cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electronic Health Records and Community Health Surveillance of Childhood Obesity

Background Childhood obesity remains a public health concern, and tracking local progress may require local surveillance systems. Electronic health record data may provide a cost-effective solution. Purpose To demonstrate the feasibility of estimating childhood obesity rates using de-identified electronic health records for the purpose of public health surveillance and health promotion. Methods Data were extracted from the Public Health Information Exchange (PHINEX) database. PHINEX contains de-identified electronic health records from patients primarily in south central Wisconsin. Data on children and adolescents (aged 2–19 years, 2011–2012, n =93,130) were transformed in a two-step procedure that adjusted for missing data and weighted for a national population distribution. Weighted and adjusted obesity rates were compared to the 2011–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Data were analyzed in 2014. Results The weighted and adjusted obesity rate was 16.1% (95% CI=15.8, 16.4). Non-Hispanic white children and adolescents (11.8%, 95% CI=11.5, 12.1) had lower obesity rates compared to non-Hispanic black (22.0%, 95% CI=20.7, 23.2) and Hispanic (23.8%, 95% CI=22.4, 25.1) patients. Overall, electronic health record–derived point estimates were comparable to NHANES, revealing disparities from preschool onward. Conclusions Electronic health records that are weighted and adjusted to account for intrinsic bias may create an opportunity for comparing regional disparities with precision. In PHINEX patients, childhood obesity disparities were measurable from a young age, highlighting the need for early intervention for at-risk children. The electronic health record is a cost-effective, promising tool for local obesity prevention efforts.
The evaluation of virtual environment training for a building clearing task

This paper combines data from two experiments that evaluated the effectiveness of different virtual environments (VEs) for training the task of building clearing. 112 subjects were divided into 28 ...
Measurement of the Pfirsch-Schlüter and bootstrap currents in a stellarator

The Proto-Cleo stellarator has parameters that are sufficient to generate values of equilibrium (Pfirsch-Schl\"uter) currents and diffusion-driven (bootstrap) currents of magnitude large enough to permit local measurement of these currents with probes inserted in the plasma. Symmetric and antisymmetric components of the current yielded minor radial profiles that are consistent in magnitude, direction, and scaling with predicted values of Pfirsch-Schl\"uter and bootstrap currents.
A New Semiconductor Tetrode-The Surface-Potential Controlled Transistor

The theory and operating characteristics of a new semiconductor tetrode is discussed in this paper. This semiconductor junction device has the usual geometry of the planar transistor, but with an additional metal electrode placed on the oxide which covers the surface of the emitter-base junction. This electrode serves as a grid. The grid-base voltage controls the surface potential, surface recombination rate and the size of the surface channel, and thereby the current gain of the transistor. In the common emitter connection the grid serves as a second input in addition to the base input. Input impedance of the grid is typically in the range of 1 to 100 pf and 1015 ohms. Transconductances dIC/dVGE of several thousand micromhos have been achieved in the common emitter connection. The cutoff frequency of the transconductance is approximately the same as that of the hfe.
Reduced scan time three-dimensional FLAIR using modulated inversion and repetition time

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study is to design and evaluate a new reduced scan time three-dimensional (3D) FLuid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) sequence. METHODS The 3D FLAIR sequence was modified so that the repetition time was modulated in a predetermined smooth manner (3D mFLAIR). Inversion times were adjusted accordingly to maintain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) suppression. Simulations were performed to determine SNR for gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and CSF. Fourteen volunteers were imaged using the modified and product sequence. SNR measurements were performed in GM, WM, and CSF. Mean value and the 95% confidence interval ([CI]) were assessed. Scan time for the 3D FLAIR and 3D mFLAIR sequences was measured. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference in the SNR measured in GM (P value = 0.5; mean SNR = 42.8 [CI]: 38.2-45.5 versus 42.2 [CI]: 38.3-46.1 for 3D FLAIR and 3D mFLAIR, respectively) and WM (P value = 0.25; mean SNR = 32.1 [CI]: 30.3-33.8 versus 32.9 [CI]: 31.1-34.7). Scan time reduction greater than 30% was achieved for the given parameter set with the 3D mFLAIR sequence. CONCLUSION Scan time for 3D FLAIR can be effectively reduced by modulating repetition and inversion time in a predetermined manner while maintaining the SNR and CNR of a constant TR sequence.
An imaging system correlating lip shapes with tongue contact patterns for speech pathology research

