cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Altered network timing in the CA3-CA1 circuit of hippocampal slices from aged mice.

Network patterns are believed to provide unique temporal contexts for coordinating neuronal activity within and across different regions of the brain. Some of the characteristics of network patterns modeled in vitro are altered in the CA3 or CA1 subregions of hippocampal slices from aged mice. CA3–CA1 network interactions have not been examined previously. We used slices from aged and adult mice to model spontaneous sharp wave ripples and carbachol-induced gamma oscillations, and compared measures of CA3–CA1 network timing between age groups. Coherent sharp wave ripples and gamma oscillations were evident in the CA3–CA1 circuit in both age groups, but the relative timing of activity in CA1 stratum pyramidale was delayed in the aged. In another sample of aged slices, evoked Schaffer collateral responses were attenuated in CA3 (antidromic spike amplitude) and CA1 (orthodromic field EPSP slope). However, the amplitude and timing of spontaneous sharp waves recorded in CA1 stratum radiatum were similar to adults. In both age groups unit activity recorded juxtacellularly from unidentified neurons in CA1 stratum pyramidale and stratum oriens was temporally modulated by CA3 ripples. However, aged neurons exhibited reduced spike probability during the early cycles of the CA3 ripple oscillation. These findings suggest that aging disrupts the coordination of patterned activity in the CA3–CA1 circuit.
509 BLOOD LEAD LEVELS AND STATURE IN THE NHANES II SURVEY

The second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) incorporated medical history, physical examination, anthropometric measurements, dietary recall and food frequency, laboratory tests and x rays. Blood leads (PbB) were 5-35 μg/dl. In multiple weighted linear regressions of adjusted data from 2695 children 6 mos - 7 yrs, 91%. of the variance in height, 72%. of the variance in weight and 58%. of the variance in chest circumference were explained by five variables: age or (age)2, race, sex, PbB, total calories or protein and hematocrit or transferrin saturation. The coefficients remained stable after correction for collinearity. A difference in PbB of 10 μg/dl predicted a 1.2 cm difference in height. Variables that did not significantly improve the models predicting growth included family income, degree of urbanization, serum albumin, copper, iron and zinc, dietary carbohydrate, fat, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, niacin, riboflavin and thiamine. The highly significant, independent correlation of PbB with growth does not contradict the established association of childhood deprivation with increased lead exposure and with nutritional deficiencies known to enhance lead absorption. Correlation does not imply causality, but the significant regression of stature on PbB merits investigation of these observations in other surveys and consideration of the multiple biologic mechanisms by which low level PbB could modify growth.
Fluid-rock interaction in orogenic crust tracked by zircon depth profiling

Ion microprobe U-Pb, δ 18 O, and Ti depth profiling analyses of natural zircon rims permit unprecedented assessment of the relationship between timing, temperature, and geochemical environment during crystallization and cooling of deep orogenic crust. Zircon from migmatite in a deeply exhumed gneiss dome in the Valhalla metamorphic core complex, southeast British Columbia, Canada, records the timing of melt crystallization and subsequent fluid-rock interaction before the final stages of extension and exhumation. Zircon interiors reveal a weighted mean age of 58 ± 2 Ma, interpreted as the timing of melt crystallization. Depth profiling U-Pb measurements of unpolished zircon rims yield an age of 51 ± 2 Ma over 4 μm. Ti-in-zircon thermometry indicates 650 °C for both rim and interior, confirming that the complex remained at high temperature during zircon crystallization. Previous δ 18 O measurements suggest that high-temperature fluids with δ 18 O of ~10‰ pervasively infiltrated the complex. The oxygen zircon results clearly resolve a δ 18 O contrast between zircon interiors (7.2 ± 0.2‰) and rims (8.4 ± 0.2‰). The lighter interior δ 18 O values indicate the timing of melt crystallization and equilibration of the rims with melt at 58 Ma ago. Alternatively, δ 18 O values from the 51 Ma rims match the composition predicted (8.4‰) from fluid interaction based upon previous work. Integrating the age and δ 18 O results reveals that amphibolite facies fluid-rock interaction persisted until final rapid exhumation of the Valhalla complex. The results further indicate the power of using the ion microprobe to track the timing of fluid infiltration in the crust as well as the effect of fluid infiltration on the subgrain scale.
Imaging of the silicon on sapphire interface by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy

The silicon‐sapphire interface of CVD silicon on a (1102) sapphire substrate has been studied by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. Cross‐section images of the interface are presented where the silicon and sapphire lattices are directly resolved. The images show that the interface is planar and abrupt to the limit of resolution (less than 3 A). Defect anisotropy is evident and can be linked to tilt of the [100] direction of the silicon layer with respect to the normal to the substrate.
Monoion oscillator as potential ultimate laser frequency standard

