cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low-Burden Mobile Monitoring, Intervention, and Real-Time Analysis Using the Wear-IT Framework: Example and Usability Study.

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) methods often rely on active input from participants, for example, in the form of self-report questionnaires delivered via web or smartphone, to measure health and behavioral indicators and deliver interventions in everyday life settings. For short-term studies or interventions, these techniques are deployed intensively, causing nontrivial participant burden. For cases where the goal is long-term maintenance, limited infrastructure exists to balance information needs with participant constraints. Yet, the increasing precision of passive sensors such as wearable physiology monitors, smartphone-based location history, and internet-of-things devices, in combination with statistical feature selection and adaptive interventions, have begun to make such things possible. Objective: In this paper, we introduced Wear-IT, a smartphone app and cloud framework intended to begin addressing current limitations by allowing researchers to leverage commodity electronics and real-time decision making to optimize the amount of useful data collected while minimizing participant burden. Methods: The Wear-IT framework uses real-time decision making to find more optimal tradeoffs between the utility of data collected and the burden placed on participants. Wear-IT integrates a variety of consumer-grade sensors and provides adaptive, personalized, and low-burden monitoring and intervention. Proof of concept examples are illustrated using artificial data. The results of qualitative interviews with users are provided. Results: Participants provided positive feedback about the ease of use of studies conducted using the Wear-IT framework. Users expressed positivity about their overall experience with the framework and its utility for balancing burden and excitement about future studies that real-time processing will enable. Conclusions: The Wear-IT framework uses a combination of passive monitoring, real-time processing, and adaptive assessment and intervention to provide a balance between high-quality data collection and low participant burden. The framework presents an opportunity to deploy adaptive assessment and intervention designs that use real-time processing and provides a platform to study and overcome the challenges of long-term mHealth intervention.
Longitudinal effects of smoking cessation on carotid artery atherosclerosis in contemporary smokers: The Wisconsin Smokers Health Study.

Abstract Background and aims We quantified the effects of smoking and smoking cessation on carotid artery atherosclerosis and wall thickness in two unique cohorts of smokers making a quit attempt. Methods Our primary analysis included 726 smokers making a quit attempt in a randomized clinical trial with long-term follow-up. Our secondary analysis included 889 smokers making a quit attempt in a subsequent trial. Participants underwent carotid artery ultrasonography at baseline and up to 3 subsequent visits. Primary outcomes were changes in carotid plaque score and intima media-thickness (IMT). We calculated a smoking burden score (SBS) that reflected the number of visits in which participants reported smoking after the quit attempt. Multivariable regression examined relations between SBS and carotid artery outcomes with adjustments for cardiovascular disease risk factors. Results In the primary analysis, participants were mean (standard deviation) 46.1 (10.3) years old (57.9% female) and smoked 21.1 (8.9) cigarettes per day (CPD). After a median of 7 years, lower SBS predicted less increase in carotid plaque score (Chi-squared = 13.0, p = 0.012). SBS independently predicted change in carotid plaque score (p = 0.007; SBS 0 vs 4) as did baseline CPD (p = 0.024) and age (p Conclusions Smoking cessation is associated with less progression of carotid plaque, but not IMT. Salutary associations of smoking cessation with carotid plaque progression are related to degree of abstinence.
Can polygenic risk scores help identify pediatric bipolar spectrum and related disorders?: A systematic review.

Abstract The genetic basis of mood disorders can, theoretically, provide diagnostic information in scenarios of clinical uncertainty. Therefore, we examined the available body of knowledge on the association between polygenic risk scores for bipolar disorder (BP-PRSs) and pediatric bipolar spectrum and related disorders. We performed a literature search through PubMed in March of 2020. The following variables were extracted from relevant studies: population age, study sample size, source of polygenic risk scores, source of data, the primary goal of the study, the assessments used during the course of the study, and the main findings/outcomes of each study. BP-PRSs were associated with deficits in executive functioning and the diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Three studies included in our analysis directly compared major depressive disorder (MDD)-PRSs to BP-PRSs in youth. Results showed that MDD-PRSs, and not BP-PRSs, were associated with ADHD symptoms, internalizing problems, and social problems. ADHD-PRSs were associated with conduct problems, depressive symptomatology, and externalizing disorders symptoms. Findings revealed that ADHD-PRSs were more clearly associated with emotional reactivity, emotional dysregulation, and irritability—frequent correlates of pediatric BP disorder. These findings suggest that ADHD-PRSs may have an important contribution to the development of mood related problems in youth.
Chern-Simons caps for rotating black holes

