cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of the Dipsogenic Action of Tetradecapeptide Renin Substrate in Dogs

Dogs with chronically implanted third ventricular cannulae showed significant drinking responses to central injections of angiotensin II and tetradecapeptide renin substrate (TDP). The threshold dose for angiotensin II was 1 pmol and for TDP was 70 pmol. Although central injections of TDP led to drinking and appearance of angiotensin II in cerebrospinal fluid, renin substrate prepared from dog cerebrospinal fluid had no effect. The dipsogenic action of TDP was blocked by prior administration of converting enzyme inhibitor SQ20881 (P < 0.01) but was not affected by either pepstatin or AT-acetyl-pepstatin. Thus, converting enzyme acts directly on TDP to produce angiotensin I and then angiotensin II. The results of the present study do not provide evidence for the presence of an enzyme in the brain with renin-like activity.
Typing or messaging? Modality effect on deception detection in computer-mediated communication

Motivated by the practical significance of deception detection to both organizations and individuals and the recent surge of research interests in deception in computer-mediated communication (CMC), this study examines whether and how the modality of communication media can influence deception detection in CMC. The results of empirical evaluations revealed that the messaging and the chatting modalities were more conducive to deception detection than the typing modality, and the chatting modality is the most preferred for the process of deception detection. Additionally, the effect of message veracity was also investigated. The findings raise broader issues about media properties for deception detection.
QP Algorithms with Guaranteed Accuracy and Run Time for Support Vector Machines

We describe polynomial--time algorithms that produce approximate solutions with guaranteed accuracy for a class of QP problems that are used in the design of support vector machine classifiers. These algorithms employ a two--stage process where the first stage produces an approximate solution to a dual QP problem and the second stage maps this approximate dual solution to an approximate primal solution. For the second stage we describe an O(n log n) algorithm that maps an approximate dual solution with accuracy (2(2Km)1/2+8(λ)1/2)-2 λ ep2 to an approximate primal solution with accuracy ep where n is the number of data samples, Kn is the maximum kernel value over the data and λ > 0 is the SVM regularization parameter. For the first stage we present new results for decomposition algorithms and describe new decomposition algorithms with guaranteed accuracy and run time. In particular, for τ-rate certifying decomposition algorithms we establish the optimality of τ = 1/(n-1). In addition we extend the recent τ = 1/(n-1) algorithm of Simon (2004) to form two new composite algorithms that also achieve the τ = 1/(n-1) iteration bound of List and Simon (2005), but yield faster run times in practice. We also exploit the τ-rate certifying property of these algorithms to produce new stopping rules that are computationally efficient and that guarantee a specified accuracy for the approximate dual solution. Furthermore, for the dual QP problem corresponding to the standard classification problem we describe operational conditions for which the Simon and composite algorithms possess an upper bound of O(n) on the number of iterations. For this same problem we also describe general conditions for which a matching lower bound exists for any decomposition algorithm that uses working sets of size 2. For the Simon and composite algorithms we also establish an O(n2) bound on the overall run time for the first stage. Combining the first and second stages gives an overall run time of O(n2(ck + 1)) where ck is an upper bound on the computation to perform a kernel evaluation. Pseudocode is presented for a complete algorithm that inputs an accuracy ep and produces an approximate solution that satisfies this accuracy in low order polynomial time. Experiments are included to illustrate the new stopping rules and to compare the Simon and composite decomposition algorithms.
Feasibility of the Low Antenna in Radio Telegraphy

This paper supplements a previous publication entitled "High versus Low Antennas in Radio. Telegraphy," in which it is shown that if the antenna of a radio telegraph station consists of an extended horizontal network of wires mounted above a highly conducting plane, and if the mean radius of the capacity area is two or more times as great as any height above the plane at which it is feasible to mount the network, then the rate of radiation from the antenna at a given voltage and frequency, and the rate at which the antenna will ultimately be able to abstract energy from impinging (sustained) waves, are both independent of the mounting height. The conclusions in the previous paper are the result of a mathematical analysis for the hypothetical case in which the antenna is mounted over a highly conducting plane. The present paper deals mainly with those wasteful antenna and earth resistances which are common to the use of the low antenna both in sending and receiving. The distinction between the "low" antenna and the "ground" antenna is pointed out. The electrical constants of an antenna having the same radiation figure of merit as the Darien (Canal Zone) antenna, but mounted at an elevation of only 10 meters (33 feet), are contrasted with those of the Darien antenna. The wasteful resistances of this 10-meter Darien-equivalent are then computed. Of these losses, that in the vegetation growing under the antenna is found to be the most serious.
Trauma-Focused, Present-Centered, Emotional Self-Regulation Approach to Integrated Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress and Addiction: Trauma Adaptive Recovery Group Education and Therapy (TARGET)

