cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coal Conversion Solid Waste Disposal

The major solid waste produced at coal conversion facilities will be gasification slag or ash. To evaluate the impact of this waste on the environment, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory conducted extensive characterization and leaching studies on ash/slags that had been generated in bench-scale operations, pilot plants, and/or process development units for eight different gasification processes. These studies, designed to assess the consequences of disposal in landfills, showed that none of the leachates from these eight wastes exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's toxicity limits. Thus, these ash/slags would be classified as nonhazardous wastes. Quantities of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) that were observed in the aqueous leachates of selected ash/slags were less than 1 μg/g and appear to be of no significant environmental concern. Column elution studies revealed effluents with pH values less than three and sulfate concentrations greater than 10,000 mg/L for wastes containing sulfur concentrations from 0.3-4%. As a result, the major environmental impact associated with disposal of these solid wastes appears to be the dissolution of sulfate and the potential acidification of ground water.
Dietary polyphenols mediated regulation of oxidative stress and chromatin remodeling in inflammation

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) alter nuclear histone acetylation and deacetylation (chromatin remodeling) leading to increased NF-κB-dependent gene expression of proinflammatory mediators. Naturally occurring dietary polyphenols such as curcumin (diferuloylmethane, an active component of spice turmeric) and resveratrol (phytoalexin, a flavanoid found in red wine) can directly scavenge ROS and modulate signaling pathways mediated via NF-κB and MAP kinase pathways, and upregulate glutathione biosynthesis gene via Nrf2 activation. They also downregulate expression of proinflammatory mediators, matrix metalloproteinases, adhesion molecules, and growth factor receptor genes by inhibiting histone acetyltransferase activity and activating histone deacetylase/sirtuins. Thus, these polyphenolic compounds have therapeutic value as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapy against chronic inflammatory epigenetically regulated diseases. Reactive oxygen species play a key role in enhancing the inflammation through sustained activation and phosphorylation of MAP kinases and redox-sensitive transcription factors, such as NF-κB and AP-1, in various inflammatory diseases.1 Oxidative stress also alters nuclear histone acetylation and deacetylation (chromatin remodeling) leading to increased gene expression of proinflammatory mediators.2,3 Recent studies from our laboratory show that oxidative stress enhances lung inflammation via expression of proinflammatory mediators through the activation of intrinsic histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity of coactivator molecules.4–7 Increased histone acetylation was associated with increased activation of IκB kinase-α and interaction of NF-κB with CBP, leading to increased acetylation of RelA/p65 subunit of NF-κB. Oxidative stress also inhibits the activity of histone deacetylase (HDACs) (decreased HDAC2 levels), activates cells for NF-κB transactivation, and enhances inflammatory gene expression, which leads to chronic inflammatory response both in monocytes and epithelial cells in vitro, and in lungs in vivo.5–7 Oxidative stress also plays a role in poor efficacy of corticosteroids in various chronic inflammatory diseases.2,8 Thus, oxidative stress-mediated aberrant chromatin remodeling or histone modifications can lead to heightened …
Composing Sound Identity in Taiko Drumming

Although sociocultural theories emphasize the mutually constitutive nature of persons, activity, and environment, little attention has been paid to environmental features organized across sensory dimensions. I examine sound as a dimension of learning and practice, an organizing presence that connects the sonic with the social. This ethnographic study of taiko drumming underscores an acoustemological sense of knowing that configures the practice and performance of taiko as an Asian American soundscape of (re)composed cultural identity. [music, Japanese American, Asian American, identity, race]
Extending the 2 × 2 Achievement Goal Framework: Development of a Measure of Scientific Achievement Goals

The current research sought to extend the 2 × 2 achievement goal framework by developing and testing the Achievement Goals for Research Scale (AGRS). Participants (N = 317) consisted of graduate students in the life, physical, and behavioral sciences. A principal components analysis (PCA) extracted five components accounting for 72.59% of the variance in the data. Additional confirmatory factor analytic testing yielded support for a 6-factor model in which the performance factor was bifurcated into approach and avoidance components. The final solution comprised the following 6 subscales: (a) absolute task mastery goals; (b) incremental task mastery goals; (c) mastery avoidance goals; (d) performance approach goals; (e) performance avoidance goals; and (f) self-demonstration of competence goals. The 6-factor model was found to outperform alternative 5-, 3-, and 2-factor models. Preliminary evidence of convergent and discriminant validity was evidenced by way of relations with measures of academic achieveme...
A Wnt-Wnt situation.

