cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative mRNA-PCR for expression analysis of low-abundance transcripts

Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) has been proven to be a useful method in the analysis of gene expression, especially for detecting low abundance mRNA transcripts. However, quantitation by RT-PCR can be difficult due to different reverse transcription and PCR amplification efficiencies and sample-to-sample and tube-to-tube variations. We have used synthetic RNA that contains the same primer sequences as the target mRNA, as an internal standard, to improve the accuracy of RT-PCR quantitation. Products generated from the target gene by RT-PCR differ in size from those of the synthetic internal standard. Using the ratios of two species of PCR products as a quantitation index, sample-to-sample and tube-to-tube variations can be eliminated. The method we present here can be widely applied to analyzing gene expression in different tissues or cell types with minimal effort to produce standard curves.
The microbial morphotypes associated with periodontitis health and adult periodontitis: composition and distribution

Abstract Subgingival plaque samples were obtained from 162 sites in 27 adult periodontitis patients and 162 sites in 27 healthy patients using a standardized lavage technique. The distribution of 10 different microbial morphotypes was determined by darkfield microscopy. The lavage technique selectively samples the loosely adherent plaque at the base of the periodontal pocket and not the tooth-associated, adherent plaque. This standardized technique permits quantitative comparisons of numerical density of morphotype composition at different sites, in addition to qualitative comparisons or relative proportions. There was a significant positive association between the numerical density of each morphotype within the non-adherent plaque and the number of sites at which the organism was detected in both healthy and diseased subjects. A previously undescribed darkfield morphotype, has been detected with this method. This morphotype. a small motile coccobacillus (S–MO-CB) has been found to be the numerically dominant species in both health and disease. This morphotype has been recovered in pure culture following passage through a 0.4 μ filter and includes organisms of the Wollinella and Campylobacter genus, Non-motile organisms comprised less than 1–2% of the sample from healthy and diseased sites. Motile forms, such as spirochetes, had a high frequency of detection in healthy individuals. Analysis of pooled plaque samples revealed that the prevalence of cocci and fusiforms was significantly elevated in patients with healthy periodontium, as compared to patients with adult periodontitis. In adult periodontitis patients, the frequency of occurrence of medium spirochetes, filaments and small non-motile rods was significantly elevated in pooled plaque. Analysis of individual sites indicated that the proportion and numerical density of most morphotypes within the non-adherent plaque were not significantly different in disease as compared to health. Disease is characterized by an increased % of small spirochetes and fusiforms at each site. At diseased sites which harbor small spirochetes, the numerical density is elevated four-fold, as compared to healthy sites which have small spirochetes. The numerical density of other morphotypes is not significantly different comparing healthy sites to diseased sites. Thus, the increase in the % of small spirochetes in disease in due to a site-localized four-fold increase in numerical density within the non-adherent plaque.
Global existence for systems of parabolic conservation laws in several space variables

Abstract We prove the global existence of solutions of the Cauchy problem for certain systems of conservation laws with artificial viscosity terms added. The system is assumed to admit a quadratic entropy which is consistent with the viscosity matrix, and the initial data is assumed to be close to a constant in L2 ∩ L∞. In particular, our result applies to the equations of compressible fluid flow in two and three space variables.
Early-Screening Programs: When is Predictive Accuracy Sufficient?

Review of the early-identification literature indicates considerable problems related to describing screening results and determining when a procedure accurately identifies students believed to be at-risk. Several criteria are proposed in this article for determining and communicating screening results. These criteria, which are applied to a screening program for illustrative purposes, provide a context for judging prediction accuracy. It is argued that accuracy of prediction is of little value and cannot be considered sufficient unless the predictions lead to better educational opportunities for the students about whom they are made.
Annual use of water sources by reintroduced Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis canadensis: effects of season and drought

Water sources are important for the conservation and management of bighorn sheepOvis canadensis (Shaw, 1804). Little is known, however, regarding the use of water by reintroduced Rocky Mountain bighornsO. c. canadensis (Shaw, 1804). Our purpose was to quantify use of water sources by bighorns to test hypotheses related to the value of these sites on Antelope Island, Utah, USA, from July 2005 to December 2006. We predicted that bighorns would increase the number and duration of visits to water during summer. Moreover, we predicted that animals would visit and spend more time at water during drought. Our results indicate that bighorns visited and spent more time around water in summer. These animals, however, did not visit and spend more time at water during drought. Nevertheless, use of water sources increased during times of similar precipitation that followed drought, indicating a potential time-lag in water use by bighorns. Our results underscore the importance of water for reintroduced bighorns in the deserts of western USA, and indicate that animals congregate in riparian areas near water and thereby may facilitate the spreading of diseases and parasites.
Identification of gonadotroph adenomas in men with clinically nonfunctioning adenomas by the luteinizing hormone beta subunit response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone.

