cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Convulsant versus typical barbiturates: effects on conflict behavior in the rat.

Typical barbiturates produce a spectrum of behavioral effects, including anti-convulsant, muscle relaxant, sedative hypnotic and anti-anxiety actions. In contrast to these typical barbiturates, there exists a group of barbiturates which are pro-, rather than anti-convulsant. The effects of these convulsant barbiturates on anxiety-related behaviors have not been examined. Therefore, the present studies were designed to compare the effects of the convulsant barbiturate CHEB to those of a number of typical barbiturates in the Conditioned Suppression of Drinking (CSD) paradigm, an “animal model” for the study of anxiety and anti-anxiety agents. In daily 10-minute sessions, water-deprived rats were trained to drink from a tube which was occasionally electrified (0.5 mA), electrification being signalled by a tone. Within 3–4 weeks control responding had stabilized (10–15 shocks and 10–15 ml water/session); drug tests were then conducted at weekly intervals. Consistent with previous reports, typical barbiturates (pentobarbital, secobarbital, phenobarbital) produced dose-dependent increases in the number of shocks received at doses which did not depress background responding (water intake). In contrast, sub-convulsant doses of CHEB (0.3–2.5 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent depression of both punished responding and background responding. Finally, it was found that pre-treatment with 1.25 mg/kg CHEB did not alter the anti-conflict effects of pentobarbital. These results suggest that (1) convulsant and typical barbiturates have markedly different effects on conflict behavior in the rat and (2) CHEB appears not to possess any “barbiturate antagonist” qualities.
Models and methods for privacy-preserving data publishing and analysis: invited tutorial

The digitization of our daily lives has led to an explosion in the collection of digital data by governments, corporations, and individuals. Protection of confidentiality of this data is of utmost importance. However, knowledge of statistical properties of this private data can have significant societal benefit, for example, in decisions about the allocation of public funds based on Census data, or in the analysis of medical data from different hospitals to understand the interaction of drugs.This tutorial will survey recent research that builds bridges between the two seemingly conflicting goals of sharing data while preserving data privacy and confidentiality. The tutorial will cover definitions of privacy and disclosure, and associated methods how to enforce them.More information, including a list of references to related work can be found at the following website: http://www.cs.cornell.edu/database/privacy.
Getting a GR(i)P on oligodendrocyte development

One of the most extensively studied of mammalian cells is the oligodendrocyte, the myelin-forming cell of the central nervous system. The ancestry and development of this cell have been studied with every approach utilized by developmental biologists. Such detailed efforts have the potential of providing paradigms of relevance to those interested in analyzing the ancestry and development of any cell type. One of the striking features of studies on the development of oligodendrocytes is that different analytical approaches have led to strikingly different theoretical views regarding the ancestry of these cells. On one extreme is the hypothesis that the steps leading to the generation of oligodendrocytes begin with the generation of a glial-restricted precursor (GRP) cell from neuroepithelial stem cells. GRP cells are thought to be capable of giving rise to all glial cells (including oligodendrocytes and multiple astrocyte populations), but not to neurons, a process that appears to require progression through further stages of greater lineage restriction. On the other extreme is the hypothesis that oligodendrocytes are derived from a precursor cell that generates only motor neurons and oligodendrocytes, with astrocytes being generated through a separate lineage. In this review, we critically consider the various contributions to understanding the ancestry of oligodendrocytes, with particular attention to the respective merits of the GRP cell vs. the motor neuron-oligodendrocyte precursor (MNOP) cell hypothesis. We draw the conclusion that, at present, the strengths of the GRP cell hypothesis outweigh those of the MNOP hypothesis and other hypotheses suggesting oligodendrocytes are developmentally more related to motor neurons than to astrocytes. Moreover, it is clear from existing data that, following the period of motor neuron generation, the major glial precursor cell in the embryonic spinal cord is the GRP cell, and that multiple previous studies on the earliest stages of oligodendrocyte generation in the developing spinal cord have been focused on a differentiation stage of GRP cells.
Correlations for the S=1/2 antiferromagnet on a truncated tetrahedron.

The antiferromagnetic Heisenberg Hamiltonian is investigated on a truncated tetrahedron, which is a closed 12-site system. We find that the ground state has many similarities to that of C{sub 60}. We study two- and four-spin correlations in the classical ground state of the truncated tetrahedron and calculate the same correlations in the exact {ital S}=1/2 ground state. We find that the classical correlations survive for a range of bond strengths in the Heisenberg Hamiltonian and that one can construct a good trial wave function based on the classical ground state. This suggests that the correlations present in the classical ground state of C{sub 60} also survive in the exact ground state of that system, for a range of bond strengths about the physically relevant {ital J}{sub 2}{approx}{ital J}{sub 1}. We calculate the momentum-space correlation function {ital S}({ital q}), which is measurable by neutron scattering, for both C{sub 12} and C{sub 60}. We also calculate correlations at finite temperature.
Magnetization vorticity and exchange bias phenomena in arrays of small asymmetric magnetic rings

