cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Training Agents of Social Change in Israel: Definition of Objectives and a Training Approach

Many sectors of Israeli life are characterized, not only by a rapid rate of change but also by the relative prevalence of planned social change. In response to the economic and social problems ultimately related to the achievement of statehood and the absorption of mass immigration, most public institutions are engaged in inducing and/or controlling change in many spheres of behavior. Recent years have witnessed an increase in the awareness on the part of such institutions, that they may profit from a closer acquaintance with modern social science. In addition to the utilization of sociological research and counseling, requests are made for training; many individuals who have been agents of social change for years are now prepared to take some time (usually very little time) to hear what social psychology has to offer.
Feasibility of extreme dose escalation for glioblastoma multiforme using 4π radiotherapy

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) frequently recurs at the same location after radiotherapy. Further dose escalation using conventional methods is limited by normal tissue tolerance. 4π non-coplanar radiotherapy has recently emerged as a new potential method to deliver highly conformal radiation dose using the C-arm linacs. We aim to study the feasibility of very substantial GBM dose escalation while maintaining normal tissue tolerance using 4π. Methods: 11 GBM patients previously treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT/RapidArc) on the NovalisTx™ platform to a prescription dose of either 59.4 Gy or 60 Gy were included. All patients were replanned with 30 non-coplanar beams using a 4π radiotherapy platform, which inverse optimizes both beam angles and fluence maps. Four different prescriptions were used including original prescription dose and PTV (4πPTVPD), 100 Gy to the PTV and GTV (4πPTV100Gy), 100 Gy to the GTV only while maintaining prescription dose to the rest of the PTV (4πGTV100Gy), and a 5 mm margin expansion plan (4πPTVPD+5mm). OARs included in the study are the normal brain (brain – PTV), brainstem, chiasm, spinal cord, eyes, lenses, optical nerves, and cochleae. Results: The 4π plans resulted in superior dose gradient indices, as indicated by >20% reduction in the R50, compared to the clinical plans. Among all of the 4π cases, when compared to the clinical plans, the maximum and mean doses were significantly reduced (p 0.05) for all of the non-brain OARs. Both the 4πPTVPD and 4π GTV100GYplans reduced the mean normal brain mean doses. Conclusions: 4π non-coplanar radiotherapy substantially increases the dose gradient outside of the PTV and better spares critical organs. Dose escalation to 100 Gy to the GTV or additional margin expansion while meeting clinical critical organ dose constraints is feasible. 100 Gy to the PTV result in higher normal brain doses but may be tolerated when delivered in proportionally increased treatment fractions. Therefore, 4π non-coplanar radiotherapy on C-arm gantry may provide an accessible tool to improve the outcome of GBM radiotherapy through extreme dose escalation.
Persistent Donor Cell Gene Expression among Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Contributes to Differences with Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) generated by de-differentiation of adult somatic cells offer potential solutions for the ethical issues surrounding human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), as well as their immunologic rejection after cellular transplantation. However, although hiPSCs have been described as “embryonic stem cell-like”, these cells have a distinct gene expression pattern compared to hESCs, making incomplete reprogramming a potential pitfall. It is unclear to what degree the difference in tissue of origin may contribute to these gene expression differences. To answer these important questions, a careful transcriptional profiling analysis is necessary to investigate the exact reprogramming state of hiPSCs, as well as analysis of the impression, if any, of the tissue of origin on the resulting hiPSCs. In this study, we compare the gene profiles of hiPSCs derived from fetal fibroblasts, neonatal fibroblasts, adipose stem cells, and keratinocytes to their corresponding donor cells and hESCs. Our analysis elucidates the overall degree of reprogramming within each hiPSC line, as well as the “distance” between each hiPSC line and its donor cell. We further identify genes that have a similar mode of regulation in hiPSCs and their corresponding donor cells compared to hESCs, allowing us to specify core sets of donor genes that continue to be expressed in each hiPSC line. We report that residual gene expression of the donor cell type contributes significantly to the differences among hiPSCs and hESCs, and adds to the incompleteness in reprogramming. Specifically, our analysis reveals that fetal fibroblast-derived hiPSCs are closer to hESCs, followed by adipose, neonatal fibroblast, and keratinocyte-derived hiPSCs.
Progressive atrophy of the mandible complicated by fractures: its reconstruction.

