cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pregnancy complicated by diabetes mellitus in private practice: A review of ten years

Two hundred private diabetic patients delivered of their infants (202) in a private hospital were evaluated for a 10 year study period (1968 to 1977). There were no maternal deaths. An 88% overall survival rate of viable infants compared favorably with that of other reported series. Analysis of each of the 10 years demonstrated marked changes in management and consequent changes in fetal survival, morbidity, and mortality rates. No neonatal deaths occurred during the last 3 years of the study period and the mortality rate in viable infants was 6.8%. There has been no significant temporal change in the incidence of toxemia or hydramnios. Fifteen stillbirths and ten neonatal deaths were analyzed to identify significant factors or parameters. Attention is directed to sex ratios (male:female) of 3:1 for stillbirths and 3:2 for infants affected with respiratory distress syndrome. Conservative use of accessory testing and antepartum hospitalization was obvious. The question of the necessity for expensive and intensive regimented institutional management is addressed. A minimum management regimen is proposed to be used in conjunction with the private obstetrician's clinical judgment and expertise.
Establishing Performance Targets for Model Predictive Control Systems through off-line Optimization

This work is an attempt to develop a methodology that defines and delemines the "best" (thermodynamic-like) control performance deliverable by a control system to a plant whose model is uncertain, and whose inputs and outputs are constrained. A model-based control framework is used. The controller design problem is formulated as a multi-objective optimization, and connections to other formulations are established. Nonlinear system representation through finite Volterra series is proposed. The results of our first attempts to solve the corresponding optimization problems are elaborated on.
Disparities in health status and substance use: ethnicity and socioeconomic factors.

OBJECTIVE: This article reviews the literature on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in morbidity and mortality, focusing on substance use and abuse. OBSERVATIONS: In most populations and societies, people of higher social position live longer and remain healthier than those of lower position. Disparities in morbidity and mortality across ethnic groups also exist. Mortality rates for African Americans are about 1.6 times higher than those for white, with much higher disparities for certain causes, such as HIV/AIDS and diabetes. Disparities also exist in the level of substance use and abuse. CONCLUSION: Racial and ethnic differences in health and health behaviors, including substance use and abuse, may partly reflect biological differences, but it is more likely that they can be explained largely by socioeconomic differences, cultural factors, and prejudice and discrimination, both institutional and individual.
SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULINS. II. LEVELS IN CHILDREN SUBJECT TO RECURRENT INFECTION

In serum immunoglobulin analyses of 600 children reported to be subject to frequent respiratory or cutaneous infection, 263 (44%) demonstrated concentrations of one or more immunoglobulins which were outside the normal bounds for age. In contrast, similar analyses in 181 normal subjects of comparable ages revealed only 14 sera (7.7%) which had immunoglobulin concentrations outside normal bounds (normal bounds = antilogs of the mean logs of the normal subject data at each of 18 ages ± two pooled standard deviations of the logs). A chi square test comparing the number of sera in each group with values outside the normal bounds revealed a highly signicant difference (p
Acute effect of diphenoxylate with atropine (Lomotil) in patients with chronic diarrhea and fecal incontinence

Abstract Fifteen patients with chronic diarrhea and fecal incontinence were admitted to a clinical research center and treated for 3 days with either placebo or diphenoxylate with atropine (Lomotil). The patients were then crossed over to the alternate medication. Lomotil had no effect on rectal or anal sphincter pressure or on continence for saline that had been infused into the rectum. However, Lomotil therapy reduced average stool frequency (from 4.9 to 2.6 times/day) and average stool weight (from 460 to 256 g/day). These results suggest that temporary or intermittent therapy with Lomotil and related drugs might benefit patients with chronic diarrhea and fecal incontinence. They should do this by virtue of a reduction in stool frequency and stool volume, without a deleterious effect on the defense mechanisms against incontinence.
An Evaluation of Multiple Perceptions of Digital Rights Management

Digital Rights Management (DRM) solutions have generated much interest because of their influence on the expectations and responsibilities of customers and related organizations. It was created to restrict piracy and enhance digital media sales, however, it is found to be unable to fulfill its objectives. We find the protections by DRM lack an understanding of the end user and the evolving nature of copyright and fair use. The potential motives for pirating appear to increase as DRM becomes more intrusive causing a conflict in the objectives of DRM. Thus, adjustments must be made to the current DRM model in order for it to become beneficial for both the producer and the consumer. Our research identifies the needs, desires, and responsibilities of the various DRM stakeholders so that a successful use of DRM technologies can be modeled: a challenge faced by the media industry.
Acquisition and transfer differences between Kindergarteners and Second-graders on aurally and visually presented paired-associates using an A-B, A-C design

