cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Permeability for flow normal to a sparse array of fibres

Abstract Solutions for flow normal to an array of fibers (visualized as circular cylinders) arranged in a square array were determined using a finite element formulation. The calculated results were used to obtain the permeability for flow through the system with as little as 0.01 volume fraction solid and for a Reynolds number up to 40. These results can be used to estimate permeabilities for infiltrating fiber composites or for modeling the solidification of dendritic alloys with transport phenomena in porous media.
Changes in Curricula and Method in Kindergarten Education

(1925). Changes in Curricula and Method in Kindergarten Education. Childhood Education: Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 99-106.
Probability distributions for the strength of composite materials I: two-level bounds

An upper bound is obtained on the probability distribution for the strength of composite materials. The analysis is based on the chain-of-bundles probability model, and local load sharing is assumed for the nonfailed fiber elements in each bundle. The bound is based on the occurence of two or more adjacent broken fibers in a bundle. This event is necessary but not sufficient for the failure of the material. Two distributions are assumed for fiber strength: the usual Weibull distribution and a more realistic double version which has much the effect of putting a ceiling on fiber strength. For large composite materials, the upper bound becomes a Weibull distribution but with a shape parameter which is twice that for the individual fibers. The bound is always conservative, but it is extremely tight when the variability in fiber strength is low. In typical cases, the use of the double Weibull distribution for fiber strength is shown not to affect the behavior of the bound significantly. In view of the additional experimental and computational labor involved, its use in practice may not be justified in such cases. However, its use does shed light on fracture processes in composite materials.
Electronic spectroscopy and electronic structure of the smallest metal clusters: the diatomic 3D transition metal aluminides

A systematic study of the electronic spectroscopy, electronic structure, and chemical bonding has been initiated for the 3d series of diatomic transition metal aluminides. This report provides a review of the progress to date, with specific emphasis on AlCa, AlV, AlCr, AlMn, AlCo, AlNi, AlCu, and AlZn.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Jamming-Aware Randomized Spectrum Sharing in Cognitive Radio Communication Networks

We investigatein this paper spectrum sharing techniques for multiple unlicensed userstoshareanavailablesparechannelincognitiveradionetworks. Inparticular,consideringasingle-slotted aloha channel access model, we develop an effcient transmission framework that enablesthe detection of jamming attacks. The proposed transmission strategy adopts a randomized PN-codeassignmentforeach transmissionslot. Furthermore,giventhePN-basedtransmissionframe-work, a two-step jamming detection algorithm is also devised by combining an energy detectorand a correlation detector. Theoretical analysis of the detection performance is presented and theimpactofsystemparameters is demonstratedthroughnumericalexamples.
Cytokinesis of Candida albicans by Diethylstilbestrol

In vitro effects of the synthetic oestrogenic hormone diethylstilbestrol (DS) and diethylstilbestrol dipropionate (DSP) on Candida albicans have been assessed. At a concentration of 5–20 μg/ml. these compounds suppressed the growth of C. albicans even though the multiplication of the organism was not influenced immediately. When C. albicans was grown for approximately 4 h in tryptic soy broth, its multiplication was rapidly retarded by these two substances. Since C. albicans must grow on a suitable culture medium in order to absorb DS and DSP, it was not surprising that respiration, the uptake, and incorporation of nutrients by C. albicans was not influenced when the cells were ‘resting’. Such plasma steroids as androsterone (0·5 μg/ml), 5α-androstan-3 β-diol (0·25 μg/ml), dehydroisoandrosterone (2 μg/ml), epiandrosterone (0·1 μg/ml), oestrone (0·1 μg/ml), progesterone (0·4 μg/ml), cortisol (0·2 μg/ml), cholesterol (10 μg/ml) in combination with DSP did not antagonize the retardive action of DSP for C. albicans.
The chronological distribution of enamel hypoplasias from prehistoric Dickson Mounds populations.

The chronological distributions of enamel hypoplasias (indicators of nonspecific stress) are assessed for 111 individuals from two prehistoric populations from Dickson Mounds, Lewiston, Illinois. The earlier population (circa A.D. 950-1150) involves a transition from an indigenous gathering-hunting tradition to increasing adoption of Mississippian lifeways. The later population (circa A.D. 1150-1300) is fully Mississippian (MM). Based on the occurrence of hypoplasias on all permanent teeth except third molars, 14 half-year periods from birth to 7.0 years are graded for evidence of hypoplasia-stress. Both populations have a low frequency of hypoplasia which occur before 2 years of age and after 4 years of age. A common peak frequency of hypoplasias between 2.0 and 4.0 years is suggestive of an elevated degree of stress at weaning. The peak frequency of hypoplasias is earlier in the MM (2.5-3.0 years versus 3.0-3.5 years in the pre-Mississippian population). In addition, the rise to and decline from peak frequency occurs approximately 0.5 years earlier in the MM. The earlier and sharper rise to peak frequency suggests earlier and more severe weanling-related stress. Hypoplasias chronologies are undoubtedly influenced by age-related host resistance factors (Sarnat and Schour, 1941). Nevertheless, these data demonstrate that populations may vary in their chronological distribution of hypoplasias and that these variations may provide useful information on age-related patterns of exposure to environmental stressors.
Selection of optimal tropical cyclone motion guidance using an objective classification tree methodology

