cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A BEHAVIORAL MODEL OF RISK IN CONSUMER CREDIT

THE PROBLEM of determining the risk involved in extending credit to a potential borrower has been with the businessman since the first credit transaction. Within the last fifteen years a concerted, if somewhat inconsistent, effort has been made to quantify risk through the use of financial and demographic variables-the credit scoring model of risk analysis. Since the 1920's writers have suggested the importance of behavioral data in determining credit risk. However, no general functional model has been proposed or tested. This dissertation bridges the gap existing in credit theory. The objectives of this dissertation are divided into four parts: (1) proposal of a generally applicable environmentally induced behavior model, (2) testing the model for validity, (3) comparison of the behavioral model with a financialdemographic model, and (4) testing the assumptions of discriminant analysis to see if they were satisfied by the data. A theoretical behavior model of credit risk was proposed as the basis for the empirical model. An individual's risk is given as being a direct function of the individual's concept of debt responsibility which is a function of the individual's credit character which is a function of environmental forces and his ability to pay which is a function of non-behavioral environmental forces. Two groups of subjects were used in the study. Group I consisted of good credit risks as determined by a credit check and their past credit payment record. Group II consisted of individuals who had a history of overextending their credit purchases and were considered poor risks by most rating criteria. Group II subjects were delinquent or in default on one to thirty credit purchases each. Most Group II subjects were near personal bankruptcy. Behavioral data were collected on thirty-six parameters using a selfadministered response form questionnaire with a summated ratings scale. Financial and demographic data were also obtained from each of the two hundred respondents. Using a stepwise discriminant analysis program on a split sample, several equations were produced for each type of data. The behavioral equation with the greatest classificatory accuracy (96 per cent) required only eight variables. The most accurate financial equation required thirteen variables and classified 94 per cent of the validation sample correctly. A test of the normality and the equal variance-covariance assumptions of discriminant analysis were tested with both sets of data generally violating the variance equality assumption. Also, although both sets of data were skewed to various degrees, the evidence of non-normality was not conclusive. All other discriminant analysis assumptions were corrected through allowable adjustments in the computer program's methodology. Past researchers and authors have demonstrated the need for a theoretical foundation for risk models. This dissertation proposes such a model and presents
Comparative evaluation of etest for susceptibility testing Neisseria meningitidis with eight antimicrobial agents An investigation using U.S. food and drug administration regulatory criteria

Abstract Invasive infections caused by Neisseria meningitidis continue to be a serious clinical problem for therapy, epidemiology, and potential prophylaxis. Multiple antimicrobial resistances have emerged among meningococcal strains including elevated MICs to penicillin, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and rifampin. Thus, the need to perform accurate susceptibility testing of meningococci in clinical practice and for surveillance programs has renewed priority. In this study, for the first time Etest (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden) was compared to a reference agar dilution method using a large number (100) of clinical strains selected for a range of drug resistances. Etest quantitative accuracy (±one log 2 dilution agreement) ranged from 94% (penicillin) to 100% (three drugs) for the eight clinically useful antimicrobial agents tested. Intermethod categorical accuracy for all drugs ranged from 92% (penicillin, erythromycin) to 100% (five drugs), without false-susceptible or -resistant errors using Etest. Etest and reference methods were highly reproducible (99.6 to 100.0%, respectively). Quantitative discords between methods (≥two log 2 dilutions) were not reproducible and resolved following repeated testing. Etest method proved to be an accurate and reproducible quantitative method for testing N. meningitidis strains for the compared antimicrobial agents (eight) often utilized for therapy and prophylaxis of serious meningococcal disease.
Missing Persons: A Critique of Personhood in the Social Sciences.

Missing Persons:. Critique of Personhood in the Social Sciences. Mary Douglas and Steven Ney. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998. xi. 223 pp., figures, tatiles, bibliography, index.
Aberrations of a horizontal-vertical depolarizer.

Ray-trace equations for uniaxial birefringent materials are used here to derive third-order estimates for aberrations that are produced in imaging through uniaxial plates and horizontal-vertical (HV) depolarizers. An HV depolarizer is a spatial pseudodepolarizer; it converts a uniform input polarization state into a continuum of spatially varying polarization states in an output beam. An HV depolarizer consists of two birefringent wedges whose crystal axes are crossed at 90 deg. The interface between the wedges is included, which leads to a spatially varying retardance that provides the spatial pseudodepolarization. In HV depolarizers, spherical aberration, astigmatism, and image doubling are the principal aberrations for on-axis objects. Only spherical aberration occurs in isotropic plates, while the presence of birefringent wedges introduces astigmatism and image doubling. It is shown that image separation is proportional to the magnitude of the retardance variation.
Coherence properties of lambertian and non-lambertian sources*

