epidemics: Lessons from measuring population prevalence of the coronavirus.

For the United States, data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on 22 January 2021 (1⇓–3) describe at least 442,000 additional deaths beyond what was expected in 2020 (Fig. 1). The bulk—roughly 336,000—can be attributed directly to COVID-19, and many of the remainder are related to the general disruption wrought by the pandemic. For a sense of scale, there were 291,000 American battle deaths in World War II (4). Adding to the catastrophic excess deaths, many of the hundreds of thousands of people who have survived COVID-19 require months to recover and suffer ongoing disabilities, and everyone is affected by myriad disruptions to daily life. The cumulative human suffering related to COVID-19 is staggering. Fig. 1. All-cause deaths in the United States during 2020. Source: CDC (1⇓–3). Quantifying the extent and spread of an epidemic is necessary, both to understand how it works and to design and monitor interventions. This is difficult; measures must relate to the whole population instead of individual people, and they must cover reasonable time periods to describe change. The first step is knowledge of how many people are susceptible to infection, how many are infected and likely to be contagious, and at what rate new infections are appearing. In epidemiology, “prevalence” is the fraction of a population currently infected, and “incidence” is the fraction of susceptible people infected in a unit of time. Prevalence tells us the size of the infected group and, in some circumstances, gives us information about the size of the susceptible group. Incidence describes the rate of spread. Incidence is hard to measure. Uninfected people must be followed through time and tested repeatedly to identify how many become infected and when the infections take place. Accumulating enough new infections to allow reliable, … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: work{at}samclark.net. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Peyronie's disease: pharmacological treatments and limitations.

Peyronie’s disease (PD) is a disorder of the tunica albuginea from disordered and excessive deposition of collagen resulting in a palpable scar, pain, erect penile deformity and erectile dysfunctio...
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) versus conventionally fractionated external beam radiation therapy in unfavorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer: An inverse propensity matched analysis

e17054Background: Conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT) or moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy (MFRT) ± short-course androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is commonly employed for unfav...
Improving Discharge Instructions Following a Concussion Diagnosis in the Pediatric Emergency Department: A Pre-post Intervention Study.

Introduction Many children are discharged from the pediatric emergency department (PED) with incomplete or inappropriate instructions following a concussion. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a simple intervention in improving discharge instruction disbursement and completeness following PED diagnosis of concussion. Methods A pre/post intervention study of 935 patients (375 preintervention and 560 postintervention) ages 5-19, diagnosed with a concussion and discharged from the PED between July 2016 and November 2019, was performed at a single United States pediatric tertiary-care center. Dedicated provider education sessions were held, and a consensus guideline-based set of discharge instructions were implemented in the electronic health record. Primary outcomes included the presence of return-to-play (RTP) instructions, return-to-learn (RTL) instructions, follow-up recommendations, and "complete" discharge (ie, all 3 components present). Statistical process control charts were generated and tested for special cause variation. Results More patients received instructions for RTP (87% versus 59%) and RTL (60% versus 3%), and a complete discharge was more frequent (45% versus 2%), following the conclusion of the intervention. Only the improvement in RTP instructions was completely sustained into the following academic year, whereas RTL and complete discharge rates declined to 27% and 20%, respectively. Conclusions A simple, low-cost intervention such as peer-to-peer education and consensus guideline-based discharge instruction templates can significantly improve discharge readiness after pediatric concussion. Further work is needed to maintain progress and continue improvements, at our large academic trauma center.
Eco-regional Green Roof Case Studies

Biological diversity and ecological functions have been observed and maintained on green roofs worldwide. Prairies, meadows, grasslands, wetlands, talus slopes, barrens, and successional plant communities are a few examples of habitat types that have been synthesized on green roofs. Nutrient cycling, plant dynamics, insect communities, evapotranspiration, and stormwater retention are some of the ecological functions studied from these communities. A group of twelve green roofs were selected as case studies to reiterate and highlight the key concepts covered in the previous chapters. This chapter provides examples of how green roofs have been designed and maintained as living, dynamic ecosystems.
The specificity of protein biosynthesis.

