cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity analysis of extended TOPMODEL for agricultural watersheds equipped with tile drains

An extension of TOPMODEL was developed for rainfall-runoff simulation in agricultural watersheds equipped with tile drains. Tile drain functions are incorporated into the framework of TOPMODEL. Nine possible flow generation scenarios are suggested for tile-drained watersheds and applied in the modelling procedure. In the model development, two methods of simulation of the flow in the unsaturated zone were compared: the traditional, physically based storage approach and a new approach using a transfer function. A regionalized sensitivity analysis was used to determine the sensitivity of parameters and to compare the behaviour of the transfer function with that of the simple storage-related formulation. The number of accepted combinations of parameter values, on average, was higher for the transfer function approach than when using a Monte Carlo method of parameter estimation. Since the rainfall-runoff response pattern tends to vary seasonally, seven events distributed throughout a year were used in the sensitivity analysis to investigate the seasonal variation of the hydrological characteristics.
Polyvalent oligonucleotide iron oxide nanoparticle "click" conjugates.

We have utilized the copper-catalyzed azide−alkyne reaction to form a dense monolayer of oligonucleotides on a superparamagnetic nanoparticle core. These particles exhibit the canonical properties of materials densely functionalized with DNA, which can be controlled by modulating the density of oligonucleotides on the surface of the particles. Furthermore, like their Au analogues, these particles can easily cross HeLa (cervical cancer) cell membranes without transfection agents due to their dense DNA shell. Importantly, this approach should be generalizable to other azide-functionalized particles.
Contact angle variation on polymer surfaces

Abstract It is demonstrated that extraneous electric charge can produce a large variation in contact angle for water drops on polytetrafluoroethylene surfaces.
MO-A-I-617-02: Image Reconstruction Strategies for Positron Emission Tomography

This presentation gives an overview of image reconstruction strategies for PET. We will discuss two classes of PET reconstruction algorithms: analytical and iterative. Analytic approaches model the acquisition process as an analytic transform operator and treat both the measurement and reconstructed image as continuous functions. Analytical image reconstruction algorithms are based upon direct computation of the inverse transform formula. Iterative techniques consider the above functions as discrete and may incorporate statistical methods and accurate system models to determine the best solution. Iterative approaches may be more appropriate for photon count limited data and for PET systems with non-standard geometry. The analytic methods are typically more computationally efficient. We will focus only on those techniques implemented in the current state-of-the-art commercial PET systems. Educational Objectives: 1. To understand the problem of image reconstruction in PET. 2. To become acquainted with analytic and iterative image reconstruction strategies for PET.
Method of fixing the heterotic effect—implementation on plants (on the hundredth anniversary of the birth of V.A. Strunnikov)

The article is devoted to the 100th anniversary of the outstanding world-renown Russian scientist Vladimir Alexandrovich Strunnikov, Academician, Professor, Head of Group of Developmental Cytology and Sex Regulation at Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology and Head of genetic studies on silkworms in a number of sericulture institutes in CIS. Laureate of the State Prize of the USSR (1981), Hero of Socialist Labor (1990), awarded the I.I. Mechnikov Gold Medal, Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1981), founder of the theory explaining the origin of heterosis. One of his most significant achievements is the “Methods of Fixing the Heterosis Effect,” which makes it possible to abandon the production of hybrid seed and increase the yield of many crops by 20–50%. Fixing the gene complexes that determine the heterosis effect will become the “springboard” that will allow obtaining even more productive heterotic hybrids on the basis of new-generation varieties. The efficiency of this method in plant objects at the organismal and molecular levels was shown in the All-Russia Research Institute of Rice. A modification of this method reducing its laboriousness and increasing its efficiency was developed.
Strangeness and heavy flavour at RHIC: recent results from PHENIX

We report recent results of strangeness and heavy flavour measurements from PHENIX. The topics are: elliptic flow of strangeness and heavy flavour electron production comparing to the other hadrons, -meson production and an exotic particle search.
Iron–sulfur cluster biosynthesis: characterization of IscU–IscS complex formation and a structural model for sulfide delivery to the [2Fe–2S] assembly site

Recent work on the bacterial iron–sulfur cluster (isc) family of gene products, and eukaryotic homologs, has advanced the molecular understanding of cellular mechanisms of iron–sulfur cluster biosynthesis. Members of the IscS family are pyridoxyl-5′-phosophate dependent proteins that deliver inorganic sulfide during assembly of the [2Fe–2S] cluster on the IscU scaffold protein. Herein it is demonstrated through calorimetry, fluorescence, and protein stability measurements that Thermotoga maritima IscS forms a 1:1 complex with IscU in a concentration-dependent manner (K D varying from 6 to 34 μM, over an IscS concentration range of approximately 2–50 μM). Docking simulations of representative IscU and IscS proteins reveal critical contact surfaces at the N-terminal helix of IscU and a C-terminal loop comprising a chaperone binding domain. Consistent with the isothermal titration calorimetry results described here, an overall dominant contribution of charged surfaces with a change in the molar heat capacity of binding, ΔC p ~ 199.8 kcal K−1 mol−1, is observed that accounts for approximately 10% of the total accessible surface area at the binding interface. Both apo and holo IscUs and homologs were found to bind to IscS in an enthalpically driven reaction with comparable K D values. Both helix and loop regions are highly conserved among phylogenetically diverse organisms from a pool of archael, bacterial, fungal, and mammalian representatives.
Novel Monolithic Silicon Probes with Flexible Parylene Cables for Neural Prostheses

