cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vulnerability assessment for loss of access to drinking water due to extreme weather events

Climate-related extreme weather events can result in the loss of drinking water access. We assessed the relative vulnerability of 3143 United States (U.S.) counties to loss of drinking water access due to droughts, floods, and cyclones. Five vulnerability assessment models from the literature were compared, each differing in the aggregation method used to combine the three determinants of vulnerability (V) – exposure (E), sensitivity (S), and adaptive capacity (AC). Exposure scores were calculated using historical occurrence data, sensitivity scores were determined from the intrinsic resilience of the drinking water technologies, and adaptive capacity scores were calculated from nine socioeconomic indicators. Our results showed that models V = E + S + AC and V = E + S–AC were the same, as were models V = E × S × AC and V = E × S ÷ AC. Between these two model forms (form 1: V = E + S + AC and V = E + S–AC; form 2: V = E × S × AC and V = E × S ÷ AC), scores from one model form could be used to predict scores from the second model form, with R-squared values ranging from 0.61 to 0.82 depending on the extreme weather event type. A fifth model, V = (E–AC) × S was not found to correlate with any of the other four models. We used V = E + S + AC as our reference model as this resulted in a more uniform distribution of counties in each of the five intervals of vulnerability. Comparing the vulnerability scores identified the counties with greatest vulnerability to losing access to drinking water due to floods, droughts, and cyclones. Our results can be used to inform evidence-based decisions such as allocation of resources and implementation of adaptation strategies.
Catastrophic cooling and high-speed downflow in quiescent solar coronal loops observed with TRACE

Observations with the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer, TRACE, show frequent catastrophic cooling and evacuation of quiescent solar coronal loops over active regions. We analyze this process using image sequences taken in passbands showing plasma from a few million degrees down to less than 100 000 K, taken at a cadence of 90 s. The loop evacuation often occurs after plasma high in the corona has cooled to transition-region or even chromospheric temperatures. The cooling loops frequently show Lyman-α and C iv emission developing initially near the loop tops; later, that cool plasma usually slides down on both sides of the loop. The relatively cool material often forms clumps that move at speeds of up to 100 km s−1. The downward acceleration is no more than 80 m s−2, less than $$\frac{1}{3}{\text{rd}}$$ of the surface gravity. Cooling appears to progress with delays of the order of up to 103 s between thin, neighboring strands within flux bundles with cross-sections of at least 1–2 Mm, so that hot and cool loops are transiently outlined at essentially the same location. The falling material at temperatures of ≲ 0.1 MK shows no evidence of loop braiding on scales above the resolution of ∼1 Mm; loop cross-sections appear independent of height. Existing numerical models suggest that the observed catastrophic loop-top cooling in non-flaring conditions can occur if the loop heating precipitously drops by 1.5 orders of magnitude or more, first and most strongly high in the corona. Using order-of-magnitude geometrical arguments, we estimate that loop bundles in the interior of an active region undergo catastrophic cooling on average once every 2 days, while in a decayed bipolar region that time interval is approximately a week.
Recent Aerodynamic Measurements with Magnetic Suspension Systems

This paper reviews recent aerodynamic tests of a family of slanted-base ogive-cylinders using the NASA Langley 13 inch Magnetic Suspension and Balance System. Results include drag, lift, pitching moment, support interference and base pressure measurements. Mach numbers were in the range 0.04 to 0.2. Drag results are shown to be in satisfactory agreement with previous measurements. Significant support interferences were found at all test conditions. Comparison is made between interference free base pressures, obtained using remote telemetry, and sting cavity pressures. Test results and procedures are briefly discussed in the context of the proposed helium flow facility.
Symbiotic effectiveness of indigenous soybean bradyrhizobia as related to serological, morphological, rhizobitoxine, and hydrogenase phenotypes.

Abstract A Collection of 360 isolates of Bradyrhizobium japonicum was developed from soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merrill) nodules taken from 18 locations in Delaware. The isolates were characterized serologically with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, morphologically by colony type on yeast extract-mannitol agar, and for production of rhizobitoxine symptoms with soybean plants. These analyses revealed 12 and 3 groups based on serology and morphology, respectively. The more common identifiable isolates were in serogroups 94, 6, 122, and 76. Nearly 33% of the isolates were rated nonreactive with all of the antisera tested. Overall, 18% of the isolates produced rhizobitoxine symptoms, and these were associated with five known serogroups (31, 46, 76, 94, and 130) and the nonreactive grouping, but with only one colony type. A subsample of 92 isolates was rated for N2-fixing ability in the greenhouse and for hydrogenase phenotype in the laboratory. The nitrogen content of plant shoots was strongly and comparably related to both the serological and morphological groupings. Rhizobitoxine and hydrogenase phenotypes were relatively poor predictors of symbiotic effectiveness. Among the serologically reactive isolates, those in serogroups 38-115, 122, and 110 fixed the most N2, whereas one colony type (that containing isolates producing rhizobitoxine) was clearly inferior to the remaining two morphological groupings. Isolates displaying hydrogenase activity (approximately 15% of the isolates tested) correlated with three serologically reactive groupings (serogroups 110 and 122 and a 122/123 cross-reactive group) and two colony types, none of which coincided with groupings containing bradyrhizobia rated positive for rhizobitoxine production.
Alcohol Expectancy, Drinking Behavior, and Sexual Victimization Among Female and Male College Students

