cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of Least Mean Square Algorithms to Spacecraft Vibration Compensation

This paper describes the application of the Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm in tandem with the Filtered-X Least Mean Square algorithm for controlling a science instrument's line-of-sight pointing. Pointing error is caused by a periodic disturbance and spacecraft vibration. A least mean square algorithm is used on-orbit to produce the transfer function between the instrument's servo-mechanism and error sensor. The result is a set of adaptive transversal filter weights tuned to the transfer function. The Filtered-X LMS algorithm, which is an extension of the LMS, tunes a set of transversal filter weights to the transfer function between the disturbance source and the servo-mechanism's actuation signal. The servo-mechanism's resulting actuation counters the disturbance response and thus maintains accurate science instrumental pointing. A simulation model of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite is used to demonstrate the algorithms.
Knowledge sharing between agents in a transitioning organization

People that interact within a cooperative organization must constantly exchange information on the details of the organization as well as the goals the organization exists to meet. Agent organizations must share knowledge if they are to cooperatively act in the solution of some set of defined goals. The manner in which they share and when they share information varies. In this paper, we present the process to share organization information during the process of transition from one organization state to the next. Some organization models choose to vary the information known between two agents, in relation to the organization. A key element of organization success is that all members operate with the same information so as not to cause divergence in action or purpose.
The Effect of Migration on Cognitive Representations, Blood Pressure Level and Dietary Habits in African Immigrant Women.

Migration has been associated with increased risk of hypertension(HTN) through stressors associated with cultural change and health behavior. Like other immigrants, women arriving in good health have experienced health declines with increased time in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of migration to, and residence in, the U.S. on the development and perceptions of HTN and dietary behavior (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH Diet)) using the Self-Regulation Model (SRM) of Leventhal et al. . This cross-sectional correlation research used two survey instruments (Women’s & Men’s hypertension Experiences & Emerging Lifestyle Survey (WHEELS) and Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS)) with a convenience sample of 91 Nigerian immigrant women (NIW) and a secondary data analysis of 38 African American women (AAW) from the WHEELS Study of 2008/2009 for comparison. Descriptive analysis was done on salient demographic variables for NIW and AAW. A t-test and ANOVA compared NIW and AAW and duration of residency in the U.S. with dependent variables (cognitive representations, blood pressure, and BMI). An important finding was that 63.7% (58 of 91) of NIW had BMI > 30 and 61.5% (56 of 91) had pre-HTN (SBP 120 to 139mmHg). Knowledge of HTN (HTNKNOW) and Cognitive Representation of Hypertension (CRHTN) were significantly increased in NIW by years of residency (p= .001 and .027 respectively). AAW had significantly higher HTNKNOW than NIW (p= .021). No significant differences were found for the CRHTN or Cognitive Representation of DASH Diet (CRDD) between AAW and NIW. However a significant difference was found in the CRDD dimension of perception representing knowledge ( p= .002). No differences were found in CRDD or its dimensions by years in the U.S. for NIW. An association exists between HTNKNOW and CRHTN and years of residence in the U.S., with none found with CRDD. Knowledge of the DASH diet was present in the NIW but there was no reflection of this in their BMI. There is a need to educate new immigrants of risk factors associated with HTN/CVD. A longitudinal study initiated on immigrants’ arrival in the U.S. is recommended to understand the trajectory of chronic illnesses such as hypertension.
Abstract P350: Association of Plasma Levels of Soluble Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products and Risk of Kidney Disease is Explained by Baseline Kidney Function

Introduction: Advanced glycation end products and their cell-bound receptors (RAGE) are thought to mediate the adverse effects of dysglycemia and vascular disease through oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. The soluble form of RAGE (sRAGE) is a 48-kDa, positively-charged cleavage product of RAGE. There is limited evidence on the role of sRAGE in the pathogenesis of kidney disease. Methods: We conducted cross-sectional and prospective analyses of a case-cohort study nested within the ARIC Study. Plasma sRAGE was measured at baseline (1990-92) in a cohort random sample (n=1,218) and three case groups of participants with incident chronic kidney disease [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and ≥25% eGFR decline; n=151], incident end-stage renal disease [U.S. Renal Data System registry; n=152], and incident kidney failure (eGFR <15 mL/min/1.73 m2, U.S. Renal Data System registry, or kidney failure-related hospitalization or death; n=266). Results: Baseline sRAGE levels were inversely related to baseline eGFR (r = -0.13). After adjusting for age, sex, and race, one interquartile range increase in log10-transformed sRAGE was associated with development of end-stage renal disease [hazard ratio: 1.97; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.47, 2.64; p 0.10; Figure). Conclusions: High sRAGE levels are associated with decreased kidney function. The association of sRAGE with kidney disease risk may be explained by its partial clearance by the kidney. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Disjunctive Systems and L-Domains

Disjunctive systems are a representation of L-domains. They use sequents of the form X⊢Y, with X finite and Y pairwise disjoint. We show that for any disjunctive system, its elements ordered by inclusion form an L-domain. On the other hand, via the notion of stable neighborhoods, every L-domain can be represented as a disjunctive system. More generally, we have a categorical equivalence between the category of disjunctive systems and the category of L-domains. A natural classification of domains is obtained in terms of the style of the entailment: when ¦X¦=2 and ¦Y¦=0 disjunctive systems determine coherent spaces; when ¦Y¦≤1 they represent Scott domains; when either ¦X¦=1 or ¦Y¦=0 the associated cpos are distributive Scott domains; and finally, without any restriction, disjunctive systems give rise to L-domains.
Association of transposition of the great vessels and rudimentary right ventricle, with and without tricuspid atresia.

