cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of exercise training on neuromuscular junction morphology and pre- to post-synaptic coupling in young and aged rats

The objective of this study was to determine whether pre- to post-synaptic coupling of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) could be maintained in the face of significant morphological remodeling brought about by exercise training, and whether aging altered this capacity. Eighteen young adult (8 mo) and eighteen aged (24 mo) Fischer 344 rats were randomly assigned to either endurance trained (treadmill running) or untrained control conditions resulting in four groups (N=9/group). After the 10-week intervention rats were euthanized and hindlimb muscles were surgically removed, quickly frozen at approximate resting length and stored at -85°C. The plantaris and EDL muscles were selected for study as they have different functions (ankle extensor and ankle flexor, respectively) but both are similarly and overwhelmingly comprised of fast-twitch myofibers. NMJs were stained with immunofluorescent procedures and images were collected with confocal microscopy. Each variable of interest was analyzed with a 2-way ANOVA with main effects of age and endurance training; in all cases significance was set at P⩽0.05. Results showed that no main effects of aging were detected in NMJs of either the plantaris or the EDL. Similarly, endurance training failed to alter any synaptic parameters of EDL muscles. The same exercise stimulus in the plantaris however, resulted in significant pre- and post-synaptic remodeling, but without altering pre- to post-synaptic coupling of the NMJs. Myofiber profiles of the same plantaris and EDL muscles were also analyzed. Unlike NMJs, myofibers displayed significant age-related atrophy in both the plantaris and EDL muscles. Overall, these results confirm that despite significant training-induced reconfiguration of NMJs, pre- to post-synaptic coupling remains intact underscoring the importance of maintaining proper apposition of neurotransmitter release and binding sites so that effective nerve to muscle communication is assured.
Foreign Policy Worldviews and US Standing in the World

What do Americans think about the US role in world affairs and why do they think as they do? Existing scholarship identifies some general attitudes Americans hold toward world affairs, rejecting isolationism and favoring multilateralism, but few studies explore more specific attitudes such as assessments of US standing in the world (defined as foreign views of America’s capability, credibility and esteem abroad). American National Election Study data from 1958-2008 provide one such data point, which shows a strong correlation between party identification and attitudes toward US standing defined as weakness. When Democrats occupy the White House, Republicans generally see US standing falling. The reverse holds true when Republicans hold the White House. Past studies conclude that this correlation is primarily a matter of partisanship and domestic political ideology (conservative vs. liberal). In this article we investigate a deeper and more novel explanation rooted in the independent influence of individuals’ foreign policy worldviews. Respondents assess US standing based on nationalist, realist, conservative and liberal internationalist views of the world. Across multiple statistical investigations, we find that while party ID remains a powerful heuristic for defining attitudes toward standing, foreign policy worldviews also exert a distinct influence on such attitudes, especially for more politically sophisticated respondents.
The Vietnam War and Its Impacts on the Hmong

The fall of Saigon in 1975 set into motion a chain of events that eventually led to a mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of peoples of different ethnicities from Laos into neighbouring Thailand. ...
Estimation of EMG Activity of Trunk Muscles in Manual Lifting Tasks Based on Trunk Dynamics Using the Fuzzy Relational Rule Network

The main objective of this study was to demonstrate feasibility of predicting the electromyographic (EMG) activities of trunk muscles in manual lifting tasks. The applied data-driven fuzzy model wi...
Effects of Static Load on the Function of Mitochondria and Sarcoplasmic Reticulum in Rats′ Skeletal Muscle

Objective:To study the effects of static load on the function of mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle.Methods:16 healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group and load group(8 rats in each).Distal end of soleus of lower left limb was isolated after anesthesia.Load group was given 100 g load and 90 min.Mitochondria was separated under the condition of 4 ℃,9 000 r/min for 20 min and sarcoplasmic reticulum was separated under the condition of 4 ℃,40 000 r/min for 15 min.Ca2+ concentrations,Ca2+-ATPase activities and malondialchehyche(MDA) levels were detected.Results:Ca2+ concentration increased 111.11%,Ca2+-ATPase activity decreased 25.88% and MDA level increased 188.57% of mitochondria in load group compared with control group.There had significant differences(P0.01).Ca2+ concentration deceased 75.89%,Ca2+-ATPase activity decreased 61.49%,MDA level increased 122.86% of sarcoplasmic reticulum in load group compared with control group.There had significant differences(P0.01).Conclusion: Static load can induce calcium overload of mitochondria and decrease of calcium uptake of sarcoplasmic reticulum in rats' skeletal muscle,and decrease of Ca2+-ATPase activity and increase of MDA of mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Yearly Burden of Skin Cancer in Non-Caucasian and Caucasian Solid-organ Transplant Recipients.

