cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does rurality affect quality of life following treatment for breast cancer

As reviewed by Bettencourt and colleagues,1 a number of studies have considered psychosocial issues as they relate to the experiences of rural dwelling women who have been treated for breast cancer. While many concerns reported by rural women are commensurate with those identified by urban women (eg, body image, effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment on family members), some differences seem to be emerging. In general, women living in rural areas may be more likely to experience distress than women living in urban communities.2 In addition to a recognized shortage of mental health care in rural communities,3 issues of stigma related to mental health care and expectations of self-sufficiency may limit acceptance of mental health services in rural areas.4 Among rural women living with cancer, high levels of depression and hopelessness/helplessness have been noted.5 Rural women living with cancer report lower than average quality of life6 and may have particular concerns about being stigmatized within their communities as a result of their cancer diagnosis.7 One way in which rural and urban areas may differ is in the availability of community-based social support. The importance of social support as a buffer to emotional distress has been widely studied among a variety of medical populations8 including individuals living with cancer.9 Potential effects of rural versus urban residence have been noted, although findings are somewhat equivocal, as both benefits and hindrances to well-being have been identified. For example, given the shortage of mental health care providers in rural communities,3 geographic distance may limit availability of professional social support for rural women.10 On the other hand, several characteristics of rural communities may be of benefit to individuals coping with cancer. Rural communities often value close relationships with family, community members and religious institutions,4,11 all of which can be excellent sources of social support. In fact, studies have highlighted the perceived benefit of increased community support experienced by female cancer survivors living in rural compared to urban areas.12 Thus, while there may be limited cancer-specific support services in many rural communities, women living in rural areas may have community networks which make general social support readily available.13 Due to unanswered questions regarding whether rurality may affect quality of life among cancer survivors, and recognizing the importance of social support in quality of life outcomes regardless of residence, analyses presented herein were conducted to examine the extent to which rural residence and social support seeking affect quality of life among breast cancer survivors in the early post-treatment period.
A MYCORRHIZAL SURVEY OF PLANT SPECIES COLONIZING COASTAL RECLAIMED LAND IN SINGAPORE

Coastal land reclamation in Singapore (1° 20′) utilises sand from marine ocean beds which lacks mycorrhizal propagules. A survey of the vegetation on this ecosystem, five years after reclamation, i...
Effects of scene density and richness on traveled distance estimation in virtual environments

We conducted an experiment to examine the effects of scene density and richness on people's estimates of traveled distance. Participants wearing HMDs first experienced vision-only simulated self-motion over the distance of 65 meters in either a feature-dense scene (condition 1) or a sparse scene (condition 2), and then attempted to reproduce the same distance by physically walking with vision in a neutral virtual scene. We found that participants' estimates in the first condition were significantly shorter than those in the second condition. Furthermore, condition 1 estimates were significantly below the actual 65m travel distance, while condition 2 estimates did not differ significantly from 65m. The results suggest that scene feature density and richness affect traveled distance estimation.
Simultaneous High-Resolution Optical Trapping and Single Molecule Fluorescence Measurements of the UvrD Helicase: DNA Motor Protein Structure and Function Observed Simultaneously

We present single-molecule in vitro measurements of the DNA unwinding activity of the Superfamily 1 UvrD helicase that reveal directly how helicase stoichiometry and conformation correspond to motor activity. Although a single UvrD molecule can translocate along ssDNA, it has been postulated that only a dimer is capable of unwinding duplex DNA. UvrD is known to exhibit two different conformations: the ‘closed' and ‘open' orientation of the 2B regulatory subdomain. The function of these conformations has remained elusive. using a new instrument combining high-resolution optical tweezers with simultaneous single-molecule fluorescence microscopy (Comstock, Ha, and Chemla, Nature Methods 2011), we obtain an unprecedented detailed view of helicase motor dynamics by recording single base pair-scale DNA unwinding activity (optical tweezers) simultaneously with helicase stoichiometry and conformation (fluorescence). We observe two classes of DNA unwinding by UvrD: long distance continuous unwinding (∼100 bp) and repetitive, non-processive (∼12 bp) unwinding. We determine directly the stoichiometry of UvrD molecules participating in unwinding by quantifying the fluorescence intensity using singly-labeled UvrD molecules. We observe that pairs of UvrD molecules are required for long distance unwinding but individual molecules exhibit limited non-processive unwinding activity. Furthermore, we observe directly the conformation of the 2B subdomain of individual UvrD molecules during unwinding by measuring the fluorescence of FRET-labeled proteins. We observe that UvrD is in the ‘closed' conformation during DNA unwinding but surprisingly switches to the ‘open' conformation when UvrD translocates on the opposing ssDNA strand away from the junction with the DNA junction re-annealing behind it. These measurements may explain UvrD helicase's remarkable ability to switch translocation strands. We hypothesize that the UvrD 2B subdomain acts as a switch that controls DNA unwinding vs. re-annealing.
Stability of nonfouling stainless steel heat exchanger plates against commercial cleaning agents

