cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-E-T-328: 3D Extrusion Based Printing of Custom Bolus Using a Non-Invasive and Low Cost Method

Purpose: To create precise patient specific bolus for an irregular surface using a non‐invasive and low cost method of 3D printing. Methods: An infrared camera (Microsoft Kinect) is used to obtain a 3D model patients' face in real‐time (ReconstructMe). Image processing such as reorienting non‐manifold surfaces, smoothing, and filling holes is performed to refine the model using freely available software (Meshlab, Netfab). The bolus was constructed by two methods using a 3D Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) extrusion based printer. The 1st method used was to print out a 1:1 scale model of the patient's nose, and construct the bolus using wax on face model. The 2nd method used was to create a digital model of the bolus material to the specifications of the physician (depth, size). This bolus can either be printed solid, or with a low infill percentage and filled with wax to save print time. Results: Average scan time to obtain face model is 5 minutes (+/−2 minutes). Image processing varies on model, around 30 minutes. Print time ranges from 1–4 hours. The physicist time requirement to manufacture bolus material is greatly reduced compared to producing a physical mold of patient's anatomy. Patient comfort is greatly increased. Both wax bolus and ABS bolus are highly conformal to patient's face. A CT is not necessary to create our bolus material, however a CT performed on the bolus alone demonstrated high HU homogeneity (HU range).Startup costs range from $1000–$3000 dollars, depending on model and capabilities of the extruder. Typical material cost is around $3–$10 per patient depending on bolus volume. Conclusion: Highly irregular surfaces can be digitally modeled with high precision. Patient specific bolus can be made quickly, inexpensively, and without complex imaging.
Electromagnetic scattering analysis on a hypercube parallel architecture

The applicability of a parallel architecture to the solution of large electromagnetic scattering problems is demonstrated. Two techniques, finite difference and the method of moments, are used to provide insight into the comparative speedups which can be attained for several algorithms. The flexibility of the hypercube architecture for different analysis algorithms is illustrated.
Reliability based design optimization using response surfaces in application to multidisciplinary systems

Traditionally, reliability based design optimization (RBDO) is formulated as a nested optimization problem. For these problems the objective is to minimize a cost function while satisfying the reliability constraints. The reliability constraints are usually formulated as constraints on the probability of failure corresponding to each of the failure modes or a single constraint on the system probability of failure. The probability of failure is usually estimated by performing a reliability analysis. The difficulty in evaluating reliability constraints comes from the fact that modern reliability analysis methods are themselves formulated as an optimization problem. Solving such nested optimization problems is extremely expensive for large scale multidisciplinary systems which are likewise computationally intensive. In this research, a framework for performing reliability based multidisciplinary design optimization using approximations is developed. Response surface approximations (RSA) of the limit state fu...
Intrinsic hydrodynamics with applications to space-time fluids

Cartan's methods of exterior differential forms are utilized to derive conformal and absolute conservation equations for various field quantities in relativistic hydromechanics. In particular, Fridman's results for the conservation of vector lines are extended to space time situations. The invariance concepts of Helmholtz and Bernoulli are formulated for arbitrary frames of reference, and the separate conservation concepts of total mass and total number in space time are distinguished and associated with the concept of turbulence.
Near-Minimum-Time Control of a Flexible Manipulator

Near-minimum-time control of flexible manipulators can be accomplished by designing a controller that tracks a reference maneuver. The control method presented here uses a near-minimum-time rigid-link reference maneuver to generate reference control torques and a Liapunov controller to make the flexible manipulator track the reference maneuver while reducing and eventually eliminating flexible motions. The near-minimumtime reference maneuver uses a smoothed bang-bang control plus a term to cancel the nonlinear dynamics of the rigid manipulator. The Liapunov function is a weighted sum of the energies of the elements of the flexible manipulator, and the control law is chosen to make the rate of change of the Liapunov function negative. The Liapunov function is bounded during a maneuver and decays asymptotically after the maneuver ends. RECISE control of a manipulator is an important aspect of robot performance. In the past, this has led to the design of very stiff links for manipulators, which also leads to very heavy links, large motors, and slow response. To avoid these problems, lighter and more flexible manipulators will require advanced control strategies. This work builds on results from the control of rigid robots1 and the control of flexible structures. Fujii and Ishijima2 developed a globally stable Liapunov controller to reorient a structure composed of a rigid hub and a flexible appendage. Junkins et al. 3 extended this control law to track a reference maneuver and showed that the Liapunov function is bounded during the maneuver and decays asymptotically to zero after the maneuver ends. Using a Gibbs phenomenon analysis, Baruh and Tadikonda4 have shown that using smoothed control torque profiles as in Ref. 3 reduces the excitation of the flexible modes during a maneuver. Experimental work in this area is also being done.5'6 In this work, we demonstrate that the control design procedure of Ref. 3 can be developed, using work-energy relations, and we extend it to a multibody case, using a planar two-link manipulator to demonstrate the procedure. A schematic diagram of the manipulator is shown in Fig. 1. The control law developed for the two-link manipulator allows the flexible motions to be stabilized without any finite-dimensional estimation of the flexible modes, thus avoiding any spillover problems.
Prey selection and efficiency of naïve and experienced juvenile sockeye salmon

