cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Architectures for cooperative radar-communications: Average vs. generalized likelihood ratio tests

A radar receiver cooperating with a communication system to share spectrum is challenged by composite hypothesis testing that is compounded by the persistent presence of in-band communication signals. Two established approaches to composite hypothesis testing are explored within the cooperative radar-communication context: (i) Bayesian integration (leading to the average likelihood ratio test (ALRT)), and (ii) the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) performance and practicality of the receive architectures implied by the ALRT and GLRT are examined.
Reference Toxicants for Toxicity Testing Using Caenorhabditis Elegans in Aquatic Media

Caenorhabditis elegans aquatic toxicity assays were standardized with five common reference toxicants: CdCl{sub 2}, NaCl, KCl, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and sodium pentachlorophenate (PCP). Aquatic toxicity testing was conducted in 3 media: a standard C. elegans medium; EPA moderately hard reconstituted water; and EPA moderately hard mineral water. Test duration in each medium was 24h without a food source, and 24h and 48h with Escherichia coli strain OP50 as a food source. Each test was replicated three times with each replicate having 6 wells per concentration, 10 worms per well. LC{sub 50} values were calculated using probit analysis. The average LC{sub 50}s for each set of replications were compared to assess sensitivity and reproducibility of the data, identifying expected variation between replicate tests. These reference toxicants increase the database for C. elegans and provide a benchmark for further application.
Groups Acting on Complete Linear Systems

Let ℒ be a very ample invertible sheaf on an abelian variety X. Then we have a projective embedding of X in ℙ n by the complete linear system |D| of sections of ℒ.
Bias and mean square error of the maximum likelihood estimators of the parameters of the intraclass correlation model

The differential geometry of the exponential family of distributions is applied to derive the bias and the mean square error of the maximum likelihood estimator of the parameters of the intraclass correlation model.
Sex and Laterality Differences in Medullary Humerus Morphology.

Percutaneous osseointegrated (OI) prosthetic limb attachment holds promise for transhumeral amputees. Understanding humeral medullary morphology is necessary for informed design of upper extremity OI systems, and is beneficial to the field of megaprosthetic reconstruction of the distal humerus where diaphyseal fixation is desired. The purpose of this study was to quantify the sex and laterality differences in humerus morphology, specifically over the diaphysis. Three-dimensional surface reconstructions of 58 pairs of cadaveric humeri (43 male, 15 female) were generated from CT data. Measures describing periosteal and medullary morphology were collected relative to an anatomic coordinate system. Sex and laterality differences in biomechanical length (BML) were observed (P ≤ 0.001 and 0.022, respectively). Head radius was larger in males than females (P ≤ 0.001). Retroversion was increased in right humeri relative to left (P ≤ 0.001). Canal orientation exhibited a conformational shift from anteversion to retroversion distally at approximately 65% BML. Right humeri exhibited larger medullary diameters than left in the 1st and 2nd principal directions (P ≤ 0.024). Males displayed larger diameter medullary canals proximally (P ≤ 0.029) and an increased rate of divergence of the endosteal cortex in the proximal diaphysis (P ≤ 0.009). Females exhibited higher canal aspect ratios at mid-shaft (P ≤ 0.014) and lower mean cortical thickness (P ≤ 0.001). Human humeral diaphysis morphology exhibits sex and laterality differences, which are dependent on position along the diaphysis. Understanding humeral morphology is necessary to achieve adequate primary stability and bone apposition in design of endoprosthetic stems for percutaneous OI implants, and distal humerus replacement. Anat Rec, 302:1709-1717, 2019. © 2019 The Authors. The Anatomical Record published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association for Anatomy.
1408-P: Seasonal Variations in Incidence and Neonatal Outcomes of Gestational Diabetes: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective: Gestational diabetes (GDM) incidence reportedly demonstrates seasonal variation. We aimed to assess if season also affects maternal-fetal outcomes in GDM. Methods: 23,735 women who consecutively delivered singleton, live-born, term infants in a tertiary obstetrics center (2004-08; 4.6% GDM) were included. Additive dynamic regression models (age, BMI, parity, ethnicity adjusted) compared GDM incidence and outcomes (GDM diagnosis, birth weight, delivery mode) over annual cycles. Results: GDM incidence varied by 30% from peak (October births) to nadir (March births; p Conclusions: Substantial seasonal variation exists in GDM diagnoses and maternal-fetal outcomes in GDM-affected pregnancies. Birth weight is highest when GDM diagnoses are lowest, implying either over-diagnosis in summer or more challenging glycemic control in winter. Considering seasonal variation gives new opportunities for intensive individualized therapy to improve outcomes. Figure: Effect of season on birthweight centiles in GDM; p Disclosure C.L. Meek: None. B.O. Devoy: None. D. Simmons: Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Sanofi-Aventis. Other Relationship; Self; Medtronic. C. Patient: None. H.R. Murphy: Advisory Panel; Self; Medtronic MiniMed, Inc. C. Aiken: None. Funding Diabetes UK (17/0005712 to C.L.M.)
Computational Aspects of Nonparallel Effects in Boundary-Layer Receptivity

