cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of radiation from a radiofrequency identification (RFID) microchip on human cancer cells

AbstractPurpose Radiofrequency identification (RFID) microchips are used to remotely identify objects, e.g. an animal in which a chip is implanted. A passive RFID microchip absorbs energy from an external source and emits a radiofrequency identification signal which is then decoded by a detector. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the radiofrequency energy emitted by a RFID microchip on human cancer cells.Materials and methods Molt-4 leukemia, BT474 breast cancer, and HepG2 hepatic cancer cells were exposed in vitro to RFID microchip-emitted radiofrequency field for 1 h. Cells were counted before and after exposure. Effects of pretreatment with the spin-trap compound N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenylnitrone or the iron-chelator deferoxamine were also investigated.Results We found that the energy effectively killed/retarded the growth of the three different types of cancer cells, and the effect was blocked by the spin-trap compound or the iron-chelator, whereas an inactive microchip and energy fro...
The Effects of Superhydrophobic Surfaces on Skin Friction Drag

Direct numerical simulation of a turbulent boundary layer developing over a superhydrophobic surface (SHS) was performed in order to investigate the effects of SHS on skin friction drag. Significant modifications of near-wall turbulence structures were observed, which resulted in large skin friction drag reduction. For the considered Reynolds number ranges and SHS geometries, it was found that the effective slip length normalized by viscous wall units was a key parameter. It was shown that the effective slip length should be on the order of the buffer layer in order to have the maximum benefit of drag reduction. It was also found that the width of SHS, relative to the spanwise width of near-wall turbulence structures, was also a key parameter to the total amount of drag reduction. Similarities and differences between the present turbulent boundary layer over SHS and our earlier work of turbulent channel flows with SHS are also discussed.
Regulation of HLA-DR Gene Expression in Cultured Human Thyroid Cells: A Role for Lectin, Gamma Interferon, and Cyclosporine

HLA Class II antigens (DR, DQ, and DP) are expressed primarily on the surface of the lymphocytes (B and activated T cells) and cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage, but may also be expressed in a variety of tissues, in particular those which contain immune infiltration with local release of lymphokines (i.e., gamma interferon), which are potent inducers of Class II antigen expression. Immunofluorescence studies have demonstrated that although normal human thyroid tissue is negative for DR antigen, HLA-DR antigen is present in human thyroid cells in cases of autoimmune thyroid disease such as Graves’ hyperthyroidism (1,2). Furthermore, Class II HLA-DR antigen in normal thyroid cells is detected after exposure in vitro to lectin or gamma-interferon (1,3). Since Class II antigens are important in T cell amplification, antigen presentation and self-recognition (4), such quantitative differences in DR antigen expression in the thyroid may be involved in the control of thyroid autoimmunity. In order to further elucidate the role of Class II antigens in thyroid immunoregulation, we have studied HLA-DR antigen gene expression in a variety of cultured human thyroid cells.
Antisense oligonucleotides to LRRK2 ameliorate alpha-synuclein pathology and behavioral deficit induced by pre-formed alpha-synuclein fibrils (I1.007)

Objective: Determine the role of leucine-rich-repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) in spreading of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) pathology in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Background: LRRK2 mutations are the major cause of familial late-onset PD. However, the interplay between LRRK2 and aSyn in PD pathophysiology is still of debate and undergoing extensive research. To determine whether LRRK2 expression modifies aSyn pathology spreading, we lowered endogenous LRRK2 by antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) in mice injected with pre-formed aSyn fibrils (PFF). Design/Methods: Wildtype mice were injected intracerebroventrically (ICV) with LRRK2 ASOs 2 weeks before intra-striatal inoculation of aSyn PFF. At 8 weeks post ICV injection of LRRK2 ASOs, mice were assessed on the wirehang task for motor coordination and grip strength. LRRK2 mRNA, protein, and phosphorylated aSyn pathology were assessed by RT-QPCR, western blots, and immunohistochemical methods, respectively. Results: Preventive ASO-mediated suppression of endogenous LRRK2 reduced pathological spread of aSyn pathology and protected mice against aSyn pathology-induced wirehang deficit in a-syn PFF inoculation mouse model. Conclusions: LRRK2 may play an important role in aSyn pathology formation and progression. Thus, ASO targeting LRRK2 is of potential therapeutic use for PD and other synucleinopathies. Disclosure: Dr. Zhao has received personal compensation for activities with Isis Pharmaceuticals as an employee. Dr. Cole has received personal compensation for activities with Isis Pharmaceuticals as an employee. Dr. Weihofen has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as an employee. Dr. Swayze has received personal compensation for activities with Isis Pharmaceuticals as an employee. Dr. Kordasiewicz has received personal compensation from Isis Pharmaceuticals as an employee.
Measurement of Airborne Contamination in Two Commercial Ice Cream Plants.

