cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro and in vivo effects of commercial tannic acid and geranium tannin on tobacco mosaic virus

Abstract A water extract of common geranium (Pelargonium hortorum Bailey) leaves inhibited development of starch lesions in cucumber cotyledons when applied by vacuum infiltration 24 hours after inoculation with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The active principle in the geranium extract was related to tannic acid. Tannic acid, had an LD50 of 1.4 × 10−4 M. Complete inhibition of starch lesions was obtained by infiltrating an effective dosafe at any time between 1 hour and 33 hours after virus inoculation; between 33 and 72 hours, inhibition decreased progressively. Infiltration at 24 hours after inoculation of the systemic host Physalis floridana resulted in reduced virus titer. Tannic acid infiltration reduced the total host ribonucleic acid (RNA) in cucumber cotyledons during the first few hours after infiltration, but the cotyledons recovered within 24 hours. Virus titer assays on treated cucumber cotyledons revealed a linear increase in virus replication to higher levels than in untreated leaves, even though the number of starch lesions was reduced. In the cucumber-TMV system, tannic acid prevented the development of starch lesions and interfered with the host defense mechanism, thus permitting systemic virus invasion. Tannic acid inactivated both TMV and TMV RNA in vitro by forming noninfectious complexes. TMV RNA was much more sensitive to inactivation than was whole TMV. TMV appeared to have three in vitro reactions with tannic acid: an instantaneous reaction that was reversible with caffeine: a slow first-order reaction partially reversible with caffeine: and a denaturing reaction, at high TMV concentrations, not reversible with caffeine. The tannic acid reaction with TMV RNA was caffeine reversible. Part of the inactivation of whole TMV appeared to be due to a reaction of tannic acid with the RNA core. A brown coloration resulted when tannic acid was allowed to react with TMV, TMV RNA, uridylic acid, or guanylic acid. This reaction did not occur with TMV protein, other nucleotides, nucleotides, or purine or pyrimidine bases. The reaction was thus specific for uridylic and guanylic acids.
ESR and HPLC-EC Analysis of the Interaction of Hydroxyl Radical with DMSO: Rapid Reduction and Quantification of POBN and PBN Nitroxides

The low stability of hydroxyl radical (OH.)-derived nitroxides is a limiting factor for direct spin-trapping of OH. in biological systems. The latter experimental difficulty is partly solved with the introduction of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) into the studied systems. Hydroxyl radical oxidizes DMSO to methyl radical, which forms relatively stable nitroxides. The results of the present work provide evidence that in alpha-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert-butylnitrone (POBN) and alpha-phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN) spin-trapping experiments aimed to detect methyl radical in biological systems, the nitroxides formed can be reduced to their ESR-"silent" hydroxylamine derivatives. The nitroxides and their hydroxylamine derivatives were successfully analyzed by HPLC with electrochemical (EC) and UV detection. The lowest limits of UV and EC detection of POBN/CH3 hydroxylamine was evaluated to be in the micro- and nanomolar range, respectively. In parallel ESR and HPLC-EC analysis of the metabolism of menadione by either HepG2 cells or isolated rat hepatocytes in the presence of DMSO, the HPLC-EC method has proven to be more sensitive in detecting the production of methyl radical. The use of the HPLC-EC detection of POBN/CH3 and PBN/CH3 is expected to be advantageous in detection of hydroxyl radical in biological systems in the presence of DMSO.
Steady States of the Vlasov–Poisson–Fokker–Planck System

Abstract The form of steady state solutions to the Vlasov–Poisson–Fokker–Planck system is known from the works of Dressler and others. In these papers an external potential is present which tends to infinity as | x |→∞. It is shown here that this assumption is needed to obtain nontrivial steady states. This is achieved by showing that for a given nonnegative background density satisfying certain integrability conditions, only the trivial solution is possible. This result is sharp and exactly matches the known existence criteria of F. Bouchut and J. Dolbeault ( Differential Integral Equations 8 , 1995, 487–514) and others. These steady states are solutions to a nonlinear elliptic equation with an exponential nonlinearity. For a given background density which is asymptotically constant, it is directly shown by elementary means that this nonlinear elliptic equation possesses a smooth and uniquely determined global solution.
Biological and Geochemical Sinks for Phosphorus in Soil from a Wet Tropical Forest

