cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theoretical analysis of information watermarking in wavelet-based video compression

Embedding audio bits into images for transmission of video data alleviates the synchronization problem common in video transmission techniques. We continue work combining audio or other data bits and images into one file using digital watermarking techniques to correct the synchronization problem. The work compresses the file by using wavelet image coefficients and implementing bit plane coding. Our work encompasses incorporating five free variables into the watermark/compression technique. These variables are watermark robustness, number of coding iterations, number of image coefficients, number of watermarked data bits, and number of watermarked error correcting bits. By altering these variables, four measurements of the output will change. The four measurements are the watermarked bit error rate, the image quality, the compression ratio, and the amount of watermarked data. We will theoretically demonstrate how the variables impact these measurements. Experimental results on real video data will support our theoretical findings. By analyzing each video frame, an automated system will be able to choose the optimal values of the five variables to meet the given user constraints for the measurements.
GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN DAIRY SIRE EVALUATION. I. EFFECTS OF HERDS, MONTHS, AND YEAR-SEASONS ON VARIANCE AMONG LACTATION RECORDS; REPEATABILITY AND HERITABILITY.

Abstract More than 39,000 Iowa Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) and Dairy Herd Improvement Registry (DHIR) Holstein lactation records provided the basic data for checking some of the parameters and assumptions currently used in dairy sire evaluation procedures in the United States. The components of variance for herds were about 32% of the total variance with both milk and milk fat records but only 17% with test. The components for months were 1.4 and 1.7% of the total variance with milk and milk fat records and only slightly higher for year-seasons. However, the interactions of herds with months and year-seasons contributed 3 to 5% of the total variance. Grouping of records according to either rolling year-seasons or fixed year-seasons was about equally suitable as a means of removing year-season variance with deviation records. However, the pooling of records from more than one year into season averages was less effective, because significant year-season variance remained in the deviations. Repeatabilities of records expressed as deviations from herd-year-season averages were .50, .47, and .72 for milk, milk fat, and test, respectively. Heritabilities, estimated as twice the regression of daughter on dam, within herd-year-seasons, were .22, .18, and .53 for milk, milk fat, and test.
Food and Habitat Preferences of Melanoplus sanguinipes and Aulocara elliotti (Orthoptera: Acrididae) on Disturbed Rangeland in Southern Idaho

Food habits of Melanoplus sanguinipes (F.) and Aulocara elliotti (Thomas), confined to cages containing crested wheatgrass, Agropyron desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) Schult.; cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum L.; and assorted forbs were examined in May, July, and August by microhistological techniques. Habitat preferences were determined by sampling the density and species composition of grasshoppers and the aboveground plant biomass at 44 locations during early July 1990. In May, caged A. elliotti consumed crested wheatgrass and cheatgrass in proportions equal to their relative availability. In July, A. elliotti fed mainly on crested wheatgrass. M. sanguinipes fed mainly on cheatgrass in May. In July and August, forbs comprised the major portion of the diet. Observed habitat preferences were consistent with predictions based on the food preferences of the two species. Density of M. sanguinipes was positively correlated with aboveground biomass of forbs and annual grasses. Density of A. elliotti was positively correlated with crested wheatgrass biomass and percent bare ground. The results indicate that rehabilitation of annual rangelands with crested wheatgrass can potentially affect the local distribution and abundance of these grasshopper species, possibly by altering their food resources.
DOXORUBICIN HYDROCHLORIDE (ADRIAMYCIN) IN IRRADIATED PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED TRANSITIONAL CELL CARCINOMA

Twenty-five patients with advanced transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary tract were treated with doxorubicin hydrochloride (Adriamycin). Eight evaluable patients who received extensive external irradiation therapy and at least two doses of doxorubicin hydrochloride were studied to assess bone marrow toxicity and possible augmentation of radiation dermatitis. Myelosuppression was similar in both irradiated patients and those who received doxorubicin alone. None of the irradiated patients displayed skin augmentation reactions with doxorubicin. In the dose range used chemotherapy with doxorubicin did not appear to be particularly hazardous in irradiated patients.
The impact of government form on e-participation: A study of New Jersey municipalities

Abstract During the past two decades, governments have started to use information and communication technologies (ICT) to offer a new forum for citizen involvement known as e-participation. The rapid development of e-participation has been attracting attention from many researchers. While a growing body of research has explored various factors impacting e-participation, few studies have examined the influence of government structures on the e-participation opportunities that jurisdictions offer users. To fill the research gap and begin investigating this relationship, we use data from 97 New Jersey municipalities to analyze the impact on e-participation of three local government structures: mayor-council, council-manager, and township. The results show that municipalities with the mayor-council form of government are more likely to have higher levels of e-participation offerings. We argue that the role of an elected executive in this structure facilitates the will to provide greater opportunities for citizens to participate online.
Reduction of circulating immune complexes by calorie restriction in (NZB × NZW) F1 mice☆

