cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Explaining cross-national variation in the climate change concern gender gap: A research note

Abstract Previous research has documented and investigated the gender gap in climate change concern (and environmental concern more generally) in the USA to understand why women tend to be more concerned about this issue than men. However, a largely missing element of the existing research on this topic is the role of macro-level context. The consideration of contextual factors is important because, as shown in this study, aggregate gender differences in climate change concern vary widely across countries. Drawing on prior research and using data from three international surveys, this cross-national study examines the influence of gender equality, climate change vulnerability, and national affluence on gender gaps in concern for climate change. Results from OLS and robust regression analyses indicate that national affluence is consistently associated with a larger gap (with women more concerned) and there is some evidence showing that climate change vulnerability is associated with a smaller gap in concern; however, gender equality was not found to be a consistent significant predictor of the gender gap in climate change concern (although in bivariate correlations it was significant and positive). The finding that the USA pattern of substantially higher concern among women is not universal across countries, but rather is context-specific, opens up new directions for theorizing about how gender shapes concern for climate change and, more broadly, risk perception and environmental attitudes. Future research should build on this study to examine potential pathways linking macro-level context to gender differences in climate change concern at the individual level.
Stabilization of Linear Systems by Pulsewidth Modulation of Switching Actuators

The overall dynamics of linear systems under pulsewidth modulated actuators is nonlinear, an inevitable fact that must be considered in designing feedback control for these systems. For small sampling periods, however, this nonlinearity is not severe, so that controller design can rely on the same techniques conventionally adopted for the linear systems. When a linear controller designed by these techniques is applied to the originally nonlinear system, it may not perform adequately at higher sampling periods. In particular, it may fail to stabilize the closed-loop system as predicted for a linear approximation of the original system. This paper introduces a class of nonlinear feedback laws outperforming their existing linear counterparts in terms of stability and transient response. The control laws in this class are nonlinearly modified forms of the linear quadratic (LQ) regulators and yield a closed-loop behavior similar to that of a linear system under a LQ regulator. As a result, the closed-loop dynamics is locally stable in essence, and will be globally stable under additional assumptions. As a case study, an inverted pendulum on a cart is stabilized using the proposed nonlinear control law. The superior performance of this control law over its linear counterparts is shown by numerical simulations.
Big-Eyed Bugs (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) and the Striped Lynx Spider (Araneae: Oxyopidae): Intra- and Interspecific Interference on Predation of First Instar Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

To understand agroecology and to increase the role of entomophages in pest management, it is important to understand interactions among arthropod predators. Laboratory studies were conducted with 1...
Cellular and Transcriptional Responses of Resistant and Susceptible Cultivars of Alfalfa to the Root Lesion Nematode, Pratylenchus penetrans

The root lesion nematode (RLN), Pratylenchus penetrans, is a migratory species that attacks a broad range of crops, including alfalfa. High levels of infection can reduce alfalfa forage yields and lead to decreased cold tolerance. Currently, there are no commercially certified varieties with RLN resistance. Little information on molecular interactions between alfalfa and P. penetrans, that would shed light on mechanisms of alfalfa resistance to RLN, is available. To advance our understanding of the host-pathogen interactions and to gain biological insights into the genetics and genomics of host resistance to RLN, we performed a comprehensive assessment of resistant and susceptible interactions of alfalfa with P. penetrans that included root penetration studies, ultrastructural observations, and global gene expression profiling of host plants and the nematode. Several gene-candidates associated with alfalfa resistance to P. penetrans and nematode parasitism genes encoding nematode effector proteins were identified for potential use in alfalfa breeding programs or development of new nematicides. We propose that preformed or constitutive defenses, such as significant accumulation of tannin-like deposits in root cells of the resistant cultivar, could be a key to nematode resistance, at least for the specific case of alfalfa-P. penetrans interaction.
Cycloidal paths in physics as superpositions of translational and rotational motions

Cycloidal paths are ubiquitous in physics. Here, we show that representative cycloidal paths in physics can be described as superpositions of translations and rotations of a point through space. Using this unifying principle, the parametric equations of the path of a point on a rolling disk are derived for rolling without slipping, rolling with frictionless slipping, and when kinetic solid-on-solid friction is present during rolling with slipping. In a similar way, the parametric equations versus time for the orbit with respect to a star of a moon in a circular orbit about a planet that is in a circular orbit about a star are derived, where the orbits are coplanar. The parametric equations versus time for the path of the magnetization vector during undamped electron-spin resonance are found using the same principle, which show that cycloidal paths can occur under specified conditions.
Gut permeability is affected by sex and increased in children with irritable bowel syndrome but not in functional abdominal pain