We describe the rationale and procedures for a trauma-focused, present-centered, emotion self-regulation modelfor concurrent treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders: Trauma Adaptive Recovery Group Education and Therapy (TARGET). Based on a review of the clinical and research literatures relevant to models of psychotherapy for co-occurring PTSD and addiction, we develop a conceptual model and describe a skill set that has been operationalized in TARGET. Clinical vignettes with challenging cases are provided to illustrate the application of the TARGET model in individual and group psychotherapy of co-occurring PTSD and addiction.
Scale Variant Image Pyramids

Multi-scale representations are motivated by the scale invariant properties of natural images. While many low level statistical measures, such as the local mean and variance of intensity, behave in a scale invariant manner, there are many higher order deviations from scale invariance where zero-crossings merge and disappear. Such scale variant behavior is important information to represent because it is not easily predicted from lower resolution data. A scale variant image pyramid is a representation that separates this information from the more redundant and predictable scale invariant information.
Computer‐aided quasi‐static analysis of coplanar transmission lines for microwave integrated circuits using the finite difference method

The finite difference method (FDM) is applied to the analysis of microwave integrated circuit (MIC) components that are based on the coplanar waveguide geometry. Effective dielectric constant, attenuation due to dielectric loss, and line impedance are calculated for open and shielded MICs as functions of transmission line dimensions and material parameters. The FDM is shown to be a practical engineering CAD tool for detailed examination of MICs having an arbitrary number of conductors and lossy dielectric layers, including field effect transistors.
Correlation of Brain Atrophy, Disability, and Spinal Cord Atrophy in a Murine Model of Multiple Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND Disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) remains incompletely understood. Unlike lesional measures, central nervous system atrophy has a strong correlation with disability. Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus infection in SJL/J mice is an established model of progressive MS. We utilized in vivo MRI to quantify brain and spinal cord atrophy in this model and analyzed the temporal relationship between atrophy and disability. METHODS Infected and control mice were followed for 12 months. Disability was assessed periodically using rotarod assay. Volumetric MRI datasets were acquired at 7 Tesla. Ventricular volume and C4-5 spinal cord cross-sectional area measurements were performed using Analyze 10. RESULTS At 3 months, brain atrophy reached statistical significance (P = .005). In contrast, disability did not differ until 4 months post-infection (P = .0005). Cord atrophy reached significance by 9 months (P = 0.009). By 12 months, brain atrophy resulted in 111.8% increased ventricular volume (P = .00003), while spinal cord cross-sectional area was 25.6% reduced (P = .001) among cases. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that significant brain atrophy precedes and predicts the development of disability, while spinal cord atrophy occurs late and correlates with severe disability. The observed temporal relationship establishes a framework for mechanisms of disability progression and enables further investigations of their underlying substrate.
Pancultural Gender Differences in the Relation Between Perceived Parental Acceptance and Psychological Adjustment of Children and Adult Offspring A Meta-Analytic Review of Worldwide Research

This cross-cultural meta-analysis is based on 220 studies involving 33,081 respondents from 23 nations across five continents. The study addressed a major question drawn from the basic postulates of interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory (IPARTheory): Is the psychological adjustment of both males and females universally (i.e., panculturally) associated with children’s and adults’ perceptions of both maternal and paternal acceptance in childhood? To remain true to the major postulates of IPARTheory (formerly known as parental acceptance–rejection theory, PARTheory), all studies included in this meta-analysis used the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire for Mothers and Fathers (Child and Adult PARQ: Mother and Father versions), as well as the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (Child and Adult versions). Results showed that both paternal and maternal acceptance correlate significantly with the psychological adjustment of both children and adults across all cultures. The study also showed that t...
Inequalities for symmetric means

We study Muirhead-type generalizations of families of inequalities due to Newton, Maclaurin and others. Each family is defined in terms of a commonly used basis of the ring of symmetric functions in n variables. Inequalities corresponding to elementary symmetric functions and power sum symmetric functions are characterized by the same simple poset which generalizes the majorization order. Some analogous results are also obtained for the Schur, homogeneous, and monomial cases.
A generalized Blake‐Kozeny equation for multisized spherical particles

The objectives of this study were twofold. First, in view of the pausicity of data in the literature, additional experiments were conducted for laminar flow through a porous medium made up of multisized particles. Second, a theoretical analysis was performed to provide a physical basis for correlating the permeability data.
Does Online Searching Cause or Enforce Health Information Disparity

A growing number of people are seeking health information on the Internet. To meet demands, healthcare pro- viders are increasingly disseminating information online. While online health information has enhanced the dissemination of health information and improved people's health-related knowledge, critics posit that such dissemination has widened knowledge disparities in health information and health benets as a result. Drawing on existing studies, this study identied the main causes of such disparity, namely education, health literacy, computer self-e±cacy (CSE) and usage of health-related social media. Thending showed that education resided at the centre of the disparity and impacted other elements. An interesting ¯nding is although individuals possess high levels of CSE, the e±cacy does not highly impact their health benets, meaning that computer does not directly cause health information disparity but is the tool to promote health-related knowledge disparity.
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma: discrimination from other renal cell carcinoma subtypes and oncocytoma at multiphasic multidetector CT.

