cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retention of Air Force Women Serving During Desert Shield and Desert Storm

The Gulf War stimulated the largest deployment of military women in US. history, raising many issues concerning the postwar readjustment of women as well as their willingness to continue in the mil...
Civilizing Prime Time: Gender and Conflict Resolution in the 2004–05 Season

Using a sample of 129 situation comedies, dramas, and reality programs airing during the 2004–05 prime-time season on the broadcast networks, this study examined the relationship between the gender of storytellers and on-screen portrayals of conflict resolution. The study found that the employment of at least one woman storyteller was related to the more equitable use of conflict resolution strategies and more “civilized” conflict resolution strategies among characters.
Sources and transport pathways of marine aerosol species into West Antarctica

Sixteen high-resolution marine aerosol (Na+, SO4 2–) records from spatially distributed International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (ITASE) ice cores spanning the last ~200 years from the Pine Island–Thwaites and Ross drainage systems and the South Pole are used to examine sources (sea spray and frost flowers) and transport pathways of marine aerosols into West Antarctica. Factors contributing to the amount of marine aerosols transported inland include sea-ice extent, the presence of open-water features (polynyas, leads), wind strength and direction, and the strength and positioning of low-pressure systems. Analysis of SO4 2–/Na+ ratios indicates that frost flowers can contribute significantly (40%) to the Na+ budget of Antarctic ice cores. Higher Na+ concentrations in the Ross drainage system may result from greater production of marine aerosols related to frost flowers in the Ross Sea region in association with greater sea-ice extent and larger open-water areas. Significant positive correlations of sea-ice extent and the Na+ time series exist in some regions of West Antarctica. Higher wind speeds in winter and higher Na+ concentrations when sea-level pressure is lower indicate that intensified atmospheric circulation enhances transport and production of marine aerosols.
Antarctic crustal thickness from satellite gravity: Implications for the Transantarctic and Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains

Abstract Crustal thickness models are fundamental to understand the tectonic evolution of continents and constrain geodynamic models of their physiographic features. Of particular interest in Antarctica are the crustal thickness variations under the Transantarctic Mountains and Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, whose formation mechanisms are still debated. We have used a mean, global gravity field from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) to estimate the depth to the Moho in East and West Antarctica through gravity inversion. We then combined the depth to Moho and known topography to estimate the total crustal thickness. Thick crust is resolved along the full length of the Transantarctic Mountains with a maximum crustal thickness of 46 km predicted near the pole and thinner (~ 40 km) crust in both northern Victoria Land and under the Pensacola Mountains. Within East Antarctica, the model predicts crust over 40 km thick below the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, which may be the result of a Neoproterozoic suture zone underlying the ice sheet. In addition to addressing long-standing questions about the nature of East Antarctica's major mountain ranges, an improved estimate of crustal thickness variability may improve long-wavelength geodynamic and glaciological models of the continent.
Discovery of very late antigen-4 (VLA-4, α4β1 integrin) allosteric antagonists

Integrins are cell adhesion receptors that mediate cell-to-cell, or cell-to-extracellular matrix adhesion. They represent an attractive target for treatment of multiple diseases. Two classes of small molecule integrin inhibitors have been developed. Competitive antagonists bind directly to the integrin ligand binding pocket and thus disrupt the ligand-receptor interaction. Allosteric antagonists have been developed primarily for α(L)β(2)- integrin (LFA-1, lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1). Here we present the results of screening the Prestwick Chemical Library using a recently developed assay for the detection of α(4)β(1)-integrin allosteric antagonists. Secondary assays confirmed that the compounds identified: 1) do not behave like competitive (direct) antagonists; 2) decrease ligand binding affinity for VLA-4 ∼2 orders of magnitude; 3) exhibit antagonistic properties at low temperature. In a cell based adhesion assay in vitro, the compounds rapidly disrupted cellular aggregates. In accord with reports that VLA-4 antagonists in vivo induce mobilization of hematopoietic progenitors into the peripheral blood, we found that administration of one of the compounds significantly increased the number of colony-forming units in mice. This effect was comparable to AMD3100, a well known progenitor mobilizing agent. Because all the identified compounds are structurally related, previously used, or currently marketed drugs, this result opens a range of therapeutic possibilities for VLA-4-related pathologies.
Nulls, three-valued logic, and ambiguity in SQL: critiquing date's critique

Date's popular critique of SQL's three-valued logic [4, 3] purports to demonstrate that SQL queries can produce erroneous results when nulls are present in the database. I argue that this critique is flawed in that Date misinterprets the meaning of his example query. In fact, SQL returns the correct answer to the query posed; Date, however, believes that he is asking a different question. Although his critique is flawed, I agree with Date's general conclusion: SQL's use of nulls and three-valued logic introduces a startling amount of complexity into seemingly straightforward queries.
A methodology for unit testing actors in proprietary discrete event based simulations

