cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Buckling of actin stress fibers: a new wrinkle in the cytoskeletal tapestry.

Intracellular tension is considered an important determinant of cytoskeletal architecture and cell function. However, many details about cytoskeletal tension remain poorly understood because these forces cannot be directly measured in living cells. Therefore, we have developed a method to characterize the magnitude and distribution of pre-extension of actin stress fibers (SFs) due to resting tension in the cytoskeleton. Using a custom apparatus, human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were cultured on a pre-stretched silicone substrate coated with a fibronectin-like polymer. Release of the substrate caused SFs aligned in the shortening direction in adhered cells to buckle when compressed rapidly (5% shortening per second or greater) beyond their unloaded slack length. Subsequently, the actin cytoskeleton completely disassembled in 5 sec and reassembled within 60 sec. Quantification of buckling in digital fluorescent micrographs of cells fixed and stained with rhodamine phalloidin indicated a nonuniform distribution of 0-26% pre-extension of SFs in non-locomoting HAECs. Local variability suggests heterogeneity of cytoskeletal tension and/or stiffness within individual cells. These findings provide new information about the magnitude and distribution of cytoskeletal tension and the dynamics of actin stress fibers, and the approach offers a novel method to elucidate the role of specific cytoskeletal elements and crosslinking proteins in the force generating apparatus of non-muscle cells.
Occurrence of negative open variances in ternary systems

Parameters of the hypothetical open arrays were computed for a total of 20 published sets of chemical analyses of igneous rocks in oxide, mole, cation, and cation weight-percentage forms. Negative open variances in the full (11 variables) data sets were eliminated by using a linear transformation of the raw data. For the 13 variables (11 oxides, the sum of the alkalies and total iron as FeO) 286 different simple ternary combinations can be formed. The CaO-Na2O-K2O (CNK) and total iron-serum of the alkalies-MgO (FMA) combinations are of frequent use in depicting “differentiation trends” within a series of igneous rocks. In each of the 20 data sets the estimated open variances of Na2O in the CNK and total iron in the FMA combinations are negative. Elimination of negative open variances in the full data array does not eliminate negative open variances in these ternary combinations. Greater than 50 percent of the 29,172 ternary combinations examined contain a negative open variance.
Application of energy theorems to a periodic line of elastic obstacles

Energy theorems derived earlier for multiple scattering of elastic waves are applied to a periodic line of equally spaced identical elastic obstacles. Theorems for multiple-multiple-fields interactions and multiple-single-fields interactions are discussed. Monopole and dipole results for the case of identical rigid elastic scatterers are given.
Breeding for Fe efficiency: Use of indicator Hants

Abstract Eight tomato cultivars of diverse genetic background were crossed with the Fe‐inefficient line T3820 fer at the U. S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, South Carolina. Seedlings of the F2 generation were subjected to Fe‐deficiency stress to determine if there were modifier or minor genes present in any of the cultivars that could increase the efficiency of Fe absorption in the presence of the fer gene. The F2 plants segregated for the single gene (fer) in the expected 3:1 phenotypic ratio and the plants were either extremely chlorotic or they were totally green. The Fe concentration was approximately four times greater in the green as in the chlorotic plants. The data indicate that Fe efficiency may be greater in some cultivars than others suggesting that breeding Fe‐efficient cultivars may be a feasible objective in plant breeding programs. Following two generations of selection based on visual appearance, Fe‐stressed fer plants, from crosses with breeding line T‐3790 and cultivar MH‐1, recovere...
Surplus equivalence of levelled commitment contracts

In automated negotiation systems consisting of self-interested agents, contracts have traditionally been binding. Levelled commitment contracts were recently shown to improve expected social welfare even if agents decommit strategically in Nash equilibrium. Such contracts differ based on whether agents have to declare their decommitting decisions sequentially or simultaneously, and whether or not agents have to pay the penalties if both decommit. For a given contract, these protocols lead to different decommitting thresholds and probabilities. However, this paper shows that each of these protocols leads to the same expected social welfare when the contract price and penalties are optimized for each protocol. Our derivations allow agents to construct optimal levelled commitment contracts. We also show that such integrated bargaining does not hinder distributive bargaining.
Applied Social Research in Industrial Organizations: An Evaluation of Functions, Theory, and Methods

Intervening variables are analyzed for their impact on the transformation of social science intelligence into organization policies. Functions, structures, theories, and methods of applied social research are found to have a direct bearing upon the type and degree of utilization of research results in organizational decisions. Each of the four variables illustrates differences not only in procedures or instruments but also between the values and goals of applied and academic social research. The growing emphasis in academic circles upon methodological perfection and the growing integration of applied social research into organizational policies is bound to widen the discrepancy in values between the two professions, argue the authors. The message for the social researcher who wishes his data to be utilized is implied in the concluding section of this paper, which draws upon the results of a study of applying social science research to organizational change projects in the area of industrial and labor rela...
The politics of Europe 2002: flexibility and adjustment