Because of the recent finding that a majority of clinically nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas in women could be identified as of gonadotroph origin by their LH beta-subunit responses to TRH, we evaluated in this study the value of the LH beta-subunit response to TRH in identifying gonadotroph adenomas in men with clinically nonfunctioning macroadenomas. Thirty-eight consecutively studied men with clinically nonfunctioning macroadenomas were given TRH iv, and intact FSH and LH and LH beta- and alpha-subunits were measured every 15 min for 90 min before and 90 min after. TRH tests were also performed on 15 healthy, age-matched control men and on 12 men with adenomas secreting GH or PRL. Of the 38 men with clinically nonfunctioning macroadenomas, basal values were supranormal in 10 for FSH and in 6 each for alpha- and LH beta-subunits. Responses to TRH were elevated, compared to the healthy, age-matched controls, in 14 for LH beta-subunit and in 5 each for intact FSH and LH. None of the men with adenoma...
TH‐C‐230A‐08: A Prototype Rotational Immobilization System for a Proposed Static‐Gantry MicroRT Device with Tomographic Capabilities

Purpose: Proposed small animal irradiation devices are typically isocentric gantry systems. Multi‐axis gantry systems require significant resources to develop and maintain. A static gantry system could provide the functionality of a multi‐axis gantry via subject rotation if subject motion could be minimized. In this study, we evaluated internal organ motion of mice within a prototype immobilization device during rotation. Method and Materials: Mice were anesthetized and immobilized in a prototype device designed to rigidly support animal positioning during rotation along the cranio‐caudal axis. The head and tail of the mouse were allowed to extend beyond the immobilization device as an internal control. Validation of internal and external immobilization was assessed using computed tomographyimaging at multiple rotation angles. CTimages were co‐registered (translated/rotated) using our research treatment planning system (CERR) into a common reference frame. Internal organ motion was assessed qualitatively by examination of internal anatomy in overlaid multiplane CTimages. Quantitative evaluation of organ motion was assessed by delineating organ structures in CERR and comparing relative organ volumes and centers of mass. Results:CTimaging demonstrated minimal exterior contour changes (<1mm) in the immobilized regions during rotation. Un‐immobilized regions demonstrated the expected gravitational positional changes. Internal organs demonstrated sub‐millimeter changes in organ centers of mass (heart and lung) and small (<5 mm3) changes in volume during rotation. These variations were similar to the differences when the same CT was re‐contoured multiple times by the same operator and likely represent intra‐observer contouring variations. Conclusion: A microRT device with a stationary irradiator, collimator, tomographic imaging system, and rotating subject would reduce the overall cost and complexity of the unit. This study demonstrates rotational immobilization of small animals is feasible. This work supported in part by NIH R21 CA108677 and by a grant Varian, Inc.
Reconsidering the Wisdom of the Body: An Epistemological Critique of Claude Bernard's Concept of the Internal Environment

Claude Bernard's concept of the internal environment (milieu interieur) played a crucial role in the development of experimental physiology and the specific medical therapeutics derived from it. This concept allowed the experimentalist to approach the organism as fully determined yet relatively autonomous with respect to its external environment. However, Bernard's theory of knowledge required that he find organismic functioning as the result of an external necessity. He is therefore unable to explain adequately the origin or operation of organismic autonomy. A more complete conception of biological autonomy must include a theory of knowledge that can accommodate the organism as a source of discrimination and determination. Only in this way will it be possible to see organisms as active as well as reactive, as ordering as well as ordered. This shift in perspective is crucial if medicine is to be able to characterize, for example, susceptibility to disease. A cognitive sense of the organic interior is proposed as an alternative to Bernard's internal environment.
Trust, confidentiality, and the acceptability of sharing HIV-related patient data: lessons learned from a mixed methods study about Health Information Exchanges

Concerns about the confidentiality of personal health information have been identified as a potential obstacle to implementation of Health Information Exchanges (HIEs). Considering the stigma and confidentiality issues historically associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease, we examine how trust—in technology, processes, and people—influenced the acceptability of data sharing among stakeholders prior to implementation of six HIEs intended to improve HIV care in parts of the United States. Our analyses identify the kinds of concerns expressed by stakeholders about electronic data sharing and focus on the factors that ultimately facilitated acceptability of the new exchanges. We conducted 549 surveys with patients and 66 semi-structured interviews with providers and other stakeholders prior to implementation of the HIEs to assess concerns about confidentiality in the electronic sharing of patient data. The patient quantitative data were analyzed using SAS 9.2 to yield sample descriptive statistics. The analysis of the qualitative interviews with providers and other stakeholders followed an open-coding process, and convergent and divergent perspectives emerging from those data were examined within and across the HIEs. We found widespread acceptability for electronic sharing of HIV-related patient data through HIEs. This acceptability appeared to be driven by growing comfort with information technologies, confidence in the security protocols utilized to protect data, trust in the providers and institutions who use the technologies, belief in the benefits to the patients, and awareness that electronic exchange represents an enhancement of data sharing already taking place by other means. HIE acceptability depended both on preexisting trust among patients, providers, and institutions and on building consensus and trust in the HIEs as part of preparation for implementation. The process of HIE development also resulted in forging shared vision among institutions. Patients and providers are willing to accept the electronic sharing of HIV patient data to improve care for a disease historically seen as highly stigmatized. Acceptability depends on the effort expended to understand and address potential concerns related to data sharing and confidentiality, and on the trust established among stakeholders in terms of the nature of the systems and how they will be used.
An improved physics-based 1/f noise model for deep sub-micron MOSFETs