Levels of circulating immune complexes (CIC) by the Raji cell radioimmunoassay were analyzed in sera of (NZB × NZW)F1 (BW) mice at four ages (3, 9, 12, and 18 months) on different levels of total food intake (Purina lab chow and two defined diets at either 20 cal/day or 10 cal/day). In all three groups of animals the CIC levels at 3 months of age were essentially normal irrespective of dietary intake and increased dramatically in sera of mice of both sexes at 6 and 9 months. The highest CIC values were recorded just prior to death at 12 months of age in sera of mice fed Purina lab chow. In contrast, significantly lower CIC values were observed at 12 months of age on the 10-cal intake (P < 0.001). C3 and Ig deposits in the kidney lesions of the mice were strikingly less in those mice fed the 10-cal diet than those fed either of the other two diets. This value was also significantly lower than that of the animals fed 20 cal per day of a defined diet. These findings suggest that diet may influence lifespan of the shortlived autoimmune-prone BW mice by inhibiting the formation and deposition of immune complexes in vital organs.
The chronic administration of nicotine induces cytochrome P450 in rat brain.

The objective of these studies was to determine whether chronic administration of nicotine altered the cytochrome P450 (P450) monooxygenase system in rat brain. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received injections of nicotine bitartrate (1.76 mg/kg, s.c., twice daily for 10 days), and total cytochrome P450 content, the activity of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, and the activities and relative abundance of P4502B1 and P4502B2 (P4502B1/2) were determined in microsomal fractions from rat brain. The content of P450 increased significantly (p < 0.02) in all brain regions examined from nicotine-injected rats; the largest increase (208% of control) was in frontal cortex and the smallest increase (122% of control) in cerebellum. The activity of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase was unaltered by nicotine administration. Benzyloxyresorufin O-dealkylase (BROD) and pentoxyresorufin O-dealkylase (PROD) activities, mediated by P4502B1/2, increased significantly (p < 0.02) following nicotine administration; the largest increase (213-227% of control) was in frontal cortex. Western blots of microsomal proteins indicated that the increase in enzymatic activity was associated with an increase in content of P4502B1/2 immunoreactive proteins. In contrast to brain, total P450 content, activities of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, BROD, and PROD, and levels of P4502B1/2 immunoreactive proteins in liver were unaffected by chronic nicotine administration. Results indicate that chronic nicotine administration regulates the expression of P4502B1/2 in brain and that at the dose schedule used this effect occurs without a demonstrable effect on the hepatic P450 monooxygenase system.
U.S. URBAN ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE: What Accounts for Success and Failure?

This article examines the performance of large urban economies and addresses the question of what accounts for differences in economic performance among these areas. Areas are divided into good and...
Color Constancy Reconsidered

This article proposes an account of color constancy based on an examination of the relevant scientific literature. Differences in experimental settings and task instructions that lead to variation in subject performance are given particular attention. Based on the evidence discussed, the core of the proposal made is that there are two different forms of color constancy, one phenomenal and the other projective. This follows the hypothesis of Reeves et al. (Perception & Psychophysics 70:219–228, 2008). Unlike Reeves et al. (Perception & Psychophysics 70:219–228, 2008), it is argued that projective color constancy is crucially dependent upon phenomenal color constancy and certain aspects of scene perception. Additionally, it is hypothesized that capacities that support projective color constancy have an important role to play in facilitating our ability to quickly recognize scenes with diagnostic chromatic properties independently of assignments of colors to object surfaces.
Conservation in insular parks: Simulation models of factors affecting the movement of animals across park boundaries

Abstract Many parks represent insular areas of habitat and the movement of animals across park boundaries can be critical to park wildlife populations. I use computer simulation models in order to analyse factors affecting the movement and density of animals in patches of habitat (Buechner, 1987b; Stamps et al. , 1987; in press). The results suggest that the perimeter: area ratios and edge permeability of parks, the appearance and stopping patterns and habitat preferences of moving animals, and the relative size of dispersal sinks and source pools can all potentially influence the direction and magnitude of the movement of animals across the park boundaries. The results suggest that scientists interested in park and reserve design n to consider other factors than just the size of potential sites, particularly park perimeter: area ratios. The simulations also suggests a strategy for solving some types of conservation and control problems by manipulating sinks or pools: (1) identify which factors can be practically altered in a given situation, (2) evaluate those factors to estimate their current levels, and (3) focus on the factor which is nearest the lower end of its range of values.
Fractal sequences derived from the self-similar extensions of the Sierpinski gasket

The well known Sierpinski gasket has been generalised by the authors into the generalised Pascal-Sierpinski gaskets (GPSG) of orders (K, L), where both K and L are >or=2. It has been shown here that families of self-similar sequences can be derived from these extensions of the Sierpinski gasket when K=2 and L is a prime number.
Optimization of transient thermography inspection of Carbon Fiber Reinfored plastics

