cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acoustic analysis for speaker identification of whispered speech

Whisper is an alternative speech production mode from neutral speech, which is used by talkers intentionally in natural conversational scenarios to protect personal privacy and avoid being overheard. Due to differences between whispered and neutral speech in vocal excitation and vocal tract function, the performance of speaker ID systems trained with neutral speech degrades significantly. In this study, a neutral trained closed-set speaker ID task based on MFCC-GMM is considered. It is observed that for whisper speaker recognition, the degradation is concentrated for a certain number of speakers. Next, an acoustic analysis is conducted in order to determine the reason affecting the degradation for those speakers. Finally, a confidence space is proposed to measure the quality of whispered speech for the task of speaker ID. Experimental evaluations demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in searching whispered utterances with poor speaker information for a neutral/whisper mismatch speaker ID system. The proposed method makes it possible to compensate for those poor utterances, meanwhile avoiding any harm to other utterances that remain the performance of neutral speaker ID task.
Wetting phenomena at the CO2/water/glass interface.

A novel high-pressure apparatus and technique were developed to measure CO2/water/solid contact angles (θ) in situ for pressures up to 204 bar. For two glass substrates with different hydrophilicities, θ increased significantly with CO2 pressure. As the pressure was increased, an increase in the cohesive energy density of CO2 caused the substrate/CO2 and water/CO2 interfacial tensions (γ) to decrease, whereas the water/substrate γ value increased. θ for the more hydrophobic substrate was predicted accurately from the experimental water/CO2 γ value and an interfacial model that included only long-range forces. However, for the more hydrophilic substrate, short-range specific interactions due to capping of the silanol groups by physisorbed CO2 resulted in an unusually large increase in the water/substrate γ value, which led to a much larger increase in θ than predicted by the model. A novel type of θ hysteresis was discovered in which larger θ values were observed during depressurization than during pressur...
Shrink-swell behavior of soil across a Vertisol catena

Summary An accurate estimate of the degree of soil cracking is important in partitioning rainfall into soil infiltration and runoff in watersheds with clay soils that shrink and swell. Usually in the application of surface hydrology models, cracking is considered to be predicted by assuming equidimensional shrinkage and a 1:3 ratio of change in soil profile thickness to depth of water loss. Our objective was to use in situ measurements of soil profile subsidence with loss of water in an apparently uniform Vertisol to determine: (1) whether or not the soil profile subsidence followed the 1:3 ratio of change in thickness to depth of water loss and (2) how the ratio of subsidence to water loss varies with the Coefficient of Linear Extensibility (COLE). The research was conducted on a catena of Houston Black and Heiden clays. Vertical soil shrinkage and swelling along with soil water content were measured at the summit, shoulder, backslope, and footslope positions of the catena. Change in soil water content along with spatial variability in COLE were the primary drivers of temporal and spatial variability of shrinkage and swelling on the catena. The rate that soil shrank or swelled with change in the amount of water stored in the soil was related to COLE, which was negatively correlated with carbonate content of the soil. Shrinkage of the soil profile with water lost was less than the commonly used 1:3 ratio. Our data supported using COLE to predict the degree to which the ratio is less than 1:3. Incorporating COLE values into a hydrology model to simulate soil shrinkage with water loss is a useful approach because COLE values have been measured for soils with shrink–swell potential and that data is available in USDA NRCS Soil Survey databases.
Relations among nation‐states in a changing environment: A model of repeated interaction between two groups with limited information

Relations among “new” nation‐states and between “new” and established nation‐states in the international system are modeled as a game of repeated social interaction among groups in an information poor environment. Departing from standard game theoretic models of fully informed autonomous individuals, we construct an alternative set of plausible assumptions regarding information, group structure, and decision rules more consistent with relations among “new” nation‐states. The model is analyzed to determine the conditions under which long term mutual cooperation emerges. The analysis of this model reveals that groups of individuals can achieve stable cooperative relationships with relative ease. Further analysis reveals the sensitivity of cooperative outcomes to particular aspects (assumptions) of the model. In particular, cooperative outcomes hinge on the ability of groups to maintain cohesiveness; a difficult task for “new” or reconstituted nation‐states.
Sir Gardner Wilkinson and His Circle, by Jason Thompson, University of Texas Press, Austin, 1992

In the early 19th century there were no "archaeologists" as we use the term today, although antiquarians studied the relics of the past, mainly of the classical world but occcasionally also Egypt and other distant, exotic lands, and dilettantes, men of wealth and taste, collected antiquities. Gardner Wilkinson, the subject of this excellent biography, considered himself neither, but rather a gentleman traveler and writer. He became interested in Egypt only by accident Leaving Oxford in 1819 before completing a degree he began a Grand Tour, the long-standing tradition of travel on the Continent by which an English gentleman "completed" his education. Wilkinson's tour included Paris, Strasbourg, Geneva, Turin, and Rome, where he met Sir William Gell, a scholar with whom he struck up an instant friendship.
Acetic Acid Induces Expression of the Staphylococcus aureus cidABC and lrgAB Murein Hydrolase Regulator Operons

