cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variable dose rate single-arc IMAT delivered with a constant dose rate and variable angular spacing.

Single-arc intensity-modulated arc therapy (IMAT) has gained worldwide interest in both research and clinical implementation due to its superior plan quality and delivery efficiency. Single-arc IMAT techniques such as the Varian RapidArc™ deliver conformal dose distributions to the target in one single gantry rotation, resulting in a delivery time in the order of 2 min. The segments in these techniques are evenly distributed within an arc and are allowed to have different monitor unit (MU) weightings. Therefore, a variable dose-rate (VDR) is required for delivery. Because the VDR requirement complicates the control hardware and software of the linear accelerators (linacs) and prevents most existing linacs from delivering IMAT, we propose an alternative planning approach for IMAT using constant dose-rate (CDR) delivery with variable angular spacing. We prove the equivalence by converting VDR-optimized RapidArc plans to CDR plans, where the evenly spaced beams in the VDR plan are redistributed to uneven spacing such that the segments with larger MU weighting occupy a greater angular interval. To minimize perturbation in the optimized dose distribution, the angular deviation of the segments was restricted to ≤± 5°. This restriction requires the treatment arc to be broken into multiple sectors such that the local MU fluctuation within each sector is reduced, thereby lowering the angular deviation of the segments during redistribution. The converted CDR plans were delivered with a single gantry sweep as in the VDR plans but each sector was delivered with a different value of CDR. For four patient cases, including two head-and-neck, one brain and one prostate, all CDR plans developed with the variable spacing scheme produced similar dose distributions to the original VDR plans. For plans with complex angular MU distributions, the number of sectors increased up to four in the CDR plans in order to maintain the original plan quality. Since each sector was delivered with a different dose rate, extra mode-up time (xMOT) was needed between the transitions of the successive sectors during delivery. On average, the delivery times of the CDR plans were approximately less than 1 min longer than the treatment times of the VDR plans, with an average of about 0.33 min of xMOT per sector transition. The results have shown that VDR may not be necessary for single-arc IMAT. Using variable angular spacing, VDR RapidArc plans can be implemented into the clinics that are not equipped with the new VDR-enabled machines without compromising the plan quality or treatment efficiency. With a prospective optimization approach using variable angular spacing, CDR delivery times can be further minimized while maintaining the high delivery efficiency of single-arc IMAT treatment.
Spontaneous pneumothorax in association with a major burn

We report a case of a spontaneous pneumothorax in association with a major burn. The pneumothorax remained undetected for 4 days and the patient underwent a 2 h aeromedical transfer which could potentially have been hazardous. We strongly recommend that arterial blood gas analysis is performed before air transport of moderate or severely burned patients. If blood gasses are abnormal a chest X-ray should also be performed. In practice a strong case can be made for routinely obtaining a chest X-ray in these patients. In-flight monitoring should include pulse oximetry.
Homography-based multiple-camera person-tracking

Multiple video cameras are cheaply installed overlooking an area of interest. While computerized single-camera tracking is well-developed, multiple-camera tracking is a relatively new problem. The main multi-camera problem is to give the same tracking label to all projections of a real-world target. This is called the consistent labelling problem. Khan and Shah (2003) introduced a method to use field of view lines to perform multiple-camera tracking. The method creates inter-camera meta-target associations when objects enter at the scene edges. They also said that a plane-induced homography could be used for tracking, but this method was not well described. Their homography-based system would not work if targets use only one side of a camera to enter the scene. This paper overcomes this limitation and fully describes a practical homography-based tracker. A new method to find the feet feature is introduced. The method works especially well if the camera is tilted, when using the bottom centre of the target's bounding-box would produce inaccurate results. The new method is more accurate than the bounding-box method even when the camera is not tilted. Next, a method is presented that uses a series of corresponding point pairs "dropped" by oblivious, live human targets to find a plane-induced homography. The point pairs are created by tracking the feet locations of moving targets that were associated using the field of view line method. Finally, a homography-based multiple-camera tracking algorithm is introduced. Rules governing when to create the homography are specified. The algorithm ensures that homography-based tracking only starts after a non-degenerate homography is found. The method works when not all four field of view lines are discoverable; only one line needs to be found to use the algorithm. To initialize the system, the operator must specify pairs of overlapping cameras. Aside from that, the algorithm is fully automatic and uses the natural movement of live targets for training. No calibration is required. Testing shows that the algorithm performs very well in real-world sequences. The consistent labelling problem is solved, even for targets that appear via in-scene entrances. Full occlusions are handled. Although implemented in Matlab, the multiple-camera tracking system runs at eight frames per second. A faster implementation would be suitable for real-world use at typical video frame rates.
Aging enhances vascular dysfunction induced by the Alzheimer's peptide β-amyloid