BACKGROUND Gut permeability is increased in some children and adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We investigated whether this also is true for children with functional abdominal pain (FAP). We also determined whether sex affected permeability results. METHODS Sucrose, lactulose, mannitol, and sucralose were ingested after an overnight fast in well-phenotyped children with IBS (n = 95), FAP (n = 25), and healthy controls (HC) (n = 60). Urine was collected for 24 hours. Percent sucrose recovery was calculated based on the 0- to 3-hour collection; lactulose/mannitol ratio both on the 0- to 3-hour and 0- to 24-hour collections; and percent sucralose recovery on the 0- to 24-hours collection. KEY RESULTS Age was similar among the groups (P = .26). The lactulose/mannitol ratio was increased in IBS compared with HC at 0-3 and 0-24 hours (P = .023, P = .05, respectively). Percent sucralose recovery was greater in FAP than in HC (P = .045). No differences were noted among the groups in percent sucrose recovery. Taking sex into account, percent sucrose recovery was greater in girls with IBS vs HC girls (P = .008). The lactulose/mannitol ratio was greater in boys with IBS compared with HC boys at both time points (both P = .02). Percent sucralose recovery was greater in boys with IBS than in FAP or HC (both P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES Sex is a critically important factor when measuring gut permeability. Boys with IBS have increased lactulose/mannitol ratios and percent sucralose recovery. Girls with IBS have increased percent recovery of sucrose. Children with FAP do not demonstrate abnormal gut 0permeability even taking sex into account.
Educational Leaders’ Agentive Power to Disrupt Racial and Linguistic Hierarchies

Within the current U.S. climate of post-truth politics, systemic barriers threaten to reify racial and linguistic hierarchies. Students and communities are stuck at the intersection of macro langua...
An online tool for evaluating diagnostic and prognostic gene expression biomarkers in bladder cancer.

In the past ~15 years, the identification of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers from gene expression data has increased our understanding of cancer biology and has led to advances in the personalized treatment of many cancers. A diagnostic biomarker is indicative of tumor status such as tumor stage, while a prognostic biomarker is indicative of disease outcome. Despite these advances, however, there are no clinically approved biomarkers for the treatment of bladder cancer, which is the fourth most common cancer in males in the United States and one of the most expensive cancers to treat. Although gene expression profiles of bladder cancer patients are publicly available, biomarker identification requires bioinformatics expertise that is not available to many research laboratories. We collected gene expression data from 13 publicly available patient cohorts (N = 1454) and developed BC-BET, an online Bladder Cancer Biomarker Evaluation Tool for evaluating candidate diagnostic and prognostic gene expression biomarkers in bladder cancer. A user simply selects a gene, and BC-BET evaluates the utility of that gene’s expression as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. Specifically, BC-BET calculates how strongly a gene’s expression is associated with tumor presence (distinguishing tumor from normal samples), tumor grade (distinguishing low- from high-grade tumors), tumor stage (distinguishing non-muscle invasive from muscle invasive samples), and patient outcome (e.g., disease-specific survival) across all patients in each cohort. Patients with low-grade, non-muscle invasive tumors and patients with high-grade, muscle invasive tumors are also analyzed separately in order to evaluate whether the biomarker of interest has prognostic value independent of grade and stage. Although bladder cancer gene expression datasets are publicly available, their analysis is computationally intensive and requires bioinformatics expertise. BC-BET is an easy-to-use tool for rapidly evaluating bladder cancer gene expression biomarkers across multiple patient cohorts.
Gawain’s Struggle with Ecology: Attitudes toward the Natural World in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

As a poem largely dependent on the relationship between humans and the natural world, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight provides the ecocritic with an excellent case study in medieval attitudes toward the non-human world. The poet presents conflicting attitudes toward the non-human world, with Gawain asserting militaristic dominance and Bertilak acting as steward. The existence of these competing attitudes shows that medieval thought on the place of the non-human world was a complex philosophical issue. As such, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight presents evidence relevant for the on-going debate over Lynn White's "Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis."
Systems Toxicology: A Valuable Tool for Early Prediction and Mechanistic Assessment of Liver Toxicity of Food‐Related Products

The review of literature demonstrates that systems toxicology is a valuable tool for early prediction and mechanistic assessment of liver toxicity. It will provide accurate molecular information for toxicity hazard and risk assessment in relatively short period of time. This technology will find very useful applications in food safety. It is an excellent tool for quick screening of hepatotoxic potential of food-related products that occur naturally or that are added deliberately to the foods and dietary supplements. The published reports show the value of omics technologies in combination with classical histopathology and biochemical assays providing a powerful tool for accurate assessment of “predictive” and “mechanistic” hepatotoxicity. The systems toxicology in vitro offers a powerful cost-effective tool for faster high-throughput toxicity testing. It can be effectively used for high-throughput screening of food-related products for potential hepatotoxicity. Keywords: hepatotoxicity; in vitro toxicity; systems toxicology; risk assessment; omics technology
Comparative metabolism of the antiviral dimer 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine-P-2',3'-dideoxyinosine and the monomers zidovudine and didanosine by rat, monkey, and human hepatocytes.

