cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Lynks Reader

THE LYNKS READER By Anne Marie Reamey, M.S. A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Biomedical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2007 Major Director: Dr. Martin Lenhardt Professor, Biomedical Engineering Many adults and children have problems reading and comprehending books, signs, written directions, etc. These same individuals have difficulty processing written materials as a result of right hemisphere interference. The Lynks Reader (DLR Co., Richmond, VA) is a commercially developed device which has been used to help individuals move from their right to their left hemisphere and to increase reading fluency and comprehension. The objective of this project was to evaluate the best way to use the various forms of the Lynks Reader. Using the device demonstrated an increase in reading fluency and comprehension by increasing the left hemisphere dominance. In addition, different types of headphones
Chapter 24. DNA Topoisomerases as Therapeutic Targets in Cancer Chemotherapy

Publisher Summary Recent findings have shown that a large number or clinically important anticancer drugs affect the breakage-rejoining reaction of mammalian DNA topoisomerase II by trapping a covalent enzyme-DNA cleavable complex to the mechanism of cell killing by anticancer drugs. DNA topoisomerase may be a key component in the regulation of chromatin conformation and cell proliferation. DNA topoisomerases are enzymes that control the topology of DNA. They are involved in DNA replication, RNA transcription and recombination. Based on their mechanism of action, DNA topoisomerases have been categorized into two types. Type I and type II DNA topoisomerases catalyze the topological changes in DNA by transiently breaking one strand or two strands of the DNA helix, respectively. The most characteristic reaction of a type I DNA topoisomerase is the relaxation of super-helical DNA, The type II topoisomerases can catalyze the passing of two DNA segments those can lead to a number of topoisomerization reactions of DNA such as super-coiling/relaxation, knotting/unknotting, and catenation/decatenation. Recent studies suggest that mammalian DNA topoisomerases is highly regulated by the growth state of cells. The antitumor activity of topoisomerase II —targeting anticancer drugs may well be determined at least in part by the differential regulation of topoisomerase II in neoplastic cells. This chapter discusses protein-linked DNA breaks induced by a number of antitumor drugs. Adriamycin, an anthracycline, has been one of the most important anticancer drugs to use as because of its mode of DNA binding, adriamycin interferes with many DNA functions such as replication and transcription. The chapter also discusses evidence that DNA Tonoisomerase II is the drug target responsible for protein-linked DNA breaks, drug-induced DNA cleavage on cellular chromatin in cultured mammalian cells and mechanism of cell killing.
The BLS survey of occupational injuries and illnesses: A primer

The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) is the nation's primary surveillance vehicle for nonfatal injuries and illnesses that occur in the workplace. Based on recordable injuries and illnesses as defined by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the SOII provides annual counts and rates by industry and state for workers in private industry and state and local government. In addition, the SOII provides details about the most severe injuries and illnesses, including characteristics of the workers involved and details of the circumstances surrounding the incident. To accompany articles that discuss research into the completeness of SOII data, this commentary provides an overview of the SOII. Included is information about the history of capturing data on workplace injuries and illnesses, current survey processes, annual outputs, and an introduction to the current concerns about underreporting. Am. J. Ind. Med. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Language: en
A SYSTEMS ENGINEERING APPROACH TO IMPROVING THE PEANUT GRADING SYSTEM

Systems engineering was used to identify peanut grading system needs, establish requirements, and compare proposed solutions that meet consensus specifications established by all industry segments. Previous attempts to change the grading system were hindered by difficulty in getting all segments to agree on proposed changes. The systems engineering approach overcame this obstacle. Four conceptual designs that improve the current system are at various stages of development and implementation. These improvements are: high moisture foreign material identification; measuring moisture during sampling; measuring single kernel moisture; and grading larger samples with an automated sample cleaning, shelling, sizing, and data collection system. Each of these improvements help ensure consumer demands for quality are met while not unfairly burdening any one segment of the peanut industry.
The effect of melengestrol acetate (MGA) on ovarian function and fertilization in beef heifers.

Heifers were given .5 or 1 mg/day of melengestrol acetate (MGA) for 14 days to investigate the effect of dose and time of initial treatment on the following parameters: 1) ovarian morphology 2) luteinizing hormone (LH) and progesterone levels in blood 3) cervical mucus index 4) estrus and 5) ovulation and fertilization following mating. Average time for estrus from last MGA feeding was 7.26 days in 1 mg MGA heifers (p less than .01) and 4.75 days in .5 mg MGA-synchronized heifers. 47% of the heifers given MGA on Day 15 failed to become synchronized whereas only 20% of those given MGA on Day 4 failed. Major physiologica l changes occurred in ovaries as a result of MGA treatment; there were f ewer mature follicles and more very large follicles compared with controls. Cervical mucus index coincided with estrus in only 1/3 of the MGA-treated heifers. Serum LH levels were higher (p less than .05) in those heifers first treated on Day 15 rather than on Day 4 and in animals receiving .5 mg MGA. MGA-treated heifers had more uncleaved ova indicating a higher rate of fertilization failure. It is concluded that fertility is reduced in matings at the first synchronized estrus following MGA treatment.
Quantum Chemical Studies of Carbonyl Oxide Chemistry in Combustion and in the Lower Atmosphere