Abstract Electroless nickel-PTFE coatings were applied to heat exchanger plates to reduce food material fouling and lessen the impact on heat transfer rate and operating efficiency. Clean-in-Place procedures are performed after each processing run with an alkali detergent and acid sanitizer to remove fouling material and sanitize. Understanding the impact of such cleaners on the coating integrity is critical in demonstrating the commercial suitability for food processing applications. XPS, dynamic contact angle, optical profilometry, SEM, and a custom fabricated benchtop plate heat exchanger were used to quantify changes to surface chemistry, topography, and the non-fouling properties after exposure to the chemical cleaners. Insignificant changes were observed after alkali detergent exposure while the acid sanitizer significantly affected the surface coating. The effects of the cleaners were further observed during the fouling experiments with the alkali detergent retaining the non-fouling properties and the acid sanitizer showing an increase in fouling material accumulation.
Differential effects of acute ethanol treatment on cardiac contractile function in young adult and senescent mice.

Abstract It is understood that marked biochemical, molecular, and performance alterations occur in cardiovascular tissues related to aging. It is logical, therefore, that differences in the cardiovascular response to ethanol consumption, when comparing younger with older individuals, may exist. We compared the left ventricular function of 6- and 15-month-old (senescent) mice and 16-month-old (senescent) inducible nitric oxide synthase knockout mice ( n =7 each) before and subsequent to acute treatment with 60% ethanol (2 g/kg, i.p.). A Millar 1.4 Fr conductance/micromanometer catheter was placed into the left ventricle of the mice for acquisition of pressure–volume loops. Heart contractile functions were significantly decreased in the senescent group, compared with findings in the younger mice. Subsequent to ethanol treatment, the younger mice showed a significant reduction in cardiac function, with a 28% decrease in cardiac index, a 29% decrease in end-systolic elastance, and a 16% decrease in preload recruitable stroke work ( P P P P P P P
Ultra-slim flexible glass for roll-to-roll electronic device fabrication

As displays and electronics evolve to become lighter, thinner, and more flexible, the choice of substrate continues to be critical to their overall optimization. The substrate directly affects improvements in the designs, materials, fabrication processes, and performance of advanced electronics. With their inherent benefits such as surface quality, optical transmission, hermeticity, and thermal and dimensional stability, glass substrates enable high-quality and long-life devices. As substrate thicknesses are reduced below 200 μm, ultra-slim flexible glass continues to provide these inherent benefits to high-performance flexible electronics such as displays, touch sensors, photovoltaics, and lighting. In addition, the reduction in glass thickness also allows for new device designs and high-throughput, continuous manufacturing enabled by R2R processes. This paper provides an overview of ultra-slim flexible glass substrates and how they enable flexible electronic device optimization. Specific focus is put on flexible glass’ mechanical reliability. For this, a combination of substrate design and process optimizations has been demonstrated that enables R2R device fabrication on flexible glass. Demonstrations of R2R flexible glass processes such as vacuum deposition, photolithography, laser patterning, screen printing, slot die coating, and lamination have been made. Compatibility with these key process steps has resulted in the first demonstration of a fully functional flexible glass device fabricated completely using R2R processes.
Feeding, Growth, and Fat Deposition by Brown Trout in Constant and Fluctuating Temperatures

Abstract Hatchery brown trout Salmo trutta intended for stocking into Lake Michigan were exposed for 57 days to three temperature regimes: (1) a diel temperature cycle (9–18 C; mean 12.5 C; amplitude 4.6 C) simulating that selected by brown trout residing in thermal effluent areas in spring; (2) a constant 13 C, the optimum constant temperature for brown trout growth; and (3) naturally fluctuating, arrhythmic temperatures of inshore Lake Michigan waters (4–11 C; mean 7.7 C). Fish in each treatment were fed to satiation twice a day with alewife Alosa pseudoharengus. Food consumption and growth rates were nearly identical in the constant 13 C and the ambient-temperature regimes; they were significantly greater in the thermocyclic regime than in the other two regimes. Gross conversion efficiencies were not significantly different among treatments, indicating little, if any, energetic penalty for exposure to large or small diel temperature fluctuations. Brown trout exposed to a constant 13 C accumulated less ...
A fast Newton-Krylov solver for seasonally varying global ocean biogeochemistry models

