cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functionalized graphene aerogel composites for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors

Asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) have played a leading role in realizing energy storage devices with high energy and power densities. While both anode and cathode materials are important for high performance ASCs, more research effort has been devoted to developing cathode materials because the energy source of an ASC is mostly attributed to the cathode. However, the development of anode materials is essential in order to achieve high power density as well as stable long-term cycle life of ASCs. In this study, functionalized graphene aerogel (GA) decorated with palladium (Pd) nanoparticles is used as an efficient ASC anode material. The high surface area (328 m 2 g 1 ) and low electrical resistivity (50 times lower than one without Pd) of the GA composite grants a high specific capacitance (175.8 F g 1 at 5m V s 1 ), excllent rate capability (48.3% retention after a 10 fold increase of scan rate), and remarkable reversibility. ASCs assembled from manganese dioxide (cathode) and GA composite (anode) show stable extended cell voltage, fast charge-discharge capability, excellent cycle stability (89.6% retention after 3000 cycles), and high energy and power densities (average of
Review of laser applications in glaucoma filtering surgery

Laser sclerostomy is currently being evaluated as an approach which can possibly provide a better means of controlling open angle glaucoma than by conventional filtering surgery. This article will introduce various laser systems and their applications in glaucoma filtering surgery.
Improving Synaptic Function in a Mouse Model of AD

Memory loss is an early symptom of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The findings of Gong et al. (2006) now indicate that enhancing the activity of UCH-L1, a ubiquitin hydrolase, alleviates the synaptic dysfunction and memory loss associated with a mouse model of AD. This work also raises the question of what role UCH-L1 might play in other diseases involving protein aggregation, such as Parkinson's Disease.
Characterization Of Epoxy-Graphite Composites By Diffuse Reflectance FTIR

Diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has been used to obtain IR spectra of epoxy-graphite prepregs and cured panels. The spectra are influenced by fibre orientation and front-surface reflection effects which limit the usefulness of the method for quantitative analysis. However, for qualitative work, excellent spectra can be obtained with practically no sample preparation.
Increasing mental health awareness and appropriate service use in older Chinese Americans: A pilot intervention

Abstract Objective This study evaluated the effectiveness of a community intervention in increasing awareness of mental health issues and available resources among elderly Chinese Americans. Methods Twenty-seven members of a community church received a 1-h didactic presentation, in English and Mandarin, and completed surveys regarding their help-seeking preferences before and after the intervention. Results were analyzed using a series of Wilcoxon matched-pair signed rank tests and comparing pre- and post-test scores. Results Findings indicated an increase ( p Conclusion The pilot educational intervention increased awareness of mental health and treatment issues and the role of mental health professionals, lending support to evaluate the intervention on a larger scale. Practice implications Greater awareness of mental health among Chinese Americans can be promoted via education forums provided through faith-based organizations. Stigma of mental illness leads many Chinese individuals to seek help for psychiatric problems from primary care physicians. Integrating mental health practitioners in primary care settings may help decrease stigma and encourage appropriate help-seeking behavior.
Short-term average irradiance profile of an optical beam in a turbulent medium

The short-term average irradiance profile of a focused laser beam transmitted through a homogeneous-isotropic medium has been determined by using the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and by modifying the phase structure function to remove tilt. In contrast to previous analysis, no assumption is made regarding the independence of the distribution of phase with tilt removed and the random vector β defining tilt. This analysis applies to the near field of the effective coherent transmitting aperture, where the beam wanders as a whole and does not break up into multiple patches or blobs. Central to the analysis is the short-term average mutual coherence function (MCF) of a spherical wave, which has been determined from the modified phase structure function. Assuming a Kolmogorov spectrum, the modified phase structure function has been determined for three specific aperture functions. These same aperture functions are then used to determine the short-term irradiance profiles. Numerical calculations have been performed, and the results are presented for uniform and Gaussian aperture functions for various values of aperture obscuration and for various strengths of turbulence values. Comparisons are made between the long-term average, short-term average, and Fried’s short-term average irradiance profiles. In particular, on-axis irradiance values and beam spread, as determined by the 1/e points in irradiance, are compared. It is found, in contrast to previous analysis, that the short-term beam spread remains relatively constant as the strength of turbulence becomes large and then increases slowly.
Anchoring effects in world university rankings: exploring biases in reputation scores

Despite ongoing debates about their uses and validity, university rankings are a popular means to compare institutions within a country and around the world. Anchoring theory suggests that these rankings may influence assessments of institutional reputation, and this effect may be particularly strong when a new rankings system is introduced. We test this possibility by examining data from the first 3 years of the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) world university rankings. Consistent with an anchoring hypothesis, the initial THES rankings influenced peer assessments of reputation in subsequent surveys, but second-year rankings were not related to changes in reputation in the third year. Furthermore, as expected, early peer assessment ratings were not associated with changes in future rankings. These findings provide strong evidence for an anchoring effect on assessments of institutional reputation. We discuss the usefulness of these peer assess- ments, along with ways in which reputational surveys can be improved.
A prospective study of nighttime vital sign monitoring frequency and risk of clinical deterioration.

