cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cost-Estimating Tools for Low-Impact Development Best Management Practices: Challenges, Limitations, and Implications

Tools were developed for estimating costs of vegetative roofs, rainwater catchment systems, and bioretention facilities. These tools provide a detailed framework to facilitate cost estimation for capital costs, operation and maintenance costs, and life-cycle net present value. The tools can provide users with planning-level cost estimates and serve as a format for cost-reporting for past, current, and future projects. Very little cost data was available in the public forum, and prolific inconsistencies of supporting details were found in the available cost data. To address this, design assumptions were established for each facility type and professionally prepared cost estimates based on these design assumptions were used. Electives in design, such as plant selection and media depth, also greatly affected costs. To make the user aware of these effects, the model separates each option into line items that can be elected or excluded as appropriate. To facilitate collecting future cost data, best management practice (BMP) designers and builders should use these tools to record actual costs and report them to a clearinghouse such as the BMP Database.
Localization of auroral Langmuir turbulence in thin layers

[1] The recently discovered coherent echoes in the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar data with flat ion-line spectrum and simultaneous double-peaked plasma-line spectrum in the lower ionospheric F region are investigated in greater detail. High-range resolution measurements reveal that the turbulence is sometimes manifested as two concurrent layers separated by about 50 km. The turbulence layers appear at regions of zero electron density gradient, supporting the interpretation that propagation effects play an important role in limiting the waves’ amplitude. Although Langmuir intensity is limited by propagation effects outside of the layers, it reaches to nonlinear regime inside the layers, giving rise to the observed range and spectral morphologies. Furthermore, the radar measurements of the electrostatic waves appear to be correlated in space and time with natural auroral electromagnetic emissions, supporting the previous theory that “MF-bursts” are produced by linear conversion of Langmuir waves produced by soft electron precipitation (~few hundred electronvolts) on the topside F region. The results presented in this report suggest that the observed Langmuir turbulence and MF-burst are both manifestations of the same process.
On approximating planar metrics by tree metrics

We combine the results of Bartal [Proc. 37th FOCS, 1996, pp. 184–193] on probabilistic approximation of metric spaces by tree metrics, with those of Klein, Plotkin and Rao [Proc. 25th STOC, 1993, pp. 682–690] on decompositions of graphs without small Ks,s minors (such as planar graphs) to show that metrics induced by such graphs (with unit lengths on the edges) can be probabilistically approximated by tree metrics with an O(log diam G) distortion. This improves upon Bartal’s result that holds for general n-node metrics with a distortion of O(log n log log n). The main ingredient of our proof is that weak probabilistic partitions suffice for the construction of tree metrics with low distortion, in contrast to strong partitions used by Bartal. We also show that our result is the best possible by providing a lower bound of �( log diam G) for the distortion of any probabilistic approximation of the square grid by tree metrics.  2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Statins inhibit proliferation and cytotoxicity of a human leukemic natural killer cell line

Natural killer cells comprise the body’s first line of defense against virus-infected cells. As is true of all lymphocytes, natural killer cell malignancies can develop, however natural killer cell leukemias can be very difficult to treat due to their intrinsic resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. With the recent understanding that statin drugs may have anti-cancer properties, our investigations have focused on the ability of statins to inhibit the growth and cytotoxicity of the YT-INDY natural killer cell leukemia cell line. Our findings indicate that several statin compounds can inhibit YT-INDY proliferation disrupt cell cycle progression and abrogate natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Since natural killer cell leukemia cytotoxicity may play a role in the pulmonary damage seen in these patients, this is an important finding. Cytotoxicity, proliferation and cell cycle progression could be restored by the addition of mevalonate, signifying that the statin effects are brought about through HMG CoA reductase inhibition. The mevalonate pathway intermediate geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, but not other intermediates in the mevalonate pathway, partially reversed statin-induced inhibition of YT-INDY proliferation and cytotoxicity. These results suggest that blockage of products made in the latter part of the mevalonate pathway may account for the observed inhibitory effects on YT-INDY proliferation and cytotoxicity. However, geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate could not reverse the statin-induced inhibition of the cell cycle. These results suggest that the statin drugs should be investigated as a potential therapeutic strategy for human natural killer cell leukemias possibly in combination with chemotherapeutic agents.
Adaptive mechanism design: a metalearning approach

Auction mechanism design has traditionally been a largely analytic process, relying on assumptions such as fully rational bidders. In practice, however, bidders often exhibit unknown and variable behavior, making them difficult to model and complicating the design process. To address this challenge, we explore the use of an adaptive auction mechanism: one that learns to adjust its parameters in response to past empirical bidder behavior so as to maximize an objective function such as auctioneer revenue. In this paper, we give an overview of our general approach and then present an instantiation in a specific auction scenario. In addition, we show how predictions of possible bidder behavior can be incorporated into the adaptive mechanism through a metalearning process. The approach is fully implemented and tested. Results indicate that the adaptive mechanism is able to outperform any single fixed mechanism, and that the addition of metalearning improves performance substantially.
Evolving Perceptual Categories

