cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification and characterization of membrane-bound hydrogenase from Methanosarcina barkeri MS

Hydrogenase was solubilized from the membrane of acetate-grown Methanosarcina barkeri MS and purification was carried out under aerobic conditions. The enzyme was reactivated under reducing conditions in the presence of H2. The enzyme showed a maximal activity of 120±40 μmol H2 oxidized · min−1 · min−1 with methyl viologen as an electron acceptor, a maximal hydrogen production rate of 45±4 μmol H2 · min−1 · mg−1 with methyl viologen as electron donor, and an apparent K m for hydrogen oxidation of 5.6±1.7 μM. The molecular weight estimated by gel filtration was 98,000. SDS-PAGE showed the enzyme to consist of two polypeptides of 57,000 and 35,000 present in a 1:1 ratio. The native protein contained 8±2 mol Fe, 8±2 mol S2−, and 0.5 mol Ni/mol enzyme. Cytochrome b was reduced by hydrogen in a solubilized membrane preparation. The hydrogenase did not couple with autologous F420 or ferredoxin, nor with FAD, FMN, or NAD(P)+. The physiological function of the membrane-bound hydrogenase in hydrogen consumption is discussed.
Collection development and state publications

Abstract Selection and acquisition processes relating to state government publications are discussed. The literature on collection development and written library collection development policies are examined to determine the extent to which state documents are included. Specific selection and acquisition aids, as well as patterns of bibliographic control are noted. Data on state publication depository programs are summarized. Major library resources of state publications are reviewed and the future direction of state publication collection development is commented on.
Gymnosperm Phylogeny — A commentary on the views of S. V. Meyen

In his important contribution to the literature on gymnosperm phylogeny, “Basic Features of Gymnosperm Systematics and Phylogeny as Evidenced by the Fossil Record,” Meyen (1984) uses the classical comparative method of the morphologist and the “congregational” method, i.e., grouping by common characters, of the taxonomist. The latter may have led him to categorize some taxa on the basis of superficially similar, non-homologous characters because he used no apparently objective method to distinguish homoplasy. For this and other reasons, Meyen’s hypothesis of evolutionary relationship among gymnosperms cannot, at present, be accepted as any nearer the truth than several competing proposals.
Positron annihilation and conductivity measurements on poly(pyrrole tosylate) and poly(pyrrole fluoride)

Positron lifetimes, Doppler broadening of the annihilation \ensuremath{\gamma} energy, and electrical conductivities have been measured for two conducting polymers, poly(pyrrole tosylate) and poly(pyrrole fluoride), as functions of temperature in the range 10--295 K. The positron-lifetime spectra have been resolved into two exponentials. Positrons are localized in shallow traps, and the lifetime data suggest thermally induced detrapping of positrons at low temperatures. The temperature dependence of the conductivity has been analyzed following the variable-range-hopping model which provides results for the density of states at the Fermi energy [N(${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{F}}$)] and bipolaron localization length ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. Whereas the temperature dependence of the conductivity qualitatively follows this model, it provides incorrect results for N(${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{F}}$) and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. .AE
Poster: Smart buildings, sensor networks, and the Internet of Things

In contrast to traditional sensor networks, the "Internet of Things" focuses on interactions between humans and physical objects rather than on sensing and reporting low level information. While several middle-ware systems have been created to simplify the task of managing and aggregating data from multiple sensor networks that use different hardware and software, management of the data is not sufficient to build an Internet of Things.To build a smart home or office application, information from sensors and existing infrastructure, such as networked power supplies and printers, need to be associated with physical objects. As low-level data is processed, it can be fed back into the system to support higher-level results. In this paper we introduce Octopus, an open-source, dynamically extensible system that supports data management and fusion for Internet of Things applications.
The modal equations

Abstract For linear structural dynamics problems, an application of the minimizing properties of calculus to Rayleigh's quotient leads to the model equations of the system. The modal equations, which are previously undefined in the literature, are a set of simultaneous cubic equations with constant coefficients. They can be solved by means of a converging iteration scheme to obtain all of the mode shapes. Each mode shape can be successively substituted back into Rayleigh's quotient to obtain the corresponding natural frequency. It is therefore possible to determine all of the mode shapes and natural frequencies of a system without developing or solving the characteristic polynomial; there are some significant advantages to this approach.
Reduction of niridazole by rat liver xanthine oxidase

Abstract The soluble fraction of liver contains an enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of niridazole by either NADH or hypoxanthine. The enzyme is probably xanthine oxidase because niridazole reduction is blocked by potent inhibitors of xanthine oxidase and, on purification of the enzyme, xanthine oxidase specific activity approximately parallels the niridazole reductase activity. Moreover, milk xanthine oxidase also catalyzed the reduction of niridazole by hypoxanthine.
On warped product immersions

