cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiscale Statistical Properties of a High-Resolution Precipitation Forecast

Abstract Small-scale (less than ∼15 km) precipitation variability significantly affects the hydrologic response of a basin and the accurate estimation of water and energy fluxes through coupled land–atmosphere modeling schemes. It also affects the radiative transfer through precipitating clouds and thus rainfall estimation from microwave sensors. Because both land–atmosphere and cloud–radiation interactions are nonlinear and occur over a broad range of scales (from a few centimeters to several kilometers), it is important that, over these scales, cloud-resolving numerical models realistically reproduce the observed precipitation variability. This issue is examined herein by using a suite of multiscale statistical methods to compare the scale dependence of precipitation variability of a numerically simulated convective storm with that observed by radar. In particular, Fourier spectrum, structure function, and moment-scale analyses are used to show that, although the variability of modeled precipitation agr...
Estimates of hominid and carnivore involvement in the FLK Zinjanthropus fossil assemblage: some socioecological implications

Abstract Studies of Plio-Pleistocene zooarchaeological assemblages indicate that early Homo transported and processed carcass-parts with tools for meat and marrow. Because hominid and carnivore damage frequencies have not been estimated, however, debate continues on the extent and nature of hominid and carnivore involvement in many assemblages, thereby hindering reconstructions of early Homo socioecology. Analysis of hammerstone- and carnivore-induced damage frequencies on all large mammal limb pieces in the FLK Zinjanthropus , Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, fossil assemblage provides direct estimates of hominid and carnivore involvement. Three patterns are clear: (1) hominid-induced damage on 75% of the limb MNE demonstrates that early Homo habitually processed carcass-parts; (2) carnivore damages and fractures occur on 54% and 8·5% of the limb MNE, respectively, indicating a significant carnivore role in assemblage modification, but not breakage; (3) the lack of carnivore damage on 60% of hominid-damaged specimens implies that early Homo had regular access to meat-rich carcasses. Because social carnivores also habitually transport food, the biological and ecological forcing mechanisms behind these behaviors are examined for implications for early Homo socioecology. Anti-predator defense is a primary factor in the evolution of sociality in the Carnivora (Gittleman, 1989). Thus, food transport from a carcass by a foraging group is an anti-predator strategy that minimizes interspecific competition at carcasses. Similarly, maintenance of a refuge area to which food is transported to mother and altricial young reflects a risk-reduction strategy to protect the young. Early Homo shared these ecological and biological conditions, occupying with its altricial young (Stanley, 1992) semi-open habitats with high predator densities. Thus, the habitual food transport and processing documented at FLK Zinjanthropus suggest that early Homo was subject to these same socioecological mechanisms that require similar group division into two functional units (foraging and care-giving) when infants are present. Processed animal remains at places like FLK Zinjanthropus may not represent provisioning or food sharing, per se, but merely the intersection of two anti-predator strategies. Nevertheless, the ecological and biological conditions, and prerequisite subsistence behaviors were apparently in place for the development of social behaviors originally envisioned by Isaac (1978 a ).
A Task for Assessing Vertigo Elicited by Repetitive Head Movements

Objective. we developed a simple, inexpensive test for assess­ ing vertigo in persons with peripheral vestibular disorders. Method. The test was administered to 16 asymptomatic adults and 16patients with chronic vertigo caused by per­ ipheral vestibular disorders. Participants sat in a chair and as rapidly as possible transferred 25 beanbags one at a time ftom a basket placed on the floor to a basket held .91 m up in the air. The task was timed, and the participants rated the level ofvertigo elicited on a 1O-point scale. Results. Patients took significantly more time to per­ form the task and reported significantly greater levels ofver­ tigo than did the asymptomatic adults. 'Test scores did not diffir significantly across test sessions or raters. Conclusion. Performance on this task reliably diffiren­ tiated patients with vestibular disorders ftom asymptomatic adults. The test is inexpensive, takes less than 1 min to per­ form, and has minimal technical requirements, making it suitable for a variety offtcilities and levels ofstaffexpertise.
Spinwave theory and the low temperature magnetization of RbMnF3

Abstract The low temperature magnetization of RbMnF 3 deduced from antiferromagnetic resonance determinations of the crystalline anisotropy shows an approximate T 3 temperature dependence in contrast to the T 2 dependence of spinwave theory.
Expiration flow in a symmetric bifurcation

This work investigates the fundamental flow in a converging bifurcation. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) experiments were conducted in a transparent model composed of three machined tubes mated together in a Y-shape. Measurements were taken in a plane containing the axes of the tubes and in the cross-sectional plane of the parent tube to elucidate flow patterns in the bifurcating passages of the human respiratory system. The primary objective was to determine the amount of secondary flow in a bifurcation during expiration. PIV measurements in the transverse plane show detailed characteristics of the secondary flow. Results at higher Re illustrate unsteadiness associated with a hairpin vortex and symmetry-breaking. This study addresses the transport of particles of small Stokes number that survive inertial impaction during inhalation and remain in suspension over multiple breathing cycles. Knowledge of the underlying airflow is required to develop an accurate dosimetry model to transport prescription drugs with precision into the bloodstream. Similarly, the harmful impact of pollutants on the respiratory system can only be assessed by first understanding the carrier airflow.
Extended ripple analysis of PWM DC-to-DC converters

