cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adsorption of Acetaldehyde, Propionaldehyde, and Butyraldehyde on Molecular Sieve 13X

Abstract Adsorption isotherms for acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and butyraldehyde on Davison molecular sieve 13X were determined gravimetrically at three temperatures. The isoteric heat of adsorption of acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde decreased initially with the increase in loading, then increased up to a certain point after which it decreased again. For butyraldehyde the heat of adsorption initially increased and then decreased with increased loading. The equilibrium adsorption data reduce to a single characteristic curve when correlated according to Polanyi's potential theory. Recently proposed isotherm equations for heterogeneous surfaces by Sircar and Hines et al. were used to correlate the isotherm data. The BET equation gave a good correlation of the data for a relative pressure range of 0.05 ≤ P/P, ≤ 0.25. The monolayer surface coverage and surface area were calculated by the Langmuir and the BET equations. The Langmuir equation consistently provided a larger estimate of the surface area than di...
Tunable ultraviolet femtosecond pulses at kilohertz repetition rates.

Femtosecond pulses, tunable between 250 and 400 nm, are generated at a pulse repetition rate of 8 kHz by two methods, sum-frequency generation and second-harmonic generation. Both methods produce pulse energies ranging from ~10 pJ at 280 and 380 nm to 40 nJ at 310 nm. Between 250 and 280 nm, sum-frequency generation produces pulses with energies significantly greater than those produced by second-harmonic generation. The measured pulse duration at 310 nm is 180 fs.
cis-syn Thymine Homodimer from Ultraviolet Irradiated Calf Thymus DNA

THE present interest in the ultra-violet irradiation of nucleic acids1–3 seems to warrant the tedious effort required to isolate in small quantities and to identify the product(s) formed in biological material, at doses compatible with biological assays of the radiation-induced damage.
Evaluation of the acute dermal toxicity of a thermally decomposed military specification l-23699 synthetic aircraft lubricant

AbstractAcute dermal toxicity of pyrolyzed MIL-L-23699 lubricant samples was determined in male and female B6C3F1 mice. The lethal dose for 50% of the population (LD50) of male B6C3F1 mice was estimated to be approximately 50 mg/kg and for female mice approximately 100 mg/kg. The lethal effects of toxicity can be prevented if the exposure site is thoroughly washed and dried within 5 min after exposure. Tap water (deionized) or sea water worked just as well as a detergent wash in preventing the lethal aspects of the pyrolysate exposure to the skin. When comparing the solvent effects of the oil pyrolysate to dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as a vehicle for the penetration of the neurotoxicant formed in the pyrolysate, DMSO was a better vehicle, enhancing penetration of the neurotoxicant at least 20-fold.
Determination of the Integrated Molar Absorptivity for C-ONO and C-NO 2 Groups, Using FT-IR Spectroscopy

Infrared absorptions occur over a range of frequencies, and absorption coefficients measured at any single frequency may not express the true intensity of a molecular transition. The integrated absorption coefficient is the sum of the absorption coefficients for all such frequencies in the band A = ∫ e(v) dv. Integrated absorption coefficients have been used for a variety of applications, for the most part ignoring any inherent differences in molar absorptivity for molecules in different states of aggregation. Eischens and Jacknow have used a system using combined gravimetry and spectroscopy to calculate the e for adsorbed species; that is, the extinction coefficient for a functional group of a molecule adsorbed on another surface. They also report that the e for carbon monoxide on a surface vs. the same compound in solution can be assumed to be the same within the experimental accuracy; whether this conclusion can be generalized is not known.
Diesel Spray Analysis

Light scattering based particle sizing techniques have the advantage of nonintrusively measuring sizes of emulsions and dispersions. Depending on the parameters involved, there are several techniques that can be used and a choice of the most convenient method can be made. When the particles are large, Fraunhofer Diffraction Pattern Analysis (FDPA) can be employed in measuring particle-sizing distributions. The design of a high quality diesel engine would involve an understanding of the disintegration mechanism, spray penetration, and spray motion. It is the objective of this paper to implement the FDPA laser diffraction method to determine spray penetration and droplet mean diameters, for single injection of diesel fuel with synchronized time that will allow time dependent studies.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Distal Forelimb Kinematics in Erythrocebus patas and Papio anubis During Walking and Galloping

