cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical implementation of a shape memory alloy thermomechanical constitutive model using return mapping algorithms

Previous studies by the authors and their co-workers show that the structure of equations representing shape Memory Alloy (SMA) constitutive behaviour can be very similar to those of rate-independent plasticity models. For example, the Boyd–Lagoudas polynomial hardening model has a stress-elastic strain constitutive relation that includes the transformation strain as an internal state variable, a transformation function determining the onset of phase transformation, and an evolution equation for the transformation strain. Such a structure allows techniques used in rate-independent elastoplastic behaviour to be directly applicable to SMAs. In this paper, a comprehensive study on the numerical implementation of SMA thermomechanical constitutive response using return mapping (elastic predictor-transformation corrector) algorithms is presented. The closest point projection return mapping algorithm which is an implicit scheme is given special attention together with the convex cutting plane return mapping algorithm, an explicit scheme already presented in an earlier work. The closest point algorithm involves relatively large number of tensorial operations than the cutting plane algorithm besides the evaluation of the gradient of the transformation tensor in the flow rule and the inversion of the algorithmic tangent tensor. A unified thermomechanical constitutive model, which does not take into account reorientation of martensitic variants but unifies several of the existing SMA constitutive models, is used for implementation. Remarks on numerical accuracy of both algorithms are given, and it is concluded that both algorithms are applicable for this class of SMA constitutive models and preference can only be given based on the computational cost. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural Foam Molding: Modeling of Bubble-Growth Process Resulting from Chemical Blowing Agents

Abstract A mathematical model of the thermoplastic structural foam molding process utilizing a chemical blowing agent is described. First, an analytical solution of bubble growth in a Newtonian polymer melt is developed for isothermal conditions by neglecting the inertial and surface tension effects. Next, a numerical scheme for the solution of the nonisothermal case is developed by introducing a heat conduction equation including the reaction heat of chemical blowing agent decomposition. the effects of processing parameters such as processing temperature, concentration of blowing agent, and kinetics of decomposition reaction of blowing agent are discussed through numerical computations.
Measurements of roughness noise

Abstract Experiments have been performed on the roughness noise produced by a two-dimensional turbulent wall jet boundary layer flowing over short fetches of sandpaper roughness. A range of rough surface sizes were studied from hydrodynamically smooth through fully rough. Velocity measurements were made to document the form of the wall jet boundary layer and the influence of the roughness upon it. Acoustic measurements showed background noise levels to be very low so that the sound produced by the rough surfaces could be clearly detected with signal to noise ratios as large as 20 dB. Even hydrodynamically smooth roughness was found to produce noise, conclusively indicating the presence of scattering as a source mechanism. Variations of the roughness noise spectra with flow speed and roughness size are found to be inconsistent with any simple parameter scaling. Boundary layer wall pressure fluctuation measurements made within the roughness fetches reveal a spectral form quite different than the roughness noise, and fluctuation levels some 50–70 dB higher. Despite these differences the wall pressure and roughness noise are found to be very simply related, at least at lower frequencies (
The Bias of American Political Science

Political problems, as Aristotle observed, are at bottom psychological and moral. It is equally true, however, that the political activities of men, as Aristotle also pointed out, are affected in a fundamental way, often crucially, by economic factors. Yet curiously American political scientists,' so far as their writings are concerned, have been all but oblivious of this elementary truth. Since the Civil War only two political scientists, J. Allen Smith and Charles A. Beard, have given us special studies of the economic factor in politics. If Smith led the way with his Spirit of American Government (1907), Beard followed with his Economic Interpretation of the Constitution (1913) and his Economic Origins of Jeffersonian Democracy (1915), and showed conclusively the penetrating light such studies could throw.' To be sure, a number of political scientists, such as Arthur N. Holcombe, E. Pendleton Herring, Frederick L. Schuman, Peter Odegard, Max Lerner, and Brooks Emeny, have introduced an economic interpretation into their writings, and have shown the bearing it can have. But only Smith and Beard have given us special studies, studies that attempt in some detail and systematically to bring out the economic relationships of politics. For American political science to have produced only two writers
Clinical pharmacology for the orthodontist

The practice of orthodontics encompasses all other aspects of dentistry, but at the same time it also is very different. Therefore, the pharmacologic agents that would be practical for orthodontic practice are much more limited than those used in other disciplines of dentistry. This, however, does not imply that a full understanding of pharmacologic drug action, side effects, and contraindications is unnecessary. Some common drugs, such as the antibiotics, anticholinergics, fluoride, antianxiety agents, and drugs for myofacial pain, are reviewed according to their application to orthodontic practice.
Prevalence of deafness in dogs heterozygous or homozygous for the merle allele.

