cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gradient Inversion Attack: Leaking Private Labels in Two-Party Split Learning.

Split learning is a popular technique used to perform vertical federated learning, where the goal is to jointly train a model on the private input and label data held by two parties. To preserve privacy of the input and label data, this technique uses a split model and only requires the exchange of intermediate representations (IR) of the inputs and gradients of the IR between the two parties during the learning process. In this paper, we propose Gradient Inversion Attack (GIA), a label leakage attack that allows an adversarial input owner to learn the label owner's private labels by exploiting the gradient information obtained during split learning. GIA frames the label leakage attack as a supervised learning problem by developing a novel loss function using certain key properties of the dataset and models. Our attack can uncover the private label data on several multi-class image classification problems and a binary conversion prediction task with near-perfect accuracy (97.01% - 99.96%), demonstrating that split learning provides negligible privacy benefits to the label owner. Furthermore, we evaluate the use of gradient noise to defend against GIA. While this technique is effective for simpler datasets, it significantly degrades utility for datasets with higher input dimensionality. Our findings underscore the need for better privacy-preserving training techniques for vertically split data.
Sphingomyelinase and cell-permeable ceramide analogs stimulate cellular proliferation in quiescent Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts.

Sphingomyelin or the products derived from its metabolism may constitute a signaling system involved in a variety of cellular processes. The activation of a plasma membrane neutral sphingomyelinase, which catalyzes the first step in sphingomyelin turnover, has been suggested to play an important role in cellular differentiation. We have studied the effect of exogenous staphylococcal sphingomyelinase on DNA synthesis and on the composition of membrane sphingolipids in quiescent Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. Sphingomyelinase stimulated proliferation of Swiss 3T3 cells and potentiated the mitogenic action of other growth factors, such as insulin, epidermal growth factor, and bombesin. Treatment with sphingomyelinase produced a significant decrease in sphingomyelin accompanied by a corresponding increase in ceramide levels. No significant increases were detected in the levels of products derived from ceramide, i.e. ceramide 1-phosphate, sphingosine, or sphingosine 1-phosphate. To further investigate the role of ceramide in cellular proliferation, we studied the effect of cell-permeable analogs of ceramide on DNA synthesis in quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells. Both N-hexanoylsphingosine and N-acetylsphingosine at low concentrations stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation and acted synergistically with a wide variety of growth factors known to induce proliferation of quiescent Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. Similar effects were observed with bovine brain ceramides. These results suggest that ceramide may be involved in the regulation of cellular proliferation.
An Operational Space Formulation for a Free-Flying, Multi-Arm Space Robot

An experimental validation of the Extended Operational Space Formulation for a two-arm, free-flying space robot is presented. Following a brief summary of the formulation and a quantitative description of the robot's macro-mini characteristics, the concepts of macro-mini coordination for a multi-arm system, Dynamically Consistent Force/Torque Decomposition for redundant manipulator control, and Internal Motion Control are demonstrated experimentally. The impact of actuator discretization at the robot base on the accuracy and dynamic decoupling of the robot is analyzed and discussed.
Antibiotics and their effect on Bordetella pertussis in the nasopharynx.

Antibiotic therapy of varying dose, type, and duration was given to 11 infants and children with clinically and laboratory proven pertussis, and cultures and FA studies were used to determine their nasopharyngeal carriage of B. pertussis organisms. Nine of the 11 patients were found to still be harboring the organisms at the conclusion of the initial course of therapy. It is recommended that patients with pertussis who are treated with antibiotics should not be assumed to be non-contagious after therapy is completed and that appropriate bacteriologic or FA studies are essential in determining whether nasopharyngeal carriage still exists.
THE ENDEMIC ORCHID GENERA OF THE ANTILLES

In the Antillean Archipelago there are more than 600 species of orchids in about 120 genera. Of them about 90 species belong to 14 endemic genera. The Antillean genera are purely a Greater Antilles phe- nomenon. Only three species extend into Florida and three into the Lesser Antilles
Using needs assessment as a learning tool in the product development process: A case study of a quick service restaurant chain

Purpose – The purpose of this case study was threefold. First, to examine whether a needs assessment can work in the context of an organization’s new product development process to identify the gap between what “is” occurring and what “should” be occurring. Second, to investigate how a well-known stakeholder classification system can be adopted in a practitioner setting. Third, to identify why the new product development process derailed in a quick-service restaurant chain. Design/methodology/approach – A Fortune 200 quick-service restaurant chain provided the setting for a case study on the new product development (NPD) process. Data were gathered from multiple stakeholder groups using interviews and a survey questionnaire. Findings – Findings support the adaptability of needs assessment as a learning tool to help organizations identify and address performance gaps. A second finding was the applicability of the Mitchell et al. (1997) classification system to identify and prioritize groups of stakeholders...
A delta-F Monte Carlo method to calculate parameters in plasmas

