bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Interdisciplinary Mathematics and Biology Education: A Microarray Data Analysis Course Bridging These Disciplines
Authors: Tra Yolande V. , Evans Irene M.
Published: September 2010

BIO2010 put forth the goal of improving the mathematical educational background of biology students. The analysis and interpretation of microarray high-dimensional data can be very challenging and is best done by a statistician and a biologist working and teaching in a collaborative manner. We set up such a collaboration and designed a course on microarray data analysis. We started using Genome Consortium for Active Teaching (GCAT) materials and Microarray Genome and Clustering Tool software and added R statistical software along with Bioconductor packages. In response to student feedback, one microarray data set was fully analyzed in class, starting from preprocessing to gene discovery to pathway analysis using the latter software. A class project was to conduct a similar analysis where students analyzed their own data or data from a published journal paper. This exercise showed the impact that filtering, preprocessing, and different normalization methods had on gene inclusion in the final data set. We conclude that this course achieved its goals to equip students with skills to analyze data from a microarray experiment. We offer our insight about collaborative teaching as well as how other faculty might design and implement a similar interdisciplinary course.
1, 2, 3, 4: Infusing Quantitative Literacy into Introductory Biology
Authors: Speth Elena Bray , Momsen Jennifer L. , Moyerbrailean Gregory A. , Ebert-May Diane , Long Tammy M. , Wyse Sara , Linton Debra
Published: September 2010

Biology of the twenty-first century is an increasingly quantitative science. Undergraduate biology education therefore needs to provide opportunities for students to develop fluency in the tools and language of quantitative disciplines. Quantitative literacy (QL) is important for future scientists as well as for citizens, who need to interpret numeric information and data-based claims regarding nearly every aspect of daily life. To address the need for QL in biology education, we incorporated quantitative concepts throughout a semester-long introductory biology course at a large research university. Early in the course, we assessed the quantitative skills that students bring to the introductory biology classroom and found that students had difficulties in performing simple calculations, representing data graphically, and articulating data-driven arguments. In response to students' learning needs, we infused the course with quantitative concepts aligned with the existing course content and learning objectives. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by significant improvement in the quality of students' graphical representations of biological data. Infusing QL in introductory biology presents challenges. Our study, however, supports the conclusion that it is feasible in the context of an existing course, consistent with the goals of college biology education, and promotes students' development of important quantitative skills.
Computer Literacy for Life Sciences: Helping the Digital-Era Biology Undergraduates Face Today's Research
Authors: Smolinski Tomasz G.
Published: September 2010

Computer literacy plays a critical role in today's life sciences research. Without the ability to use computers to efficiently manipulate and analyze large amounts of data resulting from biological experiments and simulations, many of the pressing questions in the life sciences could not be answered. Today's undergraduates, despite the ubiquity of computers in their lives, seem to be largely unfamiliar with how computers are being used to pursue and answer such questions. This article describes an innovative undergraduate-level course, titled Computer Literacy for Life Sciences, that aims to teach students the basics of a computerized scientific research pursuit. The purpose of the course is for students to develop a hands-on working experience in using standard computer software tools as well as computer techniques and methodologies used in life sciences research. This paper provides a detailed description of the didactical tools and assessment methods used in and outside of the classroom as well as a discussion of the lessons learned during the first installment of the course taught at Emory University in fall semester 2009.
The Ladder and the Cage
Authors: Verbin N.
Published: September 2010

A contribution to the sixth installment of the Common Knowledge symposium “Apology for Quietism,” this article compares the worldview of Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) and the quietism that it presumably entails to the early Wittgenstein's worldview and his quietism. The first section of the article treats a relevant paradox in the worldview of the early Wittgenstein: his positive exhortations for certain types of speech and silence, for certain types of action and inaction, seem in conflict with his statement that, in the world, “there is no value—and if there were, it would be of no value.” The second section examines an internal paradox in the worldview of Qoheleth, who commends the enjoyment of a world that he considers meaningless and vain. The third and final section of the article compares these paradoxes as constitutive of the texts in which they appear. Conveying no univocal message, while both writers exhibit quietism, they also gesture toward kinds of speech and action.
Victims, Fighters, Survivors
Authors: Ofer Dalia
Published: September 2010

A contribution to the sixth installment of the Common Knowledge symposium “Apology for Quietism,” this article reflects on the challenges that understanding the Holocaust posed for Jews in Palestine and has posed for them in Israel. Ofer concentrates on the images of victims, fighters, and survivors as they were formulated during the last years of World War II and after the establishment of the State of Israel. Behind these images stood historical, concrete human beings who were classified according to concepts supplied by Zionist and historical Jewish culture, in which activism vs. quietism had long presented major issues for debate. A narrative and typology developed of fighting heroes, victims, and survivors; Ofer questions how different these categories were from each other. In pursuit of an answer, she examines institutions in Israel for commemoration and remembrance, especially Yad Vashem, a state-established institution centering on its often-reconfigured and redesigned historical museums. Finally, this article explores the impact of immigrations and wars on the approach of Israelis to activism and quietism, with special reference to attitudes toward the Holocaust.
The Effect of Intraocular Pressure on the Outcome of Myopic Photorefractive Keratectomy: A Numerical Approach
Authors: Lanchares Elena , Calvo Begoña , del Buey María A. , Cristóbal José A. , Doblaré Manuel
Published: September 2010