This work presents the first parylene-insulated silicon probes, which are used for neural prostheses to record high-level cognitive neural signals. With parylene technology, our probes have several advantages compared with the current devices. First, instead of inorganic materials (e.g. SiO2 and Si3N4), the electrodes and conduction traces on the probes are insulated by parylene, an easily-deposited polymer with mechanical flexibility and biocompatibility. As a result, the probes exhibit better electrical and mechanical properties. Second, flexible parylene cables are monolithically integrated with the probes, which arm the probes with very high flexibility to be easily assembled to a high density 3-D array and at the same time provide an ideal method to transmit neural signals through skull during chronic recording. The all dry fabrication process and an 8times2 probe array (64 electrodes) were demonstrated. The probes were successfully tested electrically and mechanically in rat and monkey cortex. Neural signals were properly recorded
Calcium, dietary, and lifestyle factors in the prevention of colorectal adenomas.

BACKGROUND. Many studies have suggested a role for calcium in reducing the risk of colorectal adenomas and cancer but its effectiveness may be dependent on interactions with other dietary and/or lifestyle factors. We examined the association between calcium and prevalence of adenomas and assessed whether the association was stronger in biologically plausible subgroups. METHODS. Cross-sectional data from 222 cases and 479 adenoma-free controls who underwent colonoscopies and completed food frequency and lifestyle questionnaires were used in the analyses. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the association between calcium and prevalence of adenomas. Stratified analyses and the likelihood ratio test were used to examine effect modification by various demographic, lifestyle, and behavioral factors. RESULTS. Overall, little association was observed comparing total calcium intake of ≥900 mg/day to <500 mg/day (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.53–1.37). However, stronger associations were observed in patients with lower fat intake and in those who regularly (≥15 times/month) took nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Specifically, total calcium intake of ≥900 mg/day was associated with a lower prevalence of adenomas among patients with lower fat intake (OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.25–0.91) but not among those with higher fat intake (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.61–2.35; P-value for interaction = .01). For NSAIDs, the associations were OR = 0.37 (95% CI: 0.16–0.86) for regular NSAID users and OR = 1.27 (95% CI: 0.73–2.22) with infrequent or nonuse of NSAIDs, respectively (P = .06). CONCLUSIONS. The data suggest that a lower-fat diet and regular NSAID use may enhance calcium's effectiveness as a colorectal cancer preventive agent. Cancer 2007 © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Neurochemical correlates of opiate receptor regulation.

The actions of opiates and opioid peptides upon nervous tissue are mediated by p, 6, K, and oreceptors [for reviews see Refs. l-31. The p receptor is the high affinity site at which morphine-like opiates produce analgesia and a variety of other classical opiate effects. The 6 receptor exhibits a higher affinity for the naturally occurring enkephalins (a class of shorter opioid peptides) than for morphine. The K receptor is that site at which ketocyclazocine-like opiates produce analgesia, as well as their unique ataxic and sedative effects. More recently, it has been defined as a receptor highly selective for dynorphin (a 17 amino acid opioid peptide). The areceptor mediates the psychotomimetic and stimulant effects of SKF-10,047 (N-allylnorcyclazocine) and other o opiates. These receptors exhibit rather different ligand selectivity patterns, are widely distributed in the central nervous system, and exhibit diverse neuroanatomical distributions [4-81. Findings from studies in neuronal cell lines demonstrating opiateinduced inhibition of adenylate cyclase [9, 101 and in brain and cell lines showing guanyl nucleotide modulation of agonist binding [ll-141 make it likely that the p and 6 receptors are coupled to cyclase through an inhibitory guanyl nucleotide binding protein (Ni). It is now well-established that the p, 6, and K receptors are subserved by three classes of opioid peptides, pendorphin, the enkephalins, and dynorphin-related peptides. It is, however, unknown whether these receptors represent different gene products or a single gene product which has been post-translationally modified. Moreover, the question arises as to whether they are regulated in a coordinated or an independent manner. Opiate analgesics are well-known to produce tolerance and dependence in vivo and desensitization in vitro. The observation of these phenomena has raised the question as to whether opiate receptors undergo upor downregulation in vivo, in response to long-term administration of opiate drugs. Opiate receptor downregulation has been difficult to document. Several groups have reported that chronic administration of narcotic agonists in vivo does not produce any change in either receptor number or affinity [15-211. On the other hand, receptor downregulation has been observed in neurotumor cell
Measured and Predicted Herbicide Removal by Mulch