This article uses sim-max games to model perceptual categorization with the goal of answering the following question: To what degree should we expect the perceptual categories of biological actors to track properties of the world around them? I argue that an analysis of these games suggests that the relationship between real-world structure and evolved perceptual categories is mediated by successful action in the sense that organisms evolve to categorize together states of nature for which similar actions lead to similar results. This conclusion indicates that both strongly realist and strongly antirealist views about perceptual categories are too simple.
Loading and Unloading Finishing Pigs: Effects of Bedding Types, Ramp Angle, and Bedding Moisture

The use of non-slip surfaces during loading and unloading of finishing pigs plays an important role in animal welfare and economics of the pork industry. Currently, the guidelines available only suggest the use of ramps with a slope below 20 degrees to load and unload pigs. However, the total time it takes to load and unload animals and slips, falls, and vocalizations are a welfare concern. Three ramp angles (0, 10 or 20 degrees), five bedding materials (nothing, sand, feed, wood shavings or wheat straw hay), two moistures (dry or wet bedding, >50% moisture) over two seasons (>23.9 °C summer, <23.9 °C winter) were assessed for slips/falls/vocalizations (n = 2400 pig observations) and analyzed with a scoring system. The use of bedding during summer or winter played a role in the total time it took to load and unload the ramp (p < 0.05). Bedding, bedding moisture, season, and slope significantly interacted to impact the total time to load and unload finishing pigs (p < 0.05). Heart rate and the total time it took to load and unload the ramp increased as the slope of the ramp increased (p < 0.05). Heart rates were higher during the summer than winter, and summer heart rates increased as the slope increased (p < 0.05). The current study suggests that several factors should be considered in combination to identify the appropriate bedding for the specific occasion.
Characteristics and surgical results in patients with age-related divergence insufficiency esotropia.

Purpose To describe the clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of a group of patients at least 40 years of age with adult-onset divergence insufficiency esotropia. Methods The medical records of consecutive adult patients diagnosed with divergence insufficiency between 1977 and 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical features evaluated included age at diagnosis, visual acuity, primary position deviations at distance and near, treatment offered, postsurgical deviations, and presence of neurological diagnosis based on medical history. Results A total of 85 patients (52 females [61%]) were identified. The mean age at diagnosis was 74 years. The mean visual acuity in the better-seeing eye was 20/23; in the worse-seeing eye, 20/27. The mean initial esodeviation was 12 Δ at distance and 5.4 Δ at near. Seven patients (8%) had been diagnosed with neurological disease and 5 with bilateral abducens nerve pareses without limitation of abduction. Therapeutic prism was used by 60 patients (69%). Bilateral medial rectus muscle recessio (mean, 4.3 mm per muscle) was performed on 37 patients. The average postoperative deviations were 0.6 Δ of esodeviation at distance and 3 Δ of exodeviation at near. Conclusions Few patients with age-related distance esotropia have accompanying neurological disease. Bilateral medial rectus muscle recessions effectively reduced esotropia at distance, with a slight tendency for overcorrection at near.
Genome-wide identification of signaling center enhancers in the developing limb

The limb is widely used as a model developmental system and changes to gene expression patterns in its signaling centers, notably the zone of polarizing activity (ZPA) and the apical ectodermal ridge (AER), are known to cause limb malformations and evolutionary differences in limb morphology. Although several genes that define these limb signaling centers have been described, the identification of regulatory elements that are active within these centers has been limited. By dissecting mouse E11.5 limbs that fluorescently mark the ZPA or AER, followed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and low-cell H3K27ac ChIP-seq, we identified thousands of specific signaling-center enhancers. Our ChIP-seq datasets show strong correlation with ZPA- and AER-expressed genes, previously characterized functional ZPA and AER enhancers and enrichment for relevant biological terms related to limb development and malformation for the neighboring genes. Using transgenic assays, we show that several of these sequences function as ZPA and AER enhancers. Our results identify novel ZPA and AER enhancers that could be important regulators of genes involved in the establishment of these specialized regions and the patterning of tetrapod limbs.
MODELING DOWNSTREAM FINING IN SAND-BED RIVERS I: FORMULATION

