cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of Channel Orientation on Heat Transfer in a Two-Pass Smooth and Ribbed Rectangular Channel (AR=2:1) Under Large Rotation Numbers

Experiments were conducted in a rotating two-pass cooling channel with an aspect ratio of 2:1 (Dh = 16.9 mm). Results for two surface conditions are presented: smooth and one ribbed configuration. For the ribbed channel, the leading and trailing walls are roughened with ribs (P/e = 10, e/Dh = 0.094) and are placed at an angle (α = 45°) to the mainstream flow. For each surface condition, two angles of rotation (β = 90°, 135°) were studied. For each angle of rotation, five Reynolds numbers (Re = 10K–40K) were considered. At each Reynolds number, five rotational speeds (Ω = 0–400 rpm) were considered. The maximum rotation number and buoyancy parameter reached were 0.45 and 0.85, respectively. Results showed that rotation effects are minimal in ribbed channels, at both angles of rotation, due to the strong interaction of rib and Coriolis induced vortices. In the smooth case, the channel orientation proved to be important and a beneficial heat transfer increase on the leading surface in the first pass (radially outward flow) was observed at high rotation numbers. The correlations developed in this study for predicting heat transfer enhancement due to rotation using the buoyancy parameter showed markedly good agreement with experimental data (+/-10%). Finally, heat transfer under rotating conditions on the tip cap showed to be quite dependent on channel orientation. The maximum tip cap Nu/Nus ratio observed was 2.8.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Does Optic Flow Explain the Firing of Grid Cells

*Problem.* Various cues such as vestibular, sensorimotor, or visual information can lead to the firing of grid cells recorded in entorhinal cortex of rats. A recent model uses boundary vector cells to provide information about the 2D spatial position (Barry et al., Review Neuroscience, 17, 2006). However, boundary vector cells need to know the angle and distance of the boundary wall. In contrast we study the estimation of 2D velocity and change of heading of the rat from optic flow and if this information can lead to grid cell firing.*Approach.* A simple circular cage is modeled as a 3D world and trajectories of a rat’s movement are simulated. Optic flow for a spherical camera model is calculated for regularly sampled locations on the ground of the cage. This flow information is used in a template model to estimate the rat’s 2D linear velocity and yaw rotational velocity. 2D linear velocities are integrated into the velocity controlled oscillator (VCO) model (Burgess, Hippocampus, 18, 2008) while spatial locations are taken from the original trajectory. If velocity estimates are temporally integrated over ~20min the error summation by path integration prevents generation of a clear grid cell firing pattern by the VCO model. However, for short durations velocity estimates and path integration are accurate. If we assume a reset mechanism that recalibrates the spatial location of the rat grid cell firing can be achieved. Different reset intervals were simulated and the grid score for the firing pattern was calculated. For a reset interval longer than one minute this grid score decreases rapidly. We conclude that grid cell firing is not generated only by optic flow, but that a recalibration of the spatial position using cues other than optic flow occurs at least every minute.Supported by CELEST (NSF SMA-0835976).
Restoration of sinus rhythm in experimental and clinical ventricular arrhythmias by methoxamine hydrochloride

Abstract Ventricular arrhythmias were established in dogs by ligation of the anterior descending coronary artery; by the production of myocardial necrosis with the injection of zinc hydroxide; by the administration of toxic doses of various cardiac glycosides; and by a new experimental procedure consisting of infusing amodiaquin solution until a bigeminal rhythm has been produced. In animals with these various ventricular arrhythmias, Vasoxyl hydrochloride administered in dosages of 0.5 to 1 mg/kg of body weight was found capable of suppressing the arrhythmias for periods of 30 to 60 minutes. The antiarrhythmic property of Vasoxyl was confirmed in patients. Used in similar dosages, Vasoxyl was able to suppress significantly or eliminate completely various ventricular arrhythmias ranging from the occasional premature ventricular systoles to multifocal ventricular tachycardias. Included in the therapeutic range of Vasoxyl are arrhythmias associated with myocardial infarction, digitalis intoxication, and heart disease of idiopathic origin. As in the experimental animal, Vasoxyl in single doses was capable of suppressing clinical ventricular arrhythmias in most instances for periods of 20 to 40 minutes.
Regulation of T-cell mixed lymphocyte reaction reactivity: Demonstration of enhancing and inhibitory activity in tumor-bearing host macrophage supernatants☆