The removal of the herbicides diuron, isoxaben, oryzalin, and clopyralid by shredded cedar mulch was studied in laboratory batch and column experiments. The distribution coefficients ( Kd ) for the herbicides diuron, isoxaben, and oryzalin measured in batch experiments ranged from 129 to 187 L/kg for raw mulch and from 153 to 341 L/kg for ground mulch. Kd could not be accurately determined for clopyralid because of its weak sorption. A reactive transport model that described adsorption-desorption using a linear two-rate (site) reversible submodel provided a good fit for the experimental breakthrough data for isoxaben from column studies; adjusting the exchange rate coefficients using molecular diffusion coefficient ratios allowed breakthrough curves for oryzalin and diuron to be predicted effectively using no adjustable parameters. Model sensitivity analysis indicates that over 80% herbicide removal efficiency can be obtained for detention times greater than 8 min and storm durations of less than 100 min ...
1449 RELIABILITY OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL, PULSED DOPPLER MEASUREMENTS OF BRAIN BLOOD FLOW AND CARDIAC OUTPUT

To determine the reliability of 2-dimensional, pulsed Doppler (2D-PD) ultrasonography as a bedside technique for measuring changes in brain blood flow and cardiac output we used a 2D-PD mechanical sector scanner to measure: ascending aortic diameter and flow velocity and peak and trough frequency shifts (f) in a basal cerebral artery (BCA) through an artificial fontanel in 6 newborn lambs during hemorrhage (25cc/kg) and dopamine infusion (5 and 20 μg/kg/min). We calculated cardiac output, BCA pulsatility index (PI) and BCA mean frequency and compared measurements by linear regression analysis to cardiac output and brain blood flow determined by the radioactive microsphere technique. Summary of results: (N = 24 determinations) Peak, trough and mean frequency measurements from a basal cerebral artery and 2D-PD measurements of cardiac output paralleled changes in brain blood flow and cardiac output determined with microspheres. Pulsatility index did not. We conclude that 2D-PD can be used to quantitate changes in brain blood flow and cardiac output.
Superconducting gyroscope - Drift data and mathematical model.

Experimental cryogenic gyroscope drift data, discussing Fourier analysis and mathematical model
DNA and immunoglobulin synthesis by rabbit peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro: Complete and incomplete stimulation☆

Activation of resting (G0) rabbit peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) into DNA synthesis and IgG synthesis was studied using sheep anti-rabbit IgG (SARIgG), protein A, pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). DNA synthesis was assayed by [125I]iododeoxyuridine incorporation. IgG synthesis was measured by determination of Ig in culture supernatants by an ELISA assay. Rabbit PBLs cultured with SARIgG or protein A for 48 hr and then without these reagents for 72 hr showed both DNA synthesis and Ig synthesis, whereas PWM and LPS had very little, if any, effect. PBLs stimulated with SARIgG for 6 hr and then without SARIgG for subsequent 114 hr did not become activated into DNA synthesis or IgG synthesis. However, PBLs prestimulated with SARIgG for 6 hr and then with PWM for 114 hr showed prominent DNA and IgG synthesis. LPS also maintained activation of PBLs after prestimulation of these cells with SARIgG, but the effect was much smaller than that of PWM. No evidence was found for production of factors by SARIgG-stimulated PBLs that could, by themselves, either stimulate resting cells or maintain activation of SARIgG-prestimulated cells. These results suggest that anti-IgG and protein A are complete activating mitogens for resting rabbit B cells to proliferate and differentiate into IgG-producing cells, whereas PWM and LPS are not able to activate G0 cells directly, but have a sustaining effect after activation of resting B cells with anti-IgG, either directly or via production of factors by accessory cells.
Rational functions for guaranteed and experimentally well-conditioned global interpolation

Abstract Polynomial interpolation is known to be ill-conditioned if the interpolating points are not chosen in special ways; classical rational interpolation can give better results, but does not work in all cases and the corresponding functions can show poles in the interval of interpolation. We present here rational functions which guarantee well-conditioned interpolation on a real interval or a circle and cannot have any poles there. They can be evaluated at least as efficiently as the corresponding interpolation polynomials and the accuracy of their approximation to a given function often compares favorably with that of spline interpolants.
On morphisms of Dickson near-rings

A Dickson near-ring N = (Ii, +, ., 0) is a set R with three binary operations +, ., and 0 such that (R, +, .) is a ring and (R, +, 0) is a near-ring in which the multiplication o is derived from the ring multiplication in a certain manner. A morphism between Dickson near-ring is a map 4 which preserves the operations. In this paper we investigate the following questions; if Nr and Na are Dickson near-rings and 1,4 : Nr + N, is a ring morphism, when is 16 a near-ring morphism ? If # : Nr -+ N, is a near-ring morphism, when is # a ring morphism? (The first question, relative to fields and nearfields is investigated by Pokropp in [3].) Dickson near-rings were introduced in [2]. For the sake of completeness, a few definitions and remarks are repeated in Section 1. For definitions and basic concepts of near-ring theory needed in this paper, the reader is referred to [2]. In Section 2 of this paper we answer the above questions under suitable hypotheses. In Section 3 we restrict our attention to Dickson near-rings obtained from S-rings and, in particular, to near-rings of polynomials. Here, “stronger” answers to our questions are obtained. In the final section examples are given which indicate that in a certain sense our answers are the best possible.
Pelvic phased array coil: image quality assessment for spin-echo MR imaging.