Background: Deafness in dogs is frequently associated with the pigment genes piebald and merle. Little is known about the prevalence of deafness in dogs carrying the merle allele. Objective: To determine the prevalence of deafness in dogs heterozygous and homozygous for the merle allele of the mouse Silver pigment locus homolog (SILV) gene. Animals: One hundred and fifty-three privately owned merle dogs of different breeds and both sexes. Methods: Hearing was tested by brainstem auditory-evoked response and classified as bilaterally hearing, unilaterally deaf, or bilaterally deaf. DNA from buccal cells was genotyped as either heterozygous or homozygous for the merle allele. Deafness association tests among merle genotype, eye color, and sex were performed by the χ2 test. Results: Deafness prevalence in merles overall was 4.6% unilaterally deaf and 4.6% bilaterally deaf. There was a significant association between hearing status and heterozygous versus homozygous merle genotype. For single merles (Mm), 2.7% were unilaterally deaf and 0.9% were bilaterally deaf. For double merles (MM), 10% were unilaterally deaf and 15% were bilaterally deaf. There was no significant association with eye color or sex. Conclusions: Deafness prevalence in merle dogs was greater than that in some dog breeds homozygous for the piebald gene, such as the English Cocker Spaniel, but comparable to, or lower than, that in the Dalmatian and white Bull Terrier. Dogs homozygous for the merle allele were significantly more likely to be deaf than heterozygotes.
Saturday, November 2, 2001 9:31–10:05 am Focused Review Concurrent: Deformity

Purpose of study: Our goal was to prospectively examine two groups of pediatric spinal deformity patients undergoing spinal fusion: “low-risk” and “high-risk” with respect to anticipated intraoperative blood loss, in order to determine the efficacy of randomly administered antifibrinolytics Amicar and Aprotinin in decreasing blood loss and transfusion requirements versus a placebo control. Methods used: Forty-seven patients in the “low-risk” group (eg, idiopathic patients undergoing single-stage ASF or PSF) were randomly assigned to receive Amicar (n = 27, bolus of 150 mg/kg before incision and 15 mg/kg infusion continuous to 4 hours after surgery) or placebo (n = 20). The mean age was 13 ± 9 years and mean weight was 52.4 kg. Forty-three patients in the “high-risk” group (eg, neuromuscular patients fused long to the pelvis) were randomized to receive Aprotinin (n = 20, 240 mg/m2 loading dose before incision and 56 mg/m2 infusion continuous to 4 hours after surgery) or placebo (n = 23). The mean age was 12 ± 8 years, and mean weight was 39.5 kg. Data assessed included estimated blood loss, transfusions from both cell-saver and units of blood both intraoperatively and perioperatively, and ending HCT. The entire operating room team (surgeons and anesthesiologists) were blinded to the drug groups provided. of findings: In the “low-risk” arm, there was no difference in Amicar versus placebo in calculated blood loss (891 cc vs. 874 cc, p > .05), number of PRBCs transfused (1.5 vs. 2.0, p > .05) and ending HCT (28.2% vs. 28.3%). In the “high-risk” arm, there were significant differences in the Aprotinin versus placebo group in calculated blood loss (1,190 cc vs. 2,158 cc, p < .05), number of PRBCs transfused (1.3 vs. 2.3, p < .05), amount of cell saver blood returned to the patient (81 cc vs. 293 cc, p < .05), whereas the ending HCT for both groups was the same (29.1% vs. 29.4%). Relationship between findings and existing knowledge: In “low-risk” pediatric patients having spinal deformity surgery, no difference in blood loss or transfusion requirements were observed when Amicar was administered versus placebo. However, in “high-risk” patients, Aprotinin significantly reduced blood loss and transfusion exposures during spinal deformity surgery versus placebo. This study was funded completely by the OREF. Overall significance of findings: The use of Aprotinin should be considered as a means of decreasing perioperative blood loss in those pediatric patients undergoing spinal deformity correction who are at high-risk for significant blood loss. Disclosures: Device or drug: Amicar and Aprotinin. Status: approved. Conflict of interest: No conflicts.
Effects of Background Illumination and Light-Dark Period on Weight Gain in Broilers

Abstract THE purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of level of background illumination, direction of the variation (up or down), time interval between change, and interaction among these main effects upon the body weight of broiler chickens. The dependent variable was weight gain from beginning to completion of the experiment. The independent variables were background intensity (high, low, or dark), direction of change or variation (up or down in the low and high background groups; up only in the dark group), and light-dark period. The light change in this study was presumed to act as a stimulus to initiate a change in activity level (increase should raise activity level and decrease should lower activity level). If the sole function of light were to insure adequate feeding time, then various intensities should provide uniform weight gains. However, Barrot and Pringle (1951), Skoglund (1962), and Skoglund and Palmer (1962),…
Identification of tau protein regions required for process formation in PC12 cells