Aging is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and the evidence suggests a role for cerebrovascular pathology in cognitive dysfunction. The hypothesis in this study is that aging is a significant risk factor in the effect of the Alzheimer peptide beta-amyloid on endothelium-dependent function of cerebral and peripheral vessels. The diameter response to acetylcholine, an endothelium-dependent vasodilator, was recorded in pressurized segments of rat posterior cerebral vessels from mature (3 months) and aged (20 months) rats. The threshold concentration of beta-amyloid for a significant decrease in the response to acetylcholine was lower in vessels from aged rats (10(-9) M) than in vessels from mature rats (10(-8) M). The threshold concentration of beta-amyloid for a significant decrease in the sensitivity to acetylcholine was lower for ring segments of aorta from aged rats (10(-10) M) than for aorta from mature rats (10(-8) M). Structural changes of the endothelium were first observed in electron micrographs of aorta from aged rats when the concentration of beta-amyloid was 10(-8) M, whereas structural changes in aorta from mature rats did not occur until the concentration of beta-amyloid was increased to 10(-7) M. The results suggest that aging increases the susceptibility of cerebral and peripheral blood vessels to beta-amyloid related dysfunction and that functional change precedes structural change.
Chromatic assimilation measured by temporal nulling

Chromatic assimilation is the shift in color appearance toward nearby light. Assimilation was measured using nearby light with time-varying chromaticity. This light induced time-varying assimilation within the test area. Assimilation was quantified by the amplitude of temporally varying test-area light – in counter-phase to the induced assimilation – required to null the assimilation. Unlike previous studies of assimilation, observers here judged only the steadiness of the test area, not its color. The inducing light was varied in luminance, temporal frequency and chromaticity. The measured assimilation could not be explained by only optical factors affecting receptoral quantal absorption. This implies a neural process contributes to assimilation. The nulling measurements showed also that assimilation was not induced independently within the L/M- and S-cone pathways. � 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A Fast Adaptive Multipole Algorithm for Calculating Screened Coulomb (Yukawa) Interactions

The screened Coulomb (Yukawa or Debye?Huckel) potential, ?=exp(??r)/r, whereris the separation distance and ? is the Debye?Huckel screening parameter, gives a good description of the electrostatic interactions in a variety of biologically and physically important charged systems. It is well known that the direct calculation of the energy and forces due to a collection ofNcharged particles involves the pairwise summation of all charged particle interactions and exhibits anO(N2) computational complexity which severely restricts maximum problem size. This has prompted the development of fast summation algorithms that allow the electrostatic energy and forces to be obtained in onlyO(NlogN) operations. To date, however, practically all such implementations have been limited exclusively to pure Coulombic potentials (?=0), and the central contribution of the present method is to extend this capability to the entire range of the inverse Debye length, ??0. The basic formulation and computational implementation of the spherical modified Bessel function-based multipole expansions appropriate for the screened Coulomb kernel are first presented. Next, a simple model system consisting of a single source charged particle is studied to show that the maximum electrostatic energy error incurred by anM-order multipole expansion for the Yukawa potential is bounded above by the error of the equivalent multipole expansion for the Coulombic potential. Finally, timing and accuracy studies are presented for a variety of charged systems including polyelectrolyte chains, random distributions of charges inside a cube, and face-centered-cubic lattice charge configurations containing up to 103,823 charges.
Comparing Cr, and N only doping with (Cr, N)-codoping for enhancing visible light reactivity of TiO2

Abstract The photoreactivity of titania (TiO2) nanoclusters with varying levels of N or Cr-doping, or (Cr, N)-codoping, was systematically investigated using photodegradation of methyl orange in aqueous suspensions. The shifting of the TiO2 absorption edge into the visible spectral region that is primarily attributable to band gap narrowing was found to be a reliable metric for estimating the photoreactivity of the doped nanoclusters. Compared to the weak response with undoped and N-doped TiO2, Cr-doping and (Cr, N)-codoping were found to significantly enhance photodegradation of methyl orange under visible light. The initial reaction rates increase from about 0 to above 1.6 × 10−2 min−1 when the doping concentration of Cr in TiO2 increases from 0 to 5%. In stark contrast, under UV irradiation, doping is not only ineffective but also detrimental to the photoreactivity, and all doping including N or Cr only and (Cr, N)-codoping were found to reduce photoreactivity.
Hemodynamic evaluation of hydralazine dosage in refractory heart failure.

