cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced biosurveillance of high-consequence invasive pests: southern cattle fever ticks, Rhipicephalus ( Boophilus ) microplus , on livestock and wildlife

Some tick species are invasive and of high consequence to public and veterinary health. Socioeconomic development of rural parts of the USA was enabled partly through the eradication by 1943 of cattle fever ticks (CFT, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and R. (B.) microplus). The southern cattle fever ticks (SCFT, R. (B.) microplus) remain a real and present threat to the USA animal agriculture because they are established in Mexico. Livestock-wildlife interactions in the Permanent Quarantine Zone (PQZ) established by the century-old Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Programme (CFTEP) in south Texas endanger its operations. We describe a spatially-explicit, individual-based model that simulates interactions between cattle, white-tailed deer (WTD, Odocoileus virginianus), and nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) to assess the risk for SCFT infestations across the pathogenic landscape in the PQZ and beyond. We also investigate the potential role of nilgai in sustaining SCFT populations by simulating various hypothetical infestation and eradication scenarios. All infestation scenarios resulted in a phase transition from a relatively small proportion of the ranch infested to almost the entire ranch infested coinciding with the typical period of autumn increases in off-host tick larvae. Results of eradication scenarios suggest that elimination of all on-host ticks on cattle, WTD, or nilgai would have virtually no effect on the proportion of the ranch infested or on the proportions of different tick habitat types infested; the entire ranch would remain infested. If all on-host ticks were eliminated on cattle and WTD, WTD and nilgai, or cattle and nilgai, the proportions of the ranch infested occasionally would drop to 0.6, 0.6 and 0.2, respectively. Differences in proportions of the ranch infested from year to year were due to primarily to differences in winter weather conditions, whereas infestation differences among tick habitat types were due primarily to habitat use preferences of hosts. Infestations in nilgai augment SCFT refugia enabled by WTD and promote pest persistence across the landscape and cattle parasitism. Our study documented the utility of enhanced biosurveillance using simulation tools to mitigate risk and enhance operations of area-wide tick management programmes like the CFTEP through integrated tactics for SCFT suppression.
Imprints of tumor mutation burden on chromosomes and relation to cancer risk in humans: A pan-cancer analysis

Cancers, resulting in uncontrolled cell proliferation, are driven by accumulation of somatic mutations. Genome-wide sequencing has produced a catalogue of millions of somatic mutations, which contain the evolutionary history of the cancers. However, the connection between the mutation accumulation and disease development and risks is poorly understood. Here, we analyzed more than 1,200,000 mutations from 5,000 cancer patients and revealed two novel signatures for 16 cancer types in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. A strong correlation between Tumor Mutation Burden (TMB) and the Patient Age at Diagnosis (PAD) is observed for cancers with low TMB (mean value less than 3 mutations per million base pairs) but is absent in cancers with high TMB. Surprisingly, the differences in cancer risk between the sexes are also mainly driven by the disparity in mutation burden. The TMB variations, imprinted at the chromosome level, also reflect accumulation of mutation clusters within small chromosome segments in high TMB cancers. A model, relating mutation rates to PAD and latency period for cancer detection, explains the key findings.
Catheter-Induced Aortic Dissection

Catheter-induced aortic dissection is a rare but potentially catastrophic complication of cardiac catheterization procedures. Injury to the aorta is often initiated in the ostium of a coronary artery and may extend variably in an antegrade or retrograde fashion. Risk factors for the development of catheter-induced aortic dissection are different from spontaneous aortic dissection. This point highlights the differences in the pathophysiology of the two conditions, which is also reflected in the contrasting management strategies. Catheter-induced aortic dissection is most often recognized on angiography during the index cardiac procedure and has been classified based on the extent of involvement of the aorta. Several factors affect the management strategy including the hemodynamic stability of the patient, propagation and extent of the aortic injury, presence of aortic valve incompetence, presence of pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade, and the condition of the involved coronary artery. Current options for management include a conservative approach with careful surveillance, percutaneous stenting of the dissection entry point, and surgery. In many cases, catheter-induced aortic dissection can be effectively managed with stenting of the dissection entry point. Recent case series suggest an excellent short- and long-term prognosis when compared to spontaneous aortic dissection. In this book chapter, we aim to discuss the incidence, risk factors, clinical presentation, management of catheter-induced aortic dissection.
Applications and Limitations

It has frequently been suggested that numerical ecosystem models should be applied directly to problems of environmental management as a tool for predicting the response of natural systems to perturbations and modifications of various kinds. Our feeling is that while such applications may be instructive, the results must be interpreted with caution and a healthy skepticism. There are, after all, many differences between model systems and real ecosystems. At best, the Narragansett Bay model is designed to represent our current understanding of the bay in its present state as described in Chapter 1. If the natural system is changed in some fundamental way, the conceptual model that lies behind all of the equations and computer programming may no longer apply. As it is presently designed, for example, the model cannot change to different system states that may result from large increases in organic inputs, drastic changes in salinity, anoxic bottom waters, etc. This is not to say that such restructuring cannot be modeled, perhaps even by modifications of the original program. But no model can reasonably be expected to deal with all possibilities, and thus may fall far short of representing or anticipating an event in the natural system.
PRO-INFL and Reduced Structures