Abstract 1/ f noise has been investigated on the drain to source voltage of deep sub-micron p-channel MOSFETs, with 5 μm channel width and 0.32–1.2 μm varying lengths. The MOSFETs were fabricated using 0.18 μm medium doped drain technology. The measurements were performed in strong inversion and linear operation region at room temperature. Noise parameters for BSIM3 simulation were extracted from the 1/ f noise measurements. The oxide trap densities calculated from these noise parameters, however, showed a significant difference from transistor to transistor on the same die. Moreover, the drain voltage power spectral density exhibited a stronger dependence on channel length than the 1/ L dependence expected from BSIM3 model. A modified BSIM3 model has been developed, based on threshold voltage variation along the channel. The modified model provides a good quantitative agreement with the noise power spectral density as a function of gate voltage. In addition, the modified flicker noise model more accurately predicts the oxide trap density. Carrier scattering coefficient was also obtained from the noise fitting parameters.
Orlistat: current status in clinical therapeutics.

Background: Obesity has rapidly become a life-threatening epidemic worldwide. There are a plethora of obesity-related co-morbidities and complications that increase morbidity, mortality and cost of care associated with obesity. Orlistat is approved for the treatment of obesity and has been evaluated both in obesity and in the several obesity-related co-morbidities. Objective: The purpose of this article is to provide detail of the pharmacotherapeutic role of orlistat in obesity, describe orlistat and its pharmacological properties, critique the evidence for orlistat's use in obesity and obesity-related co-morbidities, and define the role of orlistat in clinical practice. Methods: A thorough, all-inclusive literature search was conducted to isolate clinical trials, case reports and meta-analyses evaluating the safety and efficacy of orlistat in various patient populations. Results: Orlistat's unique mechanism of action, beneficial effects on multiple co-morbidity surrogates and relatively mild adverse effe...
Experience with plerixafor for hematopoietic cell mobilization in nine patients with germ cell tumors.

Study Objective To evaluate the efficacy of plerixafor as a just-in-time therapy for patients with germ cell tumors who were identified as poor hematopoietic cell mobilizers after the initiation of apheresis. Design Case series. Setting National Cancer Institute–designated cancer center. Patients Nine patients with germ cell tumors who received plerixafor as an adjunct to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for hematopoietic cell mobilization in an attempt to prevent mobilization failure between January 2009 and December 2012. Measurements and Main Results Patients were heavily pretreated, having received at least four prior treatment cycles. A median of three total apheresis days (range 1–4 days) was required for all patients, but a median of two apheresis days (range 1–2 days) was needed after the initiation of plerixafor. A median of 0.9 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg (range 0.3–1.5 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg) was harvested with G-CSF mobilization alone; in addition, a median of 2.6 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg (range 0.6–32 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg) was harvested using plerixafor. All nine patients received high-dose carboplatin and etoposide followed by hematopoietic cell transplantation. The median time to neutrophil engraftment was 11 days (range 8–12 days). The median time to platelet engraftment was 16 days (range 10–22 days). Conclusions The use of plerixafor in addition to G-CSF as just-in-time therapy permits patients with germ cell tumors to pursue potentially curative therapy with high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell rescue.
Personality and situation in the prediction of women's life patterns.

The present study examined the importance of both personality variables and family situational variables in determining the career activities of young women. In a longitudinal design, family situational variables producing constraint (marriage and children) predicted strongly negatively both career persistence and career activity pattern. Within various family situations, two personality variables—Self-definition and the need for Achievement—predicted these same life outcomes. Results were strongest in indicating that self-definition was associated with professional career activity among relatively unconstrained women, but with “freelance activity in the home” among married women with children. These effects were strengthened further when the length of time a woman had been relatively constrained or relatively autonomous was considered. Results indicate that at least in this sample of young women still caring for small children situational variables may set broad limits on probable behaviors, while person...
A log-periodic cavity-backed slot array

This communication describes the element investigation, design, and testing of a backfire log-periodic cavity-backed slot array operating from 2.8 to 5.9 GHz in a frequency-independent fashion. The gain of the antenna is approximately 10 dB, and the VSWR is below 2.5 to 1. The H -plane power patterns are given with nearfield plots along file array. The advantages of the antenna are a simple stripline feeding system and the fact that the structure protrudes a little because shallow cavities are used.
Low-Delay Nonuniform Pseudo-QMF Banks With Application to Speech Enhancement

