cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictors of falls in older survivors of breast and prostate cancer: A retrospective cohort study of surveillance, epidemiology and end results-Medicare health outcomes survey linkage.

Abstract Objectives To identify predictors of falls in older breast and prostate cancer survivors. Methods This retrospective cohort study analyzed population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results–Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (SEER-MHOS) linkage. Inclusion criteria were age >65 years at cancer diagnosis, first primary female breast or prostate cancer, cancer staging information available, completion of baseline MHOS during years 2–3 and follow-up MHOS during years 4–5 post-diagnosis, and falls information available. Data from 437 breast and 660 prostate cancer survivors were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression was constructed to evaluate variables from baseline MHOS with relation to falls from follow-up MHOS. Model accuracy was assessed using area under receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC). Results At follow-up MHOS, 26% of breast and 22% of prostate cancer survivors reported falls in the past 12 months. In breast cancer, a history of falls (odds ratio (OR) = 4.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.44–10.04) and sensory impairment in feet (OR = 3.33, 95%CI = 1.51–7.32) were significant predictors of falls. In prostate cancer, a history of falls (OR = 3.04, 95%CI = 1.79–5.15), unmarried (OR = 1.82, 95%CI = 1.12–2.95), lower physical summary score of quality-of-life(OR = 0.96, 95%CI = 0.94–0.98), urinary incontinence (OR = 1.69, 95%CI = 1.08–2.65), older age at diagnosis (OR = 1.05, 95%CI = 1.01–1.09), and shorter time post-diagnosis (OR = 0.96, 95%CI = 0.93–0.99) were significant predictors of falls. AUC was 0.67 and 0.77 for breast and prostate cancer, respectively, indicating moderate accuracy of models in detecting fallers. Conclusions Asking older breast and prostate cancer survivors about falls in the past 12 months is imperative in fall prevention. Further examination of deficits specific to each cancer is necessary to assess fall risks.
CHAPTER 37 – Sensitive Population Groups

Age, sex, genetic make-up, health status, and previous or concurrent exposures influence individual sensitivity to pesticide exposures. These parameters are interrelated and may combine to influence both qualitative and quantitative differences in sensitivity. Defined population groups may be more susceptible to the toxic effects of pesticide exposure because of a greater inherent sensitivity and also because certain characteristics of the subpopulation may result in greater exposure. Genetic sensitivity may influence the activation, detoxification, and cellular uptake of a pesticide. Polymorphisms in the genes of molecules that bind to pesticides in the body influence sensitivity to pesticide toxicity by modulating the binding affinity between the pesticide and molecule. Target site (for example, cholinesterases (ChE) and ion-channel receptors) and transport molecules (for example, serum albumin, and P-glycoproteins) have been found to exhibit genetic variation in various species and can affect individual sensitivity to pesticides. Recent research suggests that pesticides frequently used indoors may synergistically interact with the materials that are in house dust. Poor people are more likely than those who are not poor to have higher residential exposures from heavy spraying for severe pest infestations in substandard housing. People can also exhibit sensitivity to pesticides when nonpesticide ChE-inhibiting chemicals alter the effect of organophosphates and carbamates and vice-versa. Historically, risk assessment models for pesticide toxicity have been formulated to reflect the pharmacokinetic patterns of the adult male. It is only recently that exposure levels in children, parous women, and other sensitive population groups have been acknowledged.
Development of a Mobile App on Contraceptive Options for Young African American and Latina Women

Young African American and Latina women aged 15 to 24 are more likely to adopt short-acting forms of contraception over long-acting reversible contraception. Mobile applications and other forms of digital media may be useful for providing adolescents with information about sexual and reproductive health both inside and outside of the health care setting. The miPlan app was designed in accordance with principles of user experience design, and its content was informed by the theory of planned behavior and the transtheoretical model of behavior change. A university-based design team engaged young African American and Latina women to inform app development and provide input on app design, conducting multiple rounds of usability testing. Researchers then evaluated the acceptability of the miPlan app in family planning clinics among African American and Latina women aged 15 to 24. Participants rated the app highly acceptable, finding it both easy to use and highly informative. We demonstrate that mobile applications designed in conjunction with user populations may be effective at providing health information due to users' ability to identify with them and their accessibility.
Fear-Driven Jurisprudence: McCutcheon and Unlimited Campaign Contributions as Mechanisms for Entrenching White Supremacy

The United States Supreme Court, in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, eliminated the authority of the FEC to limit the aggregate donations made by individuals. Now, a donor’s total giving was limited only by a) the limit on the amount they could give to a single candidate, and b) the number of candidates they chose to give to. This paper attempts to analyze patterns of donor giving to determine if the McCutcheon decision has had a crowding-out effect on minority dollars. It then places this decision in a critical context, suggesting that the decision is the new, more respectable, less overt version of Jim Crow - a law designed to ensure that white supremacy, in political and economic terms, remains the law of the land, even as Americans of European descent become a numerical minority.
Psychological Aspects of Bladder Exstrophy

