cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computation of supersonic jet noise under imperfectly expanded conditions

The turbulent mixing noise of supersonic jet under imperfectly expanded conditions is calculated for convergent and convergent-divergent (CD) axisymmetric nozzle geometries. The noise prediction incorporates CFD solution of Navier-Stokes equations. The effect of grid resolution on shock structure computation is demonstrated. Mixing noise spectra predicted from fine and coarse grid solutions exhibit little sensitivity to the grid resolution. A proper grid resolution, however, results in a significant improvement in shock capturing capability and helps predictions agree favorably with experimental data. Good agreement between predicted noise spectra and data shows that the CFD-incorporated noise prediction scheme, which was demonstrated for shock-free conditions, works as well for shock-containing flow conditions.
Auditory capabilities of patients implanted with the house single-channel cochlear implant

Research into the development of a wearable cochlear prosthesis has been ongoing at the House Ear Institute since 1960. Several different signal processing schemes and electrode arrays have been tried. Presently, the patients use a wearable signal processor in which the analog of the acoustic signal amplitude modulates at 16 kHz carrier wave; the modulated signal is electrically transduced across the skin via a pair of induction coils. The implanted induction coil terminates at a single active electrode placed 6 to IS mm into the scala tympani and a return electrode placed in the 'eustachian tube or temporalis muscle (Danley & Fretz, 1982; House, 1982).
Further Examination of the Link Between Work-Family Conflict and Physical Health The Role of Health-Related Behaviors

Although research consistently finds a relationship between work-family conflict and employee health, the role of health-related behaviors such as diet and exercise have been overlooked. The present research examines the links between both directions of workfamily conflict—family interference withwork (FIW) andwork interference with family (WIF)—with several health-related behaviors (physical activity, fatty food consumption, and healthy food consumption) and with multiple indicators of physical health (overall health, health disorders, and body mass). Based on a sample of 246 employed individuals, path analysis demonstrates that FIW was associated with less physical activity and with eating more high fat foods. In addition, WIF was associated with eating fewer healthy foods. Fatty food consumption related to body mass and overall health, whereas physical activity related to overall health and health disorders. The findings represent an initial step toward a better understanding of the process linkingwork...
Reaction of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)cyclobutenedione (bpcbd) with fac-BrRe(CO)3(THF)2: X-ray diffraction structure of the dimeric complex [BrRe(CO)3]2(bpcbd) Ch2Cl2

Treatment of the diphosphine ligand 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)cyclobutenedione (bpcbd) with the THF adduct fac-BrRe(CO)3(THF)2 at room temperature furnishes the new dirhenium compound [BrRe(CO)3]2(bpcbd) instead of the expected mononuclear compound fac-BrRe(CO)3(bpcbd). [BrRe(CO)3]2(bpcbd) was characterized in solution by IR spectroscopy, and the solid-state structure was solved by X-ray crystallography. [BrRe(CO)3]2(bpcbd), as the CH2Cl2 solvate, crystallizes in the space group P\(\overline {\text{1}} \), a = 11.173(1), b = 13.362(1), c = 15.250(1) A, α = 108.973(7)°, β = 99.477(8)°, γ = 110.466(7)°, V = 1915.0(3) A3, Z = 2, and dcalc = 2.143 g-cm−3. The structure of [BrRe(CO)3]2(bpcbd) consists of two rhenium centers that are six-coordinate and possess nearly ideal octahedral geometry. The two Re(CO)3 units are linked together by the bridging diphosphine ligand and two bridging bromide groups.
Nature of the monoclinic to cubic phase transition in the fast oxygen ion conductor La2Mo2O9 (LAMOX).

La2Mo2O9 (LAMOX) is a fast oxygen ion conductor which shows high oxygen ion conductivities comparable to those of yttria-sabilized zirconia (YSZ). LAMOX is subject to a structural phase transition ...
Direct microvascular repair of an infant's transected coronary artery: case report.

The authors report the direct, microvascular repair of a right coronary artery transected during reoperation for complications of arterial switch operation (ASO) in a 3 month-old child. This is the first documented use of direct microsurgical anastamosis in the repair of an infant's transected coronary artery. Deviation from standard coronary , bypass graft repair was permitted by vessel characteristics, as well as close collaboration between plastic surgery and cardiac surgery services. Patency of repair was confirmed intraoperatively with Doppler ultrasound and through postoperative echocardiograms documenting stable right ventricular function. This case highlights the benefit of a multidisciplinary approach to an emergent clinical problem using microsurgical techniques.
Blurring the boundaries between professional and para-professional catalogers at California State University, Northridge