Abstract Kindergarten and second-grade children were trained in an A-B, A-C paired-associate task using five pairs and two modes (aural and visual) of presentation. It was found that, contrary to expectations, acquisition on the first list was significantly faster for the visual mode. In addition, both Kindergarteners and Second-graders exhibited significant negative transfer.
Effect of Throat Length and Diffuser Angle on Pressure Loss Across a Venturi Scrubber

(1983). Effect of Throat Length and Diffuser Angle on Pressure Loss Across a Venturi Scrubber. Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association: Vol. 33, No. 6, pp. 600-604.
Using Bayesian networks for bankruptcy prediction: Some methodological issues

Abstract This study provides operational guidance for building naive Bayes Bayesian network (BN) models for bankruptcy prediction. First, we suggest a heuristic method that guides the selection of bankruptcy predictors. Based on the correlations and partial correlations among variables, the method aims at eliminating redundant and less relevant variables. A naive Bayes model is developed using the proposed heuristic method and is found to perform well based on a 10-fold validation analysis. The developed naive Bayes model consists of eight first-order variables, six of which are continuous. We also provide guidance on building a cascaded model by selecting second-order variables to compensate for missing values of first-order variables. Second, we analyze whether the number of states into which the six continuous variables are discretized has an impact on the model’s performance. Our results show that the model’s performance is the best when the number of states for discretization is either two or three. Starting from four states, the performance starts to deteriorate, probably due to over-fitting. Finally, we experiment whether modeling continuous variables with continuous distributions instead of discretizing them can improve the model’s performance. Our finding suggests that this is not true. One possible reason is that continuous distributions tested by the study do not represent well the underlying distributions of empirical data. Finally, the results of this study could also be applicable to business decision-making contexts other than bankruptcy prediction.
Fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis

Purpose of review Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial infectious diarrhea in adults. The purpose of this review is to increase awareness that infection from C. difficile is not always indolent, but with fulminant colitis, it can be lethal. The epidemiology, pathogenesis and treatment of C. difficile infection are discussed, with special emphasis on management of fulminant colitis. Recent findings Clostridium difficile causes fulminant colitis in 3-8% of patients. Early predictors of disease include immunosuppression, hypotension, hypoalbuminemia, and a pronounced leukocytosis. In patients with fulminant colitis, early colectomy before vasopressor therapy is required and may improve survival. Summary The incidence and virulence of C. difficile infection are increasing. Antibiotic use and length of hospital stay correlate strongly with infection. Oral or intravenous metronidazole is the recommended first-line therapy, with discontinuation of systemic antibiotics if possible. Forty percent of patients may have a prolonged course and 20% will relapse despite adequate therapy. Fulminant colitis develops in 3-8% of patients; diagnosis can be difficult with diarrhea absent in 20% of the subgroup. Once diagnosed, subtotal colectomy with ileostomy is usually required. In patients with a marked leukocytosis or bandemia, surgery is advisable because the leukocytosis frequently precedes hypotension and the requirement for vasopressor therapy, which carries a poor prognosis.
Consistent calculations of (n,x) and (n,xγ) cross sections for 40CA En = 1–20 MeV☆

Abstract Cross sections for neutron interaction with 40Ca, with emphasis on production of gamma rays, are calculated and compared with experiment. Various nuclear models are applied judiciously for the calculation. The Hauser-Feshbach theory for binary reactions is here extended to include tertiary reactions, which are important for 40Ca from 10 to 20 MeV. To conserve angular momentum, we included continuum-level spins and parities in the gamma-ray-production calculation. An extensive measurement of gamma-ray-production cross sections, which became available after all model parameters were fixed, confirms the predictability of the models, particularly in the high-energy range, where tertiary reactions contribute significantly. Recommended values of the total neutron cross section are presented graphically in detail and other cross sections in overview.
An adaptive Reed-Solomon errors-and-erasures decoder

The development of Reed-Solomon (RS) codes has allowed for improved data transmission over a variety of communication media. Although Reed-Solomon decoding provides a powerful defense against burst data errors, the significant circuit area and power consumption of customized RS decoder hardware can be limiting for embedded computing environments. To support enhanced performance decoding with minimal power consumption, a dynamically-reconfigurable FPGA-based Reed-Solomon decoder has been developed. Our errors-and-erasures decoding system uses multiple erasure blocks to identify the location of likely corrupted data and multiple decoders to attempt error correction. The RS decoder design is implemented in reconfigurable hardware to leverage architectural parallelism and specialization. Run-time dynamic reconfiguration of the decoding system is used in response to variations in channel conditions to support the fastest possible data rate while, as a secondary metric, minimizing decoder power consumption. Algorithm parameters for the decoding system have been determined via simulation and the design has been implemented in Altera Stratix FPGAs. Through experimentation using an Altera 1S40 Stratix FPGA, we show that dynamic reconfiguration can result in an 14% performance improvement versus a non-reconfigurable decoder implementation. Comparisons with a Pentium IV microprocessor illustrate five orders of magnitude performance improvement.
Metallothionein-Induced Increase in Mitochondrial Inner Membrane Permeability

