cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microbial degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocyclics

Fermentor studies were conducted to examine the microbial degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; naphthalene, phenanthrene, anthracene) and a polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocyclic (quinoline) using a mixed bacterial culture capable of utilizing these compounds as the sole carbon and energy source for growth. Half-lives for the three PAHs in the cyclone fermentor system ranged from 1 day for naphthalene to 4 days for anthracene. Several major metabolites during the biodegradation of PAHs were also identified. These included 2-hydroxybenzoic acid and 1-naphthalenol (for naphthalene); 1-phenanthrenol and 1-hydroxy-2-naphthalenecarboxylic acid (for phenanthrene); and 3-hydroxy-2-naphthalenecarboxylic acid (for anthracene). Thus our bacterial culture biodegraded the three PAHs by initial hydroxylation of the molecule followed by the eventual cleavage of the ring to yield the ortho- or meta-cleavage intermediates, which would be further metabolized via conventional metabolic pathways. However, biodegradation of the nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compound quinoline by our culture resulted in the accumulation of 4–5 metabolites, one of which has been identified as 2-quinolinol. Work is in progress to identify the other metabolites from quinoline degradation. © 1992 John Wiley & sons, Inc.
Visual association pathology in preclinical Alzheimer disease.

The transition from normal aging to mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer disease (AD) is often indistinct. Imaging studies suggest early changes in posterior brain regions, including posterior temporoparietal and occipital cortex, but pathologic studies show initial changes in the medial temporal lobe with progressive neocortical involvement as cognition deteriorates. We evaluated the regional distribution of AD pathology in 41 elderly brain donors from the Framingham Heart Study who were cognitively intact, mildly impaired, or demented on the basis of probable AD. We found that 52% of the cognitively intact subjects, and all subjects with mild cognitive impairment or dementia, had dense neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), neuropil threads, and tau-immunoreactive neurites surrounding neuritic plaques (NPs) in visual association cortex Brodmann area 19. All cognitively intact subjects with area 19 NFTs also had dense core NP and β amyloid (Aβ) angiopathy in area 19. Area 19 pathology was occasionally present in the absence of substantial pathology in the hippocampus or entorhinal cortex and was not correlated with medial temporal lobe pathology. Dense AD pathology in area 19 is present in some cognitively intact subjects with preclinical AD. The unique metabolic, connectional, and vascular features of this region may confer enhanced vulnerability to neurodegeneration.
Rapid functionalization of metal nanoparticles by moderator-tunable ligand-exchange process for biosensor designs

Abstract A new method for rapid functionalization of metal nanoparticles based on a moderator-tunable 2D nucleation and growth of ligand-exchange domains has been developed for the design of biosensors with nanoparticle-enhanced sensory films and other applications. The proposed functionalization of gold nanoparticles proceeds through the nucleation and avalanche growth of ligand-exchange domains in the self-assembled monolayer film on a gold nanoparticle surface. The nucleation and growth is controllable by a moderator molecule. The experimental system described presents a ligand-exchange process at citrate-capped gold nanoparticles, with homocysteine acting as the incoming ligand and glutathione as the moderator. The kinetics of the nucleation and growth driven ligand-exchange is characterized by a sigmoidal switching function and differs from that of the usually observed Langmuirian pseudo-first-order process corresponding to the random place-exchange. The ultra-fast functionalization process was monitored using resonance elastic light scattering (RELS) spectroscopy and confirmed by UV–vis plasmonic band absorbance measurements.
Energy requirements of military personnel

Energy requirements of military personnel (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines) have been measured in garrison and in field training under a variety of climatic conditions. Group mean total energy expenditures for 424 male military personnel from various units engaged in diverse missions ranged from 13.0 to 29.8 MJ (3109-7131 kcal) per day. The overall mean was 19.3+/-2.7 MJ (mean+/-SD) (4610+/-650 kcal) per day measured over an average of 12.2 days (range 2.25-69 days). For the 77 female military personnel studied, mean total energy expenditures for individual experimental groups ranged from 9.8 to 23.4 MJ (2332-5597 kcal) per day, with an overall mean of 11.9+/-2.6 MJ (2850+/-620 kcal) per day, measured over an average of 8.8 days (range 2.25-14 days). Women, presumably due to their lower lean body mass, resting metabolic rate, and absolute work rates, had lower total energy expenditures. Combat training produced higher energy requirements than non-combat training or support activities. Compared to temperate conditions, total energy expenditures did not appear to be influenced by hot weather, but tended to be higher in the cold or high altitude conditions.
Development of Buildup Factors for Updating the ANSI/ANS-6.4.3 Standard

