cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) as biomimetic sensors, actuators and artificial muscles - a review

This paper presents an introduction to ionic polymer-metal composites and some mathematical modeling pertaining to them. It further discusses a number of recent findings in connection with ion-exchange polymer-metal composites (IPMCS) as biomimetic sensors and actuators. Strips of these composites can undergo large bending and flapping displacement if an electric field is imposed across their thickness. Thus, in this sense they are large motion actuators. Conversely by bending the composite strip, either quasi-statically or dynamically, a voltage is produced across the thickness of the strip. Thus, they are also large motion sensors. The output voltage can be calibrated for a standard size sensor and correlated to the applied loads or stresses. They can be manufactured and cut in any size and shape. In this paper first the sensing capability of these materials is reported. The preliminary results show the existence of a linear relationship between the output voltage and the imposed displacement for almost all cases. Furthermore, the ability of these IPMCs as large motion actuators and robotic manipulators is presented. Several muscle configurations are constructed to demonstrate the capabilities of these IPMC actuators. This paper further identifies key parameters involving the vibrational and resonance characteristics of sensors and actuators made with IPMCS. When the applied signal frequency varies, so does the displacement up to a critical frequency called the resonant frequency where maximum deformation is observed, beyond which the actuator response is diminished. A data acquisition system was used to measure the parameters involved and record the results in real time basis. Also the load characterizations of the IPMCs were measured and it was shown that these actuators exhibit good force to weight characteristics in the presence of low applied voltages. Finally reported are the cryogenic properties of these muscles for potential utilization in an outer space environment of a few Torrs and temperatures of the order of - 140 degrees Celsius. These muscles are shown to work quite well in such harsh cryogenic environments and thus present a great potential as sensors and actuators that can operate at cryogenic temperatures.
Gas chromatographic characterization of soapstocks from vegetable oil refining

Gas chromatography was used after trimethylsilyl derivatization to determine the composition of soapstocks from corn germ and peanut oil refining. Soap fatty acids, polyalcohols, small carbohydrates, sterols, steryl glycosides, mono-, di- and triglycerides were measured using a hexamethyldisilazane/pyridine preparation and a high-temperature capillary column. Additional peaks associated with the fatty acids appeared in the chromatograms when pyridine was incorporated into the sample preparation. Limiting the concentration of soapstock in the sample or replacing pyridine with a chlorinated solvent reduced the formation of these artifacts.
Use of Wireless Local Area Networks in Rail and Urban Transit Environments

Wireless technologies have expanded greatly over the past few years as a result of numerous technological advances and regulatory changes. Although rail and urban transit operators have long used radio systems primarily for voice communications, they are increasingly deploying new wireless networks in support of advanced applications for themselves and their customers. These applications have the potential to streamline rail and transit operations, enhance customers' travel experience, and act as a new source of revenue. This paper reviews the recent technological advances and regulatory changes that have encouraged the proliferation of mobile wireless devices and networks and examines the issues associated with their design and deployment in the rail and urban transit environment.
Icm/Dot-Independent Entry of Legionella pneumophila into Amoeba and Macrophage Hosts

Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, expresses a type IVB secretion apparatus that translocates bacterial proteins into amoeba and macrophage hosts. When stationary-phase cultures are used to infect hosts, the type IVB apparatus encoded by the icm/dot genes is required for entry, delay of phagosome-lysosome fusion, and intracellular multiplication within host cells. Null mutants with mutations in icm/dot genes are defective in these phenotypes. Here a new model is described in which hosts are infected with stationary-phase cultures that have been incubated overnight in pH 6.5 buffer. This model is called Ers treatment because it enhances the resistance to acid, hydrogen peroxide, and antibiotic stress beyond that of stationary-phase cultures. Following Ers treatment entry into amoeba and macrophage hosts does not require dotA, which is essential for Legionella virulence phenotypes when hosts are infected with stationary-phase cultures, dotB, icmF, icmV, or icmX. Defective host entry is also suppressed for null mutants with mutations in the KatA and KatB catalase-peroxidase enzymes, which are required for proper intracellular growth in amoeba and macrophage hosts. Ers treatment-induced suppression of defective entry is not associated with increased bacterial adhesion to host cells or with morphological changes in the bacterial envelope but is dependent on protein expression during Ers treatment. By using proteomic analysis, Ers treatment was shown to induce a protein predicted to contain eight tetratricopeptide repeats, a motif previously implicated in enhanced entry of L. pneumophila. Characterization of Ers treatment-dependent changes in expression is proposed as an avenue for identifying icm/dot-independent factors that function in the entry of Legionella into amoeba and macrophage hosts.
Evidence for Abundant Slightly Deleterious Polymorphisms in Bacterial Populations

