cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neighbor burrow-plugging in Ilyoplax pusillus (Crustacea: Brachyura: Ocypodidae)

The burrow living ocypodid crab Ilyoplax pusillus (De Haan, 1835) sometimes plugs the burrow of neighbors situated from 1.0 to 8.3 cm away with surface mud, while the neighbor, termed the pluggee, is in the burrow. Most pluggers were large males, whereas pluggees were smaller than pluggers and had a sex ratio close to 1:1. After being plugged, most pluggees usually reemerged on the surface within 5 min, but occasionally took up to 77 min to do so. The plugger always foraged or performed waving displays around the burrow of the pluggee while the pluggee stayed inside the burrow. Although the activity site of the pluggee was originally directed toward the burrow of the plugger or the adjacent area, after reemergence its activity site was oriented toward another direction. From these observations, it is suggested that neighbor burrow-plugging is a behavior adopted mainly by large males as a means of maintaining the area of their surface activities against smaller neighbors. My observations were made from June 1984 to June 1985 at Fukuro River Estuary, central Japan.
Protein–excipient interactions: Mechanisms and biophysical characterization applied to protein formulation development

The purpose of this review is to demonstrate the critical importance of understanding protein-excipient interactions as a key step in the rational design of formulations to stabilize and deliver protein-based therapeutic drugs and vaccines. Biophysical methods used to examine various molecular interactions between solutes and protein molecules are discussed with an emphasis on applications to pharmaceutical excipients in terms of their effects on protein stability. Key mechanisms of protein-excipient interactions such as electrostatic and cation-pi interactions, preferential hydration, dispersive forces, and hydrogen bonding are presented in the context of different physical states of the formulation such as frozen liquids, solutions, gels, freeze-dried solids and interfacial phenomenon. An overview of the different classes of pharmaceutical excipients used to formulate and stabilize protein therapeutic drugs is also presented along with the rationale for use in different dosage forms including practical pharmaceutical considerations. The utility of high throughput analytical methodologies to examine protein-excipient interactions is presented in terms of expanding formulation design space and accelerating experimental timelines.
Accentuate the Positive -and the Negative: Rethinking the Use of Self-Esteem, Self-Deprecation, and Self-Confidence*

This study argues that recent developments in self-verification and positive strivings theory, in combination with self-esteem theory, could enhance social scientists' knowledge and use of the negative and positive dimensions of global self-esteem: An overemphasis on global self-esteem has muted the theoretical, empirical, and substantive nuances, especially a more precise understanding of the development and maintenance of negative self-evaluations. Using longitudinal Youth in Transition data, unidimensional and bidimensional self-esteem models show that global self-esteem may be employed as a bidimensional construct marked by a self-deprecation subscale and a self-confidence subscale. Investigating selfdeprecation in its own right is particularly merited. A second-order confirmatory factor analysis also supports a bidimensional view and reveals the relative contribution of self-esteem to the latent self-deprecation and self-confidence constructs. The paper discusses analysis implications for understanding the differential impact of negative and positive self-evaluations on emotional and social well-being. Each of us possesses a strong propensity to cast ourselves in the best possible light, to accentuate the positive. Yet precisely this emphasis has distracted social scientists from the critical, disparaging aspects of the self, our self-perceived negative side, and its consequences for well-being. This paper examines these issues by comparing two major positions regarding the nature of global or general self-esteem. One position views global self-esteem as a unidimensional phenomenon reflected most clearly by incorporating positive and negative self-evaluations in a summary measure (e.g., Carmines and Zeller 1979; Fleming and Courtney 1984; Rosenberg 1965, 1979; Rosenberg, Schooler, and Schoenbach 1989; Rosenberg 1990). Thus conceived, global self-esteem is a type of general self-esteem defined as a "positive or negative attitude toward a particular object, namely, the self" (Rosenberg 1965, p. 30). Persons with high global self-esteem have self-respect and a feeling of worthiness, and yet acknowl
Computers in the instructional process: directions for research and development

A survey is given of computer applications to the instructional process which suggests how the computer professional can contribute to effective educational systems.
Later stages support for security requirements

Software security concerns are frequent, widespread, and with potentially harmful consequences. We believe that security concerns should not only be specified as part of software requirements, but should also be supported during later stages of development (architecture, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance). This paper focuses on security requirements and the support available for them past their creation. As part of ongoing research we surveyed 12 approaches to security requirements engineering and identified the level of support each approach provides on a variety of areas related to later stages support. We show that support for security requirements after they are specified is lacking at best, creating opportunities for significant improvement and further research in this area.
Castration in Gambel's and Scaled Quail: ornate plumage and dominance persist, but courtship and threat behaviors do not.

