cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vivo 2H/13C flux analysis in metabolism research

Identifying the factors and mechanisms that regulate metabolism under normal and diseased states requires methods to quantify metabolic fluxes of live tissues within their physiological milieu. A number of recent developments have expanded the reach and depth of isotope-based in vivo flux analysis, which have in turn challenged existing dogmas in metabolism research. First, minimally invasive techniques of intravenous isotope infusion and sampling have advanced in vivo metabolic tracer studies in animal models and human subjects. Second, recent breakthroughs in analytical instrumentation have expanded the scope of isotope labeling measurements and reduced sample volume requirements. Third, innovative modeling approaches and publicly available software tools have facilitated rigorous analysis of sophisticated experimental designs involving multiple tracers and expansive metabolomics datasets. These developments have enabled comprehensive in vivo quantification of metabolic fluxes in specific tissues and have set the stage for integrated multi-tissue flux assays.
Model of radiation-induced ambulatory dysfunction

Approximately 50% of oncology patients receive radiotherapy, with the dose of radiation often being limited to mitigate normal tissue damage of proximal critical/sensitive structures. Currently, no preclinical models exist to study a putative drug's efficacy in terms of functional recovery of tissues adversely effected by radiation exposure. Such limitations inhibit the development of targeted therapeutics. To this end, we developed a model of radiation-induced soft-tissue damage with quantitative outcomes of tissue function. Mice received a single administration of radiation focused on the posterior limb while under anesthesia. A blinded observer weighed each mouse and performed motors skills assessments weekly for the duration of the study. At the end of the study, mice were euthanized, assessed for hindlimb range of motion and histological analysis was performed, evaluating tissue morphology and fibrotic scarring. Mice presented numerous significant ambulatory deficits that positively correlated with the dose of radiation administered. Irradiated mice presented with reduced range of motion and increased fibrotic scarring upon histological assessment across all dose groups as compared to controls. The current study is the first to describe a preclinical model of functional skeletal muscle deficits following focal radiation injury of a posterior limb, which will be useful for the assessment of novel drug candidates to treat radiotherapy-induced soft-tissue damage.
Notes on Problem Formulation in Machine Learning

Our work starts by offering two statements, given in different historical times and in different epistemic contexts, which reveal two radically different visions of what a problem is and how we should engage with it.
On Hegel’s Platonism

Anglo-American students of Hegel owe a debt of gratitude to J.N. Findlay. Although on the Continent re-evaluation of Hegel’s doctrines has proceeded continuously, fluidity of interpretation seldom characterizes the Anglo-American scholarship. In England Hegel has been made known and rejected through the great systems of Bradley and Bosanquet. That Hegel was a transcendent metaphysician, a subjectivist in epistemology, and a manic rationalist is a cherished idol in the English marketplace, and a story many times told. The fruits of Findlay’s demythologization of Hegel are harvested in his various articles and volumes which have punctuated Hegelian scholarship over the past twenty years.
The strategic implications of non-technical stakeholder acceptance in high technology system design and implementation

The introduction of change is frequently met with resistance, especially if that change involves a re-engineering of basic work processes and the introduction of high technologies. This study examines the introduction of a complex software system to standard work processes within an organization staffed by a largely non-technical, professional workforce. A case study approach will be used to highlight high technology-driven change management and decision-making at the planning and early implementation stages.
Donde lo verá el que lo leyere y lo oirá el que lo escuchara leer: sobre el lenguaje metadramático de los títeres de maese Pedro

This investigation points out the various characteristics of the (meta)theatrical language of Maese Pedro’s retablo , both in the staging of an oral tradition in the mute language of marionettes and in the discourse of the interpreter who describes them. This (re)presentation reveals, on the one hand, don Quixote’s interpretation of this performance in the minstrel tradition as a critical listener and, on the other, his reaction as an isolated and silent reader. The reading that don Quixote finally imposes is thus the same mute reading that drove him to madness. His behavior externalizes the confrontation between knightly romances and the new literary forms that were to replace them, highlighting the supremacy of new comedic theater and what would be considered years later as the novel.
Mental Health and Psychiatric Medicine

Anthropologists and cross-cultural psychiatrists have examined mental health in cross-cultural contexts by documenting not only symptoms and treatment, but also idioms of distress, culture-bound syndromes, and meanings attributed to brain and mind dysfunction. Anthropologists have explored the intersection of social suffering and individual mental illness. Others in the field have critiqued how behavior becomes labeled and often stigmatized as mental illness in psychiatric practice in Western, high-income countries. Cross-cultural psychiatrists typically have incorporated this information into developing community and clinic-based treatment approaches for refugees and immigrants. Increasingly, anthropologists and cross-cultural psychiatrists have examined how psychiatry is applied in low- and middle-income countries in the movement for global mental health.
Military Occupation and Economic Reforms

