cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preservation of Ventricular Function in Amateur Athletes After Completion of a Marathon

Background Previous studies have demonstrated the development of impaired systolic function and new segmental wall motion abnormalities following completion of ultraendurance events. Limited information is available on the effect of an endurance event such as a marathon on the left ventricular indices and hemodynamics. Methods We examined 45 patients (26 men, 19 women with the average age of 35± 8 years) who successfully trained and completed the 2001 Chicago Marathon (26.2 miles). Transthoracic 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography (TTE) was preformed prior to the marathon (17±10.7 days), immediately following the marathon (71±42 minutes), and at follow-up (29±12.9 days). Results Left ventricular end diastolic volumes declined immediately post marathon and returned to baseline at the one-month follow-up. Ejection fraction was maintained and no regional wall motion abnormalities were identified at any time point. Diastolic parameters decreased immediately post marathon but returned to baseline during follow-up principally reflecting a change in volume status. Conclusion Marathon running by a group of well-trained recreational athletes does not result in impairment of left ventricular systolic or diastolic function.
Major Depressive Disorder in Persons Exposed to Trauma: Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Social Support

BACKGROUND: Traumatic events are often linked to the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD) and for the increase of nonremittance of symptoms; however, psychological factors that contribute to the relationship between trauma and chronic depression are not well defined. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine if emotional intelligence (EI) and social support differ in traumatized depressed patients when compared with controls. METHOD: The present study examines two psychosocial factors that may contribute to this link: EI and social support. Participants who experienced a trauma and had current MDD (n = 38) were compared with nontraumatized healthy controls ( n = 40). RESULTS: Traumatized depressed participants exhibited lower total EI, because of reductions in strategic EI ability, as well as lower levels of social support compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: EI and social support were significantly correlated. These findings suggest that EI may be a novel target for intervention to prevent and treat MDD.
A General Theory of Addictions: A New Theoretical Model

A general theory of addictions is proposed, using the compulsive gambler as the prototype. Addiction is defined as a dependent state acquired over time to relieve stress. Two interrelated sets of factors predispose persons to addictions: an abnormal physiological resting state, and childhood experiences producing a deep sense of inadequacy. All addictions are hypothesized to follow a similar three-stage course. A matrix strategy is outlined to collect similar information from different kinds of addicts and normals. The ultimate objective is to identify high risk youth and prevent the development of addictions.
Relative medullary area: A new structural index for estimating urinary concentrating capacity of mammals

Abstract 1. 1. Several renal structural indices are compared as to their abilities to estimate maximum urinary concentrating capacity in 30 species of small mammals. 2. 2. A new index, relative medullary area (RMA), the ratio of medullary area to cortex area, is introduced and its possible functional significance discussed. 3. 3. The relationship is expressed by the following equation: Maximum osmolality (mosmol/kg) = 837 + 2106 (RMA) S y.x =748 and has a correlation coefficient of 0.93. 4. 4. RMA allows one to estimate kidney concentrating capacity with greater precision than most other renal indices proposed to date.
New Directions in Biology Teaching

In every major scientific area mathematics, physics, chemistry, earth science, and several social sciences national groups are working to improve the quality of undergraduate instruction. To the same end, the Commission on Undergraduate Education in the Biological Sciences (CUEBS) was founded in October 1963.1 Long before the Commission's inception, pioneering steps had been taken at the national level by associations of medical and professional schools, by education committees of learned societies, by science teacher groups, by funding agencies, and by others. It is the earnest hope of the new Commission that these separate national endeavors as well as many regional, local, and institutional efforts to improve biology teaching will continue. Nothing the Commission can accomplish will serve as a substitute for them.
Step-down approach to behavioural weight loss treatment: a pilot of a randomised clinical trial.

Background: In a stepped-down approach, patients begin with a more intensive treatment and are stepped down to a less intensive treatment based on achieving treatment goals. This study compared a s...
Exogenous Respiration in Nitrobacter

DURING the course of an investigation of the oxidation of nitrite by the nitrite-oxidizing bacterium, Nitrobacter, it was noted that the addition of sodium nitrite but not sodium nitrate to heavy cell suspensions caused the immediate appearance of reduced cytochrome bands at 590, 551 and 513 mµ when viewed in the hand spectroscope1. This phenomenon, which has been noted previously by Lees and Simpson2, is due to the passage of electrons through the respiratory chain when nitrite is oxidized to nitrate. Whether or not nitrifying bacteria respire in response to substrates other than their energy source has been disputed, although Bomeke3 reported a slight stimulation of the respiration of Nitrobacter when certain metabolites were added to cell suspensions in the Warburg respirometer. If some reduced substance is oxidized by resting cells and if a cytochrome-linked pathway is employed for the oxidation of all substances which can permeate the cell, then any substance which might increase the rate of respiration in the Warburg respirometer should also cause a reduction of the cellular cytochromes. The validity of this rationale was tested in the following manner.
Diamond film deposition from the reaction of hydrogen atoms with acetaldehyde

