cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting farmers' willingness to grow alternative biofuel feedstocks across Kansas

Abstract Energy conservation has emerged as one of the biggest challenges of the world in the XXI century, and not different from many countries, the US has created plans and policies to stimulate renewable energy alternative. Among the important alternatives for energy conservation is the use of biomass energy. Despite these stimuli production predictions are not confident that production would achieve the planned target for the U.S. Consequently, the predictions raise questions about farmer's willingness to grow bioenergy crops or produce alternative cellulosic feedstocks. In other words, farmers and landholders may not be willing to grow bioenergy crops. With this concerns in mind, the study advances previous research about bioenergy production by evaluating farmer's and landholder's willingness to produce different varieties of biofuel feedstocks. To achieve our goals, we used a mail survey of Kansas farmers conducted from January to April of 2011. The survey contained questions related to how farmers make their land-use decisions covering a wide array of topics. Through this survey, we evaluate the effect of farm characteristics, farm management practices, farmer perceptions (such as risk aversion), physical variables (such as soil, weather, and the availability of water for irrigation) on farmers' willingness to produce value-added feedstocks (e.g., corn stover), dedicated annual bioenergy crops (e.g., energy sorghum), and dedicated perennial bioenergy crops (e.g., switchgrass) for biofuel production in Kansas, though the use of logistic regressions and marginal effects.
Factors Associated with Neurologists’ Provision of MS Patient Care

Neurologists are central to providing quality care for individuals with MS. However, neurologist shortages may restrict access to care for MS patients. To examine factors influencing neurologists’ provision of MS care, we surveyed 1,700 US neurologists to assess demographic/practice characteristics, training, and attitudes toward MS care. The study population consisted of 573 respondents: 87 (15.2%) MS subspecialists and 486 (84.8%) “other neurologists,” including subspecialists in other neurology areas (i.e., non-MS) and general neurologists. MS subspecialists indicating they “enjoy interacting with MS patients” had a significantly greater rate of MS patients seen per week. In separate analyses of the “other neurologists” group, the rate of MS patients seen was lower among neurologists in university-based groups or those practicing in major cities; female neurologists; and neurologists who indicated lack of sufficient knowledge regarding MS patient care. Rates of MS patients seen were significantly greater for other neurologists who agreed that MS care involved “ability to improve patient outcomes and quality of life”; “dynamic area with evolving treatment options”; and “enjoy interacting with MS patients.” Understanding factors influencing MS patient care by neurologists and developing policies for appropriate access to care is critical for optimal outcomes among this population.
Measurements of the photocurrent enhancement of reverse-biased silicon photodiodes in the 0.05--1.5-keV photon-energy range

The measured photocurrents from two different p-n-junction silicon photodiodes at 170-A (73-eV) and at 8.34-A (1480-eV) light are presented. One is a standard extreme-UV photodiode fabricated on low-resistivity silicon (70–100 Ω cm), and the other is fabricated on high-resistivity silicon (>2 × 104 Ω cm). The photocurrents from the diode on high-resistivity silicon are at least an order of magnitude greater than the photocurrents from the diode on low-resistivity silicon when a reverse bias of 40 V is applied to each. This photocurrent enhancement is 15.4 ± 4 at 8.34 A and 12.5 ± 2 at 170 A.
Novel GLP-1 receptor agonists for diabetes.

Introduction: GLP-1 receptor agonists have been shown to be effective in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although the first GLP-1 receptor agonist, exenatide, was approved in the mid-2000s, other agents with longer durations of action (that do not require twice-daily dosing) are now being developed. Indeed, liraglutide, a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist, was approved in 2010, and more recently, a once-weekly formulation of exenatide was approved in 2011. This review considers the mechanism of action of GLP-1 receptor agonists and considers the various agents in this class. Areas covered: The importance of GLP-1 itself in glycemic control and the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists in T2DM are discussed. An overview of the clinical development of the five GLP-1 receptor agonists (exenatide, liraglutide, lixisenatide, albiglutide and taspoglutide) since 2005 is provided and their mechanisms of action, efficacy in terms of glycemic control and weight loss, and tolerability are reviewed. Expert...
The acceleratory degradation of solids according to non-steady-state kinetics

Abstract The acceleratory degradation of solids represents an area of research where extreme care must be exercised to obtain reproducible data. Different preparations of the same substance often show great variation in degradation patterns. Many kinetic equations have been developed to describe the kinetics of acceleratory degradations. Most of them are empirical and apply only to certain phases of a degradation. The non-steady-state kinetics which were developed to describe the zip degradation of poly(vinyl chloride) will be shown to describe effectively the unusual degradation behavior of inorganic solids that follow an acceleratory pattern.
A model for predicting surgical outcome in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma using computed tomography