A recent Juan March Foundation workshop on "wnt genes and Wnt signaling" brought developmental and cancer biologists together to share some of the latest advances in Wnt research. Discussion topics included molecular, genetic, and genomic dissections of wnt genes in embryogenesis and cancer, Wnt signaling components and downstream targets, interactions with other signaling pathways, cell biological aspects of Wnt signaling, and a first glimpse of a purified Wnt protein.
Imaging of head and neck neoplasms in children

The characteristic imaging appearance for a variety of common and/or important pediatric head and neck tumors will be described in this review. These include benign masses such as hemangioma, teratoma, nerve sheath tumors, juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma and malignant masses such as rhabdomyosarcoma, lymphoma, carcinoma and retinoblastoma. This review focuses primarily on soft tissue tumors.
Literature overview: Microbial metabolism of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

High molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HMW PAHs) increase in hydrophobicity with increases in their molecular weight and ring angularity. Microbial strategies to deal with PAH hydrophobicity include biofilm formation, enzyme induction, and biosurfactants, the effect of which is variable on PAH metabolism depending on the surfactant type and concentration, substrate, and microbial strain(s). Aerobic HMW PAH metabolism proceeds via mineralization, partial degradation, and cometabolic transformations. Generally, bacteria and nonlignolytic fungi metabolize PAHs via initial PAH ring oxidation by dioxygenases to form cis-dihydrodiols, which are transformed to catechol compounds by dehydrogenases and other mono- and dioxygenases to substituted catechol and noncatechol compounds, all ortho- or metacleaved and further oxidized to simpler compounds. However, lignolytic fungi form quinones and acids to CO2. This review discusses the pathways for HMW PAH microbial metabolism. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Circulation of Secularism

Inquiring into the causes behind the spread of secularism in the modern world, this paper proposes that the concept has proliferated owing to its peculiar property as culture: It is simultaneously a piece of culture and also a reflection upon culture. In its latter capacity, it imagines a world in which alternative religious belief systems divide people. It spreads as a piece of culture because it enables sharing and, hence, community, across the cultural boundaries erected by religious belief. For this reason, some governments have embraced the concept and incorporated it into official state discourse. Other governments, in turn, have copied the language of secularism not for its intended meaning but for pragmatic purposes—namely, to proclaim a position within the community of modern nations. State discourse, however, irrespective of the reasons for which it was adopted, affects how ordinary people reason about religion. Reasoning from the possibility of alternative religions opens a space for unbelief. Through an analysis of constitutional language, census data, and interviews, the paper concludes that secularism has more to do with the circulation of discourse and the reasons behind it, than with an immanent versus transcendent solution to the puzzle of existence—the transcendent solution being the foundation for the circulation of religious belief itself.
Mechanical parts orienting: The case of a polyhedron on a table

The positioning and orienting of parts is a standard problem in manufacturing. Orienting parts is often a prelude to the assembly of parts at tight tolerances. This paper considers the problem of orienting a part resting on a table, by tilting the table. The initial orientation of the part is assumed to be completely unknown. The objective is to tilt the table in a manner that reduces the uncertainty in the part's orientation. This paper focuses on three-dimensional polyhedral parts, with infinite friction between the parts and the table, and for which all transitions between different face-table contacts may be regarded as rotations across edges. The paper proposes a planner that determines a sequence of tilting operations designed to minimize the uncertainty in the part's orientation. The planner runs in timeO(n3), wheren is the number of faces of the polyhedron. The planner produces a sequence ofO(n) distinct tilting operations. Each tilting operation wobbles the table until the part is in steady state.
Comments on the Statistical Analysis of Excess Variance in the COBE Differential Microwave Radiometer Maps

Cosmic anisotrophy produces an excess variance sq sigma(sub sky) in the Delta maps produced by the Differential Microwave Radiometer (DMR) on cosmic background explorer (COBE) that is over and above the instrument noise. After smoothing to an effective resolution of 10 deg, this excess sigma(sub sky)(10 deg), provides an estimate for the amplitude of the primordial density perturbation power spectrum with a cosmic uncertainty of only 12%. We employ detailed Monte Carlo techniques to express the amplitude derived from this statistic in terms of the universal root mean square (rms) quadrupole amplitude, (Q sq/RMS)(exp 0.5). The effects of monopole and dipole subtraction and the non-Gaussian shape of the DMR beam cause the derived (Q sq/RMS)(exp 0.5) to be 5%-10% larger than would be derived using simplified analytic approximations. We also investigate the properties of two other map statistics: the actual quadrupole and the Boughn-Cottingham statistic. Both the sigma(sub sky)(10 deg) statistic and the Boughn-Cottingham statistic are consistent with the (Q sq/RMS)(exp 0.5) = 17 +/- 5 micro K reported by Smoot et al. (1992) and Wright et al. (1992).
Mineral and Collagen Fiber Orientation in Human Secondary Osteons

Scanning electron microscopy and x-ray micro-diffraction studies were conducted on single isolated osteons appearing "bright," "dark" and "intermediate" under crossed polaroids and the orientations of collagen fibers and crystallites within them determined.
The preparation of H218O2 in aqueous solution

A method is described for the preparation of [18O]-hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous solvent of natural isotopic abundance through the autoxidation of 2-ethyl anthrahydroquinol with gaseous 18O2.
Fluorine-Containing Taxoid Anticancer Agents and Their Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery

Abstract A long-standing problem of conventional chemotherapy is the lack of tumor-specific treatments. Traditional chemotherapy relies on the premise that rapidly proliferating cancer cells are more likely to be killed by a cytotoxic agent. In reality, however, cytotoxic agents have very little or no specificity, which leads to systemic toxicity, causing undesirable severe side effects. Consequently, various “molecularly targeted cancer therapies” have been developed for use in specific cancers, including tumor-targeted drug delivery systems. In general, such a drug delivery system consists of a tumor recognition moiety and a cytotoxic “warhead” connected through a “smart” linker to form a conjugate. When a multi-functionalized nanomaterial is used as the vehicle, a “Trojan Horse” approach can be used for mass delivery of cytotoxic “warheads” to maximize the efficacy. Exploitation of the special properties of fluorine has proven successful in the development of new and effective biochemical tools as well as therapeutic agents. Fluorinated congeners can also serve as excellent probes for the investigation of biochemical mechanisms. 19 F NMR can provide unique and powerful tools for mechanistic investigations in chemical biology. This account presents our recent progress, in perspective, on the molecular approaches to the design and development of novel tumor-targeted drug delivery systems for new generation chemotherapy by exploiting the unique nature of fluorine.
Restriction of the CD4+ T-cell receptor repertoire prevents immune pathology in TGF-β1 knockout mice

Mice with a targeted deletion in TGF-β1 spontaneously develop CD4+ T-cell-dependent multifocal inflammatory disease and autoimmune pathology. T cells from TGF-β1−/− mice are strongly activated, but the mechanisms that lead to T-cell activation and organ pathology are not well understood. Recent work shows that TGF-β1 raises the threshold for signaling through the TCR, suppressing the response of T cells to mitogenic stimuli. This suggests the possibility that CD4+ T cells in TGF-β1−/− mice become aberrantly activated and cause damage in response to physiologic inputs that ordinarily are not sufficient for cell activation, such as homeostatic MHC–TCR interactions, cytokines, or adhesion molecules. This model predicts that pathology is largely antigen-independent, and that CD4+ T cells, regardless of antigen specificity, will become activated in TGF-β1−/− mice, with subsequent organ pathology. To test this model, we crossed BALB/c-TGF-β1−/− mice with the DO11.10 TCR transgenic mouse. To obviate the possible development of nonclonotypic TCRs, we also bred in a deficiency in RAG-1. Cohorts of highly inbred BALB/c background TGF-β1−/− mice with an increasingly restricted CD4+ T-cell repertoire (TGF-β1−/− mice; DO11.10-TGF-β1−/− mice; DO11.10-RAG-1−/−TGF-β1−/− mice) were then analyzed for inflammatory organ pathology and T-cell activation. The data show that progressively restricting the CD4+ T-cell repertoire improved survival, ameliorated target organ pathology, and reduced T-cell activation to control levels. Therefore, these results find no support for the involvement of atypical T-cell activation pathways in disease in TGF-β1−/− mice. Rather, T-cell activation and pathology in TGF-β1−/− mice appear to be functions of typical TCR activation pathways. This supports the hypothesis that immune pathology in TGF-β1−/− mice is self-antigen triggered.
Transesophageal echocardiographic findings in blue toe syndrome exacerbated by anticoagulation

The role of anticoagulation in the blue toe syndrome is unresolved. We describe the sonographic appearance of atherosclerotic plaques in the thoracic aorta imaged by transesophageal echocardiography in 2 patients with blue toe syndrome who had reembolization while taking therapeutic levels of anticoagulants. The findings of complex atheromas associated with mobile highly echodense linear structures by transesophageal echocardiography may be predictive of reembolization in patients with blue toe syndrome who are taking anticoagulants.
PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EPITAXIAL IRON OXIDE FILMS

Well-ordered, pure-phase epitaxial films of FeO, Fe3O4, and γ–Fe2O3 were prepared on MgO(001) by oxygen-plasma-assisted MBE. The stoichiometries of these thin films were controlled by varying the growth rate and oxygen partial pressure. Selective growth of γ–Fe2O3 and α–Fe2O3 was achieved by controlling the growth conditions in conjunction with the choice of appropriate substrates. Growth of the iron oxide epitaxial films on MgO at ≥350 °C is accompanied by significant Mg outdiffusion. The FeO(001) film surface exhibits a (2 × 2) reconstruction, which is accompanied by a significant amount of Fe3+ in the surface region. Fe3O4 (001) has been found to reconstruct to a structure. γ–Fe23 (001) film surface is unreconstructed.
Commentary: Death certificate reporting needs to be fixed

Something is wrong with the death reporting when there is a fivefold difference in the reported rates of fall mortality between Alabama and Vermont, two states in the United States. The problem is not unique here, as even the Swedish have trouble with their death certificate data. We understand that some of the reason is poor reporting, but how do we figure out how to do it right?Article JPHP.2012.6, available at www.palgrave-journals.com/jphp/, relates to this Commentary.
Approximate Controllability for Integrodifferential Equations with Multiple Delays

