cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Legionnaires' Disease in the United States: Opportunities for Prevention

Much of what we know about the epidemiology and prevention of Legionnaires' disease (LD) comes from outbreak investigations and special studies. In this chapter the author focuses on three areas where one's knowledge is expanding and where new prevention opportunities have emerged: surveillance for travel-related legionellosis, the use of LD diagnostic tests, and new directions in water disinfection. Detection of travel-related outbreaks offers the potential for providing new prevention opportunities. The European Working Group for Legionella Infections conducts surveillance for travel-related LD in Europe. This system has been quite successful at identifying clusters of travel-associated LD. Several studies indicate that the ability to identify outbreaks of LD is inadequate and that the adoption of new diagnostic tests may be further eroding our capacity to identify certain types of Legionella infections. To prevent LD in hospitals, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a strategy based on proper maintenance of water systems, universal testing of appropriate patients, and thorough investigations in situations where disease transmission occurs. The shift in diagnostic approach also has imphcations for the ability of the public health community to respond to outbreaks of LD. Monochloramine is currently used by nearly 25% of municipalities as a residual disinfectant in their public water distribution system. In addition to epidemiologic studies supporting the use of monochloramine, laboratory data demonstrate increased efficacy of monochloramine compared with chlorine in eliminating biofilm-associated Legionella.
Preparing MSW Students for Social Work Licensure: A Curricular Case Example

Licensing has been a dynamic tension for the social work profession for many years, specifically in social work education. Increasingly, social work programs are using factors related to social work licensing (pass rates, number of test takers, etc.) as an indicator of programmatic success. Yet few, if any, published papers examine curricular innovations designed to prepare students for social work licensing exams. This article describes the initiative that one MSW program implemented to address licensing preparedness. After a brief overview of social work licensing, this article describes the contextual rationale, implementation, and evaluation of the Licensing Preparation Initiative (LPI). Since its inception in spring 2011, LPI data suggest that students are more knowledgeable about the process for applying to sit for the exam and the content areas of the exam, more prepared to take the social work licensing exam, and more confident in their ability to pass the social work licensing exam once they grad...
A Canonical Approach to a Second-Order Solution for the Secular Motion of the Planets

A second-order analytical solution for the secular motion of the planets can be efficiently developed from canonical Lie transform methods which have recently appeared in the literature. The averaging procedure side-steps the classical approach of expanding the disturbing function in terms of Laplace coefficients. Additionally, it is found through a particular choice of parameters that there is no necessity of distinguishing between perturbations due to “inner” planets and those arising from “outer” planets. Truncated power series in the planetary inclinations and eccentricities are also avoided as they can be shown to be unnecessary.
Pretask speed training and movement complexity.

Abstract The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of pretask speed training and movement complexity on skill acquisition using the rotary pursuit. The study was a two-part investigation utilizing subjects from two different schools. The data from each school were analyzed separately with slight procedural differences made in the second investigation. The first study included 72 third graders; 90 third and fourth graders were in the second investigation. Both studies used a pretask training period of three days and a testing period of three additional days. A criterion speed of 50 rpm was used in the first study; 40 rpm was used in the second study. Three pretask training groups were used: one trained at the criterion speed and the other two using a gradual build-up of speeds with one being closer to the criterion than the other. The complexity dimension was studied by using a circle, square, or triangle top plate on the rotary pursuit. Both investigations used a 3 × 3 × 3 factorial ANOVA with...
Phase conjugation, holography, and imaging through inhomogeneous media

Holography may be carried out in a wide a variety of materials and devices, such as photographic film, photopolymers, CCD cameras and nonlinear crystals. The commonality of these is the nonlinear characteristic that results in the mixing of two light beams to produce a difference term. The bases for the holographic methods to image through inhomogeneities are varied. The basis may be the generation of a conjugate field, as in holographic phase conjugation. It may be the time averaging effect of the holographic process. It may be the gating effect of short pulse light, or equivalently, the temporal coherence function. Or, it may be the light source spatial coherence function. We offer examples for each category. >
Liquid scintillation counting at ambient temperature.

Abstract Ambient-temperature liquid scintillation counting of aqueous samples of up to 2 ml volume realized effciencies of over 80% for 14 C and 20% for 3 H in a dioxane-naphthalene scintillator. The use of external standardization for rapid determination of counting efficiency is presented together with some characteristics of a newly available commercial scintillation counter normally operated at room temperature.
A selection principle for Benard-type convection

In a Benard-type convection problem, the stationary flows of an infinite layer of fluid lying between two rigid horizontal walls and heated uniformly from below are determined. As the temperature difference across the layer increases beyond a certain value, other convective motions appear. These motions areoften cellular in character in that their streamlines are confined to certain well-defined cells having, for example, the shape of rolls or hexagons. A selection principle that explains why hexagonal cells seem to be preferred for certain ranges of the parameters is formulated. An operator-theoretical formulation of one generalized Bernard problem is given. The infinite dimensional problem is reduced to one of solving a finite dimensional system of equations, namely, the selection equations. These equations are solved and a linearized stability analysis of the resultant stationary flows is presented.
Precipitation of Milk Proteins by Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose

