cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spammer Detection via Combined Neural Network

Social networks, as an indispensable part of our daily lives, provide ideal platforms for entertainment and communication. However, the appearance of spammers who spread malicious information pollutes a network’s reliability. Unlike email spammers detection, a social network account has several types of attributes and complicated behavior patterns, which require a more sophisticated detection mechanism. To address the above challenges, we propose several efficient profiles and behavioral features to describe a social network account and a combined neural network to detect the spammers. The combined neural network can process the features separately based on their mutual correlation and handle data with missing features. In experiments, the combined neural network outperforms several classical machine learning approaches and achieves \(97.5\%\) accuracy on real data. The proposed features and the combined neural network have already been applied commercially.
High‐ and low‐dose oral immunotherapy similarly suppress pro‐allergic cytokines and basophil activation in young children

Background Mechanisms underlying oral immunotherapy (OIT) are unclear and the effects on immune cells at varying maintenance doses are unknown. Objective We aimed to determine the immunologic changes caused by peanut OIT in preschool aged children and determine the effect on these immune responses in groups ingesting low or high-dose peanut OIT (300 mg or 3000 mg, respectively) as maintenance therapy. Methods Blood was drawn at several time-points throughout the OIT protocol and PBMCs isolated and cultured with peanut antigens. Secreted cytokines were quantified via multiplex assay, whereas Treg and peanut-responsive CD4 T cells were studied with flow cytometry. Basophil activation assays were also conducted. Results Th2-, Th1-, Th9- and Tr1-type cytokines decreased over the course of OIT in groups on high- and low-dose OIT. There were no significant differences detected in cytokine changes between the high- and low-dose groups. The initial increase in both the number of peanut-responsive CD4 T cells and the number of Tregs was transient and no significant differences were found between groups. Basophil activation following peanut stimulation was decreased over the course of OIT and associated with increased peanut-IgG4/IgE ratios. No differences were found between high- and low-dose groups in basophil activation at the time of desensitization or sustained unresponsiveness oral food challenges. Conclusions and clinical relevance Peanut OIT leads to decreases in pro-allergic cytokines, including IL-5, IL-13, and IL-9 and decreased basophil activation. No differences in T cell or basophil responses were found between subjects on low or high-dose maintenance OIT, which has implications for clinical dosing strategies.
P123 Anti-A titer method comparison

Aim To determine an appropriate testing method to evaluate the anti-A titer in blood group B renal transplant waitlist patients to qualify for consideration of blood group A2 (A subgroup) donors. UNOS has established a maximum anti-A titer of 8 to qualify for an A to B kidney. Methods A review of methods in use at transplant centers performing ABO incompatible kidney transplants identified four categories of method variation. The four categories were: • Dithiothreitol (DTT) treatment of serum vs. no DTT treatment • Direct agglutination vs. Indirect agglutination (anti-human globulin enhancement) ∘ Direct = Room Temperature Test Tube or MTS-Gel buffer card ∘ Indirect = Anti-IgG Test Tube or MTS-Gel anti-IgG card • Test Tube method vs. MTS-Gel microcolumn method • A1 target cells vs. A2 target cells Standard commercial blood bank reagents were used for all testing. The same technologist performed all testing. Ten blood group B patients from the kidney transplant waitlist were tested using 8 different methods. After choosing the preferred variable for each of the first three categories, 15 group B potential recipients were tested comparing A1 vs. A2 target cells. Results The categories of Test Tube vs. MTS-Gel and Direct vs. Indirect agglutination had little impact on titers. Pretreatment of serum with DTT provided qualifying titers for three times as many patients as using serum not treated with DTT. DTT pretreatment of serum was chosen along with the indirect agglutination method to optimize detection of IgG anti-A. Using the DTT – Indirect – MTS Gel titer method, comparing A1 vs. A2 target cells with 15 samples showed the choice of target cells also impacted titers. 8 of 15 patients had a 3-fold or greater titer increase using A1 cells compared to A2 cells. 11 of 15 patients (73%) had a qualifying titer with A1cells, compared to 100% with A2 cells. Conclusions Use of DTT treated serum and A2 cells were associated with the lowest anti-A titers. Efforts to establish acceptable method specific titer limits are encouraged.
First Amendment Coverage

