cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Associations of longitudinal sleep trajectories with risky sexual behavior during late adolescence.

OBJECTIVE The current study examines longitudinal sleep patterns in relation to risky sexual behaviors in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of adolescents. METHOD The sample comprises 1,850 youth (mean age at first wave = 16.21; 57% female). Sleep duration, sleep variability (difference between weekend and weekday sleep duration), and sleep quality were collected over four annual assessments from 2013 to 2017. Risky sexual behaviors (i.e., sex without condom use or sex after using drugs or alcohol) were examined at the fourth follow-up assessment when youth were 19 years old. Longitudinal latent class analysis characterized patterns of individual sleep dimensions over time, as well as the combination of sleep dimensions, and examined how emergent sleep classes associated with subsequent risky sexual behavior, after adjustment for sociodemographics and mental health. RESULTS After covariate adjustment, persistent "short" weekend sleepers were 2.2 times more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors, compared to youth with sufficient weekend sleep duration. Contrary to expectations, adolescents with more consistent weekend/weekday sleep were 1.6-2 times more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors, compared to those with greater variability; however, lack of variability may be an indicator of chronic insufficient sleep, both weekdays and weekends. There were no significant differences in risky sexual behavior according to classes of weekday sleep duration or quality. In the combined class model, those with persistently short and poor-quality sleep were at marginally greater risk for engaging in risky sexual behaviors. CONCLUSION Insufficient sleep in adolescents may increase risk for sexual risk-taking and may set the stage for accelerated health risk trajectories into adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Provable Computational and Statistical Guarantees for Efficient Learning of Continuous-Action Graphical Games

In this paper, we study the problem of learning the set of pure strategy Nash equilibria and the exact structure of a continuous-action graphical game with quadratic payoffs by observing a small set of perturbed equilibria. A continuous-action graphical game can possibly have an uncountable set of Nash euqilibria. We propose a $\ell_{12}-$ block regularized method which recovers a graphical game, whose Nash equilibria are the $\epsilon$-Nash equilibria of the game from which the data was generated (true game). Under a slightly stringent condition on the parameters of the true game, our method recovers the exact structure of the graphical game. Our method has a logarithmic sample complexity with respect to the number of players. It also runs in polynomial time.
Assessing the Effect of Demographic Background on Barriers to Seek Medical Attention for Psoriasis

Background:Lack of treatment or undertreatment of psoriasis is a major issue. Demographics might be related to specific barriers to health care.Objective:To assess the association between demograph...
Raising Well at Home: a pre-post feasibility study of a lifestyle intervention for caregivers and their child with obesity

Few efficacious pediatric obesity interventions have been successfully translated and sustained in real-world practice, often due to inadequate fit with the priorities of under-resourced populations. Lifestyle interventions, which incorporate tailoring of essential weight loss ingredients and adaptation of mode and intensity to the living circumstances of children with obesity, are needed. The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility and efficacy of a tailored lifestyle intervention for caregivers and their children with obesity, conducted in partnership with Envolve, Inc., a family of comprehensive health solutions and wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation. This 6-month pilot study employed a pretest-posttest design to assess the impact of a tailored lifestyle intervention delivered by peer coaches on (a) caregiver and child weight impacted by changes in dietary intake, walking, and screen time; (b) changes in the home environment; and (c) caregiver engagement and satisfaction. The intervention was delivered via 3 core home visits every 4–6 weeks, with additional support via text. The majority of caregivers were female (95.2%) and Black (73.7%). Children had median age of 11.1 years and majority were female (57.6%), with a median BMI near the 99th percentile (Mdn 98.8, IQR 3.5) or 118.3% (IQR 35.8) of the 95th percentile for their sex and age. Participants expressed high satisfaction with the program (mean range 96.7–100.0% agreement on satisfaction items). From baseline to post, caregivers’ BMI decreased by 1.8% (p = 0.016, r = 0.22), while children’s BMI percentile z-score decreased significantly (p = 0.023, r = 0.18) and BMI percent of the 95th percentile remained constant (p = 0.05, r = 0.15). Caregivers and children decreased sugar-sweetened beverage intake (p = 0.026, r = 0.22; p = 0.006, r = 0.23, respectively), reduced presence of soda in the home (p = 0.002, g = 0.43), and decreased screen time (p = 0.046, g = 0.22). Other eating and walking behaviors remained stable for caregivers and child. The Raising Well at Home pilot demonstrated that tailored lifestyle interventions, delivered by peer coaches in the home and via text, are feasible and can improve weight, eating, and environmental measures of caregivers and children with obesity. Future work should determine the effectiveness, sustainability, and scalability of this intervention in sites located across the country. ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT04224623 ). Registered 9 January 2020—retrospectively registered.
Performance assessment of a fiber optic methane sensor exposed to coal smoke

