cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alzheimer’s Detection through 3D Convolutional Neural Networks

To inform a proper diagnosis and understanding of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), deep learning has emerged as an alternate approach for detecting physical brain changes within magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The advancement of deep learning within biomedical imaging, particularly in MRI scans, has proven to be an efficient resource for abnormality detection while utilizing convolutional neural networks (CNN) to perform feature mapping within multilayer perceptrons. In this study, we aim to test the feasibility of using three-dimensional convolutional neural networks to identify neurophysiological degeneration in the entire-brain scans that differentiate between AD patients and controls. In particular, we propose and train a 3D-CNN model to classify between MRI scans of cognitively-healthy individuals and AD patients. We validate our proposed model on a large dataset composed of more than seven hundred MRI scans (half AD). Our results show a validation accuracy of 79% which is at par with the current state-of-the-art. The benefits of our proposed 3D network are that it can assist in the exploration and detection of AD by mapping the complex heterogeneity of the brain, particularly in the limbic system and temporal lobe. The goal of this research is to measure the efficacy and predictability of 3D convolutional networks in detecting the progression of neurodegeneration within MRI brain scans of HC and AD patients.
Photoinduced 1,2-dicarbofunctionalization of alkenes with organotrifluoroborate nucleophiles via radical/polar crossover

Alkene 1,2-dicarbofunctionalizations are highly sought-after transformations as they enable a rapid increase of molecular complexity in one synthetic step. Traditionally, these conjunctive couplings proceed through the intermediacy of alkylmetal species susceptible to deleterious pathways including β-hydride elimination and protodemetalation. Herein, an intermolecular 1,2-dicarbofunctionalization using alkyl N-(acyloxy)phthalimide redox-active esters as radical progenitors and organotrifluoroborates as carbon-centered nucleophiles is reported. This redox-neutral, multicomponent reaction is postulated to proceed through photochemical radical/polar crossover to afford a key carbocation species that undergoes subsequent trapping with organoboron nucleophiles to accomplish the carboallylation, carboalkenylation, carboalkynylation, and carboarylation of alkenes with regio- and chemoselective control. The mechanistic intricacies of this difunctionalization were elucidated through Stern–Volmer quenching studies, photochemical quantum yield measurements, and trapping experiments of radical and ionic intermediates.
Poverty Pimping: The Exoneration and Shift of Prosecution from Jane Doe to Johns

It has been said that pimping is not easy, but the author contests that antiquated anecdote. Pimping is easy when the criminal justice system criminalizes exploited women who prostitute while allowing pimps and “johns” to elude penal sanctions. Society looks at prostitution and deduces the profession as a mere choice among other palatable opportunities. Prostitution falls under the umbrella of vice crimes, which are considered crimes with no victims. However, society fails to recognize the socioeconomic factors that victimize everyday women. Factors such as the increase in female heads of household, the twenty-percent income wage gap for women, gender biases, and women traditionally majoring in courses of study that do not yield high incomes create a perfect storm that is conducive for women to turn profits by turning themselves out. This author proposes to eradicate the institution of prostitution by having the criminal justice system penalize the exploiters rather than the exploited and engaging in a real dialogue that addresses the issues plaguing women who prostitute. Society would be remised to continually turn a blind eye and an upward nose to the women who are wrongly stigmatized for engaging in prostitution. Prostitution, for many, is not a scheme to get rich. It is a mere means of survival. Hunger in the eyes of a mother’s child will push her to the limits and spark innovations that lead down a path of societal deviations. No one needs an extensive resume or strict hours of availability to prostitute. Unfortunately, the corner is one of the few employment opportunities that is always hiring and ready to take full advantage of society’s most vulnerable. Some advocate to regulate the business of prostitution as a solution to cure some of the ills involved. The system fails to recognize a victim because the objective eyes of the law only see an unlawful contract for sex. The only victims that are recognized in the grand scheme of the prostitution vice crime are morality and public health. Nonetheless, an in-depth analysis of the social forces that contribute to women leading in the business of selling sex for survival is necessary to have society rethink its position on prostitution.
Infinitely many sign-changing solutions to a conformally invariant integral equation on Rn

Abstract In this work we consider the Euler–Lagrange equation for the critical points of a functional related to the conformal exponent case of the classical Hardy–Littlewood–Sobolev inequality. By lifting the problem to the sphere and leveraging the symmetries of the lifted problem, the existence of an unbounded sequence of sign-changing solutions is established. As a consequence, the existence of an unbounded sequence of sign-changing solutions to a non linear system of equations involving the fractional Laplacian is obtained.
Complexity of monotone networks for computing conjunctions

