cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Residential Proximity to Major Roadways and Risk of Incident Ischemic Stroke in NOMAS (The Northern Manhattan Study)

Background and Purpose— The evidence supporting the deleterious cardiovascular health effects of living near a major roadway is growing, although this association is not universal. In primary analyses, we hypothesized that residential proximity to a major roadway would be associated with incident ischemic stroke and that cardiovascular risk factors would modify that association. Methods— NOMAS (The Northern Manhattan Study) is an ongoing, population-based cohort study designed to measure cardiovascular risk factors, stroke incidence, and other outcomes in a multiethnic urban population. Recruitment occurred from 1993 to 2001 and participants are followed-up annually by telephone. Residential addresses at baseline were geocoded and Euclidean distance to nearest major roadway was estimated and categorized as in prior studies. We used Cox proportional hazard models to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association of this distance to incidence of stroke and other outcomes, adjusting for sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors, year at baseline, and neighborhood socioeconomic status. We assessed whether these associations varied by age, sex, smoking status, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Results— During a median follow-up period of 15 years (n=3287), 11% of participants were diagnosed with ischemic stroke. Participants living 400 m away. This association was more pronounced among noncurrent smokers (hazard ratio, 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.05–2.26) and not evident among smokers (hazard ratio, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.23–2.06). There was no clear pattern of association between proximity to major roadways and other cardiovascular events including myocardial infarction, all-cause death, or vascular death. Conclusions— In this urban multiethnic cohort, we found evidence supporting that within-city variation in residential proximity to major roadway is associated with higher risk of ischemic stroke. An individual’s smoking history modified this association, with the association remaining only among participants not currently smokers.
The Dual Effects of Product Placement on Consumer Choice

The use of product placement has grown rapidly in recent years. While technology has made it easier for viewers to avoid watching traditional television commercials, embedding products within entertainment offers a means by which marketers can reach their audiences. Though research has examined the executional factors that make product placement more effective in driving recall, recognition and attitudes, the way in which product placement affects consumer choice has not yet been examined.To this end, the authors apply a dynamic path model to experimental data to decompose the effect of product placement into two components: It's impact on initial preference for choice alternatives and its effect on how preferences are updated as consumers vacillate among the available alternatives. Consistent with previous research, the authors find that exposure to product placement can increase initial interest in alternatives from the featured brand. Yet, they also find that respondents are more critical of the featured brand when they revise their preferences for the available alternatives. They discuss the implications of product placement’s double-edged sword for marketers and policymakers.
Invitation to the Inner World of Educators

As a child of 11, just after going to bed one night, I had a revelatory experience. I was suddenly aware that everything in this unimaginably vast universe was interconnected.. I didn’t rationally figure this out, nor had I read about it. I felt with absolute certainty that this was the only sensible understanding of the world. This understanding emerged whole in my young consciousness. I explained all this to my six and a half year old brother, Stephen, who was lying in the bed beside me, and as I later discovered was asleep during my animated explanation.
Interleukin-1 alpha inhibition of luteinized human granulosa cell progesterone production through influences on associated white blood cells.

Publisher Summary Resident macrophages and lymphocytes within the human ovary suggest that these cells may be involved in ovarian endocrine function. In rat, macrophages are abundant in sites of follicular atresia and in corpus luteum development. This chapter presents a study to test null hypothesis that IL-lα does not influence progesterone secretion by human luteinized granulosa cells. The experiment described in this chapter showed that IL-lα produced biphasic effects on luteinized human granulosa cell basal progesterone production and inhibited hCG-stimulated progesterone production in the presence of WBC. IL-lα influences granulosa cell progesterone production through autocrine and paracrine interactions on adjacent WBC but does not appear to directly affect granulosa cell progesterone production at physiologic concentrations. The effects presented in this chapter are not secondary to alterations in cell proliferation or cytotoxicity but to direct effects on granulosa cell progesterone production. The data suggests that immune/inflammatory cells residing in the human ovary influence gonadal steroidogenesis through their secreted cytokines.
Methods for Determination of Distribution of Surface States in Ge and Si

During the past few years methods have been developed for determining the energy distribution and trapping cross-sections of surface states on germanium and silicon. In this review [1] we shall outline the principles employed and give a brief summary of some of the results obtained to date. Energy distributions obtained in different laboratories by different methods are generally in good agreement; what differences there are are probably due to differences in surface treatment.
Insect Neurodevelopment: Gene Cascades in Drosophila

How is an ectodermal cell specified to become a neural precursor? How do its progeny acquire their correct cellular identities? These questions are of central importance in neural development. Many genes have been identified which act at particular stages in a cascade of events during neurogenesis. A network of genes are involved in determining the number of neural precursors. Other genes have been found to act at the level of specifying cellular identities. One of these, cut, is required to specify the correct identity of a particular class of sensory organs. Another gene, numb, is needed for the progeny of sensory precursors to develop as neurons.
Chapter 17 – Epilepsy