During the breeding season, testosterone in male birds is often linked to some secondary sexual ornaments, courtship behaviors, and intrasexual aggression. I examined the effect of castration on plumage expression in Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii), a species in which males are highly ornate, and in Scaled Quail (C. squamata), an unornamented species. Using male pairs, each consisting of a castrate and a control, I also assessed whether castration affected (1) the behavior of males, (2) the mating decisions of females, or (3) the outcome of male-male competition. Castration did not alter the plumage of male Gambel's or Scaled Quail. In these species, and some other members of the avian order Galliformes, production of ornate plumage appears to be independent of testosterone. In contrast, castration reduced or eliminated courtship behaviors. Females almost never preferred castrated individuals. During male-male competition, castrates also exhibited lower rates of threat behaviors, which appear to be identical to those used during courtship. Castration did not, however, influence the outcome of male-male competition. Castrates of both species exhibited overt aggression (pecks, chases, displacement) and frequently won male contests. Such results suggest that certain types of aggressive behavior may be testosterone-independent. In both Gambel's and Scaled Quail, male body size correlated positively with dominant individuals.
Spirometer-triggered high-resolution computed tomography and pulmonary function measurements during an acute exacerbation in patients with cystic fibrosis

Objective: To evaluate a high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scoring system, clinical parameters, and pulmonary function measurements in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) before and after therapy for a pulmonary exacerbation. Study design: Patients (n = 17) were evaluated by spirometer-triggered HRCT imaging, clinical parameters, and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) before and after treatment. HRCT scans were reviewed by 3 radiologists using a modified Bhalla scoring system. Results: Bronchiectasis, bronchial wall thickening, and air trapping were identified in all subjects on initial evaluation. The initial total HRCT score correlated significantly with the Brasfield score (r = –.91, P < .001) and several PFT measures. After treatment, there were improvements in the acute change clinical score (ACCS) (P < .001), most pulmonary function measurements, and total HRCT score (P < .05). Bronchiectasis, bronchial wall thickening, and air trapping did not significantly change. Mucus plugging subcomponent HRCT score, slow vital capacity (SVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and forced vital capacity (FVC) (percent predicted) and reversible and total HRCT scores were most sensitive to change by effect size analysis. Conclusions: Improvements occurred with treatment in total and reversible HRCT scores, PFTs, and ACCS. Total and reversible HRCT scores and percent predicted SVC, FEV1, and FVC were the most sensitive to change. The greatest change was seen in the mucus plugging subcomponent HRCT score. (J Pediatr 2001;138:553-9)
Preparation of soy protein concentrate and isolate from extruded-expelled soybean meals

Soy protein concentrates (SPC) and soy protein isolates (SPI) were produced from hexane-defatted soy white flakes and from two extruded-expelled (EE) soy protein meals with different degrees of protein denaturation. Processing characteristics, such as yield and protein content, and the key protein functional properties of the products were investigated. Both acid-and alcohol-washed SPC from the two EE meals had higher yields but lower protein contents than that from white flakes. Generally, SPC from an acid wash had much better functional properties than those from an alcohol wash. The SPI yield was highly proportional to the protein dispersibility index (PDI) of the starting material, so the EE meal with lower PDI had lower SPI recovery. The protein content in SPI prepared from EE meals was about 80%, which was lower than from white flakes. Nevertheless, SPI from EE meals showed functional properties similar to or better than those from white flakes. The low protein contents in SPC and SPI made from EE meals were mainly due to the presence of residual oil in the final products. SPI made from EE meals had higher concentration of glycinin relative to β-conglycinin than that from white flakes.
The Hudson River School of Incarceration: Sing Sing Prison in Antebellum New York

New York's Sing Sing Prison's first two decades coincided with the emergence of the Hudson River School of Painting. The differences between the two were dramatic: the Hudson River School emphasized an idealized “natural magnificence” whereas the prison extracted silent, profitable labor through routine beatings. Tourists and other visitors to the prison struggled to reconcile their expectations of the Hudson River with what they witnessed in the prison on its banks. Prison practices and the Hudson River School unexpectedly converged between 1844 and 1848, when phrenology simultaneously influenced the Hudson River School and prison reformers. Although its influence on the administration of the prison was short lived, the Hudson River School of Incarceration would have a lasting impact in the shift from religion to science in the administration of prisons.
Post-chymopapain (chemonucleolysis)--clinical and computed tomography correlation: preliminary results.

Chymopapain was first used for treatment of lumbar disc herniation in 1964 and has been used extensively in Canada and Europe for the last decade, but was recently released for general use in the United States. The enzyme is thought to cause decrease in intradiscal pressure and in disc volume; however, little in vivo evidence exists to support this concept. High resolution computed tomography (CT) scans were performed for diagnosis and at a variable period following chemonucleolysis on 17 randomly selected patients. The results of the study were: (1) disc space narrowing occurred almost invariably; (2) retraction of the prolapsed or extruded disc occurred in many patients; (3) clinical improvement was closely related to retraction of the prolapsed or extruded disc; (4) the best clinical results were obtained in patients who were injected at a single level with a clearly demonstrable disc prolapse or herniation.
Pregnancy following minilaparotomy tubal sterilization--an update of an international data set.