An individual atomic ion localized in the center of a small Paul RF quadrupole trap has potential as an ultimate laser frequency standard because the ion may be brought to `a state of complete rest in free space' by sideband cooling. As a consequence, all Doppler shifts vanish, `Free Space' is approximated in so far as the electric trapping field vanishes in the center of the trap and there is no Stark effect. Neither need there be a Zeeman effect as magnetic fields may be controlled down to the microgauss range. There is also no transit time broadening. Minute laser powers provided by harmonic generators suffice for saturation of optical transitions as strongly focused beams may be used. A million-fold atomic amplification of the single-ion fluorescence from a metastable level may bring resolutions of 1 part in 1018 within reach.
Degenerative Cervical Kyphosis: Anatomy, Biomechanics, and Etiology

Alignment plays a critical role in cervical spine function. In the thoracic and lumbar spines, degenerative disease often manifests as complex deformities involving coronal and sagittal plane decompensation, but in the cervical spine, degenerative disease often presents with isolated sagittal plane deformity. Multiple etiologies of cervical kyphosis have been described including traumatic, iatrogenic, inflammatory, and neoplastic processes; all share a common pathway of anterior column shortening, failure of the posterior tension band, or, most commonly, both. The focus of this article will be on the degenerative etiology of cervical kyphosis.
VLSI and rule-based systems

Many AI applications today employ some form of if-then rule-based programming. In languages stressing production rules, such as OPS, data is pattern matched against the if part until all literals are satisfied; the then part then indicates how the database should be changed. In more deductive languages like Prolog, the match is between a goal literal whose truth is unknown, and the then part of a rule. A successful match causes a series of goals from the if part to be solved in a similar manner.
Outcome of patients with early T1 and T2 squamous cell carcinoma of the base of tongue managed by conventional surgery with adjuvant postoperative radiation.

Background Existing treatment regimens for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the base of tongue (BOT) favor chemoradiation. However, there is a shifting paradigm toward minimally invasive surgery with adjuvant radiatiotherapy for select tumors. The aim was to report our experience in conventional surgical management with particular focus on T1/T2 tumors, which may be candidates for minimally invasive techniques. Methods Between 1985 and 2005, 128 patients were treated with primary surgery. Overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were calculated using Kaplan–Meier method, and predictive factors analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Five-year OS, DSS, and RFS rates were 60%, 70%, and 61%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed pathologic T classification and extracapsular extension (ECE) were significant predictors for DSS, whereas T classification remained significant for local recurrence. DSS for T1/T2 tumors ranged from 77% (node-positive) to 84% (node-negative). Conclusion T classification and ECE are independent predictors of outcome for BOT SCC. Patients with cT1/T2 tumors had excellent outcome and may be suitable for transoral robotic or endoscopic surgical procedures. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2013
Introduction: The Paradoxes of Marginality

The main focus of this special issue is on marginality, a multifaceted concept that requires a cross-disciplinary approach. The papers selected here deal with marginality in the formation of the epistemic canon (“the mainstream”) and the production of knowledge in the humanities and social sciences. By employing the vocabulary of marginality (“marginal,” “margins,” “luminal,” “threshold,” as well as dichotomies such as “minor-major,” “center-periphery”), we propose a shift from a discussion of the canon in terms of just one category of “marginals” (a certain race, class, gender etc.) to considering this complex concept in terms of a plurality of players and factors related to marginality broadly defined, some of which have little or nothing to do with power structures and dichotomies. Marginality is thus conceived of as an epistemic category and not as a power status.
Internal probe array for the measurement of radial electric field

A multipoint radial electric field probe, paired with a Langmuir triple probe has been operated on a RF sustained field reversed configuration. Langmuir probe measurements confirm the approximation that Te(r)∼constant, allowing for simpler interpretation of the floating potential, and the probe array was implemented with nonemissive, floating probes. Due to the large antenna potentials (multi-kilovolts), the electric field probe was designed taking advantage of the development of inexpensive, multichannel, portable digital storage oscilloscopes. This also made it possible to operate the internal plasma diagnostic with a minimum of electrical design work and fewer calibration issues. The diagnostic was electrically isolated (floated) separate from experiment ground, and has been used to measure transient electric fields as large as 2.5 kV/m.
Weighted component-based tensor distance applied to graph-based segmentation of cardiac DT-MRI

We propose a new weighted component-based tensor distance that linearly combines tensor shape (three tensor invariants) and orientation distances. Moreover the weighted component-based tensor distance allows users to easily adjust relative contributions of the distance components toward an optimal single distance for a particular application. We apply the weighted component-based tensor distance to graph-based multi-label segmentation of DT-MRI of infarcted hearts. We evaluate it using a synthetic tensor field that reflects important myocardial tensor field attributes, and three experimentally measured DT-MRI datasets from post-infarct porcine hearts.
The contact angle between water and the surface of perfluorosulphonic acid membranes