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) is a surgical procedure widely performed to correct myopia. In this work, the effect of the intraocular pressure (IOP) on the refractive correction achieved by the PRK surgery was analyzed using a numerical model. Simulations of PRK surgery at 10, 15 and 21 mmHg of IOP were performed and the post‐surgical diopters were estimated. For low and medium values of IOP (10 and 15 mmHg), the computed results were close to those used by clinicians based on experience and defined without considering the IOP, while an undercorrection was predicted for the highest value of IOP (21 mmHg). From these results, we suggest that IOP should be considered in the determination of the depth of ablation, in addition to other factors such as the level of myopia or the corneal central thickness.
Galactoglucomannan stabilization during the initial kraft cooking of Scots pine
Authors: Paananen Markus , Tamminen Tarja , Nieminen Kaarlo , Sixta Herbert
Published: September 2010

The behaviour of wood components was studied during kraft cooking of Wiley milled Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) at low temperatures characteristic for the initial phase, but comprising alkali concentrations ranging from 0.31 mol l-1 to 1.55 mol l-1. The results confirmed the extensive dissolution/degradation rate of galactoglucomannan (GGM) already in the beginning of a kraft cook applying standard conditions. More than 70% of GGM was eliminated along with lignin removal of approximately 30%. A relatively high GGM yield increase of almost 2.5% on o.d. (oven dry) wood has been observed when both the temperature and the alkali concentration was raised to 130°C and to approximately 1.5 mol l-1, respectively, suggesting that stopping reactions were favoured over peeling reactions. Parallel to the pronounced stabilization of GGM, arabinoxylan experienced an additional loss of approximately 0.5–0.7% on o.d. wood, presumably owing to dissolution rather than alkaline degradation. A comprehensive kinetic model describing the alkaline degradation of GGM along with the lignin removal has been developed based on Wiley milled Scots pine raw material. The proposed kinetic model combines the alkali-dependent equilibria between ionized species of carbohydrate components with the time-dependent rate expressions of peeling, stopping, and alkaline hydrolysis. The model successfully describes the removal of GGM and lignin during initial kraft cooking. The kinetic expressions for the alkaline hydrolysis of carbohydrates were, however, less reliable owing to the limitation of the experiments to low temperatures only.
Applying digital image correlation to wood strands: Influence of loading rate and specimen thickness
Authors: Jeong Gi Young , Zink-Sharp Audrey , Hindman Daniel P.
Published: September 2010

Previous studies were devoted to various applications of digital image correlation (DIC) to wood and wood-based composites. However, the focus of these studies was qualitative strain distribution. Overall, there is a lack of testing protocols of DIC for quantifying the elastic properties of woody materials. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different specimen thicknesses and loading rates on measurement of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio by DIC. Young's modulus from DIC decreased as thickness increased at a loading rate of 0.254 mm min-1. Comparing the different loading rates at a thickness of 0.794 mm, Young's modulus from DIC was not in agreement with the value obtained by means of the extensometer regardless of loading rate. However, Young's modulus from DIC at a thickness of 0.381 mm and a loading rate of 0.254 mm min-1 was in good agreement with the corresponding Young's modulus obtained by an extensometer. Poisson's ratio measured from different loading rates and specimen thicknesses was not significantly different between the two measurement systems. From the testing arrangement applied for this study, it is recommended that DIC should be applied at a loading rate of 0.254 mm min-1 or slower for strands with a thickness of 0.381 mm or less.
Chemical Coding for Cardiovascular Sympathetic Preganglionic Neurons in Rats
Authors: Gonsalvez David G. , Kerman Ilan A. , McAllen Robin M. , Anderson Colin R.
Published: September 2010

Cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide (CART) is present in a subset of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the rat. We examined the distribution of CART-immunoreactive terminals in rat stellate and superior cervical ganglia and adrenal gland and found that they surround neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive postganglionic neurons and noradrenergic chromaffin cells. The targets of CART-immunoreactive preganglionic neurons in the stellate and superior cervical ganglia were shown to be vasoconstrictor neurons supplying muscle and skin and cardiac-projecting postganglionic neurons: they did not target non-vasoconstrictor neurons innervating salivary glands, piloerector muscle, brown fat, or adrenergic chromaffin cells. Transneuronal tracing using pseudorabies virus demonstrated that many, but not all, preganglionic neurons in the vasoconstrictor pathway to forelimb skeletal muscle were CART immunoreactive. Similarly, analysis with the confocal microscope confirmed that 70% of boutons in contact with vasoconstrictor ganglion cells contained CART, whereas 30% did not. Finally, we show that CART-immunoreactive cells represented 69% of the preganglionic neuron population expressing c-Fos after systemic hypoxia. We conclude that CART is present in most, although not all, cardiovascular preganglionic neurons but not thoracic preganglionic neurons with non-cardiovascular targets. We suggest that CART immunoreactivity may identify the postulated “accessory” preganglionic neurons, whose actions may amplify vasomotor ganglionic transmission.
Rapid Sequences of Population Activity Patterns Dynamically Encode Task-Critical Spatial Information in Parietal Cortex
Authors: Crowe David A. , Averbeck Bruno B. , Chafee Matthew V.
Published: September 2010

