cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electromyographic Changes in the Gluteus Medius During Stair Ascent and Descent in Subjects with Anterior Knee Pain

Ascending and descending stairs is a provocative activity for anterior knee pain (AKP) patients. The gluteus medius (GM) acts on the lower extremity in the frontal plane and can affect forces at the knee. Determining activation patterns of the GM in patients with AKP can help identify efficacy of training the GM in this population. This study examined electromyographic (EMG) firing patterns in lower extremity muscles in subjects with AKP while ascending and descending stairs. Subjects in the AKP group (n=16) demonstrated general AKP for at least 2 months compared to the control group (n=12); neither group had any history of knee trauma. Subjects were instrumented with EMG electrodes on the vastus medialis oblique (VMO), vastus lateralis (VL), and GM. Retroreflective markers were placed on lower extremities to determine knee flexion angle, and frontal plane pelvis orientation at toe contact. Subjects then performed a series of five stair (height=18 cm) ascent and descent trials. Repeated measures analyses of variance were performed on EMG and kinematic variables, between the two groups and between the symptomatic and asymptomatic sides. In the AKP group the GM demonstrated delayed onset and shorter durations for stair ascent and shorter duration during descent. There were no significant differences between sides in the AKP group. Consistent with previous studies, subjects in the AKP group demonstrated no difference in the VMO onsets relative to VL onsets compared to the control group. Changes in neuromuscular activity patterns may be a result of a compensations strategy due to AKP. Training of GM and other hip muscles is warranted during rehabilitation of AKP patients.
Particle Restabilization in Silica/PEG/Ethanol Suspensions: How Strongly do Polymers Need To Adsorb To Stabilize Against Aggregation?

We study the effects of increasing the concentration of a low molecular weight polyethylene glycol on the stability of 44 nm diameter silica nanoparticles suspended in ethanol. Polymer concentration, c(p), is increased from zero to that characterizing the polymer melt. Particle stability is accessed through measurement of the particle second-virial coefficient, B(2), performed by light scattering and ultrasmall angle X-ray scattering (USAXS). The results show that at low polymer concentration, c(p) < 3 wt %, B(2) values are positive, indicating repulsive interactions between particles. B(2) decreases at intermediate concentrations (3 wt % < c(p) < 50 wt %), and particles aggregates are formed. At high concentrations (50 wt % < c(p)) B(2) increases and stabilizes at a value expected for hard spheres with a diameter near 44 nm, indicating the particles are thermodynamically stable. At intermediate polymer concentrations, rates of aggregation are determined by measuring time-dependent changes in the suspension turbidity, revealing that aggregation is slowed by the necessity of the particles diffusing over a repulsive barrier in the pair potential. The magnitude of the barrier passes through a minimum at c(p) ≈ 12 wt % where it has a value of ∼12 kT. These results are understood in terms of a reduction of electrostatic repulsion and van der Waals attractions with increasing c(p). Depletion attractions are found to play a minor role in particle stability. A model is presented suggesting displacement of weakly adsorbed polymer leads to slow aggregation at intermediate concentration, and we conclude that a general model of depletion restabilization may involve increased strength of polymer adsorption with increasing polymer concentration.
Potential capability estimation for real time electricity demand response of sustainable manufacturing systems using Markov Decision Process

Abstract Electricity demand response has been considered as a critical methodology to realize the strategy of sustainable development for manufacturing enterprises by effectively reducing the increasing electricity demand and Greenhouse Gas emissions. Most existing studies about the electricity demand response implementation focus on either the supply side management, e.g ., policy making, price setting, or the customer side applications for the end-users in residential and commercial building sectors. As for the industrial sector, only a few papers utilizing the long term scheduling methodology to reduce the electricity consumption during peak periods are available. Little work has been implemented on the decision-making for the real time electricity demand response in industrial manufacturing systems considering system throughput constraint. In this paper, an analytical model is established to identify the optimal energy control actions and estimate the potential capacity of power demand reduction of typical manufacturing systems during the period of demand response event without compromising system production. Markov Decision Process is used to model the complex interaction between the adopted demand control actions and the system state evolutions. A numerical case study on a section of an automotive assembly line is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Loosely Implanted Cementless Stems May Become Rotationally Stable After Loading

Background Experimental studies have suggested that initial micromotion of cementless components may lead to failure of osteointegration. Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analyses have shown durable implant fixation can be achieved long-term even when initial instability exists, as evidenced by subsidence. However improved implant stability as a result of subsidence, before osteointegration, has not been shown biomechanically.
Inhibition of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-isomerase in mouse adrenal cells : a direct effect of testosterone

