cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ambient noise limits efficacy of smartphone-based screening for hearing loss in children at risk.

Abstract Objective To determine if hearScreen®, a smartphone-based pure tone audiometric screen, serves as an effective hearing screen for identifying hearing loss in children at risk, such as those with chronic otitis media and/or craniofacial anomalies. Methods A cross-sectional, single-center, prospective study at an urban tertiary care hospital was completed. From June to October 2019, a total of 208 pediatric ears at risk for hearing loss were evaluated by both hearScreen® and conventional pure tone audiometry. The efficacy of hearScreen® for detecting hearing loss in a pediatric population at risk was determined. Results A total of 208 pediatric ears at risk for hearing loss were screened. HearScreen® demonstrated a sensitivity of 85%, a specificity of 41%, a positive predictive value of 36%, and a negative predictive value of 87%. Subgroup analysis stratified by hearing loss type showed that hearScreen® screens for conductive hearing loss with increased sensitivity. Conclusions This investigation suggests that hearScreen® may serve as a an accessible, low-cost, and sensitive pure tone audiometric screen for hearing loss in children at risk, particularly those with conductive hearing loss, with the caveat that it may generate a high proportion of false positives due to the influence of ambient noise, especially when screening at 500 Hz. Future investigations should weigh the utility of including 500 Hz in the screening protocol as well as assess methods that may mitigate the influence of ambient noise during a pure-tone audiometric screen.
Effects of diagonal shoulder training in a closed kinematic chain for secondary impingement syndrome: a case study.

[Purpose] This study examined the effects of diagonal shoulder training on an individual with secondary impingement due to scapular dyskinesis. [Subject] A 54 year-old female with secondary impingement participated in this study. [Methods] The patient performed diagonal shoulder training in 4-point kneeling, 3 times per day for 20 minutes over a period of 6 weeks. Evaluations of shoulder pain, range of motion, upper trapezius/lower serratus anterior ratio, and impingement were performed before training and at 2, 4, and 6 weeks. [Results] The patient’s parameters improved gradually. All parameters returned to normal ranges at 4 weeks. [Conclusion] Diagonal shoulder training is effective for improving dysfunction in individuals with secondary impingement. In addition, this training should be applied for more than 4 weeks.
Electron microscopic studies on Planaria. II. Fine structure of the neurosecretory system in the planarian Dugesia dorotocephala.

The neurosecretory system in the head of the planarian Dugesia dorotocephala was studied by electron microscopy. Most of the nerve fibers in the neuropil of the brain are unmyelinated and contain organelles such as neurofilaments, synaptic vesicles, and mitochondria. Some of these contain round, electron dense granules (400–1100 A in diameter), with a limiting membrane, that are apparently neurosecretory granules. These were also found in a number of the end bulbs as well as in the perikaryon of the soma of some of the neurons. There is considerable evidence that these are formed in the soma of the neurosecretory cells and migrate out along the nerve fibers to the terminal bulbs. The neurosecretory granules seem to be organized by the Golgi complex, the membrane with a portion of its dense material being formed by vesiculation and budding of the Golgi tubes with concentration of dense material inside the membrane continuing after its formation by vesiculation. The secretory neuron appears to pass from one morphological phase to another in a manner related to the formation and dissolution of Golgi complex and endoplasmic reticulum and the production of neurosecretory granules. These processes seem isomorphic with those associated with neurosecretory activity in higher animals.
Magnetic Resonance with Conducting and High‐Dielectric Samples

The goal of the article is to provide insight into the way magnetic and electric fields of the magnetic resonance experiment behave both in vacuo and inside a sample that is conductive and/or dielectric. Effects such as image asymmetry and central brightness, which appear unphysical without the necessary insights, are explained as is the spatial distribution of absorbed power. Using a saline sphere as a model sample, fields are analyzed in Bessel spherical harmonics reminiscent of the functions used in the theory of magnet shimming, and the principle of reciprocity is then employed to predict the signal-to-noise ratio and its frequency dependence. The mathematics is of moderate difficulty but is built from basic principles to aid comprehension. Keywords: high field; conducting sample; high-dielectric sample; penetration effects; wavelength effects; S/N; SAR; field focusing; dielectric resonance
Gallus domestica Yolk (Vitelline) Membrane Use for In Vitro Microbial Adherence Studies

The yolk membrane of unfertilized eggs (Gallus domestica) was isolated, washed, placed onto a glass holder, and utilized as an in vitro membrane model to study yeast attachment.
Higher survival drives the success of nitrogen‐fixing trees through succession in Costa Rican rainforests