Abstract Diamonds are deposited from a constant temperature flowing gas mixture, consisting of H, H 2 and Ar to which small amounts of acetaldehyde are added. Methyl radicals are rapidly generated from the reaction between H and CH 3 CHO. Deposits are formed on Si(111) wafers placed at different positions in the flow tube. Good quality diamonds are formed in the vicinity of the acetaldehyde inlet, but downstream deposits show few crystal facets. The best quality diamonds are formed at 500–600 °C, somewhat lower than the temperatures generally employed for CVD diamond deposition. Modeling of the gas phase chemistry indicates that methyl radicals are the only active species present in appreciable quantity in the region in which good diamond deposits are formed.
In vitro evolution of thermodynamically stable turns

To determine the role of primary structure in specifying turns, random sequences (guests) were substituted for the native turn sequences in a series of proteins (hosts) of differing thermodynamic stabilities.The fraction of inserts that result in active proteins is measured as a function of the stability of the host and temperature. With a highly stable host, more than half of the inserts give functional proteins. However, a smaller fraction of sequences supports folding as the stability of the host decreases, and the temperature increases. The sequences of many of the selected inserts resemble the wild-type turn, and those that diverge match other established turn preferences. Thermodynamic measurements show that turn sequences selected under stringent conditions result in the most stable proteins. Thus, beta-turns appear to be under evolutionary pressure favouring thermodynamically stable structures.
Mechanics of tail resorption in triiodothyronine-induced metamorphosing tadpoles

The mechanics of tail resorption in triiodothyronine (T3) induced metamorphosing Rana catesbeiana tadpoles was investigated. Premetamorphic (Taylor and Kollros stages 7–11) tadpoles'tails were permanently marked off into three segments with silk suture loops anchored in metameric musculature of the tail. A dose of 3 × 10−10 moles T3/gram of body weight was administered intraperitoneally. Tail length measurements were made daily for 6 days after injection. Significant reductions were observed in total tail length as well as concurrent reductions in proximal, middle and distal tail segment lengths. These data indicate that resorptive activity is not confined to the distal tail tip, but that tissue resorption occurs simultaneously along the entire tail length. The rate of shortening is greatest in the distal segment and least in the proximal segment. Key words: Tail resorption, Metamorphosing, Triiodothyronine, Tadpole.
Deno oxidation. Isolation of high-molecular-weight aliphatic material from coals and further model compound studies/

Abstract Long-chain aliphatic materials present in coals are not completely oxidized using the procedure described by Deno ( Fuel 1978, 57 , 455). They are adsorbed on the filter cake during the work-up procedure and can be isolated by extracting the filter cake. The amounts present are similar to those observed by Hayatsu et al . (Fuel in press). Also-phenol is not completely oxidized under these conditions, but gives products with m/e as high as 310. Products from the oxidation of phenol include ethane and propane tricarboxylic acids and benzene tri- and tetracarboxylic acids.
Drying shrinkage of cement paste as measured in an environmental scanning electron microscope and comparison with microstructural models

A recently developed image-intensity-matching technique has been used to analyse images of cement paste which were dried in an environmental scanning electron microscope. Shrinkage that occurs during changes in relative humidity is reported, together with some of the influences of water-to-cement ratio, temperature and age. Results from microstructurally based models are compared with experimental results. The best fit of models to experiment is achieved if calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) is divided into two types: high density C–S–H, which does not shrink, and low density C–S–H, which does shrink. Approximate values of unrestrained shrinkage of the low density C–S–H are attained as a function of relative humidity.
Long-term population demography of Trillium recurvatum on loess bluffs in western Tennessee, USA

Background and aims Understanding the demography of long-lived clonal herbs, with their extreme modularity, requires knowledge of both their short- and long-term survival and ramet growth patterns. The primary objective of this study was to understand the dynamics of a clonal forest herb, Trillium recurvatum, by examining temporal and small-scale demographic patterns. We hypothesized: (i) there would be more variability in the juvenile age class compared with nonflowering adult and flowering adult classes due to year-to-year fluctuations in recruitment; (ii) rates of population growth (l) and increase (r) would be highest in non-flowering ramets due to a combination of transitions from the juvenile stage and reversions from flowering adults; and (iii) inter-ramet distances would be most variable between flowering and juvenile ramets due to a combination of clonal growth, seed dispersal by ants and ramet death over time. Methodology Census data were collected on the total number of stems in the population from 1990 to 2007, and placed within one of three life stages (juvenile, three-leaf non-flowering and three-leaf flowering). Modified population viability equations were used to assess temporal population viability, and spatial structure was assessed using block krigging. Correlations were performed using current and prior season weather to current population demography. Principal results The first hypothesis was rejected. The second hypothesis was supported: population increase (r) and growth rate (l) were highest in non-flowering ramets. Finally, the third hypothesis was rejected: there was no apparent density dependence within this population of Trillium and no apparent spatial structure among life stages. Conclusions Overall population density fluctuated over time, possibly due to storms that move soil, and prior year’s temperature and precipitation. However, density remained at some dynamic stable level. The juvenile age class had greater variability for the duration of this study and population growth rate was greatest for non-flowering ramets.
Control aesthetics in software architecture for robotic marionettes

