cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fundamental Understanding of Environmental Effects on Adhesion and Friction: Alcohol and Water Adsorption Cases

Layers of adsorbed vapor molecules have profound impacts on adhesion and friction. This article reviews fundamental aspects of alcohol and water adsorption effects on adhesion and friction. Capillary force, a component of adhesion force which arises from the liquid meniscus that forms between contacting surfaces, shows a strong vapor partial pressure dependence that is not explained by theory which neglects the adsorbed layer. Theoretical calculations accounting for the adsorbed layer give good agreement with experimentally measured adhesion forces at the nanoscale. Nanoscale friction measurements are also strongly affected by the meniscus and adsorbed layer. Conventional contact mechanics theory could not fully explain the load dependence of nanoscale friction, especially at vapor partial pressures below saturation. However, when the effect of the meniscus is included in theoretical analysis of experimental data, it is found that the friction depends on the shear strength change in the contract area and the dragging of the meniscus formed around the contact. The meniscus dragging term is dominant at low loads but becomes inconsequential at higher loads. When the adsorbed layer assumes structural ordering or causes tribochemical reactions, their adhesion and friction behaviors are further complicated and deviated from simple contact mechanics.
A Study on Flow in Duct Constructed of Nonwoven Fabric

The purpose of this paper is to investigate both the flow characteristics in the sock type of the air filter constructed of nonwoven fabric and the effect on drag reduction in a circular pipe flow by means of the wall coated with nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric used in these experiments is an electret one made of polypropylene, and the fiber distribution is a random laying. The fiber is about 4 μ m in diameter and 0.6 mm in thickness of web. The nonwoven fabric without adhesion of dust was used in these experiments. The pressure distribution along the flow direction was measured for various parameters such as Reynolds number, shape of the air filter, and type of nonwoven fabric. The value of the permeability for the present nonwoven fabric is on the order of 10−11 (m2 ) within the limits of this experiment. The pressure in the sock type of the air filter increases with increasing Re. The experimental results can be explained by Darcy’s law as d/L is larger than 0.1. In the small range of Re the calculated values obtained by the one-dimensional flow model qualitatively agree with those obtained by this experiment. It was proven that the wall coated with the nonwoven fabric is effective to reduce the drag in the circular pipe flow.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Determining gene function in boolean networks using boolean satisfiability

This paper presents a general method for determining logic functions from gene expression. Given a gene predictor set (biological connectivity graph) and corresponding gene expression observations in the form of input/ouput gene state pairs, the goal is to determine the logic function of all the genes in the Boolean network. The problem of assigning logic to the network is the inverse problem of logic simulation, and is important to genomics and systems biology. Our method utilizes Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) techniques from logic synthesis to represent the functionality of each gene of the Boolean network, and uses gene expression observations to constrain the solution space of valid logic function assignments. The gene functions and resulting networks obtained by our SAT-based method can help infer gene regulatory networks and/or guide experimental design. Our method has been validated on synthetic and real biological networks, and results show that the solution space can be greatly constrained by increasing the number of gene expression observations.
Posthypnotic Predetermination of Therapeutic Progress

Abstract Hypnotic age-progression and posthypnotic suggestion were used to facilitate a predetermined therapeutic change in a 24-year-old female, whose problems included depression, anxiety, social isolation and a very poor self-concept. Hypnosis enabled this patient to project herself into a successful future and to “remember” the events that had led her to that imagined successful outcome. A posthypnotic suggestion to carry out those “remembered” events led to rapid alterations in behavior, personality, and emotional adjustment.
Cage- and Floor-Rearing Effects on Subsequent Behavior of White Leghorn Layers in Multiple-Bird Cages

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to compare the effects of cage and floor rearing of White Leghorn pullets on their subsequent behavior as late stage adolescents and adults when kept in multiple-hen cages. In Experiment 1, behavioral data were obtained on adolescent pullets and hens of a randombred experimental stock kept 7 per cage at 332 cm2 per bird. Cage-reared pullets stood, preened, moved, fed, and pecked inedible objects more but crouched less than floor-reared pullets during Days 1 to 3 posthousing. However, differences were not found for those traits at 30 and 57 wk of age. In Experiment 2, floor- and cage-reared layers of two commercial stocks, kept 4 per cage at 348 and 464 cm2 per bird, were used to obtain behavioral data at 33 and 60 wk of age. At those ages, the only rearing environment effect found was more pecking of inedible objects by cage-reared pullets than by floor-reared pullets. Interactions of rearing environment with genetic stock, density, and age were generally absent.
Inhibitory control in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: event-related potentials identify the processing component and timing of an impaired right-frontal response-inhibition mechanism