Gonadal steroids modulate adrenal gland size and function in a variety of species, and our previous studies demonstrate that circulating androgens suppress 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-isomerase (3betaHSD) activity in the adrenal cortex of male mice. The present study tests the hypothesis that androgens have a direct, receptor-mediated inhibitory effect on adrenal 3betaHSD. Treatment of cultured adrenal cells from C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ mice with 0.02-2.0 microM testosterone for 7 days significantly reduces 3betaHSD activity in cells from both strains. However, treatment for 3 days reduces 3betaHSD activity in the adrenal cells from C3H/HeJ, but not C57BL/6J mice. The decreases in 3betaHSD activity in response to testosterone treatment is reflected in decreases in the amount of 3betaHSD immunoreactive protein, such that extended treatment decreases 3betaHSD immunoreactive protein in adrenal cells from both strains, but short-term treatment only decreases 3betaHSD immunoreactive protein in adrenal cells from C3H/HeJ mice. Thus, there appears to be a temporal difference between strains in the effect of the testosterone on 3betaHSD activity and immunoreactive protein. Treatment of the adrenal cells with androgen agonists and an antagonist indicate that the effect of testosterone is androgen receptor mediated. The effect of testosterone appears to be specific for 3betaHSD, since none of the treatments alter P450(scc) in cells from either strain. Testosterone treatment also causes a decrease in the amount of 3betaHSD mRNA. However, in contrast to the effect on activity and immunoreactive protein, there is no strain-related temporal difference because testosterone decreases 3betaHSD mRNA within 24h in adrenal cells from both strains. These results indicate that testosterone can act directly on the adrenal gland to decrease 3betaHSD activity, immunoreactive protein, and mRNA content in mouse adrenal glands, and thus contribute to the sex difference in adrenal function observed in many species.
The Trouble of Teen Sex: The construction of adolescent sexuality through school-based sexuality education

This paper examines the reliance of American school-based sexuality education (SBSE) programs on a moralistic agenda and several presuppositions of adolescent sexuality, resulting in a biased and inadequate approach to sexuality education. Furthermore, by virtue of its authoritative position, SBSE serves as an influential force in the construction of 'normal' adolescent sexuality and in the pro duction of a particular kind of sexual teen. A multidisciplinary collection of comments and criticisms of SBSE are organized into a three-pronged critique: (1) SBSE attends exclusively to the dangers and risks associated with teen sex; (2) SBSE reifies narrow definitions of normal teen sex as heterosexual and coital; (3) SBSE fails to address the interplay among gender, race, class and sexuality, while simultaneously propagating sexist, racist, and classist notions of sexuality. Through these presumptions and stereotypes, SBSE (mis)informs teens, projecting a particular message and vision of who and how teens are a...
NEW GUIDELINES FOR PREVENTION, DETECTION, EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

New guidelines for the management of patients at risk of developing hypertension and associated conditions have recently been published. These guidelines include a new risk stratification and blood pressure classification, as well as an altered approach to drug therapy. This article describes the major changes from previous recommendations, highlights the role of oral health care providers and emphasizes the dental implications of caring for patients with blood pressure conditions.
Efficient design of Petri-net supervisors with disjunctive specifications

The supervision based on place invariants is an efficient method for the supervision of Petri nets in which each inequality constraint is implemented by one monitor place. However, this method assumes specifications that describe convex legal sets. Non-convex legal sets can be described by disjunctions of inequality constraints. Specifications consisting of disjunctions of inequality constraints are called here disjunctive specifications. Previous work has shown that under certain boundedness assumptions it is possible to implement supervisors enforcing disjunctive specifications with conventional Petri nets. However, in the worst case, the number of places of the least-restrictive supervisors was exponentially related to the size of the specification. This paper introduces an enhanced approach that generates supervisors in which the number of places is linearly related to the size of the specification. The generated supervisors are least restrictive and are implemented with conventional Petri nets.
BLACK-WHITE DIFFERENCES IN SCHOOL SUSPENSION: EFFECT OF STUDENT BELIEFS ABOUT TEACHERS

Research suggests that there are differences in the frequency with which white and African American students are punished in schools, with African American students being 2.3 times more likely to be suspended than white students. Most of the research on school punishment has focused on documenting race differences and looking for student and school-level factors to help explain disproportionality in out-of-school suspension. This study aims to fill the gap in the literature by analyzing the role of the teacher in affecting student punishment in a large, urban, primarily minority student district. Results indicate that positive teacher behavior toward students and positive teacher expectations of students reduces suspension from school.
Serial errors in human learning: a test of the McCrary-Hunter hypothesis.

An experiment was conducted on 120 human subjects to test the hypothesis that the probability distribution of serial errors is an invariant property of rote memorization. Contrary to the hypothesis, the relative difficulty function was significantly affected by ability to learn. There was a systematic tendency (p < .05) for fast learners to commit proportionately more errors in the middle of the sequence.
Rate and frequency as determinants of learning with complete and discrete list presentation

In Experiment 1, complete presentation of the study list produced better free recall learning than did the usual item-by-item (discrete) presentation. The difference was large and held for items occurring one, two, or three times within a list, whether items were spaced or massed, and for discrete presentation rates of 2, 4, and 6 sec/item. Experiment 2 replicated this superiority of complete over discrete presentation (equating total study time), and Experiment 3 extended the finding to paired associate learning. Experiments 2 and 3 indicated that multiple presentations of a list at fast rates were superior to a single presentation at a more standard rate and only slightly inferior to a single, complete presentation. Practical implications for instruction were pointed out, as were problems that certain of the results pose for theories that emphasize strategic (or at least extended) processing of items for encoding.
Native and exotic submerged aquatic vegetation provide different nutritional and refuge values for macroinvertebrates.

