cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Robust Optimization Approach to Designing Near-Optimal Strategies for Constant-Sum Monitoring Games

We consider the problem of monitoring a set of targets, using scarce monitoring resources (e.g., sensors) that are subject to adversarial attacks. In particular, we propose a constant-sum Stackelberg game in which a defender (leader) chooses among possible monitoring locations, each covering a subset of targets, while taking into account the monitor failures induced by a resource-constrained attacker (follower). In contrast to the previous Stackelberg security models in which the defender uses mixed strategies, here, the defender must commit to pure strategies. This problem is highly intractable as both players’ strategy sets are exponentially large. Thus, we propose a solution methodology that automatically partitions the set of adversary’s strategies and maps each subset to a coverage policy. These policies are such that they do not overestimate the defender’s payoff. We show that the partitioning problem can be reformulated exactly as a mixed-integer linear program (MILP) of moderate size which can be solved with off-the-shelf solvers. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach in various settings. In particular, we illustrate that even with few policies, we are able to closely approximate the optimal solution and outperform the heuristic solutions.
Confronting the Challenges of a Warming Arctic

iStock/fotoVoyagerCold, dark, and mysterious. The Arctic and its beacon, the North Pole, have fascinated the human race for generations. A British naval officer, Sir James Clark Ross, located the n...
“The Onward March of a People Who Desire to Be Totally Free”: The 1953 Baton Rouge Bus Boycott

In 1953, black citizens of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, undertook a boycott against the city’s bus company after the Baton Rouge City-Parish Council voted to raise the fares on municipal buses by 50%. The boycott only lasted a few days and in the minds of many locals was only a partial success. Nonetheless, the action drew the attention of outsiders, including Martin Luther King, Jr., who would use the 1953 events in Baton Rouge as a template for the more expansive and comprehensive Montgomery Bus Boycott a few years later. This chapter tells the story of the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott and reveals the dynamics at work in the protest.
Comparison of Measured Ground Penetrating Radar Response of Soil Surface to FDTD Model

When using non-ground coupled Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to detect buried objects, one major source of clutter is the surface of the ground. This is especially true if the surface of the ground is not very flat. Responses from the surface will show up below the main response from the ground and mix with the responses of buried objects. To better understand this response and potentially remove it I investigated measuring the soil surface profile with a LIDAR and then modeling the GPR response using the FDTD code gprMax. The modeled response was then subtracted from the measured GPR data.
Covariance Matrix Estimation for the Cryo-EM Heterogeneity Problem

In cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), a microscope generates a top view of a sample of randomly oriented copies of a molecule. The problem of single particle reconstruction (SPR) from cryo-EM is t...
Unemployed Individuals Reporting Hindrance Work Stress at Previous Job Have Increased Likelihood of Insomnia Disorder

Workplace stress and unemployment are each associated with disturbances in sleep. However, a substantial gap exists in what we know about the type of workplace stress preceding job loss and the lasting effect workplace stressors may have on long-term health outcomes. We hypothesized that a specific type of workplace stress, hindrance stress, would be a stronger predictor of current insomnia disorder, compared to challenge stress. Cross-sectional data were analyzed from 191 recently unemployed individuals participating in the ongoing Assessing Daily Patterns through occupational Transitions (ADAPT) study. Participants were administered the Cavanaugh et al. (J Appl Psychol. 85(1):65, 2000) self-reported work stress scale regarding their previous job and the Duke Sleep Interview (DSI-SD), a semi-structured interview assessing ICSD-3 insomnia disorder (chronic and acute). Results from logistic regression analyses indicated that hindrance work stress was associated with an increased likelihood of current overall, chronic, and acute insomnia disorder, when controlling for challenge stress and significant demographic factors. Challenge stress was associated with an increased likelihood of chronic insomnia disorder when controlling for hindrance stress and covariates. The association between challenge stress and acute insomnia differed as a function of sex. Hindrance work stressors were associated with increased odds of current insomnia disorder, even after employment ended. Across each of the tested models, hindrance stress had stronger effects on insomnia than challenge stress. These findings support and extend both the challenge-hindrance framework of work-related stress and the 3 P model of insomnia.
The Perpetuation of Gender Inequality Through Costly Gender Congruent Choices

Classic theories of gender inequality focus on women’s experiences to understand processes in play (e.g. backlash, glass ceiling). We considered how men’s reluctance to act in ways that may be perc...
Internally and Externally Controlling Parenting: Relations with Children’s Symptomatology and Adjustment

