cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time-frequency analysis of musical signals

The major time and frequency analysis methods that have been applied to music processing are traced and application areas described. Techniques are examined in the context of Cohen's class, facilitating comparison and the design of new approaches. A trumpet example illustrates most techniques. The impact of different analysis methods on pitch and timbre examination is shown. Analyses spanning Fourier series and transform, pitch synchronous analysis, heterodyne filter, short-time Fourier transform (STFT), phase vocoder, constant-Q and wavelet transforms, the Wigner (1932) distribution, and the modal distribution are all covered. The limitations of windowing methods and their reliance on steady-state assumptions and infinite duration sinusoids to define frequency and amplitude are detailed. The Wigner distribution, in contrast, uses the analytic signal to define instantaneous frequency and power parameters. The modal distribution is shown to be a linear transformation of the Wigner distribution optimized for estimating those parameters for a musical signal model. Application areas consider analysis, resynthesis, transcription, and visualization. The more stringent requirements for time-frequency (TF) distributions in these applications are compared with the weaker requirements found in speech analysis and highlight the need for further theoretical research.
Attenuation of Behavioral Abnormalities in Autoimmune Mice by Chronic Soluble Interferon-γ Receptor Treatment

Abstract NZB × NZW F1 hybrid (B/W) mice develop altered behavior in the elevated plus maze and novel object tasks between 6 and 12 weeks of age in parallel with lupus-like autoimmune disease. To confirm the relationship between disease progression and development of behavioral abnormalities, B/W and nonautoimmune NZW mice received chronic treatment with a soluble IFNγ receptor (sIFNγR), a treatment known to retard autoimmune disease progression, or vehicle, beginning at 6 weeks of age. After 6 weeks of treatment, elevated plus maze and novel object testing revealed that although sIFNγR treated B/W mice still differed from NZW mice, chronic sIFNγR treatment significantly retarded the development of behavioral abnormalities in the B/W mice, while the NZW mice were not affected by this treatment. sIFNγR treated B/W mice were more active in both the plus maze and novel object tasks, and displayed less plus maze anxiety behavior and more exploratory activity in the novel object task compared to vehicle treated B/W mice. To clarify the role of acute action of the sIFNγR on the elevated IFNγ levels of B/W mice, a second experiment examined the effects of a single injection of sIFNγR on B/W and NZW mice. Unlike chronic treatment, acute treatment with the same dose of sIFNγR did not affect plus maze or novel object behavior in 12-week-old mice. These results add to the growing evidence that lupus-associated behavioral abnormalities are a direct effect of the autoimmune disease.
Re-conceptualizing statistical abstracts in the 21st century: An empirical study of sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics

Abstract Web-available information resources continue to diversify and proliferate; new segments of the population join the Internet; and technological capabilities of the Web expand. One arena in which these changes are being manifested is in federal statistical information dissemination. Statistical abstracts, a dominant form of information dissemination, are being reshaped in the face of these changes. In this study, a panel of experts from criminal justice and cognate fields participated in a four-round Delphi study to develop a mission statement for the next five years for one statistical abstract, Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics [Pastore, A. L., & Maguire, K. (Eds.). (2001). Sourcebook of criminal justice statistics. Retrieved January 28, 2004, from http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/ ] 1 , and a list of associated requirements for attaining that mission. Participants see the role of statistical abstracts as continuing to be important in demonstrating the range of available statistical information and providing easy access to the most commonly used statistics. Their utility can be enhanced by technological advances. The findings have implications for the role of statistical abstracts in general.
Difficulty Disengaging from Threat in Anxiety: Preliminary Evidence for Delayed Response Execution

High anxiety is associated with an attentional bias for threatening information that appears to be the result of difficulty disengaging attention from such stimuli. However, it is yet unknown wheth...
Aortoesophageal fistulae recognized by endoscopy allows for hemostasis, resuscitation and stabilization prior to surgery

Aortoesophageal fistulae recognized by endoscopy allows for hemostasis, resuscitation and stabilization prior to surgery
Photonic crystal heterostructure lasers

This presentation will discuss the use of photonic crystal heterostructure resonant cavities in microcavity lasers. The discussion of the experimental work will focus on the use of intermixing to reduce the optical losses in the photonic crystal mirrors, the demonstration of larger output powers, and an investigation of gain compression. The theoretical discussion will focus on cavity spectroscopy, the effect of the index of refraction of the substrate, and a calculation of the threshold gain in these devices.
Analysis of oxygenation reactions in a multi-substrate system-A new approach for estimating substrate-specific true yields.