This chapter analyzes structures in Welsh and English where an INFL is apparently missing. The sentences in (1)–(2) exemplify such ‘reduced constructions’, in this case reduced yes-no questions.1
The Mighty Myths of Kelo

The press releases of property rights activists and the media's rapid embrace of their views have perpetuated several myths about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Kelo v. New London. In the immediate aftermath of this myth making, the legislatures of several states have adopted restrictions on the use of eminent domain with uncharacteristic speed. Wisely, the New York State Legislature has been more cautious in its reaction. As it turns out, many of the eminent domain laws in other states have nothing to do with New London's program of area-wide redevelopment or the legal holding of the Kelo case. In fact some will have the unintended consequence of crippling state and municipal efforts to direct the redevelopment of inner-city neighborhoods, coastal areas subject to inundation due to climate change, and cities trying to rebuild after devastating natural disasters.
The Lessons of Oncofertility for Assisted Reproduction

Young children, adolescents, and men and women in their prime reproductive years may now survive for decades after cancer. They and their families celebrate these medical advances and hope that after cancer treatment ends, they can resume what Kathlyn Conway described as “ordinary life” [1]. When patients and their families learn that the treatments for some cancers can impair their fertility, they may feel that they will not be able to look forward to that ordinary life. No wonder, then, that many adult patients and parents of adolescents will rejoice at the medical and scientific developments that someday might permit them to have their own genetic children.
THz-bandwidth molecular memories for light

We use the vibrational levels of hydrogen molecules as a memory for light to store 100-fs pulses. We also demonstrate non-classical correlations in an emissive quantum memory using rotational levels of hydrogen molecules.
Determinants of intra-industry trade between East and West Europe

Intra-industry trade as a share of total trade between Central and Eastern European nations and the European Union (EU) is among the highest of all the EU's bilateral trade flows. The authors break down data on these trade flows into horizontal and vertical components, and investigate the determinants of each. They find that vertical intra-industry trade (the exchange of similar goods of different quality) accounts for 80 to 90 percent of total intra-industry trade. It is positively associated with product differentiation, labor intensity of production, economies of scale, and foreign direct investment. Controlling for country effects, they find a statistically significant positive association between horizontal intra-industry trade (the exchange of close substitutes of similar quality) and foreign direct investment, product differentiation, and industry concentration. They find a significant negative relationship for economies of scale and labor intensity. These results do not hold if they do not control for country effects, suggesting that country-specific factors are key determinants of horizontal intra-industry trade.
Physicality and Feedback: A Focus on the Body in the Performance of Electronic Music

Musical performance in a cultural context has always been inextricably linked to the human body, yet, the body has played only a minor role in the creation and performance of electronic music. This paper will consider aesthetic and technical issues relating to: (1) the social/cultural construction of contexts for chamber music and dance; (2) our construction of gestural “composed instruments” and integrated sonic display devices; (3) concepts of the integration of the dancing body and the musical body; and (4) new approaches to interactive music and improvisation in a “composed context.” Our approach prioritizes music as “activity” in both instrument design and sonic display. We find physicality, feedback, and gesture—the reintegration of the body in electronic music—are all key to maintaining and extending musical/social traditions within a technological context.
Pathology of Human Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) develops in a subset of diabetic patients, on average about 15 years after onset of metabolic abnormalities. The earliest lesions consist of thickened glomerular basement membranes (GBM), mild mesangial expansion, and arteriolar accumulation of hyaline. Mesangiolysis and exuberant mesangial repair then develop, ultimately resulting in marked increase in mesangial matrix. Established nephropathy is characterized by mesangial expansion which may be nodular, so-called Kimmelstiel-Wilson nodules, hyaline in both afferent and efferent arterioles, and markedly thickened GBM by electron microscopy. Podocyte loss may be a crucial contributor to this progressive sclerosis. There is a distinct predilection of segmental sclerosis to occur at the glomerulotubular junction in type 1 diabetic patients, which can lead to disruption of outflow from the glomerulus, resulting in so-called a tubular glomeruli. A recent classification of DN may be useful for categorizing stages of development of the diabetic lesions. Diabetic injury also affects the tubulointerstitium. Tubular basement membranes thicken in parallel to GBM. Early interstitial inflammation with predominantly mononuclear cells is followed by later increased interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. Lesions in type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients share many similarities, with more severe vascular disease and heterogeneous lesions, perhaps reflecting older age and comorbid conditions such as hypertension, in the latter. Diabetic patients typically undergo diagnostic renal biopsies only when the clinical course is not typical for DN, and not surprisingly, a range of other lesions may then be present in addition to DN. DN also recurs or occurs de novo in the transplant, developing more quickly than in the native kidney. Efforts to develop rodent animal models that more completely capture these key features of human DN will allow advances to be made in understanding pathogenesis and targeting novel treatment.
A statistical adaptive algorithm for dust image enhancement and restoration