In this research, an imaging system was built to work with a newly developed electronic device to help people produce sounds correctly. The system consists of two parts, the internal tongue contact pattern data collection and the external lip shape information analysis. The tongue position information was gathered using the palatometer, an innovative tongue contact pattern-tracking device invented by Dr. Samuel Fletcher. The lip shape information was collected by processing images taken from people articulating different sounds. We developed an efficient color image segmentation technique to extract lip contour points and form a closed curve for shape analysis. The geometry invariant turn function vs. normalized length was then calculated for the lip shape for each sound and compared against the turn function of the lips in a resting position to quantify their variations from this reference. Both internal (vocal tract) and external (visible lip shape) information was collected for each of the speech sounds. The lip shape information extracted from the images was then correlated with tongue position information. The test results showed that this imaging system can be used to quantify the lip shape information and its relations with the tongue position and is a potentially useful tool for speech pathology research.
Emerging device nanotechnology for future high-speed and energy-efficient VLSI: Challenges and opportunities

Emerging device nanotechnologies as well as their integration on large silicon wafers present both challenges and opportunities for future high-speed and energy-efficient digital VLSI applications.
Line soliton interactions of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation.

We study soliton solutions of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili II equation $(\ensuremath{-}4{u}_{t}+6u{u}_{x}+3{u}_{xxx}{)}_{x}+{u}_{yy}=0$ in terms of the amplitudes and directions of the interacting solitons. In particular, we classify elastic $N$-soliton solutions, namely, solutions for which the number, directions, and amplitudes of the $N$ asymptotic line solitons as $y\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ coincide with those of the $N$ asymptotic line solitons as $y\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\infty}$. We also show that the $(2N\ensuremath{-}1)!!$ types of solutions are uniquely characterized in terms of the individual soliton parameters, and we calculate the soliton position shifts arising from the interactions.
A VLSI DSP chip for real time iterative deconvolution

The design of a CMOS VLSI chip to perform real-time iterative deconvolution is presented. A bit-level systolic array architecture for convolution, multiplication, and addition is used to implement the circuit. A brief introduction to the iterative deconvolution problem is also given. Simulations done to data have shown that the systolic array portions of the chip will yield satisfactory throughput for millions of iterations per second. >
Impact of Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptor Blockade on Experimental Radiation Nephropathy

Abstract Moulder, J. E., Fish, B. L. and Cohen, E. P. Impact of Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptor Blockade on Experimental Radiation Nephropathy. Radiat. Res. 161, 312–317 (2004). In the rat, blockade of angiotensin II type 1 receptors diminishes the functional changes that occur after kidney irradiation. It has been hypothesized that some of the beneficial effects of angiotensin II type 1 blockers in renal disease are caused by a rise in angiotensin II that stimulates the angiotensin II type 2 receptor. If this hypothesis applied in this model, blockade of the type 2 receptor should exacerbate radiation nephropathy and/or counteract the beneficial effects of type 1 receptor blockade. To assess this hypothesis, rats were given total-body irradiation plus bone marrow transplantation and then treated for 12 weeks with a type 1 receptor blocker (L158,809), a type 2 blocker (PD123319), both blockers, or no blockers. Rats were assessed for renal function (proteinuria, hypertension, azotemia) and renal failure for...
Combining match scores with liveness values in a fingerprint verification system

We discuss the problem of combining biometric match scores with liveness measure values in the context of fingerprint verification. Recent literature has focused on the development of methods to assess if an input fingerprint sample is a “live” entity or a “spoof” artefact. This is commonly done by generating a single-valued numerical entity referred to as the liveness measure value. However, the problem of combining this liveness value with match scores has not been rigorously investigated. The goal of this work is to design a framework in which a liveness detector is incorporated with a fingerprint matcher. We first design and analyze three different methods to combine match scores with liveness values. Next, we introduce a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) scheme that models the relationship between match scores and liveness values. Experiments carried out on a publicly available database of the Fingerprint Liveness Detection Competition 2009 (LivDet09) show the effectiveness of assuming a certain degree of influence of liveness values on match scores.
Imaging guidelines for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with endovascular stent grafts.

ACCURATE, high-quality and standardized imaging interpreted by well trained observers is essential for the successful screening, staging and treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) with endovascular stent grafts. The optimal imaging modalities and protocols vary for preprocedural, intraprocedural, and postprocedural issues. They may also vary for any given patient. However, the goal of this document is to recommend imaging modality and protocol preferences for the majority of patients being considered for this technology. The current imaging modalities that have been successfully used in this technology are fluoroscopy, plain radiography, computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography (US), intravascular US, and magnetic resonance imaging, and catheter angiography. No single one of these modalities can adequately address all the questions that need to be answered when attempting to care for the patient. Each modality has its own strengths and weaknesses. The preferential utilization of these modalities in any given case should consider issues of relative cost, radiation exposure risk, invasiveness, contrast necessity and tolerance, availability, reproducibility, ease of interpretation and performance in all patients. Also, the imaging modalities should be applicable to all the current device designs. With this in mind, the following recommendations are made: Preprocedural imaging. The goals of preprocedural imaging are:
Weber and Anthropology