Skin cancer is the most common malignancy in organ transplant recipients, with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) accounting for more than 90 percent of the post-transplant skin cancer diagnoses.1,2 Compared to the general population, solid- organ transplant recipients have a higher risk of developing skin cancer.1-3 In the non-transplant population, BCC is the most common skin cancer, with the ratio of BCC to SCC diagnoses at 4:1. In contrast, in the organ transplant population, this ratio is reversed, with SCCs being the predominant skin cancer.1,2 Multifold increases in the incidence rates of various skin cancers when compared to the normal population have been described, ranging from a 65-fold increase in SCC to a ten-fold increase in BCC.1-4 In general, skin cancer is less common in the non- Caucasian population than in Caucasians. Skin cancer accounts for 20 to 30 percent of all neoplasms in Caucasians, 2 to 4 percent in Asians, and 1 to 2 percent in African Americans and Asian Indians.5 Typically, the rates of skin cancer in non-Caucasian post-transplant patients are lower than the rates in Caucasian post-transplant recipients. Japanese studies have found that only around 2.5 percent of the malignancies in Japanese post-renal transplant patients were skin cancers.6,7 A Taiwanese study found no incidence of SCCs or BCCs post-renal transplant.8 Similar to these observations, South African studies showed no cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer in non-Caucasians.9,10 A recent American study found greater nonmelanoma skin cancer occurrences in renal transplants with skin types I to III than in types IV to VI.11 Likewise, a Switzerland study found a higher incidence of SCCs in light-skinned renal transplant patients compared to darker skinned transplant patients.12 The primary goal of this study was to examine the distribution of biopsy-confirmed skin cancer diagnoses in Caucasian and non-Caucasian post-transplant recipients and compare the skin cancer tumor accrual rates (number of tumors per person per year) of non-Caucasian solid-organ transplant recipients to those of Caucasian solid-organ transplant recipients.
Missing Eco: On Reading "The Name of the Rose" as Library Criticism

While many outside the library community have commented at length on the central role of the library in Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose (Milan, 1980; New York, 1983), librarians themselves have been notably silent. This reserve is surprising when one considers the vast and intricate library dystopia which Eco has created for his novel, the casting of a librarian as archvillain, and the use of a library book as this villain's principal murder weapon. Beyond these matters of setting and casting, however, close examination of Eco's imaginary library and its literary antecedents, but also of Eco's yet untranslated essay "De Bibliotheca" (1981), will reveal the author's use of the library metaphor to be anything but casual. It is instead an image charged with meaning, both within the context of postmodern literary theory and as an element of Eco's own agenda for real-existing libraries.
Web usage mining using fuzzy association rule

Identifying the association of web pages is important to enhance the user experience on web navigation by providing custom-defined services. Based on the behavior of user on the web, entries are made at logs of web servers and these entries are mined for modeling. Due to dynamic behavior of users, in the Web usage mining process, fuzzy association rules that have a temporal property extracts useful knowledge when associations occur. However, there is a problem with traditional temporal fuzzy association rule mining algorithms. This paper describes a solution using genetic algorithm that attempts to discover the rules occurring at the junction of fuzzy set boundaries.
Psychosocial Factors and HIV Prevention for Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men

We are more than 30 years into the HIV epidemic, and, although we have made many important scientific advances, there remains much to understand and implement to prevent new infections. The science of HIV prevention, although interdisciplinary, has relied heavily on psychological theories and research methods to address many key questions. In this paper, we briefly review some historical and epidemiologic considerations about the U.S. HIV epidemic and then present some key psychological concepts from HIV prevention. We make the case for continuing to focus efforts on gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, who represent the sociocultural group with the highest incidence and prevalence of HIV in the domestic epidemic. We present a summary of the research support for, and limitations of, the three major psychosocial models that predict HIV risk behaviors – the information–motivation–behavioral skills model, the minority stress model, and the syndemics framework. We discuss the use of these models in the development and testing of HIV prevention interventions and end by highlighting a few novel research areas, including bio-behavioral approaches.
Taylor’s Vortex Array: A New Test Problem for Navier-Stokes Solution Procedures

A direct simulation of the exact, nonparallel flow solution of the Navier-Stokes equations published by G.I. Taylor in 1923 was performed. The solution is a two-dimensional double array of vortices which decay exponentially with time. The unsteady Navier-Stokes equations were solved numerically for a subdomain of four vortices along the boundaries of which the exact solution was specified. The simulation was compared with Taylor’s solution to verify a new computational method. A moderate size (1200 lines) program was written to solve a system of coupled, time dependent, nonlinear partial differential equations. The algorithm developed implements a variable time step Crank-Nicolson method with Richardson’s extrapolation to discretize the timewise integration. It implements a 4th-order collocation method to solve the linear elliptic problems at the core of the computations. An iterative method is applied to solve for the nonlineari ties. The coded algorithm was designed to solve large scale fluid dynamics problems. It was applied to solve the Navier-Stokes equations and, in particular, to simulate the flow in a subdomain of Taylor’s vortex array. This simulation was a tests to verify the new 4th-order in time, 4th-order in space Navier-Stokes code. This code was executed on an Alliant FX/80 superminicomputer and on the IBM 3090-600E supercomputer. The simulation reproduced the exact solution ‘exactly,’ i.e., to within the precision of the machine.
The materiality of directors' and officers' insurance information: Case for disclosure

