cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of the Stand Your Ground law on gun deaths: evidence of a rural urban dichotomy

We explore the impact of the Stand Your Ground (SYG) law on gun deaths by degree of urbanization. Unlike firearm homicides the definition of firearm deaths does not depend on the broadening of the self-defense provision that the SYG law represents. Using a difference-in-difference design, we find that the SYG law had no impact on gun deaths at the state level. However, once the U.S. states are disaggregated into portions by degree of urbanization—central city, suburb, small urban area and rural area—we find that the law increased gun deaths in the central cities and the suburbs, and had no impact in smaller urban areas and rural areas. These findings are consistent with the fact that there is a great divide between urban and rural areas in terms of ownership and usage of guns, attitudes towards guns, and the implications thereof. The finding of increased violence in the suburbs is of particular interest in the historical backdrop whereby the growth of the suburbs, to a large extent, may have been motivated by a desire to escape crime and violence.
Combinatorial Interpretations Of Generalizations Of Catalan Numbers And Ballot Numbers

The super Catalan numbers T(m,n) = (2m)!(2n)!=2m!n!(m+n)! are integers which generalize the Catalan numbers. Since 1874, when Eugene Catalan discovered these numbers, many mathematicians have tried to find their combinatorial interpretation. This dissertation is dedicated to this open problem. In Chapter 1 we review known results on T (m,n) and their q-analog polynomials. In Chapter 2 we give a weighted interpretation for T(m,n) in terms of 2-Motzkin paths of length m+n2 and a reformulation of this interpretation in terms of Dyck paths. We then convert our weighted interpretation into a conventional combinatorial interpretation for m = 1,2. At the beginning of Chapter 2, we prove our weighted interpretation for T(m,n) by induction. In the final section of Chapter 2 we present a constructive combinatorial proof of this result based on rooted plane trees. In Chapter 3 we introduce two q-analog super Catalan numbers. We also define the q-Ballot number and provide its combinatorial interpretation. Using our q-Ballot number, we give an identity for one of the q-analog super Catalan numbers and use it to interpret a q-analog super Catalan number in the case m= 2. In Chapter 4 we review problems left open and discuss their difficulties. This includes the unimodality of some of the q-analog polynomials and the conventional combinatorial interpretation of the super Catalan numbers and their q-analogs for higher values of m.
Secluded Path via Shortest Path

We provide several new algorithmic results for the secluded path problem, specifically approximation and optimality results for the static algorithm of [3,5], and an extension (h-Memory) of it based on de Bruijn graphs, when applied to bounded degree graphs and some other special graph classes which can model wireless communication and line-of-sight settings. Our primary result is that h-Memory is a PTAS for degree-Δ unweighted, undirected graphs, providing a \(\lceil{\sqrt{{\Delta+1}\over{h+1}}}\rceil\)-approximation in time O(n logn); in particular, 0-Memory (i.e., static) provides a \(\sqrt{\Delta+1}\) -approximation (i.e., \(\epsilon=\sqrt{\Delta+1}-1\)), tightening the previous analysis of this algorithm, and Δ-Memory is optimal (i.e., e = 0), and is faster than the known optimal algorithm for this setting [3].
Effects of Binder Content, Density, Gradation, and Polymer Modification on Cracking and Rutting Resistance of Asphalt Mixtures Used in Oregon

AbstractFatigue cracking performance of asphalt mixtures is highly influenced by the binder and air-void contents, binder grade, binder modification, volumetrics, recycled asphalt pavement/reclaime...
Treatment of near-incompressibility in meshfree and immersed-particle methods

We propose new projection methods for treating near-incompressibility in small and large deformation elasticity and plasticity within the framework of particle and meshfree methods. Using the $$\overline{\mathbf {B}}$$ and $$\overline{\mathbf {F}}$$ techniques as our point of departure, we develop projection methods for the conforming reproducing kernel method and the immersed-particle or material point-like methods. The methods are based on the projection of the dilatational part of the appropriate measure of deformation onto lower-dimensional approximation spaces, according to the traditional $$\overline{\mathbf {B}}$$ and $$\overline{\mathbf {F}}$$ approaches, but tailored to meshfree and particle methods. The presented numerical examples exhibit reduced stress oscillations and are free of volumetric locking and hourglassing phenomena.
Neutron capture cross sections of Pd 108 , 110

The thermal cross sections and resonance integrals of $^{108,110}\mathrm{Pd}$ have been deduced for radiative neutron captures leading to both the ground and metastable states of $^{109,111}\mathrm{Pd}$. These determinations were based on measurements of the intensity of the \ensuremath{\gamma} rays emitted in the decays of $^{109}\mathrm{Pd}^{g,m}$ and $^{111}\mathrm{Pd}^{g,m}$ following neutron irradiation of $^{108,110}\mathrm{Pd}$. To facilitate more reliable values of the cross sections, improved values for the half-lives of these decays have also been measured.
Substitution of dietary protein sources in relation to colorectal cancer risk in the NIH-AARP cohort study.