This paper considers the design of software for embedded control of robotic marionettes using choreography to specify the marionette motion. Marionettes are actuated by strings, so the mechanical description of the marionettes either creates a multi-scale or degenerate system—making simulation of the constrained dynamics challenging. Moreover, the marionettes have 40–50 degrees of freedom with closed kinematic chains. Choreography requires motion primitives typically originating from human motion that one wants the marionette to imitate, resulting in a high dimensional nonlinear optimal control problem that needs to be solved for each primitive. Once one has motion primitives to use, they must be pieced together in a way that preserves stability, resulting in an optimal timing control problem. These three computational components lead to software requirements for the embedded system, including efficient computation of the 1) discrete time dynamics that preserve the constraints and other integrals of motion, 2) nonlinear optimal control policies (including optimal control of LTV systems), and 3) optimal timing of choreography. All of these need to take fast convergence into account. We show how to provide all these capabilities in a single framework. Moreover, in order to meet these requirements new results on projection operators on finite dimensional function spaces are needed—both of which are critical to ensuring acceptable convergence of the algorithms. We conclude with our current results and application of these ideas to other systems.
The School Violence Dilemma: Protecting the Rights of Students With Disabilities While Maintaining Teachers' Sense of Safety in Schools

Focus group interviews were used to investigate teachers' perceptions of school violence and their sense of safety in schools. Analysis of these data revealed that teachers perceived a discrepancy ...
A low-cost GPS inertial guidance (GPSIG) for space boosters

The GPS (Global Positioning System) application requirements for a variety of space vehicles, including the Space Transport Vehicle (STV), the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV), the heavy lift launch vehicles of the Advanced Launch Systems (ALS) family and the Shuttle C (cargo), space platforms, and future manned vehicles, are summarized. GPS usage on unmanned space boosters is examined in greater depth. The requirements in the areas of performance, operational constraints, redundancy/reliability, implementation, and life cycle cost are detailed. Variations from the typical GPS/INS (inertial navigation system) integration approach are presented, including deletion of some inertial sensors, various types of inertial sensors, and multiplexed and separate channel receivers. >
Enhanced fixation reveals the apical cortical fringe of actin filaments as a consistent feature of the pollen tube

The actin cytoskeleton plays a crucial role in the growth and polarity of the pollen tube. Due to inconsistencies in the conventional preservation methods, we lack a unified view of the organization of actin microfilaments, especially in the apical domain, where tip growth occurs. In an attempt to improve fixation methods, we have developed a rapid freeze-whole mount procedure, in which growing pollen tubes (primarily lily) are frozen in liquid propane at -180 degrees C, substituted at -80 degrees C in acetone containing glutaraldehyde, rehydrated, quenched with sodium borohydride, and probed with antibodies. Confocal microscopy reveals a distinct organization of actin in the apical domain that consists of a dense cortical fringe or collar of microfilaments starting about 1-5 microm behind the extreme apex and extending basally for an additional 5-10 microm. In the shank of the pollen tube, basal to the fringe, actin forms abundant longitudinal filaments that are evenly dispersed throughout the cytoplasm. We have also developed an improved ambient-temperature chemical fixation procedure, modified from a protocol based on simultaneous fixation and phalloidin staining. We removed EGTA, elevated the pH to 9, and augmented the fixative with ethylene glycol bis[sulfosuccinimidylsuccinate] (sulfo-EGS). Notably, this protocol preserves the actin cytoskeleton in a pattern similar to that produced by cryofixation. These procedures provide a reproducible way to preserve the actin cytoskeleton; employing them, we find that a cortical fringe in the apex and finely dispersed longitudinal filaments in the shank are consistent features of the actin cytoskeleton.
The Path of Carbon in Photosynthesis. XXV. Plant and Algal Growth Responses to Glycopyranosides

ABSTRACT Substituted glycopyranosides were applied to various plant species as foliar and root treatments, with and without nutrient supplements, and growth was compared to untreated or nutrient controls. When formulated with specific fertilizers, particularly available nitrogen, methyl and ethyl glycopyranosides significantly enhanced the overall growth of vascular plants compared to controls provided with the same nutrients. In contrast, vascular plants treated with alkylglycopyranosides without nutrients showed growth equivalent to that of untreated controls. Nitrogen-supplemented alkylglycopyranosides provided as foliar applications of 100 mM, or as root treatments between 35 and 50 mM, consistently enhanced root and shoot productivity. In addition to the vascular plant species tested, the brown alga Laminaria saccharina exhibited significant growth enhancement over nutrient controls when treated with alkylglycopyranosides supplemented with nutrients, especially under low irradiance. Overall, these re...
Dual-wavelength InGaAs-GaAs ridge waveguide distributed Bragg reflector lasers with tunable mode separation

