cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On calculating sterility in thermal and non-thermal preservation methods.

Abstract There is growing evidence that the mortality of microbial cells, and the inactivation of bacterial spores, exposed to a hostile environment need not follow a first order kinetics. Consequently microbial semi-logarithmic survival curves are frequently non-linear, and their shape can change with temperature or under different chemical agent concentrations, for example. Experimental semi-logarithmic survival curves under unchanging conditions, can be described by an equation whose coefficients are determined by the particular temperature, agent concentration, etc. If the dependency of these coefficients on temperature, agent concentration, etc., can be expressed algebraically, then in principle one can construct the survival curve for the changing or transient conditions that exist in industrial thermal and non-thermal treatments. This is done by incorporating the lethal agent's mode of change, e.g. the heating or pressure curve into the survival curve equation parameters. The result is a mathematical model that would enable the calculation of the time needed to achieve any degree of microbial survival ratio numerically, without the need to assume any mortality kinetics. Such a model can be used to assess, or compare, the efficacy of different preservation processes where the intensity of the lethal agent changes with time. The concept is demonstrated with a special simple case using simulated thermal treatments. The outcome of the simulations is presented as planar log survival vs time relationships and as curves in a three-dimensional log survival–temperature–time or log survival–concentration–time space.
Stress singularities at the vertex of a cylindrically anisotropic wedge

The plane elasticity problem for a cylindrically anisotropic solid is formulated. The form of the solution for an infinite wedge shaped domain with various homogeneous boundary conditions is derived and the nature of the stress singularity at the vertex of the wedge is studied. The characteristic equations giving the stress singularity and the angular distribution of the stresses around the vertex of the wedge are obtained for three standard homogeneous boundary conditions. The numerical examples show that the singular behavior of the stresses around the vertex of an anisotropic wedge may be significantly different from that of the isotropic material. Some of the results which may be of practical importance are that for a half plane the stress state at r = 0 may be singular and for a crack the power of stress singularity may be greater or less than 1/2.
A unified interpretation of threshold stresses in the creep and high strain rate superplasticity of metal matrix composites

The flow behavior of metal matrix composites is characterized by the presence of a threshold stress under both creep conditions at intermediate temperatures and in high strain rate superplasticity (HSR SP) at very high temperatures near the onset of partial melting. Experiments show the measured threshold stresses decrease with increasing temperature and this trend has been interpreted using an Arrhenius-type relationship incorporating an energy term, Q{sub 0}. Typically, the experimental values reported for Q{sub 0} are {approximately}20--30 kJ/mol under creep conditions but up to {approximately}100 kJ/mol in experiments associated with HSR SP. This report resolves this apparent dichotomy by demonstrating that both sets of results become consistent when the analysis is extended to incorporate an additional dependence on temperature associated with load transfer and substructure strengthening.
The product theorem for parametrized homotopy Reidemeister torsion

Abstract The goal of this article is to prove the product formula for parametrized homotopy Reidemeister torsion. The theorem states that the product of the parametrized Euler characteristic of one fibration with the parametrized Reidemeister torsion class of another fibration yields the parametrized Reidemeister torsion class of the product fibration. In the process of establishing the theorem, several new products must be defined involving (derivative theories of) parametrized A-theory and a detailed description of the coassembly map for parametrized A-theory is included.
Cutaneous Metastases from Chondrosarcoma

This report describes a patient with histologically confirmed multiple cutaneous metastases from a skeletal chondrosarcoma and reviews the two previously published cases of this very unusual pattern of metastasis. We conclude that metastatic chondrosarcoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of multiple cartilaginous tumors of the skin, and that radiotherapy may play a role in the management of metastatic chondrosarcoma.
Localization of aortic dissection intimal flap by intraoperative two-dimensional echocardiography.

Ascending (type I) aortic dissection carries a high morbidity and mortality. Proper identification of the proximal origin of the dissection and determination of concomitant aortic valve involvement significantly facilitate surgical repair, which may improve survival. In this case, intraoperative two-dimensional echocardiography with contrast injections was used to image the heart and great vessels before and after cardiopulmonary bypass. The proximal origin of the intimal flap of a type I dis-section was identified, and primary aortic valve disease was excluded. Postprocedure intraoperative echocardiography demonstrated that the site of repair was imaged and that aortic regurgitation was absent. Intraoperative contrast two-dimensional echocardiography may be a valuable new tool to provide information otherwise unavailable by routine techniques.
Gustatory stimulus control and reversal learning in rats

