cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A distributed sensor fusion algorithm for the inversion of sparse fields

The objective of the Field Inversion by Consensus and Compressed Sensing (FICCS) algorithm is to use local communications for the distributed estimation of a field, observed by a network of sensors.We use a variation of distributed average consensus algorithms to create tailored linear projections that lead to accurate l 1 -inversions of the sensed field. By spreading information throughout the network, we eliminate the need for a fusion center. To demonstrate the algorithm, we use the example of localizing multiple discrete acoustic sources with knowledge of the propagation medium. We show noiseless and noisy inversion performance in simulation as a function of the number of observation projections computed and discuss the scalability of the approach with network size.
Influences of land-use change and edges on soil respiration in a managed forest landscape, WI, USA

A critical issue in landscape ecology is to understand the effects of disturbances on landscape processes. While there is increasing interest in examining the ecological consequences associated with changes in landscape structure and composition, little is known about how soil respiration across landscapes might be affected within this context. We examined field-season soil respiration rates (SRR) and soil carbon fluxes in a managed landscape in northern Wisconsin related to land-use change, area-ofedge influence (between non-forested bare ground (NFBG) and other forest cover types), and spatial variation. We estimated SRR for all six cover types classified from Landsat images of 1972 and 2001 across the entire landscape using published SRR‐Ts (soil temperature at 5-cm depth) models developed based on data collected in the study area. Between the 2 years, the landscapelevel mean SRR increased by 0.5% (mainly as a result of a 33% increase in the proportion of young forests proportion), varying from � 2.6 to 4% among 16 sub-landscapes, suggesting spatial variation in land-cover composition can affect landscape-level SRR significantly. If the influence of edges was considered, landscape mean SRR further increased by 0.03% in 1972 and 0.16% in 2001 as a result of an increase in NFBG from 3.1% in 1972 to 9.2% in 2001. Both land-use change and edges influence landscape-level SRR, but at different magnitudes. The former caused � 4% variation in landscape-level SRR while the latter, associated with increase in NFBG, introduced an additional 0.01‐0.26% increase in landscape-level SRR. Smaller than expected edge influences on landscape-level SRR were partly due to the offset of Ts changes in the forested and NFBG sides of the edges. We present an empirical equation to predict edge influences on net changes in landscape-level SRR using net changes in two representative, class-level (NFBG) indices that are easily calculated from an existing spatial pattern analysis program. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Design and Analysis of a Stage-Scaled Distributed Power Amplifier

This paper presents the design, analysis, and measurement of a pseudodifferential distributed power amplifier in a 0.13-μm SiGe BiCMOS process. To mitigate the large loaded transmission line loss due to bipolar base resistance, emitter degeneration is used and an optimal small-signal design point is selected for maximum gain-bandwidth product. To enhance the efficiency of distributed amplifiers (DAs), a stage-scaling technique is proposed to utilize more voltage swing while reducing the total current consumption. The output power and efficiency of the amplifier are evaluated as a function of two scaling coefficients. The fabricated distributed power amplifier achieves a small-signal gain of 10 dB and a 3-dB bandwidth of 110 GHz. The measured midband saturated output power is 17.5 dBm with a peak power-added efficiency (PAE) of 13.2% and the 3-dB output power bandwidth is greater than 77 GHz. The amplifier consumes 119 mA from a 3-V supply and occupies an area of 2.08 mm × 1.05 mm. Compared to a uniform nonscaled DA fabricated in the same process, the stage-scaled amplifier achieves the same output power with higher collector efficiency and PAE over the entire measured frequency range.
Structure in locally optimal solutions

A class of local search problems, PLS (polynomial-time local search), as defined by D.S. Johnson et al. (see J. Comput. Syst. Sci., vol.37, no.1, p.79-100 (1988)) is considered. PLS captures much of the structure of NP problems at the level of their feasible solutions and neighborhoods. It is first shown that CNF (conjunctive normal form) satisfiability is PLS-complete, even with simultaneously bounded size clauses and bounded number of occurrences of variables. This result is used to show that traveling salesman under the k-opt neighborhood is also PLS-complete. It is argued that PLS-completeness is the normal behavior of NP-complete problems. >
Steady solidification of non-newtonian fluid flowing in a round tube

The problem of steady solidification of a power law fluid flowing in a round tube was solved numerically. The fluid considered was a polymer with temperature dependent viscosity. The mathematical solution was obtained by using an implicit finite difference method. Results are presented to show the effects of the Peclet number, Nahme number, and the power law index on the profiles of the frozen layer. Melt temperature profiles at different axial locations are also presented.
Sen no Rikyū and the Japanese Way of Tea: Ethics and Aesthetics of the Everyday

