cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variation in nest predation among arid-zone birds

I examined the nesting habits and success of 11 co-existing species in an arid, sub-tropical habitat in South Africa. Nesting success ranged from 3.5% to 75.4% among species, with predation by mammals and snakes accounting for 94% of nest losses. Differences in predator avoidance behaviour (deserting the nest vs sitting tight) may explain markedly different daily nest predation risk experienced by the Double-banded Courser Rhinoptilus africanus (0.5%) and Namaqua Sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua (9.2%). Nest predation was inversely related to nest density, but this reverse density dependence may reflect a seasonal effect, as predation decreased as the breeding season progressed from spring to mid-summer. Overall, daily egg predation rates were higher than daily nestling predation rates among nine altricial species, contrary to the widely-held view that increased activity at the nest during the nestling period increases predation risk. The prediction of higher daily nest predation rates on ground-nesting species than on shrub/tree-nesting species in an open habitat was supported. Among ground-nesting species, territorial residents suffered significantly lower daily nest predation rates than nomads, suggesting that residents may use experience of local predator activity to place their nests in safer sites. Ostrich 2004, 75(4): 228–235
Piezoelectric quantum 1/f noise in AlGaN HFETs and reliability

The QED quantum 1/f noise formulas have been recently refined for the case of AlGaN/GaN HFETs and FETs through a better definition of the coherence parameter s, with much better agreement with the experiment. Indeed, for a FET/HFET width w>>L>t, this yielded s≈πnrtLlog(w/2L) instead of the old s=2nrtw formula. Here we generalize this basic result for the first time to a finite piezoelectric case. Here L= source to drain length, t is the thickness (depth) of the channel, n is the concentration of carriers, π3.1416, and r=2.8•10-13 cm is the classical radius of the electron. In piezoelectric materials, particularly those also showing ferroelectric spontaneous polarization, transversal phonons are the massless quanta leading to large piezoelectric, or lattice-dynamic, quantum 1/f effects, conventional and coherent. As in the usual QED case, the parameter s' yields the observed 1/f noise as a weighted sum of conventional and coherent quantum 1/f effects. The HFET piezocoherence weighting parameter s', derived here is (gN' h /m*v s )(v s /u) 3 F(u/vs)t/12w, with N'=nLt, vs the piezophonon speed, u the drift velocity, and F(x) is a function defined earlier, equal to (2/3)x 3 for x<<1. This s' is increasing, ~t 2 , important for reliability and device optimization. For HFET stability, a slower decrease of conductivity than of polarization is found to be needed for stability along the large device width, when the temperature increases.
Primary reconstruction of fingernail injuries in children with split-thickness nail bed grafts.

Introduction Failure to detect and treat partial or complete avulsions of the nail bed may lead to severe nail deformity that predisposes to repeat injuries and is cosmetically inacceptable. Treatment of these injuries with split-thickness nail bed grafts (STNBGs) is controversial and no pediatric series has been published. Methods A retrospective, single center case series of nine fingers with complex nail bed injuries that were reconstructed primarily with STNBGs was performed. Surgical outcome and patient satisfaction were assessed. Results For six nail bed reconstructions, the nail bed graft was harvested from the injured finger, and for the remaining three from the great toe. Harvesting of the great toe's nail bed could be performed without removal of the nail plate by only lifting it up distally. Insufficient vascularization required primary flap coverage in six cases with three Moberg flaps, two palmar V-Y flaps, and one thenar flap. No flap was lost and all nail bed grafts had a 100% take. Only one patient required reoperation due to a hook- and split-nail deformity. All other patients were satisfied or very satisfied and the surgical outcome was least satisfactory in all but two patients. Conclusions Primary reconstruction of complex nail bed injuries with STNBGs usually gives good cosmetic and functional results in children and prevents secondary nail growth disturbances reliably.
Academic performance in Hawaii

Abstract Differences among census tracts in academic performance are estimated and related by path analysis to social class, race, and school characteristics in the only American state without local autonomous school districts. Contrary to the Coleman Report, school has a significant effect and race does not, but social class is the major cause of census tract difference in academic performance. Without appropriate data on family resemblance, a genetic component in class structure cannot be delineated.
Breezing Thoroughbred Hoof Accelerations on Dirt and Synthetic Surfaces