The nearly neutral theory of molecular evolution predicts that slightly deleterious mutations subject to purifying selection are widespread in natural populations, particularly those of large effective population size. To test this hypothesis, the standardized difference between pairwise nucleotide difference and number of segregation sites (corrected for number of sequences) was estimated for 149 population data sets from 84 species of bacteria. This quantity (Tajima's D-statistic) was estimated separately for synonymous (D(syn)) and nonsynonymous (D(non)) polymorphisms. D(syn) was positive in 70% of data sets, and the overall median D(syn) (0.873) was positive. By contrast D(non) was negative in 68% of data sets, and the overall median D(non) (-0.656) was negative. The preponderance of negative values of D(non) is evidence that there are widespread rare nonsynonymous polymorphisms in the process of being eliminated by purifying selection, as predicted to occur in populations with large effective size by the nearly neutral theory. The major exceptions to this trend were seen among surface proteins, particularly those of bacteria parasitic on vertebrates, which included a number of cases of polymorphisms apparently maintained by balancing selection.
Effect of material parameters on shear band spacing in work-hardening gradient dependent thermoviscoplastic materials

We study thermomechanical deformations of a viscoplastic body deformed in simple shear. The eAect of material elasticity is neglected but that of work hardening, strain-rate hardening, thermal softening, and strain-rate gradients is considered. The consideration of strain-rate gradients introduces a material characteristic length into the problem. A homogeneous solution of the governing equations is perturbed at diAerent values t0 of time t, and the growth rate at time t0 of perturbations of diAerent wavelengths is computed. Following Wright and Ockendon’s postulate that the wavelength of the dominant instability mode with the maximum growth rate at time t0 determines the minimum spacing between shear bands, the shear band spacing is computed. It is found that for the shear band spacing to be positive, either the thermal conductivity or the material characteristic length must be positive. Approximate analytical expressions for locally adiabatic deformations of dipolar (strain-rate gradientdependent) materials indicate that the shear band spacing is proportional to the square-root of the material charateristic length, and the fourth root of the strain-rate hardening exponent. The shear band spacing increases with an increase in the strain hardening exponent and the thermal conductivity of the material. # 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
A targeted equalizer for lithium ion battery packs

Slight differences between the series connected cells in a lithium ion (LiIon) battery pack can produce imbalances in the cell voltages, and this greatly reduces the charge capacity. An electronic equalizer (EQU) must be used to balance the cell voltages individually since these batteries cannot be trickle charged like a lead acid battery. This is because even a slight overcharge can cause these cells to ignite. The targeted EQU described here can be connected to any cell via a set of sealed relays to provide much faster equalization and higher efficiency than previous methods. This method has proven to be quite simple and very reliable due to the extremely long lifetime of this type of relay.
Hydrodynamic Model of Plasma-Sheath for RF Discharges with and without Collision

We present a numerical model for two-species bounded plasma discharge with a time varying potential at 0.1 torr pressure in collisional and collisionless regimes. The plasma-wall problem is modeled using hydrodynamic equations coupled with the Poisson equation. The model is based on a robust finite element algorithm utilized to overcome the stiffness of the plasma-wall equations. Appropriate flux boundary conditions with directions are imposed at both electrodes. Typical discharge characteristics including electron gas flooding at electrode, sheath heating, sheath evolution with time and electric double layer are predicted. The spatial and temporal evolution of charge density, electric field and total current are documented. Numerical limitations are also highlighted from the theoretical derivation of algorithm amplification factor and phase velocity.
Psychological Distress during Ovarian Cancer Treatment: Improving Quality by Examining Patient Problems and Advanced Practice Nursing Interventions

Background/Significance. Ovarian cancer patients are prone to psychological distress. The clinical significance and best practices for distress among this population are poorly understood. Method. Secondary analysis of research records from a six month randomized control trial included 32 women with primary ovarian cancer. All received 18 advanced practice nurse (APN) visits over six months. Three sub-samples were determined by distress level (high/low) and mental health service consent for high distress. Demographic, clinical factors, patient problems and APN interventions obtained through content analysis and categorized via the Omaha System were compared. Results. Clinically-significant psychiatric conditions were identified in 8/18 (44%) high distress subjects consenting to mental health intervention. High distress subjects who refused mental health intervention had more income and housing problems than the other subjects, received the fewest interventions at baseline, and progressively more throughout the study, exceeding the other sub-samples by study completion. Conclusions. Highly-distressed women not psychologically ready to work through emotional consequences of cancer at treatment onset may obtain support from APNs to manage cancer problems as they arise. Additional studies may identify best practices for all highly-distressed women with cancer, particularly those who do not accept mental health services for distress, but suffer from its effects.
Parallel grading of venous beading on transputer

