cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soil microbial activity as an indicator of soil fertility: Long-term effects of municipal sewage sludge on an arid soil

Abstract The utility of a selection of soil microbial assays for predicting the effects of land application of municipal sewage sludge on long-term soil fertility was evaluated in a 4 yr study with one unfertilized control plot, and plots with anaerobically digested sewage sludge applied at the optimal rate (based on N requirements) for cotton growth and three times the optimal rate. These loading rates were 8.0 and 24tha−1 yr−1 (dry wt) during 4 yr. The soil was a Pima clay loam (Typic Torrifluvent) which was planted to Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). After 4 yr of annual sludge application and annual growth of cotton crops, it was found that sewage sludge application had had no significant effect on various measured soil physical and chemical properties other than an increase in available PO4-P. Total heavy metal contents were not affected by sludge application, but some DTPA-TEA-extractable metals (Zn, Cu, Pb and Ni) increased significantly with sludge treatment. Results also indicated that 4 yr of sewage sludge application had had no significant adverse effect on soil microbial populations or activity. Soil microbial activity was measured by viable heterotrophic plate counts for bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi; acridine orange direct counts for bacteria; the dehydrogenase assay and CO2 evolution. In some cases, there was a significant elevation of a few of the measured variables (dehydrogenase activity and CO2 evolution). Cotton lint yields in year 4 of the study were not significantly affected by treatment, but plant stand was significantly decreased with higher sludge application. As there was no significant association (Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient or the Kendall ρ b, as applicable) between measurements of microbial activity and cotton plant growth, this study lends no support to using soil microbial activity as measured here as a predictive index of soil fertility as affected by land application of sewage sludge. However, this study does illustrate that long-term applications of sludge to arid southwestern desert soils does not adversely affect microbial populations or activity.
Phytochemical and toxicological analysis of Albizia falcataria sawdust

Albizia falcataria is a tropical hardwood tree extensively used in South East Asia, which has been reported as a causal agent of upper respiratory health problems through occupational exposure to sawdust. Limited data exist on its phytochemical profile, sawdust properties and toxicological effects. In this study, alkaloids, anthraquinones, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, tannins and triterpenoids were detected in A. falcataria sawdust. These compounds are not volatile, suggesting the route of exposure to be direct ingestion or physical contact with the sawdust. Toxicological screening with the bioluminescent bacterium, Vibrio fischeri exposed to aqueous (3·5% w/v NaCl) extracts of A. falcataria sawdust showed mean EC50 greater than 9800 mg L−1 for 5–30 min exposures. Microscopic analysis shows irregular sawdust morphology that can lead to irritation, and exacerbate health effects due to wood cell bound chemical exposure. It is recommended that A. falcataria be handled as a toxic wood species.
Parallel Diffusion of Moisture in Paper. Part 2: Transient Conditions

A theoretical model describing the unsteady-state transport of moisture in the thickness direction of paper is formulated that accounts for the parallel diffusion of moisture in the pore and fiber phases, as well as external mass-transfer resistance. Using values of the effective water-vapor and bound-water diffusion coefficients of a bleached kraft paperboard (BKP), which were estimated from steady-state moisture flux measurements in the first part of our work (see the preceding article in this issue), and no fitting parameter, the predictions of the dynamic moisture-transport model are found to be in good agreement with measurements of the transient weight change and relative humidity (RH) profile of stacks of BKP sheets subjected to ramp changes of the external RH under a variety of experimental conditions.
Fetal thyrotoxicosis associated with nonimmune hydrops

The reported manifestations of thyrotoxicosis in the fetus include tachycardia, preterm birth, intrauterine growth retardation, and increased perinatal mortality. Presented is a twin pregnancy in a euthyroid mother with a history of Graves' disease and high levels of thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin G antibodies, which resulted in nonimmune hydrops in one of the twins.
Extended use of intravenous bisphosphonate therapy for the prevention of skeletal complications in patients with cancer.

ABSTRACTPurpose: To evaluate the incidence of skeletal complications in patients with multiple myeloma, and metastatic breast, prostate, or lung cancers, when therapy with intravenous bisphosphonates is continued for longer than 21 months. Methods: The primary outcome was the diagnosis of at least one skeletal-related event (SRE) after 21 months of therapy. The secondary outcome was the incidence of osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ). Results: The primary outcome was 30%. The secondary outcome was 3%, while six patients (5%) were referred to a dentist for suspected ONJ. Conclusion: There appears to be a continued benefit when intravenous bisphosphonates are given for longer than 21 months.
Psychiatric Symptom Impairment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The general aim of this study was to examine the relation of psychiatric symptom-induced impairment with other common parameters of mental health in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Prevalence rates are used to illustrate the implications of different criteria for caseness. Parents/teachers completed DSM-IV-referenced rating scales for 6–12 year old children with ASD (N = 115), the majority of whom were boys (86 %). Most children were rated by parents (81 %) or teachers (86 %) as being socially or academically impaired by symptoms of at least one psychiatric disorder. The most common impairing conditions (parent/teacher) were attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (67 %/71 %), oppositional defiant disorder (35 %/33 %), and anxiety disorder (47 %/34 %), and the combined rates based on either informant were generally much higher. Agreement between symptom cutoff and impairment cutoff was acceptable for most disorders. A larger percentage of youth were impaired by psychiatric symptoms than met symptom cutoff criteria, and the discrepancy between impairment cutoff and clinical cutoff (impairment cutoff plus symptom cutoff) was even greater. Impairment was moderately to highly correlated with both number and severity of symptoms. Parents’ and teachers’ ratings indicated little agreement as to whether a child was impaired. Findings for youth with ASD were similar to non ASD child psychiatry outpatient referrals, but clearly different in several ways from comparable studies of community-based samples.
A behavioral perspective on the governance of common resources