A group of eight cases with three different combinations of congenital cardiac defects but similar clinical findings has been presented. The differential diagnosis from other types of congenital heart disease has been discussed. All had transposition of the great vessels and same obstruction to aortic outflow, either subaortic stenosis or a rudimentary right ventricle from which the aorta arose. Six cases had tricuspid atresia and two had rudimentary right ventricle without tricuspid atresia. The salient features were: 1) Early congestive failure. 2) Absent or minimal cyanosis. 3) Large heart and pulmonary congestion roentgenographically. 4) Electrocardiographic findings of peaked P waves and a pattern of left ventricular hypertrophy. 5) Angiocardiographic findings of a right to left atrial shunt, failure to visualize the right ventricle, early opacification of the left ventricle and pulmonary artery, and late and inadequate opacification of a small aorta.
Metabolism and Surface Transport of Parasitized Erythrocytes in Malaria

Plasmodium requires a living cell for growth and reproduction. Intraerythrocytically the parasite stores no reserve carbohydrate, relying entirely on host-supplied glucose and certain amino acids (glutamic acid) for its energy. Plasmodia are microaerophiles degrading glucose primarily to lactate rather than to CO2. The limited amounts of oxygen utilized may serve for biosynthetic purposes (e.g. pyrimidine biosynthesis) rather than being involved in an energy-yielding electron transport chain. Evidence for a parasite pentose pathway is weak since glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase has rarely been found; paradoxically, activity for 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, the next enzyme in the pathway, is consistently identified. The parasites synthesize pyrimidines de novo, but being incapable of de novo purine biosynthesis they require preformed purines. Exogenously supplied purine, notably hypoxanthine derived from catabolism of erythrocytic ATP, is taken up and incorporated whereas pyrimidines are not. The capacity for de novo amino acid biosynthesis is limited and presumably haemoglobin supplies most of the amino acids required by the parasite. Degradation of haemoglobin, involving parasite proteases, notably a cathepsin D-like enzyme, leaves a characteristic golden-brown residue, haemozoin. Haemozoin consists of dimers of ferriprotoporphyrin IX, methaemoglobin and plasmodial proteins. For some species, isoleucine and methionine must be supplied exogenously for good plasmodial growth. Infected erythrocytes characteristically show altered permeability properties, changes which in large part contribute to parasite growth while at the same time impairing red cell function.
HISTOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL COMPARTMENTS OF THE THALAMIC VPM NUCLEUS IN MONKEYS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE REPRESENTATIONAL MAP

The ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM) of the monkey thalamus was investigated with correlative anatomical and physiological techniques. On the basis of staining for cytochrome oxidase (CO), VPM is divided into a lightly stained, background matrix domain and an intensely stained rod domain. The latter consists of elongated rods of large, medium, and small cells, 500 microns wide on average and extending anteroposteriorly, many of them through the full extent of the nucleus. The matrix, consisting of small cells, penetrates between the rods and expands at the dorsomedial, ventrolateral, and posterior aspects of VPM. Multiunit mapping reveals that VPM contains a dorsally situated representation of the contralateral side of the head, face, eye, and interior of the mouth and a medially situated representation of the ipsilateral side of the lips and interior of the mouth, and that the same small region is represented in the same relative position through the full anteroposterior extent of the nucleus. Earlier work had shown that single CO rods contain the representation of the same portion of the periphery throughout their length. The present study suggests that rods in equivalent positions may represent the same portion of the periphery from animal to animal. The cells of the rod and matrix domains show different patterns of immunoreactivity. Virtually all of the large- and medium-sized rod cells are immunoreactive for the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin, and many are stained by the monoclonal antibody CAT 301. Small GABA-immunoreactive cells and terminal-like puncta are highly concentrated in the rods but are dispersed in the matrix. In the matrix, all non-GABA cells are small, immunoreactive for 28-kDa calbindin, and not stained by CAT 301. They appear to form part of a wider system of calbindin-positive cells that extends into adjacent nuclei. The CO rods are indicative of the modularity of the lemniscal component of the trigeminal part of the somatic sensory system at thalamic levels. Thalamocortical relay neurons in this compartment of VPM express a calcium-binding protein and a surface proteoglycan that distinguishes them from relay neurons in the matrix compartment of the nucleus. In the following paper (Rausell and Jones, 1991), the rod and matrix compartments are shown also to have different patterns of input and output connections.
Formation of static anthracene excimers at hydrophobic phosphate surfaces