We characterized the temporal dynamics of population activity in parietal cortex of monkeys as they solved a spatial cognitive problem posed by an object construction task. We applied pattern classification techniques to characterize patterns of activity coding object-centered side, a task-defined variable specifying whether an object component was located on the left or right side of a reference object, regardless of its retinocentric position. During a period in which the value of object-centered side, as defined by task events, remained constant, parietal cortex represented this variable using a dynamic neural code by activating neurons with the same spatial preference in rapid succession so that the pattern of active neurons changed dramatically while the spatial information they collectively encoded remained stable. Furthermore, if the neurons shared the same spatial preference, then their pretrial activity (measured before objects were shown) was correlated to a degree that scaled as a positive linear function of how close together in time the neurons would be activated later in the trial. Finally, we found that while parietal cortex represented task-critical spatial information using a dynamic neural code, it simultaneously represented task-irrelevant spatial information using a stationary neural code. These data demonstrate that dynamic spatial representations exist in parietal cortex, provide novel insight into the synaptic mechanisms that generate them, and suggest they may preferentially encode task-critical spatial information.
The Spinal Substrate of the Suppression of Action during Action Observation
Authors: Stamos Alexis V. , Savaki Helen E. , Raos Vassilis
Published: September 2010

We have previously demonstrated that the forelimb representations of the primary motor and somatosensory cortices, as well as several premotor and parietal areas, are activated by both action–execution and action–observation, indicating that the spectator mentally simulates the observed action. Moreover, several studies demonstrated repeatedly that corticospinal excitability is modulated during action observation, providing evidence of an activation of the observer's motor system. However, evidence for the involvement of the spinal cord in action observation is controversial. The aim of the present study was to explore whether and how action–observation affects the spinal cord. To this end, we analyzed the spinal cord of eight monkeys (Macaca mulatta) trained to either execute reaching-to-grasp movements or observe the experimenter performing the same movements. Observation of grasping induced a bilateral decrease of glucose consumption in the spinal forelimb representation, whereas execution of grasping induced an increase of glucose utilization in the same area, ipsilaterally to the grasping hand. The depression of overall activity in the cervical enlargement of the spinal cord for action–observation may explain the suppression of overt movements, despite the activation of the observer's motor system.
Preservation and Modulation of Specific Left Hemisphere Regions is Vital for Treated Recovery from Anomia in Stroke
Authors: Fridriksson Julius
Published: September 2010

The location and extent of brain changes that support recovery in chronic stroke is probably related to the structural integrity of the remaining cortex. However, little is known about the specifics of this relationship and how it influences treatment outcome in chronic stroke. To examine this issue, the current study examined frank brain damage and changes in cortical activation as predictors of language-treatment outcome in patients with chronic aphasia caused by stroke. Twenty-six patients received multiple MRI sessions before and after 30 h of aphasia treatment targeting anomia, an impairment in the ability to name common objects. Improved naming was associated with increased brain activation in the anterior and posterior regions of the left hemisphere, whereas damage to the posterior portion of the left middle temporal lobe and the temporal-occipital junction had a particularly negative effect on treatment outcome. Specifically, patients whose brain damage included regions commonly associated with lexical retrieval and phonological processing (e.g., Brodmann's areas 37 and 39) were less likely to show treatment-related improvement in correct naming compared with cases where the same areas were intact. These findings suggest that brain changes associated with improved naming ability in chronic aphasia rely on preservation and recruitment of eloquent cortex in the left hemisphere. In general, it seems likely that a similar relationship between cortical preservation and recruitment may also pertain to recovery from other functional impairments in chronic stroke.
Parkin Directly Modulates 26S Proteasome Activity
Authors: Um Ji Won , Im Eunju , Lee Hyun Jung , Min Boram , Yoo Lang , Yoo Jiho , Lübbert Hermann , Stichel-Gunkel Christine , Cho Hyun-Soo , Yoon Jong Bok , Chung Kwang Chul
Published: September 2010