Abstract A case of severe atrophy of the mandible with three spontaneous fractures has been presented. The treatment of the fractures and the reinforcement and reconstruction of the mandible with bone grafts have been discussed. I have also described the restoration of masticatory function in this patient by means of a new implant denture.
The inflammatory effects of crystalline cholesterol monohydrate in the guinea pig gallbladder in vivo

Abstract Background: The etiologic role of crystalline material in inflammatory arthritis is well established. The role of crystals in cholecystitis is unclear. We hypothesized that crystalline cholesterol monohydrate stimulates guinea pig gallbladder inflammation in vivo. Methods: Crystalline cholesterol monohydrate, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lysolecithin, polystyrene latex spheres (noninflammatory particles), and saline were instilled into guinea pig gallbladders for 24 to 72 hours after cystic duct ligation. Water transport across gallbladder mucosa was measured. Gallbladder tissue was analyzed for mucus layer thickness, myeloperoxidase, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), prostaglandin F-1α (PGF-1α), and interleukin-1. Luminal fluid was also examined for PGE2 and PGF-1α. Values for each test were compared with saline controls by using Student's t test (p
Efficient timestamp input and output

In this paper we provide efficient algorithms for converting between timestamp values that signify some number of seconds from an arbitrary origin, and character strings specifying Gregorian dates, such as ‘January 1, 1993’. We give several algorithms that explore a range of time and space trade-offs. Unlike previous algorithms, those discussed here have a constant time cost over a greatly extended range of timestamp values. These algorithms are especially useful in operating systems and in database management systems.
WHEN SELF-INJECTIVE RINGS ARE QF: A REPORT ON A PROBLEM

Theorems of Osofsky and Kato imply that a right and left self-injective one-sided perfect ring is quasi-Frobenius (= QF). The corresponding question for one-sided self-injective one or two-sided perfect rings remains open, even assuming that the ring is semiprimary. The latter version of the problem is known as Faith's Conjecture (FC). We survey results on QF rings, especially those obtained in connection with FC. We also review various results that provide partial answers to another problem of Faith: Is a right FGF ring necessarily QF? On this topic, we provide a new result, namely that if all factor rings of R are right FGF, then R is QF (Theorem 6.1). In Sec. 7 we review results concerning the question of when a D-ring is QF. Sections 8 and 9 are devoted respectively to IF rings, and to Σ-injective rings and Σ-CS rings.
Medical Management of Peyronie’s Disease: a 2014 Update

Peyronie’s disease (PD) is a connective tissue disorder characterized by the development of dense fibrous collagen plaque deposits in the tunica albuginea of the penis, resulting in curvature of the erection and sexual dysfunction. It is both a physically and psychologically devastating disorder that remains a considerable therapeutic dilemma due to incomplete characterization of its pathophysiology and the paucity of randomized controlled trials. Along with an underlying genetic predisposition, numerous studies have implicated pro-inflammatory cascades and oxidative stress in the development of PD. Medical therapies targeting these pathways can be partially effective at decreasing or inhibiting plaque formation and symptoms of PD. Such therapies include the broad categories of oral medication and vitamin supplements, intralesional injections, and penile traction. The recent FDA approval for intralesional collagenase clostridium histolyticum provides a significant advancement in the medical treatment of PD. In addition to highlighting the latest data supporting intralesional collagenase clostridium histolyticum, this update aims to review the most current literature on all of the available options for medical treatment of PD and to provide a practical approach to the clinical management of PD in the office setting.
Enhanced Affinities and Specificities of Consolidated Ligands for the Src Homology (SH) 3 and SH2 Domains of Abelson Protein-tyrosine Kinase

The possible interrelationships between multiple domains of proteins involved in intracellular signal transduction are complex and not easily investigated. We have synthesized a series of bivalent consolidated ligands, which interact simultaneously with the SH2 and SH3 domain of Abelson kinase in a SH(32) dual domain construct, a portion of native Abelson kinase. Affinities were measured by quenching of intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. Consolidated ligands have enhanced affinity and specificity compared to monovalent equivalents. Affinity is also dependent on the length of the linker joining the two parts, with an optimum distance similar to that expected from structural models of Abl (SH(32). These results suggest that consolidated ligands may be generally useful reagents for probing structural and functional activities of multidomain proteins.
Fence Sitting for a Better View: Finding a Middle Ground Between Materialism and the Linguistic Turn in the Epistemology of History

Over the past several decades the social sciences have experienced an expansion of historical research. Much of this historical work is linked to the new social history that has significant materialist roots in cultural Marxism and the Annales school. In the past several years this epistemology has been challenged by members of the linguistic turn who draw on poststructuralism and deconstructionism. They seek to debunk what they see as the metanarratives of this materialist ontology, and produced an alternative historiography center on the analysis of discourse. The author argues that the linguistic turn raises important issues, but many of its practitioners hypostatize discourse and create an alternative essentialism. To explicate these problems the study uses as an exemplar the recent work of historian Patrick Joyce. The author alternatively proposes a discourse analysis drawing on Bakhtinian literary theory, which focuses on the social construction of meaning through language. This alternative recogniz...
Mechanism of dioxin action: receptor-enhancer interactions in intact cells

