cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Bases for the Decomposition of the Graded Left Regular Representation of the Reflection Groups of Type Bn and Dn

Let R = Q[x1, x2, . . . , xn] be the ring of polynomials in the variables x1, x2, . . . , xn. Let WB be the finite reflection group of type Bn, let IB be a basic set of invariants of WB, and let R*B, denote the quotient of R by the ideal generated by IB. It is well known (see [Macdonald, 1991]) that the action of WB on the quotient ring R*B, viewed as a vector space over R, is isomorphic to the left regular representation of WB. Using methods similar to those in [Allen, 1992, 1993] we construct a basis PSC of R*B which exhibits the decomposition of R*B into its irreducible components. Now let WD be the finite reflection group of type Dn, let ID be a basic set of invariants for WD, and let R*D be the quotient of R with the ideal generated by ID. We will show that the basis PSC has the remarkable property that when restricted to R*D, exactly one-half of the elements of PSC are non-zero and the non-zero polynomials PSCD form a basis for R*D. The action of WD on the quotient ring R*D, viewed as a vector space of R, is also isomorphic to the left regular representation of WD (see [Macdonald, 1991]). This collection of polynomials PSCD gives the decomposition of R*D into its irreducible components when n is odd. A slight modification of PSCD gives a basis for the decomposition of R*D when n is even. We use these bases to construct the respective graded characters of R*B and R*D.
Voltage Dip and Synchronous-Condenser Swings Caused by Arc-Furnace Loads [includes discussion]

This paper shows that the angular swings produced in a synchronous condenser by sudden application of an arc-furnace load do not in general increase the magnitude of the voltage dip produced. In addition, a criterion for stable operation of the condenser is given in terms of the system, buffer reactor, and arc-furnace transformer reactances.
The effect of high galactose diets on urinary excretion of amino acids in the rat.

Young, male, Sprague-Dawley rats, maintained on 30% galactose diets for 50–90 days developed amino aciduria and polyuria. No disturbance of plasma amino acid concentration was noted suggesting that the amino aciduria was related to defective renal tubular reabsorption of amino acids. Chromatographic analysis of the urinary amino acids revealed increases in taurine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, alanine, β-alanine and ethanolamine. Studies using [14C]glucose failed to demonstrated any inhibition of the hexose monophosphate shunt pathway in the kidneys of the galactose fed animals.
Internal Working Models and Adjustment of Physically Abused Children: The Mediating Role of Self-Regulatory Abilities.

BACKGROUND: Abused children's internal working models (IWM) of relationships are known to relate to their socioemotional adjustment, but mechanisms through which negative representations increase vulnerability to maladjustment have not been explored. We sought to expand the understanding of individual differences in IWM of abused children and investigate the mediating role of self-regulation in links between IWM and adjustment. METHODS: Cluster analysis was used to subgroup 74 physically abused children based on their IWM. Internal working models were identified by children's representations, as measured by a narrative story stem task. Self-regulation was assessed by teacher report and a behavioral task, and adjustment was measured by teacher report. RESULTS: Cluster analyses indicated two subgroups of abused children with distinct patterns of IWMs. Cluster membership predicted internalizing and externalizing problems. Associations between cluster membership and adjustment were mediated by children's regulation, as measured by teacher reports of many aspects of regulation. There was no support for mediation when regulation was measured by a behavioral task that tapped more narrow facets of regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Abused children exhibit clinically relevant individual differences in their IWMs; these models are linked to adjustment in the school setting, possibly through children's self-regulation. Language: en
Thin-Walled Beams in Frame Synthesis

References 1 Yang, H. T., "Lift of Wing-Body Combination," AIAA Journal, Vol. 10, No. 11, Nov. 1972, pp. 1535-1536. 2 Miles, J. W., "On Interference Factors for Finned Bodies," Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Vol. 18, No. 4, April 1952, p. 287. 3 Spreiter, J. R., "Aerodynamic Properties of Slender Wing-Body Combinations at Subsonic, Transonic, and Supersonic Speeds," TN1662, July 1948, NACA. 4 Ward, G. N., "Supersonic Flow Past Slender Pointed Bodies," Quarterly Journal of Mechanics and Applied Mathematics, Vol. II, Pt. I, 1949, pp. 76-97.
The Origin of High-Speed Motions and Threads in Prominences