Let $F_1$, $F_2$,..., $F_m$ be a set of Boolean functions of the form $F_i$ = $\wedge$ {x$\in X_i$}, where $\wedge$ denotes conjunction and each $X_i$ is a subset of a set X of n Boolean variables. We study the size of monotone Boolean networks for computing such sets of functions. We exhibit anomalous sets of conujunctions whose smallest monotone networks contain disjunctions. We show that if |$F_i$| is sufficiently small for all i, such anomalies cannot happen. We exhibit sets of m conjunctions in n unknowns which require $c_2$m$\alpha$(m,n) binary conjunctions, where $\alpha$(m,n) is a very slowly growing function related to a functional inverse of Ackermann''s function. This class of examples shows that an algorithm given in [STAN-CS-75-512] for computing functions defined on paths in trees is optimum to within a constant factor.
Herbicide Resistant Plants, Production of

Introduction Resistance to Imidazolinone, Sulfonyl Urea, and Related Herbicides Resistance to Glutamine Synthetase Inhibitor Herbicides Resistance to Acetyl Coenzyme A Carboxylase Inhibiting Herbicides Resistance to Photosystem II Inhibiting Herbicides Resistance to 2,4-D and Related Herbicides Glyphosate-Resistant Plants Utilization of Herbicide Tolerance Acknowledgments Bibliography Keywords: genetic engineering; ethics; glyphosate
On the Equilibrium Equations of Poro-Elasticity

In this report, I derive the equations that govern the equilibrium (static) behavior of a porous material. I assume that on a microscopic scale (e.g., “grain size” in the case of a porous rock) the material consists of an elastic solid and fluid-filled pores. I “average” the equations governing the microscopic behavior to obtain equations on a larger, “macroscopic” scale (e.g., size of a core sample in the case of a porous rock). This averaging procedure is called “homogenization.” If the porous material is homogenous and isotrophic on the macroscopic scale then three parameters appear in the macroscopic stress-strain relations; two of these parameters are analogous to the usual Lame parameters of elasticity; the third parameter is associated with the pore pressure. I also explicitly solve the macroscopic equations for a cylinder. This solution can be used to experimentally determine the parameters which govern the behavior of the porous material.
The selective proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib synergizes with the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor vorinostat in preclinical models of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and solid tumors

AACR Centennial Conference: Translational Cancer Medicine-- July 20-23, 2008; Monterey, CA A43 Carfilzomib is a first in class tetrapeptide epoxyketone proteasome inhibitor with selectivity for the chymotrypsin-like active site. Carfilzomib has demonstrated promising safety and anti-tumor activity in Phase I and is currently in Phase II clinical studies in multiple myeloma and solid tumors (Alsin. M. et. al., Blood (ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts), Nov 2007; 110: Abstract 411.) . Combinations of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor vorinostat, which is approved for the treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL), and proteasome inhibitors results in a synergistic increase in apoptosis in hematologic tumor cell lines. This enhanced activity corresponds to alterations in cell cycle regulation, increased oxidative stress and induction of the unfolded protein response (Marks. P. et. al.,Oncogene. 2007 Feb 26;26(9):1351-6 7). To establish the potential synergy of vorinostat and carfilzomib we initially assessed these agents in immunocompromised (BNX) mice bearing tumor xenografts of the RL (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) cell line. Single agent carfilzomib mediated an anti-tumor response in this model but only at its MTD (5 mg/kg). BNX mice with established tumors were treated with carfilzomib, administered on the dose schedule currently being employed in phase II trials (QDx2 repeated weekly), vorinostat, administered daily for 5 consecutive days and repeated weekly, or a combination of the two agents. We chose a sub-MTD dose of carfilzomib (3 mg/kg) in order to assess enhanced anti-tumor activity in vivo. The combination therapy induced a 48% reduction in tumor growth, as compared to vehicle treated animals, while neither single agent induced a significant anti-tumor response. Toxicity, as measured by weight loss, was similar amongst the treatment groups suggesting that the combination was well tolerated in experimental animals. We extended these findings of synergistic anti-tumor activity in our hematologic tumor model to in vitro studies with ovarian (ES-2) and renal (786-O) tumor cell lines. Synergistic cytotoxic effects, as indicated by combination index (CI) values of 0.35 and 0.76, were noted in the ES-2 and 786-O cell lines, respectively. Taken together, these data suggest that the combination vorinostat and carfilzomib is active across multiple tumor histotypes and is well tolerated and efficacious in mouse models of human tumors. Our findings support further preclinical investigation and clinical testing of this therapeutic regimen in both hematologic and solid tumor malignancies.
"Walking the Walk": Decisional Capacity Deficits After Right Hemisphere Subdural Hematoma.