The Staphylococcus aureus lrg and cid operons encode homologous proteins that regulate extracellular murein hydrolase activity and penicillin tolerance in a diametrically opposing manner. Although their specific regulatory functions remain unknown, it has been postulated that the functions of CidA and LrgA are analogous to those of bacteriophage holins and antiholins, respectively, and that these proteins serve as molecular control elements of bacterial programmed cell death. Although these studies demonstrated that cidBC transcription is abundant in sigmaB-proficient strains, cidABC transcription was only minimally expressed under standard growth conditions. In this study, we demonstrate that cidABC and lrgAB transcription in the clinical isolate UAMS-1 is induced by growth in the presence of 35 mM glucose and that this enhances murein hydrolase activity and decreases tolerance to vancomycin and rifampin. The effect of glucose on murein hydrolase activity was not observed in the cidA mutant, indicating that the induction of this activity was dependent on enhanced cidABC expression. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the effects of glucose on cidABC and lrgAB transcription are mediated by the generation of acetic acid produced by the metabolism of this and other carbon sources. These results shed new light on the control of the S. aureus cidABC and lrgAB genes and demonstrate that these operons, as well as murein hydrolase activity and antibiotic tolerance, are responsive to carbohydrate metabolism.
Five decades of Mexican public relations in the United States: from propaganda to strategic counsel

Abstract This article describes U.S. public relations for Mexico through a quantitative and qualitative content analysis of 940 Foreign Agents Registration Act listings from 1942 to 1991. The research delineates the shift from government to industry representation, the move from press agentry and public information to more research and counsel, centralization trends, and the evolving roles of U.S. public relations from technicians to public relations managers. The continuing robust technician role is confirmed.
A comparison of methods for determining forest evapotranspiration and its components: sap-flow, soil water budget, eddy covariance and catchment water balance

Abstract A multi-year, multi-technique study was conducted to measure evapotranspiration and its components within an uneven-aged mixed deciduous forest in the Southeastern United States. Four different measurement techniques were used, including soil water budget (1 year), sap flow (2 years), eddy covariance (5 years), and catchment water budget (31 years). Annual estimates of evapotranspiration were similar for the eddy covariance and catchment water balance techniques, averaging 571±16 mm (eddy covariance) and 582±28 mm (catchment water balance) per year over a 5-year period. There were qualitative similarities between sap flow and eddy covariance estimates on a daily basis, and sap flow estimates of transpiration were about 50% of annual evapotranspiration estimated from eddy covariance and catchment studies. Soil evaporation was estimated using a second eddy covariance system below the canopy, and these measurements suggest that soil evaporation explains only a small portion of the difference between sap flow estimates of transpiration and eddy covariance and catchment water budget estimates of evapotranspiration. Convergence of the catchment water balance and eddy covariance methods and moderately good energy balance closure suggests that the sap flow estimates could be low, unless evaporation of canopy-intercepted water was especially large. The large species diversity and presence of ring-porous trees at our site may explain the difficulty in extrapolating sap flow measurements to the spatial scales representative of the eddy covariance and catchment water balance methods. Soil water budget estimates were positively correlated with eddy covariance and sap flow measurements, but the data were highly variable and in error under conditions of severe surface dryness and after rainfall events.
eWellness: Building a Smart Hospital by Leveraging RFID Networks

The application of radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor networks pervasively to the hospital environment has the potential to improve efficiencies in operational aspects through accurate capture of fine grained data. The sensor nodes generate large amounts of real or near real-time data. Understanding and managing these data in the context of the hospital pose challenges for the middleware which has to connect sensor networks with hospital applications. In this paper we propose an edgeware paradigm of organizing hospital RFID sensor data based on the notion of an event. The event is defined and its properties are discussed. A three layered event representation and reasoning model is developed to map raw sensory information to semantic events in the application domains. A prototype system, called eWellness is build for the test of the local hospital
Evaluation of passive immunotherapeutic efficacy of hyperimmunized egg yolk powder against intestinal colonization of Campylobacter jejuni in chickens

