cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overlapping Mechanisms of Exertional Heat Stroke and Malignant Hyperthermia: Evidence vs. Conjecture

Exertional heat stroke (EHS) and malignant hyperthermia (MH) are life-threatening conditions, triggered by different environmental stimuli that share several clinical symptoms and pathophysiological features. EHS manifests during physical activity normally, but not always, in hot and humid environments. MH manifests during exposure to haloalkane anesthetics or succinylcholine, which leads to a rapid, unregulated release of calcium (Ca2+) within the skeletal muscles inducing a positive-feedback loop within the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism that culminates in heat stroke-like symptoms, if not rapidly recognized and treated. Rare cases of awake MH, independent of anesthesia exposure, occur during exercise and heat stress. It has been suggested that EHS and MH are mediated by similar mechanisms, including mutations in Ca2+ regulatory channels within the skeletal muscle. Rapid cooling, which is the most effective treatment for EHS, is ineffective as an MH treatment; rather, a ryanodine receptor antagonist drug, dantrolene sodium (DS), is administered to the victim to prevent further muscle contractions and hyperthermia. Whether DS can be an effective treatment for EHS victims remains uncertain. In the last decade, multiple reports have suggested a number of mechanistic links between EHS and MH. Here, we discuss aspects related to the pathophysiology, incidence, diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, we present evidence regarding potential overlapping mechanisms between EHS and MH and explore current knowledge to establish what is supported by evidence or a lack thereof (i.e. conjecture).
Abstract A22: Patient-derived organoids recapitulate response heterogeneity in head and neck cancer

Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) are considered to be a cost-effective, high-throughput preclinical platform for studying cancer biology and evaluating novel therapeutics. While PDOs have been established and characterized for breast, prostate, colon, and pancreatic cancers, PDO models of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are limited. To address this paucity, in the present study, we established a panel of PDO models of HNSCC. Five HNSCC samples (3 larynx, 1 tongue, 1 parotid) were procured from donor patients following informed consent and processed to establish organoids. Histologic (HE 2019 Apr 29-30; Austin, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(12_Suppl_2):Abstract nr A22.
Parametric Study of Parallel Block Jacobi / Source Iteration Hybrid Methods in 2-D Cartesian Geometry and Construction of the Integral Transport Matrix Method Matrices via Green's Functions

Parallel Block Jacobi (PBJ ) [1] is an asynchronous spatial domain decomposition with application in solving the neutron transport equation due to its extendibility to massively parallel solution in unstructured spatial meshes (grids) without the use of the computationally complex and expensive sweeps required by the Source Iteration (SI ) method in these applications. [2] However, PBJ iterative methods suffer a lack of iterative robustness in problems with optically thin cells, [1] which we have previously demonstrated to be a consequence of PBJ ’s asynchronicity. To mitigate this effect, we have developed multiple PBJ / SI hybrid methods which employ a PBJ method (Parallel Block Jacobi - Integral Transport Matrix Method (PBJ-ITMM ) or Inexact Parallel Block Jacobi (IPBJ )) along with SI . [3,4] In this work, we perform a parametric study to determine performance of numerous PBJ / SI hybrid methods as a function of multiple problem parameters. This parametric study reached 5 main conclusions: 1) our hybrid approach is more effective with PBJ-ITMM than with IPBJ , 2) for PBJ-ITMM , there is a hybrid method that mitigates the aforementioned iterative slowdown in optically thin cells without diminishing the method’s potential parallelism in unstructured grids, 3) this hybrid method is most effective in problems with large, continuous regions of very thin cells, 4) the best performing hybrid method consistently executes within a factor of ten slower than current state-of-the-art acceleration methods that are not efficiently extendable to the massively parallel regime, and 5) both PBJ -ITMM and IPBJ are observed to be viable approaches for our desired applications. In the pursuit of implementing PBJ-ITMM in unstructured grids, we conclude with a description of the Green’s Function ITMM Construction (GFIC ) algorithm, which allows for the ITMM matrices to be constructed using the pre-existing SI sweep algorithm already present in unstructured grid SN transport codes.
Outcomes of copd patients with coronavirus

