cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spacetime Autoencoders Using Local Causal States.

Author(s): Rupe, Adam; Crutchfield, James P | Abstract: Local causal states are latent representations that capture organized pattern and structure in complex spatiotemporal systems. We expand their functionality, framing them as spacetime autoencoders. Previously, they were only considered as maps from observable spacetime fields to latent local causal state fields. Here, we show that there is a stochastic decoding that maps back from the latent fields to observable fields. Furthermore, their Markovian properties define a stochastic dynamic in the latent space. Combined with stochastic decoding, this gives a new method for forecasting spacetime fields.
Application of Ferrans et al.'s conceptual model of health-related quality of life: A systematic review.

Ferrans, Zerwic, Wilbur, and Larson proposed the conceptual model of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in 2005 to explicate the constructs associated with HRQOL and to describe the associations among those constructs. In this systematic review, the authors aimed to describe empirical studies that used Ferrans et al.'s model and to examine the evidence related to the hypothesized model concepts. This review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Relevant articles were identified using Crossref, CINAHL, and PubMed. To be included, studies had to employ the model as a theoretical framework and be published in English between 2005 and 2020. Type of theory use was coded using four designations: informed by theory, applied theory, testing theory, and building theory. Thirty-one studies were included. Most studies involved adult patients with chronic illnesses (n = 20) and were conducted in Western countries (n = 22). The most common type of theory use was testing theory (74.19%). Among the seven concepts in Ferrans et al.'s model, all 20 hypothesized associations were tested and 19 were supported by study results. The three associations most frequently supported were between symptoms and functional status (n = 13), environmental characteristics and quality of life (n = 10), and individual characteristics and functional status (n = 8). No studies found an association between environmental characteristics and biological function. Our review found that Ferrans et al.'s model has been used extensively to guide HRQOL research. An emerging body of research provides preliminary support for the associations hypothesized in the model. Additional research is needed to confirm the hypothesized associations among model concepts.
Exploring the Impact of Exposing Coding Interview Practices to Early CS majors

Computer science (CS) has been a growing and increasingly lucrative field for some time. The demand of job applicants in this field, especially in industry, are high. Yet, the supply of CS candidates to fill these positions are low. One notable reason for this phenomenon is based on the high dropout rate of majors as they matriculate through a CS curriculum. Another reason is their failure to showcase the appropriate skill-sets and related expectations needed as candidates for tech-based job opportunities. When emphasizing the latter reason, it is important to examine the current educational practices that may influence such discrepancies as students matriculate through a CS curriculum. This extended abstract discusses one way to address this discrepancy by exploring the impact of exposing early CS majors to coding interview practices in the form of whiteboard problem solving. A virtual assessment was conducted on 30 CS students enrolled in one of two different intro level computer courses at an institution in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The results of this assessment revealed that students mostly struggled with their ability to conceptualize a given problem in order to apply the appropriate concepts to solve it effectively.
Inverse vulcanization of octenyl succinate-modified corn starch as a route to biopolymer–sulfur composites

Herein we report a route to sulfur–starch composites by the modification of corn starch with octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA, degree of substitution = 2.6%) and its subsequent reaction with elemental sulfur through an inverse vulcanization process to generate OSSx (where x = wt% sulfur, either 90 or 95). This work represents an expansion into a previously untapped biomass source for the preparation of recyclable thermoplastic materials by this process. Composites OSSx are comprized of 83–89% by mass of extractable sulfur, and have reasonable thermal stability (Td = 214–216 °C) and Tm (DSC) of 118 °C. The starch modification strategy employed herein allowed for lower degree of substitution of the starch than was feasible for other bioploymers, leading to materials with high strength despite relatively low crosslink density relative to that in previous biopolymer–sulfur composites. The low crosslink density resulted in relatively long polysulfur catenates, thus producing materials with impressive flexural strengths (5.3–5.4 MPa) and highlighting the potential for biomass–sulfur materials to exhibit a range of mechanical properties depending on the biopolymer scaffold and modification strategy.
Tradable Carbon Permits Auctions under Regulation and Competition

Even though worldwide greenhouse gas emissions have significantly declined because of COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions, emissions are likely to return to pre-pandemic levels if govern- ments do not prioritize policies that address climate change. An illustration is the new U.S. administration’s pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions 50% to 52% below 2005 levels by 2030. But, in order to be effective, policies intended to reduce CO2 emissions must integrate competition within commodity extracting and commodity utility companies. In this paper, we successfully address this challenge by formulating and pricing a new carbon auction derivative that deals with the competition-regulation dichotomy in carbon markets. The new carbon auction derivative is simultaneously a put and a call option on carbon permits. Furthermore, it complies with the dynamics of both the commodity price and the carbon auction quote. We guarantee that the commodity price follows a mean reverting regime-switching jump-diffusion L evy process. We ex- pound on the quantity of commodity produced in a non-cooperative differential game, of which the Nash equilibrium is defined. In order to hedge against the auction liquidity risk, we find that commodity extracting and commodity utility companies must wield the carbon auction derivative as a tool for extracting more while polluting less. To policymakers, we pinpoint the dependency of the tax imposed by the government on the combined capacities of commodity companies to successfully decrease CO2 emissionss.
Factors associated with improved outcomes following proximal row carpectomy: a long-term outcome study of 144 patients

