cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The singular behavior of the temperature gradient in the vicinity of a macrocrack tip

Abstract The power of singularity of the temperature gradient at a macrocrack tip is analyzed in this work. For a crack in an infinite medium. Williams' method of eigenfunction expansions is extended to heat conduction problems with a crack and comparison with the complex function approach is made. The intensity factor of temperature gradient (IFTG) is introduced to quantify the thermal energy cumulated in the neighborhood of a macrocrack tip. As an entirety, the power of singularity of the temperature gradient is analyzed for a crack in both isotropic and orthotropic media, and an interfacial crack between dissimilar materials. It is shown that the power of singularity of the temperature gradient is not affected by the discontinuous jumps of the thermal properties across the material interface, while that for a crack in an orthotropic medium depends on the ratio of thermal conductivities in the principal directions of material orthotropy.
Thermoelectric Coolers for Thermal Gradient Management on Chip

Site-specific and on-demand cooling of hot spots in the microprocessors can provide efficient cooling solution, improve its performance and increase its life time by reducing peak temperature and achieving more uniform thermal profile on the chip. Thermoelectric coolers (TEC) have the potential to provide such efficient cooling of hot spots on a chip. We investigate pulse cooling behavior of ultra-thin multiple TEC devices integrated inside the electronic package on the active side of a chip below the heat spreader. Various pulse profiles have been studied to obtain optimal shape of the current pulse in order to efficiently operate TECs considering crucial parameters such as the total energy consumed in TECs, peak temperature on the chip, temperature overshoot at hot spot and settling time during pulsed cooling of hot spots. The square root pulse profile is found to be most effective with maximum cooling and half the energy expenditure in comparison to a constant current pulse. It has been observed that high thermal contact resistances can entirely negate the transient cooling effect of the TECs. We analyze the operation of multiple TECs for cooling spatiotemporally varying hot spots. The analysis shows that the temperature of the hot spots can be retained below a threshold using transient current pulses through the TECs. This underlines the benefits of using multiple TECs for hot spot cooling in order to obtain favorable thermal profile on the chip in an energy efficient way.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Disulfide Bond Isomerization and the Assembly of MHC Class I-Peptide Complexes

The presence of a disulfide bond inside the peptide binding groove of MHC class I molecules and of the thiol oxidoreductase ERp57 in the class I loading complex suggests that disulfide bond isomerization may play a role in peptide loading. Here we show that ERp57 and tapasin are disulfide linked inside the loading complex. Mutagenesis of cysteine 95 in tapasin not only abolishes formation of the ERp57-tapasin bond but also prevents complete oxidation of the class I heavy chain in the loading complex. The resulting MHC class I-beta2m heterodimers are poorly loaded with high-affinity peptides in the ER but nevertheless escape to the cell surface where they are unstable. These findings suggest a role for disulfide bond isomerization in tapasin-mediated peptide loading.
Auditory perceptual consolidation in early-onset blindness

Abstract Early-onset blindness (EB) produces measurable advantages in auditory perception, attention, memory and language. Neville and Bavelier [Neville, H. J., & Bavelier, D. (2001) Variability of developmental plasticity. In J. L. McClelland, R. S. Siegler (Eds.) Mechanisms of cognitive development: Behavioral and ellon symposia on cognition (pp. 271–301)] hypothesized that faster temporal processing underlies many auditory compensatory effects in the blind. We tested this hypothesis by comparing early-onset blind individuals and sighted counterparts (SC) by assessing their rates of perceptual consolidation, the accurate perceptual representation of auditory stimuli. Firstly, we first tested both groups on a temporal-order judgment task (TOJ). EB subjects had significantly lower TOJ thresholds than the SC subjects. Secondly, we assessed perceptual consolidation speed using auditory backward masking tasks, taking into account individual TOJ thresholds. Discrimination performance was unaffected at all mask delays in the EB group while the SC subjects needed a mask delay of 160 ms to perform comparably. A backward masking task using single tone stimuli found no differences between the EB and SC groups any mask delay. A simultaneous masking task demonstrated that the mask effectively impaired discrimination in EB subjects at sensory stages. These results suggest that advantages in perceptual consolidation may reflect a mechanism responsible for the short response times and better performance reported in early blind individuals across a number of complex auditory tasks.
Measurement of the Amino Acid Content of Fish Meal Proteins by Chick Growth Assay 2. The Effects of Amino Acid Imbalances Upon Estimations of Amino Acid Availability by Chick Growth Assay

Abstract IN THE experiments of the preceding paper (Smith and Scott, 1965), the levels of 9 of 10 essential amino acids in fish meal determined by chick growth assay proved to be in excess of those determined by chemical means. It is possible that the amino acid content of the meal was either underestimated by the chemical method or overestimated by the chick bio-assay. The analysis of the amino acid content of the fish meal has since been confirmed by another laboratory 3 and it appears that an overestimation has been made by the bio-assay. Overestimation of the amino acid content by the chick growth method could have been due to (1) increased growth responses of the birds on the test diets brought about by so-called unidentified growth factors present in the fish meals but not in the amino acid mixture which was to simulate them, and/or (2) supplementing the 6 standard…
Challenges to the Violation-of-Expectation Paradigm: Throwing the Conceptual Baby Out With the Perceptual Processing Bathwater?