To evaluate the substitution effect of plant for animal protein with risk of CRC in the large prospective National Institutes of Health-AARP cohort study. Protein intake was assessed at baseline using a food frequency questionnaire. HRs and 95% CIs were estimated using multivariable adjusted hazard ratios from Cox proportional hazards models. We used a substitution model with total protein intake held constant, so that an increase in plant protein was offset by an equal decrease in animal protein. Among 489,625 individuals, we identified 8,995 incident CRCs after a median follow-up of 15.5 years. Substituting plant protein for animal protein was associated with a reduced risk of CRC (HR for highest vs. lowest fifth 0.91; 95% CI 0.83–0.99). This reduction in CRC risk appeared to be primarily due to substituting plant protein for red meat protein (HR 0.89; 95% CI 0.81–0.97), not white meat protein (HR 0.96; 95% CI 0.88–1.05) or other animal protein (HR 0.94; 95% CI 0.86–1.03). When further evaluated by source, reduction in CRC risk was limited to the substitution of protein from bread, cereal, and pasta for red meat protein (HR 0.86; 95% CI 0.80–0.93); this association was stronger for distal colon (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.67–0.90) and rectal cancer (HR 0.79; 95% CI 0.68–0.91) but null for proximal colon (HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.88–1.11). This study shows that substituting plant protein for animal protein, especially red meat protein, is associated with a reduced risk of CRC, and suggests that protein source impacts CRC risk.
The projective dimension of codimension two algebras presented by quadrics

Abstract Motivated by a question of Stillman, we find a sharp upper bound for the projective dimension of ideals of height two generated by quadrics. In a polynomial ring with arbitrary large number of variables, we prove that ideals generated by n quadrics define cyclic modules with projective dimension at most 2 n − 2 . We refine this bound according to the multiplicity of the ideal. We ask whether tight upper bounds for the projective dimension of ideals generated by quadrics can be expressed only in terms of their height and number of minimal generators.
Special Section Introduction: Artificial Intelligence and Advertising

The International Conference on Intelligence Science and Advertising Development was held in Shanghai, China, on November 17 and 18, 2018. More than 40 scholars and experts presented on the latest ...
pGlu-L-Dopa-Pro: A Tripeptide Prodrug Targeting the Intestinal Peptide Transporter for Absorption and Tissue Enzymes for Conversion

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of pGlu-L-Dopa-Pro as a prodrug of L-Dopa.
Predicting Local Protein 3D Structures Using Clustering Deep Recurrent Neural Network.

Since protein 3D structure prediction is very important for biochemical study and drug design, researchers have developed many machine learning algorithms to predict protein 3D structures using the sequence information only. Understanding the sequence-to-structure relationship is key for the successful structure prediction. Previous approaches including the single shallow learning model, the single deep learning model and clustering algorithms all have disadvantages to understand precise sequence-to-structure relationship. In order to further improve the performance of the local protein structure prediction, a novel deep learning model called Clustering Recurrent Neural Network (CRNN) is proposed. In this model, the whole protein dataset is divided into multiple cluster subtrees. A RNN is trained for each cluster in the subtrees so that each RNN can be used to learn the computationally simpler local sequence-to-structure relationship instead of attempting to capture the global sequence-to-structure relationship. After learning the local sequence-to-structure relationship using RNN, CRNN is designed to predict distance matrices, torsion angles and secondary structures for backbone -carbon atoms of protein sequence segments. Our experimental analysis indicates that 3D structure prediction accuracy is comparable or better than other state-of-art approaches.
Recent US State and Federal Drinking Water Guidelines for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of synthetic chemicals produced for over 70 years, are of increasing concern because of their widespread environmental presence, extreme persistence, bioaccumulative nature, and evidence for health effects from environmentally relevant exposures. In 2016, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) established nonregulatory drinking water Health Advisories of 70 ng/L for individual and total concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), the 8-carbon perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) that are the most thoroughly studied PFAS. As of May 2020, 9 US states had concluded that the USEPA Health Advisories are insufficiently protective and developed more stringent PFOA and PFOS guidelines. In addition, 10 states had developed guidelines for other PFAS, primarily PFAAs. This Critical Review discusses the scientific basis for state and USEPA drinking water guidelines for PFOA and PFOS; the same principles apply to guidelines for other PFAS. Similarities and differences among guidelines arise from both toxicity and exposure considerations. The approximately 4-fold range among state guidelines (8-35 ng/L for PFOA, 10-40 ng/L for PFOS) is not large or unexpected for guidelines developed by different scientists at different time points, especially when compared with older USEPA and state guidelines that were generally several orders of magnitude higher. Additional state guidelines for PFOA, PFOS, and other PFAS are expected to become available. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:560-563. © 2020 SETAC.
Scanning window analysis of non-coding regions within normal-tumor whole-genome sequence samples.

