cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Shortwave infrared negative feedback avalanche diodes and solid-state photomultipliers

In recent years, significant progress has been made in InP-based Geiger-mode single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), and a variety of circuits for enabling Geiger-mode operation have been proposed and demonstrated. However, due to the inherent positive feedback of the impact ionization avalanche process, Geiger-mode SPADs are constrained by certain performance limitations, particularly with regard to counting rate and the inability to resolve photon number. To overcome some of the performance limitations of regular SPADs, we have developed negative feedback avalanche diodes (NFADs) that employ a negative feedback mechanism to regulate the avalanche process. The NFAD fabrication process is based on the design platform we use to achieve state-of-the-art performance SPADs and is very flexible. The operation of NFAD devices is also very simple, with only a direct current (DC) bias being required. Various discrete devices and matrices composed of different elements have been designed, fabricated, and characterized. For discrete devices, ∼10% photon detection efficiency has been realized consistent with acceptable afterpulsing probability. The negative feedback mechanism significantly improves the uniformity of the output pulse heights and avalanche charge per detection event, resulting in a low “charge excess noise” factor. When configured in a matrix format, the NFAD devices were demonstrated to have the ability to resolve photon number and work effectively as solid-state photomultipliers (SSPMs) in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) region. The InGaAs/InP NFAD SSPMs have the potential to replace photomultiplier tubes and provide a solid-state solution in applications where the requirement for single-photon sensitivity in the SWIR region beyond ∼0.9 μ m cannot be met by silicon photomultipliers. The NFAD devices have been used in various quantum optics and quantum key distribution applications and demonstrated an excellent performance.
ULTRASTRUCTURE OF CARRAGEENAN‐MILK SOLS AND GELS

The interaction between kappa and lambda carrageenan, and milk was examined utilizing three transmission electron microscopy procedures: thin sectioning, frozen thin sectioning and freeze-etching. Discrete fibrils were evident in the thin sectioned and freeze-etched gels whereas nonfibrillar linkages existed among casein micelles in frozen thin sectioned gels. Some micelles appeared to be connected to form small regular clumps in the lambda carrageenan-milk sols. Micelles in the kappa carrageenan-milk gels were aggregated into large irregular clumps. The microscopy method influenced the ultrastructural properties of the sols and gels.
Detection, frequency, and stability of cotransformants expressing nonselectable human enzymes

We cotransformed mouse 3T3 cells with total genomic human DNA and the dominant selectable bacterial gene Neoand analyzed 121 NeoRclones for expression of 15 human “housekeeping” enzymes which can be distinguished from their murine homologs. The estimated frequency of expression of unlinked human genes was 1 in 360 NeoRclones and at least three different human enzymes (peptidase D, phosphoglucomutase 1, and acid alpha glucosidase) were detected. We further examined the frequency and stability of cotransformation for one of these enzymes, acid alpha glucosidase (GAA). We tested approximately 4000 NeoRclones and found 25 clones expressing human GAA, as determined by rocket immuno-electrophoresis (RIE) specific for human GAA. Transformants progressively became negative on continued growth and retesting by RIE, with only two clones still expressing GAA at the eighth testing. This apparent loss of expression was not due to nonclonality of the original isolates. In one subclone examined, loss of expression was accompanied by loss of both Neo -derived pBR322 and human Alu repetitive sequence DNA. Thus, under the conditions utilized, cotransformants expressing homomeric housekeeping enzymes were found at relatively high frequency but were progressively lost even under conditions selective for expression of the dominant vector.
Optimal leader allocation in UAV formation pairs ensuring cooperation

This paper considers the problem of optimally allocating the leader task between pairs of selfish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying in formation. The UAV that follows the other achieves a fuel benefit. The noncooperative nature of the agents makes it necessary to arbitrate leader-allocation mechanisms that induce collaboration so that the fuel consumption benefits of flying in formation can be realized. Formulated as a nonlinear program, our problem poses two distinct challenges: on the one hand, given a fixed number of leader switches, determine the optimal leader allocation and, on the other, find the optimal number of leader switches. Even though the first problem is nonconvex, we identify a suitable restriction of its feasible set that makes it convex while maintaining the same optimal value. Regarding the second problem, our analysis of the optimal value of the problem as a function of the number of switches allows us to design a search algorithm which is guaranteed to find the solution in logarithmic time. Several simulations illustrate our results.
The molecular mechanism of lymphocyte-mediated tumor cell lysis

Lymphocyte-mediated cytolysis is an important mechanism of immune defense and possibly also of immune surveillance against cancer. Recent major advances in the understanding of its molecular mechanism came from the discovery that lysis was associated with the formation of membrane lesions on target cells caused by cytoplasmic granules from cytolytic lymphocytes. In this review Eckhard Podack summarizes our current knowledge of the molecular events resulting in target cell destruction by cytolytic T-lymphocytes (CTL) and natural killer (NK) cells.
Extensive Cosmic-Ray Showers and the Energy Distribution of Primary Cosmic Rays

