cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heat transfer enhancement in a grooved channel with curved vanes

Abstract We visualize unsteady temperature fields in the grooved channel with curved vanes using holographic interferometry. The heat transfer performance of the investigated channel is compared with that of the basic grooved channel. The addition of curved vanes above the downstream end of the heated block redirects the flow from the main channel into the groove. Heat transfer shows an increase by a factor of 1.5–3.5, when compared to the basic grooved channel, mainly due to increased flow velocities in the groove region. Flow transition from steady to oscillatory occurs around Re=450 and flow oscillations contribute to heat transfer enhancement. The pressure drop is 3–5 times higher than in the basic grooved channel.
Integrins and EGFR coordinately regulate the pro-apoptotic protein Bim to prevent anoikis.

Epithelial cells must adhere to the extracellular matrix (ECM) for survival, as detachment from matrix triggers apoptosis or anoikis1. Integrins are major mediators of adhesion between cells and ECM proteins, and transduce signals required for cell survival2. Recent evidence suggests that integrin receptors are coupled to growth factor receptors in the regulation of multiple biological functions2; however, mechanisms involved in coordinate regulation of cell survival are poorly understood and mediators responsible for anoikis have not been well characterized. Here, we identify the pro-apoptotic protein Bim as a critical mediator of anoikis in epithelial cells. Bim is strongly induced after cell detachment and downregulation of Bim expression by RNA interference (RNAi) inhibits anoikis. Detachment-induced expression of Bim requires a lack of β1-integrin engagement, downregulation of EGF receptor (EGFR) expression and inhibition of Erk signalling. Overexpressed EGFR was uncoupled from integrin regulation, resulting in the maintenance of Erk activation in suspension, and a block in Bim expression and anoikis. Thus, Bim functions as a key sensor of integrin and growth factor signals to the Erk pathway, and loss of such coordinate regulation may contribute to tumour progression.
Expression of epidermal growth factor in the kidney and submandibular gland during mouse postnatal development: An immunocytochemical and in situ hybridization study

Abstract Earlier work has demonstrated that the salivary glands and kidneys are the major sites of epidermal growth factor (EGF) synthesis in adult mice. The precise timing of the onset of endogenous EGF synthesis in these tissues is not yet clear. In the present study we assessed the ontogenesis of EGF expression in the Swiss-Webster mouse. Paraformaldehyde-fixed frozen sections of neonatal kidneys and salivary glands were probed with proEGF cRNA labelled with 35S for in situ hybridization and with rabbit antisera to mouse EGF for im-munocytochemistry. Both EGF mRNA and immunoreactivity were first detected in the developing distal nephron between days 3 and 5 postpartum. Juxtamedullary nephrons underlying the superficial nephrogenic zone were the first to express EGF. During the 2nd week after birth, EGF-expressing tubules became more abundant and distributed to medullary as well as cortical regions, corresponding to the thick ascending limb of Henle and distal convoluted tubule. Initial EGF mRNA and immunoreactivity in the submandibular gland were first detected between days 18 and 20 postpartum and increased notably during the following weeks.
Role of mitochondria in metabolism of pyruvate and lactate by rat adipose tissue

Abstract The metabolism of pyruvate in rat adipose tissue is strongly concentration-dependent, whereas lactate is utilized only by tissue from fasted, refed animals. The rate of fatty acid synthesis from both of these metabolites is regulated in part, by the oxidation-reduction potential of the cytosolic nicotinamide coenzymes as well as by the formation and efflux from the mitochondria of key intermediates. Studies with isolated adipose tissue mitochondria have shown that anions such as malate and citrate can move across the mitochondrial membrane. Evidence is presented indicating that malate may act as a shuttle in rat adipose tissue carrying excess reducing equivalents into the mitochondria and that the passage of malate into the mitochondria also results in an increase in citrate efflux into the cytosol. Our data also suggest a forward flow of citrate to α-ketoglutarate in the cytosol of the adipose tissue cell thereby generating NADPH via isocitric dehydrogenase.
Alterations in Epithelial and Mesenchymal Intestinal Gene Expression During Doxorubicin-Induced Mucositis in Mice

In the current study we aimed to gain insight into epithelial-mesenchymal cross-talk and progenitor compartment modulation during doxorubicin (DOX)-induced mucositis in mice. Intestinal segments were collected on various days after DOX treatment. DOX-induced damage at day 1–2 was characterized by increased epithelial proliferation and apoptosis and a decrease in the expression of epithelial differentiation markers. Concurrently, T-cell factor-4 (TCF4) levels increased and the epithelial differentiation enhancing factor, bone morphogenic protein-4 (BMP4), decreased. During severe damage (day 3), BMP4 levels were significantly increased, which inversely correlated with epithelial proliferation. At the same time, the expression of the epithelial differentiation markers was increasing again. At day 7, BMP4 levels were down-regulated, while the levels of the epithelial differentiation markers and TCF4 were normalized again. These data suggest that in response to DOX-induced damage, BMP4 and TCF4 are modulated in such a way that homeostasis of the progenitor compartment is partly preserved.
Intranasally administered alpha/beta interferon prevents extension of mouse hepatitis virus, strain JHM, into the brains of BALB/cByJ mice