Transient thermography non-destructive evaluation methods are being used in aerospace industry to inspect flaws and damages for various composite materials. The purpose of this paper is to establish a set of guidelines for testing Carbon Fiber Reinforced Panels (CFRP) panels using infrared thermography. These guidelines insure that the inspection process is efficient and effective. Samples with simulated defects were made and modeled using a finite element program. Heat will be applied to the models and the temperature profiles analyzed. Along with changing the heat and time, different post-processing techniques were used to improve the method in determining defects in the sample. Once this has been optimized, actual CFRP panels with the same simulated defects were experimentally tested using the conditions from the analytical model. The analytical and experimental data was compared to insure that the testing process has been optimized. A standardized process was developed for evaluating the CFRP panels using infrared thermography.
Impaired inhibitory control of cortical synchronization in fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by severe cognitive impairments, sensory hypersensitivity, and comorbidities with autism and epilepsy. Fmr1 knockout (KO) mouse models of FXS exhibit alterations in excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, but it is largely unknown how aberrant function of specific neuronal subtypes contributes to these deficits. In this study we show specific inhibitory circuit dysfunction in layer II/III of somatosensory cortex of Fmr1 KO mice. We demonstrate reduced activation of somatostatin-expressing low-threshold-spiking (LTS) interneurons in response to the group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) in Fmr1 KO mice, resulting in impaired synaptic inhibition. Paired recordings from pyramidal neurons revealed reductions in synchronized synaptic inhibition and coordinated spike synchrony in response to DHPG, indicating a weakened LTS interneuron network in Fmr1 KO mice. Together, these findings reveal a functional defect in a single subtype of cortical interneuron in Fmr1 KO mice. This defect is linked to altered activity of the cortical network in line with the FXS phenotype.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of Methane Adsorbed on Graphite.

We have measured the spin-spin (${T}_{2}$) and spin-lattice (${T}_{1}$) relaxation times of methane adsorbed on Grafoil using pulsed nuclear-magnetic-resonance techniques. Data were taken between 45 and 105 K and between 0.20 and 1.1 monolayers at frequencies of 4.586 and 2.107 MHz. In addition, proton relaxation times were measured with mixtures of 50% C${\mathrm{D}}_{4}$+50% C${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$. It was determined that relaxation was via intramolecular dipolar interactions. Activation energies computed from the ${T}_{1}$ data provide evidence for both coverage-driven (at 0.87 monolayers) and temperature-driven commensurate-incommensurate phase transitions. A frequency-independent jump in ${T}_{1}$ at lower coverages indicates first-order melting to the liquid at approximately 57 K. Higher-temperature data find supporting evidence for a hypercritical fluid (two-dimensional gas) above a critical temperature of about 75 K.
The meaning of systems biology.

With the new excitement about systems biology, there is understandable interest in a definition. This has proven somewhat difficult. Scientific fields, like species, arise by descent with modification, so in their earliest forms even the founders of great dynasties are only marginally different than their sister fields and species. It is only in retrospect that we can recognize the significant founding events. Before embarking on a definition of systems biology, it may be worth remembering that confusion and controversy surrounded the introduction of the term “molecular biology,” with claims that it hardly differed from biochemistry.
Kyanite compounds for guncreting the linings of steel ladles

A study was made of the properties of guncrete compounds based on kyanite suitable for service in steel ladles. The best properties were possessed by a compound containing 80% kyanite, 10% clay, and 10% binder. Industrial trials with the guncrete compounds were completed. The life of the new compounds is 20% longer than that of similar compounds based on Novoselitsk kaolin.
Kin preference behaviour is present after metamorphosis in Rana cascadae frogs

Abstract Kin recognition was investigated in newly metamorphosed Rana cascadae frogs. Previous work has shown that larvae of this species prefer to associated with siblings over non-siblings. Juvenile frogs from three clutches were reared with siblings and tested for sibling preference as larvae and at 4–12 days and 39–47 days after metamorphosis. Tadpoles and froglets of the three clutches displayed a significant preference to associate with siblings.
Initial development of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Restructured Form (MMPI–2–RF) scales to identify patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures

Long term video-EEG (electroencephalography) monitoring in an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) will remain the gold standard for differential diagnosis of epilepsy from psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. However, neuropsychologists are routinely part of the differential diagnosis team and utilize personality assessment measures to add supportive data for the diagnosis. The most accurate scale on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) in terms of differential diagnosis appears to be RC1 (Somatic Complaints) with a classification rate of 68% (Locke et al., 2010). This is not as helpful as neuropsychologists would like. Our aim in the current study was to determine whether another set of MMPI-2-RF items could provide improved classification accuracy. Using a combination of modern psychometric techniques and clinical judgment, we developed two complementary scales based on a physical complaints factor (Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures Physical Complaints, PNES-pc) and an attitudes factor (Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures Attitudes, PNES-a). The combination of these scales classified 73% of the sample, an improvement over comparable single or combined MMPI-2-RF scales. Cross validation is needed to warrant use in clinical practice. Information on scoring, sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios at various levels of endorsement is provided.
Long-wavelength aeromagnetic anomaly map of the conterminous United States