Warped product immersions appeared naturally in several recent studies. In this article we study fundamental geometric properties of such immersions. In addition we prove that every non-flat complex space form of complex dimension greater than one does not admit a warped product representation. As an application we obtain an improvement of an earlier result in [3] concerning warped products in real space forms.
Prostatic abscess in the newborn: an unrecognized source of urosepsis

We present a 10-day-old boy who developed fulminant urosepsis. At autopsy, he was found to have a prostatic abscess as his sole source of infection. We reviewed the 12 previous reported cases of prostatic abscess in newborns and present factors that may suggest the diagnosis. The treatment and outcome in each of the cases are also presented.
Exegesis of the ḥuruf al-muqaṭṭaʿa: Polyvalency in Sunnī Traditions of Qur'anic Interpretation

This paper seeks to explore the wide range of interpretations resulting from the ḥurūf al-muqaṭṭaʿa or ‘the disconnected letters’ of the Qur'an. Typically considered a paradigmatic case of the mutashābih in the Qur'an, exegetes have expended much time and energy speculating over the meaning(s) of these enigmatic graphemes. From the earliest exegetes to the later tradition, a chorus of possibilities and theories are encountered. The traditions of interpretations themselves are a testament to the Qur'an's interpretive plurality throughout the centuries. This paper looks at the long tradition of broadly Sunnī Muslim interpretation in regards to the disconnected letters to uncover the historic expansiveness of Qur'anic hermeneutics. Linguistic, mystical and encyclopaedic approaches are especially highlighted for the sake of emphasising diversity. The paper concludes with an exploration of the ‘limits’ of interpretation as determined by the exegetes in response to the disconnected letters.
Effects of triplet energy confinement by charge transporting layers on blue phosphorescent organic light emitting diodes

We have studied the effects of hole transporting layers and electron transporting layers on ef ficiencies of Iridium(III)bis [(4,6-di-fluorophenyl)-pyridinato-N,C2´] picolinate (FIrpic) doped 3,5´-N,N´-dicarbazole-benzene (mCP) host blue PHOLEDs. We found that the device efficiency is very sens itive to the hole transporting materials used and both the triplet energy and carrier transport properties affect the device efficiency. On the other hand, there is no apparent correlation between the device efficiency and the triplet energy of the electron transporting material used. Instead, the device efficiency appears to be determined by the elect ron mobility of the electron transporting layer only. Keywords: OLED, Blue phosphorescent OLED, trip let energy, charge transport, Display
Single-Mode VISAR

High energy-density physics (HEDP) experiments examine the properties of materials under extreme conditions. These experiments rely on the measurement of one or two velocities. These velocities are used to obtain Hugoniot relationships and thermodynamic equations of state. This methodology is referred to as 'velocimetry' and an instrument used to measure the shock wave is called a 'velocimeter' or a '(velocity) diagnostic'. The two most-widely used existing velocity diagnostics are; photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV) and velocity interferometer system for any reflector (VISAR). PDV's advantages are a fast rise-time and ease of implementation but PDV has an upper velocity limit. Traditional implementations of VISAR have a rise time 10 times slower than PDV and are not easily implemented but are capable of measuring any velocity produced during HEDP experiments. This thesis describes a novel method of combining the positive attributes of PDV and VISAR into a more cost effective diagnostic called a Single-Mode VISAR (SMV). The new diagnostic will consist of PDV parts in a VISAR configuration. This configuration will enable the measurement of any velocity produced during shock physics experiments while the components used to build the diagnostic will give the diagnostic a fast rise time and make it easy to use. This thesis describes the process of building and testing the first single-mode VISAR. The tests include verifying the performance of the components and the diagnostic as a whole.
The isolated bubble regime in pool nucleate boiling

We consider an isolated bubble boiling regime in which vapour bubbles are intermittently produced at a prearranged set of nucleation site on an upward facing overheated wall plane. In this boiling regime, the bubbles depart from the wall and move as separate entities. Except in the matter of rise velocity, the bubbles do not interfere and are independent of one another. However, the rise velocity is dependent on bubble volume concentration in the bulk. Heat transfer properties specific to this regime cannot be described without bubble detachment size, and we apply our previously developed dynamic theory of vapour bubble growth and detachment to determine this size. Bubble growth is presumed to be thermally controlled. Two limiting cases of bubble evolution are considered: the one in which buoyancy prevails in promoting bubble detachment and the one in which surface tension prevails. We prove termination of the isolated regime of pool nucleate boiling to result from one of the four possible causes, depending on relevant parameters values. The first cause consists in the fact that the upward flow of rising bubbles hampers the downward liquid flow, and under certain conditions, prevents the liquid from coming to the wall in an amount that would be sufficient to compensate for vapour removal from the wall. The second cause is due to the lateral coalescence of growing bubbles that are attached to their corresponding nucleation sites, with ensuing generation of larger bubbles and extended vapour patches near the wall. The other two causes involve longitudinal coalescence either 1) immediately in the wall vicinity, accompanied by the establishment of the multiple bubble boiling regime, or 2) in the bulk, with the formation of vapour columns. The longitudinal coalescence in the bulk is shown to be the most important cause. The critical wall temperature and the heat flux density associated with isolated bubble regime termination are found to be functions of the physical and operating parameters and are discussed in detail.
Janus Microgels Produced from Functional Precursor Polymers