Recently studies aimed at clarifying the effect of perfluorinated sulphonic acid membrane surface properties on their behaviour in fuel cells were initiated. These polymers generally consist of a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) backbone with sulphonateterminated sidechains. A primary influence of membrane surface properties in fuel cells could be through surface effects on membrane hydration. The difference in the timescale for membrane equilibration with water in liquid and vapour phases may be explained by the effect of surface properties on membrane hydration. A membrane of thickness 178/~m equilibrates with liquid water within, at most, a few tens of seconds [1], whereas it takes much longer for this membrane to completely equilibrate with vapour phase water [2, 3]. (This is not simply because of the low concentration in the gas phase; a simple calculation shows that, at 1 atm vapour pressure, the membrane would be saturated with water in less than a second if the process were limited by the number of collisions of gas-phase water molecules with the membrane surface.) This difference in hydration dynamics may cause the apparent difference in equilibrium water uptake by ionomers from liquid and saturated vapour phases [3]. Surface effects may also account for the differences in water diffusion coefficients measured by (i) classical vapour-phase sorption methods, which involve transport of isotopically labelled water into, across, and out of a membrane sample, and (ii) N M R methods, which probe transport within the membrane. The vapourphase sorption measurement yields apparent water diffusion coefficients significantly lower [4] than those determined by N M R [5]. The self-diffusion coefficients measured by the sorption method are weakly dependent on membrane water content while those measured by N M R depend strongly on water content. A hydrophobic membrane surface could control the flux observed in the sorption experiment and likely acts as a barrier to water transport into, and possibly out of, the membrane. Our work described here aims to determine whether or not such a hydrophobic 'skin' exists. We report here on water contact angles measured on the perfluorosulfonate ionomer membranes to obtain some information on the hydrophilicity of the ionomer surface.
Isozymic structure and pyruvate inhibition of lactate dehydrogenase of ventricle, pectoralis muscle and cerebrum, and total LDH activity of cerebrum during morphogenesis of the house sparrow, passer domesticus

Abstract 1. 1. Study of the house sparrow reveals that there is a shift in predominant lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isozymes for ventricle, but not for either breast muscle or cerebrum during development, a pattern of differentiation unlike that of chicken heart and breast muscle. 2. 2. Values of pyruvate concentration giving optimal LDH velocity for sparrow ventricle and pectoralis muscle are similar to published values for these two chicken tissues. The absolute pyruvate concentration giving optimal velocity of LDH isozymes in ventricle decreases during development. However, these concentrations of pyruvate fail to differ significantly among five age groups. The same relationship exists for developing cerebrum. There is a gradually increased inhibition of LDH activity produced by high pyruvate concentrations for ventricle, but not for cerebrum. These catalytic properties coincide with the isozymic changes observed in these tissues during morphogenesis. 3. 3. The observed pattern of inhibition results in a higher NADHL/NADHH ratio for adult ventricle than for adult cerebrum or pectoralis muscle. 4. 4. The total LDH activity of cerebrum reaches a minimum just after hatching and then it increases as development progresses.
De-Marketing Obesity

Although catering to our biological interests, food companies have recently been accused of also contributing to the growing problem of obesity. Marketers are in a sensitive position because they are torn between trying to satisfy consumers and trying to satisfy concerned public policy officials who bring threats of taxes, fines, restrictions, and legislation. Although the situation appears perplexing, there are reasonable "win-win" solutions. After examining three inarguable consumer demands that led us to this problem, this chapter outlines the five main drivers of food consumption. In turn, each driver is examined in terms of what marketers and motivated companies can do to reasonably counter it. When it comes to contributing most to the quality of life in the next couple generations, smart, well-intentioned marketers may be best suited to effectively help lead the movement. Obesity is a good place to start.
Ion Transport in Silica Nanocomposite Electrolytes

The ion-transport properties of composite electrolytes composed of oligomers of poly(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ether, hydrophobic fumed silica, and Li(CF 3 SO 2 ) 2 N (LiTFSI) are investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electrophoretic NMR (ENMR), ac impedance spectroscopy, and rheology. The effects of fumed silica and salt concentration on ionic conductivity, diffusivity of ions and oligomers, and lithium transference number (T) are examined at 30°C. The fumed silica forms a self-supporting network with large pores such that the network, regardless of silica concentration, has little effect on ion-transport characteristics. Examination of the effect of salt on ion transport reveals a maximum ionic conductivity at around 1.06 M, which is attributed to a tradeoff of adding more charge carriers balanced against increased ion-ion interactions and reduced mobilities. T 1,i with respect to salt concentration surprisingly passes through a minimum around 0.35 M. The increase in T at higher concentrations is attributed to the mobilities of cations, anions, and solvating oligomer becoming constrained to the same value due to loss of free volume. The values of T Li at low salt concentrations (<0.35 M) are attributed to the ions existing in either a fully dissociated state or primarily as charged complexes. Results of T Li from ENMR and from estimation via pulse field gradient NMR (pfg-NMR) are compared showing that pfg-NMR consistently overestimates T Li . Finally, a comparison is presented of measured conductivity with that calculated from the Nernst-Einstein equation and diffusivities found from pfg-NMR measurement: we discuss possible reasons why it is inappropriate to estimate ion-pair formation by this comparison.
Constraining the mass of the graviton using coalescing black-hole binaries