We conducted a review of 144 consecutive patients who underwent proximal row carpectomy from 1967 to 2010 for the diagnosis of wrist arthritis. At a mean follow-up of 13.4 years, patients experienced good pain relief with preservation (but not improvement) of wrist motion. A total of 17 patients (12%) required revision surgery at an average of 44.6 months. Improved pain, function, and survival outcomes were seen in those who underwent proximal row carpectomy after the age of 40, had a preoperative diagnosis of Kienbock’s disease, who underwent a concomitant neurectomy procedure, patients who were non-labourers, and patients who underwent surgery after 1990. Although 45% of patients developed moderate to severe radiocapitate arthrosis postoperatively, these findings did not correlate with clinical outcomes or risk of revision surgery. Patients with type II lunate and type II and III capitate shapes had higher rates of postoperative radiocapitate arthrosis.Level of Evidence: III, Prognostic
Incorporating technetium in minerals and other solids: A review

Abstract Technetium (Tc) can be incorporated into a number of different solids including spinel, sodalite, rutile, tin dioxide, pyrochlore, perovskite, goethite, layered double hydroxides, cements, and alloys. Synthetic routes are possible for each of these phases, ranging from high-temperature ceramic sintering to ball-milling of constituent oxides. However, in practice, Tc has only been incorporated into solid materials by a limited number of the possible syntheses. A review of the diverse ways in which Tc-immobilizing materials can be made shows the wide range of options available. Special consideration is given to hypothetical application to the Hanford Tank Waste and Vitrification Plant, such as adding a Tc-bearing mineral to waste glass melter feed. A full survey of solid Tc waste forms, the common synthesis routes to those waste forms, and their potential for application to vitrification processes are presented. The use of tin dioxide or ferrite spinel precursors to reduce Tc(VII) out of solution and into a durable form are shown to be of especially high potential.
A General Approach Of Low Loss Segmentation Tapered Waveguide Design For High Index Contrast AWG

A general algorithm for segmented taper waveguide AWG design is presented that produces a low loss transition between slab region and channel waveguide region. The algorithm is specifically optimized for high index contrast waveguide systems.
What Have Women Got To Do With Peace?: A Gender Analysis of the Laws of War and Peacemaking

This article proposes an engaged analysis of the impact that armed conflicts have on women as well as defining the diverse roles women might conceivably play in peacemaking. Recalling the original theories of international law, the paper recounts how historical chronicles and Western modern authors have depicted women in wartime. Primarily portrayed as victims of brutalization and sexual violence, women have been confined to the private realm and, thus, excluded from the decision-making processes of war and peace. This research argues that the same exclusion has been reflected in the international law instruments that have reinforced the paradigm of women as the mainstays of family honour, rather than as holders of personal rights. Depicted as mere victims in need of protection like children, women have been deprived of any agency for peace. This article identifies the turning point of the indictments issued by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, acknowledging rape and sexual violence against women in wartime as human rights violations. As a consequence of their new status as right holders under the United Nations Resolution 1325, women were finally accorded the important role of agents in the prevention and resolution of conflicts as well as in the promotion and maintenance of an enduring peace. Nevertheless, recounting the exemplary endeavours of women for peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone, which ultimately led to the creation of the regional peace women movement Mano River Union Women Peace Network, this article contends that women remain secluded from the decision-making tables in war and in peace. Although they have managed to attain consideration from their own governments and the international community, women’s demands have remained largely neglected at negotiation tables and in peace agreements. This same analysis suggests insights into the lessons drawn from historic women’s struggles, thus honouring the ultimate quest for true change and an endurable peace in the global community.
Mechanoelectrical Transduction and Adaptation in Hair Cells of the Mouse Utricle, a Low-Frequency Vestibular Organ