Neither courts nor scholars have articulated a coherent theory of the scope of the First Amendment’s “freedom of speech.” Most First Amendment jurisprudence and scholarship has focused on the justification for the freedom of speech or questions of constitutional protection — essentially, how much scrutiny should apply in various contexts. Largely ignored is the often-dispositive threshold question of whether activities are “covered” by the First Amendment at all. Many activities that are colloquially considered “speech” are not traditionally subject to constitutional review. For instance, the regulation of contracts, commercial fraud, perjury, conspiracy, workplace harassment, the compelled speech of tax returns, and large swaths of regulation by the administrative state have all historically been treated as beyond the ambit of the First Amendment. Today, however, the boundaries of the First Amendment are in a period of transformation. Plaintiffs across the country contend that the regulation of areas of social and economic life that never before were thought relevant to the Constitution is in violation of it. Courts are increasingly confronted with cases that raise the question: Does the First Amendment apply? This makes the need for a theory of the scope of the right of free speech — of the First Amendment’s boundaries — ever more pressing. This Article develops, first, a descriptive and sociologically-based theory of First Amendment coverage. By analyzing differences between free speech sub-doctrines, I argue that the animating difference between what falls within the First Amendment’s reach and what is excluded from it does not rest on the distinction between speech and conduct, as is often thought. Instead, coverage depends on whether or not social norms about a given practice are (or courts believe should be) sufficiently strong to make the anticipated consequences of the speech — how it works and what it does — clear. Coverage depends, in short, on whether or not the audience of the activity is pluralistic. Second, this Article develops a prescriptive theory of how courts should analyze questions of the boundaries of free speech. I argue that, at the borders of the First Amendment, courts must analyze the social context of the activity in question as well as the normative and institutional implications of charting First Amendment coverage. I conclude by exploring the issues at stake in current and emerging First Amendment coverage questions. I argue that the scope of the First Amendment reflects and defines the areas of social life in which we need or want cohesive, non-pluralistic, social norms and relationships. In short, the boundaries of the First Amendment track not only the space of pluralistic contestation, but also the expectation of and desire for social cohesion.
Efficacy of the perfluorocarbon dodecafluoropentane as an adjunct to pre-hospital resuscitation.

Background Hemorrhage is the most common cause of preventable death in the pre-hospital phase in trauma, with a critical capability gap optimizing pre-hospital resuscitation in austere environments. One promising avenue is the concept of a multi-functional resuscitation fluid (MRF) that contains a blood product backbone with agents that promote clotting and enhance oxygen delivery. Oxygen therapeutics, such as hemoglobin based oxygen carriers(HBOCs) and perfluorocarbons(PFCs), may be a critical MRF component. Our purpose was to assess the efficacy of resuscitation with a PFC, dodecafluoropentane(DDFPe), compared to fresh whole blood(FWB). Methods and findings Forty-five swine(78±5kg) underwent splenectomy and controlled hemorrhage via femoral arterial catheter until shock physiology(lactate = 7.0) was achieved prior to randomization into the following groups: 1) Control-no intervention, 2)Hextend-500mL, 3)FFP-500mL, 4)FFP+DDFPe-500mL, 5)FWB-500mL. Animals were observed for an additional 180 minutes following randomization. Results Baseline physiologic values did not statistically differ. At T = 60min, FWB had significantly decreased lactate(p = 0.001) and DDFPe was not statistically different from control. There was no statistical significance in tissue oxygenation(StO2) between groups at T = 60min. Survival was highest in the FWB and Hextend groups(30% at 180min). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed decreased survival of DDFPe+FFP in comparison to FWB(p<0.05) and was not significantly different from control or FFP. Four animals who received DDFPe died within 10 minutes of administration. This study was limited by a group receiving DDFPe alone, however this would not be feasible in this lethal swine model as DDFPe given its small volume. Conclusion DDFPe administration with FFP does not improve survival or enhance tissue oxygenation. However, given similar survival rates of Hextend and FWB, there is evidence that an ideal MRF should contain an element of volume expansion to enhance oxygen delivery.
322) Worsening Depressive Symptoms after an Emergency Department Visit for Low Back Pain are Associated with Persistent Pain and Disability

More than 2.5 million U.S. emergency department (ED) visits each year are for low back pain (LBP). Nearly half of these patients report persistent pain and functional disability 3 months later. While baseline depression has been shown to predict these poor outcomes, little is known about whether persistent pain and disability correlate with worsening depression. This is a secondary analysis of 362 patients seen at an urban ED with LBP who completed the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), a 0-10 pain numeric rating scale (NRS), and Patient Health Questionnaire depression subscale (PHQ-9) at their ED visit and 3 months later. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the association between changes in depression severity from index ED visit to 3-month follow-up, and changes in RMDQ and pain scores over the same period. Models were adjusted for age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, and depression severity at baseline. At the index ED visit, median PHQ score was 0 (IQR 0,4) and median RMDQ score was 22 (IQR 17,24). At one week, median pain score was 6 (IQR 2,8). At 3 months, median change in PHQ from baseline was 0 (IQR -24,23), change in RMDQ was -8 (IQR -20,0), and change in pain score was -1 (IQR -3,0). After adjusting for potential confounders, worsening depression score between the ED visit and 3 month follow-up was associated with worsening function (B=0.85, 95% CI=0.68-1.03) and pain scores (B=0.11, 95%CI=0.05-0.17). The 3-month disability and pain intensity outcomes were more strongly correlated with change in depression than with baseline depression scores. Future work among ED patients with LBP should consider progressive depressive symptoms as a potentially modifiable risk factor for persistent pain and disability.
Mobile Education: Pedagogy, Technology and Collaboration

