cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exercise, affect, and university students’ appraisals of academic events prior to the final examination period

Abstract Objectives To assess whether exercise was associated with increased positive and decreased negative affect for university students during academically demanding times. Design Within-subjects daily diary study. Methods Fifty-nine university students completed the LTEQ [Godin, G., & Shephard, R.J. (1985). A simple method to assess exercise behavior in the community. Canadian Journal of Applied Sport Science, 10, 141–146], cognitive appraisals of daily events [Lazarus, R. S. (1999). Stress and emotion: A new synthesis. New York: Springer], and the PANAS [Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1070] for 14 days immediately prior to the final examination period. Results Our hypotheses were partially supported as threat appraisals were significantly associated with decreased positive affect on days closer to the final examination period. Contrary, to our hypotheses exercise was not independently associated with increased positive and decreased negative affect. However, the interaction between exercise and day was significant as participants experienced increased positive affect during the last 3 days of data collection immediately preceding the final exam period. There was also a significant exercise by threat interaction with follow-up tests showing the exercise/negative affect relationship was significantly moderated by threat appraisals only when academic events were appraised as mildly threatening. Conclusions These findings suggest that exercise behavior might be an effective way for college students to cope with stress especially during academic demanding times.
Application of chemometrics to optical emission spectroscopy for plasma monitoring

Real-time plasma etch process monitoring, based on sensors which measure plasma properties that relate directly to desire etch features, is critical to the manufacturability of future-generation integrated microelectronics. This study reports on the development of spatially resolved optical emission spectroscopy tools and spectral signature analysis techniques which, taken together, show promise for meeting the need for such a sensor-based tool. This approach to plasma monitoring requires the development of optical emission calibration data sets, which in this case were obtained using the GEC Reference Cell plasma etch reactor (a RIE RF discharge system developed for interlaboratory comparisons). Systematic electrical probe measurements of the current and voltage waveform characteristics of Ar and CF4/CHF3 discharges in the Cell are reported and shown to be a sensitive indicator of both variations in Cell to Cell characteristics and process-induced variability within a Cell. Variations in the optical emission intensity show a near unity correlation with probe measurements if a broad spectrum of the emission is examined using multivariate statistical algorithms (chemometrics) and the spatial dependence of the emission is considered. Preliminary results involving further application of this spectral signature analysis technique to silicon dioxide etching are discussed.
Aortic Stenosis and Patent Ductus Arteriosus: Pressure Gradients Pre- and Posttranscatheter Ductal Occlusion

Three patients with patent ductus arteriosus and moderate aortic stenosis had a marked reduction in aortic valve gradient following transcatheter ductal occlusion. The hemodynamic effects of an aortopulmonary shunt on the severity of left ventricular outflow obstruction and the implications on intervention are discussed.
Microfibers within fibers: A review

Literature relating to the fundamental nature of the fibrous state is reviewed with the goal of illustrating evidence for the existence of a possibly fundamental morphological unit, the elemental microfiber or fibril. Following a short summary of the rather well documented situation in natural fibers, the problem of the microfiber in synthetic fibers is probed in terms of phenomena in solution and bulk polymeric systems. The reviewed literature indicates the existence of unique, elemental microfibers in synthetic fibers is largely tenuous; however, there is wide evidence of the existence of complex elongated structures axially aligned within macrofibers which future work may resolve into a central microfiber. The structural complexity appears to simplify for transformations occurring in high shear fields. This review covers articles through 1971, and it is notable that in 1971 approximately 100 articles of high relevance appeared in major journals.
Non-Pratt component of oceanic isostasy

Oceanic lithosphere is understood to cool and subside away from mid-ocean ridges to a Pratt-like isostasy condition. However, the pres- ence of ocean mass added on top of subsiding lithosphere necessitates an additional isostatic response that cannot be achieved through a Pratt model. In a manner similar to an ice cap on a continent, the addition of ocean mass on top of subsiding lithosphere drives a small degree of fl ow in the asthenosphere to accommodate the excess mass accumulated on top. The basic mathematics behind the isostasy- driven asthenospheric fl ow demonstrate that the fl ow occurs systematically from beneath younger seafl oor toward older seafl oor. The fl ow rate peaks beneath seafl oor of about one-quarter the plate age. The maximum fl ow rate is a few tenths of a percent of the plate rate and is superimposed on the regional asthenospheric fl ow fi eld. The modifi cation to the regional fl ow induces a small, but systematically positive drag (mantle push) component on the overlying lithosphere. The form of the drag predisposes young lithosphere to extensional stress and older lithosphere to compressional stress.
Hemodynamic response to different types of mental stress in patients with recent myocardial infarction.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the cardiovascular effects induced by mental stress evoked by different stressors in patients with recent uncomplicated myocardial infarction. Twenty four males, aged 52±10 years, were studied 45±22 days after uncomplicated myocardial infarction in the absence of specific cardiovascular drugs. During electrocardiographic and hemodynamic monitoring with a Swan-Ganz catheter the patients underwent 4 different stressors: mental arithmetic, Sacks test, Raven progressive matrices, white noise. All hemodynamic parameters were significantly (p<0.001) modified by 3 of the 4 stressors, while noise significantly affected (p<0.005) only blood pressure. Mental arithmetic was more powerful in inducing hemodynamic effects than either the Sacks test or the Raven matrices. Thus, experimentally induced mental stress challenges the recently infarcted patient's cardiovascular system to a quantifiable extent, causing important increments in left ventricular filling pressure. Hemodynamic response is different depending on the stressor employed
Tully−Fisher distances to M31-like galaxies in the Coma cluster