Introduction Racetrack surface type has been shown to affect horse injury rates, limb kinematics, and ground reaction forces. Understanding hoof-surface interactions may direct surface design to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal injury. Hoof accelerations have been recorded at the trot on different surfaces. This study extends these analyses to racing gallop with quantified surface properties. Methods Left fore-hoof accelerations (triaxial, ± 500 g, 1000 Hz) were collected during gallop (10–16 m/s, 5 Thoroughbred racehorses) on dirt and synthetic surfaces of known shear strengths (shear vane). Accelerometric vectors were filtered (5th order Butterworth, stance 85 Hz, swing 30 Hz). Peak accelerations and stance phase durations (limb preparation, hoof landing {heel-strike and slide}, support, and grab) were compared using a mixed model analysis of covariance with surface, lead, stride frequency, and interaction fixed effects, and horse random effect. Results Peak dorsopalmar accelerations were 40% greater during landing on the synthetic surface (P = 0.06). Grab phase was 32% shorter on the synthetic surface (P = 0.02), with 34% less dorsopalmar impulse/mass (P 400 kN/m2, equivalent to trotting racehorse). Conclusions Dorsopalmar hoof accelerations were greater on the surface with greater shear strength (synthetic). The finding that accelerations were greater on the synthetic surface compared to dirt is in contrast to that of trotting horses on all-weather waxed and crushed sand surfaces. This discrepancy may be due to differences in horse gait, but also large variability in surfaces. Consequently, it is important to quantify surface behaviors to understand the effect of surface design and maintenance on limb biomechanics and propensity for injury. Ethical Animal Research Study protocols were approved by the University of California, Davis Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and owner informed consent was obtained for all study horses. Sources of funding: Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation Inc., Southern California Equine Foundation. Competing interests: none.
On Option‐Pricing Models in Real Estate: A Critique

This paper considers the problems peculiar to options on real estate, because of the special set of institutional factors influencing real estate markets. It is intended to serve as a reply to Johnson and Wofford [15] as well as provide an overall critique of option-pricing models in a real estate context. Our major point is that a variety of real estate decisions, such as the abandonment decision, the option to refinance, or the option to exercise a contingent real estate purchase contract, may be modeled using option-pricing techniques. However, both the theoretical and institutional aspects of real estate markets must be taken into account in both developing and applying option models in a real estate context.
Association of Novel Risk Factors With the Ankle Brachial Index in African American and Non-Hispanic White Populations

OBJECTIVES To investigate whether novel risk factors, including C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], and homocysteine levels, are associated with the ankle brachial index (ABI) in African American and non-Hispanic white populations and whether novel risk factors account for ethnic differences in peripheral arterial disease (PAD). PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS Between December 2000 and October 2004, original participants in the Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy study returned for a second study visit to undergo measurement of risk factors and ABI. The CRP, Lp(a), and homocysteine levels were log transformed to reduce skewness. Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess whether a novel risk factor was associated with ABI after adjustment for conventional risk factors and whether ethnicity was associated with PAD (ABI, ≤0.95) after adjustment for conventional and novel risk factors. RESULTS Of 2229 study participants, the ABI was determined in 1395 African American participants (mean ± SD age, 63±9 years; 71% women) and 834 white participants (mean ± SD age, 58±9 years; 62% women) who belonged to hypertensive sibships. The mean ABI was lower in African American than in white individuals (0.99±0.1 vs 1.13±0.1; P CONCLUSION Novel risk factors are associated with interindividual variation in ABI in African American and non-Hispanic white populations and partly account for the increased risk of PAD associated with African American ethnicity.
Military Recognition of Family Concerns: Revolutionary War To 1993:

This article explores the evolution of military recognition of family concerns from the Revolutionary War to the present, culminating in the development of a federally funded, worldwide network of ...
Hydrological dynamics of temporary wetlands in the southern Great Plains as a function of surrounding land use

Abstract We used remote sensing imagery to characterize the hydrological dynamics of 8404 temporary freshwater wetlands (playas) in Texas (Landsat 5 TM WRS-2 P30/R36) from 2008 to 2011, comparing known wet and dry periods, and related these to land use within 100 m. Hydroperiods were highly variable, and peak water availability occurred in different seasons in different years, varying by as much as two orders of magnitude with date. Land use affected the likelihood and duration of inundation, with playas in urban settings being modified in such a way as to extend hydroperiod, and playas surrounded by cropland experiencing shorter hydroperiods: 3726 playa basins never contained standing water during the four-year period, and many of these were surrounded by cotton, corn, wheat, or sorghum. In contrast, 25 playas never dried, and most of these were surrounded by urban development. Median hydroperiod was 17–109 days, being longer during the relatively wet year of 2010 compared to exceptional drought in 2011. Remote sensing was useful in monitoring playa surface water fluctuations as a function of land use, providing an alternative source of data in the absence of ground-based hydrological records, and granting a temporal perspective that may otherwise not exist for seasonal or ephemeral wetlands.
X‐ray and ultraviolet observations of the dwarf nova VW Hyi in quiescence