Some general theorems are derived about spatial coherence properties of a two-dimensional statistically homogeneous source that gives rise to any prescribed angular distribution of radiant intensity. The results are applied to sources that radiate in accordance with Lambert’s law. It is found that lambertian sources cannot be spatially strictly incoherent and that they have, in fact, certain unique coherence properties. This result is illustrated by calculations for a blackbody source. The idealized case of a spatially completely incoherent source is discussed for comparison.
Tradeoff between energy savings and privacy protection in computation offloading

Offloading can save energy on mobile systems for computation-intensive applications. The mobile systems send programs and data to grid-powered servers where computation is performed. Offloading, however, causes privacy concerns because sensitive data may be sent to servers. This paper investigates how to protect privacy in computation offloading. We use steganography to hide data before sending them to servers. This paper evaluates the tradeoff between energy savings and privacy protection for content-based image retrieval with different steganographic techniques. We implement these methods on a PDA and compare their energy consumption, performance, and effectiveness of protecting privacy.
Stochastic transitivity and quadratic representation functions

Abstract A preference relation is stochastically intransitive if there are three options a, b, and c such that on average the decision maker more often chooses a out of { a, b }, b out of { b, c }, and c out of { a, c }. It is claimed by Machina (1985, Economic Journal, 95, 575-594) that if a preference relation over lotteries is strictly quasi-concave, then since it is optimal for decision makers to randomize, a transitive preference relation may lead to observed stochastic intransitivity. This paper proves that this is the general case. Unless it can be represented by a quadratic untility function, a strictly quasi-concave preference relation must lead to observed stochastic intransitivity.
A Note on Confidence Bands for the Logistic Response Curve

Abstract A problem in logit analysis is the interval estimation of the logistic response curve. Scheffe's method is used to obtain confidence bands for the logistic response function for any number of explanatory variables. This method is computationally easier and more general than a previously reported method.
Development of Behavioral Tolerance to Morphine and Methadone Using the Schedule-Controlled Behavior of the Pigeon

A multiple fixed-ratio, fixed-interval schedule of food presentation was used to study the development of behavioral tolerance to daily injections of equipotent doses of morphine and methadone in the pigeon. There was evidence that tolerance was developing to the rate-decreasing effects of both drugs after a single injection. Tolerance to morphine developed more rapidly during the first week of injections than did tolerance to methadone. Tolerance to the depressant effects of morphine and methadone was less complete under the fixed-ratio component of the schedule than under the fixed-interval component. After repeated injections, increases in the rate of responding were observed in some birds. These increases depended on the bird, rather than on the narcotic. Thus, the development of tolerance was a function of the drug, of the individual bird, and of the schedule maintaining the behavior.
DYNAMICS OF BUBBLE DEPARTURE IN MICRO-GRAVITY

The effect of gravity on nucleate pool boiling is considered. The static and dynamic forces acting on a growing vapor bubble on a heating surface are evaluated and how their interaction causes the bubble to detach from the surface is presented. By using a force balance, an estimate of the bubble departure radius is calculated and compared with experimental measurements from literature under micro-gravity conditions. In addition, five well known theoretical correlations are used to predict the bubble departure radius and are compared for several gravitational accelerations.
Problem‐solving style, stress and psychological illness: Development of a multifactorial measure

Problem-solving style has emerged in the literature as an important variable in the development and maintenance of affective disorders. Furthermore, the literature would suggest that it is related to other variables such as attributional style, achievement motivation and control in the mediation of the stress process. Research has been hampered and somewhat clouded by lack of clarity regarding the nature of the construct. It would appear to be a multidimensional construct, yet a suitable multifactorial measure is not available. The current paper reports on two studies (N = 408 and N = 611 respectively) which produced a 24-item six-factor measure. The factors were labelled helplessness, problem-solving control, creative problem-solving style, problem-solving confidence, avoidance style and approach style. The studies produced evidence that the utility of problem-solving style as an explanatory variable is enhanced when it is treated as a multidimensional construct. The factors appear to be differentially predictive of different affective states and clinical disorders. The data also support the 24-item measure as a useful, reliable and valid measure of problem-solving style.
Paramagnetic Tracer Concentration Evolution by NMR Relaxation Time Mapping: Application to Aris-Taylor Dispersion

Abstract A procedure to study tracer dispersion was proposed and tested for the case of tracer spreading in tube flow. Concentration maps of paramagnetic tracers Gd 3+ were measured in time through direct measurements of spin lattice relaxation time T 1 obtained by using a two-point stimulated echo pulse sequence. The procedure was used to test the linear dependence of Peclet number on inverse velocity in the range of flow rates 0.3–1.2 cc/min.
The physiologic basis of dobutamine as compared with dipyridamole stress interventions in the assessment of critical coronary stenosis.

