cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hepatic SILAC proteomic data from PANDER transgenic model

This article contains raw and processed data related to research published in "Quantitative Proteomic Profiling Reveals Hepatic Lipogenesis and Liver X Receptor Activation in the PANDER Transgenic Model" (M.G. Athanason, W.A. Ratliff, D. Chaput, C.B. MarElia, M.N. Kuehl, S.M., Jr. Stevens, B.R. Burkhardt (2016)) [1], and was generated by "spike-in" SILAC-based proteomic analysis of livers obtained from the PANcreatic-Derived factor (PANDER) transgenic mouse (PANTG) under various metabolic conditions [1]. The mass spectrometry output of the PANTG and wild-type B6SJLF mice liver tissue and resulting proteome search from MaxQuant 1.2.2.5 employing the Andromeda search algorithm against the UniprotKB reference database for Mus musculus has been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium (http://www.proteomexchange.org) via the PRIDE partner repository with dataset identifiers PRIDE: PXD004171 and doi:10.6019/PXD004171. Protein ratio values representing PANTG/wild-type obtained by MaxQuant analysis were input into the Perseus processing suite to determine statistical significance using the Significance A outlier test (p<0.05). Differentially expressed proteins using this approach were input into Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to determined altered pathways and upstream regulators that were altered in PANTG mice.
Assessment of Fungal Diversity in a Water-Damaged Office Building

ABSTRACTRecent studies have described fungal communities in indoor environments using gene sequencing-based approaches. In this study, dust-borne fungal communities were elucidated from a water-damaged office building located in the northeastern region of the United States using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA gene sequencing. Genomic DNA was extracted from 5 mg of floor dust derived from 22 samples collected from either the lower floors (n = 8) or a top floor (n = 14) of the office building. ITS gene sequencing resolved a total of 933 ITS sequences and was clustered into 216 fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Analysis of fungal OTUs at the 97% similarity threshold showed a difference between the lower and top floors that was marginally significant (p = 0.049). Species richness and diversity indices were reduced in the lower floor samples compared to the top floor samples and there was a high degree of compositional dissimilarity within and between the two different areas within the buildin...
End user's method for estimating junction temperatures due to interactions of other dominant heat sources in close proximity to the device in question

There are many cases in which the end user of an electronic package needs to know the actual junction temperature for reliability analysis. Supplied values of /spl theta//sub ja/, /spl theta//sub jc/ are not generally sufficient to estimate the junction temperature unless the supplier tested the component in exactly the same environment as the customer is using it. Issues such as the type of system board, ground plane density, and other components on the system board have a dramatic influence on the junction temperature of the device. Neglecting them can result in severe errors in junction temperature estimates. This paper describes yet another method which can provide an end user the capability to estimate junction temperature of a component in its application environment. With relatively inexpensive equipment, simple characterization experiments can be made which will allow reasonable estimates of the junction temperature over a wide range of package mounting and application environments.
Errors in the ankle plantarflexor force production are related to the gait deficits of individuals with multiple sclerosis.

Abstract Background Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) often have limited mobility that is thought to be due to the neuromuscular impairments of the ankle. Greater isometric motor control of the ankle has been associated with better standing postural balance but its relationship to mobility is less understood. The objectives of this investigation were to quantify the motor control of the ankle plantarflexors of individuals with MS during a dynamic isometric motor task, and explore the relationship between the ankle force control and gait alterations. Methods Fifteen individuals with MS and 15 healthy adults participated in both a dynamic isometric ankle plantarflexion force matching task and a biomechanical gait analysis. Findings Our results displayed that the subjects with MS had a greater amount of error in their dynamic isometric force production, were weaker, walked with altered spatiotemporal kinematics, and had reduced maximal ankle moment at toe-off than the control group. The greater amount of error in the dynamic force production was related to the decreases in strength, step length, walking velocity, and maximal ankle moment during walking. Interpretation Altogether these results imply that errors in the ankle plantarflexion force production may be a limiting factor in the mobility of individuals with MS.
4-DoF spherical parallel wrist with embedded grasping capability for minimally invasive surgery

This paper presents preliminary results of a new robotic wrist for minimally invasive surgery. This wrist is a high-dexterity miniature robot, able to provide simultaneously the grasping/cutting (1-DoF) and rotations capabilities with 3-DoF. The grasping function is insured by the folding of the top platform of a parallel structure. The grasping capability of the wrist is part of the mechanical structure itself and can be fully controlled by external actuators. In order to validate this original approach, an experimental prototype has been fabricated using 3D printing technology at a larger scale. The inverse kinematic model has been developed and the workspace analysis was accomplished to assess the capabilities of the realized system. Finally, experimental tests have been also carried out for validating the proposed structure.
Turning the Curve on Obesity Prevalence Among Fifth Graders in the Los Angeles Unified School District, 2001-2013.