Abstract Seventeen pregnancies were reported from an intetnational tubal sterilization data set comprising 1,862 minilaparotomy cases between 1978 and 1984. Of these 17, seven (41.2%) were diagnosed as luteal-phase pregnancies. Of the 10 pregnancies due to sterilization failure, one was an ectopic pregnancy which occurred much later (20 months poststerilization) than the intrauterine pregnancies (10 months or less). Poststerilization pregnancy risk was greater among gravid women (those undergoing sterilization at the time of abortion or soon after childbirth) than among non-gravid women (those undergoing interval sterilization). These findings are, in general, consistent with those of previous studies using a much larger data set of primarily laparoscopic sterilizations. Pregnancies occurred with every type of mechanical tubal occlusion techniques included for study (the tubal ring, the Rocket Clip, the Secuclip and the Filshie Clip), and frequently reported reason for failure was incorrect placement of the device. No pregnancies occurred in women sterilized with the non-mechanical Pomeroy/modified Pomeroy techniques. Findings of this analysis suggest that in minilaparotomy sterilization, for the mechanical tubal occlusion techniques to be as effective as the Pomeroy/modified Pomeroy techniques, more care and skill are required tor the operator.
Probability distributions of cost, revenue and profit over a warranty cycle

Abstract A warranty cycle starts with the sale of a new item and terminates when the warranty servicing obligation of the manufacturer created by this sale ends. Cost and profit measures over a warranty cycle are of interest with regards to accounting, pricing, product quality, warranty policy design, and other issues. For most predictive and decision making purposes, these variables cannot be described adequately by their means alone. In this paper, we obtain the probability distributions of the manufacturer's rebate, cost, revenue and profit during a cycle, under a (combination) freereplacement/pro-rata warranty policy, with the incorporation of the customer repurchase behavior under warranty. We first derive the joint distribution of the numbers of free and pro-rata replacements during a cycle. We then construct and compute the distributions of interest by conditioning on the numbers of such replacements. In so doing, we take into account the warranty policy, in terms of the lengths of the free and pro-rata periods, the cost and rebate profiles, customer repurchase probabilities during a pro-rata period, and the failure time distribution of the product. We provide several numerical examples, using data that are typical of battery warranties.
Structural features and light-dependent changes in the sequence 59-75 connecting helices I and II in rhodopsin: a site-directed spin-labeling study.

Twenty-one single-cysteine substitution mutants were prepared in the sequence 56−75 between transmembrane helices I and II at the cytoplasmic surface of bovine rhodopsin. Each mutant was reacted with a sulfhydryl-specific reagent to produce a nitroxide side chain. The electron paramagnetic resonance of the labeled proteins in dodecyl maltoside solution was analyzed to provide the relative mobility and accessibility of the nitroxide side chain to both polar and nonpolar paramagnetic reagents. The results indicate that the hydrophobic−water interface of the micelle intersects helices I and II near residues 64 and 71, respectively. Thus, the sequence 64−71 is in the aqueous phase, while 56−63 and 72−75 lie in the transmembrane helices I and II, respectively. The lipid-facing surfaces on transmembrane helices I and II near the cytoplasmic surface correspond to approximately 180° and 90° of arc on the helical surfaces, respectively. Photoactivation of rhodopsin produced changes in structure in the region inves...
Delaunay criteria for triangulating surfaces

Computer aided design and manufacturing processes frequently map planar triangulations onto surfaces. Due to their properties relevant to finite element analysis, Delaunay triangulations have become popular for triangulating arbitrary planar domains that are subsequently mapped onto surfaces. Although surface triangulations cannot enjoy all the properties of planar triangulations, utilization of as many of the properties of Delaunay triangulations as possible in algorithms for triangulating surfaces can have advantages as well as disadvantages. This paper focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of using Delaunay criteria in triangulating surfaces.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Staphylococcus Aureus Infection of the Rabbit Cornea Following Topical Administration

Purpose: To determine the ability of diverse S. aureus strains to infect the rabbit cornea following topical inoculation, with special emphasis on a strain of unusual virulence.Materials and Methods: S. aureus strains (5 × 105 colony forming units; CFU) were topically applied onto scarified rabbit corneas or 100 CFU were intrastromally injected into rabbit corneas. Eyes were scored by slit lamp examination (SLE) and corneas were cultured to determine the log CFU. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) were quantified by myeloperoxidase assays and corneas underwent histopathological analysis. Hemolysin titers of S. aureus strains were determined and S. aureus interactions with rabbit tears or human corneal epithelial cells were investigated.Results: All strains injected into the cornea produced high SLE scores and multi-log increases in CFU. Following topical inoculation, four strains produced low SLE scores with no bacterial replication. One strain (UMCR1) topically infected the cornea, causing high SLE score...
Streptokinase activation of a proteolytic enzyme in human blood