Abstract 9-Anthracenemethylammonium chloride (AMAC) binds to layered zirconium phosphate in the presence of butylamine, with a high affinity. The electronic absorption and emission spectra of the anthryl chromophore change dramatically upon binding to the layered phosphate and provide spectroscopic signatures for the microenvironment. Upon binding, new excimer-like emission was observed around 440 nm over a narrow concentration range of AMAC. The appearance of the excimer emission critically depended upon the concentrations of both the phosphate and the anthryl chromophore. Addition of sodium chloride inhibits the excimer formation indicating the role of electrostatic interactions in the binding of the chromophore. Quenching of AMAC fluorescence by iodide anion shows that the excimer-like emission is protected from the quencher and supports the hypothesis that the excimer is formed at the negatively charged phosphate surfaces. Excimer emission was not observed when AMAC binds to DNA or to polyelectrolytes. Thus, binding to the layered phosphates can induce excimer formation even from the short-lived singlet excited state of the anthryl chromophore.
Forecasting Nonlinear Crude Oil Future Prices

The movements in oil prices are very complex and, therefore, seem to be unpredictable. However, one of the main challenges facing econometric models is to forecast such seemingly unpredictable economic series. Traditional linear structural models have not been promising when used for oil price forecasting. Although linear and nonlinear time series models have performed much better in forecasting oil prices, there is still room for improvement. If the data generating process is nonlinear, applying linear models could result in large forecast errors. Model specification in nonlinear modeling, however, can be very case dependent and time-consuming. In this paper, we model and forecast daily crude oil futures prices from 1983 to 2003, listed in NYMEX, applying ARIMA and GARCH models. We then test for chaos using embedding dimension, BDS(L), Lyapunov exponent, and neural networks tests. Finally, we set up a nonlinear and flexible ANN model to forecast the series. Since the test results indicate that crude oil futures prices follow a complex nonlinear dynamic process, we expect that the ANN model will improve forecasting accuracy. A comparison of the results of the forecasts among different models confirms that this is indeed the case.
The maturation of the lens cell: a morphologic study.

Abstract Cytologic details of the lens cells of the human and monkey have been studied with specific emphasis on their maturation process. Lens cells maintain the basal attachment until the nuclei are eliminated. After the denucleation, the cells develop specific joining apparatus. The mature lens cells, which occupy the major part of the lens, are held to each other firmly by knob and socket joints in the superficial cortex and by fine ridges in the deep lens. Cells in all maturation stages are present within the lens. Except for the decreased number of the elongating cells at the bow zone in older age, there is no specific structural difference between lenses of different age groups.
Pyrroloacridine alkaloids from Plakortis quasiamphiaster: structures and bioactivity.

A re-collection of Plakortis quasiamphiaster from Vanuatu in 2003 resulted in the isolation of three known compounds, plakinidine A (1) and amphiasterins B1 (6) and B2 (7). Also isolated was a new bis-oxygenated pyrroloacridine alkaloid, plakinidine E (8), with a unique O-substitution versus N-substitution at position C-12 in 1. The biological evaluation of the active compounds in two assays provided complementary data. Plakinidine A (1) exhibited cytotoxicity against human colon H-116 cells with an IC50 of 0.23 μg/mL, but there were no effects against the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae diploid homozygous deletion strain of topoisomerase I (top1Δ). By contrast, 8 was inactive against H-116 cells but was potent in the yeast halo screen.
Evolutionary Analysis of the Spotted Fever and Thyphus Groups of Rickettsia Using 16S rRNA Gene Sequences

Summary The bacterial genus Rickettsia is traditionally divided into three biotypes, the spotted fever group (SFG), the typhus group (TG), and the scrub typhus group (STG) based on vector host and antigenic cross-reactivity. DNA sequence data were gathered from the 16S ribosomal RNA gene of several SFG and TG species. Comparative sequence analysis shows that: i) all species of Rickettsia are closely related, exhibiting 0.3–2.6% sequence divergence; ii) although there are identifiable clusters corresponding to the SFG and TG, species of Rickettsia fall into more than two distinct phylogenetic groups; iii) the tick-borne species Rickettsia bellii and Rickettsia canada diverged prior to the schism between the spotted fever and typhus groups; iv) the newly described AB bacterium is clearly a member of Rickettsia , but its phylogenetic placement within the genus is problematic; v) the mite-borne Rickettsia akari , the tick-borne Rickettsia australis and the recently described flea-borne ELB agent form a loose cluster that cannot be definitively associated with either the TG or the traditional SFG cluster. This latter Glade may represent a unique group(s) distinct from the main cluster of spotted fever and typhus group species. The divergence of Rickettsia was an ancient event within the α-subclass of the proteobacteria. The sequence divergence between Rickettsia and Ehrlichia , the closest known genus to Rickettsia , is nearly equal to the sequence divergence between Rickettsia and all other α-subclass proteobacterial taxa included in the analysis. When Rickettsia was compared to a representative group of the α-subclass, twenty-eight nucleotide sites were identified which uniquely characterize the 16S rRNA sequences of all species of Rickettsia . The approximate time of divergence between the various species of Rickettsia , estimated from the bacterial 16S rRNA molecular clock, coincides with the approximate divergence time of the hard body ticks which are the arthropod hosts of many Rickettsia . Thus, the possibility of coevolution between these intracellular bacteria and their tick hosts exists.
Reactivation of uveitogenic T cells by retinal astrocytes derived from experimental autoimmune uveitis-prone B10RIII mice.