INTRODUCTION After multiple decades of increasing childhood obesity prevalence in the United States, findings from recent studies suggest that prevalence has leveled or is decreasing in some populations. However, demographic and socioeconomic disparities in prevalence remain and may be increasing. METHODS To assess recent trends and disparities in childhood obesity prevalence in Los Angeles County, we analyzed data from 2001 through 2013 in fifth graders in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Obesity was defined as a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex as compared with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts, on the basis of measured height and weight. Trends were examined by sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES). SES was determined by using school-level data on the percentage of students participating in a free and reduced-price meal program. RESULTS Obesity prevalence increased from 27.5% in 2001 to 31.6% in 2005, was stable from 2005 through 2010, and decreased from 31.6% in 2010 to 28.5% in 2013. Similar trajectories in prevalence were observed for all demographic and SES subgroups, although the decline in prevalence began earlier among whites and students attending schools in the highest SES group. Disparities in prevalence by race/ethnicity and SES were observed during the entire study period but narrowed slightly from 2010 through 2013. CONCLUSION Although obesity prevalence among fifth graders in LAUSD declined from 2010 through 2013, prevalence remains higher than in 2001, and demographic and socioeconomic disparities in prevalence persist. Future interventions in the county should prioritize Latinos and students attending low SES schools.
Web-Based Text Structure Strategy Instruction Improves Seventh Graders' Content Area Reading Comprehension.

Reading comprehension in the content areas is a challenge for many middle grade students. Text structure-based instruction has yielded positive outcomes in reading comprehension at all grade levels in small and large studies. The text structure strategy delivered via the web, called Intelligent Tutoring System for the Text Structure Strategy (ITSS), has proven successful in large-scale studies at 4th and 5th grades and a smaller study at 7th grade. Text structure-based instruction focuses on selection and encoding of strategic memory. This strategic memory proves to be an effective springboard for many comprehension-based activities such as summarizing, inferring, elaborating, and applying. This was the first large-scale randomized controlled efficacy study on the web-based delivery of the text structure strategy to 7th-grade students. 108 classrooms from rural and suburban schools were randomly assigned to ITSS or control and pretests and posttests were administered at the beginning and end of the school year. Multilevel data analyses were conducted on standardized and researcher designed measures of reading comprehension. Results showed that ITSS classrooms outperformed the control classrooms on all measures with the highest effects reported for number of ideas included in the main idea. Results have practical implications for classroom practices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
Using ID-Hopping to Defend Against Targeted DoS on CAN

With the exponential growth of automotive security research, new security vulnerabilities and attacks have been revealed and new challenges have emerged. In recent years, various attacks ranging from replay attacks, through false information injection, to Denial of Service (DoS), have shown how fragile automotive security is. As a result, a number of security solutions have been proposed that rely on techniques like encryption and firewalls. However, most proposals require performance and computational overheads that would become an additional burden rather than a solution. In this paper, we propose a new automotive network algorithm, called ID-Hopping, that aims to prevent targeted DoS attacks in which attackers target certain functions by injecting special frames that would prevent a car's normal operations. We aim to raise the bar for attackers by randomizing the expected patterns in the automotive network. Such randomization hinders the attacker's ability to launch targeted DoS attacks. We built a testing platform and implemented the randomization mechanism to evaluate the algorithm's effectiveness. Based on the evaluation, the algorithm holds a promising solution for targeted DoS, and even reverse engineering, which automotive networks are most vulnerable to.
Strategies for improving oxygen tolerance of algal hydrogen production

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an account of a research to generate a Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutant that is sufficiently tolerant to O 2 to produce H 2 under aerobic conditions. The availability of such a mutant may permit the development of a commercial photobiological H 2 production system that is cost effective, renewable, scalable, and non-polluting. Given the generally low specificity of the two selective pressures, the surviving organisms were subsequently subjected to a positive screen using a chemochromic sensor that detects H 2 evolved by the algae. Clones that were found to exhibit high H 2 evolution activity in the presence of O 2 were characterized in more detail using biochemical assays. The strategy currently employed consists of re-mutagenizing, re-selecting, and re-screening first generation mutants under higher selective stringency in order to accumulate single-point mutations, and thus, to further increase the O 2 tolerance of the organism. Recent results include the isolation of a clone, 104G5 with 14 times higher tolerance to O 2 than the wild-type (WT) and the isolation of first and second generation mutants with, respectively, 3-4 and 10 times higher tolerance to O 2 than the wild-type (WT).
Principles for annotating and reasoning with spatial information

In this paper we present the first phase of the ongoing SpaceBank project that attempts to create a linguistic resource for annotating and reasoning with spatial information from text. SpaceBank is the spatial counterpart of TimeBank, an electronic resource for temporal semantics and reasoning. The paper focuses on building an ontology of lexicalized spatial concepts. The textual occurrences of the concepts in this ontology will be annotated using the SpaceML language, briefly described here. SpaceBank is designed to be integrated with TimeBank, for a spatio-temporal model of the textual information.
Initial surgical experience following implementation of lung cancer screening at an urban safety net hospital.