A series of experiments was performed in an aerobic chemostat reactor using a multi-substrate system consisting of acetate, phenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP). The phenolic compounds require initial oxygenation reactions, while acetate is oxidized without oxygenations. The biomass completely dechlorinated DCP and utilized all of the substrates simultaneously as electron donors and carbon sources. However, DCP removal was less than for phenol and depended on the solids retention time. A novel substrate-specific yield analysis indicated that true yield values were approximated well by the number of electrons removed in non-oxygenation reactions. Experiments for estimating the kinetic parameters for utilization of the phenolic compounds were designed to eliminate the effects of the key cosubstrates of oxygenation reactions, O 2 , and the reduced intracellular electron carrier, NADH + H + . The maximum specific rate of substrate utilization, q max , and the half-maximum rate concentration, K, for phenol and DCP were estimated. The kinetics for DCP were much slower than those for phenol, and the largest effect was a half-maximum rate concentration, which was 19 times larger for DCP. The larger Kfor DCP explains why DCP removal was low and sensitive to the solids retention time.
The Boll Weevil Versus “King Cotton”

The boll weevil's impact on southern agriculture poses a dilemma. Micro-level evidence suggests the weevil triggered a transition out of cotton, but macro-level indicators fail to register much long-term impact. Econometric simulation of boll weevil impact—taking into account the low demand elasticity for southern cotton, differences between states in the timing and levels of infestation, and long-term supply and demand shifts independent of the weevil—shows that the two sets of evidence are not inconsistent.
Carbon‐13 NMR relaxation and transitions in polymers

High-resolution proton-decoupled carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation parameters have been obtained as a function of temperature for a set of completely amorphous polymers, semicrystalline polymers, and a series of ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymers. With these samples the nature of the glass temperature, other postulated amorphous transitions, and the β transition were investigated. For the completely amorphous polymers, the average correlation times depend on temperature according to the Williams–Landel–Ferry relation. Spectral collapse occurs at temperatures whose ratio to Tg is in the range 1.2–1.4 and corresponds to a correlation time of about 10−7s. The loss of resolvable spectra is demonstrated to be a consequence of experimental methods and is not due to the occurrence of another amorphous transition. Both the methylene and methine carbons can be resolved for the ethylenevinyl acetate copolymers. Although the correlation time for the methylene carbon is continuous and resolvable through the β transition region, the methine branch-point resonance is lost. The implication of these results to the molecular nature of the β transition is discussed.
In situ metrology system for micro-milling machine

Abstract In this paper, an in situ metrology system was developed for micro-machined part inspection. The system is capable of non-contact, on-machine measurement of a variety of geometric features encountered in micro-manufacturing applications with high accuracy and efficiency. The system combines high resolution distance measurement in the Z -axis from a non-contact confocal laser sensor with the scanning position information from linear encoders in the machine motion platform to obtain 3D coordinates of surface points. The 3D surface cloud data were used for both dimension measurement and surface characterization. A sample diamond-square-circle part was micro-machined and inspected in situ with the metrology system.
Distribution of Electromechanical Delay in the Heart: Insights from a Three-Dimensional Electromechanical Model

In the intact heart, the distribution of electromechanical delay (EMD), the time interval between local depolarization and myocyte shortening onset, depends on the loading conditions. The distribution of EMD throughout the heart remains, however, unknown because current experimental techniques are unable to evaluate three-dimensional cardiac electromechanical behavior. The goal of this study was to determine the three-dimensional EMD distributions in the intact ventricles for sinus rhythm (SR) and epicardial pacing (EP) by using a new, to our knowledge, electromechanical model of the rabbit ventricles that incorporates a biophysical representation of myofilament dynamics. Furthermore, we aimed to ascertain the mechanisms that underlie the specific three-dimensional EMD distributions. The results revealed that under both conditions, the three-dimensional EMD distribution is nonuniform. During SR, EMD is longer at the epicardium than at the endocardium, and is greater near the base than at the apex. After EP, the three-dimensional EMD distribution is markedly different; it also changes with the pacing rate. For both SR and EP, late-depolarized regions were characterized with significant myofiber prestretch caused by the contraction of the early-depolarized regions. This prestretch delays myofiber-shortening onset, and results in a longer EMD, giving rise to heterogeneous three-dimensional EMD distributions.
Defining Privatization: A Response to Dominy

The debate over an appropriate definition of privatization has been underway for nearly 30 years; Dominy’s offering provides an additional voice to that debate. In response to Dominy, the author su...
Electroabsorption in lattice-matched InGaAlAs-InAlAs quantum wells at 1.3 μm

Electroabsorption properties of (In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As)/sub 0.7/ (In/sub 0.52/Al/sub 0.48/As)/sub 0.3/-In/sub 0.52/Al/sub 0.48/As quantum wells were investigated experimentally and analytically in order to form a semi-empirical model for 1.3 /spl mu/m optical modulator applications. The observed exciton energy shifts and changes in electron-hole wave function overlap integrals are in agreement with calculation for the quantum confined Stark effect. Empirically, we found that the room-temperature exciton absorption peak can be described by a Gaussian peak, and that the residual absorption should be characterized by an exponential tail. In order to provide realistic linewidth broadening parameters, empirical expressions are summarized here for this material. >
Principles for the construction and operation of a device for rapidly freezing suspensions for cryo‐electron microscopy