An experiment is described which determines the variation in the number of extensive cosmic-ray showers per unit time with altitude from sea level up to 4300 m. The number of showers which should have been observed with the apparatus used is calculated on the basis of the cascade theory in which various power law energy distributions for the primary cosmic rays are assumed. Good agreement is obtained between the observations and the calculation at high altitudes for suitable choice of parameters; at low altitudes the observed excess is what would be expected from a mesotron component in the extensive showers. It is found that the same choice of parameters which will give good agreement with the extensive shower data will also describe cosmic-ray observations at much lower energies. It is pointed out that this offers strong support for the hypothesis that there is but one type of primary cosmic-ray particle. The effects of choosing the proton as this primary particle are discussed.
High-Fidelity Raman Imaging Spectrometry: A Rapid Method Using an Acousto-optic Tunable Filter

In this communication, we describe a technique for obtaining high-fidelity Raman images and Raman spectra. The instrumentation provides the ability to rapidly collect large-format images with the number of image pixels limited only by the number of detector elements in the silicon charge-coupled device (CCD). Wavelength selection is achieved with an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF), which maintains image fidelity while providing spectral selectivity. Under computer control the AOTF is capable of μs tuning speeds within the operating range of the filter (400-1900 nm). The AOTF is integrated with the CCD and holographic Raman filters to comprise an entirely solid-state Raman imager containing no moving parts. In operation, the AOTF is placed in front of the CCD and tuned over the desired spectral interval. The two-dimensional CCD detector is employed as a true imaging camera, providing a full multichannel advantage over competitive Raman imaging techniques. Images and spectra are presented of a mixture of dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and L-asparagine, which serves as a model system for the study of both lipid/peptide and lipid/protein interactions in intact biological materials. The Raman images are collected in only several seconds and indicate the efficacy of this rapid technique for discriminating between multiple components in complex matrices. Additionally, high-quality Raman spectra of the spatially resolved microscopic regions are easily obtained.
Robot-resident neural networks: A step beyond computer simulation

A simple, commercially available robot platform is presented in this paper with suggested modifications for adding a neural network controller and a better sensory system. The robot, called HexWalker, is a six-legged, servo-driven, battery-powered platform. We found this platform easy to modify with both hardware and software changes. The software changes can be programmed from a standard PC and downloaded into the EEROMS of the robot. This robot provides a tangible model of sensory/motor integration which is useful in both teaching and research.
Voice of Deliverance: The Language of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Its Sources

Martin Luther King Jr's words defined, mobilized and embodied much of the American civil rights movement, crystallizing the hope and demand for racial justice in America. His powerful sermons and speeches were unique in their ability to unite blacks and whites in the quest for reform. Yet, disclosures about King's unattributed appropriations in his PhD dissertation have raised the broader question of whether King's persuasive voice was truly his own. In this study of the language of King, Keith D. Miller explores his words to find the intellectual roots, spiritual resonances and actual sources of those speeches and essays that continue to reverberate in America's mind and conscience. Miller argues that his skilful borrowing and blending of the black oral and white written traditions was in fact the key to his language and to his effectiveness. It made his message of hope and deliverance accessible to all people and enabled blacks and whites to move in harmony to action and commitment.
A fuzzy information space approach to speech signal non‐linear analysis

A new approach for analyzing the similarity of dynamical systems is presented, with applications to speech analysis. This approach is based on a temporal fuzzy set representation of the trajectories of the dynamical system. The similarity between segments of the speech signal is determined via similarity measures of the corresponding temporal fuzzy sets, We present an application of the method to vowel recognition in the samples (amplitude-time) space.
Contextual Influences of Policies and Supervisor Preferences in Performance Appraisals

Recent research suggests that the issue of performance appraisal inaccuracy be studied from the perspective of rater motivation. Furthermore, though scholars of performance appraisals recommend the...
Affinity assays for detection of cellular communication and biomarkers

The biological events occurring in the body are complex and challenging to decode. The expression, production, secretion and interaction of proteins, peptides and small molecules often occur in a fast manner and at low concentrations. Methods used to quantify these events must be rapid, selective, sensitive and robust. In recent years, new variations of affinity methodologies have been developed to facilitate quantitation of these biomolecules. This review will focus on selected affinity techniques that have described multi-analyte measurement, high sensitivity techniques, or the application of new affinity reagents applied to conventional technologies to measure analytes involved in cell communication and biomarkers produced in specific disease states.
Electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons on a stabilized-zirconia electrolyte employing gold or platinum electrodes