The European Union entered a new phase of integration in 2002. The single currency, the European Convention, and enlargement signalled progress. The conflict over the Stability and Growth Pact, the tensions between the member states, and the political turmoil in a number of core countries suggested retreat. This paper examines the resulting pattern of integration. It argues that the European Union is becoming more legalistic than leader-oriented, and that it rests on common principles rather than accepting the imposition of some grand design. Such a European Union cannot challenge the United States for global leadership. But it is likely to prove stable nonetheless.
Educating the people: Cours d’adultes and social stratification in France, 1830–1870

This essay examines the formation, operation, and social effects of adult education classes in France during the nineteenth century. These classes were created and operated prior to the formation of France’s national education system and were part of the expansion of primary schooling for the working class, or more generally for “the people”. The more formally organised classes were typically held at local Catholic and non‐sectarian primary schools throughout France, but this essay argues that classes held in a variety of other settings contributed to the diversity of adult education courses offered in the 1830s and 1840s. During this early period, the diversity of adult education courses led to wide‐ranging social effects, including a challenge to the existing political and social order. Ultimately, however, adult education courses were incorporated into the developing national primary education system and became part of the formation of a generalised system of social distinction that defined and reprodu...
Q-switched operation of quasi-three-level lasers

A theoretical model for longitudinally pumped quasi-three-level lasers under Q-switched, repetitively Q-switched, and cw operating conditions is developed. The model is applied using 8% Ho:YAG as the gain medium, and it is found that for typical conditions the effective energy storage time can be much less than the upper state lifetime, in agreement with experiment but not predicted by earlier theories. This effect is attributed to details of laser design and pumping conditions, as opposed to being an intrinsic property of the gain material. >
Exploiting an interplay between norms to analyze scalar quantization schemes

Quantization is intrinsic to several data acquisition systems. This process is especially important in distributed settings, where observations must first be compressed before they are disseminated. There have been many practical successes in the area of quantization, including the acclaimed Lloyd-Max algorithm. This article adopts a different perspective and it explores quantization at a fundamental level, seeking to identify classes of problems for which efficient quantization is possible. The focus is primarily on positive random variables of unbounded support, where severe degradation may occur. Established properties of Banach spaces are exploited, together with the boundedness of probability measures, to prove that efficient quantization schemes necessarily exist in the fine-quantization regime. The results are algorithmic in nature and provide bounds on the number of bits necessary to achieve a desired level of performance.
Epigenetic mechanisms in stroke and epilepsy.

Epigenetic remodeling and modifications of chromatin structure by DNA methylation and histone modifications represent central mechanisms for the regulation of neuronal gene expression during brain development, higher-order processing, and memory formation. Emerging evidence implicates epigenetic modifications not only in normal brain function, but also in neuropsychiatric disorders. This review focuses on recent findings that disruption of chromatin modifications have a major role in the neurodegeneration associated with ischemic stroke and epilepsy. Although these disorders differ in their underlying causes and pathophysiology, they share a common feature, in that each disorder activates the gene silencing transcription factor REST (repressor element 1 silencing transcription factor), which orchestrates epigenetic remodeling of a subset of ‘transcriptionally responsive targets’ implicated in neuronal death. Although ischemic insults activate REST in selectively vulnerable neurons in the hippocampal CA1, seizures activate REST in CA3 neurons destined to die. Profiling the array of genes that are epigenetically dysregulated in response to neuronal insults is likely to advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of these disorders and may lead to the identification of novel therapeutic strategies for the amelioration of these serious human conditions.
Verrucomicrobia subdivision 1 strains display a difference in the colonization of the leek (Allium porrum) rhizosphere

Strains CHC12 and CHC8, belonging to, respectively, Luteolibacter and Candidatus genus Rhizospheria (Verrucomicrobia subdivision 1), were recently isolated from the leek rhizosphere. The key question addressed in this study was: does attraction to and colonization of the rhizosphere occur in the same way for both strains? Therefore, the fate of the two strains was studied near in vitro-grown leek roots and in soil zones proximate to and at a further distance from roots in a model plant-soil microcosm set-up. Quantitative PCR detection with specific primers was used, as the cultivation of these bacteria from soil is extremely fastidious. The data indicated that natural populations of Luteolibacter (akin to strain CHC12) had lower numbers in the rhizosphere than in the corresponding bulk soil. On the other hand, the populations of Candidatus genus Rhizospheria, i.e. strain CHC8, showed higher numbers in the rhizosphere than in the bulk soil. Increased strain CHC8 cell-equivalent numbers in the rhizosphere were not only the result of in situ cell multiplication, but also of the migration of cells towards the roots. Luteolibacter and Candidatus genus Rhizospheria cells displayed differences in attraction to the rhizosphere and colonization thereof, irrespective of the fact that both belonged to Verrucomicrobia subdivision 1.
The Size and Specialization of Direct Investment Portfolios