▪ Abstract This article is about the influence of the work of the German sociologist Max Weber (1864–1920) on English-speaking anthropologists. Although Weber does not figure prominently in the history of anthropology, his work has, nonetheless, had a profound influence on anthropological methodology and theoretical thinking on the relationship between religion and political economy. The “interpretive anthropology” first developed by Geertz has roots in Weber's “interpretive sociology.” Bourdieu's “theory of practice” is also strongly Weberian in character. The anthropological study of religion, and particularly the debate over the foundations of this field between Geertz and Asad, is reconsidered in light of Weber's sociology of religion. His comparative study of the ethics of the world's religions and particularly the “Weber thesis” about the relationship between religion and the development of bourgeois capitalism are shown to have been the foundation for a large body of anthropological research on rel...
PRIVACY AND SEXUAL SHAME IN CROSS-CULTURAL DISCUSSION

Public concern and negative sentiments toward sexuality lead to a context of sexual constraint. This constraint causes unacknowledged shame, which in tum triggers anger and rage associated with its source. As a result people try to achieve privacy of their sexuality to retreat from public concern. Antithetical to the ideal type of sexually constrained societies, there are societies that provide sexual emancipation. Here, societies allow sexual self-determination, concern in sexuality diminishes and individual privacy is a form of independence. If people become sexually emancipated, sexual identities are less likely to be stigmatized, and sexual shame is less prevalent. Legal regulations and public policies in the contemporary United States are used in cross-cultural comparison to Germany to illustrate the discussion about privacy and sexual shame.
The effect of axillary hair on surgical antisepsis around the shoulder.

Background Infection after shoulder surgery can have devastating consequences. Recent literature has implicated Propionibacterium acnes as a causative agent for postoperative shoulder infections. Axillary hair removal has been suggested as a method for infection prevention, although data quantifying its effect on the bacterial load around the shoulder are lacking. Methods We clipped one randomly selected axilla in 85 healthy male volunteers with commercially available surgical clippers. Aerobic and anaerobic culture specimens were taken from the clipped and unclipped axillae. Each shoulder was then prepared with 2% chlorhexidine gluconate and 70% isopropyl alcohol. Repeated culture specimens were then taken from both axillae. Cultures were held for 14 days and recorded with a semiquantitative system (0-4 points). Results were compared by the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results There was no difference in the burden of P. acnes between the clipped and unclipped axillae before or after surgical preparation ( P = .109, P = .344, respectively). There was a significantly greater bacterial burden in the clipped shoulder compared with the unclipped shoulder before preparation ( P P = .285). There was a significant reduction in total bacterial load and P. acnes load for both axillae after surgical preparation ( P Conclusions Removal of axillary hair has no effect on the burden of P. acnes in the axilla. Clipped axillae had a higher total bacterial burden. A 2% chlorhexidine gluconate surgical preparation is effective at removal of all bacteria and specifically P. acnes from the axilla.
Nutrition and physical activity randomized control trial in child care centers improves knowledge, policies, and children's body mass index

Background: To address the public health crisis of overweight and obese preschool-age children, the Nutrition And Physical Activity Self Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) intervention was delivered by nurse child care health consultants with the objective of improving child care provider and parent nutrition and physical activity knowledge, center-level nutrition and physical activity policies and practices, and children’s body mass index (BMI). Methods: A seven-month randomized control trial was conducted in 17 licensed child care centers serving predominantly low income families in California, Connecticut, and North Carolina, including 137 child care providers and 552 families with racially and ethnically diverse children three to five years old. The NAP SACC intervention included educational workshops for child care providers and parents on nutrition and physical activity and consultation visits provided by trained nurse child care health consultants. Demographic characteristics and pre - and post-workshop knowledge surveys were completed by providers and parents. Blinded research assistants reviewed each center’s written health and safety policies, observed nutrition and physical activity practices, and measured randomly selected children’s nutritional intake, physical activity, and height and weight pre- and post-intervention. Results: Hierarchical linear models and multiple regression models assessed individual- and center-level changes in knowledge, policies, practices and age- and sex-specific standardized body mass index (zBMI), controlling for state, parent education, and poverty level. Results showed significant increases in providers’ and parents’ knowledge of nutrition and physical activity, center-level improvements in policies, and child-level changes in children’s zBMI based on 209 children in the intervention and control centers at both pre- and post-intervention time points. Conclusions: The NAP SACC intervention, as delivered by trained child health professionals such as child care health consultants, increases provider knowledge, improves center policies, and lowers BMI for children in child care centers. More health professionals specifically trained in a nutrition and physical activity intervention in child care are needed to help reverse the obesity epidemic.
Enrichment in Pre-Kindergarten Life Predicts Initiation of Cigarette Smoking in Asian American and Hispanic/Latino Adolescents

