cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased Pheromone Production in Wild Tobacco Budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Exposed to Host Plants and Host Chemicals

Compared with the laboratory colony females, 1st-generation feral (wild F1) females of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), produced little sex pheromone unless exposed to a host plant. Pheromone production in wild F1 females was induced by both cotton, Cossypium hirsutum L., squares and tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum L., buds. With either of the hosts, physical contact evoked a significantly higher response than did exposure to volatile compounds from these plant parts. Of the 12 tobacco chemicals and a corn, Zea mays L., silk extract tested with wild F1 females, oxidized α + β -4,8,13-duvatriene-l,3-diols (oxy-DVT-diols), α -4,8,13-duvatriene-l,3-diol ( α -DVT-diol), (13E)-labda-13-ene-8 α ,15-diol (labdenediol), and the com silk extract evoked high pheromone production. Pheromone production may require host plant-based signals to assure that a suitable host is available for oviposition by the female, once it is mated.
EFFECTS OF CZB VERSUS MEDIUM 199 AND OF CONDITIONING CULTURE MEDIA WITH EITHER BOVINE OVIDUCTAL EPITHELIAL CELLS OR BUFFALO RAT LIVER CELLS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOVINE ZYGOTES DERIVED BY IN VITRO MATURATION-IN VITRO FERTILIZATION PROCEDURES

Abstract The effects of CZB and TCM-199 media were compared, with and without conditioning with either bovine oviductal epithelial cells (BOEC) or Buffalo rat liver cells (BRLC), on the cleavage rate, development to the 4- to 8-cell stages and subsequent advancement to morula and blastocyst stages of bovine zygotes. A total of 2122 oocytes were matured and fertilized in vitro and were used in a 2 × 3 factorial, completely randomized block design. Initial cleavage rates were higher (92 vs 83%; P
Arabic Handwriting Recognition Using Variable Duration HMM

The present paper describes a complete system for the recognition of unconstrained handwritten Arabic words using over-segmentation of characters and variable duration hidden Markov model (VDHMM). First, a segmentation algorithm is used to translate the 2-D image into 1-D sequence of sub-character symbols. This sequence of symbols is modeled by the VDHMM. The shape information of character and sub-character symbols is compactly represented by forty-five features in the feature space. The feature vector is modeled as an independently distributed multivariate discrete distribution. The linguistic knowledge about character transition is modeled as a Markov chain where each character in the alphabet is a state and bigram probabilities are the state transition probabilities. In this context, the variable duration state is used to resolve the segmentation ambiguity among the consecutive characters. Using Arabic handwritten data from two different sources, detailed experimental results are described to demonstrate the success of the proposed scheme.
Uncertainty in Contaminant Concentration Fields Resulting from Atmospheric Boundary Layer Depth Uncertainty

AbstractThe relationship between atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) depth uncertainty and uncertainty in atmospheric transport and dispersion (ATD) simulations is investigated by examining profiles of predicted concentrations of a contaminant. Because ensembles are an important method for quantifying uncertainty in ATD simulations, this work focuses on the utilization and analysis of ensemble members’ ABL structures for ATD simulations. A 12-member physics ensemble of meteorological model simulations drives a 12-member explicit ensemble of ATD simulations. The relationship between ABL depth and plume depth is investigated using ensemble members, which vary both the relevant model physics and the numerical methods used to diagnose ABL depth. New analysis methods are used to analyze ensemble output within an ABL-depth relative framework. Uncertainty due to ABL depth calculation methodology is investigated via a four-member mini-ensemble. When subjected to a continuous tracer release, concentration variability...
Cultural, Social, and Political Influences on State-Level Indigent Health Care Policy Formation

Using a state-culture conceptual framework, this 50-state study of the United States identifies factors affecting state-level variance in Medicaid expenditures in 2004. Path analysis is applied to depict a structural model measured by political and socioeconomic predictors of state-level Medicaid expenditures. Findings show Democratic political party control, and a state's financial capacity predicts higher Medicaid expenditures. Medicaid need demographics have a significant, but negative, effect on Medicaid expenditures. Maintaining political neutrality may constrain our ability to advocate for vulnerable populations. Establishing a uniform standard for indigent health care through a federally financed and administered universal health insurance structure is discussed.
Inhibition of Wind-Compressed Disk Formation by Nonradial Line Forces in Rotating Hot-Star Winds

