cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Construction of an Affordable Lumbar Neuraxial Block Model Using 3D Printed Materials.

Access to affordable 3D printing technology has resulted in increased interest in the creation of medical phantom task trainers. Recent research has validated the use of these trainers in simulation education. However, task trainers remain expensive, limiting their availability to medical training programs. We describe the construction of a low-cost task trainer using fused filament fabrication (FFF) printed spinal vertebrae placed in a synthetic gelatin matrix. Additionally, our model contains a realistic simulated ligamentum flavum, a removable silicone skin, as well as spinal fluid reservoir that provides a positive endpoint for intrathecal blocks. The total cost of this model was less than $400 USD. The time to 3D print the bony anatomic parts was approximately 26 hours. While we have not formally validated our model, initial impressions of tactile feel and realism were deemed positive by experienced anesthesia providers. Future work will focus on continued refinement of the model features and construction.
An Eye Tracking Study of Anti-Smoking Messages on Toxic Chemicals in Cigarettes.

The US Food and Drug Administration is tasked with communicating information to the public about the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke. Our study used eye tracking method to test the effectiveness of messages about the harmful chemicals in cigarettes smoke among adult smokers. A sample size of 211 current cigarette smokers viewed four communication messages that included: Health effects of a chemical in cigarette smoke and an image depicting the health effect. The messages focused on arsenic, formaldehyde, uranium, and general health. Eye tracking recorded the length of time participants viewed the text and the image. After each message, the participants were asked about the messages’ effectiveness in changing attitudes towards smoking. We analyzed the data using multilevel modeling, and of the 211 smokers, 59.7% were female, 36.5% were Black, and 21.3% had a high school degree or less. Compared to the general message, the messages about formaldehyde and uranium were more discouraging to smoking (p < 0.05). Messages about formaldehyde were more believable and made participants want to quit more than the general messages. Increasing message dose was significantly associated with discouraging participants from smoking and made participants want to quit (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that anti-smoking messages, containing chemical information, can successfully increase negative attitudes toward smoking cigarettes and potentially encourage quitting.
Enabling scalable chiplet-based uniform memory architectures with silicon photonics

Chiplet-based systems have recently received much attention for scaling-up processing power in HPC systems due to their high energy efficiency and low cost manufacturing; however, large inter-chiplet NUMA latencies, distance-related energy overheads, and limited IO bandwidth caused by state-of-the-art packaging and interconnect technologies substantially limit their scalability. Large last level caches (up to 16MiB/chiplet and 40% of chiplet area) of current systems can only temporarily hide these limitations and come at the large cost and leakage power of SRAM cells. In this paper, we propose the use of integrated silicon-photonic (SiPh) interconnects on an organic package substrate which combines low material costs with a high IO bandwidth, distance-independent energy consumption, and low-latency point-to-point interconnection fabric to effectively overcome current interconnect and packaging limitations. We exploit the properties of this fabric to propose a scalable uniform memory architecture (S-UMA) that overcomes all NUMA-related performance challenges. Moreover, we propose exploiting our low-latency SiPh fabric to remove the large LLC caches from the processor chiplets and re-integrate them into separate chiplets, increasing manufacturing yield by using smaller chiplets, allowing to use the most efficient process for SRAM circuits, or easing integration of alternative memory technologies without performance hits. Compared to state-of-the-art architectures, S-UMA offers 23% performance speed-up and 30% network power savings on average across HPC workloads for a 8-chiplet 64-core system.
Tibial Plateau Fracture Following Low Energy Fall in the Rocky Mountains

Tibial plateau fractures are debilitating injuries. They can occur in younger individuals who sustain a high energy trauma or, with increasing age, lesser degrees of trauma and underlying bone pathology such as osteoporosis, metabolic bone disease, and malignancy.1 Outside these cases, tibial plateau fractures are relatively uncommon. However, these fractures can occur in healthy patients who have sustained direct trauma to the knee. Fractures of the tibial plateau often are classified according to the Schatzker or AO classification systems.2,3 These systems evaluate the involvement of both the medial and lateral plateaus, degree of comminution, extension into the joint, and displacement (both articular surfaces and the relationship of the diaphysis to the metaphysis). Most tibial plateau fractures occur in the lateral aspect of the tibial plateau.1 The increased frequency of lateral fractures is due to the medial tibial plateau being able to resist higher weight-bearing load due to the presence of more cancellous bone. More importantly, the lateral plateau has more articular surface exposed during extension compared to the medial plateau, which increases likelihood of injury.4 The standard of care for most displaced tibial plateau fractures is surgical management with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF).5 Conservative management, such as leg bracing, is an option for fractures that are nondisplaced or in patients too fragile for surgical intervention. In the senior population, a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a less common option. Tibial plateau fractures, particularly medial tibial plateau fractures, caused by direct trauma in the elderly, non-osteoporotic population are uncommon. We present the case of an active male without overt risk for severe fracture (10-year fracture risk of 10% via FRAX score) who was working to repair a trail in the Rocky Mountains. While other injuries were more likely given the mechanism of injury and patient risk, this case highlighted the importance of considering tibial plateau fracture, even in atypical settings without significant risk. Improved awareness of this mechanism of injury will lead to more accurate diagnosis and greater post-injury management.
Comprehensive Care in Cerebral Palsy