The design and operation of integrated dual-wavelength sources are reported. These InGaAs-GaAs ridge waveguide (RW) distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) lasers consist of a common gain section and two, separate DBR sections. Multiple current injection is not necessary for these lasers to operate in dual-wavelength. Dual-wavelength operation is easily achieved by simply biasing the gain section. A relatively low coupling coefficient /spl kappa/ in the front grating reduces the added cavity loss for the back grating mode. Therefore, the back grating mode reaches threshold easily. Also, the addition of a spacing section lowers the current induced thermal interaction between the two uniform grating sections, significantly reducing the inadvertent wavelength drift. As a result, biasing the front DBR section results in tunable mode pair separations (/spl Delta//spl lambda/) as small as 0.3 nm and as large as 6.9 nm.
Small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels regulate firing properties and excitability in parasympathetic cardiac motoneurons in the nucleus ambiguus

Small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (SK) regulate action potential (AP) firing properties and excitability in many central neurons. However, the functional roles of SK channels of parasymp...
Pedicularis and Castilleja are natural hosts of Cronartium ribicola in North America: a first report

Summary White pine blister rust disease, caused by the introduced pathogen Cronartium ribicola, has severely disrupted five-needled pine ecosystems in North America. A 100-year effort to manage this disease was predicated in part on the premise that the pathogen utilizes only species of Ribes (Grossulariaceae) as alternate hosts on this continent. The current study presents the first conclusive demonstration that some species in the family Orobanchaceae (Pedicularis racemosa and Castilleja miniata) are functioning as alternate hosts in a natural ecosystem of North America. This finding has implications for improving our understanding of epidemiology, pathogen adaptation and host‐pathogen interactions within white pine blister rust.
Investigation of Transition Metal-Xanthate Complexes for Nonlinear Optical Applications

We have synthesized several metal xanthate complexes from metal salts and xanthate potassium salts. Powders of several of the materials were sorted and tested for their nonlinear optical properties. Cadmium xanthate demonstrated phase matchability for frequency doubling of 1.06 micron light and generated a very strong second harmonic signal.
Poly(aryline imide)s as E-beam resist: Sensitivity and resolution

Abstract : Polyamic acids synthesized for di-trifluoromethyl methan bis(phthalic anhydride) and 4,4'-diaminophyenyl sulfone (F-1) and 4,4'-diaminophenyl ether (F-4) were found to have excellent negative E beam resist properties. The best materials contain about 90% imidized structural units having sensitivities of 1. 5 to 2.5 micro/aq. cm. and contrast of 1.0 to 1.3. Polyamic acid of pyromellitic dianhydride and 4,4'-diaminophenyl sulfone (P-1) imidized to 97% exhibits useful positive E-beam resist properties. Radiation induces imidization and chain scission to alter the solubility of the resist polymers resulting in the formation of latent images. Imides, Aryl radicals.
Sharing clinical research data in the United States under the health insurance portability and accountability act and the privacy rule

Sharing of final research data from clinical research is an essential part of the scientific method. The U.S. National Institutes of Health require some grant applications to include plans for sharing final research data, which it defines as the factual materials necessary to document, support, and validate research findings. In the U.S., however, the Privacy Rule adopted under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act impedes the sharing of final research data. In most situations, final research data may be shared only where all information that could possibly be used to identify the subject has been deleted, or where the subject has given authorization for specific research, or an Institutional Review Board has granted a waiver.
The phase stability of VHF signals refected from meteor trails

An experimental meteor-burst link between Seattle, Washington, and Bozeman, Montana, is described and results of various propagation tests are presented. During the early tests, it was noted that the signals reflected from individual meteor trails exhibited extremely stable phase characteristics. This result led to a series of experiments devoted primarily to determining the degree of phase stability reflected VHF signals possess. It was found that the propagation medium was capable of timing accuracies on the order of several hundred nanoseconds. A demonstration time synchronization system using meteor-burst propagation was designed and has been operating for the better part of a year. This system, which provides timing accuracies of about 15 microseconds, is described.
Novel Concepts in the Immunology and Treatment of Vascularized High Risk Corneal Allotransplants

