cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Weed seed loss due to predation in Michigan maize fields

The influence of weed seed predation by invertebrates and vertebrates was examined in relation to distance from hedgerows in maize fields of southwestern Michigan. Experiments were conducted in spring and winter and included five common weed species, i.e., velvet-leaf (Abutilon theophrasti), redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus), common lamb's-quarters (Chenopodium album), fall panicum (Panicum dichotom~florum), and yellow foxtail (Setaria lutescens). In the spring post-tillage study, treatments excluding invertebrates, vertebrates, invertebrates + vertebrates plus no exclusion controls were established at 5 and 100 m from the hedgerow. Seeds were placed into the field in trays filled with sterilized soil at low densities to avoid creating a 'super stimulus' for seed predators. The trays were placed in the field for 3-4 weeks and then placed in a heated greenhouse and seed loss was estimated from the number of seedlings that emerged. The design of the winter study was similar except that only control and vertebrate exclusion treatments were used and seeds were left in the field from December to mid-April. Significant differences among exclusion treatments were found in spring in terms of seed loss. Seed loss was lowest in the treatments that excluded both vertebrates + invertebrates and highest under no exclusion. There was some evidence of preferential predation by vertebrates upon seeds of A. retroflexus and C. album. In winter, significant seed predation by vertebrates on all species except A. retrqflexus were detected. In both seasons, seed predation was highly patchy among and within fields and there was no consistent effect of distance from hedgerow. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.
A Transesterification Method for the Measurement of Plasma 17-Ketosteroid Sulfates

A transesterification method for the measurement of plasma 17-ketosteroid sulfates is described. The method is shown to be sensitive and specific, to yield reproducible results, and to possess certain advantages over other procedures reported. The results of a preliminary study of plasma 17-ketosteroid and 3β-ol-steroid levels in normal adults are recorded.
Cyclic Loading Inhibits Expression of MMP-3 but not MMP-1 in an In Vitro Rabbit Flexor Tendon Model

Background Gene expression analysis is useful for assessing cellular behavior and may improve our understanding of the initial cellular response to mechanical load leading to tendon degeneration. This study assessed gene expression of MMP-1 and MMP-3, genes associated with matrix degradation, in tendons exposed to cyclic loads within physiologic range.
Contract quality management decision support system: a knowledge sharing model

With an increased emphasis on the outsourcing of operations within the federal government, the ability of government decision makers to manage and improve the quality of services received from contracts has become a major challenge. This challenge is especially acute in the military where there is an increasing reliance on the contracting of logistics support functions at a time when the nation is engaged in the "global war on terrorism ". The successful development and implementation of an innovative decision support system (DSS) has resulted in an effective solution for one Army installation. This paper analyzes this DSS effort, from a knowledge sharing viewpoint, and compares the findings to current research in order to identify the various knowledge sharing principles incorporated within the DSS. The paper presents a general knowledge sharing model, that was derived from an analysis of this working DSS, that can serve future research and development efforts for contract quality management in both the government and private industry.
Modified majority-logic decoders for use in convolutionally encoded hybrid-ARQ systems

A method is demonstrated for modifying majority-logic convolutional decoders fur use in type-1 hybrid-ARQ protocols. Majority-logic decoders generate reliability information in the form of orthogonal sets of parity check sums. The modified decoder uses this information to identify received packets whose decoded data may be unreliable and to request their retransmission. >
Views of Students with Learning Disabilities of Their Homework in General Education Classes: Student Interviews.

This study examined the experiences and views of students with learning disabilities regarding the homework they receive in their general education classes and identified ways that teachers and par...
Dosing and titration of intravenous opioid analgesics administered to ED patients in acute severe pain.

Abstract Objectives The objectives were to describe the dose of opioids and incidence of titration for management of acute pain in emergency department patients and, secondarily, to assess the association between change in pain and dose. Methods Data from control groups of 2 randomized clinical trials were analyzed. Patients 21 to 64 years with acute pain judged to warrant intravenous (IV) opioids were eligible. We calculated the mean weight-based dose of IV opioids, distribution of dose, proportion of patients receiving additional IV opioids, and 95% confidence intervals. We compared these statistics to 3 recommendations: 0.1 mg/kg morphine, 10 mg morphine, and titration to analgesic effect. We used multiple linear regression to assess the association between change in pain measured on a numerical rating scale and dose. Results There were 281 patients with an initial median pain score of 10 (interquartile range: 8, 10). Mean weight-based dose of IV opioids was 0.08 mg/kg (0.07, 0.08 mg/kg). A total of 268 patients (95.4% [92.2%, 97.5%]) received less than 10 mg IV morphine equivalents; 7 patients (2.5% [1.0%, 5.0%]) received additional opioids. There was a weak association between change in pain in the 15, 30, and 60 minutes after the initial bolus and dose: b = 0.22 (0.07, 0.37), b = 0.17 (0.02, 0.32), and b = 0.12 (−0.03, 0.28), respectively, after adjustment for baseline pain. Conclusion Analgesic practice did not conform to recommended doses or regimens. There was only a weak association between change of pain and dose in the range of doses given. These findings suggest that oligoanalgesia continues to be a problem despite improvements over the past 20 years.
Secondary Pricing of Spectrum in Cellular CDMA Networks

