cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Demographic and Substance Abuse Trends Among Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women: Eleven Years of Treatment Admission Data

The objective of this study was to identify demographic and substance abuse trends among pregnant women entering treatment over eleven years. This study compiled the publicly available Treatment Episode Datasets from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration from 1998 to 2008. Subjects included 1,724,479 women entering publicly funded substance abuse treatment for the first time, 81,818 of whom were pregnant. Compared to non-pregnant women, pregnant women were more likely to be younger, minority, never married, less educated, homeless, and on public-assistance or have no income. Referrals from health care providers (HCPs) among pregnant women entering treatment have stayed consistently low while referrals from the criminal justice system accounted for the largest portion of pregnant women entering treatment. Over the past eleven years, there has been a general decline in alcohol abuse and an increase in drug abuse among women entering treatment; this trend was more pronounced in pregnant women. Unlike their non-pregnant counterparts, pregnant women were more likely to report marijuana, not alcohol, as their primary problem substance as well as other drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine. Over the past eleven years, trends in the demographics and patterns of substance abuse among women have changed; some of these trends were unique to pregnant women. A large proportion of pregnant women entering treatment are referred by the criminal justice system. Knowledge surrounding the demographics and abuse patterns of pregnant women entering treatment can inform HCPs and community programs in their screening and outreach efforts.
THE SPECTRUM OF THE DIFFUSE GALACTIC LIGHT: THE MILKY WAY IN SCATTERED LIGHT

We measure the optical spectrum of the diffuse Galactic light (DGL)-the local Milky Way in reflection-using 92,000 blank sky spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We correlate the SDSS optical intensity in regions of blank sky against 100 {mu}m intensity independently measured by the Cosmic Background Explorer and Infrared Astronomy satellites, which provides a measure of the dust column density times the intensity of illuminating starlight. The spectrum of scattered light is very blue and shows a clear 4000 A break and broad Mg b absorption. This is consistent with scattered starlight, and the continuum of the DGL is well reproduced by a simple radiative transfer model of the Galaxy. We also detect line emission in H{alpha}, H{beta}, [N II], and [S II], consistent with scattered light from the local interstellar medium. The strength of [N II] and [S II], combined with upper limits on [O III] and He I, indicates a relatively soft ionizing spectrum. We find that our measurements of the DGL can constrain dust models, favoring a grain size distribution with relatively few large grains. We also estimate the fraction of high-latitude H{alpha} which is scattered to be 19% {+-} 4%.
Ceramic Properties of Samarium Oxide and Gadolinium Oxide; X‐Ray Studies of Other Rare‐Earth Oxides and Some Compounds

Samarium oxide forms a ceramic of medium strength and density (6.0) when it is fired at 1300°C. When it is fired at 1500°C., its density is increased to 7.4 but it loses its stability toward boiling water. X-ray data are given concerning the structure of the oxide as received and at 1300°C. and of the reaction product of Sm203 with water. Gadolinium oxide forms a ceramic of somewhat higher density (7.0) at 1300° than does Sm2O3; at 1500°C. its density is slightly higher (7.6) whereas its stability toward water is unchanged. Data concerning both oxides include density, shrinkage, moduli of elasticity and of rupture, linear thermal expansion, differential thermal analysis, and specific heat as well as X-ray data. Results are given of a brief survey of the reaction products obtained when Sm2O3 and Gd2O3 are heated at 1500°C. in equimolecular quantities with Al2O3, BaO, CaO, CdO, Fe2O3, HfO2, MgO, SO2, SrO, ThO2, and ZrO2. X-ray data for the following rare-earth oxides as received and after calcination at 1400°C. are given: ceria, praseodymia, neodymia, europia, dysprosia, holmia, erbia, thulia, and ytterbia.
Extremal tests for scalar functions of several real variables at degenerate critical points

It is, of course, well known to students of calculus that the extremal nature of a function f at a critical point is decided if the so-called discriminant (or Hessian) given by the expression A =f2-fxxfyy evaluated at the critical point is nonzero. It is also known through simple examples that, in the so-called degenerate case when A = 0 at the point, f may have either an extremum or a saddle point. Consequently, the extremal nature of fin this case is indeterminate from a knowledge of the second derivatives at the point in question alone and higher order partial derivatives at the point must be considered. (It is interesting that during the last century a certain confusion existed concerning the degenerate case, even apparently in the minds of some renowned mathematicians. For a short account of this history of the degenerate case see [1].) Systematic, yet straightforward and simple methods by which to take into account the higher order derivatives seem, however, difficult to come by. In fact, the only method known to the author which offers an essentially complete account of this case is due to Freedman [2]. (His techniques are concerned with the solution of the equationf (x, y)= 0 for x = x (y) but implicitly yield information about extrema as well. He also considers cases other than the degenerate case. Also in a recent paper I-3] Butler and Freedman consider the case when the lowest order terms off are cubic or higher; as stated below, we do not consider this case here.) The purpose of this note is to present a complete method for determining the extremal nature of f on the basis of its derivatives at the point in question under the two assumptions that (i)f possesses the necessary number of partial derivatives and (ii) the lowest order terms in its Taylor expansion with remainder at the point are quadratic. Under these conditions we will show how the extremal nature off may be decided in the degenerate case through a sequence of tests each involving a discriminant and each having a degenerate case, whose occurence, however, can be followed by the next test of the sequence. Each test has the same format as the standard discriminant test using A, which itself may be considered as simply the first test of the sequence. Although they accomplish more or less the same ends, the details
Aphid Dispersal over Southern California Deserts