Hemodynamic responses to different doses of hydralazine were evaluated in 18 patients with severe refractory resistant heart failure. There were no significant overall hemodynamic effects after 50 mg hydralazine. After 75 mg. CI increased slightly (+0.36 l/min/m2), with a 19% decrease in SVR. After 100 mg, there were substantial increases in CI (+0.60 l/min/m2) and decreases in SVR (31%) changes which were greater than those after 75 mg, but the decrease in MAP with 100 mg (−6.6 mm Hg) was of the same order as that after 75 mg (−5.0 mm Hg). LVFP and SWI improved significantly only with 100-mg doses. Seven patients in whom 100 mg hydralazine induced no hemodynamic effects all responded to single doses of 150 to 200 mg. The duration of action of hydralazine was longer (p < 0.001) in patients with a CCr < 35 ml/min (14.3 ± 1.4 hr) than in patients with adequate renal function (7.9±0.5 hr). Thus, the dose and dosing interval of hydralazine needed to induce hemodynamic improvement in patients with severe heart failure are variable and require individualization. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1980) 27, 337–346; doi:10.1038/clpt.1980.45
The binary alloy problem in an expanding domain : the microsegregation problem

Abstract A general numerical model of microsegregation and solidification in coarsening (i.e. expanding) secondary dendrite arms is developed. General governing equations representing the diffusive heat and mass transfer in an expanding domain are presented. The governing equations are transformed using enthalpy type variables (to deal with the moving solidification interface s(t) ) and a Landau transformation (to deal with the expanding domain X(t) ). This transformation allows for a fixed grid ‘node jumping’ numerical solution. The resulting solutions compare favorably with existing experiments and require only a fraction of the CPU time of alternative approaches.
Compact and inexpensive kite apparatus for geomorphological field aerial photography, with some remarks on operations

Abstract Equipment for performing low-altitude aerial photography for geomorphological studies on 10–1000 m scales is described, with particular reference to study of sand dunes. An automatic digital camera is lofted by a parafoil kite: the arrangement costs around $400, collapses into a volume of ∼2 l and can be deployed in a few minutes, making it convenient for field use when wind conditions (>4 m/s) permit. Some operational considerations are discussed and we demonstrate two scientific applications – change detection to show a dune at White Sands has not advanced in an 11-month interval and the generation of a digital elevation model of Bruneau Dune.
Interval estimation using the folded logarithmic transformation

Confidence interval estimation using the folded logarithmic (FL) transformation of maximum likelihood (ML) estimators is considered. The FL-based interval is found to have a smallerwidth and a larger confidence coefficient than the ML-based interval in most cases. Also, any a priori knowledge concerning the parameter values can be utilized to improve the precision of the FL-based interval. Computer simulation studies involving certain epidemiologic indices further emphasize the desirability of using the FL-based interval.
Cytokinins induce sporulation in Dictyostelium

The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum diverged from the line leading to animals shortly after the separation of plants and animals but it retained characteristics of both kingdoms. A GABA(B)-like receptor and a peptide, SDF-2, with homologs found only in animals, control sporulation, while cytokinins, which act as hormones in plants, keep spores dormant. When SDF-2 binds its receptor DhkA, it reduces the activity of the cAMP phosphodiesterase RegA such that cAMP levels can increase. It has been proposed that the cytokinin discadenine also produces in an increase in cAMP but acts through a different histidine kinase, DhkB. We have found that discadenine and its precursor, isopentenyl adenine, not only maintain spore dormancy but also initiate rapid encapsulation independently of the SDF-2 signal transduction pathway. DhkB and the adenylyl cyclase of late development, AcrA, are members of two component signal transduction families and both are required to transduce the cytokinin signal. As expected, strains lacking the isopentenyl-transferase enzyme chiefly responsible for cytokinin synthesis are defective in sporulation. It appears that SDF-2 and cytokinins are secreted during late development to trigger signal transduction pathways that lead to an increase in the activity of the camp-dependent protein kinase, PKA, which triggers rapid encapsulation as well as ensuring spore dormancy.
Report of the Committee on Precipitation, 1952–1953

This Committee has been active as individuals and as a group in stimulating research in its field, urging presentation of worthwhile reports, and reviewing and analyzing papers both before and after publication. Basic research continues in the field of measurement and transmission of precipitation data. This includes such subjects as improved design of rain gages and wind shields. Improved methods of testing make it possible to carry on these studies with greater efficiency.
Using Viscosity Modifiers to Reduce Effective Diffusivity in Mortars

AbstractThree viscosity modifiers (a commercial shrinkage-reducing admixture, a polypropylene glycol, and a cellulose ether) are used to reduce the effective diffusivity of chloride ions through mortars during a 1-year exposure. Two delivery mechanisms were studied: (1) adding a viscosity modifier to the mix water and (2) diluting the viscosity modifier in water, prewetting fine lightweight aggregate (LWA) with the solution, and replacing a portion of the sand with the prewetted LWA, which is equivalent to the practice of using LWA for internal curing. After a 28-day curing period, the cylinders were submerged in a 1- mol/L chloride solution. After 24 and 52 weeks of exposure, micro X-ray fluorescence analysis was used to profile the radial chloride concentration under ambient air pressure. The effective diffusivity was estimated by regression, assuming ideal Fickian radial diffusion. Compared with the control mortar (no admixture, no LWA), the addition of the viscosity modifier to the mix water reduced ...
Using nonequilibrium measurements to determine macromolecule free-energy differences.

