cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis for the 5α-steroid reductase in the bovine ovary with [14C]-progesterone and [14C]-testosterone

Abstract A series of experiments were organized to elucidate the presence and activity of the 5ξ-steroid reductase enzyme in the bovine ovary by incorporating various hormonal stimuli [follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) or prolactin], substrates ([ 14 C]-4-pregnene-3,20-dione, progesterone or [ 14 C]-17β-hydroxy-4-androsten-3-one, testosterone), ovarian tissues (follicular, luteal, corpora albicantia or stroma) and time intervals (5, 10, 20, 45 and 120 min). Metabolites monitored for evidence of reductase activity were 5α-pregnane-3,20-dione (5α-dihydroprogesterone), 5α-androstane-3,17-dione (5α-androstanedione) and 17β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-3-one (5α-dihydrotestosterone). Initial isolation and tentative identification of metabolites was performed using Sephadex LH-20 chromatography followed by acetylation and recrystallization to constant specific activity for final determination. Preliminary data from column chromatography revealed occasional evidence of low conversions of [ 14 C]-progesterone to [ 14 C]-5α-dihydroprogesterone; however, subsequent crystallizations proved this to be a contaminant. Analysis for [ 14 C]-5β-pregnane-3,20-dione (5β-dihydroprogesterone) also proved negative. Conversion of [ 14 C]-testosterone to [ 14 C]-4-androstene-3,17-dione (androstenedione) and more polar metabolites was noted; however, no conversion to [ 14 C]-5α-dihydrotestosterone or [ 14 C]-5α-androstanedione was detected. The 5α- and 5β-steroid reductase enzymes within the bovine ovary were found to be either extremely inactive or absent under these in vitro conditions based on the lack of conversion of [ 14 C]-progesterone or [ 14 C]-testosterone to reduced metabolites, i.e. 5α-dihydroprogesterone. 5α-androstanedione or 5α-dihydrotestosterone.
Bases for sets of integers

Abstract We are interested in expressing each of a given set of non-negative integers as the sum of two members of a second set, the second set to be chosen as economically as possible. So let us call B a basis for A if to every a ∈ A there exist b , b ′ ∈ B such that a = b + b ′. We concern ourselves primarily with finite sets, A , since the results for infinite sets generally follow from these by the familiar process of condensation.
Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor-α is induced in the setting of DNA damage and promotes pulmonary emphysema.

Rationale: The discovery that retinoic acid–related orphan receptor (Rora)-α is highly expressed in lungs of patients with COPD led us to hypothesize that Rora may contribute to the pathogenesis of emphysema.Objectives: To determine the role of Rora in smoke-induced emphysema.Methods: Cigarette smoke extract in vitro and elastase or cigarette smoke exposure in vivo were used to model smoke-related cell stress and airspace enlargement. Lung tissue from patients undergoing lung transplantation was examined for markers of DNA damage and Rora expression.Measurements and Main Results: Rora expression was induced by cigarette smoke in mice and in cell culture. Gene expression profiling of Rora-null mice exposed to cigarette smoke demonstrated enrichment for genes involved in DNA repair. Rora expression increased and Rora translocated to the nucleus after DNA damage. Inhibition of ataxia telangiectasia mutated decreased the induction of Rora. Gene silencing of Rora attenuated apoptotic cell death in response to ...
A mosquito’s last supper reminds us not to underestimate the fossil record

Years ago, I gave a conference paper in San Diego with one eye completely closed by a mosquito bite. Mosquitoes command attention, like other biting arthropods, because of the discomfort they cause and their role as disease vectors. Mosquitoes also played a critical role in the most famous dinosaur movie of modern times: the last meal of these blood suckers was the source of the dinosaur DNA that populated the fictional Jurassic Park 20 y ago. Therefore, the PNAS report of a 46-My-old mosquito with blood in its abdomen (1) is arresting, but its significance lies in emphasizing the importance of unusual preservations. We need to understand the taphonomy (the process of fossilization) of such fossil deposits to interpret the information they provide (Fig. 1) (2).
Electron-beam deposition of ZrO2-SnO2 films☆

Abstract Films of ZrO2-SnO2 were deposited by simultaneous electron beam evaporation of the two oxides. Films deposited on substrates at room temperature were amorphous whereas at a substrate temperature of 300°C they were crystalline. Films with less than 3 wt.% SnO2 nucleated in mixed phases of monoclinic and cubic ZrO2. Films with more than 3wt.% SnO2 showed the cubic phase of the zirconia. These films will have potential applications in engine technology and other high temperature applications.
Ground-based sensing system for weed mapping in cotton

A ground-based weed mapping system was developed to measure weed intensity and distribution in a cotton field. The weed mapping system includes WeedSeeker^(R) PhD600 sensor modules to indicate the presence of weeds between rows, a GPS receiver to provide spatial information, and a data acquisition and processing unit to collect and process the weed data and spatial information. The PhD600 sensor module is a commercial product used as a component in this weed mapping system. A prototype of the weed mapping system was field evaluated for 2 years. The system performed well during the field evaluation. Weed intensity in the field was also estimated based on remotely sensed imagery, and these estimates were used to create weed maps. Development of the weed mapping system and its evaluation results are reported in this article.
Mutational Analysis and Allosteric Effects in the HIV-1 Capsid Protein Carboxyl-Terminal Dimerization Domain

The carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD, residues 146−231) of the HIV-1 capsid (CA) protein plays an important role in the CA−CA dimerization and viral assembly of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Disrupting the native conformation of the CA is essential for blocking viral capsid formation and viral replication. Thus, it is important to identify the exact nature of the structural changes and driving forces of the CTD dimerization that take place in mutant forms. Here, we compare the structural stability, conformational dynamics, and association force of the CTD dimers for both wild-type and mutated sequences using all-atom explicit-solvent molecular dynamics (MD). The simulations show that Q155N and E159D at the major homology region (MHR) and W184A and M185A at the helix 2 region are energetically less favorable than the wild-type, imposing profound negative effects on intermolecular CA−CA dimerization. Detailed structural analysis shows that three mutants (Q155N, E159D, and W184A) display much more flexible local structures and weaker CA−CA association than the wild-type, primarily due to the loss of interactions (hydrogen bonds, side chain hydrophobic contacts, and π-stacking) with their neighboring residues. Most interestingly, the MHR that is far from the interacting dimeric interface is more sensitive to the mutations than the helix 2 region that is located at the CA−CA dimeric interface, indicating that structural changes in the distinct motif of the CA could similarly allosterically prevent the CA capsid formation. In addition, the structural and free energy comparison of the five residues shorter CA (151−231) dimer with the CA (146−231) dimer further indicates that hydrophobic interactions, side chain packing, and hydrogen bonds are the major, dominant driving forces in stabilizing the CA interface.
Four season herbicide injection of hardwoods

Summary: Resume: Zusammenfassung Eleven different hardwood species were injected using a hypo-hatchet with eight different lierbicides during the spring, summer, fall and winter seasons. Late spring to fall injections gave maximum efficacy. All the herbicides were effective at the given concentrations and injection of I ml/2.5 cm of stem diameter, Least effect followed winter injections probably due to poor translocation, little active tree metabolism, and high viscosity of some formulations when air temperatures were near freezing. Spring injection tended to allow revegetation by release of lateral buds after apical meristems and leaves had been killed. Multiple clumps of red maple stems were not well controlled by single stem injection. Quatre saisons de traitement herbicide par injection de ligneux a bois dur Onze especes ligneuses a bois dur ont ete traitees par injection en utilisant une hachette speciale, avec 8 herbicides, au printemps, en ete. en automne et en hiver. Les traitements faits de la fin du printemps a l'automne ont donne le maximum d'efficacite. Tous les herbicides ont ete actifs aux concentrations donnees et pour un volume d'injection de 1 ml pour 2,5 cm de diametre de tige. L'effet plus faible des injections faites en hiver est probablement du a une faible migration, au metabolisme peu actif dans les arbres et a la viscositeelevee de certaines formulations lorsque les temperatures de I'air avoisinaient le gel. Les injections de printemps ont montre une tendance a un nouveau depart de la vegetation par liberation de bourgeons lateraux apres la mort des meristemes apicaux et des feuilles. De nombreux rejets de tiges d'erable n'ont pas ete detruits par une injection unique dans la tige. Herbizid-Injektionen bei Laubbdamen in vier Jahreszeiten Mit Hilfe eines Spezialbeils wurden im Fruhjahr, Sommer, Herbst’ und Winter Laubbaumen 11 verschiedener Arten acht verschiedene Herbizide injiziert. Injektionen vom spaten Fruhjahr bis zum Herbst zeigten die beste Wirkung. Mit einer Injektion von 1 ml je 2.5 cm Stammdurchmesser waren alle Herbizide in den gewahlten Konzentrationen wirkungsvoll. Den geringsten Effekt zeigten Injektionen im Winter, was wahrschein- lich auf ungenugende Translokation, geringe Stoffwechselaktivitat der Baume im Winter und hohe Viskositat einiger Formulierungen bei Lufttemperaturen in der Nahe des Gefrierpunktes zuruckzufuhren ist. Injektionen im Fruhjajr konnten nach Abtotung von apikalen Meristemen und Blattwerk durch Entwieklung von Seitenknospen zu einem gewissen Austrieb fuhren. Baumgruppen von Rotahorn liessen sich durch eine einzelne Stamminjektion mit nur massigem Erfolg bekampfen.
Foreign exchange and lost opportunity in the US Department of Defense

