cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Buckling of a column made of functionally graded material

Buckling of a column made of functionally graded material is investigated. The functional grading is performed in the longitudinal direction. The following problem is addressed: determine the variation of the elastic modulus with the axial coordinate such that the buckling load exceeds the preselected value. In this study, only polynomial variation of the buckling mode is considered and only the case of cantilever column is treated.
Reversing the Ross operation: a new reoperation option for autograft failure.

lobulated around the lumen of the aorta. These findings were suggestive of a tumor. The diagnosis of a tumor was strengthened by demonstration of vascularity in the mass by Doppler ultrasonography and enhancement of the mass on MRI. The malignant nature of the tumor was highly suspected as a result of the high uptake on PET scan; to our knowledge, a preoperative PET scan of an aortic sarcoma has never been described. Owing to the low incidence of aortic sarcoma, the premortem diagnosis and imaging of aortic sarcoma is highly unusual. Although aortic sarcoma remains an exceptional disease, its presence should be considered in a case of atypical presentation of a symptomatic aortic aneurysm. Furthermore, a high degree of uncertainty is needed when interpreting imaging techniques in these patients. 2
Microstructures of zirconium-based ternary carbide alloysa

Abstract The microstructures of the zirconium carbide-graphite alloys were characterized, and the effect of ternary additions on the microstructure of a high-carbon base alloy was studied. Minor variations of carbon content in the vicinity of the eutectic composition produced gross microstructural changes. The addition of boron produced a coarsening of the microstructure, and the combined addition of magnesium and silicon produced graphite nodules. The addition of tantalum carbide caused major alterations of the microstructure with the complete loss of characteristic features at high additive concentrations.
“I’m not against it in theory …”: global and specific community policing attitudes

Community policing has been the focus of considerable research attention and financial support in recent years. Despite extensive inquiry, there are still many unanswered issues surrounding this philosophy of policing. In addition, many studies of community policing have occurred in agencies which have specialized it as a program, rather than broadly generalizing it as a philosophy. This study seeks to overcome limitations in existing research by examining aspects of police attitudes toward community policing and testing the extent to which such attitudes are predicted by demographic and experiential variables. Data are drawn from a Midwestern police agency which was implementing generalized community policing. Results suggest that there is a distinction between global and specific perceptions, however different measures predict such attitudes. The implications of these findings for future research considering community policing attitudes among police officers are also discussed.
Structural characterization of the antigenic O-chain of the lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli serotype O65.

Abstract The antigenic O-polysaccharide moiety of the lipopolysaccharide produced by Escherichia coli serotype O65 was investigated by composition, methylation, base hydrolysis, periodate oxidation, mass spectrometric methods, and by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The O-polysaccharide had [α]D+108° (water) and is a high-molecular-weight unbranched linear polymer of repeating pentasaccharide units composed of 1:1:1:1:1 d -galacturonic acid ( d -GalA), d -galacturonamide ( d -GalANH2), 2-acetamido-2-deoxy- d -glucose ( d -GlcNAc), 2-acetamido-2-deoxy- d -galactose ( d -GalNAc), and 3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy- d -glucose ( d -Qui3NAc), and has the following structure: Download : Download full-size image
Reliable and efficient program for fitting Galatry and Voigt profiles to spectral data on multiple lines

Experimental data with multiple overlapping spectral lines must often be fitted to theoretical line shape models. This paper describes an efficient program for performing least-squares fits of such data to Galatry and Voigt profiles. The algorithm and program design considerations are presented in detail, and some examples are given to demonstrate its use. The procedure described in this paper may also be used for more complex line shape profiles.
Acute paternal alcohol use affects offspring development and adult behavior

Swiss Webster pups were fathered by sires given either an acute dose of alcohol (alcohol-sired) or saline (saline-sired) 12-24 h before mating. The same sires were used to father both groups of pups. Alcohol-sired pups were significantly lighter at birth and for the following three weeks than were saline-sired pups. Significantly more pups were fathered by saline-exposed sires, and dams carrying those pups had significantly longer gestations than those carrying pups of alcohol-using sires. More runts were born to the alcohol-sired group, and more pups in that group died over the next three weeks than in the saline-sired group. Significantly more pups in the saline-sired group achieved such developmental milestones as surface righting, clinging, the tail-pull reflex, rotation, linear movement and climbing an inclined surface earlier than did alcohol-sired pups. As adults, animals from the alcohol-sired group showed significantly less risk assessment behavior and longer latencies to such behaviors as stretched attention, flatback, freezing and defensive burying than did the saline-sired animals. Alcohol-sired animals contacted the stimulus object in the risk assessment test significantly sooner and more often than did the saline-sired group. In tests of aggression, alcohol-sired male offspring showed more frequent aggressive behaviors such as on-top, lateral attacks and jump-attacks, and significantly fewer defensive/fearful behaviors such as piloerection, tail rattling and jump-escape. This pattern of results suggests that exposure of the sire to one acute dose of alcohol before insemination caused some early developmental delays and that alcohol-sired animals are less fearful and more aggressive as adults than saline-sired animals.
Validity of the relativistic eikonal approximation