BACKGROUND A reliable model for predicting the outcome of primary cytoreductive surgery may be a useful tool in the clinical management of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma. METHODS Forty-one women with a preoperative computed tomographic (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis and a histologic diagnosis of Stage III or IV epithelial ovarian carcinoma following primary surgery performed by one of nine gynecologic oncologists were identified from tumor registry databases. All CT scans were analyzed retrospectively using a panel of 25 radiographic features without knowledge of the operative findings. Patient demographics, surgical findings and outcome, Gynecologic Oncology Group performance status, and pre-operative serum CA125 values were collected from patient medical records. Residual disease measuring ≤ 1 cm in maximal diameter was considered an optimal surgical result. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for each radiographic feature and clinical characteristic. Based on statistical probability of each factor predicting cytoreductive outcome, 13 radiographic features, in addition to performance status, were selected for inclusion in the final model. Each parameter was assigned a numeric value based on the strength of statistical association, and a total Predictive Index score was tabulated for each patient. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the ability of the model to predict surgical outcome. Statistical significance was evaluated using the Fisher exact test. RESULTS Twenty of 41 patients (48.8%) underwent optimal cytoreduction to ≤ 1 cm residual disease. CT features of peritoneal thickening, peritoneal implants (≥ 2 cm), bowel mesentery involvement (≥ 2 cm), suprarenal paraaortic lymph nodes (≥ 1 cm), omental extension (spleen, stomach, or lesser sac), and pelvic sidewall involvement and/or hydroureter were most strongly associated with surgical outcome. Using the Predictive Index scores, a receiver operating characteristic curve was generated with an area under the curve = 0.969 ± 0.023. In the final model, a Predictive Index score ≥ 4 had the highest overall accuracy at 92.7% and identified patients undergoing suboptimal surgery with a sensitivity of 100% (21/21). The specificity, or ability to identify patients undergoing optimal surgery, was 85.0% (17/20). The PPV of a Predictive Index score ≥ 4 was 87.5% (21/24), and the NPV was 100%. The ability of this model to correctly predict surgical outcome was statistically significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In this model, a Predictive Index score ≥ 4 demonstrated high sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV, and was highly accurate in identifying patients with advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma unlikely to undergo optimal primary cytoreductive surgery. The Predictive Index model may have clinical utility in guiding the management of patients with ovarian carcinoma. Cancer 2000;89:1532–40. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
Magnetoacoustic instability and termination of solar wind

Stability of a system composed of two interstreaming plasmas in the presence of a transverse magnetic field is investigated, and the theory is applied to solar-wind interaction with interplanetary gas. The system is susceptible to magnetoacoustic instability provided the ratio of densities of solar-wind protons to interplanetary protons is below a critical value. The turbulence produced by this instability will reduce the solar-wind speeds to subsonic values. This transition for the solar wind occurs at heliocentric distances between 5 and 20 AU.
Plug-and-play sensor node for body area networks

Advancements in low power wireless communication and system on chip design have opened up the possibility of developing miniaturized sensor nodes. These sensors can either be deployed on the human body (non-invasive) or implanted inside it (invasive) to collect vital physiological information and wirelessly transmit it to the system database. At the system backend this data is stored, processed, analyzed, and taken action if required. In this paper we propose the hardware architecture of a low-power, low-cost, small footprint, plug & play sensor node that is suitable for monitoring the vital signs. An event driven operating system is built for the sensor node to efficiently run the house keeping tasks and communicate with the gateway. As a proof of concept, an Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring application for body area networks using this sensor node has been developed.
The control of movement and posture.

Abstract This report attempts to summarize material discussed at a recent conference on the control of movement and posture, held under the auspices of the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md., on March 27th and 28th, 1972. The Conference was planned to focus on the cross-over between work in animals on muscles and the central nervous system control of movement, and observations in human clinical neurology and neurophysiology. Major emphasis was placed on recent work dealing with the properties of motor units, the role of muscle receptor systems in movement control and with the role of the motor cortex in both ‘reflex’ as well as ‘voluntary’ movement. Attention was also directed to issues of the prospect for and ethical aspects of future experimentation in human subjects.
Magnetism and the interior of the Moon

The application of lunar magnetic field measurements to the study of properties of the lunar crust and deep interior is reviewed. Following a brief description of lunar magnetometers and the lunar magnetic environment, measurements of lunar remanent fields and their interaction with the solar plasma are discussed. The magnetization induction mode is considered with reference to lunar magnetic permeability and iron abundance calculations. Finally, electrical conductivity and temperature calculations from analyses of poloidal induction, for data taken in both the solar wind and in the geomagnetic tail, are reviewed.
Growth and differentiation of human keratinocytes without a feeder layer or conditioned medium

