cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Career Satisfaction and Burnout among Ghanaian Physicians

Background Thus far, there has been limited inquiry into the factors associated with physician career satisfaction and burnout in Ghana, although the two have been linked to the brain drain problem. The objective of this study was to assess career satisfaction and burnout among physicians practicing in a developing nation, Ghana. Methods A 21-item instrument was used to assess career satisfaction among actively practicing Ghanaian physicians, using items adapted from the Physician Worklife Study survey. Burnout was assessed using the Abbreviated Maslach's Burnout Inventory. Two hundred physicians participated in the online survey from December 2012 to February 2013. Results Generally, physicians in Ghana expressed moderate overall career satisfaction. However, they were least satisfied with the availability of resources, their compensation and work-life balance. Overall, burnout was low in the study population; however physicians exhibited moderate levels of emotional exhaustion. Career satisfaction was negatively associated with the burnout dimensions of depersonalization, emotional exhaustion and low personal accomplishment. Conclusions Health policy-makers in Ghana should address issues relating to resource adequacy, compensation and the work-life balance of physicians in order to improve the overall career satisfaction of an already dwindling physician workforce.
Geographic model and biomarker-derived measures of pesticide exposure and Parkinson's disease.

For more than two decades, reports have suggested that pesticides and herbicides may be an etiologic factor in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). To date, no clear associations with any specific pesticide have been demonstrated from epidemiological studies perhaps, in part, because methods of reliably estimating exposures are lacking. We tested the validity of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based exposure assessment model that estimates potential environmental exposures at residences from pesticide applications to agricultural crops based on California Pesticide Use Reports (PUR). Using lipid-adjusted dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) serum levels as the "gold standard" for pesticide exposure, we conducted a validation study in a sample taken from an ongoing, population-based case-control study of PD in Central California. Residential, occupational, and other risk factor data were collected for 22 cases and 24 controls from Kern county, California. Environmental GIS-PUR-based organochlorine (OC) estimates were derived for each subject and compared to lipid-adjusted DDE serum levels. Relying on a linear regression model, we predicted log-transformed lipid-adjusted DDE serum levels. GIS-PUR-derived OC measure, body mass index, age, gender, mixing and loading pesticides by hand, and using pesticides in the home, together explained 47% of the DDE serum level variance (adjusted r 2 = 0.47). The specificity of using our environmental GIS-PUR-derived OC measures to identify those with high-serum DDE levels was reasonably good (87%). Our environmental GIS-PUR-based approach appears to provide a valid model for assessing residential exposures to agricultural pesticides.
Phase slippage driven dissipation and high-field Little-Parks effect in superconducting MoGe nanowire networks formed on nanoporous substrates

Superconducting MoGe nanowires with extremely small transverse dimensions have served as unique platforms for exploring physical phenomena in one-dimensional (1D) superconductors. Here we report on networks of superconducting MoGe nanowires with transverse dimensions down to a few nanometers, fabricated by sputter-deposition of MoGe onto commercially available filtration membranes containing dense nanopores. These networks of nanowires exhibit physical properties of individual MoGe nanowires, such as thermally activated phase slips\char22{}a dissipation mechanism expected for 1D superconducting nanowires. Furthermore, anomalies in the magnetic field versus temperature phase diagram around 1.2\char21{}1.5 Tesla and in the magnetoresistance curves can be understood with the Little\char21{}Parks effect, consistent with the multiply connected nature of a network of 1D nanowires.
Assessing outcomes of tinnitus intervention.

AbstractBackground:It has been estimated that as many as 50 million Americans do experience or have experienced tinnitus. For approximately 12 million of these individuals, tinnitus makes it impossible for them to carry out normal everyday activities without limitation. These are the patients that p
Exercise Following Bariatric Surgery: Systematic Review

The contribution of physical activity on the degree of weight loss following bariatric surgery is unclear. To determine impact of exercise on postoperative weight loss. Medline search (1988–2009) was completed using MeSH terms including bariatric procedures and a spectrum of patient factors with potential relationship to weight loss outcomes. Of the 934 screened articles, 14 reported on exercise and weight loss outcomes. The most commonly used instruments to measure activity level were the Baecke Physical Activity Questionnaire, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and a variety of self-made questionnaires. The definition of an active patient varied but generally required a minimum of 30 min of exercise at least 3 days per week. Thirteen articles reported on exercise and degree of postoperative weight loss (n = 4,108 patients). Eleven articles found a positive association of exercise on postoperative weight loss, and two did not. Meta-analysis of three studies revealed a significant increase in 1-year postoperative weight loss (mean difference = 4.2% total body mass index (BMI) loss, 95% confidence interval (CI; 0.26–8.11)) for patients who exercise postoperatively. Exercise following bariatric surgery appears to be associated with a greater weight loss of over 4% of BMI. While a causal relationship cannot be established with observational data, this finding supports the continued efforts to encourage and support patients’ involvement in post-surgery exercise. Further research is necessary to determine the recommended activity guidelines for this patient population.
Dual-Stage Turbocharger Matching and Boost Control Options

