cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Educational attainment predicts negative perceptions women have of their own climate change knowledge

Education may encourage personal and collective responses to climate change, but climate education has proven surprisingly difficult and complex. Self-perception of knowledge and intelligence represent one factor that may impact willingness to learn about climate change. We explored this possibility with a case study in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2015 (n = 200). Our goal was to test how gender and ethnicity influenced perceptions people had of their own climate change knowledge. Survey respondents were asked how strongly they agreed with the statement “I feel knowledgeable about climate change” (1 = strongly disagree, and 5 = strongly agree). Our survey instrument also included demographic questions about race, age, income, gender, and education, as well as respondent’s experience with natural disasters and drought. We observed an interaction between education and gender where women’s self-perceived knowledge was higher than men among people with low levels of educational attainment, but was higher for men than women among people with high levels of educational attainment. In addition, minority respondents self-reported lower perceived climate change knowledge than white respondents, regardless of educational attainment. This study enhances our understanding of the gender gap in self-perceptions of climate knowledge by suggesting it is contingent on educational attainment. This could be the result of stereotype-threat experienced by women and minorities, and exacerbated by educational systems. Because people who question their knowledge are often more able to learn, particularly in ideologically charged contexts, highly educated women and minorities may be more successful learning about climate change than white men.
Optimizing management of emergency gas leaks: a case study in business analytics

Managing the response to reported gas leaks is of significant importance to both utilities and regulators. This paper utilizes a business analytics approach to investigate strategies for managing g...
Suboptimality of nonlocal means on images with sharp edges

We conduct an asymptotic risk analysis of the nonlocal means image denoising algorithm for Horizon class images that are piecewise constant with a sharp edge discontinuity. We prove that the mean-square risk of nonlocal means is suboptimal and in fact is within a log factor of the mean square risk of wavelet thresholding.
Benefits of a Voluntary Cell Phone Abstinence Intervention in General Psychology Courses

Although cell phones are often discussed as a problem in higher education research, the literature focuses largely on disciplinary tactics or integration of phones into the curriculum. The present ...
Resident continuity clinics: a learning design for group private practice.

Continuity clinics are required for residents in obstetrics and gynecology in the U.S., but are costly and difficult to administer. Organizing them into group resident continuity clinic programs which emulate the group private practice most residents will join, creates a design that is parsimonious of clinic resources, while providing a type of continuity with which patients, nurses, and physicians are familiar and comfortable.
TCO Nanostructures as building blocks for nanophotonic devices in the infrared

Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs), in general, are degenerated semiconductors with large electronic band-gap. They have been widely used for display screens, optoelectronic, photonic, and photovoltaic devices due to their unique dual transparent and conductive properties. In this study, we report in detail a technique that we developed to fabricate single crystal TCO nanorod arrays with controlled conductivity, height, and lattice spacing in a simple one-zone tube furnace system. We demonstrate how novel photonic/plasmonic properties can be obtained by selecting unique combinations of these basic parameters of the nano-rod arrays.
Intra-operative kinetics of anti-HLA antibody in simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation.

Abstract During simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation (SLK) in highly sensitized patients, donor specific anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies (DSA, HLA) can be present prior to transplant leading to positive crossmatch, yet these recipients have relatively low incidences of acute rejection. The mechanisms and timing underlying immunologic changes that occur intra-operatively remain largely unknown. Therefore, we measured the intra- and peri-operative kinetics of anti-HLA antibodies in highly sensitized SLK recipients. In this study, pre- and post-operative blood samples were obtained from sensitized SLK candidates with documented DSA. Intra-operative samples were obtained from a sub-group of SLK recipients. Pretransplant anti-HLA antibody profiles were created and flow cytometry and anti-human globulin complement-dependent cytotoxic crossmatches were performed. Significant reductions in anti-HLA class I and II DSA were seen intra-operatively shortly after reperfusion of the liver allograft. This effect was most pronounced for anti-HLA class I DSA (mean change, −85%, p
Beside the Point: Queering the Body Natural

There is a celebratory quality to “queering” dominant dualisms like order versus chaos. Instead of a “versus” stance, queering offers a “beside” way of thinking that challenges how body, place, and nature have traditionally been conceived to the detriment of our homeplace Earth. Myth makers, poets, and queer writers express what lies beyond, in between, beside, or within, drawing attention to a psychology of interiority, of worlds within the world. By discussing mythic creator stories, such as the Babylonian Marduk separating salt water from fresh water, we glean an early instance of unnatural division. Other writers that draw on the ancient properties of mythic insight, include Euripides and Ovid (BCE), as well as Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Toni Morrison, Louise Erdrich, Annie Proulx, and e.e.cummings (CE). To shift away from the strategies of separation and instantiation, we need to engage a queer experience of the nature of nature.
EMS blood collection from patients with acute chest pain reduces emergency department length of stay.