Summary Intranasally administered alpha/beta interferon blocked extension of the coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus, strain JHM (MHV-JHM), from the nose to the brain of BALB/cByJ mice following intranasal inoculation with the virus. Two hundred units of alpha/beta interferon were administered intranasally to BALB/cByJ mice daily over a five day period. The mice were exposed intranasally to 10 3 median tissue culture infectious doses of MHV-JHM on the third day of interferon treatment. Two days after virus exposure, the proportion of mice with MHV in nasal turbinates was reduced from 10 of 10 in the untreated group to 7 of 10 in the interferon-treated group, and mean titers in virus-containing noses were lower in the interferon-treated group. Five days after virus exposure, the proportion of mice with infectious virus in the brain was significantly lower in the interferon-treated group (1 of 10 mice) than in the untreated group (10 of 10 mice). Systemic infection, as measured by presence and concentration of virus in the spleen, was not affected by intranasal interferon treatment. These results suggest that intranasally administered interferon protects against local extension of MHV-JHM from nose to brain, but not against dissemination of virus to other organs, such as the spleen.
On the relationship between trading volume and stock price volatility in CASE

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the change in speed of dissemination of order flow information on stock volatility of return in 79 traded companies at the Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchange (CASE).Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the interaction of volatility and volume in 79 traded companies in CASE over a period from January 1998 to May 2005 and provides support for the TGARCH specification for explaining the daily time dependence on the rate of information arrival to the market for stocks traded on CASE.Findings – The paper finds that information size and direction have a negligible effect on conditional volatility and, as a result, the presence of noise trading and speculative bubbles is suspected. It was found that the persistence in volatility is not eliminated when lagged or contemporaneous trading volume is incorporated into a GARCH model. It is shown that, when volume is further broken down into its expected and unexpected components, volatility persistence decr...
Regulation of Jak Kinases by Intracellular Leptin Receptor Sequences

Leptin signals the status of body energy stores via the leptin receptor (LR), a member of the Type I cytokine receptor family. Type I cytokine receptors mediate intracellular signaling via the activation of associated Jak family tyrosine kinases. Although their COOH-terminal sequences vary, alternatively spliced LR isoforms (LRa-LRd) share common NH(2)-terminal sequences, including the first 29 intracellular amino acids. The so-called long form LR (LRb) activates Jak-dependent signaling and is required for the physiologic actions of leptin. In this study, we have analyzed Jak activation by intracellular LR sequences under the control of the extracellular erythropoeitin (Epo) (Epo receptor/LRb chimeras). We show that Jak2 is the requisite Jak kinase for signaling by the LRb intracellular domain and confirm the requirement for the Box 1 motif for Jak2 activation. A minimal LRb intracellular domain for Jak2 activation includes intracellular amino acids 31-48. Although the sequence requirements for intracellular amino acids 37-48 are flexible, intracellular amino acids 31-36 of LRb play a critical role in Jak2 activation and contain a loose homology motif found in other Jak2-activating cytokine receptors. The failure of short form sequences to function in Jak2 activation reflects the absence of this motif.
Compressibility of sorptive porous media: Part 2. Experimental study on coal

This paper, second of a two-part series, discusses the results of the experimental work conducted to estimate the different compressibilities of coal under both unconstrained and constrained conditions. Under unconstrained conditions, the shrinkage or swelling compressibility (C m) was measured, which was found with certainty to be a pressure-dependent parameter. The model proposed to estimate was able to effectively predict the variation trend, although the modeled values were larger than those calculated using experimental results. The pore-volume compressibility under uniaxial strain conditions for helium depletion was found to be a constant positive value. The value of for methane depletion, however, was found negative, indicating that the pore volume (cleat) increases with depletion. Moreover, its absolute value increased with decreasing methane pressure. Consistent with field permeability observations, the permeability increases with methane depletion, and the rate of increase at lower pressures is higher than at high pressures. The proposed pore-volume compressibility model was well able to predict the variation.
Tableaux and insertion schemes for spinor representations of the orthogonal Lie algebra so (2 r +1, C )

A new set of tableaux is presented to index the weights of the irreducible spinor representations of the orthogonal Lie algebraso(2r + 1, ℂ). These tableaux are used to develop insertion schemes which combinatorially describe the decomposition of the tensor product of the spin representation with an irreducible representation ofso(2r + 1, ℂ).
A clinical and histopathological study of François-Neetens speckled corneal dystrophy

A 57-year-old black man had Francois-Neetens speckled dystrophy of the cornea and orbital phycomycosis. Examination of family members confirmed an auto-somal-dominant pattern of inheritance. Light and electron microscopic study of the cornea of a blind eye disclosed that the corneal opacities were represented by swollen, vacuolated keratocytes filled with histochemically demonstrable acid mucopolysaccharide and complex lipids. Thus, this dystrophy may represent a dominantly inherited metabolic disorder confined to the cornea.
Computational geometry column 53

