cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Are surgery training programs ready for virtual reality? A survey of program directors in general surgery.

Abstract BACKGROUND: The use of advanced technology, such as virtual environments and computer-based simulators (VR/CBS), in training has been well established by both industry and the military. In contrast the medical profession, including surgery, has been slow to incorporate such technology in its training. In an attempt to identify factors limiting the regular incorporation of this technology into surgical training programs, a survey was developed and distributed to all general surgery program directors in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: A 22-question survey was sent to 254 general surgery program directors. The survey was designed to reflect attitudes of the program directors regarding the use of computer-based simulation in surgical training. Questions were scaled from 1 to 5 with 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree. RESULTS: A total of 139 responses (55%) were returned. The majority of respondents (58%) had seen VR/CBS, but only 19% had "hands-on" experience with these systems. Respondents strongly agreed that there is a need for learning opportunities outside of the operating room and a role for VR/CBS in surgical training. Respondents believed both staff and residents would support this type of training. Concerns included VR/CBS' lack of validation and potential requirements for frequent system upgrades. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual environments and computer-based simulators, although well established training tools in other fields, have not been widely incorporated into surgical education. Our results suggest that program directors believe this type of technology would be beneficial in surgical education, but they lack adequate information regarding VR/CBS. Developers of this technology may need to focus on educating potential users and addressing their concerns.
Transport of Cosmic Radiation

The theory of electromagnetic radiation was first derived by James Clerk Maxwell in 1873. He showed that both magnetic and electric fields propagate in space and the velocity of propagation, from purely magnetic and electrical measurements, was very nearly 3 × 108 m/s. Within the limits of experimental error, this was equal to the velocity of propagation of light. Within 15 years of Maxwell’s discovery, Heinrich Hertz succeeded in producing electromagnetic radiation at microwave frequencies by installing a spark gap (an oscillating high-potential arc discharge across two conductors separated by a short gap) at the center of a parabolic metal mirror.
The Energy Spectra and Anisotropies of Cosmic Rays

The existing paradigm of the origin of Galactic cosmic rays places strong supernovae shocks as the acceleration site for this material. However, although the EGRET gamma-ray telescope has reported evidence for GeV gamma rays from some supernovae, it is still unclear if the signal is produced by locally intense cosmic rays. Although non-thermal X-ray emissions have been detected from supernova remnants and interpreted as synchrotron emission from locally intense electrons at energies up to ∼100 TeV, the inferred source energy spectral slopes seem much steeper than the electron source spectrum observed through direct measurements. It remains the case that simple energetics provide the most convincing argument that supernovae power the bulk of cosmic rays. Two characteristics which can be used to investigate this issue at high energy are the source energy spectra and the source composition derived from direct measurements.
Expressing a consensus on candour.

If governments are to define deception as research misconduct, science deserves clarity and rigour in the definition.
New Radiative Atomic Data

Large amount of new radiative atomic data for I) energy levels, II) oscillator strengths ( f ), line strengths (S), radiative transition probabilities ( A ), III) photoioniztion cross sections (σ PI ) – total and level-specific, and IV) unified total and level-specific electron-ion recombination rate coefficients, α R , including radiative and dielectronic recombination (RR and DR) are reported for various astrophysical applications. Most of the data are with fine structure. These data are not yet available from any databases. Photoionization and recombination data are self-consistent, using the same wave-function for both processes.
Potential docking sites and positions of hydrogen in high-pressure silicates

A method based on an analysis of the Laplacian of the electron density distribution is used to locate positions of nonbonding electron-pairs and favorable docking sites for hydrogen in high-pressure silicates, including stishovite, akimotoite, wadsleyite, ringwoodite, MgSiO 3 , and CaSiO 3 perovskite. In stishovite, model hydrogen positions (h) are located off the shared O...O edge of the octahedra with the Oh vector oriented perpendicular to [001]. In akimotoite, two model positions for hydrogen are found, one along an edge of the MgO 6 octahedron with an Oh vector aligned close to [001] and the other within the face of the MgO 6 octahedra, with Oh vectors oriented perpendicular to [001]. Geometric and electrostatic considerations suggest that both of these sites would require vacant Mg sites. In wadsleyite, potential sites for protonation exist for all O atoms. Hydrogen bonded to O1 resides in a cage-like site with the Oh dipole oriented parallel to [001 ]. Two symmetrically equivalent sites for hydrogen exist at 02 in a second cage-like structure with Oh vectors aligned approximately along [100]. The calculations also identify potential sites for hydrogen at 03 and 04, but suggest that these could only be occupied by hydrogen if vacancies exist at adjacent Mg sites. Model hydrogen positions in ringwoodite are predicted along O...O edges of the MgO 6 octahedron, and, if occupied, would require vacancies at adjacent Mg sites. MgSiO 3 perovskite is distinguished by having only one potential site for hydrogen. The Oh vector lies within the (110) plane and geometric and electrostatic considerations suggest that a vacancy is required at the Mg site if this site is protonated. No localized sites for hydrogen are found in CaSiO 3 perovskite. We suggest that non-bonded electron pairs associated with oxide anions involved in octahedral frameworks with tilt angles of less than 180° provide more favorable docking sites for protons than those involved in wider angles. The results from the electron density calculations show very good agreement with available crystallographic and spectroscopic data and demonstrate that the strategy used in this study can be useful in locating protons in Earth materials.
Role of minimal distal nerve injury in complex regional pain syndrome-I.