Air in two commercial ice cream plants was sampled for microbiological and nonmicrobiological particles over a 4-month period. Sampling methods utilized Andersen two-stage and Ross-Microban sieve samplers, a Biotest RCS sampler, and a Met-one laser particle counter. Air was sampled two to three times per day in pasteurized mix storage, processing, and filling areas. Viable particle counts per 100 L air obtained with the Andersen sampler were 2.26 ± 0.47 (log10 Mean ± S.D.), 2.05 ± 0.68 and 2.31 ± 0.46 in pasteurized mix storage, processing and filling areas, respectively. These levels were similar to those obtained using the RCS sampler, but they were significantly (p<0.05) greater than those obtained using the Ross-Microban sampler. Overall correlations of the RCS and Ross-Microban samplers with the Andersen sampler were r2 = 0.69 and 0.56, respectively. Correlations between Andersen sampler results and the concentration of total particles greater than 0.5 μm were r2 = 0.15 in pasteurized mix storage, 0.11 in the processing area, and 0.13 in the filling area.
john mc andrew, The Open-Air Churches of Sixteenth-Century Mexico. Atrios, Posas, Open Chapels, and Other Studies

(1965). john mc andrew, The Open-Air Churches of Sixteenth-Century Mexico. Atrios, Posas, Open Chapels, and Other Studies. The Art Bulletin: Vol. 47, No. 4, pp. 525-527.
Lateral vibrations as related to structural stability

The apparently different physical problems of lateral vibration and elastic stability are limiting cases of a single phenomenon, the most general expression being the mode of vibration with end thrust. The theory of straight beams and flat plates is discussed in detail, and it is shown that the square of the frequency of lateral vibration is approximately linearly related to the end load. The linear relationship is exact if the mode of free vibrations is identical to the buckling mode. In all cases, the load corresponding to zero frequency is the critical buckling load. The analysis is valid only if the boundary conditions do not change with load. Experimental tests were conducted on elastically restrained columns in the form of rigid rectangular frames. It is found that the relationship between the square of the frequency and the load is practically linear, and that the extrapolated load corresponding to zero frequency coincides with the buckling load. Determining the critical load by frequency measurements seems to have the advantage of predicting that load corresponding to the actual boundary conditions which prevail, whereas a theoretical calculation may unjustifiably assume certain conditions which are not exactly realized. In the case of flat plates, tests showed that the linear relationship is not achieved in practice. It is shown that this is probably due to the fact that the linear plate equations are not valid due to initial curvatures in the plate. Rigid-joint trusses were also tested. Due to the change of end restraint with load, in some cases the relationship between the square of the frequency and the load deviates considerably from linearity. The amount of deviation appears to depend on the section properties of the members of the truss.
A CMOS differential-difference amplifier with class-AB input stages featuring wide differential-mode input range

In this paper, I present a CMOS differential-difference amplifier (DDA) circuit with a pair of matched class-AB input stages that each produce a differential output current that is an odd-symmetric, expansive nonlinear function of its differential-mode input voltage. In contrast to those of the usual differential pair, the nonlinear current-voltage characteristics of these class-AB transconductors do not saturate and allow the proposed DDA circuit to function properly with a differential-mode input voltage range that is comparable to the transconductor's common-mode input voltage range. I show experimental measurements from a proof-of-principle prototype circuit breadboarded from transistor arrays that were fabricated in a 500-nm CMOS process through MOSIS.
Uniform and pitting corrosion of carbon steel by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 under nitrate-reducing conditions.

Despite observations of steel corrosion in nitrate-reducing environments, processes of nitrate-dependent microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) remain poorly understood and difficult to identify. We evaluated carbon steel corrosion by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 under nitrate-reducing conditions using a split-chamber/zero-resistance ammetry (ZRA) technique. This approach entails the deployment of two metal (carbon steel 1018 in this case) electrodes into separate chambers of an electrochemical split-chamber unit, where the microbiology or chemistry of the chambers can be manipulated. This approach mimics the conditions of heterogeneous metal coverage that can lead to uniform and pitting corrosion. The current between working electrode 1 (WE1) and WE2 can be used to determine rates, mechanisms, and, we now show, extents of corrosion. When S. oneidensis was incubated in the WE1 chamber with lactate under nitrate-reducing conditions, nitrite transiently accumulated, and electron transfer from WE2 to WE1 occurred as long as nitrite was present. Nitrite in the WE1 chamber (without S. oneidensis) induced electron transfer in the same direction, indicating that nitrite cathodically protected WE1 and accelerated the corrosion of WE2. When S. oneidensis was incubated in the WE1 chamber without an electron donor, nitrate reduction proceeded, and electron transfer from WE2 to WE1 also occurred, indicating that the microorganism could use the carbon steel electrode as an electron donor for nitrate reduction. Our results indicate that under nitrate-reducing conditions, uniform and pitting carbon steel corrosion can occur due to nitrite accumulation and the use of steel-Fe(0) as an electron donor, but conditions of sustained nitrite accumulation can lead to more-aggressive corrosive conditions.IMPORTANCE Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) causes damage to metals and metal alloys that is estimated to cost over $100 million/year in the United States for prevention, mitigation, and repair. While MIC occurs in a variety of settings and by a variety of organisms, the mechanisms by which microorganisms cause this damage remain unclear. Steel pipe and equipment may be exposed to nitrate, especially in oil and gas production, where this compound is used for corrosion and "souring" control. In this paper, we show uniform and pitting MIC under nitrate-reducing conditions and that a major mechanism by which it occurs is via the heterogeneous cathodic protection of metal surfaces by nitrite as well as by the microbial oxidation of steel-Fe(0).
Low-dose ketorolac improves analgesia and reduces morphine requirements following posterior spinal fusion in adolescents

