cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GIBBERELLIN AND AUXIN RELATIONSHIPS IN ABSCISSION

A B S T R A C T Gibberellic acid (GA) has no effect on abscission when applied proximally or distally to the abscission zones of debladed petioles of Coleuts. Application of GA to the stem apex increases the rate of abscission of debladed petioles. The effect on abscission is accompanied by an increase in the level of endogenous auxin in the stem. Correspondingly proximal applications of indoleacetic acid (IAA) accelerate abscission, whereas the longevity of the debladed petiole approaches that of the intact leaf only in the presence of a continuous distal supply of IAA. No correlation is found between petiole elongation and its longevity. The experimental data support the view that auxin acts at the abscission zone in regulating separation processes and that the effect of GA is through its effect on the level of endogenous auxin.
An Autologous Cartilage Tissue Implant NeoCart for Treatment of Grade III Chondral Injury to the Distal Femur: Prospective Clinical Safety Trial at 2 Years

BackgroundThe healing potential of damaged articular cartilage is limited. The NeoCart is a tissue-engineered collagen matrix seeded with autogenous chondrocytes designed for the repair of hyaline articular cartilage.HypothesisThe NeoCart implant is well tolerated in the human knee.Study DesignCase series; Level of evidence, 4.MethodsEight patients (treatment group) with full-thickness cartilage injury were treated with the NeoCart and evaluated prospectively. Autogenous chondrocytes provided by arthroscopic biopsy were seeded into a 3-dimensional type I collagen scaffold. The seeded scaffold was subjected to a tissue-engineering protocol including treatment with a bioreactor. Implantation of the prepared cartilage tissue patch was performed via miniarthrotomy and secured with a collagen bioadhesive. Evaluations through 24 months postoperatively included the subjective International Knee Documentation Committee questionnaire, visual analog scale, range of motion, and cartilage-sensitive magnetic resonance...
Potential role for alternatively activated macrophages in the secondary bacterial infection during recovery from influenza.

Purpose Secondary bacterial infections are a common complication of influenza. Innate immune host defenses appear to be impaired following influenza, leading to susceptibility to subsequent bacterial infections. Alternatively activated macrophages (AAM) in the lungs may play a critical role in eliciting the hypersusceptibility to secondary bacterial pneumonia.
The electronic Scientific Portfolio Assistant: Integrating scientific knowledge databases to support program impact assessment

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports basic and applied biomedical research by funding grants and contracts. To measure the outcomes and impact of their programs, NIH staff conduct program evaluations and undertake targeted investigations of research portfolios. Recently, the NIH launched the electronic scientific portfolio assistant (eSPA), a web-based analytics system based on linked scientific databases that provides quantitative information for program officers and planning and evaluation officials managing research portfolios. This system has improved the ability to create and collaboratively refine research portfolios, has reduced the time needed to collect and link outcomes data such as publications and patents, and is providing information used to support research management decisions. After describing the eSPA system, we provide examples of three eSPA evaluation projects that illustrate the impact of this system on NIH evaluation objectives. Copyright , Oxford University Press.
NGO-Anthropologist Collaboration: Lessons Learned from Working in Argentina

Many researchers are partnering with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in order to carry out research on health related issues. In many ways NGOs are not limited to the same types of restrictions as government institutions, and can have greater flexibility in collaborating with researchers and incorporating them into their projects. Increasingly, NGO administrations visualize anthropological research as a valuable mechanism for evaluating their goals, internal working mechanisms, and the impact of their work on recipient populations provided the research does not represent a strain on the organization's financial capacity or the staff's time. Some organizations have even established particular mechanisms to evaluate potential research proposals, make sure that the investigations go as planned, and protect the rights of the participants through all stages of the research process. Collaborating with NGOs can ensure the direct applicability of the results of our research and in some cases, the translatio...
Interferon action and apoptosis are defective in mice devoid of 2′,5′‐oligoadenylate‐dependent RNase L

2',5'-Oligoadenylate-dependent RNase L functions in the interferon-inducible, RNA decay pathway known as the 2-5A system. To determine the physiological roles of the 2-5A system, mice were generated with a targeted disruption of the RNase L gene. The antiviral effect of interferon alpha was impaired in RNase L-/- mice providing the first evidence that the 2-5A system functions as an antiviral pathway in animals. In addition, remarkably enlarged thymuses in the RNase L-/- mice resulted from a suppression of apoptosis. There was a 2-fold decrease in apoptosis in vivo in the thymuses and spleens of RNase L-/- mice. Furthermore, apoptosis was substantially suppressed in RNase L-/- thymocytes and fibroblasts treated with different apoptotic agents. These results suggest that both interferon action and apoptosis can be controlled at the level of RNA stability by RNase L. Another implication is that the 2-5A system is likely to contribute to the antiviral activity of interferon by inducing apoptosis of infected cells.
Multi-tier service restoration through network reconfiguration and capacitor control for large-scale radial distribution networks