This paper presents a method for designing low-delay nonuniform pseudo quadrature mirror filter (QMF) banks. This method is motivated by the work of Li, Nguyen, and Tantaratana, in which the nonuniform filter bank is realized by combining an appropriate number of adjacent sub-bands of a uniform pseudo-QMF bank. In prior work, the prototype filter of the uniform pseudo-QMF bank was constrained to have linear phase and the overall delay associated with the filter bank was often unacceptably large for filter banks with a large number of sub-bands. This paper proposes a pseudo-QMF filter bank design technique that significantly reduces the delay by relaxing the linear phase constraints. An example in which an oversampled critical-band nonuniform filter bank is designed and applied to a two-state modeling speech enhancement system is presented in this paper. Comparison of the performance of this system to competing methods employing tree-structured, linear phase multiresolution analysis indicates that the approach described in this paper strikes a good balance between system performance and low delay
Perfluorinated Compounds and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Great Blue Heron Eggs from Three Colonies on the Mississippi River, Minnesota

Abstract. Archived Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) eggs (N = 16) collected in 1993 from three colonies on the Mississippi River in Minnesota were analyzed in 2007 for perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). One of the three colonies, Pig's Eye, was located near a presumed source of PFCs. Based on a multivariate analysis, the pattern of nine PFC concentrations differed significantly between Pig's Eye and the upriver (P = 0.002) and downriver (P = 0.02) colonies; but not between the upriver and downriver colonies (P = 0.25). Mean concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a major PFC compound, were significantly higher at the Pig's Eye colony (geometric mean = 940 ng/g wet weight) than at upriver (60 ng/g wet weight) and downriver (131 ng/g wet weight) colonies. Perfluorooctane sulfonate concentrations from the Pig's Eye colony are among the highest reported in bird eggs. Concentrations of PFOS in Great Blue Heron eggs from Pig's Eye were well below the toxicit...
State of the Art: Why do the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis become infected and why can't they clear the infection?

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) lung disease, which is characterized by airway obstruction, chronic bacterial infection, and an excessive inflammatory response, is responsible for most of the morbidity and mortality. Early in life, CF patients become infected with a limited spectrum of bacteria, especially P. aeruginosa. New data now indicate that decreased depth of periciliary fluid and abnormal hydration of mucus, which impede mucociliary clearance, contribute to initial infection. Diminished production of the antibacterial molecule nitric oxide, increased bacterial binding sites (e.g., asialo GM-1) on CF airway epithelial cells, and adaptations made by the bacteria to the airway microenvironment, including the production of virulence factors and the ability to organize into a biofilm, contribute to susceptibility to initial bacterial infection. Once the patient is infected, an overzealous inflammatory response in the CF lung likely contributes to the host's inability to eradicate infection. In response to increased IL-8 and leukotriene B4 production, neutrophils infiltrate the lung where they release mediators, such as elastase, that further inhibit host defenses, cripple opsonophagocytosis, impair mucociliary clearance, and damage airway wall architecture. The combination of these events favors the persistence of bacteria in the airway. Until a cure is discovered, further investigations into therapies that relieve obstruction, control infection, and attenuate inflammation offer the best hope of limiting damage to host tissues and prolonging survival.
Fiber–fiber interactions in carbon mat thermoplastics

Abstract Carbon mat thermoplastics (CMT) consisting of 12.7 mm long, chopped carbon fibers in a polypropylene matrix were manufactured using the wetlay technique at fiber volume fractions (FVF) from 10% to 25%, and tests simulating the compression molding process were conducted. The packing stress of the CMT followed a power law relation with FVF. A single fiber pull-out fixture was used to measure the frictional and hydrodynamic lubrication coefficients at fiber–fiber touch points, and results were fit with an existing relation for glass mat thermoplastics. In isothermal squeeze flow the load–displacement behavior for the 10% FVF CMT was similar in shape to that for a fluid with a yield stress. However, for FVFs of 15–25%, the load–displacement curves showed a load spike at the beginning of the flow, then followed the curve for a fluid with a yield stress. The spike was attributed to fiber breakage that increased with increasing FVF of the sample.
Thermochemistry and Reaction Mechanisms of Nitromethane Ignition