Noninvasive cardiac imaging with echocardiography or thallium-201 scintigraphy utilizing pharmacologic agents as alternatives to exercise is gaining popularity. We investigated the physiologic rationale underlying the optimal choice of pharmacologic stress for functional versus perfusion imaging. With the use of an open-chest dog model, a critical stenosis of the left circumflex coronary artery was produced with total ablation of hyperemic response to a 15 sec period of complete occlusion. Regional left ventricular wall thickening was assessed by quantitative two-dimensional echocardiography. Regional myocardial blood flow was determined by microspheres in both the flow-restricted left circumflex area and the control area supplied by the left anterior descending artery. Eight dogs received 15 micrograms/kg/min dobutamine intravenously for 10 min, and nine dogs received 0.14 mg/kg/min dipyridamole intravenously for 4 min. Dobutamine induced wall thickening abnormalities in all dogs while dipyridamole induced dysfunction in only 55% of the animals studied (p less than .01). Subendocardial blood flow to the left circumflex area was unchanged after both dobutamine and dipyridamole when compared with baseline blood flow. However, subendocardial blood flow increased markedly after dipyridamole in the control area. Regional subendocardial blood flow ratio (left anterior descending/left circumflex) was 3.74 +/- 0.09 (mean +/- SEM) after dipyridamole versus 1.27 +/- 0.09 after dobutamine (p less than .001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Fiberoptic endoscopic documentation of the high incidence of aspiration following extubation in critically ill trauma patients.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of aspiration following extubation in critically ill trauma patients. This prospective pilot study included 20 consecutive trauma patients who required orotracheal intubation for at least 48 hours. All subjects underwent a bedside transnasal fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing at 24 ± 2 hr after extubation to determine objectively aspiration status. Aspiration was defined as the entry of a blue dyed material into the airway below the level of the true vocal folds, with silent aspiration occurring in the absence of any external behavioral signs such as coughing or choking. Aspiration was identified in 9 of 20 (45%) subjects and 4 of these 9 (44%) were silent aspirators. Therefore, silent aspiration occurred in 20% of the study population. Eight of the 9 (89%) aspirating subjects resumed an oral diet from 2–10 days (mean, 5 days) following extubation. All subjects had no evidence of pulmonary complications. It was concluded that trauma patients after orotracheal intubation and prolonged mechanical ventilation have an increased risk of aspiration. An objective assessment of dysphagia to identify aspiration may reduce the likelihood of pulmonary complications after extubation.
Recent Progress in the Study of the Rheb family GTPases

In this review we highlight recent progress in the study of Rheb family GTPases. Structural studies using X-ray crystallography and NMR have given us insight into unique features of this GTPase. Combined with mutagenesis studies, these works have expanded our understanding of residues that affect Rheb GTP/GDP bound ratios, effector protein interactions, and stimulation of mTORC1 signaling. Analysis of cancer genome databases has revealed that several human carcinomas contain activating mutations of the protein. Rheb’s role in activating mTORC1 signaling at the lysosome in response to stimuli has been further elucidated. Rheb has also been suggested to play roles in other cellular pathways including mitophagy and peroxisomal ROS response. A number of studies in mice have demonstrated the importance of Rheb in development, as well as in a variety of functions including cardiac protection and myelination. We conclude with a discussion of future prospects in the study of Rheb family GTPases.
Simplified multicast forwarding in mobile ad hoc networks

We implemented a working IP multicast forwarding prototype for use in mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) based upon flooding mechanisms. We present the design of a working experimental prototype and some initial performance results using the NRL mobile network emulation system and various optional flooding approaches within the design framework. In addition, we present supplemental analytical examination of several implemented flooding algorithms for MANET environments and discuss related performance tradeoffs. We conclude by presenting further technical considerations and future work issues.
Network sensitivity and noise analysis simplified

Formulas are easily derived for computing the sensitivity of all the response variables of a network with respect to variation of a single parameter, and the computations can be carried out very efficiently. The converse problem of computing the sensitivity of a single response variable with respect to variations of several parameters, though apparently more difficult, has recently been solved with equal efficiency by appealing to the concept of an "adjoint network." This concept, however, is shown here to be superfluous, since equivalent (and slightly simpler) formulas can be derived using well-known matrix manipulations alone. The problem of computing the signal/noise ratio of a single network response variable has also been solved by using the adjoint network, concept. But, here again, standard matrix manipulations suffice to yield the same results with less conceptual encumbrance. Thus the adjoint network approach, though still valid, proves to be unnecessary for solving these two problems.
O2 store management in diving emperor penguins