A fast and effective service restoration algorithm allowing multi-tier or system-wide switching and capacitor control actions is developed for large-scale, radial distribution networks. The service restoration problem is formulated as a constrained multiple-objective optimization problem. A solution algorithm designed to consider networks with predominately manual switches is developed which utilizes information calculated from three-phase power flow analysis to restore as much priority and total load as possible while requiring a minimal number of control actions and amount of geographic travel distance. Simulation results are presented for a 399 bus distribution network and compared to the service restoration algorithm which avoided multi-tier switching.
Analog studies of forces in the human spine: Mechanical properties and motion segment behavior

Abstract This paper considers the construction and behavior of a mathematical model for the study of the force systems acting in the spine. The assembly of geometric and stiffness data for a model of the isolated ligamentous thoraco-lumbar vertebral column is described. Through a series of trials, the force-deformation properties of many individual elements of cadaver spines were incorporated so that the overall behavior of the model motion segments matches that of cadaver motion segments. The detailed behavior of two motion segments, T8 T9 and L3 L4 , has been studied with the model. The results indicate that (1) the ligaments and facet joints play an important role in carrying loads, especially in bending and torsion; (2) motion coupling is a function of segment orientation as well as of the intrinsic kinematic characteristics of a segment and (3) during normal motions of the column, geometric nonlinearities are significant. Tables of representative mechanical properties and load responses of the spine are given.
Induction of (+)-abscisic acid 8′ hydroxylase by (+)-abscisic acid in cultured maize cells

In vivo measurements of the enzymatic hydroxylation of the phytohormone (+)-abscisic acid to hormonally inactive ( -)-phaseic acid in corn cell cultures revealed that (+)-abscisic acid 8' hydroxylase activity was induced by (+)-abscisic acid treatment. This induction was blocked by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide and by the transcription inhibitor cordycepin. Following an induction treatment with abscisic acid, the amount of induced enzyme was measured by addition of both cycloheximide, to prevent further induction, and fresh abscisic acid as substrate for the induced enzyme. Phaseic acid production was related to the amount of enzyme induced. The experimental system was optimized for studying enzyme induction and the substrate specificity of the induced enzyme. The induced 8' hydroxylase was specific for (+)-abscisic acid, whereas the low basal activity also hydroxylated (-)-abscisic acid at the 7' position to form 7'-hydroxy abscisic acid. After induction, the 8' hydroxylase was rapidly degraded with a half-life of approximately 2 h. Phaseic and (-)-abscisic acid were weak inducers; however, the unstable oxidation product 8'-hydroxy abscisic acid exhibited 42% of the activity of (+)-abscisic acid. When corn cells were placed under water stress by increasing concentrations of mannitol in the culture medium, 8' hydroxylase induction was suppressed. The experimental system described will be useful for further studies of the physiological and hormonal factors that modulate abscisic acid metabolism and for testing potential enzyme inhibitors and hormone analogues.
South–South Trade and Skill Premia

Contrary to the predictions of the 2 × 2 × 2 Heckscher–Ohlin model, empirical evidence shows that the skill premium increased in some developing countries and decreased in others after trade liberalisation. This paper attempts to reconcile the empirical evidence with the theoretical predictions by introducing a model where South–South trade can produce the observed patterns of skill premia in the South. In this context, South–South trade expands the import range of the country that reduces the tariff. This increases the demand for and the cost of skilled workers in the other country. This also leads the country that reduces the tariff to expand its export range and reduce its import range. Therefore, the country that reduces the tariff experiences an increase in its export range, which leads to an increase in the skill premium. As the impact on the import range is ambiguous, it is possible that the other country experiences a decline in the skill premium. Thus, trade liberalisation between Southern countries can cause an increase in the skill premium in one and a decrease in the skill premium in another.
Gender is a determinant of the severity of experimental colitis

METHODS: Native marrow(NM): Colitis was induced in 18-20 week old C57BL/6J wild type (WT) and AT1aRKO mice with 2.5% DSS for 5 days. Bone marrow chimera (BMC): Bone marrow (BM) derived myeloid cells (devoid of EC) from 8 week old WT and AT1aRKO mice, were transferred into 10-12 week old RAG1-KO mice, and DSS colitis was induced eight weeks later. Groups were matched with non-DSS treated mice. Outcomes were disease severity, istopathology, and mucosal mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory ytokines using RT-PCR.
Investigating the Relationship among Prepaid Token Incentives, Response Rates, and Nonresponse Bias in a Web Survey

Few studies have employed a controlled experimental design to test the effectiveness of unconditional cash incentives on the rates of participation in web surveys. Even fewer studies have looked at...
A Method for Incorporating Transcendentally Small Terms into the Method of Matched Asymptotic Expansions