We present a computationally-efficient method for obtaining the fully spun-up state of a seasonally-varying global ocean biogeochemistry model. The solver uses a Newton–Krylov method to find the fixed points of the map that assigns to an initial state the value of the model state at the end of a one-year run. Apart from the preconditioner, which we describe in the paper, the method relies on a black-box public-domain Newton–Krylov solver that does not require the explicit construction of the model’s Jacobian matrix. Applied to the PO4 plus dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) cycle of an Ocean Carbon Model Intercomparison Project II (OCMIP-2) type model, the solver is more than two orders of magnitude faster than the traditional time-stepping method for spinning up the model. The efficiency of the solver is illustrated by using the seasonally varying globally-gridded PO4 climatology to objectively optimize the parameters that control the mean lifetime of semi-labile DOP and the fraction of new production allocated to DOP. The optimization study demonstrates that the information in the seasonal variations of PO4 do not provide a significantly stronger constraint than the annually averaged data used in previous optimization studies.
CONTROL OF NUCLEAR RATIOS IN NEUROSPORA HETEROKARYONS

IN THE COURSE of studies on varying gene dosage in two-component heterokaryons of Neurospora crassa, the nuclear proportions in the heterokaryons were found to be related to those of the homokaryotic inocula (Pittenger and Atwood, 1954). Some indication that this might be the case has also been noted by Barratt and Garnjobst (1949) in heterokaryons between wild type and colonial. If the experimenter could vary the nuclear proportions at will, he would provide the basis for a variety of experiments on the interactions of nuclei of different genotype, genetic and environmental effects on the relative division rates of the nuclei. alteration of the nuclear proportions by natural selection, and on the dominance of various mutants, as suggested by Beadle and Coonradt (1944). The relation between input and final proportions is examined here in detail using a serie3 of typical biochemical mutants. The nuclear proportions in controlled inocula consisting of mixtures of homokaryotic conidia are compared with those in the resultant heterokaryons. It will be shown that a rather simple relation exists between the input and final proportions over a wide range, and that the differences are caused, in the main, by two separable selective processes which operate during heterokaryon formation, but not afterward. MATERIALS AND METHODS.-Five homokaryotic stocks, of mating type A, were used; their mutant loci are listed in the descriptive index of Barratt et al. (1954): pan,al-1; nic-2,aJ-2; pab-1; lys-3; and arg-6. These stocks phenotypically resemble het+ of Garnjobst (1953 and 1955) and their combinations, when uncontrolled inocula are used, are type I by the criteria of Holloway (1955). The average number of nuclei per conidium was determined for each stock by counting the nuclei in ca. 500 conidia stained according to Heubschman (1952), all samples being from the same cultures used in the experiments. The cultures were grown in 2000-ml. flasks containing 500 ml. of agar medium supplemented with the required growth factors. Conidia were harvested from the mature cultures and held overnight in supplemented liquid medium at 3?C. to allow maximum hydration and absorption of growth factors without germination. The suspensions were then adjusted to approximately equal turbidity, and sample dilutions of each were plated on supplemented sorbose agar to determine the viable concentration. Pairs of suspensions were combined in several volume ratios so that the proportions of a given component ranged from ca. 0.10 to 0.90. This procedure was followed
Induction in rainbow trout of an acute phase (C-reactive) protein by chemicals of environmental concern

1. Rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, produce elevated amounts of a serum acute phase (C-reactive) protein (CRP) when administered a variety of chemicals of environmental importance. 2. Compounds administered in doses which induce the cytochrome(s) P450 catalytic enzymes in trout hepatic microsomes also induce serum CRP. 3. However, an interferon-inducing virus does not induce CRP. Interferon induction by the virus is not significantly inhibited by chemicals which induce trout cytochrome(s) P450. 4. Simultaneous administration of chemicals and virus or virus alone results in depression of P450 protein production and only minor induction of CRP. 5. Thus, as with mammals, a reciprocating relationship appears to exist between the hemeprotein monooxygenase and immune systems of this freshwater teleost, and C-reactive protein appears to fit the reciprocating scheme closer to the cytochromes P450 response.
Time-Frequency Modulation Diversity to Combat Periodic Impulsive Noise in Narrowband Powerline Communications

Non-Gaussian noise/interference severely limits communication performance of narrowband powerline communication (PLC) systems. Such noise/interference is dominated by periodic impulsive noise whose statistics varies with the AC cycle. The periodic impulsive noise statistics deviates significantly from that of additive white Gaussian noise, thereby causing dramatic performance degradation in conventional narrowband PLC systems. In this paper, we propose a robust transmission scheme and corresponding receiver methods to combat periodic impulsive noise in OFDM-based narrowband PLC. Towards that end, we propose (1) a time-frequency modulation diversity scheme at the transmitter and a diversity demodulator at the receiver to improve communication reliability without decreasing data rates; and (2) a semi-online algorithm that exploits the sparsity of the noise in the frequency domain to estimate the noise power spectrum for reliable decoding at the diversity demodulator. In the simulations, compared with a narrowband PLC system using Reed-Solomon and convolutional coding, whole-packet interleaving and DBPSK/BPSK modulation, our proposed transceiver methods achieve up to 8 dB gains in $E_{b}/N_{0} $ with convolutional coding and a smaller-sized interleaver/deinterleaver.
Adaptive Virtual Machine Management in the Cloud: A Performance-Counter-Driven Approach