Proliferation of exotic submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) has the potential to alter trophic interactions among native fauna. The invasion of Myriophyllum spicatum (Eurasian watermilfoil) into brackish and freshwater wetlands on the Gulf Coast of the United States has decreased the abundance of native plant species such as Ruppia maritima (widgeongrass). Macroinvertebrates use SAV to meet nutritional requirements and seek refuge from predators. Shifts in SAV dominance can alter patterns of SAV use by associated fauna, but the dynamics of these alterations following Myriophyllum displacement of Ruppia are not well understood. In our study, we examined the trophic implications of shifts between native (Ruppia) and exotic (Myriophyllum) SAV in a brackish wetland in Port Arthur, Texas, USA. This study addressed the following questions: 1) Do aquatic invertebrates directly consume Myriophyllum, and 2) do predator–prey interactions differ in native and exotic SAV canopies? We collected Ruppia, Myriophyllum, Palaemonetes spp. (grass shrimp), and juvenile Callinectes sapidus (blue crabs) from the field and ran a series of three mesocosm experiments in the laboratory. In a “no-choice” grazing experiment, Palaemonetes consumed 13% of the Ruppia biomass but had no impact on Myriophyllum biomass. In a second study, when given a choice of plant canopies, Palaemonetes selected Ruppia over Myriophyllum 60% of the time when Callinectes was absent, but selected Myriophyllum more frequently in the presence of Callinectes. The selection of Myriophyllum was likely due to its refuge value; a third mesocosm experiment resulted in 60% Palaemonetes mortality due to Callinectes predation in Ruppia canopies but only 20% mortality in Myriophyllum canopies. Myriophyllum has a more structurally complex canopy that probably provides better protection from predation. Our studies suggest that native and exotic plants provide substantially different values as food sources and as refuges from predators for lower trophic levels.
Juvenile hormone controls the onset of pupal commitment in the imaginal disks and epidermis of Precis coenia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Abstract The commitment of tissues to pupal development occurs early during the last larval instar of many holometabolous insects, usually at least several days before pupal differentiation begins in response to the moulting hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone. Pupal commitment of the imaginal disks and epidermis of the butterfly, Precis coenia, was studied by two approaches: treatment with juvenile hormone or a juvenile hormone mimic to prevent or delay metamorphosis, and treatment with 20-hydroxyecdysone to induce premature metamorphosis. With both treatments, tissues already committed to pupal development at the time of treatment responded by producing pupal cuticle at the next moult, while tissues which were larval in commitment produced larval cuticle. The same temporal and spatial sequence of pupal commitment was observed by both methods, and pre-treatment with juvenile hormone did not alter the results of 20-hydroxyecdysone treatment. Dosage of the juvenile hormone mimic, as long as it was above threshold, did not affect the degree of pupal commitment, which instead was dependent on the age of the animal alone. Paradoxically, the sensitivity of larvae to the juvenile hormone mimic increased with age, even though a greater proportion of the tissues of older animals were already pupally committed, and hence juvenile hormone-insensitive. We suggest that the onset of pupal commitment is determined by the decline of the juvenile hormone titre: once underway, pupal commitment spreads from tissue to tissue in an intrinsic, programmed manner.
First-principles study of the nano-scaling effect on the electrochemical behavior in LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4

Nano-scaling of electrode materials is often used in battery applications to enhance performance, particularly relating to rate capability. However, for the high-voltage spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 conflicting results have been reported on the benefits of nano-scaling. In this study, we present first-principles calculations to investigate the effect of nano-scaling on LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4, specifically focusing on the roles and coupling between surface stability, cation ordering and phase behavior. We calculate and compare the surface energy for the low index facets (100), (110), and (111), and find that the most stable facet is dependent on the cation ordering at the surface layer. In this context, we predict a spontaneous surface reconstruction in the cation-ordered structure which leads to a deviation from the perfect surface cation ordering and results in an enhanced accessibility to solid solution behavior as a function of Li content. Our results imply that nano-scaling will be more beneficial for the cation-ordered structure, as compared to the disordered structure where the solid solution region is already intrinsically accessible for a broad range of Li concentrations.
Debonding of rigid curvilinear inclusions in longitudinal shear deformation

Abstract The problem of two symmetrically placed interface cracks at rigid curvilinear inclusions under longitudinal shear deformation is considered. A solution valid for arbitrary inclusion shapes is found. It depends on a parameter β describing the cracks. For β = e iα where α is an angle, the cracks lie in the interface. For β real and greater than unity, we have two radial cracks emanating from a curvilinear cavity. The solution for β = 1 corresponds to a completely debonded inclusion. Examples of elliptic, square with rounded corners, and rectangular inclusions are worked out in detail. It is shown that the crack tip stress intensity factor becomes infinite for interface cracks terminating at cusps and corners. This phenomenon is attributed to the change in the nature of the singularity as the crack tip approaches a cusp or corner. The singularity is three-quarter power at a cusp and two-thirds power at a corner of a rectangular inclusion. Finally, the application of the results to composite materials is indicated.
On the role of verbalization during task set selection: Switching or serial order control?

