cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid retreat and acceleration of Helheim Glacier, east Greenland

[1] A significant amount of the measured coastal thinning of the Greenland ice sheet may be due to recent acceleration of outlet glaciers. Using remote sensing, we measured two major periods of speedup on Helheim Glacier between 2000 and 2005 that increased peak speeds from approximately 8 to 11 km/yr. These speedups coincided with rapid retreats of the calving front, totaling over 7.5 km. The glacier also thinned by over 40 m from 2001 to 2003. Retreat of the ice front appears to decrease resistance to flow and concentrates the gravitational driving force over a smaller area. Farther up-glacier, acceleration may be a delayed response to surface draw-down and steepening of the glacier’s main trunk. If the 2005 speedup also produces strong thinning, then much of the glacier’s main trunk may un-ground, leading to further retreat. Citation: Howat, I. M., I. Joughin, S. Tulaczyk, and S. Gogineni (2005), Rapid retreat and acceleration of Helheim Glacier, east Greenland, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L22502, doi:10.1029/2005GL024737.
Advanced boundary layer transition measurement methods for flight applications

In modern laminar flow flight research, it is important to understand the specific cause(s) of laminar to turbulent boundary-layer transition. Such information is crucial to the exploration of the limits of practical application of laminar flow for drag reduction on aircraft. The transition modes of interest in current flight investigations include the viscous Tollmien-Schlichting instability, the inflectional instability at laminar separation, and the crossflow inflectional instability, as well as others. This paper presents the results to date of research on advanced devices and methods used for the study of laminar boundary-layer transition phenomena in the flight environment. Recent advancements in the development of arrayed hot-film devices and of a new flow visualization method are discussed. Arrayed hot-film devices have been designed to detect the presence of laminar separation, and of crossflow vorticity. The advanced flow visualization method utilizes color changes in liquid-crystal coatings to detect boundary-layer transition at high altitude flight conditions. Flight and wind tunnel data are presented to illustrate the design and operation of these advanced methods. These new research tools provide information on disturbance growth and transition mode which is essential to furthering our understanding of practical design limits for applications of laminar flow technology.
3D body scanning systems with application to the apparel industry

The ability to customise garments for fit is directly tied to the availability of a comprehensive, accurate set of measurements. To obtain accurate physical measurements, a basic knowledge and set of skills are required that are not often found in the average salesperson at a retail clothing outlet. The development of three‐dimensional body‐scanning technologies may have significant potential for use in the apparel industry, particularly for customisation or mass customisation strategies to be employed. The purpose of this study was to review all the 3D body scanning systems currently available and to determine the underlying principles that allow these systems to work. Specifications of each system were compared in order to provide some direction for further research into the integration of these systems with current apparel CAD pattern design or pattern generation technologies.
Inferior onlay mandibuloplasty for correction of the short face.

Abstract The inferior onlay alloplastic mandibuloplasty is introduced as a surgical procedure to correct an unusual deformity in certain individuals with a short lower third dentofacial morphology. The procedure is designed to increase the lower third face height when the deformity is primarily due to a decreased vertical mandibular height. The clinical effectiveness of this technique is illustrated with a case report.
Hessian-based model reduction for large-scale systems with initial-condition inputs

Reduced-order models that are able to approximate output quantities of interest of high-fidelity computational models over a wide range of input parameters play an important role in making tractable large-scale optimal design, optimal control, and inverse problem applications. We consider the problem of determining a reduced model of an initial value problem that spans all important initial conditions, and pose the task of determining appropriate training sets for reduced-basis construction as a sequence of optimization problems. We show that, under certain assumptions, these optimization problems have an explicit solution in the form of an eigenvalue problem, yielding an efficient model reduction algorithm that scales well to systems with states of high dimension. Furthermore, tight upper bounds are given for the error in the outputs of the reduced models. The reduction methodology is demonstrated for a large-scale contaminant transport problem.
Accept, distract, or reframe? An exploratory experimental comparison of strategies for coping with intrusive body image thoughts in anorexia nervosa and body dysmorphic disorder

Negative body image is the hallmark of anorexia nervosa (AN) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). One aspect of body image, appearance-related thoughts, have shown to be a major contributor to relapse, thus further investigation of successful treatment strategies targeting these maladaptive thoughts are warranted. The present study tested an acceptance/mindfulness (AC), a cognitive restructuring (CR), and a distraction strategy with regard to their short-term effectiveness of reducing the frequency of thought occurrence and associated outcomes in participants with AN (n=20), BDD (n=21), and healthy controls (HC; n=22). Although all strategies led to a significant reduction of thought frequency, there was no group × strategy interaction effect in their reduction. Positive affect increased in the BDD group through the AC strategy, but decreased in healthy controls. Acceptance of the thought increased in the CR strategy in AN, whereas that strategy seemed to work least for BDD. Healthy controls showed most acceptance when using distraction. Taken together, the study suggests that all strategies might have their benefits and that it might be worthwhile further investigating differential indication of the strategies with regard to diagnosis and individual factors.
A mixed method exploration of survivorship among Chinese American and non-Hispanic White breast cancer survivors: the role of socioeconomic well-being.

