cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detecting local regions of change in high-dimensional criminal or terrorist point processes

A method is presented for detecting changes to the distribution of a criminal or terrorist point process between two time periods using a non-model-based approach. By treating the criminal/terrorist point process as an intelligent site selection problem, changes to the process can signify changes in the behavior or activity level of the criminals/terrorists. The locations of past events and an associated vector of geographic, environmental, and socio-economic feature values are employed in the analysis. By modeling the locations of events in each time period as a marked point process, we can then detect differences in the intensity of each component process. A modified PRIM (patient rule induction method) is implemented to partition the high-dimensional feature space, which can include mixed variables, into the most likely change regions. Monte Carlo simulations are easily and quickly generated under random relabeling to test a scan statistic for significance. By detecting local regions of change, not only can it be determined if change has occurred in the study area, but the specific spatial regions where change occurs is also identified. An example is provided of breaking and entering crimes over two-time periods to demonstrate the use of this technique for detecting local regions of change. This methodology also applies to detecting regions of differences between two types of events such as in case-control data.
Interfacial area transport equation: Model development and benchmark experiments

Abstract The interfacial area transport equation dynamically models two-phase flow regime transitions and predicts continuous changes of the interfacial area concentration along the flow field. It replaces the flow regime-dependent correlations for the interfacial area concentration in thermal-hydraulic system analysis. In the present study, detailed formulation of the interfacial area transport equation is presented along with its evaluation results based on the detailed benchmark experiments. In view of model evaluation, the equation is simplified into one-dimensional steady state one-group interfacial area transport equation. The prediction made by model agrees well with the experimental data obtained in round pipes of various diameters. The framework for the two-group transport equation and the necessary constitutive relations are also presented in view of bubble transport of various sizes and shapes.
Morphological Evolution in Zinc Electrodeposition

We present an experimental study of the electrodeposition of zinc in a thin layer, three‐electrode electrochemical cell. We show that as the steady‐state current‐potential behavior approaches mass transfer limited kinetics, the fractal dimension of the morphology of the deposit converges to the DLA value of . We also compare the evolution of the growth patterns with and without supporting electrolyte.
Recoil Measurement, Mitigation Techniques, and Effects on Small Arms Weapon Design and Marksmanship Performance

A methodology to determine the interactive effects of weapon recoil, for both the weapon and the shooter in synchrony during shoulder-fired small arms target engagement scenarios, is yet to be established with widespread applications. Recoil energy can be measured using devices such as instrumented weapon mounts, or calculated from factors such as weapon weight, center of mass, projectile mass, and muzzle velocity. However, the effect of recoil on the shooter will affect shooting performance. Perceived recoil may be defined as a mental representation of the impact intensity experienced by the shooter, a subjective estimation that encompasses pain, discomfort, propensity to flinch, and other factors. Methods to quantify and mitigate the recoil energy experienced by the shooter, as well as proposed concepts for improved recording of the interaction between the physical and psychological correlates of recoil as it relates to small arms shoulder-fired weapon use are discussed.
Improvement of habitat quality for nesting and migrating birds at the Des Plaines River Wetlands Demonstration Project

Abstract The Des Plaines River Wetlands Demonstration Project includes a series of man-made marshes constructed on degraded habitat (abandoned agricultural land, gravel quarrying pits, etc.) within the floodplain of the Des Plaines River in northeastern Illinois, USA. Avian use of the site was measured before wetland construction in 1985 and after construction from spring 1990 to summer 1991. Pre-construction censusing indicated that no endangered or threatened species nested within the project site, and that use of the site by migratory waterfowl was minimal. Post-construction censuses revealed that wetland construction resulted in the arrival of two state endangered species, Least Bittern and Yellow-headed Blackbird, which nested on site, and in three state endangered species, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Egret, and Black-crowned Night-Heron, which visited the site during the breeding season. Similarly, post-construction censusing indicated that the number of individuals and species of waterfowl using the site increased about 4000% and 400%, respectively. These results demonstrate that the Des Plaines River Wetlands Demonstration Project has improved habitat quality for nesting and migrating birds.
Ab initio static dielectric matrices from the density-functional approach. I. Formulation and application to semiconductors and insulators.

