cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient Estimation of Spectral Functionals for Continuous-Time Stationary Models

The paper considers a problem of construction of asymptotically efficient estimators for functionals defined on a class of spectral densities, and bounding the minimax mean square risks. We define the concepts of H- and IK-efficiency of estimators, based on the variants of Hajek-Ibragimov-Khas'minskii convolution theorem and Hajek-Le Cam local asymptotic minimax theorem, respectively, and show that the simple "plug-in" statistic ?(I T ), where I T =I T (?) is the periodogram of the underlying stationary Gaussian process X(t) with an unknown spectral density ?(?), ???, is H- and IK-asymptotically efficient estimator for a linear functional ?(?), while for a nonlinear smooth functional ?(?) an H- and IK-asymptotically efficient estimator is the statistic $\Phi(\widehat{\theta}_{T})$ , where $\widehat{\theta}_{T}$ is a suitable sequence of the so-called "undersmoothed" kernel estimators of the unknown spectral density ?(?). Exact asymptotic bounds for minimax mean square risks of estimators of linear functionals are also obtained.
Contact line extraction and length measurements in model sediments and sedimentary rocks

Abstract The mechanisms that govern the transport of colloids in the unsaturated zone of soils are still poorly understood, because of the complexity of processes that occur at pore scale. These mechanisms are of specific interest in quantifying water quality with respect to pathogen transport (e.g. Escherichia coli, Cryptosporidium) between the source (e.g. farms) and human users. Besides straining in pore throats and constrictions of smaller or equivalent size, the colloids can be retained at the interfaces between air, water, and grains. Theories competing to explain this mechanism claim that retention can be caused by adhesion at the air–water-interface (AWI) between sediment grains or by straining at the air–water–solid (AWS) contact line. Currently, there are no established methods for the estimation of pathogen retention in unsaturated media because of the intricate influence of AWI and AWS on transport and retention. What is known is that the geometric configuration and connectivity of the aqueous phase is an important factor in unsaturated transport. In this work we develop a computational method based on level set functions to identify and quantify the AWS contact line (in general the non-wetting–wetting–solid contact line) in any porous material. This is the first comprehensive report on contact line measurement for fluid configurations from both level-set method based fluid displacement simulation and imaged experiments. The method is applicable to any type of porous system, as long as the detailed pore scale geometry is available. We calculated the contact line length in model sediments (packs of spheres) as well as in real porous media, whose geometry is taken from high-resolution images of glass bead packs and sedimentary rocks. We observed a strong dependence of contact line length on the geometry of the sediment grains and the arrangement of the air and water phases. These measurements can help determine the relative contribution of the AWS line to pathogen retention.
Recurrence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus after transient neonatal diabetes: A report of two cases

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus developed in two patients with transient neonatal diabetes after more than 5 years without insulin therapy. The absence of islet cell antibodies and of the typical HLA types suggests that they may have a nonimmunologic form of diabetes.
Effect of Pt particle size and distribution on photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution by p-Si photocathodes.

In this work, we investigate the effect of the average size and density of Pt clusters on silicon on the photoelectrochemical production of hydrogen. The metallization of Si is performed via electr...
Maternal Pre-pregnancy BMI, Gestational Weight Gain, and Age at Menarche in Daughters

Life course theory suggests that early life experiences can shape health over a lifetime and across generations. Associations between maternal pregnancy experience and daughters’ age at menarche are not well understood. We examined whether maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain (GWG) were independently related to daughters’ age at menarche. Consistent with a life course perspective, we also examined whether maternal GWG, birth weight, and prepubertal BMI mediated the relationship between pre-pregnancy BMI and daughter’s menarcheal age. We examined 2,497 mother-daughter pairs from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Survival analysis with Cox proportional hazards was used to estimate whether maternal pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2) and GWG adequacy (inadequate, recommended, and excessive) were associated with risk for earlier menarche among girls, controlling for important covariates. Analyses were conducted to examine the mediating roles of GWG adequacy, child birth weight and prepubertal BMI. Adjusting for covariates, pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity (HR = 1.20, 95 % CI 1.06, 1.36) and excess GWG (HR = 1.13, 95 % CI 1.01, 1.27) were associated with daughters’ earlier menarche, while inadequate GWG was not. The association between maternal pre-pregnancy weight and daughters’ menarcheal timing was not mediated by daughter’s birth weight, prepubertal BMI or maternal GWG. Maternal factors, before and during pregnancy, are potentially important determinants of daughters’ menarcheal timing and are amenable to intervention. Further research is needed to better understand pathways through which these factors operate.
The Central Role of the Therapeutic Alliance: A Simulated Interview with Carl Rogers

