cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of pre-puberal environment and post-puberal blindness on maze learning

After weaning, one group of rats was housed in an impoverished environment while a second group was housed in an enriched environment. At maturity, about one-half of each environment group was blinded. Subsequent performance in a Lashley Type III maze indicated that both blinding and the impoverished environment had significant deleterious effects on trials and errors to criterion. The latter measure also produced a significant Environment X Vision interaction.
Palladium-catalyzed coupling of functionalized bromoarenes to a polystyrene-bound aryl tributylstannane

Abstract The Stille reaction with a polystyrene-bound stannyl component, catalyzed by a palladacycle complex, provides a convenient and clean method for the synthesis of substituted biaryls on the resin. Several functional groups useful for the construction of supported polydentate amino alcohols were successfully introduced.
Atomic Layer Deposition of Tunnel Barriers for Superconducting Tunnel Junctions

We demonstrate a technique for creating high quality, large area tunnel junction barriers for normal–insulating–superconducting or superconducting–insulating–superconducting tunnel junctions. We use atomic layer deposition and an aluminum wetting layer to form a nanometer scale insulating barrier on gold films. Electronic transport measurements confirm that single-particle electron tunneling is the dominant transport mechanism, and the measured current–voltage curves demonstrate the viability of using these devices as self-calibrated, low temperature thermometers with a wide range of tunable parameters. This work represents a promising first step for superconducting technologies with deposited tunnel junction barriers. The potential for fabricating high performance junction refrigerators is also highlighted.
2.2.3 Applying Machine Learning Methods to the Airframe Structural Design Cost Estimation – A Case Study of Wing-Box Project

This research used two machine leaning methods, the Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Back-Propagation Neural Network (BPN), to create the cost prediction models for airplane wing-box structural design, and verified the feasibility and efficiency for both methods. In the case study, four different main structural part groups of the wing-box, Spars/Ribs/Skins/Stringers, were chosen. In the parts data base, the part dimensions were included and used for classifying the part groups. Each part group has 150 bill of parts, 100 bill of parts used for training samples, 50 bill of parts used for predicting samples, to test there accuracy. After verified through wing-box case study, the results showed either SVR or BPN can precisely predicting the design costs. But compare to the BPN, SVR can get the global optimal solution while using less decision parameters. This can save lots of time for searching the best parameters combination when creating the prediction model.
Adjustable slider–crank linkages for multiple path generation

Abstract Adjustable slider–crank linkages are capable of generating multiple paths with a simple adjustment of the position of the slider guider. Little work has been done in the area of synthesis of adjustable four-bar linkages for continuous path generation, especially of adjustable slider–crank linkages. The path flexibility of adjustable slider–crank linkages is analyzed. The optimal synthesis model is set up based on the position structural error of the slider guider introduced in this paper, which can effectively reflect the overall difference between the desired and the generated paths, avoid the difficulty of selecting corresponding comparison points on the two paths, and can be calculated conveniently. A genetic algorithm is employed to seek the global optimal solution. The results of an optimal synthesis example verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Recidivism among drug offenders: A survival analysis of the effects of offender characteristics, type of offense, and two types of intervention

The determinants of recidivism are increasingly becoming the focus of public concern. This study explores the relative effect of type of intervention, offender characteristics, and type of incident offense on time to a petition to revoke probation and time to a probation revocation. Our analysis of intervention effects includes both parametric and nonparametric estimation procedures. Estimating five distributional forms of survival and a proportional hazard model for each measure of recidivism, the analysis indicates no difference in the effect of a program of drug monitoring and treatment, compared to drug monitoring only, for either of the two measures of recidivism. In addition, findings indicate that younger offenders and African American offenders have a shorter time to a petition to revoke probation. We also found a reduced time to failure for a probation revocation for African American offenders and offenders with a prior arrest record. Our findings offer empirical support for a reconsideration of the type of intervention effective in deterring offenders while on probation.
Comparison of 2f1-f2 DPOAE and 2f2-f1 DPOAE fine structure in young and middle-aged adults

AbstractObjective: The 2f2-f1 DPOAE is not as popular as the 2f1-f2 DPOAE in the clinical realm as it is not as robust. However, it does have an advantage of being a predominantly reflection emission. The reflection component has been found to be sensitive to cochlear damage. Our objective was to compare the two types of DPOAE to track subtle changes due to aging. Design: We used the most suitable stimulus parameters to record the fine structures of 2f2-f1 DPOAE and 2f1-f2 DPOAE for comparison in two groups of individuals. Study sample: Young adults and middle-aged adults with normal hearing sensitivity participated in the experiment. Both ears of all participants were tested. Results: Although reductions were noted in the both types of DPOAE in the middle-aged participants compared with the young adults, the decrease in amplitude of the 2f2-f1 DPOAE was found to be statistically significant. This corresponded with statistically significant reductions in the reflection component of the 2f1-f2 DPOAE. Reduc...
Effects of protein kinase inhibitors 1(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (H-7) and N-[2-guanidinoethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide hydrochloride (HA1004) on calcitriol-induced differentiation of HL-60 cells

