cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sustainable Business Through Cost Management and Control

What does it take to create a great business model? It is surely nothing other than being sustainable and I believe you acquiesce to it. When we say sustainable, it simply means not violating the rules of nature but still very much in business. In business management, the control and management of "Cost" holds a position of profound and paramount importance. It is not just the "Cost", but the "Sustainable Cost" wherein a business organization operates and accommodates the cost of being socially and environmentally responsible in its cost and business model. It encompasses taking on board the best and highly skilled employees, ensuring employee safety and security, curbing environmental impacts, focusing on desired quality of product and services commensurate with price. Here, Cost Management comes as a handy tool in the hand of management which provides sustainable cost management for long-term sustainability of business. This paper tries to lay down a conceptual framework about how sustainable cost management can lead to sustainable business growth and development. This paper tries to prove its value relevance by analyzing and showcasing various cost management techniques which together can be used as an instrument of business sustainability. It is also an attempt to appreciate the concept of business sustainability through cost management at theoretical level.
The Pareto Rule for Frequently Purchased Packaged Goods: An Empirical Generalization

Many markets have historically been dominated by a small number of best-selling products. The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, describes this common pattern of sales concentration. Several papers have provided empirical evidence to explain the Pareto rule, although with limited data. This article provides a comprehensive empirical investigation on the extent to which the Pareto rule holds for mass-produced and distributed brands in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry. We used a rich consumer panel dataset from A.C. Nielsen with 6 years of purchase histories from over 100,000 households. Our analysis utilizes a large number of potential factors such as brand attributes, category attributes, and consumer purchase behavior to explain variation in the Pareto ratio at the brand level across products. Our main conclusion is that the Pareto principle generally holds across a wide variety of CPG categories with the mean Pareto ratio at the brand level across product categories of .73. Several variables related to consumer purchase behavior (e.g., purchase frequency and purchase expenditure) are found to be positively correlated with the Pareto ratio. In addition, niche brands are more likely to have a higher Pareto ratio. Finally, brand/category size, promotion variables, change-of-pace brands, and market competition variables are negatively correlated with the Pareto ratio.
Piston-Type Optical Modulator for Dynamic Thermal Radiation Tuning Applications

This study introduces a movable piston-like structure that provides a simple and cost-effective avenue for dynamically tuning thermal radiation. This structure leverages two materials with dissimilar optical responses—graphite and aluminum—to modulate from a state of high reflectance to a state of high absorptance. A cavity is created in the graphite to house an aluminum cylinder, which is displaced to actuate the device. In its raised state, the large aluminum surface area promotes a highly reflective response, while in its lowered state, the expanded graphite surface area and blackbody cavity-like interactions significantly enhance absorptance. By optimizing the area ratio, reflectance tunability of over 30% is achieved for nearly the entire ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelength regions. Furthermore, a theoretical analysis postulates wavelength-dependent effectivenesses as high as 0.70 for this method, indicating that tunabilities approaching 70% can be achieved by exploiting near-ideal absorbers and reflectors. The analog nature of this control method allows for an infinitely variable optical response between the upper and lower bounds of the device. These valuable characteristics would enable this material structure to serve practical applications, such as reducing cost and energy requirements for environmental temperature management operations.
Molecular Scattering from Surfaces (Theory)

In this chapter, the concepts and methods associated with the scattering of molecules from clean, perfectly periodic solid surfaces are introduced. Scattering from adsorbate covered and/or nonperiodic surfaces will not be discussed, since these areas are much more complex computationally and/or insufficiently advanced conceptually. Even with this restriction, such a wide variety of physical phenomena can occur in the scattering that it will not be possible to describe these within the confines of a single chapter. And, of course, in such a chapter no attempt will even be made to provide a comprehensive list of references. First the types of phenomena will be mentioned and then the restricted range will be considered.
Towards fully-computerized database maintenance for non-traditional appliances

Database management systems are widely used in business data processing to automate many low-level tasks. However, they are not powerful enough to be used as database managers for advanced applications such as tactical weapons systems, industrial manufacturing systems, and integrated corporate information systems. This paper addresses the issues related to developing database systems capable of providing full data management support for advanced application areas. Specifically, the paper will list the requirements of an advanced database manager and present our effort in designing a database management system for computer integrated manufacturing.
Energy intake misreporting among children and adolescents: a literature review

While adults' energy intake misreporting is a well-documented phenomenon, relatively little is known about the nature and extent of misreporting among children and adolescents. Children's and adolescents' dietary reporting patterns are likely to be distinct because of their ongoing cognitive and social development. These developmental differences present unique challenges to aspects of dietary reporting, such as food knowledge, portion size estimation and response editing. This review of 28 articles describes energy intake misreporting among children and adolescents. Like adults, children and adolescents tended to underreport energy, with the largest biases observed with food records. Even when mean reported energy intake was close to its expected value, approximately half of all individuals were classified as misreporters, and overreporting appeared to be more common than it is among adults. Associations between numerous characteristics and misreporting were explored in the literature, with the most consistent findings for age and adiposity. Two predictors for adults, gender and social desirability, were not consistent factors among children and adolescents. The review concludes by highlighting knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research and practice.
Application of Electron-Transfer Theory to Several Systems of Biological Interest