ABSTRACTSen no Rikyū (1522–1591) was a tea master who consecutively served Japan's two warlords in the turbulent feudal era. Rikyū synthesized wabi tea into ethics and aesthetics by applying it to every aspect of the ceremony, from the tea setting to the physical environment, and from the manner of making and drinking tea to the way of interacting with the environment. By producing artifacts and environments that clearly showcased the incomplete, imperfect, and impermanent nature of their physical aspects, Rikyū succeeded in guiding tea participants to the ontological contemplation of their own imperfect and transient existence. Henri Lefebvre (1901–1991) and Jurgen Habermas (1929–) both find a deterioration of human values in modernized societies and seek a reconciliation in the study of the everyday. Rikyū's ethics and aesthetics offer instruction on how to find the meaning of our existence in a simple act of sustenance.
Pulse duration dependence in a Preisach accommodation model

This paper illustrates the use of the dynamic Preisach model with accommodation in calculating the remanence after the application of two pulses. The DOK model is used to calculate the state-dependent locally reversible magnetization.
The ecology of languages

Este artigo discute o ciclo de vidas das linguas. Algumas linguas morrem, outras nascem e outras sofrem profundas mudancas na forma e na estrutura. Consideraremos aqui tres mudancas na historia do Ingles: perda de genitivo cindido, introducao de novas categorias flexionais e perda de movimento do verbo. De acordo com a nossa proposta, essas mudancas sao resultado de reanalise durante o processo de acquisicao devido a interacao entre os dados linguisticos primarios e a gramatica universal. Esses processos de reanalise na linguagem conduzem o nascimento gradual de novas linguas.
Analysis of particulate removal in venturi scrubbers—effect of operating variables on performance

A theoretical model of venturi scrubber performance consisting of the governing differential equations for momentum, material, and energy exchange is solved using a Milne fourth-order predictor—Hamming corrector numerical integration procedure. The model provides for specification of the operating variables, including scrubber geometry, throat gas velocity, liquid to gas loading ratio, and collector droplet and particle-size distributions. Liquid loading ratio and gas velocity are shown to be the two most important operating variables, while the dispersity of the droplet size distribution only slightly affects collection efficiency over the operating range normally encountered. Location of the liquid injection site and length of the throat are also important design considerations. While particle collection in venturi scrubbers has typically been assumed to occur in the potential flow regime, the present results show that collection can also occur under conditions corresponding to viscous flow about the collecting droplets. The transition Reynolds number used to change from the potential to viscous flow equations affects the predicted performance.
Bacterial Pneumonia, HIV Therapy, and Disease Progression among HIV-Infected Women in the HIV Epidemiologic Research (HER) Study

Background. To determine the rate and predictors of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia and its effect on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease progression in HIV-infected women, we performed a multiple-site, prospective study of HIV-infected women in 4 cities in the United States. Methods. During the period of 1993-2000, we observed 885 HIV-infected and 425 HIV-uninfected women with a history of injection drug use or high-risk sexual behavior. Participants underwent semiannual interviews, and CD4 + lymphocyte count and viral load were assessed in HIV-infected subjects. Data regarding episodes of bacterial pneumonia were ascertained from medical record reviews. Results. The rate of bacterial pneumonia among 885 HIV-infected women was 8.5 cases per 100 person-years, compared with 0.7 cases per 100 person-years in 425 HIV-uninfected women (P<.001). In analyses limited to follow-up after 1 January 1996, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) use were associated with a decreased risk of bacterial pneumonia. Among women who had used TMP-SMX for 12 months, each month of HAART decreased bacterial pneumonia risk by 8% (adjusted hazard ratio [HR adj ], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89-0.95). Increments of 50 CD4 + cells/mm 3 decreased the risk (HR adj , 0.88; 95% CI, 0.84-0.93), and smoking doubled the risk (HR adj , 2.12; 95% CI, 1.26-3.55). Bacterial pneumonia increased mortality risk (HR adj , 5.02; 95% CI, 2.12-11.87), with adjustment for CD4 + lymphocyte count and duration of HAART and TMP-SMX use. Conclusions. High rates of bacterial pneumonia persist among HIV-infected women. Although HAART and TMP-SMX treatment decreased the risk, bacterial pneumonia was associated with an accelerated progression to death. Interventions that improve HAART utilization and promote smoking cessation among HIV-infected women are warranted.
Quantification of global myocardial oxygenation in humans: initial experience

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of our newly developed cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) methods to quantify global and/or regional myocardial oxygen consumption rate (MVO2) at rest and during pharmacologicallyinduced vasodilation in normal volunteers. Methods: A breath-hold T 2 quantification method is developed to calculate oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) and MVO2 rate at rest and/or during hyperemia, using a two-compartment model. A previously reported T2 quantification method using turbo-spin-echo sequence was also applied for comparison. CMR scans were performed in 6 normal volunteers. Each imaging session consisted of imaging at rest and during adenosine-induced vasodilation. The new T 2 quantification method was applied to calculate T2 in the coronary sinus (CS), as well as in myocardial tissue. Resting CS OEF, representing resting global myocardial OEF, and myocardial OEF during adenosine vasodilation were then calculated by the model. Myocardial blood flow (MBF) was also obtained to calculate MVO 2 , by using a first-pass perfusion imaging approach. Results: The T2 quantification method yielded a hyperemic OEF of 0.37 ± 0.05 and a hyperemic MVO2 of 9.2 ± 2.4 μmol/ g/min. The corresponding resting values were 0.73 ± 0.05 and 5.2 ± 1.7 μmol/g/min respectively, which agreed well with published literature values. The MVO 2 rose proportionally with rate-pressure product from the rest condition. The T2 sensitivity is approximately 95% higher with the new T2 method than turbo-spin-echo method. Conclusion: The CMR oxygenation method demonstrates the potential for non-invasive estimation of myocardial oxygenation, and should be explored in patients with altered myocardial oxygenation.
Mortality and light to moderate alcohol consumption after myocardial infarction

