cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Whole Body Nutrient Accretion, Growth Performance and Total Tract Nutrient Retention Responses of Broilers to Supplementation of Xylanase and Phytase Individually or in Combination in Wheat-Soybean Meal Based Diets

Growth performance, total tract nutrient retention and whole body nutrient accretion rates responses of broilers to supplementation of enzymes containing phytase or xylanase activities were investigated using 300 broilers. At day old, 280 broilers were assigned to 5 dietary treatments which were: 1) positive control (PC) diet which met NRC (1994) nutrient requirement for broilers, 2) negative control (NC) diet which was marginally deficient in phosphorus and ME, 3) NC plus phytase added at 1,000FTU/kg, 4) NC plus xylanase added at 4,000U/kg and, 5) NC plus phytase and xylanase added at 1,000 and 4,000units/kg, respectively. Each treatment had 8 replicate cages with 7 birds per replicate cage. Comparative slaughter technique was used for determination of whole-body nutrient accretion rate. Twenty broilers with the same initial body weight as the 280 broiler chicks used in the growth trial made up the initial slaughter group killed at day 0. A final slaughter group of 40 birds, one bird from each cage, were slaughtered on day 21. The birds selected were those with body weight closest to the average body weight of the birds in each replicate cage. Phytase alone or combined with xylanase improved weight gain and bone ash (P<0.05). Phytase alone improved (P<0.5) total tract P retention and ME, phytase and xylanase combined improved (P<0.01) total tract dry matter and ME. Phytase alone improved (P<0.5) whole body daily accretion rates of dry matter, protein, fat, P, and Ca in comparison to NC treatment. Overall, phytase in wheat-based diet improved growth performance and whole body accretion of minerals and protein, the improvement in protein accretion is an indication of improvement in nutrient utilization resulting from phytase use.
Insulin regulation of growth hormone receptor gene expression: involvement of both the PI-3 kinase and MEK/ERK signaling pathways.

The mechanism(s) of insulin’s effects on growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene expression are poorly understood. Using rat hepatoma cells, we have previously shown that insulin treatment reduces GHR mRNA and protein in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, at least in part via down-regulation of GHR transcription. The present study determines whether the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3 kinase) and mitogen activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways are involved in mediating these effects of insulin. Inhibition of the PI-3 kinase pathway partially blocked insulin’s reduction of GHR mRNA, as did inhibition of the MEK/ERK pathway, resulting in higher GHR mRNA levels. Inhibition of both pathways was necessary to completely block insulin effects. Similar results were obtained for GHR protein. Collectively, these data suggest that insulin signaling via either the PI-3 kinase or MEK/ERK pathway may result in partial reduction of GHR gene expression, whereas signaling via both pathways may be required to achieve the full insulin effect.
Understanding the Participation of Critical Task Specialists in Strategic Decision Making

This paper explores the role of critical task specialists in strategic decision making and presents a theoretical model relating critical task specialist participation in decision making to the organization's overall strategy and the nature of the decision. This exploratory study examines scope and intensity of physician participation in hospital decision making. Intensity of critical task specialist participation is explained by content of the decision and by the organization's strategy, while scope of participation is explained by decision content. The findings suggest the need for more complex models of participation than are normally used in decision-making research. The findings also suggest that executives, in managing strategic decision-making processes, should pay attention to questions of both scope and intensity of participation. The results suggest that critical task specialists play a different role in the decision process, depending on specific decision content and organization strategy.
Scalable and robust key group size estimation for reducer load balancing in MapReduce

Modern parallel computing systems, such as MapReduce, often assume data values are uniformly distributed. However, in the real world, data is often highly skewed, which may cause workload imbalance among parallel running tasks. In this paper, we study the reduce-phase skew problem in MapReduce, where reduce tasks are often assgined imbalance load (in terms of key groups). We introduce a sketch-based data structure for capturing MapReduce key group size statistics and present an optimal packing algorithm which assigns the key groups to the reducers in a load balancing manner. We perform an empirical evaluation with several real and synthetic datasets over two distinct types of applications. The results show that our load balancing algorithm can strongly mitigate the reduce-phase skew. It can decrease the overall job completion time by 45.5% of the default settings in Hadoop and by 38.3% in comparison to the state-of-the-art solution.
Interlayer electrodynamics in the organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2 (BEDT-T T F ≡ bis- ethylenedithio-tetrathiafulvalene): evidence for a transformation within the vortex state

A microwave cavity perturbation technique is used to probe the interlayer electrodynamics within the vortex state of the organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2. A Josephson plasma mode is observed which is extremely sensitive to correlations in the locations of vortices in adjacent layers and may, therefore, be used to gauge collective effects between vortices and crystal pinning sites in the title compound. Our previous investigations (Mola M M et al2000 Phys. Rev. B 62 5965) revealed a transformation from a correlated quasi-two-dimensional pinned vortex phase to either a depinned or liquid state. In this study, we carry out a detailed analysis of the magnetic field dependence of the Josephson plasma frequency within the two phases. Our findings agree favourably with recent theoretical models: within the liquid state, the squared plasma frequency (ωp2) decays with the inverse of the magnitude of the magnetic field strength, B; whereas, in the pinned phase, a much slower decay is observed (ωp2 ∝ B−0.35), which is indicative of weak pinning.
Aging, Alzheimer's Disease and Protein Crosslinking