Analyses of images acquired in dusty environments show that the images tend to have noise, blur, small dynamic ranges, low contrast, diminished blue components, and high red components. The goal of this paper is to develop a strategy to enhance such dusty images using a sequence of image processing steps. A statistical adaptive algorithm consisting of image restoration using the Wiener filter, contrast stretching using the RGB color model, intensity stretching using the HSI color model, and color cast removal using color balance, is introduced. Enhancement experiments are conducted on real dusty images and it is shown that the strategy is quite effective in enhancing dusty images. Furthermore the results are superior to those obtained through histogram equalization, gray world, and white patch algorithms. In addition, the complexity of the proposed algorithm is very low thus making it attractive for real time-image processing.
Genevan Theory and the Education of Exceptional Children

Interest of special educators in Genevan theory is growing, but few serious attempts have been made to approach the education of exceptional children from a Genevan perspective. Piaget’s concerns have been with the epistemic subject whose structures are relatively homogeneous. In addition, Genevan theory has focused on development, rather than the acquisition of information and skills. It is not surprising, therefore, that special educators have all but overlooked the potential value of Genevan theory to their work. In the hope of encouraging a narrowing of that gap, this chapter will examine Genevan theory as a suitable framework for the education of exceptional children, its relation to the predominant orientations in special education, research trends relating Genevan theory to special populations, and finally the implications of Genevan research and theory for the education of exceptional children.
How important is intraseasonal surface wind variability to real-time ENSO prediction?

[1] Variations with initial time in the prediction of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are analyzed based on the NCEP operational forecasts. It is found that the forecasted ENSO can be greatly affected by intraseasonal surface wind variability in the western Pacific (WPac), especially that associated with the Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO). In the model forecasts, Kelvin waves forced by intraseasonal winds in the WPac propagate eastward and reach the eastern Pacific in about 60 days, where the induced surface temperature (SST) anomalies dissipate and expand westward. Differences in the forecasted Nino3.4 SSTs can be 0.5 K or larger depending on the phase and amplitude of the MJO. Variations in WPac surface winds are also found to have impacts on the spread of the forecasted Nino3.4 SSTs. Relevance of these results to the ensemble strategies currently used in the operational climate prediction centers is discussed. Citation: Wang, W., M. Chen, A. Kumar, and Y. Xue (2011), How important is intraseasonal surface wind variability to real‐time ENSO prediction?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L13705, doi:10.1029/2011GL047684.
MicroRNA-155 Function in B Cells

Vigorito et al. (2007) report (in this issue of Immunity) that B cells require microRNA (miR)-155 for normal production of isotype-switched, high-affinity antibodies and for a memory response. They identify transcriptional regulator Pu.1 as a functionally important target of miR-155 in B cells.
Math anxiety and its effects on consumers’ preference for price promotion formats

This research examines whether preference for certain price presentations observed in past research could be explained by either consumers’ math anxiety or their math abilities. Previous research suggests that math anxiety not only increases tendencies to make computational errors but also influences cognitive abilities to make numerical judgments. In four studies we document an effect of math anxiety whereby price promotions, whose net prices are simply derived, like those in a dollars-off format, were preferred over a competing percentage-off format. We explain this effect in terms of consumers’ inability to expend cognitive resources due to their math anxiety rather than their math ability. We also identify a boundary condition with such effects of math anxiety occurring when price information is presented in a computationally complex manner and when consumers are making important product judgments.
The reaction of stock returns to Department of Homeland Security threat level changes

This paper examines the impact of changes in the Department of Homeland Security's threat levels on asset prices in the airline and insurance industries. If changes in threat levels contain new information, they would be expected to influence asset prices in one or both industries. The paper finds that increases and decreases in threat levels have no discernible effect on domestic and foreign-based airline or insurance prices. It appears that financial markets either do not view these changes as credible or view their incremental value as negligible.
Psychological Resilience in Older Adults Following the 1997 Flood

Abstract Thirty-seven older adults (14 male, 23 female) who experienced the 1997 Red River Flood were tested at three times following the flood (1997,1998, 2000) on measures of self-rated health, numbers of medications taken, depression (GDS-SF), and vocabulary ability (WAIS-R). Several 2 (gender) X 3 (time of measurement) ANOVAs revealed few main or interactions effects, providing some support for the inoculation hypothesis. This hypothesis states that prior experience with natural disasters tends to protect or insulate individuals from strong emotional reaction to future natural disasters. Results are discussed with regard to aging, mental health, and natural disasters.
Middleware - firmware cooperation for high-speed solid state drives

