cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical and Perceptual Analysis in Consumer Research: Comparison of Sizzlean to Hormel Black Label and Armour Star Bacon

Sizzlean, Hormel Black Label, and Armour Star bacon were compared using a kitchen cooking process to verify Swift & Co. claims that its bacon product was 50% leaner than average bacon. Two procedures were utilized to test this hypothesis. Results showed a physical analysis of the three bacons verifying Swift & Co. claims; a second taste procedure indicated Sizzlean to be perceived as significantly leaner than Hormel but not significantly more flavorful. Armour Star bacon was not evaluated in the gustatory testing.
An algorithm for detecting roads and obstacles in radar images

This paper describes an algorithm for detecting roads and obstacles in radar data taken from a millimeter-wave imaging platform mounted on a stationary automobile. Such an algorithm is useful in a system that provides all-weather driving assistance. Road boundaries are detected first. The prior shape of the road boundaries is modeled as a deformable template that describes the road edges in terms of its curvature, orientation, and offset. This template is matched to the underlying gradient field of the radar data using a new criterion. The Metropolis algorithm is used to deform the template so that it "best" matches the underlying gradient field. Obstacles are detected next. The radar returns from image pixels that are identified as being part of the road are processed again, and their power levels are compared to a threshold. Pixels belonging to the road that return a significant (greater than a fixed threshold) amount of incident radar power are identified as potential obstacles. The performance of the algorithm on a large all-weather data set is documented. The road edges and obstacles detected are consistently close to ground truth over the entire data set. A new method for computing the gradient field of radar data is also reported, along with an exposition of the millimeter-wave radar imaging process from a signal-processing perspective.
Higher-order cyclic cumulants for high order modulation classification

In this paper we investigate automatic modulation classification (AMC) using homogeneous feature-vectors based on cyclic cumulants (CCs) of fourth-, sixth- and eight-orders, respectively, for QAM, PSK and ASK signals within a pattern recognition framework. Analysis of CCs of the baseband signal at the receiver is performed and used for feature selection. The cycle spectrum of the baseband signal at the receiver is derived as a function of excess bandwidth for a raised cosine pulse shape and a necessary and sufficient condition on the oversampling factor is obtained. Theoretical arguments regarding the discrimination capability of the examined feature-vectors are verified through extensive simulations.
Optimal power flow with distributed energy storage dynamics

Restructuring of the electric power industry along with mandates to integrate renewable energy sources is introducing new challenges for electric power systems and the power grid. Intermittent power sources in particular require mitigation strategies in order to maintain consistent power on the electric grid. We investigate distributed energy storage as one such strategy. Our model for optimal power flow consists of simple charge/discharge dynamics for energy storage collocated with load and/or generation buses cast as a finite-time optimal control problem. We illustrate the effects of energy storage using a modified version of the IEEE 14 bus benchmark example along with time-varying demand profiles. We use both time-invariant and demand based cost functions. The addition of energy storage along with demand based cost functions significantly reduces the generation costs and flattens the generation profiles.
Dynamic interfacial tensions in acidic crude oil/caustic systems. Part I: A chemical diffusion‐kinetic model

A chemical diffusion-kinetic model is developed for the acidic oil/caustic system of alkaline flooding by proposing a set of interfacial reactions leading to in situ generation of surfactants. The rate constants of interfacial reactions are independent of aqueous phase compositions. In Part I, the model is applied for determining these rate constants from its correlation with dynamic interfacial tension data obtained using the spinning drop tensiometer. The relative magnitudes of the rate constants characterizing the adsorption/desorption barriers are shown to govern the extent of dynamic interfacial tension minimum.
Relational Dynamics and the Expression of Aggression and Comforting Between Siblings

A study of siblings tested a relational dynamics model set in the family and based largely on Belief Systems Theory. Participants (N = 351) in a 3 (biological relatedness) × 2 (participant sex) × 2...
Analytic track solutions with range-dependent errors

Analytic solutions are presented for track covariance matrices for exoatmospheric (disturbance-free) tracking with measurement errors proportional to a power of range. Also discussed is the use of segmented trajectories for cases in which the range power and other tracking parameters are piecewise constant.
Functional Contributions of Carbohydrate on AIDS Virus Glycoprotein