Abstract Background Expediting the measurement of serum troponin by leveraging EMS blood collection could reduce the diagnostic time for patients with acute chest pain and help address Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding. However, this practice has not been examined among an ED chest pain patient population in the United States. Methods A prospective observational cohort study of adults with non-traumatic chest pain without ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction was conducted in three EMS agencies between 12/2016–4/2018. During transport, paramedics obtained a patient blood sample that was sent directly to the hospital core lab for troponin measurement. On ED arrival HEART Pathway assessments were completed by ED providers as part of standard care. ED providers were blinded to troponin results from EMS blood samples. To evaluate the potential impact on length of stay (LOS), the time difference between EMS blood draw and first clinical ED draw was calculated. To determine the safety of using troponin measures from EMS blood samples, the diagnostic performance of the HEART Pathway for 30-day major adverse cardiac events (MACE: composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), coronary revascularization) was determined using EMS troponin plus arrival ED troponin and EMS troponin plus a serial 3-h ED troponin. Results The use of EMS blood samples for troponin measures among 401 patients presenting with acute chest pain resulted in a mean potential reduction in LOS of 72.5 ± SD 35.7 min. MACE at 30 days occurred in 21.0% (84/401), with 1 cardiac death, 78 MIs, and 5 revascularizations without MI. Use of the HEART Pathway with EMS and ED arrival troponin measures yielded a NPV of 98.0% (95% CI: 89.6–100). NPV improved to 100% (95% CI: 92.9–100) when using the EMS and 3-h ED troponin measures. Conclusions EMS blood collection used for core lab ED troponin measures could significantly reduce ED LOS and appears safe when integrated into the HEART Pathway.
Demystifying asynchronous I/O Interference in HPC applications

With increasing complexity of HPC workflows, data management services need to perform expensive I/O operations asynchronously in the background, aiming to overlap the I/O with the application runti...
Age-dependent response of female melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae), to volatiles emitted from damaged host fruits

Abstract In many insect species including fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae), the behavioral responses to volatiles emitted by their host plants can be modulated by environmental conditions and by the physiological state of the insect. Here, we quantified (1) the effects of female age on the attraction of female melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae) to volatiles emitted by intact and mechanically damaged tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), eggplant (S. melongena), zucchini (Cucurbita pepo), bitter melon (Momordica charantia), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) fruit, and (2) the influence of time elapsed since fruit damage on the outcome. The investigations were conducted under semi-natural conditions in Hawai’i. Results from the first experiment revealed that, for freshly damaged tomato, eggplant, and zucchini, the level of female response was comparatively low and was not affected by female age. For bitter melon and cucumber, higher levels of response to freshly damaged fruit were documented, and the response levels gradually increased as female age increased from 1 to 4 weeks, reaching 70% for 4-week-old females exposed to cucumber odor. Results from our second experiment indicated that, on average, 56% of the females released responded in 20 min when cucumbers were freshly sliced, and the level of response was reduced 6-fold within a couple of hours. Females did not respond to tomato and cucumber odor when fruits were damaged >8 h before testing. Fruit volatiles involved in female Z. cucurbitae attraction seem to be released shortly upon mechanical damage and they are short-lived. The plasticity of the olfaction-driven behavior observed in Z. cucurbitae depending on female age and on the strength of the olfactory cues associated with preferred and less preferred hosts, adds another dimension to our understanding of the host-seeking behavior of this invasive species.
Development of Operation Guidelines for Leader–Follower Autonomous Maintenance Vehicles at Work Zone Locations:

The rapid advancement of connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technologies, although possibly years away from wide application to the general public travel, are receiving attention from many stat...
Elastic Stresses in Fretting Fatigue

The distribution of stresses in a typical two-dimensional fretting-fatigue problem has been analyzed by assuming homogeneous, isotropic and linearly elastic material. “Closed type” solutions have been obtained that are “exact” within the assumptions used. According to the numerical results presented, a small region of the plate immediately outside the contact area would appear to be most critical from the viewpoint of crack initiation. However, under certain conditions (e.g., in the presence of micropores or other types of discontinuities) cracks could also initiate at some subsurface sites.
Combining Facial Skin Mark and Eigenfaces for Face Recognition

In this paper we investigate the use of facial skin mark information for biometric person verification. We performed statistical analysis of the facial skin mark information. The position, size and color intensity of the skin marks are considered as features for skin mark based face matching. Developed facial skin mark matcher has good performance, but can not be applied to faces with no detected skin marks. Due to non-universality of skin mark information, a novel combination algorithm of traditional Eigenfaces matcher with skin mark matcher has been proposed. The resulting combined face matcher has universality property and delivers better performance than either single matcher. The AR Face Database was used in experiments.
Analysis and Prediction of Photogrammetric Residual Errors