This paper presents a dependency injection based, unit testing methodology for unit testing components, or actors, involved in discrete event based computer network simulation via an xUnit testing framework. The fundamental purpose of discrete event based computer network simulation is verification of networking protocols used in physical--not simulated--networks. Thus, use of rigorous unit testing and test driven development methodologies mitigates risk of modeling the wrong system. We validate the methodology through the design and implementation of OPNET-Unit, an xUnit style unit testing application for an actor oriented discrete event based network simulation environment, OPNET Modeler.
Temperature and Water-Immersion Effect on Mode II Fracture Behavior of CFRP-Concrete Interface

Rehabilitation and retrofit of concrete structural members using externally bonded Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) strips has been gaining steadily use in recent years because of its many advantages, such as ease and speed of construction, low cost, low maintenance, and high strength to weight ratio. An important design issue with significant performance and safety implications is the debonding of externally bonded FRP strips in flexural members, where the delamination is primarily due to Mode II facture. A lot of research has been done in this area, but there are concerns about interface durability. This study is based on a fracture mechanics approach using Mode II single shear test to evaluate the durability of Carbon FRP (CFRP)-concrete interface subject to two combined environmental conditioning variables: (1) immersion in deionized water varying from 0 to 15 weeks; and simultaneously (2) controlled temperatures varying from 25°C to 60°C of the same samples immersed in water. Anew method to obtain the fracture energy release rate and the cohesive law is proposed based on J-integral, by measuring load and slip at the debonding end only, which was verified by the traditional strain-based method. The durability of the interface is characterized by the fracture energy release rate. By comparing the results with those from unconditioned companion specimens, it is found that considerable degradation of the interface integrity resulted with increased moisture duration and temperature. The test results will be further used to develop a model to predict the long-term behaviour of the interface based on Arrhenius or other relations.
Secular Trends in the Epidemiology of Nosocomial Fungal Infections in the United States, 1980–1990

To identify pathogens causing nosocomial fungal infections and the secular trend in their incidence in US hospitals, data from the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System, 1980-1990, were analyzed. During that period, 30,477 fungal infections were reported. The rate rose from 2.0 to 3.8 infections/1000 discharges. The highest number of nosocomial fungal infections/1000 discharges was reported from the burn/trauma service (16.1). Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated fungal pathogen (59.7%), followed by other Candida species (18.6%). The rate increased at all four major anatomic sites of infection. Patients with bloodstream infections who had a central intravascular catheter were more likely to have a fungal pathogen isolated than were other patients with bloodstream infection (relative risk = 3.2; P < .001): 29% of fungemia patients and 17% of patients with bloodstream infection due to other pathogens died during hospitalization (P < .001). Fungi are emerging as important nosocomial pathogens and control efforts should target fungal infections, especially fungemia.
An Embodied Approach for Engaged Interaction in Ubiquitous Computing

A particular vision of ubiquitous computing is offered to contribute to the burgeoning, dominant interaction paradigm in human-computer interaction (HCI). An engaged vision of ubiquitous computing (UbiComp) can take advantage of natural human abilities and tendencies for interaction. The HCI literature is reviewed to provide a brief overview of promising interaction styles and paradigms in order to situate them within ubiquitous computing. Embodied interaction is introduced as a key theoretical framework for moving UbiComp forward as an engaged interaction paradigm.
Clustering with a genetically optimized approach

Describes a genetically guided approach to optimizing the hard (J/sub 1/) and fuzzy (J/sub m/) c-means functionals used in cluster analysis. Our experiments show that a genetic algorithm (GA) can ameliorate the difficulty of choosing an initialization for the c-means clustering algorithms. Experiments use six data sets, including the Iris data, magnetic resonance, and color images. The genetic algorithm approach is generally able to find the lowest known J/sub m/ value or a J/sub m/ associated with a partition very similar to that associated with the lowest J/sub m/ value. On data sets with several local extrema, the GA approach always avoids the less desirable solutions. Degenerate partitions are always avoided by the GA approach, which provides an effective method for optimizing clustering models whose objective function can be represented in terms of cluster centers. A series random initializations of fuzzy/hard c-means, where the partition associated with the lowest J/sub m/ value is chosen, can produce an equivalent solution to the genetic guided clustering approach given the same amount of processor time in some domains.
Generalized Algorithms for Direct Reconstruction of Parametric Images From Dynamic PET Data

Indirect and direct methods have been developed for reconstructing parametric images from dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) data. Indirect methods are simple and easy to implement because reconstruction and kinetic modeling are performed in two separate steps. Direct methods estimate parametric images directly from dynamic PET sinograms and, in theory, can be statistically more efficient, but the algorithms are often difficult to implement and are very specific to the kinetic model being used. This paper presents a class of generalized algorithms for direct reconstruction of parametric images that are relatively easy to implement and can be adapted to different kinetic models. The proposed algorithms use optimization transfer principle to convert the maximization of a penalized likelihood into a pixel-wise weighted least squares (WLS) kinetic fitting problem at each iteration. Thus, it can employ existing WLS algorithms developed for kinetic models. The proposed algorithms resemble the empirical iterative implementation of the indirect approach, but converge to a solution of the direct formulation. Computer simulations showed that the proposed direct reconstruction algorithms are flexible and achieve a better bias-variance tradeoff than indirect reconstruction methods.
RESERVOIR POTENTIAL OF THE MAASTRICHTIAN PAB SANDSTONE IN THE EASTERN SULAIMAN FOLD‐BELT, PAKISTAN