We study secondary pricing of spectrum in wireless cellular networks employing CDMA at the physical layer. We consider a primary license holder who aims to lease its spectrum within a certain geographic subregion of its own network. Such a transaction has two contrasting economic implications for the seller: On the one hand the seller obtains a revenue due to the exercised price, or rent, of the region. On the other hand, the seller incurs a cost due to (i) reduced spatial coverage of its network and (ii) possible interference from the leased region into the retained portion of its network. We formulate an optimization problem with the objective of profit maximization, and characterize its solutions based on a reduced load approximation that can be shown to be asymptotically exact. The form of optimal prices suggests charging the buyer per admitted call, in proportion with the interference it generates. The charged amount balances the corresponding loss of revenue incurred by the seller due to the influence of an admitted call. We numerically argue that this pricing approach yields better profit compared to some other simplistic techniques.
Cross-bridge cycling gives rise to spatiotemporal heterogeneity of dynamic subcellular mechanics in cardiac myocytes probed with atomic force microscopy

To study how the dynamic subcellular mechanical properties of the heart relate to the fundamental underlying process of actin-myosin cross-bridge cycling, we developed a novel atomic force microsco...
Video coding for a time varying tandem channel with feedback

Summary form only given. A robust scheme for the efficient transmission of packet video over a tandem wireless Internet channel is extended to a time varying scenario with a feedback channel. This channel is assumed to have bit errors (due to noise and fading on the wireless portion of the channel) and packet erasures (due to congestion on the wired portion). Simulation results showed that refined estimation can dramatically improve the performance for varying channel conditions, and that combined feedback of both channel conditions and ACK/NACK information can further improve system performance compared with the feedback of just one type of information.
Vorticity formulation for an actuated jet in crossflow

The mixing properties of the transverse jet—a jet issuing normally into a uniform crossflow—are important to a variety of engineering applications. Transverse jets may function as sources of fuel in industrial furnaces, or as diluent jets for blade cooling or exhaust gas cooling in industrial or airborne gas turbines. Other industrial applications include pipe tee mixers and jets of oil and gas entering the flow in oil wells. Transverse jets have also been studied extensively for their relevance to V/STOL aerodynamics and to environmental problems such as pollutant dispersion from chimneys or the discharge of effluents into the ocean. Enhancement of the mixing rate between jet and crossflow can lead to significant improvements in many performance aspects. In gas turbines, for instance, better transverse jet mixing is essential to achieving a wider range of operability, lower emissions, smaller size, and lower noise output. The ultimate objective of this work is to develop control strategies for the transverse jet that manipulate the mixing rate between the jet fluid and the crossflow. To this end, we develop models that capture the fundamental processes re-
Early Pulmonary Cytokine and Chemokine Responses in Mice Immunized with Three Different Vaccines against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Determined by PCR Array

In this study, the early pulmonary cytokine and chemokine responses in mice immunized with either BCG vaccine, a ΔsecA2 mutant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or a DNA vaccine expressing an ESAT6-antigen 85B fusion protein and then aerogenically challenged with a low dose of M. tuberculosis were evaluated by PCR array. The cellular immune responses at day 10 postchallenge were essentially equivalent in the lungs of mice immunized with either the highly immunogenic BCG vaccine or the ΔsecA2 M. tuberculosis mutant strain. Specifically, 12 immune biomolecules (including gamma interferon [IFN-γ], interleukin-21 [IL-21], IL-27, IL-17f, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11) were differentially regulated, relative to the levels for naive controls, in the lungs of vaccinated mice at this time point. Although the vaccine-related immune responses evoked in mice immunized with the DNA vaccine were relatively limited at 10 days postinfection, upregulation of IFN-γ RNA synthesis as well as increased expression levels of CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 chemokines were detected.
Lunar Evolution: Is There a Global Radioactive Crust on the Moon?

The paper addresses the question whether the exotic component sampled in lunar fines and as discrete rock fragments represents a moon-wide radioactive crust, or whether its source is more regional than global. It is suggested that the exotic component represents trace element enriched material from the Imbrium-Procellarum region, which was surficially deposited during Imbrium excavation and re-exposed from under the mare lavas in subsequent cratering events; surficial transport processes have distributed these materials widely over the lunar surface. There appears no need to invoke a global radioactive crust to explain the ubiquitous presence of this component in the lunar regolith.
In vitro analysis of biodegradable polymer blend/hydroxyapatite composites for bone tissue engineering.

