cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elemental analysis of a friction and wear surface during sliding using Auger spectroscopy

An Auger cylindrical mirror spectrometer has been incorporated into a friction and wear apparatus. The spectrometer can analyze for all elements heavier than helium present on a friction and wear surface. The instrument response is sufficiently fast to allow a chemical analysis of the surface in 0.10 second. The surface can be continuously analyzed while the experiment is in progress, and better insight into those chemical factors influencing friction and wear can thereby be provided. In sliding friction experiments, transfer of silver, aluminum, and copper to a steel surface was observed. Transfer took place without any attempt to clean the steel surface. This occurred in the first pass of the rider across the steel. Variations in the mode of metal transfer could also be detected. Gases containing oxygen were adsorbed to a copper transfer film, and its subsequent friction-initiated desorption was monitored. Presented at the 27th ASLE Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas, May 1–4, 1972
Effect of platinum salt concentration on the electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile/platinum acetylacetonate solution

The preparation and characterization of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/platinum(II) acetylacetonate composite nanofibers were investigated. The solution properties, such as viscosity, surface tension, and conductivity, of Pt-acetylacetonate-added PAN solutions in N,N-dimethylformamide were measured, and their influences on the resulting fiber structure were also determined. At low Pt salt concentrations, the addition of Pt salt increased the fiber diameter but did not change the fiber diameter distribution. However, the fiber diameter decreased, and the fiber diameter distribution became broader when the Pt salt concentration went beyond a critical value. The structure of the electrospun fibers was determined by the formation of polymer–salt– solvent interactions, which changed the balance among the viscosity, surface tension, and conductivity of the solutions. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
BIFURCATION ANALYSIS OF CHUA'S CIRCUIT WITH APPLICATIONS FOR LOW-LEVEL VISUAL SENSING

Low level vision for feature detection, motion analysis, or image segmentation is typically performed in parallel and is computationally intensive. The dynamic nature of scenes and the requirements for real time processing place further demands upon visual sensing. Dynamical systems which mimic the complexity of natural scenes provide an alternative to traditional computer vision approaches. However the design of such systems and the synthesis of complex, nonlinear dynamical systems by the interactions of simpler, low order systems remains a critical problem. One approach to this problem is to use the relative simplicity of Chua's circuit to provide a convenient model for the dynamics and bifurcation phenomena in more complex systems. In this paper the normal form is derived for Chua's circuit in which the piecewise-linear function is replaced by a cubic nonlinearity. A partial bifurcation analysis of the normal form equations is then used to show how Chua's system can be made to track the motion of low level image features through parameter variations in the bifurcation function.
Solution of a functional equation and applications

Abstract We propose a general method to solve a complex functional equation by reducing it to a boundary value problem of the Laplace equation. We apply this method to study Peskin′s cochlea model, and the spectral theory of a self-adjoint operator.
Robust control algorithm on a 16-bit dsPIC processor

This paper aims at developing robust control on a PIC processor. The robust control algorithm is developed under the Matlab/Simulink environment, and by using real-time workshop tools, the code is generated and deployed into the PIC processor. This method gives an advantage of building complex control systems on to a chip level with less development time. This method of algorithm development on the chip gives the flexibility of incorporating a complex control system, such as a robust control into any stand-alone system that has plant uncertainties and that requires constant stability measures.
A Phosphatase Activity of Sts-1 Contributes to the Suppression of TCR Signaling

Precise signaling by the T cell receptor (TCR) is crucial for a proper immune response. To ensure that T cells respond appropriately to antigenic stimuli, TCR signaling pathways are subject to multiple levels of regulation. Sts-1 negatively regulates signaling pathways downstream of the TCR by an unknown mechanism(s). Here, we demonstrate that Sts-1 is a phosphatase that can target the tyrosine kinase Zap-70 among other proteins. The X-ray structure of the Sts-1 C terminus reveals that it has homology to members of the phosphoglycerate mutase/acid phosphatase (PGM/AcP) family of enzymes, with residues known to be important for PGM/AcP catalytic activity conserved in nature and position in Sts-1. Point mutations that impair Sts-1 phosphatase activity in vitro also impair the ability of Sts-1 to regulate TCR signaling in T cells. These observations reveal a PGM/AcP-like enzyme activity involved in the control of antigen receptor signaling.
Processing Controls in Blood Collection Tubes Reveals Interference

Central tenets of quality control (QC) and quality assurance are that ( a ) controls should be handled by the regular staff, and ( b ) they should be treated the same way as an equivalent patient specimen. This is not always adhered to in routine practice, and recent problems with blood collection tubes underline this point (1)(2)(3)(4). Collection of blood in certain batches of Vacutainer® SST tubes was associated with errors in some immunoassays on certain immunoassay platforms [e.g., biases of 20% to 30% for total thyroxine (T4), total triiodothyronine (T3), and cortisol and −15% to 20% for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)]. These errors have been attributed to contamination of samples with surfactants that are used to coat the tubes; the surfactant can release reagent antibodies from some solid-phase materials used in immunoassay methods (5)(6). Blood specimens for testing are removed through a metal needle into a blood collection tube. The tube and its contents are centrifuged to isolate serum, and the serum is either sampled directly from this tube or transferred to another tube from which …
Accuracy of lens power calculations with the biconvex and meniscus intraocular lenses.

