cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strong interplanetary magnetic field By‐related plasma convection in the ionosphere and cusp field‐aligned currents under northward interplanetary magnetic field conditions

[1] We present in this paper an investigation of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By-related plasma convection and cusp field-aligned currents using Fast Auroral Snapshot (FAST) data and the assimilative mapping of ionospheric electrodynamics (AMIE) model during a prolonged interval with large positive IMF By and northward Bz conditions (By/Bz ≫ 1). Using the FAST single trajectory observations to validate the global convection patterns at key times and key locations, we have demonstrated that the AMIE procedure provides a reasonably good description of plasma circulations in the ionosphere during this interval. Our results show that the plasma convection in the ionosphere is consistent with the antiparallel merging model. When the IMF has a strongly positive By component under northward conditions, we find that the global plasma convection forms two cells oriented nearly along the Sun-Earth line in the ionosphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the dayside cell has clockwise convection, mainly circulating within the polar cap on open field lines. It appears to be the lobe cell convection. A second cell with counterclockwise convection is located in the nightside, circulating across the polar cap boundary. The lobe cell convection is driven by the reconnection along the antiparallel merging lines poleward of the cusp extending toward the duskside when IMF By/Bz ≫ 1. The field-aligned currents in the cusp region flow downward into the ionosphere. The return field-aligned currents extend into the polar cap in the center of the dayside lobe convection cell. The field-aligned currents are closed through the Peterson currents in the ionosphere, which flow poleward from the polar cap boundary along the electric field direction.
Is stenting required before retrograde intrarenal surgery with access sheath

Background: Flexible ureterorenoscopies continue to assume an increasing role in the armamentarium of the endourologist. In many centers around the world, prior stenting is carried out before retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) to passively dilate the ureter, which facilitates passage of a flexible ureteroscope with or without an access sheath. In our series, the first stage of passive dilatation with prior stenting was totally avoided without compromising the success of the procedure. Materials and Methods: From January 2004 to December 2007, 54 patients with 55 renal units underwent RIRS. The patients were between 28 and 65 years old. All patients had renal stones ranging in size from 8 mm to 22 mm. The mean serum creatinine level was 1.1 mg%. The lower ureter was dilated under 'C - arm' fluoroscopy guidance up to 14 FR. An access sheath of 10/12 Fr was passed over the working guide wire. RIRS (7.5/9.3 Fr) was introduced into the access sheath. The stones were fragmented using a holmium laser. The mean operating time was 85 mins (45-130 mins). Results: In 52 out of 55 renal units (94.5%), a flexible ureteroscope could be passed successfully into the kidney through an access sheath. In 3 of the cases (5.4%), the lower ureter could not be dilated. In these patients, the procedure was staged after passing a 6/26 JJ stent. An X-ray KUB was done at the 3-month follow-up visit. A total of 50 renal units (94.3%) were stone free at the 3-month follow-up visit. Conclusion: In a majority of the cases, RIRS could be accomplished successfully during the first sitting. Single stage RIRS did not alter the subsequent stone clearance or increase the incidence of morbidity or complications.
Mechanistic investigation on the cause for reduced toxicity of TCDD in wa‐1 homozygous TGFα mutant strain of mice as compared its matching wild‐type counterpart, C57BL/6J mice

We investigated the cause for resistance to TCDD toxicity in TGFα mutant wa-1 mice (wa/wa) as compared to its wild-type C57BL/6J(+/+) counterpart. For this purpose after 1 or 10 days TCDD (115 μg/kg) exposure, liver samples were isolated. Biochemical investigations revealed that wa/wa mice showed decreased effects of TCDD characterized by reduced triglyceride accumulation and lesser declines in glycogen levels. qRT-PCR mRNA analysis demonstrated that while the effect of TCDD on EGF receptor and ERK-1 in wa/wa mice were indistinguishable from +/+ mice, upregulation by TCDD of c-Src and ERK-2 and downregulation of PEPCK were less pronounced in the wa/wa mice. To confirm that these differences are due to intrinsic cellular characteristics, mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells were cultured from embryos and their responses to 10 nM TCDD were assessed. qRT-PCR analysis showed that MEF from the wa/wa mice was less responsive to TCDD in terms of its stimulatory effect on ERK-2, but not on ERK-1. These results indicate that a possible mechanism why wa/wa mice are less responsive to TCDD is that two genes encoding for the growth factor signaling components, c-Src and ERK-2, are not readily affected by TCDD. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 20:151–158, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20131
Efficient Response Monitoring of Flexible Structures

The definition of an accurate model to represent the dynamic behavior of a flexible system has a significant impact on the understanding of its current health. However, due to lack of information on the physical properties as well as complexity of applied loads, accurate modeling is not usually a simple task, and inaccuracies in predicting the response of the flexible structure arise. In this work, a combined experimental and numerical approach, called Extended Load Confluence Algorithm (ELCA), is presented to improve the accuracy in the estimate of the dynamic response using an iterative approach that corrects the initial model. The objective is to accurately estimate the displacements, strains, and accelerations of the entire body. The full-field dynamic response is reconstructed from a limited set of experimental data, with little knowledge about the applied loads. ELCA estimates the state of the structure by defining fictitious applied forces that depend on the error of the estimate. The proposed algorithm is based on an initial numerical model for the prediction of the system s behavior. This model is updated based on a modal expansion of the response in the frequency domain. The algorithm starts with an initial guess of the applied loads and updates them in few iterations in order to match the numerical dynamic response with the experimental measurements at the sensors locations. Numerical and experimental analyses will show the feasibility of the proposed approach. It will be shown that a few sensors are sufficient to represent the overall behavior of the system and ELCA converges in a few iterations.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Stimulation of DNA synthesis by isoproterenol in rat submandibular gland during postnatal growth.