Details are given concerning the construction and use of a simple device for preparing samples of frozen-hydrated biological material embedded in thin films of vitreous ice. The control of humidity around the sample and rate of freezing are of prime importance to obtain good specimens for cryo-electron microscopy. Symptoms of ill performance of such an apparatus and poor cryo-manipulation are discussed.
Institutional and personal sources of manuscripts in the Journal of Vocational Behavior: An update

Abstract In an effort to update the survey of R. F. Haase, N. E. Snow, G. D. Warren, and J. L. Winer 1980 Journal of Vocational Behavior , 16 , 1–6, the institutional and personal sources of manuscripts to the Journal of Vocational Behavior for 1979–1985 were determined. The information from this 7-year period was compared against the Haase et al. data for 1971–1978, and the combined data were then considered as a 15-year retrospective on the Journal of Vocational Behavior .
Energy dependence in proton inelastic scattering

Abstract Differential elastic and inelastic scattering of protons from 92 Mo was investigated under conditions chosen to emphasize the energy dependence of the cross sections in the region from 25–45 MeV. Elastic scattering data are described in terms of an optical-model potential with energy-dependent potential-well depths and constant geometrical parameters. Inelastic scattering cross sections are calculated in distorted-wave Born approximation with form factors given by the vibrational model for five low-lying eigenstates. Apart from a possible anomaly at the lowest energy studied, no evidence was obtained for an explicit dependence of deformation length on incident proton energy. The sensitivity of the deformation lengths to the details of the analysis is discussed.
Internet Cache Pollution Attacks and Countermeasures

Proxy caching servers are widely deployed in today's Internet. While cooperation among proxy caches can significantly improve a network?s resilience to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, lack of cooperation can transform such servers into viable DoS targets. In this paper, we investigate a class of pollution attacks that aim to degrade a proxy's caching capabilities, either by ruining the cache file locality, or by inducing false file locality. Using simulations, we propose and evaluate the effects of pollution attacks both in web and peer-to-peer (p2p) scenarios, and reveal dramatic variability in resilience to pollution among several cache replacement policies. We develop efficient methods to detect both false-locality and locality-disruption attacks, as well as a combination of the two. To achieve high scalability for a large number of clients/requests without sacrificing the detection accuracy, we leverage streaming computation techniques, i.e., bloom filters. Evaluation results from large-scale simulations show that these mechanisms are effective and efficient in detecting and mitigating such attacks. Furthermore, a Squid-based implementation demonstrates that our protection mechanism forces the attacker to launch extremely large distributed attacks in order to succeed.
"Caged calcium" in Aplysia pacemaker neurons. Characterization of calcium-activated potassium and nonspecific cation currents.

We have studied calcium-activated potassium current, IK(Ca), and calcium-activated nonspecific cation current, INS(Ca), in Aplysia bursting pacemaker neurons, using photolysis of a calcium chelator (nitr-5 or nitr-7) to release "caged calcium" intracellularly. A computer model of nitr photolysis, multiple buffer equilibration, and active calcium extrusion was developed to predict volume-average and front-surface calcium concentration transients. Changes in arsenazo III absorbance were used to measure calcium concentration changes caused by nitr photolysis in microcuvettes. Our model predicted the calcium increments caused by successive flashes, and their dependence on calcium loading, nitr concentration, and light intensity. Flashes also triggered the predicted calcium concentration jumps in neurons filled with nitr-arsenazo III mixtures. In physiological experiments, calcium-activated currents were recorded under voltage clamp in response to flashes of different intensity. Both IK(Ca) and INS(Ca) depended linearly without saturation upon calcium concentration jumps of 0.1-20 microM. Peak membrane currents in neurons exposed to repeated flashes first increased and then declined much like the arsenazo III absorbance changes in vitro, which also indicates a first-order calcium activation. Each flash-evoked current rose rapidly to a peak and decayed to half in 3-12 s. Our model mimicked this behavior when it included diffusion of calcium and nitr perpendicular to the surface of the neuron facing the flashlamp. Na/Ca exchange extruding about 1 pmol of calcium per square centimeter per second per micromolar free calcium appeared to speed the decline of calcium-activated membrane currents. Over a range of different membrane potentials, IK(Ca) and INS(Ca) decayed at similar rates, indicating similar calcium stoichiometries independent of voltage. IK(Ca), but not INS(Ca), relaxes exponentially to a different level when the voltage is suddenly changed. We have estimated voltage-dependent rate constants for a one-step first-order reaction scheme of the activation of IK(Ca) by calcium. After a depolarizing pulse, INS(Ca) decays at a rate that is well predicted by a model of diffusion of calcium away from the inner membrane surface after it has entered the cell, with active extrusion by surface pumps and uptake into organelles. IK(Ca) decays somewhat faster than INS(Ca) after a depolarization, because of its voltage-dependent relaxation combined with the decay of submembrane calcium. The interplay of these two currents accounts for the calcium-dependent outward-inward tail current sequence after a depolarization, and the corresponding afterpotentials after a burst
Debt Sustainability Assessment: Mission Impossible