Abstract HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells were induced to differentiate by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol) into mature monocytes. Differentiation was assessed by nitro blue tetrazolium dye reduction, nonspecific esterase activity, and DNA synthesis. Terminal differentiation of cultures induced by calcitriol (10 nM) was inhibited by 80% when cells were treated simultaneously with protein kinase inhibitors 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (H-7) (32 μM) and N-[2-guanidinoethyl]-5-isoquionlinesulfonamide hydrochloride (HA1004) (320 μM). The IC 50 for inhibition of calcitriol-induced differentiation was approximately 15 μM for H-7 and 170 μM for HA1004. The IC50 values for H-7 and HA1004 antagonism of calcitriol-induced differentiation are quantitatively and relatively correlated to their known action to inhibit protein kinase C activity. Treatment of cells with concentrations of 0–32 μM H-7 or 0–320 μM HA1004 alone did not affect cell growth, differentiation, or trypan blue exclusion. However, higher concentrations of H7 (> 32 μM) and HA1004 (> 320 μM) were found to be cytotoxic. The data presented suggest that calcitriol-induced differentiation is antagonized by inhibitors of protein kinase and are consistent with the hypothesis that kinase C activity is required for HL-60 cell differentiation.
Neuron loss, granule cell axon reorganization, and functional changes in the dentate gyrus of epileptic kainate‐treated rats

We sought to describe quantitatively the morphological and functional changes that occur in the dentate gyrus of kainate-treated rats, an experimental model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Adult rats were treated systemically with kainic acid, and, months later, after displaying spontaneous recurrent motor seizures, their dentate gyri were examined. Histological, immunocytochemical, and quantitative stereological techniques were used to estimate numbers of neurons per dentate gyrus of various classes and to estimate the extent of granule cell axon reorganization along the septotemporal axis of the hippocampus in control rats and epileptic kainate-treated rats. Compared with control rats, epileptic kainate-treated rats had fewer Nissl-stained hilar neurons and fewer somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons. There was a correlation between the extent of hilar neuron loss and the extent of somatostatin-immunoreactive neuron loss. However, functional inhibition in the dentate gyrus, assessed with paired-pulse responses to perforant-pathway stimulation, revealed enhanced, and not the expected reduced, inhibition in epileptic kainate-treated rats. Numbers of parvalbumin- and cholecystokinin-immunoreactive neurons were similar in control rats and in most kainate-treated rats. A minority (36%) of the epileptic kainate-treated rats had fewer parvalbumin- and cholecystokinin-immunoreactive neurons than control rats, and those few (8%) with extreme loss in these interneuron classes showed markedly hyperexcitable dentate gyrus field-potential responses to orthodromic stimulation. Compared with control rats, epileptic kainate-treated rats had larger proportions of their granule cell and molecular layers infiltrated with Timm stain. There was a correlation between the extent of abnormal Timm staining and the extent of hilar neuron loss. Granule cell axon reorganization and dentate gyrus neuron loss were more severe in temporal vs. septal hippocampus. These findings from the dentate gyrus of epileptic kainate-treated rats are strikingly similar to those reported for human temporal lobe epilepsy, and they suggest that neuron loss and axon reorganization in the temporal hippocampus may be important in epileptogenesis.
Calibration Limits for Interferometric Measurements

This paper presents how to quantify the measurement noises in optical surface testing. We also discussed how to apply a smoothing filter in map registration and subtraction.
Autocrine signaling through Ras prevents apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro.

Vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) apoptosis contributes to physiological and pathological vascular remodeling. Autocrine fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling promotes survival in SMC in vitro. Interruption of autocrine FGF signaling results in apoptosis that can be rescued by other growth factors such as PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor) or EGF (epidermal growth factor). Such heterologous growth factor rescue is prevented by pharmacological inhibition of MAPK, implicating signaling through Ras in mediating survival. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that signaling through Ras is both necessary and sufficient to mediate SMC survival in vitro. Recombinant adenoviruses encoding dominant-negative (RasN17) and constitutively active (RasL61) mutants of Ras were used. RasN17blocks growth factor-mediated MAPK activation and can itself induce SMC apoptosis. RasN17 is synergistic with inhibition of autocrine FGF signaling in triggering apoptosis and prevents heterologous growth factor rescue. Conversely, RasL61prevents apoptosis resulting from inhibition of autocrine FGF signaling. Rescue by RasL61 can be partially prevented by pharmacological inhibition of MEK or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, two downstream effectors of Ras. These results suggest that Ras signaling is both necessary and sufficient to mediate survival in SMC in vitro. Further work is required to determine how these signaling events are regulated in the context of vascular remodeling in vivo.
Amniocentesis and the Social Construction of Pregnancy