In much of the investments literature, specialization is assumed to enhance productivity and communication, and so size and specialization are complements. In the venture capital (VC) industry, we observe the reverse: VCs with larger portfolios tend to be less specialized. We present a model of portfolio size and specialization in which specializing increases average protability for any project undertaken, but it excludes a VC from projects outside its area of specialization. Because portfolio returns are driven by extreme right tail events, a fund must secure access to a large deal ow to support a large number of investments, and so large funds must generalize. Using a dataset of U.S. VC investments between 1980 and 2004, we provide empirical evidence that supports the predictions of the model: larger portfolios are associated with less industry and geography specialization; positive factors such as greater experience are associated with larger and more general portfolios; negative factors such as a higher ex-ante probability of startup failure are associated with smaller, more specialized portfolios. Our model and ndings support the notion that funding a portfolio of projects in a setting where deal identication is critical diers substantially from funding a portfolio of projects within a rm.
Montanism and Its Trinitarian Significance

It has become almost a commonplace of both historical and systematic theology to interpret the doctrine of the Trinity as an elaboration of the christological faith and formulations of the early church. That is true of such radically divergent interpreters of that doctrine's origin as Adolf Harnack and G. L. Prestige. Both these scholars agree in seeing the trinitarian dogma as a response to the question whether, in Harnack's words, “the divine that has appeared on earth and reunited men with God is identical with that divine which created heaven and earth, or whether it is a demigod.” Or, as Prestige elaborates the thesis: “If the godhead was not unitary, it was as simple to conceive of three Persons as of two; hence the deity of Christ carried the weight of trinitarian controversies without any necessity for extending the range of dispute, and as a matter of history, the settlement of the problems connected with the Father and the Son was found to lead to an immediate solution of the whole trinitarian difficulty.”
Determination of levothyroxine and its degradation products in pharmaceutical tablets by HPLC-UV-ICP-MS

A new analytical methodology using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied to study the presence of possible degradation products in levothyroxine tablets. The analytical methodology takes advantage of the element-specific and highly-sensitive I detection provided by ICP-MS and is applied to the speciation of: 3,3′,5,5′-tetraiodothyronine (T4); 3,3′,5-triiodothyronine (T3); 3,5-diiodothyronine (T2); 3,3′,5,5′-tetraiodothyroacetic acid (TTAA4); 3,3′,5-triiodothyroacetic acid (TTAA3); and 3,5-diiodothyroacetic acid (TTAA2). Chromatographic conditions were optimized by using UV absorption at 225 nm and ICP-MS detection of 127I. Complete chromatographic resolution of the levothyroxine degradation products within 25 min was obtained using 22% (v/v) acetonitrile at pH 2.3, adjusted with 0.08% (v/v) trifluoroacetic acid. The introduction of the mobile phase containing acetonitrile was performed by post column on-line dilution (1∶3.3) of the chromatographic eluent with a 2% (v/v) nitric acid solution using a PTFE tee. The separations with either detector were good with little detector effect on the resolution. The peak broadening caused by on-line dilution was insignificant. The detection limits obtained with UV detection ranged from 28.9 to 34.5 µg l−1, whereas those obtained with the plasma detector were about 175–375 times better (lower). Finally, the analytical methodology was applied to the determination of possible iodine species originated by degradation of T4 in synthetic and commercial levothyroxine sodium tablets.
A cost-effectiveness analysis of epoetin usage for patients with AIDS.

Epoetin (recombinant human erythropoietin) therapy for patients with AIDS may reduce the need for blood transfusion; however, it is expensive. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of the use of epoetin for AIDS patients from a healthcare system perspective. We constructed a decision analysis model using probability. Outcome and cost data from the literature and hospital sources.
A Strategy for Rangeland Management Based on Best Available Knowledge and Information

Abstract Adapting what we currently know about ecosystems to a future where rangelands are changing is a new frontier in rangeland management. Current tools for knowledge discovery and application are limited because they cannot adequately judge ecological relevance of knowledge to specific situations. We propose development of integrated knowledge systems (KSs)—collections of resources (e.g., data, analytical tools, literature) drawn from disparate domains and organized around topics by process-based conceptual models. An integrated KS would define relevance by ecological attributes (e.g., soils, climate, vegetation) and location as a flexible mechanism for organizing, finding, and applying knowledge to rangeland management. A KS provides knowledge sources within a decision-making framework that defines what knowledge is needed and how it will be used to make decisions. Knowledge from a KS can identify appropriate spatial and temporal scales to address specific resource questions or objectives. Several f...
A high-performance spectrally-selective solar absorber based on a yttria-stabilized zirconia cermet with high-temperature stability