A mathematical model for the photogrammetric systematic residual errors has been formulated and its solution tested using the single photo resection residuals on observations. The predicted residual errors agree within possible limits with those obtained through adjustment procedures. The method furnishes information on residual distortion parameters in addition to checking for large observational errors and blunders. The predicted residual used for refining photo coordinates shows improvement in aerial triangulation accuracy.
Petroleum hydrocarbons in Narragansett Bay: II. Chemical and isotopic analysis

Abstract Upper Narragansett Bay surficial sediments contain a complex mixture of hydrocarbons at over ten times the levels of the lower Bay. 14C and chemical analyses indicate that petroleum is the predominant source of these hydrocarbons; the data exclude as predominant sources microbiologically synthesized hydrocarbons, land runoff, domestic wastes and forest and agricultural products. The hydrocarbons are characterized by low 14C content, by the presence of over 1000 components, including the isoprenoid hydrocarbons pristane and phytane, and several homologous series of alkylaromatic compounds. The ubiquitous normal alkanes are not present in significant amounts. Sewage effluents and small oil spills discharged to Narragansett Bay may be chemically modified by evaporation, dissolution and partial biochemical oxidation to yield the observed hydrocarbon distribution.
Absorption in the ν3 Band of UF6 Dissolved in Solid Xenon

Abstract The ν3 band of UF6 isolated in solid xenon is shown to consist of a single sharp spectral feature.
Holocene faulting in the Bellingham forearc basin: Upper-plate deformation at the northern end of the Cascadia subduction zone

[1] The northern Cascadia forearc takes up most of the strain transmitted northward via the Oregon Coast block from the northward-migrating Sierra Nevada block. The north-south contractional strain in the forearc manifests in upper-plate faults active during the Holocene, the northern-most components of which are faults within the Bellingham Basin. The Bellingham Basin is the northern of four basins of the actively deforming northern Cascadia forearc. A set of Holocene faults, Drayton Harbor, Birch Bay, and Sandy Point faults, occur within the Bellingham Basin and can be traced from onshore to offshore using a combination of aeromagnetic lineaments, paleoseismic investigations and scarps identified using LiDAR imagery. With the recognition of such Holocene faults, the northernmost margin of the actively deforming Cascadia forearc extends 60 km north of the previously recognized limit of Holocene forearc deformation. Although to date no Holocene faults are recognized at the northern boundary of the Bellingham Basin, which is 15 km north of the international border, there is no compelling tectonic reason to expect that Holocene faults are limited to south of the international border.
The Effect of Courtroom Technologies on and in Appellate Proceedings and Courtrooms

The information presented to courts has traditionally been written and oral. Many courts are adopting technology into the courtroom. Changing the record from text to multi-media is the most sweeping of these changes.
A general theory of Taylor dispersion phenomena

An asymptotic theory of Brownian tracer particle transport phenomena within a bulk fluid, as augmented by surface transport, is presented in the context of generalized Taylor dispersion theory. The analysis expands upon prior work, which was limited to transport wholly within a continuous phase, so as to now include surface adsorption, diffusion, and convection of the tracer along a continuous surface bounding the continuous fluid phase.
Two approaches to manual wheelchair configuration and effects on function for individuals with acquired brain injury.

Objective To determine whether manual wheelchair configuration impacts how well a person who has acquired brain injury (ABI) related hemiparesis performs functional tasks from his or her wheelchair. Design Multi-treatment cross-over design. Setting Inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Participants Nineteen patients with ABI resulting in hemiparesis undergoing inpatient rehabilitation (average of 75 days post-injury (± 29.2 days); age range, 21-64; 9 with mechanical brain injury, 10 with cerebral vascular accident). Interventions Participants in the study were placed in two different wheelchair configurations (position one and position two) and were randomized as to which position they were placed in first. All outcome measures were taken twice on each individual within each wheelchair configuration during two consecutive days. Main outcome measures Timed Forward Wheeling (TFW), Modified Functional Reach test (MFR), Visual Analogue Scale for Comfort (VAS), transfer score from the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), measurement of popliteal fossa to front of cushion. Results The position two seating group's TFW was significantly faster than the position one seating group at both time points. There were no significant differences in the MFR scores, VAS comfort scale scores, and FIM transfer score between the two groups. Conclusion A wheelchair configuration with no seat slope, solid backrest mounted at 95 degree (± 3 degrees) seat to back angle, and use of a solid seat insert with a flat foam cushion (position two) results in greater efficiency in foot propulsion for individuals with ABI than a wheelchair configuration with one inch of seat slope, solid backrest mounted at 105 degree (± 3 degrees) seat to back angle, and no solid seat insert with a gel/foam contoured cushion (position 1).
Simulation of Shallow Water Jets with a Unified Element-based Continuous/Discontinuous Galerkin Model with Grid Flexibility on the Sphere

