cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ankle pain following total knee arthroplasty: A case report

The authors present their experience with four cases of ankle pain occurring in the immediate postoperative period after total knee arthroplasty. In a 40-month period, the authors performed 87 total knee arthroplasties. In the first 28 cases, an extramedullary alignment rod was used and there were no instances of ankle pain (0%). In the next 30 cases, an intramedullary alignment rod was employed and there were three cases of moderate to severe ankle pain (10%). In the last 29 cases, the medullary canal was decompressed, irrigated, and aspirated prior to insertion of the alignment rod. In this group there was only one case of mild ankle discomfort (3.5 %). An extensive investigation was made into one of the cases in which the intramedullary alignment rod was used but the canal was not aspirated. Information from this case investigation, observation of the three subsequent cases, and the notation of a decrease in the incidence of ankle pain once aspiration was routinely used are reported. The unproven hypothesis that ankle pain may result from compression of the marrow contents into the bone interstices is presented for consideration. Three of the four cases of ankle pain reported here were spontaneously resolved within 9 months after surgery.
Defense-Less Territory: Workers, Communities, and the Decline of Military Production in Los Angeles

The dominant role played by aerospace and other military-related production in the Southern Californian economy for decades has shaped the local geography of industrial development and contributed to the emergence of specialized spatial labor markets linking defense-related employment sites with the homes of defense-sector workers. But the recent decline in defense-related employment is bringing economic dislocation to the region, which will be felt most intensely by those workers and neighborhoods with strong and long-established ties to the sector. In this paper, the major sites of defense-related production in Los Angeles County are identified and the social and spatial position of segments of the defense sector labor force in the region are described. Defense-dependent communities are identified, and the implications of defense spending cuts on groupings of workers and on communities are discussed.
A ReliefF attribute weighting and X-means clustering methodology for top-down product family optimization

This article proposes a top-down product family design methodology that enables product design engineers to identify the optimal number of product architectures directly from the customer preference data set by employing data mining attribute weighting and clustering techniques. The methodology also presents an efficient component sharing strategy to aid in product family commonality decisions. Two key data mining models are presented in this work to help guide the product design process: (1) the ReliefF attribute weighting technique that identifies and ranks product attributes, and (2) the X-means clustering approach that autonomously identifies the optimal number of candidate products. Product family commonality decisions are guided by once again employing the X-means clustering technique, this time to identify the components across product families that are most similar. A family of prototype aerodynamic air particle separators is used to evaluate the efficiency and validity of the proposed product fam...
The influence of filler morphology and surface hydroxyls on crepe‐hardening of uncured silicone elastomers

The shelf stability of uncured silicone elastomers is of fundamental interest to the silicone industry because most formulations are sold in the uncured state for further processing. An increase in viscosity of a filled silicone elastomer with time, called structuring or crepe-hardening, can pose tremendous processing problems. The macroscopic effect of crepe-hardening with time was monitored in terms of its Williams plasticity. Plasticity and its rate of change with time were shown to depend on the fumed silica morphology, fumed silica loading, and the residual surface hydroxyls on the fumed silica after treatment. The microscopic mechanisms of polymer-filler interactions that drive the observed rheological behavior were investigated using proton T 2 relaxation, 29 Si NMR cross polarization dynamics, and by monitoring the changes in optical properties with time. It appeared that the dominant mechanism of shelf instability was due to an increase in the thickness of the adsorbed polymer layer. There was no change in the state of dispersion of the filler as the silicone elastomer aged.
A preliminary investigation of sex differences in associations between emotion regulation difficulties and higher-order cognitive abilities ☆

Abstract The present study sought to clarify the cognitive correlates of emotion regulation difficulties (ERD). Further, because prior evidence suggests sex differences in emotion regulation, sex was examined as a moderator of associations between cognitive abilities and ERD. Participants (N = 154) completed self-report measures of ERD, and were administered neuropsychological tests assessing crystallized and fluid intelligence, as well as various components of executive functioning. Bivariate correlations and results from regression analyses suggested sex-dependent associations among cognitive processes and ERD. For men, inhibition of dominant response tendencies was associated with lower ERD, whereas for women, a host of executive abilities (e.g., greater inhibition, cognitive flexibility, semantic processing, abstract reasoning) were associated with greater ERD. Implications for the neurocognitive conceptualization of emotion dysregulation will be discussed.
A knowledge-based approach for retrieving scenario-specific medical text documents