College students have high rates of heavy drinking, and this dangerous behavior is strongly linked to sexual victimization. Although research has examined risk factors for sexual assault, few studies have simultaneously studied the various pathways through which risks may affect sexual assault and how these pathways may be uniquely different among females and males. As such, the current study uses path analyses to examine whether alcohol expectancies mediate the relationship between social factors (e.g., hooking up, amount friends drink) and drinking behavior and experiencing sexual victimization, and whether drinking behavior mediates the relationship between alcohol expectancies and sexual victimization among a college sample of 704 males and females from a large Midwestern university. For both females and males, sexual victimization was positively associated with child sexual abuse, hooking up more often, and heavier drinking, whereas greater alcohol expectancies were associated with sexual victimizati...
Microcredit and the Social Determinants of Health: A Conceptual Approach

Social determinants of health, such as human behavior, environment, and socioeconomics, contribute to health disparities at the individual and population levels. The association between socioeconomics and health is established, and it is acknowledged that people with a lower socioeconomic status experience poorer health. The impetus of microcredit programs is to provide financial alternatives for low-income populations, the majority of whom are women with limited or no access to traditional lending, to start small businesses, generate income, and progress toward self-sufficiency. The income-health link within the context of microcredit has been internationally acknowledged; however, there is scarce research in this area in the United States. This article presents a review of the conceptual approach used to explore the microcredit and health link from a public health nursing perspective. Establishing conceptual foundations can enhance research focused on targeted interventions aimed at lasting change in social and health status. Exploring the link between microcredit and health can enrich research efforts and may offer innovative strategies and interventions to improve health-promoting capacity in impoverished groups.
Pleiotropic effects of pigmentation genes in horses.

Summary Horses are valued for the beauty and variety of colouration and coat patterning. To date, eleven different genes have been characterized that contribute to the variation observed in the horse. Unfortunately, mutations involving pigmentation often lead to deleterious effects in other systems, some of which have been described in the horse. This review focuses on six such pleiotropic effects or associations with pigmentation genes. These include neurological defects (lethal white foal syndrome and lavender foal syndrome), hearing defects, eye disorders (congenital stationary night blindness and multiple congenital ocular anomalies), as well as horse-specific melanoma. The pigmentation phenotype, disorder phenotype, mode of inheritance, genetic or genomic methods utilized to identify the genes involved and, if known, the causative mutations, molecular interactions and other susceptibility loci are discussed. As our understanding of pigmentation in the horse increases, through the use of novel genomic tools, we are likely to unravel yet unknown pleiotropic effects and determine additional interactions between previously discovered loci.
Expertise in Physical Therapy Practice

Part I. Studying Expertise: Purpose, Concepts, and Tools 1. Professional Life: Issues of Health Care, Education, and Development 2. Understanding Expertise: Connecting Research and Theory to Physical Therapy 3. Methods for Exploring Expertise Part II. Portraits of Expertise in Physical Therapy 4. Expert Practice in Pediatrics: When Work is Play 5. Expert Practice in Geriatrics: You're Never Too Old 6. Experienced Practice in Neurological Rehabilitation: Experts in the Making 7. Expert Practice in Orthopedics: Competence, Collaboration, and Compassion 8. Expert Practice in Physical Therapy 9. Postscript: The Voices of our Experts - Ten Years Later Part III. Lessons Learned and Applied 10. Expert Practice and Clinical Outcomes 11. Clinical Reasoning and Expert Practice 12. Situated Expertise: The Wisdom of Practice in a Transdisciplinary Rehabilitation Clinic 13. Implications for Practice: Applying the Dimensions of Expertise for Staff Professional Development Part IV. Pursuing Expertise in Physical Therapy 14. Inquiry into Expertise: Future Directions 15. Implications for Doctoral Level Education in Physical Therapy 16. Implications for Practice and Professional Development Appendix: Data Collection Tools
POTENTIAL TRANSFORMATION METHOD FOR GLOBAL OPTIMIZATION

Several techniques for global optimization treat the objective function f as a force-field potential. In the simplest case, trajectories of the differential equation \(m\ddot x = - \nabla f\) sample regions of low potential while retaining the energy tosurmount passes which might block the way to regions of even lower local minima. A potential transformation is an increasing function V: R → R. It determines a new potential g = V(f), with the same minimizers as f, and new trajectories satisfying \(m\ddot x = - \nabla g = - \frac{{dV}}{{df}}\nabla f.\)We discuss a class of potential transformations that greatly increase the attractiveness of low local minima. As a special case, this provides a new approach to an equation proposed by Griewank for global optimization. Practical methods for implementing these ideas are discussed, and the method is applied to three test problems.
Nutritional and anti-nutritional compositions of defatted Nebraska hybrid hazelnut meal