In a prospective study, intraocular lens power calculations were within ±0.50 diopter of the final refraction in 77 of 88 eyes (87.5%) with a biconvex lens and in 41 of 90 eyes (45.5%) with a meniscus lens. The more precise power calculations with the biconvex intraocular lens seemed to be related to the superior optical design of the lens, with its close configuration to a normal crystalline lens.
Cholesterol Synthesis in Regenerating Peripheral Nerve Is Not Influenced by Serum Cholesterol Levels

: Following a nerve crush, cholesterol from degenerating myelin is retained within the nerve and reutilized for new myelin synthesis during nerve regeneration, apparently via a lipoprotein-mediated process. Because at least some serum components have access to the endoneurium of injured nerve, it has been suggested that serum lipoproteins are also significant contributors of cholesterol to Schwann cells during nerve regeneration. To test this hypothesis, serum cholesterol levels were reduced by >90% with 4-aminopyrazolopyrimidine, followed by measurement of the activity of the key regulatory enzyme in cholesterol synthesis, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase. Treatment with 4-aminopyrazolopyrimidine caused a sevenfold increase in 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity in kidney but had no effect on the activity of this enzyme in either intact or regenerating sciatic nerve. These data indicate that serum-derived cholesterol is neither necessary for nor contributes significantly to myelin synthesis in regenerating nerve.
Differential Directorship: Special Sensitivities and Roles for Serving the Family Business Board.

An expert on corporate governance discusses the special sensitivities that outside directors need and how they use these characteristics in the roles that they play on the family board.
Symbolic execution-based verification of Ada tasking programs

Symbolic execution has been used successfully with sequential programs for generating the verification conditions required for correctness proofs. It is shown how the symbolic execution model for sequential programs can be extended to a tasking subset of Ada. The criteria for correct operation of a concurrent program include safety properties, such as mutual exclusion and freedom from deadlock. The extended model, therefore, provides a basis for the automatic generation of verification conditions for proving general safety properties of Ada tasking programs. >
Endogenous concentrations, pharmacokinetics, and selected pharmacodynamic effects of a single dose of exogenous GABA in horses

The anti-anxiety and calming effects following activation of the GABA receptor have been exploited in performance horses by administering products containing GABA. The primary goal of the study reported here was to describe endogenous concentrations of GABA in horses and the pharmacokinetics, selected pharmacodynamic effects, and CSF concentrations following administration of a GABA-containing product. The mean (±SD) endogenous GABA level was 36.4 ± 12.5 ng/mL (n = 147). Sixteen of these horses received a single intravenous and oral dose of GABA (1650 mg). Blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid (n = 2) samples were collected at time 0 and at various times for up to 48 h and analyzed using LC-MS. Plasma clearance and volume of distribution was 155.6 and 147.6 L/h and 0.154 and 7.39 L for the central and peripheral compartments, respectively. Terminal elimination half-life was 22.1 (intravenous) and 25.1 (oral) min. Oral bioavailability was 9.81%. Urine GABA concentrations peaked rapidly returning to baseline levels by 3 h. Horses appeared behaviorally unaffected following oral administration, while sedative-like changes following intravenous administration were transient. Heart rate was increased for 1 h postintravenous administration, and gastrointestinal sounds decreased for approximately 30 min following both intravenous and oral administration. Based on a limited number of horses and time points, exogenously administered GABA does not appear to enter the CSF to an appreciable extent.
Transmission of mitochondrial DNA ‐ playing favorites?

Mitochondria are essential subcellular organelles containing an extranuclear genome (mtDNA). Mutations in mtDNA have recently been identified as causing a variety of human hereditary diseases. In most of these cases, the tissues of the affected individual contain a mixture of mutant and normal mtDNA, with this ratio determining the severity of symptoms. Stochastic factors alone have generally been believed to determine this ratio. Jenuth et al.(1), however, examining mice that contain a mixture of mtDNA types, show evidence of strong selective forces at work in favoring one mtDNA variant over another in some tissues.
Ingestive Behavior and Nitrogen Balance of Confined Santa Ines Lambs Fed Diets Containing Soybean Hulls