Hair cells of inner ear organs sensitive to frequencies above 10 Hz adapt to maintained hair bundle deflections at rates that reduce their responses to lower frequencies. Mammalian vestibular organs detect head movements at frequencies well below 10 Hz. We asked whether hair cells of the mouse utricle adapt, and if so, whether the adaptation was similar to that in higher frequency organs such as the frog saccule. Whole-cell transduction currents were recorded from hair cells in the epithelium of the mouse utricle. Hair bundles were deflected by a fluid jet or a stiff probe. The transduction currents evoked by step deflections adapted over 10-100 msec. The mean operating range was 1.5 micron (deflection of the tip of the bundle), approximately threefold larger than in frog saccule. Taller and more compact bundles of the mouse utricle account for this difference. As in frog saccular hair cells, adaptation shifted the current-deflection (I(X)) relation along the deflection axis. These adaptive shifts had time constants of 10-20 msec and reached 60-80% of stimulus amplitude. The adaptive shift and voltage-dependent bundle movement are consistent with the motor model of adaptation. When the fluid jet was used, adaptation also broadened the I(X) relation and reduced the maximum current. Adaptation attenuated the transduction currents evoked by sinusoidal bundle deflections below 5 Hz, within the frequency range of the utricle, but because it was incomplete, substantial responses remained. Moreover, the adaptive shift mechanism preserves sensitivity even in the presence of large stimuli that would otherwise saturate transduction.
Direct Manipulation Spatial Exploration Using SVIQUEL

This paper represents the first effort to apply direct-manipulation (VIS) techniques to spatial data exploration providing mechanisms for visually querying as well as browsing spatial data and for reviewing the visual results for trend discovery. We present a visual query language (SVIQUEL) which allows us to specify the relative spatial position (both topology and direction) between objects using direct manipulation of spatial query filters. The SVIQUEL sliders (S-sliders) are complimented by an Active-Picture-for-Querying (APIQ) providing qualitative visual representations of the quantitative query specified by the S-sliders. This increases the utility of the system for spatial browsing and spatial trend discovery with no particular query in mind. The tight coupling between the quantitative S-sliders and qualitative APIQ allows the users to work either qualitatively or quantitatively depending on his/her particular needs and freely switch between the two while working in a continuous data exploration mode.
Human Transcriptome Evolution

It has been a long-standing hypothesis that evolution of the human transcriptome (the collection of all gene transcripts in a cell) may have contributed greatly to the observed human-specific phenotypes. With recent advances in high throughput technologies and bioinformatic tools, it becomes possible to get deep understandings of this important issue. Here, we provided a brief but updated summary of the exciting findings in the study of human transcriptome evolution. Keywords: transcriptome; genomic analysis; human evolution
Expression and Function of Transgenic HLA-DQ Molecules and Lymphocyte Development in Mice Lacking Invariant Chain

Invariant chain (Ii) is a non-MHC-encoded molecule, which plays an accessory role in the proper assembly/expression of functional MHC class II molecules and there by plays an important role in Ag processing/presentation. The phenotype of mice lacking Ii depends on the allotype of the MHC class II molecule. In some mice strains, Ii deficiency results in reduction in expression of class II molecules accompanied by defective CD4 + T cell development. Responses to conventional Ags/superantigens are also compromised. In this study, we describe for the first time the functionality of human class II molecules, HLA-DQ6 and HLA-DQ8, in transgenic mice lacking Ii. HLA transgenic Ii −/− mice expressed very low levels of surface DQ6 and DQ8 accompanied by severe reduction in CD4 + T cells both in the thymus and periphery. In vitro proliferation and cytokine production to an exogenous superantigen, staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) was diminished in HLA-transgenic Ii −/− mice. However, SEB-induced in vivo expansion of CD8 + T cells expressing TCR Vβ8 family in DQ8.Ii −/− mice was comparable with that of DQ8.Ii +/+ mice. Systemic IFN-γ production following in vivo challenge with SEB was reduced in DQ8.Ii −/− mice and were also protected from SEB-induced toxic shock. Although the T cell response to a known peptide Ag was diminished in DQ8.Ii −/− mice, DQ8.Ii −/− APCs were capable of presenting that peptide to primed T cells from wild-type DQ8 mice as well as to a specific T cell hybridoma. Differentiation of mature B cells was also affected to a certain extent in DQ8.Ii −/− mice.
Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts

The article contains sections titled: 1. Introduction 2. Classification of Ice Cream Products 3. Legal Aspects 4. Economic Aspects 5. Physical Structure 6. Mix Composition 6.1. Fats 6.2. Nonfat Milk Solids 6.3. Sweetener Solids 6.4. Stabilizers and Emulsifiers 7. Manufacture of Mix 8. Freezing Mix to Produce Ice Cream 8.1. Freezing as Mix Agitates 8.2. Quiescent Hardening
Development and Validation of a Real-Time PCR Assay for the Quantification of Verticillium dahliae in Potato