Cancer-related stress is heavily influenced by culture. This study explored similarities and differences in survivorship care concerns among Chinese American and non-Hispanic White (NHW) breast cancer survivors. A sequential, mixed-method design (inductive/qualitative research-phase I and deductive/quantitative research-phase II) was employed. Eligible women identified from the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry were age ≥21, diagnosed with stage 0–IIa breast cancer between 2006 and 2011, and had no recurrence or other cancers. In phase I, we conducted 4 Chinese (n = 19) and 4 NHW (n = 22) focus groups, and 31 individual telephone interviews (18 Chinese immigrants, 7 Chinese US-born, and 6 NHW). Content analysis was conducted to examine qualitative data. In phase II, another 296 survivors (148 NHW age-matched to 148 Chinese cases) completed a cross-sectional survey. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis were conducted to examine quantitative data. Qualitative data revealed “socioeconomic well-being” (SWB) as a dominant survivorship concern, which was operationalized as a cancer survivor’s perceived economic and social resources available to access care. Quantitative data showed that low-acculturated Chinese immigrants reported the poorest SWB, controlling for covariates. Highly acculturated Chinese immigrants and the US-born Chinese/NHW group reported similar SWB. Women who had low-income levels or chemotherapy had poorer SWB. SWB emerged as an important aspect of breast cancer survivorship. Immigration stress, cancer care costs, and cultural values all contributed to immigrants’ socioeconomic distress. Immigrant and US-born breast cancer survivors experienced different socioeconomic circumstances and well-being following treatment. Our findings warrant further investigation of socioeconomic distress and survivorship outcomes.
Multiple hypothesis tests in multiple investigations

Inferential statistical methods have traditionally been based on the assumption that one experiment is performed and that interest centres on one or more predetermined hypothesis tests. Exploratory research, on the other hand, often involves multiple hypotheses or repeated investigations under similar or different conditions or both. Several techniques have been proposed to deal with multiple or simultaneous hypothesis testing in single investigations, and procedures to combine observed significance levels for an individual hypothesis test from two or more investigations have been suggested. In this paper we propose a method for identifying important results from multiple statistical tests in multiple investigations. The method is illustrated by using high performance liquid chromatography to identify potential aetiologic contaminants in L-tryptophan samples.
A Study on Regulatory Requirements of CCS Technology Development in Taiwan

Abstract The UNFCCC COP17/CMP7, which was held from November 28th to December 9th 2011 in Durban, South Africa. The conference concluded the decision of taking modalities and procedures for carbon dioxide capture and storage in geological formations as clean development mechanism project activities. Although Taiwan is not a member state of the United Nations, the current draft of the Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Act of Taiwan is developing in accordance with the principles of the United Nations CDM review mechanism. We hope we can establish consistency and so as to achieve the reduction goal of the industry. The main purpose of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) is to reduce the greenhouse gas emission. However, the activity will involve four issues of land ownership, environmental pollution and economic incentives. Furthermore, the impact to environment will be included four parts: geological storage site selection, storage and monitoring, infringement and liability, which depended on policy trade-offs issues. Carbon dioxide that is stored in geological formation tends to have the characteristics to spread around. This problem cannot be handled by current norms of land ownership and is prone to disputes. Therefore, based on requirements of maintaining social order and promoting public interests, it is necessary to establish relative laws and standards. This paper is to study the amendments to the current applicable laws and how to enact new provisions of the laws during CCS technology development in Taiwan under the existing regulatory framework, in order to assist the development of CCS technology.
GIFTS from Our Journals: Transferring Notes in the Margin to Teachable Moments.

Great Ideas for Teaching Students (GIFTS) are among the most popular and well-attended panel sessions at many academic conferences. This article describes the process by which current research in the Western Journal of Communication can be transferred into GIFTS for lower division communication classrooms. The goal is to provide an entree for people who consider themselves teachers, either primarily or exclusively, to read the latest scholarship and incorporate it into their teaching.
Kinship, lineage, and an evolutionary perspective on cooperative hunting groups in Indonesia

