Habitat Characterization of Five Rare Insects in Michigan (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae, Riodinidae, Satyridae; Homoptera: Cercopidae)

Over 80 species of insects are listed as endangered, threatened, or special concern under Michigan\u27s endangered species act. For the majority of these species, detailed habitat information is scant or difficult to interpret. We describe the habitat of five insect species that are considered rare in Michigan: Lepyronia angulifera (Cercopidae), Prosapia ignipectus (Cercopidae), Oarisma poweshiek (Hesperiidae), Calephelis mutica (Riodinidae), and Neonympha mitchellii mitchellii (Satyridae). Populations of each species were only found within a fraction of the plant communities deemed suitable based upon previous literature. Furthermore, individuals of each species were observed to be closely affiliated with just a few vegetation associations within larger plant communities. Restriction of these species to particular microhabitats was determined to be, in part, due to ecological or behavioral specialization of each insect species. We believe that the most holistic man­agement and conservation practices for these rare insects in Michigan should focus on protecting the integrity of both the plant community and the micro- habitat upon which these species depend

The management of nocturnal enuresis in children

Introduction : Nocturnal enuresis is more prevalent in the male gender. Studies such as that by Butler & McKenna (2002) show how nocturnal enuresis is hereditary, with approximately 50% of the children affected if one parent has suffered from it. The main cause for nocturnal enuresis can be drinking late in the evening or not passing urine before going to sleep, resulting in excessive urine volume. A detailed history needs to be taken, eating and drinking habits should also be assessed, and any drinks or food that can increase the chances of bedwetting should be removed or reduced. Management: Management has to be adapted to the child and his/her family requirements. Prescribing the right medication and ensuring compliance is important but is only part of the management plan. Lifestyle changes should be advised. A very simple bedwetting vibrating alarm can be considered. If symptoms persist, pharmacological treatment should be prescribed together with the bedwetting alarm. Conclusion: Nocturnal enuresis is a common condition in a young child, however it requires a careful assessment and management in cooperation with the child’s parent or carer. Physicians need to be aware of when the child needs to be referred.peer-reviewe

Electronic chemical potentials of porous metal-organic frameworks

The binding energy of an electron in a material is a fundamental characteristic, which determines a wealth of important chemical and physical properties. For metal-organic frameworks this quantity is hitherto unknown. We present a general approach for determining the vacuum level of porous metal-organic frameworks and apply it to obtain the first ionisation energy for six prototype materials including zeolitic, covalent and ionic frameworks. This approach for valence band alignment can explain observations relating to the electrochemical, optical and electrical properties of porous frameworks

Segmenting root systems in X-ray computed tomography images using level sets

The segmentation of plant roots from soil and other growing media in X-ray computed tomography images is needed to effectively study the root system architecture without excavation. However, segmentation is a challenging problem in this context because the root and non-root regions share similar features. In this paper, we describe a method based on level sets and specifically adapted for this segmentation problem. In particular, we deal with the issues of using a level sets approach on large image volumes for root segmentation, and track active regions of the front using an occupancy grid. This method allows for straightforward modifications to a narrow-band algorithm such that excessive forward and backward movements of the front can be avoided, distance map computations in a narrow band context can be done in linear time through modification of Meijster et al.'s distance transform algorithm, and regions of the image volume are iteratively used to estimate distributions for root versus non-root classes. Results are shown of three plant species of different maturity levels, grown in three different media. Our method compares favorably to a state-of-the-art method for root segmentation in X-ray CT image volumes.Comment: 11 page