Abstract A study was made to determine optimum conditions for precipitation of milk proteins by sodium carboxymethylcellulose and to elucidate the chemical nature of the resulting gum-protein complex. Carboxymethycellulose precipitated a maximum of 90 to 96% of the casein from a simplified casein system and about 71% of the total protein (principally casein) from natural skimmilk. Maximum protein precipitation occurred at pH 7.5 in simplified casein systems and results indicate a similar relationship in natural skimmilk. The reaction was calcium-dependent, and protein-calcium-carboxymethylcellulose bridging appears to be involved at pH levels above the isoelectric point of casein. At the isoelectric point (pH 4.6), carboxymethylcellulose stabilizes casein, preventing precipitation. The typical cellulose-protein complex contained 51.7% protein, 7.3% ash, 0.44% calcium, and 10 to 17% carboxymethylcellulose.
Borderline fasting hypertriglyceridemia: absence of excess risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in healthy men without hypercholesterolemia.

Abstract The majority of prospective studies have shown no independent effect of triglyceride on the prediction of cardiovascular disease after the effects of cholesterol and other heart disease risk factors have been accounted for statistically. Because the association of borderline elevation of triglyceride levels (250–499 mg/dl) with cardiovascular risk might be obscured by its strong correlation with hypercholesterolemia, we examined the relationship in healthy men without hypercholesterolemia. In a population sample of 1,589 healthy fasting men ages 30–79 without known cardiovascular disease or categorical hypercholesterolemia, the prevalence of borderline hypertriglyceridemia was 4.2%, and was unrelated to age. There was no significant excess of borderline hypertriglyceridemia in men with systolic hypertension, or in men who reported use of antihypertensive drugs, current cigarette smoking, or a family history of heart attack before or after age 50. Only obesity, a personal history of diabetes, and fasting hyperglycemia were significantly more common in men with borderline hypertriglyceridemia. Moreover, hypertriglyceridemia was a relatively weak marker for those with diabetes or obesity, being present in only 9% of the former and 6% of the latter. A 12-year follow-up of these men showed no significant association of hypertriglyceridemia with all-cause or cardiovascular death either by univariate analysis or after adjusting for risk factors. These data support the conclusion that borderline hypertriglyceridemia is a poor marker for cardiovascular risk in healthy older men without hypercholesterolemia.
A Comparison of Three Passive Capture Mechanisms for Tether Momentum Exchange

The Momentum-exchange/electrodynamic reboost (MXER) tether system has been proposed as a highly fuel-efficient means to enable high-energy missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond by serving as an “upper stage in space”. The MXER tether system combines electrodynamic propulsion via a conducting tether with energy storage and a transfer mechanism to boost spacecraft from low Earth orbit to a high-energy orbit quickly, like a high-thrust rocket. One of the significant challenges in developing a momentum-exchange/electrodynamic reboost tether system is the design of a mechanism that will enable a high speed rendezvous and docking process in an energy efficient manner [1]. This paper will review two elements of the process of developing an appropriate mechanism to accommodate the MXER tether capture process. The paper will begin with the derivation of a qualitative and quantitative description about the nature of the capture window due to parameteric uncertainties in the MXER tether. The paper will then present a several candidate capture mechanisms and will evaluate their performance relative to the kinematic and dynamic aspects of performing the capture process.
Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Changes in Turfgrass Systems Using the CENTURY Model

Soil organic C (SOC) directly affects soil quality by influencing aeration and water retention and serving as a major repository and reserve source of plant nutrients. Limited information is available concerning the long-term SOC changes in turfgrass systems. The CENTURY stimulation model offers an opportunity to predict long-term SOC trends based on mathematical representations of C-cycling processes in the soil-plant systems. The objectives of this study were to (i) evaluate the ability and effectiveness of the CENTURY model to simulate the long-term SOC dynamics in highly managed turfgrass ecosystems and (ii) simulate long-term SOC changes for golf course fairway and putting green scenarios with the CENTURY model. The CENTURY model simulations near Denver and Fort Collins, CO, indicate that turfgrass systems can serve as a C sink following establishment. Model estimates are that 23 to 32 Mg ha -1 SOC were sequestered in the 0 to 20 cm below the soil surface after about 30 yr. Historic soil-testing data from parts of 16 golf courses with age ranging from 1 to 45 yr were used to compare with the simulated results. Model predictions of organic C accumulation compared reasonably well with observed SOC, with regression coefficients of 0.67 for fairways and 0.83 for putting greens. Our results suggest that the CENTURY model can be used to simulate SOC changes in turfgrass systems and has the potential to compare C sequestration under various turf management conditions. Simulation results also suggest that warming temperatures have greater degree of influence on SOC in turf systems compared with native grasslands.
A contact mechanics model for ankle implants with inclusion of surface roughness effects