Trees capable of symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation ('N fixers') are abundant in many tropical forests. In temperate forests, it is well known that N fixers specialize in early-successional niches, but in tropical forests, successional trends of N-fixing species are poorly understood. We used a long-term census study (1997-2013) of regenerating lowland wet tropical forests in Costa Rica to document successional patterns of N fixers vs non-fixers, and used an individual-based model to determine the demographic drivers of these trends. N fixers increased in relative basal area during succession. In the youngest forests, N fixers grew 2.5 times faster, recruited at a similar rate and were 15 times less likely to die as non-fixers. As succession proceeded, the growth and survival disparities decreased, whereas N fixer recruitment decreased relative to non-fixers. According to our individual-based model, high survival was the dominant driver of the increase in basal area of N fixers. Our data suggest that N fixers are successful throughout secondary succession in tropical rainforests of north-east Costa Rica, and that attempts to understand this success should focus on tree survival.
Transputer-Based Distributed Processing For Underwater Robotic Vehicle Control

High-precision, closed-loop control of underwater robotic vehicles presents unique computing requirements. This paper outlines a vehicle computer design philosophy based on transputers, microprocessors specially designed for parallel processing. Distributed processing can be seen as a subset of parallel processing, and transputers can be adapted to serve as high-performance distributed controllers for underwater vehicles, both tethered and autonomous. Two transputer-based designs are presented, Hylas, a tethered research vehicle, and ABE, an autonomous survey system. Data is presented to show the low-latency and high update-rate of vehicle controllers can be achieved with transputers as distributed controllers.
Localization of multiple acoustic sources with small arrays using a coherence test

Direction finding of more sources than sensors is appealing in situations with small sensor arrays. Potential applications include surveillance, teleconferencing, and auditory scene analysis for hearing aids. A new technique for time-frequency-sparse sources, such as speech and vehicle sounds, uses a coherence test to identify low-rank time-frequency bins. These low-rank bins are processed in one of two ways: (1) narrowband spatial spectrum estimation at each bin followed by summation of directional spectra across time and frequency or (2) clustering low-rank covariance matrices, averaging covariance matrices within clusters, and narrowband spatial spectrum estimation of each cluster. Experimental results with omnidirectional microphones and colocated directional microphones demonstrate the algorithm's ability to localize 3-5 simultaneous speech sources over 4 s with 2-3 microphones to less than 1 degree of error, and the ability to localize simultaneously two moving military vehicles and small arms gunfire.
On the apocalyptic columbine

In this essay we argue that mass media coverage of crises has begun to adopt an emerging social form or subgenre of theological discourse that we term the “apocalyptic sublime.” The apocalyptic sublime is characterized by the forwarding of an immanent temporality without promise of relief and by the promotion of an unstable subjectivity (in this case, a disoriented spectator) that is fruitfully described as an experience of sublimity. Our exemplar is the coverage of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, which has yet to fall from public view. The essay proceeds by first describing the apocalyptic sublime in relationship to technologies of representation and the logics of perception that they create. Then, both broadcast and online representations of the massacre are analyzed. We conclude by arguing that mass media versions of the apocalyptic sublime are ideally suited to the logics of late or “millennial” capitalism.
Safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents and bare metal stents in acute coronary syndrome

Compared with medical therapy, percutaneous coronary intervention has been shown to reduce the rates of death and recurrent ischemia in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). In the current interventional era, both drug-eluting stents (DES) and bare-metal stents (BMS) have been widely used, despite the fact that the use of DES in the context of ACS was initially an "off-label" indication and that ACS has been associated with stent thrombosis (ST). In contrast to the wealth of data available for the use of DES in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, data regarding the performance of DES in non-ST-elevation ACS is restricted to a handful of registries with conflicting data. The aim of this review was to summarize the safety and efficacy of DES in the entire spectrum of ACS.
Generational Change and the Future of the Atlantic Alliance

In 1968 a wave of student protest manifested itself throughout the Western world. Fifteen years later, a phenomenon variously described as the “Yuppies” or “Yumpies” began to be noted in the United States; a new environmentalist party entered the West German Bundestag for the first time; and a peace movement emerged in Western Europe that was able to mobilize an even larger and more mature segment of the public than did the anti-war movements of the Vietnam era.These seemingly dissimilar phenomena have something in common: they reflect a process of intergenerational value change that is gradually transforming the politics of Western societies. This process—a shift from Materialist to Postmaterialist value priorities—has brought new political issues to the center of the stage, and provided much of the impetus for new political movements. It has split existing political parties and given rise to new ones. And it raises serious doubts about the long-term viability of the Atlantic Alliance.
dictyBase, the model organism database for Dictyostelium discoideum

dictyBase (http://dictybase.org) is the model organism database (MOD) for the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. The unique biology and phylogenetic position of Dictyostelium offer a great opportunity to gain knowledge of processes not characterized in other organisms. The recent completion of the 34 MB genome sequence, together with the sizable scientific literature using Dictyostelium as a research organism, provided the necessary tools to create a well-annotated genome. dictyBase has leveraged software developed by the Saccharomyces Genome Database and the Generic Model Organism Database project. This has reduced the time required to develop a full-featured MOD and greatly facilitated our ability to focus on annotation and providing new functionality. We hope that manual curation of the Dictyostelium genome will facilitate the annotation of other genomes.
Comparison of Fo Extraction Methods for High-Precision Voice Perturbation Measurements

Voice perturbation measures, such as jitter and shimmer, depend on accurate extraction of fundamental frequency (Fo) and amplitude of various waveform types. The extraction method directly affects ...
Individual and Contextual Factors Associated with Patterns of Aggression and Peer Victimization during Middle School.