Prominences are among the most spectacular manifestations of both quiescent and eruptive solar activity, yet the origins of their magnetic-field and plasma structures remain poorly understood. We have made steady progress toward a comprehensive model of prominence formation and evolution with our sheared three-dimensional arcade model for the magnetic field and our thermal nonequilibrium model for the cool, dense material suspended in the corona. According to the thermal nonequilibrium model, condensations form readily along long, low-lying magnetic field lines when the heating is localized near the chromosphere. In most cases this process yields a dynamic cycle in which condensations repetitively form, stream along the field, and ultimately disappear by falling onto the nearest footpoint. Two key observed features were not adequately explained by our earlier simulations of thermal nonequilibrium, however: the threadlike (i.e., elongated) horizontal structure and high-speed motions of many condensations. In this paper we discuss how simple modifications to the radiative loss function, the heating scale, and the geometry of our model largely eliminate these discrepancies. In particular, condensations in nearly horizontal flux tubes are most likely to develop both transient high-speed motions and elongated threads. These results strengthen the case for thermal nonequilibrium as the origin of prominence condensations and support low-twist models of prominence magnetic structure.
Diradylglycerols alter fatty acid inhibition of monoacylglycerol acyltransferase activity in Triton X-100 mixed micelles

The activity of hepatic monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT) (EC 2.3.1.22), a developmentally expressed microsomal enzyme, is inhibited by long-chain fatty acids, and stimulated by its product 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol. Because the quantities of fatty acids and diacylglycerols are likely to vary in membranes during different physiological conditions and could thereby alter MGAT activity, we examined their combined effects on MGAT in Triton X-100/phospholipid mixed micelles. MGAT's product, 1,2-diC18:1-sn-glycerol, which is also normally a cooperative activator of the activity, reversed the 50% inhibition caused by 10 mol % oleic acid. The presence of oleic acid also allowed low concentrations (<10 mol %) of 1,2-diC18:1-sn-glycerol to stimulate MGAT activity without the lag that is observed in the absence of fatty acid. At 12.6 mol %, 1,2-monoC18:1-sn-glycerol ether, which alone has no effect on MGAT activity, became an activator in the presence of 10 mol % oleic acid. Kinetic studies revealed that in the ...
Data Quality Affects Meta-Analytic Conclusions: A Response to Miner and Raju (2004) Concerning Entrepreneurial Risk Propensity.

J. B. Miner and N. S. Raju (2004) contended that there are additional studies that compare the risk propensity of entrepreneurs and managers, which, when added to the data from W. H. Stewart and P. L. Roth (2001) and meta-analyzed, produce relationships between risk propensity and entrepreneurial status that are substantially weaker than previously believed. This conclusion was evaluated by identifying and examining methodological problems associated with their inclusion of effect sizes (i.e., ds) from studies with variables not relevant to research questions, dependent samples, extraneous variance in outcome variables, and confusion of constructs. When these methodological issues were addressed, a new meta-analysis indicated an overall conclusion consistent with that of Stewart and Roth, but the results varied according to instrumentation, particularly objective instrumentation (observed d = 0.31) versus the Miner Sentence Completion Scale-Form T (observed d = -0.35).
A neuro-fuzzy algorithm for diagnosis of coronary artery stenosis

In this paper a method of fuzzy decision making applied to diagnosis of coronary artery stenosis is presented. The method uses a neural network approach for the diagnosis of stenosis in the three main coronary arteries (left anterior descending, right coronary artery, and circumflex). First, the knowledge base domain, 201Tl scintigram training data, is explained and the method of preprocessing the original heart images is given. Next, the method of dealing with the uncertainties present in the data using the fuzzy approach is outlined. Finally, the algorithm and the results are discussed and compared with other approaches.
Effects of water acidification on the distribution pattern and the reproductive success of amphibians

Nine amphibian species were encountered in poorly buffered waters of The Netherlands (alkalinity ≦1 meq·l−1). These soft water systems are highly sensitive to acidifying precipitation. The number of species as well as the percentage of waters which harbour amphibian populations are strongly reduced in the extremely acid pH-class\((\bar pH< 4.0)\). The reproductive success of amphibians is negatively affected by low pH. The eggs become heavily infested with fungi (Saprolegniaceae). In acidifying systems many physico-chemical parameters are significantly correlated with the pH of the water. Strongly acidified waters are characterized by low alkalinity, conductivity and ionic content but high acidity and high concentrations of (heavy) metals and ammonium and a high relative sulphate concentration. Culture experiments with eggs and larvae ofRana arvalis. Rana ‘esculenta’, Rana temporaria andBufo bufo show that apart from the pH, elevated aluminium, cadmium and ammonium contents may also affect the reproductive success of amphibians.
The role of smoking and rebelliousness in the development of depressive symptoms among a cohort of Massachusetts adolescents.