The potential for a role for nerve injury in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)-I is implicit in the 1994 IASP diagnostic criteria for CRPS [1]. These unite the syndrome formerly known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy with the syndrome formerly known as causalgia, in acknowledgment of the fact that their clinical presentation (phenotype) and their response to treatment are the same. Although nerve injury is a required part of the definition of CRPS-II, and lack of known nerve injury is part of the definition of CRPS-I, naming and categorizing them together acknowledges the possibility that CRPS-I patients might have occult nerve injuries. There are plausible reasons why nerve injuries might remain undiagnosed in CRPS-I patients. Few of the physicians who care for CRPS patients have specialty training in peripheral nerve, and most neuromuscular specialists do not see CRPS-I patients. Another reason is that many patients with severe allodynia are reluctant to permit detailed neurological examination, much less electromyography and nerve conduction study. Additionally, partial nerve injuries can be sufficient to cause chronic pain without causing the focal losses of neurological function that are used to localize nerve injuries upon examination. However, most importantly, the classical signs of nerve injury gleaned from neurological examination, and the standard test for nerve injury, electromyography, and nerve conduction studies, are insensitive to injuries to the type of axons characteristically injured in CRPS. The possibility of occult nerve injuries in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)-I has been evident to peripheral nerve specialists. A number of CRPS-I patients report inciting injuries that are well known to injury sensory nerves. For instance, phlebotomy at the antecubital fossa is an established cause of injury to the medial or lateral cutaneous nerves of the forearm that wind around the basilic and cephalic veins [2], and arthroscopy of the …
The remarkable metal-catalysed olefin metathesis reaction

Catalytic olefin metathesis--through which pairs of C = C bonds are reorganized--transforms simple molecules to those that are complex and precious. This class of reactions has noticeably enriched chemical synthesis, which is the art of preparing scarce molecules with highly desirable properties (for example, medicinal agents or polymeric materials). Research in the past two decades has yielded structurally well-defined catalysts for olefin metathesis that are used to synthesize an array of molecules with unprecedented efficiency. Nonetheless, the full potential of olefin metathesis will be realized only when additional catalysts are discovered that are truly practical and afford exceptional selectivity for a significantly broader range of reactions.
Plasmacytoma of the oral cavity and jaws: A clinicopathologic study of 13 cases

Plasmacytoma of the jaw bones and oral cavity, as in other anatomic sites, comprises three distinct entities: multiple myeloma, solitary plasmacytoma of bone, and extramedullary plasmacytoma. This article is a retrospective study of 13 cases; 9 occurred in the mandible and 4 in the maxilla. The most common radiographic finding was a radiolucency that many times was superimposed on the roots or apices of nearby teeth. The most common symptom was localized pain, and the most frequent clinical sign was a raised red lesion on the alveolar ridge. The disease affects older persons, and the posterior mandible is the most frequently reported location. The degree of dysplasia of tumor cells was evaluated as there is a reported correlation with survival rates.
Schauder and LP Estimates for Parabolic systems via campanato spaces

The following note deals with classical Schauder and L{sup p} estimates in the setting of parabolic systems. For the heat equation these estimates are usually obtained via potential theoretic methods, i.e., by studying the fundamental solution, and for the elliptic case. For systems, however, it has become customary to base both Schauder and L{sup p} theory on Campanato`s technique. For the elliptic case this is explained in and (see also the references therein to Campanato`s original papers) and for the stationary Stokes system in. The purpose of this note is to show how this technique can be applied to parabolic systems. In many ways it is very similar to Giaquinta`s exposition-in spirit as well as in detail. However, the parabolic case dose offer certain peculiarities, most notably the global Schauder estimates, where we have to deal with a compatibility condition on the data. 13 refs.
Salt-marsh tide pools as winter refuges for the Mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, in New Jersey

Mummichog,Fundulus heteroclitus, were collected weekly from a southern New Jersey high-salinity salt marsh from October 1988 to June 1989 and from September 1989 to June 1990 to determine the overwintering habitat. Major habitat types sampled within the salt marsh were subtidal creek, intertidal creeks, and salt-marsh pools. Few individuals were collected in the intertidal creek or the subtidal creek from the end of October through the beginning of May for both years, when creek water temperatures were low. Both young-of-the-year and adults of both sexes were abundant in the salt-marsh pools (total lengths ranged from 29 mm to 125 mm) throughout the winter. In the spring, catch per unit effort (CPUE) within the tidal creek increased with increasing water temperature, while CPUE in marsh pools decreased with increases in estuarine water temperature. These collection patterns indicate that the majority ofF. heteroclitus may move from subtidal and intertidal creeks into salt-marsh pools in the late fall and leave in the spring. This seasonal movement could explain how fish survive winter environmental conditions because daily average water temperatures of salt-marsh pools were warmer than subtidal creek temperatures for much of the winter.
Friction and Wear of Silicon Nitride and Silicon Carbide in Water: Hydrodynamic Lubrication at Low Sliding Speed Obtained by Tribochemical Wear

