cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of a self-efficacy measure for fat intake behaviors of low-income women.

Abstract Objective: To develop a valid self-efficacy measure for eating low-fat diets in low-income women. Design: Cognitive interviews followed by self-administered questionnaires. Participants/Settings: 206 (6 + 200) nonpregnant black and white women participating in Head Start and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) in Wisconsin: Variables Measured: A 13-item self-efficacy measure for eating low-fat diets. Analysis: Content analysis and factor analyses. Results: After cognitive interviews, 3 items were removed from a draft instrument. Factor analyses were carried out using data from 200 questionnaires that were randomly selected from a pool of 487 respondents: 100 for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 100 for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Based on EFA, the 10-item pool was further reduced to 8 items, and 3 domains emerged: negative affect, positive affect, and availability. The results of CFA showed excellent model fit to the data (χ 2 /df = 1.2, non-normed fit index=1.0, comparative fit index=1.0, incremental fit index=1.0, root mean square error of approximate=.046). This measure demonstrated excellent reliabilities (Cronbach α: .82-.92; composite reliability: .92-.99) and construct and convergent validities. Conclusions and Implications: Information obtained from this revised instrument can be used among low-income women to measure self-efficacy for eating low-fat diets. This is an important step in developing more targeted and thus more effective education messages to help low-income women modify their fat intake behaviors.
The Major Adult α-Globin Gene of Antarctic Teleosts and Its Remnants in the Hemoglobinless Icefishes CALIBRATION OF THE MUTATIONAL CLOCK FOR NUCLEAR GENES

Abstract The icefishes of the Southern Ocean (family Channichthyidae, suborder Notothenioidei) are unique among vertebrates in their inability to synthesize hemoglobin. We have shown previously (Cocca, E., Ratnayake-Lecamwasam, M., Parker, S. K., Camardella, L., Ciaramella, M., di Prisco, G., and Detrich, H. W., III (1995)Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 92, 1817–1821) that icefishes retain inactive genomic remnants of adult notothenioid α-globin genes but have lost the gene that encodes adult β-globin. Here we demonstrate that loss of expression of the major adult α-globin, α1, in two species of icefish (Chaenocephalus aceratus and Chionodraco rastrospinosus) results from truncation of the 5′ end of the notothenioid α1-globin gene. The wild-type, functional α1-globin gene of the Antarctic yellowbelly rockcod, Notothenia coriiceps, contains three exons and two A + T-rich introns, and its expression may be controlled by two or three distinct promoters. Retained in both icefish genomes are a portion of intron 2, exon 3, and the 3′-untranslated region of the notothenioid α1-globin gene. The residual, nonfunctional α-globin gene, no longer under positive selection pressure for expression, has apparently undergone random mutational drift at an estimated rate of 0.12–0.33%/million years. We propose that abrogation of hemoglobin synthesis in icefishes most likely resulted from a single mutational event in the ancestral channichthyid that deleted the entire β-globin gene and the 5′ end of the linked α1-globin gene.
Cenozoic convergence along the California coast: A qualitative test of the hot-spot approximation

The displacement history of the San Andreas fault is characterized by three phases: a post–mid-Cretaceous to early Eocene period of active right slip, an Eocene to Miocene period of inactivity, and a post-Miocene period of accelerating right slip. It has been suggested that the proto–San Andreas offsets resulted from oblique convergence in the early Tertiary. This concept requires a mid-Tertiary period of normal convergence correlative with the period of inactivity and thus provides a basis for testing reconstructed plate motions. Assuming that hot spots constitute a fixed frame of reference and that the motion of North America has been constant, Farallon–North America convergence vectors have been computed for three Cenozoic phases of plate motion ending at 55, 42, and 30 m.y. B.P. Although there is some overlap between the early Tertiary period of oblique convergence and the mid-Tertiary phase of inactivity on the San Andreas, the calculated convergence vectors are generally consistent with the displacement history of the fault: moderate oblique convergence is indicated for the early Cenozoic, with some reduction in the oblique component between 55 and 42 m.y. B.P., and a period of nearly normal convergence is indicated for the period between 42 and 30 m.y. B.P. Thus, the two hypotheses, that the proto–San Andreas was driven by oblique convergence and that hot spots approximate a fixed frame of reference, are not mutually exclusive. Although this type of study cannot prove either hypothesis, the results lend some support to each.
An Exploration of Teachers’ Efforts to Understand Identity Work and its Relevance to Science Instruction