The electro-oxidation of those hydrocarbon fuels commonly derived from coal (e.g. CO, CH4 and H2) was studied using a disc of scandia-stabilized zirconia (ZrO2)0.92(Sc2O3)0.08, the anodic face of which was coated witheither porous platinumor gold as the electrode material. The cathode face of the disc was coated with porous platinum and exposed to air which provided the source of oxygen. The stabilizedzirconia reactor disc was operated at 700° C and 1 atmosphere in both the self-generated-power (fuel-cell) mode and the applied-power mode. From the experimentally observed behaviour of the current-overpotential curves the electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons is found qualitatively to be independent of whether porous gold or platinum is used at the anode. This behaviour indicates that the solid electrolyte itself is playing the major role in the electrocatalytic processes since platinum would be expected to be much more catalytic than gold in the electro-oxidation of these fuels. The fuel species investigated showed the following trend in the current drawn, and thus reactivity, at a given overpotential: H2>co>CH4.
The Greater Male Variability Controversy: Science Versus Politics

Research on gender differences has consistently been surrounded by controversy because of the political implications of the findings. The conclusions drawn by Cattell, Hall, Thorndike, and other early proponents of the greater male variability hypothesis-recounted in my article and in Noddings's sociohistorical commentarywere not justified by the available data. Their conclusions, which almost certainly predated their examinations of data, were essentially these scholars' personal beliefs about differences between the sexes and their political opinions regarding the roles of men and women in society. It is unfortunate that their views were passed off as scientific facts to maintain the status quo of their era. Noddings described my article as "oddly neutral." I prefer "appropriately scientific." The points she raised have all been noted before by others (who were duly referenced in my review), and there was no need to rehash them. Instead, I detailed the limitations of past analyses, conducted new analyses with superior data sets, and interpreted the results by today's more rigorous standards. The scope of my quantitative review was intentionally narrow, as its main objective was to make a data-based contribution to the literature.
Biliary Complications After Liver Transplantation

The incidence of biliary complications after liver transplant is estimated to be 8% to 20%. Post-liver transplant biliary complications may lead to acute and chronic liver injury. The early recognition and prompt treatment of such complications improves the long-term survival of the patient and graft. An understanding of the type of biliary reconstruction, the rationale for creating a particular anastomosis, and the technical difficulties in reconstructing the biliary tract are important in assessing and managing complications after liver transplant. Because the clinical presentation of these patients may be subtle, the physician must be aggressive and thoughtful in ordering and interpreting the diagnostic tests. Important points to remember are 1) that noninvasive examinations may fail to detect small obstructions or leaks, 2) a liver biopsy often is performed prior to cholangiography to exclude rejection and ischemia, and 3) the liver biopsy can miss an extrahepatic obstruction by misinterpreting portal inflammation as rejection. Biliary leaks and strictures are the most common biliary complications following liver transplant. Less common complications include ampullary dysfunction and stone/sludge formation. The effective management of biliary complications following a liver transplant depends on understanding the natural history, the prognosis, and the available therapeutic options for each type of complication.
High-affinity binding and direct electron transfer to solid metals by the Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 outer membrane c-type cytochrome OmcA.

The purified outer membrane bacterial protein OmcA binds densely to the surface of hematite (Fe2O3), permitting direct electron transfer to this solid mineral to reduce Fe (III) with an electron flux of about 1013 electrons /cm2/s. In the presence of hematite, there is a substantial increase in the amplitude of internal protein motions that correlate with metal reduction. Binding is highly favorable, with a partition coefficient of approximately 2 × 105 (ΔGo‘ = −28 kJ/mol), where approximately 1014 OmcA proteins bind per cm2 to the solid metal surface, indicating the utility of using purified OmcA in the construction of a biofuel cell.
Explosive, oppositional, and aggressive behavior in children with autism compared to other clinical disorders and typical children

Abstract Maternal ratings of explosiveness, opposition, and aggression were analyzed in 1609 children 6–16 years of age. Behavior problems were common in autism, ADHD-Combined type, and depression, whereas children with ADHD-Inattentive type, anxiety disorder, and acquired brain injury did not differ from typical controls. More than 40% of children with autism, ADHD-Combined type, and depression met criteria for oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD), and less than 15% did in the other groups. Male gender and low SES increased the risk of behavior problems, but correlations were small between behavior problems and age and IQ. Our findings have implications for new DSM-V diagnostic categories and criteria. The DSM-V needs to clarify whether or not an additional diagnosis of ODD should be made in children with autism who meet ODD criteria. The proposed DSM-V states that ADHD and temper dysregulation disorder with dysphoria not be diagnosed in autism, but does not mention ODD. Our study also suggests that diagnoses of temper dysregulation disorder with dysphoria and prepubertal bipolar disorder may be redundant to a diagnosis of ODD.
Inversion in the Chromosomes of Phaseolus vulgaris