Carbonyl oxides have multiple impacts on the atmosphere and on combustion. This review focuses on what electronic structure calculations, particularly those involving ab initio composite methods and density functional theory (DFT), have revealed about carbonyl oxide chemistry in combustion and atmospheric systems. Reliable electronic structure calculations consistently reveal that carbonyl oxides have little diradical character, which means that much of their chemistry can be modeled accurately by single-reference methods. Computation predicts that carbonyl oxides form in the low-temperature combustion of ethers, and, given that carbonyl oxides form hydroxyl radical (⋅OH), they likely contribute to chain branching. The atmospheric ozonolysis of acyclic alkenes leads to moderately chemically activated carbonyl oxides, making it necessary to treat both their unimolecular and bimolecular reactions. CCSD(T) calculations with triple-zeta basis sets and CCSD(T)-based composite methods can predict aspects of carbonyl oxide chemistry like the yield of ⋅OH that agree with experiment, but the accuracy of these predictions also depend on statistical thermodynamic assumptions. DFT predictions regarding carbonyl oxide chemistry are often inaccurate. Recent experimental studies have corroborated the long-standing quantum chemical prediction that carbonyl oxides with alkyl substituents either syn or anti to the peroxy bond have dramatically different unimolecular and bimolecular reactivity. Keywords: Carbonyl oxides; combustion; atmospheric chemistry; ethers; ozonolysis; electronic structure theory; quantum chemistry; composite methods; CBS-QB3; B3LYP; density functional theory; basis sets; barrier heights; hydroxyl radical; unimolecular reactions
Deficient cytokine expression and neutrophil oxidative burst contribute to impaired cutaneous wound healing in diabetic, biofilm-containing chronic wounds

Diabetic patients exhibit dysregulated inflammatory and immune responses that predispose them to chronic wound infections and the threat of limb loss. The molecular underpinnings responsible for this have not been well elucidated, particularly in the setting of wound biofilms. This study evaluates host responses in biofilm-impaired wounds using the TallyHo mouse, a clinically relevant polygenic model of type 2 diabetes. No differences in cytokine or Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression were noted in unwounded skin or noninoculated wounds of diabetic and wild-type mice. However, diabetic biofilm-containing wounds had significantly less TLR 2, TLR 4, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α expression than wild-type wounds with biofilm (all p < 0.001). Both groups had similar bacterial burden and neutrophil infiltration after development of biofilms at 3 days postwounding, but diabetic wounds had significantly less neutrophil oxidative burst activity. This translated into a log-fold greater bacterial burden and significant delay of wound epithelization for biofilm-impaired diabetic wounds at 10 days postwounding. These results suggest that impaired recognition of bacterial infection via the TLR pathway leading to inadequate cytokine stimulation of antimicrobial host responses may represent a potential mechanism underlying diabetic susceptibility to wound infection and ulceration.
Biogenic magnetite as a primary remanence carrier in limestone deposits

Abstract Studies on the microbial communities and magnetic phases of samples collected from carbonate oozes at Sugarloaf Key, FL, U.S.A. and calcareous laminated sediments from Laguna Figueroa, Baja California, Mexico have revealed the existence of magnetotactic bacteria and ultrafine-grained single domain magnetite in both environments. Magnetotactic bacteria were identified by light and electron microscopy. The single domain magnetite was detected by coercivity spectra analysis with a SQUID magnetometer and examined under the transmission electron microscope. The similarity, in terms of size and shape, between the single domain magnetite found in these sediments and the magnetite observed in the bacterial magnetosome from enriched cultures indicates the ultrafine-grained magnetite in these two marine environments was biologically formed. These results, combined with the common occurrences of ultrafine-grained magnetite in limestone deposits detected rock magnetically, suggest biogenic magnetite may be present and contribute to the magnetic remanence in these rocks. Several Cambrian limestone samples, separately collected from Siberia, China, and Kazakhstan, were examined for the presence of bacterial magnetite. Samples from the Lower Cambrian Sinskian Formation at Siberia Platform were found to contain both a large amount of apparently bacterial magnetite particles and a very stable primary magnetic component. Post-Cambrian diagenesis does not seem to affect the microgranulometry of these apparently bacterial magnetite crystals or the magnetic remanence carried by them. Assessing the potential role of biogenic magnetite as a primary remanence carrier in other Phanerozoic limestone deposits ought to be further pursued.
Synthesis, structure, and electronic properties of monomeric and dimeric trispyrazolylborate platinum(II) hydride complexes.