Executive functions include the cognitive abilities of planning, initiating, sequencing, and monitoring complex, goal-directed behavior. Executive functions play an important role in the capacity to make medical decisions, which entails meeting the well-known 4-prong criteria of consistent choice, factual understanding, appreciation of risks, and rational thought process. However, in patients with right hemisphere lesions that lead to perceptual and behavioral aberrations outside the verbal domain, clinically significant executive dysfunction may be more difficult to detect during a capacity evaluation. We report the case of Mr. Z, who had a right frontoparietal subdural hematoma (SDH; who appeared capable of having the capacity to decide to live at home alone) in which further right hemisphere testing elucidated nonverbal impediments to his decisional capacity.
Ignorancia, conocimiento y poder: El corte de la madera, el tráfico ilegal y las políticas forestales en México

Academic and popular stereotypes of the state have assumed that official power and knowledge go hand in hand. In an institutional ethnography of the Mexican environment agency, Semarnap, the author show that ignorance and complicity may be as important as knowledge in asserting state power. Official ignorance of illegal firewood cutting and logging is deployed both within and outside state forestry institutions. Official knowledge and ignorance justify state power and are entrenched by the daily practices of bureaucrats. A closer attention to the production and translation of knowledge within state institutions leads to a more nuanced understanding of various forms of obscurity and ignorance which accompany official knowledge claims.
Letter to the Editor-A Multicommodity Max-Flow Algorithm

Some simplifications occur when the theory of Kornai and Liptak is applied to the multicommodity max-flow problem. This note describes the resulting algorithm and comments on some of its properties; it is flexible, easy to code, and involves simple computations. However, the technique is recommended for suboptimization because of its poor convergence properties.
A FORTRAN program for the statistical analysis of incomplete time series data sets by a method of partition

A program written in FORTRAN-77 which executes an analysis for periodicity of a time series data set is presented. Time series analysis now has applicability and use in a wide range of biomedical studies. The analytical method termed here a method of partition is derived from periodogram analysis, but uses the principle of analysis of variance (ANOVA). It is effective when used on incomplete data sets. An example in which a data set is made progressively more incomplete by the random removal of values demonstrates this, and a listing of the program and a sample output in both an abbreviated and a full version are given.
Temperature and concentration dependence of SiC deposition on Nicalon fibers

Abstract Chemical vapor infiltration of Nicalon™ fiber bundles (approximately 500 filaments) was studied using methyltrichlorosilane to form the SiC matrix. The operating conditions were chosen to simulate those used in composite fabrication. It was determined that the deposition reaction has an activation energy of 66±20 kJ mol -1 and is first order with respect to reactant concentration.
Convergence of difference methods for one-dimensional inverse problems

We consider the one-dimensional inverse problem of reflection seismology. An impulsive plane wave in pressure is applied to toe surface of a stratified elastic half space and the resulting particle velocity is measured at the surface. The characteristic impedance of the medium is to be recovered as a function of travel time. We study two methods for the numerical solution of the inverse problem. One method la a discretization of the Gopinath-Sondhi integral equation. The other is a downward continuation method. Both methods are exact for so-called Goupilllaud-tayered media. Both use second-order difference schemes to reconstruct a solution of the system of partial differential equations governing motion in the medium. A formally second-order accurate equation based on the theory of propagation of singularities is used to recover the impedance. We prove that these two methods are second-order convergent for smoothly stratified media by analyzing the discretization of the Gopinath-Sondhi integral equation.
Energy accommodation and reactivity of O 2 on tungsten

We have determined by direct molecular beam velocity measurements that translational energy accommodation of O2 molecules scattered from a hot polycrystalline tungsten target is inefficient at high surface temperatures. Translational energy accommodation is inefficient whether the surface is clean or covered with oxygen to a varying extent, even though in the latter case the scattering is diffuse. On a clean tungsten surface the scattering of the O2 was approximately specular and the reaction probability of O2 was constant and greater than 90% over the temperature range 1000K to 2800 K. It was shown by simultaneous helium scattering that atomic surface roughness of an oxygen chemilayer, rather than trapping, is a major cause of the observed diffuse scattering of oxygen. At the lowest surface temperature of 1000 K, with an oxygen chemilayer present, the velocity of the most probable number density of the scattered O2 was lower than in the incoming beam or than that expected for complete equilibration with the surface.
A Pilot Program in Collaboration with Community Centers to Increase Awareness and Participation in Skin Cancer Screening Among Latinos in Chicago

Although White populations are more frequently affected by skin cancer, recent studies have highlighted late-stage presentations in Latinos [1-6]. Diagnosis in these individuals often occurs once tumors are thicker or have metastasized [1-6]. An essential part of improving survival rates is early detection yet our group recently described low levels of physician skin examinations and education on self-skin examinations in Chicago Latino communities [7]. Lay health workers (LHWs) may assist in health education by serving as a connector between health care providers and health care consumers. They are not medical professionals but have undergone a defined health education curriculum organized by a local community center. LHWs have been found to be effective educators in underserved Spanish-speaking communities where they have delivered multiple cancer education programs [8]. This pilot study examined using Spanish-speaking LHWs to educate the public about skin cancer, perform focused skin examinations, and encourage community members to attend physician skin screenings in underserved Latino communities in Chicago.
Studies in Nuclear Astrophysics with an Optical Readout TPC (O-TPC) at HIγS