Abstract Behavioral indices of taste discrimination have been used to study gustatory physiology and psychophysics though they are often biased by taste and position preferences and offer limited stimulus control. In the present experiment five rats were trained to discriminate distilled water from 0.9% NaCl using a discretetrials go-no go procedure. When two rats were further trained on a series of 0.1% saccharin/NaCl discrimination reversals, correct responding occurred more rapidly following saccharin presentations independent of its stimulus property (SD or SΔ). The results are discussed in the context of experimental methods and the usefulness of the present technique for studies of gustatory physiology.
Endothelial function in mild primary hyperparathyroidism

SummaryBackground It is not known if endothelial dysfunction, an important early event in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, is present in mild primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and if so, whether it improves following parathyroidectomy. Design We measured flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), which estimates endothelial function by ultrasound imaging, in patients prior to and 6 and 12 months after parathyroidectomy. Results Forty-five patients with mild PHPT [80% female, 61 ± 1 (mean ± SE) years, serum calcium 2·65 ± 0·03 mm (10·6 ± 0·1 mg/dl), PTH 10·5 ± 0·7 pm (99 ± 7 pg/ml), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) 70·3 ± 3·7 nm (28·2 ± 1·5 ng/ml)] were studied. Baseline FMD was normal (4·63 ± 0·51%; reference mean: 4·4 ± 0·1%) and was not associated with serum calcium, PTH or 25OHD levels. In the group as a whole, FMD did not change after surgery (6 months: 4·38 ± 0·83%, P = 0·72; 12 months: 5·07 ± 0·74%, P = 0·49). However, in those with abnormal baseline FMD (<2·2%; n = 15), FMD increased by 350%, normalizing by 6 months after surgery (baseline: 0·81± 0·19%; 6 months: 3·18 ± 0·79%, P = 0·02 vs baseline; 12months: 3·68 ± 1·22%, P = 0·04 vs baseline). Baseline calcium, PTH and 25OHD levels did not differ between those with abnormal vs normal FMD, nor did these indices predict postoperative change in FMD. Conclusions FMD is generally normal in patients with mild PHPT and is unchanged 1 year after parathyroidectomy. Although FMD may normalize after surgery in patients with baseline abnormalities, data do not support using endothelial dysfunction as an indicator for parathyroidectomy.
Models of Metal Binding Structures in Fulvic Acid from the Suwannee River, Georgia

Fulvic acid, isolated from the Suwannee River, Georgia, was assessed for its ability to bind Ca2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+ ions at pH 6 before and after extensive fractionation that was designed to reveal the nature of metal binding functional groups. The binding constant for Ca2+ ion had the greatest increase of all the ions in a metal binding fraction that was selected for intensive characterization for the purpose of building quantitative average model structures. The “metal binding” fraction was characterized by quantitative 13C NMR, 1H NMR, and FT−IR spectrometry and elemental, titrimetric, and molecular weight determinations. The characterization data revealed that carboxyl groups were clustered in short-chain aliphatic dibasic acid structures. The Ca2+ binding data suggested that ether-substituted oxysuccinic acid structures are good models for the metal binding sites at pH 6. Structural models were derived based upon oxidation and photolytic rearrangements of cutin, lignin, and tannin precursor...
Epicardial Application Of Laser Energy In Vivo: Acute Arrhythmogenic Potential

In order to assess the effect of laser energy on the heart's rhythm, 7 newborn pigs each had 3 two-second applications of laser energy directly to the left ventricular epicardial surface. A quartz fiberoptic delivery system was used. All piglets (in all 21 applications) had ventricular arrhythmia induced. This varied from single premature ventricular contractions to sustained(112 seconds) ventricular tachycardia (6/7 piglets). The sustained ventri-cular tachycardia exhibited electrophysiologic criteria of a "re-entrant" mechanism. Fifteen minutes following lasing, programmed ventricular stimulation, a technique that indicates whether a substrate may be present for spontaneous re-entrant arrhythmias, showed induced arrhythmia in only 2/7 pigs, neither sustained. We conclude that epicardial application of laser energy frequently results in significant ventricular arrhythmia. This arrhythmia appears to be re-entrant in nature. Fowever, shortly following lasing, sustained arrhythmia could not be induced. Therefore, we feel that more knowledge about the arrhythmogenic potential of laser lesions is needed prior to wide-spread clinical application.
Specifying data sharing agreements

When consumers build value-added services on top of data resources they do not control, they need to manage their information supply chains to ensure that their data suppliers produce and supply required data as needed. Producers also need to manage their information supply chains to ensure that their data is disseminated and protected appropriately. In this paper, we present a novel model for data sharing agreements that supports a wide variety of data sharing policies. The model is based on distributed temporal logic (DTL) predicates that are expressed over events in dataflow graphs. A dataflow graph's nodes are principals with local stores, and its edges are (typed) channels along which dataflows. We illustrate the model via examples and discuss the kinds of analyses enabled by the model.
Assessing mammographers' accuracy. A comparison of clinical and test performance.