The essential ideas behind a method for incorporating exponentially small terms into the method of matched asymptotic expansions are demonstrated using an Ackerberg–O'Malley resonance problem and a spurious solutions problem of Carrier and Pearson. One begins with the application of the standard method of matched asymptotic expansions to obtain at least the leading terms in outer and inner (Poincare-type) expansions; some, although not all, matching can be carried out at this stage. This is followed by the introduction of supplementary expansions whose gauge functions are transcendentally small compared to those in the standard expansions. Analysis of terms in these expansions allows the matching to be completed. Furthermore, the method allows for the inclusion of globally valid transcendentally small contributions to the asymptotic solution; it is well known that such terms may be numerically significant.
Violence and Recreation: Vacationing in the Realm of Dark Tourism

SUMMARY Tourist destinations are typically conceptualized as sites of leisure. However, in recent years places associated with human misery and death have become the focus of sizable touristic interest. This practice, called dark tourism (Lennon and Foley 2000), involves visiting destinations at which violence is the main attraction. Dark tourism includes both places with violent legacies and those at which violence is an ongoing reality. It encompasses a wide variety of visitor motivations—educational, memorial, or recreational. In this article, I take a cross-regional approach to a diverse group of dark tourism sites, from Rwanda and Argentina to the United States and Brazil, considering their aesthetics and the experiences of visitors to contribute to the theoretical exploration of the relationship between tourism and violence.
A new scheme for energy-efficient estimation in a sensor network

In this paper, energy efficient estimation of an unknown parameter in Gaussian noise is studied in a sensor networking context. A new approach is suggested to obtain a good approximation to the traditional maximum likelihood (ML) estimate, which can save energy by reducing the number of sensor transmissions. Specifically, we describe a new and simple transmission scheme in which the sensor transmissions are ordered according to the magnitude of their measurements, and the sensors with small magnitude measurements, smaller than a threshold, do not transmit. A bound on the error of approximation is derived, which can be utilized to dynamically determine the threshold such that a trade-off between the accuracy of the approximation and the energy savings can be maintained. Through the numerical results, we show that our approach can be very energy efficient with only a negligible estimation error introduced.
Set Measure Directed Multi-Source Information Fusion

Our concern here is with the multi-source fusion problem. Two important aspects of this problem are the representation of information provided by the sources and the formulation of the instructions on how to fuse the information provided, which we refer to as the fusion imperative. We investigate the use of a monotonic set measure as a means of representing the fusion imperative. We look at the fusion of various different types of information, precise data, uncertain information such as probabilistic and possibilistic. We also consider the case of imprecise uncertain information such as that represented by a Dempster-Shafer belief structure.
An Equitable Method of Assigning Term Papers.

Auctions are presented as a method for assigning term paper topics. Based on the work-credit system in Skinner's Walden Two (1948), the method provides for perceived equity in the difficulty and desirability of the available topics. The technique's logistical problems and their solutions are also presented.
Consumer Perceived Value of Salon Hair Coloring in China

The primary objective of this study is to examine how Chinese consumers perceive the value of salon hair coloring? Based on the findings from a qualitative study and literature review on consumer perceived value (CPV), we developed a survey to measure Chinese consumers’ perceptions of quality value, emotional value, epistemic value, social value, monetary cost, time/effort cost, and health risk cost of salon hair coloring. Quality value and monetary cost were found to be the most important dimensions for Chinese consumers. The results suggest that the model for CPV proposed in this study could be beneficially applied to other areas, such as to other product/service categories, other demographics, and in other cultural settings.
Geometric representations for multiple documents

Combining multiple documents to represent an information object is well-known as an effective approach for many Information Retrieval tasks. For example, passages can be combined to represent a document for retrieval, document clusters are represented using combinations of the documents they contain, and feedback documents can be combined to represent a query model. Various techniques for combination have been introduced, and among them, representation techniques based on concatenation and the arithmetic mean are frequently used. Some recent work has shown the potential of a new representation technique using the geometric mean. However, these studies lack a theoretical foundation explaining why the geometric mean should have advantages for representing multiple documents. In this paper, we show that the arithmetic mean and the geometric mean are approximations to the center of mass in certain geometries, and show empirically that the geometric mean is closer to the center. Through experiments with two IR tasks, we show the potential benefits for geometric representations, including a geometry-based pseudo-relevance feedback method that outperforms state-of-the-art techniques.
Reflecting Brownian motion in three dimensions: a new proof of sufficient conditions for positive recurrence