As a ground-state expectation value, the static dielectric response function can be obtained exactly within the density-functional approach. This approach is developed in the present paper within the local-density approximation. The ab initio pseudopotential method is used, extending the techniques that give excellent structural properties to the calculation of dielectric response functions. In particular, the full dielectric matrix is calculated, and so complete information about local fields is obtained. In contrast to recently proposed direct methods for obtaining the dielectric response matrices, the present approach is based on the usual perturbation formulation for the independent-particle polarizability. The results agree well with results obtained with use of direct methods. The advantage of the perturbative approach is that it allows calculation of the response matrices on a systematic grid of points in the Brillouin zone without significant extra computation or loss of accuracy for points of low symmetry. The response matrices for such a grid are required to describe the response to arbitrary perturbations, e.g., a local change in the potential due to an impurity or defect. The role of exchange and correlation is carefully developed and the relation of the response functions calculated within the density-functional approach to the usual random-phase approximation is illustrated. Results from first principles for the full static dielectric matrices are given for a series of semiconductors and insulators: diamond, Si, Ge, and LiCl. Comparison is made to previous results based on empirical potentials. The importance of local fields is illustrated for the macroscopic dielectric function and by using the concept of the dielectric band structure. Sufficient details of the method and results are included to serve as a reference for development of the dielectric matrix as a tool to be used in other applications. In particular, the additional terms in the long-wavelength dielectric matrix due to nonlocal terms in the ionic pseudopotential are presented.
Estimation of hue discrimination thresholds using a computer interactive method

An experimental approach is described for measuring colour discrimination thresholds of human observers. Special software was developed for the accurate display of colour pairs on a high resolution CRT, using serial feedback from a spectroradiometer. Discrimination thresholds between a test and a target colour are determined by repeatedly showing an observer a circle composed of four separate quadrants, one of which has a different colour from the other three. Three quadrants are of the test colour and one of the target colour, or vice versa. Observers are asked to select the quadrant that differs from the others. An experiment is described where hue-dependent effects affecting hue discrimination are investigated. Eighteen hue threshold values around the hue circle, at constant L = 51 and C = 25, were measured for three observers. Hue thresholds were found to vary around the hue circle, exhibiting an abrupt change in the blue to purple region (240° ≤ hab,10 = 300°) This change is not fully accounted for by any CIELAB-based colour difference formula, including the most recent CIEDE2000 formula. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 30, 410–415, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20153
Phosphorylation of serine 205 by the protein kinase CK2 persists on Pax3-FOXO1, but not Pax3, throughout early myogenic differentiation.

The myogenic transcription factor Pax3 plays an essential role in early skeletal muscle development and is a key component in Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS), a childhood solid muscle tumor. ARMS is characterized by a t(2;13) chromosomal translocation resulting in the fusion of the 5′ Pax3 sequences to the 3′ FOXO1 sequences to encode the oncogenic fusion protein, Pax3-FOXO1. Posttranslational modifications such as phosphorylation are common mechanisms by which transcription factors are regulated. Consistent with this fact, we demonstrated in a previous report that Pax3 is phosphorylated on Ser205 in proliferating, but not differentiated, primary myoblasts. However, the kinase that mediates this phosphorylation event has yet to be identified. In addition, it is not known whether Pax3-FOXO1 is phosphorylated at this site or how the phosphorylation of the fusion protein changes during early myogenic differentiation. In this report we identify CK2 (formerly termed “casein kinase II”) as the kinase responsible for phosphorylating Pax3 and Pax3-FOXO1 at Ser205 in proliferating mouse primary myoblasts. Furthermore, we demonstrate that in contrast to wild-type Pax3, phosphorylation at Ser205 persists on Pax3-FOXO1 throughout early myogenic differentiation. Finally, we show that Pax3-FOXO1 is phosphorylated at Ser205 in a variety of translocation-containing ARMS cell lines. The results presented in this report not only suggest a possible mechanism by which the disregulation of Pax3-FOXO1 may contribute to tumorigenesis, but also identifies a novel target for the development of therapies for the treatment of ARMS.
Asymmetrical interaction of GroEL and GroES in the ATPase cycle of assisted protein folding

The chaperonins GroEL and GroES of Escherichia coli facilitate protein folding in an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent reaction cycle. The kinetic parameters for the formation and dissociation of GroEL-GroES complexes were analyzed by surface plasmon resonance. Association of GroES and subsequent ATP hydrolysis in the interacting GroEL toroid resulted in the formation of a stable GroEL:ADP:GroES complex. The complex dissociated as a result of ATP hydrolysis in the opposite GroEL toroid, without formation of a symmetrical GroEL:(GroES)2 intermediate. Dissociation was accelerated by the addition of unfolded polypeptide. Thus, the functional chaperonin unit is an asymmetrical GroEL:GroES complex, and substrate protein plays an active role in modulating the chaperonin reaction cycle.
Development of Visualization Methods of Air Flow Into Perforating Projectile Wounds