The relativistic eikonal formula for high-energy scattering, discussed recently by a number of authors, rests on a certain technical approximation concerning the high-energy behavior of sums of generalized ladder graphs. This approximation is shown to be justified, in the sense that it preserves the leading energy behavior in the sum over all generalized ladder graphs of a given order.
Developing Policy-Oriented Curricula for Conservation Biology: Professional and Leadership Education in the Public Interest

: Some conservation biologists question the ability of current university curricula to prepare students to meet the needs of the profession in solving real-life conservation problems or to integrate the goals of conservation biology with other societal goals. The gist of the criticism is that curricula tend to emphasize narrow, technical proficiency at the expense of more integrative, “policy-oriented” problem solving. Conservation biologists' work should be relevant to policy, and I argue that professional participation could become more effective through a broader educational curriculum. Such curricula should teach students three things: (1) an understanding of how the policy-making system works and how human value interactions constitute the core of professional work, (2) mastery of skills in critical thinking and development of an interdisciplinary, “procedural rationality” for analyzing problems and evaluating potential solutions, and (3) development of influence and responsibility within policy systems. Seminars, case studies, and field trips are among the tools that can develop these skills in students. Finally, the education committee of the Society for Conservation Biology has great potential to improve the quality and relevance of professional education. Resumen: Algunos biologos conservacionistas cuestionan la capacidad de los programas de estudio universitarios actuales de preparar estudiantes que llenen los requisitos necesarios de la profesion para resolver problemas reales de conservacion o para integrar las metas de la conservacion biologica con otras metas de la sociedad. La esencia de estas criticas es que los programas de estudio tienden a enfatizar una destreza tecnica estrecha a costo de una mas integradora, orientada a la solucion de problemas con orientacion politica. El trabajo de los biologos conservacionistas deberia ser de relevancia politica, y yo argumento que la participacion profesional podria ser mas efectiva mediante un programa de estudios educativo mas amplio. Este programa deberia ensenar a los estudiantes tres cosas: (1) el entendimiento de como funciona el sistema del quehacer politico y como las interacciones de los valores humanos constituyen el meollo del trabajo profesional, (2) el manejo de tecnicas de pensamiento critico y desarrollo de una “racionalidad procesal” interdisciplinaria para analizar problemas y evaluar soluciones potenciales, y (3) el desarrollo de influencia y responsabilidad dentro de los sistemas politicos. Entre las herramientas que pueden ayudar a que los programas desarrollen estas habilidades en los estudiantes se encuentran seminarios, casos de estudio y viajes al campo. Finalmente, el comite de educacion de la Society for Conservation Biology tiene un potencial grande para mejorar la calidad y relevancia de la educacion profesional.
A simplified purification procedure for galactose oxidase.

Abstract Methods for growing the fungus, Dactylium dendroides, and for purifying the secreted protein, galactose oxidase, are described. Fungal growth takes 1 week. Enzyme purification takes 2 days and yields 70 mg homogeneous enzyme per 25 liters growth medium.
Messenger RNA in HeLa cells: kinetics of formation and decay.

Abstract The polyadenylic acid-containing messenger RNA fraction of HeLa cells was measured by its affinity for oligedeoxythymidylate cellulose. Both the kinetics of initial labeling and the decay after a brief pulse of incorporation were examined. The kinetics of decay are complex, but can be approximated by assuming two populations; a short-lived species with a half-life of seven hours and a long-lived component with a half-life of 24 hours. It is estimated that the short-lived material comprises 33% of total cellular mRNA, while the relatively stable species amounts to 67% of the steady-state mRNA content. The two mRNA components with different decay times were observed simultaneously in the same cell population by measuring decay of 24-hour old mRNA labeled with 14C and RNA briefly labeled with 3H. The old mRNA had only a 24-hour decay component, while the new mRNA was biphasic. The decay of old and new mRNA was also observed after RNA synthesis was inhibited with actinomycin. Again, old mRNA decayed more slowly than recently labeled material. However, both decay times are significantly shorter in the presence of actinomycin and correspond to half-lives of approximately 4 and 12 hours. There is a small but significant difference in sedimentation distribution of new and old mRNA, the old mRNA sedimenting more slowly than new material, suggesting that the more stable species has a lower average molecular weight. The steady-state content of mRNA in HeLa cells amounts to 5.5% of the ribosomal RNA, or more than twice the amount of messenger RNA estimated to be on hemoglobin-synthesizing polyribosomes.
Small angle pion inelastic scattering from /sup 12/C at 162 MeV