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of foodborne bacterial gastroenteritis in human. Chickens are the reservoir host of C. jejuni, and contaminated chicken meat is an important source of human infection. Therefore, control of C. jejuni in chickens can have direct effect on human health. In this study we tested the passive immunotherapeutic efficacy of the chicken egg-yolk-derived antibodies, in the form of hyperimmunized egg yolk powder (HEYP), against 7 colonization-associated proteins of C. jejuni, namely, CadF (Campylobacter adhesion to fibronectin), FlaA (flagellar proteins), MOMP (major outer membrane protein), FlpA (fibronectin binding protein A), CmeC (Campylobacter multidrug efflux C), Peb1A (Campylobacter putative adhesion), and JlpA (Jejuni lipoprotein A). Three chicken experiments were performed. In each experiment, chickens were treated orally via feed supplemented with 10% (wt/wt) egg yolk powder. In experiment 1, chicken groups were experimentally infected with C. jejuni (10(8) cfu) followed by treatment with 5 HEYP (CadF, FlaA, MOMP, FlpA, CmeC) for 4 d either individually or as a cocktail containing equal parts of each HEYP. In experiment 2, chickens were treated for 21 d with cocktail containing equal parts of 7 HEYP before and after experimental infection with C. jejuni (10(8) cfu). In experiment 3, chickens were treated with feed containing a cocktail of 7 HEYP before and after (prophylaxis), and after (treatment) experimental infection with C. jejuni (10(5) cfu). Intestinal colonization of C. jejuni was monitored by culturing cecal samples from chickens euthanized at the end of each experiment. The results showed that there were no differences in the cecal colonization of C. jejuni between HEYP treated and nontreated control chickens, suggesting that use of HEYP at the dose and the regimens used in the current study is not efficacious in reducing C. jejuni colonization in chickens.
Fast synchronization of perceptual grouping in laminar visual cortical circuits

Perceptual grouping is well known to be a fundamental process during visual perception, notably grouping across scenic regions that do not receive contrastive visual inputs. Illusory contours are a classical example of such groupings. Recent psychophysical and neurophysiological evidence have shown that the grouping process can facilitate rapid synchronization of the cells that are bound together by a grouping, even when the grouping must be completed across regions that receive no contrastive inputs. Synchronous grouping can hereby bind together different object parts that may have become desynchronized due to a variety of factors, and can enhance the efficiency of cortical transmission. Neural models of perceptual grouping have clarified how such fast synchronization may occur by using bipole grouping cells, whose predicted properties have been supported by psychophysical, anatomical, and neurophysiological experiments. These models have not, however, incorporated some of the realistic constraints in which groupings in the brain are conditioned, notably the measured spatial extent of long-range interactions in layer 2/3 of a grouping network, and realistic synaptic and axonal signaling delays within and across cells in different cortical layers. This work addresses the question: Can long-range interactions that obey the bipole constraint achieve fast synchronization under realistic anatomical and neurophysiological constraints that initially desynchronize grouping signals? Can the cells that synchronize retain their analog sensitivity to changing input amplitudes? Can the grouping process complete and synchronize illusory contours accross gaps in bottom-up inputs? Our simulations show that the answer to these questions is Yes.
Software and communications architecture for Prognosis and Health Monitoring of ocean-based power generator

This paper presents a communications and software architecture in support of Prognosis and Health Monitoring (PHM) applications for renewable ocean-based power generation. The generator/turbine platform is instrumented with various sensors (e.g. vibration, temperature) that generate periodic measurements used to assess the current system health and to project its future performance. The power generator platform is anchored miles offshore and uses a pair of wireless data links for monitoring and control. Since the link is expected to be variable and unreliable, being subject to challenging environmental conditions, the main functions of the PHM system are performed on a computing system located on the surface platform. The PHM system architecture is implemented using web services technologies following MIMOSA OSA-CBM standards. To provide sufficient Quality of Service for mission-critical traffic, the communications system employs application-level queue management with semantic-based filtering for the XML PHM messages, combined with IP packet traffic control and link quality monitoring at the network layer.
Making the Business Case for RFID

In June 2003, Wal-Mart asked its top 100 suppliers to begin using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on pallets and cases beginning January 2005. Since that announcement, the business value of RFID in the consumer packaged goodssupplychainhasbeenperiodicallyquestioned.Recently,a Wall StreetJournal article asserted that RFID is not living up to its hype, and in reality is not providing the promised tangible business value throughout the supply chain. In light of such claims, this paper examines the business value of RFID in the supply chain and presents a model of RFID assimilation which proposes that the creation of business value is dependent upon the depth of assimilation (extent of use). The model is grounded in industry observations of the difficulty of early adopters to fully realize the benefits of RFID assimilation. The model conceptualizes RFID assimilation as occurring in three waves: the first wave of the model is Technology Deployment, the next wave of Data Understanding, and, lastly, the final wave is Business Value Creation. In this paper, the first two waves of the model are explored briefly with the emphasis placed on proven business cases and potential opportunities for RFID to provide business value in the supply chain.
Fluctuations of Van Der Waals force between macroscopic bodies