The hard, resistant, generally cliff-forming Pab Sandstone Formation of Maastrichtian age is well exposed in parts of the eastern Sulaiman Fold-Belt. Thin-section, XRD and SEM studies of 66 samples from seven outcrops extending 200 km along strike were made in order to assess the reservoir quality of this formation. Petrographic studies indicated that the sandstones, classified as quartz arenites (locally subarkose), are texturally and mineralogically mature. The proportion of potassium feldspar varied from trace to 16%, and this mineral was confined to certain stratigraphic zones. Alteration of feldspars to clay minerals was common, particularly in the south of the study area. Plagioclase, heavy minerals, and lithic fragments were present in minor amounts.
THE PRESIDENCY AND ORGANIZED INTERESTS: WHITE HOUSE PATTERNS OF INTEREST GROUP LIAISON

Studies of the relationship between the presidency and organized interests generally focus on presidential assistants and their communications with the interest group community. I take a different perspective. Based on presidential strategic interests and choices illuminated for several administrations through interviews with White House officials, four kinds of interest group liaison are identified: governing party, consensus building, outreach, and legitimization. These approaches are then empirically evaluated for the Reagan White House using interviews with Reagan's staff and the responses of several hundred interest group leaders to 1980 and 1985 surveys of national voluntary associations. Like the Carter administration after its first year, the Reagan White House initially emphasized “liaison as governing party” built on exclusive and programmatic ties to groups. A less activist legislative agenda and new circumstances later shifted the emphasis of the Reagan and Bush administrations to other forms of interest group liaison.
ENUMERATING INTERDISTANCES IN SPACE

In this paper, we study the enumerative versions of the interdistance in terdis stance ranking and selection problems in space, namely, the fixed-radius near neighbors and interdistance enumeration problems, respectively. The input to the fixed-radius near neighbors problem is a set of n points S⊆ℜd and a nonnegative real number δ, and the output consists of all pairs of points within interdistance δ. We give an algorithm which, after an O(n log n) time preprocessing step, answers a fixed-radius near neighbors query with respect to an Lp metric in O(n+ρ(δ)) time, where ρ(δ) is the rank of δ. The space needed is O(n). The input to the interdistance enumeration problem is a set of n points S⃄ℜd and an integer k, , and the output is a set of point pairs, each corresponding to an interdistance having length less than or equal to the interdistance with rank k. We offer an O(n log n+k) time, O(n+k) space algorithm for this problem. This algorithm also works for any Lp metric.
Investigation of Impedance Characteristics and Power Delivery for Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuators

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators have received recent attention for various flow-control applications. To enable system-level design and optimization of plasma actuator systems—including the actuators and all power electronics—equivalent electrical circuit models of the plasma actuators are desired. To address this need, the current/voltage/power behaviors of different DBD plasma actuators designs are experimentally characterized under sinusoidal electrical excitation at varying amplitudes (4 – 10 kVpk) and frequencies (10 – 20 kHz). A simplified parallel resistor– capacitor circuit is used to model the behavioral electrical impedance of the actuators. The dependencies of the circuit model parameters are studied as functions of actuator geometry, excitation amplitude, and excitation frequency. Based on this analysis, considerations for electrical impedance load matching are discussed.
Natural killer cells are crucial for the efficacy of Icon (factor VII/human IgG1 Fc) immunotherapy in human tongue cancer

Icon is a novel, dual neovascular- and cancer cell-targeting immunotherapeutic agent and has shown efficacy in the treatment of cancer, wet form macular degeneration and endometriosis. However, its underlying mechanism remains to be investigated. The objective of this study is to elucidate the mechanism of Icon immunotherapy in cancer using a squamous carcinoma human tongue cancer line TCA8113 in vitro and in vivo in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice. We showed that Icon, as a chimeric factor VII and human IgG1 Fc immunoconjugate, could separately induce murine natural killer (NK) cells and activate complement to kill TCA8113 cancer cells in vitro via antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). However, Icon-NK ADCC had a significantly stronger effect than that of Icon-CDC. Moreover, Icon could completely eradicate established human tongue tumour xenografts in vivo in the CB-17 strain of SCID mice that have functional NK cells at a normal level, whereas it was less effective in SCID/Beige mice that do not have functional NK cells. We conclude that NK cells are crucial for the efficacy of Icon immunotherapy in the treatment of cancer. The results also suggest that impaired NK level/activity could contribute to the resistance to therapeutic antibodies that are currently under investigation in preclinical and clinical studies.
Superpixels for Spatially Reinforced Bayesian Classification of Hyperspectral Images