Controlling parenting is associated with children’s poorer adjustment and well-being. This study used a Self-Determination Theory framework to distinguish between types of internally (guilt induction and love-withdrawal) and externally (yelling/demanding and punishment/removal of privileges) controlling parenting, and examined whether the types showed differential relations with children’s internalizing and externalizing symptomatology and self-related (self-worth and self-regulation) and relational (attachment) outcomes. One hundred seventeen 5th and 6th grade students (mean age = 11.07; 52% male; 57% European American) completed questionnaires. Results revealed that the four types of controlling parenting could be measured as separate constructs, though they were highly related. All types of controllingness were associated with children’s higher symptoms, less secure attachment, and lower self-worth. Only externally controlling methods related to children’s lower autonomous self-regulation. A person-centered approach with cluster analysis supported that the types of controlling parenting could be meaningfully distinguished. Children in the profiles high in all types of controllingness reported the most symptoms while those low in all types reported the fewest. Beyond this, children in the high external control (punishment/privileges) profile showed lower autonomous self-regulation, less secure attachment, and higher anxiety than those in profiles low in all controllingness. Children in profiles high in all controlling methods showed less secure attachment and higher anxiety and depression than those high in only punishment/privileges. Findings underscore the importance of understanding not only whether parents are controlling, but how they implement control and offer important recommendations for working with parents.
Between-session reliability of subject-specific musculoskeletal models of the spine derived from optoelectronic motion capture data.

Abstract This study evaluated the between-session reliability of creating subject-specific musculoskeletal models with optoelectronic motion capture data, and using them to estimate spine loading. Nineteen healthy participants aged 24–74 years underwent the same set of measurements on two separate occasions. Retroreflective markers were placed on anatomical regions, including C7, T1, T4, T5, T8, T9, T12 and L1 spinous processes, pelvis, upper and lower limbs, and head. We created full-body musculoskeletal models with detailed thoracolumbar spines, and scaled these to create subject-specific models for each individual and each session. Models were scaled from distances between markers, and spine curvature was adjusted according to marker-estimated measurements. Using these models, we estimated vertebral compressive loading for five different standardized postures: neutral standing, 45˚ trunk flexion, 15˚ trunk extension, 20˚ lateral bend to the right, and 45˚ axial rotation to the right. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and standard error of measurement were calculated as measures of between-session reliability and measurement error, respectively. Spine curvature measures showed excellent reliability (ICC = 0.79–0.91) and body scaling segments showed fair to excellent reliability (ICC = 0.46–0.95). We found that musculoskeletal models showed mostly excellent between-session reliability to estimate spine loading, with 91% of ICC values > 0.75 for all activities. This information is a necessary precursor for using motion capture data to estimate spine loading from subject-specific musculoskeletal models, and suggests that marker data will deliver reproducible subject-specific models and estimates of spine loading.
Increasing value through gear flexibility: a case study of US west coast sablefish

This paper explores the potential economic gains of allowing additional flexibility in gear choice, within rights-based management programs. A case study of US west coast sablefish (Anoplopoma fimb...
Forensic Analysis of Umbilical and Newborn Blood Gas Values for Infants at Risk of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy litigation cases account for the highest claims involving obstetricians/gynecologists, a specialty that ranks among the highest liability medical professions. Although epidemiologic studies indicate that only a small proportion of cerebral palsy (10-20%) is due to birth asphyxia, negligent obstetrical care is often alleged to be the etiologic factor, resulting in contentious medical-legal conflicts. Defense and plaintiff expert opinions regarding the etiology and timing of injury are often polarized, as there is a lack of established methodology for analysis. The objective results provided by umbilical cord and newborn acid/base and blood gas values and the established association with the incidence of cerebral palsy provide a basis for the forensic assessment of both the mechanism and timing of fetal neurologic injury. Using established physiologic and biochemical principles, a series of case examples demonstrates how an unbiased expert assessment can aid in both conflict resolution and opportunities for clinical education.
Return to High Altitude after Recovery from Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Luks, Andrew M. and Colin K. Grissom. Return to high altitude after recovery from coronavirus disease 2019. High Alt Med Biol. 22: 119-127, 2021.-With the increasing availability of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and the eventual decline in the burden of the disease, it is anticipated that all forms of tourism, including travel to high altitude, will rebound in the near future. Given the physiologic challenges posed by hypobaric hypoxia at high altitude, it is useful to consider whether high-altitude travel will pose risks to those previously infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, particularly those with persistent symptoms after resolution of their infection. Although no studies have specifically examined this question as of yet, available data on the cardiopulmonary sequelae of COVID-19 provide some sense of the problems people may face at high altitude and who warrants evaluation before such endeavors. On average, most individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 have normal or near normal gas exchange, pulmonary function testing, cardiovascular function, and exercise capacity, although a subset of individuals have persistent functional deficits in some or all of these domains when examined up to 5 months after infection. Evaluation is warranted before planned high-altitude travel in individuals with persistent symptoms at least 2 weeks after a positive test or hospital discharge as well as in those who required care in an intensive care unit or suffered from myocarditis or arterial or venous thromboembolism. Depending on the results of this testing, planned high-altitude travel may need to be modified or even deferred pending resolution of the identified abnormalities. As more people travel to high altitude after the pandemic and further studies are conducted, additional data should become available to provide further guidance on these issues.
Lumbar discectomies in elite rowers: presentation, operative treatment, and return to play.