AZT-P-ddI is an antiviral heterodimer composed of one molecule of 3*-azido-3*-deoxythymidine (AZT) and one molecule of 2*,3*-dideoxyinosine (ddI) linked through their 5* positions by a phosphate bond. The metabolic fate of the dimer was studied with isolated rat, monkey, and human hepatocytes and was compared with that of its component monomers AZT and ddI. Upon incubation of double-labeled [ 14 C]AZT-P-[ 3 H]ddI in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes in suspension at a final concentration of 10 mM, the dimer was taken up intact by cells and then rapidly cleaved to AZT, AZT monophosphate, ddI, and ddI monophosphate. AZT and ddI so formed were then subject to their respective catabolisms. High-performance liquid chromatography analyses of the extracellular medium and cell extracts revealed the presence of unchanged dimer, AZT, 3*-azido-3*-deoxy-5*b-D-glucopyranosylthymidine (GAZT), 3*-amino-3*-deoxythymidine (AMT), ddI, and a previously unrecognized derivative of the dideoxyribose moiety of ddI, designated ddI-M. Trace extracellular but substantial intracellular levels of the glucuronide derivative of AMT (3*-amino-3*-deoxy-5*-b-D-glucopyranosylthymidine [GAMT]) were also detected. Moreover, the extent of the formation of AMT, GAZT, and ddI-M from the dimer was markedly lower than that with AZT and ddI alone by the hepatocytes. With hepatocytes in primary culture obtained from rat, monkey, and human, large interspecies variations in the metabolism of AZT-P-ddI were observed. While GAZT and ddI-M, metabolites of AZT and ddI, respectively, as well as AZT 5*-monophosphate (MP) and ddI-MP were detected in the extracellular media of all species, AMT and GAMT were produced only by rat and monkey hepatocytes. No such metabolites were formed by human hepatocytes. The metabolic fate of the dimer by human hepatocytes was consistent with in vivo data recently obtained from human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.
Seismic source dynamics of gas‐piston activity at Kı̄lauea Volcano, Hawai‘i

Since 2008, eruptive activity at the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai‘i has been confined to the new Overlook pit crater within the Halema‘uma‘u Crater. Among the broad range of magmatic processes observed in the new pit are recurring episodes of gas pistoning. The gas-piston activity is accompanied by seismic signals that are recorded by a broadband network deployed in the summit caldera. We use raw data recorded with this network to model the source mechanism of representative gas-piston events in a sequence that occurred on 20–25 August 2011 during a gentle inflation of the Kilauea summit. To determine the source centroid location and source mechanism, we minimize the residual error between data and synthetics calculated by the finite difference method for a point source embedded in a homogeneous medium that takes topography into account. We apply a new waveform inversion method that accounts for the contributions from both translation and tilt in horizontal seismograms through the use of Green's functions representing the seismometer response to translation and tilt ground motions. This method enables a robust description of the source mechanism over the period range 1–10,000 s. Most of the seismic wavefield produced by gas-pistoning originates in a source region ∼1 km below the eastern perimeter of the Halema‘uma‘u pit crater. The observed waveforms are well explained by a simple volumetric source with geometry composed of two intersecting cracks featuring an east striking crack (dike) dipping 80°to the north, intersecting a north striking crack (another dike) dipping 65° to the east. Each gas-piston event is marked by a similar rapid inflation lasting a few minutes, trailed by a slower deflation ramp extending up to 15 min, attributed to the efficient coupling at the source centroid location of the pressure and momentum changes accompanying the growth and collapse of a layer of foam at the top of the lava column. Assuming a simple lumped parameter representation of the shallow magmatic system, the observed pressure and volume variations can be modeled with the following attributes : foam thickness (10–50 m), foam cell diameter (0.04–0.10 m), and gas-injection velocity (0.01–0.06 m s−1). Gas-piston activity occurs in a narrow pipe with diameter of 6 m connecting the Halema‘uma‘u pit crater to the subjacent dike system. The height of the magma column is estimated at ∼104 m at the start of the sequence based on the period of very long period (VLP) oscillations accompanying the onset of the gas-piston signal. Based on the change in the period of VLP oscillations and tilt evidence, the height of the magma column is inferred to have risen by up to ∼23 m by the end of the 5 day long sequence. A penny-shaped crack model of the dike geometry yields effective diameters of ∼1.2–2.9 km for the east dike and 0.7 km for the north dike. The shallower north dike segment is embedded in a relatively weak medium, compatible with expected mechanical properties in the hydrothermal environment of this dike.
Organic carbon export in the form of wood during an extreme tropical storm, Upper Rio Chagres, Panama