The dramatic transformation in the medical-surgical approaches to bladder exstrophy in the last three decades as well as in the results for exstrophy patients has not been legitimized by ongoing and concomitant studies of the psychological ramifications or patient adaptation. Such data that has been published is hampered by patient selection bias and an absence of longitudinal and systematic research. Because of recurrent anecdotal observations of psychological distress and problems with social adaptation in exstrophy patients, we initiated a set of longitudinal studies at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1993 looking at the psychosocial and psychosexual development in exstrophy patients and the implications for patients and family alike.
Can There Be a Recovery-Oriented Diagnostic Practice?:

Despite the prevalence of the DSM in mental health practice, research, and the public imagination, it remains the target of criticism. With the publication of another volume in the DSM series, we h...
Association of African Ancestry With Electrocardiographic Voltage and Concentric Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: The Dallas Heart Study.

Importance Compared with white individuals, black individuals have increased electrocardiographic voltage and an increased prevalence of concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. Whether environmental or genetic factors lead to these racial differences is unknown. Objective To determine whether proportion of genetically determined African ancestry among self-reported black individuals is associated with increased electrocardiographic voltage and concentric LV hypertrophy (LVH). Design, Setting, and Participants The Dallas Heart Study is a probability-based cohort study of English- or Spanish-speaking Dallas County, Texas, residents, with deliberate oversampling of black individuals. Participants underwent extensive phenotyping, which included electrocardiography (ECG), cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), and dual-energy radiography absorptiometry (DEXA) at a single center. Participants aged 18 to 65 years who enrolled in the Dallas Heart Study between July 2000 and December 2002, self-identified as black (n = 1251) or white (n = 826), and had ECG, CMR, and DEXA data were included in this analysis. Data were analyzed from June 2017 to September 2018. Exposures Proportion of African ancestry. Main Outcomes and Measures Electrocardiographic voltage (12-lead and 9-lead) and markers of concentric LVH as assessed by CMR (LV concentricity0.67[LV mass/end-diastolic volume0.67], LV wall thickness [LVWT], and prevalent LVH [defined by LV mass/height2.7]). Results Of the 2077 participants included in the study, 1138 (54.8%) were women, and the mean (SD) age was 45.2 (9.9) years. Black race and African ancestry were individually associated with increased ECG voltage, LV concentricity0.67, LVWT, and prevalent LVH in multivariable analyses adjusting for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medication use, and body composition. When African ancestry and black race were entered together into multivariable models, African ancestry but not black race remained associated with ECG voltage, LVWT, LV concentricity0.67, and prevalent LVH. Among black participants, African ancestry remained associated with these 4 phenotypes (12-lead voltage: β, 0.05;P = .04; LVWT: β, 0.05;P = .02; LV concentricty0.67: β, 0.05;P = .045; prevalent LVH: odds ratio, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.03-1.4;P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance Genetically determined African ancestry was associated with electrocardiographic voltage, measures of concentric LV remodeling, and prevalent LVH. These data support a genetic basis related to African ancestry for the increased prevalence of these cardiovascular traits in black individuals.
Differential effect of regadenoson versus dipyridamole on heart rate in patients with left bundle branch block: How does it affect the results of pharmacological nuclear stress testing?

BackgroundMyocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) stress test is performed either using exercise as a stress modality or through the use of pharmacological vasodilator agents in those who cannot exercis...
Structural specificity of the triamines sym-homospermidine and aminopropylcadaverine in stimulating growth of spermidine auxotrophs of Escherichiacoli

Abstract sym -Homospermidine (HSpe) was compared with its structural isomer, aminopropylcadaverine (AP5), and the naturally-occurring triamine, spermidine (Spe), in its ability to stimulate the growth of Spe auxotrophs of Escherichia coli . HSpe was taken up by the cells, but was less effective than Spe in stimulating growth. In at least one E. coli auxotroph, HSpe was also less effective than AP5.
Door Recognition Principles in GITA’s Machine Vision

Nowadays, in the traditional door or object recognition system, people use GluonCV and Tensorflow to help teach machines millions of pictures, and then base on the information in the database collected from the pictures to do the door recognition. While in the new proposal, a new door recognition system based on a machine carrier called GITA is proposed. In the proposal, the recognition elements comprise motionless elements, including door boundary, handle/bar, and ratio of body width and door width, and loco-motor elements, which include people's gesture, change of door depth and change of illumination. In order to prove it, several different tests based on seven doors of different types are done.
Daily Nursing Home Staffing Levels Highly Variable, Often Below CMS Expectations

Staffing is an important quality measure that is included on the federal Nursing Home Compare website. New payroll-based data reveal large daily staffing fluctuations, low weekend staffing, and daily staffing levels often below the expectations of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). These data provide a more accurate and complete staffing picture for CMS and consumers.
From Stars to Compact Objects: The Initial-Final Mass Relation