Total ankle replacement is recognized as one of the best procedures to treat painful arthritic ankles. Even though this method can relieve patients from pain and reproduce the physiological functions of the ankle, an improper design can cause an excessive amount of metal debris due to wear, causing toxicity in implant recipient. This paper develops a contact model to treat the interaction of tibia and talus implants in an ankle joint. The contact model describes the interaction of implant rough surfaces including both elastic and plastic deformations. In the model, the tibia and the talus surfaces are viewed as macroscopically conforming cylinders or conforming multi-cylinders containing micrometre-scale roughness. The derived equations relate contact force on the implant and the minimum mean surface separation of the rough surfaces. The force is expressed as a statistical integral function of asperity heights over the possible region of interaction of the roughness of the tibia and the talus implant surfaces. A closed-form approximate equation relating contact force and minimum separation is used to obtain energy loss per cycle in a load–unload sequence applied to the implant. In this way implant surface statistics are related to energy loss in the implant that is responsible for internal void formation and subsequent wear and its harmful toxicity to the implant recipient.
Efficiency Modeling and Experimental Validation of a Variable Displacement Linkage Pump

The power density of hydraulic drive trains make variable displacement machines appealing to a wide range of applications such as mobile hybrid systems, displacement controlled actuation of heavy machinery, and hydrostatic transmissions for wind power. Current state of the art variable displacement pumps suffer from poor efficiencies at low displacements, thus limiting the potential benefits of hydraulic solutions. Here, a variable displacement linkage pump is presented as a promising method for achieving high efficiency across the full displacement range. In this paper, the linkage kinematics and dynamics are discussed, an energy loss model is presented and used to drive design decisions of a first generation prototype, and experimental results are presented to validate the model. It will be shown that this linkage-based, variable, positive displacement architecture shows promise as a highly efficient alternative to other axial piston machines across a wide range of displacements.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Resolving Controversies in the Application of the Method of Multiple Scales and the Generalized Method of Averaging

I compare application of the method of multiple scales with reconstitution and the generalized method of averaging for determining higher-order approximations of three single-degree-of-freedom systems and a two-degree-of-freedom system. Three implementations of the method of multiple scales are considered, namely, application of the method to the system equations expressed as second-order equations, as first-order equations, and in complex-variable form. I show that all of these methods produce the same modulation equations. I address the problem of determining higher-order approximate solutions of the Duffing equation in the case of primary resonance. I show that the conclusions of Rahman and Burton that the method of multiple scales, the generalized method of averaging, and Lie series and transforms might lead to incorrect results, in that spurious solutions occur and the obtained frequency–response curves bear little resemblance to the actual response, is the result of their using parameter values for which the neglected terms are the same order as the retained terms. I show also that spurious solutions cannot be avoided, in general, in any consistent expansion and their presence does not constitute a limitation of the methods. In particular, I show that, for the Duffing equation, the second-order frequency–response equation does not possess spurious solutions for the case of hardening nonlinearity, but possesses spurious solutions for the case of softening nonlinearity. For sufficiently small nonlinearity, the spurious solutions are far removed from the actual response. But as the strength of the nonlinearity increases, these solutions move closer to the backbone and eventually distort it. This is not a drawback of the perturbation methods but an indication of an application of the analysis for parameter values outside the range of validity of the expansion. Also, I address the problem of obtaining non-Hamiltonian modulation equations in the application of the method of multiple scales to multi-degree-of-freedom Hamiltonian systems written as second-order equations in time and how this problem can be overcome by attacking the state-space form of the governing equations. Moreover, I show that application of a variation of the method of Rahman and Burton to multi-degree-of-freedom systems leads to results that do not agree with those obtained with the generalized method of averaging.
Research and Scholarly Activity in US Anesthesiology Residencies: A Survey of Program Directors and Residents

Background. Effective 2007, the ACGME required scholarly activity during residency. Although many programs have ongoing research, residents' involvement may be limited. This US anesthesiology residency survey assesses the current scholarly environment, research activity and program support during training. Methods. Following IRB approval, 131 US anesthesiology program directors were invited to participate in a web-based survey. Questions to directors and residents included program structure, research activity, funding and productivity. We categorized residencies threefold based on their size. Results are summarized descriptively. Results. The response rate was 31.3% (𝑛=41) for program directors and 15.3% (𝑛=185) for residents. Residents' responses mirrored those of program directors' regarding the presence of didactic curricula (51% versus 51.9%), research rotations (57% versus 56.2%) and a project requirement (37% versus 40%). Demands of residency (27.0%) and early stage in training (22.2%) were the main obstacles to research cited by trainees. Residents' financial support was available in 94.3% of programs. Medium and large programs had multiple funding sources (NIH, industrial and private). Conclusion. Programs are dedicated to incorporate research into their curriculum. Residents' financial support and mentorship are available, while research time is limited. Systematic improvements are needed to increase trainee research in US anesthesiology residencies.
Sunflower Moth Larval Distribution in Sunflower Heads

