cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microbiological Impact of Delayed Movement of Pullets

SUMMARY The depopulation of healthy birds during a disease outbreak can impact recovery and further disrupt the food supply. In 2015, the United States faced one of the largest outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza ever confirmed. Many of the 7 million pullets depopulated were healthy but could not be moved to laying facilities because of their location in quarantine zones. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of an early production induced molt on Salmonella and Campylobacter prevalence, as well as total aerobes and Enterobacteriaceae enumeration. Pullets were reared in a cage-free barn from 0 to 16 wk. At 17 wk, pullets were assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: control (AV), floor (FL), enrichment (EN), and molt (MT). AV was moved into an aviary system to begin lay, while FL, EN, and MT were brought into lay in the barn. When production reached 10%, a non-feed withdrawal diet was given to MT for 6 wk. Post-molt, all remaining treatments were moved to the aviary and maintained until 32 wk. Fecal, organ, and egg shell samples were collected and analyzed at the onset of lay, pre-molt, post-molt, and at depopulation to determine prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter. Total aerobic and Enterobacteriaceae loads were enumerated for egg shells collected from the litter, nest box, and aviary system wire. There was no difference for Salmonella and Campylobacter prevalence among treatments for all samples. While no difference was found in total aerobe plate counts pre-molt, there was a difference (P
Silicosis prevalence and incidence among Medicare beneficiaries.

INTRODUCTION Existing epidemiologic information on silicosis relies on mortality data. METHODS We analyzed health insurance claims and enrollment information from 49 923 987 fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 from 1999 to 2014. Three different definitions were developed to identify silicosis cases and results are presented as ranges of values for the three definitions. RESULTS Among FFS beneficiaries, 10 026-19 696 fit the silicosis case definitions (16-year prevalence: 20.1-39.5 per 100 000) with the highest prevalence among North American Natives (87.2-213.6 per 100 000) and those in New Mexico (83.9-203.4 per 100 000). The annual average prevalence had a significant (P < 0.05) 2-5% annual decline from 2005 to 2014. The average annual number of incident cases had a significant 3-16% annual decline from 2007 to 2014. CONCLUSIONS Silicosis is a prevalent disease among Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65, with variation across the country. Morbidity data from health insurance claims can provide a more complete picture of silicosis burden.
Illicit Use of Prescription Stimulants: Gender Differences in Perceptions of Risk.

Background: Little research exists on gender differences regarding the relationship between illicit use of prescription stimulants (IUPS) and perceptions of risk of illicit use. Risk perception is ...
Statistical Model of Motor-Evoked Potentials

Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) are widely used for biomarkers and dose individualization in transcranial stimulation. The large variability of MEPs requires sophisticated methods of analysis to extract information fast and correctly. Development and testing of such methods relies on the availability for realistic models of MEP generation, which are presently lacking. This paper presents a statistical model that can simulate long sequences of individualized MEP amplitude data with properties matching experimental observations. The MEP model includes three sources of trial-to-trial variability: excitability fluctuations, variability in the neural and muscular pathways, and physiological and measurement noise. It also generates virtual human subject data from statistics of population variability. All parameters are extracted as statistical distributions from experimental data from the literature. The model exhibits previously described features, such as stimulus-intensity-dependent MEP amplitude distributions, including bimodal ones. The model can generate long sequences of test data for individual subjects with specified parameters or for subjects from a virtual population. The presented MEP model is the most detailed to date and can be used for the development and implementation of dosing and biomarker estimation algorithms for transcranial stimulation.
Properties of water in red cell and synthetic membranes.

Water molecules within biological membranes are in close proximity to the protein and phospholipid molecules that comprise the membrane. Does this propinquity to charged groups impart any unusual properties to the water molecules, or do they behave as in free solution? Does water use aqueous pathways in crossing biological membranes or does it cross by dissolution in the membrane? Relevant information concerning these questions is now available from both the physical chemical and the biological literature and this essay will draw on evidence from both sources.
The Circuit Partition Polynomial with Applications and Relation to the Tutte and Interlace Polynomials

This paper examines several polynomials related to the field of graph theory including the circuit partition polynomial, Tutte polynomial, and the interlace polynomial. We begin by explaining terminology and concepts that will be needed to understand the major results of the paper. Next, we focus on the circuit partition polynomial and its equivalent, the Martin polynomial. We examine the results of these polynomials and their application to the reconstruction of DNA sequences. Then we introduce the Tutte polynomial and its relation to the circuit partition polynomial. Finally, we discuss the interlace polynomial and its relationship to the Tutte and circuit partition polynomials.
Health Care Consumer Shopping Behaviors and Sentiment: Qualitative Study.