Blends of biodegradable polymers, poly(caprolactone) and poly(D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid), have been examined as scaffolds for applications in bone tissue engineering. Hydroxyapatite granules have been incorporated into the blends and porous discs were prepared. Mechanical properties and degradation rates in vitro of the composites were determined. The discs were seeded with rabbit bone marrow or cultured bone marrow stromal cells and incubated under physiological conditions. Polymer/ceramic scaffolds supported cell growth throughout the scaffold for 8 weeks. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and histological analyses were used to characterize the seeded composites. This study suggests the feasibility of using novel polymer/ceramic composites as scaffold in bone tissue engineering applications.
Mushroom Texture, Cell Wall Composition, Color, and Ultrastructure as Affected by pH and Temperature

Pasteurized mushrooms had firmer texture and lighter color compared with those that were retorted. Addition of acid and retorting temperature resulted in extensive softening of mushrooms and solubilization of proteins and polysaccharides that diffused into brine. Total chitin was not affected by applied treatments and did not appear to be related to texture alteration of processed mushrooms. Extensive solubilization caused by acidification and retortion resulted in reduction of cell diameter and enlarged intercellular space within the cap tissue. Mild acidification of sterilized samples reduced discoloration compared with the control, but further acidification resulted in considerable darkening. In contrast, tissue and color of pasteurized mushrooms seemed to be unaffected.
Assessment of Internship Experiences and Accounting Core Competencies

Abstract This article presents examples of assessment tools created as part of an internship program that have been integrated into program assessment. Although these tools represent only part of the multiple assessment activities and measures used in the assessment process for accounting majors at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), these tools comprise an important component of that process and provide data not easily obtained through other means. The interaction and evaluations that occur among students, practitioners, and faculty during and at completion of the internship can be invaluable in measuring outcomes of the internship program and the professional competencies required for entry into the accounting profession. In addition to the on-site internship experience that must involve a relevant professional experience, student interns at SEMO must maintain a diary/journal of activities and of the learning which they believe is occurring; send bi-weekly e-mails to the on-campus coordinator co...
A conceptual model for primary productivity, decomposition and nitrogen cycling in the Chihuahuan creosotebush desert.

Summary The conceptual framework for a simulation model of primary productivity, decomposition and nitrogen cycling in a shrub-dominated desert ecosystem in southern New Mexico is presented. This model is based on our previous attempt to simulate carbon allocation patterns in the desert shrub Larrea tridentata Cov., which demonstrated that moisture patterns alone are insufficient to predict desert productivity. These results, as well as others, suggest that mineral nutrients, especially nitrogen, may also be an important determinant of productivity in arid environments. Our current research in the Chihuahuan desert is directed towards elucidating the numerous biotic and abiotic interactions that determine the rates and directions of carbon, nitrogen and water fluxes in this ecosystem. The development of this working mode1 will serve as a tool to accomplish three major objectives: (1) to synthesize the large amount of existing data on decomposition and nitrogen cycling in deserts, (2) to quantify our present state of knowledge about the structure and function of ecosystem components important in carbon and nitrogen dynamics in deserts, and (3) to address hypotheses concerning the complex mechanisms of interactions and
Thromboplastic Activity of Acetone-Dehydrated Chicken Brain Powder Extracts After Repeated Extraction and Dilution

Abstract The second saline extract (E2) of acetone-dehydrated chicken brain powder contained less than one fifth of protein and phosphorus, compared with the first extract (E1). Thromboplastic activity (TPA) of E2 from vitamin K-deficient donors was significantly higher than of E1. Response with vitamin K-sufficient donors varied. E1 and E2 from normal chicks contained significantly more protein than those from vitamin K-deprived ones. P content differed significantly in E1 only. Differences in TPA could not be quantitatively attributed to differences in protein and P content. TPA of brain powder, repeatedly extrasted with saline, declined, as did protein and P content. The addition of normal chick plasma returned TPA of repeatedly extracted brain powders to level found in fresh samples. Extracting samples of equal quantity of brain powder with increasing volumes of saline yielded higher TPA than when saline extract from a single brain powder sample was diluted with saline to produce, in effect, the same dilution ratios.
Impacts of water resources development on flow regimes in the Brazos River