The distribution and movement of sunflower moth, Homoeosoma electellum (Hulst), larvae in flowering sunflower heads was determined. Sampling was initiated 3 days after first bloom and was continued at 3-day intervals untill larval numbers substantially declined. Flowers were divided into eight sections and each section into five subsections before larvae were counted. Larval counts from adjacent eighth sections were combined to create quarters and halves. There were no statistical differences ( P < 0.05) In larval densities among eighth sections in 91% of the heads, quarter sections in 86% of the heads, and half sections in all heads sampled. Larval movement among subsections of a head was influenced by floret and seed maturation, and to a lesser degree by instar.
Architectural relationships involving symbolic substitution

A functional correspondence is shown among neural networks, symbolic substitution, digital computers, the permutation group SN, and optical correlator devices. Group and element networks are postulated. The dimensionality of the group number N is interpreted as a measure of the parallel capacity of a network. The principle of symbolic substitution is used to design S2 rules for a full binary adder, and neural model techniques are applied to produce a neural net implementing the adder. Optical neuromorphs are described for the processing nodes of the network.
Improved spectrophotometric analysis of barium styphnate

Abstract A spectrophotometric procedure to determine the purity of barium styphnate monohydrate based upon the absorbance of the styphnate ion at 326 and 413 nm has been developed. The purity is determined by comparing the absorbance of the styphnate ion in barium styphnate and styphnic acid at pH 6.8. Our investigation has shown that the molar absorptivities and maxima of the aqueous solution of styphnic acid are quite pH dependent; therefore, the pH is buffered to 6.8–7.0 with ammonium acetate. Under these conditions the molar absorptivity is (1.63±0.03)×104 1/mole cm. Analyses following the procedure in the Navy specification WS13444A using water were found to give low molar absorptivities (1.3×104 1/mole cm) for the styphnic acid calibration resulting in erroneous values for barium styphnate purity.
Effect of oxide shell growth on nano-aluminum thermite propagation rates

Abstract Flame propagation rates for nanometric particle composites of aluminum (Al) and molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) were examined. The Al particles were prepared by thermally treating the particles at 480 °C for time increments up to 180 min in oxygen and 90 min in argon. This treatment caused the aluminum passivation shell to grow and there is also evidence of shell damage due to treatment. Results reveal several interesting behaviors: flame speeds initially on the order of several hundred meters per second were reduced with damage to the oxide shell, and there is a weak dependence of the flame speed on the ratio of particle radius to shell thickness ( M ) in the range 6.1 M M down to 5.0 is consistent with a similar drop observed for adding alumina to the reactive mixture. All observations are consistent with the melt dispersion mechanism associated with Al nanoparticle oxidation.
Expression of a unique protein on colon cancer cells that reacts with a novel monoclonal antibody and ulcerative colitis serum.

We earlier developed a MoAb, 7E12H12 (IgM isotype), against a protein present in normal colonic epithelial cells. To examine if 7E12H12-reactive protein is expressed in colon cancer cells and is recognized by ulcerative colitis (UC)-associated autoantibody, we investigated several colon cancer cell lines. 7E12H12 reactivity against the cells was examined by indirect immunofluorescence assay and whole cell ELISA against six colon cancer cell lines HT-29, LoVo, COLO 205, DLD-1, LS 180 and SW 1116. A competitive ELISA was developed using 7E12H12 MoAb and patients' serum to examine the cross-reactive antibodies in the serum. Among the six colon cancer cell lines only LS 180, DLD-1 and SW 1116 reacted with 7E12H12 MoAb, while others did not. The mean (+/- s.e.m.) inhibition of the binding of 7E12H12 MoAb to LS 180 cells by UC serum (n = 51) was 42 +/- 2.1%, whereas in normal subjects (n = 17) it was 14 +/- 2.6%, in Crohn's disease (n = 19) it was 15.3 +/- 2.5%, in infectious diarrhoea (n = 10) it was 11% +/- 3%, and in systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 10) it was 2% +/- 0.6%. The inhibition by the UC group was significantly (P < 0.001 - < 0.0001) higher than any of the non-UC groups, and this inhibition was mainly by IgG1 antibody. The protein in the specific colon cancer cells recognized by the 7E12H12 MoAb cross-reacts with UC-IgG1 antibody and may provide an in vitro system to examine the autoimmune mechanisms in UC.
Effects of daily SKF 38393, quinpirole, and SCH 23390 treatments on locomotor activity and subsequent sensitivity to apomorphine.