We study the dynamical Chern-Simons gravity as an effective quantum field theory, and discuss a broad range of its parameter space where the theory is valid. Within that validity range, we show that slowly rotating black holes acquire novel geometric structures due to the gravitational dynamical Chern-Simons term. In particular, the rotating black-hole solutions get endowed with two caplike domains, emanating from the north and south poles in the standard Boyer-Lindquist coordinates. The domains extend out to a distance that is approximately a few percent of the black hole's size. The caplike domains have an unusual equation of state, pointing to nonstandard dynamics within the caps. In particular, the focusing condition for geodesics is violated in those domains. This in turn implies that the Hawking-Penrose singularity theorem cannot be straightforwardly applied to hypothetical probe matter placed within the Chern-Simons caps.
International Law and the Death Penalty: A Toothless Tiger, or a Meaningful Force for Change

Over the last several decades, the world has made great strides towards universal abolition of the death penalty. Since the Universal Declaration on Human Rights was adopted in 1948, nearly 100 countries have abolished the death penalty as a matter of law. European and Latin American nations have been on the forefront of abolitionist efforts, but anti-death-penalty sentiment is not limited to those regions; support for the death penalty is waning in Africa and Southeast Asia as well. All but one or two nations claim to no longer execute minors, and many of the world's leading executioners have greatly reduced the number of crimes for which the death penalty can be applied. The General Assembly of the United Nations has now passed four resolutions in favor of a universal moratorium on capital punishment, and each has been supported by a greater number of countries-even those that were previously considered staunch supporters of the death penalty.
Inequitable access to distributed energy resources due to grid infrastructure limits in California

Persistent social disparities in the adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) have prompted calls for enabling more equitable uptake. However, there are indications that limits inherent to grid infrastructure may hinder DER adoption. In this study we analysed grid limits to new DER integration across California’s two largest utility territories. We found that grid limits reduce access to solar photovoltaics to less than half of households served by these two utilities, and may hinder California’s electric vehicle adoption and residential load electrification goals. We connected these results to demographic characteristics and found that grid limits also exacerbate existing inequities: households in increasingly Black-identifying and disadvantaged census block groups have disproportionately less access to new solar photovoltaic capacity based on circuit hosting capacity. Our results illuminate the need for equity goals to be an input in the design of policies for prioritizing grid upgrades. There are racial and wealth disparities in the adoption of distributed solar energy, although the potential for infrastructure limits to exacerbate these disparities is not well understood. Brockway et al. estimate the potential impact of grid infrastructure limitations on the adoption of distributed energy resources by demographic groups in California.
Diagnostic challenge of large congenital liver cyst in the newborn

Liver cysts in the newborn often pose significant diagnostic challenges. Described herein is a case of large congenital liver cyst that was difficult to diagnose both antenatally and postnatally and which was later diagnosed as Caroli disease.
THE BIOLOGY OF AGING: OBSERVATIONS & PRINCIPLES (3rd Edition) By Robert Arking

When I reviewed the 1st edition of this book (Chesky, 1992), there were not many excellent books on the biology of aging. At that time, I wrote, “Even if the treatment of some subjects is superfici...
On Using Laboratory Measurements to Predict Corrosion Service Lives for Engineering Applications

Issues concerning corrosion service life predictions on the basis of laboratory measurements are examined. Models for corrosion service life prediction will reduce corrosion failures and operation costs by enabling better design, alloy selection, full life-cycle cost analysis, and operation. An expected value approach for estimating corrosion damage accumulation and failure rates is proposed. Examination of this approach indicates that understanding the uncertainties due to the variability of the exposure environments will be a critical element of these predictions. It is concluded that, with properly developed, evaluated, and standardized corrosion defect sample designs and propagation rate measurement techniques, it will be possible to develop corrosion defect tolerant design approaches analogous to those used successfully to prevent fatigue failures.
A novel method for modeling dynamic air-gap eccentricity in synchronous machines based on modified winding function theory

This paper presents the modeling of synchronous machines under eccentric rotors. The winding function theory accounting for all space harmonics and presented by earlier researchers has been modified to adopt a nonsymmetric air-gap for the calculation of machine winding inductances. The effect of dynamic air-gap eccentricity on the inductances of a salient-pole synchronous machine using the modified winding function approach (MWFA) has been discussed. The coupled magnetic circuits approach has been used for simulating the machine behavior under healthy and eccentric rotor conditions. The simulation results are in close agreement with the experimental results.
Insulin‐related material in prokaryotes

We have reported previously on the presence of vertebrate-type peptide hormones in Tetrahymena pyriformis and Escherichia coli. We now have examined other prokaryotes for immunologically detectable insulin-like material. The bacteria studied were E. coli, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus RAG-1, Bordetella pertussis and Halobacteria solinarium; they were grown in defined minimal salt media under varying growth conditions. All these bacteria contain insulin-related material (1–12 pg per g cell wet wt). No insulin immunoactivity was detected in the media prior to inoculation. The content of insulin-related material was not affected by the carbon source used for cell growth. These data are in good agreement with data published previously, and suggest that prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes are capable of producing hormone-like material; the function of these peptides, if any, is as yet unknown.
Statistical constraints on the use of single cases in neuropsychological research