This report describes experiments on friction of Si3N4 and SiC sliding against themselves and against each other in water at room temperature. The friction coefficient of Si3N4 against itself is f = 0.7 at low speeds (0.2 cm/s). At speeds above 6.5 cm/s and 4.91-N load, hydrodynamic lubrication sets in, with f = <0.002 and an estimated water film thickness of 70 nm. Between 0.2 and 5 cm/s, mixed lubrication occurs. This remarkably thin hydrodynamic film is made possible by the tribochemical wear of Si3N4 which occurs by dissolution in water and an absence of wear particles. The friction coefficient of SiC, against SiC or Si3N4 in water at low speeds is f = 0.26. Wear occurs by dissolution and fracture pitting. Small wear particles are observed. The friction coefficient of SiC against SiC is independent of sliding velocity between 0.2 and 20 cm/s. Hydrodynamic lubrication is obtained with a Si3N4 pin on SiC plate near 10 cm/s, mixed lubrication is obtained with a SiC in on Si3N4 plate at v < 20 cm/s. Prese...
Crohn's Disease in an African-American Population

ABSTRACT Objective African-Americans have been underrepresented in most large Crohn’s disease (CD) trials. This study was undertaken to assess the course and character of CD in African-Americans in comparison with whites. Methods We retrospectively compared the course and character of CD in African-American and white patients at 3 Atlanta hospitals. Ninety-nine patients (55 African-American, 44 whites) were enrolled. Telephone interviews and chart reviews were used to identify disease location, presence of fistulae and perirectal disease, surgical history, and medication use. Patients with ulcerative colitis or indeterminant colitis, and all non-African-Americans or whites, were excluded. Results The numbers of male and female patients were similar (50 and 49). Overall, men comprised 54% of white patients and 47% of African-American patients. There were no significant differences in the setting in which CD were diagnosed, number of flares per year, or duration of symptoms before diagnosis. White patients were more likely to seek care for their CD in a clinic setting, both their primary care physicians (1.31 versus 0.21 visits/yr, P P = 0.03). Small bowel (SB) disease was present more frequently in white patients, 84% versus 65% ( P = 0.03), and SB resection was more common in this group, 59% versus 16% ( P P = 0.002). Perirectal fistulae were more frequent in African-American patients, 58% versus 22% ( P P = 0.004). African-American patients more frequently discontinued medical therapy because they “felt better” (27% versus 9%, P = 0.02). Medication usage, including immunosuppressants, was similar in both groups, except that white patients were more likely to receive multiple doses of infliximab (34% versus 11%, P = 0.005). Both groups felt equally informed about CD, but white patients felt that their disease was under good control a greater percentage of the time, 71% versus 58% ( P = 0.04). Conclusions These data lend credence to the suggestion that the nature of CD may be different in African-Americans compared with whites. However, despite this apparent difference in disease manifestation, the contribution of socioeconomic factors, access to health care, and understanding of the disease likely play a role as well.
INTERPRETATIONS OF THE SOLUTION AND ORIENTED FILM SPECTRA OF BROWN MEMBRANE OF HALOBACTERIUM HALOBIUM

— The absorption and circular dichroic spectra of the brown holo-membrane (retinal present) and apo-membrane (retinal absent) of Halobacterium halobium in solution and oriented as a film have been studied over the accessible wavelength region, 800–183nm. Since the structure of the well-studied purple membrane can be considered to be a modification of the structure of the brown membrane and much is known about the structure of the purple membrane, interpretations of the brown membrane spectra are based on our previous interpretations of similar studies of the purple membrane. The brown membrane contains two membrane proteins, bacteriorhodopsin and cytochrome b-561 in a 3:1 molar ratio in contrast to the purple membrane which contains only bacteriorhodopsin. Main findings are (a) degenerate oscillator coupling (exciton) among the retinyl chromophores of the bacteriorhodopsins, (b) a relatively strong in-plane interaction between the retinal and the bacteriorhodopsin apoprotein environment, possibly due to a dissymmetric static charge distribution, (c) the planes of the aromatic rings of some of the tryptophans must be nearly parallel to the plane of the membrane, (d) the helical axes of the bacterio-opsin polypeptide segments are significantly tilted in respect to the normal to the membrane plane in contrast to the helical axes of the bacteriorhodopsin polypeptide segments which are nearly parallel to the normal, (e) no detectable interaction between the two membrane proteins, (f) the plane of the heme of the cytochrome cannot be parallel to the membrane plane and is most likely perpendicular to it. (g) the dipole moments of the two mutually perpendicular Soret porphyrin transitions of the heme are most likely oriented at an angle to the membrane plane, (h) there seems to be a significant reduction in the symmetry of the heme group in the environment of the apoprotein, (i) the possibility of a unique geometrical arrangement and resonance interaction between the Soret porphyrin and nearby cytochrome aromatic amino acid π–π* transitions, (j) the secondary structure of the cytochrome is significantly α-helical, and (k) the helical axes of the cytochrome polypeptide segments are randomly oriented in respect to the normal to the membrane plane. A consequence of these findings is that the fine structures of the bacteriorhodopsins of the brown and purple membranes are very similar in spite of differences in the composition and the structure of the two membranes. In addition, the orientation of the helical segments of the bacteriorhodopsin polypeptides relative to the membrane plane in the brown and purple membranes can be regulated by the retinal–apoprotein interactions. Significance of this possible regulation in respect to the proton-pumping function of these membranes is discussed.
The social observatory: time series data for health and behavioral research.

