cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of amino acid changes in the envelope glycoproteins of bovine viral diarrhea viruses isolated from alpaca that may be involved in host adaptation.

Abstract Bovine viral diarrhea viruses (BVDV) are most commonly associated with infections of cattle. However, BVDV are often isolated from closely related ruminants with a number of BVDV-1b viruses being isolated from alpacas that were both acutely and persistently infected. The complete nucleotide sequence of the open reading frame of eleven alpaca-adapted BVDV isolates and the region encoding the envelope glycoproteins of an additional three isolates were determined. With the exception of one, all alpaca isolates were >99.2% similar at the nucleotide level. The Hercules isolate was more divergent, with 95.7% sequence identity to the other viruses. Sequence similarity of the 14 viruses indicated they were isolates of a single BVDV strain that had adapted to and were circulating through alpaca herds. Hercules was a more distantly related strain that has been isolated only once in Canada and represented a separate adaptation event that possessed the same adaptive changes. Comparison of amino acid sequences of alpaca and bovine-derived BVDV strains revealed three regions with amino acid sequences unique to all alpaca isolates. The first contained two small in-frame deletions near the N-terminus of the E2 glycoprotein. The second was found near the C-terminus of the E2 protein where four altered amino acids were located within a 30 amino acid domain that participates in E2 homodimerization. The third region contained three variable amino acids in the C-terminus of the Erns within the amphipathic helix membrane anchor. These changes were found in the polar side of the amphipathic helix and resulted in an increased charge within the polar face. Titration of bovine and alpaca viruses in both bovine and alpaca cells indicated that with increased charge in the amphipathic helix, the ability to infect alpaca cells also increased.
Stability of IRA-45 Solid Amine Resin as a Function of Carbon Dioxide Absorption and Steam Desorption Cycling

The removal of CO2 from the NASA Space Station's cabin atmosphere, which may be undertaken by a solid-amine water (steam)-desorbed system, is presently evaluated with a view to long-term amine resin stability and adsorption/desorption cycling by means of an automated laboratory flow-testing facility. While the CO2-adsorption capacity of the IRA-45 amine resin used gradually decreased over time, the rate of degradation significantly decreased after the first 10 cycles. Attention is given to the presence (and possible need for removal) of trimethylamine in the process air downstream of the resin bed.
Beyond cost tools: Spacecraft net present value and the hosted payload paradigm

This work is at the intersection of and integrates two broad considerations in the space industry, namely the emergence of the hosted payload paradigm on the one hand, and the increased emphasis for the acquisition of space systems to be value-driven on the other hand. Spacecraft, and hosted payloads, are value delivery artifacts; their value derives from the flow of service they provide to different stakeholders. Their design and acquisition should be value-centric or at a minimum value-informed.
Dimethyl(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)sulfonium salts. Water-soluble environmentally sensitive protein reagents.

Water-soluble reagents were prepared by converting 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl halides into corresponding dimethyl(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)sulfonium salts. The resulting salts were found to selectively modify tryptophan and cysteine when added to amino acids in aqueous solutions. N-Acetyltryptophan, glycyltryptophan, and tryptophanylglycine appeared equal to tryptophan in reactivity with the sulfonium chloride; comparable reactivity was observed with chymotrypsin. Although the sulfonium salts are rapidly hydrolyzed in neutral and alkaline solutions, aqueous solutions at pH 3 are relatively stable. Thus, in contrast to 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide, an aqueous solution of dimethyl(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)sulfonium chloride can be used to modify proteins.
Transition States: Substrate-induced Conformational Transitions

Substrate binding produces a variety of conformational changes in an enzyme that result in favourable substrate–protein interactions and influence catalysis in different ways. The altered form of the enzyme often appears to be more active in catalysis. A specific conformational change that continues into the transition state complex is the basis for substrate specificity. Keywords: induced-fit mechanism; transition state; substrate specificity; ground state destabilization; entropy of activation; concentrated protein motions; conformational dynamics
Stress Fractures in Female Army Recruits: Implications of Bone Density, Calcium Intake, and Exercise

Objective: To identify characteristics and factors associated with increased risk for stress fractures in military women.Design: Case-control study to retrospectively examine physical activity, prior calcium intake, and bone density as predictors of stress fractures.Setting: A military training installation which incorporates physical training for women.Subjects: Forty-nine female soldiers with confirmed stress fractures (cases) and 78 female soldiers with no orthopedic injuries (controls), aged 18 to 33 years.Measures: Retrospective self-reports of habitual exercise, sports participation, and food intake; current height, weight, and body mass index (BMI); demographic variables (age, ethnicity, menstrual patterns, smoking habits); and bone density on radiologically defined stress fractures.Results: Cases and controls were similar in height, weight, and BMI. Measurements of bone density (g/cm2) at the trochanter (cases, 0.77±0.09; controls, 0.77±0.08); femoral neck (cases, 0.94±0.10; controls, 0.94±0.09); ...
The habitat sampling and analysis paradigm has limited value in animal conservation: A prequel