Corneal allotransplantation has been the principal surgical treatment for vision loss caused by diseases of the cornea that result in scarring and opacification. Most authors define a “high risk” cornea as that of a previously failed corneal graft or a cornea with vascularization in at least 2 quadrants. These high-risk corneal transplants have rejection rates approaching 70% even with maximal local and systemic immune suppression. The management of high risk corneal transplants, which until recently was a slowly evolving field in ophthalmology, remains a highly controversial yet important topic. Management of these high risk transplants has developed rapidly in the past 10 years. In this review, some of the challenges and controversies associated with high risk corneal allotransplantation therapy will be discussed.
Synthesis and Characterization of Chemically Pure Nanometer-Thin Zero-Valent Iron Films and Their Surfaces

The synthesis and characterization of 15, 25, 50, and 70 nm thin iron films having chemical impurities below the detection limit of various analytical techniques is reported. As established herein, the films are chemically pure and formed by electron beam deposition from inexpensive and readily available iron sources of 3N5 purity. Chemical purity of the thin films was achieved using mean deposition rates of 0.3 nm/s or higher, at which point the melting point of iron is reached at the iron source surface and a shutter is opened, from which point on the rate of transfer of impurities present in the source to the target is low enough that they are not observed in the film as confirmed via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), reported here for energies between 0 and 1200 eV. Nanoindentation measurements indicate the iron films to be 14 times harder than bulk iron. The iron films are shown by XPS to be coated with a 3 nm thin overlayer of Fe3+, which is possibly present in the form of Fe3O4, even though o...
DIAGNOSIS OF PULMONIC VALVE INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS WITH THE USE OF POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY-COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY SCAN

Visualization of pulmonic valve vegetations can be challenging with both transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography (TTE and TEE) due to the anterior position of the pulmonic valve. Recent studies show positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) imaging may hold promising
Mapping the Boundaries of Human Rights at Work: Questioning How the ILO Defines Labor Rights and Social Justice

Over the past twenty years, International Labour Standards have been cited increasingly as the authoritative, worldwide body of jurisprudence on workers' rights as human rights. Continuing the deba...
Best Basis Selection for Approximation in L p

We study the approximation of a function class F in L p by choosing first a basis B and then using n -term approximation with the elements of B . Into the competition for best bases we enter all greedy (i.e., democratic and unconditional [20]) bases for L p . We show that if the function class F is well-oriented with respect to a particular basis B then, in a certain sense, this basis is the best choice for this type of approximation. Our results extend the recent results of Donoho [9] from L 2 to L p , p\neq 2 .
Prevelance of Clonorchis sinensis infection in Xinhui district of Jiangmen City

Objective: To investigate prevelance of Clonorchis sinensis infection in Xinhui District of Jiangmen City.Methods:The stool of 2005 residents from 5 towns of Xinhui was tested using the Kato's method.Results: A total of 456 patients had positive result(22.74%).The positive rate was 11.97% in Sanjiang Town,31.50% in Daao Town,25.00% in Shadui Town,15.50% in Yamen Town,29.75% in Yamen Town,and 29.75% in Siqiang Town.The positive rate for men was 25.98%,and 19.23% for women showing significant difference between them(P0.05).Significant difference was observed among patients in different age group(P0.05).Conclusions: Prevelance of Clonorchis sinensis infection is high in Xinhui District,and intervention is needed.
Regional hemodynamic abnormalities in overweight men. Focus on alpha-adrenergic vascular responses.

Blood pressure, forearm hemodynamic data, and red blood cell (RBC) cation transport measurements were obtained in 27 men with body mass indexes (BMI) greater than 26.6 kg/m2 and 21 men with BMI less than 26.6 kg/m2. Subjects with higher BMI had significantly higher systolic and diastolic pressure measured both noninvasively and invasively, P less than .02-.001. Baseline forearm blood flow (FABF) was substantially higher in the heavier subjects, P less than .02, whereas forearm vascular resistance (FAVR) levels were not different, P greater than .10. Despite the higher baseline forearm blood flow, the high BMI group displayed a greater rise in flow, P less than .01, in response to a regional phentolamine infusion, an index of vascular alpha-tone. Results of multiple regression analysis suggested that overweight was indirectly correlated with vascular alpha-tone via a relationship with arterial plasma norepinephrine concentration, a marker of sympathetic drive, and bumetanide-sensitive RBC Na+-K+ cotransport activity. These data indicate that in overweight men (1) higher FABF is not fully counter-balanced by lower FAVR; (2) increased vascular alpha-tone contributes to the altered flow-resistance relationship and thereby to the elevated blood pressure; and (3) greater sympathetic drive and Na+-K+ cotransport activity may explain the elevated vascular alpha-tone.
Physical Properties of Seawater

This chapter presents the definitions of the principal physical properties of the seawater, including pressure, temperature, salinity , density, density anomaly, specific heat, and thermal expansion. The typical global ocean profiles and distribution maps of surface temperature, salinity, and density anomaly are presented. Other oceanic properties, including the stability of oceanic water columns, use of temperature–salinity diagrams in identifying water masses, sea water freezing, as well as oceanic sound transmission and light are treated.
The Presidency Since Mid-Century

