cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sampling Schemes for Estimating Populations of the Apple Aphid, Aphis pomi (Homoptera: Aphididae), on Apple

Various sampling schemes were evaluated for estimating the population size of the apple aphid, Aphis pomi DeGeer, on an apple tree. More aphids were found to inhabit the actively growing shoots in the top of the tree canopy than the bottom. An average of 90% of the total aphid population occurred on the first six leaves at the top of the tree, whereas the first four leaves contained 90% of the aphids at the bottom for all sampling dates. The method of counting the number of aphids on the most infested leaf provided the most accurate assessment of aphid density, but it required the most effort. Counting only the number of infested leaves per shoot resulted in a decrease in accuracy, but also a 4- to 8-fold decrease in the time required to sample. Reliable estimates of the aphid population over an entire tree can be made from sampling only those areas of the tree reachable from the ground. Sample size estimates are presented on the number of shoots and trees to sample, as well as an estimate of precision.
Jalysus spinosus:1 Reproductive Diapause2

Field and laboratory experiments showed that under certain conditions adult females of the predator Jalysus spinosus (Say) have a facultative reproductive diapause in North Carolina. Diapausing females appeared in the Oxford, NC area in late August, as day length declined to 13.5h and less. In the laboratory at 26.7°C, the percentage incidence of diapause rose abruptly from ca. 9% at 13.5 photophase to 98% at 12.5 h. The diapause-induction curve was a Type III shape, with 0% diapause at constant darkness. A long day (14 h light and 10 h dark) and warmer temperatures shortened the length of diapause.
Use of Computer-Mediated Reading Supports to Enhance Reading Comprehension of High School Students:

This study investigated whether providing reading supports for high school students who read computer-mediated text would further their comprehension. Independent variables included subjects' reading achievement level, the difficulty level of the text, passage order, and subjects' perception of the task. While most subjects in the reading support condition used them, reading supports did not improve subjects' reading comprehension scores on easy or difficult reading passages. When the subjects were blocked as high or low readers, reading supports also showed no effects on comprehension scores. It was found that reading supports were used more on the high-difficulty than low-difficulty reading passages. Suggestions for improving the presentation of reading supports are given.
Thread Phase Ultrastructure in Ceratiomyxa Fruticulosa

The thread phase of Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa is an elongate protoplast containing four nuclei. Rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, mitochondria, and centrioles are associated with each nucleus. The ...
P3-09-03: Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake and Its Relationship to Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Serum, Red Blood Cells and Breast Tissue.

Background Long chain omega-3 (n-3) poly unsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) have anti-inflammatory effects and are able to counteract the effects of the pro-inflammatory omega-6 (n-6) fatty acids such as arachidonic acid (AA) by substituting for the n-6 fatty acids in triglycerides (TG) and phospholipids (PL). Several pre-clinical, observational, and case control studies suggest that intake or tissue content of n-3 LCPUFA such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), relative to intake or tissue content of long chain n-6 fatty acids such as AA may be associated with reduced risk of breast cancer. The goal of this study was to determine the relationships between dietary intake of fatty acids, tissue levels of fatty acids, and breast tissue biomarkers for risk of breast cancer. Methods: Women (n=74) were recruited from a clinic in which women at increased risk for breast cancer had breast tissue acquired by random periareolar fine needle aspiration (RPFNA). Breast epithelial cells were assessed for cytomorphology and proliferation (Ki-67 immunochemistry). Fatty acid dietary intake was assessed with the National Cancer Institute Diet History Questionnaire. Plasma, erythrocyte, and breast specimens were processed for membrane PL and TG and analyzed for individual fatty acids by gas liquid chromatography. Results: Total intake of n-3 PUFA was 1.1 ± 0.5 g/d, and the ratio of EPA+DHA:AA was 0.1:1.0 (n=66). Dietary n-3 LCPUFA correlated with n-3 LCPUFA in both plasma and erthyrocyte PL (n=62). Breast epithelial cell number, Masood cytomorphology score, and percent Ki-67 positive cells were higher in RPFNA specimens which exhibited cytologic atypia compared to those which did not (n=74; p Conclusions: Overall, women in this high risk cohort consumed very low amounts of n-3 LCPUFAs. Dietary intake of n-3 LCPUFA was related to levels of n-3 LCPUFA in erythrocyte and plasma PL. Given the association of low levels of n-3 fatty acids with cytologic atypia (a known risk factor for breast cancer development), an intervention to increase n-3 fatty acids and n-3:n-6 ratios has merit and clinical trials in high risk women have been initiated. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-09-03.
Comparisons of Measurement Results as Constraints on Accuracies of Measuring Instruments: When Can We Determine the Accuracies from These Constraints?

