cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Estimation of Partially Linear Transformation Models.

We study a general class of partially linear transformation models, which extend linear transformation models by incorporating nonlinear covariate effects in survival data analysis. A new martingale-based estimating equation approach, consisting of both global and kernel-weighted local estimation equations, is developed for estimating the parametric and nonparametric covariate effects in a unified manner. We show that with a proper choice of the kernel bandwidth parameter, one can obtain the consistent and asymptotically normal parameter estimates for the linear effects. Asymptotic properties of the estimated nonlinear effects are established as well. We further suggest a simple resampling method to estimate the asymptotic variance of the linear estimates and show its effectiveness. To facilitate the implementation of the new procedure, an iterative algorithm is developed. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the finite-sample performance of the procedure. Supplementary materials are available online.
Pornography in a Free Society

List of tables and figures Preface Acknowledgements Part I. Pornography and the Pornography Commissions: Introduction 1. Experts on what? The origins and composition of pornography commissions 2. On definitions 3. The nature and distribution of pornography in the United States 4. Pornographic communication and social harm: a review of the reviews 5. Freedom of expression and the public law of pornography Part II. Public Policy After Liberalization: Introduction 6. Pornography and the subjugation of women: the radical feminist challenge 7. Pornography and child protection 8. Pornography in perspective: social response in the noncensoring society 9. Notes toward the future References Index.
Operation of an isochronous beam recirculation system

Abstract The design and performance of a highly achromatic and isochronous system of magnets which transport a pulsed electron beam for the purpose of beam recirculation is described. The beam energy capability of the Bates electron linear accelerator has been increased from 400 to 750 MeV by the addition of this system. The isochronicity is achieved by the use of reverse bends and dipole pole edge rotations. A high degree of symmetry in the optical design and the use of sextuple corrections allow an energy band pass of 6%. The system has been used to supply beam for nuclear physics experiments with average currents of over 30 μA.
Steryl ethers in a Valanginian claystone: Molecular evidence for cooler waters in the central Pacific during the Early Cretaceous?

Abstract Coring on Shatsky Rise by Ocean Drilling Project Leg 198 recovered sediments rich in organic matter (> 2.0% Corg) from three time intervals: the Early Aptian, corresponding to oceanic anoxic event (OAE 1a), the Valanginian and the Berriasian. Episodes of enhanced sequestration of organic matter during the Valanginian are well documented in the Tethyan realm, notably those associated with a positive δ13C isotopic excursion and with changes in plankton assemblages, including a demise in nannoconids. The δ13C excursion has been previously reported in the Pacific but the occurrence of Valanginian sediments rich in organic matter (> 1% Corg) is unprecedented. A distinctive feature of the biomarker composition of these Valanginian sediments at Shatsky Rise is the presence of a suite of steryl ethers, which extends the temporal record of these compounds from the Neogene to the Early Cretaceous. The biological source of steryl ethers remains enigmatic, although the sedimentary occurrences of these compounds in Quaternary and Neogene environments characterized by cool water, high seasonal productivity, and/or nutrient enrichment by upwelling, in combination with their liquid crystal properties, raise the possibility that they may represent storage lipids, akin to wax esters and triacylglycerols. Prior occurrences of steryl ethers suggest that their presence in the Valanginian may reflect an oceanic environment characterized by upwelling, consistent with the likely position of Shatsky Rise within the equatorial divergence zone of the Pacific during the Early Cretaceous. Alternatively, or in addition, the appearance of these compounds may represent a biological response to cooler temperatures, and thereby augment evidence for global cooling during the Early Valanginian, consistent with independent paleontological evidence for contemporaneous, upwelling-induced increases in productivity in the Western Atlantic.
Strategic and Sincere Voting in a One‐Sided Election: The Canadian Federal Election of 1997

Objective. We are interested in whether and how voters make strategic decisions in a race that is, according to the polls, expected to be very one sided. Looking specifically at the choices available to ideologically right-of-center voters in the 1997 Canadian federal election, we argue that strategic considerations will be filtered by voters' assessments of the competitiveness of the race both locally and nationally. Methods. We estimate logistic regression models measuring support for the two right-of-center Canadian political parties. Our models focus on the relationship between assessments of district- and national-level party prospects on voting for the Progressive Conservative Party. Results. We find that voters who consider the race competitive emphasize district-level data in their strategic calculations. However, those who consider the election to be all but over look more closely at national-level concerns when deciding which right-wing party to support. Conclusions. We conclude that earlier understandings of tactical voting should be updated to take into consideration the circumstances under which voters will use national-level evaluations of relative party viability in casting their ballots.
Getting off the Hedonic Treadmill, One Step at a Time: The Impact of Regular Religious Practice and Exercise on Well-Being