Multiphasic multidetector CT, if validated in a large prospective trial, may assist in the discrimination of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) from oncocytoma, papillary RCC, and chromophobe RCC.
Biomechanics of Occupant Responses during Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle (ROV) Riding and 90-degree Tip-overs

Recently, side-by-side Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROVs) have brought elements of the on-road vehicle occupant environment to the off-road trail-riding world. In general, ROV occupant protection during normal operation and in accident scenarios is provided predominately by a roll cage, seatbelts, contoured seats with seat backs, handholds, and other components. Typical occupant responses include both passive (inertial) and active (muscular) components. The objective of the current study was to evaluate and quantify these passive and active occupant responses during belted operation of an ROV on a closed course, as well as during 90-degree tip-over events. Passive occupant responses were evaluated using anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) in 90-degree tip-overs simulated on a deceleration sled. Active occupant responses were evaluated using instrumented vehicles and volunteer occupants, wherein vehicle dynamics and gross occupant kinematics, muscle activity, occupant-to-vehicle pressure distributions and forces were quantified during riding on a closed course and during 90-degree tip-overs in a roll-spit fixture. For comparison, each test subject also performed a series of common physical activities while instrumented. Results indicated that the seatbelt was a critical component to the occupant protection system and that belted occupants were passively maintained within the occupant compartment during 90-degree tip-over events. Results also demonstrated that the active responses of the occupants further contributed to occupant stability and correlated significantly with the vehicle's lateral acceleration. Changes in patterns of muscle activation occurred approximate with the vehicle's change in turn direction and indicated a clear push-pull strategy of the occupant during left and right turns, respectively. Roll-spit testing demonstrated that the majority of lateral restraint was provided by the bucket seat, wherein modest lap belt forces constrained the pelvis within the seat contour and facilitated the generation of lateral contact forces. Forces exerted by occupants' extremities on the vehicle during a 90-degree tip-over were comparable to, or less than, the forces resulting from common physical activities. Language: en
Fragmentation of biotinylated cyclic peptides

Electrospray ionization coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was used to determine the preferred binding site(s) of biotin NHS ester with a series of cyclic peptides with antibiotic properties. The peptides investigated are polymyxins, cyclic peptides produced by Bacillus polymyxa. In spite of the 1:1 stoichiometry used in the labeling reaction, multiple biotin molecules were incorporated into intact polymyxin peptides. Given the amine specificity of the activated biotin and the large number of amino acids with primary amines in the polymyxins, it was not clear by inspection which binding sites were more reactive than others. MS/MS was used to characterize the structure of the biotinylated peptides. MS/MS spectra of cyclic peptides often lead to ambiguous structure determinations due to the potential for multiple ring openings which result in the generation of multiple ion series. The MS/MS spectra of polymyxin peptides are especially difficult to characterize due to the lack of variety in their amino acids; however, the added complexity of the biotin aided the elucidation of the fragmentation pathways. MS/MS spectra of the species with biotin additions were used to rationalize the preferential binding sites of these molecules.
An NBS calibration procedure for providing time and frequency at a remote site by weighting and smoothing of GPS common view data

The National Bureau of Standards (NBS) Time and Frequency Division now performs precision time and frequency transfer using common view measurements of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites as a calibration service. Using this service, we have been able to transfer time with time stabilities of a few nanoseconds, time accuracies of the order of 10 ns, and frequency stabilities of one part in 1014, or better, for measurement times of about four days and longer. The full accuracy of the NBS primary frequency standard is now available at a remote site. This paper describes the technique used for weighting and smoothing the data to produce these levels of stability and accuracy. All of the primary frequency standards used in the generation of International Atomic Time (TAI) now use this technique.
Formate assisted pyrolysis of pine sawdust for in-situ oxygen removal and stabilization of bio-oil.

Abstract Pine sawdust was pretreated with several calcium compounds and then pyrolyzed in a fluidized bed pyrolysis reactor at 500 °C. The catalytic action of the calcium compounds varies depending on the anion. Analysis of pyrolysis gas, liquid and char yields and compositions demonstrates that calcium sulfate is inert during pyrolysis while calcium formate, carbonate, hydroxide and oxide show significant deoxygenation activity. Of the salts which showed deoxygenation activity, calcium formate had the highest relative yield. This effect is likely attributable to the activity of calcium formate as a hydrogen donor at the pyrolysis temperature.
Diffusion broadening in converging differential mobility analyzers