Purpose To determine if low-dose ketorolac would improve analgesia while minimizing unwanted side effects in adolescents following posterior spinal fusion (PSF).
The good field trip: how student epistemologies of science and art are affected by trips to museums and other sites

Elementary school teachers regularly spend time designing and leading field trips (Leinhardt & Gregg, 2002). Scholars have focused on museums as informal places of learning for families and other leisure time visitors (Ash, 2003; Borun, Chambers & Cleghorn, 1996; Crowley et al., 2001; Stevens & Hall, 1997) but not for elementary school, particularly sixth-grade students. Recent studies have started to shed light on the experiences of children who visit museums, as distinct contexts with meaning and symbol systems, as part of field trips that typically last one to two hours (Anderson, Lucas & Ginns, 2003; Cox-Petersen, Marsh, Kisiel & Melber, 2003). Sixth-graders, who must soon transition from learning with one teacher who teaches all subjects to a fragmented school day with multiple teachers are a particularly important group of visitors (S. Wineburg, personal communication, December 2001). They will deal with a disconnectedness of school subjects as well as a potential disconnectedness of contexts. As museum educator Lisa Roberts asks, "Is the museum setting---informal, self-paced, three-dimensional, and multisensory---even suited to the kind of linear, cognitive thinking that characterizes traditional educational endeavors?" (1997, p. 7--8). Therefore, my research questions are: How do we articulate or describe sixth-grade students' beliefs about scientific knowledge and artistic knowledge and how that knowledge is justified?; and How do field trips to museums and other sites fit within these understandings about knowledge?My study is designed to try to answer these questions in relation to students' epistemologies of science and art or their beliefs about scientific knowledge and artistic knowledge and how that knowledge is justified (Gottlieb, 2002). The study involves both qualitative and quantitative approaches, including the use of a pre- and post-test, interviews, and observation of small group and whole class activities and discussions both in the museum and in the classroom before and after the field trip. I hope to convey students' epistemological beliefs to shed light on how museum experiences may or may not fit within students' primarily school-based understandings of science and art and scientific knowledge and artistic knowledge production to help both school teachers and museums educators better design curriculum in the museum and the school suited to students' developmental and epistemological needs.
Medium-Term Outcomes With Pyrocarbon Proximal Interphalangeal Arthroplasty: A Study of 170 Consecutive Arthroplasties

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the medium-term outcomes of patients undergoing proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint arthroplasty using a pyrocarbon implant. Methods The study comprised an analysis of 170 PIP joint pyrocarbon arthroplasties in 99 patients with a minimum 2-year clinical follow-up. Diagnoses included inflammatory arthritis (n = 49), posttraumatic arthritis (n = 29), and osteoarthritis (n = 92). Univariate logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed. Results At an average follow-up of 6 years (range, 2–14 years), 58 reoperations (34%) were required, including 36 (21%) involving implant revision surgery. The majority of revisions were performed for either dislocations (n = 16) or pain and stiffness (n = 14). The 5- and 10-year survival-free of revision surgery rates were 79% and 77%, respectively. The risk for revision surgery was higher in patients with posttraumatic arthritis. There were 15 intraoperative complications involving a fracture and 26 postoperative complications, including 21 dislocations. In unrevised implants, patients had significant improvements in their preoperative to postoperative pain levels, with no change in their PIP joint total arc of motion. At a mean radiographic follow-up of 5.4 years, there were 28% with grade 3+ loosening and 36% with progressive implant instability. Implant loosening or progressive instability was not associated with worse pain or PIP joint total arc of motion. Conclusions Approximately 1 in 5 PIP joint arthroplasties with a pyrocarbon implant will require revision surgery by 5 years, and 1 in 3 will undergo more than 1 operation. Furthermore, 1 in 4 PIP joint arthroplasties will have grade 3+ radiographic loosening and 1 in 3 will have progressive loosening or subsidence by 5 years. These results are particularly concerning in young patients and those with posttraumatic arthritis. Overall, in patients that do not require revision surgery, pain relief was improved and motion maintained. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
Reducing infusion wait time: Redesigning medication order verification workflow at a comprehensive cancer center.

