cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Self-training Approach to Cost Sensitive Uncertainty Sampling

Uncertainty sampling is an effective method for performing active learning that is computationally efficient compared to other active learning methods such as loss-reduction methods. However, unlike loss-reduction methods, uncertainty sampling cannot minimize total misclassification costs when errors incur different costs. This paper introduces a method for performing cost-sensitive uncertainty sampling that makes use of self-training. We show that, even when misclassification costs are equal, this self-training approach results in faster reduction of loss as a function of number of points labeled and more reliable posterior probability estimates as compared to standard uncertainty sampling. We also show why other more naive methods of modifying uncertainty sampling to minimize total misclassification costs will not always work well.
Spatio-Temporal Variations in the Associations between Hourly PM 2.5 and Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) from MODIS Sensors on Terra and Aqua

Recent studies have explored the relationship between aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements by satellite sensors and concentrations of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5). However, relatively little is known about spatial and temporal patterns in this relationship across the contiguous United States. In this study, we investigated the relationship between US Environmental Protection Agency estimates of PM2.5 concentrations and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) AOD measurements provided by two NASA satellites (Terra and Aqua) across the contiguous United States during 2005. We found that the combined use of both satellite sensors provided more AOD coverage than the use of either satellite sensor alone, that the correlation between AOD measurements and PM2.5 concentrations varied substantially by geographic location, and that this correlation was stronger in the summer and fall than that in the winter and spring.
Cardiovascular Implications of Smoking: The Surgeon General's Point of View

One-fifth of all heart disease-related deaths are due to cigarette smoking. Smoking alone doubles the risk of heart failure. African Americans suffer the highest death rates from smoking among all U.S. population groups. Excess risk of heart disease caused by smoking can be reduced by half after just one year of quitting smoking. Therefore, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research recommends that all patients who smoke be offered smoking cessation treatments such as nicotine replacement therapy, social supports, and skills training to achieve smoking abstinence. Such treatments should also include nutritional counseling and programs of appropriate physical activity. Other strategies to reduce the prevalence of smoking among youth include curtailing marketing efforts that glamorize smoking and strict enforcement of the minimum-age-of-sale laws. With proper nutrition, moderate physical activity, and the cessation of smoking, the risk factors associated with heart disease could be greatly reduced.
Effects of timing and dose of vitamin A on tissue retinol concentrations and antibody production in the previously vitamin A-depleted rats.

The effect ofretinol repletion in previously vi- tamin A-depleted Lewis rats on antibody production to pneu- mococcal polysaccharide (555-Ill) was studied. When vitamin A-depleted rats were given either 0.35 zrnol (0. 1 mg) or 5.2 �tmol (1 .5 mg) retinol, plasma retinol became normal within 8 h. Liver and lymphoid-organ retinol concentrations were nor- malized by 1 d after repletion with 5.2 �tmol but not 0.35 �mol retinol. Antibody production to 555-Ill was compared after ad- ministering 5.2 �zmol retinol either as a divided dose (half given 4 d before and half given on the day of immunization) or as a single dose concurrent with immunization. Vitamin A-depleted rats produced very little 555-Ill-specific antibody. The divided dose of retinol consistently restored anti-SSS-III production whereas the single concurrent dose was less effective despite equal effects on tissue retinol concentrations. Interestingly, normal- ization ofplasma retinol was not always a good predictor of the immune response to pneumococcal polysaccharide. Am J C/in Nutr 1992;55:443-5l.
Inhibition has little effect on response latencies in the inferior colliculus.

The inferior colliculi of all mammals are characterized by a wide range of first-spike response latencies that can greatly exceed the minimum time required for the transmission of input through the lower brainstem. The mechanisms that account for long response latencies of up to 50 ms are unclear, but one hypothesis is that an early inhibition plays a role in shaping latency. To test this hypothesis, response latencies were measured in the inferior colliculi of the pallid and mustached bats before and during the blockade of GABAa and glycine receptors. The effect of blocking inhibition on response latency was compared under stimulus conditions that produced the shortest latency in the predrug condition. Multibarrel "piggyback" electrodes were used to iontophoretically apply bicuculline and strychnine sequentially while recording from single neurons. Predrug latencies ranged from 9 to 26 ms in the pallid bat and from 4 to 17 ms in the mustached bat. Despite large increases in response magnitude and response duration following disinhibition, the blockade of inhibitory receptors had modest effects on response latency. In the pallid bat, blocking GABA receptors produced latency changes that ranged from ?3.8 to +0.2 ms, while blocking glycine receptors produced changes from ?0.1 to +1.7 ms. Similarly, in the mustached bat, blocking GABA receptors caused changes ranging from ?10.3 to +1.4 ms; blocking glycine receptors in the mustached bat caused changes from ?3.6 to +1.0 ms. The large change of ?10.3 ms was an exception. In both species, the majority of neurons showed changes of <1 ms. We conclude that a fast, early inhibitory input does not appear to play a significant role in shaping the wide range of response latencies present in the inferior colliculi of mustached and pallid bats.
Stochastic dynamic simulation of a protein