Abstract Background Safety net hospitals provide care mostly to low-income, uninsured, and vulnerable populations, in whom delays in cancer screening are established barriers. Socioeconomic barriers might pose important challenges to the success of a lung cancer screening program at a safety net hospital. We aimed to determine screening follow-up compliance, rates of diagnostic and treatment procedures, and the rate of cancer diagnosis in patients classified as category 4 by the Lung CT Screening Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS 4). Methods We conducted a retrospective review of all patients enrolled in our multidisciplinary lung cancer screening program between March 2015 and July 2016. Demographics, smoking status, Lung-RADS score, and number of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions and cancer diagnoses were captured. Results A total of 554 patients were screened over a 16-month period. The mean patient age was 63 years (range, 47-85 years), and 60% were male. The majority (92%; 512 of 554) were classified as Lung-RADS 1 to 3, and 8% (42 of 554) were classified as Lung-RADS 4. Among the Lung-RADS 4 patients, 98% (41 of 42) completed their recommended follow-up; 29% (12 of 42) underwent a diagnostic procedure, for an overall diagnostic intervention rate of 2% (12 of 554). Eleven of these 12 patients had cancer, and 1 patient had sarcoidosis. The overall rate of surgical resection was 0.9% (5 of 554), and the rate of diagnostic intervention for noncancer diagnosis was 0.1% (1 of 554). Conclusions Implementation of a multidisciplinary lung cancer screening program at a safety net hospital is feasible. Compliance with follow-up and interventional recommendations in Lung-RADS 4 patients was high despite anticipated social challenges. Overall diagnostic and surgical resection rates and interventions for noncancer diagnosis were low in our initial experience.
Effect of detector temperature on the sensitivity of some electron absorbing derivatives

The temperature dependency phenomena of the electron capture detector has been studied for a number of derivatives of n-hexanol, cyclohexanol, phenol, n-hexylamine, cyclohexylamine, and aniline. The electron capturing moiety of the derivatives was formed using pentafluorobenzoyl chloride, pentafluorophenacetyl chloride, and pentafluorophenoxyacetyl chloride. By plotting LnKT3/2 vs 1/T where K is the capture coefficient, the mode of the capture process, i.e., dissociative or non-dissociative was determined. The possibility of improving both response and resolution by making use of this temperature dependence effect is pointed out.
Specimen Preparation Techniques for Scanning Electron Microscopy

It is well known that the Scanning Electron Microscope, hereafter to be known as the SEM, provides an apparent 3-dimensional view of the subject. The contrast, or shading, in the picture is a function of the surface topography, and the apparent overall sharpness of the picture is because of the large depth of focus. The reasons for these are not necessary for this paper, but it is very important to constantly keep in mind that the finished picture is an artifact that either looks like the subject in reality or not, depending upon the viewer’s prior knowledge of the subject. If the viewer has no prior knowledge, he must prepare the specimen in such a manner that he can manipulate it in the SEM so as to be able to build up a mental picture of the subject. It is the very fact that the SEM picture so often looks like something we recognize from the real world that causes us to make some serious misinterpretations about the actual nature of the object in the scanner. For a practical solution to the above problem, it is possible to make stereo pairs in the SEM or, more crudely, to rapidly change the angle of viewing or the rotation and thus come to a mental conclusion about what is under the electron beam.
Symbiotic Tripartism in the Model Plant Family of Legumes and Soil Sustainability

The demands of feeding a world population are expected to double by 2050. This is because 2.5 billion will be added to the urban population alone. This massive undertaking has posed many challenges toward agricultural productivity and increase in food quality, quantity, and production of protein-rich crops, but on the other hand, modern aggressive agricultural practices have rendered the current acreage of arable land and soil unsustainable to meet the demands of sustainable cropping systems. However, the beneficial role of legumes in cropping systems such as symbiotic nitrogen fixation, intercropping, and rotation of legumes with cereals offers credible potential for providing economically sustainable advantages for farming. The inherent capacity of legumes to form symbiotic associations with biological nitrogen-fixing (BNF) rhizobia and phosphorus-acquiring arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), i.e., symbiotic tripartism, further advocates the use of legumes as cover crops, increasing soil fertility, rhizospheric processes, and sustainable (food/oil) crop production. Furthermore, it is estimated that BNF of legumes contribute to five to seven times less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit area compared to other crops, in addition to estimates of total global BNF of 122 T gN/year (=million tons of N), while AMF play a critical role in global carbon cycle, with estimates of the amount of total C fixed to be up to 20% which is c. 5 T PgC/year (=billion tons of C). In view of this importance of symbiotic tripartism in natural and managed ecosystems, this chapter emphasizes the genetic and symbiotic feature(s) of legumes in large-scale community and global food security programs and soil sustainability and management.
Complex Obesity: Multifactorial Etiologies and Multifaceted Responses.