Genomics has benefited from an explosion in affordable high-throughput technology for whole-genome sequencing. The regulatory and functional aspects in non-coding regions may be an important contributor to oncogenesis. Whole-genome tumor-normal paired alignments were used to examine the non-coding regions in five cancer types and two races. Both a sliding window and a binning strategy were introduced to uncover areas of higher than expected variation for additional study. We show that the majority of cancer associated mutations in 154 whole-genome sequences covering breast invasive carcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma, kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma and uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma cancers and two races are found outside of the coding region (4 432 885 in non-gene regions versus 1 412 731 in gene regions). A pan-cancer analysis found significantly mutated windows (292 to 3881 in count) demonstrating that there are significant numbers of large mutated regions in the non-coding genome. The 59 significantly mutated windows were found in all studied races and cancers. These offer 16 regions ripe for additional study within 12 different chromosomes-2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 16, 18, 20, 21 and X. Many of these regions were found in centromeric locations. The X chromosome had the largest set of universal windows that cluster almost exclusively in Xq11.1-an area linked to chromosomal instability and oncogenesis. Large consecutive clusters (super windows) were found (19 to 114 in count) providing further evidence that large mutated regions in the genome are influencing cancer development. We show remarkable similarity in highly mutated non-coding regions across both cancer and race.
Anti-Immigrant Sentiment and Opposition to Democracy in Europe

Years of declining support for democracy and the election of leaders with authoritarian characteristics in liberal-democracies continues to trouble scholars. Current narratives may understate the i...
Interplay between RNA Methylation EraserFTO and Writer METTL3in Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Patient Survival.

BACKGROUND m6A-methyltransferase METTL3 and demethylase FTO regulate gene expression by dynamically modifying RNA methylation. However, their clinical relevance in renal Clear Cell Carcinoma (CCRCC) has not been well elucidated. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate prognostic values of FTO and METTL3 mRNA and DNA methylation, their differential expression and associations with chemokines and inflammation-related genes in CCRCC. METHODS Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariate cox regression were performed for survival analyses, and random-effects meta-analysis was conducted for differential expression of FTO and METTL3 in CCRCC. RESULTS A significantly negative correlation was observed between mRNA and DNA methylation for both FTO and METTL3. Survival analysis showed a superior survival in patients with either high FTO mRNA or low DNA methylation, or low METTL3 mRNA or high DNA methylation. The adjusted hazard ratios were 0.67 (95% CI: 0.49-0.91, p = 0.01) for high vs. low FTO mRNA, 2.17 (1.38-3.42, p = 0.0008) for high vs. low FTO DNA methylation, 1.97 (1.45-2.68, p < 0.0001) for high vs. low METTL3 mRNA, and 0.49 (0.31-0.79, p = 0.003) for high vs. low METTL3 DNA methylation, respectively. There was a significant interaction between FTO and METTL3 mRNA levels (p = 0.024). Upregulation of FTO and METTL3 with 1.64 folds (95% CI: 1.43-1.89) and 1.17 folds (1.02-1.35), respectively, was observed in CCRCC vs. normal kidney tissues. FTO and METTL3 mRNA showed opposite expressions of CD8+ T cell migration-related chemokines. CONCLUSION Dysregulated FTO and METTL3 may be involved in the disease development and progression, affecting immune response in CCRCC. FTO and METTL3 expression and DNA methylation are potential prognostic markers of CCRCC.
Is postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) a central nervous system disorder

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a disorder of the autonomic nervous system characterized by a rise in heart rate of at least 30 bpm from supine to standing position, has been traditionally viewed as a dysfunction of the peripheral nervous system. However, recent studies and evidence from overlapping conditions suggest that in addition to being considered a disorder of the peripheral nervous system, POTS should be viewed also as a central nervous system (CNS) disorder given (1) significant CNS symptom burden in patients with POTS; (2) structural and functional differences found on neuroimaging in patients with POTS and other forms of orthostatic intolerance; (3) evidence of cerebral hypoperfusion and possible alteration in cerebrospinal fluid volume, and (4) positive response to medications targeting the CNS and non-pharmacologic CNS therapies. This review outlines existing evidence of POTS as a CNS disorder and proposes a hypothetical model combining key mechanisms in the pathophysiology of POTS. Redefining POTS as a CNS disorder can lead to new possibilities in pharmacotherapy and non-pharmacologic therapeutic interventions in patents affected by this disabling syndrome.
Nonlinear thermoelastic fractional-order model of nonlocal plates: Application to postbuckling and bending response