The occupation of the Axis states and their colonies after the end of the Second World War presented the U.S. with unprecedented opportunities to promote democracy abroad. In addition to democratic institution building, with a belief that economic equity provides solid foundation for democracy, the U.S. considered embarking economic reforms for promoting the wide distribution of the ownership of the means of production. However, the U.S. had rarely put the plan on promoting socio-economic equity into practice with exceptions including land reform in Japan, and, if it did, it had often undercut the original scale of reform. This project investigates what produced this variation: what enabled the U.S. to implement its original intention for economic reform and what compromised it?The conventional wisdom to this question was the U.S. unwillingness to conduct economic reforms because of its ties with conservative economic elites in its competition against the Soviet. However, throughout the Cold War the alleged friendship with elites had not always been seamless. Thus, placing the conventional wisdom under scrutiny, this project argues that the U.S. found them its useful allies under limited condition. More specifically, it was when the communism was strong enough to amount the U.S. concern of communist overthrow in target states. Examining the U.S. occupation in Japan and South Korea, this project will show how the variations in the threat of communist takeover impeded or encouraged the U.S. plan for socio-economic equity to be put into practice. The argument of this paper demonstrates that local conditions in target states can have causal power on the greater powers’ foreign and occupation policy and that the occupied territory is not a blank slate upon which occupying power writes at will.
Venous Thromboembolism in Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a hypercoagulable state accompanied by changes in maternal physiology that also contribute to an increased risk of thrombosis. Diagnosis and treatment of venous thromboembolism (deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism) during pregnancy present unique challenges. In non-pregnant patients, there is ample clinical research upon which recommendations are based, but there is a paucity of data in pregnancy resulting in difficulties in establishing specific recommendations. Management of pregnancy associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) is further complicated by the potential effects of diagnostic testing and therapy on the fetus, the lack of validation of therapeutic interventions in pregnancy, and by patient and provider fears. Untreated pulmonary embolism carries an in-hospital mortality rate close to 30%, which falls to 8%when pulmonary embolism is appropriately diagnosed and treated (1). Althoughmortality in the obstetric population fromVTE is decreasing in some parts of the world (2, 3), PE continues to be a major cause of mortality in many other parts (4, 5). Thus, it is imperative when thromboembolism is suspected, to provide diagnosis and treatment that are both immediate and effective. Hesitancy to use standard diagnostic and therapeutic tools in pregnant womenmay delay the diagnosis and contribute to maternal mortality. Failure to diagnose pulmonary embolism because of mistaken fears that the testing required would harm the fetus was responsible for the majority of cases of fatal maternal PE in the UKConfidential Inquiry intoMaternalMortality (6). This chapter will review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prophylaxis, and treatment of pregnancy associated venous thromboembolism and thrombophilias. Recommendations for approaches to patients with suspected and confirmed pregnancy associated VTE and/or thrombophilia based on available data and consensus recommendations will be made, and suggestions for areas of further research will be discussed.
Adolescent pregnancy and substance use.

The health risk behaviors of adolescent substance use and adolescent pregnancy and childbearing seem to be linked. Young women who become pregnant before completion of high school represent a group of young people who may be at higher risk than the general population for substance use, at least cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Yet, most pregnant and parenting teenagers are not substance users. In this article, we review the literature on adolescent substance use, on adolescent pregnancy and childbearing, and specifically, on substance use among pregnant and parenting adolescents.
Extension of the blood half-life of glyceryl trinitrate. Inhibition of glutathione organic nitrate ester reductase activity in the rat and guinea pig.

Abstract Cephalothin, penicillin G and probenecid inhibited GSH organic nitrate ester reductase (ONER) and several other enzymatic activities of GSH- S -transferases (EC 2.5.1.18) from rat and guinea pig liver. Erythrityl tetranitrate, a substrate for ONER, inhibited the aryl and alkyl transferase activities of two guinea pig liver GSH- S -transferases. These findings support the concept that ONER is one of the several activities possessed by the GSH- S -transferases. In an examination of possible in vivo action, parenteral administration of these inhibitors 2–30 min prior to i.v. administration of [ 14 C]glyceryl trinitrate resulted in a 50–100 per cent increase in the half-time of the metabolism phase of [ 14 C]glyceryl trinitrate clearance from the blood and postponed the appearance of metabolites. This presumably occurs through the in vivo inhibition of GSH-ONER activity of the GSH- S -transferases and suggests a possible means of prolonging the pharmacologie action of nitrate esters.
High Resolution Infrared Spectroscopy using Tunable Semiconductor Lasers