The Brazos River, the second largest basin in Texas, represents one of the most highly developed river systems in the state. Thirty-nine reservoirs with capacities greater than 5,000 acre-feet are currently in operation in the basin. Impacts on stream ecosystems are evidenced by changes in flow regimes and resulting changes in fish assemblages over the past 50 years. These changes have been widely attributed to human impacts, through the construction of dams, diversion of water supplies for agricultural and municipal uses, and land use change. However, streamflow regimes result from a complex mix of drivers that include climate, topography, land cover, land use practices, reservoir management practices, dam releases, and water consumption patterns, making determination of anthropogenic impacts problematic. This study quantifies changes in flow regime and probable historical drivers including precipitation, dam construction, population growth, and changing water demand in the Brazos River basin over the past 100 years. Results indicate that the climate of the basin has been relatively stable over the study period, while large-scale changes in human population densities and intense water resources development are correlated with impacts on flow regimes, decreasing the frequency and magnitude of high flow events and stabilizing low flows. These changes have resulted in an increase of habitat generalist fish species, a decrease of native obligate riverine fishes, and an overall homogenization of species assemblages. The results of this study indicate the importance of combining ecological data with an assessment of social drivers for a greater understanding of the dynamics of river basin systems.
One-child policy and increased mechanization are additional risk factors for increased coronary artery disease in modern China.

The recent report of an increase in coronary artery disease (CAD) mortality in China [1] is indeed sobering. Of the several risk factors mentioned (cigarette smoking, rising blood cholesterol, hypertension, obesity and diabetes), most of the dramatic CAD mortality increase in Beijing, China was attributed to dramatic rises in total blood cholesterol values [1]. I am in complete agreement [2,3]. However, I like to add two more risk factors that are unique to China but seldom mentioned. One is China’s one-child policy. China is strict in allowing only one child per family. There is a saying in China: b2-4-8 (pronounced as der, dsiT and dbaT, respectively), you get fatQ. With only one child in the family, the doting parents (two in number), grandparents (four in number) and great grandparents (eight in number) pamper their only child by overfeeding the dlittle emperorT. Furthermore, food that used to be distributed among his siblings is now devoured by just one person. Child obesity has reached an epidemic proportion in China [2,4]. Fat Chinese children grow up to be fat Chinese adults and fat Chinese adults develop CAD [2]. The second risk factor is increased mechanization in modern China. When any foreigner visited China in the
The effect of oxygen on the three-component radical photoinitiator system: Methylene blue, N-methyldiethanolamine, and diphenyliodonium chloride

In this article, we extend our mechanistic study of the three-component radical photoinitiator system, consisting of methylene blue (MB), N-methyldiethanolamine, and diphenyliodonium chloride, by investigating the influence of oxygen on the rate of the consumption of MB dye. The mechanism involves electron transfer/proton transfer from the amine to the dye as the primary photochemical reaction. Oxygen quenches the triplet state of the dye, leading to retardation of the reaction. We used time-resolved steady-state fluorescence monitoring to observe the MB concentration in situ in both a constant oxygen environment and a sealed reactor as the dye is consumed via photoreaction. In the sealed reactor, we observed a retardation period (attributed to the presence of oxygen) followed by rapid exponential decay of the MB fluorescence after the oxygen was depleted. On the basis of the impact of the amine and iodonium concentrations on the fluorescence intensity and the duration of the retardation period, our proposed mechanism includes an oxygen-scavenging pathway, in which the tertiary amine radicals formed in the primary photochemical process consume the oxygen via a cyclic reaction mechanism. The iodonium salt is an electron acceptor, acting to reoxidize the neutral dye radical back to its original state and allowing it to reenter the primary photochemical process. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3336–3346, 2000
Evaluation of overlay-based data dissemination over Wireless Sensor Networks

In tactical applications of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), such as intruder detection, tracking, and patrol operations, there tend to be multiple, mobile end-users who work amidst the sensors in the field to which data from individual sensors must be directly delivered. Efficient data dissemination in such networks is a challenging problem, since sensors with detections must be able to identify functioning routes to all relevant end-users. In this research, we have developed a framework for efficient data dissemination over energy- and bandwidth-constrained WSNs, which accommodates end-user mobility. Our technical approach is based on communication abstractions provided by Hyper Cast [30], which is an open-source platform for application-layer communication. We use the Delaunay triangulation (DT) topology of Hyper Cast to organize the one-to-many and one-tone communications from sensors to end users and sensors to sensors, respectively. The advantages of Hyper Cast based data dissemination are discussed in detail and are compared to other communication protocols. We illustrate this framework in a ldquoPatrol Scenariordquo simulation testbed, involving a set of unattended ground sensors and mobile end users trying to maximize both (i) the rate of capturing intruders passing through an area of interest and (ii) the operating lifetime of the sensor field.
Uncertainty and the prevalence of committee outliers

its committees. Data limitations have largely prevented testing this uncertainty-outlier prediction, until now. For this article, I investigated whether or not the informational model correctly predicts under what scenarios outliers will be more frequent. As predicted, more uncertainty is associated with more committee outliers in U.S. state legislatures. Legislatures in which the floor is less informed than the committees are more likely to have committee outliers.
Plasma neurohormone levels correlate with left ventricular functional and morphological improvement in LVAD patients.