Abstract This paper advocates for the regulation of the disclosure of the information contained in directors' and officers' liability insurance policies. To prove the merit of the argument, it is demonstrated that this information meets the disclosure criteria identified in both the SEC Staff “Report on Public Company Disclosure” (2013) and the SEC disclosure concept release “Business and Financial Disclosure Required by Regulation S-K” (2016).
Turbulence evolution and shock acceleration of solar energetic particles

We model the effects of self‐excitation/damping and shock transmission of Alfven waves on solar‐energetic‐particle (SEP) acceleration at a coronal‐mass‐ejection (CME) driven parallel shock. SEP‐excited outward upstream waves speedily bootstrap acceleration. Shock transmission further raises the SEP‐excited wave intensities at high wavenumbers but lowers them at low wavenumbers through wavenumber shift. Downstream, SEP excitation of inward waves and damping of outward waves tend to slow acceleration. Nevertheless, > 2000 km/s parallel shocks at ∼ 3.5 solar radii can accelerate SEPs to 100 MeV in < 5 minutes.
Surface Modification of Silicon Pillar Arrays To Enhance Fluorescence Detection of Uranium and DNA

There is an ever-growing need for detection methods that are both sensitive and efficient, such that reagent and sample consumption is minimized. Nanopillar arrays offer an attractive option to fill this need by virtue of their small scale in conjunction with their field enhancement intensity gains. This work investigates the use of nanopillar substrates for the detection of the uranyl ion and DNA, two analytes unalike but for their low quantum efficiencies combined with the need for high-throughput analyses. Herein, the adaptability of these platforms was explored, as methods for the successful surface immobilization of both analytes were developed and compared, resulting in a limit of detection for the uranyl ion of less than 1 ppm with a 0.2 μL sample volume. Moreover, differentiation between single-stranded and double-stranded DNA was possible, including qualitative identification between double-stranded DNA and DNA of the same sequence, but with a 10-base-pair mismatch.
Patient and Health Care Provider Responses from a Prospective, Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Vapocoolant Spray versus Placebo Spray in Adults Undergoing Venipuncture in the Emergency Department.

Abstract Background: Painful medical procedures are common. Topical anesthetics are easily applied, rapid onset, inexpensive, and avoid injection pain and needlestick injury. The aims of this study, using patient and health care provider questionnaires, were to answer the following questions: (1) Does vapocoolant spray decrease venipuncture pain? (2) Would patients be satisfied with and use a vapocoolant spray in the future? (3) Would providers be satisfied with and use a vapocoolant spray in the future? Design: Adults (18-80 years) in a hospital emergency department (ED) were randomly assigned to sterile water placebo spray (S) (N = 50) or vapocoolant spray (V) (N = 50) before venipuncture. Questionnaires were completed by patients undergoing venipuncture (N = 100) and the health care providers (N = 100) who performed the venipuncture (total questionnaires = 200) as part of a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy and safety of vapocoolant spray compared with placebo spray in patients undergoing venipuncture in the ED. Results: Patient and venipuncture variables were not significantly different for the two groups (S vs. V). Responses to the questionnaires were significantly different for the S versus V groups for both the patients and the health care providers. Patient questionnaires: Did you have less pain with spray? S 14%, V 76% (p
Bed rest and normal daily activity were equivalent for acute low-back pain.

Question: In patients with acute low-back pain, is 4 days of bed rest more effective than continued normal daily activity, taking into account a patient's type of work? Design: Randomized (allocation concealed), unblinded, controlled trial with a 3-month follow-up. Setting: Practices of 54 rheumatologists and general practitioners. Patients: 278 ambulatory patients who were 18 to 65 years of age (mean age, 44 years; 53% women) with acute low-back pain or a recent episode (<72 hours) of chronic low-back pain with spontaneous lumbar pain rated ≥40 mm on a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS). Exclusion criteria were pain radiating distal to the buttocks; compressive, posttraumatic, inflammatory, infectious, or …
Acoustic reporter genes for noninvasive imaging of microorganisms in mammalian hosts.