Abstract Although Brownian diffusion limits drastically differential mobility analyzer (DMA) resolution in the nanometer size range, its effects can be moderated in supercritical DMAs running laminarly at very high Reynolds numbers Re. Unfortunately the relatively fast boundary layer growth typical of planar or cylindrical DMAs in current use leads to the appearance of turbulence at Re considerably below 105, even for carefully laminarized flows. Motivated by the fact that flow acceleration stabilizes the boundary layer even at Re>108, we explore theoretically the diffusion broadening phenomenon in converging DMAs. The convective diffusive equations are analyzed for two-dimensional and axisymmetric geometries in the limit of high Re, narrow slits, small aerosol to sheath air flow ratios, and negligible space charge. This yields the line-width of monomobile particles as a quadrature involving the flow and electric fields. There is an optimal position of the inlet slit which minimizes diffusive broadening for given outlet slit position, geometry and sheath air flow rate. For a wide class of potential two-dimensional flows the corresponding optimal resolution can be written explicitly, and is independent of geometry. No such general statements hold in axisymmetric designs, where wall convergence tends to decrease resolution. Explicit results for diffusive broadening, optimal slit locations, and resolution cost as a function of outlet to inlet area ratio are obtained for two-dimensional channels with either straight or hyperbolic walls and for axisymmetric flows with either radial flow between parallel electrodes, or a sink flow within conical electrodes.
Distributed partial information management (DPIM) schemes for survivable networks .1

This paper describes a novel framework, called distributed partial information management (or DPIM). It addresses several major challenges in achieving efficient shared path protection under distributed control with only partial information, including (1) how much partial information about existing active and backup paths (or APs and BPs respectively) is maintained and exchanged; (2) how to obtain a good estimate of the bandwidth needed by a candidate BP, called BBW, and subsequently select a pair of AP and BP for a connection establishment request so as to minimize total bandwidth consumption and/or maximize revenues; (3) how to distributively allocate minimal BBW (and deallocate maximal BBW) via distributed signaling; and (4) how to update and subsequently exchange the partial information. A DPIM-based scheme using integer linear programming is described to illustrate our approach. In addition, an ultrafast and efficient heuristic scheme is described. With about the same amount of partial information, such a heuristic-based DPIM scheme can achieve almost as a good performance as the ILP-based DPIM scheme, and a much better performance than another ILP-based scheme described by Kodialam and Lakshman (see INFOCOM'00, p.902-911, 2000). The paper also presents an elegant method to support dynamic requests for protected, unprotected, and pre-emptable connections in the unified DPIM framework.
Delay-constrained scheduling: power efficiency, filter design, and bounds

In this paper, packet scheduling with maximum delay constraints is considered with the objective to minimize average transmit power over Gaussian channels. The main emphasis is on deriving robust schedulers which do not rely on the knowledge of the source arrival process. Towards that end, we first show that all schedulers (robust or otherwise) which guarantee a maximum queuing delay for each packet are equivalent to a time-varying linear filter. Using the connection between filtering and scheduling, we study the design of optimal power minimizing robust schedulers. Two cases, motivated by filtering connection, are studied in detail. First, a time-invariant robust scheduler is presented and its performance is completely characterized. Second, we present the optimal time-varying robust scheduler, and show that it has a very intuitive time water-filling structure. We also present upper and lower bounds on the performance of power-minimizing schedulers as a function of delay constraints. The new results form an important step towards understanding of the packet time-scale interactions between physical layer metric of power and network layer metric of delay
Temozolomide and Radiation in Low-Grade and Anaplastic Gliomas : Temoradiation

Recently completed trials suggest the addition of nitrosourea-based chemotherapy to radiotherapy increases the progression-free but not overall survival of grade II and III gliomas. Temozolomide has proven benefit in grade II/III gliomas progressive following standard therapy and when added to radiation for glioblastoma. Newly launched and planned phase III trials will explore whether the addition of temozolomide to radiotherapy improves overall survival in grade II/III as well as the prognostic and predictive value of 1p/19q analyses and MGMT promotor methylation status. Additionally, they will measure cognition and quality of life to determine if improvements in time to progression translate into better functional status and patient satisfaction.
Interplanetary sector structure and the helliomagnetic equator

The magnetohydrodynamics of solar-wind flow lead logically to the formation of one warped annular neutral surface that apparently extends from ≈ 2r⊙ (solar radii) to the boundary of the heliosphere. The most likely asymptotic configuration for this neutral sheet intersects the heliomagnetic equatorial plane along four corotating arcs. The observer sees a reversal of magnetic polarity on each crossing of the neutral surface, and so interprets each reversal as the crossing of a sector boundary.
Shear wave Q structure and its lateral variation in the crust of China and surrounding regions