The post-natal growth of rat submandibular gland and the effect of isoproterenol on this process were studied. Between 2 and 42 days of age the DNA content of the gland increased linearly but the increase in RNA and protein content was more rapid after 29 days of age. The RNA: DNA and protein: DNA ratio increased linearly with age. The proliferative activity, measured by the incorporation of tritiated thymidine, was maximum in the gland of 7-day-old rats. It declined steadily to a low level in 42-day-old rats. A single injection of isoproterenol had no effect on thymidine incorporation in 2-day-old rats. The drug, however, stimulated DNA synthesis in older animals and the degree of stimulation was inversely correlated with the proliferative activity in control rats. Small doses of isoproterenol given to rats for 4 days between 2 and 5 days of age produced a hypertrophy of the submandibular gland. The same treatment between 7 and 10 days of age caused both hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the gland. It is concluded that both the regulation of growth and the regulation of induced cell proliferation are a function of cellular differentiation and that cell proliferation can be induced only in cells that reached a certain degree of differentiation.
Deoxosarcophine from a soft coral, sp.

Abstract A sample of deoxosarcophine ( 2 ) was converted into sarcophine ( 1 ) by autoxidation. Two reactions are described that will enable the enantiomers of deoxosarcophine to be interrelated.
Relations between maternal network size and maternal behaviour with five‐year‐olds across levels of maternal background and child ability

The article examines the relations between mothers' reports of the size of their social support networks and observations of their behaviour with their 5-year-old children in a sample of 281 children entering kindergarten. Results indicate that maternal network size was correlated with mothers' competence in interaction with their children, even after controlling for variance in maternal education and child cognitive ability. Further analyses, when the sample was divided according to demographic or child risk, indicated that the relation between network size and maternal competence interaction was higher in the high-risk groups than in the low-risk groups. The results extend the literature on social support to large, normal samples of school-age children and are discussed in terms of ecological models of development.
Two-phase flow pressure-drop type and thermal oscillations

Abstract This work focuses on the theoretical investigation of thermal pressure-drop type instabilities in forced convection boiling in a vertical single channel system, with Freon-11 as the working fluid. Experiments with two nichrome tubes of 7.5 mm inner diameter and 9.5 mm outer diameter, one bare and one coated with Linde High-Flux coating, have been carried out. One series of experiments was conducted with constant fluid inlet temperature and various heat inputs, and another with constant heat input and varying inlet liquid temperature. Under the experimental conditions of the study, pressure-drop type and thermal oscillations, as well as pressure-drop type oscillations with superimposed density-wave oscillations, have been observed. A numerical model has been developed to predict the steady-state characteristics of the forced convective two-phase flow and the pressure-drop type and thermal oscillations in a boiling single channel. The drift-flux model is used for numerical predictions. Good agreement between the theory and experiments is obtained.
Nowhere-zero 3-flows of highly connected graphs

Abstract Let G be a k-edge-connected graph of order n. If k⩾4⌈log2 n⌉ then G has a nowhere-zero 3-flow.
Combined HPLC/HPSEC study of Suwannee River Fulvic Acid adsorptive fractionation on α-aluminum oxide

Abstract A novel liquid chromatographic (LC) method with repeated injections of Suwannee River Fulvic Acid (SRFA) was used to investigate its adsorptive fractionation by synthetic α-Al2O3. Eluent (i.e., non-retained) SRFA for each injection was monitored by two ultraviolet (UV) absorbance detection channels (300 and 365 nm) and one fluorescence detection channel (λex = 350 nm, λem = 450 nm). Preferential adsorption of SRFA constituents was revealed by the different responses of the three LC detection channels. Samples of non-retained SRFA from injections of three independent replicate experiments were collected and aggregated for subsequent analysis by steady state ultraviolet–visible (UV/vis) absorption spectrometry and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The ratio of absorbance at 254 and 204 nm, a surrogate for specific UV absorbance at 254 nm, increased with increasing injection number for the non-retained SRFA, indicating the preferential adsorption of SRFA constituents containing aromatic moieties. SEC analysis confirmed the preferential adsorption of higher molecular weight (MW) SRFA constituents as the non-adsorbed SRFA fractions increased in MW across the series of injections. The SEC results also suggested that certain SRFA constituents in the ca. 2–5 kDa MW range adsorbed in early injections were displaced by higher MW species (ca. 5–10 kDa) in later injections.
Flow in Liner Holes for Countercurrent Combustion Systems

