cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Foundations of Yield Improvement in Watermelon

High yield is a major goal for watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] breeders. The objective of this study was to measure yield in a diverse set of watermelon cultivars to identify high-yielding germplasm for use in breeding programs. Phenotypic variation for fruit yield in a diverse set of 80 watermelon cultivars was studied in the field in North Carolina. Yield was evaluated in replicated experiments of three environments (combinations of 2 yr and two locations), and two to four replications per environment. Plots were harvested one to two times, depending on the average maturity of the fruits at the first harvest. The highest yield overall was obtained from 'Mountain Hoosier' and 'Starbrite'. Some of the new, elite hybrid cultivars were in the top-yielding group, but there were old, inbred cultivars in the top group as well. Consistent and significant yield differences among the 80 cultivars across environments indicates genetic variation for the trait. In addition, high-yielding cultivars for use in breeding programs were identified. Watermelon breeders interested in developing new, high-yielding cultivars should make use of top performers in this study in their breeding programs.
Thermal sensitive paper as a diagnostic for intense relativistic electron beam dynamics.

Thermal sensitive paper has been used as a diagnostic for an intense relativistic electron beam propagating in a rippled magnetic field. The Er×Bz rotation of the beam has been measured from the exposed pattern on the thermal paper and used to calculate the electrostatic field of the beam Er, and the corresponding values of electron density and beam current. Exposed strips of thermal paper show longitudinal modulation of the radial electron velocity with a period corresponding to that of a rippled magnetic field; modulation of the radial electron velocity at the cyclotron frequency has also been observed.
Marital stability among wives of alcoholics: an evaluation of three explanations.

Summary Sixty women currently or formerly married to alcoholics were interviewed in order to assess the stressfulness of their marriage, stressfulness of their childhoods, and their closeness to divorce. In support of sociological predictions, the more stressful the marriage the closer the wife was to divorce. Contrary to psychoanalytic predictions, personality disturbance, indexed by stressfulness of childhood, did not correlate with closeness to divorce. Factor analytically derived subscales of marital and childhood stressors showed a significant psychosocial interaction; wives shy as children were more likely than their more outgoing counterparts to endure their husbands' verbal abuse of them and their children. In addition, influence by others to separate, positive attitudes toward divorce, fear of violence, and little or no good period early in marriage all correlated positively with closeness to divorce. Possible alternative explanations for the present results and needed future research are discussed.
A Dynamic Programming Optimization Procedure for a Two-Product Biomass-to-Methane Conversion System

Abstract The conversion of biomass to methane involves the scheduling of perishable material into a production facility with a decreasing production rate. A complex optimal scheduling problem arises when two different types of biomass are used in a conversion facility of limited capacity. The decision variables for the scheduler are the replacement times of old material with inventoried material and the order in which the different types should be processed. Such a scheduling problem is formulated as a dynamic programming problem in which an unusual time transformation allows for a significant reduction of the state space.
Community Perceptions About Prison Construction: Why Not in My Backyard?:

The image portrayed in literature is that communities express strong resistance to and negative attitudes about the introduction of a prison. Such claims, however, have not been supported with systematically collected data. A survey was administered to 3,795 residents of a county in which the construction of a new prison had just begun. Residents from throughout the county were asked to indicate their expectations about the impact of the prison on their community. Contrary to the literature, it was found that the majority of the 1,659 respondents were, at worst, neutral in their overall perceptions about the prison's likely impact. This article describes the results of this survey and examines them within the context of the literature on locally unwanted land use (LULU) and the not in my backyard (NIMBY) syndrome.
Passive‐Oxidation Kinetics of High‐Purity Silicon Carbide from 800° to 1100°C

Highly textured chemically vapor-deposited silicon carbide (CVD-SiC) thick films were oxidized and compared to single-crystal SiC and single-crystal silicon. The oxidation rates of the (111) face of the cubic CVD-SiC were the same as those of the (0001) face of the single-crystal SiC. Similarly, the opposite faces of the two materials, ({bar 1}{bar 1}{bar 1}) and (000{bar 1}), also oxidized at nominally the same rates. The ({bar 1}{bar 1}{bar 1}) and (000{bar 1}) faces oxidized much faster than their opposite (111)/(0001) faces. Ellipsometry measurements and kinetic results implied that differences existed between the oxides that grew on the opposite faces. A regression method was developed to analyze the oxide thickness versus time versus temperature behavior of the specimens simultaneously. This technique was compared to typical methods for analyzing temperature-dependent processes and estimated temperature-dependent parameters (e.g., activation energy) and their errors more accurately.
Lipreading, Processing Speed, and Working Memory in Younger and Older Adults

Purpose To examine several cognitive and perceptual abilities—including working memory (WM), information processing speed (PS), perceptual closure, and perceptual disembedding skill—as factors cont...
Syphilis and kidney disease: a case report and review of literature

There has been a resurgence in the number of incident cases of syphilis in the United States. Syphilis can affect the kidney and usually causes a glomerular lesion with variable amounts of proteinu...
Tensile destruction test as an estimation of partial proteolysis in fibrin clots.