Since the advent of techniques that enable experimentalists to manipulate individual macromolecules, there has been a need for accurate estimates of free-energy changes between an initial equilibrium state and a second equilibrium state that is arrived at by a nonequilibrium manipulation. Atomic force microscopy and optical laser tweezers, often using macromolecules attached to μm-sized magnetic beads or polystyrene beads, are techniques that enable researchers to perform experiments on individual molecules, such as proteins and the polynucleic acids RNA and DNA. Traditional thermodynamic theory states that an estimate of the Helmholtz free-energy difference between two states, A and B, of a macromolecular system in contact with a thermal reservoir, Δ F = F B – F A, can be achieved by perturbing the system so that a transition between the two states takes place. For repeated trials, the averaged work done satisfies the inequality 〈 W 〉 ≥ Δ F . Only for infinitely slow, quasi-static processes can equality be achieved. Thus, in practice it once seemed that obtaining free-energy differences by macromolecular manipulations was virtually impossible. However, in 1997, Chris Jarzynski (1) derived the identity \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} \begin{equation\*}\;{\langle}e^{-{\beta}W}{\rangle}=e^{-{\beta}{\Delta}F},\;\end{equation\*}\end{document}[1] in which β is the reciprocal of the product of the absolute temperature and Boltzmann's constant. In effect, the exponential weighting of the work performed emphasizes rare values of work in the work distribution function tail that are less than the free-energy change. Although this weighting may be expected to improve the estimate, the surprise here is the strict equality. The path integral proof of this identity found in Jarzynski's Physical Review E paper (2 …
Role of the Nuclear Receptor Coactivator AIB1-Δ4 Splice Variant in the Control of Gene Transcription

The oncogene amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB1) is a nuclear receptor coactivator that plays a major role in the progression of various cancers. We previously identified a splice variant of AIB1 called AIB1-Δ4 that is overexpressed in breast cancer. Using mass spectrometry, we define the translation initiation of AIB1-Δ4 at Met224 of the full-length AIB1 sequence and have raised an antibody to a peptide representing the acetylated N terminus. We show that AIB1-Δ4 is predominantly localized in the cytoplasm, although leptomycin B nuclear export inhibition demonstrates that AIB1-Δ4 can enter and traffic through the nucleus. Our data indicate an import mechanism enhanced by other coactivators such as p300/CBP. We report that the endogenously and exogenously expressed AIB1-Δ4 is recruited as efficiently as full-length AIB1 to estrogen-response elements of genes, and it enhances estrogen-dependent transcription more effectively than AIB1. Expression of an N-terminal AIB1 protein fragment, which is lost in the AIB1-Δ4 isoform, potentiates AIB1 as a coactivator. This suggests a model whereby the transcriptional activity of AIB1 is squelched by a repressive mechanism utilizing the N-terminal domain and that the increased coactivator function of AIB1-Δ4 is due to the loss of this inhibitory domain. Finally, we show, using Scorpion primer technology, that AIB1-Δ4 expression is correlated with metastatic capability of human cancer cell lines.
Oxygen tension distributions in the cornea: A re-examination

Abstract Previous calculations of the steady-state oxygen distribution in the in vivo cornea were made using assumed values for the needed parameters. Recent work has yielded experimental results on these quantities and we have used these to compute the oxygen tension distributions in the cornea for several conditions. The main result, which differs from the earlier calculations, is that there is an oxygen flux from the aqueous into the cornea in the open-eye steady-state condition. Oxygen tension profiles are also presented for the closed eye and for a corneal-contact lens system. Implications of the various profiles are discussed.
Contents for chiropractors' athletic event emergency bags.

Abstract Background: Chiropractors are providing health care at a growing number of athletic events. With this increased participation it is critical that chiropractors be adequately prepared for these events with the proper knowledge, skill, and equipment to provide emergency care. Objective: The objective was to recommend an inventory of items that should be included in a chiropractor's event-site emergency bag, based on the best available evidence. Data Sources: A pilot search was conducted by searching MEDLINE to retrieve articles regarding emergency supplies used at athletic events. Key terms were then taken from the pilot search and used to conduct a systematic search and review of the literature. Study Selection: Articles were included if they were published in English and discussed athletic event-site emergency first aid and supplies. Articles published in non–peer-reviewed publications were excluded. Data Extraction: Items recommended for event-site emergency care bags were extracted from 19 studies and reviewed by an expert panel of sports chiropractors. Expert rankings from a Likert scale were then averaged for each item. Data Synthesis: Items are categorized as recommended, possibly recommended, or not recommended based on expert rankings and frequency counts of citations. Results: The most recommended items were latex gloves, penlights, and oral airways. An inventory of 169 items with citations and ratings is included in this review. Conclusion: This is the first evidence-based article to delineate appropriate first aid and emergency equipment for sports chiropractors. This article has utility for educators who teach emergency care for athletic events and for practitioners who would like to have a clear inventory for their emergency bags. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2002;25:e9)
Modulation of the intestinal environment, innate immune response, and barrier function by dietary threonine and purified fiber during a coccidiosis challenge in broiler chicks