In order to further define O(2) store utilization during dives and understand the physiological basis of the aerobic dive limit (ADL, dive duration associated with the onset of post-dive blood lactate accumulation), emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) were equipped with either a blood partial pressure of oxygen (P(O(2))) recorder or a blood sampler while they were diving at an isolated dive hole in the sea ice of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Arterial P(O(2)) profiles (57 dives) revealed that (a) pre-dive P(O(2)) was greater than that at rest, (b) P(O(2)) transiently increased during descent and (c) post-dive P(O(2)) reached that at rest in 1.92+/-1.89 min (N=53). Venous P(O(2)) profiles (130 dives) revealed that (a) pre-dive venous P(O(2)) was greater than that at rest prior to 61% of dives, (b) in 90% of dives venous P(O(2)) transiently increased with a mean maximum P(O(2)) of 53+/-18 mmHg and a mean increase in P(O(2)) of 11+/-12 mmHg, (c) in 78% of dives, this peak venous P(O(2)) occurred within the first 3 min, and (d) post-dive venous P(O(2)) reached that at rest within 2.23+/-2.64 min (N=84). Arterial and venous P(O(2)) values in blood samples collected 1-3 min into dives were greater than or near to the respective values at rest. Blood lactate concentration was less than 2 mmol l(-1) as far as 10.5 min into dives, well beyond the known ADL of 5.6 min. Mean arterial and venous P(N(2)) of samples collected at 20-37 m depth were 2.5 times those at the surface, both being 2.1+/-0.7 atmospheres absolute (ATA; N=3 each), and were not significantly different. These findings are consistent with the maintenance of gas exchange during dives (elevated arterial and venous P(O(2)) and P(N(2)) during dives), muscle ischemia during dives (elevated venous P(O(2)), lack of lactate washout into blood during dives), and arterio-venous shunting of blood both during the surface period (venous P(O(2)) greater than that at rest) and during dives (arterialized venous P(O(2)) values during descent, equivalent arterial and venous P(N(2)) values during dives). These three physiological processes contribute to the transfer of the large respiratory O(2) store to the blood during the dive, isolation of muscle metabolism from the circulation during the dive, a decreased rate of blood O(2) depletion during dives, and optimized loading of O(2) stores both before and after dives. The lack of blood O(2) depletion and blood lactate elevation during dives beyond the ADL suggests that active locomotory muscle is the site of tissue lactate accumulation that results in post-dive blood lactate elevation in dives beyond the ADL.
The Science of Training: A Decade of Progress

▪ Abstract This chapter reviews the training research literature reported over the past decade. We describe the progress in five areas of research including training theory, training needs analysis, antecedent training conditions, training methods and strategies, and posttraining conditions. Our review suggests that advancements have been made that help us understand better the design and delivery of training in organizations, with respect to theory development as well as the quality and quantity of empirical research. We have new tools for analyzing requisite knowledge and skills, and for evaluating training. We know more about factors that influence training effectiveness and transfer of training. Finally, we challenge researchers to find better ways to translate the results of training research into practice.
Sharpening and bandwidth extrapolation techniques for radar micro-Doppler feature extraction

This paper presents a time-frequency analysis sharpening technique based on bandwidth extrapolation (BWE). The method utilizes a new extremely high resolution 2D linear prediction/lattice algorithm to enhance instantaneous time and instantaneous frequency details of conventional short-time Fourier transform (STFT) time-frequency analysis (TFA). The approach preserves extreme high dynamic range (DNR), over 100 dB, in the data without introducing debilitating cross-term artifacts that severely obscure weak features in the TFA, such as those introduced by quadratic TFAs like the Wigner and Cohen TFA representations. We demonstrate the performance of the new high detail TFA for micro-Doppler feature extraction in actual X-band airborne moving target (AMTI) and ground-borne moving target (GMTI) applications. This paper illustrates the AMTI case; the GMTI will be provided at the conference.
Listeria monocytogenes infection in caspase-11-deficient mice

Caspase-11 (Cas11) is a cysteine protease involved in programmed cell death and cytokine maturation. Through activation of Cas1 (interleukin-1β [IL-1β]-converting enzyme), Cas11 is directly involved in the maturation of IL-1β and IL-18. Apoptosis is mediated through Cas3. Given the role of apoptosis and cytokine signaling during the innate immune response in intracellular infection, we examined Cas11-deficient (Cas11−/−) mice during infection with Listeria monocytogenes. Cas11−/− and wild-type C57BL/6 mice were equally susceptible to intravenous infection with L. monocytogenes, resulting in similar bacterial burdens in tissue and similar survival rates. By contrast, enhanced susceptibility was observed in control mice on a mixed genetic 129/C57BL/DBA2 background. Cas11−/− and wild-type mice infected with Listeria had similar hepatic microabscess formation in terms of histologic appearance, size, and number. Apoptosis of L. monocytogenes-infected hepatocytes in vivo and in vitro in primary culture was not altered by the absence of Cas11. Serum IL-18 and IL-1β levels were similar in Cas11−/− mice and controls. Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS])-challenged Cas11−/− mice were deficient in the production of gamma interferon. IL-1β responses in Cas11−/− were normal with intravenous administration of LPS but decreased with intraperitoneal administration. Our findings suggest that Cas11 deficiency does not impair the immune response to infection with L. monocytogenes. Apoptosis and maturation of IL-18 and IL-1β were normal despite Cas11 deficiency. LPS-induced proinflammatory pathways are altered by the absence of Cas11. While Cas11-mediated Cas1 and Cas3 activation is crucial for cytokine maturation and apoptosis during inflammation, alternative pathways allow normal inflammatory and apoptotic responses during infection with L. monocytogenes.
Here's my cert, so trust me, maybe?: understanding TLS errors on the web