The success of cloud computing technologies heavily depends on both the underlying hardware and system software support for virtualization. In this study, we propose to elevate the capability of the hypervisor to monitor and manage co-running virtual machines (VMs) by capturing their dynamic behavior at runtime and adaptively schedule and migrate VMs across cores to minimize contention on system resources hence maximize the system throughput. Implemented at the hypervisor level, our proposed scheme does not require any changes or adjustments to the VMs themselves or the applications running inside them, and minimal changes to the host OS. It also does not require any changes to existing hardware structures. These facts reduce the complexity of our approach and improve portability at the same time. The main intuition behind our approach is that because the host OS schedules entire virtual machines, it loses sight of the processes and threads that are running within the VMs; it only sees the averaged resource demands from the past time slice. In our design, we sought to recreate some of this low level information by using performance counters and simple virtual machine introspection techniques. We implemented an initial prototype on the Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM) and our experimental results show the presented approach is of great potential to improve the overall system throughput in the Cloud environment.
Electronic structure of copper/diamond interfaces including effects of interfacial hydrogen

The linear muffin-tin orbital method is used to study the electronic structure at Cu/diamond {1 1 1} interfaces. The geometries examined were: Cu on-top of surface-C (T1), Cu in 4-fold coordinated (T4) positions above second-layer C, and Cu on-top of H-atoms of the H-covered {1 1 1} surface. The Schottky barriers, layer-projected densities of states and interface energies were determined. The dangling-bond related interface states are shown to play an important role for the Schottky barrier heights, which are consistent with experimental data assuming that H was present at the interface. Interfacial hydrogen is shown to lower the adhesion dramatically.
Permanent perceptual and neurophysiological effects of visual deprivation in the cat

The purpose of the present study was to analyze recovery of visual perception in kittens whose deprived eye had permanently lost access to most selective cortical neurons. Twelve kittens were reared monocularly for 3 months or more; then the deprived eye was opened and the experienced eye was shut (cross-suture treatment) in an attempt to push recovery. Monocular training through the deprived eye was administered on a series of discrimination problems and transposition tests. Some recovery from the monocular deprivation was evident. These kittens learned an orientation problem (horizontal vs. vertical stripes) in an abstract manner. However, on the form problem (upright vs. inverted triangle) they were still noteably deficient when compared to normal controls: 1. Acquisition of the form problem was shown to be strongly dependent on flux cues and 2. Interocular transfer was deficient. Microelectrode and visual evoked potential recording with the cross-suture group revealed no discernible recovery from the deprivation treatment at the visual cortex. Of 34 neurons recorded from 4 animals, only one could be driven by the initially deprived eye. No binocularly driven cells were found. Late components of the VEP were reduced in amplitude when elicited through the deprived eye. We conclude that when forced to use an eye which influences only a small number of neurons, all of which have abnormal receptive fields, animals can learn a wide variety of form problems, but only by using local flux cues. Form perception with a normal degree of stability in the presence of environmental changes appears to depend on cortical neurons with form-selective receptive fields.
Development of Virtual Automated Transit System (VATS) Software for Use in Simulation and Feasibility Analysis of BRT

The steps involved in creating automated BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) simulation software with Matlab and Simulink are explained, incorporating CVHAS (Cooperative Vehicle-Highway) Automation systems) technologies. Methods of concise and efficient route definition, realistic passenger flow simulation, engine dynamics, lateral/longitudinal control and overall program structure are suggested.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Excitation of broadband surface plasmon polaritons: Plasmonic continuum spectroscopy

The excitation of surface plasmon polaritons in a thin metal film is extremely sensitive to the surrounding dielectric environment. We introduce here a far-field method to directly observe surface plasmon propagation and demonstrate that the lateral intensity decay length is affected by a change of the interface properties. The method relies on the detection of the intrinsic lossy modes associated with plasmon propagation in thin films. We also introduce a method to excite a broad spectral distribution of surface plasmons simultaneously throughout the visible spectrum allowing a unique form of surface plasmon-based spectroscopy.
Vacuolar invertase gene silencing in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) improves processing quality by decreasing the frequency of sugar-end defects