State-of-the-art solid state drives (SSDs) equip multiple internal resources such as NAND flash chips, data buses, and cores to take advantage of internal parallelism and provide fast I/O services. In addition, SSDs employ flash firmware to manage the internal resources and NAND flash characteristics. As a result, the performance of SSDs can be influenced by various underlying complexities in the firmware including garbage collection and page allocations. Unfortunately, since flash firmware is oblivious of the host-level system information and limited to manage their internal resources relying solely on incoming I/O requests, SSDs can be plagued by enormous performance variations across different I/O requests. In this poster, we propose MiFi, a Middleware and Firmware co-operative approach, which primarily targets overcoming the device-level management limitations by being aware of the host-level information as well as the underlying SSD complexities.
Carbon nanotubes for next generation very large scale integration interconnects

We investigated the application of one-dimensional fluid model in modeling of electron transport in carbon nanotubes and equivalent circuits for interconnections and compared the performances with the currently used copper interconnects in very-large-scale integration (VLSI) circuits. In this model, electron transport in carbon nanotubes is regarded as quasi one-dimensional fluid with strong electron-electron interaction. Verilog-AMS in Cadence/Spectre was used in simulation studies. Carbon nanotubes of the types single-walled, multiwalled and bundles were considered for ballistic transport region, local and global interconnections. Study of the S-parameters showed higher transmission efficiency and lower reflection losses. Theoretical modeling and computer-aided simulation studies through a complimentary CNT-FET inverter pair, interconnected through a wire, exhibited reduced delays and power dissipations for carbon nanotube interconnects in comparison to copper interconnects in 22 nm and lower technology nodes. The performance of CNT interconnects was shown to be further improved with increase in number of metallic carbon nanotubes. Our study suggests the replacement of copper interconnect with the multiwalled and bundles of single-walled carbon nanotubes for the sub-nanometer CMOS technologies.
An FFT T‐matrix method for 3D microwave scattering solutions from random discrete scatterers

An efficient method to solve the scattering by a cluster of randomly located discrete scatterers is described. The scatterers can have an arbitrary shape, and only their T matrices need be known. An iterative method is suggested to solve this problem. To expedite the matrix-vector multiply, we first aggregate the random scattering centers of the scatterers into centers that reside on a regular array. Then, the FFT method is used to perform the matrix-vector multiply in O(N log N) operations. This method can solve a problem with a large number of unknowns, involving thousands of discrete scatterers, on a workstation. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mapping Turbidity in the Charles River, Boston Using a High-resolution Satellite

The usability of high-resolution satellite imagery for estimating spatial water quality patterns in urban water bodies is evaluated using turbidity in the lower Charles River, Boston as a case study. Water turbidity was surveyed using a boat-mounted optical sensor (YSI) at 5 m spatial resolution, resulting in about 4,000 data points. The ground data were collected coincidently with a satellite imagery acquisition (IKONOS), which consists of multispectral (R, G, B) reflectance at 1 m resolution. The original correlation between the raw ground and satellite data was poor (R2 = 0.05). Ground data were processed by removing points affected by contamination (e.g., sensor encounters a particle floc), which were identified visually. Also, the ground data were corrected for the memory effect introduced by the sensor's protective casing using an analytical model. Satellite data were processed to remove pixels affected by permanent non-water features (e.g., shoreline). In addition, water pixels within a certain buffer distance from permanent non-water features were removed due to contamination by the adjacency effect. To determine the appropriate buffer distance, a procedure that explicitly considers the distance of pixels to the permanent non-water features was applied. Two automatic methods for removing the effect of temporary non-water features (e.g., boats) were investigated, including (1) creating a water-only mask based on an unsupervised classification and (2) removing (filling) all local maxima in reflectance. After the various processing steps, the correlation between the ground and satellite data was significantly better (R2 = 0.70). The correlation was applied to the satellite image to develop a map of turbidity in the lower Charles River, which reveals large-scale patterns in water clarity. However, the adjacency effect prevented the application of this method to near-shore areas, where high-resolution patterns were expected (e.g., outfall plumes).
Inquiry, Land Snails, and Environmental Factors

(2002). Inquiny, Land Snails, and Environmental Factors. Science Activities: Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 34-37.
On Multi-Dimensional Unstructured Mesh Adaption