The ANSI/ANS-6.4.3-1991 Standard, Gamma-Ray Attenuation Coefficients and Buildup Factors for Engineering Materials, is currently being updated by an American Nuclear Society (ANS) Working Group. The ANSI/ANS-6.4.3, 1991 standard, which is “withdrawn” due to the failure to meet the requirement of the ANS to have standards updated every ten years, contains buildup factor values that are derived from data that is over seventeen years old. In addition, computer technology has significantly improved since 1991, allowing for more complicated, computationally demanding codes to be utilized. Therefore, the ANSI/ANS-6.4.3-1991 standard is being re-visited to include updated data and to include modern codes. Gamma-ray buildup factors and attenuation coefficients are being generated for common shielding materials (e.g., concrete, steel, water, etc.) utilizing the ENDF/B-VI.8 cross-section data library, which is distributed by Brookhaven National Laboratory’s National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC). One modern code, Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP5/MCNPX), is being compared with PALLAS-1D (VII) and Anisotropic Source-Flux Iteration Technique (ASFIT-VARI), which were used to develop values included in ANSI/ANS-6.4.3-1991. PALLAS-1D (VII) is a code for direct integration of transport equation in one-dimensional plane and spherical geometries while ASFIT-VARI is a gamma-ray transport code system for one-dimensional finite systems. MCNP5 is a general purpose Monte Carlo radiation transport code that tracks particles (e.g., neutron and photons) at numerous energies in a three dimensional configuration of materials. The MCNP5 radiation transport code require response function input to provide dose and exposure output. Mass energy-absorption coefficients and mass energy-transfer coefficients are required to develop absorbed dose and exposure responses. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provide and maintain the most up-to-date mass energy-absorption coefficient and mass energy-transfer coefficient database currently available. The NIST values are used in these initial buildup factor calculations to prove the validity of the methodology used and allow for preliminary comparisons. The energy absorption (dose in material) and exposure buildup factors are calculated at mfp values of interest, consistent with ANSI/ANS-6.4.3-1991 up to forty mfp. Comparisons between the new buildup factors and the previous results presented in the ANSI/ANS-6.4.3-1991 standard indicate that there is fairly good agreement. Differences in buildup factor values can be attributed to differences in cross-section data libraries, numerical methods, and physics treatments within the respective codes.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Creep deformation mechanism of cryomilled NiCrAlY bond coat material

The effect of cryomilled bond coat material (MCrAlY) on the improvement of service life of Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) was investigated. Creep resistance of the bond coat was greatly increased by the dispersoids formed during cryomilling. The creep mechanisms were found to be based on dislocation detachment from dispersoids for the cryomilled sample and grain boundary sliding for the conventional one. The results suggest that creep behavior has a great influence on the thermo-mechanical properties of the TBC.
Gamma-ray dosimetry by spectrofluorimetry of phenylacetic acid solution

Abstract Aqueous solutions of phenylacetic acid have been evaluated for possible use in γ-ray dosimetry. When aerated aqueous phenylacetic acid solutions are irradiated, photoflourescent species are formed and identified as hydroxyphenylacetic acid. When excited by ultraviolet light at 280 nm, the radiation-induced product shows an emission spectrum with a maximum at 307 nm. The intensity of the emission peak at 307 nm (as well as the area under the peak from 290 to 350 nm) is a linear function of absorbed dose from 0.5 to 25 Gy. This aqueous dosimeter is about ten times more sensitive than that of the conventional ferrous sulfate solution (Fricke) dosimeter. The differences in response at dose rates in the range 0.0055–67 Gy/min are negligible. Conversely, at higher dose rates (170 Gy/min), although the response is linear with dose up to 135 Gy and with proper calibration can be used up to 350 Gy, the photofluorescence signal is somewhat greater than in the lower dose rate range. The estimated random uncertainty limits (1σ) of readings of absorbed dose by the dosimeter are approximately ±2% at a dose of 10 Gy. The fluorescence signal is very much affected by the hydrogen ion concentration of the solution and the intensity of the signal is greatest in the pH range 5–9.5. The radiation chemical yield of the fluorescing species is little influenced by moderate changes in the concentration of phenylacetic acid or by deaeration of the solution. The signal is stable up to at least four weeks, if the solution after irradiation is stored at low temperature ( ca. 5°C). However, when stored at room temperature, and in room light, the signal is stable only up to about four days.
Predictors of intra-operative parathyroid hormone decline in subjects operated for primary hyperparathyroidism by minimally invasive parathyroidectomy

