cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vaccination of calves with Haemonchus placei intestinal homogenate.

Abstract The ability of adult Haemonchus placei intestinal homogenate to confer protection against homologous challenge infection was evaluated. Calves were immunized twice with 100 μg H. placei intestinal protein in 5% dextran-sulfate/PBS (vaccinates) or PBS alone (controls) and were challenged with approximately 3300 infective H. placei larvae. There was no significant difference between groups in the total number of nematodes recovered but significantly fewer (p
Keeping learning central: a model for implementing emerging technologies

Felt problem: Technology integration continues to be a challenge for health science faculty. While students expect emerging technologies to be used in the classroom, faculty members desire a strategic process to incorporate technology for the students’ benefit. Our solution: We have developed a model that provides faculty a strategy for integrating emerging technologies into the classroom. The model is grounded in student learning and may be applied to any technology. We present the model alongside examples from faculty who have used it to incorporate technology into their health sciences classrooms. Keywords: technology integration; emerging technologies (Published: 15 January 2010) Citation: Medical Education Online 2010, 15: 4275 - DOI: 10.3402/meo.v15i0.4275
A guinea-pig hereditary cataract contains a splice-site deletion in a crystallin gene.

Abstract A congenital cataract present in guinea pigs provided a unique opportunity to study a hereditary lens diseases at the molecular level. ζ-crystallin, one of the most abundant guinea pig lens proteins, was found to be altered in the lens of cataractous animals. Several ζ-crystallin cDNA clones were isolated from a cataractous lens library and found to contain a 102-bp deletion towards the 3′ end of the coding region. The deletion does not interfere with the reading frame but results in a protein 34 amino acids shorter. Sequence analysis of a normal genomic ζ-crystallin clone revealed that the missing 102-bp fragment corresponds to an entire exon (exon 7). PCR analysis of the genomic DNA isolated from cataractous animals showed that exon 7, though missing from the mRNA, is intact in the cataractous genome. Further sequence analysis of the α-crystallin gene disclosed a dinucleotide delection of the universal AG at the acceptor splice-site of intron 6 of the mutant gene. The presence of this mutation results in the skipping of exon 7 during the mRNA processing which in turn results in the altered ζ-crystallin protein. This if the first time a genomic mutation in an enzyme/crytallin gene has been directly linked to a congenital cataract.
Synergism Between FSH and Activin in the Regulation of Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) and Cyclin D2 Expression in Rat Granulosa Cells

Follicular development is associated with both proliferation and differentiation of granulosa cells under the control of FSH. We show that regulation of genes involved in cellular proliferation by FSH can be functionally separated from the regulation of genes involved in granulosa cell differentiation by synergistic actions of activin and T. Incubation of undifferentiated rat granulosa cells with FSH, forskolin, activin-A, or T alone did not influence either the expression of the proliferation-associated genes cyclin D2 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen or the differentiation-associated genes P450 aromatase, LH receptor, P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme, and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. However, when granulosa cells were stimulated with either FSH or forskolin in the presence of activin-A, significant increases (P < 0.05) were observed for cyclin D2 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen at both the mRNA and protein levels as well as mRNAs for P450 aromatase, LH receptor, P450 choleste...
Myocardial preservation related to magnesium content of hyperkalemic cardioplegic solutions at 8 °C

Abstract This study investigates whether the addition of magnesium to a hyperkalemic cardioplegic solution containing 0.1 mM ionized calcium improves myocardial preservation, and whether there is an optimal magnesium concentration in this solution. Isolated perfused rat hearts were arrested for two hours by this cardioplegic solution, which was fully oxygenated and infused at 8 °C every 15 minutes to simulate clinical conditions. The cardioplegic solution contained either 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32 mM magnesium. At end-arrest, the myocardial creatine phosphate concentration (nanomoles per milligram of dry weight) was 20.7 ± 2.1, 22.9 ± 1.7, 24.8 ± 2.0, 31.3 ± 1.4, 33.1 ± 1.8, and 31.6 ± 0.8, respectively, in hearts given cardioplegic solution containing these magnesium concentrations. Thus, the concentration of creatine phosphate was significantly higher at end-arrest when the cardioplegic solution contained 8, 16, or 32 mM than 0 or 2 mM magnesium ( p p p
Multiresolution nonhomogeneous anisotropic diffusion approach to enhance ultrasound breast tumor image legibility

One factor used to tell if a tumor is benign or malignant is by examining the underlying structures of the tumor. In ultrasound images, these underlying structures are often buried in speckle noise. The proposed technique utilizes a median-anisotropic diffusion interactive algorithm to “dissolve” speckle noise and enhance images. This technique has two important differences from conventional anisotropic diffusion techniques. First, there is a two resolution level process, which converts the speckle to quasi-impulsive noise, making it more easily removable. Second, a median related reaction term is applied to the anisotropic diffusion equation, thus making it well suited for removing impulse type noise. In addition, the reaction term will make speckle reduction and image enhancement more adaptive to the local features in the image. The experimental data showed the proposed technique improved the legibility of the breast tumor images as important structures were emphasized.
Generation of cell-to-cell signals in quorum sensing: acyl homoserine lactone synthase activity of a purified Vibrio fischeri LuxI protein.