An improved procedure has been developed for clonal growth of normal human epidermal keratinocytes (HK) without feeder cells or conditioned medium. The use of medium 199, supplemented with 0.4 μg/ml hydrocortisone (HC) and 20% (v/v) whole fetal bovine serum (wFBS) and conditioned overnight by 3T3 cells, eliminated the need for a feeder layer of lethally irradiated 3T3 cells for HK growth. Several other media with equivalent conditioning and supplementation failed to support satisfactory multiplication of HK, including Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium, which is normally used for growth of HK with a feeder layer. Increasing the concentration of HC to 10 μg/ml (2.8×10−5 M) made possible clonal growth of HK without any conditioning of the medium. The addition of 10−5 M putrescine, 10−5 M vitamin B12, or 3.7×10−6 M β-estradiol further enhanced growth in unconditioned medium. Substantially greater improvement was obtained by the addition of pituitary extract or fractions prepared from pituitary extract. In medium 199 supplemented with 10 μg/ml HC, 20% (v/v) wFBS, and 0.15 mg/ml each of two pituitary fractions, single HK attach with a colony-forming efficiency equal to that in conditioned medium and form stratified, keratinized colonies that grow to confluency and can be subcultured. These results make it clear that HK do not require special “conditioning factors” from fibroblasts for clonal growth and differentiation in culture. Thus, factors directly involved in growth and the expression of differentiation can be analyzed without the interfering effects of any other type of cell. Preliminary studies with epidermal growth factor (EGF), which stimulates growth and extends life span of HK grown in the presence of fibroblasts, have shown that, in the absence of fibroblasts, EGF has no effect either on clonal growth or on cumulative multiplication potential of HK.
Acute Toxicity of Some Organic Insecticides to Three Species of Salmonids and to the Threespine Stickleback

Abstract The toxicity of several organic insecticides to coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri), and the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) was determined. Toxaphene, aldrin, dieldrin, DDT, lindane, methoxychlor, heptachlor, chlordane, endrin, Guthion, malathion, Co-Ral, and Sevin were tested. Toxicity was determined at 20° C. in standing water bioassays which lasted 96 hours. Endrin was the most toxic substance tested; the 96-hour median tolerance limit (TLm) for coho salmon was 0.51 parts per billion. With the exception of Co-Ral and Sevin, the 96-hour TLm values of all insecticides tested were near 100 parts per billion (0.1 p.p.m.), or much less. The toxicity of the insecticides to threespine sticklebacks in waters of 5 and 25 parts per thousand salinity was not markedly different at the two salinities.
Characteristics of aluminum-silicon schottky barrier diode

Abstract Aluminum n -type silicon Schottky barrier diodes with near-ideal characteristics have recently been developed. In this paper the characteristics of such a Schottky barrier are discussed. The I–V characteristics agree well with the theoretical thermionic emission model. The barrier height is determined from the saturation current, temperature dependence of forward current, and photoemission to be0.69±0.01eV. The switching measurements show no minority carrier storage, as expected. The low-frequency noise is very low and is comparable to the best p-n junction and guard-ring Schottky barrier. These desirable features, coupled with the simple process of the Al- n Si Schottky barrier, make them attractive in a variety of applications.
Tetrabenazine in the treatment of hyperkinetic movement disorders

Tetrabenazine, a dopamine-depleting agent first synthesized half a century ago, was initially developed for the treatment of schizophrenia. Although psychotic disorders have since been treated more successfully with other neuroleptic medications, many studies have shown this drug to be effective in the treatment of hyperkinetic movement disorders (hyperkinesias). Hyperkinesias are neurologic disorders characterized by abnormal involuntary movements such as chorea associated with Huntington’s disease, tics in Tourette’s syndrome and stereotypies in tardive dyskinesia. Recently, clinical trials investigating tetrabenazine for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease found the drug to be safe and efficacious, making approval by the US Food and Drug Administration for this indication a distinct possibility.
The financials of constructing a solar PV for net-zero energy operations on college campuses

Abstract The LACCD has a goal of establishing net-zero energy operations across its nine campuses. The project faces many challenges, including limited open areas for installing solar PV, increasing energy consumption challenges associated with campus energy growth and the high cost of installing solar PV. A previous study by Kwan and Hoffmann (2010) found that the LACCD would need to install a 9.5 MW solar PV array in order to meet total campus energy demand on a college campus through the year 2020. This paper attempts to evaluate the financial feasibility of such a project, taking into account the current local, state and federal renewable energy incentives available. We find that despite the availability of financial incentives by local municipal utility companies including installation rebates and net metering, the cost of electricity generated by solar PV still remains approximately 30% higher than electricity generated by fossil fuels. We also find that the optimal solar PV array size from a financial standpoint is one that is sized to generate and meet all electrical demand during sunlight hours. Any array larger than this yields diminishing returns. Finally our analysis examined the influence of per kW installation cost and found that only when prices dropped to $3.00 per installed watt did a net-zero energy solar PV array have an NPV of 0.
Interference Mitigation Using Adaptive Schemes in Body Area Networks