Debt sustainability is a vexing issue. Its importance is immediately obvious but it escapes any easy definition. This situation is not unheard of in economics; price stability and full employment are examples of other crucially important policy objectives that cannot be simply defined. Yet, while price stability or full employment can both be measured with a reasonable degree of precision, debt sustainability cannot even be measured directly.
The relationship between consumer characteristics and willingness to pay for general online content: Implications for content providers considering subscription-based business models

An increasing number of digital content providers are considering ways to charge consumers for content that was previously free. A key question for these companies is whether a change in business model from one that is advertising-based to one that is subscription-based likely to generate more revenue? Hence, the purpose of the research is to profile consumers who are more likely to pay for online content and estimate the amount they are likely to pay. Data from a nationally representative probability sample of 755 internet users are used to estimate the model. The results indicate that while the estimated amount paid for digital content is related to income and education, willingness to pay is more related to age and gender. The findings have important implications for digital content providers who are evaluating the possibility of shifting from an advertising supported content-for-free model to a subscription supported pay-for-content business model.
Action Potential in the Transverse Tubules and Its Role in the Activation of Skeletal Muscle

The double sucrose-gap method was applied to single muscle fibers of Xenopus. From the "artificial node" of the fiber, action potentials were recorded under current-clamping condition together with twitches of the node. The action potentials were stored on magnetic tape. The node was then made inexcitable by tetrodotoxin or by a sodium-free solution, and the wave form of the action potential stored on magnetic tape was imposed on the node under voltage-clamp condition (simulated AP). The twitch height caused by the simulated AP's was always smaller than the twitch height produced by the real action potentials, the ratio being about 0.3 at room temperature. The results strongly suggest that the transverse tubular system is excitable and is necessary for the full activation of twitch, and that the action potential of the tubules contributes to about 70 % of the total mechanical output of the normal isotonic twitch at 20°C. Similar results were obtained in the case of tetanic contraction. At a temperature near 10°C, twitches produced by the simulated AP were not very different (85 % of control amplitude) from the twitches caused by real action potentials. This indicates that the excitability of the tubules becomes less necessary for the full activation of twitch as the temperature becomes lower.
Automatic Magneto-Optic Rotation Tester

An electromechanical device has been developed to measure quickly the angle of magneto-optic rotation of a light beam reflected from a thin film of metal. Various experimental arrangements for this purpose have been made in laboratories in the past; however, these have required laborious procedures on each sample that is to be tested and were somewhat inflexible. This paper describes an instrument constructed specifically for magneto-optic measurements, and also discusses some of the phenomena that can be examined by its use. The instrument alternately displays the light-output/analyzer-angle curves for the two magnetization states on an oscilloscope. The repetition rate is high enough that the two curves appear to be displayed simultaneously. (The longitudinal Kerr effect, which is the principle object of study here, provides rotations of less than 1.0° and typically on the order of 0.1°.) The time required to evaluate any film by visual observation of the scope traces with an accuracy of about 0.01° is approximately one minute, measurements to 0.005° can be made by using an oscilloscope camera.
The Usability Metric for User Experience

The Usability Metric for User Experience (UMUX) is a four-item Likert scale used for the subjective assessment of an application's perceived usability. It is designed to provide results similar to those obtained with the 10-item System Usability Scale, and is organized around the ISO 9241-11 definition of usability. A pilot version was assembled from candidate items, which was then tested alongside the System Usability Scale during usability testing. It was shown that the two scales correlate well, are reliable, and both align on one underlying usability factor. In addition, the Usability Metric for User Experience is compact enough to serve as a usability module in a broader user experience metric.
"Stains" on their self-discipline: Public health, hygiene, and the disciplining of undocumented immigrant parents in the nation's internal borderlands.