A Monte Carlo code has been developed which very efficiently calculates plasma parameters, such as currents, potentials and transport coefficients for a fully three dimensional magnetic field configuration. The code computes the deviation, f, of the exact distribution function, f, from the Maxwellian, $F\sb{M},$ with $\psi$ the toroidal magnetic flux enclosed by a pressure surface and H the Hamiltonian. The particles in the simulation are followed with a traditional Monte Carlo scheme consisting of an orbit step in which new values for the positions and momenta are obtained and a collision step in which a Monte Carlo equivalent of the Lorentz operator is applied to change the pitch of each particle. Since the $\delta f$ code calculates only the deviations from the Maxwellian rather than the full distribution function, it is about 10$\sp4$ times as efficient as other Monte Carlo techniques used to calculate currents in plasmas. The $\delta f$ code was used to study the aspect ratio and collisionality dependence of the bootstrap current and two Fourier components of the Pfirsch-Schluter current. It was also used to calculate electric potentials within magnetic surfaces due to the explicit enforcement of the quasi-neutrality condition. The code also calculated transport coefficients for the ions and electrons under various conditions. The agreement between the values predicted by the code for the plasma currents and analytic theory is excellent. The transport parameters calculated for the ions and electrons are in qualitative agreement with values predicted from neoclassical transport theory, including transport induced by a toroidal ripple. The in-surface electric potentials induced by explicitly enforcing the quasi-neutrality condition are too small to significantly enhance transport across the magnetic surfaces.
Investigation of error source in equivalence principle algorithm (EPA)

The integral equation-based solvers have difficulty dealing with multi-scale problems because of disparate meshing and consequently the coexistence of varied physics (i.e., ray physics, wave physics, and circuit physics). Equivalence principle algorithm (EPA), as a domain decomposition method, has shown a great potential to address some of these issues. The EPA initially divides an original large problem into smaller ones by defining appropriate enclosing surfaces, and then solves each of them independently. Later, it uses the equivalence principle to move the solutions to the surface and stitch them together to produce a solution for the original problem. This provides parallelization of the solution, flexibility for selecting the mesh strategy, its reuse, and also improved condition number of the matrix system. Despite these advantages, the error source for EPA has not been well-studied which will be partially addressed in here.
Oxygen and nitrogen isotopic composition of nitrate in commercial fertilizers, nitric acid, and reagent salts.

Nitrate is a key component of synthetic fertilizers that can be beneficial to crop production in agro-ecosystems, but can also cause damage to natural ecosystems if it is exported in large amounts. Stable isotopes, both oxygen and nitrogen, have been used to trace the sources and fate of nitrate in various ecosystems. However, the oxygen isotope composition of synthetic and organic nitrates is poorly constrained. Here, we present a study on the N and O isotope composition of nitrate-based fertilizers. The δ15N values of synthetic and natural nitrates were 0 ± 2 ‰ similar to the air N2 from which they are derived. The δ18O values of synthetic nitrates were 23 ± 3 ‰, similar to air O2, and natural nitrate fertilizer δ18O values (55 ± 5 ‰) were similar to those observed in atmospheric nitrate. The Δ17O values of synthetic fertilizer nitrate were approximately zero following a mass-dependent isotope relationship, while natural nitrate fertilizers had Δ17O values of 18 ± 2 ‰ similar to nitrate produced photoch...
Pattern Dependence of TMR Sensor Noise

Noise in tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) read heads play an important role in magnetic recording. Extensive studies were carried out in understanding thermal magnetic noise in the TMR heads. The thermal noise is mostly attributed to the synthetic antiferromagnet in the TMR sensor. In this paper, we have studied the noise generated in the TMR sensor due to instabilities in the free layer using the magnetic field generated from the media dc-pattern of different polarities, and propose a test to study the read sensor instability caused by defects in the free layer. The influence of write noise from the written tracks created by the single-pole writer on the TMR sensor reader is also studied.
Will Observation Error and Biases Ruin the Use of Simple Extinction Models

Estimating the risk of extinction for populations of endangered species is an important component of conservation biology. These estimates must be made from data that contain both environmental noise in the year-to-year tranisitions in population size (so-called 'Process error'), random errors in sampling, and possible biases in samnpling (both forms of observation errors). To determine how much faith to place in esti- mated extinction rates, it is important to know how sensitive they are to observation error. We used three simple, commonly employed models of population dynamics to generate simulated population timle series. We then combined randoml observation error or systematic biases with those data, fit models to the time se- ries data, and observed how close the extinction dynamiiics of the fitted models compared with the dynami.cs of the underlying models. We found that systematic biases in sampling rarely affected estimates of extinction risk. We also foutnd that even moderate levels of random observation error do not significantly affect extitnc- tion estimates except over a sm.all range of process errors, corresponding to the region where extinction risk is most uncertain. With more substantial sampling error, estimates of extinction risk degraded rapidly. Field census techniques for a variety of taxa often involve observation errors within `32% of actual population
Suppression of human monocyte interleukin-1β production by ajulemic acid, a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid

Abstract Oral administration of ajulemic acid (AjA), a cannabinoid acid devoid of psychoactivity, reduces joint tissue damage in rats with adjuvant arthritis. Because interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) are central to the progression of inflammation and joint tissue injury in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, we investigated human monocyte IL-1β and TNFα responses after the addition of AjA to cells in vitro . Peripheral blood and synovial fluid monocytes (PBM and SFM) were isolated from healthy subjects and patients with inflammatory arthritis, respectively, treated with AjA (0–30 μM) in vitro , and then stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Cells were harvested for mRNA, and supernatants were collected for cytokine assay. Addition of AjA to PBM and SFM in vitro reduced both steady-state levels of IL-1β mRNA and secretion of IL-1β in a concentration-dependent manner. Suppression was maximal (50.4%) at 10 μM AjA ( P Cannabis constituents, such as AjA, may help resolve the ongoing debate about the use of marijuana as medicine.
A Short, Reliable Measure of Subjective Knowledge

Abstract Consumer knowledge is important both to theoretical models of consumer behavior and to marketing practice. There are three distinct but related ways in which consumer knowledge is conceptualized and measured: objective knowledge, subjective knowledge, and experience. This paper describes the development and validation of a short, reliable, and valid self-report measure of subjective knowledge that is applicable to a variety of data collection methods and subject areas. It can be used to test consumer theories and in practical applications. Multiple studies using data from 1,178 subjects show that the scale is unidimensional, internally consistent, valid, free from methodological confounds, and easy to use.
Prevalence of Blood Pressure, Blood Glucose and Serum Lipids Abnormalities Among Ethiopian Immigrants: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

The main objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of hypertension, glucose and blood lipid abnormalities among a community of Ethiopian immigrants in Minnesota. This cross-sectional study used data from the parish nursing program 2007-2012. A total of 673 encounters were included in this study. Various dependent variables including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), blood glucose (BG), and serum lipids were examined. High blood pressure was defined as a mean SBP equal to or higher than 140 mm/Hg and/or DBP equal to or higher than 90 mmHg. Elevated fasting glucose defined as levels equal to or higher than 126 mg/dL. High level of total cholesterol (TC), total triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were defined as ≥240, ≥200, ≥160 and ≤40 mg/dL, respectively. General linear regression models were used to investigate the relationship of participants' age and gender, to the continuously distributed response variables, which included systolic and DBP, BG, TC, TG, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. This is a nonrandom sample of adult Ethiopian church members who were invited to participate in a parish nurse cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor screening program. Participants in this sample were 43 % male and 57 % female. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 30.1 % with a cut off mark of 140/90 mm/Hg. The prevalence of hypertension was 33 and 24 % among men than among women, respectively (p 240 mg/dL) were observed in 15 % of the women and 10 % of the men (p = 0.2). Higher SBP and DBP were significantly higher in male participants than their female counterparts (p 0.05). This opportunity sample suggests high prevalence of CVD risk factors in a community of Ethiopian-American adults, and a pressing need for more comprehensive and systematic assessment of chronic disease health needs in this growing community.
Multimedia medical signal management — new challenges in crossing the imaging chasm between signal acquisition, processing, diagnosis and treatment

With large amount of patient vital signs, medical image data and diagnosis, as well as treatment results accumulated daily from healthcare enterprises, managing and distributing multimedia information becomes challenging. This presentation selects five independent concepts and technologies and their intertwined relationship to exemplify goal-oriented multimedia signal processing and distribution for healthcare delivery applications. They are: medical imaging informatics; Data Grid for image fault tolerant backup and disaster recovery; computer-assisted detection and diagnosis for daily clinical practice; biometrics technology for data access security in an enterprise level integrated system; and in vivo image-guided real-time surgical treatment. The success of implementing these novel technologies and concepts would have tremendous impact to better present and future healthcare delivery.
Electrical Response of Bilayers to the Bee Venom Toxin Melittin

Melittin is a 26-residue amphipathic alpha-helix that causes membrane destabilization via a mechanism that is still disputed. While a transmembrane pore model has been a central part of the mechanistic dialogue for decades, there is growing evidence that a transmembrane pore is not required for melittin activity. In part, the controversy is due to limited experimental tools to probe the bilayer's response to melittin. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a technique that can reveal details of molecular mechanism of peptide activity, as it yields direct measurements of membrane resistance and capacitance of supported bilayers. In the work presented here, this technique was used to study the response of surface-supported bilayers of different lipid compositions to melittin. The EIS results directly demonstrate that the response of a bilayer to melittin cannot be explained by a simple transmembrane pore model.
Optical solitary waves in three-level media: effects of different dipole moments