Electron-transfer reaction rates are compared with theoretically calculated values for several reactions in the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center. A second aspect of the theory, the cross-relation, is illustrated using protein-protein electron-transfers.
CAMDA 2014: Making sense of RNA-Seq data: From low-level processing to functional analysis

Numerous methods of RNA-Seq data analysis have been developed, and there are more under active development. In this paper, our focus is on evaluating the impact of each processing stage; from pre-processing of sequencing reads to alignment/counting to count normalization to differential expression testing to downstream functional analysis, on the inferred functional pattern of biological response. We assess the impact of 6,912 combinations of technical and biological factors on the resulting signature of transcriptomic functional response. Given the absence of the ground truth, we use 2 complementary evaluation criteria: a) consistency of the functional patterns identified in 2 similar comparisons, namely effects of a naturally-toxic medium and a medium with artificially reconstituted toxicity, and b) consistency of the results in RNA-Seq and microarray versions of the same study. Our results show that despite high variability at the low-level processing stage (read pre-processing, alignment and counting)...
Amino Acid Sequences of Fifty Residues from the Amino Termini of the Tryptophan Synthetase α Chains of Several Enterobacteria

Abstract The sequences of the first 50 residues of the tryptophan synthetase α chains of Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhimurium, and Aerobacter aerogenes were determined and compared with the corresponding sequences of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida. On the basis of observed amino acid residue differences, and inferred nucleotide differences in the respective genes, similarity to the E. coli sequence decreases for the following species in the order: S. dysenteriae g (S. typhimurium, A. aerogenes) g P. putida. This order is examined in relation to the results of investigations employing other means of assessing genetic homology.
Abstract #2307: Expression of hemopexin domain of MMP-9 sensitizes resistant glioblastoma cells to radiation therapy

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 18-22, 2009; Denver, CO MMP-9 is a multidomain protease, which consists of a prodomain, a catalytic domain with three fibronectin-like type II modules and a C-terminal hemopexin-like domain (MMP-9-PEX). These domains play distinct roles in terms of proteolytic activity, substrate binding and interaction with the tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases. Our previous study has shown that endogenous expression of MMP-9-PEX significantly decreased the invasive capacity and angiogenic potential of human glioblastoma cells. Resistance of glioblastoma multiforme to radiotherapy poses a major clinical challenge. In this study we investigated the effects of adenovirus-mediated expression of MMP-9-PEX expression on radioresistant glioblastoma cells. We treated human glioblastoma cells with low dose fractionated irradiation and established radioresistant sublines. Parental and radioresistant glioblastoma cells were infected with the different MOIs of the control and MMP-9-PEX expressing adenoviral particles and were evaluated for cell survival, induction of apoptosis, radiosensitivity, invasion and angiogenic capabilities. Our data show that MMP-9-PEX significantly increases the radio- and chemosensitivity of resistant glioblastoma cells. Furthermore, MMP-9-PEX transduction enhanced the induction of apoptosis and it also downregulated the invasive and angiogenic capabilities in radioresistant glioblastoma cells. Taken together, our results suggest that adenovirus-mediated MMP-9-PEX expression significantly sensitizes human glioblastoma cells to ionizing radiation and it supports the use of MMP-9-PEX for targeting radioresistant cancers. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 2307.
Targeting breast cancer with sugar-coated carbon nanotubes

Aims: To evaluate the use of glucosamine functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (glyco-MWCNTs) for breast cancer targeting. Materials & methods: Two types of glucosamine functionalized MWCNTs were developed (covalently linked glucosamine and non-covalently phospholipid-glucosamine coated) and evaluated for their potential to bind and target breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Results & conclusion: Binding of glyco-MWCNTs in breast cancer cells is mediated by specific interaction with glucose transporters. Glyco-MWCNTs prepared by non-covalent coating with phospholipid-glucosamine displayed an extended blood circulation time, delayed urinary clearance, low tissue retention and increased breast cancer tumor accumulation in vivo. These studies lay the foundation for development of a cancer diagnostic agent based upon glyco-MWCNTs with the potential for superior accuracy over current radiopharmaceuticals.
Correction to “Harish-Chandra’s Plancherel theorem for -adic groups”

K. Hiraga [1] has informed the author that the proof of Theorem 5 given in [2] is incorrect, and he has also supplied a correct proof for this result. In what follows the author will present, with insignificant modifications, the example and the argument of Hiraga's letter. First, as Hiraga points out, the numbers C(n) of [2, 3.28] are not in general finite, as the following example makes clear. We employ the notation of [2]. Let 7T denote a prime element of the p-field Q. For the moment take G = GL3, P the upper triangular subgroup, and N the lower triangular unipotent subgroup of G. The set F of [2, ?2], a fundamental set for the Cartan decomposition of G /Z7 consists of the set of matrices El-#2 ~0 0 m=O IT-F2 0 [ 0 0 1
Regulation of fatty acid utilization in heart. Role of the carnitine-acetyl-CoA transferase and carnitine-acetyl carnitine translocase system.