Peer victimization is a common problem among adolescents that has been linked to a variety of adjustment problems. Youth involved in peer victimization represent a heterogeneous group who may differ not only in their levels of victimization and perpetration, but also in the factors that influence their behavior. The current study used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify subgroups of aggressive and victimized youth, and to examine social-cognitive and environmental factors that differ across these subgroups. Participants were a predominantly African-American (i.e., 68 %) sample of 502 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders (45 % male, Mean age = 12.6 years) attending three urban public middle schools, who completed self-report measures of aggression, victimization, and associated individual and contextual factors. LCA identified four classes of adolescents representing non-victimized aggressors, aggressive-victims, predominantly victimized youth, and well-adjusted youth. Class differences were found on measures of beliefs supporting fighting, beliefs against fighting, perceived effectiveness of inept nonviolent responses to conflict, behavioral intentions to engage in aggressive and nonviolent behavior, self-efficacy for nonviolent behavior, and peer and parental support for aggression and nonviolence. For example, within the two classes of victimized youth, aggressive-victims reported greater intentions to engage in physical aggression and inept nonviolent behavior, and were more likely to agree with beliefs supporting the use of instrumental and reactive aggression, and beliefs that fighting is sometimes necessary compared to predominantly victimized youth. These findings emphasize the importance of developing preventive interventions that target the specific needs of distinct subgroups of adolescents.
A Method for Sensor Selection in Reconfigurable Process Monitoring

Sensor selection is important for process monitoring. Each time a machining system is reconfigured, the corresponding monitoring system needs to be re-designed for effective detection of the faults of interest. To accomplish this, a sensor selection methodology is proposed in this paper. Fuzzy theory is utilized for the multi-criteria decision-making process. Evaluation criteria are selected based on a thorough study of fault characteristics. Under subjective criteria, the ratings of different sensors are evaluated using linguistic terms, which are converted to trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Under objective criteria, the fuzzy performance of each sensor is obtained directly from its specifications. The suitable sensor or sensors can be selected by aggregating and ranking the fuzzy numbers. Sensor selection in the turning process is used to illustrate the proposed methodology.
Identification of Portal Venous Air with Bedside Ultrasound in the Emergency Department

A 57-year-old man with a history of atrial fibrillation presented to the Emergency Department with a 1-day history of diffuse abdominal pain associated with several liquid non-bloody stools. Initial vital signs were temperature 38.1C, heart rate 131 beats/min, blood pressure 111/ 77 mm Hg, respiratory rate 27 breaths/min, and SpO2 97%. Physical examination revealed tachycardia with an irregularly irregular rhythm and diffuse abdominal tenderness with guarding. Electrocardiography demonstrated atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. Bedside abdominal ultrasound was performed by the emergency physician and demonstrated air in the portal venous system visualized by scattered hyperechoic areas (Figure 1) and ring-down artifact (Figure 2) throughout the liver. The patient had a marked leukocytosis of 28,400 cmmwith left shift; liver function testswerewithin normal limits, lactate was 1.8 mmol/L, blood urea nitrogen was 52 mg/dL, and creatinine was 1.5 mg/dL.
The National War Labor Board and American State Building: A Response

In his article “Creating the National War Labor Board: Franklin Roosevelt and the Politics of State Building in the Early 1940s,” Andrew Workman argues for a revised “institutionalist” understanding of the creation of the National War Labor Board (NWLB). Specifically, Workman includes interest groups, networks of policy intellectuals, and intragovernmental relations in an institutionalist account of the origin of the NWLB. Existing accounts that focus on the government's dependence on labor unions (Sparrow) or partisan politics (Katznelson and Pietrokowski; Katznelson, Geiger, and Kryder) do not explain the complex origins of this key wartime board.
Large scale synthesis of single‐shell carbon nanotubes

We report on a novel technique for synthesizing large quantities of single‐shell carbon nanotubes in a dc arc with a composite anode of graphite and copper. Based on systematic studies involving a varying diameter and distribution of copper rods inside the graphite anode, we have correlated the presence of copper to the formation of monolayer buckytubes. We speculate that copper atoms in the discharge disrupt the orderly formation of multilayer buckytubes observed in earlier experiments.
Fatigue, depression, and cognitive performance among aged persons

Previous research by the authors has suggested that older persons who are depressed may be especially susceptible to the effects of fatigue in situations where multiple skills are assessed. The impact of fatigue and the effects of depression on cognitive performance have long been recognized as impediments to the accurate assessment of competence in the aged. To investigate such influences, data were gathered from 72 aged persons who had been screened for depression and assigned to one of three conditions varying in effort and the fatigue-inducing nature of the tasks to be solved. Results suggested depressed persons were more prone to fatigue. For measures of both active and passive short-term memory, depression and task effort impacted on performance. Such effects were considerably weaker for measures of intelligence.
Acute myocardial rescue with endogenous endothelial progenitor cell therapy.