RationaleNovel Coronavirus-19(CoV-19) emerged in late 2019, leading to a global pandemic with over 1.5 million deaths worldwide and over 300,000 in the United States as of December 2020. Early data from China and the United States showed an increase risk in mortality in those individuals with comorbidities including chronic lung disease. Given the increase prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) worldwide there was concern of increase mortality in this vulnerable population. We describe the Northwestern Medicine (NM) Hospital system experience with individuals with COPD. MethodsPatient data was obtained via the Northwestern Medicine Enterprise Data Warehouse (NMEDW), which is obtained via ten hospitals in the greater Chicagoland area that supply daily data to the NMEDW. Individuals who had a hospital encounter were identified with an ICD-10 coding for CoV-19 via the NM system between March 1, 2020 and July 16, 2020. Individuals would also be identified to have COPD via ICD-9 and ICD-10 coding. A simple chi-square analysis was done between characteristics using RStudio. ResultsA total of 5,585 individuals, with a CoV-19 diagnosis, were identified, of which 4,723 had a hospital encounter. Of those, a total of 296 patients were identified to have a COPD diagnosis. Of 4,427 without COPD, 53.1% were female, 17.9% Black, 38.2% Hispanic, 5.3% were current smokers, 47.3% required hospitalization, 13.9% required ICU admission, 8.1% required mechanical ventilation, and had a mortality rate of 3.8%. Of 296 patients with a COPD, 52.0% were female, 23.6% were black, 9.1% were Hispanic, 11.8% were current smokers, 84.1% required hospitalization, 31.8% required ICU admission, 19.6% required mechanical ventilation, and had a mortality rate of 14.2%. Table 1 below shows full characteristics of patients with CoV-19 diagnosis. ConclusionsInitial data of disease severity due to CoV-19 brought concerns about patients with COPD diagnosis and their increased risk of morbidity and mortality. We showcase NM system experience with individuals with COPD, that highlight higher rates of hospitalization, ICU stay, mechanical ventilation, investigational use of medication, and mortality. Given the discrepancy in age between groups, we acknowledge that it likely is a potential confounding variable for our outcomes. Further research into the severity of COPD and the outcomes of individuals with CoV-19 is required. .
Topological Digital Spaces

This chapter is for the mathematically minded. Others may skip it without any danger of losing the thread of our presentation. The content of the chapter justifies for mathematicians the approach that we have decided to take and discusses its relationship to some other possible mathematical approaches. So if you are happy with the way we are doing things and you do not particularly desire to learn more about mathematics than what is absolutely necessary to know to understand the rest of the book, just go right ahead to the next chapter.
A single-ply transverse tension strength test for unidirectional composites

Moisture content is a factor in the mechanical response of many composites. To evaluate this effect, it is necessary to achieve a controlled and uniform moisture distribution within each test specimen. Thin specimens reach moisture equilibrium quicker than thick ones, leading to shorter and more economical test programs. This paper presents the results of an initial attempt to develop a single-ply transverse tension test for unidirectional composites. A number of these tests were performed on unidirectional graphite composites. The transverse strengths were close to the thick specimen values. The stress distributions and the tensile buckling characteristics of the specimens were analyzed using NASTRAN.
Polymerization shrinkage of restorative resins using laser and visible light curing

ABSTRACT Objective: This in vitro investigation compared the amount of linear shrinkage that occurs when a light-cured composite resin is cured with a visible light source, and also with an argon laser. Summary Background Data: When composite resins are light-cured, they undergo a certain degree of polymerization shrinkage, which can be clinically significant and affect the efficacy of the restoration. A new protocol utilizes laser curing instead of conventional visible light. Methods: Two hybrid composite resins were used, Z100 and TPH-Spectrum. Dimensional change was measured in a linear direction, using a calibrated light-microscope. A total of 40 samples of composite resin was tested using two curing lights, and two hybrid composite resins, resulting in four groups of 10 samples (n = 10) each. According to manufacturer instructions, curing time for the laser was 10 sec, and for visible light was 40 sec. Results: With TPH-Spectrum, the mean shrinkage with visible light was 0.583% compared to that with ...
Relation between perception of vertical axis rotation and vestibulo-ocular reflex symmetry

Subjects seated in a vertical axis rotation chair controlled their rotational velocity by adjusting a potentiometer. Their goal was to null out pseudorandom rotational perturbations in order to remain perceptually stationary. Most subjects showed a slow linear drift of velocity (a constant acceleration) to one side when they were deprived of an earth-fixed visual reference. The amplitude and direction of this drift can be considered a measure of a static bias in the subject's perception of rotation. The presence of a perceptual bias is consistent with a small, constant imbalance of vestibular function which could be of either central or peripheral origin. Deviations from perfect vestibulocular reflex (VOR) symmetry are also assumed to be related to imbalances in either peripheral or central vestibular function. Researchers looked for correlations between perceptual bias and various measures of vestibular reflex symmetry that might suggest a common source for both reflective and perceptual imbalances. No correlations were found. Measurement errors could not account for these results since repeated tests on the same subjects of both perceptual bias and VOR symmetry were well correlated.
AKR.H-2b lymphocytes inhibit the secondary in vitro cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response of primed responder cells to AKR/Gross murine leukemia virus-induced tumor cell stimulation.