Abstract A number of tropical cyclone track forecast aids are available to the forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) at Guam. These aids typically provide conflicting guidance and no single aid provides consistently superior guidance in every situation. The basic assumption in this study is that synoptic factors and storm-related parameters can be used to predict the performance of each objective aid under various situations. The algorithm of Breiman et al. is used to derive objectively a classification tree to select which of eight objective aids has the lowest 72-h forecast error. The path by which each case traverses the classification tree consists of a series of branches or “decisions.” These branches, which ultimately result in the selection of an objective aid to be utilized in each case, may be physically interpreted in most cases. The branches of the classification tree in this study are highly dependent upon empirical orthogonal function coefficient values of the environmental w...
A Discriminant Analysis of the Factors Associated With the Career Plans of String Music Educators

The purpose of this study was to explore factors that may affect string teachers' career decisions. Six hundred string teachers were mailed a questionnaire designed to elicit responses about multiple factors and projected career plans in 1 year and in 5 years, and 304 teachers responded. The majority of teachers planned to remain in their positions the following year, whereas only half planned to remain in their positions in 5 years. Analyses indicated that work culture, perceptions about music's importance in the curriculum, satisfaction with student characteristics, psychological factors, and teacher socioeconomic background may affect immediate career plans. Further analyses indicated that work culture, satisfaction with student characteristics, psychological factors, and teaching experience were related to long-term career plans. In the Year 1 discriminant analysis, Stayers was the only group adequately classified. In the Year 5 analysis, Stayers were classified most accurately. Migrators and Leavers ...
The effect of delay of punishment on choice behavior

Twenty-four rats were trained to respond to two bars for reward delayed 30 sec. Shock was introduced contingent upon a response to the preferred bar during 120 choice trials during test. Group 1 received immediate shock, Group 2 received shock 24 sec after responding, and Group 3 received the 24-sec delayed shock, plus a signal between response and shock. Group 4 received Group 3 training plus 40 signal-shock pairings before testing. Response shift away from the preferred bar was significantly less in Group 2 than in the other groups, which were virtually indistinguishable.
Inverse cutting plane methods for optimization problems with second-order stochastic dominance constraints

We propose new cutting plane methods for solving optimization problems with second-order stochastic dominance constraints. The methods are based on the inverse formulation of stochastic dominance constraints using Lorenz functions. Convergence of the methods is proved for general probability distributions. For general discrete distributions convergence is finite. Numerical experiments on a portfolio problem confirm efficiency of the methods.
A Modification of the Functional Theory of Social Stratification

SOCIOLOGISTS know a great deal about what social stratification consists of and L how it operates, but little attention has been given to determining why this persistent phenomenon is found in every known society and why it assumes such varied forms. Davis and Moore have put forth a systematic theory to answer these questions, but some students have questioned the assumptions on which their theory rests and its adequacy to account for all the known facts of stratification.' In this paper we shall consider some of the objections to the Davis-Moore theory and propose a modification of it designed to account for the facts more adequately on the basis of more tenable assumptions. The Davis-Moore theory may be summarized as follows: Stratification is a "device by which societies insure that the most important positions are conscientiously filled by the most qualified persons" and "those positions convey the best reward, and hence have the highest rank, which (a) have the greatest importance for the society and (b) require the greatest training or talent."2 Great effort and sacrifice are entailed in medical training, for example; and doctors must receive high rewards or else no one will want to fill the socially important position of doctor. Garbage collecting, while important, requires little training; so garbagemen need not be offered high rewards. There is no scarcity of potential garbagemen, but there is a scarcity of qualified physicians. The adequacy of this theory and its assumptions can be questioned on several grounds: (1) The importance of a position is difficult if not impossible to evaluate. (2) Some positions exist and are rewarded which do not seem to contribute to society at large; for example, the valet or the kept woman. (3) Some positions are given greater rewards than appear warranted by either their importance to society or the difficulty of training for them; for example, motion picture stars. (4) The theory implies an assumption that any scheme of stratification is somehow the best that could be had, that the prevailing distribution of rewards comes into being somehow because it is "functionally necessary." The following section will consider these objections to the functional theory of stratification, and the remainder of the paper will propose a modification of the theory which will take them into account.
Volunteered geographic information production as a spatial process

Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit and a popular example of user-generated content that includes volunteered geographic information VGI. In this article, we present three main contributions: 1 a spatial data model and collection methods to study VGI in systems that may not explicitly support geographic data; 2 quantitative methods for measuring distance between online authors and articles; and 3 empirically calibrated results from a gravity model of the role of distance in VGI production. To model spatial processes of VGI contributors, we use an invariant exponential gravity model based on article and author proximity. We define a proximity metric called a ‘signature distance’ as a weighted average distance between an article and each of its authors, and we estimate the location of 2.8 million anonymous authors through IP geolocation. Our study collects empirical data directly from 21 language-specific Wikipedia databases, spanning 7 years of contributions 2001–2008 to nearly 1 million geotagged articles. We find empirical evidence that the spatial processes of anonymous contributors fit an exponential distance decay model. Our results are consistent with the prior results on information diffusion as a spatial process, but run counter to theories that a globalized Internet neutralizes distance as a determinant of social behaviors.
Towards observable signatures of other bubble universes

We evaluate the possibility of observable effects arising from collisions between vacuum bubbles in a universe undergoing false-vacuum eternal inflation. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we find that under certain assumptions most positions inside a bubble should have access to a large number of collision events. We calculate the expected number and angular size distribution of such collisions on an observer's ``sky,'' finding that for typical observers the distribution is anisotropic and includes many bubbles, each of which will affect the majority of the observer's sky. After a qualitative discussion of the physics involved in collisions between arbitrary bubbles, we evaluate the implications of our results, and outline possible detectable effects. In an optimistic sense, then, the present paper constitutes a first step in an assessment of the possible effects of other bubble universes on the cosmic microwave background and other observables.
High Temperature Erosion Study of Metals Used in Turbomachinery

Gas turbine engines operating in dusty environments are exposed to severe erosion, especially the compressor and the turbine components. Predicting erosion in rotating machinery is a very complex problem. In order to provide the basis for alloy selection in future turbines using pulverized coal, an investigation is undertaken to obtain a basic understanding of the mechanisms of erosion at high temperatures. For this purpose, a test facility has been designed to simulate the aerodynamic and thermodynamic conditions in the turbine. The effects of high temperature on the erosion rate for different alloys are experimentally determined and the results obtained are presented in this paper. The findings are very important in predicting erosion rate for future turbomachinery exposed to particulate flows.Copyright © 1984 by ASME
Abstract 1114: Loss of OPA1 expression results in apoptosis for cells overexpressing c-Myc

c-Myc (Myc) is a transcription factor that controls the expression of a vast array of genes that function in many essential cellular pathways, and high levels of Myc have been implicated in the development of many human cancers. One pathway that Myc controls is mitochondrial biogenesis. We have previously shown that Myc does this is in part via the regulation of the expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial fusion, including Opa1, whose levels are increased upon the over-expression of Myc. This results in a highly interconnected mitochondrial network in cells with high levels of Myc. This fused mitochondrial network is present despite the fact that Myc also increases the expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial fission as well. We sought to understand how Myc controls the expression of Opa1 and to determine if the high levels of mitochondrial fusion in Myc over-expressing cells are important in cellular transformation. We hypothesized that the increased mitochondrial fusion driven by the Myc-mediated increase in Opa1 may reduce apoptosis. Rat fibroblasts with inducible Myc expression were transfected with an OPA1-specific shRNA. These cells were characterized by a series of assays that measured different aspects of mitochondrial structure and function. After only 48h of Myc induction, mitochondrial mass increased by approximately two-fold compared to control cells; however, when Opa1 levels were reduced in this background (Myc+/Opa-), mitochondrial mass was decreased four-fold. The cells with decreased Opa1 expression but minimal Myc activity (Myc-/Opa-) had a punctate appearance to the mitochondria, which became even more dramatic in Myc+/Opa- cells. This was likely related to the ability of Myc to increase the proteins involved in fission. There was an approximate 50% decrease in the ability to perform oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) when Myc-/Opa- cells were compared to Myc+/Opa- cells. This was consistent with the four-fold decrease in net ATP levels when Myc-/Opa- cells were compared to Myc+/Opa- cells. Finally, prolonged activation of Myc in cells with decreased expression of OPA1 leads to apoptosis. After 48 hours of Myc induction the Myc+/Opa- cells the cells gradually began to die and cultures were nearly devoid of viable cells within 10 days, whereas Myc-/Opa- cells remained almost completely viable. We believe that the unopposed mitochondrial fission in Myc+/Opa- cells results in an increase susceptibility to an early apoptotic death. The mechanisms involved in this phenomenon are being explored, as is the possibility of exploiting this consequence of Opa1 reduction as a means of selectively eliminating tumor cells that display Myc over-expression. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1114. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1114
Birth control, income redistribution, and the rate of saving: the case of Mexico.