Abstract Direct estimation of mammographers' clinical accuracy requires the ability to capture screening assessments and correctly identify which screened women have breast cancer. This clinical information is often unavailable and when it is available its observational nature can cause analytic problems. Problems with clinical data have led some researchers to evaluate mammographers using a single set of films. Research based on these test film sets implicitly assumes a correspondence between mammographers' accuracy in the test setting and their accuracy in a clinical setting. However, there is no evidence supporting this basic assumption. In this article we use hierarchical models and data from 27 mammographers to directly compare accuracy estimated from clinical practice data to accuracy estimated from a test film set. We found moderate positive correlation [ ρ = 0.206 with 95% credible interval (−0.142–0.488)] between mammographers' overall preponderance to call a mammogram positive. However, we found no evidence of correlation between clinical and test accuracy [ ρ = −0.025 with 95% credible interval (−0.484–0.447)]. This study is limited by the relatively small number of mammographers evaluated, by the somewhat restricted range of observed sensitivities and specificities, and by differences in the types of films evaluated in test and clinical datasets. Nonetheless, these findings raise important questions about how mammographer accuracy should be measured.
Enhancing health care communication skills: preliminary evaluation of a curriculum for family caregivers.

Abstract The Communicating Effectively with Health Care Professionals (CE) workshop curriculum is designed for family caregivers to encourage caregiver empowerment, effective health care communication, and advocacy in medical care contexts with the goal of promoting positive health outcomes for care recipients. This mixed-method study employed a cross-sectional quantitative mail survey (N= 51) and semi-structured qualitative telephone interviews (N= 14) to examine the effectiveness of the curriculum in promoting self-reported changes in caregiver attitudes and communication behavior. Respondents reported increased as-sertiveness in medical encounters, feelings of empowerment, and preparation and organization of medical information for their care recipients as a result of workshop participation.
Synthetic Environments for Simulated Missions

Synthetic environments offer Space Flight projects an opportunity to perform rapid, comprehensive, and rigorous modeling of the critical elements of a mission in order to compute quantitative measures of design performance, associated risk, and actual mission utility value. Significantly, these studies can be performed early in the mission cycle. These synthetic terrains are generated on parallel, high-performance computers and served to remote simulations at near-interactive speeds. The terrain creation uses a realistic sequence of physical phenomena such as cratering and dusting with parametric control of features such as surface roughness and rock density. Terrain resolution may be arbitrary but typically ranges from 0.01 to 10 meters. The terrain server has been used for two rover simulations, one using the actual Sojourner autonomy flight code, and the other a more general algorithm. Monte Carlo studies of rover designs interacting with synthetic environments were executed in parallel to quickly compute performance statistics and risk estimates.
Effects of Mobile Technology Use on Walking

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of combining cognitive and kinematic measurements to study the effects of mobile technology use on walking. BACKGROUND: It has previously been shown that being distracted by a cell phone, or other mobile technology, can have a negative impact on activities such as crossing a street and may also alter gait patterns. While the negative effects of cell phone use on driving have been extensively studied, research into the distracted pedestrian is lacking. METHOD: Twelve adults walked down an office corridor without using a cell phone (BASELINE) and while performing a secondary cognitive task under two conditions. The secondary task involved answering simple multiplication problems through either text messaging (TEXT) or while talking on the phone (VOICE). Participants' gait patterns were measured using a GAITRite gait pad LEGSys wearable wireless sensors. RESULTS: In the TEXT condition, participants walked more slowly and had shorter strides. There was no significant difference between the VOICE and BASELINE condition. Participants answered more multiplication problems per trial in the VOICE condition as compared to the TEXT condition. Excluding typos, error rates for the multiplication problems were not significantly different between the TEXT and VOICE conditions. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the effect of reading and responding to text messages on gait was able to be detected utilizing methods that do not require strictly sterile laboratory settings. This serves as a proof of concept for researchers to bring the study and evaluation of distracted walking into the naturalistic environments in which it actually occurs. Application: This proof of concept will serve as a roadmap towards moving the study of gait and distraction from simple observational studies in naturalistic environments to specific quantitative analysis of people performing real world tasks in real world settings. Keywords: Driver distraction; Language: en
Relationships Between Humor Styles and Family Functioning in Parents of Children With Disabilities

The humor styles and family functioning of parents of children with disabilities are understudied subjects. This study seeks to shed quantitative light on these areas. Seventy-two parents of children with disabilities completed the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES IV) and the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ). The FACES IV measured several dimensions of family functioning: cohesion, flexibility, communication, and satisfaction. Cohesion and flexibility were variously scored to indicate whether a balanced or unbalanced propensity for these existed within the family. The HSQ was used to examine whether two adaptive styles of humor (affiliative and self-enhancing) and two maladaptive styles of humor (aggressive and self-defeating), were associated with balanced and unbalanced cohesion and flexibility, as well as with the presence of communication and satisfaction. The most significant results indicated a persistent correlation between prosocial humor styles and family communication an...
Bone loss in patients with the ileostomy and ileal pouch for inflammatory bowel disease

