cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predation on artificial bird nests along an urban gradient: predatory risk or relaxation in urban environments?

Urbanization - the anthropogenic conversion of natural ecosystems into human-dominated ecosystems - has occurred on global scales. The human-dominated landscape presents particular challenges to researchers because the effects of urbanization on ecological processes are not well understood. We investigated the influence of urbanization on predation by conducting an artificial nest experiment along an urban gradient of six sites ranging from natural to urbanized ecosystems. Previous hypotheses suggest that predation pressures in urban environments will either 1) increase because of the high abundance of exotic species which act as predators or 2) decrease due to the lack of natural predators. To determine relative predation pressures among sites along the urban gradient, we monitored the fates of 16 artificial avian nests at each of the six sites for a total of 96 nests in each year (1996, 1997). We analyzed the dependency of nest fate (depredated or undisturbed) on intensity of urbanization (sites along the urban gradient), nest height (ground, above-ground), and year using loglinear models. The frequency of nest predation was strongly dependent on site along the urban gradient, indicating that urbanization intensity was an important determinant of nest fate. Predation pressure exhibited an overall decline from natural to urban sites in both years, suggesting that urban environments have low predation pressures relative to natural areas. The predatory relaxation in urban environments may partially explain the greater abundance of some species in urban environments, particularly urban exploiters such as european starlings Sturnis vulgaris. house sparrows Passer domesticus. and rock doves Columba livia.
Criminal justice: An emerging academic profession and discipline

Abstract The recent history and current trends of criminal justice educational programs are examined in light of traditional definitions of professions, disciplines, and sciences. The author concludes that criminal justice is clearly emerging as a unique academic profession and as a nontraditional discipline. The nature of contemporary criminal justice education is discussed to develop predictions of its directions.
40 GHz millimetre-wave link based on two-section gain-coupled DFB lasers

Fibre transmission of a modulated 40 GHz millimetre-wave signal, optically generated from an injection-locked two-section self-pulsating gain-coupled DFB laser, is demonstrated for the first time. 155 Mbit/s phase modulated data is transmitted over 6 km of fibre with a bit error ratio of < 10-10.
Amyloid-binding Small Molecules Efficiently Block SEVI (Semen-derived Enhancer of Virus Infection)- and Semen-mediated Enhancement of HIV-1 Infection

Semen was recently shown to contain amyloid fibrils formed from a self-assembling peptide fragment of the protein prostatic acid phosphatase. These amyloid fibrils, termed semen-derived enhancer of virus infection, or SEVI, have been shown to strongly enhance HIV infectivity and may play an important role in sexual transmission of HIV, making them a potential microbicide target. One novel approach to target these fibrils is the use of small molecules known to intercalate into the structure of amyloid fibrils, such as derivatives of thioflavin-T. Here, we show that the amyloid-binding small molecule BTA-EG6 (the hexa(ethylene glycol) derivative of benzothiazole aniline) is able to bind SEVI fibrils and effectively inhibit both SEVI-mediated and semen-mediated enhancement of HIV infection. BTA-EG6 also blocks the interactions of SEVI with HIV-1 virions and HIV-1 target cells but does not cause any inflammation or toxicity to cervical epithelial cells. These results suggest that an amyloid-binding small molecule may have utility as a microbicide, or microbicidal supplement, for HIV-1.
Adhesion of red cells to foreign surfaces in the presence of flow.

A controlled surface shear stress produced by laminar flow in a rotating disk or parallel plate flow system has been used to study red cell adhesion to glass, siliconized glass, polythylene and Teflon. The results indicate that the shear stress at the surface must exceed a minimum critical value before cells will detach, and that this minimum critical shear stress increases as the time of cellsurface contact is increased. The results also indicate that the minimum critical shear stress for detachment from clean surfaces correlates with the critical surface tension of the material for the four materials studied. Studies with proteincoated surfaces indicate that albumin causes a moderate reduction in the strength of adhesion. The magnitude of the effect was found to be influenced significantly by the substratum material.
Collapse of cell-wall pores during drying of cellulose

Abstract Aerogels were made from partially shrunken papers by the critical-point drying process. The specific surface and pore structure of the aerogels were determined by N2 sorption. The results were compared with data from H2O and EtOH isotherms to show the existence of bottleneck pores, the development of hydrogen bonding as the cell-wall pores collapse during drying, and the structure of the pore walls.
Comments on the Magnetic Resonance Absorption Spectrum of the F2-, Molecule-Ion in Single Crystals of LiF, NaF, and KF