During the last 40 years evidence from systematic case study analysis and behavioral experiments have provided a comprehensive perspective on how communities can manage common resources in a sustainable way. The conventional theory based on selfish rational actors cannot explain empirical observations. A more comprehensive theoretical framework of human behavior is emerging that include concepts such as trust, conditional cooperation, other-regarding preferences, social norms, and reputation. The new behavioral perspective also demonstrates that behavioral responses depend on social and biophysical context.
TROPONIN C MODULATES THE ACTIVATION OF THIN FILAMENTS BY RIGOR CROSS-BRIDGES

Extraction of troponin C (TnC) from skinned muscle fibers reduces maximum Ca2+ and rigor cross-bridge (RXB)-activated tensions and reduces cooperativity between neighboring regulatory units (one troponin-tropomyosin complex and the seven associated actins) of thin filaments. This suggests that TnC has a determining role in RXB, as well as in Ca(2+)-dependent activation processes. To investigate this possibility further, we replaced fast TnC (fTnC) of rabbit psoas fibers with either CaM[3,4TnC] or cardiac TnC (cTnC) and compared the effects of these substitutions on Ca2+ and RXB activation of tension. CaM[3,4TnC] substitution has the same effect on Ca(2+)- and RXB-activated tensions; they are reduced 50%, and cooperativity between regulatory units is reduced 40%. cTnC substitution also reduces the maximum Ca(2+)-activated tension and cooperativity. But with RXB activation the effects on tension and cooperativity are opposite; cTnC substitution potentiates tension but reduces cooperativity. We considered whether tension potentiation could be explained by increased activation by cycling cross-bridges (CXBs), but the concerted transition formalism predicts fibers will fail to relax in high substrate and high pCa when CXBs are activator ligands. It predicts resting tension, which is not observed in either control or cTnC-substituted fibers. Rather, it appears that cTnC facilitates RXB activation of fast fibers more effectively than fTnC. The order of RXB-activated tension facilitation is cTnC > fTnC > CaM[3,4TnC] > empty TnC-binding sites. Comparison of the structures of fTnC, CaM[3,4TnC], and cTnC indicates that the critical region for this property lies in the central helix or N-terminal domain, including EF hand motifs 1 and 2.
Breast cancer stem cells-research opportunities utilizing mathematical modeling.

There is increasing evidence for the “cancer stem cell hypothesis” which holds that cancers originate in tissue stem cells or progenitor cells. As a result of this, cancers are driven by a cellular subcomponent that retains stem cell properties. Among these properties are self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation. The biological processes which account for stem cell properties are currently being elucidated. Cancer stem cells maintain many of the same characteristics of their normal counterparts. The combination of biological research with mathematical modeling may provide for a greater understanding of the complex picture of breast cancer stem cells and assist cancer biologists and clinical oncologists in designing and testing novel therapeutic strategies.
Comparative study of the chemistry and structure of gorgonian and antipatharian coral skeletons

The comparative morphology of the axial skeleton was studied in representatives of 5 reef-dwelling gorgonian families and 2 antipatharian genera by electron and light microscopy. Comparative axial histochemistry, amino acid composition and the physico-chemical character of the protein were also studied. Evidence obtained indicates that collagen is a widespread and prominent structural feature of the gorgonian axial skeleton. Aromatic crosslinkage (sclerotization) also appears to be of widespread, if not universal occurrence in these animals. Sclerotization is equally characteristic of the black coral skeletons studied, but this material does not contain collagen. Its unusual composition, structure, and reactivity is discussed.
Three-Coordinate, 12-Electron Organometallic Complexes of Iron(II) Supported by a Bulky β-Diketiminate Ligand: Synthesis and Insertion of CO To Give Square-Pyramidal Complexes

The preparation of a series of three-coordinate, 12-electron organometallic complexes of iron(II) supported by a bulky β-diketiminate ligand is described. The thermally stable complexes LFeR (R = Et, CH2tBu, iPr) are three-coordinate in both the solid state (single crystal X-ray diffraction) and solution. They react rapidly with CO to form the diamagnetic complexes LFe(CO)2(COR), which have an unusual square-pyramidal geometry. Spectroscopic and crystallographic studies show that the acyl group is in the axial position. As a result, there are two orientations of the acyl group about the Fe−C bond, and the isomeric ratio is dependent on the size of R. The two isomers are in equilibrium in solution at room temperature.
Surface corrugation and surface-polariton binding in the infrared frequency range.