Carl Rogers developed Client-Centered Therapy as a comprehensive model of effective counseling and therapy. Rogers emphasized the central role of the therapeutic alliance and its three primary components in effective psychotherapy. First, empathy is required for the therapist to understand the client’s subjective phenomenological experience. Second, unconditional positive regard helps to create a safe, warm, tolerant, and accepting environment in the treatment setting. Third, congruence requires the therapist to remain genuine, open, and honest throughout all therapeutic interactions. Rogers proposed that these three components were necessary and sufficient for enabling positive growth during therapy. The present manuscript highlights some of the clinical insights and strategies reported by Carl Rogers over his career, using a simulated interview format to provide an engaging dialogue.
Groundwater prospecting for sandstone-type uranium deposits: a preliminary comparison of the merits of mineral-solution equilibria, and single-element tracer methods

Abstract Groundwater quality data was collected from published sources and estimated when necessary for three sandstone-type uranium deposits in Texas and Wyoming. The purpose of the study was to compare the merits of using the computed saturation state of the groundwater with respect to uranium minerals, to that of single-element tracers in groundwater for geochemical prospecting. The uranium minerals considered were carnotite and tyuyamunite within oxidized deposits in the Catahoula Tuff in southern Texas, and uraninite and coffinite in reduced deposits within the Oakville Sandstone in southern Texas, and Wasatch Formation in northeast Wyoming. Groundwater chemical maps and profiles were constructed for the three sites, showing locations of known and probable uranium mineralization. The single tracer elements and parameters considered in the comparison were pH, Fe, SO 4 , V, U, Ra, As, Mo and Se. Mineral-saturation results were the most dependable evidence for uranium mineralization, and showed systematic trends towards saturation at distances as great as 300 m from the ore. In general, the next best indicators of ore were uranium concentrations, and vanadium concentrations in the oxidized deposit. Single tracer species As, Mo, Se and V were at or below detection in groundwaters near the reduced deposits, and except for V, provided ambiguous information in the oxidized deposit. Because of its high mobility, radium was displaced from the mineralization in the direction of groundwater flow at the Oakville Site, although its success as an ore pathfinder was equal to that of dissolved uranium at the Wasatch Site.
Effect of Loss or Gain on Guided Mode Resonant Devices

Narrowband guided mode resonant (GMR) devices incorporating layers having a uniform gain or uniform loss are investigated. Resonances having enhanced reflection and transmission or enhanced absorption are observed for incorporated gain or loss layers respectively.
Significance of D-dimer concentrations during and after cardiopulmonary bypass

Abstract Objective: To determine whether D-dimer fragments predictably increase during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and if so, whether increases correlate with postoperative blood loss or predict postoperative coagulopathy. Design: Prospective observational study of 65 consecutive patients undergoing first-time coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or first-time valve replacement. Setting: Single center University teaching hospital. Participants: Male and female patients between the ages of 30 and 90 years undergoing first-time CABG or valve replacement surgery using CPB. Patients were excluded from study for prolonged preoperative bleeding time, preoperative warfarin therapy, perioperative intra-aortic balloon pump support, thrombolytic therapy in the week preceding operation, reoperation, and emergency operation. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Blood sampling for platelet count, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, fibrinogen, activated coagulation time (ACT) and D-dimer concentrations was obtained at four times during each case: (1) preoperatively, after insertion of the internal jugular introducer, before insertion of pulmonary artery catheter; (2) during CPB at 28°C, immediately before rewarming; (3) after heparin neutralization (20 minutes after initial protamine dose); (4) 12 to 24 hours postoperatively. Blood loss in the intensive care unit was calculated by measuring total mediastinal drainage output at 1 and 4 hours after arrival from the operating room. An initial decrease in fibrinogen was noted during bypass, but no increase in D-dimer was identified. A few patients developed a modest increase in D-dimer after heparin neutralization, but none greater than 2.0 ug/mL. Postoperatively, fibrinogen concentration increased toward baseline levels. However, this is when six patients developed significant (> 2.0 ug/mL) D-dimer formation. Results suggest appropriate physiologic response-normalization of fibrinogen with new synthesis and remodeling of clot in the operative site causing D-dimer formation. Patients with highest D-dimer levels at 12 to 24 hours postoperatively had the highest blood loss at 4 hours postoperatively, suggesting that early postoperative excess bleeding predisposed to increased clot formation and subsequent clot remodeling causing elevated D-dimer concentrations. Conclusions: D-dimer concentration is not usually elevated in patients undergoing CPB when adequately anticoagulated as monitored using the ACT. When mild elevation of D-dimer occurs, it is most often after heparin neutralization and/or in the postoperative period and is not predictive of increased postoperative blood loss. Elevations of D-dimer concentrations in the postoperative period without corresponding decreases in fibrinogen concentrations may occur and do not signify coagulopathy.
Bone anchor mesh fixation for complex laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.