We have used a ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction technique to analyze protein-DNA interactions at a dioxin-responsive enhancer upstream of the CYP1A1 gene in intact mouse hepatoma cells. In its inactive state, the enhancer binds few, if any, proteins within the major DNA groove in vivo. Thus, the inactive enhancer is relatively inaccessible to DNA-binding proteins. Exposure of cells to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin leads to the binding of the liganded Ah receptor at six sites within the major DNA groove of the enhancer. The receptor-enhancer interactions occur rapidly and do not require ongoing transcription, consistent with their role in regulating CYP1A1 gene expression. The liganded receptor, which is a heteromer composed of at least two basic helix-loop-helix proteins, is probably the only DNA-binding transcription factor necessary to activate the enhancer in vivo. The small size and irregular distribution of receptor binding sites suggest that chromatin structure imposes substantial steric constraints upon the function of the receptor-enhancer system in intact cells.
The determination of the propagation constant for the traveling wave in an infinite ground plane

The propagation constant for the travelling wave in a trough in an infinite ground plane is examined. The null-field integral is used to determine the electromagnetic field in the trough structure, and pulse basis functions give the distribution of the aperture fields. From this, the propagation constant is solved for, using the Newton-Raphson iterative scheme. Various sizes of geometries are examined. The far-field patterns are calculated and compared with other solutions, thereby validating the integral formulation which subsequently provided the propagation constant. Measurements of two trough geometries are performed to validate the theoretical results. >
Second stage string fragmentation model

A string model, advocated by Bowler, provides a physical and intuitive picture of heavy quark fragmentation. When supplemented by an {ital ad hoc} factor of (1{minus}z), to suppress fragmentation near z=1, it supplies an excellent fit to the data. We extend Bowler{close_quote}s model by accounting for the further decay of the massive mesonic states produced by the initial string breaking. We find that each subsequent string break and cascade decay beyond the first, introduces a factor of (1{minus}z). Furthermore we find that including a finite mass for the quarks, which pop out of the vacuum and split the string, forces the first string breaking to produce massive states requiring further decay. This sequence terminates at the second stage of fragmentation where only relatively {open_quotes}light{close_quotes} heavy meson systems are formed. Thus we naturally account for the phenomenologically required factor of (1{minus}z). We also predict that the ratio of (primary) fragments vector/(vector plus scalar) should be 0.61. Our second stage string fragmentation model provides an appealing picture of heavy quark fragmentation. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Classical duals of derivatively self-coupled theories

Solutions to scalar theories with derivative self-couplings often have regions where nonlinearities are important. Given a classical source, there is usually a region, demarcated by the Vainshtein radius, inside of which the classical nonlinearities are dominant, while quantum effects are still negligible. If perturbation theory is used to find such solutions, the expansion generally breaks down as the Vainshtein radius is approached from the outside. Here we show that it is possible, by integrating in certain auxiliary fields, to reformulate these theories in such a way that nonlinearities become small inside the Vainshtein radius, and large outside it. This provides a complementary, or classically dual, description of the same theory---one in which nonperturbative regions become accessible perturbatively. We consider a few examples of classical solutions with various symmetries, and find that in all the cases the dual formulation makes it rather simple to study regimes in which the original perturbation theory fails to work. As an illustration, we reproduce by perturbative calculations some of the already known nonperturbative results, for a pointlike source, cosmic string, and domain wall, and derive a new one. The dual formulation may be useful for developing the parametrized post Newtonian formalism in the theories of modified gravity that give rise to such scalar theories.
Highly Shocked Polymer Bonded Explosives at a Nonplanar Interface: Hot-Spot Formation Leading to Detonation

We report reactive molecular dynamics simulations using the ReaxFF reactive force field to examine shock-induced hot-spot formation followed by detonation initiation in realistic (2.7 million atoms) models of polymer bonded explosives (PBX) with nonplanar interfaces. We considered here two energetic materials (EMs) pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), a common EM for PBX, and silicon pentaerythritol tetranitrate (Si-PETN), which is so extremely sensitive that it has not been possible to characterize its shock properties experimentally. In each case the EM was embedded in a hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) based polymer binder matrix to form a model of PBX that has a periodic sawtooth nonplanar interface. For the cases in which the shock wave propagates from the EM to polymer (EM→poly), we observed that a hot spot arises from shear localization at the convex polymer asperity. For the case in which the shock direction is inverted (shock wave propagates from the polymer to the EM, EM←poly), we find t...
Understanding ion deceleration lenses: what are the simplicity/performance trade-offs?