(2000). Challenges to the Violation-of-Expectation Paradigm: Throwing the Conceptual Baby Out With the Perceptual Processing Bathwater? Infancy: Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 471-477.
Ecosystem-service tradeoffs associated with switching from annual to perennial energy crops in riparian zones of the US Midwest.

Integration of energy crops into agricultural landscapes could promote sustainability if they are placed in ways that foster multiple ecosystem services and mitigate ecosystem disservices from existing crops. We conducted a modeling study to investigate how replacing annual energy crops with perennial energy crops along Wisconsin waterways could affect a variety of provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. We found that a switch from continuous corn production to perennial-grass production decreased annual income provisioning by 75%, although it increased annual energy provisioning by 33%, decreased annual phosphorous loading to surface water by 29%, increased below-ground carbon sequestration by 30%, decreased annual nitrous oxide emissions by 84%, increased an index of pollinator abundance by an average of 11%, and increased an index of biocontrol potential by an average of 6%. We expressed the tradeoffs between income provisioning and other ecosystem services as benefit-cost ratios. Benefit-cost ratios averaged 12.06 GJ of additional net energy, 0.84 kg of avoided phosphorus pollution, 18.97 Mg of sequestered carbon, and 1.99 kg of avoided nitrous oxide emissions for every $1,000 reduction in income. These ratios varied spatially, from 2- to 70-fold depending on the ecosystem service. Benefit-cost ratios for different ecosystem services were generally correlated within watersheds, suggesting the presence of hotspots – watersheds where increases in multiple ecosystem services would come at lower-than-average opportunity costs. When assessing the monetary value of ecosystem services relative to existing conservation programs and environmental markets, the overall value of enhanced services associated with adoption of perennial energy crops was far lower than the opportunity cost. However, when we monitized services using estimates for the social costs of pollution, the value of enhanced services far exceeded the opportunity cost. This disparity between recoverable costs and social value represents a fundamental challenge to expansion of perennial energy crops and sustainable agricultural landscapes.
Absence of continuous symmetry breaking in a one-dimensional n -2 model

For a one-dimensional array ofS N−1 spins (N ⩾ 2) with isotropic pair interactions (and more general systems) with J(j−i) obeying supn[n−1∑ 1 j 2|J(j)|]<∞, we prove that every equilibrium state is invariant under the natural action ofSO(N). In particular, there is no long-range order of the conventional type. Included is the caseJ(n)=n −2.
Unconditionally selective dependence of random variables on external factors

Selective influence of experimental factors upon observable or hypothetical random variables is a key concept in the analysis of processing architectures and response time decompositions. This paper deals with the notion of conditionally selective influence, defined as follows. Let {X1, em leader, Xn} be stochastically interdependent random variables (e.g., hypothetical components of response time), and let Phi be a set of external factors affecting the joint distribution of {X1, em leader, Xn}. A subset of factors &Lambdai conditionally selectively influences Xi if at any fixed values of the remaining random variables the conditional distribution of Xi only depends on factors inside &Lambdai. The notion of conditional selectivity generalizes the relationship between factors and random variables described in Townsend (1984) as "indirect nonselectivity." This paper establishes the structure of the joint distribution of {X1, em leader, Xn} that is necessary and sufficient for {X1, em leader, Xn} to be conditionally selectively influenced by (not necessarily disjoint) factor subsets {&Lambda1, em leader, Gamman}, respectively. The notion of conditional selectivity is compared to that of unconditional selectivity, defined as follows. A subset of factors &Gammai unconditionally selectively influences Xi if the latter can be presented as a deterministic function of &Gammai and of some random variables (the same for all Xi, i=1, em leader, n) whose joint distribution does not depend on any factors from Phi. The two forms of selective influence are generally incompatible. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.
Asymptotic convergence in finite and boundary element methods: part 2: The LBB constant for rigid and elastic scattering problems☆

Abstract The paper is a continuation of [1] and contains the evaluation of the (exact) LBB constant, in terms of the wave number, for typical problems (all with spherical geometry) in elastic scattering. Solutions to the problem of scattering of a plane wave on an elastic spherical shell, for different wave numbers, illustrate the dramatic effect of the magnitude of the LBB constant on the convergence.
Postharvest Circadian Entrainment Enhances Crop Pest Resistance and Phytochemical Cycling