Amniocentesis is increasingly used for the prenatal diagnosis of genetic and chromosomal disorders in late-life and other "high-risk" pregnancies. Despite the extensive use of this procedure, however, little is known about the subjective reactions of women who go through it. This paper is based on an exploratory study of the socially constructed meanings of amniocentesis. The study consists of interviews or written questionnaires with 24 women who have undergone amniocentesis. Preliminary findings suggest that although amniocentesis is performed ostensibly to allay anxiety about birth defects and to increase pence of mind during the pregnancy, it generates anxieties and fears of its own. These anxieties surround the risk of the procedure itself as well as the possibility of a diagnosis of abnormality. Additionally, findings indicate that a commitment to abort a defective fetus is by no means automatically implied by the decision to have amniocentesis. Rather, attitudes about abortion are often complex and...
The evolutionary neuroscience of human reciprocal sociality: A basic outline for economists

Abstract MacLean's tri-level concept of the human brain is the foundational concept for a comprehensive understanding of human sociality from the standpoint of physiology and medicine. This conceptual platform is basic to any proper contextualization of evolutionary psychiatry, as MacLean essentially describes two opposing archetypal neuromental circuitries upon which our sociality is based. It is important that the social sciences, notably economics, achieve more comprehensive, reliable and valid progress. Integration of evolutionary behavioral neuroscience is especially pertinent as deficiencies of the received model – a hyper-rational, self-interested homo economicus – are increasingly evident. In particular, the MacLeanian model is re-emerging as the principal basis for an evolutionary psychology with meaningful attention to both genes and brains. This evolutionary psychology is, in turn, the most naturalistic and accurate formulation for reciprocity and exchange behavior of social species, notably humans. As such, evolutionary neuroscience is of direct and increasing pertinence to economics generally and especially socioeconomics. This paper is meant to cogently summarize key elements to foster greater cross-inquiries between evolutionary neuroscience and economics.
A Novel Approach for Production Stimulation through Chemical Applications in A Saudi Arabian Offshore field

This paper includes a discussion of a progressive approach and recent practices to stimulate wells in one of Saudi offshore fields. A chemical treatment pilot aimed for production enhancement was recently conducted and proven successful in an offshore environment while recognizing merits associated, including fluid placement optimization in terms of logistics and time beside treatment effectiveness. Implementation of such practices has increased chemical treatment success rate, enhanced well production performance, reduced cost and improved operational HSE practices. The recent chemical treatment applications and practices were the outcome of five years of dedicated search and collaboration with service companies to find the most effective chemical recipes and their deployment method. The campaign was initially piloted in three different wells completed with inflow control devices wrapped with premium screens, using three different chemical applications while utilizing a distributed temperature sensing (DTS) technology for the first time in an offshore field to evaluate treatment effictiveness. Initially, three wells were completed in high permeable and contrasted sandstone layers. Those wells are completed with sandstone screen completions coupled with inflow control devices to control sand production while providing a degree of production management across the producing lateral. The completion practice prior to the pilot did not allow an efficient cleanup due to HSE and operational considerations. Extensive technical, operational and economical evaluations were conducted to ascertain the best chemical recipe, fluid placement technique, equipment and applications used to ensure the proper treatment exposure to the damaged zone for better production output results. Horizontal completion practices have changed; hence new challenges have arisen to consider for instance the best contemporary placement technique used for treating fluids in different type of horizontal completions. Long horizontal sandstone producing laterals in the past, which used to be completed as cased and perforated are being completed as open hole laterals with inflow control devices coupled with screens where the fluid placement technique must vary to account for best and uniform treatment coverage. This paper will include the pilot results and recognized merits. Offshore production engineering insights will be also shared in this paper.
Adaptive Machine Vision: What Can Be Learned From Biological Systems

Biological mechanisms of nonuniform sampling and processing of visual signals, and of automatic gain control are discussed. It is argued that such mechanisms, which result in extensive data reduction and efficient allocation of limited computational resources, are attractive for wide field-of-view machine vision systems.
An Investigation of Variable Spindle Speed Face Milling for Tool-Work Structures With Complex Dynamics, Part 1: Simulation Results

A mechanistic dynamic model is used to simulate a face milling process during constant and variable speed machining. The model can be used to predict the optimum speed trajectory that can provide a low level of vibration and consequently a large productivity rate and a small surface error. The model is used to investigate the vibration of face milling processes that have one, or multiple coupled modes of vibration acting throughout the cut. For cutting processes having one dominant mode of vibration, the model predicts that variable speed machining is especially effective over constant speed machining when the tool-work system changes its dominant mode of vibration throughout the cut, or when the tool-work system has several modes of vibration coming from component parts that are cut in the same time. For cutting processes having multiple dominant modes of vibration, the model predicts that variable speed machining is especially effective over constant speed machining when the tool-work modes of vibration are unequal and moderately coupled to each other. Also, the model suggests that for tool-work systems having complex geometries with dynamics hard to predict, variable speed machining is safer to use than constant speed machining when trying to achieve high productivity rates. This is due to the fact that variable speed machining is robust with respect to the dynamics of the tool-work system. Finally, the model predictions are in good agreement with the experiment.
Diurnal drift correction in the NESDIS/STAR MSU/AMSU atmospheric temperature climate data record