129Background: Many factors contribute to long wait times for cancer patients on the day of their infusion. At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), a contributing factor is patient flow between exam and infusion. Order verification affects patient flow and begins when the following two criteria are met: provider signed an order and the patient’s scheduled infusion appointment arrives. Patients often check-in to infusion before their scheduled infusion appointment. Order verification has three sequential steps: nurse verification, pharmacist 1 verify (V1), and pharmacist 2 verify (V2). Methods: A team of pharmacists, nurses, providers, and process improvement leads designed a pilot in which V1 moved before nurse verification, concurrent with patient check-in to infusion. Further, V1 began as soon as an order was signed; the pharmacist did not wait for a patient’s scheduled infusion appointment. Nurse verification and V2 occurred in sequence after V1. Timestamp data were extracted from Epic and analyzed via...
Evaluating the Impacts of Methylsulfonylmethane on Allergic Rhinitis After a Standard Allergen Challenge: Randomized Double-Blind Exploratory Study.

Background: The sulfur-containing compound methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) has been used as a dietary supplement for a variety of reported health benefits. Clinical observations and case studies have indicated that MSM may help alleviate allergic rhinitis; however, this effect has not been evaluated under controlled conditions. Objective: This study aimed to determine the effects of MSM consumption on allergic rhinitis symptoms after provocation with a standardized allergen. Methods: We recruited healthy participants with a history of allergic nasal congestion to participate in a randomized, double-blind, adaptive-design study. Participants were administered a standardized allergen in clinic to determine the presence or absence of an allergic response. Participant responses were recorded using a recognized measure of nasal patency, peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF), and by a visual analog scale to score the severity of their allergy-related nasal symptoms. After we collected baseline nasal responses to allergen, followed by a 1-week washout period, participants returned to the clinic and were exposed to allergen after taking an acute high dose of 12 g of MSM. We then randomly assigned participants to a lower dose of MSM (1 g, 3 g, or 6 g), which they consumed once a day for 14 days. Participants returned to the clinic for repeat assessments while again taking their assigned daily dose of MSM. Results: All MSM treatment courses significantly reduced visual analog scale average nasal symptoms in a longitudinal comparison across all participants, with low-dose treatments decreasing symptoms by 53.72% (P=.001), and an acute 12-g dose decreasing symptoms by 22.49% (P=.03). Although the acute dose of MSM did not yield significant changes in nasal patency, low “everyday” doses significantly relieved nasal obstruction as indicated by a 17.32% (P=.02) increase in PNIF across all participants. The most effective dose across all measurements was daily consumption of 3 g of MSM, which significantly decreased all nasal symptoms (nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, watery or itchy eyes and nose, and sneezing) and further was found to significantly (P=.01) increase PNIF. Conclusions: The MSM study product provided significant relief of allergic rhinitis symptoms and objective nasal obstruction measurements without the occurrence of adverse events. Oral consumption of the study product may reduce the symptoms and onset of allergic rhinitis without the side effects associated with standard-care medication. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02342483; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02342483 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/73vLKNvAp)
Effects of Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Agents on Brain Activity in Rats: Functional Imaging Studies

Abstract : There is an increasing awareness that adjuvant chemotherapy administration for breast cancer and other malignancies can cause cognitive impairment or "chemobrain" in a significant proportion of patients . Little is known regarding its cause or even its duration and/or permanence. Rodent models are available for studying toxicity from doxorubicin and other chemotherapeutic agents and behavioral impairment has been demonstrated using them. The overall goal of this project is to investigate this impairment at a mechanistic level by determining the effects of doxorubicin, one of the agents commonly used for the adjuvant chemotherapy of breast cancer, on brain function using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and behavioral techniques in a rat model. Female rats are treated with doxorubicin weekly, for six weeks. One week later, they are behaviorally tested and imaged using fMRI. Measures will also be made in rats, one and three months after doxorubicin treatment. To date, we have observed that treatment with doxorubicin alters brain activation in response to both visual and somatosensory stimulation with the effects greatest in the visual system. In addition, doxorubicin significantly decreases functional connectivity in the rat visual system. This supports our hypothesis that treatment with doxorubicin will cause changes in neuronal functional activity that can be detected and quantified using fMRI methods. Furthermore, it is consistent with impaired visual cognitive processing reported after chemotherapy.
Contextual role of E2F1 in suppression of melanoma cell motility and invasiveness

The general transcription factor E2F1 reportedly functions in a protumorigenic manner in several cancer models. We show that the genetic context of cancer cells influence E2F1's role to impede the protumorigenic role. Thirty to fifty percent of melanoma patients carry mutant BRAF with about 90% of mutant BRAF melanomas being V600E mutation. Tissue microarrays from melanoma patients were used to establish an association between E2F1 and BRAFV600E . We show for the first time that low E2F1 levels in BRAFV600E melanomas are associated with lymph node metastasis. Genetic manipulation of E2F1 in BRAFV600E and BRAFwt cells were used to determine its role in malignant melanoma progression by examining effects on migration and invasion. E2F1-mediated negative regulation of myosin light chain kinase (MYLK) increased migration and invasion in BRAFV600E cells by phosphorylating myosin light chain and increased stress fiber formation. We show that E2F1 inhibits extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in BRAFV600E cells and provide evidence for a negative feedback loop between E2F1 and ERK in these cells. This study shows for the first time that E2F1 has a cancer protective role in oncogenic BRAF-activated melanoma cells and that loss of E2F1 can allow disease progression through a novel mechanism of E2F1-mediated MYLK regulation. This study has implications for oncogenic BRAF-activated tumors and resistance to targeted oncogenic BRAF therapy.
Expanding Telecommunications Services in a New Age: How Legal Traditions and Licensing Procedures Impact Telecommunications Industries Around the World