Aphids that must have come from the irrigated valleys were trapped in isolated areas of the Colorado and Mojave deserts. Potted alfalfa plants set out in the same area as the traps on the Colorado desert caught an average of two aphids each in a week. Enough aphids were caught in every location to have infested fields planted there. The number caught indicated that aphids disperse across desert barriers.
Optical Density of States Ultraviolet Photoelectric Spectroscopy.

Optical density of valence and conduction states by UV photoelectric spectroscopy, outlining experimental techniques and inelastic scattering effects
The effect of pre-heating on flame propagation in nanocomposite thermites

Abstract Flame propagation in a confined tube configuration was evaluated for aluminum (Al) and molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) thermites starting at room temperature and pre-heated up to 170 °C. Flame propagation was analyzed via high speed imaging diagnostics and temperatures were monitored with thermocouples. Experiments were performed in a semi-confined flame tube apparatus housed in a reaction chamber initially at standard atmospheric pressure. The flame propagation behavior for the nano-particle thermite was compared to micron particle thermite of the same composition. Results indicate that increasing the initial temperature of the reactants results in dramatically increased flame speeds for nanocomposite thermite (i.e., from 627 to 1002 m/s for ambient and 105 °C pre-heat temperature, respectively) and for micron composite thermite (i.e., from 205 to 347 m/s for ambient and 170 °C pre-heat temperature, respectively) samples. Experimental studies were extended giving a cooling time for the heated thermites prior to ignition and flame propagation. It is shown that when 105 °C and 170 °C pre-heated thermites are cooled at a rate of 0.06 K/s, almost the same flame speeds are obtained as thermites at ambient temperature. However, when the cooling rate is increased to 0.13 K/s, the measured flame speeds approach the flame speeds of pre-heated samples.
Effects of vowel reduction on Russian and Belarusian inflectional morphology

The study investigates a series of morphological changes in Russian and Belarusian dialects provoked by homophony due to vowel reduction. The reaction to potential or actual homophony depends on the morphological category and the specific contrast involved. Either homophony is avoided by the introduction of a new non-homophonous suffix in one of the two relevant cells of the paradigm or homophony is permitted and morphological reanalysis takes place. Contrasts in number and person are supported at the cost of introducing additional allomorphy into the system. Elsewhere homophony entails reanalysis which results in more complex morphology, including partial or complete reclassification, the introduction of morphophonemic alternations, and other idiosyncratic morphological adjustments. The changes discussed are all based on the outputs of a fairly low-level phonological/phonetic process and they reveal another dimension of analogical change.
Major Evolutionary Trends in Animal Protists

SYNOPSIS. Phylogenetic relations are ultimately determined by homologous relationships, including both structural and functional data. Following the establishment of those relationships, the direction of evolutionary change must be determined using paleontologic, developmental, and especially morphocline, data. From that perspective the direction of subsequent development becomes clearer and the problems of origins become more explicit. Using the foregoing methodology it has been possible to identify plausibly monophyletic groups of animal protists or protozoa. Allowing for attendant difficulties, there nevertheless emerges certain fairly convincing generalities: (a) the predominantly pseudopodial forms, with a few minor exceptions, have direct origins from apochlorotic algae; (b) the predominantly kinetidal forms (zooflagellates and ciliates), though also derived originally from apochlorotic algae, give evidence of extended evolutionary development with the especially noteworthy emergence of a permanent ingestatory structure; (c) both groups have increased size, a tendency towards multinuclearity and polyploidy, cytoplasmic differentiations of various sorts, and complex life cycles. In terms of further evolution, namely the emergence of multicellular animals, the pseudopodial forms are almost certainly a dead end while the kinetidal forms are arguably the ancestors of at least 2 metazoan phyla.
Radiation toxicology. Quantitative radiation pathology for predicting effects

Radiation toxicology is the quantification of radiation pathophysiology. It is based upon the development of more precise and accurate radiation dose response data in humans. Such information is particularly important because of the development of combined radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The search for models which will predict radiation injury is presented along with innovative approaches to the 3-dimensional reconstruction of isodose curves in autopsy material, and ultrastructural studies.
Engineering research for improvement of freshwater prawn harvest yield in Hawaii