Objective In a cohort of elite rowers requiring lumbar spine surgery, we report information regarding: (1) presentation, (2) operative treatment, and (3) return to play (RTP). Methods All competitive rowers undergoing spine surgery at a single academic institution from 2015 to 2020 were analyzed. Three rowers underwent spine surgery during the allotted time period. Demographic, clinical, operative, and RTP data was recorded. Each athlete's self-reported level of effort/performance was assessed before and after surgery. First RTP was defined as the time of initial return to rowing activities, and full RTP was defined as the time of unrestricted return to rowing activities. Descriptive statistics were performed. Results The three collegiate rowers ranged from 20- to 21-year-old, each with L5/S1 disc herniations. Preoperative pain levels ranged from 8 to 10, and inciting injury events included back squats, front squats, and rowing during the 'finish' stage. Each athlete underwent a minimally invasive, unilateral L5/S1 decompression, partial medial facetectomy, and partial discectomy with microscopic-assistance. First RTP ranged from 4-6 months, with full RTP at 6-8 months. Pain dissipated to the 0-1 range at full RTP. Final effort/performance improved from 10-60% mid-injury to 90-100% at full RTP. Each athlete's 2000m row time showed a decline mid-injury and an improvement to at or within 10 s of their pre-injury time. Conclusions Drawing from three collegiate rowers who underwent lumbar decompression surgery, each athlete successfully returned to rowing, with initial RTP in the 4-6 months range and full RTP in the 6-8 months range. Performance levels rebounded to near or better than pre-injury performance. The results of this small case series warrant replication in larger, multi-institutional samples.
Anxiety sensitivity and posttraumatic stress symptoms: Associations among female Veterans with a history of military sexual trauma

Anxiety sensitivity (AS), the degree to which individuals fear bodily sensations associated with anxious arousal, has been implicated in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress diso...
Integrated molecular analysis identifies a conserved pericyte gene signature in zebrafish

Pericytes reside in capillary beds where they share a basement membrane with endothelial cells and regulate their function. However, little is known about embryonic pericyte development, in part, due to lack of specific molecular markers and genetic tools. Here, we applied single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) of platelet derived growth factor beta (pdgfrb)-positive cells to molecularly characterize pericytes in zebrafish larvae. scRNA-seq revealed zebrafish cells expressing mouse pericyte gene orthologs while comparison to bulk RNA-seq from wild type and pdgfrb mutant larvae further refined a pericyte geneset. Subsequent integration with mouse pericyte scRNA-seq profiles revealed a core set of conserved pericyte genes. Using transgenic reporter lines, we validated pericyte expression of two genes identified in our analysis: NDUFA4 mitochondrial complex associated like 2a (ndufa4l2a), and potassium voltage-gated channel, Isk-related family, member 4 (kcne4). Both reporter lines exhibited pericyte expression in multiple anatomical locations, while kcne4 was also detected in a subset of vascular smooth muscle cells. Thus, our integrated molecular analysis revealed a molecular profile for zebrafish pericytes and allowed us to develop new tools to observe these cells in vivo.
Making Sense of Monopolization: Antitrust and the Digital Economy

For more than a century, courts and scholars have searched without success for a general definition of monopolization. Some proposals rely on elusive ciphers like “predatory conduct” or “competition on the merits”; others depend on nebulous or impractical balancing tests; others make antitrust liability implausible except in the most extreme cases. Our failure to give a clear and principled explanation of what monopolists may not do has daunted enforcers, confounded courts, encouraged bad behavior by powerful firms, and undermined public faith in our antitrust system. In an age of digital dominance, the mounting costs of confusion have fueled calls to replace, or thoroughly reshape, the Sherman Antitrust Act. This Article outlines a course correction, drawing on monopolization’s historical, theoretical, and doctrinal foundations to improve both the vigor and rigor of the law. We can make sense of monopolization by understanding it as an effort to do three separate things: guard against contribution to the dangers of monopoly; protect against a wrong called “exclusion”; and respect a sphere of competitive privilege. This view implies a framework for monopolization cases—which I call the “dangerous exclusion” approach—to replace the conclusory labels of existing law; unify its sprawling array of micro-rules; correct widespread misunderstandings (including mistaken claims that a plaintiff must show actual effects on price, output, or other competitive outcomes); and help navigate real problems. The dangerous-exclusion framework offers a principled and workable middle way between conservative approaches that are unduly preoccupied with the risk of “false positive” interventions and radical proposals that threaten to harm consumers. As a qualitative, court-centric approach, it contrasts sharply with both left-wing calls to entrust the antitrust project to rulemakers and right-wing proposals to delegate it to econometricians. But our imperfect adjudicative tradition is up to the task, in digital markets and beyond. There is plenty of life in the Sherman Act yet.
Hashtag Your Way to Health? The Use of Hashtags to Create Healthy Communities and Spread Health Behavior on Twitter