If different groups of people in a low-income society save at different average rates, a program of birth control may affect the aggregate rate of saving by changing the relative shares of income accruing to these groups. A model is outlined in which this process occurs. The only group that saves is profit recipients; peasants and secondary sector employees consume all their income. A decline in fertility leads to a lower demand for food and a lower price of food. This results in a lower money supply price of labor in the secondary sector, and hence greater profits and greater saving. On the other hand, a fertility decline may eventually produce a higher real standard of living among rural workers, hence a higher supply price of secondary sector labor, lower profits and lower saving. These effects are investigated in a simulation of Mexican economic growth with (a) constant high fertility and (b) a declining birth rate such as might occur if a successful national birth control program were instituted. The birth control program results in a higher rate of aggregate saving over the first several decades, and eventually a lower rate of saving once a higher standard of living has been attained.
Beyond Eliashberg Superconductivity in MgB 2 : Anharmonicity, Two-Phonon Scattering, and Multiple Gaps

Density-functional calculations of the phonon spectrum and electron-phonon coupling in $\mathrm{MgB}{}_{2}$ are presented. The ${E}_{2g}$ phonons, which involve in-plane B displacements, couple strongly to the ${p}_{x,y}$ electronic bands. The isotropic electron-phonon coupling constant is calculated to be about 0.8. Allowing for different order parameters in different bands, the superconducting $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ in the clean limit is calculated to be significantly larger. The ${E}_{2g}$ phonons are strongly anharmonic, and the nonlinear contribution to the coupling between the ${E}_{2g}$ modes and the ${p}_{x,y}$ bands is significant.
Effect of transglutaminase-catalyzed polymerization of β-casein on its emulsifying properties

β-Casein was polymerized to various extents by the transglutaminase-catalyzed cross-linking reaction. Under the reaction conditions used, dimer, trimer, and tetramer of β-casein were produced as predominant species at short reaction times (20−90 min) and large polymers at longer reaction times (3−24 h). Examination of the emulsifying properties of these cross-linked β-casein polymers showed that although the emulsifying activity index decreased, the storage stability of the emulsions increased with increasing degree of polymerization. Experiments with mixtures of native and polymerized β-casein also showed that increasing the fraction of polymerized β-casein in the mixture increased the emulsion stability. This enhancement of emulsion stability might be due either to an enhancement in steric stabilization, attributable to the branched nature of the trasgutaminase-catalyzed polymers, or to stronger cohesive interactions between polymerized β-casein molecules than between monomeric β-casein molecules in the...
A systematic review of antiepileptic drug initiation and withdrawal.

Background:The proper clinical context to initiate or discontinue antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment has been extensively studied over the past 40 years. Differences in study design and methodology have led to reports of seizure recurrence rates of 7% to 96% in drug initiation trials and seizure rel
Annealing behavior of gold absorber in x-ray masks

Abstract The stress of gold electrodeposited on membranes of Si, SiC, SiN, and BN was measured using a high precision resonant frequency technique. Measurements were made at room temperature (RT) and between 20 and 350 °C. After annealing, the RT stress was always more tensile than the as deposited stress. This is caused by plastic deformation of the gold at high temperature, resulting from its higher expansion coefficient relative to the substrate.
Three-dimensional liver cell cultures enhance urea synthesis and drug metabolism

Tissue engineering within three-dimensional scaffolds represents a developing field with the potential to create in vitro livers. Human liver cells, HepG2, respond to cues in their immediate microenvironment by modulating cell functions including cell proliferation, urea synthesis and drug metabolism. The importance of three-dimensional environments draws from the fact that it has been extensively used for guided tissue regeneration. HepG2 cells grown in traditional two-dimensional supports were compared to three-dimensional cultures in polystyrene scaffolds. The 5-day experimental study examined the effects of the different environments on HepG2 cell urea synthesis using a quantitative colorimetric assay and drug metabolism-specific function using the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase substrate, 7-ethoxy-4-trifluoromethyl-coumarin. The function of liver cells grown on three-dimensional scaffolds was enhanced compared to the activity of cells grown on two-dimensional supports. The results suggest that HepG2 liver cell function in three-dimensional environments more closely mimic physiological responses than existing two-dimensional culture systems.
Measuring the Demand for Court Services: A Critique of the Federal District Courts Case Weights

Abstract The case weights used by the Federal District Courts are evaluated in conceptual terms and in terms of the sample design used recently to reestimate the weights. The weights are shown to be conceptually inferior to another set and to be seriously underestimated. A closed form expression is derived for the underestimation bias and is used to show the probable magnitude of the underestimation.
Is Bigger Better? The Small Farm Imaginary and Fair Trade Banana Production in the Dominican Republic