Abstract Arrays of nanoscopic magnetic asymmetric rings, 150 nm in outer diameter, are fabricated using the techniques of electron-beam lithography, angular deposition and ion-beam etching. Magnetic measurements for cobalt asymmetric rings at room temperature verifies previous reports of vortex magnetic state formation of a desired circulation direction for the application of external magnetic field along the asymmetry axis of the rings. However, the main theme of this article is the observation of exchange bias phenomena when the ring samples are cooled down to low temperature in the presence of a positive magnetic field. Very interestingly, the observed exchange bias effect is negative for along and perpendicular orientations of ring’s asymmetry axis with respect to the in-plane external magnetic field. This is in good quantitative agreement with the random interface model proposed by Malozemoff et al. For the application of in-plane external magnetic field at 45° with respect to the asymmetry axis, the exchange bias effect is positive. Unlike the exchange bias effects in thin films, this is a very unusual observation indicating that exchange bias phenomena of opposite natures can be manipulated by appropriate combinations of geometrical constraint and external magnetic field direction, in addition to the interfacial interactions between ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer.
Linguistic Indicators of Suicidality in Crisis Negotiations

Current data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBIs) Hostage, Barricade, and Suicide (HOBAS) data base indicates that suicides and attempted suicides account for more than one-third of all crisis negotiation incidents to which police respond and that barricade stand-offs, which may involve potential suicides, account for nearly an additional two-thirds of all reported incidents. It is, therefore, essential that insight into potential predictors of suicidality is a critical concern to crisis negotiators as they strive to successfully resolve incidents involving mentally and emotionally distraught persons. Research derived from clinical investigations of suicidal ideation and suicide enactment suggests that certain linguistic dimensions of subject verbal communication do predict suicidality. Specifically, use of personal pronouns, word length, emotional words, and adjective and adverb usage are regarded as indicators of suicide. This investigation explored the power of these and other linguistic v...
Fermionic solitons in gauge theories and their quantum corrections

Fermionic solitons are defined in terms of localized self-consistent solutions of the classical equations of motion for bosons and Dirac fields. The one-loop quantum-mechanical correction to the mass of such a state is given by the diagonal S-matrix element in a self-consistent interaction picture. The various contributions to the energy shift are discussed, and the gauge invariance of our result is verified explicitly. Our operator formulation for fermionic solitons is shown to be equivalent to a Feynman path-integral prescription proposed by Dashen, Hasslacher, and Neveu.
A study of the decay mode KLO → π+π−πO

Abstract The decay process KLO→π+π−πO has been studied in the 3OKLO beam at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center using a wire chamber magnetic spectrometer. The three pion decay was separated from leptonic decays using kinematics and muon identification. The average detection efficiency is 58.5% with a variation of less than 10% over the Dalitz plot. For a matrix expressed as |M| 2 =1+2a o M K M 2 π + (2 T o −T max )+β o M K M 2 π + (2 T o −T max ) 2 we find αo = 0.257 ± 0.005. The squared term is consistent with zero.
Relationship between American College of Surgeons trauma center designation and mortality in patients with severe trauma (injury severity score > 15).

Background We studied the association of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) trauma center designation and mortality in adult patients with severe trauma (Injury Severity Score > 15). ACS designation of trauma centers into different levels requires substantial financial and human resources commitments. There is very little work published on the association of ACS trauma center designation and outcomes in severe trauma. Study design National Trauma Data Bank study including all adult trauma admissions (older than 14 years of age) with Injury Severity Score (ISS) > 15. The relationship between ACS level of trauma designation and survival outcomes was evaluated after adjusting for age, mechanism of injury, ISS, hypotension on admission, severe liver trauma, aortic, vena cava, iliac vascular, and penetrating cardiac injuries. Results A total of 130,154 patients from 256 trauma centers met the inclusion criteria. Adjusted mortality in ACS-designated Level II centers and undesignated centers was notably higher than in Level I centers (adjusted odds ratio, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.09−120; p Conclusions Severely injured patients with ISS > 15 treated in ACS Level I trauma centers have considerably better survival outcomes than those treated in ACS Level II centers.
NY-ESO-1 and CTp11 expression may correlate with stage of progression in melanoma.