NESDIS/Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) has been reprocessing and recalibrating observations from the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) and Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) to generate atmospheric temperature climate data record (CDR). To obtain reliable atmospheric temperature trends from the dataset, diurnal drift errors due to orbital drift must be removed from the time series. This adjustment is especially important for the MSU/AMSU mid-tropospheric temperature product over land where diurnal-drift effect is large. In this study, we applied the diurnal anomalies developed by the Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) to the STAR MSU/AMSU atmospheric temperatures CDR and examined how the correction affects the trend and intersatellite biases over land. A scaling factor was introduced to multiply the RSS diurnal anomalies to account for uncertainties in the dataset. The results show that the diurnal drift has negligible effect on the mid-tropospheric temperature trends over oceans, which is consistent with previous investigations. However, the trend over land is very sensitive to the magnitude of the scaling factor. The final scaling factor was determined by minimizing intersatellite temperature differences over land. The trend values corresponding to such a scaling factor for the 28-year (1979-2006) merged MSU T 2 time series are 0.193 K/Decade over the global land and 0.180 K/Decade over the global ocean. The global mean T 2 trend is 0.183 K/decade.
Preliminary characterization of phospholipase A2 in Lagenidium giganteum

MacKichan, J. K., Tuininga, A. R., and Kerwin, J. L. 1994. Preliminary characterization of phospholipase A2 in Lagenidium giganteum. Experimental Mycology 18, 180-192. Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) hydrolyses the fatty acyl ester bond at the sn-2 position in glycerophospholipids. To better understand its regulatory roles, factors affecting PLA2 activity in Lagenidium giganteum were investigated: divalent ions; chelators: inhibitors; pH; and substrate concentration. PLA2 activity of L. giganteum whole cell homogenates was determined using 1-stearoyl-2-[1-14C]arachidonoyl phosphatidylcholine as substrate. The divalent cations Ca2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+ all enhanced PLA2 activity, while Co2+, Fe2+, and Zn2+ were either slightly inhibitory or without effect. High concentrations of EGTA enhanced activity, low concentrations of the chelators were slightly inhibitory, while high concentrations of EDTA had little effect. EGTA, which has a higher affinity for Ca2+ and Mn2+ than Mg2+, reduced hydrolysis less than a comparable concentration of EDTA. Two pH optima were found, at both acid (ca. 5.5) and alkaline (ca. 11.5) levels. Four classical inhibitors, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, ellagic acid, gossypol, and 4-bromophenacylbromide, reduced PLA2 activity by about 80% at 5 mM concentration, 50% with 1 mM inhibitor, and had no effect at 100 μM. The relatively high levels of these compounds needed to inhibit PLA2 hydrolysis may have been due to the presence of a cocktail of enzymes, some of which were not susceptible to inhibition. All inhibitors at 1 mM concentration in live cell cultures effectively shut down oosporogenesis, without adverse effects to the mycelia. PLA2 activity was highest in the late oospore stage of the life cycle, although the enzymes were probably not metabolically active in these stationary cultures. Cultures grown on cholesterol-supplemented defined media had significantly higher levels of PLA2 activity relative to cultures grown on sterol-free media. The enzyme was found to be associated primarily with microsomal membranes, but there was significant activity in cytosolic fractions. Separation of cell homogenates by column chromatography revealed that there were at least nine enzymes capable of cleaving fatty acids in the sn -2 position of phospholipids.
Intravenous vasoactive intestinal polypeptide lowers pulmonary-to-systemic vascular resistance ratio in a neonatal piglet model of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Abstract Background Several studies of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) demonstrated its potent vasodilative effects on pulmonary and systemic circulation. However, no hemodynamic studies were performed to depict the effects of VIP in an in vivo model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), thereby limiting a complete understanding of the overall hemodynamic effects of VIP in PAH. Methods and Results The pulmonary and systemic hemodynamic effects of intravenous infusion of 100 ng/kg per minute of VIP in control and pulmonary hypertensive piglets at 6 to 8 weeks of age were assessed. Pulmonary arterial hypertension was induced after the instillation of meconium solution in the subjects' trachea and was characterized by the establishment of a persistently elevated pulmonary arterial pressure, diminished cardiac output, and elevated pulmonary-to-systemic vascular resistance (PVR/SVR) ratio. Conclusions Continuous intravenous infusion of VIP markedly decreased PVR/SVR ratio in pulmonary hypertensive subjects; however, it lowered blood pressure without causing any significant changes in PVR/SVR ratio in control subjects. Collectively, these results suggest an overall pulmonary vasodilative effect of VIP in PAH.
Directions for productivity measurement in fisheries

