cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial dysfunction and neuromuscular disease

Mitochondrial diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders with widely varying clinical features, due to defects in mitochondrial function. Involvement of both muscle and nerve is common in mitochondrial disease. In some cases, this involvement is subclinical or a minor part of a multisystem disorder, but myopathy and neuropathy are a major, often presenting, feature of a number of mitochondrial syndromes. In addition, mitochondrial dysfunction may play a role in a number of classic neuromuscular diseases. This article reviews the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in neuromuscular disease and discusses a rational approach to diagnosis and treatment of patients presenting with a neuromuscular syndrome due to mitochondrial disease.
The Use of a Positive Procedure to Increase Engagement On-Task and Decrease Challenging Behavior

The exhibition of stereotypic and self-injurious behavior (SIB) combined with a lack of work engagement makes it very difficult to place a person with severe disabilities in an integrated work environment. The purpose of this research was to examine use of a positive procedure to increase engagementon-task and reduce self-injurious slapping and stereotypicclo the smanipulation by a 46-year-old man with severe disabilities. A single-subject research design was used to examine the effects of the combined DRA-DRO (differential reinforcement of alternative behavior-differential reinforcement of other behavior) procedure in fostering more appropriate behavior. Following 30 years of institutionalization, the man was successfully integrated into community-based employment.
Setting the Stage: Research to Inform Interventions, Practice and Policy to Improve Women Veterans’ Health and Health Care

With increasing participation of women in the U.S. military, and more than 2.2 million U.S. women Veterans, the health and health care of military and Veteran women is an important Veterans Health Administration (VA) priority. The goal of this supplement is to disseminate new research findings; highlight research that can lead to improvements in care; and raise awareness of, stimulate interest in, and increase research about the health care of women Veterans and women in the military. The supplement was sponsored by the VA Health Services Research & Development Service (HSR&D) through the VA Women’s Health Research Consortium. Two previous supplements/special theme issues published in 2006 and 2011 focused on women Veterans’ research. We received a record number of manuscripts for this third and updated supplement (79) and we ultimately accepted 19 manuscripts. The quality of the research was outstanding. To adhere to publishing constraints, 16 manuscripts appear in this supplement, with the other three manuscripts being published in a regular issue of JGIM. This supplement addresses many women’s health issues that are emerging areas for the care of women Veterans. The research published herein will inform the care of women Veterans by general internists within and outside of the VA. We have organized the supplement based on six main topics identified in the 2010 VA agenda setting conference for women’s health research led by Yano et al. (2011).1
Variation in bioturbation with water depth on marine slopes: a study on the Little Bahamas Bank

Abstract Reconstructing the paleoceanography of intermediate-depth waters is dependent on sedimentary records preserved on marine slopes. But knowledge of bioturbation processes in such slope environments is much poorer than for the deep sea. In this study, 210 Pb profiles were measured for the upper ≈20 cm of sediment from five box cores taken on the slopes of the Bahamas in water depths ranging from 400 to 1500 m. These were compared with data from the Bahamas bank tops and from elsewhere to assess the rate and depth of mixing in the slope environment. Excess 210 Pb inventories are too high to explain by water-column decay of 226 Ra and are derived largely from atmospheric fallout. Down-core 210 Pb xs profiles show an upper zone where 210 Pb xs activities decrease exponentially with depth suggesting uniform mixing, and a lower zone with patchy 210 Pb values reflecting isolated burrows. In contrast to bank-top sediment which shows 210 Pb xs mixing to depths of ≈40 cm and mixing rates of >1000 cm2/kyr, mixing of 210 Pb on the slopes penetrates to only ≈8 cm with mixing rates of 210 Pb -derived mixing activity in ocean margin sediments: Diffusive versus nonlocal mixing. J. Mar. Res. 54, 1207–1227]. A simple model is used to assess the effects of mixing on typical Bahamian slope sediments which have deposition rates and compositions which vary dramatically in response to sea-level change. Proxy records such as δ 18 O are expected to be displaced by up to 0.8 kyr in bulk sediment. And individual sediment constituents may be moved by up to 2 kyr relative to one another. These mixing effects are reasonably small and may be safely ignored for some studies. But for high-resolution records, or studies where precise age control is important, bioturbation of slope sediments should be considered.
Morphometric properties of the posterior vaginal wall in women with pelvic organ prolapse.