What used to be a clear-cut division between the duties of professional and para-professional catalogers has become blurred in many libraries. The authors will illustrate this point by discussing the evolution of responsibilities held by para-professional and professional catalogers over the course of a 10-year period in the Cataloging Department at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Comparisons will be made among organization charts and workflow patterns during this 10-year period. CSUN′s evolution has been dramatic as a result of the January 1994 Northridge Earthquake, and will be described in terms of pre-earthquake and post-earthquake. Of the several contributing factors responsible for blurring the boundaries, technology played the major role. Para-professional catalogers have more responsibilities with streamlined workflow. The results of these changes at CSUN have been mostly positive, and have provided lessons in organizational change from which other libraries may benefit.
Field Tests on the Attraction of Male Nun Moths (Lymantria monacha L.) and Gypsy Moths (Lymantria dispar L.) to GYPLURE, a Synthetic Sex Attractant1

Summary Near Eglharting in 1963, adult males of Lymantria monacha were attracted to females which had been placed in traps. No males were attracted by GYPLURE, a synthetic sex attractant. In contrast to this, males of L. dispar were attracted by Gyplure in a test conducted near Staffelstein. It is apparent that GYPLURE is specifically attractive to male gypsy moths, in contrast to the natural gypsy moth sex attractant, which also attracts male nun moths (Gornitz 1949). Zusammenfassung 1963 lockten wir bei Eglharting (Ebersberger Park) Nonnenmannchen mit Hilfe von Nonnenweibchen an. GYPLURE, ein synthetischer Schwammspinner-Lockstoff blieb dagegen lockunwirksam. Bei Staffelstein gelang es, mit GYPLURE mannliche Schwammspinner anzulocken. Die Versuche zeigen, das GYPLURE im Gegensatz zum naturlichen Sexualduftstoff des Schwammspinners, der auch mannliche Nonnenfalter anlockt (Gornitz 1949), artspezifisch anlockend auf mannliche Schwammspinner wirkt.
Estrogens and relationship jealousy.

The relation between sex hormones and responses to partner infidelity was explored in two studies reported here. The first confirmed the standard sex difference in relationship jealousy, that males (n=133) are relatively more distressed by a partner’s sexual infidelity and females (n=159) by a partner’s emotional infidelity. The study also revealed that females using hormone-based birth control (n=61) tended more toward sexual jealousy than did other females, and reported more intense affective responses to partner infidelity (n=77). In study two, 47 females were assessed four times across one month. Patterns of response to partner infidelity did not vary by week of menstrual cycle, but significant relations between salivary estradiol level and jealousy responses were obtained during the time of rising and high fertility risk. The implications, at least for females, are that any evolved psychological, affective, or behavioral dispositions regarding reproduction-related relationships are potentially moderated by estradiol, and that the use of synthetic hormones may disrupt this relation.
Fast activation of cardiac Ca++ channel gating charge by the dihydropyridine agonist, BAY K 8644

Nonlinear charge movement (gating current) was studied by the whole-cell patch clamp method using cultured 17-d-old embryonic chick heart cells. Na+ and Ca++ currents were blocked by the addition of 10 microM TTX and 3 mM CoCl2; Cs+ replaced K+ both intra- and extracellularly. Linear capacitive and leakage currents were subtracted by a P/5 procedure. The small size (15 microns in diameter) and the lack of an organized internal membrane system in these myocytes permits a rapid voltage clamp of the surface membrane. Ca++ channel gating currents were activated positive to -60 mV; the rising phase was not distorted due to the system response time. The addition of BAY K 8644 (10(-6) M) caused a shortening of the time to peak of the Ca++ gating current, and a negative shift in the isochronal Qon vs. Vm curve. Qmax was unchanged by BAY K 8644. The voltage-dependent shift produced by BAY K 8644 is similar to that produced by isoproterenol (Josephson, I.R., and N. Sperelakis. 1990. Biophys. J. 57:305a. [Abstr.]). The results suggest that the binding of BAY K 8466 to one or more of the Ca++ channel subunits alters the kinetics and shifts the voltage dependence of gating. These changes in the gating currents can explain the parallel changes in the macroscopic Ca++ currents.
SU-FF-T-445: Variations of Rectal Dose Estimation Using Rectal Markers in HDR Cervical Brachytherapy

Purpose: In the treatment of cervical cancer using high‐dose‐rate (HDR) brachytherapy, high rectal dose often limits the tumorcidal dose. In film based brachytherapy, rectal dose is usually computed using rectal markers. However, positions of these markers can vary relative to the anterior rectal wall. This retrospective study analyzes the potential inaccuracy in rectal dose estimation due to variations of marker placement in a multi‐fractionated HDR treatment regimen. Method and Materials: Five Patients treated with multiple‐fraction tandem and ovoid HDR brachytherapy were selected. By adequate packing the vagina, there was little inter‐fractional variation of the actual rectum position. Therefore, variations of rectal makers were due to their locations relative to the wall. For each patient (with 3–4 fractions), the plan of the first fraction was selected as the reference plan. Simulation films of all the other fractions were matched with the films of the reference plan based on bony anatomies. Rectal dose points specified based upon the rectal markers of all different fractions were then digitized into the reference plan after film matching. Dose prescription and dwell weights in the reference plan were set to be identical to the original treatment plan. The rectal doses within each group of rectal points were then analyzed. Results: Our results have shown that inter‐fractional variations of rectal marker locations to specify the rectal dose are up to 0.5–0.8 cm. The resulting differences in rectal dose values are 42.4%, 23.3%, 25.6%, 6.8% and 50.4% for each patient, respectively. Conclusion: Care should be taken when using rectal markers as reference points for estimating rectal dose in HDR cervical brachytherapy. Positions of the markers inside the rectum relative to the wall can vary and cause underestimation of the dose to the rectum. The true rectal dose should be determined by the most anterior point among all fractions.
Absorption of Cyclosporine from Rabbit Small Intestine In Situ

