cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Megaselia steptoeae (Diptera: Phoridae): specialists on smashed snails.

Background Phorid flies are amongst the most biologically diverse and species-rich groups of insects. Ways of life range from parasitism, herbivory, fungivory, to scavenging. Although the lifestyles of most species are unknown, many are parasitoids, especially of social insects. Some species of ant-parasitoids are attracted to injured hosts for feeding purposes to develop eggs, as well as for oviposition, requiring each female to find two injured hosts. New information Females of the phorid fly Megaselia steptoeae Hartop et al. (Diptera: Phoridae) were found to be quickly attracted to crushed glass snails of the species Oxychilus draparnaudi (Beck) (Gastropoda: Oxychilidae). Most females were without mature eggs and apparently were attracted for feeding purposes only; other injured molluscs offered at the same time were not attractive. One female laid eggs in captivity and offspring were reared to the pupal stage. The lifestyle of this species is similar to that of parasitoids of injured ants, which also require separate hosts of the same species for feeding and oviposition. We conclude that injured hosts must be common in the environment to attract these host-specific scavengers.
Load Truncation Approach for Development of Live Load Factors for Bridge Rating

Abstract Various local governments have developed state-specific vehicular live-load factors for bridge rating. However, a significant computational demand is often associated with such an effort. ...
Vegetarianismo y adultos mayores

Las dietas basadas en plantas se recomiendan para reducir el riesgo de enfermedades cronicas. Una dieta vegetariana es una dieta basada en plantas compuesta de vegetales, frutas, granos integrales, legumbres, nueces y semillas, con o sin alimentos a base de lacteos y huevos. Si se excluyen todos los alimentos de origen animal, se considera una dieta vegana. Las dietas vegetarianas y veganas bien planificadas pueden mejorar la salud durante todas las etapas de la vida, incluida la edad adulta. Sin embargo, cuando se sigue una dieta vegetariana como adulto mayor, se debe prestar especial atencion a los cambios en las necesidades nutricionales relacionadas con la edad.This new 4-page article is a translation of FSHN19-1/FS317, Vegetarianism and the Older Adult. Written by Kelly Johnston and Wendy J. Dahl, translated by Daniela Rivero Mendoza, and published by the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department.
Phase I dose escalation study of naive T-cell depleted donor lymphocyte infusion following allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Prophylactic donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) are used to augment post-transplant immune recovery to reduce both infectious complications and disease recurrence. Preclinical studies implicate the naive T-cell subset as the primary driver of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). In this phase I dose escalation study, we assessed the safety of a DLI that was depleted of CD45RA+ naive T cells. Sixteen adult patients received a prophylactic DLI at a median of 113 days (range 76–280 days) following an HLA-identical, non-myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Three patients each received the naive T-cell depleted DLI with a CD3+ dose of 1 × 105/kg, 1 × 106/kg, and 5 × 106/kg. The maximum dose of 1 × 107/kg was expanded to 7 patients. No dose-limiting grade III/IV acute GvHD or adverse events attributable to the DLI were observed at any dose level. One patient developed grade 2 acute GvHD of skin and upper intestines, and another developed moderate chronic GvHD of the lungs following the DLI. With a median follow-up of 2.8 years, 2-year progression-free and overall survival is 50.0% and 68.8%, respectively. In conclusion, these data suggest that a DLI that has been depleted of CD45RA+ naive T cells is feasible and carries a low risk of acute or chronic GvHD.
Excitation spectra of quantum matter without quasiparticles. II. Random t − J models

We present numerical solutions of the spectral functions of large dimension $t\text{\ensuremath{-}}J$ models with random nearest-neighbor exchange and global $\mathrm{SU}(M)$ spin rotation symmetry. The solutions are obtained from the saddle-point equations of the large dimension limit, followed by the large $M$ limit. The same saddle point equations also apply to the model with all-to-all and random hopping and exchange. Such a $t\text{\ensuremath{-}}J$ model realizes a deconfined critical state proposed as a model for the optimally doped cuprates. The large $M$ theory involves Green's functions for fractionalized spinons and holons carrying emergent U(1) gauge charges, obeying relations similar to those of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) models. The low frequency spectral functions are compared with an analytic analysis of the operator scaling dimensions with good agreement. We also compute the low frequency and temperature behavior of experimentally observable gauge-invariant observables: the electron Green's function, the local spin susceptibility and the optical conductivity, along with the temperature dependence of the d.c. resistivity. The time reparameterization soft mode (equivalent to the boundary graviton in holographically dual models of two-dimensional quantum gravity) makes important contributions to all observables and provides a linear-in-temperature contribution to the d.c. resistivity.
“What a Complete and Separate Thing I Am”: Introduction to Rethinking Shirley Jackson

There may soon come a time when it would be appropriate for me to write “Shirley Jackson needs no introduction” and leave it at that. As recent adaptations of The Haunting of Hill House and We Have...
Achilles Heels for AGI/ASI via Decision Theoretic Adversaries