Abstract Many bacteria use acyl homoserine lactone signals to monitor cell density in a type of gene regulation termed quorum sensing and response. Synthesis of these signals is directed by homologs of the luxi gene of Vibrio fischeri. This communication resolves two critical issues concerning the synthesis of the V. fischeri signal. (i) The luxI product is directly involved in signal synthesis-the protein is an acyl homoserine lactone synthase; and (ii) the substrates for acyl homoserine lactone synthesis are not amino acids from biosynthetic pathways or fatty acid degradation products, but rather they are S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and an acylated acyl carrier protein (ACP) from the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway. We purified a maltose binding protein-LuxI fusion polypeptide and showed that, when provided with the appropriate substrates, it catalyzes the synthesis of an acyl homoserine lactone. In V. fischeri, luxi directs the synthesis of N-(3-oxohexanoyl) homoserine lactone and hexanoyl homoserine lactone. The purified maltose binding protein-LuxI fusion protein catalyzes the synthesis of hexanoyl homoserine lactone from hexanoyl-ACP and SAM. There is a high level of specificity for hexanoyl-ACP over ACPs with differing acyl group lengths, and hexanoyl homoserine lactone was not synthesized when SAM was replaced with other amino acids, such as methionine, S-adenosylhomocysteine, homoserine, or homoserine lactone, or when hexanoyl-SAM was provided as the substrate. This provides direct evidence that the LuxI protein is an auto-inducer synthase that catalyzes the formation of an amide bond between SAM and a fatty acyl-ACP and then catalyzes the formation of the acyl homoserine lactone from the acyl-SAM intermediate.
Opening the Shutters: Gurneyite Quakerism and the Struggle for Women’s Equality in the Meeting for Business, 1859 to 1930

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries American Gurneyite Quakers ended the practice of having separate women’s Meetings for Business. This article examines the discourse among Gurneyite Quakers that argued for and against ending these separate Meetings and the creation of co-gendered ‘joint’ Meetings. It argues based on this inquiry that while this process may have been linked to larger shifts in gender roles that were occurring within American religious life, it also arose out of circumstances that were particular to Quakerism. Further, this paper raises questions about what the consequences were for Gurneyite women of eliminating Women’s Meetings, suggesting that it may actually have worked to marginalize them and restrict their roles in church governance.
The Hydrogeochemistry of Early Meteoric Diagenesis in a Holocene deposit of Biogenic Carbonates

ABSTRACT This study presents the results of a quantitative hydrogeochemical investigation of early meteoric diagenesis in a deposit of biogenic, mixed-mineralic Holocene carbonate sediments at Ocean Bight in the southeastern Bahamas. Ground-water samples were collected from a network of 27 wells arranged into 4 transects across the 1.5 km2 strand-plain deposit. Four wells provided multi-depth samples at 0.5 m intervals, thus allowing for the construction of vertical chemical profiles. Analyses of the water consisted of temperature, pH, alkalinity, CI- , Ca2+, Mg2+, SR2+, SO42-, and 13C. Data derived from these analyses were used in a series of equilibri m and mass-balance equations to calculate mineral saturation levels and magnitudes and rates of mineral transformation reactions. Interpretation of measured and calculated parameters provided a detailed picture of patterns and processes of meteoric diagenesis at Ocean Bight. Four features of meteoric diagenetic processes operating at Ocean Bight are distinct from processes documented at previously studied non-biogenic and aragonite dominated Holocene systems: 1) lighter cementation with respect to magnitudes of calcite precipitation, 2) diminished magnitudes of aragonite dissolution, 3) elevated rates of mineral stabilization, and 4) lower efficiencies of transformation reactions. Another distinction of this study, which is not thought to be attributed solely to the presence of mixed biogenic carbonates, is the isolation of transformation reactions to the vadose and upper phreatic zone. This result contradicts the popularly held belief that metastable carbonate deposits undergo rapid equilibration throughout the freshwater phreatic zone. This distribution of diagenetic reactions, along with the analytical results, characterizes a chemical environment dominated by carbonate mineral transformation reactions linked mainly to the oxidation of organic matter and not only to the relative solubility of the different carbonate minerals. This finding may prove important in attempts to explain the preservation of metastable minerals in ancient geologic sequences despite repeated exposure to freshwater phreatic zones. This finding also questions the assumption that the extent of paleo-phreatic lenses is equal to the observed extent of freshwater phreatic alteration.
Structural, spectral and thermal studies of N-2-(pyridyl)- and N-2-(picolyl)-N′-(3-chlorophenyl)thioureas