The magnetic resonance absorption spectrum of the diatomic fluorine molecule-ion, F-2, in single crystals of lithium fluoride, sodium fluoride, and potassium fluoride is reinvestigated. For each of these structures it is found that the spectrum of this molecule-ion species exhibits the D2h, symmetry of its environment. Comparisons between observed and predicted spectral line field positions and spectral parameters derived from data taken at T = 4.2 K are given. Das magnetische Resonanzabsorptionsspektrum des Fluormolekulions, F-2, in Lithiumfluorid-, Natriumfluorid- und Kaliumfluorid-Einkristallen wird erneut unt'ersucht. Fur jede dieser Strukturen wird gefunden, daβ diese Molekul-Ionenart eine D2h-Symmetrie der Umgebung aufweist. Es wird ein Vergleich zwischen den beobachteten und vorhergesagten Lagen der Linien und Spektralparametern, die bei T = 4,2 K erhalten wurden, durehgefuhrt.
Incidence and risk of reintervention after coarctation repair

Abstract We examined the need for intervention after coarctation repair in a retrospective study of 197 procedures performed between 1967 and 1989. Reintervcntion was required in 23 patients. No technique of coarctation repair was free from complications. Although there were only two stenoses in the group receiving Dacron patch angioplasty, only seven of these procedures were performed in children under the age of 1 year. The risk of stenosis was inversely correlated to the age at primary repair, with children less than 1 year old being at greater risk than those more than 1 year of age ( p p
In Vitro Biocompatibility Studies of Antibacterial Quaternary Polymers

Quaternized copolymers of 4-vinylpyridine and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate are known to have antibacterial properties and have displayed biocompatibility in red blood cell hemolysis assays. The results from hemolysis assays have shown substantial promise, but the technique is rudimentary and only a first step toward the determination of biocompatibility. The present paper further explores the biocompatibility of these copolymers through comprehensive cell viability assays performed on Caco-2 human epithelial cells cultivated in vitro. We have shown that these copolymers are biocompatible at concentrations above their minimum bactericidal concentrations, leading to selectivity values that compare well with other microbicidal products.
Effects of Work Experience, Patient Size, and Hand Preference on the Performance of Sonography Studies

Reports to clinic managers of sonographer work-related musculoskeletal disorders, especially those linked to larger patient body sizes, are increasing annually. This study was conducted to determine if patient size, sonographer experience level, and hand preference affected image quality associated with ambidextrous scanning. Thirteen experienced and 11 novice sonographers performed right- and left-handed scans of target organs on three models (5th, 50th, and 95th percentile body weight). Estimated grip force was measured during each scan through the use of force matching with a digital dynamometer. Results revealed a significant (P < .01) interaction effect between specialty and handedness for general and echocardiography for shoulder abduction angle; a significant difference among patient model sizes for grip forces, with the 95th percentile producing the highest estimated grip force values; and a significant difference in shoulder abduction angle among patient model sizes. Image quality was not differe...
A novel zipper transition in tethered membranes

A computer simulation study is reported of a particular type of tethered membrane that has strong attraction between the monomers on its perimeter and self-avoidance among all monomers. There is ‘zipper’ transition, where the membrane folds and ‘zips’ closed around the rim, while remaining inflated in the interior. This suggests a new macromolecular vehicle for drug delivery.
Liveness Detection for Fingerprint Scanners Based on the Statistics of Wavelet Signal Processing

Fingerprint scanners can be spoofed by artificial fingers using moldable plastic, clay, Play-Doh, gelatin, silicone rubber materials, etc. Liveness detection is an anti-spoofing method which can detect physiological signs of life from fingerprints to ensure only live fingers can be captured for enrollment or authentication. In this paper, a new method based on the wavelet transform on the ridge signal extracted along the ridge mask is proposed which can detect the perspiration phenomenon using only a single image. Statistical features are extracted for multiresolution scales to discriminate between live and non-live fingers. Based on these features, we use a classification tree to generate the decision rules for the liveness classification. We test this method on the dataset which contains about 58 live, 80 spoof (50 made from Play-Doh and 30 made from gelatin), and 25 cadaver subjects for 3 different scanners. Also, we test this method on a second dataset which contains 33 live and 33 spoof (made from gelatin) subjects. The proposed liveness detection method is purely software based and application of this method can provide anti-spoofing protection for fingerprint scanners.
Information Quality, Learning, and Stock Market Returns

This paper studies how the precision of noisy public information that investors receive about the expected aggregate dividend growth rate affects stock market returns. I show that less precise information can increase the risk premium and stock return volatility. The numerical results from my calibrated model also show that noisy information can significantly increase the risk premium and stock return volatility. My finding implies that the presence of noisy information may help explain the large average risk premium and return volatility in the U.S. financial market. In addition, my finding suggests it is optimal for firms to disclose to investors more precise information to reduce the cost of equity capital.
Loose kernel smut for biocontrol of Sorghum halepense in Saccharum sp. hybrids.

