cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Water sorption behavior and thermal analysis of freeze-dried, Refractance Window-dried and hot-air dried açaí (Euterpe oleracea Martius) juice

Abstract Acai, a dark purple berry native to the Amazonian region, has been recognized for its high antioxidant capacity. However, acai is very perishable and processing is essential to preserve its bioactive compounds. In this work, three drying methods – freeze-drying, Refractance Window-drying (RW), and hot-air drying – were applied to dehydrate acai juice. Working moisture sorption isotherms and thermal analysis of the powders were performed immediately after drying. Moisture content and water activity of the dried samples were evaluated after drying and during three-month storage at room temperature. The glass transition behavior of the dried acai was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The isotherms were fit to the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Guggenheim-Anderson-de-Boer (GAB) models. Moisture contents of the dried samples were all below the monolayer values. The water activity values were also low, indicating relatively good product stability. All isotherms were sigmoidal in shape. The BET and GAB models showed a good fit to the isotherm data. The DSC thermograms of the dried powders and oil fractions revealed that the lipids present in the acai powders are liquid at room temperature. The DSC thermograms of the solids fraction suggested a subtle glass transition between 50 and 60 °C.
‘Rendering’ Ethnicity in the Mauritius National Assembly: Continuities and Codes

The focus of this paper is a debate in the Mauritius National Assembly concerning a proposed autonomous revenue authority. The purpose is to apply and build on a selection of a few key contributions to the literature on ‘representation’, more so those focused on rendering. Works of Pitkin (1967, The Concept of Representation, University of California Press: Berkeley), Hall (1997, The Work of Representation, Sage and The Open University: London, pp. 13–74), Mansbridge (2003, American Political Science Review, 97, 515–528), Saward (2005, Governance and the Transformation of Political Representation, Policy Press University of Bristol: Bristol, UK, pp. 179–196; 2009, The Journal of Political Philosophy, 17, 1–22; 2010, The Representative Claim, Oxford University Press: Oxford; 2011, The Wider Canvas: Representation and Democracy in State and Society, University of Cambridge Press: Cambridge, pp. 74–95) and Piscopo (2011, Parliamentary Affairs, 63, 448–472) are discussed. It illustrates the interaction between changing scholarly constructs of representation and rendering and a fuller comprehension of practice. Furthermore, it seeks to add new insights that arise from this case relating mainly to continuities and codes.
Some Comments on Culture Fair Tests.

Summary An attempt has been made in this paper to show that culture fair tests have some problems associated with them. These tests should be examined and reviewed closely before being used and should not be regarded as the answer to testing the culturally disadvantaged. The following points were made in this paper: Culture fair tests measure different psychological functions. Culture fair tests today measure such functions as spatial visualization, abstract reasoning, perceptual speed, etc. Culture fair tests vary considerably in format. Some are pencil and paper tests, some are performance tests. Some use verbal instructions, others do not. There are many test parameters along which culture fair tests now vary. Some evidence suggests that culture fair tests possibly increase the differential between the culturally disadvantaged and the more advantaged population. Use of these tests may not be in the best interests of minority groups. It is not yet definite about the kind of items on which culturally disadvantaged people perform poorer. Some evidence suggests that they do better on verbal items and worst on perceptual items, which is in contrast to the assumption of most proponents of culture-fair tests. The validity of culture fair tests has not been shown to be better than more traditional tests. In contrast, some research even indicates that they do not show relationships as high. What is to be done, if anything, about the test differentials between the culturally disadvantaged and the majority population? Some individuals (Lorge, 1964; Coffman, 1964) agree that the elimination of group differences on tests is futile and argue that the real task at hand is a realistic attempt to study the behavioral significance of test differences. In essence, this is an all out attempt to collect validation information. Does a particular score for a black have the same behavioral implications of a higher (or lower) test score for a white? Are there criterion differences that are related to test differences? Do differential validities exist for various subgroups? Are the standard errors of estimates different for different groups? This approach is essentially what has been pursued by individuals investigating the “moderating” effects of subgrouping by race and/or socio-economic factors. The investigation of test differences within and between subgroups is called for. In my opinion, attempting to mask test differentials by using culture fair tests may in actuality have a reverse effect than what was intended. Test differentials may actually increase, making it more difficult for culturally disadvantaged individuals to be selected into schools, jobs, etc. Clearly, the construction of culture fair tests is not the only answer to testing the disadvantaged.
A simulation of the effects of high strain energy storage in large plastic structures

Brittle failures of large plastic structures observed in the field may have occurred at much higher loads than implied from the fracture surfaces, indeed, as if very ductile failures had occurred. It has been demonstrated that these brittle failures may be a direct result of high energy storage upon impact in large compliant systems. A rubber-toughened blend of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polycarbonate (PC) was highlighted in this study. Soft steel springs were used in series with compact tension samples to simulate the high energy-storing capability of large compliant structures, Ductile and stable fractures of compact tension samples of the blend were observed at all of the temperatures tested down through −30°C. With the insertion of springs to simulate large compliant structures, however, unstable failures resulted. At 25°C, initial ductile crack growth was followed by ductile but unstable failure. At −30°C, initial ductile crack growth was followed by brittle unstable failure. These instabilities resulted from the excessive amount of stored energy released by the system during initial crack growth. A higher rubber variant of the PBT/PC blend as well as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate exhibited similar behavior.
Acute lead dislodgements and in-hospital mortality in patients enrolled in the national cardiovascular data registry implantable cardioverter defibrillator registry.