Kinetic Mixing and the Supersymmetric Gauge Hierarchy

The most general Lagrangian for a model with two U(1) gauge symmetries contains a renormalizable operator which mixes their gauge kinetic terms. Such kinetic mixing can be generated at arbitrarily high scales but will not be suppressed by large masses. In models whose supersymmetry (SUSY)-breaking hidden sectors contain U(1) gauge factors, we show that such terms will generically arise and communicate SUSY-breaking to the visible sector through mixing with hypercharge. In the context of the usual supergravity- or gauge-mediated communication scenarios with D-terms of order the fundamental scale of SUSY-breaking, this effect can destabilize the gauge hierarchy. Even in models for which kinetic mixing is suppressed or the D-terms are arranged to be small, this effect is a potentially large correction to the soft scalar masses and therefore introduces a new measurable low-energy parameter. We calculate the size of kinetic mixing both in field theory and in string theory, and argue that appreciable kinetic mixing is a generic feature of string models. We conclude that the possibility of kinetic mixing effects cannot be ignored in model-building and in phenomenological studies of the low-energy SUSY spectra.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX, 1 figure. Revised to match published versio

Muscle Damage following Maximal Eccentric Knee Extensions in Males and Females

Aim: To investigate whether there is a sex difference in exercise induced muscle damage. Materials and Method: Vastus Lateralis and patella tendon properties were measured in males and females using ultrasonography. During maximal voluntary eccentric knee extensions (12 reps x 6 sets), Vastus Lateralis fascicle lengthening and maximal voluntary eccentric knee extensions torque were recorded every 10° of knee joint angle (20–90°). Isometric torque, Creatine Kinase and muscle soreness were measured pre, post, 48, 96 and 168 hours post damage as markers of exercise induced muscle damage. Results: Patella tendon stiffness and Vastus Lateralis fascicle lengthening were significantly higher in males compared to females (p0.05). Creatine Kinase levels post exercise induced muscle damage were higher in males compared to females (p<0.05), and remained higher when maximal voluntary eccentric knee extension torque, relative to estimated quadriceps anatomical cross sectional area, was taken as a covariate (p<0.05). Conclusion: Based on isometric torque loss, there is no sex difference in exercise induced muscle damage. The higher Creatine Kinase in males could not be explained by differences in maximal voluntary eccentric knee extension torque, Vastus Lateralis fascicle lengthening and patella tendon stiffness. Further research is required to understand the significant sex differences in Creatine Kinase levels following exercise induced muscle damage

Austin's high-tech industry: played out or just beginning?

Recessions ; High technology industries

Giving the customer a voice: A study of market research methods and their perceived effectiveness in NPD

There is a widely held view that a lack of, “…customer understanding,” is one of the main reasons for product failure (Eliashberg et al., 1997, p. 219). This is despite the fact that new product development (NPD) is a crucial business process for many companies. The importance of integrating the voice of the customer (VoC) through market research is well documented (Davis, 1993; Mullins and Sutherland, 1998; Cooper et al., 2002; Flint, 2002; Davilla et al., 2006; Cooper and Edgett, 2008; Cooper and Dreher, 2010; Goffin and Mitchell, 2010). However, not all research methods are well received, for example there are studies that have strongly criticized focus groups, interviews and surveys (e.g. Ulwick, 2002; Goffin et al, 2010; Sandberg, 2002). In particular, a point is made that, “…traditional market research and development approaches proved to be particularly ill-suited to breakthrough products” (Deszca et al, 2010, p613). Therefore, in situations where traditional techniques—interviews and focus groups—are ineffective, the question is which market research techniques are appropriate, particularly for developing breakthrough products? To investigate this, an attempt was made to access the knowledge of market research practitioners from agencies with a reputation for their work on breakthrough NPD. We were surprised to find that this research had not been conducted previously. In order to make it possible for the sample of 24 market research experts identified for this study to share their knowledge, repertory grid technique was used. This psychology based method particularly seeks out tacit knowledge by using indepth interviews. In this case the interviews were conducted with professionals from leading market research agencies in two countries. The resulting data provided two unique insights: they highlighted the attributes of market research methods which made them effective at identifying customers’ needs and they showed how different methods were perceived against these attributes. This article starts with a review of the literature on different methods for conducting market research to identify customer needs. The conclusions from the literature are then used to define the research question. We explain our choice of methodology, including the data collection and analysis approach. Next the key results are presented. Finally, the discussion section identifies the key insights, clarifies the limitations of the research, suggests areas for future research, and draws implications for managers. We conclude that existing research is not aligned with regard to which methods (or combination of methods) are best suited to the various stages of the NPD process. We have set out the challenges and our own intended work in this regard in our section on ‘further research’. Also, the existing literature does not explicitly seek the perceptions of practitioner experts based in market research agencies. This we have started to address, and we acknowledge that further work is required. Although our research in ongoing, it has already yielded the first view of a model of the perceptions of 24 expert market researchers in the UK and Denmark. Based on the explanation of these experts, the model situates a derived set of categories in a manner that reflects the way in which they are inter-linked. We believe that our model begins to deal with the gaps and anomalies in the existing research into VoC methods

