cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neighborhood Green Land Cover and Neighborhood-Based Walking in U.S. Older Adults

Introduction Greenspace exposure has been associated with physical activity, but few studies have investigated its association with physical activity in the residential neighborhood. This study investigates whether greater amounts of neighborhood open space and forest are associated with neighborhood-based walking in older adults. Methods In 2020, cross-sectional analyses were conducted on those aged ≥65 years from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey. Minutes of neighborhood walking per day were derived from travel diaries. Green land cover measures from the 2011 National Land Cover Dataset were linked to respondent data by the U.S. census tract. Adjusted linear regression models, using weights accounting for survey sampling, tested the associations between the percentage of green land cover in the neighborhood (open space, forest) and minutes of neighborhood walking per day. Adjusted models were stratified to examine whether the associations varied by an individual- and neighborhood-level SES, sex, and race/ethnicity. Results Respondents (N=72,753) were aged 74 (SD=7) years on average. Greater percentage of open space was associated with more neighborhood walking in African Americans (estimate=0.069, 95% CI=0.005, 0.133). Greater percentage of forest was associated with more neighborhood walking in the overall sample (estimate=0.028, 95% CI=0.006, 0.050), women (estimate=0.025, 95% CI=0.005, 0.045), and Whites (estimate=0.034, 95% CI=0.004, 0.064). Conclusions Type of neighborhood green land cover (open space versus forest) may be differentially associated with neighborhood walking depending on race/ethnicity. This study suggests a possible association between greater neighborhood open space and greater walking among African Americans that must be confirmed in future studies.
The effects of observation in video games: how remote observation influences player experience, motivation, and behaviour

Surveillance is ubiquitous. It is well known that the presence of other people (in-person or remote, actual or perceived) increases performance on simple tasks and decreases performance in complex ...
Perception of Functioning as a Potential Screening Modality for HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder in Nigeria (P5.159)

Objective: To examine if a correlation exist between perceptions of functioning and objective cognitive function in HIV-1 infected individuals in Nigeria. Background: The prevalence of HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND) may be underestimated in resource-limited areas. Screening tests may be useful to identify those who are impaired in these areas. Design/Methods: 216 HIV-1 infected, antiretroviral naive individuals were recruited using inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Patients’ Assessment of their Own Functioning (PAOF) questionnaires. From the PAOF, a total score and scores from the 5 sub-categories were calculated. A Global Deficit Score and demographically adjusted T-Scores from a seven-domain neuropsychological battery were used to assess cognitive status. Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation (ρ) was used to compare the scores from the PAOF to those of the neuropsychological battery in three categories; all of the participants, participants with a BDI-II Statistical significance was defined as having a p-value of ≤ 0.05. Results: For all of the participants, the strongest statistically significant correlation was between the PAOF-Total and PAOF-Language to the motor domain (ρ of −0.21629 and −0.22514, respectively). The PAOF-Memory was the only subcategory that had a statistically significant correlation to the GDS (ρ of 0.14601). For participants with a BDI-II score For participants with a BDI-II score ≥ 14 (n=38), a statistically significant correlation between the PAOF-Motor to the attention and memory domains (ρ of 0.37699 and 0.32163, respectively) was observed. Conclusions: Among individuals in this cohort, information reported on the PAOF may reflect abnormalities present in motor and cognitive function. Such associations may be modified by the presence of depression. Disclosure: Dr. Ammah has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jumare has nothing to disclose. Dr. Royal has nothing to disclose.
Recurrence of Colorectal Neoplastic Polyps After Incomplete Resection.

Background Incomplete resection of neoplastic polyps is considered an important reason for the development of colorectal cancer. However, there are no data on the natural history of polyps that were incompletely removed. Objective To examine the risk for metachronous neoplasia during surveillance colonoscopy after documented incomplete polyp resection. Design Observational cohort study of patients who participated in the CARE (Complete Adenoma REsection) study (2009 to 2012). Setting 2 academic medical centers. Patients Patients who had resection of a 5- to 20-mm neoplastic polyp, had a documented complete or incomplete resection, and had a surveillance examination. Measurements Segment metachronous neoplasia, defined as the proportion of colon segments with at least 1 neoplastic polyp at first surveillance examination, was measured. Segment metachronous neoplasia was compared between segments with a prior incomplete polyp resection (incomplete segments) and those with a prior complete resection (complete segments), accounting for clustering of segments within patients. Results Of 233 participants in the original study, 166 (71%) had at least 1 surveillance examination. Median time to surveillance was shorter after incomplete versus complete resection (median, 17 vs. 45 months). The risk for any metachronous neoplasia was greater in segments with incomplete versus complete resection (52% vs. 23%; risk difference [RD], 28% [95% CI, 9% to 47%]; P = 0.004). Incomplete segments also had a greater number of neoplastic polyps (mean, 0.8 vs. 0.3; RD, 0.50 [CI, 0.1 to 0.9]; P = 0.008) and greater risk for advanced neoplasia (18% vs. 3%; RD, 15% [CI, 1% to 29%]; P = 0.034). Incomplete resection was the strongest independent factor associated with metachronous neoplasia (odds ratio, 3.0 [CI, 1.12 to 8.17]). Limitation Potential patient selection bias due to incomplete follow-up. Conclusion This natural history study found a statistically significantly greater risk for future neoplasia and advanced neoplasia in colon segments after incomplete resection compared with segments with complete resection. Primary funding source None.
The Psychosocial Influence of Dental Esthetics in Adolescents as Judged by Peers