Those of us who are educators strive to find and create landscapes for inquiry within and beyond the classroom, and for many, new technologies and interdisciplinary efforts offer an opportunity for these strivings. At the surface, our disciplines contain information and perspectives; these inform and enrich each other, and with active learning, shared world experience, observation, collaboration, and reflection, they become the knowledge and culture of critical thought. Each innovation in technology brings a new opportunity to education. Some, like the Internet, are proven and widely used; others, like educational software, have had less success. Still others are new and just beginning to see their first use. In this article, experiences and perspectives are presented on the use of relatively new technologies, wireless, specifically 802.11 (Wi-Fi) and 3G enabled devices, and a framework of collaboration as tools for instruction and learning in digital video media classes.
Anger in Chronic Pain Patients and Relation to Perceived Pain

Anger is an inevitable emotion in patients with chronic pain and may impact pain levels and outcomes. The pain physician should be aware of etiologies and management approaches.
Synthesis and characterization of 3D-printable geopolymeric foams for thermally efficient building envelope materials

Abstract Synthesis and characterization of 3D-printable foamed fly ash-based geopolymer matrices for thermal insulation is the focus of this paper. A surfactant-based foaming process, multi-step mixing that ensures foam jamming transition and thus a dry foam, and microstructural packing to ensure adequate skeletal density are implemented to develop foamed suspensions amenable to 3D-printing. The foamed suspensions show lower yield stress with increasing surfactant contents, especially above the foam jamming transition. The mixtures demonstrate adequate extrudability, shape retention, and buildability. The geopolymeric foams show porosities ranging from 55 to 75% and bulk densities from 0.6 to 1.0 g/cm3, and these properties are similar irrespective of whether the mixtures are extruded or conventionally cast. The thermal conductivities of the foamed matrices range from 0.15 to 0.25 W/m-K. It is shown that designed architectures that minimize heat transfer can be printed using foamed matrices to obtain sandwich wall panels with thermal insulation properties comparable to or better than those of currently available insulated concrete wall panels. This positions 3D-printing as a strategy to develop composite systems with previously unattainable thermal performance.
Ultrathin Planar HIS Antenna with Beam Steering Capability for K-Band

This paper presents a wideband, ultrathin, planar high impedance surface (HIS) antenna with a beamforming capability which operates at K-band. The HIS antenna is based on a single grounded substrate with a 2D periodic array of dogbone-shaped metallic patches patterned on the top of a ultrathin grounded slab. The structure is designed to operate at 24 GHz with beam steering capability. The structure is fed by a phase-controlled excitation network which adds the ability to steer the beam. The proposed antenna is made of 12 × 6 unit-cells on a very thin substrate (the overall antenna height is around a 100th of the free space wavelength). Simulation results show a maximum broadside gain of 12 dBi and, despite the ultrathin thickness, a 3dB bandwidth of 1.83 GHz with a 2 dBi gain difference in steering the beam from 0 to 45 degrees.
Variation in the Utilization of Postoperative Computed Tomography for Patients With Nonsyndromic Craniosynostosis: A National Claims Analysis:

Objective:Routine postoperative computed tomography (CT) imaging in nonsyndromic craniosynostosis remains controversial due to the hazards of radiation exposure. The extent to which postoperative h...
Analysis of an air-cooled air gap membrane distillation module

Abstract An air-cooled design for an air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) process offers potential for significantly lowering energy requirements and reducing cost for desalination by eliminating or reducing the balance of plant components associated with the coolant flow system. Experiments were conducted on an air-cooled AGMD module to study the effects of air gap, support mesh conductivity and hydrophobicity, and the condensing surface hydrophobicity. A novel modular design was developed in which modules could be arranged in a series configuration to increase the distillate flux. The output from the series configuration was found to yield about three times the distillate water compared to a single pass water-cooled system with the same temperature difference (ΔT). The results also indicate that the mesh conductivity has a favorable effect on the flux value whereas the hydrophobicity of the mesh has no significant effect. The hydrophobicity of the condensing surface is favorable on two accounts: first, it increases the distillate flux at temperatures below 60 °C and secondly, the temperature difference of the saline feed when it enters and leaves the module is lower, which can lead to energy savings and higher yield when used in a series configuration.
Is wealth associated with depressive symptoms in the United States