Abstract Many studies have shown that few events in life have a lasting impact on subjective well-being because of people’s tendency to adapt quickly; worse, those events that do have a lasting impact tend to be negative. We suggest that while major events may not provide lasting increases in well-being, certain seemingly minor events – such as attending religious services or exercising – may do so by providing small but frequent boosts: if people engage in such behaviors with sufficient frequency, they may cumulatively experience enough boosts to attain higher well-being. In Study 1, we surveyed places of worship for 12 religions and found that people did receive positive boosts for attending service, and that these boosts appeared to be cumulative: the more they reported attending, the happier they were. In Study 2, we generalized these effects to other regular activities, demonstrating that people received boosts for exercise and yoga, and that these boosts too had a cumulative positive impact on well-being. We suggest that shifting focus from the impact of major life changes on well-being to the impact of seemingly minor repeated behaviors is crucial for understanding how best to improve well-being.
Changes of forearm EMG and cerebral evoked potentials following sudden muscle stretch during isometric contractions in patients with Parkinson's disease

Various investigators have reported that the late reflex EMG activity following muscle stretch is increased in patients with Parkinson's disease. To explore the basis of this increased activity, we have now recorded the late EMG responses together with associated cerebral responses following muscle stretch in parkinsonian patients. Nine patients and eight controls participated in two sets of experiments in which they grasped a handle attached to a torque motor and maintained the wrist isometrically against a constant flexor force. The force was changed unpredictably (first set) or predictably (second set of experiments), causing a stretch of wrist extensors or flexors. Cerebral responses and muscle responses from the forearm were recorded and averaged separately depending upon condition. The late muscle responses to unpredictable muscle stretch were enhanced in parkinsonian patients while the cerebral responses were attenuated when compared to controls. The alteration of the electrocerebral response began approx. 25 ms prior to the late M2 muscle response. Both controls and patients showed a markedly attenuated cerebral response when the muscle stretch was predictable. These results indicate that the electrocerebral response to muscle stretch is altered prior to the onset of M2 in patients with Parkinson's disease, and suggest that these cerebral events reflect components of a long-latency transcerebral reflex pathway that is affected in this disorder.
MK-801-induced sprouting by CGRP immunoreactive primary afferent fibers in the dorsal spinal cord of the rat.

Abstract In the present study, rats received daily injections of the N- methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, MK-801, over 30 consecutive days. The effects of MK-801 on the distribution of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive fibers in the dorsal spinal cord of the rat were subsequently examined. In addition to the normal immunostaining pattern in laminae I, II and lateral V, a dense network of CGRP-immunoreactive fibers was observed along the medial border of the dorsal horn and within the dorsal grey commissure. This marked increase in immunoreactivity was virtually eliminated following dorsal rhizotomy. These observations suggest that MK-801 induces intraspinal sprouting by CGRP immunoreactive primary afferent fibers in vivo.
Relations of Young Children's Agreeableness and Resiliency to Effortful Control and Impulsivity

The hypothesis that the relations of effortful control and impulsivity to children's agreeableness would be at least partly indirect through their resiliency was tested. Eighty-two children (M age=58.67 mos.) were participants. Children nominated peers on agreeableness and completed a behavioral measure of effortful control. Teachers and a subsample of parents reported on children's effortful control, impulsivity, resiliency, and agreeableness. In a structural equation model, effortful control predicted high agreeableness, and this relation was indirect through resiliency. Impulsivity predicted high resiliency and was negatively related to agreeableness. In an alternative model, effortful control predicted high resiliency indirectly through agreeableness and impulsivity was not related to agreeableness. A third model indicated that with the exception of a path from effortful control to agreeableness, agreeableness and resiliency did not predict effortful control or impulsivity. The findings suggest that effortful control and impulsivity may contribute to resiliency and agreeableness, that resiliency and agreeableness are interrelated, and that resilient children are not overly controlled.
Diverse copper(II) complexes with simple nitrogen ligands: Structural characterization and applications in aerobic alcohol oxidations in water

Abstract Four copper(II) complexes based on simple mono- or bi-dentate nitrogen ligands 2–5 were synthesized and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. Structural analysis revealed that diverse solid state structures of these Cu(II) complexes were formed, depending on the ligands used. The new copper(II) assembles include dinuclear tetra-ligand complex (6), mononuclear bis-ligand complex (7), one-dimensional (1-D) polymeric chain (8) and two-dimensional (2-D) hydrogen-bonded network composed of mononuclear bis-ligand complexes (9). In continuation with our previous findings of an efficient Cu/DMAP catalysis system for aerobic alcohol oxidation in water (DMAP = 4-dimethylaminopyridine), we tested the catalytic activity of newly synthesized copper(II) complexes 6–9 under similar conditions. Both the isolated complexes and in-situ combinations of ligands with copper(I) or copper(II) salts were examined as catalysts toward aerobic oxidations of both primary and secondary alcohols in water in the presence of nitroxyl radicals (TEMPO or ABNO) and the results confirmed that complex 6 showed high catalytic activity, similar to the previously reported Cu/DMAP catalyst, while other complexes were less efficient catalysts. The remarkable differences on catalytic activity were tentatively attributed to their diverse molecular structures, in comparison with previous results in relevant systems.
Theory of ortho-para conversion in hydrogen adsorbed on metal and paramagnetic surfaces at low temperatures.