Underground mines have the risk of accumulating gases if not ventilated properly or during and after emergency situations when ventilation controls become damaged or stop working. Common gases that...
Measuring Human Workload in a Collaborative Human-Robot Team

Successful human-robot (H-R) teams working with direct interaction and close coupling will have relationships that vary, depending on whether or not collaboration is prioritized and how collaboration changes the human mental workload and the team’s task performance. Modeling of representative functions can provide predictions of changes in mental workload and the potential impact on team performance. The presented research focuses on modeling and quantifying mental workload for H-R teams in which team members have some individually assigned responsibilities but must also make joint decisions with a teammate. IMPRINT Pro, a discrete event simulation modeling tool created by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, was used to model human-human (H-H) and H-R teams completing a reconnaissance task in a building. This research evaluated H-H and H-R teams completing the same reconnaissance tasks. Predictions of mental-workload levels from the model and the evaluation results showed that mental workload was lower for the H-R teams. The results for the closely coupled teams were compared to results from a prior evaluation with a master-slave relationship; similar results were found for both evaluations. Mental workload was lower in H-R teams than in H-H teams, but task performance did not differ between the two.
Involvement of TRPC5 channels, inwardly rectifying K+ channels, PLCβ and PIP2 in vasopressin-mediated excitation of medial central amygdala neurons.

Activation of V1a vasopressin receptors facilitates neuronal excitability in the medial nucleus of central amygdala (CeM) V1a receptor activation excites about 80% CeM neurons by opening a cationic conductance and about 20% CeM neurons by suppressing an inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channels The cationic conductance activated by V1a receptors is identified as TRPC5 channels PLCβ-mediated depletion of PIP2 is involved in V1a receptor-elicited excitation of CeM neurons Intracellular Ca2+ release and PKC are unnecessary for V1a receptor-mediated excitation of CeM neurons ABSTRACT: Arginine vasopressin (AVP) serves as a hormone in the periphery to modulate water homeostasis and a neuromodulator in the brain to regulate a diverse range of functions including anxiety, social behaviors, cognitive activities and nociception. The amygdala is an essential brain region involved in modulating defensive and appetitive behaviors, pain, and alcohol use disorders. Whereas activation of V1a receptors in the medial nucleus of the central amygdala (CeM) increases neuronal excitability, the involved ionic and signaling mechanisms have not been determined. We found that activation of V1a receptors in the CeM facilitated neuronal excitability predominantly by opening TRPC5 channels, although AVP excited about one-fifth of the CeM neurons via suppressing an inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channel. G proteins and phospholipase Cβ (PLCβ) were required for AVP-elicited excitation of CeM neurons, whereas intracellular Ca2+ release and the activity of protein kinase C were unnecessary. Prevention of the depletion of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2 ) blocked AVP-induced excitation of CeM neurons suggesting that PLCβ-mediated depletion of PIP2 is involved in AVP-mediated excitation of CeM neurons. Our results may provide a cellular and molecular mechanism to explain the anxiogenic effects of AVP in the amygdala. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Sex Offenders: Technological Monitoring and the Fourth Amendment

In 2015, the Supreme Court decided in Grady v. North Carolina that attaching a GPS monitoring device to a person was a Fourth Amendment search, notwithstanding the ostensibly civil character of the surveillance. Grady left open the question whether the search — and the state’s technological monitoring program more generally — was constitutionally reasonable. This Essay considers the doctrine and theory of Fourth Amendment reasonableness as it applies to both current and envisioned sex offender monitoring technologies to evaluate whether the Fourth Amendment may serve as an effective check on post-release monitoring regimes. This Essay is adapted, with permission, from our article Fourth Amendment Constraints on the Technological Monitoring of Convicted Sex Offenders, 21 New Crim. L. Rev. 379 (2018).
Interaction of ambient temperature with the effects of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol on brain catecholamine synthesis and plasma corticosterone levels.

The effects of Δ9 (THC) on body temperature, catecholamine synthesis and plasma corticosteroid levels were examined in the mouse at ambient temperatures of 31°, 20° and 10°C in order to study the role of hypothermia in THC's other actions. THC produced hypothermia at 10° and 20°C, but not at 31°C. Dose related increases in dopamine and norepinephrine synthesis rates and plasma corticosterone levels were produced by THC at bot 31° and 20°C. The effects of THC at 10°C were biphasic. These data indicate that the effects of THC on brain catecholamines are not a result of drug induced hypothermia and may be a result of a direct action on neurons.
Geotechnical Surprises―Or Are They? The 2004 H. Bolton Seed Lecture