Engineering research for improving freshwater prawn harvest yield in Hawaii has focused on the development of management strategies and techniques. First, a mark and capture method was developed to estimate harvest efficiency. The average harvest efficiency in early commercial ponds was found to be only 24·08%; this led to the belief that low and inconsistent harvest yields were due to low and inconsistent harvest efficiency. An improved harvesting system was then developed which produced an average harvest efficiency of 63·5%. A study was also done to compare the effects of different pond bank grass management practices on harvest yields. It was found that reduction of bank grass without any other changes in management can increase the yield to 2179 kg ha−1 year−1, which is almost 1·5 times the 1984 state average yield. An experiment to study the effects of higher harvest efficiency on yield is in progress.
HYDROLYSIS OF BULGED NUCLEOTIDES IN HYBRIDS FORMED BY RNA AND IMIDAZOLE-DERIVATIZED OLIGO-2′-O-METHYLRIBONUCLEOTIDES

In order to enhance the efficacy of small antisense molecules, we examined a series of antisense oligonucleotides derivatized with functional groups designed to enable them to hydrolyze their RNA target. Solid phase synthetic methods were used to prepare imidazole-derivatized antisense oligo-2′-O-methylribonucleotides. Upon binding, these oligonucleotides create internal bulged bases in the target RNA that serve as sites for hydrolysis. We observed that an oligonucleotide derivatized with a side chain containing two imidazole groups was capable of hydrolyzing 58% of its RNA target when incubated with the target for 48 hours at 37°C and physiological pH.
Impact of preshunt liver histology on survival following portasystemic shunt surgery for bleeding esophageal varices

To determine the value of liver histology in predicting one-year survival after portal venous decompression, eight hepatic histologic features were evaluated prospectively in 53 patients. The presence of panlobular fat and of alcoholic hyaline were the only individual features having a significant correlation with outcome When the predictive power of these histologic features was compared by linear logistic regression analysis to that of 28 clinical and laboratory variables, panlobular fat was the best single predictor, followed in sequence by admission prothrombin time, alcoholic hyaline, admission hematocrit, and Child's C classification. The combination of hematocrit and panlobular fat produced the best two-variable equation, predicting outcome in 79% of patients. No three-variable equation significantly improved upon the two-variable combination of hematocrit and panlobular fat. Therefore certain hepatic histologic features alone or in combination with other factors, appear to be powerful predictors of one-year mortality. When liver biopsy is obtainable, histologic features should be considered in determining suitability for portasystemic shunt surgery.
Relative contributions of the two eyes to perceived egocentric visual direction in normal binocular vision

Perceived egocentric direction (EVD) is based on the sensed position of the eyes in the orbit and the oculocentric visual direction (eye-centered, OVD). Previous reports indicate that in some subjects eye-position information from the two eyes contributes unequally to the perceived EVD. Findings from other studies indicate that the retinal information from the two eyes may not always contribute equally to perceived OVD. The goal of this study was to assess whether these two sources of information covary similarly within the same individuals. Open-loop pointing responses to an isolated target presented randomly at several horizontal locations were collected from 13 subjects during different magnitudes of asymmetric vergence to estimate the contribution of the position information from each eye to perceived EVD. For the same subjects, the direction at which a horizontally or vertically disparate target with different interocular contrast or luminance ratios appeared aligned with a non-disparate target estimated the relative contribution of each eye's retinal information. The results show that the eye-position and retinal information vary similarly in most subjects, which is consistent with a modified version of Hering's law of visual direction.
Spatial Snow Modeling of Wind-Redistributed Snow Using Terrain-Based Parameters

Abstract Wind is widely recognized as one of the dominant controls of snow accumulation and distribution in exposed alpine regions. Complex and highly variable wind fields in rugged terrain lead to similarly complex snow distribution fields with areas of no snow adjacent to areas of deep accumulation. Unfortunately, these complexities have limited inclusion of wind redistribution effects in spatial snow distribution models. In this study the difficulties associated with physically exhaustive wind field modeling are avoided and terrain-based parameters are developed to characterize wind effects. One parameter, , was based on maximum upwind slopes relative to seasonally averaged winds to characterize the wind scalar at each pixel location in an alpine basin. A second parameter, , measured upwind breaks in slope from a given location and was combined with an upwind application of to create a drift delineator parameter, D0, which was used to delineate sites of intense redeposition on lee slopes. Based on 504 ...
Computed tomography-based biomarker provides unique signature for diagnosis of COPD phenotypes and disease progression