As progress in AI continues to advance, it is crucial to know how advanced systems will make choices and in what ways they may fail. Machines can already outsmart humans in some domains, and understanding how to safely build ones which may have capabilities at or above the human level is of particular concern. One might suspect that artificially generally intelligent (AGI) and artificially superintelligent (ASI) systems should be modeled as as something which humans, by definition, can't reliably outsmart. As a challenge to this assumption, this paper presents the Achilles Heel hypothesis which states that even a potentially superintelligent system may nonetheless have stable decision-theoretic delusions which cause them to make obviously irrational decisions in adversarial settings. In a survey of relevant dilemmas and paradoxes from the decision theory literature, a number of these potential Achilles Heels are discussed in context of this hypothesis. Several novel contributions are made toward understanding the ways in which these weaknesses might be implanted into a system.
Acoustic magnetic resonance spectroscopy of hydrogen nuclei in fluid

Abstract We present an analytical study on acoustic magnetic resonance spectroscopy system for hydrogen nuclei in a viscous fluid medium. Magnetic flux density applied to a sample comprising of hydrogen nuclei results in alignment of the magnetic moments along the direction of magnetic field, which precess at Larmor frequency. An acoustic wave applied to the system leads to development of time varying shear forces which can be decomposed into a rotational and a strain component. The rotation of the nuclei around their axes exerts a time varying torque leading to an enhancement of the amplitude of oscillations eventually leading to the generation of radio frequency magnetic fields, which can be used for characterization of a given sample for diagnosis of physiological conditions.
Discriminating between consensual intercourse and sexual assault: Genital-anal injury pattern in females.

Abstract Background Assessment of genital-anal (GA) injuries following sexual assault promotes health and assists prosecutors to build a case. The pattern of injuries may help differentiate between consensual and non-consensual intercourse, bolster the survivors' credibility, and increase prosecutions in sexual assault cases. Objectives To identify the constellation of G-A injury-related characteristics that most effectively discriminated between consensual sexual intercourse and sexual assault in females when controlling for intercourse-related variables. Methods We employed a comparative study with two groups: a prospective cohort group with consensual participants and a group derived from an existing sexual assault registry. In the prospective cohort, we performed a sexual assault forensic examination at baseline and following consensual sexual intercourse with females ≥21 years. We compared their injury patterns to the injury records of females ≥21 years who were sexual assaulted. Results We enrolled a sample of 834 females: 528 consensual (63.3%) participants and 306 non-consensual (36.7%) registry cases. After controlling for race/ethnicity, age, and time between intercourse and examination, logistic regression analyses showed that the presence of an external genital tear increased the odds of non-consensual intercourse more than two times (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.70, 95% CI = 1.28–5.56). Logistic regression analyses also showed that the odds of non-consensual sexual intercourse were significantly greater with a lower prevalence and frequency of external and internal genital redness, lack of condom use and lubrication, and presence of anal penetration. Latent class analysis identified high and low G-A injury prevalence subgroups among both consensual and non-consensual samples. One subset of results emerged that may be indicative of non-consensual as compared to consensual intercourse: a higher prevalence of external genital and anal tears. Conclusion External genital tears occurred more frequently in the non-consensual sample and increased the odds of non-consensual intercourse more than two times. Anal tears, swelling, and ecchymosis and anal penetration were markers for non-consensual intercourse and should increase suspicion for lack of consent.
Rates of invasive disease and outcomes in NSCLC patients with biopsy suggestive of carcinoma in situ

Abstract Introduction Carcinoma in situ is a rare non-invasive histology of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with excellent survival outcomes with resection. However, management of lung biopsy suggestive of in situ disease remains unclear. To inform decision-making in this scenario, we determined the rate of invasive disease presence upon resection of lesions with an initial biopsy suggestive of purely in situ disease. Methods The study included 960 patients diagnosed with NSCLC from 2003 to 2017 in the National Cancer Database whose workup included a lung biopsy suggestive of in situ disease. Among the cohort who proceeded to resection, we identified the rate of invasive disease discovered on surgical pathology along with significant demographic and clinical contributors to invasion risk. Survival outcomes were measured for the observed cohort that did not receive local therapy after biopsy. Results Invasive disease was identified at resection in 49.3 % of patients. Lesion size was associated with risk of invasive disease: 35.7 % for ≤1 cm, 45.2 % for 1−2 cm, 55.7 % for 2−3 cm, and 87.5 % for 3−5 cm (p Conclusion Nearly half of patients with biopsy suggestive of in situ disease had invasive disease at resection. Tumor size and histology are strong predictors of invasive disease and may be used for risk stratification. However, the findings support the practice of definitive therapy whenever feasible.
INITIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVICE ENGINEERING DESIGNERS' CONSIDERATION OF CONTEXTUAL FACTORS