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease that involves the deterioration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Although the etiology of PD remains poorly understood, recent genetic, postmortem, and experimental evidence shows that abnormal protein accumulation and subsequent aggregate formation are prominent features of both sporadic and familial PD. While proteasome dysfunction is observed in PD, diverse mutations in theparkingene are linked to early-onset autosomal-recessive forms of familial PD. We demonstrate that parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, activates the 26S proteasome in an E3 ligase activity-independent manner. Furthermore, an N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain within parkin is critical for the activation of the 26S proteasome through enhancing the interaction between 19S proteasomal subunits, whereas the PD-linked R42P mutant abolishes this action. The current findings point to a novel role for parkin for 26S proteasome assembly and suggest that parkin mutations contribute to the proteasomal dysfunction in PD.
Perisynaptic Glia Discriminate Patterns of Motor Nerve Activity and Influence Plasticity at the Neuromuscular Junction
Authors: Todd Keith J. , Darabid Houssam , Robitaille Richard
Published: September 2010

In the nervous system, the induction of plasticity is coded by patterns of synaptic activity. Glial cells are now recognized as dynamic partners in a wide variety of brain functions, including the induction and modulation of various forms of synaptic plasticity. However, it appears that glial cells are usually activated by stereotyped, sustained neuronal activity, and little attention has been given to more subtle changes in the patterns of synaptic activation. To this end, we used the mouse neuromuscular junction as a simple and useful model to study glial modulation of synaptic plasticity. We used two patterns of motor nerve stimulation that mimic endogenous motor-neuronal activity. A continuous stimulation induced a post-tetanic potentiation and a phasic Ca2+response in perisynaptic Schwann cells (PSCs), glial cells at this synapse. A bursting pattern of activity induced a post-tetanic depression and oscillatory Ca2+responses in PSCs. The different Ca2+responses in PSCs indicate that they decode the pattern of synaptic activity. Furthermore, the chelation of glial Ca2+impaired the production of the sustained plasticity events indicating that PSCs govern the outcome of synaptic plasticity. The mechanisms involved were studied using direct photo-activation of PSCs with caged Ca2+that mimicked endogenous plasticity. Using specific pharmacology and transgenic knock-out animals for adenosine receptors, we showed that the sustained depression was mediated by A1 receptors while the sustained potentiation is mediated by A2Areceptors. These results demonstrate that glial cells decode the pattern of synaptic activity and subsequently provide bidirectional feedback to synapses.
Establishing Functional Residual Capacity at Birth
Authors: Hooper S.B. , te Pas A.B. , Lewis R.A. , Morley C.J.
Published: September 2010

Major changes in cardiovascular and respiratory physiology underpin the successful transition from fetal to neonatal life, and it is now apparent that lung aeration and the onset of pulmonary ventilation trigger such changes. Because preterm infants commonly have difficulty in making the transition to neonatal life, it is important to understand the mechanisms of lung aeration and how this action can be facilitated to improve the transition in these very immature infants. Recent imaging studies have demonstrated that after birth, airway liquid clearance and lung aeration are intrinsically linked and regulated primarily by transpulmonary pressures generated during inspiration. This indicates that airway liquid clearance is not solely dependent on sodium reabsorption and that a variety of mechanisms that may act before, during, and after birth are involved. The level of contribution of each mechanism likely depends on the timing and mode of delivery. Based on the knowledge that transpulmonary pressures primarily regulate airway liquid clearance after birth, it is possible to devise ventilation strategies that facilitate this process in very preterm infants. In particular, such strategies should initially focus on moving liquid rather than air through the airways because liquid has a much higher resistance and should assist in establishing and maintaining functional residual capacity. Two potential strategies are an initial sustained inflation and ventilation with a positive end-expiratory pressure.
The Jones Family's Culture of Literacy
Authors: Johnson Amy Suzanne
Published: September 2010

This article considers the uses of literacy within the Jones family (all names are pseudonyms), an African American family who lives in the rural South of the United States. Drawing on life history data with three women in the Jones family—Harriet Jones (grandmother), Sally Harris (mother), and Lola Harris (granddaughter)—the author traces how literacy has been practiced intergenerationally within the family. As such, the Joneses' intergenerational literacy practices comprise a culture of literacy within the family. Such a culture of literacy serves as a potential pedagogical resource for supporting the education of the family's youngest member, KiKi Reynolds (great‐granddaughter), who has just completed her kindergarten year. Through this exploration of literacy within the Jones family, the author argues that family must be considered a cultural context for literacy learning. In asking literacy educators and researchers to widen their lenses on the cultural contexts in which children engage in literacy practice, intergenerational literacy can offer teachers more complex, asset‐oriented interpretations of their students and their families.
In vitro expression of NGN3 identifies RAB3B as the predominant Ras-associated GTP-binding protein 3 family member in human islets
Authors: Piper Hanley Karen , Hearn Tom , Berry Andrew , Carvell Melanie J , Patch Ann-Marie , Williams Louise J , Sugden Sarah A , Wilson David I , Ellard Sian , Hanley Neil A
Published: September 2010