The theory of the fluctuations of the van der Waals (vdW) attractive force between macroscopic bodies is developed. A general equation for the spectral density of the fluctuating surface Maxwell stress (force per unit area) in vacuum near the surface of a body is derived under the assumption that, inside the bodies, the random Langevin sources of the electric and magnetic fields (charges, polarizations, currents) are Gaussian. This spectral density of stress is an integral over frequencies of a sum of terms each of which is a product of Fourier amplitudes of two field components' correlation functions. For metallic bodies, the contribution of free electrons to the vdW force (at frequencies up to the frequency of electron scattering) is calculated. This contribution to the force and its noise grows with temperature. Application of noiseless voltage to two interacting metals across the vacuum gap between them generates an additional force noise. This additional noise is proportional to the voltage squared and to the spectral density of the random electric field at the frequency of noise measurement. The theoretical qualitative conclusions are in good agreement with experiments.
Plotting calculators in group teaching

Purdue University entered into a study with Hewlett Packard in 1990 to determine if calculators could help high risk students in their battle with calculus. The use of plotting calculators within the Counselor-Tutorial (CT) program has been very successful. Individuals with a much lower incoming academic background are able to compete with individuals with a much higher incoming standard. The effective integration of the graphical and numerical solve features of the plotting calculator appears to be beneficial in helping students to establish for themselves important visual and numerical connections to the analytic presentations that are characteristic of most text books. >
Photon beam relative dose validation of the DPM Monte Carlo code in lung-equivalent media.

Validation experiments have been conducted using 6 and 15 MV photons in inhomogeneous (water/lung/water) media to benchmark the accuracy of the DPM Monte Carlo code for photon beam dose calculations. Small field sizes (down to 2×2 cm 2 ) and low-density media were chosen for this investigation because the intent was to test the DPM code under conditions where lateral electronic disequilibrium effects are emphasized. The treatment head components of a Varian 21EX linear accelerator, including the jaws (defining field sizes of 2×2, 3×3 and 10×10 cm 2 ), were simulated using the BEAMnrc code. The phase space files were integrated within the DPM code system, and central axis depth dose and profile calculations were compared against diode measurements in a homogeneous water phantom in order to validate the phase space. Results of the homogeneous phantom study indicated that the relative differences between DPM calculations and measurements were within ±1% (based on the rms deviation) for the depth dose curves; relative profile dose differences were on average within ±1%/1 mm. Depth dose and profile measurements were carried out using an ion-chamber and film, within an inhomogeneous phantom consisting of a 6 cm slab of lung-equivalent material embedded within solid water. For the inhomogeneous phantom experiment, DPM depth dose calculations were within ±1% (based on the rms deviation) of measurements; relative profile differences at depths within and beyond the lung were, on average, within ±2% in the inner and outer beam regions, and within 1–2 mm distance-to-agreement within the penumbral region. Relative point differences on the order of 2–3% were within the estimated experimental uncertainties. This work demonstrates that the DPM Monte Carlo code is capable of accurate photon beam dose calculations in situations where lateral electron disequilibrium effects are pronounced.
Speckle-tracking strain echocardiography for detecting cardiac dyssynchrony in a canine model of dyssynchrony and heart failure

Multiple echocardiographic criteria have been proposed to diagnose mechanical dyssynchrony in patients with heart failure without being validated against a model of cardiac dyssynchrony with heart ...
The Uneasy Ethical and Legal Underpinnings of Large-Scale Genomic Biobanks

AbstractLarge-scale genomic databases are becoming increasingly common. These databases, and the underlying biobanks, pose several substantial legal and ethical problems. Neither the usual methods for protecting subject confidentiality, nor even anonymity, are likely to protect subjects’ identities in richly detailed databases. Indeed, in these settings, anonymity is itself ethically suspect. New methods of consent will need to be created to replace the blanket consent common to such endeavors, with a consent procedure that gives subjects some real control over what they might consider inappropriate use of their information and biological material. Through their use, these biobanks are also likely to yield information that will be of some clinical significance to the subjects, information that they should have access to. Failure to adjust to these new challenges is not only legally and ethically inappropriate, but puts at risk the political support on which biomedical research depends.
THE STARTLE RESPONSE: DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS AND A PARADIGM FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS

A film paradigm was developed to examine baseline and emotion modulated startle across a broad age range from preschool to adulthood. The paradigm was tested in children (3-, 5-, 7-, and 9-year-olds) and adults (total N = 122). The paradigm elicited a similar startle potentiation pattern across age groups; however, baseline startle changed with age: 3- and 5-year-olds showed lower response probability and magnitude of baseline startle than adults. Females exhibited larger baseline startle response probability and overall magnitude than did males; however, no sex by emotion modulated startle interaction was noted. Anxiety measures were obtained for all children. Individual differences in anxiety were associated with baseline startle magnitude among older but not younger children. No association of anxiety with startle potentiation was noted. Overall the film paradigm was applicable across a wide developmental span, revealing potential developmental and gender differences in baseline startle magnitude and response probability.
Dialkylimidazolium Ionic Liquids Hydrolyze Cellulose Under Mild Conditions