The exact electric polarization operator of the Maxwell-Bloch equations for a three-level Λ-type system is derived without assuming equality of the transition dipole moments. Numerical solution of the resulting solitary wave equations yields a richer spectrum than found earlier for identical dipole moments [Hioe and Grobe, Phys. Rev. Lett.73, 2559 (1994)]. The two components of the new solitary waves each have a zero-pulse area and take the form of modulated oscillations.
Lower prevalence of psychiatric conditions when negative age stereotypes are resisted

Older military veterans are at greater risk for psychiatric disorders than same-aged non-veterans. However, little is known about factors that may protect older veterans from developing these disorders. We considered whether an association exists between the potentially stress-reducing factor of resistance to negative age stereotypes and lower prevalence of the following outcomes among older veterans: suicidal ideation, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants consisted of 2031 veterans, aged 55 or older, who were drawn from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, a nationally representative survey of American veterans. The prevalence of all three outcomes was found to be significantly lower among participants who fully resisted negative age stereotypes, compared to those who fully accepted them: suicidal ideation, 5.0% vs. 30.1%; anxiety, 3.6% vs. 34.9%; and PTSD, 2.0% vs. 18.5%, respectively. The associations followed a graded linear pattern and persisted after adjustment for relevant covariates, including age, combat experience, personality, and physical health. These findings suggest that developing resistance to negative age stereotypes could provide older individuals with a path to greater mental health.
RAG: an efficient reliability analysis of logic circuits on graphics processing units

In this paper, we present RAG, an efficient Reliability Analysis tool based on Graphics processing units (GPU). RAG is a fault injection based parallel stochastic simulator implemented on a state-of-the-art GPU. A two-stage simulation framework is proposed to exploit the high computation efficiency of GPUs. Experimental results demonstrate the accuracy and performance of RAG. An average speedup of 412× and 198× is achieved compared to two state-of-the-art CPU-based approaches for reliability analysis.
In Defense of Hatred

In this article, I argue that popular hatred of elites is a good accountability mechanism and increases the legitimacy of the state. I draw on Machiavelli to make this case. In order to clarify my defense of hatred, I criticize the ontological enmity of Carl Schmitt and Samuel P. Huntington. For them, hatred is mobilized to consolidate state power at the expense of democratic accountability. My analysis of Machiavelli, Schmitt, and Huntington leads to the following conclusion: naming the proper object of hatred is a key component in the fight against oppression.
Maximum likelihood identification of stochastic linear systems

The maximum likelihood estimation of the coefficients of multiple output linear dynamical systems and the noise correlations from the noisy measurements of input and output are discussed. Conditions are derived under which the estimates converge to their true values as the number of measurements tend to infinity. The computational methods are illustrated by several numerical examples.
Some properties and susceptibility to inhibitors of partially purified acid proteases from Plasmodium berghei and from ghosts of mouse red cells

Abstract 1. 1. An acid proteinase from erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium berghei was partially purified and some of its properties were compared with those of an acid protease from ghosts of mouse red cells. 2. 2. The two enzymes gave similar elution patterns upon filtration through Sephadex G-100, had similar Michaelis constants towards hemoglobin, were inhibited by high concentrations of substrate, and degraded bovine serum albumin much more slowly than they did hemoglobin. The pH optimum was 3.0–3.6 for the parasite enzyme and 2.5–3.0 for the red cell enzyme. However, the pH-response curves were quite similar. 3. 3. Both enzymes were inhibited by phenylmethane sulfonyl fluoride, and were unaffected by p- chloromercuribenzoate , iodoacetamide, dithiothreitol, and EDTA. 4. 4. Both enzymes were completely inhibited by pepstatin, chymostatin, antipain and leupeptin. ID50's for the parasite enzyme were (in ng/ml) 0.25, 0.5, 70, and 200, respectively.
Perceived Reachability in Single- and Multiple-Degree-of-Freedom Workspaces

In comparisons of perceived (imagined) and actual reaches, investigators consistently find a tendency to overestimate. A primary explanation for that phenomenon is that individuals reach as a "whole-body engagement" involving multiple degrees of freedom (m-df). The authors examined right-handers (N = 28) in 1-df and m-df workspaces by having them judge the reachability of targets at midline, right, and left visual fields. Response profiles were similar for total error. Both conditions reflected an overestimation bias, although the bias was significantly greater in the m-df condition. Midline responses differed (greater overestimation) from those of right and left visual fields, which were similar. Although the authors would have predicted better performance in the m-df condition, it seems plausible that if individuals think in terms of m-df, they may feel more confident in that condition and thereby exhibit greater overestimation. Furthermore, the authors speculate that the reduced bias at the side fields may be attributed to a more conservative strategy based in part on perceived reach constraints.
Ideal water waves via instantaneous action at a distance

