cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Independence and Dependence

The concepts of independent and dependent variables are basic to the study of relationships between variables. The approach used here is closely related to Tjur (1980, p. 120); however, the study of independence and dependence has a long history in statistics, as evident from De Moivre (1756) and Bayes (1763). In Section 6.1, a general definition of independent variables is provided, and some basic consequences of independence are considered. In Section 6.2, conditional expectations are used to study dependence between variables.
Improving hepatitis C screening and diagnosis in patients born between 1945 and 1965 in a safety-net primary care clinic

Individuals born between 1945–1965 represent 81% of all persons chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the USA and are largely unaware of their positive status. The baseline HCV screening rate in this population in an academic internal medicine clinic at a US hospital was less than 3.0%. The goal was to increase the rate of HCV screening in patients born between 1945 and 1965 to 20% within 24 months. The quality improvement team used the Plan Do Study Act Model. Outcome measures included HCV antibody screening, HCV RNA positive rate and linkage to hepatology care. Process measures included HCV antibody order and completion rates. The quality improvement team performed a root cause analysis and identified barriers for HCV screening and linkage to care. The key elements of interventions included redesigning nursing workflow, use of health information technology and educating patients, physicians and nursing staff about HCV. The HCV screening rate was 30.3% (391/1291) within 24 months. The HCV antibody positive rate was 43.5% (170/391), and HCV RNA positive rate was 95.3% (162/170). HCV infection was diagnosed in 12.5% (162/1291) of patients or 41.4% (162/391) of the screened population. Of those positive, 70% (114/162) were linked to hepatology care within the 24-month project timeframe. Eighty percent of patients seen by a hepatologist were treated with direct-acting antivirals agents. The HCV screening rate was sustained at 25.4% during the post-project 1-year period. Engagement of a multidisciplinary team and education to patients, physicians and nursing staff were the key drivers for success.
Adverse childhood experiences and mental health in adulthood: evidence from North Carolina

Abstract Background About 1.4 million adults in North Carolina (NC) have mental illnesses. Many get no treatment because of mental health care provider shortages. Necessary prevention requires identification of covariates of mental illness. Study objective We tested the hypotheses: There is no difference in adulthood mental health of the ACE-affected and the unaffected; ACEs do not significantly predict adulthood mental health. Methods ACEs studied were: living with a mentally ill person, an alcoholic, or drug abuser; witnessing violence; having divorced or unmarried parents; and being physically, mentally or sexually abused. We used data from 2012 and 2014 NC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. We had 19,187 observations with about 13,900 including ACE data. We conducted t- and χ2 tests of mental health differences between ACE-affected and unaffected and regression analysis to determine mental health predictors. Results ACE distribution was: 26.2% had parents or adults swearing at- or insulting them; 25% had divorced or unmarried parents; 22.6% lived with an alcoholic; 15.7% witnessed their parents beat each other; 13.8% lived with a mentally ill person; and 13.6% were hit or beaten by an adult in the home. Respondents also reported being touched sexually (9.4%); living with an adult who abused drugs (7.9%); and 4.1% were forced to have sex. The ACE-affected experienced significantly (p
Cystic Lung Disease

Lung diseases associated with cyst formation are not uncommon and include a wide spectrum of etiologies ranging from benign developmental anomalies to genetic disorders or acquired conditions. Cystic lung disease is one of the more common pathological findings in the pediatric population. Therefore, the approach of histological specimens always requires awareness of patient age and close correlation with clinical data, radiological imaging, and findings at surgery. This is particularly important for cases of developmental malformation in which knowledge of anatomy, bronchial and vascular supply are essential for correct diagnosis. Developmental cysts and cystic lesions are not only restricted to the pediatric age group but can stay clinically silent for a long time before they are recognized in adult patients either incidentally or because of late onset of symptoms. Nonetheless, in adults, cystic disease is more commonly associated with acquired conditions, such as emphysema or cystic neoplasms.
SaeCAS: Secure Authenticated Execution Using CAM-Based Vector Storage

Authenticated execution (AE) is a security mechanism that cryptographically validates an application’s code as it executes, as well as verifies its control flow. AE provides fully local guarantees which can deliver protection for control flow, instruction flow, and software intellectual property which makes it ideal for devices with little to no connectivity. However, we find that previous AE approaches make concessions in their implementation that severely hinder their security guarantees. In this article, we examine the weaknesses in previous AE approaches and why they occur. We also introduce SAECAS as a mechanism to reliably perform AE in an embedded device. We formally prove the security aspects of SAECAS, demonstrating its security capabilities. Moreover, we implement SAECAS on a RISC-V core and test it on a Terasic DE2-115 FPGA board to demonstrate its capabilities, showing that a reliable system can be made with a hardware overhead of $\approx 2\times $ when including extra SoC components and no performance impact.
Transcriptional Control of Parallel-Acting Pathways That Remove Specific Presynaptic Proteins in Remodeling Neurons