Abstract Medical free-text queries often share the same scenario. A scenario represents a repeating task in healthcare. For example, a specific scenario is searching for treatment methods for a specific disease, where “treatment” is a term indicating the scenario. To support scenario-specific retrieval, in this paper we present a new knowledge-based approach to address these problems. In addition, we describe a testbed system developed using the approach. Our specific implementation uses the UMLS Metathesaurus and semantic structure to extract key concepts from a free text. The approach uses phrase-based indexing to represent similar concepts, and query expansion to improve matching query terms with the terms in the document. The system formulates the query based on the user's input and the selected scenario template such as “disease, treatment” or “disease, diagnosis.” Thus, it is able to retrieve documents relevant to the specific scenario. Evaluating the system using the standard OSHMED corpus, our empirical results validate the effectiveness of this new approach over the traditional text retrieval techniques.
Different methods for the evaluation of species of the genus Mesaphorura (Collembola, Tullbergiinae)

Summary Field studies and laboratory investigations based upon cultures, isoenzyme electrophoresis and RAPD-PCR were carried out to get a better understanding of the value of morphospecies within the genus Mesaphorura. Culturing of seven Mesaphorura species under constant as well as variable conditions provided a basis for evaluation of morphological characters, but did not yield any statistically supportable evidence that intraspecific variability reached interspecific delimitations. In enzyme tests, esterases gave the best results. The search for species-specific band patterns is, however, time and material consuming. DNA investigations using RAPD-PCR resulted in band patterns that appeared to be species specific. Nevertheless, these require further investigations. None of the studies carried out gave any conclusive evidence for invalidation of the morphologically defined species of the genus Mesaphorura.
Abstract LB-192: Circulating tumor cell clusters are precursors of breast cancer metastasis

The metastatic spread of breast cancer, typically to bone, lung, liver and brain, accounts for the vast majority of cancer-related deaths. Breast cancer metastases are thought to be derived primarily from individual migratory cancer cells, reaching distant sites through the bloodstream and initiating proliferation within distant organs. In addition to these single circulating tumor cells (CTCs), CTC-clusters have been detected in the blood of patients with cancer. In patients with breast cancer, we find that presence of such CTC-clusters is correlated with decreased progression-free survival. To study their functional role, we used mouse models, demonstrating that breast cancer cells injected intravascularly as clusters are more prone to survive and colonize the lungs than similarly injected single cancer cells. Primary orthotopic mammary tumors comprised of differentially tagged cells give rise to oligoclonal CTC-clusters, with 40-fold increased metastatic potential to the lung, compared with single CTCs. Using in vivo flow cytometry, we show that CTC-clusters are rapidly cleared from peripheral vessels, consistent with their trapping in small capillaries. Together, our observations suggest that primary tumor cells break off into the vasculature as CTC-clusters, and exhibit greatly enhanced metastatic propensity. Citation Format: Nicola Aceto, Aditya Bardia, Joel A. Spencer, Ben S. Wittner, Min Yu, Maria C. Donaldson, Adam Pely, Amanda Engstrom, Huili Zhu, Brian W. Brannigan, Ravi Kapur, Shannon L. Stott, Toshi Shioda, Sridhar Ramaswamy, David T. Ting, Charles P. Lin, Mehmet Toner, Daniel A. Haber, Shyamala Maheswaran. Circulating tumor cell clusters are precursors of breast cancer metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-192. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-LB-192
Visual response properties of cortical inputs to an extrastriate cortical area in the cat.

The existence of multiple areas of extrastriate visual cortex raises the question of how the response properties of each area are derived from its visual input. This question was investigated for one such area in the cat, referred to here as the Clare-Bishop area (Hubel & Wiesel, 1969); it is the region of lateral suprasylvian cortex that receives input from area 17. A novel approach was used, in which kainic acid was injected locally into the Clare-Bishop area, making it possible to record directly from afferent inputs.The response properties of the great majority of a sample of 424 presumed afferents resembled cells in areas 17 and 18. Thus, a systematic comparison was made with cells from area 17's upper layers, the source of its projection to the Clare-Bishop area (Gilbert & Kelly, 1975), to see whether these afferents had distinctive properties that might distinguish them from cells projecting to areas 18 or 19. Some differences did emerge: (1) The smallest receptive fields typical of area 17 were relatively scarce among afferents. (2) Direction-selective afferents were more abundant than were such cells in area 17. (3) End-stopped afferents were extremely rare, although end-stopped cells were common in area 17's upper layers.Despite these differences, afferents were far more similar in their properties to cells in areas 17 and 18 than to cells in the Clare-Bishop area. Compared to the latter, afferents showed major discrepancies in receptive-field size, in direction selectivity, in end-stopping, and in ocular dominance distribution. These differences seem most likely to stem from circuitry intrinsic to the Clare-Bishop area.
Control and design of crystal growth furnace