Newly observed HI 21-cm linewidths for eight galaxies and morphological types for 33 galaxies are combined with data in the literature to construct a homogeneous magnitude-limited sample of spiral galaxies in the Coma cluster. From this sample, we identify the seven Coma M31-like galaxies, i.e. the spiral members with inclinations i ≥ 44° and deprojected linewidths Δv c ≥ 440 km s −1 . The distance moduli of these seven galaxies obtained by application of a blue-band Tully-Fisher (TF) relation are used to measure the distance to the Coma cluster. Our result, which is free of «Malmquist» bias at the 3 σ level, is a distance modulus of μ 0 = 34.4 ± 0.2, which corresponds to a Hubble constant H 0 ≃ 90 km s −1 Mpc −1
NOTCH1 Signaling Promotes Human T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Initiating Cell Regeneration in Supportive Niches

Background Leukemia initiating cells (LIC) contribute to therapeutic resistance through acquisition of mutations in signaling pathways, such as NOTCH1, that promote self-renewal and survival within supportive niches. Activating mutations in NOTCH1 occur commonly in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and have been implicated in therapeutic resistance. However, the cell type and context specific consequences of NOTCH1 activation, its role in human LIC regeneration, and sensitivity to NOTCH1 inhibition in hematopoietic microenvironments had not been elucidated.
A New Estimator of, and Factors Influencing, the Sampling Variance of the Linear Index of Food Selection

Abstract Expressions were developed for a new estimator of the sampling variance of the linear index of food selection, Li. This estimator accommodates multiple samples of predators and of their environmental food supply, and can account for variability due to environmental heterogeneity and differences in feeding behavior among predators, if the number of prey counted in a sample is uncorrelated with the proportion of any prey type in that sample. Both laboratory and field studies of young yellow perch Perca flavescens feeding on zooplankton were used to identify factors influencing the estimated variance of Li. The estimated variance decreased with increasing number of fish sampled and increased with increasing observed variance among stomach contents of fish. A heterogeneity index Hri showed significant diet heterogeneity among fish in both laboratory and field experiments. Relationships between the estimated variance of Li and both the number of fish sampled and the total number of prey counted indica...
Daughters' Perceptions of Communication with Their Fathers: The Role of Skill Similarity and Co-Orientation in Relationship Satisfaction

This study examines the communication skill similarity between fathers and daughters. Participants were 186 daughters who identified perceptions of both their own communication competence and their father's communication competence. Results indicated that perceived similarity was related to relational satisfaction and quantity of communication. Using the Family Communication Pattern (FCP) model, father-daughter relationship satisfaction and communication skill similarity varied depending on the family type (i.e., consensual, pluralistic, protective, laissez-faire).
A bosonic representation of the ising model

Abstract A bosonic construction of the critical Ising model is given. The stress-energy tensor has a different form from that of a free scalar field. Equivalence is established on an arbitrary compact Riemann surface. It is argued that this description is realized in a sector of the critical Askin-Teller model.
Looking like Everyone Else: Academic Portfolios for Librarians.

Abstract The academic librarian faces a unique range of changing duties and responsibilities that are often inappropriately documented. The development of an academic portfolio that creates a record of librarianship, scholarship, and service can solve this issue for librarians on the tenure-track or on a job hunt. This paper describes how academic librarians can develop a working academic portfolio for themselves.
Coronary Endothelial Function Is Preserved With Chronic Endothelin Receptor Antagonism in Experimental Hypercholesterolemia In Vitro

Abstract —Hypercholesterolemia is associated with increased circulating and tissue endothelin-1 immunoreactivity, decreased nitric oxide (NO) activity, and altered endothelial function. We tested the hypothesis that chronic endothelin receptor antagonism preserves endothelial function and increases NO in experimental porcine hypercholesterolemia. Pigs were randomized to 3 groups: Group 1, a 2% high-cholesterol (HC) diet alone (n=7); group 2, RO-48-5695, a combined endothelin receptor antagonist, and an HC diet (n=8); and group 3, ABT-627, a selective endothelin-A receptor antagonist, and an HC diet (n=8). Coronary epicardial and arteriolar endothelial function was determined by a dose-response relaxation to bradykinin (10 −11 to 10 −6 mol/L) , in all groups and in pigs maintained on a normal diet. Plasma total oxidized products of NO (NO x ) were determined by chemiluminescence at baseline and after 12 weeks. Bradykinin-stimulated coronary epicardial and arteriolar relaxation in group 1 was attenuated compared with normal-diet controls. This relaxation was normalized with endothelin receptor antagonism. Plasma NO x decreased after 12 weeks in group 1 (−74.8±5.5%). This decrease was attenuated in the endothelin receptor antagonist groups (group 2, −28.2±15.0%; group 3, −38.9±20.6%). Chronic endothelin receptor antagonism preserves coronary endothelial function and increases NO in hypercholesterolemia. This study supports a role of endothelin-1 in the regulation of NO activity and suggests a possible therapeutic role for endothelin receptor antagonists in hypercholesterolemia.
When threats and encouragements are effective in bargaining: The case of credit collectors