Background: The predictors of intra-oprerative PTH (IOPTH) decline during minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) for primary hyperparathyroidism have been but poorly studied. Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 108 patients who underwent MIP for a single adenoma. Serum calcium and phosphorus were measured before surgery and 1 day postoperatively. IOPTH was measured before (intra-operative preincision or PTHt0) and 10 min after removal of the adenoma (PTHt10). The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation was used to estimate the glomerular filtration rate. The weight of the adenoma was assessed in all the subjects. Results: The sex ratio female/male was 5.37 with a mean age of 57.3 yr. The mean pre- and postoperative values were for calcium 2.80 and 2.19 mmol/l, respectively (p<0.0001) and for phosphorus 0.90 and 1.16 mmol/l, respectively (p<0.0001). The PTH dropped from a mean value of 184.8 to 50.8 pg/ml 10 min after adenoma resection with a mean drop of 69.7%. Thirteen patients (12%) did not achieve a PTH fall of more than 50%. In a bivariate analysis, age, an MDRD<60 ml/min and weight of adenoma were inversely associated with IOPTH fall (p=0.009, p=0.004, and p<0.001, respectively) while gender, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, pre-operative phosphorus and calcium had no significant effects. In the multivariate analysis, age, weight of adenoma, and MDRD were still independent negative predictors of the IOPTH fall (p=0.01, p=0.018, and p<0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Our results suggest that during MIP the presence of a parathyroid adenoma with a high weight, in an elderly subject or in a subject with altered renal function, will result in a lesser degree of IOPTH fall.
Obesity and respiratory infections: Does excess adiposity weigh down host defense?

The number of overweight and obese individuals has dramatically increased in the US and other developed nations during the past 30 years. While type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease are well recognized co-morbid conditions associated with obesity, recent reports have demonstrated a greater severity of illness in obese patients due to influenza during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Consistent with these reports, diet-induced obesity has been shown to impair anti-viral host defense in murine models of influenza infection. However, the impact of obesity on the risk of community-acquired and nosocomial pneumonia in human patients is not clear. Relatively few studies have evaluated the influence of diet-induced obesity in murine models of bacterial infections of the respiratory tract. Obese leptin deficient humans and leptin and leptin-receptor deficient mice exhibit greater susceptibility to respiratory infections suggesting a requirement for leptin in the pulmonary innate and adaptive immune response to infection. In contrast to these studies, we have observed that obese leptin receptor signaling mutant mice are resistant to pneumococcal pneumonia highlighting the complex interaction between leptin receptor signaling and immune function. Given the increased prevalence of obesity and poor responsiveness of obese individuals to vaccination against influenza, the development of novel immunization strategies for this population is warranted. Additional clinical and animal studies are needed to clarify the relationship between increased adiposity and susceptibility to community-acquired and nosocomial pneumonia.
U.S. Births and Limit Cycle Models

Lee’s (1974) formal demographic feedback models summarize the implications for births and age-structure of neo-Malthusian theories of baby booms such as those of Easterlin. For some parameter values, such models imply sustained cycles, so-called “limit cycles,” in births. Frauenthal and Swick recently reestimated a continuous-age version of Lee’s basic cohort model with U.S. series and, contrary to Lee’s original findings, concluded that “limit cycles oscillations have been occurring in U.S. births.” This article disputes their conclusion, ascribing it to an inconsistency in detrending procedures. Furthermore, it corrects Lee’s original conclusion by showing that his alternative period labor-force feedback model, estimated from U.S. series, leads to cycles of implausibly long period. This article thus reopens the question of whether any feedback model could account for the observed cycles in U.S. births.
Increasing the Depth of Focus in Medical Ultrasound B-Scan

Obtaining hight quality ultrasound images at high frame rates has great medical importance, especially in applications where tissue motion is significant (e.g. the beating heart). Dynamic focusing and dynamic apodization can improve image quality significantly, and they have been implemented on the receive beam in state-of-the-art medical ultrasound systems. However implementing dynamic focusing and dynamic apodization on the transmit beam compromises frame rate. We present a novel transmit apodization scheme where a continuum of focal points can be obtained in one transmission, and uniform sensitivity and uniform point spread function can be achieved over very large range without reducing frame rate. Preliminary simulations demonstrate significant promises of the new technique.
The Role of Density Dependence in a Marine Infaunal Community

Abundance data from a marine sand flat in the Pacific Northwest reveal a strong negative correlation between abundances of the spionids Pygospio elegans and Pseudopolydora kempi, and hence suggest that competition is occurring between these two deposit—feeding polychaetes. The data also suggest that the specific winner of a competitive encounter is determined by the initial densities of the two species. A density—dependence experiment was performed in the field to test this hypothesis, in which the density of each species was independently varied over four densities in experimental containers. Immigration, emigration, and mortality combined to cause Pygospio densities in all experimental treatments to converge to ambient density after 8 wk. After 8 wk, Pseudopolydora densities were converging on the ambient density; the densities of some experimental treatments were significantly different from each other, but in no case did an experimental density differ significantly from ambient. The rate of convergence was strongly density dependent in both species. In four different experiments, conducted for 1, 2, 4, and 8 wk, Pygospio survivorship was strongly affected by its own density but was weakly affected, if at all, Pseudopolydora density. Pseudopolydora survivorship was affected only by its own density except for the 1—wk experiment, in which Pygospio density also had a significant effect. The field results conflict with the results from a laboratory experiment where Pygospio rapidly migrated away from Pseudopolydora but not from conspecifics. I propose a spacing hypothesis which predicts that Pygospio relocates as often as necessary to minimize contact with Pseudopolydora. Static spatial data from the field provide some support for the hypothesis. In the laboratory, Pygospio underwent asexual reproduction only at low densities and in the absence of Pseudopolydora. This response is interpreted as an adaptation for the rapid utilization of resources.
Women and health care in rural Pakistan

