cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neurons and β-Cells of the Pancreas Express Connexin36, Forming Gap Junction Channels that Exhibit Strong Cationic Selectivity

We examined the permeability of connexin36 (Cx36) homotypic gap junction (GJ) channels, expressed in neurons and β-cells of the pancreas, to dyes differing in molecular mass and net charge. Experiments were performed in HeLa cells stably expressing Cx36 tagged with EGFP by combining a dual whole-cell voltage clamp and fluorescence imaging. To assess the permeability of the single GJ channel (P γ), we used a dual-mode excitation of fluorescent dyes that allowed us to measure cell-to-cell dye transfer at levels not resolvable using whole-field excitation solely. We demonstrate that P γ of Cx36 for cationic dyes (EAM-1+ and EAM-2+) is ~10-fold higher than that for an anionic dye of the same net charge and similar molecular mass, Alexa fluor-350 (AFl-350−). In addition, P γ for Lucifer yellow (LY2−) is approximately fourfold smaller than that for AFl-350−, which suggests that the higher negativity of LY2− significantly reduces permeability. The P γ of Cx36 for AFl-350 is approximately 358, 138, 23 and four times smaller than the P γs of Cx43, Cx40, Cx45, and Cx57, respectively. In contrast, it is 6.5-fold higher than the P γ of mCx30.2, which exhibits a smaller single-channel conductance. Thus, Cx36 GJs are highly cation-selective and should exhibit relatively low permeability to numerous vital negatively charged metabolites and high permeability to K+, a major charge carrier in cell–cell communication.
Disk layout optimization for reducing energy consumption

Excessive power consumption is becoming a major barrier to extracting the maximum performance from high-performance parallel systems. Therefore, techniques oriented towards reducing power consumption of such systems are expected to become increasingly important in the future. Since disk systems of high-performance architectures are known to constitute a large fraction of the overall power budget, they form an important optimization target. Previous work on disk power management focuses primarily on hardware based schemes. However, since disk access pattern, i.e., the order in which disks on a system are accessed, is mainly shaped by the program code access pattern and disk layout of data, software techniques can also play a critical role in disk power management. Motivated by this observation, this paper proposes and evaluates a profile-driven disk layout optimization scheme for reducing energy consumption. The proposed scheme analyzes the array access traces obtained through profiling and determines, for each disk-resident data structure, the start disk from which the data is striped, the number of disks over which the data is striped, and the stripe unit. This paper discusses implementation details of our approach and presents an experimental evaluation of it. Our experiments with the entire suite of Spec95 floating-point benchmarks that are modified to operate on disk-resident data show that the proposed approach is very effective in reducing disk energy consumption. The results also show that the performance degradation caused by our approach is very small. This paper also compares our approach to a code restructuring based optimization mechanism and discusses how the two techniques can be combined for achieving the best results.
Clostridium difficile Infection and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Review

The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has significantly increased in the last decade in the United States adding to the health care burden of the country. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher prevalence of CDI and worse outcomes. In the past, the traditional risk factors for CDI were exposure to antibiotics and hospitalizations in elderly people. Today, it is not uncommon to diagnose CDI in a pregnant women or young adult who has no risk factors. C. difficile can be detected at the initial presentation of IBD, during a relapse or in asymptomatic carriers. It is important to keep a high index of suspicion for CDI in IBD patients and initiate prompt treatment to minimize complications. We summarize here the changing epidemiology, pathogenesis, risk factors, clinical features, and treatment of CDI in IBD.
Nucleotide stimulation of the uncoupler-initiated inhibition of mitochondrial succinate oxidation

Abstract Tomato fruit mitochondria depended upon adenine nucleotide to relieve the inhibition of succinate oxidation initiated by uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation. Both ADP and ATP were effective. Magnesium and other divalent cations enhanced this effectiveness. Oligomycin, sufficient to repress state 3 respiration in coupled mitochondria, slightly diminished but did not eliminate the effect of ADP. Relief by ADP depended on orthophosphate, negating the possibility that ATP, synthesized by adenylate kinase, was the basis of relief. The stimulation by the nucleotides thus did not appear to require the energy of ATP or to function through a reversible reaction involving ATP and ADP plus Pi. Stimulation may, therefore, result from a binding by nucleotide which effects a favorable conformation for respiration and/or an unfavorable condition for binding by an inhibitor. Pyruvate prevented the inhibition, indicating that oxaloacetate was the immediate cause of the inhibition.
MELOADES: Methodology for long-term online adaptation of embedded software for heterogeneous devices