Anisotropic unstructured mesh adaption is developed for a truly multi-dimensional upwind fluctuation splitting scheme, as applied to scalar advection-diffusion. The adaption is performed locally using edge swapping, point insertion/deletion, and nodal displacements. Comparisons are made versus the current state of the art for aggressive anisotropic unstructured adaption, which is based on a posteriori error estimates. Demonstration of both schemes to model problems, with features representative of compressible gas dynamics, show the present method to be superior to the a posteriori adaption for linear advection. The performance of the two methods is more similar when applied to nonlinear advection, with a difference in the treatment of shocks. The a posteriori adaption can excessively cluster points to a shock, while the present multi-dimensional scheme tends to merely align with a shock, using fewer nodes. As a consequence of this alignment tendency, an implementation of eigenvalue limiting for the suppression of expansion shocks is developed for the multi-dimensional distribution scheme. The differences in the treatment of shocks by the adaption schemes, along with the inherently low levels of artificial dissipation in the fluctuation splitting solver, suggest the present method is a strong candidate for applications to compressible gas dynamics.
COUNTERSHOCK CONVERSION OF DIGITALIS-ASSOCIATED PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL TACHYCARDIA WITH BLOCK.

Abstract The first successful conversion of paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (PAT) with block by means of external countershock is reported. The arrhythmia occurred while the patient was receiving digitalis and after the loss of potassium due to brisk diuresis and other factors, and digitalis intoxication appeared to be likely. The arrhythmia proved to be refractory to intravenous potassium and procaine amide carried to toxicity but was promptly converted to sinus rhythm with a single DC synchronized countershock. This method is suggested in the management of PAT with block when there is a dilemma whether this arrhythmia was caused by digitalis or whether further digitalis administration is indicated after conventional methods of treatment have proved to be ineffective.
Clinical Significance of erbB-2 (HER-2/neu) Protein

erbB-2 protein is believed to be a cell membrane receptor for the recently identified ligand gp30. When overexpressed, erbB-2 is an indicator of poor prognosis in adenocarcinomas of breast, stomach, lung, and endometrium. Even more important, clinical data suggest that erbB-2 overexpression may be an indicator of poor response to at least some commonly used adjuvant regimens. However, there is preliminary evidence that these tumors might respond as well to doxorubicin regimen as do erbB-2 negative tumors, at least in gastric cancer. The efficacy of doxorubicin-containing regimen in the treatment of tumors with erbB-2 overexpression needs to be explored further by retrospective analysis of finished clinical trials. Combination of chemotherapeutics with reagents that block erbB-2 signal transduction pathway may be another effective approach.
Diagnostic aspects of peptic ulcer. 2. Gastric exfoliative cytology: the importance of a negative examination.

We have observed, just as have other investigators, that the gastric exfoliative cytology technique is a valuable aid in diagnosing gastric lesions. We have come to rely upon this technique very much in the differential diagnosis of lesions of the gastric mucosa. The value of a negative cytology report, we feel, is important in surveying patients with known gastric lesions or in patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. We have found that the accuracy of a negative cytology report is above 90 per cent. The accuracy of our positive cytology reports is much the same that has been reported in the current literature and is between 80 and 90 per cent. In conclusion, it should be emphasized that these are some of our preliminary experiences. Time, and accumulation of additional data on many patients, will be necessary for full evaluation of the role of gastric exfoliative cytology in the diagnosis of gastric lesions and its true worth as a screening device.
Effects of prostitution: An urban population responds

This article examines community perceptions about the legalization of prostitution in a large southern community. The authors utilized a random digit dialing technique to develop a representative sample consisting of 850 respondents.
Metabolic mechanism by which mild regional hypothermia preserves ischemic tissue.

Background: Our laboratory demonstrated that mild regional hypothermia reduced myocardial infarct size by an average of 65% in the rabbit model of regional ischemia. The exact mechanism for this benefit has not been explored. We hypothesized that a moderate reduction in regional myocardial temperature could preserve cardiac energy metabolism and thus protect the myocardium from sustained ischemic insult.Methods and Results: Anesthetized open-chest rabbits were randomized to normothermic sham-operated (NS, n = 6), hypothermic sham-operated (HS, n = 6), normothermic ischemic (NI, n = 10), and hypothermic ischemic (HI, n = 10) groups. Both sham-operated groups received no occlusions, and both ischemic groups were subjected to 20 minutes of coronary occlusion. To achieve regional cooling of the hearts in the hypothermic groups, a bag of ice water was placed directly on the risk area 15 minutes prior to coronary artery occlusion/no intervention and maintained for the duration of the subsequent 20 minutes of is...
Using asset specificity and asset scope to measure the value of IT

A technique for quantifying the contribution of IT to a firm's value and performance makes it possible to compare the value of IT in different firms and industries.
Exact distributional computations for Roy's statistic and the largest eigenvalue of a Wishart distribution

Computational expressions for the exact CDF of Roy's test statistic in MANOVA and the largest eigenvalue of a Wishart matrix are derived based upon their Pfaffian representations given in Gupta and Richards (SIAM J. Math. Anal. 16:852---858, 1985). These expressions allow computations to proceed until a prespecified degree of accuracy is achieved. For both distributions, convergence acceleration methods are used to compute CDF values which achieve reasonably fast run times for dimensions up to 50 and error degrees of freedom as large as 100. Software that implements these computations is described and has been made available on the Web.
Barnacle population dynamics and recruitment regulation in southcentral Alaska