Sugar-end defect is a tuber quality disorder and persistent problem for the French fry processing industry that causes unacceptable darkening of one end of French fries. This defect appears when environmental stress during tuber growth increases post-harvest vacuolar acid invertase activity at one end of the tuber. Reducing sugars produced by invertase form dark-colored Maillard reaction products during frying. Acrylamide is another Maillard reaction product formed from reducing sugars and acrylamide consumption has raised health concerns worldwide. Vacuolar invertase gene (VInv) expression was suppressed in cultivars Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet using RNA interference to determine if this approach could control sugar-end defect formation. Acid invertase activity and reducing sugar content decreased at both ends of tubers. Sugar-end defects and acrylamide in fried potato strips were strongly reduced in multiple transgenic potato lines. Thus vacuolar invertase silencing can minimize a long-standing French fry quality problem while providing consumers with attractive products that reduce health concerns related to dietary acrylamide.
Therapy: Surgery or nonsurgical therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome?

A recent study of therapies for carpal tunnel syndrome suggests a clear benefit for surgery, although the investigators also found improvements in patients who received carefully structured, nonsurgical treatment.
Experimental characterization of autoclave‐cured glass‐epoxy composite laminates: Cure cycle effects upon thickness, void content, and related phenomena

This article presents results from over 100 experimental autoclave curing fiber-glass-epoxy composite laminate curing runs. The primary objective was to verify shrinking horizon model predictive control—SHMPC—for thickness and void content control, using readily available secondary measurements. The secondary objective was to present and analyze the extensive experimental results obtained through this verification. Seven series of curing runs (16 per series) were performed, with cure settings governed by partial- or full-factorial orthogonal array based design of experiments. Through t-tests and two-way analysis of variance, it was found that pressure magnitude had the largest influence on laminate thickness and void content, while first hold duration/temperature, pressure application duration, and run delay influenced void content more than thickness. Thinner laminates with lesser void contents resulted from pressure application before the second temperature ramp. Prepreg age also affected thickness and void content. Photomicrographs revealed not one large void, but void clusters. Interrupted autoclave cure cycles revealed that significant laminate thickness reduction occurred during all curing cycle stages. The percentage of resin weight loss through laminate sides increased with pressure magnitude and application duration. Ten test curing runs indicated that SHMPC met difficult thickness targets while minimizing void content.
Changes in precipitation characteristics over North America for doubled CO2

[1] We conducted two 10-year climate simulations for North America that correspond to present-day CO2 (1991–1999) and future conditions with doubled CO2 (2090–2099). Our study focused on changes in precipitation characteristics using comparisons of model simulations with observations from recent decades exhibiting a predominance of cool and warm periods. The predicted trends were strikingly similar to observations and suggest that heavy precipitation events (>32 mm day−1) will become more prevalent in the U.S. under increased CO2. Moreover, precipitation in the future should become more episodic and convectively driven than at present with larger daily amounts. Our results point to an increased prevalence of drying and flooding conditions across the U.S. at the end of the 21st century.
Meteorological Conditions and Radio Astronomy Observations at X-Band

Abstract This paper describes the results of studies on the effects of the atmosphere on radio astronomy observations at X-band. The fluctuation component of atmospheric noise radiation is shown to be strongly correlated with cyclonic conditions and frontal activity.
β-Methyl- D -Glucoside in the Leaves of Medicago sativa

DURING the course of the isolation and identification of L-galacto-heptulose1 other carbohydrate compounds were isolated from an alcoholic extract of the leaves of alfalfa (Medicago sativa, var. Caliverde) by chromatographic separation. We wish to report that β-methyl-D-glucoside has been identified as one of these compounds. Although β-methyl-D-glucoside has been reported to be present in the leaves of Scabiosa succisa2, to our knowledge it has not been reported to occur in alfalfa.
The dental management of the patient with dementia

There has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of dementia as the percentage of aging Americans has increased. Approximately half of these persons are living at home with their spouses or in the homes of their children. This increasing group of patients will be seeking care from community-based dentists. An understanding of the diagnosis, the treatment, the course, and the prognosis of the disease process will better prepare dentists to meet the unique needs of this group of patients.
Prediction of thermodynamic properties of dense gas mixtures containing one or more of the quantum gases

Effective critical constants for helium and normal hydrogen have been determined by fitting experimental volumetric data for these gases to the generalized tables of Pitzer. The effective critical temperature and pressure are found to depend on the temperature and on the molecular mass in a simple manner permitting good estimates to be made of effective critical constants for other quantum gases for which experimental data are scarce (neon, isotopes of helium and hydrogen). Pitzer's tables are used with pseudocritical mixing rules to predict thermodynamic properties of mixtures at high pressures and low temperatures. Calculated compressibility factors and enthalpies are in excellent agreement with experimental results for dense mixtures of hydrogen-methane, hydrogen-argon, and helium-nitrogen.
Collaborative Teams in a University Statistics Course: A Case Study of How Differing Value Structures Inhibit Change