Cytological study was made on F1 plants of an intraspecific cross of P. vulgaris. Flower buds were fixed in propiono-alcohol and the pollen-mother cells were stained with propiono-carmine.The meiotic behavior was normal for the parental material. A few pollen-mother cells of the F1 plant showed cells with one or two bridges per cell. This meiotic irregularity indicated that the F1 plant was heterozygous for paracentric inversions and is probably the reason why favorable recombinants have not been obtained from this intraspecific cross.
Reduction of stable differential–algebraic equation systems via projections and system identification

Abstract Most large-scale process models derived from first principles are represented by nonlinear differential–algebraic equation (DAE) systems. Since such models are often computationally too expensive for real-time control, techniques for model reduction of these systems need to be investigated. However, models of DAE type have received little attention in the literature on nonlinear model reduction. In order to address this, a new technique for reducing nonlinear DAE systems is presented in this work. This method reduces the order of the differential equations as well as the number and complexity of the algebraic equations. Additionally, the algebraic equations of the resulting system can be replaced by an explicit expression for the algebraic variables such as a feedforward neural network. This last property is important insofar as the reduced model does not require a DAE solver for its solution but system trajectories can instead be computed with regular ODE solvers. This technique is illustrated with a case study where responses of several different reduced-order models of a distillation column with 32 differential equations and 32 algebraic equations are compared.
Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Alkyl Hydroxycinnamates (Alkacins) in Model Systems and Food Products

Abstract Alkyl hydroxycinnamates (alkacins) were examined for antimicrobial and antioxidant activites in both model systems and food products. These were inhibitory to a wide range of bacteria and demonstrated marked inhibitory effects toward yeasts. The results were comparable to the effects of methyl and propyl paraben. S. cerevisiae was more resistant to the alkacins and to the parabens in apple juice than in an artificial medium, but several esters could prevent growth of the yeast at 250 ppm. In ground beef the antimicrobial properties were not as well expressed as the antioxidative ones, but methyl caffeoate at 1,000 ppm delayed spoilage and an increase in thiobarbituric acid value. When used as a dip solution for salmon muscle tissue, there was little or no inhibition of microbial spoilage. The results indicated that while these compounds have fair to very good activities in model systems, their relative activity in foods is specific to the food system.
Medicare at 50 — Moving Forward

In this Health Policy Report marking the 50th anniversary of Medicare, the authors review several potential strategies for addressing the challenges to the effectiveness and sustainability of the program.
Hierarchy of users׳ web passwords: Perceptions, practices and susceptibilities

Abstract In this study, we propose a hierarchy of password importance, and we use an experiment to examine the degree of similarity between passwords for lower-level (e.g. news portal) and higher-level (e.g. banking) websites in this hierarchy. We asked subjects to construct passwords for websites at both levels. Leveraging the lower-level passwords along with a dictionary attack, we successfully cracked almost one-third of the subjects׳ higher-level passwords. In a survey, subjects reported frequently reusing higher-level passwords, with or without modifications, as well as using a similar process to construct both levels of passwords. We thus conclude that unsafely shared or leaked lower-level passwords can be used by attackers to crack higher-level passwords.
Electric aversion and individualized imagery therapy in alcoholism: A controlled experiment

Abstract Alcoholic patients were randomly assigned to a supplementary treatment program involving individualized imagery of drinking situations which were then either associated with painful electric shock or with sham shock. This was in addition to a general treatment program for alcoholism including relaxation training. On a long-term follow-up, no differences were demonstrable between the treatment groups. However, patients who did better had originally scored higher on the 16 PF Personality Test in terms of being more calm, self-reliant, placid and disciplined. This was independent of the treatment group to which they had been assigned. This study provides no evidence for the efficacy of electric aversion therapy under the conditions that were used.
Sustainable agricultural development in Latin America: exploring the possibilities

Abstract This paper concentrates on what are perceived as critical issues which should be addressed if a productive and sustainable agriculture is to be achieved in Latin America. The attainment of such an agriculture is dependent on new technological innovations, policy changes and more socio-equitable economic schemes. By using several examples of biological control and integrated pest management programs as case studies, ways of promoting the transition of chemical intensive commercial agriculture to low-input management are explored. Similarly, the paper describes non-governmental efforts utilizing the agroecological approach to help the great mass of resource-poor farmers, mostly confined to marginal soils, hillsides and rainfed areas, to achieve year-round food self-sufficiency, reduce their reliance on scarce and expensive agricultural chemical inputs, and develop production systems that rebuild the productive capacities of their smallholdings.
Information theoretic approach to model-based 3D object recognition using orthogonal transforms

A previously reported technique for object recognition and orientation determination is used to develop an information theoretic viewpoint of the model-based vision problem. The technique employs an analytic object model developed from transform coefficients of object views, and develops pose parameter estimates by minimizing an error measure developed from the model and transform coefficients of an acquired image. Parallels between this technique and vector quantization-based coding are developed, which motivate an analysis of the machine vision system performance in terms of the distortion/rate performance achievable. This paper presents the framework for such a viewpoint, along with preliminary performance results of the recognition technique.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Channel Coding: The Road to Channel Capacity