Envelope glycoprotein spikes on the surface of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are used by the virus to bind to cellular receptors to gain entry into target cells. As such, the envelope spikes are the targets of antibodies that can neutralize viral infectivity. Fifty percent or more of the mass of the viral-encoded surface glycoprotein of HIV, and of its close monkey relative simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), is actually carbohydrate; it is one of the most heavily glycosylated proteins that can be found in mammals. It has been clearly demonstrated that one of the functions of this carbohydrate is to shield viral epitopes that would otherwise be the direct target of antibodies that could neutralize viral infection. In addition, it is now generally accepted that the carbohydrate on the viral envelope glycoprotein is recognized by multiple cellular lectins of the host lymphoreticular system, and these interactions play a role in the dissemination of virus within the host as well as the release of modulatory cytokines. Our work recently demonstrated fundamental differences in the composition of the carbohydrate on HIV type 1, the cause of the AIDS pandemic, versus the SIV in the sooty mangabey monkey, a natural host that does not develop disease from its infection. We now speculate that this fundamental difference in carbohydrate composition reflects evolutionary pressures on both virus and host. Furthermore, carbohydrate composition on the virus and genetic differences in carbohydrate-sensing proteins of the host could be critically important for the generalized lymphoid activation that characterizes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Relative Effects of Bronchial Drainage and Exercise for In-Hospital Care of Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

Bronchial hygiene therapy is a standard part of the treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Coughing alone promotes sputum expectoration and is probably the primary effective component of standard bronchial hygiene therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine whether substituting regular exercise, which also promotes coughing, for two of three daily bronchial hygiene treatments would affect the expected improvements in pulmonary function and exercise response in hospitalized patients with CF. Seventeen patients with CF hospitalized (means length of stay = 13.0 +/- 2.6 days) for an acute exacerbation of their pulmonary disease participated in the study. The patients were randomly assigned to either a group that participated in two cycle ergometer exercise sessions and one bronchial hygiene treatment session per day (EX Group [n = 9]) or a group that participated in three bronchial hygiene treatment sessions per day (PD Group [n = 8]). Pulmonary functions and responses to a progressive, incremental cycle ergometer exercise test were measured on admission and before discharge. Bronchial hygiene therapy consisted of postural drainage, in six positions, with chest percussion and vibration. Therapeutic exercise was of moderate intensity and was individually adjusted based on the patient's heart rate and arterial oxygen saturation response to the admission exercise test. Coughing was encouraged during and after all treatments. Pulmonary function and exercise response were significantly improved over the period of hospitalization in both groups; the improvements were the same in the two groups. These results indicate that, in some hospitalized patients with CF, exercise therapy may be substituted for at least part of the standard protocol of bronchial hygiene therapy.
Assimilation of Precipitation Information Using Column Model Physics as a Weak Constraint

Abstract Currently, operational weather forecasting systems use observations to optimize the initial state of a forecast without considering possible model deficiencies. For precipitation assimilation, this could be an issue since precipitation observations, unlike conventional data, do not directly provide information on the atmospheric state but are related to the state variables through parameterized moist physics with simplifying assumptions. Precipitation observation operators are comparatively less accurate than those for conventional data or observables in clear-sky regions, which can limit data usage not because of issues with observations, but with the model. The challenge lies in exploring new ways to make effective use of precipitation data in the presence of model errors. This study continues the investigation of variational algorithms for precipitation assimilation using column model physics as a weak constraint. The strategy is to develop techniques to make online estimation and correction o...
A Multiprocessor Implementation of Relaxation-Based Electrical Circuit Simulation

The electrical circuit simulation of large integrated circuits is very expensive. New relaxation-based algorithms promise to reduce this cost by exploiting the properties of large networks. However, this speed improvement is not sufficient for the cost-effective analysis of very large circuits. While array processors have helped inprove the performance of circuit simulators, further improvement can be achieved by the use of special-purpose multiprocessors. In this paper, the implementation of a relaxation-based circuit simulation algorithm, called Iterated Timing Analaysis, on a multi-processor is described. Initial results indicate that this approach has a great deal of potential for reducing the cost of circuit simulation.
Architecture Generation for Moon-Mars Exploration Using an Executable Meta-Language

This paper introduces the notion of using formal language principles and technologies to study complex systems. We applied a domain-neutral executable meta-language, Object Process Network (OPN), to create a Moon-Mars Exploration Architecture Generator. The OPN-based architecture generator simulates the vehicles, phases, and vehicle interactions required to execute a human mission to the Moon or Mars. Using the simulation features of OPN, the generator enumerated hundreds of unique architectures, enabling an extensive analysis of possible configurations for the NASA Moon-Mars Exploration Vision. This paper provides an example of how a system can be methodically studied by representing it using a customized language. Using a custom language of Moon-Mars exploration as an example, we define a vocabulary, syntax, and semantics that represents mission modes. We next show how this language can be computationally evaluated using the executable meta-language OPN, providing the system architect with a set of feasible architectures for further study. As a validation of the generator, we verified that well known Mars and Moon mission proposals were automatically generated. These proposals included (but were not limited to) Zubrin’s Mars Direct, the 1993 NASA Mars Design Reference Mission, and all three architectures considered in Houbolt’s 1961 Lunar Orbit Rendezvous Report.
Identification and Characterization of NocR as a Positive Transcriptional Regulator of the β-Lactam Nocardicin A in Nocardia uniformis