Cross sections for elastic and inelastic pion scattering from $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ at 162 MeV at angles from 8\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 32\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} are presented. Standard static model distorted-wave impulse approximation calculations using realistic form factors show large disagreement with the forward angle data for elastic scattering and for exciting both the ${2}_{1}^{+}$ and ${0}_{2}^{+}$ states.
Curved focal plane wide-field-of-view telescope design

Ground-based surveillance of deep space has traditionally been the purview of optical telescope systems. Unlike their imaging counterparts, space surveillance telescopes emphasize wide field of view (FOV) over resolution, permitted the most rapid survey of the entire sky. At the same time there is a constant push to detect ever fainter objects, such as small pieces of space debris or small, distant asteroids. Unfortunately increased sensitivity requires very large aperture diameters, which when combined with the requirement for wide FOV results in very fast f/# telescopes. How far this set of requirements can be expanded is typically limited by large, complex, and costly corrector optics to flatten the wavefront. An alternative approach is to design the telescope to a curved focal plane. This is an approach that was once taken with film, but it has not been feasible with electronic focal plane arrays (FPA). A major break-through in FPA design may open up a new range of telescope design options. A new array fabrication technique now provides the ability to produce FPAs with a specified degree of curvature while preserving required electro-optical characteristics. This paper presents a design for a new space surveillance telescope utilizing these curved FPAs.
A discrete particle swarm optimization algorithm for uncapacitated facility location problem

A discrete version of particle swarm optimization (DPSO) is employed to solve uncapacitated facility location (UFL) problem which is one of the most widely studied in combinatorial optimization. In addition, a hybrid version with a local search is defined to get more efficient results. The results are compared with a continuous particle swarm optimization (CPSO) algorithm and two other metaheuristics studies, namely, genetic algorithm (GA) and evolutionary simulated annealing (ESA). To make a reasonable comparison, we applied to same benchmark suites that are collected from OR-library. In conclusion, the results showed that DPSO algorithm is slightly better than CPSO algorithm and competitive with GA and ESA.
Bureaucratic Transition in Morocco

A recent excellent study of the political aspects of Middle Eastern social change1 analyzes four principal "instruments of political modernization": the army, the political party, the trade union, and finally, the civil bureaucracy. It is significant that the last-named instrument receives far less attention than the others, not because it is less important, but simply because the bureaucratic-administrative aspect of political development has been relatively neglected by Western analysts. Although another recent publication2 clearly recognizes this lack, not just in the Middle East but in the whole field of developing nations, and does a good deal to alleviate it, the fact remains that bureaucracy as an instrument of modernization has not been a favored focus for analysis. In the Middle East, where bureaucracy's role in modernization and social change has been of vital importance, only Morroe Berger among sociologists has chosen this traditional sociological field as a vehicle for his research.3 It is no...
Hypervolume under the ROC hypersurface of a near-guessing ideal observer in a three-class classification task

We expressed the performance of the three-class "guessing" observer in terms of the six probabilities which make up a three-class receiver operating characteristic (ROC) space, in a formulation in which "sensitivities" are eliminated in constructing the ROC space (equivalent to using false-negative fraction and false-positive fraction in a two-class task). We then show that the "guessing" observer's performance in terms of these conditional probabilities is completely described by a degenerate hypersurface with only two degrees of freedom (as opposed to the five required, in general, to achieve a true hypersurface in such a ROC space). It readily follows that the hypervolume under such a degenerate hypersurface must be zero. We then consider a "near-guessing" task; that is, a task in which the three underlying data probability density functions (PDFs) are nearly identical, controlled by two parameters which may vary continuously to zero (at which point the PDFs become identical). The hypervolume under the ROC hypersurface of an observer in the three-class classification task tends continuously to zero as the underlying data PDFs converge continuously to identity (a "guessing" task). The hypervolume under the ROC hypersurface of a "perfect" ideal observer (a task in which the three data PDFs never overlap) is also found to be zero in the ROC space formulation under consideration. This suggests that hypervolume may not be a useful performance metric in three-class classification tasks, despite the utility of the area under the ROC curve for two-class tasks.
Using satellite imagery for stormwater pollution management with Bayesian networks

Urban stormwater runoff is the primary source of many pollutants to Santa Monica Bay, but its monitoring and modeling is inherently difficult and often requires land use information as an intermediate process. Many approaches have been developed to estimate stormwater pollutant loading from land use. This research investigates an alternative approach, which estimates stormwater pollutant loadings directly from satellite imagery. We proposed a Bayesian network approach to classify a Landsat ETM(+) image of the Marina del Rey area in the Santa Monica Bay watershed. Eight water quality parameters were examined, including: total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, nutrients, heavy metals, and oil and grease. The pollutant loads for each parameter were classified into six levels: very low, low, medium low, medium high, high, and very high. The results provided spatial estimates of each pollutant load as thematic maps from which the greatest pollutant loading areas were identified. These results may be useful in developing best management strategies for stormwater pollution at regional and global scales and in establishing total maximum daily loads in the watershed. The approach can also be used for areas without ground-survey land use data.
Stall cycle redistribution in a transparent fetch pipeline