Diesel engines are gaining in popularity, penetrating even the luxury and sports vehicle segments that have traditionally been strongly favored gasoline engines as the performance and refinement of diesel engines have improved significantly in recent years. The introduction of sophisticated technologies such as common rail injection (CRI), advanced boosting systems such as variable geometry and multi-stage turbocharging, and exhaust gas after-treatment systems have renewed the interest in Diesel engines. Among the technical advancements of diesel engines, the multi-stage turbocharging is the key to achieve such high power density that is suitable for the luxury and sports vehicle applications. Single-stage turbocharging is limited to roughly 2.5 bar of boost pressure. In order to raise the boost pressure up to levels of 4 bar or so, another turbocharger must be connected in series further multiplying the pressure ratio. The dual-stage turbocharging, however, adds system complexity, and the matching of two turbochargers becomes very costly if it is to be done experimentally. This study presents a simulation-based methodology for dual-stage turbocharger matching through an iterative procedure predicting optimal configurations of compressors and turbines. A physics-based zero-dimensional Diesel engine system simulation with a dual-stage turbocharger is implemented in SIMULINK environment, allowing easy evaluation of different configurations and subsequent analysis of engine system performance. The simulation program is augmented with a turbocharger matching program and a turbomachinery scaling routine. The configurations considered in the study include a dual-stage turbocharging system with a bypass valve added to the high pressure turbine, and a system with a wastegate valve added to a low-pressure turbine. The systematic simulation study allows detailed analysis of the impact of each of the configurations on matching, boost characteristics and transient response. The configuration with the bypass valve across high pressure turbine showed better results in terms of both steady state engine torque and transient behavior.© 2008 ASME
Graphical aids to interpretation of scatchard plots and dose-response curves

Abstract General expressions are derived for the limiting slopes and intercepts of graphical representations of experimental binding data in either the Scatchard or the “dose-response” co-ordinate systems. We apply a previously formulated general model that includes heterogeneity and/or cooperativity of receptor affinity. One must establish or assume a physical chemical mechanism in order to fully interpret these limiting slopes and intercepts. However, they do provide satisfactory initial estimates for the binding parameters, for use in a non-linear least squares curve fitting approach using an exact model.
Effect of tryptophan on toxic cirrhosis induced by intermittent carbon tetrachloride intoxication in the rat

Abstract The effects of the administration of tryptophan on toxic cirrhosis induced by intermittent carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intoxication in the rat were investigated. Rats received CCl4 ( 0.45 ml 100 g body wt ip) twice weekly for 10–14 weeks. Tryptophan ( 30 mg 100 g body wt) by stomach tube was administered 1 hr before killing. Tryptophan improved hepatic polyribosomal aggregation and [14C]leucine incorporation into protein in vitro of control rats as well as long-term CCl4-treated rats that had developed toxic cirrhosis. However, the effects were more marked in control than in experimental rats. Tryptophan administration induced an increase in labeled nuclear RNA release in vitro and a decrease in labeled tryptophan binding to nuclear protein in vitro of livers of rats receiving long-term CCl4 and of control rats. The results indicate that the stimulatory effects of a single administration of tryptophan in toxic cirrhotic livers are similar to, but somewhat less than, those which occur in livers of normal, control rats.
p53 status and the efficacy of cancer therapy in vivo

The therapeutic responsiveness of genetically defined tumors expressing or devoid of the p53 tumor suppressor gene was compared in immunocompromised mice. Tumors expressing the p53 gene contained a high proportion of apoptotic cells and typically regressed after treatment with gamma radiation or adriamycin. In contrast, p53-deficient tumors treated with the same regimens continued to enlarge and contained few apoptotic cells. Acquired mutations in p53 were associated with both treatment resistance and relapse in p53-expressing tumors. These results establish that defects in apoptosis, here caused by the inactivation of p53, can produce treatment-resistant tumors and suggest that p53 status may be an important determinant of tumor response to therapy.
Teacher Gender and Nonverbal Behavior in the Teaching of Gender‐Stereotyped Materials1