We investigate the effects of nonradial line forces on the formation of a "wind-compressed disk" (WCD) around a rapidly rotating B star. Such nonradial forces can arise both from asymmetries in the line resonances in the rotating wind and from rotational distortion of the stellar surface. They characteristically include a latitudinal force component directed away from the equator and an azimuthal force component acting against the sense of rotation. Here we present results from radiation-hydrodynamical simulations showing that these nonradial forces can lead to an effective suppression of the equatorward flow needed to form a WCD as well as a modest (~20%) spin-down of the wind rotation. Furthermore, contrary to previous expectations that the wind mass flux should be enhanced by the reduced effective gravity near the equator, we show here that gravity darkening effects can actually lead to a reduced mass loss, and thus lower density, in the wind from the equatorial region. Overall, the results here thus imply a flow configuration that is markedly different from that derived in previous models of winds from rotating early-type stars. In particular, a major conclusion is that equatorial wind compression effects should be effectively suppressed in any radiatively driven stellar wind for which, as in the usual CAK formalism, the driving includes a significant component from optically thick lines. This presents a serious challenge to the WCD paradigm as an explanation for disk formation around Be and other rapidly rotating hot stars thought to have CAK-type, line-driven winds.
A Method to Account for Variation in Congenital Heart Surgery Charges

Background In response to societal pressure to reduce expenditures and increase quality, we sought to develop a methodology to predict hospital charges related to congenital heart surgery. Methods Patients undergoing congenital heart surgery at Boston Children's Hospital in fiscal years 2007 to 2009 comprised the derivation cohort. Clinical data, including Current Procedural Terminology coding of the primary surgical intervention, were collected prospectively and linked to total hospital charges for an episode of care. Surgical charge categories were developed to group surgical procedure types using empiric data and expert consensus. A multivariable model was built using surgical charge categories and additional patient and procedural characteristics to predict the outcome, total hospital charges. A contemporary cohort for fiscal years 2010 to 2012 was used to validate surgical charge categories and the multivariable model. Results In the derivation cohort, 2,105 cases met inclusion criteria. One hundred three surgical procedure types were categorized into seven surgical charge categories, yielding a grouper variable with an R 2 explanatory value of 47.3%. Explanatory value increased with consideration of patient age, admission status, and preoperative ventilator dependence ( R 2 = 59.4%), as well as weight category, noncardiac abnormality, and genetic syndrome other than trisomy 21 ( R 2 = 61.5%). Additional variability in charge was explained when extracorporeal membrane oxygenation utilization and greater than one operating room visit during the episode of care were added ( R 2 = 74.3%). The contemporary cohort yielded an R 2 explanatory value of 67.7%. Conclusions The combination of clinical data with resource utilization information resulted in a statistically valid predictive model for total hospital charges in congenital heart surgery.
Investigation of Stress in MEMS Sensor Device Due to Hygroscopic and Viscoelastic Behavior of Molding Compound

The stresses due to moisture saturation on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor devices after exposure to temperature cycling have been addressed. Moisture-, temperature-, and time-dependent material property of molding compounds for the MEMS devices were characterized. To determine the coefficient of hygroscopic swelling of a molding compound and diffusivity ( $D)$ of water in the molding compound, dimensional change and weight loss of moisture saturated samples at various temperatures were monitored by the digital image correlation method combined with a weight scale. To obtain the viscoelastic property of the molding compound, a series of stress relaxation tests was performed using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). To explain the moisture-induced viscoelastic behavior, a simple assumption was introduced based on the temperature of glass transition point ( $T_{g})$ shift from the DMA result. The experimental data were utilized in numerical simulations to estimate the temperature- and moisture-induced stress on MEMS sensor devices subjected to temperature cycles.
Ten years of vegetation assembly after a North American mega fire

Altered fuels and climate change are transforming fire regimes in many of Earth's biomes. Postfire reassembly of vegetation--paramount to C storage and biodiversity conservation--frequently remains unpredictable and complicated by rapid global change. Using a unique data set of pre and long-term postfire data, combined with long-term data from nearby unburned areas, we examined 10 years of understory vegetation assembly after the 2002 Hayman Fire. This fire was the largest wildfire in recorded history in Colorado, USA. Resistance (initial postfire deviance from prefire condition) and resilience (return to prefire condition) declined with increasing fire severity. However, via both resistance and resilience, 'legacy' species of the prefire community constituted >75% of total plant cover within 3 years even in severely burned areas. Perseverance of legacy species, coupled with new colonizers, created a persistent increase in community species richness and cover over prefire levels. This was driven by a first-year increase (maintained over time) in forbs with short life spans; a 2-3-year delayed surge in long-lived forbs; and a consistent increase in graminoids through the 10th postfire year. Burning increased exotic plant invasion relative to prefire and unburned areas, but burned communities always were >89% native. This study informs debate in the literature regarding whether these increasingly large fires are 'ecological catastrophes.' Landscape-scale severe burning was catastrophic from a tree overstory perspective, but from an understory perspective, burning promoted rich and productive native understories, despite the entire 10-year postfire period receiving below-average precipitation.
c-Jun does not mediate hepatocyte apoptosis following NFκB inhibition and partial hepatectomy