For a measuring instrument, a usual way to find the probability distribution of its measurement errors is to compare its results with the results of measuring the same quantity with a much more accurate instrument. But what if we are interested in estimating the measurement accuracy of a state-of-the-art measuring instrument, for which no more accurate instrument is possible? In this paper, we show that while in general, such estimation is not possible; however, can uniquely determine the corresponding probability distributions if we have several state-of-the-art measuring instruments, and for one of them, the corresponding probability distribution is symmetric.
Hemodynamic results, clinical outcome, and complications of Inoue balloon mitral valvotomy.

Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) was performed in 290 patients enrolled from 16 clinical centers in the United States and Canada. The mean age was 54 +/- 15 years and the mean total echocardiographic score was 7.3 +/- 2.8. Mitral valve dilatation resulted in an increase in mitral valve area from 1.0 +/- 0.3 to 1.7 +/- 0.6 cm2 (P or = 1.5 cm2 or a > or = 50% increase in area, was achieved in 83% of patients. Significant complications included mitral valve replacement in the hospital 1.0% and hospital death in 1.4%. Failure to cross the mitral valve occurred in 1.7%. Other complications that did not interfere with discharge from the hospital with a completed PTMC procedure occurred in 12.1% of patients. Among patients with successful PTMC, the valve area remained constant over a 24-month follow-up period. Although a minority of patients were NYHA Class I or II prior to PTMC, > 80% remained in Class I or II throughout the 2-yr follow-up period. The overall results in this registry demonstrate that the acute hemodynamic results of the procedure are excellent, the incidence of procedure related complications is acceptable, and a majority of patients remain symptomatically improved during a 2-yr follow-up period.
Integers and Rationals

In Chapter 2 we built up most of the basic properties of the natural number system, but we have reached the limits of what one can do with just addition and multiplication. We would now like to introduce a new operation, that of subtraction, but to do that properly we will have to pass from the natural number system to a larger number system, that of the integers.
Contextual Spatial Outlier Detection with Metric Learning

Hydraulic fracturing (or "fracking") is a revolutionary well stimulation technique for shale gas extraction, but has spawned controversy in environmental contamination. If methane from gas wells leaks extensively, this greenhouse gas can impact drinking water wells and enhance global warming. Our work is motivated by this heated debate on environmental issue and focuses on general data analytical techniques to detect anomalous spatial data samples (e.g., water samples related to potential leakages). Specifically, we propose a spatial outlier detection method based on contextual neighbors. Different from existing work, our approach utilizes both spatial attributes and non-spatial contextual attributes to define neighbors. We further use robust metric learning to combine different contextual attributes in order to find meaningful neighbors. Our technique can be applied to any spatial dataset. Extensive experimental results on five real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. We also show some interesting case studies, including one case linking to leakage of a gas well.
The Nineteenth Century: “The Space(s) of the Critical Rivalry in London”

“The Space(s) of the Critical Rivalry in London” examines the nineteenth-century versions of the relationship, beginning with Charles Lamb’s assessment of Shakespeare and Marlowe in his 1808 Specimens of English Dramatic Poets, which “although delivered with little critical commentary, is heavily influenced by his own critical judgment.” The chapter then shows how William Hazlitt’s engagement with Edmund Kean set the two rivals in relief by comparing their staged dramas at Drury Lane. Kean’s performance of one central role from each of the writers—Barabbas in Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta and Shylock from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice—helps to further complicate the distinction between the dramatists in the nineteenth century. The space of the printed reviews and public lectures of William Hazlitt aimed at the so-called “public sphere” of Jurgun Habermas is both complicated and conflicted during nineteenth-century London.
The Informed Consent Event

In order to fashion a synthesis of the various agendas and perspectives that weigh upon us, we have elected to give primacy to an informed consent event in our account, however much it may need to be augmented by a surrounding process. The informed consent event has three distinct stages, each aimed at quite different, though complementary goals: (1) the comprehensive disclosure stage, which will roughly approximate the detailed presentation of risks, benefits and alternatives of a given intervention required by American law, but will be aimed at more modest goals, e.g. providing the patient the opportunity to rule in or out regarding hesitancy, ambivalence or misconceptions; (2) the core disclosure stage, which will attempt to counter the information overload tendency of the first stage and give patients something relatively simple and structured which they might minimally react to and evaluate, viz., the essential choice at hand; and (3) the assessment, clarification, and patient choice stage which will be the only necessarily interactive part of the informed consent event (unless the patient spontaneously chooses this mode at any other point), and which will focus on the patient’s level of understanding and other concerns. This stage will proceed by probing into the patient’s understanding of the information provided in the preceding two stages and will respond to this with appropriate clarification of the patient’s developing sense of the issues at hand.
Multiphysics Performance Evaluation of Flexible Substrate Based 1.2kV SiC Half Bridge Intelligent Power Module with Stacked Dies