Twenty teachers each taught a male and a female student two different lessons. One of these lessons was in a stereotypically masculine domain (mechanics), the other in a stereotypically feminine domain (vocabulary). Judges viewed clips from the videotaped lessons and rated teachers' nonverbal behaviors. The students also rated their teachers on a variety of behavioral dimensions. The results showed that teachers exhibited more positive behavior toward the students for whose gender the material being taught was stereotypically appropriate. Similarly, teachers exhibited more negative behavior toward those students for whose gender the material being taught was considered stereotypically inappropriate. Additionally, teacher gender was shown to interact with the above-mentioned biased teaching behavior. Generally speaking, women teachers behaved in a less gender-biased way than did men teachers. It is suggested that these kinds of differential teaching behaviors may contribute to the differential performance of male and female students in traditionally gender-stereotyped academic domains.
MULTIPLE HYPOTHESIS TESTING AND THE DECLINING-POPULATION PARADIGM IN STELLER SEA LIONS

We describe a novel spatially and temporally detailed approach for determining the cause or causes of a population decline, using the western Alaskan population of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) as an example. Existing methods are mostly based on regression, which limits their utility when there are multiple hypotheses to consider and the data are sparse and noisy. Our likelihood-based approach is unbiased with regard to sample size, and its posterior probability landscape allows for the separate consideration of magnitude and certainty for multiple factors simultaneously. As applied to Steller sea lions, the approach uses a stochastic population model in which the vital rates (fecundity, pup survival, non-pup survival) at a particular rookery in each year are functions of one or more local conditions (total prey availability, species composition of available prey, fisheries activity, predation risk indices). Three vital rates and four scaling functions produce twelve nonexclusive hypotheses, of which we considered 10; we assumed a priori that fecundity would not be affected by fishery activities or predation. The likelihood of all the rookery- and year-specific census data was calculated by averaging across sample paths, using backward iteration and a beta-binomial structure for observation error. We computed the joint maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) of parameters associated with each hypothesis and constructed marginal likelihood curves to examine the support for each effect. We found strong support for a positive effect of total prey availability on pup recruitment, negative effects of prey species composition (pollock fraction) on fecundity and pup survival, and a positive effect of harbor seal density (our inverse proxy for predation risk) on non-pup survival. These results suggest a natural framework for adaptive management; for example, the areas around some of the rookeries could be designated as experimental zones where fishery quotas are contingent upon the results of pre-fishing season survey trawls. We contrast our results with those of previous studies, demonstrating the importance of testing multiple hypotheses simultaneously and quantitatively when investigating the causes of a population decline.
A Microcomputer Based System for Intrusion Detection Display and Assessment

A system has been developed to aid in assessing intrusion alarms. Capabilities include color graphic and text displays, prioritized alarms, a high-speed dual loop communications system, a customized function keyboard for operator input and microprocessor controlled Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and videodisc recording subsystems. The system, which is implemented on an DEC LSI-11/23 utilizing RSX-11S, is designed for use by an operator with no knowledge of computers. Most of the assessment functions can be performed with single keystrokes. During multi-alarm situations, the system manages the display, presenting information about the highest priority alarms to aid in operator assessment. Although the system prioritizes alarms, the operator is free to assess alarms in any order. The system supports multicenter operations. One center is responsible for assessing all alarms and is monitored and backed up by another center.
MANY CLASSICAL KNOT INVARIANTS ARE NOT VASSILIEV INVARIANTS

We show that under twisting, a Vassiliev invariant of order n behaves like a polynomial of degree at most n. This greatly restricts the values that a Vassiliev invariant can take, for example, on the (2, m) torus knots. In particular, this implies that many classical numerical knot invariants such as the signature, genus, bridge number, crossing number, and unknotting number are not Vassiliev invariants.
Beyond Dogma and Despair: Toward a Critical Theory of Politics

In contradistinction both to positivist empiricism and to the essentialism of “traditional” political thought, the paper delineates an approach to political study and theory stressing the critical interrogation between inquirer or participant and the experienced world. The approach—which relies chiefly on existential phenomenology and recent writings of the Frankfurt School— is illustrated and explicated in three contexts: those of philosophical anthropology, of epistemology, and of ethics and political action. With regard to the conception of “human nature,” critical theory refuses to equate man either with a reactive mechanism or with pure consciousness, preferring to treat him as an embodied creature concerned (in Heidegger's terms) with the sense of his existence. In the domain of epistemology, the sketched outlook deviates from simple “mirror” doctrines by emphasizing the experiential underpinnings of cognition and the need for continuous symbolic articulation. Concerning ethics, the perspective opposes both cognitivist and noncognitivist formulas in favor of the critical reconstruction of standards implicit in everyday life. The concluding portion of the paper indicates the relevance of such standards for practical politics and contemporary democratic theory.
Distribution, interconversion, and dose response of n−3 fatty acids in humans