The provision of medical facilities to rural areas is a major objective of development in Pakistan and the government has undertaken several programs to train and deploy auxiliary health workers on a large scale. Programs to train lady health visitors, dispensers and sanitary inspectors, have been in operation for decades and their graduates have a place in the workforce. Currently the Government is developing a Basic Health Program to train auxiliary health workers and to establish a network of rural health facilities throughout the country. The research here reported was meant to help plan this program. The 4 week study was conducted in four districts of the Punjab and North West Frontier Provinces. We first interviewed women patients of rural dispensaries in the four districts to determine their views of their needs and of the constraints of the purdah system when seeking health care. We then interviewed principals of medical colleges and training institutes, who were in a position to assess the availability of women to enter the medical workforce and female mid-level health workers who were currently serving in their posts. Finally, since allopathic medical institutions compete with indigenous medical specialists, we interviewed two hakims and a homeopathic physician to obtain their view of rural health needs, as well as their potential for contributing to a broad based rural health care system.
In Praise of the Anthologist's Craft

At a recent celebration of the publication of his seventh and latest anthology of American plays at the Martin E. Segal Theatre of the City University of New York, New Downtown Now: An Anthology of New Theater from Downtown New York (University of Minnesota Press, 2006), Mac Wellman (co-editor with Young Jean Lee), commented wryly, “It’s an odd thing to be an anthologist.” For some time I have been delving into the history of anthologies of modern drama, trying to fathom the secrets of the anthologist’s craft, asking myself the following questions: What are the reasons for putting together an anthology? How is it done? And who are anthologists? As a result of pondering these questions, I think I am beginning to understand why the anthologist’s profession is an odd one. The paradox is that the anthologist is a writer whose books are written by other people.
Transplantation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells into the Cochlea of an Auditory-Neuropathy Animal Model: Effects of Timing after Injury

Application of ouabain to the round window membrane of the gerbil selectively induces the death of most spiral ganglion neurons and thus provides an excellent model for investigating the survival and differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) introduced into the inner ear. In this study, mouse ESCs were pretreated with a neural-induction protocol and transplanted into Rosenthal’s canal (RC), perilymph, or endolymph of Mongolian gerbils either 1–3 days (early post-injury transplant group) or 7 days or longer (late post-injury transplant group) after ouabain injury. Overall, ESC survival in RC and perilymphatic spaces was significantly greater in the early post-injury microenvironment as compared to the later post-injury condition. Viable clusters of ESCs within RC and perilymphatic spaces appeared to be associated with neovascularization in the early post-injury group. A small number of ESCs transplanted within RC stained for mature neuronal or glial cell markers. ESCs introduced into perilymph survived in several locations, but most differentiated into glia-like cells. ESCs transplanted into endolymph survived poorly if at all. These experiments demonstrate that there is an optimal time window for engraftment and survival of ESCs that occurs in the early post-injury period.
Withdrawal of neuroleptic medications from institutionalized dementia patients: results of a double-blind, baseline-treatment-controlled pilot study.

Among dementia patients in long-term care facilities, neuroleptics (NL) are frequently prescribed for the treatment of agitation. Although good clinical practice and federal law mandate attempts at withdrawal of these medications, empiric data regarding the cessation of NL treatment are limited in this population. The objective of the present study was to assess through direct observation the effects of short-term NL withdrawal on physically aggressive behavior and other aspects of agitation. We carried out a randomized, double-blind, baseline NL-controlled 4-week trial of the effects of NL withdrawal in 36 institutionalized patients with possible or probable Alzheimer's disease. Patients were directly observed for four 2-hour sessions during baseline, a prerandomization week, and during weeks 1, 2, and 4 of the double-blind portion of the study. Completion of the 4 weeks of double-blind medication and number of observed episodes of physically aggressive behavior (PAB) were the two primary outcome measure...
Effects of social comparisons with peers on women's body satisfaction and exercise behavior

Objective: Although exposure to thin-ideal females in the media has been shown to increase women's body dissatisfaction, only a few studies have examined the effects of comparisons with peers, and no prior work has studied the effects of peer comparisons in a naturalistic setting or on objective behavior. Method: Female undergraduates (n = 45) in a campus gym who exercised on a target apparatus were assigned to have a fit-peer, unfit-peer, or no-peer (control) exercise within their view on a nearby apparatus. Objective time spent exercising and body satisfaction reports were collected. Results: Exposure to a fit peer had undermining effects on women's body satisfaction and exercise duration, whereas an unfit peer produced no compensating greater body satisfaction but did elicit longer exercise duration relative to controls. Conclusion: Incidental comparisons with fit versus unfit peers can affect women's body satisfaction and fitness-related behavior in a naturalistic setting. © 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2007
Relapse Patterns among Adolescents Treated for Chemical Dependency