A hypothesis is presented that certain diseases like Alzheimer's dementia may be a result of disturbances in crosslinking of body fluids and cytoplasmic proteins. These disturbances in turn may be caused by a change, probably a decrease, of the fluid pH. Dropping of pH may be a result of different organismal and environmental factors such as trauma, a genetic defect, a slow virus infection, a toxin, a deficiency of calcium and/or magnesium, or hypoventilation. The influence of acidosis caused by a hypoventilation may be a main cause of diseases due to normal aging processes. The fact that living systems operate in a state far from thermodynamic equilibrium and are probably critically crosslinked makes them especially sensitive to even minor changes of some parameters, namely changes that act as information interactions. The hypothesis may indicate new lines of research as well as new lines of thinking about implications of some environmental factors such as of weak electromagnetic fields.
Revised structures for the polyandrocarpidines

Abstract The polyandrocarpidines are N-alkyl-γ-alkylidene-γ-lactams ( 2a,b; 3a,b ) rather than amides of a cyclopropenyl acid ( 1a,b ).
Getting fat: Two new players in molecular adipogenesis

A transcription factor cascade drives adipogenesis. Two new members of this cascade have been uncovered—Kruppel-like factor 5 (KLF5), which is induced by C/EBPβ and δ and acts in concert with C/EBPα, β, and δ to activate PPARγ2 expression, and Krox20, which is upstream of C/EBPβ expression and one of the earliest factors induced during adipogenesis.
Granular filtration of polydispersed aerosols

Abstract A general discussion on the prediction of the dynamic behaviour of granular filtration of polydispersed aerosols is presented. Special emphasis is placed on the effect of the deposited particles on filtration rates. Experimental data demonstrating this effect are given, and a procedure for estimating this effect is developed.
Analysis of a Kemel Verification

This paper reports on the analysis and evaluation of the SCOMP kernel verification. The SCOMP system was developed by Honeywell FSD and is targeted at the Al class of the DoD Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria [CSC8S]. It is currently under evaluation by the Department.of Defense Computer Security Center (DoDCSC). The work reported on here is significant in that the SCOMP system is the first commercially-available formally verified operating system. Furthermore, it is the first, system to be evaluated against.the A1 requirements for formal design specification and verification. The methods and procedures used for this analysis and evaluation will be of interest to future system designers, verifiers, and evaluators. The results of the verification, in particular the types of assurances that were gained, will also be discussed.
Kinetic modeling of free fatty acid production in Escherichia coli based on continuous cultivation of a plasmid free strain

The microbial production of free fatty acids (FFAs) and reduced derivatives is an attractive process for the renewable production of diesel fuels. Toward this goal, a plasmid-free strain of Escherichia coli was engineered to produce FFAs by integrating three copies of a thioesterase gene from Umbellularia californica (BTE) under the control of an inducible promoter onto the chromosome. In batch culture, the resulting strain produced identical titers to a previously reported strain that expressed the thioesterase from a plasmid. The growth rate, glucose consumption rate, and FFA production rate of this strain were studied in continuous cultivation under carbon limitation. The highest yield of FFA on glucose was observed at a dilution rate of 0.05 h(-1) with the highest specific productivity observed at a dilution rate of 0.2 h(-1). The observed yields under the lowest dilution rate were 15% higher than that observed in batch cultures. An increase in both productivity and yield (≈ 40%) was observed when the composition of the nutrients was altered to shift the culture toward non-carbon limitation. A deterministic model of the production strain has been proposed and indicates that maintenance requirements for this strain are significantly higher than wild-type E. coli.
Erratum: “A theoretical and experimental evaluation of the microangiographic fluoroscope: A high‐resolution region‐of‐interest x‐ray imager” [Med. Phys. 38, 4112–4126 (2011)]

We would like to mention three typos in our 2011 paper on theoretical and experimental evaluation of the microangiographic fluoroscope. Equations (1) and (2) given in Sec. III are incorrect. The right equations used for all the calculations are A64 and A65, respectively, and these equations are derived correctly in the Appendix section. Another typo is in the Discussion section. The quantum efficiency for a back illuminated CCD is given as ∼23%. The correct value is ∼92%, and it is also mentioned in the caption of Fig. 13.
Expression of ionotropic glutamate receptor subunit mRNAs in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of the rat

The hypopthalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) coordinates multiple aspects of homeostatic regulation, including pituitary-adrenocortical function, cardiovascular tone, metabolic balance, fluid/electrolyte status, parturition and lactation. In all cases, a substantial component of this function is controlled by glutamate neurotransmission. In this study, the authors performed a high-resolution in situ hybridization analysis of ionotropic glutamate receptor subunit expression in the PVN and its immediate surround. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor 1 (NMDAR1), NMDAR2A, and NMDAR2B mRNAs were expressed highly throughout the PVN and its perinuclear region as well as in the subparaventricular zone. NMDAR2C/2D expression was limited to subsets of neurons in magnocellular and hypophysiotrophic regions. In contrast with NMDA subunit localization, AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate)-preferring and kainate (KA)-preferring receptor subunit mRNAs were expressed heterogeneously in the PVN and surround. Glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1) mRNA labeling was most intense in preautonomic subregions, whereas GluR2, GluR4, GluR5, and KA2 were expressed in hypophysiotrophic cell groups. It is noteworthy that GluR5 mRNA expression was particularly robust in the dorsolateral region of the medial parvocellular PVN, suggesting localization in corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons. All four AMPA subunits and GluR6 and GluR7 mRNAs were expressed highly in the perinuclear PVN region and the subparaventricular zone. These data suggest the capacity for multifaceted regulation of PVN function by glutamate, with magnocellular neurons preferentially expressing NMDA subunits, preautonomic neurons preferentially expressing AMPA subunits, and hypophysiotrophic neurons preferentially expressing KA subunits. Localization of all species in the perinuclear PVN suggests that glutamate input to the immediate region of the PVN may modulate its function, perhaps by communication with local gamma-aminobutyric acid neurons.
Induced agglutinability of 3T3 mouse fibroblasts.

CONCANAVALIN A (con A) preferentially agglutinates polyoma virus-transformed 3T3 cells (Py3T3) compared with 3T3 cells1. Brief proteolytic treatment of 3T3 cells results in agglutinability comparable with that of Py3T3 cells, and this is consistent with the suggestion that constraints at the 3T3 cell surface prevent migration and clustering of con A receptors1–3. We now report that 3T3 cells are as equally agglutinable as Py3T3 cells after a brief exposure to low ionic strength conditions (LIS, isosmotic). The data suggest that the mobility of con A receptors is altered by electrostatic interactions at the cell surface.
Micropropagation of Cowania subintegra and Cowania stansburiana

Both Cowania subintegra Kearney and C. stansburiana Torr. were successfully propagated in vitro. Shoot proliferation occurred from shoot tips of green-house grown C. subintegra using a modified Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 4.4 μM 6-benzyladenine and 0.5 μM indole butyric acid. Excised microshoots (1.5–3.0 cm long) of both species were rooted using a two-step process in which they were cultured for 3 days in a root initiation medium with 2.7 μM naphthaleneacetic acid and then transferred to a low nitrogen root elongation medium without auxin. Plantlets were successfully transferred to soilless potting mix.
CONFUCIANISM IN AMERICA

Selon l'A., au niveau fondamental, les ideaux politiques americains et confuciens convergent. Est examinee la Regle d'or de Confucius et comparee avec ses equivalents occidentaux. Enfin, L'A. examine l'influence du confucianisme en Amerique
Fannin’ Flies and Tellin’ Lies: Black Runaways and American Tales of Life in British Canada before the Civil War

Fannin’ Flies and Tellin’ Lies examines the many falsehoods told by slaveholders in the American South to prevent enslaved Blacks from running away to British Canada throughout the antebellum. Blacks were wrongly instructed on Canada including fabrications ranging from the Monarch would demand half of their earnings to rice was the only crop that could be grown in the British colony. At times the lies were totally inaccurate and humorous; on occasion they were half-truths or white lies, but indefinitely these falsehoods, instead of misinforming Blacks, suggested to them the benefits of Canada. Blacks deconstructed and reacted to lies by concealing their desire to defile the institution of slavery by flight to Canada and turned the art of lying into a tool of insurrection and a means of greater liberation.
Abnormal vital signs are associated with an increased risk for critical events in US veteran inpatients

Abstract Aim Establish the frequency of abnormal vital signs in medical and surgical ward patients; study their association with "critical events," which for the purposes of this study, were mortality, cardiac arrests and unplanned ICU transfers. Design and methods Four-month prospective, observational cohort study; University-affiliated US Veteran's hospital. Vital signs from all regular ward medical and surgical inpatients were recorded over the study period and compared with records of cardiac arrests, mortality and ICU admissions. Results Using the Hospital's Medical Emergency Team criteria to define normal/abnormal thresholds for vital signs, abnormal vital signs (VS MET ) were found in 16% of patients; of these; 35% experienced a critical event vs. 2.5% in the patients with normal vital signs (OR 21, 95% CI 12–35, p MET to predict a critical event was 0.72 and the positive predictive value was 0.35; sensitivity decreased to 0.28 and positive predictive value increased to 0.78 for patients that had two different VS MET . Survival was significantly lower in both medical and surgical patients with VS MET at both 30 days and at 1 year following discharge ( p MET had twice the length of stay of patients with normal vitals (3 vs. 7 days; p Conclusions Even single recordings of VS MET signaled increased risk for critical events in hospital ward patients. Use of vital signs as criteria for additional patient assessment and possible ICU admission appears justified. Development of abnormal vitals during hospitalization may signify impaired physiologic reserve that places a patient at higher risk for mortality after discharge.
Robotic mitral valve repairs in 300 patients: a single-center experience.