The Psychosocial Influence of Dental Esthetics in Adolescents as Judged by Peers By Scott T. Henson D.D.S A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008 Thesis Director: Steven J. Lindauer, D.M.D., M.D.Sc. Professor and Chair, Department of Orthodontics The purpose of this study was to determine if dental esthetics affects the perception of adolescents regarding their peer’s social aptitude in specific areas such as athletics, popularity, leadership, and academics. Ten patient photographs (4 males, 6 females) from a private orthodontic practice in Richmond, VA were selected for inclusion in this study. The frontal smiling photographs were digitally modified with insertion of either an ideal smile (straight) or a non-ideal smile (crooked) to create an image identical to the original except for an altered dental complex. Laypersons rated the straight and crooked patient photographs for athletic performance, socialization skills (popularity), leadership, and academic performance using a 100 mm visual analog scale (VAS). Picture ratings were analyzed using a repeated-measures mixed-model analysis vii (SAS version 9.1, SAS Institute, Cary NC). On average, the differences due to crooked vs. straight were consistent in that patients with straight teeth were always rated more highly than the same patients with crooked teeth. These differences were significant in ratings of perceived athletic performance (P .05).
Inter-annual variation in above- and belowground herbivory on a native, annual legume

The relative importance of subterranean versus aboveground insect damage to plants is not well understood. In particular, the simultaneous effects of above- and belowground herbivory, and the importance of highly variable abiotic factors such as rainfall, have received little attention in diverse natural ecosystems. We investigated the influence of both above- and belowground herbivory on Lupinus nanus (Fabaceae), an annual plant native to coastal California. A number of insect species damage L. nanus aboveground, and a weevil larva consumes nodules belowground. To manipulate herbivory in the field, we employed a combination of insecticides and simulated herbivory during two different years. In 1997, simulated belowground damage reduced L. nanus survival, and insecticide application to roots increased seed production and seed mass. By contrast, in 1998, only aboveground folivory significantly reduced L. nanus reproduction, and, in combination, above- and belowground insecticides did not affect flower or seed number relative to controls. A growth chamber experiment conducted in the absence of herbivory revealed that the aboveground insecticide marginally reduced flower production and the belowground insecticide marginally increased flower production compared to controls; these non-target effects made our field experiments for aboveground herbivory conservative. Finally, ambient levels of herbivory differed among years (1997, 1998, and 2000), which varied greatly in rainfall due to the effects of El Nino. The results suggest that the impacts of herbivores are temporally variable and that abiotic factors, particularly those related to large-scale changes in weather patterns, may be more important than insect herbivory to L. nanus in some years.
Queer theory, archaeology of

Queer theory in archaeology is a framework for examining sex, sexuality, and gender in the past. Related in part to feminist archaeology, queer theory examines how heteronormative assumptions impact who practices archaeology and how the past is interpreted. Queer archaeologies explore a wide range of topics related to identity formation, such as bodily performance, gender ambiguity, same-sex intimacies, and the construction of family, households, and communities. Keywords: archaeology; feminism; queer; sexuality
Optimal control for a bilinear model with recruiting agent in cancer chemotherapy

We consider a general mathematical model for cancer chemotherapy as optimal control problem for a bilinear system and give necessary and sufficient conditions for strong local optimality of bang-bang controls. These results apply to a 3-compartment model, which besides a killing agent also includes a recruiting agent, i.e. a drug which acts on the residuum of dormant cells in the cell cycle. For this model it is shown that singular controls are not optimal, in fact singular regimes for the killing agent are locally maximizing with many extremal bang-bang trajectories near the non-optimal singular arc. Our results allow to distinguish between locally optimal and non-optimal bang-bang controls.
Initial fields and instabilities in the classical model of relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Color Glass Condensate (CGC) provides a classical description of dense gluon matter at high energies. Using the McLerran-Venugopalan (MV) model we calculate the initial energy density {epsilon}({tau}) in the early stage of the relativistic nucleus-nucleus collision. Our analytical formula reproduces the quantitative results from lattice discretized simulations and leads to an estimate {epsilon}({tau}=0.1 fm)=40{approx}50 GeV{center_dot}fm{sup -3} in the (central) Au-Au collision at BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. We then formulate instabilities with respect to soft fluctuations that violate boost invariance inherent in hard CGC backgrounds. We find unstable modes arising, which are attributed to ensemble average over the initial CGC fields.
Conflict Talk: A Discourse Analytical Perspective