The application of cw, continuously tunable lead-salt diode lasers to ultra-high resolution infrared spectroscopy has been significantly extended to shorter wavelengths (3.5 µm to 7 µm). Rotational fine structure including Λ-type doubling, nuclear hyperfine splitting and Zeeman splitting have been fully resolved for the first time in infrared molecular spectra. Spectra of some atmospheric water vapor lines have shown anomalous, narrow linewidths, and the gain lineshape of a CO gas laser has been measured.
Randall-Sundrum scenario, higher derivatives, and stability

We demonstrate the classical stability of the weak or Planck hierarchy within the Randall-Sundrum scenario, incorporating the Goldberger-Wise, mechanism and higher-derivative interactions in a systematic perturbative expansion. Such higher-derivative interactions are expected if the RS model is the low-energy description of some more fundamental theory. Generically, higher derivatives lead to ill-defined singularities in the vicinity of effective field theory branes. These are carefully treated by the methods of classical renormalization.
Evaluation of mitoxantrone accumulation and multidrug resistance transporters in prostate cancer cells

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 45, 2004 521 Mitoxantrone, in combination with prednisone, is currently a standard therapy for hormone refractory prostate cancer patients. Several ongoing clinical trials are assessing new mitoxantrone-containing regimens for this patient population. Like many other chemotherapeutic agents, resistance to the cytotoxic effects of mitoxantrone can result when it is effluxed from cells via multidrug resistance (MDR) transporters such as p-glycoprotein (Pgp), multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), and the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP). In order to characterize the effect of transporter expression on intracellular drug accumulation, this study evaluated mitoxantrone cytotoxicity, MDR transporter expression, and drug accumulation in prostate cancer cell lines (PC-3, C4-2, and DU145). The intracellular accumulation of mitoxantrone was assessed with confocal microscopy and Pgp, MRP1, and BCRP protein contents were determined by western blot. Colony formation assays were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of mitoxantrone after one hour of exposure to drug. The cytotoxicity of mitoxantrone, as measured by IC50, was similar among the cells lines, indicating comparable sensitivities to the drug. Although each of the cell lines expressed at least one of the MDR transporters, the fluorescence observed with confocal microscopy indicated that total drug accumulation between the cell lines was not appreciably different. However, the intracellular distribution of mitoxantrone and the degree of homogeneity of drug accumulation differed markedly between the cell lines. Ongoing experiments are assessing inhibitors of these MDR transporters to evaluate the relative importance of each transporter on mitoxantrone sensitivity and drug accumulation.
Providers’ Personal and Professional Contact With Persons With Mental Illness: Relationship to Clinical Expectations

Objective:Providers share many stigmatizing attitudes with the general public regarding persons with mental illness. These attitudes may contribute to suboptimal general medical care for patients with schizophrenia. This study tested the hypothesis that provider contact (personal and professional) with persons with mental illness would be associated with clinical expectations and that this relationship would be mediated by provider stigmatizing attitudes.Methods:Between August 2011 and April 2012, 192 health care providers from five Veterans Affairs medical centers responded to a clinical vignette describing a patient with schizophrenia who is seeking treatment for back pain. Providers completed a survey to determine their expectations regarding the vignette patient’s treatment adherence, ability to read and understand health education materials, and social and vocational functioning. Self-report data on the amount of contact each provider had with persons with mental illness in their practices and in the...
Propranolol in the treatment of orthostatic tacgycardia associated with orthostatic hypotension

Abstract A 53-year-old woman developed severe orthostatic tachycardia associated with idiopathic orthostatic hypotension. Her standing heart rates up to 140 beats per minute were associated with discomforting palpitation, lightheadedness, weakness, and chest pains; these symptoms persisted with the tachycardia even when the orthostatic hypotension was alleviated somewhat by administration of 9-alpha fluorohydrocortisone. Propranolol proved to be effective in slowing the orthostatic tachycardia and the patient's symptoms were markedly alleviated. It is concluded that beta blockade has a place in the treatment of orthostatic tachycardia complicating orthostatic hypotension.
Sustainable Stakeholder Capitalism: A Moral Vision of Responsible Global Financial Risk Management

The author identifies the major micro-, meso-, and macro-level financial risk shifting factors that contributed to the Great Global Recession and how the absence of a compelling moral vision of responsible financial risk management perpetuated the economic crisis and undermined the recovery by blind reliance upon insufficiently accountable bailouts. The author offers a new theoretical model of Sustainable Stakeholder Capitalism by exercising moral imagination which inclusively and moderately balances four multi-level factors: types of capitalism, moral theories, human nature drives, and credit risk profiles. Finally, the author recommends micro-, meso-, and macro-level practical reforms to prevent a recurrence of the current economic freefall, to re-create systemic global financial institution integrity, and to promote responsible risk management for sustainable global prosperity for current and future generations.
Ecdysteroid titers of larval lobsters