US educators express concern that students are turning away from the study of science and have little interest in pursuing science careers. Nationally, science achievement scores for 8th graders are unchanged since 1996, but 12th graders’ scores have significantly decreased. A shortcoming of education reform efforts is lack of attention to students’ developmental needs. Science study should enable students to learn about themselves—to develop and refine their skills, define their values, explore personal interests, and understand the importance of science to themselves and others. Effective secondary science instruction requires attention to students’ identity development—the key developmental task of adolescence. Secondary science teachers participated in an 8-week course focused on understanding adolescent identity development and methods for addressing identity. Transcripts of the teachers’ online discussions of salient issues were analyzed to determine their perceptions regarding classroom identity work. Teachers identified several assets and obstacles to identity work that were organized into two broad categories: teacher knowledge, training opportunities, and administrative support, or lack of these; and, presence of inflexible curricula, standardized testing regimes, and increased teacher accountability. Implications for student growth and science teacher professional development are discussed.
College Effects on Occupational Status Attainment.

This study represents a further examination of the relative importance of social origin and educational measures in the occupational status attainment of former college students. The study is longitudinal and is based on a causal model that incorporates multiple measures of students' precollege characteristics, the undergraduate institutions they attended, and their performance and experiences within these institutions. Separate analyses were performed for those employed in professional and nonprofessional occupations. The results suggest a basic distinction between the characteristics of undergraduate institutions and students' performance and experiences within those institutions that are most influential in the occupational status attainment process for those employed in professional and nonprofessional positions. Occupational status attainment in professional careers appears to be influenced more by cognitive attributes of the college attended and the students' educational performance, whereas the attainment process in nonprofessional careers appears to be influenced more by affective attributes of the collegiate experience.
EXPLORING ASPECTS OF FILIPINO‐AMERICAN FAMILIES

FilipinOs are the fastest growing Asian population in the United States. Yet we Westerners know little about the Filipino-American family-aspects of its organization, facets of its functioning, or salient cultural values. This paper explores these issues in the firt-generation Filipino-American family and offers specific treatment recommendations. Case examples are provided.
Mining of the forest and the time path of the price of timber

Abstract The paper analyzes the effect of transportation (site specific) costs and the effect of mining (depletion) of the forest on the time path of the price and of the net price of timber in two forestry models. The models differ in that one has zero costs and the other has positive costs. The analyses yield the standard mining theory results for certain cases. They also yield extentions of these results for cases with growth of the harvested trees and/or regeneration on the harvested land. The paper concludes, as one would expect, that the theory of the mine is useful in analyzing the time path of the price of timber.
Logic design error diagnosis and correction

Logic verification tools are often used to verify a gate-level implementation of a digital system in terms of its functional specification. If the implementation is found not to be functionally equivalent to the specification, it is important to correct the implementation automatically. This paper describes a formal method for the diagnosis and correction of logic design errors in an incorrect gate-level implementation. We use Boolean equation techniques to search for potential error locations. An efficient search and pruning algorithm is developed by introducing the notion of immediate dominator set. Two correction procedures are proposed. Gate correction corrects errors such as wrong gate type, missing inverters, etc.; line correction corrects errors such as missing wires and wrong connections. Our method is robust and covers all, simple design errors described by Abadir et al. (1988). Experimental results for a set of ISCAS and MCNC benchmark circuits demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques. >
On rigorous transaction scheduling

The class of transaction scheduling mechanisms in which the transaction serialization order can be determined by controlling their commitment order, is defined. This class of transaction management mechanisms is important, because it simplifies transaction management in a multidatabase system environment. The notion of analogous execution and serialization orders of transactions is defined and the concept of strongly recoverable and rigorous execution schedules is introduced. It is then proven that rigorous schedulers always produce analogous execution and serialization orders. It is shown that the systems using the rigorous scheduling can be naturally incorporated in hierarchical transaction management mechanisms. It is proven that several previously proposed multidatabase transaction management mechanisms guarantee global serializability only if all participating databases systems produce rigorous schedules. >
Assessing the relationship between preterm delivery and various microorganisms recovered from the lower genital tract

Objective. To determine if the likelihood of preterm delivery is more dependent on the specific organisms present in the vagina than on the presence of bacterial vaginosis.Methods. We evaluated the vaginal fluid of a prospective cohort of women at 23–32 weeks of gestation with signs and symptoms of preterm labor and intact membranes. Forward stepwise logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between preterm delivery and the presence of anaerobic bacteria, Gardnerella, ureaplasmas and mycoplasmas, and sialidase.Results. The cohort included 137 women, and complete delivery information was available for 134 of them. The rate of preterm delivery was 28% (37 of 134). Mycoplasma genitalium independently was associated with spontaneous preterm delivery (OR 3.48; 95% CI 1.41, 8.57). After controlling for this factor, none of the other variables were significantly prognostic for spontaneous preterm delivery (residual overall p = 0.19).Conclusion. The presence of Mycoplasma genitalium in the...
The closest-to-mean filter: an edge preserving smoother for Gaussian environments