Widespread, intense rainfall over the Upper Rio Chagres watershed (414 km2) in central Panama during December 2010 triggered numerous landslides that introduced large numbers of trees to the river network. We flew by helicopter along the mainstem Upper Chagres and the adjacent margins of Lake Alhajuela, into which the Upper Chagres flows, in February and June 2011. We used low-elevation video photography from these flights to tally the number of wood pieces stored along the lake margin and within the channel, and the number of landslides reaching the mainstem. We used these tallies with ground-verified estimates of average wood piece size and landslide surface area, and assumptions about wood density, carbon content, and aboveground biomass, to develop a first-order estimate of carbon export in the form of wood from the Upper Chagres following the 2010 storms. Based on the wood tally, we estimate 9 · 6 to 16 Mg C/km2 export, and from the landslide tally we estimate 24 Mg C/km2. We believe the landslide tally provides a more accurate minimum estimate of carbon export from the Upper Chagres during the December 2010 storms. These values are an order of magnitude higher than limited data for average or background rates of wood-based carbon export from other catchments, but two orders of magnitude lower than wood-based carbon export during extreme storms in Taiwan. The findings suggest that duration of flood flow above a threshold for mobilizing wood within the channel network exerts a more important control on wood export from the Upper Chagres than magnitude of flood peak. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pyrolysis of a lignite in an entrained flow reactor: 2. Effect of metal cations on decarboxylation and tar yield

The role of exchangeable cations in the release of carboxylic functional groups and tars from a Montana lignite has been studied. Pyrolysis was carried out in an entrained flow reactor using a dilute stream of coal particles, and high heating and cooling rates. Direct determination of the carboxylic functional groups on the coal and char samples by ion exchange with barium acetate was employed to study both the amount and kinetics of decarboxylation. These results indicate that the presence of metal cations decreases the extent of decarboxylation at temperatures of 973, 1073 and 1173 K when compared with the behaviour of an acid washed lignite. It was also possible to determine first order activation energy values using this direct measure of decarboxylation. The activation energies determined for decarboxylation were 100 and 97 kJ mol−1 for the raw and acid washed samples, respectively. Furthermore, it is reported that the presence of metal cations on the coal resulted in a decrease of tar release of 70–94%. Analysis of the tars by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated that the tars released during pyrolysis were more aliphatic when metal cations were present.
Predictive model for hydrogel based wireless implantable bio-chemical sensors

The model suggests improvement in sensitivity of the hydrogel based glucose and pH sensors by fine tuning of several critical process and environmental parameters. This should lead to development of more sensitive non-enzymatic biocompatible sensors for continuous monitoring of vital health parameters.
Glucose Metabolism in 6-Phosphogluconolactonase Mutants of Escherichia coli

Absence of 6-phosphogluconolactonase alone slightly decreases the growth rate of Escherichia coli on glucose. In such a strain there is considerable, and possibly normal, use of the oxidative hexose monophosphate shunt, according to ribose specific activity after growth on [1-14C]glucose. Thus, absence of lactonase, even in a strain with genetic deletion of lactonase, does not block the shunt. A strain which lacks both phosphoglucose isomerase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase does not grow at all on glucose. A strain lacking isomerase and lactonase, however, does grow very slowly on glucose. Thus the shunt can function as the sole pathway of glucose metabolism in a lactonase mutant. Metabolism of 6-phosphogluconolactone past the enzyme block of the mutant probably occurs mainly by spontaneous hydrolysis, giving the normal product, gluconate 6-phosphate. However, some metabolism uses a new sequence of reactions bypassing the lactonase: dephosphorylation and excretion of gluconolactone, hydrolysis of the gluconolactone in the medium, and uptake and phosphorylation of the gluconic acid.
Quality management in gynecologic cytology using interlaboratory comparison.

Abstract Objective.—To describe a comprehensive integrated laboratory quality management plan for gynecologic cytology. Design and Setting.—Cytopathology laboratory performance monitors with interl...
Effect of prostaglandins E1 and F1α on the activities of cholesteryl ester synthetase and cholesteryl ester hydrolases of pigeon aorta in vitro

Abstract The in vitro effects of prostaglandins E 1 and F 1α on the activity of cholesteryl ester synthetase and cholesteryl ester hydrolase activities of the pigeon aorta were examined. It was found that prostaglandin E 1 markedly inhibited the cholesteryl ester hydrolase activity in the supernatant fraction and slightly inhibited the cholesteryl ester synthetase activity. Prostaglandin F 1α , however, modestly stimulated the cholesteryl ester hydrolase activity both in the microsomal and in the supernatant fraction of the aorta. These observations strongly warrant further studies on the role of prostaglandins in atherogenesis.
Clear and Present Strangers: The Clash of Civilizations and International Conflict

Huntington's (1993a, 1993b, 1996) clash of civilizations thesis suggests that states belonging to different civilizations are more likely to become involved in conflict with one another. To evaluate the empirical accuracy of Huntington's claims, we examined the relationship between civilization membership and interstate war between 1816 and 1992. We find that civilization membership was not significantly associated with the onset of interstate war during the Cold War era (1946–1988), which is consistent with one aspect of Huntington's thesis; however, we also find that for the pre–Cold War period (1816–1945) states of similar civilizations were more likely to fight each other than were those of different civilizations, which contradicts Huntington's thesis. Most importantly, our analysis reveals that during the post–Cold War era (1989–1992), the period in which Huntington contends that the clash of civilizations should be most apparent, civilization membership was not significantly associated with the probability of interstate war. All told, our findings challenge Huntington's claims and seriously undermine the policy recommendations that devolve from his clash of civilizations thesis.
Rapid phenotypic drug susceptibility assay for HIV-1 with a CCR5 expressing indicator cell line

