cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determinants of Overall Perception of Radiation Safety Among Radiologic Technologists.

PURPOSE To examine the determinants of radiation safety culture among radiologic technologists in the United States. The specific aims were to report descriptive statistics related to radiation safety culture determinants and examine relationships between specific determinants of radiation safety culture and overall perception of radiation safety (OPRS). METHODS Radiologic technologists working in radiography, mammography, and computed tomography were identified using the American Society of Radiologic Technologists membership database. The researcher implemented a quantitative cross-sectional design using the Radiation Actions and Dimensions of Radiation Safety (RADS) survey instrument, which contained the study's determinants and OPRS variable, to guide hypotheses testing. Descriptive statistics were used to report RADS survey item outcomes, and Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression tests were conducted to analyze the hypothesis. RESULTS A total of 425 radiologic technologists completed the survey. Ten variables significantly correlated with OPRS. The variables of leadership actions (β = .402; P < .001), teamwork across imaging stakeholders (β = .304; P = .011), organizational learning (β = .121; P = .007), and questioning attitude (β = .110; P = .001) predicted OPRS, with leadership actions being most important in the model. DISCUSSION The correlation between OPRS scores and the 10 determinants suggests that each variable is a relevant determinant of radiation safety culture among radiologic technologists in the United States. The outcomes establish key priorities and provide an actionable foundation to facilitate a positive radiation safety culture in medical imaging. CONCLUSION The study presented a unique examination of OPRS determinants among American radiologic technologists. Findings can be used to support clinically-oriented interventions in improving radiation safety culture.
Monolayer autoxidation of arachidonic acid to epoxyeicosatrienoic acids as a model of their potential formation in cell membranes

Abstract In light of the importance of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) in mammalian pathophysiology, a non-enzymatic route that might form these monoepoxides in cells is of significant interest. In the late 1970s, a simple system of arranging linoleic acid molecules on a monolayer on silica was devised and shown to yield monoepoxides as the main autoxidation products. Here we investigated this system with arachidonic acid and characterized the primary products. By the early stages of autoxidation (∼10% conversion of arachidonic acid), the major products detected by LC-MS and HPLC-UV were the 14,15-, 11,12-, and 8,9-EETs, with the 5,6-EET mainly represented as the 5-δ-lactone-6-hydroxyeicosatrienoate as established by 1H-NMR. The EETs were mainly the cis epoxides as expected, with minor trans configuration EETs among the products; 1H-NMR analysis in four deuterated solvents helped clarify the epoxide configurations. EET formation in monolayers involves intermolecular reaction with a fatty acid peroxyl radical (ROO•), producing the EET and leaving an incipient and more reactive alkoxyl radical (RO•), which in turn gives rise to epoxy-hydro(pero)xides and other polar products. The monolayer alignment of fatty acid molecules resembles the arrangements of fatty acids in cell membranes and, under conditions of lipid peroxidation, this intermolecular mechanism might contribute to EET formation in biological membranes.
Harmony of the World: 75 Years of Mathematics Magazine

Introduction A Brief History of Mathematics Magazine Part I. The First Fifteen Years: Perfect Numbers Zena Garrett Rejected Papers of Three Famous Mathematicians Arnold Emch Review of 'Men of Mathematics' G. Waldo Dunnington Oslo under the Integral Sign G. Waldo Dunnington Vigeland's Monument to Abel in Oslo G. Waldo Dunnington The History of Mathematics Otto Neugebauer Numerical Notations and Their Influence on Mathematics D. H. Lehmer Part II. The 1940s: The Generalized Weierstrass Approximation Theorem Marshall H. Stone Hypatia of Alexandria A. W. Richeson Gauss and the Early Development of Algebraic Numbers E. T. Bell Part III. The 1950s: The Harmony of the World Morris Kline What Mathematics Has Meant to Me E. T. Bell Mathematics and Mathematicians from Abel to Zermelo Einar Hille Inequalities Richard Bellman A Number System with an Irrational Base George Bergman Part IV. The 1960s: Generalizations of Theorems about Triangles Carl B. Allendoerfer A Radical Suggestion Roy J. Dowling Topology and Analysis R. C. Buck The Sequence {sin n} C. Stanley Ogilvy Probability Theory and the Lebesgue Integral Truman Botts On Round Pegs in Square Holes and Square Pegs in Round Holes David Singmaster pit : 1832-1879 Underwood Dudley Part V. The 1970s: Trigonometric Identities Andy R. Magid A Property of 70 Paul Erdos Hamilton's Discovery of Quaternions B. L. van der Waerden Geometric Extremum Problems G. D. Chakerian and L. H. Lange Polya's Enumeration Theorem by Example Alan Tucker Logic from A to G Paul R. Halmos Tiling the Plane with Congruent Pentagons Doris Schattschneider Unstable Polyhedral Structures Michael Goldberg Part VI. The 1980s: Leonhard Euler, 1707-1783 J. J. Burckhardt Love Affairs and Differential Equations Steven H. Strogatz The Evolution of Group Theory Israel Kleiner Design of an Oscillating Sprinkler Bart Braden The Centrality of Mathematics in the History of Western Thought Judith V. Grabiner Geometry Strikes Again Branko Grunbaum Why Your Classes Are Larger than 'Average' David Hemenway The New Polynomial Invariants of Knots and Links W. B. R. Lickorish and Kenneth C. Millett Briefly noted The problem section Index About the editors.
The May-Hegglin Anomaly: Platelet Function, Ultrastructure and Chromosome Studies

