cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Involvement of LFA-1 and ICAM-1 in the herpetic disease resulting from HSV-1 corneal infection

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) corneal infection in immunologically normal mice results in a transient epithelial lesion followed in about 2 weeks by a potentially blinding inflammatory response in the corneal stroma, and a mild blepharitis. Similarly infected T cell-deficient mice do not develop corneal stromal inflammation, but exhibit severe periocular skin disease and succumb to viral encephalitis. The role of certain adhesion molecules in both T cell activation, and in the extravasation of inflammatory cells from the blood into inflammatory sites is now being established. These studies investigated the involvement of the adhesion pair LFA-1/ICAM-1 in the disease that results from HSV-1 corneal infection in mice.Treatment of mice with mAb to LFA-1 beginning 1 day before HSV-1 corneal infection resulted in a delay in the onset of stromal inflammation, but ultimately stromal inflammation developed to a normal extent. This treatment also caused a significant exacerbation of periocular skin disease, ...
Binding Potency of 6-Nitroquipazine Analogues for the 5-Hydroxytryptamine Reuptake Complex

The in-vitro inhibition constants (Ki) of nine structural analogues of the potent 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-uptake inhibitor, 6-nitroquipazine, were determined to assess the structure-affinity relationship of these derivatives. The goal of these studies was to determine those positions on 6-nitroquipazine that could be derivatized without significantly decreasing the affinity of the drug for the binding site, so that radiolabels such as 123I, 76Br or 18F might be appended for in-vivo imaging studies of the 5-HT reuptake system. Using bromine as a steric probe, the rank order of potency of bromine-substituted 6-nitroquipazine analogues for inhibiting the binding of [3H]paroxetine to the 5-HT reuptake binding site was: 8- < 3- < 7- < 4- < 5-bromo. The in-vitro equipotent molar ratio (EPMR, Ki (analogue)/Ki(6-nitroquipazine)) of the 5-bromo analogue was 0.57, indicating that this analogue had greater affinity for the 5-HT reuptake complex than 6-nitroquipazine. Derivatization at the 5-position with fluorine and iodine also resulted in potent compounds with EPMR values of 1.1 and 0.83, respectively. Substitution of quipazine with bromo, cyano, and formyl groups at the 6-position produced less potent compounds than the 6-nitro group. Based upon the high affinities of the 5-bromo-, 5-fluoro- and 5-iodo-6-nitroquipazines for the 5-HT reuptake complex, these compounds are candidates for radiolabeling for in-vivo studies of the 5-HT reuptake site.
Enzyme polymorphisms in Canarium

Fifty-two accessions of Canarium involving seven species, C. ovatum, C. album, C. megalanthum, C. harveyi, C. indicum, C. mehenbethene, and C. odontophyllum were studied for isozyme polymorphisms. Starch gel electrophoresis with a histidine-citrate buffer system (pH 6.5) was employed to assay six enzymes: LAP, MDH, GPI, PGM, TPI and UGPP. Species were polymorphic for most of the six enzyme systems assayed and the level of phenotypic polymorphism for different species and enzymes assayed ranged from 0 to 0.88, with an overall average of 0.28. The weighted average of polymorphisms across different enzyme systems for different species ranged from 0.16 for C. indicum to 0.47 for C. ovatum, with an overall average of 0.26. On average, LAP was the most polymorphic enzyme (0.43) followed by GPI (0.38), MDH (0.27), UGPP (0.26), PGM (0.18), and TPI (0.13). The complexity of isozyme phenotypes indicates that interspecific hybridization and polyploidy might have played a major role in the evolution of Canarium species. Geographic speciation in Canarium was not apparent from the phenetic analysis of the isozyme data.
The effects of temporal delay and frequency alteration on the speaking rates of children

Children’s speaking rates under delayed auditory feedback (DAF) do not appear to be significantly affected by the extent of the frequency envelope in the auditory feedback from portable and conventional DAF units. The electroacoustic characteristics of conventional research and portable electronic delayed auditory feedback instrumentation are substantially different. A portable DAF unit has a more limited frequency-response pattern at normal operating intensities than does a conventional DAF unit. However, in this study, analyses of the effects of both types of instruments revealed high correlations between speaking rates. This suggests that both types of instruments are valid tools for modifying children’s speaking rates.
Application of stochastic averaging for nonlinear dynamical systems with high damping

The asymptotic behavior of coupled nonlinear dynamical systems in the presence of noise is studied using the method of stochastic averaging. It is shown that, for systems with rapidly oscillating and decaying components, the stochastic averaging technique yields a set of equations of considerably smaller dimension, and the resulting equations are simpler. General results of this method are applied to stochastically perturbed nonlinear nonconservative systems in R4. It is shown that in such systems the contribution of the stochastic components in the damped modes to the drift term of the critical mode may be beneficial in terms of stability in certain cases.
n−3 Fatty acids uniquely affect anti-microbial resistance and immune cell plasma membrane organization