Summary Defatted meal of hybrid hazelnuts may have potential food and value-added industrial applications. The proximate composition, mineral elements, amino acid profile and anti-nutritional factors (total phenolics, tannins, condensed tannins and phytates) of defatted meals of ten Nebraska hybrid hazelnut genotypes were investigated. Excluding the amino acid profile, the nutritional and anti-nutritional compositions of the meals differed significantly, with high protein, carbohydrate, neutral and acid detergent fibre concentrations and energy value. Mineral concentrations were higher than those previously reported. K was the most abundant mineral element, followed by P, Ca and Mg. Seven essential amino acids accounted for approximately 27.8% of the total amino acid contents. Tryptophan was not detected. All essential amino acid contents were significantly lower than the reference levels recommended for human and animal consumption. The high levels of anti-nutritional factors, such as total phenolics, tannins, condensed tannins and phytate in the meals, could reduce protein and mineral bioavailability.
VITREOUS ENAMEL IMPACT MACHINE

A description of and data obtained with a pendulum type impact machine developed especially For use on intricately shaped electric range parts are given. The machine has been designed in such a manner that it reduces the personal factor of operation to a minimum. The effect of enamel and steel thickness upon impact is presented.
Dimethyl ketals of methylcyclohexanones as fragmentation-directing derivatives

The mass spectra of dimethyl ketal derivatives of cyclohexanone and the 2-, 3- and 4-methylcyclohexanones are discussed relative to their usefulness in indicating the point of alkyl substitution. Major fragments in the spectra (m/e 101 and m/e 115) arise by α-cleavage, hydrogen rearrangement and further cleavage to give even-electron species. The spectra yield structural information equivalent to that obtained from the corresponding ethylene ketals. The ease of preparation of dimethyl ketals and the mildness of reaction conditions relative to ethylene ketals warrant further exploitation of dimethyl ketals as fragmentation-directing derivatives in mass spectrometry.
Mind‐body: What is the question?

(1976). Mind‐body: What is the question? The Philosophy Forum: Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 325-350.
Improvements in Mars Gravity Field Determination Using Ridge-Type Estimation Methods

The use of ridge-type estimation methods in determining the proper weighting of the a priori covariance appears to improve the accur acy of the Mars50c gravity field model derived from Viking and Mariner 9 Doppler tracking data. These advanced parameter estimation techniques were applied to the calculation of GM and a (50 × 50) field of harmonic coefficients, representing the gravitational potential of Mars. Calculation of the gravity field coefficients involves solving a large, ill-conditioned system of linear equations, whose solution leads to erroneous estimates if not augmented by appropriate a priori information. In calculating Mars50c, an a priori covariance was used in order to provide a set of constraints on the gravity field solution. This study involved the use of ridge-type estimation methods to optimally weight a set of a priori constraints based upon Kaula’s Rule in order to obtain more accurate estimates. The computed gravity field, denoted AUMGM9, was compared to Mars50c on the basis of total variance of the solution and residual sum of squares. Analysis of the results show that through the use of ridge-type estimation methods, AUMGM9 provides more accurate gravity field coefficients than does Mars50c.
The complex relationship with health: Rural and urban ‘poor’ women

Health and wealth are important to international social work discussions. This article examines the relationship between wealth indexes and the outcome of diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and BMI irregularities. It examines a construct of virtual neighborhoods in urban and rural populations of women. The data are drawn from the NFHS-3 (2007) and applies a hierarchical logistic regression analysis. It is found that women in mid-level neighborhoods in rural areas and poor neighborhoods in urban areas are most at-risk for negative health outcomes. Thus, women’s health outcomes and processes appear to be complicated due to poverty and neighborhood interaction.
The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event

Barry D. Webby, Florentin Paris, Mary L. Droser, and Ian G. Percival, eds., 2004, Columbia University Press, New York, 484 p. (Hardcover, US $99.50) ISBN 0231-12678-6. Have you heard the joke about the time a systematist, a taxon-counter, and a paleoecologist walked into a bar? It is not surprising that a significant proportion of paleontological attention is focused on the Cambrian Explosion; it indeed marks the rise to dominance of skeletonized metazoans and the emergence of most phyla. But the Cambrian Radiation is inherently difficult to study: the intricacies involved in reconstructing stem-group phylogenies, the lack of a globally correlated time scale, a dearth of paleomagnetic data, often sparsely fossiliferous strata, and significant regional differences in litho- and biofacies all combine to make it difficult to understand the historical underpinnings of this event, despite recent efforts to the contrary (Zhuravlev and Riding, 2000). In contrast, the ensuing Ordovician is nearly unparalleled in its record. The stratigraphic record is significant and nearly complete over broad cratons, fossiliferous strata are abundant and well preserved, there is now a relatively stable and well-constrained time scale for global correlation, and documentation of isotopic and sea-level trends is improving. The interval, sometimes termed the Ordovician Radiation, also is nearly equal to the Cambrian in terms of its evolutionary and ecological consequences. This period witnessed the appearance of dozens of crown-group representatives of taxonomic classes and orders and the first development of communities that would dominate the remainder of the Paleozoic and even the post-Paleozoic. Despite this significance, and the presence of an active global pool of Ordovician workers, very few works have focused extensively on the Ordovician Radiation. This volume partially fills this lacuna. It acts as a sort of final report for the IGCP 410 project, with the goal of documenting the global, and …
A field study comparing online and offline data collection methods for identifying product attribute preferences using conjoint analysis