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasingly being recognized as a highly heterogeneous disorder, composed of varying pathobiology. Accurate detection of COPD subtypes by image biomarkers are urgently needed to enable individualized treatment thus improving patient outcome. We adapted the Parametric Response Map (PRM), a voxel-wise image analysis technique, for assessing COPD phenotype. We analyzed whole lung CT scans of 194 COPD individuals acquired at inspiration and expiration from the COPDGene Study. PRM identified the extent of functional small airways disease (fSAD) and emphysema as well as provided CT-based evidence that supports the concept that fSAD precedes emphysema with increasing COPD severity. PRM is a versatile imaging biomarker capable of diagnosing disease extent and phenotype, while providing detailed spatial information of disease distribution and location. PRMs ability to differentiate between specific COPD phenotypes will allow for more accurate diagnosis of individual patients complementing standard clinical techniques.
Equity Decoupling and Empty Voting: The TELUS Zero-Premium Share Swap

In a series of articles, Henry Hu and I developed and defined the concept of empty voting. TELUS Corp. has separate classes of voting and nonvoting shares. It proposes to combine them, with a zero premium for voting shares. Mason Capital has taken a (long voting shares, short nonvoting shares) position, is thus long the value of TELUS voting rights, and is campaigning for a share-swap plan which assigns a reasonable value to those rights. TELUS has claimed that Mason is engaging in “empty voting”, and has persuaded a British Columbia court of this (TELUS is incorporated in BC). I discuss here some aspects of this dispute. For a vote which involves the value of voting rights: (i) Mason has an economic interest in this outcome, and thus is not an empty voter; (ii) many other TELUS shareholders are empty voters, because they have negative or near- zero economic interest in TELUS votes; (iii) TELUS management is conflicted, because they hold mostly nonvoting shares; (iv) voting rights are valuable, and the market premium accorded to TELUS voting shares is a reasonable estimate of their value; in contrast, zero is not a reasonable value; (v) by valuing voting rights at zero, the TELUS board is likely violating its fiduciary duty to treat both share classes fairly; and (vi) if the TELUS voting shareholders reject the zero-premium share-swap, it would likely be a further breach of fiduciary duty for TELUS not to propose a swap on terms which assign a reasonable value to votes.
Recognizing Ourselves: Ceremonies of Lesbian and Gay Commitment

Recognizing Ourselves: Ceremonies of Lesbian and Gay Commitment. Ellen Lewin. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. xx. 288 pp., photographs, notes, references, Index.
Ovarian Cancer-Derived Exosomal Fibronectin Induces Pro-Inflammatory IL-1beta

The tumour microenvironment is characterized by pro-inflammatory profiles, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β). This profile is generated by infiltrating macrophages following interactions with tumour...
Is chemical genetics the new frontier for malaria biology

Malaria is a global disease, causing at least 500 million clinical cases and more than one million deaths each year. Moreover, drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum , the organism that causes most malaria-associated deaths, has become a major problem. Therefore, discovery and investigation of novel targets for anti-malarial drug design is essential to combat this disease. The malarial genome has been sequenced, revealing ∼5500 genes. The current post-genomic challenge is functionally to evaluate the essential genes and validate them for therapeutic design. Unfortunately, standard genetics techniques are limited in scope because of low transfection efficiency and a lack of knockdown techniques, thereby rendering the analysis of essential genes difficult.
Signalling pathways and mechanisms of protection in pre- and postconditioning: historical perspective and lessons for the future

Ischaemic pre- and postconditioning are potent cardioprotective interventions that spare ischaemic myocardium and decrease infarct size after periods of myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion. They are dependent on complex signalling pathways involving ligands released from ischaemic myocardium, G-protein-linked receptors, membrane growth factor receptors, phospholipids, signalling kinases, NO, PKC and PKG, mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels, reactive oxygen species, TNF-α and sphingosine-1-phosphate. The final effector is probably the mitochondrial permeability transition pore and the signalling produces protection by preventing pore formation. Many investigators have worked to produce a roadmap of this signalling with the hope that it would reveal where one could intervene to therapeutically protect patients with acute myocardial infarction whose hearts are being reperfused. However, attempts to date to show efficacy of such an intervention in large clinical trials have been unsuccessful. Reasons for this inability to translate successes in the experimental laboratory to the clinical arena are evaluated in this review. It is suggested that all patients with acute coronary syndromes currently presenting to the hospital and being treated with platelet P2Y12 receptor antagonists, the current standard of care, are indeed already benefiting from protection from the conditioning pathways outlined earlier. If that proves to be the case, then future attempts to further decrease infarction will have to rely on interventions which protect by a different mechanism.
Spatial variation in groundwater-related resource supply influences freshwater benthic algal assemblage composition