n-3 Fatty acids have important visual, mental, and cardiovascular health benefits throughout the life cycle. Biodistribution, interconversion, and dose response data are reviewed herein to provide a basis for more rational n-3 dose selections. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the principal n-3 fatty acid in tissues and is particularly abundant in neural and retinal tissue. Limited storage of the n-3 fatty acids in adipose tissue suggests that a continued dietary supply is needed. A large proportion of dietary alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is oxidized, and because of limited interconversion of n-3 fatty acids in humans, ALA supplementation does not result in appreciable accumulation of long-chain n-3 fatty acids in plasma. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) but not DHA concentrations in plasma increase in response to dietary EPA. Dietary DHA results in a dose-dependent, saturable increase in plasma DHA concentrations and modest increases in EPA concentrations. Plasma DHA concentrations equilibrate in approximately 1 mo and then remain at steady state throughout supplementation. DHA doses of approximately 2 g/d result in a near maximal plasma response. Both dietary DHA and EPA reduce plasma arachidonic acid concentrations. Tissue contents of DHA and EPA also increase in response to supplementation with these fatty acids. Human milk contents of DHA are dependent on diet, and infant DHA concentrations are determined by their dietary intake of this fatty acid. We conclude that the most predictable way to increase a specific long-chain n-3 fatty acid in plasma, tissues, or human milk is to supplement with the fatty acid of interest.
Duloxetine in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: A comparison of efficacy in patients with and without melancholic features

The most prominent feature of melancholic depression is a near-total loss of the capacity to derive pleasure from activities or other positive stimuli. Additional symptoms can include psychomotor disturbances, anorexia, excessive guilt, and early awakening from sleep. Melancholic patients may exhibit treatment responses and outcomes that differ from those of non-melancholic patients. Pooled data from double-blind, placebo-controlled studies were utilized to compare the efficacy of duloxetine in depressed patients with and without melancholic features. Efficacy data were pooled from 8 double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of duloxetine. The presence of melancholic features (DSM-IV criteria) was determined using results from the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Patients (aged ≥ 18 years) meeting DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) received duloxetine (40–120 mg/d; melancholic, N = 759; non-melancholic, N = 379) or placebo (melancholic, N = 519; non-melancholic, N = 256) for up to 9 weeks. Efficacy measures included the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD17) total score, HAMD17 subscales (Maier, anxiety, retardation, sleep), the Clinical Global Impression of Severity (CGI-S) and Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) scales, and Visual Analog Scales (VAS) for pain. In data from all 8 studies, duloxetine's advantage over placebo did not differ significantly between melancholic and non-melancholic patients (treatment-by-melancholic status interactions were not statistically significant). Duloxetine demonstrated significantly greater improvement in depressive symptom severity, compared with placebo, within both melancholic and non-melancholic cohorts (p ≤ .001 for HAMD17 total score, CGI-S and PGI-I). When analyzed by gender, the magnitude of improvement in efficacy outcomes did not differ significantly between duloxetine-treated male and female melancholic patients. In the two studies that assessed duloxetine 60 mg once-daily dosing, duloxetine-treated melancholic patients had significantly greater improvement compared with placebo on HAMD17 total score, CGI-S, PGI-I, 3 of 4 subscales of the HAMD17, and VAS overall pain severity (p < .01). Estimated probabilities of response and remission were significantly greater for melancholic patients receiving duloxetine 60 mg QD compared with placebo (response 74.7% vs. 42.2%, respectively, p < .001; remission 44.4% vs. 24.7%, respectively, p = .002 In this analysis of pooled data, the efficacy of duloxetine in patients with melancholic features did not differ significantly from that observed in non-melancholic patients.
A Transcendent Business Education for the 21st Century

This article challenges educators about helping students in their intellectual and moral development. Certainly, there is enough blame to generously blanket many groups. Substantive culpability goe...
DSP solutions run the gamut for color systems

Some of the fundamental concepts of color science are presented in terms of digital signal processing methods. The concepts include color matching, color sensitivity, and color reproduction. Grassmann's law for additive color mixture, mathematical descriptions for color matching, and properties of color matching functions are discussed. Additive and subtractive color systems for color reproduction are reviewed. It is shown that the vector space approach provides a foundation for formulating and solving many problems in color measurement and reproduction. It is also shown how this approach is used for solving problems in color science, including secondary reproduction, color correction for varying illuminants, estimation of illumination, and design of scanning filters. >
“FRNKly, Smooth Muscle, I Don’t Give a CArG!”: A Novel Mechanism for Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation

Studies spanning the last two decades have begun to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation, specifically the critical role of the ubiquitously expressed serum response factor (SRF) transcription factor. SRF selectively binds to conserved cis-regulatory “CArG box” elements, CC(A/T)6GG consensus sequence, in the promoters or first introns of numerous smooth muscle-selective genes. The SMC contractile marker genes smooth muscle alpha actin (SMαA), smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SM-MHC), and smooth muscle 22 alpha (SM22α) all require multiple CArG boxes for proper transcriptional activation. On SRF binding, the coactivator myocardin is recruited to the promoter through direct interaction with SRF and is required for expression of CArG containing SMC-selective genes.1,2 In this issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology , Sayers et al detail the in vivo regulation of a SMC-selective CArG-independent gene, focal adhesion kinase related nonkinase (FRNK), that plays a critical role in CArG-dependent contractile gene expression during SMC differentiation and after vascular injury.3 See accompanying article on page 2115 Unlike other muscle cell types, adult SMCs exist in a highly plastic nonterminally differentiated state. SMCs can assume a proliferative and migratory synthetic phenotype, allowing for both complete investment of the endothelial tube during vascular development and repair of the vessel wall after arterial injury. Various environmental cues direct SMCs to phenotypically modulate into a highly …
Global Skill Partnerships: a proposal for technical training in a mobile world

Skilled workers emigrate from developing countries in rising numbers, raising fears of a drain on the human and financial resources of the countries they leave. This paper critiques existing policy proposals to address the development effects of skilled migration. It then proposes a new kind of ex ante public-private agreement to link skill formation and skilled migration for the mutual benefit of origin countries, destination countries, and migrants: ‘Global Skill Partnerships’. The paper describes how such an agreement might work in one profession (nursing) and one region (North Africa), and offers design lessons from related initiatives around the world. JEL codes: F22, J24, O15
On the communication complexity of Lipschitzian optimization for the coordinated model of computation

Abstract We consider the problem of approximating the maximum of the sum of m Lipschitz continuous functions. The values of each function are assumed to reside at a different memory element. A single processing element is designated to approximate the value of the maximum of the sum of these functions by adopting a certain protocol. Under certain assumptions on the class of permissible protocols, we obtain the minimum number of real-valued messages that has to be transferred between the processing element and the memory elements in order to find the desired approximation of this maximum. In particular, we exploit the optimality of the nonadaptive protocols for the Lipschitzian optimization problem, studied in the context of information-based complexity, to prove our main result.
Do Patterns of Comorbidity Vary by HIV Status, Age, and HIV Severity?

Patterns of comorbidity among persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are not well described. We compared comorbidity among veterans with and without HIV infection. The sample consisted of 33,420 HIV-infected veterans and 66,840 HIV-uninfected veterans. We identified and clustered 11 comorbid conditions using validated International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes. We defined multimorbidity as the presence of conditions in all clusters. Models restricted to HIV-infected veterans were adjusted for CD4 cell count and viral load. Comorbidity was common (prevalence, 60%-63%), and prevalence varied by HIV status. Differences remained when the veterans were stratified by age. In multivariable analyses, older HIV-infected veterans were more likely to have substance use disorder and multimorbidity. Renal, vascular, and pulmonary diseases were associated with CD4 cell count 200 cells/mm(3). Comorbidity is the rule, and multimorbidity is common among veterans with HIV infection. Patterns of comorbidity differ substantially by HIV status, age, and HIV severity. Primary care guidelines require adaptation for persons with HIV infection.
Signal restoration through deconvolution applied to deep mantle seismic probes

SUMMARY We present a method of signal restoration to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, sharpen seismic arrival onset, and act as an empirical source deconvolution of specific seismic arrivals. Observed time-series g i are modelled as a convolution of a simpler time-series f i , and an invariant point spread function (PSF) h that attempts to account for the earthquake source process. The method is used on the shear wave time window containing SKS and S, whereby using a Gaussian PSF produces more impulsive, narrower, signals in the wave train. The resulting restored time-series facilitates more accurate and objective relative traveltime estimation of the individual seismic arrivals. We demonstrate the accuracy of the reconstruction method on synthetic seismograms generated by the reflectivity method. Clean and sharp reconstructions are obtained with real data, even for signals with relatively high noise content. Reconstructed signals are simpler, more impulsive, and narrower, which allows highlighting of some details of arrivals that are not readily apparent in raw waveforms. In particular, phases nearly coincident in time can be separately identified after processing. This is demonstrated for two seismic wave pairs used to probe deep mantle and core‐mantle boundary structure: (1) the S ab and S cd arrivals, which travel above and within, respectively, a 200‐300-km-thick, higher than average shear wave velocity layer at the base of the mantle, observable in the 88‐92 deg epicentral distance range and (2) SKS and SPdiff KS, which are core waves with the latter having short arcs of P-wave diffraction, and are nearly identical in timing near 108‐110 deg in distance. A Java/Matlab algorithm was developed for the signal restoration, which can be downloaded from the authors web page, along with example data and synthetic seismograms.
Residency Recruitment Factors: Influences on a Student's Site Choice

AbstractThe process of recruitment into the various Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) residencies has not been extensively studied. Some years, certain departments have had problems matching their slots with preferred medical students. Other years these same departments have done well. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that are most important to medical students when they go through the interview and match process with CAMC and to compare the students who were ranked in the match of 2001 and chose CAMC with those who were ranked in the match and chose another institution for their residency.
Filamentous forms of Blastomyces dermatitidis in mouse lung light and electron microscopy