Median based filters have gained wide-spread use because of their ability to preserve edges and suppress impulses. In this paper, we introduce the closest-to-mean (CTM) filter, which outputs the input sample closest to the sample mean. The CTM filtering framework offers lower computational complexity and better performance in near Gaussian environments than median filters. The formulation of the CTM filter is derived from the theory of S-filters, which form a class of generalized selection-type filters with the features of edge preservation and impulse suppression. S-filters can play a significant role in image processing, where edge and detail preservation are of paramount importance. We compare the performance of CTM, median, and mean filters in the smoothing of edges and impulses immersed in Gaussian noise. A sufficient condition for a signal to be a root of the CTM filter is included.
Understanding Macroeconomic Interdependence: Do We Really Need to Shut Off the Current Account?

This paper develops a small open economy, sticky-price model with a role for current account dynamics in the transmission of shocks. I solve the stationarity problem of incomplete markets, open economy models by adopting an overlapping-generations structure. I model nominal rigidity by assuming that firms face costs of output price inflation volatility. Markup dynamics affect labor demand and investment decisions. To illustrate the functioning of the model, I identify the home economy with Canada and analyze how a recession in the U.S. is transmitted to Canada under alternative inflation targeting rules. Stabilizing inflation (in consumer or producer prices) at a steady-state target in all periods results in a milder, but more persistent recession than a rule under which the interest rate reacts to inflation in a Taylor fashion. Markup dynamics and changes in asset holdings are central to this result.
CMF22 Is a Broadly Conserved Axonemal Protein and Is Required for Propulsive Motility in Trypanosoma brucei

The eukaryotic flagellum (or cilium) is a broadly conserved organelle that provides motility for many pathogenic protozoa and is critical for normal development and physiology in humans. Therefore, defining core components of motile axonemes enhances understanding of eukaryotic biology and provides insight into mechanisms of inherited and infectious diseases in humans. In this study, we show that component of motile flagella 22 (CMF22) is tightly associated with the flagellar axoneme and is likely to have been present in the last eukaryotic common ancestor. The CMF22 amino acid sequence contains predicted IQ and ATPase associated with a variety of cellular activities (AAA) motifs that are conserved among CMF22 orthologues in diverse organisms, hinting at the importance of these domains in CMF22 function. Knockdown by RNA interference (RNAi) and rescue with an RNAi-immune mRNA demonstrated that CMF22 is required for propulsive cell motility in Trypanosoma brucei. Loss of propulsive motility in CMF22-knockdown cells was due to altered flagellar beating patterns, rather than flagellar paralysis, indicating that CMF22 is essential for motility regulation and likely functions as a fundamental regulatory component of motile axonemes. CMF22 association with the axoneme is weakened in mutants that disrupt the nexin-dynein regulatory complex, suggesting potential interaction with this complex. Our results provide insight into the core machinery required for motility of eukaryotic flagella.
Definitive radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the soft palate.

Background. We report the University of Florida experience with soft-palate carcinoma treated with radiotherapy alone or combined with adjuvant chemotherapy and/or neck dis- section for residual disease in the neck. Methods. A total of 145 patients treated with curative intent from 1963 to 2004 were included. Potential follow-up was � 2 years. Results. Local control rates at 5 years were: T1, 90%; T2, 91% ;T 3, 67%; T4, 57%. Nodal control rates at 5 years were: N0, 90%; N1, 82%; N2, 68%; N3, 71%. Ultimate local-regional control rates at 5 years were: stage I, 89%; stage II, 88%; stage III, 96%; stage IVA, 63% ;s tage IVB, 43%. In multivariate analysis, overall treatment time significantly affected local and ultimate local-re- gional control, and nodal stage significantly affected overall sur- vival. Overall survival rate at 5 years was 44%. Cause-specific sur- vival rate at 5 years was 73%. Conclusions. The likelihood of cure after definitive radiother- apy is relatively high and is impacted by disease extent and overall treatment time. V C 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 30: 1114-1119, 2008
Urinary androstanediol and testosterone in adults.