The nature and scope of geotechnical engineering are such that the problems and projects we deal with are a never ending source of both challenge and excitement. In most cases we do very well in defining the problems and developing suitable solutions resulting in successful completed projects. Unfortunately, however, there remain far too many cases in which something goes wrong. Often a failure or other bad outcome comes as a complete surprise. However, in a significant number of cases perhaps the unexpected or surprise outcome might have been anticipated. Three illustrative case histories are reviewed and then examined to see if what went wrong might reasonably have been anticipated. The first involves a well-known and much studied stability failure along the composite double liner system of a hazardous waste landfill. The second is concerned with unusual soil types that were the cause of major difficulties during earthwork construction of a large embankment dam. The third is about a very large, slow-moving landslide that caused major distress to a roadway and impacted the safety of a large bridge. Several reasons why unexpected adverse outcomes may occur are stated and some possible means for reducing their frequency and severity in the future are proposed.
Creating a new news: Opportunies on the internet for broader and deeper journalism

Drawing upon two established ideas, the concept of the long tail from statistics and the concept of an agenda from agenda-setting theory, this issue will describe horizontal and vertical strategies that provide a platform for both planning and then evaluating through formal research broad programs of systematic experimentation with new forms of content. These new forms do not change the fundamental values of journalism, but they do offer an opportunity for creating an enhanced news package on the internet that is compelling journalism.
Influence of relative blood flow restriction pressure on muscle activation and muscle adaptation

Introduction The aim of this study was to investigate the acute and chronic skeletal muscle response to differing levels of blood flow restriction (BFR) pressure. Methods Fourteen participants completed elbow flexion exercise with pressures from 40% to 90% of arterial occlusion. Pre/post torque measurements and electromyographic (EMG) amplitude of each set were quantified for each condition. This was followed by a separate 8-week training study of the effect of high (90% arterial occlusion) and low (40% arterial occlusion) pressure on muscle size and function. Results For the acute study, decreases in torque were similar between pressures [-15.5 (5.9) Nm, P = 0.344]. For amplitude of the first 3 and last 3 reps there was a time effect. After training, increases in muscle size (10%), peak isotonic strength (18%), peak isokinetic torque (180°/s = 23%, 60°/s = 11%), and muscular endurance (62%) changed similarly between pressures. Conclusion We suggest that higher relative pressures may not be necessary when exercising under BFR.
Stomatal conductance and water relations of shrubs growing at the chaparral-desert ecotone in California and Arizona

Water is one of the main factors limiting production in mediterranean-type ecosystems. The degree of stomatal opening and thereby leaf conductance largely determine rates of transpiration during drought periods and along with other factors control rates of carbon uptake (see Beyschlag et al., Tenhunen et al. and other related papers in this volume) and water use efficiency. This study examined the water relations and control of stomatal conductance in several plant species subjected to drought, at each of three sites differing in amounts and seasonal distribution of precipitation and at intervals throughout all seasons. The data were gathered as part of a study of the water balance of shrubs growing at the chaparral-desert ecotones in Arizona and southern California, designed to examine potentials for anti-desertification (Roberts and Blake-Jacobson 1984).
Effects of storage-aged red blood cell transfusions on endothelial function in hospitalized patients.

Background Clinical and animal studies indicate that transfusions of older stored red blood cells (RBCs) impair clinical outcomes as compared to fresh RBC transfusions. It has been suggested that this effect is due to inhibition of nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilation after transfusion of older RBC units. However, to date this effect has not been identified in human transfusion recipients. Study Design and Methods Forty-three hospitalized patients with transfusion orders were randomly assigned to receive either fresh ( 21 days) RBC units. Before transfusion, and at selected time points after the start of transfusion, endothelial function was assessed using noninvasive flow-mediated dilation assays. Results After transfusion of older RBC units, there was a significant reduction in NO-mediated vasodilation at 24 hours after transfusion (p = 0.045), while fresh RBC transfusions had no effect (p = 0.231). Conclusions This study suggests for the first time a significant inhibitory effect of transfused RBC units stored more than 21 days on NO-mediated vasodilation in anemic hospitalized patients. This finding lends further support to the hypothesis that deranged NO signaling mediates adverse clinical effects of older RBC transfusions. Future investigations will be necessary to address possible confounding factors and confirm these results.
Robust wavelet zerotree image compression with fixed-length packetization

We present a novel robust image compression algorithm in which the output of a wavelet zerotree-style coder is manipulated into fixed-length segments. The segments are independently decodable, and errors occurring in one segment do not propagate into any other. The method provides both excellent compression performance and graceful degradation under increasing packet losses. We extend the basic scheme to perform region-based compression, in which specified portions of the image are coded to higher quality with little or no side information required by the decoder.
Post-training ethanol disrupts trace conditioned fear in rats: effects of timing of ethanol, dose and trace interval duration.