Abstract The NMR phased array coil (PA) provides improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) over that available with the body coil. We evaluated image quality obtained with a pelvic PA compared to that obtained with the body coil for spinecho imaging. Thirty-three women undergoing clinical pelvic MRI were imaged with the body coil followed by imaging with the PA with the same field-of-view (FOV) in 11 patients, and with a small FOV in 23 patients. Image quality was assessed independently by two radiologists. In individual cases there was significant improvement in image quality with the PA, however the expected marked improvement in image quality was not consistently found. Two factors which may limit image quality are increased motion artifact and nonuniformity of signal with distance from the coils. Significant improvements in image quality may occur with improved techniques to decrease motion artifact.
Mechanisms of cell injury and death in cholestasis and hepatoprotection by ursodeoxycholic acid

Key Concepts l Cell death by apoptosis is common in cholestatic liver diseases. l Activation of caspases in apoptosis occurs by one of two mechanisms: i) activation of cell surface death receptors; and ii) intracellular stress pathways which induce mitochondrial dysfunction. l Cytoprotection by ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) appears to be mediated, in part, by inhibition of apoptosis. l The mechanism of UDCA cytoprotection appears to be either direct or indirect inhibition of cytochrome C release from mitochondria a key step in caspase activation.
Laboratory methods for volatile organic compounds evolved in mineralization studies

A system to study mineralization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was developed using commercially available solid-phase VOC traps and impingers to collect CO 2 as well as VOCs breaking out from the solid-phase trap. The efficiencies of VOC traps containing activated charcoal (AC) or graphitized carbon black (GCB) for absorbing [ 14 C]trichloroethylene ([ 14 C]TCE) and 14 CO 2 were evaluated, and approaches for minimizing VOC losses from reaction vessels were established. Mass balances showed AC and GCB absorbed similar amounts of [ 14 C]TCE. However, GCB had no detectable 14 CO 2 retention, whereas AC absorbed about 7% of the 14 CO 2 . Because 14 CO 2 absorption could influence the interpretation of mineralization experiments, GCB was concluded to be the better VOC-trapping matrix.
Minimal vector lattice covers

We show that each archimedean lattice-ordered group is contained in a unique (up to isomorphism) minimal archimedean vector lattice. This improves a result of Paul F. Conrad appearing previously in this Bulletin. Moreover, we show that this relationship between archimedean lattice-ordered groups and archimedean vector lattices is functorial.
Apparent gibbsite growth ages for regolith in the Georgia Piedmont

Abstract –Carbon bound in gibbsite, collected from a residual weathering profile developed on a Paleozoic granite in the Georgia Piedmont, was examined for its 14 C content and found to be geologically young. The study site, located at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed, has developed a granite–saprolite–soil regolith in which 14 C-gibbsite model ages deep within the profile (C-horizon) average about 8000 years. Near the surface (A- and B-horizon) 14 C-gibbsite model ages range from 2100 to 4200 years. Quartz has acquired 26 Al and 10 Be inventories suggesting a near-surface residence time of at least 90,000 years. This age disparity supports the notion that secondary minerals undergo significant recrystallization as weathering fronts propagate into the landscape. Combining the results of 14 C, 26 Al, and 10 Be analyses offers the potential to assess differential rates of chemical weathering and continental denudation to understand better the links between rates of silicate rock weathering, climate, and soil residence times.
Effect of cobratoxin binding on the normal mode vibration within acetylcholine binding protein

Recent crystal structures of the acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP) have revealed surprisingly small structural alterations upon ligand binding. Here we investigate the extent to which ligand binding may affect receptor dynamics. AChBP is a homologue of the extracellular component of ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs). We have previously used an elastic network normal-mode analysis to propose a gating mechanism for the LGICs and to suggest the effects of various ligands on such motions. However, the difficulties with elastic network methods lie in their inability to account for the modest effects of a small ligand or mutation on ion channel motion. Here, we report the successful application of an elastic network normal mode technique to measure the effects of large ligand binding on receptor dynamics. The present calculations demonstrate a clear alteration in the native symmetric motions of a protein due to the presence of large protein cobratoxin ligands. In particular, normal-mode analysis revealed that cobratoxin binding to this protein significantly dampened the axially symmetric motion of the AChBP that may be associated with channel gating in the full nAChR. The results suggest that alterations in receptor dynamics could be a general feature of ligand binding.
The management of serous papillary uterine cancer