This paper surveys research in the area of conflict talk, focusing on discourse analytical studies of actual, naturally occurring conflict talk. The paper begins with a brief discussion on how conflict talk has been conceptualized. Then the scope of the paper is defined as focusing on discourse analytical studies that examine actual instances of conflict talk within a framework of argument as a situated, local interactional accomplishment. Next, some of the mechanisms and important factors by which conflict talk can be initiated, maintained or escalated, and terminated are reviewed. Finally, the methodological issue of missing data is considered, and a call is made for more detailed analyses of conflict talk in a variety of contexts.
Regulation of Fas ligand expression and cell death by apoptosis-linked gene 4

Programmed cell death is a process required for the normal development of an organism. One of the best understood apoptotic pathways occurs in T lymphocytes and is mediated by Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) interaction. During studies of apoptosis induced by T cell-receptor engagement, we identified ALG-4F , a truncated transcript that prevents T cell-receptor-induced FasL upregulation and cell death. Overexpression of full-length ALG-4 induced transcription of FasL and, consequently, apoptosis. These results indicate that ALG-4 is necessary and sufficient for FasL expression. Fas/FasL interaction initiates cell death in many other systems, and its dysregulation is a mechanism by which several pathologic conditions arise. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of FasL regulation could be very useful in elucidating how these diseases develop and in identifying potential therapeutic targets.
An Extremely Simple Reinforcement Learning Rule for Neural Networks

In this paper we derive a simple reinforcement learning rule based on a more general form of REINFORCE formulation. We test our new rule on both classification and reinforcement problems. The results have shown that although this simple learning rule has a high probability of being stuck in local optimum for the case of classification tasks, it is able to solve some global reinforcement problems (e.g. the cart-pole balancing problem) directly in the continuous space.
Contending Parties: A Logistic Choice Analysis of Inter- and Intra-group Blog Citation Dynamics in the 2004 US Presidential Election

The 2004 US Presidential Election cycle marked the debut of Internet-based media such as blogs and social networking websites as institutionally recognized features of the American political landscape. Using a longitudinal sample of all DNC/RNC-designated blog-citation networks we are able to test the inuence of various strategic, institutional, and balance-theoretic mechanisms and exogenous factors such as seasonality and political events on the propensity of blogs to cite one another over time. Capitalizing on the temporal resolution of our data, we utilize an autoregressive network regression framework to carry out inference for a logistic choice process. Using a combination of deviance-based model selection criteria and simulation-based model adequacy tests, we identify the combination of processes that best characterizes the choice behavior of the contending blogs.
Track Structure Design by Mathematical Models

For the design and evaluation of track structures, previous mathematical models are inadequate because they are too simplified. Recently developed finite element models are too cumbersome for the purpose of generating charts for track design and evaluation. This paper demonstrates the use of two mathematical track structure models in combination in the development of design charts. The charts should enable the optimal selection of track components in track design and the evaluation of the structural performance of existing track components in a given loading environment. The criterion for acceptable track design is the strength of the track structure on a fatigue basis. The Miner’s rule is used. The charts are based on some chosen wheel-rail load magnitudes but can be used for any load magnitudes by direct proportion. For vertical wheel-rail loading, the loading configuration is based on 100-ton (90,720-kg) cars. For lateral wheel-rail loading, a single load is used.
Bacteriophage Types and Antibiotic Sensitivity of Staphylococci from Bovine Milk and Human Nares

The number, phage types, and antibiotic sensitivity of coagulase-positive staphylococci from grade A raw milk samples produced on 40 farms in the Athens, Ga., milkshed were determined. Counts of mannitol-positive staphylococci in milk ranged from 100 to 3,580 per milliliter, with an arithmetic mean of 1,047. Examination of the nares of 48 dairymen on 34 of the farms also revealed that 13 (27%) were carriers of coagulase-positive staphylococci. Isolates from milk (412) and from nares (39) were tested against the Coles, Seto-Wilson, and International phage sets and 87, 68, and 56%, respectively, proved typable. Nine isolates were not typable. Each of the 33 phages used lysed one or more of the isolates. Staphylococcal phage types per milk sample ranged from 0 to 5, 0 to 7, and 0 to 8, with arithmetic means of 1.9, 2.3, and 2.3, respectively. Of the 13 narial carriers, 7 harbored staphylococci of one or more of the same phage types as those isolated from the milk at the respective farms. Randomly selected isolates were tested against high and low concentrations of 12 common antibiotics. All were either moderately sensitive or resistant to polymixin B. Over 30% were moderately sensitive or resistant to dihydrostreptomycin and penicillin individually. With but few exceptions, all isolates were sensitive to chlortetracycline, bacitracin, carbomycin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, neomycin, novobiocin, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline individually.
Alguna luz sobre el autor de las Enfermedades políticas