Abstract The kinetics of the activation of plasminogen, a proteolytic enzyme precursor from human blood, by streptokinase, a streptococcal metabolic product, is compatible with the interpretation of a stoichiometric reaction. The formation of plasmin, the active enzyme, does not conform to the kinetics of an enzymatic reaction. The amount of plasmin formed from an excess of plasminogen by streptokinase is dependent on the streptokinase concentration. At all levels of streptokinase maximal plasmin formation occurs almost instantaneously and does not increase with prolonged incubation. There is no autocatalytic conversion of plasminogen to plasmin. A definite ratio exists between the concentration of streptokinase used and the plasmin formed. This ratio varied with the streptokinase preparation. The conversion of a stoichiometric activation into an enzymatic activation by the destruction of a thermolabile inhibitor could not be confirmed.
Toward Large‐Scale Alignment of Electrohydrodynamic Patterning of Thin Polymer Films

To pattern thin polymer films via electrohydrodynamic instabilities, we design and utilize two different kinds of mask patterns to guide pillars into alignment over regions much greater in extent than their natural domain sizes. First, narrow protruding ridges that intersect to form regular patterns on the mask trigger the growth of pillars beneath. Later, square and triangular packings of pillars develop in the regions enclosed by those ridges, preserving the registry from one domain to the next over a much larger area than within individual domains in unpatterned portions of the mask. Second, small square protrusions that are prealigned into a large regular array on the mask guide the formation of square packings of pillars in domains that conform to the mask, forming a large array of pillars. Novel structures involving a combination of linear ridges and pillars are also produced mainly due to the dynamic merging among preformed pillars. Finally, we find vertex symmetry of the mask pattern is necessary for generating and preserving ordered patterns on the polymer film.
Evolving lessons from group work involvement in china

Abstract This article contains a report of lessons the authors have been developing based on their group work in China. These lessons, organized in accordance with the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) Best Practice Guidelines, are derived from 5 years of experience in studying, planning, delivering, and researching group work in China. Lessons learned include understanding how cultural imperatives apply and work gets done in relation to planning, being sensitive to the uniqueness of another culture's communication styles and attitudes about leadership in regard to performing, and providing sufficient time to allow for comfortable accommodation of differences in language and culture during processing. It is intended that these evolving lessons will be beneficial to other group workers who may become involved with Chinese applications.
Vehicle Structure Optimization for Crash Pulse

In vehicle safety engineering, it is important to determine the severity of occupant injury during a crash. Computer simulations are widely used to study how occupants move in a crash, what they collide during the crash and thus how they are injured. The vehicle motion is typically defined for the occupant simulation by specifying a crash pulse. Many computer models used to analyze occupant kinematics do not calculate both vehicle motion and occupant motion at the same time. This paper presents a framework of response surface methodology for the crash pulse prediction and vehicle structure design optimization. The process is composed of running simulation at DOE sampling data points, generating surrogate models (response surface models), performing sensitivity analysis and structure design optimization for time history data (e.g., crash pulse). Within this framework, the engineer can perform DOE sampling, surrogate modeling, main effect plot within any time interval, and design optimization. Some recent applications are presented to demonstrate how these approaches are employed for a vehicle structure design.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Adaptive Binary Spreading Sequence Assignment Using Semidefinite Relaxation

We consider the problem of designing binary spreading sequences in code-division multiplexing (CDM) systems. Our objective is to find the binary spreading sequence that maximizes the pre-detection signal-to-interference-plus-noise (SINR) at the output of maximum-SINR (MSINR) linear filter. However, the maximization problem over the binary field is NP-hard with complexity exponential in the sequence length. In this paper, we present a semidefinite-relaxation-based algorithm with a polynomial computational complexity that outputs the desirable binary solution with the deterministic SINR performance guarantee. Simulation studies demonstrate performance improvement over other known binary sequence assignment algorithms.
PRACTICAL UPPER AND LOWER BOUNDS FOR ROBUST Ui PERFORMANCE UNDER LTI PERTURBATIONS

Upper and lower bounds for the worst case %2 norm of an uncertain system are developed. Structured linear time invariant uncertainty with bounded Hoo norm is considered. The method is based on an extension of the structured singular value /x. Computation methods are discussed.
Mima-type mounds in southwest Missouri: Expressions of point-centered and locally thickened biomantles