Synapses are actively dismantled to mediate circuit refinement, but the developmental pathways that regulate synaptic disassembly are largely unknown. We have previously shown that the epithelial sodium channel ENaC/UNC-8 triggers an activity-dependent mechanism that drives the removal of presynaptic proteins liprin-α/SYD-2, Synaptobrevin/SNB-1, RAB-3 and Endophilin/UNC-57 in remodeling GABAergic neurons in C. elegans (Miller-Fleming et al., 2016). Here, we report that the conserved transcription factor Iroquois/IRX-1 regulates UNC-8 expression as well as an additional pathway, independent of UNC-8, that functions in parallel to dismantle functional presynaptic terminals. We show that the additional IRX-1-regulated pathway is selectively required for the removal of the presynaptic proteins, Munc13/UNC-13 and ELKS, which normally mediate synaptic vesicle fusion and neurotransmitter release. Our findings are notable because they highlight the key role of transcriptional regulation in synapse elimination during development and reveal parallel-acting pathways that coordinate synaptic disassembly by removing specific active zone proteins.SIGNIFICANT STATEMENT:Synaptic pruning is a conserved feature of developing neural circuits but the mechanisms that dismantle the presynaptic apparatus are largely unknown. We have determined that synaptic disassembly is orchestrated by parallel-acting mechanisms that target distinct components of the active zone. Thus, our finding suggests that synaptic disassembly is not accomplished by en masse destruction but depends on mechanisms that dismantle the structure in an organized process.
Fasting and postprandial trimethylamine N-oxide in sedentary and endurance-trained males following a short-term high-fat diet

Gut bacteria release trimethylamine (TMA) from dietary substrates. TMA is absorbed and is subsequently oxidized in the liver to produce trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). Plasma TMAO levels are positively correlated with risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). High-fat diet (HFD) consumption has been reported to increase fasting and postprandial TMAO in sedentary individuals. However, whether the increase in TMAO with consumption of an HFD is observed in endurance-trained males is unknown. Healthy, sedentary (n = 17), and endurance-trained (n = 7) males consumed a 10-day eucaloric diet comprised of 55% carbohydrate, 30% total fat, and 0.05) in the sedentary and endurance-trained group, respectively. VO2max was significantly higher in the endurance-trained compared with sedentary males (56.7 ± 8.2 vs. 39.9 ± 6.0 ml/kg/min). Neither the HFC nor the HFD evoked a detectable change in plasma TMAO (p > 0.05) in either group. Future studies are needed to identify the effects of endurance training on TMAO production.
A Philosophy for Developing Trust in Self-driving Cars

For decades, our lives have depended on the safe operation of automated mechanisms around and inside us. The autonomy and complexity of these mechanisms is increasing dramatically. Autonomous systems such as self-driving cars rely heavily on inductive inference and complex software, both of which confound traditional software-safety techniques that are focused on amassing sufficient confirmatory evidence to support safety claims. In this paper we survey existing methods and tools that, taken together, can enable a new and more productive philosophy for software safety that is based on Karl Popper’s idea of falsificationism.
Effect of clay on melt crystallization, crystallization kinetics and spherulitic morphology of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) nanocomposites

Abstract Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT)/clay nanocomposite films have been prepared via a novel two-step approach. The resulting nanocomposites have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), wide angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized light microscopy (PLM). XRD results showed this two-step process of preparation forms predominantly exfoliated structures. The effect of nanoclay on the isothermal and nonisothermal melt crystallization behaviors of PTT has been investigated and shown that the incorporation of clay accelerates the rate of crystallization and increases the total crystallinity of PTT nanocomposites compared to neat PTT. Nonisothermal melt crystallization kinetics of neat PTT and PTT nanocomposites was analyzed using crystallization isotherm. The Avrami analysis modified by Jeziorny was successfully used to describe the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of neat PTT and PTT nanocomposites, shown by the decrease in half time ( t 1/2 ) of crystallization and increase in rate constant ( Z c ) as organoclay content increased up to 10%. FTIR spectroscopy has been utilized for the first time to monitor conformational changes during the melt crystallization of PTT nanocomposites. It was demonstrated that the amorphous trans conformation transforms into the crystalline gauche conformation with increasing clay content, which suggests that nanoclay accelerates the polymer chain conformational transition from trans to gauche conformation. No significant change in amorphous gauche conformation was observed either with crystallization temperature or clay content.
The relationship between family sense of coherence, healthy behaviors, and child BMI (808.6)

In a novel approach to considering the childhood obesity epidemic, it is suggested that family sense of coherence (FSOC) may act as a protective factor against the obesogenic environment. Proposed ...
Additional coating effects on textured ZnO : Al thin films as transparent conducting oxides for thin‐film Si solar cells

