cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Occupational musculoskeletal disorders

Musculoskeletal disorders of the workplace include the acute, cumulative and chronic injuries or illnesses of the soft tissues which are caused by mechanical stress, strain, sprain, vibration, inflammation, or irritation. The successful management of occupational musculoskeletal disorders must account for workplace conditions (ergonomics and work practices), psychosocial factors, diagnostic uncertainties, and the need for active modalities (exercises and a progressive increase in activities of daily living), rather than passive (bed rest and traction). Although most occupational musculoskeletal disorders respond to conservative measures such as ice or heat, protective devices such as, neutral splints for carpal tunnel syndrome, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and progressive strengthening, resolution may take months. Prevention is often more important than treatment, and may entail workplace revisions and special worker training. Worker selection programs--strength testing, pre-placement radiographs, and inquiries about prior low back pain--have poor predictive value.
Towards a New Legal History of Capitalism and Unfree Labor: Law, Slavery, and Emancipation in the American Marketplace

New work on the "history of capitalism" reveals how the personal freedom enjoyed by people living within the liberal capitalist mainstream is often purchased by coerced labor at the social margins. Walter Johnson’s book "River of Dark Dreams: Slavery and Empire in the Cotton Kingdom" (2013) makes this argument with force, utilizing the concept of "slave racial capitalism" to suggest how race-based slavery constituted a necessary component of early American economic expansion. Using Johnson’s framework as a starting point, this essay argues that the legal institutions of property and contract, institutions underwriting a genuinely "slave racial capitalist" regime, also contained certain subversive possibilities within themselves, eventually challenging unfree labor as a modality of rule within the modernizing United States.
Building from the bottom up

Time-lapse analyses of normal cellular behaviours and signalling by fibroblast growth factor (FGF) provide new insights into the cell motions and molecules that form the posterior nervous system.
Deterministic and Stochastic Robustness of the Computed Torque Scheme

Stability robustness of robot controllers using computed torque (inverse dynamics) scheme is investigated. It is assumed that the only unknowns are the exact values of the equivalent masses of links. First, unknown masses are treated as deterministic structured perturbation and bounds are found on the degree of uncertainty that can be tolerated by the design using Lyapunov's second method. Then, masses are modelled as random structured perturbations which results in a description of the manipulator by a nonlinear stochastic vector differential equation. In this case, we find bounds on uncertainty variances which guarantee sample path boundedness and asymptotic stability of the manipulator. The theoretical bounds obtained are examined using the solution of the Lyapunov equation associated with the globally linearized computed torque model. Numerical results are obtained for the case of a 2-degree-of-freedom anthropomorphic manipulator and their usefulness in assessing design robustness is demonstrated.
Taking to bed. Rapid functional decline in an independently mobile older population living in an intermediate-care facility.

The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and selected clinical outcomes of taking to bed among a population of independently ambulating older individuals. It was designed as a retrospective case series and was conducted in the intermediate-care facility of a not-for-profit, teaching nursing home. Our study group was composed of individuals over 65 years of age who became bed bound. Thirty-six taking-to-bed episodes occurred in 36 individuals during one calendar year, giving an incidence of 13 per 1,000 resident-months (95% CI, 4 to 23 per 1,000). Twelve of the 36 died within 3 months, and 17 within 6 months, but almost all who survived regained ambulation. Survival was significantly shorter for the five without localizing symptoms (P less than .05). Orthopedic, neurologic, psychiatric, and iatrogenic conditions were most commonly identified as concurrent medical events. Almost half who took to bed had multiple concurrent medical events, and these residents were more likely to present without localizing symptoms (P less than .05). Twenty-one (58%) of the episodes occurred after a fall. The incidence of taking to bed in this population indicates that clinicians caring for older persons should be alert to its occurrence. The dramatic decline in mobility deserves careful assessment because it initiated a period of relatively rapid change in the health careers of the individuals we studied: almost half died within 6 months, but nearly all who survived regained ambulation. Those without localizing symptoms may have more complex interacting medical problems and a worse prognosis.
Phylogenetic assessment of the monotypic genera Sundacarpus and Manoao (Coniferales: Podocarpaceae) utilising evidence from 18S rDNA sequences