Background: Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) has gained wide acceptance by both surgeons and patients, but hernias that approach a bony prominence are more complex due to the difficulty of...
Implementation of a global-scale operational data assimilation system for satellite-based soil moisture retrievals

Timely and accurate monitoring of global weather anomalies and drought conditions is essential for assessing global crop conditions. Soil moisture observations are particularly important for crop yield fluctuations provided by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Production Estimation and Crop Assessment Division (PECAD). The current system utilized by PECAD estimates soil moisture from a 2-layer water balance model based on precipitation and temperature data from World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and US Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA). The accuracy of this system is highly dependent on the data sources used; particularly the accuracy, consistency, and spatial and temporal coverage of the land and climatic data input into the models. However, many regions of the globe lack observations at the temporal and spatial resolutions required by PECAD. This study incorporates NASA's soil moisture remote sensing product provided by the EOS Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) into the U.S. Department of Agriculture Crop Assessment and Data Retrieval (CADRE) decision support system. A quasi-global-scale operational data assimilation system has been designed and implemented to provide CADRE a daily product of integrated AMSR-E soil moisture observations with the PECAD two-layer soil moisture model forecasts. A methodology of the system design and a brief evaluation of the system performance over the Conterminous United States (CONUS) is presented.
Evolution, Sociobiology, and the Future of Artificial Intelligence

What will AI systems be like in the near and long terms? Basically, we'll get the AI that people are willing to pay for. Consequently, many specialized applications will appear long before AI demonstrates its "Manifest Destiny" of human-level general intelligence. The AI demonstrations and applications we're going to see in the near future will trend strongly toward "cognitive prostheses" - systems that do well things that humans do poorly or don't like to do. Both near-term and far-future systems will need to interact smoothly with humans, which will put special constraints on them. In particular, to build systems that we'll trust and want to use, we'll need to carefully consider and craft their implicit and explicit values
Hyperparathyroid disorders in the dog: primary, secondary and cancer‐associated (pseudo)

Hyperparathyroid disorders were diagnosed in four dogs: one had primary hyperparathyroidism, characterized by parathyroid adenoma and hyper-calcaemia; one had renal secondary hyperparathyroidism, characterized by parathyroid gland hyperplasia, hypocalcaemia and renal failure; and two had cancer-associated hyperparathyroidism (pseudohyperpara-thyroidism), characterized by the presence of neoplasia, parathyroid gland atrophy, hypercalcaemia and absence of skeletal metastases. Significant clinicopathologic findings included serum concentrations of calcium, phosphorus and immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (PTH), presence or absence of parathyroid and bone lesions, and the presence of non-parathyroid neoplasia.
Neural activation in the orbitofrontal cortex in response to male faces increases during the follicular phase

Women's sexual interest changes with hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle. It is unclear how hormones modify women's sexual behavior and desire, but one possibility is that they alter women's positive appraisals of stimuli and thus their sexual interest. Using 3 T fMRI, we measured neural activation in women at two time points in their menstrual cycle (late follicular, luteal) while they evaluated photos of men presented as potential sexual partners. Participants were ten heterosexual women aged 23-28 none of who was using hormonal contraceptives or in a committed relationship. In an event-related design, the women were presented with as series of photos of male faces and asked questions to assess their degree of sexual interest in the men depicted. Results demonstrate an overall effect of menstrual cycle phase on neural activation. During their follicular versus luteal phase, women demonstrated increased activation in the right medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), suggesting increased positive appraisal. Activation in the OFC was positively correlated with women's estradiol to progesterone ratios. There were no areas that demonstrated increased activation during the luteal versus follicular phase. The observed increase in activation in the OFC during the follicular phase may reflect a hormonally mediated increase in appetitive motivation and may prime women towards increased sexual interest and behavior around ovulation.
Physiology, medicine, long-duration space flight and the NSBRI

The hazards of long-duration space flight are real and unacceptable. In order for humans to participate effectively in long-duration orbital missions or continue the exploration of space, we must first secure the health of the astronaut and the success of such missions by assessing in detail the biomedical risks of space flight and developing countermeasures to these hazards. Acquiring the understanding necessary for building a sound foundation for countermeasure development requires an integrated approach to research in physiology and medicine and a level of cooperative action uncommon in the biomedical sciences. The research program of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) was designed to accomplish just such an integrated research goal, ameliorating or eliminating the biomedical risks of long-duration space flight and enabling safe and productive exploration of space. The fruits of these labors are not limited to the space program. We can also use the gained understanding of the effects and mechanisms of the physiological changes engendered in space and the applied preventive and rehabilitative methods developed to combat these changes to the benefit of those on Earth who are facing similar physiological and psychological difficulties. This paper will discuss the innovative approach the NSBRI has taken to integrated research management and will present some of the successes of this approach.
A Family of Peroxo-titanate Materials Tailored for Optimal Strontium and Actinide Sorption