An increase in the stringency for higher quality potato tubers and restrictions on the use of soil fumigants, among other factors, has garnered renewed interest in Verticillium wilt, particularly in russet-skinned cultivars grown for processing. In response to the needs of producers, breeders have increased efforts in the development of potato cultivars with resistance to Verticillium dahliae Kleb., the primary cause of Verticillium wilt. These efforts have resulted in the release of numerous russet-skinned cultivars with purported resistance to the pathogen. However, because efficient and effective methods to screen germplasm for true resistance do not exist, breeders typically have reported resistance based on the development of wilt symptoms alone. The studies reported here demonstrate the efficiency and practicality of a QPCR method for quantification of V. dahliae in potato stem tissue. This method, developed to detect the target trypsin protease gene of the pathogen, was compared with traditional methods for V. dahliae quantification which involve plating stem tissue or sap onto semi-selective media, as well as to a recently developed QPCR assay which amplifies a region of the β-tubulin gene of V. dahliae. The QPCR assay developed in the studies reported here was demonstrated to be sensitive to 0.25 pg of DNA. Use of the duplex real-time PCR assay, utilizing the potato actin gene to normalize quantification, resulted in clearer differentiation of levels of resistance among eight russet-skinned potato cultivars inoculated in greenhouse trials when compared with traditional plating assays. However, relative levels of resistance among cultivars were similar between traditional plating and QPCR methods, resulting in correlation coefficients greater than 0.93. The assay described here also detected the pathogen in inoculated stem tissue at higher frequencies than both traditional plating assays and a previously developed QPCR assay. The QPCR assay developed here demonstrates rapid, efficient, and accurate quantification of V. dahliae, providing a tool amenable for use by breeding programs on large numbers of clones and selections, and will aid researchers evaluating other control strategies for Verticillium wilt.
Pulsed Beam Chopper for LAMPF

A pulsed beam chopper has been designed and tested for use on the 750 keV proton injector transport l ine of LAMPF. The deflection structure, which is 1 m long, is similar to the traveling wave beam deflector in a high speed oscilloscope. The proton beam travels between two deflection "plates" each consisting of the closely spaced turns of a helical delay line. A 5 ns long positive pulse on one helix with a simultaneous negative pulse on the other helix creates a transverse electric field in the beam region which travels with the beam. The longitudinal velocity of the electric field is matched to the proton beam velocity (~1 cm/ns) by the pitch of the helices. This scheme allows the 5 ns (5 cm) long "micropulses" of LAMPF to be chopped into or out of the linac with 1 ns transition times. This method avoids the constraints of resonant chopping systems and will permit completely arbitrary patterns of LAMPF micropulses to be selected and accelerated. One exotic application is the generation of pseudorandom pulse sequences for neutron time-of-flight measurements.
How to get real mad

True manufacturing-aware design, or "MAD", is urgently needed in light of increasing pitch, variability, leakage and reliability challenges. This talk will present directions in physical design and performance analysis that comprise "real MAD" for 45nm and below. Following are four examples.(1) Methodology for guardband exploitation. Model guardbands supplied by silicon vendors can no longer be passively applied by semiconductor product companies in design flows. MAD requires improved understanding - and exploitation - of how guardbands modulate QOR and turnaround time of SPR the placement-aware dose map optimization is formulated as a quadratic optimization, and the complementary dose map-aware placement optimization is performed using an incremental placement heuristic. Near-maximal improvements in clock frequency can be achieved with essentially zero leakage power degradation(4) Glue P&R technologies. At 45nm and below, the traditional implementation flow will reclaim much of the functionality (via doubling, wire spreading, dummy fill insertion, pattern hotspot mitigation, parametric yield optimization) that was temporarily ceded at 65nm to post-GDS, physical verification-based subflows. Identifying the correct flow stage (e.g., placement or routing) at which to solve manufacturability problems depends on a mindset of "opportunism, at the right time" - that is, when enough information is available, and before doing work that will be thrown away. A well-known example: the appropriate juncture for correction of poly-layer litho hotspots is after detailed placement, but before routing. This is the basis of techniques that improve lithographic process window, leakage variability, timing yield, or other objectives by perturbing detailed placement within the flexibility afforded by placement whitespace
Lipolytic Enzyme Activity of Byssochlamys fulva

Abstract Of the four strains Byssochlymas fulva investigated, strain H-25 produced the highest lipase activity after 96 h of growth at 30°C. The enzyme was most active at 25°C and had an optimum pH of 8.5. Corn oil was hydrolysed most rapidly. The enzyme hydrolysed soybean oil more rapidly than olive oil and canola oil but butter, cottonseed oil, and lard oil were hydrolysed most slowly.
Antigenic variation in populations of Streptococcus salivarius isolated from the human mouth.