In this essay, I make the case that our studies of wildlife and habitat are largely decoupled from any meaningful relationship to the distribution of the study species. The field that we broadly classify as wildlife–habitat relationships is characterized by an increasing number of studies that gather additional data on phenomena that are already well studied. I offer that unless we make changes to the fundamental aspect of study design, our studies will fail to advance conservation of species. The current habitat sampling and analysis paradigm involves identification of a convenient study area, drawing samples from the usual list of parameters, conducting a series of statistical analyses, comparing findings to other studies, and justifying publication by extrapolating findings to some unspecified larger area. Recommendations for management are usually vague and are seldom tested for efficacy. Most of our habitat studies have little relevance to the target species with regard to viability. Attempts to translate the “best scientific information” into a set of management guidelines for a species produce one size fits all documents. I describe how we usually compromise our studies well before data collection by failing to establish a cogent framework for sampling from an ecologically meaningful unit of a population, but rather sample based on funding priorities and convenience. Specifying the sampling universe for a species sets the stage for properly establishing the sampling frame. Although we always have a target population, that target is often the result of personal, political, or administrative interest, but has little to do with biological reality. I review various intraspecies levels that could be a focus for study, including subspecies and especially ecotypes. Although making assumptions about our study species and habitat parameters is a necessary step, carrying forward untested assumptions from previous studies and failing to test new ones substantially negates the application of research results to meaningful management actions. I include recommendations for enhancing studies of wildlife and habitat with the intent of altering the current norm of wildlife–habitat studies. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Extra Atrial Disease in Patients with "Lone" Atrial Fibrillation.

AIMS Lone atrial fibrillation (LAF) is considered by some to be a primary atrial electrophysiologic disorder. However, we have frequently observed evidence of "extraatrial" diseases - atherosclerosis and associated metabolic disorders - in our LAF patients. We sought to characterize and quantify extraatrial disease burden in LAF patients, and to correlate this burden with features of the arrhythmia including pattern (paroxysmal versus persistent) and response to catheter ablation. METHODS AND RESULTS Forty-six consecutive patients with non-familial LAF underwent assessment for evidence of atherosclerosis (computed tomographic vascular calcification and elevated arterial pulse wave velocity) and associated metabolic diseases (dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and inflammation), and then catheter ablation. The cohort had a significant incidence of atherosclerosis (57%) and metabolic (70%) diseases. Patients with persistent AF tended to have a greater extraatrial disease burden than those with paroxysmal AF. A significant inverse relationship between the rate of ablation success and extraatrial disease burden was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS Extraatrial disease was common in this LAF cohort. Correlations between extraatrial disease burden and features of the arrhythmia would, if verified, challenge the notion that LAF is a "primary" electrophysiologic disorder.
The role of muscle relaxation in participant modeling.

Abstract The present investigation compared the effectiveness of three different treatment procedures in alleviating snake phobic behavior in adults. The procedures employed were Relaxation plus Participant Modeling, in which, following training in deep muscle relaxation, S observed a fearless model going through a graduated series of interactions with a harmless snake, followed by S going through a similar series of interactions; Participant Modeling without relaxation, which was identical to the above except relaxation induction was omitted, and relaxation alone. A fourth group of S s received no treatment of any kind. Both groups experiencing Participant Modeling evidenced a very large, generalizable and lasting reduction in snake avoidance behavior; improvement was not significantly potentiated by the inclusion of the relaxation induction procedure. The results are discussed in relation to Systematic Desensitization.
One- and two-level filter-bank convolvers

In a recent paper, it was shown in detail that in the case of orthonormal and biorthogonal filter banks we can convolve two signals by directly convolving the subband signals and combining the results. In this paper, we further generalize the result. We also derive the statistical coding gain for the generalized subband convolver. As an application, we derive a novel low sensitivity structure for FIR filters from the convolution theorem. We define and derive a deterministic coding gain of the subband convolver over direct convolution for a fixed wordlength implementation. This gain serves as a figure of merit for the low sensitivity structure. Several numerical examples are included to demonstrate the usefulness of these ideas. By using the generalized polyphase representation, we show that the subband convolvers, linear periodically time varying systems, and digital block filtering can be viewed in a unified manner. Furthermore, the scheme called IFIR filtering is shown to be a special case of the convolver. >
The state of Canadian cities: theoretical and applied themes: an introduction