Achieving global optimization of inorganic sorbent efficacy, as well as tailoring sorbent specificity for target sorbates, would facilitate increased widespread use of these materials in applications such as producing potable water or nuclear waste treatment. Sodium titanates have long been known as sorbents for radionuclides, 90Sr and transuranic elements in particular. We have developed a related class of materials, which we refer to as peroxo-titanates. These are sodium titanates or hydrous titanates synthesized in the presence of, or treated postsynthesis with, hydrogen peroxide. Peroxo-titanates show remarkable and universal improved sorption behavior with respect to separation of actinides and strontium from Savannah River Site (SRS) nuclear waste simulants. Enhancement in sorption kinetics can potentially result in as much as an order of magnitude increase in batch processing throughput. Peroxo-titanates have been produced by three different synthetic routes: postsynthesis peroxide treatment of a ...
The therapeutic efficacy of camptothecin-encapsulated supramolecular nanoparticles

Nanomaterials have been increasingly employed as drug(s)-incorporated vectors for drug delivery due to their potential of maximizing therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic side effects. However, there have been two main challenges for these vectors: (i) the existing synthetic approaches are cumbersome and incapable of achieving precise control of their structural properties, which will affect their biodistribution and therapeutic efficacies, and (ii) lack of an early checkpoint to quickly predict which drug(s)-incorporated vectors exhibit optimal therapeutic outcomes. In this work, we utilized a new rational developmental approach to rapidly screen nanoparticle (NP)-based cancer therapeutic agents containing a built-in companion diagnostic utility for optimal therapeutic efficacy. The approach leverages the advantages of a self-assembly synthetic method for preparation of two different sizes of drug-incorporated supramolecular nanoparticles (SNPs), and a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging-based biodistribution study to quickly evaluate the accumulation of SNPs at a tumor site in vivo and select the favorable SNPs for in vivo therapeutic study. Finally, the enhanced in vivo anti-tumor efficacy of the selected SNPs was validated by tumor reduction/inhibition studies. We foresee our rational developmental approach providing a general strategy in the search of optimal therapeutic agents among the diversity of NP-based therapeutic agents.
Photophysical properties and electronic structure of retinylidene-chlorin-chalcones and analogues.

Synthetic chlorins can accommodate diverse substituents about the macrocycle perimeter. Simple auxochromes (e.g., vinyl, acetyl, phenyl) allow systematic tuning of spectral and photophysical features. More extensive spectral tailoring may be achieved by using more potent, highly conjugated substituents that themselves bring new absorption into a target spectral region, if deleterious excited-state quenching processes can be avoided. To explore such an expanded substituent space, herein the spectral and photophysical properties of four chlorin–chalcones are reported. The molecules are free base and zinc chlorins with substituents at the 13-position that include a chalcone and an extended chalcone derived by reaction of the 13-acetylchlorin with benzaldehyde and all-trans-retinal, respectively. Measurements of the spectral and photophysical properties (Φf, τs, kf, kic, kisc) are accompanied by density functional calculations that examine the characteristics of the frontier molecular orbitals. The chlorin–chalcones in nonpolar (toluene) and polar (dimethylsulfoxide) media exhibit bathochromically shifted (and intense) Qy absorption bands. The presence of the retinylidene group adds new absorption in the blue-green region where the chlorins are typically transparent; excitation in this region leads to quantitative formation of the chlorin Qy excited state. The spectral properties generally correlate with substituent effects on the frontier MOs. The four chlorin–chalcones in the solvent toluene have high fluorescence yields (0.24–0.30) and multi-nanosecond singlet excited-state lifetimes (3.7–8.4 ns), in addition to the added absorption imparted by the chalcone moiety. Collectively, the studies reported herein provide insight into the fundamental properties of chlorins and illustrate the utility of chalcones as a means of both tuning and augmenting the spectral properties of these chromophores.
Rote of adenosine triphosphatase, phospholipids, and vesicular structure in the calcification of isolated and reconstituted matrix vesicles

Abstract Calcium deposition in isolated rabbit matrix vesicles can be supported by hydrolysis of a variety of phospheesters. However, with fetal calf matrix vesicles only nucleoside triphosphates can support calcification. Ca deposition occurs readily within 2 hours in the presence of physiological concentrations of Ca2+ and HPO52− and a minute quantity of isolated matrix vesicles (about 20 μg protein). Vesicles solubilized with deoxycholate (DOC) will not sediment at 250,000 x g. Such DOC-dispersed vesicles can be reconstituted into larger vesicles after DOC removal by lyophilization, and resuspension in H2O. These reconstituted vesicles can deposit Ca in the presence of ATP and a calcifying solution. The matrix vesicle ATPase can be readily solubilized by DOC-butanol treatment and subsequent removal of the organics. The solubilized ATPase failed to deposit Ca even though the enzyme activity was made equivalent to that of matrix vesicles. Present evidence suggests that a vesicular structure with an incorporated specific phosphatase is required to produce a microenvironment suitable for concentration of calcium and phosphate to enable mineral initiation.
The development of metallic nuclear fuels for transmutation applications: Materials challenges