Fair Trade is a certification system designed to create social change in production and consumption patterns, primarily in agricultural products, by shaping what happens on the production end of the supply chain through a certification and regulatory system. Previous research on Fair Trade investigated the workings and benefits of Fair Trade production models, with little attention paid to how the Fair Trade model might fail to meet its objectives. Research on Fair Trade would suggest that if inequality and exploitation exist in the Fair Trade supply chain, it would be experienced by the most marginalized actors, such as the temporary workers hired by smallhold farmers, who are frequently invisible in the Fair Trade literature and documents on banana production in the Caribbean. Through a global ethnography of the organic and Fair Trade banana supply chain in the Dominican Republic, this research reveals how Fair Trade as a “spatial fix” for capital and a “small farm imaginary” work to marginalize a parti...
The benzene metabolite trans,trans-muconaldehyde blocks gap junction intercellular communication by cross-linking connexin43

Benzene is used at large volumes in many different human activities. Hematotoxicity and cancer-causation as a result of benzene exposure was recognized many years ago, but the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Aberrant regulation of gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) has been linked to both cancer induction and interference with normal hematopoietic development. We have previously suggested that inhibition of GJIC may play a role in benzene toxicity since benzene metabolites were found to block GJIC, the ring-opened trans,trans-muconaldehyde (MUC) being the most potent metabolite. In the present work we have studied the molecular mechanisms underlying the MUC-induced inhibition of gap junctional communication. We show that MUC induces cross-linking of the gap junction protein connexin43 and that this is likely to be responsible for the induced inhibition of GJIC, as well as the loss of connexin43 observed in Western blots. We also show that glutaraldehyde possesses similar effects as MUC, and we compare the effects to that of formaldehyde. The fact that glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde have been associated with induction of leukemia as well as disturbance of hematopoiesis, strengthens the possible link between the effect of MUC on gap junctions, and the toxic effects of benzene.
A note on the role of dilatation in the fracture of viscoelastic elastomer

Fracture models addressing crack propagation in viscoelastic materials typically draw on cohesive force distributions coupled with a linearly viscoelastic constitutive material description. While the resulting formulation of the crack speed as a function of applied loads provides good agreement with measurements on polyurethane rubber as well as three other rubbery solids studied by A. N. Gent on the more global scale, the size of the cohesive zone required to match theory and measurements is unreasonably small. Although this glaring discrepancy has not deterred the use of the theory for viscoelastic fracture, it has remained a troublesome question on the wider applications to polymer fracture. The present note revisits this issue and draws on results developed during the past decade to explain this discrepancy via the effect of stress-induced dilatation on the relaxation or retardation times of viscoelastic solids.
Polymorphism in multiallelic migration―selection models with dominance

The evolution of the gene frequencies at a single multiallelic locus under the joint action of migration and viability selection with dominance is investigated. The monoecious, diploid population is subdivided into finitely many panmictic colonies that exchange adult migrants independently of genotype. Underdominance and overdominance are excluded. If the degree of dominance is deme independent for every pair of alleles, then under the Levene model, the qualitative evolution of the gene frequencies (i.e., the existence and stability of the equilibria) is the same as without dominance. In particular: (i) the number of demes is a generic upper bound on the number of alleles present at equilibrium; (ii) there exists exactly one stable equilibrium, and it is globally attracting; and (iii) if there exists an internal equilibrium, it is globally asymptotically stable. Analytic examples demonstrate that if either the Levene model does not apply or the degree of dominance is deme dependent, then the above results can fail. A complete global analysis of weak migration and weak selection on a recessive allele in two demes is presented.
Control and accountability: from hanging chads to the US presidential election

The fiasco of the 2000 US presidential election and the uproar that ensued with the millions of dollars in legal costs for both sides point to serious problems in the election process. No reputable company would tolerate such mishaps or could hope to survive such turmoil. Governments, however, have a way of procrastinating and surviving in spite of such gross incompetence. It is ironic that the USA, where so many technology‐related firms flourish, would use such antiquated and unreliable voting machines. It is also curious how different counties are allowed to use a set of haphazard and non‐uniform forms and instructions in voting, such as those used in Florida in particular. It is also a note of utmost concern that the judicial process which is supposed to serve as a watch‐dog over politics and partisanship has also become a tool in high‐powered political squabbling. Lays out the scenario and explains how a business entity would have approached such a problem through the use of internal and external auditors, managers, accountants, and system designers.
The rewards, risks and challenges of regional tobacco tax harmonisation

Combining international relations theory and a technical discussion of tobacco taxation, we examine prospects for regional tobacco tax harmonization and how it might heighten the positive effects of taxation for public health. The specific rewards of harmonized tobacco taxation that follow “best practices” might reasonably include increased tax revenue, higher prices for tobacco products and related decreases in tobacco consumption and/or smoking prevalence. Harmonization, however, is often politically and technically challenging as each region has political and economic idiosyncrasies that create multiple, and often conflicting constraints on tax harmonization. For example, governments must overcome different types of collective action problems to agree politically on harmonized policy. Though there is no “one size fits all” approach, we find that setting appropriate and realistic goals and developing reasonable expectations are important for success.
Depression, weight gain, and low birth weight adolescent delivery: do somatic symptoms strengthen or weaken the relationship?