In three experiments, male Wistar rats (250–350 g) were injected (SC) daily with the D1-type dopamine receptor agonist, SKF 38393 (0.0, 4.0, 8.0, or 16.0 mg/kg), the D2-type dopamine receptor agonist, quinpirole (0.0, 0.3, or 3.0 mg/kg), and/or the D1-type dopamine receptor antagonist, SCH 23390 (0.0 or 0.5 mg/kg) for 8–10 days. After each daily injection, the rats were tested for locomotor activity in photocell arenas for 20 min. Following this subchronic pretreatment, all rats were challenged with the mixed dopamine receptor agonist apomorphine (1.0 mg/kg, SC) and tested for locomotor activity. SKF 38393 treatments produced a dose-dependent decrease in locomotor activity which did not significantly change across days. Quinpirole also depressed locomotor activity when first injected, but this quinpirole-induced inhibition of activity progressively decreased across days. When subsequently challenged with apomorphine, rats in both the SKF 38393 and the quinpirole pretreatment groups displayed greater locomotor activity than rats pretreated with only vehicle. Although SCH 23390 pretreatments did not affect subsequent sensitivity to apomorphine, SCH 23390 completely blocked the effect of quinpirole. These results suggest that although repeated D1 receptor stimulation may be sufficient to induce behavioral sensitization to apomorphine, D2 receptor stimulation also contributes to the effect.
Estimating the uncertainty in the estimated mean area under the ROC curve of a classifier

This article considers the problem of binary classification and its assessment in a distribution-free approach. We estimate the area under the ROC curve (a more general performance metric than the error rate) of a classifier using a bootstrap-based estimator. We then use the method of the influence function to estimate the uncertainty of that estimate from the very same bootstrap samples. Monte Carlo trials show that small-sample estimates can be obtained with little bias.
Temporal and Seasonal Variations of the Hot Spring Basin Hydrothermal System, Yellowstone National Park, USA

Monitoring Yellowstone National Park’s hydrothermal systems and establishing hydrothermal baselines are the main goals of an ongoing collaborative effort between Yellowstone National Park’s Geology program and Utah State University’s Remote Sensing Services Laboratory. During the first years of this research effort, improvements were made in image acquisition, processing and calibration. In 2007, a broad-band, forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera (8–12 microns) provided reliable airborne images for a hydrothermal baseline of the Hot Spring Basin hydrothermal system. From 2008 to 2011, night-time, airborne thermal infrared image acquisitions during September yielded temperature maps that established the temporal variability of the hydrothermal system. A March 2012 airborne image acquisition provided an initial assessment of seasonal variability. The consistent, high-spatial resolution imagery (~1 m) demonstrates that the technique is robust and repeatable for generating corrected (atmosphere and emissivity) and calibrated temperature maps of the Hot Spring Basin hydrothermal system. Atmospheric conditions before and at flight-time determine the usefulness of the thermal infrared imagery for geohydrologic applications, such as hydrothermal monitoring. Although these ground-surface temperature maps are easily understood, quantification of radiative heat from the Hot Spring Basin hydrothermal system is an estimate of the system’s total energy output. Area is a key parameter for calculating the hydrothermal system’s heat output. Preliminary heat calculations suggest a radiative heat output of ~56 MW to 62 MW for the central Hot Spring Basin hydrothermal system. Challenges still remain in removing the latent solar component within the calibrated, atmospherically adjusted, and emissivity corrected night-time imagery.
Human Factors Underlying the Design of Reading Aids for the Blind

The design of low-cost devices, which will sense and encode a printed page in such a way that the unfamiliar output can be learned, perceived, and readily understood by a blind person, poses fundamental questions about the information processing capabilities of the human brain for which there are at present no clear answers. To circumvent these difficulties at the sacrifice of low cost, machines-synthesized speech has been adopted, and a number of reading machines employing this output have been planned and are in the process of being built. Nevertheless, despite the fact that many of the fundamental coding problems will be avoided by this procedure, it must be recognized that the sighted reader achieves high reading speeds and good comprehension by means of a complex scanning strategy, and that to realize the fullest advantages of the speech medium, the blind reader will have to be capable of exercising flexible motor control over the output of his reading machine.
Human IL6 enhances leptin action in mice

Aims/hypothesis Interleukin-6 is an inflammatory cytokine with pleiotropic effects upon nutrient homeostasis. Many reports show that circulating IL6 correlates with obesity and contributes to insulin resistance; however, IL6 can promote energy expenditure that improves glucose homeostasis.
Risk factors for alcohol use among male adolescents and emerging adults in Haiti

This study examined risk factors associated with alcohol use in the past 3 months among young men aged 15-24 in Haiti using data from the 2000 Enquete Mortalite, Morbidite et Utilization des Services. Findings indicate that life-time smoking, multiple sexual partnerships, witnessing inter-parental conflict in childhood, disruption of parental monitoring, and residing in communities with high levels of youth drinking differentiated experimenters from abstainers. Youth out-of-school employment and co-residence with adults who had a history of drunkenness were among risk factors associated with regular alcohol use. The greater was the number of risk factors to which a young man was exposed, the higher were the probabilities of alcohol experimentation and regular use. The findings call for prevention strategies at the family and community levels and for initiatives that focus on sexual and non-sexual individual behaviour change.
EEG phenotype in alcoholism: increased coherence in the depressive subtype.