Abstract Wide Bandgap (WBG) power devices have become the most promising solution for power conversion systems, with the best trade-off between theoretical characteristics, real commercial availability and maturity of fabrications. Advanced packaging technology is being heavily developed to take full advantages of WBG devices, in terms of materials, mechanical design, fabrication and electrical performance optimizations. In this paper, a flexible substrate based 1.2kV SiC Half Bridge Intelligent Power Module with stacked dies is introduced. The module design is based on the concept “Power Supply in Package (PSiP)”, high functionality is integrated in the module. Together with power stages, gate driver circuits, Low Dropout Regulators (LDO), digital isolators, and bootstrap circuits are integrated in the module. An ultra-thin flexible epoxy-resin based dielectric is applied in the module as substrates, its thickness can be as low as 80μm, with 8W/mK thermal conductivity. The SiC switches are double-side so...
THE GEOMETRY OF THE STATE SPACE

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a functional analytic frame for dealing with questions concerning state spaces of orthomodular posets and Dacey manuals. It present examples of orthomodular posets whose state space, a Banach space in the base-norm, is not reflexive. It also presents the appropriate level of generality for an extended measure theory that not only include all the classical cases but also those arising through von Neu­mann algebras. The chapter highlights the geometrical features of the state space, considered as a base-normed space, and its dual, which is an order unit-normed space. Using the theorem of James, the chapter explains that the state space of an orthomodular poset is reflexive and that state spaces are, in general, not reflexive. It also explains the various states of orthomodular poset.
Omission Error, Data Requirements, and the Fractal Dimension of the Geoid

The newest global geopotential model, EGM08, yields significantly improved height anomaly (and geoid undulation) estimates, but not yet at the level of 1cm accuracy. Achieving this goal requires higher resolution gravimetric data (among other advancements, both theoretical and numerical). To determine the necessary data resolution, a statistical approach using the power spectral density (psd) of the height anomaly may be used to relate resolution to standard deviation in omission error. Kaula’s rule was the first such relationship based on a power-law approximation to the psd. It is shown that the Earth’s topography, whose fractal nature implies a power-law attenuation of its psd, and which in many cases is linearly correlated with the gravity anomaly on the basis of Airy’s isostatic assumption, can be used to design approximations to the psd of the local height anomaly, thus leading to estimates of the data resolution required to support the 1cm accuracy level.
SCALING ISSUES IN MAPPING RIPARIAN ZONES WITH REMOTE SENSING DATA: QUANTIFYING ERRORS AND SOURCES OF UNCERTAINTY

15.1 INTRODUCTION Riparian zones are the ecotones or transition areas between upland and aquatic ecosystems, located at the margins of rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands. Their boundaries are defined by changes in soil, moisture, and vegetation (Naiman 2000, Decamps 1996, Gregory et al. 1991). Although these ecosystems may be small relative to the aquatic systems they abut, they perform many important ecosystem services, including shading (thus buffering air and water temperature), retaining nutrients and/or sediments, stabilizing stream banks and littoral zones, and providing organic material (leaves, wood) and critical habitat for a diverse community of plant and animal species (Malanson 1993). Riparian zones are highly variable systems whose structure and composition are shaped by geomorphology, vegetation patterns, disturbance regimes (Decamps 1996), as well as current (Erickson and DeYoung 1993) and perhaps historic land use practices (Foster et al. 2003). Processes that operate over a large range of temporal and spatial scales control these structuring factors. At one end of the time/space continuum are processes such as tectonics, volcanism, glaciation, and climate change. At intermediate spatial and temporal scales are historic land use practices (e.g., burning regimes implemented by native peoples, permanent land cover conversion) and catastrophic flooding. At small scales, localized flooding and land management practices influence the structure and function of riparian zones. Some processes occur over multiple scales and their effects may also vary by scale. The fine-scale variation of vegetative cover resulting from moisture and soil gradients around streams and wetlands has posed a challenge to research scientists and land managers (Muller 1997, Congalton et al. 2002). One of the current
Use of Electron Backscatter Diffraction in Understanding Texture and the Mechanisms of Backscattered Noise Generation in Titanium Alloys

Developing a quantitative understanding of ultrasonic beam propagation in engineering materials such as Ti-6A1-4V is important because flaw signals can be altered greatly by the macrostructure that the ultrasonic beam propagates through between the transducer and the flaw. Two consequences of the macrostructure are particularly important: 1) back scattered noise which competes with flaw signals and 2) forward scattered signals and the associated beam profile fluctuations which can modulate the strength of flaw signals [1,2,3], These effects are particularly important when ultrasonic beams are used to detect subtle defects such as unvoided, uncracked hard-alpha inclusions (regions with a high content of interstitial nitrogen or oxygen), because the flaw signal is inherently weak due to a small mismatch of acoustic impedance. Each of these effects is controlled by the inherently complex macrostructure which develops during routine processing. Current theories suggest that the most important physical feature which controls noise is the two-point correlation of elastic constants, which is in turn controlled by local variations in crystallographic orientation [4]. Therefore, in order to quantify the effects of the macrostructure on ultrasonic beam propagation, one must determine the elastic constants on a microscopic level with length scales less than the ultrasonic wavelength, approximately 600 μm at 10 MHz.
Slavery, Capitalism, and the Problem of Misprision