Micrometer-sized Janus particles of many kinds can be formed using droplet microfluidics, but in existing methods, the microfluidic templating is strongly coupled to the material synthesis, since droplet solidification occurs through rapid polymerization right after droplet formation. This circumstance limits independent control of the material properties and the morphology of the resultant particles. In this paper, we demonstrate a microfluidic technique to produce functional Janus microgels from prefabricated, cross-linkable precursor polymers. This approach separates the polymer synthesis from the particle gelation, thus allowing the microfluidic droplet templating and the functionalization of the matrix polymer to be performed and controlled in two independent steps. We use microfluidic devices to emulsify semidilute solutions of cross-linkable, chemically modified or unmodified poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) precursors and solidify the drops via polymer-analogous gelation. The resultant microgel particl...
A LOW-COST EMBEDDED SYSTEM FOR INTERNET BASED POWER MEASUREMENT

This paper introduces a low-cost (i.e. economically competitive, yet functionally robust) embedded system known as the InterDAQ (i.e. Internet Data AcQuisition). The current energy savings technology relies on conventional data logging systems, in which two major barriers exist. Foremost is the fact that retrieving the energy data is not convenient, and the cost of the data logging equipment is high. The interdisciplinary solution presented here to accomplish these goals is to include a miniature web server in a remote-logging module, which we designed as part of our device, thus allowing data to be accessed more frequently, via the Internet. To illustrate a state-of-the-art application in which remote, low-cost monitoring is needed, it is worth mentioning that distributed power generation is gaining national and international attention.1–3 The main energy source of distributed power is derived from a fuel cell, a micro-turbine, or a photo-voltaic cell. Distributed power systems offer a potential increase in efficiency by localizing power generation and eliminating the need for transmission.1 Distributed power also offers increased reliability, uninterruptible service, and energy cost savings.2If an energy savings program is to be implemented, then a low-cost energy monitoring strategy is paramount. Our Internet appliance provides such a solution, and this paper summarizes our implementation details and provides a computer screen-capture of the data posted on the Web.
Th17 cells: effector T cells with inflammatory properties.

Upon activation, naive CD4+ T cells differentiate into effector T cells with specific effector functions and cytokine profiles. The Th1/Th2 paradigm has recently been reevaluated to include a third population of T helper cells, producing IL-17 and designated Th17. The differentiation of Th17 cells requires the coordinate and specific action of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 and the immunosuppressive cytokine TGF-β. In addition, the IL-12 family member IL-23 is involved in the maintenance of these cells. Analogous to other T helper cell subsets, Th17 commitment is initiated by sequential involvement of STAT molecules, i.e. STAT3 downstream of cytokine receptors, and specific transcription factors, i.e. ROR-γt. Recent data also support the existence of a complex network of cytokines regulating Th17 cells. Clearly, the specific effector functions of Th17 cells expand beyond previously described effects of Th1 and Th2 immunity, with specific roles in host defense against certain pathogens and in organ-specific autoimmunity. The potential dynamics of Th17 cell populations and their interplay with other inflammatory cells in the induction of tissue inflammation in host defense and organ-specific autoimmunity are discussed.
The Computational Analysis of Spirochete Motility in Viscous Fluids: Mimicking Host Reservoir Micro-Environments

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, exists in an enzootic life-cycle involving the transmission and acquisition between arthropod vectors, Ixodes scapularis, and mammalian reservoirs. While either escaping from or disseminating within the host, the spirochetes encounter both visco-elastic networks of complex polymers and diverse viscous fluids. This study aims to establish practical in vitro systems, which accurately replicate the physiological enzootic milieu, to observe and quantify the effects of environmental conditions on spirochete motility.Gelatin matrices ranging from 2% (wt/vol) to 5% in concentration are utilized to reproduce the biomechanical behavior of numerous visco-elastic environments such as: the extracellular matrix, dermis and organ soft tissues, joint ligaments and tendons. The in vitro behavior of Borrelia in gelatin matrices intrinsically resembles the pathogen's movements in the chronically infected mouse dermis, and is characterized by four distinct motility states: non-motile, wriggling, lunging and translocating. Bio-physical modeling is used to demonstrate the relationship of transient membrane adhesions on motility state dynamics. Solutions of 1% (wt/vol) to 30% Ficoll, a non-ionic synthetic sucrose polymer, are used to imitate assorted viscous fluids encountered during spirochete infection, like: mammalian blood circulation, tick hemolymph, synovial and cerebrospinal fluids. Examination of spirochetes swimming in a purely viscous fluid simplifies the analysis of flagellar motor energy dissipation, enabling us to probe the speed-torque relationship of borrelial flagellum and motors. Analysis of the Treponema pallidum spirochete is included to help elucidate how differing morphological features, such as number of flagellum (wavelength and amplitude), effect swimming characteristics. MATLAB tracking and analysis algorithms are used to extract motility parameter quantities.
Cancer stem cells in leukemia, recent advances