Abstract N-2-(pyridyl)-N′-3-chlorophenylthiourea, PyTu3Cl, monoclinic, P21, a=9.9770(14), b=6.1770(9), c=9.9000(7) A , β=97.301(8)°, V=605.17(13) A 3 and Z=2; N-2-(4-picolyl)-N′-3-chlorophenylthiourea, 4PicTu3Cl, triclinic, P−1, a=4.7970(3), b=10.7180(12), c=12.7370(15) A , α=77.919(4), β=85.959(6), γ=89.697(7)°, V=638.74(11) A 3 and Z=2; N-2-(5-picolyl)-N′-3-chlorophenylthiourea, 5PicTu3Cl, monoclinic, P21/c, a=11.1580(6), b=15.233(2), c=7.5118(15) A , β=93.336(8)°, V=1274.5(3) A 3 and Z=4 and N-2-(6-picolyl)-N′-3-chlorophenylthiourea, 6PicTu3Cl, triclinic, P−1, a=7.3620(12), b=8.828(3), c=11.675(3) A , α=98.78(1), β=104.398(17), γ=109.651(16)°, V=668.5(2) A 3 and Z=2. The intramolecular hydrogen bonding between N′H and the pyridine nitrogen and intermolecular hydrogen bonding involving the thione sulfur and the NH hydrogen, as well as the planarity of the molecules, are affected by the presence and position of the methyl substituent on the pyridine ring. 1H NMR studies in CDCl3 show the NH′ hydrogen resonance considerably downfield from other resonances in their spectra indicating intramolecular hydrogen bonding is also present in solution.
Approach and Withdrawal Motivation in Schizophrenia: An Examination of Frontal Brain Asymmetric Activity

Although motivational disturbances are common in schizophrenia, their neurophysiological and psychological basis is poorly understood. This electroencephalography (EEG) study examined the well-established motivational direction model of asymmetric frontal brain activity in schizophrenia. According to this model, relative left frontal activity in the resting EEG reflects enhanced approach motivation tendencies, whereas relative right frontal activity reflects enhanced withdrawal motivation tendencies. Twenty-five schizophrenia outpatients and 25 healthy controls completed resting EEG assessments of frontal asymmetry in the alpha frequency band (8–12 Hz), as well as a self-report measure of behavioral activation and inhibition system (BIS/BAS) sensitivity. Patients showed an atypical pattern of differences from controls. On the EEG measure patients failed to show the left lateralized activity that was present in controls, suggesting diminished approach motivation. On the self-report measure, patients reported higher BIS sensitivity than controls, which is typically interpreted as heightened withdrawal motivation. EEG asymmetry scores did not significantly correlate with BIS/BAS scores or with clinical symptom ratings among patients. The overall pattern suggests a motivational disturbance in schizophrenia characterized by elements of both diminished approach and elevated withdrawal tendencies.
On the Cranial Osteology of the Hispaniolan Solenodon, Solenodon paradoxus Brandt, 1833 (Mammalia, Lipotyphla, Solenodontidae)

Abstract The external and internal surfaces of the skull of the Hispaniolan solenodon, Solenodon paradoxus Brandt, 1833, are described and illustrated in detail based on five museum specimens (one from Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the remainder from American Museum of Natural History). Two of the specimens are juveniles that preserve sutural information that is lacking in the adults; one adult is bisected and exposes the interior of the nasal and cranial cavities. A sixth specimen is a serially sectioned ear region of a juvenile from the Max-Planck-Institut fur Hirnforschung that provides information on soft-tissue structures. The Hispaniolan solenodon has a peculiar skull with numerous highly unusual features among mammals. Included are: a small, oval ossification, the os proboscidis, jutting anteriorly from the ventral rim of the external nasal aperture; zygoma incomplete and jugal bone absent; exposure of the ethmoid bone in the orbit but palatine not; numerous orbital foramina accommodating vei...
Aberrant prostaglandin synthase 2 expression defines an antigen-presenting cell defect for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Prostaglandins (PGs) are lipid molecules that profoundly affect cellular processes including inflammation and immune response. Pathways contributing to PG output are highly regulated in antigen-presenting cells such as macrophages and monocytes, which produce large quantities of these molecules upon activation. In this report, we demonstrate aberrant constitutive expression of the normally inducible cyclooxygenase PG synthase 2 (PGS2/ COX-2) in nonactivated monocytes of humans with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and those with islet autoantibodies at increased risk of developing this disease. Constitutive PGS2 appears to characterize a high risk for diabetes as it correlates with and predicts a low first-phase insulin response in autoantibody-positive subjects. Abnormal PGS2 expression in at-risk subjects affected immune response in vitro, as the presence of a specific PGS2 inhibitor, NS398, significantly increased IL-2 receptor α-chain (CD25) expression on phytohemagglutinin-stimulated T cells. The effect of PGS2 on CD25 expression was most profound in subjects expressing both DR04 and DQβ0302 high-risk alleles, suggesting that this cyclooxygenase interacts with diabetes-associated MHC class II antigens to limit T-cell activation. These results indicate that constitutive PGS2 expression in monocytes defines an antigen-presenting cell defect affecting immune response, and that this expression is a novel cell-associated risk marker for IDDM. J. Clin. Invest. 104:515-523 (1999).
New evidence regarding deep-water flow in the eastern Pacific