The internal motions of a small protein, the bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) in solution, are investigated in the framework of the Langevin equation. In this approach, the effects of the solvent molecules are incorporated by suitably defining the friction and random forces. The friction coefficients are determined from a molecular dynamics simulation. The details of the rapid fluctuations of protein atoms obtained by stochastic and molecular dynamics simulation techniques are compared by calculating the generalized density of states obtained via an incoherent neutron scattering. Presently, our stochastic dynamics simulation is one order of magnitude faster than the molecular dynamics simulation with the explicit inclusion of the water molecules. Generalizations of the present stochastic dynamics approach for studying the large-scale motion in proteins are briefly outlined and the probability of a further speedup by an additional order of magnitude is discussed.
Effect of incremental dietary levels of red blood cells on growth performance of broilers

SUMMARY Three experiments were conducted with broilers to determine the level of red blood cells (RBC) that can be included in diets with or without supplemental amino acids without negatively affecting growth performance. The inclusion of up to 6% RBC with the supplementation of Ile and Arg resulted in similar growth performance when compared with broilers fed a corn- and soybean meal-based diet. However, without supplementation of Ile and Arg, only the inclusion levels of 0.5, 1, and 2% RBC resulted in similar growth performance when compared with the control diet.
Complementary Use of Scalar, Directional, and Vector Statistics with an Application to Surface Winds

Vector data are not uncommon in geography, and include examples such as transportation flows, particulate transport, and cartographic distortion. The directional and vector means and variances of these types of data are easily computed using a complex-arithmetic extension of the equations for scalar mean and variance. The January surface wind field over the contiguous United States provides an example with which to compare the information provided by scalar, directional and vector-based statistics. Spatial patterns of the mean and variance of January wind velocity (the wind vector) resemble patterns of wind speeds and directions but are not a simple superposition of the two, and one cannot necessarily infer the nature of the velocity field from separately computed salar and directional statistics. However, scalar and directional means and variances can lend insight into the features contributing to the velocity mean and variance. Scalar, directional, and vector-based analyses thus provide complementary me...
Monetary Non-neutrality in a Multisector Menu Cost Model

Empirical evidence suggests that as much as one-third of the U.S. business cycle is due to nominal shocks. We calibrate a multisector menu cost model using new evidence on the cross-sectional distribution of the frequency and size of price changes in the U.S. economy. We augment the model to incorporate intermediate inputs. We show that the introduction of heterogeneity in the frequency of price change triples the degree of monetary non-neutrality generated by the model. We furthermore show that the introduction of intermediate inputs raises the degree of monetary non-neutrality by another factor of three, without adversely affecting the model's ability to match the large average size of price changes. A single-sector model with a frequency of price change equal to the median, rather than the mean, generates monetary non-neutrality similar to that in our multisector model. Our multisector model with intermediate inputs generates variation in real output in response to calibrated aggregate nominal shocks that can account for roughly 23% of the U.S. business cycle.
Cancer Therapeutics: Time to Swim Downstream?

A merged fluorescent and brightfield image of MCF-7 breast cancer cells co-cultured with fibroblasts and resembling a fish in water is contemplated.
Single Transferable Vote Resists Strategic Voting

We give evidence that Single Tranferable Vote (STV) is computationally resistant to manipulation: It is NP-complete to determine whether there exists a (possibly insincere) preference that will elect a favored candidate, even in an election for a single seat. Thus strategic voting under STV is qualitatively more dicult than under other commonly-used voting schemes. Furthermore, this resistance to manipulation is inherent to STV and does not depend on hopeful extraneous assumptions like the presumed diculty of learning the preferences of the other voters. We also prove that it is NP-complete to recognize when an STV election violates monotonicity. This suggests that non-monotonicity in STV elections might be perceived as less threatening since it is in eect “hidden” and hard to exploit for strategic advantage.
The Distinguishing Features of the Study of the Ecology of Urban Landscapes

The urban transformation of the planet has spurred interest across a wide variety of disciplines in the fundamental changes to human society and the environment that result from urbanization. Landscape ecology is no exception. Since the late 1980s, the number of papers devoted to the study of the ecology of urban landscapes has risen dramatically. This trend prompted the question I address in this paper: what are the distinguishing features of the study of the ecology of urban landscapes? To answer this question, I reviewed 894 papers, published between 1987 and 2011, describing the ecology of urban terrestrial landscapes. Landscape ecologists who study urban landscapes use the gradient paradigm and the urban ecosystem framework to shape their research questions. They study subjects such as land use/land cover change, the ecological effects of land use type and pattern, and humanmade habitats that receive less attention from landscape ecologists studying non-urban areas. They also study a very wide variety of disturbances that occur in urban landscapes. And, increasingly, they are making use of citizen-generated data to answer their questions. Knowledge of the ecology of urban landscapes is largely based on comparisons of land use types, investigations along the urban gradient, and research centered on remnant habitat fragments in an urban matrix. Future directions for the study of the ecology of urban landscapes include testing whether understanding derived in less modified landscapes can be applied to intensively modified urban landscapes, investigating the interactions between agents of global change, such as climate change, and urbanization, investigating the effects of matrix quality on the biodiversity of habitat fragments, expanding our understanding of the ecological effects of land use pattern, and assessing the trade-offs between human needs and the needs of other species by means of transdisciplinary collaborations.
An Assessment of the Asian Swamp Eel (Monopterus albus) in Florida