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of substituting corn with soybean hulls on the ingestive behavior and nitrogen balance of Santa Ines lambs. A total of 25 lambs with an initial body weight of 202 kg at approximately six months of age, sheltered individually in stalls (1.10 m1.0 m), considering an entirely casual experimental delineation. Soybean hulls were substituted for corn at 0, 250, 500, 750, and 1,000 g/kg of dry matter (DM). The time spent feeding, ruminating, masticating, and resting was not affected by the substitution of corn with soybean hulls. In fact, the feeding efficiency in g DM/h and the rumination efficiency in g DM/bolus increased linearly with soybean hull substitution in the feed. Although the nitrogen balance was not altered by the use of soybean hulls as a substitute for corn in the diets of Santa Ines lambs, the N ingested and N digested expressed in g/d, N retained as a percentage of that ingested, and N retained as a percentage of that digested displayed quadratic behavior. In conclusion, corn can be substituted with soybean hulls up to 1,000 g/kg of dry matter in the concentrate, without changing the ingestive behavior and nitrogen
A Role for NF-κB Activation in Perforin Expression of NK Cells Upon IL-2 Receptor Signaling

Optimal NK cell development and activation as well as cytolytic activity involves IL-2R beta signals that also up-regulate expression of the pore-forming effector molecule perforin. Although the Jak/Stat pathway and specifically Stat5 transcription factors are required to promote many of the respective downstream events, the role of additional signaling pathways and transcription factors remains to be clarified. This report investigates the role of NF-kappa B activation for perforin expression by NK cells. It is demonstrated that IL-2-induced up-regulation of perforin in primary NK cells and in a model cell line is blocked by two pharmacological agents known to inhibit NF-kappa B activation. Direct evidence for the activation of the NF-kappa B pathway by IL-2R signals in NK cells involves activation of the IKK alpha kinase, inhibitory protein kappa B alpha degradation, nuclear translocation of p50/p65 complexes, and ultimately, transcriptional activation of the perforin gene via an NF-kappa B binding element in its upstream enhancer. Taken together, these observations strongly suggest that IL-2R signals can activate a pathway leading to NF-kappa B activation in NK cells and that this pathway is involved in the control of perforin expression.
Role of Toll-Like Receptor 4 in Endotoxin-Induced Acute Renal Failure

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is present on monocytes and other cell types, and mediates inflammatory events such as the release of TNF after exposure to LPS. C3H/HeJ mice are resistant to LPS-induced mortality, due to a naturally occurring mutation in TLR4. We therefore hypothesized that LPS-induced acute renal failure (ARF) requires systemic TNF release triggered by LPS acting on extrarenal TLR4. We injected C3H/HeJ mice and C3H/HeOuJ controls with 0.25 mg of LPS, and sacrificed them 6 h later for analysis of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and kidney tissue ( n = 8 per group). In contrast to C3H/HeOuJ controls, C3H/HeJ mice were completely resistant to LPS-induced ARF (6-h BUN of 32.3 ± 1.1 vs 61.7 ± 5.6 mg/dl). C3H/HeJ mice released no TNF into the circulation at 2 h (0.00 vs 1.24 ± 0.16 ng/ml), had less renal neutrophil infiltration (6.4 ± 1.0 vs 11.4 ± 1.3 neutrophils per high power field), and less renal apoptosis, as assessed by DNA laddering. Transplant studies showed that C3H/HeJ recipients of wild-type kidneys ( n = 9) were protected from LPS-induced ARF, while wild-type recipients of C3H/HeJ kidneys ( n = 11) developed severe LPS-induced ARF (24-h BUN 44.0 ± 4.1 vs 112.1 ± 20.0 mg/dl). These experiments support our hypothesis that LPS acts on extrarenal TLR4, thereby leading to systemic TNF release and subsequent ARF. Renal neutrophil infiltration and renal cell apoptosis are potential mechanisms by which endotoxemia leads to functional ARF.
Photocatalytic self-detoxification by coaxially electrospun fiber containing titanium dioxide nanoparticles:

Electrospun nanofibers containing titanium dioxide (TiO2) were investigated as a self-detoxifying system consisting of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and anatase TiO2 nanoparticles. Fibers were prepared by uniaxial and coaxial electrospinning to study the effect of nanoparticle placement on the detoxification activities of the photocatalyst. Coaxially spun fibers had the particles selectively placed in the sheath layer by electrospinning pure PAN solution and PAN/TiO2 solution as the core and sheath layer, respectively. Using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray microanalysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, it was confirmed that the coaxial approach resulted in the location of nanoparticles near the surface of the fibers compared to the uniform distribution obtained for uniaxial fibers. Photocatalytic activity of the fibers under ultraviolet irradiation was demonstrated by the degradation of aldicarb, as measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. In terms of degradation kinetics, the distribution d...
Sensory Feedback Reduces Individuality by Increasing Variability within Subjects