The risk of tobacco use during adolescence may be traced back to early childhood, the time when a child is most vulnerable to environmental influence. We examined daily-life enrichment during pre-kindergarten period as a predictor of initiation of cigarette smoking among Asian American and Hispanic/Latino children during adolescence. Survey data were collected from students in grades seven to nine in California. Among the 2,719 participants who completed the survey, 37% were Asian American and 44% were Hispanic/Latino. Five aspects of childhood life before kindergarten were assessed, including having lots of toys for the child, parents' read to the child often, having a plenty of good food for the child, bringing the child to travel, and parents spending adequate time with the child. Findings from our research indicate that children with more enriched early childhood are less likely to start smoking during adolescence. Consequently, enhancing daily life during early childhood may represent a new strategy for adolescent smoking prevention.
Experimental evidence for route integration and strategic planning in wild capuchin monkeys

Both in captivity and the wild, primates are found to travel mostly to the nearest available resource, but they may skip over the closest resource and travel to more distant resources, which are often found to be more productive. This study examines the tradeoff between distance and reward in the foraging choices of one group of wild capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella nigritus) using feeding platforms in large-scale foraging experiments conducted over four years. Three feeding sites were arrayed in an oblique triangle, such that once the monkey group had chosen one site to feed, they had a choice between two remaining sites, a close one with less food and the other up to 2.3 times as far away but with more food. Sites were provisioned once per day. The capuchins generally chose the closer feeding site, even when the more distant site offered up to 12 times as much food. The distances to, rewards of, or various profitability measures applied to each alternative site individually did not explain the group's choices in ways consistent with foraging theory or principles of operant psychology. The group's site choices were predicted only by comparing efficiency measures of entire foraging pathways: (1) direct travel to the more rewarding distant site, versus (2) the longer 'detour' through the closer site on the way to the more distant one. The group chose the detour more often when the reward was larger and the added detour distance shorter. They appeared to be more sensitive to the absolute increase in detour distance than to the relative increase compared to the straight route. The qualitative and quantitative results agree with a simple rule: do not use the detour unless the energy gain from extra food outweighs the energy cost of extra travel. These results suggest that members of this group integrate information on spatial location, reward, and perhaps potential food competition in their choice of multi-site foraging routes, with important implications for social foraging.
Technological Choice in Voluntary Standards Committees: An Empirical Analysis.

Vendors frequently compete to have their technology adopted as part of a voluntary consensus standard. In this paper we report the results of an empirical study of the factors that influence the choice of technologies in voluntary technical standards committees. Participation in standards committees is viewed as an aspect of the product development process of corporations involved in markets where network externalities are present. The factors hypothesized to affect the technology decision are: the market power of the coalition sponsoring the technology, the installed base of the products containing the technology, the size of the firms that make up the coalition, the promotional activities of the sponsors (such as technical contributions submitted), the perceived superiority of the technology, and the political skills of the coalition. These hypotheses were tested by collecting data concerning specific technical decisions that were made in several standards committees in the area of computer communicatio...
Prototype reasoning and knowledge creation using granular objects

We introduce a general framework which we call prototype based reasoning. We explain its role as a technology for knowledge discovery We look at some types of prototype based reasoning systems. First we consider nearest neighbor based systems. We then look at fuzzy rule based models and view these as prototype based reasoning. This unified perspective allows us to extend the capabilities of fuzzy modeling technology in a number of directions.
Applying authorship analysis to extremist-group Web forum messages

The speed, ubiquity, and potential anonymity of Internet media - email, Web sites, and Internet forums - make them ideal communication channels for militant groups and terrorist organizations. Analyzing Web content has therefore become increasingly important to the intelligence and security agencies that monitor these groups. Authorship analysis can assist this activity by automatically extracting linguistic features from online messages and evaluating stylistic details for patterns of terrorist communication. However, authorship analysis techniques are rooted in work with literary texts, which differ significantly from online communication. To explore these problems, we modified an existing framework for analyzing online authorship and applied it to Arabic and English Web forum messages associated with known extremist groups. We developed a special multilingual model - the set of algorithms and related features - to identify Arabic messages, gearing this model toward the language's unique characteristics. Furthermore, we incorporated a complex message extraction component to allow the use of a more comprehensive set of features tailored specifically toward online messages. Evaluating the linguistic features of Web messages and comparing them to known writing styles offers the intelligence community a tool for identifying patterns of terrorist communication.
Bicycle-Related Injuries to Children and Parental Attitudes Regarding Bicycle Safety