Summary Background Although heavy alcohol consumption increases total mortality, light to moderate consumption decreases cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in apparently healthy people. Since data are sparse on the relation of light to moderate alcohol intake to mortality in patients with previous myocardial infarction, we did a prospective study of mortality in men. Methods Of 90 150 men in the Physicians' Health Study enrolment cohort who provided information on alcohol intake and who had no history of cancer, stroke, or liver disease, 5358 had a previous myocardial infarction. We estimated alcohol consumption by food-frequency questionnaire. Findings During a mean follow-up of 5 years, 920 men died. After adjustment for several potential confounders, moderate alcohol intake was associated with a significant decrease in total mortality (p=0·016). Compared with men who rarely or never drank alcohol, those who drank one to four drinks per month had a relative risk for total mortality of 0·85 (95% CI 0·69-1·05); for two to four drinks per week, the relative risk was 0·72 (0·58-0·89); for one drink per day 0·79 (0·64-9·96); and for two or more drinks per day 0·84 (0·55-1·26). Interpretation Men with previous myocardial infarction who consume small to moderate amounts of alcohol have a lower total mortality.
Analyzing Social Safety Net and Employment Assistance Spending in Chinese Cities (对中国城市中社会保障和就业援助支出的分析)

As social harmony and stability become increasingly important to the Chinese policymakers, how to use government spending to help the unemployed and needy population becomes a key task. Unlike many western countries, China pursues a highly decentralized policy in social safety net and employment assistance spending. This paper explores the advantages and challenges of this fiscal arrangement, and uses data of about 330 Chinese cities between 2007 and 2010 to analyze how this spending evolved during the ups and downs in the national economy. Based on various descriptive analyses and a hierarchical model, our results show that the Chinese government has indeed increased social safety net spending significantly over time. However, contrary to our prior expectation, cities with higher gross regional products per capita and cities in the richer coastal provinces spend less per non-employed person, after controlling for the non-employment population ratio in the cities. In general, the share of SSNEA budget in the total general budget has remained relatively stable despite economic ups and downs. From this perspective, China seems to be quite successful in maintaining a balanced approach to social assistance and has avoided the over-expansion of welfare and pension spending that is being witnessed in many western countries. 随着中国政府决策者对社会和谐和稳定越来越重视，如何使用政府财政支出来帮助失业和贫困人群已成为一项关键性任务。与许多西方国家不同，中国在社会保障和就业援助支出方面执行高度分散的政策。本文对这种财政制度的优点和挑战进行了探讨，并使用2007年到2010年来自约400个中国城市的数据对中国经济周期中的社会保障和就业援助支出的演变过程进行了分析。基于多项描述性分析和分层模式，我们的研究结果显示中国政府这些年来确实显著提高了社会保障支出水平。但是，与我们之前的预期相反的是，在对城市中的失业人口比例进行对比后发现，区域人均产值较高的城市和较为富裕的沿海城市的失业人口平均支出却较低。总的来说，尽管经济有跌宕起伏，但是中国在社会保障和就业援助方面的财政预算占财政总预算中的比例却保持了相对稳定。从这个角度来看，中国在维持平衡的社会救助政策方面还是相当成功的，避免了许多西方国家出现的福利和养老金支出过度扩张所带来的问题。
Modeling and Simulation of Near-Earth Propagation in Presence of a Truncated Vegetation Layer

The far-field radiation from an infinitesimal electric dipole embedded inside a truncated vegetation layer above a dielectric ground plane is calculated in this paper. Through an application of the equivalence or Huygen's principle, a semi-exact solution for the received field at locations exterior to the vegetation layer is obtained by a surface-field integration technique in which the spatial domain of integration is over a plane containing the truncated face of the vegetation canopy. The numerical results are computed using stationary phase approximations and show improvement over those determined through an existing ray-tracing approach. Simulation results are also compared against measured data from controlled experiments carried out within a laboratory environment using a well-characterized scaled-replica of the propagation medium at a proportionally higher frequency. It is shown that ray-tracing provides accurate results at distant points from the vegetation truncation plane when the receiver height is large in terms of the wavelength but slightly underestimates the path loss when the receiver is close to the ground
Controlled levels of protein modification through a chromatography-mediated bioconjugation