Publisher Summary This chapter explores that the protein is really a single chemical substance, each molecule of one protein being identical with every other molecule of the same pure protein. This view of protein as a chemical compound with a unique, well-defined molecular structure like other less complex organic compounds has been employed as a working hypothesis in chemical and physical studies of proteins for some time. It has been widely assumed that with adequate methods it should be possible to isolate a group of protein molecules of identical amino acid sequence mid cross linkages. The chapter reviews that although certain groups in the protein must be correctly spaced and oriented for physiological function, “the identity of the remaining residues may not be very important and may depend upon the environmental conditions of the cell at the moment of synthesis. That protein does appear to remain more or less constant in composition, may well be a reflection of the constancy of an environment rather than evidence that proteins are compounds of unvarying composition. It also highlights that a unique structure and configuration for any particular protein is improbable.
Exorcising the Ghosts of Judgments Past: The Case against Excluding Minority Institutions from the RTE Act

The Supreme Court of India in Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust v. Union of India was called upon to rule on the validity of Articles 15(5) and 21A of the Constitution of India. While upholding their constitutional validity, the Court, inter alia, exempted minority administered institutions from the ambit of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) in its entirety. This paper criticizes the judgment on three counts: the issue of defining who constitutes a minority group in the educational context, the conflation between reservation and regulation obligations by the RTE Act, and the approach of the judiciary in treating regulation of school education. The surprising decision of the court in universally imposing certain quality standards in schools in J.K. Raju v. State of Andhra Pradesh is also examined, and a reading down of the judgment in Pramati is suggested as a manner of ensuring a meaningful result being achieved by the judgment.
An examination of the psychophysical function in travel mode-choice behavior

The objective of this study is to provide a clearer understanding of the mode-choice behavioral process by examining the psychophysical function of that process. In particular, six broad dimensions of travel mode cognition are derived, and their relationships to the physical characteristics of travel modes are estimated. To accomplish this, an integrated methodology that uses personal construct theory, multidimensional scaling, conjoint analysis, and cluster analysis was developed and tested in the Cleveland Avenue bus corridor of Columbus, Ohio. On the basis of attributal trade-off data, we identified a limited number of user groups who have homogeneous perceptual sensitivities related to situational variables. A second-stage cluster analysis identified three aggregate market segments of the sample population. (Author)
Dilemmas in Facilitating a Teacher Inquiry Group Focused on English Language Learners: Is There a Place for an Authoritative Voice?

This article looks closely at a teacher inquiry group and the dilemmas that emerged during the first year of facilitating the group. The author encountered a number of unforeseen dilemmas that challenged previous understanding of teacher inquiry, its processes, and purposes. The author moved from viewing the process of facilitation of teacher inquiry as a “dilemma free” process, to a complex undertaking that continually raises questions about issues of authority and expertise. This article underscores the important role that facilitation plays in teacher inquiry groups and the complexity of the role of facilitator. It also highlights the important role a facilitator can play in allowing teachers to consider how to best improve their practice to advance both English language learners’ content knowledge and their English language skills.
Growth autocorrelation and animal size variation

It has long been recognized that variability in animal size is affected by how individual growth rate is autocorrelated in time. Earlier studies have attributed the mechanism generating the autocorrelation primarily to size-dependent growth rate and autocorrelation in resource abundance. All of these studies have shown that positive autocorrelation in individual growth rate always translates into increased variability in size. We show that energy reserves in individuals induce growth autocorrelation by acting like a low pass filter between the resource and the internal energy that is available for metabolism, growth and reproduction. However, the reserve also reduces the variance in growth rate. Consequently, reserve-induced growth autocorrelation has relatively little effect on size variability in the population, contradicting existing ideas about the relationship between the growth autocorrelation and size variability.
Solution of Nonlinear Systems of Equations