Abstract Populations of Streptococcus salivarius CM6 exhibited antigenic variation while colonizing the mouth and intestinal canal of gnotobiotic rats. Variants which no longer produced detectable levels of one or more of 5 antigenic components discernible by immunoelectrophoresis were isolated in low proportions as early as 3 days after mono-infection of germ-free rats; almost all isolates obtained 2 weeks after infection were variants. Oral and faecal isolates attached less well than the parent strain to human or rat buccal epithelial cells. Variants altered with respect to 2 of the 5 components emerged first and such variants were the most common. These 2 components could not be detected in Strep. salivarius cells following treatment with trypsin. There were no variants of laboratory stock cultures of strain CM6 over a 3-yr period. The relative predictability of the emergence of variants in gnotobiotic rats suggests that a specific selection pressure was responsible, part of which was due to an immune response of the animals suggested by the emergence of variants more quickly in animals previously immunized with formalin-killed CM6 cells. Emergence of variants was less in animals pretreated with cyclophosphamide, an immunosuppressant, or fed diets supplemented with large numbers of killed Strep. salivarius . Populations of Strep. salivarius colonizing papillae on the tongue dorsum, and of Streptococcus mutans colonizing approximal molar tooth surfaces in man, were antigenically heterogenous; in some instances, the proportions of antigenic subtypes appeared to fluctuate with time.
Cure kinetics behavior of a functionalized graphitic nanofiber modified epoxy resin

Understanding curing behavior of nano-modified thermoset resin is critical for many applications. An appropriate incorporation of nanoparticles can stimulate improvements to many properties of epoxy resins when used as matrices in fiber reinforced composites. In this study, the curing behavior of an epoxy resin modified by a type of reactive graphitic nanofibers (r-GNFs), that were previously developed, was characterized using a dynamic differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method. The activation energy of pure epoxy resin and the r-GNF modified epoxy resin during the cure reaction was determined based on a model-free method. The results from DSC kinetic analysis indicated that the addition of the r-GNFs offered a catalytic action for cure reaction of epoxy resin at high temperature range so that a larger extent of cure was obtained over pure epoxy. The faster curing behaviors of the r-GNF modified epoxy system will be essential for enabling future energy efficient infusion processing for manufacturing high quality and high performance structural composite applications.
Nanoscale BixTe3/Sb2Te3 multilayer thin film materials for reduced thermal conductivity

Abstract Multilayer thin films were grown sequentially by evaporating solid antimony (III) telluride and bismuth (III) telluride as thermoelectric (TE) materials. The grown multilayer films have a periodic structure consisting of eleven or thirty-nine alternating thin film layers where each layer is 10 nm thick. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) analysis indicates that the deposited antimony telluride films have the desired stoichiometry of Sb 2 Te 3 and the bismuth telluride films are Bi 1.1 Te 3.0 . A 3 ω method thermal conductivity measurement system was used to measure the thermal conductivity of the multilayer thin films. 5 MeV Si ion implantation was performed to improve the thermal conductivity of the multilayer thin films. Thermoelectric devices were fabricated with the multilayer thin films for the measurement of the cross-plane thermoelectric voltage and determination of Seebeck coefficient. The nanostructured multilayer thin film materials were found to have lower thermal conductivity than their conventional bulk materials, and Si ion implantation can decrease the thermal conductivity of the multilayer thin films.
Viper venom for diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the United States. Renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers are thought to have a specific renoprotective effect in diabetes. Hirst et al. report the results of randomized clinical trials assessing the effects of RAAS inhibitors on urinary albumin excretion levels in diabetic patients. Although reductions in urinary albumin excretion were observed, whether RAAS inhibitors offer additional protection over other antihypertensive agents is unclear.
Protein kinase C is required for responses to T cell receptor ligands but not to interleukin-2 in T cells

We have tested the role of protein kinase C in mRNA expression and T cell proliferation mediated through the T cell receptor and through the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor. Chronic treatment of a mouse T cell clone with phorbol esters caused a complete loss of protein kinase C activity and a concomitant loss of proliferation to T cell receptor ligands (antigen, lectins, antireceptor antibodies). In contrast, kinase C-depleted T cells retained the ability to proliferate to IL-2. Loss of the T cell receptor response was not due to decreased cell surface expression of receptor or impairment of early receptor function (phosphatidylinositol turnover, calcium mobilization). Kinase C-depleted T cells showed no induction of mRNAs for activation-associated genes on exposure to the T cell receptor ligand Concanavalin A; expression of a subset of the same mRNAs in response to IL-2 was unaffected. We conclude that kinase C is required for mRNA expression and subsequent proliferation mediated through the T cell receptor pathway but is not involved in mRNA expression and proliferation in response to IL-2.
Combined lumbar-plexus and sciatic-nerve blocks: an analysis of plasma ropivacaine concentrations.