This study was designed to evaluate bicycle-related injuries among children requiring emergency treatment, assess the use of safety measures before and after injuries, and determine parental attitudes regarding bicycle safety. Six hundred fifty-eight children were treated for bicycle-related injuries during the study period. Follow-up contact with patients' families was made by telephone or mail within 2 months. Use of safety equipment other than brakes and reflectors occurred in less than 7% of cases. Less than 25% of children used hand signals. Sixty-eight percent of children reportedly owned a bicycle helmet before the injury, but only 26.1% "always" and 29.7% "never" wore a helmet. Given the high parental understanding of the importance of bicycle helmet use, more education and warnings alone are unlikely to increase helmet usage. Parents support a mandatory helmet use law, and therefore, local and state bicycle helmet ordinances and laws should be combined with education.
A TEMPERATURE-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL FOR THE PARASITE BRACON MELLITOR (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE),

The influence of temperature on the development of immature stages of Bracon mellitor Say, a braconid parasite of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, was studied at a series of constant and variable temperatures. Resulting developmental rates and times were compatible with recent advances in the theory of thermal responses exhibited by poikilotherms. Mean development times recorded were in close agreement with predictions calculated from a previously derived absolute reaction rate development model. Bracon mellitor cohort developmental data were also checked against a prototype stochastic cohort development model. In this comparison, observed and predicted probability distributions agreed for constant and variable day/night temperature regimes but showed some differences under sinusoidal temperature regimes.
Dual band dielectric resonator antenna mounted on a defected ground plane

A new dual band dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) for WLAN band is presented. The DRA is excited by a vertical strip attached to the DRA, which is connected to a 50 Ω microstrip line on a defected ground plane. The deformed ground plane has a conducting strip under the DRA that cause the first resonance at 2.4 GHz. The second band is wide with 44% bandwidth between 5 to 8 GHz due to the dielectric resonator and the vertical strip excitation.
Fundamental Difference in the Content of High-Mannose Carbohydrate in the HIV-1 and HIV-2 Lineages

The virus-encoded envelope proteins of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) typically contain 26 to 30 sites for N-linked carbohydrate attachment. N-linked carbohydrate can be of three major types: high mannose, complex, or hybrid. The lectin proteins from Galanthus nivalis (GNA) and Hippeastrum hybrid (HHA), which specifically bind high-mannose carbohydrate, were found to potently inhibit the replication of a pathogenic cloned SIV from rhesus macaques, SIVmac239. Passage of SIVmac239 in the presence of escalating concentrations of GNA and HHA yielded a lectin-resistant virus population that uniformly eliminated three sites (of 26 total) for N-linked carbohydrate attachment (Asn-X-Ser or Asn-X-Thr) in the envelope protein. Two of these sites were in the gp120 surface subunit of the envelope protein (Asn244 and Asn460), and one site was in the envelope gp41 transmembrane protein (Asn625). Maximal resistance to GNA and HHA in a spreading infection was conferred to cloned variants that lacked all three sites in combination. Variant SIV gp120s exhibited dramatically decreased capacity for binding GNA compared to SIVmac239 gp120 in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Purified gp120s from six independent HIV type 1 (HIV-1) isolates and two SIV isolates from chimpanzees (SIVcpz) consistently bound GNA in ELISA at 3- to 10-fold-higher levels than gp120s from five SIV isolates from rhesus macaques or sooty mangabeys (SIVmac/sm) and four HIV-2 isolates. Thus, our data indicate that characteristic high-mannose carbohydrate contents have been retained in the cross-species transmission lineages for SIVcpz-HIV-1 (high), SIVsm-SIVmac (low), and SIVsm-HIV-2 (low).
Peer mentorship program on HIV/AIDS knowledge, beliefs, and prevention attitudes among orphaned adolescents: an evidence based practice

Adolescents and young adults in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are particularly vulnerable to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) infection. Adolescents orphaned as a direct result of HIV/AIDS are at an elevated risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. However, limited empirical evidence exists on HIV knowledge and prevention programs, especially those designed to address HIV information gaps among adolescents. This study evaluates the effect of a peer mentorship program provided in addition to other supportive services on HIV/AIDS knowledge, beliefs, and prevention attitudes, among school-going orphaned adolescents in southern Uganda. We utilize data from the Bridges to the Future Study, a 5-year longitudinal randomized experimental study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Out of the 1410 adolescents enrolled in the study (average age = 12.7 at study initiation), 855 of them participated in a nine-session, curriculum based peer mentorship program. We analyzed data collected at baseline and 12-months post intervention initiation. The results from bivariate and regression analysis indicate that, controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, adolescents who participated in a peer mentorship program were more likely than non-participants to report increased scores on HIV/AIDS knowledge(b = .86, 95%CI = .47 - 1.3, p ≤ .001); better scores on desired HIV/AIDS-related beliefs (b = .29, 95%CI = .06 - .52, p ≤ .01); and better scores on HIV/AIDS prevention attitudes (b = .76, 95%CI = .16 - 1.4, p ≤ .01). Overall, the study findings point to the potential role a of peer mentorship program in promoting the much-desired HIV/AIDS knowledge, beliefs, and prevention attitudes among orphaned adolescents. Future programs and policies that support AIDS-orphaned adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa should consider incorporating peer mentoring programs that provide correct, age, and culturally appropriate HIV information to help protect orphaned adolescents and reduce the risk of HIV infections.
The Fourier Power Spectrum and Spectrogram