We lack a predictive model for how a star of a given mass explodes and what kind of remnant it leaves behind (i.e. the initial-final mass relation, IFMR). Astrometric gravitational lensing offers a new way to find and weigh compact objects and place the first constraints on the IFMR, compact object multiplicity, and kick velocities.
On the Applicability of Acoustic Emission for Monitoring Damage Progression in Metal Matrix Composites

Damage initiation and accumulation has been monitored through acoustic emission (AE) in several center-notched unidirectional metal matrix composites (MMC) and multidirectional boron/aluminum (B/Al) laminates subjected touniaxial quasi-static tensile loading. Emphasis has been placed on establishing the correlation between the actual damage initiation and growth and AE results. The correspondence between failure processes in the different material systems and the event intensities was investigated, and the results on the event amplitudes are reported. Effect of heat treatment on the failure process and on the associated emission in unidirectional and quasi-isotropic B/Al laminates has also been studied. Notch-tip damage growth was monitored in real-time through optical observations, and effective notch-tip damage extension was determined by applying the compliance matching procedure. Fracture surface morphology was examined via the scanning electron microscope. It is shown that the failure processes in the different material systems can be correlated with the AE event amplitudes. The results indicate that an excellent correlation can be established between the rate of damage growth and the AE results. Thus, it is concluded that AE technique can monitor damage formation and accumulation in MMC in real-time.
Global Existence and Asymptotic Behavior of Solutions for Compressible Two-Fluid Euler–Maxwell Equation

We study the global existence and asymptotic behavior of the solutions for two-fluid compressible isentropic Euler–Maxwell equations by the Fourier transform and energy method. We discuss the case when the pressure for two fluids is not identical, and we also add friction between the two fluids. In addition, we discuss the rates of decay of norms for a linear system. Moreover, we use the result for estimates to prove the decay rates for the nonlinear systems.
Cartographic content analysis of compelling climate change communication

Maps are a key way to communicate climate change. The goal of these maps is to make climate change relatable, tangible, and understandable. However, little research has assessed the content of thes...
Ileo-colonic tubular duplication with distal sigmoid colon stenosis in a neonate: A case report

Background: Though the duplication cysts presenting with intestinal obstruction are not uncommon in neonates, tubular duplications may pose a significant diagnostic and management challenge. Case Presentation: We present the successful management of a neonate presenting with intestinal obstruction. The diagnosis of ileocolonic tubular duplication cyst was made intra-operatively. The cyst was managed with a novel technique. Conclusion: Tubular duplications of the alimentary tract rarely encounter in neonates. The surgeons should improvise the surgical technique to manage such anomalies.
Lighting the User Experience: A New Perspective on Studying the User Experience in a Lab that Controls Light Color, Temperature, and Intensity

The documents we create are often designed and read under one light color and condition, often an office or classroom. But actual users may use these documents in almost every light condition. UX specialists should help writers and designers to test their work in multiple lighting conditions to ensure maximum readability and usability. To address the lack of research in our field of light and color temperature, scholars at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock built a lab that allows researchers to test these factors, and to incorporate findings into their teaching on accessibility and user-experience design.
Sampling of Structure and Sequence Space of Small Protein Folds

Nature only samples a small fraction in sequence space, yet many more amino acid combinations can fold into stable proteins. Furthermore, small structural variations in a single fold, which may only be a few amino acids different from the next homolog, define their molecular function. Hence, to design proteins with novel molecular functionalities, such as molecular recognition, methods to control and sample shape diversity are necessary. To explore this space, we developed and experimentally validated a computational platform that can design a wide variety of small protein folds while sampling high shape diversity. We designed and evaluated about 30,000 de novo protein designs of 7 different folds. Among these designs, about 6,200 stable proteins were identified, with predicted structures having first-of-its-kind minimalized thioredoxin. Obtained data revealed more protein folding rules, such as helix connecting loops, which were in nature. Beyond providing a resource database for protein engineering, our data presents a large training data set for machine learning. We developed a high-accuracy classifier to predict the stability of our designed proteins. The methods and the wide range of new protein shapes provide a basis for the design of new protein function without compromising stability.
Optimized Renewable Energy Integration for EV High-Power Dynamic Wireless Charging Systems

Dynamic wireless charging for electric vehicles is an emerging technology to reduce on-board battery size and extend driving range. Due to its unique characteristic of vehicle-speed-related pulse-like load profile, the high-power dynamic wireless charging system (DWCS) introduces high stress to the utility grid. In this paper, an optimization model for renewable energy integration in the DWCS is proposed to mitigate the grid impact and minimize the operation costs of the whole system. As the load profile of DWCS is related to the traffic volume and various approaching vehicle speeds, the annual average daily traffic data and a stochastic model are used to develop 24-hour load profile of DWCS. To find a tradeoff between grid impact mitigation and operation costs minimization, relationships among power demand from power grid, photovoltaic (PV) capacity, wind energy (WE) capacity and energy storage (ES) capacity are analyzed, and the optimization objective and constraints are developed. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that energy storage integration can greatly mitigate the grid impact of DWCS, and optimal ratio of PV and WE can significantly reduce the operation cost of DWCS.
Workplace hate speech and rendering Black and Native lives as if they do not matter: A nightmarish autoethnography:

The #BlackLivesMatter movement has been met with resistance and hostility by many whites who do not see the need for assertions regarding the value and worth of Black lives. Those who seek to disru...
A new species of Coelosis Hope, 1837 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Oryctini) from Paraguay

Coelosis spinophallicus Ratcliffe & Cave is described as a new species from Capiibary, San Pedro Department, Paraguay. The new species is compared with the sympatric species Coelosis inermis (Sternberg). A description, diagnosis, illustrations, and distribution map are provided for the new species, with a key to the Paraguayan species of Coelosis Hope.
Extracellular vesicles: mediators of intercellular communication in tissue injury and disease

Intercellular communication is a critical process that ensures cooperation between distinct cell types and maintains homeostasis. EVs, which were initially described as cellular debris and devoid of biological function, are now recognized as key components in cell-cell communication. EVs are known to carry multiple factors derived from their cell of origin, including cytokines and chemokines, active enzymes, metabolites, nucleic acids, and surface molecules, that can alter the behavior of recipient cells. Since the cargo of EVs reflects their parental cells, EVs from damaged and dysfunctional tissue environments offer an abundance of information toward elucidating the molecular mechanisms of various diseases and pathological conditions. In this review, we discuss the most recent findings regarding the role of EVs in the progression of cancer, metabolic disorders, and inflammatory lung diseases given the high prevalence of these conditions worldwide and the important role that intercellular communication between immune, parenchymal, and stromal cells plays in the development of these pathological states. We also consider the clinical applications of EVs, including the possibilities for their use as novel therapeutics. While intercellular communication through extracellular vesicles (EVs) is key for physiological processes and tissue homeostasis, injury and stress result in altered communication patterns in the tissue microenvironment. When left unchecked, EV-mediated interactions between stromal, immune, and parenchymal cells lead to the development of disease states Video Abstract.
Dynamic water motion analysis and rendering

In this paper, we present a novel approach for analyzing the dynamic water motion and transforming the motion in natural scenes to non-photorealistic 2D cartoons. We limit the domain of the original water sequences containing only water surfaces with shallow relief, (the heights of the water wave are relatively small compared to the wave lengths) and one parallel light source. Within this constrained domain, we first automatically rectify the water wave sequence from a generic pose to orthogonal view direction. Then we clearly reveal the relationship between the rectified frames and the surface normal maps. Finally, as an application, a non-photorealistic rendering step is applied to transform the water motion to new cartoon sequences. several results are shown in the paper to demonstrate the quality and widely usability of this novel approach.
Product family design knowledge representation, integration, and reuse

Product design information captured by current software systems in proprietary data structures makes it difficult to index, search, refine, reuse, distribute, browse, and aggregate design information across heterogeneous organizational information systems. Towards this end, a flexible knowledge management system for systematic development, deployment and management of multiple product families is critical. In this paper we propose a methodology to (1) capture and reorganize component design information as a graph called network bill of material (NBOM) to facilitate design information management for a family of products and (2) represent and store design information using ontologies that promote sharing and reuse of components for platform-based product realization. In the proposed methodology, the components and products of the product family are represented as a complete lattice structure using formal concept analysis (FCA). The NBOM and component designs are represented using Web ontology language (OWL). An example of one-time-use cameras is presented to demonstrate the proposed methodology.
Studies on the nature of dengue viruses. V. Structure and development of dengue virus in Vero cells.

Abstract Purified dengue-2 virus was examined by negative staining. The particles were round and averaged about 50 nm in diameter. Treatment of virus with 4.0 M NaCl resulted in the appearance of “cores” 26 nm in diameter. No definitive pattern of symmetry could be discerned. Dengue-2 virus was grown in Vero cells and the kinetics of virus release was shown to be similar to that described previously in KB cells. At 18 hr after infection the Vero cells showed marked cytoplasmic vacuolization, whereas the later stages (24–36 hr) were characterized by accumulation of particles in crystalloid arrays which were surrounded by membranes. Evidence is presented that these crystalloid aggregates were composed of mature virions. While dengue-2 virus predominantly accumulated in cytoplasmic vacuoles, Sinbdis virus in Vero cells matured at the cellular plasma membrane. Thus Sindbis virus and dengue-2 virus, a group A and group B arbovirus, respectively, appear to differ with respect to their morphogenesis in Vero cells.
Filter transitions in adaptive IIR approximate filtering