Abstract We present the control and design of a vertical transparent multizone furnace which can operate in the temperature range of 25–750°C and deliver thermal gradients of 2–45°C/cm for the commercial applications to crystal growth. A multivariable projective control algorithm is used for the temperature control. The controller accounts for the inevitable zone to zone thermal interactions. In addition, the control system operates such that the thermal profile is maintained under the thermal load of crystal, thus boundary conditions on crystal growth ampoules can be predetermined prior to crystal growth. Temperature profiles for the growth of crystals via directional solidification, vapor transport techniques, and multiple gradient applications can be easily implemented. The unique feature of its transparency and stable thermal profiles make the furnace useful for the determination of process parameters that optimize crystal growth conditions.
Electron-phonon scattering contributions to metallic resistivity at 0 K

Incorporating the quantum Boltzmann equation, with shielded electron-ion Coulomb interactions, the component of metallic electrical resistivity due to electron-phonon scattering is evaluated for the noble metals and a restricted class of the alkali metals. In addition to Bloch's ${\mathit{T}}^{5}$ contribution at low temperature and canonical T dependence at high temperature, a component of resistivity stemming from electron-phonon scattering is found to survive in the limit T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0. This residual resistivity is attributed to the interplay between Fermi-surface electrons and zero-point ion motion, in the presence of an electric field, as well as to the inelastic nature of electron-phonon scattering. An estimate made of the temperature at which this residual component of resistivity comes into play gives the criterion T\ensuremath{\ll}${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Theta}}}_{\mathit{D}}$/5 for the class of metals considered, where ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Theta}}}_{\mathit{D}}$ is the Debye temperature. It is further observed that this residual component of resistivity maintains nonsingular behavior of the Lorentz expansion for the electron distribution function at low temperature. Our expression for residual resistivity is given by (in the cgs system) ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{0}$=(3${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{2}$/8)[${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{B}}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Theta}}}_{\mathit{D}}$/${\mathit{mu}}^{2}$ \ensuremath{\Elzxh}(\ensuremath{\Elzxh}\ensuremath{\Omega}${)}^{2}$/${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{F}}^{3}$]${\mathit{S}}_{1}$ (\ensuremath{\lambda}), where ${\mathit{S}}_{1}$(\ensuremath{\lambda}) is a positive monotonic function of \ensuremath{\lambda}. In the preceding expression, \ensuremath{\lambda} varies as (n/${\mathit{Z}}^{2}$${)}^{1/6}$, \ensuremath{\Omega} is the ion plasma frequency, and n is the electron number density. The phonon speed and Fermi energy are written u and ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{F}}$, respectively. It is noted that ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{0}$ scales as (${\mathit{Z}}^{1/6}$/${\mathit{nM}}^{1/2}$)${\mathit{S}}_{1}$(\ensuremath{\lambda}), where M and Z are the ion mass and ion valence number respectively. At constant electron and ion number densities, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{0}$ scales as ${\mathit{M}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1/2}$. At these conditions, in the limit that M\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}, \ensuremath{\Omega}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0 and, consistently, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{0}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0. A log-log plot of the expression derived for resistivity, at various values of \ensuremath{\lambda}, clearly exhibits the three temperature intervals described above. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Disease Susceptibility of Hatchery Snake River Spring–Summer Chinook Salmon with Different Juvenile Migration Histories in the Columbia River

Abstract Various methods have been developed to mitigate the effects of dams on juvenile Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. migrating to the Pacific Ocean through the Columbia River basin. In this study, we examined the health of hatchery Snake River spring and summer Chinook salmon relative to two mitigating strategies: dam bypass and transportation (e.g., barging). The health of out-migrants was assessed in terms of the difference in the incidence of mortality among fish, categorically grouped into no-bypass, bypass, and transportation life histories, in response to challenge with the marine pathogen Listonella anguillarum during seawater holding. These three life histories were defined as follows: (1) fish that were not detected at any of the juvenile bypass systems above Bonneville Dam were classified as having a no-bypass life history; (2) fish that were detected at one or more juvenile bypass systems above Bonneville Dam were classified as having a bypass life history; and (3) fish that were barged we...
IL‐12 inhibits endotoxin‐induced inflammation in the eye

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine that induces interferon (IFN)-gamma production and an increased generation of Th1 cells. Both IL-12 and IL-12 antagonists are being studied for the treatment of allergic reactions, autoimmune disease and malignancy. The goal of the present experiments was to examine the importance of IL-12 in endotoxin-induced ocular inflammation. The number of inflammatory cells infiltrating eyes with endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) was significantly increased in animals treated with intraperitoneal anti-IL-12 antibody when compared to control animals, but there was no difference in infiltrating inflammatory cells in the eyes of animals treated with IL-12 when compared to controls. In contrast, intraocular injection of IL-12 significantly inhibited the development of endotoxin-induced intraocular inflammation. The infiltrating inflammatory cells were reduced in the eyes of animals receiving intraocular IL-12 when compared to controls. Cytokine analysis of the aqueous humor obtained from eyes with EIU showed increased levels of IFN-gamma and decreased levels of IL-6 in eyes receiving intraocular IL-12. These data show that IL-12 has an inhibitory effect on endotoxin-induced inflammation in the eye and suggest that IL-12 can have an immunoregulatory function in some forms of inflammatory disease.
Connective Tissue Disease–Associated Interstitial Pneumonia and Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia: Similarity and Difference