We present an analysis of X-ray and ultraviolet (UV) data of the dwarf nova VW Hyi that were obtained with XMM-Newton during the quiescent state. The X-ray spectrum indicates the presence of an optically thin plasma in the boundary layer that cools as it settles on to the white dwarf. The plasma has a continuous temperature distribution that is well described by a power law or a cooling flow model with a maximum temperature of 6-8 keV. We estimate from the X-ray spectrum a boundary layer luminosity of 8 x 10 3 0 erg s - 1 , which is only 20 per cent of the disc luminosity. The rate of accretion on to the white dwarf is 5 x 10 - 1 2 M O . yr - 1 , about half of the rate in the disc. From the high-resolution X-ray spectra, we estimate that the X-ray emitting part of the boundary layer is rotating with a velocity of 540 km s - 1 , which is close to the rotation velocity of the white dwarf but is significantly smaller than the Keplerian velocity. We detect a 60-s quasi-periodic oscillation of the X-ray flux, which is likely to be due to the rotation of the boundary layer. The X-ray and the UV flux show strong variability on a time-scale of ∼1500 s. We find that the variability in the two bands is correlated and that the X-ray fluctuations are delayed by ∼100 s. The correlation indicates that the variable UV flux is emitted near the transition region between the disc and the boundary layer and that accretion rate fluctuations in this region are propagated to the X-ray emitting part of the boundary layer within ∼100 s. An orbital modulation of the X-ray flux suggests that the inner accretion disc is tilted with respect to the orbital plane. The elemental abundances in the boundary layer are close to their solar values.
A brief history of dissociation.

Abstract The history of dissociation, like the history of medicine, has its roots in early spiritualism. As the culture focused more on “scientific” and materialist views of consciousness, the notion of a mind separate from body had fallen from a spiritual possession to frank psychopathology. Early writings describe demonic possession which frequently resembles behaviors seen in multiple personality. Also, confusion exists with the overlapping symptoms found in both multiple personality and schizophrenia. More recently, dissociation is viewed as a personality trait which can trigger normal, creative and adaptive behaviors, as well as pathological ones. This paper describes some of the important people and scientific theories related to dissociation.
Deposition and deformation of fluvial-lacustrine sediments of the Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic Whitmore Point Member, Moenave Formation, northern Arizona

Abstract The stratigraphic section of the Upper Triassic–Lower Jurassic Whitmore Point Member of the Moenave Formation at Potter Canyon, Arizona, comprises c. 26 m of gray to black shales and red mudstones interbedded with mainly sheet-like siltstones and sandstones. These strata represent deposition from suspension and sheetflow processes in shallow, perennial meromictic to ephemeral lakes, and on dry mudflats of the terminal floodout of the northward-flowing Moenave stream system. The lakes were small, as indicated by the lack of shoreline features and limited evidence for deltas. Changes in base level, likely forced by climate change, drove the variations between mudflat and perennial lacustrine conditions. Lenticular sandstones that occur across the outcrop face in the same stratigraphic interval in the lower part of the sequence represent the bedload fill of channels incised into a coarsening-upward lacustrine sequence following a fall in base level. These sandstones are distinctive for the common presence of over-steepened bedding, dewatering structures, and less commonly, folding. Deformation of these sandstones is interpreted as aseismic due to the lack of features typically associated with seismicity, such as fault-graded bedding, diapirs, brecciated fabrics and clastic dikes. Rapid deposition of the sands on a fluid-rich substrate produced a reverse density gradient that destabilized, and potentially fluidized the underlying, finer-grained sediments. This destabilization allowed synsedimentary subsidence of most of the channel sands, accompanied by longitudinal rotation and/or ductile deformation of the sand bodies.
Contesting the Magic of the Market-place: Black Employment and Business Concentration in the Urban Context.

The spatial decentralisation of urban firms has been the primary focus of urbanists seeking to understand how Black employment is impacted by the changing nature of business in the US. Very little attention has been given to the impact of market concentration on Black employment in the urban environment. Using the most recent data available from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the paper finds that Black male and female employment is positively associated with greater market concentration, not greater market competition as predicted by some neo-classical economists. There is little support for the contention that economic forces at work in competitive markets tend to minimise discrimination, either in the urban environment, or in the nation as a whole. The central city continues to be an important factor in Black employment because central-city firms are in industries with higher market concentration, which tend to employ more Black workers. However, increased market concentration is a crucial...
Basic Concepts and Clinical Findings in the Treatment of Seizure Disorders with EEG Operant Conditioning

Two issues concerning sensorimotor EEG operant conditioning, or biofeedback, as a therapeutic modality for the treatment of seizure disorders are the focus of this review. The first relates to the question of whether relevant physiological changes are associated with this procedure. This question is addressed through review of an extensive neurophysiological literature that is likely unfamiliar to many clinicians but that documents both immediate and sustained functional changes that are consistent with elevation of seizure thresholds. The second focuses on the clinical efficacy of this method and whether it should carry the designation of "experimental". This designation is challenged through an assessment of over 25 years of peer-reviewed research demonstrating impressive EEG and clinical results achieved with the most difficult subset of seizure patients.
World class worldwide: transforming research universities in Asia and Latin America

edited by Philip G. Altbach and Jorge Balan, Baltimore, MD, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007, 323 pp., £28.00 (paperback), ISBN 0‐8018‐8662‐7 The contributors to World Class Worldwide offer...
Overall survival and competing risks of death in patients with Waldenström macroglobulinaemia: an analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database.