The modular design of plants enables individual plant organs to manifest autonomous functions and continue aspects of metabolism, such as respiration, even after separation from the parent plant. Therefore, we hypothesized that harvested vegetables and fruits may retain capacity to perceive and respond to external stimuli. For example, the fitness advantage of plant circadian clock function is recognized; however, whether the clock continues to influence postharvest physiology is unclear. Here we demonstrate that the circadian clock of postharvest cabbage (Brassica oleracea) is entrainable by light-dark cycles and results in enhanced herbivore resistance. In addition, entrainment of Arabidopsis plants and postharvest cabbage causes cyclical accumulation of metabolites that function in plant defense; in edible crops, these metabolites also have potent anticancer properties. Finally, we show that the phenomena of postharvest entrainment and enhanced herbivore resistance are widespread among diverse crops. Therefore, sustained clock entrainment of postharvest crops may be a simple mechanism to promote pest resistance and nutritional value of plant-derived food.
Physiological correlates in migratory noctuids: the velvetbean caterpillar as a model

The effects of larval population density and food quality on the velvetbean caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hubner, were compared with investigations of other migratory noctuids. Crowded larvae of the velvetbean caterpillar responded with: (1) an increase in the degree of dark pigmentation; (2) a decrease in larval, pupal and adult size; (3) a prolongation of the larval stage and a decrease in weight gain in the ultimate stadium; and (4) low juvenile hormone and juvenile hormone esterase haemolymph titres. The effects of flight, throughout a 4 hr flight period, on the haemolymph titres and whole body contents of carbohydrate and lipid are presented for the velvetbean caterpillar and discussed relative to other noctuid moths. Total carbohydrate concentration decreased during the first 30–45 min of flight, and total fatty acid concentration increased during the first 30–60 min of flight, after which it declined and stabilized at preflight levels. Lipid reserves and the small amount of lipid depletion after long periods of flight indicated that velvetbean caterpillar adults are capable of making long distance movements in which lipid is the principal flight fuel. Juvenile hormone regulated the effect of density on larval colour, size and growth rate. Applications of juvenile hormone to crowded larvae increased the proportion of the lighter (green), larger and faster developing phase. This hormone action suggests that the juvenile hormone titre of crowded larvae is lower than that of uncrowded larvae. Genetic differentiation among populations of velvetbean caterpillars suggests that south-central United States populations originate from overwintering populations in Mexico or south Texas. A system has been developed, using pheromone-baited bucket-type traps, to investigate the population dynamics and migration of the velvetbean caterpillar in Louisiana and Texas.
Use of biotinylated plasmid DNA as a surrogate for HSV DNA to identify proteins that repress or activate viral gene expression

Abstract ICP0, a key herpes simplex virus regulatory protein, functions first in the nucleus and then in the cytoplasm. The duration of its nuclear sojourn in cells transfected with DNA and then infected is related to the quantity of transfected DNA. Furthermore, ICP0 transactivates both viral genes and genes encoded by the transfected DNA. The data support the hypothesis that ICP0 is retained in the nucleus until it completes the replacement of repressive chromatin with effector proteins that enable transcription of both DNA templates. To identify the effector proteins, we transfected cells with biotinylated DNA encoding a nonviral gene and then infected the cells with wild-type virus. Proteins bound to transfected biotinylated plasmid recovered from mock-treated and infected cells were identified using mass spectrometry followed by appropriate database search. The transfected DNA from mock-infected cells yielded proteins associated with repression, whereas DNA recovered from infected cells included proteins known to enable transcription and proteins that have not been previously associated with that role. To test the hypothesis that the proteins hitherto not known to associate with viral gene expression are nevertheless essential, we tested the role of the DEAD-box helicase Ddx17. We report that Ddx17 plays a critical role in the expression of early and late viral genes. Thus, biotinylated DNA recovered from transfected infected cells can function as a surrogate for viral DNA and is a rich source of proteins that play a role in viral gene expression but which have not been previously identified in that role.
Appetite monitoring in the treatment of Binge Eating Disorder

Twenty-nine women meeting criteria for Binge Eating Disorder (BED) were randomly assigned to Appetite Awareness Training (AAT; an 8-week cognitive-behavioral intervention) or a wait-list control. The goal of AAT is to establish an eating pattern in which: (a) the individual responds primarily to moderate (rather than strong) hunger and fullness cues; and (b) eating in response to non-appetite cues is minimized. The intervention uses an innovative form of self-monitoring based on appetite ratings rather than recording food intake. Compared to controls, AAT participants reported significantly greater reductions in both binge eating and overeating episodes; they did not report increased hunger nor did they gain weight. They also reported decreased urges to eat in several high-risk situations, and decreased symptoms of depression and social anxiety. Results provide initial support for the effectiveness of a form of cognitive behavior therapy utilizing appetite monitoring (AAT) and suggest that additional investigation of this intervention is warranted.
Geochemical coupling of uranium and phosphorous in soils overlying an unmined uranium deposit: Coles Hill, Virginia