One of the most interesting scholarly developments in historical circles over the course of the last few years has been the unanticipated rise of the field known as the “new history of American capitalism.” Although most devotees of this new field are not formally trained in economics – indeed, some demonstrate little familiarity with the standard methods informing the discipline – the rise of the field on balance has been salutary for the traditional field to which it is most closely related: economic history. For decades economic history qua field had been shrinking, particularly in history departments, but also in departments of economics, as historians jumped on the cultural bandwagon or set sail with Atlantic history, and economists moved toward theory, models, and abstraction and away from messy empirics and fussy data, especially from the deep recesses of the past (often defined as anything prior to the last quarter). And so, academic scribblers – including this one, alas – anticipating the demise of economic history, were busy penning ex ante epitaphs and memorials to the field, as the remaining practitioners became grayer and longer in the tooth.
Scrotal filariasis in a Caucasian child in Greece

Lymphatic filariasis is very rare in Greece, despite her geographical position. Only a few cases about affected young men and children have been published during the last century. We report a 2-year-old Caucasian boy presented to our emergency department with a painless swelling in the right scrotum during the last 10 days. Neither fever nor discomfort was reported. In the clinical examination, the right scrotum was hard but painless. An ultrasound and a computed tomography (CT) scan showed a mass (d 2.04 x 1.34x 2.48 cm) in the right epididymis and it was thought to be a solid tumor of epididymis. A decision of an exploratory scrotal surgery was made and a right orchiectomy was performed. The histological examination showed that here were a lot of eosinophil, lymphocytes and some parasites, namely Wuchereria bancrofti in the parenchyma of both testis and epididymis. Then some more specific blood tests were done, which were negative for filariasis, and it was decided that chemotherapy was not needed. In a follow-up period of one and two years after the surgery, all the tests (blood tests and CT scan) were normal and the child had a normal everyday life. Sometimes some clinical cases in children could be tricky. In Europe, such parasitic diseases, as filariasis, are very rare and their diagnosis is difficult for even an experienced pediatric surgeon.
Chemical Degradation Pathways in Siloxane Polymers Following Phenyl Excitations

We use ensembles of quantum-based molecular dynamics simulations to predict the chemical reactions that follow radiation-induced excitations of phenyl groups in a model copolymer of polydimethylsiloxane and polydiphenylsiloxane. Our simulations span a wide range of highly porous and condensed phase densities and include both wet and dry conditions. We observe that in the absence of water, excited phenyl groups tend to abstract hydrogen from other methyl or phenyl side groups to produce benzene, with the under-hydrogenated group initiating subsequent intrachain cyclization reactions. These systems also yield minor products of diphenyl moieties formed by the complete abstraction of both phenyl groups from a single polydiphenylsiloxane subunit. In contrast, we find that the presence of water promotes the formation of free benzene and silanol side groups, reduces the likelihood for intrachain cyclization reactions, and completely suppresses the formation of diphenyl species. In addition, we predict that water plays a critical role in chain scission reactions, which indicates a possible synergistic effect between environmental moisture and radiation that could promote alterations of a larger polymer network. These results could have impact in interpreting accelerated aging experiments, where polymer decomposition reactions and network rearrangements are thought to have a significant effect on the ensuing mechanical properties.
10 – DC-DC Converters

Modern electronic systems require high-quality, small, lightweight, reliable, and efficient power supplies. Linear power regulators, whose principle of operation is based on a voltage or current divider, are inefficient. They are limited to output voltages smaller than the input voltage. Also, their power density is low because they require low-frequency (50 or 60 Hz) line transformers and filters. Linear regulators can, however, provide a very high-quality output voltage. Their main area of application is at low power levels as low-dropout voltage (LDO) regulators. Electronic devices in linear regulators operate in their active (linear) modes. At higher power levels, switching regulators are used. Switching regulators use power electronic semiconductor switches in on and off states. Since there is a small power loss in those states (low voltage across a switch in the on state, zero current through a switch in the off state), switching regulators can achieve high energy conversion efficiencies. Modern power electronic switches can operate at high frequencies. The higher the operating frequency, the smaller and lighter the transformers, filter inductors, and capacitors. In addition, dynamic characteristics of converters improve with increasing operating frequencies. The bandwidth of a control loop is usually determined by the corner frequency of the output filter. Therefore, high operating frequencies allow for achieving a faster dynamic response to rapid changes in the load current and/or the input voltage.
Boat anchoring contributes substantially to coral reef degradation in the British Virgin Islands