Spectrally-selective solar absorbers are widely used in solar hot water and concentrating solar power (CSP) systems. However, their performance at high temperatures (>450 °C) is still not satisfactory due to high infrared (IR) emittance and lack of long-term thermal stability. Here, we explore yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) cermet-based spectrally-selective surfaces for high-temperature solar absorber applications. The developed multilayer selective surface comprises two sunlight-absorbing W–Ni–YSZ cermet layers with different W–Ni volume fractions inside the YSZ matrix, two anti-reflection coatings (ARCs), and one tungsten IR reflection layer for reduced IR emittance and improved thermal stability, deposited on a polished stainless steel (SS) substrate. The fabricated solar absorbers are tested for their long-term thermal stability at 600 °C. We find a distinct change in the surface morphology of the solar absorbers when oxygen is highly deficient in the YSZ-ARC layers. The oxygen deficiency can be effectively overcome through increasing the oxygen partial pressure during sputtering, which leads to a stable solar absorber with a solar absorptance of ∼0.91 and a total hemispherical emittance of ∼0.13 at 500 °C. Those values are obtained at the actual operating temperature using an absolute and direct method that measures the total hemispherical emittance with high accuracy. In contrast, most reports on solar absorber development in the literature to date use only near room-temperature spectroscopy techniques that have been shown to significantly underestimate the total hemispherical emittance. This makes our experimentally demonstrated total hemispherical emittance value the lowest ever reported for a high-temperature stable solar absorber with solar absorptance above 0.9.
Giving Directions: Gender and Perceived Quality

Two related studies examined gender differences in directions given between 2 campus buildings (Experiment 1) and the rated quality of these directions and their authorship in terms of gender (Experiment 2). In the first experiment, 95 participants gave written directions for newcomers to their college campus. No significant gender differences were found in 6 assessment categories adapted from Ward, Newcombe, and Overton (1986). In the second experiment, 14 sets of directions from Experiment 1 were evaluated by 111 participants in a between-subjects design, half evaluating them in terms of the gender of the author and half in terms of the quality of the directions. Results indicated that length (in terms of gender) and errors (in terms of quality) most clearly differentiated the directions. The findings are discussed in terms of the schism between performance and perception.
Distraction by emotion in early adolescence: Affective facilitation and interference during the attentional blink

This study examined the extent to which early adolescents (aged 10 to 13 years) differ from adults in their sensitivity to attention capture by affective stimuli during rapid processing. A rapid serial visual presentation paradigm (RSVP) was implemented as a dual task, requiring the report of two green target stimuli embedded in a stream of distractors. Known as the “attentional blink” (AB), task performance is typically impaired when the first and second targets (T1 and T2, respectively) are separated by at least one distractor and about 200 ms of time. Here we used written verbs of pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant content as T1 items, while affectively neutral exemplars served as T2 and distractor events. The temporal distance between T1 and T2 was manipulated to contain either one distractor (intertarget interval 232 ms) or five distractors (intertarget interval 696 ms). Students reported pleasant T1 words more accurately, compared to neutral and unpleasant words, indicating facilitation of appetitive content on performance during RSVP. Emotional relevance of T1 was at the expense of T2 accuracy: At an intertarget interval of 232 ms (i.e., during the AB period), identification of (neutral) T2 words was impaired when preceded by pleasant and unpleasant T1s. No interference across targets was observed, however, beyond the blink period, in which T1 and T2 were separated by 696 ms. Thus, emotionally relevant events capture and hold attentional resources, at the cost of attentive processing in subsequent episodes. Contrary to our findings in adults, these capture effects were most obvious when the available capacity was limited, i.e., during the critical interval of the AB. The findings are discussed in light of the use of alternative cognitive strategies as development proceeds beyond early adolescence into adulthood.
Discomfort and Disability Glare from Halogen and HID Headlamp Systems

This paper investigates the effects of high intensity headlamps (HID), halogen, and blue filtered halogen lights on the drivers of those vehicles using them. Specifically, the studies reported measure the differences in impact on glare under conditions similar to those experienced by drivers in oncoming traffic at night. Both disability glare and discomfort glare are considered.
Controlled interconversion of semiconducting and metallic forms of polyaniline nanofibers