The history of stem cell research was started in the early 1900s in Europe where the researcher realized that various types of blood cells came from a particular "stem cells." However, it was not until 1963 that the first quantitative description of the self-renewal activities of transplanted mouse bone marrow cells were documented by Canadian scientist Ernest A McCulloch and James E Till in Toronto. The concept of cancer stem cells has been used over 50 years ago; whereas the strong evidence for the existence of a Cancer Stem Cells was obtained recently. Consequently, there is increasing attention in recent year about cancer stem cells. The findings from recent studies support the concept that stem cells are integral to the development of several forms of human cancer. Changes in stem cell behavior can contribute to tumor formation. Leukemia is a cancer of blood-forming tissue, including the bone marrow and lymphatic system. Leukemic stem cells represent the cancer stem cells in the leukemia. In this review, we summarize the recent advance in the study of leukemic stem cells.
The correlation of serum amiodarone levels with abnormalities in the metabolism of thyroxine.

Amiodarone, a widely used iodine-containing antiarrhythmic drug, has been shown to divert the peripheral metabolism of T4 towards rT3 than T3. In this prospective study we correlated the concentration of the peripheral thyroid hormones in serum with that of amiodarone. Fifteen euthyroid volunteers were studied, 5 men and 10 women, with a mean age of 64.2 yr, who suffered from various cardiac arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation or multiple ventricular extrasystoles). Serum amiodarone, T4, T3, rT3 and TSH were determined before and 3, 7, and 14 days after the administration of 400–600 mg amiodarone/day. There was a small increase in serum T4 and a suggestive decrease in serum T3. The increase in serum rT3 was significant, with p < 0.05 for 3 days, p < 0.01 for 7 days and p < 0.005 for 14 days. There was a significant correlation between the level of serum amiodarone and the rise in serum rT3 (r = 0.385, p < 0.05). The rise in rT3 is the main thyroid abnormality after amiodarone administration and may be used as a rough index of the serum concentration of this drug.
Adhesion of elastomer layers to an interposed layer of filler particles

Adhesion of elastomers to filler particles was studied by interposing a single layer of particles between two layers of a crosslinked elastomer and peeling the sandwich apart. Carbon black particles increased the peel strength by up to 100% compared with autohesion of the elastomer layers. Silica particles also increased the adhesion, but by a smaller factor, and there were significant differences using different elastomers. Also, the strength of adhesion depended on the degree of crosslinking of the elastomer layers: at higher levels of crosslinking, both self-adhesion and adhesion to particles were reduced. Nevertheless, this simple experiment gives an indication of the relative strength of adhesion for different combinations of elastomer and reinforcing filler.
Ignition and combustion of n-heptane droplets in carbon dioxide enriched environments

The ignition process and burning characteristics of fiber-supported n-heptane fuel droplets in carbon dioxide enriched and varying pressure environments have been studied under normal gravity. Measured values of droplet burning rates, flame dimensions, broad-band radiant emission, and ignition times were compared to droplets burning in standard air conditions. The burning rate constants increased with increasing carbon dioxide concentration or pressure. For 21% ambient oxygen concentration ignition was achieved for carbon dioxide concentrations up to 46% with the remaining being nitrogen. The experimental burning rates were compared to existing theoretical models. A flammability map for n-heptane burning under normal gravity as a function of carbon dioxide concentration and pressure was also developed using these results.
Solidification of semicrystalline polymers using a variable interface temperature model

Solidification of semicrystalline materials often occurs in significantly undercooled melts. The crystal growth process in such melts is convoluted due to the fact that the interface between the solid and liquid domains of the microscopic crystals is at an unknown temperature. However, it is possible to let the temperature of this interface be unspecified and solve the problem with a semianalytical method if the growth velocity is prescribed. Solutions for the temperature profiles in both solid and liquid phases are presented in this work, along with the interface temperature, for phase change processes controlled by the kinetics of crystallization rather than diffusion processes, which is typical for polymers. The method is used for one-dimensional problems in cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical geometries that correspond to commonly found microstructures. It is found that the temperature of the interface is significantly below the equilibrium melting point and a quasi steady-state regime is reached rapidly. Comparison with the classical Neumann's solution shows that the temperature profiles are similar but the position of the interface differs considerably. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Target Practice: Reader Response Theory and Teachers’ Interpretations of Students’ SAT 10 Scores in Data-Based Professional Development

The study reported in this article examines how teachers read and respond to their students’ Stanford Achievement Test 10 (SAT 10) scores with the goal of investigating the assumption that data-bas...
Trajectory Design of the Lunar Impactor Mission Concept