Abstract Phenotypic drug susceptibility assays of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates generally use time-consuming, expensive assays with peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A new HIV-1 indicator cell line, MAGI-CCR5, has been developed and applied for this purpose. This cell line expresses human CD4, the two major HIV-1 coreceptors, CCR5 and CXCR4, the reporter gene β-galactosidase driven by the HIV-1 LTR, and quantitates infection within 48 h. A panel of reference strains and primary HIV-1 isolates were all found to infect this cell line. Susceptibility assays with a nucleoside (zidovudine, ZDV) and a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (nevirapine, NVP) were performed with reference and primary isolates. The assay was modified into two steps for protease inhibitor (indivinavir, IDV and ritonavir, RTV) susceptibility assays. Primary isolates derived from drug naive patients displayed mean baseline 50% effective concentrations (EC50) of 0.14 μM for ZDV, 0.33 μM for NVP, and 0.02 μM for IDV. Isolates derived from patients under treatment displayed increased EC50 concentrations. The MAGI-CCR5 cell line offers a rapid, efficient, and reproducible method of testing a wide range of HIV-1 isolates for drug susceptibility.
Soybean Germplasm Resistant to Races 1 and 2 of Heterodera glycines

Heterodera glycines Ichinohe is a serious pest of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in the USA. Several Races of H. glycines occur in the soybean growing areas. Soybean accessions with resistance to Races 3, 5, and 14 have been identified. Data on reaction of these accessions for Races 1 and 2 are not available. Our objective was to bioassay these accessions for resistance to H. glycines Races 1 and 2. Eighty-six accessions, host differentials, and susceptible control were bioassayed during 1995 to 1996 for each of the two Races in thermoregulated water baths in the greenhouse. The results indicated that 52 accessions had resistance to H. glycines Race 1, and 24 accessions had resistance to Race 2, respectively. Soybean PIs 89772, 90763, 404166, 404198A, 437654, 437690, 438489B, 567491A, and 567516C were either resistant or moderately resistant to both Races. These are potential resistance sources to H. glycines Races 1, and 2 for developing resistant soybean cultivars. These PI lines are being fingerprinted by means of molecular markers to identify the unique lines to allow broadening the diversity of resistance gene utilization.
Probabilistic databases for decision analysis

A probabilistic database is defined in a previous article [R. Cavallo and M. Pittarelli, Proc. 13th Int. Conf. on Very Large Databases (VLDB); 1987; see Ref. 9] as a collection of probability distributions over Cartesian products of finite variable domains. the concept is extended here to accommodate interval-valued probabilities. Algebraic operations for both real- and interval-valued probabilities databases analogous to those for relational databases are defined. Techniques for making inferences regarding joint distributions on subsets of the variables over which a probabilistic database is defined are developed. These are illustrated through application to a problem of decision analysis under partial uncertainty. Connections between the probabilistic database formalism and other forms of data representation are discussed.
New Trends in Gender and Mathematics Performance: A Meta-Analysis

In this article, we use meta-analysis to analyze gender differences in recent studies of mathematics performance. First, we meta-analyzed data from 242 studies published between 1990 and 2007, representing the testing of 1,286,350 people. Overall, d = 0.05, indicating no gender difference, and variance ratio = 1.08, indicating nearly equal male and female variances. Second, we analyzed data from large data sets based on probability sampling of U.S. adolescents over the past 20 years: the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth, the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, the Longitudinal Study of American Youth, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Effect sizes for the gender difference ranged between -0.15 and +0.22. Variance ratios ranged from 0.88 to 1.34. Taken together, these findings support the view that males and females perform similarly in mathematics.
A brief history of the Federal Depository Library Program: A personal perspective

Abstract The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) has served as a major public access point for government information for well over 130 years. Recent budget cuts to the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) appropriations and an increased use of electronic formats for dissemination purposes have created many changes and problems for the system and the depository libraries that serve it. This article discusses the history of the FDLP and the impact of new formats in the last 25 years—especially electronic information. It also discusses the future of the FDLP and some of the problems that electronic information has brought to depository libraries and the need of depository librarians to accept and manage these new formats.
An Adaptive Accelerated Proximal Gradient Method and its Homotopy Continuation for Sparse Optimization