Abstract This paper examines US Department of Defense (DoD) foreign exchange rate exposure in light of the government’s prohibition against foreign currency hedging. Using data from the United States Air Force and Monte Carlo simulation, we evaluate whether the use of forward foreign exchange contracts or currency options might reduce the financial impact of currency fluctuation. The results strongly indicate that these alternatives outperform the current method for dealing with foreign currency exposure in the DoD. Using forward contracts, expected cost reductions are on the order of 3.5% of current outlays. For options, expected cost reductions increase to 6.4% thereby defining an upper bound of 2.9% on acceptable option premium levels.
A continuum mechanics model for normal faulting using a strain-rate softening rheology: implications for thermal and rheological controls on continental and oceanic rifting

Abstract We use a strain-rate-dependent visco-plastic rheology in a finite element model to investigate the effects of crustal rheology and thermal structure on the development of normal faults in 2-D extending lithosphere. Strain-rate softening in the brittle regime is used to simulate the rate-dependence of frictional strength observed in laboratory studies. Results of numerical experiments show that efficient strain-rate softening can result in localized zones of high strain rate, which develop in response to the rheology and boundary conditions and are not imposed a priori. We argue that these zones of localized shearing are analogous to faults and use the calculated deformation field to predict the preferred location of fault formation for a range of thermal and rheologic conditions. When no regional temperature gradient is imposed, deformation is predicted to be distributed between several sets of conjugate normal faults. However, in the presence of a horizontally varying temperature field, faulting is calculated to focus where the lithosphere is thinnest, forming rift-like topography. Model results predict that when crustal thickness is sufficiently small that no ductile layer is present in the lower crust, deformation is mantle-dominated and rift half-width is controlled primarily by the vertical geothermal gradient. In contrast, when crustal thickness is large enough that the stress accumulation in the upper crust becomes much greater than the stress accumulation in the upper mantle, deformation becomes crust-dominated and the calculated rift half-width is a function of both crustal rheology and the vertical geothermal gradient. This implies that deformation in the brittle upper crust does not behave independently of a strong upper mantle, even in situations where ductile flow occurs in the lower crust.
Control of surface morphology of carbide coating on Co-Cr-Mo implant alloy.

Wear of materials used in artificial joints is a common failure mode of artificial joints. A low wear rate for implants is believed to be critical for extending implant service time. We developed a carbide-coated Co-Cr-Mo implant alloy created in plasma of methane and hydrogen mixed gas by a microwave plasma-assisted surface reaction. The carbide-coated Co-Cr-Mo has a unique “brain coral-like” surface morphology and is much harder than uncoated Co-Cr-Mo. The effect of plasma processing time and temperature on the surface morphology of the top carbide layer was studied toward optimizing the surface coating. The ratios of average roughness, Ra, core roughness, Rk, and summation of core roughness, reduced peak height (Rpk) and reduced valley depth (Rvk), Rk+ Rpk+ Rvk, for the 6-h/985 ∘C coating to those for the 0.5-h/985 ∘C coating were 1.9, 1.7, and 1.9, respectively. The ratios of Ra, Rk, and Rk+ Rpk+ Rvk for the 4-h/1000 ∘C coating to those for the 4-h/939 ∘C coating were 2.3, 2.3, and 2.0, respectively. With the proper combination of plasma processing time and temperature, it may be possible to change the thickness of the peak-valley top cluster by fourfold from ∼ 0.6 μ m to ∼ 2.5 μ m. Finally, the growth mechanism of the carbide layers on Co-Cr-Mo was discussed in the context of atomic composition analysis.
Classical quark matter in one dimension: Abelian approximation

A classical quark gas in which only the diagonal elements of the SU(3) color gluon interaction are retained is studied in one dimension. By use of functional integration techniques, the grand partition function of the system is obtained by finding the least eigenvalue of a two-dimensional Schr\"odinger equation with a periodic potential. In the high-density limit, the system exhibits free-quark behavior. In the low-density limit, the equation of state approaches that of an ideal gas of three-quark bound states. The possible existence of a phase transition is considered unlikely.
The Limits of Indigenization in Theology

How should the younger churches “do” theology? While Professor Taber maintains that they, not we, must answer this question, he sets forth some areas in which we have both over-indigenized and unde...
Household composition of the elderly in two rural villages in the People's Republic of China.

This paper reports on the household composition of a sample of elderly residing in two villages in Zhejiang Province, China, one that is prospering under the post 1978 economic reforms and another that is not. It reveals that while a large proportion of the elderly in both the study villages are part of single generation households, the two villages differ with respect to the composition of the single generation household category. In the prosperous village, 50% of the elderly are living alone or with a spouse and 6% are living “by turns” (rotating between son's residences). In the less prosperous village, 26% are living alone or with a spouse while 22% participate in “by turns” arrangements. The paper suggests that a failure to separate analytically the “by turns” arrangements obscures the extent to which China's rural elderly now live in economic units separate from their offspring and masks important aspects of the differential impact of the new economic reforms on the household situation of the elderly in different villages.
Increasing evidence that estrogen is an important modulator of bone marrow-mediated cardiac repair after acute infarction.

