cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low-power wireless climate monitoring system with RFID security access feature for mosquito and pathogen research

This paper introduces a low-power wireless climate monitoring system with an RFID security access feature for mosquito and pathogen research. Mosquito-borne diseases, which are critical threats to human health, include malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, and West Nile Virus. The wireless monitoring system provides environmental data such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction. The measured data can be used to predict the habitat of mosquitoes and be used to recommend the amount and location of pesticide application. This paper describes the design and implementation of the low-power wireless climate monitoring system with various environmental sensors, 2.4-GHz wireless module, RFID reader for the security access control, audio system, and a solar charger system. The measured data was received and processed by a custom Windows application. The measured data was available through both desktop and mobile internet browsers and a mobile android application. Five wireless climate monitoring systems were used for multiple field tests. The analysis example of the pseudo climate data for the reduced use of pesticides is also presented.
Dielectronic recombination on and electron-impact excitation of heliumlike argon

We have measured cross sections for \ensuremath{\Delta}n=1 dielectronic recombination (DR) on He-like argon and found good agreement with theoretical calculations based on the Hartree-Fock atomic model. Experimental absolute cross sections were obtained by using the electron-energy dependence of yields of He-like and Li-like argon ions from the Kansas State University electron-beam ion source to measure the ratio of the DR cross section on He-like argon to the electron-impact-ionization cross section of Li-like argon and normalizing to the latter. The K x-ray emission spectra due to \ensuremath{\Delta}n=1,2 DR and n=1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2 electron-impact excitation of He-like argon were also observed with a Si(Li) detector placed at 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} relative to the electron-beam direction. By normalizing to the theoretical KLL integrated DR differential cross section, we obtained differential and partial differential DR cross sections and differential electron-impact excitation cross sections. We found good agreement with Hartree-Fock calculations for DR and with distorted-wave calculations for electron-impact excitation.
On Leadership, Alliance Formation, and Enterprise Transformation

It is well understood that strategic leadership is critical to successful enterprise transformation. A recent global study identified the best-performing chief executive officers (CEOs), all of whom created strategic, long-term enterprise performance across multiple industries. To determine whether their tenure was characterized by structural inertia or structural transformation, we used a descriptive analytics approach and focused on alliance formation, a core enterprise transformation activity that enables enterprises to access new markets and resources, facilitate knowledge transfer, and accelerate innovation. Our results, differentiated by industry, show distinct patterns of alliance and alliance-type formation before and during CEO tenure. We complement our analysis using visualizations of the alliance structure of each of the industries. Our study provides new insights into the strategic orientation of the best-performing leaders. We conclude the study with implications and future research opportuni...
The effect of centrally administered neuropeptides on the development of stress‐induced gastric ulcers in rats

Neurotensin (NT) and bombesin, which are heterogeneously distributed in both brain and gastrointestinal tissue of several mammalian species, inhibit the formation of stress-induced gastric ulcers in rats. Many other endogeneous neuropeptides have also been reported to be present in brain and gastrointestinal tissue. present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of some of these peptides the development of cold-restraint stress (CRS)-induced gastric ulcers in rats. addition, the effect of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), which antagonizes many of the CNS effects of NT, was investigated to determine whether tripeptide antagonizes the cytoprotective effect of NT in this CRS model. All peptides were initially administered intracisternally (ic) in doses equimolar to 30 μg NT. As previously reported, NT (30 μg, ic) completely prevented development of gastric ulcers in rats exposed to three hours of CRS. Bombesin, β-endorphin, substance P, and somatostatin also exhibited cytoprotective activity, Several other peptides studied in the CRS model exerted no significant effects the development of gastric ulcers; these included cholecystokinin octapeptide, gastrin, leu-enkephalin, met-enkephalin, and bradykinin. Two peptides, vasculative intestinal polypeptide and TRH, significantly increased the severity of ulcerations. The cytoprotective effect of NT was dose dependent. In contrast, lower doses of β-endorphin, substance P, and somatostatin were cytoprotective whereas higher doses were not. Finally, concomitant ic injections of TRH antagonized the cytoprotective effects of NT and bombesin, but not that of,β-endorphin. The present results suggest that certain brain peptides may participate in modulating the gastric mucosal barrier, thereby increasing or decreasing its vulnerability to stress-induced lesions.
When risky is attractive: sensation seeking and romantic partner selection

This study examined the relationship between sensation seeking and evaluations of risk and attractiveness of potential romantic partners. We presented respondents with a series of computer-generated descriptions of potential romantic partners. The valence of the descriptions varied: some were composed only of positive attributes, some only negative, and others a mixture of positive and negative. Compared to low sensation seekers, high sensation seekers rated potential partners as more attractive, less risky and were more likely to want to date the individual described. However, they rated their likelihood of acquiring an STD infection after unprotected sex with the potential partner as lower than did the low sensation seekers. These differences between high and low sensation seekers were largest when the descriptions of potential partners contained only negative attributes and smallest when they contained only positive attributes. The findings demonstrate the importance of the sensation seeking trait in judgments of sexual risk and attractiveness in a romantic context and have implications for the development of effective health messages.
Synthesis of C60-diphenylaminofluorene dyads with two-photon absorbing characteristics