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to analyze the morphometric properties of the posterior vaginal wall and compare the smooth muscle distribution in the posterior vaginal muscularis in women with and without pelvic organ prolapse. Study Design: Specimens were taken from the apex of the posterior vaginal wall after hysterectomy from 15 women with pelvic organ prolapse and from 8 healthy control subjects. Smooth muscle cells of the posterior vaginal wall were identified by immunohistochemistry with antibodies to smooth muscle α-actin. Morphometric analysis was performed on histologic cross-sections of the posterior vaginal wall to determine the fractional area of nonvascular smooth muscle in the muscularis. The innervation pattern of the vaginal wall was determined by use of S100 immunostaining. Statistical comparisons between two groups were conducted by a Student t test. Comparisons between multiple groups were conducted with a one-way analysis of variance followed by a post-hoc Student-Neuman-Keuls test. Results: The fractional area of nonvascular vaginal smooth muscle in the muscularis of women with posterior wall prolapse was significantly decreased compared with that of healthy control subjects. Nerve bundles were located in the deep vaginal muscularis and adventitia of the posterior vaginal wall. In women with posterior wall prolapse, nerve bundles were smaller and fewer in number. Conclusion: Morphologic features of the posterior vaginal wall are significantly altered in women with posterior wall prolapse compared with asymptomatic control subjects. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:1501-9.)
Adaptive steganography with increased embedding capacity for new generation of steganographic systems

Adaptive steganographic techniques have become a standard direction taken when striving to complicate the detection of secret communication. The consideration of cover image features when embedding information is an effort to insert digital media while keeping the visual and the statistical properties of the cover image intact. There are several such embedding methods in existence today, applicable for different formats of images and with contrasting approaches. In this paper, we propose a new adaptive embedding technique which alters the least significant bit layers of an image. This technique is driven by three separate functions: (1) Adaptive selection of locations to embed. (2) Adaptive selection of number of bits per pixel to embed. (3) Adaptive selection of manner in which the information is inserted. Through the application of sensitive median-based statistical estimation and a recorded account of actions taken, the proposed algorithms are able to provide the desired level of security, both visually and statistically. In comparison with other methods offering the same level of security, the new technique is able to offer a greater embedding capacity. In addition, for the sake of thorough investigation and fair comparison, we will introduce a new stego capacity measure which will offer a means of comparing steganography methods applied across different formats of images. Finally, this new algorithm is created with the intention of implementing a new visual communication system acknowledging low energy consumption and limited computationally related resources.
hnRNA size and processing as related to different DNA content in two dipterans: Drosophila and aedes

Abstract The size of hnRNA transcripts and the fraction of hnRNA that is converted to mRNA in cell lines of Drosophila melanogaster and Aedes albopictus are compared. Both insects belong to the order Diptera, but Aedes has a 5–6 fold larger genome than does Drosophila. The Aedes line produces significantly (2-2.5 fold) larger hnRNA than does the Drosophila line, even though the two cell lines grow under similar conditions and produce mRNA of the same size and sequence complexity. These data suggest that within a given taxonomic order, the size of hnRNA increases with increasing genome size. The fraction of hnRNA converted to mRNA [cytoplasmic poly(A) + RNA] has been measured for the two cell types by comparing initial rates of labeling of hnRNA with initial rates of appearance of labeled mRNA in the cytoplasm. While 20% of the Drosophila hnRNA is converted to mRNA, only 3.3% of the Aedes hnNRA is converted to mrRNA. The poly(A) content of the hnRNA from the two species is also different; Drosophila hnRNA has approximately three times as much poly(A) as does Aedes hnRNA. The data show—at least for these two species—that the average amount of hnRNA transcribed relative to the amount of mRNA formed increases as genome size increases. The data are consistent with the interpretation that more DNA is transcribed into hnRNA in Aedes, the organism with the larger genome, than in Drosophila.
American Measurement: Refining Cups and Spoons for Scientific Cooking in the Late 19th–Early 20th Century

Scientific cooking, which offered reliable results from standardized recipes, required exact measuring. The cup measure was a portion of an old official ale measure, but the teaspoon and tablespoon evolved from common cooking and eating utensils. Several versions of equivalents developed and were in use by the late 19th century. In 1915 the U.S. Bureau of Standards officially codified the amounts, but, as late as 1948, measuring utensils available for purchase were not necessarily accurate.
On the mapping of multivariate geophysical fields: Error and variability subspace estimates

A basis is outlined for the first-guess spatial mapping of three-dimensional multivariate and multiscale geophysical fields and their dominant errors. The a priori error statistics are characterized by covariance matrices and the mapping obtained by solving a minimum-error-variance estimation problem. The size of the problem is reduced efficiently by focusing on the error subspace, here the dominant eigendecomposition of the a priori error covariance. The first estimate of this a priori error subspace is constructed in two parts. For the ‘observed’ portions of the subspace, the covariance of the a priori missing variability is directly specified and eigendecomposed. For the ‘non-observed’ portions, an ensemble of adjustment dynamical integrations is utilized, building the non-observed covariances in statistical accord with the observed ones. This error subspace construction is exemplified and studied in a Middle Atlantic Bight simulation and in the eastern Mediterranean. Its use allows an accurate, global, multiscale and multivariate, three-dimensional analysis of primitive-equation fields and their errors, in real time. The a posteriori error covariance is computed and indicates complex data-variability influences. The error and variability subspaces obtained can also confirm or reveal the features of dominant variability, such as the Ierapetra Eddy in the Levantine basin.
Late Cenozoic Mesa Basalt Sheet in Northwestern United States