Objectives We sought to describe the incidence of acute lead dislodgements and the consequences of these events in patients enrolled in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) Registry. Background Lead dislodgements are common adverse events in patients undergoing ICD implants. Little is known regarding who is at risk and the consequences of these events. Methods Patients enrolled between April 2006 and September 2008 were included. Acute lead dislodgement was defined as movement of the lead requiring another procedure for repositioning before discharge. Results Acute dislodgement occurred in 2,628 of 226,764 patients. Univariate variables associated with dislodgements included older age, female sex, and patients with atrial fibrillation, chronic lung disease, cerebrovascular disease, nonischemic cardiomyopathy, and lower ejection fractions (all p Conclusions Acute lead dislodgements occur more often in patients with more comorbidities and in patients undergoing implants by nonelectrophysiology-trained implanters. These events were strongly associated with increased odds for in-hospital death.
Landspreading: An Alternative for Sludge Disposal

One characteristic of the 1970s is an increased awareness of the finiteness of our natural resources and their ability to assimilate the by-products of an industrial society. A result of this increased awareness has been the passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (P.L. 92-500, 18 Oct. 1972) with the expressed goal that the national waterways will receive zero discharge of pollutants by 1985. One source of such pollutants has been the discharge of effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plants. As municipalities improve the environment quality of their effluent they are faced with another problem: how to dispose of sludge which is produced from providing cleaner effluent in an environmentally acceptable manner. In 1970, four million tons of sludge were produced, with a projected production of eight million tons by 1985 (Council for Agr. Sci. and Tech.). Spreading sludge on cropland has received renewed emphasis not only as a low cost disposal method but also as a source of fertilizer nutrients. The objectives of this study are to (a) develop a model which optimally allocates treated sewage sludge to cropland and (b) apply the model to several communities in order to analyze the benefits and costs of using sewage sludge as a fertilizer resource under a variety of settings.
Metaphor, Mapmaking, and Mair: Reliving a Poetics of Psychological Inquiry

In his groundbreaking article, “Metaphors for Living” (1976), Miller Mair characterized “living as inquiry” as (a) a psychology of questions and (b) a psychology of means and manners. Following Mair, we revisit the generative character of metaphor with regard to meaning and extend a psychology of questions and manners against the metaphorical backdrop of possibility, adventure, craft, and intimacy. Further, we elaborate the two aspects of “living as inquiry” by articulating their pertinence to storied and aesthetic experience. Finally, we consider the ethical implications of a poetics of psychological inquiry.
Differences Between Women at Higher and Lower Risk for an Unintended Pregnancy

Context Little is known about the preconception health status of women that are at risk for an unintended pregnancy. Objective We hypothesized that women at high risk for an unintended pregnancy would engage in less healthy behaviors and would have fewer health care encounters than women at lower risk. Design Using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2002 and 2004 datasets), we examined health factors of 18- to 44-year-old, fertile women who were not intending a pregnancy, grouped into high-risk ( n = 16,113) or low-risk ( n = 39,426) groups. Women were designated as high risk for an unintended pregnancy based on their non-use of birth control, and women were designated as low-risk for an unintended pregnancy based on their use of birth control. Results Controlling for variables that mask or exacerbate relationships between risk factors and outcomes was an important component of this study. After controlling for the effects of demographic characteristics, we found that high-risk women remained 1.23 times more likely to be obese (confidence interval [CI], 1.12–1.34) and 1.2 times more likely to smoke (CI, 1.11–1.31), both significant findings. We also found high-risk women to be 27% less likely to exercise (CI, 0.67–0.79), 62% less likely to receive a Pap test (CI, 0.31–0.46), 19% less likely to have HIV testing (CI, 0.75–0.87), and 44% less likely to have received sexually transmitted diseases counseling (CI, 0.50–0.63) compared with low-risk women. Interestingly, high-risk women were 27% less likely to use any alcohol (CI, 0.67–0.79) and 11% less likely to binge drink (CI, 0.80–0.99) compared with women at low-risk for an unintended pregnancy. Conclusions Nearly one third of women at risk for an unintended pregnancy are not using any contraceptive method (29%), and these high-risk women also have higher proportions of unhealthy behaviors and significantly lower clinical health encounters than women using any form of birth control (low-risk women).
Transcriptomic identification of adh1b as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in mexican americans from the veterans administration genetic epidemiology study (vages)