This letter presents a novel superpixel-based approach to hyperspectral image analysis which exploits spatial context within spectrally similar contiguous pixels for robust hyperspectral classification. The proposed approach entails two key steps—first, as a preprocessing step, we compute groupings ( superpixels ) through graph-based segmentation, following which an object-level classification is undertaken using a decision fusion approach that merges per-pixel outcomes from an ensemble of “per-pixel” Bayesian classifiers. The proposed method provides a robust way to exploit spatial contextual information. Every pixel in a superpixel is classified using statistical Bayesian classification independently, and the decisions are merged to obtain a unique class label for each superpixel. Experimental results with hyperspectral imagery indicate that the proposed method consistently provides a robust classification framework, even when using very limited training data.
Distortion of FM Signals Caused by Channel Phase Nonlinearity and Amplitude Fluctuation

The distortion of FM (frequency-modulated) signals after being processed through time-invariant channels with nonlinear phase characteristic and/or fluctuating amplitude function is considered, starting from a Fourier spectral analysis of the signal. Expressions for calculating the distortion power or harmonic amplitudes, applicable to both single-tone and multitone message signals, are derived in terms of coefficients in the power series representation of channel phase characteristics. The quasi-stationary method is shown to be correct only in the leading term in each order of the distortion voltage. The missing terms can cause substantial errors in certain instances. Fluctuation in the channel amplitude function vs. frequency also causes change in the phase of the signal; the distortion generated is, however, one order of magnitude lower. Using a Butterworth-type bandpass filter as a particular example, the third and fifth harmonic amplitudes in the discriminator output are hand-calculated and plotted as a function of the modulation index. Results agree quite well with recent data from digital machine computations by Schenck and Kennedy. The spectral technique is also used to compute the channel bandwidth requirement, based on distortion considerations, and a family of curves is plotted from results of numerical computations on a digital computer.
Features of Pro-σK Important for Cleavage by SpoIVFB, an Intramembrane Metalloprotease

ABSTRACT Intramembrane proteases regulate diverse processes by cleaving substrates within a transmembrane segment or near the membrane surface. Bacillus subtilis SpoIVFB is an intramembrane metalloprotease that cleaves Pro-σK during sporulation. To elucidate features of Pro-σK important for cleavage by SpoIVFB, coexpression of the two proteins in Escherichia coli was used along with cell fractionation. In the absence of SpoIVFB, a portion of the Pro-σK was peripherally membrane associated. This portion was not observed in the presence of SpoIVFB, suggesting that it serves as the substrate. Deletion of Pro-σK residues 2 to 8, addition of residues at its N terminus, or certain single-residue substitutions near the cleavage site impaired cleavage. Certain multiresidue substitutions near the cleavage site changed the position of cleavage, revealing preferences for a small residue preceding the cleavage site N-terminally (i.e., at the P1 position) and a hydrophobic residue at the second position following the cleavage site C-terminally (i.e., P2′). These features appear to be conserved among Pro-σK orthologs. SpoIVFB did not tolerate an aromatic residue at P1 or P2′ of Pro-σK. A Lys residue at P3′ of Pro-σK could not be replaced with Ala unless a Lys was provided farther C-terminally (e.g., at P9′). α-Helix-destabilizing residues near the cleavage site were not crucial for SpoIVFB to cleave Pro-σK. The preferences and tolerances of SpoIVFB are somewhat different from those of other intramembrane metalloproteases, perhaps reflecting differences in the interaction of the substrate with the membrane and the enzyme.
A new minimum-time control law for a one-mode model of a flexible slewing structure

The construction of a minimum-time control law for a single-axis, undamped, one-mode model of a flexible slewing structure is described. The set of necessary and sufficient conditions for optimality is developed using phase-plane techniques, and is given in terms of the vibration frequencies and the rigid-body states. This effectively provides the switching hypersurface in four-dimensional space. The resulting control strategy can be implemented on line since no a priori computation of switching times is required. >
Usefulness of the Double-Wall Sign in Detecting Pneumothorax in Patients with Giant Bullous Emphysema

OBJECTIVE. We describe a new sign improving detection of pneumothorax in patients with giant bullous emphysema: air surrounding both sides of the bulla wall (the intrathoracic equivalent of the double-wall sign of pneumoperitoneum). We report the radiographic and CT appearances of the double-wall sign in seven patients with giant bullous emphysema, four of whom had pneumothorax.CONCLUSION. Recognizing the double-wall sign of pneumothorax should aid in the triage of patients with giant bullous emphysema.
Lacustrine records of post-glacial environmental change from the Nulhegan Basin, Vermont, USA