It is now well established that dietary lipids are incorporated into macrophage and T-cell membrane microdomains, altering their structure and function. Within cell membranes, there are specific detergent-resistant domains in which key signal transduction proteins are localized. These regions are classified as "lipid rafts". Rafts are composed mostly of cholesterol and sphingolipids and therefore do not integrate well into the fluid phospholipid bilayers causing them to form microdomains. Upon cell activation, rafts compartmentalize signal-transducing molecules, thus providing an environment conducive to signal transduction. In this review, we discuss recent novel data describing the effects of n-3 PUFA on alterations in the activation and functions of macrophages and T-cells. We believe that the modifications in these two disparate immune cell types are linked by fundamentally similar changes in membrane lipid composition and transmembrane signaling functions. We conclude that the outcomes of n-3 PUFA-mediated immune cell alterations may be beneficial (e.g., anti-inflammatory) or detrimental (e.g., loss of microbial immunity) depending upon the cell type interrogated.
Backcalculation of Dynamic Modulus from Resilient Modulus of Asphalt Concrete with an Artificial Neural Network

The NCHRP Project 1-37A Guide for Mechanistic—Empirical Design of New and Rehabilitated Pavement Structures introduces the dynamic modulus (|E*|) as the material property for the characterization of hot-mix asphalt mixtures. This is a significant change from the resilient modulus used in the previous AASHTO Guide for the Design of Pavement Structures. One of the challenges of changing the material characterization is that databases, such as the Long-Term Pavement Performance Materials Database, contain older material characterization information. Thus, such databases must convert their data to the currently accepted standard (i.e., |E*|). Other investigators have presented evidence that the resilient modulus can be predicted from the dynamic modulus by using the theory of viscoelasticity. By using their prediction method, this study proposes the population of a database of measured dynamic moduli with the corresponding predicted resilient moduli to train an artificial neural network (ANN). The ANN model w...
An investigation of due-date assignment using workload information of a dynamic shop

Abstract This study investigates a dynamic approach that assigns due-dates to jobs based on workload information, where workload is expressed in two forms: proportional workload function (PWF) and cumulative distribution function (CDF). Two job shop structures single-machine and eight-machine shops were simulated and compared using the SLAM II package. Four combinations of due-date assignment methods and dispatching rules are investigated. The results suggest that assigning due-dates based on the job content and the workload information can lead to lower mean tardiness than assigning due-dates based merely on the job content. The results further indicate that the form in which workload information is used in assigning due-dates and the complexity of the shop structure affect shop performance. In general, the CDF model dominated the PWF model in both simple and complex shop structure environments for both dispatching rules. Another conclusion drawn from this study is that the degree of shop performance improvement does not depend on the complexity of the shop structure. Conditions have been identified under which workload information is most and least critical. Under some of the scheduling combinations, the difference in shop performance between the CDF and PWF was small, which calls for further information value analysis by schedulers before deciding on which of the two models to use.
Complementary use of neutron and synchrotron X-ray scattering for problems of interest in condensed matter physics

We discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of neutron and synchrotron X-ray scattering for studying problems in magnetism, highly correlated systems and superconductors, and problems where both techniques can be applied to obtain complementary information.
Control of Prehydrolysis Ratio for Sol-Gel Preparation of Homogeneous Zirconia-Silica Aerogels

Catalytic researchers have long been interested in the preparation of mixed oxides because of their industrial relevance. Among the different preparation methods, sol-gel synthesis has received increasing attention lately due to its potential in delivering samples that are better mixed on a molecular scale. Within sol-gel chemistry, component mixing is linked to the relative reactivities of the alkoxide precursors in the hydrolysis/condensation sequence that forms to the oxide network-evenly matched reactivities generally produce a well-mixed (or homogeneous) oxide; poorly matched precursor reactivities produce segregated materials. Compared to the alkoxides of transition metals, silicon alkoxides are unreactive. Therefore, to promote homogeneity in silica-containing mixed oxides, silicon alkoxide precursors are often allowed to react with water before addition of a transition-metal alkoxide. This approach, known as {open_quotes}prehydrolysis,{close_quotes} gives the less reactive silicon precursor a {open_quotes}head-start{close_quotes} in the reaction sequence. Upon their addition, the transition metal alkoxides can condense with prehydrolyzed Si-OH (silanol) groups to form the Si-O-M (M = transition metal) linkages that are characteristic of a well-mixed sample. 13 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
Visual processing: implications for helmet-mounted displays

A study was conducted to compare the performance of AH-64 (Apache) pilots to other Army pilots on visual tasks. Each pilot was given a task presented monocularly to the right eye, a task presented monocularly to the left eye, and a task presented to both eyes simultaneously in a dichoptic task. Results indicated no performance difference between the groups of pilots on the dichoptic task, but indicated better performance on the left monocular task for the AH-64 pilots. These results indicate that AH-64 pilots who are required to switch their attention from their left eyes to their right eyes in order to obtain needed information are capable of processing information efficiently and effectively using only one eye. The implications of these results for the Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting System (IHADSS) are discussed.
Exercise and skeletal health.