A father and son with the May-Hegglin anomaly were studied. Both were asymptomatic, although the father had a mild thrombocytopenia and a probable platelet thromboplastic function defect. Possible mechanisms for the bleeding tendency observed in approximately one-fourth of the persons with this anomaly are discussed. The autosomal dominant mode of inheritance is again demonstrated, and both father and son were found to have normal chromosomes.
Heritable differences in fitness-related traits among populations of the mustard hill coral, Porites astreoides.

Heritable differences in fitness-related traits among populations of the mustard hill coral, Porites astreoides
Identification of ground targets from sequential HRR radar signatures

An approach to identifying ground targets from sequential high-range-resolution (HRR) radar signatures is presented. A hidden Markov model (HMM) is employed to model the sequential information contained in multi-aspect target signatures. Dominant range-amplitude features are extracted via RELAX for dimension reduction. A new distance measure is incorporated into the HMM to allow a direct matching operation in the feature domain without requiring interpolation. The approach is applied to the dataset of ten MSTAR targets and is shown to yield an average identification rate of 90.3% using sequential information from 6 degree angular spans.
Body Composition in Infancy: Impact on Health Later in Life

From retrospective studies, there is substantial evidence that birthweight and the rate of weight gain during early infancy are associated with increased risk for adverse health outcomes later in life. Birthweight is the marker of the integrative effects of the prenatal environment, while the rate of weight gain after birth reflects both genetic potential and external postnatal influences. The adulthood-to-infancy associations constitute the basis for the 'fetal origins' and 'catch-up growth' hypotheses for some diseases. However, these findings are based on the assumption that anthropometric-based indices reflect body composition during both time periods, with the body mass index (weight/stature2) being the most frequently used index. More direct measures of body composition were simply not available at the time of the births of the adults participating in these studies. Nowadays, there are a number of in vivo techniques that can be used to examine body composition in infancy. In particular, what does the body mass index reflect in terms of body composition for the infant? Is it an adequate index?
A Role for p120 RasGAP in Thymocyte Positive Selection and Survival of Naive T Cells

Activation of the Ras small GTP-binding protein is necessary for normal T cell development and function. However, it is unknown which Ras GTPase-activating proteins (RasGAPs) inactivate Ras in T cells. We used a T cell-specific RASA1-deficient mouse model to investigate the role of the p120 RasGAP (RASA1) in T cells. Death of CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocytes was increased in RASA1-deficient mice. Despite this finding, on an MHC class II-restricted TCR transgenic background, evidence was obtained for increased positive selection of thymocytes associated with augmented activation of the Ras–MAPK pathway. In the periphery, RASA1 was found to be dispensable as a regulator of Ras–MAPK activation and T cell functional responses induced by full agonist peptides. However, numbers of naive T cells were substantially reduced in RASA1-deficient mice. Loss of naive T cells in the absence of RASA1 could be attributed in part to impaired responsiveness to the IL-7 prosurvival cytokine. These findings reveal an important role for RASA1 as a regulator of double-positive survival and positive selection in the thymus as well as naive T cell survival in the periphery.
Victims’ and Offenders’ Views About Crime and Justice

Believing that it is important to examine the views of those directly involved with the criminal justice system, we surveyed both victims (n = 238) and offenders (n = 143) about their perceptions of what constitutes fair procedures (i.e., procedural justice) and outcomes (i.e., distributive justice). We also examined their views about the purposes of punishment, as this may affect the criminal justice system’s ability to function as an institution of social control. Both victims and offenders perceived the procedures and outcomes in their cases as fair and supported each of the four purposes of punishment. Individuals’ perceptions of justice related to their views about the purposes of punishment, but the nature of this relationship depended on both their status as a victim or offender and their gender.
Monte Carlo Trajectory Calculations of Atomic and Molecular Excitation in Thermal Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a systematic discussion of Monte Carlo methods for examining thermal excitation and dissociation in atomic and molecular systems. The efficiency of Monte Carlo calculation is influenced not only by the manner in which points are sampled on a given surface, but also by the choice of surface. The principal advantage of the impact parameter surfaces is that they permit a priori specification of the phase space density in the initial state. This is important if one wishes to simulate the results of beam experiments carried out for particles in precisely defined states if any appreciable averaging is involved, or if results are required for a sequence of initial conditions this advantage rapidly disappears. The most important advantage of sampling inside the collision complex is that the reaction probability for excitation and dissociation can be increased sufficiently to make Monte Carlo calculations for these processes relatively efficient.
Peridiscal metastatic carcinoma associated with lumbar disc herniation. A case report.