Coccidiosis is a major contributor to economic losses in the poultry industry due to its detrimental effects on growth performance and nutrient utilization. We hypothesized that the combined effects of supplemental dietary Thr and purified fiber may modulate the intestinal environment and positively affect intestinal immune responses and barrier function in broiler chicks infected with Eimeria maxima. A Thr-deficient basal diet (3.1 g of Thr/kg of diet) was supplemented with 70 g/kg of silica sand (control) or high-methoxy pectin and 1 of 2 concentrations of Thr (1.8 or 5.3 g/kg of diet; 4 diets total), and fed to chicks from hatch to d 16 posthatch. On d 10 posthatch, chicks received 0.5 mL of distilled water or an acute dose of Eimeria maxima (1.5 × 10(3) sporulated oocytes) with 6 replicate pens of 6 chicks per each of 8 treatment combinations (4 diets and 2 inoculation states). Body weight gain, feed intake, and G:F increased (P < 0.01) with addition of 5.3 g of Thr/kg of diet. Eimeria maxima schizonts were present only in intestinal tissue sampled from infected birds (P < 0.01). Weights of cecal digesta were highest (P < 0.01) in pectin-fed birds, and ceca with the heaviest weights also had the highest concentrations of total short-chain fatty acids. Expression of interleukin-12 in ileal mucosa was highest (P < 0.01) in infected birds receiving the control diet with 5.3 g of supplemental Thr/kg. In cecal tonsils, interferon-γ expression was highest in infected birds receiving the control diet (fiber × infection, P < 0.05); interferon-γ expression was lowest in infected birds fed the high Thr diet (Thr × infection, P < 0.05). There were no differences due to infection or Thr supplementation for cytokine expression in birds fed pectin-containing treatments. Overall, we conclude that although pectin has some protective function against coccidiosis, Thr supplementation had the greatest effect on intestinal immune response and maintenance of near normal growth in young broiler chicks infected with E. maxima.
The anterior stomach of larval mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti): effects of neuropeptides on transepithelial ion transport and muscular motility.

SUMMARY The present investigation studied the influence of a number of neuropeptides on semi-open preparations of the isolated and perfused anterior stomach of larval Aedes aegypti . Effects of peptides were observed on the lumen negative transepithelial voltage ( V te ) that is present with serotonin in the bath; this voltage most likely reflects active HCO 3 – secretion involved in alkalization of the larval anterior stomach. The five different A. aegypti allatostatins (allatostatin A 1–5) all affected V te in almost identical ways, causing a 10–15% reduction of the voltage at 10 –7 mol l –1 . A. aegypti neuropeptide F and proctolin reduced V te at submicromolar concentrations. At 10 –6 mol l –1 , neuropeptide F reduced V te by 30% and proctolin reduced V te by 50%. In contrast, A. aegypti allatotropin, A. aegypti head peptides I and III and A. aegypti short neuropeptide F were without effect on V te . During the investigation it was observed that the peristaltic contractions of the preparations caused a dynamic component of V te . Peristaltic contractions and the correlated voltage fluctuations depended on the presence of serotonin. Peristaltic activity and V te deflections were progressively inhibited by A. aegypti head peptides I and III by A. aegypti short neuropeptide F and by A. aegypti neuropeptide F when the peptide concentrations were increased from 10 –8 to 10 –6 mol l –1 . These observations show that physiological concentrations of some of the tested neuropeptides affect two processes that require coordination: ion transport and motility of the larval anterior stomach.
A tube latex agglutination test for the diagnosis of malaria

Abstract Latex particles were coated with serum or erythrocytic antigens obtained from chickens acutely infected with Plasmodium gallinaceum. A suspension of the coated particles was used as an agglutinogen in a tube latex agglutination (TLA) test. Detectable antibodies against both antigens were found in the sera of infected chickens approximately 10 days after infection; a maximal titre of 1 : 640 was reached 2 months later and titres of 1 : 20 to 1 : 160 persisted for the remaining several months of observation. The persistence of serum agglutinins was correlated with the carrier stage of the infection as was revealed by subinoculating homogenates of brains from serologically positive chickens into susceptible chickens. The serum antigen, but not the erythrocytic antigen, was also found useful in detecting and titrating antibodies to heterologous plasmodial species. By using serum antigens of chicken origin in the TLA test it was possible to reveal reactions with sera of human beings infected with P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale; monkeys infected with P. knowlesi and P. cynomolgi; and rats infected with P. berghei. The appearance and persistence of agglutinins in these species was independent of the presence of detectable parasitaemia. Sera from uninfected representatives of the above host species did not react with the TLA test with either of the antigens, nor were non-specific reactions observed in the test of sera from patients infected with Treponema pallidum, babesial and leptospiral organisms. On the basis of preliminary studies it appears that the TLA test with antigens of avian origin can be used to diagnose human malaria. It is suggested that the test be extended to include the use of serum antigens from simian and other malarias. Unique advantages of the TLA test are its simplicity and dependability, the stability of its reagents, the minimal amount of laboratory equipment and supplies required and the ready availability and inexpensiveness of the antigen.
Earthquakes, atmospheric pressure, geological structure