In gathering data concerning the Humboldt Current, the present investigator has discovered evidence not previously utilized, which indicates that Antarctic circumpolar water flows along the eastern shores of the Pacific as far north as the latitude of southern California, in what appears to be an uninterrupted movement from Antarctic regions. The first proof and statement of this direction of deep-current flow we owe to Austin H. Clark, based upon his study of crinoid distribution.
Recent cancer incidence trends in an observational clinical cohort of HIV-infected patients in the US, 2000 to 2011

Background: In HIV-infected populations in developed countries, the most recent published cancer incidence trend analyses are only updated through 2008. We assessed changes in the distribution of cancer types and incidence trends among HIV-infected patients in North Carolina up until 2011. Methods: We linked the University of North Carolina Center for AIDS Research HIV Clinical Cohort, an observational clinical cohort of 3141 HIV-infected patients, with the North Carolina Cancer registry. Cancer incidence rates were estimated across calendar years from 2000 to 2011. The distribution of cancer types was described. Incidence trends were assessed with linear regression. Results: Across 15,022 person-years of follow-up, 202 cancers were identified (incidence rate per 100,000 personyears [IR]: 1345; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1166, 1544). The majority of cancers were virus-related (61%), including Kaposi sarcoma (N = 32) (IR: 213; 95%CI: 146, 301), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (N = 34) (IR: 226; 95%CI: 157, 316), and anal cancer (N = 16) (IR: 107; 95%CI: 61, 173). Non-Hodgkin lymphoma was observed to decrease from 2000 to 2011 (decline of 15 cases per 100,000 person-years per calendar year, 95%CI: -27, -3). No other changes in incidence or changes in incidence trends were observed for other cancers (all P > 0.20). Conclusions: We observed a substantial burden of a variety of cancers in this population in the last decade. Kaposi sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were consistently two of the greatest contributors to cancer burden across calendar time. Cancer rates appeared stable across calendar years, except for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which appeared to decrease throughout the study period.
TASK STRUCTURE DESIGN: BEYOND LINKAGE*

The purpose of this article is to analyze the role testing can play in ascertaining and improving the effects of educational programs and services. Our point of view maintains that the connection between tests and instruction is best made integrally through an understanding of the design of learning tasks rather than through the use of techniques that attempt to join or to link the now separate domains of instruction and testing. The focus on the design requirements of learning tasks represents a fundamentally different perspective on the test/instruction issue. This perspective is theoretically grounded in its orientation deriving from research in learning, instruction, and cognitive processing, to name but a few areas; yet, it also has numerous potential implications for practice. The context for task structures will be described, and their use in developing instruction and tests will be considered. The limitations of such an approach in practice will be discussed and feasible approximations outlined. Finally, the research agenda in this area will be broadly sketched.
Amine‐cured epoxy/clay nanocomposites. I. Processing and chemical characterization

The processing of nanocomposite materials composed of amine-cured diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) reinforced with organomontmorillonite clay is reported. A novel sample preparation scheme was used to process the modified clay in the glassy epoxy network, resulting in nanocomposites where the clay was both exfoliated and intercalated by the epoxy network. The processing scheme involves sonication of the constituent materials in a solvent, followed by solvent extraction to generate a composite with homogeneous dispersions of the nanoclay. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Fourier transform (FT-)Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the chemical structure of the epoxy network was not affected by the use of solvents in this processing scheme. The glass-transition temperature, Tg, linearly increased with an increased weight ratio of the nanoclay. The microstructure of clay nanoplatelets in the composites was observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). It was found that the clay nanoplatelets were well-dispersed, and were intercalated as well as exfoliated. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4384–4390, 2004
Emerging self-regulation in toddlers born preterm or low birth weight: Differential susceptibility to parenting?

The differential susceptibility to parenting model was examined in relation to toddler self-regulation in a prospective longitudinal study of infants born preterm or low birth weight. We followed 153 mother–infant dyads across five time points between the infant’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit stay and 24 months postterm. Assessments of infant temperament, quality of early parenting interactions, contextual variables, and toddler effortful control and behavior problems were conducted. Results supported differential susceptibility and dual risk models in addition to documenting main effects of early parenting on children’s emerging self-regulation. Our data suggested that preterm or low birth weight infants who were prone to distress or rated by mothers as more difficult were particularly susceptible to the effects of early negative parenting.
Automatic classification of positive time-frequency distributions