The average molecular weight of cellulose derived from filter paper, poplar, and Avicel decreases by up to two orders of magnitude during typical mild dissolution protocols using ionic liquids (ILs). About an order of magnitude greater cellulose depolymerization rate during ionic liquid dissolution occurs in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BmimCl) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (EmimCl) compared to 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EmimOAc), and, unintuitively, greater IL purity results in greater cellulose depolymerization. The following data support the mechanism of cellulose hydrolysis to be acid-catalyzed: (i) increase in number of reducing ends following cellulose dissolution in IL; (ii) addition of N-methylimidazolium base suppresses cellulose depolymerization during dissolution in IL; (iii) small amounts of glucose and traces of hydroxymethyl furfural are present following cellulose dissolution in IL. The acid is presumably synthesized via IL decomposition to generate a carbene and proton, consistent with hypothesis derived from molecular modeling. Titration experiments conducted here measure the amount of acid synthesized to be in the 4000 ppm range for high-purity BmimCl IL during mild processing conditions for cellulose dissolution. This data is relevant for understanding the extent of IL decomposition during biomass dissolution.
Stimulus uncertainty and the latency of category judgment

The latencies of category judgments of size varied inversely with the skewness of the frequency distribution of stimuli. Although the task did not permit one-to-one identification of the stimuli, the data suggest that one function of category judgment is to reduce the uncertainty about which stimulus has been presented.
Consumer Driven Strategies in the Management of Long Term Care Services

This paper discusses the concept of consumer oriented long term care management. It is argued that when long term care managers have a consumer orientation they are more responsive to the needs of their clients. This orientation puts the needs and preferences of clients at the forefront of planning and marketing decisions.
The Influence of Culture on Clinical Nurses Transitioning into the Faculty Role

Abstract The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how cultural differences and similarities affect the transition of nurses into the faculty role from professional clinical practice. Components of culture (e.g., values and beliefs) of seven nurses new to the faculty role were examined using multiple methods of document review, interviews, and observations. Results demonstrated that cultural dissonance creates conflict in new nurse faculty as the values they bring from clinical practice influence their transition into academe. Cultural dissonance can be improved through formal education, mentoring, and socialization to the faculty role. It is recommended that schools of nursing adopt the values inherent in the nursing profession.
Effect of episodic eucapnic and hypocapnic hypoxia on systemic blood pressure in hypertension-prone rats

Fletcher, Eugene C., and Gang Bao. Effect of episodic eucapnic and hypocapnic hypoxia on systemic blood pressure in hypertension-prone rats. J. Appl. Physiol. 81(5): 2088–2094, 1996.—Repetitive epi...
Modular wireless wheeled in vivo surgical robots

Minimally invasive abdominal surgery (laparoscopy) results in superior patient outcomes as measured by less painful recovery and an earlier return to functional health compared to conventional open surgery. However, the difficulty of manipulating traditional laparoscopic tools from outside the patient’s body generally limits these benefits to patients undergoing procedures with relatively low complexity. The use of miniature in vivo robots that fit entirely inside the peritoneal cavity represents a novel approach to laparoscopic surgery. Our previous work has demonstrated that mobile and fixedbased in vivo robots can successfully operate within the abdominal cavity and provide surgical vision and task assistance. All of these robots used tethers for power and data transmission. This paper describes recent work focused on developing a modular wireless mobile platform that can be used for in vivo sensing and manipulation applications. The robot base can accommodate a variety of payloads. Details of the designs and results of ex vivo and in vivo tests of robots with biopsy grasper and physiological sensor payloads are presented. These types of self-contained surgical devices are much more transportable and much lower in cost than current robotic surgical assistants. These attributes could ultimately allow such devices to be carried and deployed by non-medical personnel at the site of an injury. A remotely located surgeon could then use these robots to provide critical first response medical intervention irrespective of the location of the patient.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Between defence autarky and dependency: the dynamics of Turkish defence industrialization

AbstractTurkish defence industries have significantly improved their production capabilities since the 1980s. According to the official documents, Turkey reached 54% local production level in 2011. Encouraged by this impressive defence industrial development, the government of Turkey declared that defence industrial autarky, the country’s main goal since the 1980s, would be reached by 2023. This paper evaluates the possibility of Turkey’s defence autarky. Contrary to the existing approaches in the literature that assess technological capabilities and cost-effectiveness, this paper argues that Turkey’s search for defence autarky is hindered by the interplay of institutional deficiencies, dependency on foreign inputs, and the United States’ continuing influence over Turkish politics.
Driving ADES

Driving ADES (Assistive Device Expert System) is an expert system under development to assist in the prescription of adaptive driving equipment. Standard procedures, assessments, tools, and expertise have been developed for determining driving ability of an individual. Physical strength and range of motion as well as cognitive and perceptual parameters are assessed. Preliminary device prescriptions are determined from this information. The goal of this project is to identify and capture that experimental knowledge in a reusable form, producing a portable consultant system that could be used by other centers serving severely disabled drivers. >
Sport Safety Policy Changes: Saving Lives and Protecting Athletes