Purpose of reviewUterine papillary serous cancer is an extremely aggressive cancer, the optimum management of which is still being determined. It is important to understand advances that have been made in 2005 regarding the molecular biology, diagnosis, and management of this deadly disease.Recent f
Land Reform and the Breakdown of Clientelist Politics in El Salvador

The civil war in El Salvador has produced, on the one hand, a struggle between the existing regime and a coalition of insurgent military and political organizations and, on the other hand, a struggle within the regime between the landed oligarchy and the reform-minded politicians of the Christian Democratic Party. This article presents a theoretical analysis of the political impact of the PDC's land reform program of 1980. The emergence of revolution is explained as the erosion of clientelist political structures that resulted from the rapid population growth and the shift to export agriculture over the course of the last century. Within this analytical framework, a model is derived to specify the relationships among land reform, oligarchic repression, insurgent violence, and the level of popular support for the regime. It is hypothesized that levels of support for the regime will be greatest in those political subdivisions in which land reform has been implemented and in which death squad violence had be...
Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Overview of New and Emerging Therapies

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory, systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by symmetric inflammation of synovial joints leading to progressive erosion of cartilage and bone. The aim of treatment is to mitigate joint destruction, preserve function, and prevent disability. The American College of Rheumatology guidelines for the treatment of RA recommend that newly diagnosed patients with RA begin treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) within 3 months of diagnosis. Methotrexate remains the most commonly prescribed DMARD and is the standard by which recent new and emerging therapies are measured. Increasing knowledge regarding the immunologic basis of RA and advances in biotechnology have resulted in new, targeted biological therapies against proinflammatory cytokines that have dramatically changed the treatment paradigm and outcomes of patients with RA. This article reviews the pharmacological rationale underlying RA therapy, with a focus on currently available biological therapies and new therapies in development.
Effects of counsellor race on racial stereotypes of rehabilitation counselling clients.

Purpose: This study investigated perceptions of European American, African American, and Asian American rehabilitation graduate students in rehabilitation counselling by assessing their clinical impressions of African American, European American, and Asian American clients. This investigation is a continuation of several studies investigating clinical perceptions and client race. Method: Rehabilitation graduate students in rehabilitation counselling participating in this study were randomly assigned to one of three groups and were asked to review case materials for a client portrayed either as African American, European American, or Asian American. In pursuit of the main effect of client race, three separate MANOVA analyses were conducted: one for African American graduate students in rehabilitation counselling, one for Asian American graduate students in rehabilitation counselling, and one for European American graduate students in rehabilitation counselling. Results: Contrary to previous findings from comparable research, MANOVA results did not reveal a significant main effect of bias by European American, Asian American, and African American graduate students in rehabilitation counselling against any of the three groups. Conclusions: Understanding of the conditions in which racial biases and subsequent judgmental errors are likely to occur (or not occur) should allow clinicians to recognise tendencies for their assessments to be influenced by client characteristics that elicit stereotypes and thereby to make more accurate judgements.
L-DOPA in the Treatment of Negative Schizophrenic Symptoms: A Single-Subject Experimental Study

Adjunctive Sinemet (L-DOPA plus carbidopa) therapy was assessed for a neuroleptic nonresponsive schizophrenic with a longstanding negative syndrome. A twenty-seven week double-blind placebo-controlled reversal design found significant improvement specifically for negative symptoms while treated with combined haloperidol-Sinemet as compared against haloperidol-placebo. The eight-week adjunctive treatment reversed a worsening trend in attention, abstract thinking, passive withdrawal, psychomotor retardation, and a cluster of seven negative parameters, while positive symptoms were unaffected. This seemed to represent more than simple reversal of drug-induced akinesia and underscores the importance of distinguishing between positive and negative syndromes in psychopharmacological research.
On universal common ancestry, sequence similarity, and phylogenetic structure: the sins of P-values and the virtues of Bayesian evidence

Background The universal common ancestry (UCA) of all known life is a fundamental component of modern evolutionary theory, supported by a wide range of qualitative molecular evidence. Nevertheless, recently both the status and nature of UCA has been questioned. In earlier work I presented a formal, quantitative test of UCA in which model selection criteria overwhelmingly choose common ancestry over independent ancestry, based on a dataset of universally conserved proteins. These model-based tests are founded in likelihoodist and Bayesian probability theory, in opposition to classical frequentist null hypothesis tests such as Karlin-Altschul E-values for sequence similarity. In a recent comment, Koonin and Wolf (K&W) claim that the model preference for UCA is "a trivial consequence of significant sequence similarity". They support this claim with a computational simulation, derived from universally conserved proteins, which produces similar sequences lacking phylogenetic structure. The model selection tests prefer common ancestry for this artificial data set.
Comparative study of cross‐field and field‐aligned electron beams in active experiments