Inhibition of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappaB) induces marked hepatocyte apoptosis and liver dysfunction after partial hepatectomy (PH) in rats. Hepatocyte apoptosis may be due to direct inhibition of NFkappaB-induced hepatocyte survival genes or due to indirect increased signaling through the stress-activated protein kinase pathway (SAPK), resulting in increased c-Jun. c-Jun, an AP-1 transcription factor, induces apoptosis in fibroblasts. Our aim was to determine if hepatocyte apoptosis following inhibition of NFkappaB and partial hepatectomy in rats is due to increased c-Jun. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (200 g) were injected intraportally with 6 x 10(9) PFU adenoviral vector containing luciferase (Ad5Luc) or superrepressor IkappaB (Ad5IkappaB) transgene that inhibits NFkappaB translocation into the nucleus. Two-thirds PH was performed 24 h after vector administration, and the remnant liver was harvested 30 min or 24 h after PH. Northern and Western blots were performed to examine the presence of IkappaB and c-Jun. A GST c-Jun kinase assay was used to examine Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) activity. AP-1 DNA binding activity was assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. TUNEL assay was performed to assess apoptosis. All rats receiving adenoviral vectors expressed the luciferase or superrepressor IkappaB transgenes. c-Jun mRNA, protein levels, and DNA binding activity were not increased in rats treated with Ad5IkappaB at 30 min after PH compared to rats injected with Ad5Luc. Jun kinase activity increased following partial hepatectomy, but activity was similar in Ad5Luc- and Ad5IkappaB-treated animals. AP-1 DNA binding activity was not altered substantially in rats treated with Ad5IkappaB. The percentage of apoptotic hepatocytes was similar between Ad5Luc- and Ad5IkappaB-injected animals at 0 h, but livers from Ad5IkappaB-treated rats had increased apoptosis at 24 h compared to Ad5Luc rats (24% vs. 4%) after PH. Hepatocyte apoptosis after NFkappaB inhibition and PH is not mediated by increased JNK activity or c-Jun.
Kinesiological Measurements in Patients with Various Limb Salvage or Amputation Procedures for Tumor Removal

Measurements of energy cost, stride characteristics, and lower extremity strength were obtained for 139 patients who underwent 11 different lower extremity limb salvage or amputation procedures during the past 8 years. These included 70 limb salvage patients, 34 above-the-knee amputations, nine Van Nes procedures, and six patients with only soft tissue resections. Above-the-knee amputees demonstrated the greatest net energy cost of all the groups studied.
Care of obstetric patients during the immediate postanesthesia period

Abstract Study Objective: To determine the level of care available to obstetric patients during the immediate postanesthesia period. Design: Mail and telephone survey of members of anesthesia departments in Michigan. Setting: All Michigan hospitals with licensed obstetric beds. Patients: Patients recovering from general or major regional anesthesia following an operative delivery. Interventions : The factors determining patient care were the physical suitability of the recovery site, skills and experience of personnel providing care in postanesthesia care units (PACUs), and adjustments in care patterns by anesthesia personnel. Measurements and Main Results: Most obstetric PACUs are staffed by labor and delivery nurses whose assignment to the unit is only part of their overall patient care responsibilities within the labor and delivery area (88.2% of hospitals with more than 2,000 annual births and performing cesarean deliveries in the obstetric suite; 92.3% of hospitals with 500 to 1,999 annual births and performing cesarean deliveries in the obstetric suite). Obstetric PACUs in the remaining hospitals in either group are staffed by dedicated nurses who are permanently assigned to these units. Preparation of labor and delivery nurses for PACU duties varies greatly, but 60.0% of hospitals with more than 2,000 annual births and 30.8% of hospitals with 500 to 1,999 annual births provide no special training. Concern about the level of expertise available in obstetric PACUs staffed by labor and delivery nurses was expressed by almost every respondent and has led to a practice pattern followed by most anesthesia personnel of transferring patient care responsibility only after patients have regained consciousness, cardiovascular stability, and ventilatory adequacy. Several institutions also allow anesthesia personnel to summon nurses from the surgical PACU or to transfer patients to alternate recovery sites, such as the surgical PACU or the intensive care unit (ICU). Conclusions: In many obstetric PACUs, the level of expertise of personnel needs to be upgraded to ensure the safety of patients recovering from general or major regional anesthesia and to comply with existing care standards.
Analysis of flow choking of two-phase, one-component mixtures

The nature of flow choking has been studied as steam-water mixtures are passed through a tube with ever increasing pressure gradient. Choked flow for two-phase, one-component mixtures has been characterized with a separated flow model as resulting from maximization of the ratio of gas to liquid velocities, or slip ratio. Slip ratios at choking were measured and found to increase from 1.2 to 5.0 at 30 lb./sq.in. exit plane pressure with decrease in quality from 0.95 to 0.02. Separated models predict either 9.3 or 28.4 with no quality dependence. The difference is attributed to liquid entrainment. Flow regimes were observed to vary from purely entrained to annular entrained to slug entrained as quality decreased. Normal shock waves were observed in the free jet at qualities above 0.25. Choking flow rates were predicted with an average error of less than 2% with a stagnation energy balance model using an empirically developed slip ratio relation corrected for entrainment.
Intellectual Development of Preservice and Novice Music Educators: A Review of Two Models and Their Use in the Literature

Teaching is a complex process that demands a high level of cognitive or intellectual ability to face poorly structured challenges in education. Teacher education programs are responsible for prepar...
Bacteria and diseases of unknown cause: hemolytic-uremic syndrome.