Abstract Self-assembled polyaniline nanofibers doped with 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid were prepared by oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of a nonionic surfactant. These nanofibers were dedoped to the semiconducting emeraldine base and then redoped to the metallic emeraldine hydrochloride. It was possible to introduce a different dopant anion from that used in the initial synthesis with no significant changes in fiber morphology or diameter, as observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The method of sample preparation for SEM significantly affected the observed morphology. Deposition from aqueous dispersions resulted primarily in nanofibers that ranged in diameter from 28 to 82 nm (average: 56 nm), whereas drying to solid powder resulted in a less fibrous material. UV–vis–NIR absorbance spectroscopy indicated that the electronic structure of the emeraldine base nanofibers was identical to bulk emeraldine base obtained by conventional synthesis. Estimates from X-ray diffraction data suggested that the fractional crystallinity of emeraldine hydrochloride nanofibers did not differ significantly from the bulk powder.
The First Synod of New York, 1745–1758 and its Permanent Effects

The first Synod of New York, formed two hundred years and a month ago, was the outcome of a religious revival, the Great Awakening, which on a great scale transformed and regenerated organized Christianity in the American colonies. The life of the Synod is a brilliant example of this transforming and regenerating work, so that its history is of much more than Presbyterian significance. Among its permanent effects was the stamping upon American Presbyterianism of a lofty character derived from the great revival.
Factors limiting the reduction of atmospheric CO2 by iron fertilization

A limit on the reduction in atmospheric CO, partial pressure (PC03 in the next century resulting from purposeful Fe fertilization of the Antarctic Ocean is estimated with an advection-diffusion model calibrated with transient tracer distributions. To evaluate the possible increase in atmospheric CO, with and without fertilization, we adopt a “business-as-usual” scenario of anthropogenic CO, emission. Such increase is computed from the atmospheric pC0, in the oceanatmosphere total C system as it responds to this emission scenario. Assuming completely successful Fe fertilization, we calculate an 8% atmospheric CO2 reduction for a case with a 3 cm2 s-I vertical diffusivity and 17.4 Sv upwelling flux, as derived from distribution of bomb-14C in the ocean. Hence, if atmosphericpC0, reaches 800 patm in the next century, the maximum possible reduction is - 64 patm. Doubling of upwelling flux to 34.8 Sv results in a reduction of 96 palm. If we assume the surface area of the Antarctic Ocean is 16% of the total ocean area instead of 10% as used in the standard case, the reduction is - 7 1 patm. These results are independent of the respiration function adopted. As we hold the surface water PO, content at a near-zero value, it makes no difference at what depth the organic material is oxidized (or whether it falls to the bottom and accumulates). Changes in the gas exchange rate over the Antarctic Ocean also do not have a significant effect on the magnitude of atmospheric CO, drawdown. Doubling the gas exchange rate in the Antarctic region after fertilization results in a reduction of 68 patm. Doubling of vertical diffusivity to 6 cm2 s-l in Antarctic deep water yields a reduction of 75 patm. The key parameters are the rate of upwelling in the Antarctic and the fate of this upwelled water. The length of the productive season influences the extent ofpC0, reduction. For 8 months of productive fertilization our model yields a reduction of 60 patm, for 4 months a reduction of 50 patm, and for 2 months a reduction of 40 patm. The maximum 0, consumption in our standard case is estimated to be 133 pmol kg -I at a depth of 600 m. However, 0, consumption depends on the reoxidation function in the subsurface water. If the organic flux reoxidizes completely in the upper 2,000 m, the maximum consumption of 0, at 500 m could reach 500 pmol kg-‘. Hence, depending on the reoxidation function, an anoxic Antarctic thermocline could result from
Exact expectation analysis of the sign-data LMS algorithm for i.i.d. input data

The author presents an automated method of deriving an exact description of the convergence behavior of a class of nonlinearity modified data adaptive algorithms for system identification modeling with independent, identically distributed (i.i.d.) samples as input data. Using the method, a set of linear equations that exactly describes a nonlinear data algorithm's stochastic behavior at each time step is identified. Moreover, precise bounds upon the step size to guarantee convergence of the algorithm in the mean and in mean square are obtained. Simulations indicate that the equations produced by the exact method are much more accurate than previous analyses in predicting convergence behavior of the sign-data LMS adaptive algorithm particularly in fast adaptation situations. >
Review of Test Equating, Scaling, and Linking: Methods and Practices (3rd ed.), by Michael J. Kolen and Robert L. Brennan

Test Equating, Scaling, and Linking is a clearly titled textbook and reference book providing a thorough treatment of test equating and less detailed but still thorough overviews of scaling and lin...
Supreme Court Agenda-Setting: The Role of Congress