Mima-type mounds, formed in gravelly soils of the Diamond Grove Prairie Natural Area near Joplin, Missouri, are the focus of this study. Emphasis is on the spatial and morphological aspects of the mounds, and more particularly on the analysis of mound soils and gravel distributions as a means for shedding light on mound origins in this region. The results strongly suggest that hierarchically dominant point-centered bioturbation by small vertebrates is the mode of mound genesis. Pocket gophers (Geomys bursarius), aided by other biota, create mounds as they burrow in residual gravelly soils that have evolved dense, relatively impermeable claypans that perch water during wet periods. Although pocket gophers do not presently inhabit the Diamond Grove area, evidence of past occupation, along with laboratory and field data, support them as the dominant role in forming the mounds. We conclude that these mounds are expressions of point-centered and locally thickened biomantles. Various subsidiary processes such as aeolian inputs, water erosion, and physical and chemical weathering also have genetically impacted Diamond Grove mounds.
Diagnostic value of fiberoptic bronchoscopy in lung cancer presenting as mediastinal mass(es).

The diagnostic yields of prebronchoscopy sputum specimens and fiberoptic bronchoscopy (including brushings, washings, and/or biopsies) were determined in 35 patients who presented primarily with middle or anterior mediasttnal and/or paratracheal mass(es) on chest radiographs. The diagnosis was confirmed on histopathology of tissue obtained by needle biopsy, mediastinoscopy, thoracotomy, and/or autopsy. Thirty-one of the patients were found to have primary bronchogenic carcinomas. At bronchoscopy, extrinsic compression of trachea and/or bronchi was visualized in 23 (Group I) and the tracheobronchial tree appeared normal in 12 (Group II). Prebronchoscopy sputa gave a positive yield in only three of the 35 (8%) patients; the yield was similar in both groups of patients. One or more of the bronchoscopic modalities were diagnostic in 69% of Group I patients but were not helpful in Group II patients. The diagnostic yield of brushings, washings, and biopsies in Group I patients was 52%, 61%, and 37%, respectively. The addition of biopsies to washings and/or brushings did not significantly alter the yield. Washings and brushings are recommended as useful, non-invasive procedures in diagnosing middle mediastinal masses with extrinsic compression. Sputum cytology gives a very low yield.
Flame Stability of Methane and Syngas Oxy-fuel Steam Flames

Oxy-fuel combustion has been used previously in a wide range of industrial applications. Oxy-combustion is carried out by burning a hydrocarbon fuel with oxygen instead of air. Flames burning in this configuration achieve higher flame temperatures, which present opportunities for significant efficiency improvements and direct capture of CO2 from the exhaust stream. In an effort to better understand and characterize the fundamental flame characteristics of oxy-fuel combustion, this research presents the experimental measurements of flame stability of CH4/O2 and syngas (H2–CO)/O2 flames. Effects of the H2 concentration, fuel composition, exhaust gas recirculation ratio, firing inputs, and burner diameters on the flame stability of these fuels are discussed. Effects of exhaust gas recirculation, i.e., CO2 and H2O (steam) acting as diluents on burner operability, are also presented. The roles of firing input on flame stability are then analyzed. For this study, it was observed that many oxy-flames did not sta...
Oscillatory level broadening in superlattice magnetotransport

We demonstrate the existence of oscillations in the magnetic peak positions of Stark-Cyclotron Resonances due to acoustic phonon scattering in confined superlattices and investigate the oscillations of level broadening in the Wannier-Stark localization regime as a function of the magnetic field due to acoustic phonons. Manifestation of these effects in recent experiments is discussed.
Is Deposit Insurance Necessary? A Historical Perspective

The motivation and structure of various banking insurance experiments in U.S. history are analyzed, along with their political alternative, branch banks. In both the antebellum period and in the 1920s, insurance systems that relied on self-regulation, made credible by mutual liability, were successful, while compulsory state systems were not. Branch banking increased stability and resiliency to shocks.
The role of proficiency and working memory in gender and number agreement processing in L1 and L2 Spanish

Abstract Most adult learners cannot attain native competence in a second language (L2). Some approaches maintain that L2 learners cannot access features unavailable in L1 after puberty ( Hawkins and Franceschina, 2004 ) and that they process only superficial structures ( Clahsen and Felser, 2006 ), due to a maturationally constrained critical period for L2 acquisition. In contrast, other approaches hold that late learners may acquire all L2 grammatical features ( White et al., 2004 ) and that they may gain complex structural processing ( Hopp, 2007 ). This study aims to test these models and to investigate the role of language proficiency and working memory on adult L2 acquisition. Beginning and intermediate adult English-speaking learners of Spanish and Spanish monolinguals completed a self-paced reading (online) and a grammaticality judgment task (offline) containing sentences with noun–adjective gender/number agreement/disagreement. The results revealed that all participants were highly accurate in the offline task, but only intermediates and Spanish monolinguals showed sensitivity to gender and number violations in the online task. In addition, intermediates with higher working memory were more accurate on some comprehension questions. These findings indicate that adult learners can develop processing patterns qualitatively similar to those of native speakers and that proficiency and working memory influence their acquisition.
Formal Peer-Teaching in Medical School Improves Academic Performance: The MUSC Supplemental Instructor Program