Abstract The computer revolution has suddenly removed age-old limitations on the processing of information … But the social sciences are data starved … One reason for it is reluctance to commit funds to long-term projects; another … is the hope for achieving quick success by ‘new theoretical breakthroughs’ …It is as though we were astronomers who were supposed to draw celestial designs and to neglect our telescopes. The social sciences have been denied social observatories and told to get on with dreams.
Off-axis nonlinear hologram and spurious distortion

Abstract A nonlinear hologram may be decomposed into an infinite sum of Fresnel zone lenses. Thus a sequence of high-order diffracted images will be reconstructed. The Fourier components of the Fresnel zone lenses may be determined graphically from the transmittance—exposure characteristic of the film. In this paper, the analysis of off-axis nonlinear holograms is presented. The spurious distortion and signal-to- noise ratio of the nonlinear hologram are also defined.
FDG–PET imaging of atherosclerosis: Do we know what we see?

Imaging atherosclerosis may help to identify subjects harboring rupture-prone atherosclerotic plaques who may benefit from preventive interventions. Potential of plaques to rupture depends on their structural changes and metabolic activation, which are difficult to assess using anatomic imaging modalities. Recent studies suggested that functional imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) utilizing fluorine-18-labeled 2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) has the potential to assess plaque metabolism and add to prediction of vascular risk. Aortic, iliac, and carotid plaques can be detected with FDG-PET, even though not all plaques exhibit high FDG uptake. Detection of coronary artery plaques is more cumbersome due to technical limitations of PET and fast movement of these vessels during cardiac and respiratory cycles. Studies on substrate accumulating FDG in plaques are contradictory and mostly do not extend beyond correlation analyses. Vascular FDG uptake has an excellent short-term stability, but larger fluctuations of uptake long-term, which may complicate interpretation of such changes in therapeutic trials. FDG uptake in major arteries correlates with some cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerosis markers, but clinical utility of such correlations is unclear. What is more important is that recently reported studies in cancer patients showed correlation between higher baseline FDG uptake and subsequent cardiovascular mortality. Anti-atherogenic therapy and therapeutic lifestyle changes seem to decrease vascular FDG uptake but it is not clear whether the latter predicts subsequent lower morbidity and mortality. These initial findings suggest that vascular FDG-PET may in the future find some utility in management of patients with atherosclerosis, but a number of important issues need to be addressed first. We need to: (1) determine optimal standard ways of performing imaging and quantifying vascular FDG uptake; (2) understand molecular mechanisms governing FDG accumulation in plaques; (3) perform studies prospectively linking vascular FDG uptake to cardiovascular events in non-cancer patients. As of today, vascular FDG-PET is not ready for its prime time in clinical practice.
Dioxin Exposure Blocks Lactation through a Direct Effect on Mammary Epithelial Cells Mediated by the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Repressor

In mammals, lactation is a rich source of nutrients and antibodies for newborn animals. However, millions of mothers each year experience an inability to breastfeed. Exposure to several environmental toxicants, including 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), has been strongly implicated in impaired mammary differentiation and lactation. TCDD and related polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons are widespread industrial pollutants that activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Despite many epidemiological and animal studies, the molecular mechanism through which AHR signaling blocks lactation remains unclear. We employed in vitro models of mammary differentiation to recapitulate lactogenesis in the presence of toxicants. We demonstrate AHR agonists directly block milk production in isolated mammary epithelial cells. Moreover, we define a novel role for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor (AHRR) in mediating this response. Our mechanistic studies suggest AHRR is sufficient to block transcription of the milk gene β-casein. As TCDD is a prevalent environmental pollutant that affects women worldwide, our results have important public health implications for newborn nutrition.
Population differentiation of the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) in the western North Atlantic, including the Gulf of Mexico