The thermochemistry and reaction mechanisms of nitromethane initiation are modeled using detailed chemical kinetics. Initial conditions correspond to gaseous nitromethane at atmospheric and liquid-like densities and initial temperatures between 1100 and 2000 K. Global reactions as well as elementary reactions are identified for each of the two stages of ignition. The chemical steps to convert the nitro group to N 2 involve a complex set of elementary reactions. The time-dependence of the ignition steps (ignition delay times) as a function of temperature and pressure is used to determine effective activation energies and pressure dependencies to ignition. The ignition delay times range from several nanoseconds to tens of microseconds. At atmospheric conditions, the delay times for both ignition stages are in excellent agreement with observed experimental data. At the high densities, the ignition times at these elevated temperatures appear to be dominated by the same reaction mechanism that occurs for atmospheric gaseous nitromethane initiation. This is to be contrasted with lower temperature, condensed-phase ignition studies where it appears that solvent-assisted reactions dominate.
Trends in Occupational Differentiation by Sex

When Gross (1968) employed two measures of occupational differentiation by sex, he found little or no decline in differentiation over the period 1900-1960. However, the type of data he used and the statistical characteristics of his differentiation measures make these findings questionable. A replication using comparable census data produces contrary findings. When comparable occupations are employed and when occupational size is controlled, a modest decline in occupational differentiation by sex is noted over 1900-1960. Serious questions are raised, however, regarding the adequacy of measures of differentiation to analyze occupational differentiation over time.
New and emerging pharmacotherapeutic approaches for insomnia

Advances in understanding the neurochemistry of sleep and waking have stimulated new pharmacological directions in the treatment of insomnia. While the sedation of historic insomnia medications was discovered serendipitously, now compounds can be developed for specific molecular targets with known sleep-related actions. Numerous investigational compounds, including some entirely novel approaches, are being evaluated currently as possible insomnia treatments. In recent years the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has approved medications with new pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties thereby extending the options for personalized pharmacotherapy. The FDA is reviewing new applications for innovative sleep-promoting medications currently, including suvorexant and tasimelteon. Presently the FDA-approved insomnia treatment medications include benzodiazepine receptor agonists available in immediate-release, extended-release, and alternative delivery oral absorption formulations; a melatonin receptor agonist; and a histamine receptor antagonist. Clinical indications include insomnia associated with difficulty with sleep onset, sleep maintenance, and middle-of-the-night awakenings. Alternative approaches to treating insomnia have included prescription medications employed on an off-label basis for insomnia, over-the-counter sleep aids, and assorted unregulated substances marketed to enhance sleep.
Visualization of early embryos of the butterfly Bicyclus anynana.

We report on the first attempts, using both light and fluorescence microscopy, to visualize the developing embryo of the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. We developed a new protocol that enabled the clear visualization of the internal egg structures in early embryogenesis (1–24 h after egg laying). Dechorionation was followed by fixation and physical dissection of the external egg structures. Observations of embryonic and extra-embryonic cells were made using a Hoechst nuclear stain that fluoresces in the blue spectrum when bound to DNA and excited with ultraviolet (UV) light under a fluorescence microscope. Preliminary data on the developmental rate of the early embryo are also presented.
A Review of Meta-Analyses in Education Methodological Strengths and Weaknesses

>> The current review addresses the validity of published meta-analyses in education that determines the credibility and generalizability of study findings using a total of 56 meta-analyses published in education in the 2000s. Our objectives were to evaluate the current meta-analytic practices in education, identify methodological strengths and weaknesses, and provide recommendations for improvements in order to generate a more valid and credible knowledge base of what works in practice. It was found that 56 meta-analyses followed general recommendations fairly well in problem formulation and data collection, but much improvement is needed in data evaluation and analysis. Particularly, lack of information reported as well as little transparency in the use of statistical methods are concerns for generating credible and generalizable meta-analytic findings that can be transformed to educational practices. Recommendations for yielding more reliable and valid inferences from meta-analyses are provided.
VIRTUAL URETEROSCOPY PREDICTS URETEROSCOPIC PROFICIENCY OF MEDICAL STUDENTS ON A CADAVER

ABSTRACTPurpose:: Training on a virtual reality (VR) simulator has been shown to improve the performance of VR endoscopic tasks by novice endoscopists. However, to our knowledge the translation of VR skills into clinical endoscopic proficiency has not been demonstrated. We established criterion validity for a VR ureteroscopy simulator by evaluating VR trained subjects in a cadaver model.Materials and Methods:: A total of 32 participants, including 16 medical students and 16 urology residents, were evaluated at baseline on a VR ureteroscopy simulator (Uromentor, Simbionix, Lod, Israel), performing simple diagnostic ureteroscopy. The students then underwent 5 hours of supervised training on the simulator. Two weeks later all participants were reevaluated (VR2) on the simulator when repeating the initial task. Each participant was then assessed on the performance of a similar diagnostic ureteroscopy in a male cadaver.Results:: In medical students VR2 and cadaver performances correlated closely for several me...
Mechanical energy fluctuations during hill walking: the effects of slope on inverted pendulum exchange