Objective Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) have been shown to be markers of left ventricular (LV) function. To determine the feasibility of using serial assays of these neurohormones in the assessment of cardiac status in the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) setting, we examined the relationship between LV function, myocardial morphology, and plasma levels of these hormones in LVAD recipients. Methods Plasma BNP and ET-1 levels were serially assayed in 19 end-stage congestive heart failure (CHF) patients before and after LVAD implantation with various devices (i.e., MicroMed DeBakeyVAD/DVAD, Novacor/NVAD, TCI Heartmate/TCI, Thoratec/TVAD). Echocardiography performed correspondingly at the time points of the hormonal assays and immunohistochemical collagen staining of left ventricular tissue samples, derived from six non-failing hearts as well as from LVAD patients at the time of device insertion and removal, were then contrasted. Patients were grouped according to device used and etiology of heart disease (ischemic or dilated cardiomyopathy, ICM/DCM). Results LVAD therapy significantly improved LV ejection fraction (EF%: 21 ± 3.8% to 28.11 ± 3.57%), cardiac output (CO: 3.49 ± 1.3 to 7.3 ± 0.2 l/m), and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD: 6.68 ± 0.92 versus 4.79 ± 1.54 cm, P P P P P P P Conclusions Device selection appears to influence the cardiac morphological and neurohormonal expressive tendencies exhibited by recipients. Plasma BNP and ET-1 levels correlate with both LV function and myocardial morphological improvement. Alterations in the levels of these hormones during LVAD support may be real-time indicators of prevailing myocardial autocrine/paracrine activity and as such may be of potential use in future algorithms of cardiac assessment and therapeutic decision-making with regard to transplant urgency and/or possible device explantation.
Ideas Versus Actions in Relation to Polls of U.S. Muslims

I consider some of the interesting issues and ideas raised in three comments on “Testing theories of radicalization in polls of U.S. Muslims” (McCauley). Throughout, I try to highlight the difference between radicalization of mass opinion and radicalization to terrorist action.
Vector-Valued Local Frequency Representation for Robust Multimodal Image Registration

Automatic registration of multi-modal images involves algorithmically estimating the coordinate transformation required to align the data sets. Most existing methods in literature are unable to cope with registration of image pairs with large non-overlapping field of view (FOV). We propose a robust algorithm, based on matching vector-valued local frequency (corresponding to the dominant local frequency magnitude) image representations, which can cope with image pairs with large non-overlapping FOV. The work reported here is an extension of our earlier work which used dominant local frequency magnitude based representations of the input data as input to the matching algorithm. The local frequency representation naturally allows for processing the data at different scales/resolutions, a very desirable property from a computational efficiency view point. Our algorithm involves minimizing - over all affine transformations - the integral of the squared error (ISE or L2E) between a Gaussian model of the residual and its true density function. The residual here refers to the difference between the local frequency representations of the transformed (by an unknown transformation) source and target data. We present implementation results for misalignments between MR brain scans obtained using different image acquisition protocols
Large scale computations using FISC

FISC (Fast Illinois Solver Code) is designed to compute the RCS of complex three-dimensional targets. The problem is formulated by the method of moments, where the RWG basis functions are used. The resultant matrix equation is solved iteratively by the conjugate gradient (CG) method. The multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA) is used to accelerate the matrix-vector multiply in CG. Both complexities for the CPU time per iteration and memory requirements are of O(NlogN), where N is the number of unknowns. Some computations other than the matrix-vector multiply in FISC may have higher complexity than O(NlogN). When the translation matrix in MLFMA is calculated directly, the complexity is O(N/sup 3/2/). For calculating the bistatic RCS or radiation pattern on a one-plane cut, the number of observation angles (M) is proportional to the frequency for a surface scatterer. So the complexity of calculating bistatic RCS or radiation pattern is O(NM) or O(N/sup 1.5/). In this paper, we use interpolation to calculate the translation matrix and the complexity is reduced to O(N). MLFMA has been implemented to calculate the bistatic RCS or radiation pattern reducing its complexity to O(M)+O(NlogN). With these improvements, we have solved the problem of scattering from a 120/spl lambda/ sphere with 9,633,792 unknowns and VFY218 at 8 GHz with 9,990,918 unknowns. MLFMA has also been implemented for targets with a perfect electric conductor (PEC) ground plane.
A Green's function formalism of energy and momentum transfer in fluctuational electrodynamics

Abstract Radiative energy and momentum transfer due to fluctuations of electromagnetic fields arising due to temperature difference between objects is described in terms of the cross-spectral densities of the electromagnetic fields. We derive relations between thermal non-equilibrium contributions to energy and momentum transfer and surface integrals of tangential components of the dyadic Green's functions of the vector Helmholtz equation. The expressions derived here are applicable to objects of arbitrary shapes, dielectric functions, as well as magnetic permeabilities. For the case of radiative transfer, we derive expressions for the generalized transmissivity and generalized conductance that are shown to obey reciprocity and agree with theory of black body radiative transfer in the appropriate limit.
Control Bifurcations in a Nonlinear Active Suspension System for System Design