Abstract Linear A- sp 3 -D molecular conjugates as 9,9-dialkyl-2-diphenylaminofluorene (DPAF-C,)-C 60 monoadducts were demonstrated using methanoketo unit as a linker to bridge the DPAF donor moiety and the fullerene acceptor chromophore together within a short distance of roughly 2.0 A. Target products of C 60 -diphenylaminofluorene dyads C 60 (>DPAF-C 2 ) and C 60 (>DPAF-C 18 ) were synthesized using Bingel cycloproanation reaction from the corresponding 7- α -bromoacetyl-9,9-dialkyl-2-diphenylaminofluorene precursors. Both dyads C 60 (>DPAF-C 2 ) and C 60 (>DPAF-C 18 ) were characterized by spectroscopic methods and simultaneous two-photon excitation measurements, showing large two-photon absorption cross-sections in the nanosecond regime.
Cholesterol from Japanese Beetles, Popillia japonica

Abstract An extract of adult Japanese beetles, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), collected in commercial Japanese beetle traps, afforded a large amount (nearly 0.2 mg/g of fresh weight) of cholesterol. As phytophagous insects, Japanese beetles feed on a variety of plants. Since little or no cholesterol can be obtained from their diet, they must be able to utilize phytosterols to generate and store cholesterol.
Hormonal stimulation necessary for elicitation of maternal nest-building in the mouse (Mus musculus).

Summary Nest-building behaviour in sixty-one male and sixty-four female 9-week-old white mice was studied over a period of 8 weeks. The effects on nest-building of castration, impregnation, and castration with hormonal implantation were tested. It was found that treatment with oestradiol significantly decreases nest-building in spayed females. Progesterone treatment, however, significantly increases nest-weight and ‘maternal character’ in spayed females. Oestradiol and progesterone implanted together also results in a significant decrease in nest-building. Progesterone treatment of intact females produces an even greater increase in both nest-weight and ‘maternal character’ than that observed in spayed females treated with progesterone alone. It is concluded, therefore, that a state of high progesterone and very low oestrogen is probably the hormonal situation eliciting ‘maternal’ nest-building in pregnant mice. Male mice implanted with progesterone show a trend towards increased nest-building and with oestradiol a trend towards decreased nest-building. Thus it may be concluded that the male is probably not genetically different from the female in regard to response to these hormones. Instead it appears that the male is merely less responsive to them than the female.
CONSUMPTIVE AND NONCONSUMPTIVE EFFECTS OF PREDATORS ON METACOMMUNITIES OF COMPETING PREY

Although predators affect prey both via consumption and by changing prey migration behavior, the interplay between these two effects is rarely incorporated into spatial models of predator-prey dynamics and competition among prey. We develop a model where generalist predators have consumptive effects (i.e., altering the likelihood of local prey extinction) as well as nonconsumptive effects (altering the likelihood of colonization) on spatially separated prey populations (metapopulations). We then extend this model to explore the effects of predators on competition among prey. We find that generalist predators can promote persistence of prey metapopulations by promoting prey colonization, but predators can also hasten system-wide extinction by either increasing local extinction or reducing prey migration. By altering rates of prey migration, predators in one location can exert remote control over prey dynamics in another location via predator-mediated changes in prey flux. Thus, the effect of predators may extend well beyond the proportion of patches they visit. In the context of prey metacommunities, predator-mediated shifts in prey migration and mortality can shift the competition-colonization trade-off among competing prey, leading to changes in the prey community as well as changes in the susceptibility of prey species to habitat loss. Consequently, native prey communities may be susceptible to invasion not only by exotic prey species that experience reduced amounts of mortality from resident predators, but also by exotic prey species that exhibit strong dispersal in response to generalist native predators. Ultimately, our work suggests that the consumptive and nonconsumptive effects of generalist predators may have strong, yet potentially cryptic, effects on competing prey capable of mediating coexistence, fostering invasion, and interacting with anthropogenic habitat alteration.
Dopaminergic Modulation of Lateral Amygdala Neuronal Activity: Differential D1 and D2 Receptor Effects on Thalamic and Cortical Afferent Inputs.