Humans and other animals exchange gravitational potential energy (GPE) and kinetic energy (KE) of the center of mass during level walking. How effective is this energy exchange during downhill and uphill walking? Based on previous reports and our own reasoning, we expected that during downhill walking, the possibility for mechanical energy exchange would be enhanced and during uphill walking, the possibility for exchange would be reduced. We measured the fluctuations of the mechanical energies for five men and five women walking at 1.25 m s(-1). Subjects walked on the level, downhill, and uphill on a force measuring treadmill mounted at 3 degrees, 6 degrees and 9 degrees. We evaluated energy exchange during the single support period based on the GPE and KE fluctuation factors of phase relationship, relative magnitude and extent of symmetry. As expected, during level walking, the GPE and KE curves were out of phase, of similar magnitude, and nearly mirror images so that the fluctuations in combined (GPE+KE) energy were attenuated. During downhill walking, the fluctuations in the combined energy of the center of mass were smaller than those on the level, i.e. mechanical energy exchange was more effective. During uphill walking, the fluctuations in the combined energy of the center of mass were larger than those on the level, i.e. mechanical energy exchange was less effective. Mechanical energy exchange occurred during downhill, level and uphill walking, but it was most effective during downhill walking.
Environmental Reviews and Case Studies: The Council on Environmental Quality at 40: A Life-Cycle Analysis

Like most other United States (US) governmental agencies, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) was established and its purposes defined in US statutory law. Specifically, the National Environ...
Epidemiologic evidence of superior outcomes for extramedullary plasmacytoma of the head and neck.

ObjectiveTo compare clinicopathologic data, epidemiologic factors, and survival outcomes between extramedullary plasmacytomas of the head and neck vs other body sites.Study DesignAnalysis of a national database.SettingExtramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a rare B-cell neoplasm with a tendency to occur in the head and neck. Due to limited clinical data, few studies have conducted a thorough comparison between head and neck EMPs and those arising at other body sites.Subjects and MethodsWe compared 690 EMPs of the head and neck with 495 non–head and neck EMPs, evaluating disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) based on tumor type, location, grade, stage, and treatment.ResultsHead and neck EMPs more often affected men (P > .001) and were typically located in the pharynx (21.5%), nasal cavity (19.3%), oral cavity (14.7%), and paranasal sinuses (13.0%). Non–head and neck EMPs were more often limited to only local disease at presentation (94.8% vs 82.1%-86.7%, P < .001). Patients with non–head ...
California's Proposition 2: Science, Ethics, and the Boundaries of Authority in Agriculture

Proposition 2 sought to transform the microstructure of agricultural production within the state of California. This paper examines the political debate surrounding the ballot initiative and its geographical implications. Proponents and opponents of the proposition utilized scientific and ethical principles to define their respective positions, differentiate legitimate voices from illegitimate voices, and designate which segments of the California population should have a role in determining the character of animal agriculture within the state. The generalities and specificities contained within these principles are shown to approximate different perceptions of the ideal scope of democracy. Amid these tailored principles, common sense also emerged during the election as a notion affecting the potential breadth of political inclusion in such decisions. In association with other ideas, the general character of common sense proved consequential for two reasons: it substantiated populism in politics while its embodied foundation fostered connections between humans and animals. Ultimately, however, common sense is shown to be a double-edged sword. While it appears to have played a role in the projected transformation of California agriculture, such change is not as revolutionary as some would suggest for it is grounded in the prevailing orthodoxies that characterize populism.
The effects of fire on soil nitrogen associated with patches of the actinorhizal shrub Ceanothus cordulatus

Nitrogen is a limiting resource in many temperate forests and nitrogen-fixing plants are usually limited to the early stages of post-disturbance succession. In fire-dependent Sierra Nevada forests, however, Ceanothus cordulatus is relatively abundant even in old-growth forest conditions which are at least partly maintained by fire. We conducted a field experiment to determine if soil beneath Ceanothus patches represent ‘resource islands’ of available N which persist after fire. Nine plots containing discrete patches of Ceanothus, Arctostaphylos patula (manzanita; chosen as a non N-fixing reference species), and bare forest floor were subjected to either a low-intensity (n = 3) or high-intensity (n = 3) bum treatment, or remained unburned as controls (n = 3). Soil temperatures during the bum were monitored by a network of thermocouples placed at the surface of the mineral soil and at ca. 10 cm depths. Sod samples were collected from the organic horizon. 0–10 cm and 15–25 cm depths within each patch type immediately before burning and 2 days, and 6, and 11 months after. Soil moisture, total C and N, and ammonium and nitrate concentrations were determined in the laboratory. Before the burn, Ceanothus patches were significantly enriched in total and inorganic N in the organic horizon relative to the other patch types. A sharp increase in inorganic N was observed in all patch types and depths immediately following burning, but by 6 months after the burn, Ceanothus patches were significantly enriched relative to the surrounding patch types and remained so at months. Resprouting Ceanothus patches will continue to be an important source of a limiting nutrient in this fire-prone ecosystem.
Improving the Regulation of Multi-Output Flyback Converters