Abstract The reversibility of the carnitine-acetyl-CoA transferase and the carnitine-acetyl carnitine translocase system was studied in mitochondria isolated from rat heart muscle. Incubation of mitochondria with external acetyl-carnitine raised the levels of mitochondrial matrix acetyl-CoA and decreased free CoA. Total CoA and long chain acyl-CoA levels were not affected. A maximum increase in matrix acetyl-CoA was achieved with an acetyl-carnitine concentration of 2.5 m m . When free carnitine was added to mitochondria preloaded with acetyl-CoA, a rapid decrease in matrix acetyl-CoA and rise in free CoA occurred illustrating that matrix acetyl-CoA can transfer acetyl units to external carnitine. Incubation of mitochondria with both acetyl-carnitine and free CoA resulted in a large rise in external acetyl-CoA suggesting that the carnitine-acetyl-CoA transferase system is capable of producing acetyl-CoA in the cytosol. These data support the hypothesis that the carnitine-acetyl-CoA transferase and carnitine-acetyl carnitine translocase system provides the communication between the mitochondrial matrix and cytosolic spaces for coupling rates of cytosolic fatty acid activation with mitochondrial oxidative rates.
General-relativistic plasma physics in the early Universe.

We apply the ``3+1'' formalism of Thorne and Macdonald to construct the linearized theory of a general-relativistic electron-positron plasma in the early Universe. Close formal correspondence between the theory of such plasmas and that of their special-relativistic counterparts is demonstrated. The time variation of the plasma modes due to the expansion of the background is determined for the case of a radiation-dominated Universe; it is found that the frequencies of the basic modes redshift like the frequency of a free photon. A simple kinetic argument is used to justify the neglect of creation and annihilation (collisional) effects. The formulation is sufficiently straightforward to be readily amenable to numerical implementation. Our results can be applied to the study of the origin of primordial intergalactic magnetic fields, as well as to the problem of matter fluctuations in the early Universe.
Functional morphology of the lemuriform wrist joints and the relationship between wrist morphology and positional behavior in arboreal primates

A comparative study of carpal joint structure and function in six Malagasy lemuriforms was undertaken to test predicted morphoclines in carpal joint morphology between pronograde and orthograde arboreal primates. Patterns of movement at the wrist during locomotion were observed and described for the lemuriform species Lemur fulvus and Propithecus verreauxi. Lemur fulvus, which assumes a pronograde posture during locomotion, extends and pronates the wrist during the support phase of quadrupedal walking and running stride cycles. Furthermore, the forearm of this species exhibits some transverse movement across the proximal wrist joint during the support phase. In contrast, the indriid Propithecus maintains the hand and wrist in a flexed and partially supinated position during vertical clinging and suspensory postures. Habitual quadrupedal and vertical postures in Malagasy primates are in turn related to very different patterns of carpal joint morphology and articular mechanics. Those lemurs which are predominantly pronograde share a series of structural features related to stabilizing the antebrachiocarpal joint during extension and mediolateral deviation and the midcarpal joint during pronation: an intraarticular labrum is present on the inner portion of the radiocarpal ligament, the radiocarpal articular surface is quite flat dorsoventrally, the capitate-trapezoid embrasure is expanded dorsally, and development of the radial and ulnar styloids is more pronounced. The wrists of Propithecus, Avahi, and Lepilemur (vertical clingers) differ from those of quadrupedal lemuriforms in possessing a suite of morphological features related to stabilizing the wrist during antebrachiocarpal flexion and midcarpal supination: the radiocarpal articular surface is deeply curved and tilted anteriorly, the dorsal radiocarpal ligament is very broad, thick, and fibrous, the hamate's triquetral facet is directed proximodistally, and the capitate-trapezoid embrasure is dorsally constricted and expanded palmarly. These observed contrasts in carpal form and function are used to define further the morphological features related to orthograde posture in several lineages of arboreal primates. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Operationalizing the capability approach to assessing well-being

Abstract We consider the conditions under which a singular concentration on objective measures of well-being embodied in the capability approach formulation provide unambiguous guidelines to policymakers who seek to reduce discrepancies between potential and realized outcomes. A consensus benefit of the capability approach is its open-endedness regarding what constitutes the evaluative space and thus its adaptability to particular settings. We present the customary formal statement of the approach and a kindred version involving parental care for a child. We show that to unambiguously explain and to predict what happens in the child's evaluative space, whether this space be potential opportunities, realized achievements, or both, the capability approach requires careful attention to the curvatures of those functions as well as variable interactions central to it.
Changes in care associated with the introduction of a postpartum hemorrhage patient safety program.