Epilepsy is not one disorder but many diverse syndromes with one common element: seizures. Therefore, a description of epilepsy actually addresses the epilepsies . Notably, there are many disorders of the CNS other than epilepsy where seizures occur, either transiently or as a comorbid condition. Therefore, the impact of seizures and epilepsy is broad and easy to underestimate. Here, a clinical overview is provided, followed by a summary of the current understanding of neurobiological mechanisms. In addition, treatment is addressed, emphasizing antiepileptic drugs, which are the first line of therapy for individuals with epilepsy.
Teachers’ perspectives on educator mental health competencies: A qualitative case study

Given the prevalence of children’s mental health disorders, teachers’ roles have expanded to include identifying students with mental health needs and delivering mental health interventions. However, teachers rarely receive mental health training. This study’s purpose was to explore teachers’ perspectives on an educator mental health competency framework proposed by a group of researchers using the following questions: (a) how the competencies could guide and inform their practice; (b) how the teachers would react if the competencies were adopted; and (c) what suggestions they had for improving the competencies. The participants’ responses indicated that they needed more knowledge on mental health and larger systems of support to increase their classroom effectiveness. Overall, the teachers supported the adoption of the competencies but had reservations regarding the necessary training and implementation process. Although the participants did not provide direct suggestions on revisions to the competencies, they did imply suggestions. Findings support the use of the mental health curriculum framework in the development of teacher mental health training. Several implications for practice are proposed including the addition of mental health curriculum in teacher preparation programs and the necessity for school administrators to create a school culture and infrastructure to effectively support school mental health.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Nanomaterials Generated from 6,6′-(((2-Hydroxyethyl)azanediyl)bis(methylene))bis(2,4-di- tert -butylphenol) Modified Group 4 Metal Alkoxides

The impact on the morphology nanoceramic materials generated from group 4 metal alkoxides ([M(OR)4]) and the same precursors modified by 6,6'-(((2-hydroxyethyl)azanediyl)bis(methylene))bis(2,4-di- tert-butylphenol) (referred to as H3-AM-DBP2 (1)) was explored. The products isolated from the 1:1 stoichiometric reaction of a series of [M(OR)4] where M = Ti, Zr, or Hf; OR = OCH(CH3)2(OPr i); OC(CH3)3(OBu t); OCH2C(CH3)3(ONep) with H3-AM-DBP2 proved, by single crystal X-ray diffraction, to be [(ONep)Ti( k4( O,O',O'',N)-AM-DBP2)] (2), [(OR)M(μ( O)- k3( O',O'',N)-AM-DBP2)]2 [M = Zr: OR = OPr i, 3·tol; OBu t, 4·tol; ONep, 5·tol; M = Hf: OR = OBu t, 6·tol; ONep, 7·tol]. The product from each system led to a tetradentate AM-DBP2 ligand and retention of a parent alkoxide ligand. For the monomeric Ti derivative (2), the metal was solved in a trigonal bipyramidal geometry, whereas for the Zr (3-5) and Hf (6, 7) derivatives a symmetric dinuclear complex was formed where the ethoxide moiety of the AM-DBP2 ligand bridges to the other metal center, generating an octahedral geometry. High quality density functional theory level gas-phase electronic structure calculations on compounds 2-7 using Gaussian 09 were used for meaningful time dependent density functional theory calculations in the interpretation of the UV-vis absorbance spectral data on 2-7. Nanoparticles generated from the solvothermal treatment of the ONep/AM-DBP2 modified compounds (2, 5, 7) in comparison to their parent [M(ONep)4] were larger and had improved regularity and dispersion of the final ceramic nanomaterials.
Housing Booms, Manufacturing Decline and Labour Market Outcomes

We study the extent to which manufacturing decline and local housing booms contributed to changes in labor market outcomes during the 2000s, focusing primarily on the distributional consequences across geographical areas and demographic groups. Using a local labor markets design, we estimate that manufacturing decline significantly reduced employment between 2000 and 2006, while local housing booms increased employment by roughly the same magnitude. The effects of manufacturing decline persist through 2012, but we find no persistent employment effects of local housing booms, likely because housing booms were associated with subsequent busts of similar magnitude. These results suggest that housing booms “masked” negative employment growth that would have otherwise occurred earlier in the absence of the booms. This “masking” occurred both within and between cities and demographic groups. For example, manufacturing decline disproportionately affected older men without a college education, while the housing boom disproportionately affected younger men and women, as well as immigrants. Applying our local labor market estimates to the national labor market, we find that roughly 40 percent of the reduction in employment during the 2000s can be attributed to manufacturing decline and that these negative effects would have appeared in aggregate employment statistics earlier had it not been for the large, temporary increases in housing demand.
Overfitting and forecasting: linear versus non-linear time series models