: Involutional osteopenia contributes to older persons' susceptibility to fractures of the hip, spine and wrist. Experimental evidence is reviewed that supports the hypothesis that involutional bone loss can be prevented by physical exercise. Weightlessness and immobilization result in accelerated bone loss. In cross-sectional studies measuring total body potassium (TBK), both muscle mass and bone mass in normal humans have remained strikingly constant. The usual decrease in total body calcium (TBCa) and TBK with increasing age was not observed in a cross-sectional study of marathon runners. Localized hypertrophy of bone and muscle has been reported for a variety of occupations and sports. Two prospective studies have demonstrated an increment in bone mass after a program of physical exercise. It would seem that certain involutional changes in body composition (loss of TBCa and TBK) can be prevented by increased physical activity, but the effectiveness of specific types and durations of exercise should be investigated.
Scientific issues regarding the release of extraterrestrial materials collected by spaceflight missions

Abstract Current planetary protection policy is intended to preserve opportunities for the study of life and organic chemical evolution on other solar system bodies, and to avoid “harmful contamination” of those bodies and the Earth. It is important to view the return to Earth of extraterrestrial samples by spaceflight missions both in the context of the natural interchange of planetary materials, and while weighing the potential for harmful contamination to occur if those materials are introduced onto the Earth. A number of potential sample-return issues bear examination, though they vary in their plausibility. These issues and associated concerns may also be addressed by data that can be gathered before, during, and after a sample-return mission.
The radiometer and its practical implementation

The radiometer or energy detector is useful in detecting target signals about which little is known. A practical radiometer is described and analyzed for the AWGN and Rayleigh channels with and without diversity combining. The practical implications of bandwidth, the number of samples processed, and imperfect noise-power estimation are examined. The radiometer has been criticized because of its alleged sensitivity to imperfect noise-power estimates. Conditions under which the noise-power estimation error is small are discussed. It is shown that the effects of this error on the probability of detection of the target signal can be kept small.
Quantifier instantiation techniques for finite model finding in SMT

SMT-based applications increasingly rely on SMT solvers being able to deal with quantified formulas. Current work shows that for formulas with quantifiers over uninterpreted sorts counter-models can be obtained by integrating a finite model finding capability into the architecture of a modern SMT solver. We examine various strategies for on-demand quantifier instantiation in this setting. Here, completeness can be achieved by considering all ground instances over the finite domain of each quantifier. However, exhaustive instantiation quickly becomes unfeasible with larger domain sizes. We propose instantiation strategies to identify and consider only a selection of ground instances that suffices to determine the satisfiability of the input formula. We also examine heuristic quantifier instantiation techniques such as E-matching for the purpose of accelerating the search. We give experimental evidence that our approach is practical for use in industrial applications and is competitive with other approaches.
Human performance metrics for a virtual reality simulator to train chest tube insertion

Nearly all U.S. medical and nursing schools have begun to incorporate simulation in their curriculum. Among various delivery technologies, virtual environments offer unique means for measuring trainee performance and providing objective feedback. Knowledge of onepsilas own performance helps in increasing level of proficiency. This work incorporates objective performance metrics into a virtual reality simulator for training the chest tube insertion procedure. The simulator is setup to represent the 3D view of a patient and utilize force feedback devices for interaction. Precise metrics for evaluating trainee actions (e.g., incision length, depth, and dexterity) are introduced, hardware and software methods to record those actions are implemented (using H3D and Python), and a state machine is built to verify trainee performance at each of the procedurepsilas 18 steps. To provide realistic interaction with a surgical cut, graphics meshes and animations are introduced in software and a new haptic interface via a Kelly clamp is built in hardware. As chest tube insertion is a life-saving procedure learned by all medical and nursing students, this simulator may have broad applicability.
Non-intrusive low-rank separated approximation of high-dimensional stochastic models

This work proposes a sampling-based (non-intrusive) approach within the context of low-rank separated representations to tackle the issue of curse-of-dimensionality associated with the solution of models, e.g., PDEs/ODEs, with high-dimensional random inputs. Under some conditions discussed in details, the number of random realizations of the solution, required for a successful approximation, grows linearly with respect to the number of random inputs. The construction of the separated representation is achieved via a regularized alternating least-squares regression, together with an error indicator to estimate model parameters. The computational complexity of such a construction is quadratic in the number of random inputs. The performance of the method is investigated through its application to three numerical examples including two ODE problems with high-dimensional random inputs.
Beta-adrenergic receptor signaling by the isomers of isoproterenol and like drugs in retinal endothelial cells and Müller cells