The ethics consultation service (ECS) was called to review the case of “Cheryl,” a 42-year-old woman admitted to the hospital for treatment of large and infected stage III pressure ulcers that will...
Estimating forest canopy cover dynamics in Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico, using LiDAR and Landsat data

Abstract Increasing tree canopy cover has led to increasing wildfire activity in conifer dominated areas of the southwestern United States. Estimating historical changes in the spatial distribution of tree canopy cover can provide further insights into the dynamics of forest and fuel conditions in these landscapes and help prioritize areas for restoration to mitigate wildfire risks and restore biological functioning. In this study, we explored the relationship between LiDAR derived canopy cover data and Landsat reflectance values, and derived a model to estimate percent canopy cover (PCC) on historical Landsat data from 1987 to 2015 for the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP), located in the southwest Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. We developed a regression model between LiDAR generated canopy cover collected in June 2010 and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) reflectance values (bands 1–7 except band 6) and vegetation indices collected for the same date. About 5% (17,000) of the total LiDAR points (329,102) were used as training points and a separate, non-overlapping set of 17,000 points as test points to validate the regression model. A simple linear model with the red band (band 3; R2 = 0.70) was selected as the best model to predict PCC in the rest of the images for 1987–2015. In general, we found a strong consistency between the spatial dynamics of modelled tree canopy cover based on historical Landsat data, wildfire events and forest management practices that occurred during the same period. Results showed that about 11% of the study area experienced an increase in PCC for the period of 1987–2015 while 41% of the study area experienced a reduction in PCC during the same time period, mostly in the areas which were affected by stand replacing wildfires in 2011 and 2013. The results indicate an overall increase in medium and high canopy cover classes in specific regions of the study area, which could lead to hazardous wildfires such as those in 2011 and 2013. In the context of ongoing ecological restoration of these montane forests, predicted PCC of contemporary forests could help local managers to identify the areas in the need of immediate restoration efforts by focusing management practices on the areas with closed canopy.
Advance solar technology by marrying quality assurance with design engineering

The photovoltaics industry has grown remarkably in recent decades but as it has grown, quality assurance during the manufacturing and installation processes has become increasingly important. There is often a cultural divide between those who develop and those who implement the designs, motivating partnering of these efforts.
Multidimensional Clutter Filter Optimization for Ultrasonic Perfusion Imaging

Combinations of novel pulse-echo acquisitions and clutter filtering techniques can improve the sensitivity and the specificity of power Doppler (PD) images, thus reducing the need for exogenous contrast enhancement. We acquire echoes following bursts of Doppler pulse transmissions sparsely applied in regular patterns over long durations. The goal is to increase the sensitivity of the acquisition to slow disorganized patterns of motion from the peripheral blood perfusion. To counter a concomitant increase in clutter signal power, we arrange the temporal echo acquisitions into two data-array axes, combine them with a spatial axis for the tissue region of interest, and apply 3-D singular-value decomposition (SVD) clutter filtering. Successful separation of blood echoes from other echo signal sources requires that we partition the 3-D SVD core tensor. Unfortunately, the clutter and blood subspaces do not completely uncouple in all situations, so we developed a statistical classifier that identifies the core tensor subspace dominated by tissue clutter power. This paper describes an approach to subspace partitioning as required for optimizing PD imaging of peripheral perfusion. The technique is validated using echo simulation, flow-phantom data, and in vivo data from a murine melanoma model. We find that for narrow eigen-bandwidth clutter signals, we can routinely map phantom flows and tumor perfusion signals at speeds less than 3 mL/min. The proposed method is well suited to peripheral perfusion imaging applications.
3D Imaging for Craniofacial Anomalies