El autor de las noticias Enfermedades politicas que padece la capital de esta Nueva Espana, el licenciado Hipolito Villarroel, resulta todavia una figura misteriosa. Se conocia su nombre solo por el hecho de que firmo el manuscrito original de la obra, que se encuentra hoy en la Biblioteca Bancroft de la Universidad de California en Berkeley. Cuando don Genaro Estrada preparo su edicion, publicada en 1937 con un corto tiraje de cien ejemplares, a pesar de sus busquedas basadas en algunas inferencias personales de Villarroel contenidas en el texto, no pudo hallar huella alguna.
Theory of Elasticity and Thermal Stresses-Explanations, Problems and Solutions by M. R. Eslami, R. B. Hetnarski, J. Ignaczak, N. Noda, N. Sumi, and Y. Tanigawa

The six authors of this book, due to their distinguished records in teaching, research, and publication accomplishments, have succeeded in producing this outstanding book covering all-inclusive and...
An Excursion into Nonlinear Ramsey Theory

Formulas for two-color Rado numbers have been established for many families of linear equations. However, there are no explicit formulas for two-color Rado numbers for any nonlinear equations. In this paper, we will establish formulas for the two-color Rado numbers for three families of equations: x + y n = z, x + y 2 + c = z, and x + y 2 = az , where c and a are positive integers.
Monofunctional chorismate mutase from Serratia rubidaea: a paradigm system for the three-isozyme gene family of enteric bacteria.

Abstract Serratia rubidaea (ATCC 27614) typifies a substantial number of enteric bacteria which, unlike Escherichia coli , possess a monofunctional species of chorismate mutase (denoted CM-F). CM-F coexists with two additional species of chorismate mutase, each of the latter being one catalytic domain of a bifunctional protein. The two bifunctional proteins are utilized for phenylalanine (CM-P/prephenate dehydratase) and tyrosine (CM-T/cyclohexadienyl dehydrogenase) biosynthesis in all enteric bacteria. S. rubidaea was selected as the organism of choice for purification of CM-F because of the relatively abundant level of expression found for this enzyme. The monofunctional CM-F enzyme was purified about 1600-fold with a yield of about 16%. This is the first monofunctional chorismate mutase to be purified from any gram-negative prokaryote. The CM-F enzyme is a positively charged homodimer made up of 20-kDa subunits. It has a pH optimum of 5.5, exhibits a K m value of 0.33 m m for chorismate, and is sensitive to product inhibition by prephenate that is competitive with respect to chorismate. It is insensitive to feedback inhibition by any of the aromatic amino acids. Partial purification of the bifunctional P-protein and the bifunctional T-protein was also carried out in order to compare the properties of CM-F, CM-P, and CM-T in a common organism. The most striking differential properties of the three isozymes were those of pH optimum and degree of protection conferred by dithiothreitol.
Bacterial Polymerase and Yeast Polymerase II Use Similar Mechanisms for Transcription through Nucleosomes

We have previously shown that nucleosomes act as a strong barrier to yeast RNA polymerase II (Pol II) in vitro and that transcription through the nucleosome results in the loss of an H2A/H2B dimer. Here, we demonstrate that Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP), which never encounters chromatin in vivo, behaves similarly to Pol II in all aspects of transcription through the nucleosome in vitro. The nucleosome-specific pausing pattern of RNAP is comparable with that of Pol II. At physiological ionic strength or lower, the nucleosome blocks RNAP progression along the template, but this barrier can be relieved at higher ionic strength. Transcription through the nucleosome by RNAP results in the loss of an H2A/H2B dimer, and the histones that remain in the hexasome retain their original positions on the DNA. The results were similar for elongation complexes that were assembled from components (oligonucleotides and RNAP) and elongation complexes obtained by initiation from the promoter. The data suggest that eukaryotic Pol II and E. coli RNAP utilize very similar mechanisms for transcription through the nucleosome. Thus, bacterial RNAP can be used as a suitable model system to study general aspects of chromatin transcription by Pol II. Furthermore, the data argue that the general elongation properties of polymerases may determine the mechanism used for transcription through the nucleosome.
Microanalyzer for biomonitoring lead (Pb) in blood and urine

Biomonitoring of lead (Pb) in blood and urine enables quantitative evaluation of human occupational and environmental exposures to Pb. State-of-the-art ICP–MS instruments can only analyze metals in laboratories, resulting in lengthy turnaround times, and they are expensive. In response to the growing need for a metal analyzer capable of on-site, real-time monitoring of trace toxic metals in individuals, we developed a portable microanalyzer based on flow-injection/stripping voltammetry (ASV), and validated the system using rat blood and urine spiked with known amounts of Pb. Fouling of electrodes by proteins often prevents the effective use of electrochemical sensors in biological matrices. Minimization of such fouling was accomplished with suitable sample pretreatment and by establishing turbulent flow of blood and urine containing Pb onto the electrode inside the microanalyzer, which resulted in no apparent electrode fouling even when the samples contained 50% urine or 10% blood by volume. No matrix effect was observed for the voltammetric Pb signals, even when the samples contained 10% blood or 10% urine. The microanalyzer offered linear concentration ranges relevant to Pb exposure levels in humans (0–20 ppb in 10% blood samples, 0–50 ppb in 50% urine samples). The device showed excellent sensitivity and reproducibility; Pb detection limits were 0.44 ppb and 0.46 ppb, and % R.S.D. was 4.9 and 2.4 in 50% urine and 10% blood samples, respectively. It gave similar Pb concentrations in blood and urine to those measured by ICP–MS. It offered high throughput (3 min per sample) and economical use of samples (60 μL per measurement) as well as low reagent consumption (1 μg of Hg per measurement), thus minimizing environmental concerns associated with mercury use. Since it is miniaturized, the microanalyzer is portable and field-deployable. Thus, it shows much promise as the next-generation analyzer for the biomonitoring of toxic metals.
Prevention of Pressure Sores in Acute Spinal Cord Injury: Outside the Specialist Unit