Community decline is often linked to anthropogenic activities. Coral reef declines, for example, have been linked to overfishing and climate change, but impacts of coastal development, pollution, and tourism have received increasing attention. Here, we isolated the impact of one little-studied aspect of recreational activity on coral reefs-damage from boat anchoring-by performing a survey of 24 sites in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) subject to varying levels of anchoring activity. The percent cover of hard corals and sea fans was reduced by a factor of ∼1.7 and ∼2.6 respectively at highly anchored sites. Hard coral colonies were 40% smaller in surface area and ∼60% less dense at sites experiencing high anchoring frequency. In addition, highly anchored sites supported only ∼60% of the species richness of little anchored sites. Frequently anchored sites were ∼60% as structurally complex and supported less than half as many fish as those rarely anchored, with 5 of 7 fish functional groups affected. Roughly 24% of BVI coral reef by area appears suitable for anchoring, suggesting that impacts associated with boat anchoring may be both locally severe and more pervasive than previously appreciated.
Dual catalysis for the copolymerisation of epoxides and lactones

A dual catalysis system was developed to synthesize hydrolyzable polyether–polyester copolymers from propylene oxide and cyclic esters such as γ-butyrolactone, δ-valerolactone, and e-caprolactone. A bimetallic chromium catalyst active for the enantioselective polymerisation of propylene oxide and an organocatalyst active for the ring-opening polymerisation of lactones were used in conjunction with an alcohol chain shuttling agent to create new copolymers. The monomer and alcohol ratios were varied to yield a wide range of copolymers with varying monomer ratios, molecular weights, and crystallinities.
Collagen binding α2β1 and α1β1 integrins play contrasting roles in regulation of Ets-1 expression in human liver myofibroblasts

Activation of hepatic stellate cells from quiescence to myofibroblast-like cells (MFBs) is a pivotal event in hepatic fibrogenesis. Plastic-cultured stellate cells (an established in vitro model of the activated phenotype) recultured on Matrigel™ revert to quiescence. In the present study we analyzed the molecular mechanism underlying this process, focusing on the effect of collagen receptors α2β1 and α1β1 integrin signaling on the expression of Ets-1 transcription factor and its target gene MMP1 in cultured human MFBs. Cells grown in 3-dimensional (3D) substrates (Matrigel™ or collagen type I gel) markedly upregulated Ets-1 and MMP1 messages, in comparison to cells cultured on plastic. A similar effect but less intense was mimicked by stimulation of α2β1 or blocking of α1β1 integrin in cells grown on plastic. We observed increased expression of MMP1 transcripts with parallel changes in MMP1 promoter activity, and in mRNA and protein levels of upstream transcription factors Ets-1 and c-Jun. Interference with α2β1 and α1β1 integrin function in cells cultured in a 3D collagen substrate resulted in an even greater effect. Morphologically, stimulation of α2β1 integrin resulted in formation of multicellular networks, probably by facilitation of cell migration. Thus, we report the novel observation that in cultured human MFBs reverting to quiescence, the expression of transcription factor Ets-1 and its downstream target MMP1 can be modulated by changes in the microenvironment, which are mediated, at least in part, by the balance between collagen receptor integrin α2β1 and α1β1 activities
Battlefield Acupuncture for Chronic Pain Management in Patients on Long-Term Opioid Therapy

Objectives: Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) is a unique auricular acupuncture procedure utilized by many Veterans Affairs Healthcare Administration facilities. Several previous studies have shown an immediate reduction in pain for up to 2 weeks post BFA. The long-term effects of BFA and its potential to decrease opioid use had yet to be analyzed. This study was conducted to analyze the effectiveness of BFA to decrease chronic pain immediately and 6 months after treatment and to decrease the number of opioids needed for management of chronic pain. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study comparing veterans who received BFA and were prescribed opioids for their chronic pain to veterans who did not receive BFA. The treatment group included 24 veterans who received BFA and had opioid contracts. The comparison group consisted of 23 randomly selected veterans who had opioid contracts but did not receive BFA. A numeric rating scale (NRS) was used to measure pain before and after treatment, as well as 3 months prior and 6 months post. The average morphine mg equivalents for opioids 3 months prior and 6 months post treatment were also compared. Differences between groups were statistically analyzed by an analysis of variance and a Student's t-test. Results: Significant average decreases of 1.3 points on the NRS occurred in 66.1% immediately after the procedure. No significant decreases in pain were found. No significant changes of the average number of opioids over the 9 months analyzed were found. Conclusions: BFA is effective for immediate pain reduction. Further research with a randomized controlled trial in a larger population is needed to assess BFA effects on chronic pain and opioid dependency.
Political difference and polarization in the family: The role of (non)accommodating communication for navigating identity differences:

This study joins the relatively modest literature examining the effects of political disagreement in the family. We consider the effects of communication accommodation on shared family identity in ...
Markovian embedding procedures for non-Markovian stochastic Schrödinger equations

