A Fermionic Hodge Star Operator

A fermionic analogue of the Hodge star operation is shown to have an explicit operator representation in models with fermions, in spacetimes of any dimension. This operator realizes a conjugation (pairing) not used explicitly in field-theory, and induces a metric in the space of wave-function(al)s just as in exterior calculus. If made real (Hermitian), this induced metric turns out to be identical to the standard one constructed using Hermitian conjugation; the utility of the induced complex bilinear form remains unclear.Comment: 11 pages, plain TeX + harvma

Enamel Hypoplasia as an Indicator of Nutritional Stress in Juvenile White-Tailed Deer

Cheek teeth of 343 white-tailed deer mandibles collected from the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, central Georgia, were examined for the presence of enamel hypoplasia, a permanent enamel defect associated with episodes of severe physiological stress. Hypoplastic defects were observed in 27% of the individuals, with no significant difference between females (26%) and males (27%). Pit hypoplasia occurred most frequently, with most defects located on the hypoconid of the first lower molar. In white-tailed deer, the first lower molars form as fawns transition into functional ruminants and are weaned at the approximate age of 10 weeks. The presence of enamel hypoplasia at this stage in development suggests that this nutritional transition results in severe physiological stress in a large proportion of fawns each year

Measuring the Dynamics of Young and Small Businesses: Integrating the Employer and Nonemployer Universes

We develop a preliminary version of an Integrated Longitudinal Business Database (ILBD) that combines administrative records and survey data for all employer and nonemployer business units in the United States. Unlike other large-scale business databases, the ILBD tracks business transitions from nonemployer to employer status. This feature of the ILBD opens a new frontier for the study of business formation, early lifecycle dynamics and the precursors to job creation in the U.S. economy. There are 5.4 million nonfarm business firms with employees as of 2000 and another 15.5 million with no employees. Our analysis focuses on 40 industries that account for nearly half of nonemployers and 36 percent of nonemployer revenues. Within these industries, nonemployers account for 14 percent of business revenues. About 220,000 of the seven million nonemployers in our selected industries hire workers and migrate to the employer universe over a three-year horizon. These Migrants account for 20 percent of revenue among young employers (three years or less since first hire). Compared to other nonemployers, the revenue of Migrants grows very rapidly in the year prior to and the year of transition to employer status.

Proposed General Shop Program for the Junior High School of Miami Oklahoma

The history and philosophy of industrial arts was discussed from the beginning to the present. The study consisted of listing the objectives, characteristics, and purposes of a general shop program in the junior high school. The various courses to be offered were decided after considering the needs of the connnunity and needs of the students. The scheduling of classes, listing of tools and materials, and planning the floor plan of the addition was also undertaken. The subjects that can be offered in the general shop program are widely varied; it covers all the industries. The purpose of industrial arts is to give the student experiences in all or as many industries as possible. The students will start the program while in the eighth grade. They will spend the first nine weeks in an industrial drawing class. It is in this class that they will receive the basis for all other general shop subjects. The remaining twenty seven weeks of the eighth grade will be spent in Woodworking. Here they will learn the use of tools that are basic in most of the other shop subjects. The students in the ninth grade will be allowed to take nine weeks of training in each-of the other four general shop subjects. These subjects are metalworking, electricity, leathercraft, and plastics.Industrial Art

Sputum quality and diagnostic performance of GeneXpert MTB/RIF among smear-negative adults with presumed tuberculosis in Uganda.

BackgroundIntroduction of GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) assay has constituted a major breakthrough for tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics. Several patient factors may influence diagnostic performance of Xpert including sputum quality.ObjectiveWe carried out a prospective, observational, cross-sectional study to determine the effect of sputum quality on diagnostic performance of Xpert among presumed TB patients in Uganda.MethodsWe collected clinical and demographic information and two sputum samples from participants. Staff recorded sputum quality and performed LED fluorescence microscopy and mycobacterial culture on each sample. If both smear examinations were negative, Xpert testing was performed. We calculated diagnostic yield, sensitivity, specificity, and other indicators for Xpert for each stratum of sputum quality in reference to a standard of mycobacterial culture.ResultsPatients with salivary sputum showed a trend towards a substantially higher proportion of samples that were Xpert-positive (54/286, 19%, 95% CI 15-24) compared with those with all other sputum sample types (221/1496, 15%, 95% CI 13-17). Blood-stained sputum produced the lowest sensitivity (28%; 95% CI 12-49) and salivary sputum the highest (66%; 95% CI 53-77). Specificity didn't vary meaningfully by sample types. Salivary sputum was significantly more sensitive than mucoid sputum (+13%, 95% CI +1 to +26), while blood-stained sputum was significantly less sensitive (-24%, 95% CI -42 to -5).ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate the need to exercise caution in collecting sputum for Xpert and in interpreting results because sputum quality may impact test yield and sensitivity. In particular, it may be wise to pursue additional testing should blood-stained sputum test negative while salivary sputum should be readily accepted for Xpert testing given its higher sensitivity and potentially higher yield than other sample types. These findings challenge conventional recommendations against collecting salivary sputum for TB diagnosis and could inform new standards for sputum quality