Abstract This study presents a comprehensive frame-invariant fractional-order framework for the geometrically nonlinear bending and postbuckling analysis of nonlocal plates subject to combined thermal and mechanical loads. The fractional-order kinematic framework, unlike classical nonlocal formulations based on integer-order mechanics, is positive-definite and thermodynamically consistent. The positive-definite nature enables the application of variational principles to derive well-posed thermomechanical governing equations. A direct advantage of these theoretical advancements is reflected in the ability of the fractional-order approach to enable an energy-based asymptotic method obtained by extending the classical (local) Koiter’s approach. This method allows the analytical assessment of the impact of nonlocal interactions on the nature of the bifurcation and post-critical response of slender structures when subject to compressive loads. Further, the positive-definite nature of the fractional-order approach allows the development of an accurate fractional-order finite element method enabling the simulation of nonlocal structures subject to any combination of thermomechanical loads and boundary conditions. The above stated advantages are particularly important for a comprehensive and consistent analysis of nonlocal structures in the postbuckling regime. The theoretical framework is used to provide analytical and numerical insights on the effect of combined thermal and mechanical loads on the nonlinear response of nonlocal plates. Numerical results also demonstrate the high-level consistency of the framework when applied to the nonlinear thermoelastic analysis of nonlocal plates under different loading and boundary conditions.
Prudential Responses to De Facto Dollarization

We develop a theoretical framework that encompasses four distinct motives for dollarization and discuss appropriate policy responses to help contain dollarization and its attendant risks. "Moral hazard" dollarization provides a clear case for prudential policy activism. However, prudential reform will have only a limited impact on dollarization when the main culprits are fear of floating and lack of monetary credibility. In such cases, a concerted and comprehensive reform agenda, including market-oriented and institutional reforms, would be needed to shift the balance of risks in favor of the domestic currency. While quantitative limits on dollarization could also be used to speed up de-dollarization, risks could be high.
Titin N2A Domain and Its Interactions at the Sarcomere.

Titin is a giant protein in the sarcomere that plays an essential role in muscle contraction with actin and myosin filaments. However, its utility goes beyond mechanical functions, extending to versatile and complex roles in sarcomere organization and maintenance, passive force, mechanosensing, and signaling. Titin’s multiple functions are in part attributed to its large size and modular structures that interact with a myriad of protein partners. Among titin’s domains, the N2A element is one of titin’s unique segments that contributes to titin’s functions in compliance, contraction, structural stability, and signaling via protein–protein interactions with actin filament, chaperones, stress-sensing proteins, and proteases. Considering the significance of N2A, this review highlights structural conformations of N2A, its predisposition for protein–protein interactions, and its multiple interacting protein partners that allow the modulation of titin’s biological effects. Lastly, the nature of N2A for interactions with chaperones and proteases is included, presenting it as an important node that impacts titin’s structural and functional integrity.
Naturalized metaphilosophy

Traditional representations of philosophy have tended to prize the role of reason in the discipline. These accounts focus exclusively on ideas and arguments as animating forces in the field. But anecdotal evidence and more rigorous sociological studies suggest there is more going on in philosophy. In this article, we present two hypotheses about social factors in the field: that social factors influence the development of philosophy, and that status and reputation—and thus social influence—will tend to be awarded to philosophers who offer rationally compelling arguments for their views. In order to test these hypotheses, we need a more comprehensive grasp on the field than traditional representations afford. In particular, we need more substantial data about various social connections between philosophers. This investigation belongs to a naturalized metaphilosophy, an empirical study of the discipline itself, and it offers prospects for a fuller and more reliable understanding of philosophy.
An adaptive management implementation framework for evaluating supplemental sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) controls in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Abstract Invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin have been suppressed for over 60 years primarily by migration barriers and lamprey-specific pesticides. Improving control outcomes by supplementing barriers and pesticides with additional control strategies has been a long-standing objective of managers and stakeholders, but progress towards this objective has been limited. We developed an adaptive management implementation framework and applied it to this objective. The framework consists of a set of adaptive management implementation goals (develop effective monitoring practices, develop effective participatory process, and conduct management experiments), a set of aspirational targets hypothesized to be related to Sea Lamprey Control Program adaptive capacity (multi-level political and social organization, creation of safe-to-fail decision making arenas, and effective use of multi-criteria decision analysis), and a feedback loop linking adaptive capacity and progress towards adaptive management implementation goals. Progress towards improving sea lamprey control outcomes by integrating supplemental control strategy into the Sea Lamprey Control Program may be possible through adaptive management implementation.
Representation and Interactive Manipulation of Massive CAD Databases

Many applications of computer-aided design (CAD) and scientific visualization involve representing and manipulating large CAD databases. Structural and mechanical designers often create models of ships, oil platforms, spacecraft, and process plants that are composed of hundreds of thousands of parts and take many gigabytes of storage space. Furthermore, their model complexity exceeds the interactive visualization and manipulation capabilities of current high-end graphics systems. Different applications like multi-disciplinary design reviews, simulation-based design and virtual prototyping desire the ability to directly perceive and manipulate such large models at interactive frame rates (i.e., more than 20 frames a second). However, current algorithms and systems are unable to handle such large databases at interactive rates. In this paper, we describe algorithms to automatically partition and order large CAD databases for interactive walkthroughs and proximity queries. These include techniques to localize the computations such that the algorithms use a relatively small and bounded memory footprint.
Time-dependent rotational rates of excited fluorophores. A linkage between fluorescence depolarization and solvent relaxation.