An elementary derivation is given of the kinematics and dynamics of small amplitude sinusoidal water waves in deep water, using, for the kinematics, a ‘‘Green’s function integral’’ approach having intuitive appeal. At first, the usual simplifying assumption of incompressible water is made and the standard results are obtained. Then the approach is found to lend itself to the calculation of small corrections due to finite compressibility.
Knowledge of AIDS and safer sex practices among college freshmen

We assessed knowledge of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and of safer sex practices among college freshmen. A second purpose of the study was to assess this knowledge among black as well as white students. Students attending classes at three private colleges in a large southern city were asked to participate in the study. Respondents completed the modified AIDS information survey, the knowledge of safe sex practices questionnaire, and a demographic data sheet. A total of 689 questionnaires were received from single college freshmen. The results indicated that respondents were knowledgeable about the cause and transmission of AIDS but were less knowledgeable about medical aspects. Most knew that condoms are effective in preventing the spread of AIDS, but fewer could differentiate between the effectiveness of latex and nonlatex condoms. These findings are useful to health educators in improving AIDS education programs.
Engineered oligosaccharyltransferases with greatly relaxed acceptor site specificity

The Campylobacter jejuni protein glycosylation locus (pgl) encodes machinery for asparagine-linked (N-linked) glycosylation and serves as the archetype for bacterial N-linked glycosylation. This machinery has been functionally transferred into Escherichia coli, enabling convenient mechanistic dissection of the N-linked glycosylation process in this genetically tractable host. Here we sought to identify sequence determinants in the oligosaccharyltransferase PglB that restrict its specificity to only those glycan acceptor sites containing a negatively charged residue at the -2 position relative to asparagine. This involved creation of a genetic assay, glycosylation of secreted N-linked acceptor proteins (glycoSNAP), that facilitates high-throughput screening of glycophenotypes in E. coli. Using this assay, we isolated several C. jejuni PglB variants that could glycosylate an array of noncanonical acceptor sequences, including one in a eukaryotic N-glycoprotein. These results underscore the utility of glycoSNAP for shedding light on poorly understood aspects of N-linked glycosylation and for engineering designer N-linked glycosylation biocatalysts.
Optical Metrology of Adaptive Membrane Mirrors

Abstract : Current space-based imaging platforms are significantly constrained in both size and weight by the launch vehicle. Increased payload size and weight results in increased cost and a decrease in launch responsiveness. The USAF Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) identified "Large lightweight structures for optics and antennas" as a revolutionary primary technology to be developed for the Air Force of the 21st Century. A membrane primary mirror in a space-based imaging system has the ability to overcome current payload constraints and meet evolutionary needs of the future. The challenge of membrane optics in space is the process of implementing adaptive optics technology to the membrane surface that will provide at least rough order of magnitude imaging, where small aberrations can be removed downstream in the system. The objective of this research was to develop a system to categorize surface properties of optical quality membrane material with the ability to interpret membrane mirror deformation. Coincident with this objective was the design and construction of membrane mirrors and associated test tooling, the design and application of in-plane zonal control for membrane mirrors, and mirror deformation analysis. The system provides wavefront analysis with both optical interferometry and Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing, with good correlation, which compares favorably to Zygo interferometer data. Results from membrane static testing will be presented.
Searching for post-perovskite transition in CaSnO3 at high pressure: an ultrasonic velocity study to 18 GPa

Compressional (P) and shear (S) wave velocities of CaSnO3 perovskite were measured at room temperature using ultrasonic interferometry up to 18 GPa. Discontinuities of the magnitude suggested in previous theoretical calculations are not observed in derived velocities over the entire experimental pressure range explored here. A least squares fitting of the P and S wave velocities to third-order finite strain equations yielded zero pressure adiabatic bulk and shear moduli and their first pressure derivatives, K=166(2) GPa, K′=5.4(2), G=88(1) GPa and G′=1.2(1). These results are in agreement with previous experiments, within mutual uncertainties. Examinations of the current data as well as comparison with previous measurements at lower pressures conclude the presence of a post-perovskite phase transition in CaSnO3 is not visible in the elasticity at ambient temperature within 0–18 GPa range.
EFFECTS OF MORPHINE ON TEMPORAL DISCRIMINATION AND COLOR MATCHING: GENERAL DISRUPTION OF STIMULUS CONTROL OR SELECTIVE EFFECTS ON TIMING?