By employing a Taylor series expansion of the state, simplified expressions are derived for the first- and second-order terms of the state ripple of any pulse-width-modulated (PWM) DC-to-DC power converter operating in continuous conduction mode. Under the assumption that the ripple is dominated by its lowest-order nonzero component, along with the ripple order relationships between state variables, these expressions may be used on any PWM power converter to derive design guidelines for optimum ripple performance. An example is given of a fourth-order boost-type power converter in which, after determining conditions by which the first two lowest-order components in the output voltage ripple are nulled, further conditions are derived that minimize the third-order component, resulting in enhanced ripple performance. The results are verified by simulation. >
Output feedback adaptive stabilization and command following for minimum phase dynamical systems with unmatched uncertainties and disturbances

In this article, we develop an output feedback adaptive control framework for continuous-time minimum phase multivariable dynamical systems for output stabilisation and command following. The approach is based on a nonminimal state-space realisation that generates an expanded set of states using the filtered inputs and filtered outputs and their derivatives of the original system. Specifically, a direct adaptive controller for the nonminimal state-space model is constructed using the expanded states of the nonminimal realisation and is shown to be effective for multi-input, multi-output linear dynamical systems with unmatched disturbances, unmatched uncertainties and unstable dynamics. The proposed adaptive control architecture requires only knowledge of the open-loop system’s relative degree as well as a bound on the system’s order. Several illustrative numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.
Indication and technique of total correction of tetralogy of Fallot in 228 patients.

Background Several factors, such as old age, high hemoglobin level, pulmonary artery hypoplasia, and diminutive left ventricle, have been identified as high risk factors for operative mortality. This group of patients includes all these factors. Methods Between September 1987 and March 1995, I performed total correction of tetralogy of Fallot on 228 unselected consecutive patients at Fu Wai Hospital in Beijing. There were 140 male and 88 female patients. Results Only 2 patients died of nonsurgical causes postoperatively. The mortality was 0.9%. The remaining patients recovered uneventfully. The late mortality was 1.8% (4/228). Conclusions The results suggested that hypoplastic pulmonary artery and left ventricle were not an absolute contraindication of total correction of tetralogy of Fallot. High hematocrit and old age were also not high risk factors causing death. The key factor was to correct the pathology completely and manage the complications properly.
A Sensitive Method for Detecting in Vivo Formation of N-Nitrosomorpholine and Its Application to Rats Given Low Doses of Morpholine and Sodium Nitrite

A method was developed to monitor the in vivo formation of W-nitrosomorpholine. A/-Nitroso(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine, a major urinary metabolite of A/-nitrosomorpholine, was quantified as its methyl ester-trimethylsilyl ether derivative, using gas chromatog- raphy with nitrosamine-specific detection. When the method was applied to rats, the in vivo formation of, or exposure to, as little as 0.6 ut) of /V-nitrosomorpholine could be quantified. The method was also applicable to human urine, with a detection limit of approximately 0.5 /ug of A/-nitroso(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine per 100-ml urine sample. The formation of A/-nitrosomorpholine was measured in rats treated by gavage with a wide range of doses of morpholine and NaNO2. Depending on the dose, 0.5 to 12% of the morpholine was nitrosated. A/-Nitrosomorpholine formation showed a high degree of variability among rats treated with a given dose of morpholine and NaNO2, but the levels of A/- nitrosomorpholine formed were generally in agreement with ex pectations based on in vitro studies in which dependence on morpholine concentration multiplied by nitrite concentration squared has been established. The formation of A/-nitrosomor- pholine was also measured in rats administered a diet containing 50 ppm of morpholine and 1000 ppm of NaNO2, a regimen which has been previously shown to induce liver cell tumors in 58% of the animals. The mean daily formation of A/-nitrosomorpholine under these conditions was estimated to be 0.88 Â±0.59 Â?Âimol/ rat (S.D.), which is high enough to account for the observed tumor incidence. The results of this study provide quantitative support for the assumption that in vivo formation of A/-nitroso-
Cloud cover comparisons of the MODIS daytime cloud mask with surface instruments at the north slope of Alaska ARM site

