cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
17-α estradiol ameliorates age-associated sarcopenia and improves late-life physical function in male mice but not in females or castrated males.

Pharmacological treatments can extend mouse lifespan, but lifespan effects often differ between sexes. 17-α estradiol (17aE2), a less feminizing structural isomer of 17-β estradiol, produces lifespan extension only in male mice, suggesting a sexually dimorphic mechanism of lifespan regulation. We tested whether these anti-aging effects extend to anatomical and functional aging-important in late-life health-and whether gonadally derived hormones control aging responses to 17aE2 in either sex. While 17aE2 started at 4 months of age diminishes body weight in both sexes during adulthood, in late-life 17aE2-treated mice better maintain body weight. In 17aE2-treated male mice, the higher body weight is associated with heavier skeletal muscles and larger muscle fibers compared with untreated mice during aging, while treated females have heavier subcutaneous fat. Maintenance of skeletal muscle in male mice is associated with improved grip strength and rotarod capacity at 25 months, in addition to higher levels of most amino acids in quadriceps muscle. We further show that sex-specific responses to 17aE2-metabolomic, structural, and functional-are regulated by gonadal hormones in male mice. Castrated males have heavier quadriceps than intact males at 25 months, but do not respond to 17aE2, suggesting 17aE2 promotes an anti-aging skeletal muscle phenotype similar to castration. Finally, 17aE2 treatment benefits can be recapitulated in mice when treatment is started at 16 months, suggesting that 17aE2 may be able to improve aspects of late-life function even when started after middle age.
Discovery of Large Quantity of Acanthocytes in Ovarian Follicular Fluids of the Infertility Patients

The prevalence of human infertility has been increasing. With the application of in Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technologies, approximately 37% of patients can achieve pregnancies on their first attempt [1].
Absence of MyD88 from Skeletal Muscle Protects Female Mice from Inactivity-Induced Adiposity and Insulin Resistance.

Objective Inactivity and inflammation are linked to obesity and insulin resistance. It was hypothesized that MyD88 (mediates inflammation) knockout from muscle (MusMyD88-/- ) would prevent, whereas miR146a-/- (MyD88 inhibitor) would exacerbate, inactivity-induced metabolic disturbances. Methods Cre-control, MusMyD88-/- , and miR146a-/- mice were given running wheels for 5 weeks to model an active phenotype. Afterward, half were placed into a small mouse cage (SMC) to restrict movement for 8 days. Body composition, muscle (3 H)2-deoxyglucose uptake, visceral fat histology, and tissue weight (hind limb muscles, visceral fat, and liver) were assessed. In skeletal muscle and visceral fat, RNA sequencing and mitochondrial function were performed on female MusMyD88-/- and Cre-control SMC mice. Results The SMC induced adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, and muscle insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, which was worsened in miR146a-/- mice. In females, MusMyD88-/- mice were protected. Female MusMyD88-/- mice during the SMC period (vs. Cre-control) exhibited higher Igf1 and decreased Ip6k3 and Trim63 muscle expression. Visceral fat transcript changes corresponded to improved lipid metabolism, decreased adipose expansion (Gulp1↑, Anxa2↓, Ehd1↓) and meta-inflammation (Hmox1↓), and increased beiging (Fgf10↑). Ralgapa2, negative regulator of GLUT4 translocation, and inflammation-related gene 993011J21Rik2 were decreased in both muscle and fat. Conclusions Whole-body miR146a-/- exacerbated inactivity-induced fat gain and muscle insulin resistance, whereas MusMyD88-/- prevented insulin resistance in female mice.
An optimal numerical solver for elastic wave simulation

In seismic exploration, the dominant applications are still based on the acoustic wave assumption because of the simplicity and computational efficiency. Compared to the acoustic wave equation, the...
Optical materials for maximal nanophotonic response [Invited]

This article reviews the material properties that enable maximum optical response. We highlight theoretical results that enable shape-independent quantification of material “figures of merit,” ranging from classical sum rules to more recent single-frequency scattering bounds. A key delineation at optical frequencies is between polaritonic materials that support highly subwavelength resonances and dielectric materials that can have vanishingly small loss rates. We discuss the key metrics that enable comparisons both within these material classes and between them. We discuss analogous metrics for 2D materials, and point to applications for which rigorous comparison can be made between bulk- and 2D-material approaches. The various results highlight the synergy between materials discovery and theoretical nanophotonic bounds, and point to opportunities in achieving new extremes in light–matter interactions.
Two new reported cases of 16q22.3q23.3 duplication syndrome highlight intrafamilial variability and potential sex expression differences within a rare duplication syndrome

Two new cases of 16q22.3q23.3 Duplication syndrome demonstrate that phenotype can vary from severely affected to mild psychiatric concerns, even within the same family and identical duplications.
Effect of Body Weight and Age on the Pharmacokinetics of Dihydroartemisinin: FDA Basis for Dose Determination of Artesunate for Injection in Pediatric Patients with Severe Malaria