Flyback switched-mode converters are among the most popular in the low-power range, due to their simplicity and low cost. They are especially popular in multi-output applications, due to the low parts count?one diode and capacitor per output. They would be even more popular if the output regulation were better. This paper reviews the common techniques to tighten the output regulation, and summarizes the measurements of performance of each, to aid the designer in making accurate choices from the available approaches. [1] Finally, a four-output design example is built and tested.
A Sense of Injustice Loosens the Moral Bind of Law: Specifying the Links Between Procedural Injustice, Neutralizations, and Offending

Existing literature demonstrates a clear connection between perceptions of procedural injustice and offending behaviors. Despite this connection, the mechanisms through which procedural injustice influences offending remain theoretically underdeveloped. To address this gap, the current study proposes that techniques of neutralization can be used to further develop our understanding of the connection between procedural injustice and criminal behavior. Using longitudinal data from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program, the links between procedural injustice, techniques of neutralization, and offending are explored. Results show that the effect of procedural injustice on offending is partially mediated by individuals’ neutralization attitudes. This finding expands the scope of procedural justice theory by demonstrating that procedural injustice is associated with attitudes conducive to criminal behavior rather than only the behavior itself.
Review: François Blondel: Architecture, Erudition, and the Scientific Revolution by Anthony Gerbino

Anthony Gerbino Francois Blondel: Architecture, Erudition, and the Scientific Revolution Abingdon, UK, and New York: Routledge, 2010, 326 pp., 88 b/w illus. $135, ISBN 9780415491990 Anthony Gerbino’s treatment of Francois Blondel (1618–86) is at once architectural history and cultural history, for the book opens new paths of research into essential and largely ignored aspects of architectural practice that clarify the murky intersection of mathematics, geometry, theory, and design. Blondel is famous as the author of the Cours d’architecture (vol. I, 1675; II–III, 1683), founding director of the Academie Royale d’Architecture beginning in 1671, and designer of city gates in Paris, such as the Porte Saint-Denis (1672–74) and Porte Saint-Martin (1674–77), as well as the now-demolished Porte Saint-Bernard and Porte Saint-Antoine at the Bastille. A military leader and civil engineer, Blondel had traveled widely and was a learned scholar of the classics, mathematics, and a host of other fields. All his experiences coalesced in his belief that his architectural forebears—Vitruvius, Alberti, Serlio, Palladio, Vignola, and Scamozzi—had arrived at the ratios, harmonies, and measurements in architecture that guaranteed perfect beauty and that to depart from those precedents was an invitation to licentiousness and ugliness. In these regards Blondel’s position was pitted against that of Claude Perrault (1613–88), who, while respecting the collective inheritance of the classical tradition, denied the existence of absolute principles of proportion and the universal authority of the ancients and their followers. Unlike Blondel, Perrault insisted that good architecture ultimately relied on matters of taste and personal judgment rather than slavish emulation. Thus began a quarrel of the ancients versus the moderns that enlivened contemporary architectural debate and reverberated through the profession for centuries. Claude’s position was laid out in his 1673 translation of Vitruvius. It was followed by the publication of the famous Parallele des anciens et des modernes (1688–92) by Claude’s brother, Charles Perrault (1628–1703), who linked Blondel’s position with the past, in contrast to his and his brother’s embrace of “the …
A framework for understanding game-based teaching and learning

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a framework for understanding and differentiating among different forms of game-based teaching and learning (GBTL). Design/methodology/approach – The framework is based on an analysis of existing literature and descriptions of GBTL in varied higher education settings, combined with case examples of the author’s personal experience as instructors of GBTL courses. Findings – Four frames or categories of GBTL approaches were identified: the action frame, the structuring frame, the bridging frame and the design frame. Each frame represents a spectrum of related yet varied strategies and assumptions. Originality/value – This framework is a first attempt at providing an analytic tool for making sense of the varied instantiations of GBTL in higher education. It can be useful as a heuristic tool for researchers as well as a generative model for designing future GBTL practices.
A Large-Scale Blended and Flipped Class: Class Design and Investigation of Factors Influencing Students' Intention to Learn

This paper reports a study of a large-scale blended and flipped class and has two major parts. First, it presents the design of the class, i.e., a coordinated and multisection undergraduate introduction-to-computer-information-systems course. The detailed design of various teaching methods used in the class is presented, including a digital textbook, video tutorials, several quizzes, allowing multiple attempts at those quizzes, self-paced online homework, Cornell Notes, and in-class activities. Second, it presents the research model developed to systematically examine the impact of various factors on students' intention to learn in the blended and flipped class. A survey was conducted and the data analyzed by structural equation modeling. The results showed that the teaching method used and students' motivation and computer self-efficacy could significantly influence their intention to learn in this new learning environment. However, instructor characteristics were found to have no significant impact on intention to learn. Students' written comments on the helpfulness of different teaching methods adopted in the class were also collected and are discussed here.
Deamination and Degradation of Amino Acids by Streptomycetes