Death during sport or physical activity is a tragic and unexpected event. However, with appropriate evidence-based policies in place, death can often be prevented. The top causes of sudden death in sport and physical activity are sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), exertional heat stroke (EHS), head injuries, and exertional sickling. Studies1–3 suggest that more than 90% of sudden deaths in sport are attributable to these 4 causes, with SCA accounting for about 75% of sudden death during sport participation. Although sudden death from the aforementioned causes is not 100% preventable, the implementation of evidence-based safety policies such as emergency planning and access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs), heat acclimatization, instruction on proper tackling techniques (such as the “Heads Up Football” educational program), and sickle cell trait (SCT) screening in targeted populations can dramatically reduce overall risk. American football presents a unique risk profile for head injuries, EHS, and exertional sickling, which have driven many of the policy changes, but best practices for sport safety and emergency planning are relevant across all sports.
Enhancing polyimide's water barrier properties through addition of functionalized graphene oxide

Abstract Graphene oxide produced by Tour's method (GO) and GO functionalized with 4-4′ oxydianiline (ODAGO) are incorporated at 0.01 to 0.10 weight percent (wt%) into a polyimide (PI) made from 3,3′-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) and 4-4′ oxydianiline (ODA). The performance properties of these two systems GO-PI and ODAGO-PI at extremely low GO concentrations are compared. ODAGO-PI nanocomposite's performance properties are comparable to previous results citing concentrations 10 times higher and displayed significantly greater improvement than unfunctionalized GO-PI films. The 0.01 wt% ODAGO-PI film demonstrated a factor of ten decrease in water vapor permeability. The 0.10 wt% ODAGO-PI film displayed the maximum increase of 82% in Young's modulus. The water vapor permeability results were fit to the Nielsen law. We found that the model yielded unphysically large aspect ratios for the 0.01 wt% ODAGO-PI, 100 times larger than the AFM-measured value. For the GO-PI, we observe less enhancement of the barrier properties. The large aspect ratio indicates tortuosity effects alone cannot explain the enhanced barrier properties. We propose that the improved barrier properties are also due to a stabilizing effect of the flakes on the polymer matrix, where reduced mobility of the PI chain reduces diffusion through the polymer matrix. ATR-FTIR, WAXS, Raman and T g results support this view.
Interactions between alcohol and the antiretroviral medications ritonavir or efavirenz.

Objective Alcohol abuse occurs frequently in those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Alcohol has been linked to poor response to HIV treatment and more rapid progression of HIV. One possible contributor to such observations is drug interactions between alcohol and antiretroviral (ARV) medications. This study examined drug interactions between antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) containing either efavirenz or ritonavir with alcohol. Methods Human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals not currently receiving ARTs participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in which alcohol (or placebo) was administered and followed by blood sampling for pharmacokinetics, subjective, cardiovascular, and neuropsychological responses obtained at predetermined times. Antiretroviral therapy was then initiated and alcohol (or placebo) sessions were repeated after at least 2 weeks of observed ART. Results Blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) were lower after ART in a pattern consistent with decreased bioavailability. No effect of alcohol on ritonavir or efavirenz pharmacokinetics was observed. A pharmacodynamic interaction between alcohol and efavirenz was observed as evidenced by no change in intoxication or drowsiness before and after efavirenz ART despite lower BAC. Conclusions These results show the effectiveness of implementing ART and its role in diminution of BAC, which could be associated with decreased risk of physiological toxicities related to alcohol consumption relative to those with untreated HIV infection. A potential pharmacodynamic interaction between alcohol and efavirenz was observed as demonstrated by a lack of decline in ratings of intoxication and drowsiness despite decreased BAC. Alcohol consumption did not alter the pharmacokinetics of ritonavir or efavirenz.
Abstract 4847: Arginine deprivation by PEG-ADI induces autophagic cell death and enhances the tumor suppression effect of gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer

Metabolic stress has been recently recognized to induce autophagic cell death; we have recently shown that nearly 80% of pancreatic adenocarcinoma tumor specimens are auxotrophic for the semi-essential amino acid arginine due to transcriptional suppression of argininosuccinate synthase (ASS). We hypothesized that selective arginine deprivation would induce autophagy and furthermore, by targeting alternative death pathways would increase the cytotoxic response to the chemotherapy gemcitabine. Methods: The human pancreatic cell line MIA-PaCa-2 was shown to be deficient in ASS by western blot. Arginine deprivation was achieved by treatment of cells and xenografts with PEG-ADI, which shuttles arginine to citrulline. Cells were treated with either PEG-ADI, gemcitabine or both. Cell death was measured by MTT and FACS. Western blot was used to measure autophagy by LC3 processing and apoptosis by caspase-3 cleavage. RRM2 expression was measured by western blot in cells treated with PEG-ADI. ASS expression was measured by western blot in cells treated with gemcitabine. To test the in vivo effect arginine deprivation a mice xenograft model was created by subcutaneously injecting Mia-PaCa2 cells into the flanks of 28 mice (two tumors per mice). Tumors were allowed to mature at which time the mice were assigned to one of four treatment groups: PBS control (once weekly), ADI-PEG20 (5 IU once weekly), Gemcitabine (125mg/kg twice weekly), or Gemcitabine and ADI-PEG20. All treatments were administered via intraperitoneal injection and tumors were measured twice a week. Results: 1. MIA-PaCa-2 lacks ASS and is auxotrophic for arginine. 2. PEG-ADI induces autophagy and cell death 3. Gemcitabine has little in vitro cytotoxicity 4. The combination of gemcitabine and PEG-ADI is at least additive in vitro and in vivo. 5. PEG-ADI does not regulate RRM2 expression and gemcitabine does not regulate ASS expression. Conclusions: Therapy targeting autophagy may provide increased efficacy for traditional genotoxic chemotherapies in pancreatic cancer. PEG-ADI in combination with gemcitabine is a novel combination to be pursued in clinical trials Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4847.
The Broken Promises of Democracy: Protest-Repression Dynamics in Korea 1990-1991

Korean democratization began in 1988, but by the early 1990s had failed to bring tranquility to the streets or to replace protest with institutionalized political participation. Using data taken from daily Korean sources for 1990 and 1991, I analyze the intimate interaction between coercion and protest. I apply the Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model to test competing hypotheses explaining the interaction. Regarding national protests in general, the results demonstrate that protests and coercion are closely and dynamically related. Unexpectedly, results show that, overall, protests do not necessarily decrease with coercion but do when no coercion at all is applied. My analysis also uncovers variation in the dynamics of state coercion and protest according to types of dissident groups. Of the groups assessed, workers were particularly active in protest. Farmers were the least active, and the Korean regime responded with the least repressive approach toward them. These findings emphasize the importance of da...
Incidence of Listeria monocytogenes in Packages of Retail Franks

Twenty brands of retail frankfurters obtained from local supermarkets were examined for the presence of Listeria spp. Listeria spp. were found in 8 of 20 brands and Listeria monocytogenes in 6 of the 20 brands tested. In retail samples from 19 brands of frankfurters, Listeria spp. were found at an overall incidence of 10% (9 of 93 packages) of which 7.5% (7 of 93) contained L. monocytogenes and 2.5% (2 of 93) Listeria innocua . However, another brand (No. 20) had incidence levels as high as 71% (17 of 24) for L. monocytogenes and 81% for all Listeria spp. Testing the internal meats versus liquid exudates demonstrated that Listeria spp. were found only in the exudate, indicating that the presence of Listeria was likely due to postprocess contamination. Most probable number (MPN) analysis indicated that L. monocytogenes was present at levels of 0.34 to 2.3 MPN per ml of exudate, or 4.3 to 27.6 MPN per package. Chemical and microbial analyses found brand No. 20 to have the highest pH and NaCl levels among five brands tested; this combination may favor Listeria spp. and suppress competing microorganisms. A prior outbreak of listeriosis from the consumption of nonreheated franks, together with the data presented herein, indicates there is a potential foodborne hazard in consuming uncooked franks or in cross-contamination of other foods from handling package exudate.
Live organ harvesting in China: Falun Gong and unsettled rumor

The study of rumor is used to examine claims about “live organ harvesting” told by a new religious movement, Falun Gong. The veracity of the rumor is debated and its truth status remains unsettled. I argue that an unsettled rumor told by a marginal community is a problem for the sociology of rumor. This problem is partly resolved by examining how the rumor fits within the culture of its carrier group. An analysis based on ethnographic materials and publications shows how mythic significations evoked by the rumor within Falun Gong influenced how participants communicated to non-Falun Gong audiences. Advocates of the rumor attempted to align its details with deeply held meanings shared within the Falun Gong community. Because non-Falun Gong audiences did not share these mythic associations, such rhetoric made the rumor less plausible to general audiences. How rumor details were represented contributed to public skepticism but has no bearing on the truth status of the underlying rumor. This conclusion has implications not only for evaluating the present rumor but also for the wider study of rumor: evaluating an unsettled rumor told by a marginal group requires a culturally sensitive analysis in order to account for the potentially distorting effects of narration.
The origins of “new assimilation theory”

ABSTRACTBoundaries play an important role in Richard Alba’s articulation of new assimilation theory, as is evident in the major works he has produced during the past two decades. This article traces his interest in boundaries to “The Twilight of Ethnicity among Americans of European Ancestry: The Case of Italians”, an article he published in ERS in 1985. It is in this article and a related book published the same year that one can begin to trace the evolution of his thinking on both ethnic boundaries and the cultural content contained within those boundaries.
A New Clinical Pain Knowledge Test for Nurses: Development and Psychometric Evaluation