Work was conducted among traditional, subsistence whale hunters in Lamalera, Indonesia, in order to test if strict biological kinship or lineage membership is more important for explaining the organization of cooperative hunting parties ranging in size from 8 to 14 men. Crew identifications were collected for all 853 hunts that occurred between May 3 and August 5, 1999. Lineage identity and genetic relatedness were determined for a sample of 189 hunters. Results of matrix regression show that genetic kinship explains little of the hunters’ affiliations independent of lineage identity. Crew members are much more closely related to each other than expected by chance, but this is due to the correlation between lineage membership and genetic kinship. Lineage members are much more likely to affiliate in crews, but kin with r<0.5 are just as likely not to affiliate. The results are discussed vis-a-vis the evolution of cooperation and group identity.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Type II NADH-Menaquinone Oxidoreductase Catalyzes Electron Transfer through a Two-Site Ping-Pong Mechanism and Has Two Quinone-Binding Sites

Type II NADH-quinone oxidoreductase (NDH-2) catalyzes the transfer electrons from NADH to the quinone pool and plays an essential role in the oxidative phosphorylation system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The absence of NDH-2 in the mammalian mitochondrial electron transport chain makes this enzyme an attractive target for antibiotic development. To fully establish the kinetic properties of this enzyme, we studied the interaction of Mtb NDH-2 with substrates, NADH, and various quinone analogues and their products in both membrane and soluble environments. These studies, and comparative analyses of the kinetics with thio-NAD+ and quinone electron acceptors, provided evidence that Mtb NDH-2 catalyzes the transfer electrons from NADH to quinone substrates by a nonclassical, two-site ping-pong kinetic mechanism whereby substrate quinones bind to a site that is distinct from the NADH-binding site. Furthermore, the effects of quinols on Mtb NDH-2 catalytic activity demonstrate the presence of two binding...
A pure boundary element method approach for solving hypersingular boundary integral equations

Abstract This paper is concerned with discretization and numerical solution of a regularized version of the hypersingular boundary integral equation (HBIE) for the two-dimensional Laplace equation. This HBIE contains the primary unknown, as well as its gradient, on the boundary of a body. Traditionally, this equation has been solved by combining the boundary element method (BEM) together with tangential differentiation of the interpolated primary variable on the boundary. The present paper avoids this tangential differentiation. Instead, a “pure” BEM method is proposed for solving this class of problems. Dirichlet, Neumann and mixed problems are addressed in this paper, and some numerical examples are included in it.
Interactive television systems

This chapter presents an extended version of the article published in IEEE Computer in May of 1995 [F+95].
Predicting College Women's Aspirations From Evaluations of the Housewife and Work Role

We hypothesize that college women's decisions to pursue nontraditional achievement goals are influenced by other women and men's evaluations of the traditional housewife as well as the work-achieve...
Armed services recruiting research: Issues, findings, and needs

Manning the nation's armed services will continue to be a crucial issue for the remainder of the 1980s. With the projected growth of the services during this decade, the downturn in the 17–21-year-old male population, and the possible upturn in the economy, the ability of the services to meet their respective quality and quantity recruiting goals becomes of central concern. The accurate estimation of the supply for various types of recruits becomes especially important when one views the nearly $1 billion budgeted annually for recruiting and the impact that any military pay raises can have on the DOD's manpower costs of over $40 billion annually. In addition, perceived difficulties in recruiting can impact on weapon systems design decisions, authorized manning levels, and exacerbate the debate concerning the draft; hence, it is clear that few issues today warrant more attention than improving the efficiency and effectiveness of military recruiting. This article provides an introduction and review of some of the key issues involved in modeling and estimating the supply of military recruits. It summarizes and compares the findings of selected econometric models, all of which are based on enlistment experience since the introduction of the All-Volunteer Force in 1973. It also presents some new insights and directions for research dealing with simultaneity, validation, generation of rigorous confidence intervals, and data base selection. It concludes by listing some of the research needs to be addressed in the future.
History of environmental acoustics, 1960's to 2000's

Building on oceanographic and wave physics knowledge bases assembled over the prior century, environmental acoustics research has made steady progress since the 1960's. Developments in waveguide propagation theory, acoustic theory of heterogeneous media, data acquisition electronics, data storage capability, navigational precision and computational power have each enabled this progress. An overview of these developments and the resultant scientific progress is given here.
When a Friend's Baby Dies: Empowering Nurses to Balance Professional and Personal Care