In ballistic wounds the tissue along the path of the projectile experiences transient displacements resulting in what is known as the temporary wound cavity. The motion of the tissue caused by the formation of the temporary cavity gives rise to a low pressure pull that sucks air and airborne debris into the wound. The latter could be a significant mechanism for bacterial and particulate contamination of projectile wounds that should be explored in detail since it can lead to infection or delayed wound healing. In order to better understand the flow of air into the temporary cavity and how it relates to particulate entry into the wound, a methodology to visualize the air flow into perforating projectile wounds was proposed and explored using an extremity surrogate. The proposed approach was only intended for qualitative observations and comparisons and was implemented in a very rudimentary fashion to determine its usefulness. The experimental setup used and visualization results corresponding to the air flow at the entry and exit regions of perforating projectile wounds using 0.45-in and 0.22-in caliber round nose lead projectiles and a PERMA-gel lower extremity surrogate are presented.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Analysis of proteins secreted by mouse embryos developing in vivo and in vitro

Proteins secreted by mouse blastocysts developing in vitro were compared to these from blastocysts developing in utero to determine if a simple medium supporting blastocyst development also supports secreted protein expression. In-vivo embryos were collected on days 3, 4, or 5 of pregnancy and incubated in 35S-methionine to produce conditioned medium containing released, labeled proteins. Embryos for culture were collected on day 3 and after 48 or 72 h labeled conditioned medium was produced. Labeled proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and compared using a digital image analysis system. Day 3 embryos did not release proteins in detectable amounts, although synthesis of intracellular proteins was substantial. Day-4 and -5 blastocysts released proteins in increasing amount and complexity, consistent with previous results. When day-3 embryos were cultured in medium containing 4 mg/ml BSA for 48 h, secreted protein patterns were similar but not identical to those of day-5 uterine blastocysts. Although most of the proteins produced by uterine blastocysts were secreted by cultured embryos, differences were found in the relative quantities of certain proteins. Neither crystallized BSA nor polyvinyl alcohol at 4 mg/ml supported development of protein secretion as well as the crude fraction-V BSA. Blastocysts restricted to the oviduct also exhibited quantitative differences in protein secretion patterns compared to uterine blastocysts. Thus, although blastocyst development and the expression of many secreted proteins are supported outside the uterus, the full pattern of secretion characteristic of the peri-implantation embryo may be dependent on specific uterine influences.
Neuroendocrine consequences of androgen excess in female rodents

Androgens exert significant organizational and activational effects on the nervous system and behavior. Despite the fact that female mammals generally produce low levels of androgens, relative to the male of the same species, increasing evidence suggests that androgens can exert profound effects on the normal physiology and behavior of females during fetal, neonatal, and adult stages of life. This review examines the effects of exposure to androgens at three stages of development – as an adult, during early postnatal life and as a fetus, on reproductive hormone secretions in female rats. We examine the effects of androgen exposure both as a model of neuroendocrine sexual differentiation and with respect to the role androgens play in the normal female. We then discuss the hypothesis that androgens may cause epigenetic modification of estrogen target genes in the brain. Finally we consider the clinical consequences of excess androgen exposure in women.
Difluoromethylornithine plus sulindac for the prevention of sporadic colorectal adenomas: A randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind trial

Preclinical studies of chemoprevention drugs given in combination at low doses show remarkable efficacy in preventing adenomas with little additional toxicities, suggesting a strategy to improve risk to benefit ratios for preventing recurrent adenomas. Three hundred seventy-five patients with history of resected (> or =3 mm) adenomas were randomly assigned to receive oral difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) 500 mg and sulindac 150 mg once daily or matched placebos for 36 months, stratified by use of low-dose aspirin (81 mg) at baseline and clinical site. Follow-up colonoscopy was done 3 years after randomization or off-study. Colorectal adenoma recurrence was compared among the groups with log-binomial regression. Comparing the outcome in patients receiving placebos to those receiving active intervention, (a) the recurrence of one or more adenomas was 41.1% and 12.3% (risk ratio, 0.30; 95% confidence interval, 0.18-0.49; P 1) at the final colonoscopy, compared with 1 (0.7%; risk ratio, 0.055; 0.0074-0.41; P or =3) occurred in 8.2% of patients in the placebo group, compared with 11% in the active intervention group (P = 0.35). There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients reporting hearing changes from baseline. Recurrent adenomatous polyps can be markedly reduced by a combination of low oral doses of DFMO and sulindac and with few side effects.
Design patterns and algorithms for small, low cost and low power tactical sensor networks

Extremely small, very low cost and very low power yet smart tactical sensors are commonly proposed. We have investigated the design patterns and algorithms that are capable of on-sensor dimensionality reduction so forwarding information rather than the raw data across these tactical sensor networks where data flows are hampered by a disconnected, intermittent and low bandwidth (DIL) operational domain. This work is novel because it has focused on what can be achieved with very simple sensor nodes that are scattered pseudo-randomly in a geographical region where each node is un-aware of its relative location with respect to a common reference point. We have investigated minimalist connectivity-based self-localization of nodes that can be used with extremely low hardware complexity and sensor insensitivity with the only constraint being that the sensor range is less than the communication connectivity range. These algorithms are less sensitive to the types of hybrid topology of sensors but more sensitive to the diversity of sensors. We have investigated extremely small footprint signal processing algorithms that are capable of maximizing knowledge extraction at the point of collection, which is wherever the sensor is deployed that can associate a signal to a specific source so that, if relevant, the information can be forwarded by the processing node so minimizing bandwidth.
The Fifth ACM International Conference on Web Search and Data Mining (WSDM 2012)

