cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Culture beneath discourse: a conceptual model for analyzing nondeclarative cultural knowledge

Sociology has increasingly drawn on concepts from the cognitive sciences to better theorize and measure culture, particularly nondeclarative personal culture beneath the level of conscious awareness. Despite several advances, these “cognitive cultural” concepts are drawn on selectively, and limited work has attempted to assemble them into a coherent framework, leading to conceptual murkiness and ambiguous use of terms like “schema.” This article synthesizes literature on culture and cognition to develop a conceptual model of four interrelated but distinct types of cultural knowledge beneath the level of explicit discourse. Drawing on emergence theories, the author theorizes how these types relate to each other, as well as to discourse and public culture. The utility of the model is then illustrated using the empirical case of American religious understandings. These types of cultural knowledge have distinct qualities and, consequently, distinct roles in influencing thought, speech, and action. Assembling them into a coherent framework can improve scholarly accounts of how culture influences important substantive outcomes, how culture and cognition interact, as well as methods for studying nondeclarative cultural knowledge.
Short-Term Forecast Analysis on Wind Power Generation Data

The forecasting of Wind power generation plays a critical role in the safe and stable operation of a power grid. Grid operators rely on the short-term forecasts of load and generation sources to optimize operations such as unit commitment and economic dispatch. These forecasts needs to be stable and efficient because of the low dispatchability and increasing percentage of renewable energy sources in the generation mix. We will describe the results of our performance study with different forecasting methodologies and will also propose hybrid methods for delivering consistent results with a varying dataset. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) wind integration dataset having 5 predictor variables and a data resolution of 5 minutes is used for this analysis. Forecasting methodologies evaluated include ARIMA, RF, SVM, GLM, GAM and four additional hybrid methods. We will reveal the robust models of GLM and GLM based hybrid methods to deliver consistent forecasts of wind power generation.
ATP-binding cassette protein ABCF1 couples transcription and genome surveillance in embryonic stem cells through low-complexity domain.

OCT4 and SOX2 confer pluripotency by recruiting coactivators to activate stem cell–specific transcription. However, the composition of coactivator complexes and their roles in maintaining stem cell...
An Employment Opportunity or a Discrimination Dilemma?:Sheltered Workshops and the Employment of the Disabled

In January 2011, a U.S. disability rights organization, National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), published a report that criticizes the use of certain employment practices involving people with disabilities. Within the report, NDRN argues that the continued use of these practices amounts to the systemic discrimination of the disabled in employment, rather than to the assured provision of civil rights protections for the disabled. One of these practices is the use of sheltered workshops, which are “facility-based day programs attended by adults with disabilities as an alternative to working in the open labor market.” By providing relatively simple work activities and customized educational programs, these workshops may be designed to assist the disabled with finding long-term employment or transitioning into the open labor market. However, according to the Executive Director of NDRN, “[s]heltered workshops are not what they promise to be, and sometimes serve as an unsettling example of how good intentions can lead to terrible outcomes.” This report was only the beginning for NDRN on this issue; the organization released another report in April 2012 containing even more criticism for the use of sheltered workshops as an employment option for people with disabilities, bringing even greater attention to this
Management of Dyslipidemia in Children

Atherosclerosis begins in childhood. Because of this, children should be screened for dyslipidemia beginning at age 2 years if they have certain high-risk factors or through universal screening at ages 9–11 and 17–21 years. If a child is identified with dyslipidemia, the initial management should consist of focused dietary changes and increasing physical activity. These modifications can frequently improve or even normalize the dyslipidemia. However, there are some children who have genetic dyslipidemias and will need medication despite lifestyle modification. Statin medications are the first-line therapy for LDL-C reduction in the pediatric population. Omega-3 fatty acids may be used for significantly elevated triglycerides if there is no significant change in triglyceride level after a trial of diet and lifestyle alterations. Practitioners caring for children and adolescents need to identify at-risk patients and manage or refer them appropriately to help reduce their cardiovascular risk over time.
Primary succession trajectories on a barren plain, Mount St. Helens, Washington