The method of investigating the influence of pressure-variations upon release of earthquakes is given. Records of the barometric readings at a place in the earthquake-region for 07h00m are used for the second day before the quake (p2), for the first day before (p1), and for the day of the quake itself (p0). Differences (p1-p2) and (p0-P1) are computed. Positive differences indicate rising pressure-tendency. Differences smaller than one millibar are taken as zero.
An experimentally validated thermo-mechanical model for the prediction of thermal contact conductance

Abstract A predictive model for estimating thermal contact conductance between two nominally flat metallic rough surfaces has been developed and experimentally validated. The predictive model consists of two complementary parts, the first of which is a surface deformation analysis to calculate the actual area of contact for each contact spot, while the second accounts for the effects of constriction resistance and gas gap conductance between the contacting surfaces. A surface characterization technique is developed which generates an equivalent 3-D surface profile from multiple 2-D profiles and determines the unique wavelengths of importance for the surface deformation and constriction resistance models. For given surface profiles and material properties of two contacting surfaces, and a specified contact pressure, the surface characterization technique filters out non-essential wavelengths on the surface, after which the surface deformation analysis calculates the deformation and contact area of each contacting asperity by considering three different modes of deformation, namely, elastic, elastic–plastic, and plastic. The constriction resistance model is then used to calculate the constriction resistance for each contacting asperity based on the area of contact and radius of curvature of the asperity. The constriction resistance values for all the contacting asperities are then used to calculate the total thermal contact conductance. An experimental facility has also been constructed to measure thermal contact conductance of interfaces to verify the results of the predictive model. Good agreement has been found between the model predictions and experimental measurements, validating the modeling approach.
Thin substrate grating array for sounding rocket and satellite payloads

This paper presents critical engineering aspects of a grating array for a sub-orbital rocket payload to make spectral observations in the soft X-ray regime. The off-plane grating mount is a natural solution to maximize throughput and resolution in the ¼ keV to 1 keV range while minimizing envelope and mass. Replicated radial groove gratings are matched to the convergence angle of the telescope beam to limit aberrations. These lightweight gratings are mounted and aligned in an array which is not only efficient for rocket payloads, but can also be made suitable for the X-ray Grating Spectrometer on Constellation X.
Ineffectiveness of organic calcium channel blockers in antagonizing long-term potentiation

Evidence has accumulated suggesting that the presence of calcium is critical for development of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). However, there is a paucity of information about whether calcium's role in LTP is pre- or postsynaptic. In the present study, we examined the effectiveness of nitrendipine, verapamil, flunarizine and the benzodiazepine diazepam in: blocking voltage-dependent calcium channels; blocking synaptic transmission; and preventing development of LTP. Using the in vitro slice preparation, we obtained intracellular and extracellular recordings from guinea pig hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells. At the cellular level, all 4 drugs were ineffective in blocking voltage-dependent calcium spikes (TTX resistant) and the calcium-dependent afterhyperpolarization. Verapamil and diazepam appeared to antagonize synaptic transmission, as reflected in smaller population spike amplitudes. Development of long-term potentiation was not affected by the presence of verapamil, flunarizine and diazepam. Nitrendipine appeared to reduce the percentage of slices exhibiting LTP; however, ethanol, the vehicle used to dissolve nitrendipine, was shown in separate experiments to reduce the percentage of slices exhibiting LTP. These results suggest that neither the organic calcium channel blockers--nitrendipine, verapamil, and flunarizine--nor micromolar concentrations of diazepam are potent blockers of extrasynaptic voltage-sensitive calcium channels in hippocampus. They thus cannot be used to demonstrate a specific pre- or postsynaptic calcium role in LTP.
Kinetic Analysis of Agonist-Induced Down-Regulation of the β2-Adrenergic Receptor in BEAS-2B Cells Reveals High- and Low-Affinity Components

We examined the interrelationships of internalization and down-regulation of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor in response to treatment of the BEAS-2B human epithelial cell line with both a series of agonists at high occupancy and with various concentrations of fenoterol that gave occupancies from 0.93 to 0.001. We found that the extent of internalization measured after a 30-min treatment increased as a function of coupling efficiency, with ephedrine, dobutamine, albuterol, fenoterol, and epinephrine giving 0, 7, 17, 48, and 55% internalization, respectively. With the exception of dobutamine, the rates of down-regulation (k(deg)) also showed a dependence on agonist coupling efficiency, giving (in terms of fraction of receptors lost/h) 0.082 with ephedrine, 0.250 with dobutamine, 0.148 with albuterol, 0.194 with fenoterol, and 0.212 with epinephrine. Comparison of down-regulation to internalization showed that weak agonists caused down-regulation in the absence of significant internalization. The extent of internalization caused by fenoterol over a 1000-fold range of occupancy was proportional to agonist occupancy. However, although no internalization was observed with the low concentrations (0.2 and 2 nM fenoterol), these concentrations did cause significant down-regulation. Thus, as with partial agonists, it was clear that down-regulation occurred in the absence of measurable internalization. The kinetics of agonist-induced down-regulation are consistent with a scheme in which down-regulation proceeds by two pathways; a high-affinity, low-capacity component (EC(50) = 0.5 nM) clearly dissociated from internalization and a low-affinity, high-capacity component (EC(50) = 160 nM) closely correlated with internalization.
Systemic 5-fluorouracil treatment causes a syndrome of delayed myelin destruction in the central nervous system