The routine practice of collecting vital signs every 4 hours in hospitalized ward patients has been perpetuated since as early as 1893, but there is little evidence to support this tradition1. Although vital signs can be indicative of impending clinical deterioration, routine nighttime vital sign monitoring adds to the already fragmented sleep of inpatients. Sleep disruptions are prevalent among ward patients and are associated several negative health outcomes, including elevated blood pressures and delirium2,3. Overnight vital sign checks not only are an especially bothersome disruptor but also can deplete crucial health care resources. Track and trigger systems, such as the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), have been used to identify high-risk patients for critical interventions4. The present study investigated whether the MEWS could identify low-risk-patients who might forgo overnight vital sign monitoring.
Direct chloride measurement of [4-36Cl]chlorobiphenyl and [4,4'-36Cl]dichlorobiphenyl dechlorination in the rat

A reverse-phase HPLC system was used for the determination of inorganic chloride liberated in vivo from two biphenyl compounds in the rat. Oral administration of [4-36Cl]chlorobiphenyl resulted in a total yield of 27.6% of the original dose excreted over 10 d in the urine and included 1.7% of the dose as inorganic chloride. For [4,4′-36Cl]dichlorobiphenyl, the radioactivity of the original dose in the urine was 39.8% after 10 d, which included 11.5% of the dose as inorganic chloride. These results appear to represent the first direct determination of dechlorination by measurement of the inorganic chloride and suggest that biodechlorination plays a greater role in the metabolism of these compounds than previously expected.
Model compounds and polymers with quinoxaline units

Tetra- and heptanuclear N-heterocycles, their dimers and their polymers have been prepared by condensation of o-phenylenediamine or 3,3'-diaminobenzidine with 2,3-dihydroxyquinoxaline, 2,3,2,3'-tetrahydroxy-6,6'-bisquinoxaline, or 2,3,7,8-tetrahydroxy-1,4,6,9-tetraazaanthracene in polyphosphoric acid, or with the O-phenyl derivatives of the latter three compounds in phenol. The condensation products are highly colored compounds with characteristic absorption spectra. The polymers show good thermal stability.
Supplemental Corn Silage or Baled Hay for Correction of Milk Fat Depressions Produced by Feeding Pellets as the Sole Forage

Abstract Investigated was the ability of small quantities of conventional forage to correct the milk fat depression produced when pellets are fed as the sole forage. Feeding pellets as the sole forage decreased milk fat percentage, increased milk protein and solids-not-fat percentages and had no reflect on milk production. Associated with these changes were decreases in rumen pH, protozoa numbers, and molar percentages of acetate and butyrate, whereas molar percentages of propionate and valerate were increased. Milk fat contained lowered proportions of short-chain fatty acids (C ≤ 12) and tetradecanoate, hexadecanoate, and octadecanoate; whereas, percentages of hexadecenoate, octadecenoate, octadecadienoate, and octadecatrienoate were increased. Animals which continued to receive pellets as the sole forage exhibited further alterations in the foregoing parameters, whereas supplements of corn silage (1.4 or 2.8 kg dry matter) or baled hay (2.09 kg dry matter) alleviated the milk fat depressions and caused concomitant changes in rumen chemical characteristics and fatty acid composition of milk fat. Changes in distribution of rumen volatile fatty acids were largely the result of alterations in propionate concentration. Since rumen proprionate percentages and concentrations increased, whereas percentages of milk hexadecanoate and octadecanoate decreased in conjunction with milk fat depressions and reversals were produced in these parameters as the milk fat depression was alleviated, we concluded that the major factor influencing milk fat changes was an alteration in adipose tissue metabolism probably caused by increased propionate. The increased unsaturation of milk fat produced during milk fat depressions was related to the defaunating effects of pelleted forages.
Portfolio Theory-Based Resource Assignment in a Cloud Computing System