We report a technique devised to evaluate the effects of partial proteolysis on the mechanical characteristics of acellular non-cross-linked fibrin clots. The destruction technique applies coaxial tension on mechanically preconditioned cylindrical molded clots and measures the number of mechanical failures vs the total number of samples at a given load (2, 3, and 4 grams force). We used different plasmin concentrations (0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.08 U/mL) in the bathing medium to cause partial proteolysis. We monitored the fibrinolysis process by measuring the amount of protein released in the bathing medium. Our results showed no difference in the creep function in all the groups studied. We compare our technique with compaction, a commonly used mechanical technique that compresses the sample by centrifugation, and found that our technique is capable of detecting minor changes of fibrinolysis (the results of the least square fit for the destruction test at 2 grams force, as a function of plasmin concentration, has a coefficient of determination of R 2 = 0.55), while compaction did not show a statistically significant difference in the same conditions, suggesting that each individual fibrin fiber bears load only under tension. Our findings suggest that when the fibers are cleaved their capacity to withstand stress is seriously challenged; thus, in principle, tensile destruction test can detect a minimal degree of proteolysis. Am. J. Hematol. 71:119‐127, 2002.
Dihydride Complexes of the Cobalt and Iron Group Metals: An Investigation of Structure and Dynamic Behavior

The previously reported cationic dihydride complexes (PP3)MH2+ (M = Co, Rh and Ir; PP3 = P(CH2CH2PPh2)3) have been prepared using improved synthetic methods. Variable-temperature 1H and 31P NMR spectra of these complexes reveal complex dynamic behavior. The hydride region 1H NMR spectra have been accurately simulated at all temperatures using a simple site permutation model after taking into consideration the opposite signs of the cis and trans H−P coupling constants. Partial deuteration of the hydride ligands in the rhodium and cobalt complexes is achieved by exposure to D2. In the partially deuterated samples, no evidence is found for a bound dihydrogen ligand, but the involvement of a dihydrogen species in the dynamic process which interchanges the two hydride positions remains a mechanistic possibility, as indicated by a kinetic isotope effect kH/kD = 1.3(1). The partially deuterated samples exhibit large and temperature-dependent isotope effects on the 1H NMR chemical shifts observed for the hydride ...
The early bird gets the buzz: detecting anomalies and emerging trends in information networks

In this work we propose a novel approach to anomaly detection in streaming communication data. We first build a stochastic model for the system based on temporal communication patterns across each edge, which we call the REWARDS (REneWal theory Approach for Real-time Data Streams) model. We then define a measure of anomaly for an arbitrary subgraph based on the likelihood of its recent activity given past behavior. Finally, we develop an algorithm to efficiently identify subgraphs with the most anomalous activity. Although our work has until now focused on the cybersecurity domain, the model we present is more broadly applicable to information retrieval in data streams and information networks.
Local Temperature Determination of Optically Excited Nanoparticles and Nanodots

A thin film of Al0.94Ga0.06N embedded with Er3+ ions is used as an optical temperature sensor to image the temperature profile around optically excited gold nanostructures of 40 nm gold nanoparticles and lithographically prepared gold nanodots. The sensor is calibrated to give the local temperature of a hot nanostructure by comparing the measured temperature change of a spherical 40 nm gold NP to the theoretical temperature change calculated from the absorption cross section. The calibration allows us to measure the temperature where a lithographically prepared gold nanodot melts, in agreement with the bulk melting point of gold, and the size of the nanodot, in agreement with SEM and AFM results. Also, we measure an enhancement in the Er3+ photoluminescence due to an interaction of the NP and Er3+. We use this enhancement to determine the laser intensity that melts the NP and find that there is a positive discontinuous temperature of 833 K. We use this discontinuous temperature to obtain an interface cond...
T-cell receptor variable β genes show differential expression in CD4 and CD8 T cells

Abstract Studies in transgenic and inbred strains of mice have shown that the critical molecular interactions controlling positive selection involve major histocompatibility complex (MHC), T-cell receptor (TCR), and CD4 or CD8 coreceptor molecules. Correlations have been established between MHC gene products and the percentage of CD4 or CD8 T cells that express specific variable (V) β-gene products as part of the αβ heterodimer. These studies have important implications regarding potential mechanisms of HLA-linked autoimmune diseases in humans. If similar interactions are required for positive selection in humans, one would predict that the TCR repertoire expressed by mature, peripheral blood CD4 and CD8 T cells would vary. To test this hypothesis the expression of specific TCR Vβ-region genes by CD4 and CD8 T cells from healthy individuals was compared using both triple-color flow cytometry and polymerase chain reaction based experimental approaches. The results show that the TCR repertoire does vary as a function of CD4 and CD8 T-cell subsets. Among unrelated individuals certain Vβ genes were consistently overrepresented in the CD4 population (Vβ-5.1, −6.7a, and −18); some were skewed to the CD8 population (Vβ-14) while others showed variable patterns (Vβ-12 and −17). Deletion of entire Vβ gene families was not observed suggesting that this is a rare event in humans. Attempts to correlate the expressed TCR repertoire in humans with HLA alleles will require consideration of these differences in expression as a function of subset.
The impact of short term synaptic depression and stochastic vesicle dynamics on neuronal variability