Tp‘PtMe(H)2 (2) [Tp‘ = hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate] has been prepared from Tp‘PtMe(CO) (1) via reaction with water in a basic acetone/water mixture. Protonation of 2 at one of the pyra...
Validity evidence for Surgical Improvement of Clinical Knowledge Ops: a novel gaming platform to assess surgical decision making

Abstract Background Current surgical education curricula focus mainly on the acquisition of technical skill rather than clinical and operative judgment. SICKO (Surgical Improvement of Clinical Knowledge Ops) is a novel gaming platform developed to address this critical need. A pilot study was performed to collect validity evidence for SICKO as an assessment for surgical decision making. Methods Forty-nine subjects stratified into 4 levels of expertise were recruited to play SICKO. Later, players were surveyed regarding the realism of the gaming platform as well as the clinical competencies required of them while playing SICKO. Results Each group of increasing expertise outperformed the less experienced groups. Mean total game scores for the novice, junior resident, senior resident, and expert groups were 5,461, 8,519, 11,404, and 13,913, respectively (P = .001). Survey results revealed high scores for realism and content. Conclusions SICKO holds the potential to be not only an engaging and immersive educational tool, but also a valid assessment in the armamentarium of surgical educators.
STUDIES ON SELENIUM TOXICITY AND CHONDROITIN SULFATE AND TAURINE BIOSYNTHESIS IN THE CHICK EMBRYO.

Abstract Fourteen-day-old chick embryos were used in in vivo experiments. A toxic selenite treatment did not cause a reduction in the extent of sulfate-S incorporation into chondroitin sulfate or into taurine or a reduction in the observed tissue levels of these metabolites. Rather, the taurine level was significantly greater with the embryos which received selenium. The extent of the incorporation of selenite-Se into the metabolites was low or not significant.
Edición guiada de vídeos quirúrgicos como método de aprendizaje neuroquirúrgico

El desarrollo de habilidades tecnicas es un objetivo fundamental en el desarrollo de la residencia de Neurocirugia. La disponibilidad de microscopios y endoscopios con capacidad de grabacion de video permiten la obtencion de imagenes susceptibles de edicion. Esta ultima accion representa un desafio y una oportunidad unica para poder adquirir habilidades practicas, consolidar conocimientos adquiridos en pabellon y dejar registro de las intervenciones realizadas para su difusion en futuros residentes. Objetivo Describir la implementacion de la edicion tutorizada de video por parte del residente de neurocirugia en el Hospital Carlos Van Buren. En 2014 se instauro la metodologia de edicion de video tutorizada posterior a cada cirugia, con un formato de video preestablecido de 5 minutos. Posterior a pabellon se realiza edicion por el residente guiada por el cirujano, utilizando iMovie. El proceso de edicion permite al residente identificar los diferentes tiempos quirurgicos, reconocer los pasos claves de la cirugia, localizar errores y adquirir conocimientos de la anatomia quirurgica. Conclusion La edicion tutorizada de videos quirurgicos por el residente permite consolidar el conocimiento adquirido en pabellon, a su vez de permitir una excelente experiencia de aprendizaje para residentes y neurocirujanos.
Calibration of multiple poliovirus molecular clocks covering an extended evolutionary range.

Poliovirus is one of the most rapidly evolving viruses known (17, 31, 38, 52, 58). Estimates of the rates of total nucleotide substitution into poliovirus capsid regions average ∼10−2 substitutions per site per year (31, 39, 52-54, 89, 90). The rates appear to be similar across the three poliovirus serotypes and for both circulating polioviruses and polioviruses associated with chronic infections. This very rapid rate of genomic evolution has facilitated high-resolution molecular epidemiologic studies, permitting the unambiguous identification of the sources of imported viruses (10, 41) and the resolution of separate lineages during outbreaks (39, 43, 74, 75), during endemic transmission (23, 52, 90), during prolonged poliovirus replication in immunodeficient patients (9, 31, 53, 89), and from environmental surveillance (23). However, the rapid accumulation of nucleotide substitutions, most of which are synonymous transitions, obscures deeper evolutionary relationships (46, 70). Underlying the rapid pace of poliovirus genomic evolution are the high rates of base misincorporation (in the range of 10−5 to 10−3 per base per replication) by the poliovirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (2, 15, 19, 81, 82, 84). These high mutation rates are attributable to the absence of 3′→5′ exonuclease proofreading mechanisms for the viral RNA polymerases (19), although other mechanisms may also be involved (17, 18). The strong transition bias of the poliovirus polymerase (2, 46) is reflected in the pattern of fixation nucleotide substitutions into poliovirus genomes. In this report, we have calibrated five different molecular clocks based upon the rates of fixation of total substitutions (Kt), synonymous substitutions (Ks), synonymous transitions (As), synonymous transversions (Bs), and nonsynonymous substitutions (Ka) into the P1/capsid regions of circulating wild poliovirus type 1. Our analyses were facilitated by a chance epidemiologic event when type 1 polioviruses previously indigenous to the northern Andean region (Venezuela to Peru) were displaced by a genotype imported around 1980 from the Middle East (40). The imported virus circulated widely in the northern Andean region until elimination in 1991. Poliovirus surveillance yielded isolates that were closely related to the true imported founder and isolates representing two major diverging lineages. Analysis of the Andean isolate sequences permitted robust estimates of the fixation rates for different categories of nucleotide substitution. The closely related Kt, Ks, and As clocks can be used routinely by poliovirus surveillance to establish recent epidemiologic links. Resolving the Bs clock from the noisy Kt and Ks signals (32) opens a way to explore the broader patterns of poliovirus transmission. The poliovirus Ka clock, constrained by purifying selection at all nonsynonymous P1/capsid sites, was the slowest and most variable of all.
Exon 15 BRAF mutations are uncommon in canine oral malignant melanomas.