The Podocarpaceae are the most morphologically diverse of conifer families. A taxonomic trend has resulted in recognising this diversity via smaller generic groupings, including several monotypes. A phylogenetic assessment of the monotypic genera Sundacarpus and Manoao was conducted employing maximum parsimony the analysis of sequence data from 18S-ribosomal DNA from 34 gymnosperm taxa, including 29 Podocarpaceae. In resulting trees, there is high bootstrap support for Podocarpaceae, including Phyllocladus, but the order of deep branches within the family is equivocal. Prumnopitys (Sundacarpus) amara (Blume) de Laub. and four other Prumnopitys spp. comprise a clade with a bootstrap value of 100%, supporting the retention of Sundacarpus as a section of Prumnopitys. Lagarostrobos franklinii (Hook.f.) Quinn and L. (Manoao) colensoi (Hook.) Quinn comprise a clade with equivocal bootstrap support, echoing previous results from parsimony analysis of morphological data. A conservative approach (i.e. one avoiding unnecessary monotypes) favours the retention of L. colensoi in Lagarostrobos, pending further evidence of relationships within the group.
Uterine Artery Embolization

Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a well-established, safe, and effective endovascular technique for the management of uterine pathology including obstetric hemorrhage, uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, and uterine vascular malformations. This chapter will focus on the use of UAE in the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and uterine leiomyomata (fibroids).
The characteristics of tropical precipitation profiles as inferred from satellite radar measurements

In this study, we analyzed the vertical precipitation profiles in the tropics derived from radar onboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite. For a given rain type, principal component analysis was done to all the profiles that have similar rainfall rate at 2 km altitude. It is found that the first principal component can explain more than 80% of the variations in the profiles, and the reconstructed first principal components closely resemble the ensemble mean. It is therefore concluded that the mean profiles are representative of the typical pattern of the vertical precipitation structure. The mean profiles for deep convections and stratiform rains are then derived and analyzed for the entire year of 1998 in the tropical belt of 15°S to 15°N. The results show that on a logarithm scale the slopes of the profiles are approximately constants if the profiles are divided vertically into 3 or 4 layers. The difference in slopes among layers may reflect the difference of dominant microphysical processes by which the precipitating hydrometeors either grow or evaporate. The difference between rain profiles between over ocean and over land, and the variation of rain profiles with latitudes are also investigated in this study. As one of the applications of the typical profiles to satellite remote sensing, we calculated the brightness temperature — rainfall rate relations using profiles derived in this study and those provided by previous investigators. It is demonstrated that the brightness temperatures resulted from vertical profiles of previous investigators generally agree, to some extent, with those resulting from the profiles of this study. However, some significant discrepancies exist over some rainfall rate ranges and for high microwave frequencies. It is expected that using the profiles of this study will lead to the improvement of satellite rain retrievals because they are derived from a much larger set of observational data, and are more representative of precipitations in the tropics.
Unexpected complexity in the mechanisms that target assembly of the spectrin cytoskeleton.

The spectrin cytoskeleton assembles within discrete regions of the plasma membrane in a wide range of animal cell types. Although recent studies carried out in vertebrate systems indicate that spectrin assembly occurs indirectly through the adapter protein ankyrin, recent studies in Drosophila have established that spectrin can also assemble through a direct ankyrin-independent mechanism. Here we tested specific regions of the spectrin molecule for a role in polarized assembly and function. First, we tested mutant β-spectrins lacking ankyrin binding activity and/or the COOH-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain for their assembly competence in midgut, salivary gland, and larval brain. Remarkably, three different assembly mechanisms operate in these three cell types: 1) neither site was required for assembly in salivary gland; 2) only the PH domain was required in midgut copper cells; and 3) either one of the two sites was sufficient for spectrin assembly in larval brain. Further characterization of the PH domain revealed that it binds strongly to lipid mixtures containing phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) but not phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate. A K8Q mutation in the lipid binding region of the PH domain eliminated the PIP2 interaction in vitro, yet the mutant protein retained full biological function in vivo. Reporter gene studies revealed that PIP2 and the spectrin PH domain codistribute with one another in cells but not with authentic wild type αβ-spectrin. Thus, it appears that the PH domain imparts membrane targeting activity through a second mechanism that takes precedence over its PIP2 binding activity.
Moving Beyond Procedure: An Empirical Analysis of European Parliament Legislative Influence

This article examines the influence of the European Parliament (EP) within the legislative process of the European Union. Although debate over the impact of the cooperation and co-decision I procedures continues, this article argues that, in part, the current theoretical debate is a false one that has caused many of the other important variables that affect EP legislative influence to be ignored. This article briefly revisits the current debate, then proceeds to an analysis of the success of more than 1,000 EP amendments under the cooperation and co-decision procedures. This evidence suggests that numerous other variables, such as internal EP unity and type of amendment made, have a significant impact on EP success, even controlling for procedure. In addition, this comparison points out some empirical differences between the two procedures that have been largely ignored in the theoretical debate but that nonetheless have a significant impact of EP success and merit further study.
Convexity, monotonicity, and gradient processes in Hilbert space