In many tropical and volcanic soils, phosphorus (P) availability is strongly influenced by geochemical sorption, which binds P to soil minerals. The aim of this study was to determine whether biological demand or soil sorption strength was the primary control over phosphate availability and retention in a wet tropical soil with high sorption capacity and low P availability. We added 32PO4 to soil from the upper two horizons and assessed the ability of soil microbes to immobilize the added phosphate in the presence of strong sorption. We added phosphate at two concentrations, one representing background turnover that adds low concentrations of P to the soil solution, and the other representing nutrient pulses that can add fairly high fluxes of P to the soil solution. Sorption and microbial immobilization were rapid for both concentrations, consuming most added P within 30 min. Thus, little P remained in the soil solution or extractable pools, which are considered more available to plants. Although soil sorption strength was almost identical for the two horizons, immobilization of tracer P was approximately three times greater in the upper horizon, where most microbial activity was located. This result suggests that microbial demand controlled how P was partitioned into biological versus geochemical sinks. Further evidence for microbial control is suggested by the movement of tracer P from the sorbed pool into the microbial pool when demand was stimulated by the addition of carbon (C). We also explored how increased nitrogen (N) and P availability changed P dynamics in this nutrient poor soil. In contrast to the unfertilized soil, long-term N and P fertilization substantially reduced biological control over inorganic P. P fertilization saturated the soils, overwhelming biological P demand, whereas N fertilization appeared to increase available P through reduced P sorption. Where biological demand for P is high and P becomes available in the soil solution, microbes may play an important role in controlling P partitioning into biological versus geochemical sinks even in soils that have high sorption capacity.
Acquired partial deletions of the long arm of chromosome 5 in hematologic disorders

We have analyzed the data on 105 patients reported with a deletion of part of the long arm of chromosome 5 in the presence of hematologic disease. The major conditions associated with this abnormality are refractory anemia, polycythemia vera, and acute myelogenous leukemia, as well as the occasional occurrence of several other problems.
Usefulness of precracked charpy specimens for fracture toughness screening tests of titanium alloys

Although theK IC value of a material is a very useful measure of fracture toughness, its valid experimental determination can be a complex and expensive procedure, not at present suited to routine alloy screening or quality control purposes. To explore the feasibility of estimatingK IC in titanium alloys using techniques that are more convenient to perform, impact and slow-bend tests were made on either V-notched or fatigue-precracked Charpy specimens, and the resulting energy values were compared with the corresponding approximateK IC values. Of the various tests studied, results from five titanium-based alloys, two steels, and two aluminum alloys showed that precracked specimens broken in slow-bend hold the most promise of giving energy values that can be related toK IC . The best correlation came from specimens having mostly flat fractures, but in the higher-toughness cases, where shear lips of an appreciable size were formed, just as reasonable a relationship between energy andK IC was observed when flat-fracture energies were used.
Unilateral posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome with hypertensive therapy of contralateral vasospasm: case report.

Background and importance Hemodynamic treatment of subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced vasospasm is associated with a number of systemic and cerebral risks. However, hypertensive encephalopathy has rarely been reported in the setting of induced hypertension. Recognition of this complication is nonetheless critical because failure to lower blood pressure may lead to worsening of deficits and even permanent injury. Clinical presentation This report details a case of unilateral hypertensive encephalopathy (also referred to as posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome [PRES]) in a subarachnoid hemorrhage patient who was being treated with induced hypertension for symptomatic vasospasm affecting the contralateral hemisphere. This patient developed right hemispheric deficits associated with angiographic vasospasm of the right middle cerebral artery, which responded to induced hypertension. However, within 24 hours of raising blood pressure, the patient deteriorated with new left hemispheric deficits that paradoxically worsened when blood pressure was raised further in response. Computed tomography imaging was suspicious for evolving infarction in the left hemisphere, but on reevaluation, concern for PRES was raised. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed left hemispheric PRES, and a dramatic neurological improvement occurred almost immediately after lowering blood pressure. Repeat CT showed resolution of the left hemispheric edema. Conclusion This is the first reported case of unilateral PRES in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage. It likely occurred because right-sided vasospasm attenuated ipsilateral distal perfusion pressures, leaving the left hemisphere vulnerable to the consequences of induced hypertension. Hypertensive encephalopathy should be considered in patients with unilateral or asymmetric vasospasm when neurological worsening occurs in the contralateral hemisphere during induced hypertension and/or the patient paradoxically worsens despite raising blood pressure.
A Method to Obtain Diffuse Reflectance Measurements from 1.0 to 3.0 µm Using a Cary 17I Spectrophotometer

This paper describes a way to perform diffuse reflectance measurements over the 1.0 to 3.0 μm spectral interval by using a Cary 171 spectrophotometer equipped with inexpensive standard accessory cell-space integrating spheres. The method involves coating the cell-space spheres with a powder of pure grade quenched sulfur and making a minor alteration in an electronic amplifier. A spectrum of ground gypsum crystal in the 2.6 to 3.0 μm spectral region and a spectrum of a layer of hectorite clay in the 1.0 to 3.0 μm spectral region are presented to illustrate the applicability of the above technique for making diffuse reflectance measurements in the near infrared.
Response of dry- and liquid-filled porous rocks to static and dynamic loading by variously-shaped projectiles