Objectives Mitral valve repair is the standard therapy for patients with degenerative (myxomatous) disease and severe mitral regurgitation. Robotic mitral valve repair provides the least-invasive surgical approach. We report the largest single-center robotic mitral valve repair experience. Methods Between May 2000 and November 2006, 300 patients underwent a robotic mitral valve repair (daVinci Surgical System; Intuitive Surgical, Inc, Sunnyvale, Calif). All operations were done with 3- to 4-cm right intercostal access, transthoracic aortic occlusion, and peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass. Repairs included 1 or a combination of trapezoidal/triangular leaflet resections, sliding plasties, chordal transfers/replacements, edge-to-edge approximations, and ring annuloplasties. Echocardiographic and survival follow-up were 93% and 100% complete, respectively. Results There were 2 (0.7%) 30-day mortalities and 6 (2.0%) late mortalities. No sternotomy conversions or mitral valve replacements were required. Immediate postrepair echocardiograms showed the following degrees of mitral regurgitation: none/trivial, 294 (98%); mild, 3 (1.0%); moderate, 3 (1.0%); and severe, 0 (0.0%). Complications included 2 (0.7%) strokes, 2 transient ischemic attacks, 3 (1.0%) myocardial infarctions, and 7 (2.3%) reoperations for bleeding. The mean hospital stay was 5.2 ± 4.2 (standard deviation) days. Sixteen (5.3%) patients required a reoperation. Mean postoperative echocardiographic follow-up at 815 ± 459 (standard deviation) days demonstrated the following degrees of mitral regurgitation: none/trivial, 192 (68.8%); mild, 66 (23.6%); moderate, 15 (5.4%); and severe, 6 (2.2%). Five-year Kaplan–Meier survival was 96.6% ± 1.5%, with 93.8% ± 1.6% freedom from reoperation. Conclusions Robotic mitral valve repair is safe and is associated with good midterm durability. Further long-term follow-up is necessary.
Regulation of Phospholipase C-β Isoenzymes

A broad range of hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors, and chemoattractants produce their physiological effects through phospholipase C (PLC)-catalyzed initiation of the inositol lipid signaling cascade (Berridge and Irvine, 1987). Although tyrosine phosphorylation of the SH2- and SH3-domain-containing PLC-γ isoenzymes accounts for interface of a number of growth factors with this signaling pathway, the majority of extracellular stimuli act through seven-transmembrane-spanning receptors that activate G-proteins that in turn activate isoenzymes of the PLC-β family (Rhee and Choi, 1992). The focus of this chapter is on this latter group of signaling proteins.
Wilderness Food Storage in Yosemite: Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand Backpacker Canister Use

Bear-resistant food storage canisters have gained widespread acceptance by backpackers as the most convenient and effective means of avoiding conflict with black bears in Sierra Nevada wilderness areas. Bear incidents, however, continue in the Yosemite Wilderness. Beginning in 2004, Yosemite backpackers were required to store their food in approved bear-resistant food storage canisters when camped within seven air miles of a road and anywhere above 9,600 feet; this constitutes a large majority of the park's wilderness. In 2005 we evaluated backpackers' use of canisters for food storage. Trailhead and Internet-based surveys were used to identify wilderness visitors' beliefs, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control, and intentions regarding use of food storage canisters. We used the Theory of Planned Behavior to explain intended use of food storage canisters in the Yosemite Wilderness and found that models containing measures of attitudes and subjective norm explained 38 to 43% of backpackers' intent...
A Problem in AC Quantized Hall Resistance Measurements and a Proposed Solution.

In all experiments reported to date the measured values of the ac quantized Hall resistances RH varied with the frequency of the applied current, and differed significantly from the dc values of RH, making it difficult to use the ac quantum Hall effect as an absolute impedance standard. We analyze the effects due to the large capacitances-to-shields existing in the sample probes on measurements of RH to see if this is the source of the problem. Equivalent electrical circuits are utilized; they contain capacitances and leakage resistances to the sample probe shields, longitudinal resistances within the quantized Hall effect devices, and multiple connections to the devices. The algebraic solutions for the RH values in these circuits reveal large out-of-phase contributions to the quantized Hall voltages VH that would make it difficult to do accurate measurements with high precision ac bridges. These large out-of-phase contributions could introduce the linear frequency dependences observed in previous RH measurements. We predict, however, that quadruple-series connections to the quantum Hall devices yield only small out-of-phase contributions to VH which may allow accurate measurements of the quantity RH - Rx , where Rx is the longitudinal resistance along the device.
The health effects of menthol cigarettes as compared to non-menthol cigarettes.