ZnO : Al films were additionally deposited on textured transparent conducting oxide thin films to improve the surface morphologies formed in the etching process. The efficiency of the µc-Si : H cell was enhanced from 7.0% (uncoated) to 8.0% (150-nm-coated) because of the additional coating. The quantum efficiency evaluation with a reverse bias voltage showed that the additional coating suppressed the carrier recombination problem. To systematically analyze the change of the i-layer quality, the changes of (μτ)eff and fill factor (FF) were analyzed using a variable illumination measurement technique, and the results clearly confirmed the enhancement of i-layer quality due to the additional coating. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Financial Integration and Economies of Scope: A Cross-Industry Analysis of Bancassurance in Taiwan

Using unique bancassurance data from Taiwan, we examine whether banks improve their scope economies by engaging in bancassurance activities. We adopt an econometric approach to identify the relation between economies of scope and bancassurance. The empirical results show that higher involvement in bancassurance helps banks improve their cost scope economies but may also lead to revenue scope diseconomies. However, the overall results indicate that banks in Taiwan realized greater gains from cost scope economies than losses from revenue scope diseconomies by engaging in bancassurancc activities. In particular, banks with higher levels of bancassurance premium income and subsidiaries of financial holding companies are more likely to realize cost scope economies. On the other hand, banks with more correspondent insurers, larger numbers of branches, greater numbers of customers, a more intensive product focus, and a higher proportion of invested assets are more likely to realize revenue scope economies.
Model predictions of nearshore processes near complex bathymetry

Waves undergo significant transformation over complex bathymetry, and the resulting nearshore wave conditions can be sensitive to small changes in the offshore wave forcing. A potential consequence of this transformation sensitivity is large uncertainties in modeled nearshore waves owing to the amplification of the error in the deep water spectra used as initial conditions. In preparation for the upcoming Nearshore Canyon Wave Experiment in La Jolla, CA, a boundary condition sensitivity analysis was performed over the region's submarine canyon bathymetry using the SWAN wave model. The sensitivity analysis included varying the offshore spectrum discretization (frequency and directional bandwidths), the peak period and direction of the spectra, and the frequency and directional spreads. In each case, the magnitude of the spectral variations was governed by expected uncertainties when initializing a nearshore model with a) typical buoy data for the area, and b) global WAM model hindcasts or forecasts. In addition, data from the Torrey Pines Outer Buoy (located 12 km offshore) from the first week of November 2001 were used to initialize the model, and the maximum change seen in the domain over the course of the week were compared to those derived from the sensitivity analysis. The nearshore locations that showed the largest change in wave height over time were also the areas most sensitive to boundary condition errors, and correspond to areas of wave focusing. Errors in the estimation of the peak offshore wave direction were found to have the greatest impact on the accuracy of the nearshore wave predictions. The coarse directional resolution (15 degrees) of deep water spectra provided by the present generation of operational global models is shown to be a significant source of error when handcasting or forecasting nearshore waves over complex bathymetry.
Effects of body mass and water temperature on routine metabolism of American paddlefish Polyodon spathula

This study quantified the effects of temperature and fish mass on routine metabolism of the American paddlefish Polyodon spathula. Thermal sensitivity, as measured by Q(10) value, was low in P. spathula. Mean Q(10) was 1·78 while poikilotherms are generally expected to have Q(10) values in the 2·00-2·50 range. Mass-specific metabolism did not decrease with increased fish size to the extent that this phenomenon is observed in teleosts, as evidenced by a mass exponent (β) value of 0·92 for P. spathula compared with 0·79 in a review of teleost species. Other Acipenseriformes have exhibited relatively high β values for mass-specific respiration. Overall P. spathula metabolism appears to be more dependent on body mass and less dependent on temperature than for many other fishes. An equation utilizing temperature and fish mass to estimate gross respiration for P. spathula was derived and this equation was applied to respiratory data from other Acipenseriformes to assess inter-species variation. Polyodon spathula respiration rates across water temperature and fish mass appear most similar to those of Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser naccarii and white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus.
Characteristics of Streptolysin O Hemolysis: Kinetics of Hemoglobin and 86Rubidium Release

The characteristics of hemolysis produced by streptolysin O (SLO) were investigated in rabbit, human, and rat erythrocytes. Kinetic studies of hemoglobin (Hb) release showed that rabbit and human erythrocytes exhibited typical "multi-hit" survival curves. Extrapolation of these curves to the ordinate indicated that approximately two molecules of SLO may be sufficient to produce lysis of a single cell. In contrast, exponential ("single-hit") survival curves were observed when rat erythrocytes were treated with SLO. At 0 C, high concentrations of SLO rapidly lysed rabbit erythrocytes; low concentrations had no effect on the cells at this temperature. The release of intracellular (86)rubidium ((86)Rb(+)) and Hb in rabbit erythrocytes exposed to SLO was investigated. In the presence of phosphate-buffered saline, rubidium and Hb were lost at the same rate from toxin-treated cells. The addition of bovine serum albumin to the suspending medium did not retard the escape of Hb, and the efflux of (86)Rb(+) only slightly preceded Hb loss. Addition of sucrose to the cells delayed both Hb and rubidium release. These results are interpreted as indicating that the "colloid-osmotic" lytic process is not involved in the hemolysis of erythrocytes by streptolysin O.
The thermal decomposition of some visual pigments.