In the attempt to obtain a numerical solution of a partial differential equation, one is usually lead to consider a finite system of equations, $$ {{\text{P}}_{\text{i}}}{\text{ (}}{{\text{x}}_1},{{\text{x}}_2},...,{{\text{x}}_{\text{n}}}){\text{ = i = 1,2,}}...{\text{,n}} $$ (1.1) These systems are commonly obtained by collocation, in which one assumes that the unknowns x1,x2,…,xn are approximate values of the solution of the partial differential equation at points P1,P2,…,Pn in the region considered, or by projection, in which x1,x2,…,xn are the coefficients of the expansion of an approximate solution φ of the partial differential equation in terms of some suitably chosen basis functions φ1,φ2,…,φn; that is, $$ \phi {\text{ = }}{{\text{x}}_1}{\text{ }}{\phi _1}{\text{ + }}{{\text{x}}_2}{\text{ }}{\phi _2}{\text{ + }}...{\text{ + }}{{\text{x}}_{\text{n}}}{\text{ }}{\phi _{\text{n}}} $$ (1.2) Independently of how the system (1.1) is constructed, further progress on the original problem of obtaining a numerical solution of the given partial differential equation awaits the determination of x1,x2,…,xn.
Strategies for Promoting Proenvironmental Behavior

Environmental problems have their origins in human behavior, and as a result, any solution to environmental issues will require changes in behavior. While many disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences offer important perspectives on the behaviors linked with environmental problems, the study of the individual brings a focus on cognitive, social, and motivational processes that provides insights into effective ways to promote change. Psychological research on proenvironmental behavior dates back nearly 40 years, and within this rich body of empirical research are a number of well-established findings. Strategies such as prompts, commitments, feedback, social norms, incentives, and convenience have all been shown to effectively promote proenvironmental behavior – at least in some contexts, for some behaviors, and for some individuals. This article begins with a brief overview of these research findings, and then proceeds to examine the less-explored question about when various strategies work. The ...
Speech perception performance of nucleus multichannel cochlear implant users with partial electrode insertions.

Objective The present investigation examined the speech perception performance of five children with ossified cochleas who received partial insertions of the Nucleus 22-channel cochlear implant. Design The partial-insertion subjects' preimplant and 1.5 yr postimplant performance on a battery of speech perception tests was compared to the average performance of age-matched control subjects who received full electrode insertions. All the partial-insertion subjects were fit with their Nucleus cochlear implant between the ages of 2 and 5 yr, and had used their device for at least 1.5 yr. More extended comparisons also were made for the two partial-insertion subjects who had used their cochlear implants for a longer period of time. Results The subjects with partial electrode insertions performed similarly to the control group at both the preimplant and 1.5 yr postimplant intervals. Furthermore, the partial-insertion subjects showed continued improvements in speech perception performance with increased device experience past 1.5 yr, again similar to the full-insertion control group. Conclusions The present results suggest that partial insertion of a multichannel implant device is an appropriate and feasible approach to the surgical management and auditory rehabilitation of children with extensive or complete ossification of the cochlea.
Reducing the frequency of tag compares for low power I-cache design

In current processors, the cache controller, which contains the cache directory and other logic such as tag comparators, is active for each instruction fetch and is responsible for 20-25% of the power consumed in the Icache. Reducing the power consumed by the cache controller is important for low power I-cache design. We present three architectural modi cations, which in concert, allow us to reduce the cache controller activity to less than 2% for most applications. The rst modi cation involves comparing cache tags for only those instructions that result in fetches from a new cache block. The second modi cation involves the tagging of those branches that cause instructions to be fetched from a new cache block. The third modi cation involves augmenting the I-cache with a small on-chip memory called the S-cache. The most frequently executed basic blocks of code are statically allocated to the S-cache before program execution. We present empirical data to show the e ect that these modi cations have on the cache con-
Gene and immune therapy for renal cell carcinoma

Conventional therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma is associated with a poor response rate and few patients are long-term survivors. The occurrence of spontaneous regression and the prolonged latency period between primary tumor removal and the appearance of metastases in some patients suggest the existence of important host immune responses to autologous tumor cells. With the advent of molecular gene transfer techniques and increased knowledge of the basic pathways of immune activation, the field of cancer immunotherapy has finally begun to develop novel and effective approaches for harnessing the immune system as a therapeutic agent. Current immunotherapy and gene therapy strategies, including methods of cytokine delivery and tumor-cell-based vaccines, are presented.
Effects of β‐Carotene repletion on β‐carotene absorption, lipid peroxidation, and neutrophil superoxide formation in young men