An activating mutation in codon 599 of BRAF has been identified in approximately 60% of human cutaneous nevi and melanomas, but not melanomas of mucosal origin. The purpose of this study was to determine if BRAF mutations occur in canine oral malignant melanomas. The canine BRAF gene was first cloned from normal canine testicular cDNA, and a novel previously unreported splice variant involving exon 5 was identified during this process. To screen canine melanoma samples for BRAF mutation in codon 599, cDNA and genomic DNA were isolated from canine malignant melanoma cell lines and primary tumor samples respectively, all from cases seen at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for exon 15 using primers based at the 5′ end of exon 15 and the 5′ end of intron 15 and the resultant products were directly sequenced. No mutations in codon 599 or exon 15 were identified in any of the 17 samples evaluated. However, all of the melanoma cell lines expressed BRAF and demonstrated high levels of basal ERK phosphorylation suggesting that dysregulation of this pathway is present. Therefore, similar to the case with human mucosal melanomas, canine oral malignant melanomas do not possess codon 599 BRAF mutations commonly identified in human cutaneous melanomas. This finding supports the notion that melanomas arising from non-sun-exposed sites exhibit distinct mechanisms of molecular transformation.
Ab initio studies of electronic structure of defects on the Te sites in PbTe

Ab initio electronic structure calculations have been carried out to understand the nature of anionic defect states in PbTe. We find that Te vacancies strongly perturb the electronic density of states (DOS) near the band gap region. New states of predominantly Pb p character appear in the band gap. Iodine is an ideal substitutional defect and a donor. Sulpher and Selenium do not affect the states near the conduction band minimum but suppress the DOS near the valence band maximum. These results have important implications on the thermoelectric properties of PbTe and PbTexM1−x (M=S, Se) ternary systems.
Characterization of NAPL source zone architecture and dissolution kinetics in heterogeneous porous media using magnetic resonance imaging.

A direct visualization method using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was developed to characterize sand grain size distribution, nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) source zone architecture, and aqueous flowpaths in a three-dimensional (3-D) flowcell (26.5 cm × 10.5 cm × 10.5 cm) packed with a heterogeneous distribution of five different sand fractions. All images were acquired at a resolution of 0.1875 cm × 0.1875 cm × 0.225 cm. A 1H image of pore water resolved the heterogeneous permeability field; grain size differences as small as 0.1 mm could be distinguished. A time series of 1H images of water doped with the paramagnetic tracer MnCl2 were acquired and used to obtain voxel-scale breakthrough curves. Water preferentially flowed through coarse sands before NAPL release. After NAPL release, the flow bypassed NAPL zones, and bypassing was more evident for high NAPL saturation zones. A time series of 19F images of NAPL were acquired and used to determine voxel-scale NAPL saturation (Sn) during dissolution. Re...
Gastroschisis Complicated by Midgut Atresia, Absorption of Bowel, and Closure of the Abdominal Wall Defect

We present a case of gastroschisis that was associated with progressive resorption of the extra-abdominal bowel loops and dilation of intra-abdominal bowel loops. After preterm delivery at 32 weeks, a small paraumbilical remnant was present. There was complete atresia of most of the jejunum, ileum, cecum, and the proximal half of the transverse colon. At laparotomy, the jejunum was anastomosed to the transverse colon. The neonate developed short gut syndrome and eventually received a liver and intestinal transplant.
The Empathic Physician

Empathy is a process for understanding an individual's subjective experiences by vicariously sharing that experience while maintaining an observant stance. It is a useful tool in the medical encounter as it provides the physician with a fuller, more personalized view of the patient, and it provides the patient with a sense of connectedness to the physician that may allow him/her to more freely express his/her emotional distress. The roots of empathy are explained as a process that evolves from a developmental substrate with the addition of relevant experience, memory, and fantasy. While understanding the patient alone is a worthwhile goal, the physician's empathic insight can have therapeutic impact by its reflection back on the patient, through the use of language, to express support or sympathy, to justify behavior, or to foster deeper emotional expression. (Arch Intern Med. 1993;153:306-312)
Barriers to Entry to the Big Firm Audit Market: Evidence From Market Reaction to Switches to Second Tier Audit Firms in the Post-Sox Period

Abstract The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) studied concentration in the audit market and found that the Big 4 firms continue to dominate the market for clients with revenue of more than $500 million while non-Big 4 firms have gained market share among clients with revenue of $500 million or less ( GAO, 2008 ). The US Treasury Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession has expressed concern about barriers to entry that might prevent a non-Big 4 firm from increasing its market share among large publicly-traded clients ( Advisory Committee, 2008 ). One of these barriers may be the potential cost to shareholders if the stock market reacts negatively to the appointment of a non-Big 4 auditor ( GAO, 2003 ). We examine whether the stock market reacts negatively when clients switch from a Big 4 to a non-Big 4, because a negative reaction might make such switching less likely to occur. We find that the market does not react more negatively when clients move from a Big 4 to a Second Tier auditing firm than when clients move from a Big 4 to another Big 4 firm. Our results suggest that a negative market reaction may not represent a significant barrier to entry among Second Tier auditing firms.
Bacillus subtilis SecA ATPase exists as an antiparallel dimer in solution.