We have previously shown that AKR.H-2b congenic mice, though carrying the responder H-2b major histocompatibility complex haplotype, are unable to generate secondary cytolytic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses specific for AKR/Gross murine leukemia virus (MuLV). Our published work has shown that this nonresponsive state is specific and not due to clonal deletion or irreversible functional inactivation of antiviral CTL precursors. In the present study, an alternative mechanism based on the presence of inhibitory AKR.H-2b cells was examined. Irradiated or mitomycin C-treated AKR.H-2b spleen cells function as in vitro stimulator cells in the generation of C57BL/6 (B6) anti-AKR/Gross virus CTL, consistent with their expression of viral antigens. In contrast, untreated viable AKR.H-2b spleen cells functioned very poorly as stimulators in vitro. Viable AKR.H-2b spleen cells were also able to cause dramatic (up to > or = 25-fold) inhibition of antiviral CTL responses stimulated in vitro by standard AKR/Gross MuLV-induced tumor cells. This inhibition was specific: AKR.H-2b modulator spleen cells did not inhibit allogeneic major histocompatibility complex-specific CTL production, even when a concurrent antiviral CTL response in the same culture well was inhibited by the modulator cells. These results and those of experiments in which either semipermeable membranes were used to separate AKR.H-2b modulator spleen cells from AKR/Gross MuLV-primed responder cells or the direct transfer of supernatants from wells where inhibition was demonstrated to wells where there was antiviral CTL responsiveness argued against a role for soluble factors as the cause of the inhibition. Rather, the inhibition was dependent on direct contact of AKR.H-2b cells in a dose-dependent manner with the responder cell population. Inhibition was shown not to be due to the ability of AKR.H-2b cells to function as unlabeled competitive target cells. Exogenous interleukin-2 added at the onset of the in vitro CTL-generating cultures partially restored the antiviral response that was decreased by AKR.H-2b spleen cells. Positive and negative cell selection studies and the development of inhibitory cell lines indicated that B lymphocytes and both CD4- CD8+ and CD4+ CD8- T lymphocytes from AKR.H-2b mice could inhibit the generation of AKR/Gross virus-specific CTL in vitro. AKR.H-2b macrophages were shown not to be required to demonstrate AKR/Gross MuLV-specific inhibition, however, confirming that the inhibition by T-cell (or B-cell)-depleted spleen populations was dependent on the enriched B-cell (T-cell) population per se.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Deducing Objective Site Models by Mixed Integer Programming

One of the most challenging problems in computer-aided drug design is deducing one or more models of a binding site solely from the known chemical structures and measured binding affinities of a few small molecules. In particular, the X-ray crystal structure of the receptor is not known. The main difficulty is deciding how the different ligands are supposed to bind to the common site, especially when they differ substantially in chemical structure. The usual approach is to first guess or use some separate algorithm to superimpose at least the active compounds on one another and then adjust other parameters associated with the model to fit the observed affinities without further altering the proposed alignment. We have explored a long series of algorithms that instead consider the many ways each ligand could fit in the site, and then adjust the site parameters until the best way each molecule can fit has a calculated binding affinity that agrees with experiment. Thus each of the different binding modes of each molecule is some sort of constraint on the geometry and energetic features of the site model. Here we show how to unite the geometric and energetic constraints of the many different binding modes of conformationally flexible ligands in a common framework of mixed integer programming. When applied to the standard test case of corticosteroid binding globulin, even a single compound as the training set can produce a variety of site models having considerable predictive power.
SWAMI: integrating biological databases and analysis tools within user friendly environment

In the last decade, many projects have tried to deal with the integration of biological resources. Web portals have flourished online, each providing data from a public provider. Although these online resources are available with a set of manipulation tools, scientists, researchers, and students often have to shift from one resource to another to accomplish a particular task. Making a rich tool set available along with a variety of databases, data formats, and computational capabilities is a complex task. It requires building a versatile environment for data integration, data manipulation, and data storage. In this paper, we study the requirements and report the architectural design of a web application, code named SWAMI, which aims at integrating a rich tool set and a variety of biological databases. The suggested architecture is highly scalable in terms of adding databases and new manipulation tools.
Exploring the Potential of Communication Infrastructure Theory for Informing Efforts to Reduce Health Disparities

Communication infrastructure theory (CIT) offers an ecological approach to studying ways to reduce health disparities. The theory suggests that individuals' connections to a multi-level storytelling system are enabled or constrained by the communication environment (a.k.a. communication action context). This article is a culmination of research to date that explores the potential of CIT to inform efforts directed at the reduction of health disparities. These studies have focused on geographic communities and/or ethnic groups known to experience health disparities. An argument is made for expanding the scope of this line of research, which to date has primarily focused on the relationship between integrated connections to the neighborhood storytelling network and health outcomes.
Utility of minor determinants in penicillin allergy skin testing

Background Penicillin allergy is a major concern among patients and physicians. There’s an estimated 5-10% self reported history of penicillin allergy by patients, but vast majority are not true hypersensitivities. Complete penicillin skin test with both major, minor determinants and amoxicillin is the test of choice for diagnosing IgE-mediated penicillin allergy. While Penicilloyl polylysine (major determinant) is widely available, the minor determinants of Penicilloate and Penilloate are not. The goal of this study is to investigate utility of using minor determinants to better detect IgE-mediated penicillin allergy.
The Chicago Outfit

Americans have had a love affair with gangsters since the 1920s. Romanticized in novels, movies, and television programs, they have been portrayed as outlaws, entrepreneurs, men of honor, and benevolent godfathers. Stereotypes of organized crime (OC) figures are an enduring feature of popular culture in the United States and so are myths about OC families and gangsters who populate them. This article confronts these myths as they apply particularly to Chicago’s OC family known as the Outfit. Eight such myths are discussed: the Mafia is operating in America; OC families consist of only Italians; all members of OC families must take an oath; nobody testifies in OC families; drugs sales in OC families are prohibited; Al Capone was not the boss of his gang; the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre was not a Capone operation; the Outfit helped elect President Kennedy.
Search for fractional charge states in high-energy heavy fragments produced in collisions of 14.5A GeV 28Si with Pb and Cu target.

