cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Usable protection to healthcare application

Smart health applications are able to remotely monitor and evaluate the wellbeing of patients. However, these applications pose opportunities to violate security and privacy. The Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) by the U. S. government regulate protection of security and privacy in medical data. We propose an approach to protect patient privacy and mitigate possible risks during both data acquisition and transmission. Our proposed authentication framework is based on a fuzzy vault scheme, fingerprint biometric technique, and zero knowledge authentication. Our protection has low overhead and is transparent and usable to patients who may not be technology-savvy.
Human Cognition and 1/f Scaling.

Ubiquitous 1/f scaling in human cognition and physiology suggests a mind-body interaction that contradicts commonly held assumptions. The intrinsic dynamics of psychological phenomena are interaction dominant (rather than component dominant), and the origin of purposive behavior lies with a general principle of self-organization (rather than a special neurocognitive mechanism). E.-J. Wagenmakers, S. Farrell, and R. Ratcliff (2005) raised concerns about the kinds of data and analyses that support generic 1/f scaling. This reply is a defense that furthermore questions the model that Wagenmakers and colleagues endorse and their strategy for addressing complexity.
Blood Transfusion Administration in Seriously Ill Patients: An Evaluation of SUPPORT Data

BACKGROUND: Administration of blood transfusion in seriously ill patients is highly variable. Limited data are available to guide transfusion decisions. OBJECTIVE: To explore characteristics of patients who received blood transfusions and decisions to forgo transfusions in the Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Outcomes and Risks of Treatments (SUPPORT). DESIGN: Prospective study of preferences, decision-making, and outcomes. SETTING: Five teaching hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: 9105 patients aged 18 years and older meeting defined diagnostic and illness severity criteria. MEASUREMENT: Data included blood transfusions, demographic characteristics, diagnoses, comorbid conditions, acute physiology score (APS), nutritional support, and functional status before hospitalization. RESULTS: A total of 2863 patients (31.4%) received blood transfusions, usually early in their hospitalization. Transfused patients were more likely male (57.3%; P = .008), with a younger mean age (56 vs 64 years), significantly higher APS (P < .001), and significantly lower 2- and 6-month survival predictions (P < .001). The patients with acute respiratory failure or multiorgan system failure with sepsis (1714; 59.9% of all patients receiving transfusions), multiorgan system failure with malignancy (480, 16.8%), and cirrhosis (248, 8.7%) were more likely to receive blood than those with other diseases. Few patients made a decision not to receive blood before (5; 0.05%) or after (126; 1.4%) study entry. Most patients with decisions to forgo transfusions also had decisions against trying resuscitation. CONCLUSIONS: Most transfusions occurred in patients with acute respiratory or multiorgan system failure. Few patients decide to forgo transfusions. Additional investigation is necessary to evaluate blood transfusion practices in seriously ill patients.
Criterion for binding two electrons at a fixed center in three dimensions

Abstract We consider the criterion for a donor atom to bind two electrons, as a function of the electron-electron repulsion U and the electron-donor attraction ν, and obtain bounds for the critical curve U c ( ν ) in three dimensions. We also correct some statements in our earlier papers on 1D and 2D.
Biochemical Recurrence and Survival Prediction Models for the Management of Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer

A number of new predictive modeling techniques have emerged in the past several years. These methods, which have been developed in fields such as artificial intelligence research, engineering, and meteorology, are now being applied to problems in medicine with promising results. This review outlines our recent work with use of selected advanced techniques such as artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms, and propensity scoring to develop useful models for estimating the risk of biochemical recurrence and long-term survival in men with clinically localized prostate cancer. In addition, we include a description of our efforts to develop a comprehensive prostate cancer database that, along with these novel modeling techniques, provides a powerful research tool that allows for the stratification of risk for treatment failure and survival by such factors as age, race, and comorbidities. Clinical and pathologic data from 1400 patients were used to develop the biochemical recurrence model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for this model was 0.83, with a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 74%. For the survival model, data from 6149 men were used. Our analysis indicated that age, income, and comorbidities had a statistically significant impact on survival. The effect of race did not reach statistical significance in this regard. The C index value for the model was 0.69 for overall survival. We conclude that these methods, along with a comprehensive database, allow for the development of models that provide estimates of treatment failure risk and survival probability that are more meaningful and clinically useful than those previously developed.
Parent-Offspring Coadaptation and the Dual Genetic Control of Maternal Care

In many animal species, the amount of care provided by parents is determined through a complex interaction of offspring signals and responses by parents to those signals. As predicted by honest signaling theory, we show that in the burrower bug, Sehirus cinctus, maternal provisioning responds to experimental manipulations of offspring condition. Despite this predicted environmental influence, we find evidence from two cross-foster experiments that variation in maternal care also stems from two distinct genetic sources: variation among offspring in their ability to elicit care and variation among parents in their response to offspring signals. Furthermore, as predicted by maternal-offspring coadaptation theory, offspring signaling is negatively genetically correlated with maternal provisioning.
Deletion of the β-globin structure gene in hereditary persistence of foetal haemoglobin