Abstract 1. 1. Ecdysteroid titers of lobsters, Homarus americanus, were obtained during the course of the first three larval stages by means of radioimmunoassay (RIA). 2. 2. It was observed that a peak concentration of approximately 2.6 × 10−6 M was obtained during each of the first three larval molt cycles. 3. 3. Chromatographie analyses of whole animal extracts of larvae midway through the first and second larval stages revealed that all of the detectable RIA activity co-chromatographed with an authentic 20-hydroxyecdysone standard.
Stochastic modeling of usage patterns in a Web-based information system

Users move from one state (or task) to another in an information system's labyrinth as they try to accomplish their work, and the amount of time they spend in each state varies. This article uses continuous-time stochastic models, mainly based on semi-Markov chains, to derive user state transition patterns (both in rates and in probabilities) in a Web-based information system. The methodology was demonstrated with 126,925 search sessions drawn from the transaction logs of the University of California's MELVYL library catalog system (www.melvyl.ucop.edu). First, user sessions were categorized into six groups based on their similar use of the system. Second, by using a three-layer hierarchical taxonomy of the system Web pages, user sessions in each usage group were transformed into a sequence of states. All the usage groups but one have third-order sequential dependency in state transitions. The sole exception has fourth-order sequential dependency. The transition rates as well as transition probabilities of the semi-Markov model provide a background for interpreting user behavior probabilistically, at various levels of detail. Finally, the differences in derived usage patterns between usage groups were tested statistically. The test results showed that different groups have distinct patterns of system use. Knowledge of the extent of sequential dependency is beneficial because it allows one to predict a user's next move in a search space based on the past moves that have been made. It can also be used to help customize the design of the user interface to the system to facilitate interaction. The group CL6 labeled knowledgeable and sophisticated usage and the group CL7 labeled unsophisticated usage both had third-order sequential dependency and had the same most-frequently occurring search pattern: screen display, record display, screen display, and record display. The group CL8 called highly interactive use with good search results had fourth-order sequential dependency, and its most frequently occurring pattern was the same as CL6 and CL7 with one more screen display action added. The group CL13, called known-item searching had third-order sequential dependency, and its most frequently occurring pattern was index access, search with retrievals, screen display, and record display. Group CL14 called help intensive searching, and CL18 called relatively unsuccessful both had third-order sequential dependency, and for both groups the most frequently occurring pattern was index access, search without retrievals, index access, and again, search without retrievals.
Probabilistic news recommender systems with feedback

In prior work we addressed a major problem faced by media sites with popularity based recommender systems such as the top-10 list of most liked or most clicked posts. We showed that the hard cutoff used in these systems to generate the "Top N"lists is prone to unduly penalizing good articles that may have just missed the cutoff. A solution to this was to generate recommendations probabilistically, which is an approach that has been shown to be robust against some manipulation techniques as well. The aim of this research is to introduce a class of probabilistic news recommender systems that incorporates widely practiced recommendation techniques as a special case. We establish our results in a special case of two articles using the urn models with feedback mechanism from probability theory.
Predicting the impact of panel orientation and tracking on PV daily energy harvest

The benefits of taking solar radiation data measurements over extended periods of months or years include 1. predicting the expected daily harvest at potential solar farm sites, and 2. determining if existing PV installations are working properly for the given solar conditions. If radiation measurements are separated into two components, i.e., sky without the beam of the sun, and the beam of the sun, then the incident solar power on a flat surface with any azimuth and tilt can be estimated with reasonable accuracy. This paper shows daily harvest estimates made from twelve months of solar radiation measurements at a desert site in West Texas near the town of Toyah, latitude 31°. The key findings are. The best all-year fixed tilt angle for a south-facing panel is 30° (i.e., the “use latitude tilt” rule). Fixed tilt adjustments at equinoxes to 10° and 50° adds 5% to the annual daily energy harvest. South-facing, single-axis tracking with 25° fixed-tilt provides 31% more annual energy than a 30° fixed mount. Double-axis tracking provides 38% more annual energy than a 30° fixed mount. Double-axis tracking is only marginally better than single-axis tracking (i.e., annual energy increase of 38% compared to 31%).
A Strong Emission Line near 24.8 Å in the X-Ray Binary System MAXI J0556-332: Gravitational Redshift or Unusual Donor?