Objective To determine whether the introduction of a postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) patient safety program was associated with changes in patient care or outcomes. Study Design A multipronged patient safety program regarding PPH was instituted at a tertiary care maternity hospital. Patient care and outcomes were assessed for 6 months prior to (period A) and 6 months after (period B) program institution. Results In all, 278 and 341 women were diagnosed with PPH during periods A and B, respectively. Women who had a PPH after the program were more likely to receive more than one dose of prostaglandin F2 α (24% versus 9%, p = 0.01) and more than one type of uterotonic (34% versus 25%, p = 0.02) and to have a B-lynch suture placed (9.4% versus 4.7%, p = 0.03). The frequency of blood transfusion, hysterectomy, and intensive care unit admission were similar between periods. Conclusion Introduction of a PPH safety program resulted in several indications of a more quickly escalated response.
Simple moment-based inferences of generalized concordance correlation

We proposed two simple moment-based procedures, one with (GCCC1) and one without (GCCC2) normality assumptions, to generalize the inference of concordance correlation coefficient for the evaluation of agreement among multiple observers for measurements on a continuous scale. A modified Fisher's Z-transformation was adapted to further improve the inference. We compared the proposed methods with U-statistic-based inference approach. Simulation analysis showed desirable statistical properties of the simplified approach GCCC1, in terms of coverage probabilities and coverage balance, especially for small samples. GCCC2, which is distribution-free, behaved comparably with the U-statistic-based procedure, but had a more intuitive and explicit variance estimator. The utility of these approaches were illustrated using two clinical data examples.
On the Feasibility of Predicting Radiological Observations from Computational Imaging Features of Liver Lesions in CT Scans

We aim to predict radiological observations using computationally-derived imaging features extracted from CT images. Our dataset consists of 79 portal venous phase liver CT images containing lesions identified and annotated by a radiologist using a controlled vocabulary of 76 semantic terms. Computationally-derived features were extracted describing intensity, texture, shape, and edge sharpness. Linear discriminative analysis, logistic regression and LASSO were explored to predict the radiological observations using computational features. The approach was evaluated by leave one out cross-validation. Informative radiological observations such as lesion enhancement, hyper vascular attenuation, and homogeneous retention were discovered to be well-predicted by computational features. By exploiting relationships between computable and semantic features, this approach could lead to more accurate and efficient radiology reporting.
Are Social Workers Really Burned Out? An Analysis between Rural and Urban Social Workers

Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, this study assesses levels of burnout among rural and urban social workers using a self-administered random sample survey of 1,665 respondents across eight primarily rural states. Demographic, bivariate, and ordinary least squared regression methods reveal that while participants showed little burnout, and no differences were observed between rural and urban social workers, significant differences were identified within groups. FINDINGS suggest that differences within groups are based on length of time as a social worker and number of hours worked. In addition, social workers who were employed fewer years and worked longer hours showed higher levels of burnout. Language: en
What Makes Epothilones Stick

The potent epothilone tubulin polymerization promoters have been studied extensively by synthetic and SAR approaches. The paper by Buey et al. ([13], this issue of Chemistry & Biology) adds a new depth of mechanistic understanding by a careful analysis of the tubulin polymerization mechanism of the epothilones.
5f Band narrowing in UX3B compounds: Evidence from resonant photoemission☆

Abstract Resonant photoemission at the uranium 5d disorption edge has been used to determine the 5f emission in URu3, URh3, URu3B, and URh3B polycrystalline samples. The observed 5f band narrowing (from 2.0 to 1.5 eV as one goes from URu3 to URu3B, and from 2.8 to 1.1 eV for URh3 and URh3B respectively) is explained as being due to a decrease in the f-d hybridization between uranium and rhodium (ruthenium) atoms.
Pregnant women's perspectives on intendedness of pregnancy