Questions: Have predictable relationships between environmental variables and vegetation developed in primary succession following a volcanic eruption? Has the rate of succession changed? Have vegetation trajectories converged or diverged? Location: The Abraham Plain of Mount St. Helens, Washington, USA (46112 0 42 00 N, 122108 0 27 00 W, elevation 1360 m), was sterilized in 1980 by a blast, scoured by lahars and buried by pumice. Method: We monitored 400 100 m 2 contiguous permanent plots annually (1988–2008), and classified each plot from every year into ten community types (CTs). We characterized the terrain by topography and surface features. Redundancy analysis assessed relationships between vegetation and possible explanatory variables, which included sample location. We used detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) to assess successional rates and trends. Results: Relationships between species composition and explanatory variables were only significant after 1996, when position and presence of rills became significant. By 2006, explained variation remained low (13%) but significant. Species accumulated slowly, restricted by stress and isolation. Changes in mean DCA position slowed. Composition shifted from pioneer to persistent species and vegetation became more stable with time. Species accumulated for two decades and then stabilized, while cover has continued to increase. Diversity increased and then declined slightly as dominance developed and pioneer species became less common. Conclusions: We demonstrate weak but increasingly predictable trends in species composition using environmental variables. The rate of succession slowed and trajectories formed a reticulate network of transitions dominated by divergence. Convergence was not evident because vegetation responded distinctively to minor topographic features that allowed alternative stable communities to develop.
Lignin‐modifying processes in the rhizosphere of arid land grasses

Genes associated with elevated oxidative enzyme activities in arid systems have not been well characterized. To link measured oxidative activities with specific enzymes, we assembled protein-coding reads from the rhizospheres (RHZ) of two arid land grasses. Targeted gene scans for open reading frames, encoding genes potentially involved in lignin modification, resulted in 127 distinct assembly products. The putative genes included those significantly similar to Class II secretory fungal peroxidases. These genes are expressed at sufficiently high levels for assembly, annotation and differentiation across experimental conditions, and they demonstrate the interplay of root systems, environment and plant microbiomes. The genes assembled also included copper-dependent lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases. We detail the enzymes in the host grass RHZs and present a preliminary taxonomic microhabitat characterization. Our findings provide support for biologically mediated Fenton chemistry in the root zones of desert grasses, and provide insight into arid land carbon flow. These results also demonstrate a hyperdiverse microbial community. Both ribosomal RNA and messenger RNA sequences were dominated by bacteria, followed by fungal sequence abundance. Among the notable fungal sequences were those from the members of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycota), which though abundant in this study, we rarely observed in previous PCR-based surveys.
Design and calibration of a new surface-obstacle skin-friction and flow direction meter

Calibration data of surface-obstacle skin friction meters, including blocks, fences, Preston tubes and Stanton tubes, are examined throughout the available ranges of dimensionless wall-shear-stress and pressure-differential parameters. The calibration relationships, including the effect of compressibility, are reformulated in terms of variables containing physical quantities at the wall and including the probe size in only one parameter. In view of the current trend toward miniaturization, special attention was given to the range where the flow disturbance introduced by the probe remains within the near-linear part of the velocity profile. Criteria are derived for the smallest probe protrusion which provides a practically measurable differential pressure at given flow situation. Design of an adjustable/retractable surface-obstacle device for the Wright Laboratory M3 and M6 supersonic wind tunnels is described, and initial results obtained with a simple prototype in the Washington University low-speed wind tunnel are presented.
Effects of Residual Elements Arsenic, Antimony, and Tin on Surface Hot Shortness