Neuronal variability plays a central role in neural coding and impacts the dynamics of neuronal networks. Unreliability of synaptic transmission is a major source of neural variability: synaptic neurotransmitter vesicles are released probabilistically in response to presynaptic action potentials and are recovered stochastically in time. The dynamics of this process of vesicle release and recovery interacts with variability in the arrival times of presynaptic spikes to shape the variability of the postsynaptic response. We use continuous time Markov chain methods to analyze a model of short term synaptic depression with stochastic vesicle dynamics coupled with three different models of presynaptic spiking: one model in which the timing of presynaptic action potentials are modeled as a Poisson process, one in which action potentials occur more regularly than a Poisson process (sub-Poisson) and one in which action potentials occur more irregularly (super-Poisson). We use this analysis to investigate how variability in a presynaptic spike train is transformed by short term depression and stochastic vesicle dynamics to determine the variability of the postsynaptic response. We find that sub-Poisson presynaptic spiking increases the average rate at which vesicles are released, that the number of vesicles released over a time window is more variable for smaller time windows than larger time windows and that fast presynaptic spiking gives rise to Poisson-like variability of the postsynaptic response even when presynaptic spike times are non-Poisson. Our results complement and extend previously reported theoretical results and provide possible explanations for some trends observed in recorded data.
The Uncertain Death of Edward II

The traditional account of the death of Edward II of England says that he died, probably murdered on the order of Roger Mortimer, 1st earl of March, at Berkeley Castle on September 21, 1327, and was buried at Gloucester Abbey on December 20, 1327. Rumors of his survival circulated soon after his death. Historians, particularly Ian Mortimer, have recently challenged the traditional view of the death of Edward II, suggesting that he did not die at Berkeley and was not buried at Gloucester in 1327. This article surveys the historical literature and evidence concerning the death of Edward II and concludes by endorsing the traditional view.
Combined Time-Frequency Calculation of pNN50 Metric From Noisy Heart Rate Measurements

pNN50 is a metric derived from heart rate (HR) measurements, and it is known to correlate with mental-workload changes in human subjects. Conventionally, this metric is calculated based on the variability of successive time periods in peak-to-peak occurrences in HR data. In the case of noisy measurements of HR, however, peak-to-peak detection may not be reliable. Here, we present a combined time-frequency domain analysis, benefiting from Short Time Fourier Transform, by which we can more accurately extract pNN50 metric from noisy HR data. An experimental measurement with added noise is used as a benchmark problem to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach with noticeable improvement over the conventional time domain peak-to-peak detection algorithm.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
The chorda center in Hensen's node of the chick embryo.

To learn the origin and early migration of notochordal cells in the chick embryo, tritiated thymidine-labeled grafts were implanted into homologous positions in Hensen's node of recipient embryos at homologous stages of development. The host embryos were reincubated to Hamburger-Hamilton stages 5–9, fixed, embedded in paraffin, and serially sectioned. Sections were coated with photographic emulsion and exposed for 7–30 days. Labeled cells were found in the notochord or chordamesoderm in 31 of the 35 embryos. Transplants to the dorsal portion of the node always formed notochord. Transplants to the ventral node formed notochord only when implanted during or after the definitive streak stage (H-H stage 4+), indicating that the chorda center is located in the dorsal layer. Moreover, the results suggest that the node depletes itself in producing the notochord: labeled cells migrated into notochord or chordamesoderm anterior to the primitive pit, rather than remaining in the node or primitive pit. Because transplants to the anterolateral portion of the node contributed only to trunk notochord and several transplants to the posteromedial portion contributed only to head notochord, Hensen's node may be equivalent to the median lip of a blastopore, over which prenotochordal material in the dorsal (epiblast) layer passes during gastrulation.
Quadratic residue codes of length 27

The structure of the supports of minimum weight words for the quadratic residue codes of length 27 is determined. This does not depend on the alphabet field. From the global code one can create a ternary code with the same structure. >
Registration of 'Acala 1517-09R' Cotton

164 Journal of Plant Registrations, Vol. 5, No. 2, May 2011 Since the introduction of insect-resistant Bollgard (B) cotton expressing an endotoxin protein (Cry I Ac) produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis in 1996 (Begemann, 1996) and glyphosate-resistant Roundup Ready (R) cotton for commercial production in 1997 (Sherrick, 1996), growers have rapidly adopted these transgenic technologies. In 2010, approximately 96% of the cotton hectarage in the United States was grown to transgenic cotton cultivars (USDA-AMS, 2010), resulting in the diminished production of conventional cotton including Acala 1517 cotton in New Mexico. To incorporate Monsanto’s biotechnology traits into public cotton germplasm, a close collaboration between Monsanto and some public cotton-breeding programs through the Cotton States Program was established Registration of ‘Acala 1517–09R’ Cotton
Have predictors of obstetrics and gynecology career choice among contemporary US medical graduates changed over time