Power and power density are now primary design constraints for modern high performance microprocessors. Up to 70% of the dynamic power consumed can be attributed to the clocking system. A consequence of this trend is that clock gating has emerged as both a necessary and efficient method to significantly reduce dynamic power. Transparent pipelining, a recently proposed fine-grain clock gating technique, has the potential to significantly reduce clock power above and beyond conventional pipestage-level clock gating. Previous studies of transparent pipelining have focused on the circuit and implementation-related issues of this approach, while neglecting the broader microarchitectural implications. This paper aims to quantify the microarchitectural opportunities that are afforded by the use of transparent pipelining in a processor's fetch pipeline. We develop a technique, based on stall cycle redistribution, designed to improve the performance of transparent pipelining on fetch and other high utilization pipelines. We show that stall cycle redistribution can dramatically reduce the clocking overhead of an aggressively pipelined Cell-like microprocessor.
A static network level model for the information propagation in vehicular ad hoc networks

Abstract In this paper, we present a network level model to describe the information propagation in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). The approach utilizes an existing one-dimensional propagation model to evaluate information travel times on the individual arcs of the network. Traffic flow characteristics are evaluated by a static traffic assignment model. Upper and lower bounds are developed for the time of information propagation between two nodes in a network. We show that the bounds yield good (typically within 5%) estimates of the true time lag for the lower penetration rates (
Signatures of Sex-Antagonistic Selection on Recombining Sex Chromosomes

Sex-antagonistic (SA) selection has major evolutionary consequences: it can drive genomic change, constrain adaptation, and maintain genetic variation for fitness. The recombining (or pseudoautosomal) regions of sex chromosomes are a promising setting in which to study SA selection because they tend to accumulate SA polymorphisms and because recombination allows us to deploy the tools of molecular evolution to locate targets of SA selection and quantify evolutionary forces. Here we use coalescent models to characterize the patterns of polymorphism expected within and divergence between recombining X and Y (or Z and W) sex chromosomes. SA selection generates peaks of divergence between X and Y that can extend substantial distances away from the targets of selection. Linkage disequilibrium between neutral sites is also inflated. We show how the pattern of divergence is altered when the SA polymorphism or the sex-determining region was recently established. We use data from the flowering plant Silene latifolia to illustrate how the strength of SA selection might be quantified using molecular data from recombining sex chromosomes.
Vladimir Putin and the Chechen war

(2005). Vladimir Putin and the Chechen war. The International Spectator: Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 19-28.
Cost and performance analysis of concentrating solar power systems with integrated latent thermal energy storage

Abstract Integrating TES (thermal energy storage) in a CSP (concentrating solar power) plant allows for continuous operation even during times when solar irradiation is not available, thus providing a reliable output to the grid. In the present study, the cost and performance models of an EPCM-TES (encapsulated phase change material thermal energy storage) system and HP-TES (latent thermal storage system with embedded heat pipes) are integrated with a CSP power tower system model utilizing Rankine and s-CO 2 (supercritical carbon-dioxide) power conversion cycles, to investigate the dynamic TES-integrated plant performance. The influence of design parameters of the storage system on the performance of a 200 MW e capacity power tower CSP plant is studied to establish design envelopes that satisfy the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative requirements, which include a round-trip annualized exergetic efficiency greater than 95%, storage cost less than $15/kWh t and LCE (levelized cost of electricity) less than 6 ¢/kWh. From the design windows, optimum designs of the storage system based on minimum LCE, maximum exergetic efficiency, and maximum capacity factor are reported and compared with the results of two-tank molten salt storage system. Overall, the study presents the first effort to construct and analyze LTES (latent thermal energy storage) integrated CSP plant performance that can help assess the impact, cost and performance of LTES systems on power generation from molten salt power tower CSP plant.
Gamma interferon plays a crucial early antiviral role in protection against West Nile virus infection.