AbstractThe landscape position of a lake relative to local and regional groundwater flow patterns has important ecosystem consequences. The local hydraulic gradient sets up seepage regimes, influences hydrologic and nutrient budgets, and alters site stoichiometry (molar N:P). However, little is known about the biotic (ecological) consequences of groundwater–lake coupling. We investigated the relationship between groundwater flux (resource supply rates), resource supply ratios, and species patterns of benthic algae in Sparkling Lake, Wisconsin, USA, a north-temperate flow-through seepage lake. Nutrient fluxes of seepage waters influenced both local benthic algal biomass and species composition. Sites of high groundwater discharge (HGD) were characterized by low N:P flux, high algal biovolume, and low species richness and diversity. In contrast, low groundwater discharge (LGD) and low groundwater recharge (LGR) sites had high N:P, low algal biovolume, and high richness and diversity. HGD sites were dominate...
Localized Access Point Association in Wireless LANs with Bounded Approximation Ratio

The current access point (AP) association schemes in wireless LANs, such as IEEE 802.11, cause an unbalanced load which reduces the performance of both the entire network and individual users. Intensive studies were motivated to determine efficient methods of balancing loads among APs. Previous works provided either the heuristics without theoretical analysis on the performance, or algorithms that require a centralized node or the propagation of global information. In this paper, we model the AP association problem as the many-to-one matching problem in the bipartite graph. Our objective is to maximize the total load among all APs. We propose a localized algorithm that provides a bounded approximation ratio in terms of total load and does not require the propagation of local information. We also extend the localized algorithm through iterative executions, and allow for adaptation to various environments. Extensive simulations are conducted to verify our results.
Seismic profiling as a contaminant in the measurement of ambient noise spectral and spatial characteristics

Data from a vertical array experiment is used to illustrate the impact of seismic profiling on ambient noise spectrum level and vertical directionality in the 25-300 Hz frequency region. It is shown by the analysis results that seismic profiling has a substantial impact on the spectral and spatial characteristics of ambient noise. For these data, the contamination is most severe in the region below 50 Hz and in the band 150-200 Hz. Spatially, the seismic profiler energy arrives within +or-15 degrees of the horizontal and produces up to 8-dB deviations from the underlying vertical directionality of the profiler-free data. >
On‐line determination of organochlorine pesticides in water by solid‐phase microextraction and gas chromatography with electron capture detection

This paper describes the extraction of 20 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) from water samples using solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Three fused-silica fibers coated or bonded with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) of different film thicknesses (20-, 30-, and 100-μm) were evaluated. The extraction time, the effects of stirring and addition of NaCl to the aqueous sample, the linear range and the precision of this technique, and the effect of carryover were examined for 20 analytes and are presented here. A comparison with results using conventional liquid-liquid extraction demonstrate that the SPME technique is well suited as a fast screening technique for OCPs in water samples.
The hyperattenuating crescent sign.

The crescent-shaped area of hyperattenuation within the aortic wall or mural thrombus of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is known as the hyperattenuating crescent sign and suggests acute or impending AAA rupture (1). The curvilinear area paralleling the aortic wall is best demonstrated on nonenhanced computed tomographic (CT) images and is of higher attenuation than the intraluminal aortic blood (Figure) (2). At contrast material–enhanced CT, the hyperattenuating crescent is of higher attenuation compared with the adjacent psoas muscle (1).
Data classification for selection of temporal alerting methods for biosurveillance

This study presents and applies a methodology for selecting anomaly detection algorithms for biosurveillance time series data. The study employs both an authentic dataset and a simulated dataset which are freely available for replication of the results presented and for extended analysis. Using this approach, a public health monitor may choose algorithms that will be suited to the scale and behavior of the data of interest based on the calculation of simple discriminants from a limited sample. The tabular classification of typical time series behaviors using these discriminants is achieved using the ROC approach of detection theory, with realistic, stochastic, simulated signals injected into the data. The study catalogues the detection performance of 6 algorithms across data types and shows that for practical alert rates, sensitivity gains of 20% and higher may be achieved by appropriate algorithm selection.
Attitudinal and Structural Predictors of the Gender Gap in Suicide: An Exploratory Analysis of Nine European Countries, 1975–1987

Following Hagan, Gillis, and Simpson (1985), Hagan, Simpson, and Gillis (1987), and Girard (1993), we introduce a measure of egalitarian political attitudes that reflect gender differences in socialization that may affect adult suicidal behavior. Past efforts to explain national differences in the gender gap in suicide rates have not determined how the different determinants of male and female suicide rates cause the gender gap to vary among nations. We present a methodology that allows one to measure, one at a time, the impact of multiple predictors of societal integration on the gender gap. Data from nine European countries are used to illustrate this methodology.
Vaccines and Autism: Evidence Does Not Support a Causal Association

A suggested association between certain childhood vaccines and autism has been one of the most contentious vaccine safety controversies in recent years. Despite compelling scientific evidence against a causal association, many parents and parent advocacy groups continue to suspect that vaccines, particularly measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs), can cause autism.
Integrated Pest Management in Rice: Present Status and Future Prospects in Southeast Asia