Abstract Do online and offline data collection methods yield different attribute preferences in an importance-rating task and a choice-based conjoint analysis task? This question is addressed in a field study designed to identify promising attributes for a new generation of wireless telephone handsets in an actual product development context. No practical differences in attribute preferences were observed between data collection methods when attribute preferences were measured using a direct importance-rating question. However, significant differences in attribute preferences were observed between the methods in the choice-based conjoint analysis task. Moreover, the online data collection method was judged superior to a traditional offline (paper-and-pencil) method on the basis of internal consistency and predictive (face) validity. These findings support the use of Internet/Web-enabled technology for conjoint analysis data collection. Other implications for research practice are discussed.
Multidisciplinary approach to vocal cord dysfunction diagnosis and treatment in one session: a single institutional outcome study.

Abstract Objective To determine whether the multidisciplinary approach to the management of vocal cord dysfunction (VCD), which combines patient education and behavioral intervention in the same session that VCD is diagnosed, provides long-term therapeutic benefits. Methods Chart review and telephone interviews of patients treated for VCD at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia were performed in this retrospective nonrandomized study. All forty patients diagnosed with VCD from October 2007 to April 2009 were included. Patients were evaluated with a multidisciplinary team approach, including speech therapy assessment, otolaryngology exam and flexible laryngoscopy. Patients with VCD were educated about their condition and instructed about breathing techniques in the same session. Results Twenty-two patients were available for a phone interview. Mean age of patients was 13.4 ± 3.0 years. Sixteen patients were female. Mean number of clinic visits was 1.3 ± 0.8. Average time between phone interview and first clinical encounter was 14.0 ± 7.2 months. Compliance rate to demonstrate breathing exercises was 90.9%. Nineteen out of 22 patients (86.4%) reported improvement of their symptoms in frequency and/or severity. Six patients (27.3%) sought additional medical advice related to their respiratory symptoms. Twenty-one patients (95.5%) were able to maintain or increase their level of physical activity following clinic visit. Conclusion Combining the diagnostic encounter with multidisciplinary behavioral intervention in a single visit is an efficacious approach for the long-term management of VCD in the pediatric population.
Th17 cells confer long-term adaptive immunity to oral mucosal Candida albicans infections

Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) is an opportunistic infection caused by Candida albicans. Despite its prevalence, little is known about C. albicans-specific immunity in the oral mucosa. Vaccines against Candida generate both T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17 responses, and considerable evidence implicates interleukin (IL)-17 in immunity to OPC. However, IL-17 is also produced by innate immune cells that are remarkably similar to Th17 cells, expressing the same markers and localizing to similar mucosal sites. To date, the relative contribution(s) of Th1, Th17, and innate IL-17-producing cells in OPC have not been clearly defined. Here, we sought to determine the nature and function of adaptive T-cell responses to OPC, using a new recall infection model. Mice subjected to infection and re-challenge with Candida mounted a robust and stable antigen-specific IL-17 response in CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells. There was little evidence for Th1 or Th1/Th17 responses. The Th17 response promoted accelerated fungal clearance, and Th17 cells could confer protection in Rag1-/- mice upon adoptive transfer. Surprisingly, CD4 deficiency did not cause OPC but was instead associated with compensatory IL-17 production by Tc17 and CD3+CD4-CD8- cells. Therefore, classic CD4+Th17 cells protect from OPC but can be compensated by other IL-17-producing cells in CD4-deficient hosts.
Price Cycles and Asymmetric Price Transmission in the U.S. Pork Market

Economists have proposed several plausible explanations for observed price transmission asymmetries in commodity markets. Unfortunately, the econometric methods commonly used in such studies cannot empirically distinguish pricing behavior under the competing theories. We argue that the theories may be classified by firm responses to high‐ and low‐frequency price cycles and use Engle's band spectrum regression to test the symmetry of high‐ and low‐frequency cycles in weekly pork prices. The findings indicate that changes in wholesale prices are asymmetrically transmitted to retail prices in relatively low‐frequency cycles, which does not support search costs and other high‐frequency explanations. Conversely, wholesale pork prices asymmetrically adjust to changes in farm prices at all frequencies.
The system usability process for network management products

This paper presents an overview of a process for system usability. The process is a systematic series of activities and procedures designed to improve the usability of software network management products. The elements of the process are given and future directions for evaluating usability described.
Retinal Vascular Reactivity in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and with Atherosclerosis

By means of fundus photography, a comparative study has been made of the constrictor response of retinal vessels to the inhalation of oxygen in 47 control subjects, 50 diabetic patients, and 15 persons with atherosclerosis unassociated with hypertension or diabetes. The diabetic group showed decreased reactivity of both arteries and veins, as indicated by a decreased constrictor response to oxygen. Retinal arterial reactivity was significantly reduced in diabetic subjects, even in the absence of retinopathy or hypertension. With the appearance of retinopathy, arterial reactivity was still further reduced. The patients with uncomplicated atherosclerosis did not show significant changes in retinal vascular reactivity.
Thermodynamics of temperature-sensitive polyether-modified poly(acrylic acid) microgels.