Receptivity is the process by which disturbances impose their signatures on the boundary layer, thus providing the initial and/or boundary conditions for the subsequent growth or decay of instability waves. In this paper, our computational efforts and results by spatial direct numerical simulation (DNS) are reviewed. These are directed toward the study of leading-edge receptivity to freestream sound and vorticity. The flat-plate geometry considered has finite thickness and a curved leading edge. A new geometry is proposed that features continuous curvature at the leading-edge/flat-plate juncture.
Mediating Role of Acculturation and Lifestyle Behaviors on Cardiometabolic Risk Among a National Sample of U.S. Asian Indians.

Asian Indians are the third largest and fastest growing Asian subgroup in the U.S. and have high risks for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study explored the mediating role of lifestyle behaviors on the relationship between acculturation and cardiometabolic risk factors among Asian Indians using the Diabetes in Indian Americans national study. The cross-sectional study sample comprised 1038 randomly selected adult Asian Indians in seven U.S. sites. Acculturation was assessed using the Acculturation Scale for Southeast Asians. Diet and lifestyle behaviors were measured using the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II subscales. Path analyses with bootstrap methods were conducted. Dietary behavior significantly mediated the relationship between acculturation and HbA1C (β = 0.004, p = 0.047), and physical activity mediated the relationship between acculturation and HDL (β = 0.08, p = 0.011). Other mediation models were not significant (p > 0.05). Mediating factors besides lifestyle behaviors should be explored in future studies.
Label-Conditioned Next-Frame Video Generation with Neural Flows.

Recent state-of-the-art video generation systems employ Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) or Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) to produce novel videos. However, VAE models typically produce blurry outputs when faced with sub-optimal conditioning of the input, and GANs are known to be unstable for large output sizes. In addition, the output videos of these models are difficult to evaluate, partly because the GAN loss function is not an accurate measure of convergence. In this work, we propose using a state-of-the-art neural flow generator called Glow to generate videos conditioned on a textual label, one frame at a time. Neural flow models are more stable than standard GANs, as they only optimize a single cross entropy loss function, which is monotonic and avoids the circular convergence issues of the GAN minimax objective. In addition, we also show how to condition Glow on external context, while still preserving the invertible nature of each "flow" layer. Finally, we evaluate the proposed Glow model by calculating cross entropy on a held-out validation set of videos, in order to compare multiple versions of the proposed model via an ablation study. We show generated videos and discuss future improvements.
The cross-domain entrainment effects from pure tones to speech perception

Temporal context influences how humans perceive the durations of acoustic events. One of the most influential frameworks, proposed by McAuley and Jones (2003), suggests that entrainment is the underlying mechanism of timing estimation at short time durations. However, their approach has predominantly been tested on simple, music-like acoustic stimuli (e.g., pure tones). This raises the question of whether the same temporal context mechanisms are operative in other, more complex acoustic domains such as speech sound perception, which some have claimed to operate in modular fashion. In the current study, we first replicated McAuley and Jones (2003) and demonstrated an entrainment effect in our Experiment 1. Based on this finding, we extended the paradigm to the speech domain. In Experiment 2, we tested if an entrainment effect from a series of pure tones could influence the categorization of voiced (/ba/) and voiceless (/pa/) stop-initial syllables, which were created by varying the durations of voice onset time. Our findings suggest that entrainment from pure tone contexts may influence speech sound categorization. Data from these and ongoing studies has the potential to reveal a general mechanism of short-duration entrainment that can explain temporal context effects on timing perception in acoustically diverse domains.Temporal context influences how humans perceive the durations of acoustic events. One of the most influential frameworks, proposed by McAuley and Jones (2003), suggests that entrainment is the underlying mechanism of timing estimation at short time durations. However, their approach has predominantly been tested on simple, music-like acoustic stimuli (e.g., pure tones). This raises the question of whether the same temporal context mechanisms are operative in other, more complex acoustic domains such as speech sound perception, which some have claimed to operate in modular fashion. In the current study, we first replicated McAuley and Jones (2003) and demonstrated an entrainment effect in our Experiment 1. Based on this finding, we extended the paradigm to the speech domain. In Experiment 2, we tested if an entrainment effect from a series of pure tones could influence the categorization of voiced (/ba/) and voiceless (/pa/) stop-initial syllables, which were created by varying the durations of voice onset...
Subversive Leadership of Asian and Asian American Women

Adaptive leadership, popularized by Ron Heifetz, aims at a systemic change of organizations and individuals by confronting the status quo and identifying adaptive challenges to deal with changes in uncertain times. The author argues that such a leadership model has long been practiced by Asian American theological women even before the theory was popularized. The leadership model embodied by Asian and Asian American women goes far beyond the model of adaptive leadership as it challenges the larger societal structures fueled by neoliberal ideology and the free-market economy that maintain the status quo of Eurocentric theological organizations. The author calls the leadership model practiced by Pacific, Asian, and North American Asian Women in Theology and Ministry (PANAAWTM) a subversive community-based wisdom leadership. Albeit gradual, PANAAWTM has been making a systematic change of theological education through liberative, postcolonial, and feminist scholarship, pedagogy, and leadership practices.
Traumatic unilateral jumped facet joint in the upper thoracic spine: Case presentation and literature review.

