cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rents and Prices of Agricultural Land

Early in the nineteenth century, David Ricardo, a successful stockbroker-economist, developed the Ricardian Theory of Rent, which has been ever since a basic proposition in the teaching of economics. Rent was not, as had hitherto been supposed, an element in the cost of production — this might appear to be true for the individual farmer, but the rent of land was not a cost which should be taken into account in estimating in general the costs of producing a commodity. Rents were not a cause, but a consequence, of the differences between costs of production on different farms. Surveying the rather simple agricultural institutions of his day, Ricardo concluded that these arose largely from differences in the fertility of the soil, and in transport costs. As demand increased, farms of worsening fertility had to be brought into cultivation — we can still see traces of what was going on in England at that time in districts like Dartmoor, when the high prices of the Napoleonic Wars pushed the margin of cultivation up the slopes on to cold acid lands, which were soon afterwards abandoned again. These lands at the limit of cultivation, Ricardo taught, received no rent. Every other piece of farm land tended to receive a rent, equivalent to the difference between its costs of production and those of the land at the limit of cultivation.
Mouse Genetics as a Tool to Study Bone Development and Physiology

Publisher Summary Findings that relied entirely on mouse and rat genetics demonstrates unambiguously that bone formation is a centrally regulated function. The functional importance of pathway is reinforced by the absence of low bone mass in human patients with leptin deficiency, despite their hypogonadism. This, in turn, exemplifies the usefulness of the mouse as a tool to study human physiology. This new view of bone remodeling, when reinforced by the central action of other hormones affecting bone metabolism, may have profound implications for understanding and management of osteoporosis. However, osteopetrosis ensues in several mouse models with genetic defects of osteoclasts, suggesting that osteoblast activity is not constrained by a lack of osteoclast function. Mouse genetics was used to construct an in vivo model of inducible osteoblast ablation in order to test the reverse. Results showed that, in functional terms, bone resorption is independent of bone formation in vivo . Receptor for activation of nuclear factor-kB and osteoclast differentiation factor (RANKL/ODF) expressed by osteoblast progenitors likely plays a role in cross-regulation; however, the transgenic results described in the chapter indicate that this occurs at the level of osteoblast differentiation, not at the level of osteoblast function. Another mouse genetic experiment demonstrates that the converse observation is also true. Mice deficient in β3 integrin that have a defect in bone resorption develop osteosclerosis, as bone formation is not affected.
Promiscuous Glucose Oxidase: Electrical Energy Conversion of Multiple Polysaccharides Spanning Starch and Dairy Milk

Enzymatic biofuel cells (EFCs) are devices that are capable of producing electrical energy from the enzymatic oxidation of simple, energy-dense fuels (such as sugars and alcohols). Glucose oxidase (GOx) is perhaps the most widely used enzyme at the bioanode of EFCs, affording devices that can be fueled by glucose. Due to its high substrate specificity, GOx was initially employed in glucose biosensor applications, which later translated into EFC technology. This high substrate specificity, however, often restricts EFC devices to operation on single fuels. Herein, we report the use of a commercial GOx with greater substrate promiscuity (broader substrate GOx, “bGOx”), which can result in the fabrication of EFCs that can utilize a single versatile catalyst for the oxidation of many mono-, di-, tri-, and polysaccharides. The EFCs presented within this study were fueled by glucose, maltose, maltotriose, cellobiose, lactose, galactose, and xylose. Additionally, the ability for the same biocatalyst to oxidize su...
Metaphysics and the Vera Causa Ideal: The Nun’s Priest’s Tale

L.A. Paul has recently defended the methodology of metaphysics on the grounds that it is continuous with the sciences. She claims that both scientists and metaphysicians use inference to the best explanation (IBE) to choose between competing theories, and that the success of science vindicates the use of IBE in metaphysics. Specifically, the success of science shows that the theoretical virtues are truth-conducive. I challenge Paul’s claims on two grounds. First, I argue that, at least in biology, scientists adhere to the vera causa ideal, which allows the theoretical virtues to play a much more limited role in scientific reasoning than Paul requires for metaphysical reasoning. The success of biology thus does not vindicate the methodology of metaphysics. Second, I argue that, at least in many cases, the successful reliance on the theoretical virtues in scientific contexts shows only that the theoretical virtues are truth-conducive within those local contexts, and not that they are truth-conducive generally. The upshots are (1) that Paul’s defense of the methodology of metaphysics fails, and (2) that any attempt to rescue her defense must pay more careful attention to what precisely is vindicated by successful science.
Predicting adjustment of U.S. college students studying abroad: Beyond the multicultural personality