Abstract In a recent study by Miceli, Silveri, Romani, and Caramazza (Brain and Language, 1989 , 36, 447–492), free speech records for 20 unselected Italian-speaking agrammatic patients were analyzed along a variety of linguistic parameters, with particular emphasis on substitution and omission errors within traditional “part of speech” categories. The authors draw two strong conclusions: (1) the variability observed in this sample is too great to justify grouping these patients (or any coherent subset of the patients) into the “same” clinical category; (2) the extensive variability displayed by these patients reflects meaningful and very specific patterns of dissociation that would be lost if patients were grouped together in a common category called “aggrammatism.” In a reanalysis of the Miceli et al. data, we conclude that the evidence does not justify either of these conclusions. First, we provide a set of mathematical simulations demonstrating that the dissociations claimed by Miceli et al. could have occurred entirely by chance, if samples of speech were drawn randomly from a “universe of discourse” characterized by error rates similar to those displayed by patients in this study. This randomization method has considerable generality, and could prove useful to other investigators interested in determining the number and type of dissociations that are likely to occur by chance in individual and/or group studies. Second, we demonstrate that there are many confounding factors that could account for the variability observed by Miceli et al., including differences in neurological status, education, and the strategies that patients elect to deal with their limitations.
Space-frequency localized basis function networks for nonlinear system estimation and control

Stable neural network control and estimation may be viewed formally as a merging of concepts from nonlinear dynamic systems theory with tools from multivariate approximation theory. This paper extends earlier results on adaptive control and estimation of nonlinear systems using gaussian radial basis functions to the on-line generation of irregularly sampled networks, using tools from multiresolution analysis and wavelet theory. This yields much more compact and efficient system representations while preserving global closed-loop stability. Approximation models employing basis functions that are localized in both space and spatial frequency admit a measure of the approximated function's spatial frequency content that is not directly dependent on reconstruction error. As a result, these models afford a means of adaptively selecting basis functions according to the local spatial frequency content of the approximated function. An algorithm for stable, on-line adaptation of output weights simultaneously with node configuration in a class of non-parametric models with wavelet basis functions is presented. An asymptotic bound on the error in the network's reconstruction is derived and shown to be dependent solely on the minimum approximation error associated with the steady state node configuration. In addition, prior bounds on the temporal bandwidth of the system to be identified or controlled are used to develop a criterion for on-line selection of radial and ridge wavelet basis functions, thus reducing the rate of increase in network's size with the dimension of the state vector. Experimental results obtained by using the network to predict the path of an unknown light bluff object thrown through air, in an active-vision based robotic catching system, are given to illustrate the network's performance in a simple real-time application.
Incorporation of fucose and leucine into PNS myelin proteins in nerves undergoing early Wallerian degeneration

The simultaneous incorporation of [3H]fucose and [1-14C]leucine into normal rat sciatic nerve was examined using an in vitro incubation model. A linear rate of protein precursor uptake was found in purified myelin protein over 1/2–6 hr of incubation utilizing a supplemented medium containing amino acids. This model was then used to examine myelin protein synthesis in nerves undergoing degeneration at 1–4 days following a crush injury. Data showed a statistically significant decrease in the ratio of fucose to leucine at 2, 3, and 4 days of degeneration, which was the consequence of a significant increase in leucine uptake. These results, plus substantial protein recovery in axotomized nerves, are indicative of active synthesis of proteins that purify with myelin during early Wallerian degeneration.
Spillover from Complimentary Item-Based Promotions: Evidence from Atlantic City

Studies to date on the effectiveness of compliment-based promotion by U.S. casinos have frequently found insignificant effect of such promotion on casino revenues. Yet complimentary offers remain the main marketing strategy practiced by the industry. The authors suspect that demand spillover exists among casinos in a market, which causes a spurious relationship. Thus, the current study examines the effects of compliment expenditures on casino demand after accounting for spatial spillover effects. Results of the spatial panel Durbin model analysis suggest that popular complimentary offers, such as rooms, food, and beverages, lead to fierce competition that can be harmful to the entire market. Contrarily, less-used travel reimbursement, bus programs, and free parking help attract new players to the market. Implications for the industry and suggestions for future research are provided with the findings of the study.
Using an α-bungarotoxin binding site tag to study GABA A receptor membrane localization and trafficking.