Background: Formal systems of peer teaching are common in many advanced-degree graduate school programs but are less prevalent in medical schools. In 1997, The Medical University of South Carolina's Center for Academic Excellence created a Supplemental Instructor (SI) program in which interested upper-level medical students are hired to teach a small group of junior peers, primarily in basic science topics. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine if participation as an SI leader resulted in measurable academic improvement for those students. This study examined if participation as a teacher in the SI program (SI leader) resulted in measurable academic improvement for those students. Methods: Admission characteristics (grade point average [GPA], Medical College Aptitude Test score, age, year of enrollment, and gender) of all SI leaders were compiled from the academic years 1996–2001. A second cohort of students, who shared the first group's admission characteristics but who chose not to teach as ...
Limits to societal systems adaptability

Two recent theoretic approaches in physical science are reviewed briefly with an eye toward obtaining constructs applicable to the evolution and adaptability of living systems at the organizational, societal, and supranational levels. These approaches are the modern field theory of critical phenomena in physics and the theory of fluctuations and self-organization of physical-chemical systems far from equilibrium. A number of major constructs, generalizable to both nonliving and living systems, are identified. These constructs are applied prima facie to the description of biological, behavioral, and social phenomena and processes. Some characteristics of the world-system field in the next two decades are envisioned. Several situations that can limit societal systems adaptability are discussed. The distinction between natural societal evolution and human desires and ability for regulation and control is stressed. Knowledge and decisional requirements for long-range planning for a normative evolution are briefly discussed. An attempt is made to convey the need for urgency in dealing with these matters.
NESTEDNESS AND PATCH SIZE OF BAMBOO-SPECIALIST BIRD COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHEASTERN PERU

Abstract. In 2003 and 2004 I investigated the relationship between patch area and number of avian bamboo specialists among 13 patches of Guadua bamboo habitat in southeastern Peru. In these patches, specialists were sensitive to area at local spatial scales. The structure of communities of bamboo specialists was nested, meaning species present in depauperate patches were almost always present in richer patches. Richness of specialist species was positively correlated with the size of the patch. My results indicate that prior estimates of populations of bamboo specialists based on remotely sensed images of vegetation may be underestimates because several specialists were present in small patches difficult to detect in remotely sensed images.
Determination of metals in marine species by microwave digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis

A microwave digestion method suitable for determination of multiple elements in marine species was developed, with the use of cold vapor atomic spectrometry for the detection of Hg, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for all of the other elements. An optimized reagent mixture composed of 2 ml of HNO3, 2 ml of H2O2 and 0.3 ml of HF used in microwave digestion of about 0.15 g (dry weight) of sample was found to give the best overall recoveries of metals in two standard reference materials. In the oyster tissue standard reference material (SRM 1566b), recoveries of Na, Al, K, V, Co, Zn, Se, Sr, Ag, Cd, Ni, and Pb were between 90% and 110%; Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, As, and Ba recoveries were between 85% and 90%; Hg recovery was 81%; and Ca recovery was 64%. In a dogfish certified reference material (DORM-2), the recoveries of Al, Cr, Mn, Se, and Hg were between 90% and 110%; Ni, Cu, Zn, and As recoveries were about 85%; and Fe recovery was 112%. Method detection limits of the elements were established. Metal concentrations in flounder, scup, and blue crab samples collected from coastal locations around Long Island and in the Hudson River estuary were determined. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Triggering of New Madrid seismicity by late-Pleistocene erosion

The New Madrid seismic zone, in a now heavily populated area of the central United States, was responsible for the 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes of magnitudes of 7 or greater. The extent of the current seismic hazard in the region is hotly debated. Eric Calais and colleagues present evidence that the geologically recent sequence of large earthquakes in this region was triggered by the rapid removal of sediments by the rivers of the northern Mississippi embayment at the end of the last ice age. Models indicate that fault segments that have already ruptured are unlikely to fail again soon, but stress changes from sediment unloading and previous earthquakes may eventually be sufficient to bring to failure other nearby segments that have not yet ruptured, indicating that the hazard may be more widespread than previously thought. These authors argue that the concentration of magnitude-7 or larger earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone since the end of the last ice age results from the recent, climate-controlled, erosional history of the northern Mississippi embayment. They show that the upward flexure of the lithosphere caused a reduction of normal stresses in the upper crust sufficient to unclamp pre-existing faults close to failure equilibrium. The spatiotemporal behaviour of earthquakes within continental plate interiors is different from that at plate boundaries. At plate margins, tectonic motions quickly reload earthquake ruptures, making the location of recent earthquakes and the average time between them consistent with the faults’ geological, palaeoseismic and seismic histories. In contrast, what determines the activation of a particular mid-continental fault and controls the duration of its seismic activity remains poorly understood1. Here we argue that the concentration of magnitude-7 or larger earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone of the central United States2,3 since the end of the last ice age results from the recent, climate-controlled, erosional history of the northern Mississippi embayment. We show that the upward flexure of the lithosphere caused by unloading from river incision between 16,000 and 10,000 years ago caused a reduction of normal stresses in the upper crust sufficient to unclamp pre-existing faults close to failure equilibrium. Models indicate that fault segments that have already ruptured are unlikely to fail again soon, but stress changes from sediment unloading and previous earthquakes may eventually be sufficient to bring to failure other nearby segments that have not yet ruptured.
Pulsed optoacoustic detection of multiple photon excitation in molecules