Prey selection and growth efficiency of juvenile sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka switched between live prey and pelleted diets were investigated. First feeding sockeye salmon fry were placed into one of three dietary treatments for 7 months prior to assessing potential differences with a growth and a behavioural assay. Dietary treatments were (1) adult Artemia franciscana for 1 month, followed by pelleted feed for an additional 6 months (Art− BD), (2) pelleted feed from first feeding for 7 months (BD) and (3) adult A. franciscana for 1 month, and a combination of pelleted feed and live adult A. franciscana for 6 months (Art+ BD). Equal numbers from each treatment group were then tagged, pooled into replicate ‘common garden’ tanks and fed novel live prey items (Daphnia sp. and mosquito Culex pipiens larvae) for an additional 3 weeks. No significant differences in the growth efficiency of sockeye salmon were found during the 3 week feeding trial on the novel prey items. Additional sockeye salmon from each dietary treatment were used in a behavioural assay to determine if the treatments had an impact on foraging efficiency (prey selection or time to capture prey). No significant differences in prey selection were found among treatment groups in time to capture pellets, A. franciscana or mosquito larvae. Also, no significant differences were found within treatment groups in time to capture different food sources. No substantive benefits in foraging efficiency of sockeye salmon associated with prior exposure to live prey were demonstrated. This suggests that altering existing hatchery practices for juvenile sockeye salmon by offering live food prior to release is unlikely to influence post-hatchery feeding behaviour or increase post-release survival.
The effect of year-long instruction in mathematical problem solving on middle-school students' attitudes, beliefs, and abilities

Abstract Three classes of middle-school students who received 1 year of problem-solving instruction were compared with 3 classes of students who were taught mathematics in a more traditional manner. At the end of the school year, all the students completed a questionnaire that explored their mathematical beliefs. In addition, 3 students of varying ability levels per class were interviewed and asked to solve 4 nonroutine problems. Compared with the students who had received traditional mathematics instruction, the students who had received problem-solving instruction displayed greater perseverance in solving problems, more positive attitudes about the usefulness of mathematics, and more sophisticated definitions of mathematical understanding. A limitation of the problem-solving instruction is that the students tended to equate problem solving with the problem-solving skills they had learned, seeing them as “rules” to solve all problems. The implications of these findings for the reform of mathematics instr...
Modification of Multiresolution Feature Analysis for Application to Three-Dimensional Atmospheric Wind Fields

Abstract Multiresolution feature analysis (MFA), as originally proposed for estimating the fractal dimension of two-dimensional scalar fields, is described. MFA applies specified correlation filters to a data field (such as a gray-scale image) at different resolutions and examines the scaling of the intensities of the spatial peaks in the filter outputs at the different scales. These scaling properties can be related to different types of fractal dimension. One attractive aspect of MFA is that it gives the analyst flexibility to choose physically significant features for filtering. This paper describes the original MFA technique and then extends the technique from two-dimensional scalar fields to two-dimensional vector fields. In principle, the three-dimensional vector applications allow the estimation of the fractal dimension of the support for turbulent fluctuations but there are limitations on the applicability of the methodology, which are discussed. MFA requires definition of physically significant f...
The evolution of the avalonian plate

Abstract The Avalon Platform of Newfoundland is the type locality of the Avalonian plate, that is characterized by late Precambrian volcanic and clastic rocks, marine at the bottom and terrestrial at the top. All are intruded by 650-550 Ma granites. Late Precambrian rocks in the southern British Isles are similar. In both areas, northeastern parts of the belt are affected by deformation and metamorphism that have orogenic aspects. The orogeny is referred to as the Avalonian in Newfoundland and Monian in Britain. To the southeast of the Avalonian rocks in Europe lies another late Precambrian (Cadomian) orogenic belt of rocks. As a part of the Pan-African orogenic belt the Cadomian and Avalonian belts extend into North Africa (Morocco). Since these belts are ophiolite-bearing, it is suggested that the plate was bordered by oceanic domains. It is, therefore, proposed that a microcontinental volcanic arc, that was generated in the late Precambrian, was orogenically deformed by collision with North America, Europe and Africa and survived as a coherent terrain until the late Carboniferous.
Digital Archiving in the Context of Cultural Change

The term 'archiving' has its origins in the context of the printing press. As our social constructs change and evolve with the advent and ubiquity of the network, it is necessary to recognize that established terms can hamper adjusting to the inevitable evolution.
Periodontal disease, bacteria, and pulpal histopathology.