West Nile virus (WNV) causes a severe central nervous system (CNS) infection in humans, primarily in the elderly and immunocompromised. Prior studies have established an essential protective role of several innate immune response elements, including alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β), immunoglobulin M, γδ T cells, and complement against WNV infection. In this study, we demonstrate that a lack of IFN-γ production or signaling results in increased vulnerability to lethal WNV infection by a subcutaneous route in mice, with a rise in mortality from 30% (wild-type mice) to 90% (IFN-γ −/− or IFN-γR −/− mice) and a decrease in the average survival time. This survival pattern in IFN-γ −/− and IFN-γR −/− mice correlated with higher viremia and greater viral replication in lymphoid tissues. The increase in peripheral infection led to early CNS seeding since infectious WNV was detected several days earlier in the brains and spinal cords of IFN-γ −/− or IFN-γR −/− mice. Bone marrow reconstitution experiments showed that γδ T cells require IFN-γ to limit dissemination by WNV. Moreover, treatment of primary dendritic cells with IFN-γ reduced WNV production by 130-fold. Collectively, our experiments suggest that the dominant protective role of IFN-γ against WNV is antiviral in nature, occurs in peripheral lymphoid tissues, and prevents viral dissemination to the CNS.
Advertisers' Responses to Requests for Substantiation of Product Claims: Differences by Product Category, Type of Claim and Advertising Medium

A sample of major advertisers of durable and nondurable consumer products were asked to provide substantiation of scientific and puffery product claims made in television and magazine advertising. The companies were asked to respond directly to an interested consumer and the responses were evaluated on an “average man” basis. The results indicated that many advertisers cannot or will not successfully substantiate their product claims despite the efforts of the Federal Trade Commission's advertising substantiation program. One proposed remedy is to require advertisers to substantiate claims directly to consumers, on request.
Transesterification of poultry fat with methanol using Mg–Al hydrotalcite derived catalysts

Abstract The synthesis of biodiesel from poultry fats provides a way to convert the by-product of a renewable resource to a very important value-added biofuel. In this work, the use of heterogeneous base catalysts derived from Mg–Al hydrotalcite was investigated for the conversion of poultry lipids to biodiesel. This solid base showed high activity for triglyceride (TG) transesterification with methanol without signs of catalyst leaching. Catalytic performance was significantly affected by pretreatment and operating conditions. Calcination at optimum temperature was key in obtaining the highest catalyst activities. Rehydration of the calcined catalyst before reaction using wet nitrogen decreased catalytic activity for the transesterification of poultry fat, opposite to what has been reported for condensation reactions. Also, methanol had to be contacted with the catalyst before reaction; otherwise, catalyst activity was seriously impaired by strong adsorption of triglycerides on the active sites. Both temperature (60–120 °C) and methanol-to-lipid molar ratio (6:1–60:1) affected the reaction rate in a positive manner. The use of a co-solvent (hexane, toluene, THF), however, gave rise to a change in TG conversion profile which cannot be explained solely by a dilution effect. The catalyst underwent significant deactivation during the first reaction cycle probably due to deactivation of the strongest base sites. Subsequent reaction cycles showed stable activity. By re-calcination in air, complete catalyst regeneration was achieved.
Estimating Forced Evaporation from Cooling Ponds

Forced evaporation from cooling ponds can be estimated with reasonable accuracy from readily available information. The only data needed are the amount of heat added by the plant, and air temperature and wind speed recorded at the nearest weather station. The heat added by a power plant is disposed of principally by increased evaporation and by increases in back radiation and conduction of heat to the atmosphere. The relationships among the variables are mathematically somewhat complicated, so that a graphical solution is presented for simplification. For a selected water-surface temperature and wind speed, the graph gives the percentage of heat added by the plant that is used in increasing evaporation. The plant operator can then, if desired, easily compute the actual volume of forced evaporation.
Introducing fecal stable isotope analysis in primate weaning studies.

This research investigates the potential of a new, noninvasive method for determining age of weaning among primates using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in feces. Analysis of stable isotope ratios in body tissues is a well-established method in archeology and ecology for reconstructing diet. This is the first study to investigate weaning in primates using fecal stable isotope ratios. Diets of a single Francois’ langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) mother–infant pair at the Toledo Zoo are reconstructed using this technique to track changes in infant suckling behavior over the weaning period. Stable isotope ratios in feces are sampled instead of more traditional samples such as bone or hair to enable daily, noninvasive snapshots of weaning status. Isotopic assessments of weaning status are compared to visual assessments to identify any discordance between the two. Three measurements documented the transition from breast milk to solid foods: stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C), stable nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N), and nitrogen content of feces (%N). It appears that solid foods were introduced at approximately 2 months of infant age, but that nursing continued into the 12th month, when sample collection ceased. Stable isotope data exposed a much longer weaning period than what was expected based on previously published data for captive langurs, and clarified visual estimates of weaning status. This reflects the method's sensitivity to suckling at night and ability to distinguish actual nursing from comfort nursing. After testing this method with zoo animals, it can readily be applied among wild populations. An isotopic approach to weaning provides a new, accurate, and biologically meaningful assessment of interbirth intervals, and facilitates a better understanding of mother–infant interactions. Both of these outcomes are critical for developing successful conservation strategies for captive and wild primates. Am. J. Primatol. 74:926-939, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Biotechnology and the European corn borer: measuring historical farmer perceptions and adoption of transgenic Bt corn as a pest management strategy.