For treatment of severe malaria, the World Health Organization recommends 3 mg/kg intravenous artesunate in pediatric patients weighing less than 20 kg. Here we describe the Food and Drug Administration's rationale for selecting 2.4 mg/kg in pediatric patients weighing less than 20 kg based on literature review and independent analyses.
Physics-guided logistic classification for tool life modeling and process parameter optimization in machining

Abstract This paper describes a physics-guided logistic classification method for tool life modeling and process parameter optimization in machining. Tool life is modeled using a classification method since the exact tool life cannot be measured in a typical production environment where tool wear can only be directly measured when the tool is replaced. In this study, laboratory tool wear experiments are used to simulate tool wear data normally collected during part production. Two states are defined: tool not worn (class 0) and tool worn (class 1). The non-linear reduction in tool life with cutting speed is modeled by applying a logarithmic transformation to the inputs for the logistic classification model. A method for interpretability of the logistic model coefficients is provided by comparison with the empirical Taylor tool life model. The method is validated using tool wear experiments for milling. Results show that the physics-guided logistic classification method can predict tool life using limited datasets. A method for pre-process optimization of machining parameters using a probabilistic machining cost model is presented. The proposed method offers a robust and practical approach to tool life modeling and process parameter optimization in a production environment.
Modeling of a controlled flow cup for improved transitional drinking development in children.

IntroductionClinical observations of children with swallowing disorders using a traditional “sippy” or transitional drinking cup identified a need for a novel cup. Children with swallowing disorder...
Interaction of the Frontotemporal Dementia-Associated Protein TMEM106B With VAMP8 in Lysosome-Autophagosome Fusion

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a leading cause of early-onset dementia, but the pathological mechanisms underlying this disorder are not well understood. Common variants in the gene encoding Transmembrane Protein 106B (TMEM106B) increase genetic risk for FTLD with TAR DNA-binding Protein 43 (TDP-43) inclusions (FTLD-TDP-43), and variants associated with increased TMEM106B expression confer greater disease risk. Here, we demonstrate that TMEM106B expression increases the formation of enlarged autolysosomes and elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying this phenotype. By immunoprecipitating TMEM106B and identifying co-immunoprecipitated proteins by mass spectrometry (IP-MS), we found that TMEM106B interacts with the Vesicle-associated membrane protein 8 (VAMP8), a SNARE protein known to mediate lysosome-autophagosome fusion. TMEM106B and VAMP8 co-localize in lysosomes, and their interaction is dependent on lysosomal pH. Knockdown of VAMP8, or its partner in lysosome-autophagosome fusion Syntaxin-17 (Stx17), rescues the TMEM106B-induced vacuolar phenotype of enlarged autolysosomes. Moreover, deacidification of lysosomes in HeLa cells and iPSC-neurons abrogates co-localization of TMEM106B and VAMP8, with redistribution of VAMP8 to the cell periphery. Taken together, our data suggest that TMEM106B modulates VAMP8-Stx17-mediated lysosome-autophagosome fusion, in a lysosomal pH-dependent manner.
Integration of a Wigner effect-based energy storage system with an advanced nuclear reactor

Abstract In this work, an innovative energy storage concept based on the purposeful creation of defects in crystalline material by neutron irradiation is presented. Lattice defects are generated when heavy particles collide with the atoms in a crystal structure, i.e., if the incoming particles have enough energy, recoil atoms are displaced from their initial lattice sites. Most of the displaced atoms will eventually combine with nearby vacancies, but some of them will come to rest in non-ideal locations. The energy held by displaced atoms is called Wigner energy. Lattice defects can migrate and form clusters, and the Wigner energy can be released from these groupings if sufficient activation energy is provided. In the nuclear industry, this effect is well-known since it represented an issue for graphite-moderated reactors. This work presents the conceptual design of an engineering system that exploits this physical process to store the energy of neutrons in advanced reactor concepts. In the first part of the paper, the theoretical performance of an energy storage system based on the Wigner effect is described. Given the lattice properties and the compatibility with the harsh reactor environment, graphite was selected as the candidate material for the irradiation targets. Both experimental data and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that this system can achieve performance comparable with state-of-the-art batteries in terms of stored energy density. In the second part of the paper, the engineering challenges of this innovative technology and the proposed solutions are described. After defining the optimal irradiation conditions, the different steps of the operation of the proposed energy system (from energy storing to energy harvesting) were defined. Finally, the integration of this concept with advanced reactor designs, i.e., a Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor and a Molten Salt-cooled Reactor, was investigated and the corresponding performance was evaluated.
Sensitivity to Initial Conditions in Classical and Quantum Dynamics

The problem of quantum chaos is to understand how, if at all, classical notions of chaos carry over into quantum theory. Classically, chaos is defined as the property of very sensitive dependence on initial conditions. More precisely, a system is defined to be chaotic if at least one of its Lyapunov characteristic exponents (LCE) is positive. [1] Quantum systems never seem to have positive LCE: the wave function evolves in time in a more orderly fashion than the chaotic trajectories of the corresponding classical system.
Moral Objections to MO