We test the behaviour of a unified continuous/discontinuous Galerkin (CG/DG) shallow-water model in spherical geometry with curved elements on three different grids of ubiquitous use in atmospheric modelling: (i) the cubed-sphere, (ii) the reduced latitude–longitude, and (iii) the icosahedral grid. Both conforming and non-conforming grids are adopted including static and dynamically adaptive grids for a total of twelve mesh configurations. The behaviour of CG and DG on the different grids are compared for a nonlinear midlatitude perturbed jet and for a linear case that admits an analytic solution. Because the inviscid solution on certain grids shows a high sensitivity to the resolution, the viscous counterpart of the governing equations is also solved and the results compared. The logically unstructured element-based CG/DG model described in this article is flexible with respect to arbitrary grids. However, we were unable to define a best grid configuration that could possibly minimize the error regardless of the characteristic geometry of the flow. This is especially true if the governing equations are not regularized by the addition of a sufficiently large, fully artificial, diffusion mechanism, as will be shown. The main novelty of this study lies in the unified implementation of two element-based Galerkin methods that share the same numerical machinery and do not rely on any specific grid configuration to solve the shallow-water equation on the sphere.
Changing filtering parameters affects lower extremity pre-landing muscle activation onset times

Surface electromyography(sEMG) is extensively used to examine muscle activation. Although raw sEMG signals are often filtered using Root-Mean-Square(RMS) algorithms, little agreement exists as to the time window over which signals should be processed. We examined the effects of differing RMS filtering windows on muscle onset times. Fifty-five participants performed 5 drop jumps from a 45 cm box and lateral gastrocnemius(LG), medial and lateral hamstring(MH, LH) and lateral quadriceps(LQ) muscle activity were acquired. Signals were collected at 1000 Hz and RMS filtered using 3 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms and 25 ms windows. Muscle onset times differed by RMS windows for the LG(p= 0.01), MH(p= 0.002), and LH(p= 0.000), but not for the LQ(p=0.14). Pairwise comparisons indicated that LG onsets were earlier with the 3 ms vs. 20 ms window, MH onsets were earlier with the 3 ms vs. 20 ms and 25 ms windows, and LH onsets were earlier with the 3 ms, 10 ms, and 20 ms windows than the 25 ms window. Gastrocnemius and hamstring muscle onset times were substantially earlier when filtering raw sEMG data with 3 ms versus wider RMS windows(> 20 ms) during landing. Changing filtering parameters affects data interpretation when analyzing sEMG data using differing window widths. Additional research should determine optimal RMS window widths that maximize signal fidelity but still retain meaningful time differences.
Neural network and its ancillary techniques as applied to power systems

The layered perceptron neural net is receiving the most attention as a viable candidate for application to power systems. The layered perceptron is taught by example. Before neural networks can gain the necessary recognition as useful problem solving tools in the power industry, certain fundamental issues need to be addressed. Some of them are associated with neural network technology, and others are problem dependent. The author discusses the following issues: learning versus memorisation; best net size determination, network saturation, feature extraction, neural net inversion, genetic based neural nets, and fuzzified neural nets.
Symmetric and antisymmetric modes of electromagnetic resonators

In this paper, we numerically study a new type of infrared resonator structure, whose unit cell consists of paired split-ring resonators (SRRs). At different resonant frequencies, the magnetic dipoles induced from the two SRRs within one unit cell can be parallel or antiparallel, which are defined as symmetric and antisymmetic modes, respectively. Detailed simulation indicates that the symmetric mode is due to magnetic coupling to resonators, in which the effective permeability could be negative. However, the antisymmetric mode originating from strong electric coupling may contribute to negative effective permittivity. Our new electromagnetic resonators with pronounced magnetic as well as electric responses could provide a new pathway to design negative index materials (NIMs) in the optical region.
Interleukin 2: the molecule and its function.

IL2 plays an essential role in triggering proliferation of activated T cells, a response mediated by interaction of the factor with a high-affinity membrane receptor. IL2 also influences a number of other cellular responses, including natural killer cell activity and antibody secretion. Thus, directly or indirectly, IL2 has the properties of both a growth factor and a differentiation signal. Both IL2 and its receptor have been purified to homogeneity and extensively characterized at the molecular level. In this review, Richard Robb discusses the current biochemical understanding of IL2 and its receptor and new information relating to its role in cellular responses.
Assessment of chemically-induced changes in the neuromuscular function of rats using a new recording grip meter