Numerous occurrences of late Cenozoic (Late Pliocene or early Quaternary) diktytaxitic, olivine basalt in Oregon, northeastern California, northwestern Nevada and southwestern Idaho are interpreted as remnants of a regionally extensive, thin basalt sheet, manifesting a single volcanic event of vast magnitude.
The politics of multiculturalism : pluralism and citizenship in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia

Few challenges to the modern dream of democratic citizenship appear greater than the presence of severe ethnic, religious, and linguistic divisions in society. With their diverse religions and ethnic communities, the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia have grappled with this problem since achieving independence after World War II. Each country has on occasion been torn by violence over the proper terms for accommodating pluralism. Until the Asian economic crisis of 1997, however, these nations also enjoyed one of the most sustained economic expansions the non-Western world has ever seen. This volume brings together 15 leading specialists of the region to consider the impact of two generations of nation-building and market-making on pluralism and citizenship in these deeply divided Asian societies. Examining the new face of pluralism from the perspective of markets, politics, gender, and religion, the studies show that each country has developed a strikingly different response to the challenges of citizenship and diversity. The contributors, most of whom come Southeast Asia, pay particular attention to the tension between state and societal approaches to citizenship. They suggest that the achievement of an effectively participatory public sphere in these countries will depend not only on the presence of an independent "civil society," but on a synergy of state and society that nurtures a public culture capable of mediating ethnic, religious, and gender divides. "The Politics of Multiculturalism" should be of special interest to students of Southeast Asian history and society, anthropologists grappling with questions of citizenship and culture, political scientists studying democracy across cultures, and all readers concerned with the prospects for civility and tolerance in a multicultural world.
Google: or how I learned to love terabytes

Search is one of the most important applications used on the internet, but it also poses some of the most interesting challenges in computer science. Providing high-quality search requires understanding across a wide range of computer science disciplines, from lower-level systems issues like computer architecture and distributed systems to applied areas like information retrieval, machine learning, data mining, and user interface design.In this talk I'll share some interesting observations and measurements obtained at Google, and will illustrate the behind-the-scenes pieces of infrastructure (both hardware and software) that we've built in order to extract this information from many terabytes of data.
Transcriptome Changes Induced by Epstein-Barr Virus LMP1 and LMP2A in Transgenic Lymphocytes and Lymphoma

ABSTRACT Latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) and LMP2A affect cell growth in both epithelial cells and lymphocytes. In this study, the effects on cellular gene expression were determined by microarray analysis of transgenic mice expressing LMP1, LMP2A, or both using the immunoglobulin heavy chain promoter and enhancer. Large differential changes were detected, indicating that LMP1 and LMP2A can both potently affect host gene transcription, inducing distinct transcriptional profiles. Seventy percent of the changes detected in LMP1/2A doubly transgenic lymphocytes were also modulated by LMP1 or LMP2A alone. These common and unique expression changes indicate that the combined effects of LMP1 and LMP2A may be additive, synergistic, or inhibitory. Using significant pathway analysis, the expression changes detected in LMP1, LMP2A, and LMP1/2A transgenic B lymphocytes were predicted to commonly target cancer and inflammatory pathways. Additionally, using the correlation coefficient to calculate the regulation of known c-Rel and Stat3 transcriptional targets, both were found to be enhanced in LMP1 lymphocytes and lymphomas, and a selection of Stat3 targets was further evaluated and confirmed using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). Analyses of the effects on cell growth and viability revealed that LMP2A transgenic lymphocytes had the greatest enhanced viability in vitro ; however, doubly transgenic lymphocytes (LMP1/2A) did not have enhanced survival in culture and these mice were similar to negative littermates. These findings indicate that the combined expression of LMP1 and LMP2A has potentially different biological outcomes than when the two proteins are expressed individually. IMPORTANCE The Epstein-Barr virus proteins latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) and LMP2A have potent effects on cell growth. In transgenic mice that express these proteins in B lymphocytes, the cell growth and survival properties are also affected. LMP1 transgenic mice have increased development of lymphoma, and the LMP1 lymphocytes have increased viability in culture. LMP2A transgenic lymphocytes have altered B cell development and enhanced survival. In this study, analysis of the cellular gene expression changes in transgenic LMP1 and LMP2A lymphocytes and LMP1 lymphomas revealed that both transgenes individually and in combination affected pathways important for the development of cancer and inflammation. Importantly, the combined expression of the two proteins had unique effects on cellular expression and cell viability. This is the first study to look at the combined effects of LMP1 and LMP2A on global changes in host gene expression.
Vasoactive intestinal peptide: a novel stimulator of steroidogenesis by cultured rat granulosa cells