Abstract Purpose The aim of the study was to assess the relation between family wealth and depression in U.S. adults. Methods Participants were 5134 members of the 2015–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who were aged 18 years or older and completed the depression screener. Using the Patient Health Questionnaire and household demographics interview data, we calculate the adjusted odds of depressive symptoms for persons with low relative to high family savings, using multivariable logistic regression. We estimate predicted probabilities of having depressive symptoms for low and high family savings groups at low, middle, and high family income categories. Results Overall, 57.4% of the total weighted population had low family savings (below $20,000), and 23.7% of the weighted population had depressive symptoms. Persons with low family savings had 1.49 times higher odds (95% confidence interval, 1.01–2.21) of having depressive symptoms than persons with high family savings, controlling for gender, age, race, education, marital status, family size, and family income. Predicted probabilities of depressive symptoms were higher for low family savings groups than high family savings groups at every income level. Conclusions Family wealth is associated with lower prevalence of current depressive symptoms in U.S. adults. Wealth may be an important determinant of population mental health, separate and independent from income.
Karman: a brief treatise on action, guilt, and gesture: by Giorgio Agamben/translated by Adam Kotsko, Stanford, CA, Stanford University Press, 2018, 120 pp., $17.95 (pbk), ISBN 9781503605824

Dr Bucephalus, as Kafka makes clear in ‘The New Advocate’, used to be Alexander of Macedon's warhorse; but currently, he has become an associate attorney immersed in the tomes of the law.1 Drawing ...
Fostering "Brave Spaces" for Exploring Perceptions of Marginalized Groups through Reflexive Writing.

Courses: Intercultural Communication, Interracial Communication, Gender Communication, Interpersonal Communication. Objectives: Students will (1) identify how positionalities shape perception, and ...
Mesoscopic fluctuations of orbital magnetism in size quantized metals

Abstract We evaluate the distribution function of mesoscopic fluctuations of orbital magnetic response in finite-size level-quantized metal particles and Aharonov–Bohm rings for temperatures smaller than the mean level spacing. We find a broad distribution with the reduced moments much larger than the mean. For strong spin–orbit interaction we find very long tails due to thermal activation of large effective moments of the electrons at the Fermi level.
Like post-cataract surgery: what came into focus about children and media research during the pandemic

The COVID-19 crisis put much of my then on-going research on-hold: Studying parent-child interactions in public places while engaged with mobile phones was halted; plans for a second phase of study...
Development of the combined nitritation–anammox process in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor with anammox granules

Abstract The combined nitritation–anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process represents a promising innovative technology for biological nitrogen removal, especially for treating wastewater with low chemical oxygen demand (COD) to ammonium ratios. In the present study, a laboratory-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, which has been operated under low oxygen levels (⩽0.5 mg L−1) for over 280 days, was shown to remove about 88% of the supplied total nitrogen loads without nitrite/nitrate accumulation. During the start-up period, the reactor was initially inoculated with enriched anammox granules and fed with synthetic wastewater, where the ammonium concentration was fixed but nitrite concentration was gradually decreased to zero. As the influent NO2−-N/NH4+-N ratio decreased, O2 supply was increased gradually to facilitate the conversion of ammonium to nitrite by ammonium oxidation bacteria (AOB). Our results showed that the nitritation–anammox granules with porous structures were enriched and featured good settling ability. Microbial community composition was investigated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), which demonstrated the coexistence of AOB and anammox bacteria in the granules. The two groups of bacteria exhibited an overlapping growth style, which can improve ammonium availability to anammox bacteria and facilitate the immediate consumption of nitrite (produced by AOB) by anammox bacteria.
Abstract 845: The role of childhood immunizations and infections on the risk of pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma

Background: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a rare, highly malignant childhood cancer with an annual incidence of four cases per million and approximately 350 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. annually. Due to its rarity, relatively little is known about the etiology of this childhood malignancy. Early immunologic challenges such as immunizations and infections have been hypothesized to be protective in certain malignancies. To our knowledge, these associations have not been studied in relation to childhood RMS risk. The purpose of our study was to better characterize the association between childhood immunizations and infections and RMS risk using data from the largest case-control study of RMS to date. Materials and Methods: Cases (n = 322) were previously enrolled in the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study, which became a part of the Children9s Oncology Group in 2000. Controls (n = 322) were selected by random-digit telephone dialing and pair-matched to cases on race, sex, and age. We evaluated RMS risk based on whether parents reported that their child was up-to-date on immunizations and had completed their DPT (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus), oral polio, and MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) series. In addition, we evaluated whether the child ever had previous infections including mumps, pneumonia, rubella, rubeola, pertussis, tuberculosis, meningitis, scarlet fever, and chickenpox. Conditional logistic regression models were used to calculate an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each exposure, adjusted for age, race, and sex. Results: Having up-to-date immunizations had a protective effect on childhood RMS (aOR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.11-0.44). More specifically, children who did not receive the complete vaccination series of DPT (aOR = 1.70 95% CI: 1.18-2.50) or did not receive the MMR vaccine (aOR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.04-2.44) had an increased risk of being diagnosed with childhood RMS. Most infectious conditions examined were negatively associated with childhood RMS; however, these findings were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusions: This is the first study of its kind to provide evidence that receiving childhood immunizations may be protective against RMS risk. Although the effect estimates suggested a possible protective role of childhood infections against RMS risk, these findings were not statistically significant. Future studies will be needed to further evaluate the role of immunizations and childhood infections in the development of this tumor. Citation Format: Hari Sankaran, Heather Danysh, Michael E. Scheurer, M. Fatih Okcu, Philip J. Lupo. The role of childhood immunizations and infections on the risk of pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 845. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-845
Low temperature impurity-induced disordering of AlGaInAs/InP quantum wells for long wavelength optoelectronic applications