Metallic alloys show great potential to serve as transmutation fuels that could be used to burn long-lived and high-heat-producing minor actinides and fission products in nuclear reactors as part of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership program. To implement these fuels, work is ongoing to develop fuel fabrication processes, characterize alloy microstructures, measure fuel properties, determine the compatibility of fuel and cladding alloys, and understand the performance of the fuel alloys during irradiation.
Sugar transport in immature internodal tissue of sugarcane: I. Mechanism and kinetics of accumulation.

Transmembrane sugar transport into immature internodal parenchyma tissue of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a metabolically regulated process as evidenced by its sensitivity to pH, temperature, anaerobiosis, and metabolic inhibitors. All sugars studied—glucose, fructose, galactose, sorbose, glucose 6-phosphate, 3-O-methylglucose, and 2-deoxy-d-glucose—were apparently transported via the same carrier sites since they competed with each other for uptake. External concentrations of these sugars at one-half Vmax were in the range of 3.9 to 8.4 nm. Preliminary data indicated that phosphorylation may be closely associated with glucose transport. The dominant intracellular sugar after 4-hours incubation was sucrose when glucose, glucose-6-P, or fructose was the exogenously supplied sugar; but when galactose was supplied, only 28% of intracellular radioactivity was in sucrose. Sorbose, 3-O-methylglucose, and 2-deoxy-d-glucose were not metabolized. Thus, by using these analogs, transport could be studied independently of subsequent metabolism, effectively eliminating a complicating factor in previous studies.
Chewing Cycles in 4- and 5-Year-Old Normal Children: An Index of Eating Efficacy

Eating movements in the preschool child undergo change between the ages of 2 and 5 years. There is a lack of objective clinical data from normal children against which eating movements of feeding-impaired children can be compared. In this study, chewing movements were measured to complement tongue movements described in an earlier study. The movements were monitored in 40 children: 20 were four years old and 20 were five years old. Each group had ten boys and ten girls. Chewing movements were measured by time (sec), number of cycles, and a time/cycle ratio. A chewing cycle was defined as an upward and downward movement of the chin. Total time from the moment food was placed in the mouth until the final swallow occurred was divided by the number of cycles counted for the same period. Age and sex did not affect time, cycles, or the time/cycle ratio. However, the measures were strongly affected by the type of food eaten. These findings suggest that the texture of food strongly influences both the number of chewing cycles performed and the time used for chewing. The occupational therapist administering eating evaluations to children should carefully choose the foods offered for initial evaluations and use the same food consistently during re-evaluations.
Sampling Effects on Food Availability Estimates: Phenological Method, Sample Size, and Species Composition1

It is currently recognized that the method used to collect phenology data can affect the resulting pattern. However, to date, the underlying influences have not been examined. To examine potential methodological biases, we investigated the effects of phenological method, sample size, and species composition on phenological patterns using data collected to estimate food availability for three primate species in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. Two phenological methods were compared: selected tree observations and systematic transect monitoring. By generating bootstrapped subsamples derived from the transect tree data set, we simulated two selected tree data sets and subsequently compared the observed and bootstrapped values. Although the observed values fell within the bootstrapped confidence inrervals, suggesting no significant effects of sampling protocol or sample size, additional lines of evidence suggest otherwise. Observed samples composed of different plant species, whether based on species attributes such as life-form or categories such as food versus nonfood plants, consistently produced different phenological patterns. Wide confidence intervals of the bootstrapped samples indicate high individual variation in reproductive activity within the species sampled. Finally, we compared how well the selected tree and the transect methods represented food items used by all three primate species studied and found that transect methods sampled a wider diversity of food items, including rare foods, and a higher percentage of main primate food items than selected tree methods.
Peripheral eosinophilia in the diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis

Abstract Purpose: To determine the relationship between peripheral blood eosinophilia and chronic rhinosinusitis. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of consecutive operative cases during 1 calendar year. The preoperative complete blood count (CBC) were tabulated for three groups of patients: those undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery, those undergoing septoplasty with turbinate reduction alone, and a nonrhinologic control group. Statistical analysis was performed to determine differences in the components of the CBC among these three groups of patients and to identify significant associations between abnormal peripheral eosinophil counts and these diagnoses. Results: A total of 87, 32, and 92 patients were identified for the endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), septoplasty, and control groups, respectively. Significant differences in the percentages of eosinophils, lymphocytes, and neutrophils were noted among the three groups ( P P P =.010, respectively); no significant difference was noted between the septoplasty group and the control group ( P =.627). The sensitivity and specificity of the peripheral eosinophil count for chronic sinusitis were 49.4% and 84.7%, respectively. Conclusions: The peripheral eosinophil count in chronic sinusitis is elevated compared with both a nonrhinologic control group and a group of patients with septal deviation. Furthermore, abnormally elevated eosinophil counts are associated with chronic sinusitis but not chronic rhinitis alone. However, this association is not strong enough to be used in the diagnosis of chronic sinusitis because of poor sensitivity. (Am J Otolaryngol 2001;22:116-120. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company)
Do honeybees use the directional information in round dances to find nearby food sources

Throughout his writings about how honeybees communicate with dances, Karl von Frisch described two types of recruitment dance: the round dance, which supposedly indicates the presence of a food source somewhere near the hive, and the waggle dance, which indicates the distance and direction of a food source more than 100 m from the hive. The view that round dances and waggle dances are distinct recruitment signals has been revised in light of the finding that distance and direction information are encoded (albeit imprecisely) in round dances. It has remained unclear, however, whether dance followers can use the location information in round dances. In the present study, we looked at recruitment to nearby food sources and found that dance followers can use the directional information in the dances advertising these food sources. Directional bias in recruitment was found for food sources as close as 5 m from the hive. Controls for effects of assembly pheromone and bee presence at the advertised food sources indicate that these factors play a minimal role, relative to dance information, in producing the directional recruitment. Our results provide further support for the view that round dances are best viewed as waggle dances indicating nearby food sources, not as a separate type of dance.
Monitoring boreal forest leaf area index across a Siberian burn chronosequence: a MODIS validation study

Landscapes containing differing amounts of ecological disturbance provide an excellent opportunity to validate and better understand the emerging Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) vegetation products. Four sites, including 1‐year post‐fire coniferous, 13‐year post‐fire deciduous, 24‐year post‐fire deciduous, and >100 year old post‐fire coniferous forests, were selected to serve as a post‐fire chronosequence in the central Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk (57.3°N, 91.6°E) with which to study the MODIS leaf area index (LAI) and vegetation index (VI) products. The collection 4 MODIS LAI product correctly represented the summer site phenologies, but significantly underestimated the LAI value of the >100 year old coniferous forest during the November to April time period. Landsat 7‐derived enhanced vegetation index (EVI) performed better than normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to separate the deciduous and conifer forests, and both indices contained significant correlation with field‐de...
Security in computer literacy: a model for design, dissemination, and assessment

While many colleges offer specialized security courses and tracks for students in computing majors, there are few offerings in information security for the non-computing majors. Information security is becoming increasingly critical in many fields, yet most computer literacy courses insufficiently address the security challenges faced by our graduates. This paper discusses the development and impact of a set of modules designed to integrate security into computer literacy across two universities and several community colleges in the state of Maryland. Results from our comparative analyses based on pre- and post- test analysis show significant improvements in post-test results.
Effect of electrode potential on electrode-reducing microbiota.

The benthic microbial fuel cell (BMFC) generates power by coupling oxidation of fuels naturally residing in marine sediments with reduction of oxygen in overlying waters. A central feature of BMFCs is spontaneous colonization of the anode by mineral-reducing microorganisms indigenous to marine sediments that catalyze the power-generating anodic reactions. Described here is a preliminary investigation of how the anode potential affects this feature. Different oxidative potentials were applied to a set of anodes under conditions known to promote anode enrichment of acetate oxidizing/mineral reducing microorganisms. In-situ analysis of current, acetate consumption, and reducing ability of the anode colonies suggest that the microorganisms conserve a significant portion (as much as 95%) of potential energy liberated from oxidation of acetate and reduction of the anode for their own metabolic benefit. The implication of this result with respect to BMFCs, and other MFCs utilizing electrode-reducing microbial ca...
A switching regression analysis of urban population densities: Preliminary results

New theoretical work in urban economics suggests that urban population density contours are inherently discontinuous. This result calls into question the standard practice of estimating smooth density contours and indicates a need for an estimation technique capable of capturing discontinuities. This paper employs such a technique by applying Quandt's switching regression method to the estimation problem. Density contours with marked discontinuities emerge from the empirical work.
Dense matter characterization by X-ray Thomson scattering

Abstract We discuss the extension of the powerful technique of Thomson scattering to the X-ray regime for providing an independent measure of plasma parameters for dense plasmas. By spectrally resolving the scattering, the coherent (Rayleigh) unshifted scattering component can be separated from the incoherent Thomson component, which is both Compton and Doppler shifted. The free electron density and temperature can then be inferred from the spectral shape of the high-frequency Thomson scattering component. In addition, as the plasma temperature is decreased, the electron velocity distribution as measured by incoherent Thomson scattering will make a transition from the traditional Gaussian Boltzmann distribution to a density-dependent parabolic Fermi distribution. We also present a discussion for a proof-of-principle experiment appropriate for a high-energy laser facility.
Point mutations in the FLT3 gene in AML.