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and VIPergic nerve fibers are present in the ovaries of several mammalian species, suggesting a possible ovarian action of VIP. We have investigated the direct effects of synthetic porcine VIP on rat granulosa cell steroidogenesis in vitro. The cells were obtained from immature, hypophysectomized, estrogen-primed rats, and cultured in a serum-free medium for 24 h in the absence or presence of varying amounts of VIP. Medium steroids were then determined by specific radioimmunoassay. Vasoactive intestinal peptide dose-dependently stimulated progesterone, 20 alpha-hydroxypregn-4-ene-3-one (20 alpha-OH-progesterone), and estrogen production with an approximate ED50 value of 3 X 10(-8) M. Maximum steroid production induced by VIP ranged from 15% to 28% of that seen with maximal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulation. In contrast to the ability of FSH to induce luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor formation, treatment with VIP did not increase [125I]iodo-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) binding to granulosa cells. The ability of several gastrointestinal peptides, having 17-44% sequence identity to VIP, to stimulate granulosa cell steroidogenesis was also tested. The most closely related peptide, PHM-27 was less effective than VIP, and the least closely related, secretin and glucagon, were ineffective at 10(-6) M. Vasoactive intestinal peptide seems to act at least partly through cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent processes: addition of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor significantly potentiated the VIP stimulation of granulosa cell steroidogenesis, and VIP was capable of producing a dose- and time-dependent increase in both intracellular and medium cAMP levels. Vasoactive intestinal peptide stimulation of estrogen production seemed to be a result of increased aromatase activity. The increased progesterone production was associated with increased pregnenolone production, increased rate of conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone via 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and decreased metabolism of progesterone via 20 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. These results indicate that VIP exerts a specific action on granulosa cells to increase estrogen and progestin production. The observed direct effects of VIP, coupled with its identification in the ovary, suggest that VIP may be a physiologically important regulator of ovarian activity.
Nubenocephalus nickoli n. sp. and Nubenocephalus xunantunichensis n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida: Actinocephalidae) Parasitizing Damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera) in Belize, Central America

Two new species of Nubenocephalus (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida: Actinocephalidae) are described from adult damselflies sampled in Cayo District, Belize, Central America. Nubenocephalus nickoli n. sp. is described from the American Rubyspot damselfly, Hetaerina americana, and the Smoky Rubyspot damselfly, Hetaerina titia (Odonata: Zygoptera: Hetaerinidae), and Nubenocephalus xunantunichensis n. sp. is described from the Comanche Dancer, Argia chelata (Odonata: Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). New, complete morphological data sets are reported for populations of Nubenocephalus nebraskensis and Nubenocephalus secundus, and a complete, synoptic reevaluation of diagnostic morphological characters used to discriminate species within Nubenocephalus is presented for all known species of the genus in the New World. Nubenocephalus nebraskensis is reported from Argia apicalis for the first time.
Impact of Rearing Conditions on the Microbiological Quality of Raw Retail Poultry Meat

There is a gap in knowledge of microbiological quality in raw chicken products produced by nonconventional methods and no studies have reported the microbiological quality of turkeys produced under different rearing environments. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the microbiological quality of conventionally and organically reared whole chicken and turkey carcasses purchased from 3 retail outlets in Knoxville, Tenn., U.S.A. A total of 100 raw broiler chickens organically (n = 50) and 50 raw turkey carcasses consisting of 3 brands reared either conventionally (n = 25) or organically (n = 25) were evaluated. The FDA BAM protocol for rinsing poultry carcasses was used to enumerate of aerobic bacteria, Campylobacter, and Staphylococcus spp., and for qualitative analysis of Salmonella. Organic chickens from one brand had the highest average counts of aerobic bacteria, Staphylococcus spp. and Campylobacter (4.8, 4.8, and 4.7 Log10 CFU/mL rinsate, respectively) while the other organic brand had the lowest average counts (3.4, 3.3, and 3.1, respectively) of all 4 brands evaluated. The organic turkeys had the highest average counts of these same bacteria (4, 3.9, and 3.8, respectively) compared to the 2 brands of conventional turkeys evaluated. Salmonella (5% prevalence) was isolated only from organic chickens and turkeys. From these data, it appears that the microbiological quality of the raw product was not dependent on rearing conditions and, thus, it cannot be assumed that organic raw poultry is safer than conventionally raised poultry in terms of microbiological quality. Practical Application Our data support other published studies demonstrating that organic and free-range pasture chickens are not superior in terms of microbiological quality. In addition, our study examined organic turkeys, which has not been previously studied, and also found raw organic turkey meat does not have improved microbiological quality compared to conventionally raised turkeys. Thus, the data collected in this study implies that microbiological quality of raw chicken and turkeys is not a function of production and rearing practices and that raw organic chicken and turkey products should not be considered safer in terms of microbiological quality.
Corn stand and yield loss from seedling injury by southern corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Southern corn rootworm, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber, can cause severe stand loss in reduced tillage corn after a vetch cover crop. Trials conducted over 3 yr found that clothianidin and thiamethoxam neonicotinoid seed treatments and conventional granular insecticides applied in-furrow or as a T-band were very effective against southern corn rootworm. Treatments were categorized as no control (untreated), partial control, and full control based on the extent of seedling injury. In 2 yr, damaged plants were individually marked and their survival, tiller (i.e., secondary stem) production, and ear and grain weight measured. About one-half of plants injured by larvae produced a tiller, with most plants producing tillers within 30 d after planting. All dead-hearted plants not producing a tiller died and were not evident by mid-season. In no control plots with severe damage, healthy plants produced more ears per plant and secondarily more grain weight per plant than healthy plants in full control plots. Plants with early tillers in no control produced ≈38% of the grain weight of healthy plants compared with only ≈6% in full control plots, whereas plants with late tillers in no control plots produced <10% of the grain weight of healthy plants and produced no grain in full control plots. Therefore, in stands with severe seedling damage, remaining healthy plants and damaged plants producing a tiller within 30 d of planting responded to lower plant population by producing more ears and grain per plant. However, in full control plots with low levels of damage, damaged plants producing a tiller often persisted until harvest but produced very little grain thereby acting as weeds with the stand.
The impact of the MARS curriculum on students' ability to coordinate theory and evidence