Total intensity magnetic anomaly unflltered and low-pass filtered profile and contour maps of the conterminous United States have been prepared from data provided by the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office9s Project MAGNET Survey. The maps are useful for regional geological investigations because the anomalies, particularly on the filtered maps that emphasize long-wavelength anomalies, can be correlated with known major geologic features. The most intense positive, long-wavelength anomaly occurs over Precambrian mafic basement rocks in eastern Tennessee and Kentucky. Other examples of prominent positive anomalies occur over the Great Valley of California and the Colorado Plateau and along the Appalachian fold belt. In contrast, prominent negative long-wavelength magnetic anomalies occur over the Cascade Mountains, Mississippi Embayment, and southern Rocky Mountains and marginally to the positive anomaly related to the Mid-continent Rift.
Effect of varying frequency, intensity, and pulse duration of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on primary hyperalgesia in inflamed rats

Abstract Gopalkrishnan P, Sluka KA. Effect of varying frequency, intensity, and pulse duration of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on primary hyperalgesia in inflamed rats. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2000;81:984-90. Objectives: To examine the effect of varying frequency, intensity, and pulse duration of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on primary hyperalgesia (increased response to a noxious stimuli) to heat and mechanical stimuli induced by carrageenan paw inflammation in rats. Design: Inflammation was induced by injection of 3% carrageenan into the hindpaw. Two frequencies (high, 100Hz; low, 4Hz), 2 intensities (high, motor; low, sensory), and 2 pulse durations (100μsec, 250μsec) were applied for 20 minutes to the inflamed paw. The paw withdrawal latency (PWL) to radiant heat, threshold to mechanical stimuli, and spontaneous pain-related behaviors were measured before and 4 hours after induction of inflammation, after TENS, and at 8, 12, and 24 hours after inflammation. A 3-factor (frequency, intensity, pulse duration) repeated-measures (time) design was used to analyze the changes in PWL. Mechanical threshold and spontaneous pain-related behaviors were compared for frequency, intensity, and pulse duration with a Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance. Results: For changes in PWL to heat, there was an effect for time ( p =.0001) and frequency ( p =.0001), but not for intensity ( p =.45) or pulse duration ( p =.21). For changes in mechanical threshold, there was also an effect for frequency ( p =.007), but not for intensity ( p =.055) or pulse duration ( p =.058), after treatment with TENS. High-frequency TENS significantly reduced the primary hyperalgesia to heat and mechanical stimuli when compared with controls receiving no TENS or treatment with low-frequency TENS. High-frequency motor TENS also reduced spontaneous pain-related behaviors for 1 day after treatment. Conclusion: High-frequency TENS reduces primary hyperalgesia to heat and mechanical stimuli for up to 1 day after treatment. In contrast, low-frequency TENS is ineffective in reducing primary hyperalgesia. Varying intensity or pulse duration had no effect on the degree of antihyperalgesia produced by high-frequency TENS. © 2000 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Characterization and expression of genes from the RubisCO gene cluster of the chemoautotrophic symbiont of Solemya velum: cbbLSQO.

Chemoautotrophic endosymbionts residing in Solemya velum gills provide this shallow water clam with most of its nutritional requirements. The cbb gene cluster of the S. velum symbiont, including cbbL and cbbS, which encode the large and small subunits of the carbon-fixing enzyme ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO), was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant RubisCO had a high specific activity, ∼3 μmol min−1 mg protein −1, and a K CO2 of 40.3 μM. Based on sequence identity and phylogenetic analyses, these genes encode a form IA RubisCO, both subunits of which are closely related to those of the symbiont of the deep-sea hydrothermal vent gastropod Alviniconcha hessleri and the photosynthetic bacterium Allochromatium vinosum. In the cbb gene cluster of the S. velum symbiont, the cbbLS genes were followed by cbbQ and cbbO, which are found in some but not all cbb gene clusters and whose products are implicated in enhancing RubisCO activity post-translationally. cbbQ shares sequence similarity with nirQ and norQ, found in denitrification clusters of Pseudomonas stutzeri and Paracoccus denitrificans. The 3′ region of cbbO from the S. velum symbiont, like that of the three other known cbbO genes, shares similarity to the 3′ region of norD in the denitrification cluster. This is the first study to explore the cbb gene structure for a chemoautotrophic endosymbiont, which is critical both as an initial step in evaluating cbb operon structure in chemoautotrophic endosymbionts and in understanding the patterns and forces governing RubisCO evolution and physiology.
The value of the prognostic nutritional index in the management of patients with advanced carcinoma of the head and neck.