AbstractMany scholars and observers claim that the presidential office and the political environment in which presidents operate have been transformed in the second half of the twentieth century. The starting point for examining these claims is Richard Neustadt’s classic assessment of the presidency at mid-century. Of particular interest are discussions of the presidency’s intensified relationship with the public, the so-called “postmodern” presidency, and leadership under conditions of divided government. Far from being a watershed, Ronald Reagan’s experience in office represents a continuation of existing trends with only limited impact on the institution and the conduct of its occupants. Neither Neustadt nor his critics have devised an answer for how presidents can close the gap between performance and expectations, although end-of-the-century presidents confront difficulties greater than ever.
Design and fabrication of an intention based upper-limb exo-skeleton

Exoskeletons are a special type of collaborative robot that can be thought of as a humanoid robot clung to a human body (or a pilot). The proposed powered exoskeleton/ robot is a 3 Degree of Freedom (DoF) robot and it relies on DC motors to apply the necessary joint torques which in turn require an input to drive these motors. The idea here is to read the pilot's intention using an array of Force Sensing Resistors (FSRs) and then parsing it through a Dynamic Intention Filter (DIF), that yields a meaningful output, necessary to drive the exoskeleton. The DIF proposed here is a novel approach that serves as an intelligent element in the system; based on various inputs, the DIF intelligently controls the motors within the predefined and dynamically-changing safe limits of a typical human arm. Nested PID controllers are used to drive the exoskeleton in "torque-control" and "position-control" modes, and a comparison is made regarding their advantages and disadvantages.
A Fault Line Fifty Years in the Making

The American sociologist Charles Murray recently published Coming Apart: The State of White America 1960–2010, a book that documents 50 years of changed college admission standards, government incentives, mating practices, and migration patterns that have wrought national divisions across indexes of marriage, industriousness, honesty, and religiosity. Herein a relevant summary of Coming Apart is supplied, providing readers with a common and current understanding of the book’s pertinent content. As will be seen, Coming Apart’s thesis is that America is cleaving into separate populations across levels of marriage, industriousness, honesty, and other virtues putatively prerequisite for a functional republic.
Genetic Systems, Genome Evolution, and Genetic Control of Embryonic Development in Insects

Insect nuclear genomes are diverse and although many species have diploid males and females, some have haploid males and diploid females (arrhenotoky), while some have only females (thelytoky). In some, diploid males may undergo chromosome heterochromatinization and loss during development to become haploid (parahaploidy). The diversity of genome organization in insects reflects their long evolutionary history. An understanding of the stages of embryonic development and many of the major genes that influence these stages in Drosophila melanogaster is emerging. Evolutionary comparisons of development among organisms are developing into a new field of study called “evo-devo.” Three stages of embryonic development occur in D. melanogaster that are determined by maternal and zygotic genes: First, the polarity of the embryo is determined, primarily by maternal-effect genes. Second, segmentation genes influence the development of major bands or parasegments. The third determination is accomplished by the interaction of homeotic genes that provide a finer definition of the segmental structures. Analyses of Drosophila development may have broad significance for understanding development in all eukaryotic organisms.
Numerosity estimates for attended and unattended items in visual search.

The goal of this research was to examine memories created for the number of items during a visual search task. Participants performed a visual search task for a target defined by a single feature (Experiment 1A), by a conjunction of features (Experiment 1B), or by a specific spatial configuration of features (Experiment 1C). On some trials following the search task, subjects were asked to recall the total number of items in the previous display. In all search types, participants underestimated the total number of items, but the severity of the underestimation varied depending on the efficiency of the search. In three follow-up studies (Experiments 2A, 2B, and 2C) using the same visual stimuli, the participants’ only task was to estimate the number of items on each screen. Participants still underestimated the numerosity of the items, although the degree of underestimation was smaller than in the search tasks and did not depend on the type of visual stimuli. In Experiment 3, participants were asked to recall the number of items in a display only once. Subjects still displayed a tendency to underestimate, indicating that the underestimation effects seen in Experiments 1A-1C were not attributable to knowledge of the estimation task. The degree of underestimation depends on the efficiency of the search task, with more severe underestimation in efficient search tasks. This suggests that the lower attentional demands of very efficient searches leads to less encoding of numerosity of the distractor set.
Time resolved small angle X-ray scattering experiments performed on detonating explosives at the advanced photon source: Calculation of the time and distance between the detonation front and the x-ray beam