Histories of the role of public health in nation building have revealed the centrality of hygiene to eugenic mechanisms of racial exclusion in the turn-of-the-20th-century United States, yet little scholarship has examined its role in the present day. Through ethnography in a Mexican migrant farmworking community in California's Central Valley, we explore the role of oral-hygiene campaigns in racializing Mexican immigrant parents and shaping the substance of their citizenship. Public health officials perceive migrant farmworkers' children's oral disease as a “stain of backwardness,” amplifying Mexican immigrants' status as “aliens.” We suggest, however, that the recent concern with Mexican immigrant children's oral health blends classic eugenic concerns in public health with neoliberal concerns regarding different immigrant groups' capacity for self-governance.
Febrile Infants Less than Eight Weeks Old Predictors of Infection

Febrile infants less than eight weeks old frequently are admitted and receive parenteral antibiotics for treatment of possible sepsis. The authors assess 52 infants less than eight weeks old with a rectal temperature of 38.1 °C or higher as having either a readily identifiable focus of infection by physical examination, appearing "toxic" without a focus, or appearing well. The authors screened patients by using white blood cell (WBC) counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and chest radiographs in addition to blood, cerebrospinal fluid and urine cultures.The authors found a 9.6% incidence of bacteria in the 52 infants evaluated, with a 4.3% incidence in those febrile infants who appeared well. Five patients had positive blood cultures with Group B B Hemolytic streptococcus (four patients), and Viridans streptococcus (one patient). A clinical assessment of toxicity and a total band count ≥ 0.5 X 103 cells/uL together were sensitive indicators of bacteremia, as were toxicity ...
Tax Treatment of “Carried Interest”

ABSTRACT: The term “carried interest” is typically used to refer to profits interests issued by investment partnerships to their manager(s). It is an ownership interest in a partnership that has no liquidation value at grant, but entitles the holder to a share in future partnership profits, if any. The term “carried interest” hails from the fact that the “carried interest” holder typically does not invest any of the holder's own capital in the partnership. Thus, the “carried interest” holder is “carried” by those who do invest capital in the partnership. Currently, the income that a “carried interest” receives is generally taxed as capital gain. Many commentators believe that income allocated by a partnership to “carried interest” holders should be taxed as compensation because the income is for the services the partner performs for the partnership. This paper will examine what the proper tax treatment of “carried interests” should be based on what is the most economically equitable, fair, and efficient m...
Regulation of Transcription Factor YY1 by Acetylation and Deacetylation

YY1 is a sequence-specific DNA-binding transcription factor that has many important biological roles. It activates or represses many genes during cell growth and differentiation and is also required for the normal development of mammalian embryos. Previous studies have established that YY1 interacts with histone acetyltransferases p300 and CREB-binding protein (CBP) and histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1), HDAC2, and HDAC3. Here, we present evidence that the activity of YY1 is regulated through acetylation by p300 and PCAF and through deacetylation by HDACs. YY1 was acetylated in two regions: both p300 and PCAF acetylated the central glycine-lysine-rich domain of residues 170 to 200, and PCAF also acetylated YY1 at the C-terminal DNA-binding zinc finger domain. Acetylation of the central region was required for the full transcriptional repressor activity of YY1 and targeted YY1 for active deacetylation by HDACs. However, the C-terminal region of YY1 could not be deacetylated. Rather, the acetylated C-terminal region interacted with HDACs, which resulted in stable HDAC activity associated with the YY1 protein. Finally, acetylation of the C-terminal zinc finger domain decreased the DNA-binding activity of YY1. Our findings suggest that in the natural context, YY1 activity is regulated through intricate mechanisms involving negative feedback loops, histone deacetylation, and recognition of the cognate DNA sequence affected by acetylation and deacetylation of the YY1 protein.
Engineering management education for advanced manufacturing: a North American survey

Engineering management focuses on making and implementing decisions and providing the operational leadership for current and emerging technologies. Both quantitative and qualitative engineering management skills are needed by manufacturing leaders, in addition to traditional fundamentals in manufacturing technologies. This paper presents results from an investigation of the engineering management programs located in Canada, Mexico, and the USA, and is the first such survey since 1990. Furthermore, the paper highlights the university programs that emphasise advanced manufacturing systems management. Survey results indicate that approximately one in six engineering management programs in North American offer a concentration in advanced manufacturing. A 'core curriculum' is proposed based on an analysis of survey responses. [Received 8 January 2010; Revised 22 June 2010; Accepted 9 December 2010]
The Fairness of Malpractice Settlements

Over the past quarter of a century, more than a dozen studies have collected data on malpractice settlements. With only one exception, they have consistently shown that plaintiffs with strong cases are more likely to receive a settlement payment than plaintiffs with weak cases. Moreover, the data on malpractice settlement strongly suggests that liability insurers possess a palpable advantage in bargaining power.
Spectrally scanned polarimetric imaging using a thick holographic Stokesmeter

A holographic Stokesmeter utilizes the inherent polarization sensitivity of volume gratings to determine the Stokes parameters of the input beam. We describe experimental results from an imaging holographic Stokesmeter capable of spectrally scanned polarimetry.
Nitrogen induced optical phonon shift in GaNyAs1-y studied by Raman Scattering