The initial goal of this Geojournal symposium was to provide readers with a holistic sense of the current state of research on and conditions in Canadian cities. While the composite articles certainly achieve this goal, the symposium also speaks to larger issues of urban history, current trends and future trajectories both for urban regions themselves but also for urban scholarship. Several aspects of the symposium are worth note. First, the call for papers for the symposium did not identify preferred specific foci for the research as far as topic or field. As will be become clear, however, the articles as a group highlight several critical themes that represent an urban research agenda for the 21st century, as well as the need for a corresponding urban policy agenda. The papers also reflect the inherent interdisciplinarity of urban research in both a normative and applied sense. The interdisciplinarity is also represented in the particular research methods employed, providing a rich and multifaceted look at the Canadian urban system. Finally, the symposium as a whole highlights the complexity of, yet critical need for, effective and thoughtful urban public policy-making in a rapidly globalizing world. One of the most pervasive themes of the research presented here is the importance of past trends as well as the external forces of globalization in shaping current urban realities. Urban policy-making is inherently limited by path dependency and the natural advantages (or disadvantages) of cities as they take their places in the urban hierarchy. Increasing social and economic globalization adds a rapidly changing external environment over which individual cities or even urban regions, no matter how integrated, have little control. Yet, place and politics still matter; livable, sustainable and governable cities will be those that find room within these forces for effective local efforts to address and perhaps even shape change.
Interactions of antiprotons with atoms and molecules

Abstract Antiproton beams of relatively low energies (below hundreds of MeV) have recently become available. The present article discusses the significance of those beams in the contexts of radiation physics and of atomic and molecular physics. Studies on individual collisions of antiprotons with atoms and molecules are valuable for a better understanding of collisions of protons or electrons, a subject with many applications. An antiproton is unique as a stable, negative heavy particle without electronic structure, and it provides an excellent opportunity to study atomic collision theory. Comparison of the stopping powers of a material for an antiproton and a proton at the same speed will be the most clearcut approach to the Barkas effect. The moderation of an antiproton in matter is roughly similar to that of negative pions and muons, but some differences remain to be elucidated. Full discussion of the interactions of a low-energy antiproton with an atom or molecule must consider the adiabatic potential determined by the electronic motion in the field of the antiproton and nucleus at rest. When an antiproton approaches an atom or molecule sufficiently closely, then some of the atomic or molecular electrons no longer remain bound and ooze out with extremely low kinetic energies; thus, the atom or molecule becomes ionized, often multiply ionized. This mechanism of ionization is absent for a proton. Upon complete moderation, an antiproton is eventually captured by the Coulomb field of a nucleus and thus an antiprotonic atom is formed. The present article also touches upon some problems related to condensed matter. For instance, the possibility or chanelling of antiproton beams in a crystal is considered.
N-fold joint photocounting distribution for modulated laser radiation: Transmission through the turbulent atmosphere

In this paper a generalised result for theN-fold joint photoelectron counting distribution for independently modulated radiation is given. We extend the recent results of Diament and Teich, for the one-fold photoelectron counting distribution for light propagated through an atmosphere characterised by log-normal irradiance fluctuations, to theN-fold joint photoelectron counting distribution. An approximate solution for thisN-fold distribution is obtained, for detection intervals {Ti} «τa whereτa is the characteristic time of the atmospheric turbulence. We present specifically the two-fold joint photocounting distribution for amplitude-stabilised laser radiation passing through such an atmosphere for several levels of turbulence and degrees of correlation. Cases including additive, independent, non-interfering Poisson noise are considered. Computer generated plots of the photocounting distribution are presented. For noise-free detection, the otherwise narrow-peaked photocounting distribution is seen to broaden markedly and shift its peak to lower counts as the turbulence level increases. Furthermore, a non-singular counting distribution is obtained for fully correlated detection. In the presence of additive noise and varying only the signal-to-noise ratioγ, the probability surface is intermediate between that of the Poisson and that of the noise-free log-normal fading counting distribution. The peak, however, is observed to decrease and then again increase in magnitude asγ → ∞, for correlated detection only. These results are expected to be of use in the study of atmospheric turbulence, as well as in the evaluation of certain stochastic functionals that occur in optical communication theory for the turbulent atmospheric channel.
Pattern matching in a model of dendritic spines

Pattern matching, the ability to recognize and maximally respond to an input pattern that is similar to a previously learned pattern, is an essential step in any learning process. To investigate the properties of pattern matching in biological neurons, and in particular the role of a calcium-dependent potassium conductance, a circuit model of a small area of dendritic membrane with a number of dendritic spines is developed. Circuit model simulations show that dendritic membrane depolarization is greater in response to a previously learned pattern of synaptic inputs than in response to a novel pattern of synaptic inputs. These simulations, in combination with an analysis of the circuit model equations, reveal that when a synaptic input pattern is similar to the learned pattern of synaptic inputs, the total dendritic depolarization is a linear combination of dendritic depolarization contributed by individual spines. When at least one synaptic input differs markedly from the learned value, dendritic depolari...
Avian community assembly rules: The foliage-gleaning guild