In order to explain the experimental results on Cu(100), Ag(111), Ag thin films, graphite, and ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ bubbles in Cu, the ortho-para conversion rates of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$ adsorbed on metal and paramagnetic surfaces at low temperatures have been considered. The conversion rates due to magnetic dipole-dipole, Fermi contact, and spin-orbit interaction between the conduction electrons, and nuclear spins of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ (${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$) are calculated to elucidate the role of the metal surface. Although the rates on clean metal surfaces are found to be too slow to account for the observed rates on Ag, they may explain the catalytic conversion on ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ bubble surfaces at 1.3 K. Additionally, effects of impurities and defects on the surface are investigated by calculating the conversion rate in two-dimensional solid ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$ (${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$) by emission of one (two) phonon(s). Fast conversion rates observed on Ag and graphite surfaces as well as on the surfaces of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ bubbles may be accounted for by paramagnetic impurities or defects. On Grafoil, both in (\ensuremath{\surd}3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\ensuremath{\surd}3)R30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} commensurate and incommensurate solid phase, a temperature-independent conversion rate is predicted if the mobility of the molecules is high enough to prevent concentration gradients.
A pilot study of the influence of residential HAC duty cycle on indoor air quality

Abstract A simple methodology was developed to collect measurements of duty cycle, the fraction of time the heating and air conditioning (HAC) system was operating, inside residences. The primary purpose of the measurements was to assess whether the HAC duty cycle was related to reductions in indoor particulate matter (PM) concentrations. A miniature temperature logger placed on an HAC outlet vent monitored changes in temperature as the system cooled or heated the residence. Temperature step changes signaling duty cycle periods were identified using spreadsheet macros. Parallel measurements of 24-h integrated air exchange rates (AERs) and indoor PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations were collected to determine relationships with the duty cycle. The mild temperatures (mean=18.7°C) present during the Spring season of the RTP PM Panel Study and personal comfort preferences caused low and variable daily duty cycles (mean=0.061, std. dev.=0.054) in both heating and cooling mode. Warmer ambient temperatures during the Fall season of the Tampa Asthmatic Children's Study (TACS) resulted in cooling-only HAC operation, with a higher mean duty cycle of 0.21 (std. dev.=0.11). Statistically significant linear relationships were observed between daily average duty cycle and the ambient temperature for both studies. Duty cycle exhibited a strong diurnal pattern commensurate with ambient temperature fluctuations. Duty cycles were positively associated with the residence AERs for heating-mode operations, but negatively associated when operating in cooling mode. Personal preferences contributed to the variability in the relationship between duty cycle and AER. The relationship between duty cycle and PM 2.5 or PM 10 indoor–outdoor ratios were not statistically significant. The association of duty cycle with indoor–outdoor ratio was confounded by the short time span (mean of 10.3 min for the TACS) of HAC system operation and the presence of strong indoor sources altering the indoor concentration levels.
QUANTIFYING VESICULAR-ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAE: A PROPOSED METHOD TOWARDS STANDARDIZATION *

SUMMARY A standard method for the quantification of root colonization by vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi is needed. From the examination of roots from three different host species, the estimation of the percentage of the length of root segments containing VA mycorrhizal fungal structures was found to be more accurate than the determination of the percentage of root segments with VA mycorrhizal fungal structures. It was no more time consuming, and was not influenced by segment size. Examination of a minimum of seven samples, each with 25 randomly selected 0 5 to 1 0 cm root segments, was needed for confidence limits to be within 10 % of the mean. It is proposed that, for the sake of comparability between studies, this procedure be
Role of wnts in prostate cancer bone metastases