Cancer treatment with a variety of chemotherapeutic agents often is associated with delayed adverse neurological consequences. Despite their clinical importance, almost nothing is known about the basis for such effects. It is not even known whether the occurrence of delayed adverse effects requires exposure to multiple chemotherapeutic agents, the presence of both chemotherapeutic agents and the body's own response to cancer, prolonged damage to the blood-brain barrier, inflammation or other such changes. Nor are there any animal models that could enable the study of this important problem. We found that clinically relevant concentrations of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU; a widely used chemotherapeutic agent) were toxic for both central nervous system (CNS) progenitor cells and non-dividing oligodendrocytes in vitro and in vivo. Short-term systemic administration of 5-FU caused both acute CNS damage and a syndrome of progressively worsening delayed damage to myelinated tracts of the CNS associated with altered transcriptional regulation in oligodendrocytes and extensive myelin pathology. Functional analysis also provided the first demonstration of delayed effects of chemotherapy on the latency of impulse conduction in the auditory system, offering the possibility of non-invasive analysis of myelin damage associated with cancer treatment. Our studies demonstrate that systemic treatment with a single chemotherapeutic agent, 5-FU, is sufficient to cause a syndrome of delayed CNS damage and provide the first animal model of delayed damage to white-matter tracts of individuals treated with systemic chemotherapy. Unlike that caused by local irradiation, the degeneration caused by 5-FU treatment did not correlate with either chronic inflammation or extensive vascular damage and appears to represent a new class of delayed degenerative damage in the CNS.
Analysis of Orthopaedic Research Produced During the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

Background Military orthopaedic surgeons have published a substantial amount of original research based on our care of combat-wounded service members and related studies during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, to our knowledge, the influence of this body of work has not been evaluated bibliometrically, and doing so is important to determine the modern impact of combat casualty research in the wider medical community.
Surface roughness analysis of glass-ceramic substrates and finished magnetic disks, and Ni-P coated Al-Mg and glass substrates

Abstract Surface roughness measurements were performed on two types of glass-ceramic substrates (GC1f GC2f) and corresponding finished magnetic disks (GC, 1f, GC2f), Ni-P coated A1-Mg substrate (Ni-P) and glass substrate (GI) by atomic force microscope (AFM), stylus profiler (SP) and non-contact optical profiler (NOP) for different scan sizes and sampling intervals. Results of surface roughness of different substrates and finished disks are presented with the following objectives to show (i) the differences between various substrates, (ii) the differences between substrate and the corresponding finished disk, (iii) the differences between SP, AFM and NOP measurements, (iv) the effects of scan size and sampling interval. Comments of different instruments for surface roughness measurement are given. The methodology of choosing the scan size and sampling interval suggested by Poon and Bhushan (Wear, in press) is used to define the suitable scan size and sampling interval for various samples. The surface measurements of GC1f, GC2f, GC1f, GC2f, Ni-P and GI samples are analyzed and extended to explore the possibility of relating the tribological parameters such as peak height, peak curvature, profile slope and peak density in terms of basic parameters such as the standard deviation of profile heights σ and the correlation length β∗ by the approach of Whitehouse and Archard (Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. A, 316 (1970) 97–121) or spectral moments m0, m2 and m4 by the approach of Nayak (J. Lubr. Technol. Trans. ASME, 93F, (1971) 398–407). It is concluded that all the tribological parameters being studied can be related to σ, β∗ or m0, m2 and m4 which in turns can be used to relate the tribological performance of a surface. For low-flying magnetic storage devices, measurement of peak-to-mean is also recommended.
An overview of the measurements of soil moisture and modeling of moisture flux in FIFE

Measurements of soil moisture and calculations of moisture transfer in the soil medium and at the air-soil interface were performed over a 15-km by 15-km test site during FIFE in 1987 and 1989. The measurements included intensive soil moisture sampling at the ground level and surveys at aircraft altitudes by several passive and active microwave sensors as well as a gamma radiation device.
Remote-Site Stimulation of Secretory IgA Antibodies Following Bronchial and Gastric Stimulation