This column is devoted to partitions of point-sets into convex subsets with interior-disjoint convex hulls. We review some partitioning problems and corresponding algorithms. At the end we list some open problems. For simplicity, in most cases we remain at the lowest possible interesting level, that is, in the plane.
Exploration decisions and firms in the mineral industries

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how physical characteristics of deposits and results of past exploration enter future exploration decisions. A proposed decision model is presented that is consistent with a set of primitive probabilistic assumptions associated with deposit size distributions and discoverability. Analysis of optimal field exploration strategy showed the likely firm responses to alternative exploration taxes and effects on the distribution of future discoveries. Examination of the probabilistic elements of the decision model indicates that changes in firm expectations associated with the distribution of deposits cannot be totally offset by changes in economic variables.
A survey of various computer architectures for solution of large matrix equations

In electromagnetics, a numerical technique that finds immense application is the method of moments. This method reduces the boundary value problem containing integro-differential equations into the form AX = Y, where A is a full complex matrix, that is known and X is the unknown to be solved for the given excitation Y. In this paper, the matrix equation has been solved on various computers such as the VAX 3500, VAX 8530, Multimax 320, Alliant FX/80 and IBM 3090-600E. Two of the established methods, viz. gaussian elimination and the conjugate gradient method have been used to solve the above matrix equations. A detailed timing analysis has been done to bring out the features of various computer architectures.
Ensemble Kalman Filter Assimilation of Simulated HIWRAP Doppler Velocity Data in a Hurricane

AbstractThis study utilizes ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) to analyze the potential impact of assimilating radial velocity observations of hurricanes from the High-altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP). HIWRAP is a new Doppler radar mounted on the NASA Global Hawk unmanned airborne system that flies at roughly 19-km altitude and has the benefit of a 25–30-h flight duration, which is 2–3 times that of conventional aircraft. This research is intended as a proof-of-concept study for future assimilation of real HIWRAP data. The most important result from this research is that HIWRAP data can potentially improve hurricane analyses and prediction. For example, by the end of a 12-h assimilation period, the analysis error is much lower than that in deterministic forecasts. As a result, subsequent forecasts initialized with the EnKF analyses also improve. Furthermore, analyses and forecasts clearly benefit more from a 12-h assimilation period than ...
The dynamic behavior of articulated pipes conveying fluid with periodic flow rate.

The plane motion of two rigid, straight articulated pipes conveying fluid is examined. In contrast to previous work, the flow rate is not taken as constant, but is allowed to have small periodic oscillations about a mean value, as would be expected in a pump-driven system. It is shown that in the presence of such disturbances, both parametric and combination resonances are possible. When the system can also admit loss of stability by static buckling or by flutter, it is found that the presence of small periodic disturbances constitutes a destabilizing effect. Floquet theory and converging infinite determinant expansions are used to illustrate a basic difference between systems which lose stability by divergence and those that lose stability by flutter. An algebraic criterion is obtained for the minimum amplitude of flow-rate oscillation required for the system to be affected by the presence of small disturbances.
Some observations on photoperiodism and the development of annual forms of domesticated cottons

Observations made over the last fifteen to twenty years have discovered no primitive forms of G.barbadense L. orG. hirsutum L. (other than G.hirsutum racelatifolium Hutchinson) which are capable of flowering during the long summer days of temperate latitudes. Annual Upland cottons, grown in the southern United States since the mid-eighteenth century, were probably derived from perennial day-neutral forms of Mexican racelatifolium, though not necessarily by direct introduction from Mexico into the United States. The origin of Sea Island cottons (day-neutral forms of G.barbadense), which were formerly grown on the southeastern seaboard of the United States since the mid-eighteenth century, remains obscure. No primitive forms of this species, capable of flowering during the long summer days of temperate latitudes, have been found. An experiment is reported in which it has been possible to synthesize a day-neutral form of G.barbadense through introgression between primitive short-day sensitive forms of G.barbadense and G.hirsutum, both native to the Caribbean region. It is suggested that the ancestors of Sea Island cottons may have originated naturally by a similar mechanism involving the same species.
Integrating Stalagmite, Vertebrate, and Pollen Sequences to Investigate Holocene Vegetation and Climate Change in the Southern Midwestern United States

Speleothem carbon and oxygen isotopic records from Onondaga Cave, south-central Missouri, and Beckham Creek Cave, north-central Arkansas, are compared with the Cupola Pond and Oldfield Swamp pollen series from southeastern Missouri and the Rodgers Shelter and Modoc Shelter vertebrate biostratigraphic sequences from central Missouri and southwestern Illinois. Similar, and roughly contemporaneous, shifts between deciduous forest and steppe indicators throughout the Holocene are revealed in each database. These independent proxies record steppe conditions between approximately 9000 and 1500 cal yr B.P. A shift toward lighter speleothem carbon may reflect a change from warm and dry to cool and dry conditions between 4500 and 3000 yr B.P. The sensitive response of speleothem δ13C to changes in vegetation emphasizes their importance as paleoclimate records in an area containing few other millenial-scale climate proxies.
A preliminary LCA case study: comparison of different pathways to produce purified terephthalic acid suitable for synthesis of 100 % bio-based PET