When using symmetrical gaits, terrestrial digitigrade monkeys adopt less digitigrade, i.e., more palmigrade-like, hand postures as they move with faster speeds. Accordingly, it appears that, in contrast to other mammals, digitigrady is unrelated to cursoriality in primates. However, researchers have not documented the effects of speed on distal forelimb kinematics in faster asymmetrical gaits, i.e., galloping, when ground reaction forces are typically increased owing to the decreased number of contact points during a stride, combined with higher speed. Thus, it remains possible that primates use digitigrade hand postures during these higher-speed asymmetrical gaits. We investigated 3D angles in the wrist joint and metacarpophalangeal joint of 2 habitually digitigrade terrestrial monkeys, Erythrocebus patas and Papio anubis, across a large range of walking and galloping speeds on a motorized treadmill. Nonparametric analyses reveal that angles, and therefore hand postures, are not different at the subject’s walk-gallop transition. Regression analyses show that when walking, digitigrade postures are adopted at slow speeds and more palmigrade-like postures are adopted at fast speeds. Contrary to expectations, there is little change in hand postures across galloping speeds; both subjects maintained palmigrade-like hand postures with substantial joint yield and reextension during support. These results indicate that the hands are always less digitigrade at faster speeds because the joints of the distal forelimb cannot resist the higher ground reaction forces that accompany these higher speed gaits.
Signaling Motifs and Weber's Law

New experimental and theoretical studies reported by Uri Alon, Marc Kirschner, and colleagues in this issue of Molecular Cell suggest that Weber's law of sensory perception may apply to a number of cell signaling processes.
Submicron metal etch integration study

Recent progression toward low pressure metal etching has been driven primarily by the reduction in spacing between features and the corresponding increase in aspect ratio of the areas to be etched. Key limitations of etching small feature spaces ( 2:1) and pattern density variations between isolated and dense lines. This paper addresses the development and integration of a production worthy sub-micron metal etch process. The work performed focused on statistical design of experiments to determine the critical factors controlling the etching of small metal line spaces along with the overall characteristics of the final post metal etch process. Full integration included analysis of photo resist strip, passivation and corrosion control. The process as designed, contrary to common practice, cleared small space geometries first followed by the clearing of open field metal. This approach eliminates the common pattern density dependency of metal etch and provided a simplified process for implementation into manufacturing.
Experimental performance of curved slits

Experimental data is presented that demonstrates very high resolving power in an Ebert-type spectrometer when the jaws of the entrance and exit slits describe perfect circles in the slit plane. An observed spectral resolution of 125 000 in visible light is reported with slits which are 10 cm long and have a 20-cm radius of curvature in a spectrometer of 2.25 meters focal length. Application to other optical systems is discussed and the relationship between the radius of curvature of the slit and the optical arrangement is presented.
Revising a Design Course from a Lecture Approach to a Project-Based Learning Approach.

In order to develop the evaluative skills necessary for successful performance of design, a senior, Geotechnical Engineering course was revised to immerse students in the complexity of the design process utilising a project-based learning (PBL) approach to instruction. The student-centred approach stresses self-directed group learning, which focuses on the process rather than the result and underscores not only the theoretical but also the practical constraints of a problem. The shift in course emphasis, to skills over concepts, results in reduced content coverage but increased student ability to independently acquire a breadth of knowledge.
EFFECT OF BALE SIZE AND DENSITY ON TSNA FORMATION IN BALED BURLEY TOBACCO

Abstract Nitrosamines are nitrogen-containing compounds that occur in trace amounts in everyday items. Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) have been identified as some of the most potent carcinogens in tobacco products. The objective of this study was to evaluate market preparation conditions affecting TSNA levels in cured burley tobacco. The data for this study were based on a market-preparation experiment design to study bale density and size effects on TSNA levels during storage in Greenville, TN following the 2005, 2006, and 2007 growing seasons. Standard and flue-cured sized bales were evaluated at standard and high density levels. The effects of bale size and density were estimated by evaluating TSNA content changes between the baling and sale time. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed for all the years combined. Results show that bale size and density do not have a significant effect on TSNA level changes.
Hormonal Regulation of Lipoprotein(a) Levels: Effects of Estrogen Replacement Therapy on Lipoprotein(a) and Acute Phase Reactants in Postmenopausal Women

Abstract Estrogen lowers lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels, but the mechanisms involved have not been clarified. To address the relationship between estrogenic effects on Lp(a) and serum lipids, and on other plasma proteins of hepatic origin, 15 healthy postmenopausal women participated in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover study with 4 weeks of oral conjugated estrogens (0.625 mg/d) and placebo, separated by a 6-week period. Lp(a) levels decreased during estrogen treatment in 14 of the 15 subjects (mean decrease, 23%; P<.001). In response to estrogen, apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels increased by 12% (P=.001), 11% (P<.001), and 10% (P=.02), respectively. Apolipoprotein B (apoB) and LDL cholesterol levels decreased by 7% (P=.01) and 12% (P=.03), respectively. ApoB, LDL cholesterol, and Lp(a) levels fell within 1 week of treatment, whereas apoA-I and HDL cholesterol levels rose more slowly. Levels of acid α1-glycoprotein (AAG) and haptoglobin (HPT),...
How Can I Recover if You Won’t Let Me Sleep?