A 3-yr, multi-state survey of farmers who had planted transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn was conducted to evaluate perceptions of Bt corn performance and its utility as a management option for European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner). A questionnaire was sent to farmers in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania who had grown Bt corn during the growing seasons of 1996, 1997, or 1998. There were 7,427 usable questionnaires returned with the following response percentages: 1996 (42.1%), 1997 (35.0%), and 1998 (22.6%). Adoption rates, based on percentage of acreage planted to Bt corn, increased dramatically from 1996 (10.5%) to 1998 (40.7%). The states growing the highest percentage of Bt corn were Minnesota, Iowa, and then Nebraska. However, Illinois, was adopting Bt corn at the fastest rate. Historical use of insecticides did not influence the adoption of Bt corn. In addition, of those farmers who used insecticides to control European corn borer, the percentage that decreased their use of insecticides nearly doubled from 13.2% (1996) to 26.0% (1998) over this 3-yr period. The primary reason farmers planted Bt corn was to eliminate the yield loss caused by European corn borer. Scouting for European corn borers decreased from 91% (scouting 2.2 times a year) in 1996 to 75% (scouting 1.8 times a year) in 1998. The percentage of farmers not scouting for European corn borers increased from 9.6% (1996) to 25% (1998). Most farmers believed yields of Bt hybrids were either similar to or greater than the yields of non-Bt hybrids. Minnesota farmers perceived the greatest yield advantages. Farmers are becoming more aware of insect resistance management guidelines; however, they also clearly show preferences for having the flexibility to use different spatial plantings of Bt and non-Bt corn. Finally, after having planted Bt corn and obtained excellent control of European corn borer, most farmers believed that this insect had been causing more yield loss than they previously had suspected in their non-Bt corn. The data represented here provide an historical foundation for how transgenic Bt corn was used by farmers during the first 3 yr of commercial availability, their initial perceptions on the performance of this technology, and their attitudes regarding management of the European corn borer.
Interaction of reactivated faults within a restraining bend: Neotectonic deformation of southwest Jamaica

Jamaica is located on a restraining bend on the E-trending, left-lateral plate boundary between the Gonave microplate and Caribbean plate. Deformation in southern Jamaica occurs on two reactivated and simultaneously active fault sets: NNW-striking reverse faults and E-striking strike-slip faults. Movement on NNW-striking reverse faults forms fault-propagation folds that are expressed topographically as the Don Figuerero, Santa Cruz, and Brisco Mountains. The NNW-trending ranges (and faults) of southern Jamaica terminate against the E-W–oriented strike-slip faults. The two dominant E-striking, left-lateral strike-slip faults are the South Coast fault zone in the south and the central Jamaica fault system (Cavaliers fault, Rio Minho–Crawle River fault, and the Siloah fault system) in the central part of the island. We propose that the restraining bend is the result of reactivated, interacting fault arrays in southern Jamaica. The two fault systems inherited from Cretaceous and Paleogene deformation are reactivated to accommodate current deformation. The NNW-striking reverse faults accommodate E-W shortening, and the E-striking strike-slip faults accommodate both the plate motion and the differential motion of the fault blocks bounded by the NNW-striking reverse faults. This geometry results in topographic highs and lows along strike of the strike-slip faults, as a result of vertical displacement on the NNW-striking reverse faults.
Stachybotrys chartarum, Trichothecene Mycotoxins, and Damp Building-Related Illness: New Insights into a Public Health Enigma

Damp building–related illnesses (DBRI) include a myriad of respiratory, immunologic, and neurologic symptoms that are sometimes etiologically linked to aberrant indoor growth of the toxic black mold, Stachybotrys chartarum. Although supportive evidence for such linkages is limited, there are exciting new findings about this enigmatic organism relative to its environmental dissemination, novel bioactive components, unique cellular targets, and molecular mechanisms of action which provide insight into the S. chartarum’s potential to evoke allergic sensitization, inflammation, and cytotoxicity in the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxins, produced by one chemotype of this fungus, are potent translational inhibitors and stress kinase activators that appear to be a critical underlying cause for a number of adverse effects. Notably, these toxins form covalent protein adducts in vitro and in vivo and, furthermore, cause neurotoxicity and inflammation in the nose and brain of the mouse. A second S. chartarum chemotype has recently been shown to produce atranones—mycotoxins that can induce pulmonary inflammation. Other biologically active products of this fungus that might contribute to pathophysiologic effects include proteinases, hemolysins, b-glucan, and spirocyclic drimanes. Solving the enigma of whether Stachybotrys inhalation indeed contributes to DBRI will require studies of the pathophysiologic effects of low dose chronic exposure to well-characterized, standardized preparations of S. chartarum spores and mycelial fragments, and, coexposures with other environmental cofactors. Such studies must be linked to improved assessments of human exposure to this fungus and its bioactive constituents in indoor air using both state-of-the-art sampling/analytical methods and relevant biomarkers.
A Framework for the Co-design of Business and IT Systems