Background. As tumor cells spread beyond their primary site they undergo changes in their gene expression that may be detectable and useful for microstaging. The cancer/testis (CT) antigens are a family of proteins that include MAGE 1-3, NY-ESO-1, SSX 1-5, and others that are potential markers for microstaging melanoma. CT antigens are produced by many tumor types but few normal tissues other than testis. One CT antigen, CTp11, was shown to be expressed by metastasizing melanoma cell lines but not by nonmetastasizing variants. We tested this finding by studying the expression of CTp11 and NY-ESO-1 by melanoma samples from different stages of progression. Materials and methods. We collected 20 primary, 22 locoregional, and 10 distant metastatic melanoma samples. We extracted total RNA, and reverse transcription yielded cDNA, which was PCR-amplified using primers to detect β-actin, tyrosinase, MART-1, NY-ESO-1, and CTp11. The PCR products were separated on ethidium bromide-stained agarose gels and visualized by UV transillumination. Results. All samples were positive for β-actin and MART-1 and all but two were positive for tyrosinase, confirming RNA integrity and the presence of melanoma. Twenty-seven samples were positive for NY-ESO-1, CTp11, or both. CTp11 tended to be expressed by primary melanomas and NY-ESO-1 by metastatic samples (P < 0.02). Conclusions. There is a statistically significant difference in the distribution of the expression of CTp11 and NY-ESO-1 in melanoma from different stages of progression. NY-ESO-1 may be a marker of more advanced disease and CTp11 of less advanced disease.
Genesis 49:4 in light of Arabic and modern South Arabian

The rare word pahaz 'wily, devious' in Genesis 49:4 may have been chosen to describe Reuben in order to allow a play on words. Modern South Arabian and Arabic cognates to this root carry a sexual meaning, and such a meaning fits the context of this biblical passage.
The silent sinus syndrome: maxillary sinus atelectasis with enophthalmos and hypoglobus.

Purpose of review The silent sinus syndrome is a rare clinical entity of spontaneous enophthalmos and hypoglobus caused by an alteration of the normal orbital architecture and function from maxillary sinus collapse in the setting of chronic sinusitis. Recent findings The maxillary sinus collapse appears to result from the development of negative sinus pressure from an acquired obstruction of the maxillary sinus outflow. Patients most often present with symptoms relating to enophthalmos, although few report any symptoms of sinus disease. Summary Characteristic radiographic features of the maxillary sinus including opacification and collapse of the antral walls with inward bowing of the orbital floor are necessary for diagnosis.
Decentralising water resource management in Brazil

Recent studies of decentralisation of natural-resource management have advanced two related claims: participation of municipalities encourages downward accountability to local populations and single-issue decentralisation encourages upward accountability to higher levels of government. This contribution examines a case at the intersection of these arguments: participation of municipalities in single-issue decentralisation. Evidence from Brazil's water-resource decentralisation indicates that participation of municipalities is not the best indicator of downward accountability; rather, the nature of social and business groups, and mechanisms that encourage their participation, better predict downward accountability. New territories of single-issue decentralisation may have unintended positive effects on downward accountability.
Early biochemical changes in the embryonic rat heart after teratogen treatment

The effects on mucopolysaccharide synthesis in isolated embryonic rat hearts of in vivo and/or in vitro 6-aminonicotinamide, dietary-induced folic acid deficiency, aminopterin, and trypan blue were investigated using uptake of 35S-sodium sulfate to measure the rate of mucopolysaccharide synthesis. Intraperitoneal injection of 6-aminonicotinamide on day 11 of gestation caused inhibition of mucopolysaccharide synthesis which was most pronounced at day 13. A similar effect followed in vitro 6-aminonicotinamide treatment. Maternal folic acid deficiency on days 9–11 of pregnancy caused decreased mucopolysaccharide synthesis in embryonic hearts at day 14. In vitro treatment with the folic acid antagonist aminopterin inhibited the rate of synthesis on days 13–16. In vivo trypan blue on day 9 of pregnancy had no effect on the rate of mucopolysaccharide synthesis. However, in vitro trypan blue treatment of embryonic hearts resulted in a marked depression in synthetic rate. Aminopterin and 6-aminonicotinamide had no noticeable effect on the rate of protein synthesis in isolated embryonic hearts as determined by measurement of 3H-leucine incorporation. Thus mucopolysaccharide synthesis in isolated embryonic rat hearts was susceptible to the action of the teratogens used. It is postulated that these teratogens act by blocking a biochemical reaction in the synthesis of mucopolysaccharides and are not affecting the cellular machinery necessary for general protein synthesis.
Cavitation in elastic and elastic-plastic solids

Abstract I n this study, we examine the phenomenon of cavitation under non-symmetric loading. We seek all points in (τ 1 , τ 2 , τ 3 )-stress space, such that, when the local principal true stress components (τ 1 , τ 2 , τ 3 ) at a particle reach a point on that set, cavitation ensues. This set can be described by a surface (τ 1 , τ 2 , τ 3 ) = 0 in stress space, which we refer to as a cavitation surface , and corresponds to a cavitation criterion that arises naturally from the analysis. By considering a particular subclass of the set of all kinematically admissible deformation fields, we determine an approximate analytical expression for by using the principle of virtual work. We explicitly determine and discuss the cavitation surface for a neo-Hookean material. We then consider the special case of axisymmetric cavitation corresponding to a stress state (τ 1 , τ 2 , τ 3 ), and illustrate our results for a neo-Hookean material and for a piccewisc power-law clastic-plastic material of the deformation theory . If cavitation occurs before yielding, we find that a good approximate criterion for cavitation is that it occurs when the mean stress τ m = (τ 1 + 2τ 2 )/3 reaches a critical value, even if τ 1 ≠ τ 2 ; however, if cavitation is preceded by yielding, we find that this is not a good approximation. The accuracy of our approximate analytical results is assessed by comparing them with finite element results and the results of other researchers. The utility of the cavitation surface is illustrated by applying the cavitation criterion = 0 to two experimental settings.
Temperature Dependence of Hardness of Alumina‐Based Ceramics