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), which is characterized by acute renal failure, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia, was first described in 1955 [1]. Although the cause of occasional cases of HUS could be ascribed [2], most cases of HUS resulting in renal failure during childhood were of uncertain etiology [3]. Its occurrence in outbreaks suggested an infectious etiology in at least some cases [4, 5], especially infections with Shigella dysenteriae type 1 (Shiga bacillus), a high-level producer of Shiga toxin. Between 1955 and 1983, case reports associated at least a dozen infectious agents with HUS; one prevailing notion was that HUS was a multifactorial disease (final common pathway) that could be triggered by a variety of infectious agents. In 1982, outbreaks of bloody diarrhea involved patrons of a large chain of fast-food restaurants in 2 widely separated parts of the United States; this illness, termed "hemorrhagic colitis," was found to be due to an Escherichia coli strain of serotype 0157:H7 [6]. In the many years during which the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) kept records of E. coli strains associated with disease, this serotype was reported only once, in 1975, from a woman with the acute onset of bloody diarrhea [6]. In 1977, the Canadian microbiologists Konowalchuk et al. reported that certain E. coli strains had cytotoxic activity toward African green monkey kidney (Vero) cells unlike that produced by any of the known E. coli toxins [7]. Also in 1977, Martin Skirrow, in England, reported that an obscure bacterium, Campylobacter jejuni, was an important and essentially unrecognized cause of acute enteritis [8]. Spurred by Skirrow's report, a young Canadian physician, Mohamed A. Karmali, began to study whether C. jejuni was important as a cause of acute diarrheal illnesses among patients seen at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. His studies, conducted in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory under the guidance of Peter Fleming, established C. jejuni as an etiologic agent in this population [9]. More importantly, this work brought Karmali into the study of diarrheal diseases.
Limit Theorems for $U$-Processes

A U-process is a collection of U-statistics. Concretely, a U-process over a family H of kernels h of m variables, based on a probability measure P on (S,S), is the collection \(\{ U_{n}^{{(m)}}(h,P):h \in \mathcal{H}\} \) of U-statistics. This chapter is devoted to the asymptotic theory of U-processes: we are interested in finding conditions on H and P ensuring that the law of large numbers, or the central limit theorem, or the law of the iterated logarithm, hold for \( U_n^{(m)} (h,P), \)uniformly in h ∈ H. The theory of empirical processes deals with the same questions for the case m = 1, and U-process theory is patterned after it. This is a relatively new subject, at least in the generality presented here (H being an arbitrary collection of kernels which are defined on a general measurable space). There is therefore a need to indicate its usefulness. To this effect, a section on applications is added at the end of the chapter (Section 5.5); there we illustrate the use of each of the main theorems in this chapter by deriving properties of certain multidimensional generalizations of the median, and in general, of M-estimators, and by studying estimators of the cumulative hazard and distribution functions of a random variable based on truncated data.
Topical Treatment of Cutaneous Lesions of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome–Related Kaposi Sarcoma Using Alitretinoin Gel: Results of Phase 1 and 2 Trials

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical alitretinoin gel (9- cis -retinoic acid [LGD1057], Panretin gel; Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc, San Diego, Calif) in cutaneous Kaposi sarcoma (KS). Design Open-label, within-patient, controlled, dose-escalating phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. In all patients, 1 or more cutaneous KS lesions were treated with alitretinoin gel, and at least 2 other lesions served as untreated controls for up to 16 weeks. Alitretinoin (0.05% or 0.1% gel) was applied twice daily for the first 2 weeks and up to 4 times daily thereafter, if tolerated. Setting Nine academic clinical centers. Patients One hundred fifteen patients with biopsy-proven acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)–related KS. Main Outcome Measures AIDS Clinical Trials Group response criteria. Results Statistically significant clinical responses were observed in 31 (27%) of 115 patients for the group of treated index lesions compared with 13 (11%) for the group of untreated control lesions ( P + lymphocyte counts ( P = .02). Alitretinoin gel generally was well tolerated, with 90% of treatment-related adverse events confined to the application site and only mild or moderate in severity. Conclusions Alitretinoin gel has significant antitumor activity as a topical treatment for AIDS-related KS lesions, substantially reduces the incidence of disease progression in treated lesions, and is generally well tolerated.
Magnetic Fields and Spiral Structure

The most valuable new information on galactic magnetic fields is derived from the study of Faraday effects in extragalactic radio sources and pulsars. The rotation of the plane of polarization of an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength of 1 m — the so called Rotation Measure RM — which traverses a medium with electron density ne (cm−3) and magnetic field intensity H (in µG) is given by $$RM = 0.81\int {{n_e}} H \cdot dl$$ (1) , where dI is the element of length along the line of sight expressed in pc. In the case of the pulsars, the delayed arrival of the pulses at the longer wavelengths immediately yields the integrated electron density along the line of sight, that is $$\int {{n_e}} dl$$ (2) .
Social Anxiety and Pragmatics in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Its Relation to Speech-Language Pathology