The theory of animal community organization has been dominated by general models based on the Lotka-Volterra equations. The predictions of these models are difficult to test in particular situations. Moreover, a great deal of ecological information is incommensurate with the data requirements of these models. A different approach to community organization addresses the “ecosystem assembly problem”. This problem is defined to be that of constructing an algorithm which assembles a subset of a species pool in a specified environment.
Infection of the European chafer, Amphimallon majalis by Bacillus popilliae: Light and electron microscope observations☆

Abstract Following ingestion of spores of Bacillus popilliae by grubs of the European chafer, Amphimallon majalis, vegetative rods were observed within phagocytic vacuoles of midgut columnar cells prior to establishing primary infection foci in regenerative nidi areas. This resulted in increased activity of regenerative nidi and extrusion of degenerating epithelial cells frequently containing vegetative rods of B. popilliae. Circulating hemocytes adhered to the hemocoelic surface of the basement membrane and formed inflammatory capsules immediately adjacent to the areas of bacterial proliferation. Bacilli in various stages of degradation were observed in membrane-limited vacuoles of both mesenteric epithelial cells and capsular hemocytes. Despite these host defense reactions, some vegetative cells resisted degradation and were successful in traversing the epithelial, basal lamina, and capsular barriers to enter the hemolymph.
Yellow Nail Syndrome

Yellow nail syndrome (YNS) is a rare entity of unknown cause in which congenitally hypoplastic lymphatics play a major role in the clinical manifestations of the disease. YNS has been associated with many malignancies and immune disorders. We report a case of new-onset YNS associated with breast cancer and dramatic improvement in the yellow nails with cancer treatment.
Treatment of pediatric migraine headaches: a randomized, double-blind trial of prochlorperazine versus ketorolac.

Abstract Study objective We compare the effectiveness of intravenous ketorolac and intravenous prochlorperazine in the treatment of pediatric migraine headaches. Methods We performed a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial in 2 pediatric emergency departments (EDs) within children's hospitals. Children aged 5 to 18 years presenting to the ED with migraine headaches were eligible for the study. Contraindications to either medication or the inability to complete the pain score resulted in exclusion. Children were randomized to receive intravenous ketorolac (0.5 mg/kg; maximum 30 mg) or intravenous prochlorperazine (0.15 mg/kg; maximum 10 mg). All children also received a normal saline solution bolus. Successful treatment was defined as a 50% or greater reduction in the Nine Faces Pain Scale score at 60 minutes. If a less than 50% improvement occurred by 60 minutes, the child received the other medication. Forty-eight-hour follow-up telephone calls were made to each family to assess recurrence and late side effects. Results Sixty-two children were enrolled: 33 initially received prochlorperazine, and 29 initially received ketorolac. By 60 minutes, 16 (55.2%) of 29 of those who received ketorolac and 28 (84.8%) of 33 of those who received prochlorperazine were successfully treated (difference=30%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 8% to 52%). Fifty-six (93.3%) of the 60 children who completed the study were successfully treated by the study's conclusion. Approximately 30% of each group had a recurrence of some headache symptoms. Only 2 children reported side effects, both mild and self-limited. Conclusion In children, intravenous prochlorperazine is superior to intravenous ketorolac in the acute treatment of migraine headaches.
A Stochastic Approach to Dynamic System Modeling With Application to Gas Turbines

Dynamic system mathematical models are a cornerstone for model based fault diagnostic techniques. However, achieving a robust mathematical model, based only on analytical derivations, cannot always be a realistic task especially for dynamic systems possessing physical parameter uncertainties and modeling errors. One attractive alternative is the huge capacity of stochastic methods to model non-deterministic highly complicated dynamic systems. In this paper, a general sensor-based modeling strategy is presented using stochastic techniques with application to a stationary gas turbine. The turbine sensors are monitored and recorded in real time to implement a signal modeling technique based on time series principles and turbine operation states. A subsequent recognition strategy, based on the turbine operation states and the Markov chain approach, is implemented to estimate the different signals. To experimentally validate the developed technique, input and output sensor data for a 4.5 MW stationary gas turbine has been recorded and analyzed during the critical start up phase. The proposed modeling strategy offers a considerable capability to recreate an unobserved signal from the observation of the other signals.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Observed Distribution Patterns of On-Ramp Merge Lengths on Urban Freeways

Three on-ramp sites with moderate to high volumes of through and merge traffic along I-35 within the greater Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri, metropolitan area were selected for investigation of the distribution patterns of the merge lengths of ramp vehicles. On the basis of the observed merging behaviors, merge vehicles were categorized into three types: free merge (FM), challenged merge (CM), and platoon merge (PM). The field data were analyzed with specifically developed software. The results show that (a) FM vehicles merge onto a freeway at arbitrary locations, (b) CM vehicles require traveling a longer distance before a safe merge, and (c) PM vehicles follow a natural smooth path and force themselves onto the mainline traffic within a certain area of a merge lane. The 85th-percentile merge length of all ramp vehicles was further observed to be related to the CM volume, the PM volume, and the average speed of the freeway right-hand first lane. Finally, the potential applications of these findings wer...
Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation reviewer acknowledgement 2014