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) will be cared for at some point by all pediatricians and many pediatric subspecialists due to this condition being the most common motor disability of childhood. Comprehensive care of the child with CP requires individuals with specialized training, and these children benefit from an interdisciplinary team approach to care. CP is heterogeneous due to varied causes, which necessitates individualized treatment plans. The CP specialist must be prepared to support the needs of the child with CP holistically and must dialogue regularly with members of the team and involve the family in decision-making.
Safety and feasibility of crushing sevelamer tablets for enteral feeding tube administration

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE Sevelamer is an insoluble polymer indicated for the management of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The package inserts for both tablet formulations recommend the tablets be administered whole. Due to whole tablets being sometimes inadvertently crushed and the significantly increased cost of sevelamer packets, we evaluated the safety and feasibility of crushed sevelamer tablets for enteral feeding tube administration. METHODS A single-centre retrospective chart review was performed. All adult ICU patients prescribed sevelamer carbonate between 1 January 2015 and 31 July 2019 were included if they received at least one dose of a sevelamer tablet or packet, whereas they had an enteral feeding tube in place. The primary outcome was the incidence of an obstructed enteral feeding tube or need for replacement, as defined as the number of occurrences over the total numbers of doses administered. The secondary outcome was the change in phosphorus levels from time of sevelamer initiation to discontinuation or patient discharge. RESULTS A total of 14 obstructions were reported, four in the tablet arm and ten in the packet arm (0.4% tablet arm, 0.5% packet arm; P = .5931). Of these, four (29%) required tube replacement and were followed by sevelamer discontinuation. Two (14%) were documented to be due to increased tube feeds and esomeprazole. Six (43%) cases required tube replacement, but no issues arose upon continuation. Only one of the obstructions resulted in a recurrent tube occlusion. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION Sevelamer tablets may be crushed and administered via enteral feeding tubes, provided clear instruction on tablet preparation is included. Oral administration in dysphagic patients requires further evaluation with clear protocols for preparation and administration.
3 DNA on Demand

Around two decades ago, just six months into the new millennium, the world celebrated the news that the human genome had been mapped. A joint press conference by U.S. President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the success of a public-private partnership in creating a draft sequence of all the rungs of the beautiful double-helix ladder of human DNA.
MNEs and the practice of international business diplomacy

Abstract Scholars of international relations and international political economy have long documented international business diplomacy (IBD) as a practice of multinational enterprises (MNEs), although the specific practices involved have not been consistently established in international business scholarship. We apply "practice theory" to position IBD within the realm of MNEs’ global non-market strategy (NMS), arguing that IBD constitutes a set of practices in the implementation of global NMS, and that the most appropriate practices depend upon two key dimensions of the global institutional governance regime faced by the MNEs: the governance level and the degree of rule formality.
The Complex Mixture, Fate and Toxicity of Chemicals Associated with Plastic Debris in the Marine Environment

For decades we have learned about the physical hazards associated with plastic debris in the marine environment, but recently we are beginning to realize the chemical hazards. Assessing hazards associated with plastic in aquatic habitats is not simple, and requires knowledge regarding organisms that may be exposed, the exposure concentrations, the types of polymers comprising the debris, the length of time the debris was present in the aquatic environment (affecting the size, shape and fouling) and the locations and transport of the debris during that time period. Marine plastic debris is associated with a ‘cocktail of chemicals’, including chemicals added or produced during manufacturing and those present in the marine environment that accumulate onto the debris from surrounding seawater. This raises concerns regarding: (i) the complex mixture of chemical substances associated with marine plastic debris, (ii) the environmental fate of these chemicals to and from plastics in our oceans and (iii) how this mixture affects wildlife, as hundreds of species ingest this material in nature. The focus of this chapter is on the mixture of chemicals associated with marine plastic debris. Specifically, this chapter discusses the diversity of chemical ingredients, byproducts of manufacturing and sorbed chemical contaminants from the marine environment among plastic types, the role of marine plastic debris as a novel medium for environmental partitioning of chemical contaminants in the ocean and the toxic effects that may result from plastic debris in marine animals.
Optimal federalism: The sorting of people within the fiscal hierarchy