Since the 1920s, menthol has been added to cigarettes and used as a characterizing flavor. The health effects of cigarette smoking are well documented, however the health effects of menthol cigarettes as compared to non-menthol cigarettes is less well studied. This review discusses menthol’s effects on 1) biomarkers of tobacco smoke exposure, 2) toxicity and cellular effects, 3) lung function and respiration, 4) pulmonary and/or vascular function, 5) allergic reactions and inflammation, and 6) tobacco-related diseases. It is concluded that menthol is a biologically active compound that has effects by itself and in conjunction with nicotine, however much of the data on the other areas of interest are inconclusive and firm conclusions cannot be drawn.
Blocking losses on an optical communications link

Many photon-counting photo-detectors have the property that they become inoperative for some time after detection event. We say the detector is blocked during this time. Blocking produces losses when using the detector as a photon-counter to detect a communications signal. In this paper, we characterize blocking losses for single detectors and for arrays of detectors. For arrays, we discuss conditions under which the output may be approximated as a Poisson point process, and provide a simple approximation to the blocking loss. We show how to extend the analysis to arrays of non-uniformly illuminated arrays and provide numerical methods to accurately predict count rates for detectors with exponential recovery from the blocked state.
Explaining unexplained diarrhea and associating risks and infections

Gastrointestinal illnesses are common afflictions. However, knowledge of their etiology is often lacking. Moreover, most cases of infections with reportable enteric pathogens (Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, Cryptosporidia and Giardia) have sporadic modes of acquisition, yet control measures are often biased towards mitigation of risks discerned by outbreak analysis. To determine the etiology of unexplained diarrhea it is important to study populations that can be matched to appropriate controls and to couple thorough classic microbiologic evaluation on receipt of specimens with archiving and outgrowth capabilities. Research evaluations should address the potential roles of a broad panel of candidate bacterial pathogens including diarrheagenic E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Helicobacters and jejuni Campylobacters, and also apply novel massively parallel sequencing and nucleic acid detection technologies that allow the detection of viral pathogens. To fill voids in our knowledge regarding sources of known enteric pathogens it will be critical to extend case-control studies to assess risk factors and exposures to patients with non-epidemic illnesses and to appropriate controls. By filling these gaps in our knowledge it should be possible to formulate rational prevention mechanisms for human gastrointestinal illnesses.
A New Cloning Method for the Preparation of Long Repetitive Polypeptides without a Sequence Requirement

We describe and illustrate a new cloning method for the production of long, size-controlled DNA concatemers, which can be expressed as protein polymers without an amino acid sequence requirement. Synthetic genes encoding different numbers of repeats of the amino acid sequence -(Gly-Lys-Gly-Ser-Ala-Gln-Ala)3- were constructed using this cloning technique. The method enables the production of extremely long synthetic genes (e.g., up to 48 DNA repeats, 3024 bp), in a highly controlled fashion by providing higher-order multimers via the reconcatemerization of pre-multimerized genes and also eliminates the specific sequence requirement of the DNA monomer for restriction endonuclease cleavage. Moreover, the effect of intramolecular cyclization, which has a high probability of occurring during the self-ligation reaction and prevents the cloning of long DNA concatemers, is minimized by this approach. DNA multimers encoding a ladder of four differently sized protein polymers (6, 12, 24, and 48 repeats of a 63-bp s...
The relationship between cardiopulmonary size and aerobic performance in adult deer mice at high altitude

Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus sonoriensis) populations in the White Mountains of Eastern California are found across a substantial range of partial pressures of oxygen (PO₂). Reduction in PO₂ at high altitude can have a negative impact on aerobic performance. We studied plastic changes in organ mass and volume involved in aerobic respiration in response to acclimation to high altitude, and how those changes are matched with aerobic performance measured by VO₂,max. Adult deer mice born and raised at 340 m were acclimated at either 340 or 3800 m for a period of 9 weeks. Lung volume increased by 9% in mice acclimated to high altitude. VO₂,max was also significantly higher under hypoxic conditions after high altitude acclimation compared with controls. Body mass-corrected residuals of VO₂,max were significantly correlated with an index of cardiopulmonary size (summed standardized residuals of lung volume and heart mass) under both hypoxic and normoxic conditions. These data show that phenotypic plasticity in lung volume and heart mass plays an important role in maintaining aerobic performance under hypoxic conditions, and accounts for up to 55% of the variance in aerobic performance.
Economic Analysis, Moral Philosophy, and Public Policy: Economics and Ethics, Hand in Hand