Disrupted sleep and shifted circadian patterns are bad for your health. So, what about the hospital intensive care unit (ICU)? The combination of critical illness, noise, staff interruptions, and abnormal light cycles in the ICU are potent disruptors of normal diurnal patterns. Cardiovascular health seems especially sensitive to disturbances to daily rhythms. The time of day strongly influences the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias and myocardial infarctions—and affects the size of the scar. Now, Alibhai et al. report that in mouse models, circadian disruption after an infarction impairs recovery and healing, findings that could prompt improvements in ICU care. The investigators evaluated the effects of disrupted diurnal patterns by inducing myocardial infarctions in a group of 8-week-old C57B1/6 mice and exposing half to abnormal light-dark cycles while maintaining normal cycles in the other half. Even with only 5 days of diurnal disruption, an impressive array of adverse structural, functional, and metabolic changes were apparent. Mice exposed to altered light cycles showed notable abnormalities in long-term cardiac remodeling (larger hearts with worse function), hemodynamics (early evidence of heart failure), metabolic characteristics, inflammatory responses, and infarct-related blood vessel formation. Together, these findings paint a picture of strong and permanent adverse effects from a single, short interruption of normal diurnal patterns immediately after a myocardial infarction—disruptions similar to those commonly experienced by patients in hospitals after a cardiac event. This detailed investigation by Alibhai et al. provides a rationale for modifications to the hospital environment so as to promote more normal diurnal physiology—for example, targeted alterations in the frequency of care that reduce nocturnal noise; light and disruptive monitoring may actually improve long-term outcomes. With luck, a better understanding of diurnal pathophysiology could improve treatment of a variety of acute illnesses. F. J. Alibhai et al ., Short term disruption of diurnal rhythms following murine myocardial infarction adversely affects long term myocardial structure and function, Circ. Res. 10.1161/circresaha.114.302995 (2014). [[Full Text]][1] [1]: http://circres.ahajournals.org/content/early/2014/03/31/CIRCRESAHA.114.302995
Acyl-CoA in aging populations of tetrahymena☆

Abstract 1. 1. Cellular acetyl-CoA and long-chain acyl-CoA in Tetrahymena pyriformis diminish during the early stationary phase of population growth. 2. 2. The long-chain fraction recovers slightly as the population ages further. 3. 3. These changes coincide with metabolic events observed by other workers and are not cyclic.
Factors in allergen‐induced asthma: relevance of the intensity of the airways allergic reaction and non‐specific bronchial reactivity

Early asthmatic responses (EAR) of similar severity were produced by allergen inhalation challenges in nine asthmatic subjects. The severity of the airways allergic reaction was estimated by measuring the skin test weal size produced by the same dilution of allergen which caused the EAR. The non-specific bronchial reactivity was assessed by inhalation of incresing concentrations of histamine acid phosphate. Possible relationships between the severtiy of the airways allergic reaction, the level of non-specific bronchial hyper-reactivity and the pattern of asthmatic response were examined. There was a marked inverse correlation between the required severity of the airways allergic reaction and the non-specific bronchial reactivity (log10) of the individual (r = -0-96, P less than 0-001). The EAR was followed by a late asthmatic response (LAR) in five subjects. There was no evident correlation between the magnitude of the EAR and that of the LAR. In addition, no correlation was obtained between the pattern of response interms of EAR or LAR and the severity of the allergic reaction, or the level of non-specific bronchial reactivity. These results indicate that the allergic reaction and the non-specific bronchial reactivity are interrelated in the production of allergen-induced asthma. Thus a mild allergic reaction will induce and EAR in patients with markedly increased non-specific bronchial reactivity, whereas a severe allergic reaction is required to produce an EAR in those with only slightly increased non-specific reactivity. The lack of correlation between the occurrence of the LAR and the intensity of the airways allergic reaction, the non-specific bronchial reactivity and the intensity of the EAR indicates that other factors are involved in the development of LAR.
Circadian topology of metabolism

Biological clocks are genetically encoded oscillators that allow organisms to anticipate changes in the light–dark environment that are tied to the rotation of Earth. Clocks enhance fitness and growth in prokaryotes, and they are expressed throughout the central nervous system and peripheral tissues of multicelled organisms in which they influence sleep, arousal, feeding and metabolism. Biological clocks capture the imagination because of their tie to geophysical time, and tools are now in hand to analyse their function in health and disease at the cellular and molecular level.
Effects of feeding ethyl-dihomo-γ-linolenate on prostaglandin biosynthesis and platelet aggregation in the rabbit

Abstract 1. 1. The ethyl ester of dihomo-γ-linolenicacid (20:3ω6) (1 g/kg/day) was fed to rabbits for 25 days. Plasma lipids and platelet aggregation were analyzed on day 1,11, 16, 21 and 26. 2. 2. All plasma lipid classes were greatly enriched with 20:3ω6. Arachidonic acid levels were elevated to a smaller extent. The different platelet phospholipid fractions analyzed were also highly enriched with 20:3ω6, whereas the arachidonic acid content in platelet phospholipids was significantly lower than in control animals. 3. 3. The excretion of 7α-hydroxy-5,11-diketotetranorprostane-1,16-dioicacid, the major urinary metabolite of prostaglandin E1 and E2 was increased 4.6 fold by the treatment. 4. 4. Platelet aggregation in response to ADP, collagen and arachidonic acid did not differ at any time between 20:3ω6 treated rabbits and controls. 5. 5. It is concluded that prostaglandin E biosynthesis can be increased by enriching the prostaglandin precursor pool. Platelet aggregation in vitro is not altered by feeding ethyl 20:3ω6.
Okadaic acid-induced lens epithelial cell apoptosis requires inhibition of phosphatase-1 and is associated with induction of gene expression including p53 and bax