This chapter covers the traditional speech analysis methods which rely on the discrete Fourier transform and its extension to the ubiquitous time–frequency representation known as the spectrogram. The first topic is the power spectrum of a signal window, which is derived from the magnitude of the Fourier transform in the manner explained in Chap. 2. Here, I discuss some of the methods for making power spectra of speech sounds, in an effort to show the best ways of accomplishing the desired imaging. Power spectra may be used to examine the formants of vowels and other resonant sounds, and when treated statistically they may also illuminate aspects of the noise produced during voiceless consonants. A third important application of power spectra is in the analysis and detection of different phonation types such as creaky and breathy voicing. Numerous figures provide examples of power spectra illustrating the points discussed in the text.
On the successful fabrication of auxetic polyurethane foams: Materials requirement, processing strategy and conversion mechanism

Abstract This study aims to provide fundamental understandings in several issues critical to the fabrication of auxetic polyurethane (PU) foams by thermal compression process: conversion and auxetic structure fixation mechanisms, materials characteristics essential for the successful auxetic conversion, and optimal conditions for auxetic conversion. Three flexible PU foams with similar morphology were selected for the study. First the commonalities as well as the differences between these foams in terms of their chemical composition, microstructure and thermomechanical properties were thoroughly analyzed. This is followed by the auxetic convertibility study of these three foams. Mechanisms for fixing the structure were elucidated and the windows for processing were interpreted in the context of polymer relaxation. Guided by these understandings, a series of auxetic foams were manufactured at a wide range of conditions. The processing conditions agreed very well with those suggested from the mechanistic investigation, validating the proposed auxetic conversion and structure fixation mechanisms. The mechanism was further confirmed by direct observation of the morphology of the fabricated auxetic foams.
Conformational Difference in Human IgG2 Disulfide Isoforms Revealed by Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry

Both recombinant and natural human IgG2 antibodies have several different disulfide bond isoforms, which possess different global structures, thermal stabilities, and biological activities. A detailed mapping of the structural difference among IgG2 disulfide isoforms, however, has not been established. In this work, we employed hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to study the conformation of three major IgG2 disulfide isoforms known as IgG2-B, IgG2-A1, and IgG2-A2 in two recombinant human IgG2 monoclonal antibodies. By comparing the protection factors between amino acid residues in isoforms B and A1 (the classical form), we successfully identified several local regions in which the IgG2-B isoform showed more solvent protection than the IgG2-A1 isoform. On the basis of three-dimensional structural models of IgG2, these identified regions were located on the Fab domains, close to the hinge, centered on the side where the two Fab arms faced each other in spatial proximity. We speculated that in the...
An Exploration on the Image Molding of Yao Mulan Through the Life Taste of Lin Yutang

Moment In Peking is one of masterpieces of Lin Yutang.Yao Mulan,the heroine of the novel,is one of favourite literary images of Lin Yutang.Lin Yutang have poured his humanistic thoughts,life taste,life attitudes,and even his view of love, marriage and value on the literary image of Yao Mulan,to convey his love of life.Moment In Peking has molded a perfect,vivid and distinctive lady for Chinese modern literature-Yao Mulan,who has the strength of Taoism.
Development of a multiple-choice test of lipreading.

Data are presented on the development of a two equivalent form multiple-choice test of lipreading from the John Tracy “Film Test of Lipreading.” Correlations between the original tests and the new ...
Pre-Service Teachers’ Responses to Student Behavior in a Mixed-Reality Environment:

This study examined whether student gender and the type of student misbehavior affected the classroom management techniques of pre-service teachers. Participants were pre-service teachers who inter...
Construction of a Low Pressure Reservoir and Achievement of Continence after “Diversion” and in End Stage Vesical Dysfunction

Creation of a continent low pressure urinary reservoir was attempted in 33 patients: 11 with a supravesical diversion, 6 with a vesicostomy, 9 treated by catheter drainage and 7 with end stage bladder disease. The common problems were poor urine storage associated with bladder fibrosis, defunctionalization and decentralization or spinal cord injury coupled with a poorly functional urethral continence mechanism. The over-all outcome at a mean of 21 months (range 4 months to 11 years) was excellent in terms of upper tract function, reservoir capability and continence.
Recommended Dietary Intakes for Trace Elements