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are increasingly recognized in patients with systemic diseases. Patients with early ILD changes may be asymptomatic. Features of ILD overlap among systemic diseases and with idiopathic variety. High-resolution computed tomography plays a central role in diagnosing ILDs. Imaging features are often nonspecific. Therapy- and complication-related lung changes would pose difficulty in diagnosing and classifying an ILD. Biology and prognosis of secondary ILDs may differ between different disease-related ILDs and idiopathic variety. Combination of clinical features, serological tests, pulmonary and extrapulmonary imaging findings, and pathology findings may help to diagnose ILDs.
Locus of control of reinforcement and attraction in sensitivity group settings.

In five sensitivity groups 64 undergraduate and graduate students participated. It was predicted that internal Ss would indicate greater interpersonal attraction for other internals while externals would be attracted to group members with an external orientation. Results showed that amount of verbalizations was related to attractiveness but not to own locus of control score. Ss showed no preference for others having a locus of control orientation similar to their own. Internals preferred others with locus of control orientations similar to each other but in no clear relation to their own internal orientation. Methodological problems with locus of control research were discussed.
Significance of biomechanical and physiological variables during the determination of maximum acceptable weight of lift.

The aim was to identify which biomechanical and physiological variables were associated with the decision to change the weight of lift during the determination of the maximum acceptable weight of lift (MAWL) in a psychophysical study. Fifteen male college students lifted a box of unknown weight at 4.3 lifts/min, and adjusted the weight until their MAWL was reached. Variables such as heart rate, trunk positions, velocities and accelerations were measured during the lifting, as well as estimated spinal loading in terms of moments and spinal forces in three dimensions using an EMG-assisted biomechanical model. Multiple logistic regression techniques identified variables associated with the decision to change the weights up and down prior to a subsequent lift. Results indicated that heart rate, predicted sagittal lift moment and low back disorder (LBD) risk index were associated with decreases in the weight prior to the next lift. Thus, historical measures of LBD risk (e.g. compression, shear force) were not associated with decreases in weight prior to the next lift. Additionally, the magnitudes of the predicted spinal forces and LBD risk were all very high at the MAWL when compared with literature sources of tolerance as well as observational studies on LBD risk. Our findings indicate that the psychophysical methodology may be useful for the decision to lower the weight of loads that may present extreme levels of risk of LBD; however, the psychophysical methodology does not seem to help in the decision to stop changing the weight at a safe load weight.
Cantharidin Contamination of Alfalfa Hay

Under laboratory conditions cantharidin was transferred from crushed blister beetles to filter paper. Twenty-one and 27% of the total available cantharidin was recovered from filter paper on which male and female Epicauta occidentalis Werner, respectively, had been crushed. Cantharidin was detected in samples of alfalfa hay infested with blister beetles when the hay was harvested from a field site. Thus, blister beetle–contaminated hay can be partitioned into cantharidin contributed directly by beetle parts and indirectly from cantharidin on the forage itself. Ingestion of crushed, dried beetles in the hay is a greater threat to livestock health than is contaminated hay free of blister beetles.
Oral Health Information on the Internet

ABSTRACT The publication of Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General was a hallmark for America's oral health. This first-ever report explained why oral health is essential to an American's health and well-being. Oral health's meaning has evolved from a narrow focus on teeth and gums to recognition of the mouth's critical role in health. As a mirror of the body's overall health, oral health can provide insight and clues about other health conditions. This article describes Web sites that provide information about good oral health practices, prevention, treatment options, clinical trials, special populations, and curriculum resources for teachers.
Identification of six chymotrypsin cDNAs from larval midguts of Helicoverpa zea and Agrotis ipsilon feeding on the soybean (Kunitz) trypsin inhibitor.