Craniofacial anomalies (CFAs) can arise from any type of abnormal growth or deformity of the structures of the craniofacial skeleton. The variations of these anomalies arise from a number of different factors, including genetic factors, environmental factors, and folic acid deficiencies, and can range from very mild to severe, requiring surgery. Some of the most common types of craniofacial anomalies include cleft lip/cleft palate, craniosynostosis, hemifacial microsomia, vascular malformations, hemangioma, and deformational or positional plagiocephaly. Three-dimensional imaging of these CFAs continues to evolve with advances in technology. While cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is often considered the workhorse for imaging of CFAs, it is not without its own limitations. Indications for alternative or adjunctive imaging modalities include soft tissue detail, inflammatory processes, and temporomandibular joint morphology. This chapter provides a review of three-dimensional imaging techniques most commonly used for the diagnosis and management of craniofacial anomalies.
Posttraumatic stress and anxiety, the role of arousal

Abstract The reticular activating system (RAS) participates in fight-or-flight responses; therefore we would expect that responses to sudden alerting stimuli will be abnormal. For disorders in which the RAS is overactive, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this would mean that such stimuli will produce exaggerated responses manifested as exaggerated startle responses or hyperactive reflexes. Another property of the RAS is its rapid habituation to repetitive stimuli. This is reflected in its lack of responsiveness to rapidly repeating stimuli, that is, its habituation. For disorders such as PTSD, we expect a decrease in habituation or a sensory gating deficit. The RAS controls waking and sleep, so that sleep patterns will be dysregulated. If the RAS is upregulated, such as in PTSD, we expect difficulty in getting to sleep and maintaining sleep. This would be reflected in decreased slow-wave sleep, insomnia, and fragmented sleep during the night, as well as increased rapid eye movement sleep drive, which is characterized by nightmares and frequent awakenings.
Full Recovery From Cocaine-Induced Toxic Leukoencephalopathy: Emphasizing the Role of Neuroinflammation and Brain Edema

Toxic leukoencephalopathy (TL) is characterized by white matter disease on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and evidence of exposure to a neurotoxic agent. We describe a case of cocaine-induced TL ...
Using a Crop Modeling Framework for Precision Cost-Benefit Analysis of Variable Seeding and Nitrogen Application Rates

A key goal of precision agriculture is to achieve the maximum crop yield while minimizing inputs and loses from cropping systems. The challenge of precision agriculture is these factors interact with one another on a subfield scale. The seeding density and the nitrogen (N) fertilizer application rate are two of the most important inputs influencing agronomic, economic and environmental outcomes including yield, return on investment (ROI) and nitrate (NO3-) leaching. A cropping system simulation framework is used to predict site-specific subfield optimum seeding density and (N) fertilizer application rates for the economic optimum (maximum ROI) versus agronomic optimum (maximum yield). The framework couples the process-based APSIM cropping system model with the SSURGO soils database, Daymet weather data service, land grant university estimates of crop production costs and commodity price estimates, and the R statistics software. The framework performance was evaluated using multiple years of precision yield monitor data obtained from a continuous maize (Zea mays L.) cropping system field experiment with varying N-fertilizer rates. Subfield model estimates of crop yield were sensitive to initial conditions related to historical management of the field and had an r2 = 0.65 and a root mean square error of 2356.0 kg ha-1. A site-specific application of the framework comparing economic optimum seeding density and N-fertilizer rates with agronomic optimum values estimated the average ROI benefit to be up to 12.1% with a NO3- leaching reduction of up to 15.2 kg ha-1 at the economic optimum. However, in a minority of cases NO3- leaching was greater at the economic optimum, indicating that managing to maximize ROI rather than yield may not always reduce environmental impacts. Our results suggest that managing cropping systems for the economic optimum is plausible using publicly available data with our framework and may likely lead to improved environmental outcomes.
Option to Abandon, Syndication and Investment Return

In this paper we propose a model showing that in large projects syndicated by multiple investors project irreversibility and decreased volatility of the option to abandon increase investment returns. This result stems from the investors' commitment that augments the likelihood of project success and exerts a positive externality on other investors' welfare. This effect implies that the optimal number of investors is convex. We test this prediction looking at the ideal setting of private equity buyouts that are economically relevant and heterogenously syndicated. Our results strongly support our model and have important implications in the debate on the public to private asset allocation shift.
The Representation of Women in the Photographs of Introductory Human Geography Textbooks

Research indicates that textbooks play an important role in determining course content and influencing students’ impressions of a discipline. Photographs are particularly powerful because they appe...
Human Brain Functional Imaging with Reflectance CWS