We consider the influence of a small-amplitude grating on the binding of surface polaritons to metal surfaces, with emphasis on the infrared frequency range. The grating can compress the field in the vacuum above the structure very substantially in this regime. Indeed, a grating can bind the surface polariton in the limit of zero skin depth (or infinite conductivity). The results of recent experiments are discussed in light of these results. We also comment on the influence of small-amplitude random roughness on the spatial profile of surface-polariton fields.
Reverse remodelling in heart failure with cardiac resynchronisation therapy

This review examines the use of cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) for chronic, severe, systolic heart failure. Left ventricular (LV) remodelling is the final common pathway of systolic heart failure and portends a poor prognosis. It is characterised by progressive LV dilatation, deterioration of ventricular contractile function and distortion of LV cavity shape. The LV remodelling process is triggered by prolonged pressure or volume overload, loss of contracting myocytes from myocardial infarction, genetic abnormalities of contractile proteins or exposure to cardiotoxic agents. Current therapeutic strategies for systolic heart failure aim to slow or halt the remodelling process. "Reverse remodelling" is a relatively new concept, where progressive LV dilatation and deterioration in contractile function are not simply arrested, but partially reversed. Cardiac resynchronisation therapy is a novel and effective treatment for systolic heart failure, and is associated with reverse remodelling of the LV.
Chronic intermittent hypoxia activates nuclear factor-κB in cardiovascular tissues in vivo

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an important risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The mechanisms through which OSA promotes the development of cardiovascular disease are poorly understood. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that chronic exposure to intermittent hypoxia and reoxygenation (CIH) is a major pathologic factor causing cardiovascular inflammation, and that CIH-induces cardiovascular inflammation and pathology by activating the NF-{kappa}B pathway. We demonstrated that exposure of mice to CIH activated NF-{kappa}B in cardiovascular tissues, and that OSA patients had markedly elevated monocyte NF-{kappa}B activity, which was significantly decreased when obstructive apneas and their resultant CIH were eliminated by nocturnal CPAP therapy. The elevated NF-{kappa}B activity induced by CIH is accompanied by and temporally correlated to the increased expression of iNOS protein, a putative and important NF-{kappa}B-dependent gene product. Thus, CIH-mediated NF-{kappa}B activation may be a molecular mechanism linking OSA and cardiovascular pathologies seen in OSA patients.
Sexual cyclicity and concealed ovulation

The disappearance in human evolution of mid-cycle estrus, present in infrahuman primates, is considered in relation to studies of periodicity of sexual desire and activity in the human female. Evaluation of investigations suggests the presence of a bimodal pattern of elevated sexual arousability, with peaks in the premenstrual phase and around ovulation at mid-cycle.
Merit Determinants of ADA Title I Allegations Involving Discharge: Implications for Human Resources Management and Development

Nonparametric tests of proportion were performed comparing discharge resolutions (the most prevalent discrimination issue filed with the EEOC between 1992 and 2008) with resolutions of a composite group of the next most prevalent discrimination issues (reasonable accommodation, terms and condition of employment, harassment and intimidation, and hiring). Results indicated that when an employee files an allegation of discharge discrimination, the resolution status of that allegation is more likely to be without Merit. Two exhaustive chi-square automatic interaction detector (CHAID) analyses were performed, with the first including 44 impairment types (e.g., back, traumatic brain injury, learning disability) and the second including those 44 impairment types combined into six categories (e.g., physical, neurological, sensory, and behavioral impairments). Results of the first exhaustive CHAID proved quite unwieldy but indicated that behavioral disabilities have relatively low merit resolution rates when it co...
Bacterial pneumonia in the elderly: a reappraisal of conventional therapy, with a note on cefamandole.

: Community-acquired bacterial pneumonia in the elderly has for years been attributed almost exclusively to Streptococcus pneumonias. Recent technical advances have provided bacteriologic and epidemiologic data demonstrating that other pathogens are important causes of pulmonary infection in older patients. This report reviews these data and reappraises the conventional therapy of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia in geriatric patients. Some properties of a new antibiotic, cefamandole nafate, are described.
Severe retinal degeneration caused by a novel rhodopsin mutation.