Background: Although some health care market reforms seek to better engage consumers in purchasing health care services, health consumer behavior remains poorly understood. Objective: This study aimed to characterize the behaviors and sentiment of consumers who attempt to shop for health care services. Methods: We used a semistructured interview guide based on grounded theory and standard qualitative research methods to examine components of a typical shopping process in a sample size of 54 insured adults. All interviews were systematically coded to capture consumer behaviors, barriers to shopping behavior, and sentiments associated with these experiences. Results: Participants most commonly described determining and evaluating options, seeking value, and assessing or evaluating value. In total, 83% (45/54) of participants described engaging in negotiations regarding health care purchasing. The degree of positive sentiment expressed in the interview was positively correlated with identifying and determining the health plan, provider, or treatment options; making the decision to purchase; and evaluating the decision to purchase. Conversely, negative sentiment was correlated with seeking value and making the decision to buy. Conclusions: Consumer shopping behaviors are prevalent in health care purchasing and can be mapped to established consumer behavior models.
Technical and economic evaluation of ambient and chilled aeration strategies to maintain the quality of paddy rice during storage in a tropical climate: Presentation

Warm and moist conditions of some tropical climate regions make it difficult to use ambient aeration to cool stored grain, which contributes to pest problems and increases dependence on chemical control as part of grain management strategies. Grain chilling is a non-chemical alternative to cool grain stored under high risk climatic conditions. The objective of this research was to use computer simulation to evaluate the technical and economic viability of using grain chilling compared to four ambient aeration strategies developed for paddy rice stored under the tropical climatic conditions of the North Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The minimum grain temperature achieved through ambient aeration at the end of the six-month simulated storage period was 30.8°C, using an aeration strategy based on a grain-ambient temperature differential greater than 10°C. Grain chilling lowered the average grain temperature from 35°C to below 15°C in 117 hours and the maximum average temperature it registered after six months of storage was 15.5°C. The economic evaluation of the ambient aeration and chilling strategies determined that the operational costs of grain chilling were 1.83 US $/t lower than ambient aeration plus chemical control of pests. However, the initial cost of the grain chiller made the net present cost (NPC) of the grain chilling strategy 0.22 US $/t higher than the cost of ambient aeration plus chemical control over a 10-year analysis. Several potential financial options were analyzed to make the grain chiller economically feasible for a rice miller in Costa Rica.
Simulating Copulas: Stochastic Models, Sampling Algorithms, and Applications

It has been 60 years since the theorem at the heart of copula-based modeling was published in Sklar (1959). But it is over the past two decades that interest in the subject increased exponentially....
Anti-Müllerian hormone in managed African and Asian rhino species.

Serum collected across the lifespan of four managed rhino species: black (Diceros bicornis, n = 16), white (Ceratotherium simum simum, n = 19), greater one-horned (GOH, Rhinoceros unicornis, n = 11) and Sumatran (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, n = 6) were validated and analyzed in an anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) enzyme- linked immunoassay. Concentrations of AMH were examined over time, between sexes and throughout different reproductive states which included n = 3 female white rhinos immunocontracepted with porcine zona pellucida (pZP). Across species, males produced higher AMH concentrations compared to females. Among males, AMH concentrations varied by species aside from comparable values secreted between black and white rhinos. The GOH and Sumatran rhino secreted the highest and lowest male AMH concentrations, respectively. However, within each species, AMH concentrations were similar across male age categories. Preliminary insight into male AMH changes from birth to sexual maturity suggest its potential as a marker for onset of testicular maturation. Female black, GOH and Sumatran rhinos secreted comparable AMH concentrations which were higher than those in white rhino. Within each species, inter-individual variation in AMH secretion occurred among females of similar age. While AMH secretion did not differ across the ages sampled for female white (4->26 yr) and GOH (4-26 yr) rhinos, black and Sumatran rhinos >26 and <4 yr, respectively secreted lower AMH compared to conspecific females 7-26 yr of age. Two idiopathic infertility cases corresponded to low (outside species range) AMH values. The establishment of normative AMH concentrations in managed African and Asian rhinos provides an additional metric beyond traditional sex steroids to assess gonadal function. Further work is needed to determine if AMH can predict fertility potential in rhinos.
Impact of CD38 knockout in NK cells on daratumumab-mediated cytotoxicity and cellular metabolism.

e15018Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a neoplasm of plasma cells. These cells express high levels of CD38 and are sensitive to daratumumab (DARA), a CD38-targeting monoclonal antibody. DARA ki...
Thermomechanical and electrical response of a superelastic NiTi shape memory alloy cable

Superelastic shape memory alloys are a unique class of smart materials that can recover up to 6% strains. Due to their appealing properties such as high energy dissipation and corrosion resistance,...
Facilitating Student Learning