Let Z = {Z(t), t ≥ 0} be a semimartingale reflecting Brownian motion that lives in the three-dimensional non-negative orthant. A 2002 paper by El Kharroubi, Ben Tahar and Yaacoubi gave sufficient conditions for positive recurrence of Z. Recently Bramson, Dai and Harrison have shown that those conditions are also necessary for positive recurrence. In this paper we provide an alternative proof of sufficiency, the salient feature of which is its use of a linear Lyapunov function.
Stopover duration, movement patterns and temporary home ranges of fall migrant yellow‐rumped warblers Setophaga coronata in native and anthropogenic woodlands of the Northern Prairie region, USA

Stopover behavior of migrant birds is influenced by their energetic condition, but also by extrinsic factors, including weather conditions and habitat attributes such as vegetation structure, microclimates, predation pressure, competition, and food availability. Anthropogenic habitats may differ from natural habitats in these attributes, which could promote differing stopover behaviors for migrants in the two habitat types and affect overall habitat suitability. We used radio-telemetry to measure stopover behaviors of fall migrant yellow-rumped warblers Setophaga coronata in native riparian corridor woodlands (corridors) and anthropogenic woodlots (woodlots) in the Northern Prairie region. We measured stopover duration, movement rate, and temporary home range size for birds in both habitat types by attaching radio-transmitters and relocating birds to either corridor (n = 17) or woodlot (n = 16) study sites. We used AICC to rank null, global, and reduced models, which included habitat type, energetic condition, habitat size, year, date, and movement rate (for stopover duration analyses only) as explanatory variables. Model rankings showed that habitat type was not included in any of the top models (ΔAICC < 2) for movement behavior, temporary home range size, or stopover duration, which suggests similar functional habitat quality between the two habitat types. These data add similar behavioral responses for birds in the two habitat types to similar fattening rates and stress physiology, further confirming similar suitability of native and anthropogenic woodland habitats in this region as stopover habitat. We also applied logistic regression with a model selection approach, including cloud cover, tail wind component, temperature, and barometric pressure as independent variables, and departure decision as the dependent variable, to evaluate the effects of weather variables on departure. Model selection suggested that cloud cover is a prominent factor affecting departure decisions and the other variables may also influence departure decisions of yellow-rumped warblers from inland stopover sites.
Quickest spectrum detection using hidden Markov Model for cognitive radio

The prerequisite of accessing white spectrum is to find and locate it. Our work deals with spectrum detection and recognition under the umbrella of cognitive radio. In the procedure of spectrum recognition, a frequency sweeping device sweeps the wideband spectrum and the samples of the wideband power spectrum density (PSD) are fed into different Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) sequentially. The core idea of sequential detection or quickest detection is borrowed and utilized here from the classical detection theory. In our proposed approach, forward variables from different HMMs are sequentially exploited to generate the decision statistics. The decision can be made any time as long as the condition is met. The motivation of our work is to detect the availability of spectra and recognize the spectra as quickly as possible and thus shorten the time delay of detection so as to improve the spectrum utilization. The PSDs of Wi-Fi signal, CDMA signal and GSM signal are measured using a Spectrum Analyzer (SA). These acquired data are used to train HMMs beforehand. Meanwhile, a fourth HMM is trained by the PSD of blank spectrum. Experimental results shows this proposed approach is effective.
Integrated Systems-Based Approach to Monitoring Environmental Remediation

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for risk reduction and cleanup of its nuclear weapons complex. Remediation strategies for some of the existing contamination use techniques that mitigate risk, but leave contaminants in place. Monitoring to verify remedy performance and long-term mitigation of risk is a key element for implementing these strategies and can be a large portion of the total cost of remedy implementation. Especially in these situations, there is a need for innovative monitoring approaches that move away from the cost and labor intensive point-source monitoring. A systems-based approach to monitoring design focuses monitoring on controlling features and processes to enable effective interpretation of remedy performance.
Cowboy: An Agile Programming Methodology for a Solo Programmer

Very little research in software engineering has focused on the model of a programmer working alone. These so-called cowboys are disdained for not working in teams to build software. In reality many cowboys work by themselves due to the circumstances of their work environment, not because they are unable or unwilling to work with well with others. These solo programmers could benefit from a methodology to assist them in consistently developing reliable software on time and within budget while satisfying the customer's needs. Cowboy was designed to help fill this void. This agile-based system incorporates the benefits of agile methodologies into a lightweight, customer-centered approach to software development for the lone developer. This thesis describes Cowboy and its successful application in developing a prototype for a web application.
Evaluation of Spring Frost Control Methods and an Assessment of Cold Hardiness in Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarporn Ait.)