This is an empirical study of the differences in quality and price of telecommunication services in 38 countries. The countries are categorized based on their legal tradition (i.e. civil or common law) and spectrum licensing procedure (i.e. auction or comparative hearing). In theory, comparing indicators used by the World Bank, International Telecommunications Union, and other organizations to measure prices and assess the quality of a country’s telecommunication industry will indicate which policy approaches have improved the overall quality of the telecommunications industry. The report also discusses how “successful” regulators have introduced competition in the telecommunications industry and demonstrates what countries falling behind might achieve if they adjust their policies appropriately. Since there are several possible explanations for the observed differences, the study controls for factors that may explain for the observed differences aside from legal tradition, including population density, rural population, and GDP per capita and in the analysis of licensing procedure, the study controls aforementioned variables as well as corruption and the strength of legal rights. The report concludes that status as either a civil or common law country and a country’s choice of licensing procedure strongly influence national telecommunications industries as measured by subscribership, accessibility, costs, the market share of leading operators, and broadband speeds. In five of six the indicators, civil law countries outperformed their common law counterparts in terms of quality of service measures and consumer prices. In five of the six indicators, auction countries seemingly have created higher quality telecommunication industries. Neither legal tradition nor licensing procedure seem to have a measurable effect on the cost of broadband services.
Scapular Ring Preservation: Coracoacromial Ligament Transection Increases Scapular Spine Strains Following Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty.

Background Scapular fractures following reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) are devastating complications with substantial functional implications. The role of the coracoacromial ligament (CAL), which is often transected during surgical exposure for RSA, is not fully known. We hypothesized that the CAL contributes to the structural integrity of the "scapular ring" and that the transection of this ligament during RSA alters the scapular strain patterns. Methods RSA was performed on 8 cadaveric specimens without evidence of a prior surgical procedure in the shoulder. Strain rosettes were fixed onto the acromial body (at the location of Levy type-II fractures) and the scapular spine (Levy type III). With use of a shoulder simulator, strains were recorded at 0°, 30°, and 60° glenohumeral abductions before and after CAL transection. The deltoid and glenohumeral joints were functionally loaded (middle deltoid = 150 N, posterior deltoid = 75 N, and joint compression = 300 N). Maximum principal strains were calculated from each rosette at each abduction angle. A repeated-measures analysis of variance with post hoc analysis was performed to compare the maximum principal strain at each abduction angle. Results With the CAL intact, there was no significant difference between strain experienced by the acromion and scapular spine at 0°, 30°, and 60° of glenohumeral abduction. CAL transection generated significantly increased strain in the scapular spine at all abduction angles compared with an intact CAL. The maximum scapular spine strain observed was increased 19.7% at 0° of abduction following CAL transection (1,216 ± 300.0 microstrain; p = 0.011). Following CAL transection, acromial strains paradoxically decreased at all abduction angles (p Conclusions The CAL is an important structure that completes the "scapular ring" and therefore serves to help distribute strain in a more normalized fashion. Transection of the CAL substantially alters strain patterns, resulting in increased strain at the scapular spine following RSA. Clinical relevance CAL preservation is a modifiable risk factor that may reduce the risk of bone microdamage and thus the occurrence of fatigue/stress fractures in the scapular spine following RSA.
“I was told to find what broke my heart and fix it:” College students explain why they want to become teachers

Using the open-ended question from the FIT-Choice scale, this study presents an examination of why college students choose teaching as a career, in their own words. Over 100 responses were analyzed...
Oblatos, El vuelo que surcó la noche. (Oblatos: Epic Flight into the Night). Acelo Ruiz Villanueva.

In Mexico during the 1960s and 1970s, thousands of young people experienced the closing of legal paths to political engagement and social change due to state repression in a Dirty War against lefti...
TiO2 nanoparticles synergize with substrate mechanics to improve dental pulp stem cells proliferation and differentiation.

Abstract Multiple studies exist on the influence of TiO2 nanoparticle uptake on cell behavior. Yet little is known about the lingering influence of nanoparticles accumulation within the external environment which is particularly important to stem cell differentiation. Herein, dental pulp stem cells were cultured on hard and soft polybutadiene substrates, where 0.1 mg/mL rutile TiO2 nanoparticles were introduced once, 24 h after plating. In the absence of TiO2, the doubling time on soft substrate is significantly longer, while addition of TiO2 decreases it to the same level as on the hard substrate. FACS analysis indicates particle uptake initially at 25% is reduced to 2.5% after 14 days. In the absence of TiO2, no biomineralization on the soft and snowflake-like hydroxyapatite deposits on the hard substrate are shown at week 4. With the addition of TiO2, SEM/EDAX reveals copious mineral deposition templated on large banded collagen fibers on both substrates. The mineral-to-matrix ratios analyzed by Raman spectroscopy are unremarkable in the absence of TiO2. However, with addition of TiO2, the ratios are consistent with native bone on the hard and dentin on the soft substrates. This is further confirmed by RT-PCR, which showed upregulation of markers consistent with osteogenesis and odontogenesis, respectively.
Análise da formação de educadores do Assentamento Paulo César Vinha a partir dos conceitos de vivência e experiência de Walter Benjamin e Jorge Larrosa Bondía