Abstract Sporisorium cruentum teliospores and sporidia (cultured from teliospores with about 30-fold spore increase) caused about equal, although variable, levels of smut infection of individual Sorghum halepense plants when applied to the foliage. Teliospores were applied in a water–surfactant suspension (106 spores ml−1) at 935 L ha−1 and sporidia in a water-in-oil invert emulsion (about 107 spores ml−1) at 468 L ha−1. In crop interference studies, a single foliar application of teliospores to space-planted S. halepense plants in a first-year crop of Saccharum sp. hybrids caused about 55% infection (at least one smutted panicle per plant) but did not reduce the level of S. halepense infestation or substantially improve Saccharum yield compared to noninoculated plants. Smutted panicles usually appeared 30 to 60 d after the foliar treatment, but many culms on a plant produced only healthy panicles. Two applications of teliospores, either 7 d apart in one experiment or 1 yr apart in another, significantly ...
MicroRNA signatures as diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs)1 are short, noncoding RNA molecules capable of regulating gene expression at transcription and translation levels(1). Conserved throughout evolution, miRNAs participate in fundamental biologic processes including cell cycle, differentiation, development, metabolism, patterning, and aging. The human genome contains approximately 1000 miRNAs that are estimated to regulate a third of all genes. These regulatory molecules originate, by transcription of distinct genes in the noncoding portions of chromosomes, as precursor RNA molecules containing hundreds to thousands of nucleotides, which undergo distinct nuclear and cytoplasmic processing. Specifically, miRNAs originate in the nucleus as pri-miRNAs, precursors transcribed by RNA polymerase II (Fig. 1⇓ ). Subsequently, cleavage by a ribonuclease III called Drosha and the double-stranded DNA binding protein DGCR8/Pasha generates a hairpin-shaped premiRNA. These intermediates are transported by the nuclear export factor exportin 5/Ran GTP into the cytosol, where they are processed into 19- to 25-nucleotide miRNA duplexes by the ribonuclease III Dicer, in association with the transactivation-responsive RNA-binding protein. These duplexes incorporate as the targeting core of RNA-induced silencing complexes, inducing translational inhibition by cleavage and degradation of messenger RNA or by blocking translation, thereby defining the pool of available …
Variation in Use of Head Computed Tomography by Emergency Physicians

Abstract Objective Variation in emergency department head computed tomography (CT) use in patients with atraumatic headaches between hospitals is being measured nationwide. However, the magnitude of interphysician variation within a hospital is currently unknown. We hypothesized that there was significant variation in the rates of physician head CT use, both overall and for patients diagnosed with atraumatic headaches. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the emergency department of a large urban academic hospital, and institutional review board approval was obtained. All emergency department visits from 2009 were analyzed, and the primary outcome measure was whether or not head CT was performed. Logistic regression was used to control for patient, physician, and visit characteristics potentially associated with head CT ordering. The degree of interphysician variability was tested, both before and after controlling for these variables. Results Of 55,286 emergency department patient encounters, 4919 (8.9%) involved head CT examinations. Unadjusted head CT ordering rates per physician ranged from 4.4% to 16.9% overall and from 15.2% to 61.7% in patients diagnosed with atraumatic headaches, with both rates varying significantly between physicians. Two-fold variation in head CT ordering overall (6.5%-13.5%) and approximately 3-fold variation in head CT ordering for atraumatic headaches (21.2%-60.1%) persisted even after controlling for pertinent variables. Conclusion Emergency physicians vary significantly in their use of head CT both overall and in patients with atraumatic headaches. Further studies are needed to identify strategies to reduce interphysician variation in head CT use.
Validity of Ultrasound Prediction Equations for Total and Regional Muscularity in Middle-aged and Older Men and Women

Abstract To test the validity of published equations, 79 Caucasian adults (40 men and 39 women) aged 50–78 y had muscle thickness (MT) measured by ultrasound at nine sites of the body. Fat-free mass (FFM), lean soft tissue mass (LM) and total muscle mass (TMM) were estimated from MT using equations previously published in the literature. Appendicular LM (aLM) was estimated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and this method served as the reference criterion. There were strong correlations (range r = 0.85–0.94) between DXA-derived aLM and estimated FFM, leg LM or TMM. Total error between DXA-derived aLM and TMM (∼2 kg) was lower compared with the three other selected equations (6–10 kg). A Bland-Altman plot revealed that there was no systematic bias between aLM and TMM; however, the other three equations included systematic error. Our results suggest that an ultrasound equation for TMM is appropriate and useful for evaluating skeletal muscle mass in the body.
Masticatory Stress and the Mechanics of Wishboning in Colobine Jaws