Abstract It is shown that in Hilbert spaces the gradient maps of convex functionals with uniformly bounded continuous second Frechet derivatives satisfy monotonicity conditions that insure that some convex combination of the identity, I, and I − ▽f is either strictly contractive or at worst nonexpansive. This result leads to a complete resolution of the convergence question for a large class of associated gradient processes. In particular, weak convergence of the successive approximation sequence is established even in the singular case where f″ is not strictly positive at critical points of f.
CITRATE AS THE PRECURSOR OF THE ACETYL MOIETY OF ACETYLCHOLINE

— Rat brain cortex slices were incubated with glucose labeled with either 3H or 14C in the 6-position. The 3H/14C ratios and the incorporation of radioactivity into lactate, citrate, malate and acetylcholine were determined. While the 3H/14C ratio of lactate was close to that of glucose, the ratios in the acetyl moiety of acetylcholine and the acetyl (C-4,5) portion of citrate decreased in a similar proportion. This was interpreted as indirect evidence for the participation of citrate as a precursor to the acetyl moiety of acetylcholine. Two inhibitors of the citrate cleavage pathway: n-butylmalonate, an inhibitor of citrate transport and (-)-hydroxycitrate, an inhibitor of ATP-citrate lyase were studied for their effect on acetylcholine synthesis. N-butylmalonate (10 mM) and (-)-hydroxycitrate (7.5 mM) led to a decrease in the per cent of 14C recovered as acetylcholine. In each instance the 3H/14C ratio in acetylcholine was higher in the presence of inhibitor while the corresponding ratios in lactate and citrate (C-4.5) remained unchanged. From the results, it is suggested that citrate is involved in the transport mechanism of acetyl units from its site of synthesis in mitochondria to the site of acetylcholine synthesis in the cytosol.
Investigation of Mechanical Behavior of Membrane in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells Subject to Dynamic Changes in Load

One of the major barriers for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells to be commercially viable for stationary and transport applications is the durability of membranes undergoing chemical and mechanical degradation over the period of operation. Toward understanding the effects of operating parameters on membrane durability, this paper presents numerical simulations for a single channel PEM fuel cell undergoing changes in load, by subjecting the unit cell to step change in voltage. The objective is to elucidate the mechanical response of membrane, which is subjected to hygral (water) loading and unloading cycles at constant temperature. Detailed three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are conducted, taking in to account the complex interactions of water transport dynamics and load changes, to accurately capture the water content in the membrane with changes in cell voltage. The water content obtained through CFD simulations is, in turn, used to carry out two-dimensional (2D) finite element (FE) analysis to predict the mechanical response of the membrane undergoing cyclic change in water content, as the operating voltage is cycled. The effects of cyclic changes in cell potential on the stresses induced, amount of plastic strain and their localization are analyzed for various inlet cathode humidity values for two sections along the length of the fuel cell.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Small Molecules as Structural and Functional Mimics of Sialyl Lewis X Tetrasaccharide in Selectin Inhibition: A Remarkable Enhancement of Inhibition by Additional Negative Charge and/or Hydrophobic Group

Several sialyl Lewis X (SLex) mimics that contain the essential functional groups for receptor interaction and a negative charge or a hydrophobic group have been developed as inhibitors of E-, P-, and L-selectins. Some of the mimics exhibit selectin inhibition activities 103−104-fold more potent than does the natural ligand tetrasaccharide, with IC50 in the low micromolar to high nanomolar range. The syntheses of these mimics are relatively simple, using TMSOTf-Ac2O mediated C-glycosylation with concurrent selective deprotection of the primary benzyl group and enzymatic aldol addition reactions as key steps.
Complications of medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction: common technical errors and factors for success: AAOS exhibit selection

Background: The role of medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction in reestablishing patellofemoral joint stability has recently been reported with increasing frequency. The purpose of this study was to review the reported complications of medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction, highlight the common technical errors, and discuss the potential complications that can arise from this procedure. Methods: We review the literature on medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction, including the reported causes of failure. In addition, we present three cases and discuss the multiple factors that are crucial for success, including patient selection, tunnel placement, graft isometry, and determination of the need for concurrent realignment surgery. Results: The principles of surgical management require a thorough understanding of proper patient selection and of the interaction between the roles of the osseous and soft-tissue restraints on the patella. Creating a logical treatment algorithm based on pathoanatomy can elucidate the need for concurrent distal realignment procedures. Tunnel positioning is critical in recreating appropriate patellofemoral alignment. The reported complications include patellofemoral arthrosis, graft impingement, and graft failure. Conclusions: Many of the complications that can arise from medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction are the result of technical error and can be avoided by understanding the potential complications associated with this procedure.
Application of Microencapsulation for Toxicology Studies: III. Bioavailability of Microencapsulated Cinnamaldehyde