In this chapter, DeWitt and Langran consider facilitation strategies that can maximize the effectiveness of a critical approach to place-based inquiry. Place-based experiential learning environments present students with information from multiple sources (i.e., sights, sounds, smells) that can lead to sensory overload. In these situations, students need a clear understanding of instructor expectations and what they are supposed to be doing while in the field. Even when the intended learning objective is open-ended exploration, students benefit from a well-defined purpose that serves to focus their fieldwork. Realizing the potential gains of a place-based learning environment depends on a unique combination of factors that includes the students’ learner profile, previous experiences, the structure of the assignment, and the facilitation strategies used by instructors. The authors discuss each of the seven facilitation strategies and give examples from their own classroom experiences.
JPSS-1 ATMS Postlaunch Active Geolocation Analysis

A NOAA-20 (N20) Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) active geolocation (GEO) test was performed around January 2018 with 24 preselected coastline crossing scenes. After a comprehensive analysis of ATMS stare data and the corresponding Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) data, the ATMS pitch, roll, and yaw pointing angle errors are found from the nadir perpendicular, the nadir oblique shallow angle, and the off-nadir perpendicular coastline crossing data, respectively. In this study, we first determine the ATMS radiometric coastline crossing time by using the ATMS radiometric count data. Since the coastline can be located anywhere within one ATMS field of view (FOV) from the passive (regular scanning) GEO data, depending on the scan starting time, it is not a valid assumption for the inflection point being the same as the coastline location. Consequently, using the passive GEO data to validate the sensor’s on-orbit pointing angle performance is limited. After finding the ATMS radiometric coastline crossing time from the ATMS data, we compare it with the VIIRS effective time stamp. Specifically, the VIIRS M3, M4, and M5 (true color) and M15 and M16 bands (thermal) data have a much smaller footprint size. Using the differences of the ATMS and VIIRS (effective) coastlines crossing times, the N20 ATMS pitch, roll, and yaw pointing angle errors are found to be −0.09°, −0.24°, and 0.28°, respectively. To determine ATMS GEO properly, these on-orbit pointing errors need to be corrected, adding to the ATMS sensor data record (SDR) processing coefficient table, and passed on to the operational GEO processing code.
Oxypurinol pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in healthy volunteers: Influence of BCRP Q141K polymorphism and patient characteristics.

The missense variant, breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) p.Q141K, which encodes a reduced function BCRP, has been linked to poor response to allopurinol. Using a multifaceted approach, we aimed to characterize the relationship(s) between BCRP p.Q141K, the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of oxypurinol (the active metabolite of allopurinol), and serum uric acid (SUA) levels. A prospective clinical study (NCT02956278) was conducted in which healthy volunteers were given a single oral dose of 300 mg allopurinol followed by intensive blood sampling. Data were analyzed using noncompartmental analysis and population PK/PD modeling. Additionally, electronic health records were analyzed to investigate whether clinical inhibitors of BCRP phenocopied the effects of the p.Q141K variant with respect to SUA. Subjects homozygous for p.Q141K had a longer half-life (34.2 ± 12.2 h vs. 19.1 ± 1.42 h) of oxypurinol. The PK/PD model showed that women had a 24.8% lower volume of distribution. Baseline SUA was affected by p.Q141K genotype and renal function; that is, it changed by 48.8% for every 1 mg/dl difference in serum creatinine. Real-world data analyses showed that patients prescribed clinical inhibitors of BCRP have higher SUA levels than those that have not been prescribed inhibitors of BCRP, consistent with the idea that BCRP inhibitors phenocopy the effects of p.Q141K on uric acid levels. This study identified important covariates of oxypurinol PK/PD that could affect its efficacy for the treatment of gout as well as a potential side effect of BCRP inhibitors on increasing uric acid levels, which has not been described previously.
Black/White disparities in low birth weight pregnancy outcomes: an exploration of differences in health factors within a vulnerable population

The purpose of this paper is to (1) determine if there are racial differences between Non-Hispanic (NH) Black and NH White women in health ‘care’ factors associated with low birth weight (LBW), (2)...
Four Graph Partitioning Algorithms

We will discuss four partitioning algorithms using eigenvectors, random walks, PageRank and their variations. In particular, we will examine local partitioning algorithms, which find a cut near a specified starting vertex, with a running time that depends on the size of the small side of the cut, rather than on the size of the input graph (which can be prohibitively large). Three of the four partitioning algorithms are local algorithms and are particularly appropriate for applications arising in connection with Webgraphs and Internet economics.
Effect of pulsed magnetic fields on root development in plant cuttings: Preliminary observations

Abstract In this study, five types of cuttings were used to demonstrate the effects of pulsed magnetic fields on root development. Impatiens sultani, Begonia, Forsythia hard and softwood, and Ilex japonica cuttings 50 mm long were sterilized by dipping in 0.125% sodium hypochlorite, dusted with rooting hormone, and set in Perlite filled plastic trays. The trays were placed beneath fluorescent lamps delivering 1700 lux, and exposed to pulsed magnetic fields of the type used to stimulate bone healing in humans and other animals. Exposure to light and fields lasted 12 h/diem. The number of roots produced by each cutting was altered significantly for only two types of cuttings; Forsythia hardwood and Begonia . These two developed approximately twice as many roots in experimental as in control trays. For all types of cuttings, root elongation was suppressed. The level of suppression was significant for all classes except the Forsythia hardwood.
Interface Verification: Discrete Abstractions of Hybrid Systems