Abstract All experiments were conducted using macrophages (Mφ) and T cells from normal or tumor-bearing BALB/c mice (TBM). Mφ supernatants were added to one-way mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR) to examine their involvement in positive or negative immunoregulation of normal and TBM T-cell alloreactivity. Mφ supernatant regulation was seen to be a concentration dependent phenomenon—high concentrations inhibited while low concentrations enhanced normal T-cell MLR activity. Enhancing activity of low-dose Mφ supernatants was abrogated by heat treatment (100 °C for 10 min); inhibitor activity was unaffected. Though TBM T cells exhibited only marginal MLR activity, this hyporeactivity could not be attributed to the action of TBM Mφ since normal T-cell activity was enhanced, not inhibited, by addition of TBM Mφ supernatants. In fact, based on heat treatment and dose-response experiments, TBM Mφ supernatants when compared to their normal counterparts seemed to possess a greater (not lesser) ability to enhance MLR activity. As judged by 51 Cr release assays and trypan blue exclusion techniques, the inhibitor failed to exhibit any cytotoxic properties; nor was it composed totally of “cold” thymidine as shown by extensive supernatant dialysis and competitive inhibition studies.
Hypothalamic galanin is up-regulated during hyperphagia and increased body weight gain induced by disruption of signaling in the ventromedial nucleus☆

Abstract Disruption of signaling in the ventromedial nucleus (VMN) by colchicine (COL) produces transient (4 days) hyperphagia and weight gain. Microinjection of galanin into various hypothalamic sites stimulates feeding, so we tested the hypothesis that galanin is up-regulated in COL-treated rats by analyzing galanin concentrations in micropunched hypothalamic sites. Galanin was increased in the paraventricular nucleus on Days 1 through 4 after COL-injection. Galanin was also elevated in three other hypothalamic sites, the dorsomedial nucleus, lateral hypothalamic area, and perifornical hypothalamus, on Days 2–4 and in the lateral preoptic area, on Day 1 only. In the median eminence-arcuate nucleus and amygdala an initial decrease on Day 1 was followed by a then progressive increase through Day 4. These increases occurred despite marked elevations in blood insulin and leptin, hormones known to suppress hypothalamic galanin. When COL- or saline-treated rats were injected intracerebroventricularly with galanin, it stimulated feeding further in the hyperphagic COL-treated rats, but the relative response over basal consumption was similar in both COL-treated and control rats. These results in VMN disrupted rats suggest that neurochemical rearrangements, including increased availability of galanin, may contribute to the hyperphagia and increased weight gain; additionally, it seems that neurons in the VMN normally exert a restraint on galanin signaling.
An Automatic Oviposition Recorder

Abstract ACCURATE knowledge of time of lay is of considerable importance in many studies of the physiology of the oviduct. To eliminate the need for continuous checking of the birds by an attendant, especially during non-working hours, an automatic oviposition recording apparatus was developed for use with laying cages. Since the equipment is relatively economical and simple to construct, details are presented here for whatever aid they may be to others faced with similar problems. Completion of an electric circuit by the laid egg activates the apparatus. The actual recording is done on teledeltos paper which is sensitive to electric currents of suitable voltage and amperage. The following major components comprise the apparatus (see block diagram and detailed views): a) A metallic kymograph drum, covered by teledeltos paper, and mounted on a shaft in the horizontal position. b) An electric clock or synchronous motor to turn the drum at 1 revolution/day.
Design of bioreactors for coal synthesis gas fermentations.

Abstract Anaerobic bacteria may be utilized in the conversion of CO, CO 2 and H 2 in synthesis gas to products such as methane, acetate, ethanol and butanol. Bioreactors for these fermentations are mass transfer limited due to very low gas solubilities. Several reactor designs have been examined for these conversions including batch, continuous stirred tank and bubble column reactors. This paper presents laboratory results for these reactor systems using the strict anaerobe Peptostreptococcus productus as a model organism. Results comparing the performance of these reactors and showing the effects of increased mass transfer and total pressure on system performance are presented are discussed.
SURF cascade face detection acceleration on Sandy Bridge processor

Along with the inclusion of GPU cores within the same CPU die, the performance of Intel's processor-graphics has been significantly improved over earlier generation of integrated graphics. This paper presents a highly optimized SURF cascade based face detector which efficiently exploits both CPU and GPU computing power on the latest Sandy Bridge processor. The SURF cascade classifier procedure is partitioned into two phases in order to leverage both thread level and data level parallelism in the GPU. The integral image function running in the CPU core can work with the GPU in parallel. We measure the performance and power of the GPU implementation on the latest Sandy Bridge platform. The experimental results show that our proposed GPU implementation achieves a 2.98 speedup and a 1.42 speedup compared to the single thread and multi-thread CPU implementation. At the same time, the power usage can be reduced as much as 50% compared to the CPU implementation. In addition, our proposed method presents a general approach for task partitioning between CPU and GPU, thus being beneficial not only for face detection but also for other computer vision applications.
Reporting the methodology of height and weight acquisition in studies of body mass index–based prognosis in critically ill patients