Over the course of the twentieth century, the Supreme Court's attention to certain policy areas has varied. Once a venue for adjudicating private economic disputes, the Supreme Court is now more likely to deal with issues related to criminal justice, civil rights and liberties, and the regulatory state. Explanations of agenda change generally focus on the role that decisions made by individuals justices play in the agenda-setting process. This paper argues that the Supreme Court's agenda is linked to Congress's agenda. When Congress attends to an issue and passes jurisdiction-granting legislation, it creates opportunities for individuals and groups to bring cases to court. The Supreme Court's agenda in subsequent years is a reflection of these congressionally created opportunities. Using an original data set of laws that explicitly allow individuals and groups to appeal to the Supreme Court, I demonstrate how the Supreme Court's agenda-setting process is influenced by congressional grants of jurisdiction.
Interactively Cutting and Constraining Vertices in Meshes Using Augmented Matrices

We present a finite-element solution method that is well suited for interactive simulations of cutting meshes in the regime of linear elastic models. Our approach features fast updates to the solution of the stiffness system of equations to account for real-time changes in mesh connectivity and boundary conditions. Updates are accomplished by augmenting the stiffness matrix to keep it consistent with changes to the underlying model, without refactoring the matrix at each step of cutting. The initial stiffness matrix and its Cholesky factors are used to implicitly form and solve a Schur complement system using an iterative solver. As changes accumulate over many simulation timesteps, the augmented solution method slows down due to the size of the augmented matrix. However, by periodically refactoring the stiffness matrix in a concurrent background process, fresh Cholesky factors that incorporate recent model changes can replace the initial factors. This controls the size of the augmented matrices and provides a way to maintain a fast solution rate as the number of changes to a model grows. We exploit sparsity in the stiffness matrix, the right-hand-side vectors and the solution vectors to compute the solutions fast, and show that the time complexity of the update steps is bounded linearly by the size of the Cholesky factor of the initial matrix. Our complexity analysis and experimental results demonstrate that this approach scales well with problem size. Results for cutting and deformation of 3D linear elastic models are reported for meshes representing the brain, eye, and model problems with element counts up to 167,000; these show the potential of this method for real-time interactivity. An application to limbal incisions for surgical correction of astigmatism, for which linear elastic models and small deformations are sufficient, is included.
Frequency Distribution of Citrus Rust Mite (Acari: Eriophyidae) Damage on Fruit in ‘Hamlin’ Orange Trees

Frequency distribution of the citrus rust mite, Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Ashmead), damage on ‘Hamlin’ orange, Citrus sinensis fruit was studied from 24 August to 13 October 1993, in Lake Alfred, FL. The study plot consisted of 4-yr-old Hamlin orange trees, with a north-south row OIientation. Fruit on the north quadrant of the tree were found to have the highest mean surface damage, followed by the east, south, and west quadrants. The frequency distribution of fruit surface damage changed with mean damage levels. When the mean damage was low, most of the fruit had no rust mite damage. With increasing mean fruit damage, the proportion of fruit without damage decreased, and the proportion of fruit with higher damage correspondingly increased. The resulting frequency distribution changed from an exponential decay curve to a more or less symmetrical unimodal curve, with the peak shifting toward higher damage classes as mean fruit surface damage was increased. The frequency distribution was fitted to a 2-variable logistic distribution function of mean fruit surface damage and damage class, using maximum likelihood estimation method. Fruit without rust mite damage was considered a discrete point at zero, and its relative frequency was determined as the height of the cumulative logistic at zero. The model approximated the actual data well at low mean fruit surface damage, but gave a poor fit at high mean values.
Development of resistance in house fly adults and larvae pressured with stirofos.

After 50 generations of Musca domestica L. were pressured with stirofos (Rabon®) as larvae or 45 generations as adults, the degree of resistance was 126 times for the larval-pressured flies and 3.6 for the adult-pressured flies. When pressure was removed, the larval-pressured flies lost 81% of their resistance and the adult-pressured flies lost 68% after 16 generations. Both groups exhibited cross-resistance to diazinon.
Maclaurin Expansion of Arctan x via L'Hôspital's Rule

(1993). Maclaurin Expansion of Arctan x via L'Hospital's Rule. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 347-350.
Association of Priapism in Phenothiazine Therapy

AbstractWe present 4 patients seen in the last 5 years who had taken thioridazine (Mellaril) prior to development of priapism. One of the 4 patients suffered penile trauma while taking the phenothiazine drug and this is another possible etiologic factor in that case. No underlying urologic or hematologic disorders were present. All patients were treated by corporeal aspiration and corpus cavernosum-corpus spongiosum shunts. The mechanism of phenothiazine-induced priapism is hypothesized as being related to its peripheral adrenergic blockade, perhaps directly blocking the sympathetic impulse for detumescence, although a central nervous system effect must be considered as well. Lastly there exists the possibility of coincidence since phenothiazine treatment is becoming more common and was unrelated to the condition in an additional 6 patients with priapism seen during the same period.
FDG-PET/CT and MRI for Evaluation of Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies

Introduction This study compared the diagnostic test accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with that of (18)F-fluoro-2-glucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) imaging in assessment of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer. Methods A systematic search was performed in PubMed and EMBASE (last updated in June 2015). Studies investigating the performance of MRI and FDG-PET or FDG-PET/CT imaging during or after completion of NAC in patients with histologically proven breast cancer were eligible for inclusion. We considered only studies reporting a direct comparison between these imaging modalities to establish precise summary estimates in the same setting of patients. Pathologic response was considered as the reference standard. Two authors independently screened and selected studies that met the inclusion criteria and extracted the data. Results A total of 10 studies were included. The pooled estimates of sensitivity and specificity across all included studies were 0.71 and 0.77 for FDG-PET/CT (n = 535) and 0.88 and 0.55 for MRI (n = 492), respectively. Studies were subgrouped according to the time of therapy assessment. In the intra-NAC setting, FDG-PET/CT imaging outperformed MRI with fairly similar pooled sensitivity (0.91 vs. 0.89) and higher specificity (0.69 vs. 0.42). However, MRI appeared to have higher diagnostic accuracy than FDG-PET/CT imaging when performed after the completion of NAC, with significantly higher sensitivity (0.88 vs. 0.57). Conclusion Analysis of the available studies of patients with breast cancer indicates that the timing of imaging for NAC-response assessment exerts a major influence on the estimates of diagnostic accuracy. FDG-PET/CT imaging outperformed MRI in intra-NAC assessment, whereas the overall performance of MRI was higher after completion of NAC, before surgery. Implications for practice The timing of therapy assessment imaging exerts a major influence on overall estimates of diagnostic accuracy. (18)F-fluoro-2-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging outperformed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in intra-neoadjuvant chemotherapy assessment with fairly similar pooled sensitivity and higher specificity. However, MRI appeared to be more accurate than FDG-PET/CT in predicting pathologic response when used in the post-therapy setting.
Redundant Relay Theory

This chapter presents redundant relay theory. Relay theory is known to have direct applicability to computer design only in the reliability analysis of individual gates. As an example of the type of redundant network whose network failure is studied as a function of its part failure, the chapter presents the bridge network. This network could be one of independent, redundant relay contacts such that all the contacts are supposed to be open together or closed together. In such circumstances, the network of five relays has terminal behavior similar to one relay, only it can be more reliable than a single relay. The network can correct any single failure in which the contacts are either closed when they should be open or open when they should be closed. To study the network's failure probability, both when the network is supposed to be closed and when it is supposed to be open, it is useful to graph the probability that the network will be closed versus the probability that any of its contacts will be closed. The horizontal axis is the probability p that any contact will be closed, and the vertical axis is the function h(p) giving the probability the network will be closed.
Positive predictors of quality of life for postpartum mothers with a history of childhood maltreatment

The postpartum period brings a host of biopsychosocial, familial, and economic changes, which may be challenging for new mothers, especially those with trauma histories. Trauma-exposed women are at heightened risk for psychiatric symptomatology and reduced quality of life. The current study sought to evaluate whether a set of hypothesized promotive factors assessed during the first 18 months postpartum (positive parenting, family cohesion, and maternal resilience) are associated with life satisfaction in this population, after controlling for income and postpartum psychiatric symptoms. Analyses were based on data collected for 266 mother-infant dyads from a longitudinal cohort study, Maternal Anxiety during the Childbearing Years (MACY), of women oversampled for childhood maltreatment history. Hierarchical linear regression was used to evaluate the study hypotheses. Consistent with prior work, greater postpartum psychiatric symptoms and less income predicted poor perceptions of life quality. In hierarchical regressions controlling for income and psychiatric symptoms, positive parenting and family cohesion predicted unique variance in mothers’ positive perceptions of life quality, and resilience was predictive beyond all other factors. Factors from multiple levels of analysis (maternal, dyadic, and familial) may serve as promotive factors predicting positive perceptions of life quality among women with childhood trauma histories, even those struggling with high levels of psychiatric or economic distress.
Application to Neuropsychology

The most direct evidence pertaining to the effects of conscious choices upon brain activities comes from experiments in which consciously controlled cognitive efforts are found to be empirically correlated to measured physical effects in the brain. An example is the experiment of Ochsner et al. (2001). The subjects are trained how to cognitively reevaluate emotional scenes by consciously creating and holding in place an alternative fictional story of what is really happening in connection with an emotion-generating scene they are viewing.
Prosocial Motivation: Inferences From an Opaque Body of Work