Abstract The role of recruitment in regulating population dynamics of three intertidal barnacle species was investigated by examining sources and scales of variation in recruitment and determining the nature of the relationship between recruitment density and resultant adult population size. The study was conducted in Kachemak Bay, Alaska (USA) from 1991 to 1993 to determine the extent to which recruitment influences population dynamics of species near their geographic limit. Year-to-year variation in recruitment was highly significant, with average maximum recruitment between 1991 and 1993 ranging from 0.85 to 8.71 cm−2. Recruitment densities on individual test surfaces ranged from 0–71 cm−2. Inter-site variation in recruitment was significant and the ranking of sites by recruitment density was consistent between years. Recruitment of Semibalanus cariosus (Pallas) in the low intertidal was 7–162 times greater than of S. balanoides (L.) and Balanus glandula Darwin in the upper intertidal. Predation significantly affected the survival of recruits during 1991, a year of comparatively low overall recruitment. Also, 1991 was a year during which there was a linear relationship between initial recruitment and subsequent adult density for all species. In 1992 and 1993, years when initial larval settlement of S. cariosus was much greater, recruits commonly exceeded adult saturation density in the lower intertidal, resulting in intense intra-specific competition for space and leading to decoupling of recruit and adult density. Despite high recruitment in 1992 and 1993, recruit survival to adulthood of all species was actually greatest in the low recruitment year (1991), suggesting that even comparatively low recruitment provides enough new individuals to maintain populations. Consequently, at sites near their geographic limit, recruitment is not the primary process limiting S. cariosus populations in the low intertidal, although its influence was evident for high intertidal S. balanoides and B. glandula populations.
Fissidens minutifrons (Fissidentaceae), a new rheophilous species from Ecuador

Fissidens minutifrons is described and illustrated from Ecuador. The species belongs to subgenus Pachyfissidens section Pachyfissidens and is similar to F. grandifrons and F. geijskesii. The distinctive features of the species include: closely imbricate, narrowly lanceolate, elimbate leaves; taxifolius type costae; smooth laminal cells that vary from 2-4-stratose near the costae to 1-2- stratose at the margins in dorsal and ventral laminae, and 1-2-stratose from costae to margins in the vaginant laminae; laminal cells differing greatly in size, decreasing in size from costae to margins, juxtacostal cells and several inner rows larger and quadrate to oblong, several rows of outer (marginal) cells smaller and quadrate to hexagonal, the areas of larger inner cells and smaller outer cells greatest in the vaginant laminae.
The dynamics of integrate-and-fire: Mean versus variance modulations and dependence on baseline parameters

The leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) is the simplest neuron model that captures the essential properties of neuronal signaling. Yet common intuitions are inadequate to explain basic properties of LIF responses to sinusoidal modulations of the input. Here we examine responses to low-and moderate-frequency modulations of both the mean and variance of the input current and quantify how these responses depend on baseline parameters. Across parameters, responses to modulations in the mean current are low pass, approaching zero in the limit of high frequencies. For very low baseline firing rates, the response cutoff frequency matches that expected from membrane integration. However, the cutoff shows a rapid, supralinear increase with firing rate, with a steeper increase in the case of lower noise. For modulations of the input variance, the gain at high frequency remains finite. Here, we show that the low-frequency responses depend strongly on baseline parameters and derive an analytic condition specifying the parameters at which responses switch from being dominated by low versus high frequencies. Additionally, we show that the resonant responses for variance modulations have properties not expected for common oscillatory resonances: they peak at frequencies higher than the baseline firing rate and persist when oscillatory spiking is disrupted by high noise. Finally, the responses to mean and variance modulations are shown to have a complementary dependence on baseline parameters at higher frequencies, resulting in responses to modulations of Poisson input rates that are independent of baseline input statistics.
Liver Transplantation Using Donation After Cardiac Death Donors: Long-Term Follow-Up from a Single Center

There is a lack of universally accepted clinical parameters to guide the utilization of donation after cardiac death (DCD) donor livers and it is unclear as to which patients would benefit most from these organs. We reviewed our experience in 141 patients who underwent liver transplantation using DCD allografts from 1993 to 2007. Patient outcomes were analyzed in comparison to a matched cohort of 282 patients who received livers from donation after brain death (DBD) donors. Patient survival was similar, but 1-, 5- and 10-year graft survival was significantly lower in DCD (69%, 56%, 44%) versus DBD (82%, 73%, 63%) subjects (p 20 min, cold ischemia time >8 h and donor age >60 were associated with poorer DCD outcomes. There was a lack of survival benefit in DCD livers utilized in patients with model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) 30 or on organ-perfusion support had similar graft survival, suggesting a potentially greater benefit of DCD livers in critically ill patients.
Slow-wave resonance in periodic stacks of anisotropic layers