HEREDITARY persistence of foetal haemoglobin (HPFH) is a condition characterised by the persistence of a high percentage of foetal haemoglobin into adulthood1. The homozygous state has been described in the Negro2–4 and the Indian5; only haemoglobin F is present, and haemoglobins A and A2 are absent. It has been suggested that in this syndrome γ-chain synthesis fails to switch to β-chain synthesis after birth. The reason for this failure is unknown, although deletions of the β- and δ-structural genes have been proposed6. We report here analysis of the DNA from a patient with the homozygous form of HPFH, using radioactive DNAs complementary to β- and γ-globin mRNA (β and γcDNAs); the results are compatible with deletion of the β-globin structural locus.
Uncertainty in processing relative clauses across East Asian languages

The processing difficulty profile for relative clauses in Chinese, Japanese and Korean represents a challenge for theories of human parsing. We address this challenge using a grammar-based complexity metric, one that reflects a minimalist analysis of relative clauses for all three languages as well as structure-dependent corpus distributions. Together, these define a comprehender’s degree of uncertainty at each point in a sentence. We use this idea to quantify the intuition that people do comprehension work as they incrementally resolve ambiguity, word by word. We find that downward changes to this quantitative measure of uncertainty derive observed processing contrasts between Subject- and Object-extracted relative clauses. This demonstrates that the complexity metric, in conjunction with a minimalist grammar and corpus-based weights, accounts for the widely-observed Subject Advantage.
Imaging of the Paranasal Sinuses

Evaluation of the paranasal sinuses is often performed in a purely clinical fashion, without the need for imaging. However, in certain instances imaging may be deemed valuable or even necessary in helping to solve a diagnostic dilemma, confirm a suspected diagnosis, evaluate the extent of a known condition, or assess for an underlying cause of the condition. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be useful in confirming a suspected diagnosis or providing additional information regarding causes or complications. CT and MRI play complementary roles in evaluating the rare tumors that may involve the paranasal sinuses.
Morphometric studies of the hamster flank organ: an improved model to evaluate pharmacologic effects on sebaceous glands.

The Syrian golden hamster flank organ, composed of clusters of large sebaceous glands, has been used to investigate effects of systemically or topically applied hormones, antiandrogens, and retinoids. Accurate assessments of flank organ sebaceous gland volume and its correlation with in vivo measurements of flank organ size have not been reported. Sixty flank organs were examined. In vivo flank organ size was expressed as the product of the greatest longitudinal (DL) and greatest transverse (DT) diameters of the palpable bulk. Sebaceous gland volumes were calculated from planimetric analyses of serially sectioned specimens of flank organs using a computer-assisted planimetry system. In vivo measurements (DL × DT) were found to correlate with planimetrically determined flank organ volume. Planimetric analysis of every 10th section of a serially sectioned flank organ was almost as sensitive as analysis of every section in determining sebaceous gland volume. Computer-assisted planimetry of serially sectioned flank organs was found to be an accurate and reproducible method for assessing gland volume. In vivo measurements of the palpable bulk are a good indicator of sebaceous gland size and correlate well with planimetrically determined sebaceous gland volumes.
Using random projections to identify class-separating variables in high-dimensional spaces

Projection Pursuit has been an effective method for finding interesting low-dimensional (usually 2D) projections in multidimensional spaces. Unfortunately, projection pursuit is not scalable to high-dimensional spaces. We introduce a novel method for approximating the results of projection pursuit to find class-separating views by using random projections. We build an analytic visualization platform based on this algorithm that is scalable to extremely large problems. Then, we discuss its extension to the recognition of other noteworthy configurations in high-dimensional spaces.
Android application development and testability

In this paper, we outline the challenges mobile development poses from a perspective of testability and application quality. We propose development and testing strategies to mitigate those challenges and discuss tools that can enable those strategies.
Down-regulation of aminolevulinate synthase, the rate-limiting enzyme for heme biosynthesis in Alzheimer's disease

Heme is an essential cell metabolite, intracellular regulatory molecule, and protein prosthetic group. Given the known alterations in heme metabolism and redox metal distribution and the up-regulation of heme oxygenase enzyme in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we hypothesized that heme dyshomeostasis plays a key role in the pathogenesis. To begin testing this hypothesis, we used qRT-PCR to quantify the expression of aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS1) and porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD), rate-limiting enzymes in the heme biosynthesis pathway. The relative expression of ALAS1 mRNA, the first and rate-limiting enzyme for heme biosynthesis under normal physiological conditions, was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by nearly 90% in AD compared to control. Coordinately, the relative expression of PBGD mRNA, which encodes porphobilinogen deaminase, the third enzyme in the heme synthesis pathway and a secondary rate-limiting enzyme in heme biosynthesis, was also significantly (p < 0.02) reduced by nearly 60% in AD brain compared to control and significantly related to apolipoprotein E genotype (p < 0.005). In contrast, the relative expression of ALAD mRNA, which encodes aminolevulinate dehydratase, the second and a non-rate-limiting enzyme for heme biosynthesis, was unchanged between the two groups. Taken together, our results suggest regulation of cerebral heme biosynthesis is profoundly altered in AD and may contribute toward disease pathogenesis by affecting cell metabolism as well as iron homeostasis.
Functional analysis of mutations in expressed acetylcholinesterase that result in azinphosmethyl and carbofuran resistance in Colorado potato beetle