WSDM (pronounced "wisdom") is the premier international ACM conference covering research in the areas of search and data mining on the Web. The Fifth ACM WSDM Conference took place in Seattle, Washington, USA during February 8-12, 2012. WSDM publishes original, high quality papers and presentations related to search and data mining on the Web and the Social Web, with an emphasis on practical but principled novel models of search, retrieval and data mining, algorithm design and analysis, economic implications, and in-depth experimental analysis of accuracy and performance. WSDM 2012 was a highly selective, single track meeting that includes invited talks as well as oral and poster presentations of refereed papers.
Focus on TILs: Prognostic significance of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in human glioma

Significant work in animal models combined with compelling studies in human patients together have begun to provide a higher resolution picture of how the immune system regulates cancer development. Currently, this immune system-tumor interaction is represented by the concept of cancer immunoediting, which emphasizes that immunity may subserve either classical cancer immunosurveillance functions or promote the eventual outgrowth of immunoevasive cancer cells. One important line of evidence supporting an immunosurveillance process in humans has been the finding that the presence of distinct profiles of TILs may be correlated with improved clinical outcomes in a subset of human cancers. However, the contribution of TILs to the natural history of gliomas is less clear. Moreover, understanding the relationship between TILs and cancers of the brain is particularly challenging because our understanding of how immune responses develop in the central nervous systems is still evolving. In this review, we will first provide an overview of three important themes in the central nervous system anti-tumor immunity−i.e., antigen expression, how antigen may be presented, and lymphocyte trafficking−and subsequently discuss the extant work on TILs in glioma.
Investment Constraints and New York City Mutual Savings Bank Financing of Antebellum Development

In studying the history of capitalism, one rarely encounters business enterprises without a capital stock or a profit account, founded and managed by men who expressed no desire for monetary rewards, and lacking owner-entrepreneurs. This paper deals with just such institutions—mutual savings banks. It has been recognized for some time that during the antebellum period mutual savings banks were relatively large and influential institutions. In 1860, when mutuals held a total of $150,000,000 in assets, the next most important type of non-bank financial intermediary, life insurance companies, held assets of only $24,000,000. More impressive was the size of some of the individual mutuals, for in 1860 several mutuals ranked among the ten largest business organizations in the country. Throughout most of the antebellum period the nation's largest mutual was the Bank for Savings in the City of New York. In 1825 this one bank held 56 percent of the nation's savings bank deposits; and ten years later, in 1835, it still accounted for over 34 percent of the country's deposits and 42 percent of its customers. Another New York institution—the Bowery Savings Bank—surpassed the Bank for Savings as the nation's largest mutual in 1860. At that time each of these banks commanded deposits in excess of $10,000,000 and a third New York mutual, the Seamen's Bank for Savings, was approaching that mark. In all, nineteen mutual savings banks were founded in New York City between 1819 and 1860. Table 1 shows the date that each bank opened for business, and the amount on deposit on January 1, 1861.
Views about responsibility for alcohol addiction and negative evaluations of naltrexone

Background Moral philosophers have debated the extent to which persons are individually responsible for the onset of and recovery from addiction. Empirical investigators have begun to explore counselors’ attitudes on these questions. Meanwhile, a separate literature has investigated counselors’ negative attitudes towards naltrexone, an important element of medication-assisted treatment for alcohol addiction. The present study bridges the literature on counselor views about responsibility for addiction with the literature on attitudes towards naltrexone. It investigates the extent to which a counselor’s views of individual responsibility for alcohol addiction are related to that counselor’s views of naltrexone.
BEHAVIOR OF FIRED‐CLAY RING SECTIONS UNDER LOAD*

The advent of the electric strain gauge has made it possible to study the behavior of ceramic materials under load, and their stress-strain relations may be determined with exactness. Earlier work by Lassettre and Everhart has shown that ceramic materials are elastic and that mathematical and engineering formulas may be applied to their use. This paper is concerned with the theoretical analysis of stresses in ring sections and with the behavior of fired ceramic ring sections, such as sewer pipe and drain tile, under stress. Data are presented which show that fried ceramic pipe almost precisely follow the behavior predicted from theoretical calculations such as those first presented by Talbot in 1908. A new precise equation for calculating relations between diameter, wall thickness, and strain is presented, and the validity of shorter semiempirical formulas commonly used is examined in the light of the more precise knowledge. Examples of the use of these mathematical formulas for changing relationships between diameter and wall thickness are given. Some manufacturers of sewer pipe have already changed their dies to give the different relationships, with successful results.
Measuring and analyzing urban tree cover