Abstract Fisheries policy is often aimed at sustaining and improving economic performance, but the use of traditional productivity measurement to assess performance over time has been quite limited. In this paper we review the currently sparse literature on productivity in fisheries, and suggest ways to better account for many of the relevant issues unique to the industry. Specifically, we discuss the need to incorporate bycatch levels, to better account for environmental and stock fluctuations, and to relax some of the restrictive economic assumptions that have been imposed in the research to date. A methodological framework that may be used to incorporate these factors is proposed.
Stability of macroion-decorated lipid membranes

Adsorption of macroions such as colloidal particles, proteins, or other rigid biopolymers onto oppositely charged, mixed lipid membranes is a ubiquitous phenomenon encountered in biotechnology, drug delivery, and cellular biology. The softness and self-assembled nature of the membrane enable the macroion?membrane complex to laterally reorganize via forming macroion clusters, lipid domains, or separate phases, and to exhibit curvature modulations or even morphological transitions. Almost always, the lateral organization of the membrane and associated macroion layer mutually depend on each other so that neither of the two extreme views?macroion-induced membrane domain formation or membrane-mediated macroion clustering?strictly accounts for the underlying energetics. We review and discuss some recent efforts to describe the lateral organization and stability of macroion-decorated lipid membranes using different levels of mean-field electrostatics, thereby focusing on binary membranes and the destabilizing role of compositional gradients.
Similarity of Legal Attitudes, Defendant Social Class, and Crime Intentionality as Determinants of Legal Decisions

In a simulated legal case, lenient and harsh "law-andorder" attitude subjects judged an upper or lower class defendant who espoused a similar, opposite, or unstated attitude on the matter. The crime was described as either a voluntary or involuntary manslaughter. The intentional crime and the dissimilar attitude defendant drew the harshest sentences from all subjects apparently due to differences in attributions made about the defendant among these conditions. There were no subject or defendant attitude main effects, and social class had no effect whatsoever on sentencing decisions made here, though it has been shown to have impact for other crimes. Results expand our knowledge of extraneous courtroom influences and suggest that some of these factors change meaning in the context of different crimes.
Rates of Successful Vaginal Delivery after Cesarean for Patients with Private versus Public Insurance

Rates of Successful Vaginal Delivery after Cesarean for Patients with Private versus Public Insurance
Selective response of rat peripheral sympathetic nervous system to various stimuli

1. We utilized the induction of tyrosine hydroxylase, a catecholamine-synthesizing enzyme, in sympathetic ganglia and adrenal medullae to explore the central and peripheral mechanisms through which choline, various environmental stresses, and drugs that alter blood pressure or central neurotransmission affect various portions of the sympathetic nervous system. Animals received each treatment chronically, and enzyme activity was measured in the superior cervical, stellate, and coeliac ganglia and in the adrenal medullae. 2. Choline administration increased tyrosine hydroxylase activity in all four tissues, probably by increasing the release of acetylcholine from preganglionic sympathetic neurones that synapse on catecholamine-producing ganglion and chromaffin cells; carbachol and nicotine had similar effects. 3. Insulin enhanced tyrosine hydroxylase activity primarily in the coeliac ganglion and the adrenal medullae, but not in the superior cervical ganglia. 4. Reserpine and phenoxybenzamine increased the activity of the enzyme in all four tissues. 5. Prolonged exposure to a cold environment increased enzyme activity in all four tissues, but especially in the stellate and coeliac ganglia; forced swimming affected tyrosine hydroxylase only in these two ganglia. 6. Several drugs known to modify central neurotransmission were found to increase tyrosine hydroxylase activity in some portions of the sympathetic nervous system but not in others. 5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine, which destroys terminals of serotoninergic neurones, enhanced enzyme activity in all four tissues, but primarily in the coeliac ganglion and adrenal medullae. ET-495 (a dopaminergic agonist), D-amphetamine, and morphine induced tyrosine hydroxylase activity in the adrenal medullae and the coeliac ganglion, but not in the superior cervical ganglia. Oxotremorine, a centrally acting muscarinic agonist, increased tyrosine hydroxylase activity only in the adrenal medullae; its effect was not blocked by methylatropine, a peripheral muscarinic blocker. 7. These data indicate that specific neurones in the central nervous system, which utilize specific neurotransmitters and which are differentially affected by drugs and environmental inputs, selectively influence the outflows through the various zones of the sympathetic nervous system.
Mediated life activity, double stimulation, and the question of agency