The Model-Assisted Reasoning in Science (MARS) project seeks to promote model-centered instruction as a means of improving middle-school science education. As part of the evaluation of the sixth-grade curriculum, performance of MARS and non-MARS students was compared on a curriculum-neutral task. Fourteen students participated in structured interviews in which they experimented with a balance apparatus that provided three manipulable variables (two affected balance, one was a non-causal distractor variable). Although both groups were equally able to identify and test variables, all MARS students discovered a quantitative rule to describe the operation of the balance, whereas only one non-MARS student did so. MARS students discovered this numerical relationship through experimentation, regardless of their scientific reasoning profile (i.e. theory-generating, theory-modifying, or theory-preserving). The critical components of MARS instruction that may foster the ability to flexibly coordinate theory and evidence include multiple opportunities to draw conclusions from data and an emphasis on the successive refinement of models.
PROPERTY AND JUSTICE

When we’re trying to articulate principles of justice that we have reason to take seriously in a world like ours, one way to start is with an understanding of what our world is like, and of which institutional frameworks promote our thriving in communities and which do not. If we start this way, we can sort out alleged principles of justice by asking which ones license mutual expectations that promote our thriving and which ones do otherwise. This is an essay in the how and why of nonideal theory: in particular, how and why principles of property come first and principles of justice second. Ownership conventions, and property law as it develops under the pressures of case by case dispute resolution, tend to become touchstones for conflict mediation down through generations. They may be imperfect, retaining vestiges of adaptations to ancient problems that no longer exist, yet still they work, coordinating expectations so as to make it easier for people to live well together. A priori reasons for endorsing principles of justice generally are not good enough. A good enough reason would be something like this: to endorse this way of applying this principle in this kind of circumstance is to support institutional frameworks that position us to play positive sum games.
Development of a laser diagnostic system at PBFA II for light-ion-beam research

A Nd:YAG laser system is under development at the BPFA II. Diagnostic applications of the system will include the time- and space-resolved holographic interferometry of anode and cathode plasmas, as well as plasmas associated with light-ion-driven hydrodynamic targets. A further development may include an X-ray backlighting capability. Experiments on PBFA II that will expand on data obtained previously on Proto I are being prepared, motivated by an interpretation of results on anode and cathode plasma evolution in Proto-I experiments. The results are relevant in that the diode geometry (barrel type), applied-B, and flashover anode sources are similar to those being studied on PBFA II. Experiments on PBFA II will attempt to probe higher plasma densities, since it is believed that their behavior is correlated with high divergence in ion beam diodes. >
An Experiment for Determining the VLF Permittivity of Deep Antarctic Ice

An experiment that has been designed to yield the dielectric and loss properties of the ice cap near Byrd Station, Antarctica, in the very low-frequency range, subsequent to proper interpretation of the input admittance of an electrically short dipole probe, is described. The probe is lowered into a deep drill hole, together with appropriate measuring and telemetering equipment, in order that the parameters of interest may be recorded as functions of vertical depth and frequency. The motivation for such an experiment is discussed and the environmental conditions described, insofar as they restrict the kinds of experimental procedures that can be carried out with reasonable safety and economy. The measurement technique itself is outlined, together with some background material concerning the use of a dipole antenna as a probe for exploring the properties of the medium in which it is immersed. Also discussed is a related experiment performed to provide a check on the method. It involved the use of the same probe and instrumentation to measure the complex permittivity of sawdust, a lossy dielectric material. The results are shown to be in good agreement with those obtained by a more conventional laboratcry method.
Natural variation in a testosterone-mediated trade-off between mating effort and parental effort.