Abstract Sixty teeth with various degrees of periodontal disease were extracted and studied histologically in order to determine the effect of periodontal disease on the pulp. Pathologic changes occurred in the pulp tissue when periodontal disease was present, but the pulp did not succumb as long as the main canal—the major pathway of circulation—was not involved. The cumulative effect of periodontal disease on the pulp was manifested by pulpal inflammation, calcifications, apposition of calcified tissue, and resorption. Pulpal inflammation from involved lateral canals or root caries will damage the pulp, but total disintegration apparently occurs only when all main apical foramina are involved by bacterial plaque.
Synthesis and turnover of rna in the 30-s nuclear ribonucleoprotein complexes of mouse ascites cells.

Abstract Incorporation of [3H]uridine into RNA of Taper ascites hepatoma and some strains of Ehrlich ascites tumor proceeded in vivo in a pulse manner without the requirement for a chase with unlabeled uridine. The specific activity of the RNA approached its maximal value approx. 10 min after an intraperitoneal injection of [3H]uridine and changed only slightly within the following 3 h. However, sedimentation analysis, nucleic acid annealing studies and actinomycin chase experiments indicated that despite the constant specific activity of total nuclear RNA, there was a redistribution of radioactivity from heterogeneous unstable RNA into progressively more stable species, including 45-S and 32-S rRNA. Ribonucleoprotein complexes were extracted in buffered salts at pH 8 from isolated nuclei of mouse liver and ascites tumor cells. Unlike normal liver extracts which contained particles sedimenting at 30, 45 and 60 S with some heavier complexes a relatively homogeneous 30-S component only was found in extracts from Taper ascites hepatoma nuclei. The ascites 30-S ribonucleoproteins were maximally labeled by [3H]uridine shortly after the plateau of labelling of nuclear RNA was attained, and at this time contained a major fraction of the total pulse-labeled RNA. Labeled RNA in the 30-S ribonucleoprotein was turned over with a half-life of 15–20 min, leaving a minor labeled fraction of considerably greater stability. The RNA of the complex was DNA-like in composition and we detected no direct kinetic relationship to rRNA synthesis or to labeled cytoplasmic RNA. The 30-S ribonucleoprotein contained nucleus-specific RNA sequences at the peak of labeling.
Universal amplitude ratios for two-dimensional melting on smooth and periodic substrates

Universal amplitude ratios in the theory of continuous dislocation-mediated melting are calculated. Measurement of these ratios can serve as an additional test of the theory of melting of two-dimensional solids on smooth and periodic substrates.
The effect of previous storage temperatures on the quality of dehydrated potatoes

Potatoes of several varities were stored at 60°, 50°, 40°, and 32°F. When removed from storage the sugar content of those from the two highest temperatures was low, from 40° it was intermediate, and from 32° excessively high. When these potatoes were dehydrated the highest quality was found in those from 60° and 50° storage where the sugar content was low. In those from 40° storage the quality was mostly good to fair, and from 32° the quality was invariably poor to very poor. These last were sweet, soggy, and badly discolored or scorched due to caramelization of much of the excess sugar.
Elder Self-Neglect — How Can a Physician Help?

Clinicians often expend considerable effort caring for elderly patients who neglect their own needs. But there are some practical approaches to the clinical care of self-neglecting patients.
Tissue selectivity and potential clinical applications of trenbolone (17β-hydroxyestra-4,9,11-trien-3-one): A potent anabolic steroid with reduced androgenic and estrogenic activity

Recently, the development of selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) has been suggested as a means of combating the deleterious catabolic effects of hypogonadism, especially in skeletal muscle and bone, without inducing the undesirable androgenic effects (e.g., prostate enlargement and polycythemia) associated with testosterone administration. 17β-Hydroxyestra-4,9,11-trien-3-one (trenbolone; 17β-TBOH), a synthetic analog of testosterone, may be capable of inducing SARM-like effects as it binds to androgen receptors (ARs) with approximately three times the affinity of testosterone and has been shown to augment skeletal muscle mass and bone growth and reduce adiposity in a variety of mammalian species. In addition to its direct actions through ARs, 17β-TBOH may also exert anabolic effects by altering the action of endogenous growth factors or inhibiting the action of glucocorticoids. Compared to testosterone, 17β-TBOH appears to induce less growth in androgen-sensitive organs which highly express the 5α reductase enzyme (e.g., prostate tissue and accessory sex organs). The reduced androgenic effects result from the fact that 17β-TBOH is metabolized to less potent androgens in vivo; while testosterone undergoes tissue-specific biotransformation to more potent steroids, dihydrotestosterone and 17β-estradiol, via the 5α-reductase and aromatase enzymes, respectively. Thus the metabolism of 17β-TBOH provides a basis for future research evaluating its safety and efficacy as a means of combating muscle and bone wasting conditions, obesity, and/or androgen insensitivity syndromes in humans, similar to that of other SARMs which are currently in development.
The free radical oxidation of polyunsaturated lecithins