Synthetically modified proteins are increasingly finding applications as well-defined scaffolds for materials. In practice it remains difficult to construct bioconjugates with precise levels of modification because of the limited number of repeated functional groups on proteins. This article describes a method to control the level of protein modification in cases where there exist multiple potential modification sites. A protein is first tagged with a handle using any of a variety of modification chemistries. This handle is used to isolate proteins with a particular number of modifications via affinity chromatography, and then the handle is elaborated with a desired moiety using an oxidative coupling reaction. This method results in a sample of protein with a well-defined number of modifications, and we find it particularly applicable to systems like protein homomultimers in which there is no way to discern between chemically identical subunits. We demonstrate the use of this method in the construction of a protein-templated light-harvesting mimic, a type of system which has historically been difficult to make in a well-defined manner.
Toward multimodal situated analysis

Multimodal analysis of human behavior is ultimately situated. The situated context of an instance of a behavior phenomenon informs its analysis. Starting with some initial (user-supplied) descriptive model of a phenomenon, accessing and studying instances in the data that are matches or near matches to the model is essential to refine the model to account for variations in the phenomenon. This inquiry requires viewing the instances within-context to judge their relevance. In this paper, we propose an automatic processing approach that supports this need for situated analysis in multimodal data. We process events on a semi-interval level to provide detailed temporal ordering of events with respect to instances of a phenomenon. We demonstrate the results of our approach and how it facilitates and allows for situated multimodal analysis.
A spatial analysis of forest management and its contribution to maintaining the extent of shrubland habitat in southern New England, United States

Conservation organizations in the northeastern United States (US) recommend forest clearcutting to create shrubland habitat, which is required by many wildlife species with declining populations. The planning of habitat management programs is hampered by a lack of information on the current extent of shrubland habitat and the current rate of forest clearcutting that creates shrubland habitat. We addressed these information gaps by using a combination of automated and manual approaches to determine the extent and spatial configuration of shrubland habitat and recent forest clearcuts. We focused on the state of Rhode Island because (a) it is representative of the northeastern US in terms of the prevalence of private ownership of forests, and the ongoing decline in the populations of many shrubland wildlife species; (b) federal, state and private conservation groups are actively promoting clearcuts to create shrubland habitat; (c) many state-wide GIS databases are available; and (d) the spatial extent of the state made our results both generalizable and politically relevant. Our fine-scale mapping allowed a detailed analysis of shrubland distribution in conjunction with other available GIS layers that facilitates identification of priority areas for habitat management. We found that the extent of upland shrubland in noncoastal areas is decreasing by at least 1.5% annually. Considering the lack of consensus about conservation targets for the amount of shrubland, we propose that conservation organizations attempt to stabilize rather than expand the extent of shrubland habitat. This approach would provide an opportunity to assess whether the current extent of shrubland is sufficient to maintain reduced but stable wildlife populations that require this habitat. We propose a coordinated forest management program with targets for increased forest management on conservation lands. We found that the average patch size of shrubland created by recent clearcuts is large enough for most shrubland bird species, but too small for the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis), which has been proposed for threatened and endangered status.
Cloning, characterization, and functional expression of the Klebsiella oxytoca xylodextrin utilization operon (xynTB) in Escherichia coli.

Escherichia coli is being developed as a biocatalyst for bulk chemical production from inexpensive carbohydrates derived from lignocellulose. Potential substrates include the soluble xylodextrins (xyloside, xylooligosaccharide) and xylobiose that are produced by treatments designed to expose cellulose for subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. Adjacent genes encoding xylobiose uptake and hydrolysis were cloned from Klebsiella oxytoca M5A1 and are functionally expressed in ethanologenic E. coli. The xylosidase encoded by xynB contains the COG3507 domain characteristic of glycosyl hydrolase family 43. The xynT gene encodes a membrane protein containing the MelB domain (COG2211) found in Na+/melibiose symporters and related proteins. These two genes form a bicistronic operon that appears to be regulated by xylose (XylR) and by catabolite repression in both K. oxytoca and recombinant E. coli. Homologs of this operon were found in Klebsiella pneumoniae, Lactobacillus lactis, E. coli, Clostridium acetobutylicum, and Bacillus subtilis based on sequence comparisons. Based on similarities in protein sequence, the xynTB genes in K. oxytoca appear to have originated from a gram-positive ancestor related to L. lactis. Functional expression of xynB allowed ethanologenic E. coli to metabolize xylodextrins (xylosides) containing up to six xylose residues without the addition of enzyme supplements. 4-O-methylglucuronic acid substitutions at the nonreducing termini of soluble xylodextrins blocked further degradation by the XynB xylosidase. The rate of xylodextrin utilization by recombinant E. coli was increased when a full-length xynT gene was included with xynB, consistent with xynT functioning as a symport. Hydrolysis rates were inversely related to xylodextrin chain length, with xylobiose as the preferred substrate. Xylodextrins were utilized more rapidly by recombinant E. coli than K. oxytoca M5A1 (the source of xynT and xynB). XynB exhibited weak arabinosidase activity, 3% that of xylosidase.
Local and Global Existence of Multiple Waves Near Formal Approximations

The formation of multiple wave fronts is important in applications of singularly perturbed parabolic systems. These solutions can be effectively constructed by formal asymptotic methods. When truncated to a certain order in e, they become formal approximations of solutions to the given system. The precision of a formal approximation is judged by the smallness of the residual error in each regular and singular layer and the jump error between adjacent layers.
RoPE A safety line but tangles remain