Background: In auditory fear conditioning, the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) integrates a conditioned stimulus (CS) from the auditory thalamus (MGN) and the auditory association cortex (Te3) with an aversive unconditioned stimulus. The thalamic input provides a basic version of the CS, while the cortical input provides a processed representation of the stimulus. Dopamine (DA) is released in the LA under heightened arousal during the presentation of the CS. Methods: In this study we examined how D1 or D2 receptor activation affects LA afferent-driven neuronal firing using in vivo extracellular single-unit recordings with local micro-iontophoretic drug application in anesthetized rats. LA neurons that were responsive (~50%) to electrical stimulation in either the MGN or the Te3 were tested by iontophoresis of either the D1 agonist, SKF38393, or the D2 agonist, quinpirole. Results: We found that most of the LA projection neurons exhibited either facilitatory or attenuating effects (changes in evoked probability >15% relative to baseline) on afferent input by activation of D1 or D2 receptors. In general, it required significantly higher stimulation current to evoke ~50% baseline responses to the cortical input. Activation of the D1 receptor showed no difference in modulation between the thalamic or cortical pathways. On the other hand, activation of the D2 receptor had a stronger inhibitory modulation of the cortical pathway, but a stronger excitatory modulation of the thalamic pathway. Conclusions: Our results suggest that there is a shift in balance favoring the thalamic pathway in response to DA acting via the D2 receptor.
Does student confidence on multiple-choice question assessments provide useful information?

Context Feedback from multiple-choice question (MCQ) assessments is typically limited to a percentage correct score, from which estimates of student competence are inferred. The students' confidence in their answers and the potential impact of incorrect answers on clinical care are seldom recorded. Our purpose was to evaluate student confidence in incorrect responses and to establish how confidence was influenced by the potential clinical impact of answers, question type and gender. Methods This was an exploratory, cross-sectional study conducted using a convenience sample of 104 Year 3 dental students completing 20 MCQs on implant dentistry. Students were asked to select the most correct response and to indicate their confidence in it for each question. Identifying both correctness and confidence allowed the designation of uninformed (incorrect and not confident) or misinformed (incorrect but confident) responses. In addition to recording correct/incorrect responses and student confidence, faculty staff designated incorrect responses as benign, inappropriate or potentially harmful if applied to clinical care. Question type was identified as factual or complex. Logistic regression was used to evaluate relationships between student confidence, and question type and gender. Results Students were misinformed more often than uninformed (22% versus 8%), and misinformed responses were more common with complex than factual questions (p < 0.05). Students were significantly more likely to be confident of correct than incorrect benign, incorrect inappropriate or incorrect harmful answers (p < 0.001), but, contrary to expectations, confidence did not decrease as answers became more harmful. Conclusions Recording student confidence was helpful in identifying uninformed versus misinformed responses, which may allow for targeted remediation strategies. Making errors of calibration (confidence and accuracy) more visible may be relevant in feedback for professional development.
Sport Fishing Index (SFI)

Abstract A team of biologists, including representatives from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and state fishery resource agencies in the Tennessee River Valley, developed an index to quantify sport fishing quality for individual sport fish species. The objective of the Sport Fishing Index (SFI) is to provide the fishing public with information that will assist them in selecting locations that have the best potential for a successful fishing experience for the species they prefer. Additionally, the index provides biologists with a reference point measure of the quality of that fishery. Comparison of population sampling parameters and creel results for a particular sport fish species with expectations of these parameters from a high quality fishery (reference conditions) allows determination of fishing quality. To date, indices developed include largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass; crappies (black and white combined); walleye; sauger; and channel catfish. Each SFI relies on measurements of quantity and quality aspects of angler success and fish population characteristics. Comparison of index results among reservoirs and between years from the Tennessee and Cumberland River reservoirs from 1996 to 1998 indicated that differences in fishing quality for a particular species were measurable.
The Pleckstrin Homology Domains of Phospholipases C-β and -δ Confer Activation through a Common Site

Mammalian inositol-specific phospholipase C-β2 (PLCβ2) and PLCδ1 differ in their cellular activators. PLCβ2 can be activated by Gβγ subunits, whereas PLCδ1 can be activated by phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2). For both proteins, the N-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain appears to mediate activation. Here, we have constructed a chimera in which we placed the N-terminal PH domain of PLCδ1 into remaining C-terminal regions of PLCβ2. The PHδPLCβ chimera showed PI(4,5)P2-dependent membrane binding similar to PLCδ1 and a Gβγ interaction energy close to that of PLCδ1. Like PLCδ1, the chimera was activated by PI(4,5)P2 through the PH domain but not by Gβγ. Because these and previous results indicate a common site of contact between the PH and catalytic domains in these two enzymes, we computationally docked the known structures of the PH and catalytic domains of PLCδ1. A synthetic peptide whose sequence matches a potential interaction site between the two domains inhibited the basal activity of PLCβ2, PLCδ1, and a Gβγ-activable PHβ2-PLCδ1 chimera. Also, the peptide was able to inhibit PI(4,5)P2 and Gβγ activation of the PH-PLCδ1 PH-PLCβ2 enzymes in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting that this is the region responsible for PH domain-mediated activation of the catalytic core.
A variable frequency magnetic-coupled multivibrator

IN THE last decade, the technology of magnetic core materials has advanced such that magnetic cores are being used in many electronic applications over and above conventional use in transformers. Take, for example, magnetic amplifiers, computers, television components, to mention a few.
Solid-state displays compatible with integrated circuits☆