This study examined whether intendedness is a valued characteristic of pregnancy and what factors influence women to risk unintended (unwanted or mistimed) pregnancy. Study participants were 24-34 weeks pregnant White or Black aged 18-30 and receiving prenatal care from a publicly funded clinic in North Carolina. Information gathered from 8 focus group sessions (14-15 participants each) revealed that: 1) the concept of a planned pregnancy had no meaning to many of the women; 2) religious beliefs helped people accept unintended pregnancy; 3) planning for pregnancy is a stressful concept because of potential disappointment; 4) unprotected intercourse without pregnancy leads to assumptions of infertility; 5) attitudes of male partners friends and family members influence women to risk pregnancy; 6) women adapt to unintended pregnancy very readily; 7) there are no uniform situational risks for unintended pregnancy; and 8) unintended pregnancies are more advantageous than not for some women. These results question the assumption that intendedness of pregnancy is preferred among low-income women or that the pregnancies are "subintended." While interventions to increase intendedness focus on access to contraception study participants reported no barriers to access as a reason for conception. Health educators should consider the ramifications of teaching that pregnancy can result from a single act of unprotected intercourse without also teaching that pregnancy can occur after several acts of unprotected intercourse. These findings suggest hypotheses that should be explored with further research.
A computational efficient iris extraction approach in unconstrained environments

This research introduces a noise-resistant and computational efficient segmentation approach towards less constrained iris recognition. The UBIRIS.v2 database which contains close-up eye images taken under visible light is used to test the proposed algorithm. The proposed segmentation approach is based on a modified and fast Hough transform augmented with a newly developed strategy to define iris boundaries with multi-arcs and multi-lines. This optimized iris segmentation approach achieves excellent results in both accuracy (2% error) and execution speed (≤0.5s / image) using a 2.4GHz Intel® Q6600 processor with 2GB of RAM. This 2% error is an Exclusive-OR function in term of disagreeing pixels between the correct iris considered by the NICE.I committee and the segmented results from the proposed approach. The segmentation performance was independently evaluated in the “Noisy Iris Challenge Evaluation”, involving 97 participants worldwide, and ranking this research group in the top 6.
Publication bias and heterogeneity in the relationship between systolic blood pressure, birth weight, and catch-up growth--a meta analysis.

OBJECTIVE To use meta-analytic techniques to formally examine (1) publication bias, and (2) between-study heterogeneity in the reported regression coefficient of systolic blood pressure (SBP) on birth weight, adjusting for current weight. DATA IDENTIFICATION A total of 55 separate analyses reporting on 382 514 male and female subjects ranging from 0 to 75 years, summarized in a recent systematic review. RESULTS Some 52 of 55 analyses reported a negative regression coefficient (beta) of SBP on birth weight, adjusting for current size, and in 27 of 55 (49%) the 95% confidence interval (CI) did not include zero. A pooled estimate of the regression coefficient across studies under a random-effects model was -1.38 mmHg/kg (95% CI: -1.66 to -1.10). The magnitude of the regression coefficient was negatively correlated with the age of the study population (r = -0.44, P = 0.0007). However, there was strong evidence of publication bias with smaller studies tending to report more negative betas - the Pearson correlation between beta and its standard error (SE(beta)) was -0.55 (P < 0.0001). To examine independent effects, meta analysis regressions of beta on age and SE(beta) were run. After controlling for age, there remained strong evidence of publication bias (P = 0.002), whereas after controlling for publication bias as measured by SE(beta), the relationship between beta and age was not significant (P = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS This analysis strongly suggests, but does not prove, that publication bias is present when systematically examining the relationship between blood pressure and birth weight. Controlling for publication bias lessens the apparent relationship between the regression coefficient and age of the study population.
Piriformis muscle syndrome: An underdiagnosed cause of sciatica

This is a retrospective review of 26 patients with sciatica due to the piriformis muscle syndrome. Most patients had pain in the buttock area and sciatica, and most experienced difficulty walking and sitting, even for short periods of time. Reproduction of the sciatica upon deep palpation, either by gluteal or rectal route, was diagnostic. Reproduction of sciatica occurred in 92% of the patients upon deep digital palpation and in 100% of the patients upon rectal or pelvic examination. Other signs were helpful but not consistent. After the appropriate diagnosis, the treatment was relatively easy and rewarding. This study emphasizes that the diagnosis of piriformis muscle syndrome is clinical; without the appropriate clinical examination, it can be easily misdiagnosed.
Black cosmetologists promote diabetes awareness and screening among African American women.

PURPOSE This study evaluated several factors that were thought to contribute to African American women’s disproportionate incidence and sequelae of diabetes. METHODS African American women (1055) living in San Diego County completed surveys about diabetes-related beliefs, screening behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes. Participants’ ages ranged from 20 to 94 years, and 33.7% of the women reported completing college. RESULTS Mose of the women (59%) perceived diabetes to be a serious health threat to African American women. Thirty-two percent of the total sample and 37% of the high-risk group reported having been screened for diabetes within the past year. Nearly 37% reported never having been screened for diabetes, and 31% of those at above-average risk of developing diabetes could not recall ever having been screened. Women had a limited knowledge of the symptoms of diabetes, ways to decrease the risk factors and the sequelae of diabetes. Higher-risk women showed greater diabetes knowledge. CONCLUSIONS Most participants reported that diabetes was a significant threat to their health but lacked sufficient knowledge to protect themselves from the disease. A focused, aggressive education campaign could yield better health outcomes.
Observations on the process of wound repair in penaeid shrimp