Professional Issues Poster Presentation Background Several co‐workers were sharing stories, each one of them having recently cared for a friend with a fetal demise. They realized that lessons learned during their experiences could benefit fellow nurses. The nurses have found that sharing their stories with fellow nurses has provided education and has been therapeutic for them in coping with their own grief. Case The first nurse was called at home by close family friends with the news of a 28‐week fetal demise and was asked to come to the hospital. Her presence as their nurse was requested by the patient. She cared for them during her shift and then stayed over into the following shift as a support person until their daughter was born still. The second nurse arrived at work and was assigned a patient with a full‐term demise, and the nurse realized that she knew the patient through a church group. The patient and her family did not object to having a friend care for them, saying that she was a "blessing" to them. She stayed with them for her 12‐hour shift and was able to provide care and support during her next shift after their son was born. The third nurse dropped off her son at daycare and was told that her son's teacher had not felt the infant move and no heart beat was detected. Upon admission to labor and delivery, the teacher asked for the nurse, who then cared for her through labor to delivery of a stillborn daughter. Conclusion It is always difficult to care for a patient with a fetal demise but when the nurse knows the patient on a personal level it adds a layer of complexity and emotion to the situation. Because of this the nurse should evaluate her effectiveness and ability to provide quality clinical care to her friend. The privacy rights of the patient must also be considered and she should be given the opportunity to request another nurse if she is uncomfortable being cared for by a person who knows her.
Analysis and design of quadruple-ridged waveguides

In a previous paper, a unified approach has been proposed for the analysis and design of single- and double-ridged waveguides by a magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) formulation (see ibid., vol. 41, no. 11, p. 1965-71, Nov. 1993). This paper presents a continuing work with emphasis on the design of quadruple-ridged waveguides. The characteristics of square, circular and diagonal quadruple-ridged waveguides, including cutoff frequencies, attenuation, impedance and modal field distributions, are for the first time systematically analysed and reported. Distinct to being in a single- or double-ridged waveguide, the fundamental-mode in a quadruple-ridged waveguide has a cutoff frequency very close to that of the second-lowest mode, thus the natural single mode bandwidth is very small. However, when the second-lowest mode is effectively suppressed or not excited, a very wide bandwidth (6:1) can be achieved. This unique property, plus the capabilities of dual-polarization, high power, and low impedance, makes the quadruple-ridged waveguides well-suited to many antenna and microwave applications. >
Design and Sensor-Based Control for Hyper-Redundant Mechanisms

Toxic materials in DOE sites pose a significant threat to DOE personnel who must inspect these locations. Working in confined spaces further complicates the situation especially when the workers must wear heavy and cumbersome protective suits. A robot or conventional mechanism can clearly bypass the danger and perhaps expedite the characterization process because the person is removed from the site and neither the site nor the person require preparation. However, conventional robots are not suitable for these inspection tasks because they are not flexible enough to pass through and into target DOE inspection sites. This effort is developing an articulated probe, called a hyper redundant mechanism, which is a snake-like device that can exploit its many internal degrees of freedom to thread through tightly packed volumes transmitting images and data from remote locations inaccessible to conventional robots and people. This effort contains two parts: mechanism development and control of the device.
CMOS reliability: From discrete device degradation to circuit aging

Summary form only given. As we continue scaling towards 14 nm and beyond, reliability is becoming an integral part of the complete technology offering. Building in reliability is critical to the success of future scaling. As we marched towards the sub 100 nm technologies material changes have been necessary to meet the power, performance and reliability requirements. In sub 45 nm regime SiOx based dielectrics have been replaced by HK MG leading to new degradation mechanisms such as PBTI and also changed the understanding of existing mechanisms such as TDDB. As we scale further we need to comprehend interaction between device level variability pre and post stress and circuit functionality. In this talk I will address some of the challenges and correlation of device level reliability learning to simple circuits such ring oscillator and SRAM cells.
LEGAL INSTITUTIONS AND INFORMAL NETWORKS

The relationship between third-party contract enforcement and informal networks raises important sociological, political, and economic questions. When economic activity is embedded in social structures, what are the implications of third-party contract enforcement for the scope and nature of economic relations? What determines whether individuals rely on formal legal institutions or informal networks to sustain trade relationships? Do legal institutions erode informal networks? We develop a model in which a trade-off exists between size and sustainability of networks. By adding the possibility of feebased, enforceable contracts, we provide a theoretical explanation for the coexistence of legal contract enforcement and an informal economy. We find that legal enforcement has little effect on networks until law becomes sufficiently inexpensive, at which point small decreases in the cost of law have dramatic effects on network size and the frequency of use of the legal system.
Effect of alendronate on post-traumatic osteoarthritis induced by anterior cruciate ligament rupture in mice