Beam-plasma interactions associated with the cross-field and field-aligned injection of electron beams from spacecraft were investigated using a two-dimensional (three velocity component) electrostatic particle simulations. It is shown that the beam properties and plasma response can be characterized well by the ratio between the stagnation time and the plasma response time, which depends on the ratio of the ambient plasma density to the beam density, the beam width, the beam energy, and the spacecraft length. It was found that the beams injected across the field lines tend to lose their coherence after about one or two gyrations due to space-charge oscillations induced by the beam, irrespective of the spacecraft charging. These oscillations scatter the beam electrons into a hollow cylinder of a radius equal to a beam electron gyroradius and thickness of the order of two beam Debye lengths. Parallel injected beams are subjected to similar oscillations, which cause the beam to expand to fill a solid cylinder of a comparable thickness.
International regulatory review: Israel

This paper is one of a series of country case studies reviewing nations’ regulatory body for the healthcare industry. It reports Israel’s modern regulatory environment and the social background that has shaped its unique agency structure and functionalities. With the Ministry of Health acting as a combination regulatory body, international trade negotiator, and industry supporter, Israel has established a complex partnership relation between government and industry without compromising the regulatory functions of the agency. The result is a focus on protecting Israeli citizen’s health and safety; expanding exports; and assuring the quality of pharmaceutical imports.
Generalized Theory of Impedance Loaded Multiconductor Transmission Lines in an Incident Field

A general theory is advanced for determining the currents in the load impedances of an N-conductor isolated transmission line excited by an electromagnetic field with the electric vector directed parallel to the wires. The number of impedance loads in the circuit is 2N. An impedance is connected in series with each conductor at its ends. At each end of the transmission line the impedances emanate from a common node. There is no requirement that the conductors be of the same radius, be equally spaced, or lie in a common plane; however, their axes must be parallel. Evidently the cross section of the line must be sufficiently small in terms of the wavelength that transmission line theory applies. Numerical values for the load currents In a three-conductor model are given. Scattering from end loaded multiconductor transmission lines is considered. It is shown that for configurations lacking geometrical symmetry such problems become arduous if not solved by computer.
Energy-efficient impairment-constrained 3R regenerator placement in optical networks

In this paper, we study the energy-efficient impairment-constrained regenerator placement (EIRP) problem with the objective of minimizing the total energy consumption in optical networks with mixed line rates. The destination of each path is guaranteed to receive the data correctly from the source based on the regenerator placement. We first provide the problem definition of EIRP and show that the EIRP problem is NP-complete. We then formulate the problem as a mixed integer linear program (MILP) and give results for small scale problems. Two heuristic approaches, named high line rate first (HLRF) and reroute only (RO), are presented. Numerical results show that HLRF achieves good results in both large and small scale problems, and that HLRF achieves higher energy efficiency than RO.
Full Coverage Film Cooling for a Turbine Blade with Axial Shaped Holes

[Abstract] The film cooling effectiveness on a fully film cooled high pressure turbine blade is investigated using the Pressure Sensitive Paint technique. Three rows of radial angled cylindrical holes are arranged in the leading edge region, while axial laidback fanshaped holes are provided on the blade surfaces with four rows on the pressure side and two rows on the suction side. The shaped holes are featured with 10° lateral expansion from the hole centerline and additional 10° forward expansion to the blade surface. The coolant ejects through all the film cooling holes at four average blowing ratios ranging from 0.3 to 1.2. The influence of wake from upstream vane is simulated by placing a periodic set of rods upstream of the test blade. The freestream Reynolds number, based on the axial chord length and the exit velocity, is 750,000. The Mach numbers at the inlet and the exit are 0.27 and 0.44, respectively, resulting in a blade pressure ratio of 1.14. Results show the film cooling effectiveness increases with increasing of average blowing ratio. The presence of upstream wake rods can be very detrimental to the film effectiveness on the blade surface depending on the wake rod phase location. Compared with the case of no showerhead injection, the spanwsie averaged film cooling effectiveness in the downstream region of the pressure side and suction side rows increases with the showerhead injection. The film effectiveness on the pressure side is comparable for compound angle shaped holes and axial shaped holes; while on the suction side, the compound angle shaped holes provide better effectiveness than the axial shaped holes due to jet deflection and expanded hole breakout area..
A PHYLOGENETIC TEST FOR ADAPTIVE CONVERGENCE IN ROCK-DWELLING LIZARDS