A method of performing automatic classification of positive time-frequency distributions is presented. These distributions are computed via constrained optimization, minimizing the cross-entropy of the distribution subject to a set of constraints. An algorithm for clustering using cross-entropy as the distance measure between vectors was derived by Shore and Gray (see IEEE Trans. PAMI, vol.4, no.1, p.11-17). We apply this method to the time-frequency case, and derive an efficient classification scheme. An advantage of this method is that the time-frequency distributions of the data to be classified do not need to be directly computed; thus, the method can be applied to real-time classification. >
Breeding for Resistance and Susceptibility to Avian Lymphomatosis

Abstract INTRODUCTION WITHIN the past twenty years considerable research has been done on the disease termed avian lymphomatosis. A description of this disease, together with other allied conditions, as well as citations of past research, is given by Brandly, Waters and Hall (1942), and by Jungherr (1943). The opinion is justified that losses from lymphomatosis exceed that of any other poultry disease and that few flocks of chickens in the United States have escaped its ravages. It is probable that this disease exacts a greater financial loss from poultrymen than available field statistics would indicate. A decrease or cessation of growth or production during the incipient and/or chronic stages of the disease adds to the difficulty of measuring the total financial loss. There would appear to be no period in the life of a chicken wherein lymphomatosis is not a problem, inasmuch as birds have died from a few weeks old . . .
Continuous-time calibration of VLSI sensors for gain and offset variations

Parameter variations cause unavoidable nonuniformities in infrared focal plane arrays and other integrated sensors. A one-time calibration procedure is normally used to counteract the effect of these variations between components. Unfortunately, many of these variations fluctuate with time--either with operating point (such as data-dependent variations) or with external conditions (such as temperature). Calibrating these sensors one-time only at the `factory' is not suitable--much more frequent calibration is required. We have developed an adaptive algorithm that continually calibrates an array of sensors that contains gain and offset variations. This paper extends the work of Ullman and Schechtman who developed an algorithm for gain adjustment. The adaptive nonlinear dynamical system can be mapped to analog VLSI or a discretized version may be efficiently implemented in digital hardware.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Reliability of state-of-the-art GaAs pseudomorphic low-noise HEMTs

High-temperature DC accelerated life tests on AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs pseudomorphic low-noise HEMTs were performed at three temperatures. It was found that the pseudomorphic HEMT is as reliable as the GaAs MESFET and GaAs conventional HEMT. Based on a failure criterion of -10% gm, the activation energy is 1.74 eV and the projected life at 150 degrees C is about 4*10/sup 6/ hours. The failure mechanism was found to be dominated by source resistance increase. >
Optical pulse synthesis using Brillouin selective sideband amplification

We present a novel concept for Fourier synthesis of optical pulses using Brillouin selective sideband amplification in optical fibers and demonstrate the generation of a 7.8 GHz pulse train using two CW lasers and two phase modulators.
Aboveground Total and Green Biomass of Dryland Shrub Derived from Terrestrial Laser Scanning

Abstract Sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ), a dominant shrub species in the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem of the western US, is declining from its historical distribution due to feedbacks between climate and land use change, fire, and invasive species. Quantifying aboveground biomass of sagebrush is important for assessing carbon storage and monitoring the presence and distribution of this rapidly changing dryland ecosystem. Models of shrub canopy volume, derived from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) point clouds, were used to accurately estimate aboveground sagebrush biomass. Ninety-one sagebrush plants were scanned and sampled across three study sites in the Great Basin, USA. Half of the plants were scanned and destructively sampled in the spring ( n = 46), while the other half were scanned again in the fall before destructive sampling ( n = 45). The latter set of sagebrush plants was scanned during both spring and fall to further test the ability of the TLS to quantify seasonal changes in green biomass. Sagebrush biomass was estimated using both a voxel and a 3-D convex hull approach applied to TLS point cloud data. The 3-D convex hull model estimated total and green biomass more accurately ( R 2 = 0.92 and R 2 = 0.83, respectively) than the voxel-based method ( R 2 = 0.86 and R 2 = 0.73, respectively). Seasonal differences in TLS-predicted green biomass were detected at two of the sites ( p p = 0.029), elucidating the amount of ephemeral leaf loss in the face of summer drought. The methods presented herein are directly transferable to other dryland shrubs, and implementation of the convex hull model with similar sagebrush species is straightforward.
A block-iterative quadratic signal recovery algorithm

We propose a block-iterative parallel decomposition method to solve quadratic signal recovery problems under convex constraints. The idea, of the method is to disintegrate the original multi-constraint problem into a sequence of simple quadratic minimizations over the intersection of two half-spaces constructed by linearizing blocks of constraints. The implementation of the algorithm is quite flexible thanks to its block-parallel structure. In addition a wide range of complex constraints can be incorporated since the method does not require exact constraint enforcement at each step but merely approximate enforcement via linearization. An application to deconvolution is demonstrated.
Chapter 63 Econometric Tools for Analyzing Market Outcomes