This paper compares daytime cloud fraction derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS), an imager on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Earth Observing System Aqua and Terra platforms, to observations from a suite of surface-based instrumentation located at the Department of Energy's atmospheric radiation measurement (ARM) program North Slope of Alaska (NSA) Clouds and Radiation Testbed site. In this systematic comparison of satellite-to-surface measurements, 3650 cases are analyzed from February through September 2001. The surface instruments used in these comparisons include the Vaisala Ceilometer (VCEIL), the Micropulse Lidar (MPL), the Active Remote Sensing of Clouds (ARSCL) composite laser-derived data product, the Whole-Sky Imager (WSI), and the Normal Incidence Pyrheliometer (NIP). In terms of the active sensors, VCEIL cloud cover results compare to within /spl plusmn/20% of MODIS results 77% of the time. As expected, VCEIL is found to be insensitive to optically thin high-level clouds. MPL results are consistent with MODIS in 83% of the cases; however, the MPL preliminary.cbh variable reports spurious clouds in clear-sky conditions. The ARSCL composite laser-derived data product agrees with MODIS in 81% of the cases, improving upon high cloud detection of the VCEIL, while eliminating the spurious clear-sky cloud detections in the MPL preliminary.cbh variable. For the passive WSI, cloud cover agrees with the MODIS cloud fraction in 74% of the cases, with the difference primarily caused by the insensitivity of the WSI to thin clouds. Detailed analysis of individual cases shows that the MODIS cloud mask generally detects more thin cirrus than the surface-based instruments, but it sometimes fails to detect low-level cumulus and fog over the ARM NSA site.
Gene silencing activity of siRNAs with a ribo-difluorotoluyl nucleotide.

Recently, chemically synthesized short interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes have been used with success for gene silencing. Chemical modification is desired for therapeutic applications to improve biostability and pharmacokinetic properties; chemical modification may also provide insight into the mechanism of silencing. siRNA duplexes containing the 2,4-difluorotoluyl ribonucleoside (rF) were synthesized to evaluate the effect of noncanonical nucleoside mimetics on RNA interference. 5′-Modification of the guide strand with rF did not alter silencing relative to unmodified control. Internal uridine to rF substitutions were well-tolerated. Thermal melting analysis showed that the base pair between rF and adenosine (A) was destabilizing relative to a uridine-adenosine pair, although it was slightly less destabilizing than other mismatches. The crystal structure of a duplex containing rF∘A pairs showed local structural variations relative to a canonical RNA helix. As the fluorine atoms cannot act as hydrogen bond...
Identification of parameters of an AC machine from standstill time domain data

The authors present an evaluation of the performance of the maximum likelihood (ML) method when used to estimate the linear parameters of a synchronous machine model from the standstill time-domain flux decay test data. It is shown that a unique set of parameters can be obtained and the noise effects can be dealt with effectively when the ML estimation technique is used. The results of study also show that accurate machine parameters can be identified even when signal-to-noise ratio is as low as 200:1. >
The β-actin mRNA zipcode regulates epithelial adherens junction assembly but not maintenance

Epithelial cell-cell contact stimulates actin cytoskeleton remodeling to down-regulate branched filament polymerization-driven lamellar protrusion and subsequently to assemble linear actin filaments required for E-cadherin anchoring during adherens junction complex assembly. In this manuscript, we demonstrate that de novo protein synthesis, the β-actin 3′ UTR, and the β-actin mRNA zipcode are required for epithelial adherens junction complex assembly but not maintenance. Specifically, we demonstrate that perturbing cell-cell contact-localized β-actin monomer synthesis causes epithelial adherens junction assembly defects. Consequently, inhibiting β-actin mRNA zipcode/ZBP1 interactions with β-actin mRNA zipcode antisense oligonucleotides, to intentionally delocalize β-actin monomer synthesis, is sufficient to perturb adherens junction assembly following epithelial cell-cell contact. Additionally, we demonstrate active RhoA, the signal required to drive zipcode-mediated β-actin mRNA targeting, is localized at epithelial cell-cell contact sites in a β-actin mRNA zipcode-dependent manner. Moreover, chemically inhibiting Src kinase activity prevents the local stimulation of β-actin monomer synthesis at cell-cell contact sites while inhibiting epithelial adherens junction assembly. Together, these data demonstrate that epithelial cell-cell contact stimulates β-actin mRNA zipcode-mediated monomer synthesis to spatially regulate actin filament remodeling, thereby controlling adherens junction assembly to modulate cell and tissue adhesion.
Sustainable Procurement Policies and Practices at the State and Local Government Level

Sustainable procurement generally focuses on identifying and prioritizing the purchase of goods and services that pose a minimal negative effect on human health and the environment when compared with the purchase of other goods and services that serve the same purpose. This chapter examines state and local government efforts to promote sustainability through procurement policies and practices; discusses the implementation of sustainability throughout the procurement process; and addresses the future of sustainability by emphasizing the importance of leadership and training at every level of the acquisition workforce. The concept of this chapter is to promote sustainable procurement at the highest levels of the acquisition workforce in order to ensure success in achieving widespread acceptance and strategic implementation of sustainable procurement policies and practices at the state and local government level.
Synthesis of BiVO 4 /Bi 2 VO 5.5 Heterogeneous Nanostructures with Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity

BiVO4/Bi2VO5.5 heterogeneous nanostructures with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity were successfully prepared by a facile one-pot solvothermal method, where diethylene glycol (DEG) was used as the solvent. The as-prepared products were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The results revealed that the molar ratio of Bi3+ to VO43- played an important role in the formation of crystal and morphology. These BiVO4/Bi2VO5.5 heterogeneous nanostructures exhibited higher visible-light-driven photocatalytic efficiency compared to the pure BiVO4 and Bi2VO5.5. For the methyl orange (MO) degradation efficiency of BiVO4/Bi2VO5.5 heterogeneous nanostructures under visible light irradiation, about 95% of MO was degraded within 40min, which is much higher than pure BiVO4 and Bi2VO5.5. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity can attribute to the promoted light absorption capability and the separation efficiency of photo-generated electron-hole pairs.
Midcoxal Articulations and the Phylogeny of the Order Hymenoptera

Evidence from study of the structure and extrinsic musculature of the midcoxae in Hymenoptera supports the following hypothesized relationships: Orussidae and Apocrita are sister-groups; no evidence was found supporting a sister-group relationship between Cephidae and Apocrita; the Ichneumonoidea (Stephanidae excluded), Chalcidoidea (including Mymaridae and Mymarommatidae), Proctotrupoidea (Ceraphronoidea excluded), and Cynipoidea form a monophyletic group, the Ichneumonomorpha; the Evanioidea, Ceraphronoidea, Megalyridae, and Trigonalidae form a monophyletic group, the Evaniomorpha.
A Stabilized Drop Trap for Unit-Area Sampling of Insects in Short Vegetation

The trapping device described samples a 0.5-m2 area. It is composed of a base, stabilizing frame, and trap. Before operation the base is set approximately 4 m from the desired sample area, thus an investigator does not disturb the immediate sample area prior to sampling. A time interval for redistribution of arthropods in the sample area, required for some existing trapping methods, is therefore unnecessary. The 5-meter long sampling device, constructed mostly of wood with a minimum of steel and weighing about 50 kg, is operated by raising the trap to a vertical position, then allowing it to drop. The stabilizing frame holds the trap in place after it has fallen, and knifelike blades around the bottom cut through the foliage, penetrating the soil surface to provide a distinct sample boundary. The trap works best for sampling arthropods in vegetation less than 50 cm tall.
Group Absence Behavior and Standards: A Multilevel Analysis

This research measured Nicholson and John's concept of the salience of absence climate in terms of absence standards for supervisory groups. Within and between analysis (WABA) was used to determine...
Abstract 4427: Role of cytochrome P450 (CYP)1A2 in the sustained induction of CYP1A1 by the carcinogen, 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) in mouse heptoma cells (hepa-1)

Humans are constantly exposed to environmental carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through cigarette smoke, diesel exhausts, charcoal-broiled meats, etc. Cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) enzymes play important roles in the activation of PAHs such as 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) to carcinogenic DNA-binding metabolites. We reported earlier that MC causes persistent induction of hepatic and pulmonary CYP1A1 in mice for several weeks after MC ithdrawal, and that the phenomenon of sustained hepatic CYP1A1 induction is lost in Cyp1a2-null mice. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that MC elicits induction of persistent CYP1A1 nduction in hepa-1 cells, and that CYP1A2 contributes mechanistically to this henomenon. Hepa-1 cells were treated ith the MC (2.5 µM), or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as control, and at selected ime points, CYP1A1 promoter activity, CYP1A1 enzyme activities, contents, and CYP1A1 mRNA levels were studied. We fund that MC markedly and persistently induced CYP1A1 promoter activity, transcription, apoprotein expression, and the CYP1A1 associated ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activities for up to 5 days. Transfection of CYP1A2 siRNA resulted in knockdown of CYP1A2 mRNA by 70%, but a statistically significant increase of basal CYP1A1 mRNA by 35-40%. The induction of CYP1A1 promoter ctivity, CYP1A1 mRNA, CYP1A1 protein, and EROD activity by MC were not affected by CYP1A2 siRNA at the 24 h time point, but was significantly ttenuated by Cyp1a2 siRNA on day 5. These results suggest that CYP1A2, possibly via a metabolite, contributes to the sustained induction of CYP1A1 by MC in hepa-I cells. Further investigations into the mechanisms of persistent induction of CYP1A1 by MC could lead to novel preventative/therapeutic strategies against PAH-mediated carcinogenesis in humans. (Supported in part by 2R01 ES009132.) Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4427. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4427
Distribution and abundance of piping plovers: results and implications of the 1991 international census

Assessing status and recovery of the endangered Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) requires knowledge of the species' current distribution and abundance throughout the annual cycle. To address this issue, over 1,000 biologists and volunteers from 10 nations collaborated in the 1991 International Piping Plover Census. Approximately 2,099 sites were censused yielding the highest number of breeding (5,482 adults) and wintering (3,451 birds) Piping Plovers ever recorded. Most winter birds occurred in Texas (55%) and along other United States Gulf Coast sites (93%). Among winter birds, 51% used ocean beaches, 43% used sand or algal flats in protected bays, and 6% used areas where protected bays met ocean beaches. Breeding birds were widely distributed in small populations in the Northern Great Plains/Prairie (63.2%) and on the Atlantic Coast (36%). Few birds (N = 39) remain on the Great Lakes. Habitat use among breeding birds varied considerably across the species range. While most Atlantic (93.9%) and Great Lakes (100%) birds used sandy beaches, 59.6% of Northern Great Plains/Prairie birds used shorelines around small alkaline lakes, 18.2% used large reservoir beaches, 19.9% used river islands and adjacent sand pits, 2% used beaches on large lakes, and 0.4% used industrial pond shorelines. Change in status from previous censuses was difficult to determine. New populations were found in Montana, Colorado, and Saskatchewan, Canada; however, the distribution gap between Atlantic and Northern Great Plains/Prairie Piping Plover distribution grows as numbers decline in Minnesota; Manitoba, Canada; and the Great Lakes. Repeated international censuses every five years and a better assessment of reproductive success in local populations will help determine future population trends for the species.
Hedge the Hedgers: Usage of Reinsurance and Derivatives by PC Insurance Companies