Summary Unless injury occurs on the doorstep of a specialist unit, persons sustaining a traumatic spinal cord injury, will spend at least some part of their hospitalisation in another care setting such as A&E, ITU, a neurological or other ward. During this early period the care team may have to respond to a whole range of life threatening events. It is therefore perhaps not surprising, that the prevention of pressure sores may receive only cursory attention. It is however during this period that this group is at a considerable risk of developing pressure sores. One recent review listed some 200 risk factors in the initial period post injury'. The purpose of this article therefore, is to suggest ways in which the incidence of pressure sores occurring in the acute phase of spinal cord injury, might be reduced, by sharing the practices used in one particular specialist unit with colleagues in the pre-admission area such as A&E and the general hospital. Strategies suggested include a number of lifting and handling methods now available to manage this very problematical care group. In addition, the current approach to pressure sore prevention practiced in one specialist unit, together with the underlying rational is outlined, in the hope that collegues in other care settings may find the information useful in our common endeavour to reduce the incidence of pressure sores.
Estimation of the Point Response Function for Undersampled Data for the Infrared Camera of the Spitzer Space Telescope

Point Response Function (PRF) is an important characteristic of the combination of an optical system and the detector array. It has various applications, such as accurate photometry and astrometry, image interpolation and deconvolution. We present a technique of PRF estimation for undersampled detectors. We present the results of application of this technique to the data taken by the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) of the Spitzer Space Telescope. The technique capitalizes on the numerous observations of point sources that cover the whole detector array as well as the area of an individual pixel. Data fitting is used to center the point source images on the sub-pixel level and to normalize them by the point source flux. They are subsequently resampled and shifted to a common grid using bicubic interpolation. Great redundancy of the data allows for effective outlier rejection. The quality of PRF estimation is verified using simulated images and real images taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope.
A Tale of Shared Use of Infrastructure: Is Brazil Repeating the U.S. Cable Television Experience?

As far back as the 1970s, cable television companies in the United States requested the use of poles and pipes belonging to power or telephone companies to reach the end users so as to avoid the wasteful duplication of facilities. The cable television industry has played an important role in the development of U.S. policy toward the common use of infrastructure. U.S. experience provides the benefit of hindsight to both the private sector and regulators in Brazil as they work together to develop a sound telecommunications policy. With approaches ranging from cost-plus to the efficient-cost pricing rule (ECPR) and the essential facility doctrine, Brazilian regulators and private players are designing the model to be used in future years.
Commentary on ‘‘Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A vision and a Strategy’’

Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy (NRC, 2007) presents a bold plan for chemical toxicity testing that replaces whole-animal tests with cell-culture, genetic, other in-vitro techniques, computational methods, and human monitoring. Although the proposed vision is eloquently described, and recent advances in in-vitro and in-silico methods are impressive, it is difficult believe that replacing in-vitro testing is either practical or wise. It is not clear that the toxicity-related events that occur in whole animals can be adequately replicated using the proposed methods. Protecting public health is a serious endeavor that should not be limited by denying animal testing. Toxicologists and regulators are encouraged to read the report, carefully consider its implications, and share their thoughts. The vision is for too important to ignore.
Synthesis of polydimethylsiloxane-containing block copolymers via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization

Low polydispersity polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was end functionalized with a reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent by the esterification of hydroxyl terminated PDMS with a carboxylic acid functional RAFT agent. These PDMS-RAFT agents were able to control the free radical polymerization of styrene and substituted styrene monomers to produce PDMS-containing block copolymers with low polydispersities and targeted molecular weights. A thin film of polydimethylsiloxane-block-polystyrene was prepared by spin coating and exhibited a microphase separated morphology from scanning force microscopy measurements. Controlled swelling of these films in solvent vapor produced morphologies with significant long-range order. This synthetic route will allow the straightforward production of PDMS-containing block copolymer libraries that will be useful for investigating their thin film morphological behavior, which has applications in the templating of nanostructured materials.© 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Enhancing event detection in video using robust background and quality modeling