The eye, like the central nervous system (CNS), is considered an immunoprivileged site equipped with several regulatory mechanisms that minimize uncontrolled inflammation and immune reactions. The presence of an intact blood-retinal barrier, which limits the passage of T cells into the eye, and the absence or low levels of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and adhesion/costimulatory molecules render the eye an unsuitable site for T-cell priming.1,2 Nevertheless, autoreactive T cells activated in peripheral lymphoid organs can cross the blood-retinal barrier,3–5 and immune responses associated with intraocular inflammation and damage do frequently occur. It appears that certain resident cells of the eye may play a role in the initiation of intraocular reactivation of these T cells and contribute to an undesired immune response inside the eye. Among these resident cells, retinal glia–microglia, astrocytes, Muller cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are potential candidates because they are able to express MHC class II molecules.6–8 However, reactivation of the invading pathogenic T cells within the eye is still poorly understood, and the efficiency of these cell types as local antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that restimulate auto-reactive T cells remains unclear. Autoreactive CD4+ T lymphocytes exhibiting a Th1 phenotype are thought to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of EAU, an animal model of ocular autoimmune disease.9,10 Recently, another CD4 effector lineage, Th17, characterized as secreting IL-17, has been described as contributing to the pathogenesis of a number of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).11–14 However, the data regarding the involvement of this T-cell subset in the pathogenesis of intraocular inflammation is unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that the development of intraocular inflammation was associated with increased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and MHC class II molecules in the retina. Retinal astrocytes (RACs) isolated from the inflamed eye promoted the activation of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) peptide-specific uveitogenic T cells in vitro. We also showed that a subset of the infiltrated T cells was IL-17+. In vitro studies have suggested that RACs play a major role in the accumulation and activation of IL-17+ autoreactive T cells in the eye. The interaction between local glial cells and IRBP-specific T cells was regulated by a distinct pattern of costimulatory molecules. In addition, the ability of IRBP-specific T cells to interact with RACs differs between those isolated from the EAU-prone B10RIII mouse and the EAU-low susceptible B6 mouse. Our observations indicate an active involvement of RACs in the intraocular immune response in EAU.
Amino Acids Activate Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) Complex 1 without Changing Rag GTPase Guanyl Nucleotide Charging

Activation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) by amino acids is mediated in part by the Rag GTPases, which bind the raptor subunit of mTORC1 in an amino acid-stimulated manner and promote mTORC1 interaction with Rheb-GTP, the immediate activator. Here we examine whether the ability of amino acids to regulate mTORC1 binding to Rag and mTORC1 activation is due to the regulation of Rag guanyl nucleotide charging. Rag heterodimers in vitro exhibit a very rapid, spontaneous exchange of guanyl nucleotides and an inability to hydrolyze GTP. Mutation of the Rag P-loop corresponding to RasSer-17 abolishes guanyl nucleotide binding. Such a mutation in RagA or RagB inhibits, whereas in RagC or RagD it enhances, Rag heterodimer binding to mTORC1. The binding of wild-type and mutant Rag heterodimers to mTORC1 in vitro parallels that seen with transient expression, but binding to mTORC1 in vitro is entirely independent of Rag guanyl nucleotide charging. HeLa cells stably overexpressing wild-type or P-loop mutant RagC exhibit unaltered amino acid regulation of mTORC1. Despite amino acid-independent raptor binding to Rag, mTORC1 is inhibited by amino acid withdrawal as in parental cells. Rag heterodimers extracted from 32P-labeled whole cells, or just from the pool associated with the lysosomal membrane, exhibit constitutive [32P]GTP charging that is unaltered by amino acid withdrawal. Thus, amino acids promote mTORC1 activation without altering Rag GTP charging. Raptor binding to Rag, although necessary, is not sufficient for mTORC1 activation. Additional amino acid-dependent steps couple Rag-mTORC1 to Rheb-GTP.
Seasonal trend analysis of image time series

A procedure is introduced for the analysis of seasonal trends in time series of Earth observation imagery. Called Seasonal Trend Analysis (STA), the procedure is based on an initial stage of harmonic analysis of each year in the series to extract the annual and semi-annual harmonics. Trends in the parameters of these harmonics over years are then analysed using a robust median-slope procedure. Finally, images of these trends are used to create colour composites highlighting the amplitudes and phases of seasonality trends. The technique specifically rejects high-frequency sub-annual noise and is robust to short-term interannual variability up to a period of 29% of the length of the series. It is, thus, a very effective procedure for focusing on the general nature of longer-term trends in seasonality.
Theoretical Study of the Reaction of Acetylene with B4H8. A Proposed Mechanism of Carborane Formation. 2