The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus) is an air-breathing, sex-reversing, eel-like exotic fish that was first reported from Florida waters in 1997. This illegally introduced fish is now abundant in four major southeastern Florida canal systems, and it continues to slowly spread into nearby areas, including the Everglades. Swamp eel feed on a wide variety of organisms, the most common of which are small fishes, crustaceans (mostly crayfish), and insects. In a laboratory study, swamp eel died at temperatures ≤8°C. No deleterious ecological effects associated with the swamp eel's presence were detected during the 11 years we studied this species, nor was there any evidence that it makes overland movements. Based on these data and observations, the swamp eel in Florida is best described as an illegally introduced, opportunistic and successful predator that feeds on a variety of small prey; fortunately, however, it is unlikely to perpetrate major ecological or economic disturbances.
Computational Studies of the NiTi Alloy System: Bulk, Supercell, and Surface Calculations

Plane waveab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations of theB2 NiTi (100), (110), and (111) surfaces, theB2 andB19´ phases of NiTi, and the supercell structures of NiTi, Ni4Ti3 and Ni3Ti are reported. Electronic energies from the electronic structure calculations are used to assess relative stability of the different surface and supercell geometries.
A Battery-Powered Digital Modem for Telephone Transmission of ECG Data

We present the design of a battery-powered digital modem for transmitting ECG signals. It operates from a 5-V battery supply, uses a coil or acoustic coupler for a telephone interface, and consumes only 30 mW during transmission. We show error rates comparable to regular stand-alone modems, well within the acceptable limit of 1 bit per 100 kbits transmitted at a transmission speed of 300 Bd.
A post-treatment evaluation of multibonded ceramic brackets in orthodontics

The purpose of this study was to perform a clinical evaluation of ceramic brackets with silane-coated bases for chemical (Transcend) and microcrystalline bases for mechanical (Transcend 2000) retention. The sample consisted of 49 consecutive patients; the first 30 were treated with brackets with chemical retention and the following 19 with brackets with mechanical retention. For each patient the brackets on one side of the mouth were assigned at random to be bonded with Concise and the other with Transbond as recommended by the manufacturers. Levelling and alignment of severely displaced roots was initiated with superelastic wires and completed with stainless steel wires. Any space closure or correction of interarch discrepancy was performed with rectangular stainless steel wires. The brackets with chemical retention were removed with a torsional rotation debonding wrench, and those with mechanical retention with a tensile debonding plier. The bond failure rate was low, with no difference between the two bracket types or between brackets bonded with Concise and Transbond. Bracket fracture was a significant clinical problem, both during active treatment and at the time of appliance removal. New teeth with formation of pronounced enamel cracks were seen in 20.6 and 10.5 per cent of the teeth treated with brackets with chemical and mechanical retention, respectively (P < 0.001), with no difference between teeth bonded with Concise and Transbond. Enamel tear-outs were seen in 3 of the 544 and in 1 of the 344 teeth treated with the respective types of bracket. These teeth were bonded with Concise.
Neoproterozoic diamictite-cap carbonate succession and δ13C chemostratigraphy from eastern Sonora, Mexico

Abstract Despite the occurrence of Neoproterozoic strata throughout the southwestern U.S. and Sonora, Mexico, glacial units overlain by enigmatic cap carbonates have not been well-documented south of Death Valley, California. Here, we describe in detail the first glaciogenic diamictite and cap carbonate succession from Mexico, found in the Cerro Las Bolas Group. The diamictite is exposed near Sahuaripa, Sonora, and is overlain by a 5 m thick very finely-laminated dolostone with soft sediment folds. Carbon isotopic chemostratigraphy of the finely-laminated dolostone reveals a negative δ13C anomaly (down to − 3.2‰ PDB) characteristic of cap carbonates worldwide. Carbon isotopic values rise to + 10‰ across ∼ 400 m of section in overlying carbonates of the Mina el Mezquite and Monteso Formations. The pattern recorded here is mostly characteristic of post-Sturtian (ca. ≤ 700 Ma), but pre-Marinoan (ca. ≥ 635 Ma) time. However, the Cerro Las Bolas Group shares ambiguity common to most Neoproterozoic successions: it lacks useful radiometric age constraints and biostratigraphically useful fossils, and its δ13C signature is oscillatory and therefore somewhat equivocal.
Ionic Mechanism of Action Potential Prolongation in Ventricular Myocytes From Dogs With Pacing-Induced Heart Failure