This study provides a preliminary comparison of the environmental burdens of three different pathways for production of bio-based purified terephthalic acid (PTA), suitable for the production of 100 % bio-based poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET. These pathways are through (1) muconic acid originating in wheat stover; (2) isobutanol originating in corn; and (3) benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) originating in poplar. The goal is to point out what areas of these processes are the largest environmental contributors and hence are the most critical for development of accurate primary data, as well as to indicate which of these pathways looks most promising, from an environmental viewpoint, for production of 100 % bio-based PET. Because much of the needed life cycle information to produce PTA is currently not available, inventory data for each scenario for the production of PTA were estimated based on the chemistry involved. In the impact analysis stage, the inventory data were classified and characterized with a focus on several environmental midpoint categories. SimaPro 7.3.3 software was used as the main computational software and Impact 2002+ v2.1 was used as the life cycle impact assessment methodology in this attributional life cycle assessment. Valuable preliminary environmental impact data including identification of critical steps in the process were obtained. The global warming value of PET synthesized through the muconic acid scenario was 1.6 times larger than that of the scenario of PET synthesized through BTX even after a limited Monte Carlo simulation of 1,000 runs. Among the three scenarios for producing PET, PET synthesized through BTX looked the most promising to pursue for production of bio-based PET with lower environmental burdens. This work also indicated that the first production steps of producing PET through any of the evaluated scenarios (from biomass to the first intermediate) are responsible for the largest environmental burden and should be further characterized since they were the dominant processes in many impact categories.
A mobile robot for inspection of substation equipments

Substation inspection has already benefited from developments in mobile robotics. Since 2002, over 10 substation inspection robots have been developed at Shandong Electric Power Institute. These robots carry visible light cameras and infrared thermographs which are used to detect invaders and equipments fault respectively. They move inside the substation and position for collecting images of possible critical points. This paper presents a review of some key techniques of these robots, such as autonomous navigation, autonomous battery charging and autonomous equipment recognition.
A comprehensive model of the Venus ionosphere

Coupled time-dependent continuity-momentum and energy balance equations for the Venus ionosphere were simultaneously solved for CO2(+), O2(+), O(+), He(+), and H(+) densities and electron and ion temperatures for an altitude range of 120-500 km. Values of the solar zenith angle varied from 0 deg (subsolar point) to 90 deg (terminator). The calculations include the horizontal bulk transport of ions by neutral winds but not the horizontal diffusion. The two-stream photoelectron transport method was used to find the heating rates for the ambient electrons. Different boundary conditions were considered, and a nightside ionosphere was calculated. The results of these model calculations are in good agreement with measurements in the region of maximum electron density. Characteristics of topside and nightside densities and temperatures are discussed.
How plastic deformation can produce texture in graphitic films of boron nitride, carbon nitride, and carbon

Abstract The graphitic forms of carbon, boron nitride, and carbon nitride grown in energetic film-deposition processes or processed using ion irradiation often possess an in-plane c-axis texture. In this texture the basal planes of the graphitic material are perpendicular to the substrate. We show that the in-plane c-axis texture can be produced through plastic deformation as a mechanism to relieve the large ion-induced compressive stresses in these materials. Specifically, basal-plane slip and kinking processes would produce a rotation of the c-axis towards the plane of biaxial compressive stress. Once the c-axis has rotated to lie in the plane of the substrate, further deformation by basal-plane slip cannot occur. Then, in the absence of additional stress-reduction pathways, the stress level will rise if the material undergoes further compressive elastic strain. The possible relationship between this stress build-up and nucleation of high-density phases, such as cubic boron nitride, is briefly discussed.
Multilevel evaluation of electromagnetic fields for the rapid solution of scattering problems

A multilevel algorithm is presented for evaluating fields generated by given distributions of electric current. The algorithm can be used to accelerate the solution of scattering problems using the method of moments and/or boundary element methods. The algorithm exploits the limited number of degrees of freedom that characterize a field observed over a domain that is well separated from a source domain. Both the memory requirements and the computational complexity of the algorithm are O(Ns log(Ns)), where Ns is the common number of sources and observation points. The multilevel algorithm can easily be incorporated into existing method-of-moments (MoM) programs. A simple physical interpretation of the algorithm is provided. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
New paramagnetic probes for the cationic dynamics in the KDP-type ferroelectrics and antiferroelectrics