Rhodopsin gene (Rho) mutations are one of the most prevalent causes of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). More than 100 predominantly autosomal dominant RHO mutations have been reported to cause RP in humans (http://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/RetNet/home.htm). The phenotypic expression, disease progression, and vision impairment are often variable among patients carrying identical or different rhodopsin mutations. To examine the mechanisms linking mutations in Rho to the death of photoreceptor cells, transgenic mice expressing rhodopsin mutations as found in patients with RP and knockout mice lacking rhodopsin have been generated.1–5 Rhodopsin knockout mice display clear, reproducible differences in the time course of photoreceptor cell degeneration in comparison with transgenic rodent models expressing mutant rhodopsin. Studies of these animal models provide valuable insight into the roles of rhodopsin in the structure of rod photoreceptor outer segments, in the phototransduction pathway, and in the pathogenesis of mutant rhodopsin proteins causing rod photoreceptor cell death.6–11 Specific stress signaling pathways mediating the unfolded protein response have been reported to be responsible for the pathologic events triggered by misfolded rhodopsin mutant proteins.12 Experimental therapeutic approaches designed to inhibit the activation of stress signals triggered by unfolded protein response or to prevent the production of either mutant proteins or transcripts show some efficacy in animal models for slowing the progression of vision loss.13–17 Given that there are more than 100 identified mutations in human RP, a comprehensive picture of how different rhodopsin mutations induce various photoreceptor cell degeneration pathways is far from complete.18 Therefore, further studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms for why and how patients with identical or different rhodopsin mutations display a wide range of phenotypic variability. New animal models that recapitulate similar rhodopsin mutations found in human patients with RP will be useful for mechanistic studies and for testing or developing new therapeutic approaches. We have identified a new mouse mutation that displays dominant retinal degeneration (RD) from a screen of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-mutagenized mice. We have further determined that this severe RD phenotype is caused by a point mutation of the rhodopsin gene resulting in a mutated Rho-C185R protein. Our studies suggest that this mouse rhodopsin mutant line is a useful model for understanding how rhodopsin mutant proteins trigger the death of rod photoreceptors.
The Isle of Ted Simulation: Teaching Collective Action in International Relations and Organization

The Isle of Ted Simulation is a successful teaching tool that is disarmingly simple yet repeatedly captivates participants. Although I originally designed the simulation to explain collective-action problems in American politics, almost all recent uses of the simulation have been in international relations and international organization classes. The simulation is an effective teaching tool for a wide variety of issues including: collective goods and free riders (e.g., Olson 1971)international organizations versus international organization and global governance versus global government (e.g., Rosenau and Czempiel 1992)regimes and the effects of transparency (e.g., Keohane 1982, 1984; Krasner 1982; Mitchell 1994; Young 1989, 1994)relative and absolute gains (e.g., Grieco 1988)constructivist approaches to international relations (e.g., Wendt 1992)rational choice models of decision making (e.g., Bueno de Mesquita 2000; Lave and March 1993; Monroe 1991)and how the shadow of the future can engender cooperation in the present (e.g, Axelrod 1984; Hardin 1982; Shubik 1970).
Tribological degradation of two vegetable‐based lubricants at elevated temperatures

Renewable-based lubricants are being considered as potential alternatives to petroleum-based lubricants for various reasons, mainly increased environmental sensitivity. However, understanding the tribological performance of such vegetable-based lubricants under elevated temperatures is critical for their industrial implementation. This study focuses on the friction and abrasion rate characteristics of soybean and sunflower base oils in comparison to a base mineral oil under sliding wear at elevated temperatures. It was found that the abrasion rate and friction were less severe for the vegetable-based lubricants up to temperatures around 100°C. The observed performance of the vegetable-based lubricants was verified using a kinetic reaction mechanism model of lubricant degradation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of the nicotinamide-sensitive teratogen 3-acetylpyridine on chick limb cells in culture

Abstract The chicken embryo teratogen 3-acetylpyridine (3AP) causes severe skeletal muscle hypoplasia when injected into the developing egg. Coinjection of nicotinamide completely neutralizes these effects. When myogenic cell cultures are exposed to 3AP, myoblast proliferation is completely inhibited and the rate of multinuclear cell maturation is slowed down. Co-treatment with nicotinamide also completely neutralizes these effects. When uncommitted limb mesodermal cells are cultured at moderately high densities, discrete areas are recognized which are bordered by a double ring of cells resembling the in vivo morphology of the perichondrium. This discrete area (termed a nodule) secretes large quantities of cartilaginous matrix material. When limb mesoderm cell cultures are exposed to 3AP, a dramatic increase in chondrogenic expression is observed relative to untreated cultures. This potentiation of chondrogenic expression involves the expressivity of a greater number of cells in the culture; from a 2- to 100-fold increase in expression has been noted. The nodular morphology is, however, absent in these 3AP-treated cultures. Nicotinamide completely neutralizes all of these effects. A general thesis is put forth which suggests that these observations can be interpreted to suggest that nicotinamide plays an important, if not central, role in chicken limb mesoderm differentiation into chondrogenic and myogenic elements. A further extension of this suggestion is that shifts in concentrations of low molecular weight and essential compounds such as nicotinamide may, indeed, be the illusive embryonic inducer(s) which control cellular differentiation.
Breast Tissue Classification in Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Images using Texture Features: A Feasibility Study