We consider a Fabry-Perot resonance (a transmission band edge resonance) in periodic layered structures involving birefringent layers. In a previous publication [Phys. Rev. E 72, 036619 (2005)] we have shown that the presence of birefringent layers with misaligned in-plane anisotropy can dramatically enhance the performance of the photonic-crystal resonator. It allows us to reduce its size by an order of magnitude without compromising on its performance. The key characteristic of the enhanced slow-wave resonator is that the Bloch dispersion relation $\ensuremath{\omega}(k)$ of the periodic structure displays a degenerate photonic band edge, in the vicinity of which the dispersion curve can be approximated as $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\sim}(\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}k{)}^{4}$, rather than $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\sim}(\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}k{)}^{2}$. Such a situation can be realized in specially arranged stacks of misaligned anisotropic layers. On the down side, the presence of birefringent layers results in the slow-wave resonance being coupled only with one (elliptic) polarization component of the incident wave, while the other polarization component is reflected back to space. In this paper we show how a small modification of the periodic layered array can solve the above fundamental problem and provide a perfect impedance match regardless of the incident wave polarization, while preserving the giant slow-wave resonance characteristic of a degenerate photonic band edge. Both features are of critical importance for many practical applications, such as the enhancement of various light-matter interactions, light amplification and lasing, optical and microwave filters, antennas, etc.
Evaluation of hyperviscosity in monoclonal gammopathies

The serum or plasma hyperviscosity syndrome has been described in both monoclonal and polyclonal immunoglobulin disorders. The usefulness of initial and serial plasma viscosity measurements by an automated viscometer technique was evaluated and compared with serum protein electrophoresis data in 107 patients without monoclonal gammopathies and 153 patients with monoclonal gammopathies. In patients without monoclonal gammopathies, plasma viscosity correlated best with the concentration of gamma globulins. In patients with monoclonal gammopathies, plasma viscosity correlated best with the serum monoclonal protein concentration, but individual patient variations in the ratio of plasma viscosity to monoclonal protein concentration made accurate prediction of plasma viscosity difficult without direct measurement. Six of eight patients with plasma viscosity above 5.0 cp had classic symptoms of hyperviscosity syndrome, and four of the six had recurrent episodes. Six other patients with plasma viscosity above 4.0 cp had more subtle presentations of hyperviscosity but responded equally well to therapeutic lowering of plasma viscosity. These patients are part of a larger subset of 27 patients in whom initial plasma viscosity was above 3.0 cp. No patient with an initial plasma viscosity below 3.0 cp subsequently showed hyperviscosity symptoms. Plasma viscosity measured by this technique is a useful tool in screening patients with dysproteinemias to identify and monitor those with and at risk for the hyperviscosity syndrome.
Observed and simulated multidecadal variability in the Northern Hemisphere

Analyses of proxy based reconstructions of surface temperatures during the past 330 years show the existence of a distinct oscillatory mode of variability with an approximate time scale of 70 years. This variability is also seen in instrumental records, although the oscillatory nature of the variability is difficult to assess due to the short length of the instrumental record. The spatial pattern of this variability is hemispheric or perhaps even global in scale, but with particular emphasis on the Atlantic region. Independent analyses of multicentury integrations of two versions of the GFDL coupled atmosphere-ocean model also show the existence of distinct multidecadal variability in the North Atlantic region which resembles the observed pattern. The model variability involves fluctuations in the intensity of the thermohaline circulation in the North Atlantic. It is our intent here to provide a direct comparison of the observed variability to that simulated in a coupled ocean-atmosphere model, making use of both existing instrumental analyses and newly available proxy based multi-century surface temperature estimates. The analyses demonstrate a substantial agreement between the simulated and observed patterns of multidecadal variability in sea surface temperature (SST) over the North Atlantic. There is much less agreement between the model and observations for sea level pressure. Seasonal analyses of the variability demonstrate that for both the model and observations SST appears to be the primary carrier of the multidecadal signal.
Nonlinear Estimation with Associative Memories and Machine Evaluation of Derivatives: An Application to Calibrating Spatial Interaction Models

In this paper we apply the theory of linear associative memories in producing initial parameter estimates for nonlinear iterative approaches. We also propose the use of FEED (Fast and Efficient Evaluation of Derivatives) to evaluate partial derivatives of functions encountered in nonlinear estimation. Suggested methods are presented in the context of calibrating spatial interaction models and are illustrated through numerical examples.
How does waste-to-energy "stack" up?

To put waste-to-energy (WTE) in perspective, it is important to see how it measures up environmentally to other power generation utility sources. This paper compares actual WTE facility emissions w...
Physical and Chemical Properties of H-1 Virus. II. Partial Purification.