Behavioral variability is ubiquitous [1-6], yet variability is more than just noise. Indeed, humans exploit their individual motor variability to improve tracing and reaching tasks [7]. What controls motor variability? Increasing the variability of sensory input, or applying force perturbations during a task, increases task variability [8, 9]. Sensory feedback may also increase task-irrelevant variability [9, 10]. In contrast, sensory feedback during locust flight or to multiple cortical areas just prior to task performance decreases variability during task-relevant motor behavior [11, 12]. Thus, how sensory feedback affects both task-relevant and task-irrelevant motor outputs must be understood. Furthermore, since motor control is studied in populations, the effects of sensory feedback on variability must also be understood within and across subjects. For example, during locomotion, each step may vary within and across individuals, even when behavior is normalized by step cycle duration [13]. Our previous work demonstrated that motor components that matter for effective behavior show less individuality [14]. Is sensory feedback the mechanism for reducing individuality? We analyzed durations and relative timings of motor pools within swallowing motor patterns in the presence and absence of sensory feedback and related these motor program components to behavior. Here, at the level of identified motor neurons, we show that sensory feedback to motor program components highly correlated with behavioral efficacy reduces variability across subjects but-surprisingly-increases variability within subjects. By controlling intrinsic, individual differences in motor neuronal activity, sensory feedback provides each subject access to a common solution space.
Vicarious Effects of Time-Out in the Modification of Aggression in the Classroom:

This study was designed to assess the vicarious effects of time-out applied to a child's aggressive behaviors in the classroom. In an ABAB replication design, aggressive behaviors by a child in a c...
Liposuctioned rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap to cover a vulval skin defect

A woman with genital Paget disease had a reconstruction with a rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap after primary liposuction during operation. The patient recovered satisfactorily.
Anatomic correlates of deep brain stimulation electrode impedance

Background The location of the optimal target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) remains controversial. Electrode impedance affects tissue activation by DBS and has been found to vary by contact number, but no studies have examined association between impedance and anatomic location. Objectives To evaluate the relationship between electrode impedance and anatomic contact location, and to assess the clinical significance of impedance. Methods We gathered retrospective impedance data from 101 electrodes in 73 patients with Parkinson9s disease. We determined contact location using microelectrode recording (MER) and high-field 7T MRI, and assessed the relationship between impedance and contact location. Results For contact location as assessed via MER, impedance was significantly higher for contacts in STN, at baseline (111 Ω vs STN border, p=0.03; 169 Ω vs white matter, p Conclusions In the vicinity of DBS electrodes chronically implanted in STN, impedance is lower at the rostral STN border and in white matter, than in STN. This finding suggests that current reaches white matter fibres more readily than neuronal cell bodies in STN, which may help explain anatomic variation in stimulation efficacy.
Optimal Inventory of Computer Repair Parts: A Fuzzy Systems Approach

The aim of this research is to use a data analysis/mining approach to extract information from a large number of failure equipment notifications, form a fuzzy system that would be capable of learning and optimizing the knowledge from historical evidence, and subsequently use it as a guiding tool in decision making processes.
Development of Spontaneous Miniature EPSCs in Mouse AVCN Neurons During a Critical Period of Afferent-Dependent Neuron Survival

During a critical period prior to hearing onset, cochlea ablation leads to massive neuronal death in the mouse anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN), where cell survival is believed to depend on gl...
Activation defects caused by mutations in Escherichia coli rpoA are promoter specific.

Escherichia coli RNA polymerases containing mutated alpha subunits were tested for their ability to respond to three different positive regulators (activators) in vitro. The two alpha (rpoA) mutants, alpha-256 and alpha-235, have deletions of the C-terminal 73 and 94 amino acids, respectively. In runoff transcription assays catalyzed by reconstituted holoenzyme, the effects of the mutations on each of three promoters tested were different: activation of the lambda pRM promoter by cI protein (repressor) was nearly normal, activation of the lambda pRE promoter by cII protein was reduced approximately fivefold, and direct activation of the trpPB promoter of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was completely inhibited. We also found that the reconstituted mutant enzyme was defective in recognition of trpPI in the absence of activator. The differential responses of the three promoters to their activators in the presence of the mutant enzymes indicate that the location of an activator-binding site does not by itself determine the region of RNA polymerase with which the activator interacts. Images
Hillock Formation and Reduction Using Metal Interlayers for Active Matrix Display Applications

The effects of using an extra layer of nickel, cobalt or titanium with Al-1%Cu films were examined with regard to hillock formation. The density and sizes of hillocks in these double layer metallization structures were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and interfacial reactions between the transition metal layer and Al-l%Cu were examined using glancing angle x-ray diffraction (GA-XRD). Resistivities of the double layer films were characterized using conventional 4-point probe measurements. Hillock formation was totally suppressed when Ni and Co was used as the transition metal, while Ti did not eliminate hillocks. Hillock formation and resistivities are explained on the basis of interfacial reactions.
Fault tree synthesis for chemical processes

This paper outlines the concepts for a systematic approach to the safety analysis of chemical processing systems. A procedure for automatically generating fault trees is presented. The fault trees describe nearly all the failure modes for the system under analysis. The fault tree generation procedure uses information on (1) the description of the system (detailed flowsheet), (2) physical and chemical properties of materials in and around the system, and (3) unit models which describe the behavior of the units within the system and which are assembled to describe the behavior of the complete system. The unit models are connected to form an information flow structure for the complete processing system. Unit failure models are also defined for common chemical units. By systematically defining hazard states and searching the information flow structure for the system, it is possible to generate fault trees for the complete process. An analysis of the fault trees can reveal the important failure modes for the process.
Canine hypophysectomy using a ventral paramedian approach.