The absorption of the immunosuppressive drug, cyclosporine, from intestinal segments in the anesthetized rabbit in situ is reported. The experimental technique allows serial blood sampling with simultaneous sampling of the intestinal perfusate. The method of Loo and Riegelman for estimating the systemically absorbed fraction of the drug was used in conjunction with the in situ method. Taking the length of the rabbit small intestine as 300 cm and using the apparent permeability of cyclosporine determined in polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) at a bulk fluid flow rate of 0.27 mL/min, the anatomical reserve length for cyclosporine was calculated to be -302 cm. The studies demonstrate that a significant portion of the loss of cyclosporine from rabbit small intestine cannot be accounted for as systemically absorbed drug. Furthermore, the apparent permeability coefficient of cyclosporine in these studies is so low that the length of small intestine in the rabbit is not sufficient for complete absorption of the drug from the lumen under the conditions used.
Teachers’ Perceptions of their Mentoring Role in Three Different Clinical Settings: Student Teaching, Early Field Experiences, and Entry Year Teaching

The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in mentoring across three different clinical settings: student teaching, early field experiences, and entry year teachers. Eighteen teachers with mentoring experience in all three clinical settings were selected and interviewed. The teachers’ expectations for teacher development, mentoring relationships, and mentoring strategies differed across all three clinical settings. In addition, their confidence, their relationship with mentees, and their mentoring strategies were influenced by two features of the clinical setting: (a) the amount of time for mentoring interactions, and (b) the expectations for the mentee. To improve mentoring, the authors recommend (a) lengthening clinical experiences, (b) providing support for creating positive relationships, and (c) providing professional development specific to each of the three clinical settings.
Experimental investigations of chaotic hydrodynamic attractors in circulating fluidized beds

Abstract The hydrodynamic behavior of a cold experimental circulating fluidized bed (CFB) has been investigated using deterministic chaos theory. The time series of experimentally measured differential pressure fluctuations along the riser height of a CFB are analyzed. Major frequencies were identified using spectral frequency analysis. Poincare maps of the attractor were constructed and the correlation dimension measured. The hydrodynamic behavior of the CFB appears to be chaotic. The fractal correlation dimension of this chaotic attractor is found to be low, ranging from 1.5 to 1.9, for the fluidizing conditions studied.
The importance of sequestered iridoid glycosides as a defense against an ant predator

We reared larvae ofJunonia coenia Hubner (Nymphalidae) on artificial diets with trace concentrations of iridoid glycosides and on leaf diets with higher concentrations of iridoid glycosides. We offered these caterpillars to predacious ants and observed the effects of the following on predation: diet (artificial vs. leaf), site (ant colonies in dry vs. wet areas), instar (early vs. late), and time (changes in predation over five days). Diet and site were consistently significant predictors of the ants' propensities to reject prey and the caterpillars' abilities to escape predation. Leaf-diet caterpillars escaped more frequently than artificial-diet caterpillars, and ants from dry sites were more likely to reject prey than ants from wet sites. The percentage of iridoid glycosides found in individual caterpillars was also a good predictor of the probability of rejection by predators and prey escape. Caterpillars with higher levels of iridoids were more likely to be rejected and to escape, suggesting that sequestered iridoid glycosides are a defense against predaceous ants.
New Concepts on the Pathogenesis of Fever

For more than 50 years, experimental studies on fever have focused on a substance from leukocytes called leukocytic or endogenous pyrogen. Various investigators concluded that changes associated with infection--such as numbers of circulating leukocytes; levels of trace metals, amino acids, and hepatic proteins; and altered lymphocyte function--were also caused by endogenous leukocyte mediators. There was reasonable evidence that fever and these other changes were brought about through the action of a single endogenous pyrogen, now known as interleukin 1 (IL-1). Two forms of IL-1 have been cloned (IL-1 beta and IL-1 alpha), and studies of recombinant IL-1 preparations have confirmed that fever and the broad spectrum of host responses to infection and injury are indeed mediated by this substance. However, IL-1 is not the only leukocyte product that induces fever: tumor necrosis factor (cachectin) and interferon produce fever in humans and animals. Accordingly, the concept of a single endogenous pyrogen now requires modification. Nature has conferred the ability to produce fever on no fewer than three structurally distinct molecules. Investigators trying to determine what triggers the hypothalamus to initiate fever in a particular disease must now consider these three endogenous pyrogens, either alone or together, as mediators of fever.
Antiphospholipid inner ear syndrome.