The effects associated with the switching of filter orders in an incrementally adaptive IIR approximate filtering technique are evaluated in the context of speech signals. Through listening experiments, we have found that the perceptual quality of the speech at the filter output is sensitive to the initial conditions used in initiating a transition to a higher filter order. If zero initial conditions are used there is a significant crackling sound due to error bursts at points where switches to higher order filters take place. If output samples from the pre-transition filter are used as initial conditions for the post-transition filter, the amplitude of the error bursts decreases significantly. An analysis is presented to account for these observations.
Cellular–Synaptic Generation of Sleep Spindles, Spike-and-Wave Discharges, and Evoked Thalamocortical Responses in the Neocortex of the Rat

Thalamocortical neuronal oscillations underlie various field potentials that are expressed in the neocortex, including sleep spindles and high voltage spike-and-wave patterns (HVSs). The mechanism of extracellular current generation in the neocortex was studied in the anesthetized and awake rat. Field potentials and unit activity were recorded simultaneously along trajectories perpendicular to the cortical layers at spatial intervals of 100 μm by multiple-site recording silicon probes. Current source density (CSD) analysis revealed that the spatial positions of sinks in layers IV, V–VI, and II–III and of the accompanying sources were similar during sleep spindles, HVSs, and thalamic-evoked responses, although their relative strengths and timings differed. The magnitude and relative timing of the multiple pairs of sinks and sources determined the amplitude variability of HVSs and sleep spindles. The presence of temporally shifted dipoles was also supported by the time distribution of unit discharges in different layers. Putative interneurons discharged with repetitive bursts of 300–500 Hz. The spike component of HVSs was associated with fast field oscillations (400–600 Hz “ripples”). Discharges of pyramidal cells were phase-locked to the ripples. These findings indicate that the major extracellular currents underlying sleep spindles, HVSs, and evoked responses result from activation of intracortical circuitries. We hypothesize that the fast field ripples reflect summed IPSPs in pyramidal cells resulting from the high frequency barrage of interneurons.
An obstacle avoidance algorithm for hyper-redundant manipulators

Novel kinematic algorithms for implementing planar hyperredundant manipulator obstacle avoidance is presented. Unlike artificial potential field methods, the method outlined is strictly geometric. Tunnels are defined in a workspace in which obstacles are presented. Methods of differential geometry are then used to formulate equations which guarantee that sections of the manipulator are confined to the tunnels and therefore avoid the obstacles. A general formulation is given with examples to illustrate this approach. >
Defining the genus Homo

Almost 300 years ago, Linnaeus defined our genus Homo (and its species Homo sapiens ) with the noncommittal words nosce te ipsum (know thyself) ( 1 ). Since then, fossil and molecular biology studies have provided insights into its evolution, yet the boundaries of both the species and the genus remain as fuzzy as ever, new fossils having been rather haphazardly assigned to species of Homo , with minimal attention to details of morphology.
HAM: a general-purpose hypertext abstract machine

The Hypertext Abstract Machine (HAM) is a general-purpose, transaction-based, server for a hypertext storage system. The server is designed to handle multiple users in a networked environment. The storage system consists of a collection of contexts, nodes, links, and attributes that make up a hypertext graph. This paper demonstrates the HAM's versatility by showing how Guide1 buttons. Intermedia webs, and NoteCards FileBoxes can be implemented using the HAM's storage model.
Rhodopsin replacement rescues photoreceptor structure during a critical developmental window.

Abstract Rhodopsin is essential for normal photoreceptor development inDrosophila(O'Tousaet al.,1989; Leonardet al.,1992; Kumar and Ready, 1995) and in mice (Humphrieset al.,1997). Here we report studies in which a rhodopsin transgene is expressed at restricted stages during the development ofDrosophilaphotoreceptors otherwise lacking rhodopsin. Substantial rescue of normal photoreceptor structure and physiology is effected by rhodopsin expression during the time of the normal onset of rhodopsin synthesis. Expression shortly before or after this critical period does not rescue these deficits. There is a critical developmental period in which rhodopsin plays its key role in photoreceptor morphogenesis.
Mass and Energy Distributions in the Spontaneous Fission of Some Heavy Isotopes

A back-to-back semiconductor counter system was used to study the energy and mass distributions of the fission fragments in the spontaneous fission of the isotopes, ${\mathrm{Fm}}^{254}$, ${\mathrm{E}}^{253}$, ${\mathrm{Cf}}^{254}$, and ${\mathrm{Cm}}^{248}$. The results are compared to the fission fragments produced by the spontaneous fission of ${\mathrm{Cf}}^{252}$, whose fission properties are well known. All distributions (including those of the odd-mass isotope ${\mathrm{E}}^{253}$) are rather similar, but not identical with the standard ${\mathrm{Cf}}^{252}$. The mean prompt kinetic energy of the fragments increases with $Z$, and this trend is compared with the results of other related experiments. The asymmetry of the mass distributions shows only small differences between the isotopes studied here. Some theoretical aspects of the asymmetries are discussed. The variance (widths) of nearly all the distributions increases with $Z$ and seems to increase with $A$. A new semiempirical correlation between the variances and $\frac{{Z}^{2}}{A}$ is proposed and interpreted on a qualitative basis. The effects of neutron emission on the results are briefly discussed and the values of the mean total kinetic energy release are corrected for the effect of neutron emission.
Electrical properties of novel mixed-conducting oxides