Scrap-based electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking is limited by a surface cracking problem in the recycled steel products, which is known as surface hot shortness. This problem originates from the excessive amount of copper (Cu) in the steel scrap, which enriches during the oxidation of iron (Fe) and consequently melts and penetrates into the austenite grain boundaries. In this article, the effects of arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and tin (Sn) on surface hot shortness were investigated. A series of Fe-0.3 wt pct Cu-x wt pct (As, Sb, or Sn) alloys with x content ranging from 0.06 to 0.10 wt pct was oxidized in air at 1423 K (1150 °C) for 60, 300, and 600 seconds inside the chamber of a thermogravimety analyzer (TGA) where heat is supplied through infrared radiation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations show that (1) the presence of Sb and Sn results in severe grain boundary cracking, whereas the presence of As does not, (2) open cracks with Fe oxides were found beneath the oxide/metal interface in the Sb and Sn alloys, and (3) the oxide/metal interfaces for all As, Sb, and Sn alloys are planar. Penetration experiments of pure Cu and Cu-30 wt pct Sn liquid were also conducted in the chamber of a hot-stage confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) in nonoxidizing atmosphere: (1) on the Fe-35 wt pct manganese (Mn) alloys to study the correlation between cracking and grain boundary characters, and (2) on the pure Fe substrates to exclude the bulk segregation effects of Sn on grain boundary cracking. It was found that grain boundary cracking rarely took place on low-energy grain boundaries. The results also suggest that the bulk segregation of Sn in the substrate is not necessary to promote significant grain boundary cracking, and as long as the liquid phase contains Sn, it will be highly embrittling.
Increased intra-abdominal fat may lower HDL levels by increasing the fractional catabolic rate of Lp A-I in postmenopausal women

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles without apolipoprotein A-II (Lp A-I) may be more anti-atherogenic than HDL with apo A-II (Lp A-I/AII) and Lp A-I is reported selectively to be reduced in cases of intra-abdominal obesity. We explored the mechanisms of this reduction by studying the turnover of Lp A-I and Lp A-I/A-II in postmenopausal women well characterized for total body, regional and sub-regional adiposity by body mass index (BMI), truncal girth ratio, and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), respectively. We tested for possible cause-effect relationships by measuring inter-correlations among these variables. Intra-abdominal fat area correlated strongly and positively with the fractional catabolic rate (FCR) of Lp A-I (r=0.98, P=0.003). Intra-abdominal fat only showed a non-significant trend toward correlation with the FCR of Lp A-I/A-II (r=0.84, P=0.07), and had no correlation with the production or transport rate (TR) of either Lp A-I or Lp A-I/A-II (r=0.48 and 0.02, respectively, P>0.1). Subjects were studied both with and without estrogen replacement, allowing exploration of a possible interaction of adiposity with estrogen effects on HDL turnover. Response of HDL turnover to estrogen did not correlate with adiposity, except for a parameter of waist to hip ratio (WHR), which predicted the increase in LP A-I TR with estrogen (r=0.84, P=0.04). We conclude that intra-abdominal fat may lower HDL levels by increasing the FCR of Lp A-I, suggesting a mechanism by which central adiposity may be proatherogenic.
Sub-Atmospheric Pressure Pool Boiling of Water on a Screen Laminate-Enhanced, Wavy-Fin Array

Saturated pool boiling on vertically oriented, copper, wavy-fin surfaces in water at reduced pressures is investigated. A lamination of fine-filament, wire mesh is an effective surface enhancement for boiling since the surface can be configured to provide a very high density of potential bubble nucleation sites. Two surfaces are considered: a 0.75mm thick 4-layer laminate with approximately 4000 pores per cm2 and a 0.42mm thick 8-layer laminate with approximately 26,000 pores per cm2 . The results show that the 8-layer laminate outperforms the 4-layer laminate. At reduced pressures a reduction in performance is seen for both surfaces. A semi-empirical boiling model is developed. The model predicts the boiling performance of our data within an error of 30%. The model shows that shorter fins improve boiling performance.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Estimation of amine oxides in the presence of hepatic microsomes.