We present a Raman study of pseudomorphically strained epitaxial films of the ternary alloy GaNyAs1-y grown on GaAs(100) with y ranging from 0 to 0.06. The optical phonon Raman spectrum of the alloy displays a two-mode behavior. The GaAs-like first order modes for y = 0.06 are represented by the strong longitudinal optic (LO1) mode at 287.4 cm-1 and the weaker transverse optic (TO1) mode at 269.0 cm-1, while the GaN-like LO2 mode is observed at 475.6 cm-1. Two very broad disorder-induced acoustic bands are evident at 80 and 170 cm-1 due to atomic disorder within the crystalline network. Raman studies show that as the nitrogen concentration in the alloy increases, the GaAs-like LO1 band shifts linearly towards lower wavenumber while the linearly increasing GaN-like LO2 phonon band deviates from linearity at higher nitrogen concentration (y ≥ 0.03). The reason for the deviation of the LO2 phonon from linearity is discussed.
Study on the effect of preventive anti-fluorine agent on the capacities of Zn,Ca,Mg,Fe,and Cu in rats' teeth

Objective The effect of anti-fluorine agent I-1 on the capacities of Zn,Ca,Mg,Fe,and Cu in rats' teeth was studied.Methods In the sub-acute experiment in rats,flame atomic absorption spectrometer was used to measure the capacities and changes of the five elements in rats' teeth.Results The comparison between fluorine agent groups with anti-fluorine agent groups were performed,the capacities of Zn in anti-fluorine agent group of three different doses were higher than those of the corresponding dose group.The capacities of Ca Mg,Cu in fluorine agent group of three different doses were higher than those of the corresponding dose group.In high and medium dose groups,the capacity of Fe in anti-fluorine agent groups was lower than that in fluorine agent group,but higher in the low dose group.Conclusions Anti-fluorine may promote the capacities of Zn in rats' teeth,while the capacities of Ca,Mg,Fe,and Cu were reduced.
Field Analysis of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Soil Using Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME) and a Portable Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry System:

An expedited field analysis method was developed for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soil matrices using a portable gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) instrument. Soil samples of approximately 0.5 g were measured with a portable scale and PCBs were extracted by headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with a 100 µm polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fiber. Two milliliters of 0.2 M potassium permanganate and 0.5 mL of 6 M sulfuric acid solution were added to the soil matrices to facilitate the extraction of PCBs. The extraction was performed for 30 min at 100 ℃ in a portable heating block that was powered by a portable generator. The portable GC-MS instrument took less than 6 min per analysis and ran off an internal battery and helium cylinder. Six commercial PCB mixtures, Aroclor 1016, 1221, 1232, 1242, 1248, 1254, and 1260, could be classified based on the GC chromatograms and mass spectra. The detection limit of this method for Aroclor 1260 in soil matrices is approximate...
Comparison of the Effects of Zolpidem-induced Prophylactic Naps to Placebo Naps and Forced Rest Periods in Prolonged Work Schedules

The efficacy of zolpidem-induced prophylactic naps was compared to placebo naps and forced-rest periods for sustaining alertness. Eighteen subjects were exposed to three separate 38-hour periods of continuous wakefulness, each separated by 10 hours of recovery sleep. Three conditions were used: a 2-hour evening nap (at 2100 hours) induced with 10 mg zolpidem tartrate; a 2-hour nap (at 2100 hours) with placebo; and a 2-hour rest break with no sleep. Following the naps or rest period, subjects remained awake for 23 additional hours. A VAS was administered at 1-hour intervals, RTSWs and POMS were administered at 2-hour intervals, and a cognitive task was completed at 4-hour intervals. Results indicated the effectiveness of prophylactic naps for sustaining mood, alertness, and performance throughout the final 23 hours of a 39-hour period of sustained operations. Both napping conditions attenuated the decrements normally associated with total sleep deprivation, but the zolpidem nap was the most effective because subjects obtained the most sleep after zolpidem administration. Postnap grogginess persisted for about 2 hours after either the zolpidem or placebo nap, a fact which, despite the overall benefits from prophylactic naps, could compromise performance under operational conditions if insufficient time for awakening is planned.
Newer penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics.

Pertinent features of penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics that have recently been certified for clinical use or are undergoing investigation are presented, and the possible significance of each drug in clinical practice is explored.
Prognostic factors of early outcome and discharge status in patients undergoing surgical intervention following traumatic intracranial hemorrhage

Over the past several decades, the rate of traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related emergency room visits in the United States has steadily increased, yet mortality in these patients has decreased. This improvement in outcome is largely due to advances in prehospital care, intensive care unit management, and the effectiveness of neurosurgical procedures, such as decompressive craniectomies. It is imperative to identify clinical factors predictive of patients who benefit from early mobilization of resources and operative treatment. Equally important is the identification of patients with good prognostic signs among patients receiving surgical intervention for TBI. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 181 patients requiring craniectomies and craniotomies for decompression or evacuation of an intracranial hemorrhage following TBI at a single level I trauma center between 2008-2010. Demographic features and perioperative clinical characteristics of these patients were examined in relation to favorable outcomes, defined as discharge to home or a rehabilitation facility, and unfavorable outcomes, defined as in-hospital mortality or discharge to step-down medical facilities. Younger age, greater Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score on admission, absence of preoperative coagulopathies, absence of hypernatremia, and absence of fever were all independent predictors of favorable outcome. Additionally, increased operative duration and increased length of hospital stay were identified as independent predictors of negative outcomes after surgery. This work supports some of the current prognostic models in the literature and identifies additional clinical variables with predictive value of early outcome and discharge status in patients undergoing surgical evacuation of traumatic intracranial hemorrhages.
Intraoperative Surgical Decision-Making: Is It Art or Is It Science or Is It Both?