Membrane current abnormalities have been described in human heart failure. To determine whether similar current changes are observed in a large animal model of heart failure, we studied dogs with pacing-induced cardiomyopathy. Myocytes isolated from the midmyocardium of 13 dogs with heart failure induced by 3 to 4 weeks of rapid ventricular pacing and from 16 nonpaced control dogs did not differ in cell surface area or resting membrane potential. Nevertheless, action potential duration (APD) was significantly prolonged in myocytes isolated from failing ventricles (APD at 90% repolarization, 1097 +/- 73 milliseconds [failing hearts, n = 30] versus 842 +/- 56 milliseconds [control hearts, n = 25]; P < .05), and the prominent repolarizing notch in phase 1 was dramatically attenuated. Basal L-type Ca2+ current and whole-cell Na+ current did not differ in cells from failing and from control hearts, but significant differences in K+ currents were observed. The density of the inward rectifier K+ current (IKl) was reduced in cells from failing hearts at test potentials below -90 mV (at -150 mV, -19.1 +/- 2.2 pA/pF [failing hearts, n = 18] versus -32.2 +/- 5.1 pA/pF [control hearts, n = 15]; P < .05). The small outward current component of IKl was also reduced in cells from failing hearts (at -60 mV, 1.7 +/- 0.2 pA/pF [failing hearts] versus 2.5 +/- 0.2 pA/pF [control hearts]; P < .05). The peak of the Ca(2+)-independent transient outward current (Ito) was dramatically reduced in myocytes isolated from failing hearts compared with nonfailing control hearts (at +80 mV, 7.0 +/- 0.9 pA/pF [failing hearts, n = 20] versus 20.4 +/- 3.2 pA/pF [control hearts, n = 15]; P < .001), while the steady state component was unchanged. There were no significant differences in Ito kinetics or single-channel conductance. A reduction in the number of functional Ito channels was demonstrated by nonstationary fluctuation analysis (0.4 +/- 0.03 channels per square micrometer [failing hearts, n = 5] versus 1.2 +/- 0.1 channels per square micrometer [control hearts, n = 3]; P < .001). Pharmacological reduction of Ito by 4-aminopyridine in control myocytes decreased the notch amplitude and prolonged the APD. Current clamp-release experiments in which current was injected for 8 milliseconds to reproduce the notch sufficed to shorten the APD significantly in cells from failing hearts. These data support the hypothesis that downregulation of Ito in pacing-induced heart failure is at least partially responsible for the action potential prolongation. Because the repolarization abnormalities mimic those in cells isolated from failing human ventricular myocardium, canine pacing-induced cardiomyopathy may provide insights into the development of repolarization abnormalities and the mechanisms of sudden death in patients with heart failure.
Efficacy and Safety of Ticagrelor: A Reversible P2Y12 Receptor Antagonist

Objective:To summarize the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of ticagrelor, a selective P2Y12 receptor antagonist, and evaluate its role in the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).Data Sources:A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE (1966–November 2009), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–November 2009), and EMBASE (1990–November 2009) using the MeSH terms and key words AZD6140, ticagrelor, P2Y12 receptor antagonist, cardiovascular disease, ACS, atherothrombosis, and platelets.Study Selection And Data Extraction:Selected studies evaluated the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, and efficacy of ticagrelor for the treatment of ACS.Data Synthesis:Ticagrelor selectively and reversibly blocks the P2Y12 receptor, inhibiting platelet aggregation and preventing amplification of platelet activation. Optimal dosing strategy as determined by ticagrelor's pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile is a loading dose of 180 mg followed by 90 mg by...
The Effect of Recombinant Human Parathyroid Hormone (rhPTH) on Tendon-to-Bone Healing in a Rat Rotator Cuff Model

Objectives:Successful rotator cuff tendon repair is predicated upon secure tendon-to-bone healing. A recent study has shown that recombinant human parathyroid hormone (rhPTH) treatment results in i...
Hydraulic Characteristics of Hollow-Jet Valves

For free discharge conditions the hollow-jet valve has proved to be a satisfactory control device for flows through large conduits operating under high heads. Results of field tests with a 96-inch hollow-jet valve have revealed close agreement with hydraulic characteristics predicted from model studies. Piezometric measurements, thrust determinations on the valve needle, and rates of discharge were included in both field and laboratory tests. The prototype valve can be used as a metering device by the employment of model calibration results provided accurate position indicators are used. The only cavitation erosion evident in the prototype valve was caused by local irregularities in the body casting, which have been alleviated in subsequent valves by careful foundry practice and inspection.
Band alignment of epitaxial ZnS/Zn3P2 heterojunctions