Nocardicin A is a monocyclic beta-lactam isolated from the actinomycete Nocardia uniformis, which shows moderate activity against a broad spectrum of gram-negative bacteria. Within the biosynthetic gene cluster of nocardicin A, nocR encodes a 583-amino-acid protein with high similarity to a class of transcriptional regulators known as streptomyces antibiotic regulatory proteins. Insertional inactivation of this gene resulted in a mutant showing morphology and growth characteristics similar to the wild type, but one that did not produce detectable levels of nocardicin A or the early precursor p-hydroxybenzoyl formate. Similar disruptions of nocD, nocE, and nocO yielded mutants that maintained production of nocardicin A at levels similar to the wild-type strain. In trans complementation of the nocR::apr mutant partially restored the wild-type phenotype. Transcriptional analysis of the nocR::apr mutant using reverse transcription-PCR found an absence of mRNA transcripts for the early-stage nocardicin A biosynthetic genes. In addition, transcription of the genes responsible for the biosynthesis of the nonproteinogenic p-hydroxyphenylglycine (pHPG) precursor was attenuated on the nocR disruption mutant. NocR was heterologously expressed and purified from Escherichia coli as an N-terminal maltose binding protein-tagged fusion protein. DNA binding assays demonstrated that NocR is a DNA binding protein, targeting the 126-bp intergenic region between nocF and nocA. Within this intergenic region is the likely binding motif, a direct hexameric repeat, TGATAA, with a 5-bp spacer. These experiments establish NocR as a positive transcriptional regulator of the nocardicin A biosynthetic pathway, coordinating the initial steps of nocardicin A biosynthesis to the production of its pHPG precursor.
Frame bit allocation for the H.264/AVC video coder via Cauchy-density-based rate and distortion models

Based on the observation that a Cauchy density is more accurate in estimating the distribution of the ac coefficients than the traditional Laplacian density, rate and distortion models with improved accuracy are developed. The entropy and distortion models for quantized discrete cosine transform coefficients are justified in a frame bit-allocation application for H.264. Extensive analysis with carefully selected anchor video sequences demonstrates a 0.24-dB average peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) improvement over the JM 8.4 rate control algorithm, and a 0.33-dB average PSNR improvement over the TM5-based bit-allocation algorithm that has recently been proposed for H.264 by Li et al. The analysis also demonstrates 20% and 60% reductions in PSNR variation among the encoded pictures when compared to the JM 8.4 rate control algorithm and the TM5-based bit-allocation algorithm, respectively.
Enhancing magnetic resonance imaging lesions and cerebral atrophy in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis.

Objective To examine the relation between the frequency of enhancing magnetic resonance imaging lesions and their characteristics of enhancement and atrophy in patients with early relapsing multiple sclerosis. Design Analysis of number of enhancing lesions, ventricular volumes and diameters, and lesion characteristics on monthly magnetic resonance imaging scans during natural history follow-up. Setting A clinical research institution. Patients Sixteen patients with confirmed early relapsing multiple sclerosis. Main Outcome Measure Cerebral atrophy as measured by ventricular enlargement. Results Numbers of enhancing lesions correlated well with an increase of ventricular size. This correlation was strongest for patients with a high proportion of concentric ring–enhancing lesions with central contrast pallor. Conclusions Inflammatory events, especially those within lesions with associated blood-brain barrier breakdown, affect the ensuing loss of brain parenchyma. Patients with a high proportion of lesions with central contrast pallor, which is likely associated with more extensive tissue damage, have a higher rate of atrophic changes.
Talkabout: small-group discussions in massive global classes

In the physical classroom, peer interactions motivate students and expand their perspective. We suggest that synchronous peer interaction can benefit massive online courses as well. Talkabout organizes students into video discussion groups and allows instructors to determine group composition and discussion content. Using Talkabout, students pick a discussion time that suits their schedule. The system groups the students into small video discussions based on instructor preferences such as gender or geographic balance. To date, 2,474 students in five massive online courses have used Talkabout to discuss topics ranging from prejudice to organizational theory. Talkabout discussions are diverse: in one course, the median six-person discussion group had students from four different countries. Students enjoyed discussing in these diverse groups: the average student participated for 66 minutes, twice the course requirement. Students in more geographically distributed groups also scored higher on the final, suggesting that distributed discussions have educational value.
Surface conditions associated with anomalous rainfall in the guinea coastal region