Abstract A method of estimating micromolar quantities of amine oxides as metabolites of several different drugs in the presence of hepatic microsomal particles is described. At 0–5°C in acidic aqueous solutions, the amine oxides react with SO2 to yield an addition complex that quickly decomposes to yield an aldehyde and the secondary amine. Neither rat nor pig liver microsomes interfere with the formation or hydrolysis of this amine oxide-SO2 adduct. The aldehyde formed is then measured by a standard colorimetric method and is a linear function of the amine oxide concentration from 20–400 nmoles/ml.
Retention of Pacemaker Activity in Mammalian Myocardial Cells recovered from Liquid Nitrogen

SUCCESSFUL preservation of the mammalian heart in the frozen state is not yet possible because of the sheer bulk of the organ as well as difficulties at the cellular level1. Pacemaker activity must be retained, however, and so I have made preliminary studies of sustained rhythmic contractions in dissociated cells. A pacemaker cell in culture is one which, although isolated from contact with neighbours, beats rhythmically2. A method for freeze-preservation of sheets of beating rat myocardial cells and myocardial cells frozen in suspension has been described3, using dimethyl sulphoxide as a cryoprotective agent, in which resumption of contractility was observed on thawing. Estimates of restoration, however, were made on dense populations of cells in confluent sheets, which would be expected to produce a high proportion of beating cells, as myocardial cells capable of pacemaker activity can drive responsive neighbours with which they may come in contact4.
Bioassay and Chemical Analysis of Ambient Air Particulate Extracts Fractionated by Using Nonaqueous Anion-Exchange Solid Phase Extraction

Abstract A nonaqueous anion-exchange solid-phase extraction technique has been developed for analyzing participate extracts of ambient air samples and combustion source samples. The technique has been used for sample preparation and sample prefractionation in bioassay-directed fractionations. This technique employs an anion-exchange resin to separate complex particulate extracts into four discrete fractions, which are characterized as neutral/basic, polar neutral/weak acid, weak acid, and stronger acid components. Two ambient air particulate extracts from Boise, Idaho, were analyzed by the developed method. Both samples contain a high percentage of organic compounds associated with wood combustion. The average recoveries of mass and mutagenicity were 93.7±M 1.5% and 100.8; pm 2.3%, respectively. Qualitative chemical analysis of the resulting fractions by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed agreement with the chemical class fractionation predicted by the separation of standard reference compounds. ...
Screening Cystoscopy and Survival of Spinal Cord Injured Patients With Squamous Cell Cancer of the Bladder

AbstractPurpose: Yearly cystoscopy has been advocated in spinal cord injured patients with chronic or recurrent urinary tract infections secondary to the increased risk of squamous cell cancer of the bladder. We examined the effectiveness of this protocol in our patients.Materials and Methods: The medical records of all spinal cord injured patients with squamous cell cancer of the bladder between 1980 and 1996 were reviewed for the method of detection of the lesion. Screened patients (those presenting with chronic or recurrent urinary infections) were considered asymptomatic and were compared to symptomatic patients (those presenting with overt signs or symptoms of the bladder lesion) with respect to age, latency since spinal cord injury, treatment of neurogenic bladder, therapy, pathological stage and survival.Results: Of 14 patients (9 symptomatic at presentation) 13 underwent cystoprostatectomy, while 1 presented with metastatic disease and was treated with supportive care only. Three symptomatic patie...
Regulation of the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus expression at the phylogenetic level of a bony fish: transcription factor interaction with two variant octamer motifs.