Nonlinear active suspension systems are very popular in the automotive applications. They include nonlinear stiffness and nonlinear damping elements. One of the types of damping element is a magneto-rheological fluid based damper which is receiving increased attention in the applications to the automotive suspension systems. Latest trends in suspension systems also include electronically controlled systems which provide advanced system performance and integration with various processes to improve vehicle ride comfort, handling and stability. A control bifurcation of a nonlinear system typically occurs when its linear approximation loses stabilizability. These control bifurcations are different from the classical bifurcation where qualitative stability of the equilibrium point changes. Any nonlinear control system can also exhibit control bifurcations. In this paper, control bifurcations of the nonlinear active suspension system, modeled as a two degree of freedom system, are analyzed. It is shown that the system looses stability via Hopf bifurcation. Parametric control bifurcation analysis is conducted and results presented to highlight the significance of the design of control system for nonlinear active suspension system. A framework for the design of feedback using the parametric analysis for the control bifurcations is proposed and illustrated for the nonlinear active suspension system.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Pollinator Importance and Temporal Variation in a Population of Phlox divaricata L. (Polemoniaceae)

Temporal variation in climatic conditions is a regular occurrence for most early spring flowering plants in temperate regions, often producing variation in available pollinators. Evaluating the effectiveness and importance of pollinators to a plant population provides an indication of the relative influence of each visitor on a population's reproductive success and selection on floral traits. This study examined pollinator activity and its effect on seed set in a population of Phlox divaricata L. (Polemoniaceae), investigating variation over the 24-h day and the flowering season for two consecutive years. Eleven species, representing three orders of insects, were documented visiting the study population, although lepidopterans (four species, particularly Hemaris diffinis and Megalographa biloba) accounted for 90% of all visitation. The highest visitation rates (and resulting seed set) occurred during the morning and afternoon diurnal time periods and the evening crepuscular time period. The relative frequencies of the different visitors varied over the 24-h day and between flowering seasons. Most visitors that could be evaluated were found to be effective pollinators. Thus, a pollinator's importance to reproductive success was generally dictated by its visitation frequency, H. diffinis being the most important pollinator. This study highlights the importance of considering temporal variation in effective pollinators in species experiencing variable environmental conditions.
Can lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in childhood predict adult atherosclerosis

Since the initial publication of the recommendations of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Pediatric Panel in 1992, there has been intense interest in and concern about the identification and treatment of lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities in children and adolescents ([1][1]). Some
StrokeNet Takes Off: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Organizational Update.

The 2012 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Priority Setting process highlighted the need for a stable, well-organized, clinical trial organization to increase the effectiveness of NINDS in advancing stroke treatments (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/find_people/ninds/OSPP/Stroke-Research-Priorities-Meeting-2012.htm). Lessons learned from NINDS Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials and the phase 2 biomarker-informed trials network (NeuroNext) demonstrated the value of an organization of dedicated trialists that harnessed a team science approach. In September 2013, National Institutes of Health (NIH) StrokeNet was established to conduct clinical trials in a centrally coordinated network that includes 25 regional centers that are linked to nearly 300 stroke hospitals across the United States. Busy from the start in executing NIH-funded stroke research, the group is now about to launch the first trial designed specifically for StrokeNet. The Endovascular Therapy Following Imaging Evaluation for Ischemic Stroke 3 (DEFUSE 3) trial will determine whether an imaging signature can be used to select patients who can benefit from thrombectomy treated after 6 hours of stroke onset. The …
The interactions between vitamin A, vinblastine, and cytochalasin B in parathyroid hormone secretion.

SummaryThe role of, and interrelationships between, microtubules, microfilaments, and membrane active agents in the secretion of parathyroid hormone were determined utilizing VB, a microtubule disrupter, CB, a microfilament disrupter, and Vit A, an agent known to interact with membranes.Parathyroid tissue pieces were incubated for 180 min in the presence of VB, CB, and Vit A, alone or in combination. VB alone consistently inhibited parathyroid hormone secretion. While Vit A alone stimulated the mean parathyroid hormone secretion rate, VB markedly inhibited this effect. CB alone did not change secretion in the first 30 min of incubation but thereafter stimulated secretion. In contrast to the delayed effect of CB alone, Vit A plus CB together increased the PTH secretion rate during the first 30 min, and their effects were at least additive at 120 and 180 min of incubation.Assuming that the actions of the agents tested are reasonably specific and that immunoreactive PTH in media appropriately reflects secret...
Trends in Bond Dissociation Energies of Alcohols and Aldehydes Computed with Multireference Averaged Coupled-Pair Functional Theory