SecA ATPase promotes the biogenesis of membrane and secretory proteins into and across the cytoplasmic membrane of Eubacteria. SecA binds to translocon component SecYE and substrate proteins and undergoes ATP-dependent conformational cycles that are coupled to the stepwise translocation of proteins. Our recent crystal structure of B. subtilis SecA [Hunt, J. F., Weinkauf, S., Henry, L., Fak, J. J., McNicholas, P., Oliver, D. B., and Deisenhofer, J. (2002) Science 297, 2018−2026] showed two different dimer interactions in the lattice which both buried significant solvent-accessible surface area in their interface and could potentially be responsible for formation of the physiological dimer in solution. In this paper, we utilize fluorescence resonance energy transfer methodology with genetically engineered SecA proteins containing unique pairs of tryptophan and fluorophore-labeled cysteine residues to determine the oligomeric structure of SecA protein in solution. Our results show that of the two dimers inte...
General Equation for Peak Capacity in Column Chromatography

In this study, the peak capacities for packed capillaries used in various forms of chromatography were investigated. Experiments found that the peak width at half-height (w1/2) linearly increased with increasing retention time when operating under isothermal, isobaric, and isocratic conditions in capillary gas chromatography, solvating gas chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography, and liquid chromatography. From this relationship, a general peak capacity (n) expression was obtained. This expression covers conventional packed, packed capillary, and open tubular column chromatographies. With this general expression, it is possible to directly compare the separating capabilities of the various column types and chromatographic techniques.
Singular behavior of the Debye-Waller factor of graphene

It is shown that the mean-square displacement or the exponent of the Debye-Waller factor of graphene has a singularity except at zero temperature. The zero-temperature values of the mean-square displacement are calculated separately for planar and out-of-plane phonon modes for graphene. These values give the DebyeWaller factor that can be used to model various scattering processes at temperatures much lower than the Debye temperature of graphene. Since the Debye temperature of graphene is about 2300 K for planar modes, the calculated values should provide a useful estimate of the Debye-Waller factor at temperatures of practical interest. Finally, it is shown qualitatively that the singularity can be removed by accounting for the finite size of real graphene crystals.
The effect of dietary betaine in Eimeria acervulina-infected chicks

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary betaine in broiler chicks with either chronic (CHR; 2.5 x 10(5) sporulated oocysts on Day 1, 4, 7, and 10) or acute (ACT; 1.0 x 10(6) sporulated oocysts on Day 1) Eimeria acervulina infections. Three hundred (Experiment 1) or 600 (Experiment 2), 4-d-old male chicks were used in the 14-d experiments. In both experiments, a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments was used: two levels of betaine (0 or 0.075%) and three levels of coccidiosis infection (uninfected, CHR, or ACT). Each treatment was replicated five (Experiment 1) or 10 (Experiment 2) times with 10 chicks per replicate. In Experiment 1, the ACT infection decreased (P < 0.01) average daily gain and gain:feed, and the CHR infection decreased (P < 0.02) average daily gain. The ACT and CHR infections decreased (P < 0.06) Day 7 plasma carotenoids and Day 14 plasma total protein, and the ACT infection also decreased (P < 0.06) Day 7 plasma total protein. Average daily gain and Day 7 plasma total protein were increased in CHR chicks fed betaine but were decreased in uninfected chicks fed betaine (CHR x betaine; P < 0.09). Chicks fed betaine had decreased (P < 0.06) Day 7 plasma carotenoids. In Experiment 2 the CHR and ACT infections decreased (P < 0.01) average daily gain, average daily feed intake, grain:feed ratio, Days 7 and 14 plasma carotenoids, and Day 7 plasma total protein. Chicks fed betaine had increased (P < 0.07) average daily gains, gain:feed ratios, and lesion scores. Day 14 plasma carotenoids and plasma total protein were decreased in uninfected chicks fed betaine but were increased in CHR chicks fed betaine (CHR x betaine; P < 0.04); plasma carotenoids also were increased in ACT chicks fed betaine (ACT x betaine; P < 0.05). Betaine did not consistently affect growth performance, plasma constituents, or lesion score in CHR or ACT coccidiosis-infected chicks.
Study of Mixing Characteristics of Rectangular Turbulent Jets

This paper reports a numerical study to investigate the effect of various parameters on the mixing characteristics of two-dimensional turbulent co-flowing jets. The paper is a part of an ongoing research to simulate and investigate the mixing and combustion processes of subsonic jets. Results are obtained with a finite volume CFD code. Turbulence is treated with a two equation k-e model. The effects of nozzle width (H/W), and nozzle exit velocity (U) on the merging and the combined points are also studied. Different initial jet velocities have been examined corresponding to Reynolds number of 2,000 to 35,000 moreover, three values of the nozzle width ratio H/W = 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 are used. The results provide acceptable agreement in comparison with the experimental results in prior literature. Results show that the initial velocity of the inner jet has a significant effect on the location of the merging and combining points from the jet exit plane. Also, the increase of the initial jet velocity of the outer jets increases the mixing rate of the jets.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Altering the folding patterns of naphthyl trimers.