We hypothesise that the effectiveness of threats and encouragements is contingent on the intended recipient's level of negative affect, as evidenced by his/her negative affective display. Therefore, bargainers can be more effective if, as they make offers, they condition any threats or encouragements on the recipient's affective display. We test this hypothesis using 5561 verbal exchanges that occurred during 192 telephone conversations between credit collectors and debtors. Collectors were most effective in motivating debtors to discuss terms to resolve their debt if they: (1) threatened recipients who were nonresponsive and did not show any negative affect; and (2) encouraged recipients who displayed negative affect. This result suggests that making threats and encouragements contingent on a recipient's displays of negative affect may be an important but frequently overlooked component of bargaining.
Are Spondylosoma and Staurikosaurus (Santa Maria Formation, Middle-Upper Triassic, Brazil) the oldest saurischian dinosaurs?

Spondylosoma absconditum (Ladinian, Middle Triassic) lacks certain Dinosauriformes-Dinosauria characters (sigmoid curve and epipophyses in neck, distally placed deltopectoral crest on humerus) and those present (accessary hyposphene-hypantra vertebral articulations, three sacral vertebrae, elongate pubis) also occur in the Rauisuchia (Crurotarsi, Suchia, Rauisuchiformes).Spondylosoma is tentatively referred to the Rauisuchidae because, as indicated by the ventrolaterally directed sacral ribs, the ilium was held obliquely (and not vertically as in the Poposauridae).Staurikosaurus pricei (Carnian, Upper Triassic), one of the oldest dinosaurs, possesses autapomorphies of Dinosauriformes, Dinosauria, Saurischia, and Herrerasauridae, but it retains certain plesiomorphic characters (subcircular distal end to tibia, ?proximally placed deltopectoral crest, axially unshortened neural spine to sacral 1, ?scapular spine unreduced distally) not present inHerrerasaurus (Carnian, Ischigualasto Formation, Argentina). However, the femur is more derived in the loss of the trochanteric shelf and reduction of the lesser trochanter (as also occurs in some prosauropods). The two vertebrae sacrum ofStaurikosaurus is a plesiomorphic character for Dinosauria (also in other herrerasaurids, German Upper Triassic prosauropodSellosaurus gracilis — ?males), to which was added either a caudosacral (e.g. Santa Maria prosauropodSaturnalia, Sellosaurus gracilis — ?females) or a dorsosacral (e.g. Ischigualasto theropodEoraptor and prosauropodRiojasaurus). Agrosaurus (Upper Triassic, Durdham Down, England — not Australia) is not a herrerasaurid; it is referred to the prosauropod dinosaurThecodontosaurus antiquus (Upper Triassic, Durdham Down).
Promising results for the use of natural stimuli in a multiple schedule reinforcement arrangement to reduce problem behavior and increase functional communication

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Kuhn, D. E., Chirighin, A. E., & Zelenka, K. (2010). Discriminated functional communication: A procedural extension of functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 43, 249–264. 2 Source of funding and disclosure of interest: No source of funding reported, and the original authors of this research report no conflicts of interest.
Simulation of free‐surface waves in liquid sloshing using a domain‐type meshless method

Based on the idea of avoiding over-fitting in artificial neural-network research using radial basis functions (RBFs), an improved RBF collocation method that reduces the number of RBFs without compromising the accuracy is proposed. This method overcomes the problem of dissatisfying governing equations on boundaries when the conventional RBF collocation method is used in solving partial differential equations. The Poisson and the Laplace equations are chosen to test the proposed method. Based on the method, a three-dimensional numerical model is established to simulate the fully nonlinear free-surface waves of sloshing water in a rectangular tank. Simulations of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional cases are performed. Simulation results from the present model are validated with experimental measurements and other numerical results. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the square root of the Laplace--Beltrami operator as a Hamiltonian