Continuous Wave Spectroscopy (CWS) has been used in human subjects to detect brain function by observation of brain oxygenation and blood volume changes. In this research, we have developed a device for imaging brain oxygenation and blood volume with multiple sources and detectors in an area of 10 x 12 cm. Twelve, 1 watt tungsten bulbs were used as a light source, together with 8 detectors consisting of silicon-photodiodes with band-pass filters at 760 and 850 nms. The detectors were placed on a model system of the human head, providing 16 source-detector combinations with 4 cm separation. Eight to 16 seconds were required to image a brain function. Models using resin and a black object which have similar optical characteristics to a brain were studied. The model study showed that we can detect changes in absorption as deep as 2 cm from the surface. Human subjects with relatively thin hair, who volunteered for this study, were asked to tap fingers and rest, or to observe light flashing and darkness alternatively for 10 to 20 minutes while the images were being taken. In the finger tapping, the blood volume increased in a small, 1—2 cm area, while in the light stimulation, a much larger area was affected with a greater increased blood volume. Oxygenation occurred also in the area where blood volume increased. We concluded that the CWS can be used to image the location of brain activity by means of blood volume increase and oxygenation. In addition, brain disfunction and diseases, such as learning disability and brain hematoma may be detected with this imaging device.
A Dynamic Mechanism for Security Management in Multi-Agent Networked Systems

We study the problem of designing a dynamic mechanism for security management in an interconnected multi-agent system with N strategic agents and one coordinator. The system is modeled as a network of N vertices. Each agent resides in one of the vertices of the network and has a privately known security state that describes its safety level at each time. The evolution of an agent’s security state depends on its own state, the states of its neighbors in the network and on actions taken by a network coordinator. Each agent’s utility at time instant t depends on its own state, the states of its neighbors in the network and on actions taken by a network coordinator. The objective of the network coordinator is to take security actions in order to maximize the long-term expected social surplus. Since agents are strategic and their security states are private information, the coordinator needs to incentivize agents to reveal their information. This results in a dynamic mechanism design problem for the coordinator. We leverage the inter-temporal correlations between the agents’ security states to identify sufficient conditions under which an incentive compatible expected social surplus maximizing mechanism can be constructed. We then identify two special cases of our formulation and describe how the desired mechanism is constructed in these cases.
Approaches for Monitoring Warfighter Blast-related Exposures in Training to Develop Effective Safety Standards.

Introduction Traumatic brain injuries are of concern to the sports and military communities because of the age of the participants and costly burden to society. To markedly reduce the impact of traumatic brain injury and its sequela (TBI-S), it is necessary to determine the initial vulnerability of individuals as well as identify new technologies that indicate early signs of TBI-S. Materials and methods Currently, diverse methods have been used by the authors and others in laboratory settings to reveal early signs of persistent TBI-S including simulation modeling of the effect of rapid deceleration on the deviatoric strain (shear force) imposed on specific brain regions, auditory evoked potential (AEP) measurements to determine injury to the auditory cortex optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) measures sensitive to vestibular trauma, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) measures that reveal changes in central visual function obtained noninvasively by examination of the retina. Results Simulation studies provided technical information on maximal deviatoric strain at the base of the sulci and interface of gray and white matter consistent with results from neuropathology and from magnetic resonance imaging. The AEP and OKN reveal measurable injury to similar regions below the Sylvian fissure including auditory cortex and midbrain, and the OCT reveals changes to the retina consistent with forceful deceleration effects. Conclusions The studies and results are consistent with prior work demonstrating that noninvasive tests may be sensitive to the presence of TBI-S, potentially in the training field as advances in the portability of test instruments are underway. When combined with baseline data gathered from individuals in quantitative form, key variances can emerge. Therefore, it is hypothesized that AEP, OKN, and OCT, taken together, may yield faster objective and quantitative neurophysiological measures serving as a "signature" of neural injury and more indicative of potentially persistent TBI-S-recommending larger scale longitudinal studies.
Twilight Rails: The Final Era of Railroad Building in the Midwest

Review of: "Twilight Rails: The Final Era of Railroad Building in the Midwest," by H. Roger Grant.
Independence and Mother-in-Laws: The Effect of MoCA Regulations on Civil Society Autonomy in China

This paper examines the effect of registration regulations on civil society autonomy from the state, and argues that mother-in-laws (supervisory agencies) often advance civil society goals and protect these groups from both the local and central government. Although the registration system is designed to decrease autonomy and increase control over civil society activity, the existence of fragmented authoritarianism means that supervisory agencies often partner with civil society groups to pursue goals desired by the agency that are politically sensitive or can help advance the lead cadre’s career. While there is variation in the effect of registration regulations on civil society autonomy, this paper presents evidence based on 15 months of fieldwork in China that many mother-in-laws play a policy advocacy role through the civil society groups they supervise.
Symmetry, Stereotypy, and Topography of Odorant Representations in Mouse Olfactory Bulbs