Purpose Post-myocardial infarction heart failure is a major health concern with limited therapy. Molecular revascularisation utilising granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GMCSF) mediated endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) upregulation and stromal cell derived factor-1α (SDF) mediated myocardial EPC chemokinesis, may prevent myocardial loss and adverse remodelling. Vasculogenesis, viability, and haemodynamic improvements following therapy were investigated. Procedures Lewis rats ( n =91) underwent LAD ligation and received either intramyocardial SDF and subcutaneous GMCSF or saline injections at the time of infarction. Molecular and haemodynamic assessments were performed at pre-determined time points following ligation. Findings SDF/GMCSF therapy upregulated EPC density as shown by flow cytometry (0.12±0.02% vs. 0.06±0.01% circulating lymphocytes, p =0.005), 48hours following infarction. A marked increase in perfusion was evident eight weeks after therapy, utilising confocal angiography (5.02±1.7×10 −2 μm 3 blood/μm 3 myocardial tissue vs. 2.03±0.710 −2 μm 3 blood/μm 3 myocardial tissue, p =0.00004). Planimetric analysis demonstrated preservation of wall thickness (0.98±0.09mm vs. 0.67±0.06mm, p =0.003) and ventricular diameter (7.81±0.99mm vs. 9.41±1.1mm, p =0.03). Improved haemodynamic function was evidenced by echocardiography and PV analysis (ejection fraction: 56.4±18.1% vs. 25.3±15.6%, p =0.001; pre-load adjusted maximal power: 6.6±2.6mW/μl 2 vs. 2.7±1.4mW/μl 2 , p =0.01). Conclusion Neovasculogenic therapy with GMCSF-mediated EPC upregulation and SDF-mediated EPC chemokinesis maybe an effective therapy for infarct modulation and preservation of myocardial function following acute myocardial infarction.
Light-dependent reduction of some tetrazolium and ditetrazolium salts by chloroplasts.

Abstract Iodo nitro-tetrazolium is reduced by isolated illuminated chloroplasts. However, the resulting formazan yields filamentous strands which extend for micron distances away from the chloroplast internal membranes. We conclude that the failure of other workers to demonstrate localized reducing sites on the membrane using this compound does not necessarily indicate the absence of such sites, but may result from inherent limitations in the resolution of this method.
Nonvisual feeding in a visual planktivore, Xenomelaniris venezuelae

Studies of the diel feeding patterns of the planktivorous fish, Xenomelaniris venezuelae, in Lake Valencia, Venezuela, revealed that, although the fish is primarily a diurnal feeder, it consumes substantial numbers of Chaoborus larvae and pupae at night. A number of fish species are known which feed on plankton at night, but these fish are filter feeders and their diets largely consist of relatively small, nonevasive prey. Chaoborus, however, is large and agile. Predation by Xenomelaniris in the dark was also studied experimentally. Captured fish were placed in completely darkened aquaria with zooplankton from Lake Valencia. After several hours the plankton was removed and examined for evidence of feeding. The fish were found to consume Chaoborus pupae and fourth instar larvae but not other types of prey. The mode of feeding by Xenomelaniris in the dark is unknown.
On the Fixed Nature of Sharecropping Contracts

Newbery and Stiglitz (I979) suggest four stylised facts of sharecropping which theories should attempt to explain. The first is the persistence of sharecropping and its coexistence with fixed rental and wage markets under a variety of conditions over centuries of time. The second is that in modern developed economies there appears to be a decline in share tenancy. Thirdly share tenancy is often but not alwavs associated with lower productivity than fixed rental land. Finally, in many economies contracts involve shares of around one half for landlord and tenant. This does not vary from contract to contract and does not seem to be the object of negotiation. Smith (I776) and many subsequent authors have likened sharecropping to a tax. They argue that under this type of contract tenants choose their labour supply to equate their marginal disutility of labour with their proportionate share of the marginal product instead of the full marginal product. They therefore regard sharecropping as an inefficient form of land tenure. However, this view is difficult to reconcile with the first observation: given the coexistence of fixed rent and share contracts, it is reasonable to expect that if share contracts were relatively inefficient they would quickly die out. This does not appear to have happened. More recently it has been argued, most notably by Cheung (I969), that if there is certainty and transactions costs are the same for all contracts, then provided a share contract specifies the labour supply of the tenant it leads to the same efficient allocation of resources as a fixed rent or wage contract. Cheung has used this result as the basis of an explanation for coexistence. He suggests that the transaction costs for share contracts are higher than for wage and fixed rent contracts. However, share contracts have the advantage that they allow the risk to be shared between the landlord and tenant whereas with fixed rent contracts the tenant bears all the risk and with wage contracts the landlord does. Given varying degrees of risk aversion among landlords and tenants it is possible that for some parties the risk-sharing advantages outweigh the transaction cost disadvantages so that they will prefer share contracts whereas with others the reverse is true. One problem with this argument raised by Stiglitz (I974) and Newbery (I977) is that given constant returns to scale the risk-sharing properties of share contracts can be attained with mixtures of fixed rent and wage contracts. If these do indeed have lower transaction costs, share contracts would not then be observed.
Detached femoral bone plug following anterior cruciate ligament repair