Abstract This longitudinal path analysis tested Yakunina et al.’s (2012) partially mediated model of the relationship between the five multicultural personality factors (MPQ) measured at Time 1 and psychological adjustment measured at Time 2 in 120 U.S. students studying in Costa Rica for a semester. With the addition of other individual and social variables, this model also was tested as a predictor of students’ sociocultural adjustment. Individual (multicultural personality traits, openness to diversity, study abroad goals, language proficiency), social (homestay experience, amount of contact with co-nationals, amount of contact with locals), and structural factors (participation in structured group programs) were considered. Results for psychological adjustment mostly supported Yakunina et al.’s findings except for the relationship between openness to diversity and adjustment, raising the question of whether level of openness to diversity itself changes over the course of the study abroad experience. For sociocultural adjustment, a partially mediated model was the best fit, with social interaction with locals serving as a mediator of students’ MPQ level of open-mindedness and the quality of the homestay experience. Level of language ability at Time 1 was a direct predictor of this type of adjustment. Thus, the two types of adjustment have different predictors, with language proficiency and social interactions with locals being most important for sociocultural adjustment. Implications of the results for study abroad programs and future research are discussed.
Incompleteness and Inefficiency in Trading Networks

This paper analyzes incompleteness in automobile dealer trade networks. Inter dealer trade data from Adamson Motors, a medium sized dealer in Rochester Minnesota, shows a fractured and incomplete dealer trade network. Further, large trade volumes are generated by relatively few trade partners. A homogenous linking network of retail automobile sales is developed. A symmetric pairwise stable equilibrium is shown to always exist. A link represents a relationship, which lubricates trade between dealers by allowing them to trade whenever one dealer is in need. Asymmetric information about buyer search/inconvenience costs allows the dealer to increase profits by limiting the number of trade partners. This reduction in the number of links raises the local buyers cost of obtaining models not currently in stock and allows the dealer to sell models with higher profit margins. These are the models in stock, that don't incur transportation costs with sale. This effect diminishes as the number of trading relationships declines. After a certain threshold, raising the cost of obtaining distant models results in an overwhelming level of lost sales to distant dealers of the same make and local dealers of alternative makes. Network incompleteness is shown to be inefficient. In the absence of asymmetric information about buyer search costs, the complete network is the unique pairwise stable and efficient network.
Personality and pay satisfaction: exploring the influence of organizational justice and gender in South Africa

AbstractThis study contributes to the limited established empirical research on the impact and relevance of individual-level personality variables, specifically the broad dispositional trait, core self-evaluations, on the pay satisfaction of historically disadvantaged individuals. In light of recent inquiries which document the important causal role of personality attributes in the emergence of fairness perceptions, this study examines the mediating role of justice perceptions on the relationship between core self-evaluations and pay satisfaction. Using a sample of historically disadvantaged individuals from South Africa, our results show that organizational justice perceptions fully mediate the relationship between core self-evaluations and pay satisfaction. Furthermore, this study finds that gender moderates the relationship between core self-evaluations and pay satisfaction such that self-confident historically disadvantaged females are more satisfied with their pay than their male counterparts.
Creating a Brighter Future: An Update on the Future Problem Solving Program.

This article focuses on the objectives of the Future Problem Solving Program and describes ways in which they are being achieved. Rationale and supportive evidence are offered for each. The objecti...
UAVs: on development of fuzzy model for categorization of countermeasures during threat assessment

The necessity and occurrence of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles on the battlefield in near future is increasing day-by-day and that leads to the problem of sharing air space with manned air vehicles. However, avoiding collisions and/or deploying countermeasures during threat detection are a very crucial issue in most of the unmanned aerial vehicles [1] or similar. There is a need for a Sense, Avoid or React [2] system to track objects of potential collision risk or determine any action to avoid or mitigate a collision and, react with countermeasures after detection of hazardous situations i.e., during midair attack, collisions, flight path obstacles or dense clouds. The author of this paper present an algorithm for decision making system based on countermeasures during collision avoidance scenario or threat detection. A general framework to deal with non-linear dynamic systems and will developed consisting of a system of various collision and risks scenarios with moving and stationary threats that is based on straight future projection. The solution will include an algorithm that captures the path prediction of the threat. The proposed optimization problem resolution will aim to maintain minimum separation between two vehicles or threats and applying necessary countermeasures if the collision becomes unavoidable. The multi-sensor fusion system, will generate the object status signal, merges vehicle status, will release an assessment of collision in the form of warning level. A fuzzy controller for countermeasure of friendly maneuver will be presented to generate active and passive measure signals based on the response from assessment signal and vehicle sensor signals. The design implementations and simulations using FPGA will be included.
Medical costs of treating breast cancer among younger Medicaid beneficiaries by stage at diagnosis