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness to working-age adults. Complications of diabetic retinopathy include pericyte loss, basement membrane thickening of capillaries, microaneurysm formation, and an increase in inflammatory marker levels. We have shown that stimulation of β-adrenergic receptors by β-adrenergic receptor agonists significantly reduces key inflammatory markers in retinal endothelial cells (REC) or Muller cells cultured in high glucose, indicating that restoration of β-adrenergic receptor signaling may be protective to the retina. REC and Muller cells responded to increased glucose concentrations with an increase in inflammatory markers and apoptosis, which is reduced following treatment with β-adrenergic receptor agonists. In our initial studies, we evaluated the ability of optically active R-(−)-isoproterenol (R-1R-1), S-(+)-isoproterenol (S-1S-1S-1), and racemic mixture of (±)-isoproterenol (1), a non-selective β-adrenergic receptor agonist, to reduce the cleavage of caspase 3 and TNFα levels. We observed R-(−)-isoproterenol is more effective than S-(+)-isoproterenol, thus we developed novel optically active analogs of R-(−)-isoproterenol. Of the analogs, we found that compound 12 significantly reduced both caspase 3 and TNFα levels in REC, but did not reduce both markers in Muller cells. Binding data of compound 12 suggest that it is not a β-adrenergic receptor true agonist, but appears to decrease inflammatory levels and apoptosis in REC through an alternate mechanism.
Nanocomposite Phase-Change Memory Alloys for Very High Temperature Data Retention

Phase-change memory alloys based on germanium, antimony, and tellurium with SiO2 nanophase dielectric inclusions are investigated for material and electrical properties. The new alloys are prepared by cosputtering with a SiO2 target creating nanophase dielectric inclusions. The addition of the dielectric inclusions significantly increases the crystallization temperature without affecting the required programming current. In memory device configurations, the nanocomposite alloys exhibit a ten-year data retention above 200°C and a cycle life greater than 1 × 107 cycles while maintaining the SET programming speed of 250 ns.
Attributions for Promotion and Demotion in the United States and India

Abstract Weiner et al. have proposed a model of attributions for task performance that categorizes achievement attributions in terms of an internal/external dimension and a stable/unstable dimension. The present study proposes a modification of the model to include external power factors relevant to an individual or an environment. It was hypothesized that promotions would elicit attributions of external power relevant to an individual (e.g., social class) and demotions would elicit attributions of external power relevant to the environment (e.g., corruption). It was also hypothesized that Americans would make attributions to internal factors (ability and effort) more than would Indians and that Indians would make attributions to external power factors more than would Americans. To this end, 87 American and 131 Indian college students read about a worker who was promoted or demoted in a job and attributed the promotion or demotion to internal, external, and external power factors. The results supported th...
Xenophobia Understanding the Roots and Consequences of Negative Attitudes Toward Immigrants

The current xenophobic cultural environment in the United States makes it imperative that psychologists understand the nature of xenophobia and recognize its consequences. This article explores sociological, social psychological, and multicultural research to examine the causes of negative attitudes toward immigrants. Xenophobia is presented as a concept descriptive of a socially observable phenomenon. Historical and contemporary expressions of xenophobia in the United States are examined and compared with cross-cultural scholarship on negative attitudes toward immigrants. Last, suggestions are provided for how counseling psychologists can integrate an understanding of xenophobia into their clinical practice, training, research, and public policy advocacy.
Transitioning to Middle School in the Sixth Grade: A Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) Analysis of Substance Use, Violence, and Suicidal Thoughts

In recent years, public schools have moved away from traditional grade configurations with junior high schools and have shifted toward integrating sixth-grade students into middle schools. It has been argued that the effect this will have on students is to allow for additional freedom and earlier social growth. However, the counterargument to this debate is that these sixth-grade students would then be exposed to an older cohort sooner and, therefore, would be exposed to negative peer influences. This study investigates the behavioral differences between sixth-grade students in elementary schools and their counterparts in middle schools, including suicidal thoughts, violence, and substance abuse. The data used come from the 2007 middle school Delaware Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Results indicate significant differences in suicidal thoughts or actions based on the grade configuration of school they attend, though not in violence or substance use.
Psycholinguistically oriented second language research

This chapter reviews recent research that investigates second language performance from the perspective of sentence processing (on-line comprehension studies) and word recognition. It concentrates on describing methods that employ reaction time measures as correlates of processing difficulty or knowledge representation. This research suggests that second language learners employ much the same on-line processing strategies as native speakers, but that the L1 can also influence L2 processing. Reaction times in lexical decision experiments have been useful in exploring the relationship between the first and second language lexicons and automatic processes in lexical access. Finally, the chapter mentions some of the problems in this line of research, in particular the issue of individual differences in working memory and technological challenges.
Work domain analysis for improvement of uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV) operations