Abstract Measurement of city tree cover can aid in urban vegetation planning, management, and research by revealing characteristics of vegetation across a city. Urban tree cover in the United States ranges from 0.4% in Lancaster, California, to 55% in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Two important factors that affect the amount of urban tree cover are the natural environment and land use. Urban tree cover is highest in cities that developed in naturally forested areas (31%), followed by grassland cities (19%) and desert cities (10%), but showed wide variation based on individual city characteristics. Tree cover ranged from 15 to 55% for cities in forested areas, 5 to 39% for those in grassland areas, and 0.4 to 26% for cities developed in desert regions. Park and residential lands along with vacant lands in forested areas generally have the highest tree cover among different land uses. Methods of measuring urban tree cover are presented as are planning and management implications of tree-cover data.
Space Contained: Explorations in Woven Form

Abstract The large-scale constructions discussed in this article present an alternative method for architectural exploration through the new use of materials, inventive construction techniques, and the play with unusual spatial paradigms. Although not specifically architectural, issues addressed in the work easily translate to the larger and more complex scale of building.
Associative representational plasticity in the auditory cortex: resolving conceptual and empirical problems

Associative representational plasticity (ARP) concerns the systematic modification of neuronal responses to a stimulus dimension that involves the learning of relationships between a conditioned stimulus (CS) on that dimension with a behaviorally significant reinforcer. Most extensively studied for acoustic frequency in the primary auditory cortex (A1), the dominant findings are a CS-specific increase in response and a CS-directed shift of tuning. Extensive characterization of this ARP suggests that it serves as part of the substrate of specific memory. Ohl and Scheich have argued that neither the form nor suggested function is valid. They claim that the form of ARP is a CS-specific decreased response, and the function is lateral contrast enhancement. An analysis of their arguments reveals that their claims rest on problematic assumptions, confusions, and failure to obtain behavioral validation of associative learning. While new forms and possible functions of ARPs may be discovered, they have not yet been substantiated.
On the Interaction Between Dynamic Routing in Native and Overlay Layers

Overlay networks have recently gained attention as a viable alternative to overcome functionality limitations of the Internet. We are concerned with scenarios where a dynamic routing protocol is employed in the overlay network to adapt overlay routing tables to changing network conditions. At the same time, the native network over which the overlay is built also runs its own set of dynamic routing protocols. We are interested in investigating the behavior of this mixed routing environment and in particular the characteristics of the interaction between these two routing layers. In this paper, we focus on the specific problem of rerouting around failed links. We first study a Dual Rerouting scenario in which the two routing layers run completely independent of each other. Our goal is to understand the effect of the various settings of routing protocol parameters on the packet loss, number of route flaps, and the optimality of the adopted overlay path. We show that Dual Rerouting provides relatively fast path recovery. But, it tends to be sub-optimal in terms of the number of route flaps and the overlay path cost inflation. This is due to the overlap of functionality between the two layers, unawareness of the other layer’s decisions, and lack of flexibility. We next investigate schemes that increase awareness of the native routing protocol and its parameters at the overlay layer. We consider three such approaches: Probabilistically Suppressed Overlay Rerouting, Deferred Overlay Rerouting and Follow-on Suppressed Overlay Rerouting. We show that with such schemes one can trade off longer path recovery times with improvements in route flapping and path cost inflation. However, there is a fundamental limit on the amount of achievable gain if we receive no support from the native layer. To counter that, we propose a novel approach towards the tuning of native layer parameters to suit the functioning of the overlay layer.
Commonly observed degradation in field-aged photovoltaic modules

Degradation leading to failure in photovoltaic modules follows a progression that is dependent on multiple factors, some of which interact causing degradation that is difficult to simulate in the lab. This paper defines observed degradation in field-aged modules, including degradation of packaging materials, adhesional loss, degradation of interconnects, degradation due to moisture intrusion, and semiconductor device degradation. Additionally, this paper suggests that the onset and progression of degradation need to be studied to gain a more comprehensive understanding of module degradation rates and module failures.
AVS-aware power-gate sizing for maximum performance and power efficiency of power-constrained processors