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in rice is in its formulation stages in South and Southeast Asia, although several programs have been initiated. Resistant rice varieties and chemical pesticides have been the major tactics with almost no attention given to the value of indigenous natural enemies (predators, parasites and entomopathogens). Effective IPM programs must be sociologically sensitive and adapted to local farmers’ needs. Future activities should focus on 1.) identification of pests and beneficial species, 2.) assessing pest damage, and determining action thresholds 3.) developing sampling/monitoring methods 4.) selecting appropriate control tactics and 5.) integration. Farmer training is the key for successful IPM implementation but education of policy makers to IPM principles also is critical.
Investigating δ13C and Δ14C within Mytilus californianus shells as proxies of upwelling intensity

[1] Along the west coast of North America, climate and marine productivity is affected by seasonal to interannual changes in coastal upwelling. Our understanding of upwelling variability in the past is limited by the short duration of instrumental records. Changes in upwelling intensity are expected to affect the 13C/12C (δ13C) and radiocarbon (∆14C) content of marine dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) due to variable mixing of old, upwelled seawater into surface waters. If seasonal variations in the δ13C of DIC are recorded in marine bivalve shells, they may provide valuable information about the extent of upwelling in the past. Comparison of modern Mytilus californianus shells from South California with a 5 year time series of coastal seawater ∆14C and δ13C allows an assessment of the suitability of Mytilus shell ∆14C and δ13C as proxies of upwelling intensity. We show that both absolute values and the seasonal range in seawater ∆14C are preserved in shell ∆14C, allowing its use as an indicator of upwelling intensity. Interpretation of shell δ13C is more problematic, with the δ13C of shell carbonate lower than seawater DIC by variable amounts (ranging from 0.5‰ to 1.5‰) due to the incorporation of metabolic carbon. The spatial and temporal variability observed in specimens that grew during the severe El Nino event of 1997–1998 demonstrates how a transect of shells spanning the western North American coastline can be used to reconstruct large-scale patterns of seawater ∆14C variability for specific intervals of interest, such as those associated with El Nino Southern Oscillation–type phenomena.
Where Have All the (White and Hispanic) Inmates Gone? Comparing the Racial Composition of Private and Public Adult Correctional Facilities

A great deal of research has documented racial disparities in imprisonment rates in the United States, but little work has been done to understand the process by which inmates are assigned to individual correctional facilities. This article extends research on racial disparities in imprisonment rates to consider racial disparities in inmate populations across prisons. Specifically, it examines the racial pattern of inmate placement in privately operated and publicly operated correctional facilities. Analysis of American adult correctional facilities reveals that, in 2005, White inmates were significantly underrepresented (and Hispanic inmates overrepresented) in private correctional facilities relative to public ones. Results from multilevel models show that being privately operated (as opposed to publicly operated) decreased the White share of a facility’s population by more than eight percentage points and increased the Hispanic share of a facility’s population by nearly two percentage points, net of fa...
The Uptick Rule of Short Sale Regulation - Can it Alleviate Downward Price Pressure from Negative Earnings Shocks?

This paper examines the effect of the uptick rule (including the bid test applicable to NASDAQ stocks) of short sale regulations on stock prices and short selling activities immediately after negative earnings surprises that occurred during the period of May to November 2005. It compares price paths and short selling activities of stocks restricted by the uptick rule with stocks that were exempted from the rule as a result of the SEC’s Pilot Program. The study has not found any evidence that prices of stocks subject to the rule declined at a slower speed than prices of exempted stocks at times of stress. The two groups of stocks had similar levels of short sale volumes despite the rule’s prohibition on short selling at minus or zero-minus ticks. For NYSE and AMEX stocks, our study shows that market short orders whose immediate executions were barred by the uptick rule found execution opportunities against the upcoming buy orders within 15 minutes after their conversion into limit orders at the legally shortable price. For NASDAQ stocks, our study shows that up bids occurred with high frequency after negative earnings surprises and jointly with price improvements they offered generous execution opportunities to short sale orders.
Predicting Grain Sorghum Canopy Structure for Soil Erosion Modeling

Development of modern water and wind erosion prediction technology requires information on the canopy structure of various plant species to accurately predict the canopy effect on the falling raindrop or the erosive force of the wind. The objective of this study was to develop equations to predict grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] canopy structure characteristics. Grain sorghum plants were sampled weekly from emergence to maturity at Big Spring, TX (1986 1987), and Manhattan, KS (1987), to measure the following crop canopy parameters: plant height, stem length, leaf area, stem area, and canopy cover. Manhattan data were used to develop equations that relate canopy structure parameters of grain sorghum to the total aboveground dry weight, and Big Spring data were used to validate those equations. Leaf and stem area distributions with height also were determined. Coefficients of determination of predicted values using the Manhattan equations and Big Spring above-ground d y weight and the measured Big Spring data ranged from 0.987 for leaf area to 0.922 for stem length. Distribution of leaf and stem area with height remained essentially constant with plant age through the first 7 wk after planting. The equations can be used to supply canopy structure information needed by wind and water erosion prediction models currently under development.
Uncertainty analysis for maximum power at SRC using hierarchical Monte Carlo simulation