Objective We sought to identify predictors of obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) specialty choice among US medical graduates over time. Study design We examined OBGYN specialty choice for its association with 16 items on the 1997, 2000, and 2004 AAMC Graduation Questionnaire (GQ). Multivariate logistic regression identified independent predictors of OBGYN specialty choice for each year. Results Eighty-three percent of US graduates completed the GQ in the 3 years studied. Fewer responders chose OBGYN over time (1997, 8.2%; 2000, 6.5%; 2004, 6.2%.) Women, blacks, and graduates with more positive ratings of the OBGYN clerkship were more likely to choose OBGYN in each year (each P P Conclusion Predictors of OBGYN specialty choice from among the GQ variables tested have remained stable over time, but with a smaller pool of likely applicants.
Secondary analysis of dangerousness among death sentenced capital murderers

Abstract The theory of incapacitation involves reducing an offender's ability or capacity to commit further crimes. Capital punishment accomplishes this goal. An executed murderer never murders again. However, we do not execute all murderers, only capital murderers. This policy produces several research questions. Do capital murderers present a special risk to society? Are capital murderers more likely to murder or commit other violent crimes again than other murderers or the average citizen? To answer these questions, many states require a prediction of future dangerousness of a newly convicted murderer. To what extent has the judgment of future dangerousness matched actuarial data of subsequent murders and serious crimes? Using a secondary analysis, this investigation attempted to assemble available data of postconviction dangerousness of death sentenced capital murderers to create a more comprehensive actuarial account of subsequent dangerousness and to present the data in a common format used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Across 14 studies identified with relevant data, there were 13 instances of subsequent murder and 462 serious crime or prison rule violations.
Identifying crash-prone locations with quantile regression

Identifying locations that exhibit the greatest potential for safety improvements is becoming more and more important because of competing needs and a tightening safety improvement budget. Current crash modeling practices mainly target changes at the mean level. However, crash data often have skewed distributions and exhibit substantial heterogeneity. Changes at mean level do not adequately represent patterns present in the data. This study employs a regression technique known as the quantile regression. Quantile regression offers the flexibility of estimating trends at different quantiles. It is particularly useful for summarizing data with heterogeneity. Here, we consider its application for identifying intersections with severe safety issues. Several classic approaches for determining risk-prone intersections are also compared. Our findings suggest that relative to other methods, quantile regression yields a sensible and much more refined subset of risk-prone locations.
Jumpstarting CCS using refinery CO2 for enhanced oil recovery

Abstract Widespread adoption of carbon [dioxide] capture and storage (CCS) is limited by infrastructure, market, and cost barriers. Like most nascent technologies, it will be critical to overcome these barriers to fully realize the potential of CCS. Capturing CO2 from the oil refining process and using this CO2 for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is an appealing scenario for knocking down these barriers, jumpstarting a CCS industry, and driving down the cost of CCS technology. CO2 capture from oil refineries can be relatively inexpensive when compared to other stationary sources (supply), EOR provides a market for CO2 (demand), and the spatial proximity of oil fields and refineries reduces transportation issues (cost, right of way, etc.). The oil industry should play a key role in the evolution of CCS since it has vested interests and experience with capturing, transporting, and injecting (and storing) CO2 underground. In this paper we study the deployment of CCS infrastructure to support CO2 capture from the oil refining industry and EOR and long term geologic storage of the CO2 for the US Gulf States. This region accounts for approximately 45% of US refining capacity, a large percentage of active EOR projects, and an extensive network of pipeline rights-of-way (natural gas, crude and refined oil) including over 80% of the existing CO2 pipelines. Presently, the oil industry predominantly uses natural sources of CO2 for EOR; an obvious goal of integrating CCS technology into the oil industry is displace the natural CO2 sources with anthropogenic CO2. The region is also responsible for approximately 450 Mt CO2 emissions annually from fossil-fuel electricity generation; an oil industry-driven CO2 market and CCS infrastructure could provide the necessary stimulus for capturing this CO2 in the coming decades. Our approach uses an economic-engineering model to geospatially deploy CCS infrastructure (capture, transportation, and storage) in response to a price on CO2 or a desired CO2 capture amount. The model considers and integrates each of the interdependent CCS components. It calculates at which oil refineries it is cost -effective to capture CO2, where and how new CO2 pipelines should be networked together, and which EOR oil fields balance CCS costs and CO2 credit as well as providing the best long term storage potential. The combination of capture, transport, and storage infrastructure is highly dependent on the CO2 price, both as an inducement (for EOR) and disincentive (price to emit CO2). Consequently, we examine how the expansion of CCS infrastructure could develop given differing CO2 scenarios, including variation in capture and storage costs. Our results show how a CO2 management network (capture, transport, and storage infrastructure) could develop given a set of oil refineries and EOR reservoirs in the US Gulf Coast region. The model outputs and results can be used to help plan policy and regulation for CO2 capture and storage, and help guide how the oil industry could jumpstart a CCS industry.
Massive fetomaternal hemorrhage treated with serial combined intravascular and intraperitoneal fetal transfusions