Starting from Shannon's celebrated 1948 channel coding theorem, we trace the evolution of channel coding from Hamming codes to capacity-approaching codes. We focus on the contributions that have led to the most significant improvements in performance versus complexity for practical applications, particularly on the additive white Gaussian noise channel. We discuss algebraic block codes, and why they did not prove to be the way to get to the Shannon limit. We trace the antecedents of today's capacity-approaching codes: convolutional codes, concatenated codes, and other probabilistic coding schemes. Finally, we sketch some of the practical applications of these codes.
Research Section: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Intensive Interactive Teaching with Pupils with Profound and Complex Learning Difficulties

Judith Watson, lecturer and Anne Fisher, teacher, present encouraging results from two research studies which evaluated the effectiveness of Intensive Interactive teaching with pupils who had profound and complex learning difficulties. The method is compared with the effects of other classroom experiences over the course of one school year.
Vapor transport and crystal growth in the mixed system MnS-MnSe

Iodine concentrations, temperature gradients and transport ampules etching effects on mass transport rate and crystal growth of MnS-MnSe- iodine system
Calorimetric studies of the state of water in seed tissues.

To understand the physical state of water in hydrating biological tissues, thermodynamic properties of water in cotyledons of pea and soybean with moisture contents ranging from 0.01 g H 2 O/g dw to 1.0 g H 2 O/g dw were studied using differential scanning calorimetry. The heat capacity of the tissues increased abruptly at moisture contents above 0.08 and 0.12 g H 2 O/g dw for soybean and pea cotyledons, respectively. Melting transitions of water were observed at moisture contents >0.23 and 0.26 g H 2 O/g dw for soybean and pea. However, freezing of water was not observed unless moisture contents exceeded 0.33–0.35 g H 2 O/g dw. In both seed tissues, the temperatures of the freezing and melting varied with moisture content and showed hysterisis. The energy of the transition also varied with moisture content and was similar to the heats of fusion and crystallization of pure water only at moisture contents >0.54 and 0.58 gH 2 O/g dw for soybean and pea seeds, respectively. The thermal properties of water change distinctly as seed moisture content changes: at least five states or water can be identified.
Fatigue and monotonic loading crack nucleation and propagation in bimodal grain size aluminum alloy

Abstract Bimodal and nanocrystalline (NC), or ultra-fine-grain (UFG) aluminum alloys are being investigated as stronger replacements for conventional polycrystalline aluminum alloys. Higher strengths are achieved by reducing the grain size of a metal; however, as the grain size is reduced the ductility diminishes. One solution that limits this decrease in ductility is the addition of a percentage of microcrystalline or coarse grains (CGs) into a nanocrystalline alloy, creating a bimodal microstructure which offers a better balance of strength and ductility. Two- and three-dimensional microstructural finite element (FE) simulations of monotonic and fatigue failures in Al 5083 having bimodal grain structures are conducted. To reduce the computational time and facilitate the modeling of microstructural features, a global–local model is developed. Macroscopic linear-elastic and nonlinear plastic properties for each of the bimodal compositions are first used to simulate the tensile and fatigue tests in a global FE model. Subsequently, a local model that represents a single element at the center of the global model is built with distinct CGs distributed throughout an UFG matrix. 10% of the elements in this model are defined as CGs, after which NC and polycrystalline properties are assigned to the UFG and CG regions, respectively. Available fatigue test data are utilized to generate a low cycle fatigue damage model for bimodal grains size Al 5083 and obtain the damage model constants for varied levels of coarse grains. This fatigue damage model is then used in conjunction with a finite element continuum damage modeling approach, namely, successive initiation, to predict the damage and crack initiation sites and propagation paths in bimodal alloys. The successive initiation method is used to continually accumulate damage in elements and initiate and propagate the crack through grains that reach the failure criteria defined for monotonic and cyclic loading. It is observed from the monotonic FE model that using ultimate stress as the failure criteria, cracks initiate on the boundaries between CGs and UFGs, and propagate through the UFG matrix around the CG until they become large enough to extend all the way through the UFG region. In the cyclic FE models, the crack is observed to initiate in a CG and propagate along the CG and the surrounding UFG matrix until it is large enough to cause failure.
The crystal structure of d-ribono-1,4-lactone at −150°

Abstract The crystal structure of d -ribono-1,4-lactone, 1 , C 5 H 8 O 5 , at −150° is orthorhombic, P2 1 2 1 2 1 , with a = 10.441(2), b = 11.948(3), c = 4.781(1) A, V = 596.43 A (MoKα 1 , λ = 0.7107 A), Z = 4, D m = 1.626 g cm -3 (20°), and D x = 1.649 g cm -3 (−150°). The 1,4-lactone ring has a conformation midway between E 3 and 2 T 3 , with puckering comparable to that observed in the furanose rings of nucleosides. The C-O-CO group has bond lengths of 1.467(1), 1.354(1), and 1.203(1) A, respectively, and is slightly non-planar, with a C-O-CO torsion angle of 172.7°. The molecules are linked by hydrogen bonds, which form chains. The carbonyl oxygen atom is involved in a weak, bifurcated hydrogen-bond interaction.
Blood and tissue protozoa of the English sparrow (Passer domesticus domesticus) in Galveston, Texas.