We report the case of a 16-year-old woman who experienced failure of her bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) reconstruction of her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) due to detachment of the femoral bone plug from the endobutton. We have only found one prior report of this unusual complication. This case is also notable in that evidence of this complication is visible radiographically. Most postoperative complications of ACL reconstruction can be visualized only with the assistance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Effects of Feedback and Reinforcement on the Control of Human Systolic Blood Pressure

An automatic procedure providing information about human systolic blood pressure at each successive heartbeat under routine laboratory conditions is described. Twenty normal male subjects were given feedback of their own systolic pressure, half operantly reinforced for increasing and half reinforced for decreasing their pressure. Significant differences in pressure were obtained in a single session. The apparatus and results suggest a possible approach to the treatment of essential hypertension.
Drosophila melanogaster Mini Spindles TOG3 Utilizes Unique Structural Elements to Promote Domain Stability and Maintain a TOG1- and TOG2-like Tubulin-binding Surface

Microtubule-associated proteins regulate microtubule (MT) dynamics spatially and temporally, which is essential for proper formation of the bipolar mitotic spindle. The XMAP215 family is comprised of conserved microtubule-associated proteins that use an array of tubulin-binding tumor overexpressed gene (TOG) domains, consisting of six (A–F) Huntingtin, elongation factor 3, protein phosphatase 2A, target of rapamycin (HEAT) repeats, to robustly increase MT plus-end polymerization rates. Recent work showed that TOG domains have differentially conserved architectures across the array, with implications for position-dependent TOG domain tubulin binding activities and function within the XMAP215 MT polymerization mechanism. Although TOG domains 1, 2, and 4 are well described, structural and mechanistic information characterizing TOG domains 3 and 5 is outstanding. Here, we present the structure and characterization of Drosophila melanogaster Mini spindles (Msps) TOG3. Msps TOG3 has two unique features as follows: the first is a C-terminal tail that stabilizes the ultimate four HEAT repeats (HRs), and the second is a unique architecture in HR B. Structural alignments of TOG3 with other TOG domain structures show that the architecture of TOG3 is most similar to TOG domains 1 and 2 and diverges from TOG4. Docking TOG3 onto recently solved Stu2 TOG1· and TOG2·tubulin complex structures suggests that TOG3 uses similarly conserved tubulin-binding intra-HEAT loop residues to engage α- and β-tubulin. This indicates that TOG3 has maintained a TOG1- and TOG2-like TOG-tubulin binding mode despite structural divergence. The similarity of TOG domains 1–3 and the divergence of TOG4 suggest that a TOG domain array with polarized structural diversity may play a key mechanistic role in XMAP215-dependent MT polymerization activity.
Identification and Characterization of Human Glucose Transporter-like Protein-9 (GLUT9) ALTERNATIVE SPLICING ALTERS TRAFFICKING

The recently cloned human GLUT9 gene, which maps to chromosome 4p15.3-p16, consists of 12 exons coding for a 540-amino acid protein. Based on a sequence entry (NCBI accession number BC018897) and screening of expressed sequence tags, we have cloned an alternative splice variant of GLUT9 from human kidney cDNA. The RNA of this splice variant consists of 13 exons and codes for a putative protein of 512 amino acids (GLUT9ΔN). The predicted proteins differ only in their N terminus, suggesting a different subcellular localization and possible physiological role. Screening human tissue RNA by reverse transcription-PCR showed that GLUT9 is expressed mainly in kidney, liver, placenta, and leukocytes, whereas GLUT9ΔN was detected only in kidney and placenta. The GLUT9 protein localized by immunohistochemistry to human kidney proximal tubules, and subcellular fractionation of human kidney revealed the GLUT9 protein in plasma membranes and high density microsomal membranes. Treatment of kidney membrane proteins with peptide N-glycosidase F showed that GLUT9 and GLUT9ΔN are expressed in vivo. Localization of GLUT9 and GLUT9ΔN in three kidney-derived cell lines revealed a plasma membrane distribution for GLUT9 in COS-7 and HEK293 cells, whereas GLUT9ΔN showed a perinuclear pattern and plasma membrane staining in COS-7 and HEK293 cells, respectively. In polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, GLUT9 trafficked to the basolateral membrane, whereas GLUT9ΔN localized to the apical membrane. Using heterologous expression of GLUT9 in Xenopus oocytes, GLUT9 appears to be a functional isoform with low affinity for deoxyglucose. Deoxyglucose transport mediated by GLUT9 was not inhibited by cytochalasin B. GLUT9 did not bind cytochalasin B as shown by a cytochalasin B binding assay, indicating a similar behavior of GLUT9 compared with GLUT5.
A procedure to develop scalable models for the transient response of sleepers in conventional and high-speed railway lines and implementation to the vertical vibration mode