Abstract Purpose Conflicting findings were reported on the body mass index (BMI)–based prognosis of critically patients. Errors in source weight and height data can confound BMI group allocation. The aim of the present work was to examine investigators' reporting on the methods of height and weight acquisition (HWA). Materials and Methods PubMed and Embase databases were searched for studies describing BMI group–based risk of death in critically ill patients. Eligible studies were examined for reporting on (1) the use of measured and/or estimated HWA, (2) details of measuring devices, (3) device accuracy, and (4) methods of adjustment for acute and chronic fluid-related weight changes. Results Thirty studies met the eligibility criteria, including 159 565 patients. No data were provided in 13 studies (52% of reported patients) on whether estimates or measurements were used for HWA. Measured HWA was used exclusively in 6 studies (3% of patients), and an unspecified combination of estimated and/or measured HWA was reported for the remainder. Only 1 study reported the specific devices used. None of the studies provided data on the bias and precision of measuring devices. Adjustment for chronic and/or acute fluid-related weight changes was addressed in 2 studies for each. Conclusions These findings demonstrate the prevalent risk for BMI group misallocation in the reviewed studies, which may confound BMI-based prognosis, raising concerns about the validity of reported BMI-related prognostic impact.
Characterization of Bi based superconducting whiskers

Abstract We have made a thorough characterization study of Bi-based cuprate superconducting whiskers. Undoped, Gd-doped and Pb-doped Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca n −1 Cu n O x ( n = 2, 3) whiskers were grown using a technique developed by Matsubara et al. Chemical compositions were determined by X-ray dispersive electron microprobe and wet chemistry. The resistance and magnetic flux shielding effect were measured as a function of temperature. We used AC calorimetry to make the first measurements of the heat capacity of a single whisker of this material. The whiskers were found to contain a mixture of the 2212 and 2223 phases, although flux shielding and X-ray diffraction showed only the 2212 phase.
Cloud mouse: a new way to interact with the cloud

In this paper we present a novel input device and associated UI metaphors for Cloud computing. Cloud computing will give users access to huge amount of data in new forms as well as anywhere and anytime, with applications ranging from Web data mining to social networks. The motivation of this work is to provide users access to cloud computing by a new personal device and to make nearby displays a personal displayer. The key points of this device are direct-point operation, grasping UI and tangible feedback. A UI metaphor for cloud computing is also introduced.
Steady-state operability characteristics of reactors

Abstract Operability analysis helps the process designer to consider process control issues quite early in the design process. This analysis should lead to the calculation of measure which quantifies the operability of a design. Search for this measure has been an active area of research in the last two decades. Recently, Vinson and Georgakis proposed a steady-state operability index (OI) involving both the servo and regulatory aspects. Their primary focus was on linear systems. This paper demonstrates the utility of the OI approach to chemical reactors. Two designs of a nonlinear CSTR, with and without multiple steady states, are examined.
What's New at du Mont

Direction of multiplier phototube activity is described, indicating a variety of special products. Pulse height resolution with related parameters are reviewed, and the performance spread in production runs of types 6292 and 6363 is discussed. Characteristics of a new high gain tube type are presented in some detail.
Structure–function relationships in conjugated materials containing tunable thieno[3,4- b ]pyrazine units

A series of 2,3-difunctionalized 5,7-bis(2-thienyl)thieno[3,4-b]pyrazines containing electron-donating and electron-withdrawing side chains are reported to evaluate the potential tuning effect of the side chains on the electronic properties of these common terthienyl building blocks. In order to further study the resulting effects of such side chains in polymeric materials, the dihexyloxy-functionalized terthienyl was copolymerized with fluorene and its electronic properties compared with a number of analogous materials.
On the Number of Unique Subgraphs

Abstract Entringer and Erdos introduced the concept of a unique subgraph of a given graph G and obtained a lower bound for the maximum number of unique subgraphs in any n -point graph, which we now improve.
Serine and Threonine Phosphorylation of the Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein by Protein Kinase Cα Regulates Endocytosis and Association with Adaptor Molecules

The low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) is a large receptor that participates in endocytosis, signaling pathways, and phagocytosis of necrotic cells. Mechanisms that direct LRP to function in these distinct pathways likely involve its association with distinct cytoplasmic adaptor proteins. We tested the hypothesis that the association of various adaptor proteins with the LRP cytoplasmic domain is modulated by its phosphorylation state. Phosphoamino acid analysis of metabolically labeled LRP revealed that this receptor is phosphorylated at serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues within its cytoplasmic domain, whereas inhibitor studies identified protein kinase Cα (PKCα) as a kinase capable of phosphorylating LRP. Mutational analysis identified critical threonine and serine residues within the LRP cytoplasmic domain that are necessary for phosphorylation mediated by PKCα. Mutating these threonine and serine residues to alanines generated a receptor that was not phosphorylated and that was internalized more rapidly than wild-type LRP, revealing that phosphorylation reduces the association of LRP with adaptor molecules of the endocytic machinery. In contrast, serine and threonine phosphorylation was necessary for the interaction of LRP with Shc, an adaptor protein that participates in signaling events. Furthermore, serine and threonine phosphorylation increased the interaction of LRP with other adaptor proteins such as Dab-1 and CED-6/GULP. These results indicate that phosphorylation of LRP by PKCα modulates the endocytic and signaling function of LRP by modifying its association with adaptor proteins.
Experiments to determine the requirements for lidar wind profile data from space