Abstract Paramagnetic probes have provided valuable, quantitative information on the role of the anionic fragments (PO4 3− and AsO4 3−) in the KH2PO4-type of ferroelectrics and antiferroelectrics. However, parallel studies of the cations (K+, Rb+, Cs+ and NH4 +) have not yet been possible, the progress being hampered mainly by the lack of suitable paramagnetic probes which could accurately simulate the cationic behavior. Previously used probes are Fe3+, Cr3+, Cu2+ and Tl2+, all of which have an excess of positive charge compared with that of the substituted cations. This excess charge would necessarily lead to some structural deformation of the surroundings, and hence all these previously used ions might not be considered as faithful probes. We have now succeeded in stabilizing a variety of monovalent, paramagnetic ions in the KDP-type of ferroelectrics and antiferroelectrics. The structure and the dynamics of these probes have been studied via the temperature and angular dependence of the Zeeman, the hyp...
A review of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education

A Review of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education. Edited by Aldrin E. Sweeney & Sudipta Seal (University of Central Florida, 2007). Publisher: American Scientific Publishers. http://www.aspbs.com/nsee
Hepatitis C virus infection and insulin resistance

Approximately 170 million people worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Chronic HCV infection is the leading cause for the development of liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is the primary cause for liver transplantation in the western world. Insulin resistance is one of the pathological features in patients with HCV infection and often leads to development of type II diabetes. Insulin resistance plays an important role in the development of various complications associated with HCV infection. Recent evidence indicates that HCV associated insulin resistance may result in hepatic fibrosis, steatosis, HCC and resistance to anti-viral treatment. Thus, HCV associated insulin resistance is a therapeutic target at any stage of HCV infection. HCV modulates normal cellular gene expression and interferes with the insulin signaling pathway. Various mechanisms have been proposed in regard to HCV mediated insulin resistance, involving up regulation of inflammatory cytokines, like tumor necrosis factor-α, phosphorylation of insulin-receptor substrate-1, Akt, up-regulation of gluconeogenic genes like glucose 6 phosphatase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 2, and accumulation of lipid droplets. In this review, we summarize the available information on how HCV infection interferes with insulin signaling pathways resulting in insulin resistance.
High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of isepamicin in plasma, urine and dialysate.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the measurement of isepamicin, a new aminoglycoside, in plasma, urine and dialysate is reported. The assay utilizes a simple extraction of isepamicin in plasma using commercially available Cyano solid-phase cartridges and dilution of urine and dialysate samples. The separation is performed on a Hypersil C18 column (15 cm X 4.6 mm I.D., 5 microns particle size) and utilizes a mobile phase consisting of 10% methanol and 90% buffer solution containing 0.01 M sodium hexanesulfonate, 0.1 M sodium sulfate and 17 mM acetic acid. The flow-rate is 1.1 ml/min. Dibekacin is used as the internal standard. Isepamicin is derivatized post-column with o-phthalaldehyde for spectrofluorometric detection. The method can also be used for the measurement of other aminoglycosides, i.e. tobramycin, kanamycin, netilmicin and gentamicin. The assay is fast, accurate and has a quantitation limit of 100 ng/ml isepamicin in plasma and 50 ng/ml in urine and dialysate.
Hydrogen bonding Part 37. N,N,N-trimethyl-1 -adamantylammonium fluoride trihydrate and hemihydrate; evidence for covalent hydrogen bonding in the hemihydrate

Abstract N,N,N-trimethyl-1-adamantylammonium fluoride forms two crystalline hydrates, a trihydrate and a hemihydrate. The IR spectrum of the trihydrate demonstrates the presence of H 2 0 bound by strong electrostatic hydrogen bonds in a framework clathrate structure. The trihydrate can be recrystallized from acetone to yield crystals which should be suitable for diffraction studies. The IR spectrum of bound H 2 0 in the hemihydrate is unlike that of H 2 0 in any tetraalkylammonium salt hydrate that has been previously examined. This spectrum resembles that of the H 2 F − 3 ion in N,N,N-trimethyl-1-adamantylammonium dihydrogen trifluoride, and a model for the hemihydrate is proposed in which a bridging H 2 0 molecule is bound to two F − ions by unsymmetrical covalent, three-center hydrogen bonds. An ab initio calculation supports the proposed structure.
Modeling dense water production and salt transport from Alaskan coastal polynyas

The main significance of this paper is that a realistic, three-dimensional, high-resolution primitive equation model has been developed to study the effects of dense water formation in Arctic coastal polynyas. The model includes realistic ambient stratification, realistic bottom topography, and is forced by time-variant surface heat flux, surface salt flux, and time-dependent coastal flow. The salt and heat fluxes, and the surface ice drift, are derived from satellite observations (SSM/I and NSCAT sensors). The model is used to study the stratification, salt transport, and circulation in the vicinity of Barrow Canyon during the 1996/97 winter season. The coastal flow (Alaska coastal current), which is an extension of the Bering Sea throughflow, is formulated in the model using the wind-transport regression. The results show that for the 1996/97 winter the northeastward coastal current exports 13% to 26% of the salt produced by coastal polynyas upstream of Barrow Canyon in 20 to 30 days. The salt export occurs more rapidly during less persistent polynyas. The inclusion of ice-water stress in the model makes the coastal current slightly weaker and much wider due to the combined effects of surface drag and offshore Ekman transport.
Morphometric evaluation of male Mediterranean buffaloes in Northern Corrientes, Argentina