Summary of Three Value Structure Codes (adapted from National Values Center, 2000) Meme Description Learning Style Blue Truth is absolute and dependent upon authorities or experts to Avoidant: Punishment for errors;determine. Saintliness is revered. Motto: “Sacrifice self to reach Rightful authorities; Moralisticgoals and live well.” Answers are delivered through a chain of direction; Possibility of deferredcommand. Individuals motivated by duty, honor, and country. rewards in future. PrimarySacrifice and discipline reap later rewards (in the afterlife). learning theory is behaviorism.Focus is on the group and individuals are less important.Orange Truth is individualistic and independently determined through Expectancy: Trial-and-errorevidence. Material gain, individual achievement, and competitive experiments where success bringsadvantages are valued. Motto: “Express self to reach goals and anticipated gains; Competitivelive well.” Entrepreneurism and planning are ways to reach goals. gaming with high-tech, high statusIndividuals motivated by opportunities, progress and tools. Primary learning theoryachievement. Wants bigger and better, new and improved. is radical constructivism.Focus is on the individual.Green Truth is relativistic. Interdependence and human bonds are most Observational: Explore feelings andimportant. Motto: “Sacrifice self for all to prosper in unity.” learn by watching others’ actions;Motivated to join others to build consensus and share feelings to Share here-and-now experiencesmake things better now. Seeks affiliation and love. Reveres to enhance interpersonal skills.human rights and dignity for all. Wants more participation, Primary learning theory is socialequality, and liberation of the oppressed. Focus is on the group, constructivism.but individuals are important.
Observing behavior: Redundant stimuli and time since information

Pigeons were allowed to observe a stimulus signaling food (S+) by pecking one side key of a three-key chamber, or a stimulus signaling extinction (S−) by pecking the opposite side key. Components were 30 sec long and separated by 3-sec blackouts (after extinction periods) or 3-sec access to an illuminated food hopper (terminating food periods). Pigeons came to peck the S+ key almost exclusively. When food and extinction periods were presented in random order, the S+ key was pecked in nearly every component. But when the components alternated in abab fashion, the probability of an S+ keypeck during extinction decreased (after 3-sec access to food) while remaining high in food components (after 3-sec blackout). This suggested the development of trace stimulus control by the stimuli separating the components and that redundant stimuli would maintain observing when they signaled food. Results were discussed in terms of traditional notions of conditioned reinforcement and were not seen as supporting information theory explanations of observing behavior.
Valle‐Inclán, Spanish precursor of the absurdist mode

After an introductory section on his life in Spain and abroad, theatre background (acting, directing), and literary works (plays, stories, novels, poetry, aesthetics), pertinent plays by the Spanish writer Ramon del Valle‐Inclan (1866–1936) are presented as evidence of the dramatist's precursory role in the evolution of the Theatre of the Absurd, a position now being recognized by critics and directors throughout Europe, the United States and Latin America.
Application of machine learning in the fault diagnostics of air handling units

Abstract An air handling unit’s energy usage can vary from the original design as components fail or fault – dampers leak or fail to open/close, valves get stuck, and so on. Such problems do not necessarily result in occupant complaints and, consequently, are not even recognized to have occurred. In spite of recent progress in the research and development of diagnostic solutions for air handling units, there is still a lack of reliable, scalable, and affordable diagnostic solutions for such systems. Modeling limitations, measurement constraints, and the complexity of concurrent faults are the main challenges in air handling unit diagnostics. The focus of this paper is on developing diagnostic algorithms for air handling units that can address such constraints more effectively by systematically employing machine-learning techniques. The proposed algorithms are based on analyzing the observed behavior of the system and comparing it with a set of behavioral patterns generated based on various faulty conditions. We show how such a pattern-matching problem can be formulated as an estimation of the posterior distribution of a Bayesian probabilistic model. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach by detecting faults in commercial building air handling units.
Mechanical properties of tissues of the nervous system.

Abstract The work presented is a review of the scientific literature pertaining to the mechanical properties of the tissues of the nervous system. Additional articles are reviewed where appropriate to indicate the scope of the total literature pertinent to the subject. Preliminary observations from the author's laboratory are also presented.
Crossover from percolation to diffusion

A problem of the crossover from percolation to diffusion transport is considered. A general scaling theory is proposed. It introduces phenomenologically four critical exponents which are connected by two equations. One exponent is completely new. It describes the increase of the diffusion below percolation threshold. As an example, an exact solution of one-dimensional lattice problem is given. In this case the new exponent $q=2.$
High-data-rate digital fiber-optic recirculating delay line with application to a serial memory or buffer register