Abstract Lepidopteran insects like Helicoverpa zea and Agrotis ipsilon produce STI-insensitive trypsins in the midgut following ingestion of dietary plant proteinase inhibitors like STI [ Broadway, R. M., J. Insect Physiol. 43(9) (1997) 855–874]. In this paper, the effects of dietary STI on a related family of midgut serine proteinases, the chymotrypsins, were investigated. STI-insensitive midgut chymotrypsins were detected in larvae of H. zea and A. ipsilon feeding on diets containing 1% STI while STI-sensitive chymotrypsins were present in larvae feeding on diets containing 0% STI. These chymotrypsins were unaffected by TPCK, a diagnostic inhibitor of mammalian chymotrypsins but were fully inhibited by chymostatin. Four midgut cDNA libraries were constructed from larvae of each species fed either 0% STI or 1% STI diets. Six full-length cDNAs 1 encoding diverse preprochymotrypsins were isolated (three from H. zea and three from A. ipsilon ) with certain sequence motifs that set them apart from their mammalian counterparts. Northern blots showed that some chymotrypsin mRNA were detected at higher levels while others were down-regulated when comparing insects reared on 0% STI and 1% STI diets. Southern hybridizations suggested that (like mammals) both species contained several chymotrypsin genes. A full-length chymotrypsin gene 1 from H. zea was sequenced for the first time and the presence of four introns was deduced. A first time comparison of 5′ upstream regions 1 from three chymotrypsin genes and two trypsin genes of A. ipsilon indicated the presence of putative TATA boxes and regulatory elements. However a lack of consensus motifs in these upstream regions suggested the likelihood of multiple trans factors for regulation of genes encoding digestive proteinases and a complex response mechanism linked to ingestion of proteinase inhibitors.
Effects of Breast Milk and Milk Formula Diets on Synthesized Speech Sound-Induced Event-Related Potentials in 3- and 6-Month-Old Infants

Effects of breast milk and milk formula supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid on speech processing were investigated by recording event-related potentials (ERPs) to synthesized /pa/ and /ba/ (oddball paradigm, 80%:20%) at 3 and 6 months of age. Behavioral assessment was also obtained. A major positive component (P200) was elicited by both types of sounds. It had a maximal scalp distribution in the fronto-central areas in both groups of infants. The mean latencies did not differ between the groups or between the stimulus types. However, the latencies decreased across age in both groups. The mean P200 amplitude in the formula-fed infants was lower than that in the breast-fed infants, but the difference was not significant. The between-stimulus differences in frontal P200 amplitudes were positively correlated with the behavioral scores of Bayley Index of Infant Development. These data suggest that the processing of the present speech stimuli is not affected by the investigated diets in the early infancy.
The International Trade Commission and the Politics of Protectionism

I analyze the governmental regulation of internationally traded goods produced by U.S. industries. General theories of regulation—most notably “capture” theories and the theory of “congressional dominance”—are used to analyze the decision-making behavior of the U.S. International Trade Commission, which plays a major role in approving and providing tariffs, quotas, and various types of nontariff trade barriers sought by these industries. Unlike previous studies, this one simultaneously accounts for both the supply and demand sides of trade regulation. This work seeks to predict, on a basis of domestic politics, the factors that affect the demand for, and supply of, trade protection for U.S. industries. The methodology consists of applying a nested logit framework to capture the decision behavior of the International Trade Commission and industries simultaneously. The analysis shows that industries do appear to self-select themselves in applying for protection from the International Trade Commission. In light of these findings, it appears that trade protection is subject to domestic political forces similar to those affecting other regulatory policy areas.
Measuring the Severity of Negative and Traumatic Events

We devised three measures of the general severity of events, which raters applied to participants’ narrative descriptions: (a) placing events on a standard normed scale of stressful events, (b) placing events into five bins based on their severity relative to all other events in the sample, and (c) an average of ratings of the events’ effects on six distinct areas of the participants’ lives. Protocols of negative events were obtained from two nondiagnosed undergraduate samples (n = 688 and 328), a clinically diagnosed undergraduate sample, all of whom had traumas and half of whom met posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) criteria (n = 30), and a clinically diagnosed community sample who met PTSD criteria (n = 75). The three measures of severity correlated highly in all four samples but failed to correlate with PTSD symptom severity in any sample. Theoretical implications for the role of trauma severity in PTSD are discussed.
Decision-oriented approaches to program evaluation

Evaluation is an information-gathering process, and it can unravel in much the same way as a detective story. Just as Sherlock Holmes redirects his crime-solving activities as new clues arise, evaluators should be committed to adapting their evaluation activities as new information is obtained.
Parametric generation processes: spectral bandwidth and acceptance angles

A systematic evaluation of the spectral bandwidth and two acceptance angles of parametric generation processes is presented. The spectral bandwidth and acceptance angles are determined by expanding the wave vector mismatch in a Taylor series and retaining terms through second order. This allows a determination of these parameters even when the first order term vanishes. Conditions where the first order term vanishes are presented and compared with similar cases where the first order term does not vanish.
Inframarginal values and demand: Contra Dwight Lee