The editors of Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation would like to thank all of our reviewers who have contributed to the journal in volume 11 (2014).
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of isosorbide dinitrate

It has long been believed that organic nitrates, including isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN), are completely metabolized during their first passage through the liver and that oral therapy with this class of compounds is thus irrational. In the past few years, convincing data have been obtained in patients showing that intact ISDN is significantly bioavailable to the systemic circulation after oral administration; the oral bioavailability is about 20% relative to an intravenous dose and about 45% relative to a sublingual dose, with the balance metabolized to isosorbide mononitrates. These pharmacologically active metabolites have longer biologic half-lives than ISDN and are thus believed to contribute to the sustained duration of action of this drug. After acute dosing, changes in the pharmacologic effects of ISDN mirror those in plasma concentration. However, after long-term therapy, partial nitrate tolerance develops despite elevated plasma ISDN concentrations. Available evidence suggests that during sustained dosing, nitrate metabolism is generally reduced throughout the body; thus reduced hepatic and peripheral tissue metabolism raises plasma ISDN concentrations while reduced vascular tissue metabolism decreases the metabolic activation (perhaps to nitrosothiols?) necessary for vascular relaxation.
National culture and environmental sustainability: A cross-national analysis

This paper demonstrates the significance of culture in examining the relationship between income and the environment. Specifically, we examine the relationship among scores on the Environmental Sustainability Index of the World Economic Forum and the four dimensions of national culture proposed and measured by Hofstede (1983). We find that there are significant multidimensional interrelationships among the cultural and environmental sustainability measures. As an important application, we examine the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) phenomenon. Our finding suggests the limited applicability of the EKC notion when cultural variables are included in the model.
Evaluation of a commercial electronic nose system coupled with universal gas sensing chamber for sensing indicator compounds associated with meat safety

This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of a commercial electronic nose (Cyranose 320™) for sensing indicator compounds (ethanol and acetic acid) associated with spoiled beef. The present study reported the sensitivity of an array of 32 sensors to ethanol and acetic acid. Different vapor concentrations of ethanol (37, 100, 250 and 500 ppm) and acetic acid (38, 75, 100, 200 and 300 ppm) were tested to evaluate the performance of the commercial system. An in-house designed universal gas sensing and characterization system was coupled with the electronic nose system to generate the desired gas concentration. The raw smell print patterns were obtained and analyzed for individual and multiple detectors. Tukey’s multiple comparison technique was performed to analyze the response of individual detectors. Area above and below the baseline were selected as two features for pair wise comparison of the detectors. Different sensors showed different responses between various concentrations of gases. Analysis of multiple detectors was performed using linear and quadratic discriminant analysis (LDA and QDA) along with bootstrap. LDA along with bootstrap provided the highest total classification accuracies of 94.34 % between 100 and 200 ppm of acetic acid. QDA provided higher total classification accuracy of 89.69 % at lower concentration level of 38 and 75 ppm for acetic acid and 84.78 % between 37 and 100 ppm of ethanol. Hence, QDA was a better model of choice at lower concentrations. This study proved non-selective nature of sensors and showed that simultaneous use of multiple sensor information provided better classification accuracy for discriminating various gas concentrations as compared to using individual sensor output.
Mismatch Extension by Escherichia coli DNA Polymerase III Holoenzyme

The in vitro fidelity ofEscherichia coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme (HE) is characterized by an unusual propensity for generating (−1)-frameshift mutations. Here we have examined the capability of HE isolated from both a wild-type and a proofreading-impaired mutD5 strain to polymerize from M13mp2 DNA primer-templates containing a terminal T(template)·C mismatch. These substrates contained either an A or a G as the next (5′) template base. The assay allows distinction between: (i) direct extension of the terminal C (producing a base substitution), (ii) exonucleolytic removal of the C, or (iii), for the G-containing template, extension after misalignment of the C on the next template G (producing a (−1)-frameshift). On the A-containing substrate, both HEs did not extend the terminal C ( 99%). In contrast, on the G-containing substrate, the MutD5 HE yielded 61% (−1)-frameshifts and 6% base substitutions. The wild-type HE mostly excised the mispaired C from this substrate before extension (98%), but among the 2% mutants, (−1)-frameshifts exceeded base substitutions by 20 to 1. The preference of polymerase III HE for misalignment extension over direct mismatch extension provides a basis for explaining the in vitro (−1)-frameshift specificity of polymerase III HE.
Chemical selectivity in micellar electrokinetic chromatography. II. Rationalization of elution patterns in different surfactant systems.