Background A jumped facet joint is defined by when the inferior articular process of the superior vertebra becomes locked anterior to the superior articular process of the inferior vertebra. These typically traumatic lesions are exceedingly rare in the thoracic spine. Here, we present a patient with a unilateral jumped facet joint in the upper thoracic spine treated with open reduction and an instrumented fusion. Case description A 45-year-old male presented after a significant motor vehicle accident. In the emergency room, he had a Glasgow Coma Score of 13 without any neurologic deficit. The thoracic computed tomography (CT) showed a significant jumped left facet at the T2-T3 level. Two days later, utilizing intraoperative CT-guided navigation and neuromonitoring, he underwent open reduction of the T2-T3 jumped facet plus an instrumented T1-T5 fusion. X-rays taken 3-month postoperatively showed a stable construct. Six months postoperatively, he remained neurologically intact. Conclusion A unilateral jumped thoracic facet may be present in patients with fractured ribs. The mechanism of injury is most likely axial rotation. Both CT and magnetic resonance imaging studies allow for early detection of these very rare lesions and warrant open reduction and instrumented fusion.
Imaging Markers of Hip Instability are Associated with Worse Outcomes at Two to Four-year Follow-up in Female Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement:

Objectives:To investigate the effect of radiographic markers of hip instability on outcomes of female patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement.Methods:This was a retrosp...
Hysteretic Swelling/Deswelling of Polyelectrolyte Brushes and Bilayer Films in Response to Changes in pH and Salt Concentration.

Abstract We use a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) to investigate the swelling/de-swelling and hysteresis in brushes of weakly ionizable polyanion poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) brushes and bilayers containing a PAA brush and a poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) overlayer [...]
Avoiding Cognitive Biases in Managing Wicked Problem (Presentation Slides)

Technical issues simply require an answer, direction, or application of resources to solve a problem, which many leaders do in expediency to address conflict given the constant demands and issues they confront daily. On the other hand, wicked problems or adaptive challenges are typically grounded in the complexity of the values, beliefs, and loyalties rather than technical complexity and stir up intense emotions rather than dispassionate analysis (Heifetz, Grashow, & Linsky, 2009). Wicked problems in organizations that confront managers are unstructured, and not only is it difficult to predict the outcomes of possible solutions with precision, but the ideal set of alternatives that should be considered prior to making a strategic choice is also often unclear. Addressing adaptive challenges requires a deeper understanding of people’s behaviors, motivations, loyalties, as well as organizational norms, attitudes, and processes to enact real and sustained change. This type of leadership and decision making cannot easily rely on past methods or actions. Instead, the leader must embrace the learning and risks that come with implementing tough changes that ultimately support the values and purposes of the individual and/or collective. Managers do not make flawed decisions simply because they lack intelligence, expertise, or the correct motivations/incentives. Most often than not technical solutions are used in decision-making for adaptive challenges (Kahneman, Lovallo, & Sibony, 2011). In cases where wicked problems are recognized and also acknowledged that technical solutions will only address the symptoms, managers still make poor choices because they encounter systematic traps that impair their judgment. These cognitive biases are rooted in nature and are artifacts of wicked problems and adaptive challenges. Managers find themselves vulnerable to these biases no matter how capable and intelligent they are. It is important to understand that everyone is vulnerable to cognitive biases. Intelligence, experience, and/or expertise in a particular field does not shield people from these decision traps. They are rooted in human nature. What techniques can we use to combat cognitive biases in addressing adaptive challenges? Ability to diagnose and recognize a wicked problem or adaptive challenge from a tame problem or a technical challenge is the critical first step, but recognizing an adaptive challenge alone will not prevent flawed choices because of cognitive biases (Yawson, 2015). Key cognitive biases include the confirmation bias, the sunk cost trap, the anchoring bias, and the framing bias. How can organizational leaders avoid these decision traps in addressing wicked problems? How can decision making on complex systems - the so called wicked problems or adaptive challenges - come to grips with irreducible, or deep, uncertainty without cognitive biases? This paper discusses, complex adaptive decision making in the context of four main cognitive biases: Confirmation Bias, Sunk Cost Trap, Anchoring Bias, and Framing Bias.
Analysing online Twitter discussions of bedwetting via a condition-specific hashtag (#Bedwetting).