Background and Objectives Lumbar-plexus and sciatic-nerve blocks are commonly combined for lower-extremity anesthesia using large doses of ropivacaine. Limited information is available about the pharmacokinetics of this practice. We analyzed plasma ropivacaine concentrations after single-injection lumbar-plexus blocks with and without sciatic-nerve blocks. Methods Twenty patients having lower-extremity surgery using a lumbar-plexus block with 0.5% ropivacaine with 1:400,000 epinephrine (35 mL, n = 10) or the same lumbar-plexus block with the addition of a sciatic-nerve block (25 mL, n = 10, 60 mL total) using the same solution were enrolled. Venous blood samples were collected at 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 120, and 240 minutes after block placement and analyzed for total ropivacaine concentration by use of gas chromatography. Individual timepoints, maximum concentrations (Cmax), and time to Cmax (Tmax) were compared. Values are mean ± SD. Results Both groups demonstrated a rapid increase in plasma concentration over the first 30 to 45 minutes. Concentrations were greater for those who received both blocks (P = .0005) at all timepoints. The lumbar-plexus block Cmax was less (986 ± 221 ng/mL) than for the combined blocks (1,560 ± 351 ng/mL, P = .0004). The Tmax was greater for the lumbar plexus (80 ± 49 min) than for the combined blocks (38 ± 22 min, P = .03). There was no relationship between the Cmax and patient age, weight, or body mass index. Conclusions The results of this study demonstrate that the plasma ropivacaine concentrations increase quicker when a sciatic-nerve block is added to a lumbar-plexus block, but Cmax remains below the toxicity threshold.
Spatial and temporal variation of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Houston Ship Channel

Abstract An on-going study in the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) characterized polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in sediment, water, and tissue in 2002–2003 and 2008. The observed PCB concentration ranges in all media were higher than those measured in other PCB-impacted water bodies in the world, with the highest concentrations occurring within the industrialized segments. Contrary to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) observations, the PCB concentrations in the dissolved phase were greater than the suspended phase. Possible explanations include passage of colloids, competition for adsorption sites from other hydrophobic contaminants, and continuing current sources. The PCB homologue distributions were similar for suspended water, sediment and tissue with the profile normalized around penta-chlorobiphenyls, while the dissolved phase profile normalized around tri-chlorobiphenyls. PCB-209 was detected in the suspended water phase and in sediment (10%) prompting interest into its sources to the HSC since PCB-209 was present only in rare commercial mixtures and is a byproduct in very few manufacturing processes. Inter-media analyses showed a significant correlation and transfer of PCBs. Dioxin-like PCBs contributed significant toxicity to total equivalent in tissue (33%), while they were insignificant in water (
Performance Assessment of New Land Surface and Planetary Boundary Layer Physics in the WRF-ARW

Abstract The Pleim–Xiu land surface model, Pleim surface layer scheme, and Asymmetric Convective Model (version 2) are now options in version 3.0 of the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) Advanced Research WRF (ARW) core. These physics parameterizations were developed for the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5) and have been used extensively by the air quality modeling community, so there was a need based on several factors to extend these parameterizations to WRF. Simulations executed with the new WRF physics are compared with simulations produced with the MM5 and another WRF configuration with a focus on the replication of near-surface meteorological conditions and key planetary boundary layer features. The new physics in WRF is recommended for retrospective simulations, in particular, those used to drive air quality simulations. In the summer, the error of all variables analyzed was slightly lower across the domain in t...
MINIMUM QUANTITY LUBRICATION (MQL) APPLICATIONS IN AUTOMOTIVE POWER-TRAIN MACHINING

ABSTRACT Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) is a near-dry machining method that may be applied to reduce coolant usage in operations such as drilling, which cannot be performed completely dry. Although significant research has been reported on MQL, relatively little information on production applications and experience has appeared in the technical literature. The most common high-volume production application for MQL is cross and oil hole drilling on steel crankshafts. This paper reviews MQL test results for deep hole drilling of forged steel and cast nodular iron under conditions similar to crankshaft oil hole drilling. The results show that MQL can yield tool life equivalent to gun drills at higher penetration rates under these conditions. This result is consistent with production experience with steel crankshafts, and shows that MQL may also be useful for cross and oil hole drilling of cast crankshafts. Limited test and production data for MQL machining of aluminum prismatics is also described. Signif...
Learning in natural language: theory and algorithmic approaches

This article summarizes work on developing a learning theory account for the major learning and statistics based approaches used in natural language processing. It shows that these approaches can all be explained using a single distribution free inductive principle related to the pac model of learning. Furthermore, they all make predictions using the same simple knowledge representation - a linear representation over a common feature space. This is significant both to explaining the generalization and robustness properties of these methods and to understanding how these methods might be extended to learn from more structured, knowledge intensive examples, as part of a learning centered approach to higher level natural language inferences.
Perception of appearance and use of appearance products among Chinese women

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine and assess generational differences in Chinese women's perception of appearance and appearance products that can be explained by the political, economic, and social policies of China over the past 40 years.Design/methodology/approach – This is an exploratory research using focus groups and a survey. Three age cohorts of Chinese women, those who came of age during the Cultural Revolution, those who came of age during the early and mid years of China's economic reforms, and those born after the implementation of China's one‐child policy and the market economy, are assessed as to their perception of appearance and use of appearance‐related products. Six cohort differences that could be attributable to these socio‐economic‐political events are found.Findings – Significant differences between the age cohorts are found on four of six appearance‐related factors – sources of fashion information, happiness in purchasing new apparel, confidence in appearance, and ...
IG-symmetry and R-symmetry: Interrelations and applications to the inverse Gaussian theory