Heavy-duty gas turbine combustion systems have a reverse flow combustion-cooling air network. High-temperature gradients have been observed in some combustion liners around the plain holes, or around the cylindrical inserts welded into the mixing holes. Flow visualization tests were performed in a countercurrent flow facility. Measurements of pressure and velocity distributions in and around the mixing hole jet were taken, and mass flow rates and discharge coefficients were calculated in order to characterize and compare the two geometries. The results with a plain hole (square-edged orifice) and the cylindrical insert show the presence of a sharp separation region at the trailing edge (combustion side) of the liner hole, which may cause the high-temperature gradients observed under operating conditions. The measured discharge coefficients show a dependence on the insert geometry, the flow parameter (K), and the bottom section (combustion side).
Impedance Interaction and EMI Attenuation in Converters with an Integrated Transmission-Line Filter

Integrated transmission-line filters were previously proposed to attenuate conducted electro-magnetic interference (EMI) produced by high-frequency switching power converters. In this work, such a filter is manufactured using planar processing technologies, and it is tested for the first time with a 500W, front-end, single-phase power factor correction converter switching at 400 kHz. Impedance interactions between the filter, the converter, and the EMI measurement set-up are discussed, evaluated, measured, and improved to minimize undesired resonances and increase low-frequency EMI attenuation. Experimentally measured attenuation provided by the filter in the range from 100 kHz to 100 MHz was 20-50 dB.
A processing algorithm for master-detail records in a relational database

Large numbers of data processing applications require processing of master records and their associated detail records. These relationships between master and detail files may be classified as one-to-many, zero-or-one-to-many and many-to-many. All are important to information systems, but database management system implementations differ widely in their ability to represent and process such relationships. Processing of zero-or-one-to-many relationships, in particular, is difficult in most relational databases. An obscure relational algebra operator, left outer join, that provides such a capability is described and its importance to master-detail processing is illustrated. An implementation of left outer join is presented for dBase III, a database management system providing some relational-like capability.
Incidence and estimation of chitinase activity associated with marine fish and other estuarine samples

A procedure for the determination of chitinase activity was adapted for the seawater environment. Preliminary data indicate that the controlled bacterial environment within the digestive tracts of marine fishes and possibly other marine animals plays a significant role in the decomposition and recycling of chitin. It is estimated in the stomachs of a single population of Enophrys bison (buffalo sculpin) of 1×105 fish that ca. 16 metric tons of chitin could be decomposed annually.
Isolation of serotonin-O-sulfate from human urine.

Abstract Laboratory test animals have been shown to excrete appreciable amounts of serotonin-O-sulfate after the administration of large doses of serotonin1,2. However, the presence of this serotonin metabolite in the urine of normal man given oral loads of serotonin or in the urine of patients with carcinoid tumors has not been demonstrated 2,3. Recently, methods were developed in this laboratory for the quantitative determination of serotonin-O-sulfate in human urine4. This communication describes a method which utilizes ion exchange resins for the isolation and identification of serotonin-O-sulfate from the urine of patients with carcinoid tumors.
Stressors, Leadership Substitutes, and Relations with Supervision among Industrial Salespeople

Abstract Situational stressors and substitutes for leadership and their relationship to stress with boss were examined in a study of salespeople employed by industrial distributors. The stressor, interunit conflict, and the substitutes for leadership, organization inflexibility, organization formalization, and spatial distance from supervisor were found to be significantly related to a salesperson's perception of stress with boss. Managerial implications and future research directions are also discussed.
Development and evaluation of musculoskeletal performance measures for an objective structured clinical examination

This report describes the design, development, pilot testing, and use of a set of four checklists for evaluating selected features of the clinical musculoskeletal examination. The preparation of observational raters to use the checklists in the context of an objective structured clinical examination is also discussed. Data from 480 medical student evaluations over 3 years show that the checklists yield highly reliable data. The checklist data do not correlate with measures of medical student aptitude or with demographic factors. This suggests that the clinically oriented checklists measure a unique feature of medical student achievement.
Emergency Commitment from Nursing Homes

Purpose The purpose of this study was to describe emergency commitment of residents from nursing homes and to discuss relevant policy issues. Design and Methods This study used statewide, archival emergency commitment data from July 2000 through June 2008. These data are created by entering data from paper emergency commitment initiation forms of law enforcement, mental health professionals, and judges submitted by facilities as required by Florida law. Results During the 1 year from July 2007 through June 2008 there were 898 residents of Florida nursing homes with a total of 1032 emergency commitments. Some individuals had more than one emergency commitment from a nursing home during the year, with 9% having between two and five emergency commitments. One-third of the emergency commitments were for residents younger than 65. Some of these individuals also had substantial numbers of emergency commitments in the 7 years from July 2000 through June 2007. Implications There are facility, client, and regulatory factors that can be addressed to reduce the inappropriate usage of emergency commitments in nursing homes.
“This Land South Africa”: Rewriting Time and Space in Postapartheid Poetry and Property