The focus of this paper is on energy-aware resource management in a cloud computing system. Much of the existing work assumes that the resource requirements for various applications are known and given as scalar values. However, it is very difficult to know the exact resource requirements, and thus, it is more appropriate to treat resource requirements for applications as random variables with known characteristics. For a desired quality of service, the required total resource amount can then be estimated as a function of the means and standard deviations of these random variables. Inspired by the modern portfolio theory, this paper presents algorithms that minimize the total amount of estimated resource in the system. A source of difficulty is that some of the aforesaid random variables may be correlated with each other. The proposed algorithms effectively deal with correlated applications. Experimental results show that, in spite of its simplicity and scalability, the proposed solution outperforms the well-known heuristics i.e., first fit decreasing (FFD) and best fit decreasing (BFD) by an average of 10% while having a low execution time.
Impact of Engine Dynamics on Torque Split Management of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Energy management strategies in a parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) greatly depend on the accuracy of internal combustion engine (ICE) data. It is a common practice to rely on static maps for required engine torque-fuel efficiency data. The engine dynamics are ignored in these static maps and it is uncertain how neglecting these dynamics can affect fuel economy of a parallel HEV. This paper presents the impact of ICE dynamics on the performance of the torque split management strategy. A parallel HEV torque split strategy is developed using a method of model predictive control. The control strategy is implemented on a HEV model with an experimentally validated, dynamic ICE model. Simulation results show that the ICE dynamics can degrade performance of the HEV control strategy during the transient periods of the vehicle operation by more than 20% for city driving conditions in a common North American drive cycle. This also leads to substantial fuel penalty which is often overlooked in conventional HEV energy management strategies.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Acceptance of Assistive Technology by Special Education Teachers: A Structural Equation Model Approach

To investigate the acceptance of assistive technology (AT) by special education teachers, the present study developed and tested hypothesized relationships among key determinants of AT acceptance such as the facilitating condition, perceived ease of use, computer self-efficacy, result demonstrability, perceived usefulness, and behavioral intention. Results from analysis of data collected from a number of special education teachers in schools for the visually and/or auditory impaired confirmed the effects hypothesized in our conceptual model of AT acceptance. In particular, perceived usefulness was a dominant factor affecting AT usage. Facilitating condition was strongly related to perceived ease of use, whereas perceived ease of use had a significant effect on computer self-efficacy. This study also found the importance of result demonstrability factor, which had significant effects on both computer self-efficacy and perceived usefulness. This study expanded and enriched a traditional technology acceptanc...
Asymptotics of Some Relativistic Markov Processes

Markov processes in special-relativistic position-velocity phase space are proved to have converging velocities as t → + ∞ under some mild assumptions on transition probabilities. This offers a possible mechanism to explain the recession of galaxies.
A New Crystalline form of Monosodium L-Glutamate

A new crystalline form of monosodium l-glutamate, which is different from the known monosodium l-glutamate monohydrate crystal in external appearance, density, X-ray diffraction pattern, solubility, and water of crystallization, has been crystallized from ca. 73 weight per cent aqueous methanol solution at ca. 18°C. It was identified as the dihydrate from the determination of water of crystallization based on Karl Fischer′s method. The newly found crystals are extremely unstable in air, aqueous solution, and the mother liquor, because of rapid transformation into the stable monohydrate, whereas they can be kept in a considerably stable condition in absolute ethanol and acetone.
Modeling wind fields and fire propagation following bark beetle outbreaks in spatially-heterogeneous pinyon-juniper woodland fuel complexes

Abstract We used a physics-based model, HIGRAD/FIRETEC, to explore changes in within-stand wind behavior and fire propagation associated with three time periods in pinyon-juniper woodlands following a drought-induced bark beetle outbreak and subsequent tree mortality. Pinyon-juniper woodland fuel complexes are highly heterogeneous. Trees often are clumped, with sparse patches of herbaceous vegetation scattered between clumps. Extensive stands of dead pinyon trees intermixed with live junipers raised concerns about increased fire hazard, especially immediately after the trees died and dead needles remained in the trees, and later when the needles had dropped to the ground. Studying fire behavior in such conditions requires accounting for the impacts of the evolving heterogeneous nature of the woodlands and its influence on winds that drive fires. For this reason we used a coupled atmosphere/fire model, HIGRAD/FIRETEC, to examine the evolving stand structure effects on wind penetration through the stand and subsequent fire propagation in these highly heterogeneous woodlands. Specifically, we studied how these interactions changed in woodlands without tree mortality, in the first year when dried needles clung to the dead trees, and when the needles dropped to the ground under two ambient wind speeds. Our simulations suggest that low wind speeds of 2.5 m/s at 7.5-m height were not sufficient to carry the fire through the discontinuous woodland stands without mortality, but 4.5 m/s winds at 7.5-m height were sufficient to carry the fire. Fire propagation speed increased two-fold at these low wind speeds when dead needles were on the trees compared to live woodlands. When dead needles fell to the ground, fine fuel loadings were increased and ambient wind penetration was increased enough to sustain burning even at low wind speeds. At the higher ambient wind speeds, fire propagation in woodlands with dead needles on the trees also increased by a factor of ∼2 over propagation in live woodlands. These simulations indicate that sparse fuels in these heterogeneous woodlands can be overcome in three ways: by decreasing fuel moisture content of the needles with the death of the trees, by moving canopy dead needles to the ground and thus allowing greater wind penetration and turbulent flow into the woodland canopy, and increasing above-canopy wind speeds.
Optimization of acoustic liners by the hybrid finite element-integral approach