Nutritional status was evaluated in 50 consecutive patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Using a linear equation developed by Busby , the prognostic nutritional index ( PNI ) was calculated from the serum albumin, triceps skin-fold thickness, serum transferrin, and delayed hypersensitivity reaction. The treatment plan was determined by the patient's attending physician and complications were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were divided into three groups by the value of the PNI . The complication rate was not significantly higher in patients with moderate malnutrition ( PNI between 20% and 39%). However, with severe malnutrition ( PNI greater than 39%), the incidence of iatrogenic complications was prohibitive and 12 of 14 patients were dead within 6 months. We conclude that the PNI is a simple, objective measure of nutritional status that will identify patients at high risk for therapy-related complications and early death.
“Balaam’s Ass”: Smerdyakov as a paradoxical redeemer in Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov

Smerdyakov, the likely fourth brother—a bastard, an epileptic, a murderer, a suicide—is glaringly excluded from the tripartite Karamazov soul of the appetitive Dmitri, the rational Ivan, and the sp...
THE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF COYOTES: THE EFFECTS OF ALLOCHTHONOUS FOOD SUBSIDIES FROM THE SEA

We analyzed how the distribution and abundance of a major consumer, the coyote (Canis latrans) is influenced by the input of food from the sea. In the arid deserts of Baja California, coyote abundance along the shore of the Gulf of California is much higher compared to adjacent inland areas. These high densities are achieved because coastal coyotes are subsidized by the flow of abundant and diverse resources that come directly and indirectly from the ocean. Analysis of scats between coastal and inland sites indicates that the diet breadth of coastal coyotes is expanded (i.e., more food types were eaten) and that much more food is consumed by individuals and populations of coyotes in coastal regions. On average, scat mass at coastal sites is more than double that at inland sites. An average of 47.8% of all items found in coastal scats come directly from the sea. Such allochthonous input facilitates a numerical response: each of our four measures of coyote abundance shows that coyotes are significantly more dense along the coast than inland. Coyote populations on the coast are 2.4-13.7 times more dense than in adjacent inland areas that do not receive marine input. We present data from the literature to suggest that the use of marine resources by carnivorous mammals is widespread worldwide.
Disparities in voltage-sensor charge and electromotility imply slow chloride-driven state transitions in the solute carrier SLC26a5.

Outer hair cells (OHCs) drive cochlear amplification that enhances our ability to detect and discriminate sounds. The motor protein, prestin, which evolved from the SLC26 anion transporter family, underlies the OHC’s voltage-dependent mechanical activity (eM). Here we report on simultaneous measures of prestin’s voltage-sensor charge movement (nonlinear capacitance, NLC) and eM that evidence disparities in their voltage dependence and magnitude as a function of intracellular chloride, challenging decades’ old dogma that NLC reports on eM steady-state behavior. A very simple kinetic model, possessing fast anion-binding transitions and fast voltage-dependent transitions, coupled together by a much slower transition recapitulates these disparities and other biophysical observations on the OHC. The intermediary slow transition probably relates to the transporter legacy of prestin, and this intermediary gateway, which shuttles anion-bound molecules into the voltage-enabled pool of motors, provides molecular delays that present as phase lags between membrane voltage and eM. Such phase lags may help to effectively inject energy at the appropriate moment to enhance basilar membrane motion.
Peri-Urban Land Reform, Political-Economic Reform, and Urban Political Ecology in Zanzibar

The rapid urbanization of land in the peri-urban West District surrounding Zanzibar city in Tanzania has occurred during a 20-year period of political and economic reform, with related reforms in the land sector. Utilizing 2006 and 2007 interviews with officials and residents alongside document and archival research, this study examines two themes in relation to Zanzibar's most prominent program of contemporary land reform, a Finnish-funded project for the Sustainable Management of Lands and Environment (SMOLE). These themes entail: (1) the importance of the historical-cultural geography of peri-urban land dynamics for dual reform (simultaneous political and economic reform) processes in Africa; and (2) the critique of pro-poor, neoliberal land reform for the disjunctures between its rhetoric, actual planning practice, and the beliefs and practices of the peri-urban poor, wherein we discover a lack of participation, transparency, or democracy in the land sector. The article's broader aim is to contribute ...
Chondromyxoid fibroma of bone: thirty-six cases with clinicopathologic correlation

A series of 36 cases of chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) of bone, a rare benign tumor that may be confused with chondrosarcoma, is presented to aid in correctly identifying and diagnosing these neoplasms. In this series, CMFs were found in patients of all age groups, with no predominance between sexes. Long bone tumors were more common in young patients, while small and flat bone lesions were more common in older patients. Radiographically, long, flat, and small bone lesions were well-defined and benign-appearing. Tumors in the vertebrae had a more aggressive appearance, with marked bone destruction. The histologic picture was of a pseudolobulated tumor with myxoid and chondroid regions. Tumor cells were at times bizarre, pleomorphic, and binucleate, but rarely contained mitoses. Curettage with or without bone grafting and en bloc resection were the most common modes of treatment. The majority of recurrences were seen in patients treated by curettage alone. Radiation therapy was associated with the development of sarcoma in one case. No cases of malignant transformation were found in this series, but unusually aggressive recurrences were noted in CMFs involving a phalanx, the cervical vertebra, and the sacrum.
Dynamic Analysis of Vibration Compaction System Base on Transfer Matrix Method