In this work MELOADES [mel-uh-dees] is presented: a methodology for long-term online adaptation of embedded software that addresses the challenge of redeploying software and executing it within resource constraints. Instead of using fixed analytical models of resource consumption developed offline or tuning model parameters, MELOADES automatically reconfigures hardware online without any analytical model. MELOADES leverages long-term deployment by first selecting a set of hardware configurations that can potentially execute software tasks while satisfying a range of resource constraints and then storing these in a memoization table. The table is initialized using a Design of Experiments (DoE) survey to generate these speculative configurations. During deployment, for each new task assigned to the software, either a memoized configuration is found or a limited search for a new configuration that satisfies the task constraints is performed. Search results are added to the memoization table to reduce the time and energy required for future searches and eventually MELOADES converges to a simple table look-up. The effectiveness of this technique was demonstrated with an image capture and wireless transmission representative long-term application deployed on a Nokia N80 smartphone. Using a genetic search algorithm for energy efficiency/constrained image tasks, MELOADES satisfied 94% of all task constraints, evaluated only 1.6% of the configuration space, and used 98.5% less energy than an exhaustive search.
Cool tools: Polysemic and non-commutative Nets, subchain decompositions and cross-projecting pre-orders, object-graphs, chain-hom-sets and chain-label-hom-sets, forgetful functors, free categories of a Net, and ghosts

Abstract Expressive tools work primarily on the problem of the clarity and style of expression of models in some underlying theory. There is a structure among mathematics, a theory of the world (e.g. music), expressive constructs with their own structure, the applied theory, and models of some real entity. Lewin's transformational networks are expressive tools of great currency in music theory. We generalize Lewin-nets to Nets, which, unlike Lewin-nets proper, are both polysemic and non-commutative. We show how all kinds of Nets work on both simple and complex data objects, and how this is all useful in expressing musical analysis. We then show some ways that Nets connect with category theory and topology. We construct chain-hom-sets and chain-label-hom-sets in Nets that form free categories on object-graphs and transformation-graphs, and show how each chain-hom-set of paths consists of all possible musical compositions between an initial and final musical object in a chain within a particular Net. We not...
Comparison of shape design sensitivity analysis formulations via material derivative-adjoint variable and implicit differentiation techniques for 3-D and 2-D curved boundary element

This paper reviews and compares two different approaches to continuum structural shape design sensitivity analysis: the material derivative-adjoint variable method and the implicit differentiation method using 3-D and 2-D BEM. Employing identical BEA models, curved element technology, numerical integration and equation solving techniques, the similarities and differences of both methods are highlighted. Significant theoretical and computational aspects associated with both methods are presented and accuracy and computational efficiency characteristics are demonstrated. Advantages and disadvantages of both techniques are identified. The characterization provided can aid in the prudent selection between these sensitivity analysis techniques, based on the characteristics of the proposed application.
A Ratiometric CdSe/ZnS Nanocrystal pH Sensor

The development of a reversible chemical sensor based on a CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal (NC) is described. Signal transduction is accomplished by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the NC and a fluorescent pH-sensitive squaraine dye attached to the surface of the NC. The efficiency of FRET, and consequently the relative intensity of NC and dye emissions, is modulated with the pH-dependent absorption cross section of the squaraine dye. The design of a NC sensor based on FRET results in a ratiometric sensor since the emission intensities of dye and NC may be referenced to the isosbestic point between NC and dye emissions. The ratiometric approach allows sensing to be performed, regardless of issues surrounding collection efficiency (scattering environment, light fluctuations, etc.) and dye:NC loadings.
A DNA-Binding Peroxiredoxin of Coxiella burnetii Is Involved in Countering Oxidative Stress during Exponential-Phase Growth

Coxiella burnetii is a Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that resides within the harsh, acidic confines of a lysosome-like compartment of the host cell that is termed a parasitophorous vacuole. In this study, we characterized a thiol-specific peroxidase of C. burnetii that belongs to the atypical 2-cysteine subfamily of peroxiredoxins, commonly referred to as bacterioferritin comigratory proteins (BCPs). Coxiella BCP was initially identified as a potential DNA-binding protein by two-dimensional Southwestern (SW) blots of the pathogen's proteome, probed with biotinylated C. burnetii genomic DNA. Confirmation of the identity of the DNA-binding protein as BCP (CBU_0963) was established by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-tandem time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS). Recombinant Coxiella BCP (rBCP) was generated, and its DNA binding was demonstrated by two independent methods, including SW blotting and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs). rBCP also demonstrated peroxidase activity in vitro that required thioredoxin-thioredoxin reductase (Trx-TrxR). Both the DNA-binding and peroxidase activities of rBCP were lost upon heat denaturation (100 degrees C, 10 min). Functional expression of Coxiella bcp was demonstrated by trans-complementation of an Escherichia coli bcp mutant, as evidenced by the strain's ability to grow in an oxidative-stress growth medium containing tert-butyl hydroperoxide to levels that were indistinguishable from, or significantly greater than, those observed with its wild-type parental strain and significantly greater than bcp mutant levels (P < 0.05). rBCP was also found to protect supercoiled plasmid DNA from oxidative damage (i.e., nicking) in vitro. Maximal expression of the bcp gene coincided with the pathogen's early (day 2 to 3) exponential-growth phase in an experiment involving synchronized infection of an epithelial (Vero) host cell line. Taken as a whole, the results show that Coxiella BCP binds DNA and likely serves to detoxify endogenous hydroperoxide byproducts of Coxiella's metabolism during intracellular replication.
Accelerating Inflation and Nonassumable Fixed-Rate Mortgages: Effects On Consumer Choice and Welfare