In this paper a numerical modeling formulation is presented for simulation of the development of the longitudinal profile and bed sediment distribution in sand-bed rivers. The objective of the model application, which is presented in the companion paper (Wright and Parker, 2005), is to study the development of two characteristics of large, low-slope, sand-bed rivers: (1) a downstream decrease in bed slope (i.e. concave upward longitudinal profile) and (2) a downstream decrease in characteristic bed sediment diameter (e.g. the median bed surface size D 50). Three mechanisms that lead to an upward concave profile and downstream fining are included in the modeling formulation: (1) a delta prograding into standing water at the downstream boundary, (2) sea-level rise, and (3) tectonic subsidence. In the companion paper (Wright and Parker, 2005) the model is applied to simulate the development of the longitudinal profile and downstream fining in sand-bed rivers flowing into the ocean during the past 5000 years ...
A constraint-based application model and scheduling techniques far power-aware systems

New embedded systems must be power-aware, not just low-power. That is, they must track their power sources and the changing power and performance constraints imposed by the environment. Moreover, they must fully explore and integrate many novel power management techniques. Unfortunately, these techniques are often incompatible with each other due to overspecialized formulations or they fail to consider system-wide issues. This paper proposes a new graph-based model to integrate novel power management techniques and facilitate design-space exploration of power-aware embedded systems. It captures min/max timing and min/max power constraints on computation and non-computation tasks through a new constraint classification and enables derivation of flexible system-level schedules. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this model with a power-aware scheduler on real mission-critical applications. Experimental results show that our automated techniques can improve performance and reduce energy cost simultaneously. The application model and scheduling tool presented in this paper form the basis of the IMPACCT system-level framework that will enable designers to aggressively explore many power-performance trade-offs with confidence.
The fat body transcriptomes of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti, pre- and post- blood meal.

Background: The fat body is the main organ of intermediary metabolism in insects and the principal source of hemolymph proteins. As part of our ongoing efforts to understand mosquito fat body physiology and to identify novel targets for insect control, we have conducted a transcriptome analysis of the fat body of Aedes aegypti before and in response to blood feeding. Results: We created two fat body non-normalized EST libraries, one from mosquito fat bodies non-blood fed (NBF) and another from mosquitoes 24 hrs post-blood meal (PBM). 454 pyrosequencing of the non-normalized libraries resulted in 204,578 useable reads from the NBF sample and 323,474 useable reads from the PBM sample. Alignment of reads to the existing reference Ae. aegypti transcript libraries for analysis of differential expression between NBF and PBM samples revealed 116,912 and 115,051 matches, respectively. De novo assembly of the reads from the NBF sample resulted in 15,456 contigs, and assembly of the reads from the PBM sample resulted in 15,010 contigs. Collectively, 123 novel transcripts were identified within these contigs. Prominently expressed transcripts in the NBF fat body library were represented by transcripts encoding ribosomal proteins. Thirty-five point four percent of all reads in the PBM library were represented by transcripts that encode yolk proteins. The most highly expressed were transcripts encoding members of the cathepsin b, vitellogenin, vitellogenic carboxypeptidase, and vitelline membrane protein families. Conclusion: The two fat body transcriptomes were considerably different from each other in terms of transcript expression in terms of abundances of transcripts and genes expressed. They reflect the physiological shift of the pre-feeding fat body from a resting state to vitellogenic gene expression after feeding.
Does cohort matter in the association between education, health literacy and health in the USA?

Summary Growing empirical evidence supports the generally positive relationship between education, health literacy and health outcomes. However, little is known about cohort in this relationship. This study examined the role of cohort defined by 10-year age period in the association between educational attainment, health literacy and self-rated health. The data were obtained from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy survey restricted file. Focusing on nationally representative community-dwelling adults age 25 years and older, self-rated health was modeled as a function of health literacy, educational attainment, cohorts (defined by 10-year age periods), other demographic characteristics and socio-economic status. While the youngest cohort was positively associated with self-rated health, middle-age cohorts were more likely to have lower self-rated health (compared with the age 65 years and older cohort). Interestingly, age was no longer statistically significant after adjusting for cohort and other covariates. Recognition of possible cohort effects in education, health literacy and health should be reflected in future health literacy research and intervention programs for addressing health disparities in the USA.
Hierarchy theorems for probabilistic polynomial time

We show a hierarchy for probabilistic time with one bit of advice, specifically we show that for all real numbers 1 /spl les/ /spl alpha/ /spl les/ /spl beta/, BPTIME(n/sup /spl alpha//)/l /spl sube/ BPTIME(n/sup /spl beta//)/l. This result builds on and improves an earlier hierarchy of Barak using O(log log n) bits of advice. We also show that for any constant d > 0, there is a language L computable on average in BPP but not on average in BPTIME (n/sup d/). We build on Barak's techniques by using a different translation argument and by a careful application of the fact that there is a PSPACE-complete problem L such that worst-case probabilistic algorithms for L take only slightly more time than average-case algorithms.
Sexual Coercion in Men and Women: Similar Behaviors, Different Predictors