Engineering designers are encouraged to consider relevant contextual factors throughout their design processes. However, specific practices for incorporating context into design processes are lacking in the existing literature, and curricula related to the use of context during design processes is limited. As a preliminary step toward characterizing novice engineering designers' use of contextual factors, we qualitatively coded 10 mechanical engineering capstone design reports for contextual factors; half of the projects had domestic sponsors with varying themes, and the other half of the projects had international sponsors with a global health theme. Our findings showed that teams considered technological and institutional factors most frequently; other factors were considered less frequently. Global health themed design teams considered more contextual factors than non-global health themed teams. There was considerable variability among the contextual factors considered, as well as the stages during which they were considered. These outcomes have the potential to inform the development of pedagogical tools to support the acquisition of skills related to formally addressing context during engineering design processes.
SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County Obstetric Clinics: A Cross-Sectional Study during the First Pandemic Surge.

Objective Estimating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence is an important part of the public health approach to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) understanding and containment. This is particularly relevant to an obstetric population because of implications in the management of the pregnant host, care of the newborn, and disease progression within the community. Study design A cross-sectional seroprevalence study was performed in four Department of Health Palm Beach County clinics from June 29, 2020, to August 5, 2020. Samples were collected from asymptomatic antepartum and postpartum participants. A web-based surveillance system was used to identify subsequent antibody or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing encounters. Results A total of 163 of 618 subjects were seropositive (26.4%). Racial makeup was white 2.5%, black 19.0%, and Hispanic 78.5%. Positive serology was seen in 16.0, 35.6, and 30.1% of first, second, and third trimesters, respectively; 18.4% were positive postpartum. Only four patients voluntarily reported PCR positivity prior to antibody testing. Six home zip codes accounted for the majority (68.1%) of positive results. Thirty-two patients had repeat serology (65.6% positive and 34.4% negative). Of the 163 subjects, 65 underwent later PCR testing with 92% negative for SAR-CoV-2. Conclusion Almost one in four subjects had serologic evidence of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. These very high seroprevalence rates have not been previously reported and highlight the concern for health disparities in the United States. Most were asymptomatic and without a history for SARS-CoV-2 exposure. There was a loss of seropositivity in a significant number of subjects, raising concern for risk of reinfection, inadequate transplacental antibody transfer, and subsequent limited passive protection to the newborn. These seroprevalence data will also allow for better newborn follow-up of unanticipated consequences of COVID-19 infection in pregnancy. Key points · SAR-CoV-2 seroprevalence is disproportionately high in this obstetric population. · The majority of subjects who tested positive for SAR-CoV-2 were asymptomatic for COVID-19 infection. · Estimating seroprevalence is an important public health approach to disease surveillance and understanding.
Miscellaneous Properties and Results

In this chapter we collect together a number of useful results, as well as describe several ways the theory can be modified that are important for applications.
E=MC3 Energy Equals Management's Continued Cost Concerns

E=MC3 Energy Equals Management's Continued Cost Concern, is an essay written by Fritz G. Hagenmeyer, Associate Professor, School of Hospitality Management at Florida International University. In the writing, Hagenmeyer initially tenders: “Energy problems in the hospitality industry can be contained or reduced, yielding elevated profits as a result of applied, quality management principles. The concepts, processes and procedures presented in this article are intended to aid present and future managers to become more effective with a sharpened focus on profitability.” This article is an overview of energy efficiency and the management of such. In an expanding energy consumption market with its escalating costs, energy management has become an ever increasing concern and component of responsible hospitality management, Hagenmeyer will have you know. “In endeavoring to "manage" on a day-to-day basis a functioning hospitality building's energy system, the person in charge must take on the role of Justice with her scales, attempting to balance the often varying comfort needs of guests and occupants with the invariable rising costs of energy utilized to generate and maintain such comfort conditions, since comfort is seen as an integral part of the "service," "product," or "price/value” perception of patrons,” says Hagenmeyer. In contrast to what was thought in the mid point of this century that energy would be abundant and cheap the reality has set-in that this is not the case; not by a long shot. The author wants you to be aware that energy costs in buildings are a force to be reckoned with; a major expense to be sure. “Since 1973, "energy-conscious design" has begun to become part of the repertoire of architects, design engineers, and construction companies,” Hagenmeyer states. “For instance, whereas office buildings of the early 1970s might have used 400,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs) per square foot year, new buildings are going up that use 55,000 to 65,000 BTUs per square foot year,” Hagenmeyer, like an incandescent bulb,
The safe and appropriate use of diagnostic ultrasound

The safety of ultrasound energy at the high-frequency, low-power levels used in diagnostic imaging has been studied extensively, and although conclusive evidence of its complete safety has not been established, there is no evidence of tissue harm. A number of attempts have been made to establish the cost-effectiveness of ultrasound diagnostic procedures, but the cost-to-benefit ratio has been difficult to establish. The present state of knowledge in these two areas is briefly described. >
A Criterion for Unimodality