In this review of basic principles of cognitive behavioral therapy, application to treatment of anxiety in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is outlined and evidence for effectiveness presented. The links between social anxiety disorder and social communication impairment are explored, and the issues raised by applying principles drawn from psychology to clinical practice in speech-language pathology are discussed. Suggestions for clinical practice are offered, along with reflections on the potential for increased collaboration between cognitive behavioral therapists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to better serve individuals with ASD. Outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can be impacted by many factors, including co-morbid psychiatric factors. In working on clinical pragmatics with individuals on the autism spectrum, it is not uncommon to come across clients who have a clinical diagnosis of anxiety disorder. Often, the symptoms of that disorder are present primarily in soci...
A novel Mn2+‐oxidizing enzyme system in a freshwater bacterium

Manganese oxidation by cell suspensions and cell extracts of a freshwater bacterium, designated strain FMn 1, was investigated. Manganese appeared to be oxidized in the periplasmic space. A conventional, membrane-bound electron transport system was not utilized. An enzyme or enzyme complex and a cofactor, each of different molecular size, were located in different parts of the cell envelope. Results suggest that the cofactor reacts with manganese in the periplasmic space and that in the presence of oxygen it is reoxidized by the reoxidized by the enzyme. The enzyme is probably loosely bound to the membrane. A combination of enzyme and cofactor in a crude preparation exhibited a pH optimum at around 7.0. The enzyme exhibited a temperature optimum at around 30 °C. No temperature optimum was found for the cofactor. The enzyme was heat-labile and inhibited by mercuric chloride and para-chloromercuribenzoate. The cofactor was heat-stable and could oxidize manganese under anaerobic conditions. The enzyme system appears to be different from others so far described.
Identification of an alternative Gαq-dependent chemokine receptor signal transduction pathway in dendritic cells and granulocytes

CD38 controls the chemotaxis of leukocytes to some, but not all, chemokines, suggesting that chemokine receptor signaling in leukocytes is more diverse than previously appreciated. To determine the basis for this signaling heterogeneity, we examined the chemokine receptors that signal in a CD38-dependent manner and identified a novel "alternative" chemokine receptor signaling pathway. Similar to the "classical" signaling pathway, the alternative chemokine receptor pathway is activated by G{alpha}i2-containing Gi proteins. However, unlike the classical pathway, the alternative pathway is also dependent on the Gq class of G proteins. We show that G{alpha}q-deficient neutrophils and dendritic cells (DCs) make defective calcium and chemotactic responses upon stimulation with N-formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine and CC chemokine ligand (CCL) 3 (neutrophils), or upon stimulation with CCL2, CCL19, CCL21, and CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL) 12 (DCs). In contrast, G{alpha}q-deficient T cell responses to CXCL12 and CCL19 remain intact. Thus, the alternative chemokine receptor pathway controls the migration of only a subset of cells. Regardless, the novel alternative chemokine receptor signaling pathway appears to be critically important for the initiation of inflammatory responses, as G{alpha}q is required for the migration of DCs from the skin to draining lymph nodes after fluorescein isothiocyanate sensitization and the emigration of monocytes from the bone marrow into inflamed skin after contact sensitization.
Differential Fertility, Intergenerational Educational Mobility, and Racial Inequality.

Abstract Recent commentary has suggested that the relatively high fertility of poorly educated women tends to dampen the average intellectual qualifications of the population. To evaluate this claim requires a model of population growth that takes account of fertility differences among women with varying levels of educational attainment and patterns of intergenerational educational mobility. This article describes such a model and applies it to census, vital statistics, and survey data on fertility, mortality, and intergenerational mobility data for African-American and white women in the United States from 1925 to 1995. Although fertility rates are generally higher for women at the lower end of the educational distribution, this has had a negligible effect on the trend in average educational attainment. These fertility differences are neither large enough nor consistent enough to lower educational attainment. More important, high rates of intergenerational educational mobility almost completely offset the effects of differential fertility. Although black women have historically had more children than white women, fertility differences within and between the races have not had much effect impact on educational inequality between the races. Indeed, in the most recent period, only white women continue to exhibit a negative correlation between education and fertility. Thus, if recent fertility patterns persist, they will accelerate a convergence of educational attainment between blacks and whites.
Early reasoning about desires: Evidence from 14- and 18-month-olds.