It is well established that phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are key cellular events which regulate important metabolic activities such as gene expression, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. The polyether fatty acid, okadaic acid has been shown previously to activate apoptosis in a variety of cell lines. Although this marine sponge toxin is known to inhibit protein phosphatase (PP)-2A and PP-1, it is not certain in most cases whether inhibition of PP-1 or PP-2A is necessary to activate apoptosis. Furthermore, it is not clear how inhibition of these phosphatases leads to apoptosis. Here we present evidence that inhibition of PP-2A by okadaic acid does not activate apoptosis in the lens system. However, when PP-1 is inhibited by okadaic acid, rabbit lens epithelial cells undergo rapid apoptosis. Associated with this process is the several-fold up-regulation of the tumor suppressor gene p53 and the pro-apoptotic gene bax at both mRNA and protein levels. Analyses of the temporal pattern of expression of the two genes reveal that the up-regulation is maximized in a few hours after treatment with okadaic acid, when the majority of the treated cells become committed to apoptosis. A brief treatment of the cells with a protein synthesis inhibitor can abolish okadaic acid-induced up-regulation of both P53 and Bax proteins. Concomitant with this inhibition, okadaic acid-induced apoptosis is also temporarily blocked. These results suggest that okadaic acid-induced expression of p53, bax, and other genes are necessary for the activation of the apoptotic programs in lens systems.
Collision-induced far infra-red absorption and depolarized light scattering in liquid water

The excess absorption observed in the far infra-red spectrum of liquid water is analysed in terms of interaction-induced dipoles. A comparison of the infra-red spectral function with the depolarized Rayleigh scattering spectrum is offered in support of this analysis. The virtual identity of the two spectra in the 50 cm-1 to 300 cm-1 frequency region is used, along with the characteristic frequency describing their exponential shape to argue for a common short-range induction mechanism as the origin of the spectra.
Impact of the Proficiency Scale and the Oral Proficiency Interview on the Foreign Language Program at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center

: The ACTFL oral proficiency interview (OPI) and the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale provide both a testing method and a set of rating factors for evaluating proficiency. Both are closely related to actual language tasks identified as critical for government employees. Over time, the scale has been expanded to include four skills, a system of levels, and the testing needs of numerous organizations. At the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC), analyses of the proficiency levels into afunctional trisection consisting of task, content, and accuracy have fostered use of the OPI and ILR scale in teaching as well as testing. The article begins with a backgound discussion of the OPI and the ILR scale, then focuses on the trisection and its implications for instruction.
High resolution computed tomography of the osseous external auditory canal: 1. Normal anatomy

This study of 34 normal ears was conducted in order to define more precisely the normal computed tomographic (CT) anatomy of the osseous external auditory canal. Great variability was found in canal configuration and its relationship to the temporal squama. The understanding of normal CT appearance of the various fissures along the anterior wall of the external canal is important to avoid mistaking fissures for fractures.
Content Coverage of Single-Word Tests Used to Assess Common Phonological Error Patterns

Purpose This review evaluated whether 9 single-word tests of phonological error patterns provide adequate content coverage to accurately identify error patterns that are active in a child's speech....
SOR: An Objective Ranking System Based on Mobile Phone Sensing

Currently, a few online review and recommendation systems (such as Yelp and Trip Advisor) have attracted millions of users and are gaining increasing popularity. They usually rate and rank places and attractions based on subjective ratings provided by users. In this paper, we present design, implementation and evaluation of a mobile phone Sensing based Objective Ranking (SOR) system, which ranks a target place based on data collected via mobile phone sensing. Our system has the following desirable features: 1) it is easy to use, 2) its architecture is so scalable that various embedded and external sensors can be easily integrated into it, 3) an online scheduling algorithm is proposed and used to schedule sensing activities for coverage maximization, which has a constant approximation ratio of 1/2, 4) a personalizable ranking algorithm is developed and used to rank target places based on various sensor readings and user preferences. We validate and evaluate SOR via both field tests (using real hiking trails and coffee shops in Syracuse, NY as target places) and simulation. The field-testing results show that data collected and processed by SOR can well capture characteristics of target places, and personalizable rankings produced by SOR can well match user preferences. In addition, simulation results well justify effectiveness of the proposed scheduling algorithm.
Unable to Queer the Deal: William S. Burroughs's Negotiations with “Eugene Allerton”