When browsers report TLS errors, they cannot distinguish between attacks and harmless server misconfigurations; hence they leave it to the user to decide whether continuing is safe. However, actual attacks remain rare. As a result, users quickly become used to "false positives" that deplete their attention span, making it unlikely that they will pay sufficient scrutiny when a real attack comes along. Consequently, browser vendors should aim to minimize the number of low-risk warnings they report. To guide that process, we perform a large-scale measurement study of common TLS warnings. Using a set of passive network monitors located at different sites, we identify the prevalence of warnings for a total population of about 300,000 users over a nine-month period. We identify low-risk scenarios that consume a large chunk of the user attention budget and make concrete recommendations to browser vendors that will help maintain user attention in high-risk situations. We study the impact on end users with a data set much larger in scale than the data sets used in previous TLS measurement studies. A key novelty of our approach involves the use of internal browser code instead of generic TLS libraries for analysis, providing more accurate and representative results.
Transplantation of 2 partially HLA-matched umbilical cord blood units to enhance engraftment in adults with hematologic malignancy

Limited umbilical cord blood (UCB) cell dose compromises the outcome of adult UCB transplantation. Therefore, to augment graft cell dose, we evaluated the safety of the combined transplantation of 2 partially human leukocyte antigen (HLA)–matched UCB units. Twenty-three patients with high-risk hematologic malignancy (median age, 24 years; range, 13-53 years) received 2 UCB units (median infused dose, 3.5 × 107 nucleated cell [NC]/kg; range, 1.1-6.3 × 107 NC/kg) after myeloablative conditioning. All evaluable patients (n = 21) engrafted at a median of 23 days (range, 15-41 days). At day 21, engraftment was derived from both donors in 24% of patients and a single donor in 76% of patients, with 1 unit predominating in all patients by day 100. Although neither nucleated or CD34+ cell doses nor HLA-match predicted which unit would predominate, the predominating unit had a significantly higher CD3+ dose ( P < .01). Incidences of grades II-IV and III-IV acute GVHD were 65% (95% confidence interval [CI], 42%-88%) and 13% (95% CI, 0%-26%), respectively. Disease-free survival was 57% (95% CI, 35%-79%) at 1 year, with 72% (95% CI, 49%-95%) of patients alive if they received transplants while in remission. Therefore, transplantation of 2 partially HLA-matched UCB units is safe, and may overcome the cell-dose barrier that limits the use of UCB in many adults and adolescents.
Implementation of the Newsvendor Model with Clearance Pricing: How to (and How Not to) Estimate a Salvage Value

The newsvendor model is designed to decide how much of a product to order when the product is to be sold over a short selling season with stochastic demand and there are no additional opportunities to replenish inventory. There are many practical situations that reasonably conform to those assumptions, but the traditional newsvendor model also assumes a fixed salvage value: all inventory left over at the end of the season is sold off at a fixed per-unit price. The fixed salvage value assumption is questionable when a clearance price is rationally chosen in response to the events observed during the selling season: a deep discount should be taken if there is plenty of inventory remaining at the end of the season, whereas a shallow discount is appropriate for a product with higher than expected demand. This paper solves for the optimal order quantity in the newsvendor model, assuming rational clearance pricing. We then study the performance of the traditional newsvendor model. The key to effective implementation of the traditional newsvendor model is choosing an appropriate fixed salvage value. (We show that an optimal order quantity cannot be generally achieved by merely enhancing the traditional newsvendor model to include a nonlinear salvage value function.) We demonstrate that several intuitive methods for estimating the salvage value can lead to an excessively large order quantity and a substantial profit loss. Even though the traditional model can result in poor performance, the model seems as if it is working correctly: the order quantity chosen is optimal given the salvage value inputted to the model, and the observed salvage value given the chosen order quantity equals the inputted one. We discuss how to estimate a salvage value that leads the traditional newsvendor model to the optimal or near-optimal order quantity. Our results highlight the importance of understanding how a model can interact with its own inputs: when inputs to a model are influenced by the decisions of the model, care is needed to appreciate how that interaction influences the decisions recommended by the model and how the model's inputs should be estimated.
Facilitation of Memory Encoding in Primate Hippocampus by a Neuroprosthesis that Promotes Task Specific Neural Firing