The functional attributes of specific point mutations, R30K, S291G, and I392T, associated with full-length acetylcholinesterase (AChE) cDNAs of organophosphate (OP)- and carbamate-resistant Colorado potato beetles (CPB), were determined using site-directed mutagenesis and baculovirus expression. Enzymatic and inhibitory properties of altered recombinant acetylcholinesterases (rAChEs) were examined. S291G increased the hydrolysis of substrates with larger substituted alkyl groups (e.g., BTC vs ATC) and increased the inhibitory action of inhibitors with larger alkyl groups (e.g., paraoxon, DFP, and N-propyl carbofuran vs. azinphosmethyl-oxon and N-methyl carbofuran). R30K in conjunction with S291G enhanced the hydrolysis activity of larger substrates and the inhibitory action of larger inhibitors. I392T attenuated the effects of S291G in that the altered rAChE with both S291G and I392T elicited substrate specificity and inhibitory properties more similar to the susceptible form of AChE without mutations.
Dynamic rheology of structure development in low-methoxyl pectin+Ca2++sugar gels

Abstract Storage ( G ′) moduli of 1% low-methoxyl (LM) pectin containing different amount (%) of sugars (S): sucrose, glucose, fructose, and sorbitol, and % of CaCl 2 (Ca 2+ , %) (0%S and 10%S–Ca 2+ 0.10, 0.15, 0.20; 20%S–Ca 2+ 0.10, 0.15, and 30%S–Ca 2+ 0.10), 0.1 N NaCl, pH 4, were higher than ( G ′′) over 16 h periods. Based on G ′ values, gels could be ranked as: sucrose>glucose>fructose>plain>sorbitol. G ′ values of gels were recorded at the same time intervals so that the influence of sugars and calcium concentrations on them could be examined quantitatively in terms of differences in G ′ values ( ΔG ′). At 0.1% Ca 2+ , ΔG ′ s values due 10% sugar showed major changes during the first 40 ks after which the differences were relatively constant. Negative values of ΔG ′ s were observed for gels containing sorbitol and fructose throughout the 16 h, with sorbitol gels showing more negative values than fructose gels. All the 10% sugar gels showed positive values of ΔG ′ c when calcium content was increased from 0.10 to 0.15% and 0.15 to 0.20%; however, at Ca 2+ 0.20%, there was syneresis in sucrose gels. In general, increasing calcium content at a fixed sugar content increased G ′ more than when sugar was increased at a fixed calcium level. The apparent first-order structure development rate constant of gelation and initial structure development rate (SDR=d G ′/d t ) showed similar trends with respect to type of sugar.
Toll-dependent selection of microbial antigens for presentation by dendritic cells

Dendritic cells constitutively sample the tissue microenvironment and phagocytose both microbial and host apoptotic cells. This leads to the induction of immunity against invading pathogens or tolerance to peripheral self antigens, respectively. The outcome of antigen presentation by dendritic cells depends on their activation status, such that Toll-like receptor (TLR)-induced dendritic cell activation makes them immunogenic, whereas steady-state presentation of self antigens leads to tolerance. TLR-inducible expression of co-stimulatory signals is one of the mechanisms of self/non-self discrimination. However, it is unclear whether or how the inducible expression of co-stimulatory signals would distinguish between self antigens and microbial antigens when both are encountered by dendritic cells during infection. Here we describe a new mechanism of antigen selection in dendritic cells for presentation by major histocompatibility complex class II molecules (MHC II) that is based on the origin of the antigen. We show that the efficiency of presenting antigens from phagocytosed cargo is dependent on the presence of TLR ligands within the cargo. Furthermore, we show that the generation of peptide-MHC class II complexes is controlled by TLRs in a strictly phagosome-autonomous manner.
Preparing for Program Accreditation Review Under ABET Engineering Criteria 2000: Choosing Outcome Indicators

This paper examines a variety of outcome indicators that might be used by an engineering program in meeting the assessment requirements of ABET Engineering Criteria 2000. Several categories of indicator are identified and key characteristics of these means of assessment are discussed. Also noted are some of the engineering applications of outcome indicators documented on the World Wide Web. Finally, the results of a recent telephone/fax survey on the use of outcome indicators in engineering program assessment are summarized.
Fatigue of hybrid epoxy composites: Epoxies containing rubber and hollow glass spheres

A diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy resin was modified by incorporation of varying concentrations of hollow glass spheres (HGS) and/or reactive liquid rubber (CTBN). The fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behavior and mechanisms of such materials were studied in detail. A synergistic phenomenon reported for static fracture toughness was also observed in the FCP resistance of such composites. Optical microscopy studies revealed that the interactions between the stress fields of the crack-tip process zone and HGS cause plastic-zone branching, which in turn gave rise to synergistic toughening. It is also shown that process zone - second phase particle interactions cause a transition in FCP behavior of rubber-modified epoxy polymers, similar to that observed in metal alloys. Consequently, the process zone toughening mechanisms are active only above a certain stress intensity range. Conversely, FCP resistance of both modified and unmodified epoxies were the same below the transition.
Preacher, chief and prophetess: moruti Seakgano in the Ngwato Kingdom, East‐central Botswana

A fruitful way to deal with religious change in southern Africa as elsewhere, is to seek the shifting articulation between people's behaviour, their changing material circumstances, and their categories of meaning. History clearly has much to contribute here. I focus on the life of a MoTswana Christian preacher, Moruti Seakgano Ncaga, and on two contests over the scope of his authority in and around the Ngwato Kingdom. This specific profile illuminates aspects of the creation of the role of moruti ('one who preaches or teaches'), a key part of the history of southern African Christianity. Seakgano pushed and pulled at the boundaries around what Christians could do. In view of King Khama's successful co‐optation of the London Missionary Society (LMS) Ngwato Church, Seakgano's conflict in 1915 with Khama's rebellious son is seen as resulting from the moruti's personification of Ngwato hegemony. The outcome, an aborted attack on Seakgano, arose from a combination of his role as commonly understood, and his o...
Cartography and information presentation: a graphics/visualization perspective

The purpose of a map is to present information about the earth. For millennia cartographers have perfected the craft of map-making, in the process discovering many design principles that now form the basis of cartographic information presentation. One of the challenges facing all of us is how to integrate these traditional principles into modern geographic information systems.Not surprisingly, many of these cartographic principles apply to other forms of visualization. The first part of the presentation describes how cartographic thinking has informed information visualization. Information visualization research has benefited enormously from the work of great cartographers including Jacques Bertin and Eduard Imhof. The second part presents examples where ideas from information visualization, and progress in automating graphic design, have led to new ways to make maps. A major goal of future research should be to enable computers to present information effectively using a well-designed and beautiful map.
Analysis of the mitotic exit control system using locked levels of stable mitotic cyclin.

Cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) both promotes mitotic entry (spindle assembly and anaphase) and inhibits mitotic exit (spindle disassembly and cytokinesis), leading to an elegant quantitative hypothesis that a single cyclin oscillation can function as a ratchet to order these events. This ratchet is at the core of a published ODE model for the yeast cell cycle. However, the ratchet model requires appropriate cyclin dose–response thresholds. Here, we test the inhibition of mitotic exit in budding yeast using graded levels of stable mitotic cyclin (Clb2). In opposition to the ratchet model, stable levels of Clb2 introduced dose-dependent delays, rather than hard thresholds, that varied by mitotic exit event. The ensuing cell cycle was highly abnormal, suggesting a novel reason for cyclin degradation. Cdc14 phosphatase antagonizes Clb2–Cdk, and Cdc14 is released from inhibitory nucleolar sequestration independently of stable Clb2. Thus, Cdc14/Clb2 balance may be the appropriate variable for mitotic regulation. Although our results are inconsistent with the aforementioned ODE model, revision of the model to allow Cdc14/Clb2 balance to control mitotic exit corrects these discrepancies, providing theoretical support for our conclusions.
The role of science in the preservation of forest biodiversity

Abstract Forest management must change radically to maintain biodiversity. `Biodiversity' has many components, but only one has been measured unambiguously – species richness – although there is recently much emphasis on structural, process, and functional diversity. So we must determine exactly what aspects of biodiversity to seek, and why. A battery of suggestions about how to achieve this re-focus on biodiversity (e.g., ecosystem management and the `new forestry') are catchwords rather than guides on how to manage forests on the ground. These suggestions stem from an ill-defined concept of `forest health,' which can be seen variously depending on the desired role and state of a forest. Ecosystem management for some versions of forest health may even decrease some forms of biodiversity. A decline in species richness need not lead to a decline in the process diversity or rates. Evidence that species richness contributes to ecosystem maintenance and function is scant. Thus, effective management for biodiversity (generally species richness) entails a frank commitment to maintain biodiversity as an end, not as a means. Some suggestions to maintain forest biodiversity while still allowing timber production, such as uneven-aged stand management and various burning regimes, are focused squarely on species richness per se, but they are hypotheses, not scientifically validated procedures. Existing empirical measurements on such techniques are usually on the amount and sustainability of timber harvest, not on how well they maintain species richness. A wealth of scientific research is needed, involving landscape-level field manipulations and careful natural historical observations on the effects on various species. The idea that forests can always serve multiple uses, including wood production and maintenance of all species, is an untested hypothesis. It may be incorrect; maintaining some species may require extensive pristine tracts. The major requirement for almost all research needed to manage forests for biodiversity is extensive and intensive monitoring. The concepts of umbrella and indicator species as management shortcuts are barely tested. Their utility can be validated only by intensive field study. Valuable umbrellas and/or indicators may exist for some forest systems. However, management procedures should not evolve towards management of indicator species, as the indicator might cease to indicate the status of other species. By contrast, managing an umbrella species is not an inherent contradiction in terms, but different umbrella species may shelter different sets of species, so management for one might be inimical to the other. The concept of keystone species may be useful in forest management. If the fates of particular species determine those of many others, managing for such keystones may effectively maintain species richness. But recognition of a keystone species requires well-designed experiments.
Building a New Life: A Pastoral Counselor's Response