Abstract It is generally assumed that the rotational diffusion coefficients of fluorophores are independent of time subsequent to excitation, and that the rotational diffusion coefficients of the ground and the excited states are the same. We now describe a linkage between the extent of solvent relaxation and the rate of fluorescence depolarization. Specifically, if a fluorophore displays time-dependent solvent relaxation it may also show a time-dependent decrease in its rotational rate. A decreased rate of rotation could result from the increased interaction with polar solvent molecules which occurs as a result of solvent relaxation. The decays of anisctropy predicted from our model closely mimic those often observed for fluorophores which are bound to macromolecules. For example, the decays are more complex than a single exponential, and the time-resolved amsotropy can display a limiting value which does not decay to zero. The effect of solvent relaxation upon the rates of rotational diffusion is expected to be most dramatic for solvent-sensitive fluorophores in a viscous environment. These conditions are frequently encountered for fluorophore-macromolecule complexes. Consideration of the linkage between solvent relaxation and rotational diffusion leads to two unusual predictions. First even spherical fluorophores in an isotropic environment could display multi- or nonexponential decays of fluorescence anisotropy. Secondly, for the special case in which the fluorophore dipole moment decreases upon excitation, the theory predicts that the anisotropy decay rate may increase with time subsequent to pulsed excitation. The predictions of this theory are consistent with published data on the effects of red-edge excitation upon the apparent rotational rates of fluorophores in polar solvents.
Genetic background affects relative nonsense mRNA accumulation in wild-type and upf mutant yeast strains

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway targets mRNAs with premature stop codons and some wild-type mRNAs for accelerated decay. Upf1p, Upf2p and Upf3p are required for NMD. NMD-targeted mRNAs are degraded rapidly in wild-type cells and stabilized in upf1, upf2 or upf3 mutants. We report here that the relative CYH2 pre-mRNA/mRNA accumulation is enhanced in cells derived from a W303 background, compared with a variety of commonly used strains. The enhanced CYH2 pre-mRNA accumulation phenotype results from a larger difference in mRNA half-lives in the W303 strains than two previously used strains. This phenotype can be selected in crosses and is also seen in upf2 and upf3 mutants. These results suggest there are genes that influence the efficiency of NMD and that yeast strains derived from the W303 background may be useful for measurement of abundance and half-lives of low abundance, short-lived NMD substrates.
Cooperative communication for energy efficiency in mobile wireless sensor networks

The inherent challenges which static sensor networks face such as energy constraints, are also faced by mobile sensors. In this work, we present a hierarchical cooperative clustering architecture for ad hoc wireless sensor networks. Communication cost is a crucial factor in depleting the energy of sensor nodes. We propose a framework in which nodes cooperate to form clusters at each level of hierarchy ensuring maximal coverage and minimal energy expenditure with relatively uniform distribution of load within the network. Performance is enhanced by cooperative multiple-input multiple- output (MIMO) communication. We test our framework using TOSSIM over TinyOS-2.0.x on MICAz motes. We implement and compare the proposed framework with cooperative clustering scheme (CMIMO) and traditional multihop Single-Input-Single-Output (SISO) routing approach. Performance is evaluated on the basis of energy consumption. Experimental results show significant energy conservation as compared to existing schemes.
Future Changes in Upper Stratospheric Ozone

It is commonly thought that as the level of stratospheric chlorine declines due to the ban on the use of chlorofluorocarbons, the concentration of stratospheric ozone will rise. The recovery of stratospheric ozone may first become apparent in the upper stratosphere because, for this region of the atmosphere, there is a direct correspondence between the concentration of O 3 and the abundance of ClO. We use a photochemical model to examine changes in [O 3 ] due to a 15% reduction in the level of stratospheric chlorine, which should occur around the year 2010. This forcing results in a maximum increase in [O 3 ] of about 4% near 42 km altitude. The abundance of upper stratospheric O 3 is relatively insensitive to changes in the direct transport of O 3 owing to its short photochemical lifetime. However, [O 3 ] in this region is sensitive to changes in the abundance of radical precursors, which are controlled by circulation, thermodynamics, and tropospheric source concentrations. Of particular concern is the possibility that increased concentrations of greenhouse gases might alter stratospheric circulation and/or temperature in the tropopause region. We show that plausible changes in [CH 4 ], [H 2 O], [NOyj, and temperature may either mitigate or enhance the expected recovery of upper stratospheric [O 3 ] during the next decade. Consequently, a concerted effort to monitor the temporal evolution of [CH 4 ], [H 2 O], [NOy], and temperature is required to quantify the expected recovery of upper stratospheric [O 3 ] in the next decade.
Regulation of human fetal testicular secretion of testosterone: Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and cholesterol synthesized de novo as steroid precursor

The results of the present investigation support the conclusion that low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol facilitates androgen synthesis in human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-treated human fetal testicular tissue in vitro. Moreover, the number of LDL receptors and the rate of de novo synthesis of cholesterol are high during the period of active fetal testicular steroidogenesis and fall with advancing gestational age, suggestive of regulation by hCG.
Annexin I is a local mediator in neural-endocrine feedback control of inflammation.