Objective. Memory accuracy is a major problem in human disease and is the primary factor that defines Alzheimer’s, ageing and dementia resulting from impaired hippocampal function in the medial temporal lobe. Development of a hippocampal memory neuroprosthesis that facilitates normal memory encoding in nonhuman primates (NHPs) could provide the basis for improving memory in human disease states. Approach. NHPs trained to perform a short-term delayed match-to-sample (DMS) memory task were examined with multi-neuron recordings from synaptically connected hippocampal cell fields, CA1 and CA3. Recordings were analyzed utilizing a previously developed nonlinear multi-input multi-output (MIMO) neuroprosthetic model, capable of extracting CA3-to-CA1 spatiotemporal firing patterns during DMS performance. Main results. The MIMO model verified that specific CA3-to-CA1 firing patterns were critical for the successful encoding of sample phase information on more difficult DMS trials. This was validated by the delivery of successful MIMO-derived encoding patterns via electrical stimulation to the same CA1 recording locations during the sample phase which facilitated task performance in the subsequent, delayed match phase, on difficult trials that required more precise encoding of sample information. Significance. These findings provide the first successful application of a neuroprosthesis designed to enhance and/or repair memory encoding in primate brain.
Seasonal effects of prescribed burning and roller chopping on saw palmetto in flatwoods

Shrub encroachment has become a problem in many rangeland systems across the United States due to a reduction in the disturbances, primarily fire, which historically maintained them. The shrub saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) has become abundant in many habitats of the southeastern Coastal Plain, including Florida. When fire regimes are altered or fires are suppressed, this species can proliferate leading to significant changes in the ecosystem, particularly the herbaceous vegetation. Prescribed burning and roller chopping are management activities often used to control saw palmetto. However, little is known about the effects these treatments have on this shrub, particularly when applied in different seasons. We compared the seasonal effects of prescribed burning, roller chopping, and combinations of the two on saw palmetto. The effects of treatments on saw palmetto were assessed using a paired-sample approach, where saw palmetto height, cover, and density were compared between sampling locations randomly located within treated (e.g., burned) and untreated areas. Dormant season burning had no effect on saw palmetto density and height and only temporarily reduced cover, with rapid regrowth occurring the first year post-treatment. Growing season burning also had no effect on saw palmetto density. However, saw palmetto cover was lower on growing season burn compared to control sites the first year post-treatment and height the first and second year post-treatment. The combination of burning and roller chopping, despite having no effect on saw palmetto density, did result in lower saw palmetto height compared to controls the first and second year post-treatment. The effect of roller chopping/burning on saw palmetto cover depended on season and year. Saw palmetto cover and height were lower on dormant and growing season roller chop than control sites the first and second year post-treatment, but only growing season roller chopping had an effect on saw palmetto density. The single application of a dormant or growing season burn is not recommended for control of high-density saw palmetto, however, it may be suitable to maintain areas where saw palmetto levels are low and proliferation of the species is not a threat. Dormant and growing season roller chopping showed the greatest potential for rapid saw palmetto control. Growing season roller chopping is recommended if significant reductions in saw palmetto density are desired.
Risk-based Var Expansion Planning

In this paper, a systematic risk-based reactive power resource expansion planning approach is described and illustrated. The approach has three stages; adequacy expansion, security expansion, and risk-based expansion. The first one performs Var allocation to address transmission inadequacy; the second one refines the allocation to address transmission system security via corrective control; the third one balances the economic investment and the expected post-contingency consequence. All three stages are solved via the Benders decomposition. The approach is illustrated on a 14-bus test system.
Large-area high-reflectivity broadband monolithic silicon photonic crystal mirror MEMS scanner

In this paper we introduce a MEMS scanner with a monolithic silicon 2-D photonic crystal (PC) mirror with broad-band high reflectivity (>90%) in the 1550 nm wavelength band. The photonic crystal is generated as an integrated part of the MEMS scanner fabrication process, resulting in a monolithic structure with a mirror that is ultra-flat with ~lambda/100 flatness over a 500 mum times 500 mum area. The reflectance spectrum shows that the PC mirror has a high reflectivity (>90%) band from 1520 nm-1620 nm. The scanner has a scan range of 22 degrees at an input square wave of 67 V with a resonance frequency of 2.13 kHz.
Effects of Vitamin E and C Supplementation on Performance, In Vitro Lymphocyte Proliferation, and Antioxidant Status of Laying Hens During Heat Stress

Abstract Vitamin E (dl-α-tocopheryl acetate) was evaluated for its effects on performance, lymphocyte proliferation, and antioxidation in layers during heat stress. In Trial 1, 25, 45, or 65 IU of vitamin E/kg were fed to four replicated pens (five hens/cage) of DeKalb Delta or Hy-Line W-36 per treatment starting at 20 wk of age. At 34 wk of age, hens were heat-stressed at diurnal temperature ranging from 21 C to 35 C for 3 wk. The performances of hens not exposed to heat stress were not influenced by supplemental vitamin E. Supplemental vitamin E did not affect egg production; however, egg mass was greater (P
Studying Interests and Policy From the Inside1