Abstract Transcriptional control of the IGH locus in teleosts is not fully understood, but evidence from catfish and zebrafish indicates major roles for octamer-binding (Oct) and E-protein transcription factors. A pair of variant octamer motifs in the Eμ3′ enhancer of the catfish has been shown to be particularly important in driving expression, justifying detailed study of their function. These octamer motifs were examined to determine if they bound Oct2 POU domains in monomeric or dimeric (PORE and MORE) configurations. While catfish Oct2 was shown to be capable of binding PORE and MORE motifs in dimeric conformation, the two octamer motifs in Eμ3′ bound Oct2 POU domains only in monomeric configuration. Catfish Oct2, when bound in this monomeric conformation, was shown to bend the DNA helix. The relative position of the two octamer motifs in Eμ3′ affected the activity of the enhancer, and moving the octamer motifs closer together by 5 bp greatly reduced the activity of the enhancer. This effect was not due to steric hindrance preventing the binding of Oct transcription factors to the two motifs, but rather was shown to be due to the disruption of an additional transcription factor binding site lying between the two octamer motifs.
Unusual mechanical performance of amphiphilic crosslinked polymer networks.

The mechanical performance of a novel antifouling and fouling-release coating, based upon hyperbranched fluoropolymer-poly(ethylene glycol) amphiphilic crosslinked networks (HBFP-PEG), has been investigated thoroughly before and after swelling in water. It is shown that the elastic modulus (E) depends on the relative weight percentage of hydrophilic PEG components. Semicrystalline PEG-rich domains reinforced the mechanical integrity of the entire HBFP-PEG networks as prepared. However, water swelling in PEG-rich domains rigidified these crosslinked networks at low-weight percentages of PEG (30 and 45 wt %) and softened them at high-weight percentages of PEG (55 and 63 wt %). The tunability of their mechanical properties, the intrinsic characteristics of fluoropolymer and PEG, in combination with the nanoscopic surface and subsurface features have suggested that HBFP-PEG amphiphilic networks may be widely applicable in the design of novel biomedical devices.
Search mechanisms for adaptive resonance theory (ART) architectures

A model to implement search in neural network hierarchies is outlined. The system models elementary properties of the chemical synapse, such as transmitter accumulation, depletion, and modulation. The search mechanism is embedded in an adaptive resonance theory (ART) architecture. >
Mechanisms underlying odorant-induced and spontaneous calcium signals in olfactory receptor neurons of spiny lobsters, Panulirus argus

We determined if a newly developed antennule slice preparation allows studying chemosensory properties of spiny lobster olfactory receptor neurons under in situ conditions with Ca(2+) imaging. We show that chemical stimuli reach the dendrites of olfactory receptor neurons but not their somata, and that odorant-induced Ca(2+) signals in the somata are sufficiently stable over time to allow stimulation with a substantial number of odorants. Pharmacological manipulations served to elucidate the source of odorant-induced Ca(2+) transients and spontaneous Ca(2+) oscillations in the somata of olfactory receptor neurons. Both Ca(2+) signals are primarily mediated by an influx of extracellular Ca(2+) through voltage-activated Ca(2+) channels that can be blocked by CoCl2 and the L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker verapamil. Intracellular Ca(2+) stores contribute little to odorant-induced Ca(2+) transients and spontaneous Ca(2+) oscillations. The odorant-induced Ca(2+) transients as well as the spontaneous Ca(2+) oscillations depend on action potentials mediated by Na(+) channels that are largely TTX-insensitive but blocked by the local anesthetics tetracaine and lidocaine. Collectively, these results corroborate the conclusion that odorant-induced Ca(2+) transients and spontaneous Ca(2+) oscillations in the somata of olfactory receptor neurons closely reflect action potential activity associated with odorant-induced phasic-tonic responses and spontaneous bursting, respectively. Therefore, both types of Ca(2+) signals represent experimentally accessible proxies of spiking.
A simple solid phase mass tagging approach for quantitative proteomics.