This paper considers the approximate controllability for a class of control systems governed by semilinear delay integrodifferential equations with multiple delays. Sufficient conditions for approximate controllability are established by using the Schauder fixed-point theorem. The results obtained improve some analogous existing results. Several examples are provided to illustrate the application of the approximate controllability result.
Epsilon metal waste form for immobilization of noble metals from used nuclear fuel

Abstract Epsilon metal (ɛ-metal), an alloy of Mo, Pd, Rh, Ru, and Tc, is being developed as a waste form to treat and immobilize the undissolved solids and dissolved noble metals from aqueous reprocessing of commercial used nuclear fuel. Epsilon metal is an attractive waste form for several reasons: increased durability relative to borosilicate glass, it can be fabricated without additives (100% waste loading), and in addition it also benefits borosilicate glass waste loading by eliminating noble metals from the glass, thus the processing problems related to their insolubility in glass. This work focused on the processing aspects of the epsilon metal waste form development. Epsilon metal is comprised of refractory metals resulting in high alloying temperatures, expected to be 1500–2000 °C, making it a non-trivial phase to fabricate by traditional methods. Three commercially available advanced technologies were identified: spark-plasma sintering, microwave sintering, and hot isostatic pressing, and investigated as potential methods to fabricate this waste form. Results of these investigations are reported and compared in terms of bulk density, phase assemblage (X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis), and microstructure (scanning electron microscopy).
Reference designs for embedded controls

A set of reference designs suitable for our student design projects was developed and tested. The purpose is to make them available for students to choose the ones suitable for integration into their projects with confidence. All the reference designs are available on our website. Some of those that are intended for embedded control applications are described in this paper. They are reference designs for DC motor driver, stepper motor driver, and GPS module. These reference designs were adopted into our embedded control projects before. Other reference designs were also developed but due to limited space are not included into this paper but the hyperlinks to them are provided. Some of the interesting projects and their evaluations are also described in this paper. Another aspect of this paper is the description of the structure of the reference designs and the various issues encountered. The information should be useful to those intend to develop reference designs for their own design courses.
CTA Survivor and Nonsurvivor: An Analysis of Relative Performance

Research on managed futures performance continues to debate the impact of survivor bias on commodity trading advisor performance (CTA). In the first part of a two-part article, the actual performance of survivor and nonsurvivor samples is analyzed. The empirical evidence suggests that survival is associated with performance but that performance is not necessarily associated with survival. As a result, ignoring survival issues in the selection of managed futures programs may result in reduced performance. In the follow-up article in the next issue, actual models of survival potential are discussed and presented.
SUBMICROSCOPIC STUDY ON THE CORTICAL VILLI IN THE RABBIT OVUM.

Submicroscopic studies have shown that the cortical cytoplasmic villi of the rabbit ovum can coalesce with one another. The villi that are joined are surrounded by a single cell membrane. In addition, the cortical villi may be involved in phagocytotic activity, in incorporating membrane-bound structures, and in forming myelin figures.
Phonetic speech perception deficits in dyslexia.

Adult developmental dyslexics showed deficits in the identification of the vowels of English when the sole acoustic cues were steady-state formant frequency patterns. Deficits in the identification...
Adsorption in bidisperse‐pore systems

Adsorption of a strongly bound absorbate in a bidisperse-pore system is modeled using a Turner pore structure. This idealized system leads to an analytical solution for the micropore uptake of adsorption that is valid for a part of the adsorption-time profile. The analytical solution yields a well-defined criterion that establishes the boundary between an adsorption process dominated by macropore resistance and one dominated by micropore resistance. The range of the analytical solution is extended to include the entire adsorption-time profile using an approximate analytical solution and two asymptotic solutions.
The ability of diagnostic spinal injections to predict surgical outcomes.

BACKGROUND:Since their first description more than 80 yr ago, the use of diagnostic spinal injections to predict surgical outcomes has been the subject of intense controversy. Because there are no standardized guidelines or substantive reviews on this topic, their use has remained inconsistent.METHO
A GTP-binding protein required for secretion rapidly associates with secretory vesicles and the plasma membrane in yeast

SEC4, one of the 10 genes involved in the final stage of the yeast secretory pathway, encodes a ras-like, GTP-binding protein. In wild-type cells, Sec4 protein is located on the cytoplasmic face of both the plasma membrane and the secretory vesicles in transit to the cell surface. In all post-Golgi blocked sec mutants, Sec4p is predominantly associated with the secretory vesicles that accumulate as a result of the secretory block. Sec4p is synthesized as a soluble protein that rapidly (t1/2 less than or equal to 1 min) and tightly associates with secretory vesicles and the plasma membrane by virtue of a conformational change of a covalent modification. These data suggest that Sec4p may function as a "G" protein on the vesicle surface to transduce an intracellular signal needed to regulate transport between the Golgi apparatus and the plasma membrane.
Effect of ozone and nitrogen dioxide on the agglutination of rat alveolar macrophages by concanavalin A