1. S. venezuelae, in a saline solution buffered at pH 6.9, deaminated glycine, alanine, serine, threonine, glutamic acid, histidine, arginine, proline and phenylalanine. Under these conditions the ...
The role of self-determination theory and cognitive evaluation theory in home education

AbstractThis article explores the theories of Self-Determination, Cognitive Evaluation, and Intrinsic Motivation as it applies to home education. According to Self-Determination Theory, intrinsic motivation is innate. However, the maintenance and enhancement of intrinsic motivation depends upon the social and environmental conditions surrounding the individual. Deci and Ryan’s Cognitive Evaluation Theory specifically addresses the social and environmental factors that facilitate versus undermine intrinsic motivation and points to three significant psychological needs that must be present in the individual in order to foster self-motivation. These needs are competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Because of curriculum and time constraints, intrinsic motivation may be difficult to facilitate within the traditional classroom. This loss of intrinsic motivation for learning prompts some parents to homeschool their children. One of the most impressive strengths of home education lies in the fact that in many cas...
Pisolithus in Central Florida

2. . 1964. Relation of radiation and temperature to the sporulation of Alternaria tomato and other fungi. Phytopathology 54: 565-569. 3. Horsfall, J. G., and R. J. Lukens. 1968. Aldehyde traps as antisporulants for fungi. Connecticut Agric. Exp. Sta. (New Haven) Bull. 694. 27 p. 4. Kumagai, T., and Y. Oda. 1969. Blue and near ultraviolet reversible photoreaction in conidial development of the fungus Alternaria tomato. Developm. Growth Different. 11: 130-142. 5. Leach, C. M. 1961. The sporulation of Helminthosporium oryzae as affected by exposure to near ultraviolet radiation and dark periods. Canad. J. Bot. 39: 705-715. 6. Lukens, R. J. 1963. Photo-inhibition of sporulation in Alternaria solani. Amer. J. Bot. 50: 720-724. 7. Maeda, Karen M. 1968. Studies on photo-inhibition and related phenomena in the sporulation of Alternaria tomato (Cke.) Weber. Honors Thesis, University of Hawaii. 8. Tubaki, K. 1963. Taxonomic study of Hyphomycetes. Annual Rep. Inst. Ferment. Osaka 1: 25-54.
Definitions in Tissue Acquisition: Core Biopsy, Cell Block, and Beyond

This article identifies key fundamentals of tissue acquisition, sample preparation, and staining. It defines the understanding of different aspects of sample preparations, such as types of smear-preparation techniques, touch preparations, types of fixative, and newer technologies such as liquid-based preparations.
Diagnosis and treatment of severe hematochezia. The role of urgent colonoscopy after purge.

The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate (a) the diagnosis and treatment of 80 consecutive patients with severe, ongoing hematochezia from unknown source and (b) the effectiveness and safety of urgent colonoscopy after oral purge. Fifty-two men and 28 women (mean age, 64.5 yr) received a mean of 6.5 U of blood and had negative anoscopy, rigid sigmoidoscopy, and nasogastric tube aspiration before our evaluation. Because of ongoing severe hematochezia in the intensive care unit, urgent diagnosis and treatment was recommended by the attending physicians and surgeons. Emergency panendoscopy was performed before purge. Urgent colonoscopy was performed in the intensive care unit after patients received oral purge and their gut was cleared of blood, clots, and stool. The final diagnosis in these patients was 74% colonic lesions (30% angiomata, 17% diverticulosis, 11% polyps or cancer, 9% focal ulcers, 7% other), 11 % upper gastrointestinal lesions, and 9% presumed small bowel lesions. No lesion site was identified in 6%. Clinically significant fluid retention (medically controlled) occurred in 4% of patients after purge. Sixty-four percent of patients had intervention for control of bleeding: 39% had therapeutic endoscopy, 24% surgery, and 1% therapeutic angiography. For 22 patients who also had emergency visceral angiography, the diagnostic yield was 14% and the complication rate was 9%. Our conclusions for patients with severe ongoing hematochezia from an unknown site were as follows. (a) Oral purge was effective and safe for cleansing the colon of stool, clots, and blood. Sulfate purge appeared to be safer than saline purge. (b) Before urgent colonoscopy and purge, emergency panendoscopy was indicated to exclude an upper gastrointestinal bleeding source. (c) Urgent colonoscopy after purge was effective, safe, and often diagnostic. (d) Compared with urgent colonoscopy, urgent visceral angiography was often nondiagnostic. However, the examinations may be complementary. (e) Hemostasis via colonoscopy has a definitive role in the treatment of some focal colonic lesions such as bleeding angiomata.