New knowledge about trace element metabolism and changes in dietary habits dictate a need for a new approach in setting dietary standards. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has developed a new paradigm for setting dietary standards that involves the use of functional endpoints and multiple reference intakes for each age and gender group. Application of this paradigm to trace element dietary standards will be difficult because of the following limitations: Lack of specific, sensitive, functional indicators of dietary requirements for trace elements.
Web Resources for Spatial Analysis

Several helpful websites and listservs for spatial analysis have been developed as the use of spatial techniques has increased over the past two decades. This appendix considers some of the most helpful Web resources on spatial analysis in these two categories. WEBSITES AI-GEOSTATS (http://www.ai-geostats.org/): This website provides a variety of resources for geostatistics and spatial analysis. Among these are links to software, papers, books, conferences, and job openings. The site also provides links to the AI-GEOSTATS mailing list. Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science (CSISS) (http://www.csiss.org/): Funded in 1999 by the National Science Foundation, The Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science (CSISS) (housed at the University of California, Santa Barbara) is designed to advance the dissemination of spatial techniques and perspectives in the social sciences. The CSISS website provides a variety of resources for social scientists wishing to apply spatial analysis in their research. Among these are a searchable database of more than 17,000 references featuring spatial applications in the social sciences from 1990 to 2004. The website also includes video clips of workshops, descriptions of “classic” geographically oriented studies in the social sciences, and links to software tools. GeoDa Center (http://geodacenter.asu.edu/): Founded by Luc Anselin, the GeoDa Center for Geospatial Analysis and Computation at Arizona State University has become a leading repository for spatial studies, the dissemination of spatial software tools, and the provision of training and support. The website provides a link for downloading GeoDa and also provides tutorials for GeoDa and for spatial packages in R. The site also provides an extensive set of e-talks, lectures on spatial analysis, tools, and techniques. The website also provides links to recent working papers by scholars affiliated with the GeoDa Center as well as to spatial data that can be downloaded for analysis. GISpopsci.org (http://gispopsci.org) : This project is a collaboration between the Population Research Institute (The Pennsylvania State University) and the Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science (University of California, Santa Barbara). The site, whose development was funded in part by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), provides a variety of resources for research and instruction on advanced spatial analysis in the population sciences and spatial demography. The website maintains an extensive bibliography of citations applicable to research in spatial demography and the population sciences. The site also contains links to course syllabi on spatial topics.
Cooled Radiofrequency Ablation of Genicular Nerves for Knee Osteoarthritis Pain: A Protocol for Patient Selection and Case Series.

Background Chronic knee pain from osteoarthritis (OA) is common in the aging and the obese population. Radiofrequency ablation of the genicular nerves has been introduced as a potential surgery-sparing treatment for chronic knee pain from OA, yet only two outcome studies have been published and optimal patient selection for this procedure has not been established. Objectives We describe a standardized protocol for selecting patients for cooled radiofrequency ablation (C-RFA) of the genicular nerves, as well as the clinical outcomes of four patients ages 63-65 years. Methods The threshold for selection based on diagnostic genicular nerve block was ≥ 80% pain reduction. Following successful block, C-RFA of the genicular nerves was performed. Outcomes included pain, function, analgesic medication use, opioid use, and progression to total knee arthroplasty at a minimum of 6 month follow up. Results C-RFA of the genicular nerves after using the described selection protocol resulted in > 90% pain reduction, improved function and avoidance of surgery at 6 months in all four cases. All opioid and analgesic medication use decreased or was unchanged in all cases. No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusions The accompanying case series suggests that this protocol is deserving of randomized, prospective study.
Infomax-ICA using Hessian-free optimization

We present HF-ICA, a second-order “Hessian-free” algorithm for Infomax-ICA. Our approach achieves asymptotically quadratic convergence while retaining the memory footprint of first-order methods. Without any hyperparameter tuning, we show better convergence properties than both other approximate Newton-type methods and finely-tuned stochastic Natural Gradient Descent on EEG and fMRI data. A portable, multi-threaded and vectorized C++ implementation is made publicly available along with MATLAB and Python interfaces.
Three dimensional canonical singularity and five dimensional $ \mathcal{N} $ = 1 SCFT