Mammographic breast density is a known breast cancer risk factor. Studies have shown the potential to automate breast density estimation by using computerized texture-based segmentation of the dense tissue in mammograms. Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a tomographic x-ray breast imaging modality that could allow volumetric breast density estimation. We evaluated the feasibility of distinguishing between dense and fatty breast regions in DBT using computer-extracted texture features. Our long-term hypothesis is that DBT texture analysis can be used to develop 3D dense tissue segmentation algorithms for estimating volumetric breast density. DBT images from 40 women were analyzed. The dense tissue area was delineated within each central source projection (CSP) image using a thresholding technique (Cumulus, Univ. Toronto). Two (2.5cm) 2 ROIs were manually selected: one within the dense tissue region and another within the fatty region. Corresponding (2.5cm) 3 ROIs were placed within the reconstructed DBT images. Texture features, previously used for mammographic dense tissue segmentation, were computed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate feature classification performance. Different texture features appeared to perform best in the 3D reconstructed DBT compared to the 2D CSP images. Fractal dimension was superior in DBT (AUC=0.90), while contrast was best in CSP images (AUC=0.92). We attribute these differences to the effects of tissue superimposition in CSP and the volumetric visualization of the breast tissue in DBT. Our results suggest that novel approaches, different than those conventionally used in projection mammography, need to be investigated in order to develop DBT dense tissue segmentation algorithms for estimating volumetric breast density.
A high-speed digital imaging system for recording non-repetitive transient events

Abstract A high-speed digital imaging system employing electronic controls and standard optical elements has been developed. A cavity-dumped argon laser is used to provide very short duration monochromatic light pulses with short interpulse times, while an acousto-optic deflector provides spatial separation of each image. Electronic solid-state imaging is accomplished with charge injection device cameras. Full frame images (512 × 512 pixels) of the actual light intensity variations in the imaged object are digitally recorded to a resolution of 256 gray levels using a frame grabber and a host computer. This system has applications m the study of high-speed phenomena, such as dynamic fracture, impact mechanics and fluid flow.
Structural Interactions in Chondroitin 4-Sulfate-mediated Adherence of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes in Human Placenta During Pregnancy-Associated Malaria

Infection with Plasmodium falciparum during pregnancy results in the adherence of infected red blood cells (IRBCs) in placenta, causing pregnancy-associated malaria with severe health complications in mothers and fetuses. The chondroitin 4-sulfate (C4S) chains of very low sulfated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) in placenta mediate the IRBC adherence. While it is known that partially sulfated but not fully sulfated C4S effectively binds IRBCs, structural interactions involved remain unclear and are incompletely understood. In this study, structurally defined C4S oligosaccharides of varying sulfate contents and sizes were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the binding of IRBCs from different P. falciparum strains to CSPG purified from placenta. The results clearly show that, with all parasite strains studied, dodecasaccharide is the minimal chain length required for the efficient adherence of IRBCs to CSPG and two 4-sulfated disaccharides within this minimal structural motif are sufficient for maximal binding. Together, these data demonstrate for the first time that the C4S structural requirement for IRBC adherence is parasite strain-independent. We also show that the carboxyl group on nonreducing end glucuronic acid in dodecasaccharide motif is important for IRBC binding. Thus, in oligosaccharides containing terminal 4,5-unsaturated glucuronic acid, the nonreducing end disaccharide moiety does not interact with IRBCs due to the altered spatial orientation of carboxyl group. In such C4S oligosaccharides, 14-mer but not 12-mer constitutes the minimal motif for inhibition of IRBC binding to placental CSPG. These data have important implications for the development and evaluation of therapeutics and vaccine for placental malaria.
Shot and Captured: Turf Dance, YAK Films, and the Oakland, California, R.I.P. Project

Turfing is an improvisation-based dance that defines black street culture in neighborhoods of Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area. A form of testimony to disproportionate policing, incarceration, and the deaths of black youth, turfing's local practice persists in counterpoint to the global viral trafficking of hood dance and black performance.
Diamond cutting-tool alignment with machine vision

High speed lathes using diamond cutting tools are used to 'turn' standard and diffractive optical elements without the need to do any finish polishing operations. In order to turn these optical parts, lathes that have positioning accuracy better than 1 millionth of an inch are used with diamond cutting tools to make very precise cuts. A system has been developed and implemented to calibrate the location of the cutting edge of the diamond tool using machine vision. This allows the operator to determine the cutting contact point within plus or minus 20 millionths of an inch and provides shape information about the cutting edge of the tool. The vision system allows calibrated 'setup' of the cutting tool without test cutting of material to determine where the cutting edge of the diamond tool contacts the material.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Robust detection of sea mines in side-scan sonar imagery based on advanced gray-scale morphological filters