Abstract This paper presents a procedure to develop scalable reduced models for the through-the soil interaction and traveling wave effects of distant sleepers in a long railway track. For development purposes, and, without loss of generality, the geometry of the sleepers is consistent with the UIC-60 track system commonly used in European high speed rail and the vertical vibration mode is considered. The ballast and the effects of soil layering are not considered in the present paper; however, it is the subject of ongoing research. The proposed reduced models are based on B-Spline impulse response functions (BIRF) of the sleepers only as computed through boundary element method (BEM) solutions of the full model, preserve the frequency content of the full models, and they are highly accurate within the assumptions of linear isotropic and homogeneous soil media. They are expressed in a scalable form with respect to soil properties and sleeper spacing. In particular, the BIRFs of distant sleepers can be accurately approximated by appropriate scaling operations of time and amplitude of a reference sleeper BIRF while retaining all dynamic characteristics of the full model. Three main scaling parameters are proposed: (i) the apparent propagation velocity, (ii) the geometric damping coefficient, and (iii) the soil properties of a reference soil (i.e., the shear modulus and shear wave velocity). The models are validated through comparisons with other BEM solutions, and the accuracy and efficiency are established. The proposed models are developed as part of an NSF funded research on vibrations induced by high-speed rail traffic and are consistent with the associated train and rail models and a multi-system interface coupling (MSIC) technique that were developed as a part of the project and presented in companion papers. The proposed procedure forms the framework for developing scaled reduced models for other vibration modes and different sleeper geometries and can be generalized to include any foundation type or layered soil profiles.
Acoustic shadowing on B-mode ultrasound of the carotid artery predicts ischemic stroke. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study

Background and Purpose—We examined the relationship of carotid artery lesions (CALs), with and without acoustic shadowing (AS), to incident ischemic stroke events in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Com...
An application of proportional hazards model to study the recurrent time between traffic accidents or infractions and subsequent fatal automobile crashes, 1986–1988

Drivers who have a record of traffic accidents or infractions may be at increased risk of being involved in a subsequent fatal crash. To develop effective intervention programs, it is important for us to quantify the joint effects of suspected covariates that may affect the recurrent time, which we define as the time interval between the date of the last traffic accident or infraction and the date of the subsequent fatal crash. We analyze the data from the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) for the years 1986 through 1988. Because the FARS includes only drivers who already have been involved in a fatal crash and excludes drivers who have had traffic accidents or infractions but have not yet been involved in any fatal crash, the application of the proportional hazards model directly to the recurrent time considered here is not appropriate. We can, however, apply the proportional hazards model with time-dependent risk set defined by using the reverse hazard function. On the basis of the resulting model, we have found that all the covariates, including age, sex, usage of seat belts, and alcohol involvement during the fatal crashes, have significant effects on the recurrent time. In general, a male, unbelted driver between 16 and 25 years of age, under the influence of alcohol during a fatal crash, and without a valid license tends to have relatively short recurrent times.
Invisible speakers in home windows for simultaneous auxiliary audio playback and active noise cancellation

Abstract The use of a transparent thin film speaker in a home window can provide both an invisible audio playback device and an active noise cancellation system. However, several key challenges need to be addressed for development of such a system. A traditional feedforward active noise cancellation system uses direct microphone measurements for both reference and error signals. Such a system can degrade both the audio playback and the noise cancellation performance. Hence a wave separation algorithm is used in this paper for separation of the audio playback component from the external noise component for the reference signal. Further, an online adaptive secondary transfer function estimation method is used for accurate removal of the audio component from the error signal. Two approaches are attempted for the secondary transfer function estimation – use of source audio signals and use of additive white noise. The developed algorithms are evaluated in a scaled cabin equipped with a window and a transparent thin film actuator. Experimental results show that the developed system can preserve the auxiliary audio sound while cancelling external noise effectively. The system based on the use of source audio signals for secondary path estimation is found to yield the largest cancellation of external noise while producing the least amplitude of control inputs that cancel desired audio signals.
Acute nuclear actions of growth hormone (GH): cycloheximide inhibits inducible activator protein-1 activity, but does not block GH-regulated signal transducer and activator of transcription activation or gene expression

The mechanisms by which GH regulates gene expression to stimulate somatic growth and alter intermediary metabolism are unknown. We have shown previously that in vivo GH administration rapidly modifies the tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple hepatic nuclear proteins, including the inducible transcription factors, Stat1, Stat3, and (in this report) Stat5, and have found that hormone treatment also rapidly alters gene transcription in the liver. In this study, we have used the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide (CHX), to investigate which of the acute actions of GH are primary hormonal responses and which require concurrent protein synthesis. We found that many of the early changes in nuclear protein tyrosine phosphorylation and in nuclear protein-DNA binding after GH are not blunted by CHX. The activation of insulin-like growth factor I and Spi 2.1 gene expression and the inhibition of albumin transcription also are not blocked by CHX, suggesting that these effects are primary consequences of GH-ac...
Matrix Biology of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Workshop Report of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