An iterative solution technique for predicting the sound field radiated from a turbofan inlet is used to predict the optimum inlet acoustic liner. The analytical approach divides the sound field into two regions: the sound field within and near the inlet which is computed using the finite element method and the radiation field beyond the inlet which is calculated using an integral solution technique. A continuous solution is obtained by matching the finite element and integral solutions at the interface between the two regions. Using a trial and error scheme, this analytical procedure is used to calculate the impedance value of the duct liner which will produce a minimum sound pressure level in the far field. Several examples of straight and non-uniform ducts with and without flow are presented.
Alkynyl‐ and Alkenyl(phenyl)iodonium Compounds. New Synthetic Methods (86)

Compounds with highly coordinated, polyvalent main-group elements represent an interesting alternative to the many well-known transition-metal complexes. Among the oldest and best known stable examples of such organic molecules are the iodine(III) compounds. Diaryliodonium species, Ar2IX, for example, have been known for over a hundred years and play an important role in lithography. Likewise, acetylenes and olefins are among the oldest, most important, and most valuable compounds in chemistry. Besides simple hydrocarbon alkenes and alkynes, numerous functionalized derivatives are also known and widely employed in organic chemistry. Despite the ubiquity and prominance of both IIII species and olefins and acetylenes, the combination of these two types of functional groups in a single molecular unit, namely compounds with polyvalent iodine and at least one alkyne or olefin residue, was unknown until recently. The successful preparations of simple alkynyl- and alkenyl-(phenyl)iodonium species during the 1980s has resulted in a renaissance in both acetylene and IIII chemistry. These alkynyliodonium compounds readily undergo nucleophilic substitution on the alkyne moiety (SN-A reactions) which are difficult with other substrates. The application of a wide variety of nucleophiles in this reaction resulted in diverse functionalized alkynes including previously unknown acetylenic carboxylates, sulfonates, and phosphates. These are excellent substrates for cycloaddition reactions as well as numerous other interesting chemical transformations.
Serial diffusion-weighted MRI in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: Prediction and assessment of response to transarterial chemoembolization. Preliminary experience.

Abstract Objective To assess the role of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measured with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting and assessing response of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Methods Thirty-six patients with cirrhosis and untreated HCC who underwent TACE and MRI within 3 months before and after TACE were assessed. MRI included DWI and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging. Two observers measured ADC of HCCs and liver parenchyma on pre- and post-TACE MRIs and measured degree of tumor necrosis on subtracted post-contrast images on post-TACE MRI. Pre-, post-TACE tumor ADC, and changes in tumor ADC (ΔADC) were compared between lesions stratified by degree of tumor necrosis (measured on post-TACE MRI). Results Forty seven HCCs were evaluated (mean size 4.4cm, range 1.0–14.1cm). HCCs with poor and incomplete response to TACE ( −3 mm 2 /s ( p =0.042); post-TACE ADC 1.34±0.36 vs. 1.92±0.47 ( p =0.0008). There was no difference in ΔADC values. Conclusion This preliminary data suggests that pre-TACE tumor ADC can be used to predict HCC response to TACE.
Mathematical modeling of chemotactic bacterial transport through a two-dimensional heterogeneous porous medium

ABSTRACT The impact of bacterial chemotaxis on in situ ground-water bioremediation remains an unanswered question. Although bacteria respond to chemical gradients in aqueous environments and under no-flow conditions, it is unclear whether they can also respond in porous media with advective flow to improve overall contaminant degradation. The effect of chemotaxis is most profound in regions with sharp chemical gradients, most notably around residual nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) ganglia and surrounding clay lenses or aquitards with trapped contamination. The purpose of this study is to simulate bacterial transport through a two-dimensional subsurface environment, containing one region of low permeability with trapped contaminant surrounded above and below by two regions of higher permeability. Using mathematical predictions of the effect of pore size on measured bacterial transport parameters, the authors observe a 50% decrease in both motility and chemotaxis in the finer-grained, low-permeability porous...
A low-power CMOS continuous-time LMS adaptive filter with robust DC-offset cancellation

Continuous-time LMS (CTLMS) adaptive filter regains researchers' attention and interest because of its capability of high frequency signal processing. Its advantages of power efficiency and circuitry simplicity make it even more attractive to be applied in communication systems and sensor systems. However, the filtering performance of CTLMS implementation is severely affected by the DC offset caused by the mismatches of the fabricated circuit. To address this problem, this paper proposes a CMOS, low power, continuous-time weight-updating circuit topology with an auto-zeroed multiplier and integrator to cancel the DC offset. Simulation results of a 6 taps transversal adaptive filter utilizing this circuit structure is presented to verify its effectiveness.
Method for amplitude response estimation in quadratic channels