Hardness was measured as a function of temperature (20° to 1000°C) for several Al2O3 ceramics, including single-crystal sapphire and polycrystalline aluminas containing different amounts of second phase. Hardness decreased steadily with increasing temperature for all materials tested, in accordance with a semiempirical relation of the form H=H0 (1 – T/T0). This behavior conformed with a thermally activated slip process, limited by Peierls stresses. At lower temperatures, the hardness values for debased aluminas were less (smaller H0) than for the pure materials, consistent with a reduction in shear modulus resulting from the “soft” phase. However, at higher temperatures the hardness values for all the aluminas converged (identical T0, i.e., material-invariant activation energy). The latter behavior indicated that the temperature dependence of the indentation deformation was controlled predominantly by the Al2O3 component.
Daily hassles and profiles of well-being among older residents of small rural towns.

As part of a larger study of adaptation to environmental stress, 101 older (65 yr. +) small-town residents displaying four distinct profiles of subjective well-being (frail, disengaged, partially-, and fully-engaged) were administered a 67-item version of the Daily Hassles Scale in interview format. A 1-way multivariate analysis was conducted on frequency of hassles and intensity scores across eight hassle-content categories (Health, Friends and Relatives, Finances, Social Reactions, Physical Environment, Declines in Capacity, Time, and Job). Follow-up univariate F tests and post hoc analyses indicated significant group differences on the number of hassles for five categories (except Social Reactions, Time, and Job). Reliable group differences on intensity of hassles were found for Health, Friends and Relatives, and Declines in Capacity. The general pattern of data showed both frail and fully engaged elderly experiencing more hassles and with greater intensity than the partially engaged and disengaged. In...
Characterization of Exudate Proteins Involved in Binding Meat Pieces into a Sectioned and Formed Beef Steak

Subprimals were randomly allocated into groups using a 2 meat type by 4 mixing time randomized complete block design. The Standard beef rounds and Choice, Yield Grade 3 chucks were obtained within 48 hr of slaughter and fabricated into sectioned and formed beef steaks. Binding strength of individual pieces was measured by sensory panel scores and Instron adhesion values. Myofibrillar proteins present in the exudate were separated using slab gel electrophoresis. Instron adhesion and sensory bind were positively correlated (0.56). There was a significant (P < 0.01) linear increase in binding up to 12 min of mixing. Exudate protein at the bond area increased substantially (P < 0.01) during mixing treatments. Sarcoplasmic proteins remained constant over all treatments. The percent of myofibrillar protein in the exudate decreased as mixing increased. Binding strengths were similar for both muscle types. The relative -amounts of the major myofibrillar proteins, including a fraction in the 30,000 dalton region, did not change over mixing times.
Thermal Cycling Effect on Mechanical Properties of Yttria-Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is an important material in the area of energy and optical applications. In this study, the mechanical properties (Young’s modulus, Vickers hardness, flexural strength, and coefficient thermal expansion) and physical properties (phase transition) of yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline (Y-TZP) was reported. The effect of thermal cycling on the mechanical properties and the stability was also evaluated.
Recurrent oral herpes simplex virus infection presenting as a tongue mass

Reactivation of herpes simplex virus resulting in oral infection is common after cardiac transplantation and usually occurs within the first month posttransplant. The clinical presentation, however, may be atypical. We present a case of a 48-year-old female who presented with a large tongue mass 1 year after cardiac transplantation. Outpatient biopsies and viral stains were nondiagnostic. Because of the high suspicion for malignancy, an excisional biopsy was performed in the operating room. Pathologic analysis was consistent with herpes simplex virus type 1 infection. The patient received antiviral therapy with resolution of infection at follow-up.
CHANGES IN RENAL TUBULAR PERMEABILITY DURING DEVELOPMENT