Low bone mineral density (BMD) or low bone mass is common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Studies have shown that low BMD is also common in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) even after colectomy and ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA). The reported frequency of osteopenia ranged from 26–55% and that of osteoporosis ranged from 13–32% in patients with IPAA. Increasing age, low body mass index, lack of calcium supplementation and high inflammatory activity with villous atrophy in the ileo-anal pouch are risk factors for low bone mass in pouch patients. Bone loss is also common in patients with IBD and ostomy. Current professional society guidelines do not specifically address the need for surveillance in patients with ileal pouches or ostomy. A growing body of evidence suggests that patients with ileal pouch or ostomy are at an increased risk of bone loss. Pending prospective studies, screening and surveillance using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) along with calcium/vitamin D supplementation may be beneficial in those patients.
Finite element formulation for a baffled, fluid-loaded, finite cylindrical shell

A new method for obtaining the response of a baffled, fluid-loaded, finite cylindrical shell using the finite element method is presented. The Galerkin finite element formulation for this problem utilizes a Neumann Green's function representation of the pressure loading on the shell. By representing the pressure loading in this manner, only the structure need be discretized. Both C0 and C1 finite element discretizations of the shell are considered. The finite element results are compared with the analytic solutions of the fluid-loaded cylinder which are obtained using an expansion of the displacement in terms of the in vacuo modes of the Naghdi-Cooper and Flugge shell theories
Stability of Bayley Motor Scale Scores in the First Year of Life

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Bayley Motor Scale scores were stable in infants during the first year of life, that is, whether each individual infant's score was essentially the same at each of the five test ages. Subjects were 15 low-risk and 8 high-risk infants with Bayley Scales of Infant Development Motor Scale scores at 2, 3, 4, 8, and 12 months. All high-risk and most low-risk infants also had outcome scores at either 24 or 36 months. For the group as a whole, and for all infants with "normal" outcomes, subjects did not change ranks over the six test ages (ie, high-scoring infants' ranks remained high and low-scoring infants' ranks remained low), but scores varied significantly from test to test. Scores of infants with "non-normal" outcomes did not vary significantly from test to test. The highest and lowest scores of 75% of the infants with normal outcomes and 57% of the infants with non-normal outcomes differed significantly. Four patterns of variations of Bayley Motor Scale scores over the five test ages of the first year after birth were identified. The first pattern included three infants with the most stable scores. The three remaining patterns were different from each other, but a consistent feature of each was a peak at 4 months. Finally, scores at 3 and 8 months were best able to correctly identify outcome. A single Bayley Motor Scale score may not reflect an infant's true abilities; some factor may be inflating scores at age 4 months.
Influence of Two Dietary Fats on the Composition of Emu Oil and Meat

Male and female emus were fed a diet rich in saturated fat (beef tallow) or a diet rich in unsaturated fat (soybean oil) until they weighed about 35 kg. Samples of subcutaneous and retroperitoneal adipose tissues and samples of six major meat cuts were taken for determination of composition. Emus fed the two different diets grew at similar rates, but the male emus had a higher percentage of carcass fat. The adipose tissue cells from males were larger than those from females. All six meat cuts averaged 2.2% fat, with the regular filet having the most and the inside and outside drums the least. Cholesterol concentration of all sizes of meat cuts averaged 32.2 mg/100 g meat. Diet did not influence cholesterol content of the rendered oil. Fan filets had the greatest concentration of cholesterol, and the inside and outside drums had the least. Source of dietary fat had no effect on fat and cholesterol content of the meats. Meat from emus fed beef tallow was more tender and juicy. Fan filets were the most tender meat, had the least intense flavor, and were the most flavorful. Untrained panelists were able to discriminate between emu meat and beef. Source of dietary fat did not influence the fatty acid compositions of the meats. As expected, the soybean oil-fed emus produced oil that was more polyunsaturated than did the tallow-fed emus.
Depression Mediates the Effect of Sexual Function on Quality of Life among Men but Not Women with Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Poor sexual function is associated with impaired Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), and patients with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) are not exceptions. It is not known, however, if symptoms of depression mediate the effect of sexual function on HRQoL among men and women with CAD. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the association between sexual function and HRQoL among men and women with CAD. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 401 men and 156 women with CAD. Sexual function, measured by the Relation and Sexuality Scale (RSS), was the independent variable. In addition, physical and mental HRQoL measured using physical and mental health summary scores of Short Form 36 (SF-36) were dependent variables. Besides, the severity of depressive symptoms measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was conceptualized as the mediator. Age, income, education, and medical comorbidities (Ifudu index) were control variables, and gender was the moderator. Multi-group path analysis was conducted using AMOS20.0 for data analysis. Results: When the effects of age, education, income, and comorbidities were controlled, sexual function was correlated with poor mental HRQoL in both genders. However, the association between sexual function and poor physical HRQoL could be found only among men but not women. Evidence also supported partial mediation of depressive symptoms on the effect of sexual function on mental HRQoL of both men and women. Nonetheless, the results suggested partial mediation of depressive symptoms on the effect of sexual function on physical HRQoL only among men but not women. Conclusions: Symptoms of depression may not have a similar role in explaining the effect of sexual function on physical HRQoL of men and women with CAD. Our findings suggest that only among men, depressive symptoms might be the mechanism by which sexual function affects the CAD patients’ physical HRQoL.
Development of Plasma-based Flow Control Techniques for Scramjet Flow Paths