Abstract The Petersen disk tag is a standard mark for penaeid shrimp, and attachment of the tag involves the insertion of a stainless steel pin through the shrimp's abdomen, resulting in a relatively large puncture wound. The wound healing process first observed at 24 hr post-tagging showed a pronounced hemocytic infiltration of the wound area. Hemocytes in contact with the pin became fusiform, began adhering to one another, and formed several concentric layers around the pin. Scattered foci of bacteria or nercrotic tissue in the vicinity of the would also became encapsulated by concentric layers of fusiform hemocytes, thereby forming nodules. Melanin appeared in association with the layers of hemocytes nearest the pin and in the nodules. Hemocytic infiltration was lollowed by the appearance of fibrocytes and the deposition of collagenlike fibers along the would channel 48 hr after wounding. Involution of epidermis and consequential cuticular involution into the would channel began at 96 hr after wounding. Complete epidermal and cuticular formation along the wound occurrd by 384 hr post-tagging.
Joint statistics of interference in a wireless communications link resulted from a poisson field of interferers

We consider a multi-user wireless communication scenario, where signal reception is often corrupted by interference from co-channel users. Under the assumptions that the path loss between the source and destination increases with distance in a power-law fashion, and that during each symbol interval the interferers form a Poisson point processes in space, which are independent between different symbols, it has been shown in the past that interference samples, obtained at symbol rate, constitute an i.i.d, α-stable process. The latter independence assumption, however, is unrealistic as it implies that the session life of each interferer is one symbol interval long only. In this paper we let the session life of each interferer be a random variable. We show that the resulting interference is non i.i.d. and derive its joint statistics. As a special case, a heavy-tail distributed session life results in long-range dependent interference. We validate our claims via simulations, and demonstrate the importance of taking into account the dependence of the interference when performing signal detection.
Corticotropin-releasing factor is secreted in the BE(2)-C neuroblastoma cell and is responsive to forskolin

Abstract The BE(2)-C human neuroblastoma has been shown to express corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) messenger RNA. In this study, BE(2)-C cells were treated 5 days with 5 μM retinoic acid. Cell extracts were also applied onto a C18 Vydac column and fractions were assayed for CRF-like immunoreactivity (CRF-LI) which coincided in time of elution with oxidized or non-oxidized CRF synthetic CRF standard. With forskolin treatment, secretion media and cell extract CRF-LI increased in a concentration-dependent fashion. Thus, this cell line synthesizes and secretes CRF and is a good model for studying CRF regulation.
A hot-film static-pressure probe

The procedure described involves calibrating the probe in the gas of interest over the range of temperatures and pressures anticipated in the wind-tunnel tests and then applying the calibration to reduce the data from those tests. Pressure readings from two probes, one having two hot-film sensors and an internal sonic orifice and the other connected to a conventional pressure gage, are recorded for several Reynolds numbers and compared. The conventional static-pressure probe with a pair of hot-film sensors and an interior sonic orifice is shown to provide the means of surveying flowfields in hypersonic flow at a rapid rate and with an accuracy of better than + or - 10%.
Decision Theory, Intelligent Planning and Counterfactuals

The ontology of decision theory has been subject to considerable debate in the past, and discussion of just how we ought to view decision problems has revealed more than one interesting problem, as well as suggested some novel modifications of classical decision theory. In this paper it will be argued that Bayesian, or evidential, decision-theoretic characterizations of decision situations fail to adequately account for knowledge concerning the causal connections between acts, states, and outcomes in decision situations, and so they are incomplete. Second, it will be argues that when we attempt to incorporate the knowledge of such causal connections into Bayesian decision theory, a substantial technical problem arises for which there is no currently available solution that does not suffer from some damning objection or other. From a broader perspective, this then throws into question the use of decision theory as a model of human or machine planning.
Sexual dimorphism and cultural evolution in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene of Europe

Abstract Dental, cranial and body size data are reviewed for European Upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic males and females. Over these three periods there is a substantial decrease in the level of sexual dimorphism. From separate analysis of trends occurring between males and females, it is shown that the major cause for this decrease in sexual dimorphism is gracilization of the males between the Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic. Reduction in males is related to shifting technological patterns associated with hunting and changes in the types of animals hunted. Further reduction in sexual dimorphism between the Mesolithic and Neolithic and from the Neolithic to modern European populations is shown to be more closely tied to changes occurring among females. Analysis of changing patterns of sexual dimorphism in Late Pleistocene and Holocene populations of Europe suggests an interrelationship between cultural and biological evolution.
Minority student informed retention strategies

