cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation and Optimization of a Three-Dimensional Construct Model for Equine Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon

Abstract Musculoskeletal injuries in equine athletes represent a leading cause for sport-induced and career-ending injuries because of slow or incomplete tendon repair creating clinical challenges in functional repair. Three-dimensional (3D) tendon constructs provide an in vitro model highly representative of in vivo tendon and provide an ideal strategy for testing therapies to improve tendon repair outcomes. Exploring different 3D construct protocols found in literature led us to consider the need for protocol optimization for horse superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) cells. The objective of this study was to assess both cell seeding density and seeding technique for equine SDFT 3D constructs by analyzing functionality and ultrastructure via biochemical, morphological, and mechanical characterization of engineered tendons under varying conditions of cell seeding density and seeding technique. Engineered tendons produced with varying cell seeding densities were assessed for their biochemical, collagen content, and fibril ultrastructure organization analysis. Although not statistically significant, using 300,000 cells per construct produced a more functionally and structurally reproducible construct as compared with 100,000 and 500,000 cells. A localized seeding method produced significantly stronger engineered tendons than those produced using a spread method as assessed by their biomechanical properties and collagen content. Collectively, our findings show evidence that although cell seeding number did not ultimately affect the construct, localized seeding method improved collagen content and mechanical properties for the model tendon. The tendon construct strategy described in this study is now being used as an initial “in vitro” step in the analysis of therapeutic strategies for equine tendon repair.
Watt-Level High Order Hermite-Gaussian and Laguerre-Gaussian Beams from Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers

A linear cavity vertical external cavity surface emitting laser is utilized for generation of Hermite-Gaussian and Laguerre-Gaussian transverse modes. The intracavity mode control along with an external astigmatic mode converter allows production of various Watt-level output power beams of high transverse order at ∼1070 nm.
Fetal Vascular Malperfusion

Fetal vascular malperfusion is the phrase that encompasses all mechanisms of restricted fetal blood flow from the placenta, through the umbilical cord, to the fetus, and vice versa. The most common group of mechanisms involves mechanical restriction of blood flow through the umbilical cord. Less common causes are those attributable to fetal blood hypercoagulability or impaired fetal cardiac function. High-grade features of fetal vascular malperfusion are associated with an increased risk of untoward fetal and neonatal outcome, including stillbirth, neonatal seizures, and long-term developmental deficits, most significantly those of neurodisability. Current preferred terminology for specific lesions is underscored.
Anticancer activity of pristimerin in ovarian carcinoma cells is mediated through the inhibition of prosurvival Akt/NF-κB/mTOR Signaling

Pristimerin isaquinonemethidetriterpenoidthathasshown anticancer activity against some cancer types. However, the antitumor effects of pristimerin (PM) in ovarian cancer cells have not been adequately studied. The objective of the present study was to determine the anticancer activity and its mechanism of action in human ovarian carcinoma cell lines. PM strongly inhibited the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells by inducing apoptosis characterized by increased annexin V-binding, cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1) and procaspases-3, -8 and -9. Furthermore, PM caused mitochondrial depolarization. Western blot analysis showed inhibition of prosurvival phospho-AKT (p-AKT), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) (p65) and phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) signaling proteins in cells treated with PM. Treatment with PM also inhibited the expression of NF-κB-regulated antiapoptotic Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, c-IAP1 and survivin. Thus, our data showing potent antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing activity of PM in ovarian carcinoma cells through the inhibition of AKT/ NF-κB/ mTOR signaling pathway warrant further investigation of PM for the management of ovarian cancer.
Design Obfuscation through Selective Post-Fabrication Transistor-Level Programming

Widespread adoption of the fabless business model and utilization of third-party foundries have increased the exposure of sensitive designs to security threats such as intellectual property (IP) theft and integrated circuit (IC) counterfeiting. As a result, concerted interest in various design obfuscation schemes for deterring reverse engineering and/or unauthorized reproduction and usage of ICs has surfaced. To this end, in this paper we present a novel mechanism for structurally obfuscating sensitive parts of a design through post-fabrication TRAnsistor-level Programming (TRAP). We introduce a transistor-level programmable fabric and we discuss its unique advantages towards design obfuscation, as well as a customized CAD framework for seamlessly integrating this fabric in an ASIC design flow. We theoretically analyze the complexity of attacking TRAP-obfuscated designs through both brute-force and intelligent SAT-based attacks and we present a silicon implementation of a platform for experimenting with TRAP. Effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated through selective obfuscation of various modules of a modern microprocessor design. Results corroborate that, as compared to an FPGA implementation, TRAP-based obfuscation offers superior resistance against both brute-force and oracle-guided SAT attacks, while incurring an order of magnitude less area, power and delay overhead.
Reconciling Pan-Arabism and Pan-Africanism: The North African Leadership Dilemma