Power-gating devices incur a small amount of voltage drop across them when they are on in active mode, degrading the maximum frequency of processors. Thus, large power-gating devices are often implemented to minimize the drop (thus the frequency degradation), requiring considerable die area. Meanwhile, adaptive voltage scaling has been used to improve yield of power-constrained processors exhibiting a large spread of maximum frequency and total power due to process variations. In this paper, first, we analyze the impact of power-gating device size on both maximum frequency and total power of processors in the presence of process variation. Second, we propose a methodology that optimizes both the size of power-gating devices and the degree of adaptive voltage scaling jointly such that we minimize the device size while maximizing performance and power efficiency of power-constrained processors. Finally, we extend our analysis and optimization for multi-core processors adopting frequency-island clocking scheme. Our experimental results using a 32nm technology model demonstrates that the joint optimization considering both die-to-die and within-die variations reduces the size of power-gating devices by more than 50% with 3% frequency improvement for power-constrained multi-core processors. Further, the optimal size of power-gating devices for multi-core processors using the frequency-island clocking scheme increases gradually while the optimal supply voltage decreases as the number of cores per die increases.
Symbolic Slavery: Black Representations in Popular Culture*

In this paper, I examine popular culture items that represent blacks in degrading, stereotyped ways, and objectify former sets of work roles and social relations. These material objects were most popular from approximately 1890 to the 1950s, and they symbolically reflected the social control mechanisms underlying majority-minority relations during that period. In addition, they helped to allay status anxiety and promoted a sense of social solidarity and superiority among whites. The production of these objects declined only after the challenge of an alternative development in the cultural sphere—the ascendence of a black self-consciousness during the Civil Rights Movement. My research calls attention to an additional symbolic way social control is extended and the structure of society is maintained and reproduced in a relatively stable manner.
Regulation and Disorders of Pubertal Timing

Disorders of pubertal timing are common and challenging problems for pediatric endocrinologists. Early or late puberty can have immediate effects on a child's psychosocial well-being and may have long-term effects on adult stature. Much is known about the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, but the triggers of pubertal onset in the general population remain elusive. This article reviews recent data suggesting a possible shift in the age of pubertal onset; current knowledge regarding factors that regulate the onset of puberty; and the etiologies, diagnosis, and treatment of precocious and delayed puberty.
Depression Affects Emotional Eating and Dietary Intake and Is Related to Food Insecurity in a Group of Multiethnic, Low-income Women

Both depression and obesity are prevalent among low-income, food insecure women. Though a causal relationship between depression and obesity has been suggested, research has not extensively investi...
String tension from monopoles in SU(2) lattice gauge theory.

We calculate the heavy quark potential from the magnetic current due to monopoles in four-dimensional SU(2) lattice gauge theory. The magnetic current is located in configurations generated in a conventional Wilson action simulation on a ${16}^{4}$ lattice. The configurations are projected with high accuracy into the maximum Abelian gauge. The magnetic current is then extracted and the monopole contribution to the potential is calculated. The resulting string tension is in excellent agreement with the SU(2) string tension obtained by conventional means from the configurations. A comparison is made with the U(1) case, with emphasis on the differing periodicity properties of SU(2) and U(1) lattice gauge theories. The properties of the maximum Abelian gauge are discussed.
Is "Economic Power" a Useful and Operational Concept?

With the end of the Cold War, and until 9/11/01, many academic and journalistic pundits averred that military power was no longer of great importance, that the future lay with economic power. The claim was made that the United States was an "economic superpower," and therefore would continue to be the world's dominant power in any case. Does this term mean anything other than "biggest national economy?" If so, what exactly does it mean? This paper will discuss the concept of economic power, and then apply the concept to the proposal of John Mearsheimer, the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, that on strategic (balance of power) grounds the United States should take steps to slow down the economic growth of China.
Experimental demonstration of low-loss optical waveguiding at deep sub-wavelength scales

Emerging communication applications call for a road map towards nanoscale photonic components and systems. Although metal-based nanostructures theoretically offer a solution to enable nanoscale photonics, the key demonstration of optical modes with deep sub-diffraction-limited confinement and significant propagation distances has not been experimentally achieved because of the trade-off between optical confinement and metallic losses. Here we report the first experimental demonstration of truly nanoscale guided waves in a metal– insulator–semiconductor device featuring low-loss and broadband operation. Near-field scanning optical microscopy reveals mode sizes down to 50×60 nm2 at visible and near-infrared wavelengths propagating more than 20 times the vacuum wavelength. Interference spectroscopy confirms that the optical mode hybridization between a surface plasmon and a dielectric mode concentrates the hybridized mode inside a nanometre thin gap. This nanoscale waveguide holds promise for next generation on-chip optical communication systems that integrate light sources, modulators or switches, nonlinear and quantum optics. Metal-based nanostructures offer a solution to scale down photonics to the nanoscale. Sorgeret al. directly demonstrate waveguiding of ultra-small propagating waves at visible and near-infrared frequencies using NSOM imaging, with the potential for nanoscale photonic applications such as bio-sensing.
Differences in early gesture explain SES disparities in child vocabulary size at school entry