The main purpose of this dissertation is to compare the in-sample estimating and out-of-sample forecasting performance of a set of non-linear time series models, i.e., threshold autoregressive models, momentum threshold autoregressive models, exponential autoregressive models, generalized autoregressive models and bilinear models. First, a Monte Carlo simulation is used to study overfitting and forecasting. For AR processes, if the AIC and SBC criteria are used to select models, the possibility of overfitting is very high since the non-linear models and other linear models are very likely to have lower AIC and SBC. However, the MSPE for one-step ahead out-of-sample forecast can be used to identify the true AR processes. For TAR processes, the AIC can be used to identify the TAR-C models. The SBC and MSPE can identify the TAR process only if the difference of the persistence between the two regimes is large enough. Underfitting and misspecification are very likely to happen for a TAR process with small difference of the persistence between the two regimes. However, if we don't know the true AR or TAR process, the MSPE can't select the AR or TAR models in most cases. Thus, none of the AIC, SBC and MSPE can select the AR model for a given AR process with unknown order. For the TAR process, the AIC can consistently identify the TAR-C process and the SBC can identify the TAR-C process only if the difference of the persistency is large enough. Then, a set of linear and non-linear time series models are applied to the term structure of interest rates and the spread of wholesale and retail pork prices in U.S. It is shown that there are non-linear time series models can do better than the conventional ARMA models for both in-sample estimation and out-of-sample forecast. Also, it is very unlikely that the dominance of the non-linear time series models results from overfitting for both the term structure of interest rates and the spread of wholesale and retail pork prices in U.S. Thus, non-linear time series models are very useful for estimating and forecasting the non-linear time series.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and neuroinflammation is increased in the frontopolar cortex of individuals with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) etiology is a complex mixture of genetic and environmental factors, the relative contributions of which varies across patients. Despite complex etiology, researchers observe consistent neurodevelopmental features in ASD patients, notably atypical forebrain cortical development. Growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines are important mediators of forebrain cortical development, but have not been thoroughly examined in brain tissues from individuals with autism. Here, we performed an integrative analysis of RNA and protein expression using frontopolar cortex tissues dissected from individuals with ASD and controls, hypothesizing that ASD patients will exhibit aberrant expression of growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines critical for neurodevelopment. We performed group-wise comparisons of RNA expression via RNA-Seq and growth factor, cytokine, and chemokine expression via multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We also analyzed single cell sequencing data from the frontopolar cortex of typically developed individuals to identify cell types that express the growth factors we found differentially expressed in ASD. Our RNA-Seq analysis revealed 11 differentially expressed genes in ASD versus control brains, the most significant of which encodes for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A). Both RNA and protein levels of VEGF-A were upregulated in ASD brains. Our single cell analysis revealed that VEGF is expressed primarily by non-neuronal cells. We also found that the differentially expressed genes from our RNA-Seq analysis are enriched in microglia. The increased VEGF-A expression we observed in ASD, coupled with the enrichment of differentially expressed genes in microglia, begs the question of the role VEGF-A is playing in ASD. Microglia activation, as indicated by our RNA-Seq results, and the VEGF-A isoform expression we see in the ASD cortex, leads us to conclude that VEGF-A is playing a pro-inflammatory role, perhaps with unwanted long-term consequences for neurodevelopment.
Exploring the applications of U.S. Army leader development model in nonmilitary organizations: Implications for training

The United States Army’s leader development program offers new opportunities to examine how leaders are developed within the traditional workforce. Leader development is at the forefront of Army training and is coordinated through an institutional, operational, and self-development domain. Each domain contributes toward a holistic leader development program which prepares soldiers to be lifelong leaders. Veterans transitioning out of the military are often credited as possessing the leadership skills employers seek, though exploration of the process used to develop leadership attributes in soldiers has been minimal. Upon comparing the Army’s leader development program with other private sector leadership development training, similar goals were identified though the Army’s approach is distinguishable. This paper is an analysis of the U.S. Army’s leader development process and makes comparisons with leadership development in the traditional workplace. Three propositions are presented and discussed for leadership scholars and practitioners to consider. The authors also call for increased research and exploration of leader development in the military for transferability into the traditional workplace.
Evaluating Recommender System Algorithms for Generating Local Music Playlists.