A growing body of literature supports the contention that both women and men employ various seductive, manipulative, intoxication, and even forceful tactics of sexual coercion to obtain sexual contact from unwilling partners. Although the self-reported coercive behavior of men and women may appear similar in many respects, predictors of such behavior seem to vary in important ways across gender. In addition to examining the prevalence of coercive behaviors reported across gender, the present study examined the extent to which four variables found in models of male sexual coercion predicted self-reported use of sexual coercion in a sample (n = 186) of college men and women: prior sexual abuse, sexual dominance, sociosexuality, and sexual compulsivity. Although prior sexual abuse seemed to be part of a cycle of sexual coercion among both men and women, key predictors of sexual coercion among men were sexual dominance and sociosexuality, whereas the key predictor of sexual coercion among women was sexual compulsivity. These findings support the notion that whereas men may behave coercively to obtain or maintain an impersonal sense of power and control, women may behave coercively to achieve some level of interpersonal connection when feeling out of control.
Whole genome sequencing of two North American Drosophila melanogaster populations reveals genetic differentiation and positive selection

The prevailing demographic model for Drosophila melanogaster suggests that the colonization of North America occurred very recently from a subset of European flies that rapidly expanded across the continent. This model implies a sudden population growth and range expansion consistent with very low or no population subdivision. As flies adapt to new environments, local adaptation events may be expected. To describe demographic and selective events during North American colonization, we have generated a data set of 35 individual whole-genome sequences from inbred lines of D. melanogaster from a west coast US population (Winters, California, USA) and compared them with a public genome data set from Raleigh (Raleigh, North Carolina, USA). We analysed nuclear and mitochondrial genomes and described levels of variation and divergence within and between these two North American D. melanogaster populations. Both populations exhibit negative values of Tajima's D across the genome, a common signature of demographic expansion. We also detected a low but significant level of genome-wide differentiation between the two populations, as well as multiple allele surfing events, which can be the result of gene drift in local subpopulations on the edge of an expansion wave. In contrast to this genome-wide pattern, we uncovered a 50-kilobase segment in chromosome arm 3L that showed all the hallmarks of a soft selective sweep in both populations. A comparison of allele frequencies within this divergent region among six populations from three continents allowed us to cluster these populations in two differentiated groups, providing evidence for the action of natural selection on a global scale.
A Waveguide Resonant Ring Electron Accelerator

This paper analyses a proposed accelerator, less than 1 meter long, capable of accelerating bunched electrons with a peak current of 100 A for a period of 50 rf cycles (20 nsec). The accelerator consists of an S-band disk-loaded circular waveguide, similar in design to the SLAC machine, incorporated into a waveguide resonant ring. Analysis of this system indicates that significant power buildup can occur if the length of the accelerator part of the ring is less than 1 meter. Further analysis of the power buildup and energy storage is made for a variety of rings having an accelerator section which is three, four, and five wavelengths long. Following the initial buildup of ring energy a beam of current bunched into 1/6th wavelength (60°), having a peak value of 100 A and an initial energy of 100 kV, is injected into the first cavity of the accelerator. Such a beam would extract half of the energy within the ring in approximately 20 nsec and have a nominal output energy of 10 MeV. By operating at 100°K, five such accelerators could be pumped by the same power source, thus increasing the output energy level to 50 MeV. The problem of handling a 100-A beam at low velocities is also investigated and a method utilizing space-charge neutralization by ionized gas is discussed.
Growth of Legionella, Escherichia and Pseudomonas among cells of the green algae Chlorella, Gloeocystis, and scenedesmus as seen by scanning electron microscppy

Abstract Bacteria ( Legionella , Escherichia and Pseudomonas ) grew considerably better in the presence of green algae, but the physical proximity differed depending on the species in mixed culture.
Correlation of Serial Scleral and Corneal Pneumatonometry.

Purpose To evaluate the usefulness of scleral pneumatonometry as an alternative for corneal measurements of intraocular pressure (IOP) over a broad range of IOPs. Design Prospective, observational cohort study. Participants The study was conducted in the University of California, San Francisco, Retina Clinic between August and November 2013 in 33 adult patients (age range, 34–94 years; mean ± standard deviation, 74.1±13.4 years) receiving anti–vascular endothelial growth factor intravitreal injections, which transiently increase IOP. Methods Corneal pachymetry and serial corneal and temporal scleral pneumatonometry (baseline, immediately after, and 10, 20, and 30 minutes after injection) were collected. One-time baseline corneal and scleral pneumatonometry readings were obtained in the noninjected eye. Main Outcome Measures Correlation analysis and a Bland-Altman plot were used to evaluate reliability and agreement between scleral and corneal measurements of IOP. A linear mixed model was used to determine the relationship between measurements and to perform covariate analyses. Results Scleral and corneal pneumatonometry showed nearly 1:1 linear correlation, although scleral pneumatonometry was biased toward higher values ( r = 0.94; P r = 0.75; P Conclusions Differences between serial scleral measurements reflect differences between serial corneal measurements. Scleral pneumatonometry should be considered as an alternative to corneal pneumatonometry for following patients in whom corneal measurements are unreliable or unobtainable.
Ion implantation of neon in silicon for planar amorphous isolation