AIM Bedwetting is a common paediatric condition. #Bedwetting has been established as the official hashtag to structure Twitter discussions about the condition. We analysed online Twitter discussions for #Bedwetting. METHODS Symplur, a Twitter analytics service was employed to aggregate Twitter activity, users and content including #Bedwetting, between October 2013 and November 2018. Activity was analysed via tweet volume and user adoption. Users were assorted using geographic location, occupation and affiliation data. Content in #Bedwetting Tweets was undertaken by retrieving information about retweets, links, frequently used words and hashtags. RESULTS A total of 101 412 tweets and 9957 users utilising #Bedwetting were identified. Most tweets were sent with links (93%). The average ± SD number of tweets using #Bedwetting per month increased from 96 ± 87 in 2013 to 2935 ± 1644 in 2015. Tweet volume decreased to 1960 ± 257 in 2016 and subsequently increased to 2901 ± 1110 in 2017. New users increased from 4 in 2013 to 9957 users in 2018. Users tweeted from 69 countries. Advocacy organisations comprised 35% of the top 100 influencers. Common words in #Bedwetting tweets were 'potty', 'best' and 'training'. Popular associated hashtags were #Pottytraining, #Solutions and #Moms. Hyperlinks in #Bedwetting tweets included advocacy, academic and commercial websites. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis of #Bedwetting highlights that Twitter is frequently used to discuss the condition's diagnosis and management. Various stakeholders in health care are utilising the platform to build awareness about bedwetting. We identified that Twitter is being employed to drive web traffic to other internet websites.
Direct attachment of optical fibers to photonic integrated circuits with in situ UV curing

Here we present direct attachment of multiple optical fibers to PIC chips at arbitrary pitches. Each fiber is actively aligned and then "tacked" by directly transmitting UV light down the fiber itself.
Editorial Comment: Timing of FDG PET Imaging After Pegfilgrastim Administration.

This Editorial Comment discusses the following AJR article: Association of Time Since Administration of Pegylated G-CSF (Pegfilgrastim) and Bone Marrow Uptake on FDG PET/CT: Determination of a Mini...
IMAGING WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITES (WPCs): X-RAY COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, A FEW OTHER PROMISING TECHNIQUES, AND WHY WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION

Wood plastic composites are complex, anisotropic, and heterogeneous materials. A key to increasing the share of the WPC materials in the market is developing stronger, highly engineered WPCs characterized by greater structural performance and increased durability. These are achieved by enhanced manufacturing processes, more efficient profile designs, and new formulations providing better interaction between the wood particles and the plastic matrix. Significant progress in this area is hard to imagine without better understanding of the composite performance and internal bond durability on the micro-mechanical level, and reliable modeling based on that understanding. The objective of this paper is to present a brief review of promising material characterization techniques based on advanced imaging technologies and inverse problem methodology, which seem particularly suitable for complex heterogeneous composites. Full-field imaging techniques and specifically X-ray computed tomography (CT) combined with numerical modeling tools have a potential to advance the fundamental knowledge on the effect of manufacturing parameters on the micromechanics of such materials and their response to loads and environmental exposure.
Shepherdable indexes and persistent search services for mobile users

We describe a range of designs for supporting rich search queries in a peer-to-peer network Our implementation is based upon uniquely identified data objects which are replicated upon request by agents called Shepherds Several abstract data structures are built upon this framework, supporting dataset management, lexical search, and distributed GIS interfaces in an application called the Geobrowser Our results demonstrate that it is possible to layer higher-level data structures upon a basic peer-to-peer transport and replication layer When users perform a given query, parts of the index as well as the query results themselves are shepherded to the user's local venue A natural benefit of this approach is that mobile users can repeat previous searches if they become disconnected from the rest of the network Some of the data structures that prove to be successful are peer-to-peer adaptations of traditional indexing structures We review some of the properties that lead to successful designs in this domain, giving examples of deployed systems in the Geobrowser.
Elastic Properties of Forsterite at High Pressure Obtained from the High‐Temperature Database

We examine the possibility of computing the high pressure P elastic properties of forsterite using acoustic resonant frequencies measured at elevated temperature T (but at P = 0). The transformation into P space from T space requires three imposed conditions: (1) that the property αK T be independent of volume V (α is the volume coefficient of thermal expansivity, and K T is the isothermal bulk modulus); (2) that Cv, the heat capacity at constant volume, be quasiharmonic at high T; and (3) that the acoustic resonant mode frequencies be linear in P. We also compute the high-pressure elastic properties of NaCl and MgO to provide comparisons with the results for forsterite. We show that NaCl meets all three conditions, but that for MgO, the first condition is not met. For forsterite the second condition is not met.
Bag-of-Particles Model for Simulating Tissue, Organs, and Flow

We present a physically-based, elastically deformable particle system model that combines the oriented particles used in surface-only models, and the unoriented particles used in volume-only simulations into a bag of particles. Multiple species of particles and predefined interspecies parameters determine elastic material properties. Model dynamic behavior and global shape are determined by the response of its particle ensemble to (i) volume forces and surface forces and torques, and (ii) orienting and shaping forces and torques derived from a distance map.
Distributed multi-agent information filtering—A comparative study: Research Articles