The mammalian microbiome has many important roles in health and disease1,2, and genetic engineering is enabling the development of microbial therapeutics and diagnostics3,4,5,6,7. A key determinant of the activity of both natural and engineered microorganisms in vivo is their location within the host organism8,9. However, existing methods for imaging cellular location and function, primarily based on optical reporter genes, have limited deep tissue performance owing to light scattering or require radioactive tracers10,11,12. Here we introduce acoustic reporter genes, which are genetic constructs that allow bacterial gene expression to be visualized in vivo using ultrasound, a widely available inexpensive technique with deep tissue penetration and high spatial resolution13,14,15. These constructs are based on gas vesicles, a unique class of gas-filled protein nanostructures that are expressed primarily in water-dwelling photosynthetic organisms as a means to regulate buoyancy16,17. Heterologous expression of engineered gene clusters encoding gas vesicles allows Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium to be imaged noninvasively at volumetric densities below 0.01% with a resolution of less than 100 μm. We demonstrate the imaging of engineered cells in vivo in proof-of-concept models of gastrointestinal and tumour localization, and develop acoustically distinct reporters that enable multiplexed imaging of cellular populations. This technology equips microbial cells with a means to be visualized deep inside mammalian hosts, facilitating the study of the mammalian microbiome and the development of diagnostic and therapeutic cellular agents.
Representation of Ocean-Atmosphere Processes Associated with Extended Monsoon Episodes over South Asia in CFSv2

In the present study, we analyze 30-years output from free run solutions of CFSv2 coupled model to assess the model’s representation of extended (>7 days) active and break monsoon episodes over south Asia. Process based diagnostics is applied to the individual and composite events to identify precursor signals in both ocean and atmospheric variables. Our examination suggests that CFSv2, like most coupled models, depict systematic biases in variables important for ocean-atmosphere interactions. Nevertheless, model solutions capture many aspects of monsoon extended break and active episodes realistically, encouraging us to apply process-based diagnostics. Diagnostics reveal that sea surface temperature (SST) variations over the northern Bay of Bengal where the climatological mixed-layer is thin, lead the in-situ precipitation anomalies by about 8 (10) days during extended active (break) episodes, and the precipitation anomalies over central India by 10-14 days. Mixed-layer heat budget analysis indicates for a close correspondence between SST tendency and net surface heat flux (Q_net). MSE budgets indicate that horizontal moisture advection to be a coherent precursor signal (~10 days) during both extended break (dry advection) and active (moist advection) events. The lead timings in these precursor signals in CFSv2 solutions will be of potential use to monitor and predict extended monsoon episodes. Diagnostics, however, also indicate that for about 1/3 of the identified extended break and active episodes, inconsistencies in budget terms suggest precursor signals could lead to false alarms. Apart from false alarms, compared to observations, CFSv2 systematically simulates a greater number of extended monsoon active episodes.
Combining Continuous and Discrete Phenomena for Feynman’s Operational Calculus in the Presence of a ( $${\varvec{C}}_{\mathbf{0 }}$$ C 0 ) Semigroup and Feynman–Kac Formulas with Lebesgue–Stieltjes Measures

This paper introduces the presence of a $$(C_{0})$$ semigroup of linear operators into the disentangling of functions of noncommuting operators in the setting where time-ordering measures with finitely supported discrete parts are allowed. Some examples are discussed. Furthermore, in this more general setting the main result of this paper, an evolution equation satisfied by disentangled exponential functions is obtained. A related generalized integral equation is also discussed. Via some detailed examples, Feynman–Kac formulas (Volterra–Stieltjes integral equations) with Lebesgue–Stieltjes measures are also derived and an associated differential equation is derived.
Study of Internal Deburring of Capillary Tubes with Multiple Laser-machined Slits

Laser micromachining processes cut material by melting the workpiece with thermal energy. The solidified material adheres to the cut edges and forms burrs, which cause many serious problems in manufacturing. Using existing conventional techniques, it becomes difficult to remove the heat-affected hard burrs that project inside capillary tubes. The aim of this research is to develop a deburring process for burrs that project into areas hard to reach by conventional techniques. This research applies the magnetic abrasive finishing process to capillary tube deburring. Through the manipulation of the magnetic field at the finishing area, the process controls the motion of the magnetic abrasive introduced into the tubes. This study includes a discussion of the principle for the internal deburring process of tubes with multiple slits and the refinement of the finishing machine. Experiments demonstrate the deburring characteristics of multiple laser-machining burrs projected inside 0.0165 in (419 μm) inner diameter tubing.
Measurement and Estimation of Rate Constants