Although there is substantial evidence that 30-month-old children can reason about other people's desires, little is known about the developmental antecedents of this ability. A food-request procedure was devised to explore this understanding in 14- and 18-month-olds. Children observed an experimenter expressing disgust as she tasted 1 type of food and happiness as she tasted another type of food. They were then required to predict which food the experimenter would subsequently desire. The 14-month-olds responded egocentrically, offering whichever food they themselves preferred. However, 18-month-olds correctly inferred that the experimenter wanted the food associated with her prior positive affect. They were able to make this inference even when the experimenter's desires differed from their own. These data constitute the first empirical evidence that 18-month-olds are able to engage in some form of desire reasoning. Children not only inferred that another person held a desire, but also recognized how desires are related to emotions and understood something about
Color texture retrieval through contourlet-based hidden Markov model

Two statistical models for color texture retrieval based on a hidden Markov model (HMM) in the contourlet domain are described in this paper. Through a contourlet transformation, each color component of an image is decomposed into a set of directional subbands with texture details captured in different orientations. By exploiting inter-scale dependencies and in-band spatial dependencies, the distribution of the coefficients in each subband triplet (subbands of three color components at the same scale with the same orientation) can be estimated using a vector hidden Markov model. The Kullback-Leibler distance (KLD) is used to measure the difference between the distributions of query texture images and those of images in the database. The experimental results show the proposed retrieval systems yield high retrieval rates and better visual quality as compared with previous methods employing hidden Markov models for luminance component alone.
Oceanic flood sedimentation: a new perspective

Abstract A new type of flood, an oceanic flood, is recognized. In contrast to seasonal floods that characterize moderate to large rivers, oceanic floods occur over short time periods on small rivers. A key aspect of oceanic floods is that the river–ocean system responds to the same storm system. Therefore, sediment is delivered to the ocean under a narrow range of oceanographic conditions. Because large quantities of fine-grained sediment are rapidly introduced to the sea during oceanic floods, the sediment dispersal capacity of the coastal ocean is often overwhelmed. New phenomena (e.g., fluid-mud flows) may therefore arise. Oceanic flood sedimentation is likely to be globally significant, especially with respect to the supply of fine-grained material to slope environments. Long-term changes in precipitation intensity suggest that oceanic floods will be even more common in the future. Studies of oceanic flood sedimentation require novel sampling strategies, such as event-driven coring.
The Impact of Ambient Scent on Evaluation, Attention, and Memory for Familiar and Unfamiliar Brands

Abstract Subjects were exposed to familiar and unfamiliar brand names in either a pleasantly scented or unscented environment. A computer recorded how much time they took to evaluate each brand. After a distracter task, their memory for the brand names was tested with recall and recognition measures. The results indicate that the presence of a pleasant ambient scent improved brand evaluations, especially for unfamiliar brands. Neither mood nor arousal appeared to mediate this process. The pleasant ambient scent also improved recall for unfamiliar, but not familiar, brand names. Analysis indicated that this process was mediated by attention, that is, the amount of time spent evaluating brand names. Recognition was not affected significantly by scent. Implications, limitations, and areas for future research are discussed.
Do commonly used clinical trial designs reflect clinical reality

This paper contends that commonly used clinical trial designs do not reflect clinical reality as viewed by patients or physicians. Specifically, randomized phase III designs focus on improvements that are more significant statistically than medically and put an emphasis on avoiding a false positive result that is more appropriate for diseases that are curable, in contrast to acute leukemias. The resultant large sample sizes needed for each treatment restrict the trial to one or two new treatments, although historical reality suggests the difficulty in knowing, without clinical data, whether these are the best of several new treatments. The p value-based statistics discourage use of data from previous patients in the trial to inform treatment of subsequent patients, contravening patients’ assumptions. Standard phase II trials focus on a single outcome, ignoring the complexity of medical practice, and ignore prognostic heterogeneity. Finally, although patients are more interested in whether a new treatment is better than another, rather than whether it is active, randomization between different treatments does not begin until phase II trials have been completed. This paper proposes alternatives based on the Bayesian statistical approach. The thesis that I will develop here is that commonly used clinical trial designs are unrealistic in the sense that they do not correspond well to patients’ views of medical practice and greatly over-simplify such practice. By emphasizing Bayesian rather than p value-based statistics and focusing on acute myeloid leukemia, I hope to familiarize physicians with some of the many new published designs that address these problems.
Parasitism and Location of Sugarcane Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) by Cotesia flavipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on Transgenic and Conventional Sugarcane

Location and parasitism of Diatraea saccharalis (F.) by Cotesia flavipes (Cameron) were compared between hosts fed either conventional or transgenic sugarcane expressing Galanthus nivalis L. agglutinin (GNA) under choice and no-choice conditions. In olfactometer experiments, females of C. flavipes randomly visited the different odor zones available but spent significantly more time in odor zones corresponding to plants damaged by D. saccharalis versus blank (control) odor zones. However, they spent similar amounts of time in odor zones corresponding to damaged transgenic and conventional sugarcane. Laboratory and field-cage experiments showed that C. flavipes equally parasitized D. saccharalis feeding on transgenic and conventional sugarcane plants. Moreover, sex ratio and brood size of C. flavipes were similar on hosts fed transgenic or conventional sugarcane. The results of this study suggest that transgenic sugarcane expressing GNA would not significantly affect host location and parasitism of D. saccharalis by C. flavipes in the field.
A novel motility effect of tachykinins in normal and inflamed colon