Abstract In vitro exposure of rat alveolar macrophages to 0.5 ppm ozone for 60 minutes results in a 76% decrease in agglutination by concanavalin A. A decrease in the agglutinability of rat alveolar macrophages by concanavalin A was also observed following inhalation of 0.5 or 1.0 ppm ozone for two hours. In contradistinction, in vitro exposure of rat alveolar macrophages to 2.4 ppm nitrogen dioxide for 60 minutes produced a 64% increase in agglutination by concanavalin A; and increased agglutinability was also noted following inhalation of 12.1 ppm nitrogen dioxide for two hours. Agglutination was almost completely inhibited by alpha-methyl-mannose. Neither pollutant significantly altered the binding of 3 H-concanavalin A to rat alveolar macrophages. These two air pollutants, both of which are known to potentiate respiratory tract infections, appear to affect the response of the alveolar macrophage membrane to concanavalin A in a dissimilar fashion.
Scattered data modeling

A variety of methods for modeling scattered data are discussed, with an emphasis on two types of data: volumetric and spherical. To demonstrate the performance of the various methods, results from an empirical study using trivariate scattered data are presented. The author's objective is to provide information to aid in selecting a type of method or to form the basis for customizing a method for a particular application. >
SU‐GG‐T‐323: Angular Distribution of Neutron Fluence and Its Effect On Shielding for a Passively‐Scattered Proton Therapy Unit

Purpose:Neutron production is of principal concern in shielding of proton therapy units. Conventionally, neutron calculations are based on the analytical methods, which do not take the actual beam shaping components and the nozzle shielding into account. The goal of this study was to calculate neutron spectral fluence produced at a passive scatteringproton treatment unit with detailed Monte Carlo modeling and to estimate the corresponding neutrondose equivalent and shielding requirements at various angles relative to the beam direction. Method and Materials: We modeled all key components in the nozzle including a range modulator,scatter, range shifter and aperture for a passive scatteringproton therapy unit with MCNPX. We simulated the spectral neutron fluences at different angles and distances around the nozzle. The neutron spectral fluences were then converted to neutrondose equivalent using conversion factors from International Committee of Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 74. Based on the neutrondose equivalent and spectral fluence, the shielding requirements for walls facing the beam and parallel to the beam were assessed. Results: The spectral neutron fluence varied significantly with angle relative to the beam. High energy neutrons were forward peaked and decreased with increasing angle. Low energy neutrons did not change much with angle. Neutrondose equivalent in treatment room did not change significantly with angle, but more shielding was required for the wall facing the beam than other walls because the high energy neutrons were greatest at zero degrees. Conclusion: The neutron spectral fluence from proton therapy units changes significantly with angle relative to the beam direction. Compared to the analytical methods, Monte Carlo simulated results provided a more accurate estimation of the neutronangular distribution for shielding design.
Lack of conflict during queen production in the social wasp Vespula maculifrons

Social insects display extreme cooperative and helping behaviours. However, social insect colonies are also arenas of intense competitive interactions. One particularly important matter over which colony members may compete centres on the development of sexual offspring. Specifically, colony members may engage in selfish behaviours leading to reproductive competition, whereby individuals either strive to develop as sexuals or assist kin so that close relatives emerge as new reproductives. We investigated whether reproductive competition occurred in the polyandrous social wasp Vespula maculifrons. We genotyped V. maculifrons workers and new queens at eight polymorphic microsatellite loci to determine if larvae of particular genotypes were reared as gynes more frequently than expected by chance. However, we found no significant evidence of reproductive competition in this species. The proportional contributions of males to workers and new queens did not vary within colonies. Moreover, male reproductive skew did not differ between workers and new queens. Finally, novel statistical techniques uncovered no evidence of patriline reversal, the phenomenon whereby males that contribute little to worker production contribute substantially to new queen production. Consequently, we conclude that individual level selection operating to increase the frequency of selfish behaviours that would lead to reproductive competition has been nullified by colony-level selection acting to maintain colony efficiency and cooperation.
Clinical use of β-adrenergic agonists

In the last decade the treatment of airway obstruction has been greatly facilitated by the introduction of a number of long-acting, highly bronchoselective beta-adrenergic agonists. Many medical professionals feel that these agents should be first-line treatment for asthma. The choice of route of administration and drug to use depends on the desired clinical effect. Most studies in both acute and chronic situations demonstrate that the inhaled route produces at least as much bronchodilation as oral or parenteral therapy and does so with substantially fewer side effects. Fears about safety and tachyphylaxis with the modern agents have been unfounded. Failure of self-administered beta-agonists to produce relief from acute episodes of airway obstruction cannot be interpreted as evidence of primary drug resistance and does not predict the emergency room response to these agents. The available evidence suggests that if drug tolerance does develop with beta-agonists, it is small in magnitude, nonprogressive, and not clinically significant.
Tracking Muscle Fatigue Markers Through Nonlinear and Multivariate Analysis of Motion Kinematics