This is a nontraditional PSJ article. It is intended as an advocacy essay on one way to study organized interests and their public policy role. It's written in a light-hearted fashion, calling for more professional involvement in the actual politics of public policy, going beyond Fenno's famous “soaking and poking.” There are three purposes here. One is emphasis on the usefulness of intense policy domain studies. The second is arguing for close and ongoing academic relationships with policy players. The third is arguing that those relationships provide wonderful opportunities to gather large and reliable data sets that are unavailable otherwise.
A Cavity Activation and Bubble Growth Model of the Leidenfrost Point

This study presents a new mechanistic model of the Leidenfrost point (LFP); the minimumliquid/solid interface temperature required to support ﬁlm boiling on a smooth surface.The model is structured around bubble nucleation, growth, and merging criteria, as wellas surface cavity size characterization. It is postulated that for liquid/solid interfacetemperatures at and above the LFP, a sufﬁcient number of cavities (about 20 percent) areactivated and the bubble growth rates are sufﬁciently fast that a continuous vapor layer isestablished nearly instantaneously between the liquid and the solid. The model is appli-cable to both pools of liquid and sessile droplets. The effect of surface cavity distributionon the LFP predicted by the model is veriﬁed for boiling on aluminum, nickel and silversurfaces, as well as on a liquid gallium surface. The model exhibits good agreement withexperimental sessile droplet data for water, FC-72, and acetone. While the model wasdeveloped for smooth surfaces on which the roughness asperities are of the same magni-tude as the cavity radii (0.1–1.0 mm), it is capable of predicting the boundary or limitingLeidenfrost temperature for rougher surfaces with good accuracy.@DOI: 10.1115/1.1470487#Keywords: Boiling, Bubble Growth, Cavities, Heat Transfer
Relationships Between Adult Abdominal Color and Reproductive Potential in Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), a vector of huanglongbing (citrus greening disease), exhibits three more or less distinct abdominal colors in the adult stage: gray/brown, blue/green, and orange/yellow. A previous report showed that, relative to blue/green individuals, gray/brown individuals of both sexes have lower body mass, and gray/brown females may have lower reproductive output. In the present investigation, we directly examined the relationships between female and male abdominal color and reproductive output. We also assessed how psyllid body mass was insuenced by transfer to fresh plant material and how female and male abdominal color affected behavioral responses of males to crushed females in a petri dish assay. Relative to blue/green females, gray/brown females exhibited lower fecundity over the Þrst 2Ð5 d after mating, but fecundity did not differ over the remainder of a 21-d observation period. Regardless of abdominal color, females mated with gray/brown males showed an earlier, sharper peak in fecundity, whereas females mated with blue/green males showed a later, more gradual peak in fecundity. Gray/brown males elicited lower egg fertility in their mates, but egg fertility did not vary according to female abdominal color. MalesNirrespective of abdominal colorN exhibited stronger evidence of attraction to crushed blue/ green females than to crushed gray/brown females. Gray/brown individuals of both sexes showed an increase in body mass 5Ð 6 d after transfer to a new citrus seedling, suggesting that abdominal color (which is closely related to body mass) may be insuenced at least in part by plant quality.
A note on the stability of conjugated diene absorption of rat liver microsomal lipids after carbon tetrachloride poisoning

Liver microsomal lipid peroxidation has been observed in fatal human CCl(4) poisoning, in rats with fatty livers induced by CCl(4) or by yellow phosphorus, and in mice poisoned with 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane. These observations suggest the possibility that other instances of toxic liver injury may involve lipid peroxidation. Cases of acute, fatal, toxic liver injury (e.g., from halothane anesthesia) are not likely to occur at or near laboratories equipped to determine whether any lipid peroxidation might have taken place. The data presented indicate that rat livers may be stored frozen for at least 7 days with no demonstrable diminution in CCl(4)-induced conjugated diene absorption of liver microsomal lipids.
Fluctuating Asymmetry in Antlers of Alaskan Moose: Size Matters

We studied characteristics of paired antlers, including types of asymmetry, from 1,501 Alaskan moose (Alces alces gigas). We observed no evidence of antisymmetry in moose antlers, but number of tines was greater on left than right antlers, indicating directional asymmetry. Absolute and relative fluctuating asymmetry (FA) occurred for palm characteristics but not for beam circumference. Relative FA varied inversely with the overall size of antlers for attributes of the palm, which was expected for a secondary sexual characteristic. Smaller-antlered males exhibited greater FA than did larger-antlered moose in palm characteristics. Because large-antlered males, which mate most often among moose and other polygynous cervids, expressed the least relative FA, we hypothesize that this metric indicates quality of individual moose. Whether symmetry of antlers is related to antler breakage or honest advertisement or whether females select mates based on FA is unknown and deserves additional study.
Patch testing with the standard series when receiving immunosuppressive medications.