Abstract: Male birds frequently face a trade‐off between acquiring mates and caring for offspring. Hormone manipulation studies indicate that testosterone often mediates this trade‐off, increasing mating effort while decreasing parental effort. Little is known, however, about individual covariation between testosterone and relevant behavior on which selection might act. Using wild, male dark‐eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), we measured individual variation in testosterone levels before and after standardized injections of gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH). The GnRH challenges have been shown to produce short‐term testosterone increases that are similar to those produced naturally in response to social stimuli, repeatable in magnitude, and greater in males with more attractive ornaments. We correlated these testosterone increases with behavioral measures of mating and parental effort (aggressive response to a simulated territorial intrusion and nestling feeding, respectively). Males that showed higher pos...
Bistatic synthetic aperture radar imaging using wide-bandwidth continuous-wave sources

Monostatic and bistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging systems with Wide-Bandwidth Continuous-Wave (WB-CW) sources have been utilized for military reconnaissance. WB-CW sources are less susceptible than FM-CW sources to Electronic Counter Measures (ECM). The main shortcoming of the WB-CW microwave illumination is that its resultant SAR echoed signal is not composed of distinct Doppler spreading around specific tones; this creates difficulties to formulate the image formation in the WB-CW SAR systems via the conventional pulse or FM-CW SAR imaging algorithms. The current paper outlines a Time Domain Correlation (TDC) processing method and a Fourier-based processing method for image formation in WB-CW monostatic and bistatic SAR systems. Results are provided.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The making of multimedia power systems control and simulation labware

This paper discusses the development of a multimedia, PC-based, hydro-electric power generation system simulator to interface, via real-time data acquisition and control, to programmable logic controllers. The project is ongoing. The paper discusses the simulator design and operational modes. It also discusses lessons learned in this rapidly evolving area of advanced instructional technology. A World Wide Web page was created that contains additional material showing the user interface.
Parameter estimation for a class of stochastic differential equations driven by small stable noises from discrete observations

Abstract We study the least squares estimation of drift parameters for a class of stochastic differential equations driven by small α-stable noises, observed at n regularly spaced time points t i = i/n, i = 1, …, n on [0,1]. Under some regularity conditions, we obtain the consistency and the rate of convergence of the least squares estimator (LSE) when a small dispersion parameter ɛ → 0 and n → ∞ simultaneously. The asymptotic distribution of the LSE in our setting is shown to be stable, which is completely different from the classical cases where asymptotic distributions are normal.
Estimating Intrinsic Component Images using Non-Linear Regression

Images can be represented as the composition of multiple intrinsic component images, such as shading, albedo, and noise images. In this paper, we present a method for estimating intrinsic component images from a single image, which we apply to the problems of estimating shading and albedo images and image denoising. Our method is based on learning estimators that predict filtered versions of the desired image. Unlike previous approaches, our method does not require unnatural discretizations of the problem. We also demonstrate how to learn a weighting function that properly weights the local estimates when constructing the estimated image. For shading estimation, we introduce a new training set of real-world images. The accuracy of our method is measured both qualitatively and quantitatively, showing better performance on the shading/albedo separation problem than previous approaches. The performance on denoising is competitive with the current state of the art.
Involuntary experiencing and the performance of hypnotic test suggestions.

Abstract This experimental study examined 2 questions: (a) Does the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A) tap the “classic suggestion effect” and (b) does the wording of postexperimental questions bias subjective reports of hypnotic subjects? Results indicated that a significant minority of individuals who “passed” test suggestions by objective behavioral criteria reported performance as occurring voluntarily, and participants who “failed” test suggestions reported performance of behaviors as occurring involuntarily. Participants' reports of the involuntariness of their experience during performance of hypnotic test suggestions were not significantly influenced by the wording of questions. Implications of these findings for experimental research and clinical practice are discussed.
Assets and Debts in a Consumer Portfolio

Data from the 1977–78 Survey of Consumer Credit provide the opportunity to estimate demand functions for owned housing, home mortgages, car stocks, car debts, and other debts in the context of a portfolio model with both own- and cross-partial adjustments. Consequently, information is gained as to how households adjust their demands for owned housing, mortgage, car stocks, car loans, and other debts in response to disequilibria in their asset and debt portfolio. Married with spouse present, female headed, and black families are studied separately. Income, life-cycle, and family size effects are estimated as well as the speeds of adjustment to various disequilibria.
Colutellin A, an immunosuppressive peptide from Colletotrichum dematium.