In our health care system, we strive to provide the right patients with the right care at the right time. The charter of the Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care states: “By the year 2020, 90% of clinical decisions will be supported by accurate, timely, and up-to-date clinical information, and will reflect the best available evidence.”1 The optimal management of patients with ischemic stroke and a patent foramen ovale (PFO) remains unclear, although we applaud the novel analytic approach from the Tufts-based international consortium.2
Suspension feeding by the Atlantic slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata) and the northern quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria) in the presence of cultured and wild populations of the harmful brown tide alga, Aureococcus anophagefferens

Within estuaries of New York, USA, recurrent harmful brown tides (Aureococcus anophagefferens) have contributed toward the collapse of two major bivalve fisheries (bay scallop, Argopecten irradians and northern quahog or hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria), while populations of the Atlantic slipper limpet Crepidula fornicata have persisted in the presence of these blooms. Rates of suspension feeding by C. fornicata and M. mercenaria in the presence of different strains of A. anophagefferens and wild brown tide blooms were quantified to assess the potential impact of brown tides on slipper limpet and hard clam populations. Slipper limpets were capable of clearing all strains of A. anophagefferens at biomass-specific rates similar to an ideal food source (Isochrysis galbana), whereas clearance rates of M. mercenaria fed toxic clones of A. anophagefferens were significantly lower than when fed I. galbana or non-toxic clones of A. anophagefferens (p < 0.01). During brown tide blooms (10 4 –10 6 cells mL � 1 ) on the south shore of Long Island during 2008 and 2009, clearance rates of C. fornicata when fed bloom water were an order of magnitude greater than those of M. mercenaria (p < 0.001). Finally, during mesocosm experiments, C. fornicata reduced bloom densities of A. anophagefferens (10 6 cells mL � 1 ) by an order of magnitude in 3–4 days, whereas densities of A. anophagefferens in mesocosms stocked with equal or greater biomasses of M. mercenaria were unchanged. These results demonstrate that C. fornicata can actively feed in the presence of A. anophagefferens and suggest that this species could serve as a top-down control of blooms in shallow, poorly flushed estuaries.
LATITUDINAL VARIATION IN GENETIC DIVERGENCE OF POPULATIONS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE SPECIATION

The increase in biological diversity with decreasing latitude is widely appreciated but the cause of the pattern is unknown. This pattern reflects latitudinal variation in both the origin of new species (cladogenesis) and the number of species that coexist. Here we address latitudinal variation in species origination, by examining population genetic processes that influence speciation. Previous data suggest a greater number of speciation events at lower latitudes. If speciation events occur more frequently at lower latitudes, we predicted that genetic divergence among populations within species, an important component of cladogenesis, should be greater among lower latitude popu- lations. We tested this prediction using within-species patterns of mtDNA variation across 60 vertebrate species that collectively spanned six continents, two oceans, and 119 degrees latitude. We found greater genetic divergence of populations, controlling for geographic distance, at lower latitudes within species. This pattern remained statistically significant after removing populations that occur in localities previously covered by continental glaciers during the last glaciation. Results suggest that lower latitude populations within species exhibit greater evolutionary independence, increasing the likelihood that mutation, recombination, selection, and/or drift will lead to divergence of traits important for reproductive isolation and speciation. Results are consistent with a greater influence of seasonality, reduced energy, and/or glacial (Milankovitch) cycles acting on higher latitude populations, and represent one of the few tests of predictions of latitudinal variation in speciation rates using population genetic data.
Kinetics of nitrate utilization by mixed populations of denitrifying bacteria.

Kinetics of nitrate utilization by mixed bacterial populations from two agricultural soils and a pond sediment in Kentucky were measured by using progress curves of nitrous oxide production. Nitrous oxide production from anaerobic soil and sediment slurries containing added nitrate and acetylene exhibited first-order kinetics. Nitrate affinity (Km) for mixed populations of denitrifying bacteria in unfertilized agricultural soils and pond sediments ranged from 1.8 to 13.7 μM. The affinity of bacterial populations for nitrate did not vary with habitat, and the ability to use low concentrations of nitrate was retained by bacterial populations living in environments which received large inputs of nitrate.
Cost-benefit analysis: New foundations on shifting sand

New Foundations of Cost–Benefit Analysis, by Matthew Adler and Eric Posner, represents the most ambitious and credible effort to date to build a solid theoretical defense of the use of cost–benefit analysis (CBA) in evaluating government regulation. In this review, three cost–benefit “skeptics” offer their reactions to this ambitious and important book. We note its virtues – its humility, its scrupulousness, its open-mindedness. We also explore its vices. If preferences are to be “laundered,” is it intellectually defensible to remove the bad but not consider adding the good? Does Adler's and Posner's welfarism really play the limited role they suppose, or does it risk “crowding out” other important deontological and distributional values? If CBA is merely a decision procedure that provides an imperfect proxy of welfare – the moral criterion we really care about – how do we know that the proxy it provides in practice will actually be accurate enough to be useful? Isn't this at bottom an empirical question that cannot be answered by this thoroughly theoretical book? If CBA is no more than an imperfect proxy for welfare, then alternative imperfect decision procedures may perform better in the real world.
Experiments on Stratification of Heterogeneous Sand Mixtures