We explore the task of local music recommendation: provide listeners with personalized playlists of relevant tracks by artists who play most of their live events within a small geographic area. Most local artists tend to be obscure, long-tail artists and generally have little or no available user preference data associated with them. This creates a cold-start problem for collaborative filtering-based recommendation algorithms that depend on large amounts of such information to make accurate recommendations. In this paper, we compare the performance of three standard recommender system algorithms (Item-Item Neighborhood (IIN), Alternating Least Squares for Implicit Feedback (ALS), and Bayesian Personalized Ranking (BPR)) on the task of local music recommendation using the Million Playlist Dataset. To do this, we modify the standard evaluation procedure such that the algorithms only rank tracks by local artists for each of the eight different cities. Despite the fact that techniques based on matrix factorization (ALS, BPR) typically perform best on large recommendation tasks, we find that the neighborhood-based approach (IIN) performs best for long-tail local music recommendation.
ClickBAIT: Click-based Accelerated Incremental Training of Convolutional Neural Networks

Training deep learning models in real-time, with a human in-the-loop, could allow them to be adjusted and adapted on-the-fly, as demanded by the mission at hand. For instance, during a tracking and surveillance operation, an unmanned aerial system (UAS) operator spots the subject, and quickly trains and distributes an object-specific recognition model to other drones and cameras while the situation is unfolding. We call this type of real-time training Time-ordered Online Training (ToOT).In this work, we present ClickBAIT, a framework for performing ToOT in real-time. ClickBAIT reduces the human effort required to perform training in real-time by reducing annotations to single clicks, and employing object tracking to produce additional training events. We implement ClickBAIT for both an image classifier and object detector, and show that it improves the training benefit of clicks from 3 to 7 times on representative video sequences.
Production of Singlet Oxygen (1O2) during the Photochemistry of Aqueous Pyruvic Acid: The Effects of pH and Photon Flux under Steady-State O2(aq) Concentration.

The photochemistry of pyruvic acid (PA) in aqueous atmospheric particles contributes to the production of secondary organic aerosols. This work investigates the fate of ketyl and acetyl radicals pr...
Reconstruction with velocities

Author(s): Zhu, HM; White, M; Ferraro, S; Schaan, E | Abstract: Reconstruction is becoming a crucial procedure of galaxy clustering analysis for future spectroscopic redshift surveys to obtain subper cent level measurement of the baryon acoustic oscillation scale. Most reconstruction algorithms rely on an estimation of the displacement field from the observed galaxy distribution. However, the displacement reconstruction degrades near the survey boundary due to incomplete data and the boundary effects extend to ∼100 Mpc/h within the interior of the survey volume. We study the possibility of using radial velocities measured from the cosmic microwave background observation through the kinematic Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect to improve performance near the boundary. We find that the boundary effect can be reduced to ∼30 − 40 Mpc/h with the velocity information from Simons Observatory. This is especially helpful for dense low redshift surveys where the volume is relatively small and a large fraction of total volume is affected by the boundary.
Predicting the Need for Open Reduction in the Treatment of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip

Purpose: Closed reduction of the hip and spica casting is generally attempted on children under 18 months of age who fail non-operative management for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). However, many of these patients will not achieve concentric reduction by closed means and will require open reduction. Limited evidence exists to predict which patients can be adequately closed reduced versus those who will need open treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify factors predictive of needing closed vs. open …
Considering Our Patients and Tempering Terminology.

A word is deadWhen it is said,Some say.I say it justBegins to liveThat day. —Emily Dickinson Among major concerns for all involved in health care—on the supply side (doctors, nurses, technicians, and suppliers) and on the receiving side (patients, families, and friends)—are communication,
Chancy Causation in Tort

This Essay demonstrates that the causation inquiry in tort law, at least where causation is chancy, is largely a normative inquiry. Chancy causation is where the cause of an event can only be attributed probabilistically. Contrary to the understanding popular in both tort theory and doctrine, scientific fact plays only a minimal role in chancy causation cases. Understanding this reality opens the door to considering what approach to causation is normatively desirable. The Essay proposes a change in the doctrine that effectuates this observation. Methodologically, the Essay utilizes a metaphysical inquiry into causation as a first step to understanding this legal concept. If it is true that causation cannot be pinned down deterministically, as chancy causation cannot, then what determines factual causation? The answer is policy. I call this approach “pragmatic” because like the pragmatists of the late 1800s, it evaluates the use of an idea rather than claims regarding its metaphysical truth. But there is a metaphysical piece here as well. We only get to the point of applying a pragmatic analysis by understanding something about the metaphysics of causation.
Virtually estimated endocranial volumes of the Krapina Neandertals