Considering the medical nature of the information carried in body area networks (BANs), interference from coexisting wireless networks or even other nearby BANs could create serious problems on their operational reliability. As practical implementation of power control mechanisms could be very challenging, link adaptation schemes can be an efficient alternative to preserve link quality while allowing more number of nodes to operate simultaneously. This paper proposes several interference mitigation schemes such as adaptive modulation as well as adaptive data rate and duty cycle for BANs. Interference mitigation factor is introduced as a measure to quantify the effectiveness of the proposed schemes. These schemes are relatively simple and well-suited for low power nodes in BANs that might be operating in environments with high level of interference.
Generic Results For The Effective+B168Ness Of Medical Male Circumcision As An Hiv Intervention In Sub-Saharan Africa

Background: The efficacy of medical male circumcision (MMC) in reducing female to male HIV transmission has been established by three clinical trials. Programs are being developed for massive roll-out of MMC as an HIV intervention across multiple countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We aimed in this study to explore generic results of the effectiveness of MMC as an HIV intervention. Method: A population-level deterministic model was constructed to describe a prototype heterosexual HIV epidemic in SSA. The model consists of a set of coupled nonlinear differential equations that stratifies the population into compartments according to sex, circumcision status, age group, sexual risk group, and HIV status and stage of infection. The model was parameterized by state of the art empirical data of HIV natural history and transmission. Sensitivity analyses with respect to different effects were conducted. Results: The effectiveness of MMC, defined as the number of MMCs needed to avert one HIV infection, was inversely proportional to HIV prevalence with as little as about 10 MMCs needed for each infection averted in settings at high HIV prevalence. The effectiveness also varied substantially with each of the 5-years age groups targeted, with the highest effectiveness found by targeting the 20-24 years age group. Risk targeting strongly affected the estimated effectiveness. MMC effectiveness was an order of magnitude higher by targeting the high-risk groups as opposed to the general population. The speed of scale-up influenced also the estimated effectiveness in the short-term, but was less influential for long-term time horizons. MMC was found to be generally cost-effective, with the cost per infection averted being less than $1000 for most settings. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that MMC is an effective HIV prevention intervention, and likely to be cost-effective in most settings in SSA. The highest MMC effectiveness is attained by targeting young sexually active males and high-risk groups. These generic results of MMC effectiveness suggest the need for custom-designed assessments for each country separately, taking into account the likely temporal evolution of the epidemic in the next few decades, the age and geographic distribution of HIV infection, population pyramid, and the country-specific cost for each MMC performed.
Risk of congenital heart disease in relatives of probands with conotruncal cardiac defects: an evaluation of 1,620 families.

Current recurrence risk counseling for conotruncal cardiac defects (CTD) is based on empiric estimates from multiple studies. We examined the risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) in relatives of probands with CTDs to assist in counseling practices in the current era. One thousand six-twenty probands with CTDs and no reported chromosomal or genetic abnormalities were recruited sequentially. A three-generation pedigree was obtained for each proband by a genetic counselor detailing the presence and type of CHD in each family member. Risks and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for sub-groups of relatives based on degree of relationship for all probands and by individual lesion of the proband. For pairs of affected relatives, concordance rates were calculated. Severity of CHD in the affected relative was assessed. The risk of CHD was higher in siblings (4.4%, 95% CI 3.4-5.4) than in parents (1.5%, 95% CI 1.1-1.9). Risk varied by the cardiac lesion of the proband with the highest risk in first-degree relatives of probands with tetralogy of Fallot and the lowest in D-transposition of the great arteries. 39% of affected parents and 69% of affected siblings had a concordant lesion (i.e., CTD). Most affected siblings of probands with severe CTDs had complex defects (58%), whereas very few affected parents had complex defects (20%). These data suggest that recurrence risk varies by lesion and relationship, with substantial concordance observed by cardiac lesion and complexity of disease, particularly among siblings. These findings contribute to risk counseling in the current era.
False-positive PET scan in a patient with lipoid pneumonia simulating lung cancer.

Purpose:Lipoid pneumonia usually presents with alveolar infiltrates or as a nonresolving process. We report a case of lipoid pneumonia that presented as a solitary pulmonary nodule and had a high standard uptake value on PET scan, thereby mimicking a malignant process. This case highlights the prese
Building Community from Diversity: Addressing the Changing Demographics of Academia and Society.