Diversifying engineering programs is a major goal for almost all universities because expanding the diversity of students will broaden and enrich the knowledge and experience associated with the science, technology, engineering and mathematics community. This study looked to explore those factors that contribute to minority students' success and more precisely what contributed to their success the most so that recommendations could be made on how universities can improve their minority student retention. In order to do this, African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, and Native American undergraduate engineering students of various disciplines were interviewed using theoretically grounded qualitative methods. The transcripts were coded for patterns using NVivo qualitative analysis software and the patterns found are described in detail within this paper. These patterns gave us insight into the factors that contribute to minority students' success and therefore lead to recommendations on ways for college campuses to encourage and foster their minority students' success. The insights reported in this paper will hopefully help universities make changes that will greatly improve the success of their minority students in engineering majors.
Lattice distortion by guest molecules in gas-hydrates

Abstract A modification incorporating the distortion of the host lattice by the guest molecule, for van der Waals and Plateeuw's Thermodynamic model for prediction of hydrate equilibrium is suggested. The impact of the guest molecule on the interaction energy and hence the stability of the lattice is studied. Improved equilibrium prediction is achieved by considering the perturbation effect by the guest molecule on the host lattice.
Investigation of γ-ray induced polymer formation in the carboranes—IX Oligomerization of 1-phenyl-o-carborane

Abstract The γ-ray radiolysis of pure 1-phenyl- o -carborane in the solid state at 31°C resulted in the formation of hydrogen, methane, ethylene and benzene gases, as well as, solid products which were determined to be the adduct dimer, trimer and tetramer of 1-phenyl- o -carborane and the cyclic trimer of o -carborane. The formation of the adduct oligomeric products has been shown to be a chain process which predominates at low total doses. Whereas, the reaction path leading to decomposition of 1-phenyl- o -carborane has been shown to be a non-chain process that predominates at high total doses.
Response to letter regarding article, "Heart failure with recovered ejection fraction: clinical description, biomarkers, and outcomes".

We thank Drs Psaty, Shah, and Gottdiener for their interest in our article. They expressed concern with our study methodology and, more specifically, our patient population. The Penn Heart Failure Study cohort was composed of patients who had heart failure for an average of 6 years before recruitment at 1 of 3 tertiary care centers.1 As the authors note, this delay in study enrollment selects for patients who survived early disease, but are sufficiently ill to require referral to a tertiary care center. This may introduce bias in the estimation of prognosis, and precludes analysis of …
Guidelines and Techniques for Improving the NEPA Process.

The Council on Environmental Quality`s (CEQ`s) principal aims in implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are (1) to reduce paperwork, (2) to avoid delay, and most importantly (3) to produce better decisions that protect, restore, and enhance the environment. This paper presents four strategies for improving the NEPA process along with tools that can be used to implement each strategy. The tools include guidelines for project management and problem definition, tips for acquiring existing information and identifying issues of public concern, worksheets on how to identify and analyze potential impacts on resources, ideas for enhancing NEPA documents, and a NEPA process checklist. The tools can be used at various stages of the NEPA process and provide a toolbox of guidelines and techniques to improve implementation of the NEPA process by focusing the pertinent information for decisionmakers and stakeholders.
Observations on the placental exchange of the respiratory gases in pregnant ewes at high altitude.

The oxygen and carbon dioxide contents and tensions have been determined in the maternal arterial, uterine venous, umbilical arterial and umbilical venous bloods respectively, at selected stages in gestation in a series of pregnant sheep bred and pastured at high altitude—circa 14,000–15,000 ft.—in the Peruvian Andes. The results demonstrate that despite the lowered oxygen tension in the maternal uterine, and presumably in the maternal placental capillaries, the oxygen tension in the umbilical vessels is similar to that reported for fetuses carried by ewes at sea level. The probable mechanisms through which the fetus carried by a ewe at altitude obtains an adequate oxygen supply from the maternal blood despite the lowered tension in that source are discussed.
Planting Time For Early-Season Pearl Millet and Grain Sorghum in Nebraska

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is a potential crop for the Great Plains, but there are few studies on production practices. The research objective was to determine the optimal planting time for pearl milletin Nebraska relative to sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. This would optimize pearl millet yields, thus increasing the prospect for pearl millet as a crop. Studies were conducted on Sharpsburg silty clay loam (fine, smectitic, mesic, Typic Argiudoll) and Ortello sandy loam (coarse-loamy, mixed, mesic, Udic Haplustoll) soils between 1995 and 2001. Optimal planting times were determined by relating yields with calendar date, cumulative air heat units, cumulative soil heat units, and soil temperatures. Relative yields related to air or soil heat units were effective in determining the optimal planting time. Optimum pearl millet planting times were 399 air heat units or 410 soil heat units after 1 April for the Sharpsburg soil and 406 soil heat units for the Ortello soil. The optimal sorghum planting time was 308 air heat units or 307 soil heat units after 1 April for the Sharpsburg soil and 402 air heat units after 1 April for the Ortello soil. Both crops had large planting time windows, allowing flexibility in planting time. Sorghum outyielded pearl millet for May and early- to mid-June planting times by 0.57 to 2.32 Mg ha while pearl millet had higher yields by 0.95 to 1.20 Mg ha - 1 for late June and July planting times. Sorghum produced greater yields than pearl millet for most planting times while pearl millet produced greater yields than sorghum for very late planting times.
The critical value of György Márkus’s philosophical anthropology Rereading Marxism and Anthropology: The Concept of ‘Human Essence’ in the Philosophy of Marx