Summary Waldenstr€ macroglobulinaemia (WM) is a rare and incurable lymphoma. Given that the survival of WM patients can be prolonged, our objective was to describe trends in overall survival (OS) and analyse competing risks of death in patients with WM. The analysis included 5784 patients diagnosed with WM between 1991 and 2010 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Multivariate hazard models for OS and cumulative incidence of death were fitted according to epoch of diagnosis (1991– 2000 vs. 2001–10) while adjusting for age, sex, race, histology, site of involvement and registry. Median OS for the 1991–2000 and the 2001–10 cohorts was 6 and 8 years, respectively (P < 0001). In the multivariate analysis, better OS [hazard ratio (HR) 073, 95% confidence interval (CI) 067–079; P < 0001] was seen in the 2001–10 cohort. Survival benefits were identified, for the 2001–10 cohort, in almost every stratum analysed, with the exception of patients aged <50 years and blacks. In the multivariate competing-risk analysis, the 2001–10 cohort experienced lower rates of WM-related (HR 057, 95% CI 049–066; P < 0001) and non-WM-related deaths (HR 072, 95% CI 066–079; P < 0001). In conclusion, there have been significant improvements in OS, WM-related and non-WM-related mortality in patients with WM diagnosed in the last decade.
Mind the (Love) Gap: Love and Negativity in Educational Thought

It will probably surprise no one that many of the theorists writing on the role of love in education today locate the power of love in its “transgressive” or “disruptive” character — that is, in the negative role it may play against or within the bureaucratic, inhuman structures of schools. The rhetorical force generated by arguments based in the negative character of love in education may be related to our inability to positively define what the personal relationships between teachers and students ought to be or to allow, but it would be a mistake to think that theorists of love in education are limited to this sense of indefiniteness. As this essay seeks to set out, love in education is mostly theorized under two categories of negativity that provide a normative conclusion against the limits placed upon both teachers’ and students’ humanity by current policies and practices. In the following pages, I examine these categories, which I refer to as “absence” and “transgressivity,” by focusing on how negativity plays a role in each through their opposition to current norms in schools. Using this analysis as a starting point, I explore the idea that “love in education” might be understood as more than a tool with which we might condemn or attack schools from without. Instead, I question whether the lack or emptiness that theorists find when they look for love in education might be a different sort of negative altogether, namely, the original lack that marks human desire. This constitutive negativity, I argue, stands as distinct from theories based in love’s capacity to transgress or disrupt educational norms, because it serves as the very foundation of educational relationships. By applying Jacques Lacan’s construction of desire, as a slippage between the subject’s primal needs and ability to express them in language, to Jane Roland Martin’s concept of the “love gap in education,” I hope to show that the gap she recognizes as an absence of love in educational practices and theories is one that provides the basis for any educational relationship, and one that may provide us with an explanation of other theorists’ concentration on negativity in speaking of love in education.
Simulation of hydraulic fracture propagation near a natural fracture using virtual multidimensional internal bonds

A virtual multidimensional internal bond (VMIB) model developed to simulate the propagation of hydraulic fractures using the finite-element method is formulated within the framework of the virtual internal bond theory (VIB) that considers a solid as randomized material particles in the micro scale, and derives the macro constitutive relation from the cohesive law between the material particles with an implicit fracture criterion. Hydraulic pressure is applied using a new scheme that enables simulation of hydraulically driven cracks. When the model is applied to study hydraulic fracture propagation in the presence of a natural fracture, the results show the method to be very effective. It shows that although the in situ stress ratio is the dominant factor governing the propagation direction, a natural fault can also strongly influence the hydraulic fracture behavior. This influence is conditioned by the shear stiffness of the fault and the distance to the original hydraulic fracture. The model results show that when the fault is strong in shear, its impact on hydraulic fracture trajectory is weak and the hydraulic fracture will likely penetrate the fault. For a weak fault, however, the fracture tends to be arrested at the natural fault. The distance between the fault and the hydraulic fracture is also important; the fault influence increases with decreasing distance. The VMIB does not require selection of a fracture criterion and remeshing when the fracture propagates. Therefore, it is advantageous for modeling fracture initiation and propagation in naturally fractured rock. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Into French and the World via Short‐Wave