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex metabolic disease that is more prevalent in ethnic groups such as Mexican Americans, and is strongly associated with the risk factors obesity and insulin resistance. The goal of this study was to perform whole genome gene expression profiling in adipose tissue to detect common patterns of gene regulation associated with obesity and insulin resistance. We used phenotypic and genotypic data from 308 Mexican American participants from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). Basal fasting RNA was extracted from adipose tissue biopsies from a subset of 75 unrelated individuals, and gene expression data generated on the Illumina BeadArray platform. The number of gene probes with significant expression above baseline was approximately 31,000. We performed multiple regression analysis of all probes with 15 metabolic traits. Adipose tissue had 3,012 genes significantly associated with the traits of interest (false discovery rate, FDR ≤ 0.05). The significance of gene expression changes was used to select 52 genes with significant (FDR ≤ 10-4) gene expression changes across multiple traits. Gene sets/Pathways analysis identified one gene, alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) that was significantly enriched (P < 10-60) as a prime candidate for involvement in multiple relevant metabolic pathways. Illumina BeadChip derived ADH1B expression data was consistent with quantitative real time PCR data. We observed significant inverse correlations with waist circumference (2.8 x 10-9), BMI (5.4 x 10-6), and fasting plasma insulin (P < 0.001). These findings are consistent with a central role for ADH1B in obesity and insulin resistance and provide evidence for a novel genetic regulatory mechanism for human metabolic diseases related to these traits.
Effects of serum proteins on estrogen action in the perfused rat liver

Abstract To determine the effects of serum proteins on the biologic activity of estrogens, we perfused isolated livers from ovariectomized female rats with oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit-bicarbonate buffer (KHBB), with and without 4% human serum albumin (4% HSA), with and without added estrogens, or with charcoal-stripped human serum (CSHS) with and without added estradiol. At the end of the perfusions, the cytosolic and nuclear estrogen receptors were measured by an exchange assay. When added to KHBB, estradiol 10−9 or 10−8 m or estrone 10−8 m did not cause any significant increase in the percent of receptors measured in the nucleus. When the livers were perfused with KHBB containing 4% HSA and estradiol 10−9 to 10−7 M or estrone 10−8 M, there was an increase in nuclear receptors. Perfusion with estradiol 10−8 M in CSHS resulted in significantly less receptor in the nucleus than after estradiol in KHBB plus 4% HSA. We conclude that the presence of 4% HSA in the perfusion medium increases the biologic activity of estradiol and estrone on the isolated rat liver, and this increase is inhibited in the presence of sex hormone-binding globulin. The exact mechanism by which HSA increases the biologic activity is uncertain, but may be due in part to better diffusion of estrogen through the liver.
Mutual impedance between skewed patch antennas

Numerical results for the mutual impedance between microstrip antennas as a function of the skew angle are presented. The microstrip antenna is analyzed using the exact Green's function and the moment method is used to solve the integral equation for the scattered field. The numerical results obtained agree well with published experimental results. >
Temperature-Sensitive Mutations in the Putative Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Terminase Subunits pUL15 and pUL33 Preclude Viral DNA Cleavage/Packaging and Interaction with pUL28 at the Nonpermissive Temperature

Terminases comprise essential components of molecular motors required to package viral DNA into capsids in a variety of DNA virus systems. Previous studies indicated that the herpes simplex virus type 1 U L 15 protein (pU L 15) interacts with the pU L 28 moiety of a pU L 28-pU L 33 complex to form the likely viral terminase. In the current study, a novel temperature-sensitive mutant virus was shown to contain a mutation in U L 33 codon 61 predicted to change threonine to proline. At the nonpermissive temperature, this virus, designated ts8-22, replicated viral DNA and produced capsids that became enveloped at the inner nuclear membrane but failed to form plaques or to cleave or package viral DNA. Incubation at the nonpermissive temperature also precluded coimmunoprecipitation of U L 33 protein with its normal interaction partners encoded by U L 28 and U L 15 in ts8-22-infected cells and with pU L 28 in transient-expression assays. Moreover, a temperature-sensitive mutation in U L 15 precluded coimmunoprecipitation of pU L 15 with the U L 28 and U L 33 proteins at the nonpermissive temperature. We conclude that interactions between putative terminase components are tightly linked to successful viral DNA cleavage and packaging.
Bicycling Movements as a Manifestation of Complex Partial Seizures of Temporal Lobe Origin

Alternating movements of the limbs during a seizure, especially bicycling movements of the legs, are often taken as strong evidence for the psychogenic origin of seizure activity in an adult population. A recent review of pseudoseizure manifestations concluded that alternating limb movements were "highly characteristic of pseudoseizures." We report two adult patients with complex partial seizures of temporal lobe origin, confirmed by ictal video EEG recording, in whom bicycling movements were the prominent ictal manifestation. Bicycling occurred 5-30 s after ictal onset and lasted 15-30 s. Use of video EEG recording continues to increase our understanding of the wide range of behaviors which may occur in the course of an epileptic seizure, particularly complex partial seizures. Few absolute clinical criteria remain to distinguish epileptic seizures from pseudoseizures. These two cases and one other reported case clearly remove bicycling movements from that category.
Medication use and predictors of sexual activity in men and women with CVD.