Neurogenin 3 (NGN3) commits pancreatic progenitors to an islet cell fate. We have induced NGN3 expression and identified upregulation of the gene encoding the Ras-associated small molecular mass GTP-binding protein, RAB3B. RAB3B localised to the cytoplasm of human β-cells, both during the foetal period and post natally. Genes encoding alternative RAB3 proteins and RAB27A were unaltered by NGN3 expression and in human adult islets their transcripts were many fold less prevalent than those of RAB3B. The regulation of insulin exocytosis in rodent β-cells and responsiveness to incretins are reliant on Rab family members, notably Rab3a and Rab27a, but not Rab3b. Our results support an important inter-species difference in regulating insulin exocytosis where RAB3B is the most expressed isoform in human islets.
FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS AND TREATMENT OF ELOPEMENT ACROSS TWO SCHOOL SETTINGS
Authors: Lang Russell , Davis Tonya , O'Reilly Mark , Machalicek Wendy , Rispoli Mandy , Sigafoos Jeff , Lancioni Giulio , Regester April
Published: September 2010

The elopement of a child with Asperger syndrome was assessed using functional analyses and was treated in two school settings (classroom and resource room). Functional analyses indicated that elopement was maintained by access to attention in the resource room and obtaining a preferred activity in the classroom. Attention‐ and tangible‐based interventions were compared in an alternating treatments design in both settings. Results validated the findings of the functional analyses. Implications for the assessment and treatment of elopement are discussed.
ASSESSMENT OF THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF ATTENTION AND ESCAPE ON NONCOMPLIANCE
Authors: Rodriguez Nicole M. , Thompson Rachel H. , Baynham Tanya Y.
Published: September 2010

The current study presents a method for assessing the relative effects of attention and escape on noncompliance in preschoolers. Attention and escape conditions were alternated in a multielement design, and a contingency reversal procedure, in which one test condition served as a control for the other, was used to demonstrate control. For all 3 participants, noncompliance was maintained, at least in part, by social attention. Functional analyses of noncompliance such as the one described here may be valuable for developing function‐based treatments.
CONSISTENT VISUAL ANALYSES OF INTRASUBJECT DATA
Authors: Kahng Sung Woo , Chung Kyong‐Mee , Gutshall Katharine , Pitts Steven C. , Kao Joyce , Girolami Kelli
Published: September 2010

Visual inspection of single‐case data is the primary method of interpretation of the effects of an independent variable on a dependent variable in applied behavior analysis. The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend the results of DeProspero and Cohen (1979) by reexamining the consistency of visual analysis across raters. We recruited members of the board of editors and associate editors for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis to judge graphs on a 100‐point scale of experimental control and by providing a dichotomous response (i.e., “yes” or “no” for experimental control). Results showed high interrater agreement across the three types of graphs, suggesting that visual inspection can lead to consistent interpretation of single‐case data among well‐trained raters.
Risk Assessment Before Extraction for Immediate Implant Placement in the Posterior Mandible: A Computerized Tomographic Scan Study
Authors: Froum Stuart , Casanova Leticia , Byrne Sara , Cho Sang Choon
Published: September 2010

Background: Controversy exists in treatment planning relative to the attempt of saving a tooth with unfavorable prognosis or extracting it and placing an immediate or delayed implant. Preextraction radiographic assessments of teeth are traditionally performed using two‐dimensional periapical and panoramic radiographs. These can reveal bone loss around a tooth, but have limited use in assessing implant risk before tooth extraction. Three‐dimensional radiographs or cone‐beam (CB) or computerized tomographic (CT) scans are often taken after tooth extraction and socket healing to assess the healed ridge as a potential implant site. However, when treatment planning for an immediate implant in the posterior mandible, a CT scan taken before tooth extraction can be of value in assessing the available bone and anatomy of the area. This allows the clinician and patient to consider alternative options, such as treating and maintaining the tooth or using a delayed implant protocol, when the site presents a high risk for immediate implant placement (IIP). The purpose of the present study is to assess the prevalence of sites associated with the mandibular second premolar, mandibular first molar, and mandibular second molar teeth that present high risk for IIP using a preextraction CT scan to assess the available apical bone and the anatomy of the posterior mandible in the area of the anticipated extraction site.

Methods: One hundred consecutive CT scans were obtained and screened from the New York University College of Dentistry, Office of Quality Assurance–Approved Implant Dentistry Database. Forty‐one of these CT scans were further assessed because they included the presence of ≥2 of the following tooth types: mandibular second premolars, mandibular first molars, and mandibular second molars. Measurements were obtained on the axial sections of the selected teeth to evaluate the amount of bone available apical to the root apices to determine the frequency of sites where an IIP protocol presented a high risk for inferior alveolar nerve injury or lingual plate perforation.

Results: Of the 135 teeth assessed from 41 CT scans, 65% of the mandibular second premolars, 53% of the mandibular first molars, and 73% of mandibular second molars had <6 mm of bone available for IIP, presenting high risk for inferior alveolar nerve injury. Of the sites in which the inferior alveolar canal did not limit available bone for IIP, 7% of the second premolars, 9% of the first molars, and 31% of the second molars presented high risk for lingual plate perforation.