Discrepant effects of drugs on behavior maintained by temporal-discrimination procedures make conclusive statements about the neuropharmacological bases of timing difficult. The current experiment examined the possible contribution of a general, drug-induced disruption of stimulus control. Four pigeons responded on a three-component multiple schedule that included a fixed-interval 2-min, temporal discrimination, and color-matching component. Under control conditions, response rates and choice responses during the first two components showed evidence of control by time, and accuracy for color matching was high in the third component. Morphine administration flattened the distribution of fixed-interval responding and produced a general disruption of accuracy in the temporal-discrimination component, whereas accuracy in the color-matching component was relatively unaffected. Analysis of the psychophysical functions from the temporal-discrimination component indicated that morphine decreased accuracy of temporal discrimination by decreasing overall stimulus control, rather than by selectively affecting timing. These results suggest the importance of determining the neurophysiological bases of stimulus control as it relates to temporal discrimination.
Killing power of the red imported fire ant [Hym.: Formicidae]: a key predator of the boll weevil [Col.: Curculionidae]

The red imported fire ant,Solenopsis invicta Buren, was identified as a key predator of the boll weevil,Anthonomus grandis Boheman. Although key factor analysis does not guarantee that the key factor is the causative agent, the evidence of boll weevil mortality was so clear that the fire ant could be identified as causing the mortality. Ant predation on immature boll weevils during the summer of 1981 averaged 84%. When this predation was combined with other natural mortality factors, the weevil population density throughout the season never exceeded levels that required control measures.
Public Opinion Polls: A Guide to Accessing the Literature

Over the past fifty years, public opinion polls have assumed an increasingly important role in daily life. Quite possibly every person living in America has at one time or another been affected by polls. In fact, few aspects of our lives remain untouched by polls—from the television programs we watch, to the choice of candidates for public office, to national political issues, to the products we buy. Polling has become widely known through frequent use by television and the mass market print media.
Effect of fibre orientation on the thermal conductivity of a uniaxial carbon fibre-reinforced aluminoborosilicate glass-matrix composite for various specimen geometries

The development of fibre-reinforced brittle-matrix composites has led to major improvements in such properties as fracture toughness, brittleness and strength [1-6]. Generally, the thermal conductivity of the fibres exceeds that of the matrix, so increases in thermal diffusivity and/or conductivity of the composite are observed as well [7-11]. The thermal conductivity of fibreor whisker-reinforced composites has received a great deal of theoretical interest [11-18]. In general, the thermal conductivity of such composites has been shown to be a function of the thermal conductivity values and the volume fractions of the fibres and matrix, the fibre orientation and the degree of thermal contact at the fibre-matrix interface. The effective thermal conductivity of a uniaxial composite in any direction relative to the fibres can be calculated from the values of the thermal conductivity parallel and perpendicular to the fibre direction [18]. The above theories generally have assumed that the composite is infinite in extent and have not taken into account the possible effect of finite size of the composite specimen. As pointed out by Nye [19] and Carslaw and Jaeger [20], the net direction of heat flow within single crystals with anisotropic thermal conductivity does not necessarily coincide with the direction of the imposed temperature gradient. This should also be relevant for fibre-reinforced composites, which in general are expected to exhibit anisotropic thermal conductivity. Depending on the fibre angle, the presence of insulated boundaries parallel to the imposed temperature gradient can interfere with the net heat flow within the composite. In this respect the recent analysis of Hasselman et al. [21] showed that depending on the orientation of the fibres, the effective thermal conductivity of a uniaxially reinforced composite strip of finite width can be much less than the value for an infinitely large plate. For a composite strip with insulated sides with a temperature gradient imposed along the length of the strip, the effective thermal conductivity along the length of the strip was derived to be [21]
Patient variables that predict atypical cytology by nipple duct lavage

BACKGROUND. Nipple duct lavage (NDL) may be useful for breast cancer risk stratification. Published guidelines recommend that women with a 5-year Gail risk ≥1.7% should consider undergoing lavage for any fluid-yielding ducts, but it is not known whether increased breast cancer risk or nipple fluid production predict lavage atypia. METHODS. One hundred fifty women unselected for breast cancer risk underwent NDL with cannulation of all nipple aspirate fluid (NAF)-producing ducts and at least 1 dry duct. This resulted in 516 lavage samples. The rate of cytologic atypia was compared for NAF-positive ducts and NAF-negative ducts and for women with 5-year Gail risks ≥1.7% and <1.7%. Ducts from breasts with cancer (N = 113) were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS. The cytologic atypia rate was similar for the 240 NAF-producing ducts (19%) and the 163 dry ducts (15%; P = .36). No significant differences were observed when atypia was categorized as mild (13% vs 10%; P = .63) or marked (6% vs 4%; P = .53). Among the 83 patients who were unaffected by breast cancer, atypia was diagnosed in 15 of 44 patients (34%) with a 5-year Gail risk <1.7% and in 11 of 39 patients (28%) with a 5-year Gail risk ≥1.7% (P = .74). CONCLUSIONS. Neither NAF production nor 5-year Gail risk predicted lavage atypia. Limiting NDL to fluid-producing ducts in women with a 5-year Gail risk ≥1.7% significantly reduced the sensitivity of the test for population screening. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
The Stimulation of Phenolics and Antioxidant Activity in Pea (Pisum sativum) Elicited by Genetically Transformed Anise Root Extract