Abstract Objective. To elucidate the effect of metallothionein on the permeability of the mitochondrial inner membrane. Background. Metallothionein (MT) is a 6–7-kDa protein which is rapidly produced by stressed cells. MT is induced by cytokines and other factors thought to mediate the stress response. The organelle with the highest concentration of MT is the mitochondrion. Therefore we studied the effect of MT on mitochondrial function. We chose to study the effect of MT on mitochondrial inner membrane permeability because of the role of this function in numerous cellular processes. Methods. Mitochondria were isolated from livers of Sprague-Dawley rats by differential centrifugation and suspended in sucrose-containing buffer. Changes in mitochondrial inner membrane permeability were monitored by following the change in absorbance at 540 nm. All experiments were of a paired design. Results. We found that an increase in inner membrane permeability was induced by physiological metallothionein 1 (MT1) concentrations between 6 and 50 μM. There was no increase in the effect beyond 50 μM. The metals of MT1, zinc, and cadmium alone had no effect at physiological concentrations. The action of MT1 was inhibited by the aliphatic polyamine, spermine, as well as magnesium both at physiological concentrations. Spermine was effective whether added before or after MT1. Metallothionein 2 of different Zn 2+ and Cd 2+ compositions induced different kinetics of pore opening. Conclusions. These experiments reveal the possibility that the permeability of the mitochondrial inner membrane is regulated by relative concentrations of MT, spermine, and magnesium. The metal composition of MT could also play a role in this regulation.
Estrogen Can Act via Estrogen Receptor α and β to Protect Hippocampal Neurons against Global Ischemia-Induced Cell Death

Estradiol at physiological concentrations intervenes in apoptotic death cascades and ameliorates neuronal death in experimental models of focal and global ischemia. The cellular targets that mediate estradiol protection of hippocampal neurons in global ischemia are, however, unclear. The present study examined the hypothesis that estradiol protects hippocampal neurons in ovariectomized rats via estrogen receptor (ER)α and/or β. Estradiol (14 d pretreatment) afforded robust protection of CA1 neurons against global ischemia-induced death. The broad-spectrum ER antagonist ICI 182,780 (intracerebroventricularly, 0 and 12 h after ischemia) abolished estrogen protection, consistent with a role for ERs. To evaluate the potential roles of ERα vs. ERβ in estrogen protection, we administered subtype-selective agonists for 14 d before and 7 d after ischemia. The ERα-selective agonist propyl pyrazole triol (PPT, 10 mg/kg) and ERβ-selective agonist WAY 200070–3 (1 mg/kg) produced nearly complete protection of CA1 neur...
An update of the survey of training and internship programs in clinical neuropsychology

Resurveyed training and intership programs in clinical neuropsychology for current information. Some changes were noted, and data on two new internship programs and two new university training programs were presented.
Molecular weight estimates of vesicular stomatitis virus ribonucleic acids from virions, defective particles, and infected cells

Ribonucleic acid from vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) virions (B particles), defective particles (T), and infected cells was examined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and apparent molecular weights were estimated. B particle RNA of 4.0×106 daltons from Indiana strain L and from Cocal virus was distinguishable from RNA of 4.5×106 daltons from Indiana strain BT-78 and several strains of New Jersey VSV. Abundant T particle RNA of 1.0×106 daltons, was present in one Indiana L stock and was absent in a plaque purified stock. Cocal virus had T particle RNA of 0.7×106 daltons, and one stock of Ogden strain New Jersey VSV had T particle RNA of 1.2×106 daltons. Little or no T particle RNA was detectable in several other VSV stocks. Major RNA components with apparent molecular weights, 2.4, 0.66, and 0.31×106 daltons in cells infected with Indiana strain L were complementary to virion RNA. The size relationships of B particle RNA from Indiana L and New Jersey strains were examined by sucrose density gradient sedimentation of undenatured and of formaldehyde denatured RNA. Sedimentation of undenatured RNA led to a conflict with gel electrophoresis results, inferring New Jersey had a lower molecular weight than Indiana L, but upon denaturation the relation was consistent with electrophoresis results.
Neutron Coincidence Counters for Nuclear Safeguards Applications