The widespread concern in recent South African poetry with landscape and the question of what place the poet occupies in that landscape arises less as a response to the turn of the millennium than to the historical end of formal apartheid, but nonetheless marks an epochal shift in sensibility. Whereas much poetry of the 1980s evoked a sense of extreme dislocation in recent time and local space (marked by references to a precarious present of forced removal and migrancy, and unspecified, unsettled futures), some significant recent work has been marked by a desire to relocate the human presence in South Africa in terms of geological time and continental space. This generalization needs to be qualified by reference to racial and political positioning within South Africa, and in this paper I distinguish between the work of committed white writers such as ex-political-prisoner Jeremy Cronin (now Secretary of the South African Communist Party) and Barry Feinberg (now curator of the Mayibuye Centre), and the wor...
Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone and cyano-ketone on ovarian weight, cholesterol content, and ultrastructure in PMS-HCG treated, immature rats.

Immature rats were given the PMSHCG treatment recommended by Parlow for the preparation of rats for the ovarian ascorbic acid depletion (OAAD) assay of LH. At 30 days of age one group of 5 rats received two 5 mg injections of cyano-ketone (a potent inhibitor of δ5- 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase) and two other groups were given cyano-ketone (CK) followed by daily injections of 15 or 20 mg of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) for seven days. Finally, one group was given the daily DHA treatment (20 mg) but received no CK. At autopsy, ovaries were weighed and either analyzed for total cholesterol content or prepared for ultrastructural study. The CK treatment did not significantly alter either the ovarian weight or cholesterol content. All three groups given DHA showed a remarkable enlargement of the heavily luteinized ovaries and a significant reduction in ovarian cholesterol concentration as well as in total ovarian cholesterol. These changes were accompanied by ultrastructural signs of heightened secretory ac...
A uniqueness theorem for the two-dimensional generalized Korteweg-de Vries equation

Abstract Using elementary techniques we prove that the solution, which is periodic in both x and y , to the two-dimensional generalized KdV equation is unique. A theorem of continuous dependence of the solutions on the initial data is established. Some estimates of the solutions are also included.
Pulsed Microwave Processing of High-TC Superconducting Films

We have used 2.0-{mu}sec microwave pulses at a frequency of 2.856 GHz to rapidly heat thin amorphous yttrium-barium-copper-oxide (YBCO) films deposited onto silicon substrates. The samples were irradiated inside a WR-284 waveguide by single-pass TE{sub 10} pulses in a traveling wave geometry. X-ray diffractometry studies show that an amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition occurs for incident pulse powers exceeding about 6 MW, in which case the amorphous YBCO layer is converted to Y{sub 2}BaCuO{sub 5}. Microscopy of the irradiated film reveals that the phase transition is brought about by melting of the YBCO precursor film and crystallization of the molten layer upon solidification. Time-resolved in situ experiments of the microwave reflectivity (R) and transmissivity (T) show that there is an abrupt change in R for microwave pulse powers exceeding the melt threshold, so that measurements of R and T can be used to monitor the onset of surface melting.
Calculating three-dimensional fluid flows at all speeds with an Eulerian-Lagrangian computing mesh

Abstract A computing technique is presented for the calculation of three-dimensional, time-dependent fluid dynamics problems. The full nonlinear Navier-Stokes equations are solved with a finite-difference scheme based upon an Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) computing mesh with vertices that may move with the fluid (Lagrangian), remain fixed (Eulerian), or move in any prescribed manner. The method is applicable to three-dimensional flows at all speeds, employing an implicit formulation similar to the Implicit Continuous-Fluid Eulerian (ICE) technique. Marker particles are used that may follow exactly the motion of the fluid to aid in flow visualization, or they can represent particulate matter whose behavior is affected by inertia, drag, gravity, and molecular and turbulent diffusion. Calculational examples are shown in the form of a variety of perspective view plots.
Sequence dependence of β‐hairpin structure: Comparison of a salt bridge and an aromatic interaction

A comparison of the contributions and position dependence of cross-strand electrostatic and aromatic side-chain interactions to -sheet stability has been performed by using nuclear magnetic resonance i na well-folded -hairpin peptide of the general sequence XRTVXVdPGOXITQX. Phe–Phe and Glu–Lys pairs were varied at the internal and terminal non–hydrogen-bonded position, and the resulting stability was measured by the effects on -hydrogen and aromatic hydrogen chemical shifts. It was determined that the
Vitamin D activates type A natriuretic peptide receptor gene transcription in inner medullary collecting duct cells