Retention behavior in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) is investigated using linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs) for two pseudo-stationary phases, one consisting of cationic micelles of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C14TAB) and the other of an anionic triblock copolymer, poly(methyl methacrylate-ethyl acrylate-methacrylic acid) (Elvacite 2669). It was found that solutes' migration behaviors in these two MEKC systems are mainly influenced by their si/e (V/100) and hydrogen bonding acceptor (HBA) strength (β). However, solutes' hydrogen bonding donor (HBD) strength (α) has minor effects on their migration in MEKC. The characteristics of these two systems were compared to three other previously reported anionic micellar systems of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (anionic hydrocarbon), sodium cholate (SC) (anionic bile salt) and lithium perfluorooctane sulfonate (LiPFOS) (anionic fluorocarbon). It was concluded that hydrogen bonding interactions play a major role in providing different chemical selectivity among these five MEKC systems. Both C14TAB micelles and the ionic polymer of Elvacite 2669 provide hydrogen bonding acceptor (HBA) sites for solutes, which is similar to SC micelles. In fact, C14TAB is the strongest HBA, while Elvacite 2669 has HBA strength similar to that of SC micelles. On the other hand, the fluorocarbon micelles of LiPFOS are the strongest hydrogen bond donor (HBD) micelles, followed by the weak HBD SDS micelles. In general, cavity formation has little or no effect on chemical selectivity among hydrocarbon surfactant MEKC systems (i.e., SDS, SC and C14TAB). Information obtained from the LSER analysis is used to rationalize the elution patterns in MEKC with different types of pseudo-stationary phases.
Optimization of electron-capture detector when using packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography with modified carbon dioxide

Abstract Response surfaces were obtained for packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography with electron-capture detection (SFC-ECD) under various detector conditions to optimize the ECD for use with modified CO2. Limits of detection, correlation coefficients and linear dynamic ranges were found to vary with increasing amounts of modifier for several nitrogen-containing and halogenated compounds. Low detection limits (pg) were achieved in the presence of 5% methanol-modified CO2. Applicantions of packed-column SFC-ECD to the separation of nitrogen-containing compounds extracted from propellants and phenylurea herbicides are presented.
A role for presynaptic α2-adrenoceptors in angiotensin II-induced drinking in rats

Studies from this laboratory have shown that either central or peripheral administration of clonidine, the alpha(sub 2)-adrenoceptor agonist, can attenuate a variety of dipsogenic stimuli in rats. Further, yohimbine and tolazoline, alpha(sub 2)-adrenoceptor antagonists, augment the drinking response to both peripherally administered isoproterenol and angiotensin 2. Studies reported here establish a dose-inhibition relationship between the dose of clonidine administered (2 to 32 micrograms/kg) intracerebroventricularly (IVT) and inhibition of the drinking response to peripherally administered angiotensin 2 (200 micrograms/kg, SC). DI(sub 50) was approximately 4 micrograms/kg. Yohimbine (300 micrograms/kg, SC) reversed the antidipsogenic effect of centrally administered clonidine (32 micrograms/kg, IVT) on angiotensin 2-induced (200 micrograms/kg, SC) water intake. Phenylephrine, an alpha(sub 2)-adrenoceptor agonist, administered IVT (40 and 80 micrograms/kg) also inhibited angiotensin 2-induced drinking in a dose-related fashion. The antidipsogenic effect of phenylephfine (80 micrograms/kg) was blocked by administration of yohimbine (100 micrograms/kg, SC). Thus, this effect of phenylephrine most likely occurs by way of alpha(sub 2)- adrenoceptors. These results support a role for the pre-synaptic alpha(sub 2)-adrenoceptor in the mediation of drinking in rats. Activation of alpha(sub 2)-adrenoceptors is accompanied by reduced water intake while inhibition of these receptors enhances water intake.
Analysis of effective service time with age dependent interruptions and its application to optimal rollback policy for database management

A stochastic model is developed describing a service system subject to inhomogeneous Poisson interruptions with age dependent interruption periods. By studying the probabilistic flow of the underlying multivariate Markov process, the Laplace transform of the effective service time is explicitly obtained. For general renewal interruptions, only the expected effective service time is derived. As an application, an optimal checkpoint policy is examined for database management. It is shown that an optimal policy maximizing the ergodic availability of the database is to implement a checkpoint as soon as the cumulative uptime of the database reaches a prespecified constantk*. A computational procedure is then developed for findingk* and numerical results are exhibited.
Ultraviolet observations of cool stars. VIII - Interstellar matter toward Procyon