Two unsymmetric polyunsaturated lecithins were allowed to air oxidize and the primary products of autoxidation were isolated and characterized. 1-Palmitic-2-linoleic-phosphatidylcholine undergoes significant oxidation after 16 hr at room temperature under air. A new phospholipid product may be isolated by reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and this HPLC fraction is shown to be made up of lipid hydroperoxides formed by free radical oxidation of the homoconjugated diene of the linoleate component of the lecithin. 1-Stearic-2-arachidonic-phosphatidylcholine undergoes a similar oxidation with the arachidonate polyunsaturated functionality being oxidized. The structure of the oxidation products was established by reduction of hydroperoxide with triphenylphosphine, snake venom hydrolysis of the C-2 ester, and HPLC analysis of the resulting hydroxy fatty acids or their methyl esters.
Emergent Integration in Contemporary Personality Psychology

Abstract I argue that a good deal of integration is taking place within personality psychology today, prompted in part by researchers taking fresh looks at ideas that have been around for some time. I illustrate this assertion by describing several examples of re-emergent ideas. One re-emergent idea which finds applications many areas of personality and social psychology is the notion that human beings have distinct approach and avoidance systems. Another set of ideas that is re-emerging is psychoanalytic theory, a phenomenon that is attributable in part to an enhanced realization of this theory's roots in evolutionary theory. A third re-emergent theme (again with many applications) is that personality is social. Fresh looks at these various ideas provide active research areas, but also provide new lenses to use in viewing other research areas.
Vibration And Damping Of A Bonded Tubular Lap Joint

Abstract In this paper, a mathematical model to study the transverse vibration and damping of an adhesively bonded tubular lap joint is presented. The governing equations of motion of the system for the case of forced vibration are first derived using the energy method and Hamilton's principle. It is assumed that the energy dissipated by the joint system is contributed by both the shear and bending deformation of the adhesive layer. By using the finite difference method, the numerical solutions of the governing equations for free vibration under fixed-fixed boundary conditions are obtained. The effects of structural parameters and material properties of the adhesive layer on the system modal loss factors and resonance frequencies are also studied.
OPERATIONAL GAMING AND DECISION SIMULATION

A game is a model or gross replica of the major decisions and environmental forces influencing decision-making that exist in the operation of some purposive enterprise. Individuals or teams of players compete against one another and against the environment in playing a game: (a) by making decisions regarding operations in the simulated enterprise; (b) by seeing the effects of these decisions upon the model; then,(c) by living with the results of their decisions in subsequent rounds of decision-making practice.
Optimization of parameters for semiempirical methods VI: more modifications to the NDDO approximations and re-optimization of parameters.

Modern semiempirical methods are of sufficient accuracy when used in the modeling of molecules of the same type as used as reference data in the parameterization. Outside that subset, however, there is an abundance of evidence that these methods are of very limited utility. In an attempt to expand the range of applicability, a new method called PM7 has been developed. PM7 was parameterized using experimental and high-level ab initio reference data, augmented by a new type of reference data intended to better define the structure of parameter space. The resulting method was tested by modeling crystal structures and heats of formation of solids. Two changes were made to the set of approximations: a modification was made to improve the description of noncovalent interactions, and two minor errors in the NDDO formalism were rectified. Average unsigned errors (AUEs) in geometry and ΔHf for PM7 were reduced relative to PM6; for simple gas-phase organic systems, the AUE in bond lengths decreased by about 5 % and the AUE in ΔHf decreased by about 10 %; for organic solids, the AUE in ΔHf dropped by 60 % and the reduction was 33.3 % for geometries. A two-step process (PM7-TS) for calculating the heights of activation barriers has been developed. Using PM7-TS, the AUE in the barrier heights for simple organic reactions was decreased from values of 12.6 kcal/mol-1 in PM6 and 10.8 kcal/mol-1 in PM7 to 3.8 kcal/mol-1. The origins of the errors in NDDO methods have been examined, and were found to be attributable to inadequate and inaccurate reference data. This conclusion provides insight into how these methods can be improved.
MO-F-213AB-02: Correcting Spread-Out Bragg Peak Slope Using Time-Resolved Monte Carlo Simulations and Beam Current Modulation.