Cercopithecoid monkeys experience relatively high strains along the lingual aspect of the mandibular symphysis because of lateral transverse bending of the mandibular corpora ("wishboning") during mastication. Hylander (Am J Phys Anthropol 64 (1984) 1-46; Am Zool 25 (1985) 315-330) demonstrated that the distribution of strains arising from wishboning loads is comprehensible with reference to the mechanics of curved beams. Theory of curved beams suggests that lingual tensile strains are some multiple of labial compressive strains, yet limitations of experimental methods and uncertainty in estimating parameters needed for theoretical calculations have confounded attempts to characterize the magnitude of this disparity of normal strains. We evaluate the theoretical disparity of normal strains in wishboning in comparison to in vitro strains collected under controlled loads for a sample of mandibles representing two colobine species (N = 6). These data suggest that in colobine monkeys, maximum normal lingual strains should be at least twice maximum labial strains. In addition, we reexamine the distribution of symphyseal stress under an assumption of asymmetric bending, a general approach for calculation of stress appropriate for members that lack a plane of symmetry and are bent along an axis that is not coincident with the member's principal axes. Under asymmetric bending in colobine mandibles, the effect of symphyseal inclination on lingual strain is mitigating at the superior transverse torus and exacerbating at the inferior transverse torus. Relative compliance of colobine mandibular bone further supports the hypothesis that the structural and material properties of the colobine mandibular symphysis do not represent a morphological strategy for minimizing masticatory strain.
Trends in Charpy-V shelf energy degradation and yield strength increase of neutron-embrittled pressure vessel steels

Abstract Charpy-V shelf energy degradation and yield strength increase have been examined for three neutron-irradiated pressure vessel steel compositions: A302-B, A533 and A543. The effects of radiation exposure at low temperature ( Data for all three steel types suggest a common pattern of properties behavior. Three stages of the shelf level versus yield strength change are indicated with progressive neutron exposure at Observations show that A533 plate and weld metals (Grades B and C, Classes 1 and 2) have greater toughness retention than the ASTM A302-B reference heat (6-in plate) after 550°F (288°C) radiation. Results for a single reference heat of A543 Class 1, 8-in plate demonstrate that a lower initial brittle/ductile transition temperature in itself may not fully eliminate the general problem of providing sufficient notch ductility to allow for radiation embrittlement in service. Studies of A543 steel also reveal that temper embrittlement introducing during fabrication is not a strong influence on subsequent irradiation-induced changes in Charpy-V notch ductility at exposure temperatures up to 750°F (399°C).
Information networks mining and analysis

With the ubiquity of information networks and their broad applications, there have been numerous studies on the construction, online analytical processing, and mining of information networks in multiple disciplines, including social network analysis, World-Wide Web, database systems, data mining, machine learning, and networked communication and information systems. Moreover, with a great demand of research in this direction, there is a need to understand methods for analysis of information networks from multiple disciplines. In this talk, we will present various issues and solutions on scalable mining and analysis of information networks. These include data integration, data cleaning and data validation in information networks, summarization, OLAP and multidimensional analysis in information networks. Finally, we illustrate how to apply network analysis technique to solve classical frequent item-set mining in a more efficient top-down fashion.
Preliminary Characterization of a Temperate Marine Member of the Chloroflexaceae

Fossil records of the Precambrian era indicate that mat-forming phototrophic prokaryotes were some of the earth’s earliest Life forms (Schopf and Walter, 1963). Modern analogs of stromatolites (fossils of ancient mat communities) can be seen today in a number of extreme environments: salt marshes, hypersaline lakes and Lagoons, and thermal springs (Awramik, 1964). One organism of these communities, the phototrophic prokaryote Chloroflexus, has been shown to be a likely descendent of early phototrophic bacteria on the basis of morphological (Olson and Pierson, 1967) and phylogenetic studies (Stackebrandt, 1985). To date, only a thermophilic species of Chloroflexus, Cf. aurantiacus, has been maintained in pure culture and characterized (Pierson and Castenhotz, 1974; CastenhoLz and Pierson, 1961). One mesophilic fresh-water strain was isolated, but the culture has not been maintained (Gorlenko, 1975). Chloroflexus-like organisms have been observed and identified by morphology in a number of temperate marine and hypersaline environments: in Baja Mexico (Stolz, 1984; D’Amelio, 1987), Shark Bay, Western Australia (unpublished observation, BKP), Solar Lake, Sinai (Cohen, 1984), and Great Sippewissett Salt Marsh, Cape Cod, MA. Chloroflexus has been clearly Identified from the Baja and Solar Lake sites by electron microscopy (D’Amelio, 1987; Cohen, 1984). Little is known about its physiology or ecology. An analysis of the morphology, pigmentation, ecology and ultrastructure of the ChlorofIexus like organism of Great Sippewissett Salt Marsh, MA, is reported here.
Effets indésirables dermatologiques des thérapies ciblées antiangiogéniques

While new anticancer angiogenesis inhibitors present a well-tolerated safety profile, they are not without adverse events. The signaling pathways and/or receptors inhibited by these new drugs are often physiologically expressed in the skin and/or hair follicle and cutaneous toxicity is on the forefront. This article reviews the main dermatologic adverse events induced by these targeted anticancer therapies with a partial or exclusive antiangiogenic activity: sorafenib, sunitinib, pazopanib, vandetanib, everolimus, temsirolimus or bevacizumab.
Weakly acidic, but strongly irritating: TRPA1 and the activation of nociceptors by cytoplasmic acidification.