Younger women (aged 18–44 years) diagnosed with breast cancer often face more aggressive tumors, higher treatment intensity, and lower survival rates than older women. In this study, we estimated incident breast cancer costs by stage at diagnosis and by race for younger women enrolled in Medicaid. We analyzed cancer registry data linked to Medicaid claims in North Carolina from 2003 to 2008. We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Summary 2000 definitions for cancer stage. We split breast cancer patients into two cohorts: a younger and older group aged 18–44 and 45–64 years, respectively. We conducted a many-to-one match between patients with and without breast cancer using age, county, race, and Charlson Comorbidity Index. We calculated mean excess total cost of care between breast cancer and non-breast cancer patients. At diagnosis, younger women had a higher proportion of regional cancers than older women (49 vs. 42%) and lower proportions of localized cancers (44 vs. 50%) and distant cancers (7 vs. 9%). The excess costs of breast cancer (all stages) for younger and older women at 6 months after diagnosis were $37,114 [95% confidence interval (CI) = $35,769–38,459] and $28,026 (95% CI = $27,223–28,829), respectively. In the 6 months after diagnosis, the estimated excess cost was significantly higher to treat localized and regional cancer among younger women than among older women. There were no statistically significant differences in excess costs of breast cancer by race, but differences in treatment modality were present among younger Medicaid beneficiaries. Younger breast cancer patients not only had a higher prevalence of late-stage cancer than older women, but also had higher within-stage excess costs.
Seismic Signals Associated with Avalanches

A seismic survey was conducted during the winter of 1974 75 to determine the extent to which signals from avalanches can be detected using standard seismic techniques. The results of this investigation show that signals associated with avalanching snow-packs have characteristic patterns which differentiate them from signals of extraneous origin. The records of several of these signals are presented and discussed.
David Oliver: Binary truths don't help health policy debate.

Stephen Hawking and Jeremy Hunt’s public argument in August over the future of the NHS and use of data led to some hard hitting claims and strong accusations on both sides.12 In the aftermath of the spat the management consultant Stephen Black wrote a provocative piece on the current state of debate about the NHS.3 Black’s thesis was that we can’t move forward with constructive solutions to the problems facing our health and care system if the debate is reduced to falsely polarised, oversimplified arguments that are based on ideology rather than on pragmatism. I don’t always agree with Black’s managerialist approach and have clashed with him before,4 but his argument deserves consideration. If we are sincere about protecting …
More Momophobia: Incapacitated Mothers in Twenty-First-Century U.S. Cinema

This article argues that a new partnership of excessively strong daughters and excessively weak mothers in a wide-ranging cluster of twenty-first-century films, including Winter's Bone and The Hung...
The Frontiers of Statistical Analysis

This paper focuses on three of today’s frontiers of statistical analysis. These are: developing better methods for data checking, being more creative in data plotting, and learning to understand how to format and document results so that understanding is enhanced. Progress on these frontiers will require a broader view of statistics and of statistical research as well as careful study of the statistical analysis process. We will also put much more of our research emphasis on the effective use of computers.
Remotely Piloted Aircraft, Risk, and Killing as Sacrifice: The Cost of Remote Warfare

In this paper I argue that a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) pilot’s act of killing remotely, when it is done in the defense of another person, can be viewed as an act of sacrifice. This argument c...
Symposium: aphasia rehabilitation in multilingual contexts

Background: Steady aging in the world’s population, driven by a reduction in birth rates and an increase in life expectancy, is estimated to intensify the prevalence of age-related neurological dis...
Tornadogenesis in the 12 May 2010 Supercell Thunderstorm Intercepted by VORTEX2 near Clinton, Oklahoma

AbstractThe 12 May 2010 supercell thunderstorm intercepted by the Second Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2) is analyzed during a time period of strong low-lev...
Variational Asymptotic Based Shear Correction Factor for Isotropic Circular Tubes

An analytical closed-form expression is derived for the shear correction factor of beams with annular cross sections. The beam theory is formulated using the variational asymptotic method, which us...
An impact study of integrating connected automated vehicles with conventional traffic

Abstract Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) promise to change the transportation landscape with safer, faster and more energy-efficient mobility. However 100% CAV penetration may never be achieved, raising the question of how to ensure a productive co-existence of CAVs with conventional vehicles. In this paper, we address the problem of optimally controlling CAVs under mixed traffic conditions where both CAVs and human-driven vehicles (non-CAVs) travel on the roads. We specifically consider problems with such mixed traffic crossing an intersection without using explicit traffic signaling, the objective being to minimize energy consumption subject to a throughput maximization requirement while guaranteeing safety constraints. The impact of CAVs on overall energy consumption is investigated under different traffic scenarios as a function of the CAV penetration rate (i.e., the fraction of CAVs relative to all vehicles). Performance under traffic light control is used as a baseline for this study. Results are validated through simulation using MATLAB and VISSIM. The results indicate that the energy efficiency improvement becomes more significant as the CAV penetration rate increases, while the significance diminishes as traffic becomes heavier.
Genetic Algorithms in Automated Structural Synthesis