Returning to Complex Strategic Analysis: A Discussion on the Diminishing Window of Opportunity for United States Nuclear Policy Preparation with Respect to China

American upheaval over the Chinese technologically advanced strategic threat permeates throughout the government and political culture. The response to this fear is a somewhat nascent reactive U.S. policy toward China as it relates to strategic weapon systems. The U.S. currently is responding by attempting to revitalize an aging nuclear architecture, and re-prioritize strategic weapons in U.S. defense spending. However, U.S. policy must move beyond justifying nuclear weapons and requesting increased funding. What is necessary for this balance beyond an arms race is the intellectual prescription for the calculated employment or fielding of those arms. Ultimately, this paper suggests the U.S. develop a Chinese facing strategic weapons policy consisting of a phased approach of temporal periods with associated polices, technological pursuits, and arms control implications - similar to those posited in the early stages of the Cold War. This paper assessed formal U.S. policy documents, de-classified documents, and federal intelligence reports and testimonies to understand more completely nuclear/strategic weapon force postures. The research canvassed publications from well-known Western think tanks, diplomats, and officials; as well as comparable non-Western, primarily Asian sources for a more complete analysis of culture, economy, and policy. The paper concludes that Chinese nuclear force posture and economic dynamics provide a window for the United States to prepare its own strategic forces and policy to better address the growing threat. This type of complex strategic analysis proved critical to responsive nuclear force postures in the Cold War. An assessment of Chinese strategic culture provided insight into how to produce an effective and dynamic U.S. nuclear policy. Lastly, a sample time-bound force development road map depicts the utility and applicability of such a model, while making some key recommendations for future policy

Harry Gunnison Brown: economist

The sum of Harry Gunnison Brown\u27s contributions as an economist has been neglected in general by later generations of American economists. His persistent advocacy of land value taxation in the tradition of Henry George lent notoriety to his long career in the discipline. As he was the foremost spokesman for this reform among academic economists, his work in a wide variety of topics in economic thought has been overlooked. He was an early student of Irving Fisher who adopted Fisher\u27s monetarist approach while differing with him on several points;In capital and interest rate theory, Brown emphasized a direct role of productivity in interest rate determination, a view he encouraged Fisher to adopt. Brown\u27s work in monetary economics explored monetary disequilibrium phenomena, found monetary mismanagement to be the major cause of the Great Depression and rejected the ascendancy of Keynesian economics. He extended the analysis of the incidence of sales, capital and labor taxation. In the economics of regulation of railroads and public utilities, his was the best argument made for the use of reproduction cost in pricing decisions. In his work on international trade, he was an uncompromising free trade advocate. He defended land value taxation against its detractors and sought to make clear its potential benefits, both economic and ethical;Brown wrote over ten books and one hundred articles. Almost all of the topics he chose to examine are of continuing interest. In addition to his writing, he was an outstanding educator for over fifty years. This study examines not only Brown\u27s writings, but the influences on his thought and the legacy of his teachings