This chapter presents a discussion on the optimal federalism. Models of mobility under federalism vary along at least eight dimensions that influence the results predicted by the model. The dimensions include the underlying economic environment, the nature of the local government sector, and the information set available to citizens within a locality. Models that assume a flexible number of communities typically envision people settling a new frontier that was previously uninhabited. Communities form and provide public services. If people do not like the outcome, they can join with other unsatisfied people and form another community offering a different mix of services. Communities continually form and break apart as people search for equilibrium. The fixed-community models apply to more developed nations. There are a given number of housing sites across all communities that just equal the total population, and equilibrium requires that people sort themselves among the existing houses such that no one is required to move again.
Modern Mimicry and YouTube: How Technology Has Influenced Pedagogy and Performance of Poetry Interpretation Within Competitive Forensics

Plato's mimetic theory proposes art is an imitative representation of nature. Mimesis and imitation have a long history of rhetorical significance. This article investigates the potential impact increased technology might have upon the mimetic nature of the interpretation of poetry within modern forensics performances. Technological advances have made millions of performances available immediately. This vast increase in performance accessibility has created serious implications for repetition and impersonation within the genre of interpretation. As YouTube has made poetry performances visibly and audibly accessible to the masses, literal mimetic performances are quickly taking shape. This article utilizes a classical rhetorical framework upon modern-day technological advancements in an attempt to articulate significant educational benefits and limitations technology has had on mimetic performances for students, coaches, and judges.
Initiation of Protein Synthesis in Vitro by a Clostridial System II. THE ROLES OF INITIATION FACTORS AND SALT-WASHED RIBOSOMES IN DETERMINING SPECIFICITY IN THE TRANSLATION OF NATURAL MESSENGER RIBONUCLEIC ACIDS

Abstract A messenger RNA preparation from Clostridium pasteurianum is active in stimulating protein synthesis in vitro by ribosomes and initiation factors derived from C. pasteurianum or from Escherichia coli. Other messengers tested, f2 RNA, T4 early mRNA, and E. coli mRNA, are active with ribosomes and initiation factors derived from E. coli, but not with those derived from C. pasteurianum. By testing the heterologous combinations of salt-washed ribosomes and initiation factors from these two bacterial species in protein synthesis assays, it was demonstrated that the salt-washed ribosomes, and not the initiation factors, control the specificity of mRNA translation and also determine the characteristic magnesium optimum for protein synthesis. The initiation factors influence the efficiency of translation obtained with each type of mRNA. The relative efficiency of translation observed when using E. coli initiation factors and when using C. pasteurianum initiation factors varies with the different types of mRNA. The heterologous combinations of salt-washed ribosomes and initiation factors from the two bacterial species were also tested for their ability to bind fMet-tRNA in response to f2 RNA, T4 early mRNA, and C. pasteurianum mRNA. These assays demonstrated the same difference in messenger specificities between the two ribosomal systems as was found in the protein synthesis assays. Moreover, the results indicated, in agreement with the protein synthesis assays, that the salt-washed ribosomes, and not the initiation factors, control the specificity of mRNA recognition.
Walking Through Jelly: Language Proficiency, Emotions, and Disrupted Collaboration in Global Work

In an ethnographic study comprised of interviews and concurrent observations of 145 globally distributed members of nine project teams of an organization, we found that uneven proficiency in English, the lingua franca, disrupted collaboration for both native and non-native speakers. Although all team members spoke English, different levels of fluency contributed to tensions on these teams. As non-native English speakers attempted to counter the apprehension they felt when having to speak English and native English speakers fought against feeling excluded and devalued, a cycle of negative emotion ensued and disrupted interpersonal relationships on these teams. We describe in detail how emotions and actions evolved recursively as coworkers sought to relieve themselves of negative emotions prompted by the lingua franca mandate and inadvertently behaved in ways that triggered negative responses in distant coworkers. Our results add to the scant literature on the role of emotions in collaborative relationships in organizations and suggest that organizational policies can set in motion a cycle of negative emotions that interfere with collaborative work.
Women in the 70s — Have Opportunities Really Changed?

(1978). Women in the 70s — Have Opportunities Really Changed? The Journal of Business Education: Vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 75-78.
Dialyzer Reuse and Patient Outcomes: What Do We Know Now?

Although some hemodialysis (HD) providers in the United States have recently embarked on programs to discontinue dialyzer reprocessing, the practice of dialyzer reuse is still much more common in the United States than in many other countries. Continuation of reprocessing programs has been justified chiefly as an effort to deliver HD with biocompatible and often expensive higher flux dialysis membranes. However, this rationale is considerably less compelling with the decrease in cost for most types of HD membranes and with ongoing debates about the relative effectiveness of HD membranes according to flux and other characteristics. While it is highly likely that mandated quality control standards have limited catastrophic events, such as outbreaks of blood-borne bacterial infections that can occur due to poor dialyzer reprocessing techniques, hemodialyzer reprocessing remains vulnerable to poor implementation. Reprocessing is no longer indicated in order to improve blood-membrane biocompatibility, due to the marked decrease in first-use syndrome since the widespread adoption of synthetic dialysis membranes. Rather, the possibility exists that certain chronic inflammatory responses observed with dialyzer reuse may be deleterious, although these relationships remain speculative. While observational studies have not consistently demonstrated a large excess mortality attributable to reuse, the association of reuse to mortality remains uncertain. Evaluation of the safety of particular reprocessing techniques, germicides, and cleaners has been even harder to examine. Given the widespread availability of inexpensive biocompatible HD membranes and persistent uncertainties about the safety of dialyzer reprocessing, it is time for providers to reexamine their rationale for continuing hemodialyzer reprocessing programs.
Carcinoembryonic antigen and alpha-fetoprotein in the diagnosis of gastric and colonic cancer: a comparative clinical evaluation.

Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) levels were simultaneously measured in 100 colorectal and 45 gastric cancer patients. Of the 100 colorectal cancer patients 27 had localized or regional tumors and 73 had distant metastases (53 with liver metastases). Serum CEA increased ( .05) when patients who had distant spread with and without liver metastases were compared. 8/45 gastric carcinoma cases had localized or regional cancer and the other 36 had distant metastases (20 liver). Serum CEA was increased in 10 (22%) and AFP in 12 (27%). Only 1 patient had a concurrent increase in CEA and AFP. In contrast when both CEA and AFP were used as combined diagnostic indicators levels of either antigen were increased in 21 (47%) of the 45 cases.
Joined-Wing Aeroelastic Design with Geometric Nonlinearity

An integrated process is presented that advances the design of an aeroelastic joined-wing concept by incorporating physics-based results at the system level. For instance, this process replaces empirical mass estimation with high-fidelity analytical mass estimations. Elements of nonlinear structures, aerodynamics, and aeroelastic analyses were incorporated with vehicle configuration design. This process represents a significantly complex application of aeroelastic structural optimization. Specific fuel consumption for a fixed lift-to-drag ratio was considered in the process for estimating fuel to size the structure to meet range and loiter requirements. This design process was implemented on a single configuration for which two crucial nonlinear phenomena contribute to structural failure: large deformation aerodynamics and geometrically nonlinear structures. A correct model of the nonlinear aeroelastic physics offers the possibility of a successful design. Unconventional features of a joined-wing concept are presented with the aid of this unique design model. Hopefully, insight derived from the nonlinear aeroelastic design might be leveraged to the benefit of future joined-wing designs.
ϒ production in p+p, d+Au, Au+Au collisions at s=200GeV in STAR

Abstract Quarkonium is a good probe of the dense matter produced in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC because it is produced early in the collision and the production is theorized to be suppressed due to the Debye color screening of the potential between the heavy quarks. A model dependent measurement of the temperature of the Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP) can be made by examining the ratio of the production of various quarkonium states in heavy ion collisions versus p+p collisions as lattice calculations indicate that the quarkonium states will be sequentially suppressed. Suppression is quantified by calculating R A A , which is the ratio of the yield in Au+Au to the production in p+p scaled by the number of binary collisions. The ϒ states are of particular interest because at 200 GeV the effects of feed down and co-movers are smaller than for J / ψ which decreases the systematic uncertainty of the R A A determination. In addition to hadronic absorption, additional cold nuclear matter effects, such as shadowing of the PDFs, can be determined from d+Au collisions. We will present our results for mid-rapidity ϒ production in p+p, as well as our preliminary results in d+Au and Au+Au at s = 200 GeV . These results will then be compared with theoretical QCD calculations.
Ventricular septal defect: results after repair in infancy.

During the 19 years from 1957 through 1975, there have been 106 patients under age 2 years who have undergone surgery for repair of a large ventricular septal defect at the University of Michigan Medical Center. The majority of the patients had either severe pulmonary hypertension or intractable congestive heart failure. Eighty-three infants survived operation; there has been one late death. The greatest mortality occurred in patients under age 6 months and in those with severe pulmonary hypertension. Surviving infants showed marked symptomatic improvement and change in growth patterns. Complications included the development of complete right bundle branch block or left anterior hemiblock in approximately 50 percent of patients and, in one instance, complete atrioventricular block. Forty-five patients have undergone cardiac catheterization 1 to 8 years postoperatively. Although 17 were found to have residual septal defects, only 3 of these had a pulmonary to systemic flow ratio of 1.5:1 or more, and reoperation was accomplished without incident in these 3 patients and in 3 others with smaller shunts. With one exception, postoperative pulmonary arterial pressures and pulmonary to systemic vascular resistance ratios were normal or near normal, thus representing a significant contrast with findings in patients operated on after age 2 years. Whereas the complications of surgery appear no greater in the infant than in the older patient, many of the benefits can be realized only with operation at the earlier age.
Purification and some properties of Cd-binding protein from rat liver.