The present paper describes an implementation of genetic search methods in the optimum synthesis of structural systems. These methods represent an adaptation of principles of natural selection and evolution to conduct a randomized search in the most promising regions of the design space. The approach requires only an evaluation of the objective function and constraints. Furthermore, the search proceeds by updating an entire population of designs, an attribute that makes the method less susceptible to convergence to a local optimum. The focus of the paper resides in examining the numerical characteristics of genetic algorithms. An adaptation of the approach in simultaneous analysis and design is also presented. The approach is combined with finite element analysis for the design of truss and frame structures.
Culture and Organizational Change

Because much of the overt focus of organization development (OD) is on changing organizations, this chapter contains an in-depth examination of organizational change technique as described in John Kotter’s 1996 book, “Leading Change.” As the eight stages of changing an organization are described, we examine how these actions have implications for changing the organization’s culture. Suggestions for addressing those changes from the “culture perspective” are made for each stage.
Alzheimer's Disease Mechanisms in Peripheral Cells: Promises and Challenges

Abstract Introduction Development of efficacious therapeutic interventions for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is hampered by the lack of understanding early disease mechanisms, biomarkers, and models that mimic complex pathophysiology of human disease. Methods This article aims to assess to what extent peripheral cells recapitulate molecular mechanisms altered in the brain and could be used as translational models for the development of individualized medicine for AD. Results Multiple studies suggest that AD is a systemic disorder with an active crosstalk between brain and periphery where multiple pathways altered in the brain cells are also affected in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and other peripheral cells of AD patients. Discussion Additional studies to validate molecular mechanisms in peripheral cells using advanced system biology techniques and well-characterized cohorts of AD patients together with the development of standardized protocols should be considered to support the application of peripheral cells in AD research.
Facilitators and Barriers of Sleep in Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore the perceived facilitators and barriers for obtaining sufficient sleep in young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D).MethodsA qualitative descriptive ap...
Investigation of Machine-Mounted Area Lighting to Reduce Risk of Injury from Slips-Trips-Falls for Operators of Mobile Surface Mining Equipment

Nonfatal injuries from slips, trips, and falls (STF) that occur at surface mines can result from inadequate lighting. Mobile equipment operators are among the occupations associated with the nonfatal incidents reported to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). In addition, getting on/off the equipment (ingress/egress) frequently adds to the highest proportion of nonfatal incidents. Accordingly, researchers at the Pittsburgh Mining Research Division (PMRD), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted a field study to investigate lighting on haul trucks and wheel loaders with regard to glare and illuminance levels recommended by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). The objective was to determine whether two light-emitting diode (LED) area luminaires—a Mr. Beams® (model MB390 Ultrabright) (area luminaire-1) and a NIOSH-developed Saturn (custom-designed for a mine roof bolter study) (area luminaire-2)—could complement a headlamp luminaire. Measured levels of visual tasks, with the headlamp alone and the area luminaires plus the headlamp, demonstrated that illuminance met or exceeded IES-recommended levels. Nevertheless, the area luminaires illuminated a much broader area, which is key to increasing hazard awareness. Discomfort and disability glare were lower with area luminaire-1 than with area luminaire-2. Differences in glare were more noticeable for newer models of haul trucks and loaders featuring updated ingress/egress system designs. This study demonstrates that commercially available luminaires, such as area luminaire-1, are capable of complementing headlamp lighting, and can thus improve a miner’s ability to detect and avoid STF hazards.
The ovarian stroma as a new frontier

Historically, research in ovarian biology has focused on folliculogenesis, but recently the ovarian stroma has become an exciting new frontier for research, holding critical keys to understanding complex ovarian dynamics. Ovarian follicles, which are the functional units of the ovary, comprise the ovarian parenchyma, while the ovarian stroma thus refers to the inverse or the components of the ovary that are not ovarian follicles. The ovarian stroma includes more general components such as immune cells, blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatic vessels, as well as ovary-specific components including ovarian surface epithelium, tunica albuginea, intraovarian rete ovarii, hilar cells, stem cells, and a majority of incompletely characterized stromal cells including the fibroblast-like, spindle-shaped, and interstitial cells. The stroma also includes ovarian extracellular matrix components. This review combines foundational and emerging scholarship regarding the structures and roles of the different components of the ovarian stroma in normal physiology. This is followed by a discussion of key areas for further research regarding the ovarian stroma, including elucidating theca cell origins, understanding stromal cell hormone production and responsiveness, investigating pathological conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), developing artificial ovary technology, and using technological advances to further delineate the multiple stromal cell types.
Reviews of books, videos, cds, audiotapes, web sites, and more, written by emergency nurses

Abstract Levasseur S. Philadelphia: Hanley & Belfus, 2002, 227 pp, $37.95, ISBN 1-56053-522-9.
Long-term outcomes and improved risk of revision following tumor endoprosthetic replacement of the distal femur: Single institutional results.