Superposed strata in sedimentary rocks are believed to have been formed by successive layers of sediments deposited periodically with interruptions of sedimentation. This experimental study examines possible stratification of heterogeneous sand mixtures under continuous (non-periodic and non-interrupted) sedimentation. The three primary aspects of stratification are considered: lamination, graded-beds, and joints. (1) Experiments on segregation of 11 heterogeneous mixtures of sand-size quartz, limestone and coal demonstrate that through lateral motion of a sand mixture, the fine particles fall between the interstices of the rolling coarse particles. Coarse particles gradually roll on top of fine particles and microscale sorting is obtained. Microscale segregation similar to lamination is observed on plane surfaces, as well as under continuous settling in columns filled with either air or water. (2) The formation of graded-beds is examined in a laboratory flume under steady flow and a continuous supply of heterogeneous sand particles. Under steady uniform flow and plane bed with sediment motion, the coarse particles of the mixture roll on a laminated bed of mostly fine sand particles. In non-uniform flow, the velocity decrease caused by a tailgate induces the formation of a stratum of coarse particles propagating in the downstream direction. On top of this cross-stratified bed, fine particles settle through the moving bed layer of rolling coarse sand particles and form a near horizontally laminated topset stratum of finer particles. Over time, a thick stratum of coarse particles thus progresses downstream between two strata of laminated fine particles, continuously prograding upward and downstream. (3) Laboratory experiments on the desiccation of natural sands also show preferential fracturing, or joints, of crusty deposits at the interface between strata of coarse and fine particles. Rather than successive sedimentary layers, these experiments demonstrate that stratification under a continuous supply of heterogeneous sand particles results from: segregation for lamination, non-uniform flow for graded-beds, and desiccation for joints. Superposed strata are not necessarily identical to successive layers.
Lobectomy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery: Effects of Cumulative Institutional Experience on Adequacy of Lymphadenectomy

Background Because video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomies are increasingly being performed by thoracic surgeons, the adequacy of lymph node clearance by VATS compared with thoracotomy has been questioned, raising the possibility that patients are being understaged. One factor that may be overlooked in published studies is the learning curve of the surgeons and surgical volume in the adoption of VATS lobectomy. This study examined the effect of cumulative institutional VATS lobectomy experience on the adequacy of lymphadenectomy. Methods We retrospectively reviewed a prospective database to identify 500 consecutive patients who underwent VATS lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at our institution between 2002 and 2012. For comparative purposes, the cohort was divided into halves, with an early group (first 250 cases) vs a late group (next 250 cases). Clinical and pathologic factors were analyzed. A propensity-matching analysis controlling for age, gender, pathologic stage, and percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 second was done to compare survival and adequacy of lymphadenectomy. Results Patients operated on in the late group were significantly older (72 vs 69 years, p = 0.001) and had worse pulmonary functions (median forced expiratory volume in 1 second 83% vs 91%, p p p = 0.002) for clinical T size and median of 2.1 vs 2.0 cm ( p = 0.003) for pathologic T size. Patients in the late group had significantly more advanced clinical and pathologic stage distribution. The total number of lymph nodes and the number of nodal stations removed were significantly greater in the late group ( p = 0.012) than in the early group ( p p = 0.187). Conclusions For patients with NSCLC resected by VATS lobectomy, cumulative institutional experience significantly and positively affects the adequacy of lymphadenectomy. This may be related to the initial surgeon's learning curve with VATS lobectomy. As the experience with VATS lobectomy becomes more mature, the procedure is increasingly being performed on older patients, often with more compromised pulmonary function and more advanced stage disease. Despite the expanded inclusion of older and sicker patients for VATS lobectomy, no compromise was seen in their disease-free survival.
Surface Effects on the Mechanical Properties of Non-Metals

Among the surface factors that affect the mechanical properties of non-metals are geometry, composition, stress, and environment—both chemical and physical. Recent findings on the influence of these factors on the properties of both crystalline and vitreous materials are reviewed. Whereas previously most effects of surface factors in non-metallics were examined in terms of the fracture process, it is now realized that the plastic deformation process can also be affected. Recent experiments have even directly demonstrated the effects of environment on dislocation mobility.
Study of Muslim woman and family: A Bibliography

In recent years there has been a steady growth of literature on the subject of Muslim women and families. Some of the areas that have received attention are the status of women in Islam polygamy family law reforms purdah (a misnomer that is universally applied by western writers for the correct Arabic Hijab) motherhood and child care feminism sexual behavior population control and western perceptions of gender-specific cultural traits in Muslim societies. Muslim writers have produced a large number of apologetic works under the rubric of "Women in Islam" or the "Status of Muslim Women." Some western feminist writers have tried to display a sense of "sisterhood" with Muslim women by exhorting them to get rid of purdah opt for a sexually-liberated life style and stand up for their rights. There is little evidence that western feminism has taken root in Muslim society and that Muslim women are asserting to be biologically morally and physically independent of women. Nonetheless a breed of Muslim women writers has come into being with only limited membership Fatima Mernissi Nawal el-Saadawi Naila Minai and Fatna A. Sabbah have attempted to graft the western model of feminism albeit with little success. This bibliography is selective and concentrates on works that have attempted the study of Muslim women and family from a conceptual perspective.
Retributive Desert as Fair Play