Data are presented on the daily urinary excretion of androstanediol and testosterone in healthy adults using a sensitive radioligand assay. In nine men, the average urinary androstanediol (79 μg/day) was not significantly different from the urinary testosterone (84 μg/day). However, in women the average values of urinary androstanediol excretion (12 μg/day) were significantly higher than the urinary testosterone (4.2 μg/day). In each of the females, the urinary androstanediol was greater than the urinary testosterone. The data do not support the hypothesis that the daily urinary androstanediol excretion is a measure of die 5α-reduction of testosterone in androgen target tissues.
Mathematical programming model of bond length and angular resolution for minimum energy carbon nanotubes

This paper addresses the problem of determining minimum energy configurations of single-walled carbon nanotubes through the use of a mathematical programming model. The model includes a potential energy function which is minimized subject to constraints on the angular resolution and bond lengths. This approach seems to consistently produce stable configurations.
Using a communication architecture specification in an application-driven retargetable prototyping platform for multiprocessing

In multiprocessor based SoCs, optimizing the communication architecture is often as important, if not more important, than optimizing the computation architecture. While there are mature platforms and techniques for the modeling and evaluation of architectures of processing elements, the same is not true for the communication architectures. This paper presents an application-driven retargetable prototyping platform which fills this gap. This environment aims to facilitate the design exploration of the communication sub-system through application-level execution-driven simulations and quantitative analysis. First, we introduce an expressive communication architecture specification which gives the designers the freedom to choose and configure their custom interconnection schemes over a wide range of communication architectures, covering the spectrum from buses to packet switching networks. This, combined with a distributed application model, drives a modular modeling and simulation environment that permits detailed simulation of the communication (and computation) architectures at the application level. Through the case studies motivated by an embedded system application, we show that through simulations, critical system information such as timings and communication patterns can be obtained and evaluated. Consequently, system-level design choices regarding the communication architecture can be made with high confidence in the early stages of design. In addition to improving design quality, this methodology also results in significantly shortening design-time.
The three most important things about origins: location, location, location

The reasons why some DNA replication origins fire earlier than others have remained elusive. New work by Gindin et al suggests that the distribution of replication origins, not their timing per se, is the major determinant of the timing of genome replication in human cells.
Physicomimetics for Mobile Robot Formations

In prior work we established how physicomimetics can be used to self-organize hexagonal and square lattice formations of mobile robots. In this paper we extend the framework to moving formations, by providing additional theoretical analysis and showing how this theory facilitates the implementation of seven robots in a hexagonal formation moving towards a goal.
EFFECT OF SOLUTION COMPOSITION AND PROTEOLYSIS ON THE CONFORMATION OF AXONEMAL COMPONENTS

The effect of solution composition and enzymic proteolysis on axonemes prepared from the sperm of sea urchins, Tripneustes gratilla, has been investigated. Aliquots of axonemes, prepared by treatment of sperm with Triton X-100 and differential centrifugation, were transferred to solutions of different composition with and without intervening tryptic proteolysis, and the particle conformations observed by dark-field and electron microscopy. In most solutions particles in partially digested preparations underwent conformational transformations to coiled or helix-like forms. Proteolysis was accompanied by an increase in the ATPase activity of the digest: by centrifuging down the insoluble digestion products it was shown that digestion resulted in the appearance of ATPase activity in the soluble phase with a concomitant decrease in ATPase activity in the pellet fraction. Gel electrophoresis showed this corresponded to the appearance of dynein in the supernatant and a decrease in dynein associated with the insoluble fraction. Supernatant dynein had a greater specific ATPase activity than dynein extracted from axonemes. Observations on specimens prepared for electron microscopy by thin sectioning allowed a rough correlation to be made between the dark-field observations, chemical analyses, and morphological alterations attendant with the proteolysis and solution conditions. It is concluded that in the intact axoneme the doublet tubules are under considerable tension and that proteolytic destruction of physical restraining elements allows spontaneous conformational alterations of the digestion products. In addition, proteolysis increases the specific ATPase activity of dynein and removes a portion of it from the axonemal structure.
Whirlpool PLAs: a regular logic structure and their synthesis

A regular circuit structure called a Whirlpool PLA (WPLA) is proposed. It is suitable for the implementation of finite state machines as well as combinational logic. A WPLA is logically a four-level Boolean NOR network. By arranging the four logic arrays in a cycle, a compact layout is achieved. Doppio-ESPRESSO, a four-level logic minimization algorithm is developed for WPLA synthesis. No technology mapping, placement or routing is necessary for the WPLA. Area and delay trade-off is absent, because these two goals are usually compatible in WPLA synthesis.
Task-space trajectories via cubic spline optimization