Abstract Purpose This study assessed revision characteristics following distal femur tumor endoprosthetic replacement. Methods Fifty-seven procedures were performed between 2005 and 2019. The cumulative incidence of implant revision was calculated with death as a competing risk. Results The all-cause revision rate was 21.1% (n = 12) at a mean 65.3 ± 47.3 months. Competing risk analysis revealed a cumulative revision incidence of 12.0% (95% CI, 3.6–25.9%) at five years and 36.5% (95% CI, 12.8–61.0%) at ten years. Conclusions We provide an accurate assessment of revision risk which is slightly lower than historical controls, with identification of failure modes to reliably inform patient expectations. Level of evidence III. Retrospective Study.
Vasodilator use in precapillary pulmonary hypertension with end stage kidney disease: A single center experience.

Abstract Background and objectives Pulmonary hypertension is commonly seen in end stage kidney disease and is most commonly due to elevated left heart pressures. There is limited data about vasodilator use during the management of Group 1 pulmonary arterial hypertension in the context of those who also have or later developed end stage kidney disease. The objective of this study was to determine safety and efficacy of vasodilator therapy in precapillary pulmonary hypertension requiring renal replacement therapy. Design This was a single-center retrospective case series. Patients were identified from our Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic using a historical roster from 2012 to 2020. Patients were included if they >18 years of age, had Group 1 or Group 4 (precapillary) pulmonary hypertension on right heart catheterization, and also had end stage kidney disease requiring either intermittent hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Results 18 patients were identified with invasively confirmed Group 1 or Group 4 pulmonary hypertension and end stage kidney disease on renal replacement therapy. Scleroderma was the most common etiology for renal failure. 17 patients were treated with vasodilator therapy. Fifteen patients had paired right heart catheterizations that showed a significant decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance. Therapy was relatively well tolerated but hypotension was common and midodrine was often helpful. Two patients had successful renal transplantation after starting vasodilator therapy. Conclusion We found vasodilator therapy was reasonably well tolerated and associated with a drop in mean pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with end stage kidney disease on dialysis.
Comparison of Positional Therapy to CPAP in Patients with Positional Obstructive Sleep Apnea

While treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy has been shown to be clinically effective, compliance is poor, and as a result, alternative therapies often need to be considered. With the recognition that many patients with OSA have positional OSA, where the majority of sleep-disordered breathing events occur in the supine position, prospective studies comparing positional therapy to CPAP therapy in these patients have been performed. The results of these short-term studies, both in regard to sleep-disordered breathing and sleep quality, suggest that positional therapy as a primary treatment can be as effective as CPAP therapy in patients with positional OSA and in those patients who are intolerant to CPAP therapy. More long-term trials that prospectively and quantitatively compare effectiveness and compliance between positional therapy and CPAP therapy appear warranted.
The pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease: the relationship between epithelial defense, dysmotility, and acid exposure

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a complex, multifactorial disease for which the initiating factors are unknown. Acid in contact with the esophageal epithelium, however, is a central event in the development of the disease--the disease developing when acid overwhelms the intrinsic esophageal epithelial defenses. Acid breakdown of the tissue defenses is what ultimately leads to symptom production, ulceration, and other complications of GERD. Patients with GERD generally, although not always, have more episodes of reflux than healthy subjects; this is due to more frequent transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations in the disease group. GERD patients may also have some impairment in peristaltic frequency on swallowing and/or weakness in the strength of peristaltic contractility. Contributions from other components of the acid clearance and tissue-defensive mechanisms are possible but remain to be adequately established as contributing to GERD. It is likely that one reason for the wide clinical spectrum observed with GERD results from differences in types and degrees of defects within the tripartite esophageal defensive system against damage from the phenomenon of gastroesophageal reflux.
Current State of Software Engineering Master&#8217;s Degree Programs In the United States

To date, most graduate software engineering degree programs in the United States have used the model of a professional degree similar to that of a Master of Business Administration; that is, a terminal degree where graduates are going into industry rather than academia. In particular, the software engineering Master's degrees have often focused on students who are already software developers in the workplace and also have either a bachelor's degree in another computing discipline or have completed sufficient undergraduate prerequisites in order to do the graduate coursework. This paper provides the most comprehensive list in recent years of those programs in the United States that offer a Master's degree with a major of Software Engineering, along with information concerning online education, capstone requirements, required background and courses offered
Television Duopoly in Small Markets and Diversity of the Airwaves

This article investigates whether television stations in small markets should be allowed to merge. The Federal Communications Commission prohibits such mergers. The FCC claims that such mergers will reduce the diversity of communications in small markets, and many commentators agree with the FCC. Consequently, the FCC and the commentators conclude that mergers should be prohibited. This article shows that the diversity rationale is wrong. For the most part, in small market settings diversity will be enhanced by mergers. Demonstrating this relationship (merger increases diversity of communication) occupies most of the article's analytics. Based on my analysis, I suggest that there should be a rebuttable presumption in favor of merger in hearings before the Federal Communications Commission.
Resources and information for serving minority populations