Abstract I liked Mexico City from the first day of my first visit there. In 1949, it was a cheap place to live, with a large foreign colony, fabulous whorehouses and restaurants, cockfights and bullfights, and every conceivable diversion. A single man could live well there for two dollars a day. My New Orleans case for heroin and marijuana possession looked so unpromising that I decided not to show up for the court date, and I rented an apartment in a quiet, middle-class neighborhood of Mexico City. (Queer v) William Seward Burroughs wrote his final literary composition, an entry in his personal journal, three days before his death on August 2, 1997. Among the entries during the last months of his life is one that simply reads, “Last night sex dream of Marker. Ran my hands down a lean young male body. Woke up feeling good” (Last Words 154).
Acculturation of indigenous societies: A mixe case study

Abstract When the nations of Western Europe discovered and colonised North and South America, a process of acculturation began for the indigenous peoples of the ‘New World’. Although acculturation went both ways, most of it was in the direction of indigenous peoples changing to the cultures of the conquering nations. The focus of this paper is on a village culture located in the state of Oaxaca in Mexico and the effects upon it of the Spanish culture. For the indigenous peoples of Oaxaca, the acculturation process was most intense from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries and again during the twentieth century. In the post‐conquest period, Roman Catholic missionaries were the principal culture‐change agents in the New World, as they converted the indigenous people to the Christian faith and to Spanish European culture. The oral traditions and the world view with which the indigenous communities regulate themselves in the twentieth century reflect the work of these missionaries. In the present century...
ASHA‐certified speech‐language pathologists: Perceived competency levels with selected skills

The profession of speech‐language pathology currently is experiencing a knowledge explosion. Due to technological advancements as well as changing demographics, the profession is undergoing a metamorphosis. Today's speech‐language pathologist is required to know and apply a wealth of ever increasing information. Because of such changes, there is an on‐going need to examine the preparation of speech‐language pathologists. This research reports self‐perceptions of clinical competence with selected skills by a national sample of ASHA‐certified speech‐language pathologists.
Trauma narratives and nomos in teacher education

The present article draws on data from a three-year study of pedagogy in teacher education that attempts to disrupt normative structures of reading and being in the teacher education classroom. The author uses Bourdieu’s work to emphasize the ways in which academic fields become ruled by unspoken rules and practices – “nomos” – and demonstrates a use of trauma narratives in teacher education that can disrupt such unspoken rules and practices. The article challenges taken-for-granted assumptions in teacher education that students must be positioned as future teachers; that reading educational research and texts should be a priority; that writing assignments should be privileged; and that a cognitive approach to learning in teacher education should be privileged.
A partial resolution of the paradox of interference: the role of integrating knowledge.

Abstract It has been noted that models of memory that posit retrieval interference imply that the more one knows about a topic, the harder it is to retrieve any one of these facts. Smith, Adams, and Schorr (Cognitive Psychology, 1978 , 10, 438–464) regard this to be a paradox and postulate that people use world knowledge to integrate various facts about a concept and thereby avoid interference. Exploring this issue further in two experiments we discovered that integration of facts alleviates interference only when a person can perform his memory task by simply making a consistency judgment and can avoid the need to retrieve a specific fact. When foils force subjects to retrieve the specific assertion, the interference occurs among integrated facts as among unrelated facts. It appears that, when possible, subjects will judge whether they have seen a fact simply by judging if it is related to (consistent with) a theme they have studied. In other words, people judge themes rather than facts. Consistent with this interpretation, we found interference among themes; that is, the more themes were associated with a concept, the greater the interference.
A Numerical Study of Local and Average Natural Convection Nusselt Numbers for Simultaneous Convection Above and Below a Uniformly Heated Horizontal Thin Plate

Numerical simulations were conducted to determine local and average natural convection Nusselt numbers for uniformly heated horizontal plates with convection occurring simultaneously from upper and lower surfaces. Plate width and heating rate were used to vary the modified Rayleigh number over the range of 86 to 1.9 X 10 8 . Upper surface Nusselt numbers were found to be smaller than corresponding lower surface Nusselt numbers. The local Nusselt number was largest at the plate edge and decreased towards the plate center for both surfaces. This variation followed approximately minus 1/3 power law variation with the non-dimensionalized x coordinate on the upper surface for modified Rayleigh numbers greater than 10 4 , and a minus 1/9-power law variation on the lower surface for all modified Rayleigh numbers. Comparative simulations were also performed for upward and downward facing uniformly heated plates (single sided convection). For these cases, Nusselt numbers on the upward facing plates were larger than for downward facing plates.
Senior Year Retention of Methods and Statistics Concepts.