Our bodies and our surroundings contain an enormous array of chemicals. Although many of these chemicals are useful and even essential for survival, others are potentially harmful. A challenge all animals face is to sense which chemicals are useful and which are harmful. Considered in the context of
Why Genius Leads to Adversity: Experimental Evidence on the Reputational Effects of Task Difficulty Choices

We use a behavioral laboratory experiment to study how agents with reputation concerns select the difficulty of their tasks. Drawing upon existing theory, we subjected participants in our study to a context in which they had to convince a principal of their capability to reap financial benefits. Our results show that participants tended to increase the difficulty of their task to enhance their reputation. In addition, we provide evidence that performance rewards reduce a less capable agent's tendency to choose a more difficult task, whereas a highly capable agent's pattern of choices is unaffected by performance rewards. Although the productivity of agents in our experiment therefore decreased if they had to convince a principal of their capability, we show that these detrimental performance implications can to some degree be overcome for less capable agents through performance rewards or by ensuring that the principal can interpret the agent's choice. This paper was accepted by Christoph Loch, R&D and product development.
Specific immunotherapy of experimental myasthenia gravis by a novel mechanism

Objective Myasthenia gravis (MG) and its animal model, experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG), are antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases, in which autoantibodies bind to and cause loss of muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at the neuromuscular junction. To develop a specific immunotherapy of MG, we treated rats with ongoing EAMG by intraperitoneal injection of bacterially-expressed human muscle AChR constructs.
In Whom we Trust: Group Membership as an Affective Context for Trust Development

Examining the ways in which affect impacts the trust that develops between members of dissimilar groups broadens the study of trust development. People's perceptions of their own interdependence with other groups influence both their beliefs about group members' trustworthiness and their affect for group members. I propose that this affect, in turn, influences interpersonal trust development through multiple paths: cognitive, motivational, and behavioral. Using literature on social information processing, emotion, and intergroup behavior, I elucidate the social and affective context of trust development.
Forgiveness of Others and Health: Do Race and Neighborhood Matter?

Objectives. This study examines the relationship between interpersonal forgiveness and health for older Blacks and Whites. We outline a series of arguments concerning the following: (a) how forgiveness can affect health, (b) how forgiveness may be more protective for Blacks, and (c) how the relationship between forgiveness and health may vary by neighborhood deterioration. Method. Two waves (2001 and 2004) of the Religion, Aging, and Health Survey provided data from a nationally representative elderly sample of 436 Blacks and 500 Whites. Measures included sociodemographics, forgiveness, and three dimensions of health: self-reported health, alcohol use, and chronic conditions. We employ both longitudinal and crosssectional analyses. Results. Results suggest that forgiveness of others was protective of health for Blacks but not Whites. Moreover, among Blacks, we found the following: (a) forgiveness was positively associated with self-reported health over time, (b) forgiveness was negatively associated with alcohol use and number of chronic conditions, and (c) forgiveness interacted with neighborhood deterioration such that the beneficial effects of forgiveness for self-reported health did not extend to those living in run-down neighborhoods. Discussion. Race and neighborhood were shown to be important for understanding the forgiveness–health connection. Forgiveness was associated with better health for Blacks but not Whites, consistent with McCullough’s evolutionary framework (McCullough, M. E. (2008). Beyond revenge: The evolution of the forgiveness instinct. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass), forgiveness was beneficial in some settings but had a deleterious impact in more noxious environments. This study suggests that researchers should give more consideration to race and social context in attempting to more fully understand the relationship between forgiveness and health.
Participation, Remediation, Bricolage: Considering Principal Components of a Digital Culture

Within media theory the worldwide shift from a 19th-century print culture via a 20th-century electronic culture to a 21st-century digital culture is well documented. In this essay the emergence of a digital culture as amplified and accelerated by the popularity of networked computers, multiple-user software, and Internet is investigated in terms of its principal components. A digital culture as an underdetermined praxis is conceptualized as consisting of participation, remediation, and bricolage. Using the literature on presumably “typical” Internet phenomena such as the worldwide proliferation of independent media centers (indymedia) linked with (radical) online journalism practices and the popularity of (individual and group) weblogging, the various meanings and implications of this particular understanding of digital culture are explored. In the context of this essay, digital culture can be seen as an emerging set of values, practices, and expectations regarding the way people (should) act and interact within the contemporary network society. This digital culture has emergent properties with roots in both online and offline phenomena, with links to trends and developments predating the World Wide Web, yet having an immediate impact and particularly changing the ways in which we use and give meaning to living in an increasingly interconnected, always on(line) environment.
An optimized vision library approach for embedded systems

There is an ever-growing pressure to accelerate computer vision applications on embedded processors for wide-ranging equipment including mobile phones, network cameras, and automotive safety systems. Towards this goal, we propose a software library approach that eases common computational bottlenecks by optimizing over 60 low- and mid-level vision kernels. Optimized for a digital signal processor that is deployed in many embedded image & video processing systems, the library was designed for typical high-performance and low-power requirements. The algorithms are implemented in fixed-point arithmetic and support block-wise partitioning of video frames so that a direct memory access engine can efficiently move data between on-chip and external memory. We highlight the benefits of this library for a baseline video security application, which segments moving foreground objects from a static background. Benchmarks show a ten-fold acceleration over a bit-exact yet unoptimized C language implementation, creating more computational headroom to embed other vision algorithms.
Effects of internal waves and turbulence on a horizontal aperture sonar