The present investigation was undertaken to study the response of both dry and liquid-filled porous rocks to static and dynamic loading of penetrators with various tip shapes. Eighteen static and forty-eight dynamic tests were conducted involving 6.35 mm diameter indenters featuring flat, hemispherical and 60° conical tip shapes on three different rocks in the energy range from 1.57 to 5.63 J. Force-penetration data were collected by means of strain gages attached to the penetrators. For all three materials, the magnitude of the resistive forces for a given input energy decreased in the following order: (i) dynamic penetration into a dry sample, (ii) dynamic penetration into a fluid-filled specimen, (iii) static loading of the fluid-filled rock, and (iv) static, loading of the dry rock. An unusual observation for the dynamic force-penetration curves was the temporal disparity between the peak force and maximum deformation, which must be attributed to inertial factors. Based on the experimental data, an analytical rigid-body model was constructed that contained both a static and a dynamic component of the resistive force with the objective of quantifying the effect of dynamic loading and the presence of fluid on the response of the rocks. The dynamic component was portrayed as a viscous resistance proportional to the velocity of the penetrator and the contact surface area which is a function of the indentation. It was found that the model provides a good predictive capability for the dynamic force-indentation relations for prescribed materials and tip geometries upon use of but a single constant for the viscosity.
Evaluating Current Trends in Psychiatric Music Therapy: A Descriptive Analysis

Approximately 21% of music therapists report working in the mental health field, more so than another other specific client population category (AMTA, 2005). The purpose of this study was to descriptively evaluate psychiatric music therapists and their institutions, philosophies, interventions, and clinical objectives. A survey was designed and posted online or mailed to music therapists who did not have email addresses in the 2005 Member Sourcebook (AMTA, 2005). A total of 176 psychiatric music therapists completed various parts of the survey for an overall response rate of 42.9%. Respondents reported working a mean of 11.3 years in the psychiatric setting, being Board-Certified Music Therapists for 13.3 years, and working at their institution for 8.4 years. Most respondents (90.6%) indicated they did not have a music therapist as a supervisor. Group music therapy was the dominant modality in psychiatric institutions for music therapists. Respondents indicated they read music therapy journals (80%) and other types of psychiatric periodicals (57.1%), presented educational sessions at conferences (44.6%), conducted in-services for hospital staff (64.8%), worked with an interdisciplinary treatment team (77.9%), and trained practica students (43.5%) and interns (37.4%). Respondents also indicated that although most were not bilingual (85.7%), they still worked with non-English speaking consumers (58.2%). Participants noted that they enjoyed working with the psychiatric population and felt they had a positive influence on treatment as indicated by Likert-type scales. Respondents reported using primarily behavioral or psychodynamic approaches but considered their primary psychological philosophy as eclectic. Participants predominantly indicated they addressed goal areas such as socialization, communication, self-esteem, coping skills, and stress reduction/management. Participants noted they employed a variety of music therapy techniques such as music assisted relaxation, improvisation, songwriting, lyric analysis, and music and movement to address consumer objectives. Participants indicated they used therapeutic verbal skills and techniques such as humor, redirection, reinforcement, empathy, and affirmation in their clinical practice. Additionally, the results of this survey were compared to the psychiatric portion of a music therapy descriptive study published in 1979. Similarities and differences are discussed.
Chemical quantitation of hemoglobin glycosylation: Fluorometric detection of formaldehyde released upon periodate oxidation of glycoglobin☆

Abstract A sensitive fluorometric method for the quantitation of hemoglobin glycosylation, based upon periodate oxidation of the carbohydrate moieties present on both the α- and ϵ-amino groups of globin is described. The formaldehyde product is measured as the fluorescent 3,5-diacetyl-1,4-dihydrolutidine formed from the condensation of formaldehyde with acetylacetone and ammonia. This method is rigorously designed to assay glycosylated hemoglobin levels and to give a direct measure of the number of glycogroups per milligram of hemoglobin. It requires only 1 mg of protein and may also be used to determine the extent of the nonenzmatic glycosylation of other proteins.
Thermogravimetric Analysis of Waxes

Thermogravimetric analyses of various waxes were made. This manner of assessment was evaluated critically.
Multispectral MRI-based virtual cystoscopy

Bladder cancer is the fifth cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Virtual cystoscopy (VC) can be a screening means for early detection of the cancer using non-invasive imaging and computer graphics technologies. Previous researches have mainly focused on spiral CT (computed tomography), which invasively introduces air into bladder lumen for a contrast against bladder wall via a small catheter. However, the tissue contrast around bladder wall is still limited in CT-based VC. In addition, CT-based technique carries additional radiation. We have investigated a procedure to achieve the screening task by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). It utilizes the unique features of MRI: (1) the urine has distinct T1 and T2 relaxation times as compared to its surrounding tissues, and (2) MRI has the potential to obtain good tissue contrast around bladder wall. The procedure is fully non-invasive and easy in implementation. In this paper, we proposed a MRI-based VC system for computer aided detection (CAD) of bladder tumors. The proposed VC system is an integration of partial volume-based segmentation containing texture information and fast marching-based CAD employing geometrical features for detecting of bladder tumors. The accuracy and efficiency of the integrated VC system are evaluated by testing the diagnoses against a database of patients.
Pesticide use and related health problems among greenhouse workers in Batinah Coastal Region of Oman