This article describes an empirical investigation of whether performance on a senior-level assessment of methodological and statistical knowledge was related to elapsed time since students took prerequisite methods and statistics courses. In a senior-capstone course, 50 students completed a 50-item multiple-choice assessment measuring their knowledge of methods and statistics. We also measured elapsed time (number of months) since students completed Research Methods and Quantitative Methods (statistics). Results revealed that performance on the assessment showed no significant correlation with elapsed time from the Research Methods course or with elapsed time from the Quantitative Methods course. On a self-report survey, however, students reported they believed the elapsed time negatively affected their performance.
Detecting background changes in environments with dynamic foreground by separating probability distribution function mixtures using Pearson's method of moments

This paper presents parameter estimation techniques useful for detecting background changes in a video sequence with extreme foreground activity. A specific application of interest is automated detection of the covert placement of threats (e.g., a briefcase bomb) inside crowded public facilities. We propose that a histogram of pixel intensity acquired from a fixed mounted camera over time for a series of images will be a mixture of two Gaussian functions: the foreground probability distribution function and background probability distribution function. We will use Pearson's Method of Moments to separate the two probability distribution functions. The background function can then be "remembered" and changes in the background can be detected. Subsequent comparisons of background estimates are used to detect changes. Changes are flagged to alert security forces to the presence and location of potential threats. Results are presented that indicate the significant potential for robust parameter estimation techniques as applied to video surveillance.
THE CULTURE OF THE PATIENT AS A RED HERRING IN CLINICAL DECISION MAKING: A CASE STUDY

of a more encompassing study investigating social and therapeutic responses of Chinese culture to health problems that appear to have been related to Hansen's disease./ The issue of the cross-cultural, objectively legitimated applicability of specific theories used in therapeutic practice is an important clinical issue. As recent findings in medical anthropology and sociology suggest, numerous diseases are culture-specific: that is to say, they are constructs of the human mind based on experiences that are shaped by particular cultural and social systems. It is difficult, therefore, to apply medical theories developed by the people of one culture (or even one social stratum) to health care issues that represent a perspective characteristic of another culture (or another social stratum within the same culture). The Korean disease neng, the Indian disease prameha, the South East Asian disease koro, or a traditional European disease such as hysteria appear to be constructs that make sense within their respective sociocultural contexts and are treated on the basis of theories and practices developed in these spheres. However, just as it would be futile to use modern Western medicine to treat neng or koro, it would also be meaningless to treat hysteria by ayurveda or the traditional Chinese medicine of systematic correspondence. Hence the cross-cultural and objectively legitimated applicability of medical theories must not be tested in relation to sociocultural artifacts (such as hysteria, neng, or koro), but against diseases that constitute "real" nosological units. Hansen's disease (leprosy) is such a unit. It is "real" in the sense that it is caused by a microorganism (.AIcobaclerium leprae) that appears to have afflcted patients in different cultures and continents for more than two millennia, as osteopathological findings as well as descriptions of the more characteristic symptoms exhibited by patients suffering from this disease in former centuries suggest. Hansen's disease, therefore, is a health care problem caused by an identifiable pathogenic agent. It becomes manifest, after an cxI
DC-virus interplay: a double edged sword

Abstract Myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells, a family of professional antigen presenting cells, are crucial in generating and maintaining anti-viral immunity. Many viruses have evolved to avoid, subvert, and even counterattack them. In this article, we focus on the tuning of innate and adaptive responses induced by human dendritic cells, and on the inhibition of their functions by viruses of medical significance. A constant “tug of war” goes on between dendritic cells and viruses and a main dendritic cell countermeasure is cross-presentation/priming.
Theory and Practice Richards, Keith, Steven Ross, & Paul Seedhouse. Research Methods for Applied Language Studies. An Advanced Resource Book for Students. New York/London: Routledge, 2012. Pp. xv, 373. $45.00, paper. ISBN 978–0–415–55141‐0.

The article reviews the book "Research Methods for Applied Language Students: An Advances Resource Book for Students," party of the Routledge Applied Linguistics series by Keith Richards, Steven Ross, and Paul Seedhouse.
Intimate Violations: Women and the Ajusticiamiento of Dictator Rafael Trujillo, 1944–1961

On the afternoon of August 10, 1959, several dozen Dominican and Cuban women gathered in the streets of Havana. Dressed in black as though headed to a funeral, they mourned the political situation in the neighboring Dominican Republic. Specifically, they targeted the dictator Rafael Trujillo, calling him the “Jackal of the Caribbean.” As they paraded through the streets carrying placards and visiting newspaper offices, tliey were focusing attention on their specific struggles as women and motliers. Their posters read, “Dominican Women Support the Revolutionary Government”; “We Ask for the Expulsion of Trujillo from the OAS”; and “We Represent the Mourning of the Assassinations Committed by Trujillo.”
Bioaccumulation of PCDDs and PCDFs in food animals III: A rapid cleanup of biological materials using reverse phase adsorbent columns

Abstract This study describes a simple, rapid and cost effective analytical technique for the ultratrace analysis of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) in biological samples. Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) techniques using disposable C-18 bonded silica column for dioxin enrichment have been investigated. The procedures used for extraction of PCDD/F from animal tissues and blood plasma are described. Spiked recoveries of surrogates from eggs, livers, birds and blood plasma are reported. The suitability of SPE for the determination of PCDD/F is demonstrated by the analysis of contaminated biological samples. Comparison of results obtained from the SPE method and from the traditional sulfuric acid cleanup is presented.
Mucoepidermoid Tumor of Trachea