Annexin I is a local mediator in neural-endocrine feedback control of inflammation. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 3120-3126, 1998. Activation of primary afferent nociceptors induces a neural endocrine-mediated inhibition of the inflammatory response via a circuit that includes ascending spinal pathways and activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. This circuit inhibits sympathetic neuron-dependent plasma extravasation (PE) in the rat knee joint produced by bradykinin (BK), but not sympathetic neuron-independent PE produced by platelet activating factor (PAF). Noxious (25 mA) but not non-noxious (2.5 mA) electrical stimulation significantly increased plasma corticosterone concentrations, and intravenous infusion of corticosterone (5 micrograms/min) mimicked inhibition of BK-induced PE produced by noxious stimulation. However, perfusion of corticosterone locally through the knee joint, at doses that do not have a systemic action (i.e., </=1 microM), did not inhibit BK-induced PE. Annexin I (lipocortin-1), a 37-kDa member of a family of phospholipid and calcium binding proteins, can mediate local anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids via a mechanism that is partially dependent on inhibition of phospholipase A2 activity and adhesion and transmigration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Because BK-induced PE is dependent on both polymorphonuclear leukocytes and phospholipase A2 activity, we tested the hypothesis that the action of corticosterone to inhibit BK-induced PE is mediated by stimulating the production and release of annexin I. Perfusion of BK (150 nM) through the rat knee joint induces a rapid and sustained increase in PE. Co-perfusion of BK with annexin I (100 ng/ml) through the knee joint mimics the inhibition of BK-induced PE produced by noxious electrical stimulation or by intravenous corticosterone. Co-perfusion of BK with annexin I antibody (LCPS1, 1:60 dilution) prevented the inhibition of BK-induced PE produced by noxious electrical stimulation or intravenous corticosterone adminstration. PAF-induced PE, which is not dependent on polymorphonuclear leukocytes, was not inhibited by local perfusion of annexin I. These data suggest that the inhibitory effect of C-fiber activity on BK-induced PE, acting via an HPA circuit, is mediated by annexin I in the knee joint.
Concentration, size, and density of total suspended particulates at the air exhaust of concentrated animal feeding operations

Total suspended particulate (TSP) samples were seasonally collected at the air exhaust of 15 commercial concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs; including swine finishing, swine farrowing, swine gestation, laying hen, and tom turkey) in the U.S. Midwest. The measured TSP concentrations ranged from 0.38 ± 0.04 mg m⁻³ (swine gestation in summer) to 10.9 ± 3.9 mg m⁻³ (tom turkey in winter) and were significantly affected by animal species, housing facility type, feeder type (dry or wet), and season. The average particle size of collected TSP samples in terms of mass median equivalent spherical diameter ranged from 14.8 ± 0.5 µm (swine finishing in winter) to 30.5 ± 2.0 µm (tom turkey in summer) and showed a significant seasonal effect. This finding affirmed that particulate matter (PM) released from CAFOs contains a significant portion of large particles. The measured particle size distribution (PSD) and the density of deposited particles (on average 1.65 ± 0.13 g cm⁻³) were used to estimate the mass fractions of PM10 and PM2.5 (PM ≤ 10 and ≤ 2.5 μm, respectively) in the collected TSP. The results showed that the PM10 fractions ranged from 12.7 ± 5.1% (tom turkey) to 21.1 ± 3.2% (swine finishing), whereas the PM2.5 fractions ranged from 3.4 ± 1.9% (tom turkey) to 5.7 ± 3.2% (swine finishing) and were smaller than 9.0% at all visited CAFOs. This study applied a filter-based method for PSD measurement and deposited particles as a surrogate to estimate the TSP's particle density. The limitations, along with the assumptions adopted during the calculation of PM mass fractions, must be recognized when comparing the findings to other studies.
Statistical methods for association tests of multiple continuous traits in genome-wide association studies.

Multiple correlated traits are often collected in genetic studies. The joint analysis of multiple traits could have increased power by aggregating multiple weak effects and offer additional insights into the etiology of complex human diseases by revealing pleiotropic variants. We propose to study multivariate test statistics to detect SNP association with multiple correlated traits. Most existing methods have been based on the GEE approach without explicitly modeling the trait correlations. In this article, we explore an alternative likelihood based framework to test the multiple trait associations. It is based on the familiar multinomial logistic regression modeling of genotypes, can be readily implemented using widely available software, and offers very competitive performance. We demonstrate through extensive numerical studies that the proposed method has competitive performance. Its usefulness is further illustrated with application to association analysis of diabetes-related traits in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.
The limiting primary rigidity of cosmic ray diurnal anisotropy

Our calculations of the upper cutoff primary rigidity (Rc), applicable to the solar diurnal anisotropy, have been extended to cover the declining phase of the solar activity cycle 21. The calculated values of Rc now encompass a complete solar magnetic cycle (1965-1987). We found that the values of Rc were very large for the 1982-1985 period, almost twice as large as those observed previously for the periods of maximum solar activity. The largest value occurred in 1983. Also, the value obtained at the solar activity minimum year of 1986 was about twice as large as that obtained in 1965. Our results are compared with those reported by others.
Proton decay as a cosmic string constraint