The temperature-induced structural changes and thermodynamics of ionic microgels based on poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) networks bonded with poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO−PPO−PEO) (Pluronic) copolymers have been studied by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), ultra-small-angle neutron scattering (USANS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and equilibrium swelling techniques. Aggregation within microgels based on PAA and either the hydrophobic Pluronic L92 (average composition, EO8PO52EO8; PPO content, 80%) or the hydrophilic Pluronic F127 (average composition, EO99PO67EO99; PPO content, 30%) was studied and compared to that in the solutions of the parent Pluronic. The neutron scattering results indicate the formation of micelle-like aggregates within the F127-based microgel particles, while the L92-based microgels formed fractal structures of dense nanoparticles. The microgels exhibit thermodynamically favorable volume phase transitions within certain temperat...
Phases of Partial Matrix Elements and the Parity Rule for Inelastic Scattering

It is shown that the phases of the partial matrix elements in the distorted-wave Born approximation, which are responsible for effects like forward and backward peaks in angular distributions, are closely related to the elastic scattering phase shifts for the entrance and exit channels and hence largely independent of the particular optical model used to calculate the wave functions. Phase considerations are used to verify the parity rule for even angular momentum transfer, and the conditions under which it is expected to hold are discussed.
Ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone syndrome associated with metastatic skin tumors and Cushing's syndrome.

A case of the ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) syndrome associated with malignancy and Cushing's syndrome was established by the recovery of an ACTH-like polypeptide from a metastatic cutaneous nodule. This communication emphasizes the capacity of neoplasms to produce a variety of hormone-like substances, and reviews the clinical and laboratory features of the ectopic ACTH-syndrome.
The Disintegration Constant of Thorium and the Branching Ratio of Thorium C

In age determinations of minerals in which thorium predominates, some inconsistencies have appeared when the value used for the disintegration constant of thorium is that adopted by the International Radium-Standard Commission (1930). This value differs from the original Geiger-Rutherford value by 30 percent. The present research was undertaken to determine the disintegration constant of thorium by the method of counting alpha-particles. Easily weighed sources were used. The material was obtained from a thorite from the same lot that was used by Geiger and Rutherford. The thorite contained only a small amount of uranium and correction for the ionium present was made. Various checks on the counting are given. The half-value period of thorium was found to be ${1.39(10)}^{10}$ years and the branching ratio, thorium C' to thorium (C+C'), is 0.663. A method of impounding the thoron, yet permitting alpha-particles to escape, is described.
Remedial Education and Student Attrition

Data from entering student surveys for the fall 1993, 1994, and 1995 freshmen cohorts at Utah Valley State College and 1998 outcomes data from the college's student information system were analyzed to determine student attrition rates and their relationship to variables defined in the literature about retention models, at-risk populations, and evaluating retention programs. Based on logistic regression analysis, the author discusses demographic, goal commitment, academic, and financial support variables as predictors of student retention.
Zentrales Steuergerät für teilautomatisiertes Fahren

TRW hat ein zentrales Steuergerat entwickelt, das die Daten zahlreicher Fahrzeugsensoren zusammenfuhrt und als Integrationsplattform fur fortschrittliche Fahrerassistenzsysteme fungiert. Die Safety Domain ECU, kurz SDE, ebnet den Weg fur teilautomatisierte Fahrzeugfunktionen und erlaubt Automobilherstellern eine nach Kundenwunsch skalierbare Ausstattung von Assistenzsystemen. Gleichzeitig lasst sich die Anzahl der Steuergerate reduzieren sowie Software als Black Box integrieren. Die erste Generation der SDE ist im September 2013 in Serie gegangen.
Intact Prototype Formation but Impaired Generalization in Autism

Cognitive processing in autism has been characterized by a difficulty with the abstraction of information across multiple stimuli or situations and subsequent generalization to new stimuli or situations. This apparent difficulty leads to the suggestion that prototype formation, a process of creating a mental summary representation of multiple experienced stimuli that go together in a category, may be impaired in autism. Adults with high functioning autism and a typically developing comparison group matched on age and IQ completed a random dot pattern categorization task. Participants with autism demonstrated intact prototype formation in all four ways it was operationally defined, and this performance was not significantly different from that of control participants. However, participants with autism categorized dot patterns that were more highly distorted from the category prototypes less accurately than did control participants. These findings suggest, at least within the constraints of the random dot pattern task, that although prototype formation may not be impaired in autism, difficulties may exist with the generalization of what has been learned about a category to novel stimuli, particularly as they become less similar to the category's prototype.
USE OF CONTRAST HARMONIC ULTRASOUND FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF CONGENITAL PORTOSYSTEMIC SHUNTS IN THREE DOGS