We have repeatedly extolled the virtues of interdisciplinary understanding. A better appreciation of ethics can contribute to economic analysis, and at the same time the tools and distinctions that economists have fashioned can contribute to moral philosophy. We hope that the examples we have already discussed and the detailed comments in the previous chapter concerning applications of mainstream welfare economics have shown that these are not empty slogans – mere reminders that more knowledge and more sensitivity are almost always better than less. In this our last chapter, we would like to do more to show how ethics and economics can complement one another. We will begin by discussing briefly the examples presented in Chapter 3 concerning involuntary unemployment and the use of overlapping generations models to study retirement savings. Then we will sketch a range of urgent problems that cannot be tackled successfully without an understanding of both ethics and economics. Involuntary Unemployment and Moral Baselines While emphasizing the complexities of unemployment, we argued in Chapter 3 that controversies concerning the existence and analysis of involuntary unemployment result in part from conflating voluntary choice and rational choice and in part from normative disagreements among economists. The conflation leads some economists to regard as fully voluntary what are in fact paradigmatically involuntary choices, such as surrendering one's wallet to a robber who threatens death otherwise (Colander quoted in Snowdon and Vane 1999, p. 233).
Fracture toughness of particle filled fiber reinforced polyester composites

Fracture behavior of polyester composite systems, polyester mortar and glass fiber reinforced polyester mortar, was investigated in mode I fracture using single edge notched beams with varying notch depth. The beams were loaded in four-point bending. Influence of polymer content on the flexural and fracture behavior of polyester composites at room temperature was studied using a uniform Ottawa 20–30 sand. The polymer content was varied between 10 and 18% of the total weight of the composite. The flexural strength of the polyester mortar systems increase with increase in polymer content while the flexural modulus goes through a maximum. The critical stress intensity factor (KIC) for the optimum polyester mortar (14%) was determined by two methods including a method based on crack mouth opening displacement. The KIC for polyester mortar is linearly related to the flexural strength. Polyester mortar (18%) reinforced with 4% glass fibers was also investigated, and crack growth resistance curve (KR) was developed with crack extension (Δa). A model has been proposed to represent the fracture toughness with change in crack length, KR - Δa relationship, of fiber reinforced polyester composite.
A Complexity-Effective Approach to ALU Bandwidth Enhancement for Instruction-Level Temporal Redundancy

Previous proposals for implementing instruction-level temporalredundancy in out-of-order cores have reported a performancedegradation of upto 45% in certain applications compared to anexecution which does not have any temporal redundancy. An importantcontributor to this problem is the insufficient number ofALUs for handling the amplified load injected into the core. At thesame time, increasing the number of ALUs can increase the complexityof the issue logic, which has been pointed out to be oneof the most timing critical components of the processor. This paperproposes a novel extension of a prior idea on instruction reuseto ease ALU bandwidth requirements in a complexity-effective wayby exploiting certain interesting properties of a dual (temporallyredundant) instruction stream. We present microarchitectural extensionsnecessary for implementing an instruction reuse buffer(IRB) and integrating this with the issue logic of a dual instructionstream superscalar core, and conduct extensive evaluationsto demonstrate how well it can alleviate the ALU bandwidth problem.We show that on the average we can gain back nearly 50%of the IPC loss that occurred due to ALU bandwidth limitationsfor an instruction-level temporally redundant superscalar execution,and 23% of the overall IPC loss.
Intensive care units, communication between nurses and physicians, and patients' outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Various factors in hospitals can adversely affect patients' outcomes, including faulty communication between nurses and physicians. Whether specific communication elements (timeliness, accuracy, openness, understanding) can influence adverse outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationships between patients' outcomes and (1) nurses' perceptions of elements of communication between nurses and physicians and (2) characteristics of the practice environment. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was used. Information on ventilator-associated pneumonia, bloodstream infection associated with a central catheter, and pressure ulcers was collected from 25 intensive care units in southeastern Michigan. Simultaneously, 462 nurses in those units (response rate, 53.3%) were anonymously surveyed. The Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II and the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index were used to measure characteristics of the practice environment. The Intensive Care Unit Nurse-Physician Questionnaire was used to measure communication between nurses and physicians. Statistical tests included correlation and multiple regression. Analyses were conducted at the unit level. RESULTS: Unit response rates varied from 6% to 100%. Together, variability in understanding communication and capacity utilization were predictive of 27% of the variance in ventilator-associated pneumonia. Timeliness of communication was inversely related to pressure ulcers (r= -0.38; P=.06), and workplace empowerment and scores on the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III were positive predictors of ventilator-associated pneumonia (R(2)=0.36; P=.005). CONCLUSIONS: Not all elements of communication were related to the selected adverse outcomes. The connection between characteristics of the practice environment at the unit level and adverse outcomes remains elusive.
On role of random disorders and imperfections on performance of metamaterials

The science and applications of metamaterials, i.e., artificial materials with special and anomalous electromagnetic properties, have rapidly grown in interest and importance in recent years. In particular, the fascinating electromagnetic properties and potential applications of these materials have been the subject of many recent contributions in the literatures devoted to the topic. This paper discusses the role of random disorders and imperfections on the performance of metamaterials.
A universal level converter towards the realization of energy efficient implantable drug delivery Nano-Electro-Mechanical-Systems