SUMMARY We have obtained three-layer crustal models of shear wave Q (Qμ) for several surface wave paths in China and peripheral regions using a single-station, multimode method in which amplitude spectra of fundamental-mode and higher-mode Rayleigh waves, computed for known source depths and mechanisms, are compared to measured spectra. The three layers, totaling 60 km in thickness, roughly comprise the entire crust in the Tibetan plateau and include both the crust and part of the uppermost mantle in other regions where the crust is thinner. Qμ in the shallowest layer, 10 km thick, is lowest (about 40) in the western portion of the Tibetan plateau and highest (about 250) in southeastern China. In the middle layer, at 10–30 km depth, Qμ is lowest (60–80) beneath Tibet and the Pamir thrust system and highest (120–140) in central China and parts of the Sino-Korean platform. Uncertainties of Qμ in the deepest layer, at 30–60 km depth, are much greater than in the upper two layers but available results suggest that Qμ is lowest (about 80) under the Pamir thrust system and highest (about 180) under southern Mongolia. The densities of event and station coverage, although wanting in some regions, allow us to develop the first regionalized maps of crustal Qμ variation for continents. The maps, for depth ranges 0–10 km and 10–30 km, generally show good agreement with Q results obtained earlier with other phases and good correlation with the tectonics of this active region.
On the space and time distribution of showers in a tropical region

Charts of daily rainfall in Southern Rhodesia show that the distribution of rain in space and time cannot be associated in any detail with features of the synoptic map. Displays of precipitation echoes on the screen of a 10-cm radar situated at Salisbury have been photographed by time-lapse camera giving great detail and continuity of record. It is found that echo displays associated with cumuliform cloud can be resolved into a few areas of echo activity which move continuously by a process of new echo formation. These moving areas have been termed ‘progressions’ and progression behaviour is described in terms of individual echo behaviour and in relation to other meteorological observations. The discovery of progressions has introduced order into a type of tropical shower activity which has previously been considered incoherent.
Learning Curve, The

Most tasks get faster with practice. This holds across task size and task type. Learning curves plot time to complete a task as a function of practice. Such curves generally follow what is called a power law, thus, they are often said to conform to ‘the power law of practice.’ Cognitive psychology has shown that the power law of practice is ubiquitous, and cognitive modeling has explained both the general speedup and some of the variability in performance, which previously was taken to be completely noise. Research is ongoing to find out why it is ubiquitous and where it does not apply.
On secure communication in integrated internet and heterogeneous multi-hop wireless networks

Integration of the Internet with a Cellular Network, WMAN, WLAN, and MANET presents an exceptional promise by having co-existence of conventional WWANs/WMANs/WLANs with wireless ad hoc networks to provide ubiquitous communication. We call such integrated networks providing internet accessibility for mobile users as heterogeneous multi-hop wireless networks where the Internet and wireless infrastructure such as WLAN access points (APs) and base stations (BSs) constitute the backbone for various emerging wireless networks (e.g., multi-hop WLAN and ad hoc networks). Earlier approaches for the Internet connectivity either provide only unidirectional connectivity for ad hoc hosts or cause high overhead as well as delay for providing full bi-directional connections. In this dissertation, a new protocol is proposed for integrated Internet and ad hoc networks for supporting bi-directional global connectivity for ad hoc hosts. In order to provide efficient mobility management for mobile users in an integrated network, a mobility management protocol called multi-hop cellular IP (MCIP) has been proposed to provide a micro-mobility management framework for heterogeneous multi-hop network. The micro-mobility is achieved by differentiating the local domain from global domain. At the same time, the MCIP protocol extends Mobile IP protocol for providing macro-mobility support between local domains either for single hop MSs or multi-hop MSs. In the MCIP protocol, new location and mobility management approaches are developed for tracking mobile stations, paging, and handoff management. This dissertation also provides a security protocol for integrated Internet and MANET to establish distributed trust relationships amongst mobile infrastructures. This protocol protects communication between two mobile stations against the attacks either from the Internet side or from wireless side. Moreover, a secure macro/micro-mobility protocol (SM3P) have been introduced and evaluated for preventing mobility-related attacks either for single-hop MSs or multi-hop MSs. In the proposed SM3P, mobile IP security has been extended for supporting macro-mobility across local domains through the process of multi-hop registration and authentication. In a local domain, a certificate-based authentication achieves the effective routing and micro-mobility protection from a range of potential security threats.
CHEESE | Microbiology of Cheesemaking and Maturation

Microorganisms – primarily lactic acid bacteria – play an important role as starters during the conversion of milk into cheese by fermenting milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid and thereby reducing the pH of cheese. These starter lactic acid bacteria together with other microorganisms in cheese, called nonstarter lactic acid bacteria, break down the chemical components of cheese, mostly casein, fat, and lactate into smaller compounds, giving each cheese variety its unique flavor, texture, and functionality. The role and significant importance of starter and nonstarter bacteria in the manufacture and ripening of cheese are discussed.
Privacy-Preserving Verifiable Proximity Test for Location-Based Services