Recent task-switching work in which paper-and-pencil administered single-task lists were compared with task-alternation lists has demonstrated large increases in task-switch costs with concurrent articulatory suppression (AS), implicating a crucial role for verbalization during switching (Baddeley, Chincotta, & Adlam, 2001; Emerson & Miyake, 2003). Experiment 1 replicated this result, using computerized assessment, albeit with much smaller effect sizes than in the original reports. In Experiment 2, AS interference was reduced when a sequential cue (spatial location) that indicated the current position in the sequence of task alternations was given. Finally, in Experiment 3, switch trials and no-switch trials were compared within a block of alternating runs of two tasks. Again, AS interference was obtained mainly when the endogenous sequencing demand was high, and it was comparable for no-switch and switch trials. These results suggest that verbalization may be critical for endogenous maintenance and updating of a sequential plan, rather than exclusively for the actual switching process.
Ethylenediamine-modified SBA-15 as Regenerable CO2 Sorbent

The CO2 adsorption properties of an ethylenediamine-modified mesoporous silica, EDA-SBA-15, have been examined. Adsorption isotherms were collected by TGA measurements, and the breakthrough time and adsorption capacity were measured using a fixed-bed flow system. The EDA-SBA-15 sorbent adsorbs around 20 mg/g of CO2 from 15% CO2 in N2 at 25 °C and 1 atm total pressure. In pure CO2 at 1 atm, its adsorption capacity is 86 mg/g at 22 °C. The EDA-SBA-15 sorbent is fully regenerable by thermal swings during cyclic adsorption/desorption. Desorption of CO2 occurs at 110 °C on EDA-SBA-15 and the sorbent is stable in air up to 200 °C. The CO2 uptake by EDA-SBA-15 is not influenced by humidity. The adsorption capacity data are compared with those of previously reported amine-modified silica sorbents.
Plant Response to Herbivory and Belowground Nitrogen Cycling

Plant responses to herbivory and links to belowground nitrogen cycling were investigated at Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. Laboratory estimates of net nitrogen mineralization were highest in soils from the more altered areas of prairie dog colonies (Cynomys ludovicianus) and lowest in the adjacent, lightly grazed, uncolonized grassland. The ratio of CO2: net nitrogen mineralized, an index of immobilization, was highest in the uncolonized grassland and lowest in the altered core areas. Soil moisture was an important modifier of in situ field estimates of net nitrogen mineralization. Root biomass, an important carbon source for decomposers in perennial grasslands, was lowest in the altered core area and highest in the adjacent uncolonized grassland. Decreased nitrogen immobilization and increased net nitrogen mineralization in the laboratory in- cubations likely resulted from decreased root carbon inputs in grazed areas, which limited carbon availability to decomposers. Such increases in plant-available nitrogen may partially explain the frequently reported grazing-induced increases in shoot nitrogen concentrations. These studies suggest that carbon allocation to roots is a key link determining nitrogen- cycling responses to herbivory.
User Perception and Preference in Model Mediated Telemanipulation

Model mediated teleoperation allows users to interact with a remote environment via a local rendition to mitigate the effects of large communication delays. As the slave encounters an environment a model is identified, transmitted to the master, then haptically and graphically recreated. Particular attention must be paid to the user interface when model information is updated, to avoid confusion or disruptive effects. This paper examines various transition methods from the perspective of user preferences and perception. Transitions are grouped according to three basic philosophies: hiding changes from the user, forcing changes upon the user, and alerting users to model updates. A user study is presented which evaluated subjects' performance and opinions for different approaches. We found transitions that gradually but actively presented information to be the most successful
Hyperlipidemia impairs osteoanabolic effects of PTH.