Abstract Background: A core deficit in inhibitory control may account for a wide range of dysfunctional behaviors in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: Event-related potentials were measured in 10 children with ADHD and 10 healthy children during a task specifically involving response inhibition (Stop signal task). Results: In response to all Stop signals, control participants produced a large negative wave at 200 msec (N200) over right inferior frontal cortex, which was markedly reduced in ADHD children. The N200 amplitude was significantly correlated across subjects with response–inhibition performance. In response to the Go stimuli, ADHD children showed a reduced slow positive wave (250–500 msec) in anticipation of failed inhibitions over right frontal scalp regions. Conclusions: ADHD children appear to have an abnormality in an early-latency, right inferior frontal processing component critical to the initiation of normal response-inhibition operations. They also appear to have a right frontal abnormality associated to the covert processing of Go stimuli preceding failed inhibitions. By providing timing and processing component specificity, these results extend the findings of recent functional MRI studies of inhibitory control reporting right frontal abnormalities in ADHD.
Three-dimensional oscillation characteristics of electrostatically deformed drops

A three-dimensional asymptotic analysis of the oscillations of electrically charged drops in an external electric field is carried out by means of the multiple-parameter perturbation method. The mathematical framework allows separate treatments of the quiescent deformation due to the electric field and the oscillatory motions caused by other physical factors. Without oscillations, the solution for the quiescent drop shape exhibits a prolate deformation with a slight asymmetry about the drop's equatorial plane. This axisymmetric quiescent deformation of the equilibrium drop shape is shown to modify the oscillation characteristics of axisymmetric as well as asymmetric modes. The expression of the characteristic frequency modification is derived for the oscillation modes, manifesting fine structure in the frequency spectrum so the degeneracy of Rayleigh's normal modes for charged drops is removed in the presence of an electric field. Physical reasoning indicates that the degeneracy of the oscillation modes is associated with the spherical symmetry of the system, so the removal of the degeneracy may be regarded as a consequence of the symmetry breaking caused by the electric field. In addition, the small-amplitude oscillation mode shapes are also modified as a result of the coupling between the oscillatory motions and the electric field as well as the quiescent deformation.
Collapse of a polypeptide chain as a result of the intramolecular formation of antiparallel β‐sheets

The folded nature of an intramolecular antiparallel β-sheet suggests that the introduction of this structure into a statistical coil might be accompanied by a contraction of the chain. The magnitude of the contraction, and the conditions that produce the maximum contraction, have been assessed by the combination of generator matrices with an earlier formulation for the configuration partition function. The results show that the mean square dimensions do indeed pass through a minimum upon the transition from a statistical coil to an antiparallel β-sheet. The depth of the minimum is relatively insensitive to the values of δ and τ, provided the assignments are within the physically sensible range. (The borders of the ordered region are assumed to be of higher energy than the interior.) In contrast with the depth of the minimum, the β-sheet content that produces the minimum is quite sensitive to plausible variation in δ and τ. A much greater collapse of the chain can be produced by antiparallel β-sheet formation than that found in the course of the helix–coil transition. The collapse may cause the volume pervaded by the chain to come within an order of magnitude of the volume characteristic of the globular state.
Reconsidering the Use of Hicks Neutrality to Recover Total Value

Abstract In this paper, I reconsider the use of Hicks neutrality for recovering total value for a change in an environmental good. I clarify the need to adjust expenditures and explain how numerical techniques can be used in approximating these adjustments. I show that the circumstance believed to support Hicks neutrality, weak neutrality at the choke price vector, is a case of weak complementarity. I mathematically demonstrate that the necessary degree of Hicks neutrality is unlikely to be satisfied. I derive the ensuing relative bias and show its usefulness in selecting goods which may approach Hicks neutrality.
Hall resistance of the reentrant insulating phase around the 1/5 fractional quantum Hall liquid.

We report a systematic study of the low-temperature Hall resistance ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{\mathit{x}\mathit{y}}$ in the reentrant insulating phase (IP) around the 1/5 fractional quantum Hall (FQH) liquid. At filling factors \ensuremath{\nu}=1/5 and \ensuremath{\nu}=2/9, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{\mathit{x}\mathit{y}}$=5h/${\mathit{e}}^{2}$ down to 22 mK and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{\mathit{x}\mathit{y}}$=9h/2${\mathit{e}}^{2}$ down to 40 mK, respectively. In the reentrant IP for \ensuremath{\nu}g1/5, and for \ensuremath{\nu}1/5 near the 1/5 FQH liquid, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{\mathit{x}\mathit{y}}$ is normal (=B/ne) and independent of T. Our experimental findings directly imply that ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{\mathit{x}\mathit{x}}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0 and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{\mathit{x}\mathit{y}}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0, but ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{\mathit{x}\mathit{y}}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}B/ne as T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0 in these IP regions. We discuss implications of the findings with regard to the various theoretically proposed ground states for the IP.
Calculating posterior distributions and modal estimates in Markov mixture models