Objective: Electroencephalography (EEG) power and coherence changes may be trait markers for alcoholism providing clues to brain mechanisms of vulnerability. However, it is unclear whether alpha power and coherence differences reflect reversible toxic or withdrawal effects of alcohol. Method: The EEGs of 10 non-abstinent and 16 long-term abstinent alcoholics (7.7 ± 5.8 years) and 25 controls were analyzed. Levels of anxiety and depression were assessed by questionnaire. Results: No statistically significant EEG power differences were observed between groups, although the numerical difference between alcoholics and controls was similar to that previously reported. Bilateral, intrahemispheric, posterior coherences were significantly increased in the alpha and beta frequency bands both in long-term abstinent and non-abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects – particularly when depressiveness was included as a covariate. Conclusion: These results suggest that increased EEG-coherence (cortical synchronization) may serve as endophenotype for alcoholism in conjunction with increased depressiveness and point to a possible involvement of GABAergic and/or glutamatergic neurotransmission.
Evaluation of JPEG and Wavelet Compression of Body CT Images for Direct Digital Teleradiologic Transmission

PURPOSE: To determine acceptable levels of JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) and wavelet compression for teleradiologic transmission of body computed tomographic (CT) images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A digital test pattern (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, 512 × 512 matrix) was transmitted after JPEG or wavelet compression by using point-to-point and Web-based teleradiology, respectively. Lossless, 10:1 lossy, and 20:1 lossy ratios were tested. Images were evaluated for high- and low-contrast resolution, sensitivity to small signal differences, and misregistration artifacts. Three independent observers who were blinded to the compression scheme evaluated these image quality measures in 20 clinical cases with similar levels of compression. RESULTS: High-contrast resolution was not diminished with any tested level of JPEG or wavelet compression. With JPEG compression, low-contrast resolution was not lost with 10:1 lossy compression but was lost at 3% modulation with 20:1 lossy compres...
Proton-coupled electron transfer in the oxidation of guanines by an aromatic pyrenyl radical cation in aqueous solutions

Electron transfer reactions between nucleic acid residues in DNA and strong oxidants are often the critical initial steps that initiate oxidative, irreversible DNA damage. Employing laser flash photolysis transient absorption spectroscopic techniques, we investigated the characteristics of electron transfer reactions in aqueous solutions between the 2′-deoxynucleoside 5′-monophosphates, dGMP, dAMP, dCMP and dTMP and a representative one-electron oxidant. The latter was a radical cation of a pyrene derivative with enhanced water-solubility, 7,8,9,10-tetrahydroxytetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPT). The BPT radical cation BPT•+, was generated by intense nanosecond laser pulse (308 or 355 nm, 50–70 mJ pulse−1 cm−2) by a non-linear consecutive two-photon absorption process. No electron transfer reactions were observed with dAMP, dTMP and dCMP, consistent with their unfavorable redox potentials. However, BPT•+ efficiently oxidized dGMP with a rate constant kb=1.7±0.1)×109 M−1 s−1, which is smaller than the diffusion-controlled value by a factor of only ∽3. The dGMP(-H)• neutral radicals formed on time scales of a few microseconds, were identified by their characteristic transient absorption spectrum (λmax∽310 mn). The rate constant of electron transfer from dGMP to BPT•+ was smaller in D2O by a factor of ∽1.5 than in H2O. This kinetic isotope effect indicates that the electron transfer reaction from dGMP to BPT•+ is accompanied by the deprotonation of dGMP•+, and therefore appears to be a proton-coupled electron transfer reaction.
An Approximate Analytical Solution for the Elasto-Plastic Contact of the Non-Isotropic Rough Surfaces

The contact mechanics models incorporate various integral expressions that involve the probability density functions of the asperity heights. These integrals can be calculated numerically with the desired accuracy, however, in the practical applications of the contact mechanics, the computations are already quite time consuming. Consequently, various authors have proposed approximate solutions, mostly for the isotropic contact mechanics models. The current paper presents an approximate solution for the non-isotropic elasto-plastic model proposed by Horng. The probability density of the asperity heights is approximated, so the integrals that describe the elastic contact, as well as the integrals that describe the plastic contact, can be obtained as closed form expressions. Finally, the plastic supported load and the elastic supported load for the non-isotropic roughness are expressed using the gap, the spectral moments of the roughness and the plasticity index.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Studies on the Kinetic Mechanism and Salt Activation of Bovine Brain Choline Acetyltransferase

: :The kinetic mechanism of bovine brain choline acetyltransferase has been studied using acetylaminocholine as a dead-end inhibitor and di-methylaminoethanol as an alternate substrate. Acetylaminocholine inhibition is competitive with respect to acetylcholine and noncompetitive with respect to choline. Dimethylaminoethanol exhibits one-sixth the Vmax obtained with choline. These results suggest that the reaction obeys a sequential random kinetic mechanism. Salt activation of the enzyme is nonspecific with respect to monovalent anions, and results in a parallel increase in the Km for choline and the Ki for acetylcholine. These results support the conclusion that salt activation of choline acetyltransferase is a nonspecific effect and that no specific chloride ion regulation of this enzyme occurs in vivo.
Estimation of thermal dose from MR thermometry during application of nonablative pulsed high intensity focused ultrasound.