Many clinical and animal studies suggest that vitamin D and its metabolites have beneficial effects in the cardiovascular and renal systems. Using immunologic and enzymatic assays, vitamin D receptor and 25 hydroxyvitamin D3 1 α -hydroxylase activity were found in inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells suggesting an autocrine/paracrine role in this nephron segment. In this study, we examined the ability of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH) 2 D3) to regulate the expression of the vasculoprotective natriuretic peptide receptor-A gene in these cells in culture. Treatment of the cells with 1,25(OH) 2 D3 caused a doubling of natriuretic peptide-dependent cyclic guanosine monophosphate production and a significant increase in natriuretic peptide receptor-A protein expression. This was accompanied by significant increases in receptor mRNA levels and gene-promoter activity. Mutation of a vitamin D response element, positioned upstream from the gene start site, resulted in a complete loss of 1,25(OH) 2 D3-dependent induction but not the induction by hypertonic stimuli. Introduction of small interfering RNA directed against the vitamin D receptor into the IMCD cells resulted in decreased natriuretic peptide receptor-A gene promoter activity and protein. The increase in this receptor expression may account for some of the reported beneficial effect of 1,25(OH) 2 D3 on the cardiovascular system and kidney.
Cutting Circles into Pseudo-Segments and Improved Bounds for Incidences% and Complexity of Many Faces

We show that n arbitrary circles in the plane can be cut into O(n 3/2+? ) arcs, for any ?>0 , such that any pair of arcs intersects at most once. This improves a recent result of Tamaki and Tokuyama [20]. We use this result to obtain improved upper bounds on the number of incidences between m points and n circles. An improved incidence bound is also obtained for graphs of polynomials of any constant maximum degree.
Synthesis and structure of alkali metal `ate' complexes in the yttrium/2,6-dimethylphenoxide system

Abstract The neutral complex Y(OAr) 3 (THF) 3 , 1 , (Ar=C 6 H 3 Me 2 -2,6) prepared from Y[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 3 and HOAr, can be converted to the ionic `ate' salts [(DME)Li] 2 [( μ -OAr) 4 Y(OAr)], 2 , [(THF) 3 K][( μ -OAr) 2 Y(OAr) 2 (THF) 2 ], 3 , and [Na(THF) 6 ][(C 5 Me 5 )Y(OAr) 3 ], 4 , with the alkali metal reagents LiOAr, KOAr, and NaC 5 Me 5 (DME=dimethoxyethane). The yttrium center in complex 2 is square pyramidal with the terminal aryloxide ligand in the apical position and no agostic interactions. The octahedral coordination environment around yttrium in 3 is formed by two bridging aryloxides, two terminal aryloxides and two THF molecules. This complex has close K–C( ipso ) contacts of 3.288(9) and 3.400(10) A. Complex 4 contains an isolated hexasolvated cation and a formally 6-coordinate yttrium atom in which the three aryloxide oxygen atoms and the η 5 -C 5 Me 5 ring centroid describe a distorted tetrahedron.
Crossings and Nestings of Two Edges in Set Partitions

Let $\pi$ and $\lambda$ be two set partitions with the same number of blocks. Assume $\pi$ is a partition of $[n]$. For any integer $l,m\geq0$, let $\mathcal{T}(\pi, l)$ be the set of partitions of $[n+l]$ whose restrictions to the last $n$ elements are isomorphic to $\pi$, and $\mathcal{T}(\pi,l,m)$ the subset of $\mathcal{T}(\pi,l)$ consisting of those partitions with exactly $m$ blocks. Similarly define $\mathcal{T}(\lambda,l)$ and $\mathcal{T}(\lambda,l,m)$. We prove that if the statistic $cr$ ($ne$), the number of crossings (nestings) of two edges, coincides on the sets $\mathcal{T}(\pi,l)$ and $\mathcal{T}(\lambda, l)$ for $l=0,1$, then it coincides on $\mathcal{T}(\pi,l,m)$ and $\mathcal{T}(\lambda,l,m)$ for all $l,m\geq0$. These results extend the ones obtained by Klazar on the distribution of crossings and nestings for matchings.
OSCILLATIONS IN ULTRASONIC ATTENUATION BY SUPERCONDUCTING TIN

Observation and interpretation of oscillations in the temperature dependence of the ultrasonic attenuation by type I superconducting tin are reported. (R.E.U.)
Effect of gravitational radiation reaction on circular orbits around a spinning black hole

The effect of gravitational radiation reaction on circular orbits around a spinning (Kerr) black hole is computed to leading order in S (the magnitude of the spin angular momentum of the hole) and in the strength of gravity M/r (where M is the mass of the black hole, r is the orbital radius, and G=c=1). The radiation reaction makes the orbit shrink but leaves it circular and drives the orbital plane very slowly toward antialignment with the spin of the hole: tan(\ensuremath{\iota}/2)=tan(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\iota}}}_{0}$/2)[1+(61/72)(S/${\mathit{M}}^{2}$)(M/r${)}^{3/2}$], where \ensuremath{\iota} is the angle between the normal to the orbital plane and the spin direction, and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\iota}}}_{0}$ is the initial value of \ensuremath{\iota}, when r is very large.
RT-Llama: Providing Middleware Support for Real-Time SOA