We used nuclear track detectors to construct the trajectories of interactions and to measure with high resolution the charge of the beam and of heavy nuclear fragments produced in interactions. A null result of our search for fractional charge states in high-energy fragments with charges 8{le}{ital Z}{le}13 produced in collisions of 14.5{ital A} GeV {sup 28}Si nuclei with Pb and Cu targets leads us to conclude that the upper limits for the probability of production of a fragment with charge 23/3, 25/3, 26/3 28/3 29/3, 31/3 32/3, 34/3, 35/3, 37/3, or 38/3 charge unit in Pb and Cu at 90% confidence level are 1.9{times}10{sup {minus}4} and 3.9{times}10{sup {minus}4}, respectively. We set a similar limit on the relative number of particle-stable fragments with 8{le}{ital Z}{le}14 created in the central rapidity region.
Sums, products and ratios for Mckay's bivariate gamma distribution

Motivated by hydrological applications, we derive the exact distributions of R=X+Y, U=XY and W=X/(X+Y) and the corresponding moment properties when X and Y follow McKay's bivariate gamma distribution. The expressions turn out to involve several special functions. We also provide computer programs for generating tabulations of the percentage points associated with the distributions.
Infectious hepatitis in Massachusetts; with a review of present knowledge of the disease.

THE recent literature describing the experience of the armed forces with infectious hepatitis is voluminous, but reports on the disease in the civilian population have been few. This article summarizes our present knowledge of the disease and indicates how nearly our observations coincide with or differ from those of others. The clinical material used as the basis of this paper has been collected by means of visits to Massachusetts communities from which the disease has been informally reported to the Department of Public Health. Approximately 175 cases of infectious hepatitis were uncovered in Massachusetts in these investigations, but only 151 . . .
Principles of Management for the Hospitality Industry

It is vital for hospitality management students to understand key management concepts as part of the complex and intimate nature of the services industry. Principles of Management for the Hospitality Industry is designed specifically for hospitality students who need to be able to use management tools and techniques to become successful hospitality managers.By placing you at the heart of an imaginary workplace this book offers the opportunity to work through all of the items of discussion for each topic. The chapter begins with a scenario to prompt an exploration of a given topic, and concludes with the outcome of this scenario to reinforce the lessons learnt throughout the chapter.Highly practical in approach, this is an up-to-date and skilful integration of all core areas of management. It is packed with tools and techniques to aid learning and understanding: Improve your professional management vocabulary with definitions in each chapter, and a complete glossary of terms. Visualise key concepts with over one hundred explanatory diagrams Gain confidence by testing your understanding on the accompanying website Practical applications of theory are illustrated in international case studies throughout the book Discussion questions prompt an exploration of key concept
Cluster-Size Scaling and MapReduce Execution Times

Understanding performance scalability in MapReduce applications presents a challenging problem. The difficulty lies in the distributed locations of input data and the distributed compute resources that utilize varied network substrates. User-defined Map and Reduce stages, with numerous application parameters, further complicate the problem. Using small datasets and limited test runs to understand how MapReduce applications will behave with "big data" can have a significant payoff. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of cluster-size scaling on execution time for a set of Map- and Reduce-intensive applications. We model the MapReduce framework, specify conditions and implications of power-law conformity, and verify our model with data from benchmark MapReduce applications. Empirical results indicate that: (1) within a range of scaling parameters, MapReduce execution times follow a power-law distribution. (2) Power-law scalability for Map-intensive applications starts from a small cluster size. (3) Shuffle-intensive applications exhibit power-law behavior starting from larger clusters. (4) Cluster-scaling performance gains fail to show power-law behavior when computing resources far exceed those needed. Our findings will facilitate using small-scale test runs to allocate and configure virtual and physical computing resources in large scale clouds.
Field research on chimpanzees and gorillas: An historical, geographical, and bibliographical listing