A new planar isolation technique for silicon integrated circuits is presented. The process uses neon implantation to create high-resistivity regions of amorphous silicon between active devices on a common substrate. Excellent surface planarity is obtained, and no high-temperature processing ii required. Results on test devices and an amorphous isolated m.n.o.s. capacitor memory are described.
Asymptotic expansions for large closed queueing networks with multiple job classes

A closed BCMP queuing network consisting of R job classes (chains), K+1 single-server, fixed-rate nodes, and M/sub j/ class j jobs (j=1, 2, . . ., R) is considered. Asymptotic expansions are constructed for the partition function under assumptions (1) K>>1, (2) M/sub j/>>1 for each j, and (3) K/M/sub j/=O(1). Analytic expressions for performance measures such as the mean queue length are also given. The approach employs the ray method and the method of matched asymptotic expansions. Numerical comparisons illustrate the accuracy of the approximations. >
Sensitivity of 30-Day Dynamical Forecasts to Continental Snow cover

Abstract Several series of 30-day simulations with a global simulation model are used to evaluate the sensitivities to continental snow cover over North America and Eurasia. The model is initialized with National Meteorological Center analyses for specific dates during the winter of 1976/77 through 1983/84, and snow cover in each case is prescribed according to 1) the distribution derived from observational data; and 2) the distribution containing a corresponding anomaly of the opposite sign. In ten pairs of midwinter forecasts, the major effect of extensive snow cover in eastern North America is a reduction of the near-surface air temperature in the vicinity of the snow anomaly. When snow cover is extensive, sea level pressures are somewhat lower and precipitation amounts somewhat higher offshore of the East Coast; sea level pressures are generally higher inland. In a set of six March cases, positive anomalies of Eurasian snow cover reduce the air temperatures by at least several degrees ceisius througho...
Soil-Structure Modeling and Design Considerations for Offshore Wind Turbine Monopile Foundations

The contribution of foundation damping to offshore wind turbines (OWTs) is not well known, though researchers have back-calculated foundation damping from “rotor-stop” tests after estimating aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, and structural damping with numerical models. Because design guidelines do not currently recommend methods for determining foundation damping, it is typically neglected. This paper investigates the significance of foundation damping on monopilesupported OWTs subjected to extreme storm loading using a linear elastic two-dimensional finite element model. The effect of foundation damping primarily on the first natural frequency of the OWT was considered as OWT behavior is dominated by the first mode under storm loading. A simplified foundation model based on the soil-pile mudline stiffness matrix was used to represent the monopile, hydrodynamic effects were modeled via added hydrodynamic mass, and 1.00% Rayleigh structural damping was assumed. Hysteretic energy loss in the foundation was converted into a viscous, rotational dashpot at the mudline to represent foundation damping. Using the logarithmic decrement method on a finite element free vibration time history, 0.17% of critical damping was attributed to foundation damping. Stochastic time history analysis of extreme storm conditions indicated that mudline OWT foundation damping decreases the maximum and standard deviation of mudline moment by 8-9%.
Use of a Central Catheter Maintenance Bundle in Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals

Objective Evidence-based guidelines have resulted in decreases in bloodstream infections associated with central catheters (CLABSIs) in hospital intensive care units. However, relatively little is known about CLABSI incidence and prevention in long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs). Methods A central catheter maintenance bundle was implemented in 30 LTACHs, and compliance with the bundle was tracked for 6 months. CLABSI rates were monitored for 14 months before and 14 months after the bundle was implemented. Results The pooled mean CLABSI rate (No. of infections per 1000 days with a central catheter) was 1.28 before the bundle and 0.96 after the bundle (repeated measures general linear model; F1,58 = 6.973; P = .01; partial η(2) = .11). From 14 months before to 14 months after the bundle was implemented, the mean number of CLABSIs per LTACH decreased by 4.5 (95% CI, 1.85-7.15). Time series modeling showed a significant decrease in the mean hospital CLABSI rate after the bundle was implemented (-0.511 CLABSI/1000 catheter days, SE = 0.050), indicating an immediate effect of the bundle. The mean hospital CLABSI rate was decreasing slightly before the bundle was implemented and continued to decrease at a reduced rate after the bundle was implemented. Conclusion The bundle resulted in a significant and sustained reduction in CLABSI rates in 30 LTACHs for 14 months. These results encourage the development and implementation of similar bundles as effective strategies for infection reduction in LTACHs.
RBS/Chainneling and Ten Analysis of Heteroepitaxial Ge Films on GaAs Crown by Remote Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