Este estudio tiene como objetivo caracterizar las experiencias de formacion de educadores en las modalidades de Educacion de Jovenes y Adultos (EJA) y Educacion Rural, en la Escuela Corrego do Cedro, del Asentamiento Paulo Cesar Vinha, que esta vinculado al Movimiento de Trabajadores Rurales Sin Tierra. (MST) y ubicado en el municipio de Conceicao da Barra, en la region norte del Estado de Espirito Santo. Tomando como referencia los conceptos de experiencia de Walter Benjamin y Jorge Larrosa Bondia; y formacion en sentido amplio, desde la perspectiva de Edna Castro de Oliveira, la investigacion se beneficio del aporte metodologico de la Observacion Participante con ocho educadores de jovenes y adultos. Considerando los conceptos teorico-metodologicos adoptados, se encontro, por un lado, un escenario de empobrecimiento de las experiencias de los educadores, con el predominio de la experiencia y, por otro lado, la existencia de escasas experiencias de los educadores potenciadas por la constitucion de la comunidad de experiencias. con estudiantes de EJA en el Asentamiento Paulo Cesar Vinha. Palabras clave: Experiencia. Formacion. Educacion de jovenes y adultos. Educacion rural.
Empirical tornado resilience model for light-framed wood residential buildings

Abstract An empirical tornado resilience model based on structural functionality, a metric with clearly defined physical states, is developed for light-framed wood residential buildings using field observations of damage and recovery following the February 2017 tornado in Naplate, IL. The resilience model is composed of independent damage and recovery models that serve as a complete resilience model for residential buildings measured with the metric of structural functionality. Structural functionality is the most basic function of a building, the ability to safely provide shelter, and includes both the structural system and the building envelope. This model may be integrated into external resilience models that include measurements of other functionality components, such as lifeline services and building services, to construct a model of total functionality that includes all functionality components necessary for occupancy. The empirical tornado resilience model for light-framed wood residential buildings is an observation-based resilience model for residential buildings subject to tornado damage. It addresses the overlapping critical research needs for studies of tornado hazard, studies of residential resilience, and studies that provide a basis for validation, without replicating the existing body of resilience analysis frameworks. The included analysis using the indicators of structural functionality for wind-damaged structures reveals that some buildings trend toward zero functionality (demolition) during community-level recovery and that clear differences exist in the recovery behavior of buildings with similar post-storm structural functionality. Exponential structural functionality recovery functions are found to be appropriate for most levels of damage. Heavily damaged buildings are observed to follow a normal/s-shaped recovery.
Extending DisCrit: a case of universal design for learning and equity in a rural teacher residency

The Rural Teacher Residency (RTR) program prepares teachers to work in ‘high need’ rural schools in the northeastern United States, and specifically works to establish a counter-narrative to the co...
Shooting-Bouncing-Rays Technique to Model Mine Tunnels: Theory and Accuracy Validation

We present a shooting-bouncing rays technique for electromagnetic modeling of wireless propagation in long tunnels focusing on the accuracy of ray-tracing computation. The examples demonstrate excellent agreement with the traditionally more accurate but less efficient alternative ray-tracing approach using path corrections based on image theory and with a commercial solver.
Research and Application of Zero Discharge Technology for Desulfurization Wastewater of 660MW Coal-fired Unit

In this paper, the pretreatment, concentration reduction and evaporation crystallization stages of desulfurization wastewater in zero discharge technology were studied and engineering applications were carried out, and the performance of 660MW coal-fired unit zero discharge desulfurization wastewater was evaluated. The results showed that for desulphurization wastewater with a total dissolved solid of about 48768.9 mg/L and a Cl content of about 12507.2mg/L, the pass flue gas evaporation process could realize zero discharge treatment of desulphurization wastewater. The hot smoke content introduced into the drying tower was about 52351.0m3/h, the inlet and outlet smoke temperatures of the drying tower were 374°C and 130°C respectively, the influence on boiler efficiency was about 0.0676%, and the moisture content of drying products was only 0.15%. The content of HCl in the flue gas at the inlet and outlet of the drying tower was 53mg/L and 165mg/L, the mass fraction of Cl removal and volatilization of desulfurized wastewater were 93.10% and 6.90%, the average content of chlorine in fly ash was about 0.225%, which meet the requirements of relevant standards for the comprehensive utilization of fly ash.
Robotic Esophageal Surgery