Previous studies in animal models of osteoarthritis suggest that alendronate (ALN) has antiresorptive and chondroprotective effects, and can reduce osteophyte formation. However, these studies used non-physiologic injury methods, and did not investigate early time points during which bone is rapidly remodeled prior to cartilage degeneration. The current study utilized a non-invasive model of knee injury in mice to investigate the effect of ALN treatment on subchondral bone changes, articular cartilage degeneration, and osteophyte formation following injury. Non-invasive knee injury via tibial compression overload or sham injury was performed on a total of 90 mice. Mice were treated with twice weekly subcutaneous injections of low-dose ALN (40 μg/kg/dose), high-dose ALN (1,000 μg/kg/dose), or vehicle, starting immediately after injury until sacrifice at 7, 14 or 56 days. Trabecular bone of the femoral epiphysis, subchondral cortical bone, and osteophyte volume were quantified using micro-computed tomography (μCT). Whole-joint histology was performed at all time points to analyze articular cartilage and joint degeneration. Blood was collected at sacrifice, and serum was analyzed for biomarkers of bone formation and resorption. μCT analysis revealed significant loss of trabecular bone from the femoral epiphysis 7 and 14 days post-injury, which was effectively prevented by high-dose ALN treatment. High-dose ALN treatment was also able to reduce subchondral bone thickening 56 days post-injury, and was able to partially preserve articular cartilage 14 days post-injury. However, ALN treatment was not able to reduce osteophyte formation at 56 days post-injury, nor was it able to prevent articular cartilage and joint degeneration at this time point. Analysis of serum biomarkers revealed an increase in bone resorption at 7 and 14 days post-injury, with no change in bone formation at any time points. High-dose ALN treatment was able to prevent early trabecular bone loss and cartilage degeneration following non-invasive knee injury, but was not able to mitigate long-term joint degeneration. These data contribute to understanding the effect of bisphosphonates on the development of osteoarthritis, and may support the use of anti-resorptive drugs to prevent joint degeneration following injury, although further investigation is warranted.
A Randomized Controlled Trial Using the School for Anti-inflammatory Therapy in Asthma

This study investigated the impact of providing low-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) at school or at home to asthmatic inner city children over a 14-week period, compared with the existing community standard. Eight elementary schools in the Dallas Independent School District with a high incidence of asthma located in predominantly urban African-American communities were randomly assigned to one of four groups. The treatment arms were school-based delivery of inhaled steroids, home-based delivery of inhaled steroids, and home-based delivery of inhaled steroids with school-based asthma education, and the control group was no change in current therapy. Fifty students were objectively diagnosed with mild, persistent asthma and participated in the study. Students in the treatment arms received beclomethasone (42 mcg/puff) 4 puffs, twice a day, either at school or at home. Students in the control, “community standard of care” group received no additional medical intervention. Higher peak flows for the treatme...
Mutations in the Gene for a Trna That Functions as a Regulator of a Transcriptional Attenuator in Bacillus Subtilis

It has been proposed that uncharged tRNA molecules may act as positive regulatory factors to control the expression of a number of operons in Bacillus subtilis and related bacteria by interacting with leader sequences to cause antitermination. In this study we report the isolation and characterization of regulatory mutations that modify one of the tRNA molecules predicted to have such a regulatory role. Three different alleles of the B. subtilis leucine tRNA gene leuG were found that resulted in higher expression of the ilv-leu biosynthetic operon. Each resulted in a base change in the D-loop of the leucine tRNA molecule with the anticodon 5'-GAG-3' (leucine tRNAGAG). Experiments with strains that are diploid for mutant and wild-type alleles suggested that both charged and uncharged tRNA molecules may interact with leader sequences to control expression of the operon.
A Study of Compressible Potential and Asymptotic Viscous Flows for Comer Region

A new and direct approach for calculating the first higher order potential flow along an axial corner is presented. For the incompressible potential flow, the present approach demonstrates that the displacement effects in the corner may be visualized as the superposition of the displacement effects for the two intersecting semi-infinite plates forming the corner. The compressible subsonic potential flow is then obtained by the Prandtl-Glauert rule. Linearized airfoil theory is used to determine the potential flow for the supersonic case. The asymptotic viscous flow, to lowest order, for the corner problem has been calculated for general compressible flow. The analysis presented here recovers all the previously obtained lowest order asymptotic solutions. Cross flow velocity profiles have been given for M f between 0.001 to 4 for an adiabatic wall as well as for a prescribed temperature at the wall. The behavior of the cross flow skin-friction coefficient is shown to be quite different from that of the skin friction coefficient due to classical axial flow.
Converging evidence for the processing costs associated with ambiguous quantifier comprehension.