We investigated impurity-induced disordering (IID) in compressively strained AlGaInAs multi quantum wells (MQWs) on InP substrate by Zn diffusion. Complete disordering of AlGaInAs MQW, enhanced by strain, was observed even at the low temperature of 400/spl deg/C. On the other hand, unstrained MQW was not completely disordered below 500/spl deg/C. The measured hole concentration of the Zn diffused layer at 400/spl deg/C was as low as 3/spl times/10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/. The IID lasers were also fabricated and characterized. No significant optical loss was observed in these lasers.
ANALYSIS OF ANALOG RESONANCES IN $sup 115$In(p,p) $sup 115$In BETWEEN 6.6 AND 7.6 MeV.

The $^{115}\mathrm{In}(p,p)^{115}\mathrm{In}$ reaction for ${E}_{p}=6.6 \mathrm{to} 7.6$ MeV has been analyzed. The target spin of $^{115}\mathrm{In}$ is ${\frac{9}{2}}^{+}$. This means that there can be a maximum of 10 partial waves in each analog resonance. However, there are usually one or two dominant single-particle states which contribute to a resonance. In this reaction the ${s}_{\frac{1}{2}}$ and ${d}_{\frac{3}{2}}$ channels are dominant in the energy region from 6.6 to 7.6 MeV. Fits to the differential cross-section data of Thompson et al. were found to be quite good when only these two channels were included for the positive-parity states. The ${s}_{\frac{1}{2}}$ and ${d}_{\frac{3}{2}}$ channels can couple to the ${\frac{9}{2}}^{+}$ target spin to give total spins and parities of ${4}^{+}$, ${5}^{+}$, and ${3}^{+}$, ${4}^{+}$, ${5}^{+}$, ${6}^{+}$. All of these states were seen and analyzed. A sum rule is derived which involves the total spins of the resonances. The total spins assigned are found to be consistent with this sum rule. There is a strong amount of mixing in the ${4}^{+}$ and ${5}^{+}$ states.
Genetic epidemiology of persistent islet cell antibodies among IDDM patients

The persistence of cytoplasmic islet cell antibodies (ICA) more than a year after diagnosis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was investigated in 43 families with at least two children with IDDM. The prevalence of persistent ICA among IDDM patients was 16%. Persistence of ICA appeared to be familial in that siblings with IDDM were significantly more concordant for the presence or for the absence of ICA than expected by chance (P = 0.04). Patients with persistent ICA were older on average at onset of IDDM than patients without persistent ICA after adjusting for duration of disease (P = 0.004). Persistence of ICA was not significantly associated with HLA DR type, immunoglobulin genotype, insulin allele class, sex, history of viral diseases, or prior vaccinations.
The Business Responsibility for Wealth Distribution in a Globalized Political-Economy: Merging Moral Economics and Catholic Social Teaching

If it is accepted that the real marketplace does not necessarily distribute wealth in the manner that the ideal market would have done, and that societal institutions have an obligation to bring the real and ideal market distributions into accord, then it can be argued that economic actors have a responsibility to consider the effects of their activities on the distribution of wealth in society. This paper asserts that businesses have a responsibility to consider the wealth distribution effects of their wealth-creating decisions. We use arguments from moral economics and Catholic social teaching to support this assertion, deriving decision principles that we apply to the Starbucks fair trade coffee case.
Theory of Acoustic Emission

ABSTRACT A theory of acoustic emission is presented based on a Green's function type of formalism, rather than on the conventional count rate concept. Sources are represented by stress drop rate tensors and conditions are derived from which the source can be considered small in terms of wavelength and distance to the transducer. These “pseudopoint” sources are examined over a restricted frequency bandwidth, called the “informative bandwidth.” Such a bandlimited system may be described by a tensor transfer function type of formalism, facilitating the analysis and reducing the inverse problem—where the source is not known a priori –to a deconvolution operation. Due to the tensor nature of the source, multiple transducer measurements are necessary to reconstruct the source stress drop. The difficulty of using spectral techniques for data analysis in the presence of multiple sources is discussed. The forward problem for acoustic emission to be expected from plasticity, phase transformations, and cracks is solved within the pseudopoint approximation and the concept of retarded dipole density is introduced to deal with the problem of time delays from propagating inhomogeneity sources. In addition, the strong directionality of the signal with respect to source type and orientation is illustrated by calculating the acoustic emission signals generated by loop expansion of slip and climb (prismatic collapse) type dislocations. This directionality is shown to be the same for isotropic materials as that associated with Mode II/III or Mode I cracks and a comparison is provided between emission from expanding penny-shaped cracks and that from dislocation loops. Finally, the concepts of stress-controlled and materials-controlled acoustic emission are introduced and their significance is discussed in terms of relating AE source descriptions and material mechanisms.
Speech modeling with time varying amplitude and phase