Global wind profiles are needed for a wide range of meteorological applications. Since the 1980's, observing system simulation experiments have been conducted in order to evaluate the potential impact of space-based wind profiler data on numerical weather prediction, and to evaluate trade-offs in lidar design. These experiments indicated tremendous potential for satellite lidar observations to improve atmospheric analyses and forecasts. More recent experiments are aimed at assessing the precise requirements for space-based lidar wind profile data and to evaluate the potential for alternative technologies.
Automated black-box detection of access control vulnerabilities in web applications

Access control vulnerabilities within web applications pose serious security threats to the sensitive information stored at back-end databases. Existing approaches are limited from several aspects, including the coarse granularity at which the access control is modeled, the incapability of handling complex relationship between data entities and the requirement of source code and the specific application platform. In this paper, we present an automated black-box technique for identifying a broad range of access control vulnerabilities, which can be applied to applications that are developed using different languages and platforms. We model the access control policy based on a novel virtual SQL query concept, which captures both the database access operations (i.e., through SQL queries) and the post-processing filters within the web application. We leverage a crawler to automatically explore the application and collect execution traces. From the traces, we identify the set of database access operations that are allowed for each role (i.e., role-level policy inference) and extract the constraints over the operation parameters to characterize the relationship between the users and the accessed data (i.e., user-level policy inference). Based on the inferred policy, we construct test inputs to exploit the application for potential access control flaws. We implement a prototype system BATMAN and evaluate it over a set of PHP and JSP web applications. The experiment results demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of our approach.
Hydrocarbons emitted by waggle-dancing honey bees stimulate colony foraging activity by causing experienced foragers to exploit known food sources

Two hypotheses concerning the function of the hydrocarbons emitted by waggle-dancing bees are investigated in this study. First, we test the hypothesis that the waggle-dance compounds stimulate foraging behavior. In support of this hypothesis, the number of bee departures from a hive increased as much as 46% and the number of forager visits to a feeder station increased as much as 106% when the dance compounds were introduced into the hive. Second, we test the hypothesis that the waggle-dance compounds stimulate foraging by causing experienced foragers to depart the hive to exploit known food sources. In support of this hypothesis, individually marked foragers visited an empty feeder station both more often and in greater numbers following exposure to the waggle-dance compounds than following exposure to a control substance. The results of these experiments suggest that the waggle-dance compounds function as a foraging semiochemical, operating in synergy with the waggle dance itself.
Use of tissue glue to prevent collapse of the cortical mantle during and after cranial surgery in children: a technical note.

Introduction Young children with significant ventricular dilatation or large intracranial fluid spaces often have a very thin cortical mantle as a result of persistently raised intracranial pressure. This rim of cortex has a tendency to fall away from the dura into the cavity during and after intracranial surgery, due to the lack of support, once the pressure in the fluid cavity has been reduced. This can lead to tearing of cortical bridging veins and the formation of post-operative subdural haematomas.
Classical Conditioning in Newborn Rats

Newborn albino rats were trained according to classical conditioning procedure wih one of four intervals between conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. A vibrotactile stimulus (conditioned stimulus) paired with an electric shock (unconditioned stimulus) was presented to the forelimb 80 times. The results demonstrate that conditioning takes place in newborn rats. However, levels of performance as a function of time intervals between stimuli did not resemble the levels traditionally reported for older animals.
Laboratory evaluation of temporal trends in biogeochemical conditions at a groundwater-surface water interface

Abstract The biogeochemical effects of a large surface water on a chloroethene contaminated anaerobic groundwater at the groundwater / surface water interface (GSI) were evaluated using spatially discretized multilevel arrays, and statistically interpreted in light of natural bioattenuation mechanisms. Groundwater samples, collected during a five-month evaluation period with increasing storm activity, were evaluated to determine the effect of lake activity on the oxidation capacity and contaminant distribution within the plume. Our analyses indicate that concentrations of methane and chloroethene (VC) decreased as the groundwater became increasingly oxidized along the GSI in shallow sample points impacted by infiltration of oxygenated lake water. cis-1,2-Dichloroethene (DCE) remained unchanged or increased at the same locations indicating that the decrease in methane and chloroethene was not due to dilution effects from lake water infiltration. Moreover, negative correlation of chloroethene and methane data with oxygen suggest that chloroethene is co-oxidized by methane-oxidizing bacteria in the shallow zone of the plume. Laboratory microcosm experiments using methane-oxidizing enrichment derived from GSI solids confirmed that chloroethene and ethene were co-oxidized, while cis-DCE was not. Based on the co-oxidation rates obtained from these model systems, methanotrophs contributed approximately 1% to the degradation of the chloroethene flux observed at the GSI.
Continuous recycling: a mechanism for modulatory signal transduction.