An overview is presented of a comprehensive challenge effort titled ?Tip-to-tail Turbulent Scramjet Flowpath Simulation with MHD Energy Bypass?. Emphasis is placed on fully three-dimensional (3-D) results obtained recently at flight conditions. The goal is to employ high-fidelity simulations to lift critical constraints in scramjet development through revolutionary new concepts, which do not readily lend themselves to ground or flight test investigations. The central feature of these techniques is the deployment of 3-D electromagnetic fields to address the harsh airbreathing hypersonic environment. The theoretical model employed resolves the multi-fluid, multi-physics phenomena through a careful blend of first-principles and phenomenological elements chosen to discover new enabling physics. The resulting large and mathematically complex set of equations requires both advanced numerical methods and the massive systems available through the DoD HPC. By coupling results to powerful 3-D visualization techniques, the project has discovered previously unknown effects relating the magnetic, electric and velocity vector fields, as well as location and extent of the ionized region. This has enabled the elucidation of a simple set of principles for effective plasma-based flow control. Key among these are the thermodynamic balance between ponderomotive force and heating through competition between work and Ohmic dissipation and the discriminating effect of energy direction when electrodes are employed. These general observations are employed to develop methods to mitigate heat transfer, separation, mixing and energy management.
A low-voltage rail-to-rail CMOS V-I converter

This paper presents CMOS low-voltage rail to-rail voltage-to-current (V-I) converters which could be used as basic building blocks to construct low-voltage current-mode analog very large scale integration (VLSI) circuits. In the circuit, an n-type V-I converter cell is connected in parallel with its p-type counterpart to achieve common-mode rail to-rail operation. A linear differential relationship of the n-type V-I converter, or its p-type complement, is obtained using a new class-AB linearization technique. The constant transconductance value is obtained by manipulating the DC bias currents of n- and p-type V-I converter cells. The circuit can operate from rail to rail with a power supply of 3 V or less, depending on the VLSI technology and the DC bias current level.
Switching of perpendicularly polarized nanomagnets with spin orbit torque without an external magnetic field by engineering a tilted anisotropy

Spin orbit torque (SOT) provides an efficient way to significantly reduce the current required for switching nanomagnets. However, SOT generated by an in-plane current cannot deterministically switch a perpendicularly polarized magnet due to symmetry reasons. On the other hand, perpendicularly polarized magnets are preferred over in-plane magnets for high-density data storage applications due to their significantly larger thermal stability in ultrascaled dimensions. Here, we show that it is possible to switch a perpendicularly polarized magnet by SOT without needing an external magnetic field. This is accomplished by engineering an anisotropy in the magnets such that the magnetic easy axis slightly tilts away from the direction, normal to the film plane. Such a tilted anisotropy breaks the symmetry of the problem and makes it possible to switch the magnet deterministically. Using a simple Ta/CoFeB/MgO/Ta heterostructure, we demonstrate reversible switching of the magnetization by reversing the polarity of the applied current. This demonstration presents a previously unidentified approach for controlling nanomagnets with SOT.
The Sabras and Zionism: A Study in Personality and Ideology

general to any Israeli-born Jew, I shall, unless I specify to the contrary, use the term in this paper to refer specifically to the children born in the one kibbutz studied by my wife and myself in 1951-1952. The sabras of this kibbutz had a pro-Soviet Marxist orientation which may have partially influenced their attitudes or, at least, the surface expression of their attitudes. To the extent, however, that most of the conditions which ex hypothesi, give rise to the Jewish attitudes of these sabras are characteristic of the federation of Marxist kibbutzim
Heroin anticraving medications: a systematic review.