Life activity is mediated by culturally informed sensory perceptions, engagement with artifacts and the built environment, and communicationwith conspecifics. Humans readily adapt to historically accumulated cultural practiceswhile improvising anticipatory actions in the process ontology of the unfolding present. Many routine activities are regulated by auxiliary stimuli, such as the use of fingers for counting andmeasurement of time for organizing schedules.More elaborate examples include the following. A driver's rate of travel in a motor vehicle is mediated by the visual field, a speedometer on the dashboard, digital data displays on navigation units, traffic calming features such as speed humps, rumble strips, and traffic circles, admonishments for driving too quickly from a passenger (‘slow down!’), and (in principle) by posted signage reflecting legal speed limits. In the commercial fishing industry, fishers make decisions as to where to set their gear based upon a wide array of instrumentation and displays (radar, sonar, depth sounders, digital chart and course plotters, fish finders, Loran navigation), communication with other fishers on both ‘secret’ and open radio channels, past log books documenting fishing productivity from prior years, national and international regulations and catch reports, and contingent dynamics such as weather, tides, and the presence of other vessels in the vicinity. In the contemporary era, sporting activity, while rooted in bodily kinesthetic experience, is increasingly mediated and objectively re-presented to participants through fitness apps which provide GPS mapping of running and cycling (among other) activities and provide average rate of speed, elevation gained, total and moving time elapsed, and ranking of one's immediate performance against other users. These data are typically fed into social networks that allow users to comment, provide accolades (and also taunts), and to compare one's immediate performance with prior performances. Based on personal experience and reports from others, use of such fitness apps incites running or cycling faster (or attempts to do so), violating traffic signals in order to increase overall rate of speed, and adding distance at the end of a session in order to reach a round (but arbitrary) distance number (not 98.6 km, but 100 km!). Related phenomena includedebt blogs, focused on publicly externalizing ones difficultiesmanaging credit problems in order to regain self-regulation on spending, food tracking apps for better controlling diet, and participation in academic networks such as academia.edu and researchgate.net, which quantify downloads of academic articles, profile page views, number of ‘followers’, and
Endovascular repair of thoracic aortic pathology with custom-made devices.

Background Open repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) is fraught with high morbidity and mortality rates. The availability of endoprostheses for treating thoracic aortic pathology has not kept pace with those for treating abdominal aneurysms. Technical feasibility, durability, and safety of custom-made stent-grafts for the treatment of TAAs and dissections are evaluated. Methods From July 2002 to October 2004 there were 15 patients with TAAs, intramural hematoma, or dissections treated with custom-made endografts. Grafts were deployed after brief adenosine-induced cardiac arrest. Computed tomography scans were obtained 1 month postoperatively and every 6 months thereafter. The mean follow-up period was 15 months (range, 3-31 mo). Results The mean age of patients was 67 ± 11 years (range, 47-81 y; 67% men, 33% women). Indications for repair included TAA (10), chronic type B dissection (3), penetrating ulcer (1), and acute dissection (1). Planned concomitant procedures included subclavian-carotid transposition (2) and aortosplenic bypass (2) to achieve adequate proximal or distal landing seal zones, respectively. The mean length of hospital stay was 8 days (range, 1-49 d). Immediate complications included 2 access-related events, 1 cerebellar infarction treated expectantly, and 1 death from a large hemispheric stroke. There were no cases of postoperative paralysis and on follow-up imaging no cases of endoleak, endograft migration, or stent fractures were found. No late deaths occurred caused by stent-graft repair or aneurysm-related causes. Conclusions Endoluminal exclusion of thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections can be achieved successfully using custom-made stent-grafts. The use of specially designed devices appears to be technically feasible and durable, with acceptable morbidity and mortality rates.
Acute spinal cord infarction: vascular steal in arteriovenous malformation.

Central nervous system arteriovenous malformations typically present with chronic neurologic impairment. An 8-year-old boy presented with acute spinal cord infarction associated with a spinal arter...
p120-Catenin Down-Regulation and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Overexpression Results in a Transformed Epithelium That Mimics Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis due to its highly invasive and metastatic potential. The molecular pathogenesis underlying the invasive mechanism of ESCC is not well known because of the lack of existing models to study this disease. p120-Catenin (p120ctn) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have each been implicated in several cancers, including ESCC. p120ctn is down-regulated in 60% of ESCC tumors, whereas EGFR is the most commonly overexpressed oncogene in ESCC. For these reasons, we investigated the cooperation between p120ctn and EGFR and its effect on ESCC invasion. We show that p120ctn down-regulation is commonly associated with EGFR overexpression. By using a three-dimensional culture system, we demonstrate that the inverse relationship between p120ctn and EGFR has biological implications. Specifically, p120ctn down-regulation coupled with EGFR overexpression in human esophageal keratinocytes (EPC1-PE) was required to promote invasion. Morphological comparison of EPC1-PE cells grown in three-dimensional culture and human ESCC revealed identical features, including significantly increased cellularity, nuclear grade, and proliferation. Molecular characteristics were measured by keratin expression patterns, which were nearly identical between EPC1-PE cells in three-dimensional culture and ESCC samples. Altogether, our analyses have demonstrated that p120ctn down-regulation and EGFR overexpression are able to mimic human ESCC in a relevant three-dimensional culture model.
The Utility of Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening and Prostate Cancer Treatment in Elderly Patients