A hallmark of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is excessive and disordered deposition of extracellular matrix. Although the lung extracellular matrix normally plays an essential role in development and maintenance of lung tissue through reciprocal interactions with resident cells, the disordered matrix in the diseased lung is increasingly recognized as an active and important contributor to IPF pathogenesis. This working group summary from a recently conducted National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute strategic planning workshop for IPF research highlights recent advances, challenges, and opportunities in the study of matrix biology in IPF. Particular attention is given to the composition and mechanical properties of the matrix in normal and diseased lungs, and the biochemical and biomechanical influences exerted by pathological matrix. Recently developed model systems are also summarized as key tools for advancing our understanding of matrix biology in IPF. Emerging approaches to therapeutically target the matrix in preclinical and clinical settings are discussed, as are important concepts, such as alterations of the matrix with aging and the potential for the resolution of fibrosis. Specific recommendations for future studies in matrix biology of IPF are also proposed.
3-dimensional registration and visualization of reconstructed coronary arterial trees on myocardial perfusion distributions

Models created independently from nuclear perfusion images of the myocardium and x-ray angiograms of the coronary arteries are placed in register to produce a unified three- dimensional representation that more clearly displays and quantifies the relationship between stenotic defects in the arterial tree and perfusion distribution in the myocardium© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Oxygen-blown gasification combined cycle: Carbon dioxide recovery, transport, and disposal

This project emphasizes CO2-capture technologies combined with integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) power systems, CO2 transportation, and options for the long-term sequestration of CO2. The intent is to quantify the CO2 budget, or an “equivalent CO2” budget, associated with each of the individual energy-cycle steps, in addition to process design capital and operating costs. The base case is a 458-MW (gross generation) IGCC system that uses an oxygen-blown Kellogg-Rust-Westinghouse (KRW) agglomerating fluidized-bed gasifier, bituminous coal feed, and low-pressure glycol sulfur removal, followed by Claus/SCOT treatment, to produce a saleable product. Mining, feed preparation, and conversion result in a net electric power production for the entire energy cycle of 411 MW, with a CO2 release rate of 0.801 kg/kWhe. For comparison, in two cases, the gasifier output was taken through water-gas shift and then to low-pressure glycol H2S recovery, followed by either low-pressure glycol or membrane CO2 recovery and then by a combustion turbine being fed a high-hydrogen-content fuel. Two additional cases employed chilled methanol for H2S recovery and a fuel cell as the topping cycle, with no shift stages. From the IGCC plant, a 500-km pipeline takes the CO2 to geological sequestering. For the optimal CO2 recovery case, the net electric power production was reduced by 37.6 MW from the base case, with a CO2 release rate of 0.277 kg/kWhe (when makeup power was considered). In a comparison of air-blown and oxygen-blown CO2-release base cases, the cost of electricity for the air-blown IGCC was 56.86 mills/kWh, while the cost for oxygen-blown IGCC was 58.29 mills/kWh. For the optimal cases employing glycol CO2 recovery, there was no clear advantage; the cost for air-blown IGCC was 95.48 mills/kWh, and the cost for the oxygen-blown IGCC was slightly lower, at 94.55 mills/kWh.
The LIMP-2/SCARB2 Binding Motif on Acid β-Glucosidase BASIC AND APPLIED IMPLICATIONS FOR GAUCHER DISEASE AND ASSOCIATED NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

The acid β-glucosidase (glucocerbrosidase (GCase)) binding sequence to LIMP-2 (lysosomal integral membrane protein 2), the receptor for intracellular GCase trafficking to the lysosome, has been identified. Heterologous expression of deletion constructs, the available GCase crystal structures, and binding and co-localization of identified peptides or mutant GCases were used to identify and characterize a highly conserved 11-amino acid sequence, DSPIIVDITKD, within human GCase. The binding to LIMP-2 is not dependent upon a single amino acid, but the interactions of GCase with LIMP-2 are heavily influenced by Asp399 and the di-isoleucines, Ile402 and Ile403. A single alanine substitution at any of these decreases GCase binding to LIMP-2 and alters its pH-dependent binding as well as diminishing the trafficking of GCase to the lysosome and significantly increasing GCase secretion. Enterovirus 71 also binds to LIMP-2 (also known as SCARB2) on the external surface of the plasma membrane. However, the LIMP-2/SCARB2 binding sequences for enterovirus 71 and GCase are not similar, indicating that LIMP-2/SCARB2 may have multiple or overlapping binding sites with differing specificities. These findings have therapeutic implications for the production of GCase and the distribution of this enzyme that is delivered to various organs.
U–Mo alloy fuel for TRU-burning advanced fast reactors