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses measurement and estimation of rate constants. There are various limitations on the usefulness of thermochemical kinetics. These range from quantitative to qualitative uncertainties. Testing reactions should be measured under conditions, where isolated reactions can be observed, as the extraction of individual rate constants from complex reacting systems is fraught with difficulty. It is important to have a good set of values for the entropy and heat of formation of organic free radicals. A suitable choice of reference compound, that is, one similar in mass, size, and structure to the unknown, assures that the external rotational, translational entropies and heat capacities of the reference and unknown compounds can be the same, and that many of the vibrational frequencies can be similar. In reactions of OH with olefins, current smog and combustion models must arbitrarily decide on branching ratios. This is equally true in aromatic systems. Many bimolecular reactions are not direct, and involve a bound complex as an intermediate. These give rise to unusual parameters for bimolecular processes.
Poster: Understanding and Leveraging Developer Inexpertise

Existing work in modeling developer expertise assumes that developers reflect their expertise in their contributions and that such expertise can be analyzed to provide support for developer tasks. However, developers also make contributions in which they reflect their inexpertise such as by making mistakes in their code. We refine the hypotheses of the expertise-identification literature by proposing developer inexpertise as a factor that should be modeled to automate support for developer tasks.
The underlying mechanisms by which estrogen regulates energy metabolism and body composition

Ovariectomized rats gain excess body weight (BW) even when they are pair-fed to sham animals. This higher BW, contrary to common belief, does not result in higher bone mineral density (BMD). The pu...
Tamoxifen-induced, intestinal-specific deletion of Slc5a6 in adult mice leads to spontaneous inflammation: involvement of NF-κB, NLRP3, and gut microbiota.

This study demonstrates that deletion of the intestinal biotin uptake system in adult mice leads to the development of spontaneous gut inflammation and that luminal microbiota plays a role in its d...
Benchmarks for progress in neuromorphic computing

In order for the neuromorphic research field to advance into the mainstream of computing, it needs to start quantifying gains, standardize on benchmarks and focus on feasible application challenges.
Apocalypse, Revolution and Terrorism: from the Sicari to the American Revolt against the Modern World

I spent a good deal of my youth in deep conversation—with God. For the most part, this was a one-way affair. He (not yet, She) was there to hear my secret wishes, patiently endure my complaints, fe...
Association between homelessness and opioid overdose and opioid-related hospital admissions/emergency department visits.

Abstract Background Although homelessness and opioid overdose are major public health issues in the U.S., evidence is limited as to whether homelessness is associated with an increased risk of opioid overdose. Objective To compare opioid-related outcomes between homeless versus housed individuals in low-income communities. Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional analysis of individuals who had at least one ED visit or hospitalization in four states (Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York) in 2014. Measurements Risk of opioid overdose and opioid-related ED visits/hospital admissions were compared between homeless versus low-income housed individuals, adjusting for patient characteristics and hospital-specific fixed effects (effectively comparing homeless versus low-income housed individuals treated at the same hospital). We also examined whether risk of opioid-related outcomes varied by patients' sex and race/ethnicity. Results A total of 96,099 homeless and 2,869,230 low-income housed individuals were analyzed. Homeless individuals had significantly higher risk of opioid overdose (adjusted risk, 1.8% for homeless vs. 0.3% for low-income housed individuals; adjusted risk difference [aRD], +1.5%; 95%CI, +1.0% to +2.0%; p Limitations Individuals with no ED visit or hospitalization in 2014 were not included. Conclusion Homeless individuals had disproportionately higher adjusted risk of opioid-related outcomes compared to low-income housed individuals treated at the same hospital. Among homeless individuals, non-Hispanic White females incurred the highest risk. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing the homeless population—especially the non-Hispanic White female homeless population—as a high-risk population for opioid overdose.
Incidental diagnosis of a silent brachiocephalic vein aneurysm and its surgical treatment.

Abstract Brachiocephalic vein aneurysm is an extremely rare clinical entity, with a limited number of case reports in the literature. We report the case of a 74-year-old woman with a left brachiocephalic vein aneurysm (3 × 3 × 6.5 cm) that was discovered fortuitously by contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography. Surgical intervention was performed simultaneously during tricuspid valve surgery with coronary artery bypass grafting. This paper discusses the details of our case, the surgical treatment of brachiocephalic vein aneurysms, and the different treatment options.
Enhancing Student Learning and Teacher Development: Does “Assessment for Learning” Matter?:

This paper aims to report a case study of exploring the effect of “assessment for learning” on improving student learning and facilitating teachers’ professional development in the examination-orie...
Sambando New Orleans: Dancing Race, Gender, and Place with Casa Samba