We consider the task of planning smooth trajectories for robot motion. In this paper we make two contributions. First we present a method for cubic spline optimization; this technique lets us simultaneously plan optimal task-space trajectories and fit cubic splines to the trajectories, while obeying many of the same constraints imposed by a typical motion planning algorithm. The method uses convex optimization techniques, and is therefore very fast and suitable for real-time re-planning and control. Second, we apply this approach to the tasks of planning foot and body trajectory for a quadruped robot, the “LittleDog,” and show that the proposed approach improves over previous work on this robot.
Approximate analysis of asymmetric packet switch modules under bursty and nonuniform traffic environment

This paper analyses the performance of output channel grouped asymmetric packet switch modules in ATM networks, under geometrically bursty input traffic with input/output traffic imbalance. The switch module considered has n inputs and m outputs. A packet destined for a particular output address (out of g) needs to access only one of the r available physical output ports; m=gr. The motivation for the study of these switch modules is that they are the key building blocks in many huge multistage switch architectures. A combination of exact derivation and numerical analysis yields the saturation throughput of input buffered switch modules for a wide range of traffic nonuniformity factors and burstiness. Results show a degradation in the maximum throughput as the average burst length increases and this is found to be true for any traffic nonuniformity factor. Throughput degradation due to head-of-line blocking is found to be the largest when switch modules are symmetric (gr=n). Thus, asymmetric switches tend to diminish the throughput advantage of output-buffered switch modules over input-buffered switch modules and this is true for any combination of input/output traffic imbalance and burst length. Our results also indicate that increasing the number of output ports per output address can significantly improve the switch performance, especially when traffic is highly nonuniform and bursty. >
Infant Killing in Primates: A Review of Observed Cases with Specific Reference to the Sexual Selection Hypothesis

Discussion of infant killing in free-ranging primates has focused on the sexual selection hypothesis developed by Hrdy during the mid-1970s. This hypothesis suggests that infant killing is a form of sexual competition whereby an infanticidal male gains a reproductive advantage by selectively killing the offspring of his male rivals. Despite criticisms that the evidence in support of the hypothesis is distorted by misinterpretation of data and observer bias, the sexual selection hypothesis, bolstered in part by additional reports of infanticide in a variety of specks, has become entrenched as the primary explanatory hypothesis for primate infanticide. However, the majority of reliably documented instances of infanticide in primates come from a very small number of species, and a careful examination of the specific context of each of these episodes fails to support the interpretation of infanticide as a primatewide adaptive complex. Most importantly, the atmosphere of generalized inter- and intrasexual aggression that surrounds the majority of infant killings obscures the evolutionary significance of this behavior.
Neural Activity Related to Drug Craving in Cocaine Addiction

Background Crack cocaine dependence and addiction is typically associated with frequent and intense drug wanting or craving triggered by internal or environmental cues associated with past drug use. Methods Water O 15 positron emission tomography (PET) studies were used to localize alterations in synaptic activity related to cue-induced drug craving in 8 crack cocaine–dependent African American men. In a novel approach, script-guided imagery of autobiographical memories were used as individualized cues to internally generate a cocaine craving state and 2 control (ie, anger and neutral episodic memory recall) states during PET image acquisition. Results The mental imagery of personalized drug use and anger-related scripts was associated with self-ratings of robust drug craving or anger, and comparable alterations in heart rate. Compared with the neutral imagery control condition, imagery-induced drug craving was associated with bilateral (right hemisphere amygdala activation greater than left) activation of the amygdala, the left insula and anterior cingulate gyrus, and the right subcallosal gyrus and nucleus accumbens area. Compared with the anger control condition, internally generated drug craving was associated with bilateral activation of the insula and subcallosal cortex, left hippocampus, and anterior cingulate cortex and brainstem. A brain-wide pixel-by-pixel search indicated significant positive and negative correlations between imagery-induced cocaine craving and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in distributed sites. Conclusions The collected findings suggest the craving-related activation of a network of limbic, paralimbic, and striatal brain regions, including structures involved in stimulus-reward association (amygdala), incentive motivation (subcallosal gyrus/nucleus accumbens), and anticipation (anterior cingulate cortex).
The protective role of aquaporins in the freeze-tolerant insect Eurosta solidaginis: functional characterization and tissue abundance of EsAQP1