Abstract The effect of repeated intraperitoneal injections of cadmium chloride on the accumulation of the metal in livers of rats has been investigated. Intracellularly the cadmium was found predominantly in the supernatant fraction bound to a low molecular-weight protein. This protein was purified by Sephadex column chromatography and was found by amino acid analysis to have a cysteine content of 28%. The absorption spectrum showed featureless absorption at 280 nm with intense absorption at shorter wavelengths. These observations suggest that the Cd-binding protein is metallothionein. Livers from rats not administered Cd do not appear to contain metallothionein, whereas administration of Cd definitely leads to increasing amounts of this protein. It appears that this protein is an inducible cellular component which serves to sequester toxic cadmium ions.
Inhibition of gastric cancer by camptothecin involves apoptosis and multiple cellular pathways

Abstract Background: The prognosis for gastric cancer remains dismal; novel agents that target specific molecular pathways are needed as adjuvant therapy. Camptothecin (CPT), an inhibitor of topoisomerase I, is effective in the treatment of certain solid tumors; its effects on gastric cancer are largely undefined. The purpose of this study was to (1) characterize the effects of CPT on the growth of a human gastric cancer and (2) assess potential cellular mechanisms responsible for CPT-mediated growth inhibition. Methods: The human gastric cancer SIIA was transplanted subcutaneously into athymic nude mice. After tumors reached ~100 mm 2 , mice were randomized into 3 groups to receive either CPT (5 or 10 mg/kg) or vehicle (control) intraperitoneally 3 days per week for 3 weeks; tumor size was measured biweekly. To assess potential mechanisms of CPT-mediated inhibition, SIIA cells were treated with CPT (20 μmol/L) and cells were counted over a time course; apoptosis was assessed by Hoechst stain and DNA laddering. Expression of p53 (a tumor suppressor), p21 Waf1 and p27 Kip1 (cell cycle inhibitors), and Bcl-2 and Bcl-X L (antiapoptotic proteins) was determined. Results: CPT (5 and 10 mg/kg) significantly inhibited tumor growth of SIIA gastric cancers compared with controls. CPT-mediated inhibition of SIIA cell proliferation was associated with an increase in apoptosis. Moreover, CPT treatment resulted in induction of p53, p21 Waf1 , and p27 Kip1 and a decrease in Bcl-2 and Bcl-X L RNA and protein levels. Conclusions: Treatment with CPT effectively inhibited the growth of the human gastric cancer SIIA; the mechanism involved was induction of apoptosis mediated by up-regulation of p53, p21 Waf1/Cip1 , and p27 Kip1 and the down-regulation of Bcl-2 and Bcl-X L . Novel agents such as CPT, which target specific molecular pathways, may prove clinically useful in the adjuvant treatment of gastric cancers. (Surgery 1999;126:223-30.)
A low-dimensional model of separation bubbles

In this work, motivated by the problem of model-based predictive control of separated flows, we identify the key variables and the requirements on a model-based observer and construct a prototype low-dimensional model to be embedded in control applications. Namely, using a phenomenological physics-based approach and dynamical systems and singularity theories, we uncover the low-dimensional nature of the complex dynamics of actuated separated flows and capture the crucial bifurcation and hysteresis inherent in separation phenomena. This new look at the problem naturally leads to several important implications, such as, firstly, uncovering the physical mechanisms for hysteresis, secondly, predicting a finite amplitude instability of the bubble, and, thirdly, to new issues to be studied theoretically and tested experimentally.
Relationships Of Seed Banks To Plant Distribution Patterns In A Freshwater Tidal Wetland

A B S T R A C T Study of seed banks, field seedling emergence, and survival of macrophytes in four zones (steep bank-SB; gentle bank-GB; midbank-MB; high marsh-HM) along transects perpendicular to a stream channel in a freshwater tidal wetland showed that many species are widely distributed. Ofthe 35 species in the seed bank, 50% were common to all zones; ofthe 20 species emerging in the field, 77% were observed in all zones. Density of seeds, seedlings, and mature plants of most species, however, varied significantly with habitat. The seed bank of each zone reflected the dominant vegetation of that zone. Most species, even those with high potential for water dispersal, were not evenly distributed. Reciprocal transplants and survival persistence data of dominants corresponded with their habitat preferences. Seed bank densities differed from zone to zone (SB 1,717 m-2; GB 1,645; MB 2,730; HM 3,620). In all zones the maximum field seedling density was less than the comparable seed bank one (SB 38% less; GB 33%; MB 46%; and HM 10%). These data, coupled with the higher proportion of the total seed bank and total field seedlings occurring in the HM, suggest that the stream channel sites were more stressful early in the growing season than the HM. Because of differential establishment and survival, importance of a species relative to the rest ofthe vegetation may change with time and occurrence of a species in the vegetation may greatly outweigh its importance in the seed bank or even the seedling stage. Although seeds of annual species were numerous with seven species making up 85% of the seed bank, annual species comprised only about half of the species recorded in the seed bank of each zone. It is not possible at our present level of understanding of seed banks in the freshwater tidal marsh to predict vegetation change. Various combinations of species attributes contribute to the zonation patterns observed in the freshwater tidal wetland.
Chromosomes of the murine leukemia virus indicator cell line XC.