Abstract Objective To determine if omission of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) items that assess the somatic symptoms of depression improves the psychometric properties of the scale and utility of the CES-D diagnosis of depression for predicting four adverse obstetrical outcomes that have been tentatively linked to maternal depression. Methods A cohort of 1684 13–21-year-old participants in an adolescent-oriented maternity program completed the CES-D at enrollment. Chi-square analyses were used to compare the predictive capacity of depression diagnosed by the full CES-D and the 14-item non-somatic subscale of the CES-D. The reliability and construct validity of the two scales were also compared. Results Removing the somatic component of the CES-D decreased the proportion of adolescents who met screening criteria for depression. However, it did not improve the psychometric properties of the scale. The reliability (Cronbach α: 0.87) and construct validity (depressed adolescents were significantly more psychologically stressed and had poorer social support) of the two scales were equivalent. Regardless of the scale used, adolescent mothers who were depressed in the second and third trimesters were at increased risk for inadequate weight gain and both small for gestational age fetuses and preterm delivery (ORs 1.6–1.8). The differences in case definition and predictive capacity were most evident when the CES-D was administered during the first trimester. However, overall effect sizes were nearly identical with the two scales. Conclusion Removing the somatic component does not improve the psychometric properties of the CES-D or the predictive capacity of the CES-D diagnosis of depression for three sentinel obstetrical outcomes. This information should be reassuring to researchers and clinicians as most studies of the causes and consequences of maternal depression during and after pregnancy use the full CES-D scale.
Generation and direct observation of the thioxanthenyl and N-methyl acridinyl anions; A family of stable, paratropic, “4N” π-excessives

Abstract The title, thermally stable, heterocarbanions (2a, 2b) were generated upon respective exposure of conjugate acids 4(a,b) to a KNH2/liq. NH3 system and were shown (NMR) to possess (2a more than 2b) distinct elements of paratropicity.
Upper and Lower Temperature Tolerances of Juvenile Freshwater Game-Fish Species Exposed to 32 days of Cycling Temperatures

Temperature tolerance quantified as CTminima and CTmaxima of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) periodically measured during 32 days of exposure to a 10 °C diel thermoperiod were compared to those determined at constant acclimation temperatures equal to the minimum, midpoint and maximum of each species’ thermoperiod. The diel thermoperiod for channel catfish and largemouth bass extended from 20 to 30 °C while rainbow trout were cycled between 10 and 20 °C. A hypothesis that the zone of temperature tolerance would be enlarged during exposure to a 10 °C thermoperiod was tested. Mean CTmaxima and CTminima during cycling ranged from 38.5 to 39.6 °C and 6.1 to 6.6 °C (channel catfish), 35.6 to 37.3 °C and 5.9 to 7.7 °C (largemouth bass) and 27.3 to 29.3 °C and 0.1 to 1.4 °C (rainbow trout). Our data indicate that with one exception both upper and lower temperature tolerance for each of these three species exposed to the diel temperature cycle were more similar to those of fish acclimated to a constant temperature near the midpoint of the thermoperiod than to either the minimum or maximum temperature of the cycle. The exception occurred in rainbow trout where the mean CTmaximum during cycling was equivalent to an acclimation temperature midway between the mean and peak acclimation temperature. Furthermore, in all three species the temperature tolerance scope (CTmaximum − CTminimum) was less in fish exposed to the thermoperiod used in this research. The temperature tolerance ability of any of the three test species was not enhanced.
Extensor spasms triggered by imposed knee extension in chronic human spinal cord injury