Abstract One of the many causes of fetal hydrops is fetomaternal hemorrhage. This report presents a pregnancy with fetomaternal hemorrhage that was treated with serial combined intravascular and intrperitoneal fetal transfusions, resulting in a good outcome. A 26-year-old woman seen for ultrasonographic evaluation was found to have a fetus with hydrops fetalis. Fetal blood sampling demonstrated severe fetal anemia (hematocril 16.4%). The initial Kleihauer-Betke test result on maternal blood was 6% fetal cells. The fetus was transfused five times over a 24-day period by means of a combined intravascular and intraperitoneal route. The fetus also received one platelet transfusion for thrombocytopenia. The pregnancy resulted in a good fetal outcome without the need for postpartum transfusion. This case represents successful treatment of fetal anemia and nonimmune hydrops with a serial combined intravascular and intraperitoneal transfusion technique.
Suprasellar giant cell ependymoma: a rare neoplasm in a unique location

Ependymomas are glial tumors that usually present in the posterior fossa in children and in the spinal cord in adults. Giant cell ependymoma, a rare ependymal subtype only recently recognized as a diagnostic entity in the last decade, demonstrates pleomorphic giant cells admixed with features of typical ependymoma. Although only 8 giant cell ependymomas have been reported to date, none have been reported in the suprasellar space. Moreover, as these neoplasms demonstrate a high incidence of anaplastic grade, recognition of this ependymal subtype is paramount. We describe the presentation and pertinent radiologic, histologic, immunologic, and ultrastructural findings in conjunction with relevant clinical implications of the first reported case of a suprasellar giant cell ependymoma occurring in a 34-year-old female 7 years after an initial diagnosis of a medullary ependymoma with rare atypical giant cells, a potential tumor seeding culprit.
Retrograde mastoidectomy with canal wall reconstruction: a follow-up report.

Objective:To evaluate long-term results of retrograde mastoidectomy with canal wall reconstruction as a single-stage technique for cholesteatoma removal.Study Design:Retrospective case review.Setting:Tertiary referral center.Patients:Forty-six patients, representing 50 ears (20 pediatric and 30 adul
Small-molecule switch for zebrafish gene expression

The zebrafish is a highly promising model system for vertebrate genetics study, but the temporal control of gene expression has remained underdeveloped. A new chemical genetic system using a small-molecule switch for protein synthesis promises to increase the usefulness of the zebrafish as a vertebrate model system.
Coupling of antibody-binding fragments to solid-phase supports: Site-directed binding of F(ab')-2 fragments

Abstract A method to covalently bind antibody fragments, via their carboxyl termini to solid supports, is presented. The strategy involves: (1) reversibly blocking all the accessible carboxyl groups on the antibody molecule with phenylhydrazine, (2) exposing the carboxyl termini of the fragment by enzymatic digestion with pepsin and (3) subsequently coupling the fragment to an appropriate support. Experiments with an anti-bovine serum albumin monoclonal antibody and C-14 phenylhydrazine revealed that the blocking step was nearly completely reversible with a dilute solution of FeCl3. Radioiodinated blocked F(ab')2 fragments were then coupled to an amino-functionalized Sepharose 4B column, and characterized as to their coupling capacity (mass of protein coupled/ml of bead), and antigen-binding activity. The coupling cf the blocked fragments was found to be 12%, half the coupling efficiency of unmodified radioiodinated F(ab')2. The antigen-binding capacity (mol antigen bound per mol antibody coupled) for the blocked F(ab')2, on the other hand, was found to be 1.9, which was approx. 3.5-times greater than for the unmodified F(ab')2. Comparisons with other conventional coupling techniques were also made. These preliminary studies suggest that this technique can provide one with the means to obtain more uniform and active populations of immobilized antibody fragments.
The potential of mean force between polyatomic molecules in polar molecular solvents

Theoretical results obtained with the extended reference interaction site (XRISM) formalism are presented for site–site solute solvent correlations and solute–solute potentials of mean force for infinitely dilute polar molecular solutes in various polar solvents. The standard RISM site–site Ornstein–Zernike like equations, in a Coulomb renormalized form, with a hypernetted chain (HNC) analog closure are used to derive results for polar molecular solutes in polar molecular solvents. For a dipolar diatomic solute the difference in the solvation behavior between atomic and molecular solvents is examined. Finite concentration results are compared with the infinite dilution intermolecular site–site potentials of mean force for diatomic molecules in a simple fluid solvent.
Use of silica gel polymer for DNA extraction with organic solvents