Abstract The use of U–Mo instead of U–Zr as the base alloy fuel for transuranics (TRU)-burning advanced fast reactors is assessed in several aspects. While the replacement of Zr with Mo involves no significant differences in terms of neutron physics (core design), U–TRU–Mo does provide advantages. U–TRU–Mo has lower TRU migration to cladding because of its simpler phase diagram, is advantageous in safety margin due to its higher thermal conductivity and better fuel-cladding-chemical-interaction resistance. High fuel swelling data, obtained at low temperatures, available in the literature are not directly applicable to the TRU-burning advanced fast reactors. The potential high swelling can also be controlled when strong cladding and degassing are used as are adopted for typical U–Pu–Zr fuel. Results and detailed analysis are presented in this paper, indicating the benefits of U–Mo base alloy fuel in TRU-burning advanced fast reactors.
Toward globular macromolecules with functionalized interiors: design and synthesis of dendrons with an interesting twist.

Design and synthesis of a novel class of monodendrons, in which the functional units can potentially be directed toward the concave interiors of dendrimers, are described. The key feature of the design is the placement of the amphiphilic and the AB2 functional groups in orthogonal planes.
Excitation of Phonons in a Bose-Einstein Condensate by Light Scattering

Stimulated small-angle light scattering was used to measure the structure factor of a Bose-Einstein condensate in the phonon regime. The excitation strength for phonons was found to be significantly reduced from that of free particles, revealing the presence of correlated pair excitations and quantum depletion in the condensate. The Bragg resonance line strength and line shift agreed with predictions for the homogeneous Bose gas using a local density approximation.
Trajectory simulation for single balloons and networks

Abstract An understanding of the characteristics of trajectories of constant-altitude stratospheric platforms is important for scientific balloon flights because science observation sequences, safety planning, overflight negotiations, launch site selection, and recovery operations are affected by trajectory. Supported by NASA, Global Aerospace Corporation (GAC) has developed a Trajectory Simulation and Prediction System (TSPS) for NASA's Ultra Long Duration Balloon (ULDB) Project. We identified desirable launch dates based on historical trajectory dispersion. None of the launch sites that were studied exhibits significantly less dispersion than the other launch sites. However, latitude dispersion grows with flight duration, and trajectory dispersion growth is significant from 30- to 100-day flights. We also discuss work supported by the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) where trajectory simulation techniques are applied to constellations of hundreds of balloons. We evaluate the prospects of managing the geometry of such constellations by using trajectory control systems.
Vortex wakes of two transports measured in 80 by 120 foot wind tunnel

Measurements are reported on the characteristics of the vortex wakes that trail from 0.03-scale models of a B-747 and a DC-10. Included are the downwash distributions obtained with a hot-film anemometer probe for the standard landing configurations, and the rolling moments induced on various following wings by the vortex wakes of several configurations of both wake-generating models. Both sets of data are presented for downstream distances of 81 and 162 ft, i.e., scale distances of 0.5 and 1.0 mile.
Biomass and energy transfer by a specialized predator of aquatic snails

Summary The predatory larvae of Sepedon fuscipennis (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) feed only on aquatic pulmonate snails. Under laboratory conditions these larvae utilized ingested snail tissue more efficiently when a lower snail biomass was ingested at lower snail densities. The adaptive value of this response to fluctuating prey availability is suggested.
Employment impacts of a ‘green’ energy transition in China

Before the US financial crisis that began in 2008, China was the ‘factory’ of the world, utilizing energy intensively for such processes as steelmaking, papermaking and concrete production. As such, energy emissions in China increased dramatically until 2007, with much of the energy being provided by the labor-intensive coal industry. Under the 11th five-year plan, China resolved to increase its energy efficiency, setting out to reduce energy consumption while continuing to increase economic growth, and to increase the usage of ‘green’ technologies to 15% of all energy used by 2020. The Renewable Energy Law of 2007 set a guideline for China's energy reduction goals, to quadruple the national GDP while only doubling the country's electricity usage by the year 2020. Currently, there are virtually no studies on the employment effects of a ‘green’ transition to explore what impact the current energy goals, or potentially ‘greener’ energy goals, would have on China's labor force. This paper seeks to analyze th...
Dimerization and comments on the reactivity of homophthalic anhydride.

Abstract Homophthalic anhydride (HPA) dimerizes under the influence of base to provide, sequentially, the (3–4′)-C-acyl dimer, a pair of chiral diastereomeric bis(lactones), 3-(2-carboxybenzyl)isocoumarin-4-carboxylic acid, and finally, 3-(2-carboxybenzyl)isocoumarin. The structures of the bis(lactones) were misassigned in 1970 based on the (presumed) cis thermal decarboxylative elimination reaction of the lower melting one. The preferred pathway should be trans–anti, however, and crystallographic analysis of one of the bis(lactones) reverses the earlier assignment. The formal cycloaddition reaction of HPA with imines occurs in preference to HPA dimerization; the mechanistic implications of this reactivity difference are discussed.