Objective: This study was initiated to clarify the possible association between antiphospholipid antibodies, mediators of microthrombus formation, and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) of unknown origin in a large cohort of patients. Study Design: Prospective study. Methods: The study cohort consists of 168 adult patients (≥18 yr) referred to the University of Pennsylvania's Division of Neurotology and Balance Center for diagnosis and treatment of progressive hearing loss with or without vertigo. A comprehensive screening panel of blood tests for autoimmune and infectious diseases was applied to all patients, including testing for anticardiolipin antibodies, anti-B2 glycoprotein, and lupus anticoagulant. Results: Forty-two patients (25%) had at least one elevated antiphospholipid antibody marker. Twenty patients had two or more positive test results. Of the 42 patients, 64% (n = 27) met the diagnostic criteria for Meniere disease, and the remainder were diagnosed with idiopathic SNHL. Within this group of patients, 24 patients (57%) had unilateral hearing loss, and 18 (44%) had bilateral hearing loss. Conclusions: These data support the hypothesis that antiphospholipid antibodies are involved in the pathogenesis of some forms of inner ear dysfunction, presumably by causing microthrombus formation in the labyrinthine vasculature. Basic science studies are required to better understand the mechanisms by which antiphospholipid antibodies mediate inner ear dysfunction. Clinical studies to evaluate the efficacy of anticoagulation in this group of patients are also required.
Fast fractal feature extraction for texture segmentation using wavelets

In this work, we use the 1D Haar transform fractal estimation algorithm to calculate the local fractal dimension estimates of 2D texture data. The new algorithm provides directed fractal dimension estimates which are used as features for texture segmentation. The method is fast due to the pyramid structure of the Haar transform and nearly optimal in the maximum likelihood sense for fBm data. We compare the low complexity of this new algorithm with the complexity of existing fractal feature extraction techniques, and test our new method on fBm data and real Brodatz textures.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Improving immunization rates in long-term care: where the forest stops and the trees begin.

h, PA In a health care system now spending over 2 trillion dollars annually, or roughly $7000 per person, we should at least have the comfort of knowing we are adequately covering basic services such as vaccine-preventable diseases. After all, this assumption is only logical, right? Unfortunately, conventional wisdom is losing more fans than professional tennis. At the same time as we are expanding the use of minimally invasive surgeries, exploring roles for capsule endoscopies, and escalating national prescription drug spending to record high levels, we have failed to close the loop on the most basic of interventions, namely vaccination. We are losing sight of the forest for the trees. Influenza and pneumonia remain the leading causes of death from vaccine-preventable disease, wreaking havoc annually in the United States. Most of these deaths occur in older adults, including those residing in long-term care (LTC). Influenza case fatality rates ranging between 5% and 55% and pneumococcal case fatality rates of 27% have been reported in nursing homes. Despite this, only 60% to 66% of institutionalized adults are immunized each year against influenza and 38% for pneumococcal disease. While the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends health care workers receive the influenza vaccine, the national average has not changed in the past decade and is only 37%. LTC residents are at risk for other vaccinepreventable illnesses as well. Included are herpes zoster and tetanus. While generally not fatal, herpes zoster is associated with substantial morbidity and reductions in quality of life. While national data are not available, LTC immunization rates for these conditions are likely to be even lower. One could argue there are other treatments, namely antivirals and antibiotics, for these conditions. Such alternatives, though, have their limitations. Antimicrobial resistance is a very real crisis. More importantly, this is not a logical approach to care. It is more like applying a seat belt after the driver is thrown through the windshield. Addressing immu-
Calcium channel blockers: association with myocardial infarction, mortality, and cancer

The purpose of this study was to review the results of trials assessing the association between the use of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) and mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), and cancer. Possible mechanisms of such relationships are discussed and recommendations regarding the use of CCBs made. Since 1995, 10 controversial studies have been published that associate the use of CCBs with an increased risk of mortality, MI, and cancer; these findings have caused widespread anxiety and frustration among patients and physicians. For health care professionals to properly advise patients, the facts surrounding this controversy should be reviewed. To do this, we reviewed and assessed English-language clinical studies, abstracts, editorials, and review articles pertaining to the use of CCBs and mortality, MI, and cancer in humans. The designs of ongoing prospective, randomized studies are discussed. Based on current published studies, the US Food and Drug Administration has agreed to a label warning against off-label use of short-acting nifedipine in patients with hypertension, acute MI, or nonvasospastic unstable angina. Practitioners should exercise caution when prescribing CCBs, especially to high-risk patients (e.g., those with congestive heart failure or clinical or subclinical coronary artery disease). When possible, long-acting CCBs should be used.
Some Difficulties for the Problem of Unconceived Alternatives