Purpose: To fully characterize the spread‐out Bragg peak from the Mevion S250 Proton Therapy System using Monte Carlo simulations, evaluate the slope of the spread‐out Bragg peak in the treatment field, and correct this slope by virtually applying beam current modulation. Methods:MCNPX simulations were performed on the Mevion S250 for each of the 24 beamline configurations, with the modulator wheel rotated in 1 degree increments. Energy deposition was tallied in a water phantom, resulting in 8,640 central axis depth‐dose calculations. These data were imported into MATLAB and the slope of the spread‐out Bragg peak (SOBP) was evaluated for a constant beam current. An iterative algorithm was developed to determine the optimal beam current modulation (BCM) profile as a function of modulator wheel position for each configuration. These BCM profiles were then applied virtually to the MCNPX SOBP data and slope values were recalculated for the optimized SOBP profiles. Results: Ideally SOBP slope would measure 0.0 %/cm in the treatment field, corresponding to a uniform dose delivery. Prior to BCM correction, slopes between −1.0 and +2.0 %/cm were observed across all beamline configurations. These were reduced to ±0.2 %/cm by applying optimized BCM profiles. The algorithm converged quickly, validating its underlying assumption that the optimal SOBP profile can be determined by considering only a single dose values at the depths of maximum individual Bragg peak dose. Conclusions: Optimized BCM profiles adequately reduce SOBP slope in the treatment field, and may be further studied using time‐resolved MCNPX simulations. The algorithm presented efficiently calculates BCM profiles, fully accounting for beamline scatter and partial‐shining effects across adjacent steps on the range modulator wheels, and without requiring direct measurements. Future work includes applying this same algorithm to optimize the SOBP distal dose profile. Partially supported by MEVION Medical Systems, Inc.
California Farmworkers: Dilemmas in Developing Interventions for Health and Medical Care Concerns

This article explores possible interventions to address the expressed health and medical care concerns of a pilot sample of Mexican-origin farmworkers in Santa Barbara County and research-based assessments of health needs of the population. Using a medical and political ecology model that situates the US farmworkers and dependents in this study as an economically peripheral community within the policentric global economy, the article explores the possibilities and problems of melding the aims and methods of scientific intervention research with those of social interventions at the community level and beyond. Health problems addressed include recurrent chemical exposure, the prevalence and treatment of tuberculosis, and maternal and newborn health. Health care problems discussed include issues surrounding access to care, effective treatment, and racism and cultural insensitivity in public health care.
Finitely stratified polymorphism

Abstract We consider predicative type-abstraction disciplines based on type quantification with finitely stratified levels. These lie in the vast middle ground between quantifier-free parametric abstraction and full impredicative abstraction. Stratified polymorphism has an unproblematic set-theoretic semantics, and may lend itself to new approaches to type inference, without sacrificing useful expressive power. Our main technical result is that the functions representable in the finitely stratified polymorphic λ-calculus are precisely the super-elementary functions, i.e., the class e4 in Grzegorczyk's subrecursive hierarchy. This implies that there is no super-elementary bound on the length of optimal normalization sequences, and that the equality problem for finitely stratified polymorphic λ-expressions is not super-elementary. We also observe that finitely stratified polymorphism augmented with type recursion admits functional algorithms that are not typable in the full second order λ-calculus.
Differential regulation of striatal dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in acute and chronic parkinsonian monkeys

The contribution of the duration of the striatal dopamine (DA) depletion and the expression of parkinsonian signs to changes in D(1) and D(2) receptor number was investigated in the present study. Some animals (N=4) received large doses of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) over short periods of time and were symptomatic for a short period of time (1-3 months; acute parkinsonian group). Other animals (N8 months; chronic parkinsonian group). Despite similar symptomatology and similar degrees of striatal DA denervation, only acute parkinsonian animals had significantly increased numbers of D(1) receptors in most striatal regions. Striatal D(2) receptor binding was elevated in acute parkinsonian monkeys but only in some lateral striatal subregions at mid and caudal levels. These findings further suggest that the duration of parkinsonism is a critical factor in modulating changes in striatal neurochemistry.
Increased expression of type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor messenger RNA in rat hippocampal formation is associated with aging and behavioral impairment