Traditional neuroanatomic models of language comprehension have emphasized a core language network situated in peri-Sylvian cortex. More recent evidence appears to extend the neuroanatomic network beyond peri-Sylvian cortex to encompass other aspects of sentence processing. In this study, we evaluate the neuroanatomic basis for processing the ambiguity in doubly-quantified sentences. For example, a sentence like “All the dogs jumped in a lake” can be interpreted with a collective interpretation (e.g., several dogs jumping into a single lake) or a distributive interpretation (e.g., several dogs each jumping into a different lake). In Experiment 1, we used BOLD fMRI to investigate neuroanatomic recruitment by young adults during the interpretation of ambiguous doubly-quantified sentences in a sentence-picture verification task. We observed that young adults exhibited a processing cost associated with interpreting ambiguous sentences and this was related to frontal and parietal cortex recruitment. In Experiment 2, we investigate ambiguous sentence processing with the identical materials in non-aphasic patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) who have frontal cortex disease and executive and decision-making limitations. bvFTD patients are insensitive to ambiguity associated with doubly-quantified sentences, and this is related to the magnitude of their frontal cortex disease. These studies provide converging evidence that cortical regions that extend beyond peri-Sylvian cortex help support the processing costs associated with the interpretation of ambiguous doubly-quantified sentences.
Upregulation of hepatic LDL transport by n-3 fatty acids in LDL receptor knockout mice

We determined the effects of dietary n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on parameters of plasma lipoprotein and hepatic lipid metabolism in LDL receptor (LDLr) knockout mice. Dietary n-3 PUFA decreased the rate of appearance and increased the hepatic clearance of IDL/LDL resulting in a marked decrease in the plasma concentration of these particles. Dietary n-3 PUFA increased the hepatic clearance of IDL/LDL through a mechanism that appears to involve apolipoprotein (apo)E but is independent of the LDLr, the LDLr related protein (LRP), the scavenger receptor B1, and the VLDLr. The decreased rate of appearance of IDL/VLDL in the plasma of animals fed n-3 PUFA could be attributed to a marked decrease in the plasma concentration of precursor VLDL. Decreased plasma VLDL concentrations were due in part to decreased hepatic secretion of VLDL triglyceride and cholesteryl esters, which in turn was associated with decreased concentrations of these lipids in liver. Decreased hepatic triglyceride concentrations in animals fed n-3 PUFA were due in part to suppression of fatty acid synthesis as a result of a decrease in sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) expression and processing. In conclusion, these studies indicate that n-3 PUFA can markedly decrease the plasma concentration of apoB-containing lipoproteins and enhance hepatic LDL clearance through a mechanism that does not involve the LDLr pathway or LRP.
A Virtual Environment Testbed for Training Laparoscopic Surgical Skills

With the introduction of minimally invasive techniques, surgeons must learn skills and procedures that are radically different from traditional open surgery. Traditional methods of surgical training that were adequate when techniques and instrumentation changed relatively slowly may not be as efficient or effective in training substantially new procedures. Virtual environments are a promising new medium for training. This paper describes a testbed developed at the San Francisco, Berkeley, and Santa Barbara campuses of the University of California for research in understanding, assessing, and training surgical skills. The testbed includes virtual environments for training perceptual motor skills, spatial skills, and critical steps of surgical procedures. Novel technical elements of the testbed include a four-DOF haptic interface, a fast collision detection algorithm for detecting contact between rigid and deformable objects, and parallel processing of physical modeling and rendering. The major technical challenge in surgical simulation to be investigated using the testbed is the development of accurate, real-time methods for modeling deformable tissue behavior. Several simulations have been implemented in the testbed, including environments for assessing performance of basic perceptual motor skills, training the use of an angled laparoscope, and teaching critical steps of the cholecystectomy, a common laparoscopic procedure. The major challenges of extending and integrating these tools for training are discussed.
Ultralow Voltage Crossbar Nonvolatile Memory Based on Energy-Reversible NEM Switches

A novel nonvolatile nanoelectromechanical (NEM) memory (nRAM) is introduced. Differently than the previously proposed NEM memories, the nRAM achieves the nonvolatility via workfunction engineering and eliminates the need for cell selection devices in a crossbar array using a displacement current-based read scheme. Furthermore, the configuration of the nRAM is such that the elastic potential energy due to the beam bending is reversibly used for switching, which enables to combine ultralow operation voltages with high switching speed. For F = 20 nm feature size and optimized margins, the nRAM cell is estimated to operate at plusmn180 mV, dissipate 10 aJ switching energy, and achieve < 10 ns switching delay.
Forest Conservation Performance Rating (fCPR) Report 2: Bad News for the Pan-Tropics and Everybody Else

This paper updates Working Paper 294, “FCPR — Forest Conservation Performance Rating for the Pan-Tropics.Forest Conservation Performance Rating (fCPR) is a system of color-coded ratings for tropical forest conservation performance that can be implemented for local areas, countries, regions, and the entire pan-tropics. The ratings reward tropical forest conservation in three dimensions: (1) Progress toward elimination of tropical forest clearing by 2050; (2) progress toward achieving more ambitious REDD goals; and (3) achieving an immediate reduction in forest clearing. We assign green ratings to areas that meet condition (2); yellow to areas that meet (1) only; dark red to areas that fail both conditions, with forest clearing still increasing; and light red to areas that fail both conditions, but with declining forest clearing. This paper introduces quarterly conservation performance ratings for 56 tropical forest countries, as well as 781 of their states and provinces that contain tropical forests. We also combine the fCPR country ratings to produce ratings for major regions and the entire pan-tropics. Overall, we find that conservation performance has deteriorated significantly since 2005 at the global and regional levels. Some gains were made at the height of the global economic crisis, but they have proven to be temporary. Since 2010, forest clearing has exhibited rapid growth in most of tropical Asia, Latin America and Africa
How the North Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation may have influenced the Indian summer monsoon during the past two millennia