Tau is a neuronal microtubule-associated protein that is required for the development and maintenance of neuronal cell polarity. It promotes microtubule assembly in vitro and we have recently reported that a specific tau region, which spans amino acid residues 154-172 of human fetal tau, is not required for growth of existing microtubules, but is required for nucleation of new microtubules. These residues also confer stronger microtubule binding activity in 3T3 cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the functional organization of tau in relation to its role in promoting process formation in a neuronal model system. We transfected undifferentiated PC12 cells with vectors expressing tau fragments and treated the expressing cells with cytochalasin B to allow process extension. We found that deletion of amino acid residues 154-172 greatly reduced the percentage of transfected cells bearing processes compared to that of cells transfected with fulllength tau or with an amino-terminally deleted tau fragment containing residues 154-172. These differences do not appear to result from a quantitative difference in protein expression, as shown by immunoblot analysis of transfected cells. We also observed that while the presence of tau fragments increases acetylation of microtubules, the pattern of acetylation in cells transfected with the fragment missing residues 154-172 is less extensive, suggesting that it does not result in the same level of stabilization as the longer tau fragments. Taxol promoted process outgrowth in cells treated with cytochalasin and restored process outgrowth to cells transfected with the tau fragment lacking this activity. Therefore, process formation involves primarily the stabilization and nucleation of microtubules. We conclude that the residues necessary for confering microtubule nucleation activity of tau in vitro are important for process formation in vivo. It is likely that these residues influence the binding affinity and therefore the stabilization activity of tau. SUMMARY
Bose-Einstein Condensation, Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking, and Gauge Theories

Bosonic chemical potentials for a variety of relativistic field theories are introduced via the methods of functional integrals with the aim of studying the relationship between Bose-Einstein condensation and spontaneous symmetry breaking. The models studied include the noninteracting and the self-interacting charged scalar field, scalar electrodynamics and the Higgs model, and the Weinberg-Salam model. In general the chemical potential acts as an effective symmetry-breaking parameter although the phase diagrams for the two cases (${m}^{2}l0$ and ${m}^{2}g0$) look very different. It is found that the symmetry-restoring temperature in the Weinberg-Salam model increases with increasing electric charge density. Finally, the analysis of Jakobsen, Kon, and Segal of a conserved isotropic total angular momentum for the cosmic background radiation is shown to be erroneous.
Generating coordinated multimedia explanations

The coordinated multimedia explanation testbed (COMET) is a research system being developed to explore the coordinated generation of multimedia explanations of equipment maintenance and repair procedures. The form and content of all material presented is generated interactively, allowing explanations to be customized for the individual user and situation. COMET's architecture includes multiple static and dynamic knowledge sources, a content planner, a media coordinator, media generators and a media layout manager. Coordinating multiple media through the development of a single content planner that generates a common content description for both media is emphasized. This content description is annotated by the media coordinator to indicate the assignment of the concepts to be expressed to the media generators. This will ultimately allow cross-references between media and coordinated display layouts that reflect fine-grain relationships among the material presented. >
Automatic camera calibration for a multiple-sensor integrated coordinate measurement system

An automatic camera calibration scheme that utilizes a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and a camera calibration algorithm is presented for a multiple-sensor integrated coordinate measurement system. In the proposed calibration scheme, the touch probe tip carried by the CMM is employed to automatically generate high-precision calibration target points for camera calibration and sensor integration. A camera calibration algorithm with analytical formulations is developed to calibrate camera parameters in three stages without nonlinear minimization procedures. Simulations and experiments were performed to verify the proposed camera calibration algorithm. The precision of the automatic camera calibration scheme is also evaluated.
Variational Delaunay approach to the generation of tetrahedral finite element meshes

We describe an algorithm which generates tetrahedral decomposition of a general solid body, whose surface is given as a collection of triangular facets. The principal idea is to modify the constraints in such a way as to make them appear in an unconstrained triangulation of the vertex set apriori. The vertex set positions are randomized to guarantee existence of a unique triangulation which satisfies the Delaunay empty-sphere property. (Algorithms for robust, parallelized construction of such triangulations are available.) In order to make the boundary of the solid appear as a collection of tetrahedral faces, we iterate two operations, edge flip and edge split with the insertion of additional vertex, until all of the boundary facets are present in the tetrahedral mesh. The outcome of the vertex insertion is another triangulation of the input surfaces, but one which is represented as a subset of the tetrahedral faces. To determine if a constraining facet is present in the unconstrained Delaunay triangulation of the current vertex set, we use the results of Rajan which re-formulate Delaunay triangulation as a linear programming problem.
Peptides Selected to Bind the Gal80 Repressor Are Potent Transcriptional Activation Domains in Yeast