Abstract First in a line of solid-state display devices are these one- and three-digit numeric indicators. Compatible with integrated circuits, they need only BCD input signals and 5-V power to display any numeral from 0 to 9 in an array of bright red dots.
Structural Features of Paramyxovirus F Protein Required for Fusion Initiation

On the basis of the coordinates of the related Newcastle disease virus (NDV) F protein, Valine-94, a determinant of measles virus (MV) cytopathicity, is predicted to lie in a cylindrical cavity with 10 A diameter located at the F neck. A 16-residue domain around V94 is functionally interchangeable between NDV and MV F, supporting our homology model. Features of the cavity are conserved within the Paramyxovirinae. A hydrophobic base and a hydrophilic residue at the rim are required for surface expression. Small residue substitutions predicted to open the cavity were found to disrupt transport or limit fusogenicity of transport-competent mutants but can be compensated for by simultaneous insertion of larger residues at the opposing wall. Variants containing histidine substitutions mediate fusion at pH 8.5, while at pH 7.2 fusion is blocked, suggesting that functionality requires low charge in the cavity. These results indicate that specific structural features of the cavity are essential for paramyxovirus fusion initiation.
Isolation and characterization of the RanGAP gene in the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

A duplicated 3′-truncated version of RanGAP was previously identified as Segregation distorter (Sd), the meiotic drive gene in Drosophila melanogaster. Here we report the cloning and characterization of the complete gene sequence for the RanGAP homolog from the mosquito Aedes aegypti. The 1995 bp cDNA sequence consists of a 113 bp 5′ UTR and 130 bp 3′ UTR, and encodes a 583 amino acid protein with high sequence identity with RanGAP homologues of several species. A 20,125 bp genomic DNA sequence contains the complete RanGAP gene, consisting of three exons and two introns. Intron 2 comprises 18,082 bp and contains multiple repetitive elements as well as putative coding regions. The RanGAP locus was mapped to the q-arm of chromosome 2. Because the meiotic drive gene (MD) in A. aegypti was previously shown to be tightly linked with the sex determining locus on chromosome 1, RanGAP is likely not the MD gene.
Industrial Engineering Applications of ABC Curves

Abstract A fundamental technique in industrial engineering is to rank the items of a population in descending order of some activity and from such a distribution by value to draw an ABC curve. In many cases, ABC curves can be approximated by a log-normal frequency distribution. The mean and standard deviation of this distribution may be employed for direct determination of aggregate values of multi-item populations.
Three-dimensional computed tomography in the assessment of congenital scoliosis.

Objective. Patients with congenital vertebral anomalies frequently are afflicted with kyphoscoliosis, with the curvatures often being severe and progressive. Spinal fusion almost always is the treatment of choice in such patients. This report examines the use of three-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) in the preoperative investigation of patients with congenital scoliosis.
Isospin fluctuations from multiple domains of disoriented chiral condensates

We describe some detailed numerical simulations of Disoriented Chiral Condensates (DCCs), using the chiral lagrangian as a controlled long-wavelength description. We focus on the possibility of multiple, independently coherent domains, and investigate the degree to which the DCC signal is attenuated. As an intermediate step in our analysis we compute the expected number of detector events in each isospin and momentum channel for a given asymptotic classical field configuration. We find that for sufficiently large initial field strengths, the non-linear interactions between domains become important and can lead to a randomization of isospin orientations. Nevertheless, we argue that viable signals exist for DCC detection, even in the case of multiple domains and strong domain-domain interactions. We briefly discuss some long-lived `pseudo-bound state' configurations which arise at large field strengths and might be observable in HBT correlations.
Real-Time Delay Estimation in Overloaded Multiserver Queues with Abandonments

We use heavy-traffic limits and computer simulation to study the performance of alternative real-time delay estimators in the overloaded GI/GI/s+GI multiserver queueing model, allowing customer abandonment. These delay estimates may be used to make delay announcements in call centers and related service systems. We characterize performance by the expected mean squared error in steady state. We exploit established approximations for performance measures with a nonexponential abandonment-time distribution to obtain new delay estimators that effectively cope with nonexponential abandonment-time distributions.
Etiologic factors in rickets of very low-birth-weight infants

The incidence of rickets was found to be 32% (39/125) in a retrospective review of consecutive survivors of very low birth weight in whom serial radiographic and biochemical data were obtained. A higher proportion of these infants were black, had a greater initial weight loss, and had a longer hospitalization; there was a prevlence of births in the spring. Soy formula, supplemented with calcium and vitamin D but not phosphorus, was used predominantly in both groups; cumulative calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, and caloric intakes were the same. We believe that the etiology of rickets in VLBW infants is multifactorial; however, nutritional deficiency is of central importance. Soy isolate formula, as well as human milk and many other commercially available formulas, do not provide sufficient calcium and phosphorus to keep pace with rates of intrauterine accretion. Supplementation with calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D, beginning as soon as possible after birth, is indicated.
The time-course of feature interference in agreement comprehension: Multiple mechanisms and asymmetrical attraction.