Extensive experimental and clinical evidence accumulated over the past several years indicates that the infarcted heart can be repaired by endogenous as well as exogenous stem/progenitor cells. Experimental studies from several laboratories have reported that bone marrow–derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are mobilized after acute myocardial infarction (MI), home to the infarcted myocardium, and improve left ventricular (LV) perfusion and function.1 Although EPCs have been shown to differentiate into a cardiomyocytic phenotype in vitro, EPC-induced beneficial effects appear to stem primarily from myocardial neovascularization. In an effort to enhance EPC-mediated cardiovascular reparative benefits, current studies are focused on the molecular mechanistic aspects of this phenomenon and on the modulation of EPC kinetics. Article p 2261 Clinical evidence also supports an important role for EPCs in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Lower numbers of colony-forming circulating EPCs are associated with an increased Framingham risk factor score and endothelial dysfunction,2 and the number of circulating EPCs predicts the severity of coronary artery disease.3 These observations underscore the fact that EPCs participate not only in tissue repair after injury but also in the maintenance of endothelial integrity and function. After a stressful event such as acute MI or myocardial ischemia, additional EPCs are mobilized from the bone marrow, home to the injured tissue, and participate in neovascularization. Taken together, these considerations suggest that enhanced cardiac repair after MI may potentially be achieved by augmenting mobilization, myocardial homing, and functionality of EPCs. Elucidation of the signaling mechanisms involved in these processes is therefore important to the development of therapeutic strategies for cardiac repair. Although the role of EPCs in cardiac repair is a relatively new field of investigation, the influence of estrogen on cardiovascular health has been studied for decades. Estrogen exerts multifaceted effects on the heart and blood vessels via genomic and …
Effect of Parasitic Resistance and Capacitance on Performance of InGaAs HEMT Digital Logic Circuits

In this brief, the impact of parasitic resistance and capacitance on InGaAs HEMT digital logic circuits is investigated via device simulations and circuit analysis. We present the correlation between device geometry and circuit delay for various structural scenarios. When the gate-to-S/D contact distance Lsg is scaled down to logic device standards, high integration density and additional circuit performance can be expected as compared with experimental devices that are demonstrated to date. This brief highlights the importance of engineering the device structure outside the channel region to achieve high device performance and device density. Scaled InGaAs HEMTs show superior performance over experimental devices and 27% less power consumption for the same circuit-speed constraint.
Promoting filopodial elongation in neurons by membrane-bound magnetic nanoparticles

Filopodia are 5-10 μm long processes that elongate by actin polymerization, and promote axon growth and guidance by exerting mechanical tension and by molecular signaling. Although axons elongate in response to mechanical tension, the structural and functional effects of tension specifically applied to growth cone filopodia are unknown. Here we developed a strategy to apply tension specifically to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) growth cone filopodia through surface-functionalized, membrane-targeted superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). When magnetic fields were applied to surface-bound SPIONs, RGC filopodia elongated directionally, contained polymerized actin filaments, and generated retrograde forces, behaving as bona fide filopodia. Data presented here support the premise that mechanical tension induces filopodia growth but counter the hypothesis that filopodial tension directly promotes growth cone advance. Future applications of these approaches may be used to induce sustained forces on multiple filopodia or other subcellular microstructures to study axon growth or cell migration. From the clinical editor: Mechanical tension to the tip of filopodia is known to promote axonal growth. In this article, the authors used superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) targeted specifically to membrane molecules, then applied external magnetic field to elicit filopodial elongation, which provided a tool to study the role of mechanical forces in filopodia dynamics and function.
Commentary: correlates of concurrent energy drink and alcohol use among socially active adults.

Background: Despite the popularity of caffeinated energy drinks mixed with alcohol, the links between these beverages and patterns of problem drinking are not yet well understood. The aim of this short commentary is to review a current study investigating the environmental contexts within which AmED use occurs, and to examine its implications. Materials and methods: The strengths of Wells and colleagues? study are reviewed. The researchers used a field-based survey to survey 1,476 adult patrons at a range of New York City nightlife scenes. Results: The importance of the study lies in its exploration of the urban nightlife venues within which energy drinks and alcohol are used concurrently by socially active adults. Previous research has largely been confined to investigations of either the physiological effects of alcohol/caffeine coadministration or the demographic, psychosocial, and problem-behavioral correlates of AmED use. The present study?s context-oriented approach offers a third avenue of inquiry....
Factal: integrating deep web based on trust and relevance

We demonstrate "Factal"--a system for integrating deep web sources. Factal is based on the recently introduced source selection method "SourceRank"; which is a measure of trust and relevance based on the agreement between the sources. SourceRank selects popular and trustworthy sources from autonomous and open collections like the deep web. This trust and popularity awareness distinguishes Factal from the existing systems like Google Product Search. Factal selects and searches active online databases on multiple domains. The demonstration scenarios include improved trustworthiness, relevance of results, and comparison shopping. We believe that by incorporating effective source selection based on the SourceRank, Factal demonstrates a significant step towards a deep-web-scale integration system.
Sequential phosphorylation of visual arrestin in intact Limulus photoreceptors: identification of a highly light-regulated site.