OBJECTIVES The Krapina rock shelter has yielded a large assemblage of early Neandertals. Although endocranial volume (ECV) has been estimated for four individuals from the site, several published values that appear in the literature warrant revisiting. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used virtual methods, including high-resolution surface models of fossils and 3D geometric morphometrics, to reconstruct endocasts and estimate ECV for five Krapina crania. We generated 10 reconstructions of each endocast to quantify missing data uncertainty. To assess the method and our ECV estimates, we applied these techniques to the Spy II Neandertal, and estimated ECV of a human reference endocast simulating the missing data of the Krapina fossils. RESULTS We obtained an average ECV estimate of 1,526 cm3 for Spy II, consistent with previous research. Estimated ECV of juveniles Krapina 1 and 2 average 1,419 and 1,286 cm3 , respectively. Estimates for the relatively complete adults Krapina 3 and 6 range from 1,247 to 1,310 cm3 and 1,135 to 1,207 cm3 , respectively, while the more fragmentary Krapina 5 averaged 1,397 cm3 . The missing data simulation suggests more fragmentary crania yield more uncertain and possibly overestimated ECVs. CONCLUSIONS We have provided new estimates of brain size of the Krapina Neandertals, including the first estimates for Krapina 2. Brain size at Krapina was similar to other pre-Wurm Neandertals, within the range of but lower than the average of later Neandertals. Although the virtual approach overcomes many challenges of fossil preservation, our results are nevertheless subject to future revision.
Elongin A regulates transcription in vivo through enhanced RNA polymerase processivity.

Elongin is an RNA polymerase II (RNAPII)-associated factor that has been shown to stimulate transcriptional elongation in vitro. The Elongin complex is thought to be required for transcriptional induction in response to cellular stimuli and to ubiquitinate RNAPII in response to DNA damage. Yet, the impact of the Elongin complex on transcription in vivo has not been well studied. Here, we performed comprehensive studies of the role of Elongin A, the largest subunit of the Elongin complex, on RNAPII transcription genome-wide. Our results suggest that Elongin A localizes to actively transcribed regions and potential enhancers, and the level of recruitment correlated with transcription levels. We also identified a large group of factors involved in transcription as Elongin A–associated factors. In addition, we found that loss of Elongin A leads to dramatically reduced levels of serine2-phosphorylated, but not total, RNAPII, and cells depleted of Elongin A show stronger promoter RNAPII pausing, suggesting that Elongin A may be involved in the release of paused RNAPII. Our RNA-seq studies suggest that loss of Elongin A did not alter global transcription, and unlike prior in vitro studies, we did not observe a dramatic impact on RNAPII elongation rates in our cell-based nascent RNA-seq experiments upon Elongin A depletion. Taken together, our studies provide the first comprehensive analysis of the role of Elongin A in regulating transcription in vivo. Our studies also revealed that unlike prior in vitro findings, depletion of Elongin A has little impact on global transcription profiles and transcription elongation in vivo.
Antimicrobial Dose Selection under the Animal Rule

The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) "Animal Rule" provides a unique regulatory pathway for drugs and biologics intended to treat serious or life-threatening conditions caused by exposure to lethal or permanently disabling chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agents when human efficacy studies are not ethical and field trials are not feasible. Human dose selection under the Animal Rule is based on integrating the totality of clinical pharmacology evidence collected in in vitro, animal, and human studies. This review discusses the necessary pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic information and methods for determining the effective human dose of antimicrobials under the Animal Rule and presents case studies illustrating the utility of a totality of evidence approach for different methods.
Positive Functioning Moderates the Association Between Classes of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adolescent Depressive Symptoms

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with short- and long-term psychological health, but most research, to date, relies on retrospective self-reports during adulthood to test this association. Moreover, there is limited evidence on how ACEs group together and differentially influence mental health, as well as factors that promote positive outcomes in the context of ACEs. The present study used secondary data of children and their biological parents from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 3487; Mage = 9.30, SD = .40 years; 52% male) to test if meaningful subgroups of ACE exposure existed at age 9 and if positive adolescent functioning moderated the association between ACE exposure class membership at age 9 and adolescent depressive symptoms at age 15. Results revealed three distinct classes: an impoverished and interpersonally abused class, a single-parent and impoverished class, and a low adversity class. Positive adolescent functioning moderated the association between class membership and depressive symptoms. Specifically, individuals in the impoverished and interpersonally abused and low adversity classes had the highest levels of depressive symptoms at low levels of positive functioning and the lowest levels of depressive symptoms at high levels of positive functioning. Results support prior evidence that children experiencing interpersonal abuse group together into a latent class and provide a nuanced perspective on factors that promote positive functioning in the context of various constellations of ACEs.
Stabilized photonic links for space applications.