Background. Online social networks may have potential to spread health behavior and innovations given that two-thirds of internet users visit them regularly. The term “peer-to-peer healthcare” was recently coined to capture how patients are using the internet to search for others with similar health concerns. Health-related hashtags have appeared on Twitter and seem to be used to connect with people on a health-related issue, engage in a health behavior, and disseminate health messages. The aims of this study were to 1) describe health hashtags that receive at least 3 uses per day on Twitter, 2) report the usage rates of a sample of health-related hashtags, and 3) explore the type of social influence (both positive and negative) that people using online social networks experience from their online friends relative to their in-person friends and family members. Methods. We identified 46 health hashtags on Twitter using lists compiled in blog posts and articles found via Google searches, and by searching tweet histories of health hashtag users. We then tracked the usage of 7 hashtags using Archivist software. To explore social influence, we tweeted a link to an anonymous survey for Twitter users who discuss weight, diet, or physical activity on Twitter. Results. We identified 46 health-related hashtags on Twitter and 28% are used to indicate engagement in a specific health behavior, 33% denoted membership in an informal community, and 39% were started by a company (e.g., Nike, Weight Watchers, Crossfit, etc). Of the 7 health hashtags we tracked, tweets per day ranged from 4-306 tweets. Hashtags that indicated engagement in an activity had significantly more tweets per day than other types of hashtags. The number of followers of the initiator was not related to the popularity of the hashtag. About 20% of the behavior and community hashtags could not be traced to an initiator. In terms of social influence, participants (n=79) reported that they experience significantly greater social support from Twitter followers relative to Facebook friends (p=.00), family (p=.00), and in-person friends (p=.00). Participants also rated their Twitter followers as significantly less judgmental and negative than Facebook friends, family and in-person friends (p’s<.01). Conclusions. Health hashtags are used in a variety of ways on Twitter including to spread a health behavior and engage others in a community and/or discussion. Health hashtags have created communities on Twitter which may be helpful for people who would benefit from increased social support for their health behavior changes. Hashtags may also be used as a means of identifying people with specific health interests and concerns. Research is needed to explore whether hashtags can be used as an economical way to promote healthy behavior and improve health outcomes. []
Reforming Eyewitness Identification Procedures under the Fourth Amendment

This article proposes that the high probability of misidentification associated with unregulated eyewitness identification procedures requires Fourth Amendment protections. This risk of misidentification amounts to a significant privacy intrusion under the Fourth Amendment. The physical aspect of a lineup is recognized by courts as a privacy invasion pursuant to the Fourth Amendment. Courts, such as Davis. v. Mississippi, also suggest that the lack of reliability of pretrial investigatory procedures requires heightened Fourth Amendment protections. This article also examines the fact that a procedural due process analysis of eyewitness identifications alone fails to protect citizens from misidentification and should not be the first constitutional consideration when determining the lawfulness of an identification procedure. It is simply not possible to separate the influence of suggestion in a lineup from the validity of the ensuing identification. This article suggests that a due process inquiry occur after the assessment of Fourth Amendment claims. The benefits of the application of the exclusionary rule to identification testimony that is not accompanied by procedural safeguards outweigh the social cost. This article further recommends the implementation of two procedural safeguards for use in eyewitness identifications. First, police must have a minimum of specified suspicion of criminal activity before requiring an individual to appear in a lineup. Second, specific procedural guidelines designed to minimize suggestion in the lineup should be required. Failure to utilize these procedural safeguards should result in the exclusion of any identification testimony at trial. This is because the purpose of the exclusionary rule as it pertains to the Fourth Amendment is to regulate police conduct. Such a rule is also in accord with general standards of fairness and justice. Regulation of eyewitness identification procedures will result in the protection of the innocent from arrest and wrongful conviction.
Experimental intraabdominal abscess formation byEscherichia coli andBacteroides fragilis

An improved animal model of intraperitoneal abscess formation was developed in order to study the role ofBacteroides fragilis andEscherichia coli. Both microorganisms were found to independently cause abscesses, althoughBacteroides fragilis-induced abscesses were invariably minute. The combined inoculation of these microorganisms resulted in the induction of intraabdominal abscesses larger than those formed byBacteroides fragilis orEscherichia coli alone. However, the size difference between abscesses produced byEscherichia coli alone and by the combination of both organisms was not statistically significant. The animal model defined in this study differed from earlier models in that use of the complex sterile cecal contents can be avoided. This allows for a more precise evaluation of the contribution of each organism to the pathogenic process of intraabdominal abscess formation.
Reaffirming the Role of the Federal Courts:How the Sixties ProvideGuidance for Immigration Reform