The sedimentary records of Nulhegan Pond and Beecher Pond in the Nulhegan Basin of north-eastern Vermont were analyzed to yield a history of environmental change since the latest Pleistocene. Shoreline landforms indicate that part of the Nulhegan Basin was inundated by Glacial Lake Nulhegan (GLN), which was impounded behind a dam of glacial sediment. Outwash derived from stagnant ice forms the bottom 176 cm of the Nulhegan Pond core. Fine-grained inorganic sediment deposited between 13.4 and 12.2k cal a BP is interpreted as a deep-water facies representing GLN, while coarser sediment from 12.2 to 11.8k cal a BP records draining of the glacial lake. Rapid, simultaneous increases in organic matter and biogenic silica signal the onset of productivity following the Younger Dryas. Beecher Pond formed c. 11.3k cal a BP through surface collapse over a buried ice block; buried stagnant ice may have persisted in the vicinity of the pond into the early Holocene. From 8.9 to 5.5k cal a BP, sediment in both lakes became coarser and richer in aquatic organic matter, suggesting a low-water phase in which previously deposited lacustrine sediments were reworked and the littoral zone shifted basinward. Low water levels at this time are consistent with other records from Maine and southern Quebec, but contrary to records from � 325 km to the south. Copyright # 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Eye Spy: Improving Vision through Dialog

Despite efforts to build robust vision systems, robots in new environments inevitably encounter new objects. Traditional supervised learning requires gathering and annotating sample images in the environment, usually in the form of bounding boxes or segmentations. This training interface takes some experience to do correctly and is quite tedious. We report work in progress on a robotic dialog system to learn names and attributes of objects through spoken interaction with a human teacher. The robot and human play a variant of the children’s games “I Spy” and “20 Questions”. In our game, the human places objects of interest in front of the robot, then picks an object in her head. The robot asks a series of natural language questions about the target object, with the goal of pointing at the correct object while asking a minimum number of questions. The questions range from attributes such as color (“Is it red?”) to category questions (“Is it a cup?”). The robot selects questions to ask based on an information gain criteria, seeking to minimize the entropy of the visual model given the answer to the question.
Abstract 4726: Gene expression signatures of isolated circulating tumor cells from metastatic breast cancer patients reveal presence of breast cancer stem cells with EMT or MET phenotypes

Breast cancer stem cells are responsible for tumor recurrence, metastasis and drug resistance. One of the important steps in metastasis is entry of tumor cells into the blood circulation. These circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may serve as markers of cancer progression and as a “liquid biopsy” to provide information on tumor biology at single cell resolution. Current methods of CTC capture are not fully inclusive to isolate all phenotypic variations of cancer stem cells (CSCs) among the CTCs. Using newly developed microfluidic methods to isolate CTCs from blood samples of metastatic breast cancer patients, we assessed gene expression profiles in these cells. The gene expression signatures of isolated CTCs were determined using a highly sensitive microfluidic-based 96-plex RT-qPCR method. Analyzed multiplex RT-qPCR data revealed distinct gene expression patterns among CTCs isolated from different patients. Cancer stem cell markers such as ALDH1a1, ALDH1a2 and ALDH1a3 as well as CD44 and CD24 genes were differentially expressed in isolated CTCs. In addition, markers of the epithelial to mesenchymal (EMT) and mesenchymal to epithelial (MET) phenotypes such as Vimentin, EpCAM, HER2, CDH1, CDH2, TGFb1 and cytokeratins were also expressed variably in the CTC samples. Furthermore, MMP9, TIMP1, CD90, CD14, SPARC, BRAF, KRAS, PI3K and ERCC1 genes which play a role in cancer initiation, promotion, metastasis and drug resistance were also differentially expressed in the isolated CTCs. Overall, these studies further our understanding into the heterogeneity of CTCs and CSCs as well as providing a potential tool for real-time monitoring of cancer patients on clinical trials. Citation Format: Shamileh Fouladdel, Hyeun Joong Yoon, Eric Lin, Tae Hyun Kim, Yadwinder S. Deol, Tahra K. Luther, Shawn G. Clouthier, Hui Jiang, Monika L. Burness, Sunitha Nagrath, Ebrahim Azizi, Max S. Wicha. Gene expression signatures of isolated circulating tumor cells from metastatic breast cancer patients reveal presence of breast cancer stem cells with EMT or MET phenotypes. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4726. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4726
Plant-based diets and bone health: nutritional implications

Hip fracture incidence rates are predicted to increase dramatically in the first half of the 21st century, especially in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. These increased rates will result primarily from the effects of public health efforts to improve nutrition and infectious-disease control, both of which contribute to improved longevity of populations. An example of a rapid increase in hip fracture incidence rates has been reported in Hong Kong. Findings of studies there suggest that environmental changes, ie, westernization, urbanization, or both, are strongly related with declines in bone mineral density and increases in fractures. Hip fracture incidence rates in Western nations are typically increasing at much more modest rates than those in Hong Kong and other Asian nations. Epidemiologic investigations have identified multiple risk factors, including exposures earlier in life to adverse factors that are considered to contribute to the development of osteoporosis in both Western and Asian nations. The major risk factors are inadequate nutrition, limited physical activity, and low lifetime estrogen exposure. A dietary shift toward a more plant-based diet in Western nations may be beneficial to bone health, but is not likely to counter the adverse effects of limited physical activity and low estrogen exposure.
Studies on the Taqqanot of Yavneh