The traditional approach for obtaining highly collimated low energy (<200 eV) beams from high-energy (1-10 keV) sector mass spectrometers involves the use of a complex exponential deceleration lens assembly. Through ion optical modeling of the exponential lens and other less-complex lens designs, the fundamental features that contribute to deceleration lens performance are investigated. From this evaluation, a simple high-performance lens was designed, constructed, and characterized. The novel lens described here decelerates a 3-keV ion beam down to the 3-200-eV range while providing low angular divergence, excellent focusing, and good transmission.
Quantitative bone remodelling resulting from the use of porous dental implants

Histomorphometric analyses were used to quantitatively determine the patterns of bony ingrowth which resulted from the placement of porous-surfaced dental implants into the mandibles of Rhesus monkeys for up to 74 months utilizing a two-stage approach. Quantitative histopathologic evaluations were made using ground section microscopy. Implant stability resulting from bone remodelling and ingrowth occurred to varying degrees with all implants. Bone ingrowth occurred from medullary trabeculae and contact with the adjacent cortical plates. Quantitative histomorphometric analyses revealed that in only one case was the bone ingrowth into the available internal pores less than 45%. Minimal fibrous connective tissue ingrowth was observed in the implant crypts and was not thought to be due to micro-motion. The observed bone remodelling indicated a favorable prognosis for long-term implant performance.
Basic mechanisms of noise generation by helicopters, V/STOL aircraft and ground effect machines☆

The basic mechanisms of noise generation due to mass introduction, applied force and applied stress are discussed with reference to their implications for helicopters, V/STOL aircraft and ground effect machines. The significance of the dimensional dependence of monopole, dipole and quadrupole fields is shown. The results of a new theory giving the effects of system accelerations on noise are presented. This theory is especially relevant to noise problems for these machines because of the centrifugal accelerations associated with many of the noise generating components. System accelerations give rise to higher order poles in the sound field which become particularly important at high speeds. An expression for the sound field produced by fluctuating lift and drag forces in a rotating and convected system is given. As a further example of the application of the general theory the sound field radiated by a hovering helicopter is analyzed. It is shown how a previously unrecognized source of sound arises from the outward components of force induced by the effects of blade coning angle and lag. The source of sound has its maximum in the plane of the rotor disc. The importance of including the proper momentum terms in calculations of noise radiated by moving mass sources is demonstrated.
The effects of graphene nanostructures on mesenchymal stem cells.

We report the effects of two-dimensional graphene nanostructures; graphene nano-onions (GNOs), graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONRs), and graphene oxide nanoplatelets (GONPs) on viability, and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Cytotoxicity of GNOs, GONRs, and GONPs dispersed in distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[amino(polyethylene glycol)] (DSPE-PEG), on adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (adMSCs), and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (bmMSCs) was assessed by AlamarBlue and Calcein AM viability assays at concentrations ranging from 5 to 300 μg/ml for 24 or 72 h. Cytotoxicity of the 2D graphene nanostructures was found to be dose dependent, not time dependent, with concentrations less than 50 μg/ml showing no significant differences compared to untreated controls. Differentiation potential of adMSCs to adipocytes and osteoblasts, – characterized by Oil Red O staining and elution, alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium matrix deposition and Alizarin Red S staining – did not change significantly when treated with the three graphene nanoparticles at a low (10 μg/ml) and high (50 μg/ml) concentration for 24 h. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and confocal Raman spectroscopy indicated cellular uptake of only GNOs and GONPs. The results lay the foundation for the use of these nanoparticles at potentially safe doses as ex vivo labels for MSC-based imaging and therapy.
CMOS technology scaling, 0.1 /spl mu/m and beyond

A projection of CMOS technology scaling and the expected performance, density, and power improvements are presented. Technology for scaling to sub-0.1 /spl mu/m effective channel length (L/sub eff/) is discussed, and the key barriers are examined. It is shown that device speed enhancement of about 3X, circuit density improvement of 8X, and 20-40X improvement in power-delay product (mW/MIPS) will be achieved by scaling the CMOS technologies down to the sub-0.1 /spl mu/m regime, operating in the 1 V range, as compared with today's high performance 0.35 /spl mu/m devices at 3.3 V. Such anticipated significant improvements in the silicon chip performance will continue to fuel the growth of the semiconductor industry for the next decade.
Tropical Cyclogenesis Associated with Kelvin Waves and the Madden-Julian Oscillation

AbstractThe Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) influences tropical cyclone formation around the globe. Convectively coupled Kelvin waves are often embedded within the MJO, but their role in tropical cyclogenesis remains uncertain. This case study identifies the influences of the MJO and a series of Kelvin waves on the formation of two tropical cyclones.Typhoons Rammasun and Chataan developed in the western North Pacific on 28 June 2002. Two weeks earlier, conditions had been unfavorable for tropical cyclogenesis because of uniform trade easterlies and a lack of organized convection. The easterlies gave way to equatorial westerlies as the convective envelope of the Madden–Julian oscillation moved into the region. A series of three Kelvin waves modulated the development of the westerlies. Cyclonic potential vorticity (PV) developed in a strip between the growing equatorial westerlies and the persistent trade easterlies farther poleward. Rammasun and Chataan emerged from the apparent breakdown of this strip.The...
Childhood Obesity and Autonomic Dysfunction: Risk for Cardiac Morbidity and Mortality

The epidemic of childhood obesity is becoming a major predictor for risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and mortality during adulthood. Alterations in the morphology of the heart due to obesity could be a predictor for the dysfunction of cardiac autonomic modulation (CAM). A number of epidemiologic studies have evaluated the effect of obesity and CAM in children, finding that obesity impaired the balance of CAM toward a sympathetic overflow and reduced parasympathetic modulation, a significant predictor of CVD morbidity and mortality in adults. Lifestyle modifications, for example long-term exercise programs, have been shown to improve CAM in the obese. This review discusses the recent evidence on childhood and adolescent obesity and its impact on CAM, as well as how early lifestyle changes could help improve CAM, which may in turn reduce the burden of CVD in adults.
Microbial atrazine breakdown in a karst groundwater system and its effect on ecosystem energetics.