Abstract This paper is concerned with finite mixture models in which the populations from one observation to the next are selected according to an unobserved Markov process. A new, full Bayesian approach based on the method of Gibbs sampling is developed. Calculations are simplified by data augmentation, achieved by introducing a population index variable into the list of unknown parameters. It is shown that the latent variables, one for each observation, can be simulated from their joint distribution given the data and the remaining parameters. This result serves to accelerate the convergence of the Gibbs sample. Modal estimates are also computed by stochastic versions of the EM algorithm. These provide an alternative to a full Bayesian approach and to existing methods of locating the maximum likelihood estimate. The ideas are applied in detail to Poisson data, mixtures of multivariate normal distributions, and autoregressive time series.
Vesicular Monoamine and Glutamate Transporters Select Distinct Synaptic Vesicle Recycling Pathways

Previous work has characterized the properties of neurotransmitter release at excitatory and inhibitory synapses, but we know remarkably little about the properties of monoamine release, because these neuromodulators do not generally produce a fast ionotropic response. Since dopamine and serotonin neurons can also release glutamate in vitro and in vivo, we have used the vesicular monoamine transporter VMAT2 and the vesicular glutamate transporter VGLUT1 to compare the localization and recycling of synaptic vesicles that store, respectively, monoamines and glutamate. First, VMAT2 segregates partially from VGLUT1 in the boutons of midbrain dopamine neurons, indicating the potential for distinct release sites. Second, endocytosis after stimulation is slower for VMAT2 than VGLUT1. During the stimulus, however, the endocytosis of VMAT2 (but not VGLUT1) accelerates dramatically in midbrain dopamine but not hippocampal neurons, indicating a novel, cell-specific mechanism to sustain high rates of release. On the other hand, we find that in both midbrain dopamine and hippocampal neurons, a substantially smaller proportion of VMAT2 than VGLUT1 is available for evoked release, and VMAT2 shows considerably more dispersion along the axon after exocytosis than VGLUT1. Even when expressed in the same neuron, the two vesicular transporters thus target to distinct populations of synaptic vesicles, presumably due to their selection of distinct recycling pathways.
The rise of Germany's Party of Democratic Socialism: ‘Regionalised pluralism’ in the federal republic?

This article considers if an emerging ‘polarised pluralism’ in the German party system explains the recent electoral fortunes of the Party of Democratic Socialism. While it finds that this approach usefully focuses attention on the dynamics of party competition in unified Germany, it nonetheless concludes that the conditions for polarised pluralism are not satisfied in Germany. In place of a ‘polarised pluralism’, this article suggests that a ‘regionalised pluralism’ better explains the rise of the PDS. The key components of regionalised pluralism, its comparative scope and its implications for party politics in Germany are considered.
New pollen and beetle analyses at the Mary Jane site, Colorado: Evidence for late glacial tundra conditions

Analyses of fossil pollen and beetles from a late Pinedale peat deposit from the upper Fraser River, Colorado, allow a reassessment of previously published paleoenvironmental evidence from the site. Between 13,800 and at least 12,600 yr B.P., the environment was an open tundra indicative of a cold, dry climate. Scattered spruce trees were probably present at the site by the end of the record, ca. 12,300 yr B.P.
Image Isn't Everything: Contemporary Systemic Racism and Antiracism in the Age of Obama:

In order to be properly addressed or assessed, racism must be appropriately and consistently defined. We employ critical race theory to challenge the popular notion that the election of Barack Obam...
Repair of DNA lesions: mechanisms and relative repair efficiencies.