Objective— To evaluate the degree of pituitary exposure, completeness of hypophysectomy, and perioperative morbidity associated with an alternative paramedian surgical approach and excisional technique for the canine pituitary gland. Study Design— Experimental imaging, surgical, and endocrinologic study. Animal Population— Nine healthy, purpose-bred Beagle dogs. Methods— Surgical landmarks for the pituitary were determined by computed tomography (CT), and then using a ventral paramedian approach medial to the rami of the mandible, the pituitary was exposed and removed en bloc by manipulation and ultrasonic aspiration. Efficacy of the procedure was evaluated using endocrinologic and pathologic observation. Results— CT images allowed the precise location of surgical landmarks for hypophysectomy. Statistically significant decreases in secretion of all measured pituitary hormones except adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) occurred after hypophysectomy. Despite the absence of gross evidence of residual pituitary tissue, immunohistochemical staining revealed residual pituitary cells in the sella turcica of most dogs. Conclusion— CT imaging and a paramedian approach facilitated surgical access to the pituitary gland by a transoral technique; however, use of an ultrasonic aspirator removed all visible pituitary glands but left cellular remnants capable of ACTH secretion in the sella turcica. Clinical Relevance— Although this technique did not result in complete hypophysectomy, clinical use in dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism is warranted because the goal is not complete hypophysectomy but removal of a pituitary tumor.
Regulation of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) expression in Cryptococcus neoformans by temperature and host environment

In the study of differential gene expression of Cryptococcus neoformans, a transcript of COX1 (cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1) was identified in a serotype A strain. The transcript was upregulated at 37 °C compared to 30 °C and expressed by yeasts infecting the central nervous system. Northern analysis of COX1 from the serotype A strain revealed two polycistronic transcripts, a temperature-upregulated 2·3 kb transcript and a 1·9 kb transcript that was not affected by temperature. In contrast, COX1 in a serotype D strain showed only a 1·9 kb polycistronic transcript plus a 1·6 kb monocistronic message, and temperature had no effect on the transcripts. The sequence of COX1 revealed similar coding regions between the two strains, but the serotype D strain had five introns whereas no introns were found in the serotype A strain. The serotype D strain had reduced growth rates compared to the serotype A strain at 37 °C, but in an AD hybrid strain the serotype D COX1 gene could support efficient high temperature growth. These studies have revealed mitochondrial molecular differences between serotype A and D strains which show evolutionary divergence. It will be important to determine whether differences in mitochondrial structure and function can influence cryptococcosis.
Towards a Formally Verified Proof Assistant

This paper presents a formalization of Nuprl’s metatheory in Coq. It includes a nominal-style definition of the Nuprl language, its reduction rules, a coinductive computational equivalence, and a Curry-style type system where a type is defined as a Partial Equivalence Relation (PER) a la Allen. This type system includes Martin-Lof dependent types, a hierarchy of universes, inductive types and partial types. We then prove that the typehood rules of Nuprl are valid w.r.t. this PER semantics and hence reduce Nuprl’s consistency to Coq’s consistency.
Enhancement of unusual color in aerial video sequences for assisting wilderness search and rescue

The use of aerial video for search and surveillance has been popularized by the increased use of camera-equipped unmanned aerial vehicles. For many search applications, objects may also be missed by observers due to their small size, brief visibility, or the inherent monotony of the scene. This paper presents a novel method for automatically emphasizing unusually colored objects to improve their detectability. We use a hue histogram and a local saliency measure to find unusually colored objects, then boost the saturation of these objects while desaturating more common colors, thus drawing the observer's attention and facilitating video search.
Board Composition, Ownership Structure, Geographic Regulation, And Bank Holding Company Expenses

The purpose of this article is to explore the impact of internal and external market conditions on bank holding company operating expenses. An agency problem exists whenever management makes decisions which produce results contrary to shareholder interests. Factors such as large-block shareholdings, management participation in ownership, product and labor market competition, outsider board participation and ease of market entry are believed to serve as mitigating factors. Although there is evidence that product and ownership conditions have a significant effect operating expenses and other expenditures deemed to be preferred by management, there is scant evidence on the importance of these factors relative to board composition and entry barrier regulation. Furthermore, most of the focus has been on relatively large banking institutions. Employing a sample of small-to-medium banking firms from the 1980s, the results indicate that entry barrier regulation and board composition served as an important source of agency problems for these firms as reflected in the operating expense structure.
Rationality and public evidence: a reply to Richard Swinburne