The energy-band alignment of epitaxial zb-ZnS(001)/α-Zn_(3)P_(2)(001) heterojunctions has been determined by measurement of shifts in the phosphorus 2p and sulfur 2p core-level binding energies for various thicknesses (0.6–2.2 nm) of ZnS grown by molecular beam epitaxy on Zn_(3)P_(2). In addition, the position of the valence-band maximum for bulk ZnS and Zn3P2 films was estimated using density functional theory calculations of the valence-band density-of-states. The heterojunction was observed to be type I, with a valence-band offset, ΔE_V, of −1.19 ± 0.07 eV, which is significantly different from the type II alignment based on electron affinities that is predicted by Anderson theory. n^(+)-ZnS/p-Zn_(3)P_(2) heterojunctions demonstrated open-circuit voltages of >750 mV, indicating passivation of the Zn_(3)P_(2) surface due to the introduction of the ZnS overlayer. Carrier transport across the heterojunction devices was inhibited by the large conduction-band offset, which resulted in short-circuit current densities of <0.1 mA cm^(−2) under 1 Sun simulated illumination. Hence, constraints on the current density will likely limit the direct application of the ZnS/Zn_(3)P_(2) heterojunction to photovoltaics, whereas metal-insulator-semiconductor structures that utilize an intrinsic ZnS insulating layer appear promising.
Discussion Forum Report: Bridging the Gap Between Macro- and Micro/Nanoscale Wear

A forum was held to discuss issues and needs in bridging the gap between macro-, micro-, and nano-wear. As it turned out, the primary focus was on the macro-to-nano gap in tribology in general with some discussion of wear as well. The following summarizes the author’s introduction and the audience input.
Clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma is a newly described variant of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) Vancouver Classification of Renal Neoplasia has recently endorsed it as a distinct epithelial tumor entity and recommended the inclusion of this tumor in the ISUP Vancouver modification of the WHO 2004 histologic classification of RCCs. These tumors were originally described as a distinctive type of RCCs arising in end-stage renal disease; however, tumors with similar features can arise sporadically and have been reported in kidneys not affected by end-stage renal disease. Clear cell papillary RCCs have a distinctive morphology and immunoprofile which will be discussed in this slide seminar with case examples. Tumors with similar morphology and identical immunoprofile but also showing a characteristic smooth muscle stroma have been reported in the literature as renal angiomyodenomatous tumor (RAT). The current perspective is that both clear cell papillary RCC and RAT represent the morphologic spectrum of a single entity. Clear cell papillary RCCs lack the chromosome 3p deletion and VHL gene abnormalities, commonly seen in classic clear cell RCCs. They also lack trisomy of chromosome 7 or loss of Y chromosome, which are cytogenetic changes commonly observed in papillary RCCs. Recently clear cell papillary-like RCCs have been described in VHL patients; however these tumors lack the characteristic immunoprofile of typical clear cell papillary RCCs and frequently demonstrate chromosome 3p deletion. Clear cell papillary RCCs are typically small, biologically indolent tumors. No lymph node or distant metastasis of these tumors has been reported to date in the literature.
Biology of Pediobius sp. near facialis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), an Imported Pupal Parasitoid of Pseudoplusia includens and Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The biology and host suitability of the gregarious pupal parasitoid Pediobius sp. near facialis (Giraud) was studied in the laboratory, using the soybean looper, Pseudoplusia includens (Walker), as host. A Pediobius female, after a preoviposition period of 84 h, parasitized an average of 8.0 prepupae during a mean life span of 17 days. Females were most fecund their first 3 days postemergence. A host pupa produced an average of 54.3 adult progeny; number of progeny developing in a host significantly affected development time of these progeny. Mean developmental time from oviposition to adult emergence was 22.3 days at 26.7°C. Females and males lived 12.6 and 12.5 days, respectively, at 26.7°C. Pediobius sp. successfully developed in pupae of three noctuids, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), Heliothis zea (Boddie), and Plathypena scabra (F.), a tortricid, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens), and an ichneumonid, Microharops bimaculata (Ashmead).
An Irritable 16-day-old Infant

A 16-day-old term female infant is brought to the pediatrician’s office with a 1-day history of increased “spitting up,” agitation, and irritability. Her neck and upper body appear “stiffer” than usual, but no seizure activity is noted. Her parents measured an axillary temperature of 100.9°F (38.3°C) at home; her rectal temperature in the clinic is 104.0°F (40.0°C). ### Prenatal History: ### Birth History: The infant is sent from the pediatrician’s office to the emergency department for further evaluation of her fever and fussiness. Some time later, clinicians note that she has downward deviation of the right eye. On physical examination at the emergency department, the baby is active and alert, responds to stimuli, and has a full, but not bulging, anterior fontanelle. The right eyelid appears to be droopy, with increased pupil size on the right that is minimally reactive from 4 mm to 3 mm. The left pupil exhibits normal reaction from 3 mm to 2 mm. The baby has good suck, positive grasp reflex, symmetric Moro reflex, and normal strength and tone of all extremities. Apple …
Going Public, Gaining Credibility Student Perceptions of Publicly Engaged Scholars

Calls for university and college professors to engage with public issues—for example, by collaborating with community organizations, participating in popular media outreach, and in other ways—are o...
Vascularization is delayed in long nerve constructs compared with nerve grafts.