Along with the analogical (homer) exegeses, the Yavneh ordinances constitute the earliest components of the normative tradition concerning Yoḥanan ben Zakkai. Conventional forms occur, which indicate that even the earliest strata of edited materials have already been given substantially permanent shape, perhaps after circulating for a brief time in various unofficial formulations. We shall first review and comment on individual traditions, in order of the redaction of the documents in which they occur, and then offer some synoptic remarks.
Abstract 10: Complement C3a Receptor Antagonist Attenuates Placental Ischemia-induced Hypertension in Rat

Preeclampsia, a leading cause of maternal death and premature birth, is characterized by hypertension, compromised placental perfusion and intrauterine growth restriction. The complement system, pa...
Deconstructing the Prisoner Re-Entry Industry/Complex: Origins of the term and a critique of current literature/analysis

A.t the tail end of the Clinton administration, a handful of criminal justice experts noted that America would soon be awash with ex-convicts who had been recently released from our correctional facilities. They argued that our communities and criminal justice agencies are poorly equipped to deal with this challenge and that the federal government needs to step in with suitable funding for programs and research. A federal bill called the Second Chance Act was tabled and eventually passed as a result of this pressure. As these forces are upon us, it is wise to take a step back and reflect upon this state of affairs.Beyond the generally accepted notion that both communities and criminal justice systems are unprepared to deal with prisoner reentry, one of the important questions that observers may ask about reentry is: what implications does it have beyond simply a mechanism for increased federal funding of local and state government correctional and social service agencies both public and private?Indeed, a number of trends in the United States criminal justice system, and corrections in particular have led to a handful of individuals claiming that we are experiencing a Prisoner Re-Entry lndustry (PRI) or Prisoner Re-entry Industrial Complex (PRlC). This chapter attempts to understand the origins of this term and comment on the current scholarship using this concept. It then advances a series of recommendations on how we might improve research and scholarship on this term and concept.
Price Increases Were Much Lower In Ambulatory Surgery Centers Than Hospital Outpatient Departments In 2007–12

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are freestanding facilities that provide services to patients who do not require an overnight stay. The number of ASCs has grown rapidly over the past fifteen years, as have the number of surgical procedures performed at them. ASCs now compete with hospital outpatient departments. This study examined the revenue side of ASC growth by using a large national claims database that contains information on actual prices paid. For six common outpatient surgical procedures, prices paid to ASCs on the whole grew in line with general medical care prices, while overall prices paid to hospital outpatient departments for the same procedures climbed sharply. This provides no evidence that ASCs are successfully pressuring hospital outpatient departments to lower their prices. Not unexpectedly, private insurers paid ASCs considerably more than Medicare paid ASCs for the same procedures. Medicare currently pays ASCs a legislated percentage of what it pays hospital outpatient departments f...
Comparative Home Country Influences on Management Practices Abroad

International firms from different countries exhibit distinct geographic expansion and ownership preferences. The subsidiary operations in the United States also reflect differences by parent natio...
SWASH ZONE WAVE CHARACTERISTICS FROM SUPERTANK

Measured values of shoreline wave setup and shoreline wave heights are summarized from the SUPERTANK Laboratory Data Collection Project. Water surface elevation time-series in the swash zone were measured by capacitance wave gages that were partially buried in the sand beach. As a result, wave measurements were obtained on the actively eroding/accreting beach-face where little data has traditionally been available. Results presented in this paper include examples of wave transformation across the entire beach profile. Mean water level and wave height conditions at the still water shoreline are then summarized for 19 sets of random wave conditions tested during the first two weeks of the SUPERTANK Project.
In situ hybridisation (ISH) can accurately delineate structurally abnormal y chromosomes

Abnormal sexual development with varying phenotypic effects has been associated with structurally abnormal Y chromosomes. These cases may also have a cell line without a Y chromosome. We report on 4 patients studied because of ambiguous sexual development Routine cytogenetic analysis with GTG and CBG banding showed a structurally abnormal Y chromosome. The karyotypes were: 1.45, X/46,X,dic(Y)(q11) 2. 48,X,dic(Y)(p11),+21,+mar 3. 46,X,del(Y)(ql2-qter) 4. 45,X/46,X,mar(Y). Probe Y-190(a), which contains the short arm locus for tdf, was used for ISH. The technique involved non-radioactive labelling with biotin, detection with ETTC conjugated avidin, and amplification with biotinylated anti-avidin antibody. In 3 cases, a positive signal was obtained from the abnormal Y, confirming the abnormal structure and positively identifying the presence of the testis determining factor. The fourth case needs further work. As well as scoring in metaphase spreads, cells in interphase could be utilised. This made it possible to score a large number of cells more quickly than routine cytogenetic analysis. (a) Mueller et al. Hum Genet 1987: 75;109-113.
Global albedos of Pluto and Charon from LORRI New Horizons observations