Pesticide practices and the health problems associated with pesticide exposure among 74 greenhouse workers in the Batinah Coastal Region of Oman were investigated. The workers were mostly migrant workers from India (37.8%), Bangladesh (28.4%), Nepal (14.9%), Sri Lanka (8.1%) and Pakistan (5.4%). Majority of the workers (44%) had some primary education, were between 31 and 40 years of age (50%), were married (85.1%) and had been applying pesticides for over 10 years (32.4%). Occupational and phytosanitary practices among the pesticide workers were poor, as most of the workers (59.5%) did not wash their hands after pesticide application, many (43.2%) did not shower and some (20.3%) did not change their clothes. Their methods of handling of partly used pesticides were questionable, with 81.1% storing them in other rooms in the house and 14.9% storing them in their bedrooms. Personal protective equipment (PPE) such as nose mask, overall and eye goggles were hardly used during pesticide application. Some of the reported health symptoms due to pesticide exposure were skin irritation (70.3%), burning sensation (39.2%), headache (33.8%), vomiting (29.7%) and salivation (21.6%). It was suggested that a provision be included in the Pesticide Laws of Oman that makes it mandatory for greenhouse owners to provide their workers with PPE. Also, regular training programs should be organized for the greenhouse pesticide workers to improve their ability to handle hazardous chemicals.
Experimental study of cockpit displays of traffic information for pilot self-spacing in congested airspace

An experimental study examined cockpit displays of traffic information for pilot self-spacing in congested airspace. Results demonstrate that pilots have the capability to benefit from additional traffic information and take over some additional control responsibility. Additionally, this experiment shows that pilots benefit from the presentation of velocity and closure rate, and from range spacing arcs.
Influence of Burke and Lessing on the Semiotic Theory of Document Design: Ideologies and Good Visual Images of Documents

The syntactic aspect of semiotic theory, especially its “aesthetic principle,” is very influential in document design theories and practices. It has its roots in Burke's and Lessing's gender-related theories of images. Thus, it is laden with ideologies: it embodies our patriarchal attitudes and our iconophobia. Employing the semiotic theory in document design, we are making choices to reinforce the gender-related ideology in Burke's and Lessing's theories. It is time for us to re-conceive the “aesthetic principle” by de-emphasizing it and to adopt the reconciliation approach to design effective documents targeted at various rhetorical situations.
Extracellular and intracellular polygllacturonic acid trans-eliminases of Erwinia carotovora.

Polygalacturonic acid trans-eliminase (PATE) was purified from the culture fluid of Erwinia carolovora, completely free from contamination by polygalacturonase and pectinesterase. The enzyme attacks polygalacturonic acid, in preference to pectin; however, pectin is attacked to an extent dependent upon the degree of demethoxylation of the pectin molecule. Polygalacturonic acid and oligouronides are degraded by Erwinia PATE at rates which decrease as the chain length of the substrate decreases; digalacturonic and unsaturated digalacturonic acids are not attacked by this enzyme. Erwinia PATE acts randomly, has an optimum pH of 8.5, and is stimulated by calcium. The major endproduct from polygalacturonic acid is O-(4-deoxy-β-l-5-threo-hexopyranos-4-enyluronic acid)-(1→4)-d-galacturonic acid (“unsaturated digalacturonic acid”); lesser amounts of unsaturated trigalacturonic acid and saturated mono- and digalacturonic acids are formed. From the cells of the same organism, an intracellular enzyme wag isolated which has properties similar to those of the extra-cellular polygalacturonic acid trans-eliminase.
ADVIS: A Software Package for the Design of Systolic Arrays

A methodology for mapping numerical algorithms into systolic arrays is presented in this paper. This mapping is done using a transformation function which transforms the original sequential algorithm into a suitable parallel form. A program was developed to automatically generate this transformation. We consider both the case of arbitrarily large systolic arrays as well as the more realistic case of fixed-size systolic arrays requiring algorithm partitioning. An example of the algorithm is given to present the methodology and the results obtained with the program.
Mechanistic Studies of Antibody-Mediated Clearance of Tau Aggregates Using an ex vivo Brain Slice Model

Recent studies have shown that immunotherapy clears amyloid beta (A) plaques and reduces A levels in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as well as in AD patients. Tangle pathology is also relevant for the neurodegeneration in AD, and our studies have shown that active immunization with an AD related phospho-tau peptide reduces aggregated tau within the brain and slows the progression of tauopathy-induced behavioural impairments. Thus, clearance of neurofibrillary tangles and/or their precursors may reduce synaptic and neuronal loss associated with AD and other tauopathies. So far the mechanisms involved in antibody-mediated clearance of tau pathology are yet to be elucidated. In this study we have used a mouse brain slice model to examine the uptake and localization of FITC labeled anti-tau antibodies. Confocal microscopy analysis showed that the FITC labelled anti-tau antibody co-stained with phosphorylated tau, had a perinuclear appearance and co-localised with markers of the endosomal/lysosomal pathway. Additionally, tau and FITC IgG were found together in an enriched lysosome fraction. In summary, antibody-mediated clearance of intracellular tau aggregates appears to occur via the lysosomal pathway.
Paranodal myelin retraction in relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis visualized by coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy

How demyelination is initiated is a standing question for pathology of multiple sclerosis. By label-free coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) imaging of myelin lipids, we investigate myelin integrity in the lumbar spinal cord tissue isolated from naive SJL mice, and from mice at the onset, peak acute, and remission stages of relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Progressive demyelinating disease is initially characterized by the retraction of paranodal myelin both at the onset of disease and at the borders of acute demyelinating lesions. Myelin retraction is confirmed by elongated distribution of neurofascin proteins visualized by immunofluorescence. The disruption of paranodal myelin subsequently exposes Kv1.2 channels at the juxtaparanodes and lead to the displacement of Kv1.2 channels to the paranodal and nodal domains. Paranodal myelin is partially restored during disease remission, indicating spontaneous myelin regeneration. These findings suggest that paranodal domain injury precedes formation of internodal demyelinating lesions in relapsing EAE. Our results also demonstrate that CARS microscopy is an effective readout of myelin disease burden.
Glatiramer acetate blocks the activation of THP-1 cells by interferon-γ

Glatiramer acetate (previously known as copolymer 1) is a synthetic copolymer of four amino acids that has been approved for use in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. It has been shown to suppress myelin antigen specific T cell activation by competing with these antigens at the major histocompatibility complex class II binding site and by inducing antigen specific suppressor T cells. In this study we investigated the effects of glatiramer acetate on the human monocytic cell line, THP-1, activated by lipopolysaccharide and interferon-γ as a model for macrophages. At non-toxic concentrations of glatiramer acetate there were dose dependent reductions in the percentage of cells expressing human leukocyte DR and DQ antigen as well as in mean fluorescence intensity by flow cytometry. Production of tumor necrosis factor-α and the lysosomal cysteine proteinase cathepsin B were markedly inhibited, but production of interleukin-1 increased. These results suggest that glatiramer acetate might alter macrophage effector function and suggest that further studies in human monocytes and macrophages are warranted.
Determination of minimum alveolar concentration of sevoflurane in juvenile swine.

Pigs are important animal models in veterinary and medical research and have been widely used in experiments requiring surgical anesthesia. Sevoflurane is an inhalant anesthetic with unique properties that make it an ideal anesthetic for mask induction and anesthesia maintenance. However, there are relatively few studies reporting the anesthetic requirements for sevoflurane in juvenile swine, an age group that is commonly used in research experiments. Therefore the objective of this study was to determine the Minimum Alveolar Concentration (MAC) for sevoflurane in juvenile swine. Sevoflurane anesthesia was induced in six Yorkshire-cross pigs of approximately 9 weeks-of-age and MAC for sevoflurane was determined. The sevoflurane MAC value was determined to be 3.5 ± 0.1% which is notably higher than values reported in the literature for pigs. This discrepancy in MAC values may represent changes in anesthetic requirements between different age groups of pigs and differences in the type of stimulus used to determine MAC.
Coupled heat and mass transfer in the entrance region of a circular tube with fully-developed parabolic flow and external convective heating

Coupled heat and mass transfer in the entrance region of a circular tube with fully-developed parabolic flow and external heating is analyzed. The closed form solutions of temperature and concentration distributions, local Nusselt numbers based on the total external heat transfer and convective heat transfer inside the tube, as well as the Sherwood number were obtained. The effects of Biot and Lewis number on heat and mass transfer were investigated.
Discrete Dirac Structures and Implicit Discrete Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Systems

We present discrete analogues of Dirac structures and the Tulczyjew’s triple by considering the geometry of symplectic maps and their associated generating functions. We demonstrate that this framework provides a means of deriving discrete analogues of implicit Lagrangian and Hamiltonian systems. In particular, this yields implicit nonholonomic Lagrangian and Hamiltonian integrators. We also introduce discrete Lagrange‐d’Alembert‐Pontryagin and Hamilton‐d’Alembert variational principles, which provide an alternative derivation of the same set of integration algorithms. In addition to providing a unified treatment of discrete Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics in the more general setting of Dirac mechanics, it provides a generalization of symplectic and Poisson integrators to the broader category of Dirac integrators.
Method for Evaluating Gravity Effects in the Testing of Nutation Dampers

A method is developed for determining the effect of gravity in the testing of nutation dampers on symmetric single or dual spin satellites. The basic theory is developed and then applied to the partially filled viscous ring damper and the spring-mass-dashpot damper. A comparison with test results for the viscous ring damper is also given.-
Adult self-reported and objectively monitored physical activity and sedentary behavior: NHANES 2005–2006