Extensor spasms, which are a significant component of spasticity in spinal cord injury (SCI), are still incompletely understood. In this study, contributions of knee proprioceptors to the origination of extensor spasms were examined in fifteen subjects with SCI. Ramp and hold knee extension perturbations were imposed to one leg while the hip and ankle were held in an isometric position using an instrumented leg brace. Isometric joint torques of knee, ankle and hip, and electromyograms (EMGs) from six muscles of the leg were recorded following controlled knee extension at four different velocities. Tests were conducted with the hip in both flexed and extended positions. A stereotypical torque response consisting of hip flexion, knee extension, and ankle plantar flexion was observed following knee perturbations, although not all components were demonstrated in every subject. During the hold periods with the knee extended, EMG activity recorded from the vastus medialis, medial gastrocnemius and rectus femoris demonstrated patterns consistent with clinical observations of extensor spasms. Furthermore, larger responses were observed with the hip in the extended vs. flexed position (p<0.05). Such behaviors emphasize the role of knee and hip proprioceptors in the initiation of extensor spasms in human SCI. This knowledge may be especially helpful in identifying rehabilitation strategies for producing functional movements in human SCI.
The coastline fit of Africa and South America

Abstract It has become axiomatic that the pre-drift reconstruction of Africa and South America is to be made by fitting together the continental shelves. Although this procedure is very plausible, actually the detailed fit of the coastlines is better than that of the shelves and the overall fit is remarkable, provided the angle of the Gulf of Guinea is decreased by 16°. A past increase in this angle is implied by the rift valleys in the vicinity of the Niger and Benue rivers. A comparison with the Red Sea shows a striking similarity in the nature of the fracture and gives some clues as to the significance of the coastline fit in both of these cases. This method of fitting (which may correspond to the early stages of the pre-separation rifting) is consistentwith, but does not prove, the hypothesis of earth expansion.
Increased sensitivity in neuroimaging analyses using robust regression

Robust regression techniques are a class of estimators that are relatively insensitive to the presence of one or more outliers in the data. They are especially well suited to data that require large numbers of statistical tests and may contain outliers due to factors not of experimental interest. Both these issues apply particularly to neuroimaging data analysis. We use simulations to compare several robust techniques against ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, and we apply robust regression to second-level (group brandom effectsQ) analyses in three fMRI datasets. Our results show that robust iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS) at the 2nd level is a computationally efficient technique that both increases statistical power and decreases false positive rates in the presence of outliers. The benefits of IRLS are apparent with small samples (n = 10) and increase with larger sample sizes (n = 40) in the typical range of group neuroimaging experiments. When no true effects are present, IRLS controls false positive rates at an appropriate level. We show that IRLS can have substantial benefits in analysis of group data and in estimating hemodynamic response shapes from time series data. We provide software to implement IRLS in group neuroimaging analyses.
Economic Implications and Post-Institutionalisation Policy

The previous two chapters identified and analysed the transformational approaches which were employed in the East German case as a mixture of non-deterministic evolutionary approaches with the dominance of ordo-liberal thoughts and principles of the property rights school. At this point it becomes necessary to investigate the real adjustment of the economic process to form the basis for an evaluation of these chosen approaches and to point to their limitations. It will be found that the transitional period is characterised by adjustment deficiencies. Deficiencies were identified by authorities initiating economic policy. These policies will be presented and it will be shown that they have predominantly focused on macroeconomic aggregates and neglect some of the behavioural deficiencies which were created by the chosen institutional approach. These findings present room to refer to some approaches presented in Chapter 2 which will be further analysed in the next chapter. A methodological justification of the referral to the empirical analysis is given with the fondamental assumption by the author that it is important to evaluate employed political means and instruments with regard to their intended effects if one wishes to assess the effectiveness of the economic policies and approaches chosen. To remind the reader, the fundamental objectives of the economic transformation were identified as creating a market economy with decentralised decision-making authority.
Dissimilarity computation through low rank corrections

Most of the energy of a multivariate feature is often contained in a low dimensional subspace. We exploit this property for the efficient computation of a dissimilarity measure between features using an approximation of the Bhattacharyya distance. We show that for normally distributed features the Bhattacharyya distance is a particular case of the Jensen-Shannon divergence, and thus evaluation of this distance is equivalent to a statistical test about the similarity of the two populations. The accuracy of the proposed approximation is tested for the task of texture retrieval.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and overall survival in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a systematic review

AbstractA summary of the evidence pertaining to the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and overall survival in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is not currently available. We thus reviewed the literature on the association between MTFHR C677T and overall survival in pediatric ALL. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and ISI Web of Knowledge literature databases without language restrictions to identify observational studies among children diagnosed between ages 0 and 19 years that assessed MTHFR 677 polymorphisms in relation to ALL survival. We identified six studies comprising 909 pediatric patients with ALL. The magnitude of relative risk (RR) for pediatric ALL mortality varied by genotype comparison and study population, ranging from RR = 0.84 (95% confidence limits [CL]: 0.24, 3.0) for a TT vs. CT/CC comparison to RR = 7.0 (95% CL: 0.98, 49) for a TT vs. CC comparison. The current evidence suggests that individuals with MTHFR 677 variants (i.e. at least on...
A G/C Element Mediates Repression of the SM22α Promoter Within Phenotypically Modulated Smooth Muscle Cells in Experimental Atherosclerosis