Measurements of hydrostatic and oncotic pressure gradients across the proximal tubular epithelium have suggested that changes in permeability characteristics of the membrane might occur during development. In order to test the possible role of the intercellular channels in this phenomenon, microperfusion experiments were performed in guinea-pigs ranging in age from 1 to 52 days. Known amounts of metabolically inert radioactive substances of several molecular weights were injected into the proximal tubule, close to the glomerulus, and collected in the final urine. Simultaneously injected 3H inulin served as a reference substance. The results are expressed as recovery of the substance, compared to inulin (y) as a function of age in days (x). Whereas a small and constant amount of creatinine (mol. wt. 113, Stokes-Einstein radius (r) 3.0 A) leaked out of the tubule at all ages (y = 0.95-0.0007x, r=0.2, n=31), sucrose (mol. wt. 342, r =4.5 A) behaved similarly to the marker (y=0.98-0.0001x, r=0.05, n = 14). The recovery of an intermediate size molecule, mannitol (mol. wt. 180, r = 4.0A), while incomplete immediately after birth, increased progressively reaching values comparable to those of inulin by 40 days of age, (y=0.93 + 0.002x, r=0.65, p<0.001, n =22). These data demonstrate that a tightening of the intercellular spaces occurs during development. By applying Poisseuille's law, which describes lamellar flow through narrow channels, we can calculate that the back-leak might be about 25% larger in the newborn than adult.
The impact of drug company funding on the content of continuing medical education

An analysis was performed to compare the content of two continuing medical education courses on calcium channel blockers that were funded by two different drug companies. The sponsoring university had guidelines for interaction with commercial companies designed to prevent the development of inappropriate bias. In Course I, the company drug received 31 percent of the total drug mentions; in Course II, the company drug received 60 percent of the total drug mentions. In both courses, the clinical effects noted for the company drug were more likely to be positive than for the non-company drugs. In Course I, the mentions of clinical effects of the non-company drugs as compared to the company's drug were more likely to be negative, and in Course II, the clinical effects of the non-company drugs were more likely to be equivocal. The few statements directly comparing the drugs usually indicated that the company drug was the better drug. Thus, there appeared to be evidence of bias in the content of the courses related to the funding sources.
Fertilization of bovine oocytes after microsurgical injection of spermatozoa.

Abstract The objective of this study was to compare the fertilization rate of bovine oocytes matured in vitro (22, 25 or 28 hours) and in vivo (30 to 35 hours after standing estrus) following the microinjection of a single spermatozoon. A single motile spermatozoon was injected into the perivitelline space (Experiments 1 to 9), and a single immotile spermatozoon was injected into the ooplasm (Experiments 10 to 15). A single ejaculate of frozen-thawed semen was used throughout. The spermatozoa were injected either without treatment or after treatment with heparin (100 μg/ml), or Ca ionophore A23187 (0.1 μM), or co-cultured for 5 hours with bovine oviduct epithelial cells (BOEC), or they were co-cultured for 5 hours with BOEC and immobilized by freezing and thawing twice without cryoprotectant, or they remained untreated. Oocytes were placed in a droplet of hyperosmotic solution of 0.1 M sucrose in PBS to enlarge the perivitelline space (Experiments 1 to 9) or in PBS (Experiments 10 to 15). Small amounts of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) without spermatozoa were injected as a control for parthenogenetic activation. After injection, oocytes were incubated in Medium 199 for 22 hours at 39°C, and they were stained with 1% aceto-orcein and examined for evidence of fertilization or parthenogenetic activation. Low rates (9 to 11%) of fertilization resulted from injection into the perivitelline space of oocytes matured for 22 hours in vitro irrespective of spermatozoa treatment. Fertilization rates were higher in oocytes matured in vivo after injection into either perivitelline space (66%) or ooplasm (74%) than in oocytes matured in vitro (9 to 44% fertilization). Surprisingly, in oocytes matured in vivo, there was no difference in the proportions fertilized by spermatozoa injection into ooplasm and parthenogenetically activated by injection of medium alone (74 and 66%, respectively).
Talon cusp: A clinically significant anomaly

Abstract Talon cusp is an anomaly occurring in permanent incisors of either arch. Its occurrence raises problems in esthetics, caries control, and occlusal accommodation for the patient and problems in diagnosis and clinical management for the dentist. The dentist must be aware of the anomaly prior to eruption, so that it is not mistaken for a supernumerary tooth. This problem is especially significant because the maxillary incisor region is also the principal site of supernumerary teeth. When encountered on an erupted tooth, it is recommended that the groove between the cusp and the tooth be prophylactically restored to prevent caries at this susceptible area. If the anomaly interferes with occlusion, it must be removed. This inevitably results in exposure of pulp tissue, requiring subsequent endodontic therapy. Talon cusp is an unusual and relatively rare anomaly. Since its presence usually demands that definitive treatment be instituted, it represents a problem of clinical significance rather than being merely a dental oddity.
Decoupling wavelength assignments in dedicated protection switching bidirectional lightpath