Formant transitions contain important information related to hearing and perception. The concept of moving poles is used in this paper in relation to the time-varying impulse response model of the vocal tract and describes the trajectory of a formant. The model allows for amplitude modulation as well as other nonstationarities present such as formant bandwidth variations. The moving poles are modeled as polynomial functions of time, whose linear (albeit suboptimal) estimates ate obtained from the higher-order ambiguity function. An overall optimal but nonlinear least squares scheme is developed to improve upon the linear estimates and both algorithms are tested by simulations. >
Perturbed sphingomyelin metabolism and accumulation of ceramides and cholesterol esters in Alzheimer's disease and ALS

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) involve selective degeneration of neurons involved in learning and memory (hippocampal and cortical neurons) and movement (spinal cord motor neurons), respectively. In each disorder and increase in oxidative stress is believed to render neurons vulnerable to excitotoxicity and apoptosis. We report abnormalities in sphingolipid and cholesterol metabolism in brain tissue of AD patients and a mouse model of AD (APP mutant mice), and in spinal cords of ALS patients and a transgenic mouse model of ALS (Cu/Zn-SOD mutant mice), characterized by increased levels of sphingomyelin, long-chain ceramides and cholesterol esters. In the mouse models these abnormalities precede the clinical phenotype. Exposure of cultured hippocampal neurons to amyloid β-peptide (the neurotoxic component of amyloid plaques in AD) and of cultured motor neurons to oxidative insults, increases the accumulation of sphingomyelin, ceramides and cholesterol esters. Pharmacological inhibition of sphingomyelin synthesis prevents accumulation of ceramides and cholesterol esters and protects hippocampal and motor neurons against death induced by insults relevant to AD and ALS. These findings suggest links between oxidative stress, altered sphingolipid and cholesterol metabolism and the pathogenesis of AD and ALS. Our data also identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative disorders.
The economics of sprout damage in wheat

Sprouting of wheat due to untimely rains is a frequent occurrence in major wheat-producing areas throughout the world including the United States. This paper examines the local, regional, national, and international effects on supply and demand of incidence of sprouting under different institutional arrangements for controlling entry of sprouted wheat into food markets. The USDA Swopsim model is used to examine the international effects of various levels of sprouting among major suppliers.
A Tutorial on the LQG/LTR Method

In this paper we overview the so-called Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian method with Loop-Tranfer-Recovery (LQG/LTR). Our objective is to provide a pragmatic exposition, with special emphasis on the step-by-step characteristics for designing multivariable feedback control systems.
A NEW METHOD TO DETERMINE THE OPTICAL ORIENTATION OF BIAXIAL MINERALS: A MATHEMATICAL APPROACH

A mathematical approach has been developed to determine the optical orientation of biaxial minerals by combining spindle stage and X-ray-diffractometer measurements. First, a goniometer head, with crystal affixed, is screwed onto a spindle stage, and its orientation matrix for the biaxial indicatrix is determined. Next, the same goniometer head is transferred to a single-crystal X-ray diffractometer, where the unit cell and, in turn, an orientation matrix for the reciprocal crystallographic axes are determined. The necessary transformations and calculations are then developed to relate these two orientation matrices mathematically. Examples for two orthorhombic minerals of known optical orientation, one monoclinic mineral of unknown optical orientation, and one triclinic mineral of known optical orientation are given. Several measurements were repeated to test the accuracy, reproducibility, and systematic errors of the method; these measurements yielded an accuracy and reproducibility of the method to within 1.0°. Once a suitable crystal has been selected and mounted on a goniometer head, all the required measurements and calculations can be performed in approximately one hour.
Transitional Step Toward Second-Stage Integrated Management of Arthropod Pests of Apple in Massachusetts Orchards