This paper describes an abstraction decomposition space (ADS) modeling UAV operations in many different types of missions. The ADS is used to predefine operational procedures that provide a coherent work structure and to provide insight on how to distribute automation among the UAV system components.
Adaptive Input Estimation Methods for Improving the Bandwidth of Microgyroscopes

Unlike an accelerometer, the input to a vibratory microgyroscope is a product of the periodic excitation and the angular velocity to be detected. Consequently, the detection of the angular velocity requires a demodulation process involving a signal whose frequency is close to the resonance. Due to this special circumstance the dynamic performance characteristics such as the bandwidth of the microgyroscope sensors is severely limited. In this paper, we present adaptive input estimation methods to achieve wide bandwidth dynamic characteristics. Specifically, we present an adaptive estimator-based technique to estimate the angular motion by providing the Coriolis force as the input to the adaptive estimator. We present two methods, namely, the open-loop method and the closed-loop method. Both methods provide identical dynamic characteristics. But for the open-loop method, we require complete knowledge of all the parameters of the microgyroscopes whereas the closed-loop method can also be used where precise knowledge of the dynamic characteristics of the microgyroscopes is not available
Exosomal Communication Goes Viral

Exosomes are small vesicles secreted from cells that participate in intercellular communication events. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that host exosome pathways are hijacked by viruses and that virally modified exosomes contribute to virus spread and immune evasion. In the case of tumor viruses, recent findings suggest that alterations in normal exosome biology may promote the development and progression of cancer. These studies will be discussed in the context of our current knowledge of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-modified exosomes.
Exploiting Vertical Lines in Vision-Based Navigation for Mobile Robot Platforms

Vertical line-like structures are abundant in man-made environments, such as the vertical edges of buildings in an outdoor environment and door frames and vertical edges of furniture in an indoors environment. These ubiquitous line or line-like structures may provide useful information for mobile robot navigation. In this paper, we propose an approach to estimating the camera orientation based on detected vertical lines. Further we use the estimated camera orientation in one key problem of mobile robot navigation: ground/obstacle detection. Our method is theoretically well-grounded and yet simple and practical in implementation.
Damage to dopamine systems differs between parkinson's disease and alzheimer's disease with parkinsonism

Parkinsonism occurs in approximately 35 to 40% of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) even with little or no neuronal degeneration in the substantia nigra, which in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) results in the severe loss of striatal dopamine transporter sites. It is not known if there is a loss of striatal dopamine transporter sites in AD with coexistent parkinsonism (AD/parkinsonism). We quantified the pattern of these sites in the striatum and midbrain of patients with the clinical diagnosis of PD, AD, and AD/parkinsonism in comparison with a group of age-matched control subjects. We also quantified the number of D2 receptors and the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area of the same groups. The results showed that in AD the loss of dopamine transporter sites was restricted to the nucleus accumbens. The loss of these sites in the AD/parkinsonism group was more extensive than in the AD group, with the most severe losses in the rostral caudate and putamen and least in the caudal caudate and putamen. While the PD group showed an equally severe reduction in numbers of sites, the caudal to rostral gradient of loss differed from that in the AD/parkinsonism group. The PD group also showed a marked loss of dopamine transporter sites, tyrosine hydroxylase, and D2 autoreceptors (located on dopamine neurons) in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area. In contrast, no reductions in dopamine transporter sites, tyrosine hydroxylase, and D2 autoreceptors were observed in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area of the AD or AD/parkinsonism groups. Thus, the loss of striatal dopamine transporter sites in AD/parkinsonism may be related to the clinical parkinsonian symptoms. However, the loss is not simply the result of neuronal degeneration in the substantia nigra, but must derive from other processes.
Nanoparticle inhalation augments particle-dependent systemic microvascular dysfunction

We have shown that pulmonary exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) impairs endothelium dependent dilation in systemic arterioles. Ultrafine PM has been suggested to be inherently more toxic by virtue of its increased surface area. The purpose of this study was to determine if ultrafine PM (or nanoparticle) inhalation produces greater microvascular dysfunction than fine PM. Rats were exposed to fine or ultrafine TiO2 aerosols (primary particle diameters of ~1 μm and ~21 nm, respectively) at concentrations which do not alter bronchoalveolar lavage markers of pulmonary inflammation or lung damage. By histopathologic evaluation, no significant inflammatory changes were seen in the lung. However, particle-containing macrophages were frequently seen in intimate contact with the alveolar wall. The spinotrapezius muscle was prepared for in vivo microscopy 24 hours after inhalation exposures. Intraluminal infusion of the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 was used to evaluate endothelium-dependent arteriolar dilation. In control rats, A23187 infusion produced dose-dependent arteriolar dilations. In rats exposed to fine TiO2, A23187 infusion elicited vasodilations that were blunted in proportion to pulmonary particle deposition. In rats exposed to ultrafine TiO2, A23187 infusion produced arteriolar constrictions or significantly impaired vasodilator responses as compared to the responses observed in control rats or those exposed to a similar pulmonary load of fine particles. These observations suggest that at equivalent pulmonary loads, as compared to fine TiO2, ultrafine TiO2 inhalation produces greater remote microvascular dysfunction.
Verification, validation and accreditation of simulation models