This paper studies the usage of two common hedging tools, reinsurance and derivatives, by property and casualty insurance companies. In a simple mean-variance efficient optimization model, the two hedging tools display substitutive effect when asset and liability do not display strong natural hedging. I verify this relationship using a six-year insurance company firm-level data on reinsurance usage and off-balance sheet derivative trading recorded between 2000 and 2005. Controlling for firm specific variables, such as size, return and credit rating, such substitution effect indeed exists in the insurance companies' hedging decisions under a two-stage simultaneous equation framework.
On the Use of Acoustic Unit Discovery for Language Recognition

In this paper, we explore the use of large-scale acoustic unit discovery for language recognition. The deep neural network-based approaches that have achieved recent success in this task require transcribed speech and pronunciation dictionaries, which may be limited in availability and expensive to obtain. We aim to replace the need for such supervision via the unsupervised discovery of acoustic units. In this work, we present a parallelized version of a Bayesian nonparametric model from previous work and use it to learn acoustic units from a few hundred hours of multilingual data. These unit (or senone) sequences are then used as targets to train a deep neural network-based i-vector language recognition system. We find that a score-level fusion of our unsupervised system with an acoustic baseline can shrink the gap significantly between the baseline and a supervised benchmark system built using transcribed English. Subsequent experiments also show that an improved acoustic representation of the data can yield substantial performance gains and that language specificity is important for discovering meaningful acoustic units. We validate the generalizability of our proposed approach by presenting state-of-the-art results that exhibit similar trends on the NIST Language Recognition Evaluations from 2011 and 2015.
A resource-based view of stakeholder marketing

Abstract Despite the stakeholder view's growing popularity among marketing academics and managers, stakeholder marketing is still in its infancy. This research invigorates stakeholder marketing by integrating stakeholder theory and the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm to propose that the network of stakeholder relationships (i.e., a key component of stakeholder marketing) is, in essence, a strategic resource with the inherent potential to contribute substantively to a firm's competitive advantage and superior performance. Based on this fundamental premise, the article explores the causal chain by which the firm's network of stakeholder relationships converts into superior performance, while paying particular attention to the role of competitive advantage in this linkage. The aim of the proposed RBV of stakeholder marketing is to provide a theoretical basis to stimulate further research and, in turn, direct marketers to actions that can benefit their exchange relationships with the stakeholder network.
Settlement and Subsistence Patterns in the Reserve Phase and Mountain Mogollon: A Test Case in Devils Park, New Mexico

ABSTRACTAn inventory of sites in the highland basin of Devils Park in west- central New Mexico indicates a long-term occupation from Paleoindian to Puebloan periods. Data for Preceramic period and Pit House period settlement are limited in extent but suggest that use of the Park expanded during the Reserve phase (ca. A.D. 1000 to 1150). A dispersed system of one-room and small multi-room farmsteads is closely correlated with potential pockets of arable land as well as with communal structures distributed throughout the park. Abandonment appears to have occurred at the end of the Reserve phase, reflecting major changes in regional settlement dynamics documented elsewhere in the Reserve, New Mexico area.
Influence of additives on the γ-to-α transformation of alumina

Some metal ions are known to affect the γ to α transformation temperature. Comparison of the influence of a variety of additives , particularly those forming a liquid phase, at relatively low concentrations (1 and 5 mol%), by means of differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and sintering dilatometry studies.
Write-Induced Head Contamination in Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording

One detrimental by-product of heat-assisted magnetic recording writing is the creation of head contamination. Here, we present the current understanding of the driving forces, growth mechanisms, and growth rates of write-induced head contamination. The combination of an evaporation and condensation model with shear forces suggests a flow of lubricant on the head may precipitate contamination. The contamination is observed to grow in the head-media gap until it contacts the media surface, at which point an additional material pickup mechanism can be activated. Evidence of contact-induced transfer and a chemical reaction of the contamination is presented, and the impacts of contamination on head temperatures and thermal gradient is presented. Depending on the contamination properties, head temperatures may be increased substantially, leading to increased reliability risk. Consistent with previous analyses, we find that contamination may increase media thermal gradient.
Development and Initial Validation of the Risk Analysis Index for Measuring Frailty in Surgical Populations.