Abstract This paper outlines recently developed techniques for estimating the primitives needed to empirically analyze equilibrium interactions and their implications in oligopolistic markets. It is divided into an introduction and three sections; a section on estimating demand functions, a section on estimating production functions, and a section on estimating “dynamic” parameters (parameters estimated through their implications on the choice of controls which determine the distribution of future profits). The introduction provides an overview of how these primitives are used in typical I.O. applications, and explains how the individual sections are structured. The topics of the three sections have all been addressed in prior literature. Consequently each section begins with a review of the problems I.O. researchers encountered in using the prior approaches. The sections then continue with a fairly detailed explanation of the recent techniques and their relationship to the problems with the prior approaches. Hopefully the detail is rich enough to enable the reader to actually program up a version of the techniques and use them to analyze data. We conclude each section with a brief discussion of some of the problems with the more recent techniques. Here the emphasis is on when those problems are likely to be particularly important, and on recent research designed to overcome them when they are.
The acute psychiatric diagnostic interview

The general outline of a psychiatric diagnostic interview given in Table 1 includes some broad suggestions for the amount of time to spend on each section. As a structured interview based on a symptom checklist questionnaire yields higher frequency of reports of symptoms, it is advisable to follow this type of format rather than a totally unstructured interview technique. Sim recommends a structured format that lends itself to computerization. Griest and colleagues suggest a computer interview, and there are data supporting the diagnostic accuracy of such a system. Within the framework of any diagnostic interview, a thorough exploration of the 10 critical elements listed in Table 5 is essential for accurate diagnosis. This information, which is usually obtainable in about 30 minutes, will enable the clinician to make a preliminary diagnosis, decide upon pharmacotherapy, and determine if hospitalization is warranted. A more intensive but lengthy and time-consuming structured diagnostic interview is the Schedule for Affective Disorders (SADS), which is more appropriate for inpatients or patients being considered for a research protocol.
Custom, Non-Customary Practice, and Negligence

The rule that evidence of compliance with or departure from custom is admissible to prove negligence implements the idea that recurring patterns of conduct have a bearing on what constitutes reasonable care. In contrast, evidence of the incidence of practices that are not sufficiently widespread to qualify as customs is not admissible to prove negligence. In de-emphasizing the importance of patterns of conduct that regularly recur but are not as widespread as customs, the practice rule treats each negligence case as more nearly unique, and leaves greater room for the risk-benefit and reasonable prudence conceptions of negligence to operate. In this Article, I attempt to enrich our understanding of the custom rule, including what the rule implies about the admissibility of practice evidence. I do this by examining precisely what makes custom evidence at least potentially probative of reasonable care, and by identifying two functions of custom evidence that have not been emphasized in previous work. Custom evidence is not only directly relevant to the negligence issue, but can also perform a knowledge-building, or educational function. And admitting custom evidence may help to prevent the jury from drawing unwarranted inferences from the absence of such evidence. Interestingly, there is virtually no case law addressing the admissibility or inadmissibility of the incidence of practices that are not customs. I identify the reasons for this case law vacuum, and consider the arguments for and against permitting the introduction of evidence of the incidence of such practices. Finally, precisely because negligence law permits the parties to deploy, and juries to consider, evidence and arguments based on the different perspectives that the custom and practice rules reflect, we have a conception of negligence that is often ambiguous. In a brief concluding discussion, therefore, I return to the contrast between the different sources of authority in negligence law, and try to tease out some of the broader implications of this contrast for our understanding of negligence
ML:M0 as a regional seismic discriminant

The m_b:M_S ratio determined by teleseismic observations has proven to be an effective discriminant, for explosive sources tend to be significantly richer in short-period energy than are earthquakes. Unfortunately, this method is limited by the detection threshold of teleseismic surface waves. However, recent advances in instrumentation allowing low amplitude surface wave measurements coupled with new analytical techniques make it feasible to use regional waveform data to determine the long-period source excitation level of low magnitude events. We propose using the ratio of M_L (local magnitude) to M_0 (scalar seismic moment) as an analogous regional discriminant. We applied this criterion to a data set of 299 earthquakes and 178 explosions and found that this ratio seems to be diagnostic of source type. For a given M_0, the M_L of an explosion is more than 0.5 magnitude units larger than that of an earthquake. This separation of populations with respect to source type can be attributed to the fact that M_L is a short-period (1 Hz) energy measurement, whereas seismic moment is determined from long-period body wave phases (period > 4 s) and surface waves (10 to 40 sec). Using regional stations with sources 200 to 600 km away, the effective threshold for magnitude measurements for this discriminant is found to be M_L = 3.1 for earthquakes and M_L = 3.6 for explosions. This method does require the determination of regional crustal models and path calibrations from master events or by other means.
Accurate polynomial chaos expansion for variability analysis using optimal design of experiments