Epidemiological and in vitro studies have suggested that hyperlipidemia/oxidized phospholipids adversely affect bone. We recently found that oxidized phospholipids attenuate PTH-induced cAMP and immediate-early gene (IEG) expression in MC3T3-E1 cells, raising concerns that clinical hyperlipidemia may attenuate osteoanabolic effects of PTH in vivo. Thus, we studied whether intermittent PTH treatment has differential osteoanabolic effects in wildtype (C57BL/6) and hyperlipidemic (LDLR−/−) mice. Consistent with our previous in vitro studies, induction of IEGs in calvarial tissue, 45 min after a single dose of recombinant hPTH(1-34), was attenuated in LDLR−/− mice compared with C57BL/6 mice. Daily hPTH(1-34) injections for 5 wk significantly increased total and cortical BMD and BMC, assessed by pQCT, in C57BL/6 mice. However, this induction was completely abrogated in LDLR−/− mice. Similarly, PTH(1-34) failed to increase BMD in another hyperlipidemic mouse model, ApoE−/− mice. Histomorphometric analysis showed that trabecular bone of both mice responded similarly to PTH(1-34). Structural parameters improved significantly in response to PTH(1-34) in both mouse strains, although to a lesser degree in LDLR−/− mice. With PTH(1-34) treatment, osteoblast surface trended toward an increase in C57BL/6 mice and increased significantly in LDLR−/− mice. PTH(1-34) did not alter resorption parameters significantly, except for the eroded surface (ES/BS), which was reduced in the C57BL/6 but not in the LDLR−/− mice. These results show that PTH(1-34) has adverse effects on cortical bones of the hyperlipidemic mice, suggesting that the therapeutic effects of PTH may be compromised in the presence of hyperlipidemia.
Gender Rules: Same- and Cross-Gender Friendships Norms

We examined the relationships between gender and attitudes towards same- and cross-gender friendship norms for a sample of 269 West Coast, U.S., college students. Participants evaluated violations of friendship norms described in vignettes in which the friend’s gender was experimentally manipulated. Women differentiated more between types of violations in their evaluations than did men. There also were several significant gender differences in approval of norm violations. As expected, women tended to have relatively high expectations of their friendships in situations involving trust and intimacy, likely resulting from the high value they placed on affiliation and emotional closeness. Women were more disapproving than men of a friend who canceled plans or failed to come to their defense publicly. Men and women judged a woman who betrayed a secret more harshly than a man. Generally, expectations for cross-gender, versus same-gender, friends were more similar than different; there were no significant cross-gender interactions, with one exception. Men were particularly less approving of a male, as compared to a female, friend who kissed them in a greeting. Furthermore, an overwhelming majority of respondents (81.6%) reported that men and women can be friends. A minority of women were cautious in their responses, with women (18.5%) more apt to reply “maybe,” than men (9.9%). Overall, these findings provided evidence that gender, rather than cross-gender, norms primarily influenced friendship evaluations, and demonstrated that even a subtle manipulation of gender can trigger gender stereotypes. They suggested, too, that women may hold their friends to stricter “rules” than men.
Modeling effects of terrain and illumination on visibility and the visualization of haze and aerosols

Visibility and visual range are well established concepts that quantify the exponential attenuation of contrast and radiance along near-horizontal paths through the atmosphere. Scene visualization, however, requires that not only the attenuation of radiance from distant objects be modeled, but also the scattering of ambient radiance into the field of view all along the viewing path. This illumination effect is most pronounced under moderate to low visibility conditions of haze or fog viewed from near-horizontal paths near the surface. It is often provided for in scene generators that implement some form of range-dependent `fog' or `haze' functions as two parameters: the `atmospheric fading coefficient' and the `atmospheric blending factor.' We examine the physical meaning of these parameters and the effects of variable illumination and terrain reflectance along the viewing path for different meteorological visibility, solar angle and aerosol conditions. The error introduced through use of the same coefficients across the visible wavelength band is compared to use of wavelength- dependent extinction and scattering. Scene generation examples are shown comparing different rendering approaches and the trade-offs in computational speed versus accuracy between hardware and software implementations.
Tools to Shape Texts: What Creative Nonfiction Can Offer Ethnography

Drawing on the storytelling techniques of fiction to write about real events, creative nonfiction is a flourishing literary movement. This article examines how attention to the craft of creative nonfiction is potentially useful to ethnography. I present a few practical tools that may help ethnographers seeking to shape the materials of fieldwork: story, situation, persona, character, scene, and summary. I also ponder how to include background material without dense expository lumps. To show these tools in action, I offer a segment of my own ethnographic writing set in the Himalayan foothill region of Northwest India and present short selections from the writings of anthropologists who have reached wide interdisciplinary and popular audiences.
Kinase inhibitors in cancer therapy

Over the past few years, protein kinases have arisen as promising targets for therapeutic intervention in cancer therapy. This is due to a combination of several key events, including the identification of common kinase dysfunction in particular tumours and the recent success of such targeted kinase inhibitors as Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) and Iressa (Gefatinib). Ultimately, the success of this novel approach will be dependent on the careful identification and characterization of protein kinase dysregulation in particular forms of cancer. This review focuses on the function of protein kinases in normal cells, the mechanisms through which these kinases contribute to tumorigenesis, and the development and application of agents designed to inhibit dysfunctional kinases.
Evidence for seasonal plasticity in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) system of the ewe: changes in synaptic inputs onto GnRH neurons.