The pathological examination of tissue specimens obtained during lumbar discectomy and laminectomy is considered to be a routine practice at many institutions. The reasons for the submission of such specimens generally include hospital policy, the possible need for medicolegal proof of the procedure, and the need to evaluate the possibility of an occult malignant lesion2,3. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations has recommended a written policy regarding the submission of operative specimens2. At our institution (St. Joseph's Hospital, Marshfield, Wisconsin), all tissues removed from the patient at the time of the operation, with the exception of tissues that have been exempted by the operating committee and the Department of Pathology, are submitted for pathological examination4. The exemptions must not adversely affect the quality of patient care, and the surgeon may request a pathological examination of the exempted tissue. Herniated nucleus pulposus is not considered to be an exempted tissue. Recently, the routine submission of disc specimens has been questioned by a number of investigators who have found that pathological findings are not likely to influence the treatment or the outcome1,2. In our review of the literature, we found only one report in which a patient who had had a discectomy for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation was diagnosed as having a tumor on the basis of the pathological examination of the operative specimen6. We present a case in which the results of the pathological examination of the operative specimen influenced the subsequent treatment as well as the outcome. A seventy-year-old man was seen with a history of two previous operations on the lumbar spine. A laminectomy had been performed in 1964 because of pain in the lower extremities. The patient had had …
Role of the duodenum in the control of canine gastrointestinal motility

This study was designed to determine the role of the duodenum in controlling the interdigestive migrating motor complex of the canine stomach and small intestine. The motility patterns of 4 dogs were studied before and after resection of the entire duodenum with reimplantation of bile and pancreatic ducts. Before duodenectomy, plasma concentrations of motilin and pancreatic polypeptide varied cyclically with the migrating motor complex. After duodenectomy, the migrating motor complex was abolished in the stomach in 3 of the 4 dogs during fasting. The other dog demonstrated what appeared to be an intermittent cyclic increase in gastric contractile activity, but with markedly abnormal characteristics and at irregular intervals. The jejunal migrating motor complex continued to cycle after duodenectomy in all 4 dogs, but the mean period was shorter than before duodenectomy (83 min vs. 147 min, p less than 0.01). Duodenectomy abolished the cyclic variations of plasma motilin and pancreatic polypeptide and lowered the concentration of both peptides during all phases. This study suggests that the duodenum plays an important role in the initiation of the gastric migrating motor complex and in the coordination of interdigestive gastrointestinal motor activity, possibly by the release of motilin.
An efficient algorithm for maxdominance, with applications

Given a planar setS ofn points,maxdominance problems consist of computing, for everyp eS, some function of the maxima of the subset ofS that is dominated byp. A number of geometric and graph-theoretic problems can be formulated as maxdominance problems, including the problem of computing a minimum independent dominating set in a permutation graph, the related problem of finding the shortest maximal increasing subsequence, the problem of enumerating restricted empty rectangles, and the related problem of computing the largest empty rectangle. We give an algorithm for optimally solving a class of maxdominance problems. A straightforward application of our algorithm yields improved time bounds for the above-mentioned problems. The techniques used in the algorithm are of independent interest, and include a linear-time tree computation that is likely to arise in other contexts.
Utilization of Community-Based Social and Health Services Among Foreign Born Hispanic American Elderly