This article critically re-reads Gyorgy Markus’s seminal Marxism and Anthropology in light of its recent reissue with an introduction by Hans Joas and Axel Honneth. Joas and Honneth problematically...
On-line adaptive compression in delay sensitive wireless sensor networks

Compression, as a popular technique to reduce data size by exploiting data redundancy, can be used in delay sensitive wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to reduce end-to-end packet delay as it can reduce packet transmission time and contention on the wireless channel. However, the limited computing resources at sensor nodes make the processing time of compression a nontrivial factor in the total delay a packet experiences and must be carefully examined when adopting compression. In this paper, we first study the effect of compression on data gathering in WSNs under a practical compression algorithm. We observe that that compression does not always reduce the packet delay in a WSN as commonly perceived, whereas its effect is jointly determined by the network configuration and hardware configuration. Based on this observation, we design an adaptive algorithm to make on-line decisions such that compression is only performed when it can benefit the overall performance. We implement the algorithm in a completely distributed manner that utilizes only local information of individual sensor nodes. Our extensive experimental results show that the algorithm demonstrates good adaptiveness to network dynamics and maximizes compression benefit.
Fish environmental DNA is more concentrated in aquatic sediments than surface water

Abstract Genetic identification of aqueous environmental DNA (eDNA) provides site occupancy inferences for rare aquatic macrofauna that are often easier to obtain than direct observations of organisms. This relative ease makes eDNA sampling a valuable tool for conservation biology. Research on the origin, state, transport, and fate of eDNA shed by aquatic macrofauna is needed to describe the spatiotemporal context for eDNA-based occupancy inferences and to guide eDNA sampling design. We tested the hypothesis that eDNA is more concentrated in surficial sediments than in surface water by measuring the concentration of aqueous and sedimentary eDNA from an invasive fish, bigheaded Asian carp (Hypophthalmichthys spp.), in experimental ponds and natural rivers. We modified a simple, low-cost DNA extraction method to yield inhibitor-free eDNA from both sediment and water samples. Carp eDNA was 8–1800 times more concentrated per gram of sediment than per milliliter of water and was detected in sediments up to 132 days after carp removal – five times longer than any previous reports of macrobial eDNA persistence in water. These results may be explained by particle settling and/or retarded degradation of sediment-adsorbed DNA molecules. Compared to aqueous eDNA, sedimentary eDNA could provide a more abundant and longer-lasting source of genetic material for inferring current-or-past site occupancy by aquatic macrofauna, particularly benthic species. However, resuspension and transport of sedimentary eDNA could complicate the spatiotemporal inferences from surface water sampling, which is currently the predominant eDNA-based approach. We discuss these implications in the context of conservation-oriented monitoring in aquatic ecosystems.
Evidence for a Twelfth Large Earthquake on the Southern Hayward Fault in the Past 1900 Years

We present age and stratigraphic evidence for an additional paleoearth- quake at the Tyson Lagoon site. The acquisition of 19 additional radiocarbon dates and the inclusion of this additional event has resolved a large age discrepancy in our earlier earthquake chronology. The age of event E10 was previously poorly con- strained, thus increasing the uncertainty in the mean recurrence interval (RI), a critical factor in seismic hazard evaluation. Reinspection of many trench logs revealed sub- stantial evidence suggesting that an additional earthquake occurred between E10 and E9 within unit u45. Strata in older u45 are faulted in the main fault zone and overlain by scarp colluviums in two locations. We conclude that an additional surface- rupturing event (E9.5) occurred between E9 and E10. Since 91 A.D. (40 yr, 1σ), 11 paleoearthquakes preceded the M 6:8 earthquake in 1868, yielding a mean RI of 161 65 yr (1σ, standard deviation of recurrence intervals). However, the standard error of the mean (SEM) is well determined at 10 yr. Since ∼1300 A.D., the mean rate has increased slightly, but is indistinguishable from the overall rate within the uncertainties. Recurrence for the 12-event sequence seems fairly regular: the coeffi- cient of variation is 0.40, and it yields a 30-yr earthquake probability of 29%. The apparent regularity in timing implied by this earthquake chronology lends support for the use of time-dependent renewal models rather than assuming a random process to forecast earthquakes, at least for the southern Hayward fault. Online Material: Twelve-event Oxcal model for paleoearthquakes of the Hayward fault.