I. Past Immigration Reforms—Establishment of the Immigration System and Subsequent Changes 467 A. Congress’s Plenary Powers 468 B. The Beginning of the Modern Structure 470 C. The 1961 Amendments 472 D. The 1965 Amendments 476 E. Subsequent Reform—Increasing Enforcement, Decreasing Judicial Review 480
The effect of active immunity against placental proteins on pregnancy in monkeys

Abstract Squirrel monkeys were actively immunized against human placental lactogen (HPL) and/or an extract of human placental tissue, or squirrel monkey placenta. Only half of the monkeys immunized with HPL developed a detectable antibody titer to HPL prior to the subsequent mating season. During the subsequent breeding season, the pregnancy rate was cut in half. The titer developed against HPL did not seem to be related to their ability to become pregnant. When the group of animals which had previously been immunized with HPL were challenged with extracts of human placenta, all animals developed detectable circulating antibody. There was no increase in the effectiveness of this immunization as compared to HPL in pregnancy prevention, however. A third group of monkeys was immunized with extracts from their own placental extracts, and all developed some degree of antibody. The titer obtained did not seem to be related to whether or not they became pregnant. In this group, however, the pregnancy rate was decreased to one fourth of what it had been before immunization.
Investing in legal prevention: connecting access to civil justice and healthcare through medical-legal partnership.

The impact of social determinants like housing and income on health is now well-accepted and documented. 1 Laws and regulations are also important social determinants because they construct the env...
Advances in natural language processing.

Natural language processing employs computational techniques for the purpose of learning, understanding, and producing human language content. Early computational approaches to language research focused on automating the analysis of the linguistic structure of language and developing basic technologies such as machine translation, speech recognition, and speech synthesis. Today’s researchers refine and make use of such tools in real-world applications, creating spoken dialogue systems and speech-to-speech translation engines, mining social media for information about health or finance, and identifying sentiment and emotion toward products and services. We describe successes and challenges in this rapidly advancing area.
Re-evaluation of the sepsis score in equine neonates.

SummaryReasons for performing study The modified sepsis scoring system provides a method to identify sepsis in foals early in the disease process, but inconsistent results have been obtained from its clinical application in previous studies. Objectives To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the modified sepsis score in a larger population of foals. A secondary objective was to identify factors associated with sepsis. Study design Retrospective cohort study. Methods Records were retrospectively analysed for neonatal admissions to the University of Florida Large Animal Hospital from 1982 to 2008. Backwards stepwise multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate objective clinical factors associated with sepsis. Receiver operating chararacteristic ROC curve analysis was performed on the modified sepsis score and used to determine an optimal cut point. Results A total of 1065 foals were included in the study. The modified sepsis score had a sensitivity of 56.4% and specificity of 73.4% for the originally suggested cut point (>11). Receiver operating chararacteristic analysis revealed an optimal cut point of >7 (sensitivity 84.4%, specificity 41.8%). The modified sepsis score performed better than the generated regression model which included age, creatinine, lymphocytes, potassium and IgG>8 g/l (P = 0.026). Diagnostic performance of the modified sepsis score did not change significantly over time. Conclusions Sensitivity and specificity of the modified sepsis score were not as high as previously documented, but the score still outperformed a regression model derived from objective clinical data. The Summary is available in Chinese – see Supporting information.
The Role of Rapport in Investigative Interviewing: A Review

Rapport often appears in training and discussions regarding investigative interviewing, yet very little empirical research has examined rapport systematically in law enforcement or intelligence settings. Using a model of rapport developed from therapeutic settings, we address in this paper the components of rapport and their relevance to investigative interviewing. Rapport can play a facilitating role in supporting the goals of an investigative interview, to include developing a working alliance between interviewer and source, exercising social influence, and educing information from a source. A better understanding of how rapport develops in these contexts and its impact on interview outcomes would enhance the effectiveness of investigative interviewing. Research on rapport in the investigative interview would enhance our understanding of the interpersonal dynamics in these situations. We identify several gaps that such research should address, including the relationship between rapport and social influence and the development of rapport in multiparty interactions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multiple Sites of Vλ Diversification in Cattle