The advent of robot-assisted surgery has made a major impact in the area of the foregut and esophagus. This minimally invasive approach is an invaluable tool for the progression and modernization of the field. Smaller incisions, shorter lengths of stay, and better visualization have resulted in the widespread adoption of robotic surgery of the foregut. The robotic platform has been shown to have utility in the setting of esophagectomy, transhiatal and transthoracic (Ivor Lewis) methods, and cancerous and benign cases. Moreover, robotic esophagomyotomy (Heller myotomy) has revolutionized the approach to achalasia with excellent results. Furthermore, a robotic approach to hiatal and paraesophageal hernia repair, alongside of fundoplication, is now integral to a modern practice. This is becoming more widespread for anti-reflux treatment and easing the difficulty associated with revisional surgery. The current trends in robotic-assisted surgery point toward an exciting future with boundless applications.
Exploring Sustainable Communities

“Ask students to imagine what kind of community they would like to live in as an adult. Explain that the object is to collect as many ideas as possible—nothing is too small, too big, or too crazy for consideration. Tell students that this technique has been used in real-life cities with great success, as they will learn later.”
Estimating the parameters of a doubly truncated normal distribution

This paper deals with the maximum likelihood estimation of parameters for a doubly truncated normal distribution when the truncation points are known. We prove, in this case, that the MLEs are nonexistent (become infinite) with positive probability. For estimators that exist with probability one, the class of Bayes modal estimators or modified maximum likelihood estimators is explored. Another useful estimating procedure, called mixed estimation, is proposed. Simulations compare the behavior of the MLEs, the modified MLEs, and the mixed estimators which reveal that the MLE, in addition to being nonexistent with positive probability, behaves poorly near the upper boundary of the interval of its existence. The modified MLEs and the mixed estimators are seen to be remarkably better than the MLE
Three-Pulse Echo Peak Shift Spectroscopy of Disordered Semiconductor Quantum Wells and Dense Atomic Vapors

Three-pulse echo peak shift spectroscopy yields the correlation function of the frequency fluctuations due to acoustic phonons for excitons in disordered semiconductor quantum wells and fluctuations due to atomic motion in a potassium vapor.
Fault monitoring using neural networks

The author describes a method in which a neural network is used to model the relationship between two or more sensor outputs at a time when the component or system is known to be performing satisfactorily. The neural network is then used to predict one or more of the sensor signals using the other sensor signals as inputs. The predicted signal is then compared with the corresponding actual signal. If there is a significant difference (beyond normal statistical variations), then the relationship between the sensor signals has changed, indicating that something in the component has changed since the neural network was trained (i.e. since the component or system was working satisfactorily). Several industrial applications of this technique (especially in nuclear power plants) are discussed. >
Deterministic and stochastic analyses of fracture processes in a brittle microstructure system

Variations in constituent properties, phase morphology, and phase distribution cause deformation and failure at the microstructural level to be inherently stochastic. This paper focuses on the stochasticity of fracture processes that arises as a result of measurement uncertainties in the properties of the constituents in the heterogeneous microstructures of an Al 2 O 3 /TiB 2 ceramic composite system. Basic postulate here is that for a microstructure local material properties vary around their macroscopically measured value with the macroscopically measured value being the mean of the variation. A micromechanical cohesive finite element framework with explicit resolution of arbitrary fracture patterns and arbitrary microstructural morphologies is used in the analyses carried out in this paper. The randomness in the constituent properties at any given point in the microstructure is specified relative to the local mean values of the corresponding properties. A deterministic analysis and a stochastic analysis are carried out simultaneously. The combination of determinism and stochasticity is achieved by integrating a perturbation analysis of the influence of stochastic property variations around their mean values and a deterministic analysis for the microstructure with the mean values of the constituent properties. Calculations are carried out for actual and idealized microstructures of the Al 2 O 3 /TiB 2 material system. Calculations focus on analyzing the fracture response variation with varying levels of variation of material properties for a particular microstructural morphology as well as on analyzing the variations in fracture response with variations in microstructural morphology. It is observed that microstructural morphology is intricately linked to the variations in fracture response when material properties have stochastic origin. A microstructure less prone to fracture shows higher variations in fracture response when compared to the one which offers least resistance to the crack propagation. In addition, for a particular microstructural morphology, the levels of variations in the crack surface area generated and the variations in the energy release rate are of the same order as the levels of variations in constituent properties. The observations support the conclusion that a material designer needs to make conservative estimates for a material's performance if its microstructural construction imparts uncertainty to local material properties.
IMPROVING LOW ORDER EIGENFREQUENCY ESTIMATES DERIVED FROM THE WAVE PROPAGATION METHOD FOR AN EULER–BERNOULLI BEAM

We state the WPM, when combined with the perturbation procedure as developed in this work, enables us to capture the entire (low, medium and high) range of the spectrum of vibration of an Euler Bernoulli beam, both asymptotically and numerically
Particulate matter (PM) air pollution and health: regulatory and policy implications