Automated event recognition in video data has numerous practical applications for security and transportation. The ability to recognize events in practice depends on precisely detecting and tracking objects of interest in the video data. Numerous factors, such as lighting, weather, camera placement, scene complexity, and data compression can degrade the performance of automated algorithms. As a preprocessing step, developing a set of robust background models can substantially improve system performance. Our object detection and tracking algorithms estimate the object position and attributes within the context of this model to provide more reliable event recognition under challenging conditions. We present an approach to robustly modeling the background as a function of the data acquisition conditions. One element of this approach is automated assessment of the image quality which informs the choice of which background model to use for a given video stream. The video quality model rests on a suite of image metrics computed in real-time from the video, whereas the background models are constructed from historical data collected over a range of conditions. We will describe the formulation of both models. Results from a recent experiment will quantify the empirical performance for recognition of events of interest.
Relative-to-relative transition probabilities for two linked genes.

Abstract A computer method for deriving relative-to-relative genotype transition probabilities is explained for the model of two linked loci. Both autosomal and X -linked cases are treated and the results tabulated for the more common categories of relatives. These results are then applied to the problem of calculating joint distributions and correlations between relatives.
Medullary nephrocalcinosis in nephropathic cystinosis.

Children with nephropathic cystinosis excrete large amounts of calcium and phosphate due to renal tubular Fanconi syndrome, and also receive substantial supplements of phosphate and alkalinizing agents Since these constitute risk factors for nephrocalcinosis, we evaluated 41 children age 2 months to 15 years with nephropathic cystinosis and good renal function by performing retroperitoneal ultrasound examinations in a blinded fashion. We also retrospectively analyzed parameters of calcium and phosphate metabolism representing 216 person-years of data on these children. Fifteen children had no evidence of medullary nephrocalcinosis, while 18 had mild nephrocalcinosis, and 8 severe nephrocalcinosis; 5 had renal stones. Mean urine calcium and phosphate concentrations increased from 1.47 mM and 5.30 mM, respectively, in children without nephrocalcinosis to 1.60 mM and 5.69 mM in children with mild nephrocalcinosis to 1.66 mM and 6.19 mM in children with severe nephrocalcinosis. Mean urine pH ranged from 7.5 to 8.1. The mean (±SD) age of the 26 patients with nephrocalcinosis was 9.4±3.8 years compared with 5.1±3.8 years for those without nephrocalcinosis (P<0.005). Serum calcium, phosphate, vitamin D, and parathyroid hormone did not correlate with frequency or degree of nephrocalcinosis. We conclude that nephrocalcinosis frequently accompanies nephropathic cystinosis, can be detected by ultrasound examination, and might be managed by reducing oral replacement of phosphate, calcium, vitamin D, and citrate. Consideration should be given to truncating phosphate replacement once bone growth ceases.
The Well-Being of Divorced Fathers: A Review and Suggestions for Future Research

Since 1962, the divorce rate in the United States has continued to escalate and its negative effects are experienced by parents and children alike. This review reports the number and topics of peer-reviewed publications in the psychology literature since 1900 that focused on divorced fathers' well-being. Results indicate that divorced fathers' well-being is overwhelmingly neglected in the published literature, and that very few values of applied and participatory research were included within the studies reviewed. Evidence suggests that continued and increased primary research attention to divorced fathers' well-being is not only plausible, but also relevant and necessary.
Ceramic electrical insulators for liquid metal blankets

A systematic evaluation of ceramic electrical insulators for a self-cooled, liquid-lithium/vanadium-alloy blanket has been conducted to identify the most promising candidates as well as the data needs. Fifteen oxides and nitrides are included in this evaluation; all of them have been assessed against a common set of technical requirements, low activation and cost. Among these materials, CaO, MgO, BN, and Y 2 O 3 appear to be the most promising candidates for insulator coating, whereas all of these four materials, plus MgAI 2 O 4 , Y 3 A1 5 0 12 , and A1N, may be used as laminated insulators. Important issues for these candidates are stability in high-purity liquid lithium and stability under neutron and γ -photon irradiations.
Closed-form pose estimation from metric rectification of coplanar points

A new analytic method for estimating the pose of a calibrated camera from a single view of a planar target with a known geometry is presented. A set of fiducial points is extracted from an image of this target and metrically rectified through a 2D homography. The author's contribution consists in deriving from the coefficients of this transformation the analytic expressions of the 3D rigid motion parameters defining the pose of the camera. Experiments with synthetic data show the effectiveness of the proposed method against another gold-standard method for pose estimation and its robustness against perturbations of the fiducial points. These features make the algorithm a perfect candidate for all those applications where pose estimation has to be performed reliably and in real time.
Alterations in modulation of acetylcholine release following lesion of hippocampal cholinergic neurons with the neurotoxin AF64A