Short-wave radio broadcasts provide a rich source of materials for foreign language teaching. The author reports on the introduction of French broadcasts in an intensive spoken French class. Students responded enthusiastically, appreciating the variety and authenticity of linguistic models and the exposure to world affairs. They also enjoyed the challenge of deciphering frequently complex radio messages, collaborating constructively in their efforts. Careful listening to the broadcasts guaranteed a readiness and willingness to speak in class. The dynamic, authentic content of international radio evoked a high level of student-teacher involvement both in and out of the classroom. Students and instructor saw dramatic proof of improved listening and speaking skills. Class structure and testing are discussed, and suggestions for other applications of short-wave materials at different levels are proposed.
Building a nest at tree level : Classical metastability and nontrivial vacuum structure in supersymmetric field theories

It is becoming increasingly clear that metastable vacua may play a prominent role in supersymmetry breaking. To date, however, this idea has been realized only in models where nonperturbative dynamics complicates the analysis of metastability. In this paper, we present a simple construction in which metastable vacua occur classically, i.e., at tree level, and in which supersymmetry breaking is sourced by both $D$ terms and $F$ terms. All relevant dynamics is perturbative, and hence calculations of vacuum energies and lifetimes can be performed explicitly. Moreover, we find that our construction can even give rise to multiple nonsupersymmetric vacua which are degenerate. The nontrivial vacuum structure of such models therefore suggests that they can provide a rich arena for future studies of vacuum metastability in supersymmetric field theories. Our results may also have important consequences for ${Z}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ phenomenology and the string landscape.
Stem Cell Transplantation in Inherited Metabolic Disorders

Allogeneic HSCT is performed for a small number of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM). Over the last years, transplantation outcomes have improved in this group of patients as the factors that predicted for poor transplantation outcomes were understood and addressed. The role of transplantation and its potential benefit for an individual patient with a certain IEM is therefore now much better defined. In parallel with improvements in transplantation techniques, other therapies such as pharmacological enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), substrate inhibition, and gene therapy have been developed and are increasingly available to clinicians and their patients. This review covers the following areas: (1) the scientific principles that underpin transplantation in IEM; (2) the variables of the transplantation process itself that predict for successful outcome in terms of engrafted survival after HSCT; (3) the reasons that some apparently phenotypically similar disorders might respond very differently to transplantation therapy; (4) the factors that currently influence the response of a particular patient with a particular disease to allogeneic transplantation, and how these factors might be manipulated in the future to further improve transplantation outcomes in different metabolic illnesses; and (5) how other therapeutic modalities, including ERT, gene therapy, and substrate reduction therapy, might complement and compete with HSCT in the coming years.
Progress in making hot dry rock geothermal energy a viable renewable energy resource for America in the 21st century

The geothermal energy in hot dry rock (HDR) is a vast resource found almost everywhere in the world. Research and development work conducted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory at the Fenton Hill test site has taken the technology to extract HDR energy from the conceptual stage through a concrete demonstration such that useful amounts of energy can be routinely produced. Flow testing during 1992-1995 has shown that HDR systems are reliable and resilient. HDR technology has a number of unique characteristics that make it particularly suited to the developing energy needs of the world. These include operational flexibility that can provide energy as needed to rapidly meet peaking or unanticipated power demands and the potential for cogeneration of both energy and clean water. HDR technology has been shown to be practical and versatile. The next logical step in making HDR a viable energy resource is to develop an HDR system that will generate and market power, thereby providing the practical operating and economic data needed to promote the rapid commercial application of this unique energy technology.
Histologic features of mammary carcinomas in zoo felids treated with melengestrol acetate (MGA) contraceptives.

Melengestrol acetate (MGA), a potent synthetic progestin, has been used as a contraceptive in zoo felids since 1975. Mammary gland carcinomas have been linked to MGA treatment in zoo felids, but the histologic features of these tumors and steroid receptor expression have not been described. Zoo felid mammary tumors were requested from participating zoos from 1986 through 1998, and 31 mammary carcinomas from 28 MGA-treated and 3 untreated felids were received. The carcinomas were evaluated on the basis of histologic pattern, tumor grade, and occurrence of metastasis; then features of the tumors were compared to determine if carcinomas in MGA-treated felids differed from those that occur spontaneously. Estrogen- and progesterone-receptor expression was evaluated in 17 of the 31 carcinomas. Of the 31 tumors, 22 (70.9%) had multiple histologic patterns, 29 (93.5%) were high grade, and 28 (90.3%) had metastasized. Within tumors, the tubulopapillary pattern was most common (87.1%, n 5 27); solid (61.3%, n 5 19), cribriform (38.7%, n 5 12), and comedone (25.8%, n 5 8) patterns were less common; and the mucinous (3.2%, n 5 1) pattern was rare. Both MGA-treated and untreated zoo felids had similar patterns and grades of mammary gland cancer as well as prevalence of metastasis. These results indicate that mammary carcinomas in zoo felids are high grade with a predominant tubulopapillary pattern and aggressive behavior. Five of 17 carcinomas expressed progesterone receptors, and 1 of 17 expressed estrogen receptors. Although more zoo felids with cancer had been exposed to MGA in this study, mammary carcinomas were similar in appearance and behavior in untreated and MGA-treated zoo felids. The association of MGA with the development of malignant mammary gland tumors should be considered when using this contraceptive in zoo felids.
Application of the triple-deck theory of viscous-in viscid interaction to bodies of revolution