Information filtering is a technique to identify, in large collections, information that is relevant according to some criteria (e.g., a user's personal interests, or a research project objective). As such, it is a key technology for providing efficient user services in any large-scale information infrastructure, e.g., digital libraries. To provide large-scale information filtering services, both computational and knowledge management issues need to be addressed. A centralized (single-agent) approach to information filtering suffers from serious drawbacks in terms of speed, accuracy, and economic considerations, and becomes unrealistic even for medium-scale applications. In this article, we discuss two distributed (multi-agent) information filtering approaches, that are distributed with respect to knowledge or functionality, to overcome the limitations of single-agent centralized information filtering. Large-scale experimental studies involving the well-known TREC data set are also presented to illustrate the advantages of distributed filtering as well as to compare the different distributed approaches. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Investigating the effects of monetary regime shifts: The case of the Federal Reserve and the shrinking risk premium

Abstract In this paper we use Mishkin’s efficient markets framework [Journal of Finance 37 (1982) 63–72] to show that the founding of the Federal Reserve led to a greater than 50% reduction in the size of the risk (term) premium a 6-month instrument pays over a 3-month one, and that this reduction coincides with the significant reduction in the uncertainty of interest rates that took place during the same period. This result demonstrates a major impact this unparalleled US monetary regime shift had on financial markets and provides further confirmation of the importance of accounting for major institutional and policy changes when investigating the sources of changing intertemporal macroeconomic relationships.
Estrogen Receptors in the Rat Uterus STUDIES ON THE INTERACTION OF CYTOSOL AND NUCLEAR BINDING SITES

Studies on the interrelationship of binding sites for estrogens found in cytosol and nuclear fractions of the rat uterus show that 17β-estradiol is first associated with a protein (9 S) present in the cytosol. The estrogen subsequently moves into the nucleus where it is bound to a protein (5 S) which can be extracted from the chromatin. Simultaneously with the movement of the estrogen into the nucleus, the binding protein of the cytosol disappears or loses its ability to bind estrogen. These and other experiments are discussed in terms of a hypothetical model in which estrogen binds to a cytosol receptor protein, bringing about a change in its conformation and its subsequent movement into the nucleus.
Regulation of gastrin alpha-amidation in the developing rat stomach.

Because the gastrin molecule must be alpha-amidated to have maximum biological activity, rat pups from 1 to 6 wk of age were treated with dexamethasone (2 mg.kg-1.day-1) for 3 or 7 days, diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC; 400 mg.kg-1.day-1 x 3 days), dexamethasone and DDC, pentagastrin (750 micrograms.kg-1.day-1), or bombesin (40 micrograms.kg-1.day-1) for 3 days to determine the effects of these agents on alpha-amidation and gastrin and glycine extended gastrin (G-Gly) concentration in the stomach. Three day treatment with dexamethasone increased gastrin concentration by increasing amidation in pups before 5 wk of age and thereafter by enhancing preprogastrin synthesis or processing. Seven day dexamethasone treatment had no substantial effect on amidation. DDC universally inhibited amidation and affected a sustained increase in gastrin plus G-Gly concentration after the third week of life. Dexamethasone did not reverse the effects of DDC. Pentagastrin increased amidation in 1-, 3-, and 6-wk old rat pups but had no consistent effect on peptide concentration. Bombesin increased the sum of gastrin and G-Gly concentration in all but 1- and 5-wk old pups but had variable effects on alpha-amidation. We conclude that alterations in gastrin alpha-amidation have age-specific effects on tissue gastrin and G-Gly concentration and speculate that changes in tissue gastrin and G-Gly stores available for release might ultimately affect parietal cell and G-cell function during development.
Fast-start Performance and Body Form in Seven Species of Teleost Fish

Fast-start kinematics and performance were determined for Etheostoma caeruleum, Cottus cognatus, Notropis cornutus, Lepomis macrochirus, Perca flavescens, Salmo gairdneri and a hybrid Esox sp. at an acclimation and test temperature of 15 °C. Normal three-stage kinematic patterns were observed for all species. Fast-start movements were similar in all species, except Lepomis , which had slightly higher amplitudes than expected for its length. The duration of kinematic stages was a major variable among the seven species but was a linear function of length. Acceleration rates were not functions of size. Maximum acceleration rates ranged from 22-7 to 39-5 m. s−2 with mean rates from 6.1 to 12.3 m.s−2 averaged to the completion of kinematic stage 2. Maximum velocity and distance covered in each fast-start stage varied among species but were related to length. Fast-start performance depended primarily on compromise between muscle mass as a percentage of body mass, and lateral body and fin profile. Optimal profiles provide large depth distant from the centre of mass to maximize thrust, and anterior depth enhancement to minimize recoil. The body form of Lepomis is considered optimal for multiple swimming modes.
Military Conflict and Terrorism: General Psychology Informs International Relations:

Several experiments, focusing on decisions made by young, voting-age citizens of the United States about how to respond to incidents of international conflict, are summarized. Participants recommended measured reactions to an initial attack. Repeated attacks led to escalated reaction, however, eventually matching or exceeding the conflict level of the attack itself. If a peace treaty between contending nations was in place, women were more forgiving of an attack, and men were more aggressive. There was little overall difference in reactions to terrorist versus military attacks. Participants responded with a higher level of conflict to terrorist attacks on military than on
An Examination Of Techniques For Reformatting Digital Cartographic Data / Part 2: The Vector-To-Raster Process

Current graphic devices suitable for high-speed computer input and output of cartographic data are tending more and more to be raster-oriented, such as the rotating drum scanner and the color raste...
Neurotrophic and neuroprotective efficacy of intranasal GDNF in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) exerts neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects on substantia nigra (SN) dopamine neurons and has great therapeutic potential for Parkinson's disease (PD). Hindering this potential is the fact that GDNF cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of GDNF administered by the intranasal route in normal rats, and in the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of PD. In the first study, rats received single intranasal doses of 50-μg GDNF in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or cationic liposomes, but no 6-OHDA. In the second study, rats were nasally administered 10, 50 or 150 μg of GDNF in PBS or cationic liposomes 1h before injection of 6-OHDA. All groups were sacrificed 3-4 weeks later. Both intranasal GDNF treatments induced a neurotrophic effect in the SN insofar as the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons was significantly higher than in controls given intranasal PBS liposomes. Dopamine cell counts were also higher in the intact SN of 6-OHDA-lesioned rats compared to controls given PBS liposomes. Most importantly, intranasal GDNF provided significant neuroprotective efficacy indicated by greater TH immunostaining density in the lesioned versus intact SN of rats given single 50-μg doses of GDNF in PBS, or 150-μg doses of liposomal GDNF, compared to lesioned rats given PBS liposomes. Three 50-μg doses given at daily intervals (1 day before, 1h before, and 1 day after 6-OHDA) provided even greater protection than single 150-μg doses. Multiple doses at short intervals may therefore provide greater neuroprotection than single bolus doses. These results demonstrate both a neurotrophic effect of intranasal GDNF in the intact SN as well as neuroprotective efficacy in the unilateral 6-OHDA model, supporting pursuit of this approach as a potential treatment for PD.
Motion Planning with Complex Goals

This article describes approach for solving motion planning problems for mobile robots involving temporal goals. Traditional motion planning for mobile robotic systems involves the construction of a motion plan that takes the system from an initial state to a set of goal states while avoiding collisions with obstacles at all times. The motion plan is also required to respect the dynamics of the system that are typically described by a set of differential equations. A wide variety of techniques have been pro posed over the last two decades to solve such problems [1], [2].
Multilayer nitrogen adsorption in porous structures

Abstract The results of volume-area distribution calculations are sensitive functions of the correlation of adsorbed multilayer thickness employed in the computation. Disagreement between correlations proposed appears due primarily to the fact that the effects of pore structure on the adsorption are not included. The present work presents a correlation of multilayer nitrogen adsorption in porous structures which is based on reported isotherms for a wide range of pore systems. The consistency of surface area results obtained from computations employing the correlation is demonstrated.
Regulation of chick bone growth by leptin and catecholamines

ABSTRACT Leptin and the sympathetic nervous system have a unique role in linking nutritional status to skeletal metabolism in mammals. Such a regulatory mechanism has not been identified in birds but would be beneficial to signal information about energy reserves to an organ system essential for locomotion, reproduction, and survival. To explore this potential role of leptin and the sympathetic nervous system in birds, an ex vivo chick tibiotarsal model was used to test the effects of leptin and sympathetic activity on longitudinal bone growth and the expression of chondrocyte markers. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis revealed the expression of chicken leptin receptor mRNA as well as both α-adrenergic (α1A, α2A, α2B, α2C) and β adrenergic (β1, β2) receptor subtype mRNA in the whole bone. Incubation with norepinephrine (NE; 0, 10, or 100 µM for 4 d) caused a significant increase in distal condyle length as compared with vehicle-treated, contralateral tibiotarsi. In contrast, no change in condyle length was detected after leptin treatment (0 or 10 nM or 1 µM for 4 d). Analysis of cell proliferation by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation revealed no increase in bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells in the condyles in response to leptin or NE treatments. Real-time PCR analysis showed that NE enhanced type X collagen mRNA expression, a marker of mature hypertrophic chondrocytes, with no effect on type II collagen mRNA, the matrix protein secreted by proliferating chondrocytes. Leptin treatment had no effect on the expression of either matrix protein. Treatment with agonists specific for α- or β-adrenergic receptors indicates that the activation of α-adrenergic receptors is most likely responsible for the sympathetic effect on type X collagen gene expression. These results suggest that NE and other sympathetic agonists have positive effects on bone elongation and the changes in critical genes associated with this process. These neurotransmitters may facilitate this by promoting chondrocyte maturation. These studies represent novel evidence suggesting a role of sympathetic tone in the regulation of skeletal growth in avian species.
Intensive Dose-Dense Compared With High-Dose Adjuvant Chemotherapy for High-Risk Operable Breast Cancer: Southwest Oncology Group/Intergroup Study 9623