Information about the genetic population structure of the Atlantic spotted dolphin [Stenella frontalis (G. Cuvier 1829)] in the western North Atlantic would greatly improve conservation and management of this species in USA waters. To this end, mitochondrial control region sequences and five nuclear microsatellite loci were used to test for genetic differentiation of Atlantic spotted dolphins in the western North Atlantic, including the Gulf of Mexico (n=199). Skin tissue samples were collected from 1994–2000. Significant heterozygote deficiencies in three microsatellite loci within samples collected off the eastern USA coast prompted investigation of a possible Wahlund effect, resulting in evidence for previously unsuspected population subdivision in this region. In subsequent analyses including three putative populations, two in the western North Atlantic (n=38, n=85) and one in the Gulf of Mexico (n=76), significant genetic differentiation was detected for both nuclear DNA (RST=0.096, P≤0.0001) and mitochondrial DNA (ΦST=0.215, P≤0.0001), as well as for all pair-wise population comparisons for both markers. This genetic evidence for population differentiation coupled to known biogeographic transition zones at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, evidence of female philopatry, and preliminary support for significant genetic differences between previously documented morphotypes of Atlantic spotted dolphins in coastal and offshore waters all indicate that the biology and life history of this species is more complex than previously assumed. Assumptions of large, panmictic populations might not be accurate in other areas where S. frontalis is continuously distributed (e.g., eastern Atlantic), and could have a detrimental effect on long-term viability and maintenance of genetic diversity in this species in regions where incidental human-induced mortality occurs.
A perceptual similarity measure based on smoothing filters and the normalized compression distance

We present an empirical study of properties of the remarkable Normalized Compression Distance (NCD), a mathematical formulation by M. Li et al. that quantifies similarity between two binary strings as the additional amount of algorithmic information required to transform the description of one to the other. In particular, we are interested in the NCD values between an image and its modified versions by common image processing techniques. Experimental data obtained indicate that the NCD is symmetric and transitive, and that it can be used as a reasonable perceptual measure of similarity, but only in the spatial domain. Further, the NCD clusters the common image processing techniques into three groups in a manner consistent with the human perception of similarity. We also introduce two independent modifications to the NCD and study their properties. The first modification calls for applying a median filter and then thresholding to the input images before the NCD is computed, which results in a more uniform distribution of the NCD values. The second modification modifies the NCD formula to reflect the running time as well as the size of the shortest program that transforms one input string to the other. Obtained data show that using this modified NCD, it is possible to classify subtle changes (e.g., watermarking) to a font character image as similar to the original and drastic changes (e.g., rotation by 90 degrees) as different.
Optic Atrophy in Children

We reviewed the records of 218 children in whom a diagnosis of optic atrophy had been made between 1978 and 1987. A cause for the atrophy was determined for 195 patients (89%). Tumor, the most frequent cause, was found in 63 patients (29%). The most common tumor was a glioma of the anterior visual pathway; it was found in 27 patients (43% of tumors; 12% overall). The second most frequently encountered tumor, a craniopharyngioma, was found in 14 patients. Inflammation, the second most common cause of optic atrophy, occurred in 38 children (17%). Trauma caused optic atrophy in 24 patients (11%). No cause could be found for 23 patients (11%). Thirteen patients were less than 1 year of age at the time of diagnosis. Three of these patients had tumors. One was a cerebral glioblastoma, and the other two were optic gliomas. The diagnosis of optic atrophy in infancy does not imply a benign cause.
Comparative performance of fixed-film biological filters: Application of reactor theory

Abstract Nitrification is classified as a two-step consecutive reaction where R1 represents the rate of formation of the intermediate product NO2-N and R2 represents the rate of formation of the final product NO3-N. The relative rates of R1 and R2 are influenced by reactor type characterized hydraulically as plug-flow, plug-flow with dispersion and mixed-flow. We develop substrate conversion models for fixed-film biofilters operating in the first-order kinetic regime based on application of chemical reactor theory. Reactor type, inlet conditions and the biofilm kinetic constants Ki (h−1) are used to predict changes in NH4-N, NO2-N, NO3-N and BOD5. The inhibiting effects of the latter on R1 and R2 were established based on the γ relation, e.g.: γ = K i K i , max = 1 − [ BO D 5 ] [ BO D 5 , max ] N where BOD5,max is the concentration that causes nitrification to cease and N is a variable relating Ki to increasing BOD5. Conversion models were incorporated in spreadsheet programs that provided steady-state concentrations of nitrogen and BOD5 at several points in a recirculating aquaculture system operating with input values for fish feed rate, reactor volume, microscreen performance, make-up and recirculating flow rates. When rate constants are standardized, spreadsheet use demonstrates plug-flow reactors provide higher rates of R1 and R2 than mixed-flow reactors thereby reducing volume requirements for target concentrations of NH4-N and NO2-N. The benefit provided by the plug-flow reactor varies with hydraulic residence time t as well as the effective vessel dispersion number, D/μL. Both reactor types are capable of providing net increases in NO2-N during treatment but the rate of decrease in the mixed-flow case falls well behind that predicted for plug-flow operation. We show the potential for a positive net change in NO2-N increases with decreases in the dimensionless ratios K 2 , ( R 2 ) / K 1 , ( R 1 ) and [NO2-N]/[NH4-N] and when the product K 1 , ( R 1 ) t provides low to moderate NH4-N conversions. Maintaining high levels of the latter reduces the effective reactor utilization rate (%) defined here as (RNavg/RNmax)100 where RNavg is the mean reactive nitrogen concentration ([NH4-N] + [NO2-N]) within the reactor, and RNmax represents the feed concentration of the same. Low utilization rates provide a hedge against unexpected increases in substrate loading and reduce water pumping requirements but force use of elevated reactor volumes. Further γ effects on R1 and R2 can be reduced through use of a tanks-in-series versus a single mixed-flow reactor configuration and by improving the solids removal efficiency of microscreen treatment.
Muslim American Mobilization