Abstract The effects of several psychoactive drugs on the grip strength of rats were evaluated by a new recording grip meter technique that provides graded or continuous data. The same subjects were also tested by an inclined screen procedure, which yields quantal or all-or-none data. The lowest doses (lowest effective dose; LED) required to produce a significant decrease in grip meter scores by chlorpromazine (CPZ), chlordiazepoxide (CDZ), and phenobarbital (PHEN) were 5, 9, and 20 mg/kg respectively. d -Amphetamine (0.5– 8 mg/kg) resulted in a significant, dose-related increase in grip meter scores. The LEDs for CPZ and PHEN using the inclined screen test were 10 and 40 mg/kg, respectively. These values are 2 times the corresponding figures obtained in the grip meter test. The LED for chlordiazepoxide was 9 mg/kg in the inclined screen, which is the same as that in the grip meter test, while d -amphetamine had no effect on neuromuscular function measured by the inclined screen. The results of these experiments indicate that the grip method is a useful technique capable of measuring both increases and decreases in the grip strength of rats. Relative to the inclined screen procedure, which measures a combination of factors, the grip meter technique appears to be a sensitive procedure capable of measuring forelimb grip strength selectively.
A Computer Program for the Generation of ARIMA Data.

The autoregressive integrated moving averages model (ARIMA) of order (p, d, q) has been applied to time series data in psychological and educational research. The article describes a FORTRAN IV program that generates ARIMA data of a known order. The program enables researchers to explore the statistical properties of ARIMA data and to simulate systems producing time dependent observations.
Robotic bevel-gear differential train

A robotic bevel-gear train with three input parameters is considered. The contents of this paper cover: (1) derivation of basic kinematic equations that relate the train input parame ters and the e...
Notochord formation in the Mexican Salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum) is different from notochord formation in Xenopus laevis

The cytoskeletons of cells from gastrula and neurula stages of the Mexican salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum) and the African clawed toad (Xenopus laevis) were analyzed. Bundles of intermediate filaments were found in the superficial layer of the epidermis in neurulae (but not in gastrulae) of both organisms. The bundles (tonofilaments) were observed in the forming notochord of the axolotl but not in the differentiating notochord in Xenopus. Serial semithin sections demonstrated that the notochord develops from invaginated deep cells in Xenopus, but from invaginated superficial layer in the axolotl. Scanning electron microscopy of neurula stages from the axolotl and from Xenopus laevis confirmed this difference in notochord formation. This dissimilarity in notochord formation seems to be a typical difference between anurans and urodeles as was clearly pointed out by Ruffini ('25). This has implications for the fate maps published by Vogt ('29). The considerable differences in early embryonic development suggest to us that the salamanders (urodeles) and frogs and toads (anurans) are not monophyletic in origin.
Microscopic motion of hydrogen in the dilute and clustered phases of hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Abstract 1 H NMR dipolar echo measurements have been performed on a series of B-doped, P-doped, compensated and intrinsic a-Si:H samples. At room temperature the dipolar spin lattice relaxation time, T 1D , correlates with the macroscopic diffusion constants as determined by SIMS experiments. The local jump frequencies determined from these values of T 1D are orders of magnitude faster than those inferred from the macroscopic diffusion results and the associated activation energies are much less (∼ 0.2 eV). At 150 K and 100 K the dipolar echo in 10 −3 P-doped a-Si:H exhibits both a narrow line and a broad line. The full widths at half maximum of the narrow line and the broad line are the same as those of the narrow and broad components of the free induction decay, respectively. Because the narrow line exhibits a T 1D with a slightly different temperature dependence from the T 1D for the broad line the local motion is slightly different for hydrogen atoms in the clustered and dilute phases.
Holding Power of Different Pin Designs and Pin Insertion Methods in Avian Cortical Bone

Objective—To measure pullout strength of four pin types in avian humeri and tibiotarsi bones and to compare slow-speed power and hand insertion methods. Study Design—Axial pin extraction was measured in vitro in avian bones. Animal Population—Four cadaver red-tailed hawks and 12 live red-tailed hawks. Methods—The pullout strength of four fixator pin designs was measured: smooth, negative profile threaded pins engaging one or two cortices and positive profile threaded pins. Part 1: Pins were placed in humeri and tibiotarsi after soft tissue removal. Part 2: Pins were placed in tibiotarsi in anesthetized hawks using slow-speed power or hand insertion. Results—All threaded pins, regardless of pin design, had greater pullout strength than smooth pins in all parts of the study (P < .0001). The cortices of tibiotarsi were thicker than the cortices of humeri (P < .0001). There were few differences in pin pullout strengths between threaded pin types within or between bone groups. There were no differences between the pullout strength of pins placed by slow-speed power or by hand. Conclusions—There is little advantage of one threaded pin type over another in avian humeri and tibiotarsi using currently available pin designs. There were few differences in pin pullout strengths between humeri and tibiotarsi bones. It is possible that the ease of hand insertion in thin cortices minimizes the potential for wobbling and therefore minimizes the difference between slow-speed drill and hand insertion methods. Clinical Relevance—Threaded pins have superior bone holding strength in avian cortices and may be beneficial for use with external fixation devices in birds.
Dragging down fuel costs