We have deposited thin Ge films on GaAs(111) crystals over a temperature range of 250-400° C by Remote Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (RPECVD). Rutherford Backscattering (RBS)/channelinf analysis of these heteroepitaxial films were carried out using 2.07 MeV He ions channeled along the axis. RBS/channeling analysis showed that the best Ce films were grown at a substrate temperature of 300° C. The minimum yield for channeling on films deposited at 300° C was 0.08, slightly greater than that of the GaAs crystal. Films grown at temperatures below 300° C showed poor epitaxy. No channeling was observed for the film grown at 250° C. Films grown at substrate temperatures above 350° C showed high dechanneling near the interface and poor epitaxy indicating films are highly defective. The RBS/channeling results are correlated with microstructural characterization using transmission electron microscopy of these films.
Producer Willingness to Fund a Marketing Order for Eggs

Abstract Egg producers have attempted to establish marketing orders for eggs in the past. Their willingness to fund a market control and promotion program was examined through use of a mail questionnaire. The majority of respondents were in favor of a program to control shell egg marketing and continue generic promotion efforts. Eighty-six percent of producers favored a one-cent per bird assessment for program development. Half of the producers, who owned 58 percent of the birds, favored a two-cent per dozen assessment to operate the program. Current funding is .17 cent per dozen (5 cents per case).
Disorder optimizes the performance of UV photonic crystal laser

We demonstrate that effect of unintentional disorder introduced in fabrication process of photonic crystal lasers can help minimize lasing threshold of the device. This allowed us to experimentally realize planar UV photonic crystal laser.
Application of Genetic Algorithm in Parameter Identification of Generator Excitation Systems

A new method based on genetic algorithm for identifying parameters of generator excitation systems is introduced in this paper.This method is used to convert the original model of generator excitation system to the standard model of excitation system.By using genetic algorithm,with the minimal difference between the output of the original model and that of the standard model as the goal,the parameters of generator excitation system are adjusted constantly.Finally,the most suitable parameters of generator excitation system can be obtained.Compared to traditional identification methods,this method solves the problem that nonlinear parts of excitation system are difficult to identify,and the result is more accurate.The actual identification result shows that this method can obtain the accurate parameters of the standard model of generator excitation system.
Brettanomyces bruxellensis Aroma-Active Compounds Determined by SPME GC-MS Olfactory Analysis

A survey of 95 Brettanomyces strains was undertaken to identify strains that consistently give positive aroma characteristics (e.g., spicy, fruity, and floral). These strains were grown in a defined medium, and five human evaluators rated each strain according to aroma quality, and their ratings were coupled with a solid phase micro-extraction with gas chromatography (SPME GC-MS) analysis. None of the strains yielded universally positive aromas for the evaluators. A further characterization of nine of these strains grown with both aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tryptophan, and tyrosine) and hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acids) indicated that low levels of compounds that were most important in differentiating the strains may contribute to a positive sensorial perception of Brettanomyces strain aromas under these conditions. To define the components associated with positive Brettanomyces character, the volatile aroma compounds produced by five Brettanomyces bruxellensis strains were analyzed. Compound detecting in SPME GC-MS was coupled with olfactory analysis (SPME GC-MS-O), using nine individual evaluators to identify compounds most associated with Brettanomyces character and to assess the breadth of descriptive terms used by different individuals for the same compound. Twenty-two compounds were identified as having an impact on aroma, including the well-known ethylphenols and vinylphenols, as well as several fatty acids, alcohols, esters, terpenes, and an aldehyde.
Preselection of Transduced Murine Hematopoietic Stem Cell Populations Leads to Increased Long-Term Stability and Expression of the Human Multiple Drug Resistance Gene

We have been using the human multiple drug resistance (MDR) gene to transduce murine hematopoietic cells via retroviruses as a model system for potential human gene therapy. In this paper, we show that transplantation of MDR-transduced midgestational fetal liver cells (FLCs) into lethally irradiated mice leads to the continued presence and expression of the human MDR gene in the short-lived granulocyte-macrophages of recipients' peripheral blood (PB) for up to 12 months. We have also shown the ability of this retroviral system to efficiently transduce several murine FLC subpopulations enriched for hematopoietic stem cells (FL-HSCs) both (1) short-term by MDR-polymerase chain reaction analysis of individual day 12 colony-forming unit-spleen and (2) long-term by in vivo maintenance of MDR and expression of its product, p-glycoprotein, up to 1 year in PB. More highly enriched FL-HSC subpopulations show the greatest number of circulating granulocyte-macrophage cells expressing MDR long-term. These studies also show that preselection by fluorescence-activated cell sorting of MDR-transduced and -expressing cells before transplant significantly increases the percentage of circulating granulocyte-macrophage cells that express MDR at all time points analyzed posttransplant as compared with unsorted cells transduced in the same manner (P < .01). These results have potentially significant implications for future human gene therapy trials.
Genome-Wide Structural Modeling of Protein-Protein Interactions