The role of tachykinins in stimulating phasic and giant migrating contractions (GMCs) in the normal and inflamed colon in conscious dogs was investigated by close-intra-arterial infusions of test substances. At low doses (0.1 nmol), substance P and neurokinin (NK1) receptor agonist ([Sar9,Met(O2)11]substance P] stimulated phasic contractions only. At higher doses (2.0 nmol), they stimulated phasic contractions and GMCs. The phasic contractions were blocked partially but significantly by prior close-intra-arterial infusions of tetrodotoxin and atropine but not by hexamethonium. NK1 receptor antagonist partially but significantly inhibited the phasic contractile response to substance P, whereas NK2 and NK3 receptor antagonists had no significant effect. The contractile response to NK2 receptor agonist was less than one-half of the response to substance P; NK3 receptor agonist did not stimulate any contractile activity. The stimulation of GMCs by higher doses of substance P was not blocked by prior infusions of atropine, tetrodotoxin, or NK1, NK2, and NK3 receptor antagonists, nor was the contractile response to substance P blocked by H1 and H2 receptor antagonists. Inflammation depressed the phasic contractile response but enhanced the stimulation of GMCs by substance P. The ability of substance P to stimulate GMCs is novel and suggests its potential role in increasing the frequency of these contractions during colonic inflammation.
Thinning of the Quelccaya Ice Cap over the last thirty years

Abstract. Direct measurements of the decadal response of Tropical glaciers to environmental changes are difficult to acquire within their accumulation zones. In 2013, we used dual-frequency kinematic GPS to re-measure the surface elevations at 46 sites, from the margin to across the summit of the Quelccaya Ice Cap, first measured in 1983 using terrestrial surveying methods. In 2015, six additional sites on the western margin, first observed in 1978, were remeasured. Over the past 30 years, the ice cap summit has thinned by 4.41 p 0.23 m (2σ), with a maximum ice loss at one site near the margin of 63.4 p 0.34 m (2σ) over 37 years. Using geophysical methods that located the sub-glacial bedrock, we estimate the unit-volume of ice in 1983 along a profile from the 1983 margin to the summit and then the change in volume from 1983 to 2013 by differencing the surface elevations. Over the past 30 years, 21.2 p 0.3 % (2σ) of the ice unit-volume has been lost suggesting an average annual mass balance rate of −0.5 p 0.1 m w.e. a−1 (2σ). Increasing air temperature at high elevations of the Andes is likely a major driver of the observed changes. Specifically, within the ablation zone, thinning is likely caused by a 1–2 m w.e. a−1 increase in melting and sublimation above steady-state.Within the accumulation zone, analysis of annual, dry-season summit pits suggests that surface lowering may be caused by both a slight decrease in net snow accumulation and an increase in firnification rate, though this interpretation yet lacks statistical significance. The role of ice flux changes since 1983/4 remains unconstrained, awaiting updated measurements of ice surface velocities across the ice cap.
Phantom Ladies: Hollywood Horror and the Home Front by Tim Snelson

Among the more dynamic and gumptious academic presses today, Rutgers enjoys stirring up traditional methodologies and interrogating what we know or think we know about period and genre. Tim Snelson...
Disseminated intravascular coagulation: diagnosis and management.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a clinico-pathological state accompanied by a high mortality rate. In order to appropriately treat this disorder the clinician must understand its basic pathophysiology and know when and with which diseases it is most likely to occur. Certain laboratory parameters can be used both to make a rapid diagnosis and monitor the patient's response to therapy. Treatment of DIC is still quite controversial, but useful guidelines can be given. Future research will hopefully expand our understanding of this disorder and result in better treatment and improved survival.
Multiracial Children's and Adults' Categorizations of Multiracial Individuals

Research has explored how multiracial individuals are categorized by monoracial individuals, but has not yet explored how they are categorized by multiracial individuals themselves. We examined how multiracial children (4-9 years) and adults categorized multiracial targets (presented with and without parentage information). When parentage information was provided, multiracial targets were more likely to be categorized as neither wholly black nor wholly white. However, both multiracial adults and children more often categorized multiracial targets as black than as white regardless of the absence or presence of parentage information. For multiracial children, increased contact with white people predicted the tendency to categorize multiracial targets as black. These data suggest that multiracial children's categorizations are more flexible than those of monoracial children in previous research, and that the tendency to categorize multiracial targets as black emerges early in development within multiracial samples, and is especially likely in predominantly white contexts.
CHAPTER 28 – Somatosensory System