Abstract The chemopreventive effects of s‐carotene are usually attributed to its antioxidant properties. To determine the effects of s‐carotene supplementation on different parameters of oxidative metabolism, 15 normal young male subjects (18–30 yrs) were placed on a carotenoid‐free liquid diet for two weeks prior to entry into the study. Blood was then measured for five carotenoids, retinol, retinyl palmitate, retinol‐binding protein, α‐tocopherol, vitamin C, zinc, lipid peroxides, and neutrophil Superoxide production. Absorption tests were performed with 15 mg of s‐carotene to determine absorption curves for each subject. Subjects were then divided into two groups and given either 15 (n = 7) or 120 (n = 8) mg of s‐carotene daily for four weeks along with the same carotenoid‐free liquid diet. The absorption test and the blood measurements were repeated. After repletion with s‐carotene, serum lipid peroxide levels decreased in both groups (p < 0.05), but no other changes were noted in either the neutrophi...
Exploring the Link between Mentoring Program Structure & Success Rates: Results from a National Survey

Though mentoring has emerged as a promising and low-cost intervention for at-risk youth in recent years, the scientific knowledge base on the topic remains under-developed. The current study augments the knowledge base on youth mentoring by analyzing programmatic elements of mentoring programs situated in or adjacent to the juvenile justice system that are predictive of participant success. Poisson regression was utilized to analyze data collected through a national mentoring community saturation survey. Findings indicated that mentoring programs that require more frequent interaction and sustain relationships for longer timeframes realize higher success rates. Similarly, the use of formal mentor training was also observed as indicative of the use of evidence based practices and higher success rates, though likely beyond the logistical and fiscal reach of some local mentoring initiatives. The implications for further research and the mentoring community are discussed.
Goodness of fit tests with interval censored data

Cramer-von Mises type goodness of fit tests for interval censored data case 2 are proposed based on a resampling method called the leveraged bootstrap, and their asymptotic consistency is shown. The proposed tests are computationally efficient, and in fact can be applied to other types of censored data, including right censored data, doubly censored data and (mixture of) case k interval censored data. Some simulation results and an example from AIDS research are presented.
The Mesomorphic Behavior of S-Cholesteryl ω-Phenylalkanethioates

Abstract The first 16 homologous S-cholesteryl ω-phenylalkanethioates were synthesized from 3β-mercaptocholest-5-ene and the imidazolides of the corresponding ω-phenylalkanoic acids. The mesomorphic properties of these compounds were determined by microscopic inspection and by differential scanning calorimetry. With the exception of the phenylthioacetate, the 4-phenylbutanethioate, and the 6-phenylhexanethioate, all homologs are cholesteric. S-Cholesteryl 8-phenyloctanethioate and its higher homologs are monotropic smectic. Both the cholesteric-isotropic and the smectic-cholesteric transition temperatures fall on two hyperbolic curves: a high temperature branch for homologs of odd and a low temperature branch for homologs of even acyl chain length. Some of the cholesteric members, of this series exhibit the visible spectrum of selectively reflected light within a narrow temperature range.
Effect of various hormones on the milk ejection response of tissue isolated from the rat mammary gland.

A SENSITIVE in vitro bioassay for oxytocin has been developed which makes use of the milk-ejection response of tissue from the mammary gland of lactating rats1. The object of the present experiments was to determine the specificity of this assay. The specificity of the response of mammary gland tissue to oxytocin, in vitro, has been a matter of controversy ever since Mendez-Bauer et al.2 used the response of this tissue as a quantitative assay for oxytocin. These workers reported that the contractions of rabbit mammary strips were highly specific for oxytocin. Subsequently other investigators found that mammary strips from lactating rats contracted in response to a variety of substances, for example, arginine–vasopressin3,4, acetylcholine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine4. Mammary strips from lactating rabbits contracted when exposed to arginine–vasopressin and to acetylcholine5.
A theoretical analysis of the reaction between propargyl and molecular oxygen.