Abstract Background. Recent studies have shown that smoking leads to depressive symptoms among adolescents, but the mechanisms underlying the relationship remain unclear. In this study, we focused on one possible mechanism, namely, the effect of rebelliousness. We examined the extent to which rebelliousness accounts for the relation between smoking and depression among adolescents in Massachusetts. Methods. Data were from a follow-up telephone survey of youth in Massachusetts. A subset of adolescents who were classified as not highly depressed at baseline in 1993 was used for the analyses (n = 522). Logistic regression analyses were used to predict whether cigarette smoking increased the odds of developing high depressive symptoms 4 years later, while controlling for rebelliousness and other factors. Results. Ever smoking a cigarette at baseline had a statistically significant impact on high depressive symptoms at follow-up. Once rebelliousness was considered, the relationship between ever smoking and follow-up depressive symptoms became nonsignificant. Conclusions. The findings indicate that rebelliousness accounted for the relation between adolescent smoking and the emergence of depressive symptoms. Rebelliousness may provide a modifiable variable to be targeted to interrupt the linkage between adolescent smoking and depression.
Repeated Ethanol Withdrawal Produces Site‐Dependent Increases in EEG Spiking

Recent studies have suggested an important kindling-like exacerbation of ethanol withdrawal symptoms after repeated cycles of ethanol intoxication and withdrawal. Few studies, however, have evaluated the effect of multiple episodes of intoxication and withdrawal on spontaneous EEG activity after cessation of ethanol intake. In this study, electrographic activity in cortical and subcortical structures of male Sprague-Dawley rats was examined after multiple cycles of ethanol intoxication and withdrawal. After surgical implantation of electrodes, animals received repeated cycles of chronic ethanol exposure in vapor inhalation chambers for 10 or 20 days, with 4-day withdrawal periods between each. Upon removal from the inhalation chamber, spontaneous EEG activity was recorded intermittently for 72 hr. These data were then examined for the presence of spikes and sharp waves. Results indicate that the levels of spike and sharp wave activity observed vary with both length of ethanol exposure and with the number of withdrawal cycles, and that these effects varied with neuronal site. Changes in spike and sharp wave activity were first observed within hippocampal areas, with other subcortical and cortical sites showing increased activity after additional ethanol exposure or additional cycles of intoxication and withdrawal. Hippocampal areas CA1 and CA3 differed significantly from one another in their response to chronic ethanol exposure, with area CA1 most affected by changes in amount of ethanol exposure and area CA3 most affected by number of withdrawal cycles. These results indicate an increased severity of the ethanol withdrawal syndrome after repeated ethanol withdrawal episodes and suggest differential, site-specific changes in neuronal excitability.
Hippocampal and Cerebellar β‐Adrenergic Receptors and Adenylate Cyclase Are Differentially Altered by Chronic Ethanol Ingestion

Chronic ethanol ingestion by mice resulted in the loss of high-affinity beta-adrenergic agonist binding sites and a significant decrease in activation of adenylate cyclase by guanine nucleotides and beta-adrenergic agonists in the hippocampus, although no significant change was noted in the total number of beta-adrenergic receptors, as defined by the binding of the antagonist [125]iodocyanopindolol. In cerebellum, chronic ethanol ingestion resulted in a 16% decrease in the total concentration of beta-adrenergic receptors and in a decrease in the affinity for agonist of the high-affinity beta-adrenergic agonist binding sites. However, neither the amount of the high-affinity agonist binding sites nor the activation of adenylate cyclase by agonist was affected. The different responses to ethanol in hippocampus and cerebellum may result from quantitative differences in distribution of beta 1- and beta 2-adrenergic receptors in the tested brain areas and/or differential effects of ethanol on stimulatory guanine nucleotide binding protein in these brain areas.
ON THE SENSITIVITY OF BRAND‐CHOICE SIMULATIONS TO ATTRIBUTE IMPORTANCE WEIGHTS

This paper critically reviews the report by Green, DeSarbo, and Kedia “on the insensitivity of brand-choice simulations to attribute importance weights”. The review suggests that results from two of their four weight distortion conditions should be viewed with suspicion and that their procedure for selecting brand scores biased the sensitivity analysis and inflated individual-level hit rates. The most unfortunate problem is that their simulation-experimental design precludes a global test of the main research issue. Results are presented from an alternative simulation approach that has the power to detect the sensitivity of brand shares to a wide range of conditions that affect the shape of attribute weight distributions. The results suggest that conclusions of Green, DeSarbo, and Kedia apply only to a limited domain and would not obtain in many likely market situations. Extensions to nonadditive decision structures are suggested and several unresolved issues are outlined.
Abortion, Time-Relative Interests, and Futures Like Ours

Don Marquis (1989) has argued most abortions are immoral, for the same reason that killing you or me is immoral: abortion deprives the fetus of a valuable future (FLO). Call this account the FLOA. A rival account is Jeff McMahan’s (2002), time-relative interest account (TRIA) of the wrongness of killing. According to this account, an act of killing is wrong to the extent that it deprives the victim of future value and the relation of psychological unity would have held between the victim at the time of death and herself at a later time if she had lived. The TRIA supposedly has two chief advantages over Marquis’s FLOA. First, unlike the FLOA, the TRIA does not rely on the controversial thesis that identity is what matters in survival. Second, the TRIA yields more plausible verdicts about cases. Proponents of the TRIA use the account to argue that abortion is generally permissible, because there would be little to no psychological unity between the fetus and later selves if it lived. I argue that advocates of the TRIA have failed to establish its superiority to the FLOA, for two reasons. First, the two views are on a par with respect to the thesis that identity is what matters in survival. Second, Marquis’s FLOA does not yield the counterintuitive implications about cases that advocates of the TRIA have attributed to it, and the TRIA yields its own share of implausible judgments about cases.
Colored Dissolved Organic Matter in Tampa Bay, Florida