Abstract Modulatory signal transduction commonly requires efficient ‘on demand' assembly of specific multicomponent cellular machines that convert signals to cellular actions. This article suggests that for these signaling machines to detect and respond to fluctuations in signal strength, they must be continuously disassembled in an energy-dependent process that probably involves molecular chaperones.
Dynamics of the male germline stem cell population during aging of Drosophila melanogaster.

Summary Drosophila melanogaster has emerged as an important model system for the study of both stem cell biology and aging. Much is known about how molecular signals from the somatic niche regulate adult stem cells in the germline, and a variety of environmental factors as well as single point mutations have been shown to affect lifespan. Relatively little is known, however, about how aging affects specific populations of cells, particularly adult stem cells that may be susceptible to aging-related damage. Here we show that male germline stem cells (GSCs) are lost from the stem cell niche during aging, but are efficiently replaced to maintain overall stem cell number. We also find that the division rate of GSCs slows significantly during aging, and that this slowing correlates with a reduction in the number of somatic hub cells that contribute to the stem cell niche. Interestingly, slowing of stem cell division rate was not observed in long-lived methuselah mutant flies. We finally investigated whether two mechanisms that are thought to be used in other adult stem cell types to minimize the effects of aging were operative in this system. First, in many adult tissues stem cells exhibit markedly fewer cell cycles relative to transit-amplifying cells, presumably protecting the stem cell pool from replication-associated damage. Second, at any given time not all stem cells actively cycle, leading to ‘clonal succession’ from the reserve pool of initially quiescent stem cells. We find that neither of these mechanisms is used in Drosophila male GSCs.
Design of a Multifunctional Anthropomorphic Prosthetic Hand With Extrinsic Actuation

This paper presents an anthropomorphic prototype hand prosthesis that is intended for use with a multiple-channel myoelectric interface. The hand contains 16 joints, which are differentially driven by a set of five independent actuators. The hand prototype was designed with the minimum number of independent actuators required to provide a set of eight canonical hand postures. This paper describes the design of the prosthesis prototype, demonstrates the hand in the desired eight canonical postures, and experimentally characterizes the force and speed capability of the device. A video is included in the supplementary material that also illustrates the functionality and performance of the hand.
Spatio-temporal visualization of urban crimes on a GIS grid

We present several techniques for visualizing the temporal dimension of a Geographic Information System. Techniques include (i) pseudo-colored time-window display, (ii) side-by-side height bars, (iii) stacked time-aggregated cumulative bars, (iv) stacked order-preserving bus, (v) vertical time dimension, and (vi) multi-layered display. These techniques are presented in the context of an urban crime mapping application and extend the existing visualization techniques employed in this field. We discuss merits and demerits of the proposed and existing techniques as well as issues related to aggregating the sampled data on a grid. The graphical display and the user interface is achieved through the use of VRML and vrmlscript. Our approach highlights the efforts to combine geographic information visualization with WordWideWeb technologies.
Determination of Potassium in Red Blood Cells Using Unmeasured Volumes of Whole Blood and Combined Sodium/Potassium-Selective Membrane Electrode Measurements

Recent studies suggest that the measurement of intracellular potassium concentrations in red blood cells (RBC-K) can be a marker for assessing the risk, development, and treatment of hypertension. In this work, the combined use of miniature potassium- and sodium-selective membrane electrodes is evaluated as a simple means to determine RBC-K. The proposed method requires two separate sets of electrode measurements: (i) potassium and sodium concentrations in the plasma phase of an unmeasured volume of a whole blood sample, and (ii) determination of potassium and sodium concentrations in the same sample of blood after complete hemolysis by ultrasonic disruption of the RBC membranes. The dilution of sodium concentration after hemolysis can be used to determine hematocrit (Hct) (volume of red cells per unit volume of blood) of the blood. The concentration of potassium within the red blood cells (RBCs) is then calculated using the measured change in potassium levels before and after RBCs lysis and the hematocri...
Small-scale dissipation in binary-species, thermodynamically supercritical, transitional mixing layers