As a result of both the decline of real user cost of owner-occupied housing and the failure of this cost for nonresidential investment to fail similarly, some have argued that the U.S. economy has overinvested to housing at the expense of industrial capital and thus has suffered substantial productivity losses.
Effect of electron-electron interactions on Rashba-like and spin-split systems

The role of electron-electron interactions is analyzed for Rashba-like and spin-split systems within a tight-binding single-band Hubbard model with on-site and all nearest-neighbor matrix elements of the Coulomb interaction. By Rashba-like systems we refer to the Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit-coupled phases while spin-split systems have spin-up and spin-down Fermi surfaces shifted relative to each other. Both systems break parity but preserve time-reversal symmetry. They belong to a class of symmetry-breaking ground states that satisfy: (i) electron crystal momentum is a good quantum number, (ii) these states have no net magnetic moment, and (iii) their distribution of ``polarized spin'' in momentum space breaks the lattice symmetry. For all members of this class, the relevant Coulomb matrix elements are found to be nearest-neighbor exchange $J$, pair hopping ${J}^{\ensuremath{'}}$, and nearest-neighbor repulsion $V$. These ground states lower their energy most effectively through $J$, hence we name them class $J$ states. The competing effects of $V\ensuremath{-}{J}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ on the direct and exchange energies determine the relative stability of class $J$ states. We show that the spin-split and Rashba-like phases are the most favored ground states within class $J$ because they have the minimum anisotropy in polarized spin. We analyze these two states on a square lattice and find that the spin-split phase is always favored for near-empty bands; above a critical filling, we predict a transition from the paramagnetic to the Rashba-like phase at a critical $J({J}_{c1})$ and a second transition from the Rashba-like to the spin-split state at ${J}_{c2}g{J}_{c1}$. An energetic comparison with ferromagnetism highlights the importance of the role of $V$ in the stability of class $J$ states. We discuss the relevance of our results to (i) the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and $\ensuremath{\beta}$ phases proposed by Wu and Zhang in the Fermi-liquid formalism and (ii) experimental observations of spin-orbit splitting in Au(111) surface states.
Effect of water hardness on the tolerance of the guppy to beryllium sulfate.

I t has been known for a number of years that various sal ts and metals are more toxic to aquatic organisms in sof t water than in hard water, due par t l y to the buffer ing capacity and calcium antagonism of hard water solut ions (see reviews by DOUDOROFF and KATZ 1950, 1953). Very l i t t l e data ex is t , however, regarding the t ox i c i t y of beryl l ium sal ts to aquatic organisms in spire of the wide indus t r ia l usage of beryl l ium (Be) for over 40 years.
Diffusion of radioactively tagged penetrants through random and block styrene–butadiene copolymers and filled cis-polybutadiene

The diffusion of radioactively tagged n-hexadecane in trace amounts has been studied in 22 random styrene–butadiene (SBR) copolymers with different styrene contents and butadiene microstructures; in several SBR block copolymers with different average block lengths (also diffusion of tagged 1,1-diphenyl ethane); in a triblock SBR copolymer cast from different solvents and also molded at elevated temperature; and in cis-polybutadiene filled to different extents with carbon black, calcium carbonate, and microglass spheres. The diffusion coefficient in random SBR copolymers decreased with increasing content of styrene and/or vinyl configuration and could be correlated with fractional free volume on the basis of linear additivity of the cis, trans, vinyl, and styrene moieties. In SBR block copolymers, the diffusion coefficient increased with increasing average block sequence length. For the triblock copolymer, the diffusion coefficient was approximately the same for samples molded or cast from solvents which are good for polybutadiene, but was far smaller for a sample cast from ethyl acetate, in which the polystyrene domains are probably lamellar. The effect of fillers on diffusion in cis-polybutadiene was compared with calculations on the basis of several theoretical models.
Integrated Project Delivery Case Study: Guidelines for Drafting Partnering Contract

This paper presents a case study through which a multinational contracting firm aimed to introduce integrated project delivery through strategic partnering into its industry operations. The study reports on a research carried out by the author on behalf of the firm to set out series of principles and guidelines to consider when drafting a standard partnering contract whereby the owner, contractor, suppliers, and manufacturers collaboratively work together under the same terms and conditions. A partnering contract would never, on its own, change the culture and environment of the construction process and thus, strategic partnering should be promoted not only at project specific activities but at all organizational activities. Based on this project, the paper presents a list of ten managerial and contractual issues to promote strategic partnering. The author hopes that the results of this case study would foster legal professionals toward drafting a modern partnering contract, which should help in developing a more effective and efficient contracting environment.
Studies on structural foam processing. III. Bubble dynamics in foam extrusion through a converging die