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea is rare. Its occurrence in a 14-year-old boy is reported here. This case illustrates the typical course of tracheal tumors with clinical manifestations of cough, wheezing, and hemoptysis, the initially reported normal chest roentgenogram, and the common failure to diagnose tracheal tumor for several months. Early use of tomographic studies and bronchoscopic examination in any person with recent onset of airway obstruction unresponsive to bronchodilator therapy is recommended.
Ordinal Logic Regression

In medicine, it is often useful to stratify patients according to disease risk, severity, or response to therapy. Since many diseases arise from complex gene-gene and gene-environment interactions, patient strata may be defined by combinations of genetic and environmental factors. Traditional statistical methods require specifying interactions a priori making it difficult to identify high order interactions. Alternatively, machine learning methods can model complex interactions, however these models are often difficult to interpret in a clinical setting. Logic regression (LR) enables modeling a binary outcome using logical combinations of binary predictors yielding easily interpretable models. However LR, as currently available, cannot model ordinal responses. This paper extends LR to model an ordinal response and the resulting method is called Ordinal Logic Regression (OLR). Several simulations comparing OLR and Classification and Regression Trees (CART) demonstrate that OLR is superior to CART for identifying variable interactions associated with an ordinal response. OLR is applied to data from a study to determine associations between genetic and health factors with severity of adult periodontitis. Ordinal Logic Regression is publicly available on CRAN in the OrdLogReg package, http://cran.r-project.org/.
Optimizing Vetch Nitrogen Production and Corn Nitrogen Accumulation under No‐Till Management

Legume cover crops can often meet much of the N demand of a crop. There may be, however, an asynchrony between N mineralization from the cover crop residues and crop N uptake, resulting in potentially substantial N loss. We hypothesized that manipulation of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) termination and corn (Zea mays L.) planting dates would regulate the quantity of N available from the vetch, the mineralization rate from the vetch residues, and the relative rate ofN uptake in the corn. Field experiments were implemented in 2007 and 2008 to study the integrative effects of delaying vetch termination/corn planting through the establishment of three termination/planting dates within the month of May (an early, middle, and late date). Greater vetch biomass was found as the termination date was delayed, with a 360 and 35% biomass gain in 2007 and 2008, respectively, over 4wk. The soil N content, for all termination dates, followed a similar availability trend across the season in both years, but the quantity of inorganic N in the soil varied depending on termination date. The average corn grain yield in 2007 was 8.0 Mg ha ―1 under vetch fertilization, with no difference among vetch biomass levels, and in 2008, ranged between 4.4 and 7.6 Mg ha ―1 , with significant differences depending on vetch biomass level. Our study concluded that although vetch N availability can be manipulated through termination date, the dependence on climate for vetch biomass levels and N release will complicate year-to-year predictability.
Stool electrolyte content and purging rates in diarrhea caused by rotavirus, enterotoxigenic E. coli and V. cholerae in children.

One hundred twenty children below 5 years of age with diarrhea caused by Vibrio cholerae , enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli , or rotavirus were studied for stool electrolyte composition and purging rates. The mean purging rate in cholera was 60.1 ml, in ETEC 39.2 ml, and inrotavirus infection 31.4 ml/kg/8 hour. The mean stool sodium concentration in cholera was 88.9 mMol/L, in ETEC 53.7 mMol/L, and in rotavirus infection 37.2 mMol/L. Stool potassium concentration did not show much variation. Mean CO 2 concentration in rotavirus infection was 6 mMol/L, significantly lower than in cholera and in ETEC diarrhea. In cholera, stool sidium concentration increased significantly with increase in puring rates; the same was not true in rotavirus and ETEC diarrhea. These differences are considered important factors in formulating replacement therapy in diarrhea.
Stability and Patterning of Speech Movement Sequences in Children and Adults

Children (aged 4 and 7 years) and young adults produced a six-syllable utterance 15 times. The displacement of the lower lip was recorded with an Optotrak system and analyzed in a number of ways. First, using a procedure recently developed in our laboratory, displacement records from the 15 repetitions were amplitude- and time-normalized, and the spatiotemporal index (the STI) was computed. The STI reflects the degree to which repeated performance of a task produces movement trajectories that converge on a single pattern. Children produced less stable movement trajectories, as reflected in higher values on the STI. In a second analysis, standard measurements of amplitude and peak velocity were made for two opening and two closing lip movements. These measures suggested that, relative to the size of their oral structures, children have large movement ranges in speech. Also, children tend to move with a lower peak velocity. This large-amplitude, low-velocity movement style may reflect different underlying control processes. Finally, another analysis focused on open-close movement sequences associated with two words of the utterance. A pattern-recognition algorithm applied to the normalized waveforms from the open-close sequences revealed that children and adults produced equally distinctive movement trajectories for the two syllables. Taken together, these preliminary results suggest that nonlinear and nonuniform changes occur in components of the speech motor system during development.
Surgical Repair of Iatrogenic Cervical Tracheal Stenosis