The purpose of this research to examine the challenges Arab leaders face in simultaneously adhering to Pan-Arabism and Pan-Africanism and extract conditions in which the two ideologies can be reconciled to produce mutual benefits. This study poses the question: what strategies do North-African leaders deploy to balance their Pan-Arab and Pan-African commitments and what repercussions do these strategies have on the state of Arab-African relations? By drawing on two scenarios where Pan-Arabism and Pan-Africanism conflicted, namely the 1967-1979 Arab-Israeli Conflict and the 2011 Libyan civil war, it will highlight the role leadership can play in mediating such tensions. The study finds that it is only through the decrease of hegemonic pursuits and the increase in effective leadership processes both domestically and regionally that the two ideologies can coexist.
Supramolecular Assembly of U(IV) Clusters and Superatoms with Unconventional Countercations

Superatoms are nanometer-sized molecules or particles that form ordered lattices, mimicking their atomic counterparts. Hierarchical assembly of superatoms gives rise to emergent properties in latti...
Minimally Invasive Video-Assisted Right Superior Parathyroidectomy

In addition to conventional strategies for parathyroidectomy, endoscopic and video-assisted approaches have been developed to minimize pain, improve cosmesis, and enhance patient satisfaction. Endoscopic parathyroidectomy, first introduced by Gagner in 1996, was one of the earliest such innovations. Although techniques utilizing low-pressure continuous CO2 insufflation are not currently in widespread use, other endoscopic and remote-access parathyroid approaches have been hinged on this idea, including approaches from breast, axillary, and retroauricular entry points. Unfortunately, these require extensive dissection to reach the target site and have a protracted learning curve, long operative times, and potential risks related to CO2 absorption. This chapter describes a minimally invasive video-assisted right superior parathyroidectomy.
Reinforcement Learning for Cyber-Physical Systems

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), including smart industrial manufacturing, smart transportation, and smart grids, among others, are envisioned to convert traditionally isolated automated critical systems into modern interconnected intelligent systems via interconnected human, system, and physical assets, as well as providing significant economic and societal benefits. The characteristics of CPS include complexity, dynamic variability, and heterogeneity, arising from interactions between cyber and physical subsystems. These characteristics introduce critical challenges in addition to existing and vital safety and reliability requirements from traditional critical systems. To overcome these challenges, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) schemes, which have proven effective in numerous fields (robotics, automation, prediction, etc.), can be leveraged as solutions for CPS. In particular, reinforcement learning can make precise decisions automatically to maximize cumulative reward via systematic trial and error in an unknown environment. Yet, challenges still remain for integrating complex reinforcement learning systems with dynamic and diverse CPS domains. In this paper, we conduct a thorough investigation of existing research on reinforcement learning for CPS, and propose a framework for future research. In addition, we carry out two case studies on reinforcement learning in transportation CPS and industrial CPS to validate the effectiveness of reinforcement learning in targeted applications. Using realistic simulation platforms, we validate the effectiveness of reinforcement learning for decision making in routing for transportation CPS and production control for industrial CPS. Finally, we outline some future research challenges that remain.
Long-term outcomes of patients with unfavorable stage I–II classic Hodgkin lymphoma treated with Stanford V chemotherapy and limited field irradiation

Management of stage I–II unfavorable risk Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) strives to reduce toxicity while maintaining tumor control. Compared to ABVD or BEACOPP, Stanford V chemotherapy contains less doxoru...
Dopa decarboxylase is a genetic hub of parental control over offspring behavior

Dopa decarboxylase (DDC) regulates the synthesis of monoaminergic neurotransmitters and is linked to psychiatric and metabolic disorders. Ddc exhibits complex genomic imprinting effects that have not been functionally studied. Here, we investigate different noncanonical imprinting effects at the cellular level with a focus on Ddc. Using allele-specific reporter mice, we found Ddc exhibits dominant expression of the maternal allele in subpopulations of cells in 14 of 52 brain regions, and dominant paternal or maternal allele expression in adrenal cell subpopulations. Maternal versus paternal Ddc allele null mutations differentially affect offspring social, foraging and exploratory behaviors. Machine learning analyses of naturalistic foraging in Ddc-/+ and +/- offspring uncovered finite behavioral sequences controlled by the maternal versus paternal Ddc alleles. Additionally, parental Ddc genotype is revealed to affect behavior independent of offspring genotype. Thus, Ddc is a hub of maternal and paternal influence on behavior that mediates diverse imprinting and parental effects.
Lithium-film ceramics for solid-state lithionic devices

The search for alternatives to traditional Li-ion batteries has sparked interest in the chemistry and manufacturing of solid-state Li-ion conductors. Li-ion conductors are traditionally processed as millimetre-sized pellets using conventional ceramic-processing routes. However, in thin-film form, Li-ion conductors offer applications beyond energy storage, including artificial intelligence, in-memory computing and smart sensing. In this Review, we examine the chemistry and thin-film processing of Li oxides and discuss challenges and opportunities for the integration of Li-oxide films in microbatteries for energy storage, neuromorphic computation mimicking human-brain operations and sensors for toxins and greenhouse gases. Li oxides in thin-film form provide fast Li-ion movement and connected electronic-state changes, which improve energy and information density and increase cycle speed and endurance of Li-conductor-based devices. Finally, we provide a future vision of lithionic devices integrating Li-based ceramics for the design of microdevices beyond batteries. This Review discusses functional Li-ceramic films for lithionic-device applications, including energy storage, sensing and neuromorphic computing.
Male-derived copulatory plugs enhance implantation success in female Mus musculus.