This study examined levels, timing, and patterns of posttreatment alcohol and drug use in adolescents (n = 113) during the 12 months following completion of primary treatment. Data were collected from clinical records, random urine screens, and interviews with the adolescents and their parents. In all, 61.1% relapsed to pretreatment levels of use during the 12 months after treatment, 79.6% of the males and 59.3% of the females. Of those with alcohol as the drug of dependence, 45.9% relapsed to pretreatment levels of use in 12 months. Likewise, 75.0% marijuana users, 70.6% combined alcohol and marijuana users, and 50.2% other drug users relapsed to pretreatment levels of use in the 12 months. Relapse curves are presented to demonstrate the specific timing and patterns of relapse. Implications for primary treatment and aftercare are discussed.
Psychosocial Functioning in Pediatric Cancer

Objective To describe the emergence of pediatric psycho-oncology and to summarize research on psychosocial aspects of childhood cancer and survivorship. Methods To review research into illness communication and informed consent, procedural pain, late effects, psychological distress, coping and adjustment, and special risk populations. Methodological challenges, appropriate methodology, and directions for future research are discussed. Results The past 30 years have seen change from avoidance of communication about cancer to an emphasis on straightforward discussion of diagnosis and prognosis. Behavioral research has led to interventions to reduce procedural distress. Late effects have been observed in social functioning. Although average levels of distress in survivors of pediatric cancer are typical, subsets of more vulnerable patients and family members exist. Factors predicting positive and negative coping have been identified. Conclusions As the numbers of pediatric cancer survivors increase, psychosocial researchers will be better able to conduct longitudinal studies not only of adjustment and its predictors but also of the impact of the emerging medical treatments and interventions to ameliorate late effects of treatment. Additional funding, improving methodology, and multi-institutional cooperation will aid future pediatric psycho-oncology investigators.
Complicated breast cysts on sonography: is aspiration necessary to exclude malignancy?

Rationale and Objectives To determine the incidence of breast cancer in women presenting for fine needle aspiration of sonographically diagnosed complicated breast cysts. Materials and Methods Institutional review board approval was obtained. A retrospective study was performed of 186 consecutive women who presented for fine needle aspiration of 243 sonographic complicated cysts detected by clinical examination or imaging between January 2002 and August 2003. Sonographic complicated cysts were defined as those meeting most but not all criteria for simple cysts similar to current Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System classification. We excluded solid masses, cysts with solid components, intracystic masses, and simple cysts. Prospective mammography, ultrasound, and procedure reports were reviewed. A case was considered positive if cytology, core needle biopsy, or surgical excision was positive for cancer. Final diagnosis was established by biopsy, cytology, clinical resolution, or stability over time. Results One of 243 (0.4%) lesions proved malignant (95% confidence interval 0–1.94%); 210/243 (86.4%) of cases yielded fluid on aspiration. Of 141 samples submitted to cytology, 138 (97.9%) were benign and 3 (2.1%) atypical. All cases of atypia were benign at surgical excision. Ninety five of 243 (39.1%) aspiration samples with typical cyst fluid were discarded. A total of 33/243 (13.6%) cases did not yield fluid, 1 of which was positive for cancer. Thirty cases underwent core needle or excisional biopsy for imaging discordance with benign results. Conclusions Breast cancer presenting as a complicated cyst by ultrasound was rare (0.4%, 95% confidence interval 0–1.94%). These results provide support for classification of complicated cysts as probably benign.
Effect of D-mannosamine on the metabolism of sarcoma 180 ascites cells.

SummaryMannosamine at concentrations above 25 mM inhibit protein and nucleic acid biosynthesis in sarcoma 180 ascites cells during 30 min incubation. This inhibition could not be attributed to effects of the amino sugar on oxygen consumption, glycolysis, glucose utilization, or the intracellular levels of ATP or inorganic phosphate. A small reduction in the intracellular sodium and potassium concentrations occurred in cells incubated with mannosamine.
Proopiomelanocortin Neurons Are Direct Targets for Leptin in the Hypothalamus

Leptin is a protein product of the obese (ob) gene, which is secreted by adipocytes and functions as a satiety factor to regulate food intake. The expression of the leptin receptor in several hypothalamic nuclei suggests that multiple neuronal subtypes are targets for leptin's action. Products of the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene are known to affect feeding behavior, and POMC neurons share a similar distribution with leptin receptor mRNA in the arcuate nucleus. We used double label in situ hybridization and computerized image analysis to test the hypothesis that POMC neurons coexpress the leptin receptor. Quantitative analysis confirmed that POMC neurons in the hypothalamus express leptin receptor mRNA. Based on this observation, we infer that POMC neurons and the products of the POMC gene may be part of the signaling pathway mediating leptin's action on feeding and perhaps other physiological functions.
P-Localizing Group Extensions with a Nilpotent Action on the Kernel