Assuming that embodiment is a cultural marker in identity politics and that dance is an especially highly charged identity marker for Brazilian culture, this article explores the racial and gender politics of Casa Samba, an African American-directed samba school in New Orleans that aims to perform “authentic” Brazilian culture. The analysis of this cultural performance space is both ethnographic and autobiographical, since the researcher herself has been a dancer with the troupe for more than five years. An ethnographic and embodied analysis of Casa Samba reveals that the group's definition of Brazilian authenticity is contingent on global understandings of Brazilian culture and the local cultural performance space of New Orleans.
The impact of Japanese Fukushima nuclear accident on environmental radiation levels in some areas of Liaoning province

Objective To investigate the environmental impact of the Japanese Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant accident on radiation levels in some areas of Liaoning province.Methods The emergent monitoring was performed by detecting atmosphere aerosols,precipitations,drinking water,vegetables,milk and seafood by gamma spectrometry analysis and gross activity measurements.Results The fission radionuclides of 131I,134Cs and 137Cs were detected in atmosphere aerosols 20 d after nuclear accident.The rad ionuclides of 131I,134Cs and 137Cs were found existing in atmosphere for 25,4 and 6 d,respectively,with the highest concentrations of 4.6 × 10 3,2.9 × 10-4 and 4.2 × 10-4 Bq/m3,respectively.The man-made fission radionuclides could not be detected in vegetablcs,drinking water and milk from Shenyang city and seafood from Dandong city.Conclusions The atmosphere might be slightly contaminated in Liaoning province due to the nuclear accident,whereas the vegetables,milk and drinking water not contaminated. Key words: Fukushima nuclear accident; Liaoning province; Radiation levels
A comparison of rib cortical bone compressive and tensile material properties: Trends with age, sex, and loading rate.

Abstract The objectives of this study were to develop novel methods for quantifying human rib cortical bone material properties in compression and to compare the compressive material property data to existing tensile data for matched subjects. Cylindrical coupons were obtained from the rib cortical bone of 30 subjects (M = 19, F = 11) ranging from 18 to 95 years of age (Avg. = 48.5 ± 24.3). Two coupons were obtained from each subject. One coupon was tested in compression at 0.005 strain/s, while the other coupon was tested in compression at 0.5 strain/s. Load and displacement data were recorded so that the elastic modulus, yield stress, yield strain, ultimate stress, ultimate strain, elastic strain energy density (SED), plastic SED, and total SED could be calculated. All compressive material properties were significantly different between the two loading rates. An ANOVA revealed that sex alone had no significant effect on the compressive material properties. The interaction between sex and age was significant for some material properties, but this may have been a consequence of the lack of older females in the subject pool. None of the compressive material properties were significantly correlated with age, but were more correlated with sample density. This finding differed for the tensile material properties, which showed stronger correlations with age. When comparing between tension and compression, significant differences were observed for all material properties except for the total SED, once the effects of loading rate and age had been accounted for. This was the first study to quantify the material properties of human rib cortical bone in compression. The results of this study demonstrated that rib and thorax finite element models should consider the effects of loading rate, loading mode, and age when incorporating material properties published in the literature.
Modeling and Simulation of the Second-Generation Orion Crew Module Air Bag Landing System

Air bags were evaluated as the landing attenuation system for earth landing of the Orion Crew Module (CM). An important element of the air bag system design process is proper modeling of the proposed configuration to determine if the resulting performance meets requirements. Analysis conducted to date shows that airbags are capable of providing a graceful landing of the CM in nominal and off-nominal conditions such as parachute failure, high horizontal winds, and unfavorable vehicle/ground angle combinations. The efforts presented here surround a second generation of the airbag design developed by ILC Dover, and is based on previous design, analysis, and testing efforts. In order to fully evaluate the second generation air bag design and correlate the dynamic simulations, a series of drop tests were carried out at NASA Langley's Landing and Impact Research (LandIR) facility. The tests consisted of a full-scale set of air bags attached to a full-scale test article representing the Orion Crew Module. The techniques used to collect experimental data, construct the simulations, and make comparisons to experimental data are discussed.
Film Review: Ida

This Film Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Tampa Library at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact scholarcommons@usf.edu. Recommended Citation Palmer, Jack (2015) "Film Review: Ida," Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal: Vol. 9: Iss. 1: 122-124. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1911-9933.9.1.1333
Air Pollution in the Adirondack Park; Public-Private Efforts to Reduce Acidity in Soils and Water

The Adirondack State Park occupies most of the northern third of New York State and comprises 6.1 million acres. It is the largest U.S. park outside Alaska. It has more acreage than any three national parks in the lower 48 combined. The Adirondack Park differs in several important ways from most public lands. The park comprises all land, public and private, within a circular boundary called “the Blue Line.” Only about 48% of the park, known as the Forest Preserve, is public property. The rest is owned by individuals, corporations, clubs, or municipalities. There are no user fees and no “entrances,” other than occasional road signs marking boundaries. Park services are relatively limited. There are just two official visitor centers, and they’re both in the middle of the park.
Simultaneous computational discovery of dna regulatory motifs and transcription factor binding constraints at high spatial resolution