Abstract Ethanol has complex effects on memory performance, although hippocampus-dependent memory may be especially vulnerable to disruption by acute ethanol intoxication occurring during or shortly after a training episode. In the present experiments, the effects of post-training ethanol on delay and trace fear conditioning were examined in adolescent rats. In Experiment 1, 30-day-old Sprague–Dawley rats were given delay or trace conditioning trials in which a 10 s flashing light CS was paired with a 0.5 mA shock US. For trace groups, the trace interval was 10 s. On days 31–33, animals were administered ethanol once daily (0.0 or 2.5 g/kg via intragastric intubation), and on day 34 animals were tested for CS-elicited freezing. Results showed that post-training ethanol affected the expression of trace, but had no effect on delay conditioned fear. Experiment 2 revealed that this effect was dose-dependent; doses lower than 2.5 g/kg were without effect. Experiment 3 evaluated whether proximity of ethanol to the time of training or testing was critical. Results show that ethanol administration beginning 24 h after training was more detrimental to trace conditioned freezing than administration that was delayed by 48 h. Finally, in Experiment 4 animals were trained with one of three different trace intervals: 1, 3 or 10 s. Results indicate that post-training administration of 2.5 g/kg ethanol disrupted trace conditioned fear in subjects trained with a 10 s, but not with a 1 or 3 s, trace interval. Collectively the results suggest that ethanol administration impairs post-acquisition memory processing of hippocampus-dependent trace fear conditioning.
On comparing two poisson intensity functions

Given realizations of two possion processes with unknown intensities A(·) and F(·) observed over the interval (t1,t2), we suppose that it is desired to distinution between H0 Ξ(·)/λ(·) is constant on (t1,t2) versus H+:Ξ(·)/λ(·) increases on (t1,t2). We propose a decision rule which uses the percentage points of the Mann-Whitney U-distribution. We show that the decision rule is unbiased and that the set of alternatives in H+ can be weakly ordered, specifically: if Ξ(·)/λ(·), β(·)/λ(·) and Ξ(·)/β(·) are increasing on (t1, t2) then P{H0 is rejected |Ξ(·)}≧P{H0 is rejected|B(·)}≧P{H0 is rejected|H0}.
Internal cowl-separation at high incidence angles

Internal flow separation at large incidence angles is studied on the basis of wind-tunnel pressure data for six axisymmetric inlet geometries. The inlet geometric variables investigated are the angle of incidence, the throat Mach number, the internal lip contraction ratio, 'sharpness' of the external shape, and freestream velocity. It is shown that an increase in lip contraction ratio delays internal flow separation, while an increase in the sharpness of the external profile tends to reduce the angle of incidence at which complete flow separation occurs. It is also shown that inlet flow separation is subject to scale effects associated with the boundary layer on the cowl surface. The scale effects are particularly pronounced at very high throat Mach numbers.
A Signal Juncture: The Detroit Newspaper Strike and Post‐Accord Labor Relations in the United States1

This essay uses a deviant case analysis of the 1995–2000 Detroit newspaper strike to critique and revise theories of strike activity. As the formal institutions regulating industrial relations in the United States have declined, workplace struggles have expanded or reentered into other arenas of the state and civil society. In addition, the essay develops the methodological concept of a “signal juncture,” that is, moments of conflict that reveal a “collision” of underlying developmental paths. Unlike the more familiar concept of the critical juncture, a signal juncture reveals ongoing structural tensions and conflicting actors within otherwise continuous trends.
Hedonic integration: Test of a linear model

A simple adding model was tested for the integration of the hedonic component of taste stimuli. Subjects tasted mixtures of quinine sulfate and apple juice and rated the pleasantness of the composite taste, The rating data showed significant nonadditivity, which could reflect failure of the model itself or merely a nonlinear response output function. Since the rating data could be transformed to additivity, justification for such transformation was sought through a second task based on the logic of two-stage integration. In this task, subjects rated the difference between taste mixtures. The subtracting model underlying this judgment provided functional scale values for the taste mixtures on validated interval scales. These functional scale values were consistent with the predictions of the simple adding model, and thus justified the transformation of the single rating data to additivity. The application of functional measurement to obtain the psychophysical functions of the two taste components is also illustrated.
Blue oceans, temporary monopolies, and lessons from practice

This report on the Fifth Annual Conference of the Association of Strategic Planning (ASP), “Strategy in action: lessons from practice,” was held in Long Beach, California. This report covers the two keynote speakers plus highlights from a selection of the presentations (for more information see the ASP website: www.strategyplus.org). Purpose – The article summarizes the highlights of the Association for Strategic Planning's 2006 Annual Conference held on February 28, 2006 in Long Beach, California, one of the premier strategic‐planning conferences in the US. Design/methodology/approach – This is reportage on the annual ASP conference. Findings – The remarks of the two keynote speakers are summarized: W. Chan Kim's on “blue ocean strategy” that makes the competition irrelevant, and Milind Lele's remarks on situational monopolies that also, for a time, gets rid of competition. Both authors' remarks were based on recently published best selling books. In addition, of 40 other presentations offered in concurr...
Spondee Recognition Threshold as a Function of Set Size