This article is a pastoral counselor's response to a lengthy and unique, theory-driven, chaplain–Parkinson's patient relationship. The author reviews elements of clinical theory, in general, and Narrative Theory, in particular. The chaplain's use of Narrative is affirmed and strengths and limitations of this choice are noted. The benefits of a shared relationship between chaplaincy and pastoral counseling are explored.
Analysis of the effect of shrinkage on macrosegregation in alloy solidification

Numerical calculations based on a continuum model are used to examine the effects of solidification shrinkage on the redistribution of solute in a Pb-19.2 pct Sn mixture which is convectively cooled at a sidewall. For each of three different cooling rates, separate calculations are performed for shrinkage- and buoyancy-induced flows, as well as for the combined influence of shrinkage and buoyancy effects. The calculations reveal that flow and macrosegregation patterns are more strongly influenced by buoyancy effects over a wide range of solidification rates. Although extremely large solidification rates yield small regions near the chilled wall in which shrinkage-induced flows control the redistribution of solute, the overall effect on macrosegregation is small relative to that associated with buoyancy. Scaling analysis of the governing equations produces reference shrinkage and buoyancy velocities which can be used to extend the current numerical results to other binary systems.
The solution and transport of water vapor in poly(acrylonitrile): a re-examination

Abstract Solubility (sorption) and transport measurements of water vapor in poly(acrylonitrile) reported by Stannett, Haider, Koros, and Hopfenberg have been re-interpreted in terms of an extension of the “dual-sorption” model for glassy polymers. The extension of the model assumes solubility and diffusion coefficients that are dependent on concentration, and partial immobilization of some of the penetrant species dissolved in the polymer. Satisfactory agreement has been obtained between theory and the experimental data.
Gully annealing by aeolian sediment: field and remote-sensing investigation of aeolian-hillslope-fluvial interactions, Colorado River corridor, Arizona, USA

Abstract Processes contributing to development of ephemeral gully channels are of great importance to landscapes worldwide, and particularly in dryland regions where soil loss and land degradation from gully erosion pose long-term land-management problems. Whereas gully formation has been relatively well studied, much less is known of the processes that anneal gullies and impede their growth. This study of gully annealing by aeolian sediment, spanning 95 km along the Colorado River corridor in Glen, Marble, and Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA, employed field and remote sensing observations, including digital topographic modelling. Results indicate that aeolian sediment activity can be locally effective at counteracting gully erosion. Gullies are less prevalent in areas where surficial sediment undergoes active aeolian transport, and have a greater tendency to terminate in active aeolian sand. Although not common, examples exist in the record of historical imagery of gullies that underwent infilling by aeolian sediment in past decades and evidently were effectively annealed. We thus provide new evidence for a potentially important interaction of aeolian–hillslope–fluvial processes, which could affect dryland regions substantially in ways not widely recognized. Moreover, because the biologic soil crust plays an important role in determining aeolian sand activity, and so in turn the extent of gully development, this study highlights a critical role of geomorphic–ecologic interactions in determining arid-landscape evolution.
The roles of culture and fairness in maintaining relationships: A comparison of romantic partners from Malaysia, Singapore, and the United States

Abstract The present study concerns how culture connects to perceptions of equity and relational maintenance behavior in the United States (US), Malaysia, and Singapore. In doing so, this study extends findings that employed cultural modernization theory (CMT) and equity theory to explain cultural and individual variations in relational maintenance behavior. Sex differences were also examined. Three countries were selected for their proximity in Traditional (vs. Rational ) Values and divergence in Survival (vs. Self Expression ) Values , according to the World Values Survey (WVS) cultural map. Consistent with CMT assumptions, participants in the United States and Malaysia (i.e., countries that espouse self expression values) reported greater use of relational maintenance strategies than did those in Singapore (i.e., a country endorsing survival values). As hypothesized, curvilinear associations between equity and relational maintenance strategies were found for the US participants only. This finding concurs with CMT-grounded assumptions and facts that romantic partners in Western (vs. Eastern), high-income societies (e.g., the US) seek equitable relationships. Sex differences also emerged but only for the US participants.
Design and Performance of a Rotary Motor Driven by Piezoelectric Stack Actuators