Describes a parallel algorithm and its implementation on transputers for automated grading of venous beading in digitized ocular fundus images. The algorithm mainly consists of median filtering, thresholding, thinning, morphological closing, diameter measurement, fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis and grading. Median filtering reduces the noise in the original image, thresholding roughly extracts the vein from the background, morphological closing fills holes in the vein, thinning obtains a centerline representation of the vein, diameter measurement and analysis are performed on each centerline branch, and the FFT analyzes the diameter functions. The magnitude spectrum of the diameter function is computed. Usually veins without beading exhibit only low frequency components while beaded veins have significantly more high frequency components. The sum of the high frequency magnitude can be a parameter to distinguish normal from beaded veins. All work has been done on a transputer using PC Trollius. >
The Present Situation of The Nambiquara

The Nambiquara region has recently become more accessible, enabling the authors to make a fairly thorough survey. This paper lists bands according to their geographical locations and linguistic positions within the Nambiquara family. The name by which each band refers to itself is correlated with the terms used by other bands. Present-day villages are shown, and past and present population is discussed.
Virtual instrument based distributed power metering manifold

A distributed power metering manifold (PMM) approach to power monitoring on the multiple branch circuits supplied from a common distribution panel is enhanced with a virtual instrument (VI) user interface. This VI based PMM allows the user to select the main or any of the branch circuits monitored. The VI interface periodically updates and displays all of the power parameters, phase voltage and current waveforms and a dynamic phasor diagram of the fundamental voltages and currents characterizing the particular branch circuit load under observation. Moreover, a continuous scan mode will cycle through each monitored branch circuit in succession and trigger the VI panel for an alarm function if any trip to preset conditions occur.
A riqueza do império: Francisco Arango y Parreño, economia política e a segunda escravidão em Cuba

Neste artigo examino o modo como Francisco Arango y Parreno, estadista, senhor de engenho e porta-voz da elite cubana utilizou a Economia Politica das Luzes a fim de reconceitualizar a riqueza nacional, a escravidao, e o mercado livre para estabelecer o fundamento teorico do dominio cubano no mercado mundial do acucar. Demonstro que as teses pro-escravistas de Arango e a critica de Adam Smith ao escravismo constituem aspectos contraditorios da Economia Politica liberal na conjuntura do mercado mundial no seculo XIX.
On Evidence and Argument in Phenomenological Research

Set against a background of calls for evidence-based practice, this paper explores the role of evidence and argument in phenomenological research. Drawing on Smith’s (1998) analysis of original argument, the author considers how evidence can be discerned, understood, and communicated, and the resulting kinds and contexts of knowledge that may be constituted in the practice of phenomenological research. Linking Churchill’s (2012) discussion of researcher perspectivity with Smith’s analysis of original argument, contrasts are drawn between rhetorical, demonstrative, and dialectical approaches to argument, with proposed parallels to first-person, second-person, and third-person perspectives explored. Implications for argument-based phenomenological research are discussed.
Construction and Startup Performance of the Miamisburg Salt-Gradient Solar Pond

An account is given of the construction and 1.5 years of operation of the Miamisburg, Ohio salt-gradient solar pond which, with 2020 sq m, is the largest solar collector in the U.S. The 18% sodium chloride solution pond has reached storage temperatures of 64 C in July and 28 C in February. Under steady-state conditions, conservative heat-yield estimates on the order of 962 million Btu have been made. The heat is used to warm-up a summer outdoor swimming pool and in winter a recreational building. Installation costs were only $35/sq m, and heat costs based on a 15-year depreciation of installation costs is below that of fuel oil heating, at $9.45 per million Btu. Further study is recommended for maintenance of water clarity, metallic component corrosion and assurance of pond water containment.
The multiple observation time test strategy

The authors consider the test generation problem, for synchronous sequential circuits in the case where hardware reset is not available (or cannot be assumed to be fault free). It is shown that the conventional testing approach, in which a fault is detected at a single predetermined time unit along the test sequence and in which the response of the circuit under test is compared against a single fault-free response, valid for all initial states of the circuit, can cause detectable faults to be declared undetectable. The use of a small number of different observation times and a small number of fault-free responses can allow the fault to be detected. Based on this observation, the use of multiple fault free responses and multiple time units for observation of the response of the circuit under test is suggested and test generation algorithms under the multiple observation time test strategy are given. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and practicality of the multiple-observation-time strategy in increasing the fault coverage. >
Modeling and measurements of scattering from road surfaces at millimeter-wave frequencies