This paper examines surface atmospheric and oceanic conditions associated with anomalous rainfall at the Guinea coast. For time-scales shorter than 5 years, rainfall in the Guinea coast is practically not correlated with rainfall in the Sahel, although both time series show a well-defined drying trend in the last 30 years or so. While interannual variability of Sahel rainfall is associated with a sea-surface temperature (SST) pattern anti-symmetric about the Equator, anomalous rainfall near the Guinea coast in associated with an SST pattern roughly symmetric about the Equator. During wet years near the Guinea coast this SST pattern corresponds to a less developed cold tougue in the boreal summer. Using the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set surface fields we examine key terms of the oceanic heat budget. Anomalous shortwave radiation and latent heat fluxes seem to play an important role in the decaying of the SST anomaly. During wet years anomalous atmospheric winds act to relax the trade winds, which probably reduces the equatorial thermocline slope and contributes to the observed warming of the equatorial waters in the east. We also investigate the relationship between the surface winds and the underlying SST using numerical and analytical solutions of a simple model. The anomalous winds are shown to be consistent with the hydrostatic adjustment of the tropical boundary layer.
Constancy and Change in Attachments to Types of Settlements

A consideration of both constancy and change in place attachments, focusing particularly on attachments to a type of settlement as a means by which the U.S. public may maintain the continuity of psychological bonds with places across changes of residence. Empirical evidence suggests that people form psychological bonds with types of settlements, expressions of which are similar to those identified in past research as indicative of psychological bonds with the tangible surroundings of the home, and that residential mobility may be best conceptualized as sustaining bonds, temporary dislocations, reunions, and reorientations in bonds with a type of settlement rather than as disruptions in bonding processes.
Restoring locality with faster than light velocities

The idea of “locality” is a deep-rooted concept. It does not have to be abandoned even if “loophole-free” EPR experiments are performed and confirm the predictions of quantum theory. To satisfy locality, one can imagine that influences at a distance are exerted via mechanisms involving an ether and effects propagating in that ether at a velocity V > c. Such model of physical phenomena is not Lorentz invariant but, with V large enough, the model can be made to reproduce the results of all experiments where quantum mechanics and Lorentz invariance have been verified.
A programmable message classification engine for session initiation protocol (SIP)

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) has begun to be widely deployed for multiple services such as VoIP, Instant Messaging and Presence. Each of these services uses different SIP messages, and depending on the value of a service, e.g. revenue, the associated messages may need to be prioritized accordingly. Even within the same service, different messages may be assigned different priorities. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a programmable classification engine for SIP messages in the Linux kernel. This design uses a novel algorithm that in addition to classifying messages can extract and maintain state information across multiple messages. We apply the classifier for overload control using operator-specified rules for categorizing messages and associated actions, augmented with a protocol-level understanding of SIP message structure. When faced with loads beyond their capacity (e.g., during catastrophic situations and major network outages), SIP servers must drop messages. It is therefore desirable that the server process high-value messages in preference to lower-value messages. We evaluated our in-kernel classifier implementation with an open source SIP server (SER) for such an overload scenario. The workload consists of a mix of call setup and call handoff messages, and the classifier is programmed with rules that prioritize handoffs over call setups. We show that, while SER can process about 40K messages/sec (in a FIFO manner), our classifier can examine and prioritize 105K messages/sec during overload. With the classifier operating at peak throughput, SER's processing rate drops to 31.6K messages/sec, but all of the available high-value messages are processed.
Kinetic analysis of drug–protein interactions by affinity chromatography

Information on the kinetics of drug-protein interactions is of crucial importance in drug discovery and development. Several methods based on affinity chromatography have been developed in recent years to examine the association and dissociation rates of these processes. These techniques include band-broadening measurements, the peak decay method, peak fitting methods, the split-peak method, and free fraction analysis. This review will examine the general principles and applications of these approaches and discuss their use in the characterization, screening and analysis of drug-protein interactions in the body.
Scheduling asynchronous round-robin tournaments

We study the problem of scheduling asynchronous round-robin tournaments. We consider three measures of a schedule that concern the quality and fairness of a tournament. We show that the schedule generated by the well-known "circle design" performs well with respect to all three measures when the number of teams is even, but not when the number of teams is odd. We propose a different schedule that performs optimally with respect to all measures when the number of teams is odd.
Ordering of lamellar block copolymers on oxidized silane coatings

Abstract Thin films of lamellar poly(styrene-b-methyl methacrylate) (PS–PMMA) block copolymers are widely investigated for surface patterning. These materials can generate dense arrays of nanoscale lines when the lamellar domains are oriented perpendicular to the substrate. To stabilize this preferred domain orientation, we tuned the substrate surface energy using oxidation of hydrophobic silane coatings. This simple approach is effective for a broad range of PS–PMMA film thicknesses when the oxidation time is optimized, which demonstrates that the substrate coating is energetically neutral with respect to PS and PMMA segments. The lamellar films are characterized by high densities of defects that exhibit a strong dependence on film thickness: in-plane topological defects disrupt the lateral order in ultrathin films, while lamellar domains in thick films can bend and tilt to large misorientation angles. The types and densities of these defects are similar to those observed with other classes of neutral substrate coatings, such as random copolymer brushes, which demonstrates that oxidized silanes can be used to control PS–PMMA self assembly in thin films.
Clemency, Parole, Good-Time Credits, and Crowded Prisons: Reconsidering Early Release