Time resolved Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) experiments on detonating explosives have been conducted at Argonne National Laboratory's Advanced Photon Source Dynamic Compression Sector. The purpose of the experiments is to measure the SAXS patterns at tens of ns to a few μs behind the detonation front. Corresponding positions behind the detonation front are of order 0.1–10 mm. From the scattering patterns, properties of the explosive products relative to the time behind the detonation front can be inferred. This report describes how the time and distance from the x-ray probe location to the detonation front is calculated, as well as the uncertainties and sources of uncertainty associated with the calculated times and distances.
ACCOUNTING FOR INTERNED JAPANESE-AMERICAN CIVILIANS DURING WORLD WAR II: CREATING INCENTIVES AND ESTABLIHING CONTROLS FOR CAPTIVE WORKERS

On February 19, 1942, following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the declaration of war against Japan, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 which empowered the Secretary of War to exclude “any and all persons” from designated areas in the United States. Shortly thereafter, some 120,000 civilians of Japanese descent were prohibited from living, working, or traveling on the West Coast. By October 1942, over 100,000 “evacuees” were relocated and confined to ten remote internment camps for the duration of the war. The War Relocation Authority (WRA) administered these camps and had the responsibility to feed, house, educate, and provide employment for the evacuees. This article describes the WRA's use of accounting information and situates the role of accounting within a labor-process framework. It initially discusses labor-process theory and provides an overview of the internment episode and cooperative accounting in the U.S. It then focuses on particular accounting policies, procedures, and reports ...
Phase-Change Memory—Towards a Storage-Class Memory

Phase-change memory (PCM) has undergone significant academic and industrial research in the last 15 years. After much development, it is now poised to enter the market as a storage-class memory (SCM), with performance and cost between that of NAND flash and DRAM. In this paper, we review the history of phase-transforming chalcogenides leading up to our current understanding of PCM as either a storage-type SCM, with high-density and better than NAND flash endurance, write speeds, and retention, or a memory-type SCM, with fast read/write times to function as a nonvolatile DRAM. Several of the key findings from the community relating to device dimensional scaling, cell design, thermal engineering, material exploration, and storing multiple levels per cell will be discussed. These areas have dramatically impacted the course of development and understanding of PCM. We will highlight the performance gains attained and the future prospects, which will help drive PCM to be as ubiquitous as NAND flash in the upcoming decade.
Quantitative Timing Analysis and Verification for File Organization Modeling

This paper presents the techniques used to derive the timing equations in the file organization evaluation model FOREM. To evaluate the effectiveness of these techniques, which in general use only simple mathematics, the results of the model runs were compared with those obtained by actual computer runs using the 360/50. The average error for the most complex access method tested is well under 10%. The discrepancies, in general, are caused by the difference between the file layouts in the model and the computer runs. A brief description of the model and short discussion of the difficulties in applying this technique are included.
Duplex Ultrasound Detection of a Chronic Contained Rupture of an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

IntroductionChronic containment of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a rare clinical phenomenon that is often accompanied by abstract symptomatology, delayed diagnosis, and treatment. W...
Climate change exacerbates pest damage through reduced pesticide efficacy

Pesticide efficacy is strongly associated with environmental conditions. Conditional resistance defined as a reduction in pesticide sensitivity under changed environmental conditions has been widely detected under climatic changes such as elevated temperatures and CO2 enrichment. Given the effects of environmental conditions on pesticide sensitivity, many of the putative resistance reports made by farmers may be due to pesticide application followed by non-optimal environmental conditions rather than the evolution of resistance. This type of conditional resistance may be the result of phenotypic plasticity or epigenetic changes in response to environmental changes. Elevated temperatures and CO2 enrichment can directly lead to reduced pesticide efficacy by altering pesticide metabolism and translocation, or indirectly increasing pesticide detoxification in host-plants thus reducing pesticide availability for the target pest. Stress-related signal transduction pathways, as well as physiological changes, can both be associated with accelerated pesticide detoxification under climatic changes. The possibility for parallel mechanisms controlling these responses in different pest species should be considered. It is proposed that the same mechanisms leading to non-target site resistance in pests may also play a role in conditional resistance, suggesting we can predict the pesticides to which pests are likely to be less responsive under changing climatic conditions. Using adjuvants to improve pesticide translocation or reduce pesticide metabolism, alongside with new technologies such as using nanoparticles may result in higher pesticide functionality under the projected climate change. Exploring the physiological, transcriptional and biochemical basis underlying conditional resistance is crucial in maintaining future pest management under changing environmental conditions. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
Diversity and Ecology of Cyanobacterial Microflora of Antarctic Seepage Habitats: Comparison of King George Island, Shetland Islands, and James Ross Island, NW Weddell Sea, Antarctica

Antarctic seepages are a unique biotope with special communities of algae and cyanobacteria, characterized by their unique species composition and life strategies. The seepages are supplied by melting water from permafrost, glaciers, and snow fields. Filamentous cyanobacteria are the first colonizers; they fill the space of the shallow water body and form algal mats on the surface of flooded soils. Algal communities in Antarctic seepages are characterized by special zonation and seasonality. They are important components of the Antarctic coastal ecosystems, and they are highly sensitive to climatic changes and fluctuations during the polar summer season. The study of the taxonomy and ecology of the individual populations is highly important for the protection of this biotope. This review compares the characteristic mat communities from two disparate Antarctic coastal ecosystems: maritime Antarctica – King George Island and NW Weddell Sea – James Ross Island.
Theory Reduction: A Question of Fact or a Question of Value?