In some cosmic string models the strings may give rise to baryon number violation. Constraints are derived on theories of this kind, from the measured limits on proton decay and the timing residual of the millisecond pulsar, by requiring that strings should not wash out the observed baryon-to-entropy ratio of the universe.
Rocket-Borne Cryogenic Michelson Interferometer

A nitrogen-cooled Michelson interferometer was fabricated using a unique flexural pivot mirror translation system which allows a proportionally large aperture and is ideally suited for operation at cryogenic temperatures. Cooling the entire interferometer yields a sensitivity sufficient to measure weak atmospheric emissions from an electron-gun induced artificial aurora. The spectral range 2.0 to 5.6 Âµm is scanned at a repetition rate of 1.8 seconds with an apodized resolution of 2 cm-1. Piezoelectric elements in the fixed mirror mount allow realignment at cryogenic temperatures. Laser (sampling) and white light (absolute position) reference channels are run antiparallel to the main channel using the same optics. When launched aboard a Talos Castor rocket as part of the EXCEDE payload the interferometer maintained alignment within 20 percent of launch modulation efficiency.
The influence of model infant—toddler group care on parent-child interaction at home☆

Abstract The effects of day care participation on parent-child interaction at home were assessed using a university-based, half-day model infant—toddler program. Hypotheses concerned whether “child-centered” features of the physical and social environment were carried over by parents to the home. Nineteen matched pairs of center and noncenter children (ages 2 to 24 months at start) were followed for 8 months. All had employed student mothers. Methods included brief parent-reported “spot” observations, a videotaped observation of a bathing or feeding routine, and home environment assessments. Parents showed few group differences during the first half of the study period. At study end, however, center homes were more child-centered with respect to play, safety, and dinner arrangements. Center parents scored higher in proximity and warmth and lower in “teacher-avoided” behaviors. Noncenter parents at study end scored higher in authority (limit setting) and communicating values and labels. The findings are interpreted as supporting an ecological model of substantial intersection and cross-influence between home and day care settings.
Multi-parameter battery state estimator based on the adaptive and direct solution of the governing differential equations

Abstract We report the development of an adaptive, multi-parameter battery state estimator based on the direct solution of the differential equations that govern an equivalent circuit representation of the battery. The core of the estimator includes two sets of inter-related equations corresponding to discharge and charge events respectively. Simulation results indicate that the estimator gives accurate prediction and numerically stable performance in the regression of model parameters. The estimator is implemented in a vehicle-simulated environment to predict the state of charge (SOC) and the charge and discharge power capabilities (state of power, SOP) of a lithium ion battery. Predictions for the SOC and SOP agree well with experimental measurements, demonstrating the estimator's application in battery management systems. In particular, this new approach appears to be very stable for high-frequency data streams.
Paying respect: Care of elderly parents by Chinese and Filipino American women

Chinese and Filipino American women's caregiving for their elderly parents was explored. Patterns of care, sources of stress, and resources and strategies used in coping with the stress and providing care were investigated using a grounded‐theory methodology. Patterns of care included “paying respect” by “caring for” and “providing for” elderly parents. Sources of stress were caregiving demands, interpersonal relationships, conflict between traditional cultural expectations and what the caregivers could provide, and issues of control. Resources identified were primarily personal, familial, and cultural. Strategies used to cope with the stress included optimism, trust in religion, setting limits, and taking charge. The phenomenon of respect for elders described in this study is consistent with that described by Stern et al. (1980,1985). The satisfaction gained from paying respect contributed to the women's ability to integrate the caregiving role with other roles, congruent with Meleis's theory of role int...
Macrophage fibrinolytic activity: identification of two pathways of plasmin formation by intact cells and of a plasminogen activator inhibitor

Endotoxin-stimulated macrophages hydrolyze fibrin by a plasmin-mediated process in the absence of detectable soluble plasminogen activator (PAs). The data show that macrophages also activate plasmin by a membrane-associated plasminogen activator (PAm). In the presence of endotoxin, PAm activity increases, and plasmin is formed only by PAm. In addition, endotoxin stimulates macrophages to secrete a proteinase inhibitor that blocks PAs activity but not PAm or plasmin activity. The increased PAm activity and the PA inhibitor secretion in response to endotoxin explains the ability of intact macrophages to hydrolyze fibrin in the absence of detectable PAs. Endotoxin, 100 ng/ml, induced an intracellular PA inhibitor in cultured macrophages, and this correlated with accumulation of inhibitor in medium over the cells. The intracellular PA inhibitor was found to be 50--60 kilodaltons by gel chromatography, to be of anionic charge at pH 7.4 and to inhibit urokinase esterolytic and proteolytic activity but not preformed plasmin. These results define two pathways of plasmin formation by intact macrophages and identify the macrophage cell surface as a site of PA activity relatively protected from soluble proteinase inhibitors.
The teratogenicity of cocaine