In a recent study about Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) networks, the authors showed that by decoupling the wavelength assigned to the outward circuit from the wavelength assigned to the inward circuit of the same bidirectional unprotected lightpath, it is possible to reduce the total required number of Wavelength Converters (WCs) when compared to the conventional Wavelength Assignment (WA) solution, in which both outward and inward circuits are assigned the same wavelength [1]. The goal of this paper is to generalize the study in [1] to account for dedicated path protection switching mechanisms applied to bidirectional lightpaths. In doing so, a second factor must be accounted for in the study, i.e., the wavelength assigned to the working circuit may be decoupled from the wavelength assigned to the protection circuit. As a result, four design options are possible by either enforcing or relaxing each of the following two constraints: 1) lightpaths are (are not) required to be assigned the same wavelength for the inward and outward circuit; 2) lightpaths are (are not) required to be assigned the same wavelength for the working and protection circuit. The four design options are compared in terms of their required average number of WCs in the network, revealing that the WC usage may differ significantly depending on the design used.
Imprints of place: creative expressions of the museum experience

Personalization and social awareness, important aspects in the definition of a place, are traditionally overlooked in the design of technology for museums. We describe Imprints, a system to enhance the role of visitor participation beyond information receiver to active creator of sense of place. Overall response to the Imprints system is explored through interviews and log analysis of use. Despite some usability issues, response to the system was positive, and it was appropriated for both personalization and awareness of others. The results suggest an opportunity to introduce technology that plays with the dynamic between private expression and public presence in the traditional environment of the art museum.
An infinitesimal perturbation analysis algorithm for a multiclass G/G/1 queue

It has been shown that infinitesimal perturbation analysis (IPA) provides very efficient algorithms for estimating derivatives in a broad class of discrete event dynamic systems (DEDS). But in its simple form, it fails in most multiclass DEDS. In this paper, a revised IPA is proposed for a multiclass G/G/1 queue.
Drag forces of porous-medium acoustics

The drag forces controlling the amount of relative flow induced in a fluid-saturated porous material by a mechanical wave are modeled here from first principles. Specifically, analytical expressions for the drag are derived for material models that possess variable-width pores; i.e., pores that have widths that vary with distance along their axis. The dynamic (complex, frequency-dependent) permeability determined for such a variable-width pore model is compared to estimates made using the models of Johnson, Koplik, and Dashen (JKD) and of Biot. Both the JKD model and the Biot model underestimate the imaginary part of the dynamic permeability at low frequencies with the amount of discrepancy increasing with the severity of the convergent or divergent flow, i.e., increasing with the magnitude of the maximum pore-wall slope relative to the channel axis. It is shown how to modify the JKD model to obtain proper low-frequency behavior. It is also shown that a simple series sum of constant-width flow channels does a poor job in approximating the drag of a variable-width channel.
The Potential for Water Yield Augmentation from Forest Management in the Rocky Mountain Region

With the exception of the Sierra-Cascade mountain ranges, the Rocky Mountain chain is the only portion of the western United States that consistently yields more than 3 cm of flow annually. Ten to 15 percent of the land mass in the region produces the majority of the total flow. This paper addresses the opportunities for increasing flow through forest manipulation, and summarizes the research base that has yielded the current “state of the art” understanding of how snow pack and vegetation management can influence water yield. The optimal harvest design appears to consist of small openings, irregularly shaped, and about 3 to 8 tree heights in width parallel to the wind.
Fenestrated and branched endovascular aortic repair for chronic type B aortic dissection with thoracoabdominal aneurysms

Objective The treatment of patients with arch and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) and chronic dissections is challenging. We report the results of fenestrated and branched endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR) of such aneurysms. Methods A single-center prospective FEVAR trial enrolled 356 patients (2006 to 2011), of whom 30 had chronic dissections with arch aneurysm or TAAAs, or both. Patients were divided into group A, 15 patients (mean age, 58 years) with extensive dissections extending from the arch through the visceral segment, and group B, 15 patients (mean age, 74 years old) with focal dissections and no extension into the thoracic aorta. Inclusion criterion was aneurysm size >5.5 cm in diameter. Customized grafts were implanted into the true lumen, and branches were extended into the true lumen of the supra-aortic trunk (arch branch devices) and visceral vessels. Patients were monitored annually with clinical, imaging, and laboratory studies. Outcome analyses included survival, rupture, spinal cord ischemia, endoleak, morbidity (cardiac, renal or pulmonary), reinterventions, dissection, and aneurysm growth. Results The mean time from the onset of dissection to the FEVAR performed in group A was 10.4 years. The mean maximum aneurysm diameter was 60 mm. Follow-up averaged 1.7 years. There were no perioperative deaths. One aortic-related death occurred at 87 days due to progression of a pre-existing untreated arch dissection. No ruptures, cardiac, renal, pulmonary, or spinal cord ischemia complications occurred. Despite the initially narrow true lumen dimensions, stent grafts expanded to their nominal diameters after implantation without any blood flow disturbance of branched visceral vessels and distal aorta. No graft compression occurred. Post-FEVAR growth was noted in two patients, related to type II endoleaks. Sac regression was similar (−6.8 vs −11.4 mm; P = .43), but early endovascular reinterventions were more common in group A (8 patients). Patients with extensive dissection were younger, and the dissection more likely to be associated with a defined connective tissue disease (Marfan syndrome or Loeys-Dietz mutations, 40% vs 0%; P = .006). Conclusions FEVAR is feasible for patients with chronic dissections and TAAA. Concerns regarding visceral vessel access and graft compression resulting from narrow true lumen diameters were not relevant in our experience. Favorable sac and lumen morphologic changes, coupled with a low mortality and complication risk, makes this an attractive means of handling this clinical problem.
Induction of fos-like immunoreactivity by electrocutaneous stimulation of the rat hindpaw.