This chapter summarizes useful and relevant resources and information on the topic of serving minority populations in community colleges, and presents information about several programs and services that have been successful in ensuring minority student success
A stability theory for nonlinear mixed initial boundary value problems

Abstract : This paper discusses the notion of complete stability of mixed initial boundary problems for systems of partial differential equations. The discussion is not restricted to the purely linear case. Moreover, the boundary conditions are permitted to take the form of systems of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The principal result of the paper is a method for constructing so-called Liapounov functionals by means of which the stability statement is obtained. A second result is a theorem which shows that complete stability follows from the existence of a Liapounov functional. A number of examples are included.
Middle Lobe Syndrome Due to Sarcoidosis

Mrs. M. S., a 57-year old white school teacher was first seen by one of us (H.A.A.) at her home on January 7, 1955. She had noted rhinorrhea, cough and hoarseness for about five days. Her temperature was 103#{176} F., pulse 100 and blood pressure 120/68. Coarse rales and wheezes were noted throughout the right chest. She was hospitalized and penicillin therapy instituted. It was only after repeated questioning that a further history of wheezes occurring occasionally during the preceding two years, following a “virus infection,” was elicited. Because of consciousness that unilateral wheezes often indicate neoplastic broncho-stenosis, collection of 24 hour sputa was started immediately for examination for neoplastic cells by the Papanicolaou, as well as for tubercle bacilli by the Ziehl-Neelsen, techniques. Two specimens were negative for the latter, one specimen indicated class 2 cells (non-neoplastic) by the former. X-ray films of the chest on January 8 and 17, 1955 (Fig. 1) indicated the following: “There is a rather broad zone of homogeneous increase in density in the region of the fissure between the right middle and lower lobes which appears to be mainly confined to the middle lobe. In addition several horizontal strands of increased density are noted in the posterior portion of the lower lobe rather typical of segmental atelectasis. There is slight retraction of the heart and mediastinal structures to the right and also slight elevation of the anterior portion of the right dome of the diaphragm. These latter findings are all secondary to atelectasis. The right upper lobe and portions of the lower lobe that are not involved with the segmental atelectasis disclose mild compensatory emphysema. In the left apex are several fibrotic and faintly nodular densities that are probably of long standing but from this single examination cannot be considered absolutely inactive. The remainder of the left lung is satisfactorily aerated. The heart is not enlarged.” Following the defervescence of fever and improvement in physical condition bronchoscopy was performed on January 19, 1955 by Dr. Joseph Sirken, who noted stenosis of the right main bronchus. Biopsy indicated only “chronic eroding bronchitis.” Bronchial secretion showed class 2 cells (not neoplastic) by the Papanicolaou technique. Increased aeration of the right lower lobe was noted after this procedure. Partial atelectasis *Medical Service, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Southern Division.
Piston Ring Friction Reduction Through Surface Modification

A numerical model has been developed to investigate the effects of surface modifications on the lubrication condition and frictional loss at the interface between a piston ring and cylinder liner. The effects of boundary and mixed lubrication conditions were included through the use of a fully deterministic mixed lubrication model, which provides detailed information of the rough contact zone throughout the stroke. The effects of non-Gaussian surface characteristics (e.g. skewness) on the cycle-average frictional performance are discussed. Surface modifications in the form of circular profile dimples were added to the cylinder liner and their effects were investigated. The modified cylinder liner was shown to reduce the cycle-average coefficient of friction by 55–65%, while total energy loss per cycle was reduced by 20–40%.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Lack of proliferative response in denervated, reamputated limb regenerates of larval Ambystoma.

This paper describes the response of early four-digit regenerates of axolotls to reamputation and denervation. Reamputation of innervated regenerates led to sharp increases in 3H-thymidine labeling index (LI) and mitotic index (MI) on days 2–5 post-reamputation. This resembles the response of innervated limbs following initial amputation. Regenerates that were denervated at the time of reamputation exhibited no proliferative response through day 5. This is in marked contrast to denervated, original amputation limb stumps, in which LI and MI rise for several days (as in innervated stumps) before falling to background levels. Although myelin was scarce near the level of reamputation, the lack of proliferation cannot be explained solely on that basis. The results are consistent with the possibility that the “neurotrophic factor” that causes stump and blastema cell mitosis is not present in unamputated limbs but is made in response to amputation.
Is There Something to be Gained from Guessing? Middle School Students' Use of Systematic Guess and Check