The movement of water and small solutes is integral to the survival of freezing and desiccation in insects, yet the underlying mechanisms of these processes are not fully known. Recent evidence suggests that aquaporin (AQP) water channels play critical roles in protecting cells from osmotic damage during freezing and desiccation. Our study sequenced, functionally characterized and measured the tissue abundance of an AQP from freeze-tolerant larvae of the gall fly, Eurosta solidaginis (Diptera: Tephritidae). The newly characterized EsAQP1 contains two NPA motifs and six transmembrane regions, and is phylogenetically related to an AQP from the anhydrobiotic chironomid Polypedilum vanderplanki. Using a Xenopus laevis oocyte swelling assay, we demonstrated that EsAQP1 increases water permeability to nine times that of simple diffusion through the membrane. In contrast to its high water permeability, EsAQP1 was impermeable to both glycerol and urea. The abundance of EsAQP1 increased from October to December in all tissues tested and was most abundant in the brain of winter larvae. Because the nervous system is thought to be the primary site of freezing injury, EsAQP1 may cryoprotect the brain from damage associated with water imbalance. The sequence, phylogenetic relationship, osmotic permeability, tissue distribution and seasonal abundance of EsAQP1 further support the role of AQPs in promoting freezing tolerance.
Ecological validity and clinical utility of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) instruments for detecting premenstrual symptoms of depression, anger, and fatigue.

Objective This study examined the ecological validity and clinical utility of NIH Patient Reported-Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) instruments for anger, depression, and fatigue in women with premenstrual symptoms.
Statistical change detection for multi-dimensional data

This paper deals with detecting change of distribution in multi-dimensional data sets. For a given baseline data set and a set of newly observed data points, we define a statistical test called the density test for deciding if the observed data points are sampled from the underlying distribution that produced the baseline data set. We define a test statistic that is strictly distribution-free under the null hypothesis. Our experimental results show that the density test has substantially more power than the two existing methods for multi-dimensional change detection.
Folding actuation and locomotion of novel magneto-active elastomer (MAE) composites

Magneto-active elastomers (also called magnetorheological elastomers) are most often used in vibration attenuation application due to their ability to increase in shear modulus under a magnetic field. These shear-stiffening materials are generally comprised of soft-magnetic iron particles embedded in a rubbery elastomer matrix. More recently researchers have begun fabricating MAEs using hard-magnetic particles such as barium ferrite. Under the influence of uniform magnetic fields these hard-magnetic MAEs have shown large deformation bending behaviors resulting from magnetic torques acting on the distributed particles and consequently highlight their ability for use as remotely powered actuators. Using the magnetic-torque-driven hard-magnetic MAE materials and an unfilled silicone elastomer, this work develops novel composite geometries for actuation and locomotion. MAE materials are fabricated using 30% v/v 325 mesh barium ferrite particles in Dow Corning HS II silicone elastomers. MAE materials are cured in a 2T magnetic field to create magnetically aligned (anisotropic) materials as confirmed by vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). Gelest optical encapsulant is used as the uniflled elastomer material. Mechanical actuation tests of cantilevers in bending and of accordion folding structures highlight the ability of the material to perform work in moderate, uniform fields of . Computational simulations are developed for comparison. Folding structures are also investigated as a means to produce untethered locomotion across a flat surface when subjected to an alternating field similar to scratch drive actuators; geometries investigated show promising results.
Why arboreal snakes should not be cylindrical: body shape, incline and surface roughness have interactive effects on locomotion

Depending on animal size, shape, body plan and behaviour, variation in surface structure can affect the speed and ease of locomotion. The slope of branches and the roughness of bark both vary considerably, but their combined effects on the locomotion of arboreal animals are poorly understood. We used artificial branches with five inclines and five peg heights (≤40 mm) to test for interactive effects on the locomotion of three snake species with different body shapes. Unlike boa constrictors (Boa constrictor), corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) and brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis) can both form ventrolateral keels, which are most pronounced in B. irregularis. Increasing peg height up to 10 mm elicited more of the lateral undulatory behaviour (sliding contact without gripping) rather than the concertina behaviour (periodic static gripping) and increased the speed of lateral undulation. Increased incline: (1) elicited more concertina locomotion, (2) decreased speed and (3) increased the threshold peg height that elicited lateral undulation. Boiga irregularis was the fastest species, and it used lateral undulation on the most surfaces, including a vertical cylinder with pegs only 1 mm high. Overall, B. constrictor was the slowest and used the most concertina locomotion, but this species climbed steep, smooth surfaces faster than P. guttatus. Our results illustrate how morphology and two different aspects of habitat structure can have interactive effects on organismal performance and behaviour. Notably, a sharper keel facilitated exploiting shorter protrusions to prevent slipping and provide propulsion, which became increasingly important as surface steepness increased.
A Comparison of Three Approaches to the Reduced-Scaling Coupled Cluster Treatment of Non-Resonant Molecular Response Properties.