ABSTRACT This study examined factors associated with the utilization of community-based social and health services among foreign born elderly Hispanic Americans. The data came from a nationwide probability sample of Hispanic Americans age 65 and older including 296 Mexico-born Mexican Americans, 571 Cuba-born Cuban Americans, and 247 respondents from other Hispanic countries. Being a Cuba-born Cuban American, living alone, having poorer self-rated health and living below poverty level were positively related with the utilization of community-based social services. Cuban Americans with more limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) used more community-based health services. Among Mexico-born Mexican Americans, those who lived alone used more social as well as health services while those who were married used more social services. Those with greater limitations in ADL used more health services. Among other foreign born Hispanic Americans, going to church, living alone and living below poverty status, ...
Frailty and healthcare utilization among patients with heart failure in the community.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of frailty in a community cohort of patients with heart failure (HF) and to determine whether frailty is associated with healthcare utilization. Background Frailty is associated with death in patients with HF, but its prevalence and impact on healthcare utilization in patients with HF are poorly characterized. Methods Residents of Olmsted, Dodge, and Fillmore counties in Minnesota with HF between October 2007 and March 2011 were prospectively recruited to undergo frailty assessment. Frailty was defined as 3 or more of the following: unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, weak grip strength, and slowness and low physical activity measured by the SF-12 physical component score. Intermediate frailty was defined as 1 or 2 components. Negative binomial regression was used to examine the association between outpatient visits and frailty; Andersen-Gill models were used to determine if frailty predicted emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalizations. Results Among 448 patients (mean age 73 ± 13 years, 57% men), 74% had some degree of frailty (19% frail, 55% intermediate frail). Over a mean follow-up period of 2.0 ± 1.1 years, 20,164 outpatient visits, 1,440 ED visits, and 1,057 hospitalizations occurred. After adjustment for potential confounders, frailty was associated with a 92% increased risk for ED visits and a 65% increased risk for hospitalizations. The population-attributable risk associated with any degree of frailty was 35% for ED visits and 19% for hospitalizations. Conclusions Frailty is common among community patients with HF and is a strong and independent predictor of ED visits and hospitalizations. Because frailty is potentially modifiable, it should be incorporated in the clinical evaluation of patients with HF.
The influence of the endocrine system on reproductive behavior and development in grasshoppers

Whereas in the female of Gomphocerus rufus L. allatectomy and/or coagulation of the pars intercerebralis prevent sexual receptivity, sexual behavior in the male is unaffected by these operations. Removal of the corpora allata and coagulation of the pars intercerebralis at the same time, followed by reimplantation of corpora allata 6–12 days later, caused renewed incorporation of yolk in the terminal oocytes. It is suggested that the corpora allata act directly on the ovaries. The A′-cells of the ventral ganglionic chain in the female supply the flat neurohemal organs with neurosecretory material. Cauterization of the A′-cells results in a 50% decrease of egg production. Implantation of homogenates of flat neurohemal organs into pars-cauterized females can induce partial development of the terminal oocytes. It is suggested that the A′-cells produce part of the neurosecretory material necessary for egg development. Double operations in the male, in which the corpora allata were removed and the pars intercerebralis destroyed, followed by reimplantation of corpora allata 6–10 days later, reinitiated secretion in the hitherto inactivated accessory sex glands, and spermatophores were produced. It is suggested that the corpora allata affect the activity of the accessory sex glands in a direct way.
The Anomeric Equilibrium in d-Xylose: Free Energy and the Role of Solvent Structuring

Standard molecular dynamics (MD) and free energy simulations have been used to analyze the anomeric equilibrium for d-xylose in aqueous solution. This molecule was selected as a simple model for th...
Evaluation of the Monkey-Persimmon environmental education program for reducing human-wildlife conflicts in Nagano, Japan

Co-existing with wildlife and maintaining rural livelihoods are common challenges in remote villages in Japan. The authors assess the effects of the Monkey-Persimmon Environmental Education Program developed to reduce wildlife conflicts and to revitalize a community in Nagano Prefecture. Development of a logic model helped guide interviews with staff and villagers about program outcomes. Household interviews revealed that 83% of respondents knew about the program and, of these, 90% had positive attitudes toward activities. Recommendations to monitor and improve program effects are based on the environmental, economic, and social components of education for sustainable development.
Dry cow diet, management, and energy balance as risk factors for displaced abomasum in high producing dairy herds

The objective of this study was to determine prepartum risk factors for displaced abomasum. The design was a prospective study of 1170 multiparous Holstein cows from 67 high producing dairy herds in Michigan. Each farm was visited four times within a 6-wk period. At each visit, data on nutrition and management were collected. All multiparous cows within 35 d of projected calving were assigned a body condition score, and blood was sampled to determine the concentration of nonesterified fatty acids in plasma. A multivariable linear regression model was used to determine risk factors associated with the incidence of displaced abomasum during lactation on a herd basis. A multivariable logistic regression model with random effect was used to determine risk factors for displaced abomasum on an individual cow basis. Significant risk factors for displaced abomasum included a negative energy balance prepartum (as estimated from plasma nonesterified fatty acids), a high body condition score, suboptimal feed bunk management prepartum, prepartum diets containing >1.65 Mcal of net energy for lactation/kg of dry matter, winter and summer seasons, high genetic merit, and low parity.
Recognition, relevance and deactivation of gerontophobia: theoretical essay.