Reliable, accurate and rapid nondestructive assay instrumentation is playing an increasingly important role in the practical implementation of nuclear material safeguards, inspection and surveillance as well as in quality control and operational safety in all types of nuclear processing facilities. The neutron coincidence counting technique has been successfully demonstrated for nondestructive assay of samples containing Pu or U. The technique involves detecting neutrons from the spontaneous fission of 240Pu and 238U with polyethylene moderated neutron coincidence counters containing 3He- or BF3-filled detectors surrounding the sample to be assayed. The coincidence counting technique is necessary for reliable assay since total neutron count rate is dependent not only on the amount of Pu in the sample but also on the chemical composition. For example, if the sample contains PuO2 the total neutron production rate would be ~100 n/sec-g; however, if the sample contained PuF4 the total rate would be ~300 times larger than this. The spontaneous fission rate of both samples would be ~25 fiss/sec-g (for 5% 240Pu isotopic composition), independent of chemical composition. By using the coincidence counting technique it is possible to distinguish spontaneous fission neutrons from the randomly produced (?,n) neutrons. Thus coincidence counting provides a powerful method for rapid and accurate assay of Pu-bearing samples. Recently, the use of fast plastic scintillation detectors has significantly extended the range of usefulness of the coincidence counting technique to materials with extremely high (?,n) activities.
Rate determination for F + CH4 by real-time competitive kinetics

Abstract The rate constant for the title reaction was found to be (5.72 ± 0 30) × 10 −11 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 . Fluorine atoms were generated via IR multiphoton dissociation of SF 6 in a mixture of CH 4 , D 2 , and Ar. The time-dependent concentration of fluorine atoms, and hence the rate of reaction, could be monitored either by HF IR luminescence or by DF luminescence. We have thus established that real-time observation of competitive kinetics can be used to measure a variety of reaction rates.
Sarcomeric protein mutations in dilated cardiomyopathy

This review aims to provide a concise summary of the DCM associated mutations identified in the proteins of the sarcomere and cytoskeleton, and discuss the reported effects of the mutations, as determined by functional studies, and in relation to the known structure of the protein affected. The mechanisms by which single missense mutations in the proteins of the sarcomere can lead to similar diseases as those caused by mutations in the proteins of the sarcolemma and cytoskeleton, are still unknown. However, a wide variety of mutations being associated with DCM suggests a complex mechanism shared by the proteins affected. The DCM mutations reviewed here are those of the β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC), myosin binding protein-C (MyBP-C), actin, α- tropomyosin (Tm), troponin T (TnT), troponin I (TnI), troponin C (TnC), of the sarcomere, and titin, T-cap, desmin, vinculin, and muscle LIM protein (MLP) of the cytoskeleton.
Lessons learned for follow-up phone booster counseling calls with substance abusing emergency department patients.

Abstract Background Post-visit “booster” sessions have been recommended to augment the impact of brief interventions delivered in the emergency department (ED). This paper, which focuses on implementation issues, presents descriptive information and interventionists' qualitative perspectives on providing brief interventions over the phone, challenges, “lessons learned”, and recommendations for others attempting to implement adjunctive booster calls. Method Attempts were made to complete two 20-minute telephone “booster” calls within a week following a patient's ED discharge with 425 patients who screened positive for and had recent problematic substance use other than alcohol or nicotine. Results Over half (56.2%) of participants completed the initial call; 66.9% of those who received the initial call also completed the second call. Median number of attempts to successfully contact participants for the first and second calls were 4 and 3, respectively. Each completed call lasted an average of about 22 minutes. Common challenges/barriers identified by booster callers included unstable housing, limited phone access, unavailability due to additional treatment, lack of compensation for booster calls, and booster calls coming from an area code different than the participants' locale and from someone other than ED staff. Conclusions Specific recommendations are presented with respect to implementing a successful centralized adjunctive booster call system. Future use of booster calls might be informed by research on contingency management (e.g., incentivizing call completions), smoking cessation quitlines, and phone-based continuing care for substance abuse patients. Future research needs to evaluate the incremental benefit of adjunctive booster calls on outcomes over and above that of brief motivational interventions delivered in the ED setting.
The Fatigue Life Assessment of PZL-130 Orlik Structures Based on Historical Usage Data

Material fatigue is the basic factor limiting aircraft’s durability. It comes from the fact that changing loads affect aircraft structure as well as from the fact that aircraft’s mass restrictions do not allow for diminishing stress to the level when material fatigue does not occur. Estimating fatigue durability of a particular structure as well as its actual fatigue damage degree is possible when the history of loads affecting the structure is known. Accuracy of loads monitoring influences the accuracy of indicated fatigue wear. In case of older structures, which have been maintained according to safe life principle, the number of hours have been commonly used as a fatigue wear indicator. After aircraft structure reaches flying time estimated by the produces, it is considered as fatigue wear and it is no longer in service. In case of a lack of results of loads spectrum measurements, results of tests conducted for other aircraft (of similar structure and assignment) can be used. For this purpose, average loads spectrum has been elaborated for particular aircraft groups, for example, HELIX, FELIX, FALSTAFF, ENSTAFF, TWIST(10). In the case of small aircraft, the data from FAA (2) report have been often used. This article describes the way of fatigue wear estimation for PZL-130 Orlik aircraft on the basis of historical data from flight recorders.
Online monitoring of fermentation processes