A digital fiber-optic recirculating delay line with up to 17K bytes of storage capacity, a serial shift rate of 1.4 Gb/s, and a storage persistence time of >1ms has been demonstrated. The approach has been discussed earlier1; it makes use of a digital electronic repeater to recirculate iteratively the ASK encoded binary data contained in a fiber loop of arbitrary length. Data stored in the loop may be written, read, and erased with electrooptic switches. Computers which interact with ring, star, or bus topologies can use this digital fiber-optic memory (DFOM) as a buffer register. There is usually a single buffer that is part of a computer or subordinant ring interface at a main ring network node. In register insertion ring architecture, two serial buffers work in tandem to allow on-demand access to the ring.2 When used for temporary storage in high-speed packet oriented fiber-optic networks, the DFOM presented here will allow data to be stored or multiplexed up to the full ring bandwidth during periods between token possession.
Leveraging the crowd as a source of innovation: does crowdsourcing represent a new model for product and service innovation?

In today's fact-paced global marketplace, many organizations are turning to the "crowd" as a potential new source of innovation. However, little is known about the strategic use of crowd and how best to integrate them into internal processes. This paper presents preliminary findings from an ongoing grounded theory research study designed to identify trends and patterns associated with crowdsourcing by established organizations. Four common uses of the crowd are identified (i.e., productivity, innovation, knowledge capture, and marketing/branding). Further, key reoccurring themes related to task type, crowd knowledge, crowd location, and organizational goals, challenges, and value extraction are identified. Finally, a discussion of the emerging relationships between organizational goal, tasks to be completed, crowd characteristics, and the potential risks and benefits such initiatives create for organizations is provided.
Variational formulation of the Germano identity for the Navier Stokes equations

The variational counterpart of the Germano identity for the large eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent flows is derived. The differences between the variational and the filter-based identities are explained on the basis of the role of an LES model in these two formulations. The variational Germano identity is then used to determine parameters in LES models. The performance of this identity in predicting the Smagorinsky eddy viscosity during the decay of homogeneous isotropic turbulence is evaluated. It is found that it yields results that are as accurate as its filter-based counterpart and that it is less sensitive to the exact approach used in evaluating the unknown parameters.
Convergence conditions for restarted conjugate gradient methods with inaccurate line searches

Convergence properties of restarted conjugate gradient methods are investigated for the case where the usual requirement that an exact line search be performed at each iteration is relaxed. The objective function is assumed to have continuous second derivatives and the eigenvalues of the Hessian are assumed to be bounded above and below by positive constants. It is further assumed that a Lipschitz condition on the second derivatives is satisfied at the location of the minimum. A class of descent methods is described which exhibitn-step quadratic convergence when restarted even though errors are permitted in the line search. It is then shown that two conjugate gradient methods belong to this class.
Breast Cancer in Young Women: The University of New Mexico Cancer Center (UNMCC) Experience.

Background: While only a small proportion of breast cancer is attributable to hereditary susceptibility, identifying high-risk individuals is essential for appropriate medical management. Furthermore, identifying individuals with inherited breast cancers have significant impact on both patient and their family. Beyond early age of onset, family history of multiple cancers may warrant a referral to cancer genetics professional. However, in a busy oncology practice, documentation of a full family history can be time consuming and referral opportunities for genetic counseling may be missed. In this study, we evaluated the strength of family history documentation in breast cancer patients9 charts, and whether or not appropriate referrals to the Hereditary Cancer Assessment Program (HCAP) were made. Racial differences in these referral patterns were also assessed.Materials and Methods: All charts of patients last known to be living as of 03/29/06 per the UNMCC Tumor Registry with an invasive breast cancer who were 40 years old or younger at the time of diagnosis were reviewed. Baseline data included patient age at diagnosis, self-reported ethnicity, histology, bilaterality and cancer status. The presence or absence of family history of breast and other cancers, and referral to the HCAP was documented. Descriptive statistics were performed on baseline data. Correlative analyses were conducted to note any racial differences in referral to HCAP.Results: A total of 211 women met inclusion criteria. Patients in the Tumor Registry were seen at diagnosis at UNMCC from 01/01/67 through 12/31/04. Mean age was 35. Racial distribution was similar to that of the New Mexican population: 44% Caucasian, 41% Hispanic, 10% Native American (NA) and 3% African American. Predominant histology was infiltrating ductal carcinoma (79%); 10% of women had a second breast primary. 63% of women had a positive family history of cancer; however, family history was not recorded in 17%. After HCAP was established, 109 women were eligible for referral, yet 68 (62%) of women had not been referred for genetic counseling. Only 39% of Caucasian, 40% of Hispanic and 34% of NA eligible women were referred.Discussion: Women under the age of 40 at time of breast cancer diagnosis are more likely to have a hereditary cancer syndrome. In our population, 17% of women had no documentation of family history, and almost 70% were never referred for hereditary counseling. There was no difference in referral patterns among different racial/ethnic backgrounds. On the basis of this review, quality improvement initiatives were undertaken to improve referral patters of young women with breast cancer for genetic counseling and potential genetic testing. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 4079.
Recent progress and application of low level liquid scintillation counting