The Einstein equations for a spacetime of the form can be reduced to a Hamiltonian system on the Teichmuller space. However, the resulting Hamiltonian is the square root of a quadratic form in the momenta. Trying to make sense of this as a quantum operator is problematic since the Hamiltonian operator would be non-polynomial and non-local. In the first half of this article, I will examine the eigenfunctions of this operator. These go under the name of Maass functions and have been studied extensively by number theorists. In the second half, I will show that the quantum evolution due to this Hamiltonian does not cause the spacetime to collapse in a finite lapse of mean curvature time. Because of the difficult number theory involved with the Maass functions, I will actually perform the calculation for a simplified problem---a model of Teichmuller space---and argue that the answer should not be sensitive to the simplifications made in my model.
Weakly nonlinear shallow water magnetohydrodynamic waves

We consider an electrically conducting rotating fluid governed by the shallow water magnetohydrodynamic equations with no diffusion. We use an a priori asymptotic technique (the method of geometric optics or ray method) to study weakly nonlinear hydromagnetic waves. These waves are intermediate in length in the following sense: they are much longer than the fluid depth but much shorter than the radius of the earth. The time scale for the waves is much longer than that of the free surface oscillations and the approximation varies on an even longer timescale. The waves we are considering are studied in the beta plane approximation for an ambient magnetic field parallel to the equator which varies in the direction perpendicular to the equator. The leading order approximation gives a dispersion relation for the waves, which are generally found to be confined to bands about the equator as well as in bands at higher and lower latitudes. At the next order of approximation, a conservation law is found for the wav...
Breast reconstruction with TRAM flap after subcutaneous mastectomy for injected material (siliconoma).

Many patients throughout the world have had breast augmentation using injectable materials. In the Far East, an adulterated impure silicone has been used by non-medical persons and unlicensed 'cosmetic surgeons' as well as by licensed physicians. The injected material usually causes a granulomatous reaction, tenderness, erythema, pain or discomfort and even skin necrosis. Eventually, the injected breast becomes very hard and develops a distorted contour. Previous treatment was by subcutaneous mastectomy with immediate or delayed reconstruction using a silicone prosthesis. The results of this were often unsatisfactory. We obtained more satisfactory results in 11 patients who had the siliconoma removed by subcutaneous mastectomy and the breast reconstructed with a de-epithelialised TRAM flap.
An integrated method of parameter design and tolerance design for multiple criteria systems

The complicated engineering design is accomplished through three steps: system design, parameter design, and tolerance design. Parameter design and tolerance design are typically performed sequentially to determine nominal values and tolerance levels of control factors. While production costs are often reduced and quality levels are increased at the parameter design stage, the further improvement in quality at the tolerance design stage usually increases the cost. In order to reduce the product life cycle and manufacturing costs, this paper presents an integrated approach for parameter design and tolerance design to find the optimal settings of nominal values and tolerance levels for a system with multiple criteria. The case study of a passive filter network demonstrates that the proposed methodology provides, not only the reduced cost during the design phases, but also the decreased variation from multiple output responses.
Depression and issues of control among elderly people in health care settings

This descriptive study investigated the relationship between both demographic characteristics and type of health care setting and elderly people's attributions for control, functional status, mood, type of helplessness, and perception of self-efficacy. Results of the study demonstrate that elderly people in long-term care settings are more vulnerable to experiencing learned helplessness and depression than elderly people in acute or rehabilitation settings. The findings indicate that the critical period for the development of learned helplessness and depression is for subjects with a length of stay of 7 weeks to 6 months. The study supports other research which concludes that depression in elderly people is better explained by the original learned helplessness theory rather than being related to attributions about the cause of loss of control.
Time to Runaway in a Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor

Thermal runaway is a significant safety concern in chemical plants with exothermic reactors. Understanding the time scale on which thermal runaway occurs for these systems can be an important facto...
Functional desensitization of monocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis due to prostaglandin E1

We previously showed that monocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) produce increased prostaglandin E (PGE) in tissue culture. In this paper we show that monocytes from patients with chronic progressive MS are less sensitive to agents which stimulate PGE synthesis than healthy controls. MS cells are equally sensitive to PG inhibitors. MS monocytes have increased levels of cellular cyclic AMP and are less sensitive to PGE-mediated increases in cAMP. Depressed monocyte natural cytotoxicity was found to be correlated with cellular cAMP. Functional desensitization of monocytes and decreased sensitivity to PGE signals may be related to chronic exposure to prostaglandin E.
Genetic Neuro-nester

In this paper, the integration of artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms is explored for solving uncured composite stock cutting problem, which is an NP-complete problem. The input patterns can be either rectangular or irregular, and the proposed approach can accommodate any orientation and size restrictions. A genetic algorithm is used to generate sequences of the input patterns to be allocated. The scrap percentage of each allocation is used as an evaluation criterion. The allocation algorithm uses the sliding method integrated with an artificial neural network, based on the adaptive resonance theory (ART1) paradigm, to allocate the patterns according to the sequence generated by the genetic algorithm. The results obtained by this approach give packing densities on the order of 80–95%.
Mammographic density, MRI background parenchymal enhancement and breast cancer risk