To study the dynamic characteristic of a vibration compaction system, we first build up a double DOF model, then it is solved with transfer matrix method and the mathematical description was carried through on the status of every units in the model. Through the analysis of simulation data with simulation software, the data with the transfer matrix equation is the same as data with simulation software. This made clear that the transfer matrix model approaches to the practical circumstances and it bears important referencing value to the dynamics analysis of the correlation system.
Critical Issues in eHealth Research

Since the early 1950s, computer technologies have been used to gather, manage, and disseminate health information.1 The development of microcomputer processing in the 1970s and its subsequent exponential increase in speed and memory, together with the proliferation of electronic network infrastructures to transmit large amounts of data (e.g., Internet, intranets, electronic medical records, telecommunication networks), have created ever-expanding opportunities to assess and deliver health information to individuals, groups, and populations. Computer technologies also have created extraordinary opportunities for real-time assessments of physiology (e.g., ambulatory heart rate monitoring, galvanic skin response); health behaviors (e.g., accelerometry); and self-reports (e.g., personal digital assistants [PDAs] that capture stress levels, diet, medication use) in the real-world and to deliver individualized information in response.2–3 In addition, interventionists can use the rapidly expanding palette of technologic capabilities to deliver evidence-based programs through the Internet in ways that are both individualized and cost-effective. There is evidence that behavior change programs delivered via the Internet, using data provided by users, can be highly effective.4–7 Yet, in spite of a surge of technologic capability, the corresponding research and evaluation methodologies have not kept pace with the rapid evolution and proliferation of health information and communication technologies. Nor has the dissemination of effective eHealth interventions achieved the level of penetration one might have hoped, given the number of people who now possess access to the Internet.
Sharing behavior and racial preference in children

Three groups of white children, 43 preschoolers and first-graders, 46 third-graders, and 44 fifth-graders, were asked to choose either a white child or a black child as a recipient of sharing and also as a companion for several social interaction situations ordered for social distance. The preschoolers and first-graders preferred to share and interact socially with the white child. The third-graders and the fifth-graders displayed a weaker preference for the white child over the black child on the sharing task, no preference in situations of high social distance, and a preference for the white child in situations of low social distance. The results from ancillary measures suggested that the choices of the younger children were motivated by a generalized color preference but that the choices of the older children were guided by an awareness of the social meaning of racial categories.
Effects of Host Plant on the Predator-Prey Cycle of Zetzellia mali (Acari: Stigmaeidae) and Its Prey

Population counts of Zetzellia mali (Ewing) and its prey, Aculus schlechtendali (Nalepa), Panonychus ulmi (Koch), and Tetranychus urticae Koch on ‘Delicious’ apple trees were studied to determine what factor(s) regulates predator-prey oscillations. Four interrelated factors were considered: leaf nutrients, soil moisture, leaf conditioning, and growth of the apple leaves. It was observed that prey populations initially increased when the trees added new leaves. Soon thereafter, the predator, Z. mali , increased its numerical response. The combined effect of predation and leaf conditioning caused a decline in the prey populations. With fewer prey available, the numerical response of Z. mali decreased. Leaf nutrients, soil moisture, and leaf conditioning affected the number of phytophagous mites on the trees. The overall predator-prey cycle, however, was not affected.
Insulin-stimulated MAP-2 kinase phosphorylates and activates ribosomal protein S6 kinase II

Ribosomal protein S6 is a component of the eukaryotic 40S ribosomal subunit that becomes phosphorylated on multiple serine residues in response to a variety of mitogens, including insulin, growth factors, and transforming proteins of many oncogenic viruses. Recently, an activated S6 kinase (S6 KII) has been purified to homogeneity from Xenopus eggs1, and characterized immunologically2 and at the molecular level3. Purified S6 KII can be deactivated in vitro by incubation with either protein phosphatase 1 or protein phosphatase 2A. Reactivation and phosphorylation of S6 KII occurs in vitro with an insulin-stimulated micro-tubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) protein kinase which is itself a phosphoprotein that can be deactivated by protein phosphatase 2A. These studies suggest that a step in insulin signalling involves sequential activation by phosphorylation of at least two serine/threonine protein kinases.
Structure of the low-lying intrinsic states in 156Eu.