An experimental and theoretical study was carried out to achieve a better understanding of bubble dynamics in foam extrusion through a converging die. For the experimental study, a number of converging channels were constructed of aluminum, with glass windows on both sides. Bubble dynamics in the flow channel were recorded on movie film as a gas-charged molten polymer was extruded. The dies had various converging angles (30, 45, 60, 90, and 150 degrees), and the polymer was polystyrene. As blowing agent, sodium bicarbonate (generating CO2) was used. It was found that the gas bubbles moving along the centerline of the channel grow initially at the upstream end of the die, and then start to collapse as the gas-charged molten polymer approaches the exit plane of the die. In order to help interpret the experimental results, a theoretical analysis was made of bubble dynamics in a converging channel, in which a thread-like bubble was assumed to flow along the centerline of the converging channel and the Coleman-Noll second-order fluid model was assumed to describe the rheological behavior of the polymer melt. Some mathematically convenient simplifying assumptions not-withstanding, the theoretical analysis corroborates the experimental observations. The practical significance of the present investigation is discussed in connection with controlling the cell structure in extruded foam products.
TOOL LIFE PREDICTION USING RANDOM WALK BAYESIAN UPDATING

According to the Taylor tool life equation, tool life reduces with increasing cutting speed. The influence of additional factors can also be incorporated. However, tool wear is generally considered a stochastic process with uncertainty in the model constants. In this work, Bayesian inference is applied to predict tool life for milling/turning operations using the random walk/surface methods. For milling, Bayesian inference using a random walk approach is applied to the well-known Taylor tool life model. Tool wear tests are performed using an uncoated carbide tool and AISI 1018 steel work material. Test results are used to update the probability distribution of tool life. The updated beliefs are then applied to predict tool life using a probability distribution. For turning, both cutting speed and feed are considered. Bayesian updating is performed using the random surface technique. Turning tests are completed using a coated carbide tool and forged AISI 4137 chrome alloy steel. The test results are applie...
Overlapping roles for granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-3 in eosinophil homeostasis and contact hypersensitivity.

Studies of mice rendered deficient in granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or interleukin-3 (IL-3) have established unique roles for these cytokines in pulmonary homeostasis, resistance to infection, and antigen-specific T- and B-cell responses. In addition to these distinctive properties, however, GM-CSF and IL-3 also stimulate the development and activation of hematopoietic cells in many similar ways, raising the possibility that each factor might partially compensate for the other9s absence in singly deficient mice. To test whether endogenous GM-CSF and IL-3 mediate redundant functions in vivo, we generated mice lacking both cytokines through sequential gene targeting experiments in embryonic stem (ES) cells. Surprisingly, doubly deficient animals, but not single knockouts, showed increased numbers of circulating eosinophils. Doubly deficient mice, moreover, developed weaker contact hypersensitivity reactions to haptens applied epicutaneously than mice deficient in either factor alone. Together, these findings delineate overlapping roles for GM-CSF and IL-3 in hematopoiesis and immunity.
Twist-three fragmentation function contribution to the single spin asymmetry in pp collisions

We study the twist-three fragmentation function contribution to the single transverse spin asymmetries in inclusive hadron production in pp collisions, pp->h+X. In particular, we evaluate the so-called derivative contribution which dominates the spin asymmetry in the forward direction of the polarized proton. With certain parametrizations for the twist-three fragmentation function, we estimate its contribution to the asymmetry of pi0 production at RHIC energy. We find that the contribution is sizable and might be responsible for the big difference between the asymmetries in eta and pi0 productions observed by the STAR collaboration at RHIC.
Can Health Care Organizations Better Contribute to Quality of Life by Focusing on Preventive Health Knowledge

In recent years, there has been an increasing number of programs developed by health care providers and public domain entities to enlighten consumers about the benefits of learning more about healthy behaviors. In this study, the authors share a model developed and tested to explore the relationships among an individual's health knowledge, health, and overall quality of life (QOL) assessment. Data were collected as part of a large mail survey. Results support the relationships hypothesized and provide preliminary support for the notion of improving QOL by creating “expert” patients. These results have implications for public policy and future research.
E-safety: online uses in occupational safety

In today's highly competitive global market, domestic businesses are forced to cut excess costs wherever possible. Among the factors being addressed by industry is the rising costs associated with employee accidents. Accidents lead to higher workman's compensation insurance rates and increased costs from employee lost time, and general societal costs. The challenge is to create an effective safety programme that will produce and encourage a safety culture within the company. E-safety is taking advantage of current technology, effectively using online components to enhance current safety programmes, revitalising them to influence the awareness, knowledge and behaviour of workers and decrease the severity and number of work related accidents. Governmental agencies and corporate partners can streamline the online learning modules and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for greater efficiencies and compliant requirements.
MESSENGER at Mercury: A mid-term report