Purpose To examine the influence of cardiac and noncardiac medications on sexual activity by drug classification and generation of the drug, among men and women with cardiovascular disease. Data sources This study was a subanalysis (n = 224) of survey data from a cross-sectional sample of 336 cardiac patients. Self-reported medications were categorized by generic drug name, classification, and subclass and/or generation of the drug. Sexual activity was the presence or absence of current sexual activity in the last 2 months. Conclusions Patients taking generation one beta blockers, particularly men; diuretics as a class; and loop diuretics, were significantly less likely to be sexually active, with diuretics negatively influencing sexual activity in women, but not men. Certain antidepressant medications positively influenced sexual function, particularly for women. Nearly 20% of the variances in sexual activity were explained by younger age, fewer number of medications, higher education, and having a sexual partner. Implications for practice A new finding meriting further study was that loop diuretics negatively impacted sexual activity, particularly for women; and further studies of women overall are clearly needed. Advance practice nurses play an important role in evaluating medications, proactively choosing drugs within a class or subclass less likely to cause sexual problems, and in promoting sexual quality of life of cardiac patients.
Documentation of the Chromosome Number for the California Endemic, Toxicoscordion exaltatum (Liliales: Melanthiaceae)

Abstract The mitotic chromosome count for Toxicoscordion exaltatum (2n = 22), documented for the first time here, matches the number formerly reported for other species in the genus. A base number of x = 11 is synapomorphic for Toxicoscordion. An updated overview of this recently resurrected segregate genus is given.
Longitudinal Perspectives of Child Positive Impact on Families: Relationship to Disability and Culture

Abstract This study examined mothers' perceptions of the positive impact of having a child with an intellectual disability. Trajectories of positive impact from 7 time points were developed using latent growth modeling and 2 predictors: culture (Anglo, Latino) and child disability status (intellectual disability, typical development). Data were from 219 mothers of children from age 3 to 9 years. Growth trajectories reflected a general decline in positive impact on Anglo mothers. On average, at age 3, Anglo mothers reported significantly lower initial values on positive impact when their children had an intellectual disability, but Latino mothers did not. Across all time points, Latino mothers had higher scores on the positive impact, regardless of whether they had a child with an intellectual disability or a typically developing child.
Current and future impacts of ultraviolet radiation on the terrestrial carbon balance

One of the most documented effects of human activity on our environment is the reduction of stratospheric ozone resulting in an increase of biologically harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In a less predictable manner, UV radiation incident at the surface of the earth is expected to be further modified in the future as a result of altered cloud condition, atmospheric aerosol concentration, and snow cover. Although UV radiation comprises only a small fraction of the total solar radiation that is incident at the earth’s surface, it has the greatest energy per unit wavelength and, thus, the greatest potential to damage the biosphere. Recent investigations have highlighted numerous ways that UV radiation could potentially affect a variety of ecological processes, including nutrient cycling and the terrestrial carbon cycle. The objectives of the following literature review are to summarize and synthesize the available information relevant to the effects of UV radiation and other climate change factors on the terrestrial carbon balance in an effort to highlight current gaps in knowledge and future research directions for UV radiation research.
Automated response using system-call delays

Automated intrusion response is an important unsolved problem in computer security. A system called pH (for process homeostasis) is described which can successfully detect and stop intrusions before the target system is compromised. In its current form, pH monitors every executing process on a computer at the system-call level, and responds to anomalies by either delaying or aborting system calls. The paper presents the rationale for pH, its design and implementation, and a set of initial experimental results.
Hyperglycaemia as part of the stress response: the underlying mechanisms.