The profile of the chromospheric L-alpha emission line of the F5 IV-V star Procyon (Alpha CMi, d = 3.5 pc) has been measured using the high-resolution Princeton spectrometer aboard NASA's Copernicus satellite. L-alpha absorption lines of interstellar deuterium and hydrogen are distinctly present. The average number density of interstellar hydrogen along the line of sight is found to be 0.11 + or - 0.02 per cu cm, similar to the densities that have been found in the directions of the stars Epsilon Eri, Epsilon Ind, and Alpha Cen A. These stars are all within 3.5 pc of the earth. The ratio of deuterium to hydrogen in the direction of Procyon is found to be 1.3 (+1.2, -0.5) x 10 to the -5th.
Evolution to similarity solutions for fragmentation and aggregation

Abstract The theory of binary fragmentation and aggregation is of interest in numerous engineering applications, including polymer decomposition and addition. Particles can randomly aggregate and simultaneously fragment to smaller sizes that may be distributed randomly or nonrandomly. When the initial particle-size distribution (PSD) is represented as a generalized γ distribution, the time evolution of its parameters can be determined. We assume the fragmentation rate coefficient depends on particle size,x, asxλ, and the aggregation rate coefficient is independent of particle size. The type of fission (e.g., random or midpoint) is governed by the stoichiometric coefficient. Numerical solutions show the time evolution for general cases of fragmentation and aggregation. We show that the PSD approaches similarity solutions for special cases of fragmentation–aggregation stoichiometry and of λ.
Multiple instance hidden Markov models for GPR-based landmine detection

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a widely used technology for the detection of subsurface buried threats. Although GPR data contains a representation of 3D space, during training, target and false alarm locations are usually only provided in 2D space along the surface of the earth. To overcome uncertainty in target depth location, many algorithms simply extract features from multiple depth regions that are then independently used to make mine/non-mine decisions. A similar technique is employed in hidden Markov models (HMM) based landmine detection. In this approach, sequences of downtrack GPR responses over multiple depth regions are utilized to train an HMM, which learns the probability of a particular sequence of GPR responses being generated by a buried target. However, the uncertainty in object depth complicates learning for discriminating targets/non-targets since features at the (unknown) target depth can be significantly different from features at other depths but in the same volume. To mitigate the negative impact of the uncertainty in object depth, mixture models based on Multiple Instance Learning (MIL) have previously been developed. MIL is also applicable in the landmine detection problem using HMMs because features that are extracted independently from sequences of GPR signals over several depth bins can be viewed as a set of unlabeled time series, where the entire set either corresponds to a buried threat or a false alarm. In this work, a novel framework termed as multiple instance hidden Markov model (MIHMM) is developed. We show that the performance of the proposed approach for discriminating targets from non-targets in GPR data is promising.
Neural networks provide superior description of Giardia lamblia inactivation by free chlorine

Use of conventional models to describe data on microbial inactivation during disinfection suffers from limitations with respect to flexibility and direct quantitative incorporation of water quality variables. This paper develops an approach to analysis of such data using neural networks (NNs). Using the data on free chlorine inactivation of Giardia lamblia previously reported, it was found that the use of an NN with a single hidden layer and four hidden neurons provided a superior (better) fit to the data with a reduced number of model parameters when compared to the fitting of this data using a conventional approach. Therefore, the use of NN models should be considered in the future assessment of microbial inactivation during disinfection. Incorporation of additional facets of the disinfection process, such a disinfectant decay, needs to be considered in subsequent development of this approach.
Method for extracting the quark mixing parameter cosalpha via B+/- -->pi(+/-)e(+)e(-)

We show that it is possible to extract the weak mixing angle {alpha} via a measurement of the rate for B{sup {+-}}{yields}{pi}{sup {+-}}e{sup +} e{sup -} . The sensitivity to cos {alpha} results from the interference between the long and short distance contributions. The short distance contribution is given in terms of semileptonic form factors. The long distance contribution can be calculated using Ward identities and a short distance operator product expansion if the invariant mass of the lepton pair, q{sup 2} , is larger than {lambda}{sup 2}{sub QCD} . For q{sup 2}{>=}2 GeV {sup 2} the branching fraction is approximately 1x10{sup -8}|V{sub td}/0.008|{sup 2} . The shape of d{gamma}/dq{sup 2} is very sensitive to the value of cos {alpha} at small values of q{sup 2} and varies by 50% when -1<cos {alpha}<1 at q{sup 2}=2 GeV {sup 2} . (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
IDENTIFYING LATIN AMERICAN ART. ARE THE LINES ACCURATELY DRAWN

Art in Latin America: The Modern Era, 1820–1980 by Dawn Ades, with essays by Stanton Loomis Catlin and Guy Brett, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989, 361 pp., 361 colour plates, 182 b. and w. illus., £40 Drawing the Line: Art and Cultural Identity in Contemporary Latin America by Oriana Baddeley and Valerie Fraser, London: Verso, 1989, 164 pp., 22 colour plates, 62 b. and w. illus., £32.95 hardback, £11.95 paperback
A Coding Scheme for Analyzing Capstone Design Reports: Problem and Solution Descriptions