Abstract Insulin-like growth factor messenger RNAs are expressed in adult rat brain. However, little is known about the effects of aging on the expression of the insulin-like growth factors, their receptors, and their binding proteins in different regions of rat brain. The goal of the current study was to assess whether there is altered expression of the insulin-like growth factor system during normal aging in the hippocampal formation, a region particularly vulnerable to the aging process. A spatial learning task in the Morris water maze was used to assess the cognitive status of young (7–8-month-old) and aged (28–29-month-old) male Long-Evans rats. Sites of expression and abundance of insulin-like growth factor-I, type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor, and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-4 messenger RNAs were then examined by in situ hybridization histochemistry and solution or northern blot hybridization assays. In situ hybridization histochemistry revealed no qualitative differences in the regional distribution of insulin-like growth factor-1, type l receptor, and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-4 messenger RNAs within the hippocampal formation of young and aged rats. However, quantitative analysis of messenger RNA abundance in hippocampal tissue homogenates showed a significant age-related increase in type I receptor messenger RNA (n = 25; t = −2.5; P 0.03) such that greater behavioral impairment was associated with higher type 1 receptor messenger RNA levels in the hippocampal formation. Neither insulin-like growth factor-1 nor insulin-like growth factor binding protein-4 messenger RNA abundance was related to age or behavior. However, linear regression revealed a negative correlation between insulin-like growth factor-1 messenger RNA abundance and type 1 receptor messenger RNA abundance in aged hippocampus ( r = -0.72, P These data indicate that increased hippocampal expression of type 1 receptor messenger RNA is associated with aging and cognitive decline. The correlation between type 1 receptor and insulin-like growth factor-I messenger RNA abundance in the hippocampal formation of aged rats suggests that insulin-like growth factor availability may influence type 1 receptor expression. However, because no overall age difference was found in the amount of insulin-like growth factor-1 messenger RNA in the hippocampal formation, decreased insulin-like growth factor from other sources such as the cerebrospinal fluid and the peripheral circulation may be involved in up-regulating type 1 receptor messenger RNA. Alternatively, type I receptor messenger RNA regulation may be part of a trophic response to the degenerative and regenerative events that occur within the hippocampal formation during aging.
Ibudilast, a pharmacologic phosphodiesterase inhibitor, prevents human immunodeficiency virus-1 Tat-mediated activation of microglial cells.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1)-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) occur, in part, due to the inflammatory response to viral proteins, such as the HIV-1 transactivator of transcription (Tat), in the central nervous system (CNS). Given the need for novel adjunctive therapies for HAND, we hypothesized that ibudilast would inhibit Tat-induced excess production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) in microglial cells. Ibudilast is a non-selective cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor that has recently shown promise as a treatment for neuropathic pain via its ability to attenuate glial cell activation. Accordingly, here we demonstrate that pre-treatment of both human and mouse microglial cells with increasing doses of ibudilast inhibited Tat-induced synthesis of TNFα by microglial cells in a manner dependent on serine/threonine protein phosphatase activity. Ibudilast had no effect on Tat-induced p38 MAP kinase activation, and blockade of adenosine A2A receptor activation did not reverse ibudilast's inhibition of Tat-induced TNFα production. Interestingly, ibudilast reduced Tat-mediated transcription of TNFα, via modulation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling, as shown by transcriptional activity of NF-κB and analysis of inhibitor of kappa B alpha (IκBα) stability. Together, our findings shed light on the mechanism of ibudilast's inhibition of Tat-induced TNFα production in microglial cells and may implicate ibudilast as a potential novel adjunctive therapy for the management of HAND.
Creating virtual communities of practice with the visual social media platform Pinterest

This paper reports results of a mixed methods study on the use of the visual social media platform Pinterest in the higher education classroom. Research methods included data collection of pre-experience and post-experience student surveys from two disciplines, education and business, regarding students’ experiences using Pinterest for learning. A total of 227 students (189 undergraduate and 38 graduate students) participated in the study. Findings included student attitudes regarding the usability of Pinterest in the classroom setting, student learning and development, and ways Pinterest facilitated the development of a VCoP. Recommendations for future classroom use are given.
Public goods and Arrovian social choice

A social welfare function satisfying Arrow's independence axiom is constant or authoritarian if it generates continuous and transitive social preferences over the space of allocations of public and private goods, and individual preferences have the classical economic properties. The social welfare function will be oligarchial if it generates continuous and quasitransitive social preferences and satisfies a weak version of the Pareto criterion in addition to the independence axiom.
Auditory experience affects degeneration of the ventral cochlear nucleus in mongolian gerbils

Gerbils exhibit a unique encephalopathy characterized by spongioform lesions in the neuropil of the cochlear nucleus and that others have recently described. The present results suggest that the course of this degenerative disorder is affected by acoustic experience. In gerbils in which acoustic stimulation was limited postnatally, the number and the extent of these lesions was dramatically reduced. Monaural deprivation reduced lesion number and extent only in the ipsilateral cochlear nucleus; binaural deprivation affected both cochlear nuclei. The lesions were most evident in certain portions of the cochlear nucleus, the caudal anterior ventral cochlear nucleus and the posterior ventral cochlear nucleus, sparing the rostral pole of the anterior ventral cochlear nucleus. In the affected regions the lesions were topologically restricted to the low and middle frequency regions. The apparent tonotopic distribution of lesions was associated with frequent exposure to low and middle frequency ambient noise.
An anthropometric analysis of the key foramina for maxillofacial surgery

Abstract Purpose: The study goal was to determine the location of important maxillofacial foramina relative to frequently encountered surgical landmarks. Materials and Methods: Measurements (1,120) were made on 80 cadaveric heads of known race and gender to evaluate the position of the supraorbital, infraorbital, and mental foramina relative to surgical landmarks. Results: Analysis of the data determined the supraorbital foramen to be an average of 2.5 cm lateral to the nasal midline and 2.6 cm medial to the temporal crest of the frontal bone. Of the supraorbital foramina, 92.5% were notches and not true foramen. The infraorbital foramen was an average of 2.7 cm lateral to the nasal midline, 0.64 cm caudad to the inferior orbital rim, and 0.03 cm medial to the zygomaticomaxillary suture. The mental foramen was an average of 2.2 cm lateral to the mandibular skeletal midline. The average position of the mental foramen, relative to adjacent teeth, was between the first and second premolars for whites and just posterior to the second premolar in blacks. Conclusion: The measurements show small but significant differences in foramen location between whites and blacks and males and females. The knowledge of the distances from surgically encountered anatomic landmarks may be of assistance in locating these important maxillofacial neurologic structures during many procedures. This information may play an even more important role as new techniques for minimally invasive surgery are developed. Understanding the location of these foramina will also assist the clinician in performing local anesthetic blocks. © 2003 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 61:354-357, 2003
Structural Optimization and Form-Finding of Cylindrical Shells for Targeted Elastic Postbuckling Response