In the absence of sunlight energy, microbial community survival in subterranean aquifers depends on integrated mechanisms of energy and nutrient scavenging. Because karst aquifers are particularly sensitive to agricultural land use impacts due to rapid and direct hydrologic connections for pollutants to enter the groundwater, we examined the fate of an exogenous pesticide (atrazine) into such an aquifer and its impact on microbial ecosystem function. Atrazine and its degradation product deethylatrazine (DEA) were detected in a fast-flowing karst aquifer underlying atrazine-impacted agricultural land. By establishing microbial cultures with sediments from a cave conduit within this aquifer, we observed two distinct pathways of microbial atrazine, degradation: (i) in cave sediments previously affected by atrazine, apparent surface-derived catabolic genes allowed the microbial communities to rapidly degrade atrazine via hydroxyatrazine, to cyanuric acid, and (ii) in low-impact sediments not previously exposed to this pesticide, atrazine was also degraded by microbial activity at a much slower rate, with DEA as the primary degradation product. In sediments from both locations, atrazine affected nitrogen cycling by altering the abundance of nitrogen dissimulatory species able to use nitrogenous compounds for energy. The sum of these effects was that the presence of atrazine altered the natural microbial processes in these cave sediments, leading to an accumulation of nitrate. Such changes in microbial ecosystem dynamics can alter the ability of DEA to serve as a proxy for atrazine contamination and can negatively affect ecosystem health and water quality in karst aquifers.
A doctor of my own: a documentary film on medical education in sub-Saharan Africa.

The World Health Organization estimates that at the time of the Ebola outbreak, only 1 to 2 doctors were available to treat every 100,000 people in the 3 hardest-hit countries. Epidemics such as this underlie the long-standing health care emergency in Sub-Saharan Africa and have led to increased attention to capacitating medical education as a sustainable part of the solution. To document the unique set of issues involved in shaping the success of a new Sub-Saharan African medical school, a small camera crew embedded themselves among students at the recently opened University of Namibia School of Medicine for 8 weeks to produce an investigative film on the challenges and breakthroughs in the development process. A Doctor of My Own investigates 3 themes of relevance to current medical education in Africa. The first is innovations in teaching doctors within resource-limited settings, including a unique “community excursion program” that the documentary explores as part of the students’ third year. Designed to inform students of the needs of poorly funded rural health care in their own country, the immersion program provides a unique and, as the film reveals, demanding hands-on approach to student education. The second theme is the importance of developing context-specific medical competency
Inclusive Hadron Productions in pA Collisions

We calculate inclusive hadron productions in pA collisions in the small-x saturation formalism at one-loop order. The differential cross section is written into a factorization form in the coordinate space at the next-to-leading order, while the naive form of the convolution in the transverse momentum space does not hold. The rapidity divergence with small-x dipole gluon distribution of the nucleus is factorized into the energy evolution of the dipole gluon distribution function, which is known as the Balitsky-Kovchegov equation. Furthermore, the collinear divergences associated with the incoming parton distribution of the nucleon and the outgoing fragmentation function of the final state hadron are factorized into the splittings of the associated parton distribution and fragmentation functions, which allows us to reproduce the well-known DGLAP equation. The hard coefficient function, which is finite and free of divergence of any kind, is evaluated at one-loop order.
A generalization of the Nash equilibrium theorem on bimatrix games

In this article, we consider a two-person game in which the first player picks a row representative matrixM from a nonempty set\(A\) ofm ×n matrices and a probability distributionx on {1,2,...,m} while the second player picks a column representative matrixN from a nonempty set ℬ ofm ×n matrices and a probability distribution y on 1,2,...,n. This leads to the respective costs ofxtMy andxtNy for these players. We establish the existence of an ɛ-equilibrium for this game under the assumption that\(A\) and ℬ are bounded. When the sets\(A\) and ℬ are compact in ℝmxn, the result yields an equilibrium state at which stage no player can decrease his cost by unilaterally changing his row/column selection and probability distribution. The result, when further specialized to singleton sets, reduces to the famous theorem of Nash on bimatrix games.
Stimulation of hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis by oleic acid.