Computing Devices Canada, a General Dynamics company, undertakes research in image processing focusing on the automatic recognition of sea mines. This paper presents the use of advanced gray-scale morphological filters for the detection of sea mines in side-scan sonar imagery. Sea mines in side-scan sonar imagery can be characterized by a mine-body and a mine shadow. Mine-bodies consist of bright regions, relative to the background, with a specific shape and size. Mine-shadows consist of dark regions, relative to the background, with a specific shape and size. The shapes and sizes of these regions depend on the mine type, the orientation of the mine, the physical acquisition process of the sonar imagery, and the environment in which the mine is located. Advanced gray-scale morphological filters provide very powerful and robust tools to extract bright and dark regions with low signal to noise ratio in very noisy imagery using geometric constraints such as shape, size and total surface area. For the detection of sea mines we use these morphological filters with the minimum and maximum geometric constraints for the mine-bodies and mine-shadows. The independent detection of mine-bodies and mine-shadows allows the detection of bottom, moored and drifting mines with the same detection algorithm. Consistent mine-body and mine-shadow combinations are resolved into mine like objects.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Oxides of nitrogen in combustion: Some microscopic measurements

Abstract Measurements of the perturbations of pressure and of total and monochromatic flame intensity were made during the oscillatory combustion of natural gas and air at atmospheric pressure. The results, which are presented in tabular and graphical form, indicate a significant fluctuation in the mole fractions of water and carbon dioxide during each cyclic perturbation.
An Efficient Catalytic Asymmetric Epoxidation Method

This article describes a highly effective catalytic asymmetric epoxidation method for olefins using potassium peroxomonosulfate (Oxone, Dupont) as oxidant and a fructose-derived ketone (1) as catalyst. High enantioselectivies have been obtained for trans-disubstituted and trisubstituted olefins which can bear functional groups such as tributylsilyl ether, acetal, chloride, and ester. The enantiomeric excesses for cis-olefins and terminal olefins are not high yet. The current epoxidation shows that the catalyst efficiency is enhanced dramatically upon raising the pH. Mechanistic studies show that the epoxidation mainly proceeds via a spiro transition state, which provides a model for predicting the stereochemical outcome of the reaction. The planar transition state is likely to be the main competing pathway. The extent of the involvement of the planar mode is subject to the steric effect of the alkyl groups on the olefins.
Numerical simulation of octogen-based propellant

In this paper, we present a set of computational simulations of the deflagration of composite propellants comprising octogen and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene. The focus of the investigation is on the parameter calibration of simplified global kinetics models used to determine gas-phase chemical rates. The calibration is based on a collection of experimentally measured burning characteristics for pseudopropellants comprising octogen and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene with different solid loadings and uses exclusively homogeneous, one-dimensional, steady burning information. The task of including a large set of burning characteristics is accomplished by transforming the calibration into an optimization problem that is solved by means of a genetic algorithm. Models of increasing accuracy are constructed by enlarging the set of matched performance and the parameter space. The objective is to demonstrate the influence of the calibration of such models on three-dimensional simulations in which the size of the oxidizer particles is not neglected. A quantitative comparison of prediction and experiments is presented.
Control of Nutrient Solution pH with an Ion Exchange System: Effect on Soybean Nodulation

Growth and nodulation response of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) to various single nitrogen sources in solution culture is confounded by unequal shifts in solution pH. A recirculating ion exchange system was designed in which a cation exchange resin (Amberlite IRC 50) was used to control the pH of solutions in which soybeans were grown. Nutrient solution pH levels were established at range extremes of 9.0 to 3.7 with 100% Ca2+ or H+ forms of resin, respectively. Intermediate pH levels were established by varying the ratio of Ca2+ to H+ forms of resin. The system is capable of maintaining pH within 0.5 to 0.9 units of the initial pH over a two-week growth period of soybeans with either nitrate- or urea-N sources. In the absence of the resin column, pH of the urea nutrient solution rapidly declined to less than pH 4 which resulted in depressed plant nodule development. The optimum pH range for nodule mass and N2 fixation (measured by acetylene reduction) was between 5.2 and 7.0 with urea nutrition. Both nitrate- and ammonium-N sources were inhibitory to acetylene reduction in comparison with urea which allowed extensive nodule development and activity.
Patient factors associated with documented provision of JNC 7-recommended hypertension care at an academic family medicine office.