The bioavailability of microencapsulated cinnamaldehyde (CNMA) was investigated in male F344 rats. Rats were gavaged with CNMA in corn oil using either microencapsulated or the neat chemical at doses of 50, 250, and 500 mg/kg. No differences between the two formulations at any of the doses were found in either CNMA blood concentration profiles or in the rate of urinary hippuric acid excretion. Both formulations showed a low bioavailability (< 20%) at 250 and 500 mg/kg. Regardless of the formulation used, oral gavage of CNMA significantly increased the urinary excretion of hippuric acid. About 75% of the dose of CNMA was metabolized to hippuric acid and recovered in the urine. The total amount of hippuric acid recovered in a 50-hr urinary collection correlated well with the CNMA dose. The data suggest that there was complete release of CNMA from the microcapsules and that microencapsulation of CNMA does not affect its bioavailability or its metabolism. Since CNMA microcapsules are stable in rodent diet, the microencapsulation of CNMA, and perhaps other labile chemicals, will prevent degradation and facilitate the testing of such compounds in toxicology studies.
THE FORM AND FUNCTION OF NUMERAL PATTERNS IN FLOWERS

SOME OF the basic structural designs in the various flower types are the numeral combinations of flower parts. Regular forms of di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, octo-, deca-, dodeca-, and polymerous symmetry make flowers look clearly different even when they have the same color and size (fig. 1). For certain plant groups, definite numbers of flower parts are so distinctive that taxonomists readily use them as constant characteristics for identification of species, genera, and frequently even larger taxonomic units. Besides, these symmetrical figures of flowers have undoubtedly played an important role in the development of human art and architecture. The cardinal figures of trefoils, quatrefoils, cinquefoils, sixfoils, dixfoils, etc. in numerous folk ornaments, and particularly in Gothic architecture, are very close imitations of the above listed numeral combinations of flowers and of plant leaves.
Multilayer material properties of aorta determined from nanoindentation tests

Abstract In a wide range of biomechanical modeling of aorta from traumatic injury to stent grafts, the arterial wall has been considered as a single homogeneous layer vessel, ignoring the fact that arteries are composed of distinct anatomical layers with different mechanical characteristics. In this study, using a custom-made nanoindentation technique, changes in the mechanical properties of porcine thoracic aorta wall in the radial direction were characterized using a quasi-linear viscoelastic model. Two layers of equal thickness were mechanically distinguishable in descending aorta based on the radial variations in the instantaneous Young's modulus E and reduced relaxation function G ( t ). Overall, comparison of E and G ∞ of the outer half (70.27±2.47 kPa and 0.35±0.01) versus the inner half (60.32±1.65 kPa and 0.33±0.01) revealed that the outer half was stiffer and showed less relaxation. The results were used to explain local mechanisms of deformation, force transmission, tear propagation and failure in arteries.
The association of a decreased level of awareness and blood alcohol concentration with both agitation and sedation in intoxicated patients in the ED.

Abstract Objective This study was conducted to compare the level of awareness as determined by serial bispectral index (BIS) electroencephalogram scores to a standardized Altered Mental Status (AMS) scale used to define a patient's clinical level of agitation or sedation, and the patient's concurrent breath/blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Methods This was an institutional review board-approved, prospective observational study of a convenience sample of patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) with the chief complaint of ethanol (ETOH) intoxication between July 19, 2003, and March 27, 2004. The AMS scale is a 9-point scale: −4 is unresponsive, 0 is normal examination, and +4 is extremely agitated. After ETOH was detected by breath analyzer, enrolled patients had a BIS monitor probe applied to their forehead. Baseline BAC, BIS, and AMS scores were recorded independently of the patients' caregivers. Bispectral index and AMS scores were repeated every 20 minutes for 1 hour. The patient's diagnosis, disposition, (any) complications, and total time in department were recorded. Results Ninety-eight patients were enrolled in the study. The median presenting AMS score was −1. The mean total time in department was 402.6 minutes (SD, 196.4; range, 246-906 minutes). The mean presenting BIS score was 77.6 (SD, 17.9; range, 26-98). The mean presenting BAC was 0.229 (SD, 0.07; range, 0.049-0.43). The mean BIS index varied from 59.6 ± 16.9 for AMS scores of −4, to 96.3 ± 2.7 for AMS scores of 0, to 90.5 ± 4.9 for AMS scores of 4. The AMS scale correlated with the BIS scale (Spearman's ρ = 0.67, P ≤ .001), but did not correlate with BAC (Spearman's ρ = −0.14, P = 0.15). Conclusions Changes in the AMS scale corresponded to changes in the BIS index score. A decreased level of awareness, as determined on the BIS index, was observed in patients who were either agitated or sedated by the AMS. We conclude that both agitated and sedated patients with ETOH intoxication show decreases in their level of awareness. Therefore, the AMS scale, which includes both agitation and sedation, is a valid measure of a patient's decreased level of awareness.
Development and validation of a nomogram predicting the outcome of prostate biopsy based on patient age, digital rectal examination and serum prostate specific antigen.