This article will share results from research that investigated how sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students who had not been exposed to formal algebraic methods approached word problems of an algebraic nature. Student use of systematic guess and check, the predominate approach taken by these students, is the focus. The goal is to consider the students' use of systematic guess and check reasoning in terms of the broadening perspective of algebra and algebraic thinking by highlighting ways in which this reasoning can provide a basis for developing some of the thinking patterns and discourse of formal algebra. Two perspectives will be highlighted: relationships among quantities and function-based reasoning.
Predicting mammography and breast self-examination in African American women

Breast cancer mortality is significantly greater in African American women than in their Caucasian counterparts. The purpose of this study was to identify variables associated with the breast cancer screening behaviors of mammography utilization and breast self-examination (BSE) in a convenience sam
Impaired supersensitivity to morphine following chronic naltrexone treatment in senescent rats

Chronic administration of opiate antagonists produces an increase in the density of opiate receptors, as well as an enhanced sensitivity to the analgesic and locomotor depressant effects of morphine. The present study assessed whether aging alters these regulatory processes. Young (3-4 months), middle-aged (10-11 months), and senescent (25-30 months) rats were implanted subdermally with slow-release naltrexone pellets or were given sham surgery. The pellets were removed 10 days later. Twenty-four hours after pellet removal, morphine-induced (5 mg/kg, SC) analgesia and locomotor activity were assessed. Young and middle-aged rats treated with naltrexone showed enhanced sensitivity to the analgesic and locomotor activity depressant effects of morphine relative to age-matched controls. In contrast, senescent rats treated with naltrexone did not differ from age-matched controls in their response to morphine. The density of opiate receptors labeled with 3H-naloxone was measured in the anterior striatum. Both young and senescent rats treated with naltrexone exhibited an increase in opiate receptor density relative to age-matched controls. The results indicate that senescent rats are capable of up-regulating opiate receptors following chronic naltrexone treatment but do not exhibit the corresponding functional supersensitivity to morphine.
Bankruptcy prediction for Japanese firms: using Multiple Criteria Linear Programming data mining approach

Data mining applications have been getting more attention in general business areas, but there is a need to use more of these applications in accounting areas where accounting deals with large amounts of both financial and non-financial data. The purpose of this research is to test the effectiveness of a Multiple Criteria Linear Programming (MCLP) approach to data mining for bankruptcy prediction using Japanese bankruptcy data. Our empirical results show that Ohlson's (1980) predictor variables perform better than Altman's (1968) predictor variables using 1990s Japanese financial data. Our Type I (misclassification of bankrupt as non-bankrupt firms) prediction rate using the MCLP approach, Ohlson's (1980) variables and 1990s Japanese financial data is much higher than that reported by Kwak et al. (2005) using the MCLP approach, Ohlson's (1980) variables and 1990s US data.
Optical limiting, pulse reshaping, and stabilization with a nonlinear absorptive fiber system.

Optical limiting, pulse reshaping, and stabilization effects have been demonstrated based on a two-photon absorption mechanism with a dye-solution-filled hollow fiber system. The nonlinear absorptive medium is the solution of a new dye, trans-4-[p-(N-hydroxyethyl-N-methylamino)styryl]-N-methylpyridinium iodide (ASPI) in dimethyl sulfoxide, with which we filled a 20-cm-long quartz hollow fiber of 100-µm internal diameter. The input optical signal was a laser pulse train that contained ∼30 pulses of 130-ps pulse width. When the input peak intensity reached 400–1000-MW/cm2 levels, obvious optical limiting could be observed and the envelope of the transmitted pulse train became flatter and broader. By using another new dye solution, 4-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N-(methyl)amino phenyl]-4′-(6-hydroxyhexyl sulfonyl)-stilbene (APSS) in benzyl alcohol, which interacted with a series of ∼800-nm laser pulses of ∼8-ns pulse width, we obtained a much higher nonlinear absorption coefficient and a superior optical peak-power stabilization effect.
Attitude and Oribit Estimation Using Stars and Landmarks

An extended Kalman filter is used to process line-of-sight measurements to stars and known landmarks providing a statistical indication of performance in estimating spacecraft attitude, orbital ephemeris, and the bias drift of a set of three strapdown gyros. The landmark measurements were assumed to have been taken from the imagery of an Earth-observing multispectral scanner. It is shown that filtering of these noisy measurements results in highly accurate estimates of the above parameters. Results are given showing the sensitivity of performance to various system parameters such as star tracker accuracy, errors in the knowledge of landmark position, and number of stars and landmarks processed.
Structure of the human sulfhydryl oxidase augmenter of liver regeneration and characterization of a human mutation causing an autosomal recessive myopathy