The irreversible entropy production (i.e. the dissipation) has three distinct modes due to viscous, heat and species-mass fluxes. Computations of the dissipation and its modes are conducted using transitional states obtained from Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of O_2/H_2 and C_7H_(16)/N_2 temporal mixing layers at thermodynamically supercritical pressure. A non-dimensionalization of the mathematical expression for each dissipation mode is first performed and representative reference values computed using the DNS database are utilized to highlight the order of magnitude of each mode and their relative importance. For more quantitative results, the importance of each dissipative mode is assessed both at the DNS scale and at scales determined by filter sizes from four to sixteen times the DNS grid spacing. The subgrid-scale (SGS) dissipation is computed by subtracting the filtered-field dissipation from the DNS-field dissipation. For each species system, three layers are considered having different initial Reynolds number and perturbation wavelength. For all layers, it is found that the species-mass flux contribution dominates both the DNS and SGS dissipation due to high density-gradient-magnitude (HDGM) regions which are a distinctive physical aspect of these layers. Backscatter, indicated by regions of negative SGS dissipation, is found in a substantial portion (15–60%) of the domain, and decreases only slightly with increasing filter width. Regions of the most intense negative and positive SGS dissipation strongly correlate with the HDGM regions. On a domain-average basis, the proportional contribution of each dissipation mode to the total is similar at the DNS and SGS scales, indicating scale-similarity. The proportion of the species-mass dissipation mode to the total is remarkably similar in value across all simulations whether at the DNS or SGS scale. For each mode and the total, the SGS contribution to the DNS-field dissipation is only species-system and filter-size dependent but nearly independent of the initial Reynolds number and perturbation wavelength. The SGS contribution is smaller for O_2/H_2 layers than for C_7H_(16)/N_2 ones, but increases more rapidly with increasing filter width. The implications of these results for Larger Eddy Simulation modeling are discussed.
Low cortisol, high DHEA, and high levels of stimulated TNF-alpha, and IL-6 in women with PTSD.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and immune function alterations; however, few studies have simultaneously investigated these systems in participants with PTSD. In this study, HPA axis and immune function in 26 women with PTSD with and without major depressive disorder was compared to 24 traumatized controls and to 21 nontraumatized controls. Posttraumatic stress disorder was associated with low cortisol and higher levels of DHEA and greater production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) compared to traumatized and healthy controls. Women with PTSD and depression exhibited greater production of IL-6 and higher levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) than those with PTSD, but without depression. These findings suggest dysregulated HPA axis and immune function in women with PTSD, and that comorbid depression may contribute to these abnormalities.
Densitometric analysis of eccentric vascular stenoses: Comparison of CO2 and iodinated contrast media

Rationale and Objectives. The authors compared the accuracies of CO 2 and iodinated contrast material in the densitometric quantification of eccentric vascular stenoses. Methods. Five precision-machined eccentric phantom stenoses of 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90% cross-sectional area narrowing were integrated into a pulsatile ex vivo flow model, imaged with digital subtraction angiography (DSA), and analyzed with densitometry. Relationships between the actual and measured (densitometric) degree of cross-sectional area narrowing were evaluated by using linear regression analysis and paired Student t tests. Comparison measurements were obtained in en face and profile projections. In addition, the effect of iodinated contrast material concentration was evaluated over a range of dilutions (47–282 mg iodine per milliliter). Results. CO 2 yielded significantly more accurate results than did iodinated contrast material (282 mg iodine per milliliter) in the 50%, 60%, and 70% stenosis models when imaging was performed en face ( P 2 DSA when imaging in profile (slope = 0.91, intercept = 2.42% actual stenosis, r = .99). The accuracy of densitometric stenosis estimation was inversely related to the concentration of iodinated contrast material. Conclusion. CO 2 DSA densitometry, under the conditions of these experiments, yields quantitative measures of relative cross-sectional area narrowing that are comparable with, and under some circumstances surpass, those obtained with iodinated contrast material-based DSA. In this model, CO 2 was more useful than iodinated contrast material in 50%–70% stenosis when imaging in the least-optimal plane of stenosis quantification, the en face projection.
State-of-the-Art Review of Micro Ultrasonic Machining

In ultrasonic machining (USM), hard and brittle material is removed by the hammering of abrasive particles excited by ultrasonic vibration delivered to the tool. USM does not significantly alter metallurgical, chemical, or physical properties of work material because of its non-thermal, non-chemical and non-electrical nature. USM has been downscaled to generate micro-scale features in brittle and hard materials such as silicon, quartz, glass and ceramics. Micro holes, slots and 3-D features have been machined. However, the knowledge base for micro USM is far from sufficient to provide instructive rules in applying micro USM to practical manufacturing. This paper presents a systematic literature review and reports the state-of-the-art investigation in micro USM based on previous experimental and theoretical results. Research issues are identified for further improvement of this special micromachining process.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The family perspective of ESRD deaths.