The visual arrestins in rhabdomeral photoreceptors are multifunctional phosphoproteins. They are rapidly phosphorylated in response to light, but the functional relevance of this phosphorylation is not yet fully understood. The phosphorylation of Limulus visual arrestin is particularly complex in that it becomes phosphorylated on three sites, and one or more of these site are phosphorylated even in the dark. The purpose of this study was to examine in detail the light-stimulated phosphorylation of each of the three sites in Limulus visual arrestin in intact photoreceptors. We found that light increased the phosphorylation of all three sites (S 377 , S 381 , and S 396 ), that S 381 is a preferred phosphorylation site, and that S 377 and S 381 are highly phosphorylated in the dark. The major effect of light was to increase the phosphorylation of S 396 , the site located closest to the C-terminal and very close to the adaptin binding motif. We speculate that the phosphorylation of this site may be particularly important for regulating the light-driven endocytosis of rhabdomeral membrane.
Further Evaluation of Somah: Long-Term Preservation, Temperature Effect, and Prevention of Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rat Hearts Harvested After Cardiocirculatory Death

Abstract Objective To identify and evaluate the ideal temperature for long-term storage of hearts from donation after cardiocirculatory death, in the novel organ preservation solution Somah. Methods DCD hearts from Sprague-Dawley rats were harvested after 30 minutes of euthanasia, preserved in Somah at 4°C, 10°C, 21°C, or 37°C for 24 hours and then reperfused with blood:Somah (3:1) perfusate at 37°C for 30 minutes. Myocardial biopsies were taken during storage and before and after reperfusion to assess the structural and functional viability of tissue using multiphoton imaging, biochemistry, and immunofluorescence. Results Myocyte viability, determined by Live-Dead and esterase assays, was similar at 4°C, 10°C, and 21°C (193, 198 and 217 normalized fluorescence counts [NFC]) with a significant decrease at 37°C (131 NFC). Upon reperfusion, esterase activity was enhanced in DCD hearts stored in Somah at 21°C but noticeably decreased at all other temperatures. High-energy adenosine triphosphate/creatine phosphate (ATP/CP) syntheses and the expression of structural/contractile proteins was well preserved at 21°C, both after 24-hour storage and upon reperfusion. In contrast, hearts stored at all other temperatures demonstrated variable degenerative changes, loss of protein expression, and/or deranged ATP/CP synthesis after 24 hours of storage and/or upon reperfusion. Conclusion The robust maintenance of structural/functional integrity of cardiac tissue and the preservation of protein expression and cellular energy metabolism in DCD hearts after long-term preservation at subnormothermic temperature suggests that 21°C is ideal for long-term storage of DCD hearts in Somah solution.
A Class of Orthogonal Functions

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce a class of nonsinusoidal orthogonal functions which consists of: (1) Rademacher functions, (2) Haar functions, and (3) Walsh functions. These orthogonal functions consist of either square or rectangular waves. Individual functions belonging to such sets of functions are distinguished by means of a parameter called sequency. Some aspects pertaining to notation for representing nonsinusoidal orthogonal functions are also discussed.
Identification of Unknown Common Factors: Leaders and Followers

This article has the following contributions. First, this article develops a new criterion for identifying whether or not a particular time series variable is a common factor in the conventional approximate factor model. Second, by modeling observed factors as a set of potential factors to be identified, this article reveals how to easily pin down the factor without performing a large number of estimations. This allows the researcher to check whether or not each individual in the panel is the underlying common factor and, from there, identify which individuals best represent the factor space by using a new clustering mechanism. Asymptotically, the developed procedure correctly identifies the factor when N and T jointly approach infinity. The procedure is shown to be quite effective in the finite sample by means of Monte Carlo simulation. The procedure is then applied to an empirical example, demonstrating that the newly developed method identifies the unknown common factors accurately.
Reframing climate change as a public health issue: an exploratory study of public reactions

Climate change is taking a toll on human health, and some leaders in the public health community have urged their colleagues to give voice to its health implications. Previous research has shown that Americans are only dimly aware of the health implications of climate change, yet the literature on issue framing suggests that providing a novel frame - such as human health - may be potentially useful in enhancing public engagement. We conducted an exploratory study in the United States of people's reactions to a public health-framed short essay on climate change. U.S. adult respondents (n = 70), stratified by six previously identified audience segments, read the essay and were asked to highlight in green or pink any portions of the essay they found "especially clear and helpful" or alternatively "especially confusing or unhelpful." Two dependent measures were created: a composite sentence-specific score based on reactions to all 18 sentences in the essay; and respondents' general reactions to the essay that were coded for valence (positive, neutral, or negative). We tested the hypothesis that five of the six audience segments would respond positively to the essay on both dependent measures. There was clear evidence that two of the five segments responded positively to the public health essay, and mixed evidence that two other responded positively. There was limited evidence that the fifth segment responded positively. Post-hoc analysis showed that five of the six segments responded more positively to information about the health benefits associated with mitigation-related policy actions than to information about the health risks of climate change. Presentations about climate change that encourage people to consider its human health relevance appear likely to provide many Americans with a useful and engaging new frame of reference. Information about the potential health benefits of specific mitigation-related policy actions appears to be particularly compelling. We believe that the public health community has an important perspective to share about climate change, a perspective that makes the problem more personally relevant, significant, and understandable to members of the public.
Cryptanalysis of a public key cryptosystem proposed by Wu and Dawson