P. Kyle Stanford defends the problem of unconceived alternatives, which maintains that scientists are unlikely to conceive of all the scientifically plausible alternatives to the theories they accept. Stanford’s argument has been criticized on the grounds that the failure of individual scientists to conceive of relevant alternatives does not entail the failure of science as a corporate body to do so. I consider two replies to this criticism and find both lacking. In the process, I argue that Stanford does not provide evidence that there are likely scientifically plausible unconceived alternatives to scientific theories accepted now and in the future.
A maximum entropy approach to estimation and inference in dynamic models or counting fish in the sea using maximum entropy

In this paper we consider estimation problems based on dynamic discrete time models. The first problem involves noisy state observations, where the state equation and the observation equation are nonlinear. The objective is to estimate the unknown parameters of the state and observation equations and the unknown values of the state variable. Next we consider the problem of estimating the parameters of the objective function and of the state equation in a linear-quadratic control problem. In each case, given time series observations, we suggest a nonlinear inversion procedure that permits the unknown underlying parameters to be estimated. Examples are presented to suggest the operational nature of the results.
Photodynamic therapy induced esophageal stricture—an animal model: From mouse to pig

Introduction A major limitation of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for Barrett’s esophagus is the development of esophageal stricture. We developed an animal model of PDT-induced esophageal stricture to elucidate the mechanism of stricture development. Our studies began in a mouse but, due to its limitations, we advanced to a porcine model. Materials and methods In the mouse model, 62 mice were injected with Photofrin (2–10 mg/kg) 48 h prior to photoactivation. Light energy (20–400 Joules/cm (J)) was delivered with a laser probe as a single dose, or fractionated doses (20–150 J). Animals were sacrificed when showing signs of distress or 6 to 18 weeks post-illumination. Esophagus was removed, with gross and microscopic examination performed on frozen specimens. To develop a pig model, six pigs were injected with Photofrin (2 mg/kg) 48 h prior to photoactivation. Light energy (400 J) was delivered via an endoscope using a laser probe as a single dose or repeated at 48 h. Animals were sacrificed if they could not eat soft food or lost more than 10% of their original weight according to the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Results Exposure of mice to doses of 400 J × 1, 125 J × 3, or 150 J × 3 fractions resulted in severe lung damage and death in 90% of the mice without any evidence of esophageal stricture. Lower energy levels caused minor lung damage and no change in the endothelial layer or a stricture. In pigs, exposure of 400 J as one or two fractions resulted in weight loss of 10% within 3 weeks. Endoscopy, upper GI, contrast swallow, and pathological and histological examination showed evidence of esophageal stricture at the exposed area. Conclusions In the mouse model, pulmonary toxicity is the limiting factor following esophageal PDT exposure. In the pig model we induced esophageal stricture following PDT. This is the first animal model created to study esophageal strictures resulting from PDT.
Active otosclerotic foci in the stapes. An electron microscopic study.

A total of 12 undecalcified and decalcified oto-sclerotic stapes containing active spongiotic lesions were examined using an electron microscope. Evidence of osteolytic osteolysis was seen in all specimens, but osteoclasts were observed in only four. The advancing front in the spongiotic lesion was 'moth-eaten' due to the demineralization of canaliculi and lacunae. The de-mineralizing process appeared to be initiated by degranula-tion of lysosomes by the degenerating osteocytes. As bone resorption continued, poorly mineralized new bone was laid down by osteoblasts which showed mitochondrial swelling. The possible implication of this mitochondrial swelling is discussed in relation to the pathology of the otoscierosis.
Non‐active dunes in the Acheron Fossae Region of Mars between the Viking and Mars Global Surveyor eras

Comparison of a high resolution Viking image (422B10; 8 m/pixel) with a Mars Orbiter Camera image (SP2-502/06; 5.6 m/pixel) of dunes in the Acheron Fossae region of Mars (38°N, 135°W) reveals that the dunes moved <1 pixel during a span of almost 21 Earth years. Very shallow illumination in the MOC image indicates the dunes are <1.5 m high. The images indicate that any movement of these Martian dunes is <0.4 m/yr, a rate that is less than the documented movement of comparable dunes on Earth by a factor of up to 200. The Acheron Fossae dunes occur within a region of low thermal inertia, indicating that the dunes may be stabilized by a pervasive dust cover. Alternatively, the saltation threshold was not exceeded significantly at this location in more than 20 years.
Epizootiology of Haemoproteus meleagridis (Protozoa: Haemosporina) in Florida: potential vectors and prevalence in naturally infected Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