It is desirable that the graduating engineering students possess the skills of formulating and solving engineering problems to design solutions that meet the established requirements. However, the current literature has noticeable gaps pertaining to understanding how the formulation of design problems and establishment of requirements affect the final design solution. The ultimate goal of this research is to understand the influence of the level of detail of problem statement and requirements on the level of detail of final solution. In order to accomplish this goal a coding scheme is developed to systematically code the information in the final design reports from capstone design class collected over a period of ten years from 1999 to 2008. The coded information is used to develop mappings between problem statement and final solution. To this end, this paper describes the scheme for systematically coding the problem statement and final design solution.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Studies on phagocytosis—III. tricarboxylic acid cycle and the cytochrome system as energy sources for phagocytosis in rabbit peritoneal exudate polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Abstract The phagocytosis of starch granules by rabbit peritoneal exudate polymorphonuclear leukocytes measured by the uptake of 131I-labeled human serum albumin was found to be suppressed by anaerobiosis, iodoacetate, malonate, cyanide and ATPase inhibitors. The suppressive effect of iodoacetate can be partially relieved by pyruvate. The results suggest that the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the cytochrome system play important roles in supplying energy for the phagocytic process.
Accurate Simulations of Pb Recoils in SuperCDMS

SuperCDMS is a direct detection search for WIMPs, currently operating a 9 kg array of germanium detectors in the Soudan Underground Laboratory. The detectors, known as iZIPs, are cylindrical in shape and each flat surface is instrumented with both ionization and phonon sensors. Charge and phonon information is collected for each event, and comparing the energy collected in the phonon sensors to the charge sensors gives excellent discrimination power between nuclear recoil and electron recoil events. Furthermore, this technology provides excellent discrimination between surface and bulk events. In order to show the surface event rejection capability of these detectors, two $$^{210}$$ Pb sources were installed facing two of the detectors currently operating in the Soudan experimental run. The $$^{210}$$ Pb decays to $$^{210}$$ Bi, which in turn decays to $$^{210}$$ Po. The $$^{210}$$ Po decays by alpha emission, yielding a recoiling $$^{206}$$ Pb ion with 103 keV kinetic energy and an alpha particle with 5.4 MeV kinetic energy. We used the non-standard Screened Nuclear Recoil Physics List (Mendenhall and Weller, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B 227:420–430, 2005) in Geant4 (Agostinelli et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. Sect. A 506:250–303, 2003) to simulate all of the above decays and achieve excellent agreement with experiment. The focus of this paper is the simulation of the $$^{210}$$ Po decay.
The conversion of Fredholm integral equations to equivalent Cauchy problems— II. computation of resolvents

A new method is given for computing the resolvent of a large class of Fredholm integral equations. The technique is based on converting the integral equation satisfied by the resolvent to a family of two point boundary value problems. The application of invariant imbedding then gives an equivalent Cauchy problem satisfied by the resolvent kernel. The procedure is compared to previous ones based on the Bellman-Krein equation. It is shown that our method requires fewer equations to integrate if the number of output points on each axis exeeds the bank of the kernel.
Production and collision-induced dissociation of small boron cluster ions

Bonding in small boron cations (B/sub 2-8//sup +/) is probed by measurement of threshold energies and fragmentation patterns for collision-induced dissociation (CID), using a guided-beam tandem mass spectrometer equipped with a novel source of thermalized boron cluster ions. The primary fragmentation channel is loss of B/sup +/ in all cases, and the dimer ion is found to be much less strongly bonded than B/sub 3-8//sup +/. B/sub 5//sup +/ is a particularly abundant cluster in the distribution produced in the source and is also a magic fragment in CID of larger boron cluster ions. With the exception of the dimer, boron cluster ions are 2-3 times more strongly bound than the isolvalent aluminum cluster ions and yield a different fragmentation pattern.
“Normal” childhood sexual play and games: Differentiating play from abuse

Recent recognition of child-to-child and adolescent-to-child sexual abuse raises the question, for the courts, educators, clinicians, and lay individuals, where do we draw the line between normal childhood sexual play, and abuse. This paper presents the results of a survey on normative childhood sexual play and games experiences that was distributed to 300 undergraduates at an all women's college. One hundred-twenty-eight returned the survey, 85% of whom described a childhood sexual game experience. Of these women, 44% described cross-gender play and there was a trend for women who had described cross-gender experiences to have seen the play as involving persuasion, manipulation, or coercion. A strong relationship was found between abuse and cross-gender play. Level of physical involvement in the game was correlated with perceptions of normality. A typology of six kinds of sexual play experiences was derived. Results are discussed in terms of their relation to differentiating childhood sexual abuse from play and gender socialization influences relating to the role rehearsal of coercive or manipulative relationships.