The development of a rotary inchworm-motor using piezoelectric actuators is presented. The motor design has the advantage of a macro and micro stepper motor with high torque and speed. The design is capable of fast angular positioning with micro level accuracy. The rotary motor, as designed, can also be used as a clutch/brake mechanism. A constructed prototype motor along with its characteristics are presented. The motor consists of a torsional section that provides angular displacement and torque, and two alternating clamping sections which provide the holding force. The motor relies on the principal piezoelectric coupling coefficient (d33) without torsional piezoelectric elements. This design eliminates bending moment and shear applied to the actuator elements and thus increases its torque capability. An innovative flexure design is introduced and consideration is given to contact elements which affect the performance of the motor. Experimental results demonstrating the prototype's performance based on the aforementioned design considerations are presented.
Muy local: Differentiating Hispanic and Caucasian shoppers of locally produced foods in US grocery

Abstract The current study reviews consumer purchasing of locally produced foods in retail grocery stores across Hispanic and Caucasian groups in the United States. Six hypotheses were tested via the creation and evaluation of a measurement model within the structural equation modeling process. Results suggested that group differences exist between Hispanic and Caucasian consumers across the constructs of attitudes, perceived product availability, subjective norms, intention to purchase and extent of purchase. Implications for marketing strategies across groups and product categories are provided, along with future research directions.
Fault-tolerant parallel processors for avionics with reduced maintenance

Architectural issues and approaches for implementing fault-tolerant parallel processors in avionics systems and other dedicated applications requiring high levels of dependability are discussed. For these systems it is desirable to provide both a high degree of fault tolerance and a system that can operate for extended periods of time without external maintenance. With current technology it is possible to operate dependably for months between maintenance events. The longer-term goal should be maintenance-free operation (a computer that outlasts its host system). It is argued that new high-density packaging techniques may make this type of long-life fault-tolerant design an attractive choice in controlling the life-cycle costs of the next generation of systems. >
Exercise in Hypertensive Children and Adolescents: Any Harm Done?

Hypertensive children and adolescents are frequently arbitrarily excluded from sports or exercise because of the fear of possible complications, such as stroke or myocardial infarction. No hypertensive children have had exercise-related morbidity or mortality in the reviewed literature. No restriction from dynamic exercise seems warranted; training has led to reductions in blood pressure in hypertensive youth. Isometric exercise is more hotly debated. Because no complications of exercise have been reported, the author prefers to allow participation if no target organ damage is present. Life-long maintenance of habitual physical activity may help prevent adult-onset essential hypertension.
Arthroscopic roofplasty: Correction of an extension deficit following conservative treatment of a type III tibial avulsion fracture

Extension loss following nonoperative treatment of a Type III tibial avulsion fracture does occur. Arthroscopic roofplasty (notchplasty) and scar excision are described to regain complete extension without compromising knee stability.
Receptor-induced thiolate couples Env activation to retrovirus fusion and infection.

According to current models of retrovirus infection, receptor binding to the surface subunit (SU) of the envelope glycoprotein (Env) triggers a conformational change in the transmembrane subunit (TM) that mediates virus fusion to cell membranes. To understand how this occurs, we investigated the role of the receptor Tva in avian leukosis virus-A (ALV-A) infection. We find that Tva binding induced the formation of a reactive thiolate on Cys38 (Cys38-S−) in SU. Both chemical and genetic inactivation of Cys38-S− completely abrogated ALV fusion and infection. Remarkably, Cys38-S− does not mediate isomerization of the SU-TM disulfide bond and is not required for Tva-induced activation of TM, including pre-hairpin association with membranes and low pH assembly of helical bundles. These findings indicate that, contrary to current models, receptor activation of TM is not sufficient for ALV fusion and infection and that formation of a reactive thiolate is an additional receptor-dependent step.
Genomic analysis of Oenococcus oeni PSU-1 and its relevance to winemaking

Oenococcus oeni is an acidophilic member of the Leuconostoc branch of lactic acid bacteria indigenous to wine and similar environments. O. oeni is commonly responsible for the malolactic fermentation in wine and due to its positive contribution is frequently used as a starter culture to promote malolactic fermentation. In collaboration with the Lactic Acid Bacteria Genome Consortium the genome sequence of O. oeni PSU-1 has been determined. The complete genome is 1,780,517 nt with a GC content of 38%. 1701 ORFs could be predicted from the sequence of which 75% were functionally classified. Consistent with its classification as an obligately heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium the PSU-1 genome encodes all the enzymes for the phosphoketolase pathway. Moreover, genes related to flavor modification in wine, such as malolactic fermentation capacity and citrate utilization were readily identified. The completion of the O. oeni genome marks a significant new phase for wine-related research on lactic acid bacteria in which the physiology, genetic diversity and performance of O. oeni starter cultures can be more rigorously examined.
A simple method for generating full length cDNA from low abundance partial genomic clones