Purpose—To evaluate whether MR thermometry is sufficiently fast, accurate, and spatially resolved for monitoring the thermal safety of non-ablative pulsed HIFU (pHIFU) treatments. Materials and Methods—A combination of real MR thermometry data and modeling was used to analyze the effects of temporal and spatial averaging as well as noise on the peak temperatures and thermal doses that would be measured by MR thermometry. Results—MR thermometry systematically underestimates the temperature and thermal doses during pHIFU treatment. Small underestimates of peak temperature can lead to large underestimates of thermal dose. Spatial averaging errors are small for ratios of pixel dimension to heating zone radius less than 0.25, which may be achieved by reducing the voxel size or steering the acoustic beam. Thermal dose might also be underestimated for very short, high power pulses due to temporal averaging. A simple correction factor based on the applied power and duty cycle may be applied to determine the upper bound of this effect. Conclusion—The temperature and thermal dose measured using MR thermometry during pulsed HIFU treatment is probably sufficinet in most instances. Simple corrections may be used to calculate an upper bound where this is a critical factor.
USE OF CYCLODEXTRINS AND FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY TO PROBE THE DUAL FLUORESCENCE OF 9-ANTHROIC ACID

We report here a study of 9-anthroic acid (9-anthracenecarboxylic acid) in aqueous and solid solutions of β-cyclodextrin in which we demonstrate the use of cyclodextrins, in combination with fluorescence spectroscopy, to probe molecular processes. The dual fluorescence of 9-anthroic acid is dependent on the pH, the solvent, and the concentration of the acid. The origin of this dual fluorescence has been a point of controversy for many years. The small cavity of β-cyclodextrin cannot include more than one 9-anthroic acid molecule and is used in this study to distinguish between a unimolecular and bimolecular model for the dual fluorescence of 9-anthroic acid. The formation of a host/guest inclusion complex of 9-anthroic acid with β-cyclodextrin should reduce the presence of dimers, and as a result, a decrease in the corresponding fluorescence intensity would be expected if aggregation is the source of the observed dual fluorescence. However, we have observed that the broad fluorescence, which some have pre...
So close, and yet so far: cross-racial interactions among undergraduate students in two neighboring borderland communities

This article discusses two studies on the extent and nature of cross-racial interactions (CRIs) among undergraduate students from two neighboring US–Mexico borderland communities. Of the four participating higher education institutions, two were adjacent to the US–Mexico borderline, while the other two were 45 miles away from the borderline. One study relied on survey responses from over 900 students, while the other relied on focus group data from over 30 students. The participating students were from two universities and two community colleges. Although the students shared some common experiences and attitudes, there were some marked and important differences among them. These differences made a compelling argument for localizing what diversity means and customizing efforts to foster CRIs on college campuses.
Strong effect of dispersal network structure on ecological dynamics

A central question in ecology with great importance for management, conservation and biological control is how changing connectivity affects the persistence and dynamics of interacting species. Researchers in many disciplines have used large systems of coupled oscillators to model the behaviour of a diverse array of fluctuating systems in nature. In the well-studied regime of weak coupling, synchronization is favoured by increases in coupling strength and large-scale network structures (for example 'small worlds') that produce short cuts and clustering. Here we show that, by contrast, randomizing the structure of dispersal networks in a model of predators and prey tends to favour asynchrony and prolonged transient dynamics, with resulting effects on the amplitudes of population fluctuations. Our results focus on synchronization and dynamics of clusters in models, and on timescales, more appropriate for ecology, namely smaller systems with strong interactions outside the weak-coupling regime, rather than the better-studied cases of large, weakly coupled systems. In these smaller systems, the dynamics of transients and the effects of changes in connectivity can be well understood using a set of methods including numerical reconstructions of phase dynamics, examinations of cluster formation and the consideration of important aspects of cyclic dynamics, such as amplitude.
Current Progress in Silicate Structures

Attention is called to the value to be derived from application of diffraction analysis of modern grade to specific, familiar, approximately known crystallizations. Features consequent to ordering of coordination polyhedra of differing sizes in layer structures are discussed, and their bearing upon relations between lattice parameters and chemical compositions are outlined.
Oyster Farming in North America

The history of oyster culture in North America is reviewed. Japan's oyster culture is discussed, and the advantages of off-bottom culture are given.
Agricultural Medicine Core Course: Building Capacity for Health and Safety Professionals

ABSTRACT In 1987 the University of Iowa began training health care professionals to care for farmers' occupational health needs. The training enables health professionals from various disciplines to function in the anticipation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of occupational illnesses and injuries in the farm community. A grant from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) entitled “Building Capacity for Health and Safety Professionals” allowed for the expansion of this training to other states. This paper describes the challenges, successes, and lessons learned from dissemination of Agricultural Medicine Core Course.
Factors influencing consent to having videotaped mental health sessions.