Abstract All nurses care for patients with pain, and pain management knowledge and attitude surveys for nurses have been around since 1987. However, no validated knowledge test exists to measure postlicensure clinicians' knowledge of the core competencies of pain management in current complex patient populations. To develop and test the psychometric properties of an instrument designed to measure pain management knowledge of postlicensure nurses. Psychometric instrument validation. Four large Midwestern U.S. hospitals. Registered nurses employed full time and part time August 2015 to April 2016, aged M = 43.25 years; time as RN, M = 16.13 years. Prospective survey design using e-mail to invite nurses to take an electronic multiple choice pain knowledge test. Content validity of initial 36-item test "very good" (95.1% agreement). Completed tests that met analysis criteria, N = 747. Mean initial test score, 69.4% correct (range 27.8-97.2). After revision/removal of 13 unacceptable questions, mean test score was 50.4% correct (range 8.7-82.6). Initial test item percent difficulty range was 15.2%-98.1%; discrimination values range, 0.03-0.50; final test item percent difficulty range, 17.6%-91.1%, discrimination values range, –0.04 to 1.04. Split-half reliability final test was 0.66. A high decision consistency reliability was identified, with test cut-score of 75%. The final 23-item Clinical Pain Knowledge Test has acceptable discrimination, difficulty, decision consistency, reliability, and validity in the general clinical inpatient nurse population. This instrument will be useful in assessing pain management knowledge of clinical nurses to determine gaps in education, evaluate knowledge after pain management education, and measure research outcomes.
Repair of Arterial Endothelium

In recent years there has been an increase in the number of studies which have examined the growth of vascular endothelial cells. A major reason for this interest stems from the clinical data which shows that vascular prostheses are rarely endothelialized (1–5), and perhaps this fact alone is responsible for the occlusion of many grafts. There is also concern as to whether arteries subjected to angioplasty ever achieve total re-endothelialization. This chapter will deal with aspects controlling endothelial cell growth with a particular emphasis on growth of these cells in vivo.
Inductance and Capacitance

• Inductance is dominated by the size of the loop • Current density in conductor is a secondary effect (wire size) • Inductance is the key limiting factor to make current flow • Current always flows in lowest impedance • At low frequencies → lowest resistance • At high frequencies → lowest inductance • Switch from low to high frequency in KHz range • Capacitance is simply how much charge can be stored
Jealousy in Interpersonal Communication

Jealousy is an interactive experience involving attempts to protect a valued interpersonal relationship from the real or perceived threat of a rival. The three interrelated components of the jealousy experience are cognitions, emotions, and behaviors. The expression of jealousy falls under the behavioral jealousy component and includes 11 communicative responses to jealousy. Jealousy expression has been studied in romantic and family relationships, same- and cross-sex friendships, and in face-to-face and mediated settings. Psychology and interpersonal communication theories have been applied to understanding how jealousy is expressed, and interpersonal communication researchers are developing and testing jealousy expression-specific models and theories. Keywords: family communication; interpersonal communication; relational communication
Quantitative estimation of brown adipose tissue activity in adults

1332 Objectives Variable accumulation of FDG and other radiopharmaceuticals in brown adipose tissue (BAT) has recently been convincingly demonstrated. This activity has also been shown to correlate inversely with percent body fat, BMI and age. Pharmacological modification of brown fat metabolism has important potential clinical applications in the treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders. Since FDG is the most readily available biomarker of BAT activity, it is important to establish a reliable and reproducible method of quantifying its uptake. We present the application of a modification of PET-CT Viewer, a shareware software package for display and analysis of PET/CT images, which allows regional quantification of tracer activity. Methods Subjects were routine patients imaged on a GE Discovery LS PET/CT system. Relevant clinical and biometric information was assessed. Fat deposits visible on CT were evaluated retrospectively using a visual scoring method. 98 subjects who demonstrated visible active BAT deposits were further evaluated using the program. The best discriminator of adipose tissue based on CT density was a window of -250 to -50 Hounsfield Units. The program mapped regions of interest (ROI) using this window. We then looked for ROI with an SUVmax of ≥2g/ml, the lowest value of visible adipose FDG activity. This was also 2 SD above the SUVmax seen in deposits of white adipose tissue. Using these criteria, we constructed user-defined ROI to quantify the volume, activity, and volume x activity of BAT, less active adipose tissue and other tissues. Results PET and CT images were well-aligned and easily manipulated. Derived maps of BAT activity correlated with visual grading in most, but not all cases, and resulted in values of greater consistency. In areas of disagreement the quantitative map was more specific for BAT activity. Conclusions Quantitative assessment of regional levels and distribution of activity is practical and will likely be essential if nuclear biomarkers are to be utilized in metabolic studies of BAT and other tissues