ABSTRACTPurpose: We developed and validated a nomogram which predicts presence of prostate cancer (PCa) on needle biopsy.Materials and Methods: We used 3 cohorts of men who were evaluated with sext...
Nutritional Factors Influencing Carcase Fat in Broilers— A Review

Excessive fat deposition in broilers, which reduces the profit margin for poultry processors and makes effluent disposal difficult, responds to dietary manipulation.When the energy consumed by the ...
Computer-generated multicomponent calibration designs for optimal analysis sample predictions

This paper utilizes variable step size generalized simulated annealing (VSGSA) to design multicomponent calibration samples for spectroscopic data. VSGSA is an optimization procedure which is capable of converging to exact positions of global optima located on multidimensional continuous functions. On the basis of analysis sample response vectors, optimally designed calibration concentration matrices are obtained assuming knowledge of components present. The complexity of response surfaces established by the optimization criteria is described.
The significance of agricultural sources of greenhouse gases

The impact of development of land for agriculture and agricultural production practices on emissions of greenhouse gases is reviewed and evaluated within the context of anthropogenic radiative forcing of climate. Combined, these activities are estimated to contribute about 25%, 65%, and 90% of total anthropogenic emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O, respectively. Agriculture is also a significant contributor to global emissions of NH3, CO, and NO. Over the last 150 y, cumulative emissions of CO2 associated with land clearing for agriculture are comparable to those from combustion of fossil fuel, but the latter is the major source of CO2 at present and is projected to become more dominant in the future. Ruminant animals, rice paddies, and biomass burning are principal agricultural sources of CH4, and oxidation of CH4 by aerobic soils has been reduced by perturbations to natural N cycles. Agricultural sources of N2O have probably been substantially underestimated due to incomplete analysis of increased N flows in the environment, especially via NH3 volatilization from animal manures, leaching of NO3-, and increased use of biological N fixation.
U6+ MINERALS AND INORGANIC COMPOUNDS: INSIGHTS INTO AN EXPANDED STRUCTURAL HIERARCHY OF CRYSTAL STRUCTURES

The crystal structures of uranyl minerals and inorganic uranyl compounds are important for understanding the genesis of U deposits, the interaction of U mine and mill tailings with the environment, transport of actinides in soils and the vadose zone, the performance of geological repositories for nuclear waste, and for the development of advanced materials with novel applications. Over the past decade, the number of inorganic uranyl compounds (including minerals) with known structures has more than doubled, and reconsideration of the structural hierarchy of uranyl compounds is warranted. Here, 368 inorganic crystal structures that contain essential U6+ are considered (of which 89 are minerals). They are arranged on the basis of the topological details of their structural units, which are formed by the polymerization of polyhedra containing higher-valence cations. Overarching structural categories correspond to those based upon isolated polyhedra (8), finite clusters (43), chains (57), sheets (204), and frameworks (56) of polyhedra. Within these categories, structures are organized and compared upon the basis of either their graphical representations, or in the case of sheets involving sharing of edges of polyhedra, upon the topological arrangement of anions within the sheets.
Current Limitations and Challenges with Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Review

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a critical role in food, agricultural, and clinical applications. The fast growing characteristics of LAB and their metabolic activity have been the key in most applications including food production, agricultural industry, and probiotics. However, the biochemical and biophysical environments have significant effect on the growth and metabolic activity of LAB. While the biochemical conditions are most likely established, controlling and optimizing of biochemical conditions have many limitations and challenges. In addition to selecting the right strain, desirable metabolic processes required optimizing and controlling the available nutrients including sugars, peptides, free amino acids, minerals, and vitamins in addition to buffering agents. Thus, much of research was conducted to understand the impact of available nutrients on the growth and metabolic activities of LAB. However, only a few nutritional parameters could be controlled at a time while holding other parameters constant. The nutritional parameters may also interact with each other resulting in faulty results. Characteristics of LAB such as fastidiousness in their nutritional requirements, ability to produce acid and antimicrobial compounds, and variations in the nutritional requirements among strains have added additional limitations and challenges in this regard. Thus, chemically defined media (CDM) were suggested to deal with different limitations and challenges. However, due to differences in growth conditions, results obtained in CDM may face some obstacles when it comes to industrial applications. Thus, this paper aimed to review the recent data in regard to the role of the nutritional requirements of LAB in optimizing and controlling metabolic activities and to discuss the associated limitations and challenges.
Deciding Whom to Tell: Expectations and Outcomes of Rape Survivors' First Disclosures:

In this study, 102 female rape survivors were interviewed regarding their first post-assault disclosure. Qualitative analysis revealed that nearly 75% of first disclosures were to informal support providers and over one third of the disclosures were not initiated by the survivors themselves. Over half of the survivors received positive reactions and less than one third felt the disclosure had a detrimental impact on their recovery. Loglinear analysis suggested that survivors who actively sought help from informal support providers were more likely to receive positive than negative reactions. In contrast, survivors who actively sought help from formal support providers were more likely to receive negative than positive reactions. When disclosure to formal support providers was initiated by the formal support providers themselves, however, survivors received exclusively positive reactions. Implications for future research are discussed.
Contributions to the contrast in experimental high-angle annular dark-field images.