Stress hyperglycaemia is a distinctive clinical feature of critical illness. Stress mediators, namely stress hormones, cytokines and the central nervous system, interfere with normal carbohydrate metabolism, especially in the liver and skeletal muscle. Central insulin resistance, defined as increased hepatic gluconeogenesis and glucose output despite abundant endogenous insulin levels, appears pivotal to the occurrence of stress hyperglycaemia. The skeletal muscle is refractory to insulin action too. Peripheral insulin resistance is predominantly attributed to inhibition of the skeletal muscle glycogen synthesis. Significantly increased non-insulin-mediated glucose transport into the skeletal muscle overrules defective insulin-mediated glucose transport. Inflammatory mediators and counter-regulatory hormones have been shown to impede crucial elements of the insulin-signalling pathway (insulin receptor substrates/IRS-1/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/Glucose Transporter 4). Still, exogenous insulin administration normalises blood glucose levels in this setting. Insulin treatment may counteract hepatic insulin resistance during acute critical illness. During prolonged critical illness, therapeutic insulin effects seem mediated by increased skeletal muscle glucose uptake and use.
Quality-of-service driven power and rate adaptation for multichannel communications over wireless links

We propose a quality-of-service (QoS) driven power and rate adaptation scheme for multichannel communications systems over wireless links. In particular, we use multichannel communications to model the conceptual architectures for either diversity or multiplexing systems, which play a fundamental role in physical-layer evolutions of mobile wireless networks. By integrating information theory with the concept of effective capacity, our proposed scheme aims at maximizing the multichannel-systems throughput subject to a given delay-QoS constraint. Under the framework of convex optimization, we develop the optimal adaptation algorithms. Our analyses show that when the QoS constraint becomes loose, the optimal power-control policy converges to the well-known water-filling scheme, where the Shannon (or ergodic) capacity can be achieved. On the other hand, when the QoS constraint gets stringent, the optimal policy converges to the scheme operating at a constant-rate (i.e., the zero-outage capacity), which, by using only a limited number of subchannels, approaches the Shannon capacity. This observation implies that the optimal effective capacity function decreases from the ergodic capacity to the zero-outage capacity as the QoS constraint becomes more stringent. Furthermore, unlike the single-channel communications, which have to trade off the throughput for QoS provisioning, the multichannel communications can achieve both high throughput and stringent QoS at the same.
Hoplites: A Market-Based Framework for Planned Tight Coordination in Multirobot Teams

In this paper we address tasks for multirobot teams that require solving a distributed multi-agent planning problem in which the actions of robots are tightly coupled. The uncertainty inherent in these tasks also necessitates persistent tight coordination between teammates throughout execution. Existing approaches to coordination cannot adequately meet the technical demands of such tasks. In response, we have developed a market-based framework, Hoplites, that consists of two novel coordination mechanisms. Passive coordination quickly produces locally-developed solutions while active coordination produces complex team solutions via negotiation between teammates. Robots use the market to efficiently vet candidate solutions and to choose the coordination mechanism that best matches the current demands of the task. In experiments, Hoplites significantly outperforms even its nearest competitors, particularly in the most complex instances of a domain. We also present implementation results on a team of mobile robots.
Improved Design of Embedment Depths for Transmission Pole Foundations Subject to Lateral Loading

Self-supported direct-embedded poles are widely used by the utility industry in the United States to support high-voltage transmission lines. For a typical transmission pole, the lateral loads caused by wind and ice loadings govern the design of the pole and foundation. Recent research findings reveal that the methods used in current practice do not yield consistently reliable pole foundation embedment depths in all soil types and for all possible pole classes, lengths, species, and pole loading scenarios. In order to generate improved design methods for transmission pole foundations, validated methods for analyzing laterally loaded piles have been incorporated into the current study. New reliable methods to design safe and cost-effective transmission pole foundations, incorporating both soil and pole properties, are proposed and recommendations are made in rigorous and simplified forms such that they can be easily adopted for use in the utility industry. This study found that the current methods for dete...
Assessing Breast Cancer Risk in Women

Understanding modifiable and nonmodifiable factors that increase or decrease breast cancer risk allows family physicians to coun- sel women appropriately. Nonmodifiable factors associated with increased breast cancer risk include advanced age, female sex, family history of breast cancer, increased breast density, genetic predispo- sition, menarche before age 12 years, and natural menopause after age 45 years. Hormonal factors associated with breast cancer include advanced age at first pregnancy, exposure to diethylstilbestrol, and hormone therapy. Environmental factors include therapeutic radia- tion. Obesity is also associated with increased rates of breast cancer. Factors associated with decreased cancer rates include pregnancy at an early age, late menarche, early menopause, high parity, and use of some medications, such as selective estrogen receptor modulators and, possibly, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents and aspirin. No convincing evidence supports the use of dietary interventions for the prevention of breast cancer, with the exception of limiting alco- hol intake. (Am Fam Physician. 2008;78(12):1361-1366. Copyright © 2008 American Academy of Family Physicians.)
Brain fibronectin expression in prenatally irradiated mice