Background PCR amplification of target molecules involves sequence specific primers that flank the region to be amplified. While this technique is generally routine, its applicability may not be sufficient to generate a desired target molecule from two separate regions involving intron /exon boundaries. For these situations, the generation of full-length complementary DNAs from two partial genomic clones becomes necessary for the family of low abundance genes.
Torque fluctuations during maximal voluntary knee extension efforts after stroke

The purpose of this study of 18 ambulatory hemiparetic stroke patients was to describe the differences in torque fluctuations between sides (paretic and nonparetic) and also to determine the implications of such fluctuations on gait performance relative to other knee extension torque variables. Bilateral measurements of torque during maximal voluntary isometric knee extension efforts of about four seconds were obtained using an isokinetic dynamometer. The amplitude of the associated torque curves was measured at 0.1 second intervals and statistically manipulated to provide information about actual and percentage fluctuations. The nonparetic side displayed significantly higher actual fluctuations whereas the paretic side demonstrated significantly higher percentage fluctuations. The reliability of the torque fluctuation measurements was questionable. The correlations of the fluctuation measurements with gait performance were low, especially when compared to the significant correlations of peak and average ...
Sediment production and transport in a proglacial stream: Hilda Glacier, Alberta, Canada

Hilda Glacier, a small cirque glacier in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, yields two principal types of sediment: ablation till, deficient in fine material and produced by rockfalls and avalanches falling on to the glacier surface, and basal lodgement till, rich in fines and formed mainly by subglacial erosion. Recent recession from its Neoglacial maximum has exposed large areas of basal till with thin veneers of ablation till which, when combined with present subglacial and supraglacial debris, provide abundant material for erosion and transport by the mcltwatcr stream. Sediment transport measurements over two summers (1977–1978) showed that bed load and suspended load occur in approximately equal proportions and that dissolved loads are minor. Local source variations, especially bank slumps, are a major cause of scatter in sediment rating curves. Suspended-sediment concentrations are greater early in the melt season due to availability of loose sediment produced by freezing and thawing. Other contributors to scatter in suspended-sediment rating curves include rain showers and diurnal hysteretic effects. Although the distinction between bed load and suspended load is never sharp, available data suggest that the sand/ gravel grain-size boundary (-1o) approximates the suspendcd-load/bed-load division for characteristic Hilda flows transporting gravel. This approximation, combined with till grain-size analyses, suspended-sediment measurements, and spatial distributions of till types, leads to the following computations of fluvial sediment sources: for suspended load - 6% supraglacial, 47% subglacial, 47% channel banks; for bed load - 46% supraglacial, 27% each subglacial and channel banks. Supraglacial debris provides only about one-fourth of all fluvial sediment, but nearly half of the bed load.
From Social Structural Factors to Perceptions of Relationship Quality and Loneliness: The Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study

Objectives. The objective of this study was to test a conceptual model of loneliness in which social structural factors are posited to operate through proximal factors to influence perceptions of relationship quality and loneliness. Methods. We used a population-based sample of 225 White, Black, and Hispanic men and women aged 50 through 68 from the Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study to examine the extent to which associations between sociodemographic factors and loneliness were explained by socioeconomic status, physical health, social roles, stress exposure, and, ultimately, by network size and subjective relationship quality. Results. Education and income were negatively associated with loneliness and explained racial/ethnic differences in loneliness. Being married largely explained the association between income and loneliness, with positive marital relationships offering the greatest degree of protection against loneliness. Independent risk factors for loneliness included male gender, physical health symptoms, chronic work and/or social stress, small social network, lack of a spousal confidant, and poor-quality social relationships. Discussion. Longitudinal research is needed to evaluate the causal role of social structural and proximal factors in explaining changes in loneliness.
Matching dimorphic sexes and immature stages with adults: resolving the systematics of the Bekilya group of Malagasy assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae)

The Madagascar endemic assassin bugs Bekilya Villiers and Hovacoris Villiers were described from macropterous male specimens with striking colour patterns, and are currently monotypic. Mutillocoris Villiers, with two species from Madagascar, was based on brachypterous female specimens that resemble female mutillid wasps. To investigate the validity of the three genera, recently collected specimens from Madagascar were studied with both morphological and molecular techniques. Morphology alone appeared to be of limited value for associating males with females, and immature stages with adults, because of drastic differences between the sexes and the life stages. However, the use of morphology in conjunction with molecular data resolved these associations and showed that species of Mutillocoris represent females of Bekilya and Hovacoris, which we transfer accordingly to these two genera and refer to them as the Bekilya group. The type species of Mutillocoris belongs in Bekilya, resulting in the synonymy of these two genera (Mutillocorissyn.n.). The Bekilya group is diagnosed and several new species are described: Bekilya mahafalyasp.n., Bekilya tenebrasp.n., Bekilya tulearasp.n., Hovacoris bicolornotumsp.n., Hovacoris melanocepssp.n. and Hovacoris rufiventrissp.n. A total of ten species are recognized within the Bekilya group. The monophyly of Bekilya, Hovacoris and the Bekilya group is confirmed by morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses.
Antiperiodic spin-1/2 XXZ quantum chains by separation of variables: Complete spectrum and form factors