Structural characterization of protein-protein interactions is essential for fundamental understanding of biomolecular processes and applications in biology and medicine. The number of protein interactions in a genome is significantly larger than the number of individual proteins. Most protein structures have to be models of limited accuracy. The structure-based methods for building the network of protein interactions have to be fast and insensitive to the inaccuracies of the modeled structures. This paper describes our latest development of the docking methodology, including global docking search, scoring and refinement of the predictions, its systematic benchmarking on comprehensive sets of protein structures of different accuracy, and application to the genome-wide networks of protein interactions.
What Kind of Theory is the Humean Theory of Motivation

I consider an underappreciated problem for proponents of the Humean theory of motivation (HTM). Namely, it is unclear whether is it to be understood as a largely psychological or largely metaphysical theory. I show that the psychological interpretation of HTM will need to be modified in order to be a tenable view and, as it will turn out, the modifications required render it virtually philosophically empty. I then argue that the largely metaphysical interpretation is the only a plausible interpretation of HTM's central claim that desires are necessary conditions for motivation. This interpretation also fits better with the important roles that HTM plays in both moral psychological and metaethical debates.
Review: Eames: The Architect and the Painter by Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey, directors

Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey, directors Eames: The Architect and the Painter First Run Features, New York 2011, DVD, 84 min., $29.95, http://firstrunfeatures.com/eamesdvd.html In the face of this perplexing film, perhaps it is best to begin with a syllogism: scholarship is made with documents, yet documentary is not scholarship. The film or video documentary is inarguably the dominant genre of mass-media facticity today. From swift boats to supersizing, the documentary performs two key functions in contemporary Western society. First, it animates an archive through filmic technique, allowing an archive to circulate discursively in the form of entertainment; second, it provides a reductivist narrative that has become a primary instrument of contemporary politics. There is a logic of substitution at work in the documentary—documents for ideas, aphorisms and anecdote for history. Yet the documentary—as anyone who has sat through a Ken Burns film knows after they’ve seen the camera slowly panning over the same photograph for the fifth time—also substitutes the quick for the dead. Everything must be set in motion. The very best practitioners of the genre of documentary film are keenly aware of its fundamental character as polemic. Indeed, what makes them the best is the fact that they make their self-awareness the very subject of their films. Only in full knowledge of documentary’s capacity for transforming statements of fact into statements of judgment can the filmmaker begin to search for techniques to suspend temporarily this tendency and call the very idea of facticity into question—such as Errol Morris’s use of the Interrotron, to such uncanny effect.1 So the problems with the luscious, slick, and obviously loving film Eames: The Architect and the Painter do not proceed from its failure to provide an adequately scholarly account of the work of the Office of Charles and Ray Eames. Indeed, in refusing most such pretensions, it finds itself in ample (if not necessarily good) company. There is, in fact, almost no scholarship on …
The Occupational and Environmental History

The occupational and environmental history is fundamentally important to making the correct and timely diagnosis of any illness that may have resulted from a toxic exposure in the workplace, the household, or the general environment. In interviewing the patient with a potential occupational or occupational illness, it is important for the physician to ask questions that efficiently lead the patient into providing useful information about possible associations between the presenting illness and potential toxic exposures. A particularly useful and efficient construct for interviewing a patient about his or her occupational and environmental history is contained in the easy-to-remember mnemonic “WHACOS.” The components of the “WHACOS” mnemonic are as follows:
Transplanting the Duchess: Margaret Cavendish and the “Chronic Dilemmas” of Literary Anthology Construction

The influence anthologies wield in the discipline of English studies is measured by a case study of the way that the editors of the Norton Anthology of English Literature managed the “chronic dilem...
The Potential of Past Tense Marking in Oral Reading as a Clinical Marker of Specific Language Impairment in School-Age Children

Purpose The purpose of this study was twofold. The first aim was to explore differences in profiles of past tense marking in oral reading of school-age children with specific language impairment (S...
Agreement between single-frequency bioimpedance analysis and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry varies based on sex and segmental mass.