Modern commercial aircraft have extensive automation which helps the pilot fly the aircraft by performing computations, obtaining data, and completing dull tasks. In such a safety-critical system, the pilot display must contain enough information so that the pilot can correctly predict the aircraft’s behavior, while not overloading the pilot with unnecessary information. How can we mathematically guarantee that the display provides the pilot with enough information that the pilot can safely and effectively control the aircraft? How can we ensure that the aircraft behaves as the pilot anticipates? My research addresses this issue by extending a theoretical framework, verification of hybrid systems, to include the pilot’s interactions with the aircraft automation.
The Effects of Protein Conformation on the Heme Symmetry in High Spin Ferric Heme Proteins as Studied by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance

Abstract All heme proteins containing mononuclear high spin ferric heme, when examined at low temperatures (near 1°K), exhibit X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) absorptions extending from near g = 6 to g = 2 which arise from transitions of the lowest Kramers doublet. Meaningful absolute quantitation of high spin ferric EPR spectra cannot be made other than from experiments at very low temperature or from a knowledge of the zero field splitting. The characteristics of the EPR spectrum may be used to describe the symmetry of the heme. The incorporation of hemin into a protein constrains the heme in such a manner that there is a departure from tetragonal symmetry toward rhombic (gx ≠ gy). In these cases, the resonance absorption derivative near g = 6 is either broadened or split into two resolvable g values dependent upon the interaction of the protein with the heme. The greater the constraint on the heme imposed by the protein, the greater will be the departure from tetragonality. Thus, the EPR of high spin heme proteins can be used as a protein conformational probe.
Information Needs of Theological Libraries in the Developing World

Abstract Theological libraries in the developing world face obstacles and challenges which are not faced by their counterparts in the so-called First World. The Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology located in Nairobi, Kenya is used as a case study; and the challenges addressed are providing journal literature, providing major indexes, providing contextual material, staffing, providing electronic resources, and keeping the book collection current in light of the fluctuating financial base. The conclusion is that the First World should seek ways to partner with institutions in the Two-Thirds or Developing World in order to meet these challenges.
Localization of the Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate: Δ4-3-Ketosteroid 5α-Oxidoreductase in the Nuclear Membrane of the Rat Ventral Prostate

Abstract The intranuclear localization of the 5α-reductase that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone in rat ventral prostate has been investigated in nuclei purified by sedimentation through 2.2 m sucrose. First, as the result of chemical analyses of the isolated nuclei, light microscopy studies, and an investigation of the subcellular distribution of several marker enzymes in this tissue, it was concluded that the nuclei prepared in this manner were free from major contamination with other cytoplasmic constituents. In keeping with previous studies of the enzyme approximately half the enzyme activity in rat prostate was found in the nucleus. Second, the nuclei were fragmented by exposure to sonic oscillation and subjected to centrifugation in previously formed cesium chloride density gradients. Under these conditions, all the enzyme activity was found to coincide with a visible band of turbidity at approximately d 1.23 to 1.27. On the basis of the buoyant density, the chemical composition of the fraction, and similar flotation patterns of NADH-cytochrome c reductase, a known enzyme of the nuclear membrane, it was concluded that the 5α-reductase in prostatic nuclei is located in a nuclear membrane. In the isolation of this nuclear membrane fraction a 90-fold purification of the enzyme has been achieved.
PRICE STATISTICS REQUIRED BY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES FOR NATIONAL ACCOUNTING PURPOSES

In both developed and developing countries, the national accounting statistician who wishes to establish a composite set of values in current and base year prices is faced with a series of difficulties arising from a lack of indicators which are adequate for relating quantities and values within the national accounting framework. Consequently, ad hoc solutions are extensively adopted and use is made of price data which in the majority of cases have been collected for completely different purposes. The inter-relationship of prices, quantities and values fundamental to the compatibility of the national accounts can therefore be, and often is, a rather tenuous one. In the case of many developing countries, the situation is accentuated by a very volatile behaviour of prices, a greater impact of price change and a much greater scarcity of useable statistical material. In addition, since structural change is frequently implicit in a development process, the pattern of values and of prices is often variable and irregular—this in turn creates problems in determining relative importance, in assigning weights and in imputing for prices of items not directly entering into the calculation of the indicators. This paper analyses the series which are most commonly available, it points out the major deficiencies or limitations and it attempts to formulate a few guide-lines for determining priorities called for in an integrated network of price statistics.
The fallacies of flatness: Thomas Friedman's the world is flat