The prevalence of smartphones with geo-positioning functionalities gives rise to a variety of location-based services (LBSs). Proximity test, an important branch of location-based services, enables the LBS users to determine whether they are in a close proximity with their friends, which can be extended to numerous applications in location-based mobile social networks. Unfortunately, serious security and privacy issues may occur in the current solutions to proximity test. On the one hand, users' private location information is usually revealed to the LBS server and other users, which may lead to physical attacks to users. On the other hand, the correctness of proximity test computation results from LBS server cannot be verified in the existing schemes and thus the creditability of LBS is greatly reduced. Besides, privacy should be defined by user him/herself, not the LBS server. In this paper, we propose a privacy-preserving verifiable proximity test for location-based services. Our scheme enables LBS users to verify the correctness of proximity test results from LBS server without revealing their location information. We show the security, efficiency, and feasibility of our proposed scheme through detailed performance evaluation.
Planning a Field Test for Software Development

This paper will describe and discuss the contents of a human factors field test plan in support of software development. Defining control of a test is, as pointed out by Shneiderman, of necessity in field testing to avoid getting volumes of “interesting” data which is neither replicable nor generalizable. In addition, the degree to which the test plan supported the actual test and predicted potential problem areas will be discussed.
Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in a Large Integrated Health Care System in North Carolina

BACKGROUND Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of conditions--including abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia--that are associated with a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. No information currently exists regarding the prevalence of MetS in North Carolina. This study determined the prevalence of MetS among adults receiving care in a large integrated health care system in North Carolina. METHODS This study used data from the Carolinas HealthCare System's electronic medical record system and included adults receiving care during 2014. The association between patient demographic characteristics and MetS was determined using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS The prevalence of MetS was approximately 22.5%. Individuals aged 18-29 years were less likely to have MetS compared with those aged 80 years and older (odds ratio [OR], 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56-0.67). Groups that were more likely to have MetS included women (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05-1.10), Hispanics (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05-1.23), individuals with Medicare (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.33-1.42), and those with Medicaid (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.58-1.78) compared with men, whites, and those with commercial insurance, respectively. LIMITATIONS We excluded individuals with missing data for any of the conditions that define MetS, which may underestimate the actual prevalence of this condition. CONCLUSIONS The considerable prevalence of MetS in our North Carolina sample suggests that interventions are needed to achieve the state's population health goals.
Research on Dynamic Reliability Sensitivity of the Indexable Cutting Tool

In the interrupted cutting process,the main failure mode of the indexable cutting tool is endurance failure. The selection of design parameters of the cutting tool is important,w hich has direct effect on its reliability. A mathematical model of the dynamic reliability for hard alloy cutter w as successfully built based on the stress-strength interference model,and the change rule of its reliability in the machining period w as also obtained. Combining w ith sensitivity analysis method, the computational formulas of the dynamic reliability sensitivity and the change curves of design parameters w ere derived. The study show s that due to the different sensitive degree of design parameters to the cutting reliability,the selection of sensitive parameters should be controlled so as to improve reliability of the cutting tool and the accuracy of the processed accessory. Meanw hile, the proposed method provides a theoretical basis for enhancing the reliability of the tool system and the w hole machine tool.
Bladder Wall Abnormalities in Myelodysplastic Bladders: A Computer Assisted Morphometric Analysis

AbstractMyelodysplasia represents the most common cause of neurogenic bladder dysfunction in children. The specific histological features associated with myelodysplastic bladders have not been previously characterized. Our objective was to study the relationship between smooth muscle and connective tissue in control and myelodysplastic bladders using classical morphometric analysis with the assistance of an automated image analysis system. Gross histological analysis of the bladder specimens of normal stillborn fetuses showed organized muscle bundles embedded in a small amount of connective tissue. The bladder specimens of myelomeningocele stillborn fetuses showed a marked paucity of muscle bundles as well as a significantly diminished size of the muscle bundles. The myelomeningocele bladder specimens obtained from patients undergoing autopsy and those undergoing augmentation cystoplasty revealed significant interfascicular and pericellular infiltration of the smooth muscle by dense connective tissue. Qua...
To Evolve, or Not To Evolve?—That Is the Question

Formal and informal educational experiences and opportunities contribute to personal and professional development and growth.Mentors provide encouragement and guidance to their mentees as they purs...
Changes in plasma levels of oxidized lipoproteins and lipoprotein subfractions with atazanavir-, raltegravir-, darunavir-based initial antiviral therapy and associations with common carotid artery intima-media thickness: ACTG 5260s.