Phenol and chloroform are the standard solvents used for DNA extraction. These solvents aid in the removal of protein and lipid from crude or partially purified cell extracts. Although the procedure is well established, the solvents are noxious, caustic, and unpleasant. We describe in this paper the use of a special blood collection tube to isolate the offensive organic solvents. With the use of silica gel polymer containing tubes, phenol, phenol:chloroform, or chloroform can be separated from the DNA containing aqueous phase in a rapid and safe manner. The method permits higher yields of DNA since the DNA is poured from the tube rather than aspirated with pipet.
Prediction of potential warranty exposure and life distribution based upon early warranty data

Business desires to address business risks as early as possible. In the automotive industry an early response to an emerging issue can save a tremendous amount of money, help preserve a business reputation, and increase the organizational learning rate. Warranty data is commonly tracked and analyzed in the automotive industry with a greater appreciation that a significant effort exerted in early detection is in the best interest of the business. This paper highlights an analysis method to detect potential product issues early in the production cycle and with this information estimate cost. The method involves estimation of the failure distribution from available warranty data coupled with customer usage and application specific data, to more quickly detect and react to potential business risks and determine the cost impact. Failure distribution analysis is recommended for addition to the standard warranty analysis toolset
Photoreceptor physiology in the rat is governed by the light environment.

Abstract Albino rats were born and raised in one of three cyclic (12L : 12D) lighting conditions: (1) 5 lux for 9 weeks, (2) 800 lux for 9 weeks, or (3) 800 lux for 9 weeks, followed by 5 lux for 3 weeks (800:5). After the treatment, the following were determined: (i) retinal function as measured by the electroretinogram (ERG); (ii) retinal morphology, including rod outer segment (ROS) length and outer nuclear layer area; (iii) rhodopsin levels in whole retina and ROS preparations; (iv) fatty acid profile of ROS membranes and (v) retinal antioxidant levels. After 9 weeks, rats raised in 800 lux sustained an irreversible loss of photoreceptors which could not be reversed by then placing them in 5 lux. However, these rats displayed significant alterations in all other parameters measured after the 3 weeks in dim cyclic light. ERGs showed a 60% increase of b-wave maximum amplitude in 800:5 rats at 12 weeks over the value at the time of their change to a dim environment, while a-wave amplitude in 800:5 rats increased more than 2·5 times. This increase can be explained by a combination of increased ROS length and increased ROS membrane concentration of rhodopsin during the three weeks in 5 lux. Polyunsaturated fatty acids predominated in the ROS of 5 lux rats and 800:5 rats, but not in 800 lux animals. Measurements of retinal glutathione enzyme activity and vitamin E and C levels were relatively low in 800:5 rats. Some rats from the 800:5 group were exposed to 2000 lux for 24 hr. Retinas of these rats sustained 50% loss of photoreceptors from this exposure. Comparisons are made to previous studies concerning the effect of cyclic light environments on the retinas of albino rats.
Exploratory experiments to identify fake websites by using features from the network stack

Users on the web are unknowingly becoming more susceptible to scams from cyber deviants and malicious websites. There has been much work in the identification of malicious websites using application layer features based on content (HTML, images, links, etc.) and a plethora of classification techniques. However, there has been little work on using features from the other layers in the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network stack. Capturing features from the transport and internet layers of the network stack based on responses to various Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests may allow for increased classification accuracy. In this paper, we use learning techniques (Winnow, Logit Regression, Naive Bayes, J48, and Bayesian) utilizing these new features to identify fake pharmacy websites. The results show that using transport and Internet layer features yields an accuracy of 80% to 95% for detecting fake websites using standard machine learning algorithms. The results suggest that many organizations may be hosting multiple websites using shared code and hosting services to enable them to produce the maximum number of fraudulent websites.
Self-injurious behavior in human and non-human primates

A review of the literature on human and non-human animal self-injury reveals that there has been little cross-fertilization of ideas between these two domains. Each body of research offers particular strengths, which, if combined, may more keenly inform clinicians and researchers alike about the nature of human self-injury. While research on self-injury among humans has necessarily relied upon correlational designs, researchers who study self-injury among non-human primates have more tightly controlled experimental methods at their disposal. Experimental research allows researchers and clinicians to address issues of causality in ways that are not possible with correlational designs. Despite the difficulties of drawing inferences from different species, a review of the experimental data on non-human primate self-injury may give researchers fresh insights into the elusive nature of human self-injury. This article highlights the research and theoretical material pertaining self-injury and identifies ways in which animal models of self-injury might inform research and clinical understanding of human self-injury.
Is Evil Good for Religion? The Link between Supernatural Evil and Religious Commitment

“The devil made me do it” is a familiar cliche often used to justify a bad decision. However, are beliefs in a devil or other evil supernatural beings actually beneficial for religion? Building upon Stark and Bainbridge (1987) and elements of the supernatural punishment hypothesis, this study proposes and tests the hypothesis that a positive relationship exists between the belief in supernatural evil and religious commitment. Data from 2007 Baylor Religion Survey reveal a strong positive correlation between the belief in supernatural evil and four measures of religious commitment: church attendance, religious perception, tithing, and faith sharing. This study not only contributes to a long discussion of religious commitment, but it also has implications for the growing literature on god images and the supernatural punishment hypothesis.
Versatility of CT scanning for evaluation of mandibular hypomobilities.