It is increasingly evident that neurotransmitter receptors, including ionotropic GABA A receptors (GABAAR), exhibit highly dynamic trafficking and cell surface mobility1-7. To study receptor cell surface localization and endocytosis, the technique described here combines the use of fluorescent α-bungarotoxin with cells expressing constructs containing an α-bungarotoxin (Bgt) binding site (BBS). The BBS (WRYYESSLEPYPD) is based on the α subunit of the muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, which binds Bgt with high affinity8,9. Incorporation of the BBS site allows surface localization and measurements of receptor insertion or removal with application of exogenous fluorescent Bgt, as previously described in the tracking of GABAA and metabotropic GABAB receptors2,10. In addition to the BBS site, we inserted a pH-sensitive GFP (pHGFP11) between amino acids 4 and 5 of the mature GABAAR subunit by standard molecular biology and PCR cloning strategies (see Figure 1)12. The BBS is 3' of the pH-sensitive GFP reporter, separated by a 13-amino acid alanine/proline linker. For trafficking studies described in this publication that are based on fixed samples, the pHGFP serves as a reporter of total tagged GABAAR subunit protein levels, allowing normalization of the Bgt labeled receptor population to total receptor population. This minimizes cell to cell Bgt staining signal variability resulting from higher or lower baseline expression of the tagged GABAAR subunits. Furthermore the pHGFP tag enables easy identification of construct expressing cells for live or fixed imaging experiments.
Radiation effects on X-ray microanalysis of a light element alloy in a medium-voltage electron microscope

Abstract Recent studies have indicated that focussed beams of high energy electrons can cause significant elemental redistribution in materials in the electron microscope. This redistribution can be attributed to a variety of effects, e.g., electron-beam sputtering, radiation-induced segregation (RIS) and electron-beam mixing, which are exacerbated by the use of a focussed electron probe. In most imaging situations focussed probes are neither necessary nor desirable. However, in an Analytical Electron Microscope (AEM) highly focussed probes are routinely employed to obtain high spatial resolution in microanalysis. In this work X-ray Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (XEDS) has been used to investigate elemental redistribution by displacement damage in an alloy of A1-1.95at%Zn during microanalysis in one of the new series of medium-voltage (300–400 kV) analytical electron microscopes. The results indicate that for low specimen temperatures ( T T m ) and sufficiently high electron fluxes (> 3 × 10 4 A/m 2 ), the atomic displacement effects do not significantly alter the results of XEDS analysis (probe size range 300 to 7.5 nm). Electron beam knock-on sputtering may remove several tens of nanometres of surface material, if the specimen surfaces are clean. However, this produces compositional changes only if one or more of the alloy components sputter preferentially, or if there is Gibbsian segregation to the foil surface.
Semisynthesis and biological evaluation of brevifoliol 13-[N-benzoyl-(-2′R,3′S)-3′-phenylisoserinate]

Coupling between brevifoliol (1) and β-lactam (2) yielded, after protecting group removal, brevifoliol 13-[N-benzoyl-(2′R,3′S)-3′-phenylisoserinate] (3). This novel taxol analogue was found to be inactive in the microtubule binding assay and had little cytotoxicity against B16 melanoma cells.
Effect of cycling in the heat for 164 km on procoagulant and fibrinolytic parameters

We assessed the impact of completing the Hotter’n Hell Hundred (HHH), an annual 164 km road cycling event performed in a hot environment, on hemostatic balance in men. Sixteen men who completed the ride in <6 h were included in this study. Plasma samples were collected on that morning of the ride (PRE) and immediately on the completion of the ride (IP). Primary hemostasis was assessed by platelet count and von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag). Coagulation was assessed by measuring prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (PTF 1 + 2) and thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), whereas fibrinolysis was assessed by plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen (PAI-1 Ag), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA Ag), and D-Dimer analyses. Compared to PRE, increases (p < 0.001) were observed at IP for platelets (39 %), vWF:Ag (65 %), PTF 1 + 2 (47 %), TAT (81 %), tPA Ag (231 %), PAI-1 Ag (148 %), and D-Dimer (54 %). PRE PAI-1 Ag concentrations were directly related to BMI and waist circumference (p < 0.05). D-Dimer concentrations at IP correlated positively with age (p < 0.05). Completing the HHH activated the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems in balance. Age was positively correlated with IP D-Dimer concentrations. Additionally, participants displaying a larger BMI and waist circumference exhibited a positive correlation with PRE PAI-1 Ag concentrations.
Barrier protection capacity of flip-top pharmaceutical vials.

Abstract Study Objective To test the sterility of medication vial tops after removal of the dust cover, and to survey anesthesia providers for their perceptions surrounding medication vials and sterility. Design Experimental design and survey instrument. Setting Ambulatory and hospital care setting. Participants Anesthesia providers in the United States. Measurements A two-question survey was distributed to anesthesia providers in the U.S. An experimental model was conducted on a total of 42 medication vials. The access diaphragms of medication vials were sampled after routine handling, after exposure to aerosolized contamination with the dust cover on, and after submersion into a bacterial medium with the dust cover on. Main Results 878 responses to Question 1 and 876 responses to Question 2 were received. Fifty-two percent of respondents declared that the access diaphragm was sterile in routine conditions, and 43% felt that (or were unsure if) the dust cover would prevent contamination when exposed to a contaminated environment. Two of the 12 vials sampled in the routine handling model had microbial contaminants on the access diaphragm. No growth was found on any of the 15 vials exposed to aerosolized E. coli . Seven of the 15 vials in the submersion model were contaminated. Conclusions Anesthesia providers in the U.S. possess contradictory opinions of, and unclear knowledge about, the sterility of rubber stoppers used to access medications, and also the barrier capacity of a vial's dust cover. Standard anesthetic medication vial dust covers do not offer barrier protection against the growth of pathogens.
A Beginner's Guide to the Internet in the Foreign Language Classroom with a Focus on the World Wide Web.