A series of dark germination experiments demonstrate the potential of an Agrobacterium rhizogenes-transformed, high cytokinin root extract of anise (Pimpinella anisum), to stimulate phytophenolic and enhance antioxidant activity in pea (Pisum sativum) seedlings. Average shoot weight increased 40–60% after imbibing seeds for 24 h in a 1.5 to 2.0% extract of the anise root clone AR-10. Phenolic concentration was positively correlated with shoot weight, suggesting that the total phenolic content was related to seedling vigor. Antioxidant protection factor in pea shoots was also stimulated by AR-10 extracts. Free proline concentrations were 2–3 times higher in shoots collected from AR-10 treated peas versus controls. However, proline content also increased as shoot weight declined after being subjected to an overdose of AR-10 extract in 25% ethanol. G6PDH specific activity, the first committed step of the pentose phosphate pathway, was negatively associated with shoot growth and proline concentrations.
Grounding the alienation of self and body: a critical, phenomeoological analysis of the patient in western medicine1

The treatment of the body as a tiling separate from the social self is made the object of inquiry. The implications of this separation are explored as follows: (1) The failure on the part of the medical profession to treat differences in morbidity and mortality rates due to social class, occupation and environment as an object of medical concern; (2) Domination by the medical profession, subordination of the patient and a corresponding sense of entitlement on the part of one and vulnerability on the part of the other; (3) The control of medical knowledge by the profession for its own interests which do not always correspond to the patient's interests; (4) The failure to communicate successfully with patients; (5) The intentional avoidance of informing patients about the nature of or prognosis for their illness; (6) Exploitation of the patient by the medical profession (e.g. unnecessary surgery); (7) The difference in the quality of care and attitudes toward patients according to social or imputed moral differences among patients; (8) The loss of autonomy arid dignity on the part of the patient. This state of affairs is analysed in terms of the definition of the physician as curer, the treatment of medical knowledge as private property, and the context of a market economy.
A knowledge-based approach to CIM modeling

This paper discusses issues in building a conceptual modeling approach that has sufficient semantic power to represent the complexities of decision making in CIM systems. To express the information in a conceptual model we make use of an amalgam of powerful paradigms: a hybrid methodology, that integrates the concepts of object-oriented programming, messagepassing semantics, and temporal logic. We further illustrate an example incorporating some of these concepts.
Drivers of carbon dioxide and methane supersaturation in small, temporary ponds

Inland waters are an important component of the global carbon cycle, but there is a poor understanding of carbon dynamics in very small ponds. In this study, I evaluated the concentrations and drivers of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in six small (<1000 m2), temporary, forested ponds in Connecticut, USA. The six ponds were on average 19-fold supersaturated in CO2 and 504-fold supersaturated in CH4 relative to the atmosphere. For both gases, this level of supersaturation is among the highest reported for lentic freshwaters. The physical, chemical, and biological parameters in the ponds differ from larger lakes, and may explain the supersaturation. Specifically, the ponds have high terrestrial carbon loadings, are shallow, and polymictic, meaning much of the water is in contact with the carbon-rich sediments. Pond CO2 concentrations were best predicted by a negative relationship with dissolved oxygen (DO), indicating that substantial respiration, likely from the sediments, drew down oxygen (O2) and produced CO2. The stoichiometric relationship between CO2 supersaturation and O2 undersaturation also implicates anaerobic respiration as a significant source of CO2 production in the ponds. The high carbon, low oxygen, and shallow nature of small ponds were also prime for CH4 supersaturation. Methane concentrations were best predicted by a negative relationship with precipitation, likely because precipitation increased pond depth, diluted dissolved organic carbon and gas concentrations, and increased DO. If the respiration of terrestrial carbon in small ponds is not accounted for in carbon budgets, current estimates of terrestrial net ecosystem productivity may be overestimated.
Single Electron Transfer and CO2+ Transfer Reactions of a Disubstituted Cation and Anion, Mn(CO)4(PPh3)+ 2 and Mn(CO)3(PPh3)2 −