We report the discovery of a strong emission line near 24.8 Angstrom-Sign (0.5 keV) in the newly discovered X-ray binary system MAXI J0556-332 with the reflection grating spectrometer (RGS) on board the XMM-Newton observatory. The X-ray light curve morphology during these observations is complex and shows occasional dipping behavior. Here we present time- and rate-selected spectra from the RGS and show that this strong emission line is unambiguously present in all the XMM observations. The measured line center is consistent with the Ly{alpha} transition of N VII in the rest frame. While the spectra contain imprints of absorption lines and edges, there appear to be no other significantly prominent narrow line due to the source itself, thus making the identification of the 24.8 Angstrom-Sign line uncertain. We discuss possible physical scenarios, including a gravitationally redshifted O VIII Ly{alpha} line originating at the surface of a neutron star or an unusual donor with an extremely high N/O abundance (>57) relative to solar that may have produced this comparatively strong emission line.
Accounting for the Appeal to the Authority of Experts

Work in Argumentation Studies (AS) and Studies in Expertise and Experience (SEE) has been proceeding on converging trajectories, moving from resistance to expert authority to a cautious acceptance of its legitimacy. The two projects are therefore also converging on the need to account for how, in the course of complex and confused civic deliberations, nonexpert citizens can figure out which statements from purported experts deserve their trust. Both projects recognize that nonexperts cannot assess expertise directly; instead, the nonexpert must judge whether to trust the expert. But how is this social judgment accomplished? A normative pragmatic approach from AS can complement and extend the work from SEE on this question, showing that the expert’s putting forward of his view and “bonding” it with his reputation for expertise works to force or “blackmail” his audience of citizens into heeding what he says. Appeals to authority thus produce the visibility and accountability we want for expert views in civic deliberations.
Thiamine reverses hyperglycemia-induced dysfunction in cultured endothelial cells

Abstract Background. High levels of glucose have previously been shown to inhibit endothelial cell migration and increase secretion of the von Willebrand factor (vWF), a marker of endothelial cell damage. This study investigates whether thiamine, an important coenzyme in intracellular glucose metabolism, improves endothelial cell migration and decreases von Willebrand factor secretion under hyperglycemic conditions. Methods. Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) were grown under physiological glucose (5.5 mmol/L) and hyperglycemic (13.8 mmol/L and 27.7 mmol/L) conditions with or without thiamine (200 μmol/L) supplementation. Endothelial cell migration was investigated in monolayers of BAECs that were wounded by scraping. The distance of migration, the number of migrating cells, and the surface area covered by the migrating cells were measured. Secretion of vWF by BAECs under physiological glucose and high glucose conditions with or without thiamine (200 μmol/L) supplementation was studied with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. Under hyperglycemic conditions, there was a significant decrease in the number of endothelial cells and an increase in the secretion of vWF (P
Notes On the Contamination Method: Two Small Experiments in Assuring Confidentiality of Responses

The contamination method of obtaining confidential information was compared to more standard methods of interviewing, with the criterion being the degree to which the methods elicited candid responses. Two experiments were conducted in which college students were asked whether or not they had engaged in a variety of behaviors which were illegal, immoral, and/or embarrassing to admit. The results of both studies showed no differences between the interviewing methods in affirmation rates. A plausible explanation for the contamination method's failure to produce more candid responses than standard interviewing methods was provided in Study II, where it was found that the use of contamination method caused subjects to perceive the questions as significantly more sensitive. Implications and qualifications of these results were discussed.
Sensitivity analysis of mass balance receptor modeling: Methyl chloride as an indicator of wood smoke

Abstract The Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) approach to stability analysis of the Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) receptor model is extended to incorporate uncertainties in both source and ambient compositions. SVD is applied to determine the improved precision with which the impact of residential wood smoke can be estimated by including methyl chloride in a CMB analysis. Wood smoke impacts in Hillsboro and Medford, Oregon, are examined. The results indicate that including methyl chloride will dramatically improve the precision of estimating wood smoke impacts for Medford, while estimates for Hillsboro are changed to a much lesser extent. This result is reasonable since the Medford airshed includes many industrial sources of particulate matter with chemical compositions similar to residential wood smoke, while Hillsboro is predominantly a residential community. The precision improvements estimated by SVD are verified by CMB analysis of a series of ambient samples collected in Hillsboro. Finally, the applicability of SVD as a receptor model study design tool is discussed.
Alcohol Potentiates Orthostatic Hypotension Implications for Alcohol-Related Syncope

Background—Alcohol consumption may be linked to syncopal events. The mechanisms by which alcohol may induce syncope are unknown. Impairment of the response to orthostatic stress may be involved. Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, we tested the hypothesis that short-term alcohol intake causes orthostatic hypotension because of an impairment in the vasoconstrictor response to orthostatic stress. Methods and Results—We examined the effects of alcohol on blood pressure, heart rate, and forearm vascular resistance (FVR) during orthostatic stress achieved by stepwise increases in lower-body negative pressure (LBNP) in 14 healthy young volunteers. During the placebo session, blood pressure did not change significantly during LBNP at −5, −10, and −20 mm Hg. A significant decrease in blood pressure was evident only at −40 mm Hg. In contrast, blood pressure fell significantly at all levels of LBNP during the alcohol session. Compared with placebo, alcohol potentiated the hypotensive respons...
Mechanism and Site Requirements for Ethanol Oxidation on Vanadium Oxide Domains