The induction of secretory antibodies remains a complex subject with a variety of factors being important: 1) choice of the animal model, 2) the nature of the antigenic stimulus and 3) the method of immunization. Our own investigations have utilized the pregnant rabbit and various DNP-carrier conjugates to probe the manner by which secretory antibodies, particularly secretory (s) IgA, were induced in mammary glands (1–3). These studies demonstrated that: 1) local (intramammary) administration of antigen was effective at reproducibly eliciting s-IgA antibodies (confirming earlier studies (4,5), 2) there was a lack of correlation between the induction of high levels of s-IgA antibodies and serum IgG antibodies, 3) there appeared to be a special relationship between gastrointestinal stimulation and remote-site (mammary) production of s-IgA antibodies, and 4) gastrointestinal stimulation of s-IgA antibodies in milk was not blocked by high levels of circulating IgG serum antibodies. Additional evidence suggested that a similar “remote-site” stimulation phenomenon also existed in other animal species.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment (4th ed.)

The existent literature on attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is enormous, and books that adequately take on the review of its full scope are few. This newly released revision represen...
Vitamin D: How to Translate the Science of the New Dietary Reference Intakes for This Complex Vitamin—More Is Not Always Better!

Vitamin D has long been known for its role in bone health. Before the recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines, there were conflicting messages about its other benefits. The IOM experts' exhaustive review of the evidence maintained the importance of calcium and vitamin D in promoting bone growth and maintenance. New Daily Reference Intakes were recommended. The report indicated that individuals seem to get meaningful amounts of vitamin D from sun exposure. Higher levels were not shown to provide a greater benefit. Extension professionals have the capacity to train professionals and consumers about the new vitamin D reference intakes.
A Computer Analysis of Graded Ischemia in Brain

Based on the Krogh tissue cylinder, a lumped parameter mathematical model was developed to describe multicomponent transport and metabolic reaction processes in brain. Utilizing the mathematical model, computer solutions were obtained for a wide range of patho-physiologic conditions. Varying degrees of ischemia were imposed on arterial blood flow in order to examine the metabolic state of brain tissue during reduced oxygen supply. The major purpose of the study was to observe the effects created in tissue at extremely low flow rates, including complete flow cessation.
Wingbeat Synchronization And Implementation

The flourishing young research field of construction, control, and analysis of flapping wing micro air vehicles is inspired by the impressive capabilities of biological systems, such as small birds and flying insects, and motivated by practical military and civilian applications for remote sensing and recognizance. A promising research vector in this field relies on using two independently actuated wings with a controller employing cycle-zero-order-hold (CZOH), i.e., the wingbeat characteristics are only modified once per cycle. In support of this effort, this study proposes a control scheme capable of optimally synchronizing the wingbeats of both wings within the period of one wingbeat cycle, under the constraints of CZOH. This scheme has the potential to improve performance or compensate for adverse effects when the wings of the vehicle would otherwise be operating out of sync, for example, at hover.
On the Alleged Antitoxic Action of Kombucha for Vitamin D

Conclusion1. The claims of anti-vitamin-D-toxication action by an extract of a fungus, Kombucha, have been investigated in albino rats. 2. When administrated orally to rats, dosage of 100,000 units of vitamin D per kilo per day was definitely toxic to all animals. 3. Kombucha, administered as above, was practically without effect over a period of 4 weeks. 4. Kombucha did not protect rats against vitamin D toxication in any dosage when administered isochronously. 5. So far as may be judged from this type of experiment, the claim of antagonism of Kombucha to the toxic action of vitamin D was not supported.
Case—Dealing with the Bug in the Classrooms: Planning for a Pandemic

In 2009, public and private organizations were forced to consider how the circulation of a new and potentially lethal infectious disease, the H1N1 flu virus, would affect their day-to-day activities. The virus started circulating in the spring of 2009 and in a matter of months it had already spread all over the world. Similarly, to what happened in the deadly 1918 Spanish influenza, it especially affected young adults, pregnant women, and people with weak immune systems. Universities, colleges, and school districts were among the organizations that had to design and implement response and mitigation plans that would not only protect their students, but that would avoid any disruption to the academic calendar while considering limited available resources. The following two-part case study describes some of the challenges faced by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), a private university in upstate New York, in dealing with H1N1, and gives students the opportunity to apply quantitative analysis to help ...
Analysis of Optimal Combustion Test of 600 MW Subcritical Boiler after Low NOx Modification

In order to satisfy the new atmospheric pollutant emission standard for power plant,the low NOx burner of 600 MW subcritical tangentially corner-fired boiler of No.1 unit in a power plant has been modified. By the optimal test of combustion adjustment,the combustion characteristic of the boiler after the modification has been grasped,and the optimal operation status of the boiler under different load condition has been determined. The test results show that,at high load,the CCOFA flow has greater influence on the concentration emission of the NOx of the boiler and the CO in flue gas,and the carbon content of fly ash;while,in the low load,the combination of partial upper mill put into operation has benefit to improve the reheat steam temperature and the margin of concentration emission of the NOx SOFA wind regulation boiler.