A cell line derived from the Rous Sarcoma Virus induced rat tumor XC (Svoboda), which was recently utilized as an indicator for the presence of murine leukemia virus growing in mouse cells, has been examined karyologically. The cells differ considerably from each other as well as from the normal rat karyotype (Rattus norvegicus, 2n=42). The modal chromosome number is 41. All cells bear one or more chromosome markers in common as well as non-rat-like chromosomes, but rat-like chromosomes still preserve the identity of species origin.
Characteristics of winter cyclone activity in the northern North Atlantic: Insights from observations and regional modeling

[1] Fields from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis are used in conjunction with simulations from Polar MM5 to examine regional processes contributing to cyclone development in the sub-Arctic/Arctic sector of the North Atlantic. Strong deepening of systems (>6 hPa/6 hours) is especially common south of the tip of Greenland and in the vicinity of the mean Icelandic Low (IL). A secondary maximum is located just south of Svalbard. Composite analyses of strongly deepening systems in these areas point to the influence of pronounced preexisting low-level temperature gradients linked to ocean currents, the sea ice margin and ocean-land contrasts. The area of preferred deepening near Svalbard corresponds to the northernmost penetration of open water in the North Atlantic. Impacts of Greenland's orography are prominent in the synoptic complexity of the region. Typical synoptic situations, examined as case studies, include splitting, or “bifurcation” of cyclones at the southern tip of Greenland; orographic cyclogenesis in the lee of Greenland, at the location of the mean IL; and deepening of preexisting systems near the IL. Orographic influences are clearly captured in Polar MM5 simulations for which control runs of the three cases are compared to runs for which the orography of Greenland is removed.
The Raman spectrum of monetite, CaHPO4

Abstract The Raman spectrum was measured for monetite, CaHPO4. A consistent set of band assignments were made for both the Raman and infrared spectra. The effects of factor group and two-site effect are discussed.
SU-FF-I-148: Performance Comparison of An In-House and a Commercially Available Amplitude Gating Device for PET Imaging

Objective: To compare the performance characteristics of an in‐house amplitude gating device to the Anzai respiratory gating system in PETimaging.Methods: A MLT‐1132 respirationtransducer was coupled to a cDAQ‐9172 data‐acquisition device to digitize the respiratory signal. A Labview® program was designed to inject triggers into PET List streams whenever the respiration amplitude crossed the edges of a user‐set amplitude‐range (gate) and stop the scan when the accumulated gated scan‐duration reached a user‐set interval. To test its performance, a phantom containing one stationary (33mm) and 2 moving spheres (33&17mm) was imaged in 3D mode on a GE‐DRX PET/CT scanner (SBR=5.1). The two moving spheres were attached to a moving platform (2cm‐pp‐sinusoid, 5sec‐cycle) while the MLT‐1132 and Anzai transducers were secured to the platform simultaneously. Respiration signals from the two transducers were synchronized using triggers from the Anzai device. The gated amplitude‐range and scan‐duration were 80–100% of the motion amplitude and 3min respectively which resulted in 10min of total scan‐duration. The List data was first filtered by only keeping data within the gate and then reconstructed (3D‐IR) to generate a MLT‐1132‐gated image. Furthermore, the same list data was retrospectively gated based on the Anzai respiratory signal and an Anzai‐gated image was also reconstructed. In addition, two ungated images (10&3min) were unlisted and reconstructed from the same list data. All images were compared using line profiles, contrast, max and mean activity concentration (AC) for all spheres. Results: The respiratory waveforms recorded by the two devices and their respective Fourier transforms were identical and had a correlation coefficient of 0.97 & 0.99 respectively. The two gated images showed similar contrast (<3% difference) and AC (<2% difference) and exhibited similar improvement in contrast & AC when compared to ungated images.Conclusion: Our in‐house amplitude‐gating device has similar performances compared to the Anzai equipment
Countertransference in the Development of Graduate Student Group Counselors: Recommendations for Training

Abstract Teaching beginning group counselors to become aware of countertransference and understand the application of this to practice is an area that has not received much attention. This article presents a discussion of the phenomenon of countertransference in group work and provides recommendations about how to incorporate countertransference as a key aspect of training in group therapy.
Moderator and Mediator Effects of Scuba Diving Specialization on Marine-Based Environmental Knowledge-Behavior Contingency.