It remains unclear what people are attempting to communicate, in terms of objectively monitored behavior, when describing their physical activity and sedentary behavior through self-report. The purpose of this study was to examine various objectively monitored accelerometer variables (e.g., moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA], steps/day, sedentary time, etc.) across categories of self-reported MVPA (< 150 vs. ≥ 150 minutes/week), usual occupational/domestic activity (UODA; “mostly sitting” vs. “stand, walk, lift, or carry”), and leisure-time sedentary behavior (LTSB; ≥ 3 vs. < 3 hours/day) in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (≥ 20 years). This is a secondary analysis of 3,725 participants from the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) who provided relevant questionnaire responses and ≥ 1 day of valid accelerometer data. Descriptive statistics were computed for various objectively monitored accelerometer variables across categories of self-reported MVPA, UODA, and LTSB. Pairwise comparisons were conducted to examine differences in objectively monitored behavior between categories of self-reported MVPA, UODA, and LTSB. On average, adults reporting compliance with physical activity guidelines (≥ 150 minutes/week of MVPA) accumulated more objectively measured physical activity and similar amounts of sedentary time relative to those reporting not achieving guidelines. Adults reporting their daily UODA as “mostly sitting” or accruing ≥ 3 hours/day of LTSB accumulated less objectively monitored physical activity and more sedentary time than those who described their UODA as “stand, walk, lift, or carry” or accrued < 3 hours/day of LTSB. The most active cross-classified category (7,935 steps/day; ≥ 150 minutes/week of self-reported MVPA, “stand, walk, lift, or carry” UODA, and < 3 hours/day of LTSB) accumulated more than twice as many daily steps as the least active cross-classified category (3,532 steps/day; < 150 minutes/week of self-reported MVPA, “mostly sitting” UODA, and ≥ 3 hours/day of LTSB). A number of objectively monitored physical activity indicators varied significantly between self-reported MVPA, UODA, and LTSB categories, while objectively monitored sedentary time only varied between UODA and LTSB categories. Cross-classifications of self-reported MVPA, UODA, and LTSB responses depict a greater range of physical activity than viewing dichotomous responses for these variables one-at-a-time.
Emissions from photovoltaic life cycles

Photovoltaic (PV) technologies have shown remarkable progress recently in terms of annual production capacity and life cycle environmental performances, which necessitate timely updates of environmental indicators. Based on PV production data of 2004-2006, this study presents the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, criteria pollutant emissions, and heavy metal emissions from four types of major commercial PV systems: multicrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon, ribbon silicon, and thin-film cadmium telluride. Life-cycle emissions were determined by employing average electricity mixtures in Europe and the United States during the materials and module production for each PV system. Among the current vintage of PV technologies, thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV emits the least amount of harmful air emissions as it requires the least amount of energy during the module production. However, the differences in the emissions between different PV technologies are very small in comparison to the emissions from conventional energy technologies that PV could displace. As a part of prospective analysis, the effect of PV breeder was investigated. Overall, all PV technologies generate far less life-cycle air emissions per GWh than conventional fossil-fuel-based electricity generation technologies. At least 89% of air emissions associated with electricity generation could be prevented if electricity from photovoltaics displaces electricity from the grid.
An analysis of real-estate risk using the present value model

The current study uses a present value model that allows for a time-varying expected discount rate in conjunction with a VAR process to decompose real-estate risk. The study finds that the variance ofunexpected returns accounts for most of the total risk with cash-flow risk accounting for twice as much of the unexplained real-estate risk although discount rate risk is also an important factor. This dominance of cash-flow risk is found to result in a weaker mean reversion process for real estate relative to stocks. Another finding is that real estate investors tend to become apprehensive about the future when news on future cash flow is good, and thus they demand higher expected future returns.
Dynamics of vestibular neurons during rotational motion in alert rhesus monkeys

The temporal processing in the encoding of head rotation was investigated by comparing the dynamics of vestibular nuclei neurons with those of the regularly and irregularly firing semicircular canal afferents in alert rhesus monkeys. During earth-vertical axis rotations, neurons without eye movement sensitivity differed in their response dynamics from both regularly and irregularly firing semicircular canal afferents. At high frequencies, central responses increased in sensitivity and maintained phase leads of nearly 30° relative to head velocity. These persistent high-frequency phase leads resembled those of irregularly firing (but not regularly firing) semicircular canal afferents. However, at low frequencies, central responses exhibited significantly smaller phase leads than those of irregularly firing semicircular canal afferents, and dynamics resembled more those of the regularly firing afferents. The response dynamics of central non-eye movement cells were significantly different from those of position-vestibular-pause and eye-head neurons (collectively referred to as eye movement cells). In contrast to the persistent phase leads of non-eye movement neurons, all eye movement cells modulated closely in phase with head velocity at all frequencies down to 0.05 Hz during visual suppression tasks. Vertical canal non-eye movement neurons that were insensitive to both translations and static head tilts led head velocity by approximately 5–30° during high-frequency earth-horizontal axis rotations. Unlike the earth-vertical axis responses that led head velocity at low frequencies by as much as 20–40°, vertical canal neurons only slightly led or even lagged behind head velocity during low-frequency earth-horizontal axis rotations. Posterior canal central non-eye movement cells lagged behind head velocity significantly more than anterior canal neurons. These frequency dependencies of central vestibular neurons in comparison with those of the afferents suggest that both low- and high-pass filtering might be necessary to convert primary semicircular canal afferent response dynamics to central neuron ones.
Field performance of the CATHIA-T sampler and two cyclones against the standard Cowled sampler for thoracic fiber concentrations.