Purpose Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG)/Intergroup study 9623 was undertaken to compare treatment with an anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy regimen followed by high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) with autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell support (AHPCS) with a modern dose-dense dose-escalated (nonstandard) regimen including both an anthracycline and a taxane. Patients and Methods Participants in this phase III randomized study had operable breast cancer involving four or more axillary lymph nodes and had completed mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to receive four cycles of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by HDC with AHPCS or to receive sequential dose-dense and dose-escalated chemotherapy with doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and cyclophosphamide. The primary end point of this study was disease-free survival (DFS). Results Among 536 eligible patients, there was no significant difference between the two arms for DFS or overall survival (OS). Estimated five-year...
Primary melanocytic tumors of the central nervous system: Report of two cases and review of literature.

Background: Primary melanocytic tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) represent only 1% of all melanomas. We report two rare cases of primary diffuse leptomeningeal melanomatosis (PDLM; case 1) and primary melanoma of the thoraco-lumbar spine (case 2).
What is Worth Preserving in the Kemp Smith Interpretation of Hume

Naturalism versus scepticism. Feeling versus reason. These dichotomies, descending from Norman Kemp Smith, have framed the terms of debate in the study of Hume for sixty-plus years. Almost every si...
A 3D local descriptor SHOT on massively parallel processors

This paper investigates the suitability of graphical process unit (GPU) for a novel 3D object local descriptor named Signature of histogram of orientations (SHOT). SHOT presents a great balance between descriptiveness and robustness but its high complexity incurs heavy computational workload. We designed two parallel SHOTs on GPU to speed up the original serial counterpart. Experiment results show both the precise and approximate parallel algorithms exhibit outstanding speed performance. Moreover, we validated the descriptiveness of both parallel SHOTs were at high level through quantitative experimental comparisons.
Phase-matching conditions for nonlinear frequency conversion by use of aligned molecular gases

Transient birefringence can be induced in a gas of anisotropic molecules by an intense polarized laser pulse. We propose to use this birefringence to phase match nonlinear optical frequency-conversion processes. The conditions for anisotropic phase matching are derived, and experimental conditions required for phase-matched third-harmonic generation in a gas-filled hollow-core fiber are presented. We show that these conditions are experimentally feasible over a significant parameter range, making possible a new type of nonlinear optics.
Relations between circulating microRNAs and atrial fibrillation: Data from the Framingham Offspring Study

Background MicroRNA (miRNA) expression in atrial tissue has been implicated in pathologic susceptibility to atrial fibrillation (AF). Nevertheless, data on how circulating levels relate to AF are limited. Objective The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that circulating miRNAs are associated with AF. Methods Among 2445 Framingham Heart Study Offspring participants, we measured the expression of 385 circulating whole blood miRNAs by high-throughput quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We related miRNA levels with prevalent and new-onset AF. Results Mean age of the cohort was 66.3 ± 8.9 years, and 56% were women; 153 participants had clinically apparent AF at baseline, and 107 developed AF during median follow-up of 5.4 years. miRNA-328 (miR-328) expression was lower among participants with prevalent AF (8.76 cycle threshold) compared to individuals with no AF (7.75 cycle threshold, P Conclusion Circulating levels of miR-328, a miRNA known to promote atrial electrical remodeling by reducing L-type Ca(2+) channel density, were associated with prevalent AF. Adjustment for risk factors that promote atrial remodeling, including hypertension, attenuated the association between miR-328 and AF, potentially implicating miR-328 as a potential mediator of atrial remodeling and AF vulnerability.
Electrochemical effects of isolated voids in uranium dioxide

We present a model to study the electrochemical effects of voids in oxide materials under equilibrium conditions and apply this model to uranium dioxide. Based on thermodynamic arguments, we claim that voids in uranium dioxide must contain oxygen gas at a pressure that we determine via a Kelvin equation in terms of temperature, void radius and the oxygen pressure of the outside gas reservoir in equilibrium with the oxide. The oxygen gas within a void gives rise to ionosorption and the formation of a layer of surface-charge on the void surface, which, in turn, induces an influence zone of space charge into the matrix surrounding the void. Since the space charge is carried in part by atomic defects, it is concluded that, as a part of the thermodynamic equilibrium of oxides containing voids, the off-stoichiometry around the void is different from its remote bulk value. As such, in a uranium dioxide solid with a void ensemble, the average off-stoichiometry level in the material differs from that of the void-free counterpart. The model is applied to isolated voids in off-stoichiometric uranium dioxide for a wide range of temperature and disorder state of the oxide.
Effect of Annealing Temperature and Dopant Concentration on the Conductivity Behavior in (DyO1.5)x–(WO3)y–(BiO1.5)1−x−y