The Internet is “a global communications network, comprised of millions of people using computers in every industrialized nation in the world“… “a treasure chest of information waiting to be discovered”… “huge and overwhelming and difficult to mentally grasp.“1 By explaining the Internet in simple terms and offering suggestions for its use, this paper will attempt to provide the language teacher with the impetus to get online and to integrate the tremendous resources available on the Internet into the classroom. The language teacher who wants to utilize the Internet in the classroom faces four challenges. The first is to come to a working knowledge of the history, language, and worldview – the culture–of cyberspace. The second challenge is to establish an actual hardware link to the Internet. The third is to become aware of the breadth, depth, and limitations of the resources available on the Internet. The final challenge is to integrate the diverse and variable quality of information, resources, and opportunities available through the Internet into the language classroom. Our understanding of and interaction with the borderless and dynamic medium of cyberspace can aid us in the teaching of language and culture.
Precise deposition of molten microdrops: the physics of digital microfabrication

Objects, materials or components may be built up by precise deposition of molten microdrops under controlled thermal conditions. This provides a means of ‘digital microfabrication’, or fabrication of 3D objects microdrop by microdrop under complete computer control much in the same way as 2D hard copy is obtained by ink-jet printing. In this paper we present a study of some basic modes of precise deposition and solidification of molten microdrops. The conditions required for controlled deposition are discussed, and experimental results and theoretical analyses are given for various basic deposition modes. These include columnar (i. e. drop-on-drop) deposition at both low and high frequencies, sweep deposition of continuous beads on flat surfaces, and repeated sweep deposition for buildup of larger objects or materials. The theory provides a means for generalizing our particular experimental results, which were obtained with hard waxes, to other melts. An important parameter in the theory is the solidification angle, that is, the apparent contact angle of the solidified melt. Our study indicates that in microscale deposition this angle appears under some conditions to be a property of the melt material, the target material and the characteristic temperatures involved, independent of the spreading dynamics.
Synthesis and properties of crystalline carbon nitride composite superhard coatings

Multilayer carbon nitride/TiN coatings were synthesized using a dual-cathode dc magnetron sputtering system. Fully crystalline films can be obtained when the thickness of the carbon nitride component is on the order of one nm. There appears to be a strong correlation between the occurrence of strong TiN(111) texture and the hardness of these multilayer coatings, as controlled by target powers, nitrogen partial pressure and substrate bias. These coatings can be synthesized at near room temperatures, with smooth surface morphology and hardness in the range of 45–55 GPa.
Multifunctional phosphatidic acid signaling in mammary epithelial cells: stimulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis and conversion to diglyceride.

We have shown previously that phosphatidic acid esterified to polyunsaturated fatty acids is mitogenic for primary cultures of mouse mammary epithelial cells embedded within collagen gels. We hypothesized that this mitogenic competence resulted from the ability of this phospholipid to activate multiple signal transduction pathways in mammary epithelium. A closer examination of this hypothesis was undertaken by examining the effect of exogenous phosphatidic acid on phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis and its intracellular metabolism to diglyceride, an activator of protein kinase C. For assays of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C activation, mammary epithelial cells from virgin Balb/c mice were isolated by collagenase dissociation of mammary glands and cultured on the surface of Type I collagen-coated culture dishes. Phosphatidic acid (PA) stimulated a sustained increase in inositol phosphates and caused inositol phospholipid depletion when added to cells in which inositol phospholipids were prelabeled with 3H-myoinositol. This effect was specific for PA among phospholipids tested. Neither lineoleic acid, that can be released from PA, nor prostaglandin E2 affected PI hydrolysis. When mammary epithelial cells were cultured inside collagen gels in the presence of exogenous PA or phosphatidylcholine (PC) radiolabeled with 3H-glycerol, PA was found to persist intracellularly and be dephosphorylated to diglyceride (an activator of protein kinase C) to a greater extent than PC, a nonmitogenic phospholipid. In contrast to PA, epidermal growth factor (EGF) only slightly stimulated PI hydrolysis, showing that these two different growth-promoting factors do not actively couple to the same signal transduction pathways in mammary epithelial cells. These results show that PA may activate multiple pathways in mammary epithelial cells either directly or via its metabolism to diglyceride. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
An APFIM analysis of grain boundaries and precipitation in boron-doped NiAl