The American cranberry acquires cold hardiness in autumn (fall) and loses it in spring, following deacclimation. As temperatures drop below the hardiness level, cranberry growers use sprinkler irrigation to protect the plant from damage. Two sprinkler frost protection irrigation methods were evaluated; (1) the conventional approach consisting of continuous irrigation throughout the night once the bud temperature tolerance level is reached (CON) and (2) intermittent cycling of sprinklers (INT) started at a temperature tolerance level similar to CON but incorporating cycling on and off throughout the night between two additional set temperatures. Bud damage was assessed for cranberry cultivars 'Early Black', 'Howes', and 'Stevens' managed as either INT or CON prior to deacclimation. Frost monitoring was conducted after one or two frost protection events in spring and late in the spring when danger of frost had passed. In both years and for all cultivar treatment combinations, there was some bud damage prior to the initiation of frost protection and additional damage was observed following frost events. There were no frost protection method differences in bud damage or fruit yield on 'Howes' in both years and in the other cultivars in 2012. 'Stevens' suffered significant bud damage and yield reduction in INT compared to CON after frost events in 2011, which had a colder spring relative to 2012. Intermittent cycling (INT) was effective on all cultivars in 2012, when early spring temperatures were not as cold as in 2011.
Evidence for indirect effects of pesticide seed treatments on weed seed banks in maize and soybean

Abstract Use of pesticide seed treatments (coating seeds with insecticides and/or fungicides) is a common practice in conventional maize and soybean production. Despite their widespread use, however, little is known about how this practice affects soil food webs and their associated ecosystem services. We conducted a two-year field experiment in central Pennsylvania, USA in which identical genotypes of maize (2013) and soybean (2014) were planted with and without pesticide seed treatments in a completely randomized design with five replications. We sampled the weed seed bank during both the corn (fall 2013) and soybean (summer 2014) phases of the rotation. After each sampling event, soil samples were transported to a temperature-controlled greenhouse facility and weed seed bank composition and density was assessed over a period of four months via the direct germination method. Seed bank data were analyzed with ANOVA and several multivariate techniques to determine the effect of pesticide seed treatments on seed bank density, diversity, and species composition. We hypothesized that pesticide seed treatments reduce the abundance of natural enemies (e.g., soil-dwelling seed predators and pathogens) that damage or destroy weed seeds in the soil, and therefore seed banks in treated plots would be larger and less diverse than those in untreated plots. In accordance with our hypothesis, weed seed banks were significantly less diverse in treated compared to untreated control plots (Shannon and Simpson’s indices of diversity, p
The New Services PE Provision of the Canada-US Tax Treaty

The service sector is the fastest-growing economic sector in the world today, and service exports are an important component of the Canadian economy. Canada's principal trading partner with respect to services is the United States.The provision of cross-border services has significant tax implications. Canada, like most countries, taxes the income earned from business activities carried on within its territory. Under international tax treaties, however, this right is modified by the concept of the permanent establishment (PE). Treaties that follow the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) model tax convention define a PE as, essentially, "a fixed place of business through which the business of an enterprise is wholly or partly carried on." In a global service-based economy, however, substantial business activity can occur within a country's territory without any need for a fixed place of business.The fifth protocol to the Canada-US income tax treaty, which came into force on December 15, 2008, amends article V of the treaty to deem services to be provided through a PE if certain conditions are met where the provision of the services would not otherwise create a fixed place of business. Canada is not the only country to be concerned that the traditional concept of a PE as a fixed place of business does not adequately address the taxation of cross-border services. For example, the UN model tax convention, which addresses the economic concerns of developing countries, has long included a services PE provision. In addition, in 2008, the commentary on article V of the OECD model was updated to include an alternative provision with respect to services for member countries that wish to include such additional taxation rights in their treaties.The term "services" can encompass a broad range of activities; therefore, it is important that all businesses involved in cross-border trade between Canada and the United States be aware of and understand the new services PE provision of the Canada-US treaty. The consequences of having a services PE in Canada are significant. The profits attributable to the services PE will be subject to Canadian income tax. The services PE will also create a tax liability for non-resident employees working at the PE, which will result in additional compliance and compensation costs. There may be indirect tax consequences as well.This article reviews the services PE provision of the Canada-US treaty in light of the OECD alternative provision and the UN model provision, discusses the implications for providers of cross-border services, and makes recommendations to assist businesses in monitoring compliance.
The Digital Threat to the Normative Role of Copyright Law

Current digital technology has radically enhanced the ability to create digital copies of copyrighted works and to replicate, manipulate, modify, and transmit and distribute such copies on a massive scale. The intellectual property legal structure, particularly the United States copyright laws, while purporting to contemplate and embrace technological change, are strained in attempting to deal with current technological reality. The ease with which a variety of acts of large-scale copyright infringement can take place, and the frequency of such activity, call into question whether present copyright law can effectively serve a normative function. The article attempts to examine the role of law in this context.
Relation of Volatile Fatty Acids and Hydrogen Sulphide to the Intestinal Flora

with large enemas according to a procedure developed by Hanszen.2 The abundance of wax beads in the washings was assurance that enough time had elapsed for the passage of B. prodigiosus from mouth to cecum. Those organisms which arrived in the colon still alive were counted after diluting and plating. Olive oil, which contains no butyric acid, was used in the control tests. Tests were also run with ordinary bakers' yeast and with a special "rough" strain of yeast. Results with these organisms were quite parallel to those with B. prodigiosus but the percentage killing was less as might be expected from the much higher resistance of yeast to butyric acid. They served however as a check on the results with the bacteria.
Crystallization of Organic Glasses: How Does Liquid Flow Damage Surface Crystal Growth?