Millimeter-wave radar-based sensors are being considered for a number of automotive applications including obstacle detection and collision warning, true-speed, and road-surface recognition. The interaction of electromagnetic waves with asphalt road surfaces, possibly covered with ice or water, at millimeter-wave frequencies is studied. First, an experimental procedure for determining the effective dielectric constant of bituminous mixtures used in road-surface constructions is developed. In this procedure, the effective dielectric constant is derived using a simple inverse-scattering algorithm to the measured radar cross sections of cylindrical specimen of a standard asphalt mixture. Then the vector radiative transfer equation is used to formulate the scattering from a multilayer medium representing an ice- or water-covered asphalt surface. The University of Michigan polarimetric 94-GHz radar system was deployed for characterizing the polarimetric backscatter responses of asphalt surfaces under many physical conditions near grazing incidence angles (70/spl deg/-88/spl deg/). The measured backscatter coefficients and parameters of copolarized phase difference statistics of a dry asphalt surface with smooth interface at one incidence angle were used to derive the phase and extinction matrices of the asphalt medium. The experimentally determined phase and extinction matrices are substituted in the radiative transfer formulation to predict the scattering from asphalt surfaces under all conditions. Excellent agreement between theoretical predictions and measured quantities is obtained.
Switching memory systems during learning: changes in patterns of brain acetylcholine release in the hippocampus and striatum in rats.

This experiment measured acetylcholine (ACh) release simultaneously in the hippocampus and striatum while rats were trained in a cross maze. Consistent with past findings, rats initially showed learning on the basis of place (i.e., turning to the correct position relative to the room), but after extensive training, rats shifted to learning on the basis of response (i.e., turning to the right/left to find the food). Profiles of ACh release in the hippocampus and striatum were markedly different during training. In the hippocampus, ACh release increased by ∼60% at the onset of training and remained at that level of release throughout training, even after the rats began to show learning on the basis of turning rather than place. In the striatum, increases in ACh release occurred later, reaching asymptotic increases of 30–40%, coincident with a transition from expressing place learning to expressing response learning. These findings suggest that the hippocampal and striatal systems both participate in learning in this task, but in a manner characterized by differential activation of the neural systems. The hippocampal system is apparently engaged first before the striatum is activated and, to the extent the hippocampus is important for place learning, promotes the use of a place solution to the maze. Later in training, although the hippocampus remains activated, the striatum is also activated in a manner that may enable the use of a response strategy to solve the maze. These findings may offer a neurobiological marker of a transition during skill learning from declarative to procedural learning.
Local-scale nutrient regeneration facilitates seaweed growth on wave-exposed rocky shores in an upwelling system

This study shows that, even on exposed, wave-swept, rocky shores in a nutrient-replete upwelling ecosystem, mussels (Mytilus californianus) facilitate the growth of the seaweed Porphyra perforata by enhancing nutrient concentrations in the nearby water column. In field surveys on emergent substrate in the mid-intertidal zone, we found ten times greater abundance of P. perforata on mussels than on adjacent rock. In field experiments, P. perforata accumulated and grew more quickly on mussels than on bare rock or on mussel mimics, suggesting that nutrients excreted by mussels might be responsible for greater P. perforata cover. At high tide, water column ammonium concentrations over mussel beds were nearly double those found over bare rock. Correspondingly, tissue nitrogen concentrations were higher, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratios were lower in P. perforata growing on mussels compared to bare rock. Given the dominance of mussels in mid-intertidal regions of temperate coasts worldwide, ammonium regeneration could be a general contributor to local-scale nutrient availability, even in high-flow systems characterized by high nutrient concentrations.
Does Political Ideology Matter for Environmental Quality Outcomes

The study tests the popular belief that Democrats (and more generally, liberals) are “green” while Republicans (more generally, conservatives) are “brown”, for several measures of California air quality indicators. We employ two alternative econometric identification strategies on county-level cluster and yearly panel data that include proxy variables for political party preferences of the local populace, controlling also for the political party affiliations at the state-level legislative and executive branches. Generally, we do not find a consistent and statistically significant relationship between pollution outcomes and political variables. The popular belief is supported only for NO2 and O3, but not for any of the other pollutants, and even in these two cases the relationship only holds at the local regulatory level and not at the state policymaking level. At the state level, for most of the pollutants no significant effect of party affiliation is identified, and in the rare cases where such an effect exists, it is either too weak to be conclusive or is counter to popular belief.
Economic Uncertainty and Earnings Management

In the presence of managerial short-termism and asymmetric information about skill and effort provision, firms may opportunistically shift earnings from uncertain to more certain times. We document that firms report more negative discretionary accruals when financial markets are less certain about their future prospects. Stock-price responses to earnings surprises are moderated when firm-level uncertainty is high, consistent with performance being attributed more to luck rather than skill and effort, which can create incentives to shift earnings toward lower-uncertainty periods. We show that the resulting opportunistic earnings management is concentrated in CEOs, firms, and periods where such incentives are likely to be strongest: (1) where CEO wealth is sensitive to change in the share price, (2) where announced earnings are particularly likely to be an important source of information about managerial ability and effort, and (3) before implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley made opportunistic earnings management more challenging. Our evidence highlights a novel channel through which uncertainty affects managerial decision making in the presence of agency conflicts.
Promoting environmental citizenship behaviour