Abstract We present embedding procedures for the non-Markovian stochastic Schrodinger equations, arising from studies of quantum systems coupled with bath environments. By introducing auxiliary wave functions, it is demonstrated that the non-Markovian dynamics can be embedded in extended, but Markovian, stochastic models. Two embedding procedures are presented. The first method leads to nonlinear stochastic equations, the implementation of which is much more efficient than the non-Markovian stochastic Schrodinger equations. The stochastic Schrodinger equations obtained from the second procedure involve more auxiliary wave functions, but the equations are linear, and a closed-form generalized quantum master equation for the density-matrix can be obtained. The accuracy of the embedded models is ensured by fitting to the power spectrum. The stochastic force is represented using a linear superposition of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes, which are incorporated as multiplicative noise in the auxiliary Schrodinger equations. It is shown that the asymptotic behavior of the spectral density in the low frequency regime, which is responsible for the long-time behavior of the quantum dynamics, can be preserved by using correlated stochastic processes. The approximations are verified by using a spin-boson system as a test example.
Risk Perceptions in Fisheries and Non-Bayesian Learning Process

This study examines the rationality of safety beliefs and the correlation between risk perception and actual level of job-related physical risk using data from the Maine’s American lobster fishery. To avoid measurement errors, I applied the instrumental variables to estimate risk perception and the compensation for the captain. Using educational achievement as a proxy for cognitive ability, I find no evidence supporting a correlation between risk perception and cognitive ability. While captains incorporate information on actual commercial fishing accidents to form their probabilistic judgments, I find evidence that learning process is non-linear in lobster fishery and does not follow an expected Bayesian linear framework. Also, the results suggest that the adjustment process slows down as the new information arrives. I could not confirm that fishermen use normalization strategy to minimize risk perception as a psychological method of coping with the threat.
Shareholder Ownership and Primacy

According to the traditional view, the shareholders own the corporation. Until relatively recently, this view enjoyed general acceptance. Today, however, there seems to be substantial agreement among legal scholars and others in the academy that shareholders do not own corporations. In fact, the claim that shareholders do own corporations often is dismissed as merely a “theory,” a “naked assertion,” or even a “myth.” And yet, outside of the academy, views on the corporation remain quite traditional. Most people - not just the public and the media, but also politicians, and even bureaucrats and the courts - seem to believe that the shareholders do, in fact, own corporations. Why this disconnect? I believe that contemporary scholarship has done a better job of critiquing shareholder ownership than of disproving it. In this Article, I provide a defense of the traditional view by evaluating many of the arguments commonly raised against shareholder ownership and showing how they fall short. I then explain why the issue matters. As a theoretical matter, the issue of ownership is necessary to a proper understanding of the nature of the corporation and corporate law. As a practical matter, it is an important consideration in the allocation of rights in the corporation: if shareholders are owners, then the balance of rights will tip more heavily in their favor, and against others, than if they are not. Ownership may not settle any specific question of corporate governance, but it will make a significant difference in the analysis. Because the issue of ownership has the potential to shape all of corporate law and direct the very purpose of corporations, it is of utmost importance.
A Pilot Protocol Study on How Designers Construct Function Structures in Novel Design

This paper reports a pilot protocol study that examines how designers construct function models as they develop and explore solution architectures for novel design problems. The purpose of this pilot project is to establish the experiment method and analysis protocol so that a repeatable and statistically large pool of participants can be used to draw significant conclusions about function model construction. In the study, voluntary participants with varied levels of experience in product design and function modeling are given a novel design problem and asked to develop functional architectures as part of concept development, using function structures as the modeling tool/language. The modeling actions are videotaped and the designers are interviewed using a predesigned questionnaire after the experiment. The data is analyzed using a predefined protocol that encodes the addition, deletion, and modification of model elements such as functions, flows, and text, and also actions such as reading the problem statement and pausing. The protocol analysis reveals patterns of modeling activities, such as forward chaining (expanding the model by adding functions to the head of flows and flows outgoing of functions), backward chaining (adding functions to the tail of flows and adding flows incoming to functions), and nucleation (starting with a few disconnected functions and flows, and gradually connecting them to complete the model). In aggregate, these observations provide insight into designers’ thinking patterns while exploring solutions to unseen problems using function structures. The protocol is demonstrated to be complete within the scope of the study. The preliminary findings based on the two participants indicate that various parameters of solution exploration may largely vary between designers. The overall approach of model expansion also varies between forward chaining and nucleation. However, at a finer resolution of observing modeling actions, designers generally prefer nucleation or forward chaining of functions and forward or backward chaining of flows.
Case of St. Ambrose Baseball Player Meets 'Covered Travel' Requirements