This paper presents a finite element based numerical study on controlling the postbuckling behavior of thin-walled cylindrical shells under axial compression. With the increasing interest of various disciplines for harnessing elastic instabilities in materials and mechanical systems, the postbuckling behavior of thin-walled cylindrical shells may have a new role to design materials and structures at multiple scales with switchable functionalities, morphogenesis, etc. In the design optimization approach presented herein, the mode shapes and their amplitudes are linearly combined to generate initial geometrical designs with predefined imperfections. A nonlinear postbuckling finite element analysis evaluates the design objective function, i.e., the desired postbuckling force-displacement path. Single and multi-objective optimization problems are formulated with design variables consisting of shape parameters that scale base eigenvalue shapes. A gradient-based algorithm and numerical sensitivity evaluations are used. Results suggest that an optimized shape for a cylindrical shell can achieve a targeted response in the elastic postbuckling regime with multiple mode transitions and energy dissipation characteristics. The optimization process and the obtained geometry can be potentially used for energy harvesting and other sensing and actuation applications.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Cadmium effects on bone metabolism: accelerated resorption in ovariectomized, aged beagles.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate, in an animal whose skeleton is comparable to humans, the combined effects of estrogen depletion and Cd exposure on bone resorption by monitoring skeletal release of 45Ca and to determine whether Cd-induced bone resorption occurred independent of osteotropic hormone changes and renal dysfunction. Cd exposure following ovariectomy or sham surgery was for 7 months: 1 month by oral ingestion of capsules (1, 5, 15, 50 ppm) and 6 months via drinking water (15 ppm). Serum and fecal 45Ca were increased at 1 week following ovariectomy (OV) (54 +/- 9% and 122 +/- 40%, respectively), but this response was attenuated by 2 weeks. Five of seven exposed dogs had increased serum and fecal 45Ca during the 50-ppm Cd capsule period (15-40% and 15-190%, respectively). Serum 45Ca levels in OV/+Cd dogs showed a significant and consistent increase within 1 week of initiating each of three separate Cd.H2O exposure cycles. Blood Cd levels increased over time from 2 to 15 micrograms/l, coinciding with the elevated serum 45Ca concentrations. No correlation was observed between serum 45Ca increases and parathyroid hormone, 1,25-(OH)2-vitamin D, or calcitonin. No effects of ovariectomy and/or Cd were observed in total serum Ca, calciotropic hormone concentrations, serum or urinary phosphorus and creatinine, creatinine clearance, or urinary specific gravity. Urinary Cd concentrations ranged from 7 to 50 micrograms/l in exposed dogs but were not detectable in nonexposed dogs. Urinary protein concentrations showed no differences between groups. Cd increased bone resorption (skeletal 45Ca release) in ovariectomized and sham-operated dogs without renal dysfunction or calciotropic hormone interaction. Based on our results, Cd is an exogenous factor which exacerbates bone mineral loss in postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Fundamental issues in end-user education

This paper discusses the breadth of the spectrum of end-users from the board room to the factory floor and looks at the skills expected of users. Having defined what is expected of users, the paper sets out a list of principles and concepts which provide education for intelligent users, as opposed to rote training for passive operators. The attitudes and responsibilities expected of users are discussed and the role of computer-based training is examined.
Rectangularly arranged collections of collections

The concepts of collection, rectangular arrangement, and membership for nested arrays are discussed separately and independently of array-theoretic operations. The concepts are illustrated by examples generated in the Nested Interactive Array Language, Nial.
Interaction of cyclosporin A with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine

Cydosporin A, a hydrophobic cyclic peptide, is a potent immunusuppressant. In an attempt to determine the localization of cyclosporin A in phospholipid membranes, the effect of cyclosporin A on dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) has been investigated using deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (2H-NMR) spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Cyclosporin A was dispersed within acyl chain per-deuterated DPPC at a concentration of 6 mole percent, hydrated with buffer, and the spectra obtained over a range of temperatures were compared with that of pure DPPC. The changes caused by cyclosporin A were assessed by the first moment (MI) and order parameters calculated from the spectra. The presence of cyclosporin A decreases the magnitude of M I at temperatures below the gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition temperature but increases Mt at temperatures above the transition. In addition, the change in M~ at the transition temperature was also less abrupt when cydosporin A was present. For bilayers in the liquid-cystalline state, cyclosporin A causes an increase in the order parameters along the acyl chains which suggests that cyclosporin A is located along the acyl chains of the phosphoUpid. For DSC, cyclosporin A was dispersed in non-deuterated DPPC at different peptide to phospholipid mole ratios. The endothermic peaks associated with the gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition and pretransition were recorded and compared with similar mole ratios of cholesterol to lipid. At 30 mole percent cyclosporin A, small decreases in the main transition temperature and associated enthalpy were observed, whereas at 30 mole percent cholesterol, the main transition is barely distinguishable from the baseline. The pretransition was not observed with the addition of II mole percent of either cyclosporin A or cholesterol. The results of the thermal analysis indicate that although cyclosporin A and cholesterol appear to be both located along the acyl chains of the phospholipids, they have dramatically different interactions with the membrane lipids.
Enhancing long-term memory with stimulation tunes visual attention in one trial