Background: Heroin craving is a trigger for relapse and dropping out of treatment. Methadone has been the standard medication for the management of heroin craving. Objectives: We explored the medication options other than methadone which may have heroin anticraving properties. Methods: To be selected for the review, articles had to include outcome measures of the effect of the studied medication on subjective and/or objective opiate craving and be of the following two types: () randomized, controlled, and/or double-blind clinical trials (RCTs) examining the relationship between the studied medication and heroin craving; () nonrandomized and observational studies (NRSs) examining the relationship between the studied medication and heroin craving. Thirty-three articles were initially included in the review. Twenty-one were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. We present the results of 12 articles that met all the inclusion criteria. Results: Some new medications have been under investi...
Resistance and the Problem of Ethnographic Refusal

L'A. etudie les effets de ce qu'il appelle le refus ethnographique concernant une serie d'etudes consacree a la resistance. Il montre que la plupart de ces etudes sont limitees par le manque de perspective ethnographique. Elles sont peu convaincantes en ce qui concerne la politique interne des groupes domines, la richesse culturelle de ces groupes et la subjectivite des acteurs engages
The timing of induced resistance and induced susceptibility in the soybean-Mexican bean beetle system

Induced plant responses to herbivory have been demonstrated in many systems. It has been suggested that the timing of these responses may influence the impact of induced resistance on herbivore populations, and may affect the evolution of induced defenses. This study used a bioassay to characterize the time course of systemic induced responses to Mexican bean beetle herbivory in four genotypes of soybeans. The results suggest that the time course of induced responses in this system is more complex than most previous studies have indicated. Herbivory provoked both rapid induced resistance and subsequent induced susceptibility to beetle feeding. All four genotypes of soybean induced significant resistance to beetle damage (beetles preferred undamaged to damaged plants) by 3 days after damage. By 15 days after damage, this resistance had decayed (beetles showed no preference for undamaged over damaged plants), and by 20 days after damage, all four genotypes exhibited significant induced susceptibility (beetles preferred previously damaged plants over undamaged plants). The magnitude of induced resistance in each genotype correlated strongly with the magnitude of induced susceptibility in that genotype.
The European sand belt in eastern Europe ‐ and comparison of Late Glacial dune orientation with GCM simulation results

A compilation is presented of the continuation of the European sand belt, east of Poland. Dune fields encompass most of the aeolian formations in eastern Europe. Supposed sand provenance, dune orientation, and the few available datings suggest initial aeolian activity during cold stages of the Upper-Pleni (= full)glacial and Late Glacial, similar to northwest and central Europe. Dune fomiation was primarily supply controlled. Comparison of dune orientation with Late Glacial surface wind directions simulated by various GCMs permits reconstruction of dune activation with the positioning of (winter) westerlies over glacial deposits during the Oldest Dryas. Final widespread aeolian activity occurred during the Younger Dryas. As compared to the smaller fields toward the centre of deglaciation, aeolian sand deposits of the intermediate and periglacial zone benefited from distinctly longer intervals of accumulation. In the zone of deglaciation, aeolian activity was restricted to relatively isolated basins.
Cognition and the cognitive revolution in psychotherapy: Promises and advances

This article describes the history and conceptual changes wrought by the gradual development from psychodynamic therapy to behavioral therapy to cognitive-behavioral therapy. The practical impact of the cognitive revolution on psychotherapy theory and practice is discussed. The empirical status of behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy is summarized, and suggestions for future changes are made.
Leakage Aware Feasibility Analysis for Temperature-Constrained Hard Real-Time Periodic Tasks

As semiconductor technology continues to evolve, the chip temperature increases rapidly due to the exponentially growing power consumption. In the meantime, the high chip temperature increases the leakage power, which is becoming the dominate part in the overall power consumption for sub-micron IC circuits. A power/thermal-aware computing technique becomes ineffective if this temperature/leakage relation is not properly addressed in the sub-micron domain.In this paper, we study the feasibility problem for scheduling a hard real-time periodic task set under the peak temperature constraint, with the interaction between temperature and leakage being taken into consideration. Three analysis techniques are developed to guarantee the schedulability of periodic real-time task sets under the maximal temperature constraint. Our experiments, based on technical parameters from a processor using the 65nm technology, show that the feasibility analysis without considering the interactions between temperature and leakage can be significantly overoptimistic.
The Environmental Costs and Benefits of Fracking

Unconventional oil and natural gas extraction enabled by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is driving an economic boom, with consequences described from “revolutionary” to “disastrous.” Reality lies somewhere in between. Unconventional energy generates income and, done well, can reduce air pollution and even water use compared with other fossil fuels. Alternatively, it could slow the adoption of renewables and, done poorly, release toxic chemicals into water and air. Primary threats to water resources include surface spills, wastewater disposal, and drinking-water contamination through poor well integrity. An increase in volatile organic compounds and air toxics locally are potential health threats, but the switch from coal to natural gas for electricity generation will reduce sulfur, nitrogen, mercury, and particulate air pollution. Data gaps are particularly evident for human health studies, for the question of whether natural gas will displace coal compared with renewables, and fo...
Restaurant operations at the Rose Capital Inn: a case study exercise