Gerontophobia, or irrational dislike of the elderly, is a psychopathological defense mechanism on a mass basis. There are medical, legal and social varieties. Three therapeutic possibilities are: 1) mass education, 2) insight therapy, and 3) intra-group mobilization.
H atom interaction with a 14 atom nickel cluster

Abstract The MINDO/SR calculational procedure gives reasonable charge, d band, and orbital properties for a Ni14 cluster. The density of states more closely resembles that from ab-initio calculations than from X α-SW calculations. The order of stability of H atoms on the symmetric sites on the 100 face of the Ni14 cluster is four center > two center > one center. The four center and two center sites differ by only a few kcal/mol in adsorption energy and the most stable central cluster site has the H atom displaced 0.25 A from a four center site. The energies of the orbitals containing a contribution from the hydrogen orbital correlate well with UPS spectra. The H atom is always negative by about 0.1 e and the magnitude of the charge is inversely proportional to the coordination number of bonding Ni atoms. This negative charge facilitates catalytic hydrogenation and CO methanation reactions on Ni and its variation with surface sites explains the larger work function change observed on the Ni(110) surface than on other Ni faces for hydrogen adsorption.
Leveraging Cloud Infrastructure for Troubleshooting Edge Computing Systems

Modern cloud-based applications (e.g., Face book, Dropbox) serve a wide range of edge clients (e.g., laptops, smart phones). The clients' characteristics vary significantly in terms of hardware (e.g., high end desktop vs. resource constrained smart phones), operating systems (e.g., Linux, Android, Mac OS, Windows), network connections (e.g., wireless vs. wired, 3G vs. 2G), and software versions (e.g., Firefox 12 vs. Firefox 13), just to name a few. Unfortunately, due to misconfiguration, outdated software, faulty hardware, or other reasons, many edge systems operate at suboptimal performance. Poor performance and root cause identification is extremely challenging for the client of the cloud system. To address this challenge, the troubleshooting service presented in this paper leverages such heterogeneity to identify and debug performance problems on edge devices. First, by looking at many runs across many different clients, the service groups clients in different clusters based on performance. Next, the service enables logging on remote clients to collect run time traces, and subsequently identifies the root cause by analyzing logs automatically. We leverage high level features such as machine/OS type along with more low level kernel level statistics such as I/O rate and system calls. To demonstrate our system we first introduce a configuration bug that was artificially injected in a recently built cluster by changing the TCP buffer size. Next, we present two real-life bugs, one I/O inefficiency bug relating to network transfers on Android, and another misconfiguration bug in VirtualBox, that were identified using our tool.
Tribological performance of thin film amorphous carbon overcoats for magnetic recording rigid disks in various environments

Abstract An ultrahigh vacuum tribotester equipped with Auger electron analyzer and mass spectrometer is used to study the friction and wear behavior of amorphous carbon coated magnetic thin film rigid disks. The tests include continuous sliding of Al 2 O 3 -TiC sliders against lubricated and unlubricated polished and textured disks. Operating environment is found to play an important role in the tribological performance of the carbon overcoat. Wear lives were longest in dry nitrogen and argon environments as compared with ambient environment (with oxygen and water vapor), in agreement with some of the previously reported results. The wear lives of the carbon coatings in vacuum were inferior to those in other environments. In comparison, surface roughness and lubrication play a less significant role in friction and wear for the disks tested. Based on this study, we conclude that poor wear life in vacuum results from intimate slider-to-disk contact. The long life in dry Ar and nitrogen as compared with Ar+O 2 and ambient environment, results from the absence of tribochemical oxidation prevalent in the oxidizing environment.
The Historical Narrative: Tales of Professionalism?

The historical narrative is a story told to illustrate a point, however subconsciously. The "giants" of obstetric anesthesia -- Simpson, Snow, Apgar -- and countless other less well-known physicians all contributed to the history of obstetric anesthesia. We remember them by retelling this history to illustrate elements of professionalism and how we as a profession wish to act. The Physician Charter is an excellent first approximation of a workable definition of this quality, which can and does change over time. By using the three principles and 10 professional responsibilities as a template, the past comes alive as a teaching method to each and every obstetric anesthesiologist.
Water-Solute Coupling and Ion Selectivity in Epithelia

Water transport across epithelia results from local osmotic gradients set up within the epithelium by active solute transport. These gradients arise in long, narrow, dead-end channels, which function as standing-gradient flow systems. Mathematical analysis of a simple model of such a flow system suggests that the ultrastructural geometry of epithelia accounts for the principal features of water-to-solute coupling. 'Backwards' channels are expected to differ from 'forwards' channels in being hypotonic rather than hypertonic, in their capacity for osmotic filtration, and in being restricted to the active transport of major plasma constituents. Epithelial pumps and other biological systems distinguish remarkably between closely similar ions, such as Na $^+$ and K $^+$ , Cl $^-$ and I $^-$ , and Ca $^{2+}$ and Mg $^{2+}$ . Qualitative regularities in discrimination, the so-called selectivity sequences, and quantitative regularities, the so-called selectivity isotherms, make it possible to predict the potencies of untested ions in a given biological system, once the relative effects of two related ions are known for that system. The observed selectivity sequences for the principal inorganic ions of biological interest have been correctly reconstructed by comparing the ions' hydration energies with their interaction energies with membrane sites of different strengths. Details of the selectivity isotherms may provide information about the molecular structure of the biological sites.
Fluorometric Assay for Measuring Biological Half-Life of Coralyne Sulfoacetate in Dogs and Monkeys