Abstract After almost 5 years in development and more than 6 and a half years in cruise toward its destination, NASA's MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft finally entered orbit about Mercury on 18 March 2011, initiating a 1-year, focused investigation of the innermost planet. Operating from a highly eccentric orbit designed to keep the spacecraft safe and to facilitate the required observations, MESSENGER is using its payload of seven instruments and the spacecraft's radio-frequency telecommunications system to characterize the planet's interior, surface, atmosphere, and magnetosphere. The demands of the many measurements needed to meet the program objectives, coupled with the constraints associated with spacecraft safety and the orbital geometry, led to the adoption of an automated science-planning tool to optimize science data collection. The tool was used to design the entire year of observations prior to orbit insertion and has the capability of regenerating the plan quickly in response to anomalies in flight (e.g., spacecraft safe-mode demotions) or on the ground (e.g., missed Deep Space Network tracks). Because one Earth year spans two Mercury solar days, there are two opportunities in the course of MESSENGER's science data-collection campaign to observe any specific location on the planet with a given viewing geometry. To take advantage of this schedule, the science plan was divided into two parts. During the first solar day, priority was given to producing global map products. The second day will be used to focus on specific targets and to recover observations missed during the first half of the year. Also, complementary observations can be made in the second day that, when paired with results from the first day, form a stereo map. Although only midway through the orbital operations phase of the mission, MESSENGER had, at the end of the first Mercury solar day, already viewed the entire surface of the planet once and produced global monochrome and multispectral maps. The spacecraft's orbit has completed two local-time rotations and three rotations in longitude, allowing spatial characterization of the planet's magnetic field, development of an elevation model from northern hemisphere altimetry, and global abundance estimates for major elements. After more than 350 orbits, more than 80 Gbit of compressed data have been collected, including more than 50,000 images. Calibrated data from the first 2 months in orbit have been delivered to NASA's Planetary Data System for dissemination to the science community.
Cholinergic Binding Sites in Rat Brain: Analysis by Age and Cognitive Status

Age-related alterations in the density of cholinergic receptor binding and reuptake sites were examined in discrete forebrain regions of behaviorally tested rats using quantitative autoradiography. Neurochemical changes associated with chronological age alone were distinguished from memory-dependent alterations by correlating density of binding sites with performance in the Morris water maze task. An initial analysis of tritium quenching indicated no reliable differential quenching in the study population. Modest age-related reductions in selected subtypes of cholinergic binding sites in basal forebrain, basal ganglia, and thalamus were observed. However, these reductions were not correlated with a spatial memory deficit. In contrast, no significant changes in the analysis by chronological age were detected for the density of [3H]hemicholinium binding to high affinity choline uptake sites or [3H]pirenzepine binding to M1 receptors in any brain region but strong correlations were found between behavioral performance of aged rats and density of these sites in dorsal hippocampal subfield CA3 and dentate gyrus. These findings indicate the value of combined neurobiological/behavioral assessment.
Relations between complex hydraulics and the localized distribution of mussels in three regulated rivers

A stratified random sampling design was used to examine the relations between selected hydraulic variables and the density of unionids at five sites on the Green, Licking, and Rough Rivers of Kentucky. We located the strata to ensure that samples occurred in a wide range of hydraulic conditions at each site. Eight 0.25 m2 quadrat samples were collected from each 25 m2 stratum. We measured mean water column velocity, depth, and substrate roughness before we sampled each quadrat. ‘Fliesswasserstammtisch’ (FST) hemispheres were used to estimate shear stress. In all, we collected 798 individuals of 28 species of freshwater mussels. Simple hydraulic characteristics of our study sites were not correlated consistently with mussel density. For instance, water depth and mussel density were positively correlated in the Green River, negatively correlated in the Rough River, and not significantly correlated in the Licking River. In contrast, we found consistent negative correlations in all rivers between mussel density and complex hydraulic variables, such as shear velocity and FST hemisphere number. We believe that the limited recruitment observed in these rivers may have resulted from operation of upstream flood control dams that altered flow regimes seasonally. We suspect that the increased discharge during spring and early summer resulted in shear forces sufficiently high on mussel beds to prevent settlement of newly metamorphosed juveniles. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A national-scale comparison of resource and nutrient demands for algae-based biofuel production by lipid extraction and hydrothermal liquefaction