The use of an ultra low level liquid scintillation counter with extremely low background, MCA technique, storage and software evaluation of pulse height spectra has given very low LLD's, the possibility of α- and β-spectrometry to some extent and time saving optimization of counting conditions. Quick and very simple but yet accurate analytical methods could be worked out worked out for environmental measurements: Environmental levels of tritium,14C in several assimilation products,222Rn and226Ra in water without any sample pretreatment. Suggestions for possible further applications in environmenial monitoring and low level counting are given.
Deaugmentation reduction mammaplasty.

Abstract Background Although current trends in breast reduction emphasize scar reduction and improved long-term results, all currently used techniques leave visible scars on the breast. Objective In this report a technique is described that provides a moderate reduction in breast volume (1 cup size) through a short inframammary incision alone. This method avoids visible scars on the anterior breast. Methods Excision of a posterior disk of breast tissue, similar to removal of an implant, was performed to reduce a large breast with no significant ptosis and generally good aesthetics that resembles an overaugmented breast. A series of 5 patients underwent excision of posterior breast tissue through a 7-cm inframammary crease incision. Medial and subareolar volume was preserved in an attempt to maintain optimal shape. Results In all patients, adequate reduction in breast volume was achieved without exacerbation of ptosis. No complications ensued, and all patients were satisfied with postoperative breast size and shape. Conclusions The deaugmentation reduction technique is a simple approach to small to moderate breast reduction through a limited inframammary scar. It is associated with high patient satisfaction and is ideal for a select group of patients.
Light-induced variation in the growth and dynamics of transplanted ramets of the understory herb, Aster acuminatus

Ramets of the understory herb, Aster acuminatus, were transplanted from two source populations into eight understory garden sites that varied in light and soil moisture levels. Ramet growth, clonal growth, flowering and survivorship were monitored for three growing seasons. Large differences among gardens in ramet growth, clonal growth and flowering developed in the first growing season and increased in the next two years. This variation was positively correlated with garden light level but not at all with soil moisture. Mortality rates were low in all gardens and showed that genets from any particular source could survive over a broad range of environmental conditions. There was no conclusive evidence for any source population differences in the capacity to survive or grow in different environments. The rapid, light-induced responses of transplanted ramets resulted in garden populations very similar in appearance to natural populations experiencing similar light regimes. These results combined with those from other studies of A. acuminatus provide strong evidence for the importance of light in explaining population patterns and dynamics in this species.
Feasibility study for burning refuse-derived fuel in the district of columbia by potomac electric power company

Abstract This paper describes a study conducted to determine the economic feasibility of a project for producing and burning refuse-derived fuel RDF in the District of Columbia. Alternate modes of processing,transporting, handling and burning RDF were considered. The study concluded that it is economically feasible to implement the project and identifies the most cost-effective approach for utilization of existing capital facilities. The study can possibly serve as a model for implementation of this form of energy recovery elsewhere.
A conformal map formula for difficult cases

Abstract A simple approximate formula is derived for the boundary map function of a conformal map which provides a remarkably good fit for mappings to regions with highly distorted boundaries. The approximation follows from the reduction of a nonlocal integral equation for the map function to a local equation based on the nature of the ‘crowding’ associated with distorted regions. Numerical examples are given.
Genetics of a molluscan vector of Schistosomiasis.

A complex of several genetic factors determines the susceptibility of juvenile Biomphalaria glabratus to infection by Schistosoma mansoni. A simple dominant factor can cause juvenile susceptible snails to become refractory to the parasite at maturity. Stocks of such adults may prove to be of use in genetic control of S. mansoni in endemic areas.
An six-amino acid motif in the α3 domain of MICA is the cancer therapeutic target to inhibit shedding

Expression of the MHC class I chain related molecules A and B (MICA/B) on tumor cell surface can signal the immune receptor NKG2D for tumor immune destruction. However, MIC was found to be shed by tumors in cancer patients, which negatively regulates host immunity and promotes tumor immune evasion and progression. The mechanisms by which tumors shed MIC are not well understood although diverse groups of enzymes are suggested to be involved. The functional complexity of these enzymes makes them unfeasible therapeutic targets for inhibiting MIC shedding. Here we identified an six-amino acid (6-aa) motif in the α3 domain of MIC that is critical for the interaction of MIC with ERp5 to enable shedding. Mutations in this motif prevented MIC shedding but did not interfere with NKG2D-mediated recognition of MIC. Our study suggests that the 6-aa motif is a feasible target to inhibit MIC shedding for cancer therapy.