Abstract In this paper we consider the spin-1/2 highest weight representations for the 6-vertex Yang–Baxter algebra on a finite lattice and analyze the integrable quantum models associated to the antiperiodic transfer matrix. For these models, which in the homogeneous limit reproduces the XXZ spin-1/2 quantum chains with antiperiodic boundary conditions, we obtain in the framework of Sklyaninʼs quantum separation of variables (SOV) the following results: I) The complete characterization of the transfer matrix spectrum (eigenvalues/eigenstates) and the proof of its simplicity. II) The reconstruction of all local operators in terms of Sklyaninʼs quantum separate variables. III) One determinant formula for the scalar products of separates states, the elements of the matrix in the scalar product are sums over the SOV spectrum of the product of the coefficients of the states. IV) The form factors of the local spin operators on the transfer matrix eigenstates by one determinant formulae given by simple modifications of the scalar product formulae.
4-Aminopyridine Reverses Saxitoxin (STX)- and Tetrodotoxin (TTX)-Induced Cardiorespiratory Depression in Chronically Instrumented Guinea Pigs☆

Abstract The extent to which cardiorespiratory infirmity and other sublethal effects of saxitoxin (STX) and tetrodotoxin (TTX) can be reversed by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) was investigated in guinea pigs chronically instrumented for the concurrent electrophysiological recordings of electrocorticogram (ECoG), diaphragmatic electromyogram (DEMG), Lead II electrocardiogram, and neck skeletal muscle electromyogram. Animals were intoxicated with either STX or TTX (2 and 3 μg/kg, im) to produce a state of progressive cardiorespiratory depression (depicted by decreasing DEMG amplitude, bradypnea, and bradycardia). At the point where cardiorespiratory performance was most seriously compromised (≈30 min posttoxin), 4-AP (1 or 2 mg/kg, im) was administered. The therapeutic effect of 4-AP was striking in that, within minutes, the toxin-induced diaphragmatic blockade, bradypnea, bradycardia, and depressed cortical activity were all restored to a level either comparable to, or surpassing, that of control. The optimal 4-AP dose level was determined to be 2 mg/kg (im) based on analyses of cardiorespiratory activity profiles throughout the course of intoxication and 4-AP treatment. At the dose levels (either 1 or 2 mg/kg) used to restore ventilatory function and cardiovascular performance, 4-AP produced no sign of seizures and convulsions. Although less serious secondary effects such as cortical excitant/arousal effect (indicated by ECoG power spectral analysis) and transient periods of skeletal muscle fasciculation were observed, these events were of minor concern particularly in view of the remarkable therapeutic effects of 4-AP.
Two concepts of therapeutic optimism

Researchers and ethicists have long been concerned about the expectations for direct medical benefit expressed by participants in early phase clinical trials. Early work on the issue considered the possibility that participants misunderstand the purpose of clinical research or that they are misinformed about the prospects for medical benefit from these trials. Recently, however, attention has turned to the possibility that research participants are simply expressing optimism or hope about their participation in these trials. The ethical significance of this therapeutic optimism remains unclear. This paper argues that there are two distinct phenomena that can be associated with the term ‘therapeutic optimism’—one is ethically benign and the other is potentially worrisome. Distinguishing these two phenomena is crucial for understanding the nature and ethical significance of therapeutic optimism. The failure to draw a distinction between these phenomena also helps to explain why different writers on the topic often speak past one another.
Radiation exposure assessment for portsmouth naval shipyard health studies.

Occupational radiation exposures of 13,475 civilian nuclear shipyard workers were investigated as part of a retrospective mortality study. Estimates of annual, cumulative and collective doses were tabulated for future dose-response analysis. Record sets were assembled and amended through range checks, examination of distributions and inspection. Methods were developed to adjust for administrative overestimates and dose from previous employment. Uncertainties from doses below the recording threshold were estimated. Low-dose protracted radiation exposures from submarine overhaul and repair predominated. Cumulative doses are best approximated by a hybrid log-normal distribution with arithmetic mean and median values of 20.59 and 3.24 mSv, respectively. The distribution is highly skewed with more than half the workers having cumulative doses 95% having doses <100 mSv. The maximum cumulative dose is estimated at 649.39 mSv from 15 person-years of exposure. The collective dose was 277.42 person-Sv with 96.8% attributed to employment at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.