Like other coherent optical storage channels, a volume holographic storage channel is a quadratic channel since its output is a function of the magnitude-square of the light incident on the photo-detector array. Because of such intensity detection, the sign/phase information at the output is destroyed which makes the estimation of the amplitude response difficult. In this paper, we present a new method called modified least mean squares (MLMS) method to estimate the amplitude channel response of a volume holographic storage channel in the presence of quadratic non-linearity. Numerical simulations show that MLMS is very effective in estimating the amplitude response of such channels under even severe loss of sign information.
Video-assisted thoracoscopy and the staging of lung cancer

Video-assisted thoracoscopy (VAT) provides an opportunity for evaluation and biopsy within the pleural space and at the pulmonary hilum. The application of a standardized approach for VAT in patients with primary lung cancers was evaluated. Of 49 patients, 6 patients could not be evaluated due to intrapleural adhesions. Of the remaining 43 patients, an unsuspected parietal pleural metastasis was identified in 2, obviating further surgery. The other 41 patients underwent anatomic resection after VAT staging, which was carried out during the same operative procedure. Pathologic staging of the specimens revealed 20 T1 N0, 10 T2 N0, 5 T1 N1, and 6 T2 N1 lesions. Among the T2 lesions, 10 of 16 (63%) involved visceral pleural invasion, all of which were identified at VAT staging. Among the N1 lesions, 6 of 11 (55%) were identified at VAT staging; in the remainder, N1 nodes were not accessible to biopsy. No morbidity or mortality was noted. Routine VAT staging in patients with lung cancer is a safe technique, reduces the need for an exploratory thoracotomy, and may identify patients with localized lung cancers who are at high risk for postoperative recurrence.
Effects of CO2 on a High Performance Hollow-Fiber Membrane for Natural Gas Purification

A 6FDA-based, cross-linkable polyimide was characterized in the form of a defect-free asymmetric hollow-fiber membrane. The novel membrane was cross-linked at various temperatures and tested for na...
Regulation of Avian Cardiac Myogenesis by Activin/TGFβ and Bone Morphogenetic Proteins

Abstract Previous studies have identified two signaling interactions regulating cardiac myogenesis in avians, a hypoblast-derived signal acting on epiblast and mediated by activin or a related molecule and an endoderm-derived signal acting on mesoderm and involving BMP-2. In this study, experiments were designed to investigate the temporal relationship between these signaling events and the potential role of other TGFβ superfamily members in regulating early steps of heart muscle development. We find that while activin or TGFβ can potently induce cardiac myogenesis in pregastrula epiblast, they show no capacity to convert noncardiogenic mesoderm toward a myocardial phenotype. Conversely, BMP-2 or BMP-4, in combination with FGF-4, can readily induce cardiac myocyte formation in posterior mesoderm, but shows no capacity to induce cardiac myogenesis in epiblast cells. Activin/TGFβ and BMP-2/BMP-4 therefore have distinct and reciprocal cardiac-inducing capacities that mimic the tissues in which they are expressed, the pregastrula hypoblast and anterior lateral endoderm, respectively. Experiments with noggin and follistatin provide additional evidence indicating that BMP signaling lies downstream of an activin/TGFβ signal in the cardiac myogenesis pathway. In contrast to the cardiogenic-inducing capacities of BMP-2/BMP-4 in mesoderm, however, we find that BMP-2 or BMP-4 inhibits cardiac myogenesis prior to stage 3, demonstrating multiple roles for BMPs in mesoderm induction. These and other published studies suggest a signaling cascade in which a hypoblast-derived activin/TGFβ signal is required prior to and during early stages of gastrulation, regulated both spatially and temporally by an interplay between BMPs and their antagonists. Later cardiogenic signals arising from endoderm, and perhaps transiently from ectoderm, and mediated in part by BMPs, act on emerging mesoderm within cardiogenic regions to activate or enhance expression of cardiogenic genes such as GATA and cNkx family members, leading to cardiac myocyte differentiation.
Plasma lipoproteins: Structure, function, and regulation

Plasma lipoproteins, which initially were identified only with intravascular lipid transport, have now been recognized as playing a role in the regulation of important cell functions. From the time of their production to their catabolism, plasma lipoproteins undergo a series of structural reorganizations due to enzymatic and physico-chemical processes, yielding products that can be described by models which obey precise molecular volume and surface-area requirements. The establishment of quantitative correlations between lipoprotein structure and metabolism should be emphasized in future studies.
Allocation in Stratified Sampling as a Game

Abstract We consider here the problem of allocating sampling effort among strata when there is no useful information on the within-stratum variability. We show that in a natural game theoretic analogue proportional allocation is a unique good strategy.
The Relationship of the Amount of Tyramine and the Numbers of Streptococcus Faecalis to the Intensity of Flavor in American Cheddar Cheese