Pregnancy rats and mice received high doses of cocaine hydrochloride by intraperitoneal injection. Despite treatment periods which included most of organogenesis, no increase in congenital abnormalities was observed. Rats showed significant reductions in maternal and fetal weights as well as increased resorption frequencies. Fetal edema was also found. Mice showed only decreased fetal weights with no increase in malformations.
The isotropic singularity in cosmology

Inflationary cosmology has been in vogue for over a decade. However, it does not appear to provide satisfactory answers to all of the cosmological questions which provided the motivation for the theory. It is argued that quiescent cosmology and the related ideas of Penrose (1989) regarding gravitational entropy may well provide a viable alternative when formulated within the framework of isotropic singularities.
Effective Collaboration in Teacher Education

(1992). Effective Collaboration in Teacher Education. Action in Teacher Education: Vol. 14, At the Crossroads: Visionary Leadership for Teacher Education, pp. 52-56.
Studies on combined effects of organophosphates or carbamates and morsodren in birds. II. Plasma and cholinesterase in quail fed morsodren and orally dosed with parathion or carbofuran

The degree of interaction between mercury and cholinesterase inhibiting pesticides was determined by comparing enzyme responses to sublethal dosages of parathion or carbofuran in quail fed 0.05, 0.5, or 5.0 ppm morsodren for 18 weeks. A statistically significant interaction was defined as greater brain cholinesterae inhibition in morsodren-fed than in clean-fed birds following pesticide dosage. The tissue residues of mercury that accumulated before significant mercury-parathion interactions occurred were higher than levels that might be expected in natural populations, but significant mercury-carbofuran interactions occurred in birds that had only accumulated 1.0 ppm liver mercury. The results indicate that indiscriminate usage of cholinesterase inhibiting pesticides are dangerous, since natural populations of fish-eating birds oftentimes contain this magnitude of mercury.
2,3-diphosphoglycerate in high- and low-altitude populations of the deer mouse.

Abstract Erythrocyte DPG concentrations were studied in populations of Peromyscus maniculatus native to different altitudes. Deer mice native to, and resident at, high altitude showed higher DPG/Hb ratios than did deer mice native to, and resident at, low altitude. However, after prolonged acclimation to low altitude, the high-altitude natives showed lower DPG/Hb ratios than did low-altitude natives. The differences in baseline DPG levels appear to be determined primarily by genetic factors. The heritability ( h 2 ) of DPG/Hb ratios was estimated by two independent methods to be 0.51 and 0.66 but those values are inflated to an unknown extent by environmental correlations between relatives. Mild cold stress did not elicit an increase in DPG/Hb ratios. DPG levels extended to decrease with age, but the aging effect was not consistently observed in all samples. Neither sex nor alpha-globin genotype influenced DPG levels. The adaptive significance of the genetic differences in DPG metabolism between high- and low-altitude populations remains problematic.
Paradigms, supermolecules, electron transfer and chemistry at a distance. What's the problem? The science or the paradigm?

New paradigms and new truths in science are not usually adopted because opponents are eventually convinced of their persuasive character, but, more often, because opponents gradually die; the new paradigms are readily adopted by the new generation of students as the laws of nature, just as the dead opponents accepted the old paradigm M. Planck [2]
An efficient stochastic clustering auction for heterogeneous robot teams

Stochastic Clustering Auctions (SCAs) constitute a class of cooperative auction methods that enable improvement of the global cost of the task allocations obtained with fast greedy algorithms. Prior research had developed Contracts Sequencing Algorithms (CSAs) that are deterministic and enable transfers, swaps, and other types of contracts between team members. In contrast to CSAs, SCAs use stochastic transfers or swaps between the task clusters assigned to each team member and have algorithm parameters that can enable tradeoffs between optimality and computational and communication requirements. The first SCA was based on a “Gibbs Sampler” and constrained the stochastic cluster reallocations to simple single transfers or swaps; it is applicable to heterogeneous teams. Subsequently, a more efficient SCA was developed, based on the generalized Swendsen-Wang method; it achieves the increased efficiency by connecting tasks that appear to be synergistic and then stochastically reassigning these connected tasks, hence enabling more complex and efficient movements between clusters than the first SCA. However, its application was limited to homogeneous teams. The contribution of this work is to present an efficient SCA for heterogeneous teams; it is based on a modified Swendsen-Wang method. For centralized auctioning and homogeneous teams, extensive numerical experiments were used to provide a comparison in terms of costs and computational and communication requirements of the three SCAs and a baseline CSA. It was seen that the new SCA maintains the efficiency of the second SCA and can yield similar performance to the baseline CSA in far fewer iterations. The same metrics were used to evaluate the performance of the new SCA for heterogeneous teams. A distributed version of the new SCA was also evaluated in numerical experiments. The results show that, as expected, the distributed SCA continually improves the global performance with each iteration, but converges to a lower cost solution than the centralized SCA.