We conjecture that every three dimensional canonical singularity defines a five dimensional $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 1 SCFT. Flavor symmetry can be found from singularity structure: non-abelian flavor symmetry is read from the singularity type over one dimensional singular locus. The dimension of Coulomb branch is given by the number of compact crepant divisors from a crepant resolution of singularity. The detailed structure of Coulomb branch is described as follows: a) a chamber of Coulomb branch is described by a crepant resolution, and this chamber is given by its Nef cone and the prepotential is computed from triple intersection numbers; b) Crepant resolution is not unique and different resolutions are related by flops; Nef cones from crepant resolutions form a fan which is claimed to be the full Coulomb branch.
Uncertainty Analysis of Experimental Data with R

"This would be an excellent book for undergraduate, graduate and beyond….The style of writing is easy to read and the author does a good job of adding humor in places. The integration of basic programming in R with the data that is collected for any experiment provides a powerful platform for analysis of data…. having the understanding of data analysis that this book offers will really help researchers examine their data and consider its value from multiple perspectives – and this applies to people who have small AND large data sets alike! This book also helps people use a free and basic software system for processing and plotting simple to complex functions." Michelle Pantoya, Texas Tech University Measurements of quantities that vary in a continuous fashion, e.g., the pressure of a gas, cannot be measured exactly and there will always be some uncertainty with these measured values, so it is vital for researchers to be able to quantify this data. Uncertainty Analysis of Experimental Data with R covers methods for evaluation of uncertainties in experimental data, as well as predictions made using these data, with implementation in R. The books discusses both basic and more complex methods including linear regression, nonlinear regression, and kernel smoothing curve fits, as well as Taylor Series, Monte Carlo and Bayesian approaches. Features: 1. Extensive use of modern open source software (R). 2. Many code examples are provided. 3. The uncertainty analyses conform to accepted professional standards (ASME). 4. The book is self-contained and includes all necessary material including chapters on statistics and programming in R. Benjamin D. Shaw is a professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of California, Davis. His research interests are primarily in experimental and theoretical aspects of combustion. Along with other courses, he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on engineering experimentation and uncertainty analysis. He has published widely in archival journals and became an ASME Fellow in 2003.
Simulated molecular-scale interaction of supercritical fluid mobile and stationary phases

In supercritical fluid chromatography, molecules from the mobile phase adsorb on the stationary phase. Stationary-phase alkylsilane-terminated silica surfaces might adsorb molecules at the silica, among the silanes, on a silane layer, or in pore space between surfaces. Mobile phases of carbon dioxide, pure and modified with methanol, and stationary phases were simulated at the molecular scale. Classical atomistic force fields were used in Gibbs-ensemble hybrid Monte Carlo calculations. Excess adsorption of pure carbon dioxide mobile phase peaked at fluid densities of 0.002-0.003A-3. Mobile phase adsorption from 7% methanol in carbon dioxide peaked at lower fluid density. Methanol was preferentially adsorbed from the mixed fluid. Surface silanes prevented direct interaction of fluid-phase molecules with silica. Some adsorbed molecules mixed with tails of bonded silanes; some formed layers above the silanes. Much adsorption occurred by filling the space between surfaces in the stationary-phase model. The distribution in the stationary phase of methanol molecules from a modified fluid phase varied with pressure.
Importing organizational reform: The case of lay boards in Hungary

Hungary initiated a major higher education reform program inthe early 1990s that included the establishment of boards at boththe national and institutional levels. This article exploresHungarians' engagement of the idea of boards, adaptations of theAmerican model, adoption of their own model and earlyimplementation. Importing an organizational reform like boardsoccurs within existing cultural and political norms. Thetraditional socialist norms, surrounding nature of the socialisteconomy and the concept of a “civil society” in countries likeHungary loom large in introducing new structures and values. Structurally, boards at both the national and institutionallevels challenge not only the remnants of the Soviet model ofhigher education but also the classic continental model, uponwhich Hungarian universities were built, of a bimodaldistribution of power between the state and the professorate. Boards fall between the state and professorate and challengethese power centers. The decentralization that boards representruns counter to bureaucratic ministry control and threatens thenewly found power of institutional senates. In a larger,societal sense they also occupy that intermediate space betweenthe government and the individual or what many writers refer toas “civil society” that by most observers' accounts isunderdeveloped in countries like Hungary. Underdevelopment ofcivil society generally raises questions of societal readinessfor institutions like boards. Politically, the introduction of boards demonstrates thecomplex nature of support for and opposition to change as well asthe personalized politics in reform movements in smallercountries. The changes that have occurred in governments alsoreveal how difficult institutionalization of reform can beespecially when combined with strong cultural norms that mitigateagainst change. While it is too early to tell whether boardswill flourish or wither, they have encountered rocky soil at thenational level and neglect at the institutional level in Hungary.
Promoting Affirming School Athletics for LGBTQ Youth Through Professional Development

ABSTRACTWhile physical activity provides ample social-emotional, behavioral, and academic benefits, many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth experience bullying, discomfort...