Prostate cancer (CaP) is unique among all cancers in that when it metastasizes to bone, it typically forms osteoblastic lesions (characterized by increased bone production). CaP cells produce many factors, including Wnts that are implicated in tumor-induced osteoblastic activity. In this prospectus, we describe our research on Wnt and the CaP bone phenotype. Wnts are cysteine-rich glycoproteins that mediate bone development in the embryo and promote bone production in the adult. Wnts have been shown to have autocrine tumor effects, such as enhancing proliferation and protecting against apoptosis. In addition, we have recently identified that CaP-produced Wnts act in a paracrine fashion to induce osteoblastic activity in CaP bone metastases. In addition to Wnts, CaP cells express the soluble Wnt inhibitor dickkopf-1 (DKK-1). It appears that DKK-1 production occurs early in the development of skeletal metastases, which results in masking of osteogenic Wnts, thus favoring osteolysis at the metastatic site. As metastases progress, DKK-1 expression decreases allowing for unmasking of Wnt's osteoblastic activity and ultimately resulting in osteosclerosis at the metastatic site. We believe that DKK-1 is one of the switches that transitions the CaP bone metastasis activity from osteolytic to osteoblastic. Wnt/DKK-1 activity fits a model of CaP-induced bone remodeling occurring in a continuum composed of an osteolytic phase, mediated by receptor activator of NFkB ligand (RANKL), parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHRP) and DKK-1; a transitional phase, where environmental alterations promote expression of osteoblastic factors (Wnts) and decreases osteolytic factors (i.e., DKK-1); and an osteoblastic phase, in which tumor growth-associated hypoxia results in production of vascular endothelial growth factor and endothelin-1, which have osteoblastic activity. This model suggests that targeting both osteolytic activity and osteoblastic activity will provide efficacy for therapy of CaP bone metastases.
Moving target exploitation

The understanding of maneuvering forces is invaluable to the warfighter, as it enhances understanding of enemy force structure and disposition, provides cues to potential enemy actions, and expedites targeting of time critical targets. Airborne ground moving target indicator (GMTI) radars are a class of highly-effective, all-weather, wide-area senors that aid in the surveillance of these moving ground vehicles. Unfortunately conventional GMTI radars are incapable of identifying individual vehicles, and techniques for exploiting information imbedded within GMTI radar reports are limited. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Moving Target Exploitation (MTE) program is working to mitigate these deficiencies by developing, integrating, and evaluating a suite of automated and semi-automated technologies to classify moving targets and units, and to provide indications of their activities. These techniques include: aid in the interpretation of GMTI data to provide moving force structure analysis, automatic tracking of thousands of moving ground vehicles, 1-D target classification based upon high-range- resolution (HRR) radar profiles, and 2-D target classification based upon moving target imaging (MTIm) synthetic aperture radar (SAR). This paper shall present the MTE concept and motivation and provide an overview of results to date.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Clonidine improves memory function in schizophrenia independently from change in psychosis. Preliminary findings.

Abstract This study provides initial evidence that the α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, clonidine, enhances memory functioning in hospitalized schizophrenics. Ten patients were tested while drug free and while on stable doses of clonidine (0.4-1.4 mg/day) for approximately 3 weeks. Throughout the duration of the study, all patients, as well as the examiner, were blind to medication status. Memory test scores were significantly better during the clonidine trials. This improvement occurred independently of change in psychosis. Clonidine does not improve memory in normal adults or in young and unimpaired animals, but has been shown to improve memory in Korsakoff's patients and non-human primates who are old or have dorsolateral prefrontal cortical lesions. The present results have implications for the role of the noradrenergic system in memory as well as for our understanding of the nature of the cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia.
"Empty Cradles" and the Quiet Revolution: Demographic Discourse and Cultural Struggles of Gender, Race, and Class in Italy

The current record-low birthrate of Italian women has generated lively debate about the future of the nation. In Italy, the average number of children per woman has arrived at around 1.2, a level "likely the lowest ever documented in the history of humanity for a large-scale population," according to one Italian demographer (Golini et al. 1995:1; Instituto Nazionale di Statistico [ISTAT] 1996b). A paradox has arisen in the midst of Italians practicing what demographers claim is the lowest-ever national fertility level: as the rest of the world worries about overpopulation, Italy and many other European countries sound alarms about below-replacement fertility levels (Anagnost 1995; Bongaarts 1998; Sen 1997).' This article examines the social context related to the current demographic situation in Italy and has three objectives: (1) to expose the strategies demographers use to frame the birthrate in Italy as a "problem" and to argue that this exercise of scientific authority has powerful and hegemonic consequences in terms of producing demographic knowledge that extends beyond the field of demography; (2) to suggest that this knowledge is integral to a politics of cultural struggle that portrays men and, in particular, women as irrational family-makers; and (3) to argue that this instance of demographic science contributes to an alarmism that enables an "elite" sort of racism toward immi-
Induction of Urinary Tract Infection by Intraurethral Inoculation with Escherichia coli: Refining the Murine Model

Murine models are important for studying the induction and pathophysiology of ascending urinary tract infections (UTI). However, when vesicoureteral reflux occurs during intravesical inoculation of mice with bacterial suspensions, it is difficult to distinguish between naturally ascending infections and those resulting from the inoculation procedure. The current study investigated whether introducing a bacterial suspension into the urethra rather than into the bladder could minimize or eliminate this complication. There were no differences in the intensity or time course of bladder infections induced by intraurethral or intravesical inoculation. In contrast, the prevalence of kidney infections was < 7% in mice given 10 microliters of intraurethral inoculations versus nearly 60% in animals inoculated intravesically with 100 microliters. There were equivalent numbers of bacteria in the kidneys after inoculation by either route. Thus, intraurethral inoculation of female mice with a small volume of bacteria appears to simulate most closely the pathophysiology of ascending UTIs in humans.
Strategies and resources for teaching statistics to visually impaired students