An Optical Readout Time Projection Chamber (O-TPC) operating with the gas mixture of CO2(80%) + N2(20%) at 100 torr with gamma beams from the HIγS facility of TUNL at Duke University were used to study the formation of carbon and oxygen during helium burning. Measurements were carried out with circularly polarized gamma-ray beams at energies: Eγ = 9.08, 9.38, 9.58, 9.78, 10.08, 10.38 and 10.68 MeV. We have begun the process of extracting complete angular distributions for the 16O(γ, α)12C reaction and the 12C(γ, 3α) reaction (eventually with energy bins of approximately 100 keV) in order to determine the values of SE1, SE2 and the mixing phase 12 of the 16O(γ, α)12C reaction. The rate of carbon formation at high temperatures (T > 3 GK) was suggested to increase due to contributions from a higher lying 2+ state. We have measured an angular distribution of (essentially) pure E2 transition at Eγ = 9.78 MeV of the 12C(γ, 3α) reaction, providing conclusive evidence for the elusive 2+2 state in 12C.
Sphingolipid regulation of female gonadal cell apoptosis

Ceramide and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) are sphingosine-based lipid signaling molecules that have been implicated as key mediators of cellular growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. The cellular response depends on cell type, on the absence or presence of other signals initiated by the same or another stimulus, and on the subcellular location of sphingomyelin hydrolysis leading to ceramide generation. Consistent with mounting evidence implicating components of the sphingomyelin pathway as mediators of cellular life and death in nonreproductive tissues, recent data have indicated that sphingolipid-based signaling events are also prominent features of cellular development and apoptosis in the fetal and postnatal female gonads. This area of investigation represents a new research avenue of considerable significance for both basic biology and clinical medicine because of the massive levels of developmental death that occur normally in the female germ line, especially during gametogenesis, as well as of the central role of oocyte apoptosis in female gonadal failure resulting from pathologic insults.
Suppression and recovery of mouse killing in rats following immediate lithium-chloride injections

Immediate LiCl injections temporarily suppressed rats’ mouse killing. The LiCl dosage used to suppress killing was the same as that previously used to produce taste aversion learning in rats. The suppression of mouse killing was not due to the injection procedure alone or to the residual physiological effects of LiCl. These results indicate that toxic drugs can be used to suppress behaviors other than eating and drinking.
Soybean Futures Crush Spread Arbitrage: Trading Strategies and Market Efficiency

This paper revisits the soybean crush spread arbitrage work of Simon (1999) by studying a longer time period, wider variety of entry and exit limits, and the risk-return relationship between entry and exit limits. The lengths of winning and losing trades are found to differ systematically, with winning trades significantly shorter on average than losing trades. Exiting trades near the 5- day moving average is shown to improve trade performance relative to a reversal of sign and magnitude from the entry spread. These results lead to trading rules designed to prevent lengthy trades; however, the profitability of trading rules is found to be unstable.
Functions with Compact Preimages of Compact Sets

(1997). Functions with Compact Preimages of Compact Sets. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 70, No. 5, pp. 362-364.
The effects of undernutrition and refeeding on metabolism and digestive function.

Purpose of review An intimate interrelationship exists between nutritional status and gut function. This review focuses on the consequences of a poor nutritional state on metabolism and digestive function, and evaluates the effects of refeeding. Recent findings Severe undernutrition has been associated with increased fat and protein catabolism, reflected by a decreased respiratory quotient. Resting energy expenditure assessed in relationship to body weight was increased, probably as a consequence of changes in body composition. Protein synthesis, expressed per kg body weight, was decreased in undernourished patients with coexistent disease, but not in anorexia nervosa patients, indicating the detrimental effects of disease states. Severe undernutrition is associated with malabsorption, which improves following refeeding. Despite a high prevalence of villous atrophy in the duodenal mucosa in undernourished patients, mucosal protein fractional synthesis rates appeared normal. Refeeding resulted in a potent trophic response, and normalization of the mucosal morphology. Gastric and pancreatic secretion was significantly impaired by the undernourished state, with significant improvement following refeeding. Summary Undernutrition is associated with impairment of digestive function, which is likely to further aggravate the nutritional state. Refeeding corrects this dysfunction, and results in disruption of this vicious circle.
Structural conservation of Notch receptors and ligands