The practice of integrated pest management (IPM) may occur at multiple levels and at more than one stage within a level. In managing arthropod pests of apple, we consider the first stage of the first level (first-stage IPM) to be the use of multiple integrated approaches for determining need and optimal timing of application of a single technique of pest control: sprays of toxic pesticide. We consider the second stage of the first level (second-stage IPM) to be fully integrated use of multiple techniques of pest control, including behavioral, cultural, biological, and pesticidal methods. As a transitional step to eventual use of all components of a second-stage IPM approach, we evaluated application of insecticide every 3 wk (beginning in early July) to apple trees at the perimeter of orchards as a substitute for use of interception traps for behavioral control of immigrating apple maggot flies, Rhagoletts pomonella (Walsh). Remaining second-stage IPM components were implemented, with the orchard interior free of insecticide and acaricide application after early June. Results over 3 yr (1987-1989) in six commercial orchard test blocks of about 1 ha each showed that fruit injury by apple maggot was about the same during the first 2 yr in test blocks as in nearby control blocks sprayed under grower-implemented first-stage IPM practices. In the third year, however, injury in the test blocks was significantly greater, reaching 1.2%. Fruit injury by Lepidoptera and other summer pests was very low in all blocks in all years (0–0.3%). Except for mites (which were not always effectively controlled in test blocks by predators), populations of other principal foliar pests were little different in test blocks compared with control blocks. Average annual costs of insecticide and acaricide applications were about 310 and 470 per hectare in test and control blocks, respectively. We conclude that restricting insecticide application to perimeter row apple trees after early June in Massachusetts is an effective transitional step toward eventual use of a full second-stage IPM approach against apple arthropod pests.
The "Mineralocorticoid-Like" Actions Conferred on Corticosterone by Carbenoxolone Are Inhibited by the Mineralocorticoid Receptor (Type I) Antagonist RU28318*

We have previously demonstrated, in adrenalectomized male rats, that the liquorice derivative carbenoxolone (CS) can confer mineralocorticoid (MC)-like activity upon the glucocorticoid corticosterone (B) and amplify the Na+-retaining actions of aldosterone (Aldo) and deoxycorticosterone (DOC). The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the MC-like effects of B and the amplified actions of ALDO and DOC in the presence of CS are mediated via the occupation of type I (MC) receptors. In adrenalectomized male rats, B (100 μg/rat) alone produced a significant kaliuresis, but no antinatriuresis. This kaliuresis was blocked by the type I (MC) receptor antagonist RU28318 (300 μg/rat). In the presence of CS (2.5 mg/rat), B produced a significant Na+ retention, and the kaliuretic activity of B was significantly enhanced. This CS-induced antinatriuresis produced by B was significantly reduced by RU28318, as was the amplified kaliuresis. The MC effects of either Aldo (0.05 μg/rat) or DOC (5 μg/rat) alon...
Patterns of protozoan infections: Spatiotemporal associations with cattle density

Waste from cattle production contains protozoa, such as Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia, which can be transmitted to humans. People residing in areas of high cattle density may be at increased risk for protozoan infections. The objective of this study was to assess spatial and temporal associations between cattle density and hospitalizations for protozoan infections in the U.S. elderly. Data on protozoan infections were abstracted from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services datasets for a 14-year period (1991-2004). Cattle inventory data were abstracted from the 2002 U.S. Census of Agriculture. Counties were classified into one of five exposure categories based on both cattle density and human density. Our analyses considered differences in rates, trends, and variations in seasonal patterns based on exposure categories. Cryptosporidiosis demonstrated a trend of increasing annual rates related to increased potential exposure to cattle. Both cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis demonstrated significant seasonal patterns peaking during the fourth week of October in areas of high cattle/low population density and the second week of September in counties with low cattle/low human density, respectively. Counties with low human population density (regardless of cattle density) had the highest rate of all protozoan infections, peaking in the summer. These results demonstrate the elderly population is at increased risk of protozoan infections in areas of high cattle density, particularly cryptosporidiosis. The seasonal patterns and higher annual rates seen in rural areas suggest time-variant environmental exposures, which may be affected with geographical and temporal targeting of agricultural policies and interventions to improve public health.
Fate and long-term inhibitory impact of ZnO nanoparticles during high-rate anaerobic wastewater treatment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effect of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) on the performance of high-rate anaerobic bioreactors. Laboratory-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors were fed with a mixture of volatile fatty acids and exposed to either low (0.32 mg Zn L−1) or high (34.5 mg Zn L−1) concentrations of ZnO NPs. Exposure to high NP concentrations caused a rapid and permanent decline in the methane production and the removal of acetate and propionate. In contrast, a gradual and partial inhibitory response was observed in the reactor exposed to low NP concentrations. The long-term effect of the NP exposure was also evident from a decline in the specific methanogenic activity, which was more severe for the acetoclastic compared to the hydrogenotrophic methanogens. ZnO NPs were removed by 62–82% during passage through the UASB reactors. The results taken as a whole indicate that ZnO NPs cause severe inhibition of acetoclastic methanogens. Even sub-ppm levels of the nano-ZnO in the influent had a negative impact on the performance of the UASB reactor due to long-term exposure of methanogens to NPs that accumulated in the sludge bed.
Parametrizing the Nucleon-nucleon Scattering Matrix Above the Inelastic Threshold

All representations presently being used in analyses of nucleon-nucleon scattering above the inelastic threshold are flawed by lack of implicit unitarity, generality, or failure to encode reasonable physical behavior. We examine unitarity from the point of view of an extended $K$ matrix, and derive a representation which is unitary, general, and which uses physically interpretable, bounded parameters.
The influence of aging on the effectiveness of an organophosphite in suppressing transesterification in polymer blends