Random variability in the water column will affect the operation of a horizontal aperture sonar. Two sources of variability in shallow water are turbulence and internal waves. In a modeling study, the effects of turbulence and internal waves on a shallow-water imaging system are compared. The operational principles of a large aperture imaging system are first reviewed. A shallow-water internal wave model is developed by modifying the Garrett-Munk model. The internal waves are assumed to dissipate and drive the small-scale turbulence. The two phenomena are predicted to have markedly different effects on a system. Turbulence has short spatial correlation scales whose primary effects will be manifested in the variance of the acoustic phase. By contrast, internal waves will have much larger scattering but also a longer correlation scale. The primary acoustic quantity of interest for internal waves is shown to be the curvature of the phase as observed along the aperture. Properties of shallow-water internal waves are shown to preclude the use of standard acoustic calculations based on the Markov approximation. Using archival environmental data, sample calculations are presented for the site of a planned August 1996 experiment.
Detection of pitted morningglory (Ipomoea lacunosa) with hyperspectral remote sensing. II. Effects of vegetation ground cover and reflectance properties

Abstract Field research was conducted to determine the potential of hyperspectral remote sensing for discriminating plots of soybean intermixed with pitted morningglory and weed-free soybean with similar and different proportions of vegetation ground cover. Hyperspectral data were collected using a handheld spectroradiometer when pitted morningglory was in the cotyledon to two-leaf, two- to four-leaf, and four- to six-leaf growth stages. Synthesized reflectance measurements containing equal and unequal proportions of reflectance from vegetation were obtained, and seven 50-nm spectral bands (one ultraviolet, two visible, and four near-infrared) derived from each hyperspectral reflectance measurement were used as discrimination variables to differentiate weed-free soybean and soybean intermixed with pitted morningglory. Discrimination accuracy was 93 to 100% regardless of pitted morningglory growth stage and whether equal or unequal proportions of reflectance from vegetation existed in weed-free soybean and...
Benchmarking the price of computing

Abstract A computing benchmark survey was conducted in 1975 by the EDUCOM Planning Council on Computing in Education and Research. Thirteen different FORTRAN programs were run at major universities and colleges. An analysis is made of internal and external prices for individual jobs and representative university workloads. In the survey an attempt was made to control factors such as arithmetic precision, file organization, compiler type, and turn-around time. Significant differences in prices may have arisen, however, due to differences in cost accounting practices and cost recovery policies. Nevertheless, the data support the general view that substantial benefits can be achieved through selective use of computational resources at a variety of different computer centers.
Characteristics of L- and T-type Ca2+ currents in canine cardiac Purkinje cells

Two types of Ca2+ currents were recorded in single dialyzed canine cardiac Purkinje cells using a whole cell voltage clamp technique. T-type current was easily separated from L-type current, becaus...
A Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Akalyptoischion Andrews (Coleoptera: Latridiidae)

Abstract The genus Akalyptoischion Andrews is revised to include 24 species, 16 of which are new. A taxonomic treatment of the genus is provided including a morphological study, new species descriptions, keys, illustrations, and notes on the distribution and biology of Akalyptoischion. The following species are included: A. anasillos Andrews, USA, CA; A. atrichos Andrews, USA, CA; A. bathytrematos new species, Mexico, Baja California; A. chandleri Andrews, USA, AZ; A. delotretos new species, USA, CA, NV; A. diadeletron new species, USA, OR, ID; A. dyskritos new species, USA, UT; A. echinos new species, USA, CA; A. gigas new species, USA, CA; A. giulianii Andrews, USA, CA; A. hadromorphus new species, USA, CA; A. heptalocos new species, Mexico, Baja California; A. heterotrichos new species, USA, CA; A. hormathos Andrews, USA, CA; A. lasiosus new species, USA, CA; A. leptosoma new species, USA, CA; A. parechinos new species, USA, CA; A. pogonias new species, USA, CA; A. polytremetron new species, USA, AZ; A...
Brood Provisioning and Nest Survival of Ardea herodias (Great Blue Heron) in Maine

Abstract From 1983–2009, the number of coastal breeding pairs of Ardea herodias (Great Blue Heron [GBHE]) in Maine declined by 64%, and the number of occupied islands on which these birds bred declined by 40%. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife listed the GBHE as a species of special concern in 2007, and expanded its annual monitoring to include inland colonies in 2009. To assess regional demographic differences, we compared the relationship between brood provisioning and nest survival of GBHEs in 1 coastal and 1 inland colony. In terms of brood-provisioning within the 2 colonies, the inland colony had significantly greater rates for the first 2 weeks post-hatch, but the coastal colony had greater rates in subsequent weeks. These differences did not affect either nest fate (≥1 chick fledged) or daily nest survival at the inland or coastal colony. In both colonies, the maximum number of nestlings observed at a nest was positively correlated with the number that subsequently fledged. Dail...
Access to Information: Citizenship, Representative Democracy, and Catholic Social Thought