Both athletes and soldiers subject their body to extensive prolonged movements at the price of completing their tasks. The purpose of his study is to show that phase space warping (PSW) concept and smooth orthogonal decomposition (SOD) can be used to extract muscle fatigue related information from easily obtainable and noninvasive movement kinematics data. Two experimental setups are considered: load carrying soldiers walking on a treadmill and subjects performing a sawing motion. PSW and SOD based fatigue related trends are compared against local muscle fatigue markers obtained from surface electromyography (sEMG) measurements. In particular, a decrease in the mean power frequencies (MNF) or median power frequencies (MDF) of the sEMGs are used to indicate the onset of muscle fatigue, since a muscle fatigue causes a shift in the power spectrum of sEMG to lower frequencies.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Cathedral Libraries in Medieval Hungary

AbstractIn spite of the limited evidence, some characteristic features of the cathedral libraries of medieval Hungary can be established. The case of the cathedral library of Esztergom illustrates the methodological problems and the limits of reconstructing the lost holdings of a medieval library. Library catalogues, the most important sources for the study of cathedral libraries in medieval Hungary, survive from the cathedrals of Veszprem (I435) and Zagreb (I394, I426). On the basis of these book registers that were incorporated into the general inventories of the cathedrals, it is possible to define what kinds of codices they possessed and to explore the structure of their libraries as well as the system of book provision. The way the inventories were compiled reveals the methods of manuscript cataloguing and the records of book loans provide an insight into the interest of the readers.
Revised Genome Sequence of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteriophage K.

ABSTRACT Bacteriophage K is a member of the virulent Twort-like group of myophages infecting Staphylococcus aureus. The revised sequence presented here includes 12,436 bp of additional sequence not present in the previously available phage K genome (GenBank accession no. NC_005880) and updated annotations, and has been reopened at the predicted terminal repeat boundary.
Estimated optical constants of the Tagish Lake meteorite

The visible, near-infrared, and mid-infrared (0.3-25 micron) real and imaginary indices of refraction are derived from reflectance measurements of the Tagish Lake meteorite. These are compared to some real and imaginary indices of refraction of the individual minerals composing the Tagish Lake meteorite. From this comparison it is clear that the imaginary indices of several individual minerals contribute to the estimated imaginary index of the Tagish Lake.
Radiologic Technic for Qualitative and Quantitative Study of Blood Flow

This preliminary report deals with the direct radiographic study of discrete, relatively small spots of artificial radiopacity during their passage through the cardiovascular structures and offers a new and promising technic for studying the motion of blood. As used here, motion refers to movement of and within the blood stream. So defined, it is fundamental to the subject-matter of hemodynamics. Continuing studies are focused upon two major hemodynamic parameters: 1. The velocity, acceleration and deceleration of circulating blood. Through appropriate specialized radiographic technics, it is possible to measure the movement of blood as a function of time. Observations may be completed in 1 msec., repeated in rapid sequence and made simultaneously at many different points within the cardiovascular system. 2. Flow characteristics of circulating blood. The graphic study of flow patterns at multiple points within the blood stream can be carried out simultaneously with blood velocity observations. By analogy,...
Lipids, lipoproteins and coronary heart disease in minority populations

Abstract Despite recent advances in both prevention and treatment, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality in the US. The Framingham Study was a landmark in defining CHD-related risk factors; unfortunately, very few minorities were included. A major preventable risk factor for CHD continues to be lipid abnormalities, but its association within minority populations is unclear. The few studies that have examined the association of hyperlipidemia with CHD in minorities have shown that total cholesterol was a predictor of CHD risk (e.g., black men aged 35–64). Several researchers have reported higher levels of HDL for black men and women compared to white men and women. Since HDL was shown to be inversely related to CHD, this discrepancy in HDL is hypothesized to account for the lower than expected mortality rate. Lipoprotein(a) has been identified as an independent risk factor for CHD; blacks have considerably higher levels than whites. Data also indicate the following: Hispanics have lower CVD mortality rates than the general population despite having known risk factors (e.g., obesity, diabetes, low socioeconomic status); Hispanic women have lower levels of HDL cholesterol; Native-American populations have lower prevalence of CHD associated with lower LDL-cholesterol and higher HDL-cholesterol. Understanding epidemiologic and pathophysiologic data regarding differences between various racial groups should help reduce CVD-related morbidity and mortality in minority populations.
Structural Study of Poly(β-Benzyl-l-Aspartate) Monolayers at Air-Liquid Interfaces