Background: Nephrologists need to become more aware of how patients die. Methods: Families of patients who died after receiving dialysis at 5 New England nephrology clinics were contacted and informed about the study. Postal questionnaires were completed 6 to 10 weeks after deaths to elicit the family members' perspectives. The tool inquired about quality of dying, site of death, advance care preferences, whether dialysis was discontinued, and terminal symptoms. Results: There were 188 deaths, and 86 completed questionnaires (46%) were returned. The majority (64%) of family members believed that the patient had a peaceful death, followed by those who were unsure (24%), and those who thought the death was not peaceful (12%). Most deaths took place in institutional settings (56% in the hospital and 14% in nursing homes), and one quarter (27%) of the deaths occurred at home. Whereas some respondents perceived that patients preferred treatment to primarily extend life (28%), more believed that relieving pain (49%) was of greater importance, and the balance (24%) were unsure. Three quarters of the patient population were observed to be in pain during their last week of life. Pain was assessed as being extremely or moderately severe in more than 90% of patients. The second most distressing symptom was weakness or fatigue, followed by dyspnea, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, and depression. There was significantly less likelihood of pain in the last week of life for patients who died at home compared with those who died in an institution. Conclusion: Nephrologists need to explore new ways to improve symptomatic treatment and minimize suffering of dying dialysis patients. These findings are the first step in benchmarking the prevalence and severity of terminal symptoms.
Importances of polar groups for initiating blood coagulation and aggregating platelets.

HAEMOSTASIS and thrombosis are thought to involve a reaction between the blood and the diseased or damaged walls of blood vessels, but little is known about the chemical nature of the process. It is, however, known that collagen, which is present in the walls of blood vessels, will aggregate platelets in vitro1,2 and will also initiate the blood clotting mechanism3,4. These properties of native collagen with an intact triple helical structure are, however, lacking in the denatured random coil form4,5. Furthermore, selective blocking of polar groups on the native collagen molecule specifically inhibits either the ability to aggregate platelets or to initiate clotting. In the light of these and other observations listed in Tables 1 and 2, we wish to propose that rigidly spaced polar groups confer on substances the ability to aggregate platelets or to initiate clotting by activating the Hageman factor.
A tunable mixture solvent for poly(ɛ-caprolactone): Acetone + CO2

Abstract We report on a tunable, versatile solvent system for poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL). It is shown that acetone + carbon dioxide mixtures are efficient solvents for this biodegradable polymer. Phase behavior and volumetric properties of PCL + acetone + CO2 mixtures were determined in a variable-volume view cell. Effect of temperature (323–398 K), pressure (0.1–50 MPa), polymer concentration (1–20 wt%), polymer molecular weight (14k and 65k) and carbon dioxide concentration (0–60 wt%) on the liquid–liquid (L–L) phase boundaries and the densities was explored. Complete miscibility of mixtures with polymer concentrations up to 20 wt% could be achieved in the fluid mixtures containing up to 50 wt% carbon dioxide at modest pressures (5–40 MPa). The solutions all showed LCST-type phase behavior. Comparisons with literature data on the miscibility pressures in other solvent mixtures such as dimethyl ether + carbon dioxide or chlorodifluoromethane + carbon dioxide show that complete miscibilities of PCL in acetone + carbon dioxide mixtures are achievable at much lower pressures. The mixture densities were in the range 0.58–1.20 g/cm3. Mixtures with carbon dioxide content more than 20 wt% showed higher sensitivity and larger change in density with pressure. Densities of the polymer solutions were found to increase significantly with PCL concentration. The densities of solutions with different polymer molecular weights were close to each other, with the lower molecular weight polymer samples showing slightly higher densities. A unique contribution of the present paper is the comparison of compressibility and expansivity of the solutions with the corresponding properties of the solvents. Analysis of the data shows that the compressibilities of PCL solutions are lower than that of the acetone + carbon dioxide solvent mixture at temperatures lower than 373 K. At around 373 K, compressibilities become equal to each other and a switchover is observed at higher temperatures. The difference in the isothermal compressibility of the polymer solution and the solvent decreases with pressure, but reaches a plateau value for pressures greater than 25 MPa. Compared to their solvent mixture, the polymer solutions display a higher isobaric expansivity at the same pressure.
Effect of Night Smoking, Sleep Disturbance, and Their Co-Occurrence on Smoking Outcomes

Recent evidence suggests that smoking during the night is an indicator of nicotine dependence and predicts smoking cessation failure. Night smokers are likely to experience disturbance to their sleep cycle when they wake to smoke, but we are not aware of the prevalence of night smokers' self-reported sleep disturbance. Because sleep disturbance also predicts smoking cessation failure, we examined how the pre-cessation risk factors of night smoking and sleep disturbance, and their co-occurrence, predict smoking cessation failure in a 6-week double-blind randomized controlled trial examining whether naltrexone augments the efficacy of the nicotine patch (O'Malley et al., 2006). Smokers (N = 385) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Buysse, Reynolds, Monk, Berman, & Kupfer, 1989) and a single item of waking at night to smoke pre-cessation. Smoking status was determined at weeks 1, 6, 24 and 48 weeks after quitting. The 2 main findings were: (1) night smokers reported significantly greater sleep disturbance than non-night smokers; and (2) smokers with co-occurring night smoking and sleep disturbance experienced significantly greater risk for smoking than smokers with neither risk factor. Results suggest that individuals who both wake during the night to smoke and report clinically-significant sleep disturbance represent a high-risk group of smokers. Future smoking cessation treatment might incorporate strategies related to managing these smokers' sleep habits and physiological dependence on nicotine in order to bolster their cessation outcomes.
Radiative decay of mesons in broken SU(3)