For most of our history, clemency, parole, and good-time credits have offered prisoners an opportunity for early release. Over the last 40 years, however, clemency has fallen into disuse, and many jurisdictions have repealed their parole laws in favor of determinate sentencing. Given our increasingly crowded prisons and expanding correctional budgets, governments are beginning to rethink our approach to punishment. It is unlikely that clemency or parole will come back into fashion any time soon, however, or that severe sentencing laws will quickly disappear. But the federal and state governments have continued to use good-time credits as a means of rewarding inmates for positive, in-prison behavior, and legislators may believe that expanding the current good-time laws is the best solution. That approach is reasonable as a policy matter and sellable as a political matter because prisoners must earn good time credits. We therefore may see legislators seek to address prison overcrowding through an expanded good-time system.
Gender and Emotion in Mother-Child Conversations About the Past

AbstractIn this research, mothers were asked to discuss four specific past events during which their 32- to 3 5-month-old children experienced happiness, sadness, anger, and fear. Results suggest that mothers discuss the emotions of sadness and anger quite differently with daughters than with sons. Conversations about sadness were longer and emphasized the causes of sadness more with daughters than with sons, and mothers seemed concerned with comforting daughters about being sad. In contrast, conversations about anger were longer with sons than with daugh-ters, and mothers accepted anger and accepted retaliation as an appropriate response to anger with sons but not with daughters. Daughters are encouraged to resolve anger by reestablishing the damaged relationship. Further, all four emotions were placed in a more social interactional framework with daughters than with sons. This pattern of results is discussed in terms of what young children may be learning about emotional experience and self-concept, as well as how these early differences in emotional socialization may be related to gender differences in adults' emotional processing. (Psychology)
Statistical AVO intercept-gradient analysis of direct S-waves: A methodology for quantitative fracture characterization

Summary This study focuses on the effects of fractures on the elastic properties of a rock and illustrates which P-wave and Swave Amplitude Variation with Offset (AVO) attributes might be helpful for quantitative interpretation of fracture properties like fracture-orientation, fracture-density and fracture-fill. A statistical rock physics model is constructed for Ordovician age carbonates of the Arbuckle Formation, encountered in wells drilled in the Wellington Field, Kansas. Our model incorporates a priori information about matrix porosity distribution and pore shapes obtained from well logs and analysis done on drill cores. Estimations of Pwave and S-wave seismic velocities and anisotropy parameters obtained from rock physics models, are used to study AVO behaviors of P-waves and fast and slow Swaves in directions parallel to, and perpendicular to fractures. AVO modeling shows that azimuthal variations in S-S mode AVO gradient can be used to determine the average fracture-orientation at a subsurface location; whereas, azimuthal variations in P-P mode AVO attributes are less than the uncertainty of lithology and fracturedensity, which limits the ability of P-waves to determine fracture-orientation. Results of this study demonstrate that in angle and azimuth space, the AVO intercept attribute of slow-S-wave in the plane parallel to fractures, quantitatively estimates the (crack density) parameter of a rock formation. In contrast, P-P azimuthal AVO attributes do not correlate well with crack density. This study also demonstrates that the AVO gradient of slow S-wave in direction normal to fracture-orientation is a seismic attribute for discriminating fluid fill in fractures. Conclusively, S-wave AVO attributes are less affected by subsurface uncertainty compared to P-wave attributes and hence can significantly reduce ambiguity in quantitative fracture characterization.
Solvothermal preparation, processing, and characterization of nanocrystalline CuIn1-xAlxSe2 materials

We report solvothermal preparations of nanocrystalline CuIn1-xAlxSe2 materials prepared from the reaction of Se, CuX2 (X = Cl− or stearate), InCl3, and Al(oleate)3 in refluxing oleylamine for 30 minutes to 3 hours. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images reveal morphologies consisting of hexagonal plates (100-400 nm diameter) with smaller isomorphic nodules. Micro-Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and optical bandgap data are consistent with Al3+ incorporation into the chalcopyrite structure. For aluminum-containing reactions, product Al/(In+Al) ratios are estimated to be between 0.15 and 0.35 regardless of the indium-aluminum stoichiometry employed in the reaction. When Se is added to the reaction last, the reaction pathway involves an early-formed Cu2-xSe(s) intermediate that appears to react with In- and Al-containing species simultaneously. This intermediate is avoided when heating InCl3, Al(oleate)3, and Se together prior to Cu addition, but the final product includes Se contamination that must be removed or reacted by annealing.
Sulfur for Suppression or Control of Tetranychid Mites on Cotton

The effectiveness of sulfur applications on tetranychid mites attacking cotton in California was evaluated. A finely ground dust formulation provided effective control of the strawberry spider mite, Tetranychus atlanticus McGregor, particularly when used in repeated applications. The two-spotted spider mite, T. urticae (Koch) and the Pacific spider mite, T. pacificus McGregor, populations may be suppressed, although complete control of either species was not obtained. A coarsely ground, lowpurity dust formulation and a sprayable formulation did not provide effective control.
Effect of carnitine and ergothioneine on human platelet metabolism.