Filaments or “pseudohyphae” and yeasts were observed by light and electron microscopy in lungs of mice infected intravenously with Blastomyces dermatitidis. Filamentous forms in vivo have not been previously described and, as shown in this study, have in vitro morphologic characteristics similar to those reported by other authors. The importance of these observations in the differential diagnosis of filamentous fungi in tissues is emphasized.
FOURIER ANALYSIS OF HYSTERETIC DAMPING MECHANISMS

Une analyse de Fourier du modele de separation de Granato-Lucke prevoit les amplitudes des harmoniques acoustiques comparables a celles observees pour le fer
The Orbit of Transneptunian Binary Manwe and Thorondor and Their Upcoming Mutual Events

abstract A new Hubble Space Telescope observation of the 7:4 resonant transneptunian binary system (385446)Manwe has shown that, of two previously reported solutions for the orbit of its satellite Thorondor, theprograde one is correct. The orbit has a period of 110.18 ± 0.02 days, semimajor axis of 6670 ± 40 km, andan eccentricity of 0.563 ± 0.007. It will be viewable edge-on from the inner Solar System during 2015–2017, presenting opportunities to observe mutual occultation and eclipse events. However, the numberof observable events will be small, owing to the long orbital period and expected small sizes of the bodiesrelative to their separation. This paper presents predictions for events observable from Earth-basedtelescopes and discusses the associated uncertainties and challenges. 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. IntroductionThe Kuiper belt is a region beyond the orbits of the giant planetspopulated by small icy planetesimals left over from the formationof the Solar System. In this zone, transneptunian objects (TNOs)occupy a variety of distinct classes of heliocentric orbits, adynamical conﬁguration that has been exploited to constrain theearly history of the outer Solar System. Although the past twodecades have seen a spectacularly rapid pace of discovery aboutthe Kuiper belt, the observational challenges of studying the small,distant,andfaintTNOsaresuchthatdetailedphysicalandchemicalknowledge about individual bodies remains quite sparse. Thesituation is especially problematic considering that statisticalcomparisons in these properties between representative samplesof different dynamical populations are needed to test hypothesesabouttheformationandearlyhistoryofthesebodies.Theexistenceof binaries in the various dynamical sub-populations offers apowerful tool for more detailed characterization, beginning withtheir mutual orbits and dynamical masses. Ideally, mutual eventscan be observed to determine accurate sizes and thus densities,alongwithpossibilitiesofdeterminingshapesandmappingsurfacecolor and albedo features. For transneptunian binaries withheliocentric orbital periods on the order of multiple centuries,mutual events are rare and valuable occurrences that should beexploited whenever it is possible to do so. So far, they haveonly been observed in three such systems: Pluto, Haumea, andSila–Nunam. This paper provides circumstances for observingupcoming mutual events in another transneptunian binary system,(385446) Manwe and its satellite Thorondor.Manwe was discovered in 2003 by the Deep Ecliptic Surveyproject (Buie et al., 2003), using the 4 m Blanco telescope at CerroTololo, with a conﬁrming follow-up observation nine nights laterusing the 6.5 m Clay telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. Itwas given the provisional designation 2003 QW
Chloroethene dechlorination in acidic groundwater: Implications for combining fenton's treatment with natural attenuation

A sulfuric acid leak in 1988 at a chloroethene-contaminated groundwater site at the Naval Air Station Pensacola has resulted in a long-term record of the behavior of chloroethene contaminants at low pH and a unique opportunity to assess the potential impact of source area treatment technologies, which involve acidification of the groundwater environment (e.g., Fenton's-based in situ chemical oxidation), on downgradient natural attenuation processes. The greater than 75 percent decrease in trichloroethene (TCE) concentrations and the shift in contaminant composition toward predominantly reduced daughter products (dichloroethene [DCE] and vinyl chloride [VC]) that were observed along a 30-m groundwater flow path characterized by highly acidic conditions (pH = 3.5 ± 0.4) demonstrated that chloroethene reductive dechlorination can continue to be efficient under persistent acidic conditions. The detection of Dehalococcoides-type bacteria within the sulfuric acid/chloroethene co-contaminant plume was consistent with biotic chloroethene reductive dechlorination. Microcosm studies conducted with 14C-TCE and 14C-VC confirmed biotic reductive dechlorination in sediment collected from within the sulfuric acid/chloroethene co-contaminant plume. Microcosms prepared with sediment from two other locations within the acid plume, however, demonstrated only a limited mineralization to 14CO2 and 14CO, which was attributed to abiotic degradation because no significant differences were observed between experimental and autoclaved control treatments. These results indicated that biotic and abiotic mechanisms contributed to chloroethene attenuation in the acid plume at NAS Pensacola and that remediation techniques involving acidification of the groundwater environment (e.g., Fenton's-based source area treatment) do not necessarily preclude efficient chloroethene degradation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
From program comprehension to tool requirements for an industrial environment