Organic glasses can grow crystals much faster on a free surface than in the interior, a result of the high mobility of surface molecules. A puzzling property of this process is that it is active in the glassy state, but disrupted as the glass is heated above the glass transition temperature Tg to become a fluid, despite the large increase of mobility. To understand this phenomenon, high-resolution microscopy was used to observe surface crystal growth in amorphous indomethacin (IMC) in two polymorphs (α and γ). α-IMC represents the general case of strong disruption of surface growth by fluidity, while γ-IMC represents the opposite situation where the effect is weak. We observed that heating above Tg causes liquid flow toward the crystals of both polymorphs. The essential difference between the polymorphs is that γ-IMC grows as compact domains and its uniformly advancing growth front is unperturbed by the onset of liquid flow. In contrast, α-IMC grows segregated needles and liquid flow strongly alters the c...
Built Environments and Obesity

Obesity is a complex condition that is influenced by many diverse types of factors that intersect and interact. Understanding obesity requires multiple approaches that range from reductionist examination of the smallest mechanisms to synthetic consideration of global processes. Considerable research on obesity takes a biological perspective, examining physiological, genetic, and other characteristics and processes involved in feeding and body weight maintenance. Supplementing those perspectives are behavioral, cognitive, and other psychological analyses that provide information about motivations, attitudes and other reasons for why people are fatter or thinner. Additionally, social science investigations have revealed how social structure, culture, economics, among other factors, markedly affect food intake and body weight stability or lability. This chapter will move past physiology, beyond behavior, and separate from the social to consider how the physical environment influence obesity. An environmental perspective (Chang & Christakis 2002) has recently emerged as a way to both frame and interact with other approaches. Environmental approaches consider how the physical environment determines, and, in turn is itself influence by body weight. For example, clothing provides a "portable environment" (Watkins 1995) that substitutes for body fat as insulation against the cold, and also is chosen according to the fatness or thinness of a person's body. Environmental thinking is represented in the emergence of terms like the "obesogenic environment" (Boehmer et al 2006; Swinburn et al 1999) and "toxic food environment" (Brownell & Gorgen 2004). The present chapter defines the built environment, presents a framework for classifying it into three scales that influence energy intake and energy expenditure, and discusses patterns and mechanisms of environmental influence. Finally, we examine implications and applications of built environment influences on energy balance and body weight and their possible modifications.
Effects on the Turbulence Intensity to Wind Turbine Fatigue Equivalent Load

The fatigue loads of wind turbine are directly related to the life span and structural safety of wind turbines. About the effects of turbulence to the wind turbine mechanical load,there are some articles described with the simulation method,but no theoretical and experimental data of different load conditions of turbulence intensity. The theoretical derivation of the effects of turbulence intensity for the wind turbine mechanical load is carried out in this article,and based on a 1. 5 MW wind turbine mechanical load measurement data,the data with the same wind speed but different turbulence intensity are analyzed. Based on the fatigue equivalent loads and correlation coefficient method,the effects of turbulence intensity for wind turbine fatigue equivalent loads are analyzed. The GH BLADED software is used to simulate the wind turbine mechanical load with same wind speed but different turbulence intensity. The inner correlation between turbulence intensity and wind turbines fatigue equivalent load is verified with the simulation results. Both test and simulation results show that the fatigue load of wind turbine structural components strongly associated with the turbulence intensity and while the turbulence intensity increases,the fatigue equivalent load also will be larger.
Components of Variance in Measurements of Nestling European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in Southeastern Pennsylvania

Etude experimentale dans le cadre de la variation des parametres de croissance au niveau de la population sur les facteurs contribuant a la variation des mensurations postnatales chez Sturnus vulgaris. Aucun effet genetique ne peut etre decele; le nid dans lequel les oiseaux ont ete eleves joue un certain role, ce qui suggere une influence directe des soins parentaux sur le developpement post-natal; la taille de l'œuf semble tres peu importante; un autre facteur peut jouer un role: il s'agit des differences intrinseques dans la qualite de l'eveil a partir des differences genotypiques, des effets de la competition et d'autres interactions au niveau de la fratrie
Lung mechanics following aspiration of 0.1 N hydrochloric acid