Given the growth in scuba diving activities and the importance of environmental education programs to alleviate the potential impacts on coral reef ecosystems, there is a need to better understand the diving community, its environmental knowledge, and subsequent behavioral actions. The purpose of this study was to explore the role or influence of specialization in scuba diving (as a moderator and mediator) on the relationship between marine-based environmental knowledge and behavior. Four hypotheses were formulated and empirically tested. Data from 370 scuba divers were collected (May-September 2002) in the St. Petersburg/Sarasota region of southwestern Florida. Marine-based environmental knowledge (11 items) and behaviors (16 items) were employed, along with recreation specialization (17 items) adapted from the literature. Specialization in scuba diving acted as a strong partial mediator but failed to be significant when tested as a moderator. Among scuba divers, marine-based knowledge did predict overal...
Changes in the phosphate compounds in strawberry leaves during a dark-light-dark transition in relation to sucrose biosynthesis

Abstract The concentrations of phosphate esters, nucleotides and sugars in strawberry leaves were measured during transition from dark to light to dark again. The period in the light varied from 2 to 30 min. The rapid changes in the concentration of some of the phosphate compounds which occurred within the first few minutes were consistent with the operation of the photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle of Bassham and Calvin. A study of those intermediates which were likely to be involved in sucrose synthesis indicated that uridine diphosphate glucose and fructose-6-phosphate were the most probable precursors of sucrose.
Random coefficient and errors-in-variables models for beta estimates: Methods and applications

Abstract Based upon both theoretical and empirical arguments, the market model has been specified as a random coefficient and errors-in-variables (RCEV) rates of return generating process. The impacts of measurement errors associated with market rates of return and the risk-free on the estimated beta coefficient and estimated random coefficient parameters are analyzed in detail. It is shown that the beta coefficient obtained from RCEV can be decomposed into a) true component, b) bias due to measurement errors, c) bias due to specification error, and d) interaction bias.
Damage to hair follicles by normal-mode ruby laser pulses

Abstract Background: Although many temporary treatments exist for hirsutism and hypertrichosis, a practical and permanent hair removal treatment is needed. Objective: Our purpose was to study the use of normal-mode ruby laser pulses (694 nm, 270 μsec, 6 mm beam diameter) for hair follicle destruction by selective photothermolysis. Methods: Histologically assessed damage in ex vivo black-haired dog skin after the use of different laser fluences was used to design a human study; 13 volunteers with brown or black hair were exposed to normal-mode ruby laser pulses at fluences of 30 to 60 J/cm 2 , delivered to both shaved and wax-epilated skin sites. An optical delivery device designed to maximize light delivery to the reticular dermis was used. Hair regrowth was assessed at 1, 3, and 6 months after exposure by counting terminal hairs. Results: Fluence-dependent selective thermal injury to follicles was observed histologically. There was a significant delay in hair growth in all subjects at all laser-treated sites compared with the unexposed shaven and epilated control sites. At 6 months, there was significant hair loss only in the areas shaved before treatment at the highest fluence. At 6 months, four subjects had less than 50% regrowth, two of whom showed no change between 3 and 6 months. Transient pigmentary changes were observed; there was no scarring. Conclusion: Selective photothermolysis of hair follicles with the normal-mode ruby laser produces a growth delay consistent with induction of prolonged telogen with apparently permanent hair removal in some cases.
Block-preconditioned Newton–Krylov solvers for fully coupled flow and geomechanics

The focus of this work is efficient solution methods for mixed finite element models of variably saturated fluid flow through deformable porous media. In particular, we examine preconditioning techniques to accelerate the convergence of implicit Newton–Krylov solvers. We highlight an approach in which preconditioners are built from block-factorizations of the coupled system. The key result of the work is the identification of effective preconditioners for the various sub-problems that appear within the block decomposition. We use numerical examples drawn from both linear and nonlinear hydromechanical models to test the robustness and scalability of the proposed methods. Results demonstrate that an algebraic multigrid variant of the block preconditioner leads to mesh-independent convergence, good parallel efficiency, and insensitivity to the material parameters of the medium.
Depth-resolved birefringence imaging of the primate retinal nerve fiber layer using polarization-sensitive OCT

Imaging the optical phase retardation per unit depth (OPR/UD) in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) may aid in glaucoma diagnosis. Polarization Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography (PSOCT) was used to record in vivo high-resolution images of the RNFL in two cynomologous monkeys. The depth variation in the Stokes vector of reflected light was used to calculate the OPR/UD as a function of RNFL position. OPR/UD decreased from 35 degree(s)/100 micrometers near the optic nerve to 5 degree(s)/100 micrometers at a location 600 micrometers superior to the optic nerve. Variation of OPR/UD in the RNFL with retinal position demonstrates a change in birefringence for different densities of ganglion cell axons. PSOCT may be useful for noninvasive determination of RNFL thickness and fiber density.
Systematics of the anomalous high-temperature 45Sc spin–lattice relaxation in scandium hydrides and deuterides

Abstract The nuclear magnetic resonance of the metal nucleus 45Sc shows anomalous spin–lattice relaxation at high temperatures (T≥800 K) in scandium dihydride and dideuteride. The anomalous rate R1A is represented by R1A=Aexp(−U/kBT), with an effective excitation enthalpy U and strength A. U increases sharply with decreasing H(D) vacancy concentration as [H(D)]/[Sc]→2.00. These new measurements and analysis support the concept of stable clusters of interacting thermally excited H(D) Frenkel interstitials and vacancies in fluorite-structure dihydrides and dideuterides.
Economic Incentive for Intermittent Operation of Air Separation Plants with Variable Power Costs