We present an uncertainty analysis (UA) for the maximum power of photovoltaic devices at standard reporting conditions, denoted P max0 . The UA employs a hierarchical Monte Carlo (MC) simulation to sample from the state-of-knowledge probability distribution for P max0 , based upon an irradiance and spectrally corrected current-voltage curve measured (nominally) at 1-sun according to ASTM E948-09 or E1036-12. A conditional factoring of the joint distribution of the parameters that determine P max0 allows rigorous consideration of both systematic (e.g., calibration chain) and random (e.g., solar simulator noise) sources of uncertainty in P max0 . The corresponding hierarchical MC simulation is computationally efficient and parallelizable, allowing enough samples to control MC sampling error. The UA method complies with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement.
Instruction level profiling and evaluation of the IBM/6000

This paper reports preliminary results from using goblin, a new instruction level profiling system, to evaluate the IBM RISC System/6000 architecture. The evaluation presented is based on the SPEC benchmark suite. Each SPEC program (except gcc) is processed by goblin to produce an instrumented version. During execution of the instrumented program, profiling routines are invoked which trace the execution of the program. These routines also collect statistics on dynamic instruction mix, branching behavior, and resource utilization: Based on these statistics, the actual performance and the architectural efficiency of the RS/SOOO are evaluated. In order to provide a context for this evaluation, a comparison to the DECStation 3100 is also presented. The entire profiling and evaluation experiment on nine of the ten SPEC programs involves tracing and analyzing over 32 billion instructions on the RS/6000. The evaluation indicates that for the SPEC benchmark suite the architecture of the RS/6000 is well balanced and exhibits impressive performance, especially on the floating-point intensive applications.
Parasocial relationships and self-discrepancies: Faux relationships have benefits for low self-esteem individuals

The current research proposes that low self-esteem people can use parasocial relationships to experience movement toward the ideal self, a benefit they may miss in real relationships. In Study 1, low self-esteem undergraduate psychology students at a public university in the United States felt closest to celebrities who were similar to their ideal self. In Study 2, low self-esteem college students primed with their favorite celebrity became more similar to their ideal selves. In Study 3, low self-esteem college students primed with their favorite celebrity, but not a close relationship partner, became more similar to their ideal selves. Results are discussed in terms of the implications for parasocial relationships, self-esteem, and the flexibility of the need to belong.
Detection of Spiroplasma citri in plants and insect hosts by ELISA

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was shown to be a sensitive method for the detection of Spiroplasma citri in plants and insect hosts. S. citri was detected in Vinca rosea less than 1 week after infection by grafting, and reached a peak litre of up to 109 spiroplasmas per gram of tissue in infected shoots and root tips. Multiplication of S. citri in the leafhopper Euscelidius variegatus was also monitored by ELISA. S. citri could be detected in a single insect, showing that this technique is suitable for screening insect populations in the field for potential vectors of Spiroplasma diseases. A method is described for raising a pathogen-specific antiserum from V. rosea infected with S. citri which reacted with cultured S. citri and also with S. citri in plant tissue.
Alcohol, Nicotine and Caffeine

The four authors cited above, writing about society’s favorite substances, have some interesting back stories. Pasteur, of course, was not a physician and instead was an industrial chemist involved in France’s alcohol industry of his time, and the partial heat sterilization technique we call pasteurization and use to make milk safe to drink was originally used to prevent spoilage of beer and wine [4]. Freneau was an American polemicist, nationalist and editor of a newspaper The National Gazette, which published the works of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison; the story of his antipathy to smoking, a socially accepted habit at the time, is unknown, at least by me. After all, it would be a century and a half before we would connect smoking and lung cancer. Bennett A. Weinberg, Ph.D., lead author of the book on caffeine, is a consultant in pharmaceutical communications serving leading industrial companies; he and co-author Bonnie Bealer quickly followed their successful 2001 book with another in 2002 titled The Caffeine Advantage: How to Sharpen Your Mind, Improve Your Physical Performance, and Achieve Your Goals – The Healthy Way [5].
Improving Tests of Theories Positing Interaction

It is well established that all interactions are symmetric: when the effect of X on Y is conditional on the value of Z, the effect of Z must be conditional on the value of X. Yet the typical practice when testing an interactive theory is to (1) view one variable, Z, as the conditioning variable, (2) offer a hypothesis about how the marginal effect of the other variable, X, is conditional on the value of Z, and (3) construct a marginal effect plot for X to test the theory. We show that the failure to make additional predictions about how the effect of Z varies with the value of X, and to evaluate them with a second marginal effect plot, means that scholars often ignore evidence that can be extremely valuable for testing their theory. As a result, they either understate or, more worryingly, overstate the support for their theories.
Fire ant polymorphism (Hymenoptera:Formicidae): factors affecting worker size.