Activation of gene transcription by radiation has been recently demonstrated in vitro. However, little is known on the specificity of these alterations on gene transcription. Prenatal irradiation is a known teratogen that affects the developing mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Altered neuronal migration has been suggested as a mechanism for abnormal development of prenatally irradiated brains. Fibronectin (FN), an extracellular glycoprotein, is essential for neural crest cell migration and neural cell growth. In addition, elevated levels of FN have been found in the extracellular matrix of irradiated lung. To test whether brain FN is affected by radiation, either FN level in insoluble matrix fraction or expression of FN mRNA was examined pre‐ and postnatally after irradiation. Mice (CD1), at 13 d of gestation (DG), served either as controls or were irradiated with gamma rays at 0.5 or 1 Gy. Control and irradiated animals were killed either at 13 DG, 14 DG, 17 DG, or 5, 6, or 14 d postnatal. Brain a...
Dyadic eigenfunctions and natural modes for hybrid waves in planar media

A new formulation for studying electromagnetic wave propagation in an open, planarly layered medium is presented based on eigenfunctions of the Hertzian potential dyadic Green's function operator. Due to the complicated coupling of scalar components of potential at material interfaces, elevation of the usual vector eigenfunction problem to dyadic level is found to lead to a convenient, compact representation of wave propagation phenomena. Although we study the source-free problem here, the three columns of the eigenfunction dyadics represent (up to an excitation-dependent amplitude) the vector fields excited by a given three-dimensional source. The general theory of dyadic eigenfunctions is presented, including orthogonality and the possibility of associated functions (root functions) at modal degeneracies, and an example of propagation in a grounded dielectric slab environment is provided.
Thermal history regulates methylbutenol basal emission rate in Pinus ponderosa.

Methylbutenol (MBO) is a 5-carbon alcohol that is emitted by many pines in western North America, which may have important impacts on the tropospheric chemistry of this region. In this study, we document seasonal changes in basal MBO emission rates and test several models predicting these changes based on thermal history. These models represent extensions of the ISO G93 model that add a correction factor C basal , allowing MBO basal emission rates to change as a function of thermal history. These models also allow the calculation of a new emission parameter E standard30 , which represents the inherent capacity of a plant to produce MBO, independent of current or past environmental conditions. Most single-component models exhibited large departures in early and late season, and predicted day-to-day changes in basal emission rate with temporal offsets of up to 3 d relative to measured basal emission rates. Adding a second variable describing thermal history at a longer time scale improved early and late season model performance while retaining the day-to-day performance of the parent single-component model. Out of the models tested, the T amb , T max7 model exhibited the best combination of day-to-day and seasonal predictions of basal MBO emission rates.
Perceptions of voice therapy from patients diagnosed with primary muscle tension dysphonia and benign mid-membranous vocal fold lesions.

Summary Objectives Studies have established the role of behavioral therapy in treating voice problems. However, studies have also identified patient adherence as a limitation in voice therapy effectiveness. Accordingly, an understanding of patient preferences may help to improve adherence and increase voice therapy success. The primary aim of this study was to understand patient-perceived facilitators and barriers influencing voice therapy effectiveness in a group of treatment-seeking individuals with voice disorders. A secondary aim was to examine the relationship between self-reported improvement from voice therapy and the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10). Study Design Retrospective, observational study design. Methods One hundred ten patients enrolled in voice therapy at the University of Pittsburgh Voice Center completed a self-administered Patient Perception of Voice Therapy questionnaire on discharge. Data from 45 individuals who met study criteria were analyzed. Results Patient-reported improvement from voice therapy was correlated with changes in VHI-10 scores. A majority of patients identified specific voice therapy exercises and transfer of techniques to conversation as the most useful aspects of treatment. Few patients rated vocal hygiene education as most useful. Generalizing new vocal behaviors was also identified as a barrier to voice therapy success for many patients. Conclusions In this study, patients valued direct voice therapy in which they worked on altering vocal behaviors more than indirect voice therapy that aimed to educate patients about their voice. Study findings suggest the importance of direct voice therapy and the need to incorporate carryover activities early on in the therapy process for greater treatment satisfaction and success.
Near-Infrared Calibration of Soluble Stem Carbohydrates for Predicting Drought Tolerance in Spring Wheat

Soluble stem carbohydrates are a component of drought response in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and other grasses. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) can rapidly assay for soluble carbohydrates indirectly, but this requires a statistical model for calibration. The objectives of this study were: (i) to build a robust calibration between the NIR spectra and soluble carbohydrate concentration of ground wheat stems; and (ii) to determine whether soluble stem carbohydrates are correlated with yield rankings of drought-stricken wheat grown in the northwestern United States. Five spring wheat cultivars were grown in field trials conducted at six environments in the state of Washington varying in annual precipitation from 212 to 474 mm. Wheat stems were harvested from all plots at the onset of grain fill and assayed for NIR reflectance. Soluble stem carbohydrates were determined on a subset of the samples. The NIR data were calibrated to soluble stem carbohydrates using multiple linear regression, partial least squares regression, ridge regression with best linear unbiased prediction, random forest, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso), elastic net, and Bayesian lasso regression. Partial least squares regression provided the most accurate and reliable predictions for soluble carbohydrates. Correlations between soluble stem carbohydrates and grain yield were consistent across environments (r = 0.904 and ρ = 0.80). The effect of environment on the variation in response variables was lower for soluble carbohydrates than yield (5.93 and 71.7%, respectively) across environments. These data provide evidence that stem carbohydrates can aid in selecting cultivars with enhanced drought resilience.
Ecology of the Cone Moth Laspeyresia toreuta in Pinus banksiana Stands