Cubic-stabilized ((DyO1.5)x–(WO3)y–(BiO1.5)1−x−y) electrolytes (DWSB) having higher conductivity than (ErO1.5)0.2 (BiO1.5)0.8 (20ESB) were developed. However, this DWSB composition also experienced a conductivity degradation like other cubic stabilized bismuth oxides in intermediate temperature (IT) ranges, i.e. 500°–700°C. Several DWSB compositions with the same 2:1 dopant content ratio (Dy:W) were annealed to determine the conductivity behavior in the IT range with time. All DWSB compositions maintained their initial conductivity at 700°C, but underwent conductivity degradation at ≤600°C. The effect of total dopant concentration on the conductivity degradation behavior was investigated at 600° and 500°C. It was also found that 8D4WSB, which is the highest conductivity composition, has promise as an electrolyte for an isothermal operation above 650°C or below 400°C.
Messy moods: Nostalgia and other nagging feelings in Oscar Hijuelos's The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love

Critics tend to dismiss nostalgia as a “bad” form of feeling: its turn to the past is perceived as a disengagement from the present and as indicative of a generally uncritical or, worse, conservative stance. I show how Oscar Hijuelos's novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love puts pressure on critics’ reading of Cuban American nostalgia as a feeling that tells us how Cuban immigrants negotiate their past, but appears to say little about their present reality in the United States. Instead, The Mambo Kings suggests how nostalgia is tied to the specific context of Cuban American lives in the United States and the real and imaginary spaces assigned to them there. I maintain it needs to be apprehended in close relation to other structures of feelings, including the “ugly” feeling of racialized animatedness in the United States. Recognizing nostalgia's significance does not warrant a disengagement from how it relates to specific racial, political, sexual, class and gender formations – something for which Oscar Hijuelos's novel rightly has been faulted.
Microscale technologies for regulating human stem cell differentiation

During development and regeneration, tissues emerge from coordinated sequences of stem cell renewal, specialization, and assembly that are orchestrated by cascades of regulatory factors. This compl...
Lessons from “Lower” Organisms: What Worms, Flies, and Zebrafish Can Teach Us about Human Energy Metabolism

A pandemic of metabolic diseases (atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, and obesity), unleashed by multiple social and economic factors beyond the control of most individuals, threatens to diminish human life span for the first time in the modern era. Given the redundancy and inherent complexity of processes regulating the uptake, transport, catabolism, and synthesis of nutrients, magic bullets to target these diseases will be hard to find. Recent studies using the worm Caenorhabditis elegans, the fly Drosophila melanogaster, and the zebrafish Danio rerio indicate that these “lower” metazoans possess unique attributes that should help in identifying, investigating, and even validating new pharmaceutical targets for these diseases. We summarize findings in these organisms that shed light on highly conserved pathways of energy homeostasis.
Stent grafting for aneurysmal degeneration of chronic descending thoracic aortic dissections.

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the results of thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) for chronic descending thoracic aortic (DTA) dissections with aneurysmal degeneration. Methods Over 70 months at a single institution, 27 patients underwent TEVAR for aneurysms related to chronic (>6 weeks) DTA dissections. Results Mean patient age was 67.5 ± 9.6 years; 18 were men. Primary indications for repair were aneurysm size (n = 20), rapid aneurysmal growth (n = 5), saccular aneurysm (n = 1), and rupture (n = 1). Preoperative false lumen status was patent in 18 patients, partially thrombosed in 8 patients, and unknown in the patient whose aneurysm ruptured. The proximal entry tear was covered in all 27 patients. Fourteen patients required coverage of the left subclavian artery, of which 9 patients underwent prophylactic revascularization. On completion angiogram, no patient had antegrade perfusion of the aneurysmal false lumen. There were three procedural complications: 2 patients sustained paraparesis (one resolved and one improved), and 1 patient had an access injury requiring stent graft placement. Thirty-day mortality was 3.7% (1 of 27); the one death was in the patient whose aneurysm ruptured. Of the 26 surviving patients, 23 (88.5%) had thrombosis of the aneurysmal false lumen. Twenty-two patients (84.6%) had stability or decrease in maximal aneurysm diameter on last radiographic follow-up at 18 ± 20 months. Three-year Kaplan-Meier survival was 90.3% ± 6.5% in the 26 patients who survived to hospital discharge, with a mean follow-up of 27.3 ± 22.1 months. In patients with preoperatively partially thrombosed false lumens (n = 8), 3-year survival was 100%. Conclusions TEVAR for aneurysms due to chronic dissections of the DTA can be performed safely and effectively at midterm follow-up according to this single-institution study. Stent graft therapy may be of particular benefit in patients presenting with partially thrombosed false lumens.