Mammographic density (MD), representing connective and epithelial tissue (fibroglandular tissue, FGT) is a major risk factor for breast cancer. In an analysis of an autopsy series (Bartow SA, Pathak DR, Mettler FA. Radiographic microcalcification and parenchymal patterns as indicators of histologic "high-risk" benign breast disease. Cancer 1990; 66: 1721-1725, Bartow SA, Pathak DR, Mettler FA et al. Breast mammographic pattern: a concatenation of confounding and breast cancer risk factors. Am J Epidemiol 1995; 142: 813-819), MD was found to be strongly correlated with the collagen and epithelial content of the breast (Li T, Sun L, Miller N et al. The association of measured breast tissue characteristics with MD and other risk factors for breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005; 14: 343-349), and another report showed that breast epithelium was highly concentrated in the areas of collagen concentration (Hawes D, Downey S, Pearce CL et al. Dense breast stromal tissue shows greatly increased concentration of breast epithelium but no increase in its proliferative activity. Breast Cancer Res 2006; 8: R24). Collagen comprises the overwhelming majority of the FGT, occupying an area on the slides obtained from the autopsy series some 15 times the area of glandular tissue. The relationship of MD with breast cancer risk appears likely to be due to a major extent to increasing epithelial cell numbers with increasing MD. FGT is also seen in breast magnetic resonance imaging (breast MRI) and, as expected, it has been shown that this measure of FGT (MRI-FGT) is highly correlated with MD. A contrast-enhanced breast MRI shows that normal FGT 'enhances' (background parenchymal enhancement, BPE) after contrast agent is administered(Morris EA. Diagnostic breast MR imaging: current status and future directions. Radiol Clin North Am 2007; 45: 863-880, vii., Kuhl C. The current status of breast MR imaging. Part I. Choice of technique, image interpretation, diagnostic accuracy, and transfer to clinical practice. Radiology 2007; 244: 356-378), and a recent study suggests that BPE is also a major breast cancer risk factor, possibly as important as, and independent of MD (King V, Brooks JD, Bernstein JL et al. BPE at breast MR imaging and breast cancer risk. Radiology 2011; 260: 50-60). BPE is much more sensitive to the effects of menopause and tamoxifen than is FGT (King V, Gu Y, Kaplan JB et al. Impact of menopausal status on BPE and fibroglandular tissue on breast MRI. Eur Radiol 2012; 22: 2641-2647, King V, Kaplan J, Pike MC et al. Impact of tamoxifen on amount of fibroglandular tissue, BPE, and cysts on breast MRI. Breast J 2012; 18: 527-534). Changes in MD and BPE may be most useful in predicting response to chemopreventive agents aimed at blocking breast cell proliferation. More study of the biological basis of the effects of MD and BPE is needed if we are to fully exploit these factors in developing chemopreventive approaches to breast cancer.
Correlating Curvature to Fault Propagation in Clay Modeled Transfer Zones

Summary Transfer zones are common hydrocarbon traps in extensional tectonic structures. A transfer zone is an area where one fault dies out and its slip is transferred to an adjacent fault. Transfer zones are commonly divided into three categories, convergent, divergent and synthetic, based on the dip of the faults. These zones can be quite subtle and little has been published on their signature in seismic data. Because of the complexity associated with transfer zones and their secondary faults, seismic attributes could prove to be valuable tools. Many of the secondary faults that occur in the proximity of a transfer zone may be below seismic resolution; however, these faults may provide an attribute expression that could aid the interpreter to infer their presence. In this study we compute the curvature of a suite of clay models of transfer zones. We then compare the curvature “attribute” to the underlying faults and fractures seen in the clay model. In this manner we provide a simple analogue model of how curvature, a measure of strain, is correlated to sub-seismic features of interest that can aid in the understanding and interpretation of transfer zone
Interaction of Legionella Pneumophila with Peritoneal Macrophages from Various Mouse Strains

Legionella pneumophila (Lp) is a facultative intracellular bacterium which causes legionellosis in humans. This bacterium replicates well in cultures of human and guinea pig mononuclear phagocytes (1,2), and infections caused by these organisms appear to correlate with the host’s cellular immune system (3). In this regard, the importance of mononuclear phagocytes in legionellosis has been suggested by a number of investigators (4,5,6). Guinea pigs are susceptible to infection with Lp and have been widely used as an animal model for legionellosis (7). Although the mouse has been found highly useful for studying infection and immunity to a variety of bacteria, this animal species appears to be relatively resistant to Lp infection (7). Moreover, it has been reported that Lp is markedly restricted in peritoneal macrophages obtained from most inbred mouse strains, even at relatively high infectivity ratios (8). Recently, we observed that macrophages from the A/J inbred mouse strain supported the intracellular growth of Lp. In the present study, we report on the permissive nature of A/J macrophages for Lp growth and the possible involvement of permissive cells in host resistance to infection.
FORAGING ECOLOGY OF FOUR GULL SPECIES AT A COASTAL-URBAN INTERFACE