Objective The authors critically reviewed the literature regarding factors influencing consent to having videotaped mental health sessions.
Dynamic crystallization of cocoa butter. I. characterization of simple lipids in rapid- and slow-nucleating cocoa butters and their seed crystals

Six cocoa butters with different crystallization induction times and their seed crystals were analyzed for simple lipid composition. The rapid-nucleating cocoa butter samples had higher concentrations of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-3-stearoylglycerol and 1,3-stearoyl-2-oleoylglycerol (SOS), and lower concentrations of the diunsaturated triacylglycerols, 1-palmitoyl-2,3-oleoylglycerol and 1-stearoyl-2,3-oleoylglycerol, as well as higher stearic acid concentrations within their diacylglycerol fractions when compared to the slow-nucleating samples. At the early stages of crystallization, under agitation conditions at 26.5°C, cocoa butters solidified into two fractions, high-melting and low-melting. The low-melting fractions were composed of polymorphs IV and V of cocoa butter, as indicated by the onset melting temperatures of the endotherms from differential scanning calorimetry. The high-melting fractions, which had wide melting ranges, had peak maxima of 38.5–52.2°C. Seed crystals isolated at the early stage of crystallization were characterized by high concentrations of complex lipids, saturated triacylglycerols, saturated fatty acid-rich diacylglycerols, and monoacylglycerols. The rapid-nucleating seed crystals had higher concentrations of SOS when compared to their respective cocoa butters. The slow-nucleating seed crystals did not exhibit this characteristic.
Fungal cellulase and hemicellulase prediction of forage digestibility.

An enzymatic procedure using Trichoderma viride carbohydrases, a fungal hemicellulase, and pepsin was developed to provide a laboratory method for predicting forage digestibility. The amount of forage dry matter solubilized by enzymes and incubation buffer was less than that in vivo or by in vitro fermentation by rumen microorganisms. Total forage dry matter solubilized by the enzymatic procedure was correlated (.92) with in vitro digestibility. Simple correlation coefficients between in vivo true digestibility of 18 forages and total dry matter solubilized by enzymes and buffer was .87; that soluble in the buffer only, .65; and that solubilized by the enzymes, .82. Correlation coefficients with in vivo true digestible amount of cell-wall and protein were greater when the forage species were considered separately than when pooled together. With this restriction, the enzymatic procedure can be a useful method for predicting forage digestibility. Fermentations with rumen inoculum however, provided more accurate predictions of in vivo digestibility in a variety of forage species.
Answering XML queries using materialized views revisited

Answering queries using views is a well-established technique in databases. In this context, two outstanding problems can be formulated. The first one consists in deciding whether a query can be answered exclusively using one or multiple materialized views. Given the many alternative ways to compute the query from the materialized views, the second problem consists in finding the best way to compute the query from the materialized views. In the realm of XML, there is a restricted number of contributions in the direction of these problems due to the many limitations associated with the use of materialized views in traditional XML query evaluation models. In this paper, we adopt a recent evaluation model, called inverted lists model, and holistic algorithms which together have been established as the prominent technique for evaluating queries on large persistent XML data, and we address the previous two problems. This new context revises these problems since it requires new conditions for view usability and new techniques for computing queries from materialized views. We suggest an original approach for materializing views which stores for every view node only the list of XML nodes necessary for computing the answer of the view. We specify necessary and sufficient conditions for answering a tree-pattern query using one or multiple materialized views in terms of homomorphisms from the views to the query. In order to efficiently answer queries using materialized views, we design a stack-based algorithm which compactly encodes in polynomial time and space all the homomorphisms from a view to a query. We further propose space and time optimizations by using bitmaps to encode view materializations and by employing bitwise operations to minimize the evaluation cost of the queries. Finally, we conducted an extensive experimentation which demonstrates that our approach yields impressive query hit rates in the view pool, achieves significant time and space savings and shows smooth scalability.
A superlinearly convergent predictor-corrector method for degenerate LCP in a wide neighborhood of the central path with $$O(\sqrt{n}L)$$-iteration complexity

An interior point method for monotone linear complementarity problems acting in a wide neighborhood of the central path is presented. The method has *-iteration complexity and is superlinearly convergent even when the problem does not possess a strictly complementary solution.
On the universal embedding of the near-hexagon forU 4(3)

A new proof that the universal embedding of the near-hexagon geometry ofU4(3) over F2 is 21 dimensional. The proof avoids use of modular representation theory.