We study how well the mass of the graviton can be constrained from gravitational-wave (GW) observations of coalescing binary black holes. Whereas the previous investigations employed post-Newtonian (PN) templates describing only the inspiral part of the signal, the recent progress in analytical and numerical relativity has provided analytical waveform templates coherently describing the inspiral-merger-ringdown (IMR) signals. We show that a search for binary black holes employing IMR templates will be able to constrain the mass of the graviton much more accurately ($\ensuremath{\sim}$ an order of magnitude) than a search employing PN templates. The best expected bound from GW observatories (${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{g}g7.8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{13}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}$ from Advanced LIGO, ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{g}g7.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{14}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}$ from Einstein Telescope, and ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{g}g5.9\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{17}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}$ from LISA) are several orders of magnitude better than the best available model-independent bound (${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{g}g2.8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{12}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}$, from solar system tests).
Sequencing the chimpanzee genome: Insights into human evolution and disease

Large-scale sequencing of the chimpanzee genome is now imminent. Beyond the inherent fascination of comparing the sequence of the human genome with that of our closest living relative, this project is likely to yield tangible scientific benefits in two areas. First, the discovery of functionally important mutations that are specific to the human lineage offers a new path towards medical benefits. Second, chimpanzee–human comparisons are likely to yield molecular insights into how new biological characteristics evolve — findings that might be relevant throughout the tree of life.
Participant Observation: Broadening Points of View.

(1983). Participant observation: Broadening points of view. Early Child Development and Care: Vol. 10, No. 2-3, pp. 147-156.
Mapping spectral tropicality in The Maid and Return to Pontianak

Contemporary, postcolonial Singapore has tamed, managed, and essentially disavowed its tropicality, aptly captured symbolically as the ‘air-conditioned nation’. This essay traces how two recent Singapore horror films, The Maid (2005) and Return to Pontianak (2001), evoke the ‘return of the repressed’ as a form of haunting that I call ‘spectral tropicality’. The films image and imagine this spectral return through unruly bodies (citizen subjects, female domestic workers, ghosts and vampire-ghosts) and uncanny landscapes (the jungle and city). In particular, the films and this analysis examine two sociocultural spectres lurking beneath Singapore as a tropical urban city-nation: the female domestic worker (The Maid) and ethnoracial folk beliefs (The Maid and Return to Pontianak). The Maid features the Hungry Ghosts Festival in the Chinese religious calendar, ghost marriages and an engagement with yin and yang energies, while Return to Pontianak deals with Malay folk beliefs of semangat (‘life force’), and the pontianak, a female vampire-ghost. The Maid attempts to integrate Chinese folk beliefs into contemporary Singapore's cityscape, particularly the architecturally conserved Chinatown shophouses, while Return to Pontianak displaces Malay folk beliefs onto the tropical forest, which is mapped as a threatening other(ed) space and serves as Singapore's tropical doppelganger. Both films suggest that these folk beliefs have an unruly presence within the state's seemingly harmonious and meritocratic ethnoracial ideologies.
Comparison among Computer Packages in Providing Timing Plans for Iowa Arterial in Lawrence, Kansas

In traffic engineering, three computer packages have been widely used in providing coordinated signal timing plans for arterials. They are SYNCHRO, TRANSYT-7F, and PASSER. These packages were developed at different periods in time, with different backgrounds and different algorithms. This paper explores which of these packages is the best in yielding a suitable timing plan for Iowa Street, the main north-south artery in Lawrence, Kan. The timing plans produced by SYNCHRO, TRANSYT, and PASSER are compared in terms of the delay, stops, speed, fuel consumption, and emission as analyzed by NETSIM. The best plan is the one with the most desirable measures of effectiveness. The result of the study shows that PASSER provides the best timing plan for this particular arterial. SYNCHRO is very good at data entry and data transfer. NETSIM shows strong power in the evaluation of the timing plans in details and capability of displaying animation. Finally, proper steps to do arterial coordinated timing analysis using t...
Urethral prolapse: contemporary report on a modified ligation over a urethral catheter treatment approach.