The moral intuition that culpable wrongdoers deserve to suffer is so strong and pervasive that some advocates of retributivism, including Michael Moore, base their positions entirely upon it. Yet, given the enormity of state-imposed punishment, it is incumbent upon students of punishment to seek broader principles of justice by which such intuitions can be explained. The moral principle that I believe most plausibly explains and justifies criminal desert is Herbert Morris’s theory of unfair advantage. I argue that commentators have failed to address Morris theory in its strongest possible form and failed to examine critically the arguments against it. Morris’s theory not only supplies normative content to intuitions of desert, it also reveals that ‘paying back a debt’ -- the original meaning of the Latin retribution -- is not a “faded and dead metaphor,” as Michael Moore asserts, but an apt description of what it is to deserve suffering for culpable wrongdoing.
Usability of Virtual Museums and the Diffusion of Cultural Heritage

Les prioritats per als museus canvien. La missio de la nova museologia es convertir els museus en llocs per a gaudir i aprendre, cosa que fa que hagin de dur a terme una gestio financera molt semblant a la d'una empresa social que competeixi en el sector del lleure. Amb el pas del temps, els museus han d'establir i aplicar els criteris necessaris per a la supervivencia, aplanant el terreny perque altres institucions publiques siguin mes obertes en els seus esforcos per comunicar i difondre el seu patrimoni. Ja podem comencar a parlar d'algunes conclusions comunament acceptades sobre el comportament dels visitants, que son necessaries per a planificar exposicions futures que vegin l'aprenentatge com un proces constructiu, les col·leccions com a objectes amb significat i les mateixes exposicions com a mitjans de comunicacio que haurien de transformar la manera de pensar de l'espectador i que estan al servei del mateix missatge. Sembla que internet representa un mitja efectiu per a assolir aquests objectius, ja que es capac (a) d'adaptar-se als interessos i les caracteristiques intel·lectuals d'un public divers; (b) de redescobrir els significats dels objectes i adquirir un reconeixement sociocultural del seu valor per mitja del seu potencial interactiu, i (c) de fer us d'elements atractius i estimulants perque tothom en gaudeixi. Per a aquest proposit, es basic fer-nos les preguntes seguents: quins criteris ha de seguir un museu virtual per a optimar la difusio del seu patrimoni?; quins elements estimulen els usuaris a quedar-se en una pagina web i fer visites virtuals que els siguin satisfactories?; quin paper te la usabilitat de l'aplicacio en tot aixo?
Rubber Vibration Insulators. Some Characteristic Properties and Tests

Abstract Insulating of vibrating parts of engineering devices and structures is one of the vital problems of this age. The original purpose of carriage and automobile tires was, as indeed the major purpose of their use today still is, the suppression and elimination of shocks and vibrations during travel. This is true in spite of the importance of the “increased mileage” obtained by the use of rubber tires—a factor of no mean importance. This purpose is not so self-evident in the case of belting, hose, rubber-covered rolls, etc., where flexibility and/or elasticity are apparently prime requisites, but nevertheless the interception and safe-transmission of impulses or stresses with a minimum of vibration and noise are certainly of inestimable value. The use of rubber parts elsewhere in the automobile and general engineering field is unquestionably solely for the suppression or elimination of vibration. Recognition of the importance of rubber parts for such service came with the organization early in 1927, ...
Morphological variation in natural and experimental populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura and Drosophila persimilis

Drosophila pseudoobscura and its sibling D. persimilis are two species of fruit flies which have received considerable attention from the standpoint of population genetics. Examination of the arrangements (inversions) in the third chromosome in salivary gland cells of the larval progeny of flies derived from many geographic localities throughout the distribution of these species reveals that (1) populations within a locality are largely polymorphic; (2) populations from different altitudes and latitudes differ in the frequency of chromosomal arrangements; (3) the frequency of these arrangements varies from season to season; and (4) there are secular changes in the frequency of these inversions (see Dobzhansky, 1951, p. 138, for map showing frequency of the different inversions in D. pseudoobscura through most of its distribution, and Dobzhansky et al., 1964, for the most recent survey of inversion frequencies in this species). Laboratory studies showing that the frequency of these inversions is modified through natural selection and manipulation of environmental conditions are too numerous to mention (review in Strickberger, 1963). A few of these studies (for example, Beardmore et al., 1960; Tantawy, 1961) have combined the use of inversions and quantitative traits to measure the relative fitness of different gene arrangements under different constant and fluctuating temperatures, and one study (Druger,
TLR10 Is a Negative Regulator of Both MyD88-Dependent and -Independent TLR Signaling