Abstract In biotechnology, few online measurements of biological variables are available. This fact hampers effective monitoring and control in the fermentation field. A novel approach to this is the use of a computer to combine outputs of online sensors for physical and chemical parameters to estimate directly otherwise unaccessible biological quantities like biomass. Here, a sensor configuration is presented for the online computation of the oxygen uptake rate. The equations that have to be implemented on the digital machine are derived and a case study on the fermentation of the antibiotic Gramicidine-S is performed and discussed. The experiments indicate that for a major part of the growth and fermentation period, the computer is suitable for the evaluation of the biomass based on oxygen uptake estimates. Consequently, the process can be monitored online.
Autoimmune MRL Mice Express High-Affinity IgG2b Monoclonal Autoantibodies to Heparin

Abstract Heparin and heparan sulfate are related glycosaminoglycans which demonstrate high-affinity interactions with a number of proteins, including anti-thrombin III. The immunogenicity of heparin has been reported previously employing heparin–protein conjugates as immunogens and as antigens in solid-phase assays. Previous studies also demonstrate that anti-heparin antibodies play a role in autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus and anti-phospholipid syndrome and in patients who receive heparin for therapeutic purposes. In the current study, we investigated the expression of monoclonal anti-heparin antibodies in nonimmunized, autoimmune MRL/lpr/lpr++ mice employing a liquid-phase radioimmunoassay. The K d of monoclonal IgG2b autoantibodies for heparin was approximately 10 −8 M. Anti-heparin antibodies were precipitating, and were not polyreactive. The IgG monoclonal antibodies described in this study represent an immunological instance of a specific, high-affinity heparin–protein interaction.
Acute cerebellar ataxia in children

Summary 1. Three cases of acute cerebellar ataxia in children are reported. 2. The symptoms of this clinical syndrome are an acute onset of ataxia which may be associated with nystagmus, intention tremor, and cerebral manifestations. The syndrome may occur spontaneously or following infectious illness. The etiology is unknown. 3. An unusual finding of a relatively marked pleocytosis in the spinal fluid was noted in two of our cases. 4. Prognosis as to life is generally favorable. No progression of cerebellar symptoms has been seen; however, chronic cases have been reported. Our three patients made a complete recovery. The longest course was one month.
Thermal model for origin of granitic batholiths

THE origin of granitic batholiths has been reviewed in the light of our understanding of the processes operative at destructive plate margins1. The thermal patterns at island arcs suggest that significant amounts of thermal energy must be released within downgoing oceanic plates, and that this energy may be transferred to the surface behind island arcs. In these regions heat flow values are abnormally high and andesitic volcanism is present. The high heat flow may be produced because the normal geothermal gradient is enhanced by penetrative convection of magmatic material which is derived from the downgoing plate. Many large granitic batholiths, such as those in Chile, are localised at plate margins, and some authors have proposed that the Sierra Nevada batholith originated in a similar setting along the continental margin in the down-warped portion of the lower crust. Dickenson2 suggested that the magma for the batholiths was produced by partial melting within the downgoing plate, and was subsequently emplaced into the overlying continental crust. Bateman and Dodge3, and Brown1 suggested that emplacement into the lower crust, of andesitic material derived from the mantle, causes partial melting of crustal material, with the mixed product forming the magma for the granitic batholiths.
Computation of Invariants for Reductive Groups

Abstract We will give an algorithm for computing generators of the invariant ring for a given representation of a linearly reductive group. The algorithm basically consists of a single Grobner basis computation. We will also show a connection between some open conjectures in commutative algebra and finding good degree bounds for generating invariants.
The Cognition of Ethnicity: Native Category Systems under the Field Experimental Microscope

This is a report on a series of studies conducted in the field with methodology approx- imating lab experimental methods to the degree possible. The studies were designed to investigate how human actors process and think about ethnic categories. The motivating hypothesis is that humans essentialize ethnic groups because these resemble "species" in several of their salient properties. The studies tested whether ethnic membership is a matter of enculturation or descent; whether ethnic categories are essentialized, with associated behavioral expectations; and whether physical differences between the two local groups drive the essentialism or if essentializing the categories in the first place drives this perception of physical differences. It was found that membership is held to be a matter of blood, most respondents essentialize the ethnic groups, and the distribution of phenotypes may not justify the extent to which respondents intuit that the contrast ethnic groups differ physically.
Two-photon excitation spectroscopy of thylakoid membranes from Phaeodactylum tricornutum: Evidence for an in vivo two-photon-allowed carotenoid state