This paper cryptanalyses a public key cryptosystem that has recently been proposed by C.K. Wu and E. Dawson (see ibid., vol. 145, no. 5, p. 321-5 (1998)). We show that anyone, knowing only the public key and a ciphertext, can retrieve the corresponding message by using some basic linear algebra.
Fast Detection of Denial-of-Service Attacks on IP Telephony

Recently Voice over IP (VoIP) is experiencing a phenomenal growth. Being a real-time service, VoIP is more susceptible to Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks than regular Internet services. Moreover, VoIP uses multiple protocols for call control and data delivery, making it vulnerable to various DoS attacks at different protocol layers. An attacker can easily disrupt VoIP services by flooding TCP SYN packets, UDP-based RTP packets, or SIP-based INVITE messages, which pose a critical threat to IP telephony. In this paper, we present an online statistical detection mechanism, called vFDS, to detect DoS attacks in the context of VoIP. The core of vFDS is based on Hellinger distance method, which computes the variability between two probability measures. Using Hellinger distance, we characterize normal protocol behaviors and then detect the traffic anomalies caused by flooding attacks. Our experimental results show that vFDS achieves fast and accurate detection of DoS attacks.
Development of a Realistic Conditioning and Evaluation System to Study Moisture Damage of Asphalt Materials

The main objective of this study is to develop a realistic test and parameter to evaluate a moisture influence on asphalt materials. The equipment consists of a system to apply a cyclic loading on three dynamic modulus samples, forcing water out and in through samples. The applied stress is to be selected based on field loadings. These specimens are placed in a conditioning bath to simulate environmental conditions. However, the environmental conditions should be selected to simulate real conditions based on PG grade of asphalt. An extension of a test procedure based on the dynamic modulus test after conditioning method for use in pavement design is to be performed. The research developed the Damage Rate (Dr) as an indicator for the moisture damage of the mixtures. The research also presented a model to calculate Dr from void ratio and flow rate.
Comparison of carbon dioxide laser, erbium:YAG laser, dermabrasion, and dermatome: a study of thermal damage, wound contraction, and wound healing in a live pig model: implications for skin resurfacing.

Abstract Background: Advances in laser technology allow for precise tissue removal and minimal thermal damage. However, mechanisms for cosmetic improvement have not been determined. Investigators have suggested that ablation, collagen shrinkage, and new collagen deposition all contribute to the clinical outcome. Objective: In a live farm pig, we examined gross and microscopic effects of thermal and mechanical ablation devices to characterize immediate and long-term mechanisms in skin rejuvenation. Methods: Two CO 2 lasers, an erbium:YAG laser, a dermabrader, and a dermatome were used to treat flank skin in a farm pig. There were 14 different treatment groups based on device type and working parameters. One to five sites were treated for each group. Wound surface areas were measured before treatment, immediately after treatment, and 7, 17, 23, 30, and 60 days thereafter. Biopsies were performed immediately after irradiation and 2, 7, 17, and 60 days after treatment. Results: For the CO 2 laser–induced wounds, surface area measurements showed that immediate and final wound contraction tended to increase with initial residual thermal damage (RTD) for a range of values, above which immediate contraction remained relatively constant. Although there was no immediate wound contraction with mechanical ablation devices, long-term wound contraction in the dermatome and dermabrasion sites increased with depth of ablation. The erbium:YAG laser sites healed in a manner similar to that of mechanically induced wounds. Wound contraction profiles over time were dependent on depth of RTD and depth of ablation. Sixty days postoperatively, histologic examination showed varying degrees of fibroplasia. Overall, there was greater compaction and horizontal orientation of collagen fibers in those wounds with more than 70 μm of dermal RTD. Grossly, all wounds were similar after 60 days, with the exception of the deep dermabrasion sites, at which clinical scarring was observed. Conclusion: Our results show that CO 2 laser resurfacing produces short- and long-term wound contraction that is greater than that induced by purely ablative methods for the same total depth of injury. The erbium laser produced wound contraction profiles similar to those produced by mechanical wounding. The data suggest that initial collagen contraction and thermal damage modulate wound healing. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;42:92-105.)
A geometrical approach to evidential reasoning

A model for evidential reasoning is proposed, in which the belief function of a piece of evidence is modeled as a probability density function which can be a continuous or discrete form. A polar notation of mutual dependency relationship between the evidence is considered, in which the dependency between two interrelated pieces of evidence is described by an angle. This method can resolve the conflict resulting from either the mutual dependency among many pieces of evidence or the structural dependency in an inference network due to the evidence combination order. Belief conjunction, belief combination, belief propagation procedures and AND/OR operations of an inference network based on the proposed model are all presented. Examples are given to demonstrate the advantages of this method over the conventional approaches. >
Patterns or claims: do they help in communicating design advice?