Assume P is a family of primes, and let () P represent the P-localization functor. If is a group extension giving rise to a nilpotent action of G on N, we prove that the sequence is exact. Moreover, in the case where Q satisfies a certain pair of homological conditions, we show that the map ι P is an injection. This generalizes the well-known result that () P is exact in the category of nilpotent groups. Applications are given to calculating P-localizations of virtually nilpotent groups.
Progress in Treating the Sexual Abuse of Children

spread. Sexual abuse of children is simultaneously a crime and a men tal health, medical, and social prob lem involving professionals in medi cine, law enforcement, mental health, education, and social services. Social workers, because of their involvement with both the children and the adults who share and influence children's lives, come into contact with cases of sexual abuse of children in nearly every field of practice. Indeed, there has been an increasing emphasis on such abuse in the social work litera
Statistical real-time communication over Ethernet

In order to realize real-time communication over Ethernet or fast Ethernet, one must be able to bound the medium access time within an acceptable limit. The multiple access nature of Ethernet makes it impossible to guarantee a deterministic medium access time (hence, packet-delivery deadlines) to individual stations. However, one can bound the medium access time statistically by limiting the packet-arrival rate at the medium access control (MAC) layer. While considering automated manufacturing systems as the main target application, this paper addresses the connection admission control (CAC) problem for statistically bounding the medium access time of Ethernet. Specifically, a packet is guaranteed to have a medium access time smaller than a predefined bound with a certain probability if the instantaneous packet-arrival rate is kept below a certain threshold. Through a mathematical analysis, we first derived such a threshold. In order to keep the packet-arrival rate under the given threshold, we developed and installed middleware which 1) resides between the transport layer and the Ethernet datalink layer, and 2) smooths packet streams between them. The implementation of this middleware requires only a minimal change in the OS kernel without modification to the current standard of Ethernet MAC protocol or TCP or UDP/IP stack. In order to solve the CAC problem, we derived the probability of transmitting a packet successfully upon each trial by modeling the MAC protocol, 1-persistent CSMA/CD, and the collision resolution protocol inary exponential backoff - of Ethernet. Our in-depth simulation results have shown this analytic model to provide a reasonably accurate estimate of packet-loss (or deadline-miss) ratio over fast Ethernet. Finally, we implemented the middleware on the Linux OS, experimentally demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach in providing real-time communication over Ethernet.
Trimetazidine: a novel protective role via maintenance of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity?

See article by El Banani et al. [31] (pages 688–696) in this issue. Trimetazidine (1-[2,3,4-trimethoxybenzyl]-piperazine; TMZ) is a piperazine compound that has been demonstrated to protect against ischaemic injury in a variety of tissues [1–4]. As a cardiovascular therapeutic agent, TMZ is protective during coronary artery bypass graft surgery [5] and catheter angioplasty [6], has been effective in the treatment of angina [7,8] and reduces infarct size when given before thrombolysis in patients with anterior myocardial infarction [9]. There have been insights into some of the molecular mechanisms of action of TMZ, however, new mechanisms continue to be discovered [10–12]. The best known action of TMZ is inhibition of the β-oxidation pathway of fatty acid metabolism [13]. Inhibition of the β-oxidation pathway during ischaemia and reperfusion concomitantly increases glucose oxidation [13]. Protection from ischaemic injury by TMZ is hypothesized to be due to the increase in glucose oxidation leading to lower rates of glycolysis and less H+ production [14–17]. Increased fatty acid oxidation and glycolysis do result in greater H+ production [18,19] and ischaemic intracellular pH changes have been observed in TMZ-treated hearts [14]. The detrimental effect of glycolytic H+ production in the ischaemic myocardium is thought to be due to increased Na+/H+ exchange activity [20–22]. H+ activate the Na+/H+ exchanger … * Tel.: +1-919-541-5411; fax: +1-919-541-3385 laszlo.deszi{at}richter.hu
Economics of grid-tied customer-owned photovoltaic power generation

Currently, there are only a handful of methods used to calculate prices for the energy generated from photovoltaic and other renewable resources. Some of these are net metering, feed-in-tariffs, etc. However, none of the methods in use today are widely used. This paper will discuss a new methodology to calculate energy prices in the sense of locational marginal prices for future smart distribution systems with renewable energy resources as the primary energy supply. The scheme calculates the marginal energy price for renewable generations and storage, as well as the marginal congestion and loss prices in order to determine optimal economic operations in the system. This price, called the distribution location marginal price or DLMP, can be used as a pricing signal to achieve maximum system social surplus and environmental benefits by encouraging utilization of renewable distributed generation and energy storage in a competitive distribution market.
Rapid valve opening technique for supersonic blowdown tunnel