The objective of this work was to determine morphometric parameters for male Mediterranean buffaloes, at different stages of life, raised under natural pasture conditions in Northern Corrientes, Argentina. A total of 170 buffalo bulls, with ages of 7 months (W, weaning), 18-20 months (G18), 24-30 months (G24) and older than 36 months (G36) were evaluated. Measured parameters were body weight (BW), scrotal circumference (SC), thoracic perimeter (TP), sacrum height (SH) and wither height (WH). The average daily growth of scrotal circumference was 0.013 cm per day, measured from weaning through 36 months. More studies are needed in order to standardize the morphometry of male Mediterranean buffaloes in Northern Argentina.
Toxic interaction between narcotic analgesics and inhibitors of catechol-O-methyltransferase.

A lethal synergism between morphine and tropolone, an inhibitor of catechol-O-methyltransferase, was previously noted in adult male Holtzman rats. The present research demonstrates that this phenomenon generalizes across factors of sex, age, strain (Sprague-Dawley, Wistar) and species (Swiss albino mice). Acute toxicity was also significantly increased (1.5–1.9 times) in the case of codeine, methadone, meperidine and levorphanol, but to a lesser extent than for morphine (4.0 times) in the S-D strain. Another COMT inhibitor, 3,5-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzoic acid, interacted with morphine in S-D rats to an equal degree as did tropolone. Post-treatment with 1 mg/kg of naloxone in rats or naltrexone in mice reduced the high lethality associated with morphine plus tropolone. There was a pronounced lowering of whole brain norepinephrine (NE) level after morphine plus tropolone in Wistar rats with doses of each component that alone caused no change in NE. Brain dopamine (DA) was elevated by tropolone and by its combination with morphine. Each drug alone caused slight lowering of brain serotonin. Enhancement by tropolone of the toxicity of (+)-amphetamine in mice and rats was of similar magnitude as for morphine. The possible role of brain NE and/or DA in the sensitivity to acute toxic effects of opioids in rodents is suggested by these data, as well as a parallel in this regard with amphetamine-type stimulants.
Supercooling and superheating in Al and Zn

Abstract We have studied the supercooling and superheating of Al and Zn in the temperature range between 0.5 and 1.2 K. The samples, collections of dispersed and isolated small spheres, were prepared by spraying of the molten metal into liquid nitrogen. The supercooling and superheating fields obtained are, by all indications, close to the theoretical limit. From the supercooling fields observed we determined the Ginzburg-Landau parameter κ(Tc) = 0.015, for both Al and Zn. The superheating field exhibits a strong temperature dependence near Tc, which reflects the extremely non-local electrodynamics of the materials. The results are discussed in the light of recent theoretical work.
Detection of Three Whitefly-transmitted Viruses Infecting the Cucurbit Weed Cucumis melo var. dudaim in Florida

To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of Squash vein yellowing virus (SqVYV), Cucurbit leaf crumple virus (CuLCrV), and Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) infecting C. ...
Mechanism of the combination immunosuppressive effects of rapamycin with either cyclosporine or tacrolimus

BACKGROUND The combination of rapamycin with Cyclosporine has demonstrated beneficial effects in organ transplantation; however, the mechanism of this combination immunosuppression is not fully understood. The mechanism of action of cyclosporine and tacrolimus has been explained on the basis of their inhibition of interleukin-2 (IL-2), and induction of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). In this study, we explored the effects of rapamycin in combination with either tacrolimus or cyclosporine on lymphocyte proliferation, and expression of interleulin-2 (IL-2) and TGF-beta METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells/lymphocytes were isolated from buffy coats obtained from blood center, and activated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in the presence or absence of rapamycin, cyclo sporine, and tacrolimus alone or in various combinations. The activation was quantified by 3H-thymidine uptake assay and using reverse transcriptase assisted polymerase chain reaction and ELISA, we studied the TGF-beta and IL-2 mRNA and protein expression, respectively. RESULTS In this study, we report that rapamycin in combination with either tacrolimus or cyclosporine significantly inhibited the lymphocyte proliferation, IL-2 expression, and induced TGF-beta, compared with these drugs alone. The levels of TGF-beta and IL-2 correlated positively and negatively, respectively, with inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation. CONCLUSIONS These novel findings provide the mechanism as well as the rationale to use these drugs in combination at subclinical dosages in organ transplantation.
Impurity concentration dependent density of states and resulting fermi level for silicon

Abstract Utilizing an approach for describing the density of quantum states in a semiconductor as a function not only of energy but also of impurity concentration, we calculate the density of states and the Fermi level in n -type silicon. The calculated densities of states are shown to agree with pertinent experimental results.
Analyzing Screening Policies for Childhood Obesity