Service-oriented architectures SOA are being adopted in a variety of industries. Some of them must support real-time activities. In this article, the authors present RT-Llama, a novel architecture for real-time SOA to support predictability in business processes. Upon receiving a user-requested process and deadline, our proposed architecture can reserve resources in advance for each service in the process to ensure it meets its end-to-end deadline. The architecture contains global resource management and business process composition components. They also create a real-time enterprise middleware that manages utilization of local resources by using efficient data structures and handles service requests via reserved CPU bandwidth. They demonstrate that RT-Llama's reservation components are both effective and adaptable to dynamic real-time environments.
The theoretical calculation of the flow rate of granular matter from an inclined orifice

A theoretical calculation method for the flow rate of granular matter from an inclined orifice is discussed in this article and for the inclination angles at $$\theta \le 90^{\circ }$$ , a theoretical relation between the flow rate $$Q$$ and inclination angle $$\theta $$ is derived; and for the inclination angles at $$\theta >90^{\circ }$$ , a semi-theoretical relation is established. From the relations, we found that the ratio of the flow rate from a vertical orifice, $$Q_{90}$$ , to that from a horizontal orifice, $$Q_{0}$$ , is equal to the sine of the angle of repose $$\theta _{\mathrm{r}}$$ , i.e., $$Q_{90} /Q_0 =\sin \theta _{\mathrm{r}} $$ . The theoretical relations are tested by means of the experimental data and the results indicate that the theoretical calculating values are in good agreement with the experimental data over a wide range of the inclination angles. Therefore, the formula proposed in this article can be used for the theoretical calculation of the flow rate of granular matter from an inclined orifice. The relation $$Q_{90} /Q_0 =\sin \theta _{\mathrm{r}}$$ may be used as an alternative approach to obtaining $$\theta _{\mathrm{r}}$$ : measuring $$Q_{90}$$ and $$Q_{0}$$ , and then calculating $$\theta _{\mathrm{r}} $$ by using formula $$\theta _{\mathrm{r}} =\arcsin (Q_{90} /Q_0 )$$ .
Picosecond X-Ray Scattering from Biological Photoreceptors

Synchrotrons emit X-ray pulses whose duration is controlled by the linear dimensions of the electron bunches, which in turn are established by the characteristics of the RF system. A typical zero current electron bunch length is 50 picoseconds and a more typical value for a useful current is ∼100 picoseconds. When an ultrafast pump - probe, X-ray scattering experiment is conducted with X-rays emitted by such bunches in pump - probe mode, the time resolution is set at ∼100 picoseconds by the X-ray probe pulse length; the pump laser pulse duration and the jitter in their relative timing are much shorter. This contrasts with X-ray free electron laser X-ray sources such as the LCLS where the X-ray pulse duration can be much shorter, in the femtosecond time range. However, the pump - probe approach to ultrafast kinetics is applicable to both synchrotron and free electron laser sources. At BioCARS sector 14 of the APS, both X-ray crystallographic and SAXS/WAXS experiments have been successfully conducted on biological samples with ∼100 picosecond time resolution, on naturally light-sensitive samples such as heme proteins and signaling photoreceptors. These studies will be briefly reviewed.Since not all systems are naturally light-sensitive and appropriate for pump - probe approaches, we apply biologically-inspired protein design to confer light sensitivity on otherwise light-inert systems. We carefully fuse a light sensor, input domain to the effector, output domain that displays the desired activity. This activity is thereby made light-sensitive, an approach known as optogenetics (Moeglich and Moffat, Photochem.Photobiol.Sci. 9, 1286-1300 (2010)). Challenges in adapting this approach to femtosecond pump - probe experiments at the LCLS will be presented.
Application of immunoaffinity capillary electrophoresis to the measurements of secreted cytokines by cultured astrocytes

The ability of the central nervous system (CNS) to act in conjunction with the immune system has been of great interest to both neurobiologists and immunologists. Previous studies have shown that astrocytes can be stimulated, by various peptides, to act as immune regulators within the CNS and release cytokines and chemokines. However, the regulatory mechanism of astrocytes is still poorly understood. Our present study describes a micro-device capable of monitoring the growth and stimulation of 20 astrocytes by vasoactive intestinal peptide. A microdialysis needle was used to collect the secretion by products, which were analyzed by immunoaffinity capillary electrophoresis (ICE) for the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α; hemopoetic cytokines, IL-3, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF); and chemokines; regulated upon activation normal T-cell expression sequence (RANTES), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α and MIP-1β. Vasoactive intestinal peptide stimulated astrocytes showed an almost immediate release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, with an increase over baseline ranging from 3 to 15 fold, while no substantial increase over baseline was observed for hemopoetic cytokines. This system demonstrates the ability to isolate individual cells in a closely controlled environment and identify and quantify their analytes.
Evaluating DNA sequence searching algorithms on multicore

Sequence searching is one of major operations in modern bioengineering. Recent emerging multicore provides a promising technology to enhance sequence searching performance. However, efficiently employing the multicore for a uniprocessor-oriented algorithm is a difficult task. This paper presents a methodology to profile processing requirements for DNA sequence search algorithms, parallelise them onto multicore, and analytically evaluate their performance. The key feature of this methodology is that entire processes are automated and it requires users little understanding of the complexity of algorithms and multicore hardware architecture. Our methodology considers three approaches to parallelise searching operations: queries, database, and task segmentation.
Isolation and characterization of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella spp. isolated from shrimp imported from Thailand