Abstract Algae's high productivity provides potential resource advantages over other fuel crops. However, demand for land, water, and nutrients must be minimized to avoid impacts on food production. We apply our national-scale open-pond, growth, and resource models to assess several biomass to fuel technological pathways based on Chlorella sp. We compare resource demands between hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and lipid extraction (LE) to meet 1.89E+10 and 7.95E+10 L yr−1 renewable diesel targets. We estimate nutrient demands where post-fuel biomass is consumed as co-products and recycling by anaerobic digestion (AD) or catalytic hydrothermal gasification (CHG). Sites are prioritized based on fuel value relative to a set of site-specific resource costs. The highest priority sites are located along the Gulf of Mexico coast, but potential sites exist nationwide. Compared to LE, HTL reduces land requirements at least 50%, freshwater consumption at least 33%, and saline groundwater by 85%. Without recycling, nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) demand is reduced 44%, but remains significant relative to current U.S. agricultural consumption. The most nutrient-efficient pathways are LE + CHG for N and HTL + CHG for P (by 52%). Resource gains for HTL + CHG are offset by a 284% increase in N consumption relative to LE + CHG (with potential for further recycling). Nutrient recycling is essential to effective use of alternative nutrient sources. While modeling of availability and costs remains, for HTL + CHG at the 7.95E+10 L yr−1 production target, municipal sources can offset up to 20% of N and 49% of P demand and animal manure could potentially satisfy demands.
On The Optimal Spacecraft Fuel Consumption in Low Earth Orbit

Abstract The optimization problem for a 6DOF satellite equipped with constant specific impulse thrusters is addressed in terms of fuel consumption . The vehicle is assumed to move in Low Earth Orbit: the Keplerian motion around the Earth is perturbed both by the molecular air impingement (aerodynamic drag) and by the gravitational field disturbance known as J 2 effect. Further results are achieved by simplifying the environmental model and by assuming that the spacecraft is modeled as a point mass.
Anesthesia-assisted procedures in a burn intensive care unit procedure room: benefits and complications.

A retrospective review of 109 procedures was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of anesthesiologist-administered anesthesia in the burn intensive care unit treatment room. Intraprocedural and postprocedural complications, impact on patient activity, and nutritional goals were evaluated. The review suggested that these procedures can be performed safely with appropriate supervision and monitoring without deterimental effects on patient activity level or nutritional status.
Institutionalizing the EU One Case at a Time

The European Court and Civil Society: Litigation, Mobilization and Governance. By Rachel A. Cichowski. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. 310 pp., $91.00 cloth (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-85585-3); $34.99 paper (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-67181-1). Scholars debate whether increasing levels of European integration should be attributed primarily to intergovernmental bargains and decision making driven by national governments (see, for example, Garrett 1992; Moravcsik 1998), or whether they are, instead, the product of functional demands for supranational governance (see, for example, Haas 1958, 1964). In The European Court and Civil Society: Litigation, Mobilization and Governance , Rachel Cichowski provides a theoretically and methodologically rich contribution to this literature. Employing a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, she demonstrates the integral role played by civil society as well as by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Europe's transformation from a supranational economic arrangement dominated by heads of governments into a quasi-constitutional polity in which interest groups and individual rights can exert considerable influence. In so doing, Cichowski presents a significant challenge to intergovernmental theories. Moreover, Cichowski's theoretical framework fills a lacuna in neofunctionalist theory, providing it with a means by which it can account for mid-level change. Thus, The European Court and Civil Society constitutes essential reading for students of European integration. However, with its focus on legal mobilization, it also makes an important contribution to the literature on law, courts, and society. Through the book's well organized chapters and clear prose, Cichowski successfully manages to pack an impressive amount of data and analysis into 263 pages of text. Cichowski posits that supranational governance develops through two processes: litigation and transnational mobilization. Essentially, EU rules …
Impact of Assimilating AMSU-A Radiances on Forecasts of 2008 Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Initialized with a Limited-Area Ensemble Kalman Filter

AbstractThe impact of assimilating radiance observations from the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) on forecasts of several tropical cyclones (TCs) was studied using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) and a limited-area ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF). Analysis/forecast cycling experiments with and without AMSU-A radiance assimilation were performed over the Atlantic Ocean for the period 11 August–13 September 2008, when five named storms formed. For convenience, the radiance forward operators and bias-correction coefficients, along with the majority of quality-control decisions, were computed by a separate, preexisting variational assimilation system. The bias-correction coefficients were obtained from 3-month offline statistics and fixed during the EnKF analysis cycles. The vertical location of each radiance observation, which is required for covariance localization in the EnKF, was taken to be the level at which the AMSU-A channels’ weighting functions peaked.Deterministic 72-h WR...
The major form of the murine asialoglycoprotein receptor: cDNA sequence and expression in liver, testis and epididymis