Happiness studies show that there has been no discernable rise in happiness in the United States between 1959 and 2004, yet the same period saw per capita income nearly triple. Dwight Lee modifies the theory of consumer demand to resolve this apparent conflict. Using the concepts of consumer surplus and rising incomes causing demand shifts, Lee posits that the law of downward sloping demand only fleetingly applies. He hypothesizes that the values of all units consumed become the same as the value of the last unit soon after the change in income. This makes the demand curve horizontal for all units consumed, and that makes the existence of consumer surplus ephemeral. There are difficulties with this; some are: (1) His formulation gives rise to predictions that are at odds with commonly observed market phenomena; (2) The attempted resolution is quixotic because the theory of demand and consumer surplus holds time, place, and circumstances constant, while happiness surveys do not and, indeed, cannot hold things constant over decades; and (3) because standard economic theory is timeless it is inapplicable to many phenomena that occur over extended periods.
Prospects and problems in the use of hyperspectral imagery for archaeological remote sensing: a case study from the Faynan copper mining district, Jordan

Hyperspectral (multiple, narrow band) satellite imaging provides a useful discovery and analytical tool for archaeologists. The Hyperion instrument, flying on the Earth Observer 1 (EO-1) satellite, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on November 21, 2000. Unlike 7-band Landsat or 15-band ASTER imagery, Hyperion provides 242 (196 calibrated) narrow bands in the visible (VIS) to shortwave infrared range (SWIR), enabling much more detailed archaeological and geological analyses. It was designed as a spectrometer specifically geared to mineralogical analysis, and the imagery is freely available via data acquisition (targeting) requests from NASA. We requested a Hyperion image swath targeted on Khirbat en-Nahas (KEN), an ancient copper smelting site along the Wadi al-Ghuwayb (WAG), a part of Jordan’s Faynan district, where extensive ore processing occurred from the 3rd millennium BCE to industrial scale production over several centuries in the early 1st millennium BCE (Iron Age) and continued until Medieval Islamic times. We use a combination of Principal Components Analysis (PCA), similarity matrices, and Spectral Mixture Analysis (SMA) on a single image swath to help locate additional ore processing sites, distinguish different areas at KEN that drew on different ore deposits, and discern depositional differences that may help illuminate issues related to the organization of production at KEN. Extensive field surveys in the research area provide a unique opportunity to ‘ground-truth’ the results of the hyperspectral research. The results of our study show considerable promise for future work with Hyperion data sets, and illuminate new aspects of the copper smelting industry at Khirbat en-Nahas. However, the low spatial resolution of the imagery and the nature of weakly reflective bands in the near infrared (NIR) limit the utility of the results.
The expression, activity and regulation of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor in human endometrial epithelial and stromal cells *

The expression of granulocyte macrophage-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and GM-CSF receptors in the human endometrium suggests an autocrine/paracrine role for GM-CSF in this tissue. Using primary cultures of isolated endometrial glandular epithelial and stromal cells, the present study examined: (i) the cell specific expression of GM-CSF and GM-CSF receptor mRNA and protein; (ii) direct action of GM-CSF on the rate of DNA synthesis and cell proliferation; and (iii) regulation of GM-CSF expression through its interaction with transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 in these cells. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunocytochemistry indicates that glandular epithelial and stromal cells express GM-CSF, GM-CSF alpha and GM-CSF beta receptor mRNA and protein. The epithelial cells express a significantly higher level of GM-CSF mRNA than stromal cells while both types produce low concentrations of protein. At 0.01-100 ng/ml GM-CSF did not have a significant effect on the rate of [3H]-thymidine incorporation or proliferation of epithelial and stromal cells. However, GM-CSF (1 ng/ ml) up-regulates its own protein expression, but does not effect TGF-beta1 mRNA protein expression in epithelial and stromal cells, and actually inhibits the cell-associated TGF-beta1 protein in stromal cells (P<0.05). At 1 ng/ ml TGF-beta1 up-regulates its own mRNA and protein expression in epithelial and stromal cells (P<0.05), with no significant effect on GM-CSF expression. Co-treatment of the cells with GM-CSF + TGF-beta1 resulted in an increased production of GM-CSF protein as well as TGF-beta1 mRNA and protein expression by epithelial and stromal cells, compared with untreated controls (P<0,001). In conclusion, the results suggest that GM-CSF is not a mitogenic factor for endometrial glandular epithelial and stromal cells, however, in an interactive manner with TGF-beta1 it regulates its own and the expression of TGF-beta1.
Gene Interactions between Potassium-Sensitive and Potassium-Resistant Mutations of PARAMECIUM TETRAURELIA.