A spectrophotofluorometric assay for coralyne sulfoacetate was developed. Coralyne was extracted from serum samples with n-butyl alcohol, and the drug concentrations were determined fluorometrically at 475 nm when the extract was excited at 325 nm. A biphasic serum decay curve for coralyne was observed for both dogs and monkeys. The biological half-lives for the two phases were 20 and 196 min in dogs and 15 and 142 min in monkeys.
Collagen/Annexin V Interactions Regulate Chondrocyte Mineralization

Physiological mineralization in growth plate cartilage is highly regulated and restricted to terminally differentiated chondrocytes. Because mineralization occurs in the extracellular matrix, we asked whether major extracellular matrix components (collagens) of growth plate cartilage are directly involved in regulating the mineralization process. Our findings show that types II and X collagen interacted with cell surface-expressed annexin V. These interactions led to a stimulation of annexin V-mediated Ca2+ influx resulting in an increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i, and ultimately increased alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization of growth plate chondrocytes. Consequently, stimulation of these interactions (ascorbate to stimulate collagen synthesis, culturing cells on type II collagen-coated dishes, or overexpression of full-length annexin V) resulted in increase of [Ca2+]i, alkaline phosphatase activity, and mineralization of growth plate chondrocytes, whereas inhibition of these interactions (3,4-dehydro-l-proline to inhibit collagen secretion, K-201, a specific annexin channel blocker, overexpression of N terminus-deleted mutant annexin V that does not bind to type II collagen and shows reduced Ca2+ channel activities) decreased [Ca2+]i, alkaline phosphatase activity, and mineralization. In conclusion, the interactions between collagen and annexin V regulate mineralization of growth plate cartilage. Because annexin V is up-regulated during pathological mineralization events of articular cartilage, it is possible that these interactions also regulate pathological mineralization.
Application of a video-optical beam imaging system for quality assurance of medical accelerators.

Method validation techniques were developed and experiments were carried out using a beam imaging system (BIS, Wellhofer Dosimetrie, Schwarzenbruck, Germany) for routine quality assurance of medical accelerators. The routine quality assurance tasks include x-ray beam flatness and symmetry check, light/radiation field congruence test, beam energy constancy for electrons and mechanical checks for couch and collimator rotations. Comparisons were made between the BIS application and conventional quality assurance methods that use radiographic films or detector arrays. In this work, we have demonstrated efficiency and accuracy of the BIS to perform some of the routine quality assurance tasks for medical linear accelerators.
DEXAMETHASONE INDUCED LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY OF THE NEONATAL RAT MYOCARDIUM. † 173

Dexamethasone (dex) is a synthetic glucocorticoid which improves pulmonary function in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Some infants experience adverse effects including myocardial hypertrophy. We have previously shown that rat pups given therapeutic daily doses of dex develop myocardial hypertrophy using both gross and biochemical measures of cardiac mass. This experiment was designed to study the in vivo histologic effects of dex on neonatal rat myocardium. Newborn Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the treatment group (dex 0.125 mg/kg/day IP injection) while paired littermates receiving placebo served as controls. Daily body weight for each pup was recorded and the pups sacrificed after 7 days. The hearts were removed, weighed, and rinsed in 150mM NaCl followed by 1M KCl to relax the myocardium, prior to fixation in a 2% paraformaldehyde solution. A random sample of control and dex exposed hearts were embedded in paraflin and 3 μm cross-sections taken at the bi-ventricular level. Three sections from each heart, mounted and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for standard light microscopy were examined by a pathologist in a blinded study. Measurements of left ventricular(LV), right ventricular(RV), and septal thickness(SP) were taken at 10x magnification. The cross-sectional surface area(SA) of the sample was determined using the NIH Image Analyzer program. These values were normalized to heart weight(HW) for comparison. The number of myocyte nuclei per hpf (NN) taken at 100x magnification and the length of nuclei (NS) were determined. Groups were compared by t-test with all data presented as mean±SD (* denotes significance p<0.05). Table
Laparoscopy for Benign Disease: Robotics:

Currently available robotic surgical systems appear to be particularly suited for use in benign diseases of the gastrointestinal system. Minimally invasive operations for foregut conditions, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease and achalasia, require excellent visibility and precise tissue dissection. Benign lower gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease and diverticulitis, also can be approached using robotic assistance. Disadvantages include expense and the loss of tactile feedback. Early clinical results are promising.
Identification and estimation of latent group-level-effects in infrastructure performance modeling