How do we surgeons make decisions under what can be inauspicious conditions is not entirely clear. One would think and hope that we have streamlined this process clearly by now since such decisions are made countless times daily across the world. Dissecting the anatomy of this process is of great importance to all surgeons and those who work with surgeons. Most importantly, however, is the question, do patients understand entirely the thought process of their surgeon and how is this incorporated into the consent for the operation. Many of us make decisions for which later we may not have solid reason why we did it. Usually, these are decisions made on the basis of “a gut feeling” or “intuition” or the “gray hair effect” among other “techniques.” The aim of this chapter is to set the stage for the entire book on this complex and very important process, which if done properly and timely may prevent, minimize, or avoid altogether serious intraoperative and postoperative complications.
Ramsey-type theorems for sets satisfying a geometric regularity condition

Abstract We consider Ramsey-type problems associated to collections of sets in R n satisfying a standard geometric regularity condition. In particular, let { R j } j = 1 N be a collection of measurable sets in R n such that every R j is contained in a cube Q j whose sides are parallel to the axes and such that | R j | / | Q j | ≥ ρ > 0 . Moreover, suppose that there exists 0 γ ∞ such that | R j | / | R k | ≤ γ for every j , k . We prove that there exists a subcollection of { R j } j = 1 N consisting of at least R ( N ) sets that either have a point of common intersection or that are pairwise disjoint, where R ( N ) ≥ ( N ρ ( 1 + 2 ⋅ γ 1 / n ) n ) 1 / 2 . If the sets in the collection { R j } are convex, we obtain the improved Ramsey estimate R ( N ) ≥ ( 3 − n ρ N ) 1 / 2 . Applications of these results to weak type bounds of geometric maximal operators are provided.
Acidity of M(VI)O2(OH)2 for M = Group 6, 16, and U as Central Atoms.

Gas-phase acidities and aqueous solution pKa’s are predicted for MO2(OH)2, where the center atom M is a main Group 6, 16, and U atom using the Feller–Peterson–Dixon approach based on coupled cluster CCSD(T) calculations with additional corrections. The gas-phase acidities of the MO2(OH)2 compounds are essentially the same for elements (M) of the same group, 304–310 kcal/mol at 298 K. All of the Group 6 compounds are 5–6 kcal/mol less acidic in the gas phase than H2SO4. The gas-phase acidity of UO2(OH)2 is calculated to be up to 338.0 kcal/mol, ∼10% less acidic in the gas phase than the other MO2(OH)2 acids. The most acidic molecule in aqueous solution is predicted to be H2SO4. Overall, for the Group 16 compounds, the pKa’s increase going down the group, with H2PoO4 predicted to be slightly more acidic than nitric acid. H2CrO4 is the most acidic of the Group 6 transition metal compounds. The aqueous acidities of H2MoO4 and H2WO4 are comparable and about 3 pKa units less acidic than H2CrO4 and comparable in...
Adsorption of Phthalates on Impervious Indoor Surfaces.

Sorption of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) onto interior surfaces, often referred to as the “sink effect”, and their subsequent re-emission significantly affect the fate and transport of indoor SVOCs and the resulting human exposure. Unfortunately, experimental challenges and the large number of SVOC/surface combinations have impeded progress in understanding sorption of SVOCs on indoor surfaces. An experimental approach based on a diffusion model was thus developed to determine the surface/air partition coefficient K of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) on typical impervious surfaces including aluminum, steel, glass, and acrylic. The results indicate that surface roughness plays an important role in the adsorption process. Although larger data sets are needed, the ability to predict K could be greatly improved by establishing the nature of the relationship between surface roughness and K for clean indoor surfaces. Furthermore, different surfaces exhibit nearly identical K values after being expose...
Chapter 66 – Immune Responses to Biomaterials Used in Renal Engineering

This chapter deals with the role of the immune response in the biocompatibility of biomaterials used in renal technologies, the nature of which is profoundly influenced by the already compromised immune system found in uremic patients. In biomaterials science in general, there has been much confusion over the role that the immune response plays in biocompatibility phenomena. To a large extent this has been associated with lack of any particular need to equate the usual sequence of inflammation and repair that accompanies the introduction of biomaterials into a host site with the innate immune response, even though the main cellular and humoral features of the latter were usually evident in the former. At the same time, adaptive immune responses were not considered particularly relevant to the biocompatibility of biomaterials since they do not normally contain antigens that initiate this type of response. As described in this chapter, the overall understanding of biocompatibility is now changing, with a more informed incorporation of toxicological and immunological mechanisms into the host response to biomaterials. This has been partly associated with the different modalities of biomaterials use in therapies, especially with more biologically active materials used as scaffolds in tissue engineering and the type of prolonged extracorporeal contact that is seen with hemodialysis.
Pneumonia and atrial flutter in a 71- year-old-man.