Because motivations for prosocial actions typically are unclear, sometimes even to actors but especially for observers, it is difficult to study prosocial motivation. This article reviews research that provides evidence regarding children's motives for prosocial behaviors. First, we present a heuristic model to classify motives on the dimension of reflecting altruistic (with the ultimate goal of benefiting another) to egoism (the ultimate goal of benefiting the self) goals; in addition, we briefly discuss classifying motives based on a continuum of morality. Next, we review findings indicating the existence of a number of different motives in our model and briefly discuss developmental issues, when possible. Future directions for the study of prosocial motivation are proposed.
Thermal Conductivity of CH3NH3PbI3 and CsPbI3: Measuring the Effect of the Methylammonium Ion on Phonon Scattering

Temperature-dependent thermal conductivity in the range between 7 and 300 K was measured for CH3NH3PbI3 and CsPbI3 and compared to a Debye model via the Callaway method. Thermal conductivity was found to be extremely low across the whole temperature range for both materials, with CH3NH3PbI3 lower than CsPbI3. Fitting analysis showed that a resonant phonon scattering term can account for the difference in thermal transport behavior between the perovskite with a methylammonium (MA) ion versus a single cesium atom in the cationic A site of the lattice. The resonant frequency associated with this term is in the range of ∼15–30 cm–1, pointing to the rotational degree of freedom of the organic ion. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the possible phonon scattering mechanisms showed that thermal conductivity of both CH3NH3PbI3 and CsPbI3 perovskites was dominated by Umklapp scattering at room temperature, and the rotation of the organic cation may be responsible for suppressing the thermal conductivity of ...
Contemporary Worldviews and Perception of the Technological System

Perhaps one of the most central public policy issues in the past two decades has been focused on explorations of the ways in which appropriate relations may be fostered between modern industrial societies and their environments. Two general strategies may be followed in this exploration, one tightly focused, the other wider-ranging. The narrow-gauge strategy typically examines in depth the details of a specific environmental variable. In contrast, the broad-gauge strategy seeks to identify the major systems and to examine the interplay and linkages among them. Our investigation of the perception and management of technological hazards has been guided by the broader strategy, involving a conceptual framework that examines the interplay among personal, societal, and environmental systems (Figure l)(Craik, 1972).
Current practices in condition assessment of aged ships and floating offshore structures

This chapter introduces the background of the inspection regime, including inspections by classification societies, regulatory requirements, and industry voluntary inspections. It also explains the practice of designing and maintaining marine structures, typically ships and offshore floating structures, and nondestructive examination and monitoring techniques. The chapter concludes with challenges and future trends that serve as the starting point for the entire book.
Risk Factors for Suicidal Behavior Depend on Age for Veterans in the Pacific Islands.

We examined whether risk factors for suicidal behavior depend on age among military veterans in the Pacific Islands (N = 29,595). For veterans under 54 years old, having a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, a drug use disorder, and having a service-related disability predicted suicidal behavior. For veterans 54 years old or older, having a mood disorder predicted suicidal behavior. Having a history of suicidal behavior and a high number of VA health care visits were associated with suicidal behavior for both age groups. Our findings suggest that the predictive value of certain risk factors in veterans in the Pacific Islands may depend on age.
Constitutive activation of STAT3 in Lung Cancer: Stable Retrovirus-mediated RNA Interference Against STAT3 Inhibited the in Vitro Growth of Lung Cancer

4107 Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) were identified originally as key components of cytokine signaling pathways. More recently, constitutive activation of STAT proteins has been detected in a wide variety of tumor cell lines and human tumor specimens. Here, we examined the activation of a key STAT family member, STAT3, in lung, colorectal cancer, hematological malignancies cell lines. STAT3 was constitutively activated in 13 out of 14 NSCLC cell lines (93%), 2 of 5 SCLC cell lines (40%), 1 of 14 colorectal cancer cell lines, 7 of 14 lymphoma/leukemia/multiple myeloma cell lines (50%). We examined the effect of specific knockdown of STAT3 expression on the growth of 3 non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, NCI-H358, NCI-H2087, and NCI-H2122, which have STAT3 activated form, using transient siRNA or retroviral vectors that mediate stable gene silencing through RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi-mediated stable knockdown of STAT3 expression inhibited colony formation including soft agar and liquid culture and cell proliferation assay including MTS assay or BrdU assay in all of the 3 NSCLC cells but not in 2 colon cell lines, HCT116, DLD1. Furthermore, we identified new several down-stream gene targets using microarray analysis. Our findings demonstrate that constitutive activation of STAT3 occurs frequently in lung cancer cell lines and is critical for their growth and survival. These studies further suggest that STAT3 signaling represents a potentially novel molecular target for cancer therapy.
Efficacy of Particulated Juvenile Cartilage Allograft Transplantation for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus

Background:Particulated juvenile cartilage allograft transplantation (PJCAT) is a novel treatment option for osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs). It is typically employed as a salvage procedu...