Among a wide diversity of sexually reproducing species, male ejaculates coagulate to form what has been termed a copulatory plug. A number of functions have been attributed to copulatory plugs, including the inhibition of female remating and the promotion of ejaculate movement. Here we demonstrate that copulatory plugs also influence the likelihood of implantation, which occurs roughly 4 days after copulation in mice. Using a bead transfer method to control for differences in ejaculate retention and fertilization rates, we show that implantation rates significantly drop among females mated to genetically engineered males incapable of forming plugs (because they lack functional transglutaminase 4, the main enzyme responsible for its formation). Surprisingly, this result does not correlate with differences in circulating progesterone levels among females, an important hormone involved in implantation. We discuss three models that connect male-derived copulatory plugs to implantation success, including the hypothesis that plugs contribute to a threshold amount of stimulation required for females to become receptive to implantation.
Aggression and Its Causes : A Biopsychosocial Approach

Introduction PART I: BIOLOGICAL FACTORS IN AGGRESSION 1. Genetic, Sexual, and Hormonal Factors 2. Neural Bases 3. Neuropsychology and Human Aggression 4. Neurotransmitters and Drugs PART II: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS IN AGGRESSION 5. Eliciting Stimuli 6. Conditioning and Learning 7. Sociopsychological Factors 8. Media Influences PART III: PROBLEMS WITH AGGRESSION IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS 9. Delinquency in Minors 10. Physical and Sexual Abuse of Children 11. Wife Abuse and Rape of Women 12. Violence in Psychiatric Populations Postscript, References, Index
Why aren't we all hutterites? : Costly signaling theory and religious behavior.

In this paper I explore the psychology of ritual performance and present a simple graphical model that clarifies several issues in William Irons’s theory of religion as a “hard-to-fake” sign of commitment. Irons posits that religious behaviors or rituals serve as costly signals of an individual’s commitment to a religious group. Increased commitment among members of a religious group may facilitate intra-group cooperation, which is argued to be the primary adaptive benefit of religion. Here I propose a proximate explanation for how individuals are able to pay the short-term costs of ritual performance to achieve the long-term fitness benefits offered by religious groups. The model addresses three significant problems raised by Irons’s theory. First, the model explains why potential free-riders do not join religious groups even when there are significant net benefits that members of religious groups can achieve. Second, the model clarifies how costly a ritual must be to achieve stability and prevent potential free-riders from joining the religious group. Third, the model suggests why religious groups may require adherents to perform private rituals that are not observed by others. Several hypotheses generated from the model are also discussed.
Sexually Transmitted Infections, Sexual Behavior Change and the HIV/AIDS Epidemic

Forty million people are infected with HIV; twenty-nine million of them are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although the HIV pandemic has touched every country worldwide, there is enormous and largely unexplained variation in HIV rate across continents, and across countries within Africa. I flrst present existing evidence from the medical literature that untreated sexually transmitted infections and their associated genital ulcers dramatically increase HIV transmission rates. I then embed this into a model of sexual behavior that predicts HIV rates across countries using survey data. The model provides a remarkably good flt to the cross country picture of the epidemic. It indicates that difierences across continents are driven by difierences in transmission rates of the virus, but that difierences across countries within Africa can be fully attributed to difierences in risky sexual behavior and epidemic timing. The model is used to simulate interventions and evaluate their cost-efiectiveness. I flnd interventions that treat non-HIV sexually transmitted infections are more cost efiective than those designed to change sexual behavior, and cost as little $3.80 per life year. The results suggest that had 2002 expenditure on HIV interventions been optimally spent, over 40% of new infections could have been prevented.
Encoding volumetric grids for streaming isosurface extraction

Gridded volumetric data sets representing simulation or tomography output are commonly visualized by displaying a triangulated isosurface for a particular isovalue. When the grid is stored in a standard format, the entire volume must be loaded from disk, even though only a fraction of the grid cells may intersect the isosurface. We propose a compressed ondisk representation for regular volume grids that allows streaming, I/O-efficient, out-of-core isosurface extraction. Unlike previous methods, we provide a guaranteed bound on the ratio between the number of cells loaded and number of cells intersecting the isosurface that applies for any isovalue. As grid cells are decompressed, we immediately extract vertices and triangles of the isosurface. Our output is a coherent streaming mesh, which facilitates subsequent processing, including on-the-fly simplification and compression.
World-wide Professional Action