A hallmark of smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotypic switching in atherosclerotic lesions is suppression of SMC differentiation marker gene expression. Yet little is known regarding the molecular mechanisms that control this process. Here we show that transcription of the SMC differentiation marker gene SM22alpha is reduced in atherosclerotic lesions and identify a cis regulatory element in the SM22alpha promoter required for this process. Transgenic mice carrying the SM22alpha promoter-beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) reporter transgene were crossed to apolipoprotein E (ApoE)-/- mice. Cells of the fibrous cap, intima, and underlying media showed complete loss of beta-gal activity in advanced atherosclerotic lesions. Of major significance, mutation of a G/C-rich cis element in the SM22alpha promoter prevented the decrease in SM22alpha promoter-beta-gal reporter transgene expression, including in cells that compose the fibrous cap of the lesion and in medial cells in proximity to the lesion. To begin to assess mechanisms whereby the G/C repressor element mediates suppression of SM22alpha in atherosclerosis, we tested the hypothesis that effects may be mediated by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced increases in the G/C binding transcription factor Sp1. Consistent with this hypothesis, results of studies in cultured SMCs showed that: (1) PDGF-BB increased expression of Sp1; (2) PDGF-BB and Sp1 profoundly suppressed SM22alpha promoter activity as well as smooth muscle myosin heavy chain promoter activity through mechanisms that were at least partially dependent on the G/C cis element; and (3) a short interfering RNA to Sp1 increased basal expression and attenuated PDGF-BB induced suppression of SM22alpha. Together, these results support a model whereby a G/C repressor element within the SM22alpha promoter mediates transcriptional repression of this gene within phenotypically modulated SMCs in experimental atherosclerosis and provide indirect evidence implicating PDGF-BB and Sp1 as possible mediators of these effects.
Specially doped LiNbO/sub 3/ crystal holography using a visible-light low-power laser diode

Holography using a specially doped LiNbO/sub 3/ crystal and a visible-light low-power laser diode is presented. Since the crystal has a wide range of spectral response, it would offer practical applications to interconnects, switching, massive storage, etc. >
Performance deterioration of optimum systems

This paper deals with the problem of evaluating the extent to which system parameters may be changed and still guarantee that system performance will remain within a specified limit. Particular attention is given to linear systems with quadratic performance indices. A sampled data system is analyzed by way of example.
PLANAR INDUCTOR DESIGN FOR HIGH POWER APPLICATIONS

Design, simulation, and implementation of low proflle microstrip spiral inductors for high power Industrial, Scientiflc and Medical (ISM) applications at the high frequency (HF-3{30MHz) range are given for the flrst time. An accurate analytical model and algorithm have been developed to determine the simplifled lumped element equivalent model parameters for spiral inductor and its physical dimensions. Five difierent spiral inductors are then simulated with a planar electromagnetic simulator using the physical dimensions obtained for the desired inductance values with the analytical method. The implementation method and substrate selection for spiral inductors at the HF range are given in detail for high power applications. The spiral inductors are then constructed on 100mil Alumina substrate and measured with network analyzer. It is found that analytical, simulation and measurement results are in close agreement and the analytical method and algorithm that have been developed can be used to accurately determine the physical dimensions, and the resonant frequency of the spiral inductor for the desired inductance value.
3-Dimensional Lightning Observations Using a Time-of-Arrival Lightning Mapping System

A lightning mapping system has been developed that locates the sources of VHF radiation from lightning discharges in three spatial dimensions and time. The system consists of several VHF receivers distributed over an area of about 100 km diameter. The system locates VHF radiation sources over the array with an accuracy of about 100 m. The system locates sources out to 250 km from the center of the array with reduced accuracy. The observations are found to reflect the basic charge structure of electrified storms.
Least-squares Curve Fitting of Near Infrared Spectra Predicts Protein and Moisture Content of Ground Wheat

Near infrared (log 1/reflectance) spectra of samples of ground wheat were approximated by a linear combination of spectra of known constituents, the approximation satisfying a least-squares criterion. The appropriate coefficients of these linear combinations were then linearly correlated with the protein and moisture content of the samples. Two extensions of previously reported curve-fitting techniques were made. First, multilinearly correlating several of the curve fit coefficients with the chemical data improved the standard errors. Second, using sample spectra as components, rather than pure constituent spectra, improved the standard errors to a point where they became comparable to those obtained by currently used derivative methods. The samples covered a protein range of 10 to 19%. Correlation coefficients reached 0.998 for protein, corresponding to a standard error of prediction of 0.15%. Parameters examined included spectral region, smoothing, and wavelength shifting. Results with reflectance spectra of sample sets with large particle size variation and high noise are also reported.