Abstract Multiple photon excitation, saturation, and linear absorption of SF 6 -argon mixtures when irradiated by a high power CO 2 TEA laser is investigated using a pulsed optoacoustic technique. At low intensities the expected linear dependence of the absorption on laser intensity is observed. At intermediate intensities the absorption exhibits a square root dependence on the incident laser intensity, a dependence which is typical for saturation of an inhomogeneously broadened absorption. At even higher intensities, the absorption shows an intensity dependence typical of multiple photon excitation. The laser intensity was varied between 0.016 kW/cm 2 and 5 MW/cm 2 , values lower than that needed to produce multiple photon dissociation of SF 6 . Increasing the collision frequency of the absorbing molecules with an inert buffer gas is observed to quench the multiple photon excitation.
A neural-network approach to statistical decision making

A decision-making network is required in signal detection. A method is proposed to implement a decision-making network using the Hopfield model. The stability of this structure is analyzed in detail. Two design examples are given, and the error probabilities in both examples are derived. The performance of the network is contrasted with that of a matched filter, and the two are found to be highly comparable. >
Fabrication of 4-meter class astronomical optics

The 8-meter mirror production capacity at the University of Arizona is well known. As the Arizona Stadium facility is occupied with giant mirrors, we have developed capability for grinding, polishing, and testing 4-m mirrors in the large optics shop in the College of Optical Sciences. Several outstanding capabilities for optics up to 4.3 meters in diameter are in place: A 4.3-m computer controlled grinding and polishing machine allows efficient figuring of steeply aspheric and nonaxisymmetric surfaces. Interferometry (IR and visible wavelengths) and surface profilometry making novel use of a laser tracker allows quick, accurate in-process measurements from a movable platform on a 30-m vertical tower. A 2-meter class flat measured with a 1-m vibration insensitive Fizeau interferometer and scanning pentaprism system; stitching of 1-m sub-apertures provides complete surface data with the technology ready for extension to the 4 m level. These methods were proven successful by completion of several optics including the 4.3-m Discovery Channel Telescope primary mirror. The 10 cm thick ULE substrate was ground and polished to 16 nm rms accuracy, corresponding to 80% encircled energy in 0.073 arc-second, after removing low order bending modes. The successful completion of the DCT mirror demonstrates the engineering and performance of the support system, ability to finish large aspheric surfaces using computer controlled polishing, and accuracy verification of surface measurements. In addition to the DCT mirror, a 2-meter class flat was produced to an unprecedented accuracy of <10 nm-rms, demonstrating the combined 1-m Fizeau interferometer and scanning pentaprism measurement techniques.
Double‐Blind Multiple‐Dose Crossover Study of the Antiemetic Effect of Intramuscular Levonantradol Compared to Prochlorperazine

: Twenty cancer patients who received chemotherapy were entered into a double-blind crossover design antiemetic study comparing 1 mg levonantradol, an investigational synthetic cannabinoid, to 10 mg prochlorperazine. Sixteen patients completed the crossover. For each antiemetic course, four doses of each study medication were given intramuscularly 2 hours before chemotherapy and then 2,6, and 10 hours after chemotherapy administration. There were no statistical differences in patients' responses to levonantradol and prochlorperazine. The frequency of side effects was greater with levonantradol than with prochlorperazine. The most common side effect of levonantradol were somnolence, dry mouth, dizziness, tachycardia, postural hypotension, and blurred vision, while those for prochlorperazine were somnolence, dry mouth, and tachycardia.
Biologically Inspired Surface Physics: The HP Protein Model

The nature of proteins in contact with surfaces is a topic of great practical importance as well as of intellectual interest. We describe the use of a minimalistic model, the HP model of protein folding, to examine the general characteristics of proteins. We also review attempts to understand how the presence of a surface will modify their behavior.
Role of A1 adenosine receptors in regulation of vascular tone.

The vascular response to adenosine and its analogs is mediated by four adenosine receptors (ARs), namely, A1, A2A, A2B, and A3. A2AARs and/or A2BARs are involved in adenosine-mediated vascular rela...
Repetitive behaviors in schizophrenia : a single disturbance or discrete symptoms ?