A uniform computational level ([MP4/6-311+G(d,p)]//MP2/6-31G(d)+ZPC) is used to evaluate 18 intermediates and 12 transition states in the study of the mechanism of carborane formation, beginning with the elimination of H2 from B4H10 and ending with the formation of 1,2-C2B4H6. The calculated activation barrier (33.0 kcal/mol) for the first step (B4H10 → B4H8 + H2) is higher than experiment (23.7 kcal/mol) but in agreement with higher-level theory (CBS-Q, 34.4 kcal/mol). The first stable intermediate is a −CHCH− bridged B4H8 species, which is structurally similar to the known −CH2−CH2− bridged B4H8 structure. The hydroboration pathway for insertion of C2H2 into a BH bond of B4H8 has a slightly lower activation barrier than the addition barrier of C2H2 to B4H8 (10.1 versus 13.1 kcal/mol, respectively). The hydroboration reaction leads, in a series of steps, to 2,5-μ-CH2-1-CB4H7, a known product in the reaction of methylacetylene and B4H10.
Theory of the Vibrational Structure of Molecular Exciton States

The interaction of excitons with molecular vibrations is formulated in the second quantization formalism. The Hamiltonian which describes interacting excitons and molecular phonons is derived. The exciton creation and destruction operators can be eliminated resulting in a reduced Hamiltonian which contains phonon operators only. A natural variational function for the lowest state of the reduced Hamiltonian is suggested by the forms of the eigenstates for the two exactly soluble limiting cases of vanishing exciton—phonon coupling and vanishing exciton bandwidth. Numerical calculations of the properties of the exciton in the lowest state are carried out for a simple one‐dimensional nearest‐neighbor interaction model.
Current DoD policy on use of animals in research

Abstract The current Department of Defense (DoD) policy on use of animals in research is contained in the DoDD 3216.1 The Use of Animals in DoD Programs' and its references. This Directive establishes DoD policy for the procurement, transportation, and care of animals used in research, development, testing and evaluation, clinical investigation, and instructional programs of the Department of Defense. This document lists the responsibilities of the Director of Defense Research and Engineering, and the Heads of the DoD Components. In addition, it defines the specific responsibilities of the Secretary of the Army. This document will be discussed in some detail as the foundation for all research utilizing animals as test subjects throughout the Department of Defense.
Potentiation of vasopressin analgesia in rats treated neonatally with monosodium glutamate

The analgesic response elicited by central administration of arginine vasopressin (AVP) appears to be dependent upon the integrity of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), since lesions placed in the PVN eliminate AVP analgesia. A projection to the zona externa of the median eminence constitutes one of the VP-containing efferents of the PVN. Neonatal treatment with monosodium glutamate (MSG) destroys perikarya of the arcuate nucleus and median eminence. The present study examined whether AVP analgesia was affected in the MSG-treated rat and whether these alterations were accompanied by specific changes in VP immunoreactivity in the zona externa of the median eminence. Female rats, neonatally treated with either MSG or a saline control, were tested as adults on the tail-flick test following intracerebroventricular injections of 0, 75, 150 and 500 ng doses of AVP. After testing, selected animals were prepared for AVP and oxytocin immunocytochemistry of the median eminence. Significant potentiations in the magnitude of AVP analgesia were observed in MSG-treated rats. AVP and oxytocin immunoreactivity in the zona interna and oxytocin immunoreactivity in the zona externa of the median eminence were similar in MSG-treated and control rats. In contrast, AVP immunoreactivity in the zona externa of the median eminence was markedly reduced in the MSG-treated rat. These data suggest that VP analgesia may normally be inhibited by those medial-basal hypothalamic neurons affected by neonatal MSG treatment.
Dopamine D3 receptor polymorphism is not associated with the polycystic ovary syndrome.

Abstract Objective: To determine if a polymorphism of the dopamine D 3 receptor gene (2 allele), which has been reported previously to be associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in a population of United States Hispanic women, is associated with the disorder in the southeastern United States. Design: Prospective case-control study. Setting: University reproductive endocrinology laboratory and outpatient clinic. Patient(s): Consecutive patients of non-Hispanic white race diagnosed with PCOS (n = 152) and healthy controls (n = 96). Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Patient and control dopamine D 3 receptor genotypes, with the 1 allele representing the wild type and the 2 allele denoting a highly prevalent polymorphism. Result(s): No difference was noted in the distribution of the three dopamine D 3 receptor genotypes (i.e., 1:1, 1:2, and 2:2) among PCOS patients as compared with controls. Furthermore, in contrast to a previous report, the 2:2 genotype was not more prevalent among PCOS patients than among controls. Conclusion(s): Our population of non-Hispanic white women from the southeastern United States did not demonstrate an association between a dopamine D 3 receptor polymorphism and PCOS.
Mass Communications and International Image Change

In the past, mass communications have not been considered a particularly effective device in furthering international accord. From three previously separate bodies of theory, this research formulat...
Models for Allocating Police Preventive Patrol Effort