Attraction interference in language comprehension and production may be as a result of common or different processes. In the present paper, we investigate attraction interference during language comprehension, focusing on the contexts in which interference arises and the time-course of these effects. Using evidence from event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and sentence judgment times, we show that agreement attraction in comprehension is best explained as morphosyntactic interference during memory retrieval. This stands in contrast to attraction as involving the representation of the subject NP’s root-node number feature, which is a strong contributor to attraction in production. We thus argue that the cognitive antecedents of agreement attraction in comprehension are non-identical with those of attraction in production, and moreover, that attraction in comprehension is primarily a consequence of similarity-based interference in cue-based memory retrieval processes. We suggest that mechanisms responsible for attraction during language comprehension are a subset of those involved in language production.
Some Good News About Research on Social Work Practice

s in journals published by the British Psychological Society. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 68, 443-456. Hartley, J., & Sydes, M. (1997). Are structured abstracts easier to read than traditional ones? Journal of Research in Reading, 20,
Cellular effects of human leukocyte hydrolases III: inflammatory exudate and synovial fibroblasts.

Experiments were undertaken to determine whether lysosomal enzymes obtained from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) might adversely affect the viability of human synovial fibroblasts. The effects of the PMN granule enzymes were additionally determined in the presence of an inflammatory exudate. These in vitro results indicated that as a result of these experimental conditions, the lysosomal enzymes, although present in relatively high concentration, were incapable of cell destruction and could only release cells from their growth surfaces; as could other proteases. However, even this effect was not expressed in the presence of naturally occurring inhibitors widely distributed in body fluids, such as scrum; and most importantly which arc also present in inflammatory exudates. This was in spite of the relatively high dilution of serum and inflammatory exudate used. So that, in effect, the relatively dilute inhibitors present in both serum and inflammatory exudates prevented the relatively concentrated lysosomal enzymes from exerting any discernible effects on either the cells, or the intercellular substance under these experimental conditions. This possibly suggests that the role of PMN granule enzymes as mediators of the cellular destruction observed in many inflammatory diseases, needs further elucidation.
A bivalent ligand targeting the putative mu opioid receptor and chemokine receptor CCR5 heterodimer: binding affinity versus functional activities

Opioid substitution and antiretroviral therapies have steadily increased the life spans of AIDS patients with opioid addiction, while the adverse drug–drug interactions and persistence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders still require new strategies to target opioid abuse and HIV-1 comorbidities. A bivalent ligand 1 with a 21-atom spacer was thus synthesized and explicitly characterized as a novel pharmacological probe to study the underlying mechanism of opioid-enhanced NeuroAIDS. The steric hindrance generated from the spacer affected the binding affinity and Ca2+ flux inhibition functional activity of bivalent ligand 1 at the chemokine receptor CCR5 more profoundly than it did at the mu opioid receptor (MOR). However, the CCR5 radioligand binding affinity and the Ca2+ flux inhibition function of the ligand seemed not necessarily to correlate with its antiviral activity given that it was at least two times more potent than maraviroc alone in reducing Tat expression upon HIV-1 infection in human astrocytes. Furthermore, the ligand was also about two times more potent than the simple mixture of maraviroc and naltrexone in the same viral entry inhibition assay. Therefore bivalent ligand 1 seemed to function more effectively by targeting specifically the putative MOR–CCR5 heterodimer in the viral invasion process. The results reported here suggest that a properly designed bivalent ligand may serve as a useful chemical probe to study the potential MOR–CCR5 interaction during the progression of NeuroAIDS.
Reduction-based security analysis of Internet routing protocols

In recent years, there have been strong interests in the networking community in designing new Internet architectures that provide strong security guarantees. However, none of these proposals back their security claims by formal analysis. In this paper, we use a reduction-based approach to prove the route authenticity property in secure routing protocols. These properties require routes announced by honest nodes in the network not to be tampered with by the adversary. We focus on protocols that rely on layered signatures to provide security: each route announcement is associated with a list of signatures attesting the authenticity of its subpaths. Our approach combines manual proofs with automated analysis. We define several reduction steps to reduce proving route authenticity properties to simple conditions that can be automatically checked by the Proverif tool. We show that our analysis is correct with respect to the trace semantics of the routing protocols.
Natural Biological Control of Stink Bug (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) Eggs in Corn, Peanut, and Cotton Farmscapes in Georgia