The sulfhydryl oxidase augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) binds FAD in a helix-rich domain that presents a CxxC disulfide proximal to the isoalloxazine ring of the flavin. Head-to-tail interchain disulfide bonds link subunits within the homodimer of both the short, cytokine-like, form of ALR (sfALR), and a longer form (lfALR) which resides in the mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS). lfALR has an 80-residue N-terminal extension with an additional CxxC motif required for the reoxidation of reduced Mia40 during oxidative protein folding within the IMS. Recently, Di Fonzo et al. [Di Fonzo, A., Ronchi, D., Lodi, T., Fassone, E., Tigano, M., Lamperti, C., Corti, S., Bordoni, A., Fortunato, F., Nizzardo, M., Napoli, L., Donadoni, C., Salani, S., Saladino, F., Moggio, M., Bresolin, N., Ferrero, I., and Comi, G. P. (2009) Am. J. Hum. Genet. 84, 594-604] described an R194H mutation of human ALR that led to cataract, progressive muscle hypotonia, and hearing loss in three children. The current work presents a structural and enzymological characterization of the human R194H mutant in lf- and sfALR. A crystal structure of human sfALR was determined by molecular replacement using the rat sfALR structure. R194 is located at the subunit interface of sfALR, close to the intersubunit disulfide bridges. The R194 guanidino moiety participates in three H-bonds: two main-chain carbonyl oxygen atoms (from R194 itself and from C95 of the intersubunit disulfide of the other protomer) and with the 2'-OH of the FAD ribose. The R194H mutation has minimal effect on the enzyme activity using model and physiological substrates of short and long ALR forms. However, the mutation adversely affects the stability of both ALR forms: e.g., by decreasing the melting temperature by about 10 degrees C, by increasing the rate of dissociation of FAD from the holoenzyme by about 45-fold, and by strongly enhancing the susceptibility of sfALR to partial proteolysis and to reduction of its intersubunit disulfide bridges by glutathione. Finally, a comparison of the TROSY-HSQC 2D NMR spectra of wild-type sfALR and its R194H mutant reveals a significant increase in conformational flexibility in the mutant protein. In sum, these in vitro data document the major impact of the seemingly conservative R194H mutation on the stability of dimeric ALR and complement the in vivo observations of Di Fonzo et al.
Seasonal distribution of initial appearance of postnatal ossification centers in hand and wrist of undernourished children.

H UMAN physical growth is characterized by fluctuations in rate which, in part, follow a seasonal pattern.l, 2 Most studies contribute to the inference of a periodicity in height and weight gain with the greatest increase in weight occurring in the autumn and the maximum gain in height occurring in the spring2 The periods of greatest height gain are thus counterbalanced by periods of least weight gain and vice versa. In addition to influencing dimensional growth as reflected by height and weight, season apparently affects skeletal development. In healthy children, Reynolds and So, tag ~ 'found that the maximum rate of appearance of selected centers of ossification extends from March to May and the minimum from September to November. Bransby ~ maintains, however, that seasonal variations in growth rate are not natural and proper
Pathogenic Factors in Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

The following areas are discussed in this review: atherogenesis; cerebrovascular factors; hypoperfusion; β-amyloid production; β-amyloid fibril formation; β-sheets; metal cations; reactive oxygen species/free radicals; chronic inflammatory factors; endogenous plasma heparin; lipoprotein lipase; polyamines; protein kinase C; casein kinases; phospholipase A2; serine proteases; myeloperoxidase; cyclooxygenase 2; cysteine proteases; caspases; proprotein convertases; aspartic proteases; cyclin proteinases; thrombin; tau hyperphosphorylation; advanced glycosylation end products; activator protein 1; calcium; apolipoprotein E E4; histamine; blood-brain barrier; glutamate; transglutaminase; insulin-like growth factor 1.
High-Frequency Stimulation of Excitable Cells and Networks

High-frequency (HF) stimulation has been shown to block conduction in excitable cells including neurons and cardiac myocytes. However, the precise mechanisms underlying conduction block are unclear. Using a multi-scale method, the influence of HF stimulation is investigated in the simplified FitzhHugh-Nagumo and biophysically-detailed Hodgkin-Huxley models. In both models, HF stimulation alters the amplitude and frequency of repetitive firing in response to a constant applied current and increases the threshold to evoke a single action potential in response to a brief applied current pulse. Further, the excitable cells cannot evoke a single action potential or fire repetitively above critical values for the HF stimulation amplitude. Analytical expressions for the critical values and thresholds are determined in the FitzHugh-Nagumo model. In the Hodgkin-Huxley model, it is shown that HF stimulation alters the dynamics of ionic current gating, shifting the steady-state activation, inactivation, and time constant curves, suggesting several possible mechanisms for conduction block. Finally, we demonstrate that HF stimulation of a network of neurons reduces the electrical activity firing rate, increases network synchronization, and for a sufficiently large HF stimulation, leads to complete electrical quiescence. In this study, we demonstrate a novel approach to investigate HF stimulation in biophysically-detailed ionic models of excitable cells, demonstrate possible mechanisms for HF stimulation conduction block in neurons, and provide insight into the influence of HF stimulation on neural networks.