This paper presents a novel generalized polynomial chaos approach for quantifying the uncertainty in high-speed networks arising from random variations in the circuit parameters. The key feature of this work is the development of a non-intrusive linear regression methodology that is able to accurately evaluate the polynomial chaos coefficients using only a sparse set of nodes located within the multidimensional random space. These non-intrusive regression nodes are extracted using an optimized design of experiments (DoEs) approach based on the concepts of exchange algorithms and D-optimality criteria commonly applied in the field of estimation theory.
Assessing the Resilience of Coastal Systems: A Probabilistic Approach

ABSTRACT Schultz, M.T. and Smith, E.R., 2016. Assessing the resilience of coastal systems: A probabilistic approach. Resilience is the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to changing conditions and withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly from disruptions. Methods and tools to quantify resilience are needed to provide actionable intelligence to plan, design, construct, and manage coastal systems. This paper describes how a probabilistic measure of resilience can be assessed for a coastal community using a Bayesian network. The measure of resilience is the joint probability of meeting two management objectives, one with respect to the level of system performance and the other with respect to the length of time required to restore system performance. This paper describes a pilot study to demonstrate the approach in Jamaica Bay, New York, a dense, urban, residential community located on the southern coast of Long Island. Results of the pilot study illustrate how practical information can be devel...
An Improved Immunoperoxidase Technique Using Horseradish Peroxidase Avidin D

We have compared the avidin-biotin complex immunoperoxidase method with a modified horseradish peroxidase a vidin D technique. Use of the horseradish peroxidase avidin D procedure saved time without compromising quality of the staining, by reducing the amount of time for methanol-hydrogen peroxide block, serum block, antibody incubations, horseradish peroxidase avidin D incubation, and Gill-3 hematoxylin counterstain, and cut costs by using higher dilutions of primary antibodies. Other helpful modifications include the utilization of phosphate-buffered saline, batching slides for secondary antibody and horseradish peroxidase avidin D, and instituting a standard development time.
Aldehydes and Ketones Form Intermediate π Complexes with the Gilman Reagent, Me2CuLi, at Low Temperatures in Tetrahydrofuran

Typical aldehydes and ketones form π complexes with Me2CuLi at low temperatures in tetrahydrofuran. They range in stability from fleeting intermediates at −100 °C to entities that persist up to −20 °C. Three subsequent reaction pathways have been identified.
Goniozus indicus as a Parasite of the Sugarcane Borer

Muesebeck (1940) recorded Goniozus indicus Muesebeck as a parasite of the genera Scirpophaga and Chilo from India and stated that it had been reared from Diatraea venosata Walker. Pruthi (1941) reported it parasitizing Emmalocera depressella Swinhoe in India in 1940. Cherian and Israel (1942) demonstrated larval parasitism and gave an account of the bionomics of G. indicus on Sciropophaga rhodoproctalis Hampson and Chilo zonellus Swinhoe. During the same year the species was reported by Cherian and Subramanian (1942) as parasitizing D. venosata. Rao (personal communication) stated it was also found parasitizing Chilotraea infuscatellus Snellen, Proceras indicus Kapur, and Scirpophaga nivella F. Although the genus Goniozus is common throughout the world, available literature reveals no further record of parasitism by G. indicus . Recently a study was made at Canal Point, Fla., to determine if G. indicus would parasitize the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.)
Investigation on the distribution of Yersinia enterocolitica in Xuzhou area of Jiangsu province

The distribution of Yersinia enterocolitica in animal host and meat food at Xuzhou area of Jiangsu province was investigated,in which bacteria were isolated from various kinds of samples in different seasons and different area by conventional methods and the isolates were typed with serological methods,biological typing assay and antibiotics susceptibilty testing.The virulence genes of isolates was detected by conventional PCR assay.It was found that Y.enterocolitica could be isolated from all kinds of samples including samples taken from various kinds of animal hosts and meat foods.The carrier rate of host animals during spring season was comparatively higher than that during autumn season(P0.005).Pigs were the host with highest carrier rate(8.2%)and dogs turned to be the next;both animals were the hosts for pathogenic Y.enterocolitica.Pathogenic strains of Y.enterocolitica constituted 10% of the whole bacteria isolated,in which the O:3/bio-3 type appeared to be the predominant organism(9/10).From these observations,it is evident that seasonal and distribution differences of Y.enterocolitica exist in these area and both pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of Y.enterocolitica co-exist at the same time.
Still together?: the role of acoustic features in predicting marital outcome.