Stimulation of peripheral nerves activates the proto-oncogene c-fos which in turn generates its gene product, Fos. Fos and Fos-like proteins are produced in the central nervous sytem in response to chemical, mechanical, thermal, and electrical manipulation. The present study demonstrated a relationship between the number of Fos-like-immunoreactive nuclei in the spinal dorsal horn and graded intensities of electrical stimulation applied to the hindpaws of anesthetized and unanesthetized rats. Stimulation levels within the range of 0.1 to 1.0 mA were chosen on the basis of parameters previously determined in behavioral investigations of escape reactions. Focal stimulation at these intensities activates peripheral axons directly, but does not injure or traumatize peripheral tissues. There was no evidence of inflammation or edema as a result of the focal electrical stimulation. As the stimulation intensity increased, the number and distribution of Fos-like-labeled nuclei increased with respect to rostral-caud...
Shadow Graphs and Surface Reconstruction

We present a method to solve shape-from-shadow using shadow graphs which give a new graph-based representation for shadow constraints. It can be shown that the shadow graph alone is enough to solve the shape-from-shadow problem from a dense set of images. Shadow graphs provide a simpler and more systematic approach to represent and integrate shadow constraints from multiple images. To recover shape from a sparse set of images, we propose a method for integrated shadow and shading constraints. Previous shape-from-shadow algorithms do not consider shading constraints while shape-from-shading usually assumes there is no shadow. Our method is based on collecting a set of images from a fixed viewpoint as a known light source changes its position. It first builds a shadow graph from shadow constraints from which an upper bound for each pixel can be derived if the height values of a small number of pixels are initialized properly. Finally, a constrained optimization procedure is designed to make the results from shape-from-shading consistent with the upper bounds derived from the shadow constraints. Our technique is demonstrated on both synthetic and real imagery.
The Global Health Strategy Of The Department Of Health And Human Services: Building On The Lessons Of PEPFAR

Building on its experience as a principal participant in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Department of Health and Human Services has embarked on a new era of global initiatives that ultimately will protect the health of Americans. The Global Health Strategy announced by health and human services secretary Kathleen Sebelius in January 2012 recognizes that the health of Americans is intertwined with that of the rest of the world. The initiative features ten objectives that range from enhanced global health surveillance and preventing infectious diseases and health threats to health diplomacy. The Global Health Strategy is designed to make optimal use of the department’s many specialty agencies and their considerable technical and programmatic expertise. The strategy moves beyond the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to redefine Health and Human Services’ role outside US borders in addressing the health challenges of the twenty-first century.
The Modal Distribution Method: A New Statistical Algorithm for Analyzing Measured Acceleration Data

A new statistical method is proposed to quantify the significance of changes in mean frequencies of individual modal vibrations of measured structural response data. In this new method, called the modal distribution method, a power spectrum of measured structural response resulting from a Fourier transform is interpreted as being a series of independent modal responses. Each modal response is isolated over a frequency range and treated as a statistical distribution. The first two spectral moments are calculated directly from each of these distributions. A combined statistical comparison of the means of modal frequencies in separate data windows is used to produce a quantitative significance level of the observed differences between power spectra. Significant changes between these spectra indicate a change in the underlying process, such as damage detection in a structural health monitoring application. The method is general and may find a broad variety of applications, but it seems particularly well suited for structural health monitoring applications because the excitation is not required as input. An example is presented based on measured full-scale acceleration data from a drilling riser. To validate the new method, a power spectrum resulting from the field data is idealized to a target spectrum with known mean and variance of each mode. The idealized spectrum is subtly changed and new acceleration time-histories are simulated from these modified spectra to asses the effectiveness of the new method. The modal distribution method is found to be very effective at detecting subtle changes of mean modal frequencies.
Sensitivity of Electroelastic Effect to Nonlinear Material Behavior in Langasite Resonators

Langasite is of interest for resonator applications for several reasons including its good temperature behavior, good piezoelectric coupling, low acoustic loss and high Q factor. Biasing effects for such resonators, crucial for design applications, depend on an accurate understanding of the effects from nonlinear material constants. Accurate experimental determination of the nonlinear elastic, piezoelectric, dielectric and electrostrictive constants requires the evaluation of the contribution of different nonlinear material constants to the biasing effect. In this article, the shift of resonant frequency due to applied electrical field is discussed for thickness-mode langasite resonators. The resonant frequency is determined as a function of static electrical field applied in the thickness direction. A variety of plano-plano langasite resonators with different material orientations are considered. Of particular interest for this article is the sensitivity of the observed frequency shifts with respect to changes in the nonlinear elastic, piezoelectric, electrostrictive and dielectric constants. First-order perturbation integral theory is used for the theory and numerical analysis to determine the frequency shifts and sensitivities. Implications with respect to interpretation of measurements are discussed.
Mechanisms of Board Turnover: Evidence From Backdating