Phenotypic similarity of species occupying similar habitats has long been taken as strong evidence of adaptation, but this approach implicitly assumes that similarity is evolutionarily derived. However, even derived similarities may not represent convergent adaptation if the similarities did not evolve as a result of the same selection pressures; an alternative possibility is that the similar features evolved for different reasons, but subsequently allowed the species to occupy the same habitat, in which case the convergent evolution of the same feature by species occupying similar habitats would be the result of exaptation. Many lizard lineages have evolved to occupy vertical rock surfaces, a habitat that places strong functional and ecological demands on lizards. We examined four clades in which species that use vertical rock surfaces exhibit long hindlimbs and flattened bodies. Morphological change on the phylogenetic branches leading to the rock-dwelling species in the four clades differed from change on other branches of the phylogeny; evolutionary transitions to rock-dwelling generally were associated with increases in limb length and decreases in head depth. Examination of particular characters revealed several different patterns of evolutionary change. Rock-dwelling lizards exhibited similarities in head depth as a result of both adaptation and exaptation. Moreover, even though rock-dwelling species generally had longer limbs than their close relatives, clade-level differences in limb length led to an overall lack of difference between rock- and non-rock-dwelling lizards. These results indicate that evolutionary change in the same direction in independent lineages does not necessarily produce convergence, and that the existence of similar advantageous structures among species independently occupying the same environment may not indicate adaptation.
Infection of human fetal dorsal root neurons with wild type varicella virus and the Oka strain varicella vaccine.

The relative ability of a varicella-zoster virus (VZV) clinical isolate and a live attenuated VZV vaccine strain (Oka) to infect human neurons was determined in vitro. VZV infection of neurons prepared in culture from dorsal root ganglia of fetuses was assessed using an infectious center assay. Cultures were infected with 50–5,000 pfu of either VZV and assayed at either 24 or 48 hours post-VZV infection. Cultures infected with the clinical VZV isolate had seven-fold more infected neurons than cultures infected with the vaccine strain VZV. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Computation of incompressible bubble dynamics with a stabilized finite element level set method

This paper presents a stabilized finite element method for the three dimensional computation of incompressible bubble dynamics using a level set method. The interface between the two phases is resolved using the level set approach developed by Sethian [Level Set Methods and Fast Marching Methods, Cambridge University Press, 1999], Sussman et al. [J. Comput. Phys. 114 (1994) 146], and Sussman et al. [J. Comput. Phys. 148 (1999) 81–124]. In this approach the interface is represented as a zero level set of a smooth function. The streamline-upwind/Petrov–Galerkin method was used to discretize the governing flow and level set equations. The continuum surface force (CSF) model proposed by Brackbill et al. [J. Comput. Phys. 100 (1992) 335–354] was applied in order to account for surface tension effects. To restrict the interface from moving while re-distancing, an improved re-distancing scheme proposed in the finite difference context [J. Comput. Phys. 148 (1999) 81–124] is adapted for finite element discretization. This enables us to accurately compute the flows with large density and viscosity differences, as well as surface tension. The capability of the resultant algorithm is demonstrated with two and three dimensional numerical examples of a single bubble rising through a quiescent liquid, and two bubble coalescence. � 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Proteomic analysis of age dependent nitration of rat cardiac proteins by solution isoelectric focusing coupled to nanoHPLC tandem mass spectrometry.

Protein nitration occurs as a result of oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Therefore, protein nitration serves as a hallmark for protein oxidation in vivo. We have previously reported on age dependent protein nitration in cardiac tissue of Fisher 344 BN-F1 rats analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis; however, only one specific nitration site was identified [Kanski, J., Behring, A., Pelling, J., Schoneich, C., 2005a. Proteomic identification of 3-nitrotyrosine-containing rat cardiac proteins: effects of biological aging. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 288, H371-381]. In the present report, we used solution phase isoelectric focusing (IEF) followed by nanoHPLC-ESI-MS/MS that allowed us to obtain good MS/MS data to identify specific sites of protein nitration in cardiac tissue. As expected, more nitrated proteins were detected in cardiac tissue of old rats, including myosin heavy chain, neurofibromin, tropomyosin and nebulin-related anchoring protein. The post-translational modification of these cytoskeletal proteins may provide some rationale for the age-dependent functional decline of the heart.
A simple, inexpensive piston corer for collecting undisturbed sediment/water interface profiles

Paleolimnological techniques are invaluable for assessing recent environmental changes, espe- cially in circumstances where long-term ecologi- cal data are unavailable. Paleoecological recon- structions rely on multiple lines of stratigraphic evidence that may require measurement of nu- merous sediment properties, including density, percent dry weight, organic matter and nutrient content, mineralogy, inorganic chemistry, pig- ments, pollen, animal and algal microfossils, and radionuclide activities (i.e. 2l~ and 137Cs). A large-volume sediment/water interface corer that is capable of retrieving substantial amounts of mud is required to provide sufficient material for multiple analyses. Several corers are commer- cially available (e.g. KB
Pulmonary arterial stenosis with wide splitting of the second heart sound due to mediastinal fibrosis.