The performance of two thoracic samplers, the GK2.69 cyclone and the CATHIA-T sampler, and the GK3.51 cyclone was investigated in the field against the standard cowled sampler (current NIOSH 7400 method) to determine the effect of thoracic sampling. The CATHIA-T sampler and the GK2.69 cyclone were operated at 7 and 1.6 l min 21 , respectively. The GK3.51 sampler is related to the GK2.69 cyclone, but designed to give a thoracic cut at a flow rate of 3.2 l min 21 . A total of 136 area samples were obtained from a tremolitic talc processing mill and 148 area samples were obtained within a quarry in which metamorphosed volcanic rocks were being crushed for construction stone. Sample slides were prepared using the dimethyl formamide/Euparal technique and relocatable cover slips. NIOSH 7400 ‘A’ counting rules were used to examine fibers. Additionally, counters were asked to record the number of fibers where a fiber meets the ‘A’ rules and is wider than 3-mm physical diameter in order to estimate the proportion of extra-thoracic fibers. A few slides from each sampler type were randomly selected and fiber widths for those fibers satisfying the counting rules were measured to determine median width ratios of each thoracic sampler to the cowled sampler. Overall, the combined results of this study and the previous study by the same authors (Lee et al., 2008) showed lower fiber concentrations for the CATHIA-T sampler and higher concentrations for the GK2.69 cyclone and the GK3.51 cyclone compared to the standard cowled sampler. The proportion of extra-thoracic fibers (>3-mm physical diameter) on the filters collected with each type of thoracic samplers was comparable to the proportion of such fibers collected with the cowled sampler. The most consistent result over this study and our previous study is that both cyclones gave higher fiber concentrations than the CATHIA-T sampler. However, the estimated width ratios of each cyclone type to the cowled sampler were similar to or equal to 1 indicating no separation of fiber bundles due to cyclone effects. An inverse relationship between the fiber concentration ratios of each thoracic sampler type to the cowled sampler and the relative sample loading rate compared to the cowled sampler was observed. The difference in fiber concentration ratios might be a function of sample loading rather than an effect of thoracic size selection. Therefore, it is not recommended that any of these samplers be used to replace the cowled sampler in measurements intended for comparison with limit
Low voltage low power SiGe BiCMOS X-band LNA design and its comparison study with IEEE 802.11a LNA design

This paper presents a low voltage low power X-band LNA integrated in 0.25 /spl mu/m SiGe BiCMOS process and its comparison study with an IEEE 802.11a LNA design. The X-band and IEEE 802.11a operating frequency is 10 GHz and 5.8 GHz, respectively. The designed LNAs use the same architecture, supply voltage, and consume the same amount of current. Both require only a 1.5 V supply voltage and consume 1.5 mW DC power. The difference between the two circuits is that they contain different input and output matches and loads. At 10 GHz, the LNA has a voltage gain of 11.49 dB, noise figure (NF) of 3.84 dB, with input return loss of 15.37 dB, output return loss of -17 dB, and PldB of -3.75 dBm. At 5.8 GHz, the LNA has voltage gain of 16.07 dB, noise figure (NF) of 3,07 dB, with input return loss of -18.1 dB, output return loss of -15.23 dB, and PldB of -6.54 dBm. The key features of both circuits are low voltage, low power, and good noise match. At 10 GHz and 5.8 GHz, the difference between noise figure and minimum noise figure is only 0.03 dB and 0.05 dB, respectively. Demonstrating a low cost design for high frequency (X-band), it is designed in SiGe BiCMOS compared to other technologies such as GaAs, Si-BJT, JFET, PHMET, and MESFET.
Camera-based detection and removal of shadows from interactive multiprojector displays

Front-projection displays are a cost-effective and increasingly popular method for large format visualization and immersive rendering of virtual models. New approaches to projector tiling, automatic calibration, and color balancing have made multiprojector display systems feasible without undue infrastructure changes and maintenance. As a result, front-projection displays are being used to generate seamless, visually immersive worlds for virtual reality and visualization applications with reasonable cost and maintenance overhead. However, these systems suffer from a fundamental problem: Users and other objects in the environment can easily and inadvertently block projectors, creating shadows on the displayed image. Shadows occlude potentially important information and detract from the sense of presence an immersive display may have conveyed. We introduce a technique that detects and corrects shadows in a multiprojector display while it is in use. Cameras observe the display and compare observations with an expected image to detect shadowed regions. These regions are transformed to the appropriate projector frames, where corresponding pixel values are increased and/or attenuated. In display regions where more than one projector contributes to the image, shadow regions are eliminated.
A Power Law for Elastic Moduli of Unsaturated Soil