We give several tips for teaching statistics to visually impaired students and provide information on special resources available for this population. With appropriate assistance, these students ca...
Color Rapid Prototyping for Diffusion-Tensor MRI Visualization

We describe work toward creating color rapid prototyping (RP) plaster models as visualization tools to support scientific research in diffusion-tensor (DT) MRI analysis. We currently give surgeons and neurologists virtual-reality (VR) applications to visualize different aspects of their brain data, but having physical representations of those virtual models allows them to review the data with a very robust, natural, and fast haptic interface: their own hands. Our initial results are encouraging, and end users are excited about the possibilities of this technique. For example, using these models in conjunction with digital models on the computer screen or VR environment provides a static frame of reference that helps keep users oriented during their analysis tasks.
EXIT chart analysis of BICM-ID over AWGN channels with SNR mismatch

We use the extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) chart to analyze the convergence of iteratively decoded bit-interleaved coded modulation with channel signal-to-noise ratio mismatch. For additive white Gaussian noise channels, we develop a generalized model for the a priori inputs, which is parameterized by the ratio /spl eta/ between the noise variance estimate and its true value. We show that the demapper and decoder transfer functions are very sensitive to overestimation of the noise variance (/spl eta/>0 dB), while indifferent to underestimation in a fairly large region (/spl eta//spl isin/[-6,0] dB). The accuracy of our EXIT chart prediction is verified by simulation.
Image quality evaluation of flat panel and image intensifier digital magnification in x-ray fluoroscopy.

Interventional devices used in radiology often have dimensions on the order of a pixel, and radiologists resort to image magnification to better visualize such small devices. Traditional image intensifier (II) systems use analog magnification with x-ray exposure inversely proportional to the area of field of view (FOV) so as to maintain light output for the camera. Analog magnification is impossible with flat panel (FP) detectors, and images must be magnified using digital interpolation that does not reduce the pixel partial area effect for small devices. We quantitatively investigated image quality of digital and analog magnification using a clinically relevant task of detecting a partially deployed stent in x-rayfluoroscopyimage sequences that were created using realistic detector models. Using the standard exposure strategy for II analog magnification, exposure was increased from a nominal 43.65 nGy (5.0 μR) per frame at 23 cm FOV to 79.9 nGy (9.15 μR) per frame and 117.81 nGy (13.49 μR) per frame at 17 cm and 14 cm FOV, respectively. Contrast sensitivity improved significantly (p by 43.5±6.5% and 64.1±7.3% with the 17 cm and 14 cm FOV, respectively. Exposure for digitally magnified images was varied in an adaptive forced choice experiment so as to match performance with II analog magnification. For digital magnification, bilinear interpolation was used to give magnified stents sizes equivalent to those in the analog magnified images. For equivalent image quality, FP required 34.87±2.59, 80.16±5.37, and 84.08±5.59 nGy per frame at normal, and the two magnification modes, respectively. Hence, FP with digital magnification gives significant (p dose savings of 20±6% and 27±5% at the normal and highest magnification modes, respectively. Digitally magnified II images required exposures of 110.85±8.07 and 103.34±5.90 nGy per frame for the two magnifications levels, respectively, giving no significant (p>0.1) dose savings. A spatiotemporal human observer model based on signal detection theory successfully predicted the human data and was used to predict other conditions associated with image magnification. Model predictions quantitatively showed that magnification is most useful when signal size is relatively small and that FP digital magnification can improve image quality for the stent deployment task without increasing exposure. In conclusion, the results show that FP digital magnification can be useful and dose efficient as compared to analog magnification.
Evidence for sex steroid inhibition of lipoprotein lipase in men: Comparison of abdominal and femoral adipose tissue

Plasma estradiol has been suggested to suppress adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in women. The present study explores the regulation of LPL by sex steroids in sedentary obese men (N = 24) at their usual weight. Femoral adipose tissue LPL activity, eluted with serum and heparin or extracted with detergent, showed significant inverse correlations with plasma levels of testosterone, bioavailable testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estradiol. Both measures of femoral LPL activity were also correlated with the weight change occurring despite efforts to maintain a constant weight. Abdominal LPL activity showed significant but weaker inverse correlations with bioavailable testosterone only. Multivariate analysis of potential predictors for eluted femoral LPL activity showed that plasma testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estradiol were interdependent, whereas the rate of weight change was an independent variable. In the regression equation, only bioavailable testosterone and weight change were retained, explaining 63% of the variability (R = .79, P = .0002). These results suggest that sex steroids suppress adipose tissue LPL activity in men, and more so in the thigh than in the abdomen, thereby possibly contributing to a central fat accumulation. The data are compatible with a model from male animals suggesting that testosterone effects on adipose tissue LPL are mediated by estradiol formed locally.
Conditions on Risk Attitude for a Single Attribute