[1] Observations have indicated that the North Atlantic SST variations have persistent effects on the Indian summer monsoon rainfall at multidecadal and longer timescales. The question of how such influences may have been achieved is addressed in this study using both instrumentation data of the 20th century and proxy records of the last 2000 years. Major results show that the North Atlantic SST anomalies strongly affect the Tibetan Plateau surface temperature and heat sources. The latter cause changes in the meridional temperature gradient between Tibetan Plateau and the tropical Indian Ocean. Through the thermal wind effect, the meridional temperature gradient anomalies change the lower tropospheric zonal winds and the monsoon circulation and rainfall. Citation: Feng, S., and Q. Hu (2008), How the North Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation may have influenced the Indian summer monsoon during the past two millennia, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L01707, doi:10.1029/2007GL032484.
Does Business Writing Require Information Literacy

Although the business community increasingly recognizes information literacy as central to its work, there remains the critical problem of measurement: How should employers assess the information literacy of their current or potential workers? In this article, we use a commercially available assessment to investigate the relationship between information literacy and the key business communication skill of business writing. Information literacy scores obtained prior to instruction predicted performance in an undergraduate, upper-division business writing course. Similar results emerged regardless of whether participants considered English their best language.
Spinal reflex excitability changes after lumbar spine passive flexion mobilization

Background: Flexion distraction has gained increased credibility as a therapeutic modality for treatment of low back pain. Although important work in the area has elucidated the intradiskal pressure profiles during flexion distraction, the accompanying neural responses have yet to be described. Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess neural reflex responses to motion with 3 degrees of freedom applied to the lumbar spine and to evaluate H-reflex responses of the soleus. Methods: Subjects (n = 12) were measured for H-maximum reflexes determined from stimulus response recruitment curves measured in neutral prone position. The mean of 10 evoked H-waves (at H-maximum stimulus intensity) were measured in neutral position, flexion, left and right lateral flexion, and axial rotation of the trunk on an adjusting table. H-reflexes were expressed as a percentage of maximal M-wave for the criterion measure. Spinal range of motion was quantified by digitization. Results: The data showed variation in some movement ranges, notwithstanding identical table positioning for all subjects. Mean H-reflex amplitude was decreased (15.2 ± 5.8 mV to 13.8 ± 5.8 mV), and the H/M ratio was also decreased in flexion compared with neutral (55.0% ± 19.1% to 50.3% ± 19.4%; P < .05). Conclusions: Trunk flexion is accompanied by inhibition of the motor neuron pool. Slight perturbations in numerous afferent receptors are known to significantly alter the H-reflex. The absence of measurable changes in lateral flexion and trunk rotation may indicate that both slow- and fast-adapting receptors could be involved in lumbar motion. These preliminary findings suggest the need for further dynamic motion studies of the flexion distraction neurophysiologic condition. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2002;25:526-32)
Algal Food, Feeding and Case‐Building Habits of the Larva of the Midge Fly, Tanytarsus dissimilis

During a fairly warm period just before July 7, I926, the fronts of several of the glass tanks of the museum aquaria in the Zoology Building of the University of Minnesota became so heavily overgrown with algae as to obscure vision. The writers then noted that encased midge larvae in large numbers had settled upon the glass and on the stones in the bottom of the tanks. These larvae were very active and seemed to be feeding upon the algae. This afforded an unusual opportunity for observing the habits of midge larvae without removing them from their natural feeding grounds. One could stand in the dark corridor and with a magnifying glass watch the movements of the animals while feeding and building their cases.
A scenario for collaborative learning in virtual engineering laboratories

The feasibility of developing interactive collaborative virtual environments for undergraduate student laboratory experiments is currently being explored at various institutions. Such environments can be implemented using commercial multiplayer game engines together with the associated software development kits. Such immersive environments are expected to provide students with an opportunity for exercising their problem solving skills by collaboratively interacting with each other and the virtual laboratory exercises. This paper discusses the requirements for designing game-based virtual laboratory environments from pedagogical as well as technical point of view. Also, the practical implementation of these design requirements in a prototype system is discussed and a sample scenario for a virtual laboratory based on an existing laboratory exercise from a junior- level mechanical engineering course on mechanisms and machine dynamics is presented. The described virtual laboratory environment represents an attempt to mimic important aspects of the learning experience gained through conventional hands-on experiments and even augment this experience by certain features that are not achievable in the traditional hands-on laboratory setting.
Structure of IRF-1 with bound DNA reveals determinants of interferon regulation