Previous research on sustainability in the supply chain has typically been at the firm level. Recognising that the successful implementation of supply chain environmental sustainability initiatives is ultimately up to the employees that have to do the work, this study examines the factors that promote an individual's willingness to voluntarily engage in environmental behaviours in the workplace (i.e., environmental citizenship behaviours (ECBs)). Using commitment theory, we develop a model that delineates how four organisational practices and two individual differences serve to promote employee engagement in ECBs by enhancing employee commitment to work related environmental activities. The process-oriented model receives empirical support in relation to five of the six antecedents within a supply chain focused sample of distribution centre employees. Results are discussed in terms of their theoretical implications for environmental and commitment research, along with their role in addressing supply chain environmental sustainability.
The Press Edited by Geneva Overholser and Kathleen Hall Jamieson New York: Oxford University Press (Institutions of American Democracy Series), 2005. 473 pp

(2006). The Press Edited by Geneva Overholser and Kathleen Hall Jamieson New York: Oxford University Press (Institutions of American Democracy Series), 2005. 473 pp. American Journalism: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 173-174.
Inhibition of Estradiol Synthesis Impairs Fear Extinction in Male Rats.

Emerging research has demonstrated that the sex hormone estradiol regulates fear extinction in female rodents and women. Estradiol may also regulate fear extinction in males, given its role in synaptic plasticity in both sexes. Here we report that inhibition of estradiol synthesis during extinction training, via the aromatase inhibitor fadrozole, significantly impairs extinction recall in male rats. This deficit in extinction recall is not due to state-dependent memory formation and is completely abolished by coadministration of estradiol. Our data suggest that estradiol may be just as important in the regulation of fear extinction in males as it is in females.
Area Dependent Region Merging: A Novel, User-Customizable Method to Create Forest Stands and Strata

Remotely sensed high-resolution imagery and LiDAR data can be used to develop stand delineations and stratifications for forest inventory and management purposes. A new Area Dependent Region Mergin...
Dependability Research of Equipment Management System of University

Data is the most instable and complicated factor as well as the important resource in management system.The author studies the content and method of dependability of equipment management system and puts forward the ways to improve dependability.
Nutrition in Early Life, Epigenetics, and Health

Access to nutrition in the perinatal stage or early childhood has pronounced influence on later development and health outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. Total energy intake and a variety of dietary components, such as protein, folate, choline, curcumin, and polyphenols consumed in early life, have been shown to modify indicators of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. These dietary components interact with epigenetic regulation. By altering DNA methylation and histone modifications, dietary exposures in early life affect the transcription of genes related to somatic growth, appetite control, stress response, and adiposity which precedes various chronic diseases. This chapter will introduce the existing human and animal evidence which supports the interaction between nutrition and epigenetics in early life and its lasting impacts on health and development.
Pen Pals: Legislator Characteristics and Collaboration in Congressional Letter-Marking Networks

The ban on earmarks in Congress has lead to an increase in the practice of letter-marking, where members of Congress explicitly ask (in writing) the head of an administrative agency to retain, or allocate, distributive benefits in their districts. These letters can come from an individual MC a group of MCs. While previous work on the role of group dynamics in Congress has examined the role of traditional factors, such as ideological distance and shared partisanship in the more formal cosponsorship networks (e.g. McPherson et al. 2001; Gross 2008; Zhang et al. 2008), no scholarship has examined the structure of these more informal letter-marking networks. Using a novel data set of Congressional letters written to federal agencies, we use investigate the role of legislator characteristics on the structure of letter-marking networks. Specifically, we explore the importance of collaboration and competition in MC decisions to co-author letters to agencies. Our findings suggest members seek out similar members to work with, regardless of shared benefits.
Ethanol-Related Cues and Behavioral Tolerance to Ethanol in Humans

The present study examined the effect of ethanol-related cues in the natural environment of the social drinker (e.g., a bar setting) upon performance on a behavioral task. Fourteen male social drinkers participated in the study. Half were designated low drinkers (3 or fewer drinks per week and little or no experience in bars) and half of the subjects comprised a moderate drinking group (8 to 15 drinks per week and drinking in bars at least 4 times per month). Subjects played a computer-controlled video game prior to and following consumption of a drink containing ethanol and orange juice. Each subject participated for one session in two different environmental settings, a standard experimental room and a room decorated to resemble a bar situation. The results showed significantly more detrimental effect of the ethanol upon performance in the standard experimental room than in the bar setting, that is, more tolerance was exhibited in the bar setting. However, no difference was observed between groups, that is, no effect of drinking experience and bar experience upon the relative amount of tolerance exhibited.
Cardiovascular Side Effects of Psychostimulants