Microscopic structures of the low-lying nonrotational (intrinsic) states in the odd-odd nucleus $_{63}^{156}\mathrm{Eu}_{93}$ are investigated using the quasiparticle-phonon nuclear model Hamiltonian including the pairing, quadrupole-quadrupole, octupole-octupole, and residual p-n interactions. The extent of vibrational admixtures to the two-quasiparticle configurations and the intrinsic matrix elements of electric octupole operator for the ``same K opposite parity'' bands are examined to conclude that, contrary to some recent suggestions, the low-energy $^{156}\mathrm{Eu}$ spectrum does not contain ``parity doublets'' characteristic of reflection asymmetric shapes, in contrast with the structures seen in $^{152}\mathrm{Eu}$ and $^{154}\mathrm{Eu}$.
Secondary nucleation that leads to chiral symmetry breaking in stirred crystallization

Abstract We have recently reported the breaking of chiral symmetry in stirred crystallization. One of the most important aspect of the mechanism that leads to the symmetry breaking is the phenomenon of secondary nucleation. The empirical expressions currently used for the rates of secondary nucleation are not based on a clear physical model. We present here some experimental observations on NaClO3 crystallization that gives us a physical model to develop an expression for the rates. Such expressions are important for a quantitative and statistical understanding of the phenomenon of chiral symmetry breaking in stirred crystallization.
Coupled second-harmonic generation, surface plasmon resonance and AC impedance studies of full and partial monolayers in (Au, Ag)-alkanethiolate electrolyte systems

Optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) has been coupled with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and AC impedance measurements to probe Ag and Au electrolyte interfaces in the presence of full and partial alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) at potentials within the double layer charging region. Both SHG and AC impedance measurements of the Ag/alkanethiolate/electrolyte systems have been performed for alkanethiols with different chain lengths (CnH2n+1SH, n=8,12,16). The capacitance of the alkanethiolate SAMs is found to vary inversely with alkanethiol chain length, as expected, permitting direct determination of the dielectric constants for all films. The potential dependence of the second harmonic (SH) signal from metal/SAM/electrolyte systems is found to be much weaker than that from bare Ag or Au, a result explained in terms of a series capacitor model for the SAM-double layer combination. The coverage dependent SH signal intensity from Au/alkanethiolate/electrolyte systems has been measured. Ozonolysis is used to obtain partially covered hexedecanethiolate monolayer on Au surfaces, with the coverage being controlled by the O3 exposure time and monitored by shifts in the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) position. A linear relationship between the film coverage and SH intensity has been observed with SH response increasing with decreasing coverage. The SH behavior for partial monolayers is dominated by the change in the DC electric field caused by SAM formation.
The Acquisition of Semantics-Syntax Correspondences and Verb Frequencies in ESL Materials.

This article provides an analysis of the frequency of verbs and their syntactic requirements in Interchange (Richards et al., 1991), a popular series of textbooks for English as a second language (ESL). Current theoretical approaches to verb classes permit a fine-grained crosslinguistic description of differences in semantics-syntax correspondences for verbs; in this article, transitive verbs are split into five subcategories and intransitives are split into two categories. A corpus analysis of Interchange suggests that ESL materials may under-represent some of the verb classes that are known to cause learners difficulty. These findings suggest that weak contrastive analysis and a more careful consideration of syntactic properties of verbs could be useful to teachers and materials writers.
Returning to school for higher returns

Abstract On the basis of those respondents in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) who change jobs with an intervening period of education reinvestment, the conventional assumption of linearity of log wages in years of schooling is strongly rejected: a typical reinvestment for the 1980 through 1993 period is associated with a rise of about 3.5 percentage points in the estimated return to an additional year of schooling. The estimated marginal rate of return generally rises in the former education level, and reaches the maximum at 15 years of the former level (therefore 16 years of education after reinvestment), where an additional year of investment is associated with a rise in real hourly rate of pay by approximately 20%. Evidence also shows that, while the level of individuals’ risk tolerance affects significantly the probability of returning to school, correcting for sample selectivity makes little difference in the results. Findings in the current paper survive a variety of robustness tests. The current cohort-based evidence is more helpful than existing evidence from cross-sectional data to individuals making schooling decisions.
CHARACTERIZATION OF CEMENT-BASED MATERIALS USING DIFFUSE ULTRASOUND

The objective of this research is to develop a quantitative understanding of the propagation of ultrasonic waves in cement-based materials by examining specimens made of a portland cement-paste matrix and glass bead “aggregate.” The incident ultrasonic waves are broadband and contain wavelengths on the order of the glass bead scatterers. Experimentally measured ultrasonic waves are interpreted using diffusion theory to quantitatively measure dissipation and diffusion coefficients as functions of frequency and microstructure. These results provide a basic understanding of the effect of some features of the microstructure on the propagation of ultrasonic waves, as well as supplying a first step in the characterization of distributed damage using ultrasonic methodologies.
Conduction studies along the accessory, long thoracic, dorsal scapular, and thoracodorsal nerves