Children from low-socioeconomic status (SES) families, on average, arrive at school with smaller vocabularies than children from high-SES families. In an effort to identify precursors to, and possible remedies for, this inequality, we videotaped 50 children from families with a range of different SES interacting with parents at 14 months and assessed their vocabulary skills at 54 months. We found that children from high-SES families frequently used gesture to communicate at 14 months, a relation that was explained by parent gesture use (with speech controlled). In turn, the fact that children from high-SES families have large vocabularies at 54 months was explained by children's gesture use at 14 months. Thus, differences in early gesture help to explain the disparities in vocabulary that children bring with them to school.
Effect of polyelectrolyte–surfactant complexation on Marangoni transport at a liquid–liquid interface

Complexation of surfactants and oppositely charged polyelectrolytes is expected to alter Marangoni transport at a fluid interface compared to either single component system due to altered interfacial tension isotherms and mass transfer rates as well as adsorption irreversibility effects. We investigate Marangoni transport at the oil/water interface by passing mixtures of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cationic polyelectrolyte poly(3-(2-methylpropionamide)propyl) trimethylammonium chloride-acrylamide (poly[AM-MAPTAC]), or rinsing solutions, over an oil/water interface in a radial, stagnation point flow. The displacements of adsorbed tracer particles are recorded through optical microscopy. The net displacement, defined as the sum of the displacements occurring during the adsorption and desorption stages of one application and rinsing cycle, is up to 10 times greater for complexing surfactant/polymer mixtures compared to either single component system. The enhanced net displacement is largely determined by the enhanced transport upon adsorption, while the reverse displacement that would normally occur upon rinsing is partially suppressed by partially irreversible polymer adsorption at the oil/water interface. In addition to effects of complexation on interfacial tension gradient induced flow, complexation effects on the bulk, and possibly interfacial, viscosity also influence the interfacial transport.
An Aza-Diels–Alder Approach to Crowded Benzoquinolines

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are promising candidate materials for the next generation of nanoscale electronics. Described herein is the synthesis of 2,4,6-substituted benzoquinolines, which constitute building blocks for nitrogen-doped GNRs. The presented facile and modular aza-Diels–Alder chemistry accommodates the installation of diverse functionalities at the crowded benzoquinolines’ 2 positions. Given the general utility of the benzoquinoline motif, these findings hold relevance not only for carbon-based electronics but also for a range of chemical disciplines.
Radiofrequency Ablation for Thoracic Neoplasms

Lung cancer statistics in the United States estimate that 171,900 people in 2003 were diagnosed with lung cancer (1). As the leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the United States, the associated death rate for lung cancer is 28%, surpassing mortality rates of colon, prostate, and breast cancer combined (1). This startling fact underscores the importance of improved methods to treat this aggressive form of cancer. Its ominous prognosis is reflected by the overall 5-year survival rates for previously untreated patients with primary non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after surgical treatment (according to pathologic stage): 63% to 67% in stage IA, 46% to 57% in IB, 52% to 55% in IIA, 33% to 39% in IIB, and 19% to 23% in IIIA (2,3).
What every primary physician should know about the postoperative cardiac patient.

Many patients with the defects discussed here are under continuing postoperative observation by the cardiologist, and that is as it should be. This is particularly likely to be the case with tetralogy of Fallot and transposition of the great arteries. Some patients, however, are returned from distant cardiac centers, and the services of another cardiologist may not be readily available. Even if available, the cardiologist depends on the patient9s local physician to detect early signs of trouble. Also, the family generally has a warmer relationship with the primary physician and looks to him for guidance and counsel. This assumes particular importance when one considers the high incidence of psychologic problems that tend to occur in children who have been subjected to cardiac surgery.63 These psychologic disturbances are attributed to such things as inability to compete physically, hospitalizations, family anxiety, and parental protectiveness or pampering. Most patients who have experienced cardiac surgery should be reevaluated periodically, preferably by an experienced cardiologist. Of all the lesions discussed here, patent ductus arteriosus has the best long-term prognosis. With this lesion, once the electrocardiogram and roentgenogram have returned to normal, it probably is no longer necessary to reevaluate the patient from a cardiac standpoint unless there is a change in the murmur or a new one appears. With all the other lesions, continued cardiac reevaluation is recommended, the exact interval to be determined by the age of the patient, the postoperative course, and the time elapsed from the date of operation. During periods of stress, such as pregnancy and later adult life, closer observation may be necessary.
Why good guys finish last The role of justification motives, cognition, and emotion in predicting retaliation against whistleblowers