Many institutions of higher education across the nation are currently struggling with a more diverse population of students, internal debates about the meaning of multiculturalism on their campuses, and challenges in the communities in which they reside that encourage, if not require, a reasoned response by colleges and universities as organizations of leadership. This article provides a case study of how one religiously based college attempted to address the issue of cultural diversity through revisiting its mission statement and building linkages with the surrounding community. Significant to the process was collaboration with both local institutional leadership and representatives from immigrant and minority populations as well as a dialogue that took all voices seriously. The authors argue that, although this approach may deviate from those of many religious academic institutions, it provides a better model for community engagement, both for the college and the community.
Capital market supply and REITs’ financing and investment decisions

Purpose – In the wake of the recent financial crisis, there has been extensive commentary regarding the rise and fall of REIT leverage, how much debt REITs should use, and the trendy “deleveraging” practice among REIT managers. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Identifying the late 2000s credit crunch as a supply shock, the paper uses difference-in-difference methodology to isolate alternative firm financing strategies and investment decision responses to the shock. Findings – Consistent with corporate survey results, this empirical analysis suggests that changes in capital structure are largely supply driven, and REIT managers “time” the debt market in response to credit conditions. Originality/value – This research clarifies the causes of the documented leverage pattern and provides fresh insights about REIT capital structure.
Generalized Geometric Mean Decomposition and DFE Transceiver Design—Part I: Design and Complexity

This paper considers a new matrix decomposition which decomposes a complex matrix as a product of several sets of semi-unitary matrices and upper triangular matrices in an iterative manner. The inner most triangular matrix has its diagonal elements equal to the geometric mean of the singular values of the target complex matrix. The complexity (defined in terms of the number of floating point operations) of the new decomposition, generalized geometric mean decomposition (GGMD), depends on its parameters, but is always less than or equal to that of geometric mean decomposition (GMD). The optimal parameters which yield the minimal complexity are derived. The paper also shows how to use GGMD to design an optimal decision feedback equalizer (DFE) transceiver for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels without zero-forcing constraint. A novel iterative receiving detection algorithm for the specific receiver is also proposed. For the application to cyclic prefix systems in which the SVD of the equivalent channel matrix can be easily computed, the proposed GGMD transceiver has K/log2(K) times complexity advantage over the GMD transceiver, where is the number of data symbols per data block and is a power of 2. In a companion paper, performance analyses of the proposed GGMD transceiver in terms of arithmetic mean square error (MSE), symbol error rate (SER) and Gaussian mutual information are performed, and comparisons with well-known transceivers are made. The results show that the proposed transceiver reaches the same optimality that a GMD MMSE transceiver can possibly achieve.
Peanut Seed Vigor Evaluation Using a Thermal Gradient

Experiments conducted from 2007 to 2009 evaluated germination of 11 peanut runner-type cultivars. Germination was evaluated in Petridishes incubated over a thermal gradient ranging from 14 to 30°C at 1.0 C increments. Beginning 24 hr after seeding, peanut was counted as germinated when radicles were greater than 5 mm long, with removal each day. Germination was counted daily for seven days after seeding. Growing-degree day (GDD) accumulation for each temperature increment was calculated based on daily mean temperature for that Petri dish. Two indices were obtained from a logistic growth curve used to elucidate seed germination by cultivar: (1) maximum indices of germination and (2) GDD value at 80% germination (Germ80), an indication of seed vigor the lower the Germ80 value, the greater the seed lot vigor. Based on the two indices, seed lots “AT 3081R”, “AP-3”, “GA-06G”, and “Carver” had the strongest seed vigor (Germ80 26 to 47 GDD) and a high maximum incidence of germination rate (80 to 94%). Seed lots of “C99-R”, “Georgia-01R”, “Georgia-02C”, and “Georgia-03L” had inconsistent seed performance, failing to achieve 80% germination in at least two of three years.
Conductivity scaling and localization

Abstract A scaling proposal for the behavior of conductivity in disordered electronic systems is described. The consequences are that there is no minimum metallic conductivity for dimensionality d ≥ 2. At d = 2 there is no true metallic conductivity; all systems have insulating behavior at sufficiently large scale. A perturbative calculation of the scaling function is describeb and the connection to field theory models is sketched.
Profiling Micro Apparel Enterprises in Botswana: Motivations, Practices, Challenges, and Success:

The purpose of this research was to develop a profile of micro apparel enterprises in Botswana and to examine the profile for cross-cultural applicability in relation to small business scholarship. Field interviews with 24 businesswomen revealed that the women employed an average of three workers and had operated their firms for three to five years. The profile identified motivations for initiating a business; business practices related to employees, product development, and marketing; challenges faced as the business was initiated and expanded; and factors used in defining success. The businesswomen integrated a broad range of motivational stimuli for business start-up; engaged in rigorous marketing, often through personal networks; faced marketing, finance, and management challenges; and defined success using extrinsic criteria, including improving lives for the people of Botswana. Research findings contributed to a first stage for development of technical assistance that can guide Botswana entrepreneur...
Comparison of the hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidyl (N-acyl) ethanolamine in Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae

Abstract In Dictyostelium discoideum, (N-acyl)ethanolamine glycerophospholipids disappear as the amoebae aggregate, whereas the amount of ethanolamine glycerophospholipids remains relatively constant, suggesting that each type of ethanolamine-containing phospholipid might have a separate metabolic pathway. To study their metabolism, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidyI(N-acyl)ethanolamine containing either [14C]ethanolamine or a 14C-labeled sn-2 fatty acyl group were incubated with D. discoideum homogenates, and the conversion of the substrates into radioactive products was monitored. At pH values 3.8 and 4.5, phosphatidyl(N-acyl)ethanolamine was hydrolyzed by a phospholipase A1 to form the sn-2 acyl form of the lipid. Only minor hydrolysis occurred at pH values of 5.2 or higher. (N-acyl)Ethanolamine was also released by a phospholipase D type activity at 0.1 the rate of the lysophospholipid formation. Phosphatidyl (N-acyl)ethanolamine was not hydrolyzed to form phosphatidylethanolamine or water soluble components. At pH 7.2 and at the low pH range of 3.8–4.5, phosphatidylethanolamine was hydrolyzed to lysophosphatidylethanolamine, which was then further degraded to water-soluble components. At pH 7.2, a phospholipase A2 initially hydrolyzed the phosphatidylethanolamine, whereas at the low pH range a phospholipase A1 was the most active enzyme. Although both types of ethanolamine-containing phospholipid were hydrolyzed by a phospholipase A1 at the low pH range, phosphatidylethanolamine hydrolysis was more sensitive to inhibition by Trition X-100, and phosphatidylethanolamine was hydrolyzed to water-soluble components, whereas phosphatidyl(N-acyl)ethanolamine was not. At pH 7.2, phosphatidylethanolamine was hydrolyzed, but phosphatidyl(N-acyl)ethanolamine was not hydrolyzed at all. These results indicate that there are separate routes of degradation for the two types of ethanolamine-containing phospholipid in D. discoideum.
Effects of inorganic and organic phosphate exposure on aspects of reproduction in the common sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea).

The common nearshore sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus is capable of surviving exposure to inorganic phosphate concentrations as high as 3.2 mg/l–1 and organic phosphate concentrations of 1,000 mg/l–1. However, chronic exposure to low, medium, or high sublethal concentrations of these phosphates inhibits gonadal tissue indices and spawning activity while altering biochemical composition of gonads, reducing size frequencies of oocyte diameters, and changing gonadal volume fractions. Gonad indices declined significantly in individuals maintained in all phosphate concentrations after both one- and two-month exposures, while percentages of ripe individuals (oozing gametes upon dissection) were reduced after a two-month exposure in individuals maintained in medium and high organic phosphate concentrations. Levels of carbohydrates and lipids were lower in gonads of individuals maintained in all concentrations of both phosphates. Size frequency distributions of oocyte diameters revealed a dramatic decrease in oocyte size with increasing concentrations of both phosphates. Gonadal volume fractions of developing male and female gametes decreased with exposure to increasing phosphate levels. Volume fractions of nutritive phagocytes declined in testes of individuals held in the highest concentration of organic phosphate but displayed no significant change in ovaries. Volume fractions of mature gametes also decreased in gonads of individuals exposed to increasing concentrations of inorganic phosphate, but they remained constant in individuals exposed to all concentrations of organic phosphate. These findings indicate that shallow-water populations of L. variegatus subjected to inorganic and organic phosphate pollutants will exhibit stress that may impair reproductive output, gametogenesis, and spawning in the natural environment. J. Exp. Zool. 292:660–671, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Hawks, Doves, and Mixed-symmetry Games

Abstract The hawk–dove game has proved to be an important tool for understanding the role of aggression in social interactions. Here, the game is presented in a more general form (GHD) to facilitate analyses of interactions between individuals that may differ in “size”, where size is interpreted as a surrogate for resource holding power. Three different situations are considered, based on the availability and use of information that interacting individuals have about their sizes: the classical symmetric case, in which no information about sizes is used, the asymmetric case, in which the individuals know their relative sizes and thus their chances of prevailing in combat, and a mixed-symmetry case, in which each individual only knows its own size (or only knows its opponent's size). I describe and use some recently developed methods for multitype games—evolutionary games involving two or more categories of players. With these methods and others, the evolutionarily stable strategies (ESSs) that emerge for the three different cases are identified and compared. A proof of the form and uniqueness of the ESS for the mixed-symmetry case is presented. In this situation, one size category at most can play a mixed strategy; larger individuals are aggressive and smaller individuals are not. As the number of size categories approaches infinity and the size distribution becomes continuous, there is a threshold size, above which all individuals are aggressive, and below which they are not.
Same-sex Sexuality and Adolescent Psychological Well-being: The Influence of Sexual Orientation, Early Reports of Same-sex Attraction, and Gender