This paper develops models that maximize the expected number of occasions per unit of time that a police patrol unit enters a street segment during the time that a crime is visible. Constraints are added that insure a minimum patrol coverage to all streets. The successive visits from street-to-street form a Markov chain. The solution that maximizes the objective function gives a stochastic decision rule which is used with Monte Carlo techniques to generate a random patrol schedule. The problem is posed with one car and several cars patrolling the same region.
Insulin stimulation of γ-glutamylcysteine ligase catalytic subunit expression increases endothelial GSH during oxidative stress: Influence of low glucose

Abstract Previously, we demonstrated an important role for insulin in the protection of endothelial cells against hyperglycemic stress through maintaining cellular glutathione (GSH) redox balance. The current study focuses on the contribution of insulin to transcriptional control of endothelial cell GSH recovery during acute oxidative challenge and the influence of low glucose. The results show that insulin induced an approximate 2-fold increase in expression of γ-glutamylcysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLc) mRNA and protein; interestingly, cellular GSH levels were not elevated accordingly. However, on tert -butylhydroperoxide challenge, insulin-treated cells demonstrated a robust GSH recovery that was attributed to a greater capacity for de novo synthesis via elevated GCLc levels. Notably, the effects of insulin were observed under low, but not normal, glucose conditions. Our results implicate a role for Nrf2 involvement in both constitutive and inducible endothelial GCLc expression and GSH synthesis, while PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling appears to participate only in insulin-inducible GSH synthesis. Collectively, these results support the functional importance of insulin in Nrf2-dependent transcriptional upregulation of GCLc in GSH recovery during oxidative challenge and suggest a possible role for hypoglycemia in promoting insulin-mediated GCLc upregulation.
Cognitive/interpersonal correlates of adult interpersonal problem-solving strategies

Two potential correlates of interpersonal problem-solving strategies were studied: attachment cognitions, and global beliefs about self-worth. Problem-solving strategies were assessed through an interview in which participants were asked to conceptualize and solve hypothetical interpersonal problems. Direct and indirect associations between the variables were tested in a sample of 94 women making the transition to adulthood. The results showed that poor problem solving was associated with both low levels of global self-worth and attachment insecurity. Furthermore, global self-worth mediated the relationship between attachment cognitions and interpersonal problem-solving strategies, indicating that attachment insecurity had an indirect association with poor problem solving through low self-worth. A model for how early experience could lead to negative beliefs about self and others, and how these beliefs could lead to poor problem solving, is discussed.
Inter- and Intraspecies Contamination of Human Breast Tumor Cell Lines HBC and BrCa5 and Other Cell Cultures

It is shown that the two most recently reported cell lines derived from malignant human breast tissue, HBC and BrCa5 are, respectively, rat and HeLa cell contaminants. The incidence of inter- and intraspecies contamination among 279 cell cultures from 45 laboratories in an 18-month survey is also presented.
A MODEL FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF RESIDENTIAL ACTIVITY IN URBAN AREAS.

A MODEL IS PRESENTED WHICH IS DESIGNED TO DISTRIBUTE HOUSEHOLDS TO RESIDENTIAL LAND IN AN OPTIMAL CONFIGURATION. THE MODEL WAS CONSTRUCTED FOR THE PENN-JERSEY TRANSPORTATION STUDY AS PART OF A LARGER MODEL DESIGNED TO LOCATE ALL TYPES OF LAND-USING ACTIVITY. FOR THE RESIDENTIAL MODEL, IN A PARTICULAR ITERATIVE PERIOD, THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS TO BE LOCATED AND THE AMOUNT OF LAND THAT IS EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTIAL USE IS FORECAST EXOGENOUSLY. A LINEAR PROGRAM IS USED TO PRODUCE, FOR THE END OF THAT PERIOD, AN OPTIMAL CONFIGURATION OF THE NEW HOUSEHOLDS ON THE AVAILABLE LAND. THIS CONFIGURATION IS OPTIMAL WITH RESPECT TO THE CONFIGURATION OF ALL PREVIOUSLY LOCATED ACTIVITIES, AND CONSTITUTES A PREDICTION OF THE WAY IN WHICH THE FORECAST HOUSEHOLDS WILL LOCATE. THE NOTATION IS PRESENTED OF THE DUAL OF THE ALLOCATION MODEL. LIMITATIONS OF THE MODEL, ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS ARE DISCUSSED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE MODEL HAS IMPLICATIONS AND APPLICATIONS WHICH MAKE IT USEFUL IN A MUCH BROADER RANGE OF DECISION PROBLEMS THAN FOR TRANSPORTATION USE ONLY.
Dependence of Warm and Cold Climate Depiction on Climate Model Resolution

Climate change simulations run with two different resolutions (8 deg by 10 deg and 4 deg by 5 deg) of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies model are used to investigate radiative, dynamical, and regional sensitivities to model grid size. The results show that model resolution affected two key processes in the control runs, moist convection and the nonlinear transfer of kinetic energy into the zonal mean flow. It was found that the finer resolution model has more penetrative convection but less convection overall, with the results that its temperature and wind structure were altered with respect to the coarser grid model.
A New Actor in Turkish Democratization: Labor Unions