Abstract The exploration of the Pluto-Charon system by the New Horizons spacecraft represents the first opportunity to understand the distribution of albedo and other photometric properties of the surfaces of objects in the Solar System's “Third Zone” of distant ice-rich bodies. Images of the entire illuminated surface of Pluto and Charon obtained by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) camera provide a global map of Pluto that reveals surface albedo variegations larger than any other Solar System world except for Saturn's moon Iapetus. Normal reflectances on Pluto range from 0.08–1.0, and the low-albedo areas of Pluto are darker than any region of Charon. Charon exhibits a much blander surface with normal reflectances ranging from 0.20–0.73. Pluto's albedo features are well-correlated with geologic features, although some exogenous low-albedo dust may be responsible for features seen to the west of the area informally named Tombaugh Regio. The albedo patterns of both Pluto and Charon are latitudinally organized, with the exception of Tombaugh Regio, with darker regions concentrated at the Pluto's equator and Charon's northern pole. The phase curve of Pluto is similar to that of Triton, the large moon of Neptune believed to be a captured Kuiper Belt Object (KBO), while Charon's is similar to that of the Moon. Preliminary Bond albedos are 0.25 ± 0.03 for Charon and 0.72 ± 0.07 for Pluto. Maps of an approximation to the Bond albedo for both Pluto and Charon are presented for the first time. Our work shows a connection between very high albedo (near unity) and planetary activity, a result that suggests the KBO Eris may be currently active.
Application and experiment of OPPC in power grid

OPPC is an optical cable with optical fiber unit in phase conductor, with the function of both power energy transmission and optical communication signal transmission. OPPC technology is a beneficial supplement to OPGW and ADSS. It can extend the application of special power optical cable from the transmission network to the distribution network, increase the coverage of optical fiber communication, and improve the security and reliability of power system communication. Although OPPC application is still at an initial stage in China, the market development prospect is broad. In this paper, the key technologies and research development of OPPC applications in power network are introduced, the testing result on OPPC products is analysed , and the conclusions are also given.
Clinical and biochemical effect of aminoglutethimide in the treatment of advanced prostatic carcinoma.

Abstract: Treatment of male patients with advanced prostatic carcinoma and disease progression after initial endocrine therapy frequently is unsatisfactory. However, approximately 20 per cent of these patients respond to surgical adrenalectomy or hypophysectomy, indicating continued hormonal responsiveness. A total of 25 previously castrated men with stage D carcinoma received 1,000mg. aminoglutethimide and 40mg. hydrocortisone daily. The patients were evaluated using the criteria of the National Prostatic Cancer Project. One patient has had a complete response and is in remission after 275 weeks of therapy. A partial response was noted in 4 patients, while the disease was objectively stable in 6. Pre-treatment testosterone and dihydrotestosterone levels were measured in 9 of 25 patients and were significantly reduced statistically during aminoglutethimide therapy (p < 0.01). Response and drug toxicity are discussed.
D-State Effects in (,t) Reactions

The effect of the deuteron D state in (,p) reactions is now quite familiar1). The D state has little effect on the cross section and vector analyzing power of the reaction, but has a large effect on the tensor analyzing powers. It is expected that similar D state effects should be present in all deuteron-induced single-nucleon transfer reactions. In this paper we present measurements of the tensor analyzing powers for (,t) reactions on 118Sn and 208Pb at energies near the Coulomb barrier. The measurements are compared with distorted-wave calculations which include D state effects. We argue that the observed tensor analyzing powers arise primarily from the D state components in the triton wave function, rather than from the deuteron D state.
The Education Policy Bookshelf: An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Studies

Meghan E. Rubado’s annotated bibliography provides an index to timely and relevant research on the subject of public education, some of which has clearly influenced the course of the policy debate in the Commonwealth. This resource includes the themes of public finance, fairness, governance, economic development, testing, and lessons from other nations.
Quantitative Analysis of 3D T1‐Weighted Gadolinium (Gd) DCE‐MRI with Different Repetition Times