We consider optimization problems with an objective function that is the sum of two convex terms: one is smooth and given by a black-box oracle, and the other is general but with a simple, known structure. We first present an accelerated proximal gradient (APG) method for problems where the smooth part of the objective function is also strongly convex. This method incorporates an efficient line-search procedure, and achieves the optimal iteration complexity for such composite optimization problems. In case the strong convexity parameter is unknown, we also develop an adaptive scheme that can automatically estimate it on the fly, at the cost of a slightly worse iteration complexity. Then we focus on the special case of solving the $$\ell _1$$l1-regularized least-squares problem in the high-dimensional setting. In such a context, the smooth part of the objective (least-squares) is not strongly convex over the entire domain. Nevertheless, we can exploit its restricted strong convexity over sparse vectors using the adaptive APG method combined with a homotopy continuation scheme. We show that such a combination leads to a global geometric rate of convergence, and the overall iteration complexity has a weaker dependency on the restricted condition number than previous work.
Novel multiple wide-baseline stereo approach for target ranging

Binocular stereo is recognized as a useful approach for extracting range information from images. This approach is passive and it can provide detailed depth information. In this paper we extend the area-based stereo approaches, to make them well suited for target ranging applications. In this domain it is required that the stereo approach should be able to handle relatively large depth of fields in outdoor environments. This is accomplished by using widebase lines in the placement of cameras. Also, in order to minimize the false alarms, multiple binocular cameras are utilized. Algorithmic development of this multiple widebaseline stereo approach is presented with the help of experiments use random dot stereograms. Preliminary evaluation with a series of outdoor images is also presented.
Parallel Question Parsing and Memory Retrieval

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to examine the relationship between question parsing and memory retrieval. Subjects read and answered questions about brief paragraphs. Questions varied in terms of the location of the question component relative to the presupposition. In the first experiment a single question word (True, Why, or When) was read either before or after the main concept being queried. Reading times for words in the presupposition were longer when the question word came first, but time to begin the answer was much faster. The results were replicated in a second experiment using more natural sentence constructions. The data support the hypothesis that question parsing and answer retrieval are not strictly serial processes. Several mechanisms that incorporate parallelism are discussed.
Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Presenting as a Pulmonary Mass

We describe an unusual case of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. It demonstrates the rare presentation of this disease with a pulmonary mass and the therapeutic response to plasmaphoresis and longterm chlorambucil therapy during a greater than two-year followup.
Examining the role of distress tolerance and negative urgency in binge eating behavior among women

The current study examined whether distress tolerance and negative urgency moderate the link between depressive symptoms and binge eating frequency, and between disordered eating attitudes and binge eating frequency. Young adult women (N=186) completed questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms, cognitive restraint, eating, shape and weight concerns, distress tolerance, impulsivity (including negative urgency), and binge eating. After controlling for body mass index, race/ethnicity, and other domains of impulsivity, negative urgency was significantly associated with binge eating above and beyond the influence of disordered eating attitudes and depressive symptoms. Distress tolerance, in contrast, was not associated with binge eating. In addition, neither negative urgency nor distress tolerance moderated the associations between disordered eating attitudes and binge eating frequency, or between depressive symptoms and binge eating. Results support the additive role of difficulties responding adaptively to distress in binge eating frequency, above and beyond the influence of emotional distress. Findings highlight the potential value of focusing on negative urgency in targeted treatments for binge eating among women. Importantly, results from the current study differ from those of previous research; these discrepancies could be the result of variations in sample characteristics and approaches to the assessment of binge eating behavior. Additional research, including longitudinal studies and research using "real-time" assessment strategies, such as ecological momentary assessment, is necessary to elucidate further the role of various emotion regulation strategies in maintaining binge eating behavior in adult women.
Some statistical aspects of microarray analysis

Microarray experiments are generally designed to identify genes from different cell lines or treatment groups that are expressed at significantly different levels. The goal of the analysis of the experimental data is to generate an ordered list of genes that are likely to be differentially expressed between groups. Unfortunately, even the most carefully designed and executed microarray experiments have large amounts of variation in the observed experimental values. If the experiment has been designed with statistical modeling of the data as an important consideration, then a large proportion of the systematic variation in the data can be removed. With less variation in the data, a more accurate ordered list of differentially expressed genes can be prepared. In this paper we demonstrate the statistical modeling process for microarray data, and the result of removing systematic variation from microarray experimental data. This can lead to a more accurate ordered list of differentially expressed experimental genes, which helps improve the quality of the genetic or proteomic inquiry
The Skeleton and the Sympathetic Nervous System: It's about Time!