First, my thanks to Richard Swinburne for his probing and thoughtful review of my book Warranted Christian Belief ( WCB ). His account of the book's mainline of argument is accurate as far as it goes; it does contain an important lacuna, however. The focus of the book is twofold; it is aimed in two directions. First, just as Swinburne says, I argue that there are no plausible de iure objections to Christian belief that are independent of de facto objections; any plausible objection to the rationality of Christian belief, or to its warrant (the property that distinguishes knowledge from mere true belief), or its justification, will either be obviously mistaken or will (as with Freud, and Marx and a thousand others) presuppose one or more de facto objections. This is intended as a contribution to apologetics; it is important, because many or most objections to Christian belief are of just the sort I attempt to discredit. (‘I don't know whether Christian belief is true or not – who could know a thing like that? – but I do know that it is irrational, or unwarranted, or not rationally justified, or…’.) Second (and this is the focus Swinburne fails to mention), I proposed the extended A/C (Aquinas/Calvin) model as, from the perspective of Christian belief, a plausible account of the way in which Christian belief is, in fact, justified, rational and warranted. So the book is aimed in two directions: first towards readers generally, whether Christian believers or not, and second towards Christian believers.
Surveillance of Traumatic Firefighter Fatalities: An Assessment of Four Systems

OBJECTIVES: Firefighters regularly respond to hazardous situations that put them at risk for fatal occupational injuries. Traumatic occupational fatality surveillance is a foundation for understanding the problem and developing prevention strategies. We assessed four surveillance systems for their utility in characterizing firefighter fatalities and informing prevention measures. METHODS: We examined three population-based systems (the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and systems maintained by the United States Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association) and one case-based system (data collected through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program). From each system, we selected traumatic fatalities among firefighters for 2003-2006. Then we compared case definitions, methods for case ascertainment, variables collected, and rate calculation methods. RESULTS: Overall magnitude of fatalities differed among systems. The population-based systems were effective in characterizing the circumstances of traumatic firefighter fatalities. The case-based surveillance system was effective in formulating detailed prevention recommendations, which could not be made based on the population-based data alone. Methods for estimating risk were disparate and limited fatality rate comparisons between firefighters and other workers. CONCLUSIONS: The systems included in this study contribute toward a greater understanding of firefighter fatalities. Areas of improvement for these systems should continue to be identified as they are used to direct research and prevention efforts. Language: en
Effects of trunk deep muscle strength exercise in flexion-relaxation phenomenon of erector spinae muscles

Background: The flexion-relaxation phenomenon (FRP) of the erector spinae muscles has been used to discriminate low back pain patients. When people have performed the asymmetric lumbar flexion in the sagittal plane, the electromyography shows the asymmetric FRP. Although most healthy people have no low back pain, they have the potential factor for asymmetry of the FRP in the right and left ES muscles due to repetitive movement and poor posture in their work environments or daily activities. Lumbar stabilization exercises, especially the back bridge and hand-knee position, are the most common and effective to strengthen the lumbar deep muscle. Lumbar stabilization exercises provide a reappearance of FRP through strengthening the multifidus muscle, and eventually this could result in symmetry of FRP in non-LBP subjectswith asymmetric FRPof the ESmuscles. Purpose: This study evaluated the differences in the FRP of the right and left erector spinae muscles in asymptomatic subjects and the effect of lumbar stabilization exercises on these differences. Methods: Participants (n= 26, 12 exercise group and 14 control group)with a difference in the FRP in the right and left erector spinae muscles were recruited from healthy students attending Silla University. The exercise group performed two lumbar stabilization exercises (back bridge exercise and hand-knee exercise) for 4 weeks. A surface electromyography was recorded from the right and left erector spinae muscles at the third lumbar vertebral level. The collected electromyography signals were processed with a root-meansquare moving average of 300ms duration of EMG data. The relaxation time was defined as when ES activation decreased two standard deviation (SD) of silence activation in the fullflexed lumbar phase. Repeated two-way analysis of variance with between-(exercise and control group) and within-(preand post-exercise) subject factor analysis was used to assess the statistical significance of the FRP in the elector spinae muscles. Results: No significant difference for group by exercise interactions was found (p> .05). The right and left erector spinae muscles did show a difference in FRP for the control and exercise groups (119.2± 69.2ms and 131.1± 85.2ms, respectively, p> .05). In addition, the exercise group showed a significant decrease in post-exercise (50.0± 27.0ms) compared to pre-exercise (112.3± 41.5ms) differences in the right and left FRP (p< .05). Conclusion(s): These results suggested that lumbar stabilization exercises could counter asymmetry of the FRP in the erector spinae muscles to prevent low back pain in the general population. Implications: The result shows that healthy people who have no back pain, they have potential risk factor the asymmetric FRP. Therefore, asymmetric FRP is a new approach to the method of prevention for LBP.
Bacterial Associations Across House Fly Life History: Evidence for Transstadial Carriage From Managed Manure.