Abstract The thermal decomposition of some visual pigments is studied in the temperature range, 45–65°C. It is found that, in most cases (but not all),A2-based pigments are less stable thanA1-based pigments. The rates of thermal decomposition are: first-order in pigment concentration; (2) lowest at near-neutral pH; (3) decreased upon the addition of NaCl. Activation energies and preexponential factors are given for all pigments. It is concluded that a simple extrapolation of these high temperature results cannot explain the high rates of decomposition of fish pigments observed at low temperatures.
Biogenic methane, hydrogen escape, and the irreversible oxidation of early Earth.

The low O2 content of the Archean atmosphere implies that methane should have been present at levels ∼102 to 103 parts per million volume (ppmv) (compared with 1.7 ppmv today) given a plausible biogenic source. CH4 is favored as the greenhouse gas that countered the lower luminosity of the early Sun. But abundant CH4 implies that hydrogen escapes to space (↑space) orders of magnitude faster than today. Such reductant loss oxidizes the Earth. Photosynthesis splits water into O2 and H, and methanogenesis transfers the H into CH4. Hydrogen escape after CH4 photolysis, therefore, causes a net gain of oxygen [CO2 + 2H2O → CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + O2 + 4H(↑space)]. Expected irreversible oxidation (∼1012 to 1013 moles oxygen per year) may help explain how Earth9s surface environment became irreversibly oxidized.
Efficacy of antioxidant supplementation in reducing primary cancer incidence and mortality: systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the association between antioxidant use and primary cancer incidence and mortality and to evaluate these effects across specific antioxidant compounds, target organs, and participant subgroups. METHODS Multiple electronic databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trials Register, EMBASE, Science Citation Index) were searched from their dates of inception until August 2005 to identify eligible randomized clinical trials. Random effects meta-analyses estimated pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that described the effect of antioxidants vs placebo on cancer incidence and cancer mortality. RESULTS Twelve eligible trials, 9 of high methodological quality, were identified (total subject population, 104,196). Antioxidant supplementation did not significantly reduce total cancer incidence (RR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.94-1.04) or mortality (RR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.92-1.15) or any site-specific cancer incidence. Beta carotene supplementation was associated with an increase in the incidence of cancer among smokers (RR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.10) and with a trend toward increased cancer mortality (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.98-1.37). Selenium supplementation was associated with reduced cancer incidence in men (RR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.64-0.92) but not in women (RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.89-1.13, value for interaction, P CONCLUSION Beta carotene supplementation appeared to increase cancer incidence and cancer mortality among smokers, whereas vitamin E supplementation had no effect. Selenium supplementation might have anticarcinogenic effects in men and thus requires further research. Beta carotene supplementation appeared to increase cancer incidence and mortality among smokers, whereas vitamin E supplementation had no effect; selenium supplementation might have anticarcinogenic effects.
Scalar Mesons in D and B Decays

The decays of D and B mesons provide new insights into the nature of light scalar mesons. Several recent measurements are presented.
Family Capital: Implications for Interventions with Families

Social capital has been extensively discussed in the literature as building blocks that individuals and communities utilize to leverage system resources. Similarly, some families also create capital, which can enable members of the family, such as children, to successfully negotiate the outside world. Families in poverty confront serious challenges in developing positive family capital, because of lack of resources. For those families that are successful in developing positive family capital, family capital can help to create positive outcomes for family interactions. Thus, family capital can provide information about opportunities, exert influence on agents who make decisions involving the actor, provide social credentials that indicate a connection to a social network, and reinforce the actor's identity and recognition, which maintains access and entitlement to these social resources.
Dynamics of surf-zone turbulence in a strong plunging breaker

Abstract The characteristics of turbulence created by a plunging breaker on a 1 on 35 plane slope have been studied experimentally in a two-dimensional wave tank. The experiments involved detailed measurements of fluid velocities below trough level and water surface elevations in the surf zone using a fibre-optic laser-Doppler anemometer and a capacitance wave gage. The dynamical role of turbulence is examined making use of the transport equation for turbulent kinetic energy (the k-equation). The results show that turbulence under a plunging breaker is dominated by large-scale motions and has certain unique features that are associated with its wave condition. It was found that the nature of turbulence transport in the inner surf zone depends on a particular wave condition and it is not similar for different types of breakers. Turbulent kinetic energy is transported landward under a plunging breaker and dissipated within one wave cycle. This is different from spilling breakers where turbulent kinetic energy is transported seaward and the dissipation rate is much slower. The analysis of the k-equation shows that advective and diffusive transport of turbulence play a major role in the distribution of turbulence under a plunging breaker, while production and dissipation are not in local equilibrium but are of the same order of magnitude. Based on certain approximate analytical approaches and experimental measurements it is shown that turbulence production and viscous dissipation below trough level amount to only a small portion of the wave energy loss caused by wave breaking. It is suggested that the onshore sediment transport produced by swell waves may be tied in a direct way to the unique characteristics of turbulent flows in these waves.
African Renaissance Conferences of the 21st Century Dakar and Salvador in Perspective