The general triple-deck theory of laminar viscous-inviscid interaction is extended to axisymmetric bodies. With body radius/length ratios scaled in terms of Reynolds number as , it is found that for β 3, the body is so slender that transverse curvature effects become important and the lower decks too are explicitly influenced by three-dimensional effects. A detailed example application of this theory is given for weak interactions on a flared cylinder and cone in supersonic flow with β [Lt ] 3. The three-dimensional effects on the interactive pressure and shear-stress distributions are shown to relieve the strength of the interaction and reduce its upstream influence, as expected. Correspondingly, it is found that the smallest flow deflection angle provoking incipient separation increases with increasing axisymmetric body slenderness. These results are shown to be in qualitative agreement with several experimental studies.
Automatically generating user interfaces adapted to users' motor and vision capabilities

Most of today's GUIs are designed for the typical, able-bodied user; atypical users are, for the most part, left to adapt as best they can, perhaps using specialized assistive technologies as an aid. In this paper, we present an alternative approach: SUPPLE++ automatically generates interfaces which are tailored to an individual's motor capabilities and can be easily adjusted to accommodate varying vision capabilities. SUPPLE++ models users. motor capabilities based on a onetime motor performance test and uses this model in an optimization process, generating a personalized interface. A preliminary study indicates that while there is still room for improvement, SUPPLE++ allowed one user to complete tasks that she could not perform using a standard interface, while for the remaining users it resulted in an average time savings of 20%, ranging from an slowdown of 3% to a speedup of 43%.
A 49-Year-Old Woman With Acute Respiratory Failure

A 49-year-old black woman with sickle cell disease (SCD) presented to the ED complaining of severe left lower extremity pain. She was diagnosed with vasoocclusive crisis and admitted for IV hydration and analgesia. She remained hemodynamically stable for the fi rst 14 days. On the 15th day of hospitalization, she began complaining of acute dyspnea and chest pain, and a rapid response was initiated.
Robust affine invariant matching with application to line features

Line features in geometric hashing are discussed. Lines are used as the primitive features to compute the geometric invariants, combining the Hough transform with a variation of geometric hashing as a technique for model-based object recognition in seriously degraded single intensity images. The effect of uncertainty of line features on the computed invariants for the case where images are formed under affine viewing transformations is analytically determined. The system is implemented with experiments on polygonal objects, which are modeled by lines. It is shown that the technique is noise resistant and suitable in an environment containing many occlusions. >
Modified Technique for Heterotopic Heart Transplantation in Small Primates

Cardiac transplantation in small primates represents a unique model for investigating both xenograft and allograft rejection. This report describes our technique for heterotopic transplantation of cardiac grafts into the retroperitoneal iliac vessels of newborn baboons and small primates. Small primates tolerate this position better than either cervical or abdominal placement.
Voltage Sensitivity and Gating Charge in Shaker and Shab Family Potassium Channels

The members of the voltage-dependent potassium channel family subserve a variety of functions and are expected to have voltage sensors with different sensitivities. The Shaker channel of Drosophila , which underlies a transient potassium current, has a high voltage sensitivity that is conferred by a large gating charge movement, ∼13 elementary charges. A Shaker subunit's primary voltage-sensing (S4) region has seven positively charged residues. The Shab channel and its homologue Kv2.1 both carry a delayed-rectifier current, and their subunits have only five positively charged residues in S4; they would be expected to have smaller gating-charge movements and voltage sensitivities. We have characterized the gating currents and single-channel behavior of Shab channels and have estimated the charge movement in Shaker , Shab , and their rat homologues Kv1.1 and Kv2.1 by measuring the voltage dependence of open probability at very negative voltages and comparing this with the charge–voltage relationships. We find that Shab has a relatively small gating charge, ∼7.5 eo. Surprisingly, the corresponding mammalian delayed rectifier Kv2.1, which has the same complement of charged residues in the S2, S3, and S4 segments, has a gating charge of 12.5 eo, essentially equal to that of Shaker and Kv1.1. Evidence for very strong coupling between charge movement and channel opening is seen in two channel types, with the probability of voltage-independent channel openings measured to be below 10−9 in Shaker and below 4 × 10−8 in Kv2.1.
Spatial Divide and Conquer with Motion Cues for Tracking through Clutter