A major portion of the maintenance effort is spent understanding existing software. The authors present an integrated code comprehension model and experiences with it in an industrial setting. They use audio-taped, think-aloud reports to investigate how well this integrated code comprehension model works during industrial maintenance activities ranging from code fixes to enhancements, code leverage, and reuse. They analyze the tapes for information needs during maintenance activities and derive tool capabilities accordingly. >
Cui Bono?: Measuring Income-Redistribution Effects of Capital Projects

Evaluation of the income-redistributing performance of a capital project m the Third World produced evidence on four counts that the system was in fact operating to benefit rural and urban poor: (1...
Sampling the hudson river estuary for pcbs using multiplate artificial substrate samplers and congener‐specific gas chromatography in 1991

During the summer of 1991, multiplate artificial substrate samplers were deployed at five locations in the Hudson River from Troy to Poughkeepsie, New York. The sedimentary material that collected on these plates was fractionated and analyzed using a congener-specific method for PCB content. The results were compared intrasite, intersite, and across time. The authors found no difference between the PCB congener distribution patterns in the coarse and fine fractions, as determined by linear regression. They also found little evidence of intersite differentiation--they found no discernible difference in PCB congener distribution, but they did find a difference in magnitude. The 1991 results were then compared to the results from a previous study conducted from 1977 to 1985. They found that over the studied 120 km stretch of the river there has been a 3.7 [+-] 1.2% per annum decline in PCB multiplate residue since 1983.
Regulation of Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor-γ Activity by Mammalian Target of Rapamycin and Amino Acids in Adipogenesis

Adipocyte differentiation is a developmental process that is critical for metabolic homeostasis and nutrient signaling. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) mediates nutrient signaling to regulate cell growth, proliferation, and diverse cellular differentiation. It has been reported that rapamycin, the inhibitor of mTOR and an immunosuppressant, blocks adipocyte differentiation, but the mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unknown. Here we show that mTOR plays a critical role in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation and that mTOR kinase activity is required for this process. Rapamycin specifically disrupted the positive transcriptional feedback loop between CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-alpha and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), two key transcription factors in adipogenesis, by directly targeting the transactivation activity of PPAR-gamma. In addition, we demonstrate for the first time that PPAR-gamma activity is dependent on amino acid sufficiency, revealing a molecular link between nutrient status and adipogenesis. The results of our further investigation have led us to propose a model in which the mTOR pathway and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway act in parallel to regulate PPAR-gamma activation during adipogenesis by mediating nutrient availability and insulin signals, respectively. It is interesting that troglitazone (a thiazolidinedione drug) reversed the inhibitory effects of rapamycin and amino acid deprivation, implicating therapeutic values of thiazolidinedione drugs to counter certain side effects of rapamycin as an immunosuppressant.
Barreras del Lenguaje: Children's Negotiation of Adult-Created Exclusionary Practices*

This article explores the effects of language differences on dynamics among youth athletes. Fifteen hours of participant observation were conducted with a youth soccer team, supplemented by five interviews with the coach and with players' parents. With a cohort consisting of a Spanish- and English-speaking bilingual coach, one fully bilingual player and another partly bilingual player, two Spanish-only-speaking players, and four English-only-speaking players, there were opportunities for many different types of interactions. This article specifically focuses on how language differences served as a catalyst for the creation of exclusionary practices by the adults surrounding the team. However, these practices did not determine the team's culture; rather, there was both accommodation and resistance on the part of the players to those practices of exclusion that the adults had introduced.
The interaction of epidermal growth factor and radiation in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines with vastly different radiosensitivities

Abstract Purpose : This study was performed to characterize the interaction of epidermal growth factor and radiation in two human head and neck squamous cell cancer cell lines of vastly different radiosensitivities (UM-SCC-6 Radiosensitive; UM-SCC-1 radioresistant). Methods and Materials : The two human head and neck squamous cell cancers (UM-SCC-1 and UM-SCC-6) were grown in medium and following the appropriate treatments, cell survival was assessed by a standard colony formation assay. Growth inhibition was assessed by monitoring cell counts following treatment and flow cytometry was used to assess cell cycle distributions. Results and Conclusion : It was determined that exposure to epidermal growth factor (10 ng/ml) for 24 h prior to radiation resulted in radiosensitization in both cell lines, however, the magnitude of radiosensitization was greater in the radiosensitive UM-SCC-6 cells compared to the radioresistant UM-SCC-1 cells. Treatment of the UMSCC-6 cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF) (10 ng/ml) for 24 h resulted in a growth delay, however, cell growth returned to normal approximately 24 h following removal of EGF. Similar treatment of the UM-SCC-1 cells resulted in no growth inhibition. The 24 h preradiation exposures to EGF (10 ng/ml) did not affect the radiation-induced growth delay in either cell line. Additionally, the 24 h exposures to EGF (10 ng/ml) did not cause the cells to enter a more radiosensitive cell cycle phase. Further work will be necessary to determine whether events associated with the EGF-induced growth delay in the UM-SCC-6 cells are associated with the enhanced EGF-induced radiosensitization in these cells compared to UM-SCC-1 cells.
Appendage Development in Clostridium bifermentans