A e the d vical t c, it i ay be a of a f t of t itive p e a ntial t the e ssion f proc dysf l sten ction i e sten egree o cing a prec cond epend cipate i t c he advent of intensive care unit management has creased the potential opportunities for post intubat nd post tracheostomy airway complications. Since 960s, research on the causes and prevention of these a roblems has diminished but not eliminated the problem 1
Early-stage abnormality of foveal pi mechanisms in a patient with retinitis pigmentosa

The patient of this study is a protanope who is afflicted with retinitis pigmentosa. As with other patients studied, an abnormality in Stiles’s pi-1 mechanism was found in the patient’s worse eye (20/35 visual acuity). From his rejection of monochromatic color matches, we inferred that the sensitivity of the short-wave cones is reduced, but their signals are not abnormally attenuated by the middle-wave cones. The patient’s pi-4 thresholds, however, were within the range of normal control values.
Sample size and power for cost-effectiveness analysis (Part 2): the effect of maximum willingness to pay.

Sample size and power for cost-effectiveness analysis depend on assumptions about the difference in cost and effect, the standard deviations of cost and effect, the correlation of the difference in cost and effect, the α and β errors and maximum willingness to pay (W). The first seven of these parameters share much in common in their effect on sample size and power for cost-effectiveness analysis, including that each is associated with a single pattern of power. W, on the other hand, is unique in that, when plotted for positive values, we can potentially observe any of six patterns of power associated with positive values of W. In addition, as W approaches ∞, power need be neither monotonically increasing nor decreasing and it can be multimodal. In this article, the relationship betweenWand sample size and power is explained.
Differential Expression of Phosphorylated NF-κB/RelA in Normal and Psoriatic Epidermis and Downregulation of NF-κB in Response to Treatment with Etanercept

Etanercept, a recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor fusion protein, is FDA approved for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. TNFα increases the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines and leads to the activation of multiple signaling pathways, including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). The Rel/NF-κB transcription factors play a central role in numerous cellular processes, including the stress response and keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation. Utilizing a phosphorylation-specific antibody, we examined the expression of active nuclear NF-κB/RelA via immunohistochemistry in normal skin, non-lesional psoriatic skin, lesional psoriatic skin, and lesional skin from patients treated with etanercept. There was no expression of active nuclear NF-κB in the normal epidermis, whereas a basal level of constitutive active phosphorylated NF-κB/RelA was present in uninvolved epidermis from psoriasis patients. There was also significant upregulation of active phosphorylated NF-κB/RelA in the epidermis from psoriatic plaques. Serial biopsies from psoriasis patients treated with etanercept at 1, 3, and 6 mo demonstrated a significant downregulation of phosphorylated NF-κB/RelA, which correlated with decreases in epidermal thickness, restoration of normal markers of keratinocyte differentiation, and clinical outcomes. These data suggest that activation of NF-κB plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and that a potential mechanism of action for TNF-targeting agents is downregulation of NF-κB transcriptional activity.
Psychometric properties of optimism and pessimism: results from the Girls' Health Enrichment Multisite Studies.

Background. This study investigated the relationships among optimism, pessimism, physical activity, and dietary behaviors among 8- to 10-year-old African-American girls in the Girls' Health Enrichment Multisite Studies (GEMS). Methods. Ninety-two girls were randomly assigned to a 12-week physical activity and diet intervention or comparison group and completed psychosocial assessments including the Youth Life Orientation Test (YLOT) of optimism and pessimism, physical performance self-concept, physical activity self-efficacy, physical activity outcome expectancies, and physical activity and sedentary preferences. Also, preferences for bottled water and sweetened beverages were assessed. Physical activity and dietary intake were assessed by self-report and parent-report at baseline and follow-up. Also, physical activity was objectively assessed by wearing an accelerometer for 3 days. The psychometric properties of the optimism–pessimism subscales were analyzed. Results. The measures of optimism and pessimism in children were reliable (r = 0.75–0.82). In the multiple regression analyses without the intervention interaction terms, pessimism was positively and significantly related to increases in MET-adjusted usual activity (P = 0.008) and sedentary behaviors (P = 0.0004). Additionally, a negative (P = 0.026) pessimism by intervention interaction term for MET-adjusted usual activity was found such that the intervention group had a lower change in physical activity per unit increase in pessimism compared to the control group. Conclusions: Among 8- to 10-year-old African-American girls, pessimism was related to increased sedentary behaviors and usual activity. Previous studies have reported relationships between optimism and health-compromising behaviors. This study found that pessimism may positively or negatively influence efforts to increase health-promoting behaviors. Future research should confirm and clarify the meaning of these findings.