The sort of neo-utilitarian approach that I advocate has been subjected of a fair amount of criticism. I think it will be useful to spend some time considering and evaluating some of this criticism. I want to do this for two different reasons. In the first place, by explaining how I would reply to these objections, I hope to show that my approach is rationally defensible. The second reason for considering the objections seems to me to be more important. It is this: the presentation of the objections and replies will enable the reader to gain a deeper understanding of the nature and purpose of the theory.
Small‐scale upper mantle convection and crustal dynamics in southern California

We present numerical modeling of the forces acting on the base of the crust caused by small-scale convection of the upper mantle in southern California. Three-dimensional upper mantle shear wave velocity structure is mapped to three-dimensional density structure that is used to load a finite element model of instantaneous upper mantle flow with respect to a rigid crust, providing an estimate of the tractions acting on the base of the crust. Upwelling beneath the southern Walker Lane Belt and Salton Trough region and downwelling beneath the southern Great Valley and eastern and western Transverse Ranges dominate the upper mantle flow and resulting crustal tractions. Divergent horizontal and upward directed vertical tractions create a tensional to transtensional crustal stress state in the Walker Lane Belt and Salton Trough, consistent with transtensional tectonics in these areas. Convergent horizontal and downward directed vertical tractions in the Transverse Ranges cause approximately N–S crustal compression, consistent with active shortening and transpressional deformation near the “Big Bend” of the San Andreas fault. Model predictions of crustal dilatation and the forces acting on the Mojave block compare favorably with observations suggesting that small-scale upper mantle convection provides an important contribution to the sum of forces driving transpressional crustal deformation in southern California. Accordingly, the obliquity of the San Andreas fault with respect to plate motions may be considered a consequence, rather than a cause, of contractional deformation in the Transverse Ranges, itself driven by downwelling in the upper mantle superimposed on shear deformation caused by relative Pacific–North American plate motion.
14 Role of CE in biopharmaceutical development and quality control

Abstract This chapter demonstrates the essential role of capillary electrophoresis (CE) in biopharmaceutical research, development, manufacturing, and release of therapeutic biomolecules. Three main separation techniques − CE-SDS, cIEF, and CZE − are discussed. Detailed method development examples based on four analytical release methods commonly used in the biotech industry are illustrated for the determination of product purity, identity, and consistency. Considerations for method qualification, transfer, and validation are also discussed. Practical examples, for troubleshooting including abnormal electropherograms, are presented from experience gained during method development and transfer. Although CE methods are relatively new to the highly regulated quality control (QC) environment, our experience demonstrates that they can be adapted to this environment with proper analyst training, detailed standard operating procedures, and specific system suitability and sample acceptance criteria. The superior performance of CE over traditional slab-gel methods demonstrates a great advancement for the overall quality release of biopharmaceutical molecules.
Conceptualizing and measuring the economic value of human capital of the third kind: Corporate culture

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to deal with the conceptualization and measurement of the economic value of what we have termed “human capital of the third kind”, i.e. corporate culture. It also seeks to draw upon empirical research from the field of culture management to show how the economic value of human capital of the third kind can be measured.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a theoretical framework as well as some empirical research to show how economic value of the third kind can be measured.Findings – This has provided a different conceptualization of human capital relevant to human resources accounting. It has presented a typology of human capital consisting of three types: the economic value of individuals; the economic value of groups or teams; and the economic value of the total human organization. The paper also summarized an empirical investigation relevant to the economic value of human capital of the third kind. The results of this empirical investigation provide su...
Party Game for a 500th Anniversary

On the 500th anniversary of Albrecht D\"urer's copperplate engraving Melencolia I, we invite readers to join in a time-honored "party game" that has attracted art historians and scientists for many years: guessing the nature and meaning of the composition's enigmatic stone polyhedron. Our main purpose is to demonstrate the usefulness of the cross ratio in the analysis of works in perspective. We show how the cross ratio works as a projectively invariant "shape parameter" of the polyhedron, and how it can be used in analyzing various theories of this figure.
METAMODEL FOR SERVICE DESIGN AND SERVICE INNOVATION : INTEGRATING SERVICE ACTIVITIES , SERVICE SYSTEMS , AND VALUE CONSTELLATIONS

This paper presents a metamodel that addresses service system design and innovation by traversing and integrating three essential layers, service activities, service systems, and value constellations. The metamodel's approach to service systems as service-in-operation is an alternative to another currently used approach that views service systems as systems of economic exchange. The metamodel addresses service science topics including basic concepts of service science, design thinking for service systems, decomposition within service systems, and integration of IT service architecture with customer services. This paper's contributions to service science include clarifications concerning concepts such as service, service system, customer, product/service, coproduction and cocreation of value, actor roles, resources, symmetrical treatment of automated and non-automated service systems, and the relationship between service-dominant logic and service systems. Many articles have discussed these topics individually. Few, if any, have tied them together using an integrated metamodel.
Science, self, and immortality