Pressure-volume curves were obtained from excised left lungs of goats at 4, 24, and 48 h after tracheal instillation of 2.5 ml/kg of 0.1 N HCl. Air total lung capacity (TLC) at transpulmonary pressure (PL) = 35 cmH2O was 38.8 ml/kg body weight before acid, and was reduced sharply to 21.1 at 4 h, then increased to 25.6 at 24 h and 32.1 at 48 h. Excess extravascular lung water (EVLW) could account for only part of the volume reductions. Specific compliance ratio of transpulmonary pressure to total lung capacity (CL/TLC) between PL of 5 and 0 cmH2O was reduced from 0.074/cmH2O to 0.050, 0.048, and 0.053/cmH2O, respectively. Saline TLC (PL = 10 cmH2O) changed from 44.8 to 32.4, 34.3, and 45.4 ml/kg, respectively, but CL/TLC did not, suggesting airway obstruction. After injury, trapped volume at PL = 0 increased from 24.9 to 29.2, 43.3, and 37.3% TLC with air, and from 20.3 to 38.5, 33.1, and 28.5%, respectively, with saline. Air volume at a PL = 10 cmH2O on deflation fell from 82.0 to 72.1% TLC at 4 h, but was near control at 24 and 48 h. The reduction in ventilated volume was not reflected in proportionately increased shunt; therefore, some compensatory vasoconstriction must have occurred. We suggest that in affected regions increased surface forces, increased EVLW, and airway obstruction caused reductions of lung volume.
Abstract A12: Developing an intervention to promote colorectal cancer control among multiethnic minorities

Background: Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Screening for colorectal cancer has been shown to be effective in reducing incidence and mortality from the disease. Yet, Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System data has shown that minority populations (African American, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander) are less likely to report being up to date with colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and having a colonoscopy within 10 years (60.0, 46.0, and 49.9%), when compared to whites (62.5%). Many barriers (lack of transportation, lack of access, fear, fatalism, low levels of health literacy, and lower levels of English proficiency) to CRC screening among minorities have been reported. However, studies have also demonstrated navigators, which include lay persons and health professional from the community to be effective at increasing screening among minority populations. Purpose: To increase capacity for navigators to promote colorectal cancer prevention and control in their community and/or health care setting. Methods: Twenty-two multiethnic navigators from partnering organizations that provide healthcare services for African American, Asian, and Latino communities were invited to participate in the “A Walk through the Cure” intervention. Participants were led on a walking tour of colorectal cancer care related centers, including Colorectal Health Center, Colorectal Surgery, Oncology Clinic and Infusion Center, Oncology Radiation Center and Cancer Resource Center at the University of Chicago Medicine. Each stop of the tour was staffed by a faculty member. A mini lecture was given by the faculty at each stop and participants were encouraged to ask questions. The tour lasted about two hours. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a survey with open-ended questions. Findings: All participants demonstrated an increase in colorectal cancer control related knowledge, by comparing a pre and post self-assessment. Additionally, the navigators reported that their increased knowledge and familiarity with the CRC screening and treatment process facilitated increased levels of confidence to encourage patients or community members to screen for CRC. “I have accurate statistics related to CRC and the importance of screening, which helps me encourage patients or people in my community to do screening without any fear.” Conclusion: This data indicates the importance of innovative strategies to facilitate increased capacity among navigators to promote colorectal cancer prevention and control in minority communities. Citation Format: Lisa Hinton, Helen Lam, Karen Kim. Developing an intervention to promote colorectal cancer control among multiethnic minorities. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Seventh AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 9-12, 2014; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015;24(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A12.
Hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in type 2 diabetic mice

Hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is a progressive disease that is mainly caused by chronic exposure to high altitude, chronic obstructive lung disease, and obstructive sleep apnea. The increased pulmonary vascular resistance and increased pulmonary arterial pressure result in increased right ventricular afterload, leading to right heart failure and increased morbidity. There are several clinical reports suggesting a link between PH and diabetes, insulin resistance, or obesity; however, it is unclear whether HPH is associated with diabetes as a progressive complication in diabetes. The major goal of this study is to examine the effect of diabetic "preconditioning" or priming effect on the progression of HPH and define the molecular mechanisms that explain the link between diabetes and HPH. Our data show that HPH is significantly enhanced in diabetic mice, while endothelium-dependent relaxation in pulmonary arteries is significantly attenuated in chronically hypoxic diabetic mice (DH). In addition, we demonstrate that mouse pulmonary endothelial cells (MPECs) isolated from DH mice exhibit a significant increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration and decreased SOD2 protein expression. Finally, scavenging mitochondrial ROS by mitoTempol restores endothelium-dependent relaxation in pulmonary arteries that is attenuated in DH mice. These data suggest that excessive mitochondrial ROS production in diabetic MPECs leads to the development of severe HPH in diabetic mice exposed to hypoxia.
In Patients with Small AAA, Does Medical Therapy Prevent Growth?