Abstract. Coastal urban environments provide a potentially diverse source of food for gulls, including items of marine, terrestrial, and anthropogenic origin. Our objective was to examine variation in the diet and use of feeding habitat of four species of gulls, the Laughing (Leucophaeus atricilla), Herring (Larus argentatus), Great Blackbacked (L. marinus), and Ring-billed (L. delawarensis), at a coastal—urban interface. We necropsied, identified the sex and age class, and quantified the stomach contents of 1053 Laughing, 249 Herring, 67 Great Black-backed, and 31 Ring-billed Gulls collected near the New York City metropolitan area in 2003 and 2004. Great Black-backed Gulls specialized on marine foods, whereas Ring-billed Gulls were generalists. Laughing Gulls and Herring Gulls favored marine foods and foraged in marine habitats but also used terrestrial and anthropogenic food sources. We found evidence that demographics influenced the gulls' choice of diet and use of feeding habitat. Laughing Gulls and ...
Towards low-power on-chip auditory processing

Machine perception is a difficult problem both from a practical or implementation point of view as well as from a theoretical or algorithmic point of view. Machine perception systems based on biological perception systems show great promise in many areas but they often have processing requirements and/or data flow requirements that are difficult to implement, especially in small or low-power systems. We propose a system design approach that makes it possible to implement complex functionality using cooperative analog-digital signal processing to lower power requirements dramatically over digital-only systems, as well as provide an architecture facilitating the development of biologically motivated perception systems. We show the architecture and application development approach. We also present several reference systems for speech recognition, noise suppression, and audio classification.
Psychologic Implications of Scrotal Sac and Testes for the Male Child

The uncontrollable retractability of the testes during cold, fear, anger, sexual arousal, and defecation is the basis for castration anxiety and fear of object loss including body parts. The scrotum is associated with the anal area, which is considered "dirty," leading to the concept that sex is "dirty." Because of the fear that a testicle can fall off, boys tend to achieve bowel training later and with more difficulty than girls. Hor monal changes in prepuberty and puberty, which cause increased size and sensitivity, also increase the masturbatory urge. Feeling guilty about masturbation, a boy may think that he has damaged his sac and testes when he perceives that the left testicle hangs lower than the right, a normal state. In cases of cryptorchidism, both sterility and homosexual problems play an im portant role: physically, if bilateral, sterility and feminizing of the male ensue; psychologically, he develops a depression about his procreative inability and fears homosexual attack. Such attacks are mo...
Hot Ion Production in a Modified Penning Discharge

Ions with Maxwellian energy distributions and kinetic temperatures up to seven keV have been observed in a modified Penning discharge. Investigation of the plasma revealed two distinct spoke-like concentrations of charge, consisting respectively of ions and electrons, rotating with different velocities in the sheath between the plasma and the anode ring. Theoretical expressions are derived for the frequency of the ion and electron spoke rotation, for the ion kinetic temperature resulting from the ion spoke velocity, and for the ion heating efficiency. An extensive series of experimental measurements were made to check these theoretical expressions, and approximate agreement was obtained. It is shown that the ion kinetic temperature in the modified Penning discharge scales according to the relation Vi ~ Vani1/4/B1/2 where Va is the applied anode voltage, ni is the ion density in the sheath, and B is the magnetic field strength. The observed data demonstrate that the ion heating efficiency can be as high as several tens of percent.
Tuning the serum persistence of human serum albumin domain III:diabody fusion proteins

The long circulation persistence of human serum albumin (HSA) is enabled by its domain III (DIII) interaction with the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). A protein scaffold based on HSA DIII was designed. To modify the serum half life of the scaffold, residues H535, H510, and H464 were individually mutated to alanine. HSA DIII wild type (WT) and variants were fused to the anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) T84.66 diabody (Db), radiolabeled with (124)I and injected into xenografted athymic mice for serial PET/CT imaging. All proteins targeted the CEA-positive tumor. The mean residence times (MRT) of the proteins, calculated by quantifying blood activity from the PET images, were: Db-DIII WT (56.7 h), H535A (25 h), H510A (20 h), H464A (17 h), compared with Db (2.9 h). Biodistribution confirmed the order of blood clearance from slow to fast: Db-DIII WT > H535A > H510A > H464A > Db with 4.0, 2.0, 1.8, 1.6 and 0.08 %ID/g of remaining blood activity at 51 h, respectively. This study demonstrates that attenuating the DIII-FcRn interaction provides a way of controlling the pharmacokinetics of the entire Db-DIII fusion protein without compromising tumor targeting. H464 appears to be most crucial for FcRn binding (greatest reduction in MRT), followed by H510 and H535. By mutating the DIII scaffold, we can dial serum kinetics for imaging or therapy applications.
Trends in battery usage in the Navy