As in other panel data analyses, the presence of unobserved heterogeneity is a critical issue in the estimation of infrastructure performance models. In the literature, this issue has been addressed by formulating variable intercept, fixed or random effects models under the assumptions that (1) heterogeneity stems from facility/individual-level effects, and that (2) the coefficients are constant and homogeneous across the population. In contrast, we present mixture regression as a performance modeling framework. The approach relies on the assumption that the underlying population is comprised of a finite set of classes/segments in unknown proportions. The segmentation basis is latent meaning that the criteria to establish the number and type of segments are related to unobserved heterogeneity manifested in facility performance/deterioration. The segments are characterized by a set of commonly specified regression equations, which allows for the identification and estimation of coefficients, i.e., group-level effects, that differ in terms of their level-of-significance, magnitude or sign. We also derive an instance of the Expectation-Maximization Algorithm to estimate the associated parameters, and to assign facilities to the population segments. To illustrate the framework, we analyze the performance of a panel of 131 pavements from the AASHO Road Test. The results suggest both observed and unobserved sources of heterogeneity in the panel. The heterogeneity is captured by differential group-level effects, which we estimate and interpret. We also discuss how these effects can be exploited in the development of resource allocation strategies. We also compare the mixture regression model to established benchmarks.
Comparison of the static and dynamic properties of a semiflexible polymer using lattice Boltzmann and Brownian-dynamics simulations

The aim of this paper is to compare results from lattice Boltzmann and Brownian-dynamics simulations of linear chain molecules. We have systematically varied the parameters that may affect the accuracy of the lattice Boltzmann simulations including grid resolution, temperature, polymer mass, and fluid viscosity. The effects of the periodic boundary conditions are minimized by an analytic correction for the different long-range interactions in periodic and unbounded systems. Lattice Boltzmann results for the diffusion coefficient and Rouse mode relaxation times were found to be insensitive to temperature, which suggests that effects of hydrodynamic retardation are small. By increasing the resolution of the lattice Boltzmann grid with respect to the polymer size, convergent results for the diffusion coefficient and relaxation times were obtained; these results agree with Brownian dynamics to within 1%-2%.
Women's soccer in the United States: Yet another American ‘Exceptionalism’

Arguably, women's soccer in the United States has been among the best played and extensively watched in the world. Not only has the American national team won more international championships than any other national team, but the WUSA (Women's United States Soccer Association), a professional league, has become the top women's professional league in the world, attracting the best women soccer players from countries such as Germany, Norway, Brazil and China. Furthermore, in terms of female soccer players, the United States – with nearly 10 million registered participants – leads the world by a wide margin. Yet, unlike in many countries of the world, soccer remains a minute feature on the topographical map of American sports space. Why is this the case? This study will consider this fascinating dilemma.
Visualization and quantification of helical and vortical flow in ascending aortic aneurysms

Introduction Complex blood flow patterns in the ascending aorta have been associated with the pathophysiology of various cardiovascular diseases, including ascending aortic aneurysms (AscAA). Helical and turbulent flow in patients with aneurysms present an increased tangential force that could lead to further aortic dilation, dissection, or rupture. Characterization and quantification of these flow patterns could help predict disease progression.
Composing strategies and pedagogy

Musical material suggests itself to composers in a variety of ways, many unexpected. But is the way in which a composer comes to particular decisions of importance to the teaching process? This paper examines the ideas of experimentation and testing with respect to research into composition. A model of the learning process is elaborated which seeks to disentangle the self-supporting justifications which grew up in the wake of post-war serial composition and analysis. An approach based on aural testing and ‘experimental analysis’ is advocated. The contribution of electroacoustic music is examined. It is argued that criteria of judgement in the learning process should be broadened to include those of a wider ‘community of interest’ and that compositional tools should be developed for the community as a whole, especially in the area of research into large scale forms. Finally, some observations on the consequences of this model to the broader world of music promotion are made.
The underemployment of American rural women: prevalence, trends and spatial inequality.

Abstract The growing numerical significance of women in the U.S. nonmetropolitan labor force has not been matched by parallel efforts to document the changing ‘quality’ of their employment. In this paper, I use the labor utilization framework of Clogg and Sullivan [(1983) Social Indicators Research12, 117–152] to examine the prevalence and spatial convergence of various forms of female underemployment during 1970–1985. Data from the March annual demographic files of the Current Population Survey reveal that underemployment has been a significant aspect of the employment experiences of nonmetropolitan women during this period. There has been little evidence of spatial or sex convergence in labor market outcomes. Roughly one of every three rural female workers today is a ‘discouraged worker’, jobless, employed part-time involuntarily, or working for poverty-level wages. Moreover, rural women continue to suffer substantially higher levels of economic underemployment than urban women and rural men. This study reinforces the view that rural women remain a seriously underutilized labor resource in the United States.
The Titan Haze Simulation experiment on COSmIC: Probing Titan’s atmospheric chemistry at low temperature