Proteins can adopt helical and sheet-type secondary structures that depend on their primary sequence of amino acids. Nonnatural foldamers have been developed to emulate these protein structures as well as investigate various types of noncovalent interactions. Here we report a strategy to access two distinct folding topologies in aqueous solutions using the inherent recognition properties of aromatic donor/acceptor interactions. These oligomers are constructed of electron-rich 1,5-dialkoxynaphthalene (Dan) and electron-deficient 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide (Ndi) units. A trimer of the sequence Dan-Ndi-Dan was shown to adopt a pleated fold in solution, while its constitutional isomer, Dan-Dan-Ndi, adopted an intercalative or turn-type fold. UV−vis and NOESY spectroscopy analyses were consistent with the two different conformations. This study illustrates the designability of folding naphthyl oligomers and encourages the use of directed aromatic interactions to construct larger and more comple...
Quantification of the Influence of Surface Structure on C—H Bond Activation by Iridium and Platinum

The trapping-mediated dissociative chemisorption of ethane on the closest packed Ir(111) surface has been investigated, and the activation energy and preexponential factor of the surface reaction rate coefficient have been measured. These results are compared to those of ethane activation on Pt(111) and on the missing row reconstructed Ir(110)-(1x2) and Pt(110)-(1x2) surfaces, allowing a quantitative determination of the effect surface structure has on the catalytic activation of C—H bonds. In the order Pt(111), Pt(110)-(1x2), Ir(111), and Ir(110)-(1x2), the activation energies for the dissociative chemisorption of ethane are 16.6, 10.5, 10.3, and 5.5 kilocalories per mole, demonstrating that the electronic and geometric effects are of approximately equal importance for ethane activation on these catalysts.
Using arm and hand gestures to command robots during stealth operations

Command of support robots by the warfighter requires intuitive interfaces to quickly communicate high degree-of-freedom (DOF) information while leaving the hands unencumbered. Stealth operations rule out voice commands and vision-based gesture interpretation techniques, as they often entail silent operations at night or in other low visibility conditions. Targeted at using bio-signal inputs to set navigation and manipulation goals for the robot (say, simply by pointing), we developed a system based on an electromyography (EMG) "BioSleeve", a high density sensor array for robust, practical signal collection from forearm muscles. The EMG sensor array data is fused with inertial measurement unit (IMU) data. This paper describes the BioSleeve system and presents initial results of decoding robot commands from the EMG and IMU data using a BioSleeve prototype with up to sixteen bipolar surface EMG sensors. The BioSleeve is demonstrated on the recognition of static hand positions (e.g. palm facing front, fingers upwards) and on dynamic gestures (e.g. hand wave). In preliminary experiments, over 90% correct recognition was achieved on five static and nine dynamic gestures. We use the BioSleeve to control a team of five LANdroid robots in individual and group/squad behaviors. We define a gesture composition mechanism that allows the specification of complex robot behaviors with only a small vocabulary of gestures/commands, and we illustrate it with a set of complex orders.
New physics with polarized 3HE targets

Abstract Development of targets of polarized 3 He for nuclear and particle physics is a major focus of effort by experimental physicists at present. This is motivated by many interesting and important experiments with beams from 5 MeV to 35 GeV. The target technologies are described and the physics outlined. Further, the need for a significant theoretical effort on the three body problem is detailed.
Cyclic AMP and chloride-dependent regulation of the apical constitutive secretory pathway in colonic epithelial cells.

Abstract Epithelial cells of the colonic crypt engage in cAMP-mediated fluid and electrolyte secretion. In addition to participating in electrolyte transport, colonic crypt cells also synthesize and secrete a number of proteins and peptides that play a crucial role in mucosal homeostasis. In the present study we show that cAMP regulates not only electrolyte secretion but also polarized protein secretion in a tissue culture model of colonic crypt cells. We found that apical but not basolateral protein secretion was stimulated by a physiological activator of the cAMP pathway, vasoactive intestinal peptide, as well as by a cell-permeant analogue of cAMP (8-(4-chlorophenylthio)cAMP) at concentrations as low as 12.5 μM. Based on several criteria, we determined that the regulation of protein secretion by cAMP in HT29-CL19A cells occurs via stimulation of constitutive membrane traffic from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to the apical cell surface. In addition, the regulation of apical protein secretion by cAMP was Cl-dependent with cAMP inhibiting rather than stimulating secretion in Cl-depleted cells. The locus of cAMP action on the secretory pathway is at least in part at the level of the TGN, where it stimulates the sialylation of α1-antitrypsin (i.e. one of the identified secretory proteins) in addition to the traffic of secretory proteins from the TGN to the apical cell surface. We propose that a cyclic AMP and Cl-dependent regulation of TGN acidification could modulate both sialylation and secretory vesicle budding at the TGN.
Chelometric titration of calcium using a mixed indicator