It has been suggested that modest reductions in friction drag could save U.S. airlines $200-500 million a year. Potentially significant fuel savings are to be expected from laminar flow control (LFC) with suction surfaces on a CTOL subsonic transport; fuel savings from 25 to 40 percent are possible, depending on stage length. NASA has developed advanced computational design tools and methodology, subsonic and transonic NLF (natural laminar flow) and LFC airfoils, practical laminar wing construction techniques, and practical leading-edge treatments applicable to civil and military transports. It is concluded that skin-friction and induced drag approaches can combine to make a 50 percent reduction a reality for commercial and military aircraft of the future.
Mood, anxiety, and personality disorders among first and second-generation immigrants to the United States

A careful examination of the multigenerational relationship between immigrant status and mental disorders can provide important information about the robustness and nature of the immigrant-mental health link. We examine immigrant status as a protective factor against mental illness, assess intergenerational effects, examine differences across race/ethnicity, and report the prevalence of mood, anxiety, and personality disorders of immigrants across major world regions. We employ data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) and compare first (n=5363) and second-generation (n=4826) immigrants from Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America to native-born Americans (n=24,461) with respect to mental disorders. First-generation immigrants are significantly less likely than native-born Americans to be diagnosed with a mood, anxiety, or personality disorder, though the prevalence of mental health diagnoses increases among second generation immigrants. Similar results were observed for immigrants from major world regions as the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity was lower among immigrants from Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia compared to native-born Americans. Findings provide evidence in support of the notion that the immigrant paradox may be extended to include mood, anxiety, and personality disorders in the United States.
“Heavy” Particle Dispersion Measurements With Mono- and Polydisperse Particle Size Distributions

A method is presented to estimate the effects of a polydisperse particle size distribution on the measured turbulent dispersion of particles. In addition, the analysis provides a means to estimate the standard deviation of the size distribution for which a class of particles may be considered monodisperse. If monodisperse particles are unavailable because of practical considerations (e.g., the required standard deviation of particle size is too small to obtain a sufficient quantity) then the method provides a means to correct the data of near monodisperse size distributions to reflect the dispersion of monodisperse particles
Aging masks detection of radiation-induced brain injury

Fractionated partial or whole-brain irradiation (fWBI) is a widely used, effective treatment for primary and metastatic brain tumors, but it also produces radiation-induced brain injury, including cognitive impairment. Radiation-induced neural changes are particularly problematic for elderly brain tumor survivors who also experience age-dependent cognitive impairment. Accordingly, we investigated i] radiation-induced cognitive impairment, and ii] potential biomarkers of radiation-induced brain injury in a rat model of aging. Fischer 344 x Brown Norway rats received fractionated whole-brain irradiation (fWBI rats, 40 Gy, 8 fractions over 4 weeks) or sham-irradiation (Sham-IR rats) at 12 months of age; all analyses were performed at 26-30 months of age. Spatial learning and memory were measured using the Morris water maze (MWM), hippocampal metabolites were measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H MRS), and hippocampal glutamate receptor subunits were evaluated using Western blots. Young rats (7-10 months old) were included to control for age effects. The results revealed that both Sham-IR and fWBI rats exhibited age-dependent impairments in MWM performance; fWBI induced additional impairments in the reversal MWM. (1)H MRS revealed age-dependent decreases in neuronal markers, increases in glial markers, but no detectable fWBI-dependent changes. Western blot analysis revealed age-dependent, but not fWBI-dependent, glutamate subunit declines. Although previous studies demonstrated fWBI-induced changes in cognition, glutamate subunits, and brain metabolites in younger rats, age-dependent changes in these parameters appear to mask their detection in old rats, a phenomenon also likely to occur in elderly fWBI patients >70 years of age.
Integrating range and object data for robot navigation

Most sensors used for robot navigation fall into one of two broad categories: range sensors that give approximate distances to obstacles, and object-based sensors that detect and locate objects of specific types. Each type of sensor does a good job of detecting certain kinds of obstacles, but fails to detect others. A robust robot navigation system must be able to integrate data from both sources. We present an implemented system that combines information from range and object-based sensors into a single representation that is used to reliably navigate a robot through an office environment. The high level nature of the representation allows easy integration of task-specific navigation constraints. Results are given demonstrating how the system is utilized on our mobile robot, \textsc{Chip}.
Characterization of aroma‐impact compounds in cold‐pressed grapefruit oil using time–intensity GC–olfactometry and GC–MS