Thomas Friedman's best-selling The World is Flat has exerted much influence in the west by providing both an accessible analysis of globalisation and its economic and social effects, and a powerful cultural metaphor for globalisation. In this review, we more closely examine Friedman's notion of the social contract, the moral centre of his hopeful vision of a globalised world. While Friedman's social contract holds a more generous view of social and state obligation than his neoliberal economic analysis might otherwise allow, his fallacious assumptions about education rest on poorly argued claims about the nature of human beings, the proper aims of schooling, and meanings of justice in a globalised world.
Isolated bladder neck obstruction of undetermined etiology (primary) in adult male Recognition and management

Varying degrees of isolated bladder neck obstruction of undetermined etiology were identified with micturitional vesicourethral static pressure profiles. Our experience with the urodynamic studies in 15 patients suggests that isolated bladder neck obstruction is a real entity in young adult males. Our experience also suggests that pharmacologic success with alpha-adrenergic blockade of the dosage tolerated by the patients is inconsistent. Successful clinical results achieved with appropriate bladder neck surgery could be confirmed with uroflowmetry and detailed urodynamic studies during postoperative period.
Task and Effector Constraints on the Kinematics of Pointing Movements

Michael Bohan, Daniel McConnell, Shelby Thompson and Alex ChaparroDepartment of PsychologyWichita State UniversityWichita, KSRecent work has emphasized the distinction between task and effector constraintsunderlying performance in Fitts’ type discrete pointing tasks. We explored the relativecontributions of these constraints in a cursor-pointing task by manipulating the control-display scale, thereby dissociating movement scale at the level of the hand frommovement scale at the level of the cursor. Using linear regressions to predict movementtime, we found that effector constraints best predict the primary transport phase of themovement, bringing the hand near the target. Visual task constraints underlie thesecondary target acquisition phase of the movement. We present a reformulation of Fitts’(1954) index of difficulty, capturing the relative contributions of effector and visual taskconstraints.INTRODUCTIONThe advent of the graphical user interface,and the development of the mouse as an inputdevice mediating human-computer interaction, hasled to the development of a body of researchdevoted to understanding mousing and cursor-pointing behavior in terms of efficiency. Inparticular, Fitts’ law (Fitts, 1954) has been used todescribe mousing behavior, and has successfullybeen applied to the evaluation of different inputdevices (Card, English & Burr, 1978).In recent years, characteristics of the mouseand/or the on-screen display of cursor movementshave been examined as a means of improving theefficiency of mousing behavior, and potentially“beating” Fitts’ law (see Balakrishnan, 2004, for areview). Fitts’ law describes constraints on thespeed of a pointing movement in terms of twoparameters, as incorporated into an index ofdifficulty (
Chromosomal transformation in donor cells following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

We report here a monosomy 7 transformation of donor cells following matched-unrelated, same sex, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in a patient with severe congenital aplastic anemia. A PCR technique was employed to amplify microsatellite markers on chromosome 7 to confirm donor/recipient identity. We found that the transformation of monosomy 7 occurred in previously genetically normal donor cells. This study suggests that the microenvironment of the bone marrow of our patient with severe congenital aplastic anemia may have played a critical role in the development of monosomy 7 of normal donor cells and we conclude that chromosomal microsatellite marker analysis can be a valuable tool for precise donor/recipient differentiation in engraftment monitoring.
Reevaluating the Costs of Teenage Childbearing: Response to Geronimus and Korenman*

Commentary is provided on some of the differences and reasons for the differences between the Geronimus and Korenman findings on the economic effects of teenage childbearing as well as on the authors own interpretation of existing data. The disagreements pertain to technical details involving sampling and data analysis. A review of the history and background of research by both research groups is presented. Geronimus and Korenman presented their first results in 1989 and 1991 based on data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Young Women (NLSY). The findings were that the effects of early childbearing were smaller than previously estimated. In addition the effects were statistically insignificant for economic status probability of high school graduation and other factors. These controversial findings were replicated by Geronimus and Korenman for a sample of NLSY data and data front the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). Hoffman et al. also analyzed PSID data. The findings from the three replications are very consistent; i.e. fixed-effect estimates are smaller than previously estimated. There are statistically significant and quantitatively important effects on economic status the probabilities of being officially poor and of graduating from high school. The probability of acquiring postsecondary education is also negative. The sister-comparison data....... support the contention of Geronimus and Korenman that the effects of teen childbearing are negligible. A table of the Hoffman et al. results shows that the NLSY results were "outliers." Geronimus and Korenman argue that the NLSY data are correct. Concern is raised that the NLSY sisters-comparison data are unrepresentative because of selective inclusion of older women the smaller sample size in the PSID the underrepresentation of women aged 20-24 years the underrepresentation of married women and the misidentification of women without sisters. The conclusion is that it is too early to say that the true effects of teen childbearing are small.
Human sociogeophysics — Phase II (continued): Criticality in the diffusion of ethnicity produces civil society