DNA is frequently damaged by endogenous agents inside the cells. Some exogenous agents such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous in the environment and may thus contribute to the 'background' DNA damage in humans. DNA lesions are normally removed by various repair mechanisms. The major repair mechanisms for various DNA lesions are summarized. In contrast to the extensively studied repair mechanisms, much less is known about the relative repair efficiencies of various DNA lesions. Since DNA repair is a crucial defense against carcinogenesis, it may constitute an important factor affecting the carcinogenicity of DNA damaging agents. We have adopted a human cell-free system for measuring relative DNA repair efficiencies based on the concept of repair competition between acetylaminofluorene adducts and other DNA lesions of interest. Using this in vitro system, we determined the relative repair efficiencies of PAH adducts induced by: anti-(+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-trans-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE), anti-(+/-)-benz[a]anthracene-trans-3,4-dihydrodiol-1,2-epoxide (BADE-I), anti-(+/-)-benz[a]anthracene-trans-8,9-dihydrodiol-10, 11-epoxide (BADE-II), anti-(+/-)-benzo[b]fluoranthene-trans-9, 10-dihydrodiol-11,12-epoxide (BFDE), anti-(+/-)-chrysene-trans-1, 2-dihydrodiol-3,4-epoxide (CDE), and anti-(+/-)-dibenzo[a, l]pyrene-trans-11,12-dihydrodiol-13,14-epoxide (DBPDE). While damage by BPDE, DBPDE, CDE, and BFDE were repaired by nucleotide excision repair as efficiently as AAF adducts, the repair of BADE-I and BADE-II adducts were significantly slower in human cell extracts. Damage by DBPDE at 3 microM in vitro yielded approximately 5-fold higher DNA adducts than BPDE as determined by quantitative PCR. This potent DNA reactivity may account in part for the potent carcinogenicity of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene. The correlation of these results to the carcinogenic properties of the PAH compounds is discussed. Furthermore, we show that NER plays a role in AP site repair in vivo in the eukaryotic model organism yeast.
Abstract 4046: Estrogen receptor-α coordinates the unfolded protein response,autophagy, and reactive oxygen species generation to regulate breast cancer survival.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Of the almost 240,000 new breast cancers diagnosed in 2011 within the USA, approximately 70% of these cases express the estrogen receptor-α (ER). ER targeted therapies such as tamoxifen (TAM) or faslodex (ICI) are often used to treat this breast cancer subtype. However, the curative potential of these interventions is frequently limited in patients due to resistance. Understanding how antiestrogen resistance occurs could lead to improved approaches to eradicate ER+ breast cancers. Increased unfolded protein response (UPR, an endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway) or autophagy (a “self” eating process used to clear dysfunctional protein or organelles) was previously shown to promote antiestrogen resistance in ER+ breast cancer. Using the antiestrogen sensitive MCF7-LCC1 (LCC1) and resistant MCF7-LCC9 (LCC9) cell lines, we determined the effect of antiestrogens and ERα on autophagy and UPR signaling. Suprisingly, ablation of ERα through RNAi potentiated LCC1 to antiestrogen-mediated cell death and resensitized LCC9 cells to endocrine therapy. While ICI stimulated both autophagy and UPR signaling, RNAi knockdown of ERα in LCC1 and LCC9 cells inhibited ICI-mediated UPR signaling and concurrently stimulated autophagy. Furthermore, we showed that ERα knockdown stimulated ROS production and potentiated the cell death response to antiestrogen therapy. ERα knockdown, but not ICI treatment, reduced nuclear Nrf2 (a UPR-induced antioxidant signaling protein) and increased cytosolic KEAP1 (an inhibitor of Nrf2), which may lead to the observed increase in ROS production. Autophagy inhibition through ATG7 silencing increases cell death and apoptosis in LCC1 ERα knockdown cells, showing that autophagy induction by antiestrogens is prosurvival in this context. These data suggests that UPR and autophagy stimulated by antiestrogen therapy results from two different mechanisms of ER regulation. We show that antiestrogens promote the accumulation of ERα in the cytosol that is associated with increased UPR signaling, while the inhibition of ERα promotes prosurvival autophagy. The inherent stimulation of resistance mechanism signaling through antiestrogen treatment suggests that combining autophagy or UPR inhibitors with anti-estrogens may greatly reduce the development of acquired antiestrogen resistance in breast cancer. Citation Format: Pamela A. Clarke, Katherine Cook, Rong Hu, Jessica L. Schwartz, Mones Abu-Asab, Anni Warri, Robert Clarke. Estrogen receptor-α coordinates the unfolded protein response,autophagy, and reactive oxygen species generation to regulate breast cancer survival. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4046. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4046
The Dynamics of Change: The Crisis of the 1750s and English Party Systems

It is often assumed that Sir Lewis Namier and Sir Herbert Butterfield demolished the 'Whig interpretation of history'. In fact, much was allowed to remain standing by their failure to offer a new synthesis of English party politics. In this book Dr Clark provides the key component for such a new synthesis by a detailed exposition of the crisis of the 1750s, which was instrumental in the destruction of the party system and the emergence of new practices in the multi-factional world. The Court v. Country analysis of the politics of c. 1714–1760, still widely current, is refuted by a demonstration of the survival of the Whig and Tory parties of Queen Anne's reign until the 1750s; the long debate about George III and the constitution is set in a new perspective; and major new insights are offered into the nature of party and party politics.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors in vascular biology and atherosclerosis: Emerging insights for evolving paradigms

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPARs), members of the steroid hormone nuclear receptor superfamily, act as ligand-activated transcription factors controlling the expression of specific target genes. Known PPAR isoforms include PPAR gamma, important in adipogenesis and lipid metabolism, PPAR alpha, implicated in fatty acid metabolism, and PPAR delta, about which the least is known. Recent work implicates PPAR alpha and gamma in vascular biology and atherosclerosis, and will be reviewed here. Such effects may have clinical implications given PPAR agonists in use as pharmacologic agents (eg, thiazolidinediones as insulin sensitizers [gamma] and fibric acids as lipid lowering agents [alpha]).
Analysis of Anger camera flood field uniformity based on order statistics.