Abstract The mineralogy and geochemistry of soils developed over the unmined Coles Hill uranium deposit (Virginia) were studied to determine how phosphorous influences the speciation of uranium in oxidizing soil/saprolite systems typical of the eastern US. Results from this study have implications for both uranium remediation (e.g. in situ stabilization) and uranium resource exploration (e.g. near-surface geochemical sampling). The primary uranium ore (coffinite and uraninite hosted in quartzo-feldspathic gneiss) weathers to saprolites containing the same uranium concentration as the underlying ore (approximately 1000 mg U/kg saprolites). In these water saturated (below water table) saprolites the uranium is retained as uranyl phosphates of the meta-autunite group (mainly meta-uranocircite). Above the water table the soils overlying the deposit contain approximately 200 mg uranium per kg soil (20 times higher than uranium concentrations in similar soils formed from unmineralized rocks adjacent to the deposit). In these unsaturated zone soils uranium is retained by two processes: (1) incorporation into barium–strontium–calcium aluminum phosphate minerals of the crandallite group (mainly gorceixite), and (2) sorption of uranium with phosphorous onto iron oxides that coat the surfaces of other soil minerals. Thermodynamic calculations suggest that the meta-autunite group minerals present in the saprolites below the water table are not stable in the unsaturated zone soils overlying the deposit due to the drop in soil pH from ∼ 6.0 down to ∼ 4.5. Mineralogical observations suggest that, once exposed to the unsaturated environment, the meta-autunite group minerals react to form U(VI)-bearing aluminum phosphates and U(VI) surface complexes or nano-precipitates associated with ferric oxides. These results therefore indicate that models predicting U(VI) speciation in phosphate amended soils must simultaneously account for variations in pH, ion activities (aluminum appears to be particularly important) and surface complexation with iron oxide mineral surfaces.
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND AGGREGATE SUPPLY FUNCTION

SUMMARY Aggregate economic activity is determined by the point of intersection between the aggregate demand function and the aggregate supply function. Recently, economists pay little attention to the determinants of aggregate supply function. Therefore, a gap remains between the quite well-advanced theories of the aggregate supply. In this paper I construct a model that describes the supply side of a macroeconomy. Within the framework of the Keynesian system and the classical system, the relationship between technological change and aggregate supply function is examined. It is shown that technological change will shift the aggregate supply function to the right.
Proton transfer reactions on semiconductor surfaces.

The concept of proton affinity on semiconductor surfaces has been explored through an investigation of the chemistry of amines on the Ge(100)-2 × 1, Si(100)-2 × 1, and C(100)-2 × 1 surfaces. Multiple internal reflection Fourier transform infrared (MIR-FTIR) spectroscopy, temperature programmed desorption (TPD), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used in the studies. We find that methylamine, dimethylamine, and trimethylamine undergo molecular chemisorption on the Ge(100)-2 × 1 surface through the formation of Ge−N dative bonds. In contrast, primary and secondary amines react on the Si(100)-2 × 1 surface via N−H dissociation. Since N−H dissociation of amines at semiconductor surfaces mimics a proton-transfer reaction, the difference in chemical reactivities of the Ge(100)-2 × 1 and Si(100)-2 × 1 surfaces toward N−H dissociation can be interpreted as a decrease of proton affinity down a group in the periodic table. The trend in proton affinities of the two surfaces is explained in terms o...
Computers, bibliography, and foreign language typography

Description d'un logiciel destine a la compilation et a la recherche de notices a l'interieur de bibliographies automatisees en sciences humaines. Les differents modules (edition, recherche) sont presentes en insistant sur le caractere international de ces bibliographies qui doivent par consequent reproduire les signes diacritiques des differentes langues representees
Genetic Modifiers of Cardiovascular Phenotype Caused by Elastin Haploinsufficiency Act by Extrinsic Noncomplementation

Elastin haploinsufficiency causes the cardiovascular complications associated with Williams-Beuren syndrome and isolated supravalvular aortic stenosis. Significant variability exists in the vascular pathology in these individuals. Using the Eln+/− mouse, we sought to identify the source of this variability. Following outcrossing of C57Bl/6J Eln+/−, two backgrounds were identified whose cardiovascular parameters deviated significantly from the parental strain. F1 progeny of the C57Bl/6J; Eln+/−x129X1/SvJ were more hypertensive and their arteries less compliant. In contrast, Eln+/− animals crossed to DBA/2J were protected from the pathologic changes associated with elastin insufficiency. Among the crosses, aortic elastin and collagen content did not correlate with quantitative vasculopathy traits. Quantitative trait locus analysis performed on F2 C57; Eln+/−x129 intercrosses identified highly significant peaks on chromosome 1 (LOD 9.7) for systolic blood pressure and on chromosome 9 (LOD 8.7) for aortic diameter. Additional peaks were identified that affect only Eln+/−, including a region upstream of Eln on chromosome 5 (LOD 4.5). Bioinformatic analysis of the quantitative trait locus peaks revealed several interesting candidates, including Ren1, Ncf1, and Nos1; genes whose functions are unrelated to elastic fiber assembly, but whose effects may synergize with elastin insufficiency to predispose to hypertension and stiffer blood vessels. Real time RT-PCR studies show background-specific increased expression of Ncf1 (a subunit of the NOX2 NAPDH oxidase) that parallel the presence of increased oxidative stress in Eln+/− aortas. This finding raises the possibility that polymorphisms in genes affecting the generation of reactive oxygen species alter cardiovascular function in individuals with elastin haploinsufficiency through extrinsic noncomplementation.
Growth of a new discipline