President Abdoulaye Wade and other African leaders have sought to activate the large African diaspora to spur African progress and unity. Two key congresses of African intellectuals and cultural workers from the continent and the diaspora have been held with the objectives of making concrete this vision of a coherent African world. The first congress was held in Dakar, Senegal, and the second one was held in Salvador, Brazil. More than 700 intellectuals attended the first meeting, and nearly 500 attended the second congress. This article is a reflection, based on the organization, objectives, and actions of the congresses. The author believes that the African renaissance will depend on the degree to which the participants of the two conferences will be able to convince their fellows of the value of African unity and African resurgence.
Focusing on the Big Picture with fMRI: Consciousness and Temporal Flux

Dan Lloyd, in his article ‘‘Functional MRI and the Study of Human Consciousness,’’ takes a radical approach to the interpretation of data obtained in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments. The study examines brain images collected from multiple experimental tasks with minimal consideration of the underlying cognitive operations. The data, which include diverse activations associated with response competition (Hazeltine, Poldrack, & Gabrieli, 2000), visual object processing (Ishai, Ungerleider, Martin, & Haxby, 2000), reading (Mechilli, Friston, & Price, 2000), and spatial working memory (Postle, Berger, Taich, & D’Esposito, 2000), are largely interpreted without reference to the subjects’ behaviors. Perhaps even more surprising, the article never mentions a single neural structure. Instead, Lloyd bases his analysis on the similarity, defined in terms of multivariate distance, between individual whole-brain images, and focuses on perhaps the broadest commonality across tasks (consciousness) rather than changes that are specific to putative mental operations. With this novel method, Lloyd is able to detect pervasive patterns of activation that are presumably observable in most of the extant fMRI data. The principle finding is that the multivariate distance between brain images is approximately linearly related to their temporal distance. That is, images acquired close together in time are more similar according to multivariate analyses than images acquired far apart. Thus, the series of images changes gradually over time. These changes are systematic in that neural network networks can learn to estimate the transformation from one scan to the subsequence one and vice versa. These results, Lloyd argues, are consistent with Husserl’s description of consciousness in that they reflect the inexorable temporal flux of the conscious state. Analogous to the way that each moment of our phenomenological experience builds on the foundation of the previous moment, the series of fMRI brain images appears to form a continuously evolving pattern of global activity. As with any imaging study, the reasons for associating particular patterns with specific mental operations should be carefully spelled out. In the present case, the basis for supposing that consciousness is the source of the observed temporal gradients appears to be based on two observations: (1) consciousness is present during all of the scans included in the study and, more controversially, (2) the specific pattern is consistent with a prediction derived from Husserl’s description. This latter point encapsulates a central difficulty in ascribing changes in BOLD signal to consciousness. Conventional experimental designs have important advantages over Lloyd’s technique in that they identify regions whose activation is significantly correlated with the presence or absence of critical task conditions. In this way, inferences can be made about the relationship between behavior and neural activation. Such logic cannot be applied using
Dynamic behavior of potentiometric ammonia-sensing probes in samples of high osmolarity

Abstract Results are presented for potentiometric ammonia gas-sensors which show that the response times increase significantly with age of the sensor when ammonium picrate is used as internal electrolyte and the samples have greater osmolarities than the internal electrolyte solution. A build-up of ammonium picrate crystals on the inner side of the gas-permeable membrane is responsible for this increasein response time. The use of ammonium chloride as internal electrolyte provides constant response times indepent of sample osmotic strength, and is recommended as a means of ensuring that optimal dynamic response characteristics are maintained.
Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) as a quantitative probe of protein adsorption

Abstract Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) is a powerful new method for probing protein adsorption at solid-liquid interfaces. A quantitation method for determining the amount of adsorbed protein on hydrophilic glass and quartz surfaces has been developed. This method utilizes fluorescent, non-adsorbing dextran as a calibration molecule which approximates the diffusive properties of the protein under study. Through the use of conventional bulk solution fluorescence of both protein and calibration molecules in conjunction with a TIRF calibration, graphical quantitation of the surface concentration of adsorbed protein can be performed. quantitative results can be obtained either via a graphical procedure using fluorescence calibration standards or by a numerical method which accounts for the characteristics of the decaying evanescent, interfacial wave. The graphical quantitation procedure is outlined and demonstrated with data from five gamma-globulin adsorption experiments on hydrophilic glass and quartz surfaces. The results generated by this quantitation procedure are similar to values derived from the numerical quantitation calculation.
Structural Optimization and Aeroelastic Analysis of a Composite T-Tail Configuration