Abstract The aim of the Titan Haze Simulation (THS) experiment is to contribute to a better understanding of aerosol formation in Titan’s atmosphere through the study of the chemical formation pathways that link the simpler gas phase molecules resulting from the first steps of the N 2 –CH 4 chemistry, to the more complex gas phase precursors of aerosols; and more specifically, to investigate the role of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitrogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PANHs), among other hydrocarbons, in this process. In the THS experiment developed at the NASA Ames Cosmic simulation facility (COSmIC), Titan’s atmospheric chemistry is simulated by a pulsed plasma jet expansion at temperature conditions (∼150 K) close to those found in Titan’s atmosphere in regions where aerosols are formed. In addition, because of the very short residence time of the gas in the plasma discharge, only the initial steps of the chemistry occur, making the COSmIC/THS a unique tool to study the first and intermediate (when adding heavier precursors to the initial N 2 –CH 4 mixture) steps of Titan’s atmospheric chemistry at low temperature as shown in the study presented here. We further illustrate the potential of COSmIC/THS for the simulation of Titan’s atmospheric chemistry by presenting very promising results from a preliminary comparison of the laboratory data to data from the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer–Ion Beam Spectrometer (CAPS–IBS) instrument.
Net local removal of floodplain sediment by river meander migration

Abstract Erosion from the banks of meandering rivers causes a local influx of sediment to the river channel. Most of the eroded volume is usually replaced in nearby point bars. However, the typical geometry of river bends precludes the local replacement of all eroded material because (i) point bars tend to be built to a lower elevation than cutbanks and (ii) point bars tend to be shorter than the eroding portion of cutbanks because of channel curvature. In a floodplain that is in equilibrium (i.e., neither increasing nor decreasing in volume), sediment eroded from cut banks must be replaced elsewhere on the floodplain. The local imbalance caused by differences in bank height should be balanced primarily by overbank deposition, while the local imbalance caused by curvature should be balanced primarily by deposition in abandoned stream courses or oxbow lakes. Estimates of these local imbalances based on remotely sensed measurements of bank geometry and channel migration have been made on four systems in the United States: a 91-km reach of the Pearl River in Louisiana and Mississippi, a 62-km reach of the Bogue Chitto River in Louisiana, a 35-km reach of the Neuse River in North Carolina, and a 2.7-km reach of the Vermillion River in Minnesota. For these systems, the total local imbalance, integrated over many bends, ranged from 0.36 to 2.27 m 3 /yr/m of valley length (0.15 to 1.32 m 3 /yr/m of channel length), or 7 to 45% of gross cutbank erosion, with a typical value of about 17%. When compared with gauged suspended sediment data, the measurements provide estimates of the relative importance of floodplains for storing material transported by a river system. The data suggest that even if the studied systems are near long-term mass balance equilibrium (as opposed to undergoing net deposition or erosion), almost all of the sand and in some cases much of the silt and clay in transit through these systems is likely to have spent some time stored in an upstream floodplain.
Child growth as a measure of livelihood security: the case of the Gwembe Tonga.

This article outlines an approach to the study of child growth and development in adverse environments that utilizes growth to measure the success of the human/environment interaction. This type of biocultural, human adaptability perspective focuses on within group variation to gain an understanding of the differential ability of households to negotiate opportunities and constraints in the ecological/social/cultural environment. As an example, we report preliminary findings of on-going research in a migrant Gwembe Tonga community in Zambia. Our analysis indicates that average height-for-age and weight-for-height z-scores of school children are below international references, representing compromised community well-being in context of new and shifting environments. We report variation in average household child height-for-age z-scores that is linked to differential livelihood strategies in the community. We conclude that in the context of shared circumstances that focus risk for poor health on this community as a whole, the ability of households to adapt to their circumstances varies as evidenced by differential growth outcomes. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Administration of Wine and Grape Juice Inhibits In Vivo Platelet Activity and Thrombosis in Stenosed Canine Coronary Arteries

Background Moderate daily consumption of alcoholic beverages is a negative risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD), especially in France and other Mediterranean areas where red wine is regularly consumed with meals. Platelets contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, CAD, and acute arterial thrombus formation. Methods and Results Anesthetized dogs were prepared with the Folts model of mechanically stenosed coronary arteries and intimal damage. Periodic acute platelet-mediated thrombus formation occurred, causing cyclic flow reductions (CFRs) in coronary blood flow. The CFRs were eliminated by the administration of 1.62±1.12 mL/kg red wine intravenously (IV) and 4.0 mL/kg intragastrically (IG). The CFRs were abolished by 2.04±1.42 mL/kg of grape juice IV and 10 mL/kg IG. White wine did not have significant results in eliminating the CFRs, either IV (2.0 mL/kg) or IG (4.0 mL/kg), decreasing the slopes of the CFRs only slightly. Conclusions Pure ethanol ha...