SYNOPSIS. The 42% incidence of Plasmodium in blood films of English sparrows reported here is the highest on record for surveys of blood parasites of birds in the United States. The only Plasmodium species identified in the sparrows was P. relictum. Adult birds were almost universally infected and tended to experience the highest degree of parasitemia in the spring months, while young birds had a higher blood positivity in the summer months. The lowest incidence of Plasmodium positive blood films occurred in fall and winter in the Galveston area. Overwintering birds had a decrease in parasitemia corresponding to reported minimal gonadal activity in sparrows. The 20% incidence of Lankesterella (avian Toxoplasma) in the blood of these sparrows was also higher than has been reported in other blood film surveys in this country. Incidence of this parasite in blood films was highest in the summer months, corresponding with highest average temperature for the year. Lankesterella could be found in 95% of sparrows whose tissues were examined after autopsy. Ducks and pigeons in the immediate vicinity of the survey sparrows had neither Plasmodium nor Lankesterella in blood films. Resident wild birds from adjacent rural areas, including redwinged blackbirds, boat-tailed grackles, laughing gulls and meadowlarks, had fewer Plasmodium and Lankesterella than the sparrows. A few Lankesterella were found in the liver or spleen of young redwinged blackbirds, and only 2 of 79 wild birds had the organisms in their heart blood. Plasmodium was found only in meadowlarks and included P. hexamerium and elongatum as well as relictum.
The occurence of low voltage, fast, electroencephalogram patterns during behavioral sleep in the cat

Abstract The EEG and behavior of twelve adult cats were observed during lengthy intervals of normal sleep. All animals showed many periods of a low voltage, fast (activated) EEG in the face of continued behavioral sleep as indicated by absence of muscle potentials, relaxed posture, unresponsiveness, and elevated auditory threshold. These periods alternated regularly with periods during which the recordings were dominated by slow waves and spindles. The former EEG phase was concomitant with many twitching movements of the limbs, vibrissae, and ears, while the latter was generally associated with complete stillness on the part of the animals.
Role of plantar plate and surgical reconstruction techniques on static stability of lesser metatarsophalangeal joints: a biomechanical study.

Background:Disruption of the plantar plate of the lesser metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints leads to significant instability. Despite the fact that plantar plate disorders are common, the best mode of treatment remains controversial with operative treatments having variable and somewhat unpredictable clinical outcomes.Methods:Lesser MTP joints from the second, third, and fourth toes from fresh-frozen cadaver feet were biomechanically tested: (1) intact, (2) with the plantar plate disrupted, and (3) following a Weil osteotomy, a flexor-to-extensor tendon transfer, or a Weil osteotomy with a subsequent flexor-to-extensor tendon transfer with testing in superior subluxation, dorsiflexion, and plantarflexion.Results:The plantar plate significantly contributed to stabilizing the sagittal plane of the lesser MTP joints. The flexor-to-extensor tendon transfer significantly stabilized the disrupted lesser MTP joints in both superior subluxation and in dorsiflexion. The flexor-to-extensor tendon transfer following a...
THE POLITICAL PARTY BASIS OF ATTITUDES TOWARD THE SUPREME COURT

What are the main determinants of public attitudes toward the Supreme Court? Do they stem from the fact that one's political party controls the White House? The authors find the answers from Gallup surveys, from questions asked by the Michigan and Berkeley Survey Research Centers, and from a comprehensive study by the Wisconsin Survey Research Laboratory in 1966. Kenneth M. Dolbeare is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and Phillip E. Hammond is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin.
Infections and Edema

Infectious and inflammatory conditions of the head and neck may present with impaired airways. An understanding of the pathophysiology will allow for accurate diagnosis and prompt intervention. Preintervention discussion and planning by members of the airway team are crucial in developing a primary and backup plans for safely securing the airway.
Least-squares methods for the velocity-pressure-stress formulation of the Stokes equations