We describe basic principles of operation and report on implementation of a standalone photonic link stabilized using the electronic phase conjugation technique. This method has been demonstrated to improve link stability by more than 2 orders while reducing its size and power consumption compared to other systems. We have demonstrated packaged robust links that achieve a relative frequency instability of 2×10−17 (5×10−17) at 10 h averaging while the temperature of the fiber was varied with 2°C (15°C) magnitude.
Multidimensional simulations of hydrides during fuel rod lifecycle

Abstract In light water reactor fuel rods, waterside corrosion of zirconium-alloy cladding introduces hydrogen into the cladding, where it is slightly soluble. When the solubility limit is reached, the hydrogen precipitates into crystals of zirconium hydride which decrease the ductility of the cladding and may lead to cladding failure during dry storage or transportation events. The distribution of the hydride phase and the orientation of the crystals depend on the history of the spatial temperature and stress profiles in the cladding. In this work, we have expanded the existing hydride modeling capability in the BISON fuel performance code with the goal of predicting both global and local effects on the radial, azimuthal and axial distribution of the hydride phase. We compare results from 1D simulations to published experimental data. We demonstrate the new capability by simulating in 2D a fuel rod throughout a lifecycle that includes irradiation, short-term storage in the spent fuel pool, drying, and interim storage in a dry cask. Using the 2D simulations, we present qualitative predictions of the effects of the inter-pellet gap and the drying conditions on the growth of a hydride rim.
Acute effects of dietary bisphenol A on endothelial function in humans (677.14)

BPA is present in canned goods and detectable in the urine of >95% of US adults. Studies suggest a link between BPA and cardiovascular disease, but mechanistic information in human subjects is extremely limited. We investigated whether consuming 12-oz of canned soup daily for 5 days would impair flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery. FMD is an assay of endothelial function that provides insight into cardiovascular health. Using a double-blinded crossover design, we compared the effects of 5 days of canned vs. fresh soup consumption in 7 healthy adults. The fresh soup recipes were matched for sodium and fat content, but contained no canned ingredients. After each week of soup, urinary BPA and FMD (with B-mode ultrasound using published guidelines) were measured. Data were compared using paired t tests. BPA was undetectable in fresh soup (<0.01 ug/ml), but was 0.98 ± 0.72 ug/ml in canned soup. Thus a 12-oz portion of canned soup could be expected to contain approximately 350 ug of BPA (represe...
The Relationship between Processing Styles and Self-Control Behavioral Characteristics

Recent research suggests that cognitions and affect may operate independently or simultaneously during the decision process. The purpose of this exploratory research is to understand cognitive and affective processing styles by examining the self-control traits which may be associated with each style. Results suggest that individuals prone to affective decision processing (Feeling Processors) also tended towards more compulsive behavior than the other types of processors. Similarly, individuals who use both styles of processing (Combination Processors) were found to be more likely to engage in risk-taking behavior. Implications of these results and future research are suggested.
Common-measures bias in the balanced scorecard : cognitive effort and general problem-solving ability

Lipe and Salterio (2000) found decision-makers role-playing as superiors in a performance evaluation setting placed 97 percent of criteria weight on information common to subordinates in making their judgments when evaluating performance using the Balanced Scorecard (BSC). Because theory underlying the BSC (Kaplan and Norton 1996, 2001) assumes all measures included are relevant for achieving organizational objectives, several subsequent studies have attempted to understand or alleviate this common-measures bias (e.g., Krumwiede et al. 2002; Banker et al. 2004; Libby et al. 2004; Roberts et al. 2004; Dilla and Steinbart 2005). This study is the first to directly test the effort-based explanation of the common-measures bias (Slovic and MacPhillamy 1974, Lipe and Salterio 2000). Additionally, this research investigates the role of participants' problem-solving ability on mitigating the common-measures bias. Results show strong support for the effect of problem-solving ability on increased measures usage, but not for the effort-based explanation. Superiors who relied more on common measures were less convinced subordinates should be evaluated with different measures and less convinced that subordinates' target markets were unique. These results raise important questions about the nature of common-measures bias.
Paradigms for pyramid machine algorithms

While the development of algorithms for parallel computers is often difficult, in the domain of image processing one may often use an appropriate methodology of algorithm design that greatly simplifies such development. The highly parallel “pyramid-machine” architecture supports several styles of programming for parallel machines, and it allows complicated transformations of images to be computed very rapidly. After alternative classification schemes are given, several powerful paradigms for pyramid-machine algorithms are described, including pyramid-building, tree-search, propagation, relaxation, and parallel sub-pyramids. The impacts of design methodology and the software development environment on the algorithm-design process are also discussed.
Molecular view modeling of atmospheric organic particulate matter: Incorporating molecular structure and co-condensation of water