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) solicited proposals in 2006 for an opportunity to include a small secondary payload with the launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) scheduled for October 2008. The cost cap of the proposal was between $50 and $80M, and the mass cap was 1,000 kilograms. JPL proposed a Lunar Impactor (LI) concept for this solicitation. The mission objective of LI was to impact the permanently shadowed region of a South polar crater ultimately to detect the presence of water. The detection of water ice would prove to be an important factor on future lunar exploration. NASA Ames Research Center also proposed a similar concept, the Lunar Crater observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), which was selected by NASA for the mission. However, in this paper, the trajectory design of the LI proposed by JPL is considered. Since the LI spacecraft was to be launched on the LRO launch vehicle as a secondary payload, its initial trajectory must be diverted at some later time from the LRO trans-lunar trajectory for the subsequent impact. Several such trajectories have been considered, where each trajectory option fields some specific values for the mission parameters. The mission parameters include the availability of LRO instruments at the time of impact for the observation by LRO, the mission duration, the impact velocity, the impact angle, etc. It is possible for the LI to be deflected with a relatively low delta-V to impact a South polar crater at a reasonable impact velocity and impact angle directly with no delay. However, the instruments on-board LRO may not be ready for observation. Thus, several delayed trajectory options have been considered further. The lunar phase at the time of impact may also play an important factor for observation, especially from Earth. Several lunar flyby trajectory maneuvers have been identified to arrive at the Moon for impact at the desired lunar phase. By using a combination of these successive lunar flyby maneuvers, the impact lunar phase may be adjusted to the desired location. A few such trajectories have been suggested. Also, some attempts have been made to maximize the impact velocity by converting the impact trajectory into a retrograde orbit with respect to Earth. Since these types of trajectories take advantage of the Sun-Earth three-body region to minimize the delta-V, the mission duration is relatively long. A few such trajectories are suggested. Also, an attempt has been made to adjust the lunar impact within a desired time period for the optimum Earth observation for the above trajectories. The mission parameters resulting from each trajectory option above are considered and weighed against the cost and robustness of the mission in a brief summary.
The Electrical Double Layer of a Disk-Shaped Clay Mineral Particle: Effect of Particle Size

Abstract The purpose of the present study is to investigate theoretically, by using a disk model, the effect of finite particle size on the electrical double layer of a 2:1 clay mineral particle suspended in a 1-1 electrolyte solution. The clay mineral particle is represented as a thin disk with negatively charged basal planes and a positively charged edge surface. We applied modified Gouy-Chapman theory to the disk model and solved the Poisson-Boltzmann equation numerically using a self-adaptive finite-element method. To carry out the computer simulation, tree and linked-list structures, nested dissection node ordering, and dynamic memory allocation techniques were implemented in the program DISKMGCT. We found an adsorption barrier at an electrolyte concentration of 0.1 mol m-3 for anions approaching the edge surface. This adsorption barrier, originating from a negative inner potential near the edge surface, is mainly controlled by particle thickness. The anion exclusion volume is also determined by the individual values of particle thickness and radius. For a particle of very small radius (⩽10 nm), the anion exclusion volume as calculated from the disk model was significantly larger than that obtained from the conventional infinite-plane Gouy-Chapman theory in dilute electrolyte solutions. For a particle of thickness ⩾4.9 nm, the anion exclusion volume does not decrease monotonically, but instead changes from negative to positive values with an increase in electrolyte concentration. Differences between the predictions of the disk and the infinite-plane models decrease with increasing electrolyte concentration. Thus, the presence of a positively charged edge surface affects clay-electrolyte interactions most significantly at low electrolyte concentrations.
A Dynamic Stream Merging Technique for Video-on-Demand Services over Wireless Mesh Access Networks

We propose a Dynamic Stream Merging (DSM) technique for efficient video-on-demand services to mobile users on wireless mesh networks at the edges. DSM is a new communication paradigm, in which multicast topologies are created incrementally through dynamic merging of server streams at the mesh nodes. This is accomplished without the knowledge of the server. The formation of the multicast group in this manner is fundamentally different from traditional multicast techniques which rely on centralized control at the server. We present a system prototype and give experimental results to demonstrate the feasibility of this new approach. We also give simulation results based on the NS-2 simulator to show the performance efficiency in a larger system setting.
Microbial Community Structure and Carbon‐Utilization Diversity in a Mine Tailings Revegetation Study