Conclusions: Preextraction CT scans may present a useful diagnostic aid to assess the risk of inferior alveolar nerve injury and lingual plate perforation for IIP in the posterior mandible. This information may be used for assessing risk when deciding whether to retain a questionable tooth or replace it with an implant with either an IIP or delayed protocol.
Finite difference simulation of low carbon steel manual ARC welding
Authors: Al-Sa’ady Moneer , Abdulsattar Mudar , Al-Khafagy Laith
Published: September 2010

This study discusses the evaluation and simulation of angular distortion in
welding joints, and the ways of controlling and treating them, while welding
plates of (low carbon steel) type (A-283-Gr-C) through using shielded metal
arc welding. The value of this distortion is measured experimentally and the
results are compared with the suggested finite difference method computer
program. Time dependent temperature distributions are obtained using finite
difference method. This distribution is used to obtain the shrinkage that
causes the distortions accompanied with structural forces that act to modify
these distortions. Results are compared with simple empirical models and
experimental results. Different thickness of plates and welding parameters is
manifested to illustrate its effect on angular distortions. Results revealed
the more accurate results of finite difference method that match experimental
results in comparison with empirical formulas. Welding parameters include
number of passes, current, electrode type and geometry of the welding
process.
Thermal characteristics of grooved heat pipe with hybrid nanofluids
Authors: Han W.S. , Rhi S.H.
Published: September 2010

In the present study, the specially designed grooved heat pipe charged with
nanofluids was investigated in terms of various parameters such as heat
transfer rate(50-300 W with 50 W interval), volume concentration(0.005%,
0.05%, 0.1%, and hybrid combinations), inclination(5?, 45?, 90?), cooling
water temperature (1?C, 10?C, and 20?C), surface state, transient state and
so on. Hybrid nanofluids with different volume concentration ratios with
Ag-H2O and Al2O3-H2O were used as working fluids on a grooved heat pipe(GHP).
Comparing with the pure water system, nanofluidic and hybrid nanofluidic
system shows greater overall thermal resistance with increasing nano-particle
concentration. Also hybrid nanofluids make the system deteriorate in terms of
thermal resistance. The post nanofluid experimental data regarding GHP show
that the heat transfer performance is similar to the results of nanofluid
system. The thermal performance of a grooved heat pipe with nanofluids and
hybrid nanofluids were varied with driving parameters but they led to worse
system performance.
Investigation of maize cobs crushing: Preparation for use as a fuel
Authors: Martinov Milan , Veselinov Branislav , Bojic Savo , Djatkov Djordje
Published: September 2010

Maize crop residues have great significance, particularly in developing
countries, where the harvest of maize ears and their natural drying is widely
applied. After drying and grain threshing, maize cobs are available for
energetic use on farmers? yards. Shortcomings for their energetic utilization
by combustion, in comparison with wood, are higher contents of potassium,
chlorine and nitrogen, and lower ash softening point. Tests in small wood
chip boilers showed that the size of maize cobs should be reduced in order to
facilitate better combustion and feeding with commonly used screw conveyors.
Desirable length of particles should be 1-1.5 of their diameter. Within the
framework of the Eureka project, a low-cost maize cobs crusher was developed
and tested. It consists of a drum with six rows of knives, stationary
comb-like knives and a screen situated below the drum. The test resulted with
working parameters that enable appropriate size reduction. Analyses of
crushed material showed that over 80% of particles were in the range of
3.15-45 mm, less than 1% smaller than 1 mm, and less than 1% larger than 63
mm. This granulation is comparable with size class P45 for wood chips in
accordance with standard DIN CEN/TS 14961. Further investigations should
focus on improving the combustion facilities, in order to avoid formation of
ash slag, and keeping exhaust gas characteristics within values defined by
legislation.
Numerical heat transfer studies of a latent heat storage system containing nano-enhanced phase change material
Authors: Ranjbar A.A. , Kashani S. , Hosseinizadeh S.F. , Ghanbarpour M.
Published: September 2010

The heat transfer enhancement in the latent heat thermal energy storage
system through dispersion of nanoparticle is reported. The resulting
nanoparticle-enhanced phase change materials (NEPCM) exhibit enhanced thermal
conductivity in comparison to the base material. The effects of nanoparticle
volume fraction and some other parameters such as natural convection are
studied in terms of solid fraction and the shape of the solid-liquid phase
front. It has been found that higher nanoparticle volume fraction result in a
larger solid fraction. The present results illustrate that the suspended
nanoparticles substantially increase the heat transfer rate and also the
nanofluid heat transfer rate increases with an increase in the nanoparticles
volume fraction. The increase of the heat release rate of the NEPCM shows its
great potential for diverse thermal energy storage application.
Prognostic Performance of Metabolic Indexes in Predicting Onset of Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Xu Ping , Wu Yougui , Zhu Yiliang , Dagne Getachew , Johnson Giffe , Cuthbertson David , Krischer Jeffrey P. , Sosenko Jay M. , Skyler Jay S. ,   on behalf of the Diabetes Prevention Trial–Type 1 (DPT-1) Study Group
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVE

In this investigation we evaluated nine metabolic indexes from intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTTs) and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) in an effort to determine their prognostic performance in predicting the development of type 1 diabetes in those with moderate risk, as defined by familial relation to a type 1 diabetic individual, a positive test for islet cell antibodies and insulin autoantibody, but normal glucose tolerance.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Subjects (n = 186) who had a projected risk of 25–50% for developing type 1 diabetes within 5 years were followed until clinical diabetes onset or the end of the study as part of the Diabetes Prevention Trial–Type 1. Prognostic performance of the metabolic indexes was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and survival analyses.