The family of interferon regulatory factor (IRF) transcription factors is important in the regulation of interferons in response to infection by virus and in the regulation of interferon-inducible genes1,2. The IRF family is characterized by a unique ‘tryptophan cluster’ DNA-binding region. Here we report the crystal structure of the IRF-1 region bound to the natural positive regulatory domain I (PRD I) DNA element from the interferon-β promoter1. The structure provides the first three-dimensional view of a member of the growing IRF family, revealing a new helix–turn–helix motif that latches onto DNA through three of the five conserved tryptophans. The motif selects a short GAAA core sequence through an obliquely angled recognition helix, with an accompanying bending of the DNA axis in the direction of the protein. Together, these features suggest a basis for the occurrence of GAAA repeats within IRF response elements and provide clues to the assembly of the higher-order interferon-β enhancesome.
Aquatic arsenic: Toxicity, speciation, transformations, and remediation

This paper reviews the current knowledge on the toxicity, speciation and biogeochemistry of arsenic in aquatic environmental systems. The toxicity of arsenic is highly dependent on the chemical speciation. The effects of pH, E(h), adsorbing surfaces, biological mediation, organic matter, and key inorganic substances such as sulfide and phosphate combine in a complex and interwoven dynamic fashion to produce unique assemblages of arsenic species. The number of different arsenic species found in environmental samples and an understanding of the transformations between arsenic species has increased over the past few decades as a result of new and refined analytical methods. Changes in arsenic speciation and in total arsenic content of foods upon processing have suggested possible risks associated with processed and unprocessed food. Arsenic removal from water using adsorbents, chemical oxidation, photolysis and photocatalytic oxidation techniques is also reviewed.
The evaluation and management of velopharyngeal dysfunction.

The velopharynx is a dynamic anatomic structure essential to normal breathing, eating, and speaking. Although a dysfunctional velopharynx impairs separation of the nasal and oral cavities during swallowing and specific oral consonant articulations, the upper airway is only impaired iatrogenically, from interventions to remedy velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD). The challenge for the health care professionals who evaluate and manage VPD, therefore, is to improve functional naso-oral separation without compromising the upper airway. This article addresses that challenge. Velopharyngeal anatomy and function The velopharynx is a space that, at rest, is roughly rectangular: the anterior border is the velum (soft palate), the posterior border is the posterior pharyngeal wall, and the lateral borders are the right and left lateral pharyngeal walls. The tissues that enclose this space contain muscles that are capable of diminishing the space with contraction. These active tissues comprise the velopharyngeal sphincter. The usual movements of the borders of the velopharynx are as follows: an unimpaired velum moves posteriorly and superiorly, the posterior pharyngeal wall can move ventrally diffusely or as a well-defined shelf (known as Passavant’s ridge), and the lateral pharyngeal walls move mesially (toward the midsagittal midline). The adenoids, residing on the posterior pharyngeal wall, and the pharyngeal tonsils, on the lateral pharyngeal walls, may augment or interfere with the function of those walls in velopharyngeal closure. The composite of the movements of the structures bordering the velopharyngeal space closes the velopharyngeal port for eating (to prevent nasal regurgitation) and speaking (to produce oral consonants), whereas the relaxation of the closure musculature opens the port for breathing and specific nasalized articulations. The failure of the velopharyngeal sphincter to perform these functions properly is dysfunction of the sphincter. (There is a lack of consensus on the preferred term to describe such dysfunction. Velopharyngeal incompetency, velopharyngeal insufficiency, and velopharyngeal inadequacy are frequently used terms. The current author, however, prefers the term velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD), because it connotes physiologic impairment without attempting to denote etiology) [1–3].
Credit Rating Inflation during the 2000s: Lessons from the U.S. State Governments

The recent subprime mortgage crisis in 2008 was considered as resulted partly from the credit rating inflation of subprime mortgage bonds. The credit rating market of state governments may face the same risk of credit rating inflation as that witnessed during the recent recession. In this paper, we attempt to examine whether the credit ratings of state governments are inflated, and whether they are accurately reflected in financial or economic conditions. By using a data set from 1999 to 2010, we find that some credit rating agencies don’t reflect financial or economic conditions of state governments appropriately and statistically, and we prove that some credit rating results are affected by characteristics other than financial or economic factors in boom years. Thus, in order to prevent the governmental bond markets from similar credit rating risks in 2008, it needs to investigate whether credit ratings of state governments are inflated.