The mechanism and structural requirements for ethanol oxidation to acetaldehyde were examined on VOx domains supported on γ-Al2O3 at surface densities of 1.7−11.8 VOx/nm2. Raman and UV−visible spectra showed that VOx species evolve from monovanadate to polyvanadate structures with increasing surface density with only traces of crystalline V2O5. Oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethanol to acetaldehyde occurs at low temperatures (473−523 K) with high primary selectivities of CH3CHO (∼80%) on a catalyst with one theoretical polyvanadate monolayer. ODH turnover rates (per V-atom) increased with increasing VOx surface density for surface densities up to 7.2 V/nm2, indicating that polyvanadate domain surfaces are more reactive than monovanadate structures. Similar trends were evident for alkane ODH reactions that also involve kinetically relevant H-abstraction steps within reduction−oxidation catalytic sequences. Turnover rates ultimately decreased at higher surface densities because of the incipient formatio...
On the Identification of Chaos From Frequency Content

The characterization of chaos as a random-like response from a deterministic dynamical system with an extreme sensitivity to initial conditions is well-established, and has provided a stimulus to research in nonlinear dynamical systems in general. In a formal sense, the computation of the Lyapunov Exponent spectrum establishes a quantitative measure, with at least one positive Lyapunov Exponent (and generally bounded motion) indicating a local exponential divergence of adjacent trajectories. However, although the extraction of Lyapunov Exponents can be accomplished with (necessarily noisy) experimental data, this is still a relatively data-intensive and sensitive endeavor. We present here an alternative, pragmatic approach to identifying chaos as a function of system parameters using response frequency characteristics and extending the concept of the spectrogram.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Robust car tracking using Kalman filtering and Bayesian templates

We present a real-time model-based vision approach for detecting and tracking vehicles from a moving platform. It was developed in the context of the CMU Navlab project and is intended to provide the Navlabs with situational awareness in mixed traffic. Tracking is done by combining a simple image processing techniques with a 3D extended Kalman filter and a measurement equation that projects from the 3D model to image space. No ground plane assumption is made. The resulting system runs at frame rate or higher, and produces excellent estimates of road curvature, distance to and relative speed of a tracked vehicle. We have complemented the tracker with a novel machine learning based algorithm for car detection, the CANSS algorithm, which serves to initialize tracking.
Rejoinder: The J-Shape of Performance Persistence Given Survivorship Bias

Hendricks, Patel, and Zeckhauser (1997) (HPZ) find that the response of current to past returns for mutual funds in the presence of survivorship is nonlinear. In our rejoinder to their paper, we verify their results through simulation, provide some intuition for why the result is true, and evaluate the power of their proposed test based upon the J-shape pattern. Theirs is a useful contribution to the growing literature about the issue of survival biases in empirical finance. It may help to explain puzzling results reported in the mutual fund literature, and may provide a guide for future experimental design. Our investigation of the HPZ results led us to a more complete understanding of how differential volatility affects survival-conditioned returns. Our simulations of the test statistic proposed by HPZ suggest that the power of the test is dependent on the absolute level of the threshold, as well as on the magnitude of the cross-sectional differences in variance. While it would be useful to have a relia...
The patellofemoral joint: do age and gender affect skeletal maturation of the osseous morphology in children?

The osseous morphology of the patellofemoral joint is an independent factor that affects the biomechanics of patellofemoral instability. The purpose of this study is to determine age- and gender-related differences in the osseous morphology of the patellofemoral joint in children during skeletal maturation. This study was approved by the institutional review board and was HIPAA-compliant. We included 97 children and young adults (age range 5–22 years; 51 girls and 46 boys, mean ages 14.3 years and 13.7 years, respectively). We studied 1.5-T knee MR exams, measuring the osseous morphology of the patellofemoral joint (lateral trochlear inclination, trochlear facet asymmetry, trochlear depth, patellar height ratio, tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance, and lateral patellofemoral angle) for each MR exam. We compared measurements to published values for patellofemoral instability. Physeal patency (open or closing/closed) was determined on MR. We assessed the associations between MR osseous measurements and gender, age and physeal patency using Wilcoxon rank sum test and least square means regression models. The osseous patellofemoral joint morphology measurements were all within a normal range. There were no significant correlations between MR osseous measurements and age, gender or physeal patency. During skeletal maturation, age and gender do not affect the osseous morphology or congruency of the patellofemoral joint.
User identification via keystroke characteristics of typed names using neural networks

Abstract A method for identifying computer users by analysing keystroking patterns with neural networks and a simple geometric distance is presented. A model of each user's normal typing style was created and compared with later typing samples. Preliminary results demonstrate complete exclusion of imposters and a reasonably low false alarm rate when the sample text was limited to the user's name.
Power efficiency and quantum efficiencies of electron-beam pumped lasers