Background Debate surrounds the validity of patch testing for allergic contact dermatitis in patients taking immunosuppressants and the extent to which these medications suppress patch test reactions. Previous studies have demonstrated that corticosteroids can suppress immune reactions measured in patch testing. Because immunomodulators are increasingly used, their impact on patch testing also requires evaluation. Objectives This study aimed to report patch test results in patients taking specific immunosuppressants and to review relevant literature. Methods A retrospective review of patients patch tested with the standard series at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2011, was conducted. Conclusions Positive patch test results occur during methotrexate therapy. How reactions would differ with no immunosuppression is unclear.
Fine-Grained Serpentine in CM2 Carbonaceous Chondrites and Its Implications for the Extent of Aqueous Alteration on the Parent Body: A Review

Outer main-belt asteroids are predominantly of the C-type (carbonaceous), suggesting that they are likely parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites. Abundant phyllosilicates in some classes of carbonaceous chondrites have chemical compositions, mineral associations, and textures that preserve direct evidence of the processes by which carbonaceous chondrites and their parent asteroids originated and evolved to their present state. Serpentine is the dominant hydroxyl-bearing mineral in the most abundant (CM) group of carbonaceous chondrites. Serpentine may have formed as a direct nebular condensate during cooling of the solar nebula, or by aqueous alteration of anhydrous Mg,Fe-silicate precursors. Such alteration of anhydrous precursors may have occurred in the solar nebula prior to assembly of the meteorites’ parent bodies or on the parent bodies. The relative proportions of Fe and Mg in fine-grained CM2 serpentines have been used to compare the degree of aqueous alteration of different CM2 chondrites with one another. The Mg content of serpentine increases with increasing overall degree of aqueous alteration, so CM2 chondrites with Mg-rich serpentines experienced a more advanced degree of aqueous alteration than CM2 chondrites with Fe-rich serpentines. Attempts to quantify aqueous alteration of CM chondrites by interpreting electron microprobe analyses in terms of charge-balance and site-occupancy constraints from serpentine stoichiometry have met with mixed success. Despite its imperfections, one widely used alteration index based on serpentine stoichiometry is strongly correlated with the elapsed time since the fall and recovery of witnessed CM chondrite falls. Additionally, volatile organic contaminants introduced during sample processing in the laboratory are associated with serpentine and other matrix phyllosilicates. Together, these post-recovery changes in scientifically important sample attributes imply that oxidation-reduction and other types of weathering and contamination affect these meteorites even during curatorial storage and laboratory processing. The same phyllosilicates that make their carbonaceous-chondritic host rocks scientifically important research targets also render those same rocks extraordinarily vulnerable to terrestrial contamination of some of their most scientifically important attributes. This has possible implications for reconstructing pre-terrestrial (parent body) aqueous alteration phenomena from carbonaceous chondritic meteorites and eventually from samples returned by future missions to asteroids with spectral reflectance properties similar to carbonaceous chondrites.
Effect observation recombinant human interferon α1b for aerosol inhalation treating viral upper respiratory tract infection in children

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of recombinant human interferon α1b for aerosol inhalation treating viral upper respiratory tract infection in children. Methods 78 children with viral upper respiratory tract infection in our outpatient were randomly and evenly divided into control group and the observation group.The control group was treated with conventional therapy.The observation group was treated with recombinant human interferon α1b for aerosol inhalation on the basis of conventional therapy.The total effective rate,cooling time and total duration of the two groups were compared. Results Total effective rate of the observation group(92.3%) was significantly higher than that in the control group(76.9%)(P0.05).The cooling time and total duration of the observation group were significantly shorter than those in the control group(P0.05). Conclusion Recombinant human interferon α1b for viral upper respiratory tract infection in children has exact effect.It can effectively curb virus invasion and infection,improve cough,runny nose and other symptoms and control the progression of the disease.It′s worthy of clinical wide promotion and application.
Current situation and prospect of beach reclamation in Zhejiang province

Zhejiang province is populous but lack of land.This contradiction is a prominent question .Reclamation land from beach has become a foundational channel of solving the contradiction.Especially,in coastal areas,reclamation land from beach promotes the steady development of the district economy and plays a basic role.Therefore,we shall expound fully the developmental prospect of the reclamation land from beach through the analysis of the history,current situation,position,purpose and approach in economy and technology. We'll impulse the project steadily forward.
AN INVESTIGATION ON THE INFLUENCE OF AGGREGATE SIZE ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE CONCRETE UNDER COMPRESSIVE LOADING BY ACOUSTIC EMISSION

Being a kind of dynamic nondestructive testing method, acoustic emission(AE) was widely used in the research of concrete materials . AE characteristics of the concrete under uniaxial compression were studied. Tests were made on the normal and high strength concretes with aggregates of different sizes for AE signals, maximum aggregate size, compressive strength and compressive strain. Test results showed that the AE signals detected during the compression process contained potentially useful information for judging the stability of the specimens. Good correlation was observed between AE signals and maximum aggregate sizes.
The Autonomous Commander-in-Chief

The core of the garrison state is the institutionalized presidency. His power to deploy the armed forces at his discretion has overwhelmed Congress’ power to declare war. The weapon of secrecy has reinforced his claims of royal prerogative over matters affecting national security.