Schizophrenia patients often display multiple repetitive behaviors. We investigated relations among nine repetitive behaviors and evaluated the hypothesis that these behaviors are varied manifestations of a single underlying biobehavioral disturbance. Nine repetitive behaviors from the Elgin Behavioral Rating Scale were assessed in 400 schizophrenia patients residing at a state hospital. A majority of patients were smokers (76.3%) and very few had pica (3%). Several other repetitive behaviors showed substantial frequency. A principal components analysis revealed eight of nine behaviors shared at least 10% of their variance with a single, common component. However, a principal factor analysis suggested a five-factor model best represented the data. The five factors and items identifying them were: (1) 'oral consumption' behaviors-polydipsia and smoking; (2) 'Kluver-Bucy' behaviors-bulimia and hypersexuality; (3) 'movement' behaviors-mannerisms/postures and pacing; (4) 'bizarre use of objects'-bizarre grooming and hoarding; (5) 'Pica'. Associations among repetitive behaviors varied. Symptoms such as smoking and polydipsia appeared reliably related, and others such as pica appeared discrete and independent. Overall, the data did not support the 'single disturbance' hypothesis and suggested a multifactorial model is needed to characterize repetitive behavior disturbances in schizophrenia.
Inferring Activity Time in News through Event Modeling

Many applications in NLP, such as question-answering and summarization, either require or would greatly benefit from the knowledge of when an event occurred. Creating an effective algorithm for identifying the activity time of an event in news is difficult in part because of the sparsity of explicit temporal expressions. This paper describes a domain-independent machine-learning based approach to assign activity times to events in news. We demonstrate that by applying topic models to text, we are able to cluster sentences that describe the same event, and utilize the temporal information within these event clusters to infer activity times for all sentences. Experimental evidence suggests that this is a promising approach, given evaluations performed on three distinct news article sets against the baseline of assigning the publication date. Our approach achieves 90%, 88.7%, and 68.7% accuracy, respectively, outperforming the baseline twice.
Is It Safe to Restart Antivascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma after Cardiac Ischemia

Agents targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) represent active drugs in treating patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Studies have shown that sunitinib and axitinib can be associated with cardiac toxicity. Whether these agents should be restarted in patients who experience cardiac ischemia remains uncertain. Here, we present three patients with metastatic RCC who restarted sunitinib or axitinib after intervention of active ischemic cardiac disease without causing subsequent relevant cardiac events. This experience suggests that these agents can be continued after management of cardiac ischemia.
Increased vascular pedicle width preceding burn-related pulmonary edema.

Widening of the vascular pedicle on the chest roentgenogram is a recently identified sign of increased circulating blood volume. To determine whether vascular pedicle enlargement can be detected during the initial day of burn resuscitation and whether this change correlates with the early development of pulmonary edema, we reviewed the serial chest roentgenograms of 42 patients with cutaneous burns and risk factors for inhalation injury. Although no patient had pulmonary edema at the time of vascular pedicle measurements, 18 (42.9 percent) developed this complication during the 3.3 ± 1.5 days after injury. These patients were significantly older (p
Personality Traits and Participation in Political Processes

Using data from two recent surveys, we analyze the relationship between Big Five personality traits and political participation. We examine forms of participation that differ in domain (local politics vs. national campaigns) as well as in the amount of conflict involved, whether they are likely to yield instrumental benefits, and whether they are likely to be viewed as a duty—characteristics that may affect the relationships between dispositional personality traits and political activity. We find relationships between personality traits and: (1) both self-reported and actual turnout (measured using administrative records), (2) overreporting of turnout, and (3) a variety of other modes of participation. The effect of personality on political participation is often comparable to the effects of factors that are central in earlier models of turnout, such as education and income. Consistent with our theoretical expectations, these relationships vary depending on personality-relevant characteristics of each par...
Joining Free/Open Source Software Communities: An Analysis of Newbies' First Interactions on Project Mailing Lists

Free/Open source software (FOSS) is an important part of the IT ecosystem. Due to the voluntary nature of participation, continual recruitment is key to the growth and sustainability of these communities. It is therefore important to understand how and why potential contributors fail in the process of transitioning from user to contributor. Most newcomers, or "newbies", have their first interaction with a community through a mailing list. To understand how this first contact influences future interactions, we studied eight mailing lists across four FOSS projects: MediaWiki, GIMP, PostgreSQL, and Subversion. We analyzed discussions initiated by newbies to determine the effect of gender, nationality, politeness, helpfulness and timeliness of response. We found that nearly 80% of newbie posts received replies, and that receiving timely responses, especially within 48 hours, was positively correlated with future participation. We also found that while the majority of interactions were positive, 1.5% of responses were rude or hostile.