Organophophites are being used with varying degree of effectiveness to suppress transesterification in polyester blends. Using solid state31p NMR it was discovered that for bis(2,4-di-t-butylphenyl)pentaerythritol diphosphite a conversion of the phosphite group to a phosphonate moiety, probably via hydrolysis, is a prerequisite for an effective inhibition of transesterification. This conversion occurs readily during melt compounding if the polymers are not completely dry. However, if rigorous drying is employed and phosphite conversion does not occur, then transesterification is not arrested. It was also found that over a long period of time the conversion of the phosphite to a phosphonate takes place at room temperature as well. Thus, after aging for about a year, the originally ineffective compound, has become a very effective inhibitor of transesterification in blends containing polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, and polyarylate.
Evaluation of a Method to Predict Nitrogen Mineralized from Soil Organic Matter Under Field Conditions

Methods to estimate the amount of N mineralized from soil organic matter are needed for accurate fertilizer recommendations. We conducted laboratory and field studies to evaluate the method of Stanford and Smith for predicting N mineralized under field conditions. Soil samples were incubated to determine their N mineralization potentials and first-order rate constants of mineralization. To predict N mineralized in the field, the rate constants of mineralization were adjusted by soil temperature, and the amount of N mineralized predicted with the N mineralization potentials and adjusted rate constants were further adjusted by soil water content. Nitrogen mineralized in the field was measured in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] plots established on Haynie (coarse-silty, mixed, calcareous, mesic Mollic Udifluvent), Kahola (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Cumulic Hapludoll), and Richfield (fine, montmorillonitic, mesic Aridic Argiustoll) soils in 1983 and 1984. Nitrogen mineralized was also measured in fallow plots on Haynie and Wymore (fine, montmorillonitic, mesic Aquic Argiudoll) soils in 1984. The method only accurately predicted the amount of N mineralized in 104 d in fallow plots on Haynie soil. In all other cases, the method significantly overpredicted by 67 to 343% the amounts of N mineralized in the field. Among possible causes for the overpredictions may be an improper soil water content factor and the drying and sieving of the samples before incubation. Contribution no. 87-432-J from the Kansas Agric. Exp. Stn.
Canine-Assisted Therapy for Children With ADHD: Preliminary Findings From The Positive Assertive Cooperative Kids Study

Objective The objective of this study was to provide preliminary findings from an ongoing randomized clinical trial using a canine-assisted intervention (CAI) for 24 children with ADHD.
Whose Recovery, of What? Relationships and Environments Promoting Grief and Growth

This article explores the concept of recovery in the wake of a loved one's death, using a cultural and developmental systems approach to understanding child, adult, and family bereavement outcomes as evolving, interdependent adaptive responses to changed circumstances of development within highly specific contexts in intergenerational time and cultural space. An integrative life span perspective on developmental psychopathology and resilience emphasizes the multi-dimensional nature of grief responses and their interweaving with ongoing and new interdependent adaptive strategies designed to accomplish specific, evolving tasks of shared life cycle development. This approach redefines bereavement "symptoms" as problematic when they interfere with negotiation of next steps in interdependent development within realistic ecologies and available resources in cultural contexts. The article uses clinical examples of interventions after a loved one's death from a chronic illness to illustrate how interventions can help identify critical developmental systems and leverage points supporting positive development and giving priority to the bereaved's own goals for grief and growth. This intervention model emphasizes patient-centered perspectives, conducts an ethical inquiry about consequences of adaptive strategies for all family members, and constructs collaborations between care providers and families.
Symmetry and bifurcations of momentum mappings

The zero set of a momentum mapping is shown to have a singularity at each point with symmetry. The zero set is diffeomorphic to the product of a manifold and the zero set of a homogeneous quadratic function. The proof uses the Kuranishi theory of deformations. Among the applications, it is shown that the set of all solutions of the Yang-Mills equations on a Lorentz manifold has a singularity at any solution with symmetry, in the sense of a pure gauge symmetry. Similarly, the set of solutions of Einstein's equations has a singularity at any solution that has spacelike Killing fields, provided the spacetime has a compact Cauchy surface.
Disability, humanity, and personhood: a survey of moral concepts

Three of the articles included in this issue of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy - Ron Amundson and Shari Tresky's "On a Bioethical Challenge to Disability Rights"; Rachel Cooper's "Can It Be a Good Thing to Be Deaf?"; and Mark T. Brown's "The Potential of the Human Embryo" - interact (in various ways) with the concepts of disability, humanity, and personhood and their normative dimensions. As one peruses these articles, it becomes apparent that terms like "disability," "human being," and "person" carry with them great normative significance. There is, however, much disagreement concerning both the definition and the extension of such terms. This is significant because different terms and definitions are associated with different sets of normative requirements. In what follows we reconstruct the argument of each of the articles, and then offer some brief critical analysis intended to stimulate further thought about and discussion of the issues that each raises.