A 2-yr study of the epizootiology of Haemoproteus meleagridis from wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) was conducted in Florida. Twenty-nine species of potential Culicoides vectors were identified in New Jersey light trap collections at study sites in northern and southern Florida. Engorged individuals of 13 of these species were collected in turkey-baited Bennett traps; however, only Culicoides edeni Wirth & Blanton, C. hinmani Khalaf, C. arboricola Root & Hoffman, C. knowltoni Beck, and C. haematopotus Malloch were capable of supporting complete sporogonic development of the parasite. Two of these five species, i.e., C. edeni and C. hinmani, comprised more than 95% of the biting collections in southern Florida and 74% of the biting collections in northern Florida. Haemoproteus meleagridis was isolated from pools of unengorged C. edeni captured in November and May in northern Florida and from pools of unengorged C. edeni captured throughout the year in southern Florida. Minimum yearly prevalence of H. meleagridis in unengorged C. edeni was estimated to be 0.58% in northern Florida and 2.08% in southern Florida. The high susceptibility of C. edeni to sporogonic development of H. meleagridis, its high prevalence in biting collections, and the isolation of the parasite from naturally infected specimens implicate C. edeni as the primary vector of H. meleagridis in both northern and southern Florida.
A systematic study of the oblique retinacular ligament of the human finger: Its structure and function

A dissection of 14 preserved and two fresh human hands, a total of 64 fingers, all from different individuals, showed the oblique retinacular ligament to vary in completeness and to be functionally present in only 40 to 50 percent of the specimens, except for the ulnar side of the ring finger where it was present in over 90 percent. When present, it was made taut by flexion of the distal phalanx, regardless of the position of the proximal interphalangeal joint. Excision of the ligament when present, or in its absence in these fingers, did not alter the coordinated motion of the interphalangeal joints produced by traction on the extrinsic flexors and the lateral bands. In absence of the ligament, a constant finding was the presence of a proximally located osteocapsular ligament which became taut on extension of the proximal interphalangeal joint.
Transactions Costs and Agricultural Household Supply Response

We develop and estimate a model of supply response when transactions costs create a situation where some producers buy, others sell, and others do not participate in markets. We present two rationales for why producing households may have different relationships to the market: proportional and fixed transactions costs. Using data on Mexican corn producers, we estimate an empirical model that allows for separate tests of the significance of both types of transactions costs, revealing that both fixed and proportional transactions costs matter for the estimation. The results provide consistent estimates of supply elasticity and measures of the relative importance of factors determining both proportional and fixed transactions costs.
Linking Training and Promotion in a Police Agency

Abstract In late 1993, the Department of Criminal Justice at Georgia State University (GSU) and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Police Department (MARTA-PD) undertook a joint effort to develop a unique system of promotion whereby officers employed by MARTA-PD could advance in rank according to their completion of performance in a specially designed training curriculum. This joint effort was designed to assist in improving overall departmental administration through providing management training and to produce individual scores that could be used for promotional selection. Utilizing a comprehensive job-task analysis, a training-based promotional program was designed and delivered to candidates for promotion. In this research effort, the MARTA training-based promotional system will be reviewed. After a comprehensive critique of traditional promotional practices and an analysis of relevant case law, a theoretical base for a training-based system will be offered. This will be followed by a br...
Successful Penetration into the e-Business Environment: An Empirical Study

The purpose of this research is to better understand reseller/integrator organizations in the IT distribution channel and some of the factors that may impact their ability to move into and successfully operate within the e-business marketspace. Reseller organizations have had astrong motivation for moving into the e-business space due to dramatically declining margins. In this study, a survey was conducted for 25 reseller/integrator organizations, yielding a response rate of 70%, assessing viability for moving into the e-business space. A surveyinstrument was created, tested, modified, and administered with 22 quantitative and 15 qualitative items. The mean annual revenue for the organizations surveyed was $346 million with an average of 437 employees with an average e-business sale of ¼ million dollars. Likert scales were employed to assess customer orientation, relationship management, and technical staff concerns. End-user organizations' e-business capabilities appeared to be considerably lower than expected contributing to the perceived opportunities to penetrate the e-business market. Reseller organizations are at the initial phases of being able to provide value-addedservices to their customer base. While developing relationships with firms that have needed expertise in order to successfully deliver e-business projects, reseller firms were hesitant to create acquisition strategies but rather focused on building partnerships and alliances fore-business projects. Respondent organizations had difficulty focusing on how to acquire and retain technical e-business resources to accomplish projects. Outsourcing and prime contract were considered to be critical in the overall success equation for reseller organizations. Managerial implications from this study included focusing on a unique set of differentiated e-business service offerings, selling e-business projects to the executive level of the organization, and creating a methodology to manage projects as the prime contractor.
TAPPED IN: a new on-line teacher community concept for the next generation of internet technology

K-12 education reform research suggests that new models of teacher professional development (TPD) are needed to establish and support communities of teachers engaged in school reform. We are working with several TPD organizations to develop a new on-line TPD community concept called TAPPED IN. Together, we are forging what we believe will be a self-sustaining TPD community in an on-line environment that enables us to employ existing Internet technology to study modes of collaboration embodied by next-generation commercial Internet technologies. In this paper, we present the theoretical foundations of our concept, the rationale behind the design of the TAPPED IN virtual environment, and our community-building approach.
Correlation of mRNA Expression and Protein Abundance Affected by Multiple Sequence Features Related to Translational Efficiency in Desulfovibrio vulgaris: A Quantitative Analysis