Background: Most contemporary series on urethral prolapse report either on the use of excisional or conservative treatment approaches. Objectives: To introduce a modified ligation over a Foley catheter treatment method for urethral prolapse that addresses most of the previously reported complications. Patients and Methods: Five consecutive patients with urethral prolapse treated between 2003 and 2011, all using the ligation method on an outpatient basis were studied prospectively. Maintaining the inflated balloon of the Foley catheter with timed removal of the catheters among other modifications to the original technique is further described in the article. The main outcome measures were to evaluate for recurrence, post-operative appearance of the urethral orifice and satisfaction of parents. Secondarily the actions of the parents of the patients and those of the receiving physicians were also recorded. Results: The mean age of the patients was 6 years old (ranging from 3 to 8 years). All parents suspected sexual molestation and in two cases, the suspected perpetrators were verbally threatened of dire consequences of their actions if proven. None of the receiving medical personnel were aware of this condition. Maximum length of catheterization was for 4 days. The post treatment urethral openings appeared normal and there were no complications. Conclusions: The ligation method with attention to the modifications described further in the article is a simple, safe and cost effective option for the management of urethral prolapse. Maintaining the inflated balloon of the Foley catheter with timed catheter removal especially adds predictability to this technique.
A new proof on axisymmetric equilibria of a three-dimensional Smoluchowski equation

We consider equilibrium solutions of the Smoluchowski equation for rodlike nematic polymers with a Maier–Saupe excluded volume potential. The purpose of this paper is to present a new and simplified proof of classical well-known results: (1) all equilibria are axisymmetric and (2) modulo rotational symmetry, the number and type of axisymmetric equilibria are characterized with respect to the strength of the excluded volume potential. These results confirm the phase diagram of equilibria obtained previously by numerical simulations (Faraoni et al 1999 J. Rheol. 43 829–43, Forest et al 2004 Rheol. Acta 43 17–37, Larson and Ottinger 1991 Macromolecules 24 6270–82).
Integrated Mission Specification and Task Allocation for Robot Teams - Design and Implementation

As the capabilities, range of missions, and the size of robot teams increase, the ability for a human operator to account for all the factors in these complex scenarios can become exceedingly difficult. Our previous research has studied the use of case-based reasoning (CBR) tools to assist a user in the generation of multi-robot missions. These tools, however, typically assume that the robots available for the mission are of the same type (i.e., homogeneous). We loosen this assumption through the integration of contract-net protocol (CNP) based task allocation coupled with a CBR-based mission specification wizard. Two alternative designs are explored for combining case-based mission specification and CNP-based team allocation as well as the tradeoffs that result from the selection of one of these approaches over the other.
2D protrusion but not motility predicts growth factor-induced cancer cell migration in 3D collagen.

Growth factor–induced migration is a critical step in the dissemination and metastasis of solid tumors. Although differences in properties characterizing cell migration on two-dimensional (2D) substrata versus within three-dimensional (3D) matrices have been noted for particular growth factor stimuli, the 2D approach remains in more common use as an efficient surrogate, especially for high-throughput experiments. We therefore were motivated to investigate which migration properties measured in various 2D assays might be reflective of 3D migratory behavioral responses. We used human triple-negative breast cancer lines stimulated by a panel of receptor tyrosine kinase ligands relevant to mammary carcinoma progression. Whereas 2D migration properties did not correlate well with 3D behavior across multiple growth factors, we found that increased membrane protrusion elicited by growth factor stimulation did relate robustly to enhanced 3D migration properties of the MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-157 lines. Interestingly, we observed this to be a more reliable relationship than cognate receptor expression or activation levels across these and two additional mammary tumor lines.
Muscle and tendon morphogenesis in the avian hind limb

The proper development of the musculoskeletal system in the tetrapod limb requires the coordinated development of muscle, tendon and cartilage. This paper examines the morphogenesis of muscle and tendon in the developing avian hind limb. Based on a developmental series of embryos labeled with myosin and tenascin antibodies in whole mount, an integrative description of the temporal sequence and spatial pattern of muscle and tendon morphogenesis and their relationship to cartilage throughout the chick hind limb is presented for the first time. Anatomically distinct muscles arise by the progressive segregation of muscle: differentiated myotubes first appear as a pair of dorsal and ventral muscle masses; these masses subdivide into dorsal and ventral thigh, shank and foot muscle masses; and finally these six masses segregate into individual muscles. From their initial appearance, most myotubes are precisely oriented and their pattern presages the pattern of future, individual muscles. Anatomically distinct tendons emerge from three tendon primordia associated with the major joints of the limb. Contrary to previous reports, comparison of muscle and tendon reveals that much of their morphogenesis is temporally and spatially closely associated. To test whether reciprocal muscle-tendon interactions are necessary for correct muscle-tendon patterning or whether morphogenesis of each of these tissues is autonomous, two sets of experiments were conducted: (1) tendon development was examined in muscleless limbs produced by coelomic grafting of early limb buds and (2) muscle development was analyzed in limbs where tendon had been surgically altered. These experiments demonstrate that in the avian hind limb the initial morphogenetic events, formation of tendon primordia and initial differentiation of myogenic precursors, occur autonomously with respect to one another. However, later morphogenetic events, such as subdivision of muscle masses and segregation of tendon primordia into individual tendons, do require to various degrees reciprocal interactions between muscle and tendon. The dependence of these later morphogenetic events on tissue interactions differs between different proximodistal regions of the limb.
The Great Recession, genetic sensitivity, and maternal harsh parenting

Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study examined the effects of the Great Recession on maternal harsh parenting. We found that changes in macroeconomic conditions, rather than current conditions, affected harsh parenting, that declines in macroeconomic conditions had a stronger impact on harsh parenting than improvements in conditions, and that mothers’ responses to adverse economic conditions were moderated by the DRD2 Taq1A genotype. We found no evidence of a moderating effect for two other, less well-studied SNPs from the DRD4 and DAT1 genes.
A Study of the Unsteady Pressure of a Cascade Near Transonic Flow Condition

The rise of the unsteady pressure magnitude along the surface of a cascade blade in unsteady transonic flow is examined. It is shown that a similar rise in the unsteady pressure may occur for high subsonic flows where the mean flow is near sonic condition. For a subsonic cascade this unsteady pressure bulge is found to be associated with the cut-on of a new acoustic mode in the upstream direction. The level of the pressure bulge is significantly reduced as a downstream propagating mode cuts on. It is therefore proposed that this phenomenon is the result of the blockage of upstream propagating acoustic waves by the transonic mean flow. A transonic convergent-divergent nozzle is used as a model for investigating the acoustic blockage effect. Analytical and numerical computations using unsteady nonlinear Euler equations are then carried out to analyze and quantify the upstream and dowstream propagation of acoustic disturbances in the nozzle. The results confirm the sharp rise in the pressure of the upstream propagating disturbances at the nozzle throat as a result of the acoustic blockage.Copyright © 1994 by ASME
Augmenting Aerial Earth Maps with dynamic information

We introduce methods for augmenting aerial visualizations of Earth (from services like Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth) with dynamic information obtained from videos. Our goal is to make Augmented Aerial Earth Maps that visualize an alive and dynamic scene within a city. We propose different approaches for analyzing videos of cities with pedestrians and cars, under differing conditions and then created augmented Aerial Earth Maps (AEMs) with live and dynamic information. We further extend our visualizations to include analysis of natural phenomenon (specifically clouds) and add this information to the AEMs adding to the visual reality.
Speciation of Superions from Humans: Is Species Cleansing the Ultimate Form of Terror and Genocide?

Using ideas from evolution, and what is known about higher stages of development, we examine a hypothetical scenario, in which new humanoid species, called Superions, are produced. What would then happen with current humans? Recent genetic engineering advances have led to creating life forms with particular characteristics. Scientists are already genetically engineering human beings. Some changes are to improve health. Engineering of traits such as intelligence, higher stage reasoning or less neuroticism is also very likely. This is seen as the ultimate terrorist act because it is genocide, not against a culture, but against an entire species. The article will also discuss how Homo Sapiens could defend themselves against this. Relating two species (systems), the Homo Sapiens and Superions constitutes metasystematic operations. Developing a system of discourse that would not destroy the Homo-sapiens requires paradigmatic operations (Sonnert and Commons, Individ Soc 4:31–35, 1994).
Asset Pricing Theory and the Predictable Variation in Agricultural Asset Returns

This study focuses on the time-series predictability of agricultural returns and evaluates the ability of conditional asset pricing models to capture such predictability. The models all have time-varying conditional risk premia and constant betas, as opposed to the unconditional specifications in prior studies. Results indicate significant time-varying predictability in agricultural asset returns. An Arbitrage Pricing model with prespecified economic factors, including a market portfolio, shows some ability to explain the predictability. The greater flexibility and information in conditional asset pricing models make them more suitable than unconditional models for many problems in agricultural finance.
Viable adrenal medullary transplants in non-human primates: increasing the number of grafts.

The robust survival of stereotaxic adrenal medullary autografts in monkey brain parenchyma depends heavily on technique/11/. One aspect of technique critical for clinical applications of CNS grafting is the problem of spreading treatment effects throughout large regions in a primate brain. Stereotaxic placement of a large number of grafts, which would address this problem, would require that later grafts retain the capacity for viability over a long period of time during the surgery, while earlier grafts are being made. In the present experiments involving 12 longtailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), some grafts remained in medium 2.5 h before being transplanted, without apparent loss of viability.
Improved Mean-Square Error Estimate for the LMS Transversal Equalizer With Narrowband Interference