The following considers the concept of scientific naturalism in relation to life after death and contrasts three alternative perspectives on immortality of the soul, including naturalistic fatalism, otherworldly optimism, and long-suffering hope.
Codiagnosability and coobservability under dynamic observations

We investigate the relationship between decentralized fault diagnosis and decentralized control of discrete event systems under dynamic observations. The key system-theoretic properties that arise in these problems are those of codiagnosability and coobservability, respectively. It was shown by Wang et?al. (2011) that coobservability is transformable to codiagnosability; however, the transformation for the other direction has remained an open problem. In this paper, we consider a general language-based dynamic observations setting and show how the notion of K -codiagnosability can be transformed to coobservability. When the observation properties are transition-based, we present a new approach for the verification of transition-based codiagnosability. An upper bound of the diagnosis delay for decentralized diagnosis under transition-based observations is derived. Moreover, we show that transition-based codiagnosability is transformable to transition-based coobservability. Our results thereby complement those in Wang et?al. (2011) and provide a thorough characterization of the relationship between the two notions of codiagnosability and coobservability and their verification. In particular, our results allow the leveraging of the large existing literature on decentralized control synthesis to solve corresponding problems of decentralized fault diagnosis.
2-D non-separable paraunitary matrices and Grobner bases

A 2-dimensional FIR transfer matrix H(z, z) is paraunitary if the underlying FIR system is a lossless system. Venkataraman-Levy [1994] and Basu-Choi-Chiang [1993] have constructed 2-D FIR paraunitary matrices of McMillan degrees (2,2) that are not factorable into simpler paraunitary matrices. This compares to the factorizability of 1-D FIR lossless transfer matrices in terms of Givens rotations, which produces the parameters that can be used for an optimal design of lossless FIR filter banks with prespecified filtering characteristics. Because of the state-space realization used in the construction, these 2-D counter-examples are floating-point approximations. In this paper, we formulate the lossless condition and nonseparability condition using multivariate polynomials in the coefficients. By studying the polynomial system, we obtain a continuous one parameter family of 2-D 2 2 non-separable paraunitary matrices.
Over-salting ruins the balance of the immune menu

Regulatory components of the immune system are critical for preventing unintended activation of immune cells. Failure to prevent this unintended activation raises the risk of developing exaggerated inflammation and autoimmunity. In this issue of the JCI, Binger et al. and Hernandez et al. report that salt can play an important role in undermining regulatory mechanisms of the innate and adaptive immune systems. High salt levels interfere with alternative activation of macrophages (M2), which function in attenuating tissue inflammation and promoting wound healing. High salt also impairs Treg function by inducing IFNγ production in these cells. Together, these results provide evidence that environmental signals in the presence of high dietary salt enhance proinflammatory responses by interfering with both innate and adaptive regulatory mechanisms.
The challenge of urban government policies and practices

The World Bank Institute (WBI) has responded to the challenges of urban development and city management by launching a number of important initiatives. Chief among these is the program on Urban Challenges of the 21st Century, under which the Institute developed a number of courses on urban and city management that have been conducted worldwide. These courses were designed in the context of a new urban strategy in the World Bank. The strategy recognizes that cities are crucial in efforts to address poverty and developmental issues, but acknowledges that this potential will not be realized unless cities are livable, competitive, well-governed and managed, and bankable--all themes that are explored in this book. This book results from the first such course, which was held in Toronto, Canada, in May 1999. The book's chapters correspond to the course's ten modules on such topics as globalization and city management, city strategy and local governance, urban financial management, private sector participation in infrastructure provision, urban environmental management, and urban poverty reduction.
Is There Light? Well It Depends--A Grounded Theory Study of Nurses, Lighting, and Medication Administration.

Objective We know that human vision has limitations, medication administration is a high-risk activity, and some nurses work in environments that do not meet recommended lighting standards. The goal of this study was to inform safe medication administration practices and add evidence for establishing guidelines for lighting decisions by understanding registered nurses' (RNs') decision making about lighting during medication administration. Methods Grounded theory methodology was followed (n = 16). Theoretical sampling was used to ensure that participants represented a variety of backgrounds and hospital settings. Results were validated by three expert researchers. Two of the researchers had significant expertise in medication administration errors. Results Data analysis culminated in the substantive theory It Depends. This theory describes a process of frequently automatic decision making about lighting, whose aspects include assessing variation, balancing safety and healing, and RN bias. All RNs expressed concerns about perceived risks in relation to lighting, but had difficulty describing how they confirmed when the correct decision about lighting was made. Conclusions Nurses are often unaware of their reasons for lighting decisions, and there is a need for education and other measures to increase the likelihood that lighting decisions that enhance patient safety are made by nurses.
Efficient Substitutional Photochemistry of a Third-Row Transition Metal β-Diketonate Complex