The molecular basis of vertebrate odorant representations has been derived extensively from mice. The functional correlates of these molecular features were visualized using optical imaging of intrinsic signals in mouse olfactory bulbs. Single odorants activated clusters of glomeruli in consistent, restricted portions of the bulb. Patterns of activated glomeruli were clearly bilaterally symmetric and consistent in different individual mice, but the precise number, position, and intensity of activated glomeruli in the two bulbs of the same individual and between individuals varied considerably. Representations of aliphatic aldehydes of different carbon chain length shifted systematically along a rostral-caudal strip of the dorsal bulb, indicating a functional topography of odorant representations. Binary mixtures of individual aldehydes elicited patterns of glomerular activation that were topographic combinations of the maps for each individual odor. Thus the principles derived from the molecular organization of a small subset of murine olfactory receptor neuron projection patterns-bilateral symmetry, local clustering, and local variability-are reliable guides to the initial functional representation of odorant molecules.
Effects of Inhibition and Restoration of Protein Synthesis on the Replication of the R Factor Rts1 in Proteus mirabilis

The effect of inhibition of protein synthesis on the replication of the R factor Rts1 in Proteus mirabilis was examined by using the technique of CsCl density gradient centrifugation. Only 12% of the copies of Rts1 were found to replicate during amino acid starvation, whereas there was a 30% increase in the amount of P. mirabilis chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) during the same period. Essentially the same amount of Rts1 and host chromosome replication was observed when chloramphenicol was used to inhibit protein synthesis. The replication of Rts1 DNA was also examined in experiments in which cultures were starved for amino acids in 14N-labeled medium and then transferred to 15N-labeled medium containing the required amino acids. These experiments showed that Rts1 replication took place throughout the first generation in 15N-labeled medium and that each copy of Rts1 was replicated one time during the first generation of chromosomal DNA synthesis in 15N-medium.
SUPPLY MANAGEMENT, SUPPLY FLEXIBILITY AND PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF MANUFACTURING FIRMS

Increasingly, the global market environment is becoming more turbulent, complex and uncertain. Literature has explored the importance of supply management and its direct impact on performance. However, the nature of strategic supply management and its impact on supply flexibility needs further clarification in the context of the use of supplier resources and supplier network coordination. This research presents a model of supply management, supply flexibility and supply chain performance. In this study, we examine the relationships between supply management and supply flexibility, and extend the concept of supply flexibility in terms of supplier flexibility and supply network flexibility on relevant supply chain performance measures. Data for the study were collected from 201 manufacturing firms, and the measurement scales of supply flexibility were tested and validated using structural equation modeling. The results indicate strong, positive and direct relationships between supply management practices and supply flexibility, and between supply flexibility and supply chain performance. Concluding theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Numerical experiments in statistical mechanics

Abstract The Monte Carlo method as applied to the calculation of equilibrium properties is explained. A severe test of the method is made in the study of phase transitions which illustrates both the limitations and successes of the numerical technique. For non-equilibrium properties, the molecular dynamics computer method is applied to the calculation of autocorrelation functions leading to the transport coefficients. A connection between molecular and hydrodynamic processes could be established and its implication for hydrodynamics is discussed.
A modeling approach to teaching evolutionary biology in high schools

There are numerous empirical reports in the science education literature documenting the difficulty students have in understanding evolution, in particular natural selection. Unfortunately, because of the nature of empirical reports, much detail about the instruction that students in these studies received is seldom provided. In this article we describe the commitments and research that went into the design of a 9-week high school course in evolutionary biology. This course was designed to bring students to an understanding of the practice of evolutionary biology by engaging them in developing, elaborating, and using one of the discipline's most important explanatory models—Darwin's model of natural selection. This article is not an empirical report on student understanding but is instead a description of our view of what constitutes understanding in evolution and of a curriculum designed from this perspective. Examples of student work are used to add richness to the description of the course as well as to illustrate the potential for sophisticated reasoning that exists when students are given the opportunity and conceptual tools to engage in realistic inquiry. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 185–204, 2002
Gentlemanly Capitalism and Settler Capitalists: Imperialism, Dependent Development and Colonial Wealth in The South Island of New Zealand

This article engages with Cain and Hopkins’ analysis of the British Empire, and the closely related literature of settler capitalism. For Cain and Hopkins, the Empire was dominated by gentlemanly rentiers, and the dominions were run by a dependent and collaborating elite. This paper rests in the first instance on a comprehensive analysis of wealthy settlers in the South Island of New Zealand. In noting that most settlers who became wealthy were not of gentlemanly origins, and that even those colonial financiers most closely tied to metropolitan capital pursued local agendas, it will suggest that the historiography under consideration needs to be balanced by a better understanding of the dynamic relationship between colonies and the metropolitan economy. The paper argues that settler capitalism is a model worth using, but that its utility will be greatly extended by a focus on settler capitalists as well as settler capitalism.
Genetic improvement of Amblyseius finlandicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae): laboratory selection for resistance to azinphosmethyl and dimethoate