Tracking can be considered a two-class classification problem between the foreground object and its surrounding background. Feature selection to better discriminate object from background is thus a critical step to ensure tracking robustness. In this paper, a spatial divide and conquer approach is used to subdivide foreground and background into smaller regions, with different features being selected to distinguish between different pairs of object and background regions. Temporal cues are incorporated into the process using foreground motion prediction and motion segmentation. Appearance weight maps tailored to each spatial region are merged and combined with the motion information to form a joint weight image suitable for mean-shift tracking. Examples are presented to illustrate that divide and conquer feature selection combined with motion cues handles spatial background clutter and camouflage well.
Can The Dollar Remain The Worlds Most Important Reserve Currency

In the future, there is no one currency that is likely to replace the dollar as the main reserve currency. Although the euro and yen meet some of the requirements of a reserve currency, neither is sufficiently strong to take over. Instead, the world might evolve towards a multiple reserve-currency system, shared among the dollar, euro, and yen, (or perhaps the yuan?) at some point in the future. It remains to be seen where the dollar is going and whether Paul Volckers concerns will be realized in the years ahead.
Distance-dependent photo-induced electron transport in nanometer-sized junctions

We describe photo-induced current experiments observed in nm-sized electro-migrated nano gaps, using surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) as the source of the optical driving field. For gaps smaller than 5 nm, we observe a stable photo-induced current that is linear with the intensity of the SPP mode, whereas the photo-current in wider gaps shows a highly nonlinear dependence that is reminiscent of field emission. The results are explained by a modified Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin tunneling model, which reproduces the observed transition from optical rectification to optically driven field emission in the nano junction.
Loading Subspace Selection for Multidimensional Characterization Tests via Computational Experiments

To pursue characterization of composite materials, contemporary automated material testing machines are programmed to follow loading paths in multidimensional spaces. A computational methodology for selecting the best loading subspace among all those possible is formulated and presented in this paper. The criterion for subspace selection employed is based on the assessment of which among the possible subspaces generates the richest set of strain-states as compared to those of the union of all possible 4D loading spaces. A systematic program of simulation sequences of virtual experiments is presented and the concept of strain state cloud (SSC) is introduced as a high dimensional volumetric histogram describing the frequency of appearance of each strain state within the corresponding strain space. Comparison of the SSCs for each of the fifteen 4D subspaces relative to the full 6D space allows a ranking classification of each subspace. Based on this ranking we select the three top cases as being those considered for actual testing.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
In vitro stability of polyurethane and silicone feeding tubes exposed to fish oil

Fish oil supplements rich in the ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosa-pentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid have been used as treatment for a variety diseases. The most common dosage form of pharmaceutical-grade fish oil is a large liquid-filled capsule that is difficult for some patients to
Hemiparasite – host plant interactions and the impact of herbivory: a field experiment

Schizachyrium scoparium Michx. (Nash) growing naturally with varying numbers of the perennial hemiparasite Pedicularis canadensis L. were randomly assigned to one of four clipping treatments (none,...
Profiling of dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids and their N-oxides in herbarium-preserved specimens of amsinckia species using HPLC-esi(+)MS

Species of the Amsinckia genus (Boraginaceae) are known to produce potentially hepato-, pneumo-, and/or genotoxic dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids. However, the taxonomic differentiation of Amsinckia species can be very subtle and there seems to be marked differences in toxicity toward grazing livestock. Methanol extracts of mass-limited leaf samples from herbarium specimens (collected from 1899 to 2013) of 10 Amsinckia species and one variety were analyzed using HPLC-esi(+)MS and MS/MS for the presence of potentially toxic dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids and/or their N-oxides. Dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids were detected in all specimens examined ranging from about 1 to 4000 μg/g of plant. Usually occurring mainly as their N-oxides, the predominant alkaloids were the epimeric lycopsamine and intermedine. Also sometimes observed in higher concentrations were the 3'- and 7-acetyl derivatives of lycopsamine/intermedine and their N-oxides. Within a designated species, an inconsistent profile was often observed that may be due to natural variation, taxonomic misassignment, or nonuniform degradation due to plant collection and storage differences.
A FINITE DISPLACEMENT MODEL FOR LAMINATED COMPOSITE STRIPS WITH EXTENSION-TWIST COUPLING IN THE PRESENCE OF DELAMINATION

A finite displacement analysis for the extension-twist coupling in pretwisted laminated composite strips in the presence of delamination is developed. Closed form solutions for strips with internal and edge delaminations are obtained. The model predictions are in good agreement with test data. The results indicate that internal delamination has a negligible influence on the extension-twist coupling behavior while free-edge delamination could result in a significant drop in coupling.
Intrathoracic stomach. Presentation and results of operation.