SummaryAddition of carnitine or ergothioneine to human platelets in an in vitro incubation system resulted in significantly increased production of 14CO2 from pyruvate-2-14C, and decreased production of lactate from glucose and of neutral compound from pyruvate. Oxygen consumption was unaffected. Results suggested that in the in vitro system employed, the importance of tricarboxylic acid cycle activity related more significantly to fatty acid metabolism than to respiration.Appreciation is expressed to Dr. Rubin Bressler and Dr. Klaus Brendel for their very helpful advice and guidance in certain of the techniques employed here and in overall discussion of the data obtained.
Comparing Continuous and Discontinuous Data Collection during Discrete Trial Teaching of Tacting by Children with Autism

The present study compared continuous and discontinuous data collection systems on acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of tacts, and on-task behavior, during discrete trial teaching with three children with autism. A constant prompt-delay procedure was used to teach tacts. Performance across data collection systems was compared using continuous measurement collected daily in the presence of teaching, discontinuous measurement of the first trial only, and discontinuous measurement collected weekly in the absence of teaching (i.e., probe data). An adapted alternating treatments design was used. For two of the three participants, tacts were acquired most rapidly in the continuous measurement condition, although the differences were small. For the third participant, no systematic differences were found in skill acquisition across the three data collection systems. For all three participants, minimal to no differences were found across data collection systems with regard to generalization and maintenance of tacting, and on-task behavior. Additionally, procedural integrity was high and comparable across all data collection procedures. Overall, these results suggest the use of continuous data collection for teaching tacts to children with autism, as it provides the most sensitive measure of change in performance. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of efficacy of intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate in the treatment of elderly knee osteoarthritis

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate in the treatment of elderly knee osteoarthritis. Methods: 60 patients with knee osteoarthritis admitted by our hospital from October 2013 to October 2014 were randomly divided into two groups( the observation group and the control group),30 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate,once a week for five weeks. The control group was treated with oral steroids and topical analgesics smear( as Voltaren,etc.). The clinical situation and recovery of knee joint function before and after treatment between the two groups were compared. Results: Clinical symptoms were significantly different before and after treatment between the two groups( P 0. 05). Bone and joint score in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group( P 0. 05). One month of follow-up after treatment showed that the total effective rate of knee joint function recovery was 93. 3 % in the observation group and 76. 7% in the control group,with statistically significant difference between the two groups( P 0. 05). The recovery of the ability of daily activities in the observation group was better than that in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant( P 0. 05). Conclusion: The intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate is of better clinical efficacy in the treatment of osteoarthritis in the elderly,which can effectively relieve joint pain,having a better effect on the recovery of knee joint.
323 HUMAN HEART.

Plasma free fatty acids (FFA) are thought to be a major source of lipid fuel for the myocardium. Although the heart contains lipoprotein lipase (LPL), virtually no information is available regarding the possible uptake of triglycerides (TGs, carried by circulating TG-rich lipoproteins) by this tissue in humans. Animal studies have suggested that TGs may supply more fatty acids to the heart than FFA and that TG fatty acid uptake may be increased in hypertriglyceridemia. We studied postabsorptive non-diabetic adults (N = 6) during diagnostic coronary angiography. Beginning 90 minutes before the procedure and continuing until blood sampling was complete, [1-14 C]oleate and a lipid emulsion labeled with [9,10-3H]triolein were infused in tracer amounts. Paired arterial (A) and coronary sinus (CS) samples were taken every 4 min for 20 min. Systemic and myocardial kinetics, including the production of [3 H]oleate generated by the action of LPL on the infused TG tracer, were determined. Fractional spillover of LPL-generated fatty acids was calculated as the rate of appearance (Ra) of [3 H]oleate divided by the disappearance rate of the [3 H]TG tracer, both for whole body and for the myocardium. Plasma glucose concentrations were lower in CS than in A (85 ± 5 vs 90 ± 4 mg/dL, p
Sonomicrometric determination of ischemic contracture of the left ventricle