In southeastern United States farmscapes, corn, peanut, and cotton fields are often closely associated with each other. Thus, this 5-yr study was conducted to determine parasitism and predation of sentinel and natural occurring Euschistus servus (Say) and Nezara viridula (L.) egg masses in farmscapes in Georgia. A variety of parasitoids including six scelionids, Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston), T. brochymenae (Ashmead), T. euschisti (Ashmead), T. thyantae Ashmead, Telenomus podisi Ashmead, and Gyron obesum Masner, and one encyrtid, Ooencyrtus spp., was recovered from E. servus and N. viridula eggs, but overall the greatest diversity of parasitoids emerged from stink bug eggs in corn. Only T. basalis and T. podisi parasitized both N. viridula and E. servus eggs in all three crops over all farmscapes. A wide variety of predators, including Orius insidiosus (Say), Geocoris punctipes (Say), G. uliginosus (Say), Coccinella septempunctata (L.), Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), Coleomegilla maculata (De Geer), Scymnus loewii Mulsant, Scymnus ardelio Horn, and Solenopsis invicta Buren, preyed on stink bug eggs in each crop. When differences were detected, generally percent parasitization per egg mass was higher than predation in corn, and percent predation was higher than parasitization in peanut. Overall, percent predation per egg mass was higher than parasitization in cotton, but on one occasion percent parasitization was higher than predation in cotton associated with corn. Seasonal occurrence and abundance of natural enemies, levels of parasitization and predation of stink bug eggs, and percent egg predation by sucking and chewing predators indicated that natural enemies of stink bug eggs disperses from crop to crop in the farmscapes. Stink bug egg predators and parasitoids are likely responding to host plant switching by their prey or hosts. In conclusion, this study has shown that natural enemies of stink bugs are prevalent and important biological control agents in these farmscapes.
CO2-Induced PMMA Swelling and Multiple Thermodynamic Property Analysis Using Sanchez−Lacombe EOS

The Sanchez−Lacombe equation of state (SL EOS) is often used to describe polymer−gas systems because of its inherent ability to hand compressible fluids, but it has rarely been tested for correlating multiple thermodynamic properties of these systems. The real value of an EOS as a process design tool is the ability to describe all thermodynamic properties, not just those it has been fit to. Because of the relatively small amount of data for polymer−gas systems, there is no heuristic to determine which property should be used to fit the EOS to give the best representation of other properties. We test this idea by looking at dilation, solubility and Tg in the CO2−PMMA system. Although CO2 sorption phenomena in polymers have been extensively investigated, the study of CO2-induced polymer dilation is rather limited in comparison. A new experimental technique based on ADSA (axisymmetric drop shape analysis) was developed in this work to measure volumetric properties. The dilation isotherm was measured over tem...
A new high-pressure CaGe2O5 polymorph with 5- and 6-coordinated germanium

We discovered a new CaGe 2 O 5 polymorph in high-pressure experiments (above 8 GPa). The phase is orthorhombic, space group Pbam , with a = 7.306(2), b = 8.268(2), c = 5.714(1) A, V = 345.2(1) A 3 , and Z = 4. The new phase, which we call post-titanite CaGe 2 O 5 , is the high-pressure polymorph of titanite CaGe 2 O 5 . The structure of this new polymorph is based on a network of 5- and 6-coordinated Ge polyhedra and 8-coordinated Ca atoms. Following the germanate analog to silicate, post-titanite CaSi 2 O 5 could be expected to form at high-pressure conditions and thus might exist in Earth’s mantle.
Potential risk to wood storks (Mycteria americana) from mercury in Carolina Bay fish.

Carolina bays are freshwater wetlands that serve as important feeding habitats for the endangered wood stork (Mycteria americana). Water levels in these bays fluctuate greatly and tend to be acidic and rich in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), factors that favor mercury (Hg) methylation and bioaccumulation in fish. To assess potential risks to wood storks consuming mercury contaminated fish in bays, we sampled fish from 10 bays on the Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina, an area with documented use by wood storks. Whole body mercury concentrations in 258 fishes of three species (Erimyzon sucetta, Acantharchus pomotis and Esox americanus) commonly consumed by wood storks were determined. Risk factors for nestlings and free-ranging adults were calculated using published no and lowest observable adverse effect concentration (NOAEC and LOAEC) values for birds. Fish from higher trophic levels and those from wetlands with relatively shallow maximum depths and fluctuating water levels were more likely to exceed NOAEC and LOAEC values. Calculation of exposure rates of nestling wood storks indicated they are at highest risk during the first 10 days of the nestling period. These calculations suggest that there is potential concern for wood storks foraging in relatively shallow bays with fluctuating water levels, even though there is no obvious local source of mercury to these wetlands.
A triangulation theorem for F-manifolds

Abstract An F- manifold is a manifold modelled on an infinite-dimensional Frechet space F . The following theorem gives, in a sense, arbitrarily small triangulations of separable F-manifolds: Let M be a separable F-manifold and let G be an open cover of M . Then there exists a countable locally-finite simplicial complex K and a homeomorphism h : | K |× F → M such that for each simplex σϵ K , h (|σ| × F ) is contained in some element of G . Hopefully, this theorem can be generalized using locally-finite-dimensional complexes to non-separable F-manifolds.
Rate allocation and network lifetime problems for wireless sensor networks