Absorption and fluorescence of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), chlorophyll and total suspended solids in Tampa Bay and its adjacent rivers were examined in June and October of 2004. Except in Old Tampa Bay (OTB), the spatial distribution of CDOM showed a conservative relationship with salinity in June, 2004 (aCDOM(400)= −0.19×salinity+6.78, R 2 =0.98, n=17, salinity range=1.1–32.5) with little variations in absorption spectral slope and fluorescence efficiency. This indicates that CDOM distribution was dominated by mixing. In October, 2004, CDOM distribution was nonconservative with an average absorption coefficient (aCDOM(400), ∼7.76 m −1 ) about seven times higher than that in June (∼1.11 m −1 ). The nonconservative behavior was caused largely by CDOM removal at intermediate salinities (e.g., aCDOM(400) removal N15% at salinity ∼13.0), which likely resulted from photobleaching due to stronger stratification. The spatial and seasonal distributions of CDOM in Tampa Bay showed that the two largest rivers, the Alafia River (AR) and Hillsborough River (HR) were dominant CDOM sources to most of the bay. In OTB, however, CDOM showed distinctive differences: lower absorption coefficient, higher absorption spectral slopes, and lower ratios of CDOM absorption to DOC and higher fluorescence efficiency. These differences may have stemmed from (1) changes in CDOM composition by more intensive photobleaching due to the longer residence time of water mass in OTB; (2) other sources of CDOM than the HR/AR inputs, such as local creeks, streams, groundwater, and/or bottom re-suspension. Average CDOM absorption in Tampa Bay at 443 nm, aCDOM(443), was about five times higher in June and about ten times higher in October than phytoplankton pigment absorption, aph(443), indicating that blue light attenuation in the water column was dominated by CDOM rather than by phytoplankton absorption throughout the year. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
NOD2/CARD15 Variants Are Associated with Lower Weight at Diagnosis in Children with Crohn's Disease

NOD2/CARD15 variants are associated with lower weight at diagnosis in children with Crohn's disease
Is DNA a Language

DNA sequences usually involve local construction rules that affect different scales. As such their "dictionary" may not follow Zipf's law (a power law) which is followed in every natural language. Indeed, analysis of many DNA sequences suggests that no linguistics connections to DNA exist and that even though it has structure DNA is not a language. Computer simulations and a biological approach to this problem further support these results.
Veteran Teachers Mentoring in Training: Negotiating Issues of Power, Vulnerability and Professional Development.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which a school–university mentorship programme promotes a range of growth experiences, both negative and positive, for the participating mentor teachers. The paper presents a brief description of a school–university partnership, discusses the ways in which this partnership operates, summarises the literature on mentoring and explores the concepts of power and vulnerability as related to how the veteran teacher participants in the study perceive the benefits and challenges of mentoring. The authors argue that the nature of the Master of Education in Teaching programme, with its heavily based clinical component and expanded student-teaching experience, provides a distinctive magnifying lens of mentoring issues that is highly relevant for other professional teaching units who are considering using mentoring as a form of professional development for teachers. This study gives insight into the experiences of five mentor teachers so as to deepen understanding ...
Will New Human Papillomavirus Diagnostics Improve Cervical Cancer Control Efforts

With the causal link between specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer firmly established, efforts have turned to assessing the relative merits of offering HPV testing in screening, triage, and posttreatment management. Many unanswered questions remain, but a growing body of evidence supports a role for HPV testing in cervical cancer prevention programs. Already, clinical centers that serve thousands of women in Europe and the United States have incorporated HPV DNA tests in triage algorithms.
Thermally induced color change in electrospun fiber mats

Electrospinning is a process that employs a high static electrical potential to produce polymeric fibers of nanoscale diameter. The process has been utilized to achieve color change by electrospinning black polymer solutions to produce white fiber mats. When subsequently heated, the electrospun mats undergo a color change from white to black. This phenomenon is demonstrated with three polymer/solvent systems.
Complement lysis of nucleated cells: Effect of temperature and puromycin on the number of channels required for cytolysis☆