Although, due to present methods of myocardial protection, ischemic contracture is an uncommon clinical event, it is commonly used in experimental models as a well-defined index of ventricular injury. Most commonly the phenomenon of contracture is defined by increased balloon pressure in the arrested isovolumic ventricle. Because contracture would appear to consist of a primary geometric rearrangement with a resultant rise in intracavitary pressure, we thought that a dimensional analysis of this event utilizing sonomicrometry would provide a sensitive and physiological means of determining the onset of contracture. A three-dimensional array of ultrasonic crystals was used to measure major axis, minor axis, and wall thickness in seven open-chest dogs. Global ischemia was induced by caval occlusion and aortic cross-clamping, followed by venting of the left and right ventricles. Myocardial temperature was maintained at 37° C. The first dimensional change from the asystolic baseline (initiation of contracture) occurred in one, or simultaneously in two of the measured dimensions at 53 ± 3 minutes of ischemia. This consisted of an increase in wall thickness in six of seven hearts (+0.38 mm, Δ3.1%, p
Review of Cultural Evolution: Society, Technology, Language, and Religion Edited by Peter J. Richerson and Morten H. Christiansen

Peter J. Richerson and Morten H. Christiansen have assembled a compelling picture of the evolution of societies, technology, language, and religion--with culture at the epicenter. The book is a must-have for economists and any other social scientists interested in the evolution of behavior. Using the book as a starting point, this article sums up what cultural evolution can teach us about these four major aspects of human behavior. Each topic is also linked to the relevant empirical research in economics. Directions for future research integrating cultural evolution into an economic framework are also explored.
Reliability of power electronic packaging

In this chapter, basic reliability concepts for power electronic packaging and modules are presented. Standard reliability testing, such as temperature cycling, power cycling, and high-temperature gate bias, is described. Due to the typical large operation temperature excursions for power packages and modules, thermomechanical stresses become important for many failure mechanisms. Manson-Coffin and Arrhenius relationships are useful in describing these failure mechanisms. At the time of writing of this chapter, new standards are critically needed to standardize the testing and reliability of these power packages and power electronic modules operating at high temperatures, defined as temperatures higher than 175 °C.
Conclusions and Discussion

In the end what we want, what we need, is MDSE that provides value and is useful to the overall life cycle of System of Systems. Systems Engineering is important because it allows systems to be architected, designed, implemented, tested, deployed, operated and maintained with separable components at all levels of the system (element, subsystems, services, CIs, and components), such that the System of Systems can be managed, operated, and maintained at low cost over a long period of time. Some programs would not benefit from this approach, but those are few and generally small projects. As an MDSE, hopefully the following phrase is never used:
STATISTICAL MODELS OF PILOT PERCEPTION AND CONTROL AS INDICATORS SENSITIVE TO STRESS.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a unified effort of analysis, simulation, and experimental study to model statistical aspects of pilot perception and control during manual control tracking. The sequential (optimal controller) model is used as the basis for this study. Statistical descriptions given by the sequential model are explored and extended. The sequential (optimal controller) model, in its general form, is denoted a sequential input adaptive system. A number of assumptions are made in the sequential model. In the sequential model, the optimal response is determined by the controller's strategy as given in a cost function. In the analysis component of this research, finite time prediction of target motion was examined and also a perturbation analysis was made. Finite time prediction, rather than infinite time prediction, most likely conforms to prediction by the human controller. A single-axis manual control tracking experiment was conducted to demonstrate how the stochastic model is applied to a man–machine tracking system. The perception and control variables in the sequential model were assumed to have modified Gaussian distributions with means and variances identified from the experimental data. The simulated tracking response, with random perception and control effects, was in general agreement with the experimental data.
Enchanting a world of crafts: handmade and homemade things, affective labor and orality in The Road Home (1999)

The transition from socialism to postsocialism was accompanied by a change in the valuation of labor; and rural manual labor was considered low-value labor in the age of market economy. In this ess...
MAAP: Mission Assurance Analytics Platform

This paper describes the Mission Assurance Analytics Platform (MAAP), an open, experimental software framework that provides analysts with an environment for systematically studying the link between cyber attack and the resulting impact on operational missions that are supported by a cyber system. MAAP directly informs both risk decisions and mitigation prioritization.
Analysis of Behavior of Edward Hyatt Power Plant

Incremental finite element analyses were conducted to determine whether the measured displacements of the Edward Hyatt (Oroville) Power Plant chamber excavation could be predicted with available procedures. The analyses modeled: (1) Linear rock properties; (2) nonlinear stress-dependent rock properties; and (3) nonlinear stress- dependent rock and joint properties. All three analyses provided reasonable representations of the observed displacements if the material properties were suitably defined, but only the third case, which modeled the joints in a realistic manner, could be used to evaluate the stability of rock blocks around the openings for the design of support systems. A further value of these analyses is to enable the engineer to investigate the effects of different geometries, material properties, and models, even though precisely accurate predictions may not be realized.
Supporting Live Development of SOAP and CORBA Clients