When the least-mean-square (LMS) algorithm is used to adapt an adaptive transversal equalizer that is subject to strong narrowband interference, a so-called non-Wiener or nonlinear effect takes place. This results in the mean-square error (MSE) performance of the adaptive equalizer being better than that of the fixed Wiener filter of equivalent structure. Reuter and Zeidler proposed a transfer-function-based approach to provide an estimate of the MSE performance of the equalizer in such an environment. We have recently shown that the mean of the LMS weights in this adaptive equalizer problem shifts away from the Wiener filter solution. As a result, we propose an MSE model for the LMS equalizer that is an improvement over the existing Reuter-Zeidler model. The new model uses the same transfer-function-based approach but incorporates the shift in the mean of the weights. Numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the improvement.
A Renaissance victory for the dual Alessandro

Kepler famously remarked of his great Florentine friend that he could never keep sufficiently straight a man whose first name so resembled his last: Galileo Galilei. Others have labored under (or benefited from) this duality, and this third essay of my series tells a tale of the most obscure, yet highly significant, character that I have ever encountered from the early history of our science: the Neapolitan scholar (1461–1523) who called himself Alessandro ab Alessandro, or Alexander de Alexander, or Alessandro degli Alessandro—all meaning (roughly) Alexander from the family of Alexander. In writing my 300 sequential popular essays for Natural History magazine, I frequently encountered authors of interesting works but nary a trace of biographical information. (Invariably, and unsurprisingly, given a lamentable reality we all understand and deplore, these invisible writers were women who published popular books on natural history for women and children.) But males usually manage to impose their existence in some palpable way, so my Alexander the Not So Great has puzzled me for years. I treat him here and now because I have become satisfied that I finally understand the basic reason both for his obscurity to modern eyes and for his fascinating success in introducing the key argument about the fossil record for the first time in Gutenberg's era. But I first need, by way of introduction, to discuss two distinct, but intimately related, reasons for his obscurity. First, why take up his case at all? Primarily because his story debunks, for both a specific and a general reason, the most pernicious and fallacious of all myths about the early days of paleontology: the widespread belief that our founders generally denied the organic nature of fossils and believed that these “dead ringers” for mollusks and fishes must have originated by some mysterious “plastic power” inherent …
Work Family Conflict in New Business Ventures: The Moderating Effects of Spousal Commitment to the New Business Venture*

The creation of new business ventures (NBVs) is considered to be a central element of entrepreneurship theory and research. The processes by which individuals set intentions, gather resources, buil...
Fluorescence during Doppler cooling of a single trapped atom

We investigate the temporal dynamics of Doppler cooling of an initially hot single trapped atom in the weak-binding regime using a semiclassical approach. We develop an analytical model for the simplest case of a single vibrational mode for a harmonic trap, and show how this model allows us to estimate the initial energy of the trapped particle by observing the time-dependent fluorescence during the cooling process. The experimental implementation of this temperature measurement provides a way to measure atom heating rates by observing the temperature rise in the absence of cooling. This method is technically relatively simple compared to conventional sideband detection methods, and the two methods are in reasonable agreement. We also discuss the effects of rf micromotion, relevant for a trapped atomic ion, and the effect of coupling between the vibrational modes on the cooling dynamics.
Revealing time bunching effect in single-molecule enzyme conformational dynamics

In this perspective, we focus our discussion on how the single-molecule spectroscopy and statistical analysis are able to reveal enzyme hidden properties, taking the study of T4 lysozyme as an example. Protein conformational fluctuations and dynamics play a crucial role in biomolecular functions, such as in enzymatic reactions. Single-molecule spectroscopy is a powerful approach to analyze protein conformational dynamics under physiological conditions, providing dynamic perspectives on a molecular-level understanding of protein structure-function mechanisms. Using single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, we have probed T4 lysozyme conformational motions under the hydrolysis reaction of a polysaccharide of E. coli B cell walls by monitoring the fluorescence resonant energy transfer (FRET) between a donor-acceptor probe pair tethered to T4 lysozyme domains involving open-close hinge-bending motions. Based on the single-molecule spectroscopic results, molecular dynamics simulation, a random walk model analysis, and a novel 2D statistical correlation analysis, we have revealed a time bunching effect in protein conformational motion dynamics that is critical to enzymatic functions. Bunching effect implies that conformational motion times tend to bunch in a finite and narrow time window. We show that convoluted multiple Poisson rate processes give rise to the bunching effect in the enzymatic reaction dynamics. Evidently, the bunching effect is likely common in protein conformational dynamics involving in conformation-gated protein functions. In this perspective, we will also discuss a new approach of 2D regional correlation analysis capable of analyzing fluctuation dynamics of complex multiple correlated and anti-correlated fluctuations under a non-correlated noise background. Using this new method, we are able to map out any defined segments along the fluctuation trajectories and determine whether they are correlated, anti-correlated, or non-correlated; after which, a cross correlation analysis can be applied for each specific segment to obtain a detailed fluctuation dynamics analysis.
The Gamma operator for Big Data summarization on an array DBMS