Abstract We have previously shown that lysis of a nucleated mammalian cell requires several complement channels unlike lysis of erythrocytes and that this difference is due primarily to rapid elimination of channels from the plasma membrane. We have now investigated this problem further by studying the rate of channel elimination at low temp, the osmotic fragility of the cells, and the effectiveness of the membrane-associated ion pumps. When complement channels were formed for 3 min at 37°C, followed by prolonged incubation at 2°C, the C6 lytic dose-response curves indicated that a single channel was required for lysis of a cell, whereas multiple channels were required when the entire process was carried out at 30°C. The shift from multi- to one-hit lytic behavior can be explained by the drastic reduction in the rate of channel elimination at low temp. C6 lytic dose-response curves with puromycin-treated cells were also found to display one-hit behavior, but, in this case, the rate of channel elimination was reduced only about 35–40% (which would not suffice to explain the one-hit lytic characteristics). However, cell death was more extensive for puromycin-treated cells than normal cells after incubation in buffers of low ionic strength, suggesting that an increase in osmotic fragility may be a contributing factor in the shift from multi- to one-hit behavior. Blocking of the membrane-associated Na+/K+-ATPases with ouabain did not affect the multi-channel requirement. Presumably, this means that the ion pumping rate does not significantly influence the number of channels required for lysis.
Teaching the Art of Negotiation: Improving Students' Negotiating Confidence and Perceptions of Effectiveness

Negotiation classes are one way in which many of today's managers try to develop negotiation skills. Despite the popularity of such courses, relatively little research has assessed their effectiveness in improving trainee self-confidence and posttraining transfer. The results of 2 data collection efforts indicate that students in a typical negotiation-training course integrating the principles of instructional design believed that they had improved their negotiating skills and confidence, adopted more integrative conflict management styles, and implemented their newfound skills in important real-world negotiations. These perceived changes persisted over time.
Interactive spatiotemporal modelling of health systems: the SEKS–GUI framework

This paper describes the spatiotemporal epistematics knowledge synthesis and graphical user interface (SEKS–GUI) framework and its application in medical geography problems. Based on sound theoretical reasoning, the interactive software library of SEKS–GUI explores heterogeneous (spatially non-homogeneous and temporally non-stationary) health attribute distributions (disease incidence, mortality, human exposure, epidemic propagation etc.); expresses the health system’s dependence structure using (ordinary and generalized) spatiotemporal covariance models; synthesizes core knowledge bases, empirical evidence and multi-sourced system uncertainty; and generates a meaningful picture of the real-world system using space–time dependent probability functions and associated maps of health attributes. The implementation stages of the SEKS–GUI library are described in considerable detail using appropriate screens. The wide applicability of SEKS–GUI is demonstrated by reviewing a selection of real-world case studies.
Radar characteristics of pedestrians at 77 GHz

Studying pedestrian radar scattering features will lead to development of more reliable pedestrian collision avoidance radar algorithms. In this paper, the study of backscattering features of 77 GHz radar from a pedestrian in different postures is discussed. Radar scattering patterns were collected from 9 human subjects to investigate possible radar signatures associated with pedestrian at 77 GHz. Measured backscattering changes for the standing and walking postures. Full-wave simulation and measurement are shown to be in agreement. Doppler frequency shift associated with pedestrian motion was also studied at 77 GHz. The time-varying RCS from walking to standing posture is extracted from these measurements.
Stiffness properties of particulate composites containing debonded particles

Abstract This paper considers the problem of determining the nonlinear bimodular stiffness properties, i.e., the tensile and compressive Young’s moduli and Poisson’s ratios, and the shear modulus, of particulate composite materials with particle–matrix interfacial debonding. It treats the general case in which some of the particles are debonded while the others remain intact. The Mori–Tanaka approach is extended to formulate the method of solution for the present problem. The resulting auxiliary problem of a single debonded particle in an infinite matrix subjected to a remote stress equal to the average matrix stress, for which Eshelby’s solution does not exist, is solved by the finite element method accounting for the particle–matrix separation and contact at the debonded particle–matrix interface. Because of the nonlinear nature of the problem, an iterative process is employed in calculating the stiffness properties. The predicted stiffness properties are compared to the exact solutions of the stiffness properties of particulate composites with body-centered cubic packing arrangement.
Interaction of localized vibrations with plasmons in a polar semiconductor

Abstract The shift of the frequency of a localized vibration mode in a III–V compound semiconductor due to its interaction with the charge density fluctuations of the degenerate free carriers is calculated, and is found to be a fraction of a wavenumber for attainable carrier concentrations.
Penalty resolution of the babuska circle paradox

Abstract If the solution for a simply-supported circular plate is approximated by a sequence of finite element solutions on successively refined polygonal domains the finite element approximations converge to the solution of a different problem. In the present study we present a finite element formulation with boundary penalty that produces valid approximations to the simply-supported plate. The penalty term is shown to require the use of reduced integration. The dependence of the penalty parameter on mesh size h is also examined. Numerical experiments confirm the validity of the method and determine rates of convergence. A second approach involving a modified corner condition is also considered and error estimates determined. This scheme is implemented also using a discrete penalty technique. The results and rates are compared with the boundary penalty method and their relative merits discussed.
Possible Warfarin Failure Due to Interaction with Smokeless Tobacco