Abstract This paper reports on a study of the contributions to the image contrast of high-angle annular dark field (HAADF) images acquired in scanning transmission electron microscopy. Experimental HAADF images were obtained from a model system consisting of an epitaxial perovskite PbTiO 3 film grown on a SrTiO 3 single crystal. This sample allowed for the study of the intensities of a wide range of atomic numbers. The main objective of the paper was to quantify the influence of TEM foil thickness on the image contrast, but the effects of the annular detector inner angle and the probe forming lens focus were also studied. Sample thicknesses ranging from ∼10 nm to more than 400 nm were investigated. The image contrast was relatively insensitive to changes in inner angle. The main impact of sample thickness was a rapid increase in a background intensity that contributed equally to the intensities of the atomic columns and the channels between them. The background intensity and its increase with thickness reflected the average atomic number of the crystal. Subtraction of the background intensity allowed for a quantitative interpretation of image contrast in terms of atomic numbers and comparison with multislice image simulations. The consequences for the analysis of interfaces in terms of atom column occupancies are discussed.
New ideas for an old enzyme: A short, question-based laboratory project for the purification and identification of an unknown LDH isozyme.

Enzyme purification projects are an excellent way to introduce many aspects of protein biochemistry, but can be difficult to carry out under the constraints of a typical undergraduate laboratory course. We have designed a short laboratory project for the purification and identification of an “unknown” lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isozyme that can fit into a multiproject course without consuming too many laboratory days. The streamlined purification utilizes ammonium sulfate precipitation, affinity chromatography, and size exclusion chromatography to give good recovery of LDH with minimal equipment requirements, and can be completed in three laboratory periods of 3–4 hours. As part of this, we have designed a novel, qualitative format for an LDH activity assay that allows students to rapidly screen their column chromatography fractions without the need of a spectrophotometer or plate reader. The analysis phase of the project is question-driven, and can be completed in two laboratory periods. The students must determine which purification technique was most effective by quantifying LDH activity and total protein content at each step of the purification, and then identify their unknown isozyme through agarose gel electrophoresis. This module provides an engaging format for teaching protein biochemistry, with the flexibility to allow an instructor to modify it for their particular curriculum.
Solution Characterization of Monodisperse Atactic Polystyrenes by Static and Dynamic Light Scattering

Anionically polymerized polystyrene standards have been characterized by static and dynamic light scattering in toluene at 25°C. The molecular weights ranged from 3000 to two million g/mol. An appropriate standard for light scattering intensity was developed and the absolute Rayleigh ratio for toluene was determined for the experimental conditions. The molecular weight dependence of the second virial coefficient A 2 could be represented as a power law. The present results are in good agreement with previous measurements of A 2 . For the higher molecular weight polymers, the mean-square radius of gyration was determined. The present results could also be represented as a power law, which was in good agreement with previous results. Dynamic light scattering was analyzed to obtain the mutual-diffusion coefficient as a function of concentration and molecular weight. These results were then used to obtain the self-diffusion coefficient, hydrodynamic radius, and virial coefficient for the mutual-diffusion coeff...
Electric Motor Vibration-Cause, Prevention, and Cure

The trend of industry toward higher speed machines and longer periods between downtimes has fostered closer surveillance of those parameters that can interrupt satisfactory service. Vibration of electric motors and systems containing motors are areas identified for consideration. Electric motor vibration is discussed from the viewpoint of its causes and cures. Also covered are the important considerations in establishing purchase specifications consistent with final installation requirements.
Culture Change Models and Resident Health Outcomes in Long‐Term Care