SciDB is a parallel array DBMS that provides multidimensional arrays, a query language and basic ACID properties. In this paper, we introduce a summarization matrix operator that computes sufficient statistics in one pass and in parallel on an array DBMS. Such sufficient statistics benefit a big family of statistical and machine learning models, including PCA, linear regression and variable selection. Experimental evaluation on a parallel cluster shows our matrix operator exhibits linear time complexity and linear speedup. Moreover, our operator is shown to be an order of magnitude faster than SciDB built-in operators, two orders of magnitude faster than SQL queries on a fast column DBMS and even faster than the R package when the data set fits in RAM. We show SciDB operators and the R package fail due to RAM limitations, whereas our operator does not. We also show PCA and linear regression computation is reduced to a few minutes for large data sets. On the other hand, a Gibbs sampler for variable selection can iterate much faster in the array DBMS than in R, exploiting the summarization matrix.
Effects of simulated current on the growth rate and nitrogen metabolism of Gracilaria tikvahiae (Rhodophyta)

In a series of multifactorial laboratory experiments, Gracilaria tikvahiae apical segments were grown in an apparatus in which they were exposed simultaneously to 3 simulated current speeds (7.5, 15, 22.5 cm s-1) and a still control, and either 3 ammonium concentrations (<6, 37–39, and 119–136 μM) under ample uniform light (ca 200 μE m-2 s-1) or 3 light intensities (ca 35, 90, and 270 μE m-2 s-1) with uniform surplus ammonium. Growth rates of apical segments were determined in each experiment as well as nitrogen and carbon composition of tissues and fluxes of NH4, NO3/NO2, and PO4 in media. In a supplementary series of field experiments, apical segments of G. tikvahiae weresimultaneously exposed to 2 different regimes of water motion in adjacent chambers at several sites characterized by widely different ammonium regimes. The application of simulated current significantly enhanced growth rates in all experiments which utilized recently collected plants. Generally, this enhancement was fully realized at 7.5 cm s-1, with growth rates tending to plateau above that speed. Growth enhancement by simulated current was independent of ammonium concentration and was considerably reduced at the lowest light intensity. In experiments conducted with plants that had been maintained for several months in aquaria, simulated current failed to enhance growth rates. This suggested that growth responses were at least partly a function of prior conditioning. Growth rates were a direct function of light intensity and an inverse function of ammonium concentration, indicating ammonium inhibition at the higher applied concentrations. Simulated current slightly enhanced rates of ammonium uptake but this did not consistently result in reduced C:N ratios, suggesting that the growth-stimulating effect of relative water motion was attributable to factors other than N uptake. There was evidence of luxury consumption of ammonium. In field experiments, growth rates were not significantly related to exposure to water motion.
Using supertasks to improve processor utilization in multiprocessor real-time systems

We revisit the problem of supertasking in Pfair-scheduled multiprocessor systems by presenting a generalized "reweighting" algorithm. The generalized algorithm we present breaks new ground by permitting tasks to have noninteger execution costs, by incorporating blocking terms into the analysis, and by assuming a more flexible global-scheduling model. To demonstrate the efficacy of the supertasking approach, we present an experimental evaluation of our algorithm that suggests that reweighting may often result in almost no schedulability loss in practice.
Modulation classification of BPSK and QPSK signals using a two element antenna array receiver

Modulation classification is a technique that automatically identifies the modulation type of a received signal. It has found a variety of military and commercial applications. In some practical cases such as signal interception, the intercepted signal is very weak and a long observation time is needed to maintain an acceptable probability of correct identification. This paper presents an algorithm using a two element antenna array receiver for BPSK and QPSK classification to increase the probability of correct classification for a short data record. The approach is to perform the generalized likelihood ratio test. The unknown phase shift between the two received signals due to the spatial separation of the antenna elements is estimated using maximum likelihood or linear least squares technique. It is then used in the likelihood ratio test for classification. Simulations show that the proposed classifier has high accuracy and is superior to the classifier that has only one received antenna.
Morphology of occlusive coronary lesions during acute myocardial infarction: An angiographic and clinical analysis☆

In an attempt to identify angiographic and clinical predictors of reperfusion, 42 patients who received intracoronary streptokinase during the early phase of myocardial infarction were analyzed. The different morphologies (regular and irregular) of the occlusive lesions did not show a significant relation with the response (reperfusion vs nonreperfusion) to intracoronary streptokinase; neither did the presence of angiographically visualized thrombus in the infarct-related artery favor reperfusion. Among the clinical variables analyzed (previous myocardial infarction, previous angina, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, use of tobacco, and hyperlipidemia), a history of previous angina was significantly related to absence of reperfusion (p = 0.001). Although the presence of thrombus showed a trend toward reperfusion (p = 0.1), overall, our angiographic observations did not contribute to predicting the response to streptokinase. Further studies are needed to identify morphologic criteria favoring reperfusion and select groups of patients most likely to benefit from it.