Emerging research has shown that those of sexual-minority (SM) status (i.e., those exhibiting same-sex sexuality) report lower levels of psychological well-being. This study aimed to assess whether this relation is largely in place by the onset of adolescence, as it is for other social statuses, or whether it continues to emerge over the adolescent years, a period when SM youth face numerous challenges. Moreover, the moderating influence of sexual orientation (identification), early (versus later) reports of same-sex attractions, and gender were also examined. Using data from Add Health, multiple-group latent growth curve analyses were conducted to examine growth patterns in depressive affect and self-esteem. Results suggested that psychological well-being disparities between SM and non-SM were generally in place by early adolescence. For many, the remainder of adolescence was a recovery period when disparities narrowed over time. Early and stable reporting of same-sex attractions was associated with a gr...
High School Students' Goals for Working Together in Mathematics Class: Mediating the Practical Rationality of Studenting.

In this article I explore high school students' perspectives on working together in a mathematics class in which they spent a significant amount of time solving problems in small groups. The data included viewing session interviews with eight students in the class, where each student watched video clips of their own participation, explaining and justifying their behaviors. Analysis of data involved an investigation of students' goals for working together, which were found to vary along multiple dimensions. The dimensions that emerged from these data were mathematical versus nonmathematical goals, individual versus group goals, and personal versus normative goals. I present cases of four individual students to illustrate these dimensions. Such goals are important for illuminating how students' practical rationality is mediated by their personal goals for working together; additionally, these goal dimensions can be used as tools for considering challenges involved with using small group collaboration in hig...
Disaster Care Through a Humanbecoming Lens

Hurricane Katrina provided a unique learning experience for a group of senior nursing students from Troy University in Alabama. Using Parse's teaching-learning processes as a framework, students related their experiences and discovered new meaning for themselves and others as they completed their final semester of the nursing program. This experience exemplified to students that nursing is more than tasks, caring is attentively being with persons, and that holding a hand can demonstrate good nursing care more than a successful intravenous puncture.
Defining a reference range for cold agglutinin titers.

Background The cold agglutinin (CAGG) titer is offered at our institution to aid in diagnosing cold agglutinin disease (CAD). Our goal was to create a seasonally adjusted reference range using prospective samples and compare it to a reference range generated retrospectively. Study Design and Methods Prospective CAGG titer testing was performed on healthy blood donors. Retrospective electronic analysis was performed on patients in two groups defined by current and historical testing methods. Blood donor testing was performed in January and July to determine if seasonal variation existed. Retrospective patients with conditions associated with CAD were excluded from analysis. Additional prospective CAGG testing using reference range program volunteers was performed to verify blood donor and patient result differences. Results Titers from the blood donor and patient cohorts had no age association (p > 0.44). Titers from those same cohorts did not show winter/summer variation (p > 0.11). No sex association was found with titer reference ranges in the blood donor and historical patient cohort. A sex association was found with titers in the current method patient cohort (male 64 to 512 and female ≤64; p < 0.0001). Blood donor CAGG titer lower 95% reference range was not more than 4 while historical and current patient cohorts ranges were not more than 32 and not more than 64, respectively. Reference range volunteers confirmed the narrow reference range in healthy individuals when compared to patients and blood donors. Conclusion Prospective blood donor CAGG titers were lower than retrospective patient cohorts. This may be due to blood donors representing a healthier population than the patient cohorts.
Modelling policies for multifunctional agriculture and rural development – a norwegian case study

This paper outlines the development and use of a simulation model designed to analyse multifunctional agriculture and rural development policy. The model was the core of the EU research project, TOP-MARD (Towards a Policy Model for Multifunctional Agriculture and Rural Development). The TOP-MARD project explored ways in which both market and non-market ‘functions’ of agriculture and farm households interact with the process of economic development and the quality of life in a variety of rural territories, and how different kinds of policy influence these relationships. A model was developed in common between 11 European research partners and then adapted to the 11 study regions. In this paper the model is applied to the Norwegian study region, Hordaland County. The study concludes that reducing agricultural subsidies can lead to improvements in regional economic performance by releasing labour and capital to uses with higher returns and by creating positive feedback to the economy by improving environmental quality and overall quality of life. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Characterizing Uncertainty Attributable to Surrogate Models