In this edition of the JCEM, Farr et al. (1) explore the role of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis. They hypothesized that sympathetic tone would be increased in postmenopausal women and that this rise would be associated with a lower trabecular bone volume fraction in the radius, as well as decreased serum amino-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP), a marker of bone formation and osteopontin (1). To test their hypothesis, the investigators employed a well-recognized, albeit invasive method to measure sympathetic tone, i.e. intraarterial catheterization and microneurography of the peroneal nerve (2). Quantification of sympathetic activity was regressed against parameters of skeletal microarchitecture measured by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HRpQCT) as well as by indices of bone turnover; the results were then adjusted for age because both pre- and postmenopausal women were analyzed. Their results point to a potentially important inverse relationship between SNS output and trabecular bone mass in the radius, although not in the tibia, particularly in postmenopausal women (1). Cautiously, the authors call for more studies to definitively assess the importance of the SNS in modulating bone turnover.
Effects of Media Images on Attitudes Toward Tanning

Two experiments evaluated the effects of exposure to pictures of suntanned and untanned fashion models on attitudes regarding the importance of having a tan. In Experiment 1, 128 women were randomly assigned to view images of photographer's models that had been digitally altered to make it appear that the model either did or did not have a tan. Participants who viewed images of the models without a tan expressed significantly less positive attitudes toward tanning than did those who viewed the same models with a tan. In Experiment 2, 169 women were randomly assigned to view advertisements taken from fashion and beauty magazines that contained models who appeared to have suntanned skin, models who appeared not to have a tan, or no models at all. The results demonstrated that participants who viewed ads depicting models with untanned skin expressed less favorable attitudes toward tanning than did those who viewed control ads or those who viewed tan models. Given escalating skincancer rates, it is important ...
Reduction of splenic vascular resistance during perfusion by pluronic F68

Abstract Pluronic F68 (a nonionic surface-active agent) has been shown to decrease the vascular resistance in a series of 10 pig spleens perfused with human blood. Addition of Pluronic F68 produced a vascular resistance during heterologous perfusion comparable to that noted during homologous perfusion. In so doing it increased the duration of successful perfusion from 1 to 6 hours.
Behavioral Inference across Cultures: Using Telephones as a Cultural Lens

Most people carry mobile telephones, which automatically capture behavioral data and store it in service provider databases around the world. The different types of captured data can provide insight into human cultures. Examples from various cultures and hundreds of millions of individuals illustrate how phones can serve as a cultural lens, improving our understanding of social networks, outlier events, and a culture's pace of life.
Hydrodynamic modeling of flushing time in a small estuary of North Bay, Florida, USA

Abstract Freshwater fraction method is popular for cost-effective estimations of estuarine flushing time in response to freshwater inputs. However, due to the spatial variations of salinity, it is usually expensive to directly estimate the long-term freshwater fraction in the estuary from field observations. This paper presents the application of the 3D hydrodynamic model to estimate the distributions of salinity and thus the freshwater fractions for flushing time estimation. For a case study in a small estuary of the North Bay in Florida, USA, the hydrodynamic model was calibrated and verified using available field observations. Freshwater fractions in the estuary were determined by integrating freshwater fractions in model grids for the calculation of flushing time. The flushing time in the North Bay is calculated by the volume of freshwater fraction divided by the freshwater inflow, which is about 2.2 days under averaged flow conditions. Based on model simulations for a time series of freshwater inputs over a 2-year period, a power regression equation has been derived from model simulations to correlate estuarine flushing time to freshwater inputs. For freshwater input varying from 12 m 3 /s to 50 m 3 /s, flushing time in this small estuary of North Bay changes from 3.7 days to 1.8 days. In supporting estuarine management, the model can be used to examine the effects of upstream freshwater withdraw on estuarine salinity and flushing time.
Serological Differentiation of Three Species of Armillaria and Lentinula Edodes by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Using Immunized Chickens as a Source of Antibodies

Antibodies to three isolates each of Armillaria mellea, A. ostoyae, A. tabescens, and Lentinula edodes were isolated from eggs of immunized laying hens. The reactivity of each antibody preparation ...
Energy-efficient workload mapping in heterogeneous systems with multiple types of resources

Given the need to achieve higher performance without driving up power consumption, energy usage and heat dissipation, most chip manufacturers have shifted to multicore architectures. An important subcategory of such architectures are those that are heterogeneous in design. By providing heterogeneous processing elements with different performance and energy characteristics in the same system, heterogeneous architectures are expected to provide more flexibility for better energy efficiency. Indeed, prior work has shown that heterogeneous systems are able to reduce power and energy consumption compared to homogeneous systems. However, without power-aware application and data mapping methods that explicitly consider heterogeneity, such advantages cannot be fully exploited. Such methods are of interest for other reasons as well. For example, excessive power consumption may cause system unreliability (due to power constraints and local hot spots).
Reversible magnetization measurements of the anisotropic superconducting parameters of the infinite-layer electron-doped compound Sr0.90La0.10CuO2 apparent anisotropy crossover