An important performance consideration for wireless sensor networks is the amount of information collected by all the nodes in the network over the course of network lifetime. Since the objective of maximizing the sum of rates of all the nodes in the network can lead to a severe bias in rate allocation among the nodes, we advocate the use of lexicographical max-min (LMM) rate allocation. To calculate the LMM rate allocation vector, we develop a polynomial-time algorithm by exploiting the parametric analysis (PA) technique from linear program (LP), which we call serial LP with parametric analysis (SLP-PA). We show that the SLP-PA can be also employed to address the LMM node lifetime problem much more efficiently than a state-of-the-art algorithm proposed in the literature. More important, we show that there exists an elegant duality relationship between the LMM rate allocation problem and the LMM node lifetime problem. Therefore, it is sufficient to solve only one of the two problems. Important insights can be obtained by inferring duality results for the other problem.
Hybrid DPWM with Digital Delay-Locked Loop

This paper introduces a fully synthesizable hybrid digital pulse width modulator (DPWM). The DPWM includes a digital delay locked loop around a delay-line with discretely programmable delay cells to achieve constant-frequency clocked operation with the best possible resolution over a range of process or temperature variations. The DPWM module can implement trailing-edge, leading-edge or triangular modulation. It includes two outputs with programmable dead-times, suitable for DC-DC converters with synchronous rectifiers. The DPWM module is well suited for FPGA or custom chip implementation. Experimental results are shown for a 780 KHz, 10-bit FPGA realization
Some new results on the initial transient problem

This paper contains two new results pertaining to the initial transient problem for steady-state simulations. Our first result rigorously establishes the asymptotic superiority of a few long replications relative to a large number of shorter replications, assuming that no initial transient deletion is attempted. Our second result concerns an initial transient detection test proposed by Schruben; we develop asymptotics that are suggestive of the types of initial transients that the test is capable of detecting. As one might expect, the ability to detect a non-stationarity in the simulation output depends both on the magnitude of the non-stationarity of the initial condition, and the degree of autocorrelation in the process.
Test methods, test techniques and failure criteria for evaluation of ESD degradation of analog and radio frequency (RF) technology

This publication explores new test methods, and techniques to evaluate the influence of ESD damage on analog and radio frequency (RF) technology. The methods evaluate the relationship between transistor dc degradation and RF performance f T and f{maxMAX}, a dc shift criteria vs pre- and post-RF functional product test degradation results, a Time Domain Reflection (TDR) reflection method, and a pre- and post- stress “eye test” evaluation method.
Links between Circadian Rhythms and Psychiatric Disease

Determining the cause of psychiatric disorders is a goal of modern neuroscience, and will hopefully lead to the discovery of treatments to either prevent or alleviate the suffering caused by these diseases. One roadblock to attaining this goal is the realization that neuropsychiatric diseases are rarely due to a single gene polymorphism, environmental exposure, or developmental insult. Rather, it is a complex interaction between these various influences that likely leads to the development of clinically relevant syndromes. Our lab is exploring the links between environmental exposures and neurobehavioral function by investigating how disruption of the circadian (daily) clock alters the structure and function of neural circuits, with the hypothesis that disrupting this crucial homeostatic system can directly contribute to altered vulnerability of the organism to other factors that interact to produce psychiatric illness. This review explores some historical and more recent findings that link disrupted circadian clocks to neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly depression, mania, and schizophrenia. We take a comparative approach by exploring the effects observed in human populations, as well as some experimental models used in the laboratory to unravel mechanistic and causal relationships between disruption of the circadian clock and behavioral abnormalities. This is a rich area of research that we predict will contribute greatly to our understanding of how genes, environment, and development interact to modulate an individual’s vulnerability to psychiatric disorders.
Myocardin Expression Is Regulated by Nkx2.5, and Its Function Is Required for Cardiomyogenesis

Nkx2.5 (also known as Csx) is an evolutionarily conserved cardiac transcription factor of the homeobox gene family. Nkx2.5 is required for early heart development, since Nkx2.5-null mice die before completion of cardiac looping. To identify genes regulated by Nkx2.5 in the developing heart, we performed subtractive hybridization by using RNA isolated from wild-type and Nkx2.5-null hearts at embryonic day 8.5. We isolated a mouse cDNA encoding myocardin A, which is an alternative spliced isoform of myocardin and the most abundant isoform in the heart from embryo to adult. The expression of myocardin A and myocardin was markedly downregulated in Nkx2.5-null mouse hearts. Transient-cotransfection analysis showed that Nkx2.5 transactivates the myocardin promoter. Inhibition of myocardin function in the teratocarcinoma cell line P19CL6 prevented differentiation into cardiac myocytes after dimethyl sulfoxide treatment. Myocardin A transactivated the promoter of the atrial natriuretic factor gene through the serum response element, which was augmented by bone morphogenetic protein 2 and transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1. These results suggest that myocardin expression is regulated by Nkx2.5 and that its function is required for cardiomyogenesis.
Distributed Divide-and-Conquer Techniques for Effective DDoS Attack Defenses