As normally studied, in the solid state or in solution, poly(beta-benzyl-L-aspartate) (PBLA) differs from the other helical polyamino acids in that its alpha-helical conformation is most stable in the left-handed rather than in the right-handed form. The slightly lower energy per residue for the left-handed form in PBLA is easily perturbed, however. The helical screw sense can be inverted in a polar environment and, upon heating above 100 degrees C, a distorted left-handed helix or omega-helix is irreversibly formed. From external reflectance Fourier transform infrared measurements at the air-water interface, the conformation of PBLA in the monolayer state is directly established for the first time. The infrared frequencies of the amide bands suggest that right-handed alpha-helices are formed on the surface of water immediately after spreading the monolayers and independently of the polypeptide conformational distribution in the spreading solution. The right-handed helical form prevails throughout the slow compression of the Langmuir monolayers to collapsed films. The helical screw sense can be reversed by lowering the polarity of the aqueous phase. In addition, an alternate conformation similar to the omega-helix forms on addition of small amounts of isopropanol to the aqueous subphase, and appears to be an intermediate in the helix-helix transition.
SU-FF-T-160: Patient Specific QA for Prostate and H&N IMRT Using MapCheck

Purpose: To evaluate the MapCheck system as a device for routine IMRT QA. Method and Materials: 20 prostate and 2 nasopharyngeal cases are used for this study. IMRTtreatment planning was performed with Varian Eclipse/Helios planning system using sliding window technique. The measured dose distributions (both absolute and relative) are compared with the generated ones from the planning system. Results: For prostate IMRT QA, the measured dose distribution agrees well with the calculated ones by using a 3% difference and 3 mm distance to agreement (DTA), 10% threshold criteria. The pass rate is over 90% (20 cases) for both relative and absolute dose comparison. For nasopharyngeal head & neck IMRT, the relative pass rate is over 90%, while the absolute pass rate is around 40–60% by using a 5% difference and 3 mm DTA. Most of measured points are 5–10% higher than planned in the absolute comparison. In addition, we made ion chamber point dose verification measurements at carefully selected points in the relatively low dose gradient area at the same gantry angle of each beam as delivery of the treatment. Chamber measurement results have shown an agreement of within 3% in total dose compared to the calculated ones. Conclusion: Our clinical experience shows that MapCheck device works well for prostate IMRT QA, for both absolute and relative dose verification, which dramatically increases our IMRT QA efficiency. However, from the preliminary work from our 2 nasopharyngeal head & neck IMRT cases, the measured dose by MapCheck appears to be 5–10% higher than the planned dose for most points, while the relative dose map matches well with the planned data (with criteria 10% threshold, 5% difference, 3mm DTA) which is inconsistent with ion chamber measurements. The discrepancy is under investigation.
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1

After reviewing the evidence on the relation of vertical transmission of HIV to stage of infection in the mother, I developed a stochastic model of transmission in which the probability of transmission per week is proportional to the virus load in the mother. The virus load in different stages of the infection is measured by viral RNA levels or tissue culture infectious virus levels in plasma. The constant of proportionality is assumed to be different for transmission during pregnancy, during parturition, and during breast-feeding. Using data on transmission from mothers who are in the primary stage of infection, I estimated the constant of proportionality and calculated the probability of transmission during pregnancy as a function of the time pregnancy starts in relation to the stage of the infection. For breast-feeding, I calculated the conditional probability of transmission by breast-feeding for 20 weeks, dependent on the infant escaping infection during pregnancy and parturition. As might be expected, the probabilities of transmission are highest if the mother is in the primary stage of infection or in late stages of the disease and is quite low when the mother is in the asymptomatic stage of the infection.
Mild mitral insufficiency is a marker of impaired left ventricular performance in aortic stenosis

Whether mitral insufficiency is a marker of decreased left ventricular function in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement for sever aortic stenosis was examined. Hemodynamic measurements in 26 patients with pure aortic stenosis (Group 1), 17 patients with aortic stenosis and grade 1 or 2 mitral insufficiency (Group 2) and 19 control patients were compared. All patients were free of significant coronary artery disease. Ventriculograms were digitized for calculation of ejection fraction, ventricular volumes and wall stress. Despite similar aortic valve areas, Group 2 patients had more advanced symptoms. Cardiac index was comparably decreased in Group 1 (2.6 +/- 0.4 liters/min per m2) and Group 2 (2.7 +/- 0.8 liters/min per m2) compared with the control group (3.8 +/- 0.6 liters/min per m2). Left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indexes were increased only in Group 2 (119 +/- 35 and 73 +/- 36 ml/m2, respectively). Likewise, end-systolic wall stress was increased only in Group 2 (149 +/- 54 kdynes/cm2). Ejection fraction was decreased to a greater extent in Group 2 (42 +/- 17%) than in Group 1 (59 +/- 13%) as compared with values in the control group (68 +/- 5%). Although an inverse relation existed between ejection fraction and end-systolic stress in all groups, the ejection fraction (extrapolated to end-systolic stress = 0) was decreased in Group 2, and the slope of the relation was increased in Groups 1 and 2. The end-systolic stress/end-systolic volume index ratio, an index of ventricular performance, was also decreased to a greater extent in Group 2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
College Counseling for Self-Injurious Behavior: A Case Study