We have investigated the performance of the reduced-scaling coupled cluster method based on projected atomic orbitals (PAOs), pair natural orbitals (PNOs), and orbital specific virtuals (OSVs) for the prediction of linear response properties. These methods introduce different degrees of controllable sparsity in the ground-state and perturbed coupled cluster wave functions, leading to localization errors in properties such as dynamic polarizabilities and specific optical rotations. Using a series of chiral test compounds, we find that the inherent costs associated with computing response properties are significantly greater than those for determining the ground-state energy. As the dimensionality of the molecular system increases—from (pseudo)linear structures, such as fluoroalkanes, to cagelike structures, such as β-pinene—the crossover point between canonical-orbital and localized-orbital algorithms increases substantially. Furthermore, both the OSV and PNO methods provide greater reduction in cost (as m...
Fruits and Vegetables Get a Golden Halo Once Again Is There More to the Story

What is not to like about fruits and vegetables? For decades, the data have been relatively consistent: Individuals who report eating more fruits and vegetables have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and all-cause mortality.1–6 Fruits and vegetables come in lots of colors, shapes, sizes, flavors, and textures. They can be eaten raw or prepared by baking, stewing, sauteing, frying, grilling, steaming, or microwaving. They are available in multiple forms: fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. They can be served whole, sliced, diced, mashed, pureed, or any combination thereof. Yet consistently, the majority of us are not eating the recommended amounts. When intensive efforts are made to get people to increase their intakes of fruits and vegetables, they inevitably fall short of the goal.7,8 Article see p 1990 In this issue of Circulation , we have new data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study supporting the beneficial effects of diets high in fruits and vegetables. Miedema et al9 based this conclusion on data collected between 1985 and 1986 and coronary artery calcium scores measured 20 years later. Participants included black and white women and men who ranged in age from 18 to 30 years at baseline. They were recruited from 4 urban sites within the US states of Alabama, Illinois, Minnesota, and California. After 20 years of follow-up, the CARDIA study had an impressive retention rate of 72%. Dietary intake was assessed with an interviewer-administered CARDIA Diet History questionnaire. All fruits and vegetables …
The original social network

In The Village Effect, Susan Pinker charges directly into the fierce debate over whether technology has a negative impact on our ability to create and sustain face-to-face relationships. In a lively book written for an intelligent general audience, she uses a mixture of human-interest stories and summaries of scholarly evidence to show the importance of in-person ties. Although he believes Pinker relies too heavily on pastoralist nostalgia at the expense of analyzing representative examples of how people choose to live today, reviewer Barry Wellman praises the book for providing important evidence in support of interpersonal relationships.
Decoupling method for parallel delaunay two-dimensional mesh generation

Parallel mesh generation procedures that are based on geometric domain decompositions require the permanent separators to be of good quality (in terms of their angles and length), in order to maintain the mesh quality. The Medial Axis Domain Decomposition, an innovative geometric domain decomposition procedure that addresses this problem, is introduced. The Medial Axis domain decomposition is of high quality in terms of the formed angles, and provides separators of small size, and also good work-load balance. It presents for the first time a decomposition method suitable for parallel meshing procedures that are based on geometric domain decompositions. The Decoupling Method for parallel Delaunay 2D mesh generation is a highly efficient and effective parallel procedure, able to generate billions of elements in a few hundred of seconds, on distributed memory machines. Our mathematical formulation introduces the notion of the decoupling path, which guarantees the decoupling property, and also the quality and conformity of the Delaunay submeshes. The subdomains are meshed independently, and as a result, the method eliminates the communication and the synchronization during the parallel meshing. A method for shielding small angles is introduced, so that the decoupled parallel Delaunay algorithm can be applied on domains with small angles. Moreover, I present the construction of a sizing function, that encompasses an existing sizing function and also geometric features and small angles. The decoupling procedure can be used for parallel graded Delaunay mesh generation, controlled by the sizing function.
Quantum control in strong laser fields

The time scale for internal motion in atoms and small molecules is determined by their Angstrom sizes and Rydberg binding energies to be femtoseconds or shorter. The binding fields for the outermost electrons are tens of volts per Angstrom, while inner electrons can be bound by kilovolts or more. I will describe recent experiments designed to study the interaction of atoms and molecules utilizing laser fields on these scales of time, photon energy and field strength.
Pseudofungi A Diagnostic Pitfall

Pseudofungi are septate hyphae-like structures very similar morphologically to true fungal elements. Histologically their presence poses a diagnostic challenge as they mimic fungal infection. Accurate identification of pseudofungi is required to avoid unnecessary treatment, and this can be accomplished by careful morphologic analysis with the use of appropriate histochemical stains. We report a patient with pseudofungi within a paratracheal lymph node, describe the morphologic findings, and discuss the differential diagnosis.
Public-Private Partnerships in Global Value Chains: Can They Actually Benefit the Poor?