The activation domain of the yeast Gal4 protein binds specifically to the Gal80 repressor and is also thought to associate with one or more coactivators in the RNA polymerase II holoenzyme and chromatin remodeling machines. This is a specific example of a common situation in biochemistry where a single protein domain can interact with multiple partners. Are these different interactions related chemically? To probe this point, phage display was employed to isolate peptides from a library based solely on their ability to bind Gal80 protein in vitro. Peptide-Gal80 protein association is shown to be highly specific and of moderate affinity. The Gal80 protein-binding peptides compete with the native activation domain for the repressor, suggesting that they bind to the same site. It was then asked if these peptides could function as activation domains in yeast when tethered to a DNA binding domain. Indeed, this is the case. Furthermore, one of the Gal80-binding peptides binds directly to a domain of the Gal11 protein, a known coactivator. The fact that Gal80-binding peptides are functional activation domains argues that repressor binding and activation/coactivator binding are intimately related properties. This peptide library-based approach should be generally useful for probing the chemical relationship of different binding interactions or functions of a given native domain.
Another brick in the wall: Conquering intramural ventricular arrhythmias.

Intramural ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) represent some of the most challenging problems in the current state of the art for ventricular tachycardia ablation. They can be notoriously difficult to treat because of the operator’s inability to reproduce a pace map and/or obtain an excellent activation map, not to mention the limitations in the delivery of ablative energy despite optimal mapping. It is in these situations that heuristic approaches to ablation have been used by ablating on both sides of the septum. Dr Bogun and his colleagues at the University of Michigan have provided a potential framework to better tackle this problem by evaluating pacing and interventional diagnostic approaches to intramural VAs. In this issue of HeartRhythm, they highlight several insightful approaches to mapping of these arrhythmias. They evaluated the following: (1) the ability to use dual-site pacing to identify the origin of premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) and (2) the effect of cold saline irrigation on intramural PVCs to help better identify intramural sites of ablation. The first study tackles the challenge of identifying an intramural source of VA as opposed to a nonintramural source. Eighteen patients with confirmed intramural VAs and a similar number of control patients with nonintramural sources of PVCs formed the basis of this study. In a post hoc analysis, single-site pace maps were compared with the targeted VA by determining the Pearson correlation coefficient and the root mean square of the difference in QRS complexes between the pace map and the targeted VA. The QRS complexes of the individual pacemapping leads obtained at the 2 earliest breakthrough sites in “adjacent” anatomical areas were then averaged to yield a combined mean signal in MATLAB (Natick, MA). The QRS morphologies of the averaged pace maps were then compared
Hershey Foods Corporation: Bitter Times in a Sweet Place

The proposed sale of Hershey Foods during the summer of 2002 captured both headlines and imaginations. On the one hand, the board faced a challenging economic decision that centered on determining whether the solicited bids provided a fair premium for Hershey Foods' shareholders. On the other hand, the governance decision required the board to balance its fiduciary responsibility against the original mandate of Milton Hershey to support the Hershey School in perpetuity. This case has a variety of teaching supplements (videos and spreadsheets provided on a CD-ROM) to support a discussion for BBA, MBA, and executive audiences. The videos feature a member of the Hershey Trust board and the previous CEO of Hershey, who took a leadership role in the grass-roots resistance to the decision to sell Hershey Foods. The videos also highlight the uniqueness of Hershey, Pennsylvania, as a community through the testimony of its residents and through the sights and sounds of the town.
Interview to Questionnaire Comparison of Workload Measurement on Nuclear Power Plant Tasks

Abstract Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Main Control Room (MCR) operators oversee proper functioning of the facilities, including the controls to maintain the nuclear reactor. At least three operators, two reactor operators (ROs) and one senior reactor operator (SROs), are required for safe operations. The level of detail involved in performing the duties required of a nuclear power plant operator can result in a considerable amount of workload. Given the responsibility for safe operations, it is critical that operator workload is understood to provide accurate information about potential errors. Workload is the perceived amount of demand associated with executing a given task [1]. In light of resource theory, workload is the amount of resources required to perform a task and generally, it is accepted that as workload increases, performance decreases, thus errors are more likely and safety can be jeopardized [2]. Systematic experimentation for identifying levels of workload associated with NPP MCR tasks has been limited and the studies conducted are not without their limitations [3–5]. To understand the level of workload experienced by NPP operators, an experiment was conducted using “experienced” participants. An experienced participant in the present discussion is one that completed a rigorous training curriculum for three common task types encountered during main control room operations. The task types as adapted from [6] were checking, response implementation, and detection [7]. Three experienced participants served in the role of an RO in the present experiment, participating in 27 sessions each, and completing the three task types during each session. Each task type consisted of a block of four tasks. The NASA-Task Load Index was administered after each task type block and interviews were conducted at a later time. Results indicated that the detection task was the most demanding. The implications of measurement fit for workload assessment in a nuclear power plant domain are discussed.
Absence of Corpus Collosum and High-Pressure Hydrocephalus

Functional evaluation of complex developmental central nervous system abnormalities complements computed tomography (CT). Cisternography, while less anatomic than CT, adequately defines altered cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow patterns. Cisternography used in conjunction with CT can direct proper surgical correction.
Fulminant amebic colitis. A morphologic study of four cases.