Various mathematical techniques have been used to express the uniformity of a flood field image from an Anger scintillation camera. We have defined uniformity in terms of the parameters of a collection of Poisson distributions representing a flood field. A method for estimating uniformity and for constructing a confidence set for uniformity has been derived using order statistics. The method is illustrated using the 5th order statistic.
Methods for extracting social network data from chatroom logs

Identifying social network (SN) links within computer-mediated communication platforms without explicit relations among users poses challenges to researchers. Our research aims to extract SN links in internet chat with multiple users engaging in synchronous overlapping conversations all displayed in a single stream. We approached this problem using three methods which build on previous research. Response-time analysis builds on temporal proximity of chat messages; word context usage builds on keywords analysis and direct addressing which infers links by identifying the intended message recipient from the screen name (nickname) referenced in the message [1]. Our analysis of word usage within the chat stream also provides contexts for the extracted SN links. To test the capability of our methods, we used publicly available data from Internet Relay Chat (IRC), a real-time computer-mediated communication (CMC) tool used by millions of people around the world. The extraction performances of individual methods and their hybrids were assessed relative to a ground truth (determined a priori via manual scoring).
The Psychotherapeutic Service Delivery System

We can understand the relevance of psychotherapy research for clinical practice only by considering the broader context of the psychotherapy service delivery system. Epidemiologic studies of the incidence and prevalence of emotional disturbance provide estimates of the need for services; surveys of providers and their practice patterns yield estimates of available resources to meet those needs; and studies of patient characteristics and patterns of psychotherapy utilization identify the constituencies served by the psychotherapy delivery system. From these data we know that each person in need of mental health services has available no more than an average of three treatment sessions from a mental health professional in any given year. Despite the fact that a small proportion of such individuals actually seek service, each such individual who consults the speciality mental health sector has available no more than an average of 10 treatment sessions. The most needy, particularly those lacking in education,...
Fear of Falling and Visual Field Loss from Glaucoma

Objective To determine if visual field (VF) loss resulting from glaucoma is associated with greater fear of falling. Design Prospective, observational study. Participants Fear of falling was compared between 83 glaucoma subjects with bilateral VF loss and 60 control subjects with good visual acuity and without significant VF loss recruited from patients followed up for suspicion of glaucoma. Methods Participants completed the University of Illinois at Chicago Fear of Falling Questionnaire. The extent of fear of falling was assessed using Rasch analysis. Main Outcome Measures Subject ability to perform tasks without fear of falling was expressed in logits, with lower scores implying less ability and greater fear of falling. Results Glaucoma subjects had greater VF loss than control subjects (median better-eye mean deviation [MD] of −8.0 decibels [dB] vs. +0.2 dB; P P ≥0.1 for all). In multivariate models, glaucoma subjects reported greater fear of falling as compared with controls (β = −1.20 logits; 95% confidence interval [CI], −1.87 to −0.53; P = 0.001), and fear of falling increased with greater VF loss severity (β = −0.52 logits per 5-dB decrement in the better eye VF MD; 95% CI, −0.72 to −0.33; P P = 0.03), higher BMI (β = −0.07 logits per 1-unit increase in BMI; 95% CI, −0.13 to −0.01; P = 0.02), living with another adult (β = −1.16 logits; 95% CI, −0.34 to −1.99 logits; P = 0.006), and greater comorbid illness (β = −0.53 logits/1 additional illness; 95% CI, −0.74 to −0.32; P Conclusions Bilateral VF loss resulting from glaucoma is associated with greater fear of falling, with an impact that exceeds numerous other risk factors. Given the physical and psychological repercussions associated with fear of falling, significant quality-of-life improvements may be achievable in patients with VF loss by screening for, and developing interventions to minimize, fear of falling. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Some Effects of Multiple Pellet Implants of Diethylstilbestrol in 9 Week Old Chickens

Abstract AKPINAR and Shaffner (1953) found that a single pellet implant of diethylstilbestrol (15 mg.) into 63 day old chickens was not detrimental to future egg production, though egg weight and specific gravity of the eggs were reduced. In males, age at sexual maturity was increased and semen production was decreased, but fertility was good. These findings in the male have been confirmed by Eaton, Carson and Beall (1955). The observations noted here were made during the course of tests undertaken to ascertain whether excessive levels of diethylstilbestrol might result in lasting impairment or loss of reproductive function in chickens of either sex. PROCEDURES New Hampshire males and females received, at 9 weeks of age, 1, 2, 4 or 8 of the 15 mg. pellets in common use commercially. The pellets were implanted subcutaneously in the dorsal neck region at each level into 8 or 9 males and 15 females; 19 …
A time-frequency approach for event detection in non-intrusive load monitoring

Non-intrusive load monitoring is an emerging signal processing and analysis technology that aims to identify individual appliance in residential or commercial buildings or to diagnose shipboard electro-mechanical systems through continuous monitoring of the change of On and Off status of various loads. In this paper, we develop a joint time-frequency approach for appliance event detection based on the time varying power signals obtained from the measured aggregated current and voltage waveforms. The short-time Fourier transform is performed to obtain the spectral components of the non-stationary aggregated power signals of appliances. The proposed event detector utilizes a goodness-of-fit Chi-squared test for detecting load activities using the calculated average power followed by a change point detector for estimating the change point of the transient signals using the first harmonic component of the power signals. Unlike the conventional detectors such as the generalized likelihood ratio test, the proposed event detector allows a closed form calculation of the decision threshold and provides a guideline for choosing the size of the detection data window, thus eliminating the need for extensive training for determining the detection threshold while providing robust detection performance against dynamic load activities. Using the real-world power data collected in two residential building testbeds, we demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed algorithm compared to the conventional generalized likelihood ratio detector.
Carotid angioplasty and stenting in high-risk patients.