The object is to identify and assess factors and mechanisms that control the conversion of electron-beam power into coherent light through excitation of a semiconductor laser cavity. First, we examine the question of pump power losses associated with electron backscattering and pair creation. It is shown that power retention and ionization yield reflect target characteristics (atomic number and bandgap energy) only. The external quantum efficiency, which is best expressed as a product of quantum yield, coherence ratio, and escape probability, involves two parameters: pumping ratio and output coupling. This leads to a straightforward optimization procedure. Heating effects are analyzed in terms of a differential quantum efficiency and are shown to degrade the saturation value of the efficiency by a factor roughly proportional to the pulse rise time, if adiabatic conditions hold. These considerations are illustrated using power-efficiency figures reported for CdS, CdTe, and GaAs lasers; it is demonstrated that the photon-loss coefficient of excited "perfect" CdS must be less than 1.5 cm-1, at 4.2°K.
Exploring the role of hydration and confinement in the aggregation of amyloidogenic peptides Aβ16−22 and Sup357−13 in AOT reverse micelles

Knowledge of how intermolecular interactions of amyloid-forming proteins cause protein aggregation and how those interactions are affected by sequence and solution conditions is essential to our understanding of the onset of many degenerative diseases. Of particular interest is the aggregation of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, linked to Alzheimer's disease, and the aggregation of the Sup35 yeast prion peptide, which resembles the mammalian prion protein linked to spongiform encephalopathies. To facilitate the study of these important peptides, experimentalists have identified small peptide congeners of the full-length proteins that exhibit amyloidogenic behavior, including the KLVFFAE sub-sequence, Aβ16−22, and the GNNQQNY subsequence, Sup357−13. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were used to examine these peptide fragments encapsulated in reverse micelles (RMs) in order to identify the fundamental principles that govern how sequence and solution environment influence peptide aggregation. Aβ16−22 and Sup357−13 are observed to organize into anti-parallel and parallel β-sheet arrangements. Confinement in the sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles is shown to stabilize extended peptide conformations and enhance peptide aggregation. Substantial fluctuations in the reverse micelle shape are observed, in agreement with earlier studies. Shape fluctuations are found to facilitate peptide solvation through interactions between the peptide and AOT surfactant, including direct interaction between non-polar peptide residues and the aliphatic surfactant tails. Computed amide I IR spectra are compared with experimental spectra and found to reflect changes in the peptide structures induced by confinement in the RM environment. Furthermore, examination of the rotational anisotropy decay of water in the RM demonstrates that the water dynamics are sensitive to the presence of peptide as well as the peptide sequence. Overall, our results demonstrate that the RM is a complex confining environment where substantial direct interaction between the surfactant and peptides plays an important role in determining the resulting ensemble of peptide conformations. By extension the results suggest that similarly complex sequence-dependent interactions may determine conformational ensembles of amyloid-forming peptides in a cellular environment.
Reconsidering State Intervention in Domestic Violence Cases

This review assesses a law and criminal justice based approach to domestic violence from the vantage of recent reports from the advocacy movement in the United States (DasGupta, ‘Safety and justice for all’) and Amnesty International (It's in your hands: stop violence against women) and the work of legal scholar Linda Mills. The US movement is hardly alone in wrestling with how to reconcile the state's indispensable role in securing safety, support and liberty for victims with its equally undeniable role in perpetuating the patterns of sex, race and class inequality and privilege from which woman abuse stems and from which it continues to derive legitimacy.
All-optical carrier phase and polarization recovery for coherent optical communications

Polarization insensitive all-optical carrier recovery scheme from BPSK data is proposed and demonstrated in experiment for the first time. The proposed scheme uses a degenerate optical parametric oscillator built with phase sensitive amplifier.
Models for material failure and deformation

Simple computer models have been used to investigate a variety of pattern formation processes associated with material failure and deformation. These models reproduce surprisingly well the characteristic morphologies observed in a wide range of real systems. They provide a sound basis for the development of more realistic models that can be used to develop a better understanding of the mechanical properties of real materials. The present algorithms are adequate for some purposes, but substantial improvements are needed if simulation results are to make a major contribution to our theoretical understanding of the asymptotic fractal scaling and universality properties of patterns generated by failure and deformation phenomena.
An intrinsically-motivated schema mechanism to model and simulate emergent cognition