Ig repertoire diversification in cattle was studied in the ileal Peyer’s patch (IPP) follicles of young calves and in the spleens of late first-trimester bovine fetuses. To investigate follicular diversification, individual IPP follicles were isolated by microdissection; Vλ diversity was examined by RT-PCR and subsequent cloning and sequencing. When 52 intrafollicular sequences from a 4-wk-old calf were determined and compared, two major groups, one of 23 members and the other of 25, could be delineated. An examination of these groups revealed clear genealogic relationships that implicated in situ diversification of Vλ sequences within the confines of an IPP follicle. Vλ expression was also examined in early (95 and 110 gestational day) fetal bovine spleens. Although earlier studies in cattle and sheep implicated the IPP as a likely site of Ab diversification, a close investigation of Vλ sequences in late first-trimester fetal calves revealed that diversity appears in the early fetal spleen before the establishment of a diverse repertoire in the ileum. When the sequences for the fetal spleen were compared with an existing pool of germline sequences, we found evidence of possible gene conversion events and possible untemplated point mutations occurring in sequences recovered from fetal spleens. We conclude that IPP is not the sole site of Vλ diversification in cattle. Also, as suggested for rabbits, cattle may use both gene conversion and untemplated somatic point mutation to diversify their primary Vλ repertoire.
Progestin Levels in Corpora Lutea and Progesterone in Ovarian Venous and Jugular Vein Blood Plasma of the Pregnant Bovine

Abstract Progesterone and 20 β -hydroxy-Δ 4 -pregnene-3-one (20 β -ol) were assayed in 125 corpora lutea (CL), 78 ovarian venous blood plasma, and 61 jugular venous blood plasma samples from cows 11 to 284 days after estrus, breeding, or pregnancy. The objective was to evaluate luteal function during pregnancy. Weight of the CL (P Progesterone concentration in ovarian vein plasma declined during pregnancy ( r = −0.38; P r = 0.28; P β -ol were high at 52 days, then declined and increased to a second peak at 204 days and again declined at 232 and 252 days (P Weight of the CL was not highly correlated with any of the hormone measurements. The partial correlations (age of animal held constant) between content and concentration of progesterone, 20 β -ol, and total progestin in the CL were 0.87, 0.94, and 0.87 (P β -ol were significantly correlated (P r = 0.25; P r = 0.23; P β -ol or the increasing levels of progesterone in jugular plasma. Average±standard errors for the study were: CL-weight 6.5±0.15g; progesterone content 199±9.9 µ g and concentration 31.1±1.4 µ g/g; 20 β -ol content 41.0±3.0 µ g and concentration 6.2±0.44 µ g/g; and ovarian and jugular venous plasma concentrations 2.9±0.21 µ g/ml and 30.3±1.7ng/ml, respectively. The average age of the animals was 54±2.2 months.
Effective and efficient user interaction for long queries

Handling long queries can involve either pruning the query to retain only the important terms (reduction), or expanding the query to include related concepts (expansion). While automatic techniques to do so exist, roughly 25% performance improvements in terms of MAP have been realized in past work through interactive variants. We show that selectively reducing or expanding a query leads to an average improvement of 51% in MAP over the baseline for standard TREC test collections. We demonstrate how user interaction can be used to achieve this improvement. Most interaction techniques present users with a fixed number of options for all queries. We achieve improvements by interacting less with the user, i.e., we present techniques to identify the optimal number of options to present to users, resulting in an interface with an average of 70% fewer options to consider. Previous algorithms supporting interactive reduction and expansion are exponential in nature. To extend their utility to operational environments, we present techniques to make the complexity of the algorithms polynomial. We finally present an analysis of long queries that continue to exhibit poor performance in spite of our new techniques.
Influence of thermochemical properties on ion mixing of markers in Cu and β-Zr at 77 K with Kr

Ion mixing of Nb, Ru, Ag, In, Sb, Hf, Pt, Au, and Bi markers in a Cu matrix and of Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Hf, W, and Au markers in a β-Zr matrix has been studied by irradiation with 750 keV Kr+ ions of doses from 5 × 1015 to 2 × 1016/cm2= at 77 K. Cu and β-Zr have quite different atomic properties and impurities in them also behave quite differently. Thus, through a systematic investigation, the influence of parameters and mechanisms on ion mixing is clarified. The mixing was analyzed in situ, using 1.8 and 1.9 MeV He ion backscattering spectrometry. The overall mixing efficiency, Dt/φFD, is significantly higher in Cu than in β-Zr. This difference is explained in terms of the thermal spike mechanism in these matrices. In Cu, the mixing efficiencies correlate with impurity tracer diffusivities and impurity-vacancy binding energies for the marker atoms in Cu. Vacancies apparently play a major role during thermal spike mixing in Cu. In β-Zr, the markers that are likely to dissolve substitutionally in the matrix, have slightly higher mixing efficiencies than the markers that are likely to dissolve interstitially. The results are interpreted with the diffusion properties of these impurities in β-Zr.
Web-based cost estimation of machining rotational parts