In supersonic blowdown tunnels with limited air storage, there is a desire to bring the tunnel to its operating condition as fast as possible. However, if the starting process is too fast, large, dangerous oscillations may occur. A computer-based controller was developed which is able to start a supersonic wind tunnel very quickly without any overshoot of the stagnation pressure. The control system consists of a pressure transducer, a multifunction PC board and an automatic valve. An ideal valve opening profile for a particular test is developed based on test data. The profile is stored in the system memory before a test and the multifunction board sends an analog output to the automatic valve during an actual test. After several tests and corrective interpolations, the pressure disturbances in the plenum chamber are typically reduced to one percent of the stagnation pressure.
The Microfibrillar Proteins MAGP-1 and Fibrillin-1 Form a Ternary Complex with the Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan Decorin

MAGP-1 and fibrillin-1, two protein components of extracellular microfibrils, were shown by immunoprecipitation studies to interact with the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan decorin in the medium of cultured fetal bovine chondrocytes. Decorin interacted with each protein individually and with both proteins together to form a ternary complex. Expression of truncated fibrillin-1 proteins in Chinese hamster ovary cells localized proteoglycan binding to an amino-terminal region near the proline-rich domain. A spatially analogous fibrillin-2 truncated protein did not coprecipitate the same sulfated molecule, suggesting that chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan binding in this region is specific for fibrillin-1. An interaction between fibrillin and MAGP-1 was also observed under culture conditions that abrogated decorin secretion, suggesting that the two microfibrillar proteins can associate in the absence of the proteoglycan. Sulfation of matrix proteins is important for elastic fiber assembly because inhibition of sulfation was shown to prevent microfibrillar protein incorporation into the extracellular matrix of cultured cells.
Key GHG emission reduction strategies of climate leader companies

The risk of global warming and resulting climate change is known. Momentum is building within society to take greater action in response to climate change and implement specific actions to reduce absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In the United States (cities, states and the federal government) regulatory pressure is mounting and legislative activities increasing to enact GHG emission reduction legislation. In response to this global ecological and societal challenge, many organizations are quickly stepping up their activities to develop and deploy more aggressive GHG reduction strategies. An important element for institutions to successfully meet the climate change challenge will be to identify effective strategies and corresponding initiatives that lead to cost effective reductions in GHG emissions. This paper reviews an approach to identify and rank climate leader companies in one industrial group based upon their success to reduce absolute GHG emissions. Second, the paper focuses on key emission reduction strategies used by the defined ldquoclimate leaderrdquo companies and provides examples of the results achieved over the research period.
Incomplete quadratic exponential sums in several variables

Abstract We consider incomplete exponential sums in several variables of the form S ( f , n , m ) = 1 2 n ∑ x 1 ∈ { - 1 , 1 } ⋯ ∑ x n ∈ { - 1 , 1 } x 1 ⋯ x n e 2 π if ( x ) / p , where m > 1 is odd and f is a polynomial of degree d with coefficients in Z / m Z . We investigate the conjecture, originating in a problem in computational complexity, that for each fixed d and m the maximum norm of S ( f , n , m ) converges exponentially fast to 0 as n tends to infinity; we also investigate the optimal bounds for these sums. Previous work has verified the conjecture when m = 3 and d = 2 . In the present paper we develop three separate techniques for studying the problem in the case of quadratic f, each of which establishes a different special case. We show that a bound of the required sort holds for almost all quadratic polynomials, the conjecture holds for all quadratic polynomials with n ⩽ 10 variables (and the conjectured bounds are sharp), and for arbitrarily many variables the conjecture is true for a class of quadratic polynomials having a special form.
Optimizing the feature set for a Bayesian network for breast cancer diagnosis using genetic algorithm techniques

This study investigates the degree to which the performance of Bayesian belief networks (BBNs), for computer-assisted diagnosis of breast cancer, can be improved by optimizing their input feature sets using a genetic algorithm (GA). 421 cases (all women) were used in this study, of which 92 were positive for breast cancer. Each case contained both non-image information and image information derived from mammograms by radiologists. A GA was used to select an optimal subset of features, from a total of 21, to use as the basis for a BBN classifier. The figure-of-merit used in the GA's evaluation of feature subsets was Az, the area under the ROC curve produced by the corresponding BBN classifier. For each feature subset evaluated by the GA, a BBN was developed to classify positive and negative cases. Overall performance of the BBNs was evaluated using a jackknife testing method to calculate Az, for their respective ROC curves. The Az value of the BBN incorporating all 21 features was 0.851 plus or minus 0.012. After a 93 generation search, the GA found an optimal feature set with four non-image and four mammographic features, which achieved an Az value of 0.927 plus or minus 0.009. This study suggests that GAs are a viable means to optimize feature sets, and optimizing feature sets can result in significant performance improvements.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Defining the Modern Right of Publicity