Summary The use of CT scanning serves as an excellent radiographic method for evaluating mandibular hypomobilities. A clear resolution of bony, as well as soft tissue components of all structures associated with temporomandibular joint and coronoid process areas provides the best radiographic image. Several cases illustrating the use of computerized tomography are presented.
Catalysis of ionic reactions by polyelectrolytes. IV. Quenching of the quinine cation fluorescence by Fe++, Ag+, and Br− in solutions of poly(vinylsulfonic acid)

The fluorescence quenching of the doubly charged quinine cation by Fe++, Ag+, and Br− was studied in the presence and absence of polyvinylsulfonate (PVS). The quenching by cationic species was greatly enhanced by PVS at low polyion concentrations; at higher concentrations of PVS, the fluorescence intensity increased owing to displacement of the quinine cations from the polyion domain. Quenching of quinine fluorescence by Br− was repressed by PVS. Interpretation of the data with the use of Fe++ as the quenching agent led to “effective concentrations” of counterions in the polyion domain similar to those calculated from the catalysis of the redox reaction of Co(NH3)5Cl++ with Fe++. This may indicate that the reagent ions are not rigidly bound to the polyion chain, since such binding would affect differently processes with high and low activation energies. The Stern-Volmer constant for self-quenching of the quinine fluorescence can also be obtained from fluorescence intensity data in PVS solution.
Robust estimation of multivariate location and shape

Copyright (c) 1996 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. In this paper, we describe an overall strategy for robust estimation of multivariate location and shape, and the consequent identification of outliers and leverage points. Parts of this strategy have been described in a series of previous papers (Rocke, Ann. Statist., in press; Rocke and Woodruff, Statist. Neerlandica 47 (1993r, 27−42, J. Amer. Statist. Assoc., in press; Woodruff and Rocke, J. Comput. Graphical Statist. 2 (1993r, 69−95; J. Amer. Statist. Assoc. 89 (1994r, 888−896r but the overall structure is presented here for the first time. After describing the first-level architecture of a class of algorithms for this problem, we review available information about possible tactics for each major step in the process. The major steps that we have found to be necessary are as follows: (1r partition the data into groups of perhaps five times the dimension; (2r for each group, search for the best available solution to a combinatorial estimator such as the Minimum Covariance Determinant (MCDr − these are the preliminary estimates; (3r for each preliminary estimate, iterate to the solution of a smooth estimator chosen for robustness and outlier resistance; and (4r choose among the final iterates based on a robust criterion, such as minimum volume. Use of this algorithm architecture can enable reliable, fast, robust estimation of heavily contaminated multivariate data in high (>20r dimension even with large quantities of data. A computer program implementing the algorithm is available from the authors.
A 2.8-Mb Clone Contig of the Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 (MEN1) Region at 11q13

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is an autosomal dominant disorder that results in parathyroid, anterior pituitary, and pancreatic and duodenal endocrine tumors in affected individuals. The MEN1 locus is tightly linked to the marker PYGM on chromosome 11q13, and linkage analysis has placed the MEN1 gene within a 2-Mb interval flanked by D11S1883 and D11S449. As a step toward cloning the MEN1 gene, we have constructed a 2.8-Mb clone contig consisting of YAC and bacterial clones (PAC, BAC, and P1) for the D11S480 to D11S913 region. The bacterial clones alone represent nearly all of the 2.8-Mb contig. The contig was assembled based on a high-density STS-content analysis of 79 genomic clones (YAC, PAC, BAC, and P1) with 118 STSs. The STSs included 22 polymorphic markers and 20 transcripts, with the remainder primarily derived from the end sequences of the genomic clones. An independent cosmid contig for the 1-Mb PYGM-SEA region was also generated. Support for correctness of the 2.8-Mb contig map comes from an independent ordering of the clones by fiber-FISH. This sequence-ready contig will be a useful resource for positional cloning of MEN1 and other disease genes whose loci fall within this region.
Upper-directed systems: a new approach to teleology in biology

How shall we understand apparently teleological systems? What explains their persistence (returning to past trajectories following errors) and their plasticity (finding the same trajectory from different starting points)? Here I argue that all seemingly goal-directed systems—e.g., a food-seeking organism, human-made devices like thermostats and torpedoes, biological development, human goal seeking, and the evolutionary process itself—share a common organization. Specifically, they consist of an entity that moves within a larger containing structure, one that directs its behavior in a general way without precisely determining it. If so, then teleology lies within the domain of the theory of compositional hierarchies.
The Cost of war : Australians return