Abstract Nothing grows or lasts forever. Businesses, chemical reactions, phase transformations, new technologies, and, it is proposed, technical disciplines seem to exhibit a sigmoidal behavior in which they take time to appear (to ‘nucleate’); then grow, first at an increasing rate but before long increasingly slowly; until they flatten out. But is this saturation or exhaustion, if not death and demise, of a new technology or discipline inevitable? Chemical engineering, biomedical engineering and biotechnology, and nanotechnology are given as examples of what has happened, is happening, and might happen – if we are not careful!
Achieving service rate objectives with decay usage scheduling

Decay usage scheduling is a priority- and usage-based approach to CPU allocation in which preference is given to processes that have consumed little CPU in the recent past. The author develops an analytic model for decay usage schedulers running compute-bound workloads, such as those found in many engineering and scientific environments; the model is validated from measurements of a Unix system. This model is used in two ways. First, ways to parameterize decay usage schedulers are studied to achieve a wide range of service rates. Doing so requires a fine granularity of control and a large range of control. The results show that, for a fixed representation of process priorities a larger range of control makes the granularity of control coarser, and a finer granularity of control decreases the range of control. A second use of the analytic model is to construct a low overhead algorithms for achieving service rate objectives. Existing approaches require adding a feedback loop to the scheduler. This overhead is avoided by exploiting the feedback already present in decay usage schedulers. Using both empirical and analytical techniques, it is shown that the algorithm is effective and that it provides fairness when the system is over- or under-loaded. >
The Psychological Effects of Moving and Living Overseas

Abstract This study attempts to define distinctive attitudes and character traits found in American teenagers who have lived overseas in different locations for a considerable period of their lives. Such adolescents offer an extreme example of the risks and stresses of geographic relocation. Through the use of the Semantic Differential Technique and a sentence completion questionnaire, we compared the overseas adolescents with a group of high school students in the United States, matched with the overseas group for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and marital status of parents. Our findings suggest that the extent of geographic mobility, overseas residence, and sex significantly affect adolescent attitudes and personality patterns. The mobile overseas group reported less positive self concepts, greater insecurity about the future, less comfort and reliance on the support of interpersonal relationships, and less positive affect states.
Institutionalizing innovation: Key activities for market leadership☆

Abstract What distinguishes outstanding innovators from others: They understand that consistent innovation is the key to a company's competitive survival. So they are constantly looking for ways to change every aspect of their business - not just marketing - to serve customers better. To generate and sustain innovation all across the business, they consistently focus on these five keys: • - Creating a corporate work environment that values competitive performance above everything else. • - Structuring the organization to permit innovative ideas to rise above the demands of running the business. • - Clearly defining a strategic direction that lets the company channel its innovative efforts in ways that will pay off in their particular marketplace. • - Knowing where to look for good ideas and how to leverage them once they're found. • - Going after good ideas at full speed and marshalling the resources needed to ensure lasting success. I believe the following five steps will make your company more dynamic and innovative: • - Create a mind set that puts constant pressure on the organization to beat your specific competitors through innovation. • - Structure your organization to promote innovation instead of thwarting it as most do. • - Develop a realistic strategic focus to channel people's innovative efforts. • - Know where to look for innovative edges in your particular business. • - Throw the book at a few good ideas instead of spreading your resources around like butter on bread. Sounds simple because, of course, it is. But: it is a survival issue for most large corporations: • - Who are being “niched to death” by smaller competitors, and • - Outfoxed by global competitors who have taught themselves how to manage innovation more effectively.
MR Imaging of Neonatal Brain Infections

Infections of the brain in the postnatal period differ from those in older children as a result of a combination of distinct epidemiologic factors in general, and immaturity of neonatal brain and immunologic host response in particular. It has been recognized that clinical and neurologic signs are often nonspecific, sometimes scarce, and seldom correlate with the extent of neuroimaging findings, thus warranting an early MR imaging examination in the course of the disease, enabling rapid therapy institution and better clinical outcome. This article reviews most of postnatal pathogen agents involved in neonatal brain infections, related physiopathology, and neuroimaging findings.
A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Jury Size

In a series of opinions in the 1970s, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that juries smaller than 12 persons would be constitutional if they performed no differently than traditional 12-person juries. In a meta-analysis, we examined the effects of jury size on the criteria the court specified as the basis for making such comparisons. A search for all relevant empirical studies identified 17 that examined differences between 6- and 12-member juries. The total sample for the 17 studies was 2,061 juries involving some 15,000 individual jurors. Among other findings, it appears that larger juries are more likely than smaller juries to contain members of minority groups, deliberate longer, hang more often, and possibly recall trial testimony more accurately.
Model Organisms and Behavioral Genetics: A Rejoinder

In this rejoinder to the three preceding comments, I provide some additional philosophical warrant for the biomedical sciences' focus on model organisms. I then relate the inquiries on model systems to the concept of 'deep homology', and indicate that the issues that appear to divide my commentators and myself are in part empirical ones. I cite recent work on model organisms, and especially C. elegans that supports my views. Finally, I briefly readdress some of the issues raised by Developmental Systems Theory.
The mediational role of identification in the relationship between experience mode and self-efficacy: Enactive role-playing versus passive observation.