The Turkish political system has experienced myriad changes since its transition to democracy in 1983, including a shift in labor's role. Although only studied infrequently, labor constitutes an important arena of Turkish politics. This essay investigates the historical development of Turkish labor, with particular focus on its transformation since the mid‐1980s. The essay argues that the threefold shift in the political strategies, the socioeconomic structure, and the ideo‐intellectual attitude of labor has turned it into an important actor in Turkish democratization.
Effect of Need Achievement and Task Difficulty on Competitive and Noncompetitive Motor Performance

Atkinson’s theory of achievement motivation was tested on a stabliometer task of either low, moderate, or high task difficulty. Ss (N=120) were either assigned to a condition with competition for a monetary reward or to a noncompetitive no-reward condition. In the high task-difficulty condition Ss competing for a reward performed better on initial trails than did Ss in the noncompetitive condition. Although no performance differences were found between Ss who tended to achieve success and Ss who tended to avoid failure, the latter Ss had poorer consistency of performance (intravariance scores) on initial learning trials.
Why Target the “Good Guys”? The Determinants of Terrorism Against NGOs

Why would a terrorist group target nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)? We theorize that certain types of NGOs, namely those using mainly nonviolent pressure to advocate for changes in government human rights practices, influence the behaviors of potential terrorist group supporters in ways not liked by terrorist organizations. These advocacy-based human rights NGOs make terrorism attacks against the whole NGO sector more likely by changing the dynamics of terrorist-domestic audience relations in ways that threaten to limit audience support of terrorist groups. Other types of NGOs, especially those that do not have an advocacy focus, are less likely to directly challenge the terrorist organization or the state and can provide resources utilized by terrorist groups and potential sympathizers. Thus, their presence would not increase the likelihood of any NGO-targeted terrorist attacks. A global test of these dynamics supports our basic hypotheses.
South Asian Women in the U.S. and their Experience of Domestic Violence

This study examined the extent of domestic violence and sociocultural factors (isolation, social support, acculturation, and patriarchy) associated with domestic violence among a community sample of 215 women of South Asian origin in the U.S. The sample is the largest to date in a study of domestic violence among South Asian women. Both paper and Web surveys were used. Of the sample, 38 % experienced some form of abuse in the past year. Isolation from spouse/partner and perceived social support predicted abuse. This information is vital in developing effective and culturally appropriate intervention methods for South Asian women victims of domestic violence.
Location of computers and multiple files in distributed computer systems

Advances in computer and communications technology have led to increased use of distributed computer systems which utilize communications channels to interconnect geographically separated users, computer facilities, and data files into integrated information networks. In designing and controlling such a system, one must decide on the number and location of computer facilities, the allocation of multiple data files to facilities, and the user access paths to the data files. A mixed-integer programming formulation and dual-based solution procedure for this problem are described, and the results of computational experiments with realistic-sized problems are reported. Optimal solutions for problems with approximately 2,000 integer decision variables and 76,000 continuous decision variables are found in less than 30 CPU seconds, demonstrating the large-scale capability of the model and algorithm. The problem formulation generalizes Casey's File Allocation Problem to include the location of multiple files and computer facilities in a single planning model.
Configuration Design by Iterative Redesign: Sheet Metal Bracket Design as an Example

SUMMARY This paper describes a design methodology for the configuration level of design; that is, the point in the design process where the attributes of the design, not their values, are assigned. This methodology is based on an iterative redesign model previously shown effective at the parametric level of design. In this paper the iterative redesign model is extended for configuration design, and tested in a computer program for the automated design of sheet metal brackets for simple structural joints. Several examples of the program are given and discussed.
Antimicrobial interventions for O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli on beef subprimal and mechanically tenderized steaks.

Non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an emerging risk for food safety. Although numerous postharvest antimicrobial interventions have been effectively used to control E. coli O157:H7 during beef harvesting, research regarding their effectiveness against non-O157 STEC is scarce. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate effects of the spray treatments—ambient water, 5% lactic acid (LA), 200 ppm of hypobromous acid (HA), and 200 ppm of peroxyacetic acid (PA)—on the reduction of O157:H7 or non-O157 STEC (O26, O103, O111, and O145) with high (106 log CFU/50 cm2) or low (102 log CFU/50 cm2) levels on beef subprimals after vacuum storage for 14 days and (ii) to evaluate the association of the antimicrobial treatments and cooking (50 or 70°C) on the reduction of the pathogens in blade-tenderized steaks. The treatment effects were only observed (P = 0.012) on samples taken immediately after spray intervention treatment following inoculation with a high level of O157:H7. The LA and PA ...
New Effective Core Method (Effective Core Potential and Valence Basis Set) for Al Clusters and Nanoparticles and Heteronuclear Al-Containing Molecules.