Abstract One- and two-photon excitation profiles for chlorophyll a emission in thylakoid membranes of Phaeodactylum tricornutum are reported. Active two-photon response is revealed with excitation in the carotenoid spectral region. Interpretations are given in terms of alternative descriptions of in vivo carotenoid electronic states.
An algorithm for detecting abelian monopoles inSU2-valued lattice gauge-Higgs systems

We present an algorithm which calculates the monopole number of anSU2-valued lattice gauge field, together with a lattice Higgs field, on a simplicial lattice of dimension ≧3. The calculation is gauge invariant. The expected value of the monopole density (for a fixed Higgs field) does not depend on the Higgs field.
Equity valuation under Bull and Bear market regimes in South East Asia firms: a switching regression approach

A switching regression approach is used to analyse the market equity value of firms in the three South East Asia countries with a comparison to Japan. Two regimes are used to optimally sort the firms in a given country based on a switching function using profit rate (net income to book equity) as its variable. The regimes are identified as a Bear security market or a Bull security market depending on the value of the profit rate. Two financial ratios are used in the regime regressions. It was found that the optimum scaled switch point separating the Bulls from the Bears for the countries was a positive profit rate ranging between 6 and 24%. The notion that a zero or negative profit rate identifies a Bear market is not supported. In general, the results across countries and for the long-term debt ratio were quite consistent. The post-Asian financial crisis of 1997 had a depressing effect on firm market equity values, regardless of the market type and the country. The Bulls and the Bears are not cousins whe...
Sources of variability in advertisement and aggressive calling in competitive interactions in the grey treefrog, Hyla versicolor

Understanding the sources and magnitudes of variation in signal traits is an important first step towards understanding the forces that may act on signal evolution. In anuran amphibians, acoustic communication plays a major role in the processes of mate attraction and aggression. The significance of variation in characteristics of the mate-attracting advertisement calls is relatively well understood, whereas another call type, the aggressive call, has received much less attention. I recorded both advertisement and aggressive calls given by male grey treefrogs, Hyla versicolor, in staged competitive interactions. From these recordings, I assessed the effects of physical and abiotic influences on signal production by measuring the correlations between the call characteristics of both call types and variables associated with size, body condition and body temperature. I also estimated within- and between-male variation in call characteristics. Temperature affected diverse characteristics of both call types, w...
Beliefs about fact retrieval and inferential reasoning across the adult lifespan

Abstract This study deals with beliefs about question-answering processes involving “world knowledge” utilized by young, middle aged, and older adults. Questions intended to induce either fact retrieval or inferential reasoning were shown to younger (n = 37), middle aged (n = 37) and older (n = 37) adults in both a multiple choice and true/false format. Increasing age level was not related to decreased confidence in either fact retrieval or inferential reasoning. Global assessments about these question-answering processes involving “people in general” and self evaluations were taken from the same individuals. In contrast to personal confidence ratings, adults of all ages generally believed in declining fact retrieval abilities in old age. Inferential reasoning, however, often was believed to remain stable or even increase in ability level with increasing age. This was especially true in the assessments generated by older adults and in self evaluations. Thus, negative global beliefs about memory and aging ...
Risk of Anemia and Transfusion Triggers: Implications for Bloodless Care

ABSTRACT Background: Blood transfusion is a widely used treatment that is expensive and carries a small degree of risk. The level of anemia that patients tolerate and the indications for blood tran...
Multislice frozen phonon high angle annular dark-field image simulation study of Mo–V–Nb–Te–O complex oxidation catalyst “M1”

Multislice frozen phonon calculations were performed on a model structure of a complex oxide which has potential use as an ammoxidation catalyst. The structure has 11 cation sites in the framework, several of which exhibit mixed Mo/V substitution. In this paper the sensitivity of high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) imaging to partial substitution of V for Mo in this structure is reported. While the relationship between the average V content in an atom column and the HAADF image intensity is not independent of thickness, it is a fairly weak function of thickness suggesting that HAADF STEM imaging in certain cases can provide a useful starting point for Rietveld refinements of mixed occupancy in complex materials. The thermal parameters of the various cations and oxygen anions in the model affect the amount of thermal diffuse scattering and therefore the intensity in the HAADF images. For complex materials where the structure has been derived via powder Rietveld refinement, the uncertainty in the thermal parameters may limit the accuracy of HAADF image simulations. With the current interest in quantitative microscopy, simulations need to accurately describe the electron scattering to the very high angles often subtended by a HAADF detector. For this system approximately 15% of the scattering occurs above 200 mrad at 200 kV. To simulate scattering to such high angles, very fine sampling of the projected potential is necessary which increases the computational cost of the simulation.
Technical Section: Interactive free-form level-set surface-editing operators