Importance Growing consensus suggests that frailty-associated risks should inform shared surgical decision making. However, it is not clear how best to screen for frailty in preoperative surgical populations. Objective To develop and validate the Risk Analysis Index (RAI), a 14-item instrument used to measure surgical frailty. It can be calculated prospectively (RAI-C), using a clinical questionnaire, or retrospectively (RAI-A), using variables from the surgical quality improvement databases (Veterans Affairs or American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Projects). Design, Setting, and Participants Single-site, prospective cohort from July 2011 to September 2015 at the Veterans Affairs Nebraska–Western Iowa Heath Care System, a Level 1b Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The study included all patients presenting to the medical center for elective surgery. Exposures We assessed the RAI-C for all patients scheduled for surgery, linking these scores to administrative and quality improvement data to calculate the RAI-A and the modified Frailty Index. Main Outcomes and Measures Receiver operator characteristics and C statistics for each measure predicting postoperative mortality and morbidity. Results Of the participants, the mean (SD) age was 60.7 (13.9) years and 249 participants (3.6%) were women. We assessed the RAI-C 10 698 times, from which we linked 6856 unique patients to mortality data. The C statistic predicting 180-day mortality for the RAI-C was 0.772. Of these 6856 unique patients, we linked 2785 to local Veterans Affairs Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Projects data and calculated the C statistic for both the RAI-A (0.823) and RAI-C (0.824), along with the correlation between the 2 scores ( r = 0.478; P P Conclusions and Relevance The RAI-C and RAI-A represent effective tools for measuring frailty in surgical populations with predictive ability on par with other frailty tools. Moderate correlation between the measures suggests convergent validity. The RAI-C offers the advantage of prospective, preoperative assessment that is proved feasible for large-scale screening in clinical practice. However, further efforts should be directed at determining the optimal components of preoperative frailty assessment.
Can’t stop scrolling!: pathological use of social networking sites in emerging adulthood

The use of social networking websites (SNS’s) among emerging adults is very common. While evidence suggests that the use of SNS’s can be positive, some research indicates that SNS use may lead to n...
The heme-regulatory motif of nuclear receptor Rev-erbβ is a key mediator of heme and redox signaling in circadian rhythm maintenance and metabolism

Rev-erbβ is a heme-responsive transcription factor that regulates genes involved in circadian rhythm maintenance and metabolism, effectively bridging these critical cellular processes. Heme binding to Rev-erbβ indirectly facilitates its interaction with the nuclear receptor co-repressor (NCoR1), resulting in repression of Rev-erbβ target genes. Fe3+-heme binds in a 6-coordinate complex with axial His and Cys ligands, the latter provided by a heme-regulatory motif (HRM). Rev-erbβ was thought to be a heme sensor based on a weak Kd value for the Rev-erbβ·heme complex of 2 μm determined with isothermal titration calorimetry. However, our group demonstrated with UV-visible difference titrations that the Kd value is in the low nanomolar range, and the Fe3+-heme off-rate is on the order of 10-6 s-1 making Rev-erbβ ineffective as a sensor of Fe3+-heme. In this study, we dissected the kinetics of heme binding to Rev-erbβ and provided a Kd for Fe3+-heme of ∼0.1 nm Loss of the HRM axial thiolate via redox processes, including oxidation to a disulfide with a neighboring cysteine or dissociation upon reduction of Fe3+- to Fe2+-heme, decreased binding affinity by >20-fold. Furthermore, as measured in a co-immunoprecipitation assay, substitution of the His or Cys heme ligands in Rev-erbβ was accompanied by a significant loss of NCoR1 binding. These results demonstrate the importance of the Rev-erbβ HRM in regulating interactions with heme and NCoR1 and advance our understanding of how signaling through HRMs affects the major cellular processes of circadian rhythm maintenance and metabolism.
Whole exome sequencing of metaplastic breast cancer (MpBC): Effect of mutation status on survival.

1090Background: Metaplastic Breast Cancer (MpBC) is considered a chemo-refractory, aggressive subtype that is characterized by squamous and/or mesenchymal differentiation and associated with a high...
Effectiveness of Environment-Based Interventions That Address Behavior, Perception, and Falls in People With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Major Neurocognitive Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Objective This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of environment-based interventions that address behavior, perception, and falls in the home and other settings for people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related major neurocognitive disorders (NCDs). Method Database searches were limited to outcomes studies published in English in peer-reviewed journals between January 2006 and April 2014. Results A total of 1,854 articles were initially identified, of which 42 met inclusion criteria. Conclusion Strong evidence indicates that person-centered approaches can improve behavior. Moderate evidence supports noise regulation, environmental design, unobtrusive visual barriers, and environmental relocation strategies to reduce problematic behaviors. Evidence is insufficient for the effectiveness of mealtime ambient music, bright light, proprioceptive input, wander gardens, optical strategies, and sensory devices in improving behavior or reducing wandering and falls. Although evidence supports many environment-based interventions used by occupational therapy practitioners to address behavior, perception, and falls in people with AD and related major NCDs, more studies are needed.
Application of 3D Digital Image Correlation In Ballistic Testing