Frequently the reduction of scientific theories is treated as a linguistic issue: One theory is said to be reduced to another if the objects referred to by the former are identified with entities in the domain of the latter, and the laws of the former are derived from the laws of the latter (plus whatever connecting principles, correspondence rules, or bridge laws are needed to link the vocabularies of the two theories). The objects of the reduced theory are thus shown to be nothing but objects (or combinations of objects) recognized by the reducing theory, and the concepts of the reduced theory are shown to be theoretically superfluous. The resulting ontological and conceptual economies may reasonably be construed semantically, for they demonstrate that the language of science requires fewer primitive terms than had been previously supposed. Positions taken by Quine and Goodman suggest, however, that evidential and linguistic arguments are in principle too weak to secure theoretical reduction.
Discriminative language modeling using simulated ASR errors.

In this paper, we approach the problem of discriminatively training language models using a weighted finite state transducer (WFST) framework that does not require acoustic training data. The phonetic confusions prevalent in the recognizer are modeled using a confusion matrix that takes into account information from the pronunciation model (word-based phone confusion log likelihoods) and information from the acoustic model (distances between the phonetic acoustic models). This confusion matrix, within the WFST framework, is used to generate confusable word graphs that serve as inputs to the averaged perceptron algorithm to train the parameters of the discriminative language model. Experiments on a large vocabulary speech recognition task show significant word error rate reductions when compared to a baseline using a trigram model trained with the maximum likelihood criterion.
Auxin-Induced Gene Expression During Rooting of Loblolly Pine Stem Cuttings

Vegetative propagation is becoming an important tool for mass producing elite genotypes to establish forest plantations. A number of vegetative propagation techniques have been researched, but at the present time, rooting stem cuttings is the method that is most commonly employed in operational programs (Ritchie, 1994). In many tree species, especially conifers, operational use of rooted stem cuttings is limited by maturation. The time required to field test individual trees precludes propagation of those trees, because rooting ability declines with age of the donor plant (Hackett, 1988).
Assessment of Differential Pressures in Chest Drainage Systems: Is What You See What You Get?

Abstract Background Dry-suction chest drainage systems are used to achieve proper drainage of the pleural space after cardiothoracic operations. Data on the actual intrapleural pressure during the use of these systems is lacking. The present study was performed to evaluate pressure differences across the circuit using an ex vivo model. Methods An ex vivo apparatus coupled to a hospital-grade pleural drainage system was devised to provide calibrated levels of suction and air leak. Simultaneous pressure measurements were obtained at the system outlet and the simulated patient entry site. Trials were conducted with increasing levels of water between the patient and drainage modules at various levels of suction and leak pressures. Signals were recorded at 100 Hz and analyzed using two-way ANOVA. Results With no obstruction, the drainage system provided precise levels of negative pressure at the patient level (10-40 cm H2O). Addition of fluid in the drainage tubing caused significant differences in transmitted suction (P Conclusions While commercially available chest drainage systems are able to provide predictable levels of suction at the device, intrapleural pressures can be highly variable and depend on complete patency of connecting tubes. Systems capable of modulating the level of suction based on actual intrapleural pressures may enhance recovery after procedures requiring tube thoracotomy.
Interface enhanced magnetic anisotropy in Pt / EuO 1 − x films

We report proximity effects of spin-orbit coupling in EuO$_{1-x}$ films capped with a Pt overlayer. Transport measurements suggest that current flows along a conducting channel at the interface between the Pt and EuO. The temperature dependence of the resistivity picks up the critical behaviors of EuO, i.e., the metal-to-insulator transition. We also find an unusual enhancement of the magnetic anisotropy in this structure from its bulk value which results from strong spin-orbit coupling across the Pt/EuO interface.
Soft Label Memorization-Generalization for Natural Language Inference

Often when multiple labels are obtained for a training example it is assumed that there is an element of noise that must be accounted for. It has been shown that this disagreement can be considered signal instead of noise. In this work we investigate using soft labels for training data to improve generalization in machine learning models. However, using soft labels for training Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) is not practical due to the costs involved in obtaining multiple labels for large data sets. We propose soft label memorization-generalization (SLMG), a fine-tuning approach to using soft labels for training DNNs. We assume that differences in labels provided by human annotators represent ambiguity about the true label instead of noise. Experiments with SLMG demonstrate improved generalization performance on the Natural Language Inference (NLI) task. Our experiments show that by injecting a small percentage of soft label training data (0.03% of training set size) we can improve generalization performance over several baselines.