Nano-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (NEMS) are a technological solution for building miniature systems which can be beneficial in terms of safety, efficacy, or convenience. Thus investigation is necessary for their usefulness in drug delivery. In order to be an effective and reliable implantable system the DDNEMS (Drug Delivery Nano-Electro-Mechanical-System) should have low power dissipation, fault tolerance, and reconfigurability capabilities. In this paper we introduce a DDNEMS architecture, identify its major components, and propose the design of the crucial component universal (voltage) level converter (ULC). The ULC is a unique component that will reduce dynamic power and leakage of DDNEMS while facilitating its reconfigurability. The ULC is capable of performing level-up and level-down conversions and can block an input signal. We have prototyped a ULC using 32nm high-k/metal-gate nano-CMOS technology with dual-VTh technique. The robustness of the design is tested by carrying out three types of analysis, namely: parametric, load and power. It is observed that the ULC produces a stable output for voltages as low as 0.35V and loads varying from 50fF to 120fF. The average power dissipation of the proposed level converter with a 82fF capacitive load is 5µW.
Comparison of metabolic changes in patients with schizophrenia during randomized treatment with intramuscular olanzapine long‐acting injection versus oral olanzapine

Metabolic changes were examined in patients with schizophrenia during treatment with either oral olanzapine or olanzapine long-acting injection (LAI). Data were collected from patients who had been stabilized on oral olanzapine (10, 15, or 20 mg/day) for ≥4 weeks and then randomized to either continued olanzapine oral treatment (n = 322) or LAI (n = 599; 150 mg/2 weeks, 405 mg/4 weeks, or 300 mg/2 weeks) for up to 24 weeks. Mean and categorical changes in metabolic parameters were analyzed. Mean changes in weight, glucose, and most lipids were generally not significantly different between treatment groups. Weight changes over time followed similar patterns and were not significantly different at endpoint between the two treatment-formulation groups. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly less among olanzapine LAI-treated patients. Percentages of patients with potentially clinically significant changes in blood glucose and lipid concentrations were similar for the two treatments. Percentages of patients experiencing adverse events related to weight, diabetes, or dyslipidemia were also not significantly different between treatments. Metabolic changes in patients with schizophrenia appeared generally similar during treatment with oral olanzapine or olanzapine LAI.
Absolute Spectral Irradiance Measurements of Lightning from 375 to 880 nm

The time-integrated emissions from cloud-to-ground lightning have been recorded in the 375-880 nm region, using a spectrometer-detector and multichannel analyzer system capable of absolute spectral irradiance measurements. A schematic drawing of the detector-analyzer system is presented, and the experimental setup is described. A total of ten flashes containing 46 individual strikes were recorded and compared to recordings of 500 flashes from 1981. The average spectral irradiance from 375 to 695 nm for flashes at about 15 km was 3.5 x 10 to the -5th J/sq m per stroke with a standard deviation of 2.0 x 10 to the -5th and a range from 0.7 x 10 to the 0.7-6.8 x 10 to the -5th J/sq m per stroke. The average stroke spectra irradiance from 650 to 880 nm for the same strokes was 1.2 x 10 to the -5th, with a standard deviation of 0.7 x 10 to the -5th and a range from 0.5 to 3.2 x 10 to the -5th J/sq m per stroke. A summary table of spectral irradiance values in 50 nm increment is presented. Analysis of the spectral emission data show that unresolved neutral hydrogen lines (NI) at 744.2 nm were more intense than H-alpha emission at 656.3 nm. The strong emission of a flash with a continuing current was identified as cyanogen (CN) emission.
Demand Behavior and Commodity Price Volatility Under Evolving Biofuel Markets and Policies

Rising petroleum prices, growing incomes in developing nations, and changes in energy policy around the world are having a significant effect on agricultural markets as biofuels begin to play a more substantial role in meeting the world’s energy needs. Some see biofuels as a means to reduce carbon emissions, increase energy independence, and raise farm income. Others note that the new demand for commodities to produce biofuels can lead to higher food prices, potentially undermining food security, and bring about unintended environmental consequences from expanding crop acreage that may result in greater carbon emissions. While there are a large number of studies that examine the influence of biofuels and biofuel policy on the prices of agricultural commodities, one poorly understood impact of greater biofuel production is how these changes have affected commodity price volatility. Price volatility is important for food security, farm income, policy formation, and investment behavior. We examine how greater biofuel production, whether motivated by policy or market prices, might change commodity price volatility in the future.
Short-term arrival strategies for endurance exercise performance at moderate altitude

For athletes who cannot arrive at altitude, multiple days before an endurance competition to properly acclimatize, this study asked if shortening hypoxic exposure time to 2 h before a competition w...
Suggested Stroke Related Resources for the Practitioner and Patient

There are a vast number of resources available for practitioners and patients on topics related to stroke. Medications such as propofol and phenytoin can affect the delivery of nutrients among critically ill stroke patients. Enteral nutrition is the mainstay of nutrition treatment for stroke patients and use of parenteral nutrition is rare. Calculations for both types of nutrition support are provided as a reference for the practitioner.
The use of heparin in autoimmune hemolytic disease.