In previous work we have shown that the PBE0 hybrid density functional method with the MG3 all-electron basis set is an accurate method for calculating the atomization energies of small aluminum clusters (Al2-Al7). However, the MG3 basis set is very expensive for molecules much larger than Al13; therefore, we have developed a new effective core potential (ECP) method for aluminum to reduce the cost of obtaining accurate results for nanoparticles. Our method involves a hybrid of the Stuttgart semiempirical effective core potential and the compact effective potential (CEP) potential, and it uses a newly optimized polarized valence triple-ζ basis set. The combination of the new ECP and the new polarized valence triple-ζ basis set for Al is called the Minnesota effective core (MEC) method for Al. The method was optimized with a training set of atomization energies and geometries for AlH, AlC, AlO, AlCCH, Al2H, Al2C, Al2O, and Al3 and atomization energies of three Al13 structures, and we tested it on six test sets composed of 20 atomization energies for systems as large as Al13. We also present an improved all-electron polarized triple split basis set for oxygen, called 6-311+G(d*,p). For the test sets, the mean unsigned error (MUE) of the new method with respect to PBE0/MG3 is 0.06 eV for atomization energies and 0.007 A for bond lengths, which constitutes a very significant improvement over the quality of the results that can be obtained with effective core potentials and valence basis sets in the literature (of the eight methods in the literature, the best previous method had average errors of 0.63 eV and 0.036 A). We have also tested the MEC method with a variety of hybrid density functional theory, hybrid meta density functional theory, and pure GGA and meta GGA functionals and found that the average MUE, relative to each functional with all-electron basis sets, is 0.04 eV for atomization energies and 0.009 A for bond lengths for the new effective core method and 0.16-0.20 eV and 0.013-0.033 A for effective core potential and valence basis sets in the literature.
A political ecology of the built environment: LEED certification for green buildings

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards of the non-profit US Green Building Council have become the accepted benchmark for designating “green buildings” in the USA and many other countries. Throughout their 10-year history, the standards have remained flexible, changing with input from designers, builders, environmentalists, and others to incorporate new types of buildings and modify the existing standards to make them more geographically, economically, and functionally sensitive. In this article, I examine through an urban political ecology lens how the LEED standards help to produce a particular kind of built environment. Political ecology has broadened from its origins in the cultural ecology of the developing world to include urban and industrialised environments. In recent years, work in this area has focused on hybridity and socio-nature to explore the ways that urban environments are constructed and maintained through biological, political, and economic processes. In this...
Ares I Scale Model Acoustic Test Instrumentation for Acoustic and Pressure Measurements

The Ares I Scale Model Acoustic Test (ASMAT) was a development test performed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) East Test Area (ETA) Test Stand 116. The test article included a 5% scale Ares I vehicle model and tower mounted on the Mobile Launcher. Acoustic and pressure data were measured by approximately 200 instruments located throughout the test article. There were four primary ASMAT instrument suites: ignition overpressure (IOP), lift-off acoustics (LOA), ground acoustics (GA), and spatial correlation (SC). Each instrumentation suite incorporated different sensor models which were selected based upon measurement requirements. These requirements included the type of measurement, exposure to the environment, instrumentation check-outs and data acquisition. The sensors were attached to the test article using different mounts and brackets dependent upon the location of the sensor. This presentation addresses the observed effect of the sensors and mounts on the acoustic and pressure measurements.
The tutte polynomial of a ported matroid

Abstract Las Vergnas' generalizations of the Tutte polynomial are studied as follows. The theory of Tutte-Grothendieck matroid invariants f is modified so the Tutte decomposition f(M) = f( M e ) + f( M e ) is applied only when e ∉ P (and e is neither a loop nor an isthmus) where P is a distinguished set of points called ports. The resulting “P-ported” Tutte polynomial tP has variables z, w; q1, q2, …, qm; the q′s are connected matroids on subsets of P. We express tP of the P-ported matroid sum and cosum of M1 and M2, only taken when M1 ∩ M2 ⊆ P, in terms of tP(M1) and tP(M2). The behavior of tP(M) under contraction/deletion of points in P is given. Our development is based on a P-ported rank generating function. The major results are generalizations of work of Brylawski on series and parallel connections. Relationships to the geometric lattice of M, to Las Vergnas' Tutte polynomial of a matroid pointed by a family of sets, and to electrical network theory are given.
Entropic Management: Restructuring District Office Culture in the New York City Department of Education

Although a growing body of literature is produced on reform of urban school districts, few studies examine shifts in the culture of managers resulting from reorganization in these bureaucracies. This article engages an analysis of central office managerial culture in the New York City Department of Education during a culminating moment of district office restructuring. I argue that a lack of consistent practices ensuring inter-office network building was instrumental in shifting the prevailing culture of the central office from an instruction-based to an accountability-based organization. Managerial restructuring was coordinated by way of empowerment, technology, and the use of space. I label this arrangement entropic, arguing an order through disorder as innovation, constraints from the district’s organizational environment, and uncertainty lead to a focus on performance conditions more than institutional capacity. The study draws on ethnographic research and in-depth interviews conducted with upper and middle managers of this school district.