Accumulation of acetylcholine (ACh) following administration of physostigmine or tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA) normally inhibits further evoked release of ACh through presynaptic muscarinic receptors. However, in cerebral cortical slices from patients with Alzheimer's disease, ACh release is enhanced by THA, an effect mediated via nicotinic receptors. In this study, the effects of THA and physostigmine were examined in hippocampal slices from rats in which cholinergic neurons were lesioned with the neurotoxin ethylcholine mustard aziridinium (AF64A). Physostigmine and THA did not reduce the evoked release of ACh in lesioned tissues as they did in controls, and THA significantly increased release. The enhancement of release by THA was blocked by the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine, suggesting that it was mediated through nicotinic receptors. Direct stimulation of muscarinic receptors with oxotremorine significantly reduced ACh release in control tissues, but had no effect in lesioned slices, indicating that presynaptic muscarinic receptors were no longer operative. These results suggest that adaptive changes in nicotinic and muscarinic receptors occur in AF64A-treated rats which are similar to those reported in Alzheimer's disease.
A Novel Calcium-Activated Apamin-Insensitive Potassium Current in Pituitary Gonadotrophs

In cultured rat pituitary gonadotrophs, GnRH-induced oscillations in cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) are associated with periodic membrane hyperpolarization. The hyperpolarizing waves are secondary to the activation of apamin-sensitive Ca2+-activated K+ channels that account for a single class of 125I-apamin binding sites present in these cells. In a substantial fraction of gonadotrophs, however, we observed a Ca2+-controlled oscillatory current that was resistant to apamin, even at concentrations five orders of magnitude higher than the dissociation constant (Kd) observed in the binding experiments. With the K+ in the pipette, the apamin-resistant current showed a reversal potential of −42 mV, nearly 40 mV more positive than that of the apamin-sensitive current. With Cs+ in place of K+ in the pipette solution, both the size of the apamin-insensitive current and its reversal potential remained unchanged. Ion substitution studies further revealed that the reversal potential was independent of Cl−...
Introversion, Extraversion and Social Perception

Three studies are conducted on the subjective perceptions of extraverts and introverts, using Q technique and factor analysis. In the first two studies, intensive analyses indicate that both introverts and extraverts have extraverted aspirations. These results are confirmed and extended in the third study with a larger sample of subjects. Both introverts and extraverts have veridical perceptions of actual private self and actual social self; however, the ideal conceptions of both personality types tend to be extraverted in nature. Introverts express their potential private self, potential social self and ideal leader perceptions as those of an extravert; similarly, extraverted subjects hold extraverted ideals. Extraverts are highly consistent in their perceptions of actual and ideal selves, but introverts have ideals incongruent with perceived actual selves. Implications for political theory and behaviour, interpersonal perception and attraction are discussed.
Spatiotemporal Analyses of Earthquake Productivity and Size Distribution: Observations and Simulations

We use relocated catalogs of microearthquakes to investigate earthquake interaction along sections of the Sargent, Calaveras, and San Andreas faults in Cali- fornia. We examine the stress dependence of seismicity rate change along the three fault segments and find that the seismicity rate following a mainshock decays ap- proximately as 1/time, the duration of the aftershock activity seems to be independent of distance from the mainshock, and the seismicity rate at lag times of up to about 100 sec is nearly constant. In the San Andreas and the Calaveras catalogs, where the return of the seismicity rate to the background level is well resolved, we find that the return to the background in the distance range of 1-2 rupture radii from a previous earthquake is preceded by a period during which the seismicity rate falls about 30% below the background rate. We also examine the effect of a stress step on earthquake size distribution along these faults and find that the exponent of the power-law dis- tribution of earthquake magnitudes within 10 4 sec of a previous earthquake is sig- nificantly lower than that of the long term. While the 1/time decay of seismicity rate, the independence of aftershock duration from distance from the mainshock, and the constant seismicity rate at short lag times are predicted by Dieterich's (1994) model, the decrease of seismicity rate below the background level and the changes in earth- quake size distribution are not. For comparison with our observations, we simulate earthquake activity on an in- herently discrete fault model that is governed by an approximate constitutive friction law similar to the one used by Dieterich (1994). We find that the observed response of earthquake productivity and size distribution to a stress step are produced by these simulations. The effect of the mainshock is not only to raise the local seismicity rate, but also to systematically modify the earthquake size distribution. This is because fault patches that are near failure at the time of the stress step are strengthened, whereas fault patches that at the same time were far from failure are weakened. As a result, similar to what is observed for the Calaveras and the San Andreas segments, late during the aftershock sequence the seismicity rate may decrease below the back- ground rate. We suggest that the time-dependent modification of the earthquake size distribution by a stress step can explain observations of lower b-values immediately following a stress step.
HYPERTHERMIA AND RADIATION IN ADVANCED MALIGNANT MELANOMA