Regulators and governance scholars often regard the high rates of reelection among those nominated for boards of directors (and the small percentage of nominated directors who lose elections) as persuasive evidence of limited shareholder power. To correct this perceived imbalance against shareholders, some corporate governance advocates have undertaken a number of efforts to reform the director election system, most recently by proposing �proxy access� regulation to facilitate contested board elections. The authors take a close look at the board turnover within companies implicated in stock-option backdating to assess the effectiveness of board elections. What they find is that, despite high reelection rates among nominated directors, board turnover is in fact substantial�but it takes place almost entirely before the board elections. Because of the apparently high costs associated with losing such an election, board nominees generally are not renominated for election (or reelection) unless success is quite likely. And whereas independent directors generally leave boards by not being renominated, management directors generally resign. For this reason, reelection rates tell us very little about the effectiveness of shareholder voting. But what the authors' findings do show is that directors involved in stock-option backdating experience reductions in both the number and prestige of their future directorships. Thus, the authors' findings suggest that the board of director election process functions more effectively than shareholder advocates typically claim, that criticism of the responsiveness of the board-election process to shareholder interests is overstated, and that reform efforts are therefore likely to be misplaced.
Backstepping boundary control for PDEs with non-constant diffusivity and reactivity

In this paper, the recently introduced backstepping method for boundary control of linear partial differential equations (PDEs) is extended to plants with non-constant diffusivity/thermal conductivity and time-varying coefficients. The boundary stabilization problem is converted to a problem of solving a specific Klein-Gordon type linear hyperbolic PDE. This PDE is then solved for a family of system parameters resulting in closed form boundary controllers.
Guarding the next Internet frontier: countering denial of information attacks

As applications enabled by the Internet become information rich, ensuring access to quality information in the presence of potentially malicious entities will be a major challenge. Denial of information (DoI) attacks attempt to degrade the quality of information by deliberately introducing noise that appears to be useful information. The mere availability of information is insufficient if the user must find a needle in a haystack of noise that is created by an adversary to hide critical information. We focus on the characterization of information quality metrics that are relevant in the presence of DoI attacks. In particular, two complementary metrics are explored. Information regularity captures predictability in the patterns of information creation and access. The second metric, information quality trust, captures the known ability of an information source to meet the needs of its clients.
Going Back and Giving Back: The Ethics of Staying in the Field

This article analyzes the benefits and ethical dilemmas of going back and continuing to write about the troupe of drag queens featured in our book, Drag Queens at the 801 Cabaret. The benefits include providing the drag queens the opportunity to revise and add to the stories we told about them and, through deepening friendships, changing the balance of power among us. Challenges include dealing with responses to the book, including those of family members, and conflicts over the royalties we shared with the troupe. Despite the pitfalls, going back contributes to public sociology by continuing conversations about research findings.
Penalized feature selection and classification in bioinformatics

In bioinformatics studies, supervised classification with high-dimensional input variables is frequently encountered. Examples routinely arise in genomic, epigenetic and proteomic studies. Feature selection can be employed along with classifier construction to avoid over-fitting, to generate more reliable classifier and to provide more insights into the underlying causal relationships. In this article, we provide a review of several recently developed penalized feature selection and classification techniques—which belong to the family of embedded feature selection methods—for bioinformatics studies with high-dimensional input. Classification objective functions, penalty functions and computational algorithms are discussed. Our goal is to make interested researchers aware of these feature selection and classification methods that are applicable to high-dimensional bioinformatics data.
Chronic Physiological Shear Stress Inhibits Tumor Necrosis Factor–Induced Proinflammatory Responses in Rabbit Aorta Perfused Ex Vivo

Background— Regions in the vasculature exposed to steady laminar flow have a lower likelihood for atherosclerosis than regions exposed to disturbed flow with low shear stress. We previously found that laminar flow of short duration inhibited tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α–mediated proinflammatory signaling in cultured endothelial cells (ECs). However, mechanisms responsible for the atheroprotective effects of physiological shear stress remain undefined. Therefore, we examined the effects of chronic shear stress on TNF-α–induced inflammatory responses using an ex vivo perfusion organ culture system. Methods and Results— Rabbit aortas were exposed to low or normal shear stress (0.4 or 12 dyne/cm2) at a constant pressure for 24 to 26 hours. EC and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proteins were selectively purified. After exposure to low shear stress, TNF-α (50 ng/mL, 6 hours) specifically stimulated vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 expression in ECs but not VSMCs. TNF-α–stimulated VCAM expression wa...