Abstract BACKGROUND To examine our initial experience in carotid stenting (CS) for the prevention of stroke in patients with high-grade carotid stenoses. METHODS The authors performed 26 CS procedures in 25 carotid vessels in 22 patients over a 15-month period. All carotid stenoses treated, except one, were 70% or greater. Of all CS procedures, 84% were performed for obstructing atherosclerotic plaques. CS was performed in one patient each for carotid dissection and pseudoaneurysms caused by a gunshot wound, post-radiation stenosis, post-carotid endarterectomy (CEA) restenosis, and a flow-obstructing post-CEA intimal flap. Of all patients, 68.2% were symptomatic, with a history of stroke or transient ischemic attacks ipsilateral to the treated carotid artery. In addition, 36.4% of our patients were either hospitalized or required skilled nursing care before CS because of severe neurologic deficits. Using the Sundt CEA-risk classification system, 59.1% of our patients were classified as Grade III and 40.9% were Grade IV pre-CS. All but one patient had either a compelling medical or anatomic reason for endovascular treatment of their carotid disease. We used both Wallstents and Palmaz stents, and all procedures were performed via the transfemoral route. Three procedures were performed in conjunction with detachable platinum coil embolization for multiple carotid pseudoaneurysms, a residual carotid “stump” after previous ICA thrombosis, and an ipsilateral MCA saccular aneurysm. RESULTS We had a 96.2% procedural technical success rate. There was one death in our series 3 weeks post-CS attributable to myocardial infarction. Despite a high 30-day combined death, stroke, and ipsilateral blindness rate of 27.3% (6/22 patients), only two ipsilateral strokes directly related to CS occurred (7.7% per procedures performed) from which one patient recovered fully within 5 days. The average follow-up post-CS was 5.9 months (range, 3 weeks–15 months). Of successfully treated vessels, 58.3% have undergone 6-month follow-up vascular imaging, which has revealed a 14.3% rate of occlusion or restenosis greater than 50%. At or beyond 1 month post-CS, 19 of 21 surviving patients (90.5%) were ambulatory, fluent of speech, and independent, and none has thus far suffered a delayed stroke or TIA. CONCLUSION CS seems to be a reasonable alternative to medical management for the treatment of carotid disease in patients deemed to be poor candidates for standard carotid surgery. Longer term follow-up is necessary to assess the durability of carotid revascularization using CS.
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and indomethacin therapy in premature infants with paten ductus arterious (PDA)

Recent studies suggested that prostaglandins (PGs) may play a role in the pathogenesis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). To evaluate if PGs inhibitor, indomethacin, would affect the incidence or severity of the ROP, an analysis was performed on 47 infants who participated in a double-blind controlled study of indomethacin for the closure of PDA. Twenty-three were in the control group and 24 in the indomethacin group. Indirect ophthalmoscopic examinations were performed from about 4 weeks of postnatal age and onward as needed. There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to birth weight, gestational age, postnatal age, Apgar score, and cardiopulmonary status shortly after birth and at the time of study. Six in the control and 2 in the indomethacin group (p = 0.58) developed active ROP; one in each group developed cicatricial ROP. It appears that with current doses of therapy, indomethacin does not increase the incidence or severity of ROP.
Investigations of the dependence of the rigidity coefficient on intraocular pressure in enucleated human eyes

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG An 7 enukleierten menschlichen Augen wurde sowohl auf tonometrischem wie auch auf manometrischem Wege der Rigiditatskoeffizient bei verschiedenem intraokularen Druck bestimmt. Die angewandten Untersuchungsverfahren werden genau beschrieben. Mit beiden Methoden konnte eine deutliche Abhangigkeit der Grosse des Rigiditatskoeffizienten von der Hohe des intraokularen Druckes beobachtet werden. Auf die Bedeutung von Rigiditatsuntersuchungen am lebenden Auge wird hingewiesen.
Modeling the Radiant Transfers of Sparse Vegetation Canopies