Abstract Based on Social Cognitive Theory, this study proposes a new concept—mediated enactive experience to understand game playing effects on self-efficacy in the context of a health promotion role-playing game. An experiment demonstrated that a mediated enactive experience afforded by game playing was more effective than a mediated observational experience provided by game watching in influencing self-efficacy. It was found that identification with the game character partially mediated the relationship between experience mode and self-efficacy.
Optimized precision of inversion-recovery T1 measurements for constrained scan time

Optimization of inversion-recovery (IR) measurements of T1 relaxation times has focused on the efficiency of T1 estimation (precision per unit time), without explicit consideration of the total experimental time. With the modified fast IR method, the repetition time (TR) is constant and each inversion time (TI) must be less than TR. For a fixed total experimental time in the absence of signal averaging, TR and the longest TI time must decrease as more TI times are added. This article investigates the number of TI times and their values to optimize the precision of T1 measurements when time constraints preclude signal averaging and limit the largest TI that can be acquired. If the longest TI is less than approximately three times the longest T1 of interest, then precision is optimum with only four TI times. Suggestions are given for selecting the optimum TI times for 1-16-fold ranges of T1 times relative to a given maximum T1.
Infrared laser spectroscopy of cations and anions

Velocity modulation detection employed with color center and diode lasers was used to study IR spectra of negative (OH−, NH 2 −) and positive (H3O+, NH 4 +, CF+, HNN+) ions, Far-IR laser techniques have been used to study OH+, H2O+, and ArH+. Details will be discussed.
Laser-induced shock-wave effects in materials

biological-type tissue. The emphasis is upon pressures large enough to cause prompt and substantive changes in thetissue; however, the basis is first laid for low amplitude pressures, namely sound waves, for which the mathematics issimpler due to the linearity and associated applicability of superposition. Even for small amplitudes, many of theimportant features exist that are also associated with shock waves; also, certain aspects of the behavior for largeamplitude pressure pulses can frequently be usefully approximated by assuming linearity. A brief discussion of thegeneration of pressure pulses by lasers is included.A thorough review of the properties of sound waves is given in the American Institute of Physics Handbook1; moredetailed references can be found there. A good treatment of shock waves is given in the two volume text by Zeldovichand Raizer2. Also, video tapes and/or lecture notes exist of informative courses given on shock waves by 0. E. Jonesand by D. B. Hayes both from Sandia National Laboratory and by J. M. Walsh from Los Alamos National Laboratory.These are probably available from the authors but are also available at the Applied Science Proficiency Program at LosAlamos National Laboratory (contact: Bert Kortegaard, Phone 505-665-3316). Information relating to laser-inducedpressure pulses can be found in a review ofpulsed-laser effects phenomenology by R. S. Dingus3.2. SOUND WAVES
Polymer-derived ceramic composite fibers with aligned pristine multiwalled carbon nanotubes.

Polymer-derived ceramic fibers with aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are fabricated through the electrospinning of polyaluminasilazane solutions with well-dispersed MWCNTs followed by pyrolysis. Poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-poly (poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate) (P3HT-b-PPEGA), a conjugated block copolymer compatible with polyaluminasilazane, is used to functionalize MWCNT surfaces with PPEGA, providing a noninvasive approach to disperse carbon nanotubes in polyaluminasilazane chloroform solutions. The electrospinning of the MWCNT/polyaluminasilazane solutions generates polymer fibers with aligned MWCNTs where MWCNTs are oriented along the electrospun jet by a sink flow. The subsequent pyrolysis of the obtained composite fibers produces ceramic fibers with aligned MWCNTs. The study of the effect of polymer and CNT concentration on the fiber structures shows that the fiber size increases with the increment of polymer concentration, whereas higher CNT content in the polymer solutions l...
Sculpting shapes that don't exist

In his work, sculptor Tony Cragg explores the places that occupy the emptiness between our everyday objects.
Accrediting Culture: An Analysis of Tribal and Historically Black College Curricula

Using data gleaned from catalogs and bulletins for a sample of 28 tribal, 33 historically black, and 30 “mainstream” colleges, the author analyzes the number of courses that focus explicitly and ex...
An empirical study of realvideo performance across the internet