Abstract A mixed indicator for the chelometric titration of calcium has promise fur the determination of microgram amounts of calcium in the presence of relatively high concentrations of other ions. Potassium cyanide eliminates the interference of certain metals. Addition of methyl alcohol improves the visibility of the end-point in a semimicro titration of calcium, although it does not improve the end-point for macro titrations. This indicator also may be useful in the determination of magnesium after calcium has been removed from the sample.
A generalized framework and methodology for systems analysis

The extended evolution of systems analysis has created a challenging problem for the modern student, scholar, teacher, and practitioner: an overabundant, highly specialized body of literature that is difficult to grasp in terms of a generalized framework and methodology. The need for a comprehensive synthesis of systems analysis knowledge is apparent, since modern systems analysts apply their skills in a complex arena: policy analysis of large-scale societal systems. The purpose of the paper is to: 1) propose a generalized system analysis framework that is composed of a) steps in the systems analysis process, b) areas of application and problem categories, and c) analytical techniques for accomplishing the steps; 2) describe, in detail, a methodology of fundamental tasks in the systems analysis process; and 3) briefly describe a few techniques that have particular relevance in the proposed systems analysis methodology.
power and transcendence in the Ma Tsu pilgrimages of Taiwan

By prescribing travel outside pilgrims' native communities, the Ma Tsu pilgrimages of Taiwan define the sources of socially productive power as transcendent to both the individual and the community. In this article, pilgrimage ritual and rhetoric are shown to constitute a multifaceted set of mutually authenticating representations of the self-productive power of various institutions and culturally constructed selves. The most encompassing horizons of social and cultural production in pilgrimage exceed overt or conscious representation in pilgrimage itself, a fact crucial to the article's attempt to link the spatially hierarchical social organization of pilgrimages to ideological qualities inherent in pilgrimages' representations of transcendent power. From an objective or “totalizing” analytical perspective, pilgrimages are logically transcendent or encompassing levels of social production, but they entail representations of transcendence that misrecognize the sociogenic nature of this transcendence. [pilgrimage, alienation, ideology, social production]
Value chain dynamics of an emerging palm fiber handicraft market in Maranhão, Brazil

Non-timber forest product (NTFP) markets are often used as a development tool to improve livelihood stability of socio-economically vulnerable communities with access to natural resources. Interventions to encourage growth of NTFP markets, however, often succeed at reaching only subsets of target populations. To address impacts of changing NTFP markets on livelihoods and sustainable forest management, value chain and livelihood systems analyses were used to evaluate impacts of a buriti (Mauritia flexuosa) handicraft market on heterogeneous buriti users in Maranhao, Brazil. Data were obtained through interviews with 97 individuals who operated as different types of buriti users. Buriti value chain diagrams were constructed by identifying patterns among responses. Socioeconomic characteristics of actors were identified using statistical means comparisons. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the socioeconomic factors that correlated with peoples' role in the value chain. Results showed that the...
Theory of spin polarized photoelectron diffraction

Abstract We discuss several aspects of the theory of spin-polarized photoelectron diffraction (SPPD). This method makes use of multiplet splittings of core-level binding energies to produce photoelectron peaks with high spin polarization (for example, the two principal peaks associated with Mn 3s emission from Mn 2+ ). We consider three possible mechanisms for spin-dependent photoelectron scattering and diffraction: exchange scattering by valence electrons (3d 5 for Mn 2+ ), spin-orbit scattering (which is not expected to yield large effects if the sample does not have a net magnetization), and spin-dependent inelastic scattering (which cannot yet be dealt with in a fully quantitative way, but is estimated to be less important than the other two). The fact that SPPD involves internal sources of polarized electrons references to their respective emitters implies that it can be employed to study magnetic order in both anti-ferromagnets and ferromagnets and at temperatures above their respective Neel or Curie points. The effects of exchange scattering on Mn 3s emission from Mn 2+ in KMnF 3 have been incorporated into a single-scattering cluster model of the diffraction process via either the Dirac-Hara or Kohn-Sham local density approximations. This model is applied to several cases: a single Mn 2+ scatterer, small clusters of Mn 2+ scatterers, and full clusters appropriate to the (110) surface of KMnF 3 , with all atoms included. These calculations demonstrate that SPPD should be a short-range probe of magnetic order, a result consistent with conclusions reached in several prior studies of photoelectron diffraction without spin resolution. They also illustrate the perturbative nature of these effects, which are only about ca. 5–15% of the total intensity; this in turn leads to several possible simplifications in the theory. We have in addition phenomenologically modelled the decreases of short-range order with increasing temperature by using a Gaussian modulation of spins; this model produces curves of SPPD spin asymmetry versus Gaussian width which qualitatively agree with those observed experimentally (Phys. Rev. Lett. 55 (1986) 1227). Direct comparisons of the observed angular dependence of these spin asymmetries with theory for (110) KMnF 3 are also encouraging in that trends from one direction to another are in general predicted correctly. However, the maximum degree of asymmetry predicted by theory (13%) is somewhat below that of experiment (17%). Possible reasons for the discrepancies seen between theory and experiment are discussed, together with likely future directions of study.
Active and alkylated human AGT structures: a novel zinc site, inhibitor and extrahelical base binding