Abstract Northern blot analysis of poly(A)+ RNAs isolated from mouse liver or mouse testis (Te)/epididymis (Ep) reveals that both tissues express 1.5- and 7.5-kb transcripts which have extensive homology to the major form of the rat asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R). In situ hybridization studies have localized the expression of this ASGP-R-like transcript to late-stage sperm from Te and Ep of several different strains of mice. Swiss Webster mice express this ASGP-R-like transcript in late-stage spermatids at the time of release into the seminiferous tubule and in Ep sperm, while Balb/C, NIH Swiss and C57B1/6 mice express this ASGP-R-like transcript predominantly in Ep sperm. cDNAs containing the entire coding region for this ASGP-R-like transcript have been cloned from mouse liver and mouse Te/Ep. These cDNAs are 100% identical in the coding region and 3'-untranslated region (UTR), but diner in the 5'-UTR. The gene encoding these cDNAs is called MHL-1, designating the major form of the mouse ASGP-R. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequence of MHL-1 shares 88% homology to the rat hepatic (He) lectin form 1 (RHL-1) and 78% homology to the human asialoglycoprotein receptor form l (Hl). The three sites for N-linked glycosylation in the RHL-1 sequence are all conserved in the deduced MHL-1 sequence. Taken collectively, these data describe the cloning and sequencing of the MHL-1 cDNA and illustrate its deduced aa homology to RHL-1 and H1. Most importantly, these data show that mouse late-stage spermatids and Ep sperm express the authentic MHL-1 gene, suggesting this receptor may have an important role in spermatogenesis, in addition to its He function.
H2O2 Is an Important Mediator of Physiological and Pathological Healing Responses

Abstract Background. TGF-β1 is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a key role in wound healing and organ fibrosis. We have recently demonstrated that, in part, some fibrogenic actions of TGF-β1 are mediated via formation of H 2 O 2 . We have also demonstrated that TGF-β1 plays a key role in the accelerated healing response induced by a peptidoglycan derived from some strains of Staphylococcus aureus (SaPG). Methods. To investigate further the role of H 2 O 2 in healing responses, we implemented and improved a method to measure this reactive oxygen species. Using this method, we quantified the production of H 2 O 2 by cultured hepatic stellate cells—the main cells involved in type I collagen production in the liver—and by saline- and SaPG-inoculated polyvinyl alcohol sponges that had been surgically subcutaneously implanted in the dorsum of rats. Results. We show that cultured hepatic stellate cells produce significant amounts of H 2 O 2 . We show also that H 2 O 2 formation by saline- and SAPG-inoculated sponges is more intense during the early inflammatory phase of the healing response and precedes collagen deposition. Moreover, the production of H 2 O 2 is much higher in SaPG-inoculated sponges than in those inoculated with saline solution. Conclusions. Based on these findings, and on the fact that H 2 O 2 is produced during TGF-β-induced upregulation of the α1(I) procollagen gene, we conclude that H 2 O 2 is one of the mediators of healing responses.
A MODEL OF THE TRANSMISSION DYNAMICS OF LEISHMANIASIS

In this paper we present a susceptible–infectious–susceptible (SIS) model that describes the transmission dynamics of cutaneous Leishmaniasis. The model treats a vector population and several populations of different mammals. Members of the human population serve as the incidental hosts, and members of the various animals populations serve as reservoir hosts. We establish the basic reproduction number and the equilibrium conditions of the system. We use a generalization of the Lyapunov function approach to show that when the basic reproduction number is less than or equal to one, the diseases-free equilibrium is a global attractor, and that when it is greater than one the endemic equilibrium is a global attractor. We present numerical simulations that demonstrate the dynamics of the model for a system containing a human population and a single animal population.
End-To-End Simulation of Launch Vehicle Trajectories Including Stage Separation Dynamics

The development of methodologies, techniques, and tools for analysis and simulation of stage separation dynamics is critically needed for successful design and operation of multistage reusable launch vehicles. As a part of this activity, the Constraint Force Equation (CFE) methodology was developed and implemented in the Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories II (POST2). The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the capability of POST2/CFE to simulate a complete end-to-end mission. The vehicle configuration selected was the Two-Stage-To-Orbit (TSTO) Langley Glide Back Booster (LGBB) bimese configuration, an in-house concept consisting of a reusable booster and an orbiter having identical outer mold lines. The proximity and isolated aerodynamic databases used for the simulation were assembled using wind-tunnel test data for this vehicle. POST2/CFE simulation results are presented for the entire mission, from lift-off, through stage separation, orbiter ascent to orbit, and booster glide back to the launch site. Additionally, POST2/CFE stage separation simulation results are compared with results from industry standard commercial software used for solving dynamics problems involving multiple bodies connected by joints.
Significant differences in markers of oxidant injury between idiopathic and bronchopulmonary-dysplasia-associated pulmonary hypertension in children