Purpose: To examine the scientific evidence for the effect of comprehensive culture change model implementation on resident health outcomes in long-term care. Design: In this integrated review, an electronic literature search was conducted for studies that examined the effect of comprehensive culture change models on long-term care residents’ physical and psychosocial health. Methods: Eleven articles were thoroughly reviewed for outcomes related to resident health, and findings were integrated across models. Each study was assigned a level of evidence rating using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guidelines and an overall recommendation grade was determined. Findings: Evaluation of the literature indicates that results are conflicting, although potential resident benefits as a result of model implementation may exist, particularly in regard to psychosocial health outcomes. Conclusions: Evidence regarding long-term care residents’ health outcomes after comprehensive culture change model implementation is inconsistent, and the grade of the evidence makes practice recommendations difficult at this time. However, integrated findings across studies demonstrate potential psychosocial benefits to long-term care residents. Clinical Relevance: Nurses working in long-term care play a crucial role in the success of culture change initiatives as well as the health outcomes of residents. Empirical evidence for the effect of comprehensive culture change models on resident health outcomes supports reasonable expectations of their implementation and indicates areas for future research and translation into practice.
Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for patients with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first or second complete remission using fractionated total-body irradiation and high-dose etoposide: A 15-year experience

Abstract Objective The rationale for this retrospective study was to identify the long-term overall and event-free survival, relapse, and treatment-related mortality rates of high-risk pediatric and adult first (CR1) and second remission (CR2) patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who were treated with a single preparatory regimen consisting of fractionated total-body irradiation (FTBI) and high-dose etoposide (VP-16) prior to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Patients and methods Over a 15-year period at Stanford University Medical Center, 85 consecutive high-risk pediatric (up to age 17 years; n=41) and adult (age 18–55 years; n=44); patients with leukemia (ALL) in CR1 (n=55) and CR2 (n=30) received HLA-matched sibling allogeneic bone marrow or peripheral blood progenitor grafts after being treated with FTBI (1,320 cGy) and high-dose VP-16 (60 mg/kg) as their preparatory regimen. The majority of patients transplanted in CR1 (n=45) had high-risk features, including age above 30 years, white blood cell count at presentation exceeding 25,000/μL, extramedullary disease, need for more than 4 weeks of induction chemotherapy to achieve CR, or high-risk chromosomal translocations. Most patients transplanted in CR1 were adults (n=39), whereas patients in CR2 were primarily children or adolescents (n=25). Results The 10-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of relapse were significantly ( p =0.05) lower in CR1 patients (15%±10%) than in CR2 patients (33%±20%). Relapse was the most common cause of treatment failure in patients transplanted in CR2. There was a significantly ( p =0.05) higher rate of chronic graft-vs-host disease in CR1 (32%±14%) compared with CR2 (9%±11%) patients; however, overall survival for patients transplanted in CR1 (66%±14%) was comparable ( p =0.67) to that of patients transplanted in CR2 (62%±19%). Event-free survival rates also were similar ( p =0.53) between CR1 (64%±14%) and CR2 (61%±18%) patients. Treatment-related mortality rates were equivalent ( p =0.51) between CR1 and CR2, as well as between Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) positive (Ph + )and Ph − ( p =0.23) ALL patients. Conclusion Overall, FTBI/VP-16 is a highly effective preparatory regimen that provides durable remissions for patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for high-risk ALL in CR1 or CR2.
Next Front? Evolving United States–African Strategic Relations in the “War on Terrorism” and Beyond

Recent years have seen a shift in United States foreign and security policy vis-a-vis Africa, a process that has been accelerated by the needs of America's post-9/11 “global war on terrorism.” This evolution away from the “hands off” approach to the continent is a recognition of its geopolitical significance not only as a major front in the counterterrorism struggle, but also an increasingly important theatre for strategic competition for resources and influence between the U.S. and its near-peer competitors on the global stage, including the People's Republic of China. By way of concluding this panoramic perspective, the article will give a preliminary assessment of the emergent policies and structures of U.S. military and security engagement in Africa which lay the foundations for a more comprehensive framework, including a possible unified combatant command for the continent. EDITOR'S NOTE: On February 6, 2007, President George W. Bush announced the creation of a Department of Defense Unified Combatant...
Designing studies of drug conditioning in humans.

There has been much recent interest in the possibility that signals for drug use in humans acquire the ability to evoke classically conditioned (learned) states which motivate drug taking. Much data now suggest that cues paired with drug use come to elicit physiological responses and subjective reports of drug-related feelings like craving and withdrawal. However, the designs employed do not permit the conclusion that the observed responding results from classical conditioning. Studies which look directly at conditioning in the laboratory by pairing neutral stimuli with drug administration have not provided appropriate controls for unlearned effects such as sensitization or pseudo-conditioning. Similarly, studies which assess responding to cues thought to signal drug use in the natural environment (e.g., the sight of someone injecting heroin) have not adequately assessed whether such cues have unconditioned (unlearned) effects. Determining whether responding to drug-related cues results from classical conditioning has important implications for the development of drug treatments. Consequently, the purpose of the present review is to outline a set of criteria for determining that responses to drug-related stimuli in humans are learned. Existing studies are reviewed in light of these criteria and paradigms for further work are suggested.
THE FLORAL AND EXTRA-FLORAL NECTARIES OF PASSIFLORA. II. THE EXTRA-FLORAL NECTARY