As part of our ongoing investigation of the combustion chemistry of oxygenated molecules using multireference correlated wave function methods, we report bond dissociation energies (BDEs) in C1–C4 alcohols (from methanol to the four isomers of butanol) and C1–C4 aldehydes (from methanal to butanal). The BDEs are calculated with a multireference averaged coupled-pair functional-based scheme. We compare these multireference BDEs with those derived from experiment and single-reference methods. Trends in BDEs for the alcohols and aldehydes are rationalized by considering geometry relaxations of dissociated radical fragments, resonance stabilization, and hyperconjugation. Lastly, we discuss the conjectured association between bond strengths and rates of hydrogen abstraction by hydroxyl radicals. In general, abstraction reaction rates are higher at sites where the C–H bond energies are lower (and vice versa). However, comparison with available rate data shows this inverse relationship between bond strengths and...
Cl2 Reactive Ion Beam Etching of Heavy n-Type Si

The etch yield vs n-type doping level up to 1.5 × 1021 As/cm3 was measured. Also, the etch yield as a function of ion energy (300 to 1500 eV) for the heaviest doped samples (1.5 × 1021 As/cm3) was measured. Only a small 10–15 percent enhancement in etch rate over low doped silicon was observed. Channeling experiments with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry showed 84 percent of the arsenic atoms were in substitutional positions in the silicon crystal. In addition, silicon was implanted with arsenic to a dose of 1.25 × 1017 #/cm2 and then laser annealed. This produced samples with a 5000 angstrom layer of uniformly doped silicon at five atomic percent. Channeling experiments showed these samples to have 82 percent of the dopant in substitutional sites. Samples were then masked with chrome and etched at varied pressures, temperatures and ion energies. Within our experimental resolution no isotropic etching was observed. This small doping dependence of the etching behavior of n-type silicon in reactive ion beam etching suggests that the rate limiting step for Cl2 RIBE is different than for Cl2 RIE, rf-plasma and laser assisted etching. A discussion of this difference is given assuming a much lower concentration of atomic chlorine in RIBE.
Can a social enterprise sustain operational efficiency and profitability in an open market? The case of Spring Back Recycling

Social enterprises often seek to provide their stakeholders with economic, social, and environmental benefits. We find that developing and sustaining a social enterprise can challenge profitability in a competitive, profit-maximising marketplace. Much of the public and non-profit economic literature questions the ability of a social enterprise, with a primary emphasis on providing a social or environmental good over maximising profit, to sustain a competitive position in a commercial marketplace. For the past five years, we have conceived, developed, and implemented a social entrepreneurial venture with an aim of sustaining profitability. Spring Back Recycling is a service-oriented social enterprise that provides transitional employment, a sustainable source of revenue and earned income, and an operational enterprise that diverts millions of pounds of solid waste. Spring Back's distinctive business model and value proposition have not only achieved sustainable profitability, but have also been able to differentiate the enterprise from traditional, profit-maximising solid waste management firms.
Five-dimensional generalization of the topological Weyl semimetal

We generalize the concept of three-dimensional topological Weyl semimetals to a class of five dimensional (5D) gapless solids, where Weyl points are generalized to Weyl surfaces which are two-dimensional closed manifolds in the momentum space. Each Weyl surface is characterized by a $U(1)$ second Chern number ${C}_{2}$ defined on a four-dimensional manifold enclosing the Weyl surface, which is equal to its topological linking number with other Weyl surfaces in 5D. In analogy to the Weyl semimetals, the surface states of the 5D metal take the form of topologically protected Weyl fermion arcs, which connect the projections of the bulk Weyl surfaces. The further generalization of topological metals in $2n+1$ dimensions carrying the $n\mathrm{th}$ Chern number ${C}_{n}$ is also discussed.
SOD2 and the Mitochondrial UPR: Partners Regulating Cellular Phenotypic Transitions

ATP and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are signaling molecules that control cellular function and phenotype. Mitochondria produce both ATP and ROS. Since the electrons needed to generate either ATP or ROS originate from NADH/FADH2, the mechanism through which electrons flow towards oxygen determines yields and whether ATP or ROS prevails. Alterations in the electron flow impact cells dramatically, such as by supporting specialization (which requires high ATP) or imposing dedifferentiation. High ROS, facilitated by enzymes such as superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) that enhance mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide (mtH2O2), are normally linked to dedifferentiation of somatic cells. Here we propose that combined high mtH2O2 and mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR(mt)) activation are essential for somatic dedifferentiation programs and the acquisition of stem-like properties in reparative processes and disease.
NOVEL CATIONIC COLLECTORS FOR PHOSPHATE REVERSE FLOTATION AND THEIR ADSORPTION MECHANISM