BACKGROUND The role of oxidized lipoproteins (high-density [HDLox] and low-density [LDLox]) and total lipoprotein particle (Lp) number and size in HIV-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) is unclear. The goal of this study was to evaluate changes of these biomarkers and their associations with rate of carotid intima media thickness progression over 3 years (ΔCIMT) in chronic HIV infection. METHODS Prospective study of 234 HIV-infected antiretroviral treatment-naive participants without CVD who were randomized to receive tenofovir-emtricitabine plus atazanavir/ritonavir, darunavir/ritonavir or raltegravir (RAL) and achieved plasma HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/ml by week 24 and thereafter. Biomarker changes over 24, 48 or 96 weeks from baseline and pairwise treatment group comparisons were examined. Associations of these biomarkers with ΔCIMT were analysed with mixed effects linear regression. RESULTS HDLp number increased with both protease inhibitors (PIs) over 48 weeks, while LDLp number declined with RAL; Lp size did not change. Over 96 weeks, normalized HDLox declined with both PIs; LDLox increased in all groups. Few treatment group differences were observed across all biomarkers. Associations between ΔCIMT and oxidized lipoproteins at all time points were not apparent (P≥0.10). There was some evidence of slower ΔCIMT for higher HDLp number (P=0.06) and for lower LDLp number (P=0.08) measured at baseline. CONCLUSIONS Unexpectedly, LDLox increased modestly in all treatment groups after ART initiation. Associations of plasma HDLox and LDLox with ΔCIMT were not apparent. While plasma levels of abnormal lipoproteins have been shown to be associated with CVD outcomes, clear associations with sub-clinical atherosclerosis progression were not apparent in our study.
Modification of speech: a tribute to Mike Macon

The paper provides an overview of, and puts in perspective, the contributions of Mike Macon to text-to-speech synthesis (TTS). The core of his work consists of signal processing algorithms that modify speech. The paper argues that major opportunities exist for TTS systems that modify the prosody of acoustic units, instead of searching for units having the required prosody. However, the challenges to making prosodic modification based systems sound more natural are formidable. The paper provides an overview of the several projects aimed at these challenges, and in which Macon played a role.
Unused Opioid Pills After Outpatient Shoulder Surgeries Given Current Perioperative Prescribing Habits

Background:In the past 16 years, the number of prescription opioids sold in the United States, as well as deaths from prescription opioids, has nearly quadrupled. However, the overall amount of pain reported by patients has not changed significantly. Specific information about opioid prescriptions in the perioperative period is lacking. Of the studies that have been published, investigators have shown that the majority of patients have unused postoperative opioid pills. Moreover, patients appear to lack information about disposal of unused opioid pills.Purpose:To compare the number of pills prescribed versus the numbers left unused after outpatient shoulder surgeries at an orthopaedic surgery institution.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:In this prospective, observational study, 100 patients (age >18 years) undergoing outpatient shoulder surgery (rotator cuff repair, labral repair, stabilization/Bankart repair, debridement) were enrolled. Follow-ups were conducted via surveys on posto...
Kant-Criticism in the Era of the Great Reforms

This chapter covers the emergence of philosophy after Russia’s humiliating performance in the Crimean War and with the reforms of the early 1860s associated with the new tsar. But the revival of philosophy in secular institutions meant they had to turn to theologically trained professors for staffing needs. One such was Jurkevich, who criticized Kant from an outspoken Platonism. Another who burst on the philosophical scene was Petr Lavrov, who incorporated a Kantian-inspired phenomenalism into his own original philosophy.
Genome-wide association study (GWAS) of salt tolerance in worldwide soybean germplasm lines

Salt is a severe abiotic stress causing soybean yield loss in saline soils and irrigated fields. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is a powerful genomic tool for improving the efficiency of breeding salt-tolerant soybean varieties. The objectives of this study were to uncover novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with salt tolerance and to confirm the previously identified genomic regions and SNPs for salt tolerance. A total of 283 diverse soybean plant introductions (PIs) were screened for salt tolerance in the greenhouse based on leaf chloride concentrations and leaf chlorophyll concentrations after 12–18 days of 120-mM NaCl treatment. A total of 33,009 SNPs across 283 genotypes from the Illumina Infinium SoySNP50K BeadChip database were employed in the association analysis with leaf chloride concentrations and leaf chlorophyll concentrations. Genome-wide association mapping showed that 45 SNPs representing nine genomic regions on chromosomes (Chr.) 2, 3, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 16, and 20 were significantly associated with both leaf chloride concentrations and leaf chlorophyll concentrations in 2014, 2015, and combined years. A total of 31 SNPs on Chr. 3 were mapped at or near the previously reported major salt tolerance QTL. The significant SNP on Chr. 2 was also in proximity to the previously reported SNP for salt tolerance. The other significant SNPs represent seven putative novel QTLs for salt tolerance. The significant SNP markers on Chr. 2, 3, 14, 16, and 20, which were identified in both general linear model and mixed linear model, were highly recommended for MAS in breeding salt-tolerant soybean varieties.
Sex Differences in Cognition: Evidence from the Hawaii Family Study