After a Phase I expansion at a constant population density, the earth's surface —the habitable niche of man — becomes filled. The subsequent global Malthusian constant (birth rate minus death rate) however remains unchanged. A criticality in density is thereupon reached, and a phase transition ensues. The most marked feature of Phase II is an onset of condensations, of settlements in place. The kinematics of Phase II involved (a) continued low growth rate of total population; (b) the continued diffusion of ethnicity with remixing; (c) fluctuating condensations involving local urban densifications; (d) local convective process fluxes (flows) carried on via trade and war rather than simple diffusive flow processes carried on via extensive local migrations; and (e) civilizational flow processes of convection governed by man-made rules for the diffusive transports of matter, energy, action and population.
Bat Avoidance in Non-Aerial Insects: The Silence Response of Signaling Males in an Acoustic Moth

While the evasive responses of many flying acoustic insects to aerial-hawking bats are duly recognized and studied, the responses of non-aerial insects to gleaning bats are generally overlooked. It has been assumed that acoustic insects are deaf to these predators because gleaning bat echolocation calls are typically low in amplitude, brief (1–3 ms) and very high in frequency (>60 kHz). We tested this assumption in a series of playback experiments with a moth (Achroia grisella) that uses hearing in both predator evasion and mating. We report that ultrasound pulses ‡78 dB peSPL (peak equivalent sound pressure level) and ‡ 1m s in duration inhibit stationary males from broadcasting their own ultrasonic advertisement calls, provided that the pulsed stimuli are delivered at a repetition rate £30/s. Further analyses suggest that inhibition by pulsed ultrasound comprises two processes performed serially. First, a startle response with a latency <50 ms is elicited by a single pulse ‡1 ms duration. Here, a male misses broadcasting several calls over a 50–100 ms interval. Secondly, the startle may be extended as a silence response lasting several to many seconds if subsequent pulses occur at a rate £30/s. Call inhibition cannot represent a simple response to acoustic power because of the inverse interaction between pulse duration and rate. On the other hand, the temporal and energy characteristics of inhibitory stimuli match those of gleaning bat echolocation calls, and we infer that inhibition is a specialized defensive behavior by which calling males may avoid detection by eavesdropping bats.
The cervical myelopathy associated with rheumatoid arthritis: Analysis of 32 patients, with 2 postmortem cases

The clinical findings in a group of 32 rheumatoid patients with symptomatic myelopathy are described. The myelopathy appeared in late middle age after many years of rheumatoid disease (average duration, 18 years). The most common radiological abnormality was anterior subluxation of C1. Other patterns occurred in about half the cases. The most common neurological findings were those of a mild to moderate spastic paraplegia, often with atrophy of muscles of the hands and sensory changes in the hands. Symptoms originating above the foramen magnum (nystagmus, diplopia, slurred speech) appeared to have a vascular cause and were sometimes associated with upward as well as posterior movement of the odontoid process. Root pain into the arms was not present, and its absence helped to distinguish these disorders from cervical spondylosis. Root pain into the territory of the C2 root was common. Medical or conservative therapy was not effective, and the preferred approach was use of a halo traction device followed by posterior fusion, with or without laminectomy. Pathologically, in 2 autopsy cases, the maximal change had occurred in the central gray matter and adjacent posterior and lateral columns. We postulate that direct pressure caused intermittent compression and narrowing of distal transverse branches of the anterior spinal artery.
Periodic superstructures in tetrahedrally bonded homopolymers.

Using a lattice sum over single bipolaron potentials displaced by periodicity d, we have analytically obtained a solution for a bipolaron lattice for a tetrahedrally bonded homopolymer within the continuum model of Rice and Phillpot. This solution is used to derive the band structure, which consists of two bipolaron bands symmetrically located about the middle of the band gap in addition to the conduction and valence bands. The electronic density of states, chemical potential \ensuremath{\mu}, and the energy of formation of a bipolaron lattice are also calculated as a function of the bipolaron density ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{b}$. The bipolaron chemical potential lies between the conduction-band edge and the upper edge of the upper bipolaron band, indicating that the bipolaron lattice is energetically the most favorable charge configuration at low ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{b}$. In the strict weak-coupling limit (infinite momentum cutoff \ensuremath{\Lambda}) the bipolaron-bipolaron interaction is found to be repulsive and varies with bipolaron density as (1/${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{\mathit{b}}$)exp(-2/${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{\mathit{b}}$${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{\mathit{p}}$), ${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{\mathit{p}}$ being the bipolaron characteristic length. Thus, the bipolaron lattice is stable only in the range 0${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{b}$2/${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{p}$. This suggests the possibility of a phase separation of a doped homopolymer into conducting bipolaron droplets at ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{b}$=2/${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{p}$, while the rest of the system is insulating. Our results apply to polysilylenes, polygermylenes, and their derivatives, as well as to a wide class of carbon-based polymers.
Rapid housing privatization in reforming economies: Pay the special dividend now