We formulate and study finite element methods for the solution of the incompressible Stokes equations based on the application of least-squares minimization principle to an equivalent first order velocity-pressure-stress system. Our least-squares functional involves the L*-norms of the residuals of each equation multiplied by a mesh-dependent weight. Each weight is determined according to the Agmon-Douglis-Nirenberg index of the corresponding equation. As a result, the approximating spaces are not subject to the LBB condition and conforming discretizations are possible with merely continuous finite element spaces. Moreover, the resulting discrete problems involve only symmetric, positive definite systems of linear equations, i.e. assembly of the discretization matrix is not required even at the element level. We prove that the least-squares approximadons converge to the solutions of the Stokes problem at the best possible rate and then present some numerical examples illustrating our theoretical results. Among other things, these numerical examples indicate that the method is not optimal without the weights in the least-squares functional.
Optimal Selection Strategy for the Group Interview Problem

We propose a more generalized version of the secretary problem, called the group interview problem, in which each group contains several alternatives and each group of alternatives is presented and evaluated sequentially over time. Using the assumptions corresponding to the classical secretary problem, we derive an optimal selection strategy which maximizes the probability of winning or selecting the single best choice in a given sequence of groups. We further address the problem of choosing at the beginning of the evaluation process a sequence of groups to maximize the winning probability. Because of formidable computational requirements to obtain an optimal solution to this sequencing problem, we then develop a heuristic algorithm based on several properties inherent in an optimal selection strategy. The heuristic procedure is evaluated experimentally using Monte Carlo simulation and is shown to be effective in obtaining near-optimal (within 5 percent) solutions.
Satellite Microwave Remote Sensing of Daily Land Surface Air Temperature Minima and Maxima From AMSR-E

We present an approach to retrieve daily minimum and maximum 2-m height air temperatures from 18.7, and 23.8 GHz H and V polarized brightness temperature from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) during the snow free season. The approach accounts, with minimal ancillary data, for vertically integrated atmospheric water vapor, and variable surface emissivity due to open water and vegetation. Retrieved temperatures were evaluated using Northern Hemisphere weather stations and independent satellite-based air temperatures from the Atmosphere Infrared Sounder and Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AIRS/AMSU; hereafter AIRS) sensors on Aqua. The retrieved temperatures are within 1.0 - 3.5 K of surface weather station measurements for vegetated locations, but uncertainty can exceed 4 K for desert and sparsely vegetated regions, mainly due to site to site biases. The AIRS and AMSR-E temperature retrievals generally agree more closely with one another than with weather stations and are generally within 1.0-2.8 K over vegetated regions, but with less agreement ( > 4 K ) over desert and mountainous regions. Additional useful information produced by our approach includes open water fraction, vegetation optical depth and atmospheric water vapor. The results of this study provide inputs for land surface models and a new approach for monitoring of land surface air temperatures with well quantified accuracy and precision.
Experimental Bounds on the Usefulness of Personalized and Topic-Sensitive PageRank

PageRank is an algorithm used by several search engines to rank web documents according to their assumed relevance and popularity deduced from the Web's link structure. PageRank determines a global ordering of candidate search results according to each page's popularity as determined by the number and importance of pages linking to these results. Personalized and topic-sensitive PageRank are variants of the algorithm that return a local ranking based on each user's preferences as biased by a set of pages they trust or topics they prefer. In this paper we compare personalized and topic-sensitive local PageRanks to the global PageRank showing experimentally how similar or dissimilar results of personalization can be to the original global rank results and to other personalizations. Our approach is to examine a snapshot of the Web and determine how advantageous personalization can be in the best and worst cases and how it performs at various values of the damping factor in the PageRank formula.
Efficient task migration algorithm for distributed systems

The objective of the study was to achieve balanced load among processors, reduce the communication overhead of the load balancing algorithm, and improve respource utilization, which results in better average resonse time. A communication protocol and a fully distributed algorithm for dynamic load balancing through task migration in a connected N-processor network are presented. Each processor communicates its load directly with only a subset (of the size square root N) of processors, reducing communication traffic and average response time. It is proved that the given algorithm will perform task migration even if there is only one light load processor and one heavy load processor in the system. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can save up to 60% of the protocol messages used by the broadcast algorithms and can reduce the average response time. >
A Meta-Analysis of Co-Teaching Research Where Are the Data?

Students with special needs are increasingly being served in the general education classroom. Co-teaching is one service delivery option designed to meet those needs. The purpose of this article is to synthesize data-based articles pertaining to co-teaching between general and special education personnel. Of 89 articles reviewed, only 6 provided sufficient quantitative information for an effect size to be calculated. Effect sizes for the individual studies ranged from low (0.24) to high (0.95), with an average total effect size of 0.40. Dependent measures were varied and included grades, achievement scores, and social and attitudinal outcomes. Results indicate that further research is needed to substantiate that co-teaching is an effective service delivery option for students with disabilities.
Equivocal Masculinity: New York Dada in the context of World War I