Screening and treatment of prostate cancer remain controversial, particularly for elderly men. Since the previous United States Preventive Services Task Force recommendation in 2008 against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening after age 75 years, there has not been a substantial reduction in the frequency of PSA testing in this age group. A substantial proportion of elderly men are overdiagnosed and overtreated. On the other hand, men aged >75 years have more aggressive disease. Although screening has questionable benefit for elderly men with significant comorbidities, healthy men >75 years may benefit from definitive therapy. This review discusses prostate cancer screening and management decisions for elderly men, including the use of nomograms and predictive tools for life expectancy.
Second‐order optimal control algorithm for complex systems

The solution to large-scale optimal control problems, characterized by complex dynamics and extended time periods, is often computationally demanding. We present a solution algorithm with favourable local convergence properties as a way to reduce simulation times. This method is based on using a trapezoidal direct collocation to convert the differential equations into algebraic constraints. The resulting constrained minimization problem is then solved with an augmented Lagrangian formulation to accommodate both equality and inequality constraints. In contrast to the prevalent optimal control software implementations, we calculate analytical first and second derivatives. We then apply a generalized Newton method to the augmented Lagrangian formulation, solving for all unknowns simultaneously. The computational costs of the Hessian formation and matrix solution remain manageable as the system size increases due to the sparsity of all tensor quantities. Likewise, the total iterations for convergence scale well due to the local quadratic convergence of the generalized Newton method. We demonstrate the method with an inverted pendulum problem and a neuromuscular control problem with complex dynamics and 18 forcing functions. The optimal control solutions are successfully found. In both examples, we obtain quadratic convergence rates in the neighbourhood of the solution. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Binding of LBP‐1a to specific immunoglobulin switch regions in vivo correlates with specific repression of class switch recombination

Upon stimulation of mature B cells, class switch recombination (CSR) can alter the specific immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region that is expressed. In a tissue culture cell line, we previously demonstrated that inhibition of late SV40 factor (LSF) family members enhanced IgM to IgA CSR. Here, isotype specificity of CSR regulation by LSF family members is addressed in primary mouse splenic B cells. First, we demonstrate that leader-binding protein-1a (LBP-1a) is the prevalent family member in B lymphocytes. Second, we demonstrate by ChIP that LBP-1a binds genomic sequences around mouse switch (S) regions in an isotype-specific manner, in accordance with computational predictions: binding is observed to Sμ and Sα, but not to the tested Sγ1, regions. Importantly, binding of LBP-1a is tightly regulated, with occupancy at genomic S regions dramatically decreasing following LPS stimulation. Finally, the consequence of DNA-binding by LBP-1a is determined using bone marrow chimeric mice in which LSF/LBP-1 activity is inhibited in hematopoietic lineages. Upon in vitro stimulation of such primary B cells, CSR occurs with a higher efficiency to IgA, but not to IgG1. These results are supportive of a model whereby LBP-1a represses CSR in an isotype-specific manner via direct interaction with S regions involved in the recombination.
Reutilizing and retesting of parallel plate sensors in dielectric thermal analysis

Abstract One of the advantages of dielectric thermal analysis (DETA) is that the parallel plate sensors are disposable, thereby eliminating potentially time-consuming clean-up procedures. Nonetheless, sometimes the reusing of parallel plate sensors is desirable, for example, when the test material is limited, further processing is intended, or cyclic testing is required. In this experiment, multiple-run and single-run methodologies were performed, the former without unloading the ram, and the latter after unloading the ram, removing the specimen, and cleaning the sensor. A dummy biomedical membrane was cast from a tetrahydrofuran solution of highly plasticized poly(vinyl chloride). After running each DETA experiment at a heating rate of 3°C min −1 from −20 to + 80°C at 1, 10, and 100 Hz, no significant differences were observed for permittivities, loss factors, tan deltas, ion conductivities, or the membrane thicknesses at room temperature. When calibrated, sensor areas varied by ±1%, and thermistor values varied by ±0.5%. From comparative graphs, box-plots, and statistical analyses, the data confirm that parallel plate sensors can be reutilized for retesting with these biomedical membranes.
A limitation of power consumption

Some basic upper and lower bounds for the power consumption in arbitrary passive resistive n-ports under bouded applied inputs are derived.
Stability and meandering of the Gulf Stream

It is suggested that the meandering of the Gulf Stream can be produced by the instability of the velocity profile across the current. Various theoretical models are considered which resemble fee Gulf Stream inasmuch as they have a sharp shear lone on the left side (facing downstream) where the current increases very rapidly to its maximum velocity and a much broader transition zone where the velocity decreases again. It is found that instability exists under certain conditions when the shear zone is not too close to the continental shelf. The type of observations required for a check of this hypothesis is discussed.
An Efficiently Preconditioned GMRES Method for Fast Parasitic-Sensitive Deep-Submicron VLSI Circuit Simulation