The assessment and prediction of marital outcome in couple therapy has intrigued many clinical psychologists. In this work, we analyze the significance of various acoustic features extracted from couples’ spoken interaction in predicting the success or failure of their marriage. We also investigate whether speech acoustic features can provide complementary information to behavioral descriptions or codes provided by human experts (e.g., relationship satisfaction, blame patterns, global negativity). We formulate marital outcome prediction as both binary (improvement vs. no improvement) and multiclass (different levels of improvement) classification problem. Our experiments show that acoustic features can predict marital outcome more accurately than those based on behavioral descriptors provided by human experts. We also find that dialog turn-level acoustic features generally perform better than frame-level signal descriptors. This observation supports the notion that the impact of the behavior of one interlocutor on the other is more important than the behavior itself looked in isolation. Finally, acoustic features together with human-derived behavioral codes show the best performance in outcome prediction, suggesting some complementarity in the information captured by these behavioral representations.
Composing across modes: a comparative analysis of adolescents’ multimodal composing processes

ABSTRACTAlthough the shift from page to screen has dramatically redefined conceptions of writing, very little is known about how youth compose with multiple modes in digital environments. Integrating multimodality and multiliteracies theoretical frameworks, this comparative case study examined how urban twelfth-grade students collaboratively composed across three multimodal projects when responding to and analyzing literature. Data sources included screen capture and video observations, student design interviews, written reflections, and multimodal products. Findings revealed that multimodal composing was a complex, dynamic, and varied process mediated by the interaction of multiple factors. Students exhibited modal preferences when working with open and flexible digital tools – spending a majority of time working with that particular mode and relying on it to carry the communicative weight of their compositions. The development of multimodal composing timescapes for this study provided new insights into ...
Factors influencing the in vitro uptake of radiophosphorus by human erythrocytes.

Abstract A new index for expressing P 32 uptake by erythrocytes has been developed and it is determined from the following experimentally established equation: Kc=(UD) (VtVf), where U is the uptake in the red cell mass, D is the incubated dose of P 32 , V t is the total suspension volume, and V f is the volume of the packed red cells. This new index, K c , represents the specific affinity of the red cell for P 32 under standard conditions of incubation, and it makes provision for the effects of hematocrit and total solution volume upon erythrocyte P 32 uptake. Irradiation has been shown to have little or no effect on the human erythrocyte uptake of P 32 and, hence, this method is not suitable for use as an in vitro screening technique for proposed anti-irradiation agents. Erythrocyte K c values show no consistent variation over a wide range of clinical disease conditions. Storage of red cells with varying amounts of glucose at different times and temperatures suggests that the K c of the surviving cells reflects their viability. It is proposed that this might be a simple, useful tool in the search for more effective methods of blood preservation.
Boreal forest prospects and politics: Paradoxes of first nations participation in multi-sector conservation

This article explores the prospects and politics of indigenous participation in multi-sector conservation—an integrative and proactive new approach to sustaining the integrity of vast natural ecosystems—by presenting the case of the Boreal Leadership Council (BLC), an initiative comprised of Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (ENGOs), First Nations groups, resource-extractive corporations, and financial institutions committed to collectively addressing issues impacting Canada's boreal forest. Drawing on multi-sited participant-observation and interviews with BLC members and affiliates, I show how the BLC challenges wilderness-oriented definitions of conservation by undertaking projects that intertwine resource use, land rights, cultural preservation, and political authority, but concurrently perpetuates dominant perspectives by adhering to discursive practices that limit how environmental information can be persuasively presented. Ultimately, I argue that multi-sector conservation creates both new possibilities for indigenous empowerment and new forms of marginalisation through the reproduction of a (post)colonial geography of exclusion in which indigenous participants knowingly and strategically travel from the centre of their own worlds to peripheral positions within a larger—and inherently inequitable—sociopolitical structure.
Invisible water, visible impact: groundwater use and Indian agriculture under climate change

India is one of the world’s largest food producers, making the sustainability of its agricultural system of global significance. Groundwater irrigation underpins India’s agriculture, currently boosting crop production by enough to feed 170 million people. Groundwater overexploitation has led to drastic declines in groundwater levels, threatening to push this vital resource out of reach for millions of small-scale farmers who are the backbone of India’s food security. Historically, losing access to groundwater has decreased agricultural production and increased poverty. We take a multidisciplinary approach to assess climate change challenges facing India’s agricultural system, and to assess the effectiveness of large-scale water infrastructure projects designed to meet these challenges. We find that even in areas that experience climate change induced precipitation increases, expansion of irrigated agriculture will require increasing amounts of unsustainable groundwater. The large proposed national river linking project has limited capacity to alleviate groundwater stress. Thus, without intervention, poverty and food insecurity in rural India is likely to worsen.
Characteristic progressive damage modes in a plain weave textile composite under multiaxial loads

A finite element-based model was developed to predict progressive damage evolution within a plain weave textile composite subjected to various combinations of in-plane tension and shear. Cracking i...
A Computer-Based Method to Provide Subspecialist Expertise on the Management of Herpes Simplex Infections of the Eye

The treatment of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections of the eye presents a number of difficult problems. Topical antiviral drugs are effective against viral ulcers of the cornea but may aggravate non-herpetic epithelial defects and do not control herpetic lid vesicles, conjunctivitis, stromal keratitis, or iritis. Corticosteroids suppress stromal keratitis and uveitis but enhance the frequency of viral recurrences. The choice of treatment, then, for individual patients may require considerable expertise.