Thanks to the modern right of publicity, a person’s identity has become a valuable commodity. Originally derivative of the privacy right of appropriation, the right of publicity now protects the use of one’s “name, likeness, or other indicia of identity for purposes of trade.” The right as currently construed was developed in 1953 by the Second Circuit in a case involving the right of baseball players to license their names and images for use in baseball cards. Today, it is recognized in almost every state, and it is asserted primarily to allow celebrities to “profit from the full commercial value of their identities.” Moreover, with the growth of the entertainment industry and the addition of new forms in which to exploit the likenesses of celebrities, the right of publicity has expanded significantly in recent years.Putting aside the merits of even recognizing a right of publicity, the framework for litigating this right has become impossibly muddled. This environment should be surprising to no one, as a plaintiff’s right of publicity — a right with national and even international implications depending on the marketability of the plaintiff’s personality — may be litigated in fifty different ways depending on which state’s law is applied. The consequences of this confusion are far-reaching and have become more troubling as the right of publicity has expanded. In many cases, courts and parties alike are unsure which state’s law applies or even whether a plaintiff’s right of publicity is covered by whichever statute is applied. Perhaps the most significant consequence, however, is the chilling effect this expansive yet varied treatment of the right of publicity could have on First Amendment rights.This article explores these results and argues that the time has come for a federal right of publicity. Part I examines the state of right of publicity law and discusses the current problems resulting from the lack of uniformity in how it is applied. Part II explains why existing federal law is inadequate in addressing right of publicity concerns. Finally, Part III analyzes the emerging implications of the right of publicity’s encroachment onto First Amendment rights and argues that any federal right of publicity must be narrowly drawn in order to avoid chilling free speech.
Treatment of symptomatic non-unions of the base of the ulnar styloid with plate osteosynthesis

The purpose of this prospective case series was to assess the efficacy of plate osteosynthesis using a low profile distal ulna plate for the management of persistently symptomatic non-unions of the...
Jeffrey A. Giordano and Thomas A. Rich The Gerontologist as an Administrator. Westport, CT: Auburn House, 2001.

La cohorte visee du texte de Giordano et Rich intitule, The Gerontologist as an Administrator, est l'administrateur actuel ou futur des services a la personne et des programmes de sante adaptes en fonction des personnes âgees. Etant donne que l'American Health Care Administration fait rapport qu'il y a un besoin immediat de plus de 100 000 professionnels dans les maisons de sante pour remplir les postes au plus bas de l'echelle hierarchique et pour contrer la baisse des administrateurs brevetes, ce livre est a point. L'inquietude est qu'il n'y aura pas suffisamment de brevetes pour remplacer les administrateurs qui quittent le metier ou se retirent.De nos jours, il y a plusieurs preoccupations sur la qualite de vie des personnes âgees de notre societe et les occasions qui se presentent pour de nouveaux modeles qui pourraient completement transformer les soins de longue duree. Afin de repondre a ce defi, le gerontologue, en tant qu'administrateur de ces organismes, doit demontrer ses qualites de leadership et de gestion en plus de ses connaissances du domaine. Ce livre examine le sujet admirablement et a profondeur.
Abstract 3594: Mutations and DNA adducts induced by diesel exhaust particles.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC We performed bioassay-directed fractionation and analyzed the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels of a composite sample of diesel-exhaust particles (C-DEP) generated on site from petroleum diesel with a 30-kW 4-cylinder Deutz BF4M1008 diesel engine connected to an air compressor. C-DEP was generated to be representative of contemporary DEP. We extracted particles with dichloromethane (DCM) and determined the percentage of extractable organic material (EOM), solvent-exchanged extracts into dimethyl sulfoxide, and evaluated them for mutagenicity in Salmonella strains TA100 and TA98 +/- S9. More than 50% of the C-DEP EOM mass eluted in fraction 1, but this fraction was not mutagenic. Fraction 2 contained 6% of the mass of OEM, and had 60% of the TA100+S9 activity, suggestive of PAHs. The 3rd fraction contained 14% of the OEM mass and contributed 60% of the TA98-S9 activity, suggestive of nitroarenes. S9 mediated binding of C-DEP extracts was assessed by 32P-postlabeling analysis. Unfractionated C-DEP EOM was incubated with S9 in the presence of calf thymus DNA. The modified DNA was enzymatically hydrolyzed and then subjected to postlabeling analysis using either butanol extraction or nuclease P1 pre-enrichment. Multiple DNA adducts were produced with chromatographic mobilities consistent with PAH and nitro-PAH adducts. Although previous studies of the mutagenicity and adduct-forming potential of diesel exhaust have been reported, most of those utilized exhaust particles that were generated by older diesel engines that were not representative of contemporary diesel exhaust. Data derived from the C-DEP particles are more relevant to understanding the risks posed by contemporary diesel engines. This study provides further characterization of the biochemical potential for these particles to induce DNA damage and gene mutations, key events in the process of chemical carcinogenesis by diesel exhausts. [This is an abstract of a proposed presentation and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. EPA.] Citation Format: Jeffrey A. Ross, Esra Mutlu, Charly King, Sarah H. Warren, David M. DeMarini, M. Ian Gilmour, William P. Linak, Garret B. Nelson. Mutations and DNA adducts induced by diesel exhaust particles. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3594. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3594