OBJECTIVETo report a case of possible interaction of smokeless tobacco with warfarin in a patient treated after several thromboembolic events.CASE SUMMARYA white man with a long history of smokeless tobacco use was unsuccessfully treated with warfarin up to 25–30 mg/day. International normalized ratio (INR) values never stabilized >2.0 over 4.5 years of therapy. This patient had experienced 3 myocardial infarctions (MIs) and 2 ischemic strokes between the ages of 29 and 31 years and experienced another MI at age 33 years. This was followed by several episodes of transient ischemic attacks at age 34 years. During the final year of warfarin treatment, tobacco use was terminated, followed by an increase in INR values from 1.1 to 2.3 within one week. Warfarin therapy was discontinued and smokeless tobacco use was reinstated and tapered slowly to discontinuation. Following warfarin discontinuation, ticlopidine therapy was initiated. Subsequently, this patient was placed on long-term clopidogrel therapy. Mechan...
Psychometric properties of scales for the measurement of psychosocial variables associated with depression in adolescence

In preparation for a community-based study of depression in adolescence, several point studies were conducted with samples of adolescents. The purpose of these studies was to evaluate the reliability and association with depression of several instruments when used with older (14- to 18-year-old) adolescents. These instruments included measures of cognitions, body image, self-esteem, self-awareness, social interactions with peers and family, social support, micro- and macrostressful life events, anxiety and tension, positive affect, antisocial or oppositional behaviour, suicidal ideation, and vocabulary. The internal consistency reliability and stability of most of the instruments were satisfactory. In addition, most instruments were associated with a measure of depression, Radloff's Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale. Several of the scales were successfully abbreviated using techniques based on factor analysis and item analysis.
Association of maternal communicative behavior with child vocabulary at 18–24 months for children with congenital hearing loss

article i nfo Objectives: To identify important maternal and child factors associated with development of vocabulary in a cohort of children with and without permanent hearing loss (HL). Methods: Children with HL and typical hearing were enrolled after the newborn hearing screen. Mother- child dyads were evaluated at 18-24 months of age. Mothers completed the MacArthur-Bates Commu- nicative Development Inventory (MCDI). Maternal communicative effectiveness was scored using the Parent/Caregiver Involvement Scale (PCIS) from a 10 min play session. Correlations and regression models were run to identify the important predictors of number of child words produced. Results: Results from 40 children with typical hearing and 31 children with HL are reported. Words produced (134±135 vs. 71±112) and words produced percentile (33±42 vs. 17±23) scores on the MCDI were significantly higher for children with hearing compared to children with HL. Greater maternal stress was associated with decreased verbal involvement, positive regard, availability, and enjoyment. Regression analysis revealed HL, stay in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and maternal stress were associated with fewer words produced whereas more optimal maternal atmosphere and quality of control and directiveness were associated with more words produced. Conclusions: Maternal communicative behaviors, maternal stress, child HL, and child stay in the NICU were all associated with number of words produced at 18-24 months.
Vehicle identifications using acoustic sensing

Increase in the complexity of battlefield fought in urban areas has brought a high demand for efficient techniques for vehicles detection, classification, identification and tracking in areas of interest. The demand for such efficient techniques is due to complexity of the environment and to sensor limitations. Multi-sensor data fusion can be used for vehicle identification in practical applications such as battlefield surveillance. Multi-sensor data fusion provides significant advantages over single sensor data source. The purpose of this research is to design and implement data fusion software for vehicle surveillance applications using a distributed network of acoustic sensors. The data fusion software will be used in vehicles traffic monitoring in a battlefield and events detection and tracking in secured areas. Implementation and testing results of the developed software are obtained from real data collect from civilian and military vehicles.
Electrical conductivity changes associated with thermal decomposition of phenolic- and silicone-based materials

Electrical conductivity changes during thermal decomposition of several phenolic and silicone materials have been measured while increasing temperature from 25 to ∼ 700°C at a rate of 10°C per minute in a nitrogen atmosphere, The materials are based on phenolic and silicone resins and are reinforced with glass chopped fabric or cloth. The electrical results are correlated with mass loss and thermal decomposition product data obtained using mass spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis. Peaks in the conductivity temperature dependence and deviations from ohmic behavior are found to be associated with material decomposition and/or outgassing. An excellent correlation is obtained between thermal stability and temperature-dependent electrical properties. Results suggest that electrical conductivity can be used as a thermal analytical tool in characterizing these materials.
Full Characterization of Substrate Integrated Waveguides from S-Parameter Measurements

A complete methodology to characterize substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) structures from S-parameter measurements is presented. We determined the complex propagation constant, the characteristic impedance of a homogeneous section of waveguide, and the efficiency of different adapters used to launch the signals into the waveguide. After a detailed analysis, it is observed that the most significant losses in an SIW are associated with the adapters since a low insertion loss is presented in a homogeneous section of waveguide.
Frequency-domain methods for characterization of pulsed power diagnostics