This paper examines evidence on the potential and the conditions under which public-private partnerships can bring about inclusive development. It addresses the three main debates surrounding the potential of PPPs: the alignment of business and pro-poor development interests; the actors and institutions that determine how the system works; and the outcomes that can be achieved in a global industry context. The study argues that firms in the value chain have distinct functions, power-positions, and commercial incentives to catalyze change in their supply chains. For PPPs to be effective in promoting inclusive development, they must recognize and leverage the existing power asymmetries and governance structures in the chains.
A Comparative Study on SSR Diversity in Chinese Major Rice Varieties Planted in 1950s and During the Most Recent Ten Years

A total of 40 SSR markers were used to compare the genetic diversity in 151 Chinese major rice varieties planted in 1950s and during the most recent ten years.Of the 40 SSR loci,39 were polymorphic while 1 locus(RM479)was found to be monomorphic.All the 39 polymorphic loci revealed a total of 213 alleles.The mean number of alleles per locus(Na)was 5.5 with a range from 2 to 11.Total genetic diversity index of Nei(He)varied greatly among loci from 0.309 at RM174 to 0.869 at RM418,with an average value of 0.649.There existed a significant difference in SSR allelic diversity between indica and japonica subspecies.Indica rice had more variation than japonica rice both for Na and He.By comparison of the genetic changes in Na and He,it was found that varieties planted in 1950s had more alleles and higher He than those in recent ten years both for indica and japonica rice.The difference between two subspecies was significant in a tendency for Na over time(indica:z= 2.677,P= 0.007;japonica:z= 3.441,P=0.001),but not for He(indica:z= 1.471,P= 0.141;japonica:z= 1.932,P= 0.053).Analysis of molecular variance(AMOVA)indicated that the genetic variation was significantly different(P 0.05)between the periods of the 1950s and the recent ten years,of which,more genetic variation was contributed by indica(Fst= 0.050)and japonica(Fst= 0.082)subsets.Using locus-by-locus AMOVA procedure,significant differentiations were observed in 13 loci for indica subset and 11 loci for japonica subset between periods.It was found a part of the genetic alleles was lost in current major rice varieties as comparison with those of 1950s.Therefore,more alien elite genetic resources should be explored in the current program of Chinese rice breeding.
Effect of series elasticity on delay in development of tension relative to stiffness during muscle activation

Experimental data have indicated that during activation, the attachment of myosin to actin, measured by mechanical stiffness, precedes tension generation by 10-30 ms. Using computer simulation, we have investigated the effect of a series elastic element on the lag between stiffness and tension development during muscle activation. Two versions of the two-state cross-bridge model originally proposed by Huxley and a three-state model were considered. After simulated activation, stiffness and tension increased with rates that were strongly dependent on the series elastic strain. In the absence of a series elastic element, the rise in stiffness preceded, lagged, or was coincident with the increase in tension, depending on the model. For large elastic strains, tension lagged stiffness for all models. Lags of 10-30 ms could be obtained with elastic strains of 0.3-1% of the muscle length. This is a realistic value in experiments without sarcomere length servocontrol, suggesting that series elasticity may be an important contributor to the experimentally observed lag between tension and stiffness.
Strain-relaxation in thin films on substrates

Abstract An analysis of strain relaxation in thin films on substrates indicates that, at temperatures below 0.5Tm this phenomenon can adequately be described in terms of three mechanisms, namely diffusion creep, grain boundary sliding and plastic deformation through dislocation glide. The efficiency of the grain boundaries as sources and sinks for vacancies is an important factor in such strain-relaxation. Numerical solutions of the applicable difference equations with appropriate boundary conditions, set up to describe strain-relaxation in thin films on substrates, are in fair agreement with available experimental data. These solutions also indicate that a planar elastic strain of about 2–3 × 10−3, and a dislocation density of the order of 103 cm/cm3 or higher, may usually be expected in thin films even after annealing treatments.
The Urban Environment

The environment-behavior literature related to the urban environment is in many ways as complex and diverse as the city itself. While traditionally the province of urban sociology, the urban crises of the past two decades have prompted considerable research into the nature and consequences of city life from a social psychological perspective as well. Some of the most recent work in this area has endeavored to apply and integrate environment- behavior theory and research on such concepts as density, crowding and sensory overload with more traditional views of urban life.