Acknowledgements. 1: Returning. 2: Remembering. 3: Repatriation. 4: Soldier Settlement. 5: Shell Shock. 6: Home Fires. 7: Prisoners of War. 8: Vietnam. Index
A contact phase model for the analysis of flexible mechanisms under impact loading

Abstract An analytical study of flexible mechanisms subjected to impact loading is presented. A wave-propagation theory is incorporated into finite element analysis for the analytical modeling. This approach is based on interpreting the contact phase as an additional compatibility constraint to be satisfied during the contact interval. Instantaneous post-impact and post-release jump discontinuities of the motion are predicted by a local stress wave propagation method. An experiment employing an accelerometer as a sensing device was conducted to verify the analytical results. This study shows that the impact motion of flexible mechanisms can be modeled without obtaining the elastic restitution coefficients.
Modeling the interactions between aerosols and liquid water clouds with a self-consistent cloud scheme in a general circulation model

To model aerosol–cloud interactions in general circulation models (GCMs), a prognostic cloud scheme of cloud liquid water and amount is expanded to include droplet number concentration (Nd) in a way that allows them to be calculated using the same large-scale and convective updraft velocity field. In the scheme, the evolution of droplets fully interacts with the model meteorology. An explicit treatment of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation enables the scheme to take into account the contributions to Nd of multiple aerosol species (i.e., sulfate, organic, and sea-salt aerosols) and to consider kinetic limitations of the activation process. An implementation of the prognostic scheme in the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) AM2 GCM yields a vertical distribution of Nd with a characteristic maximum in the lower troposphere; this feature differs from the profile that would be obtained if Nd is diagnosed from the sulfate mass concentration based on an often-used empirical relationship. Prognosticated Nd exhibits large variations with respect to the sulfate mass concentration. The mean values are generally consistent with the empirical relationship over ocean, but show negative biases over the Northern Hemisphere midlatitude land, perhaps owing to the neglect of subgrid variations of large-scale ascents and inadequate convective sources. The prognostic scheme leads to a substantial improvement in the agreement of model-predicted present-day liquid water path (LWP) and cloud forcing with satellite measurements compared to using the empirical relationship. The simulations with preindustrial and present-day aerosols show that the combined first and second indirect effects of anthropogenic sulfate and organic aerosols give rise to a steady-state global annual mean flux change of 1.8 Wm 2 , consisting of 2.0 Wm 2 in shortwave and 0.2 W m 2 in longwave. The ratios of the flux changes in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) to that in Southern Hemisphere (SH) and of the flux changes over ocean to that over land are 2.9 and 0.73, respectively. These estimates are consistent with the averages of values from previous studies stated in a recent review. The model response to higher Nd alters the cloud field; LWP and total cloud amount increase by 19% and 0.6%, respectively. Largely owing to high sulfate concentrations from fossil fuel burning, the NH midlatitude land and oceans experience strong radiative cooling. So does the tropical land, which is dominated by biomass burning–derived organic aerosol. The computed annual, zonal-mean flux changes are determined to be statistically significant, exceeding the model’s natural variations in the NH low and midlatitudes and in the SH low latitudes. This study reaffirms the major role of sulfate in providing CCN for cloud formation.
Risk factors for venous thromboembolism in critically ill trauma patients who cannot receive chemical prophylaxis

Abstract Background Standard venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention for critically ill trauma patients includes sequential compression devices and chemical prophylaxis. When contraindications to anticoagulation are present, prophylactic inferior vena cava filters (IVCF) may be used to prevent pulmonary emboli (PE) in high-risk patients, but specific indications are lacking. We sought to identify independent predictors of VTE in critically-ill trauma patients who cannot receive chemical prophylaxis in order to identify a subset of patients who may benefit from aggressive screening and/or prophylactic IVCF placement. Methods All trauma patients in the surgical ICU from 2008 to 2009 were prospectively followed. Patients with an ICU length of stay ≥2 days who had contraindications to prophylactic anticoagulation were included. Screening duplex exams were obtained within 48 h of admission and then weekly. CT-angiography for PE was obtained if clinically indicated. Patients were excluded if they did not receive a duplex or if they had a post-injury VTE prior to ICU admission. Data regarding VTE rates (lower extremity [LE] DVT or PE), demographics, past medical history (PMH), injuries, and surgeries were collected. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of VTE with a p Results 411 trauma patients with a mean age of 48 (SD 22) years and 8 (SD 9) ICU days were included. 72% were male and the mean ISS was 22 (SD 13). 30 (7.3%) patients developed VTE: 28 (6.8%) with LEDVT and 2 (0.5%) with PE. Risk factors for VTE with a p Conclusion VTE occur in 7% of critically injured trauma patients who cannot receive chemical prophylaxis. Aggressive screening and/or prophylactic IVCF placement may be considered in patients with a PMH of DVT or extremity fractures when anticoagulation is prohibited.