Seven patients with various forms of autoimmune hemolytic anemia were treated with parenteral heparin. A therapeutic failure resulted in all instances. Heparin therapy did not induce a clinical response or reduce the magnitude of hemolysis. There was no demonstrable in vivo or in vitro effect of this drug on direct and indirect antiglobulin and bromelin tests. Serum complement levels and the degree of erythrocyte mobility were unaffected by heparin during the therapeutic trial.
Copyright & Cultural Production

The purpose of copyright is to encourage the production of works of authorship. Indeed, the Intellectual Property Clause of the United States Constitution explicitly grants Congress the power, "To promote the progress of science … , by securing for limited times to authors … the exclusive right to their … writings." In the 18th century, "science" meant "knowledge or learning," so the Constitution authorized Congress to create copyright in order to promote knowledge and learning, as embodied in works of authorship. But what does that tell us about the justification for copyright protection, and how we should evaluate its scope and duration? Or rather, how do we ensure that copyright maximizes cultural production?
Intracellular K+ activities and cell membrane potentials in a K+-transporting epithelium, the midgut of tobacco hornoworm (Manduca sexta)

Transbasal electrical potential (V b) and intraepithelial potassium chemical activity ((K+) i ) were measured in isolated midgut epithelium of tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) using double-barrelled glass microelectrodes. Values ofV b ranging from +8 to −48 mV (relative to blood side) were recorded. For all sites, (K+) i is within a few millivolts of electrochemical equilibrium with the blood side bathing solution. Sites more negative than −20 mV show relatively high sensitivity ofV b to changes in blood side K+ concentration: 43% of these sites can be marked successfully with iontophoresed Lucifer yellow CH dye and shown to represent epithelial cells of all three types present in the midgut. In about half of successful marks, “dye-coupling” of several adjacent cells is seen. Low potential sites — those withV b less negative than −20 mV —typically do not show high sensitivity ofVb to changes of external K+, but rather (K+) i rapidly approaches the K+ activity of blood side bathing solution. These sites can seldom be marked with Lucifer yellow (4% success). The mean (K+) i of the high potential sites is 95±29 (sd)mm under standard conditions, a value which is in accord with published values for the whole tissue.
Estimating Tropical Forest Structure Using a Terrestrial Lidar

Forest structure comprises numerous quantifiable biometric components and characteristics, which include tree geometry and stand architecture. These structural components are important in the understanding of the past and future trajectories of these biomes. Tropical forests are often considered the most structurally complex and yet least understood of forested ecosystems. New technologies have provided novel avenues for quantifying biometric properties of forested ecosystems, one of which is LIght Detection And Ranging (lidar). This sensor can be deployed on satellite, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and terrestrial platforms. In this study we examined the efficacy of a terrestrial lidar scanner (TLS) system in a tropical forest to estimate forest structure. Our study was conducted in January 2012 at La Selva, Costa Rica at twenty locations in a predominantly undisturbed forest. At these locations we collected field measured biometric attributes using a variable plot design. We also collected TLS data from the center of each plot. Using this data we developed relative vegetation profiles (RVPs) and calculated a series of parameters including entropy, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), number of layers and plant area index to develop statistical relationships with field data. We developed statistical models using a series of multiple linear regressions, all of which converged on significant relationships with the strongest relationship being for mean crown depth (r2 = 0.88, p < 0.001, RMSE = 1.04 m). Tree density was found to have the poorest significant relationship (r2 = 0.50, p < 0.01, RMSE = 153.28 n ha-1). We found a significant relationship between basal area and lidar metrics (r2 = 0.75, p < 0.001, RMSE = 3.76 number ha-1). Parameters selected in our models varied, thus indicating the potential relevance of multiple features in canopy profiles and geometry that are related to field-measured structure. Models for biomass estimation included structural canopy variables in addition to height metrics. Our work indicates that vegetation profiles from TLS data can provide useful information on forest structure.
Motivation and identity in C++ the effects of music in an engineering classroom

Beyond engaging students in the classroom, keeping them motivated and maintaining their identification with engineering has become a well-known challenge, particularly among underrepresented minority groups. Numerous methods have been utilized within the field including the use of more active pedagogy and course designs to combat this challenge. This study will employ a well-defined model of academic motivation as a guide for course design within an introductory programming class in an attempt to increase engineering identity and sense of belonging among engineering students. The MUSIC model will be incorporated into an already flipped engineering classroom. The aim is to see a quantified change in the motivation, engineering identity, and sense of belonging among students who have participated in the course. Data is represented through structural equation models (SEM) to demonstrate the relationships between the components of motivation and identity and sense of belonging. The outcomes of its investigation will shed new light on the broad impacts that a flipped classroom can have on students within an engineering classroom.