Approximately 20% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients have been found to have constitutive activation of the FLT3-receptor tyrosine kinase due to internal tandem duplications of the juxtamembrane domain (FLT3-ITD). Yamamoto and colleagues (page [2434][1]) now report that Asp835 in the kinase
Critical Behavior at Finite Temperature Confinement Transitions

Abstract Confinement in a pure gauge theory at non-zero temperature may be discussed in terms of an order parameter which transforms under a global symmetry group, the center of the gauge group. Integrating out all degrees of freedom except this order parameter generates an effective scalar field theory for the order parameter, globally invariant under the center symmetry. We argue that the effective theory possesses only short-range couplings, and hence that the finite-temperature confinement phase transition (when continuous) is accompanied by long-range fluctuations only in the order parameter. Universality ideas then lead to predictions for the critical properties of U(1), Z(N), and SU(N) gauge theories for all dimensionalities of space-time. An explicit renormalization-group calculation is presented for the U(1) gauge theory in (2 + 1) dimensions, the results of which fit the general picture.
Design and characterization of a diode-pumped Nd:YAG retroreflecting slab laser

We describe the design and lasing characteristics of a miniaturized, chip-scale Nd:YAG slab laser. The Nd:YAG laser slab utilizes a retroreflecting corner to achieve a 17-cm optical path length with slab geometry of 10×12×2 mm. The laser is constructed, tested, and shown to successfully lase at 1064 nm under edge pumping with an AlGaAs diode laser at 808 nm. The slab laser is operated in a pulsed-pump excitation mode and shown to support a TEM 10 single output mode. The fluence achievable from the edge pumping of this initial cavity geometry results in a 6.0% experimentally measured lasing efficiency.
Kinetics of chemically activated ethane

Chemically activated ethane, with an excitation energy of 114.9 ± 2 kcal/mole, was formed by reaction with methane of excited singlet methylene radicals produced by the 4358 A photolysis of diazomethane. A decomposition rate constant of (4.6 ± 1.2) × 109 sec−1 was measured for the chemically activated ethane. This result agrees, via RRKM theory, with most other chemically activated ethane data, and the result predicts, via RRKM and absolute rate theory for E0 = 85.8 kcal/mole, E* = 114.9 kcal/mole, and kE = 4.6 × 101 sec−1, a thermal A-factor at 600°K of 1016.6±0.2 sec−1, in approximate agreement with the more recent experimental values. Combining 2 kcal/mole uncertainties in E0 and E* with the uncertainty in our rate constant yields an A-factor range of 1016.6±0.7 sec−1. It is emphasized that this large uncertainty in the A-factor results from an improbable combination of uncertainty limits for the various parameters. These decomposition results predict, via absolute rate theory (with E0(recombination) = 0) and statistical thermodynamic equilibrium constants, methyl radical recombination rates at 25°C of between 4.4 × 108 to 3.1 × 109 l.-mole−1-sec−1, which are 60 to 8 times lower, respectively, than the apparently quite reliable experimental value. A value of E0(recombination) greater than zero offers no improvement, and a value less than zero would be quite unusual. Activated complexes consistent with the experimental recombination rate and E0(recombination) = 0 greatly overestimate the experimental chemical activation and high pressure thermal decomposition rate data. Absolute rate theory as it is applied here in a straightforward way has failed in this case, or a significant amount of internally consistent data are in serious error. Some corrections to our previous calculations for higher alkanes are discussed in Appendix II.
Interspecific aggression in captive male lemmings

Two experiments were conducted with lemmings to determine which of two species, Lemmus trimucronatus and Dicrostonyx groenlandicus, was capable of exercising aggressive social dominance over the other in staged, dyadic encounters, and which was able to outcompete the other for a single shelter. Agonistic behaviour occurred in all dyadic encounters, but dominance was not established by either species. A sequential analysis of encounters revealed that each species had a distinct fighting strategy. In shelter competition, prior residence was a crucial factor in the outcome. However, one species did not completely exclude the other. Further evidence to support species differences in fighting strategies was derived from the shelter experiments. These results are discussed in relation to ecological considerations.
Diagnostic Imaging and Differential Diagnosis in 2 Case Reports