In this note we show how it is possible to fit the relative radiative decay rates of vector mesons using the vector-dominance model with only one SU(3)-breaking parameter.
Dimension and lacunarity measurement of IR images using Hilbert scanning

This paper illustrates the use of fractal geometry and fractal metrics for analysis and characterization of natural textures and clutter in IR images in the wavelength band of 2-5 micrometers . In addition to the local fractal dimension, the lacunarity of textures is also briefly investigated. The addition of lacunarity significantly improves the pattern classification performance and is an important part of a complete fractal description of natural textures. A new measurement technique, based on the statistics of a space-filling curve, is presented. Specifically, a space-filling scan of an image texture is used to estimate the fractal dimension of the corresponding intensity surface. This unique one-dimensional representation is also used for measuring local texture features such as granularity and lacunarity.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Structure and Function of the Beta-Barrel Assembly Machine and its Associated Chaperones

Membrane insertion of βeτα-barrel Outer Membrane Proteins (OMPs) is essential for Gram-Negative bacteria and requires the action of both periplasmic chaperones and the outer membrane complex known as beta-Barrel Assembly Machinery (BAM). Interfering with OMP transport and assembly may be an effective strategy for antibiotic development; much like β-lactams are effective by inhibiting cell wall synthesis. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms by which periplasmic chaperones and the BAM complex work together to control OMP transport and assembly. The BAM complex is composed of BamA, a β-barrel OMP itself; and four associated lipoproteins: BamB, C, D and E. BamA and BamD are essential for viability and appear to be present in all bacteria with an outer membrane. Whereas the phylogenetic distribution of BamB, C and E is not well defined, these lipoproteins are also important for OMP biogenesis and their deletion in E. coli results in outer membrane permeability defects. In the current model, periplasmic chaperones prevent OMP aggregation in the periplasm and deliver their cargo to the BAM complex for insertion into the outer membrane. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating this process are still obscure. I present the crystal and NMR structures of BamB, BamD and BamC as well as the periplasmic domain of BamA. In addition we have just solved the structure of a complex between BamB and the periplasmic fragment of BamA, which begins to illuminate the architecture of this essential molecular machine. Using complementary biochemical and genetic experiments we show that the periplasmic domain of BamA is undergoes conformational transitions that are essential for its role in OMP folding and insertion. I'll present the implications of these structure/function studies for the mechanism of OMP folding and insertion.
Combinatorial immunoglobulin libraries in phage λ

A rapid route for the generation of monoclonal antibodies by repertoire cloning is described. The technique circumvents the need for conventional hybridoma production and allows a variety of new approaches in antibody design and selection. The genes encoding the Fd and light chains are accessed by PCR amplification from cDNA and cloned into two separate λ expression vectors. The libraries of λ Fd and λ light chains are then combined to generate a single λ combinatorial vector encoding both chains and capable of generating a Fab fragment. Since the libraries are constructed in bacteriophage λ, in vitro packaging offers a very efficient route for reintroducing the recombinant DNA back into Escherichia coli. The library generated in such a way may be screened by conventional plaque lifts on nitrocellulose filters using labeled antigen.
What Does a Saint Do amidst MASSOLIT Revelers? Mikhail Bulgakov, Father John of Kronstadt, and Julien Benda's La trahison des clercs

Dante-according to the well known Dante scholar and translator Robert Hollanderoffends only two classes of reader: believers and nonbelievers.' This witty observation can also be applied to Bulgakov's Master and Margarita, a text clearly inspired by Dante's moral and artistic vision. Indeed, for nonbelievers, the novel's overt concern with religious themes and symbolism might appear excessive, while many believers find Bulgakov's dubious theology and irreverent tone offensive, if not sacrilegious. For example, Nikolai Bokov an 6migr6 author residing in Paris, in a letter to Russkaia mysl', warns the novel's admirers that Master and Margarita is an exercise in sacrilege, and that, therefore, they should question the "dark source of Bulgakov's humor, one that resorts to unprovoked hints at real people." As an example of such "unprovoked hints," Bokov refers to Bulgakov's mockery of "the blessed saint, John of Kronstadt," observing that "neither philologists, nor Christian readers of the novel bother to reflect as to why the description of the revelers at the MASSOLIT Restaurant mentions 'some John from Kronstadt.'"2