Laspeyresia toreuta (Grote) is a cone moth reported from 6 species of pine. This study was made in Pinus banksiana stands in Baraga County, Mich. Laspeyresia toreuta has a univoltine life cycle in which 11 months are spent inside the cone in larval and pupal stages and 1 month as adults. For the years 1962–66 the cone infestation rates in the study area were 78, 55, 14, 56, and 10%, respectively. Cones on open-grown trees with branches to the ground were most heavily infested. Cones lower in the trees had more insects than higher cones. Low-density stands contained more insects than high-density stands. South-facing cones in some years contained more insects than north-facing cones. The size of the cone crop varied tremendously and affected L. toreuta population size. Intraspecific competition was an important mortality factor. Extended diapause was observed in from 2 to 15% of all 5th-instar larvae. Parasites killed from 30 to 50% of all larvae.
Resonant excitable switching with graphene

Self-switching is one of the simplest nonlinear operations, outputting a signal only if it is above a critical threshold, T . It is the mechanism underlying digital logic buffering, comparators, digital-to-analog converters, and thresholders. We have investigated a novel implementation to self-switching based on the dynamical phenomenon of excitability. A system is said to be excitable if it remains stable in an attracting equilibrium state, can trigger as a result of a small perturbation to produce a large amplitude excursion, and is followed by a refractory period, in which the signal recovers back to the attractor. Its role in lasers has been investigated for some time now [1], but it has garnered renewed interest as a dynamical analogy to spiking neural networks [2, 3]. Excitable systems possess unique pulse generation properties and strong ties to the underlying physics of the devices. Here, we show resonant excitable self-switching in a graphene-based fiber laser. We demonstrate experimental results and simulate the physical system integrated into a smaller footprint. Unlike other switching approaches, excitability is both cascadable and regenerative, and may offer a unique direction for photonic signal processing.
High-speed OH* chemiluminescence imaging of ignition through a shock tube end-wall

A high-speed OH* chemiluminescence imaging diagnostic was developed to image the structure and homogeneity of combustion events behind reflected shock waves in the Stanford Constrained Reaction Volume Shock Tube. An intensified high-repetition-rate imaging system was used to acquire images of OH* chemiluminescence (near 308 nm) through a fused quartz shock tube end-wall window at 10–33 kHz during the combustion of n-heptane (21 % O $$_{2}$$ /Ar, $$\phi = 0.5$$ ). In general, the imaging technique enabled observation of the main ignition event in the core of the shock tube that corresponded to typical markers of ignition (e.g., pressure rise), as well as localized ignition near the wall that preceded the main core ignition event for some conditions. Case studies were performed to illustrate the utility of this novel imaging diagnostic. First, by comparing localized wall ignition events to the core ignition event, the temperature homogeneity of the post-reflected shock gas near the end-wall was estimated to be within 0.5 % for the test condition presented ( $$T=1159\,\hbox {K}, P=0.25\,\hbox {MPa}$$ ). Second, the effect of a recession in the shock tube wall, created by an observation window, on the combustion event was visualized. Localized ignition was observed near the window, but this disturbance did not propagate to the core of the shock tube before the main ignition event. Third, the effect of shock tube cleanliness was investigated by conducting tests in which the shock tube was not cleaned for multiple consecutive runs. For tests after no cleaning was performed, ignition events were concentrated in the lower half of the shock tube. In contrast, when the shock tube was cleaned, the ignition event was distributed around the entire circumference of the shock tube; validating the cleaning procedure.
Paolo Mantegazza as Didatic Gastronome: Food, Art, Science and the New Italian Nation

It is in Risorgimento Italy that there is an incessant quest for a definition of what it means to be Italian amongst a reality of economic paucity and clear social divisiveness. During this tenuous yet crucial epoch, there is a cohesive attempt to define Italian taste with an ideological terminology previously absent from sensorial and aesthetic discourse. A fundamental purveyor of this novel approach is the self-defined “poligamo delle scienze,” Paolo Mantegazza. To the plurality of roles attributed to the medic (anthropologist, pathologist, senator, writer, etc.), there is one yet to be explored—Mantegazza as didactic gastronome. In the attempt to combat what he considers the anti-hygienic conditions plaguing the nation, the medic inaugurates a pedagogic process that would ideally lead to the formation of the Italian citizen. With the goal of creating a stronger and more capable Italian populace, the author goes to great lengths to provide guidelines for maximizing nourishment through the humblest of foods. Ultimately, Mantegazza’s pedagogic gourmandism is integral in the propagation of a social model of comportment that defines the Positivist framework of biological and nationalistic renewal and to a new vision of taste.
Evaluation of bone loss and the glenoid track