Recognition thresholds for spondaic words were obtained in normal listeners under conditions of varying set size. Six sets of spondees were derived from the 36-word corpus of a Northwestern Univers...
Evaluation of free or liposome-encapsulated ribavirin for antiviral therapy of experimentally induced feline infectious peritonitis

Ribavirin, either free in aqueous solution or incorporated into liposomes, was evaluated in 50 specific-pathogen-free kittens after experimental challenge exposure with feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). Ribavirin was administered daily for 10 to 14 days at 16.5 mg kg-1 bodyweight given per os, intramuscularly or intravenously beginning 18 hours after kittens were challenge-exposed with FIPV. All kittens, including ribavirin-treated and untreated kittens, succumbed to FIP. Clinical signs of disease were more severe in the ribavirin-treated kittens and their mean survival times were shortened. The clinical efficacy of free ribavirin given intravenously at a reduced dosage (5.5 mg kg-1 bodyweight) was compared to that of ribavirin incorporated into lecithin-containing liposomes (5 mg kg-1) intravenously. Drugs were given once daily for three consecutive days of each week for three weeks, beginning 18 hours after virus challenge exposure. There was no significant difference either in survival rate or severity of disease between kittens given free ribavirin, liposomal ribavirin or saline only. Because of its intrinsic toxicity and low therapeutic index against FIPV and its marginal antiviral activities in vivo at maximal doses, ribavirin cannot presently be recommended as primary antiviral chemotherapy against FIP.
Comparative CFD Analysis of Maldistribution in a Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger With Conical and Cylindrical Headers

The analysis of flow maldistribution in a shell and tube heat exchanger is presented. The flow field within the headers was obtained through numerical solution of conservation equations of mass and momentum in addition to the equations of the turbulence model. The flow maldistribution inside the header was a 3-D numerical simulation with the help of commercial software To increase the performance of the heat exchanger, flow maldistribution among the tubes should be minimized.. Flow maldistribution in the header affects the heat transfer performance. The effects of the pressure drop and velocity distribution in the headers were analyzed, as it effects the heat transfer performance. The study showed that by changing the header geometry, the maldistribution can be reduced leading to improved performance. Two types of headers were considered with varying header length and inlet flow velocities from 0.8373mm/sec to 2.344mm/sec are considered. The uniformity of flow distribution improved with increasing header length, whereas it decreased with increasing flow rate. As the header length increased to 1500mm the flow maldistribution decreased and the static pressure was almost equal for all the tubes in case of a conical header. The results show that conical header minimizes flow maldistribution compared to a cylindrical header.© 2010 ASME
Associative interference on paired-associate lists from extraexperimental learning

Summary Three experiments were conducted to determine whether the acquisition of a novel S-R pair would be retarded by the presence of a strong, pre-existing association to the stimulus among the other response terms on a paired-associate list. In Exp. I, the lists were made up of three types of pairs: (1) HC items in which each stimulus had a strong initial associative connection with its response, (2) LC-experimental items in which intrapair associative connection was low but in which each stimulus was a synonym of the stimulus in one of the HC pairs and also was highly associated with the response term in that pair, and (3) LC-control items in which there was a minimal degree of formal and meaningful similarity and prior associative connection within each S-R pair and with other S and R terms on the list. In Exp. II a similar list was employed except that there was minimal meaningful similarity among all of the stimulus words. In Exp. III, an experimental and control list were devised, the experimental list being made up of stimulus items and a dominant association to each. The stimulus and response terms were scrambled, however, so that there was a low degree of initial associative connection within each pair but each stimulus had a strong association among the responses elsewhere on the list. The control list consisted of the same responses but had stimuli with no cross-associates. In Exps. I and III, performance on the experimental terms or list was found to be significantly inferior to that on the control material. In Exp. II, however, no evidence of associative interference was found, possibly due to the ease of discriminating between HC and LC pairs in the particular type of list that was employed. In a fourth experiment, interlist interference was investigated, using an A–B,A–C negative transfer paradigm in which the first list consisted of pairs with a high degree of prior associative strength and the second of the identical stimuli paired with different responses of a low degree of associative strength. As judged by the performance of control S s first learning a highly associated D–E list, this A–B,A–C arrangement led to significant associative interference (negative transfer) on the second list. The implications of these results for various speculations concerning the relationship between degree of first-list learning and amount of negative transfer in the A–B,A–C situation were discussed.
A mathematical programming approach to salary administration