Floral nectary development and nectar secretion in three species of Passiflora were investigated with light and electron microscopy. The nectary ring results from the activity of an intercalary meristem. Increased starch deposition in the amyloplasts of the secretory cells parallels maturation of the nectary phloem. Large membrane-bound protein bodies are observed consistently in phloem parenchyma cells, but their function is presently unknown. The stored starch serves as the main source of nectar sugars at anthesis. Plastid envelope integrity is maintained during starch degradation, and there is no evidence of participation of endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi in the secretion of pre-nectar. It is concluded that in these starchy nectaries granulocrine secretion, commonly reported for floral nectaries, does not occur. SINCE THE LATTER PART of the nineteenth century considerable descriptive work has appeared in the literature concerning nectary anatomy (Behrens, 1879; Bohmker, 1917; Fahn, 1952; An6ibor, 1969; Elias and Gelband, 1976). The earliest investigations centered largely on floral nectaries, and it was observed with light microscopy that starch was often a conspicuous component of the secretory cells at the time of flowering (Bohmker, 1917; Ball,
Caffeine expectancies influence the subjective and behavioral effects of caffeine.

This study investigated the independent and interactive effects of caffeine pharmacology and expected effects of caffeine on performance and subjective outcomes. Abstinent coffee drinkers (n = 60) consumed decaffeinated coffee with either 280 mg or 0 mg added caffeine. Caffeine dose was crossed with varying instructions that the coffee would either enhance or impair performance in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Performance, mood, caffeine withdrawal, and negative somatic effects were assessed. Relative to placebo, caffeine improved reaction time and accuracy on the rapid visual information processing task, a measure of vigilance. However, there was a significant dose by expectancy interaction that revealed that among participants given placebo coffee, “impair” instructions produced better performance than “enhance” instructions. Caffeine also improved psychomotor performance as indicated by a finger tapping task with no main effects of expectancy or interactions. Impair instructions produced greater reports of negative somatic effects than enhance instructions, but only when caffeine was administered. Manipulating the expected effects of caffeine altered the behavioral and subjective effects of caffeine. A significant dose by expectancy interaction revealed a somewhat paradoxical outcome in the placebo conditions whereby those told “impair” performed better than those told “enhance.” This may reflect compensatory responding as has been observed in similar studies using alcohol (Fillmore et al. Psychopharmacology 115:383–388, 1994). Impair instructions led to greater negative somatic effects only when caffeine was administered supporting the active placebo hypothesis.
Vaccine review: "Staphyloccocus aureus vaccines: Problems and prospects"

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of both healthcare- and community-associated infections globally. S. aureus exhibits diverse clinical presentations, ranging from benign carriage and superficial skin and soft tissue infections to deep wound and organ/space infections, biofilm-related prosthesis infections, life-threatening bacteremia and sepsis. This broad clinical spectrum, together with the high incidence of these disease manifestations and magnitude of the diverse populations at risk, presents a high unmet medical need and a substantial burden to the healthcare system. With the increasing propensity of S. aureus to develop resistance to essentially all classes of antibiotics, alternative strategies, such as prophylactic vaccination to prevent S. aureus infections, are actively being pursued in healthcare settings. Within the last decade, the S. aureus vaccine field has witnessed two major vaccine failures in phase 3 clinical trials designed to prevent S. aureus infections in either patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery or patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis. This review summarizes the potential underlying reasons why these two approaches may have failed, and proposes avenues that may provide successful vaccine approaches to prevent S. aureus disease in the future.
Distinguishing choice and subjective probability estimation processes: Implications for theories of judgment and for cross-cultural comparisons

Abstract Research on subjective probability (SP) often focuses on the difference between the fraction of correct binary choices and the SP that they are correct or on the deviation of the calibration curve from the diagonal. On the assumption that choice and SP judgments reflect different, albeit closely related, processes, it is important to analyze the two sources of data separately. This article uses data collected by Yates, Lee, Shinotsuka, Patalano, and Sieck (1998) from Chinese, Japanese, and Americans to demonstrate the advantages of doing so and to yield new conclusions regarding cross-cultural comparisons of judgment. One new result is that a discrete threshold model with an error term best described the choice data of all groups. From their analyses, Yates et al. (1998) had concluded that the Chinese were more overconfident than the American or Japanese. According to the present results, the Chinese appeared either more overconfident or more underconfident, depending on how the data are analyzed. The dual outcome is a consequence of the greater variability both in their SP judgments and in their binary choices. Additionally, the Chinese participants’ choices and SPs were more responsive to the base rate than were those of the other groups.