PURPOSE: The morphologic features of fulminant amebic colitis are poorly documented. In this report, we describe the clinical and pathologic findings in four of these cases. METHODS: The surgical pathology reports and accompanying histologic slides were examined from four patients who underwent surgical resections for fulminant amebic colitis. Clinical information was obtained from the patients' medical records. RESULTS: Large, geographic mucosal ulcers were typically present and were accompanied by yellow-green pseudomembranes. The muscularis externa was usually attenuated and necrotic, imparting a “wet blotting paper” consistency. Large numbers of amebic trophozoites were present within the inflammatory exudates. The mucosa adjacent to and undermined by the ulcers was often hemorrhagic or inflamed, resembling ischemic colitis or idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease, respectively. Two patients died within four weeks of their surgery. A third patient died one year later as a result of AIDS-related complications. The remaining patient has been lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: An uncommon but life-threatening manifestation of intestinal amebiasis is a fulminant colitis. Early surgical intervention and intensive antiamebic chemotherapy are essential for efficacious managment.
Effects of a Continuously Flashing Subliminal Verbal Food Stimulus on Subjective Hunger Ratings

The word “cheese” was continuously flashed 30 times at brief exposure and low illumination during the visual presentation of a clearly visible list of words. Ss were instructed to recall the words;...
Effects of exercise on S-IGA and URS in postmenopausal women.

32 postmenopausal women were randomized to a 16-week home-based walking program or control group. Before and after the intervention, each subject completed a graded maximal treadmill test to establish VO(2)max and resting saliva was collected to determine levels of salivary immunoglobulin A. The 16-week walking program resulted in an increase in VO(2)max (+10.4%; p<0.01). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a marked increase in the resting secretion rate of salivary immunoglobulin A (+37.4%; p<0.05) in the exercise group following training. Independent of study group, both before and after the intervention, the secretion rate of salivary immunoglobulin A ( - 32.3%) and saliva flow rate (- 29.3%) were reduced following acute maximal exercise (p<0.05). Weekly upper respiratory symptomatology logs revealed that the number of incidences of upper respiratory symptoms throughout the intervention period were the same and the duration per incidence (control: 5.3±1.5 days; exercise: 6.3±2.2 days) were similar between study groups. These findings in postmenopausal women support that the secretion rate of salivary immunoglobulin A and saliva flow rate are reduced immediately following maximal exercise. Moreover, a 16-week moderate intense walking program can increase the secretion of salivary immunoglobulin A without affecting upper respiratory symptomatology.
Improved typing on a flat keyboard via tactile key-identity feedback

The present study investigated whether the information about key identity could be effectively delivered via tactile stimulation and if such information could be used to facilitate typing on flat virtual or real keyboards. Two sets of experiments were conducted using a flat-surface, pressure-sensitive keyboard. Participants were tested in a single-lettertyping task, in which tactile sounds were used to convey the key identity information as part of stimulus or as response feedback. The results found that while the key identity information could be conveyed through tactile sounds, an association between key identity and tactile stimulation had to be learned through training, and typing performance was facilitated by the association. The findings point to a potential strategy for using tactile key-identity feedback to improve virtual keyboard typing.
Product Image Form Optimization Design Based on Structural Equation Modeling

This paper proposes an optimal design method for products' form perception based on structural equation modeling.It selected the slider phone which is quite popular on the current market but lack of corresponding perception design study as the research object.It firstly extracted the implicit semantic information of the customer's image using Semantic Differential(SD) method and factor analysis method.Secondly,it analyzed the characteristics of the slider phone's form to determine the form factor.And then it respectively established the consumers' preferences model and the model between feel characteristics and the form factors,using the structural equation modeling(SEM) methods.These two types of structural equation modeling clearly reflected the relations among image sense words,form factors and the customers' overall preferences and it provided the new thought and method for the optimization design of product's form.
Determine Method for Transformer Core Looseness Based on Vibration