The tremendous increase in computer power and bandwidth connectivity has fueled the growth of streaming video over the Internet to the desktop. While there have been large scale empirical studies of Internet, Web and multimedia traffic, the performance of popular Internet streaming video technologies and the impact of streaming video on the Internet is still largely unkown. This paper presents analysis from a wide-scale empirical study of RealVideo traffic from several Internet servers to many geographically diverse users. We find typical RealVideos to have high quality, achieving an average frame rate of 10 frames per second and very smooth playout, but very few videos achieve full-motion frame rates. Overall video performance is most influenced by the bandwidth of the end-user connection to the Internet, but high-bandwidth Internet connections are pushing the video performance bottleneck closer to the server.
Ergonomics considerations in hand and wrist tendinitis

The objectives of this article are to present (1) a historical perspective on hand and wrist tendinitis in workers, (2) new data that demonstrate a relationship between the repetitiveness and forcefulness of manual work and the prevalence of tendinitis, (3) possible biomechanical factors in tendinitis, and (4) possible job modifications for the prevention of tendinitis. Numerous studies during the last 100 years show that tendinitis is a major cause of worker suffering and workers' compensation in intensive hand work. Epidemiologic data show that the risk of hand and wrist tendinitis in persons who perform highly repetitive and forceful jobs is 29 times greater than in persons who perform jobs that are low in repetitiveness and force. A possible factor in this relationship is viscous deformation of the tendons and adjacent tissues. Although these data suggest that the risk of tendinitis among workers can be reduced by reduction of the repetitiveness and the forcefulness of the work, this hypothesis has not yet been fully tested.
A stirred microchamber for oxygen consumption rate measurements with pancreatic islets

Improvements in pancreatic islet transplantation for treatment of diabetes are hindered by the absence of meaningful islet quality assessment methods. Oxygen consumption rate (OCR) has previously been used to assess the quality of organs and primary tissue for transplantation. In this study, we describe and characterize a stirred microchamber for measuring OCR with small quantities of islets. The device has a titanium body with a chamber volume of about 200 microL and is magnetically stirred and water jacketed for temperature control. Oxygen partial pressure (pO(2)) is measured by fluorescence quenching with a fiber optic probe, and OCR is determined from the linear decrease of pO(2) with time. We demonstrate that measurements can be made rapidly and with high precision. Measurements with betaTC3 cells and islets show that OCR is directly proportional to the number of viable cells in mixtures of live and dead cells and correlate linearly with membrane integrity measurements made with cells that have been cultured for 24 h under various stressful conditions.
Potential distractions and unsafe driving behaviors among drivers of 1- to 12-year-old children.

Abstract Objective Driver distraction has been identified as a threat to individual drivers and public health. Motor vehicle collisions remain a leading cause of death for children, yet little is known about distractions among drivers of children. This study sought to characterize potential distractions among drivers of children. Methods A 2-site, cross-sectional, computerized survey of child passenger safety practices was conducted among adult drivers of 1- to 12-year-old children who presented for emergency care between October 2011 to May 2012. Drivers indicated the frequency with which they engaged in 10 potential distractions in the past month while driving with their child. Distractions were grouped in 4 categories: 1) nondriving, 2) cellular phone, 3) child, and 4) directions. Information about other unsafe driving behaviors and sociodemographic characteristics was collected. Results Nearly 90% of eligible parents participated. Analysis included 570 drivers (92.2%). Non-driving-related and cellular phone–related distractions were disclosed by >75% of participants. Fewer participants disclosed child (71.2%) and directions-related distractions (51.9%). Child age was associated with each distraction category. Cellular phone–related distractions were associated with the child riding daily in the family car, non-Hispanic white, and higher education. Parents admitting to drowsy driving and being pulled over for speeding had over 2 times higher odds of disclosing distractions from each category. Conclusions Distracted driving activities are common among drivers of child passengers and are associated with other unsafe driving behaviors. Child passenger safety may be improved by preventing crash events through the reduction or elimination of distractions among drivers of child passengers.
Development of a next-generation NIL library in Arabidopsis thaliana for dissecting complex traits

Background: The identification of the loci and specific alleles underlying variation in quantitative traits is an important goal for evolutionary biologists and breeders. Despite major advancements in genomics technology, moving from QTL to causal alleles remains a major challenge in genetics research. Near-isogenic lines are the ideal raw material for QTL validation, refinement of QTL location and, ultimately, gene discovery. Results: In this study, a population of 75 Arabidopsis thaliana near-isogenic lines was developed from an existing recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between physiologically divergent accessions Kas-1 and Tsu-1. First, a novel algorithm was developed to utilize genome-wide marker data in selecting RILs fully isogenic to Kas-1 for a single chromosome. Seven such RILs were used in 2 generations of crossing to Tsu-1 to create BC1 seed. BC1 plants were genotyped with SSR markers so that lines could be selected that carried Kas-1 introgressions, resulting in a population carrying chromosomal introgressions spanning the genome. BC1 lines were genotyped with 48 genome-wide SSRs to identify lines with a targeted Kas-1 introgression and the fewest genomic introgressions elsewhere. 75 such lines were selected and genotyped at an additional 41 SNP loci and another 930 tags using 2b-RAD genotyping by sequencing. The final population carried an average of 1.35 homozygous and 2.49 heterozygous introgressions per line with average introgression sizes of 5.32 and 5.16 Mb, respectively. In a simple case study, we demonstrate the advantage of maintaining heterozygotes in our library whereby fine-mapping efforts are conducted simply by self-pollination. Crossovers in the heterozygous interval during this single selfing generation break the introgression into smaller, homozygous fragments (sub-NILs). Additionally, we utilize a homozygous NIL for validation of a QTL underlying stomatal conductance, a low heritability trait. Conclusions: The present results introduce a new and valuable resource to the Brassicaceae research community that enables rapid fine-mapping of candidate loci in parallel with QTL validation. These attributes along with dense marker coverage and genome-wide chromosomal introgressions make this population an ideal starting point for discovery of genes underlying important complex traits of agricultural and ecological significance.
A domain-specific modeling language for scientific data composition and interoperability