Past research asserts that patterns or claims will help capture and communicate interaction-design advice. Both structures attempt to provide advice in context along with the justifications for fit. These properties aim to make patterns or claims more concrete and comprehensible to novice designers than design guidelines. However, empirical work evaluating these promises is lacking. This research presents a controlled study that examines the value of structuring design advice as patterns or as claims. Patterns and claims seem different given their respective roots in architecture and design rationale. They also differ in their emphasis when capturing design decisions; patterns emphasize capturing a problem-solution pair in a certain context, whereas claims focus on capturing the positive and negative implications to a design decision. The findings from the study suggest it may be promising to combine the claim and pattern structures and that such a structure may facilitate discussions of design trade-offs.
What makes pathogens pathogenic

Metazoans contain multiple complex microbial ecosystems in which the balance between host and microbe can be tipped from commensalism to pathogenicity. This transition is likely to depend both on the prevailing environmental conditions and on specific gene-gene interactions placed within the context of the entire ecosystem.
Struggling Pasts: A Commentary

This commentary is organized into three parts. The first discusses the papers presented in this volume, notably divided into two themes: those that looked at past struggles and those that look at struggling in the present. The second part deals more critically with the unifying analytical theme of the papers: a dialectical approach to historical archaeology and how it can be implemented through the theory of internal relations. The final section of this commentary takes this idea and applies it to the archaeology of landscape and the production of social space.
Variations on the ``Blue-Bottle'' Demonstration Using Food Items That Contain FD&C Blue #1

Erioglaucine dye (FD&C Blue #1) can be used instead of methylene blue in the classic “blue-bottle” demonstration. Food items containing FD&C Blue #1 and reducing species such as sugars can therefore be used at the heart of this demonstration, which simply requires the addition of strong base such as sodium hydroxide lye.
A NOTE ON REMITTANCES, MONETARY REGIMES, AND NONTRADABLE INFLATION DYNAMICS

This paper examines the dynamic and desirable properties of monetary regimes in a remittances recipient economy, with emphasis on the effect on sectoral output and nontradable inflation dynamics. The findings indicate that under a fixed exchange rate regime, an increase in remittances creates increased demand for nontradable goods, and hence a rise in nontradable inflation, as well as expansion in output of nontradables. Under a nontradable inflation targeting regime, however, a decrease in nontradable inflation and an expansion in tradable goods production are observed following an increase in remittances. A near-zero nontradable inflation rate and managed variability in the nominal exchange rate typify the optimal monetary policy, suggesting that an inflation targeting regime is preferable to a fixed exchange regime under such a scenario. A VAR analysis shows that the dynamics of inflation in El Salvador and the Philippines is in consonance with those observed in the model under the fixed exchange rate and nontradable inflation targeting regimes, respectively.
Quality-Adjusted Consumer Surplus: Measurement, Effects, and Determinants in Online Markets

The traditional measure of consumer surplus (CS) (willingness to pay minus price paid) is captured at the time the transaction takes place, implicitly assuming that actual quality received (ex-post) is identical to quality expected (ex-ante). However, when the exchange of goods does not occur simultaneously when the transaction takes place, and for services whose quality is difficult to be fully specified before the transaction, the traditional measure of CS may be biased because actual quality received ex-post may differ from quality expected ex-ante. Drawing upon the economics and satisfaction literature, we relax the assumption that consumers receive, ex-post, identical quality that they expected ex-ante, and we propose, operationalize, and test a quality-adjusted measure of CS (termed CS’) in the context of online markets for IT services. Our empirical results first show that the traditional measure of CS systematically over-estimates surplus than the quality-adjusted measure CS’. Second, quality-adjusted CS’ better predicts consumers’ subsequent transactions (i.e., consumer continuance in the online market, number of future contracts, and total spending) while the traditional measure of CS fails to predict consumers’ subsequent transactions. This finding suggests that quality-adjusted CS’ is a more realistic estimate of consumer surplus by predicting future transactions. Building upon expectation confirmation theory, we examine the difference between the two surplus measures (termed ∆CS), which reflects “surprise utility” from ex-post confirmation of expectations. Surprise utility (∆CS) (either positive or negative) is determined by market immaturity, consumers’ lack of experience in the market, and consumers’ lack of familiarity with IT service providers. Implications for developing a more conservative (quality-adjusted) measure of consumer surplus that better reflects economic reality are discussed.
Engineer-In-The-Loop Simulation for Cooperative Operations in Urban Environment