The modest correlation between mRNA expression and protein abundance in large-scale data sets is explained in part by experimental challenges, such as technological limitations, and in part by fundamental biological factors in the transcription and translation processes. Among various factors affecting the mRNA–protein correlation, the roles of biological factors related to translation are poorly understood. In this study, using experimental mRNA expression and protein abundance data collected from Desulfovibrio vulgaris by DNA microarray and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) proteomic analysis, we quantitatively examined the effects of several translational-efficiency-related sequence features on mRNA–protein correlation. Three classes of sequence features were investigated according to different translational stages: (i) initiation, Shine–Dalgarno sequences, start codon identity, and start codon context; (ii) elongation, codon usage and amino acid usage; and (iii) termination, stop codon identity and stop codon context. Surprisingly, although it is widely accepted that translation initiation is the rate-limiting step for translation, our results showed that the mRNA–protein correlation was affected the most by the features at elongation stages, i.e., codon usage and amino acid composition (5.3–15.7% and 5.8–11.9% of the total variation of mRNA–protein correlation, respectively), followed by stop codon context and the Shine–Dalgarno sequence (3.7–5.1% and 1.9–3.8%, respectively). Taken together, all sequence features contributed to 15.2–26.2% of the total variation of mRNA–protein correlation. This study provides the first comprehensive quantitative analysis of the mRNA–protein correlation in bacterial D. vulgaris and adds new insights into the relative importance of various sequence features in prokaryotic protein translation.
MODELING THE CLIMATIC AND SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY CONTROLS ON THE HYDROLOGY OF A CAROLINA BAY WETLAND IN SOUTH CAROLINA, USA

Restoring depressional wetlands or geographically isolated wetlands such as cypress swamps and Carolina bays on the Atlantic Coastal Plains requires a clear understanding of the hydrologic processes and water balances. The objectives of this paper are to (1) test a distributed forest hydrology model, FLATWOODS, for a Carolina bay wetland system using seven years of water-table data and (2) to use the model to understand how the landscape position and the site stratigraphy affect ground-water flow direction. The research site is located in Bamberg County, South Carolina on the Middle Coastal Plain of the southeastern U.S. (32.88° N, 81.12° W). Model calibration (1998) and validation (1997, 1999–2003) data span a wet period and a long drought period, which allowed us to test the model for a wide range of weather conditions. The major water input to the wetland is rainfall, and output from the wetland is dominated by evapotranspiration. However, the Carolina bay is a flow-through wetland, receiving ground water from the adjacent upland, but recharging the ground-water to lower topographic areas, especially during wet periods in winter months. Hypothetical simulations suggest that ground-water flow direction is controlled by the gradient of the underlying hydrologic restricting layer beneath the wetland-upland continuum, not solely by the topographic gradient of the land surface. Ground-water flow may change directions during transition periods of wetland hydroperiod that is controlled by the balance of precipitation and evapotranspiration, and such changes depend on the underlying soil stratigraphy of the wetland-upland continuum.
Fractional-N frequency synthesizer design at the transfer function level using a direct closed loop realization algorithm

A new methodology for designing fractional-N frequency synthesizers and other phase locked loop (PLL) circuits is presented. The approach achieves direct realization of the desired closed loop PLL transfer function given a set of user-specified parameters and automatically calculates the corresponding open loop PLL parameters. The algorithm also accommodates nonidealities such as parasitic poles and zeros. The entire methodology has been implemented in a GUI-based software package, which is used to verify the approach through comparison of the calculated and simulated dynamic and noise performance of a third order /spl Sigma/-/spl Delta/ fractional-N frequency synthesizer.
A fast algorithm for proving terminating hypergeometric identities

An algorithm for proving terminating hypergeometric identities, and thus binomial coefficients identities, is presented. It is based upon Gosper's algorithm for indefinite hypergeometric summation. A MAPLE program implementing this algorithm succeeded in proving almost all known identities. Hitherto the proof of such identities was an exclusively human endeavor.
Absence of stimulus-driven synchronization effects on sensory perception in autism: Evidence for local underconnectivity?