Study Design Retrospective resident's case reports. Background In today's healthcare setting, it is important for physical therapists to recognize when diagnostic imaging is necessary—as well as know how to interpret the results of these tests—to assist in the clinical decision-making process. Two cases are presented that illustrate how a physical therapist, credentialed to request and review diagnostic imaging, effectively and efficiently utilized multiple forms of diagnostic imaging to assist in his differential diagnosis and clinical decision making. Diagnosis The first case report describes the differential diagnostic process for a 33-year-old active duty military paratrooper who had sustained trauma to his neck. His history was consistent with a C6 radiculopathy, which was confirmed by a neurological screening examination. Radiographs requested by the physical therapist revealed an anterolithesis of C5 on C6, with a possible fracture. An orthopedic surgeon was consulted and further diagnostic testing...
Inactivation of Bacterial Pathogens by Carbon Nanotubes in Suspensions

In the study, we explored the antimicrobial activities of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with different surface groups to bacterial pathogens, including Gram-negative vs Gram-positive species and rod-shaped vs round-shaped species. We report here for the first time that SWNTs’ antimicrobial activity is buffer and concentration dependent, and the charge effect of functional groups on the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is not a critical factor. SWNTs with surface groups of −OH and −COOH exhibited extremely strong antimicrobial activity to both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial cells in DI water and 0.9% NaCl solution regardless of cell shape, but they did not exhibit antimicrobial activity in PBS buffer and brain heart infusion broth. The antimicrobial activities of these two SWNTs increased with their concentration and treatment time. In DI water or 0.9% NaCl solution, SWNTs−OH and SWNTs−COOH started to show their antimicrobial activity at ∼50 μg...
Novel area-efficient techniques for improving ESD performance of Drain extended transistors

DEMOS devices have poor ESD robustness due to kirk effect induced snapback. Isolated DEMOS devices, in addition to the kirk effect induced second snapback, are also vulnerable to failures induced by the parasitic NPN to isolation. In addition, we demonstrate here, that some DEMOS devices show intrinsically non-scalable breakdown current (IT1) behavior due to insufficient body resistance. We then demonstrate techniques to restore IT1 scalability in these devices. We finally demonstrate the effectiveness of using selectively SBLKed drain fingers to enable self protection in small DEMOS devices.
A Source of Bias in Public Opinion Stability

A long acknowledged but seldom addressed problem with political communication experiments concerns the use of captive participants. Study participants rarely have the opportunity to choose information themselves, instead receiving whatever information the experimenter provides. We relax this assumption in the context of an over-time framing experiment focused on opinions about health care policy. Our results dramatically deviate from extant understandings of over-time communication effects. Allowing individuals to choose information themselves—a common situation on many political issues—leads to the preeminence of early frames and the rejection of later frames. Instead of opinion decay, we find dogmatic adherence to opinions formed in response to the first frame to which participants were exposed (i.e., staunch opinion stability). The effects match those that occur when early frames are repeated multiple times. The results suggest that opinion stability may often reflect biased information seeking. Moreover, the findings have implications for a range of topics including the micro–macro disconnect in studies of public opinion, political polarization, normative evaluations of public opinion, the role of inequality considerations in the debate about health care, and, perhaps most importantly, the design of experimental studies of public opinion.
Review essay / the scope and limits of criminal justifications

Robert F. Schopp, Justification Defenses and Just Convictions Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. x + 212 pp.
Efficient query evaluation on probabilistic databases

We describe a system that supports arbitrarily complex SQL queries on probabilistic databases. The query semantics is based on a probabilistic model and the results are ranked, much like in Information Retrieval. Our main focus is efficient query evaluation, a problem that has not received attention in the past. We describe an optimization algorithm that can compute efficiently most queries. We show, however, that the data complexity of some queries is #P-complete, which implies that these queries do not admit any efficient evaluation methods. For these queries we describe both an approximation algorithm and a Monte-Carlo simulation algorithm.
The Internet as Intranet: Moving toward the Electronic Classroom

Recently, businesses have begun to utilize Intranets for internal corporate collaboration. As private networks with the functionality, compatibility, and openness of the Internet, the Intranet concept raises unique possibilities for higher education. Most colleges and universities have access to the Internet, and communications of a classroom can be electronically facilitated by a simulated Intranet with little difficulty. We present herein the results of a case study in which the Internet was used in a manner similar to that of corporate Intranets, but in college classrooms. Our Intranets were used with two objectives: first, acquainting students with the usage and power of the Internet, and second, supporting the communication processes of the classes. Based on the results, recommendations are made for Intranet use applicable to both academic and business settings.
Closed-form solution for underground impedance calculations

Recently, a closed-form solution for the self-impedance of a conductor directly buried in the earth has been conjectured through analogy with other closed-form approximations for overhead conductors. This letter provides a mathematical development for the equation and extends the results to the more general case of a conductor contained in a dielectric tunnel deep within a medium of arbitrary relative permeability. The derivation shows the mathematical approximations which are needed in obtaining the desired result and introduces a new simple, yet surprisingly accurate approximation for the ratio of Kelvin functions which is superior to the one-term approximation currently in use.