An atom probe characterization of a stoichiometric NiAl alloy doped with 100 wt. ppm of boron has been performed. Field ion micrographs revealed boron segragation to the grain boundaries. Atom probe analysis of the grain boundaries measured a boron coverage of up to 30% of a monolayer. A low number density of (Ti, V, Cr)B2 precipitates with a size distribution ranging from 10 to < 1 nm radius was also observed in the matrix. Atom probe analysis of the matrix revealed that approximately 23 of the boron remained in solid solution. The increase in the yield stress observed over the undoped alloy is due to a combination of boron solid solution strengthening and precipitation hardening from the boride precipitates.
A brief review of the fossil history of the family Rosaceae with a focus on the Eocene Okanogan Highlands of eastern Washington State, USA, and British Columbia, Canada

Many of the oldest definitive members of the Rosaceae are present in the Eocene upland floras of the Okanogan Highlands of northeastern Washington State and British Columbia, Canada. Over a dozen rosaceous taxa representing extant and extinct genera of all four traditionally recognized subfamilies are known from flowers, fruits, wood, pollen, and especially leaves. The complexity seen in Eocene Rosaceae suggests that hybridization and polyploidy may have played a pivotal role in the early evolution of the family. Increased species diversity and the first appearance of additional modern taxa occur during the Late Paleogene in North America and Europe. The Rosaceae become increasingly important components of fossil floras during the Neogene, with taxa adapted to many habitats.
VISCOUS PROPERTIES OF TARO FLOUR EXTRUDED WITH WHEY PROTEINS TO SIMULATE WEANING FOODS

Taro flour, derived from the corm of Colocasia Esculenta cv. Lehua, a root tuber grown in the tropical regions of the world, was extruded with whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI) or lactalbumin (LAC), to derive blends containing 20% protein, simulating the protein content of some weaning foods. Taro flour is unique because of its extremely small particle size (1-5 micron) and high mucilage or gum content, making it a possible replacement for corn or wheat starch in weaning foods. Extrusion processing temperatures were from 100 to 130C and moisture of the feed blends was held constant at 18%. The extrudates were pulverized, made into powders, and rehydrated to make a paste. Viscosities of the feed blends before extrusion and the pastes made from the extrudates were determined using a Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) to determine peak, final, and breakdown viscosities. Water solubility and absorption indices were also determined. Extrudates made from taro containing whey products expanded more than taro alone; were easier to grind into powders; and rehydrated readily in water to form pastes. Before extrusion, the peak viscosities of the blends were 5000, 2600, 1600, 1600 cP for taro flour, taro with WPI, taro with WPC, or taro with LAC, respectively. After extrusion cooking, the viscosities for taro flour, taro with WPI, taro with WPC, or taro with LAC were 110, 65, 70 or 90 cP, respectively. Taro extrudates without protein absorbed the most water, and were more soluble than products containing whey proteins or LAC. The addition of whey proteins reduced peak viscosities, but WPI and taro pastes were characteristic of weaning foods. Both extrusion cooking and the addition of whey proteins significantly reduced (P Le taro (Colocasia esculenta) est une plante a tubercule tropicale, riche en amidon, en fibre alimentaire soluble et en gommes. Cette etude evalue les proprietes rheologiques de la farine de taro extrudee avec un concentrat ou un isolat de proteine de lactoserum, ou de la lactalbumine pour obtenir des melanges contenant 20% de proteine, enrichis en proteines, simulant un aliment de sevrage. L'addition de proteines de lactoserum et la cuisson extrusion reduisent la viscosite mais les pâtes a base d'isolat et de taro presentent bien les caracteristiques des aliments de sevrage.
Agricultural chemical movement through a field-size watershed in Iowa : Subsurface hydrology and distribution of nitrate in groundwater

A 40-ha field is under study in the loess hills of southwestern Iowa to determine the impact of corn production in ridge-tilled soils on the nitrate-nitrogen loading in groundwater. Within the vadose zone, nitrate concentration between June 1989 and December 1991 ranged from 80 mg/L. Well water concentrations increased from 60 mg/L in 1994. In both hydrogeologic compart ments, time of sampling and landscape position are important factors influencing concentrations. The unsaturated zone groundwater system has a high potential for storage of unutilized nitrogen as nitrate. Leaching resulted in the drinking water MCL being exceeded for several wells screened within the saturated loess, which is characterized by relatively high hydraulic conductivity. Concentrations within and below the loess−glacial till interface did not exceed the standard. A conservative solute transport model was used to predict the concentration of nitrate exiting the field in basin drainage. Denitrification ...
The experimental verification of a streamline curvature numerical analysis method applied to the flow through an axial flow fan