After a brief surge of interest in the naturalistic behavior and ecology of the Pongidae during the late 1920s and 1930s--a period highlighted by pioneer field research on the mountain gorilla by BIN6HAg in 1929, on the western chimpanzee by NISSEN in 1930, and on the white-handed gibbon by CARPENTER in 1937--more than two decades passed before concerted field investigation of African and Asian apes was resumed during the late 1950s. But in the 15 years since this rebirth of scientific interest for sustained field projects, a rich literature has accumulated about several African and Asian ape populations, including numerous reports from area surveys and site studies by investigators trained in a wide array of disciplines. Along with the interdisciplinary and international scope of such research, or perhaps because of the very diversity of projects and dispersal of publications, there appears a rapidly mounting difficulty in maintaining familiarity with all the available information. As the volume of literature continues to increase, collation of original field data may well become even more formidable. It is our hope that this project, undertaken between March and October of 1972, will to some extent ease the problem of information retrieval, and thereby stimulate more comprehensive utilization of field data. For reasons of practical logistics and theoretical priorities, field investigation of the Asian ape populations lagged some years behind the concentrated attention paid, during the early 1960s, to the African populations. Research on Pan and Gorilla was spurred onward in that decade by the milestone reports of REYNOLDS, KORTLANDT, GOODALL, ITANI, and other primatologists working with chimpanzees, and by SCHALLER'S reports on the mountain gorilla. These ecological and behavioral projects were supplemented only near the close of that decade by several major projects undertaken with Pongo, Hylobates, and Symphalangus populations in Malaysia and Indonesia. Noteworthy Asian examples are the studies by MCKINNON and HORR on the orang-utah, by ELLEFSON on the white-handed gibbon, and by CraVERS on the siamang. Nonetheless, some gaps persist in the Pongidae horizon: in Africa, little is currently known about the lowland gorilla and the pygmy chimpanzee; and in Asia, several gibbon species have been singularly neglected. New projects that are just now being planned or initiated, such as the Yale University expedition to observe pygmy chimpanzees in their natural habitat, will soon add new segments to the regional puzzle. The present report attempts to summarize and unify vital information yielded by
Meperidine carboxylesterase in mouse and human livers

Meperidine carboxylesterase activity was assayed in subcellular fractions of mouse and human liver by coupling the hydrolytic production of ethanol to the reduction of a tetrazolium dye. In mouse liver, the activity was found to be distributed among the mitochondrial, light mitochondrial, and microsomal fractions, whereas in human liver activity was found only in the microsomal fraction. The meperidine carboxylesterases in mouse liver and human liver were inhibited by two irreversible serine hydrolase inactivators (diisopropyl fluorophosphate and paraoxon) and by a reversible transition state analog (trifluoromercaptophenylacetone). Compared to the activities in mouse and human liver microsomes, the activity in mouse liver mitochondria was highly sensitive to the three inhibitors.
Educational resources and curriculum development

Among major questions which must be answered before sound information science curricula can be developed are those which call for more precise definitions of the field and for analysis of present and anticipated career ladders. Also needing study and detailed specification are the aptitudes, knowledges, and skills prerequisite for successful pursuit of given career paths. Unfortunately, too many diverse and too few sound answers have been given these questions to date. Unfortunately also, there exists and persists a kind of mythology regarding the learning process which has been transferred to information-science classes. For example, the view is sometimes put forth: “That the structure imposed upon knowledge by a discipline is the best structure for transmitting that knowledge to students.” Such myths fail to take into account the needs and possibilities for individualizing and improving the quality of the learning process and new modes and methods of instruction which have been shown to produce accelerated gains in relevant knowledge and abilities in a variety of fields of study. It is hoped that those responsible for planning and administration of professional education in the information sciences will take such possibilities into account.
Multiscale Modeling of Elastic Properties of Sustainable Concretes by Microstructural-Based Micromechanics

This paper addresses multiscale stiffness homogenization methodology to extract macroscale elastic mechanical properties of four types of sustainable concretes from their nanoscale mechanical properties. Nine different sustainable concrete mixtures were studied. A model based on micromechanics was used to homogenize the elastic properties. The hardened cement pastes were homogenized by three analytical methods based on Self-Consistent and Mori-Tanaka schemes. The proposed multiscale method combines advanced experimental and analytical methods in a systematic way so that the inputs are nanoscale phases properties extracted from statistical nanoindentation technique and mechanical properties of mixture ingredient. Predicted elastic properties were consistent with traditional experimental results. Linking homogenized mechanical properties of sustainable concrete to volume proportions through an analytical approach provides a critical first step towards rational optimization of these materials.
Nutrient Intakes of Children In Employer-sponsored Child Care Centers In Central Texas

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To evaluate the nutritional quality of foods offered to and actually consumed by preschool children in employer sponsored child care centers Ten day menus for nine employer-sponsored child care centers were analyzed based on the Child and Adult Care Food Program guidelines. Thirty-eight children aged 3–5 years (mean=4.21) were observed for all food consumed during three consecutive days (8 hours/day). Food consumed by the children and plate waste were weighed, recorded and analyzed using Professional Nutrient Calculator and SPSS. The American Dietetic Association has recommended that children in child care (≥8hr/day) receive 67% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for energy and all nutrients. Menus analyzed provided adequate amounts of vitamin A, C, riboflavin, and calcium. Menus for six centers provided Food-consumed by 38 children provided less than recommendations for kilocalories (38%), iron (40%), zinc (33%), calcium (59%), niacin (49%), B6 (49%) and thiamin (62%). At the centers with a RD the children's intake for all nutrients except vitamin C was higher, with B6 significantly higher (p
THE COINCIDENT COORDINATE METHOD OF DIMENSIONING AND TOLERANCING. PART III: A COCOM USER'S REPORT