In the Suffolk ewe, seasonal reproductive transitions are due primarily to changes in the responsiveness of the GnRH neurosecretory system to the negative feedback influence of estradiol. As GnRH neurons in the sheep, like those in other mammals, lack estrogen receptors, the influence of estradiol on GnRH neurosecretory activity is probably conveyed via afferents. As a possible structural basis for seasonality, we examined the ultrastructure and synaptic inputs of GnRH neurons in the preoptic area of ewes during the breeding season and seasonal anestrus. GnRH neurons were examined in both ovary-intact ewes and ovariectomized ewes bearing implants that produced constant levels of estradiol to eliminate a changing hormonal milieu as a factor in any seasonal variations. We found that preoptic GnRH neurons in breeding season ewes received more than twice the mean number of synaptic inputs per unit of plasma membrane as GnRH neurons in anestrous animals. Although GnRH dendrites received more synaptic input tha...
Estimating the Prevalence and Cost of Yield-Switching Fraud in the Federal Crop Insurance Program

Producers who manipulate and switch their reported crop-yields between separately insured units can increase their insurance indemnities substantially. A statistical model that identifies potential yield switching is developed. The unrestricted statistical model is singular and is identified by imposing a mixture of system-estimable and system-nonestimable restrictions. Lower bound estimates of yield-switching fraud incidence and costs are obtained by applying the model to 207,067 multiple unit producers who purchased crop insurance in 1998.
Punctate sensitivity of normal and frostbitten skin

Two equal areas of normal and frostbitten human skin were compared for their punctate sensitivity to warmth, cold, touch, and pressure. The frostbitten tissue was characterized by a decreased sensitivity to the cold stimulus and by a tendency for warm and touch stimuli to elicit reports of pain from the S. There appeared to be no differences in pressure sensitivity between the normal and damaged tissue. Some implications of the data for somesthetic sensitivity in general are mentioned.
Estimating Long Tail Models for Risk Trends

This letter develops a method for estimating trends of extreme events statistics across multiple time periods. Some of the periods might have no extreme events and some might have much data. The extreme event distribution is modeled with a Pareto or exponential tail. The method requires selecting an extreme event threshold and then solving two convex problems for the tail parameters. Solving one provides a smoothed tail rate trend, solving another, the smoothed trend of the tail quantile level. The approach is illustrated by trending the 10-year extreme event risks for S&P 500 index daily losses and for peak power load in electrical utility data.
Reaction of europium in liquid ammonia with organic acids including representative organosulfur, organophosphorus acids and an amino acid: d, l-α-alanine

Abstract Europium reacts with organic acids in liquid ammonia to give ammoniated compounds in which the metal is in the divalent oxidation state. All the compounds are solids and are characterized by infrared spectra and magnetic susceptibilities. The europium dialaninate is completely soluble in liquid ammonia.
An engineering model of solids diffusivity in hydraulic conveying

Abstract An engineering model of solids diffusivity in a turbulent pipeline slurry flow is developed. While the model assumes that the liquid eddy diffusivity is uniform across a pipe the non-uniform distribution of solids diffusivity is obtained by analyzing the dependence of the turbulence kinetic energy transferred from liquid to particles on solids concentration. The turbulence kinetic energy transferred to particles is determined as the turbulence kinetic energy calculated for slurry minus the energy spent on the liquid–solids viscous friction due to turbulence induced liquid–solids velocity difference. The two empirical coefficients of the equation of the solids diffusivity have been identified from the measured solids concentration profiles. The numerical study has shown that the model accurately predicts the slurry concentration distribution in the wide range of flow parameters. The predictive capability of the developed model is much better that that of the conventional model of the solids diffusivity.
Profile analysis of standardized intelligence test performance of very low functioning individuals

Abstract Practitioners are frequently faced with the need to evaluate the intellectual skills of individuals with very low levels of functioning. Owing to the statistical rarity of these persons, few tests have sufficient range of scores for a detailed analysis of intraindividual differences in performance. This paper describes a method that uses are equivalents and standard scores to recreate the full range of variability in the scores of low-functioning individuals. The method allows for a more complete interpretation of performance that can lead to better educational and therapeutic programming.
On solutions of certain self-adjoint differential equations of fourth order

Abstract In this paper the author considers the differential equation [ r ( x ) y ″]″ − p ( x ) y = 0, where r ( x ) and p ( x ) are continuous, r ( x ) > 0, and p ( x ) ≠ 0 on an interval [ϵ, ∞), ϵ > 0. The cases for which p ( x ) is positive and p ( x ) is negative on [ϵ, ∞) are treated separately. In the first part of the paper it is assumed that p ( x ) is positive on [ϵ, ∞). A study is made of the general properties of solutions of the equation, particularly, oscillatory solutions. Special emphasis is given the case when all oscillatory solutions are bounded. A rather simple representation for all bounded oscillatory solutions is given. The function p ( x ) is assumed to be negative in the second part of the paper. Some of Marko Svec's results on the behavior of oscillatory solutions are extended to this more general equation. Also two theorems analogus to the Bocher-Osgood theorem for second-order equations are given. Finally, the author gives some necessary conditions that certain types of nonoscillatory solutions exist.
Quasilinear algorithms for processing relational calculus expressions (preliminary report)