Abstract Livers from normal fed male rats were perfused in vitro with an erythrocyte-free, bloodless medium containing serum albumin (3%), and glucose (100 mg %). Oleic acid (663 μmoles) bound to albumin, or albumin alone, was infused at a constant rate. Biosynthesis of cholesterol was evaluated by incorporation of radioactivity from 3H2O. Oleic acid stimulated output of cholesterol (1.60 ± 0.08 SEM vs 1.18 ± 0.04 μmoles/g) but did not change the concentration of cholesterol in the liver or hepatic microsomes. Incorporation of 3H into cholesterol was stimulated by oleate; dpm per μmole cholesterol/dpm per μg atom H was 3.94 ± 0.33, 3.46 ± 0.32, and 4.46 ± 0.37 in the total cholesterol of liver, perfusate, and microsomes, respectively, when oleate was infused. Corresponding values when oleate was not infused were 1.71 ± 0.23, 1.62 ± 0.20, and 2.09 ± 0.26, respectively (P
Duty-related trauma exposure in 911 telecommunicators: Considering the risk for posttraumatic stress

Peritraumatic distress may increase the risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in police officers. Much less is known about emotional reactions and PTSD symptomatology in 911 telecommunicators. The current study assessed duty-related exposure to potentially traumatic calls, peritraumatic distress, and PTSD symptomatology in a cross-sectional, convenience sample of 171 telecommunicators. Results showed that telecommunicators reported high levels of peritraumatic distress and a moderate, positive relationship was found between peritraumatic distress and PTSD symptom severity (r = .34). The results suggest that 911 telecommunicators are exposed to duty-related trauma that may lead to the development of PTSD, and that direct, physical exposure to trauma may not be necessary to increase risk for PTSD in this population.
Reconciling Group and Individual Preferences of Multi-Agent Systems

Many multi-agent systems are mixed-motive, such that the interests of the individuals are not entirely compatible with each other or with the group as a whole. In such situations it is imperative to reconcile these differences and arrive at a joint decision that yields acceptable performance for the group and for each of its members. Social utilities provide a natural mathematical model to account for social attributes such as compromise, coordination, negotiation, and altruism. Satisficing game theory provides an alternative solution concept that is compatible with social utilities and which admits principled negotiation protocols that are designed to reach solutions that provide adequate performance for the group and are acceptable to each of the individuals.
Sex Differences in Right Hemisphere Tasks

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that sex differences in spatial ability and emotional perception are due to sex differences in intrahemispheric organization of the right hemisphere. If the right hemisphere is differently organized by sex—primarily specialized for spatial ability in men, but primarily specialized for emotional perception in women—then there should be a negative correlation between spatial ability and emotional perception within sex, and the greatest disparity between abilities should be found in people with characteristic arousal of the right hemisphere. Undergraduate men ( N = 86) and women ( N = 132) completed tests of Mental Rotation, Surface Development, Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity, Progressive Matrices, and Chimeric Faces. Although the expected pattern of sex differences was observed, there was no evidence for the hypothesized negative correlation between spatial ability and emotional perception, even after statistical control of general intelligence.
Ion-temperature measurement via laser scattering on ion Bernstein waves

Hydrogen ion temperature has been measured in a warm toroidal plasma with externally launched ion Bernstein waves detected by CO/sub 2/ laser scattering. Radial scanning of the laser beam allows precise determination of k/sub perpendicular/ for the finite ion Larmor radius wave (..omega..< or approx. =2..cap omega../sub i/). Knowledge of the magnetic field strength and ion concentration then give a radially resolved ion temperature, independent of T/sub e/. Probe measurements and Doppler broadening of Ar II 4806 A give excellent agreement.
A Model of Corporate Performance as a Function of Environmental, Organizational, and Leadership Influences

In a model of corporate performance incorporating environmental, organizational, and leadership variables, three performance dimensions—profit, profitability, and stock price—are examined for a sam...
Determination of the activity of 2-propanol in dibutylphthalate from single droplet absorption studies

Abstract The absorption of 2-propanol vapor by a single dibutylphthalate droplet is measured in real time using an electric droplet levitation cell with an automatic feedback circuit. The mole fraction of alcohol absorbed by the droplet is determined from the increase in the electric field intensity required to maintain the droplet at the center of the levitating field. The gas phase alcohol activity (partial pressure) is determined from the droplet growth rate, which is approximately proportional to the alcohol partial pressure during the early stages of growth. The activity of 2-propanol in dibutylphthalate is measured for an alcohol mole fraction range from 0.35 to 0.82 at a temperature of 20°C. The activity data is fit to a van Laar activity model and the corresponding activity coefficient for dibutylphthalate is calculated using the Gibbs-Duhem relation.
Heart rate-cloacal temperature hysteresis in Iguana is a result of thermal lag.

REPTILES reportedly possess physiological mechanisms for the increase or decrease in the rate of heat exchange with their environments. This the animal could do by changing either its metabolic rate or its effective insulation. Both sorts of mechanisms have been postulated responsible for this capability.
Preterm birth and long-term maternal cardiovascular health.