Thirty-eight aroma-active compounds were detected in commercial cold-pressed grapefruit oil using a time–intensity GC–olfactometry procedure. Identification of the aroma-active components was based on the combination of sensory descriptors, linear retention index values from DB-Wax and DB-1 columns and GC–MS data. Thirteen flavour components, which had not been previously reported in grapefruit oil, were identified. Compounds with the greatest aroma intensities include: 1,8-cineole, octanal, dodecanal, trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal, β-sinensal and nootkatone. The aroma activities of sulphur compounds such as 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanol and methional were surprisingly low and neither of the two putative grapefruit aroma impact compounds, 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone and 1-p-menthene-8-thiol, was detected. Over 200 volatiles have been reported in grapefruit oil, but only 38 have significant aroma activity and 22 of these can be considered major aroma impact compounds. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gait-stance duration as a measure of injury and recovery in the rat sciatic nerve model

Abstract The rat sciatic nerve is a well-established animal model for the study of peripheral crush injury. Footprint analysis is the most widely used non- invasive method of measuring functional recovery after injury in this model. However, this method has significant limitations due to inability to obtain clear reproducible prints, especially when the injury is severe, and variation of these prints with gait velocity. In the case of contracture or toe loss, footprint analysis is unreliable. We describe a new technique, gait -stance duration, which is capable of non-invasively quantitating functional recovery in the rat model. This method is not dependent on accurate foot positioning during gait. It utilizes video recording of the animal walking and measures the time each hind foot is in contact with the floor by counting the number of frames that pass. By pairing consecutive steps, it minimizes variation due to changes in velocity and, by calculating a ratio of injured/ uninjured hind feet, comparisons to normal gait can be made. This method shows recovery patterns similar to footprint analysis with small inter-animal variability. We believe it has significant advantages over footprint analysis for the measurement of functional recovery in the crushed sciatic nerve rat model.
Vascular Disease in the Elderly

There are now many texts on heart disease in the elderly. To the best of my knowledge, however, this is the first on vascular disease in the elderly. Vascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in older Americans and one that has been largely ignored or treated as an orphan of mainstream cardiology. This deficiency in the specialty of cardiovascular disease is beginning to be addressed by medical specialty boards and training programs. …
Engineering the Next Generation of Clinical Deep Brain Stimulation Technology

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has evolved into a powerful clinical therapy for a range of neurological disorders, but even with impressive clinical growth, DBS technology has been relatively stagnant over its history. However, enhanced collaborations between neural engineers, neuroscientists, physicists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons are beginning to address some of the limitations of current DBS technology. These interactions have helped to develop novel ideas for the next generation of clinical DBS systems. This review attempts collate some of that progress with two goals in mind. First, provide a general description of current clinical DBS practices, geared toward educating biomedical engineers and computer scientists on a field that needs their expertise and attention. Second, describe some of the technological developments that are currently underway in surgical targeting, stimulation parameter selection, stimulation protocols, and stimulation hardware that are being directly evaluated for near term clinical application.
Larval and adult housefly carboxylesterase: Isozymic composition and tissue pattern

Abstract Carboxylesterase (EC 3.1.1.1) isozymes of the adult and larval housefly Musca domestica , were separated electrophoretically on polyacrylamide gels. Of the 10 isozymes present in the 17,500 g supernatant of the whole fly homogenate, 9 were detected in the gut and the thoracic muscles. Distribution of isozymes was as follows: isozyme E 1 and E 10 in the foregut as well as in the combined mid-and hindgut preparation, and E 2–8 and E 10 in the thoracic muscles. On the basis of the molecular sieving effect of the gels of different pore sizes, the approximate mol. wt of the isozymes E 1–9 were found to be in the range of 67,000 (±3000)–300,000. Isozyme E 10 had the highest molecular weight of ca. 1 × 10 6 . Ten isozymes were resolved from larval tissues, and these corresponded to E 1 and E 3–10 of the adult, and another isozyme E x with no correspondence to any of the adult isozymes. Isozyme E 2 was absent. Distribution pattern of larval isozymes was as follows: E 1 , E 3–7 and E 9–10 in the gut; E 1 , E 6–8 and E 10 in the muscles; E 1 , E 3–8 , E 10 and E x in the fat body. Densitometric scans showed that the activity detected histochemically and by pH-titrimetric method ( Ahmad , 1970a) was due primarily to isozyme E 1 . Although nothing further is known concerning this isozyme, its wide distribution in larval tissues and restriction to gut in the adult stage may be biologically significant. The molecular diversity and varied tissue pattern indicate several roles for carboxylesterase in the housefly. The physiological roles discussed are: (1) regulation of JH titre, (2) mobilization of fat in fat body, (3) energy-related catabolism of fatty acid esters in flight muscles, (4) cuticular wax synthesis and transport, and (5) degradation of undesirable, metabolically inert esters.
To batch or not to batch