Introduction Nerve regeneration across nerve constructs, such as acellular nerve allografts (ANAs), is inferior to nerve auto/isografts especially in the case of long defect lengths. Vascularization may contribute to poor regeneration. The time course of vascular perfusion within long grafts and constructs was tracked to determine vascularization. Methods Male Lewis rat sciatic nerves were transected and repaired with 6 cm isografts or ANAs. At variable days following grafting, animals were perfused with Evans Blue albumin, and grafts were evaluated for vascular perfusion by a blinded observer. Results Vascularization at mid-graft was re-established within 3-4 days in 6 cm isografts, while it was established after 10 days in 6 cm ANAs. Conclusions Vascular perfusion is reestablished over a shorter time course in long isografts when compared with long ANAs. The differences in vascularization of long ANAs compared with auto/isografts suggest regenerative outcomes across ANAs could be affected by vascularization rates. Muscle Nerve 54: 319-321, 2016.
Well test analysis of a dual-permeability triple-medium reservoir

This paper introduces a physical model of reservoir test for triple-medium reservoir of matrix,fractures and cavern with consideration of the connectivity between fractures,cavern and borehole.A mathematical model of apparent wellbore radius is established with consideration of wellbore storage effect and skin effect,and solved by Laplace transform and numerical inversion.The type curves of dual-permeability triple-medium reservoir testing are drawn.The influence of crossflow factor,storativity ratio and permeability ratio on curve characteristics is discussed.The well test curves of dual-porosity triple-medium reservoir show two steps in semi-log plot and two concaves in log-log plot.The locations and shapes of the steps and concaves are related to the storativity ratio and crossflow factor among matrix,fracture and caverns.Crossflow factor mainly affects the time when the concave section appears;and elastic storativity ratio affects the depth and width of the concave section.The difference of well test curves between dual-permeability triple-medium reservoir and general triple-medium reservoir is compared and analyzed.
Stressful Medical Procedures, Coping with

Cognitive disorientation, bizarre behavior, and emotions of anger, fear, and depression were attributed to psychopathology in early psychiatric studies of patients undergoing invasive, medical procedures. Treatment of men wounded in combat and studies of pain in clinical and laboratory settings led to the recognition that such seemingly pathological reactions were a situationally produced combination of pain and emotional distress. Emotional distress was elicited by threatening interpretations of the somatic sensations experienced during these invasive procedures. Preparing patients for these experiences, i.e., providing nonthreatening interpretations of the somatic sensations that will be experienced during the procedure, and behavioral strategies for self-control, are effective in reducing the emotional component of these pain-distress reactions. Individuals differ in the degree of benefit from preparation; patients lacking the desire for control may be least distressed when trusted others are seen as controlling a painful and invasive procedure. Different forms of preparation can effect different outcomes, some reducing pain, others physiological reactions, and still others reducing the duration of an invasive procedure.
Discovery of riblets in a bird beak (Rynchops) for low fluid drag.

Riblet structures found on fast-swimming shark scales, such as those found on a mako shark, have been shown to reduce fluid drag. In previous experimental and modelling studies, riblets have been s...
An 0.8 Meter Infrared Tracking Optical System Design

AbstractAn 0.8 meter Cassegrain, reflecting relay and matching optics comprise a system whichincorporates a Nike Hercules pedestal for an infrared tracking system. Optical designcriteria and performance will be discussed.IntroductionThe Field Measurements Section of NFL's Optical Sciences Division has been making insitu atmospheric propagation measurements for several years. The scope and accuracy ofthese measurements has been paced by the development of the required optical systems. In 1975, an optical transmitter and receiver system was reported which accomplished DF lasertransmission measurements over a stationary 5 km path. In 1976, a new receiver system wasreported which added laser calibrated high resolution atmospheric spectroscopy to thecapability of HeNe, Nd -YAG, HF, DF, CO, and CO2 laser transmission measurements.3Currently we are building an optical system to extend our measurement capability fromstationary path measurements to tracking situations, of which, a ship to ship measurementof laser transmissions, high resolution atmospheric transmission and atmospheric turbulenceis of interest.A recent study4 concluded that a ship to ship measurement was feasible, based uponreciprocal optical tracking from a "high resolution" tracking transmitter, (50 },r), to a"low resolution" tracking receiver,
Influencing the long-term evolution of online communities using social norms