A 71-year-old man with a medical history of hypertension and 80 pack-years of tobacco smoking was presented with dyspnoea and coughof 3-week duration. He was tachycardic, with heart rate 127 beats per minute. ECG revealed atrial flutter. Chest x-ray showed right upper lobe consolidation consistent with pneumonia. Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)-guided cardioversion was ordered. The echocardiogram revealed normal biventricular systolic function without significant valvular disease. The left atrial appendage was enlarged but no thrombus was present. Doppler pulsed-wave interrogation of the right superior pulmonary vein (RSPV) demonstrated increased velocity (1.2 m/s, …
A novel electrochemical sensor based on electropolymerized molecularly imprinted poly(aniline-co-anthranilic acid) for sensitive detection of amlodipine

Abstract A novel voltammetric sensor based on molecularly imprinted poly(aniline- co -anthranilic acid) for determination of amlodipine (AML) was developed. The sensor was prepared by electrocopolymerization of aniline and anthranilic acid in the presence of AML molecules and perchloric acid onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Several parameters affecting the performance of the imprinted (MIP) and non-imprinted films (NIP) were optimized. Under optimized operational conditions, the proposed MIP/GCE sensor exhibits two distinct linear responses ranging from 0.01 nM to 0.08 nM and 0.3 nM to 8.0 nM respectively with a LOD (3σ/m) of 2.66 pM. The precision (RSD, n = 6) of the method for intra and inter-days was found to be 0.65% and 1.68% respectively. The selectivity of the MIP/GCE sensor against AML was investigated in the presence of various interfering molecules. The proposed sensor was successfully applied for the detection of AML in pharmaceuticals, human urine, human serum and plasma. The proposed MIP/GCE sensor appeared to be suitable for sensitive and precise quantification of AML in several matrices.
Fluidized Bed Retorting of Oil Shale

Atmospheric pressure fluidized bed technology offers many processing advantages for retorting oil shale. The one advantage which has been most studied and emphasized is that oil yield, as compared to Fischer assay, is increased. While the nature of the shale greatly influences the degree of oil yield enhancement that is realized, there is little doubt that fluidized bed technology increases the yield of oil, at least marginally, for all oil shales. Concomitant with an increase in oil yield and decrease in gas yield by the fluidized bed technique is that the oil, compared to Fischer assay oil, has higher aromaticity, density, heteroatom content, viscosity, and Conradson carbon content. With improved heavy oil upgrading catalysts and promising non-fuel, added-value applications for the heavy fraction, however, the generation of more, but heavier, oil can be a distinct advantage for a fluidized bed process. While increased oil yield is the most renowned benefit of fluidized bed retorting, there are several other aspects of this technology which should be considered just as highly such as: precise temperature control, utilization of fine particles, rapid pyrolysis kinetics, and processing flexibility without mechanical complexity and moving parts. The Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) is developing a multi-stage fluid-bed process called KENTORT II which incorporates pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion zones. The main features of the process are that the heat of the process is provided by the combustion of char from pyrolysis and this heat is transferred to the pyrolysis zone with recirculating shale without diluting the overhead pyrolysis products with combustion flue gases. The KENTORT II process will be used as the primary example of a fluidized bed retorting process because it includes all of the major gas/solid reactions which are relevant for thermal processing of oil shale at atmospheric pressure. While the KENTORT II process has been initially developed to process the Devonian shales of the eastern U.S., the CAER has also investigated the fluidized bed characteristics of Brazilian (Irati), Moroccan (Timahdit and Tarfaya), and Turkish (Goynuk) oil shales. These results will be compared to fluidized bed pyrolysis results from other laboratories including those for the Green River shales of the western U.S. and the oil shales from various Australian deposits.
Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: Recommendations for Physical Education Teacher Education

Comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs) aim to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles among school-age children and adolescents. Physical educators are highly qualified individuals taking on the role of certified physical activity leaders. Physical education teacher education (PETE) programs should consider preparing physical educators with sufficient knowledge and skills to implement a CSPAP and to foster physically literate individuals. This article describes the competencies needed for physical educators to implement CSPAP and synthesizes strategies and recommendations for infusing CSPAP concepts into PETE programs.