Between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1990, 147 patients (93 female and 54 male) were found to have an intrathoracic stomach. Median age was 69 years (range 34 to 89). Signs and symptoms occurred in 140 patients (95.2 %) and were primarily obstructive. They included postprandial pain in 87 (59.2%), vomiting in 46 (31.3%), and dysphagia in 44 (29.9%); only 23 patients (15.7%) had symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux. Anemia was present in 31 patients (21.1 %) and melena in 3. Elective repair was done in 119 patients and included an uncut Collis-Nissen repair in 81 patients (68.1%), a Belsey Mark IV repair in 19 (16.0%), a Nissen repair in 17 (14.3%), and a Harrington (anatomic) repair in 2 (1.7%). Thirty-two patients had complications (26.9%). There were no operative deaths. Median follow-up was 42 months. Results were excellent in 69 patients (60.0%), good in 38 (33.0%), fair in 6 (5.2%), and poor in 2 (1.7%). Five patients had emergency operations for suspected strangulation; three had gastric necrosis, and one died. Two of the four operative survivors had excellent results. Twenty-three other patients were followed up with medical management for a median of 78 months (range 12 to 268 months). In four patients progressive symptoms developed, and one patient died from aspiration. We conclude that patients with an intrathoracic upside-down stomach who have obstructive symptoms at initial presentation should undergo repair and that elective operation is safe and effective. Gastric strangulation, however, is rare.
Explaining the Dynamics between the Women's Movement and the Conservative Movement in the United States

We examine the causes of movement and countermovement mobilization, focusing specifically on the effect that the national movements have on each other by responding directly to mobilization and indirectly through their policy successes. We discuss the mechanisms by which national movements respond to each other, and we examine the influence of political parties and social, political, and economic changes for women. We analyze these relationships using a Poisson Autoregressive (PAR(ρ)) estimator, which is uniquely designed to model both the time dependence and the count distributions, on quarterly time series of feminist, anti-feminist, pro-choice, and anti-abortion events. Results show that movements and countermovements respond to each other and that anti-feminist movements mobilize in response to national policy change and societal change. The results suggest that many quantitative analyses of women’s movements may be misspecified and that feminist mobilization does not always abate during conservative backlash.
The Internship Year

The requirements of all American Psychological Association (APA) approved graduate programs in clinical psychology include the completion of an internship, an intensive clinical experience that traditionally follows academic training and clinical practica. For every student, internship represents a major transition from the role of student to the role of practitioner. This shift entails dramatic changes in responsibility and day-to-day occupational activity, and may be accompanied by changes in attitudes, values, and geographic location. The application process often is fraught with anxiety, even though most applicants eventually obtain suitable placements. This chapter provides students with information that can be used as they select possible training sites. This chapter also offers a practical guide to the application process. It helps students address basic concerns that often arise as they pursue admission to a training program. Questions such as when and how to apply for internship, how to prepare application materials, how to negotiate interviews, and how to manage the transition from student to intern are addressed.
Surgical Interventions for Pain

All tissues of the body are innervated by nociceptors with the exception of the neuraxis. Unlike other physiological processes, pain does not emanate from a single specific organ but is a distributed system. There is also no completely objective way to know that pain truly exists nor a single target or location to treat it. Therefore, patient selection and psychological assessment is of the utmost importance in evaluating a patient for a surgical pain-relief procedure. When evaluating a patient with chronic pain and entertaining a surgical option, one practical approach to discriminate the types of procedures available is to divide them in to “Neuromodulation” and “Neuroablation” procedures. Neuroablation is typically a destructive procedure that interrupts afferent input from the nociceptive pathways or selectively ablates the thalamic and cortical areas that mediate perception of painful stimuli. Although the lesions themselves are irreversible, the long term effect on pain perception is often limited to months or years because of the adaptablitiy and plasticity of the nervous system. Neuromodulation on the other hand, seeks to decrease pain by modulating nociceptive input by either pharmacological or electrical means. In this chapter, we examine the neurosurgical procedures to treat pain syndromes.
Teaching complicated conceptual knowledge with simulation videos in foundational electrical engineering courses

Building a solid foundation of conceptual knowledge is critical for students in electrical engineering. This case study explores the use of simulation videos to illustrate complicated conceptual knowledge in foundational communications and signal processing courses. Students found these videos to be very useful for establishing concepts, understanding course content and increasing general knowledge in electrical engineering. We hope that the findings can help inform instructors of electrical engineering to transform their teaching practice and eventually benefit students through building a solid conceptual understanding that fosters the development of further engineering competencies.