In this paper,a newly developed cationic amine collector 605G83 supplied by Georgia-Pacific Chemicals LLC was investigated as the collector for the reverse flotation of quartz from phosphate ore from CF Industries phosphate rock mine in Florida.Its adsorption on the surface of quartz was characterized using a novel surface characterization technique referred to as Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation technique(QCM-D) and ζ-potential in comparison with the plant amine collector of CF Industries(PA70) which was the amidoamine acetates.The effect of the new collector on reverse flotation was evaluated using a laboratory mechanical flotation cell at different process parameters such as pH,collector dosage and flotation time.The highest recovery of 92.1% was achieved when 605G83 was used at the dosage of 1.0 kg/t at pH 8 with grade of 31.5%.The data of QCM-D showed that 605G83 adsorbed on phosphate more readily and formed the higher density and rigid adsorption layer which produced stronger hydrophobicity and better flotation performance.However,the adsorption density of 605G83 had no big change with increasing the solution concentration.The multilayer with higher energy dissipation was formed on quartz surface with PA70 at higher concentration,and the adsorption was less rigid.
A new interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets decision-making method: Combining of interval evidence aspect

A new interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets decision-making model based on the evidence theory is proposed. The attribute values of corresponding alternatives in this model are in the form of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy numbers(IVIFN). Firstly, IVIFN is converted into interval basic probability assignment(BPA). Then, the combination rule based on interval BPA is utilized to fuse different attributes. Finally, in order to make the final decision, the fused interval BPAs are transformed into classical BPA. In this way, multi-attribute information can be fused directly. The advantages of the proposed model lie in its simplicity, which better reflects the uncertainty of original data, and universality, which can be expanded to other field of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets easily. A numerical example is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Analysis of performance evaluation results of disease prevention and control in Wuhu from 2008 to 2012

Objective Through comparative analysis the performance evaluation results of disease prevention and control in Wuhu from 2008 to 2012, find the problems and deficiencies, provide the reference basis for the next step work. Methods Analysis the scores and the index completion condition of the area synthetic evaluation and the institution of disease control and prevention evaluation in Wuhu from 2008 to 2012. Results The grade of the area synthetic evaluation is good, the grade of the institution evaluation is very good. The index completion condition of regional health education and health promotion is the biggest increase, an increase of 57.3% in 2012 than in 2008. The index completion condition of the guarantee of work normal operation is the lowest, only 33%. The annual index completion condition of the institution of disease control and prevention is almost equal respectively, between 90 to 95%. That health hazards factors monitoring and control, technical guidance and applied research was the weakest work for the institution of disease prevention and control, and the index annual completion condition of was lowest. Conclusion Disease prevention and control efforts have achieved good performance appraisal. But some work should be strengthened, such as Government-led and multi-sectoral coordination mechanism, health hazards factors monitoring and control, technical guidance and applied research.
Insulators: Electrical Conductivity

Publisher Summary This chapter elaborates the major characteristic of insulators, which is their enormous electrical resistance, typically a factor 10 20 larger than in good metals. Insulators are those solids in which there are a sufficient number of electrons to just fill all of the lowest-energy bands while leaving all higher energy bands empty. The band theory of conduction is based on two major assumptions that the adiabatic approximation and the one-electron approximation are both valid. Many transition metal and rare earth compounds are Mott insulators. Polarons have lower energy than their corresponding electrons, but they have larger effective values of mass because they must carry ionic distortions along with them as they propagate. Although for both bandlike and hopping conduction, the electrical conductivity increases exponentially with temperature, the two mechanisms are distinguishable, in principle, by means of direct carrier-mobility measurements. Ionic conductivity can be identified by the observation of a plating of one or both of the electrodes that serve as the contacts. As electrical isolation is one of the major commercial uses of insulators, their resistance to current flow at large applied fields is of the utmost importance.
Overview of Next Generation, High-Throughput Molecular Genetic Methods

Recent advances in genome-wide technologies have revolutionized how researchers identify disease-causing genes. Both microarray-based genotyping analysis for copy number variations and high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) for sequence variations have enabled a surge in the discovery of genes associated with disease. Application of these technologies in large population studies has shown the extent of sequence and copy-number variations throughout the genome and their contributions to human quantitative traits and diseases. This chapter will highlight both technologies and will provide examples of how each has been used to identify genes causing pediatric orthopaedic disorders.
Conclusion: Behavioral Economics and Policy Interventions

The purpose of this book is to demonstrate that there is a strong private sector that helps people’s decision making and that stringent criteria ought to be met before governments attempt to improve on private decision making, whether through structuring information to “nudge” people into making the government-preferred decision or using more stringent measures to achieve the same thing. Where people have difficulty matching their inherent preferences into real life decisions that satisfy those preferences, a private market will almost always arise that can help to match decisions with preferences.