The experimental verification of an inviscid, incompressible through-flow analysis method is presented. The primary component of this method is an axisymmetric streamline curvature technique which is used to compute the hub-to-tip flow field of a given turbomachine. To analyze the flow field in the blade-to-blade plane of the machine, the potential flow solution of an infinite cascade of airfoils is also computed using a source model technique. To verify the accuracy of such an analysis method an extensive experimental verification investigation was conducted using an axial flow research fan. Detailed surveys of the blade-free regions of the machine along with intra-blade surveys using rotating pressure sensing probes and blade surface static pressure taps provide a one-to-one relationship between measured and predicted data. The results of this investigation indicate the ability of this inviscid analysis method to predict the design flow field of the axial flow fan test rotor to within a few percent of the measured values.
Detection and Characterization of a Nicotinic Acid-Replacing Substance in Vitamin-Free Acid Hydrolyzed Casein

Abstract Auxotrophs of Escherichia coli defective in biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide are able to proliferate in a minimal medium containing either nicotinic acid or vitamin-free acid hydrolyzed casein (casamino acids). The active component in acid-hydrolyzed casein is not nicotinic acid or nicotinamide as determined by partition chromatography, analysis for teritary and quarternary amines, and the Mueller and Fox reaction for nicotinic acid. It is not affected by proteinases. The activity of acid-hydrolyzed casein is lost by acid or alkaline hydrolysis, ashing, and charcoal filtration. The active factor has a molecular weight of less than 500 and is slightly soluble in n-butanol. It is insoluble in ether and chloroform.
Effects of magnitude and magnitude predictability of postural perturbations on preparatory cortical activity in older adults with and without Parkinson’s disease

The goal of this study was to identify whether impaired cortical preparation may relate to impaired scaling of postural responses of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We hypothesized that impaired scaling of postural responses in participants with PD would be associated with impaired set-dependent cortical activity in preparation for perturbations of predictable magnitudes. Participants performed postural responses to backward surface translations. We examined the effects of perturbation magnitude (predictable small vs. predictable large) and predictability of magnitude (predictable vs. unpredictable-in-magnitude) on postural responses (center-of-pressure (CoP) displacements) and on preparatory electroencephalographic (EEG) measures of contingent negative variation (CNV) and alpha and beta event-related desynchronization (ERD). Our results showed that unpredictability of perturbation magnitude, but not the magnitude of the perturbation itself, was associated with increased CNV amplitude at the CZ electrode in both groups. While control participants scaled their postural responses to the predicted magnitude of the perturbation, their condition-related changes in CoP displacements were not correlated with condition-related changes in EEG preparatory activity (CNV or ERD). In contrast, participants with PD did not scale their postural responses to the predicted magnitude of the perturbation, but they did demonstrate greater beta ERD in the condition of predictably small-magnitude perturbations and greater beta ERD than the control participants at the CZ electrode. In addition, increased beta ERD in PD was associated with decreased adaptability of postural responses, suggesting that preparatory cortical activity may have a more direct influence on postural response scaling for people with PD than for control participants.
Reports of Childhood Physical Abuse, 5-HTTLPR Genotype, and Women’s Attentional Biases for Angry Faces

The goal of this study was to examine environmental (childhood physical abuse) and genetic (5-HTTLPR genotype) correlates of adult women’s attentional biases for facial displays of emotion. Supporting a gene × environment model of risk, women’s reports of childhood physical abuse were related to their attentional biases for angry faces among carriers of the 5-HTTLPR short allele, but not among those homozygous for the long allele. Specifically, women reporting a history of moderate to severe physical abuse who also carried at least one copy of the 5-HTTLPR short allele exhibited attentional avoidance of angry faces. These results were specific to angry faces and were not observed for happy or sad faces. Supporting the robustness of these findings, they were maintained even after statistically controlling for the influence of women’s lifetime diagnoses of major depression and anxiety disorders as well as their current symptoms of depression and anxiety, suggesting that the results were not due simply to current or past depression or anxiety.
WAVELET ADAPTIVE MULTIRESOLUTION REPRESENTATION: APPLICATIONS TO VISCOUS MULTISCALE FLOW SIMULATIONS

We present a new wavelet-based adaptive multiresolution representation (WAMR) algorithm for the numerical solution of multiscale evolution problems. Key features of the algorithm are fast procedures for grid rearrangement, computation of derivatives, as well as the ability to minimize the degrees-of-freedom for a prescribed solution accuracy. To demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm, we use it to solve the two-dimensional benchmark problem of incompressible fluid-flow in a lid-driven cavity at large Reynolds numbers. The numerical experiments demonstrate the great ability of the algorithm to adapt to different scales at different locations and at different times so as to produce accurate solutions at low computational cost. Specifically, we show that solutions of comparable accuracy as the benchmarks are obtained with more than an order of magnitude reduction in degrees-of-freedom.
Vehicle Concept Model Abstractions for Integrated Geometric, Inertial, Rigid Body, Powertrain, and FE Analysis