In order to analyze and judge the power transformer core looseness fault,the vibration signal of transformer tank surface is studied.A fault diagnosis method for core looseness is proposed based on the transformer tank surface vibration signal.Firstly,the vibration characteristics of the transformer core are analyzed and 100 Hz is taken as the characteristic frequency in the core looseness vibration signal.In order to avoid the influence of the natural frequency of the transformer,tank wall resonance principle is studied.The natural frequency of the transformer tank surface is determined by using excitation method so as to avoid the impact of the natural vibration frequency on fault diagnosis.Finally,a method with the ratio between 100 Hz characteristic frequency component and the total component(within 1 kHz) to determine the core looseness is proposed.When transformer core looses,comparing the vibration signal of each measuring point longitudinally(compared with the historical data) with proportional threshold method can determine whether the transformer core has looseness fault.And comparing the measuring point horizontally can preliminary determine the transformer core loosening fault location.The method is simple and effective,and do not have to consider the change of voltage as well as the type difference of sensor to the fault judgment.
Planting Performance and High-yielding Cultivation Techniques for Two-line Hybrid Rice Combination Xiang Liangyou No.1 in the Mountainous Region of Western Hunan

This article summarized the performance and high-yielding cultivation techniques for Xiang Liangyou No.1in the mountainous region of western Hunan from current year's study.
Analysis on the monitoring results of food borne pathogens contamination from 2011 to 2013 in Jiangshan

Objective To analyze the situation of food borne pathogens contamination in Jiangshan,and to provide scientific basis for the monitoring and informative alerting of food borne diseases. Methods 663 market- sold food samples in Jiangshan from 2011 to 2013 were randomly selected to detect 9 pathogens of Salmonella,Listeria monocytogenes,Staphylococcus ureus,EHEC O157∶H7,Shigella,Vibrio parahaemolyticus,Vibrio vulnifieus,Enterobacter sakazakii and Bacillus cereus,and then the detection results were monitored and analyzed. Results 63 strains of pathogens were detected among 663 samples with the total detection rate of 9. 50%; The detection rate each year from 2011 to 2013 was 15. 22%,8. 37% and 6. 35% respectively with a significant differences,totally 6 food- borne pathogens were detected with the highest rates of 2. 71% for Staphylococcus aureus and 2. 41% for Vibrio parahaemolyticus,there were no positive results for the detection of Enterobacter sakazakii,Shigella and Vibrio vulnifieus; The pathogens contamination among aquatic products,raw meats and non- fermented bean products were serious with the detection rate of 20. 00%,10. 71% and 10. 61%,respectively. Conclusion There was food borne pathogens contamination with different degrees in consumption food of Jiangshan,so the food safety inspection authorities should enhance the supervision and management of the food safety.
Social Challenges Confronting the MENA Region: The Role of Women

This chapter gives an overview of feminist movements in the MENA region, with a particular focus on Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, where such movements have played a great role in social and political changes. Women’s struggle for democratization initiatives and gender equality preceded and indirectly led to the Arab Spring. Activity prior to the Arab Spring included efforts of women to democratize the public sphere and to be more involved in decision-making. This legacy of activism affected the way in which women viewed their participation in the revolution. The chapter examines women’s rights prior to and following the Arab Spring and highlights the challenges that remain today.
The Urban Political Economy and Ecology of Automobility: Driving Cities, Driving Inequality, Driving Politics

Alan Walks, ed. New York, NY: Routledge, 2015. xv and 331 pp., diagrams and illustrations, references, index. $160.00 cloth (ISBN 978-0-415-70615-5), $54.99 e-book (ISBN 978-1-315-76618-8).Despite ...
Block-sorting transformations with pseudo-distance technique for lossless compression of color-mapped images

Color-mapped images are widely used in many applications, especially in WWW, and are usually compressed with Graphic Interchange Format (GIF) without any loss. In our recent work, we showed that further compression gains can be achieved for color-mapped images over GIF when a structured arithmetic coder is used along with the pseudo-distance metric, instead of a Huffman coder as suggested by others. In this work, we show that further compression gains are possible when block-sorting transformations are employed along with the pseudo-distance technique.
Controllable Unidirectional Anti-Laser

We propose controllable unidirectional anti-laser in a one dimensional coupled cavities where an interplay between Fano resonances and a judicious absorption mechanism leads to a unidirectional perfect absorber.
Celiac Disease, the Microbiome, and Probiotics

Celiac disease (CD) is a common chronic autoimmune enteropathy caused by gluten intake. To date, the only available therapy is strict adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD). CD is an unusual autoimmune disease in that the trigger and genes are known, although much of the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis are still being investigated. It has been hypothesized that the intestinal microbiome is somehow involved in CD, either as a decrease in “beneficial” bacteria or an increase in “harmful” bacteria. Many studies have described a dysbiosis in CD patients, although the cause and effect of this dysbiosis is yet to be determined. Therapeutic trials aimed at altering this dysbiosis have looked to probiotics as a possible treatment for CD, although data are limited and at this point cannot be recommended.
Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Diabetes