Colletotrichum dematium is an endophytic fungus recovered from a Pteromischum sp. growing in a tropical forest in Costa Rica. This fungus makes a novel peptide antimycotic, colutellin A, with a MIC of 3.6 μg ml−1 (48 h) against Botrytis cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Collutellin A has a mass of 1127.7 Da and contains residues of Ile, Val, Ser, N-methyl-Val and β-aminoisobutryic acid in nominal molar ratios of 3 : 2 : 1 : 1 : 1, respectively. Independent lines of evidence suggest that the peptide is cyclic and sequences of Val-Ile-Ser-Ile and Ile-Pro-Val have been deduced by MS/MS as well as Edman degradation methods. Colutellin A inhibited CD4+ T-cell activation of interleukin 2 (IL-2) production with an IC50 of 167.3±0.38 nM, whereas cyclosporin A in the same test yielded a value of 61.8 nM. Inhibition of IL-2 production by collutellin A at such a low concentration indicates the potential immunosuppressive activity of this compound. In repeated experiments, cyclosporin A at or above 8 μg ml−1 exhibited high levels of cytotoxicity on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, whereas collutellin A or DMSO (carrier) alone, after 24 and 48 h of culture, exhibited no toxicity. Because of these properties collutellin A has potential as a novel immunosuppressive drug.
The significance of bronchiectasis associated with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Abstract 1.1. The concepts of the pathogenesis of tuberculous bronchiectasis are discussed. 2.2. Tuberculous endobronchitis associated with bronchiectasis is a cause of recurring hemoptysis and positive sputum, especially after respiratory infections. 3.3. Dense fibrosis in bronchiectatic areas may sequester tubercle bacilli which may not be eradicated or modified by chemotherapeutic agents. 4.4. Tuberculous bronchiectasis was an important cause for failures in pneumothorax treatment and primary thoracoplasties. 5.5. Segmental resection is now an accepted surgical procedure. Careful appraisal of the involved lobe by planigrams and bronchograms is indicated prior to segmental resection in order to avoid complications associated with the type of tuberculous bronchiectasis which approaches dangerously near the intersegmental plane of dissection. 6.6. Five patients are reported in whom new cavitary disease with communicating dilated bronchi developed in the segmental plane of a previous segmental resection. Four were associated with bacteriologic relapse and one was resected because of hemorrhage.
Crustal Low-Velocity Layer and Regional Extension in Basin and Range Province

Some hypotheses of Basin and Range horst and graben structure infer a regional extension layer at shallow crustal depths. Geophysical evidence for a crustal low-velocity zone, in conjunction with geological data, indicate that decreased rigidity of the seismologically discernable zone explains postulated regional extension.
Post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus presenting as cauda equina syndrome in a patient with spinal dysraphism

Hydrocephalus has varied presentations in patients with a history of spinal dysraphism. This is a unique case of post-subarachnoid hemorrhage hydrocephalus presenting as cauda equina syndrome. We report on a 32-year-old woman with remotely repaired spinal defect who experienced subarachnoid hemorrhage and underwent anterior communicating artery aneurysm clipping. Post-operatively, she developed urinary and fecal incontinence as the sole presenting symptom of communicating post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus. New neurological deficits in this population can also be attributed to recurrent cord tethering or syrinx, both of which were demonstrated on her lumbar spine MRI, but her incontinence resolved with external ventricular drain placement and cerebrospinal fluid diversion. There are few case reports of patients with closed neural tube defects and hydrocephalus and none in the adult population to our knowledge. Neurological change in patients with any history of spinal dysraphism may reflect altered cerebrospinal fluid dynamics affecting either end of the neuraxis.
Ferromagnetic domain behavior and phase transition in bilayer manganites investigated at the nanoscale

Understanding the underlying mechanism and phenomenology of colossal magnetoresistance in manganites has largely focused on atomic and nanoscale physics such as double exchange, phase separation, and charge order. Here we consider a more macroscopic view of manganite materials physics, reporting on the ferromagnetic domain behavior in a bilayer manganite sample with a nominal composition of ${\text{La}}_{2\ensuremath{-}2x}{\text{Sr}}_{1+2x}{\text{Mn}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$ with $x=0.38$, studied using in situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. The role of magnetocrystalline anisotropy on the structure of domain walls was elucidated. Upon cooling, the magnetic domain contrast was seen to appear first at the Curie temperature within the a-b plane. With further reduction in temperature, the change in area fraction of magnetic domains was used to estimate the critical exponent describing the ferromagnetic phase transition. The ferromagnetic phase transition was accompanied by a distinctive nanoscale granular contrast close to the Curie temperature, which we infer to be related to the presence of ferromagnetic nanoclusters in a paramagnetic matrix, which has not yet been reported in bilayer manganites.
Recurrent cholesteatoma with massive extension to temporoparietal scalp: case report and literature review.