For a decision problem having consequences described by a single attribute, the task of determining a utility function can be facilitated by verifying that the decision maker's risk attitude satisfies a condition such as constant risk aversion. We investigate a general class of conditions on risk attitude, and show that a utility function for such a condition may exist only when the condition is of a special type. Next, we discuss and interpret conditions of this special type. Then, we define two conditions which imply that the decision maker's risk attitude satisfies a condition of this type and is represented by a generalized logarithmic utility function or a linear fractional utility function.
Solitary cannabis use in adolescence as a correlate and predictor of cannabis problems

Background Most adolescent cannabis use occurs in social settings among peers. Solitary cannabis use during adolescence may represent an informative divergence from normative behavior with important implications for understanding risk for cannabis problems. This longitudinal study examined associations of adolescent solitary cannabis use with levels of cannabis use and problems in adolescence and in young adulthood.
Chemical instability of protein pharmaceuticals: Mechanisms of oxidation and strategies for stabilization

Oxidation is one of the major chemical degradation pathways for protein pharmaceuticals. Methionine, cysteine, histidine, tryptophan, and tyrosine are the amino acid residues most susceptible to oxidation due to their high reactivity with various reactive oxygen species. Oxidation during protein processing and storage can be induced by contaminating oxidants, catalyzed by the presence of transition metal ions and induced by light. Oxidative modification depends on the structural features of the proteins as well as the particular oxidation mechanisms inherent in various oxidative species, and may also be influenced by pH, temperature, and buffer composition. Protein oxidation may result in loss of biological activity and other undesirable pharmaceutical consequences. Strategies to stabilize proteins against oxidation can be classified into intrinsic methods (site-directed mutagenesis and chemical modification), physical methods (solid vs. liquid formulations) and use of chemical additives. The optimum choice of chemical additives needs to be evaluated on the basis of the specific oxidation mechanism. Oxidation induced by the presence of oxidants in the system is referred to as a non-site-specific mechanism. Under such conditions, oxidation can be effectively inhibited by the appropriate addition of antioxidants or free radical scavengers. metal-catalyzed oxidation is a site-specific process, in which the addition of antioxidants may accelerate the oxidation reaction. Careful screening of chelating agents has been shown to be an alternative method for preventing metal-catalyzed oxidation. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The photoacoustic effect from particles and bubbles

Irradiation of colloidal suspensions with the output of a high power, pulsed laser can give rise to chemical reactions and phase transitions that are linked to the production of ultrasound. Transient grating experiments, which record both photoacoustic and photothermal processes, show the effects of the concentration of heat at the sites of colloidal particles, chemical reactions leading to the formation of stable gaseous species, and the production of steam bubbles. The efficiency of sound by these processes is, in general, determined by the rapidity of the density change that follows the absorption of the laser radiation.
BioMEMS applications in medicine

Biomedical microsystems (BioMEMS) integrate microscale sensors and actuators, microfluidics, micro-optics, and structural elements with computation, communications, and controls for application to medicine for the improvement of human health. Derived from the microfabrication technology used to make integrated circuits, BioMEMS is expected to revolutionize the way medicine is practiced and delivered. This paper presents an introductory overview of three new areas of BioMEMS in medicine: 1) surgical microsystems (intelligent micro-invasive surgical tools); 2) diagnostic microsystems (biochips and related microinstrumentation); and 3) therapeutic microsystems (health care management systems). Some representative examples based on the work carried out at the University of Minnesota are presented including: 1) MEMS in precision surgery-ophthalmology; 2) MEMS in biomolecular recognition; and 3) MEMS in autonomous therapy management systems - micropumps for drug delivery. Selected human clinical trials of the application of BioMEMS are presented.
Laminar Condensation on a Moving Drop. Part 1. Singular Perturbation Technique

In this paper, laminar condensation on a spherical drop in a forced flow is investigated. The drop experiences a strong, radial, condensation-induced velocity while undergoing slow translation. In view of the high condensation velocity, the flow field, although the drop experiences slow translation, is not in the Stokes-flow regime. The drop environment is assumed to consist of a mixture of saturated steam (condensable) and air (non-condensable). The study has been carried out in two different ways. In Part 1 the continuous phase is treated as quasi-steady and the governing equations for this phase are solved through a singular perturbation technique. The transient heat-up of the drop interior is solved by the series-truncation numerical method. The solution for the total problem is obtained by matching the results for the continuous and dispersed phases. In Part 2 both the phases are treated as fully transient and the entire set of coupled equations are solved by numerical means. Validity of the quasi-steady assumption of Part 1 is discussed. Effects due to the presence of the non-condensable component and of the drop surface temperature on transport processes are discussed in both parts. A significant contribution of the present study is the inclusion of the roles played by both the viscous and the inertial effects in the problem treatment.
Reduced excitatory drive onto interneurons in the dentate gyrus after status epilepticus