Two unlinked recessive mutations (ks-1 and ks-2 ) have been induced in Paramecium tetraurelia stock 51. Wild-type survives and grows when up to 30 mm KCl is added to the medium, but the mutants cease to grow and die when added KCl reaches 20–25 m m. These K+-sensitives have been crossed to stocks containing the K+-resistant genes, fA (very resistant) and kA (moderately resistant). All four genes are unlinked. Double mutants of ks-1 and either kA or fA are as resistant as the resistant member of the pair. Doubles of ks-2 and kA are like wild type, and doubles of ks-2 and fA are shifted from high resistance toward wild type. Gene ks-2 acts like a suppressor of kA and fA. This suppression can be understood in terms of the known biochemical defects of the mutants.
A framework for model checking UDP network programs with Java pathfinder

Complex asynchronous, distributed systems could benefit significantly from model checking, but model checking programs do not natively support verification of distributed software. Several frameworks have been developed recently that apply model checking to networked software, but none of these frameworks support complete modeling of programs that use the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). This paper presents the first framework to model realistic rather than ideal UDP network operations using Java Pathfinder, and describes its use in verifying a distributed UDP-based application.
Age differences in the potentiation of taste aversion by odor cues

The potentiation of a conditioned aversion to saccharin by maple odor was examined in a latent inhibition paradigm using weanling, young-adult, and old-age rats. Potentiation of the flavor aversion was age-related. There was a potentiation effect only in young-adult rats. These results are discussed in terms of current explanations of potentiation. It is suggested that when the components of a compound stimulus are in different systems, that is, interoceptive-exteroceptive, conditioning occurs in both systems and one system enhances conditioning in the other. This could explain the apparent reciprocal potentiation in odor/taste pairings as well as age differences in potentiation.
Potential effects of racial and ethnic disparities in meeting Medicare medication therapy management eligibility criteria.

OBJECTIVE Medication therapy management (MTM) has the potential to play an instrumental role in reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health care. However, previous research has found that Blacks and Hispanics are less likely to be eligible for MTM. The purpose of the current study was to examine the potential effects of MTM eligibility criteria on racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes. METHODS The current study is a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Cost and Use files for the years 2007 and 2008. A difference-in-differences model was used to compare disparities in outcomes between ineligible and eligible beneficiaries according to MTM eligibility criteria in 2010. This was achieved by including in regression models interaction terms between dummy variables for Blacks/Hispanics and MTM eligibility criteria. Interaction terms were interpreted on both multiplicative and additive terms. Various regression models were used depending on the types of variables. KEY FINDINGS Whites were more likely to report self-perceived good health status than Blacks and Hispanics among both MTM-eligible and MTM-ineligible populations. Disparities were greater among MTM-ineligible than MTM-eligible populations (e.g., on additive term, difference in odds=1.94 and P<0.01 for Whites and Blacks; difference in odds=2.86 and P<0.01 for Whites and Hispanics). A few other measures also exhibited significant patterns. CONCLUSIONS MTM eligibility criteria may exacerbate racial and ethnic disparities in health status and some measures of health services utilizations and costs and medication utilization. Future research should examine strategies to remediate the effects of MTM eligibility criteria on disparities.
Effect of finite sample size on feature selection and classification: a simulation study.

Purpose: The small number of samples available for training and testing is often the limiting factor in finding the most effective features and designing an optimal computer-aided diagnosis(CAD) system. Training on a limited set of samples introduces bias and variance in the performance of a CAD system relative to that trained with an infinite sample size. In this work, the authors conducted a simulation study to evaluate the performances of various combinations of classifiers and feature selection techniques and their dependence on the class distribution, dimensionality, and the training sample size. The understanding of these relationships will facilitate development of effective CAD systems under the constraint of limited available samples. Methods: Three feature selection techniques, the stepwise feature selection (SFS), sequential floating forward search (SFFS), and principal component analysis (PCA), and two commonly used classifiers, Fisher’s linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and support vector machine (SVM), were investigated. Samples were drawn from multidimensional feature spaces of multivariate Gaussian distributions with equal or unequal covariance matrices and unequal means, and with equal covariance matrices and unequal means estimated from a clinical data set. Classifier performance was quantified by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve A z . The mean A z values obtained by resubstitution and hold-out methods were evaluated for training sample sizes ranging from 15 to 100 per class. The number of simulated features available for selection was chosen to be 50, 100, and 200. Results: It was found that the relative performance of the different combinations of classifier and feature selection method depends on the feature space distributions, the dimensionality, and the available training sample sizes. The LDA and SVM with radial kernel performed similarly for most of the conditions evaluated in this study, although the SVM classifier showed a slightly higher hold-out performance than LDA for some conditions and vice versa for other conditions. PCA was comparable to or better than SFS and SFFS for LDA at small samples sizes, but inferior for SVM with polynomial kernel. For the class distributions simulated from clinical data, PCA did not show advantages over the other two feature selection methods. Under this condition, the SVM with radial kernel performed better than the LDA when few training samples were available, while LDA performed better when a large number of training samples were available. Conclusions: None of the investigated feature selection-classifier combinations provided consistently superior performance under the studied conditions for different sample sizes and feature space distributions. In general, the SFFS method was comparable to the SFS method while PCA may have an advantage for Gaussian feature spaces with unequal covariance matrices. The performance of the SVM with radial kernel was better than, or comparable to, that of the SVM with polynomial kernel under most conditions studied.
Exploring the Dynamics of Power Ratios among U.S Radio Stations