Digital image correlation has been identified as a promising technique for use in terminal ballistic research; however, the limited resolution of ultra-high-speed cameras requires coarse speckle patterns not consistently achievable by conventional methods like spray painting. Thus, a robust and automated speckling technique that can apply a speckle pattern with appropriate speckle size and density is desired. The current study outlines an efficient, repeatable means of applying a high-quality black-on-white speckle pattern to test specimens. The speckle patterns were designed digitally and reproduced on the samples using a 3-axis mill coupled to a permanent marker with a custom-made, spring-actuated marker holder. By automating the process, the resulting speckle pattern is significantly more consistent compared to traditional specking techniques like spray painting or using a permanent marker manually. It also allows for precise control of the speckle size, density, and speckle pattern randomness. The method outlined in this work is capable of easily achieving 0.2–4 mm speckles and can generate speckles at a rate of 1–2 speckles per second. Example patterns ranging in size from 10 × 10 mm to 200 × 200 mm are shown which required as little as 5–10 min to complete (each containing ~600 speckles). High-velocity impact experiments were then performed on 6.35 mm thick aluminum plates that were speckled using the described technique to demonstrate the high-rate, localized deformation that takes place during an impact event. It emphasizes the extreme spatial and temporal difficulties of using digital image correlation for ballistic research and the need for a tailored speckle pattern.
Building new selves: identity, “Passing,” and intertextuality in Zoë Wicomb’s Playing in the Light

AbstractThis article examines Zoe Wicomb’s wide-ranging use of intertextuality in the novel Playing in the Light to explore the links between identity construction and postcolonial authorship. Focusing on the characters as intertextual agents, I argue that the three coloured women on whom the novel focuses – Helen, Marion, and Brenda – use texts in distinctive ways that illuminate their struggles to position themselves in South Africa’s complex and changing racial landscape. Racial “passing” is one form of a larger pattern in the novel of the use of citation and imitation to achieve specific ends. By embedding the citations of Helen and Marion within the citation-rich narrative of Brenda, Wicomb lays bare the mechanisms of identity construction within a work that stages and highlights its own intertextual practices.
A survey on outcomes of accidental atovaquone-proguanil exposure in pregnancy.

Malaria chemoprophylaxis options in pregnancy are limited, and atovaquone–proguanil (AP) is not recommended because of insufficient safety evidence. An anonymous, internet-based survey was disseminated to describe outcomes of pregnancies accidentally exposed to AP. Outcomes of interest included miscarriage (defined as pregnancy loss before 20 weeks), stillbirth (defined as pregnancy loss at or after 20 weeks), preterm birth or live birth prior to 37 weeks, and the presence of congenital anomalies. A total of 487 women responded and reported on 822 pregnancies. Of the 807 pregnancies with information available on exposure and outcomes, 10 (1.2%) had atovaquone–proguanil exposure, all in the first trimester, and all resulted in term births with no birth defects. Use of an anti-malarial not recommended in pregnancy is likely to occur before the woman knows of her pregnancy. This study adds to the limited evidence of the safety of AP in pregnancy. Further study on use of AP in pregnancy should be a high priority, as an alternative option for the prevention of malaria in pregnancy in non-immune travellers is urgently needed.
Knowledge and perceptions about aging and frailty: An integrative review of the literature

A growing body of evidence indicates that biological aging or frailty is a determinant of health-related outcomes, however, frailty is likely poorly understood and under-recognized by the public-at-large. Using Whittemore and Knafl's methodology, we aimed to conduct an integrative review of research on public knowledge and perceptions of aging and frailty, and to create a conceptual model of our findings. Twenty-three studies are presented. The conceptual model suggests that culture, knowledge of aging, and stereotypes influence adults' beliefs and perceptions. Adults determine priorities about aging, and then subconsciously or consciously determine which parts of are controllable. If deemed controllable and important, they may participate in health behaviors to mediate aging. If deemed uncontrollable or less important, adults may aim to control their own peace of mind through acceptance. Scant findings suggest that frailty is a more subjective term in which participants often optimistically do not identify themselves as frail.
Master of science in information quality: creating a new program with industry and research community support

This paper describes a proposed master's degree program in the new field of Information Quality, the reasons behind it, and how academe and industry have collaborated to create it.
New Results in Test Theory Without an Answer Key

This paper discusses some recent developments in a new methodology for the social sciences being developed jointly by the authors. The methodology is called cultural consensus analysis, and it is designed to aggregate informant responses to test items about their common culture. The object is to determine correct knowledge about the nature of that culture. Our methods estimate informant competency parameters and “correct” answers to each item from the informant response data. The methodology is designed for anthropological field studies and related research designs. This paper studies the consequences of relaxing the axioms of our model for dichotomous items, and it presents new models for other testing formats.
Book Review: Delusions of Economics and the Way Forward