Since 1972 we have been collecting family data in Hawaii in order to study the genetic and environmental bases of human cognition. Although data collection is now complete, it will be some time before all tests are scored and all laboratory measures are analyzed. Individual scores from the first three years of the study are available now, however, and they constitute a large and sufficient data set for many kinds of psychometric analyses. Planned analyses include the estimation of heritabilities and genetic correlations of scores on selected cognitive tests; a comparison of phenotypic and genetic cognitive factor structures; estimations of the effects of inbreeding, assortative mating, parental age, birth order, certain maternal-fetal interactions, and certain socioeconomic variables; a search for possible relationships between cognitive traits and genetic markers and between cognitive and dermatoglyphic traits; and investigations of possible heterosis, dominance, or epistasis in components of cognitive abilities. For this chapter, in honor of Frank Beach, we searched for sex differences in cognitive test performance.
Cloud droplet size distribution broadening during diffusional growth: ripening amplified by deactivation and reactivation

Abstract. Cloud droplet size distributions (CDSDs), which are related to cloud albedo and rain formation, are usually broader in warm clouds than predicted from adiabatic parcel calculations. We investigate a mechanism for the CDSD broadening using a moving-size-grid cloud parcel model that considers the condensational growth of cloud droplets formed on polydisperse, submicrometer aerosols in an adiabatic cloud parcel that undergoes vertical oscillations, such as those due to cloud circulations or turbulence. Results show that the CDSD can be broadened during condensational growth as a result of Ostwald ripening amplified by droplet deactivation and reactivation, which is consistent with early work. The relative roles of the solute effect, curvature effect, deactivation and reactivation on CDSD broadening are investigated. Deactivation of smaller cloud droplets, which is due to the combination of curvature and solute effects in the downdraft region, enhances the growth of larger cloud droplets and thus contributes particles to the larger size end of the CDSD. Droplet reactivation, which occurs in the updraft region, contributes particles to the smaller size end of the CDSD. In addition, we find that growth of the largest cloud droplets strongly depends on the residence time of cloud droplet in the cloud rather than the magnitude of local variability in the supersaturation fluctuation. This is because the environmental saturation ratio is strongly buffered by numerous smaller cloud droplets. Two necessary conditions for this CDSD broadening, which generally occur in the atmosphere, are as follows: (1) droplets form on aerosols of different sizes, and (2) the cloud parcel experiences upwards and downwards motions. Therefore we expect that this mechanism for CDSD broadening is possible in real clouds. Our results also suggest it is important to consider both curvature and solute effects before and after cloud droplet activation in a cloud model. The importance of this mechanism compared with other mechanisms on cloud properties should be investigated through in situ measurements and 3-D dynamic models.
Social Capital and College-Going Culture in High Schools: the Effects of College Expectations and College Talk on Students' Postsecondary Attendance:

Using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, we examined the probability of students attending college by taking into account their 10th- and 12th-grade exposure to college expectations from and college-related interactions with school staff. Our results suggest that college expectations and college-related interactions with their school counselors, teachers, and coaches had a modest impact on students' odds of enrolling in college, considering the large impact of taking advanced courses and completing college admissions tests.
Engineered cardiac tissue patch maintains structural and electrical properties after epicardial implantation

Functional cardiac tissue engineering holds promise as a candidate therapy for myocardial infarction and heart failure. Generation of "strong-contracting and fast-conducting" cardiac tissue patches capable of electromechanical coupling with host myocardium could allow efficient improvement of heart function without increased arrhythmogenic risks. Towards that goal, we engineered highly functional 1 cm × 1 cm cardiac tissue patches made of neonatal rat ventricular cells which after 2 weeks of culture exhibited force of contraction of 18.0 ± 1.4 mN, conduction velocity (CV) of 32.3 ± 1.8 cm/s, and sustained chronic activation when paced at rates as high as 8.7 ± 0.8 Hz. Patches transduced with genetically-encoded calcium indicator (GCaMP6) were implanted onto adult rat ventricles and after 4-6 weeks assessed for action potential conduction and electrical integration by two-camera optical mapping of GCaMP6-reported Ca2+ transients in the patch and RH237-reported action potentials in the recipient heart. Of the 13 implanted patches, 11 (85%) engrafted, maintained structural integrity, and conducted action potentials with average CVs and Ca2+ transient durations comparable to those before implantation. Despite preserved graft electrical properties, no anterograde or retrograde conduction could be induced between the patch and host cardiomyocytes, indicating lack of electrical integration. Electrical properties of the underlying myocardium were not changed by the engrafted patch. From immunostaining analyses, implanted patches were highly vascularized and expressed abundant electromechanical junctions, but remained separated from the epicardium by a non-myocyte layer. In summary, our studies demonstrate generation of highly functional cardiac tissue patches that can robustly engraft on the epicardial surface, vascularize, and maintain electrical function, but do not couple with host tissue. The lack of graft-host electrical integration is therefore a critical obstacle to development of efficient tissue engineering therapies for heart repair.