Synopsis This case study exercise highlights the importance of food supplier selection and forecasting to minimize food cost and maximize profit for a hotel restaurant. The importance of data analytics in supplier selection is emphasized. The case exercise provides students with a more comprehensive understanding of spoilage and the calculation of food cost percentage, which should save the hotel restaurant under study significant dollars, help the environment, and strengthen the operation. The events described in this case are based on real world experiences. Research methodology This research uses a data driven problem-solving approach to accurately forecast food requirements and minimize spoilage. Relevant courses and levels Because of its focus on restaurant operations, the case exercise is appropriate for senior-level undergraduate courses or graduate courses in Operations Management, Restaurant Food and Beverage Management, Hotel Management, and Data Analytics.
Impacts of High Resolution Data on Traveler Compliance Levels in Emergency Evacuation Simulations

In this paper, we conducted a comparison study of evacuation assignment based on Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ) and high resolution LandScan USA Population Cells (LPC) with detailed real world roads network. A platform for evacuation modeling built on high resolution population distribution data and activity-based microscopic traffic simulation was proposed. This platform can be extended to any cities in the world. The results indicated that evacuee compliance behavior affects evacuation efficiency with traditional TAZ assignment, but it did not significantly compromise the performance with high resolution LPC assignment. The TAZ assignment also underestimated the real travel time during evacuation. This suggests that high data resolution can improve the accuracy of traffic modeling and simulation. The evacuation manager should consider more diverse assignment during emergency evacuation to avoid congestions.
Construction and identification of eukaryotic expression vector bearing mouse ghrelin receptor

Objective To construct mouse ghrelin receptor(GHS-R) eukaryotic expression vector,and observe its expression in transient transfeted COS-7 cell line.Methods The coding DNA sequence of ghrelin receptor gene(CDS) was amplified by SOE-PCR technology from mouse genomic DNA and cloned into PCDNA3 vector.The positive clone was confirmed by enzyme digestion and sequencing.The expression vector was transiently transfected into COS-7 cell line.The expression of GHS-R protein was identified by Western blot.ResultsThe CDS of mouse GHS-R was successfully cloned.The construction of pcDNA3-GHS-R was correct and its expression of GHS-R protein was confirmed by Western blot.ConclusionsThe eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3-GHS-R was successfully constructed and mouse GHS-R protein was successfully expressed.This study can be a basis for further study on GHS-R gene function in vitro.
Interpersonal Constructs for Nursing Practice

There are many different theoretical frameworks which are useful in nursing practice. Interpersonal relations is one such theoretical perspective. This paper plans to provide a definition of interpersonal relations, suggest and define selected concepts which derive from this framework, and describe the relation between theory and nursing practice.
System and Cyber Security: Requirements, Modeling, and Management

As unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) become an increasingly integral part of numerous applications, ensuring the security of these systems against malicious cyber threats is an increasing concern. Seeking to address this problem, it is important to investigate the diverse interactions between the cyber and physical components inside the UAS. Then, feasible cyber threats and associated vulnerabilities can be analyzed with respect to different security properties. Although traditional security for computers and their networks is a key approach in the cyber layer of the UAS, this method alone is not sufficient for diagnosing overall risk as it does not account for the dynamical behavior of the UAS. Therefore, a more comprehensive security analysis framework is introduced from a systems perspective, extending beyond the cyber processes of the UAS to include the underlying physical behavior. This approach allows for a UAS that is not only programmatically secure but also whose physical operations are thoroughly inspected and guaranteed to be secure, thus complementing the existing UAS security architecture. Keywords: cyber security; cyber threat; risk assessment; unmanned aircraft system; vulnerability identification
Risks of subsequent abdominal operations after laparoscopic ventral hernia repair

Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) with intraperitoneal mesh placement is well established; however, the fate of patients requiring future abdominal operations is not well understood. This study identifies the characteristics of LVHR patients undergoing reoperation and the sequelae of reoperation. A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database at a hernia referral center identified patients who underwent LVHR between 2005 and 2014 and then underwent a subsequent abdominal operation. The outcomes of those reoperations were collected. Data are presented as a mean with ranges. A total of 733 patients underwent LVHR. The average age was 56.5 years, BMI 33.9 kg/m2, hernia size 115 cm2 (range 1–660 cm2), and mesh size 411 cm2 (range 17.7–1360 cm2). After a mean follow-up of 19.4 months, the overall hernia recurrence rate was 8.4 %. Subsequent abdominal operations were performed in 17 % (125 patients) at a mean 2.2 years. The most common indication for reoperation was recurrent hernia (33 patients, 26.4 %), followed by bowel obstruction (18 patients, 14.4 %), hepatopancreaticobiliary (17 patients, 13.6 %) and infected mesh removal (15 patients, 12 %), gynecologic (10 patients, 8 %), colorectal (8 patients, 6.4 %), bariatric (4 patients, 3 %), trauma (1 patient, 0.8 %), and other (19 patients, 15 %). The overall incidence of enterotomy or unplanned bowel resection (EBR) at reoperation was 4 %. This occurred exclusively in those reoperated for complete bowel obstruction, and the reason for EBR was mesh–bowel adhesions. No other indication for reoperation resulted in EBR. The incidence of secondary mesh infection after subsequent operation was 2.4 %. In a large consecutive series of LVHR, the rate of abdominal reoperation was 17 %. Generally, these reoperations can be performed safely. A reoperation for bowel obstruction, however, may carry an increased risk of EBR as a direct result of mesh–bowel adhesions. Secondary mesh infection after reoperation, although rare, may also occur. Surgeons should discuss with their patients the potential long-term implications of having an intraperitoneal mesh and how it may impact future abdominal surgery.
Apurinic/Apyrimindinic Endonuclease in Redox Regulation and Oxidative Stress: Implications for Regulation of DNA Repair and Therapeutic Development

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the role of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE1) in redox regulation and response to oxidative stress and recent therapeutic developments targeting APE1's redox function. A key enzyme in BER, APE1,6 recognizes a basic sites produced either spontaneously or through removal of an oxidized base by a DNA glycosylase. Knock-out of APE1 in mice is embryonic lethal establishing APE1 as an essential enzyme; 7 APE1 functions in base excision repair by cleaving the phosphodiester backbone 5’ of a basic site resulting in a 3’OH and 5’ deoxyribose phosphate. Further processing by DNA polymerase beta and DNA ligase completes the DNA repair. APE1 is also a nuclear redox factor that recognizes oxidized transcription factors and reduces them, significantly stimulating their DNA-binding properties. In this regard, APE1 plays a unique role in that it repairs both oxidized DNA and a number of transcription factors, which in turn regulate expression of DNA repair genes.
Visual Disorders with Antiepileptic Drugs

Visual adverse effects induced by antiepileptic drugs (AED) are reviewed by researchers at the Departments of Pediatrics, Universities of Chieti and Bologna, Italy.
Ultra-small Ge1−xSnx quantum dots with visible photoluminescence

Ge1-xSnx alloy quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized with sizes ranging from 1-3 nm exhibiting visible orange-red photoluminescence. Composition dependent optical properties were characterized and supported by theoretical calculations. Structural analysis suggests the QDs are diamond cubic phase, characteristic of Ge1-xSnx thin films and nanocrystals (NCs) reported to date.
Sustained enhancement of OCTN1 transporter expression in association with hydroxyurea induced γ-globin expression in erythroid progenitors

The clinical benefits of hydroxyurea (HU) treatment in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are due largely to increased γ-globin expression. However, mechanisms that control γ-globin expression by HU in erythroid progenitors are incompletely understood. Here, we investigated the role of two HU transporters, urea transporter B (UTB) and organic cation/carnitine transporter 1 (OCTN1), in this process. Endogenous expression of both transporters peaked toward the end of erythroid differentiation. However, unlike UTB, HU-induced OCTN1 expression correlated positively with γ-globin level and was sustained throughout the period of induction. These results highlight a potential major role for OCTN1 in promoting the efficacy of HU.
Modelling and decomposition of the ace of a control area for control performance evaluation

Abstract This paper describes a computer application for determining the parameters of a dynamic model of ACE of a control area, for computing it's oneminute average of ACE, for decomposing the control area's regulation burden to components identifiable with load fluctuations within specified load zones, and for portraying the dynamic performance of the control area against the CPS1 and CPS2 performance standards.
Vehicle Lateral Control Under Fault in Front Sensors: Controller Design with Mismatched Observers

Abstract This paper presents vehicle lateral control under a specific sensor fault. The specific sensor fault refers to the failure of the front magnetometers, one of the two sets of sensors critical to vehicle lateral control. The aim of the controller design is to accomplish sound performance with the remaining set of sensors, i.e. the rear magnetometers. The difficulties of the controller design come from the nonminimum phase and time varying properties of the lateral dynamics of the vehicle with the output given by the rear magnetometers. In this paper, a control method utilizing feedback linearization and a mismatched observer is employed in the controller design. First, feedback linearization is applied to eliminate the time varying terms in the system. Then, a mismatched observer is designed using H ∞ optimization to provide the state estimates for the implementation of feedback linearization and to stabilize the overall system. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the controller.