(1959). World-wide Professional Action. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 30, No. 8, pp. 24-56.
Effect of analgesic treatment on the physiological consequences of acute pain

Physiological responses to acute pain are described, and the effects of different analgesic techniques on these responses are discussed. The body's response to acute pain can cause adverse physiological effects. Pain can impede the return of normal pulmonary function, modify certain aspects of the stress response to injury, and alter hemodynamic values and cardiovascular function. It can produce immobility and contribute to thromboembolic complications. In addition, pain can slow a patient's recovery from surgery and contribute to increased morbidity. Fewer pulmonary complications occur when adequate analgesia is provided through the use of epidural narcotics and local anesthetics, particularly if the injury or surgery involves the lower part of the body. Continuous morphine infusions, intercostal nerve blocks, and transcutaneous electrical stimulation do not alter the frequency of pulmonary complications. The effectiveness of patient-controlled analgesia in reducing postoperative pulmonary complications is still not known. Epidural local anesthetic therapy inhibits the stress response, particularly in operations involving the lower abdomen or extremities; this technique is less effective during major abdominal procedures. Suppression of endocrine-metabolic changes following lower abdominal surgery requires neural block to the fourth thoracic segment. Epidural narcotics partially inhibit the stress response after lower abdominal or extremity surgery but not after upper abdominal or thoracic surgery. Local anesthetics applied to the surgical site, intercostal nerve blocks, and intrapleural and intraperitoneal administration also do not modify the stress response. Adequate analgesia through the use of local anesthetics and narcotics postoperatively generally results in improved cardiovascular function, decreased pulmonary morbidity and mortality, earlier ambulation, and decreased likelihood of deep vein thrombosis. Some data suggest that improved patient outcome occurs with adequate analgesia. Block of afferent and efferent neural pathways by local anesthetics seems to be the most effective analgesic modality in lessening the physiologic response to pain and injury.
Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in a patient with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a severe opportunistic infection of the central nervous system. A 52-year-old man with HIV infection, recently started on antiretroviral therapy, presented with symptoms of mental cloudiness, blurry vision and ataxia. MRI of the brain showed nodular perivascular space enhancement with surrounding vasogenic oedema and midline shift. A lumbar puncture revealed non-inflammatory cerebrospinal fluid and was positive for JC virus. As the patient developed worsening symptoms in the setting of initiation of antiretroviral therapy with immune recovery, a diagnosis of JC virus-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) was made. With recent literature on the use of CCR5 antagonist maraviroc in PML, our patient was started on maraviroc and noted to have improvement in PML IRIS. This is the first case of an HIV-positive patient successfully treated for PML IRIS with maraviroc, as verified by our literature review; also, our case has clinical implications in improving outcome in PML IRIS.
Enhanced delivery of cosmeceuticals by microdermabrasion

Summary Background Microdermabrasion (MDA) is one of the top five nonsurgical cosmetic procedures performed. It is a well-established technology with widespread applications in the cosmetic industry. Aims To investigate the effects of MDA on skin and delivery of cosmeceuticals. Methods The alternation of skin structure post-MDA was examined by histological sectioning and transepidermal water loss measurements. The effect of MDA treatment on skin permeation profiles of hydrophilic and lipophilic molecules was investigated by laser scanning confocal microscopy and in vitro permeation studies. Results Confocal images indicated different absorption profiles and permeation depths for hydrophilic and lipophilic molecules. Microdermabrasion enhanced the transdermal delivery of nicotinamide, the model hydrophilic compound employed. On the other hand, permeation of retinol, the model lipophilic compound, did not improve after treatment with MDA. When treated with 20 passes, the skin recovered from MDA induced changes in 4 days. Conclusion Permeation of cosmeceuticals into skin was found to be affected by their lipophilicity. Application of skin care products post-MDA therapy may be promising to improve their dermal uptake.
Uniformity of sugar beet growth in sunlit phytotron units

Abstract A biological test for uniformity of plant growth in response to environments was applied to three designs of large phytotron units in which sunlight was the principal variable. A six-fold range of sunlight exposures (plus incandescent light in one experiment) during a 12-week growing period produced sugar beet plants with coefficients of variability for different areas of the room generally less than 10% and comparable to values obtained outdoors. Controlled and uniform conditions of temperature, humidity, and air flow promoted good development of plants and generally greater growth than occurred simultaneously outdoors. In the range of illuminance values studied, from 29 to 102% of outdoors light exposure, growth indices of the widely spaced plants appeared more sensitive to temperature than to illuminance.
MELAS with recurrent complex partial seizures, nonconvulsive status epilepticus, psychosis, and behavioral disturbances: Case analysis with literature review

Mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and strokelike episodes (MELAS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with polygenetic, maternally inherited, mitochondrial DNA mutations. MELAS has multisystem presentation including neurological, muscular, endocrine, auditory, visual, cardiac, psychiatric, renal, gastrointestinal and dermatological symptoms. Clinical course and prognosis are variable, often leading to cognitive decline, disability, and premature death. Both convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) and nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) are reported with MELAS. This report illustrates a case of MELAS with recurrent complex partial seizures, NCSE, confusion, aggressive behaviors, hallucinations, and paranoid delusions. Rapid video/EEG confirmation of diagnosis and aggressive antiepileptic drug intervention are required. Further education of medical professionals regarding this disorder, its appropriate management, and the significance of NCSE is indicated to avoid delay of treatment.
Turkey and Israel: A new balance of power in the Middle East

This geopolitical odd couple has become quite intimate of late, Waxman writes, sharing intelligence, taking part in joint military maneuvers, and otherwise broadcasting their deepening strategic embrace. The relationship could transform the Middle East balance of power—and for the better.
Stochastic processes with a particular type of variograms

This paper is concerned with a class of stochastic processes or random fields with second-order increments, whose variograms have a particular form, among which stochastic processes having orthogonal increments on the real line form an important subclass. A natural issue, how big this subclass is, has not been explicitly addressed in the literature. As a solution, this paper characterizes a stochastic process having orthogonal increments on the real line in terms of its variogram or its construction. Our findings are a little bit surprising: this subclass is big in terms of the variogram, and on the other hand, it is relatively "small" according to a simple construction. In particular, every such process with Gaussian increments can be simply constructed from Brownian motion. Using the characterizations we obtain a series expansion of the stochastic process with orthogonal increments.
Single crystalline nanowires of lead: Large-scale synthesis, mechanistic studies, and transport measurements

A solution-phase, precursor method has been demonstrated for the large-scale synthesis of single crystalline nanowires of lead with uniform diameters in the range 50−90 nm and lengths up to several...
Nonadiabatic corrections to the van der Waals potential.

Closed-form expressions are derived for the finite-mass nonadiabatic corrections to the van der Waals potential in the electric-dipole approximations in terms of London-analog two-center atomic spectral sums. The nonadiabatic corrections to all orders at threshold energy and also those with first-order energy dependence are given.
Detection of d-aspartate in tau proteins associated with Alzheimer paired helical filaments

Abstract Paired helical filaments (PHF) characteristic of Alzheimer neurofibrillary lesions are known to contain a modified form of microtubule associated protein tau. These proteins, PHF-tau, differ from normal tau in the extent and the site of phosphorylation. To determine whether PHF-tau, tau proteins from normal adult brains (N-tau), tau proteins from Alzheimer brains not associated with PHF (A-tau), and tau proteins from fetal brains (F-tau) differ in racemization, these proteins were compared for their d -aspartate content. The results demonstrated that PHF-tau contain more d -aspartate than N-tau, A-tau and F-tau. The average percentage d -aspartate for these proteins, after a correction for background, are 4.9%, 2.8%, 1.6%, and 1% for PHF-tau, N-tau, A-tau and F-tau, respectively. It remains to be determined if the increase in d -aspartate is a consequence of PHF formation. It is also unknown if the change in d -aspartate content in PHF-tau is associated with phosphorylation, which alters the susceptibility of tau to proteolysis.
Effect of naloxone in experimental acute spinal cord injury

Naloxone, an opiate antagonist, has been reported to improve spinal cord blood flow and restore the neurological function of spinal cord in experimental animals. The present study investigated the short term effect of naloxone infusions in acute preparations. An impact of a 20-g weight dropped from 6 cm high was used to traumatize the thoracolumbar spinal cord in cats. Treatment was started immediately after trauma. The naloxone-treated cats received intrathecal (2 mg in 0.5 ml) as well as systemic (2-mg/kg bolus, 2 mg/kg/hour for 4 hours) doses of naloxone. In the control group, equal volumes of saline were administered. The physiological integrity of the spinal cord as measured by averaged spinal evoked potentials (SEPs) ceased immediately after trauma in both groups. No recovery of the SEP in response to sciatic nerve stimulation occurred in either group during the 4 hours of treatment and monitoring in this study.
Serotonin 1B Receptor Imaging in Alcohol Dependence

Results: Ventral striatal 5-HT1BR BPND values (2.01 .57% and 1.55 .09%, respectively; 29% between-group difference, p .006) were increased in AD compared with HC subjects. No influence of demographic or clinical variables or amount of injected radiotracer was observed. Conclusions: This study provides thefirst evidence that AD in humans is, like in rodent models, associated with increased levels of ventral striatal 5-HT1BRs.
The Area Coverage of Geophysical Fields as a Function of Sensor Field-of View