Abstract Most urban and regional models used to predict levels of organic particulate matter (OPM) are based on fundamental equations for gas/particle partitioning, but make the highly simplifying, anonymized-view (AV) assumptions that OPM levels are not affected by either: a) the molecular characteristics of the condensing organic compounds (other than simple volatility); or b) co-condensation of water as driven by non-zero relative humidity (RH) values. The simplifying assumptions have allowed parameterized chamber results for formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) (e.g., “two-product” (2p) coefficients) to be incorporated in chemical transport models. However, a return towards a less simplistic (and more computationally demanding) molecular view (MV) is needed that acknowledges that atmospheric OPM is a mixture of organic compounds with differing polarities, water, and in some cases dissolved salts. The higher computational cost of MV modeling results from a need for iterative calculations of the composition-dependent gas/particle partition coefficient values. MV modeling of OPM that considered water uptake (but not dissolved salts) was carried out for the southeast United States for the period August 29 through September 7, 2006. Three model variants were used at three universities: CMAQ-RH-2p (at PSU), UCD/CIT-RH-2p (at UCD), and CMAQ-RH-MCM (at TAMU). With the first two, MV structural characteristics (carbon number and numbers of functional groups) were assigned to each of the 2p products used in CMAQv.4.7.1 such that resulting predicted Kp,i values matched those in CMAQv.4.7.1. When water uptake was allowed, most runs assumed that uptake occurred only into the SOA portion, and imposed immiscibility of SOA with primary organic aerosol (POA). (POA is often viewed as rather non-polar, while SOA is commonly viewed as moderately-to-rather polar. Some runs with UCD/CIT-RH-2p were used to investigate the effects of POA/SOA miscibility.) CMAQ-RH-MCM used MCM to generate oxidation products, and assumed miscibility of SOA and POA. In a ∼500 km wide band from Louisiana through to at least North Carolina, CMAQ-RH-2p and UCD/CIT-RH-2p predicted that water uptake can increase SOA levels by as much as 50–100% (from a range of ∼1–2 μg m−3 to a range of ∼1–4 μg m−3). CMAQ-RH-MCM predicted much lower effects of water uptake on SOA levels (
Neural Mechanisms of Mandibular Control: Mastication and Voluntary Biting

The sections in this article are: 1 General Features of Mandibular Motor System 1.1 Muscles of Mandible 1.2 Summary Neuroanatomy of Masticatory System 2 Mastication 2.1 Characteristics of Normal Mastication 2.2 Reflexes Possibly Involved with Chewing 2.3 Evidence Concerning Contribution of Jaw Reflexes to Mastication 2.4 Subcortical Mastication Pattern Generator 3 Initiation and Control of Mandibular Movements 3.1 Role of Sensorimotor Cortex in Mastication and Voluntary Jaw Movements 3.2 Peripheral Systems and Voluntary Isometric Jaw Muscle Contraction 3.3 Trigeminal Relationships in Cerebellum 4 Summary of General Conclusions
Progress toward high-performance astronomical coatings

We present an update on efforts at University of California Observatories to develop improved optical coatings for astronomical telescopes and instruments. The main thrust has been in the areas of protected silver mirror coatings and sol-gel based anti-reflection coatings. We report on the performance of silver coatings used for several years in Keck and Lick instruments, as well as that on the Lick 1-m telescope. We discuss process improvements, including use of reactive ion-assisted deposition of oxides. Sol-gel based AR coatings have been exposed to cryogenic environments to test their suitability for IR instruments, with encouraging results. Finally, we describe our plans for future work.
Darbepoetin alfa is more potent in vivo and can be administered less frequently than rHuEPO

Darbepoetin alfa is more potent in vivo and can be administered less frequently than rHuEPO
Evaluation of a two-temperature control structure for a two-reactant/two-product type of reactive distillation column

Abstract Several different control structures have been proposed for reactive distillation columns. The appropriate control structure depends on the flowsheet and on the type of reactions occurring in the column. If two reactants are involved and if it is desirable to operate the process without any excess of reactant, it is necessary to manage the fresh feed streams so that the stoichiometry is exactly balanced. A composition analyzer that measures an internal composition in the column is often required. However, if two products are produced, it is possible to avoid the use of an analyzer by using two temperatures in the column to adjust the two feed streams. This type of structure was proposed by Roat et al. [Roat, S., Downs. J., Vogel, E., Doss, J., 1986. Integration of rigorous dynamic modeling and control system synthesis for distillation columns. In: Chemical Process Control—CPC III. Elsevier, Amsterdam.] for the ideal reaction A + B ↔ C + D in one of the earliest papers dealing with reactive distillation control. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of this two-temperature control structure for various column designs (number of reactive stages) to quantify the impact of design on controllability. We also discuss the issues of the selection of the trays whose temperatures are to be controlled and the tuning of the two interacting temperature controllers. Disturbances in production rate and fresh feed compositions are made to examine the rangeability of this control structure. Both an ideal reaction system and the methyl acetate system are studied. One of the main conclusions is that the locations of the temperature control trays should be made such that the two temperature controllers both have direct action (an increase in temperature increases feed), which requires negative openloop process gains for both loops.
A simple energy balance model of ice segregation

Step functions of normal frost front advance in dry and wet soils are reviewed and used to introduce the geometry of the soil frost system. An energy balance equation at the initiation of ice lens growth is developed using simple physical assumptions. This model is then employed to simulate the effects of varied surface temperature depression and water table depth on the timing, position and rate of ice lens growth. Lowering the water table delays the onset of segregation but the initial heave rates are all above half a meter per year in the region examined.
Trajectory tracking of a class of underactuated systems with external disturbances

This paper considers trajectory tracking of vehicles modeled as underactuated rigid bodies. The goal is to obtain a simple and intuitive convergent controller that avoids issues with tuning gains or using coordinates associated with singularities. The main novelty lies in the derivation of a generally applicable control law that handles external disturbances.
Pediatric Integrative Medicine in Residency (PIMR): Description of a New Online Educational Curriculum.