Zirconia-titania-yttria oxide solutions are novel mixed-electrical conductors in which both oxygen-ions and electrons are mobile. A determination of their electrical properties is necessary for an evaluation of their potential applications. Single-phase oxide solutions have been prepared and characterized. Phase studies indicates extensive solid solution of titania into zirconia stabilized with 12 mol % yttria. The observed decrease in lattice parameter with increasing titania concentration in these oxide solutions indicates that titanium cations substitute for the zirconium cations in the fluorite lattice. The lattice and grain-boundary electrical conductivities have been determined using impedance spectroscopy at temperatures between 400 and 950 °C.
Novel Regulator of Enterohepatic Bile Acid Signaling Protects against Hypercholesterolemia

Hypercholesterolemia is a major cause of cardiovascular disease and can be treated by targeting bile acid and cholesterol metabolism. Vergnes et al. (2013) now identify Diet1 as a novel regulator of fibroblast growth factor 15/19 production and bile acid biosynthesis.
Tumor necrosis factor is critical for cytolytic T cell activity against allospecific hepatocytes and splenic targets in major histocompatibility complex class I disparate graft versus host disease.

The present studies determined the role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)/tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) interactions on cytolytic (CTL) activity of splenic and intrahepatic lymphocytes (IHL) i...
Model of spontaneous hippocampal epilepsy in the anesthetized rat: electrographic, [K+]0, and [Ca2+]0 response patterns.

Abstract These experiments present a model of spontaneous epileptiform activity that can be produced acutely in the urethane-anesthetized rat. Extracellular potential changes were recorded in CA1 or the dentate gyrus along with measurements of extracellular potassium ([K + ] 0 ) and calcium ([Ca 2+ ] 0 ) throughout 90 min of continuous stimulation to the contralateral CA3 region and for up to 4 h afterwards. During the continuous stimulation, both brain regions showed a cyclic pattern of electrograhic seizures. Immediately upon stopping the stimulation, spontaneous epileptiform activity continued for up to 90 min in both CA1 and dentate gyrus. A quiescent period without electrographic activity was followed by the return of spontaneous epileptiform activity an average of 2 h after the end of stimulation. The excitability of the system was depressed after the continuous stimulation and gradually recovered during the quiescent period before the onset of the spontaneous epileptiform activity. [K + ] 0 increased during, not before, each seizure (both during the continuous stimulation and during the delayed spontaneous epileptiform activity) and remained elevated as long as neuronal discharges occurred. [Ca 2+ ] 0 transiently decreased with the onset of electrographic activity and never decreased before the appearance of epileptiform discharges.
CHANGES IN THE CIRCULATING FORM OF SERUM SOMATOMEDIN-C DURING FETAL LIFE

The predominant form of somatomedin-C (Sm-C) in human postnatal serum elutes from gel chromatographic columns at an approximate molecular weight of 150,000 daltons (150 K). Nine of 10 infants of 30 weeks gestation or more had elution profiles similar to postnatal sera, while in 7 of 9 infants of 27 weeks or less, the immunoreactive Sm-C eluted predominantly at an apparent molecular weight of 40,000 daltons (40 K). Five infants between 26–32 weeks exhibited a transitional pattern. One 43 week gestation anencephalic infant exhibited only 40 K Sm-C, suggesting that the 150 K proteins which bind Sm-C are acquired in response to growth hormone or other pituitary hormones. Even though the 40 K form of Sm-C is the only form found in mid-gestation fetal serum and in media from in vitro fetal mouse liver explants, it probably does not represent the primary gene product. This is suggested by the observation that 40 K Sm-C also binds 125I-Sm-C and can be dissociated by acid and, therefore, probably is a complex of S...
Trade Negotiation and Agriculture: New Approaches and Possible Consequences: Discussion

the negotiations. A common element of all proposals and of the RS framework is the use of a quantitative indicator to measure the degree of trade or output distortion that results from various agricultural policies. The Schwartz and Parker (SP) paper contributes significantly to an understanding of the potential use and economic properties of several quantitative indicators of trade and output distortions.
Star tracker stellar compass for the Clementine mission

