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Changes in body mass, length of forearm, and length of total epiphyseal gaps of young Formosan leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideros terasensis) were monitored by marking and recapturing at a maternity colony in central Taiwan. Length of forearm and body mass of 1-day-old neonates averaged 43.3 mm [+ or -] 2.7 SD and 15.9 g [+ or -] 3.3 SD, respectively. Increase in forearm length and body mass was fastest in the 1st week after birth, but rate of increase decreased thereafter. Length of total epiphyseal gap increased to its maximum size at about 10 days after birth and subsequently decreased linearly. Growth constants derived from the logistic growth model were 0.096 and 0.114 for the increase in length of forearm and body mass, respectively. Age of H. terasensis between 1 and 44 days can be estimated either by length of forearm when forearm length is [less than or equal to] 91 mm or by length of total epiphyseal gap when forearm length is >91 mm. Subsequent monitoring suggested that males of H. terasensis are capable of reaching sexual maturity in their 1st year and females in their 2nd year. When compared with other bats, growth rate of H. terasensis was faster than that of many tropical species but slower than that of most temperate species. Key words: body mass, growth constant, Hipposideridae, length of forearm, subtropical insectivorous bat, total epiphyseal gap

A method to generate new absorbents for water in a novel refrigeration cycle was developed. The cycle, known as the phase separation absorption cycle, relies on phase separation, rather than boiling, to generate the refrigerant. After separation, the refrigerant flows to a conventional evaporator, where it evaporates, resulting in a cooling effect. The vapor is absorbed in a conventional absorber. The phase separation process is projected to require less energy than the conventional boiling process, resulting in higher cycle performance. However, suitable fluids for this cycle have never been found. The computer program developed under this work was used for the systematic design of possible absorbents. Whereas the predictive techniques which serve as kernel of the program can only provide approximate results, they allow fast screening of candidate absorbents. A model of the cycle was run for each potential absorbent, to establish whether the cycle and absorbent were compatible. A total of over 250,000 molecules were investigated, allowing the identification of a few with the potential to work in conjunction with the cycle.

Electromagnetic and pneumatic vibrators were attached to the aortic walls of rabbits to determine whether vibration causes post-stenotic dilatation and influences distribution of oil-red-O lesions during one percent dietary cholesterol feeding. Results show no dilatation or difference in oil-red-O stains from the controls which indicate that vibration does not cause post-stenotic dilatation nor does cholesterol intake influence atherogenesis.

Presents a critique of Robert Coover's 'Pricksongs & Descants' that appear to be exemplary illustrations of the post-modernist story and attitudes towards art, communication, traditional moral ideas and towards existence itself. Formal and content-related thematic matters relating to Coover's narration style; Parallels between Coover's stories and several renowned fairy tales.

Discusses American author Stanley Elkin's use of the picaresque in his novel 'Boswell.' Means of representing 20th-century America; Deliberate tension between traditional form and authorial vision; Ambiguity of Elkin's vision of America in the novel; Argument that the book is a reflection of the history of those American years between 1945 and 1960 when America became an urban civilization.