Summary form only given. Batteries are an important, often critical, part of almost every Navy system. Trends in the development and adoption of Navy batteries reflect the search for power sources which are readily available, meet increased performance requirements and have low life-cycle costs. Examples of these trends are briefly discussed. Several qualified batteries have become unavailable because of concerns about the potential health and environmental risks associated with their manufacture or disposal. The Navy has developed replacement batteries using a variety of chemical systems including commercial zinc/alkaline/manganese dioxide and lithium/thionyl chloride cells. Concerns about the environment and safety are causing a reassessment of the use of seawater batteries which contain lead and lithium/sulfur dioxide batteries in sonobuoys. The need for improved performance, especially increased power and/or increased energy density, has led the Navy to develop advanced thermal and other lithium batteries. A goal of reduced life-cycle costs, often combined with a desire for improved performance, has resulted in efforts to improve existing rechargeable battery chemistries and to develop new systems. Work of this type has included improvements in lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and zinc/silver oxide batteries and a continuing program to develop advanced, rechargeable lithium batteries. In summary, naval systems often require unique batteries; trends in the development of these batteries are affected by availability, performance and cost. >
Growth of Antimony Thin Films Using Perbenzylated Organometallic Precursors

The low temperature (ca. 300°C) deposition of antimony films by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) on glass substrates from tribenzylantimony, Bn3Sb, is described. The facile elimination of the benzyl ligands results in preferentially oriented antimony films with low carbon content. The pyrolysis, decomposition mechanism and precursor design strategies are discussed. In addition, the deposition of bismuth from tribenzylbismuth, Bn3Bi, is presented. The potential for alloy growth using these precursors is discussed. Resulting films were characterized by XRD, SEM, and AFM.
Restrictive lung disease is an independent predictor of exercise intolerance in the adult with congenital heart disease.

Background/Objectives Following repair of congenital heart disease (CHD), adult patients are at risk for reduced exercise capacity. Restrictive lung disease (RLD) may contribute to reduced exercise capacity in this population. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of RLD and its impact on exercise tolerance in the adult with CHD. Methods One hundred consecutive adult patients with CHD, who underwent routine cardiopulmonary exercise testing with spirometry, were evaluated. Clinical data were obtained by retrospective chart review. Results Patients from 10 major diagnostic groups were identified. The median age for the cohort was 31 years (range 18–63) and included 43 males and 57 females. Most patients, 79%, had at least one previous surgical procedure. Based on spirometry and flow/volume loops, 50 patients were classified as normal pulmonary function, 44 patients had patterns suggestive of RLD, 4 suggestive of mixed (obstructive and restrictive), and 2 indeterminate. Risk factors associated with RLD include history of multiple thoracotomies (odds ratio = 9.01, P =.05) and history of atrial arrhythmias (odd ratio = 4.25, P =.05). Overall, 56% of the patients had abnormal exercise capacity. Spirometry suggestive of RLD was a significant risk factor for decreased exercise capacity (odds ratio = 3.65, P =.03). Patients with spirometry suggesting RLD also had lower exercise duration (P =.004) and a higher New York Heart Association Functional Class (P =.02). History of previous surgery and decreased heart rate reserve were also significant risk factors for decreased exercise capacity. Conclusion Abnormal spirometry suggestive of RLD is common in the adult with CHD and is a significant risk factor for decreased exercise tolerance in this population. Further studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between RLD and exercise intolerance and its relationship to mortality in the adult with CHD.
The limits of drought-induced rapid cold-hardening: Extremely brief, mild desiccation triggers enhanced freeze-tolerance in Eurosta solidaginis larvae

Rapid cold-hardening (RCH) is a highly conserved response in insects that induces physiological changes within minutes to hours of exposure to low temperature and provides protection from chilling injury. Recently, a similar response, termed drought-induced RCH, was described following as little as 6h of desiccation, producing a loss of less than 10% of fresh mass. In this study, we investigated the limits and mechanisms of this response in larvae of the goldenrod gall fly Eurosta solidaginis (Diptera, Tephritidae). The cold-hardiness of larvae increased markedly after as few as 2h of desiccation and a loss of less than 1% fresh mass, as organismal survival increased from 8% to 41% following exposure to -18 °C. Tissue-level effects of desiccation were observed within 1h, as 87% of midgut cells from desiccated larvae remained viable following freezing compared to 57% of controls. We also demonstrated that drought-induced RCH occurs independently of neuroendocrine input, as midgut tissue desiccated ex vivo displayed improved freeze-tolerance relative to control tissue (78-11% survival, respectively). Finally, though there was an increase in hemolymph osmolality beyond the expected effects of the osmo-concentration of solutes during dehydration, we determined that this increase was not due to the synthesis of glycerol, glucose, sorbitol, or trehalose. Our results indicate that E. solidaginis larvae are extremely sensitive to desiccation, which is a triggering mechanism for one or more physiological pathways that confer enhanced freeze-tolerance.
Extracting viewpoint invariance relations using fuzzy sets