The temperature- and pressure-dependent kinetics of the reaction between propargyl and molecular oxygen have been studied with a combination of electronic structure theory, transition state theory, and the time-dependent master equation. The stationary points on the potential energy surface were located with B3LYP density functional theory. Approximate QCISD(T,Full)/6-311++G(3df,2pd) energies were obtained at these stationary points. At low temperatures the reaction is dominated by addition to the CH2 side of the propargyl radical followed by stabilization. However, addition to the CH side, which is followed by one of various possible internal rearrangements, becomes the dominant process at higher temperatures. These internal rearrangements involve a splitting of the O2 bond ia the formation of 3-, 4- or 5-membered rings, with the apparent products being CH2CO + HCO. Rearrangement ia the 3-membered ring is found to dominate the kinetics. Rearrangement from the CH2 addition product, ia a 4-membered ring, would yield H2CO + HCCO, but the barrier to this rearrangement is too high to be kinetically significant. Other possible products require H transfers and, as a result, appear to be kinetically irrelevant. Modest variations in the energetics of a few key stationary points (most notably the entrance barrier heights) yield kinetic results that are in good agreement with the experimental results of Slagle and Gutman (I. R. Slagle and D. Gutman, Proc. Combust. Inst., 1986, 21, 875) and of Atkinson and Hudgens (D. B. Atkinson and J. W. Hudgens, J. Phys. Chem. A, 1999, 103, 4242).
Visible Absorbance Microspectroscopy with a Raman Microprobe

A Raman microprobe has been modified to function as a visible microspectrometer by the addition of an area-defining aperture and several neutral-density filters. The system enables visible absorbance spectra to be obtained on samples whose size is as small as ten micrometers in diameter. Several examples are presented which illustrate the capabilities and limitations of the modified system.
A Half Century of Health Data for the U.S. Population: The Integrated Health Interview Series

The U.S. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is the world's longest survey time series of health data and a rich source of information on health conditions, behaviors, and care from the 1960s to the present. NHIS public-use files are difficult to use for long-term analysis, due to complex file structure, changes in questionnaire content, and evolving variable names and coding schemes. Researchers at the Minnesota Population Center have created the Integrated Health Interview Series (IHIS) to overcome these problems. IHIS provides access to thousands of consistently coded and well-documented NHIS variables on the Internet and makes it easy to analyze health trends and differentials. IHIS multiplies the value of NHIS data by allowing researchers to make consistent comparisons over half a century and thus to study U.S. health status as a dynamic process. This article describes the main features of IHIS and suggests fruitful avenues for historical research using these invaluable health data.
Understanding antidepressant mechanism of action and its effect on efficacy and safety.

Abstract Common side effects of antidepressants, such as weight gain, sexual dysfunction, and fatigue and sleepiness, may be attributable to their mechanisms of action. Antidepressants are neurotransmitter uptake blockers, enzyme inhibitors, and neurotransmitter receptor blockers. Various mechanisms of action can determine how quickly therapeutic benefit becomes apparent and whether certain acute and persistent side effects occur. Understanding mechanism of action can help clinicians select appropriate antidepressants for individual patients and manage adherence problems due to intolerability. Although more research is needed to further elucidate specific antidepressant mechanisms of action, clinicians can use current knowledge to tailor treatment decisions, such as switching patients to a medication with a different mechanism of action when intolerable adverse events are experienced.
Fiber Bundle Based Fluorescence Tomography System for Human Breast Imaging

Fluorescence diffuse optical tomography (FT) is a promising molecular imaging technique that can spatially resolve both fluorophore concentration and lifetime parameters. In this phantom study, we built a photo-multiplier tube (PMT) based single detection system that uses fiber bundles to collect light. Measurements were acquired both with a 1 mm diameter single fiber and a 6 mm diameter fiber bundle using the very same detection unit for comparison purposes. We demonstratethat the fluorescence concentration and lifetime can be well recovered for 6 mm diameter objects deeply embedded in an 80 mm diameter breast-sized phantom when the fiber bundle is utilized.
Optoelectronic adaptive array for source position estimation

We present experimental results obtained from an optoelectronic implementation of a sonar adaptive array. The spatio-temporal correlation between the input signal and a reference signal results in a spatial pattern which reveals the position of the signal source.