Impaired GABAergic inhibition may contribute to the development of hyperexcitability in epilepsy. We used the pilocarpine model of epilepsy to demonstrate that regulation of excitatory synaptic drive onto GABAergic interneurons is impaired during epileptogenesis. Synaptic input from granule cells (GCs), perforant path, and CA3 inputs onto hilar border interneurons of the dentate gyrus were examined in rat hippocampal slices during the latent period (1-8 d) after induction of status epilepticus (SE). Short-term depression (STD) of GC inputs to interneurons induced by brief (500-800 msec), repetitive (5-20 Hz) stimulation, as well as paired-pulse depression at both GC and CA3 inputs to interneurons, were significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced in SE-experienced rats. In contrast, we found no significant differences between SE-experienced and age-matched control rats in the properties of minimal EPSCs evoked at low frequency (0.3 Hz). Consistent with reduced GABAergic inhibition onto granule cells, paired-pulse depression of perforant path-evoked granule cell population spikes was lost in SE-experienced rats. Enhanced STD was partially mediated by group II metabotropic glutamate receptors, because the selective antagonist, 2S-2-amino-2-(1S,2S-2-carboxycyclopropyl-1-yl)-3-(xanth-9-yl)propanoic acid, attenuated STD in SE-experienced rats but had no effect on STD of GC inputs in the normal adult rat. The group II mGluR agonist, (2S',1R',2R',3R')-2-(2,3-dicarboxylcyclopropyl) glycine (1 micrometer), produced a greater depression of GC input to hilar border interneurons in SE-experienced rats than in controls. These results indicate that, in the SE-experienced rat, excitatory drive to hilar border inhibitory interneurons is weakened through a use-dependent mechanism involving group II metabotropic glutamate receptors.
A multi-agent system for analyzing the effect of information on prediction markets

Prediction markets have been shown to be a useful tool for forecasting the outcome of future events by aggregating public opinion about the event's outcome. In this paper, we investigate an important aspect of prediction markets—the effect of different information-related parameters on the behavior of the traders in the market. We have developed a multi-agent based system that incorporates different information-related aspects including the arrival rate of information, the reliability of information, the penetration or accessibility of information among the different traders, and the perception or impact of information by the traders. We have performed extensive simulations of our agent-based prediction market for analyzing the effect of information-related parameters on the traders' behaviors expressed through their trading prices, and compared our agents' strategies with another agent-based pricing strategy used in prediction markets called the zero intelligence strategy. Our results show that information-related parameters have a significant impact on traders' beliefs about event outcomes, and, frequent, reliable information about events improves the utilities that the traders receive. Overall, our work provides a better understanding of the effect of information on the operation of prediction markets and on the strategies used by the traders in the market. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dynamic Linear Solver Selection for Transient Simulations Using Machine Learning on Distributed Systems

Many transient simulations spend a significant portion of the overall runtime solving a linear system. A wide variety of preconditioned linear solvers have been developed to quickly and accurately solve different types of linear systems, each having options to customize the preconditioned solver for a given linear system. Transient simulations may produce significantly different linear systems as the simulation progresses due to special events occurring that make the linear systems more difficult to solve or the model moving closer to a state of equilibrium where the linear systems are easier to solve. Machine learning algorithms provide the ability to dynamically select the preconditioned linear solver for each linear system produced by a simulation. We can generate databases by computing attributes for each linear system, physical attributes for the transient simulation, computational attributes, and running times for a set of preconditioned solvers on each linear system. Machine learning algorithms can then use these databases to generate classifiers capable of dynamically selecting a preconditioned solver for each linear system given a set of attributes. This allows us to quickly and accurately compute each transient simulation using different preconditioned solvers throughout the simulation. This also provides the potential to produce speedups in comparison with using a single preconditioned solver for an entire transient simulation.
Evaluation of Surface Layer Residual Stresses and Lattice Distortions in Ion Implanted Materials by X-Ray Diffraction

Shallow incidence X-ray diffraction techniques were employed to investigate the effects of ion implantation in metallic and ceramic materials. In the initial study, X-ray rocking curve profiles were used to evaluate the lattice distortion introduced by implantation of lithium in aluminum single crystals. By preparing asymmetrically cut crystals such that the diffraction condition ranged from glancing incidence to symmetric reflection, a depth profile of the implantation damage could be constructed. In this way, the damage associated with multiple implantations at two different fluences could be compared. In a subsequent investigation, low order diffraction peaks obtained using Cr Ka radiation have also been monitored for the purpose of estimating the residual stress and lattice disorder imposed by implantation of argon in alumina and silicon carbide. The maximum and average compressive stresses in the surface layer of the specimens, implanted at various energies and fluence, were evaluated and correlated with theoretical depth profiles of the implantation damage.
A micro initiator realized by reactive Ni/Al nanolaminates for MEMS applications