Abstract Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) are commonly utilized for total and segmental body composition assessment, but the agreement between these methods varies. Group (i.e., constant error [CE]) and individual error (i.e., standard error of estimate [SEE] and 95% limits of agreement [LOAs]) of single-frequency BIA were determined in apparently healthy men and women (n = 28 and 45, respectively) when using DXA as a reference method. It was hypothesized that single-frequency BIA would provide lower error for the estimation of total and segmental FFM than FM and BF%. The CE for many of the total and segmental body composition comparisons revealed statistically significant (all P TOTAL , FM LEGS , FFM TOTAL , FFM ARMS , FFM LEGS , FFM TRUNK , BF% TOTAL and BF% ARMS for both sexes as well as FM TRUNK and BF% TRUNK for women and FM ARMS and FM LEGS for men). Although there were significant CEs for many comparisons, the individual error (i.e., SEEs and 95% LOAs) for total and segmental FFM were small whereas FM and BF% were large. Furthermore, the individual error tended to be larger for men than women when estimating FM and BF%, which is likely attributed to the larger segmental mass of men. This finding indicates the agreement between single-frequency BIA and DXA varies based on sex and segmental mass. Consequently, single-frequency BIA can be used for total and segmental FFM, but is not recommended for FM and BF%.
Smokers’ unprompted comments on cigarette additives during conversations about the genetic basis for nicotine addiction: a focus group study

Research designed to elicit smokers’ cognitive and affective reactions to information about chemicals that tobacco companies add to cigarettes (“additives”) found that knowledge is limited. However, little is known about smokers’ unprompted thoughts and feelings about additives. Such information could be used to shape future communication efforts. We explored the content and possible functions of spontaneous statements about cigarette additives made by smokers during a study examining reactions to learning about the genetic link to nicotine addiction. Adult smokers (N = 84) were recruited from a medium-sized Midwestern city. Focus groups (N = 13) were conducted between April-September 2012. Data were analyzed by 2 coders using thematic analysis. Comments about cigarette additives arose without prompting by the focus group moderator. Three main themes were identified: (1) discussing additives helped participants navigate the conceptual link between smoking and genetics, (2) additives were discussed as an alternative mechanism for addiction to cigarettes, and (3) additives provided an alternative mechanism by which cigarette smoking exacerbates physical harm. Notably, discussion of additives contained a pervasive tone of mistrust illustrated by words like “they” and “them,” by statements of uncertainty such as “you don’t know what they’re putting into cigarettes,” and by negative affective verbalizations such as “nasty” and “disgusting”. Participants had distinct beliefs about cigarette additives, each of which seemed to serve a purpose. Although mistrust may complicate communication about the health risks of tobacco use, health communication experts could use smokers’ existing beliefs and feelings to better design more effective anti-smoking messages.
Cloth modeling and simulation: a literature survey

Cloth modeling and simulation has gained significant momentum in recent years due to advances in computational hardware and software. Cloth plays an important role not only in daily life, but also in special scenarios such as firefighter's cloth and space suits. There are special requirements such as protection capability of the human body and mobility after the firefighters or astronauts wear the special cloth. Traditional assessment of cloth is to have prototypes first and have experiments by subjective rating. This is time consuming and expensive. Virtual cloth modeling and simulation provides a means to demonstrate and assess its performance before cloth is made. This paper attempts to give a literature review to summarize the state-of-the-art of cloth modeling and simulation.
Ineffective insurance in lower and middle income countries is an obstacle to universal health coverage.

Background Recent health policy efforts have sought to promote universal health coverage (UHC) as a means of providing affordable access to health services to populations. However, insurance schemes are heterogeneous, and some schemes may not provide necessary services to those covered. We explored the prevalence and determinants of ineffective insurance across 42 lower and middle income countries (LMICs) from the 2002-2004 World Health Survey. Methods Respondents were defined as having ineffective health insurance if they reported being insured and: were forced to borrow or sell personal items to pay for health services; had an untreated chronic condition; or had recently delivered a child outside of a skilled health facility (women only). Results Among the insured, 13% had ineffective insurance, which was most commonly due to having to borrow or sell to pay for health care. The likelihood of ineffective insurance was lowest in upper-middle income countries and higher in other lower-middle and low-income countries. Ineffective insurance also decreased with family wealth and was higher among rural residents. Conclusions Our findings suggest that a high proportion of insurance in LMICs is ineffective, particularly among those who need it most, and that attention should be paid to effectiveness when defining health insurance in policy conversations about UHC.
Localized surface plasmons on periodic monolayer black phosphorene nanoribbons tuned in the infrared region with a dielectric substrate

Localized surface plasmons have been reported for periodic 2D monolayer black phosphorene (BP) nanoribbons in the infrared region. The anisotropic nature of BP causes different plasmonic effects depending on their orientation over select dielectric substrates, leading to tunability and promising future applications in imaging and other detectors. Computational models are used to demonstrate that by tuning the localized plasmonic resonance, as well as the orientation of the BP nanoribbon, it is possible to obtain desired coupled resonance modes and enhanced absorption capabilities. The modes obtained from the absorption spectra span the infrared range and extend our understanding of BP plasmons.