We show that if $P(x)$ is a polynomial with nondecreasing, nonnegative coefficients, then the coefficient sequence of $P(x+1)$ is unimodal. Applications are given.
Magnetic order and electronic structure of 5d3 double perovskite Sr2ScOsO6

The magnetic susceptibility, crystal and magnetic structures, and electronic structure of double perovskite Sr2ScOsO6 are reported. Using both neutron and x-ray powder diffraction we find that the crystal structure is monoclinic P21/n from 3.5 to 300 K. Magnetization measurements indicate an antiferromagnetic transition at TN=92 K, one of the highest transition temperatures of any double perovskite hosting only one magnetic ion. Type I antiferromagnetic order is determined by neutron powder diffraction, with an Os moment of only 1.6(1) muB, close to half the spin-only value for a crystal field split 5d electron state with t2g^3 ground state. Density functional calculations show that this reduction is largely the result of strong Os-O hybridization, with spin-orbit coupling responsible for only a ~0.1 muB reduction in the moment.
Cross-Media Models of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and Airshed

A continuous, deterministic watershed model of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, linked to an atmospheric deposition model is used to examine nutrient loads to the Chesapeake Bay under different management scenarios. The Hydrologic Simulation Program - Fortran, Version 11 simulation code is used at an hourly time-step for ten years of simulation in the watershed. The Regional Acid Deposition Model simulates management options in reducing atmospheric deposition of nitrogen. Nutrient loads are summed over daily periods and used for loading a simulation of the Chesapeake estuary employing the Chesapeake Bay Estuary Model Package. Averaged over the ten-year simulation, loads are compared for scenarios under 1985 conditions, forecasted conditions in the year 2000, and estimated conditions under a limit of technology scenario. Limit of technology loads are a 50%, 64%, and 42% reduction from the 1985 loads in total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total suspended solids, respectively. Urban loads, which include point source, on-site wastewater disposal systems, combined sewer overflows, and nonpoint source loads have the highest flux of nutrient loads to the Chesapeake, followed by crop land uses.
Observations of the blue arcs in Abell 963

Initial spectroscopic observations of the two blue arcs in Abell 963 show no evidence for strong emission lines, though continuum radiation has been detected. Since these arcs are likely the result of gravitational lensing, this observation puts several constraints on the nature of the lensed object. The lack of any broad emission lines limits the possibility of the lensed object being a QSO unless it is at a redshift of greater than 5. If the lensed object is a galaxy with [O II] λ3727 emission, as might be expected from the arc color, the galaxy must be at a redshift of greater than 0.9. The lack of Lyman α emission constrains the redshift to be less than 2.5.
The Language of statutes : laws and their interpretation

Pulling the rug out from under debates about interpretation, "The Language of Statutes" joins together learning from law, linguistics, and cognitive science to illuminate the fundamental issues and problems in this highly contested area. Here, Lawrence M. Solan argues that statutory interpretation is alive, well, and not in need of the major overhaul that many have suggested. Rather, he suggests, the majority of people understand their rights and obligations most of the time, with difficult cases occurring in circumstances that we can predict from understanding when our minds do not work in a lawlike way. Solan explains that these cases arise because of the gap between our inability to write crisp yet flexible laws on the one hand and the ways in which our cognitive and linguistic faculties are structured on the other. To make our lives easier and more efficient, we're predisposed to absorb new situations into categories we have previously formed - but in the legislative and judicial realms this can present major difficulties. Solan provides an excellent introduction to statutory interpretation, rejecting the extreme arguments that judges have either too much or too little leeway, and explaining how and why a certain number of interpretive problems are simply inevitable.
Interactive Thin Shells – A Model Interface for the Analysis of Physically-Based Animation

Realism has always been a goal in computer graphics. However, the algorithms involved in mimicking the physical world are often complex, abstract, and sensitive to changes in experimental parameters. We present an interface to a physically-based algorithm, a thin shell animation, which focuses on visualization, experimentation, and control. Through the use of dynamic surface coloring, abstract visual cues, robust user interaction, and full control over the algorithm parameters, our system facilitates experimentation and the process of discovery. The system is targeted at enhancing the user’s learning experience by clarifying interactions between various components of many physically-based animations.
Appearance of exogenous epidermal growth factor in liver, bile, and intestinal lumen of suckling rats.