House flies (Diptera: Muscidae; Musca domestica L.) associate with microbe-rich substrates throughout life history. Because larvae utilize bacteria as a food source, most taxa present in the larval substrate, e.g., manure, are digested or degraded. However, some species survive and are present as third-instar larvae begin pupation. During metamorphosis, many bacteria are again lost during histolysis of the larval gut and subsequent remodeling to produce the gut of the imago. It has been previously demonstrated that some bacterial species survive metamorphosis, being left behind in the puparium, present on the body surface, or in the gut of the emerged adult. We used a combined culture-molecular approach to identify viable microbes from managed manure residue and a wild population of house fly larvae, pupae, puparia, and adults to assess transstadial carriage. All larval (10/10), pupal (10/10), and puparial (10/10) cultures were positive for bacteria. Several bacterial species that were present in larvae also were present either in pupae or puparia. Four viable bacterial species were detectable in 6 of 10 imagoes reared from manure. Of note is the apparent transstadial carriage of Bacillus sonorensis , which has been associated with milk spoilage at dairies, and Alcaligenes faecalis , which can harbor numerous antibiotic resistance genes on farms. The potential of newly emerged flies to harbor and disseminate bacteria from managed manure on farms is an understudied risk that deserves further evaluation.
Morphological and histochemical changes in the rat conceptus following administration of a non-ionic detergent.

SummaryHistochemical studies of the conceptus were made using the Barka-Ander-son and Gomori techniques for acid phospha-tase and periodic acid-Schiff reagent. Triton injection caused a marked vacuolation in the lysosomes of the visceral yolk sac cells, a pronounced increase in the amount of PAS-positive debris in the giant cell cytoplasm, and a loss of cell cohesion in general. A significant increase in resorption occurred with all dosage levels of Triton.
Production of Oligospermia in a Man by the Use of Testosterone Propionate.

SummaryThe daily subcutaneous injection of 10 to 25 mg of testosterone depressed the spermatozoa count in a 67-year-old man. After its withdrawal the number of spermatozoa increased and during a second period of testosterone therapy the number of spermatozoa again decreased. The duration of the 2 periods of treatment, the daily dosage, and the variation in the spermatozoa counts are presented in the graph.
Space Partitioning and Classification for Multi-target Search and Tracking by Heterogeneous Unmanned Aerial System Teams

Search and tracking of an unknown number of targets within large search areas is a task performed in settings such as search and rescue, surveillance, area patrol, and reconnaissance. This task can be accomplished by a team of cooperative, heterogeneous, autonomous agents. In order to search for and track targets by a team of agents, target sensing and position estimation are required, as well as algorithms for agent path planning. The estimation of targets is accomplished by fusing detection/no-detection observations. The fusion of these observations forms a distribution of estimated target density over the target search space. The nature of an unknown number of multiple targets and small sensor fields of view results in several maxima in the target density distribution corresponding to potential locations of targets. The goal of the team of agents is to reach system steady-state consisting of the entire target space searched and all targets discovered and being tracked by agents. This corresponds to the target density distribution reaching its lowest possible uncertainty. Assuming mobile targets, once a target has been detected, frequent repeated detections are required to maintain low local uncertainty of the target location. Consequently, as targets are detected, the region of the detections must be tracked. As tracking regions appear, some agents transition from searching to tracking. Extending this to the entire target search area, based on the target density distribution the area is dynamically partitioned to account for regions of potential targets with varying levels of uncertainty. Features are extracted from these partitioned regions to classify the type of search or track that should be performed for each region. The partitioned regions are viewed as tasks and are assigned to the team of agents. The main focus of this paper is to present an approach for dynamically partitioning the target search area, based on the target density distribution, into evolving regions of potential targets of varying local uncertainty. Classification of the partitioned regions into varying levels of search or tracking tasks is also presented. Additionally, estimation of the target density distribution is discussed. Results are provided of a search task consisting of six Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) agents equipped with visual spectrum camera sensors searching for an unknown number of targets.
Crafting a Work Persona in 1970s Petroleum Geology

Taking inspiration from a 1972 study by Allan Sekula that concerned everyday shifts in subjectivity among a set of industrial and technical workers, this paper looks at work persona production in petroleum geology, a profession at the centre of the global oil industries and oil capitalism. Persona production is part of how petroleum geologists explain themselves and their controversial work to one another, and how they manage individual celebrity within their expert community. Taking as its data source obituaries and death notices that circulated inside the profession over the course of the 1970s, the paper concentrates on a specific persona created by petroleum geologists as part of their ritualized mourning practices. Findings presented within the paper show that obituaries and death notices were used to collaboratively craft a work persona that is thoroughly disconnected from energy politics and controversy: the imagined figure of the petroleum geologist that emerges is someone who is rugged, righteous, loving, fraternal, and deeply connected to nature. The stakes of this research concern not only work personas and their histories, but also the material underpinnings of contemporary cultural production and ongoing debates over energy forms and futures.
Saving Legal Education