Abstract This paper discusses a mathematical programming approach to designing an executive salary administration guide based on the importance of the positions and the quality of job performance. The two fundamental concepts of the salary system that is considered in this study are the compensation plan and the classification plan. The purpose of the compensation plan, and the objective of the paper, is to develop a salary guide for given results from the classification plan. The paper assumes an understanding of basic principles of job evaluation and some exposure to formulation of mathematical models. Emphasis is put on the formulation and linearization of the models, rather than on development of solution techniques that would exploit the particular structure of the models.
Report of the Committee on Runoff, 1955–1956

During the year 1955–1956 the Committee on Runoff conducted several informal discussions by correspondence on subjects of runoff from small watersheds and of flood and drought studies. Owing to the limitation in space for publication, voluminous material involved in the discussiong cannot be all published. This report presents some highlights developed from discussions on runoff studies of small watersheds. The report constitutes neither recommendations nor complete opinions on the part of the Committee members, but simply reflects some fragmental thoughts that have been expressed during the discussions. The Committee members hope that this report will serve as seeds to bring forth further discussions from the readers and thus to fulfill the aim to stimulate research, secure coordination, and facilitate dissemination of information in runoff studies of small watersheds.
Use of stochastic optimization techniques for damage detection in complex nonlinear systems

In this study, the performance of stochastic optimization techniques in the finite element model updating approach was investigated for damage detection in a quarter-scale two-span reinforced concrete bridge system which was tested experimentally at the University of Nevada, Reno. The damage sequence in the structure was induced by a range of progressively increasing excitations in the transverse direction of the specimen. Intermediate non-destructive white noise excitations and response measurements were used for system identification and damage detection purposes. It is shown that, when evaluated together with the strain gauge measurements and visual inspection results, the applied finite element model updating algorithm on this complex nonlinear system could accurately detect, localize, and quantify the damage in the tested bridge columns throughout the different phases of the experiment.
Stochastic Receptor Expression Allows Sensitive Bacteria to Evade Phage Attack. Part I: Experiments

It has long been suspected that population heterogeneity, either at a genetic level or at a protein level, can improve the fitness of an organism under a variety of environmental stresses. However, quantitative measurements to substantiate such a hypothesis turn out to be rather difficult and have rarely been performed. Herein, we examine the effect of expression heterogeneity of λ-phage receptors on the response of an Escherichia coli population to attack by a high concentration of λ-phage. The distribution of the phage receptors in the population was characterized by flow cytometry, and the same bacterial population was then subjected to different phage pressures. We show that a minority population of bacteria that produces the receptor slowly and at low levels determines the long-term survivability of the bacterial population and that phage-resistant mutants can be efficiently isolated only when the persistent phage pressure >1010 viruses/cm3 is present. Below this phage pressure, persistors instead of mutants are dominant in the population.
Magnetic moments of short-lived excited nuclear states: measurements and challenges

Magnetic moments have in general provided substantial information on the microscopic structure of nuclear states. Advances in technology have made it possible to measure, with reasonable accuracy, magnetic moments of nuclear states with lifetimes of the order of picoseconds or less. Improvements over the last decade involve all experimental aspects ranging from the availability of a wide variety of stable and radioactive beams, to the realization of highly segmented, high resolution detector arrays. A microscopic understanding of the hyperfine interaction between the nuclear moments and the ferromagnetic environment with which they interact has not yet been reached. Nevertheless, elegant applications of the new experimental techniques have allowed the measurement of nuclear moments of many nuclear states that were not accessible previously. Such measurements have shown how these moments vary with energy, spin and temperature in specific nuclei, or across isotopic chains. New results, in turn, have placed stringent constraints on theoretical calculations. The technical advances and selected highlights of relevant measurements across the periodic table are described in this review. Recent examples of applications of transient field and recoil-in-vacuum techniques in a radioactive beam environment are presented.
I see that I see: a hero's impact on a family therapist

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the influence of the late Heinz von Foerster in the life of an admirer and friend who remains a leader in the field of family therapy.Design/methodology/approach – The approach is autobiographical. The method is (loosely) process recall and personal theoretical reflection. Objectives are achieved by organizing major tenets of von Foerster's constructivism into personal categories of meaning.Findings – Findings included a deep philosophical influence on the author's professional life; an abiding impact on his personal life; and a durability of von Foerster's ideas across disciplines, time, and the ever‐changing theories and politics of the mental health profession.Originality/value – This paper adds value to the social sciences in general, and to the field of family therapy in particular, because it highlights the interconnectedness of person and profession and the confluence of the messenger/message. Some might say this is cybernetics in vivo. There may ...
AUCTIONS ON THE INTERNET: WHAT'S BEING AUCTIONED, AND HOW?*

This paper is an economist’s guide to auctions on the Internet. It traces the development of online auctions since 1993, and presents data from a comprehensive study of 142 different Internet auction sites. The results describe the transaction volumes, the types of auction mechanisms used, the types of goods auctioned, and the business models employed at the various sites. These new electronic-commerce institutions raise interesting questions for the economic theory of auctions, such as predicting the types of goods to be sold at auction, examining the incentive effects of varying auctioneer fee structures, and identifying the optimal auction formats for online sellers.
Statistical properties of 5/2+ resonances in57Co