Abstract This study was performed to investigate the distribution and the degradation of IV administered [ 125 I]rat epidermal growth factor (rEGF) in the liver and gastrointestinal tract of suckling rats. The bile duct of anesthetized rats was cannulated, and [ 125 I]rEGF was injected (with or without 2500-fold excess unlabeled rEGF) into the femoral vein. After 5, 30, 60, and 120 minutes, the radioactivity in the liver, stomach, small intestine, blood, kidney, bile, and luminal contents of the stomach and small intestine was measured. The extracted radioactivity was then analyzed by immunoaffinity chromatography and binding to EGF-specific receptors. High levels of radioactivity were found in the liver (57% of total administered) and small intestine (10%) at 5 minutes, which gradually decreased. On the contrary, radioactivity secreted in the bile and luminal contents of the small intestine increased with time. The radioactivity in the bile represented 2.4% and 4.5% of the total administered at 60 and 120 minutes, respectively. During the first 60 minutes, more than 90% of the radioactivity in the liver, small intestine, bile, and intestinal contents was immunoreactive. Thirty-four to seventy percent of the radioactivity in the bile and liver and 20%–41% of radioactivity in the small intestinal wall and contents were capable of binding to EGF-specific receptors. Radioactivity detected in the liver, bile, small intestine, and intestinal contents was profoundly reduced by the coinjection excess of unlabeled EGF. These studies show that IV administered [ 125 I]rEGF is rapidly taken up by the liver and the gastrointestinal tract and secreted into the bile and intestinal luminal contents of suckling rats in form(s) capable of binding to anti-EGF antibody and EGF-specific receptors. The uptake and secretion by the liver and the small intestine appear to be receptor mediated.
Coal depyritization by the thermophilic archaeon Metallosphaera sedula

The kinetics of pyrite oxidation by Metallosphaera sedula were investigated with mineral pyrite and two coals with moderate (Pittsburgh no. 8) and high (New Brunswick, Canada) pyritic sulfur content. M. sedula oxidized mineral pyrite at a greater rate than did another thermophile, Acidianus brierleyi, or a mesophile, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. Maximum rates of coal depyritization were also greater with M. sedula, although the magnitude of biological stimulation above abiotic rates was notably less than with mineral pyrite. Coal depyritization appears to be limited by the oxidation of pyrite with ferric ions and not by the rate of biotic oxidation of ferrous iron, as evidenced by the maintenance of a high ratio of ferric to ferrous iron in solution by M. sedula. Significant precipitation of hydronium jarosite at elevated temperature occurred only with New Brunswick coal.
Group B Streptococcus

For three decades, group B streptococcus (GBS) has been the most common cause of bacterial sepsis and meningitis in neonates in the United States (1,2). Prior to 1996, when guidelines for intrapartum antibiotics to prevent early GBS disease in neonates were first published, there were approx 7500 cases of neonatal disease yearly in the United States, and the mortality was almost 50% (3,4). Adoption of prevention guidelines by many hospitals resulted in a 70% decline in the incidence of early-onset GBS disease in neonates by the mid-1990s (5). Despite this remarkable progress, GBS remains a leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity (4).
THE URBAN CONTEXT OF HISTORICAL ACTIVISM: NAACP Depression Era Insurgency and Organization-Building Activity

on the sociopolitical context of social movements. Specifically, I examine historical urbanization and prior racial institutional development in 136 urban counties of the United States, about 95% of the 1930 African American urban system. WLS regression is used to provide a strong statistical basis for understanding the structural power and liberation context of these two distinct types of activism during the uniquely constrained Depression Era. Both insurgency and chapter-building activities increased due to the expanding non-southern location of African Americans and the effects of WWI-era declines in the population of foreign-born whites. They declined as a result of extreme racial-occupational segregation in the local area and being distant from a predominantly African American county. The factors shaping the two types of activism were not equal, in part due to both shared and non-shared determinants. A particularly instructive finding was that wage growth served as a lever of social control, being negatively related to insurgency. Viewed together, the findings clearly point to the joint influence of economic and noneconomic factors in shaping NAACP activism during the 1930s, and enhance our understanding of the broader determinants of African American activism generally.
Inflammatory mediators and the destruction of bone

Bone is remodelled by the coordinated actions of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Cellular remodelling occurs in discrete packets of bone, and is regulated by local cytokines produced in the environment of the remodelling cells. These cytokines are secreted by immune cells and by bone cells. In addition, some growth regulatory factors are incorporated into the noncollagenous bone matrix and are released in an active form when bone is stimulated to resorb. Complex interactions between these cytokines and their target cells are responsible for the normal delicate balance between bone resorption and bone formation, and disorders of bone loss are due to imbalances between the rates of resorption and formation.
Size matters. An evaluation of descriptive and metric criteria for identifying cut marks made by unmodified rocks during butchery