Background A number of neurophysiological characteristics demonstrated in autism share the common theme of under-connectivity in the cerebral cortex. One of the prominent theories of the cause of the dysfunctional connectivity in autism is based on distinct anatomical structures that differ between the autistic and the neurotypical cortex. The functional minicolumn has been identified as occupying a much smaller space in the cortex of people with autism as compared to neurotypical controls, and this aberration in architecture has been proposed to lead to under-connectivity at the local or within-macrocolumn level, which in turn leads to dysfunctional connectivity globally across cortical areas in persons with autism. Numerous reports have indicated reduced synchronization of activity on a large scale in the brains of people with autism. We hypothesized that if the larger-scale aberrant dynamics in autism were due – at least in part – to a widespread propagation of the errors introduced at the level of local connectivity between minicolumns, then aberrations in local functional connectivity should also be detectable in autism.
Spontaneous mapping of number and space in adults and young children

Mature representations of space and number are connected to one another in ways suggestive of a ‘mental number line’, but this mapping could either be a cultural construction or a reflection of a more fundamental link between the domains of number and geometry. Using a manual bisection paradigm, we tested for number line representations in adults, young school children, and preschool children. Non-symbolic numerical displays systematically distorted localization of the midpoint of a horizontal line at all three ages. Numerical and spatial representations therefore are linked prior to the onset of formal instruction, in a manner that suggests a privileged relation between spatial and numerical cognition.
Explaining Economic Change: The Interplay Between Cognition and Institutions

Economic theory is built on assumptions about human behavior—assumptions embodied in rational-choice theory. Underlying these assumptions are implicit notions about how we think and learn. These implicit notions are fundamentally important to social explanation. The very plausibility of the explanations that we develop out of rational-choice theory rests crucially on the accuracy of these notions about cognition and rationality. But there is a basic problem: There is often very little relationship between the assumptions that rational-choice theorists make and the way that humans actually act and learn in everyday life. This has significant implications for economic theory and practice. It leads to bad theories and inadequate explanations; it produces bad predictions and, thus, supports ineffective social policies.
A construction technique for random-error-correcting convolutional codes

A simple algorithm is presented for finding rate 1/n random-error-correcting convolutional codes. Good codes considerably longer than any now known are obtained. A discussion of a new distance measure for convolutional codes, called the free distance, is included. Free distance is particularly useful when considering decoding schemes, such as sequential decoding, which are not restricted to a fixed constraint length. It is shown how the above algorithm can be modified slightly to produce codes with known free distance. A comparison of probability of error with sequential decoding is made among the best known constructive codes of constraint length 36 .
From Bird to Mammal

The recent emergence of a novel avian influenza A (H7N9) virus in China renews public health concerns about another lethal avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, which usually causes human infections through contact with infected birds. If by exchanging genes with other strains of influenza, one of the avian influenza viruses could gain the ability to be easily and sustainably transmitted among humans, it would set the stage for a highly lethal pandemic. Zhang and colleagues investigated whether reassortments of genes between the avian H5N1 virus and the highly transmissible (but less deadly) pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A strain could result in a hybrid virus that causes deadly infection and can be transmitted in respiratory droplets among mammals. They created 127 hybrid viruses that retained the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of H5N1. This gene encodes the protein that binds to host cells and confers specificity for birds. This avian HA gene was grouped with different combinations of the other seven genes from H1N1. The authors found 89 viruses that caused comparable or more severe disease than H5N1 in mice—a correlate of human disease severity. They also determined whether infected guinea pigs could transmit hybrid viruses in respiratory droplets by placing healthy animals in cages adjacent to those of infected guinea pigs, then testing for virus in nasal washings and antibodies in the blood. Eight of 21 hybrid viruses tested were able to pass from infected to neighboring guinea pigs, including four viruses that transmitted faster than H1N1; none of the guinea pigs died. This and similar studies have been controversial because of concerns for release of these potentially deadly viruses from the laboratory, resulting in a year-long moratorium on such studies. Zhang et al. report that their study was conducted before the moratorium, in an enhanced animal biosafety level 3 facility approved for the handling of such viruses. Nonetheless, this study confirms that reassortments between highly pathogenic and highly transmissible influenza viruses, even without changes in the HA gene, can result in hybrid viruses that are both pathogenic and easily transmissible. This study raises concern that such reassortments could happen in nature. It also provides clues as to which gene combinations may be responsible for conferring transmissibility, which could help scientists better identify these viruses and interrupt transmission. Y. Zhang et al. , H5N1 hybrid viruses bearing 2009/H1N1 virus genes transmit in guinea pigs by respiratory droplet. Science , 2 May 2013 (Doi:10.1126/science.1229455). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2013/05/01/science.1229455
An Adaptation for Altruism The Social Causes, Social Effects, and Social Evolution of Gratitude

People feel grateful when they have benefited from someone's costly, intentional, voluntary effort on their behalf. Experiencing gratitude motivates beneficia- ries to repay their benefactors and to extend generosity to third parties. Expressions of gratitude also reinforce benefactors for their generosity. These social features distinguish gratitude from related emotions such as hap- piness and feelings of indebtedness. Evolutionary theories propose that gratitude is an adaptation for reciprocal al- truism (the sequential exchange of costly benefits between nonrelatives) and, perhaps, upstream reciprocity (a pay- it-forward style distribution of an unearned benefit to a third party after one has received a benefit from another benefactor). Gratitude therefore may have played a unique role in human social evolution.