In this paper we discuss the development and utilization of a simulation that was designed to enable engineers to investigate and exercise prototypical cooperative control algorithms and user interfaces for a system that will allow a single operator to control a team of unmanned aerial vehicles in an urban area. One such operational scenario is that of a small unmanned aerial vehicle flying over an urban area, dispensing micro-aerial vehicles to examine points of interest from a close distance. The Air Force Research Laboratory is currently conducting a research program entitled Cooperative Operations in UrbaN TERrain (COUNTER) designed to develop and investigate cooperative control algorithms, software, and hardware needed to perform such a mission. The type of simulation discussed in this paper is one of four different simulation types that are being used to develop and test the COUNTER systems. These simulations include an engineering simulation, an Engineerin-the-Loop Simulation (EILSIM), an operator interface development simulation, and an operator-in-the-loop simulation. While the COUNTER-EILSIM is the focus of this paper, we briefly describe the other simulations and how they fit into the development and testing process.
Aero-Optical Measurements in a Turbulent, Subsonic Boundary Layer at Different Elevation Angles

This paper describes a recent investigation of aero-optical properties for subsonic turbulent boundary layers on a flat plate. Laser propagation through the boundary layer at several oblique elevation angles, Mach numbers, and boundary layer displacement thicknesses was investigated. A simple model is proposed that incorporates the oblique angle dependence into an existing scaling relationship. Both single and double boundary layers were investigated and the levels of optical distortions for propagation normal to the wall were found to be in good agreement with the refined scaling relationship. These new experimental data allowed us to both refine the scaling-relationship constant and reduce the error in the measurement below those presented in previous papers.
Morphomic measurement of the temporalis muscle as a novel predictor of injury severity and clinical outcomes in mandible fracture patients

RESULTS: From 2001-2011, 2024 patients (mean age: 39 years) were diagnosed with 2938 maxillofacial fractures. Fractures were classified as nasal (n 949), orbital floor (n 388), other orbit (n 282), mandible (n 408), maxilla (n 241), zygomatic arch (n 141), complex (n 121), frontal sinus (n 85), and zygomaticomaxillary complex (n 283). Injury etiology included assault (37%), falls (19%), MVC (29%), and other (15%). A craniomaxillofacial consult was obtained in 63% of cases; 33% were admitted, and 42% underwent operative repair. Of the 1549 patients scheduled for follow-up within the institution, 31% were “no-shows.” Factors significantly associated with lack of follow-up compliance were: age over 65 years, history of assault, absence of a craniomaxillofacial consult, lack of admission, and non-operative management. Patients with mandibular fractures showed high compliance with follow-up.The presence of other fractures was not a significant predictor of compliance with follow-up.
An improved method for staining mammalian oocytes.

This report details a whole mount technique which allows rapid assessment of meiotic stages in large numbers of mammalian oocytes using an aceto-orcein stain.Previous studies of mammalian oocyte meiosis have been hampered by the use of time-consuming staining techniques. Temporary preparations have been produced using squashes of oocytes with fixative and stain drawn under the coverslip by diffusion (Austin 1961). An air-drying technique requires less attention by the technician and allows permanent preparations to be made (Tarkowski 1966). However, these methods require that each slide be treated individually. The improvements outlined below permit many slides to be processed together, allowing surveys of larger numbers of oocytes than before.
Systematics and biogeography of the Metacryphaeus Group Calmoniidae (Trilobita, Devonian) with comments on adaptive radiations and the geological history of the Malvinokaffric realm

Phylogenetic parsimony analysis was used to classify the Siegenian–Eifelian “Metacryphaeus group” of the family Calmoniidae. Thirty-eight exoskeletal characters for 16 taxa produced a shortest-length cladogram with a consistency index of 0.49. A classification based on retrieving the structure of this cladogram recognizes nine genera: Typhloniscus Salter, Plesioconvexa n. gen., Punillaspis Baldis and Longobucco, Eldredgeia n. gen., Clarkeaspis n. gen., Malvinocooperella n. gen., Wolfartaspis Cooper, Plesiomalvinella Lieberman, Edgecombe, and Eldredge (used to represent the malvinellid clade), and Metacryphaeus Reed. The malvinellid clade is most closely related to a revised monophyletic Metacryphaeus. Typhloniscus is the basal member of the “Metacryphaeus group,” and the monotypic Wolfartaspis is sister to the clade containing the malvinellids and Metacryphaeus. Six new species are diagnosed: Punillaspis n. sp. A, “Clarkeaspis” gouldi, Clarkeaspis padillaensis, Malvinocooperella pregiganteus, Metacryphaeus curvigena, and Metacryphaeus branisai. Primitively, this group has South African and Andean affinities, and its evolutionary history suggests rapid diversification. In addition, evolutionary patterns in this group, and the distribution of character reversals, call into question certain notions about the nature of adaptive radiations. The distributions of taxa may answer questions about the number of marine transgressive/regressive cycles in the Emsian–Eifelian of the Malvinokaffric Realm.
Implementing Health Coaching in Primary Care: Results from a Pilot Study

Health coaching is potentially a cost-effective method by which individuals can obtain assistance in achieving and maintaining healthy lifestyles in primary care. In health coaching, the counselor ...