A study was undertaken to isolate and characterize tetracycline and nalidixic acid-resistant Klebsiella spp. in farm-raised, imported shrimp sold in the United States. Sixty-seven multiple antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella spp. strains were isolated from imported shrimp samples. Using morphological and biochemical methods, fifty-three strains were tentatively identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae and fourteen as K. oxytoca. Although all isolates were resistant to tetracycline, only 8 were resistant to nalidixic acid. These 8 isolates were further screened by PCR for quinolone resistance genes (qnrA, B, S, gyrA, B and parC). PCR protocols failed to amplify any qnr genes. The purified PCR amplicons of gyrA, gyrB and parC were sequenced and analyzed for point mutations that confer resistance to fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Analysis of the sequences of the gyrA amplicons from nalidixic acid-resistant Klebsiella spp. indicated two point mutations in gyrA at positions 83 (Ser→Phe) and 87 (Asp→Ala). Sequence analysis of the parC amplicons indicated an amino acid change at position 80 (Ser→Ile). No mutations were detected in gyrB. Template DNA from all isolates was screened for tetracycline resistance genes (tetA-E). Oligonucleotide primers specifically targeting a 305-bp region of tetB and a 477-bp region of tetD successfully amplified sequences from 91.0 and 44.0% of the isolates, respectively. None of the isolates contained tetA, tetC or tetE genes. Plasmids (2.0-16.0kb) were found in 23 of the 67 isolates. XbaI-PFGE identified 32 distinct macro restriction patterns (mrps) among the 61 multiple drug-resistant Klebsiella spp. that were typable. Our results indicate that imported shrimp is a reservoir for multidrug resistant Klebsiella spp. and potential health risks posed by such strains should not be underestimated.
Synthesis, purification, and influence of chain length on toxicity of two quaternary ammonium compounds.

The synthesis and purification of two quaternary ammonium compounds was accomplished. The influence of chain length upon toxicity of the two compounds was determined using oral LD50 values, in fasted animals, and intraperitoneal LD50 values in male Swiss-Webster mice and male Wistar rats except where limited by the critical micelle concentration and the volume required for administration. The larger molecular weight compound was more toxic i.p. in rats than mice while the lower molecular weight compound was more toxic orally in mice than rats. The i.p. LD50 values in mice for both compounds were nearly identical and these values in both rats and mice after 24 hr. for the larger weight compound were practically the same. The usual greater toxicity with i.p. administration versus oral was not seen with these compounds in mice but was observed in rats.
Zinc finger function of HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein is required for removal of 5'-terminal genomic RNA fragments: a paradigm for RNA removal reactions in HIV-1 reverse transcription.

During (−) strong-stop DNA [(−) SSDNA] synthesis, RNase H cleavage of genomic viral RNA generates small 5′-terminal RNA fragments (14–18 nt) that remain annealed to the DNA. Unless these fragments are removed, the minus-strand transfer reaction, required for (−) SSDNA elongation, cannot occur. Here, we describe the mechanism of 5′-terminal RNA removal and the roles of HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) and RNase H cleavage in this process. Using an NC-dependent system that models minus-strand transfer, we show that the presence of short terminal fragments pre-annealed to (−) SSDNA has no impact on strand transfer, implying efficient fragment removal. Moreover, in reactions with an RNase H− reverse transcriptase mutant, NC alone is able to facilitate fragment removal, albeit less efficiently than in the presence of both RNase H activity and NC. Results obtained from novel electrophoretic gel mobility shift and Forster Resonance Energy Transfer assays, which each directly measure RNA fragment release from a duplex in the absence of DNA synthesis, demonstrate for the first time that the architectural integrity of NC’s zinc finger (ZF) domains is absolutely required for this reaction. This suggests that NC’s helix destabilizing activity (associated with the ZFs) facilitates strand exchange through the displacement of these short terminal RNAs by the longer 3′ acceptor RNA, which forms a more stable duplex with (−) SSDNA. Taken together with previously published results, we conclude that NC-mediated fragment removal is linked mechanistically with selection of the correct primer for plus-strand DNA synthesis and tRNA removal step prior to plus-strand transfer. Thus, HIV-1 has evolved a single mechanism for these RNA removal reactions that are critical for successful reverse transcription.
Small-time moment asymptotics for Lévy processes

Abstract Conditions ensuring that lim t → 0 1 t E f ( X t ) = ∫ f ( x ) ν ( d x ) are given for a Levy process X with Levy measure ν and for unbounded moment functions f . Compared with previous works, the moment functions considered here satisfy very mild conditions aimed at controlling how fast f grows at infinity. As an application of our results, the infinitesimal generator of the Levy process is shown to be well-defined in a class of smooth unbounded functions equipped with a suitable norm. Also, the rate of convergence is studied when f is a smooth function vanishing in a neighborhood of the origin.
Thin film morphology at low adatom mobility