State ownership and operation of the housing stock in the previously centrally planned economies severely distorts housing markets, stifles labor mobility, and produces operating losses that exacerbate fiscal deficits. The conventional wisdom regarding structural reform is to gradually increase administered rents, thereby reducing deficits. Housing sales, where they occur, are primarily motivated to generate revenue to cover deficits in current operating budgets. We argue that the perceived benefits to a prolonged transition are illusory and the social costs are high.
A First Assessment of the Cranberry Fruit Rot Complex in Michigan

Samples of ripe fruit were taken at harvest from all eight commercial cranberry farms in Michigan over a 3-year period to determine the distribution and incidence of fruit rot diseases and the fungal pathogens associated with rotted fruit. Totals of 23, 33, and 28 beds were sampled in 1999, 2000, and 2001, respectively. Fruit rot incidence varied widely among beds and farms and ranged from 5 to 97% (mean 33.4%) in 1999, 1 to 91% (mean 26.3%) in 2000, and 1 to 67% (mean 12.8%) in 2001. Differences in fruit rot incidence were observed among cultivars, but rankings differed among farms. In general, cultivars Ben Lear, Bergman, and Pilgrim tended to have lower and Beckwith and WSU61 higher fruit rot incidence than other cultivars grown in the same location. Colletotrichum acutatum, Pestalotia vaccinii, and Phyllosticta vaccinii were the fungi most frequently recovered from rotted fruit. Fusicoccum putrefaciens, Phomopsis vaccinii, Physalospora vaccinii, Allantophomopsis lycopodina, Coleophoma empetri, and Botrytis cinerea were isolated occasionally in 1999. The isolation frequency of Physalospora vaccinii, Phomopsis vaccinii, and C. empetri increased markedly in 2000. Glomerella cingulata was first detected in 2001. Fusicoccum putrefaciens was most common in the northern and Glomerella cingulata in the southern growing areas. A comparison of sound and rotted fruit from selected beds showed that Phyllosticta elongata predominated in sound fruit, whereas G. cingulata predominated in rotted fruit.
Genetic variation in Frieleia halli, a deep-sea brachiopod☆

Electrophoretic study of a population of the deep-sea brachiopod Frieleia halli shows That it is genetically highly variable. Using a conservative criterion of polymorphism, this brachiopod population is polymorphic at about 50% of its loci, while an average individual is heterozygous at about 17% of its loci. Despite this high genetic variability, F. halli is not particularly variable morphologically. These findings agree with previous indications from electrophoretic studies of genetic variability in organisms from stable environments and suggest that the body of ecological-genetic theory that predicts a positive correlation of genetic variability with environmental instability is incorrect.
Laparoscopic Transdiaphragmatic Pericardial Window: Getting to the Heart of the Matter

Background Penetrating wounds to the upper abdomen and lower precordium mandate exclusion of intra-abdominal and cardiac injuries. The most sensitive test to exclude cardiac injury is direct visualization of the pericardial fluid. Since 2001, we have examined the abdomen and performed transdiaphragmatic (central tendon) pericardial window via laparoscopy in stable patients at risk for both cardiac and peritoneal injuries. Study Design At our Level I trauma center we reviewed consecutive patients who underwent evaluation of pericardial fluid after trauma between 2001 and 2008 and identified those patients in whom laparoscopic pericardial window was performed. We collected data on demographics, technique, findings, complications, and follow-up. Results There were 393 patients who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy. Of those, 38 patients received laparoscopic transdiaphragmatic pericardial window. Six cardiac injuries (15.8%) were identified with 5 penetrating injuries to the right ventricle and 1 myocardial contusion. All 5 right ventricular injuries required median sternotomy for injury repair. None of the patients had significant hemodynamic compromise during operation. The pericardial window was left open in all patients, with no morbidity. The average length of stay for patients without chest tubes and a negative window was less than 24 hours. For patients with chest tubes, length of stay was 4.6 days. The interquartile range for follow-up was 21.5 to 315 days. Conclusions Diagnostic laparoscopy with transdiaphragmatic pericardial window allows for thorough evaluation of both abdominal and cardiac injuries with a resultant short length of stay and no morbidity or mortality. In this, the largest series in the literature, laparoscopic pericardial window was a safe and effective modality to evaluate hemodynamically stable patients who are at risk for both cardiac and abdominal injuries.
Effects of Anharmonicity on Vibrational Energy Transfer