In many remote sensing studies of geophysical fields such as clouds, land cover, or sea ice characteristics, the fractional area coverage of the field in an image is estimated as the proportion of pixels that have the characteristic of interest (i.e., are part of the field) as determined by some thresholding operation. The effect of sensor field-of-view on this estimate is examined by modeling the unknown distribution of subpixel area fraction with the beta distribution, whose two parameters depend upon the true fractional area coverage, the pixel size, and the spatial structure of the geophysical field. Since it is often not possible to relate digital number, reflectance, or temperature to subpixel area fraction, the statistical models described are used to determine the effect of pixel size and thresholding operations on the estimate of area fraction for hypothetical geophysical fields. Examples are given for simulated cumuliform clouds and linear openings in sea ice, whose spatial structures are described by an exponential autocovariance function. It is shown that the rate and direction of change in total area fraction with changing pixel size depends on the true area fraction, the spatial structure, and the thresholding operation used.
Effects of Quadriceps and Hamstrings Ratio on ACL Strain During Landing Activities

Over 100,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur annually in the United States [1]. Of these, 70% are classified as non-contact, many of which occur subsequent to a landing from a jump [2]. While most agree that quadriceps (Q) and hamstrings (H) have a significant contribution in knee biomechanics, the role of quadriceps and hamstrings muscle loads and their ratio (Q/H) in ACL injury remains controversial. Understanding muscle recruitment in high risk activities may improve our knowledge of ACL injury mechanisms. Such insight may improve current prevention strategies to decrease the risk of ACL injury and damage to secondary anatomical structures, all of which may in turn minimize associated posttraumatic knee osteoarthritis. As in vivo quantification of muscle loads remains challenging, especially under dynamic conditions, validated finite element (FE) models of the knee can be used to characterize the role of muscle loads in ACL injury. FE analysis has provided considerable insight into knee joint biomechanics, including ligament function, ligament reconstruction technique and implant design. This study utilized a validated FE model of the knee joint to study the effects of quadriceps to hamstrings ratio (Q/H) on ACL strain during a simulated landing from a jump. We hypothesized that both the ratio and magnitude of muscle loads are critical determinants of ACL loading. Further, a threshold may be reached as the magnitude of quadriceps load exceeds hamstrings load.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Involving the middle‐level line managers in building strategic planning information

Describes how corporations have recently decided that development of strategic planning information can be improved through the involvement of lower‐level line managers in their planning process. Proposes a practical method for organising middle‐level line managers in sequential order so as to plan efficiently. Discusses some behavioural implications are discussed.
Crystallographic studies of a mitogenic lectin from pea seeds

Abstract A new crystal form of a mitogenic lectin from pea seeds ( Pisum sativum ) has been obtained which is suitable for high resolution structural work. The crystals are orthorhombic, space group P212121, with unit cell dimensions: a = 64.2A, b = 72. 7A, c = 108. 3A. The asymmetric unit contains one protein molecule.
Optimal foraging and sex ratio in parasitic wasps

Abstract Unlike many other animals whose sex ratios have been studied, parasitic wasps are able to determine the sex of their offspring. It is known that parasitic wasps sometimes produce different offspring sex ratios on different sized hosts. A model is constructed which includes the choice of accepting or rejecting a host as well as the choice of sex of offspring. The best reproductive strategy satisfies MacArthur's “product rule” for sex ratios and Charnov's “marginal value theorem” for optimal foraging. The model can be used to show that optimal sex ratio may vary with host density and size distribution.
Demonstration of a convergent approach to UV-polymerizable lipids bisDenPC and bisSorbPC

Lipids containing UV-polymerizable diene moieties, such as BisDenPC 1 and BisSorbPC 2, have been extremely useful for the construction of micelles and lipid bilayers. The published syntheses have yielded lipids with only a trimethylamine head group. We have improved the syntheses of these monomers by a convergent method employing the Chabrier reaction of trimethylamine with a cyclic phospholane. This method can be extended to a variety of dialkylamine derivatives.
Strangers in the Land: Social Relations in the Status Gap

Capetown, South Africa, January xs, 1949. One hundred dead, I,ooo injured and untold damage to property were estimated tonight as the outcome of the three-day communal clashes between natives and Indians in Durban and its suburbs. The majority of the casualties were sustained by the Indians. The outstanding feature of the rioting was that the white population was nowhere involved. The disturbing aspect of the riots is how and why they happened. Ostensibly, it all began with a rumor, later proved false, that a vendor in the Indian market had beaten and killed a small Negro boy. Thereupon the natives sought vengeance and violence bred more violence. Obviously, there must have been deeper causes, traceable partly to the general feeling of unrest among both whites and non-whites. (N. Y. Times, Sunday, January I6, 1949).
The Jewish Elements in the Gospels