We present a set of interactive, free-form editing operators for direct manipulation of level-set models that supports the creation and removal of surface detail. The mathematics, data structures and algorithms needed to implement numerous level-set modeling capabilities have been developed. The first component of these capabilities identifies the region-of-influence (ROI) on the surface to be modified, and the specification of user handles, i.e. a point or a curve within the ROI, that are used to control the free-form surface edits. The editing operators include pulling the level-set surface by a handle with the surface changes occurring symmetrically around the handle or within the ROI, surface offsetting and carving, deformations towards a profile curve and localized smoothing. The editing operators are implemented with specialized speed functions, which are incorporated into the level set partial differential equation (PDE). The PDE is then evolved to produce the desired model modification. The specific form of each speed function is described in detail. The operators have been combined with an OpenGL interface and the VISPACK level-set library to create a preliminary interactive level-set modeling system. VISPACK's narrow-band data structures have been extended to localize all computations and updates to optimize running time and provide interactive performance. Additional sketch-based level-set editing operators have been implemented within the system, and are described elsewhere [1]. A variety of level-set models are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the editing operators.
Fabrication of Meso- and Micro-Structured Devices by Direct-Write Deposition and Laser Processing of Dry Fine Powders

We present a multi-material rapid prototyping technique for producing 2D and layered 3D meso- and micro-structured multi-functional devices with spatially varying heterogeneous material compositions. This technique involves direct-write deposition of multiple, patterned powder materials followed by laser sintering. The direct-write deposition system features miniature hopper-nozzles for depositing dry powdered materials by gravity or by high frequency vibration-assisted flow on to a movable substrate. Deposition of 10–125μm powder particles via 100μm-2mm hopper-nozzles orifices has yielded a 100μm minimum attainable feature size for device footprints ranging from sub-milimeter to a few centimeters. The feasibility of this direct-write concept was proved by patterning single and multiple materials onto substrates to demonstrate various prototype devices envisaged by this technique. These include micro-battery, interdigitated capacitor, fractal antenna, Swiss-roll microcombustor, and functionally graded polymeric bioimplants.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Effect of JPEG2000 compression on landmark identification of lateral cephalometric digital radiographs.

Introduction As digital imaging improves and digital cephalometric radiography becomes more prevalent, the need for digital storage space and transmission speed will increase. Compression of the image files is 1 method to overcome transmission overload. However, compression could compromise image quality. The purpose of this study was to determine the range of compression ratios, by using the JPEG2000 standard, within which the identification of landmarks on cephalometric radiographs is not compromised. Methods Ten lateral cephalometric digital images were used. Six raters identified 19 landmarks under controlled viewing conditions. The images included the original uncompressed TIFF image and the JPEG2000 format at 3:1, 12:1, 50:1, and 110:1 compression ratios. The images were randomized and displayed with image processing software. The x and y coordinates of each landmark were recorded. Results All compression ratios performed equally well compared with the original images with the exception of A-point and nasion at 110:1 and gonion at 3:1 compression ratios. All landmark identifications were precise with the exception of the maxillary incisal apex and edge at the 12:1 and 50:1 compression ratios, respectively. Conclusions JPEG2000 is a reliable file format that can be implemented in orthodontic practice.
Independent and Dependent Variables in Adolescent and Young Adult Sexuality Research: Conceptual and Operational Difficulties

We concluded, after reviewing 130 articles related to adolescent and young adult sexuality, that efforts to understand sexuality in this population are hampered by three aspects of typical approach...
Studies in a kindred with parathyroid carcinoma.

We report a family with primary hyperparathyroidism in four patients in two generations with apparent autosomal dominant transmission. A fifth member was probably affected. Two cases had definite parathyroid carcinoma (PC), and two had parathyroid adenoma with atypical features that could represent an early stage of cancer. In each of our patients, one parathyroid gland was abnormal. Five other parathyroid glands (in two patients) were normal in histology and size. There was no evidence of neoplasia in other tissues. Constitutional karyotypes were normal in all four patients. We identified three chromosomal abnormalities (a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 3 and 4, trisomy 7, and a pericentric inversion in chromosome 9) in cultured PC tissue from one patient. These chromosomal changes are of unclear significance. Analyses on tumor DNA from one case of PC and one of atypical adenoma showed no evidence of ras gene mutations, PTH gene rearrangement, or allelic loss from chromosome 11q13 (locus of...
Tunable delay line with interacting whispering-gallery-mode resonators