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks have emerged as a popular means of causing mass targeted service disruptions, often for extended periods of time. The relative ease and low costs of launching such attacks, supplemented by the current woeful state of any viable defense mechanism, have made them one of the top threats to the Internet community today. While distributed packet logging and/or packet marking have been explored in the past for DDoS attack traceback/mitigation, we propose to advance the state of the art by using a novel distributed divide-and-conquer approach in designing a new data dissemination architecture that efficiently tracks attack sources. The main focus of our work is to tackle the three disjoint aspects of the problem, namely attack tree construction, attack path frequency detection, and packet to path association, independently and to use succinct recurrence relations to express their individual implementations. We also evaluate the network traffic and storage overhead induced by our proposed deployment on real-life Internet topologies, supporting hundreds of victims each subject to thousands of high-bandwidth flows simultaneously, and conclude that we can truly achieve single packet traceback guarantees with minimal overhead and high efficiency.
Early onset sepsis with pneumonia in a full term neonate due to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia , a multi-drug resistant non fermenting gram negative bacillus is an increasingly common nosocomial pathogen, especially in intensive care units. Comparatively few cases of S. maltophilia infection have been reported in neonatal population. We report a case of early onset sepsis with pneumonia in a full term neonate due to S. maltophilia treated successfully.
Successive Coding in Multiuser Information Theory

In this correspondence, we show that solutions to the multiple description coding problem and the broadcast channel coding problem share a common encoding procedure: successive source encoding. We use this connection as the basis for establishing connections between the achievable multiple description rate region and Marton's region for broadcast channels. Specifically, we show that Marton's encoding scheme can be viewed as a multiple description coding procedure. We also explore the dual problem, namely, the relationship between successive channel decoding in multiple access communication and distributed source coding. By illuminating these connections to multiple description, we hope to motivate a solution to what remains a mostly unsolved problem
A preliminary controlled evaluation of an eating disturbance psychoeducational intervention for college students.

Objective Because conventional preventive interventions have had little success in reducing eating pathology, we developed and evaluated a more intensive psychoeducational intervention. Method Female college students who underwent this intervention and a matched control sample of students (N = 66) completed pretest and posttest surveys. Results Intervention participants showed significant decreases in thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, eating disorder symptoms, and weight over the 4-month study period, whereas matched control participants did not show changes in these outcomes with the exception that they gained weight. Discussion These preliminary findings suggest that this intervention may prove useful in reducing eating disturbances and overweight among college students, as well as the risk factors for this serious mental and physical health problem. © 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 31: 159–171, 2002; DOI. 10.1002/eat.10018
ADtrees for sequential data and n-gram Counting

We consider the problem of efficiently storing n- gram counts for large n over very large corpora. In such cases, the efficient storage of sufficient statistics can have a dramatic impact on system performance. One popular model for storing such data derived from tabular data sets with many attributes is the AD tree. Here, we adapt the AD tree to benefit from the sequential structure of corpora-type data. We demonstrate the usefulness of our approach on a portion of the well-known Wall Street Journal corpus from the Penn Treebank and show that our approach is exponentially more efficient than the naive approach to storing n-grams and is also significantly more efficient than a traditional prefix tree.
Distinct patterns of pigment suppression are produced by allelic sense and antisense chalcone synthase transgenes in petunia flowers

Summary A single-copy sense Chalcone synthase (Chs) transgene driven by a strong promoter and producing a fully translatable transcript was converted to an allelic antisense Chs transgene by Cre-lox-mediated DNA recombination in petunia. The sense Chs allele suppressed flower pigmentation in a simple pattern determined by cells at the junctions between adjacent petals, as is typical of single-copy sense Chs transgenes of this type, whereas the antisense Chs allele produced a different pattern of Chs suppression with white petal edges and reduced pigmentation throughout the petal limbs, as is typical of antisense Chs transgenes. In plants carrying a lox-flanked Chs transgene, the presence of Cre protein can cause both sense-specific and antisense-specific patterns to be superimposed in the same flower, suggesting that sense and antisense suppression by single-copy transgenes are mediated by different mechanisms or occur in different cellular or developmental compartments. The presence of Cre also causes the production of numerous, non-clonal white spots, suggesting that the turnover state is not cell-autonomous.
Acute Psychosis Associated With Therapeutic Use of Dextroamphetamine

To the Editor .— We report a case of acute psychosis associated with the therapeutic prescription of dextroamphetamine (Adderall) for attention-deficit disorder. A 7-year-old boy became acutely agitated and developed visual hallucinations. He had no history of psychosis, seizure activity, or preceding infectious symptoms. He was agitated on physical examination, with a temperature of 38.6°C, pulse of 150 beats per minute, and blood pressure of 130/85 mm Hg. His …