The three-dimensional radiative transfer model of Kimes [2] was used to extend our understanding of the physical principles causing the scattering dynamics in sparse vegetation canopies (? 50-percent ground cover). The model was upgraded by including an aniotropic scattering algorithm for soil developed by Walthall et al. [7]. The model was validated using measured directional reflectance data that covered the entire exitance hemisphere. Two canopies were chosen to present in this study-an orchard grass canopy (50-percent ground cover) and a hard wheat canopy (11-percent ground cover). These canopies showed the typical scattering behavior of canopies with low and intermediate vegetation density. A red wavelength (0.58-0.68 pm) band was used throughout the study. A number of phenomena contributed to the directional reflectance distributions observed in the field. These include: 1) the strong anisotropic scattering properties of the soil, 2) the geometric effect of the vegetation probability of gap function on the soil anisotropy and solar irradiance, and 3) the anisotropic scattering of vegetation which is controlled by the phase function (for an infinitely small volume of representative leaves) and geometric Effect 1 (cause by layering of leaves). These phenomena as identified in this paper account for the major scattering behavior of observed data sets of directional reflectance distributions. Such knowledge provides an intelligent basis for defining specifications of earth-observing sensor systems and for inferring important aspects of physical and biological processes of the plant system.
The distribution of the argmax of two-sided brownian motion with quadratic drift

The distribution of the argmax of two-sided Brownian motion with quadratic drift has been identified as the asymptotic distribution of several suggested estimators. Because of the intractability of this distribution, Narayanan and Sager (1989) performed a large-scale simulation to table the corresponding CDF Here, this distribution is numerically derived and compared to the earlier simulations. It is also shown that a very good normal approximation exists which works very well for finding desired probabilities and percentiles. The normal approximation also serves to make the distribution of probability easily understood and conveyed, makes approximate percentiles and probabilities easily obtained using normal tables, and, since the distribution usually appears as a limiting distribution, the normal density can be used in place of the true limiting density as a benchmark of the closeness of the finite sample distribution to its limiting distribution.
Mid-Latitude (30°–60° N) climatic warming inferred by combining borehole temperatures with surface air temperatures

We construct a mid-latitude (30°–60° N) reduced temperature-depth profile from a global borehole temperature database compiled for climate reconstruction. This reduced temperature profile is interpreted in terms of past surface ground temperature change and indicates warming on the order of 1°C over the past 100 to 200 years. The combination of an initial temperature (the primary free parameter) with the last 140 years of gridded surface air temperature (SAT) data yields a synthetic temperature profile that is an excellent fit to observations, accounting for 99% of the observed variance and a RMS misfit of only 12 mK. The good correlation suggests that this reduced temperature profile shares much information with the mean SAT record over large areas and long time-scales. Our analysis indicates 0.7°±0.1°C of ground warming between pre-industrial time and the 1961–1990 mean SAT.
Thermal Nociception is Decreased by Hypocretin-1 and an Adenosine A1 Receptor Agonist Microinjected into the Pontine Reticular Formation of Sprague Dawley Rat

Abstract Clinical and preclinical data concur that sleep disruption causes hyperalgesia, but the brain mechanisms through which sleep and pain interact remain poorly understood. Evidence that pontine components of the ascending reticular activating system modulate sleep and nociception encouraged the present study testing the hypothesis that hypocretin-1 (orexin-A) and an adenosine receptor agonist administered into the pontine reticular nucleus, oral part (PnO) each alter thermal nociception. Adult male rats (n = 23) were implanted with microinjection guide tubes aimed for the PnO. The PnO was microinjected with saline (control), hypocretin-1, the adenosine A 1 receptor agonist N 6 -p-sulfophenyladenosine (SPA), the hypocretin receptor-1 antagonist N-(2-Methyl-6-benzoxazolyl)-N''-1,5-naphthyridin-4-yl-urea (SB-334867), and hypocretin-1 plus SB-334867. As an index of antinociceptive behavior, the latency (in seconds) to paw withdrawal away from a thermal stimulus was measured following each microinjection. Compared to control, antinociception was significantly increased by hypocretin-1 and by SPA. SB-334867 increased nociceptive responsiveness, and administration of hypocretin-1 plus SB-334867 blocked the antinociception caused by hypocretin-1. These results suggest for the first time that hypocretin receptors in rat PnO modulate nociception. Perspective Widely distributed and overlapping neural networks regulate states of sleep and pain. Specifying the brain regions and neurotransmitters through which pain and sleep interact is an essential step for developing adjunctive therapies that diminish pain without disrupting states of sleep and wakefulness.
In vitro and in vivo neuroprotection by γ-glutamylcysteine ethyl ester against MPTP: Relevance to the role of glutathione in Parkinson's disease

Glutathione is an abundant intracellular thiol antioxidant whose levels are reduced both in Parkinson's disease itself and in a widely used animal model of the disorder, systemic MPTP administration. Previous in vitro work from our laboratory has suggested that glutathione depletion may be directly responsible for mitochondrial dysfunction, which ultimately leads to dopaminergic cell death associated with the disease. Here, we demonstrate the ability of gamma-glutamylcysteine ethyl ester, a lipid permeable derivative of the major substrate for scavenger glutathione synthesis, to counteract glutathione loss and neurodegeneration associated with in vitro and in vivo administration of MPTP or its derivatives. This data suggests that prevention of glutathione depletion is a likely therapeutic target for the disease.
Influence of a slowdown warning system on a multi-vehicle stream