We theoretically study a parallel configuration of two interacting whispering-gallery-mode optical resonators and show a narrowband modal structure as a basis for a widely tunable delay line. For the optimum coupling configuration the system can possess an unusually narrow spectral feature with a much narrower bandwidth than the loaded bandwidth of each individual resonator. The effect has a direct analogy with the phenomenon of electromagnetically induced transparency in quantum systems for which the interference of spontaneous emission results in ultranarrow resonances.
Sources of variation in the spectrophotometric assay of hydrocyanic acid potential in sorghum seedlings

Spectrophotometry is a useful assay for hydrocyanic acid potential (HCN-p) in sorghum and sudangrass [both Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] seedlings, but no systematic study of sources of variation in the procedure has been reported. Selfed seed was harvested from each of 12 ramets (two each from two sister plants from three low-HCN-p sudangrass parents), and seedlings for rumpling were grown in a growth chamber, in two rows from each ramet. Seven-day-old seedlings were harvested and divided into two samples per row for extraction; two aliquots per extract were assayed spectrophotometrically for HCN-p. The experiment was replicated three times. The three parents differed in HCN-p [...]
A mixed method approach to understanding the role of emotions and sensual delight in dining experience

Purpose – This paper aims to use a mixed method approach to understand the role of emotions and sensual delight in influencing satisfaction and intention. The setting for the study is restaurants. Three types of restaurants form the basis of investigation: fine dining, family dining and fast food restaurants. Using three categories of restaurants affords the opportunity to understand the differential impact of sensual delight and emotions in these settings. Furthermore the mixed method approach helps to validate the quantitative findings and also to offer additional insight in consumption emotions.Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on a concurrent, two‐studies design where quantitative and qualitative data are both collected (concurrently or sequentially) and analyzed separately. Four independent investigations are reported in this paper. The first three investigations (fine dining, family dining and fast food dining) are based on quantitative modeling using LISREL. The last investigation pr...
Solar Assisted Desiccant Cooling Simulation for Different Climate Zones

Evaporative cooling is among the most cost effective methods of air conditioning, but is less efficient in humid climates. An evaporative system coupled with a desiccant wheel can operate effectively in broader climatic conditions. These cooling systems can substitute traditional vapor compression air conditioning systems as they involve environmentally friendly cooling processes with reduced electricity demand (which is commonly generated from fossil fuels) along with no harmful CFC based refrigerant usage. Furthermore, direct utilization of low grade energy sources such as solar thermal energy or flue gas heat can drive the desiccant regeneration process, thus providing economic benefits. This study presents the results of simulations of desiccant cooling system performance for different climate zones of the United States. Solar assisted desiccant air conditioning is particularly useful where there are abundant solar resources with high temperature and humidity levels. Building energy simulations determined cooling energy requirements for the building. Simulation of an evacuated solar hot water collector model provided the heat energy available for regeneration of the desiccant. Solid desiccant of common material such as silica gel used in a rotary wheel is simulated using established validated computer models; this is coupled with evaporative cooling. Transients of the overall system for different cooling loads and solar radiation levels are presented. Finally, feasibility studies of the desiccant cooling systems are presented in comparison with traditional cooling system. Further analysis of the data presents optimization opportunities. Energy savings were achieved in all climatic conditions with decreased effectiveness in more humid conditions.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Ethical obligations of public relations in an era of globalisation

Two sets of questions animate this discussion: (1) What is corporate social responsibility? Why is it desirable? How can it be assessed? (2) Why should public relations practitioners be interested in corporate social responsibility?can public relations do to promote corporate social responsibility globally? Drawing on a variety of literature, the authors argue that corporations out of their own self‐interest must embrace a global approach in fulfilling their social responsibility and that public relations professionals have an obligation to carry out that responsibility by recognising in their practices that the most important “corporate” stakeholder is society itself.
Feeding larval red drum on microparticulate diets in a closed recirculating water system

A feeding protocol was developed for red drum larvae based on combining a commercial microparticulate diet (Kyowa Fry Feed) with live prey (rotifers) in a closed, water reuse system. In five trials, growth and survival were measured on larvae reared on a combination of live and microdiet for 1–5 d and then microdiet alone. Results in each trial were compared to control larvae reared on live rotifers Brachionus plicatilis and brine shrimp nauplii Artemia salinas. The most satisfactory combination was feeding live food and microdiet together for the first five days and then completely discontinuing live prey, eliminating the need to feed brine shrimp to the larvae. Growth rates of larvae fed progressively larger sizes of the microdiet were as good as larvae reared on live prey. Both groups metamorphosed to the juvenile stage at less than one month. Survival rates on the five day live food and microdiet combination were a remarkable 60% from egg to the juvenile stage. The successful weaning of red drum to microdiets paves the way to produce a semipurified diet to test nutrient requirements of larval fish.