Gerald Cory’s book entitled Delusions of Economics and the Way Forward not only summarizes a lifetime of his research but adds significantly to that body. Cory’s research focuses on the human brain, in particular its physiology, evolution, and implications for human behavior. His research also focuses on dual motive theory and economics’ flawed conception of human motivation. Cory draws heavily on the pioneering research of Paul MacLean, in particular MacLean’s understanding of the three phases of the long evolution of the human brain. Cory also draws on MacLean’s recognition that humans’ brains have a tri-level structure involving reptilian, mammalian, and neomammalian modules. As Cory emphasizes, MacLean’s findings on brain physiology strongly indicate that humans have two core motivations: empathy deriving from our mammalian brain and self-interest deriving from our reptilian brain. This is the heart of Cory’s version of dual motive theory, which contrasts sharply with the one core motive, self-interest, in neoclassical economic theory. Moreover, this is a view that is understandably hard for economists, especially mainstream economists, to accept. In this book, Cory makes it very clear that we need an economics that is integrated with biology instead of an economics based on and emulating mechanical Newtonian physics. Cory’s hope is that the kind of dual motive economics he has outlined can lead us down a new path toward a better society with a better functioning economy.
Voice Conversion Through Residual Warping in a Sparse, Anchor-Based Representation of Speech

In previous work we presented a Sparse, Anchor-Based Representation of speech (SABR) that uses phonemic “anchors” to represent an utterance with a set of sparse non-negative weights. SABR is speaker-independent: combining weights from a source speaker with anchors from a target speaker can be used for voice conversion. Here, we present an extension of the original SABR that significantly improves voice conversion synthesis. Namely, we take the residual signal from the SABR decomposition of the source speaker's utterance, and warp it to the target speaker's space using a weighted warping function learned from pairs of source-target anchors. Using subjective and objective evaluations, we examine the performance of adding the warped residual (SABR+Res) to the original synthesis (SABR). Specifically, listeners rated SABR+Res with an average mean opinion score (MOS) of 3.6, a significant improvement compared to 2.2 MOS for SABR alone (p < 0.01) and 2.5 MOS for a baseline GMM method (p < 0.01). In an XAB speaker identity test, listeners correctly identified the identity of SABR+Res (81 %) and SABR (84%) as frequently as a GMM method (82%) (p = 0.70, P = 0.35). These results indicate that adding the warped residual can dramatically improve synthesis while retaining the desirable independent qualities of SABR models.
The Honest Palm Sign: Detecting Incomplete Effort on Physical Examination

Background We investigated a simple, novel diagnostic test for detecting incomplete effort during the motor portion of the neurological examination. Methods The results from the honest palm sign (HPS) were evaluated for 162 consecutive neuro-oncology patients who had undergone upper extremity strength testing. Deltoid, bicep, and wrist extensor strength was assessed in all patients. During the examination, patients were repeatedly encouraged to “try as hard as possible” and to “resist with all your strength.” The absence of nail prints on the palms constituted a positive HPS test result (i.e., indicative of incomplete effort). The presence of nail prints constituted a negative HPS test result (i.e., indicative of full effort). Results A total of 162 patients were tested. Their mean age was 55.5 ± 14.9 years, the median Karnofsky performance scale score was 80 (range, 60–100), and 63 patients (39%) were men. Of the 162 patients, 102 (63%) had malignant gliomas, 28 (17%) had brain metastases, 21 (13%) had other primary brain tumors, and 11 (6.8%) had primary central nervous system lymphomas. Of the 162 patients, 48 (30%) had positive HPS test results. The test sensitivity (84.6%), specificity (75.2%), positive likelihood ratio (3.41), and negative likelihood ratio (0.205) were good. After excluding 33 patients with characteristics that rendered them unsuitable for testing, the results from the remaining 129 patients were analyzed. The sensitivity was unchanged (84.6%), but the specificity (96.6%), positive likelihood ratio (24.5), and negative likelihood ratio (0.16) improved dramatically. Conclusions The HPS test is a simple, sensitive, and very specific test for detecting incomplete effort during the motor portion of neurological evaluations.
Alternate day fasting decreases preference for a calorically dense diet by increasing chow intake and altering meal pattern parameters.

Abstract Alternate day fasting (ADF) is an effective dietary strategy for weight loss in both humans and rats. However, fasting can elicit hyperphagia in rats, particularly upon access to a calorically dense, high-energy (HE) diet. To examine the effects of ADF on HE diet preference, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive either ad-libitum or alternate day access to both chow and HE food. Meal pattern analysis was conducted to provide a more detailed explanation of changes in HE preference. ADF rats had a decreased preference for the HE diet compared to controls. Both male and female ADF rats increased in overall intake of chow. However, for male ADF rats, the decrease in HE preference was driven by an increase in both size and number of chow meals; for females, it was driven only by an increase in number of chow meals. Meal size is controlled by both positive feedback (e.g., from the oral cavity) and negative feedback (e.g., from postoral inhibitory signals). Thus, for males, fasting appeared to increase orosensory stimulation and/or decrease sensitivity to inhibitory cues towards chow. For females, fasting appeared to decrease sensitivity to inhibitory cues towards chow. The decrease in HE preference observed in the current study may contribute to the effectiveness of ADF as a dietary strategy for weight loss.