Vehicle analysis models of any kind have their basis in some type of physical representation of the design domain. Rather than describing three-dimensional continua of a collection of components as is done in detail-level CAD models, an architecture-level abstraction describes fundamental function and arrangement, while capturing just enough physical detail to be used as the basis for a meaningful design space representation and eventually, analyses that permit architecture assessment. The design information captured by the abstractions is available at the very earliest stages of the vehicle development process, so the model itself can function as a “design space for ideas”. In this paper we describe vehicle architecture abstractions appropriate for integrated model extractions suitable for geometric, inertial, rigid body, acceleration, braking, fuel efficiency, structural, and NVH assessments. Additionally, we discuss the requisite level of information required for each analysis type.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Stress and immunity in individuals at risk for aids

We have examined psychosocial and immune system stress responses in gay men before and after their notification of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) status and as a consequence of stress management intervention procedures. Prior to notification, early stage, asymptomatic, seropositive men displayed compromised immunity as evidenced by significant decreases in CD4+ cell number, the helper subset (CD29 + CD4 +), CD4 +/CD8 + ratio, and lymphocyte responses to mitogens. Prior to diagnosis, both seronegative and seropositive men revealed suppression of NK cell cytotoxicity and mitogen responsivity relative to matched laboratory control subjects not awaiting diagnosis. Immune suppression in these seronegative men disappeared after diagnosis, indicating its relationship to anticipation of serostatus notification. We also found that a 10-week program of aerobic exercise or psychosocial stress management buffered the psychological impact of notification of seropositivity. The aerobic exercise program produced a significant increase in CD4+ cells for seronegatives and a smaller increase approaching significance for seropositives. The psychosocial intervention, which included relaxation training and cognitive stress management, produced significant increases in CD4+ and NKH.1 + for seronegatives and CD45R + CD4 + cell number and mitogen responsivity for seropositives. We are assessing our interventions as tools for retarding immune deterioration and disease progression in HIV-1 seropositive individuals.
Resistance to Health: When the Mind Interferes with the Desire to Become Well

Secondary gain has long been viewed as a variable that can significantly affect a patient's recovery from such conditions as chronic pain disorders, factitious and somatoform disorders, and other psychological disorders. Secondary gain has not been evaluated in terms of its impact on major illnesses such as cancer or autoimmune disorders. In this paper I discuss how secondary gain can be present in such illnesses and how it results in a resistance to health. This resistance to health can lead not only to medical noncompliance, but can also ultimately affect the progression and recovery from the illness. I describe how hypnosis can be used to ferret out this resistance to health and how patients in a hypnotic state will indicate or express their resistance to becoming healthy. The advantage of this approach is that it enables the clinician to deal directly with the patient's unconscious resistance to health.
An Optical Profilometer for Surface Characterization of Magnetic Media

Conventional surface-characterization techniques either are not sophisticated enough to provide complete surface-topographical data or cannot be employed because of the relatively low hardness of magnetic media. An optical profilometer has been developed which provides a noncontact method of obtaining surface characteristics from a magnetic medium. The system consists of a standard Leitz reflection microscope, a Mirau interferometer controlled by a piezoelectric transducer, a linear array of photodiode detectors, and a microcomputer. The combination yields a system that measures the optical-height variations of surfaces to a high degree of precision. This height variation is processed by a computer to provide surface-topographical statistical parameters, which are useful to predict tribological and magnetic performances of the head-media interface. Sample data of magnetic media (tape, floppy disk, and rigid disk) are presented. Presented at the 38th Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas, April 24–28, 1983
A cognitive group hierarchy game theoretic framework for bandwidth management

Probabilistic predictions are critical in practice on many decision making applications because optimizing the user experience requires being able to compute the expected utilities of mutually exclusive pieces of content. Hierarchy games for decision making are valuable where two or more agents seek their own goals, possibilities of conflicts, competition and cooperation. In most cases, decision making needs to happen real-time, and the latency allowance for predictions is restrictive. The quality of the knowledge extracted from the information available is restricted by complexity of the model. Hierarchy game theory framework enables complex modeling of data in probabilistic modeling. However, applicability to big data is complicated by the difficulties of inference in complex probabilistic models, and by computational constraints. We focus on applying probabilistic models to bandwidth management for Landsat sensors. It is important to recognize the inconsistencies between individual rationality and group rationality for this social as well as engineering problem. Hierarchical game theory models interactions where a situation affects players at multiple levels. Our paper discusses the effect of optimizing the selection of specific bands for faster throughput on mission capabilities. We discuss four levels of hierarchies involving Landsat bands, number of sensors, mission priorities, and responsible organizations. In each case each entity in the hierarchy is treated as a player or agent.