Contrast harmonic ultrasound was used to determine macrovascular and perfusion patterns in three dogs with congenital extrahepatic solitary portosystemic shunts (PSS). With coded harmonic angiographic ultrasound, the size and tortuosity of the hepatic arteries were subjectively increased. Single pulse intermittent low-amplitude harmonic perfusion imaging provided contrast enhancement time-intensity curves from regions of interest in the liver. Mean (+/- standard deviation) peak perfusion times of dogs with PSS were significantly shorter (p = 0.01; 7.0 +/- 2.0 s) than reported in normal dogs (22.8 +/- 6.8 s). The contrast inflow slope for the dogs with PSS (14.6 +/- 3.7 pixel intensity units [PIU] was significantly (p = 0.05) larger than reported for normal dogs (3.6 +/- 1.4 PIU/s). These results indicate that combined coded harmonic angiographic and contrast harmonic perfusion sonography can be used to detect increased hepatic arterial blood flow as an indicator of PSS in dogs.
Uranium and thorium series nuclides in oriented ferromanganese nodules: growth rates, turnover times and nuclide behavior

Three ferromanganese nodules handpicked from the tops of 2500 cm2 area box cores taken from the north equatorial Pacific have been analysed for their U-Th series nuclides.230Thexc concentrations in the surface 1–2 mm of the top side of the nodules indicate growth rates of 1.8–4.6 mm/106 yr. In two of the nodules a significant discontinuity in the230Thexc depth profile has been observed at ∼0.3 m.y. ago, suggesting that the nodule growth has been episodic. The concentration profiles of231Paexc (measured via227Th) yield growth rates similar to the230Thexc data. The bottom sides of the nodules display exponential decrease of230Thexc/232Th activity ratio with depth, yielding growth rates of 1.5–3.3 mm/106 yr. The230Thexc and231Paexc concentrations in the outermost layer of the bottom face are significantly lower than in the outermost layer of the top face. Comparison of the extrapolated230Thexc/232Th and230Thexc/231Paexc activity ratios for the top and bottom surfaces yields an “age” of (5−15) × 104 yr for the bottom relative to the top. This “age” most probably represents the time elapsed since the nodules have attained the present orientation. The210Pb concentration in the surface ∼0.1 mm of the top side is in large excess over its parent226Ra. Elsewhere in the nodule, up to ∼1 mm depth in both top and bottom sides,210Pb is deficient relative to226Ra, probably due to222Rn loss. The absence of210Pbexc below the outermost layer of the top face rules out the possibility of a sampling artifact as the cause of the observed exponentially decreasing230Thexc and231Paexc concentration profiles. The flux of210Pbexc to the nodules ranges between 0.31 and 0.58 dpm/cm2 yr. The exhalation rate of222Rn, estimated from the226Ra-210Pb disequilibrium is ∼570 dpm/cm2 yr from the top side and >2000 dpm/cm2 yr from the bottom side. 226Ra is deficient in the top side relative to230Th up to ∼0.5–1 mm and is in large excess throughout the bottom. The data indicate a net gain of226Ra into the nodule, corresponding to a flux of (24−46) × 10−3 dpm/cm2 yr. On a total area basis the gain of226Ra into the nodules is <20% of the226Ra escaping from the sediments. A similar gain of228Ra into the bottom side of the nodules is reflected by the high228Th/232Th activity ratios observed in the outermost layer in contact with sediments.
Kinematic Analysis of a Five-Legged Mobile Robot

Legged robots are more maneuverable, and can negotiate rough terrain much better than conventional locomotion using wheels. However, since the kinematic or dynamic analysis of such robots involves closed chains, it is typically more difficult to investigate the impact of design changes, such as the number, or the design of its legs, to robot performance. Most legged robots consist of 4 legs (quadrupeds) or 6 legs (hexapods). This paper discusses the kinematic analysis of an unconventional, symmetrical 5-legged robot with 2-DOF (Degrees Of Freedom) universal joints in each leg. The analysis was carried out in order to predict the mobility of the upper body platform, and investigate the number of robot actuators needed for mobility. The product of exponentials formulation with respect to the local coordinate frames is used to describe the twists of the joints. The analysis is based on the idea that the robot body platform along with the legs can be considered instantaneously as a parallel robot manipulating the ground. Hence, the analysis can be done using the Jacobian formulation of parallel robots. Simulation results confirm the mobility analysis that the robot can have at most 3-DOF for the body and that these freedoms are coupled rotations and translations in 3D space also with a dependence on the configuration of the robot.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Substantivity of perfume materials to hair