In this paper, we discuss the concept of a slowdown warning system in automobiles. If a driver on a highway decelerates suddenly or progresses abnormally slowly (thereby posing a hazard to the vehicles behind him), then, with such a system, all the cars behind him are provided information of this, near simultaneously. This advance information gives the drivers additional time to react, in anticipation of an impending slow-down, and this helps to prevent collisions. Furthermore, it is seen that even if only a fraction of the cars in a platoon are equipped with such a system, this can still be sufficient to prevent crashes even in the unequipped cars. This partial equipage also has the ability to considerably weaken the magnitude of the collisions that would otherwise have occurred, if all cars were unequipped.
Peasants into Rebels: Community and Class in Rural El Salvador

The venerable conservative credentials of “communitye” have been challenged vigorously and often in recent years. Perhaps nowhere has its conceptual renovation gone further than in studies of peasants and social change. Where once the solidarity of peasant communities was analyzed as an impediment to economic development and societal modernization, a growing body of work now portrays such solidarity as the basis of revolutionary upheaval from eighteenth-century France to contemporary Vietnam.
The Political Economy of Public Management An Interorganizational Network Perspective

This article examines the nature and context of public management in the American Polity. It develops an interorganizational theory approach for the task. This approach analyzes public management from a political economy perspective, modifying organizational concepts for use at the interorganizational level. The utility of the approach is demonstrated by using the Water Resources Interorganizational Network as a case study. The attempt by this network to avoid grappling with the crucial problem of groundwater mining is analyzed by looking at the political nature of the network (its polity) and at the task side (its economy). The article concludes by sketching a general political economy approach to network analysis that illuminates the role of public management in the public policy process.
A Geometrically Nonlinear Shear Deformation Theory for Composite Shells

geometrically nonlinear shear deformation theory has been developed for elastic shells to accommodate a constitutive model suitable for composite shells when modeled as a two-dimensional continuum. A complete set of kinematical and intrinsic equilibrium equations are derived for shells undergoing large displacements and rotations but with small, two-dimensional, generalized strains. The large rotation is represented by the general finite rotation of a frame embedded in the undeformed configuration, of which one axis is along the normal line. The unit vector along the normal line of the undeformed reference surface is not in general normal to the deformed reference surface because of transverse shear It is shown that the rotation of the frame about the normal line is not zero and that it can be expressed in terms of other global deformation variables. Based on a generalized constitutive model obtained from an asymptotic dimensional reduction from the three-dimensional energy, and in the form of a Reissner-Mindlin type theory, a set of intrinsic equilibrium equations and boundary conditions follow. It is shown that only five equilibrium equations can be derived in this manner because the component of virtual rotation about the normal is not independent. It is shown, however, that these equilibrium equations contain terms that cannot he obtained without the use of all three components of the finite rotation vector.
Japanese Citizen Participation in International Development Aid

With data from the 2006 Japanese General Social Survey, this study examines factors associated with citizen participation in international development aid (IDA). In line with the literature on correlates of charitable giving of time and money, it finds that structural positions of individuals, measured by their demographic, socioeconomic and social network characteristics, are associated with the probability of citizen participation in IDA. Moreover, the study shows that variables such as English skills, measured by the ability and opportunity to use English, and the level of endorsement of Official Development Assistance projects significantly and positively predict IDA participation status. Implications of these findings are discussed for future research on charitable giving for international development in Japan and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere.
Learning classification models from multiple experts

Display Omitted Learning of classification models when labels are provided by multiple experts.A new multi-expert learning approach that gives: (a) consensus and (b) experts models.Tests the approach on clinical data with three expert reviewers and one meta-reviewer.The results show the improved learning of the consensus model.The results show the improved learning of individual expert models. Building classification models from clinical data using machine learning methods often relies on labeling of patient examples by human experts. Standard machine learning framework assumes the labels are assigned by a homogeneous process. However, in reality the labels may come from multiple experts and it may be difficult to obtain a set of class labels everybody agrees on; it is not uncommon that different experts have different subjective opinions on how a specific patient example should be classified. In this work we propose and study a new multi-expert learning framework that assumes the class labels are provided by multiple experts and that these experts may differ in their class label assessments. The framework explicitly models different sources of disagreements and lets us naturally combine labels from different human experts to obtain: (1) a consensus classification model representing the model the group of experts converge to, as well as, and (2) individual expert models. We test the proposed framework by building a model for the problem of detection of the Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) where examples are labeled by three experts. We show that our framework is superior to multiple baselines (including standard machine learning framework in which expert differences are ignored) and that our framework leads to both improved consensus and individual expert models.