In Regan v. Mutual of Omaha Insurance Co., 2007 Ill. App. LEXIS 894 (1st Dist. Aug. 17, 2007), the Appellate Court of Illinois affirmed the trial court, which granted summary judgment to a collegiate baseball player who sued Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company after being paralyzed while diving into the ocean during a spring break baseball trip in March 2002. Specifically, the Court found that the school's insurance policy covered the plaintiff's injury because the injury occurred during the school trip, and the plaintiff was complying with the rules imposed by the St. Ambrose University baseball team's coaching staff when injured. The St. Ambrose University baseball team carried catastrophic athletic injury insurance as required by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The baseball team traveled from Midway Airport in Chicago, Illinois, to Miami to participate in the Homestead Challenge in Homestead, Florida. Players were responsible for their own airfare, hotel and food expenses during the trip, but the University paid for the players' transportation to and from the airports, the baseball games and the cost of entering the tournament. To raise the necessary funds, the players received money from pledges and sponsors. The players in turn handed the money over to the coach who controlled the funds. The funds were then used to pay for the team's airfare, hotel and meal expenses during the trip. Upon arrival in Florida, the coaches explained to the players the rules in effect for the entire trip as well as the consequences for breaking said rules. One such rule allowed the players to walk in the area around the hotel, including out onto the beach, without notifying anyone. St. Ambrose was scheduled to play baseball games on March 10, 11, 12 and 14-17; March 13 was their "day off."
Repurchase Dividend Reinvestment Plans (Repurchase DRIPS)

We investigate the determinants of firms' decision to offer Repurchase Dividend Reinvestment Plans ( Repurchase DRIPs). F irm size, managerial share holding, and free cash flow are statistically significant in explaining a firm’s decision to employ Repurchase DRIPs. We find that managerial stock ownership is negatively related to use of Repurchase DRIPs . E conomies of scale in marketing and maintaining DRIP program and excess cash flows are positively related to Repurchase DRIP adoption. We find no evidence that information asymmetry is a major motivation to the likelihoods of using Repurchase DRIPs .
Lower tacrolimus trough levels are associated with subsequently higher acute rejection risk during the first 12 months after kidney transplantation

The premise that lower TAC trough levels are associated with subsequently higher first BPAR risk during the first 12 mo post-transplant was recently questioned. Using our prospectively followed cohort of 528 adult, primary kidney transplant recipients (pooled across four randomized trials) who received reduced TAC dosing plus an IMPDH inhibitor, TAC trough levels measured at seven time points, 7, 14 days, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9 months post-transplant, were utilized along with Cox's model to determine the multivariable significance of TAC level(t) (a continuous time-dependent covariate equaling the most recently measured TAC level prior to time t) on the hazard rate of developing first BPAR during the first 12 months post-transplant. The percentage developing BPAR during the first 12 months post-transplant was 10.2% (54/528). In univariable analysis, lower TAC level(t) was associated with a significantly higher BPAR rate (P = 0.00006), and its significance was maintained even after controlling for 2 significant baseline predictors (African-American/Hispanic Recipient and Developed DGF) in Cox's model (multivariable P = 0.0003). Use of a cutpoint, TAC level(t) <4.0 vs. ≥4.0 ng/ml, yielded an even greater association with BPAR rate (univariable and multivariable P < 0.000001), with an estimated hazard ratio of 6.33. These results suggest that TAC levels <4.0 ng/ml should be avoided during the first 12 months post-transplant when TAC is used in combination with fixed-dose mycophenolate with or without corticosteroids and induction therapy.
Last Rites for the Tipu Maya: Genetic Structuring in a Colonial Cemetery

Last Rites for the Tipu Maya: Genetic Structuring in. Colonial Cemetery. Keith P. Jacobi. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2000. 400 pp.
Formation of the rupture site in preovulatory hamster and mouse follicles: Loss of the surface epithelium

Changes in the morphology of epithelial cells covering the sides and apex of ovarian follicles were examined in mice and hamsters during the final 13 hr before rupture using light and electron microscopy. At the time of the surge of luteinizing hormone, approximately 13 hr before follicle rupture, epithelial cells along the follicle sides are spherical, covered with microvilli, and remain so throughout the entire cycle. As ovulation approaches, cells at the apex become progressively flatter, increase in diameter, and undergo a reduction in the number and length of microvilli. By 2 hr before ovulation, the microvilli are present only along the boundary between adjacent cells and the cells are in different stages of degeneration. In some cells, the cytoplasm is electron dense and the nuclei are pyknotic. Other cells become electron lucent and cytoplasmic elements are leached from the cell. The apical plasma membrane is lost first over the center of the cell and later over the periphery. Epithelial cells detach from the apex individually until a large patch devoid of cells is formed. This includes the site of eventual rupture. The loss of epithelial cells from the apex of ovarian follicles of other species is compared with our results, and the processes involved in stretching, degeneration, and sloughing of the epithelial cells are discussed.
Photoexcitation of a quasi-continuum: connections to few-level dynamics

We study the coupling of an initially occupied single level to an N-level quasi-continuum (QC) using perturbation theory. The single-level amplitude is expressed as a sum of harmonically oscillating factors whose dephasings and rephasings give rise to decay and recurrences, respectively. In particular, we study the most common model of this coupling in which the QC is infinite, uniform, and flat. We derive simple approximate formulas for resonant and nonresonant excitation that display absorption-rate reversal and enhancement effects and periodic time evolution. We show how these properties can be connected to few-level dynamics. The limits of applicability of few-level approximations are investigated.
Approximate spin-extended Hartree—Fock calculations

Abstract Projected-unrestricted Hartree—Fock wavefunctions can be improved by minimizing the energy with respect to variations in the occupation numbers of the charge-density natural orbitals. A series of pi-electron calculations are compared to the spin extended calculations of Mayer and Kertesz. Ab initio calculations on the lowest singlet and triplet states of ozone are compared to the GVB results of Hay et al.
Calcium Movements in CGRP-treated Cultured Skeletal Muscle Cells: Is There a Role for CGRP in Tension Headaches?