Use of integrative medicine (IM) is prevalent in children, yet availability of training opportunities is limited. The Pediatric Integrative Medicine in Residency (PIMR) program was designed to address this training gap. The PIMR program is a 100-hour online educational curriculum, modeled on the successful Integrative Medicine in Residency program in family medicine. Preliminary data on site characteristics, resident experience with and interest in IM, and residents’ self-assessments of perceived knowledge and skills in IM are presented. The embedded multimodal evaluation is described. Less than one-third of residents had IM coursework in medical school or personal experience with IM. Yet most (66%) were interested in learning IM, and 71% were interested in applying IM after graduation. Less than half of the residents endorsed pre-existing IM knowledge/skills. Average score on IM medical knowledge exam was 51%. Sites endorsed 1–8 of 11 site characteristics, with most (80%) indicating they had an IM practitioner onsite and IM trained faculty. Preliminary results indicate that the PIMR online curriculum targets identified knowledge gaps. Residents had minimal prior IM exposure, yet expressed strong interest in IM education. PIMR training site surveys identified both strengths and areas needing further development to support successful PIMR program implementation.
Real-time airborne radiation analysis and collection (RTARAC) searching for airborne species characteristic to nuclear proliferation

An effective means of detecting airborne radioactive aerosol plumes has been developed and tested on aircraft platforms. The Real-Time Airborne Radiation Analysis and Collection (RTARAC) system was mounted in the wing pod of a Navy P-3 where it sampled 20 cubic meters of air per minute on each of eleven sequentially advanced filters. A 140% intrinsic gemanium detector counted radioactive particles collected on the 15 cm circular filters in real-time. Gamma-energy spectrum and near real-time analysis of the sample were displayed on a laptop computer.
Diamond−Fe–Cu–Ni–Sn composite materials with predictable stable characteristics

A developed mathematical model and a complex of methods of physical materials science are used to establish the parameters of hot pressing of diamond-containing compositions for which these compositions improve their physicomechanical properties as compared with the composites produced by using the commercial technologies. It is shown that the mechanism of improvement of the structure of the diamond–matrix transition zone and the properties of diamond−51% Fe–32% Cu–9% Ni–8% Sn composites is reduced to the diffusion of carbon atoms formed in the course of graphitization of diamonds in the stage of free sintering of the compositions into the crystal lattice of α -Fe during their hot pressing under a pressure of ≥ 200 МPа for ≥ 3 min.
Antecedent reinforcement contingencies in the stimulus control of an auditory discrimination.

In order to assess possible confounding of discriminative stimulus effects with those produced by the reinforcing stimulus, three groups of four rats each were trained for 45 hr on a variable-interval 1-min reinforcement program. Two groups were run on a multiple variable-interval extinction schedule in which the reinforcement stimulus (SD) and the nonreinforcement stimulus (SΔ) were two intensities of a 4-kHz (cps) tone separated by 40 or 10 db. The third group was run on a mixed schedule with a single intensity constantly present. The mixed-schedule animals showed no discrimination of the reinforcement program. Under the multiple schedule, the highest SΔ rates were obtained after SD intervals, regardless of the reinforcement availability in the SD interval. These local rate variations in SΔ were small in proportion to those produced by the SD versus SΔ intensities.
Optimal visibility-based path and motion planning of mobile observers for 3-D objects

Abstract Various optimization problems derived from visibility-based path and motion planning of mobile observers for three-dimensional objects such as asteroids are considered. First, the mathematical formulations of these problems are presented. These problems are generally non-smooth. Then, sufficient conditions for the existence of solutions are established. The nature of the optimal solutions to some of the posed problems is illustrated by simple examples. Next, the computational complexities in the solution of these problems are discussed briefly. Finally, explicit necessary optimality conditions for asteroid-observer optimal motion planning problems are presented.
A thermodynamic theory for the effects of localized heating in granular materials

Granular materials, when subject to high rates of deformation, exhibit the effects of localized internal heating due to grain friction and void closure. Here, we consider a continuum theory for granular materials which serves to account for these influences by introducing the concept of an equilibrated energy. This energy is representative of the energy in the vicinity of grain boundaries. A general constitutive formulation is proposed and the thermodynamic restrictions consistent with the theory are obtained. Consideration is also given to the results for equilibrium states and for the linearized form of the theory.