This chapter provides an overview of the organization of the somatosensory system of humans. It emphasizes on the components of somatosensory system that are important in identifying objects and features of surfaces by touch. Even though small shapes can be perceived with information solely from tactile receptors, most discrimination involves an active process of tactile exploration with multiple contacts on the skin and an integration of cutaneous and proprioceptive information as well as efferent control. Thus, this chapter concentrates on the pathways and neural centers for processing information from the low-threshold mechanoreceptors of the skin that provide information about touch, and the deeper receptors in joints and especially muscles that provide information about position. It is observed that conclusions are based on both studies in humans and studies in other primates, especially the frequently studied macaque monkeys. Moreover, the early stages of processing are likely to be similar in humans and monkeys, but humans appear to have a more expanded cortical network for processing somatosensory information.
Groundwater response to serial stream stage fluctuations in shallow unconfined alluvial aquifers along a regulated stream (West Virginia, USA)

Groundwater response to stream stage fluctuations was studied in two unconfined alluvial aquifers using a year-long time series of stream stages from two pools along a regulated stream in West Virginia, USA. The purpose was to analyze spatial and temporal variations in groundwater/surface-water interaction and to estimate induced infiltration rate and cumulative bank storage during an annual cycle of stream stage fluctuation. A convolution-integral method was used to simulate aquifer head at different distances from the stream caused by stream stage fluctuations and to estimate fluxes across the stream–aquifer boundary. Aquifer diffusivities were estimated by wiggle-matching time and amplitude of modeled response to multiple observed storm events. The peak lag time between observed stream and aquifer stage peaks ranged between 14 and 95 hour. Transient modeled diffusivity ranged from 1,000 to 7,500 m2/day and deviated from the measured and calculated single-peak stage-ratio diffusivity by 14–82 %. Stream stage fluctuation displayed more primary control over groundwater levels than recharge, especially during high-flow periods. Dam operations locally altered groundwater flow paths and velocity. The aquifer is more prone to surface-water control in the upper reaches of the pools where stream stage fluctuations are more pronounced than in the lower reaches. This method could be a useful tool for quick assessment of induced infiltration rate and bank storage related to contamination investigations or well-field management.
HAE Pathophysiology and Underlying Mechanisms

Remarkable progress in understanding the pathophysiology and underlying mechanisms of hereditary angioedema has led to the development of effective treatment for this disorder. Progress in three separate areas has catalyzed our understanding of hereditary angioedema. The first is the recognition that HAE type I and type II result from a deficiency in the plasma level of functional C1 inhibitor. This observation has led to a detailed understanding of the SERPING1 mutations responsible for this deficiency as well as the molecular regulation of C1 inhibitor expression and function. The second is that the fundamental cause of swelling is enhanced contact system activation leading to increased generation of bradykinin. Substantial progress has been made in defining the parameters regulating bradykinin generation and catabolism as well as the receptors that transduce the biologic effects of kinins. The third is the understanding that tissue swelling in hereditary angioedema primarily involves the function of endothelial cell adherens junctions. This knowledge is driving increased attention to the role of endothelial biology in determining disease activity in hereditary angioedema. While there has been considerable progress made, large gaps still remain in our knowledge. Important areas that remain poorly understood include the factors that lead to very low plasma functional C1 inhibitor levels, the triggers of contact system activation in hereditary angioedema, and the role of the bradykinin B1 receptor. The phenotypic variability of hereditary angioedema has been extensively documented but never understood. The mechanisms discussed in this chapter likely contribute to this variability. Future progress in understanding these mechanisms should provide new means to improve the diagnosis and treatment of hereditary angioedema.
Increase in Cancer Center Staff Effort Related to Electronic Patient Portal Use.

Purpose:Electronic portals provide patients with real-time access to personal health records. Use of this technology by individuals with cancer is particularly intensive. We therefore examined patt...
Synthetic Speech Used to Treat Language Delay

Deficits in recognition and processing of rapidly successive phonetic elements of speech in language-learning impaired (LLI) children, aged 5 to 10 years, treated at Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, and University of California, San Francisco, were improved by listening to acoustically modified synthetic speech and by daily training with computer “games” designed to modify temporal processing and phoneme perception.
An investigation on integrated network analysis software of province and district based on model mergence

Network model data from provincial dispatching center and several district dispatching centers are merged into whole network model in the provincial dispatching center in the construction of smart grid in china. Network Analysis Software of province and district are integrated tightly because of model mergence. Under this circumstances, two schemas of Integrated Network Analysis Software (NAS) of province and district are represented in this paper, involving centralized service schema deployed just in the provincial dispatching center and distributed service schema deployed locally in each dispatching center. As well as the impact to several NAS modules when analyzing the whole network model data are also discussed.
Ultracapacitor application and controller design in 400 V DC-powered green data centers

The integration of solar power, batteries and ultracapacitors to increase the reliability of the power supply for dc-powered data centers and reduce carbon emissions is investigated in this paper. The availability of ultracapacitors that have very high power densities and charge/discharge cycling capability characteristics enable smoothing solar power intermittencies. Four typical weather conditions are simulated for solar power generation. A battery/ultracapacitor energy storage unit is controlled with the goal of improving battery lifetime. Simulation results verify the proposed ideas.