This essay discusses the relationship among government transparency, human dignity, democratic theory, and Catholic social teaching. The essay argues that citizens in democratic societies such as the United States have a right to the information necessary to make informed decisions about public policy and those they elect to enact such policy. The citizen’s claim to such information is based on the belief that each citizen is respected and dignified as a human person when able to participate in this democratic form of governance and decision-making. This right, and the dignity it is based on, finds support in and through the insights offered by Catholic social teaching and in the work of the French philosopher Jacques Maritain. The difficulty arises, the essay maintains, when the Church supports human dignity and transparency as applied to others, but not to itself. That stance compromises its effectiveness in promoting the democratic right to information and the rights to respect and dignity.
Breed and Lactation Stage Alter the Rumen Protozoal Fatty Acid Profiles and Community Structures in Primiparous Dairy Cattle

The protozoal fatty acid (FA) composition and community structure are important to dairy cattle nutrition and their products. The purpose of the study was to observe if the rumen protozoal FA profiles and protozoal community structure differed by breed and lactation stage. At 93, 183, and 273 days in milk (DIM), whole rumen digesta samples were collected from seven co-housed Holstein (H), eight Jersey (J), and seven Holstein–Jersey crossbreed (C) cows. Rumen protozoal linoleic acid was higher at 183 DIM (8.1%) and 273 DIM (8.3%) than at 93 DIM (5.7%). Oleic acid was the most abundant protozoal unsaturated FA (10.1%). Protozoal rumenic acid and protozoa of the genus Metadinium were higher in J (9.9%) than in H (0.52%) and C (0.96%). Protozoa belonging to the genus Entodinium were more abundant in H (45.2%) than in J (23.4%) and C (30.2%). In conclusion, breed and DIM affected several protozoal FAs and genera.
Scalable fractionation of iron oxide nanoparticles using a CO 2 gas-expanded liquid system

Iron oxide nanoparticles exhibit highly size-dependent physicochemical properties that are important in applications such as catalysis and environmental remediation. In order for these size-dependent properties to be effectively harnessed for industrial applications scalable and cost-effective techniques for size-controlled synthesis or size separation must be developed. The synthesis of monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles can be a prohibitively expensive process on a large scale. An alternative involves the use of inexpensive synthesis procedures followed by a size-selective processing technique. While there are many techniques available to fractionate nanoparticles, many of the techniques are unable to efficiently fractionate iron oxide nanoparticles in a scalable and inexpensive manner. A scalable apparatus capable of fractionating large quantities of iron oxide nanoparticles into distinct fractions of different sizes and size distributions has been developed. Polydisperse iron oxide nanoparticles (2–20 nm) coated with oleic acid used in this study were synthesized using a simple and inexpensive version of the popular coprecipitation technique. This apparatus uses hexane as a CO2 gas-expanded liquid to controllably precipitate nanoparticles inside a 1L high-pressure reactor. This paper demonstrates the operation of this new apparatus and for the first time shows the successful fractionation results on a system of metal oxide nanoparticles, with initial nanoparticle concentrations in the gram-scale. The analysis of the obtained fractions was performed using transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The use of this simple apparatus provides a pathway to separate large quantities of iron oxide nanoparticles based upon their size for use in various industrial applications.
Some Effects of Interest Group Strength in State Politics

The literature on interest groups is, by and large, either heavily abstract and theoretical or highly concrete and descriptive. There are, on the one hand, several attempts to provide a theoretical framework for the study of interest groups, the major foci being either “the group basis of politics” or “mass society.” On the other hand are numerous case-studies which describe in some detail, either for a particular policy or for a particular interest group, relevant political activities which lead to inferred conclusions about the impact that such groups have on the issue or issues. What we lack, and what is needed to raise the study of interest groups to the level of empiricallybased generalization, are studies which collect data and generalize about interest groups using multiple units of analysis. This observation is not meant to depreciate or undervalue the important theoretical and descriptive contributions which have been made in the examination of the role of interest groups in governmental systems. It is simply to state a fact about the literature and to plead for more systematic data collection and empirically-based generalization from which verified propositions about interest groups may emerge. I think there are two major reasons why the literature on interest groups lacks a comparative base. First, many of the concepts which are employed in theories about interest groups are difficult to operationalize for data collection. Such concepts as “cohesion,” “access,” “resources,” etc., represent complex phenomena and would involve a good deal of effort to apply rigorously and empirically.
Ethnoracial Variation in Depression Symptoms

Introduction:While there is a long-standing tradition of research on the predictors of depression among women exposed to violence, little of this research has been conducted across ethnic and racia...
Estimation of winter wheat leaf nitrogen accumulation based on coupling ground-and space-remotely sensed information