While oxidant stress is elevated in adult forms of pulmonary hypertension (PH), levels of oxidant stress in pediatric PH are unknown. The objective of this study is to measure F2-isoprostanes, a marker of oxidant stress, in children with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (IPH) and PH due to bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). We hypothesized that F2-isoprostanes in pediatric IPH and PH associated with BPD will be higher than in controls. Plasma F2-isoprostanes were measured in pediatric PH patients during clinically indicated cardiac catheterization and compared with controls. F2-Isoprostane levels were compared between IPH, PH due to BD, and controls. Five patients with IPH, 12 with PH due to BPD, and 20 control subjects were studied. Patients with IPH had statistically higher isoprostanes than controls 62 pg/mL (37–210) versus 20 pg/mL (16–27), 𝑃<0.01). The patients with PH and BPD had significantly lower isoprostanes than controls 15 pg/mL (8–17) versus 20 pg/ml (16–27), 𝑃<0.02. F2-isoprostanes are elevated in children with IPH compared to both controls and patients with PH secondary to BPD. Furthermore, F2-isoprostanes in PH secondary to BPD are lower than control levels. These findings suggest that IPH and PH secondary to BPD have distinct mechanisms of disease pathogenesis.
Lipoxygenase lsoenzymes in Soybeans: Effects on Crude Oil Quality

Crude oils prepared from tempered or untempered Amsoy, Calland, and lipoxygenase-1 null soybeans were stored under accelerated conditions and examined for peroxide value and sensory characteristics. Activity of three lipoxygenase isoenzymes was reduced by two of three tempering methods; steaming under pressure was most effective. However, with the exception of pressure steam-tempered Calland beans, lipoxygenase was not completely inactivated. Peroxide values of stored oils were significantly higher than those of oils that were not stored. Cultivar differences were observed. Flavor scores for crude oils from tempered beans were not markedly different. Grassy/hay and roasted flavors were more predominant in oils from tempered than untempered beans. Tempering procedures had more effect on quality of crude soybean oils than cultivar.
Modified iterative model based on data extrapolation method to reduce Gibbs ringing

An iterative algorithm that involves image filtering and data replacement (as suggested by Constable and Henkelman) is investigated for reducing the Gibbs artifact in magnetic resonance imaging. The image is processed with an edge-preserving filter to estimate the height and location of a set of model elements (delta functions or boxes) for generating the missing high-frequency information. Filtering was performed in the complex image domain to account for discontinuities in phase as well as magnitude. The process is repeated after each data replacement to handle varying degrees of contrast. The convergence and signal-to-noise characteristics of the algorithm are investigated by means of simulated and clinical examples. The results indicate that the algorithm performs reasonably well in reducing ringing artifacts due to nearby edge contrast seen in most of the homogeneous, isointense regions. Nevertheless, it may generate some spurious thickening of structures that do not match the assumed step-edge models.
Work in progress — Design and the robotically-controlled mini-plant in freshman chemical engineering

Through an iterative process over nine semesters, the freshman Chemical Engineering Analysis course in Mississippi State University's Swalm School of Chemical Engineering has evolved into a problem-based design experience using the LEGO NXT® robotics kits integrated with Vernier® sensor technology and auxiliary bench-scale equipment (e.g. pumps, valves, piping and tanks). Integrating a variety of skills important to engineering practice, this course engages students in critical thinking; team-building; integration of mathematics, chemistry and physics; a systems approach to open-ended problem solving; and, the application of concepts, data collection and analysis with actual systems construction and testing. The use of the reasonably-priced LEGO NXT® robotics kits allows replication of multiple robotically-controlled “mini plant” units across a large class (60+), enabling student design teams to simultaneously, yet creatively and uniquely develop solutions to a variety of process design problems.
A traffic model for velocity data assimilation

This article is motivated by the practical problem of highway traffic estimation using velocity measurements from GPS enabled mobile devices such as cell phones. In order to simplify the estimation procedure, a velocity model for highway traffic is constructed, which results in a dynamical system in which the observation operator is linear. This article presents a new scalar hyperbolic partial differential equation (PDE) model for traffic velocity evolution on highways, based on the seminal Lighthill-Whitham-Richards (LWR) PDE for density. Equivalence of the solution of the new velocity PDE and the solution of the LWR PDE is shown for quadratic flux functions. Because this equivalence does not hold for general flux functions, a discretized model of velocity evolution based on the Godunov scheme applied to the LWR PDE is proposed. Using an explicit instantiation of the weak boundary conditions of the PDE, the discrete velocity evolution model is generalized to a network, thus making the model applicable to arbitrary highway networks. The resulting velocity model is a nonlinear and nondifferentiable discrete time dynamical system with a linear observation operator, for which a Monte Carlo based ensemble Kalman filtering data
Network security basics

Writing a basic article on network security is something like writing a brief introduction to flying a commercial airliner. Much must be omitted, and an optimistic goal is to enable the reader to appreciate the skills required. The first question to address is what we mean by "network security." Several possible fields of endeavor come to mind within this broad topic, and each is worthy of a lengthy article. To begin, virtually all the security policy issues apply to network as well as general computer security considerations. In fact, viewed from this perspective, network security is a subset of computer security. The art and science of cryptography and its role in providing confidentiality, integrity, and authentication represents another distinct focus even though it's an integral feature of network security policy. The topic also includes design and configuration issues for both network-perimeter and computer system security. The practical networking aspects of security include computer intrusion detection, traffic analysis, and network monitoring. This article focuses on these aspects because they principally entail a networking perspective.