Because of the health and economic costs of childhood obesity, coupled with studies suggesting the benefits of comprehensive dietary, physical activity, and behavioral counseling intervention, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently recommended childhood screening and intervention for obesity beginning at age 6. Using a longitudinal data set consisting of the body mass index of 3,164 children up to age 18 and another longitudinal data set containing the body mass index at ages 18 and 40 and the presence or absence of disease hypertension and diabetes at age 40 for 747 people, we formulate and numerically solve---separately for boys and girls---a dynamic programming problem for the optimal biennial i.e., at ages 2,4,...,16 obesity screening thresholds. Unlike most screening problem formulations, we take a societal viewpoint, where the state of the system at each age is the population-wide probability density function of the body mass index. Compared to the biennial version of the task force's recommendation, the screening thresholds derived from the dynamic program achieve a relative reduction in disease prevalence of 3% at the same screening and treatment cost, or---because of the flatness of the disease versus screening trade-off curve---achieves the same disease prevalence at a 28% relative reduction in cost. Compared to the task force's policy, which uses the 95th percentile of body mass index from cross-sectional growth charts tabulated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the screening threshold for each age, the dynamic programming policy treats mostly 16-year-olds including many who are not obese and very few males under 14 years old. Although our results suggest that adult hypertension and diabetes are minimized by focusing childhood obesity screening and treatment on older adolescents, the shortcomings in the available data and the narrowness of the medical outcomes considered prevent us from making a recommendation about childhood obesity screening policies. This paper was accepted by Assaf Zeevi, stochastic models and simulation.
Concurrent transition systems

Abstract Concurrent transition systems (CTS's), are ordinary nondeterministic transition systems that have been equipped with additional concurrency information. This concurrency information is specified in terms of a binary residual operation on transitions, which describes how certain pairs of transitions “commute.” The defining axioms for a CTS generate a rich algebraic theory, which we develop in detail. Each CTS C freely generates a complete CTS or computational category C ∗ , whose arrows are equivalence classes of finite computation sequences, modulo a congruence induced by the residual operation. The notion “computation tree” for ordinary transition systems generalizes to computation diagram for CTS's, leading to the convenient definition of computations of a CTS as the ideals of its computation diagram. A pleasant property of this definition is that the notion of a maximal ideal in certain circumstances can serve as a replacement for the more troublesome notion of a fair computation sequence To illustrate the utility of CTS's, we use them to define and investigate a dataflow-like model of concurrent computation. The model consists of machines , which generalize the sequential machines of classical automata theory, and various operations (parallel product, input and output relabeling, and feedback) on machines that correspond to ways of combining machines into networks. Using our definition of computations as ideals, we define a natural notion of observable equivalence of machines, and show that it is the largest congruence, respecting parallel product and feedback, that does not relate two machines with distinct input/output relations. In an attempt to obtain information about the algebra of observable equivalence classes, we investigate a series of abstractions of the machine model, show that these abstractions respect the feedback operation, and characterize the homomorphic image of this operation in each case. A byproduct of our analysis is a structural characterization of a large class of processes with functional input/output behavior, and a proof that the feedback operation on such processes obeys Kahn's fixed-point principle.
Cancer Therapies and Bone Health

Cancer patients are at risk for adverse events involving bone. Metastasis of cancer to bone and primary bone tumors can compromise the integrity of bone. Various cancer therapies cause long-term skeletal disorders, particularly bone loss, osteomalacia, and avascular necrosis. Cancer therapies that include chemotherapy, glucocorticoids, hormonal agents, and newer targeted therapies can affect bone in several ways. With the improved effectiveness of cancer treatment, more cancer patients are surviving longer and may experience fractures as a long-term complication of bone loss. Prevention of bone loss through early detection and appropriate use of anti-osteoporosis treatment may decrease bone loss and fractures. This article reviews causative risk factors, mechanisms, and prevention and treatment strategies for cancer therapy-related bone loss in hematologic and specific solid malignancies.
Ecological dynamics and agricultural landscapes

Abstract The planet Earth is having difficulty under the stresses imposed by the diverse demands of an ever increasing human population. The problem appears to stem not only from population pressures but also from an imbalance between the needs and desires of society. Agriculture, broadly defined to include farming, fishing, forestry and grazing systems, plays a significant role in the management of land, water, and biological resources. This paper provides an analysis of opportunities for interaction between ecological science and agriculture. The long-term stability of agriculture is dependent on natural sources of genetic material. Many parts of society see a conflict between conservation of biological resources and their exploitation by agriculture. Agricultural production is essential to society and also can provide stewardship of biological resources beyond the limits of those directly associated with production of a commodity. However, interdisciplinary effort is needed in the development of strategies, and societal support of agriculture must take a form that encourages and rewards agriculture for this stewardship.
Proliferation of spleen cells from mice infected with Friend virus in the spleens of unirradiated and irradiated mice.