The appendages of Clostridium bifermentans UK-A 1003 spores were shown to originate from a substance located just exterior to the outer forespore membrane. The dense spore coat develops along the periphery of this material, and, as the appendages develop in the cytoplasm, the coalescing spore coat intervenes between the appendages and their origin. Freeze etching revealed that the appendages are in the form of distinct fibers in proximity to the mature spore body. These fibers form a network around the spore, seemingly encasing it and insuring that the appendages remain attached to the mature, free spore. The inner wall of each appendage tubule is lined with fibers whereas the outer surface is smooth. The developing exosporium contained several layers consisting of small (3 nm) globular subunits; the outer exosporial surface is composed of relatively unstructured material.
Vibrational analysis of NADH cofactors bound to glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and dogfish lactate dehydrogenase

The dehydrogenases catalyze the interconversions of aldehydes and alcohols in hydride transfer reactions to and from the re or si face of the nicotinamide ring of NAD with a high degree of stereospecificity. We report on the Raman spectra of NADH bound to dogfish lactate dehydrogenase (dfLDH), which transfers to and from the re face, and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), which transfers to and from the si face. All theories of the mechanism of the stereospecificity must be in accord with the ground-state native protein–cofactor structure, and the vibrational spectrum of the dihydronicotinamide ring of NADH is sensitive to apoprotein–cofactor interactions. Our results show that the amide NH2 rocking mode shifts up by about 30 cm−1 when NADH is bound in dfLDH while virtually unchanged in G3PDH. The upward shift of the rocking mode indicates a stronger hydrogen bonding on the NH2 moiety in dfLDH. Thus, the results are interpreted to show that the bound dihydronicotinamde head group interacts more strongly with surrounding protein and deforms to a greater extent in dfLDH than in G3PDH. It is concluded that a simple geometrical interpretation explaining the stereospecificity of hydride transfer in dehydrogenases is an adequate molecular description and that there is no need to invoke ‘activation’ of hydride transfer from one side of the NADH ring over the other. On the other hand, the results suggest that the fidelity of the stereospecificity for G3PDH should be much less than that found for LDH. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stimulated emission of THz radiation from internal exciton transitions in Cu 2 O

Stimulated THz emission from intra-excitonic 3p to 2s transitions in Cu 2 O is directly observed by ultrafast opto-electronics. The process occurs at a photon energy of 6.6 meV, with a cross section of ∼10–14 cm2.
Instrumental Variables: A Simpleminded Introduction

This document is the PowerPoint slides for a introductory talk on instrumental variables, presented at the 2007 Conference on Empirical Legal Studies. The slides provide examples of good and not so good uses of instrumental variables in empirical legal research.
Patterns of care for women with ovarian cancer in the United States.

PURPOSETo characterize treatments for ovarian cancer, to determine if recommended staging and treatment were provided, and to determine factors that influence receipt of recommended staging and treatment.METHODSA total of 785 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1991 were selected from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. Type and receipt of recommended staging and treatment were examined using data on surgery and physician-verified chemotherapy.RESULTSMost women with presumptive stage I and II ovarian cancer were treated with surgery alone (58%), while women with stage III or IV disease were treated with surgery plus platinum-based chemotherapy (75% stage III, 56% stage IV). Approximately 10% of women with presumptive stage I and II, 71% with stage III, and 53% with stage IV disease received recommended staging and treatment. The absence of lymphadenectomy and assignment of histologic grade were the primary reasons women with presumptive stage ...
Comparative studies of several methods for determining the repellency of blatticides.

Boric acid, diazinon, and cypermethrin were tested against the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), using the harborage choice, slant board, and four variations of the choice-box method to determine if, and how, method design affects cockroach behavior and mortality during laboratory repellency tests. Timed exposure tests aided in evaluating results of repellency tests. Unequal aggregation during control repellency tests confounded interpretation of cockroach harborage selection during insecticide tests. Method design significantly affected mortality achieved over time and the degree of avoidance behavior during tests with the less toxic insecticides. These results indicate the limited usefulness of laboratory repellency tests in predicting the influence of repellency under variable field situations. Factors influencing mortality and repellency results are discussed.