AbstractThis study explores the dynamics underlying the relationship between a radio station’s share of audience and its share of market revenue, recognized by media analysts as a power ratio. This ratings to revenue comparison often serves as a diagnostic tool for evaluating a station’s business performance. Relying on what the authors call a principle of parsimony in media buying, an analysis of power ratio data collected from over 1600 U.S radio stations revealed that as a radio station’s share of audience increases, it subsequently earns a disproportionately greater share of market revenue and visa versa. Additionally, certain program formats serve as intervening variables. The article concludes with implications for station decision makers.
The neural organization of language: evidence from sign language aphasia

To what extent is the neural organization of language dependent on factors specific to the modalities in which language is perceived and through which it is produced? That is, is the left-hemisphere dominance for language a function of a linguistic specialization or a function of some domain-general specialization(s), such as temporal processing or motor planning? Investigations of the neurobiology of signed language can help answer these questions. As with spoken languages, signed languages of the deaf display complex grammatical structure but are perceived and produced via radically different modalities. Thus, by mapping out the neurological similarities and differences between signed and spoken language, it is possible to identify modality-specific contributions to brain organization for language. Research to date has shown a significant degree of similarity in the neurobiology of signed and spoken languages, suggesting that the neural organization of language is largely modality-independent.
Polite rescheduling: responding to local schedule disruptions in distributed manufacturing systems

This paper considers the problem of handling schedule disruptions in a distributed manufacturing system. When a cell controller reschedules a manufacturing cell in response to some disruption, it may disrupt the schedule at some other cell, because schedules at different cells may interact. In the approach we propose, a controller at a disrupted cell tries to reschedule in a way which is likely to be least disruptive to other cells' schedules, through negotiation with controllers at other cells. This approach, which we call "polite rescheduling", has the advantage of retaining much of the original schedule, while avoiding wide propagation of the disruption through the rest of the system. Simulation results show that a polite rescheduling algorithm helps isolate disruptions to a small subset of cells. >
The Ethics of Surgery: Conflicts and Controversies

Robert M. Sade, ed. The Ethics of Surgery: Conflicts and Controversies . Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2015. ISBN-10: 0190204532, ISBN-13: 978-0190204532. $99.00. ![Graphic][1] The vast majority of the surgeons are highly ethical and do “the right thing” (M. Edwards, personal communication, 2015). But what is the right thing? One principle has been unchanged for physicians over the centuries, the message of the Hippocratic Oath: always do what is best for the patient, and the patient comes first. This was true when physicians mainly offered comfort, support, house calls, and relief of pain. But what about now? Now technology is available that can keep a moribund patient alive for prolonged periods of time, costs are considerable, and resources are finite. In addition, family members now have the disruption and suffering of hopelessly seeing an elderly loved one intubated and under circulatory support, often with a small chance of recovery. Dr Robert Sade, a thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon, has long been interested in ethical issues that apply to problems seen in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. For more than 10 years, he has edited a section on “ethical issues” in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery . This book is a selection of the articles that Dr Sade has written or coauthored in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery or The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery . This book has two goals in the … Corresponding Author: Dr Luis O. Vasconez, 3381 Breton Circle NE, Brookhaven, GA 30319, USA. E-mail: lvasconez{at}uabmc.edu [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
System-on-a-chip processor synchronization support in hardware

For scalable-shared memory multiprocessor System-on-a-Chip implementations, synchronization overhead may cause catastrophic stalls in the system. Efficient improvements in the synchronization overhead in terms of latency, memory bandwidth, delay and scalability of the system involve a solution in hardware rather than in software. This paper presents a novel, efficient, small and very simple hardware unit that brings significant improvements in all of the above criteria: in an example, we reduce time spent for lock latency by a factor of 4.8, the worst-case execution of lock delay in a database application by a factor of more than 450. Furthermore, we developed a software architecture together with RTOS support to leverage our hardware mechanism. The worst-case simulation results of a client-server example on a four-processor system showed that our mechanism achieved an overall speedup of 27%.
Title VII and the First Amendment: Content-Neutral Regulation, Disparate Impact, and the "Reasonable Person"

The author posits a contextual analysis of harassing speech in the private workplace to balance the possible conflicting interests o f the First Amendment with Title VII. Relevant factors include the extent to which:(1) an employee has consented to a vigorous exchange of ideas by accepting a particular job, (2) the speech tends towards low value speech as contrasted with core political speech, and (3) the employee is a captive audience.A hostile environment theory of liability can be applied in a content-neutral manner to speech that is selectively directed to employees because o f their membership in a protected class. More difficult constitutional questions arise when liability rests on the disparate impact of undirected speech, because such liability must be based on the content of the speech.