Synopsis The substantivity of seven fragrance materials from a surfactant solution to human hair has been followed both olfactively and by gas chromatography. From an 0.5% solution in sodium lauryl 2 ethoxy sulphate solution between 0.13 mg g−1 hair and 0.72 mg g−1 hair were absorbed, giving strong retained odour on the hair; amyl salicylate showed the greatest absorption. After 24 h air drying, up to 0.01 to 0.08 mg g−1 hair remained, giving different odour strengths dependent on the molecule used. Mixtures gave somewhat lower substantivity and increased concentration in the shampoo base gave an increase in the amount absorbed on the hair. The percentage uptake however decreased. The mechanism appears to be a simple partitioning of the organic molecules between the water phase and keratin, the effect being wholly reversible as the molecules evaporate when left in air. The technique gives a method of objectively studying perfume substantivity to hair. Substantivite des parfums aux cheveux Resume La substantivite aux cheveux humains de sept matieres premieres de parfumerie en shampooing, a ete etudiee olfactivement et par chromatographie en phase gazeuse. Les matieres premieres ont ete incorporees dans la solution de shampooing (lauryl ether sulfate a raison de 0.5%). Les cheveux absorbent entre 0.13 mg g−1 et 0.72 mg g−1 donnant une forte retention olfactive sur les cheveux. Le salicylate d'amyle montre l'absorption la plus importante. Apres 24 heures a temparature ambiante, il persiste 0.01 a 0.08 mg g−1 sur les cheveux. Les melanges sont moins substantifs que les molecules prises individuellement, mais l'augmentation de la concentration dans la base shampooing permet l'accroissement de la quantite dc melange absorbe par les cheveux. Le mecanisme de la substantivite ne parait etre qu'une repartition des molecules organiques entre la phase aqueuse et la keratine, l'effet est totalement reversible du fait de l'evaporation des molecules lors du sechage des cheveux a temperature ambiante. La technique donne un methode objective pour etudier la substantivite des matieres premieres do parfumerie aux cheveux.
Adsorption and orientation of sulfonic acids on aluminum oxide: A tunneling spectroscopy study

Abstract Inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy shows that sulfonic acids can adsorb on aluminum oxide as oriented sulfonates. The sulfonates are ionically bonded to the oxide in a tripod configuration with the three sulfonate oxygen atoms based in nearly equivalent positions. This tripod can be used to orient other functional groups perpendicular to the oxide. Vibrational spectra of methanesulfonate (CH3SO−3), trifluoromethanesulfonate (CF3SO−3), and benzenesulfonate (C6H5SO−3) are presented and compared to infrared, Raman, and other tunneling data.
Finite-time stabilisation of simple mechanical systems using continuous feedback

Stabilisation of simple mechanical systems in finite time with continuous state feedback is considered here. The dynamics are represented by generalised (local) coordinates. A general methodology to construct control Lyapunov functions that are Holder continuous and that can be used to show finite-time stability of the feedback controlled system, is presented. This construction also gives the feedback control law, and results in the feedback system being Holder continuous as well. Unlike Lipschitz continuous feedback control systems, the feedback control scheme given here converges to the desired equilibrium in finite time. Moreover, unlike discontinuous and hybrid control schemes, the feedback control law does not lead to chattering in the presence of measurement noise, does not excite unmodelled high-frequency dynamics, and can be implemented with actuators that can only deliver continuous control inputs. The advantages of continuous finite-time stabilisation over continuous asymptotic stabilisation of ...
Biomechanical and Neurological Response of the Spinal Cord of a Puppy to Uniaxial Tension

An in-vivo experimental method was developed to measure the stress-strain relationship of a spinal cord segment of anesthetized puppies. A pseudo Young's modulus was defined for the linear region followed by a nonlinear rheological behavior of finite strain. Both the sensory response and motor function of the puppies were fully recovered within the 5 days after the spinal cord segment in the first lumbar region was elongated once by 50 percent or less. The usefulness of the in-vivo experiments was further elaborated by demonstrating the large artifacts that could be associated in an in-vitro experiment.
Personalized cluster-based semantically enriched web search for e-learning

We present an approach for personalized search in an e-learning platform, that takes advantage of semantic Web standards (RDF and OWL) to represent the content and the user profiles. Personalizing the finding of needed information in an e-learning environment based on context requires intelligent methods for representing and matching the learning needs and the variety of learning contexts. Our framework consists of the following phases: (1) building the semantic e-learning domain using the known college and course information as concepts and sub-concepts in a lecture ontology, (2) generating the semantic learner's profile as an ontology from navigation logs that record which lectures have been accessed, (3) clustering the documents to discover more refined sub-concepts (top terms in each cluster) than provided by the available college and course taxonomy, (4) re-ranking the learner's search results based on the matching concepts in the learning content and the user profile, and (5) providing the learner with semantic recommendations during the search process, in the form of terms from the closest matching clusters of their profile. One important aspect of our approach is the combination of an authoritatively supplied taxonomy by the colleges, with the data driven extraction (via clustering) of a taxonomy from the documents themselves, thus making it easier to adapt to different learning platforms, and making it easier to evolve with the document/lecture collection. Our experimental results show that the learner's context can be effectively used for improving the precision and recall in e-learning search, particularly by re-ranking the search results based on the learner's past activities.
AGRBUSIM, a long-range financial planning model for small to medium-sized grain elevators