Abstract The substitution of triphenylphosphine for CO on cationic and anionic complexes significantly slows single electron transfer reactions (SET) but has a relatively small effect on CO2+ transfer. This allows the products of CO2+ reactions to be readily identified before subsequent SET reactions can occur. In this manuscript the reactions of the bis-substituted complexes, Mn(CO)4(PPh3)+ 2 and Mn(CO)3(PPh3)2 −, are reported. When the cation is reacted with a metal carbonyl anion that is more nucleophilic than Mn(CO)3(PPh3)− 2, a CO2+ transfer occurs; a less nucleophilic anion results in SET. Single electron transfer reactions of triphenylphosphine complexes are characterized by formation of hydride products. Transfer of CO2+ leads to new cation and anion products.
Ccr4p is the catalytic subunit of a Ccr4p/Pop2p/Notp mRNA deadenylase complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The major pathways of mRNA turnover in eukaryotic cells are initiated by shortening of the poly(A) tail. Recent work has identified Ccr4p and Pop2p as components of the major cytoplasmic deadenylase in yeast. We now demonstrate that CCR4 encodes the catalytic subunit of the deadenylase and that Pop2p is dispensable for catalysis. In addition, we demonstrate that at least some of the Ccr4p/Pop2p-associated Not proteins are cytoplasmic, and lesions in some of the NOT genes can lead to defects in mRNA deadenylation rates. The Ccr4p deadenylase is inhibited in vitro by addition of the poly(A) binding protein (Pab1p), suggesting that dissociation of Pab1p from the poly(A) tail may be rate limiting for deadenylation in vivo. In addition, the rapid deadenylation of the COX17 mRNA, which is controlled by a member of the Pumilio family of deadenylation activators Puf3p, requires an active Ccr4p/Pop2p/Not deadenylase. These results define the Ccr4p/Pop2p/Not complex as the cytoplasmic deadenylase in yeast and identify positive and negative regulators of this enzyme complex.
The hydrological calibration and validation of a complexly-linked watershed-reservoir model for the Occoquan watershed, Virginia

Summary Runoff models such as HSPF and reservoir models such as CE-QUAL-W2 are used to model water quality in watersheds. Most often, the models are independently calibrated to observed data. While this approach can achieve good calibration, it does not replicate the physically-linked nature of the system. When models are linked by using the model output from an upstream model as input to a downstream model, the physical reality of a continuous watershed, where the overland and waterbody portions are parts of the whole, is better represented. There are some additional challenges in the calibration of such linked models, because the aim is to simulate the entire system as a whole, rather than piecemeal. When public entities are charged with model development, one of the driving forces is to use public-domain models. This paper describes the use of two such models, HSPF and CE-QUAL-W2, in the linked modeling of the Occoquan watershed located in northern Virginia, USA. The description of the process is provided, and results from the hydrological calibration and validation are shown. The Occoquan model consists of six HSPF and two CE-QUAL-W2 models, linked in a complex way, to simulate two major reservoirs and the associated drainage areas. The overall linked model was calibrated for a three-year period and validated for a two-year period. The results show that a successful calibration can be achieved using the linked approach, with moderate additional effort. Overall flow balances based on the three-year calibration period at four stream stations showed agreement ranging from −3.95% to +3.21%. Flow balances for the two reservoirs, compared via the daily water surface elevations, also showed good agreement ( R 2 values of 0.937 for Lake Manassas and 0.926 for Occoquan Reservoir), when missing (un-monitored) flows were included. Validation of the models ranged from poor to fair for the watershed models and excellent for the waterbody models, thus indicating that the current model can be used to explore waterbody issues, but should be used with appropriate care for watershed issues. The study objective of being able to use the Occoquan model to study the impact of land use changes on hydrodynamics and water quality in the waterbodies, particularly the Occoquan Reservoir, can be met with the current model. However, appropriate judgment should be exercised when using the model for the prediction of watershed runoff. One of the advantages of using the linked approach is to develop a direct linkage between upstream land use changes and downstream water quality. This makes it easier for decision-makers to evaluate alternative watershed management plans and for the public to understand the decision-making process. The successful calibration of hydrology provides a solid base for further model development and application.
Extension of continuous-data system design techniques to sampled-data control systems

THE purpose of this paper is to extend the utility of certain synthesis techniques, which have proved useful in the design of continuous feedback systems, to the study of sampled-data systems. In recent publications,1,3,6 the z-transformation has been utilized to advantage in simplifying the analysis of sampled-data systems. However, several useful techniques applicable to the design of continuous-data systems have not been made available for the design of sampled-data systems. In this paper, by means of an extension of the concepts embodied in the z-transformation, the application to sampled-data systems of root-locus plots, asymptotic frequency plots, and Routh's criterion is shown to be feasible. Through the use of these techniques, a digital program giving the desired system compensation is readily synthesized.
GAAS DEVICES AND CIRCUITS FOR TERAHERTZ APPLICATIONS

Abstract GaAs diodes are used as mixer and multiplier elements throughout the terahertz frequency range. This is primarily because the technology is well-understood, convenient to use and supplies adequate performance for most applications. GaAs Schottky diodes are the mixer element of choice for terahertz applications where the added expense of cryogenic superconductive (SIS) or hot electron bolometric (HEB) mixers is not warranted. Furthermore, GaAs (and InP) multiplier diodes, used in conjunction with millimeter wave oscillators, are presently the best available technology for generating terahertz power from solid-state sources. In this paper, we will first review the status of terahertz diode technology with emphasis on the recent results which define the cutting edge of diode performance. We will then discuss the improvements that are needed to ensure that this technology not only meets the expanding needs of scientific researchers, but also is extended to future military and commercial applications.