The short-term cardiovascular effects of methylphenidate (MPH) and Adderall (ADL) were examined in a clinic-based group of 195 youths, ages 4 to 17 years, treated at the University Hospitals of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University.
A new genus and species of bopyrid isopod (Crustacea, Isopoda, Bopyridae, Orbioninae) parasitic on Sicyonia (Crustacea, Decapoda, Penaeoidea) from New Caledonia

Un Bopyridae Orbioninae tres asymetrique, Asymmetrorbione drepanopleon n. gen., n. sp., est decrit a partir de specimens provenant de deux especes de crevettes du genre Sicyonia H. Milne Edwards, 1830, recoltees lors des campagnes MUSORSTOM en Nouvelle-Caledonie. C'est le septieme genre de la sous-famille des Orbioninae. Asymmetrorbione n. gen. se caracterise, chez la femelle, par des plaques coxales bien developpees sur le plus long cote du corps, un pleon avec cinq pleomeres et un pleotelson, les pleomeres I-V ont des pleopodes birames et des plaques laterales uniramees, le cote court du corps avec des plaques laterales reduites et le cote long avec des plaques laterales allongees sur les pleomeres I et II, toutes les plaques laterales sont lisses et les uropodes unirames. Le mâle presente une fusion de tous les segments du pleon et du pleotelson, il ne possede pas de tubercules mi-ventraux, de pleopodes, ni d'uropodes. Une seconde espece, Orbione kempi Chopra, 1923, est transferee dans le nouveau genre. Les femelles d'Anisorbione Bourdon, 1981 different de celles d'Asymmetrorbione n. gen. par la presence de seulement cinq segments pleonaux et des uropodes birames. Les femelles d'Orbione Bonnier, 1900 different de celles d'Asymmetrorbione n. gen. par l'absence d'asymetrie prononcee du pleon et des plaques laterales et par la presence de tubercules sur les plaques laterales.
Enhanced bandwidth microstrip patch antennas through 3-D printing

A novel approach for realizing improved-bandwidth microstrip patch antennas (MPAs) with use of 3-D printed Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) substrates is presented. By 3-D printing these substrates using the MakerBot Replicator 2X, complex cavity-backed MPA designs typically implemented with subtractive manufacturing techniques such as micromachining are easily adapted without loss of efficacy. In order to improve the structural robustness of the MPA and substrate, several different cavity structures are implemented and tested. Introduction of the air cavity into the synthetic substrate improved the bandwidth by up to 90%. Antenna gain was also improved by 1.2dB for some designs. This simple and cost-effective approach can be used for multiple applications to enhance and incorporate multiple cavities and varying geometries into a synthetic substrate resulting in varying dielectric properties.
The effect of mood on judgments of subjective well-being: Nine tests of the judgment model.

Life satisfaction judgments are thought to represent an overall evaluation of the quality of a person’s life as a whole. Thus, they should reflect relatively important and stable characteristics of that person’s life. Previous highly cited research has suggested that transient factors, such as the mood that a person experiences at the time that well-being judgments are made, can influence these judgments. However, most existing studies used small sample sizes, and few replications have been attempted. Nine direct and conceptual replications of past studies testing the effects of mood on life satisfaction judgments were conducted using sample sizes that were considerably larger than previous studies (Ns = 202, 200, 269, 118, 320, 401, 285, 129, 122). Most of the 9 studies resulted in nonsignificant effects on life satisfaction and happiness judgments, and those that were significant were substantially smaller than effects found in previous research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
Post-earthquake stability of steel moment frames with damaged connections

Publisher Summary This chapter investigates seismic safety of welded steel moment frames damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. A 4-story, a 14-story and a 27-story building in Los Angeles were examined. Inelastic 2-D models of the undamaged and damaged frames representing the three buildings were subjected to various intensities of several past earthquake records. The results indicated that seismic behavior of the damaged frames is somewhat similar to the behavior of steel semi-rigid frames. The cracks in the bottom flange welds did not cause the study-frames to be more susceptible to collapse than the same frames before the damage. No tendency to collapse due to P-Δ effects was detected in the three study-frames subjected to various intensities of the earthquake records that were used.
Sociological Theory and Methods in Toxic Tort Lawsuits