One of the key concerns in human evolution studies is tracing the development of stone tool use by early hominins to acquire meat. It has been suggested that the earliest tools used for this purpose might have been unmodified, naturally sharp rocks. However, it has proven challenging to distinguish marks on bones made by hominins using humanly unmodified rocks (HURs) for butchery, from marks made by natural processes. Here we present the results of a study aimed at comparing marks made by HURs during butchery, versus marks made by the same HURs through simulated natural processes, specifically, the fluvial tumbling of bones with naturally sharp rocks (replicated here using a rock tumbler). The results of this study, in which the lithological effector is held constant while the actor is varied, confirm earlier studies suggesting that many existing categorical attributes do not effectively distinguish between marks made by HURs versus those made by other tools or trampling. However, we also present a novel way of measuring mark depths which shows that marks made by the human actor are much deeper and longer than those made by natural processes. The size of marks, therefore, matters. This knowledge may help us assess the likelihood that marks on bone surfaces may have been produced by natural forces, as opposed to by humans using unmodified rocks for butchery.
Estimation of BOD parameters by an integral method

Abstract A new method for estimating the ultimate BOD (Lo) and the first‐order BOD rate coefficient (k) has been developed. The method uses the integral of the BOD‐exerted curve rather than its slope, and is, therefore, efficient and robust. The accuracy is superior to that of traditional techniques, producing results comparable to the Reed‐Theriault non‐linear least squares technique. In addition, the method has no restriction on the range of input data and handles lag periods in BOD exertion without difficulty.
Under an Open Sky: Rethinking America's Western Past

The history of the American West is being transformed by exciting new ideas, new questions, new scholarship. For many years this field was dominated by popular images of the lone cowboy and the savage Indian, and by Frederick Jackson Turner's concept of the frontier as a steadily advancing source of democracy and social renewal. But now historians and even the merchants of popular culture are reshaping our views of the frontier and the West by taking up a rich array of new subjects, including the stories of diverse peoples as well as the history of the land itself. A new generation of scholars is reformulating the broader questions also: What was the significance of the frontier in American history? What are the bases of western identity? What themes connect the twentieth-century West to its more distant past? The transformation of western history continues to be an open-ended, turbulent process. The original essays in this volume are reports from the frontier of change. In their diverging assumptions and conclusions, they reflect the vitality of this field. They succeed when they make the case for new questions and suggest possible answers. They advocate no single agenda. But taken together they well represent the passion and high craft with which scholars are creating a new western history.
Panel data methods for fractional response variables with an application to test pass rates

We revisit the effects of spending on student performance using data from the state of Michigan. In addition to exploiting a dramatic change in funding in the mid-1990s and subsequent nonsmooth changes, we propose nonlinear panel data models that recognize the bounded nature of the pass rate. Importantly, we show how to estimate average partial effects, which can be compared across many different models (linear and nonlinear) under different assumptions and estimated using many different methods. We find that spending has nontrivial and statistically significant effects, although the diminishing effect is not especially pronounced.
Relational Discord in Urban Primary Care: Prevalence Rates and Psychiatric Comorbidities

The current study primarily assesses uninsured, low-income patients (n = 125) in a primary care practice. Despite the knowledge that family relationships affect the management and outcomes of chronic illness, the rates of relational discord among primary care patients are unknown. Findings reveal that 54% of patients met criteria for problematic family functioning, while 40% of those in a romantic relationship reported relationship distress. In addition, 67% reported depression, 32% reported clinical levels of anxiety, and 33% at-risk alcohol use. Researchers used latent class analysis to explore characteristics of the sample, which revealed four classes. Comparisons with prior research with similar populations are made and implications for behavioral health providers working within primary care are discussed.
The tubero-infundibular neuron system: a component of the photoperiodic control mechanism of the white-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii

To assess the roles of the hypothalamic neurosecretory and tubero-infundibular neuron systems in the mechanism of photoperiodic control of testicular growth in Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, midline electrolytic lesions were created in the median eminence, in its individual divisions, and in the region of the infundibular nucleus. Radiography was employed to facilitate the stereotaxic placement of lesions. Extensive damage to the neurosecretion-rich anterior division of the median eminence neither prevented the initiation of testicular growth in photosensitive, photostimulated birds nor induced gonadal regression in birds in which gonadal growth had previously been initiated by natural photoperiodic stimulation. Likewise, there was no impairment of the gonadotropin release mechanism when damage was restricted primarily to the neurosecretion-deficient posterior division of the median eminence. However, in birds in which the zone of damage included both divisions of the median eminence, the photoperiodic testicular response was abolished or markedly suppressed; if testicular growth had been initiated prior to electrocoagulation of the median eminence, testicular regression was induced. Gonadotropic insufficiency comparable to that induced by lesions in the median eminence was caused also by large lesions in the region of the infundibular nucleus or by smaller ones restricted primarily to its median, basal portion. Zones of damage that impair gonadotropic function thus correspond to (a) the chief nucleus of origin of the tubero-infundibular tract, (b) the principal route of entry of tubero-infundibular fibers into the anterior and posterior divisions of the median eminence, and (c) the terminal distribution of tubero-infundibular fibers in the eminential zones of neurovascular contact. These observations suggest that the tubero-infundibular neuron system is an essential component of the photoperiodic control mechanism of Z. leucophrys gambelii and are consistent with an hypothesis that assigns to this parvicellular neuron system the production of a neurohormone that regulates the release of a growth-stimulating gonadotropin from the pars distalis. The failure of anterior median eminence lesions to eliminate gonadotropin release is inconsistent with the hypothesis that the eminential component of the hypothalamic neurosecretory system is an essential element of the mechanism that controls photoperiodic testicular growth.
Microdissection and microcloning of chromosomal alterations in human breast cancer