Background Cholesteatomas are locally destructive collections of epithelial debris arising from temporal bone squamous epithelium. Recurrences may occur after removal and are typically located within the temporal bone. Objective This study aimed to report a case of a massive, recurrent cholesteatoma with extension to temporoparietal scalp in a 37-year-old woman. Methods Case report with literature review. Results The patient underwent complete excision of a well-circumscribed left temporal mass, intraoperatively identified to arise from the middle ear and to contain keratin debris. Conclusion We report a case of recurrent cholesteatoma with massive extension to temporoparietal scalp. Clinical suspicion of recurrent cholesteatoma should remain in the differential diagnosis of temporal mass with prior history of cholesteatoma.
Impact of antenatal dietary education and supplementation on maternal and infant health outcomes

Antenatal dietary education appears to decrease the rate of preterm birth and increase infant birth weight among undernourished women. Providing balanced energy and protein supplements to pregnant women decreases the risk of stillbirth, low birth weight, and having an infant that is small for gestational age (number needed to treat [NNT] = 28).
A suture suspension technique for improved repair of a crooked nose deformity.

Figure ]. A: After the deflected dorsal segment of the septum is separated vertically from the remainder of the septum, a 3.0-mm Skeeter drill is used to create two small holes in the nasal bone on the side opposite the direction of the deflection. B: The ends of the separated septum are sutured into position with a horizontal mattress suture that is passed through the holes in the nasal bones. A unilateral spreader graft is then placed tc provide additional support.
Perceived electoral malfeasance and resentment over the election of Barack Obama

Controversies over voting outcomes, and subsequent laws to seemingly curb irregularities, have led to increased scrutiny over the process of voting day activities. While studies find evidence that majorities perceive rampant fraud, the explanations for these opinions have mainly pointed to political predispositions, largely ignoring the influence of racial attitudes. We propose that contemporary opinions on electoral malfeasance are shaped by the context of a popularly elected African American president, Barack Obama, and subsequent racial resentments. Analyses of data from the 2010 Cooperative Congressional Election Study reveals that racial resentment significantly predicts higher perceiver electoral malfeasance, even after controlling for political predispositions. Surprisingly, significant racial resentment effects exist among both Obama and McCain supporters, and these effects are strongest among those who perceived Obama won because of his race. Our results highlight the hyper racialized spill-over effects into judgements about the political system.
Rationality and Coalition Formation Experiments

A primary purpose of the theory of games (von Neumann & Morgenstern, 1947) is to develop criteria for rational behavior in group situations that involve partial or total conflict of interests between two or more players. When the interests of the players are partially opposed and partially coincident, the term “rationality” is far from precise as is evident, for example, in the Prisoner’s Dilemma game (Luce & Raiffa, 1957) in which two or more players, in pursuing their own ends, are forced into a mutually undesirable position. It is commonly agreed that there is no point in insisting on a single definition of “rationality”, nor is there a reason for lamenting the impreciseness of this term. Paradoxically, it is that impreciseness that has enhanced our understanding of the logical structure of conflict situations by motivating the development of a multitude of mathematical models, each of which provides a different explication of “rational behavior.”
Biomechanics of coupled motion in the cervical spine during simulated whiplash in patients with pre-existing cervical or lumbar spinal fusion: A Finite Element Study.

Objectives Loss of motion following spine segment fusion results in increased strain in the adjacent motion segments. However, to date, studies on the biomechanics of the cervical spine have not assessed the role of coupled motions in the lumbar spine. Accordingly, we investigated the biomechanics of the cervical spine following cervical fusion and lumbar fusion during simulated whiplash using a whole-human finite element (FE) model to simulate coupled motions of the spine. Methods A previously validated FE model of the human body in the driver-occupant position was used to investigate cervical hyperextension injury. The cervical spine was subjected to simulated whiplash exposure in accordance with Euro NCAP (the European New Car Assessment Programme) testing using the whole human FE model. The coupled motions between the cervical spine and lumbar spine were assessed by evaluating the biomechanical effects of simulated cervical fusion and lumbar fusion. Results Peak anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL) strain ranged from 0.106 to 0.382 in a normal spine, and from 0.116 to 0.399 in a fused cervical spine. Strain increased from cranial to caudal levels. The mean strain increase in the motion segment immediately adjacent to the site of fusion from C2-C3 through C5-C6 was 26.1% and 50.8% following single- and two-level cervical fusion, respectively (p = 0.03, unpaired two-way t -test). Peak cervical strains following various lumbar-fusion procedures were 1.0% less than those seen in a healthy spine (p = 0.61, two-way ANOVA). Conclusion Cervical arthrodesis increases peak ALL strain in the adjacent motion segments. C3-4 experiences greater changes in strain than C6-7. Lumbar fusion did not have a significant effect on cervical spine strain. Cite this article : H. Huang, R. W. Nightingale, A. B. C. Dang. Biomechanics of coupled motion in the cervical spine during simulated whiplash in patients with pre-existing cervical or lumbar spinal fusion: A Finite Element Study. Bone Joint Res 2018;7:28–35. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.71.BJR-2017-0100.R1.