This paper discusses methods of frequency-domain characterization of pulsed power sensors using vector network analyzer and spectrum analyzer techniques that offer significant simplification over time-domain methods, while mitigating or minimizing the effect of the difficulties present in time domain characterization. These methods are applicable to characterization of a wide variety of sensors.
Jet, Ultrasonic, and Mesh Nebulizers: An Evaluation of Nebulizers for Better Clinical Outcomes

For over a century, nebulizers have been commonly used to deliver aerosolized medications in the treatment of patients with pulmonary diseases. They are the aerosol device of choice when patients can not coordinate inhalation and actuation needed for the use of the pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) or are not able to provide the necessary inspiratory flow required by the dry powder inhaler (DPI) for effective aerosol drug delivery. Three types of nebulizers exist: (1) jet nebulizers, (2) ultrasonic nebulizers, and (3) mesh nebulizers. The purpose of this paper is to explain the types of nebulizers available on the market and to evaluate their efficiencies in aerosol drug delivery while suggesting strategies for the optimal treatment of patients with pulmonary diseases.
Self-heating-aware optimal wire sizing under Elmore delay model

Global interconnect temperature keeps rising in the current and future technologies due to self-heating and the adiabatic property of top metal layers. The thermal effects impact adversely both reliability and performance of the interconnect wire, shortening the interconnect lifetime and increasing the interconnect delay. Such effects must be considered during the process of interconnect design. In this paper, one important argument is that the traditional linear dependence between wire resistance and wire width is no longer adequate for high layer interconnects due to the adiabatic property of these wires. By using curve fitting technique, we propose a quadratic model to represent the resistance of interconnect, which is aware of the thermal effects. Based on this model and the Elmore delay model, we derived a linear optimal wire sizing formula in form of f (x) = ax + b. Compared to non-thermal-aware exponential wire sizing formula in form of f (x) = ae-bx, we observed a 49.7% average delay gain with different choices of physical parameters.
A childhood cancer sibling's oral history

The diagnosis of childhood cancer in a family member alters a sibling's life, including exposing a sibling to the side effects of cancer therapy, feelings of being displaced, and a possible misunderstanding of what is happening. The purpose of this oral history was to gain a better understanding of the recall and long-term effects of a younger sister's diagnosis of cancer at age 6 on the child's sibling, who was then 8 years old. Data were gathered from a 22-year-old sibling of a leukemia survivor through three taped and transcribed semistructured interviews. Themes emerged through the process of content analysis. Six themes: closeness, activity, fearfulness, anger, worry, and spirituality, emerged and were supported by thick descriptions.
Tolerance of Selected Bedding Plants to Four Herbicides in Irrigation Water

‘Cocktail Whiskey’ begonia (Begonia semperflorens), ‘Sun Devil Extreme’ vinca (Catharanthus roseus), ‘Million Gold’ melampodium (Melampodium paludosum), and ‘Super Elfin’ impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) plants were irrigated with water treated with quinclorac, topramezone, imazamox, and penoxsulam to identify herbicide concentrations that cause phytotoxic effects. Plants were irrigated four times over a 10-day period with the equivalent of 0.5 inch of treated water during each irrigation and were then irrigated with tap water until they were harvested 28 days after the first herbicide treatment. Visual quality and dry weight data revealed that melampodium was the most sensitive of the bedding plants to quinclorac, imazamox, and penoxsulam, whereas vinca was the most sensitive species to topramezone. Noticeable reductions in visual quality and dry weight of melampodium were evident after exposure to 240, 580, and 10 ppb of quinclorac, imazamox, and penoxsulam, respectively, while dry weight of vinca was reduced after exposure to 110 ppb of topramezone. Current irrigation restrictions on imazamox, penoxsulam, and topramezone are adequate to minimize damage to these bedding plants if herbicide-treated waters are used for four irrigation events. However, irrigation restrictions should be established for quinclorac to prevent damage to sensitive bedding plants such as melampodium.
Captain Blake versus the Highwaymen: Or, How San Francisco Won the Freeway Revolt

The San Francisco freeway revolt was not just the first but the longest 1960s protest against superhighway construction in urban areas. Most accounts attribute this to the city's dramatic natural setting, which fostered an early and insistent aesthetic critique. This article identifies the critical condition in not the city but the state. In 1947, the California legislature reoriented its entire highway program from multipurpose roads to limited-access freeways designed to go directly into cities. Resituating the revolt in this context explains not just its precocity but its duration and intensity. What began as a reasonable assertion of local jurisdiction was transformed into a protracted standoff with the state by the vast new funding of the Interstate and Defense Highway Act of 1956. It also reveals how close the city came to losing the revolt, despite the legitimacy of its claims, and identifies a direct impact of this narrow victory on the emerging environmental movement.
The role of calcium in the regulation of renin secretion.