Throughout this paper q will denote a query such that I is the number of tuples inputted into the query, and U is the number of tuples in its output. We will say that q has quasi-linear complexity iff for some constant d, it is executable in time O(U + I logdI) and space O(I + U). This article will define a large subset of the relational calculus, called RCS, and show that all RCS queries are executable by quasi-linear algorithms.Our algorithm does not require the maintenance of any complex index, as it builds all the needed data structures during the course of the executing algorithm. Its exponent d can be large for some particular queries q, but it is a quite nice constant equal to 1 or 0 in most practical cases. Our algorithm is intended for data bases stored in main memory, and its time O(U + I logdI) should amount to only a few seconds of CPU time in many practical applications.Chapter 10 of this paper lists some open questions for further investigation.
Random Excitation of a System With Bilinear Hysteresis

An analysis is made of the response of a system with bilinear hysteresis to random excitation. It is shown that for moderately large inputs, the additional damping created by the bilinear hysteresis decreases the mean squared deflection compared with that for a linear system with the same viscous damping. However, for large inputs, the decrease in the stiffness of the system due to the bilinear hysteresis causes the mean squared deflection to increase over that for the equivalent linear system.
Asymmetric Cell–Matrix and Biomechanical Abnormalities in Elastin Insufficiency Induced Aortopathy

Aortopathy is characterized by vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) abnormalities and elastic fiber fragmentation. Elastin insufficient (Eln +/− ) mice demonstrate latent aortopathy similar to human disease. We hypothesized that aortopathy manifests primarily in the aorto-pulmonary septal (APS) side of the thoracic aorta due to asymmetric cardiac neural crest (CNC) distribution. Anatomic (aortic root vs. ascending aorta) and molecular (APS vs. non-APS) regions of proximal aorta tissue were examined in adult and aged wild type (WT) and mutant (Eln +/− ) mice. CNC, VSMCs, elastic fiber architecture, proteoglycan expression, morphometrics and biomechanical properties were examined using histology, 3D reconstruction, micropipette aspiration and in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In the APS side of Eln +/− aorta, Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) is decreased while SM22 is increased. Elastic fiber architecture abnormalities are present in the Eln +/− aortic root and APS ascending aorta, and biglycan is increased in the aortic root while aggrecan is increased in the APS aorta. The Eln +/− ascending aorta is stiffer than the aortic root, the APS side is thicker and stiffer than the non-APS side, and significant differences in the individual aortic root sinuses are observed. Asymmetric structure–function abnormalities implicate regional CNC dysregulation in the development and progression of aortopathy.
Glucose Depletion in the Airway Surface Liquid Is Essential for Sterility of the Airways

Diabetes mellitus predisposes the host to bacterial infections. Moreover, hyperglycemia has been shown to be an independent risk factor for respiratory infections. The luminal surface of airway epithelia is covered by a thin layer of airway surface liquid (ASL) and is normally sterile despite constant exposure to bacteria. The balance between bacterial growth and killing in the airway determines the outcome of exposure to inhaled or aspirated bacteria: infection or sterility. We hypothesized that restriction of carbon sources –including glucose– in the ASL is required for sterility of the lungs. We found that airway epithelia deplete glucose from the ASL via a novel mechanism involving polarized expression of GLUT-1 and GLUT-10, intracellular glucose phosphorylation, and low relative paracellular glucose permeability in well-differentiated cultures of human airway epithelia and in segments of airway epithelia excised from human tracheas. Moreover, we found that increased glucose concentration in the ASL augments growth of P. aeruginosa in vitro and in the lungs of hyperglycemic ob/ob and db/db mice in vivo. In contrast, hyperglycemia had no effect on intrapulmonary bacterial growth of a P. aeruginosa mutant that is unable to utilize glucose as a carbon source. Our data suggest that depletion of glucose in the airway epithelial surface is a novel mechanism for innate immunity. This mechanism is important for sterility of the airways and has implications in hyperglycemia and conditions that result in disruption of the epithelial barrier in the lung.
Functions of Paracrine PDGF Signaling in the Proangiogenic Tumor Stroma Revealed by Pharmacological Targeting