Latencies to the trapezius (upper and lower portion), serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi and rhomboid muscles were evaluated in 66 subjects. There was a significant relation between latencies and conduction distances to the rhomboid, to the trapezius and to the serraturs anterior muscles but not to the latissimus dorsi muscle, probably due to differences in the organization of the endplate regions in the muscles in question.
Metoprolol-induced visual hallucinations: a case series

Metoprolol is a widely used beta-adrenergic blocker that is commonly prescribed for a variety of cardiovascular syndromes and conditions. While central nervous system adverse effects have been well-described with most beta-blockers (especially lipophilic agents such as propranolol), visual hallucinations have been only rarely described with metoprolol. Case 1 was an 84-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of hypertension and osteoarthritis, who suffered from visual hallucinations which she described as people in her bedroom at night. They would be standing in front of the bed or sitting on chairs watching her when she slept. Numerous medications were stopped before her physician realized the metoprolol was the causative agent. The hallucinations resolved only after discontinuation of this medication. Case 2 was a 62-year-old Caucasian man with an inferior wall myocardial infarction complicated by cardiac arrest, who was successfully resuscitated and discharged from the hospital on metoprolol. About 18 months after discharge, he related to his physician that he had been seeing dead people at night. He related his belief that since he 'had died and was brought back to life', he was now seeing people from the after-life. Upon discontinuation of the metoprolol the visual disturbances resolved within several days. Case 3 was a 68 year-old Caucasian woman with a history of severe hypertension and depression, who reported visual hallucinations at night for years while taking metoprolol. These included awakening during the night with people in her bedroom and seeing objects in her room turn into animals. After a new physician switched her from metoprolol to atenolol, the visual hallucinations ceased within four days. We suspect that metoprolol-induced visual hallucinations may be under-recognized and under-reported. Patients may frequently fail to acknowledge this adverse effect believing that they are just dreaming, or may be embarrassed to report visions that they feel will not be perceived by others to be real. Similarly, healthcare providers can also fail to recognize this visual toxicity or attribute visual hallucinations to concurrent illness or other medications. Clinicians must maintain diligent surveillance when managing patients receiving this drug.
A mathematical investigation of the biomechanical effects of simulated periodontal surgery.

Through the use of a three-dimensional finite-element model of a dried human mandible, the stress and strain fields developed in localized tooth-loaded regions of the mandible, both before and after osseous surgery, were investigated. It is shown that simulated osseous surgery results in a significant increase In stress and strain concentration in the bone overlying periodontally involved teeth treated by osteoectomy, as compared with the natural condition. Predicted strain distributions on the buccal surface of the mandible are compared with experimental data to indicate the degree of correlation between model predictions and test results.
A High-Order Godunov Method for Multiple Condensed Phases

Presented in this work is a nonlinear adaptive nonreflecting boundary condition (NRBC) that, when compared with classical local NRBCs, further reduces the wave reflection error at far fields in the numerical simulation of wave dominated problems. A nonlinear procedure can considerably improve the accuracy of NRBCs even if the problem itself is linear as in the case of the 2D wave equation. In fact the first- and second-order NRBCs of Engquist and Majda can be modified by adding proper weights to the coefficients of the difference equations. The weights are adaptively determined in such a way that the angle of complete absorption is locally coincident with the outgoing wave direction. The theoretical reflection coefficients and the numerical experiments show that a considerable reduction of the numerical error due to wave reflections is achieved by applying the present adaptive algorithm.
The fine structure of fibers and crystalline polymers. III. Interpretation of the mechanical properties of fibers

The mechanics of extension of plant fibers is considered in terms of a spiral arrangement of crystalline fibrils embedded in a noncrystalline matrix. Deformation may take place either by stretching of the fibrils or by extension such as that of a spiral spring. In the latter, the major resistance comes from the reduction in volume. The extension mechanism predominates for low spiral angles; the spring mechanism, for high spiral angles. There is reasonable agreement between the theoretical expressions and experimental results. The application of similar ideas to other types of fiber structure is considered.
Algebra of Dempster-Shafer evidence accumulation

In this work we focus on the relationship between the Dempster-Shafer (DS) and Bayesian evidence accumulation. While it is accepted that the DS theory is, in a certain sense, a generalization of the probability theory, the approaches vary in several important respects, including the treatment of uncertain information and the way the evidence is combined, making direct comparison of results of the two analyses difficult. In this work we ameliorate these difficulties by proposing a mathematical framework within which the relationship between the two methods can be made precise. The findings of the investigation elucidate the role uncertainty plays in the DS theory and enable evaluation of relative fitness of the two techniques for practical data fusion scenarios.
Photophysical processes and their role in polymer photochemistry

ABSTRACT Elementary photophysical processes, well defined in the field of small molecules are discussed in a polymer context. Examples of most of these processes have been adduced for specific polymers. Intramolecular energy migration is of particular importance in linear vinyl-ring polymers. The relationships between photophysical processes and photochemical processes such as polymer photodegradation are stressed.