Domain-Specific Modeling Languages (DSMLs) can offer assistance to domain experts, who may not be computer scientists, by providing notations and semantic constructs that align with abstractions from a particular domain. In this paper, we describe our design and application of a DSML in the area of data composition and interoperability. In particular, we introduce our recent effort to design a DSML to assist with interoperability issues across scientific software applications (e.g., composing scientific data in different file structures and integrating scientific data with data gathering devices). Currently, several different scientific data file specifications have been proposed (e.g., CID, netCDF, and HDF). Each file specification is optimized to manage a specific data type efficiently. Thus, each file specification has evolved with slightly different notions and implementation technologies. These differences led to the need for an environment that provides interoperability among the different specification formats. In this paper, we introduce our framework, supported by a DSML, that provides functionality to visually model the data composition and integration concepts independent from a particular data file specification.
Behavioral Effects of Prolonged Partial Social Isolation in the Rhesus Monkey

48 rhesus monkeys, reared from birth in partial social isolation and ranging in age from 2 mo. to 13½ yr., and 12 feral-born monkeys, comparable in age to the 12 oldest partial isolates, were each ...
Compressive sensing TDOA for UWB positioning systems

The theory of Compressed Sensing (CS) is applied to Ultra-Wideband (UWB) positioning systems to obtain high resolution UWB pulses and achieve high performance. A Fast Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (FOMP) algorithm is proposed and embedded in the Time Difference Of Arrival (TDOA) algorithm for fast object positioning. Our pipelined FOMP TDOA algorithm outperforms the traditional serial OMP TDOA method. Simulation results have demonstrated that the CS-based UWB positioning system using the FOMP TDOA algorithm has the potential to achieve sub-mm positioning accuracy while still using very low sampling rate ADCs. Additionally, results are not sensitive to the tag location relative to base stations which is unavoidable drawback of geometrical dilution of accuracy in the sequential sampling method.
Citation-based bootstrapping for large-scale author disambiguation

We present a new, two-stage, self-supervised algorithm for author disambiguation in large bibliographic databases. In the first “bootstrap” stage, a collection of high-precision features is used to bootstrap a training set with positive and negative examples of coreferring authors. A supervised feature-based classifier is then trained on the bootstrap clusters and used to cluster the authors in a larger unlabeled dataset. Our self-supervised approach shares the advantages of unsupervised approaches (no need for expensive hand labels) as well as supervised approaches (a rich set of features that can be discriminatively trained). The algorithm disambiguates 54,000,000 author instances in Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge with B3 F1 of.807. We analyze parameters and features, particularly those from citation networks, which have not been deeply investigated in author disambiguation. The most important citation feature is self-citation, which can be approximated without expensive extraction of the full network. For the supervised stage, the minor improvement due to other citation features (increasing F1 from.748 to.767) suggests they may not be worth the trouble of extracting from databases that don't already have them. A lean feature set without expensive abstract and title features performs 130 times faster with about equal F1. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Major Pulmonary Embolism: Review of a Pathophysiologic Approach to the Golden Hour of Hemodynamically Significant Pulmonary Embolism

Major pulmonary embolism (PE) results whenever the combination of embolism size and underlying cardiopulmonary status interact to produce hemodynamic instability. Physical findings and standard data crudely estimate the severity of the embolic event in patients without prior cardiopulmonary disease (CPD) but are unreliable indicators in patients with prior CPD. In either case, the presence of shock defines a threefold to sevenfold increase in mortality, with a majority of deaths occurring within 1 h of presentation. A rapid integration of historical information and physical findings with readily available laboratory data and a structured physiologic approach to diagnosis and resuscitation are necessary for optimal therapeutics in this "golden hour." Echocardiography is ideal because it is transportable, and is capable of differentiating shock states and recognizing the characteristic features of PE. Spiral CT scanning is evolving to replace angiography as a confirmatory study in this population. Thrombolytic therapy is acknowledged as the treatment of choice, with embolectomy reserved for those in whom thrombolysis is contraindicated.