During times of war or political crisis such as the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States, minorities that share the same ethnic or religious background as the “enemy” of the ...
Adaptation to visual displacement: contribution of proprioceptive, visual, and attentional factors.

A study is reported of the sensory and oculomotor factors that influence adaptation to visual displacement when only sight of the hand and of a target light is permitted. Ten subjects each participated in five counterbalanced sessions in which the relative contributions to adaptation of limb proprioception, oculomotor pursuit, retinal image displacement, and attention were determined. Recordings of eye position were taken throughout the sessions. A discordance between the visual direction of the hand and the proprioceptively specified position of the hand was essential but not sufficient for adaptation to occur. When such a discordance was present adaptation was enhanced by improving position sense of the arm by moving it passively, maximizing accuracy of visual tracking, and focusing attention on the hand. Attentional factors played a smaller part than has been reported for exposure situations involving error feedback about limb position. Eye-movement recordings showed that tracking the passively moved h...
Cross-sectional TEM of Pd/InP and Au/InP interfaces formed at substrate temperatures near 300 and 77K

Depositing Pd or Au on InP at cryogenic substrate temperatures has previously been found to significantly increase the barrier height of the resulting Schottky diode. In this work, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy was used to determine the structural differences between metal/semiconductor (MS) interfaces formed at 300K (RT) and at 77K (LT). In the Pd/lnP case, RT samples exhibited a thick amorphous interaction layer at the MS interface, while LT samples only had a thin phosphorous-rich interfacial layer. However, in the Au/InP case, no amorphous interlayers were observed in any of the samples. Instead, a small amount of Au was found to extend into the InP lattice in the RT case which was not present in LT samples. The thermal stability of the barrier height was studied as well. LT Au/lnP samples were found to exhibit a distinct barrier height shift when annealed at 200°C which was linked to a grain coarsening in the polycrystalline Au layer at this temperature. X-ray diffraction was used to verify changes in the polycrystalline metal's average grain size. We conclude that a significant reduction in the interaction between the deposited metal and InP was responsible for the greatly enhanced barrier height observed in LT interfaces.
Eye-movement sequence statistics and hypothesis-testing with classical recurrence analysis

Dynamical systems analysis tools, like Recurrence Plotting (RP), allow for concise mathematical representations of complex systems with relatively simple descriptive metrics. These methods are invariant for phase-space trajectories of a time series from a dynamical system, allowing analyses on simplified data sets which preserve the system model's dynamics. In the past decade, recurrence methods have been applied to eye-tracking, but those analyses avoided Time-Delay Embedding (TDE). Without TDE, we lose the assumption that phase-space trajectories are being preserved in the recurrence plot. Thus, analysis has been typically limited to clustering fixation locations in the image space, instead of clustering data sequences in the phase space. We will show how classical recurrence analysis methods can be extended to allow for multi-modal data visualization and quantification, by presenting an open-source python implementation for analyzing eye movements.
Almost reconstructing infinite, rayless graphs

We show that for every infinite, rayless graph G the following holds. If G is hypomorphic to H then G is isomorphic to an induced subgraph of G. This proves a conjecture of R. Halin for the class of infinite, rayless graphs and partly extends a result of Bondy and Hemminger. The proof makes use of the structure theory for rayless graphs which was developed by the author in a previous paper.
Partial reward and positive contrast effects

In two experiments, groups of rats were given 50% or 100% of either a large (eight pellets) or small (one pellet) reward. All rats were then given 100% large reward. A 20-sec delay of reward was used throughout. Positive contrast effects were obtained in both experiments and schedule of reward did not interact with this effect.
Saturn's satellite situation

The situation with regard to the recent claims of discoveries of Saturnian satellites is reviewed. It appears that Saturn now has twelve definite satellites.
Adherence to health-related regimens in pediatric chronic disorders