This study investigates a micro initiator realized by reactive Ni/Al nanolaminates. A self-propagating reaction can be triggered in the Ni/Al film by applying a DC voltage of 1.5 V. This exothermic reaction may raise the film (10 µm in thickness) temperature to as high as 622 K. The measured ignition power of the film was 3 mW with an ignition delay of around 0.63 s. The small ignition energy required (1.89 mJ) and the large energy output (1.86 J) made the Ni/Al film superior to the current resistive heater based initiators. Numerical simulation results demonstrated that different temperatures can be achieved by simply alternating the film thickness and the localization of high temperature exposure was realized to avoid unintentional fire of adjacent initiators.
Statistical Learning for Optimal Control of Hybrid Systems

In this paper we explore a randomized alternative for the optimization of hybrid systems' performance. The basic approach is to generate samples from the family of possible solutions, and to test them on the plant's model to evaluate their performance. This result is obtained by first presenting the general hybrid optimal control problem, and then converting it into an optimization problem within a statistical learning framework. The results are applied to examples already existing in the literature, in order to highlight certain operational aspects of the proposed methods.
Cervical Aortic Arch With Aneurysm Formation

Two pediatric cases of cervical aortic arch with aneurysm formation are reported. Only female patients with cervical aortic arch have developed aneurysms, which may influence risk counseling of such patients.
Origins of Specificity in Protein-DNA Recognition

Specific interactions between proteins and DNA are fundamental to many biological processes. In this review, we provide a revised view of protein-DNA interactions that emphasizes the importance of the threedimensional structures of both macromolecules. We divide proteinDNA interactions into two categories: those when the protein recognizes the unique chemical signatures of the DNA bases (base readout) and those when the protein recognizes a sequence-dependent DNA shape (shape readout). We further divide base readout into those interactions that occur in the major groove from those that occur in the minor groove. Analogously, the readout of the DNA shape is subdivided into global shape recognition (for example, when the DNA helix exhibits an overall bend) and local shape recognition (for example, when a base pair step is kinked or a region of the minor groove is narrow). Based on the >1500 structures of protein-DNA complexes now available in the Protein Data Bank, we argue that individual DNA-binding proteins combine multiple readout mechanisms to achieve DNA-binding specificity. Specificity that distinguishes between families frequently involves base readout in the major groove, whereas shape readout is often exploited for higher resolution specificity, to distinguish between members within the same DNA-binding protein family.
Endogenous and exogenous ice-nucleating agents constrain supercooling in the hatchling painted turtle.

Hatchlings of the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) commonly hibernate in their shallow, natal nests. Survival at temperatures below the limit of freeze tolerance (approximately -4 degrees C) apparently depends on their ability to remain supercooled, and, whereas previous studies have reported that supercooling capacity improves markedly with cold acclimation, the mechanistic basis for this change is incompletely understood. We report that the crystallization temperature (T(c)) of recently hatched (summer) turtles acclimated to 22 degrees C and reared on a substratum of vermiculite or nesting soil was approximately 5 degrees C higher than the T(c) determined for turtles acclimated to 4 degrees C and tested in winter. This increase in supercooling capacity coincided with elimination of substratum (and, in fewer cases, eggshell) that the hatchlings had ingested; however, this association was not necessarily causal because turtles reared on a paper-covered substratum did not ingest exogenous matter but nevertheless showed a similar increase in supercooling capacity. Our results for turtles reared on paper revealed that seasonal development of supercooling capacity fundamentally requires elimination of ice-nucleating agents (INA) of endogenous origin: summer turtles, but not winter turtles, produced feces (perhaps derived from residual yolk) that expressed ice-nucleating activity. Ingestion of vermiculite or eggshell, which had modest ice-nucleating activity, had no effect on the T(c), whereas ingestion of nesting soil, which contained two classes of potent INA, markedly reduced the supercooling capacity of summer turtles. This effect persisted long after the turtles had purged their guts of soil particles, because the T(c) of winter turtles reared on nesting soil (mean +/- S.E.M.=-11.6+/-1.4 degrees C) was approximately 6 degrees C higher than the T(c) of winter turtles reared on vermiculite or paper. Experiments in which winter turtles were fed INA commonly found in nesting soil showed that water-soluble, organic agents can remain fully active for at least one month. Such INA may account for the limited supercooling capacity (T(c) approximately -7.5 degrees C) we found in turtles overwintering in natural nests and may therefore pose a formidable challenge to the winter survival of hatchling C. picta.