The recent surge in global competition over manufacturing goods has led to a continued effort to reduce price, improve quality and reach the market faster. An important element of competitive performance is the ability to provide accurate and fast cost estimation. This frontier has been challenged from several directions including development of better activity-based cost methods, better parametric cost estimation methods and using the Web for faster and more accurate communication. This paper presents a system that uses the Web to link design stations and manufacturing shops in order to provide fast and accurate cost estimation. The system is a Web-enabled integrated environment that provides process-planning capabilities, machining time and cost estimation, and supplier selection. By utilizing Web technologies, the designers can submit the design to a central server that links to the various manufacturing shops and help them generate accurate cost estimation. The central server provides the designer wit...
Responses of pepper (Capsium annum) plants to iron deficiency: Solution pH and riboflavin

Pepper (Capsium annum L.) plants were grown in all nitrate N nutrient solutions with no Fe and four concentrations of Fe as Fe EDDHA. Riboflavin accumulation was maximal at the lowest concentration of added Fe, about half as much with no Fe and much lower at decreasing amounts for the remaining higher concentrations of Fe. The pH of nutrient solutions decreased the most when plants received no Fe, but the pH did not reach 4.0. All other Fe treatments resulted in pH increases of the nutrient solutions. Although riboflavin excretion was progressively less at increasing added Fe, the solution pH, mass of shoots and of roots, and apical leaf chlorophyll were about the same at the three highest Fe concentrations. Excess riboflavin may substitute for ferredoxin in the form of flavodoxin with Fe stress.
Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor attenuates mouse cerebellar granule cell GABAA receptor‐mediated responses via postsynaptic mechanisms

In addition to exerting long-term neurotrophic influences on developmental process such as neuronal survival and neuritic outgrowth, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been reported to modulate synaptic transmission in the short-term. Considerable evidence indicates that BDNF acutely modulates NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic activity. However, whether BDNF modulates inhibitory synaptic transmission remains to be firmly established. In the present study, we examined the effect of acute BDNF exposure on GABA-evoked whole-cell responses as well as GABAergic synaptic activity in cultured mouse cerebellar granule cells. GABA-evoked responses were reduced by 39.5 ± 4.7 % upon acute and focal application of BDNF (100 ng ml−1). The reduction of the GABA response recovered only partially even minutes after removal of BDNF. TrkB-IgG and K252a, but not K252b, prevented the BDNF-induced attenuation of the GABA response. BDNF exposure shifted the cumulative peak amplitude distribution leftward for both spontaneous IPSCs (sIPSCs) and miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs) without affecting the rise time and decay time constants. Acute exposure to BDNF also resulted in internalization of GABAA receptors in cultured cerebellar granule cells, as reflected by diminished immunostaining with an antibody against the GABAA receptor β2/3 subunit. Although the BDNF-induced GABAA receptor internalization was sensitive to K252a, it did not become manifest until 5 min after exposure to BDNF. Therefore, receptor internalization alone cannot account for the prompt BDNF-induced attenuation of GABA-mediated activity. We conclude that BDNF modulates GABAA receptor-mediated activity through TrkB receptor signalling that triggers a kinase-dependent short latency effect and a delayed longer latency effect hallmarked by receptor internalization.
Split Levinson algorithm for Toeplitz matrices with singular sub-matrices

The split Levinson algorithm, which is computationally superior to the classical Levinson algorithm, is used for solving linear systems with real symmetric Toeplitz matrices, with no restriction on the ranks of their nested submatrices. The algorithm is based on the observation that the singular predictor polynomials are either the same as or closely related to the predictor polynomials when the corresponding Toeplitz submatrix is singular. A numerical example and a flowchart of the algorithm are presented to illustrate the proposed method. >
Improving the analysis of slug tests

Abstract This paper examines several techniques that have the potential to improve the quality of slug test analysis. These techniques are applicable in the range from low hydraulic conductivities with overdamped responses to high hydraulic conductivities with nonlinear oscillatory responses. Four techniques for improving slug test analysis will be discussed: use of an extended capability nonlinear model, sensitivity analysis, correction for acceleration and velocity effects, and use of multiple slug tests. The four-parameter nonlinear slug test model used in this work is shown to allow accurate analysis of slug tests with widely differing character. The parameter β represents a correction to the water column length caused primarily by radius variations in the wellbore and is most useful in matching the oscillation frequency and amplitude. The water column velocity at slug initiation ( V o ) is an additional model parameter, which would ideally be zero but may not be due to the initiation mechanism. The remaining two model parameters are A (parameter for nonlinear effects) and K (hydraulic conductivity). Sensitivity analysis shows that in general β and V o have the lowest sensitivity and K usually has the highest. However, for very high K values the sensitivity to A may surpass the sensitivity to K . Oscillatory slug tests involve higher accelerations and velocities of the water column; thus, the pressure transducer responses are affected by these factors and the model response must be corrected to allow maximum accuracy for the analysis. The performance of multiple slug tests will allow some statistical measure of the experimental accuracy and of the reliability of the resulting aquifer parameters.
The relationship between verbal teacher immediacy behaviors and student learning