Human O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT), which directly reverses endogenous alkylation at the O(6)-position of guanine, confers resistance to alkylation chemotherapies and is therefore an active anticancer drug target. Crystal structures of active human AGT and its biologically and therapeutically relevant methylated and benzylated product complexes reveal an unexpected zinc-stabilized helical bridge joining a two-domain alpha/beta structure. An asparagine hinge couples the active site motif to a helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif implicated in DNA binding. The reactive cysteine environment, its position within a groove adjacent to the alkyl-binding cavity and mutational analyses characterize DNA-damage recognition and inhibitor specificity, support a structure-based dealkylation mechanism and suggest a molecular basis for destabilization of the alkylated protein. These results support damaged nucleotide flipping facilitated by an arginine finger within the HTH motif to stabilize the extrahelical O(6)-alkylguanine without the protein conformational change originally proposed from the empty Ada structure. Cysteine alkylation sterically shifts the HTH recognition helix to evidently mechanistically couple release of repaired DNA to an opening of the protein fold to promote the biological turnover of the alkylated protein.
Revisiting the Conceptualisation of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK): PCK as a Conceptual Tool to Understand Teachers as Professionals

The purpose of this study was to rethink the conceptualization of pedagogical content knowledge based on our descriptive research findings and to show how this new conceptualization helps us to understand teachers as professionals. This study was a multiple case study grounded in a social constructivist framework. Data were collected from multiple sources and analysed using three approaches: (a) constant comparative method, (b) enumerative approach, and (c) in-depth analysis of explicit PCK. The results indicated that (a) PCK was developed through reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action within given instructional contexts, (b) teacher efficacy emerged as an affective affiliate of PCK, (c) students had an important impact on PCK development, (d) students’ misconceptions played a significant role in shaping PCK, and (e) PCK was idiosyncratic in some aspects of its enactment. Discussion centres on how these five aspects are related to teacher professionalism.
A Site-Specific Low-Enrichment 15N,13C Isotope-Labeling Approach to Unambiguous NMR Spectral Assignments in Nucleic Acids

We demonstrate that base and sugar protons within a DNA oligomer can be assigned unambiguously following site-specific 15N,13C isotope incorporation at levels as low as 1% enrichment. This simple and cost-effective methodology is demonstrated on the d(GGGTTCAGG) DNA sequence, which forms a dimeric G-quadruplex containing G.G.G.G tetrads sandwiched between G.(C-A) triads.
Cesarean delivery for HIV-infected women: recommendations and controversies

Two studies that were published in 1999 demonstrated that cesarean delivery before labor and before the rupture of membranes (elective cesarean delivery) reduces the risk of mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). On the basis of these results, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the US Public Health Service recommend that HIV-infected pregnant women with plasma viral loads of >1000 copies per milliliter be counseled regarding the benefits of elective cesarean delivery. Since the release of these guidelines, the cesarean delivery rate among HIV-infected women in the United States has increased dramatically. Major postpartum morbidity is uncommon, and cesarean delivery among HIV-infected women is relatively safe and cost-effective. However, a number of important questions remain unanswered, including whether cesarean delivery has a role among HIV-infected women with low plasma viral loads or who receive combination antiretroviral regimens.
Rheumatoid synovectomy: does the surgical approach matter?

Background Surgical synovectomy relieves pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The comparative effect of arthroscopic versus open synovectomy on pain reduction, recurrence of synovitis, radiographic progression, and need for subsequent total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is unclear. Whether synovectomy relieves pain in patients with advanced degenerative joint changes is also controversial.
Recordings from cortical epileptogenic foci induced by cobalt iontophoresis

Abstract Epileptogenic foci were produced by iontophoresis of cobaltous chloride onto cat cortex. The epileptiform discharge, as recorded with a surface electroencephalogram electrode, was characterized by an initial large amplitude spike followed by prominent afterdischarge. The focus was restricted in its lateral extent and appeared to be confined pricipally to the superficial layers of cortex. Most cells recorded in the upper half of the cortex showed excitatory patterns of activity correlated with surface epileptiform events; deeper in the cortex, increasing numbers of cells were inhibited or not affected during the surface discharge. The maximum duration of spontaneous epileptogenesis induced by cobalt iontophoresis was 24 hr.
CHALLENGING ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING: THREE CASE STUDIES IN CONSTRUCTIVIST PEDAGOGY

Abstract This article examines three case studies of educators who came together initially during a summer professional development experience. During a two-week immersion, the educators and facilitators of this experience engaged in challenging their assumptions and practice through the lens of constructivist pedagogy. The two-week immersion evolved into an on-going professional learning community. The stories that are shared offer a context within which we enhanced our understanding about constructivism as pedagogy as well as the power of professional development through a learning community.