The Clementine mission provided the first ever complete, systematic surface mapping of the moon from the ultra-violet to the near-infrared regions. More than 1.7 million images of the moon, earth and space were returned from this mission. Two star tracker stellar compasses (star tracker camera + stellar compass software) were included on the spacecraft, serving a primary function of providing angle updates to the guidance and navigation system. These cameras served a secondary function by providing a wide field of view imaging capability for lunar horizon glow and other dark-side imaging data. This 290 g camera using a 576 x 384 FPA and a 17 mm entrance pupil, detected and centroided stars as dim and dimmer than 4.5 m{sub v}, providing rms pointing accuracy of better than 100 {micro}rad pitch and yaw and 450 {micro}rad roll. A description of this light-weight, low power star tracker camera along with a summary of lessons learned is presented. Design goals and preliminary on-orbit performance estimates are addressed in terms of meeting the mission`s primary objective for flight qualifying the sensors for future Department of Defense flights.
Selection of neighborhood controls for a study of factors related to the diagnosis of cervical cancer

Abstract The level of effort required to generate neighborhood controls for a statewide matched case-control study of cervical cancer was investigated, with the aim of identifying hard-to-reach demographic subgroups. Cross reference telephone directories were used to identify households on the same street as the case. Letters were then sent to the households, followed by 'phone calls. A total of 2920 households were contacted to obtain 147 controls. Overall, 63.6% of age-eligible contacts participated in the study. In 49.3% of all households the major reason for not obtaining a control was “no age-eligible woman”. Level of effort required to obtain a matched control was greater for black women than for white women—on average 24 letters and 40 'phone calls for black women vs 12 letters and 20 calls for white women. Fewer eligible younger women refused to be interviewed than older. No marked differences were noted when the data were stratified by urban-rural area of residence.
Methylphenidate Preferentially Increases Catecholamine Neurotransmission within the Prefrontal Cortex at Low Doses that Enhance Cognitive Function

Background Low doses of psychostimulants, such as methylphenidate (MPH), are widely used in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Surprisingly little is known about the neural mechanisms that underlie the behavioral/cognitive actions of these drugs. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is implicated in ADHD. Moreover, dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) are important modulators of PFC-dependent cognition. To date, the actions of low-dose psychostimulants on PFC DA and NE neurotransmission are unknown. Methods In vivo microdialysis was used to compare the effects of low-dose MPH on NE and DA efflux within the PFC and select subcortical fields in male rats. Doses used (oral, 2.0 mg/kg; intraperitoneal, .25–1.0 mg/kg) were first determined to produce clinically relevant plasma concentrations and to facilitate both PFC-dependent attention and working memory. Results At low doses that improve PFC-dependent cognitive function and that are devoid of locomotor-activating effects, MPH substantially increases NE and DA efflux within the PFC. In contrast, outside the PFC these doses of MPH have minimal impact on NE and DA efflux. Conclusions The current observations suggest that the therapeutic actions of low-dose psychostimulants involve the preferential activation of catecholamine neurotransmission within the PFC.
The Price of Freedom: Slavery and Manumission in Baltimore and Early National Maryland

Paradoxically, in the decades following the Revolution, slavery in Baltimore gained strength even as slaves were being freed in record numbers. The vigorous growth of the city required the exploitation of rural slaves with craft skills. To prevent them from escaping and to spur higher production, owners entered into arrangements with their slaves, promising eventual freedom in return for many years of hard work. This was a practical, not a philanthropic arrangement; following the release of one group of slaves, owners would simply purchase additional ones. This practice of "term slavery" created a labor force affordable to small craftsmen and manufacturers and directly contributed to the urban development of the country's third largest city. Newly freed slaves, driven by debts contracted in purchasing freedom, remained dependent upon their former masters for employment. The freeing of blacks in rural Maryland and their migrations to Baltimore to work and save in order to aid still-enslaved kin supplied the city with even more free black workers.
Indirect damping analysis and synthesis of band/wheel mechanical systems

Abstract It has been shown that vibration coupling between spans in a band/wheel mechanical system is significant [1–3]. This phenomena indicates the opportunity for indirect vibration control in such systems: i.e., applying dampers on one span to minimize vibration on the other. A thorough analysis is carried out on how the system parameters and damping distribution affect the span vibrations. The findings show that an optimal damping value exists, and either less or more damping will decrease the effectiveness of indirect vibration suppression. An optimization problem is formulated to synthesize damping when multiple dampers and multiple modes are involved. This analysis and synthesis effort is critical for realizing the idea of indirect vibration control.
Distributed coordination in uncertain multiagent systems

We consider real-time multi-agent coordination in a dynamic and uncertain domain addressing both distributed state information and partial knowledge of the common reward function. The challenge is to find functional strategies when bounded rationality hinders the ability to encompass the values of possible sample paths of the system. This paper discusses a new approach based on assigning agents to monitor portions of the reward structure for which they aggregate and propagate appropriate profiles which compactly represent relevant information used for policy modification. This approach shows promise as an alternate and potentially superior technique with respect to current decision-theoretic and scheduling approaches.
A quantile‐based approach for relative efficiency measurement