This case study describes the counseling experience of a college woman undergoing treatment to address self-injurious behavior. The article presents and illustrates a counseling approach that is conceptually based on attachment and object relations theory. The approach emphasizes the client-counselor relationship and the need to establish a supportive interpersonal environment as the main factors contributing to positive change in the client's self-injuring behavior.
Do physicians have an inviolable duty not to kill

An important part of the debate over physician-assisted suicide concerns moral duties that are specific to physicians. It is sometimes argued that physicians, by virtue of special commitments rooted in the nature of their profession, may never intentionally kill a patient, and that therefore, whether or not assisted suicide may be justifiable, it can never be right for a physician to take part in such an act. I examine four types of argument that have been offered in support of this conclusion, and find that none succeeds. Each attempts to show why the duty to conserve life must be unconditional for physicians, yet a consideration of the ways in which contemporary medicine has evolved shows that such a duty is now no more fundamental to the profession than a duty to relieve suffering, which may in some cases override it.
The certification examination in emergency medicine: An update

The 1977 field test and first administration of the American Board of Emergency Medicine certification examination produced data which support the assumption upon which it was originally developed. A total of 22 fourth-year medical students, 36 emergency medicine residents, and 36 emergency physicians participated in the field test held in Lansing, Michigan. The examination was found to be highly reliable, to distribute scores among groups according to presumed competence, and to support the concept of treating the examination as a total instrument rather than one subdivided by content areas. Patient management problems were found to be inefficient as a test format. The first administration of the examination, which tested 616 candidates, confirmed the original field test findings.
Reflections on Darwin and Darwinizing.

Although there is a vast literature about Darwin there remains an urgent need, particularly in the field of literary studies, for greater understanding of his work. this essay examines current trends in Darwinian criticism, contrasting Literary Darwinism—which seeks in literature the "human nature" being defined by evolutionary psychology—with other models of Darwinian criticism provided by historians of science and literary scholars, models that bring together a sense of historical context with orig - inal attention to form and language. Such attention points toward future work that might alter our understanding of Darwin's achievement, both as scientist and writer, and thus change our sense of the affective implications of the world he represents.
Reducing translation cycle time: technology overcomes time and space

Technology can improve cycle time and overcome distance when developing products for an international market. Some of the technological solutions include electronic communications networks, desktop publishing equipment, and computer-assisted translation software. By implementing these solutions, Texas Instruments has reduced cycle time in translating technical product documentation for the European market. >
Predicting postfire erosion and mitigation effectiveness with a web-based probabilistic erosion model

The decision of where, when, and how to apply the most effective postfire erosion mitigation treatments requires land managers to assess the risk of damaging runoff and erosion events occurring after a fire. To meet this challenge, the Erosion Risk Management Tool (ERMiT) was developed. ERMiT is a web-based application that uses the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) technology to estimate erosion, in probabilistic terms, on burned and recovering forest, range, and chaparral lands with and without the application of mitigation treatments. User inputs are processed by ERMiT to combine rain event variability with spatial and temporal variabilities of hillslope burn severity and soil properties, which are then used as WEPP input parameter values. Based on 20 to 40 individual WEPP runs, ERMiT produces a distribution of rain event erosion rates with a probability of occurrence for each of five postfire years. In addition, rain event erosion rate distributions are generated for postfire hillslopes that have been treated with seeding, straw mulch, and erosion barriers such as contour-felled logs or straw wattles.
Sir William Petty: Modern epidemiologist (1623–1687)

William Petty, physician, epidemiologist, political economist, demographer, cartographer, and administrator was an intellectual product of the seventeenth century. Petty was born in the year 1623 in Romsey, England of lower middle class parents; however, by the time of his death in 1687 he had become a knight of the realm, founder of the Royal Society, and friend of kings. Petty's life reflected the northern renaissance which induced such dramatic changes in science, technology, politics, and entrepreneurship. His education was eclectic, nonetheless he took his Doctor of Physic degree from Oxford in 1649 and became an Oxford don, where he spent the next few years as an academic before undertaking a definitive survey of Ireland on behalf of the Cromwell government. Ireland changed Petty's destiny and he became a man of the world and entrepreneur which stimulated his interest in public policy formulation and economics. It was Petty's peculiar genius to be innovative in the application of measurement, statistics, and mathematics to socioeconomic and demographic phenomena. As a physician he related his knowledge of health and disease to these phenomena in what in the modern context would be called human ecology or social epidemiology. These relationships and their measurement were employed to establish an objective set of data which could be analyzed for the purpose of rational public policy planning by the state. This scientific approach to public policy places Petty squarely in the context of modern epidemiologic and public health practice and marks the initiation of a major use of the epidemiologic method.