Thin film properties can be engineered by the high degree of control in many CVD and especially PVD processes. In particular, the thin film morphology often has a direct connection between preparation and property relations. This review will focus on understanding the morphology in PVD coatings prepared at low adatom mobilities where columnar thin films are prepared, with the column sizes ranging from nm- to micrometers -sizes and the columns forming hierarchical clusters of columns having a fractal-like behavior. We will discuss the effects of ion bombardments and angle of incidence of the directional vapor species with respect to the morphology origin and evolution. These various morphologies are related to applications ranging from hard coatings to optical coatings to sculptured thin films.
Regulation of Gustatory Physiology and Appetitive Behavior by the Drosophila Circadian Clock

Summary Background Circadian regulation of chemosensory processes is common in animals, but little is known about how circadian clocks control chemosensory systems or the consequences of rhythms in chemosensory system function. Taste is a major chemosensory gate used to decide whether or not an animal will eat, and the main taste organ in Drosophila , the proboscis, harbors autonomous circadian oscillators. Here we examine gustatory physiology, tastant-evoked appetitive behavior, and food ingestion to understand clock-dependent regulation of the Drosophila gustatory system. Results Here we report that single-unit responses from labellar gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) to attractive and aversive tastants show diurnal and circadian rhythms in spike amplitude, frequency, and duration across different classes of gustatory sensilla. Rhythms in electrophysiological responses parallel behavioral rhythms in proboscis extension reflex. Molecular oscillators in GRNs are necessary and sufficient for rhythms in gustatory responses and drive rhythms in G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GPRK2) expression that mediate rhythms in taste sensitivity. Eliminating clock function in certain GRNs increases feeding and locomotor activity, mimicking a starvation response. Conclusions Circadian clocks in GRNs control neuronal output and drive behavioral rhythms in taste responses that peak at a time of day when feeding is maximal in flies. Our results argue that oscillations in GPRK2 levels drive rhythms in gustatory physiology and behavior and that GRN clocks repress feeding. The similarity in gustatory system organization and feeding behavior in flies and mammals, as well as diurnal changes in taste sensitivity in humans, suggest that our results are relevant to the situation in humans.
The gap effect and inhibition of return: interactive effects on eye movement latencies.

Three experiments are reported with two types of manipulations that are known to affect the latency with which subjects can initiate saccadic eye movements. The first manipulation involves the temporal relation between the offset of a visual fixation point and the onset of a peripheral target (the “gap effect”). The second manipulation involves the prior allocation and removal of visual attention (“inhibition of return”). In two experiments, the gap effect was smaller for saccades to previously attended locations than to previously unattended locations. The results suggest an important link between the two phenomena and provide new insights into the brain mechanisms underlying visual attention and eye movements.
Uniformly 15N‐labeled soybean seeds produced for use in human and animal nutrition studies: Description of a recirculating hydroponic growth system and whole plant nutrient and environmental requirements

A recirculating hydroponic technique which enables the uniform 15N-labeling of soybean plants has been developed. Daily net influx of nitrate, potassium, calcium, chloride and phosphate, as well as total solution uptake, was measured for a crop of 60 plants grown in a 3 m2 area. A protocol is presented which (i) maintains adequate nutrient concentrations for the crop, (ii) adds nutrients and water as required with no exchange of solution, and (iii) minimizes the addition and use of 15N. With this technique, 6.5 mol of 15N were used to generate 1 kg (DW) of soybean seeds (350 g protein kg-1; 98 atm% 15N) and 3.1 kg (DW) total biomass; recovery of nitrogen in the total biomass was 95%. 15N-labeled soy protein isolate or harvested plant parts (eg leaves or stems) can be used to investigate nutrient absorption and metabolism in human or animal studies.
Paradigm Shifts in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have captured the imagination of a wide range of people, from middle-school students who make their first solar cell by sensitizing films of titania nanocrystals with berry juice to scientists and engineers who are striving to solve the world's energy problem. A schematic of a DSC is shown in the figure, panel A ( 1 , 2 ). Until recently, practical DSCs—ones with efficiencies exceeding 11%—have had to rely on dyes that are expensive in that they contain the noble metal ruthenium (Ru). Efforts to increase cell efficiency by boosting the output voltage of the cell, and to decrease costs by eliminating the use of Ru, have run afoul of the enemy of all solar cells—the recombination of charge carriers before they are delivered to the electrodes. On page 629 of this issue, Yella et al. ( 3 ) report on a specially designed redox mediator containing cobalt (Co) complexes that enables a DSC efficiency of 12.3% under 1 sun of illumination.
Normative Social Influence is Underdetected

The present research investigated the persuasive impact and detectability of normative social influence. The first study surveyed 810 Californians about energy conservation and found that descriptive normative beliefs were more predictive of behavior than were other relevant beliefs, even though respondents rated such norms as least important in their conservation decisions. Study 2, a field experiment, showed that normative social influence produced the greatest change in behavior compared to information highlighting other reasons to conserve, even though respondents rated the normative information as least motivating. Results show that normative messages can be a powerful lever of persuasion but that their influence is underdetected.