Summary Experimental American Cheddar cheese made with commercial lactic starter from pasteurized milk developed low amounts of tyramine, 4 to 87 γ per g., and flavor of mild to medium intensity in 5 months of curing. The combination of lactic and Streptococcus faecalis starters in cheese produced the largest amounts of tyramine, 333 to 1,397 γ per gram, and flavor of medium to sharp intensity. S. faecalis starter alone in cheese produced tyramine and flavor between these two extremes. In commercial American Cheddar cheese made from raw and pasteurized milk, cured for varying periods, there was a direct semilogarithmic relationship between tyramine content (25 to 2,330 γ per g.) and the intensity of flavor. Of the 25 cheese samples, 18 gave plate counts on the special medium of over 80,000 S. faecalis per g., with the high count of 159million. The S. faecalis bacteria produced the tyramine, although other bacteria may contribute. Tyramine was not the Cheddar-flavor compound, but served as a means of measuring bacterial activity that accentuated flavor production. The activity of bacteria producing tyramine did not account for all cheese flavor. The increase in titratable acidity was related directly to cheese flavor intensity, and this relationship, even though subject to considerable variation, was too close in individual samples to be accidental. In a general way, the increase in volatile fatty acids and water soluble nitrogen was related to flavor intensity, but variations in individual samples prevented a definite correlation and also established that these changes were incidental to flavor development.
Synapses go nucle(ol)ar

Jordan and colleagues report that activity causes the shuttling of a synaptic protein AIDA-1d from dendritic spines to the nucleus. This work sheds light on how nuclear protein synthesis is regulated in response to synaptic activity.
Impedance-measuring ventilation monitor for infants

A two-electrode transthoracic impedance measuring system has been used to measure tidal volume and ventilation in infants. When the electrodes are positioned bilaterally immediately below the axillae, the impedance change is linear with lung volume change. It can be used to measure tidal volume within 1.5 ml (SD) when the system is calibrated by matching its output with that from a small spirometer or a reverse body plethysmograph for a few breaths. Unsatisfactory records are obtained if the electrodes are placed low on the chest (below the nipple line). Total ventilation can be measured which is automatically calibrated in ml/min when the tidal volume signal is accurately adjusted. A built-in system can be used to correct for the artifact related to cardiac activity, if it exists, thereby increasing the accuracy of the monitor for recording ventilation. Body movement, particularly of the arms, interferes with the impedance signal, but the lack of discomfort for the subject minimizes such movement artifacts. Satisfactory quantitative measurements of tidal volume and ventilation have been recorded for up to 6 hr without requiring recalibration. The instrument permits long-term monitoring of tidal volume and ventilation without restricting the airway or interfering with the medical management of the infant.
Design of Randomized Controlled Trials

A major factor in the rapid advance of medical science over the past 50 years has been the development and refinement of the clinical research method known as the randomized controlled trial (RCT). A clinical trial is defined as a prospective scientific experiment that involves human subjects in whom treatment is initiated for the evaluation of a therapeutic intervention. In an RCT, each patient is assigned to receive a specific treatment intervention by a chance mechanism. Nothing more clearly indicates the key role of an RCT in modern clinical research than the placement of this specific research method at the top of the list of levels of evidence in evidence-based medicine.1 According to this classification, significant results of an RCT are more definitive than any other type of clinical research information. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the design of RCTs. Some of the principles of a high-quality study, such as the use of randomization, placebos, and double-blind designs are well known. Other principles such as stratification, use of a decision-making structure, and statistical power are known by many investigators but are not universally recognized or fully understood. These features plus others that indicate the design of a high-quality RCT are discussed. A companion article on the conduct and evaluation of RCTs will appear in a future issue of this journal. One of the most easily recognized aspects of a well-designed and conducted clinical trial is the apparent clarity of the research mechanism evident in its published report. Alternatively, one of the more common problems with a published clinical trial is the apparent “design by committee” in which different members of a protocol team have different goals. Because a clinical trial is a resource-intensive undertaking, many investigators feel that the study should attempt to …
Textural quality of green and white asparagus.

A textural comparison between green and white asparagus was conducted on three cultivars (‘Jersey Gem’, ‘Jersey General’, and ‘Jersey Giant harvested during spring and summer of 1990. Spears were analyzed for fibrousness and sensory characteristics at three different sections: tip, middle and base. Fibrousness of both green and white asparagus was greater in the spring. On the other hand, white spears were more fibrous than green ones. Sensory assessment of spear hardness revealed that tip and middle sections of white spears were harder than equivalent sections of green spears. Concurrently, sensory fibrousness was greater in white than in green spears and decreasedpom tip to base. No measurement of texture was affected by cultivar. Light microscopy did not reveal differences between green and white asparagus. However, regardless of type, the number of lignified tracheal elements within vascular bundles increased basipetally along the stem, explaining the diflerence among sections of spear,
Mixed Psychosocial Outcomes of Sisters from Families with Alcoholic Parents