This series of articles (of which this one is the third) describes the coincident coordinate method of dimensioning and tolerancing (COCOM). COCOM is an alternative to both coordinate tolerancing and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing as described b..
Anisotropic Thermal Diffusivity of Aligned Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Arrays

This work employs a photothermoelectric technique to measure the anisotropic thermal diffusivity of an aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube array. A modulated laser beam incident to the front surface of the sample creates a thermal wave which is detected by a fast responding thermocouple formed between the back surface of the sample and the tip of a sharp metallic probe. The anisotropic thermal diffusivity values are obtained by fitting the radial and frequency dependent thermal signals with an anisotropic heat conduction model. The room temperature thermal diffusivity measured perpendicular to the alignment direction is 0.246×10−5 m2 /s, an order of magnitude smaller than thermal diffusivity along the CNTs alignment direction 4.4×10−5 m2 /s. However, the thermal diffusivity of the aligned multiwalled CNT is two orders of magnitude smaller than expected for an individual multiwalled CNT.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Further studies on the induction of tolerance of skin homografts in rats.

With the BN Lewis rat strain combination it has been shown that the median survival time of skin homografts on three-day-old hosts (10.0 ± 0.5 days) does not differ significantly from that of similar grafts on adult animals. This rapid attainment of immunologic maturity has provided the basis for a sensitive test for the induction of tolerance of skin homografts. The putative tolerance-conferring stimulus is injected intravenously at birth and the hosts are challenged with donor strain skin three days later. With this system it has been found that whereas an inoculum of 100,000 bone marrow cells elicited weak sensitization, as evidenced by a significant curtailment of graft survival, increasing the dosage to one million or more cells induced tolerance, as shown by prolongation of graft survival. The proportion of hosts displaying tolerance and its degree, increased with the cell dosage. When test-grafting with skin was delayed until the hosts were 50–60 days old, the minimal number of cells required to confer tolerance was seven million. With the present assay it has been shown that the tolerance induced by low dosage cellular inocula wanes fairly rapidly, though the presence of a skin homograft from the third day onwards may prolong its duration. A previous finding that, with the present strain combination, bone marrow cells are significantly superior to either spleen or lymph node cells in conferring tolerance of skin homografts has been confirmed. It has been shown that adult thymocytes are only capable of inducing feeble degrees of tolerance over a wide dosage range (5 - 50 × 106) and that thymocytes from infant donors are ineffective. Viable suspensions of epidermal cells and x-irradiated or frozen-thawed suspensions of bone marrow cells failed to confer tolerance, though it was induced fitfully by means of a microsomal lipoprotein extract of BN lymphoid tissue. Finally, it was shown that the survival of BN test grafts on three-day-old Lewis hosts was significantly prolonged if they were born of Lewis mothers specifically presensitized against BN antigens. This constitutes evidence of a passive transfer of the isoantibodies responsible for the phenomenon of immunological enhancement.
Alterations in the mechanical behavior of the human lumbar nucleus pulposus with degeneration and aging

This study tested the hypothesis that changes in the morphology and composition of the nucleus pulposus with age and degeneration have associated changes in its mechanical properties. A torsional shear experiment was used to determine viscoelastic shear properties of cylindrical samples of human nucleus pulposus with large ranges of grades of morphological degeneration (normal to severely degenerated) and ages (range: 16-88 years; average: 57 +/- 21.5 years). Viscoelastic shear properties were determined from stress-relaxation and dynamic sinusoidal tests. A linear viscoelastic law with a variable-amplitude relaxation spectrum was used to model experimental behaviors of nucleus pulposus specimens. A statistically significant increase in the instantaneous and dynamic shear moduli was found with increasing age and grade of degeneration; the values for moduli ranged from 5.0 to 60 kPa. A significant decrease in tan delta was also detected; the values ranged from 0.43 to 0.33, indicating a decreased capacity for the nucleus pulposus to dissipate energy. The dynamic modulus and tan delta were also significantly affected by frequency. It was generally concluded that the nucleus pulposus undergoes a transition from "fluid-like" behavior to more "solid-like" behavior with aging and degeneration.
Upper lumbar spondylolysis

Upper lumbar spondylolysis is rare and there are few reports which describe the condition. Three patients with upper lumbar spondyloysis, two of whom underwent surgical treatment, are reviewed. A radiological review of 205 patients with back pain attending a Back Research Clinic revealed three additional patients with symptomatic upper lumbar spondylolysis. clinical diagnosis of this condition is often difficult and the results of operation are unsatisfactory. It is more common among men and trauma appears to play a major role in the production of symptoms.
Neural Release of Brain Serotonin and Body Temperature