In this paper, a composite T-tail model is developed, including structural finite element model and aeroelastic model, and then structural optimization and aeroelastic analysis are made. Through two steps of structural optimization, and aeroelastic analysis, some valuable conclusions are achieved, which are useful for future composite T-tail design.
Sleep disturbance in healthy middle-aged women

Abstract Objectives: The objectives of the study were to (a) describe the sleep patterns of a sample of healthy middle-aged women, (b) to characterize the psychological, behavioral and biological profiles of middle-aged women who report sleep disturbance, and (c) to determine the influence of change in menopausal status on the quality and quantity of self-reported sleep. Methods: A total of 521 women of varying menopausal status were evaluated in a clinic setting. Measurements included blood pressure, height, weight, waist/hip ratio, and self-reported sleep disturbances, demographic and family characteristics, psychosocial questionnaires, physical activity and nutritional intake. The women who were premenopausal at this initial visit were later evaluated, in an identical protocol, when they became postmenopausal. Results: A total of 42% of the women reported some type of sleep disturbance. Trouble sleeping was associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, stress, tension and public self-consciousness. Women with trouble falling asleep had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures and greater waist/hip ratios. Women who woke earlier than desired had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Sleep disturbance was independent of menopausal status in cross-sectional analyses. In longitudinal analyses, the transition from pre- to postmenopausal status was associated with a significant increase in sleep disturbance in women who chose to not take hormone replacement therapy. Conclusions: There is a high level of sleep disturbance in middle-aged women. Sleep disturbance is associated with worse mood, higher blood pressure and higher waist/hip ratios. Transition into postmenopausal status is associated with deleterious changes in sleep patterns among women who do not take hormone replacement therapy.
The Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation Simulated in the NCEP Climate Forecast System: The Effect of Sea Surface Temperature

Abstract Observational evidence has indicated the important role of the interaction of the atmosphere with the sea surface in the development and maintenance of the tropical intraseasonal oscillation (ISO). However, improvements in ISO simulations with fully coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation models are limited and model dependent. This study further examines the effect of air–sea coupling and the basic-state sea surface temperature (SST) associated with the boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) in a 21-yr free run with the recently developed NCEP coupled Climate Forecast System (CFS) model. For this, the CFS run is compared with an Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project–type long-term simulation forced by prescribed SST in the NCEP Global Forecast System (GFS) model and flux-corrected version of CFS (referred to as CFSA). The GFS run simulates significantly unorganized BSISO convection anomalies, which exhibit an erroneous standing oscillation. The CFS run with interactive air–sea ...
Development and Validation of the Biobanking Attitudes and Knowledge Survey (BANKS)

Background: No validated multiscale instruments exist that measure community members' views on biobanking and biospecimen donation. This study describes the development and psychometric properties of the English-language BANKS (Biobanking Attitudes and Knowledge Survey). Methods: The BANKS was created by item generation through review of scientific literature, focus groups with community members, and input from a community advisory board. Items were refined through cognitive interviews. Content validity was assessed through an expert panel review. Psychometric properties of the BANKS were assessed in a sample of 85 community members. Results: The final BANKS includes three scales: attitudes, knowledge, and self-efficacy; as well as three single items, which evaluated receptivity and intention to donate a biospecimen for research. Cronbach α coefficients for two scales that use Likert response format indicated high internal consistency (attitudes: α, 0.88; self-efficacy: α, 0.95). Content validity indices were moderate, ranging from 0.69 to 0.89. Intention to donate blood and intention to donate urine were positively correlated with attitudes, knowledge, self-efficacy, and receptivity to learning more about biobanking ( P values range from 0.029 to <0.001). Conclusions: The final BANKS shows evidence of satisfactory reliability and validity, is easy to administer, and is a promising tool to inform biospecimen research. Additional studies should be conducted with larger samples considering biospecimen donation to further assess the reliability and validity of the instrument. Impact: A valid and reliable instrument measuring community members' views about biobanking may help researchers evaluate relevant communication interventions to enhance understanding, intention, and actual biospecimen donation. A Spanish-language BANKS is under development. See all articles in this [ CEBP Focus][1] section, “Community Network Program Centers.” Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(3); 374–82. ©2014 AACR . [1]: http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/23/3.toc#CEBPFocus
Tidal and atmospheric influences on near-surface turbulence in an estuary