This paper investigates the characterization of the uncertainty in the prediction of surrogate models. In the practice of engineering, where predictive models are pervasively used, the knowledge of the level of modeling error in any region of the design space is uniquely helpful for design exploration and model improvement. The lack of methods that can explore the spatial variation of surrogate error levels in a wide variety of surrogates (i.e., model-independent methods) leaves an important gap in our ability to perform design domain exploration. We develop a novel framework, called domain segmentation based on uncertainty in the surrogate (DSUS) to segregate the design domain based on the level of local errors. The errors in the surrogate estimation are classified into physically meaningful classes based on the user’s understanding of the system and/or the accuracy requirements for the concerned system analysis. The leave-one-out cross-validation technique is used to quantity the local errors. Support vector machine (SVM) is implemented to determine the boundaries between error classes, and to classify any new design point into the pertinent error class. We also investigate the effectiveness of the leave-oneout cross-validation technique in providing a local error measure, through comparison with actual local errors. The utility of the DSUS framework is illustrated using two different surrogate modeling methods: (i) the Kriging method and (ii) the adaptive hybrid functions (AHF). The DSUS framework is applied to a series of standard test problems and engineering problems. In these case studies, the DSUS framework is observed to provide reasonable accuracy in classifying the design-space based on error levels. More than 90% of the test points are accurately classified into the appropriate error classes. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4026150]
Mechanics and control of swimming: a review

The bodies and brains of fish have evolved to achieve control objectives beyond the capabilities of current underwater vehicles. One route toward designing underwater vehicles with similar capabilities is to better understand fish physiological design and control strategies. This paper has two objectives: 1) to review clues to artificial swimmer design taken from fish physiology and 2) to formalize and review the control problems that must be solved by a robot fish. The goal is to exploit fish locomotion principles to address the truly difficult control challenges of station keeping under large perturbations, rapid maneuvering, power-efficient endurance swimming, and trajectory planning and tracking. The design and control of biomimetic swimming machines meeting these challenges will require state-of-the-art engineering and biology.
The Origin of Ceratocystis fagacearum, the Oak Wilt Fungus

The oak wilt pathogen, Ceratocystis fagacearum, may be another example of a damaging, exotic species in forest ecosystems in the United States. Though C. fagacearum has received much research attention, the origin of the fungus is unknown. The pathogen may have been endemic at a low incidence until increased disturbances, changes in land use, and forest management created conditions favorable for disease epidemics. The host genus Quercus contains some relatively resistant species native to the United States, further supporting the hypothesis that the pathogen is native in origin. However, there are also many common, highly suscep- tible Quercus species—a characteristic typical of introduced pathogens. Most convincingly, studies have shown that the known populations of C. fagacearum have experienced a severe genetic bottleneck that can only be explained by a single introduction. The weight of evidence indicates that C. fagacearum is an introduced pathogen, with possible origins in Central or South America, or Mexico.
Sample Elimination for Generating Poisson Disk Sample Sets

In this paper we describe sample elimination for generating Poisson disk sample sets with a desired size. We introduce a greedy sample elimination algorithm that assigns a weight to each sample in a given set and eliminates the ones with greater weights in order to pick a subset of a desired size with Poisson disk property without having to specify a Poisson disk radius. This new algorithm is simple, computationally efficient, and it can work in any sampling domain, producing sample sets with more pronounced blue noise characteristics than dart throwing. Most importantly, it allows unbiased progressive adaptive sampling and it scales better to high dimensions than previous methods. However, it cannot guarantee maximal coverage. We provide a statistical analysis of our algorithm in 2D and higher dimensions as well as results from our tests with different example applications.
Beneficial Effects of Improvement in Depression, Pain Catastrophizing, and Anxiety on Pain Outcomes: A 12-Month Longitudinal Analysis.

Abstract Depression, pain catastrophizing, and anxiety commonly co-occur with chronic pain. However, the degree to which improvement in these psychological comorbidities predicts subsequent pain outcomes and, in particular, the relative effects of these 3 psychological factors with respect to each other is only partially known. Longitudinal analysis of 250 primary care patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain enrolled in the Stepped Care to Optimize Pain care Effectiveness (SCOPE) trial was examined, using data gathered at baseline, and at 3 and 12 months. Mixed effects model repeated measures analyses were used to determine if changes in depression, pain catastrophizing, and anxiety predicted a subsequent reduction in pain intensity or interference and pain-related disability. Defining a clinically significant change as twice the standard error of measurement for each predictor, we found that a 2-standard error of measurement improvement in depression, pain catastrophizing, and anxiety resulted in, respectively, an effect size decrease in pain intensity or interference of .45, .33, and .12; a 14%, 12%, and 6% reduction in the number of pain-specific disability days; and a 43%, 30%, and 28% decreased likelihood of high disability (defined as ≥10 pain-specific disability days in the past 4 weeks). In summary, improvements in 3 common psychological comorbidities predicted better pain outcomes. Perspective Because depression, pain catastrophizing, and anxiety commonly accompany chronic pain and might adversely affect pain outcomes, treatment of these modifiable psychological factors is warranted to optimize the effectiveness of pain-specific therapies.