FELDBERG1,2 has suggested that brain amines are directly involved in the hypothalamic control of body temperature. In cats and dogs serotonin was found to cause a rise in temperature and norepinephrine a fall, whereas in the rabbit3 and sheep4 there is a fall with serotonin and a rise with norepinephrine. Moreover, serotonin antagonizes the normal decrease of temperature of animals under anaesthesia. All these results, however, have been obtained using exogenous amines. We have shown that there is a neurally mediated release of endogenous serotonin in rat brain when the caudal midbrain raphe region is stimulated electrically and we have found that a specific behavioural consequence of such stimulation is a failure of the normal physiological habituation to repetitive sensory stimuli5. We have also measured the effect on body temperature of neurally released endogenous serotonin both in awake, unrestrained and in anaesthetized rats.
PROANTHOCYANIDINS IN NEEDLES FROM SIX GENERA OF THE TAXODIACEAE

Proanthocyanidin contents of needles ranged from a mean of 150 to 300 ,gg per mg dry wt in five species from five genera of the Taxodiaceae, Sequoiadendron giganteum (Lindl.) Bucch., Metasequoia glyptostroboides H. Hu and Cheng, Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl., Taxodium distichum L. Rich., and Sciadopitys verticillata Siebold and Zucc. However, significantly lower amounts (70 ,ug per mg dry wt) were found in Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don. This latter species as well as Sciadopitys verticillata, contained little or no prodelphinidin, while the other four species contained a ratio of procyanidin to prodelphinidin up to about 1:5. These data were based on analyses from three trees from each species. In addition, one tree from each species was examined in more detail. The major flavan-3-ol in all cases was (+)-catechin, with only non-detectable or trace amounts of (-)-epicatechin. The triphenolic flavan-3-ol, (+)gallocatechin, was a minor constituent in all species, except Sciadopitys and Cryptomeria. The (-)-epigallocatechin was detected in Metasequoia, Sequoiadendron and Sequoia. All contained either (-)-epicatechin-(+)-catechin or (+)-catechin-(+)-catechin as the major procyanidin dimer. Prodelphinidin dimers were only tentatively identified.
Response to Dr. Poldy's questions in this issue

Some have written to this journal to take issue with my characterization of net energy as an irrelevant and misleading metric for fuel performance. We welcome open discussion of controversial issues related to biofuels in this journal and so have invited Dr. Franz Poldy (CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Australia) to write a defense of net energy and critique of my earlier article. Since I am the Editor in Chief, I get to have the last word, and have briefly responded to Dr. Poldy's article. It is apparent that Dr. Poldy uses a different definition of net energy than does Dr. Pimentel. We invite the readers to consider the arguments and make up their own minds. © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Comparing the Performance of Multiple Human Service Providers Using Data Envelopment Analysis

Abstract With an abundance of performance measurement data now being collected, administrators and researchers have the opportunity to begin comparing the performance of multiple human service providers. Using performance data from the Oregon Department of Human Services, this paper illustrates how data envelopment analysis (DEA) can be used to make such comparisons using a “best practices” approach. The paper argues that DEA has numerous features that make it a particularly useful statistical tool for such applications.
Composition Product Simulator

A simple optical analog device has been constructed to solve the convolution integral equation. It has been applied to the problem of measuring the shape and half-intensity breadth of spectral lines when using instruments with nonnegligible instrumental broadening.
Influence of Physical Activity on Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I in Healthy Younger and Older Men

To examine the hypothesis that a lower level of physical activity influences the age-related decline in insulinlike growth factor-I (IGF-I), we measured serum concentrations in healthy nonobese younger and older men, characterized for maximal aerobic capacity ( max) and energy expended in leisure time physical activity. To examine the independent influencec of physical activity on IGF-I relative to other lifestyle variables, we also determined fat-free weight, percent body fat, body fat distribution (waist to hip and waist to thigh ratios), and habitual caloric intake in our population. IGF–I was 33% lower (P < 0.01) in older men than in younger men, inversely related to percent body fat (r = –0.55) and indices of upper body fat distribution (waist to hip ratio, r = –0.45; waist to thigh ratio, r = –0.47), and positively related to max (r = 0.64) and leisure time physical activity (r = 0.45; P < 0.01). IGF-I was not related to fat-free weight or daily caloric intake. After controlling for the effects of a...
Effects of nicotine and hexamethonium on discharges in the stellate ganglion.