The paper discusses verification, validation, and accreditation of simulation models. The different approaches to deciding model validity are presented; how model verification and validation relate to the model development process are discussed; various validation techniques are defined; conceptual model validity, model verification, operational validity, and data validity are described; ways to document results are given; a recommended procedure is presented; and accreditation is briefly discussed.
Mate Location and the Onset of Sexual Responsiveness in the Parasitoid Wasp Spalangia endius (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

In some animals, transformation to the adult stage occurs in a hidden location, such as a burrow or a host. Males that can locate hidden females sooner, e.g., before they emerge, may have a mating advantage, particularly if the females are ready to mate. Whether males locate pre-emergent females and whether pre-emergent females will mate was examined in the parasitoid wasp Spalangia endius Walker. S. endius parasitize fly pupae. A single wasp offspring feeds, pupates, and transforms into an adult within the fly puparium (an outer shell around the fly pupa), and males emerge a day or more before females. Whether pre-emergent wasps are ready to mate was examined by dissecting them out of their hosts and presenting them with naturally emerged adults of the opposite sex. Many of the pre-emergent wasps were ready to mate. Nevertheless, males did not distinguish between hosts containing a pre-emergent female versus a pre-emergent male, or even between parasitized and unparasitized hosts. In contrast, males were able to differentiate between hosts from which a female versus a male had recently emerged. Although females are ready to mate before emergence, there may be little advantage to recognizing and staying with a host that contains a pre-emergent female because emergence takes so long, which raises the cost of missed mating opportunities elsewhere.
A Summer of Copyright Disputes

When I started this column, my biggest concern was whether I would find new legal issues to write about every month. So far, that has not proved a problem. I keep an ongoing file of articles, wire service reports, press releases, court case, etc. which address legal developments that could impact the information industry. Every month I select what I hope to be the most interesting and timely topic to write about. But a lot of items in the file are never used.A few months ago, I filed a couple of semi-interesting, semi-amusing articles involving unique copyright and trademark disputes. Over the summer I collected a few more. Then a few more, and I realized that this is no longer merely semi-interesting or semi-amusing. These disputes reflect increasingly aggressive legal and economic enforcement of intellectual property rights in response to legal and technological changes in the copyright environment.
Professors’ Letter in Support of Patent Reform Legislation

This open letter to Congress, signed by 61 professors who teach and write in the area of intellectual property law and policy, supports ongoing efforts to pass patent reform legislation. The letter explains how high litigation costs and a widespread lack of transparency in the patent system make abusive patent enforcement possible and, accordingly, makes six legislative recommendations that if enacted will help reduce the cost of patent litigation and expose abusive practices without degrading inventors’ ability to protect genuine, valuable innovations.
Autonomous trading in modern electricity markets

The smart grid is envisioned to be a main enabler of sustainable, clean, efficient, reliable, and secure energy supply (U.S. Department of Energy, 2003). One of the milestones in the smart grid vision will be programs for customer participation in electricity markets through demand-side management and distributed generation; electricity markets will incentivize customers to adapt their demand to supply conditions, which will help to utilize intermittent energy resources such as from solar and wind, and to reduce peak-demand.
Compassion, solidarity and empowerment: The ethical contribution of religion to society

Summary This served as the Msgr. John Schoklee lecture in Social Justice and as a keynote for the conference “Raising Children Out of Poverty” at St. Louis University. The author argues that compassion, solidarity and empowerment represent the three key anchors of Catholic social teaching. All three are inter‐related. The concrete embodiment of compassion‐so as to remove mere sentimental vagueness to the concept, entails the three‐fold practices of direct social services, public advocacy and strategies of empowerment. In particular, the Catholic notion of justice as participation looks to the active empowerment of those who are marginalized. Ultimately, welfare means more than merely providing for those in need. It looks to enabling them to become active agents in society. Having sketched the social teaching, the author then looks to sociological evidence about how well the churches practice what they preach. In our society, churches pre‐eminently generate acts of compassion through voluntarism. Members o...
Experimental Study Of Condensation In Horizontal Micro- Fin Tubes