This piece describes the difficult situation that legal education finds itself in. While law schools offer programs that are more enriching than ever, they do so at much higher costs than in previous decades. The resulting tuition increases have causes graduating students to become burdened with large debts. At the same time, their employment, particular for those at non-elite law schools, have become more problematic. The article provides ample statistics and examples to support these disturbing trends.
Abstract PR06: Nucleation of transcriptional super-enhancers at tumor oncogenes

Transcriptional super-enhancers drive expression of oncogenes in many cancers and are being targeted with novel transcriptional and epigenetic therapeutics (1,2,3,4). Super-enhancers are acquired in cancers through multiple mechanisms, including DNA translocation of an extant super-enhancer and focal amplification. We recently discovered a novel mechanism by which super-enhancers are nucleated in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias (T-ALLs) (5). In this case, a small, monoallelic insertion creates a DNA binding site for a master transcription factor protein, which binds and recruits additional factors to nucleate the super-enhancer, which in turn drives high levels of the TAL1 transcription factor. We describe here a method for unbiased identification of similar genomic insertions that nucleate potentially oncogenic regulatory elements in cancers. This approach uses data from genome-wide ChIP-Seq studies that map locations of enhancer-binding proteins to identify sequences missing from reference genomes. We have found many additional genomic insertions in many additional cancers. I will describe new insights into the regulation of cancer that occur due to nucleation of novel regulatory elements. 1 Hnisz, Abraham, Lee, et al., Cell 2013 2 Loven, Hoke, Lin, et al., Cell 2013 3 Kwiatkowski, et al., Nature, 2014 4 Chipumoro, et al., Cell, 2014 5 Mansour et al., Science 2014 Citation Format: Brian J. Abraham, Nicholas Kwiatkowski, Abraham S. Weintraub, Denes Hnisz, Nancy Hannett, Richard A. Young. Nucleation of transcriptional super-enhancers at tumor oncogenes. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Computational and Systems Biology of Cancer; Feb 8-11 2015; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(22 Suppl 2):Abstract nr PR06.
Gangrene of the penis after implantation of penile prosthesis: case reports, treatment recommendations and review of the literature

We report 3 cases of gangrene of the penis seen at our institution after penile prosthesis implantation. All 3 patients had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Amputation was required in 2 patients. Aggressive debridement in conjunction with hyperbaric oxygen prevented amputation in the third patient.
Inactivation by mouse serum of a tightly bound inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase.

A potent inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase, a substituted 4,6-diaminotriazine (NSC 113,423; a 1:1 compound of 4-[p-(4,6-diamino-2,2-dimethyl-s-triazine-1(2H)-yl)hydrocinnamido]-o-toluenesulfonyl fluoride and ethanesulfonic acid), was found to be rapidly inactivated by mouse serum. Preliminary studies on the mechanism of this inactivation indicate that a mouse serum protein hydrolyzes the sulfonyl fluoride group. However, this triazine inhibitor was not inactivated by the sera of other species, including rat, dog, and man. It is suggested that NSC 113,423 and related compounds may still be valuable chemotherapeutic agents against tumors occurring in man.
The study of the NMDA receptor function in the visual cortex. Summary of habilitation thesis

Purpose Finding the agents influencing the function of NMDA receptors in the visual cortex. Material and methods The experiments were performed on cats aged from three weeks to several years. Recordings were made from single neurons of the visual cortex after iontophoresis of N-methyl-D-aspartate acid, D-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid, D-serine, 7-chlorokynurenic acid. Results It was found that: 1. Light is one of the factors which has an influence on the development of NMDA receptors in the visual cortex. Rearing cats in the dark is delaying the changes in the function of NMDA receptors, reducing the number of directional sensitive neurons, lowering the firing rate during the visual response. 2. Monocular deprivation is first creating the reduction of the NMDA receptors' contribution to the visual response and later the functional degradation of the synapse. 3. In the Brodmann's 17th area most glycine sites at the NMDA receptors are not saturated by endogenous glycine.
Introduction: Gender Trouble in Galatealand

This chapter sets up the book’s argument. Beginning with a commentary on the potency of the Galatea myth, even in contemporary times, the chapter moves on to describe the widespread practices of sexual representation and body transformation—from “sexting” to plastic surgeries—in relation to media images of ideally sexual bodies. In this chapter, I trace the articulation of the sexual self to media images and technologies, fantasies of perfect bodies, and body metamorphoses, noting the blurring of bodily borders and boundaries as they become enmeshed with media technologies. The book’s key research questions are defined here, along with the goal of developing an ethics of technosexuality for the changing media environment. This chapter draws on a range of theoretical approaches to these issues, from feminist science and technology studies to somatechnics to phenomenology, to explore the interrelationships of bodies, sexualities, and technologies. Arguing that mediascapes and mediaspaces form architectonic environments that impinge upon the identity positions of contemporary subjects, I note the need for “cognitive maps” to articulate an ethics of technosex.