[1] Estuarine near-surface turbulence is important for transport, mixing, and air-water exchanges of many important constituents but has rarely been studied in detail. Here, we analyze a unique set of estuarine observations of in situ atmospheric and full water column measurements, estimated air-sea exchanges, and acoustic measurements of several terms in the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budget. Observations from a 5.1 m deep site in the Hudson River estuary include dissipation at 50 cm depth (ɛ50), as well as profiles of TKE, shear production of TKE (P), and net turbulent vertical TKE transport (TD). Regressions suggest that the principal controlling factor for ɛ50 was wind (through the surface shear velocity, U*) and that the surface heat flux and tidal currents played a secondary role. For ebb spring tides, the TKE budget at 50 cm depth was closed within noise levels. Ebbs had high ɛ50 due to local shear production, which nearly balanced ɛ50. Floods had TD approaching P in the upper water column but generally weak near-surface shear and turbulence. Examining buoyancy fluxes that impact near-surface stratification and can indirectly control turbulence, solar heat input and tidal straining caused similar buoyancy fluxes on a sunny, calm weather day, promoting ebb tide restratification. Wind-driven mixing was found to dominate during a fall season storm event, and strong overnight heat loss after the storm helped delay restratification afterward. These results demonstrate the utility of combining detailed air-sea interaction and physical oceanographic measurements in future estuary studies.
Valproic Acid Activates the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway in Muscle and Ameliorates Pathology in a Mouse Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a lethal neuromuscular disease that currently has no effective therapy. Transgenic overexpression of the alpha7 integrin in mdx/utrn(-/-) mice, a model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy ameliorates the disease. We have isolated and used alpha7(+/-) muscle cells expressing beta-galactosidase, driven by the endogenous alpha7 promoter, to identify compounds that increase alpha7 integrin levels. Valproic acid (VPA) was found to enhance alpha7 integrin levels, induce muscle hypertrophy, and inhibit apoptosis in myotubes by activating the Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway. This activation of the Akt pathway occurs within 1 hour of treatment and is mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase. To evaluate the potential use of VPA to treat muscular dystrophy, mdx/utrn(-/-) mice were injected with the drug. Treatment with VPA lowered collagen content and fibrosis, and decreased hind limb contractures. VPA-treated mice also had increased sarcolemmal integrity and decreased damage, decreased CD8-positive inflammatory cells, and higher levels of activated Akt in their muscles. Thus, VPA has important biological effects that may be applicable for the treatment of muscular dystrophy.
CONGRUENCY OF SEX-ROLE IDENTIFICATION IN NORMAL AND DISTURBED ADOLESCENT MALES

Sumn2nry.-17 pre-delinquent, 17 mixed psychiatric, and 17 normal adolescent males and their parents were compared for sex-role orientation and preference. No differences were found among groups. Sex-role oricntarion and preference were appropriate for each group, indicating a congruence berween biological sex and sex-role identification and interests. A disturbance in sexrole orientation was not associated with the adolescent psychopathology surveyed here. Results suggest that troubled adolescents may not show the close association berween sex-role disturbance and psychopathology found in adult disorders.
The transformation strain dependence on applied stress in equiatomic nickel-titanium alloys of powder metallurgical origin

The strain-temperature behavior of Ni-Ti samples upon martensitic phase transformation was investigated as a function of applied uniaxial tensile and compressive stresses. Axial and transverse strains were measured. The samples were fabricated from stock bars of powder metallurgical origin. They were machined into tubes or solid bars with square cross sections. The tubular samples were cycled in temperature by circulating pre­ heated or precooled silicone oil through them. At the same time, they were held in grips, which permitted a deadweight axial stress to be applied. Rosette-type strain gages were used to measure axial, circum­ ferential, and 45°-inclined strains continuously as a function of temper­ ature. The strain-temperature hysteresis loops were analyzed for the dependence of their shape (including magnitude and direction of trans­ formation strain) on the type (tensile or compressive) and magnitude of the applied stress. Furthermore, the difference in behavior for Ni-Ti in the as-fabricated and annealed conditions was studied. In the absence of an applied stress, the strains upon transformation were nearly isotropic, and a net expansion took place upon transformation on cooling. By con­ trast, as the uniaxial tensile stress was increased, the axial and cir­ cumferential strains became increasingly different, i.e., the axial strain corresponded to an expansion upon transformation on cooling and the circumferential strain to a contraction. The magnitudes of these strains increased progressively with increasing stress, with the axial
Effects of Water-Cooking in Heat-Sealed Bags Versus Conveyor-Belt Grilling on Yield, Moisture, and Texture of Broiler Breast Meat

Abstract The sensory texture profile, shear values, yield, and moisture were determined for broiler breast muscle deboned at 2 or 24 h post-mortem (PM) and cooked in bags in water (WC) or on a belt-grill (BG) oven. The 24-h PM WC samples were significantly (P
Stereotactic radiosurgery for trigeminal schwannomas.