“A toxic tort is a particular type of personal injury lawsuit in which the plaintiff claims that exposure to a toxin caused the plaintiff’s injury or disease” (Wikipedia. Toxic tort. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_tort, 2012). Toxic tort cases are often highly contested since they significantly impact the health, financial, social, and psychological welfare of affected communities. Local residents are increasingly likely to file lawsuits claiming various types of tort damages as a result of so-called chronic technical disasters. Sociological evidence has been used to show the extent to which environmental contamination produced trauma in community residents (Erikson, A new species of trouble: Explorations in disaster, trauma, and community. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1994). Such contamination can bring about changes in the residents’ self-concept and reduce their self-esteem, and can also change their social interactions as well as their view of the world. In this chapter, the author uses three examples to demonstrate the ways in which sociological testimony and data can help both plaintiff and defense attorneys in toxic tort cases: 1. The Radium Dial Workers (RDWs) Tragedy and Its Health and Environmental Effects 2. Radon Exposure in Homes and Other Settings and the Risk of Lung Cancer 3. Health and Environmental Risks Associated with a Thorium Refining Plant in West Chicago, Illinois
Micromorphology and Rheology of Warm Binders Depending on Aging

AbstractIn this paper, the micromorphology of asphalt binders with wax warm additives is investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical microscopy before and after aging. Performance gra...
The use of a combination of instrumental methods to assess change in sensory crispness during storage of a "Honeycrisp" apple breeding family.

Loss of crispness in apple fruit during storage reduces the fruit's fresh sensation and consumer acceptance. Apple varieties that maintain crispness thus have higher potential for longer-term consumer appeal. To efficiently phenotype crispness, several instrumental methods have been tested, but variable results were obtained when different apple varieties were assayed. To extend these studies, we assessed the extent to which instrumental measurements correlate to and predict sensory crispness, with a focus on crispness maintenance. We used an apple breeding family derived from a cross between “Honeycrisp” and “MN1764,” which segregates for crispness maintenance. Three types of instrumental measurements (puncture, snapping, and mechanical-acoustic tests) and sensory evaluation were performed on fruit at harvest and after 8 weeks of cold storage. Overall, 20 genotypes from the family and the 2 parents were characterized by 19 force and acoustic measures. In general, crispness was more related to force than to acoustic measures. Force linear distance and maximum force as measured by the mechanical-acoustic test were best correlated with sensory crispness and change in crispness, respectively. The correlations varied by apple genotype. The best multiple linear regression model to predict change in sensory crispness between harvest and storage of fruit of this breeding family incorporated both force and acoustic measures. Practical applications This work compared the abilities of instrumental tests to predict sensory crispness maintenance of apple fruit. The use of an instrumental method that is highly correlated to sensory crispness evaluation can enhance the efficiency and reduce the cost of measuring crispness for breeding purposes. This study showed that sensory crispness and change in crispness after storage of an apple breeding family were reliably predicted with a combination of instrumental measurements and multiple variable analyses. The strategy potentially can be applied to other apple varieties for more accurate interpretation of crispness maintenance measured instrumentally.
Temperature-Dependent Effects of Cutaneous Bacteria on a Frog's Tolerance of Fungal Infection.

Defense against pathogens is one of many benefits that bacteria provide to animal hosts. A clearer understanding of how changes in the environment affect the interactions between animals and their microbial benefactors is needed in order to predict the impact and dynamics of emerging animal diseases. Due to its dramatic effects on the physiology of animals and their pathogens, temperature may be a key variable modulating the level of protection that beneficial bacteria provide to their animal hosts. Here we investigate how temperature and the makeup of the skin microbial community affect the susceptibility of amphibian hosts to infection by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), one of two fungal pathogens known to cause the disease chytridiomycosis. To do this, we manipulated the skin bacterial communities of susceptible hosts, northern cricket frogs (Acris crepitans), prior to exposing these animals to Bd under two different ecologically relevant temperatures. Our manipulations included one treatment where antibiotics were used to reduce the skin bacterial community, one where the bacterial community was augmented with the antifungal bacterium, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and one in which the frog’s skin bacterial community was left intact. We predicted that frogs with reduced skin bacterial communities would be more susceptible (i.e., less resistant to and/or tolerant of Bd infection), and frogs with skin bacterial communities augmented with the known antifungal bacterium would be less susceptible to Bd infection and chytridiomycosis. However, we also predicted that this interaction would be temperature dependent. We found a strong effect of temperature but not of skin microbial treatment on the probability and intensity of infection in Bd-exposed frogs. Whether temperature affected survival; however, it differed among our skin microbial treatment groups, with animals having more S. maltophilia on their skin surviving longer at 14 but not at 26°C. Our results suggest that temperature was the predominant factor influencing Bd’s ability to colonize the host (i.e., resistance) but that the composition of the cutaneous bacterial community was important in modulating the host’s ability to survive (i.e., tolerate) a heavy Bd infection.
Abstract 19113: Cardiac Repair With Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells-Derived Tri-Lineage Cardiac Cells in a Swine Myocardial Infarction Model