By coupling the SPOT-5 multi-spectral RS images, ground-spectrum, and field measured data of different winter wheat ecological zones, a pure pixel spectrum extraction method was developed based on spectral response function and pixel unmixed, and the quantitative relationships between leaf nitrogen accumulation (LNA) and simulated, measured, and pure pixel spectra were analyzed. The estimation accuracy for LNA was in the sequence of simulated pixel spectra pure pixel spectra measured pixel spectra. However, the LNA monitoring model based on simulated pixel spectra couldn’t be extrapolated directly to spatial level. The results of model verification also indicated that the monitoring model based on pure pixel spectra performed well in two different wheat ecological zones. Therefore, the pure pixel spectrum extraction method could be applied to other varied and remotely sensed data with different spatial and spectral resolutions by making use of the merits of ground- and space- remote sensing simultaneously, which provided a technological basis for estimating winter wheat nitrogen status in regional scale.
History of the Food and Drug Administration's Total Diet Study (Part II), 1987-1993.

The Total Diet Studies conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provide yearly information on levels of pesticide residues, contaminants, and nutrients in the food supply and diets of specific age-sex groups. They also identify trends and changes in the levels of these substances in the food supply and in diets over time. Results are useful in making policy decisions regarding the safety of the food supply, food additives, pesticide use, nutrient fortification, and food labeling. This paper provides information on studies performed by FDA from 1987 to 1993.
Regional differences in gastrointestinal processing and absorption of epidermal growth factor in suckling rats

Gastrointestinal processing and absorption in vivo of 125I-labeled epidermal growth factor (125I-EGF) was studied in isolated stomach, jejunum, and ileum of 12-day-old suckling rats. Dose dependency and regional differences in the processing and absorption of EGF were determined. At 60 min after administration of 125I-EGF into the isolated gastric lumen, greater than 90% of radioactive material was recovered from gastric wall and lumen in both suckling and weanling rats. On the other hand, a considerable amount of EGF was absorbed (in immunoreactive and receptor active form) from isolated jejunum and ileum of suckling rats. The absorption of EGF from isolated jejunum and ileum increased linearly with the dose of EGF administered up to 1 microgram/rat; absorption of orogastrically administered EGF was also increased linearly with the dose of EGF administered (up to 5 micrograms/rat). Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of tissue extracts demonstrated that 125I-EGF is stable in gastric lumen but only partially stable in the jejunal lumen. Carboxy-terminally processed forms of EGF were detected in the luminal flushings of jejunum and ileum and in the wall of the stomach, jejunum, and ileum. 125I-des(48-53)EGF was found in ileal flushings and in the walls of the stomach, jejunum, and ileum, whereas 125I-des(53)EGF and 125I-des(49-53)EGF were detected in jejunal flushings. Receptor binding of 125I-des(53)EGF was significantly greater (by 57%) than that of intact 125I-EGF, but receptor binding of 125I-des(49-53)EGF and 125I-des(48-53)EGF was greatly diminished by 57 and 86%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Health-Related Quality of Life in CKD-Advancing Patient-Centered Research to Transform Patient Care.

Patients’ experiences and quality of life are increasingly recognized as important domains of health for providers to identify, understand, and improve. Improvement in the quality of life related to human health as well as the length of life are the paramount goals of health care. Patients not
The existentialist public administrator

The philosophical roots of existentialism can be found in the writings of Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Sartre, and Camus. Sartre used existentialism to frame the social and political issues of the day after World War II and Camus helped popularize the philosophyŉs focus on individualism and personal freedom. Existentialism provided justification for challenging public officials and regimes and was embraced again by public administrators and citizens frustrated by the failures of foreign and domestic policies in the 1960s and 1970s. Today existentialism and transcendentalist phenomenology remain strong alternatives to empiricism as a methodology in the study of human behavior. They provide a philosophical basis for determining and applying ethical standards, as well as a basis for encouraging public administrators to address major societal problems rather than being overly focused on management technique and administrative process.
Abstract 3707: Baseline quality of life and genetic determinants and the impact on five-year lung cancer survival

Patient-reported health-related quality of life (QOL) is an important part of a cancer patient9s treatment plan and has been linked to overall cancer survival. We aimed to identify the impact of QOL and potential genetic factors on five-year lung cancer survival using a lung cancer patient cohort from MD Anderson Cancer Center. QOL data was obtained from the SF-12 questionnaire. Patient responses were used to calculate Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores, with a lower score indicating a worse QOL. Mean baseline QOL scores were calculated for demographic factors in 7,135 patients, and individuals with a college degree (PCS = 42.0, compared to less than a high school degree PCS = 35.1, P Citation Format: Jeanne A. Pierzynski, Michelle A. Hildebrandt, Yuanqing Ye, Jack A. Roth, Xifeng Wu. Baseline quality of life and genetic determinants and the impact on five-year lung cancer survival. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3707. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3707