RESULTS

Two-hour glucose from an OGTT most accurately predicted progression to disease compared with all other metabolic indicators with an area under the ROC curve of 0.67 (95% CI 0.59–0.76), closely followed by the ratio of first-phase insulin response (FPIR) to homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) with an area under the curve value of 0.66. The optimal cutoff value for 2-h glucose (114 mg/dl) maintained sensitivity and specificity values >0.60. The hazard ratio for those with 2-h glucose ≥114 mg/dl compared with those with 2-h glucose <114 mg/dl was 2.96 (1.67–5.22).

CONCLUSIONS

The ratio of FPIR to HOMA-IR from an IVGTT provided accuracy in predicting the development of type 1 diabetes similar to that of 2-h glucose from an OGTT, which, because of its lower cost, is preferred. The optimal cutoff value determined for 2-h glucose provides additional guidance for clinicians to identify subjects for potential prevention treatments before the onset of impaired glucose tolerance.
Risk Assessment of Extreme Weather Conditions for Nuclear Power Plants at Tidal Rivers
Authors: Berg Heinz-Peter , Krauß Matias
Published: September 2010

Risk Assessment of Extreme Weather Conditions for Nuclear Power Plants at Tidal Rivers

The effects of flooding on a nuclear power plant site may have a major bearing on the safety of the plant and may result in a common cause failure for safety related systems, such as the emergency power supply systems. For river sites with tidal influences, an extreme flood event - tide combined with storm water level set-up - must be assumed. A storm-tide must be covered with an exceeding frequency of 10-4/a. However, the risk assessment regarding the availability of systems and components of a nuclear power plant also includes the situation of extreme low water level of rivers, i. e. below the minimum water level necessary for the supply of the nuclear power plants with cooling water.
Analysis of the Feasibility to Investigate Condition of Gas Turbine Vanes by Means of the Radiographic Method
Authors: Chalimoniuk Marek , Błachnio Józef , Krysztofik Józef
Published: September 2010

Analysis of the Feasibility to Investigate Condition of Gas Turbine Vanes by Means of the Radiographic Method

Operation of avionic turbine engines is always associated with possibility of various defects that may happen to turbine components, in particular to its vanes. The basic examination method intended to assess condition of the turbine vanes is the metallography, a destructive testing technology. The paper deals with the non-destructive test method of X-ray computer tomography (CT) that is chiefly used in medicine but is also suitable to diagnose how far the process of turbine vanes wear and tear is advanced. The computer tomography (CT) is the transmission diagnostic technique that makes it possible to obtain images of various layers within the investigated object. Application areas of this technique include also the quality control in manufacturing of technical facilities. The study presents results of assessments for gas turbine vanes with the use of the X-ray computer tomography after a specific period of the turbine operation. It was found out that the radiographic method, owing to availability of 3D images (including also internal defects) makes it possible to detect types of defects, their sizes and locations.
Strategic Risk Measures in Road Traffic
Authors: Jamroz Kazimierz
Published: September 2010

Strategic Risk Measures in Road Traffic

Strategic risk is a long-term risk which forms part of long-term decisions taken by organisations which manage road safety in a specific area. The strategic risk on a country's road network is the uncertainty about the strategic goal which is to protect road users from death and injury. When estimating risk in traffic engineering it is important to use the right measures of risk and methods for calculating or forecasting risk. The paper presents an analysis of macro level measures of strategic risk in road traffic.
Analysis of Factors Influencing the Density of Fatalities on National Roads in Poland
Authors: Kustra Wojciech , Jamroz Kazimierz
Published: September 2010

Analysis of Factors Influencing the Density of Fatalities on National Roads in Poland

In Poland 20% of the total number of accidents occur on the national roads, which constitute 7% of the length of all roads. In the case of fatalities this share is significantly higher as it constitutes up to 36% of the total casualties. In accordance with the EU Directive (Journal of Laws EU L. 319/59) the level of road traffic safety should be raised by targeting investment on the most dangerous road sections. Finding the dependence between road and traffic factors and the number of accidents and casualties of road accidents may be helpful in predicting safety levels and selecting road traffic safety improvement measures. The paper presents the experience of other countries and preliminary tests results of the impact of the selected factors on the density and the number of road accident fatalities on the national roads in Poland.
“I'll Google It”: Gossip, Queer Intimacies, and the Internet
Authors: Fackler Maria Francesca
Published: September 2010