Previous research has indicated that nonverbal teacher behaviors such as smiling, vocal expressiveness, movement about the classroom, and relaxed body position are salient low‐inference variables of a process which results in a product of increased cognitive and affective learning. This study identified a set of verbal teacher immediacy behaviors which similarly relate to increased student learning. Results indicated differentiated use of various types of verbal immediacy messages between small and larger classes, and that the impact of teacher immediacy behaviors (both verbal and nonverbal) on learning is coincidentally enhanced as class size increases. The study provides empirical definition of a specific set of low‐inference verbal variables which, in combination with previously identified nonverbal variables, clarify a single process‐product model for effective instructional interaction.
Computed tomography of pediatric craniofacial sarcoma

Review of the clinical and roentgenographic findings in 16 children with craniofacial sarcomas has revealed that CT is the most accurate method for delineation of the sarcomas and is indispensable for proper therapy planning and post therapy evaluation. The patients were examined and treated according to a protocol which required a CT examination before any type of therapy and after each mode of therapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy alone was noted to produce marked reduction in tumor volume. The orbital sarcomas, which are most frequent, are small tumors without bone destruction. On the other hand, the nasopharyngeal, paranasal sinus and middle ear sarcomas are large tumors frequently associated with extensive bone destruction.
Eigen-decomposition-based analysis of video images

ABSTRACT We present a fast algorithm for computing the singular value decomposition (SVD) of a matrix consisting of the frames from a video sequence. The computational efficiency of this algorithm derives from the observation that portions of a video sequence will consist of sets of correlated frames. We then show that the information obtained from the SVD can be used to analyze video sequences to obtain information such as scene breaks, scene query, reduced-order shotrepresentation and key frame determination. We illustrate this approach on several video sequences.Keywords: Eigenimages, eigendecomposition, singular value decomposition (SVD), video analysis 1. INTRODUCTION Image and video analyses inherently require the handling of a large volume of information. Thus efficient mechanismsfor the organization and classification of data, as well as for data query and retrieval, are essential in managing video and image databases. Our objective in this article is to explore the use of reduced order representations towardsaddressing some of the issues that arise in video database management.The specific reduced order representation that we will consider is based on eigenspace methods. Variouslyreferred to as principal component analysis methods and Karhunen-Loeve transformation methods,' eigenspace
Back to the Real Basics: Preparing Students for Success as Adults

Calls for a return to the basics are not new—as early as 1918, arguments were being made for a more wholistic curriculum. This writer continues the debate, and urges educators to "question the status quo."
Effect of Homocysteine and Homocystine on Platelet and Vascular Arachidonic Acid Metabolism

Summary: Normal hemostasis depends in part on the balance achieved between proaggregatory and prothrombotic platelet thromboxane A2, measured as its stable end-product thromboxane B2 (TXB2), and vascular prostacyclin (PGI2), which inhibits platelet aggregation and is antithrombotic. Cystathionine-β-synthase deficiency is characterized by a high frequency of thromboembolic disease. We therefore studied, in vitro, the effects of homocysteine and related compounds on platelet TXB2 and vascular PGI2 formation. In paired samples of platelet rich plasma, which had been preincubated with L-homocystine (1 mM), mean production of the two platelet cyclooxygenase products, TXB2 and 12-hydroxy-5,8,10-heptadecatrienoic acid increased significantly from control levels [13.6% ± 1.9 to 19.8% ± 2.1 (P < 0.02) TXB2 and 29.8% ± 4.2 to 39.4% ± 4.1 (P < 0.01) HHT]. In the presence of D.L-homocysteine (1 mM), mean platelet TXB2 and 12-hydroxy-5,8,10-heptadecatrienoic acid production was also significantly increased [12.7% ± 1.5 to 16.9% ± 1.5 (P < 0.01) TXB2 and 27% ± 4 to 31% ± 4.1 (P < 0.02) HHT]. Cystine, cysteine, or methionine (1 mM) did not have similar effects in this test system. Homocysteine and homocystine were without effect on the synthesis of vascular PGI2 by umbilical artery segments [control, 0.22 ± 0.03 to 0.21 ± 0.03 ng/mg with D.L-homocysteine and 0.20 ± 0.04 control to 0.19 ± 0.04 ng/mg with D.L-homocystine]. A homocyst(e)ine-induced increase in platelet thromboxane production in the absence of an increase in vascular prostacyclin, if present in vivo, may contribute to the vascular thromboses characteristic of human homocystinemias (homocystinurias).