To examine intrafamilial differences in adulthood among children of alcoholic parents, 14 women with alcoholic parents and their sisters were assessed for this exploratory study. Reported here is the subset of eight “mixed” sister pairs, one with an impaired adult outcome and the other with a well-adjusted adult outcome. Subjects who scored significantly worse than community norms on depressed mood or social supports or who had a psychiatric diagnosis including substance abuse were categorized as impaired, while the remaining women were categorized as well-adjusted. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire and a structured interview. Results showed similarities between the impaired and well-adjusted sisters on individual characteristics, with few differences on characteristics of the parental alcoholism. The most marked differences showed the impaired sisters to score worse than their well-adjusted sisters on characteristics of the home environment and social supports. T...
Neurocomputing with optical pipeline networks

The authors present techniques for realizing connectionist-style neurocomputations on Opcom, an optical computer architecture based on the pipeline networking concept. The primary operation mode of Opcom is massively parallel and pipeline processing at the gate level. Special attention is paid to the implementation of the two most important functions of any neural network: learning and search (retrieval). The architecture of Opcom, the implementation of neural networks in Opcom, and the search process are discussed. The implementation of a supervised learning procedure, the pocket algorithm, is shown. Research results are summarized. >
Extremely scaled high-k/In0.53Ga0.47As gate stacks with low leakage and low interface trap densities

Highly scaled gate dielectric stacks with low leakage and low interface trap densities are required for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology with III-V semiconductor channels. Here, we show that a novel pre-deposition technique, consisting of alternating cycles of nitrogen plasma and tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium, allows for HfO2 and ZrO2 gate stacks with extremely high accumulation capacitance densities of more than 5 μF/cm2 at 1 MHz, low leakage current, low frequency dispersion, and low midgap interface trap densities (1012 cm−2 eV−1 range). Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we show that the interface contains TiO2 and small quantities of In2O3, but no detectable Ga- or As-oxides, or As-As bonding. The results allow for insights into the microscopic mechanisms that control leakage and frequency dispersion in high-k/III-V gate stacks.
CRISPR/Cas9 systems have off-target activity with insertions or deletions between target DNA and guide RNA sequences

CRISPR/Cas9 systems are a versatile tool for genome editing due to the highly efficient targeting of DNA sequences complementary to their RNA guide strands. However, it has been shown that RNA-guided Cas9 nuclease cleaves genomic DNA sequences containing mismatches to the guide strand. A better understanding of the CRISPR/Cas9 specificity is needed to minimize off-target cleavage in large mammalian genomes. Here we show that genomic sites could be cleaved by CRISPR/Cas9 systems when DNA sequences contain insertions ('DNA bulge') or deletions ('RNA bulge') compared to the RNA guide strand, and Cas9 nickases used for paired nicking can also tolerate bulges in one of the guide strands. Variants of single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) for four endogenous loci were used as model systems, and their cleavage activities were quantified at different positions with 1- to 5-bp bulges. We further investigated 114 putative genomic off-target loci of 27 different sgRNAs and confirmed 15 off-target sites, each harboring a single-base bulge and one to three mismatches to the guide strand. Our results strongly indicate the need to perform comprehensive off-target analysis related to DNA and sgRNA bulges in addition to base mismatches, and suggest specific guidelines for reducing potential off-target cleavage.
DPP-4 inhibition and neuroprotection: do mechanisms matter?

It has long been recognized that type 2 diabetes is a cardiovascular (CV) disease equivalent (1). The recognition has led to the aggressive pursuit of glycemic control as a mechanism to reduced CV mortality. As such, reducing macrovascular complications related to type 2 diabetes has been a major target of antiglycemic therapies. To date, this clinical objective has remained elusive in contrast to the improvements in microvascular complications. Recent insights from large-scale clinical trials (2–5) have suggested that glucocentric approaches to mitigating CV risk in type 2 diabetes are insufficient and that attention to other CV risk factors such as lipids and blood pressure are equally important in these patients. More recently, investigators have sought strategies that are not merely antiglycemic but also cardioprotective. In this regard, incretin-based therapies have emerged as an exciting approach that seems to address both objectives. Nearly 120,000 type 2 diabetic subjects are currently being studied with respect to whether incretin-based therapies will reduce adverse CV events. It is also well recognized that type 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for the development of ischemic stroke. Patients with diabetes are 2.9 times more likely to develop ischemic stroke than are age-matched control subjects (6,7). Moreover, the therapeutic options for reducing ischemic brain injury secondary to stroke have lagged behind comparable interventions designed to reduce myocardial infarct size and subsequent mortality, despite the fact that stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. The pathophysiology of stroke involves the loss of striatal and progressively cortical neurons through ischemic injury and apoptosis …
Cognitive—Behavioral Interventions, Dropout, and Youth With Disabilities: A Systematic Review