Restoration of metals-contaminated environments requires a functional microbial community for successful plant community establishment, soil development, and biogeochemical cycling. Our research measured microbial community structure and carbon-utilization diversity in treatment plots from a mine waste revegetation project near Butte, Montana. Treatments included two controls (raw tailings) either (1) with or (2) without tilling, (3) shallow-tilled lime addition, (4) deep-tilled lime addition, (5) lime slurry injection, (6) topsoil addition, and (7) an undisturbed area near the tailings. Microbial community structural differences were assayed by plate counts of heterotrophic bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, and bacterial endospores, and quantification of arbuscular mycorrhizae colonization. Metabolic diversity differences were assessed by carbon-utilization profiles generated with Biolog microtiter plates. Heterotrophic bacteria counts were significantly higher in the limed and topsoil treatment plots than the control plots, and the actinomycete and fungal counts increased in the tilled control plot as well. Endospore counts were significantly higher in the topsoil addition and the undisturbed plots than the other treatment plots. Carbon-utilization activity was very low in untreated plots, intermediate in lime-treated plots, and very high in topsoil and undisturbed plots. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) colonization levels of two grass species showed low levels of colonization on control, shallow-limed, and lime slurry-injected plots, and high levels on the deep-limed and topsoil-addition plots. Plant and soil system components increased across the treatment plots, but individual components responded differently to changing environmental conditions.
Fish rely on scyphozoan hosts as a primary food source: evidence from stable isotope analysis

Predation of fish on their scyphozoan hosts has not been clearly defined using analysis of gut contents because gelatinous prey are difficult to visually detect and are dissolved by fixative solutions. Therefore, scyphomedusae have been generally considered not relevant in fish diet. To determine the contribution of their scyphozoan host tissue to the assimilated diet of age-0 Chloroscombrus chrysurus, we determined δ13C and δ15N of fish, their hosts (scyphomedusae Aurelia sp. and Drymonema larsoni) and their potential prey—small plankton ( 200 μm)—in the coastal waters of Alabama, USA. The diet of C. chrysurus was defined using the Bayesian mixing model Stable Isotope Analysis in R (SIAR). Models indicated that the scyphozoan hosts contributed on average ~90 % to fish assimilated diet. In contrast with previous dietary assessments based on analysis of gut contents, these results highlight that scyphozoans are important to the diet of fish associated with them. Because several ecologically and economically important fish species live in association with scyphomedusae, a redefinition of trophic links in marine food webs may be needed in light of the findings in this study.
Social Implications of Pursuing Sustainability [Guest Editorial]

What happens when engineers start taking sustainability seriously? We devoted several scorching days in Tempe, Arizona, U.S.A., to this question in May 2009 at the IEEE-SSIT International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS'09), and the papers in this Special Issue reflect some of that work. The IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology teamed up with the IEEE Computer Society's Technical Committee on Sustainable Systems and Technology to organize this event, subtitled “Social Implications of Sustainable Development.” The impetus came partly from the top – the IEEE president sought advice about how to engage constructively – but in fact many of us in SSIT were already thinking about these topics and seized the opportunity.
Presentation procedures in lineups and mug books: a direct comparison

The purpose of this research was to replicate and to extend past findings that the best procedure for presenting lineup pictures is not the best procedure for presenting mug book pictures. Participants witnessed a videotape of a simulated crime that was followed by a lineup task for half the participants or a mug book task for the other half. The task factor was crossed with two other factors: (a) a presentation procedure factor--pictures presented one-at-a-time or grouped 12 per page and (b) a presence of the perpetrator factor--perpetrator present or absent in the viewed pictures. For perpetrator-absent conditions, the one-at-a time lineup procedure produced more correct rejections than the grouped lineup procedure replicating past results; however, for the mug book task the two presentation procedures did not differ. For perpetrator-present conditions, the grouped presentation procedure produced more correct identifications than the one-at-a time procedure in both lineups and mug books. The different pattern of results for lineups and mug books was explained in terms of differences in response criterion. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en
Theoretical investigation of electronic relativistic effects on K-vacancy production by charged particles

Plane-wave Born-approximation calculations of K-shell ionization cross sections are made using one-electron Dirac and Dirac-Hartree-Fock wave functions to describe the 1s and continuum electronic orbitals. Calculations are reported for selected elements between Ca and Z = 170 and for values of the ratio of the ion velocity to the K-electron velocity v/sub 1//v/sub K/ 9 or approx. = 0.2. Simple relativistic correction factors are derived which, when multiplied by easily obtainable nonrelativistic cross sections, allow the accurate determination of relativistic K-shell ionization cross sections without having to perform further extensive calculations. The relativistic correction factors are compared with approximate correction factor discussed by Amundsen, Kocbach, and Hansteen.
Strategic Planning of Vessel Traffic Services using ABS Analysis and Optimization

Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) advise vessels navigating the waterways. VTS communications provide to the mariner timely, pertinent, and accurate information that would assist in safe manoeuvring of the vessel. Following several oil spills in 1989, Congress passed The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-380). The Act requires the Secretary to conduct a study ... to determine and prioritize the US ports and channels that are in need of new, expanded, or improved vessel traffic service systems.... As required by the Act, the US Coast Guard analysed historical vessel casualties and their consequences and projected future vessel casualties and consequences for 23 study zones. The study uses a benefit-cost approach. VTS benefits are defined as the avoided vessel casualties and the associated consequences. The avoided consequences are measured in physical units and are assigned monetary values. VTS costs are defined as the initial federal investment for a state-of-the-art VTS system in each study zone and its annual operating and maintenance costs. Both the benefits and costs are expressed in the 1993 Net Present Value of annual stream over the life cycle at 10 percent basic annual rate. The study recommends VTS design by rank-ordering the zones by net benefit. In this paper, we use alternative methodologies for offering better assistance in making vTs design decision-making. First, we perform ABC analysis on the zones; that is, we classify them into three groups : The A group deserves a state-of-the-art, full-fledged vTs presence, the B group could use an intermediate level of VTS services, and the C group deserves an elementary level of VTS services, as and if the budget permits. This analysis assumes that VTS services can be offered at various levels with correspondingly changing costs. Secondly, we perform resource allocation analysis ; that is, for a given budget and given criterion (e.g. maximize the total benefit), select the optimal zones in which the VTS services should be offered. This analysis, done for various levels of budget, would form a useful decision aid for the VTS design.
A multispectral image sensor array

A silicon monolithic multispectral photosensor device is described. Fabrication techniques and preliminary spectral response data are presented.
Detection of Spatially Correlated Time Series From a Network of Sensor Arrays

This paper addresses the problem of testing for the independence among multiple ( ≥ 2) random vectors. The generalized likelihood ratio test tests the null hypothesis that the composite covariance matrix of the channels is block-diagonal, using a generalized Hadamard ratio. Using the theory of Gram determinants, we show that this Hadamard ratio is stochastically equivalent to a product of scalars, which are independently drawn from a beta distribution under the null hypothesis. This result is then used to derive an asymptotic null distribution, which can be used to identify an appropriate threshold when the sample support is large. These results are then extended to the problem of detecting the presence of spatially correlated time series when each observer employs an array of sensors. Assuming wide-sense stationary processes in both time and space, the likelihood ratio is shown to involve a Hadamard ratio of an estimated cross-spectral matrix at every frequency/wavenumber pair. The proposed detector is compared to several alternative detectors, using simulated space-time fields.
Layer decomposition of coronary angiograms

Low-contrast features such as thrombus, dissection, and even stents can be difficult to detect in coronary x-ray images or angiograms. For these reasons we propose to improve the clinical visualization of low-contrast structures using layer decomposition. Our method for layer decomposition models the cone-beam projections through the chest as a set of superposed layers moving with translation, rotation, and scaling. We solve for the layer motions using phase correlation methods. We solve for the layer densities by averaging along moving trajectories and subtracting new layer densities from previous layer estimates. We apply layer decomposition to clinical coronary angiograms with and without contrast material. The reconstructed vessel layer represents a motion-compensated temporal average of structures co-moving with the vessel. Subtraction of background layers from the original image sequence yields a tracked background-subtracted sequence which has no vessel-motion artifacts and almost no increase in noise, unlike standard background substraction techniques. Layer decomposition improves vessel definition and visibility of low-contrast objects in cine x-ray image sequences.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Age-Related Differences in Bitter Taste and Efficacy of Bitter Blockers

Background Bitter taste is the primary culprit for rejection of pediatric liquid medications. We probed the underlying biology of bitter sensing and the efficacy of two known bitter blockers in children and adults. Methods A racially diverse group of 154 children (3-10 years old) and their mothers (N = 118) evaluated the effectiveness of two bitter blockers, sodium gluconate (NaG) and monosodium glutamate (MSG), for five food-grade bitter compounds (quinine, denatonium benzoate, caffeine, propylthiouracil (PROP), urea) using a forced-choice method of paired comparisons. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01407939). Results The blockers reduced bitterness in 7 of 10 bitter-blocker combinations for adults but only 3 of 10 for children, suggesting that efficacy depends on age and is also specific to each bitter-blocker combination. Only the bitterness of urea was reduced by both blockers in both age groups, whereas the bitterness of PROP was not reduced by either blocker in either age group regardless of TAS2R38 genotype. Children liked the salty taste of the blocker NaG more than did adults, but both groups liked the savory taste of MSG equally. Conclusions and Relevance Bitter blocking was less effective in children, and the efficacy of blocking was both age and compound specific. This knowledge will pave the way for evidence-based strategies to help develop better-tasting medicines and highlights the conclusion that adult panelists and genotyping alone may not always be appropriate in evaluating the taste of a drug geared for children.
Phase shift of TE and TM modes in an optical fiber due to axial strain (exact solution)

Axial strain may be determined by monitoring the phase shift of modes of a variety of optical fiber sensors. In this paper, the exact solution of a circular optical fiber is used to calculate the phase shift of the TE and TM modes. Whenever an optical fiber is stressed, the optical path length, the index of refraction, and the propagation constants of each fiber mode change. In consequence, the modal phase term, beta(ln)z, of the fields is shifted by an amount Delta phi. In certain cases, it is desirable to control the phase shift term in order to make the fiber either more or less sensitive to certain kinds of strain. It is shown that it can be accomplished by choosing appropriate fiber parameters.
Low-Lying Zeros of Maass Form L-Functions