Ultraviolet irradiation of Pt(acac)2 (acac- is the anion of acetylacetone) in nonaqueous solvents results in competing photochemical processes whose relative importance depends upon the solution en...
Degradation of the lignin model compount springgylglycol-β-guaiacyl ether by Polyporus versicolor and Stereum frustulatum

Abstract 1. 1. Model compounds were used to test the hypothesis that phenol-oxidizing enzymes of white-rot fungi can effect depolymerization of lignin. Studies were made of the effects of syringlyglycol-β-guaiacyl ether of (i) whole cultures of Polyporus versicolor and Stereum frustulatum , (ii) culture filtrates of the former, and (iii) a p -diphenol oxidase ( p -diphenol:O 2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.10.3.2, formerly known as laccase) purified from such filtrates. The fungi were known from previous studies to decompose lignin in wood, but to differ markedly in their production of phenol-oxidizing enzymes. 2. 2. In culture filtrates of P. versicolor , the benzyl alcohol group of syringlyglycol-β-guaiacyl ether was oxidized to a carbonyl group, giving α-guaiacoxyacetosyringone; the same transformation occured in whole cutlures of S. frustulatum . The alkyl-phenyl carbon-to-carbon bond in both syringlyglycol-β-guaiacyl ether and α-guaiacoxyacetosyringone was cleaved by culture filtrates of P. versicolor with formation of guaiacoxyacetaldehyde and guaiacoxyacetic acid, respectively. The syringyl moieties of both parent compounds were converted to 2,6-dimethoxy- p -benzoquinone by culture filtrates of P. versicolor and by whole cultures of S. frustulatum . p -Diphenol oxidase purified from cultures filtrates of P. versicolor effected all of the above reaction. Since neither the filtrates nor the p -diphenol oxidase had any effect on syringlyglycol-β-guaiacyl ether or α-guaiacoxyacetosyringone in a nitrogen atmosphere, the above alkyl-phenyl cleavage reactions of these compounds apparently were oxidative. 3. 3. Whole cultures of P. versicolor and S. frustulatum reduced guaiacoxyacetaldehyde and guaiacoxyacetic acid to 2-guaiacoxyethanol, which accumulated in the cultures and was resistant to further alteration by either organism. The ethanol derivative was also produced from syringlyglycol-β-guaiacyl ether and α-guaiacoxyacetosyringone by both fungi, indicating that the above alkyl-phenyl cleavages also were affected by whole cultures. 4. 4. These experiments indicate that oxidative splitting of the alkyl-phenyl bond in certain phenylpropanoid monomers by phenol oxidases may be important in the depolymerization of lignin by white-rot fungi. A schematic model for sprucelignin was used to estimate that approx. 41% of the phenylpropanoid units in spruce lignin theoretically are vulnerable to the types of cleavage described in this paper.
The effect of composition on the stored energy of cold work and the deformation behavior of gold-silver alloys

Abstract The energy stored in chips formed by drilling at room temperature and at − 195°C has been determined for five gold-silver alloys in the composition range from 35 to 98 atomic per cent Au. The stored energy varies with composition by a factor of nearly 5 at room temperature and by nearly 3 at − 195°C. The stored energy also varies with the temperature of deformation and, after working at − 195°C, is approximately two to five times as large as after working at room temperature. The energy expended in the deformation is larger at the lower temperature, and increases with increasing concentration of solute. Only about 1% of this energy is stored.
Localization of Natural Modes of Vibration in Bladed Disks

A study is presented of the mode localization phenomenon in imperfect blade-disk and blade-shroud-disk assemblies. The results indicate that unshrouded blades mounted on stiff disks are especially susceptible, and even small blade imperfections within manufacturing tolerances are likely to trigger mode localization. Increasing the interblade coupling by adding shrouds or reducing the disk stiffness greatly reduces the localization susceptiblity, although certain modes may still become localized if the shrouds are free to slip.
Solidification of a main-chain liquid-crystal polymer: Effects of electric fields, surfaces and mesophase ageing

Solid films of the liquid-crystal polycondensate of 80mol% p-acetoxybenzoic acid and 20mol% poly(ethylene terephthalate) were probed by exposures to controlled surfaces and electric fields and analysed by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. Films can develop some preferred backbone orientation after isothermal ageing of the mesophase and resolidification as a result of surface topography on confining walls. Mesophase ageing also results in solid films with greater structural order. Preferred backbone orientation is enhanced when solid films are heated to the liquid-crystalline state in an electric field and then resolidified. This is thought to result from the coupled effect of a pre-existing molecular field and dielectric alignment of the mesogenic chains. Interchain dipolar coupling and a biaxial nematic structure should be considered further as possible structural elements in these polymers.
Cyanotoxins: New Generation of Water Contaminants