This paper focuses on analyzing the interactions emerging between users in online communities. Network utility maximization and other methods can be used to achieve efficient designs when the communities are composed of compliant users. However, such methods are not effective and efficient when the communities are composed of intelligent and self-interested users (multimedia social communities, social networks etc.), because the interests of the individual users may be in conflict. In our prior work, we designed social reciprocation protocols by assuming a stationary community in which a continuum population interacts. We proved that given these assumptions, users have incentives to voluntarily operate according to pre-determined social norms and provide services. In this paper, we extend this study to analyze the interactions of self-interested users under a social norm in an online community of finite population and without making stationary assumptions about the community. To optimize their long-term performance while operating in the community, users adapt strategies to play their best response based on their knowledge by solving individual stochastic control problems. The best-response dynamic introduces a stochastic dynamic process in the community, in which the strategies of users evolve over time. Understanding how a community responds to incentives in the long-term provides protocol designers with guidelines for designing social norms in which no user will find it into its self-interest to adapt and deviate from the prescribed protocol. This will, in turn, influence the evolution of the community and induce the emergence of cooperative behavior among users, thereby maximizing the optimal social welfare of the community.
Market-based control of epidemics

We consider a single profit-maximizer healing or health-care provider that administers treatment to infective nodes during an epidemic outbreak in a homogeneous network. We derive the dynamic optimal policies of the provider for two cases: (a) when infective nodes gain permanent immunity upon treatment (SIRD model), and (b) when treated nodes are again susceptible to future re-infection (SIS model). We show that in the case of the SIRD model the optimal policy is to defer provision of healing until an infection threshold is reached and then to provide healing with maximum intensity. In the case of the SIS model the optimal policy is a Most-Rapid-Approach-Path (MRAP) to an intermediate density of infection.1
Shrinking-core model for pig iron nugget production

Considerable effort has been directed towards understanding the carbothermic reduction mechanisms of self-reducing, fluxing dried green balls to produce pig iron nuggets. Given the geometry of the situation, some investigators believed that the shrinking core model was applicable. Hence, this study involved investigation of the applicability of the shrinking core model to pig iron nugget production. The experiments involved heat treatment of dried green balls utilizing either a laboratory-scale resistance box furnace or a gas-fired muffle furnace at various furnace temperatures and residence times. The products were analyzed for the following: (i) preferred reaction pattern, (ii) distribution of the metallized areas, (iii) % iron content variation in the pig iron nuggets from surface to center, (iv) carburization pattern and (v) physical and chemical properties of the pig iron nuggets. It was determined that the reduction of iron oxide occurred simultaneously throughout the sample and not beginning at the surface and propagating inward; thus the shrinking-core model was not applicable. Heat transfer and gas diffusion from surface to center were not the rate-limiting steps for reduction and carburization reactions.
Residential mobility predicts behavioral problems for children living in non-parental care during the transition to kindergarten

Abstract The present study examines the extent to which residential mobility during the transition to kindergarten (cumulative moves during prekindergarten and kindergarten) is related to externalizing and internalizing behavior problems for children from low-income families who are living in non-parental care. A second, exploratory aim of this study was to investigate whether family service receipt moderated these relations. Data were obtained from the Head Start Impact Study. The sample included 300 children (53% male) who were eligible for Head Start. Residential mobility was conceptualized as three dichotomous variables: never moved, moved 1–2 times, and moved 3 or more times during the prekindergarten and kindergarten years. Predictor and outcome data were collected in the spring of prekindergarten and kindergarten. Moving three or more times was significantly related to more externalizing and internalizing behavior problems in kindergarten, controlling for family and child covariates, as well as for children's behavior problems in prekindergarten. Receipt of family services moderated the association between moving three or more times and externalizing problems, but not internalizing problems. This relation was in the opposite direction than expected, however, such that children who moved frequently and received more services demonstrated more externalizing problems than their peers. Implications of study findings for supporting highly mobile children living in non-parental care and directions for future research are discussed.
Manipulative Techniques for Geriatric Patients

Musculoskeletal complaints and limitations are common problems in persons as, they age. There are many forms of manual medicine that may be used to assist with the treatment of these problems, including muscle energy techniques, Jones' counterstrain techniques, myofascial release techniques, and Mennel's joint play techniques. General guidelines for the indications and contraindications of these techniques are presented along with descriptions of specific techniques for the shoulder, hand and wrist, hip, knee, ankle and foot, cervical spine, thoracic spine, and lumbar spine, pelvis, and sacrum.
Attachment in the Family Context: Insights from Development and Clinical Work

The formation of stable relational bonds that function to provide security and ­support developmental growth is described as a primary task of family development across cultures (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Bowlby, 1969/1982; Posada et al., 2002; Rothbaum, Rosen, Ujiie, & Uchida, 2002). Secure attachment bonds acquired within the family system confer developmental advantages on family members by providing safety, emotional security, adaptive mechanisms for the regulation of affective experience, the mediation of stress, and support for the development of autonomy and identity (Akister & Reibstein, 2004; Johnson, 2004; Schore & Schore, 2008; Siegel, 2001). Research on attachment relationships in families emphasizes the quality of ­psychological ties – whether secure or insecure – within the family as a more important mediator of developmental well-being than the particular structure of the family context (Shapiro, Shapiro, & Paret, 2001). This literature is particularly relevant to social work practitioners who seek to bring a strengths perspective to work with nontraditional families or parents and children in a broad range of social contexts and situations.
The Illusion of Afghanistan’s Electoral Representative Democracy: The Cases of Afghan Presidential and National Legislative Elections