The condensation heat transfer for R134a in the two kinds of in-tube three-dimensional (3-D) micro -fin tubes with different geometries is experimentally investigated. Based on the flow pattern observations, the flow patterns in the Soliman flow regime map are divided into two-flow regimes; one with the vapor -shear-dominant annular regime and the other with the gravitational-force-dominant stratified-wavy regime. In the annular regime , the heat transfer coefficients of the two kinds of in-tube 3-D micro -fin tubes decreases as the vapor quality decreases. The regressed condensation heat transfer correlation from the experimental data of the annular flow region is obtained. The dispersibility of the experimental data is inside the limits of ±25%. In the stratified-wavy regime, the average heat transfer coefficient of the two kinds of in-tube 3-D micro fin tubes increases as the mass flux increases and the number of micro fins in the 3-D micro -fin tube is not the controlling factor for the performance of a condensation heat transfer. The regressed condensation heat transfer correlation of the stratified-wavy flow regime is experimentally obtained. The dispersibility of the experimental data is inside the limits of ±22%. Combined with the criteria of flow pattern transitions, the correlations can be used for the design of a condenser with 3-D micro fin tubes
Microwave Heating of Carbon Coated Ceramic Fibers

The microwave heating of a thin carbon coated ceramic fiber is modeled and analyzed in the small Biot number regime. The electric field is assumed known and uniform throughout the cross-section, and does not vary along the axis of the cylinder. We present a model which gives a functional relationship between the coating thickness and the final temperature of the fiber. It gives a plausible explanation of the experimentally observed time evolution of temperature for a tow of fibers [1].
An Integrated Performance Measure Approach for System Reliability Assessment

This paper presents an integrated performance measure approach (iPMA) for system reliability assessment considering multiple dependent failure modes. An integrated performance function is developed to envelope all component level failure events, thereby enables system reliability approximation by considering only one integrated system limit state. The developed integrated performance function possesses two critical properties. First, it represents exact joint failure surface defined by multiple component failure events, thus no error will be induced due to the integrated limit state function in system reliability computation. Second, smoothness of the integrated performance on system failure surface can be guaranteed, therefore advanced response surface techniques can be conveniently employed for response approximation. With the developed integrated performance function, the maximum confidence enhancement based sequential sampling method is adopted as an efficient component reliability analysis tool for system reliability approximation. To furthermore improve the computational efficiency, a new constraint filtering technique is developed to adaptively identify active limit states during the iterative sampling process without inducing any extra computational cost. One case study is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of system reliability assessment using the developed iPMA methodology.© 2014 ASME
Perioral Botulinum Toxin Injections

The perioral area responds less predictably than other treatment areas because the dynamic muscle actions associated with eating, drinking, speaking, and smiling may be impaired. A cautious approach to this area is warranted.
Machiavelli and the republican concept of politics

In the story of the transition from politics to reason of state the central place belongs to Niccolo Machiavelli. Over the centuries, Machiavelli has been regarded as being mainly responsible for the dismissal of the notion of politics as the art of the republic, and the spiritual father of the doctrine of reason of state. Be it his sin or his greatest contribution to modern culture, what seems to be above dispute is that Machiavelli rejected the republican language and provided us with a new account of the goals and the means of politics. Against the view that politics is the art of establishing and preserving a good community, Machiavelli, it has been argued, stressed that the goal of politics is the pursuit of power, and that the “political man” cannot be the “good man of the ancients.” While some scholars have stressed that the originality of Machiavelli consists in the redefinition of the aim of politics, others have emphasised his contribution to a new methodology of political enquiry, or have presented Machiavelli as the theorist of politics as innovation, whose symbol is no longer the Humanists' good man, but the new prince. In his writings, politics assumes a more general significance meaning the art of dealing with contingent events, with fickle fortune, the symbol of pure, uncontrolled and unlegitimated contingency. Others still, in more recent years, have emphasized Machiavelli as the theorist of a republican version of power politics, whose main goal is not liberty, but greatness, expansion and glory.
On the origin of plasma density blobs

Abstract By keeping nonlinear Boltzmann factor in electron density dependence on electrostatic potential it is demonstrated that large plasma density blobs, often seen in experiment inside separatrix, can exist within the framework of drift wave dynamics. The estimates show that plasma density in a blob can be ∼3 times higher that average plasma density, but hardly exceeds this limit, which in a ball park is in agreement with experimental observations.
Thick continuous crystal design for PET