The recognition of recurring sites of chromosome changes in malignancies has greatly facilitated the identification of genes implicated in the pathogenesis of human cancers. Based especially upon recent studies [1–4], it appears increasingly likely that a subset of recurring chromosome alterations will be recognized in human breast cancer. Currently recognized chromosome changes characterizing breast carcinoma include the recognition of cytologic features of gene amplification (e.g. double minutes [dmins] and homogeneously staining regions [HSRs]) [5–8]. As these and other chromosome regions are implicated in recurring abnormalities in breast cancer, it will become increasingly important to have band-or region-specific genomic libraries and probes in order to facilitate high resolution physical mapping and ultimately to clone breast cancer related genes [9]. Toward this end an important recent development in physical mapping has been the establishment of chromosome microdissection as a rapid and reproducible approach to rapidly isolate and characterize chromosome region-specific DNA, greatly facilitating the initial steps in positional cloning of disease-related genes [10–13]. In this brief report, we will highlight the application of chromosome microdissection to the generation of region-specific probes for both fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and the generation of genomic microclone libraries. Additionally, efforts using this methodology to generate a microclone library encompassing the early onset breast/ovarian cancer (BRCA1) gene will be presented.
Chemical mapping of patterned polymer photoresists by near-field infrared microscopy

Latent images obtained by deep-ultraviolet (DUV) patterning and post-exposure bake in the polymer system poly(t-butylmethacrylate) (PTBMA) resist/triphenyl sulfonium photoacid generator are characterized by infrared near-field microscopy (IR-NSOM). Chemical sub-group specificity is achieved in the infrared near-field images by using wavelengths tuned on the OH absorption band of the poly(methacrylate acid) (PMAA) resulting from the photoacid-catalyzed decomposition of t-butoxycarbonyl groups. The experimental images of the patterned thin polymer film are compared with predictions based on scalar diffraction theory calculations for the initial light illumination step through the mask. Partial disagreement between the theory and the experiment is observed, but only for certain line/space dimensions of the pattern. The results suggest a structure-dependent chemistry during the latent image development.
The dissimulating disorders: a single diagnostic entity?

Abstract Several psychiatric conditions—conversion disorder, somatization disorder, factitious disorder, and malingering—are characterized by medical or psychiatric symptoms that are not “real” in that they lack a demonstrable biologic basis. In addition, these disorders share many other features in common, particularly when one corrects for a possible gender bias in diagnosis. We therefore offer the hypothesis that these “dissimulating disorders” may be closely related, and might be fruitfully studied as a group.
The impact of total parenteral nutrition on antithrombin III.

A prospective study was undertaken to elucidate the effect, if any, of total parenteral nutrition on plasma Antithrombin III levels. A total of 309 patients were included in the study. The patients suffered from cancer, or chronic illness, or major trauma which necessitated total parenteral nutrition. Each patient acted as his own control. Pre and postinfusion Antithrombin III levels were measured at regular intervals. Statistically, the results of the study have shown that total parenteral nutrition does not significantly alter Antithrombin III levels. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition7: 573-574, 1983)
Interdisciplinary Collaboration on Campus: Five Questions

In its 10th anniversary issue, The Chronicle Review asked a number of scholars to identify the “Defining Idea of the Next Decade.” One nominee: the movement to abandon the disciplines in order “to ...
Perceptions of facebook's value as an information source

Facebook has become an increasingly important tool for people engaging in a range of communication behaviors, including requesting help from their social network to address information needs. Through a study of 614 staff members at a large university, we show how social capital, network characteristics, and use of Facebook are related to how useful individuals find Facebook to be for informational purposes and their propensity to seek different types of information on the site. We find that bridging social capital and engagement with one's network through directed communication behaviors are important predictors of these dimensions of information seeking; furthermore, a number of demographic and usage behavior differences exist between those who choose to engage in information-seeking behaviors on Facebook and those who do not. Finally, when predicting information-seeking behaviors, we identify a significant interaction between users' perceptions of Facebook as appropriate for purposes beyond the purely social and their engagement with their network.
Crystal growth, characterization and physical properties of PrNiSb3, NdNiSb3 and SmNiSb3