Abstract The role of health-related behaviors in the prevention, development, maintenance, and/or exacerbation of disease is increasingly being recognized in pediatrics. However, simply prescribing a treatment regimen is not a sufficient condition to assure the implementation of the regimen; behavioral and psychosocial factors may prevent or impede the therapy process. An interdisciplinary biobehavioral health team model, incorporating behavioral parent training, child self-management training, and health care staff behavioral training, is proposed within the dimensions of the patient education instructional method, the therapeutic regimen implementation, and the functional analysis of the antecedents and consequences related to long-term therapeutic adherence and noncompliance in pediatric comprehensive chronic care.
My “Big” Blue Health Secret: My Experience With Privacy, or Lack Thereof, in Japan

At first glance, I cannot understand anything that is written. There are far too many kanji ().11. 1Kanji are Chinese characters, one of the three writing systems of Japanese. I have only been stud...
Optical Sensor for the Detection of Caspase-9 Activity in a Single Cell

We demonstrate for the first time, the application and utility of a unique optical sensor having a nanoprobe for monitoring the onset of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in a single living cell by detecting enzymatic activities of caspase-9. Minimally invasive analysis of single live MCF-7 cells for caspase-9 activity is demonstrated using the optical sensor which employs a modification of an immunochemical assay format for the immobilization of nonfluorescent enzyme substrate, Leucine-GlutamicAcid-Histidine-AsparticAcid-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (LEHD-AMC). LEHD-AMC covalently attached on the nanoprobe tip of an optical sensor is cleaved during apoptosis by caspase-9 generating free AMC. An evanescent field is used to excite cleaved AMC and the resulting fluorescence signal is detected. By quantitatively monitoring the changes in fluorescence signals, caspase-9 activity within a single living MCF-7 cell was detected. By comparing of the fluorescence signals from apoptotic cells induced by photodynamic treatment and nonapoptotic cells, we successfully detected caspase-9 activity, which indicates the onset of apoptosis in the cells.
Rectification and precession signals in the climate system

[1] Precession of the equinoxes has no effect on the mean annual insolation, but does modulate the amplitude of the seasonal cycle. In a linear climate system, there would be no energy near the 21,000 year precession period. It is only when a non-linear mechanism rectifies the seasonal modulation that precession-period variability appears. Such rectification can arise from physical processes within the climate system, for example a dependence of ice cover only on summer maximum insolation. The possibility exists, however, that the seasonality inherent in many climate proxies will produce precession-period variability in the records independent of any precession-period variability in the climate. One must distinguish this instrumental effect from true climate responses. Careful examination of regions without seasonal cycles, for example the abyssal ocean, and the use of proxies with different seasonal responses, might permit separation of physical from instrumental effects.
Stereotaxic implant microinjection and temperature recording system for rabbits

Modification of standard rabbit stereotaxic apparatus to allow adjustment of the tooth bar in the vertical plane may be accomplished by simple machining of a standard laboratory clamp and aluminum rod. The modification greatly increases speed of head positioning for implant surgery. Machining the chrome and brass luer hub of standard stainless steel hypodermic needles to the described configurations produces improved guide tubes for brain temperature recording and cannulae for brain microinjections. Data from hypothalamic injection of prostaglandin E1 and records of resulting changes in brain temperature support the effectiveness of the methods described.
Color Stability of Radappertized Cured Meat

Porcine semimembranosus muscles were cured (with different levels of nitrite, nitrate, and their combination), smoked, and irradiated with 3.2 Mrad gamma radiation at −40°C. Subjective studies by a trained panel, objective studies of total color difference (calculated from tristimulus values), and behavior of residual nitrite and nitrate show that radiation alters the pink color of cured meats (radiation- induced fading). Contrary to prior reports, nitrate affects neither color development nor post-irradiation fading. Color of nitrate- cured samples, like uncured samples, become bright red when irradiated, due to reduction of globin myohemichromogen (indistinguishable from pink color of cured meat), and therefore are more desirable.
PHLST5: A Practical and Improved Version of Polyharmonic Local Sine Transform

We introduce a practical and improved version of the Polyharmonic Local Sine Transform (PHLST) called PHLST5. After partitioning an input image into a set of rectangular blocks, the original PHLST decomposes each block into a polyharmonic component and a residual. Each polyharmonic component solves a polyharmonic equation with the boundary conditions that match the values and normal derivatives of even orders along the boundary of the corresponding block with those of the original image block. Thanks to these boundary conditions, the residual component can be expanded into a Fourier sine series without facing the Gibbs phenomenon, and its Fourier sine coefficients decay faster than those of the original block. Due to the difficulty of estimating normal derivatives of higher orders, however, only the harmonic case (i.e., Laplace's equation) has been implemented to date, which was called Local Laplace Sine Transform (LLST). In that case, the Fourier sine coefficients of the residual decay in the order O(?k??3), where k is the frequency index vector. Unlike the original PHLST, PHLST5 only imposes the boundary values and the first order normal derivatives as the boundary conditions, which can be estimated using the information of neighbouring image blocks. In this paper, we derive a fast algorithm to compute a 5th degree polyharmonic function that satisfies such boundary conditions. Although the Fourier sine coefficients of the residual of PHLST5 possess the same decaying rate as in LLST, by using additional information of first order normal derivative from the boundary, the blocking artifacts are largely suppressed in PHLST5 and the residual component becomes much smaller than that of LLST. Therefore PHLST5 provides a better approximation result. We shall also show numerical experiments that demonstrate the superiority of PHLST5 over the original LLST in terms of the efficiency of approximation.
Hydrothermal stability of US-Ex