This study deals with the intersection of knowledge and action: how knowledge is developed, transformed, interpreted and used to change systems of business process and IT so that stakeholders may make effective decisions and take effective action in their work. The co-design of business and IT systems is a process within which business systems of human activity and IT systems of information processing are mutually constituted. It requires the negotiation of competing technological frames across multiple knowledge domains. Three major challenges hinder effective innovation: (i) a mismatch between goal-driven IS design methods and the need for cross-functional knowledge-sharing, (ii) the distributed and partial knowledge possessed by stakeholders from diverse groups; (iii) the need to maintain interpretive flexibility across cycles of discovery and analysis. This paper develops an analytical framework for integrating knowledge frames across stakeholder groups, to provide a common language for the co- design of business and IT systems.
Optimal control of multi-input SMA actuator arrays using graph theory: Expanding wavefront & simultaneous operations

Shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators are compact and have high force-to-weight ratios, making them strong candidates to actuate robots, exoskeletons, and prosthetics. However, these actuators are thermomechanical in nature and slow cooling rates can limit their performance. To improve the convective cooling, SMA wires have been embedded in vascular networks allowing cold fluid to pass across the actuators to cool/extend them. The vascular network can also deliver hot fluid to heat and contract the wire. In addition to the fluidic network, an electrical network operating in parallel can resistively heat the SMA to produce contraction. To minimize the weight and size of the vascular and electrical networks, a scalable N×N architecture has been implemented that allows for 2N control devices (valves, transistors) to be shared amongst N2 actuators. This Network Array Architecture (NAA) allows each actuator to be controlled individually or in discrete subarrays. However, this architecture does not allow all combinations of actuators to be activated simultaneously; therefore in general a sequence of control commands will need to be executed in order to achieve the complete actuation. In order to find an optimal sequence of control commands, graph theory algorithms have been implemented. By treating each actuator's state as binary (fully contracted or extended), the collected states of an actuator array can be represented as nodes of the graph and the control commands as the graph edges. By properly weighting the costs of the graph edges, search algorithms can be used to find an optimal set of control commands for desired state changes. NAA results in a multigraph that has 2N×N nodes and is highly interconnected. While initial work in this area established the basic validity of a graph search approach for NAA control, this article presents a scalable method of determining the optimal set of controls to minimize the operating cost (time and energy) and computational search cost.
Spirituality in geriatric palliative care

This article presents an overview of spirituality as an essential domain of geriatrics palliative care, and provides guidelines for clinicians to diagnose spiritual distress and to integrate spirituality into their clinical practice.
An active learning design project for a junior-level kinematics and dynamics class

This paper describes a design and modeling experience that was added to a junior-level, mechanical engineering class (Kinematics and Dynamics). Students were tasked to design, build, model and demonstrate an apparatus that met the following criteria: (1) demonstrated one or more concepts developed in class; (2) had one or more attributes that could be varied; (3) took into account all parameters (intended and unintended) affecting the apparatus output, and (4) would be interesting to students 14 years of age and older. The last requirement ensured that the projects could be demonstrated meaningfully to high school groups visiting our campus. Students completed individual, post-project questionnaires, and reported that their understanding of concepts such as friction, impact, momentum, and projectile motion was enhanced as they constructed and tested their devices. Furthermore, most now understand that "real-world" problems often cannot be solved through the simple application of the analytical approaches presented in their textbooks.
A challenge for environmental governance: institutional change in a traditional common-property forest system

This article examines how the Miskito peoples of Rio Platano, Honduras have responded to agricultural expansion by migrant farmers and ranchers onto their ancestral forest lands, and considers the policy options for supporting the common-property system of the Miskito and the forests they have historically conserved. The analysis compares institutional changes in the common-property systems of three Miskito communities, each with a different history of colonization. The findings illustrate that the Miskito response to the colonists has been multifaceted, and that while the Miskito leaders have made institutional changes to strengthen their common-property system, these changes are not necessarily reflected in the daily decisions of the Miskito people. The findings suggest that policies that support indigenous rulemaking abilities, specifically policies that legitimize indigenous rights to their lands and provide the resources to apply those rights, may be vital to maintain robust common-property systems and the frontier forests in the region.
Carbon and nitrogen allocation to male and female reproduction in Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, Pinaceae).