Purpose To investigate whether preterm birth (PTB) is associated with greater cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in a longitudinal cohort.
Pseudomorphs of impact spherules from a Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary section at Shell Creek, Alabama

Abstract During a biostratigraphic investigation of a Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary section at Shell Creek, Alabama dark green spherules with distinctive morphologies were serendipitously found in the lower Danian basal Clayton sand. With the exception of in the upper 30 cm, they were found throughout the sand, upwards from an erosional contact separating the sand from the underlying upper Maastrichtian Prairie Bluff Chalk. Additional studies revealed that the spherules exhibit the morphologies of splash-form tektites and that their original composition has been altered to a smectite external layer with a calcite core. The presence of spherules with similar morphologies and size distribution in K-T boundary sections at Beloc (Haiti) and in Arroyo El Mimbral (northeastern Mexico) leads to the deduction that the Shell Creek spherules represent altered impact ejecta. Impact glasses, Ni spinels and shocked mineral grains were searched for extensively, but intense alteration and dilution by detrital quartz sand have made it unlikely that such supporting evidence of an impact origin will be found at this site. Nonetheless, the large sizes of the microtektite pseudomorphs, which are well over 1 mm in diameter, and abundance (the total fluence is about 2 g/cm2), makes this location an important corroboration of a proximal site for the K-T impact.
Great Expectations: Autism Spectrum Disorder and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Technologies

New applications of iPSC technology to research on complex idiopathic conditions raise several important ethical and social considerations for potential research participants and their families. In this short review, we examine these issues through the lens of emerging research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We begin by describing the current state of iPSC technology in research on ASD. Then we discuss how the social history of and current controversies in autism research combined with the emergence of autism-specific iPSC biobanks indicate an urgent need for researchers to clearly communicate the limitations and possibilities of iPSC research to ensure research participants have the ability to provide fully informed, voluntary consent. We conclude by offering recommendations to bolster informed consent for research involving iPSC biobanks, both in the specific context of ASD and more broadly.
The Treasury Bill Rate, the Great Recession, and Neural Networks Estimates of Real Business Sales

Abstract This paper analyzes out-of-sample forecasts of real total business sales. We study monthly data from January 1 970 to June 2012. The predictor variable, 3-month Treasury bill interest rate, was used with both the regression (used as a benchmark) and neural network models. The neural network models’, trained in supervised learning with the Levenberg-Marquardt backpropagation through time algorithm, prediction accuracy was confirmed with correlation coefficient and root mean square tests. The activation function used for the focused gamma models of the time-lag recurrent networks in both the hidden and output layers was tanh. The forecast period ranged from January 2006 to June 2012 thus encompassing the past recession. The real business sales variable is one of the indicators used as a coincident index of the U.S. business cycle, and is included among the variables studied by the Federal Reserve to formulate monetary policy. It is thus an important indicator surrogating for real GDP, which is reported quarterly and with a longer time delay. Our analysis shows that recent recessions have increased in duration, so that using a 36-month change to approximate an average cycle in estimating and forecasting is more relevant and accurate than past usage of a 24-month change.
Age differences in visual-spatial memory performance: Do children really out-perform adults when playing Concentration?

Twenty-six adults and 123 children (ages 5 to 9) played individually a modified version of Con­ centration. Each player examined two uncovered pictures on each of a series of trials until 16 matching pairs were found . There were no age differences in the number of trials required to locate all matches. On a measure that reflects "perfect" task performance, however, children performed significantly better than adults. The sample's typicality with regard to verbal memory was evidenced by performance on a digit span task. These findings support the long-held belief that visual-spatial memory performance actually declines in development.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes global induction of antiapoptosis in human neutrophils.

Abstract Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ap), the agent of the tick-borne disease human granulocytic anaplasmosis, is an obligate intracellular pathogen unique in its ability to target and replicate within neutrophils. It profoundly inhibits neutrophil apoptosis, prolonging neutrophil survival from hours to days. To determine the basis of antiapoptosis, we compared gene expression in Ap-infected vs mock-infected human neutrophils. Antiapoptosis genes were consistently and significantly up-regulated (2- to 15-fold) within 1–3 h. These genes synergistically inhibit apoptosis through several interconnected pathways, including p38MAPK (MAP2K3), ERK (IER3), PI3K (PRKCD), and NF-κB (BCL2A1, NFKB1, NFKBIA, GADD45B). Both extrinsic death receptor (TNFAIP3, CFLAR, SOD2) and intrinsic mitochondrial (BCL2A1, PIM2, BIRC3) pathways were affected as confirmed by reductions in both caspase 3 and caspase 8 activities. Several important antiapoptotic genes noted to be up-regulated in Ap-infected neutrophils were not up-regulated during Ap infection of HL-60 cells (which is not antiapoptotic). In conclusion, just as apoptosis may be triggered through multiple molecular pathways, effective antiapoptosis of neutrophils is achieved rapidly and redundantly by this intracellular pathogen dependent on cell survival.
Multiscale Modeling of Elastoplastic Behavior for Aluminum-Based Metallic-Glass Nanocomposites