The Notch signalling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved cell-to-cell communication system utilized multiple times and in many tissues during development. The outcome of an interaction between Notch and its ligands is highly influenced by factors both extrinsic and intrinsic to Notch expressing cells, suggesting that Notch functions either directly or in parallel with other signalling systems to regulate cellular differentiation events. Protein domains common to all ligands and receptors of this system suggest conserved functional properties that likely relate to regulatory mechanisms for Notch signalling. Within this review, the known functional properties of these domains are analyzed with respect to their contributions to ligand/receptor interactions and Notch signalling.
Burden Sharing Among America and Its Allies: Tests of Collective Choice and Their Significance:

The "boom" times of the early 1980s are over as far as American spending on defense is concerned. The armed forces will not receive increases in funding and may experience declines. The lack of money means that hard choices will have to be made. It will not be possible for the U.S. to modernize its strategic forces, acquire the array of new weapons system, conventional and nuclear, needed to implement NATO's deterrence/war-fighting strategy, and at the same time prepare the armed forces for Third World conflicts that would require low-intensity operations against extremist regimes or insurgencies. Indeed, hard choices would still have to be made even if the necessary political will were found to kill several large and expensive weapons systems, e.g., the B2 bomber or the midgetman missile. The changes in force structure implied by recent defense budgets suggest that certain tentative decisions have been made. It appears that the Department of Defense's primary commitments continue to be meeting the threat of a conventional attack by Warsaw Pact forces on the NATO Central Front and strategic nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union and that it has deemphasized serious planning and force restructuring that could handle less extreme, but more likely, threats elsewhere. Contrary to the preferences of many in the Administration who would prefer to see increased attention given to Central American, the Pacific, and the Indian Ocean, the defense budget continues to emphasize Europe. Every one of the American army's heavy tank divisions earmarked for Europe remains intact, as does full funding for the production of tanks and fighting vehicles. In contrast, the Army's plan to add an additional light infantry division equipped for operations in the tropics has been scrapped; furthermore, two existing light infantry brigades are being demobilized.
Diffractive daylighting: ways to obtain wide-angular-range, large-efficiency, near-achromatic operation

'Daylighting' is the name for any technique which brings as much daylight as possible deep into an architectural space. This paper describes how this can be done with the use of diffractive structures, it points out the design advantages and disadvantages of various structures and gives results obtained with some prototypes. The prototypes are highly efficient over a wide angular range, produce near achromatic light and are relief structures, which allow for inexpensive reproduction by embossing.
Thermal and structural properties of unusual starches from developmental corn lines

Abstract Starches from exotic corn lines were screened by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to find thermal properties that were significantly different from those exhibited by starches from normal Corn Belt lines. Two independent gelatinization transitions, one corresponding to the melting of a peak at ∼66 °C and the other to a peak melting at ∼69 °C, were found in some starches. The melting characteristics were traced to two separate types of granules within the endosperm. Strong correlations were found between DSC properties and proportion of large granules with equivalent diameter ≥17 μm. Starches with a lower peak onset gelatinization temperature (ToG), had a lower normalized concentration of chains with a degree of polymerization (dp) of 15–24 and/or a greater normalized concentration of chains with a dp of 6–12. These studies will aid in understanding structure–thermal property relationships of starches, and in identifying corn lines of interest for commercial breeding.
Minimizing Object Strain Energy for Coordination of Multiple Robotic Mechanisms

This paper discusses the force distribution problem in coordination of multiple robotic mechanisms. To define the more physically motivated criterion in choosing internal forces, the relationship between the elastic strain energy stored in the object and the forces and moments applied by robotic mechanisms is discussed. Based on the several assumptions, it is shown that the elastic strain energy of object is represented as a quadratic form of the forces and moments. We propose to minimize the object strain energy in choosing the internal forces and moments. The minimal strain energy criterion is identical to the minimal force criterion when all the spring constants of object are uniform at all the contact points and all the directions of each contact point. The algorithms for the minimal strain energy criterion are proposed for both of the case where each robotic manipulator grasps the object rigidly and the case where robotic fingers grasp the object with frictional point contacts.
An irreversible cohesive zone model for interface fatigue crack growth simulation

Abstract Fatigue crack growth (FCG) along an interface is studied. Instead of using the Paris equation, the actual process of material separation during FCG is described by the use of an irreversible constitutive equation for the cyclic interface traction–separation behavior within the cohesive zone model (CZM) approach. In contrast to past development of CZMs, the traction–separation behavior does not follows a predefined path. The model definition, its predicted cyclic material separation behavior and application to a numerical study of interface FCG in double-cantilever beam, end-loaded split and mixed-mode beam specimens are reported.
Migration: An Introduction

This is the sixth annual special issue of the Annals of the Association of American Geographers. These special issues allow the four section editors to highlight themes of international significanc...
Professionalism and Social Control in the Progressive Era: The Case of the Flexner Report