T is often said that Jesus was substantially in agreement with the Pharisaic Judaism of his day, and that the separation of Christianity from Judaism resulted from the work of his followers, especially Paul. This notion is not certainly false, but the probabilities seem to be against it. To weigh the evidence we must first notice the nature of the Gospels. None is an account of Jesus' life. The authors had evidently no interest in doing what is nowadays expected of biographers. They give no description of the development of Jesus' character, nor the sources of his knowledge. They merely collect stories of the things he did and said, and only those stories which go to confirm their beliefs about him. Consequently the Jewish elements in the Gospels cannot be taken as equivalent to the Jewish elements in Jesus' life and teachings. They are rather the Jewish elements in some stories about Jesus which some later Christians found useful--some, not all, later Christians, for it seems likely that the Gospels were local products and reflect the interests of special groups within the Christian movement. Our information about Judaism, too, comes largely from a period somewhat later than Jesus' lifetime and reflects the interests of a special group of Jews. The variety and the extent of the movements which made up Judaism in the first century are not accurately known. Josephus, Philo and Christian writers on heresies indicate that there were many Jewish sects and at least one other Temple, in Egypt, competing with Jerusalem. Scattered references and archaeological material--especially the many magical amulets with Jewish words on them-suggest that there were many Jews and persons interested in Judaism whose religious beliefs and practices lay even outside the limits of the various sects, in the vague realm bounded by magic on one hand and philosophy on the other. But there is little certain and exact evidence from the first century as to the doctrines of any of the various sects, even of the Pharisees. Few decisions of teachers who flourished before A.D. 70 are cited in the legal discussions which have come down to us. This has been explained by the tradition that only after divisions of opinion multiplied did it become customary to report decisions in the names of the teachers who made them. But this
Partial thermodynamic properties of the TiN system

Abstract The partial thermodynamic functions of the TiN system over the temperature range from 1500 K to 3200 K have been investigated using appropriate thermodynamic constraints and congruent vaporization equilibria. The results are presented as the nitrogen isobars superimposed on the phase diagram. The discrepancy between the reported congruent vaporization compositions in the δ-TiN c single-phase region has been resolved. The Gibbs energies of solution of nitrogen dissolution in solid and liquid titanium are also determined with the assumption that nitrogen dissolution follows Sievert's law.
Microgravity research in NASA ground-based facilities

An overview of reduced gravity reasearch performed in NASA ground-based facilities sponsored by Microgravity Science and Applications Program of the NASA Office of Space Science and Applications is presented. A brief description and summary of the operations and capabilities of each of these facilities along with an overview of the historical usage of them is included. The goals and program elements of the Microgravity Science and Applications programs are described and the specific programs that utilize the low gravity facilities are identified. Results from two particular investigations in combustion (flame spread over solid fuels) and fluid physics (gas-liquid flows at microgravity conditions) are presented.
The behavior of midday auroras during substorms

Abstract The behavior of midday auroras during auroral substorms is examined on the basis of all-sky photographs taken from the South Pole station. It is indicated that the model of auroral substorms constructed by Starkov and Feldstein (1967) needs some modifications.
Associations of fitness and fatness with mortality in Russian and American men in the lipids research clinics study

OBEJECTIVE: To examine the relative size of the effects of fitness and fatness on mortality in Russian men, and to make comparison to US men. DESIGN: Prospective closed cohort. SUBJECTS: 1359 Russian men and 1716 US men aged 40–59?y at baseline (1972–1977) who were enrolled in the Lipids Research Clinics Study. SUBJECTS: Fitness was assessed using a treadmill test and fatness was assessed as body mass index (BMI) calculated from measured height and weight. Hazard ratios were calculated using proportional hazard models that included covariates for age, education, smoking, alcohol intake and dietary keys score. All-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality were assessed through 1995. RESULTS: In Russian men, fitness was associated with all-cause and CVD mortality, but fatness was not. For mortality from all causes, compared to the fit-not fat, the adjusted hazard ratios were 0.87 (95% CI: 0.55, 1.37) among the fit-fat, 1.86 (95% CI: 1.31, 2.62) among the unfit-not fat and 1.68 (95% CI: 1.06, 2.68) among the unfit-fat. Among US men, the same hazard ratios were 1.40 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.83), 1.41 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.77) and 1.54 (95% CI: 1.24, 2.06), respectively. There were no statistically significant interactions between fitness and fatness in either group of men for all-cause or CVD mortality. CONCLUSION: The effects of fitness on mortality may be more robust across populations than are the effects of fatness.
The use of hyperbaric oxygen for treating delayed radiation injuries in gynecologic malignancies: a review of literature and report of radiation injury incidence

Purpose The purposes of this paper are to review the best evidence supporting the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in delayed radiation injuries in gynecologic malignancies and report the incidence of radiation injuries at two large medical centers in southeastern Wisconsin.
The steinberg component of a finite group with a split (B, N)-pair