Abstract AGRBUSIM is designed to provide small and medium-sized grain elevator operations with a computerized decision support system for long-range financial planning. The AGRBUSIM program provides grain elevator management with a means of evaluating different grain pricing and purchasing scenarios, capital additions or sales, equity redemption patterns, sensitivity analysis, and other issues related to long-range financial planning. Sample results for a grain elevator and some of the many potential uses of the program are illustrated.
Reconnection and Helicity in a Solar Flare

Using X-ray images, Hα images, and vector magnetograms, we have studied the evolution of the coronal structure and magnetic field of NOAA Active Region 7154 during 1992 May 5-12. A two-ribbon 4B/M7.4 flare associated with an Hα filament eruption was observed on May 8, 15:13-19:16 UT. An interesting feature of the region was a long, twisted X-ray structure, which formed shortly before the flare and disappeared after it, being replaced by a system of unsheared postflare loops. Neither the X-ray nor Hα morphology nor the photospheric magnetic field shows any indication of gradual buildup of nonpotential energy prior to the flare. Rather, the long structure appears to result from the reconnection of two shorter ones just tens of minutes before the filament eruption and flare.Using vector magnetograms and X-ray morphology, we determine the helicity density of the magnetic field using the force-free field parameter α. The observations show that the long structure retained the same helicity density as the two shorter structures, but its greater length implies a higher coronal twist. The measured length and α value combine to imply a twist that exceeds the threshold for the MHD kink instability in a force-free cylindrical flux tube. We conclude that theoretical studies of such simple models, which have found that the MHD kink instability does not lead to global dissipation, do not adequately address the physical processes that govern coronal magnetic fields.
Directed Sample Interrogation Utilizing an Accurate Mass Exclusion-Based Data-Dependent Acquisition Strategy (AMEx)

The ability to perform thorough sampling is of critical importance when using mass spectrometry to characterize complex proteomic mixtures. A common approach is to reinterrogate a sample multiple times by LC-MS/MS. However, the conventional data-dependent acquisition methods that are typically used in proteomics studies will often redundantly sample high-intensity precursor ions while failing to sample low-intensity precursors entirely. We describe a method wherein the masses of successfully identified peptides are used to generate an accurate mass exclusion list such that those precursors are not selected for sequencing during subsequent analyses. We performed multiple concatenated analytical runs to sample a complex cell lysate, using either accurate mass exclusion-based data-dependent acquisition (AMEx) or standard data-dependent acquisition, and found that utilization of AMEx on an ESI-Orbitrap instrument significantly increases the total number of validated peptide identifications relative to a standard DDA approach. The additional identified peptides represent precursor ions that exhibit low signal intensity in the sample. Increasing the total number of peptide identifications augmented the number of proteins identified, as well as improved the sequence coverage of those proteins. Together, these data indicate that using AMEx is an effective strategy to improve the characterization of complex proteomic mixtures.
Vibrational and rotational excitation in He(23S1) penning ionization: Examples of nonvertical processes

Abstract The production of the O 2 + (A 2 Π u ), HBr + (A 2 Σ + ), and HCl + (A 2 Σ + ) states from Penning ionization by He(2 3 S I ) metastables was observed to be a nonvertical process. The O 2 + (A 2 Π u ) state shows high rotational excitation.
The effects of cropping history on grain sorghum yields and anthracnose severity in Arkansas

Abstract Sorghum anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum sublineolum , is found in most grain sorghum producing areas in the U.S.A., including Arkansas. High incidences and severities of anthracnose are infrequent and often limited to portions of some Arkansas fields. However, sporadic epidemics have occurred over many hectares and grain yield losses have been severe on susceptible sorghum hybrids suggesting that better management strategies are needed to improve and maintain high sorghum yields. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of previous cropping history on grain sorghum yields and on the severity of sorghum anthracnose in several agricultural environments in Arkansas. Replicated field experiments were conducted in 2005 and 2006 to evaluate sorghum following sorghum, sorghum following maize, sorghum following soybeans, and sorghum following rice on grain yields and anthracnose severity for 30 sorghum hybrids in 2005 and ten hybrids in 2006. The results show that the severity of anthracnose ranged from 0% to >23% and planting sorghum in fields one year after maize, soybeans, or rice appeared to significantly reduce the severity of sorghum anthracnose on most of the sorghum hybrids evaluated in both years. Although anthracnose severity varied across years in these experiments, the data show significant yield increases for most of the sorghum hybrids when sorghum was planted after rice, soybeans or maize, but not when sorghum was planted in the same field in which sorghum was grown in the previous year. Grain yields ranged from 0 kg ha −1 to more than 9500 kg ha −1 . These results demonstrate that planting sorghum after sorghum significantly increases anthracnose on most hybrids, that planting sorghum after rice, maize or soybeans can successfully reduce sorghum anthracnose, and that the economic benefits (yields) of these cropping sequences are partially dependent upon the year, the severity of the disease and the hybrid. Other management strategies such as sanitation, elimination of alternative hosts and planting clean, healthy seed or seed treated with an appropriate fungicide, coupled with disease resistance should be helpful and perhaps sufficient to avoid or reduce serious losses from grain sorghum anthracnose.