It is proposed that the Progressive Era (about 1890-1914) saw the emergence of many occupational groups claiming professional status as experts in the control of a variety of social problems. The medical profession is only one of a number of such groups, albeit the most successful in advancing its claims. The Flexner Report (Flexner, 1910) is reviewed as one example of the role elite members of the occupational group played in achieving higher status for the occupation.
Model of early self-replication based on covalent complementarity for a copolymer of glycerate-3-phosphate and glycerol-3-phosphate

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate acts as the substrate in a model of early self-replication of a phosphodiester copolymer of glycerate-3-phosphate and glycerol-3-phosphate. This model of self-replication is based on covalent complementarity in which information transfer is mediated by a single covalent bond, in contrast to multiple weak interactions that establish complementarity in nucleic acid replication. This replication model is connected to contemporary biochemistry through its use of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, a central metabolite of glycolysis and photosynthesis.
A Study on Human Activity Recognition Using Accelerometer Data from Smartphones

Abstract This paper describes how to recognize certain types of human physical activities using acceleration data generated by a user's cell phone. We propose a recognition system in which a new digital low-pass filter is designed in order to isolate the component of gravity acceleration from that of body acceleration in the raw data. The system was trained and tested in an experiment with multiple human subjects in real-world conditions. Several classifiers were tested using various statistical features. High-frequency and low-frequency components of the data were taken into account. We selected five classifiers each offering good performance for recognizing our set of activities and investigated how to combine them into an optimal set of classifiers. We found that using the average of probabilities as the fusion method could reach an overall accuracy rate of 91.15%.
Power transformer noise in residential areas

THE PROXIMITY OF humming electric equipment to dwellings is becoming a concern to the utility engineers. The main cause of this noise is the minute pulsation of the laminations submitted to a 60-cycle-per-second alternating flux. This phenomenon is called the magnetostriction and its intensity depends on the induction present in the steel.
Screening for malignant melanoma: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

Abstract Background: Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Increasing evidence suggests that screening for malignant melanoma is effective, but its cost-effectiveness has not been determined. Objective: We attempted to determine the effectiveness and costs of a visual screen to diagnose malignant melanoma in high-risk persons. Methods: We developed a decision analysis comparing no skin cancer screen with a single screen by a dermatologist. Clinical outcomes included malignant melanoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer, or no skin cancer. Life expectancy and costs of care were projected on the basis of clinical findings. Results: Skin cancer screening increased average discounted life expectancy from 15.0963 years to 15.0975 years. Based on the prevalence of malignant melanoma, however, this translates into an increased discounted life expectancy of 0.9231 years for each person with diagnosed melanoma. Using a cost of $30 per screen, total skin cancer–related costs for a cohort of 1 million people increased from $826 million with no screen to $861 million with screening, with an increase of 1200 years of life. This results in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $29,170 per year of life saved (YLS) with screening. Sensitivity analysis showed that the cost-effectiveness ratio for screening remained below $50,000/YLS if the prevalence of melanoma in the screened population was at least 0.0009, the probability that a melanoma detected in screening was localized was at least 94.8%, or the cost of each screen was below $57. Conclusion: Skin cancer screening in high-risk patients is likely to be associated with a small increase in discounted life expectancy and is reasonably cost-effective compared with other cancer screening strategies. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1999;41:738-45.)
Measurement of the electrical potential difference across the membrane of the ehrlich mouse ascites tumor cell

The electrical potential difference (PD) across the membrane of the Ehrlich mouse ascites tumor cell has been measured with intracellular microelectrodes. The mean for 111 cells in control Ringer solution was − 11.2 mV ± 0.29 (SE), interior negative. When sulfate replaced chloride in the external medium the PD fell to − 2.8 mV if measured as soon as possible after mixing the cells with a sulfate medium, but when nitrate replaced chloride the PD fell only to − 8.5 mV. Cells equilibrated in nitrate had the same PD as those in control Ringer. These results indicate that the PD is sensitive to changes in the external chloride concentration and that nitrate can substitute for chloride electrically. However, since the PD for chloride, based on the Nernst equation and calculated on the basis of 70% exchangeability of cell chloride, is three times greater than the measured PD, it is hypothesized that sodium contributes significantly to the membrane potential in addition to chloride. On the other hand, potassium does not influence the PD to any great extent.
Protein phosphorylation: localization in regenerating optic axons.