Cyanobacteria, more commonly known as blue-green algae, are found worldwide in various aquatic environments as well as in water distribution systems Atikovic 2003; Carmichael 1994; Madigan et al. 2003 . Blooms of cyanobacteria have recently become spatially and temporally more prevalent in the United States and worldwide as a consequence of increasing nutrient levels such as nitrates and phosphates from fertilizers and detergents. Cyanobacterial blooms impart color, odor, and taste problems in water. More importantly, such blooms produce and release toxic compounds that dramatically impair the quality of water bodies. Up to 50% of the recorded blooms can be expected to contain toxins Carmichael 1992 . These compounds have severe and sometimes irreversible effects on mammalian health. Episodes of human and animal poisoning by consumption of water contaminated with cyanobacterial toxins have been reported since the late 1800s Carmichael 1994 . Exposure to cyanobacterial toxins can affect the number and diversity of wild animal populations, cause bioaccumulation of toxins in the tissues of fish and shellfish, and indirectly affect other organisms through the food chain. Moreover, the presence of cyanobacteria and cyanobacterial toxins in sources of drinking water supply has raised major concerns. Another major issue is the lack of guidelines or regulations of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in terms of maximum contaminant level MCL and analytical detection methods. In the past few years, major research effort has been targeted toward the treatment of these toxins, especially the hepatotoxin microcystin-LR MC-LR . Cyanobacteria are present in various aquatic environments, including water distribution systems and can produce scum usually greenish observed at the bottom and surface of lakes. In ecosystems, the presence of cyanobacteria is crucial as they provide oxygen to specific aerobic microorganisms symbiotic living , convert inorganic nitrogen to organic forms that plants and phytoplankton can utilize and act as a source of energy to zooplankton primary producers . Recent studies have shown that zooplankton consumes cyanobacterial algal blooms selectively depending on the availability of food. The nonconsumable blooms can be lethal to or can reduce the number and size of progeny of zooplankton Carmichael 1994 . Cyanobacteria contain and release toxins as a metabolic byproduct and also
ON ECOLOGY AND AESTHETIC EXPERIENCEA FEMINIST THEORY OF VALUE AND PRAXIS

My aim is to develop a feminist theory of value-an axiology-which unites two notions that seem to have little in common for a theorizing whose ultimate goal is justice-driven emancipatory action, namely, the ecological and the aesthetic. In this union lies the potential for a critical feminist political praxis capable of appreciating not only the value of human life, but those relationships upon which human and nonhuman life depend. A vital component of this praxis is, I argue, the potential for an aesthetic experience whose value is exemplified in those actions that tend to foster respect for biodiversity and ecological stability.
Fabrication of carbon fibre composites for gas separation

Abstract The fabrication of monolithic activated carbon fibre composites using isotropic pitch based carbon fibres, and phenolic resin as binder, is briefly described. The dimensional changes during drying, curing, baking and activation stages are presented and discussed. Data on other physical properties of the composites including their permeability and surface area are presented. With respect to gas separation, a technique developed to assess the potential of the composites to separate methane and carbon dioxide is described; the effects of some of the fabricating process variables on performance in CH 4 /CO 2 separation is presented and discussed. In particular the effect of the extent of weight loss during activation on the final composite's properties is described.
Design Analysis of Corridors-in-the-Sky

Corridors-in-the-sky is a new airspace structure designed to accommodate high density trac by grouping flights with similar trajectories. Less air trac controller workload is expected than with classic airspace structures. Thus, corridors-in-the-sky may increase national airspace capacity and reduce flight delays. To evaluate/design corridors-in-thesky, besides identifying locations, their utilization, altitudes, and impacts on non-corridor trac need to be analyzed. Although not providing complete analysis, this paper chooses a single corridor and presents analyses of its spatial and temporal utilization, impact on the remaining trac, and the potential benefit caused by o-loading the trac from underlying sectors. Methods developed to assist the analysis are described. Analysis results visualize the utilizations of the corridor, suggest the number of lanes, and show the possibility of deploying corridors dynamically. It is shown that combined lane options would be a better choice to lower the impact on non-corridor users compared with other options. Finally, analysis shows significant reduction of peak aircraft count in underlying sectors with only one corridor enabled.
3D path planning and extension for endoscopic guidance

Physicians use endoscopic procedures to diagnose and treat a variety of medical conditions. For example, bronchoscopy is often performed to diagnose lung cancer. The current practice for planning endoscopic procedures requires the physician to manually scroll through the slices of a three-dimensional (3D) medical image. When doing this scrolling, the physician must perform 3D mental reconstruction of the endoscopic route to reach a specific diagnostic region of interest (ROI). Unfortunately, in the case of complex branching structures such as the airway tree, ROIs are often situated several generations away from the organ's origin. Existing image-analysis methods can help define possible endoscopic navigation paths, but they do not provide specific routes for reaching a given ROI. We have developed an automated method to find a specific route to reach an ROI. Given a 3D medical image, our method takes as inputs: (1) pre-defined ROIs; (2) a segmentation of the branching organ through which the endoscopic device will navigate; and (3) centerlines (paths) through the segmented organ. We use existing methods for branching-organ segmentation and centerline extraction. Our method then (1) identifies the closest paths (routes) to the ROI; and (2) if necessary, performs a directed search for the organ of interest, extending the existing paths to complete a route. Results from human 3D computed tomography chest images illustrate the efficacy of the method.
Performance of Pumped Ignitron Rectifiers