Quand des cellules spleniques de souris CBA/HT6T6 infectees par le virus de Friend sont injectees a des souris CBA/H normales, les rates des receveurs s'hypertrophient au cours de la semaine suivante. Une analyse chromosomale montra que toutes les cellules en division provenaient de l'hote, suggerant que la splenomegalie fait suite a la liberation du virus des cellules injectees.
Early interaction between infants and their parents predicts social competence at the age of four.

Aim To investigate the impact that the interaction between first-born children and their parents, from the age of 3 months, has on peer and social competence when the children are 4 years of age. Methods Fifteen families were videotaped in Lausanne Trilogue Play situations (child–mother–father interactions), when the children were three, nine, 18 and 48 months of age. The findings were then related to peer and social competence assessments carried out by preschool teachers when the children were four. Results There was a correlation between the parents' responsiveness and the child's capacity to initiate (make contributions to) turn-taking sequences in the family triad early in life. This, in turn, was associated with the child's later peer and social competence. At the age of 3 months, the child's contributions to the triadic interaction were interpreted by the parents as intentional communication. According to the preschool teachers' assessments, children who initiated turn-taking sequences at 9 months of age had better peer competence (p = 0.008) and social competence (p = 0.028) at 48 months. Conclusion The results highlight the opportunities that parents have to stimulate their child's later social competence. They also show that a Lausanne Trilogue Play situation can be used to identify competent children and children/families with communication deficits.
Chirp optimization of pulsed parametric amplifier

We have investigated the pump-chirp impact on idler generation in a pulsed fiber-optic parametric amplifier in transparency, broadband operation. The optimization of idler chirp (spectral width) is important in many applications.
Geometric measure-type regularity criteria for the 3D magnetohydrodynamical system

Abstract Several formulations of a local geometric measure-type condition are imposed on super-level sets of mild solutions to the homogeneous incompressible 3D magnetohydrodynamical system with bounded initial data to prevent finite-time singularity formation. Supporting this, results regarding the existence, uniqueness, and real analyticity of mild solutions are established as is a sharp lower bound on the radius of analyticity.
CONVERGENCE OF PERTURBATION SERIES IN THE MICROCANONICAL FORMULATION OF QUANTUM FIELD THEORIES

Abstract It is shown that the perturbation series in the microcanonical formulation of scalar λphi 4 and gauge theories on the lattice is absolutely convergent for small enough expansion parameter, λ . These series can be either the weak ( λ ) or the strong ( λ −1 ) coupling expansion series.
Modular extracellular sensor architecture for engineering mammalian cell-based devices.

Engineering mammalian cell-based devices that monitor and therapeutically modulate human physiology is a promising and emerging frontier in clinical synthetic biology. However, realizing this vision will require new technologies enabling engineered circuitry to sense and respond to physiologically relevant cues. No existing technology enables an engineered cell to sense exclusively extracellular ligands, including proteins and pathogens, without relying upon native cellular receptors or signal transduction pathways that may be subject to crosstalk with native cellular components. To address this need, we here report a technology we term a Modular Extracellular Sensor Architecture (MESA). This self-contained receptor and signal transduction platform is maximally orthogonal to native cellular processes and comprises independent, tunable protein modules that enable performance optimization and straightforward engineering of novel MESA that recognize novel ligands. We demonstrate ligand-inducible activation o...
Detecting Chaff Perturbation on Stepping-Stone Connection

Cyber criminals often use a sequence of intermediate "stepping-stone" hosts to attack a target machine in order to maintain anonymity. This type of attack of using a connection chain is called stepping-stone attack. Most existing algorithms to detect such attack is to use timing-based correlation on the connections. However, these timing-based approaches are vulnerable if the intruders add chaff packets to evade the detection. The stepping-stone detection rate decreases as the chaff rate increases. We developed a novel anomaly detection algorithm to detect the presence of chaff in a connection by monitoring the packet inter-arrival times. Our study shows the probability distribution of the inter-arrival time of a chaffed connection differs from that of one without chaff. Our experiments show the detection rate as a function of the chaff rate under a variety of complex circumstances. The new algorithm complements the existing correlation-based stepping-stone detection algorithms in providing a more robust solution to stepping-stone detection.
Comparison of Fouling Mechanism by CaSO4 and CaHPO4 on Nanofiltration Membranes

Abstract We investigated the mechanism of CaSO4 and CaHPO4 scaling on nanofiltration membranes by observing the flux decline behavior. It was found that CaSO4 fouling contributed a greater resistance than CaHPO4 fouling under the same operating conditions. CaSO4 fouling was characterized by reversible cake growth caused by both bulk and surface crystallization at a lower operating pressure, and by surface crystallization at a higher operating pressure. CaHPO4 fouling was characterized by both irreversible pore/surface adsorption and reversible cake growth through surface crystallization regardless of operating conditions. These findings indicate that both fouling solutes and operating parameters should be considered when evaluating inorganic fouling of a nanofilter.