Our goal is to develop a thick continuous detector with high spatial resolution (1–2-mm). We will use simulations with experimental measurements to examine performance of two crystal blocks: a 50×50×25mm3 and a 25×25×25mm3 block of LYSO. Based upon the light distribution pattern in the 50×50×25mm3 crystal, calculations show that a minimum spatial resolution of 2mm can be achieved in the central region of the crystal with some degradation near the edges. Monte Carlo simulations modeling Compton scatter and scintillation photon travel paths indicate that with Anger positioning, a spatial resolution of 2mm is achieved in the central region of the crystal but there is a significant degradation near the crystal edge due to light reflections. We show that we can improve the spatial resolution obtained with Anger positioning at the center and the edges of the crystal by simulating 5mm deep slots cut into the entrance surface of the crystal. Using a maximum-likelihood (ML) positioning algorithm, there is some improvement in the spatial resolution in the central region, but a more noticeable improvement at the unslotted crystal edges. We perform simulations to determine the best spatial resolution that can be achieved in the two continuous LYSO crystal blocks. We measure the energy and timing resolution of both crystals as a first step towards measuring the spatial resolution.
Optimization and Parallelization of B-Spline Based Orbital Evaluations in QMC on Multi/Many-Core Shared Memory Processors

B-spline based orbital representations are widely used in Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations of solids, historically taking as much as 50% of the total run time. Random accesses to a large four-dimensional array make it challenging to efficiently utilize caches and wide vector units of modern CPUs. We present node-level optimizations of B-spline evaluations on multi/many-core shared memory processors. To increase SIMD efficiency and bandwidth utilization, we first apply data layout transformation from array-of-structures to structure-of-arrays (SoA). Then by blocking SoA objects, we optimize cache reuse and get sustained throughput for a range of problem sizes. We implement efficient nested threading in B-spline orbital evaluation kernels, paving the way towards enabling strong scaling of QMC simulations. These optimizations are portableon four distinct cache-coherent architectures and result in up to 5.6x performance enhancements on Intel Xeon Phi processor 7250P (KNL), 5.7x on Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor 7120P, 10x on an Intel Xeon processor E5v4 CPU and 9.5x on BlueGene/Q processor. Our nested threading implementation shows nearly ideal parallel efficiency on KNL up to 16 threads. We employ roofline performance analysis to model the impacts of our optimizations. This work combined with our current efforts of optimizing other QMC kernels, result in greater than 4.5x speedup of miniQMC on KNL.
Understanding and Trading the Term Structure of Volatility

We extensively study the term structure of volatility in individual equity options. We begin by studying the behavior of implied volatility in the cross section. We examine the joint dynamics of short maturity and long maturity implied volatility in order to gain a thorough understanding of how volatility term structure evolves. We uncover a number of stylized facts which, to the best of our knowledge, we are the first to empirically document. We then propose a simple framework of term structure dynamics that captures the features documented in our empirical study. This simple framework is illustrative and gives an intuitive way to understand the dynamics of the volatility term structure seen in the cross section. Using the intuition gleaned from our analysis, we examine strategies for trading volatility. Consistent with the term structure dynamics, we uncover a number of profitable volatility trading strategies across maturities. We further examine the extent to which profitability of these trading strategies is due to an interaction between volatility term structure and realized volatility.
Sustained slowing effect of lentils on gastric emptying of solids in humans and dogs

The distal small intestine is an especially potent site for carbohydrate-triggered intestinal inhibition of gastric emptying of solids. Poorly digestible carbohydrates, such as lentils, may escape proximal absorption, travel over time to reach these inhibitory mechanisms, and slow the gastric emptying of a later meal. A slowing effect on gastric emptying may be associated with a lowering effect on postprandial glucose. The aims of this study were to determine (a) whether lentils (a poorly digestible carbohydrate) vs. bread (an easily digestible carbohydrate) eaten as a premeal (with equal amounts of carbohydrates) slow the gastric emptying of a second solid meal taken 4.0-4.5 hours later and (b) whether a slowing effect on the gastric emptying of the second meal is associated with a lower postprandial glucose response. We found that in 7 dogs and 10 humans, gastric emptying of the second meal was delayed after a lentil premeal compared with a bread premeal. However, there was no difference in the glucose response to the second meal under the two conditions.
Port Valdez Environmental Studies: 1976-1978

All oily ballast water from the holds of tankers arriving at the Trans-Alaska Pipeline terminus in Valdez is pumped ashore for treatment before being discharged into Port Valdez. The Institute of Marine Science (IMS) of the University of Alaska conducted a three-year multidisciplinary program of studies to monitor the effect, if any, that this discharge would have upon the water quality and biota of Port Valdez. Consisting of eight separate projects and involving seven investigators, the IMS program (1)Extended substantially the baseline data for selected physical, chemical, and biological parameters; and (2)developed monitoring procedures as required to detect changes in the Port Valdez marine environment. The conclusion of these studies was that there had been no detectable impact during the term of this program on those elements of the environment that had been monitored prior to and following initiation of the treated ballast water discharge.
Computing the Distance Between Frames and Between Subspaces of a Hilbert Space

A fundamental notion in Hilbert space frame theory is to compute the distance between frames and the distance between subspaces of a Hilbert space. One space these problems arise is with a number of algorithms which serve to approximate frame operators or inverse operators [5]. There are six standard distance functions used in frame theory. In this paper we will establish the exact relationship between all of these distance functions.