Operating records indicate that rectifiers equipped with the latest improvements can be expected to perform as follows: 1. Arc-back rate of less than 1 or 2 arc-backs per rectifier per year. 2. Average ignitor life exceeding 5 years. 3. Service life on rectifier tank exceeding 5 years, without reconditioning.
Status of the CDF silicon detector

The CDF Run II silicon micro-strip detector is an essential part of the heavy flavor tagging and forward tracking capabilities of the experiment. Since the commissioning period ended in 2002, about 85% of the 730 k readout channels have been consistently provided good data. A summary of the recent improvements in the DAQ system as well as experience of maintaining and operating such a large, complex detector are presented.
Pseudogenes for human small nuclear RNA U3 appear to arise by integration of self-primed reverse transcripts of the RNA into new chromosomal sites

Abstract We find that both human and rat U3 snRNA can function as self-priming templates for AMV reverse transcriptase in vitro. The 74 base cDNA is primed by the 3′ end of intact U3 snRNA, and spans the characteristically truncated 69 or 70 base U3 sequence found in four different human U3 pseudogenes. The ability of human and rat U3 snRNA to self-prime is consistent with a U3 secondary structure model derived by a comparison between rat U3 snRNA and the homologous D2 snRNA from Dictyostelium discoideum. We propose that U3 pseudogenes are generated in vivo by integration of a self-primed cDNA copy of U3 snRNA at new chromosomal sites. We also consider the possibility that the same cDNA mediates gene conversion at the 5′ end of bona fide U3 genes where, over the entire region spanned by the U3 cDNA, the two rat U3 sequence variants U3A and U3B are identical.
A Mathematical Model for Transient Subchannel Analysis of Rod-Bundle Nuclear Fuel Elements

This paper presents a mathematical method for analyzing transient flow and enthalpy transport in rod-bundle nuclear fuel elements during both boiling and nonboiling conditions. A mathematical model is formulated by dividing the bundle flow area into flow subchannels that are assumed to contain one-dimensional flow and are coupled to each other by turbulent and diversion crossflow mixing. The mathematical model neglects sonic velocity propagation and neglects temporal and spatial acceleration in the transverse momentum equation. A semiexplicit finite-difference scheme is used to perform a boundary-value solution where the boundary conditions are the inlet enthalpy, inlet flow rate, and exit pressure. Calculations are presented to show the effect of rapid changes in heat flux, inlet enthalpy, and inlet flow rate on the subchannel flow and enthalpy distribution in rod bundles.
Speckle Detection and Reduction in Fourier-Domain OCT Images

We presented a new speckle detection and reduction method using phase-domain information of OCT signals. Speckle noise was reduced by adjusting the speckles and wavelet shrinkage. Good improvement of image quality was observed.
Relationships Between Satellite Observed Lit Area and Water Footprints

Global water resources are vulnerable to depletion due to the increasing demand of an ever-increasing human population. A country’s water footprint is a measure of the total volume of water needed to produce the goods and services consumed by the country, including water originating beyond its own borders. The water footprint can be a critical indicator of global water resource use, but its practical application is hindered by a lack of comparable data across national boundaries. The purpose of this article is to test the applicability of the nighttime imagery products produced by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) for the assessment of the global water footprint. To accomplish this purpose, the average areal extent of nighttime lighting (lit area) is calculated from 1997 to 2001. Next, lit area is regressed on the total water footprint for each country, as indicated by the Water Footprint Network (WFN), to estimate that country’s total water footprint using nighttime imagery. Model residuals are analyzed at the national scale to understand the appropriateness of nighttime imagery for assessing water consumption. Results indicate strong positive correlations between lit area and total water footprint (TWF), domestic water withdrawal (DWW), and industrial water consumption (IWC) at the national scale. Overall, the analyses reveal that the rate of agricultural water consumption to total water footprint (AWCR) and population density can affect the precision of estimates when lit area is selected as a proxy to estimate water footprints.
Effects of material and processing conditions upon ring calibration curves

Abstract The ring test has been established as a method of determining the shear friction factor at the die-workpiece interface. It has been reported that ring calibration curves are dependent upon the strain, strain rate and thermal and mechanical characteristics of the material as well as the ring geometry. This paper examines the effects of some of these variables upon ring calibration curves using the rigid viscoplastic finite element program ALPID and experimental data. Three materials were studied, namely aluminum alloy 2024-O, Ti-6wt.%Al-4wt.%V and Ti-48at.%Al-1at.%V. ALPID analysis indicates that the calibration curves are dependent upon the ring geometry and strain rate sensitivity of the material. The inner-surface profile of compressed rings is dependent upon the ring geometry, percentage reduction in height, and shear friction factor. Compression tests on aluminum alloy 2024-O rings of 6:3:1 and 6:3:2 geometry and on aluminum alloy 1100-O rings of 6:3:2 geometry were conducted to evaluate two lubricants using the ALPID results.
Computational Simulation of Articular Cartilage Wear in the Patellofemoral Joint During In Vitro Testing