Magnitudes and relative signs of inelastic proton channel amplitudes were determined for three decay channels for 77 5/2+ resonances in57Co. Large correlations are observed between widths and between amplitudes. Separate amplitude and width correlation measurements provide a direct test of the assumed Gaussian distribution for amplitudes.
Growth of textured mullite fibers using a quadrupole lamp furnace

Abstract Fine ceramic oxide fibers are widely used as reinforcements in composites for high temperature applications. The primary goal of this research was to investigate the growth of single crystal or textured oxide fibers by heat treatment of polycrystalline or amorphous, extruded precursor fibers. Mullite was selected for this study due to its excellent chemical stability, creep resistance and strength at high temperatures. A quadrupole lamp furnace (QLF), with a small, disc-shaped, hot zone was used for the heat treatment. Micrographic analysis and in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis have been performed on the mullite system for anisotropic grain growth of mullite. The estimated activation energies from the SEM micrographic analysis were 644.3 and 773.7 kJ/mol for the length and thickness, respectively. An in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction microstructure analysis was done with a curved image plate (CIP) detector and the fiber was heat treated with a QLF. A Williamson–Hall analysis was carried out for the calculation of the apparent crystallite sizes. The apparent crystallite size showed anisotropy in crystallite growth. Furthermore, the growth rates in the [0 0 1] and [1 1 0] directions demonstrated elongated crystallite growth. Mullite whiskers were prepared by HF leaching out and templated into polycrystalline mullite fiber by extrusion. Textured growth of mullite fiber with elongated grains, ∼400 μm in length and aligned along the long-axis of the fibers, was achieved by heat treatment. Repeated heat treatment cycles of a whisker-templated fiber showed a bamboo-like microstructure. It was confirmed by TEM that the growth direction along the fiber length was the [0 0 1] direction of orthorhombic mullite.
Changes in heregulin β1 (HRGβ1) signaling after inhibition of ErbB-2 expression in a human breast cancer cell line

Specific biological responses to the erbB3-erbB4 ligand heregulin (HRG) have been postulated to be due to the formation of heterodimers of those receptors with erbB2. To test the role that erbB2 plays in the response to HRG in a human breast carcinoma cell line, antisense oriented erbB2 was stably transfected into AU565 cells. In the absence of HRG, inhibition of erbB2 expression slowed cell growth, leading to accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase, and suppressed colony growth in soft agar. Low concentrations of HRG induced cell proliferation in both the erbB2-nonexpressing cells and the parental AU565 cells. In contrast, high concentrations of HRG failed to induce differentiation of the erbB2-nonexpressing cells as compared with the parental cells. ErbB3 expression was significantly decreased in the erbB2 nonexpressing cells. ErbB3 was constitutively tyrosine phosphorylated in both the parental AU565 cells and in the erbB2 nonexpressing cells. HRG further increased tyrosine phosphorylation of erbB3 with a maximum response at 1 ng/ml of HRG in erbB2 nonexpressing cells, as compared with 10 ng/ml of HRG in AU565 cells. This finding suggested that the biochemical responsiveness of erbB3 to HRG was changed, but not abrogated, by inhibition of erbB2 expression. These results suggest that inhibition of erbB2 expression modulates, but does not abolish, HRG mediated signal transduction pathways in a human breast cancer cell line.
Simulation comparisons on diffusion equation

Near IR laser is being explored in clinic diagnosis of early-stage cancer. Diffusion equation is used as the mathematical model to describe photon propagation inside human tissues. In this paper, two numerical algorithms, ADI and FEM, are applied in solving the diffusion equation. All the algorithms reach a satisfactory precision on a human- tissue model of realistic size. Results form simulation and experimental are compared and show a good match. Further analysis on algorithm convergence for both spatial grid size and time step also shows the algorithmic stability. The multigrid version of both ADI and FEM are developed to save computational time and memory. The multigrid algorithms use fine grid size in the region of interest and coarse grid size elsewhere. Parallelization implementation is completed for all the algorithms in both share-memory mode and message passing mode. Numerical simulation experiments show that all simulators can serve as computed experiments, i.e. an alternative to physical experiments.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The electron beam zone refining of ruthenium

Abstract Single crystal ruthenium specimens of nominally one-half cm diameter and up to eight cm long have been prepared by electron beam zone melting in a vacuum of about 1 × 10−6 torr. Purity profiles obtained by measuring RRR (the ratio of the electrical resistance at room temperature to that at 4.2°K) are shown for crystals grown from both 99.9% pure and 99.999% pure starting material. With the more pure substance a crystal with an RRR value of 1100 has been obtained.
Expression of bovine genes associated with local and systemic immune response to infestation with the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum

The Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum Linnaeus 1758 (Acari; Ixodidae), causes considerable production losses to the southern U.S. cattle industry due to reduced weight, infertility, secondary infections at bite wound sites, damaged hides, and potentially death, as these ticks tend to infest livestock in large numbers. Increasing environmental concerns, along with the potential for chemical residue in food products, have led to more emphasis on alternative tick control strategies, such as selective breeding practices and anti-tick vaccines. To enable progress toward these goals, a better understanding of bovine host immune mechanisms elicited by ticks is needed. In this study, 7 calves were phenotyped as susceptible, moderately resistant, or highly resistant to adult A. americanum ticks. Tick bite-site biopsies and blood leukocytes were collected at multiple time points throughout 3 successive tick infestations. Gene expression at tick bite-site biopsies was assessed by microarray analysis over 3 time points for each phenotype group. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR expression analysis evaluated 11 candidate genes in tick bite-site biopsies, and 6 in blood leukocytes. Regression curve estimates calculated from the expression values generated by qRT-PCR in tick bite-sites identified correlations between several candidate genes. Increased expression of IGHG1, IL6, IL1α, and IL1RN in bovine tick bite-site biopsies suggests that Th2 differentiation may be important for the local bovine response to A. americanum ticks. Strong correlations in expression for IL1α and IL1β, for IL1α and IL1RN, and for IL1α and TLR4 were found in biopsies from the tick-resistant phenotypes. The up-regulation of IL12 and IL23 in blood leukocytes from Lone Star tick-infested calves of all phenotypes suggests a possible systemic recruitment of memory T cells. This study provides novel insight concerning the bovine immune response to Lone Star ticks and a basis for future investigations to characterize the importance of these factors for tick-resistance in cattle.
Economic Development Subsidies and the Funding of Private Prisons

For-profit prison corporations have sold prison privatization as a tool for economic development. The idea of prisons became more appealing once for-profit prison corporation demonstrated that they could finance, build, design, and construct prisons with private capital from private investment companies. Many private prisons throughout the United States are provided local, state, and federal economic development subsidies — which may include tax advantaged financing, property tax abatements, infrastructure improvements, and personnel training and development resources. Most research on prison privatization has examined costs and quality comparisons of private run prisons to government run correctional facilities. This article examines the factors that predict economic development subsidies to private prisons, which include: economic, social control, geographic, and political factors. Logistic regression results indicate the per capita gross state product, political ideology, black male disenfranchisement,...
Chaotic, subduction-like downflows in a spherical model of convection in the Earth's mantle

Model calculations are described for a compressible fluid in a three-dimensional spherical shell with 80 percent of the surface heat flow generated within the model mantle. The numerical solutions are strongly chaotic, with surface planforms dominated by long curvilinear downflows reminiscent of the descending slabs in the earth's mantle. The results suggest that descending slabs play an important part in driving mantle convection, and that their chaotic evolution may influence the spatial and temporal behavior of plates and thus the dispersal and aggregation of continents.
Universal oligonucleotides for the detection of infectious bronchitis virus by the polymerase chain reaction

The universality of seven pairs of oligonucleotides for detection of the coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was examined using 41 isolates of IBV collected over five decades from Europe, Japan and the USA. Oligonucleotides specific for sequences within the S2 region of the spike (S) gene (Lin et al., 1991a) and nucleocapsid (N) gene (Zwaagstra et al., 1992) gave the appropriate products with all 41 isolates. Oligonu-cleotide pair UTR1 - UTR2 +, corresponding to sequences within the 3 untranslated region (UTR) of the genome, also gave the predicted product with all the isolates. Oligonucleotide pair UTR3 - /UTR4 + was internal to oligonucleotides UTR1 - /UTR2 + and was used in a nested-set arrangement for greater specificity and sensitivity, giving the correct product with the 39 isolates examined. Oligonucleotide pair S1Unil - /S1Uni2 + was used to produce a 1.6 kb cDNA, corresponding to most of the S1 region of the S gene, with 24/24 isolates tested. This oligonucleotide pair was less suited than the others for routine detection of IBV but is recommended for the amplification of the S1 region of the S gene of new isolates for subsequent analysis. Other oligonucleotide pairs, yielding cDNA corresponding to the variable region of the IBV genome where genes 3 and 4 (M) overlap, were selected to be largely specific for Massachusetts serotype isolates, in the context of European strains. RT-PCR analysis using these oligonucleotide pairs showed that a number of field isolate preparations also contained a small amount of Massachusetts serotype virus, probably of vaccine origin and indicative of low level persistent infection. These results suggest that any strain of IBV is likely to be detectable by RT-PCR with at least one of our primer pairs.