The Katz-Sarnak density conjecture states that the scaling limits of the distributions of zeros of families of automorphic L-functions agree with the scaling limits of eigenvalue distributions of classical subgroups of the unitary groups U(N). This conjecture is often tested by way of computing particular statistics, such as the one-level density, which evaluates a test function with compactly supported Fourier transform at normalized zeros near the central point. Iwaniec, Luo, and Sarnak studied the one-level densities of cuspidal newforms of weight k and level N. They showed in the limit as kN -> infinity that these families have one-level densities agreeing with orthogonal type for test functions with Fourier transform supported in (-2, 2). Exceeding (-1, 1) is important as the three orthogonal groups are indistinguishable for support up to (-1, 1) but are distinguishable for any larger support. We study the other family of GL(2) automorphic forms over Q: Maass forms. To facilitate the analysis, we use smooth weight functions in the Kuznetsov formula which, among other restrictions, vanish to order 2M at the origin. For test functions with Fourier transform supported inside (-2+2/2M+1, 2 - 2/2M+1), we unconditionally prove the one-level density of the low-lying zeros of level 1 Maass forms, as the eigenvalues tend to infinity, agrees only with that of the scaling limit of orthogonal matrices.
The Influence of a Change in Immigration Law on US Marriage Rates

This article analyzes how a change in immigration law can affect the marriage behavior of immigrants. The Legal Immigration and Family Equity (LIFE) Act of 2000 provided a 4-month period in which certain undocumented immigrants could complete the legalization process without having to return to their countries of origin. Marriage to a US citizen or legal immigrant is one way undocumented immigrants can qualify for the immigration benefit provided by the LIFE Act of 2000. Examining marriage behavior before, during, and after the law change indicates that the immigration law change affected the marital decisions of immigrants.
Carbon‐laden macrophages in pleural fluid of crack smokers

Carbon-laden macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage have been noted to be associated with a history of crack smoking. We report herein the finding of carbon-laden macrophages in four cytological preparations of pleural fluid from two crack smokers. The etiology of the two patients' pleural effusions differed; neither had a bronchopleural fistula. Patient 1 had AIDS, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and Kaposi's sarcoma of the right lung with an associated bilateral pleural effusion. Patient 2 was HIV seropositive, had pulmonary tuberculosis, hepatitis A, B, and C, cardiomyopathy, pulmonary embolism, and bilateral pleural effusions, the latter of which were probably due to cardio-pulmonary dysfunction. An additional two crack smokers with pleural effusions due to malignancy, one primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma and the other metastatic melanoma, did not have carbon-like material in their pleural fluid cytology. We hypothesize that intracellular accumulation of carbonaceous material in the lung parenchyma and pleural space occurs when normal clearance mechanisms are overwhelmed.
Mesothelial/monocytic incidental cardiac excrescences of the heart: case report and literature review

Summary Mesothelial/monocytic incidental cardiac excrescences (MICE) of the heart are rare benign entities that have only been diagnosed incidentally, following cardiac surgical procedure. To date, totally 35 cases have been reported in the English literature. We describe an additional case of cardiac MICE presenting with severe aortic regurgitation for aortic valve replacement in a 20-year-old Chinese male patient. On microscopic examination, the findings initially were confused with true neoplasm. However, the related gross appearance, clinical history and further immunohistochemical staining enabled an accurate diagnosis. We review the relevant literature and found that immunohistochemical staining, especially the anti-cytokeratin antibody (AE1/AE3) and KP-1 (CD-68) that were used by most investigators previously, was significant while making the diagnosis, because the two components of the cells show a contrast immunoreactivity to these two makers. The pathologists should always be alert to this entity while diagnose a cardiac surgery specimen.
Linear Velocity Surge Caused by Mobile-Phase Compression as a Source of Band Broadening in Isocratic Ultrahigh-Pressure Liquid Chromatography

A linear velocity surge caused by mobile-phase compression was investigated as a source of band broadening for ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC). To measure the effect of compression on mobile-phase velocity, ionic sample fronts were monitored using a contactless conductivity detector, as they migrated through long packed capillaries. Mobile-phase compression was found to cause an abnormally high linear velocity surge as the pressure was applied to the inlet of the column. An empirical equation was developed to describe the mobile-phase flow velocity during and after compression. Data fits to this equation were then used to determine the amount of additional variance caused by mobile-phase compression. For a 10/90 v/v acetonitrile/water mobile phase, the velocity surge occurred over roughly 10-15% of the column length. In addition, the velocity surge caused by mobile-phase compression was found to be capable of causing a 50% increase in the measured van Deemter C-terms for reversed-phase UHPLC.