Abstract Mediastinal fibrosis led to complete obstruction of the left main pulmonary artery and partial stenosis of the pulmonary artery to the right lower lobe in a 48 year old man. The lesion resulted in a high pressure pulmonary vascular system with an area of prolonged runoff through a low pressure vascular bed. Physical findings included a systolic murmur that radiated to the right hemithorax and a widely split second heart sound. The wide splitting was attributed to delay in deceleration of the column of blood due to partial stenosis of the pulmonary artery to the right lower lobe.
Oxidation kinetics of Pb-Sn alloys

The solid state oxidation kinetics of Pb–Sn single-phase (2.5 at. % Sn) and eutectic alloys were studied with Auger Electron Spectroscopy combined with sputter depth profiling. The single-phase samples were oxidized in air in the temperature range 22 °C to 250 °C, while the eutectic samples were oxidized from 22 °C to 175 °C. Both alloys oxidize logarithmically between 22 °C and 90 °C and parabolically at temperatures greater than 120 °C. The activation energies for the parabolic oxidation of the single-phase and eutectic alloys are 69.5 and 67.1 ± 8 kJ/mole, respectively.
Genetic diversity of biennial wormwood.

Abstract Biennial wormwood is native to North America and has become an important weed problem in soybean and dry bean fields of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota in the United States and in the prairie provinces of Canada. Intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to study the genetic diversity among six biennial wormwood and one annual wormwood populations. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences from internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and ITS2) regions of ribosomal DNA and morphological diversity among the biennial and annual wormwood populations were also studied. High levels of genetic diversity were evident with Nei's gene diversity statistic (h) = 0.40 for biennial wormwood and h = 0.36 for annual wormwood. Total diversity of six biennial wormwood populations was HT = 0.40, and 22% of this diversity was among populations (GST = 0.22). Estimated gene flow among biennial wormwood populations was low (Nm = 0.9), and high levels of differentiation may be due in part to low levels of gen...
Self-Enforcing Agreements and Relational Contracting: Evidence from California Highway Procurement

We empirically examine the impact of relationships between contractors and subcontractors on firm pricing and entry decisions in the California highway procurement market using data from auctions conducted by the California Department of Transportation. Relationships in this market are valuable if they mitigate potential hold-up problems and incentives for ex post renegotiation arising from contractual incompleteness. An important characteristic of informal contracts is that they must be self-enforcing, so the value of relationships between firms and suppliers depend on the extent of possibilities for future interaction. We construct measures of the stock of contractors' prior interactions with relevant subcontractors and, most importantly, an exogenous instrument to measure the future value of ongoing relationships that is orthogonal to contractor--subcontractor match-specific productivity. We find that a larger stock of relationships leads to a greater likelihood of entry and to lower bids. Importantly, this relationship does not hold in periods of time and areas with little future contract volume, suggesting that the value of the future is crucial in providing value for informal contracts. The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Yale University. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, Oxford University Press.
Taxes and the labor market participation of married couples: the earned income tax credit

A distinguishing feature of recent changes to the US system of public assistance is its increasing focus on working families and reliance on the tax system to transfer dollars to needy families. After a decade in near total obscurity, the earned income tax credit (EITC) was expanded to become the largest cash-transfer program for lower-income families with children. Advocates of the EITC argue that, unlike traditional welfare, the credit helps ‘‘promote both the values of family and work’’. Indeed, empirical evidence consistent with economic theory suggests that the EITC promotes employment among eligible unmarried women with children. To target benefits to lower-income families, however, the EITC is based on family income, leading to traditional welfare-type disincentives for most eligible secondary earners. In fact, the EITC is likely to reduce overall family labor supply among married couples. This paper examines the labor force participation response of married couples to EITC expansions between 1984 and 1996. The effect of the credit is estimated using both quasiexperimental and traditional reduced-form labor supply models. Results from both models show the same qualitative conclusion, that the EITC expansions reduced total family labor supply of married couples. In all cases, we find a decline in labor force participation by married women that more than offsets any rise in participation by their spouses. While the labor force participation rate of married men increased by about 0.2 percentage points, that of married women decreased by just over a full percentage point. These aggregate effects mask substantial heterogeneity in the population. Women facing the strongest disincentives were more than 2 percentage points less likely to work after the expansions. These findings imply that the EITC is effectively subsidizing married mothers to stay home, and therefore, have implications for the design of the program. D 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Modeling and Measurement of Thermal Properties of Ceramic Composite Fuel for Light Water Reactors

The thermal modeling of a composite fuel consisting of continuous second phase in a ceramic (uranium oxide) matrix has been carried out with aid of detailed examination of the microstructure of the composite and the interface structure. BeO and SiC were considered as second phase dispersed in UO2 matrix by weight from 0–15% to enhance the thermal conductivity. It is found that with 10% SiC, the thermal conductivity increases from 5.8 to 9.8 W/m-K at 500 K. A finite element analysis computer program ANSYS was used to create composite fuel geometries with set boundary conditions to produce accurate thermal conductivity predictions. The results were compared to analytical calculations as previously performed with the series geometry to verify the validity of using ANSYS in producing accurate thermally enhanced nuclear fuel models. Good agreement was found between experimental measured thermal conductivity for BeO-UO2 matrix and the model predictions.