With a still developing and largely unpoliced code of ethics, the Internet forces users to renegotiate continually the boundaries and registers of publicity and privacy, and thus, it is the technic that constellates the ideal conditions for gossip, quite apart from its speed and efficiency in circulating tittle-tattle. Proceeding from observations about how the Internet challenges definitional certitudes about the practice and performance of gossip, this article considers the queer performances of Stephen Karam's darkly comic play Speech & Debate, in which three high-school misfits meet and bond over shared sexual secrets that begin to circulate online. Karam's representation suggests how the new platforms or stages for gossip that develop out of networking sites and technologies may create new counter-publics, capable, in their turn, of occasioning new forms of counter-intimacy. These platforms offer not only new potentialities for intertextual citation and public discourse but also mechanisms for self-promotion and, in this way, raise questions about the distinction between confession and gossip and between intimacy and publicity: two sets of parallel lines that have begun to bend toward one another.
Thoracic and lumbar intraforaminal ligaments
Authors: Akdemir Gökhan
Published: September 2010

Object

The author conducted a study to investigate the anatomy of the intraforaminal ligaments of the thoracic and lumbar nerve roots and describe their anatomical relationships and functional properties. This anatomical study performed on the intervertebral foramina, intraforaminal ligaments, transforaminal ligaments, and nerve roots of the thoracic and lumbar spine was performed in human cadavers.

Methods

The foraminal anatomy was studied in 11 whole cadavers (5 females, 6 males) previously prepared with formaldehyde, whose ages at the time of death ranged from 16 to 71 years. The thoracic and lumbar spinal columns were separated from the cervical and sacral segments en bloc using an electric band saw. The paraspinal muscles and their attachments were removed by sharp and meticulous dissection, and the thoracic and lumbar intervertebral foramina were examined under a surgical microscope. The intervertebral foraminal ligaments and nerve roots were exposed. The foraminal contents were identified and studied in detail. The intraforaminal ligaments were stained using H & E to determine ligamentous fiber.

Results

Intraforaminal ligaments connect the periosteum and transforaminal ligaments to the nerve root sleeves and vessels within the fatty areolar tissue. Histologically, the ligamentous attachment of the nerve roots within the foramina consists of adipose and connective tissue.

Conclusions

The nerve roots are surrounded by intraforaminal ligaments, which may act in conjunction with the dura and periosteum to protect the nerve roots mechanically.
A novel approach to the upper anterior thoracic spine: a cadaveric feasibility study
Authors: Tubbs R. Shane , Loukas Marios , Callahan James D. , Cohen-Gadol Aaron A.
Published: September 2010

Object

Surgical approaches to the upper anterior thoracic spine can be a challenge. Various techniques such as transsternal routes have been employed but access to the midthoracic vertebrae is limited due to the position of the heart and great vessels. In the present study the authors' goal was to evaluate in cadavers a novel approach to the upper anterior thoracic spine.

Methods

In 12 adult cadavers the majority of the left first rib was removed following infraclavicular transection of the attachment of the anterior and middle scalene muscles from this bone. Inferior retraction of the parietal pleura and lung was performed and dissection was carried out inferior to the left subclavian artery and superior and posterior to the aorta, to the anterior aspect of the upper thoracic spine.

Results

The aforementioned approach and surgical corridor allowed a good access to the anterior aspect of the upper thoracic vertebrae and caudally to the inferior aspect of T-4 vertebral body in all cadavers. No obvious neurovascular injury was identified in any specimen.

Conclusions

To the authors' knowledge, the method described herein has not been previously reported. Based on their cadaveric study, they believe such an approach can be used in the patients with pathology in this region of the thoracic spine. Surgical series are now needed to confirm our findings.
Surgically treated movement disorders associated with heterotopia
Authors: Mullin Jeffrey P. , Van Gompel Jamie J. , Lee Kendall H. , Meyer Fredric B. , Stead Matt
Published: September 2010

Heterotopic gray matter has been implicated in epilepsy; however, not much is known regarding heterotopia beyond epilepsy. Here, the authors describe 2 pediatric patients with deep heterotopias contiguous with basal ganglia structures. These heterotopias appear to have manifested as movement disorders. One patient presented with a left-sided myoclonus and choreiform movements associated with a right caudate heterotopia; she experienced vast improvement after resection of periventricular heterotopia. The other patient presented with progressive dystonia and a ballistic movement disorder. Initial bilateral globus pallidus internus stimulation resulted in successful treatment of the dystonia; however, her movement disorder worsened. After an extensive workup, including STATISCOM (statistical ictal SPECT coregistered to MR imaging), the patient underwent cortical stimulation with improvement in her movement disorder. To the best of our knowledge, these cases are the first reported instances of heterotopic gray matter associated with movement disorders. Both patients experienced significant improvements following resection of their heterotopias.