Renin is the enzyme which is the rate-limiting step in the formation of the hormone angiotensin II. Therefore, the regulation of renin secretion is critical in understanding the control of the reni...
Challenges in carrier-mediated intracellular delivery: moving beyond endosomal barriers

The deployment of molecular to microscale carriers for intracellular delivery has tremendous potential for biology and medicine, especially for in vivo therapies. The field remains limited, however, by a poor understanding of how carriers gain access to the cell interior. In this review, we provide an overview of the different types of carriers, their speculated modes of entry, putative pathways of vesicular transport, and sites of endosomal escape. We compare this alongside pertinent examples from the cell biology of how viruses, bacteria, and their effectors enter cells and escape endosomal confinement. We anticipate insights into the mechanisms of cellular entry and endosomal escape will benefit future research efforts on effective carrier-mediated intracellular delivery. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2016, 8:465-478. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1377 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Combining ground count, telemetry, and mark–resight data to infer population dynamics in an endangered species

Summary 1. To successfully manipulate populations for management and conservation purposes, managers must be able to track changes in demographic rates and determine the factors driving spatial and temporal variation in those rates. For populations of management concern, however, data deficiencies frequently limit the use of traditional statistical methods for such analyses. Long-term demographic data are often piecemeal, having small sample sizes, inconsistent methodologies, intermittent data, and information on only a subset of important parameters and covariates. 2. We evaluated the effectiveness of Bayesian state-space models for meeting these data limitations in elucidating dynamics of federally endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis sierrae. We combined ground count, telemetry, and mark–resight data to: (1) estimate demographic parameters in three populations (including stage-specific abundances and vital rates); and (2) determine whether density, summer precipitation, or winter severity were driving variation in key demographic rates. 3. Models combining all existing data types increased the precision and accuracy in parameter estimates and fit covariates to vital rates driving population performance. They also provided estimates for all years of interest (including years in which field data were not collected) and standardized the error structure across data types. 4. Demographic rates indicated that recovery efforts should focus on increasing adult and yearling survival in the smallest bighorn sheep population. In evaluating covariates we found evidence of negative density dependence in the larger herds, but a trend of positive density dependence in the smallest herd suggesting that an augmentation may be needed to boost performance. We also found that vital rates in all populations were positively associated with summer precipitation, but that winter severity only had a negative effect on the smallest herd, the herd most strongly impacted by environmental stochasticity. 5. Synthesis and applications. For populations with piecemeal data, a problem common to both endangered and harvested species, obtaining precise demographic parameter estimates is one of the greatest challenges in detecting population trends, diagnosing the causes of decline, and directing management. Data on Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep provide an example of the application of Bayesian state-space models for combining all existing data to meet these objectives and better inform important management and conservation decisions.
Soft Error and Soft Delay Mitigation Using Dynamic Threshold Technique

When designers try to address increasing power consumption reduction via optimizations, they need to be aware of the impact on single event robustness. In this work, we examined dynamic threshold MOS-based (DTMOS) schemes for their soft error and soft delay tolerance. Among techniques we considered, the standard DTMOS technique showed the best characteristics in terms of SEU robustness due to increased current drive. We have found that the standard DTMOS technique can be successfully combined with driver sizing approach in mitigating single event transient and soft delay effects. This combined approach results in considerable savings in area compared to driver sizing alone. This is possible since the standard DTMOS gate is more robust to radiation transients compared to a conventional one due to increased critical charge.
Endothelial progenitor cells from infantile hemangioma and umbilical cord blood display unique cellular responses to endostatin

Infantile hemangiomas are composed of endothelial cells (ECs), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), as well as perivascular and hematopoietic cells. Our hypothesis is that hemangioma-derived EPCs (HemEPCs) differentiate into the mature ECs that comprise the major compartment of the tumor. To test this, we isolated EPCs (CD133+/Ulex europeus– I+) and mature ECs (CD133–/Ulex europeus–I+) from proliferating hemangiomas and used a previously described property of hemangioma-derived ECs (HemECs), enhanced migratory activity in response to the angiogenesis inhibitor endostatin, to determine if HemEPCs share this abnormal behavior. Umbilical cord blood–derived EPCs (cbEPCs) were analyzed in parallel as a normal control. Our results show that HemEPCs, HemECs, and cbEPCs exhibit increased adhesion, migration, and proliferation in response to endostatin. This angiogenic response to endostatin was consistently expressed by HemEPCs over several weeks in culture, whereas HemECs and cbEPCs shifted toward the mature endothelial response to endostatin. Similar mRNA-expression patterns among HemEPCs, HemECs, and cbEPCs, revealed by microarray analyses, provided further indication of an EPC phenotype. This is the first demonstration that human EPCs, isolated from blood or from a proliferating hemangioma, are stimulated by an angiogenesis inhibitor. These findings suggest that EPCs respond differently from mature ECs when exposed to angiogenic or antiangiogenic signals.