The relationship between cognitive—behavioral interventions and therapies on the one hand and school dropout outcomes and violent verbal or physical aggression on the other hand for secondary-age youth with disabilities was explored in a systematic review. A total of 16 studies intervening with 791 youth with behavioral disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and learning disabilities were reviewed. The findings of this review strongly support the efficacy of the use of cognitive—behavioral interventions across educational environments, disability types, age groups, and gender in the reduction of dropout and correlates of dropout. A series of more detailed implications for practice are suggested, as well as directions to the reader to locate more detailed descriptions of how these interventions might be implemented in their secondary education environments.
DNA testing in patients with GH deficiency at the time of transition.

Over the last 10 years, major advances in the understanding of pituitary gland development in the mouse have led to the identification of mutations in a number of genes that then lead to delineation of the phenotype of growth hormone deficiency (GHD), either in isolation (IGHD) or in combination with a number of other hormone deficiencies (CPHD) or syndromic features (e.g., septo-optic dysplasia, SOD). The genetic abnormalities include mutations within: (1) Hesx1 (IGHD, SOD or CPHD); (2) Lhx3 (CPHD with preservation of cortisol secretion and a short stiff neck); (3) Lhx4 (GH, TSH and ACTH deficiency with cerebellar hypoplasia); (4) Prop1 (variable CPHD often associated with pituitary masses); (5) POU1F1 (GH, prolactin and TSH deficiency); (6) GHRHR (IGHD) and (7) GH1 (IGHD). There can be variations in inheritance, phenotype and penetrance patterns. Nevertheless, establishing the genetic diagnosis can help in predicting the evolution of the phenotype and in genetic counselling. Therefore, for these reasons it is recommended that all patients with GHD should undergo testing for genetic mutations within the genes associated with IGHD, CPHD and SOD.
Drinking reports from collateral individuals

Background and aims Subject self-reports are the primary source of research and clinical data on drinking behavior. In this report, we review and summarize the current literature on the reliability and accuracy of alcohol abusers’ self-reports of alcohol consumption and related behaviors in relation to similar reports provided by collateral informants. Conclusions Recent research supports the assertion that subjects provide accurate reports about their drinking and associated consequences. When discrepancies have been observed between reports provided by subjects and collaterals, the subjects’ data in almost all cases have painted a picture of poorer functioning. The greatest degree of agreement between subjects and collaterals is likely when collaterals are in frequent contact with the subject, are spouse/partners and are confident about the reports they are providing.
In-Air Rangefinding With an AlN Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasound Transducer

An ultrasonic rangefinder has a working range of 30 to 450 mm and operates at a 375-Hz maximum sampling rate. The random noise increases with distance and equals 1.3 mm at the maximum range. The range measurement principle is based on pulse-echo time-of-flight measurement using a single transducer for transmit and receive. The transducer consists of a piezoelectric AlN membrane with 400-μm diameter, which was fabricated using a low-temperature process compatible with processed CMOS wafers. The performance of the system exceeds the performance of other micromechanical rangefinders.
Racially Different Adolescents: Self-Concepts and Vocational Attitudes.

White-black differences in vocational maturity and preferences are unrelated to differences in self-esteem.
Risks and Rewards in Emerging Market Investments

In light of the recent currency crises in East Asia, this article questions the accepted wisdom that emerging market securities deserve to be included in global portfolios primarily because of their low correlations with more conventional asset classes. The authors suggest that the basic cycle of emerging market loans and securities appears to have been compressed, and its swings accentuated, by the herd-like behavior of global institutional investors. This is not the irrational behavior of crowds infected by investment euphoria, but the rational behavior (however volatile) of a large number of institutional investors with huge stakes in the market, each trying to outperform or at least keep up with the others. While stressing the benefits of foreign capital for emerging nations, Smith and Walter also point to the adverse consequences of abrupt shifts in investor sentiment and capital flows. Citing a recent World Bank study, the authors suggest that the effect of portfolio equity inflows on many developing economies has been a “glut” of foreign exchange and liquidity, which tends to cause inflationary pressure and appreciation of real exchange rates. Such currency appreciation can in turn have unwanted “real” effects, such as increases in trade deficits. Going somewhat “against the grain of the Washington Consensus,” the authors suggest that emerging nations undertake a gradual, though steady movement toward adoption of freemarket policies. In particular, they cite with approval attempts by more successful emerging nations such as Chile and South Africa to limit portfolio capital inflows to avoid this problem of excess liquidity. As the authors conclude, “At no point in their development did now-established countries like Japan, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Spain, and Chile adopt a totally free-market approach. They moved purposefully over decades in that direction, but only at a pace that could be accommodated by the accompanying political thinking and infrastructure-building.”