Background Important support functions, including promotion of tumor growth, angiogenesis, and invasion, have been attributed to the different cell types populating the tumor stroma, i.e., endothelial cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, pericytes, and infiltrating inflammatory cells. Fibroblasts have long been recognized inside carcinomas and are increasingly implicated as functional participants. The stroma is prominent in cervical carcinoma, and distinguishable from nonmalignant tissue, suggestive of altered (tumor-promoting) functions. We postulated that pharmacological targeting of putative stromal support functions, in particular those of cancer-associated fibroblasts, could have therapeutic utility, and sought to assess the possibility in a pre-clinical setting. Methods and Findings We used a genetically engineered mouse model of cervical carcinogenesis to investigate platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor signaling in cancer-associated fibroblasts and pericytes. Pharmacological blockade of PDGF receptor signaling with the clinically approved kinase inhibitor imatinib slowed progression of premalignant cervical lesions in this model, and impaired the growth of preexisting invasive carcinomas. Inhibition of stromal PDGF receptors reduced proliferation and angiogenesis in cervical lesions through a mechanism involving suppression of expression of the angiogenic factor fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) and the epithelial cell growth factor FGF-7 by cancer-associated fibroblasts. Treatment with neutralizing antibodies to the PDGF receptors recapitulated these effects. A ligand trap for the FGFs impaired the angiogenic phenotype similarly to imatinib. Thus PDGF ligands expressed by cancerous epithelia evidently stimulate PDGFR-expressing stroma to up-regulate FGFs, promoting angiogenesis and epithelial proliferation, elements of a multicellular signaling network that elicits functional capabilities in the tumor microenvironment. Conclusions This study illustrates the therapeutic benefits in a mouse model of human cervical cancer of mechanism-based targeting of the stroma, in particular cancer-associated fibroblasts. Drugs aimed at stromal fibroblast signals and effector functions may prove complementary to conventional treatments targeting the overt cancer cells for a range of solid tumors, possibly including cervical carcinoma, the second most common lethal malignancy in women worldwide, for which management remains poor.
Takayasu's disease.

Abstract Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that can produce stenosis, occlusion, or aneurysmal degeneration of large arteries. TA occurs worldwide but disproportionately affects young females of Asian descent. A variable acute phase of largely constitutional symptoms is followed by a chronic phase in which symptoms related to arterial compromise predominate. Diagnosis is made using a combination of clinical and angiographic criteria. Initial therapy involves the use of corticosteroids to induce remission of acute phase activity, with the addition of cytotoxic medications for nonresponders. Angioplasty and stenting can be used in the treatment of shorter stenoses such as those encountered in the renal arteries. Surgical bypass is the preferred treatment of longer segment stenoses and occlusions. Bypass grafts should originate from unaffected arteries to ensure durable inflow. Endovascular therapy is effective initially but long-term durability data are lacking.
Cirrus cloud optical, microphysical, and radiative properties observed during the CRYSTAL-FACE experiment: A lidar-radar retrieval system

A method of retrieving cloud microphysical properties using combined observations from both cloud radar and lidar is introduced. This retrieval makes use of an improvement to the traditional optimal estimation retrieval method, whereby a series of corrections are applied to the state vector during the search for an iterative solution. This allows faster convergence to a solution and is less processor intensive. The method is first applied to a synthetic cloud t o demonstrate its validity, and it is shown that the retrieval reliably reproduces vertical profiles of ice water content. The retrieval method is then applied to radar and lidar observations from the CRYSTAL-FACE experiment, and vertical profiles of ice crystal diameter, number concentration, and ice water content are retrieved for a cirrus cloud layers observed one day of that experiment. The validity of the relationship between visible extinction coefficient and radar reflectivity was examined. While synthetic tests showed such a functional relationship, the measured data only partially supported such a conclusion. This is due to errors in the forward model (as explained above) as well as errors in the data sets, including possible mismatch between lidar and radar profiles or errors in the optical depth. Empirical relationships between number concentrations and mean particle diameter were also examined. The results indicate that a distinct and robust relationship exists between these retrieved quantities and it is argued that such a relationship is more than an artifact of the retrieval process offering insight into the nature of the microphysical processes taking place in cirrus.
Rosanzerusu is Los Angeles an anthropological inquiry of Japanese tourists

Abstract The popularity of Los Angeles with Japanese tourists prompts the anthropologist to ask what they are seeking there. An ethnography of that tourism discloses a number of “must see” sights for first time tourists. Subsequent tourists may seek more esoteric sites, as disclosed by an examination of tourist guide texts. Tourists progress from “mass” to “elite” status. Against a theoretical perspective of life as “sacred journey”, and of pilgrimage, tourism is seen as a ritual of modernity, amenable to semiotic analysis in the manner of Barthes. Los Angeles' ecumenical tourism reflects the mythology of the movies. Japanese tourists select sites drawn from this mythology which also reflect Japanese preferences (e.g., the Hollywood Bowl). They also emphasize sites where they may purchase souvenir or “marker” goods (e.g., UCLA). They thus attach importance to some sites thought to be quite minor by Angelenos.
Signs and Symbolic Behavior

Research in archaeology and anthropology on the evolution of modern patterns of human behavior often makes use of general theories of signs, usually derived from semiotics. Recent work generalizing David Lewis’ 1969 model of signaling provides a better theory of signs than those currently in use. This approach is based on the coevolution of behaviors of sign production and sign interpretation. I discuss these models and then look at applications to human prehistoric behavior, focusing on body ornamentation, tools, and other artifacts.