Patients with diabetes mellitus have a greater morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease than patients without diabetes. Concomitant hypertension and diabetes are associated with even greater risk of coronary disease, atherosclerotic and peripheral vascular disease, and congestive heart failure. In addition, an independent left ventricular dysfunction (diabetic cardiomyopathy) exists in patients with diabetes that may manifest itself initially as abnormalities in diastolic function but ultimately in systolic function. Firm evidence for this outcome exists experimentally, and reversal of systolic and diastolic abnormalities has been noted experimentally. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) indicated that intensive glycemic control ameliorates microvascular complication of neuropathy, proteinuria, and retinopathy. Little evidence exists for macrovascular complications or for left ventricular dysfunction. Preliminary results of a canine study of glycemic control and left ventricular function are presented. Clinical correlates of this study and its results are meager. Determination of the role that glycemic control plays with regard to left ventricular systolic function and congestive heart failure awaits carefully controlled and designed clinical trials.
Tipless Nitinol Stone Baskets: Comparison of Penetration Force, Radial Dilation Force, Opening Dynamics, and Deflection.

Objective To evaluate 5 commercially available tipless nitinol baskets (2.2F) in 4 performance factors: penetration force, radial dilation force, opening dynamics, and deflection limitation. Materials and Methods The 2.2F Coloplast Dormia No-Tip, 1.5F Sacred Heart Medical Halo, 2.2F Cook NCircle Nitinol Tipless Stone Extractor, 1.9F Bard SkyLite Tipless Nitinol Basket, and 1.9F Boston Scientific Zero Tip Nitinol Stone Retrieval Basket were tested for penetration force (safety metric), radial dilation force (functional metric for ureteral calculi), and opening or closing dynamics. Limitation of deflection (functional metric) was tested by measuring the difference in maximal upward and downward angle of deflection of a ureteroscope with and without a basket in place. Results The Sacred Heart Medical Halo 1.5F basket had the highest mean force required to perforate the foil at 0.676N ± 0.117 ( P P Conclusion The penetration force, radial dilation force, opening dynamics, and resistance to deflection varied between 5 commonly available tipless nitinol stone baskets. A small diameter 1.5F basket is capable of providing optimal performance while sacrificing linear opening.
Neutronic performance of fusion reactor blankets with different coolants and structural arrangements

The effects of heating and tritium breeding of using different coolants and structural arrangements have been investigated for tokamak fusion reactors. Coolants considered are lithium, helium, and flibe (a molten salt, LiF-BeF/sub 2/ eutectic). Structural arrangements are modeled by using four 20-cm breeding zones between a 0.5-cm-thick first wall and a 10-cm graphite reflector. Different values for the volume percent of Type 316 stainless steel are assigned in four breeding zones to represent a nonuniformly distributed structural material that satisfies various thermal-hydraulic requirements.
Teaching Semiphysical Modeling to Chemical Engineering Students Using a Brine-Water Mixing Tank Experiment

Abstract The Chemical Engineering program at Arizona State offers an integrated series of core courses that teach students how conservation and accounting principles can be applied to describe engineering phenomena across disciplines. A brine-water mixing tank experiment was introduced in the third course in the series (ECE 394C: Understanding Engineering Systems Via Conservation) as a capstone modeling project for the recitation portion of the course. The experiment provides students with "hands-on" experience on a real-life system incorporating process, electrical, and mechanical components, as well as real-time data acquisition and control. A major feature of the brine-water tank project is that students apply a comprehensive system identification procedure relying on semiphysical (a.k.a. "grey box") models to complement their understanding of first-principles modeling. This paper describes the brine-water tank experiment, presents the formulation of the semiphysical parameter estimation problem, and describes the comprehensive procedure that students undertake to go from process data to validated plant models.
T-LRA: Trend-Based Learning Rate Annealing for Deep Neural Networks

As deep learning has been widespread in a wide range of applications, its training speed and convergence have become crucial. Among different hyperparameters existed in the gradient descent algorithm, the learning rate has an essential role in the learning procedure. This paper presents a new statistical algorithm for adapting the learning rate during the training process. The proposed T-LRA (trend-based learning rate annealing) algorithm is calculated based on the statistical trends seen in the previous training iterations. The proposed algorithm is computationally very cheap and applicable to online training for very deep networks and large datasets. This efficient, simple, and well-principled algorithm not only improves the deep learning results, but also speeds up the training convergence. Experimental results on a multimedia dataset and deep learning networks demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
Innovative Use of Denver Shunt in a Child with Generalized Lymphatic Anomaly