An autonomous vehicle equipped with a vision system constantly analyzes 2D images to derive scene descriptions as it navigates around the 3D environment. Deriving scene descriptions requires searching and matching the extracted image features with the model base. The number of possible matches between image features and model features is virtually combinatorially large due to instability of features caused by viewpoints. A crucial issue is the type of features used for matching. The authors propose using viewpoint invariance, relations (VIRs) resulting from the grouping process by perceptual organization. Extracting and measuring VIR in a noise-free image is relatively straightforward. This is not the case in practice due to uncertainty inherents in image formation process and imprecision of information obtained from the process. The authors use fuzzy set theory to deal with this source of uncertainty. Each type of VIR is treated as a fuzzy set characterized by its associated membership function. The membership function is defined by geometric parameters defining the nonfuzzy VIR. The degree to which an image feature is a member of a VIR is determined by the associating membership function. The measured degree of membership for each set of image features is aggregated to obtain an overall degree of measure which signifies the degree of evidence to which the unknown is an instance of an object model. >
Self-Assembly of Photosynthetic Membranes

Bacterial photosynthetic membranes, also known as chromatophores, are tightly packed with integral membrane proteins that work together to carry out photosynthesis. Chromatophores display a wide range of cellular morphologies; spherical, tubular, and lamellar chromatophores have all been observed in different bacterial species, or with different protein constituents. Through recent computational modeling and simulation, it has been demonstrated that the light-harvesting complexes abundant in chromatophores induce local membrane curvature via multiple mechanisms. These protein complexes assemble to generate a global curvature and sculpt the chromatophores into various cellular-scale architectures.
Addressing contact tracing challenges-critical to halting Ebola virus disease transmission

Summary Background Delayed and ineffective contact tracing contributed to the extensive transmission of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the 2014–2015 West African outbreak. Understanding and addressing the challenges to implementing and managing contact tracing is essential to stopping EVD transmission and preventing large-scale EVD outbreaks in the future. Methods Interviews were conducted with United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff members engaged in contact tracing activities in the affected West African countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, Nigeria, and Mali from September through December 2014. Two staff members from each country were interviewed. The five most frequently cited contact tracing challenges were identified. Results Challenges have been evident in every step of the contact tracing process from implementation to management, including identifying, locating, and enrolling contact-persons, as well as managing personnel and ensuring contact tracing performance. Common themes observed in all of the affected West African countries have included fear, stigma, and community misperceptions regarding EVD. Countries that have overcome these challenges, ensuring immediate and comprehensive contact tracing, have been successful in halting EVD transmission. Conclusions Addressing challenges to contact tracing implementation and management in the West African EVD outbreak is essential to stopping ongoing transmission.
Effect of Tip Vortices in Low-Reynolds-Number Poststall Flow Control

We numerically investigate the application of steady blowing to three-dimensional stalled flows around low-aspect-ratio rectangular flat-plate wings at a Reynolds number of 300. The objective of this study is to explore techniques to enhance lift by directly modifying the dynamics of the wake vortices. Out of various combinations of forcing location and direction considered, we identify two configurations that provide significant lift enhancement. In these cases, actuation appears to strengthen the tip vortices for increased downward induced velocity upon the leading-edge vortices. This in turn moves the low-pressure core directly above the top surface of the wing to greatly enhance lift.
Link-adaptable polling-based MAC protocol for wireless LANs

The IEEE 802.11 standard defines a centralized polling-based channel access method, the point coordination function (PCF), to support time-bounded services. In this paper, we propose an efficient polling scheme, referred to as two-step multipolling (TS-MP), for the PCF in WLANs. In this new scheme, we propose to use two multi-polling frames for different purposes. The first frame is broadcasted to collect information such as the numbers of pending frames and the physical layer transmission rates for the communication links among all stations. The second frame is broadcasted with a polling sequence for data transmissions designed by utilizing the collected information. Extensive simulation studies show that TS-MP not only overcomes PCFs deficiencies, but also helps to implement rate adaptation over a time-varying wireless channel.
Anatomical variations in epididymal–testicular fusion in stallions and their possible clinical significance

Summary Reasons for performing study Fusion anomalies of the epididymis with the testis may be clinically relevant in horses. However, anatomical variations in epididymal–testicular fusion have not been classified, and their clinical significance is unknown. Objectives To describe anatomical variations and clinical significance of epididymal–testicular fusion in stallions. Study design Anatomical study of testes from castrations, and description of 2 clinical cases with atypical epididymal–testicular fusion. Methods A total of 104 testes were obtained from equine castrations. Eight patterns of epididymal–testicular fusion were identified. Two clinical cases with epididymal dislocation were also described. Results Close attachment of the entire epididymis to the testis was the most common pattern of fusion (40%). Ninety-five per cent of cryptorchid testes and 34% of scrotal testes in the studied sample had elongated proper ligaments of the testes. Dislocation of the epididymal tail was observed in 2 stallions that had atypically long proper ligaments inserted on the dorsal aspect of the testes. Conclusions Patterns of epididymal–testicular fusion can vary in stallions. Elongated proper ligaments of the testes occur mostly in cryptorchid testes but are also found in stallions with scrotal testes. Epididymal dislocation may develop in stallions with long proper ligaments that are inserted dorsally on the testes.