OBJECTIVE: Schwannomas that arise from the trigeminal nerve are rare and are usually managed by surgical resection. The role of radiosurgery in the care of patients with these basal tumors remains to be defined. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical presentation, management, and outcomes for 16 trigeminal schwannoma patients who underwent gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery. Fifteen of the 16 patients presented with trigeminal sensory dysfunction. Nine patients had tumors in the region of the ganglion, six in the region of the trigeminal nerve root, and one in the region of the mandibular branch. Six patients had undergone one or more previous resections before radiosurgery. Ten underwent radiosurgery as the first procedure. The mean tumor volume was 5.3 cc (range, 1-17.8 cc). The mean tumor margin dose was 15.3 Gy (range, 12-20 Gy). RESULTS: During the average imaging follow-up of 44 months (range, 8-116 mo), the tumor control rate was 100% (regression in nine patients and no further tumor growth in seven patients). Five patients had improvement of clinical symptoms, and 11 remained unchanged. No new cranial nerve deficit developed in any patient. CONCLUSION: As a minimally invasive alternative to microsurgery, gamma knife radiosurgery proved to be an alternative primary or adjuvant strategy that controlled tumor growth, did not cause new deficits, and often improved presenting symptoms.
Provider Perceptions and Epidemiological Surveillance Data

Abstract ISSUE: Physicians form opinions about the resources and level of care in hospitals. These perceptions can play a role in clinical decision-making. At the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Lexington there has been a perception among physicians that patient care provided in the intensive care units (ICUs) is of a higher quality than that on the acute-care units. This perception leads to patient transfer delays out of the ICU even when the patient's condition meets transfer criteria. The most frequent reason cited in utilization management (UM) data for the delays is “physician preference,” which results in excess ICU days. To test this perception Infection Control undertook the task of establishing a baseline for evaluating respiratory care provided on the acute-care units. PROJECT: Nosocomial pneumonia rates were selected as the indicator for respiratory care outcomes. The population studied was all surgical patients admitted to an acute-care unit. Since this VAMC participates in the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system, the NNIS definition of nosocomial pneumonia was used. A literature search was done to provide benchmark data. Monthly reports were issued to Patient Care Services and UM, which in turn provided feedback to the physicians. RESULTS: The mean nosocomial pneumonia rate for the acute care unit was 2.3 cases per 1000 bed days of care, while the ICU mean was 4.4. An incidence of 0.7% compares favorably with National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) reported incidence of 1.5%. Using nosocomial pneumonia rates as an indicator of quality of care, the acute-care unit provides a comparable level of care. After feedback began to be provided to physicians the number of excess ICU days attributed to “physician preference” declined from 80 days in the first quarter of the fiscal year to 14 days in the fourth quarter. With the ICU cost per patient day at $4198 and the acute care unit cost at $1953, the reduction in excess ICU days results in a cost avoidance of $148,170. LESSONS LEARNED: Providers' perceptions probably do influence clinical decisions, but surveillance data can impact those perceptions. Avoiding excess ICU days can reduce costs without placing patients at risk.
A Biomechanical Analysis of the Modified Tsuge Suture Technique for Repair of Flexor Tendon Lacerations

Thirty-six flexor tendons from fresh frozen cadavers were randomized to three types of repairs: a Kessler-Tajima, a 4-strand modified Tsuge, and a 6-strand modified Tsuge. All repairs were accompanied by a standard epitendinous suture. The repaired tendons were then tested to initial gap and ultimate failure in an Instron machine. The average forces to ultimate failure were 31.8 N (SD, 8.8), 48.4 N (SD, 10.7), and 64.2 N (SD, 11.0) respectively. The 6-strand modified Tsuge suture was significantly stronger than the other repairs and the 4-strand modified Tsuge was significantly stronger than the 2-strand Kessler-Tajima. The 6-strand and 4-strand modified Tsuge repairs appear strong enough to withstand the forces generated during early active range of motion flexor tendon rehabilitation protocols. Clinical trials are required to evaluate the usefulness of these repairs.
Fluid friction and heat transfer in cylindrical pipes: Relationship between lumped and distributed parameters

Physical phenomena may be described from the microscopic point of view, in terms of distributed parameters, or from the macroscopic viewpoint, using lumped parameters. Engineering correlations almost always involve lumped parameters. A lumped parameter is equal or proportional to some average value of the corresponding distributed parameter. Like any average quantity it gives no information regarding the form of the distribution. The use of lumped parameters therefore requires some assumptions, expressed or implied, regarding the form of the distribution within the system. The characteristic lumped parameters used in problems of heat transfer and fluid friction are over-all or average fluxes of heat energy or momentum. Common dimensionless groups, such as f, N/sub R//sub e/ , N/sub S//sub t/ and others are ratios of these energy or momentum fluxes. Such dimensionless groups, since they are ratios of lumped parameters, are themselves lumped parameters. In their definition, therefore, several assumptions regarding the distributions of velocity and temperature are implicit. When these assumptions are not valid, correction factors such as diffusivity ratios or length-to-length ratios are needed to allow for deviations from the distributions used for reference. Using this approach the form of empirical equations becomes easy to predict. Dimensional analysis is notmore » needed. In addition, this approach suggests that some accepted correlations may contain weaknesses not predicted by other methods. (auth)« less