A number of axonal proteins display changes in phosphorylation during goldfish optic nerve regeneration (Larrivee and Grafstein, 1989). (1) To determine whether the phosphorylation of these proteins was closely linked to their synthesis in the retinal ganglion cell body, cycloheximide was injected intraocularly into goldfish whose optic nerves had been regenerating for 3 weeks. Cycloheximide reduced the incorporation of [3H]proline and32P orthophosphate into total nerve protein by 84% and 46%, respectively. Of the 20 individual proteins examined, 17 contained less than 15% of the [3H]proline label measured in corresponding controls, whereas 18 proteins contained 50% or more of the32P label, suggesting that phosphorylation was largely independent of synthesis. (2) To deterine whether the proteins were phosphorylated in the ganglion cell axons, axonal transport of proteins was blocked by intraocular injection of vincristine. Vincristine reduced [3H]proline labeling of total protein by 88% and32P labeling by 49%. Among the individual proteins [3H]proline labeling was reduced by 90% or more in 18 cases but32P labeling was reduced only by 50% or less. (3) When32P was injected into the cranial cavity near the ends of the optic axons, all of the phosphoproteins were labeled more intensely in the optic tract than in the optic nerve. These results suggest that most of the major phosphoproteins that undergo changes in phosphorylation in the course of regeneration are phosphorylated in the optic axons.
Basic and Clinical Aspects of Non-neuronal Acetylcholine: Biological and Clinical Significance of Non-canonical Ligands of Epithelial Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Mucocutaneous keratinocytes and bronchial epithelial cells express nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Emerging evidence indicates that nAChRs can be stimulated also by the tobacco-derived nitrosamines 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) that can induce tumors in laboratory animals. Nitrosamines may disturb the delicate balance between cell proliferation, growth arrest, and apoptosis. A novel paradigm of cell regulation via nAChR has been discovered in studies of SLURP (secreted mammalian Ly-6/urokinase plasminogen activator receptor-related protein)-1 and -2. Experimental results suggest that SLURP-1 and -2 regulate keratinocyte proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. Most importantly, SLURPs and professional nicotinic antagonists can abolish, in part, the abilities of NNK and NNN to cause tumorigenic transformation of immortalized keratinocytes. Learning the pharmacology of the nitrosamine vs. SLURP action on epithelial cells may help develop an effective anti-cancer treatment and prevention programs wherein hazardous effects of tobacco products are anticipated, or even abolished, by a pharmacologic ligand of the specific nicotinic receptor acting as an antidote.
Fugitive emission monitoring with open-path FTIR at Times Beach, Missouri, city park

During the cleanup of dioxin-contaminated soils from the Times Beach, Missouri, Superfund site, workers excavating a trench near the old City Park became nauseous from fumes emanating the excavation ditch. Investigations by US EPA and Missouri Department of Natural Resources found that approximately 12,000 square feet of soil was contaminated by toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. During the remediation of this site, Open-Path FTIR was used to monitor the perimeter of the excavation and stockpile areas. The air monitoring data was collected and screened on a near real time basis to ensure that off-site workers and the public were protected. This paper outlines the air monitoring procedures used during the project and the difficulties encountered while sampling at the site.
Nanoclay reinforced HDPE as a matrix for wood-plastic composites

Abstract This study was aimed at identifying the best approach of incorporating nanoclay into wood-plastic composites (WPCs) to enhance their mechanical properties. Two different methods of introducing nanoclays into HDPE-based WPCs were examined. The first method involved the reinforcement of HDPE matrix with nanoclay, which was then used as a matrix in the manufacture of the wood-plastic composites (melt blending process). The second method consisted of a direct addition of nanoclay into HDPE/wood-flour composites during conventional dry compounding (direct dry blending process). The mechanical properties of injection molded WPCs were characterized using flexural, tensile, and dynamic mechanical analysis tests. In addition, the effect of five different types of nanoclays on the mechanical properties of HDPE was examined to identify the most effective nanoclay type for wood-plastic composites. The degree of nanoclay intercalation in HDPE-based nanocomposites was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction method and transmission electron microscopy. The melt blending process, in which nanoclay/HDPE nanocomposite was used as matrix, appeared to be the best approach of incorporating nanoclay in WPCs. The experimental results indicated that the mechanical properties of HDPE/wood-flour composites could be significantly improved with an appropriate combination of the coupling agent content and nanoclay type in the composites.
Female Sexuality and Cultural Degradation in Enlightenment France: Medicine and Literature

Much of the work produced during the Enlightenment espoused the possibility of progress whether of science, medicine, technology, government or more grandly of humanity itself. There were those, ho...
Earth impactors: threat analysis and multistage intervention mission architecture

Earth impactors (EIs) pose a significant threat. Upon EI detection, a response mission is required. The proposed architecture is suitable for responding to 75% of EIs. For rapid response, the reconnaissance and the tactical nuclear intervener craft are launched in close succession. The extended response timeframe allows collected data analysis before launching an intervener craft to slowly shift the EI's orbit. A small spacecraft equipped with a radio science package, visual camera, multi-spectral imager, LIDAR and, optionally, a radar tomography sensor will be used for reconnaissance. Sensor tasking and control will be autonomous based on controller-supplied objectives.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Copper inhibition of glutathione reductase and its reversal with gold thiolates, thiol, and disulfide compounds