Abstract Background: Denver® shunts have traditionally been used for palliation of refractory malignant and chylous peritoneal and pleural collections. We describe an innovative use of the Denver s...
Everyday police work during mental health encounters: A study of call resolutions in Chicago and their implications for diversion

In recent decades, there has been sustained attention on police responses to persons experiencing mental health crises. The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model has been a seminal effort to improve safety, reduce arrests and enhance the use of emergency psychiatric assessment. With CIT well-established, new discussions have emerged around how to further enhance the police-public health interface, including diversion from hospital emergency departments. In this context, this paper takes stock of current police practices, utilizing descriptive data on 428 mental health-related calls addressed by Chicago Police over 3 years triangulated with insights from 21 in-depth officer interviews. During these calls, hospital transports were conducted more often than arrests. Moreover, informal interventions - without any legal action or hospitalization – were used most often, speaking to the “gray zone” (Wood, Watson & Fulambarker, 2017) nature of mental health-related encounters. Taken together, the data reveal the need for non-crisis diversion options that address chronic vulnerabilities.
Gastrocnemius Recession for Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia is a common cause of plantar forefoot pain. Causes of metatarsalgia include foot anatomy, gait mechanics, and foot and ankle deformity. One specific cause, mechanical metatarsalgia, occurs because of gastrocnemius muscle contracture, which overloads the forefoot. Muscular imbalance of the gastrocnemius complex alters gait mechanics, which increases recruitment of the toe extensor musculature, thereby altering forefoot pressure. Patients with concomitant metatarsalgia and gastrocnemius contracture demonstrate ankle equinus and a positive Silfverskiold test. Nonoperative therapeutic modalities are mainstays of treatment. In patients in whom these treatments fail to provide metatarsalgia symptomatic relief, gastrocnemius muscle lengthening is a therapeutic option.
Scaling Up Dietary Data for Decision-Making in Low-Income Countries: New Technological Frontiers

Dietary surveys in low-income countries (LICs) are hindered by low investment in the necessary research infrastructure, including a lack of basic technology for data collection, links to food composition information, and data processing. The result has been a dearth of dietary data in many LICs because of the high cost and time burden associated with dietary surveys, which are typically carried out by interviewers using pencil and paper. This study reviewed innovative dietary assessment technologies and gauged their suitability to improve the quality and time required to collect dietary data in LICs. Predefined search terms were used to identify technologies from peer-reviewed and gray literature. A total of 78 technologies were identified and grouped into 6 categories: 1) computer- and tablet-based, 2) mobile-based, 3) camera-enabled, 4) scale-based, 5) wearable, and 6) handheld spectrometers. For each technology, information was extracted on a number of overarching factors, including the primary purpose, mode of administration, and data processing capabilities. Each technology was then assessed against predetermined criteria, including requirements for respondent literacy, battery life, requirements for connectivity, ability to measure macro- and micronutrients, and overall appropriateness for use in LICs. Few technologies reviewed met all the criteria, exhibiting both practical constraints and a lack of demonstrated feasibility for use in LICs, particularly for large-scale, population-based surveys. To increase collection of dietary data in LICs, development of a contextually adaptable, interviewer-administered dietary assessment platform is recommended. Additional investments in the research infrastructure are equally important to ensure time and cost savings for the user.
Derivation of a no-significant-risk-level for tetrabromobisphenol A based on a threshold non-mutagenic cancer mode of action.

A no-significant-risk-level of 20 mg day-1 was derived for tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). Uterine tumors (adenomas, adenocarcinomas, and malignant mixed Mullerian) observed in female Wistar Han rats from a National Toxicology Program 2-year cancer bioassay were identified as the critical effect. Studies suggest that TBBPA is acting through a non-mutagenic mode of action. Thus, the most appropriate approach to derivation of a cancer risk value based on US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines is a threshold approach, akin to a cancer safe dose (RfDcancer ). Using the National Toxicology Program data, we utilized Benchmark dose software to derive a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL10 ) as the point of departure (POD) of 103 mg kg-1 day-1 . The POD was adjusted to a human equivalent dose of 25.6 mg kg-1 day-1 using allometric scaling. We applied a composite adjustment factor of 100 to the POD to derive an RfDcancer of 0.26 mg kg-1 day-1 . Based on a human body weight of 70 kg, the RfDcancer was adjusted to a no-significant-risk-level of 20 mg day-1 . This was compared to other available non-cancer and cancer risk values, and aligns well with our understanding of the underlying biology based on the toxicology data. Overall, the weight of evidence from animal studies indicates that TBBPA has low toxicity and suggests that high doses over long exposure durations are needed to induce uterine tumor formation. Future research needs include a thorough and detailed vetting of the proposed adverse outcome pathway, including further support for key events leading to uterine tumor formation and a quantitative weight of evidence analysis.