Particulate matter (PM), an ambient air criteria pollutant, is a complex mixture of chemical agents in particles ranging from nanometer-sized molecular clusters to dust particles too large to be aspirated into the lung airways (>10 μm in aerodynamic diameter). Although particle composition is known to affect health risks, our current health-based PM standards are limited to the mass concentrations within two specified size ranges (those below 2.5 μm, which are largely attributed to combustion products, and those below 10 μm, which includes mechanically generated dusts). Both size ranges have been associated with excess mortality and morbidity in numerous epidemiological studies. There is an urgent need for routine air monitoring data on components of the PM mass. Such data are needed to enable epidemiological studies that can define the roles of PM chemical components in causing adverse health effects in order to guide more targeted emission controls for the most hazardous components, thereby gaining public health benefits with the least impact on societal costs of emission controls.
Two-Dimensional Modulated Interfacial Structures of Highly Epitaxial Ferromagnetic (La,Ca)MnO3 and Ferroelectric (Pb,Sr)TiO3 Thin Films on (001) MgO

Two-dimensional in-plane interface structures of highly epitaxial perovskite (La,Ca)MnO3 (LCMO) and (Pb,Sr)TiO3 (PSTO) thin films on salt-rock type MgO substrate were studied using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Cross-section TEM studies revealed that both LCMO and PSTO films are good single crystal quality and have atomic sharp interface with respect to the MgO substrate with -6.4% and -6.2% lattice mismatch, respectively. Electron Diffraction Patterns (EDPs) of plan-view LCMO/MgO and PSTO/MgO interfaces exhibit double diffraction spots. An analytical approach was employed using double diffraction to study the two-dimensional in-plane interfaces of perovskite structure films on the salt-rock type substrate. The lattice mismatch near the interface regions was determined using EDPs of the plan-view interfaces and found to be -8.0% for LCMO/MgO and -7.14% for PSTO. Both latter values are larger than those obtained using cross-section TEM. Studies of the sharpness of double diffraction spots and plan-view high resolution (HR) TEM brought a conclusion that the PSTO film is well commensurate with the MgO substrate over large areas, whereas LCMO film is only locally commensurate with the substrate. These studies provide additional evidence to our previous observations that plan-view TEM of the interface is able to provide critical and valuable information that is lacking from the cross-section TEM analysis.
Relationship of cytochrome P450 pharmacogenetics to the effects of yohimbine on gastrointestinal transit and catecholamines in healthy subjects

Alpha-2 adrenergic receptors tonically inhibit colonic motility and the alpha(2)-adrenergic antagonist yohimbine, given intravenously, increased colonic tone in humans. However, the effect of yohimbine on colonic transit in humans is unknown. In this study, 30 healthy volunteers were randomized to yohimbine 16.2 mg p.o. t.i.d. or identical placebo for 7 days. We evaluated gastric emptying, small intestinal, and colonic transit by scinitigraphy, bowel habits, haemodynamics and plasma catecholamines. As cytochrome P450 enzymes metabolize yohimbine, P450 genotypes (CYP2D6 and CYP3A4) were determined in 25 of 30 subjects who consented to genetic studies. The relationship between drug metabolizer status predicted by CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 and effects of yohmibine were assessed. Compared to placebo, yohimbine increased (P < or = 0.02) diastolic blood pressure, plasma noradrenaline concentrations and maximum tolerated volume during the satiation test [yohimbine (1241 +/- 88, mean +/- SEM) vs placebo (1015 +/- 87), P = 0.054]. However, yohimbine did not affect gastrointestinal transit. Based on CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 alleles, seven and 18 subjects were, respectively, extensive (EM) and poor (PM) metabolizers of yohimbine. Compared to EM, PM of yohimbine had a greater increase in plasma noradrenaline (P = 0.1 for PM vs EM), lower maximum tolerated volumes (1120 +/- 95 vs 1484 + 131 mL, P = 0.02), and faster colonic transit (i.e. GC(24) was 3.0 +/- 0.4 vs 2.1 +/- 0.5, P = 0.1). These data suggest that CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 genotypes which determine the metabolism of yohimbine may influence its sympathetic and gastrointestinal effects.
MRI assessment of bronchial compression in absent pulmonary valve syndrome and review of the syndrome

Absent pulmonary valve syndrome (APVS) is a rare cardiac malformation with massive pulmonary insufficiency that presents with short-term and long-term respiratory problems secondary to severe bronchial compression from enlarged central and hilar pulmonary arteries. Association with chromosome 22.Q11 deletions and DiGeorge syndrome is common. This historical review illustrates the airway disease with emphasis on assessment of the bronchial compression in patients with persistent respiratory difficulties post-valvular repair. Cases that had MRI for cardiac assessment are used to illustrate the pattern of airway disease.
A record year for extreme weather losses

The year 2004 likely will be the most expensive for the insurance industry worldwide, due to weather related natural disasters, according to figures released on 15 December by the United Nations Environment Program. Between January–October 2004, natural disasters have cost the insurance industry more than $35 billion, compared to $16 billion in all of 2003, according to the preliminary figures that were compiled by Munich Re, a global re-insurance company.