I present three novel computational methods to address the challenge of identifying protein-DNA interactions at high spatial resolution from noisy ChIP-Seq data. I first present the genome positioning system (GPS) algorithm which predicts protein-DNA interaction events from ChIP-Seq data using a single-base resolution generative probabilistic model. Using synthetic and actual ChIP-Seq data, I show that GPS improves the effective spatial resolution and accuracy in resolving proximal binding events when comparing with existing methods. Second, I present the k-mer set motif (KSM) representation and the k-mer motif alignment and clustering (KMAC) method which discovers DNA-binding motifs from ChIP-Seq derived sequences. I demonstrate that the KSM model is more predictive than the widely used position weight matrix model, and that KMAC outperforms other existing motif discovery programs in recovering known motifs from a large collection of human ChIP-Seq experiments. Finally, I present an integrative method, genome wide event finding and motif discovery (GEM), which models ChIP data with explanatory motifs and binding events at high spatial resolution. The GEM model links binding event discovery and motif discovery with positional priors in the context of a generative probabilistic model of ChIP data and genome sequence. I show that GEM further improve upon previous methods for processing ChIP-Seq and ChIP-exo data to yield unsurpassed spatial resolution and discovery of proximal binding events. GEM enables a systematic analysis of in vivo transcription factor binding to discover hundreds of spatial binding constraints between factors in human and mouse cells, including known factor pairs and novel pairs such as c-Fos:c-Jun/USF1, CTCF/Egr1, and HNF4α/FOXA1. I also discovered a complex spatial binding relationship involved 6 key regulatory factors in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell that is likely to be functional in ES cell gene regulation. Such computational discoveries propose testable models for regulatory factor interactions that will help elucidate genome function and the implementation of combinatorial control. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
The Color of Community Notification

The quick rise of criminal offender community notification provisions - popularly known as Megan's Laws - is among the most significant developments in late twentieth century criminal law. Over a ten year period, every state adopted regulations providing for registration and notification of a variety of criminal offenders. Despite the high profile of these provisions, commentators have thus far ignored one significant aspect of them: they have a significantly disparate racial impact on African-Americans. This article establishes the statistical and functional disparate racial effects of these provisions. It shows that, on a per capita basis, African-Americans are over-represented on Megan's Law rolls in every jurisdiction studied. It also shows that many of these provisions perpetuate historic racism within the criminal justice system. The article then explores why, despite the centrality of racial critiques in commentary about other aspects of criminal law, these concerns never surfaced in the community notification debates. Factors that may explain the silence around this issue include the narrow scope of equal protection doctrine, failures of legislatures to demand transparency about race, social phenomena such as moral panics and availability cascades, and the way in which these laws were framed as "white" regulations. Finally, it offers specific suggestions of doctrinal, legislative, and scholarly moves that make it more likely that these racial disparities will become more transparent, and thus more likely subject to full democratic discussion and debate.
Gigascale system design - challenges & opportunities

Summary form only given. VLSI system performance increased by five orders of magnitude in the last three decades, made possible by continued technology scaling, improving transistor performance to increase frequency, increasing integration capacity to realize complex architectures, and reducing energy consumed per logic operation to keep power dissipation within limit. The technology treadmill continues to provide integration capacity of billions of transistors; however, power and energy consumption are the barriers. Performance at any cost cannot be an option in the future; system architectures have to emphasize performance delivered in a given power envelope, with complexity limited by energy efficiency. This paper discusses potential solutions in process technology, circuits, and microarchitectures to exploit future gigascale integration capacity. The concept of system on a chip (SOC) helps to integrate diverse functional blocks, providing valued performance. The paper concludes with recommendations to the chip and system designers on how to exploit these emerging paradigms.
Direct immunofluorescence of detached gingival epithelium for diagnosis of cicatricial pemphigoid. Report of five cases

The diagnosis of mucosal cicatricial pemphigoid is often problematic because of frequent false negative or equivocal biopsy results. We describe an immunofluorescent technique that uses detached gingival epithelium for diagnostic purposes when oral manifestations of cicatricial pemphigoid are suspected. Erythematous mucosa that is gently rubbed produces detached epithelium that is then submitted for direct immunofluorescence studies along with tissue acquired via conventional techniques. In the five cases reported, the detached gingival epithelium stained intensely for immunoglobulins and complement on the basilar pole of the basal epithelial cells. The donor sites healed without a resultant periodontal defect. This adjunctive biopsy technique offers the advantage of easily procuring gingival tissue with deposition of immunoreactants that are quite specific for the diagnosis of cicatricial pemphigoid.
Health Technology Literacy: A Transdisciplinary Framework for Consumer-Oriented Practice