Abstract Yeast glutathione reductase was inhibited 50% by 1.0 μ m cupric sulfate. Pretreatment of the enzyme with reduced nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate was required to obtain the inhibition, which indicated a requirement for reduced protein sulfhydryl groups. It was suggested that copper was complexed with vicinal protein sulfhydryl groups as previously described for attachment of arsenite to glutathione reductase; both copper and sodium arsenite promoted the diaphorase activity of the enzyme. A number of thiol compounds reversed the inhibition; the most effective was d -penicillamine, which gave 50% reversal at 60 μ m . Gold sodium thiomalate and gold thioglucose as well as two disulfide compounds [5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid)] and [6,6′-dithiobis-(nicotinic acid)] also restored, in part, the activity of copper-inhibited enzyme. When the last two compounds were included in assay mixtures, the reaction product was not glutathione but was the mixed disulfide of glutathione with the corresponding thiol compound. In contrast to the mechanism of action of the thiol compounds, which involves complexing or reduction of the copper, evidence was presented that suggests that gold thiolates and disulfide compounds act as surrogate substrates for the inhibited enzyme, and in this way displace copper from it. That gold and disulfide compounds and d -penicillamine restore, in part, activity to copper-inhibited glutathione reductase was discussed in relationship to use of these compounds in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
A major ingredient of green tea rescues mice from lethal sepsis partly by inhibiting HMGB1

Background The pathogenesis of sepsis is mediated in part by bacterial endotoxin, which stimulates macrophages/monocytes to sequentially release early (e.g., TNF, IL-1, and IFN-γ) and late (e.g., HMGB1) pro-inflammatory cytokines. Our recent discovery of HMGB1 as a late mediator of lethal sepsis has prompted investigation for development of new experimental therapeutics. We previously reported that green tea brewed from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis is effective in inhibiting endotoxin-induced HMGB1 release. Methods and Findings Here we demonstrate that its major component, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), but not catechin or ethyl gallate, dose-dependently abrogated HMGB1 release in macrophage/monocyte cultures, even when given 2–6 hours post LPS stimulation. Intraperitoneal administration of EGCG protected mice against lethal endotoxemia, and rescued mice from lethal sepsis even when the first dose was given 24 hours after cecal ligation and puncture. The therapeutic effects were partly attributable to: 1) attenuation of systemic accumulation of proinflammatory mediator (e.g., HMGB1) and surrogate marker (e.g., IL-6 and KC) of lethal sepsis; and 2) suppression of HMGB1-mediated inflammatory responses by preventing clustering of exogenous HMGB1 on macrophage cell surface. Conclusions Taken together, these data suggest a novel mechanism by which the major green tea component, EGCG, protects against lethal endotoxemia and sepsis.
Two Outsiders’ View on Feminism and Evolutionary Psychology: An Opportune Time for Adversarial Collaboration

We see Smith and Konik’s (2011a) recent special issue of Sex Roles as a tremendous opportunity for feminist psychologists and evolutionary psychologists to begin a program of adversarial collaboration. In our view, adversarial collaboration offers a number of benefits that traditional scholarly exchanges do not. We optimistically believe that adversarial collaboration could help to resolve important theoretical and empirical disputes, increase the focus of research on actual areas of dispute (rather than perceived disagreements), and facilitate the integration of the heretofore opposed perspectives. We conclude by examining a dispute in our own field, intergroup relations, which suggests that traditional “reply-rejoinder” exchanges often fail to produce a constructive outcome.
Effect of aeration on gamma irradiation of house fly pupae.

When 3-day-old pupae of the house fly, Musca domestica L., were exposed to oxygen, carbon dioxide, and air during gamma irradiation, aeration had no effect on eclosion, but eclosion was reduced as much as 10% by exposure to 6000 R. The percentage sterility produced by the gamma rays in males and females was reduced by carbon dioxide. The other treatments had no apparent effect.
The Euro Crisis’ Theory Effect: Northern Saints, Southern Sinners, and the Demise of the Eurobond

Of the multiple narratives EU policymakers could have chosen at the onset of the euro crisis, why did austerity and structural reform win out over other plausible cures for member states’ problems? Arguably, sovereign debt pooling or more federalized economic governance would have been a solution to member states’ national deficits and competitiveness woes. To understand this puzzle, we draw on the sociology of knowledge literature. We argue that the response to the euro crisis was heavily informed by broader social logics that constructed the problem and the solution heavily toward ordoliberal and neoliberal ideas. Mapping the fate of the Eurobond proposals allows us to trace the complex entanglement of economic policy-making and parse out the ways in which social realities are shaped to make particular policy choices seem inevitable, even as they are themselves the product of social processes.