SummaryPartially purified H-1 virus was prepared by precipitation at pH 4, solution at pH 10 and extraction with butanol, followed by ultracentrifugation.
Mercaptoacetate decreases latency to initiate independent ingestion, but not suckling, in preweanling rats.

Altering oxidation of fatty acids by administration of mercaptoacetate (MA) or methyl palmoxirate has been demonstrated to stimulate independent ingestion in rat pups by 12 to 15 days of age. However, in other work, neither agent has been demonstrated to affect intake in the context of suckling. In the present experiments, we tested the effects of MA on both suckling and independent ingestive behavior by examining changes in latency to initiate suckling or independent ingestion and by measuring intake in short-term (30 min) and longer term (4 hr) suckling and independent ingestion tests in pups aged 12 to 15 days of age. The results demonstrated that (a) MA does not affect suckling intake in short- or longer term tests; (b) MA does not affect latency to attach to a nipple, most likely due to floor effects on latency to attach in control pups; (c) MA stimulates independent ingestion in short-term, but not longer terms tests; and (d) MA reduces the latency to initiate independent ingestion. These results suggest that administration of MA preferentially stimulates the initiation of independent ingestion over suckling, and that this response develops at an age just prior to the time at which independent ingestion is typically first expressed by rat pups.
Relative Contributions of Collagen and Elastin to Elasticity of the Vocal Fold Under Tension

This study examined the contributions of collagen and elastin to the tensile elastic properties of the vocal fold lamina propria. Uniaxial stress-strain responses of vocal fold cover and vocal ligament specimens from 20 human larynges (12 males, 8 females) were quantified with sinusoidal stretch-release deformation in vitro. Mid-coronal sections of 12 specimens were examined histologically with Masson's trichrome and elastin van Gieson stain to quantify the relative densities of collagen and elastin fibers. Results showed that significantly higher levels of collagen were found in the male vocal fold than female, for both the cover and the ligament. For male there was a significantly higher level of elastin in the cover than in the ligament. On average, the elastic modulus of the male cover was about twice that of the female at high-tensile strain (35-40%), whereas the male ligament was 3-5 times stiffer than the female in the same range. The ligament was stiffer than the cover for male, but the opposite was observed for female. These findings suggested that collagen and elastin could contribute differentially to elasticity of the cover and the ligament. The data may provide guidance for surgical reconstruction and tissue engineering of different lamina propria layers.
Alcoholism in patients with Sexual disorders

The authors screened for alcoholism 145 consecutive patients who presented with sexual dysfunction or disorders. Using the Michigan Alcoholic Screening Test (MAST), 29% of the patients scored in the probable alcoholic range. Probable alcoholics were more likely to present without a partner and claimed higher sex drive than nonalcoholic patients. Probable alcoholic males reported less joy and vigor than probable alcoholic females, while the reverse held for the nonalcoholic groups. Blind to the MAST results, the staff made six alcohol-related diagnoses and referred one patient for alcohol treatment. The authors discussed the importance of training faculty and resident staff in the relationship of alcohol abuse associated with psychosexual dysfunctions.
Variations in the mode of stolon growth among different genera of colonial hydroids, and their evolutionary implications.

Stolonic growth has been compared among several genera of calyptoblastic (Campanularia flexuosa, C. calceolifera, Gonothyraea and Sertularia) and gymnoblastic (Pennaria, Bougainvillia, Eudendrium and Cordylophora) hydroids with respect to such features as the (1) complexity and uniformity of the tip movements, (2) constancy of growth cycle duration, (3) variability in growth among cycles, (4) growth rate, and (5) variability of retractions among cycles. The “growth cycle,” previously described in C. flexuosa, is the basis for elongation in all species observed. Its pattern is indistinguishable between the Campanularia species; however, at the generic level the tip movements show peculiarities which delineate each genus from all others. In addition, the movements in all calyptoblasts are uniform from cycle to cycle and comparatively simple, whereas those of the gymnoblasts are complicated by the variable appearance of one or more secondary forward thrusts between crests. A dichotomy is seen between the calyptoblasts and most gymnoblasts in other respects as well. Cycle time is very predictable and cycle-to-cycle variability in growth is relatively narrow in all calyptoblasts. However, in most gymnoblasts both features are much more loosely regulated: only Pennaria shows some degree of control to its timing mechanism, and only in Bougainvillia and Eudendrium does the uniformity of growth per cycle reach the calyptoblast level. On the premise that calyptoblasts are evolutionarily the more advanced group, simplicity and regularity of growth movements are concluded to be the evolved, and complexity and variability the primitive, conditions. On this basis the evolutionary relations among the four gymnoblasts, as deduced from their stolonic growth behavior alone, are consistent in many but not all respects with those interpreted from morphological considerations.