Introduction: Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) derived cardiovascular cells hold great promise for cell-based therapy of heart diseases. However, efficiency of differentiation procedure...
Bayes und die babylonische Sprachverwirrung

250 Jahre nachdem Bayes und Laplace einen Weg gefunden hatten, mathematische Uberlegungen auch uber hochst ungewisse Situationen anzustellen, hatte ihre Methode Flugel bekommen und drang nun in die Wissenschaft und ins Internet ein, grub sich durch unser Alltagsleben, loste Sprachbarrieren auf und kann vielleicht irgendwann sogar die Funktion unseres Gehirns erklaren. Die Tage sind vorbei, in denen ein paar von dieser Idee Getriebene die Akten von Waisenhausern oder verschlusselte Funkspruche nach Daten durchforsteten und ganze Scharen von Frauen und Studenten einsetzten, um sie muhsame Rechnungen durchfuhren zu lassen. Heute erfreuen sich die Bayesianer riesiger Archive mit Internetdaten. Sie verfugen uber Software von der Stange, uber Werkzeuge wie MCMC und eine Computerleistung, die fast umsonst zu haben ist.
Do exergames allow children to achieve physical activity intensity commensurate with national guidelines

The purpose of this study was to determine if two popular exergames, Wii Fit™ and EA Sports Active™, both games for the Nintendo Wii™ console, help children achieve intensity consistent with recommended physical activity guidelines. Thirty children (19 males and 11 females, Mean age = 9.4 ± 1.8 years) participated in this study by playing each game during one research session. During the session participants wore a heart rate monitor and accelerometer to measure exercise intensity. Perceived exertion (RPE) was measured with the children's run/walk OMNI scale. All three measures of exercise intensity (heart rate, accelerometer counts, and RPE) found that the EA Sports Active™ game session elicited higher exercise intensity. However, heart rate data found both games to achieve moderate intensity (65-68% age-predicted HRmax). When using heart rate as an indicator of exercise intensity it appears that both exergames were of sufficient intensity to achieve physical activity guidelines. Future studies should continue to investigate the utility of exergaming in helping children to become more physically active.
Hypomethylation of DNA: An epigenetic mechanism that can facilitate the aberrant oncogene expression involved in liver carcinogenesis

Publisher Summary Hypomethylation may be a mechanism underlying the role of cell proliferation in carcinogenesis, and hypomethylation could possibly result from an enzymatic replacement of 5MeC with cytosine, which is not linked to DNA replication. The chapter discusses the mechanisms believed to be involved in altered DNA methylation. The importance of the presence of the DNA-(cytosine-5)- methyltransferase (DNA MTase) gene is discussed in the context of DNA MTase knockout mice, and emphasis is placed on the role that the hypomethylation of DNA may play in tumor promotion. Experimental model used in this research is mouse liver tumorigenesis. It focuses on the oncogenes that are relevant to this system: Ha-ras and raf. Researchers employ the liver tumor prone B6C3F1 (C57BL/6 female x C3H/He male) mouse and make relevant comparisons with the sensitive C3H/He paternal strain and the resistant C57BL/6 maternal strain. The degree of the sensitivity of the parental strains is heritable and is determined largely by a genetic locus, the hepatocarcinogen sensitivity locus. An elegant study involving C3H/HeN↔C57BL/6N chimeric mice demonstrated that the different sensitivities of these strains to tumor development exists in the target cells (e.g., a tumor susceptibility gene) and is not milieu (e.g., hormone) dependent. A unique aspect of research is that it offers the potential to provide insight regarding molecular mechanisms that underlie the promotion of carcinogenesis, while at the same time the results can provide the type of information that is required to take a more rational approach to carcinogen risk assessment. Specifically, it can provide insight regarding dose-response relationships, the existence of thresholds, and species–to–species extrapolation issues.
Chapter 10 - Surface Adsorption and Reaction Kinetics of Enzymatic Cellulose Hydrolysis in a Column Reactor

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the surface adsorption and reaction kinetics of enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis in a column reactor. Cellulose, a high polymer of anhydroglucose, is the most abundant organic material on the earth. The chapter reviews the models of kinetics and adsorption in the enzymatic hydrolysis and describes a model hydrolysis study in a column reactor. For any enzymatic reaction to occur, direct physical contact must be made between the enzyme and its substrate. The continuous column is selected over a batch stirred tank because it is more adaptable to the simultaneous conversion of the glucose product into other chemicals by, for example, fermentation. By the repeated percolation and recycle of the reacting liquid through a column packed with cellulose substrate, the glucose concentration can potentially be accumulated to a high level, which is usually more desirable for downstream processing. Two types of experimental procedures are typically used for measuring adsorption from a liquid to a solid surface. One is simple batch adsorption, while the other involves adsorption from a solution flowing through a packed column.