When designing steady-state computer simulation experiments, one may be faced with the choice of batching observations in one long run or replicating a number of smaller runs. Both methods are potentially useful in the course of undertaking simulation output analysis. The tradeoffs between the two alternatives are well known: batching ameliorates the effects of initialization bias, but produces batch means that might be correlated; replication yields independent sample means, but may suffer from initialization bias at the beginning of each of the runs. We present several new results and specific examples to lend insight as to when one method might be preferred over the other. In steady-state, batching and replication perform similarly in terms of estimating the mean and variance parameter, but replication tends to do better than batching with regard to the performance of confidence intervals for the mean. Such a victory for replication may be hollow, for in the presence of an initial transient, batching often performs better than replication when it comes to point and confidence-interval estimation of the steady-state mean. We conclude---like other classic references---that in the context of estimation of the steady-state mean, batching is typically the wiser approach.
The effect of hypertension in pregnant women on fetal adrenal function and fetal plasma lipoprotein-cholesterol metabolism

In the present investigation, we evaluated the effect(s) of long-term hypertension and pregnancy-induced , hypertension in women on the activity of the adrenals of their fetuses. We measured dehydroisoandrosterone sulfate, cortisol, and lipoprotein-cholesterol in umbilical cord plasma of newborn infants delivered (30 to 41 weeks' gestation) of 129 women whose pregnancies were uncomplicated and of 98 women with pregnancy-induced or long-term hypertension. Umbilical cord plasma levels of cortisol were similar in both groups of newborn infants at each gestational period. Fetal plasma levels of dehydroisoandrosterone sulfate also were similar in both groups at 30 to 33 weeks of gestation but were significantly reduced in newborn infants of hypertensive women who were delivered between 34 and 41 weeks of gestation compared with those of newborn infants of normal women who were delivered at a similar gestational age. At term, umbilical cord plasma levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were significantly higher in the newborn infants of hypertensive women compared with those levels in newborn infants of normotensive women; fetal plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were similar in both groups of newborn infants. The lowest plasma levels of dehydroisoandrosterone sulfate and the highest plasma levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were found in newborn infants of women with the most severe pregnancy-induced hypertension. Based on these findings, we conclude that maternal hypertension (1) effects a decrease in the rate of steroidogenesis of the fetal zone of the fetal adrenal cortex but does not act in a similar manner to effect steroidogenesis of the neocortical zone and (2) leads to hypercholesterolemia in the fetus as a consequence of reduced adrenal utilization of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. In addition, the effects of pregnancy-induced hypertension appear to be manifest in the fetus late in pregnancy at a time when the fetal adrenal normally undergoes an accelerated rate of growth and steroid biosynthesis.
A comparison of transfer RNA from untreated and interferon-treated murine cells

Abstract Transfer RNA isolated from untreated and from interferon-treated mouse L fibroblast and mouse ascites cells possess the same number and relative amounts of leucyl-tRNA isoacceptor species as identified by reversed-phase 5 chromatography and have comparable stimulatory activity in the reversal of the interferon-mediated inhibition of reovirus mRNA translation in vitro.
Methamphetamine and HIV-1-induced neurotoxicity: Role of trace amine associated receptor 1 cAMP signaling in astrocytes

Abstract Methamphetamine (METH) is abused by about 5% of the United States population with approximately 10–15% of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) patients reporting its use. METH abuse accelerates the onset and severity of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and astrocyte-induced neurotoxicity. METH activates G-protein coupled receptors such as trace amine associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) increasing intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels in presynaptic cells of monoaminergic systems. In the present study, we investigated the effects of METH and HIV-1 on primary human astrocyte TAAR1 expression, function and glutamate clearance. Our results demonstrate combined conditions increased TAAR1 mRNA levels 7-fold and increased intracellular cAMP levels. METH and beta-phenylethylamine (β-PEA), known TAAR1 agonists, increased intracellular cAMP levels in astrocytes. Further, TAAR1 knockdown significantly reduced intracellular cAMP levels in response to METH/β-PEA, indicating signaling through astrocyte TAAR1. METH ± HIV-1 decreased excitatory amino acid transporter-2 (EAAT-2) mRNA and significantly decreased glutamate clearance. RNA interference for TAAR1 prevented METH-mediated decreases in EAAT-2. TAAR1 knockdown significantly increased glutamate clearance, which was further heightened significantly by METH. Moreover, TAAR1 overexpression significantly decreased EAAT-2 levels and glutamate clearance that were further reduced by METH. Taken together, our data show that METH treatment activated TAAR1 leading to intracellular cAMP in human astrocytes and modulated glutamate clearance abilities. Furthermore, molecular alterations in astrocyte TAAR1 levels correspond to changes in astrocyte EAAT-2 levels and function. To our knowledge this is the first report implicating astrocyte TAAR1 as a novel receptor for METH during combined injury in the context of HAND.