The diagonal matrix elements of the interaction potential which enter into the quantum theory of vibrational energy transfer generally have been assumed to be identical. Apparently the assumption is based on mathematic convenience rather than on any physical model. If Morse potentials are used to describe the intramolecular forces the elements are approximately but not identically equal. The transition probability is found to decrease markedly when the ratio of the diagonal elements of the initial and final oscillator states is allowed to deviate even slightly from one. Morse potentials were chosen to reproduce the observed anharmonicities of a variety of diatomic molecules and an anharmonic correction factor to the transition probability was calculated. It is found that the generally used calculated transition probabilities should be reduced by a factor of 10—1 to 10—2.
Feeding Behavior, Prey Consumption, and Growth of Juvenile Red Hake

Abstract Juvenile red hake Urophycis chuss were collected while they were inhabiting sea scallops Placopecten magellanicus, and the effects of appetite and food availability on prey consumption and growth were examined under laboratory conditions. Fish took increasing amounts of live amphipods Gammarus annulatus with increasing periods of food deprivation up to 40–50 hours. The largest portion of a meal was consumed within the first 3 minutes following prey introduction. With longer periods of food deprivation, red hake increased the time their chemosensitive pelvic fins were extended, indicative of a rise in feeding motivation. The average amount of sand shrimp Crangon septemspinosa consumed by fish was 7.4% of body weight/day. Under conditions of high prey abundance, fish grew at rates equal to field growth rates, but under conditions of low prey abundance, growth rate was inhibited. Prey availability can influence the growth rate, which might lead to size differentials within a cohort. Received Novembe...
CCS Observations of the Protostellar Envelope of B335

Knowledge of the density, velocity and chemical profiles around protostars is of fundamental importance for testing dynamical models of protostar evolution and understanding the nature of the material falling onto circumstellar disks. Presented are single dish and interferometric spectral line observations of CCS towards the core of B335, a classic example of a young, low mass stellar object.
The Coupling of Fourier Series With Method of Moments To Solve Poisson Type Equations

A method for handling the non-homogeneous terms occurring in the method of moments formulation of the Poisson equation is proposed. The algorithm is based on using the Fourier series expansions for solving the general two-dimensional Poisson equation without the need for either domain discretization nor Monte Cario integration techniques. The convergence of the present method is studied and improved by using the algorithm. Application of this method to the determination of the depletion layer profile is presented along with several other engineering problems. The results are compared with solutions available in the literature.
Role of metal film thickness on the enhanced transmission properties of a periodic array of subwavelength apertures

We have measured the enhanced transmission properties of periodic arrays of subwavelength apertures fabricated in thin metal films as a function of the metal film thickness. In doing so, we determine the minimum metal film thickness for an array that exhibits resonantly enhanced transmission and observe the transmission properties as the metal film thickness is increased. The thickness range explored extends from delta/15, where delta is the skin depth, to approximately 2delta. Using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, we measure both the amplitude and phase of the transmitted broadband THz pulses. Experimentally, we find that there is negligible transmission enhancement for metal films as thin as delta/15. As the film thickness increases, there is a sublinear increase in the enhancement until the film thickness is equal to the skin depth. For metal films thicker than one skin depth, there appears to be little additional enhancement at the resonant frequencies. We also observe that as the thickness of metal films increases, there is a corresponding increase in the resonance frequencies.
Thick-walled composite cylinders with optimal fiber prestress

A thick-walled composite cylinder consisting of many different cylindrically orthotropic layers is loaded by uniform, axisymmetric surface tractions and by piecewise uniform eigenstrains in the layers. A theoretical framework is established for evaluation of internal stress fields. An optimization procedure is implemented to find eigenstrain distributions that adjust the stresses in the layers to selected levels, while allowing the application of certain ranges of fiber prestrain magnitude to reduce fiber waviness. A particular fabrication process that utilizes fiber prestress as a source of the layer eigenstrains is analyzed, and a distribution of the fiber prestress forces is found that produces a desired distribution of both hoop and axial stresses in the cylinder wall. Both mandrel stiffness and the chosen prestress magnitude in the first layer influence the distribution. It is shown that application of a high fiber prestress that is constant through the wall thickness can be harmful as it may generate very high hoop stress gradients.
New class of 2D multirate filter bank for digital image coding

Abstract A new type of perfect reconstruction filter bank is presented in this paper. This new class of filter bank has the following distict features at the same time: linear-phase, distortion-free, hR-FIR filter pair, closed-formexpression, orthogonal projection, and factorization-free. In contrast, the other existing filter banks do not possessall these properties simutaneously. For example, the classic Quadrature Mirror Filter (QMF) does not have theperfect reconstruction nature. Another example is the Conjugate Quadrature Filter (CQF), which lacks the linear-phase property. A qualitative comparison of different types of filter banks is also included. This newly developed perfect reconstruction hR-FIR filter bank is then extended to the 2-D case. Both separable and non-separable filters are considered. In addition, both rectangular dowusampling and non-rectangular downsampling schemesare discussed. Numerical optimization procedures are used to compute the optimal filter coefficients. The resultsare listed in tables for quick reference.