The mechanism by which altered knee joint motions and loads (e.g., following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury) contribute to the development of knee osteoarthritis (OA) is not well understood. One mechanobiological hypothesis is that articular cartilage degradation is initiated when altered knee kinematics increase loading on certain regions of the articular surfaces and decrease loading on other regions [1,2]. If homeostatic loading conditions vary from region to region, then load changes induced by altered kinematics could initiate cartilage degradation in a site-specific manner. This hypothesis is attractive from a computational simulation perspective since it is based on mechanical factors that lend themselves well to physical modeling. If computational simulations could reproduce the knee OA development process, then they potentially could be used to facilitate the design of new or improved treatments for the disease.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
The Impact of Environmental Uncertainty and Asset Specificity on the Degree of Buyer-Supplier Commitment

When manufacturers purchase products from suppliers, the types of relationships they establish may depend on many factors. These relationships can range from formalized, extensive contractual obligations to discrete individual purchases. This study investigates the potential determinants of where on this continuum of commitment the relationship lies. These determinants include uncertainty in both the supplier market and the buyer's customer market, the investment in transaction specific assets by both buyer and supplier, and the investment in product specific assets. Results indicate that market diversity, supplier concentration, investment in product specific assets, and the supplier's investment in transaction specific assets are potential reasons for higher levels of buyer-supplier commitment.
SiON as a panacea for KrF photolithography? Study on process optimization, substrate dependency, and delay time stability on silicon nitride and BPTEOS film

Silicon oxynitride film on Silicon Nitride film as an inorganic ARC has been investigated for the tighter critical dimension control. Use of SiON film as an inorganic ARC on silicon nitride film led to the better CD uniformity control reducing substrate dependency issue. Resist profiles on SiON have also been investigated on BPTEOS and on silicon nitride films. Footing on BPTEOS was removed completely by adding SiON film. It is found that SiON showed storage time limit after deposition. Five days after deposition, it showed footing profile. There must be some unknown chemistry to explain that phenomenon. Oxygen plasma applied onto the 5 dayed SiON film showed foot free profile. In the paper we will describe the CD control on Nitride by using SiON as an inorganic ARC, substrate dependence and storage time limit of SiON film.
Empirical Correction of the NCEP Global Forecast System

Abstract This paper examines the extent to which an empirical correction method can improve forecasts of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) operational Global Forecast System. The empirical correction is based on adding a forcing term to the prognostic equations equal to the negative of the climatological tendency errors. The tendency errors are estimated by a least squares method using 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-h forecast errors. Tests on independent verification data show that the empirical correction significantly reduces temperature biases nearly everywhere at all lead times up to at least 5 days but does not significantly reduce biases in forecast winds and humidity. Decomposing mean-square error into bias and random components reveals that the reduction in total mean-square error arises solely from reduction in bias. Interestingly, the empirical correction increases the random error slightly, but this increase is argued to be an artifact of the change in variance in the forecasts. T...
Transplantation for acute leukaemia with HLA-A and B nonidentical parental marrow cells fractionated with soybean agglutinin and sheep red blood cells.

Abstract A new procedure for enrichment of marrow precursors and removal of T lymphocytes from large volumes of human bone marrow, involving initial differential agglutination of T lymphocytes and mature marrow elements with soybean agglutinin, followed by rosetting with sheep red blood cells, was used to fractionate marrow cells from an HLA-A, B, DR non-identical, MLC non-reactive, paternal donor for transplantation into an infant with acute leukaemia. This transplant became completely engrafted and resulted in full recovery of normal, donor-derived haematopoietic function without graft-versus-host disease, sustained for 11 weeks after transplantation, at-which time the patient's leukaemia recurred. Subsequently, the patient received chemotherapy and achieved a remission with regeneration of normal marrow cells of donor origin. The patient's course demonstrated the potential of lectin separated marrow grafts to restore durable haematopoiesis, without graft-versus-host disease, in a lethally irradiated allogeneic host.
Cathodic Deposition of Amorphous Alloys of Silicon, Carbon, and Fluorine

Amorphous silicon containing fluorine and carbon, pure and doped with boron or phosphorus, was deposited cathodically from solutions of K/sub 2/SiF/sub 6/ in acetone with HF. The conditions for optimum deposition were determined, and the deposits were characterized by electron microprobe x-ray emission, electrical conductivity, and infrared absorption. Doping with phosphorus causes a change from p- to n-type semiconductor behavior, with a maximum of resistivity >10/sup 13/ /OMEGA/ cm at the compensation point. 48 refs.
Still Trapped in Territory

It is always gratifying when something you have written is given serious critical attention from a number of different perspectives. The article in question here, “The Territorial Trap,” began life...