Abstract The two parameter inverse Gaussian (IG) distribution is often more appropriate and convenient for modelling and analysis of nonnegative right skewed data than the better known and now ubiquitous Gaussian distribution. Its convenience stems from its analytic simplicity and the striking similarities of its methodologies with those employed with the normal theory models. These, known as the G–IG analogies, include the concepts and measures of IG-symmetry, IG-skewness and IG-kurtosis, the IG-analogues of the corresponding classical notions and measures. The new IG-associated entities, although well defined and mathematically transparent, are intuitively and conceptually opaque. In this paper, we first elaborate the importance of the IG distribution and of the G–IG analogies. Then we consider the IG-related root-reciprocal IG (RRIG) distribution and introduce a physically transparent, conceptually clear notion of reciprocal symmetry (R-symmetry) and use it to explain the IG-symmetry. We study the moments and mixture properties of the R-symmetric distributions and the relationship of R-symmetry with IG-symmetry and note that RRIG distribution provides a link, in addition to Tweedie's Laplace transform link, between the Gaussian and inverse Gaussian distributions. We also give a structural characterization of the unimodal R-symmetric distributions. This work further expands the long list of G–IG analogies. Several applications including product convolution, monotonicity of power functions, peakedness and monotone limit theorems of R-symmetry are outlined.
Nerve stimulation test in murine experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis

Use of the mouse model of myasthenia gravis (murine EAMG), ideally suited for immunological study, has been hampered by the relatively mild character of the disease and by the extended time and effort required for inducing severe disease. Electromyographic measurement of the compound action potential after repetitive stimuli, the nerve stimulation test, was evaluated for its ability to diagnose neuromuscular transmission defects in mice immunized with Torpedo acetylcholine receptor. With the combination of provocative maneuvers and raising of the body temperature, EAMG could be diagnosed in nearly all immunized animals a few weeks after immunization, whereas clinical evaluation of muscle weakness was positive in less than half of immunized mice months after the first immunization. Thus, EMG provides a means of objective evaluation of the disease and attempts at its experimental modification.
A taxonomic revision of granite outcrop species of Minuartia (Arenaria)

Minuartia glabra (Michx.) Mattfeld andM. uniflora (Walt.) Mattfeld are proposed as the proper taxonomic treatments ofArenaria glabra Michx. [A. groenlandica var.glabra (Michx.) Fern.] andArenaria uniflora (Walt.) Muhl. respectively. A previously unreported species,Minuartia alabamensis is described as new.Minuartia alabamensis andM. uniflora axe more closely related to one another than either is toM. glabra. Minuartia glabra is postulated to be derived from the Arcto-Tertiary flora, which invaded the Piedmont from the Appalachian Highlands.Minuartia alabamensis andM. uniflora are thought to be relicts or species derived from the Madro-Tertiary flora, which invaded the Piedmont from the Southwestern United States and Mexican Highlands.
Communicating Cancer Risk Reduction

This review discusses considerations in the development and dissemination of cancer risk reduction appeals and associated challenges to the amelioration of health-compromising behaviors. Strategic implications for empirically driven public policy initiatives and primary care also are addressed.
Colored light application in retail display window

A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the usefulness of colored LEDs in retail display window applications. Human subjects viewed two side-by-side, identical mock-up display windows, and rated their preference. Subjects showed strong preference for the colored background, compared to the white background. In general, subjects disliked the modulated intensity background. Furthermore, the use of colored light (static red and blue) on the background allowed the accent light to be decreased without sacrificing visual appeal, ability to capture attention, and ability to see displayed objects clearly. It appears from this initial laboratory study that the amount of accent light can be reduced significantly, which could provide energy savings. We believe a field study would be greatly beneficial for further confirming these results and for quantifying the total energy savings in an actual store.
Energy-efficient data gathering in wireless sensor networks with asynchronous sampling

A low sampling rate leads to reduced congestion and hence energy consumption in the resource-constrained wireless sensor networks. In this article, we propose asynchronous sampling that shifts the sampling time instances of sensor nodes from each other. For lossy data gathering scenarios, the proposed approach provides more information about the physical phenomena in terms of increased entropy at a low sampling rate. For lossless data gathering scenarios, on the other hand, the sampling rate is lowered without sacrificing critical knowledge required for signal reconstruction. As lower sampling rates lead to smaller energy consumption for processing and transmitting the collected sensory data, the proposed asynchronous sampling strategies are capable of achieving a better trade-off between the lifetime of the network and the quality of collected information. In addition to mathematical analysis, simulation results based on real data also verify the benefits of our asynchronous sampling.
The incidence of oral herpes simplex virus infection in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy

Oral lesions in twenty-nine immunocompromised patients were evaluated for the incidence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections during either cancer chemotherapy or cancer chemotherapy plus bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Patients' HSV antibody titers were not determined, and positive diagnoses were based solely on the results of viral cultures. Fourteen patients (48%) were found to have herpetic infections, which is comparable with incidence rates of 50% to 90% in antibody-positive patients and 40% to 50% in mixed antibody populations reported in the medical literature. However, this finding is in conflict with the 10.7% to 15.1% incidence rate cited in the dental literature for patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy. This underestimation is believed to reflect insensitivity in the criteria used for diagnosis in these studies.
Interferon-β differentially regulates expression of the IL-12 family members p35, p40, p19 and EBI3 in activated human dendritic cells

Interferon-beta is thought to provide clinical improvement to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, in part, through its ability to suppress the generation of IL-12-dependent autoimmune T helper type 1 (Th1) cells by monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC). We now describe how pre-incubation with 1000 U/ml of IFN-beta differentially regulates expression of multiple IL-12 family members in activated, immature human DC, inhibiting CD40/IFN-gamma-induced p35 and p40 message levels, while enhancing p19 and Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) levels. IFN-beta-mediated inhibition of p40 mRNA and augmentation of p19 mRNA both require de novo protein synthesis. These findings indicate that IFN-beta will be found to have contrasting effects on DC secretion of the various IL-12 family homo- and heterodimers.
The growth of compact layers at the electrode interface Part I. Complexes of cobalt, nickel and iron with 2,2′-bipyridine and 2,2′,2″-terpyridine in aqueous sodium perchlorate

Abstract Tris-2,2′-bipyridine complexes of Co(II), Ni(II), and Fe(II) and a bis-2,2′,2″-terpyridine complex of Co(II) in aqueous perchlorate media were studied by means of electrode double-layer capacitance measurements at the hanging mercury drop electrode. At potentials where no faradaic process takes place all compounds form two types of compact films with different orientations of species at the interface. The solid-like nature of these films was confirmed from the hysteresis of capacitance vs. potential curves and from the sigmoidal Avrami-type capacitance vs. time dependence. As a new feature of the nucleation/growth process, long-time deviations from the Avrami shapes were found. At potentials where the nucleation rate is very small, the C—t curves exhibit an S-shape, followed by a maximum usually at time s $ 1000 s. An interpretation in terms of a change from 2D- to 3D-type growth is suggested.
Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyzed by carbon-supported cobalt polypyrrole (Co-PPy/C) electrocatalysts

Abstract This paper reports the experimental characterization of carbon-supported cobalt polypyrrole (Co-PPy/C) catalysts synthesized using a chemical method of polymerization synthesis. Both unpyrolyzed and pyrolyzed catalysts were characterized using electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), rotating disk electrode (RDE), as well as rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) to quantitatively obtain the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetic constants and the reaction mechanisms. The pyrolyzed catalyst showed significantly improved ORR activity as well as different ORR mechanisms, suggesting that heat-treatment is a necessary step for catalyst activity improvement. To understand the heat-treatment effect, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to detect surface structure changes. The XPS results showed that after the sample was heat-treated, new nitrogen peaks corresponding to pyrrolic (or pyridone) and graphitic (quaternary) type nitrogens could be observed. Both of these species may be assigned to sites catalytically active towards the ORR, resulting in activity enhancement as well as a mechanism change from a two-electron dominant to a four-electron dominant reduction process, when compared to that of the unpyrolyzed catalyst.
Body image and eating disturbances across ethnic groups: More similarities than differences

Sociocultural models of eating pathology posit that ethnic minority groups should show fewer eating disturbances than Whites. Thus, the authors tested whether there were ethnic differences in eating disorder symptoms and risk factors for eating pathology and whether the relations between risk factors and eating pathology differed across ethnic groups, with data from adolescent and adult females (N = 785). Only 1 of the 14 tests of main effect differences between ethnic groups was significant and none of the 49 tests of whether ethnicity moderated the relations of risk factors to eating pathology were significant. Findings provide little support for the hypothesized ethnic differences in eating disturbances and suggest that ethnic minority groups have reached parity with Whites in this domain.
Trends in accounting student characteristics: A longitudinal study at FSA schools, 1991–1995

Abstract This article presents the results of a longitudinal study on characteristics of accounting students, conducted by the Federation of Schools of Accountancy (FSA). Surveys were administered annually to seniors and Masters' students at FSA member schools in the USA for a 5-year period, 1991–1995. The instruments measured various student attributes, including quality, future educational plans, career plans, plans for professional certification, extra-curricular involvement, attitude toward the accounting profession, attitude toward learning, attitude toward the 150-h requirement, and various demographic dimensions. Trends in these attributes are relevant to many currently debated topics in accounting education. Results of the first 4 years' surveys have previously appeared in Journal of Accounting Education (Vol. 10, pp. 25–37; Vol. 11, pp. 211–225; and Vol. 13, pp. 393–411). In this article, trends in the data are presented with tests of statistical significance.