Despite the public’s growing dissatisfaction with unethical behavior in modern organizations, research suggests that individuals who blow the whistle in an attempt to stop illicit activity often suffer retaliation at the hands of those who stand to benefit from the wrongdoing. To date, relatively little work has been undertaken exploring the boundary conditions and mechanisms for when and why retaliation occurs, with perceived differences in power and resource dependence between the whistleblower and retaliator being offered as the primary explanations. In this article, we attempt to build upon this theoretical foundation by introducing cognitive (i.e., moral disengagement) and affective (i.e., moral emotions) mechanisms as underlying drivers of the whistleblowing–retaliation relationship. Additionally, we use the theoretical lens of system justification theory to explore how perceived threats to an individual’s ego, group, and/or system heighten cognitive and affective responses that drive an individual ...
Growth Factor Regulation of Brain Protease Inhibitors

An important class of peptides which inhibit serine proteases are collectively known as serpins. These inhibitors are widely distributed in tissues and are involved in several processes including fibrinolysis, blood coagulation and complement activation 1,2. Members of the serpin family include plasminogen activators (PAI), protease nexins, α1-antichymotrypsin, C1-inhibitor, and α2-antiplasmin. PAI-1 is one of two inhibitors of the highly specific serine proteases, urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA). Balance between plasminogen activators and activator inhibitors ultimately regulates levels of activated plasmin, itself a broad spectrum serine protease. Activated plasmin, formed by u-PA or t-PA cleavage of the inactive proenzyme plasminogen, proteolytically degrades fibrin and a variety of extracellular matrix and basement membrane proteins, and may be involved in biological processes reliant upon breakdown of extracellular matrix and basement membranes, such as cell migration, invasion, tissue remodeling, and tumor metastasis2. Thus, balance between u-PA, t-PA and their inhibitors PAI-1 and PAI-2, may be critical to normal cellular and tissue growth and development, whereas their imbalance may contribute to the pathogenesis of certain tissue invasive diseases.
An Accelerated Method for Nonlinear Elliptic PDE

We propose two numerical methods for accelerating the convergence of the standard fixed point method associated with a nonlinear and/or degenerate elliptic partial differential equation. The first method is linearly stable, while the second is provably convergent in the viscosity solution sense. In practice, the methods converge at a nearly linear complexity in terms of the number of iterations required for convergence. The methods are easy to implement and do not require the construction or approximation of the Jacobian. Numerical examples are shown for Bellman's equation, Isaacs' equation, Pucci's equations, the Monge---Ampere equation, a variant of the infinity Laplacian, and a system of nonlinear equations.
Pyelonephritis in Children: The Long-Term Problem

Significant bacteriuria can be found by relatively simple screening methods in school-age children; such screening is certainly as justified as the efforts the schools now make to identify conditions having a much less significant effect on health and longevity. Once identified, significant bacteriuria deserves to be equated with pyelonephritis and requires aggressive treatment and long-term surveillance.
Mitomycin C: experience in the United States, with emphasis on gastric cancer.

Mitomycin C is an antibiotic alkylating agent isolated from the fermentation of Streptomyces caespitosus in 1958. Clinical trials were initiated in Japan soon after the demonstration of antitumor activity against a broad spectrum of transplanted animal tumours [2]. Mitomycin C was reported to have a high degree of efficacy for human cancer, which prompted a cooperative multiinstitution evaluation of this agent in the United States. A preliminary summary of the results of the initial experience was reported in 1959 by Jones [11]. Of 120 patients treated, objective responses were observed in 21 (18.5%) including breast cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, lymphocytic lymphoma and chronic granulocytic leukemia. Treatment was discontinued in 87% of patients because of severe hematologic toxicity. It was concluded that mitomycin C had an extremely narrow therapeutic index, while demonstrating only limited efficacy. The result was a sharply reduced interest for mitomycin C as an anticancer agent in the United States.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Neurological, Genetic, and Epigenetic Bases

As we learn more about the consequences of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in terms of diminished quality of life, increased disability from the condition itself, as well as from other conditions that occur as a result of PTSD, and the increasing costs both economic and medical, the need to understand the cause of PTSD continues to grow. Given that no definitive genetic basis explains why PTSD occurs only in some individuals who face life-altering traumatic events, researchers began to examine epigenetics as a causative agent in the development of PTSD. To date, research on epigenetics and PTSD indicates an epigenetic explanation for PTSD. Such an explanation focuses on how the natural human resiliency allowing individuals to cope with traumatic events is diminished in those with PTSD based on either one traumatic occurrence or a series of traumatic occurrences that exceed their coping mechanism. Child abuse represents a trauma that affects how a child perceives their environment. Studies examining the epigenetic basis of PTSD as a result of child abuse demonstrate that child abuse is the type of trauma that elicits epigenetic changes that manifest themselves in the development of PTSD if the individual experiences a trauma as an adult. This chapter represents a review of the literature on PTSD, the underlying functional structures involved in its development, and an evaluation of the literature to date on both epigenetics and how PTSD develops in adults who suffered abuse as children.