Throughout most of the twentieth and now twenty-first century the dominant treatment paradigm for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has been mechanical exclusion of the degenerative wall to prevent the consequences of aortic wall failure, namely, rupture and death. The medical literature has been clear that the risks of a procedural intervention on “small” AAA do not exceed the benefits when the maximal diameter is less than 5.5 cm in men. Nevertheless, the underlying pathology of the small aneurysm remains active and nearly always leads to progressive weakening and dilatation of the aortic wall. A large potential exists in this patient class to modify the aneurysmal disease process to slow or halt the growth of small AAA, thereby preventing the need to undergo the procedural risks and costs of mechanical exclusion. Recent progress in our pathobiologic understanding of aneurysmal degeneration has provided specific opportunities for disease process modification. No therapy has yet been proven to alter AAA progression; this chapter reviews the insights available from published clinical studies and summarizes potential therapies in contemporary clinical trials.
Model Validation of PWM DC–DC Converters

This paper presents hybrid automaton modeling, comparative model validation, and formal verification of stability through reachability analysis of pulse width modulation (PWM) dc–dc converters. Conformance degree provides a measure of closeness between the proposed hybrid automata models and experimental data. Nondeterminism due to variations in circuit parameters is modeled using interval matrices. In direct contrast to the unsound and computationally-intensive Monte Carlo simulation, reachability analysis is introduced to overapproximate the set of reachable states and ensure stable operation of PWM dc–dc converters. Using a 200 W experimental prototype of a buck converter, hybrid automata models of open-loop, and hysteresis-controlled converters are first validated against experimental data using their conformance degrees. Next, converter stability is formally verified through reachability analysis and informally validated using Monte Carlo simulations and experimental results.
A review on cyber security issues and mitigation methods in smart grid systems

The future power system will be an innovative administration of existing power grids, which is called smart grid. Above all, the application of advanced communication and computing tools is going to significantly improve the productivity and consistency of smart grid systems with renewable energy resources. Together with the topographies of the smart grid, cyber security appears as a serious concern since a huge number of automatic devices are linked through communication networks. Cyber-attacks on these devices has a direct influence on the reliability of extensive infrastructure of the power system. In this survey, several published works related to smart grid system vulnerabilities, potential intentional attacks, and suggested countermeasures for these threats have been investigated.
A dual-band wireless power transfer and backscatter communication approach for implantable neuroprosthetic devices

We present a dual-band HF and UHF fully-integrated implantable neuroprosthetic testbed. This testbed includes a custom implanted device as well as an external system based on a commercially available USRP B210 software defined radio (SDR) platform. The implanted device integrates a BPSK backscatter uplink rate of 5 Mbps, an HF WPT efficiency of 47% with a power consumption of 1.332 milliwatt. The implanted device measures 25 mm diameter and has a total thickness of 2.8 mm including the printed circuit substrate, antenna, all circuitry, and silicone encapsulation. It supports up to 10 neural and 4 electromyogram (EMG) channels with a sampling rate of 26.1 kHz for the neural channels and 1.628 kHz for the EMG channels. The communication link is shown to have 0% packet error rate at an implant depth of up to 2.5 cm.
SOI Operational Amplifier Applications in 300°C Operating Environment

Abstract A custom designed SOI operational amplifier (opamp) is used in two application circuits and characterized up to 300°C: 1. An instrumentation amplifier (in-amp) with a differential voltage gain of 100, and 2. A transimpedance amplifier (TIA) with a gain of 1.2 giga Ohm, used to sense picoamp level signals. The opamp operates with a 5-volt supply, and has rail-to-rail inputs and outputs. The open loop gain of the opamp is about 100 dB at room temperature and stays above 60 dB at 300°C. The in-amp uses the classic three operational amplifier (opamp) architecture with off-chip feedback resistors. The closed loop gain of the in-amp remains stable at 100, up to 250°C, and drops to 95 at 300°C. Temperature dwell test shows the in-amp maintaining stable functionality at 300°C for at least 1000 hours. The TIA also incorporates a silicon carbide diode to achieve gain compression by lowering the feedback gain when the input signal is higher, thus allowing a higher dynamic range input before the circuit outp...
Teammate Relationships Improve Help-Seeking Behavior in an Intelligent Tutoring System

This paper describes a method for improving students’ help-seeking behavior by creating a teammate relationship between intelligent tutors and students. Help seeking in intelligent tutors involves student self-regulation as described in learning theory and can be explored from the perspective of social psychology. We describe an experiment in which ninety-seven students were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions and students in the treatment group were supported to relate to the Wayang Math Tutor as teammates by providing the help button named “Work Together”. The result suggests that students who treated the tutor as teammates saw more hints (asked for more hints), exhibited reduced quick-guessing behavior and did not abuse hints while working together to solve math problems.