Abstract The effects of nicotine and hexamethonium on postganglionic discharges elicited by tetanic preganglionic stimulation or muscarinic agonists were observed on the isolated hamster stellate ganglion. The amplitude and duration of the afterdischarges from tetanic preganglionic stimulation in hexamethonium (10 −3 M) were smaller than the amplitude and duration of the afterdischarges in nicotine (10 −3 M). Also, hexamethonium decreased the amplitude and duration of the afterdischarges from repetitive stimulation in the presence of nicotine. The mechanism of these effects was explored. After application of nicotine for 30 min, the discharges from McN-A-343, a muscarinic agonist, were the same as before the nicotine. Hexamethonium did not reverse the block of the single evoked potential by nicotine. The potentials during a train in the presence of hexamethonium plus atropine were the same as the potentials during a train in the presence of nicotine plus atropine. Hexamethonium did depress the McN-A-343 discharges in the presence of nicotine and also in the control solution. These results indicate that hexamethonium has a direct depressant effect on the muscarinic synaptic membrane.
On the relaxation-time approximation for the two-body dissipation in HI collisions

Abstract In several previous publications the author has treated two-body collisions between the nucleons (the two-body dissipation) encountered in heavy-ion collisions by a relaxation-time approximation. This approximation is here tested against the calculations of Danielewicz in which he studied the dynamics of two slabs of nuclear matter (two Fermi spheres in momentum space) colliding with the NN interactions parameterized to fit NN cross sections. The relaxation-time approximation is found to be in good agreement especially with quantum-dynamical calculations.
Bioinspired micro/nanostructured surfaces for oil drag reduction in closed channel flow

Living nature contains amazing structures and materials which provide inspiration for bioinspired solutions that can solve many of mankind's greatest challenges. Two such challenges include reducing fluid drag and promoting self-cleaning. With inspiration from promising flora and fauna, a systematic study has been conducted using a combination of actual and replica samples. These include rice leaf, butterfly wing, fish scale, and shark skin samples, as well as laser etched riblets. In order to mimic properties from actual rice leaves, select replica and riblet samples received a nanostructured coating. Drag is determined by pressure drop measurements from sample lined rectangular closed channels with laminar oil flow. Oleophilic surfaces with appropriate micro/nanostructured surfaces may allow the formation of a thin oil film believed to reduce drag. A conceptual model is presented describing the role of surface structures allowing the formation of such a drag reducing thin oil film.
Elimination of Listeria monocytogenes and changes in physical and sensory qualities of a prepared meal following gamma irradiation

Abstract The increase in demand for ready-to-eat foods and recent events involving Listeria contamination in such foods have indicated that processes which can enhance product safety are needed. This study was designed to investigate the effects of irradiation on a prepared meal contaminated with a known foodborne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes . The product consisting of Salisbury steak, gravy and mashed potatoes was contaminated with L. monocytogenes , irradiated at doses of 0·8, 2·9 and 5·7 kGy, and stored at 4°C for 3 weeks. Listeria was not recovered from any sample at any time point, even after selective enrichment, for product treated at 5·7 kGy which represented a greater than a six-log cycle reduction. Treatment with 2·9 kGy reduced the pathogen by over five logs but treatment with 0·8 kGy was not very effective, only reducing counts by approximately one log. In samples where Listeria survived, counts increased during refrigerated storage. Irradiation with 5·7 kGy also effectively eliminated the background aerobic and yeast and mold populations for the duration of the study. Lower doses have less of an effect on these populations. Instrumental measurements of texture and color revealed no effect of irradiation dose. Furthermore, sensory tests revealed that the irradiated meals were no less acceptable than non-irradiated meals. It appears that irradiation at 5·7 kGy is an effective means of improving safety and extending shelf-life without causing adverse effects on quality.
Evolved lavas on Mars? Observations from southwest Arsia Mons and Sabancaya volcano, Peru

[1] An extensive (106 km2) lava flow field SW of Arsia Mons contains individual lobes that are 102–103 km long, are ∼65 m thick, and display a surface ridging similar to the textures found on terrestrial andesite, dacite, and rhyolite flows, raising the question of whether large-volume evolved lava flows exist on Mars. The regularly spaced ridges on these Martian flows have wavelengths of ∼100 ± 34 and amplitudes of ∼27 ± 11 m. An andesitic lava flow field at Sabancaya volcano, Peru, is a morphologic analog, with flow thicknesses of ∼60–170 m and surface ridges. One intensely studied flow lobe at Sabancaya has a ridge wavelength of ∼67 ± 24 m and amplitude of ∼5 ± 2 m. Despite morphologic similarities, comparing the calculated rheologic and emplacement parameters of the two lava flow fields reveals large differences. Calculated yield strengths for the Martian lavas are 103 Pa; those for lavas of Sabancaya, Peru, are 105 Pa. Effusion rates of 103–104 m3 s−1 calculated for the Martian flows are larger than those calculated for the Sabancaya lavas (1 m3 s−1). Calculations of emplacement times for the Martian and Sabancaya flows are 1–102 days and 1–103 days, respectively. Estimates of viscosity are 104–106 Pa s for southwestern Arsia Mons and 1010–1012 Pa s for Sabancaya. We therefore conclude that the flows southwest of Arsia Mons are most likely not the same composition as those at Sabancaya volcano, but rather are basaltic or basaltic andesite in composition.
XAS studies of Ni(I), Ni(II), and Ni(III) complexes

Abstract XAS techniques for studying structural and electronic changes taking place after oxidation and reduction reactions of nickel complexes are described and applied to selected models for Factor 430, a nickel containing cofactor catalyzing an important step in the conversion of carbon dioxide to methane by methanogenic bacteria.