Advanced melanoma (48 lesions in 40 patients) was treated with external microwave hyperthermia combined with radiation therapy between 1980-1988. Thirty-three lesions in 28 patients were evaluable for tumor response (mean age 64 years, 19 male, 9 female). Evaluable lesions received 13 to 66 Gy (mean 37 +/- 2 Gy) over 5 to 16 fractions (mean of 10) in 14 to 56 elapsed days (mean of 25). Tumor volume (pi/6*length*width*depth) was 62 +/- 16 cm3 (1-377 cm3). Hyperthermia was administered in 6.6 +/- 0.4 sessions (range 1-14), there were 3.2 +/- 0.4 thermal sensors per tumor (range 1-11) and 27 fields were treated twice-weekly (82%). Of the 33 evaluable lesions, 12 exhibited a complete response (36%), and 17 had a partial response (52%). Among the 12 complete responders four recurrences (33%) were observed at 8.6 +/- 1.4 months (median of 8.2 months). In superficial tumors with depth 3 cm, the complete response rate was 9% (1/11), p = 0.02. The minimal tumor thermal dose during the first hyperthermia treatment session correlated with response (t43min1 = 20 +/- 7 vs. 6 +/- 3 minEq43 degrees C for complete responders and noncomplete responders, respectively, p = 0.06); and 7 of 10 lesions that had t43min 1 > or = 8 minEq43 degrees C achieved a complete response whereas only 5 of 22 lesions (23%) that had t43min1 < 8 minEq43 degrees C did so (p = 0.01). However, neither the minimum tumor temperature during the first treatment, the median minimum tumor temperature over all treatment sessions nor the sum of minimum thermal dose over all treatment sessions correlated with tumor response. Twenty-three patients with 28 lesions died during follow-up (82%). The survival for complete responding patients with superficial lesions was 21.3 +/- 1.5 months compared to 4.5 +/- 0.5 months for patients with superficial lesions that did not experience a complete response (p = 0.0001). For patients with noncomplete responding lesions deeper than 3 cm survival was 4.4 +/- 0.6 months. Twenty lesions were treated without any skin reaction (42%, 20/48). Of the rest, 23 had erythema (48%, 23/48), seven had blistering (14%, 7/48) and one had ulceration of the skin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Enhanced phase synchronization of blood flow oscillations between heated and adjacent non-heated sacral skin

The study of skin microcirculation may be used to assess risk for pressure ulcers. It is observed that local heating causes an increase in blood flow of not only the heated skin, but also in the adjacent non-heated skin. The underlying physiological mechanism of this indirect vasodilation of the non-heated skin remains unclear. We hypothesized that blood flow oscillations (BFO) in the adjacent non-heated skin area synchronize with BFO in the heated skin, thus inducing a vasodilatory response. We investigated BFO in the heated and adjacent non-heated skin (12.1 ± 1.2-cm distance) on the sacrum in 12 healthy participants. The ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) was used to decompose blood flow signals into a set of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), and the IMFs with power spectra over the frequency range of 0.0095-0.02, 0.02-0.05, and 0.05-0.15 Hz were chosen as the characteristic components corresponding to metabolic, neurogenic, and myogenic regulations, respectively. Then, the instantaneous phase of the characteristic components was calculated using the Hilbert transform. From the time series of phase difference between a pair of characteristic components, the epochs of phase synchronization were detected. The results showed that myogenic and neurogenic BFO exhibited self-phase synchronization during the slower vasodilation of the heated skin. In the non-heated skin, the degree of synchronization of BFO is associated with the changes in blood flow.
Posttraumatic stress disorder and substance abuse: Use of research in a clinical setting

The goal of the present investigation was to evaluate whether the process of assessing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in substance abuse/dependence inpatients (N = 95) as part of a research protocol influenced the diagnostic assessment conducted by clinical staff. The prevalence of current crime-related PTSD (CR-PTSD) observed with a research interview was 40% (n = 38), whereas the rate of current CR-PTSD documented in (the same) patients' discharge summaries was 15% (n = 14). An even lower CR-PTSD prevalence rate of 8% (n = 5) was obtained from a new sample of patient discharge summaries (N = 59) collected after the cessation of the research project. On chart intake reports, clinical staff documented a history of sexual and/or physical assault in approximately one-half of these patients, but PTSD was not evaluated. PTSD appears to be under-diagnosed by clinical staff in patients with substance use disorders.
Determinant of Cation Blocking Behavior in Aquaporin-1

The most extensively studied member of the aquaporin family, wildtype (WT) aquaporin-1 (AQP1), has been shown to effectively block cations from permeation across the cell membrane, thus maintaining the osmotic pressure of the cell. Recent experiments have suggested the essential role that the Selectivity Filter (SF) region of the channel plays in blocking cation flux. In the present study, the potential of mean forces for permeation of sodium cation (Na+), potassium cation (K+), and classical hydronium cation (H3O+) (without the possibility of Grotthuss proton shuttling) are characterized for a series of AQP1 mutants. The free energy barriers for conducting hydrated excess protons (H+), which diffuse via the Grotthuss mechanism, are characterized as well, by utilizing the multi-state empirical valence bond (MS-EVB) method. The maximum cation conductance is calculated using the Poisson-Nerst-Planck theory. The present study reveals the key role of the SF domain in cation gating and provides insight into the subtle mechanism of proton permeation mutants of the AQP1 channel.