Background: Little is known about patient factors associated with the provision of hypertension care as recommended by JNC 7. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review (n = 150) to compare documented provision of items recommended by JNC 7 with various patient factors, using a 15-point scoring tool (0% to 100%). Results: The overall documentation of JNC guideline-recommended care was 78.3%. There was a significant effect of marital status; married patients received more guideline-recommended care than unmarried patients (80.4% vs 74.4%; P = .02). Men received more guideline-recommended care than women (80.7% vs 76.4%; P = .02). Multivariate analysis revealed that Medicaid patients had 7.1% lower rates of guideline-recommended care than patients with other insurance (P = .05). There was no significant difference in guideline-recommended care based on race/ethnicity; however, racial/ethnic disparities were identified for certain individual standards. Conclusions: Hypertension care in 2013 at an academic family medicine center was, for the most part, in agreement with guidelines; however, provision of some items varied based on sex, marital status, and insurance. Awareness of these predictors may help improve the implementation of guidelines, particularly relevant given the recent release of JNC 8.
Lying, Deceit, and Subterfuge: A Model of Dishonesty in the Workplace

Honesty is a key element of ethical behavior in organizations, yet has received little theoretical or empirical attention. This article derives a model of the antecedents of deception in organizations. Self-interest theories, such as agency theory, and prosocial behavior theories of behavior are reviewed and an argument developed that intrapersonal conflict may meld the divergent theories and explain lying in organizations. Role theory identifies potential sources of intrapersonal conflict in organizations that may serve as antecedents to lying. Different types of role conflict are examined, each of which may lead to distress, and, in turn, may be resolved through deception: People may behave according to one role demand, and then state, or create the impression of, having behaved according to another role demand.
Gender differences in reactions to female victims

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship of gender and level of belief in the just world to reactions to victims. Eighty-six female and sixty-five male college students were led to believe that their partner in a study of work groups was a victim of a sexual assault. A gender difference in the choice of specific justice-restoring strategies was observed. While high just-world males provided significantly more help to victims than controls and low just-world males did not differentiate, female subjects distanced themselves from victims by perceiving them to be less similar to themselves than controls. Findings are discussed in relation to evidence that attempts to restore justice may evoke a multitude of cognitive and behavioral responses.
Duality results in demand theory

Four results in demand theory are considerd: the Ville Roy Identity, the Hoteling Wold Identity, the Shephard Lemma, and the Shephard-Hanoch Lemma. It is shown how all four theorems can be stated using the same functional form and can be illustrated using the same graphical technique. Consideration is also given to the nature of the compensatid in movements along compensated and inverse compensated demand functions.
Health Outcomes in Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that disrupts the daily work and social lives of patients. Treatment of atopic dermatitis makes use of a variety of therapies, from medications to nutritional supplements to psychotherapy. Health outcomes research evaluates the efficacy, safety, and impact on health-related quality of life of these therapies.
Three-dimensional thermal modeling of a lithium-ion battery pack

Abstract A three-dimensional thermal model has been developed to gain better understanding of thermal behavior of battery cells in a pack under simulated driving cycles. The numerical approach incorporates a three-dimensional CFD pack-level sub-model, a one-dimensional battery pack network sub-model, and a three-dimensional thermal and electrochemical coupled cell/module level sub-model so that the battery non-uniform heat generation rate, the battery temperature distribution as well as battery temperature variation across a pack can be quickly predicted. In particular, the flow profiles of each individual battery cooling channel are calculated using the three-dimensional CFD sub-model. Using the predicted flow profiles of the cooling channel as flow boundary conditions the thermal behavior of battery cells is predicted using the one-dimensional battery pack network sub-model and the cell/module level thermal sub-model, in which both electrochemical reaction and double layer effect of battery cells are considered. The thermal behavior of battery cells is correlated through physical tests. Finally, the effects of the cooling flow of battery pack and the design of battery pack cooling system on non-uniformity of individual battery cell temperature and battery cell temperature variation across the pack under simulated US06 driving cycles are studied and discussed.
Inhibition of Clostridium perfringens growth by potassium lactate during an extended cooling of cooked uncured ground turkey breasts.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service compliance guideline known as Appendix B specifies chilling time and temperature limits for cured and uncured meat products to inhibit growth of spore-forming bacteria, particularly Clostridium perfringens. Sodium lactate and potassium lactate inhibit toxigenic growth of Clostridium botulinum, and inhibition of C. perfringens has been reported. In this study, a cocktail of spores of three C. perfringens strains (ATCC 13124, ATCC 12915, and ATCC 12916) were inoculated into 100-g samples of ground skinless, boneless turkey breast formulated to represent deli-style turkey breast. Three treatment groups were supplemented with 0 (control), 1, or 2% potassium lactate (pure basis), cooked to 71°C, and assayed for C. perfringens growth during 10 or 12 h of linear cooling to 4°C. In control samples, populations of C. perfringens increased 3.8 to 4.7 log CFU/g during the two chilling protocols. The 1% potassium lactate treatment supported only ...
A Prescale-Lookup-Postscale Additive Procedure for Obtaining a Single Precision Ulp Accurate Reciprocal

We investigate the utilization of additive prescaling for reducing the input range for determining a divisor reciprocal approximation. In particular, we demonstrate that a single precision (24-bit) ulp accurate monotonic approximate reciprocal operation can be obtained employing three back-to-back three term additions and bipartite table lookup with total table size less than 6 Kbytes.
A generalized expansion for radiated and scattered fields