We introduce an approach to simulate the early mechanisms of emergent cognition based on theories of enactive cognition and on constructivist epistemology. The agent has intrinsic motivations implemented as inborn proclivities that drive the agent in a proactive way. Following these drives, the agent autonomously learns regularities afforded by the environment, and hierarchical sequences of behaviors adapted to these regularities. The agent represents its current situation in terms of perceived affordances that develop through the agent's experience. This situational representation works as an emerging situation awareness that is grounded in the agent's interaction with its environment and that in turn generates expectations and activates adapted behaviors. Through its activity and these aspects of behavior (behavioral proclivity, situation awareness, and hierarchical sequential learning), the agent starts to exhibit emergent sensibility, intrinsic motivation, and autonomous learning. Following theories of cognitive development, we argue that this initial autonomous mechanism provides a basis for implementing autonomously developing cognitive systems.
Phenytoin Disposition and Toxicity: Role of Pharmacogenetic and Interethnic Factors

(1995). Phenytoin Disposition and Toxicity: Role of Pharmacogenetic and Interethnic Factors. Drug Metabolism Reviews: Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 449-469.
Non-inhibiting perturbation of the primary energy conversion site (Qo site) in Rhodobacter capsulatus ubihydroquinone:cytochrome c oxidoreductase (cytochrome bc1 complex)

Abstract Ethanol added to Rhodobacter capsulatus chromatophore membranes containing the cytochrome bc 1 complex effectively uncouples the sensitivity of the [2Fe-2S] cluster EPR spectrum to the number and redox state of ubiquinone/ubihydroquinone within the Q o site. Ethanol has no effect upon the rate of catalysis, leading to a non-inhibiting perturbation of cytochrome bc 1 function. We suggest that displacement occurs by ethanol acting from the aqueous phase to successfully compete with the Q o site ubiquinones and water to hydrogen bond the N ϵ H atom(s) of the coordinating [2Fe-2S] cluster histidines.
Positivity restrictions in polarized deep-inelastic electron scattering from the deuteron.

We examine the restrictions on inclusive polarized deep-inelastic electronuclear scattering with spin-1 targets imposed by positivity. As a result we obtain a set of inequalities involving the polarized and unpolarized structure functions.
The relationship between safety net activities and hospital financial performance

During the 1990's hospitals in the U.S were faced with cost containment charges, which may have disproportionately impacted hospitals that serve poor patients. The purposes of this paper are to study the impact of safety net activities on total profit margins and operating expenditures, and to trace these relationships over the 1990s for all U.S urban hospitals, controlling for hospital and market characteristics. The primary data source used for this analysis is the Annual Survey of Hospitals from the American Hospital Association and Medicare Hospital Cost Reports for years 1990-1999. Ordinary least square, hospital fixed effects, and two-stage least square analyses were performed for years 1990-1999. Logged total profit margin and operating expenditure were the dependent variables. The safety net activities are the socioeconomic status of the population in the hospital serving area, and Medicaid intensity. In some specifications, we also included uncompensated care burden. We found little evidence of negative effects of safety net activities on total margin. However, hospitals serving a low socioeconomic population had lower expenditure raising concerns for the quality of the services provided. Despite potentially negative policy and market changes during the 1990s, safety net activities do not appear to have imperiled the survival of hospitals. There may, however, be concerns about the long-term quality of the services for hospitals serving low socioeconomic population.
Type 1 Laryngeal Cleft: A Multidimensional Management Algorithm

Importance Early diagnosis and assessment in children with type 1 laryngeal cleft are essential in preventing aspiration and associated comorbidity. Appropriate use of conservative and surgical interventions in an evidence-based management strategy can improve overall outcome. Objective To evaluate the management of care for children with type 1 laryngeal cleft in our practice and develop an updated management algorithm. Design, Setting, and Participants We performed a review of medical records at a tertiary pediatric aerodigestive center. During a period of 7 years (July 18, 2005, to July 18, 2012), 1014 children younger than 18 years were evaluated for aspiration, choking, cough, or recurrent pneumonia. Of these, 44 children (4.3%) had a type 1 laryngeal cleft. Two were lost to follow-up; thus, 42 children were included in our final sample (28 males, 14 females). Interventions The care of 15 patients (36%) was managed conservatively, and 27 patients (64%) underwent endoscopic surgical repair of their laryngeal cleft. Main Outcome and Measure Assessment of our current management strategy. Results Success was defined as improving when a child was able to tolerate a feeding without aspirating or resolved when the child had transitioned to tolerating thin liquids. All patients received a trial of conservative therapy. Fifteen of the 42 patients (36%) had an anatomic cleft and were able to maintain the feeding regimen; thus, conservative treatment was successful in this group. The remaining 27 patients (64%) received surgical intervention. Overall operative success rate was 21 of the 27 patients (78%). The age of the child ( P P Conclusions and Relevance Age, comorbidity status, severity of aspiration, and the ability to tolerate a feeding regimen should be taken into account when deciding on conservative or surgical management for children with a type 1 laryngeal cleft. A clinical pathway for conservative and surgical management is presented.