We present middleware for a Client Development Environment that facilitates live development of client applications for SOAP or CORBA servers. We use JPie, a tightly integrated programming environment for live software construction in Java, as the target platform for our design. JPie provides dynamic classes whose signature and implementation can be modified at run time, with changes taking effect immediately upon existing instances of the class. We extend this model to automate addition, mutation, and deletion of dynamic server methods within dynamic clients. Our implementation simplifies distributed application development by masking technical differences between local and remote method invocations. Moreover, the live development model allows server-side changes to be dynamically integrated into a running client to support simultaneous live development of both the client and server.
Diet and Exercise Are Potent Modulators of Cardiovascular Disease in Women

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer of women in developed countries and its incidence is increasing in women in developing nations (Gholizadeh and Davidson, Health Care Women Int 29:3–22, 2008; Mosca et al., Circulation 123:1243–1262, 2011). Many factors influence a woman’s likelihood of developing CVD throughout her lifetime. These include intrinsic variables such as genetic background, hormonal status, and age as well as extrinsic variables such as smoking, diet, and level of physical activity. While the potential for intervention regarding the intrinsic factors can be limited and challenging, women can have a lot of control over the extrinsic factors, which may ultimately influence cardiovascular health more powerfully than pharmacologic interventions and can potentially counteract genetic predisposition (Stampfer et al., N Engl J Med 343:16–22, 2000).
Tin(II) Hydrides as Intermediates in Rearrangements of Tin(II) Alkyl Derivatives

Reactions of the Sn(II) hydrides [ArSn(μ-H)]2 (1) (Ar = AriPr4 (1a), AriPr6 (1b); AriP4 = C6H3-2,6-(C6H3-2,6-iPr2)2, AriPr6 = C6H3-2,6-(C6H2-2,4,6-iPr3)2) with norbornene (NB) or norbornadiene (NBD) readily generate the bicyclic alkyl-/alkenyl-substituted stannylenes, ArSn(norbornyl) (2a or 2b) and ArSn(norbornenyl) (3a or 3b), respectively. Heating a toluene solution of 3a or 3b at reflux afforded the rearranged species ArSn(3-tricyclo[2.2.1.02,6]heptane) (4a or 4b), in which the norbornenyl ligand is transformed into a nortricyclyl group. 1H NMR studies of the reactions of 4a or 4b with tert-butylethylene indicated the existence of an apparently unique reversible β-hydride elimination from the bicyclic substituted aryl/alkyl stannylenes 2a or 2b and 3a or 3b. Mechanistic studies indicated that the transformation of 3a or 3b into 4a or 4b occurs via a β-hydride elimination of 1a or 1b to regenerate NBD. Kinetic studies showed that the conversion of 3a or 3b to 4a or 4b is first order. The rate constant k...
Expanding the conceptualization of re-entry: The inter-play between child welfare and juvenile services

Abstract Re-entry in child welfare is traditionally viewed as a child exiting to permanency and then reentering the child welfare system. Using this approach is effective for understanding child welfare practice from a single-system lens, but gives an incomplete picture of how children may move between related child serving systems. The present study expands the definition of re-entry by examining re-entry for 2259 children who either return to the child welfare system or move into the juvenile justice system after reunification from foster care. When measuring a broader concept of re-entry (into either system) the rate of re-entry went from 18% to 25% - a 33% increase. Regression analyses further suggested that many of the risk and protective factors associated with standard child welfare reentry were also predictive of multisystem re-entry such as having previous child welfare experience (OR = 1.79, p p
Testing Standard Reliability Criteria

Maul’s paper contains two stages. First he presents empirical results that cast doubt on traditional methods for validating psychological measurement instruments. These results motivate the second ...
Walkable neighborhoods and obesity: Evaluating effects with a propensity score approach

Abstract Background Research investigating the connection between neighborhood walkability and obesity often overlooks the issue of nonrandom residential selection. Methods We use propensity score methods to adjust for the nonrandom selection into residential neighborhoods in this cross-sectional, observational study. The sample includes 103,912 women residing in Salt Lake County, Utah age 20 or older. We measured percentage living in neighborhoods with more walkability, area level measures of neighborhood characteristics, and obesity (body mass index (BMI) > 30). Results Our findings confirm previous work that observes an association between living in more walkable neighborhoods and lower obesity. After adjusting for nonrandom selection, the odds of being obese when living in a less walkable neighborhood increase. Specifically, the odds ratio for being obese without the propensity score correction is 1.12. After adjusting for nonrandom selection, the odds ratio for being obese is 1.19, an increase of six percent. Conclusion Results demonstrate that residential selection bias inherent in cross-sectional analysis slightly attenuates the true association between neighborhood walkability and obesity. Results lend support to the growing body of research suggesting that more walkable neighborhoods have residents with a lower prevalence of obesity. Absent propensity score controls, the causal relationship between environment and obesity would be underestimated by 6%. Our analysis suggests there is an association between neighborhood walkability and obesity.