At a given frequency every perfectly conducting obstacle has associated with it a particular set of surface currents and corresponding radiated fields which are characteristic of the obstacle shape and independent of any specific excitation. These characteristic modes form a useful basis set in which to expand fields radiated or scattered at a great distance from the obstacle. Once these modes are known for a given obstacle, the scattering of plane waves incident from arbitrary source directions into arbitrary receiver directions may be evaluated concisely. To support the theory, a method is described for determining characteristic mode currents on thin wires of general shape and is applied to several shapes to generate certain backscattering and input admittance data. Wherever possible comparison is made with existing data.
Defining antigen-dependent stages of T cell migration from the blood to the central nervous system parenchyma

In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), intravenous transfer of activated CD4+ myelin-specific T cells is sufficient to induce disease. Transferred T cells access the CNS parenchyma by trafficking across the blood brain barrier (BBB) vascular endothelium into the perivascular space, and then across the glial limitans that is made up of astrocytes and microglia. Flow cytometry analysis of cells isolated from CNS tissue does not distinguish between T cell populations at the various stages of migration. In this study, we have used GK1.5 (anti-CD4) treatment along with immunohistochemistry to distinguish between populations of T cells that are associated with the vasculature, T cells that have migrated into the perivascular space, and T cells in the parenchyma. We have also re-evaluated antigen specificity requirements of T cells as they are recruited to the CNS parenchyma. Activated myelin-specific T cells are restricted to the CNS vasculature for at least 24 h post transfer. MHC class II expression on the recipient is required for cells to traffic across the CNS vascular endothelium. Further, Con A-stimulated or non-CNS-specific (ovalbumin-specific) T cells fail to migrate into the perivascular space, and only enter the CNS parenchyma when co-transferred with myelin-specific T cells. Our results indicate that Th1 populations cannot accumulate in the perivascular (subarachnoid, Virchow-Robbins) space without a CNS antigen-specific signal.
The relevance of Pareto optimality

In his basic paper, "On Welfare Theory and Pareto Regions,"2 Professor Ragnar Frisch has properly emphasized the necessity for specifying carefully the constraints that confine the "Pareto Region," that region within which the Pareto criterion for classifying positions is to be employed. As he demonstrates, the region will depend upon the nature of the constraints introduced, and the set of points or positions that may be classified as "optimal" will vary with these constraints. I propose here to discuss the nature of the appropriate constraints in a somewhat different manner and from a different philosophy than that of Frisch. His view, which is that "social value judgments" must be introduced in order to determine
Substrate-Level Phosphorylation Is the Primary Source of Energy Conservation during Anaerobic Respiration of Shewanella oneidensis Strain MR-1

It is well established that respiratory organisms use proton motive force to produce ATP via F-type ATP synthase aerobically and that this process may reverse during anaerobiosis to produce proton motive force. Here, we show that Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1, a nonfermentative, facultative anaerobe known to respire exogenous electron acceptors, generates ATP primarily from substrate-level phosphorylation under anaerobic conditions. Mutant strains lacking ackA (SO2915) and pta (SO2916), genes required for acetate production and a significant portion of substrate-level ATP produced anaerobically, were tested for growth. These mutant strains were unable to grow anaerobically with lactate and fumarate as the electron acceptor, consistent with substrate-level phosphorylation yielding a significant amount of ATP. Mutant strains lacking ackA and pta were also shown to grow slowly using N-acetylglucosamine as the carbon source and fumarate as the electron acceptor, consistent with some ATP generation deriving from the Entner-Doudoroff pathway with this substrate. A deletion strain lacking the sole F-type ATP synthase (SO4746 to SO4754) demonstrated enhanced growth on N-acetylglucosamine and a minor defect with lactate under anaerobic conditions. ATP synthase mutants grown anaerobically on lactate while expressing proteorhodopsin, a light-dependent proton pump, exhibited restored growth when exposed to light, consistent with a proton-pumping role for ATP synthase under anaerobic conditions. Although S. oneidensis requires external electron acceptors to balance redox reactions and is not fermentative, we find that substrate-level phosphorylation is its primary anaerobic energy conservation strategy. Phenotypic characterization of an ackA deletion in Shewanella sp. strain MR-4 and genomic analysis of other sequenced strains suggest that this strategy is a common feature of Shewanella.
Correlation of Travel Time on Roads versus Straight Line Distance

Studies of hospital demand and choice of hospital have used straight line distance from a patient's home to hospitals as a measure of geographic access, but there is the potential for bias if straight line distance does not accurately reflect travel time. Travel times for unimpeded travel between major intersections in upstate New York were compared with distances between these points. The correlation between distance and travel time was 0.987 for all observations and 0.826 for distances less than 15 miles. These very high correlations indicate that straight line distance is a reasonable proxy for travel time in most hospital demand or choice models, especially those with large numbers of hospitals. The authors' outlier analyses show some exceptions, however, so this relationship may not hold for studies focusing on specific hospitals, very small numbers of hospitals, or studies in dense urban areas with high congestion and reliance on surface streets.