This essay explores a cluster of works by the group of artists retroactively labelled `New York Dada’ in light of the pressures exerted on masculine subjectivity during the WWI period. While the war has, for obvious reasons, been a key reference point for studies of European Dada, it has never been acknowledged (beyond passing references) as a context for the New York group (in particular, for the work of the key figures Man Ray, Francis Picabia and Marcel Duchamp). Failing to attend to the Great War as a crucial historical pressure on the group simply accepts at face value these artists’ own desire to escape the war (in the case of Picabia, Duchamp, Jean Crotti and others, by leaving Europe and coming to New York). This essay, in contrast, insists upon attending to the effects of the war environment – with its heated discourses of heroism and patriotic nationalism – on the New York Dada group (which, after all, would not have existed had these artists not left Europe for New York because of the war). Examining the relationship of each of the key NewYork Dada figures to the war, it explores a selection of their works in relation to these experiences. Ultimately, I argue that the artists’ non-combatant masculinity, compromised in the face of dominant discourses of militarized masculinity, is eerily and disconcertingly echoed by the predominance of shadows, gaps and absences in their visual art works.
Characterization and Correlation of EPG Waveforms of Bactericera Cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae): Variability in Waveform Appearance in Relation to Applied Signal

ABSTRACT The tomato-potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), was recently shown to be a vector of “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” (Lso), a phloem-limited bacterium that is the putative causal agent of “zebra chip” in potato and unnamed diseases in other solanaceous species. Despite its importance, very little is known about B. cockerelli stylet probing behaviors that control transmission of Lso to its host plants. Herein, we report the first study characterizing the electrical penetration graph waveforms representing stylet penetration behaviors of the B. cockerelli feeding on potato. Waveforms produced by adult B. cockerelli on potato were also correlated using light microscopy of salivary sheath termini in plant tissue after probes were artificially terminated during the identified waveforms. In addition, behavioral activities were inferred based on electrical origins of waveforms as well as similarities in waveform appearances with those of other psyllids, aphids, an...
Traffic Simulation at International Ports of Entry: El Paso-Mexico Case Study

Since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1993, international commercial traffic has grown significantly. Texas has been the largest port of entry for trade at the U.S.-Mexico border since 1994, accounting for approximately 75 percent of the trade. Under NAFTA, FHWA predicts that trade through Texas could increase up to 120 percent in the coming years. Texas has 18 border sectors with Mexico, many of which have congestion primarily caused by ineffective interaction among inspection procedures and traffic management or lack of adequate transportation planning. A simulation model, developed using a general-purpose industrial engineering simulation package, can help determine the best alternative for preventing congestion at the ports of entry and the associated traffic operation effects on the road network adjoining the international bridges, while yet maintaining an adequate inspection of commercial trucks. A case study of the Ysleta-Zaragoza Bridge in El Paso, Texas, i...
Convergence in microwave circuit parameters obtained from a vector finite element analysis

Numerical experiments are described in which the rate of convergence of transmission line circuit parameters found using a vector magnetic field finite element method was studied for varying degrees of domain discretization. Errors in eigenvalues (frequencies for a particular phase constant) and characteristic impedances for single and dual microstrips are presented to illustrate tradeoffs between computation times and number of unknowns. >
The effect of pentostam and cimetidine on the development of leishmaniasis (Leishmania mexicana amazonensis) and concomitant malaria (Plasmodium yoelii).

BALB/c mice were infected with Leishmania mexicana amazonensis and/or Plasmodium yoelii in order to determine the impact of multiple parasitic infection on the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents. Uninfected, P. yoelii-infected, L. m. amazonensis-infected, and L. m. amazonensis and P. yoelii-infected mice were inoculated with cimetidine (80 mg kg−1 day−1) or pentostam (200 mg kg−1 day−1) once a day for an initial 20-day period, and once a week thereafter. Leishmania mexicana amazonensis lesion development and P. yoelii parasitaemia were the criteria used to assay disease severity. Mice infected with both P. yoelii and L. m. amazonensis developed more severe disease than did animals infected with either parasite alone. Cimetidine and pentostam each slowed the development of L. m. amazonensis in animals infected with only that parasite and in animals infected with both P. yoelii and L. m. amazonensis. However, mice treated with pentostam developed more severe P. yoelii infections than did control animals, w...
Power and performance characteristics of CORAL Scalable Science Benchmarks on BlueGene/Q Mira

The CORAL Scalable Science Benchmarks are full applications that are expected to test the full scale of future CORAL systems. It is important to better understand power and performance characteristics of these benchmarks before using them to test future CORAL systems. In this paper we have an in-depth analysis of power and performance characteristics of the Scalable Science Benchmarks Nekbone, HACC and Qbox on a power-aware BlueGene/Q supercomputer Mira at Argonne National Laboratory, which is one of three DoE reference production systems. Experimental results show that using these Scalable Science Benchmarks to test future CORAL systems requires serious consideration of different system configurations and implementations for the high performance and low energy consumption. In addition, performance counters are used to analyze potential optimization focuses of these benchmarks.