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) acquires T1-weighted MRI scans before and after injection of an MRI contrast agent such as gadolinium (Gd). Gadolinium causes the relaxation time to decrease, resulting in higher MR image intensities after injection followed by a gradual decrease in image intensities during wash out. Gd does not pass the intact blood–brain barrier (BBB), thus its dynamics can be used to quantify pathology associated with BBB leaks. In current clinical practice, it is suggested to use the same pulse sequence for pre-injection T1 calibration and Gd concentration calculation in the DCE image sequence based on the spoiled gradient recalled echo (SPGR) signal equation. A common method for T1 estimation is using variable flip angle (VFA). However, when the parameters such as the repetition time (TR) for image acquisition could be tuned differently for T1 estimation and DCE acquisition, the popular dcemriS4 software package that handles only a fixed TR often results in discrepancies in Gd concentration estimation. This paper reports a quick solution for calculating Gd concentrations when different TRs are used. First, the pre-injection T1 map is calculated by using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm with VFA acquisition, then, because the TR used for DCE acquisition is different from the VFA TR, the equilibrium magnetization is updated with the TR for DCE, and the Gd concentration is calculated thereafter. In the experiments, we first simulated Gd concentration curves for different tissue types and generated the corresponding VFA and DCE image sequences and then used the proposed method to reconstruct the concentration. Comparing with the original simulated data allows us to validate the accuracy of the proposed computation. Further, we tested performance of the method by simulating different amounts of Ktrans changes in a manually selected region of interest (ROI). The results showed that the new method can estimate Gd dynamics more accurately in the case where different TRs are used and be sensitive enough to detect slight Ktrans changes in DCE-MRI.
Recovery Following Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy

The value of detailed strength testing monthly, up to 6 months of age, in predicting complete recovery was determined in a prospective study of 80 infants with brachial plexus injury followed at the Brachial Plexus Palsy Center, St Louis Children’s Hospital, MO.
Migrant memento mori and the geography of risk

Undocumented migrants entering the United States on foot through southern Arizona face extreme uncertainty and risk in their endeavor. The forces of decay and erasure experienced by migrants and th...
HIV-1 Infection of Renal Cells in HIV-Associated Nephropathy.

“If there is one thing the history of evolution has taught us it’s that life will not be contained. Life breaks free, it expands to new territories and crashes through barriers.” (Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park ) Some of the deadliest infectious agents to humanity arose by host range
Abrasion erosion modeling in particulate flow

Abstract Solid particle erosion is of great importance to many industries including oil and gas production, drilling, process and transportation of minerals including oil sands. The particles that may cause erosion are of various sizes, shapes and hardnesses. These particles may impact the surface at various speeds and angles, and the influence of these parameters is characterized to some extent in the literature. Experimental and numerical studies have shown that when particles are transported by liquid (e.g. slurry transport in the pipe) or dense gas, the particle impact angles are very low. The impact angles in these cases are sometimes less than the smallest value that can be obtained in a direct impingement erosion test in gas. In this work, the mechanistic erosion equation developed previously is extended to near zero impact angles for sharp particles. The abrasion erosion equation is developed by introducing an initial penetration of the sharp particle in the equation of the motion. This initial penetration may be attributed to the sharp particle rotation and/or turbulent flow fluctuations of the carrier fluid near the wall. The empirical constants are obtained from submerged erosion experiments in liquid. The equation has been implemented in a commercially available Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code (ANSYS FLUENT) to calculate erosion for a submerged impingement jet geometry, and the result is compared with the experiment. It is shown that by neglecting the abrasive term in the erosion equation, the specimen mass loss does not match the experimental measured mass loss. While by including the abrasive term, the total mass loss of the specimen agrees well with the experimental data. Moreover, the erosion pattern becomes closer to the experimentally measured pattern especially farther from the center of the highly eroded area where abrasive wear is expected to dominate.
Field observations of simultaneous double mating in the wolf spider Rabidosa punctulata (Araneae: Lycosidae)

Males of many species of spider engage in alternative mating tactics that do not involve pre-mating courtship. Here I report field observations of a novel opportunistic mating tactic of the wolf spider Rabidosa punctulata (Hentz, 1844): simultaneous double mating, whereby males that encounter copulating pairs also mount and achieve inseminations concurrently with the first male. On three separate occasions, female R. punctulata were observed mating with two males simultaneously. Males that mate with already copulating females likely receive multiple fitness benefits. It may allow courtship parasitism of other males while also reducing male agonistic interactions, eliminate the need to court or subdue the female, and reduce pre-mating cannibalism risk. If such behavior is common, it may limit sexual selection acting on male courtship displays by reducing the effectiveness of pre-mating female choice while also increasing sperm competition.
Upper ocean cooling and air-sea fluxes under typhoons: A case study

Direct observations of ocean temperatures and air-sea energy exchange underneath three typhoons and a tropical storm encountered in the Philippine Sea during the 2010 Pacific typhoon season are examined. Data are reported from two buoys 180 km apart with ocean temperatures recorded to 150 m and wind speeds up to 26 m s−1. A detailed examination of the cold wakes is used to determine the mechanisms though which the ocean cools. The result show that net cooling varied between storms by two orders of magnitude, accounting for between 9 and 1000 MJ m−2 of heat loss, and were a result of entrainment, advection, and surface fluxes. In some cases a marked temperature increase below the mixed layer occurred due to entrainment of warm water across the thermocline. Mixed layer temperature decreases ranged from 0.35 to 1.6°C and found to be well predicted by typhoon translation speed and wind speed. Of the mixed layer heat loss, 12–47% was attributed to enthalpy fluxes, the upper range of which is much greater than previous reports. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to tropical cyclone and climate modeling.