Abstract We report the results and analysis of DC magnetization studies of grain-aligned powders of the infinite-layer electron-doped compounds Sr0.90La0.10CuO2. Magnetization data in the reversible temperature regime were analyzed to obtain the anisotropic superconducting parameters for this system. Three samples of Sr0.90La0.10CuO2 were studied, presumably with very slightly diffrent La or O concentrations. Typically, the extracted values of the coherence lengths (ξ∥=46 A, ξ⊥=30 A), the penetration depths (λ∥=290 nm, λ⊥=450 nm), the mass anisotrophy ( ( m ⊥ m ∥ ) 1 2 ≈1.5 ), and the lower and upper critical fields are appreciably less anisotropic than reported values for the electron-doped T′ phase materials, possibly because the infinite-layer compound has a significantly shorter interplanar spacing (3.4 A versus 6.0 A). One notable sample, moreover, exhibits an inverse anisotropy (( ( m ⊥ m ∥ ) 1 2 ≈0.6 ), further suggesting that this system behaves much like a three-dimensional metal.
A shed form of LDL receptor-related protein-1 regulates peripheral nerve injury and neuropathic pain in rodents

Injury to the peripheral nervous system (PNS) initiates a response controlled by multiple extracellular mediators, many of which contribute to the development of neuropathic pain. Schwann cells in an injured nerve demonstrate increased expression of LDL receptor–related protein–1 (LRP1), an endocytic receptor for diverse ligands and a cell survival factor. Here we report that a fragment of LRP1, in which a soluble or shed form of LRP1 with an intact α-chain (sLRP-α), was shed by Schwann cells in vitro and in the PNS after injury. Injection of purified sLRP-α into mouse sciatic nerves prior to chronic constriction injury (CCI) inhibited p38 MAPK activation (P-p38) and decreased expression of TNF-α and IL-1β locally. sLRP-α also inhibited CCI-induced spontaneous neuropathic pain and decreased inflammatory cytokine expression in the spinal dorsal horn, where neuropathic pain processing occurs. In cultures of Schwann cells, astrocytes, and microglia, sLRP-α inhibited TNF-α–induced activation of p38 MAPK and ERK/MAPK. The activity of sLRP-α did not involve TNF-α binding, but rather glial cell preconditioning, so that the subsequent response to TNF-α was inhibited. Our results show that sLRP-α is biologically active and may attenuate neuropathic pain. In the PNS, the function of LRP1 may reflect the integrated activities of the membrane-anchored and shed forms of LRP1.
Immunosuppression-induced susceptibility of inbred hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) to lethal-disease by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection.

The role of the immune response in the pathogenesis of lethal and non-lethal lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)-infections of young adult Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) of different strains was examined using immunosuppressive treatment with cyclophosphamide or with whole-body gamma-irradiation. In all hamsters, the LCMV strains, WE and Armstrong (ARM), caused systemic infections and induced comparable serum LCMV-antibody titers. However, lethal wasting-disease occurred which was hamster-strain and virus-strain dependent. With WE-inocula, MHA and PD4 inbred hamsters were all susceptible to lethal-disease and failed to completely eliminate infection. All LSH and CB inbred hamsters resisted lethal-disease and totally cleared WE-infection. Random colony-bred LVG hamsters and inbred LHC hamsters were intermediate in WE-susceptibility; some died with wasting, while others survived with minimal to no illness. ARM was avirulent for all hamsters and infections were totally cleared. By immunosuppressive treatment, all hamsters were rendered completely susceptible to lethaldisease by WE, and had unresolved infections and diminished serum LCMV-antibody titers. Immunosuppression also rendered all hamster strains partially susceptible to lethal infection by ARM. The hamster immune response was thus shown to suppress LCMV-infection and protect against lethal illness.
Methanesulfonyl fluoride, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, attenuates simple learning and memory deficits in ischemic rats.

Abstract Methanesulfonyl fluoride (MSF), a highly selective CNS inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, has been recently demonstrated to promote improvement in cognitive performance in patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type. Because a similar cognitive impairment may accompany stroke, we investigated in the present study whether treatment with MSF could produce beneficial effects in adult rats subjected to an experimental stroke model. Sprague–Dawley rats received transient 60 min intraluminal occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery (MCAo) and were given i.p. injections of either MSF (1 mg/kg at 24 and 48 h post-MCAo and 0.3 mg/kg thereafter every other day) or the vehicle, peanut oil, for 4 weeks. Behavioral tests and biochemical assays were performed at 28 days post-surgery. MSF treatment produced about 90% inhibition of acetylcholinesterase in the brain. Ischemic animals that received the vehicle displayed significant elevated body swing biased activity (84.8 ± 10%) and significantly prolonged acquisition (398 ± 62 s) and shortened retention (79 ± 26 s) of the passive avoidance task. Interestingly, while the ischemic animals that received the MSF exhibited elevated body swing biased activity (87.7 ± 8%), they performed significantly better in the passive avoidance task (255 ± 36 s and 145 ± 18 s in acquisition and retention) than the vehicle-treated animals. Moreover, whereas brains from both groups of animals revealed similar extent and degree of cerebral infarction, the MSF-treated ischemic animals showed more intense immunoreactivity, as well as a significantly higher number (10–15% increase) of septal choline acetyltransferase-positive cells than the vehicle-treated ischemic animals. These results show that MSF, possibly by preserving a functional cholinergic system, attenuated stroke-induced deficits in a simple learning and memory task.