The crystal structures of three new intermetallic ternary compounds in the LnNiSb 3 (Ln=Pr, Nd and Sm) family have been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. PrNiSb 3, NdNiSb 3 and SmNiSb 3 all crystallize in an orthorhombic space group, Pbcm (No. 57), Z=12, with a=12.5700(2)A, b=6.2010(4)A, c=18.670(6)A, and V=1431.64(11)A3; a=12.5090(2)A, b=6.1940(3)A, c=18.3350(6)A, and V=1420.61(9)A3; and a=12.3900(1)A, b=6.1760(3)A, c=18.2650(6)A, and V=1397.65(8)A3, for Ln=Pr, Nd and Sm, respectively. These compounds consist of rare-earth atoms located above and below layers of nearly square, buckled Sb nets, along with layers of highly distorted edge- and face-sharing NiSb 6 octahedra. Resistivity data indicate metallic behavior for all three compounds. Magnetization measurements show antiferromagnetic behavior with TN=4.5K (PrNiSb 3), 4.6 K (NdNiSb 3), and 2.9 K (SmNiSb 3). Effective moments of 3.62 μ B, 3.90 μ B and 0.80 μ B are found for PrNiSb 3, NdNiSb 3 and SmNiSb 3, respectively, and are consistent with Pr 3+ (f 2), Nd 3+ (f 3), and Sm 3+ (f 4). Structure of PrNiSb 3 viewed down the b-axis containing Pr atoms (gray circles) located between layers of nearly square Sb nets and highly distorted Ni-centered octahedra. © 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Variations in microbicide gel acceptability among young women in the USA and Puerto Rico

In a multi-site study of vaginal microbicide acceptability conducted with sexually active young women, quantitative assessments revealed significant differences in acceptability by site. Participants in Puerto Rico rated the gel more favourably than mainland US participants in terms of liking the gel and likelihood of future use. To explain these differences, we examined responses to qualitative behavioural assessments. Young women in mainland USA associated gel leakage with uncomfortable sensations experienced during menstruation, while young women in Puerto Rico had positive associations of gel use with douching. These negative or positive associations affected assessments of the gel's physical qualities. In addition, young women's perceptions of primary partners' support for microbicide use influenced sexual satisfaction with the gel and, ultimately, product acceptability. Finally, geographic HIV-risk context contributed to heightened HIV-risk perception, which influenced likelihood of future microbici...
Neuropeptidergic control of the hindgut in the black-legged tick Ixodes scapularis

The hindgut, as a part of the tick excretory system, plays an important physiological role in maintaining homoeostases and waste elimination. Immunoreactive projections from the synganglion to the hindgut were found using antibodies against four different neuropeptides: FGLamide related allatostatin, myoinhibitory peptide, SIFamide, and orcokinin. The presence of FGLamide related allatostatin, myoinhibitory peptide and SIFamide in both synganglia (source) and hindgut (target organ) extracts was confirmed by MALDI-TOF. Tissue-specific PCR revealed the expression of four putative FGLamide related allatostatin receptors and an SIFamide receptor in the hindgut. An antibody against Ixodes scapularis SIFamide receptor detected immunoreactive spots in epithelial cells as well as the visceral muscles surrounding the rectal sac, while staining with the antibody against myoinhibitory peptide receptor 1 revealed that the immunoreactivity was only associated with the visceral muscles. In hindgut motility assays, SIFamide activated hindgut motility in a dose-dependent manner. None of other three neuropeptides (FGLamide related allatostatin, myoinhibitory peptide and orcokinin) activated hindgut motility when tested alone. Myoinhibitory peptide antagonised the SIFamide-stimulated hindgut mobility when it was tested in combination with SIFamide.
Selection for Aluminum and Acid-Soil Resistance in White Clover

Despite good resistance to acid-soil stresses, white clover (Trifolium repens L.) is not found on some acid soils. Our objectives were to develop a large-leafed white clover with acid-soil resistance, to relate seedling Al to mature plant acid-soil resistance, and to validate our soil-on-agar procedure. We used a two-stage selection procedure. In Stage 1 we used the soil-on-agar technique to select for seedling Al-resistance and Al-susceptibility in Brown Loam Synthetic No. 2 and 'Grasslands Huia' white clover. In Stage 2 we used conventional pot studies with two soil pH treatments, 4.2 and 5.2, and stemtip cuttings of Al-resistant selections from Brown Loam to select for acid-soil resistance. The same Stage 1 and 2 techniques were used to evaluate 12 experimental populations and both parents for seedling Al resistance and mature plant acid-soil resistance. Across two cycles of selection, both Brown Loam and Huia Al-resistant and susceptible populations diverged. For Brown Loam, progress was made toward both increased Al resistance and susceptibility. For Huia, progress appeared more toward Al susceptibility than toward Al resistance. Populations developed from two-stage selection were more acid-soil resistant than their parent. However, populations selected only for seedling Al resistance or Al susceptibility were usually no more acid-soil resistant than their parent. We were able to increase the acid-soil resistance of Brown Loam white clover. But, the soil-on-agar procedure was not an effective technique for developing acid-soil-resistant white clover germplasm.