Let G = (G, B, N, R, U) be a finite group with an unsaturated split (B, N)-pair of characteristic p (prime) and rank n [ 1, p. B-B]. Here B = UH is a semidirect product where U is a normal p-subgroup of B and H is abelian with order prime to p. The Weyl group W = N/H is generated by the set R = (wi ,..., w,~} of involutions. We allow the intersection of the Nconjugates of B to be larger than H, i.e., C= nntN n-‘Un # { 1 }. Let v: N -+ W be the natural epimorphism with v-‘(w) = (w) for w E W. Let F be an algebraically closed field of characteristic Y (prime or zero). We consider Y = F”, = IndC,(FU) = FGy. where FL, is F treated as a trivial Umodule and y, = 10 1. Let E = End,(Y). For any subset T of G, 1 TI denotes the cardinality of T, [T] = C,, r t E FG, and TR = gp ’ Tg for g E G. In [4] Steinberg defines the module FGe where e = I,,,. ,+, ( 1 )“““( w)[ B] and proves FGe is simple when r = 0 or r does not divide 1G: BI. In this paper we find the socle of the Steinberg module in arbitrary characteristic by studying the indecomposable components of Y; in particular, by examining what we call the Steinberg component. The author wishes to thank J. A, Green for his many discussions on the subject matter of this paper.
Functionalized scaffolds of shorter self-assembling peptides containing MMP-2 cleavable motif promote fibroblast proliferation and significantly accelerate 3-D cell migration independent of scaffold stiffness

The functionalization of self-assembling peptide scaffolds with biologically active motifs presents many possibilities for the design of synthetic biological materials for 3D cell culture, reparative, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. We here report the development of short self-assembling peptide scaffolds designed especially for cell migration. We designed self-assembling peptide scaffolds VEVK9 (Ac-VEVKVEVKV-CONH2) and VEVK12 (Ac-VEVKVEVKVEVK-CONH2) and modified variants of these peptides directly coupled to short biologically active motifs. These motifs include two-unit RGD binding units (PRGDSGYRGDS), cell adhesion sequences of laminin (YIGSR and IKVAV) and a Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) cleavable sequence (PVGLIG). We show here that the peptide scaffolds functionalized with these cell adhesion motifs significantly promoted proliferation of periodontal ligament fibroblasts. Moreover, when combined with the MMP-2 cleavable motifs, the peptide scaffolds significantly accelerated the fibroblasts' migration independent of scaffold stiffness. Our results suggest that the interaction between integrin receptors of fibroblasts and cell adhesion motifs of the scaffolds stimulated MMP-2 production from the fibroblasts to accelerate proteolytic cell migration in the similar manner as natural extracellular matrix. These peptide scaffolds may be useful in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine including periodontal tissue reconstruction.
Femoral nerve block with 0.25% or 0.5% bupivacaine improves postoperative analgesia following outpatient arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament repair

Background and Objectives Femoral nerve block is effective in reducing postoperative pain after inpatient knee surgery. We studied its efficacy compared with standard analgesia following outpatient anterior cruciate ligament repair, including the duration of analgesia and the effect of different concentrations of bupivacaine. Methods After Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent, we prospectively randomized patients to receive, in a blinded fashion, either a sham block, a femoral nerve block with 25 mL 0.25% bupivacaine, or with 25 mL 0.5% bupivacaine after anterior cruciate ligament repair under epidural anesthesia. Verbal analog pain scores were evaluated by a blinded observer at 20 and 40 minutes after injection. Patients with pain >4 (out of 10) were assessed for the presence of a block and offered a supplemental block if no anesthesia was present at either evaluation. By prospective agreement, any study group with 6 failures was excluded from further recruitment. After discharge, patients recorded pain scores and analgesic consumption in a diary, and estimated the time at which they perceived that analgesia and sensory block from the femoral nerve block resolved, based on an increase in pain, sensation, and strength in the leg. Results In the sham block group, 6 of 12 patients reported inadequate analgesia in the postanesthesia care unit (4 at 20 minutes, 2 at 40 minutes; greater than other groups, P Conclusions Femoral nerve block with 0.25% bupivacaine contributes significantly to multimodal postoperative analgesia in the immediate postoperative period following outpatient anterior cruciate ligament repair. Both doses of bupivacaine studied provided analgesia for the first night after surgery.
Colonoscopy screening information preferences among urban hispanics.

Existing disparities are evident in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. We sought to assess preferred sources of colonoscopy screening information among Hispanics in East Harlem, NY. Face-to-face interviews were conducted among average-risk for CRC, non-symptomatic Hispanics in community-based sites and health clinics. SPSS 16 analysis explored the relationships between sociodemographic and health care variables and preferred sources of colonoscopy information for 395 participants. The top four preferred information sources were doctor/provider, brochures, television, and from someone who speaks the same language. We found significant differences in preferred information sources by a Chi-Square analysis of age (50–64 years; 65 or older), education (0–8th grade; 9th or above), language preferred (English; Spanish), and origin (US-born; foreign-born). Using the identified preferences for sources of information among this growing segment of the US population could inform interventions to address the important public health issue of CRC disparities.