Glenohumeral bone loss (e.g., bony Bankart and Hill-Sachs lesions) is a common sequela of shoulder dislocation and is frequently implicated in recurrent instability. Performing surgical repair of soft tissue structures without addressing glenohumeral bone deficiency may predispose patients to repeated instability. Accurate diagnosis and quantification of glenohumeral bone loss is critical to guide surgical management of these lesions.
Non-negative intermediate-layer DNN adaptation for a 10-KB speaker adaptation profile

Previously we demonstrated that speaker adaptation of acoustic models (AM) can provide significant improvement in the accuracy of large-scale speech recognition systems. In this work we discuss numerous challenges in scaling speaker adaptation to millions of speakers, where the size of speaker-dependent (SD) parameters is a critical challenge. Subsequently, we formulate an intermediate-layer adaptation framework for adaptation, upon which we build a non-negative adaptation for a very sparse set of non-negative SD parameters. We further improve this work with, (a) non-negative adaptation with a small-positive threshold, (b) setting small-positive weights in an already trained non-negative model to zero. We also discuss effective methods to store the non-negative SD parameters. We show that our methods reduce the SD parameters from 86KB for our previous best adaptation approach to 8.8KB, thus about 90% relative reduction in the size of SD parameters, and still retain 10+% word-error-rate-relative (WERR) gain over the baseline speaker-independent (SI) model.
Paclitaxel (Taxol) for the treatment of head and neck cancer

The mainstay of treatment for head and neck cancer patients with recurrent disease has been chemotherapy with cisplatin/5-fluorouracil or methotrexate. Clearly, new drugs are needed to improve response rates and prolong survival. One new chemotherapeutic agent that has shown activity in head and neck cancer, as well as other tumor types, is paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ). In a recently completed phase II trial in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer, the complete and partial response rate to high-dose paclitaxel (250 mg/m2) given as a 24-hour infusion with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support was 40% (12 of 30 patients). The principal toxicities were similar to those reported in other trials: neutropenia, peripheral neuropathy, and arthralgias/myalgias. Other single-agent trials with paclitaxel currently are in progress, as are trials of paclitaxel--containing combination therapy using cisplatin, carboplatin, ifosfamide, and/or methotrexate. Also under evaluation are paclitaxel combined with radiotherapy and given in lower doses and alternative infusion schedules. Findings, to date suggest that paclitaxel may be the most active single chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of head and neck cancer.
Anesthetic management of a massively morbidly obese patient.

Background and Objectives. A 408-kg patient presented for surgical resection of a lower extremity mass. Methods. A specially designed bed and well-planned transport were used to deliver the patient to the operating room suite. The anesthetic technique included a continuous subarachnoid catheter with tetracaine and epinephrine. Intraoperative monitoring consisted of electrocardiography, pulse oximetry, intraarterial blood pressure, and mental status examinations. Massive intraoperative hemorrhage was treated with rapid volume infusions and vasopressors. Results. Resection of a lower extremity mass was accomplished and the patient was eventually discharged from the hospital. Conclusions. This case report emphasizes that prior planning of all aspects of patient care is important in massively morbidly obese patients and that regional anesthesia is a valuable option in these patients.
Immunofluorescence Microscopy for Localization of Arabidopsis Chloroplast Proteins

Immunofluorescence microscopy reveals localization of proteins in cells and tissues by means of highly specific, fluorescently labeled antibodies. This technique is an important complement to localization methods that use genetically encoded fluorescent tags. This chapter describes the five stages of immunofluorescence localization of proteins in plant chloroplasts in sectioned leaf tissue: (1) fixation, (2) tissue embedding and sectioning, (3) treatment of sections prior to immunolabeling, (4) immunostaining, and (5) fluorescence microscopy and image capture. Protocols for both cryosectioning and sectioning of low-melting-point wax-embedded samples are described. Immunofluorescence localization in chloroplasts is complicated by their intense autofluorescence background. Measures to suppress nonspecific background staining, confirm specificity of the fluorescence signal, and optimize imaging conditions are described.
The Dissolution of Gallstones

The use of chenodeoxycholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid, and mono octanoin in the dissolution of gallstones is examined as an alternative to surgery. It is conjectured that as many as 80 per cent of radiolucent gallstones can be dissolved using these agents, although factors of cost must be considered in cases in which lifelong medication is required.