We measured carbon (respiration, photosynthesis, and production) and nitrogen allocation to male and female cones of Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir ( menziesii var. glauca) to quantify gender-specific: (1) resource allocation to reproduction, and (2) contribution to carbon costs of reproduction via photosynthesis. We also measured foliar photosynthesis and nitrogen concentration ([N]) near and far from female cones to examine the relationship between reproduction and foliar physiology. Over one growing season, male cones required only 8% of all carbon allocated to reproduction, with females consuming the remaining 92%. Female cones, however, had maximum instantaneous refixation rates of 54%, which, integrated over the season, offset 6% of their total carbon requirements, while male cones were completely dependent on vegetative tissues for carbon. Male cones received 22% of all nitrogen allocated to reproduction and female cones received the remaining 78%. Foliage near female cones had elevated photosynthesis during the early stages of cone development and consistently lower [N] than foliage far from cones. Although female cones may photosynthesize, the annual sum of carbon fixed by reproductive structures is minor in comparison to the total carbon allocated to production and respiration.
Hormonal modulation of cyclic melatonin production in the pineal gland of rats and Syrian hamsters: effects of thyroidectomy or thyroxine implant

Night-time pineal levels of tryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptophan, serotonin, N-acetylserotonin, melatonin, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and the activities of the two enzymes N-acetyltransferase and hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase involved in the cyclic production of melatonin were determined in male albino rats and Syrian hamsters that were implanted with thyroxine or thyroidectomized two weeks earlier. Both treatments depressed nocturnal pineal melatonin content in rats and hamsters. The cause of this depression is not known, although minor alterations in the substrates and the enzymes involved in melatonin production were observed. The data suggest that alterations in thyroid hormone levels may increase the release of nocturnal melatonin from the pineal, thereby allowing less to accumulate in the gland.
Synchronous equivalence for embedded systems: a tool for design exploration

This paper presents a new protocol for parallel and distributed simulation of VLSI systems. It is novel in two aspects: first, it combines optimistic and conservative synchronization methods, allowing processes to self-adapt for maximal utilization of concurrency. Second, it does not require any application-dependent information like lookahead, which in many cases is unknown, zero, or difficult to automatically obtain from a design in a hardware description language. All these features make it very convenient and practical, extending the class of applications to at least all VHDL circuits, including delta cycle. The proposed protocol has been implemented and used for VHDL simulation. Experimental results on several large VHDL circuits (between 1411 and 14704 processes) have shown promising linear speedups. We also observed that the dynamic synchronization, in which processes automatically adapt to optimistic or conservative behavior, follows closely or finds a very good configuration. This protocol may have a string impact for mixed-signal circuit simulation, where digital parts may be optimistic and heavy-state analog parts, conservative.
Constraining Exoplanet Mass from Transmission Spectroscopy

Determination of an exoplanet's mass is a key to understanding its basic properties, including its potential for supporting life. To date, mass constraints for exoplanets are predominantly based on radial velocity (RV) measurements, which are not suited for planets with low masses, large semimajor axes, or those orbiting faint or active stars. Here, we present a method to extract an exoplanet's mass solely from its transmission spectrum. We find good agreement between the mass retrieved for the hot Jupiter HD 189733b from transmission spectroscopy with that from RV measurements. Our method will be able to retrieve the masses of Earth-sized and super-Earth planets using data from future space telescopes that were initially designed for atmospheric characterization.
Evaluation of Corridor Traffic Management and Planning Strategies That Use Microsimulation: A Case Study

The California SR-41 corridor simulation project is presented as a case study of how to utilize microscopic traffic simulation for planning purposes. Two of the most important components of preparing simulation models for planning purposes are emphasized: origin-destination (O-D) matrix calibration and peak spreading for long-term testing (e.g., 20-year horizons) to overcome unrealistic network gridlock. With streamlining of the O-D calibration process, it is shown that the proposed model reproduces count and travel-time information collected from the field. Incorporating peak spreading as a result of congestion for long-term scenarios is also shown to yield performance improvements in the models and overcome network gridlock issues common to such applications.
The commercial prospects for Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics

The 24 countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics offer international business an intriguing variety of business opportunities. However, the international businesses that attempt to pioneer these new markets must learn which risks most threaten the peace in the individual countries of the region.
Acute appendicitis: clinical outcome in patients with an initial false-positive CT diagnosis

We found that five (38%; 95% confidence interval: 18%, 65%) of 13 patients with false-positive CT findings for appendicitis and reassuring surgical evaluation results eventually returned with appendicitis.
On probing conformation of microtubules by second-harmonic generation

Microtubule (MT) is a component of cytoskeleton playing an important role in a variety of cellular processes. Altering the structure of MT is a crucial mechanism of modulating the function, but it is difficult to measure the in vivo conformation. We present here the use of second-harmonic generation (SHG) for acquiring information about the architecture of MTs in living tissue. Axonal MTs were imaged by polarization-resolved SHG and anisotropy in the molecular structure was determined by means of the second-order tensor analysis. The feasibility of the second-order tensor analysis was tested for measuring the conformational changes induced by MT-stabilizing drug. It demonstrates that the new optical contrast may be useful for investigating the dynamics of MT cytoskeleton in vivo.