TLRs are central components of the innate immune system which, upon recognition of bacterial, fungal or viral components, activate intracellular signals that lead to protective inflammatory responses. Among the 10-member human TLR family, TLR10 is the only remaining orphan receptor without a known ligand or signaling function. Murine TLR10 is a disrupted pseudogene, which precludes investigation using classic gene knockout approaches. We report here that TLR10 suppressed the production of an array of cytokines in stably transfected human myelomonocytic U937 cells in response to other TLR agonists. This broad TLR suppressive activity affects both MyD88- and TRIF-inducing IFN-β-mediated signaling pathways upstream of IκB and MAPK activation. Compared with nontransgenic littermate controls, monocytes of TLR10 transgenic mice exhibited blunted IL-6 production following ex vivo blood stimulation with other TLR agonists. After i.p. injection of LPS, lower levels of TNFα, IL-6, and type 1 IFN were measured in the serum of TLR10 transgenic mice compared to nontransgenic mice, but did not affect mouse survival in an LPS-induced septic shock model. Finally, treatment of human mononuclear cells with a monoclonal anti-TLR10 Ab suppressed proinflammatory cytokines released by LPS stimulation. These results demonstrate that TLR10 functions as a broad negative regulator of TLR signaling and suggests that TLR10 has a role in controlling immune responses in vivo.
Concentration of Some Major and Trace Elements in Forty-One Species of Adult and Immature Insects Determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

The concentrations of total body copper, iron, magnesium, sodium, and potassium in 41 species of adult and immature insects representing 10 orders were determined in parts per million by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Characteristic differences and similarities in the amount of these major and trace elements were shown to exist in the life cycle stages between as well as within insect orders. In general, insect total body Cu < Fe < Mg < Na < K, although there were exceptions to this trend in several orders according to species and stage of development.
Exfoliating Bark Does Not Protect Platanus occidentalis L. From Root-Climbing Lianas

Lianas are structural parasites that depress growth, fertility and survival rates of their hosts, but the magnitude to which they alter these rates differ among host species. We tested the hypothesis that sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) would have fewer adventitious root-climbing lianas. We reasoned that because P. occidentalis possesses exfoliating bark, it would periodically shed newly-established lianas from the trunk. We investigated the distribution of lianas on the trunks of trees ≥10 cm DBH in floodplains in southwestern Ohio. Contrary to predictions, P. occidentalis trees had significantly more root-climbing lianas than expected at three of five sites, and significantly fewer than expected at one site. In contrast, members of the Acer genus (boxelder (A. negundo L.), sugar maple (A. saccharum L.) and silver maple (A. saccharinum L.) had less than half of the root-climbing lianas as expected. We find no support for our hypothesis that bark exfoliation protects P. occidentalis trees from root-climbing lianas in our study, and suggest possible mechanisms that might protect Acer species from adventitious root-climbing lianas.
The development of Freud's ideas on social cohesion.

(1977). The Development of Freud’s Ideas on Social Cohesion. Psychiatry: Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 232-241.
Recent advances in functional genomics for sugar beet ( Beta vulgaris L.) improvement: progress in determining the role of BvSTI in pest resistance in roots

To gain knowledge of root resistance mechanisms in sugar beet, Beta vulgaris L., our laboratory has been studying the interaction of sugar beet with its most devastating insect pest, the sugar beet root maggot (SBRM; Tetanops myopaeformis Roder). Damage from SBRM infestations is a serious problem and current control measures rely on environmentally damaging insecticides. We recently reported root-specific gene expression incited by SBRM feeding in a moderately resistant F1016 and a susceptible parental F1010 line. AcDNA expressed sequence tag (EST) coding for a serine (trypsin-type) protease inhibitor (BvSTI) was identified and investigated further here. BvSTI shares sequence similarity with a root-specific tomato gene whose expression is induced by insect feeding. Since serine proteases comprise the major digestive enzymes in root maggot midguts, we hypothesize BvSTI may be involved in resistance. To elucidate the functional role of BvSTI, its coding region was fused to the CaMV 35S promoter and constitutively expressed in sugar beet hairy roots and N. benthamiana plants. In BvSTI-transformed F1010 hairy roots, trypsin inhibitory activity increased 2 to 4-fold. Using a polyacrylamide gel assay, new trypsin-like PI activity was detected in BvSTI-N. benthamiana plants. Since SBRM cannot be reared in vitro, two other insects that utilize serine digestive proteases, fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta), were screened for resistance. To date, we demonstrated that 1) fall armyworm will feed on sugar beet hairy roots and 2) tobacco hornworm fed BvSTI-N. benthamiana leaves had reduced weights and pupal sizes. These results suggest that BvSTI may contribute to the moderate resistance of F1016 roots to SBRM. Functional analysis of additional ESTs will further support efforts to characterize the components of sugar beet root resistance mechanisms.
Introduction to and Justification for the Book

This chapter introduces readers to the topic of child maltreatment fatalities in the United States. It provides case examples, discusses the increased attention to this topic in the past four decades, and provides a rationale for a book that focuses on the policy, programmatic, and other professional responses to maltreatment deaths. The chapter ends with providing definitions of key concepts in the book.