We propose an efficiently preconditioned generalized minimal residual (GMRES) method for fast SPICE-accurate transient simulation of parasitic-sensitive deep-submicron VLSI circuits. First, when time step-sizes vary within a predefined range, the preconditioned GMRES method is applied to solve circuit matrix equations rather than LU factorization. The preconditioner we use comes directly from the previously factorized L and U matrices. Second, to keep using the same preconditioner during nonlinear iteration, the successive variable chord method is applied as an alternative to the Newton-Raphson method. An improved piecewise weakly nonlinear definition of MOSFET is adopted and the low-rank update technique is implemented to refresh the preconditioner efficiently. With these techniques, the number of required LU factorizations during transient simulation is reduced dramatically. Experimental results on power/ground networks have demonstrated that the proposed method yields SPICE-like accuracy with an about 18/spl times/ overall CPU time speedup over SPICE3 for circuits with tens of thousands elements.
Changing basal conditions during the speed-up of Jakobshavn Isbræ, Greenland

Abstract. Ice-sheet outlet glaciers can undergo dynamic changes such as the rapid speed-up of Jakobshavn Isbrae following the disintegration of its floating ice tongue. These changes are associated with stress changes on the boundary of the ice mass. We invert for basal conditions from surface velocity data throughout a well-observed period of rapid change and evaluate parameterizations currently used in ice-sheet models. A Tikhonov inverse method with a shallow-shelf approximation forward model is used for diagnostic inversions for the years 1985, 2000, 2005, 2006 and 2008. Our ice-softness, model norm, and regularization parameter choices are justified using the data-model misfit metric and the L curve method. The sensitivity of the inversion results to these parameter choices is explored. We find a lowering of effective basal yield stress in the first 7 km upstream from the 2008 grounding line and no significant changes higher upstream. The temporal evolution in the fast flow area is in broad agreement with a Mohr–Coulomb parameterization of basal shear stress, but with a till friction angle much lower than has been measured for till samples. The lowering of effective basal yield stress is significant within the uncertainties of the inversion, but it cannot be ruled out that there are other significant contributors to the acceleration of the glacier.
Clinical Asthma Syndromes and Important Asthma Mimics

Asthma is a heterogeneous disorder with multiple clinical phenotypes. Phenotypes can be grouped into clinical or physiological, trigger-defined, and inflammatory phenotypes. Treatment based on inflammatory phenotyping improves clinical measures of asthma morbidity. Further study of individual asthma phenotypes will improve understanding of their immunologic and pathologic characteristics and improve diagnosis and therapy. Because asthma is a common disorder with nonspecific presenting features, other disorders are often misdiagnosed as asthma. A high index of suspicion for alternative diagnoses must be maintained when evaluating a patient who presents with clinical features suggestive of asthma, particularly if the patient presents with atypical symptoms or fails to respond to therapy.
Indexing and merging in APL

Mathematically, an array may be usefully viewed as a function, in this particular case, as a function of its indices. A proposal is made for an operator which derives such a function for its array operand.The proposal is discussed in the context of a review of indexing constructs in various APL systems.
Precision atomic-beam studies of atom-field interactions

We have performed a high-resolution study of the interaction of two monochromatic laser fields with a prepared three-level cascade system in an atomic beam of sodium. The pump laser was held fixed near resonance with the lower levels while the probe laser was tuned over the upper two levels. For weak fields we observed a probe line shape that agrees with theory and shows that the intermediate level does not contribute to the linewidth. Data taken with a strong pump field were in disagreement with theory, but this disagreement is removed when atomic recoil suffered during the interaction is included in the calculation.
Credit as a Production-Smoothing Device: The Case of Automobiles, 1913–1938

Credit financing of automobile sales and dealer inventories was provided primarily by hundreds of sales finance companies in the interwar United States. The few finance companies tied to auto manufacturers wrote 90 percent of credit business. Manufacturers initially established finance companies not to bolster retail sales but to finance dealers' wholesale inventory so manufacturers could lower average costs by smoothing seasonal production patterns. Moreover, until the Justice Department intervened, manufacturers apparently illegally coerced franchised dealers into using the manufacturer's preferred finance company rather than an independent.
Healthy Eating and Exercise: Strategies for Weight Management in the Rural Midwest

Obesity prevalence has increased dramatically in the United States. Rural areas have been especially affected, yet few weight management studies have been conducted in these populations. This study was designed to assess weight management attitudes and strategies used when rural adults in particular attempt to lose weight, employing measures that are more specific than those reported in similar studies. The survey was completed by 123 adults aged 19 to 71, with a 29% response rate. Scales demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Persons currently trying to lose weight were more likely to report self-monitoring behaviors and goal setting but no more likely to report use of specific behavioral strategies compared to persons not trying to lose weight. The results suggest considerable interest in weight management among rural adults and provide a starting point for planning future weight management interventions in this and similar populations.