This paper presents a new power law for describing the dependency of elastic modulus on soil water content. Experimental data of either Young’s modulus from 11 different soils are used to examine the validity of the proposed power law. It is shown that the proposed power law can well represent the highly non-linear relation between elastic modulus and soil water content in silty and clayey soils.
SNR-optimality of sum-of-squares reconstruction for phased-array magnetic resonance imaging

We consider the commonly used “Sum-of-Squares” (SoS) reconstruction method for phased-array magnetic resonance imaging with unknown coil sensitivities. We show that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the image produced by SoS is asymptotically (as the input SNR→∞) equal to that of maximum-ratio combining, which is the best unbiased reconstruction method when the coil sensitivities are known. Finally, we discuss the implications of this result.
Scientists, Truth, and Power

There is little question that the interaction of government and science is one of the cardinal public issues of our time. Climate change, stem cell research, energy development, computer crime, nanotechnology, space exploration, weapons innovation, and other subjects attest to its importance and salience as a subject. Many scholars have written about the critical and vexatious government-science relationship. Perhaps the man who first contributed to the serious discussion of it was Don K. Price. At the time he wrote the book discussed here, 1965, the interaction of science, technology, and public policy was much in the news, but academic writing about it was characterized as "a literature in search of a field"
The Determination of Amphetamine and Methamphetamine in a Lyophilized Human Urine Reference Material

The concentrations of amphetamine and methamphetamine in a new lyophilized human urine reference material (RM) were determined at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in cooperation with the College of American Pathologists. In order to minimize the possibility of undetected bias, two different methods were developed. Both methods were based on Isotope-dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with a deuterium-labeled standard. The first method used a soUd
Measuring Children’s Response to Inpatient Treatment: Use of Practice-Based Evidence

ObjectiveThe study tested the feasibility of using practice-based evidence to improve children’s treatment response to inpatient care in psychiatric hospitals.MethodsA total of 524 children (aged four to 12 years) who were patients at three psychiatric hospitals with child units were studied between October 1, 2009, and October 1, 2010. The Acuity of Psychiatric Illness, Child and Adolescent Version (CAPI), a reliable and valid measure of risk behaviors, symptoms, and functioning, was completed each weekday by trained frontline staff on the milieu.ResultsGrowth curve modeling via hierarchical linear modeling was used, and linear trajectories were fit to children’s CAPI scores over days in care. Trajectories of CAPI acuity scores varied significantly among the children, and changes in scores (slope of the trajectories) were predicted by several clinical variables at intake. These variables included externalizing behavior, such as aggressive behavior toward others and objects and sexual aggression, and inte...
Advancing a multivalent 'Pan-anthelmintic' vaccine against soil-transmitted nematode infections

The Sabin Vaccine Institute Product Development Partnership is developing a Pan-anthelmintic vaccine that simultaneously targets the major soil-transmitted nematode infections, in other words, ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection. The approach builds off the current bivalent Human Hookworm Vaccine now in clinical development and would ultimately add both a larval Ascaris lumbricoides antigen and an adult-stage Trichuris trichiura antigen from the parasite stichosome. Each selected antigen would partially reproduce the protective immunity afforded by UV-attenuated Ascaris eggs and Trichuris stichosome extracts, respectively. Final antigen selection will apply a ranking system that includes the evaluation of expression yields and solubility, feasibility of process development and the absence of circulating antigen-specific IgE among populations living in helminth-endemic regions. Here we describe a five year roadmap for the antigen discovery, feasibility and antigen selection, which will ultimate...
Using a parallel genetic algorithm to design vibratory bowl feeders

In this paper I describe a genetic algorithm approach to the automated design of vibratory bowl part feeders. This genetic algorithm approach runs on a parallel computer and gives near-optimal designs in much less time than the previously reported optimal, brute-force search methods. In this paper I present results showing these better vibratory bowl feeder designs.
Efficient speech indexing and search for embedded devices using uniterms

In this paper, we present an efficient method of speech indexing and search using phoneme sequences called uniterms. In the indexing stage, a collection of uniterms and uniterm sequences is extracted from the target speech database by applying statistical scoring to each data item's phoneme lattice. In the search stage, each speech query's phoneme lattice is used to select candidate uniterms from the collection. These uniterms are applied in a speech recognition engine to convert the speech query into a uniterm lattice, from which we obtain a set of candidate uniterm sequences, each of which can be mapped to a search result item. Not only is this method a significant improvement over previous phoneme-based methods, it is shown that explicit sequential comparison of uniterms in query and target data can be avoided using the proposed method without loss of search performance. Avoiding sequential comparison allows better handling of transposition of words, and for the case where queries have word orders different from their intended targets, the proposed method can potentially bring about significant improvement.