Amblyseius finlandicus (Oudemans) was selected in the laboratory for resistance to azinphosmethyl and dimethoate by subjecting adult females to increasing concentrations of dried residues of dimethoate and azinphosmethyl on detached bean leaves. The first eight selections were done with dimethoate. Slide-dip bioassays indicated selection with dimethoate increased dimethoate resistance 1.8-fold and azinphosmethyl resistance 2.6-fold. These resistances appeared to be quite stable: a 1.2 to 1.3-fold decrease in resistance ratios was observed in a subculture after 10 months without selections. No decrease was observed after 9 months without selections in a pooled colony that consisted of both resistant and susceptible mites. The dimethoate-selected colony was subsequently selected eight times with azinphosmethyl. About 15 % of the mites survived the last selection round with 2,500 ppm, which is 2.5 times the highest recommended field rate in Finnish apple orchards. At the end of the selection program, based on slide-dip bioassays, the total increase in resistance to dimethoate was about two-fold and to azinphosmethyl about 5.4-fold compared to the unselected base colony from which the selected colony was derived. The LC50 value for azinphosmethyl was 14 times higher in the selected colony (451.3 ppm a.i.) compared to the most susceptible colony tested. A similar level of resistance to both pesticides was achieved after six azinphosmethyl selections on a mixed colony that was initiated by pooling mites from five field-collected colonies and the dimethoate-selected lines. Year-to-year variation in azinphosmethyl LC50 values of the unselected base colony was high, with values varying from 83.8 to 348.7 ppm a.i., demonstrating the need to test a reference strain in each bioassay. Results of the azinphosmethyl selections and the subsequent slide-dip bioassays suggest that the resistant strain could tolerate field rates of azinphosmethyl (300–950 ppm a.i.) used in Finnish apple orchards.
Cloud Computing in Support of Supply Chain Information System Infrastructure: Understanding When to go to the Cloud

Research suggests that there are other, more granular factors within the domain of innovation diffusion theory that influence the adoption of technological innovations. In this study, the circumstances that affect a firm's intention to adopt cloud computing technologies in support of its supply chain operations are investigated by considering tenets of classical diffusion theory as framed within the context of the information processing view. We posit that various aspects of an organization and its respective environment represent both information processing requirements and capacity, which influence the firm's desire to adopt certain information technology innovations. We conducted an empirical study using a survey method and regression analysis to examine our theoretical model. The results suggest that business process complexity, entrepreneurial culture and the degree to which existing information systems embody compatibility and application functionality significantly affect a firm's propensity to adopt cloud computing technologies. The findings support our theoretical development and suggest complementarities between innovation diffusion theory and the information processing view. We encourage other scholars to refine our model in future supply chain innovation diffusion research. The findings of this study might also be used by industry professionals to aid in making more informed adoption decisions in regard to cloud computing technologies in support of the supply chain.
Transferability of an Intermodal Freight Transportation Forecasting Model to Major Florida Seaports

Seaports are important economic generators, and identifying necessary infrastructure improvements is essential to accommodate potential growth at these intermodal facilities. The ability of heavy trucks to access a port's freight terminals is one such operational improvement that needs to be addressed. Freight activity from Florida's major seaports generates more than 10,000 trucks per day. Efficient accessibility to freight terminals and storage facilities at ports can be provided by identifying needed improvements in transportation operations and by developing truck trip generation models to forecast truck trips in and out of the ports. In July 2001 an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed successfully by using backpropagation techniques to simulate the transportation of freight by heavy trucks generated from an intermodal activity center such as a seaport. The general methodology for developing the model was applied to the Port of Tampa and Port Canaveral in Florida to test the transferability of the ANN modeling technique. From daily vessel freight data, models for both ports were developed successfully and validated at the 95% confidence level with data collected from the field. The validated models were executed for short-term forecasts of truck trips at both ports. Port of Tampa was forecast to have a 0.31% average annual decrease in heavy trucks, attributed to the decreasing trend in bulk commodity shipments. A 5.07% average annual increase was forecast for Port Canaveral, which correlated with historical trends and future estimates for freight activity. Output from these models can be directly used as truck variable inputs to route assignment models used by local and regional government agencies.
Pipelined hash-join on multithreaded architectures

Multi-core and multithreaded processors present both opportunities and challenges in the design of database query processing algorithms. Previous work has shown the potential for performance gains, but also that, in adverse circumstances, multithreading can actually reduce performance. This paper examines the performance of a pipeline of hash-join operations when executing on multithreaded and multicore processors. We examine the optimal number of threads to execute and the partitioning of the workload across those threads. We then describe a buffer-management scheme that minimizes cache conflicts among the threads. Additionally we compare the performance of full materialization of the output at each stage in the pipeline versus passing pointers between stages.