Progress has recently been made in experimental studies on mechanical properties and strengthening mechanisms of nanoparticle (α-Al) reinforced amorphous aluminum-matrix nanocomposites. However, little quantitative mechanical modeling of amorphous nanocomposites is available to demonstrate the underlying strengthening and deforming mechanisms. The objective of this paper is to explore the overall constitutive relationship of α-Al-reinforced amorphous nanocomposites in terms of a multiscale approach starting from the microstructure at nanoscale. The overall strengthening and deforming behavior of the nanocomposites is investigated from nanomechanics framework and homogenization procedures. Specifically, with the introduction of the nanoparticle surface area-volume ratio, the dependence of overall mechanical properties on nanoparticle sizes is particularly emphasized. Further effects of the nanoparticle concentration and local particle interaction are formulated. The proposed model can provide direct determination of the intrinsic mechanisms of material structure-property relationship at the nanoscale.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Markov models for time series with mixed distribution

We consider modelling time series of amounts which may be zero using a stochastic first-order Markov model with mixed transition density having a discrete component at 0 and a continuous component describing non-zero amounts. The models extend chain-dependent stochastic models in the literature on modelling rainfall. Under certain assumptions the Markov chain likelihood can be factored to allow model parameters to be estimated by maximum likelihood using standard Generalized Linear Models methods and software. The results give estimates of seasonal patterns in mean amounts and probability distributions of amounts. We illustrate with 30 years of daily rainfall data from Melbourne, Australia. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regulated and non-regulated emissions from in-use diesel-electric switching locomotives.

Diesel-electric locomotives are vital to the operation of freight railroads in the United States, and emissions from this source category have generated interest in recent years. They are also gaining attention as an important emission source under the larger set of nonroad sources, both from a regulated emissions and health effects standpoint. The present work analyzes regulated (NOx, PM, THC, CO) and non-regulated emissions from three in-use diesel-electric switching locomotives using standardized sampling and analytical techniques. The engines tested in this work were from 1950, 1960, and 1970 and showed a range of NOx and PM emissions. In general, non-regulated gaseous emissions showed a sharp increase as engines shifted from non-idle to idle operating modes. This is interesting from an emissions perspective since activity data shows that these locomotives spend around 60% of their time idling. In terms of polycyclicaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contributions, the dominance of naphthalene and its derivat...
The Correlates of Change in International Financial Regulation

With which political and economic variables is change in international financial regulation robustly associated? I undertook multivariate regression analysis of this question using a quantitative measure of the regulation of international financial transactions. The measure was created by coding the laws of 64 nations. The associations between change in international financial regulation and measures of long-run economic growth, corporate taxation, government expenditures, and income inequality are estimated, using the models, methods, and data of Batro (1991), Deininger and Squire (1996a), Leamer (1983, 1985), and Levine and Renelt (1992). The findings point to a new agenda for research on international financial regulation.
The Organ Conscription Trolley Problem

Delaney and Hershenov (2009) describe two scenarios intended to elicit the intuition that we have the right to use the organs of a non-consenting deceased donor in order to save a life. I will argu...
Global analysis and general relativity

An outline of recent applications of modern infinitedimensional manifold techniques to general relativity is presented. The uses, scope, and future of such methods are delineated. It is argued that the mixing of the two active fields of general relativity and global analysis provides stimulation for both fields as well as producing good theorems. The authors' work on linearization stability of the Einstein equations is sketched out to substantiate the arguments.
USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting in Boulder: Not Just Another Conference

“ The writing is on the board” (Figure 1): The USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting in Boulder is a rare opportunity for students, faculty, and researchers in industrial and government labs to present their work in an informal and intellectually stimulating setting. The US National Committee (USNC) is appointed by the National Research Council of the National Academies to represent the US in the International Union of Radio Science (URSI). This meeting is attended by distinguished faculty from major US universities, graduate students, and researchers from national laboratories, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the Army Research Laboratory (ARL), and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). The varied technical topics and expertise makes it a fantastic gathering with vibrant - and at times, heated - technical exchanges.
A numerical study of Saturn's F-ring

The short term effects of 'shepherding' satellites is examined in the general case where all bodies move along eccentric orbits by analyzing the motion of a ring of particles as their orbits evolve under the gravitational perturbations of the shepherds. This computational approach makes ring evolution calculations extremely efficient numerically, and provides added insight into the nature of this two-body interaction. The procedure is analyzed and applied to several possible configurations of ring and shepherd orbits, emphasizing the F ring. If the F ring-to-satellite distance changes significantly due to eccentricities, the ring can break up into periodic clumps in an azimuthal domain which trails the satellite. This region may lag somewhat in longitude. The perturbations may cause the ring to vary significantly in a width, and can impart a significant, but probably time-variable, eccentricity to the ring.