Scientists have long proposed that memory representations control the mechanisms of attention that focus processing on the task-relevant objects in our visual field. Modern theories specifically propose that we rely on working memory to store the object representations that provide top-down control over attentional selection. Here, we show that the tuning of perceptual attention can be sharply accelerated after 20 min of noninvasive brain stimulation over medial-frontal cortex. Contrary to prevailing theories of attention, these improvements did not appear to be caused by changes in the nature of the working memory representations of the search targets. Instead, improvements in attentional tuning were accompanied by changes in an electrophysiological signal hypothesized to index long-term memory. We found that this pattern of effects was reliably observed when we stimulated medial-frontal cortex, but when we stimulated posterior parietal cortex, we found that stimulation directly affected the perceptual processing of the search array elements, not the memory representations providing top-down control. Our findings appear to challenge dominant theories of attention by demonstrating that changes in the storage of target representations in long-term memory may underlie rapid changes in the efficiency with which humans can find targets in arrays of objects.
Transfer ionization in ion collisions with helium

Abstract The two-electron process of transfer ionization (TI) is considered for ions in the energy range 0.1–2.5 MeV/u colliding with helium targets. Of interest are the mechanisms responsible for TI over this range, and the role, if any, played by the electron-electron interaction in the high-velocity limit. Results obtained from new measurements for He+ and Oq+ ions are compared with previous results from other investigators. For velocities from about 0.1 MeV/u to > 1 MeV/u TI appears primarily due to independent capture and ionization events. From the available data, it is not possible to determine if the expected electron correlation effects dominate at very high velocity (≥ 10 MeV/u).
Sinuosity of strike-slip fault traces

A mechanical basis for the occurrence of curvature or sinuosity on strike-slip faults is postulated from finite-element simulation of an earthquake sequence on the Parkfield, California, segment of the San Andreas fault. Using discontinuity fields from measured displacements associated with the M ≅ 5.3 earthquakes of June 1966, motions along 16 km of ground breakage are modeled to investigate the displacement fields and stresses during faulting. An originally rectilinear fault trace, subjected to a variable single-shear couple in terms of displacements, is curved into the extensional quadrant during the simulation. Displacement magnitudes normal to the fault trace have magnitudes similar to the relative discontinuity vector. Calculated moments M b , = 3.2 × 106 dyne-cm cause the curvature. Shear stress drops of Δ τ = 10.8 × 10 6 dyne/cm 2 occur in the fault zone. It is postulated that successive earthquakes at the same place would enhance this initial sinuosity by repeated motion along weakened sections of the fault. The amount of curvature that can occur is a function of material properties, the magnitude of displacements during the earthquake(s), and the bending moment, which would eventually become large enough in rock masses adjacent to the fault to “lock” the broken segment. Younger rectilinear fault traces would occur with further motion, explaining certain aspects of the origin of braided fault traces and bedrock slices.
Knowledge and attitudes regarding pediatric pain in Mongolian nurses.

The World Health Organization and the International Association for Study of Pain cite the significance of pediatric pain as a significant global health issue. Developing countries may have increased needs compared with developed countries because of limited resources and lack of training. In Mongolia a paucity of data exist regarding nursing knowledge of pediatric pain management. The purpose of this project was to assess the current knowledge of pediatric pain and to assess the effectiveness of educational intervention on improving knowledge and attitudes of pediatric nurses working at a major children's hospital in Mongolia. Knowledge and attitudes of Mongolian nurses were evaluated before and after a 2-hour educational intervention. The translated Modified Mongolian Pediatric Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain-Shriner's Revision survey was used as a pre- and postintervention assessment instrument with local nurses at a pediatric hospital in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. One hundred sixty-seven nurses attended the conference, with 155 nurses completing the pre- and postsurveys. The mean score on the presurvey was 12.7 out of 35 (26.4% correct), whereas the mean score on the postsurvey score was 16.7 out of 35 (47.8% correct). A paired t test showed a significant statistical difference between scores (p < .0001). Pediatric nurses in Mongolia demonstrate insufficient knowledge of pediatric pain management. The educational intervention was effective in improving pediatric pain knowledge and attitudes in Mongolian nurses. It is recommended to establish similar educational endeavors with nurses around the world to improve pain knowledge and attitudes.