Two popular approaches for efficiency measurement are a non-stochastic approach called data envelopment analysis (DEA) and a parametric approach called stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). Both approaches have modeling difficulty, particularly for ranking firm efficiencies. In this paper, a new parametric approach using quantile statistics is developed. The quantile statistic relies less on the stochastic model than SFA methods, and accounts for a firm's relationship to the other firms in the study by acknowledging the firm's influence on the empirical model, and its relationship, in terms of similarity of input levels, to the other firms. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mission Design and Analysis for Suborbital Intercept and Fragmentation of an Asteroid with Very Short Warning Time

Small near-Earth objects (NEOs) approximately 50-150 m in size are far more numerous (hundreds of thousands to millions yet to be discovered) than larger NEOs. Small NEOs, which are mostly asteroids rather than comets, are very faint in the night sky due to their small sizes, and are, therefore, difficult to discover far in advance of Earth impact. Furthermore, even small NEOs are capable of creating explosions with energies on the order of tens or hundreds of megatons (Mt). We are, therefore, motivated to prepare to respond effectively to short warning time, small NEO impact scenarios. In this paper we explore the lower bound on actionable warning time by investigating the performance of notional upgraded Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) to carry Nuclear Explosive Device (NED) payloads to intercept and disrupt a hypothetical incoming NEO at high altitudes (generally at least 2500 km above Earth). We conduct this investigation by developing optimal NEO intercept trajectories for a range of cases and comparing their performances. Our results show that suborbital NEO intercepts using Minuteman III or SM-3 IIA launch vehicles could achieve NEO intercept a few minutes prior to when the NEO would strike Earth. We also find that more powerful versions of the launch vehicles (e.g., total delta V of approximately 9.5-11 km/s) could intercept incoming NEOs several hours prior to when the NEO would strike Earth, if launched at least several days prior to the time of intercept. Finally, we discuss a number of limiting factors and practicalities that affect whether the notional systems we describe could become feasible.
A study of double tagged two-photon reactions at spear

Abstract We have identified 262 doubly tagged two-photon events. A subset of the data shows an enhancement of 21 events in the inclusive two-photon mass squared distribution between 0.8 and 2.2 GeV 2 . If these events result from spin 2 resonance production then Γ γγ = 9.5 ± 3.9 ± 2.4 keV (statistical and systematic). From another subset of 58 events in which the final state could be classified we determine the two-photon hadron to muon cross section ratio R γγ = 1.1 ± 0.3 ± 0.3.
Kin and nursing home lengths of stay: a backward recurrence time approach.

There are numerous hypotheses about the role played by kin in decreasing the length of elderly persons' nursing home stays, yet few studies have explicitly examined the relationship between kin and episode length. Here we use backward recurrence time data from the Current Resident File of the 1985 National Nursing Home Survey to estimate models in which the hazard of leaving a nursing home depends upon covariates . Women admitted at age 65 or older stay, on average, 26 months in an institution, while men have an average stay of 19 months. Controlling for demographic factors, insurance status, and various chronic and morbid conditions, we find that, on average, having a living spouse decreases the length of stay by four months for men and three months for women. Having a living child decreases the mean length of stay for women by three months, but has no effect on the mean length of stay for men. Findings underscore the importance of family members in shortening the lengths of time spent by older persons in nursing homes.
NEITHER DESERT NOR DISEASE

Why do we fear preventive detention and believe that it requires special justification? Citizens in free, democratic societies are accustomed to substantial limitations on liberty that are justified morally and politically by the “common good.” Avoiding serious danger is a greater good than most, but the power of the state to confine dangerous people or to reduce danger by equally oppressive intrusions is considered especially fearsome. The usual, and generally uncontroversial, justifications given for such deprivations of liberty are that the person has culpably committed a criminal offense or that the agent is not responsible for the danger he or she presents. Criminal imprisonment and various forms of civil commitment, for example, which preempt potentially dangerous conduct by incapacitation, are considered reasonable deprivations of liberty in such cases. But in neither case is the state confining on purely preventive grounds a responsible agent who has done no wrong. In contrast, pure preventive detention is an anathema, we believe, because polities devoted to liberty and autonomy have no moral or political warrant to confine or similarly oppress innocent, responsible agents. What could justify such a vast intrusion on the liberty of such agents to pursue their projects? I recognize that the state has an uncontroversial right to quarantine innocent, responsible agents if such agents have communicable diseases and no less intrusive intervention will prevent infection of others. Although many forms of communicable disease can be spread by conduct, the justification of pure quarantine requires no action or potential action. It is a purely public health measure directed toward microorganisms that has the undesirable effect of limiting freedom of action. This article addresses only the preemption of dangerous conduct, which might in some cases include the transmission of disease. See generally Michael Corrado, Punishment, Quarantine, and Preventive Detention, 15 C rim. J ust. E thics 3 (Summer/Fall 1996).