It was previously determined that the site of action of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in cardiomyocytes was predominantly at the sarcolemmal calcium release channel, and studies have shown that CGRP has major effects on intracellular cardiomyocyte calcium concentrations. We postulated that CGRP would have similar effects on striated skeletal muscle and determined the effects of CGRP on calcium levels in cultured chick myotubes by fluorescence imaging. Myoblasts were cultured until they were continuous myotubes. Deconvolution fluorescence imaging was employed to visualize subcellular organelles and construct 3D renditions. Myotubes were treated with a high (1 μM) and a low (1 nM) concentration of CGRP for 1 h or 24 h time periods, and real-time fluorescence spectrophotometry with a calcium specific fluoroprobe permitted the acquisition of images and calcium transients. Experiments also used CGRP 8–37 to ensure specificity of action of the full-length neuropeptide. CGRP localizations by image stacking were made using fluorescence deconvolution microscopy and distributions on the myotubes were shown. Myotube contractions and intracellular calcium levels were dose dependent, a high CGRP concentration producing calcium overload. CGRP 8–37 had no effect on contractions or calcium levels. Reconstructed images revealed the neuropeptide to be localized to juxta-nuclear areas, supporting the likelihood of site specific actions. CGRP has dramatic effects on intracellular calcium in striated muscle, high concentrations producing sustained contractions and calcium overload. The results give support to a mechanistic role for CGRP in muscle tension headaches, and underscore the importance in the development of CGRP analogues or receptor antagonists for treatment.
Photo-physics of melamine-formaldehyde resins: Fluorescence and fluorescence lifetimes

Melamine-formaldehyde crosslinkers absorb ultraviolet (uv) light below 320 nm and exhibit a fluorescent emission at 393 nm. The lifetime of the emission in dilute aqueous and alcohol solutions of melamine resins is long (>300 ns). The excited state is quenched by oxygen (Kq = 3 × 109m−1s−1) and the addition of acid. The addition of acid protonates the melamine crosslinker. This protonated form is an effective quencher of melamine fluorescence (Kq = 3 × 109m−1s−1). When melamine-formaldehyde resins are used as crosslinkers in coatings, the presence of oxygen and acid (added as a cure catalyst) is sufficient to largely quench melamine fluorescence. The addition of benzotriazole uv absorber further quenches melamine fluorescence by resonance energy transfer. These results confirm recent studies which suggested that melamine excited state chemistry was not responsible for the uv induced degradation observed in melamine coatings.
The formation of the Cassini division in Saturn's rings

The satellite Mimas excites a trailing spiral density wave in Saturn's rings at the position of the 2:1 resonance. The density wave carries negative angular momentum and propagates outward. The wave is damped by a combination of nonlinear and viscous effects, and its negative angular momentum is transferred to the ring particles. Consequently, the particles just outside the 2:1 resonance spiral inward, opening a gap. The inner edge of the gap is close to the resonance position in agreement with the location of the inner edge of the Cassini division. Despite its tiny mass, Minas is able to clear a gap as wide as the Cassini division. We estimate the ability of Saturn's satellites to open other gaps in the rings. The upper limit to the width of Encke's division implies that the velocity dispersion of the ring particles is <10^(-2) cm sec^(-1).
SENSITIZATION OF PHOTOREACTIONS IN EIMHJELLEN'S RHODOPSEUDOMONAS BY A PIGMENT ABSORBING AT 830 mμ*

— The excitation spectrum for bacteriochlorophyll b fluorescence, the action spectrum for cytochrome-553 oxidation, and the action spectrum for P-985 bleaching are compared to the absorption (1-T) spectrum of a Rhodopseudomonas sp. NHTC 133 extract over the range 770 to 930 mμ. These spectra show that a minor pigment P-830 is more effective in sensitizing cytochrome oxidation and P-985 bleaching than in exciting fluorescence of Bchl b. These results are consistent with the proposal that P-830 is a form of Bchl b in special relation to the reaction center pigment P-985.
Professor C. R. Mudgeon and the “Order,” or Writing Regression Questions So That Students Do Not Need a Calculator

Professor Mudgeon writes simple linear regression questions so that the numbers always work out nicely. A student uses knowledge of linear models to learn that by constructing errors that are orthogonal to the design matrix, regression coefficients can be set to any desired value. An example is provided to construct data to follow a particular example.