USY samples, which were prepared from sodium Y whose Si/Al atomic ratios were in the range of 2.5 to 3.0, were treated hydrothermally under deep-bed conditions and with steam. The nonframework and framework aluminum was extracted with HCl solutions. The hydrothermal stabilities under 100% steam of US-Ex were examined in relation with the unit cell dimensions, chemical analyses, MAS n.m.r., t.g., and i.r. observations. The hydrothermal stability of US-Ex was affected mainly by the amounts of framework and nonframework aluminum and the retention of crystallinity, but not by the amounts of residual alkali metal oxides and the amount of 4-OH nest. Some of Si (3Al) and Si (2Al) units converted to nonframework Si (4Al), Si (3Al), and Si (2Al) units and left the vacancies larger than four OH nests in zeolite framework. It was confirmed that the population of Si (4Al), Si (3Al), and Si (2Si) in parent sodium Y affects the retention of crystallinity of US-Ex.
The activin signaling pathway promotes differentiation of dI3 interneurons in the spinal neural tube.

Abstract The generation of the appropriate types and numbers of mature neurons during the development of the spinal cord requires the careful coordination of patterning, proliferation, and differentiation. In the dorsal neural tube, this coordination is achieved by the combined action of multiple ligands of both the Wnt and TGF-β families, and their effectors, such as the bHLH proteins. TGF-β signaling acting through the BMP receptors is necessary for the generation of several dorsal interneuron types. Other TGF-β ligands expressed in the dorsal neural tube interact with the Activin receptors, which signal via a different set of SMAD proteins than BMPs. The effects of Activin signaling on the developing neural tube have not been described. Here we have activated the Activin signal transduction pathway in a cell-autonomous manner in the developing chick neural tube. We find that a constitutively active Activin receptor promotes differentiation throughout the neural tube. Although most differentiated cell populations are unaffected by Activin signaling, the number of dorsal interneuron 3 (dI3) cells is specifically increased. Our data suggest that Activin signaling may promote the formation of the dI3 precursor cells within a region circumscribed by BMP signaling and that this function is not dependent upon BMP signaling.
Obesity, weight gain, and ovarian cancer.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To investigate how adipose tissue alters endogenous hormone levels and may affect events at the ovarian tissue level. METHODS: We assessed current weight, weight at age 18, and adult weight change in relation to ovarian cancer risk among 109,445 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study. Women reported ovarian cancer risk factors and new ovarian cancer diagnoses in biennial mailed questionnaires from 1976 to 1996. Height and weight were queried in 1976, current weight was updated biennially, and weight at age 18 was ascertained in 1980. During 20 years of follow-up and 1,703,474 person-years, 402 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer were confirmed. We used pooled logistic regression to control for age, oral contraceptive use, smoking history, parity, age at menarche, and tubal ligation. RESULTS: We found no evidence of an association between recent body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2 ) and ovarian cancer risk. The multivariable relative risk for women with BMI of 30 kg/m 2 or higher versus BMI less than 21 kg/m 2 was 1.05 (95% confidence interval 0.73, 1.51). For BMI at age 18, there was no association with ovarian cancer risk overall, but a two-fold increase in premenopausal ovarian cancer risk associated with having a BMI at age 18 of 25 kg/m 2 or higher versus BMI less than 20 kg/m 2 (relative risk 2.05, 95% confidence interval 1.07, 3.93, P for trend = .01). Adult weight gain was not associated with ovarian cancer risk. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence of an association between recent BMI or adult weight change and ovarian cancer risk. Higher BMI in young adulthood was associated with an increased risk of premenopausal ovarian cancer. If confirmed, these findings suggest an additional reason for avoiding adolescent obesity.
Tequila talk: Consumption, gender and the transnational terrain of cultural identity

Commodities and their consumption structure and reflect cultural collectivity. On the basis of interviews in Mexico and the United States, this study examines how tequila consumers track social change, interpret the terms of their subjectivity and narrate the everyday effects of transnationalism. Building on approaches to globalization, gender and ethnicity, this work demonstrates how consumers account for what it means to be and feel Mexican from a comparative perspective. Beyond offering data that illustrates tequila's symbolic linkages to Mexican identity, the analysis suggests why scholars should consider commodities and their consumption as potential sites for understanding the nuances of how individuals manage complex webs of relations that have cultural, social and political implications.