Worker size distributions are apparently not homeostatically regulated in colonies of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren. Pupae produced in artificially composed polymorphic, dimorphic, and small-worker colonies were not significantly different in either average size or frequency distributions. However, larger colonies produced significantly larger pupae. Average pupal size was tightly correlated with the logarithm of colony size all the way from single founding queens up to mature colonies with tens of thousands of workers. High larval density also resulted in significantly smaller pupae. The apparent lack of homeostatic control combined with the influences of colony size and larval density, suggest that fire ant caste distributions do not track short-term environmental contingencies. Nevertheless, the general relationship between worker size and colony size is almost certainly adaptive.
Active Compressor Stability Management and Impact on Engine Operability

A new, innovative compressor stability management system is described. The system combines surge precursor detection using a single pressure sensor with a control scheme utilizing existing actuators. A digital simulation of a small turbo-shaft engine is used to demonstrate the benefits of this system towards engine operability. Three dierent actuators are evaluated. Both fuel and bleed actuation are found to be suitable for surge avoidance. In contrast, guide vanes, which could be used for anticipatory surge margin enhancement, are found to be ineective when used actively.
Long-Term Effects in Models with Temporal Dependence

A dominant trend in models with binary outcomes is to control for unmodeled duration dependence by including temporal dependence variables. A second, distinct trend is to interpret both the short- and long-term effects of explanatory variables in autoregressive models. While the first trend is nearly ubiquitous in models with binary outcomes, the second trend has yet to be applied consistently beyond models with continuous outcomes. While scholars use temporal splines and cubic polynomials to model the underlying hazard rate, they have neglected the fact that this causes the explanatory variables to have a long-term effect (LTE) by modifying the future values of the temporal dependence variables. In this article, I propose a simple technique that estimates a wide range of probabilistic LTEs in models with temporal dependence variables. These effects can range from simple LTEs for a one-time change in an explanatory variable to more complex scenarios where effects change in magnitude with time and compound across repeated events. I then replicate Clare's (2010, Ideological fractionalization and the international conflict behavior of parliamentary democracies. International Studies Quarterly 54:965–87) examination of the influence of government fractionalization on conflict behavior to show that failing to interpret the results within the context of temporal dependence underestimates the total impact of fractionalization by neglecting LTEs.
Effect of habitat characteristics on the probability of parasitism and predation of Bell's vireo nests

Because habitat characteristics may influence rates of brood parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) and nest predation, we investigated the effects of nest-patch and habitat-patch characteristics on brood parasitism and predation of Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii) nests in grassland-shrub habitats in central Missouri, USA. We developed multivariate logistic regression models explaining parasitism and predation from variables measured at 142 and 130 nests, respectively. We ranked models based on Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC c ) and reported models that differed by <1 AIC c unit from the minimum AIC c value as candidates for the best model. We identified 5 candidate models explaining parasitism that included 9-11 variables and R 2 = 0.358-0.386. Nest-patch width, territory shrub cover, distance to crop field, site, year, site x territory shrub cover, nest height x side concealment, patch width x length, and habitat type x patch length were in all models. We identified 5 candidate models explaining predation with 3-5 variables and R 2 = 0.165-0.199. Parasitism status, patch width, and patch length or patch length x site appeared in all models. Overall, our models provide support for hypotheses that increased nest concealment, amount of nest cover, and nest height affect on nest predation and parasitism. Nest-patch width was a factor in most models but in the opposite direction predicted by these hypotheses. Interactions among some variables also produced habitat and site-specific exceptions to predictions by these hypotheses. We hypothesize that the best overall method to increase nest success in existing grassland shrub habitats is to increase the density of large shrub patches.
A Local Loss Reduction Method Based on Injected Power Sensitivity

Due to the unbalanced distribution of grid structure,power supply and load,the local line loss is often excessively high in grid operation,which seriously affected the economic gird operation. However,the global optimization methods often can not achieve ideal results. This paper proposes a local loss reduction method based on injected power sensitivity,which can reduce the loss of local lines quickly and effectively on the premise that the whole network loss rate does not rise. Firstly,the model of loss reduction rate is established,which can transform the problem of reducing the line loss rate into the problem of adjusting the power injection. Then it determins the generator nodes and the reactive power compensation nodes which need adjusting in the process of the loss reduction by sensitivity calculation and calculates the adjustment of injected power according to the principle of equal and opposite adjustment in pairs. Finally,according to the requirements of the grid security constraints,logarithmic barrier penalty function is used to modify the adjustment which causes the system to be off-limited. Through analyzing the example of IEEE 118 node system,the effectiveness and rapidity of this method were verified.