This article presents a simplified economic analysis of the effect of hourly variations in power costs on energy and capital costs of cryogenic air separation plants. The objective is to see what r...
Dietary energy losses of cattle influenced by body type, size, sex and intake

Digestibility (DE) and metabolizability (ME) of a single pelleted diet was examined with growing Angus and Holstein cattle. One hundred and ninety-one individual digestion trials were conducted with bulls, steers and heifers. Food was offered ad libitum or restricted with a daily meal frequency of four. Data were analysed by two covariate models. The first included relative dry matter intake (RDMI) defined as the ratio of DMI to body weight (M0·73). In the second model, covariates were defined by genetic-size scaling; the first covariate scaled DMI by mature weight (A) raised to the power 0·73 (DMI/A0·73) and the second covariate was degree of maturity (μ) defined as body weight divided by A. Model 2 also allowed separation of size and DMI effects. No breed differences were detected. There was a consistent trend for increasing ME and ME/DE from heifers to steers to bulls which was significant between heifers and the average of bulls and steers (575·3 v. 589·3 and 832·8 v. 844·3 J/kJ for ME and ME/DE, respectively). Independent of animal effects, DE, ME and urinary energy (UE) decreased and ME/DE and faecal energy (FE) losses increased as RDMI or DMI/A0·73 increased. Per unit rise in RDMI equivalent to maintenance, the corresponding changes for DE, ME, ME/DE, FE and UE were –33·9, –13·6, 21·3, 34·1 and 9·6 J/kJ, respectively. DE increased 1·5 and ME increased 0·8 J/kJ GE for each 01 unit increase in degree of maturity.
Near-infrared composite pattern projection for continuous motion hand-computer interaction

Traditional structured light techniques require multiple patterns to be projected onto a scene and captured for three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction without ambiguity and resistance to variation of albedo. However, multi-pattern techniques can be corrupted by the object movement during the sequential projection. We have introduced a single projected pattern which efficiently combines multiple patterns into a single composite pattern projection-allowing for video rate three-dimensional data acquisition. Attaining low cost 3D video acquisition would have a profound impact on applications such as human-computer interaction and assistive technology. So far the composite pattern technique has only been performed with visible light which would cause user annoyances for these applications. To solve the problem, we use near-infrared to project the pattern. But this raises another more general issue of spatial skin response. In this study, near-infrared illumination is used for imperceptible measurement of hand pose. In particular, we are studying continuous motion depth acquisition for tracking hand motion and rotation as an interface to a virtual reality. Applications include advanced cockpit controls and computer interfacing for the disabled.
Dynamic rheological studies on salt-soluble proteins from three porcine muscles.

Abstract The effect of phosphates on the rheological properties of porcine Longissimus dorsi (LD, white), Serratus ventralis (SV, red) and Vastus intermedius (VI, red) muscle salt-soluble proteins (SSP) was examined. Changes in shear stress and viscosity as a function of shear rate of 4 mg/ml SSP suspensions indicated pseudoplastic flow. Viscosity and shear stress values were higher for LD than for SV samples, and 0.25% tripolyphosphate decreased shear stress for both muscle types. SSP suspensions (5–30 mg/ml) gelled during heating from 20 to 74°C and the changes in the dynamic shear storage modulus ( G ′) greatly depended on the protein concentration and differed for LD, SV and VI proteins. Addition of 0.25–0.60% pyro- and tripolyphosphate reduced G ′, but NaCl at comparable ionic strengths did not show this effect. It was shown that red and white muscle SSP exhibited different rheological properties but responded similarly to phosphate treatments.
Measurement of In-Plane Thermal Conductivity Using Suspended SiNx Islands

In order to measure in-plane thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, and Seebeck Coefficient of Phononic Crystals (PnCs) a micro device is designed and fabricated to host different nano-scale samples. The device is comprised of two SiNx suspended membranes with patterned by Pt on top and covered by AlN. The Pt deposited on these two membranes or islands are dual-purpose temperature sensors and heaters. One side of a sample can be attached to each of the two islands. In this way 1-D heat flow can be established in the material to be tested. Covering the islands with AlN enhances the uniformity of temperature on each sensor. Moreover, AlN is an excellent electrical insulator, and it protects the platinum sensors from different sources of doping such as gallium ions used for patterning, depositing, mounting, or demounting different samples on the islands. This ensures the thermo-electric properties of the sensors on the platform do not change after each measurement. Using this design, it is demonstrated that one platform can be used for measurement of a silicon slab and then a separate measurement of a 1-D PnC fabricated from the same sample. The 1-D PnC had a Si-W structure that was fabricated using a Focused Ion Beam (FIB) and a Gas Injection System (GIS) capable of depositing W.Copyright © 2012 by ASME