This article is the latest in a series of published articles systematically examining Afghan Presidential and legislative elections. Structural problems including fraud, ethno-linguistic block voti...
Adolescent Dating Violence Among Ethnically Diverse Youth

Abstract In the last two decades, the nature of adolescent dating violence (ADV) within and between racial/ethnic groups has been given more attention in research, and some of the sociocultural reasons for variations in the development and prevalence of ADV have begun to emerge. This chapter presents a discussion of recent literature on ADV in the United States that focuses on the experiences of African American, Native American, and Hispanic American youth. Although a number of ADV processes are common across racial/ethnic subgroups, we outline some of the key risk and protective factors that are especially relevant for these minority groups. Throughout, we consider the importance of context and culture in contributing to findings, and we draw attention to the strengths of marginalized populations.
Virtue Ethics’ Value

The following reading describes virtue ethics’ strengths and weaknesses and then analyzes virtue ethics as a normative approach.
On the metaphysical utility of claims of global supervenience

Soulevant la question de la verite et de l'utilite philosophique des affirmations concernant une survenance globale de tous les faits a partir des faits physiques, l'A. montre que ces affirmations ne peuvent contribuer au projet metaphysique d'etablir une relation entre les differents niveaux de la realite, en ce sens qu'elle ne peuvent etre la source explicative d'une approche physicaliste de cette relation, malgre la transitivite de l'ensemble des proprietes definies par ces affirmations
Effect of DNA methylation on dynamic properties of the helix and nuclear protein binding in the H-ras promoter

The regulatory role of cytosine methylation in the genome is incompletely understood despite considerable evidence that it is often associated with the repression of specific gene expression (Doerfler, 1983; Cedar, 1988). The emerging data on distribution of the CpG dinucleotide, which is the major target for cytosine methylation, is thought to reflect a basic type of organization of regulatory sequences in the genome. This dinucleotide is severely underrepresented in bulk vertebrate DNA; but it occurs at the frequency predicted by base composition in CpG islands (Bird, 1986). It is estimated that from 15% to 30% of known genes contain CpG islands. Although they can be found in the 3′ flanking region and in the transcriptional unit of associated genes, a large proportion occur in the 5′ flanking regions which overlap with promoter regions (Gardiner-Garden and Frommer, 1987). Since CpG island sequences are potentially targets for methylation, it is not clear why some of these regions cannot be methylated in the cell (Lock et al., 1986; Dobkin et al., 1989; Szyf et al., 1990) and if, functionally, cytosine methylation of CpG islands in promoter region inactivates transcription.
Light, vitamin D and psychiatry. Role of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (soltriol) in etiology and therapy of seasonal affective disorder and other mental processes.

This is a review and a prospectus of effects of vitamin D on the brain. Effects of sunlight and equivalent artificial light on physiological and behavioral processes are probably mediated, in large part, through the skin-vitamin D-endocrine system. Experimental evidence from our laboratory reveals sites of action and concomitant direct effects of 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 (soltriol) on brain, spinal cord, pituitary and other endocrine tissues. This appears relevant for the activation and modulation of mental and endocrine processes, particularly related to seasonal and daily biorhythms. Effects of sunlight and corresponding artificial light are likely to be mediated through direct actions of soltriol on brain and endocrine tissues that are independent of its effect on calcium levels. Those direct actions are receptor mediated and appear to be dose related as they depend on intensity of light and length of exposure, considering light (photons) as a drug. A role for soltriol, the steroid hormone of sunlight, in the etiology and helioor phototherapy of affective disorders with cyclic seasonal onset (seasonal affective disorder) is discussed and the significance of research in the new frontier of vitamin D and brain relationships is noted.
Renewal in a heterogeneous behavior chain: Extinction of the first response prevents renewal of a second response when it is separately extinguished and returned to the chain

Abstract Two experiments with rat subjects examined the renewal of an extinguished instrumental response that occurs when it is returned to the context of a behavior chain in which it had been trained. In both experiments, rats first learned a discriminated heterogeneous chain in which a stimulus (S1) set the occasion for one response (R1), the emission of which turned off S1 and turned on a second stimulus (S2) that set the occasion for a second response (R2). R2 in turn terminated S2 and earned a food-pellet reinforcer. When R2 was extinguished separate from the chain, it was renewed when it was returned to and tested in the chain. However, in both experiments, separate extinction of R1 prevented this renewal of R2 from occurring. In Experiment 2, Pavlovian extinction of S1 without the opportunity to emit R1 during extinction also weakened the renewal of R2 and had an unexpected effect of weakening R1. The results are consistent with the idea that R1 can be an important part of the “context” controlling R2 in a discriminated chain. They also suggest that Pavlovian extinction of a discriminative stimulus can weaken the instrumental response under some conditions.