There is dramatic growth in the aging population and advances in technology innovation in the 21st century. Health technology can play a significant role in effectively helping older adults and peo...
QUANTITATIVE INVESTIGATIONS OF IDIOTYPIC ANTIBODIES : III. PERSISTENCE AND VARIATIONS OF IDIOTYPIC SPECIFICITIES DURING THE COURSE OF IMMUNIZATION

Changes and persistence of idiotypic specificities of specifically purified rabbit anti- p -azobenzoate antibodies were studied by quantitative methods. In each rabbit idiotypes identified 2 months after the start of immunization were still present in comparable concentrations 2 months later. After month 4, they were replaced by new and unrelated specificities; the changes were abrupt in two rabbits and gradual in the third, and were associated with an increase in the average affinity for specific hapten. In two surviving rabbits the new sets of specificities persisted in part for at least 1 yr. Quantitative changes occurred during this period, and the antibody preparation used as immunogen reacted most effectively with the homologous anti-D serum. The antibody population present at month 17 (D17) in one rabbit was deficient in idiotypic specificities present in D8 and lacked specificities present in D2, indicating the presence in D17 of a third group of specificities. The percentage of the antibody population from each rabbit reactive with homologous anti-idiotypic serum was greater at month 8 than at month 2, suggesting a decrease in heterogeneity. Since the donor rabbits were challenged repeatedly with antigen, it appears that, after month 8, a portion of the antigen was utilized to stimulate existing cell lines and a portion to initiate new clones. Precipitation of anti- p -azobenzoate antibodies removed idiotypic specificities, indicating that they were not present on the anti-bovine γ-globulin antibodies in the same sera.
Nonlinear estimators for censored data: A comparison of the EKF, the UKF and the Tobit Kalman filter

Measurement censoring, or Tobit model censoring, is common in many engineering applications. It arises from limits in sensor dynamic range, and may be exacerbated by poor calibration of sensors. Censoring is often referred to as a clipped measurement or limit-of-detection discontinuity, and is represented as a piecewise-linear transform of the output variable. The slope of the piecewise-linear transform is zero in the censored region. This form of nonlinearity presents significant challenges when a nonlinear approximation to the Kalman filter is to be used as an estimator. The Tobit Kalman filter is a new method that is a computationally efficient, unbiased estimator for linear dynamical systems with censored output. In this paper, we use Monte Carlo methods to compare the performance of the Tobit Kalman Filter to the performance of the Extended Kalman Filter and the Unscented Kalman Filter. We show that the Tobit Kalman Filter reliably provides accurate estimates of the state and state error covariance with censored measurement data, while both the EKF and the UKF provide unreliable estimates in censored data conditions.
High speed performance of PM machine with reconfigurable winding

This paper examines high speed performance of a permanent magnet (PM) machine with a reconfigurable winding (RW). First, the variations of machine parameters due to winding reconfiguration are presented and their impacts on drive system performance are investigated. To further understand system behavior, the reconfigurable ratio is set as a variable, and its effect on saliency ratio, flux weakening range, torque, output power and losses are studied in detail. Saturation effect is also taken into account. To verify the simulation analysis, a PM machine with reconfigurable winding was built and tested in a lab. The test results show that RW system can achieve up to 84% power boost with 57% copper loss reduction in high speed.
How close are ground-based Fabry-Perot thermospheric wind and temperature measurements to exospheric values? A simulation study

A computer simulation model of the measurement process for a ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) has been developed and used to study how variations of wind and temperature along the instrument line-of-sight affect the Doppler shift and width of the observed nightglow O(1D) emission line at high spectral resolution. Ground-based-derived temperatures in the nighttime sector of the winter hemisphere are found to give values that are representative of the peak O(1D) emission altitude. However, when the vertical temperature gradients are large, the ground-based FPI temperature measurement may differ by as much as about 12 percent from the temperature at the peak emission height. Simulations of the FPI measurement of nighttime thermospheric temperatures show that ground-based-derived temperatures may be lower by about 10 percent than the corresponding exospheric temperatures in the winter hemisphere and by about 15 percent in the summer hemisphere.
Shearographic Detection Of Flaws In Unity Vision Optical Components

Unity vision equipment, such as periscopes and vision blocks, is used in combat vehicles to furnish the vehicle crew with a wide-angle, closed-hatch surveillance capability. The addition of filters to eliminate laser hazards from affecting crewmembers' eyes makes the testing of such filters essential in order to assure their physical and optical integrity. The hazard filters are glass with a thin-film coating and, depending on the application, cemented to polycarbonate or acrylic. This paper presents some preliminary results in the applicability of shearography for flaw detection in thin-film coatings and bonded optical components used in combat vehicle unity vision devices.