New mass-tagging reagents for quantitative proteomics measurements have been designed using solid phase peptide synthesis technology. The solid phase mass tags have been used to accurately measure the relative amounts of cysteine-containing peptides in model peptide mixtures as well as in mixtures of tryptic digests in the femtomol range. Measurements were made using both matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and online reversed-phase capillary liquid chromatography coupled through a nanoelectrospray interface to an ion trap mass spectrometer (capillary LC/ESI−MS). Results of mass-tagging experiments obtained from these two mass spectrometry techniques and their relative advantages and disadvantages for identification and quantitation of mass tagged peptides are compared. These reagents provide a simple, rapid and cost-effective alternative to currently available mass tagging technologies. Keywords: quantitative proteomics • capillary liquid chromatogr...
Simulation, learning and R&D performance: Evidence from automotive development

Abstract As pressure to conduct research and development (R&D) faster and more efficiently has increased over the years, firms have embraced many novel technologies and approaches in an attempt to develop new capabilities that would give them an advantage over their competitors. While the connection between building and renewing capability and performance has been shown in a number of different settings, the contents and routines of many such capabilities have not been studied in detail and the processes by which these capabilities lead to performance gains are still somewhat unclear. In this paper, I will try to provide a better understanding of one rapidly emerging capability—the ability to utilize advanced simulation in R&D—and examine how it can affect performance and the associated learning process. With the aid of a detailed empirical study in the area of automotive development, I will show that computer simulation is already having a dramatic impact in at least one very critical area—the design for crashworthiness—and is rapidly changing other important fields as well. First , by speeding up and simultaneously reducing the cost of design iterations, developers can increase the frequency of problem-solving cycles while reducing the total amount of time and money spent on R&D. Second , the ability to conduct more diverse experiments with novel technical possibilities and to learn more effectively than with alternative methods can lead to better R&D output. The implications for managerial practice are discussed and suggestions for further research undertakings are provided.
Reactive oxygen species are required for β2 adrenergic receptor–β-arrestin interactions and signaling to ERK1/2

The β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) is the prototypical member of the heptahelical G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily and is well-known to elicit biological effects through both G protein-dependent and G protein-independent signaling cascades. Agonism of β2AR has been described to promote phosphorylation and activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) via a G-protein/PKA pathway that transpires rapidly upon receptor agonism, as well as by a distinct β-arrestin-mediated pathway that occurs at later time points. We have previously shown that β2AR agonism promotes generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and that β2AR-associated G protein signaling is dependent on ROS formation. It has also been suggested that β2AR-mediated ROS generation occurs via recruitment of β-arrestins. In this study, we confirm the effects of β-arrestin on β2AR-induced ROS generation, and investigate the ROS-dependency of β-arrestin-linked β2AR signaling. In HEK293 cells, both coimmunoprecipitation and BRET studies reveal that ROS are vital for the physical interaction of β2AR with β-arrestin partner proteins. Using phosphorylation of ERK1/2 as a functional endpoint to assess the role of ROS in β2AR-β-arrestin signaling, our results show that inhibition of intracellular ROS abrogates both the β-arrestin and G protein-mediated phosphorylation of ERK1/2 upon agonism of β2AR. Importantly, both the G protein and β-arrestin components were reversed upon exogenous administration of ROS, suggesting a critical role for oxidants in stabilization of β2AR. Taken together, our data signify that ROS serve purposeful roles in stabilizing both G protein- and β-arrestin-mediated β2AR signaling in HEK293 cells.
Modeling the co-evolution of behaviors and social relationships using mobile phone data

The co-evolution of social relationships and individual behavior in time and space has important implications, but is poorly understood because of the difficulty closely tracking the everyday life of a complete community. We offer evidence that relationships and behavior co-evolve in a student dormitory, based on monthly surveys and location tracking through resident cellular phones over a period of nine months. We demonstrate that a Markov jump process could capture the co-evolution in terms of the rates at which residents visit places and friends.
Nonlinear theory of power transfer between multiple crossed laser beams in a flowing plasma

Analytic results are obtained for power transfer among crossing, equal frequency, laser beams, each smoothed by a random phase plate, in a flowing homogeneous plasma. For beams with well-separated directions, interbeam coupling transfers power, while intrabeam coupling causes beam deflection. For any pair of such beams, the beam with the largest positive projection on the flow direction will drain power from the other.
Conservative Factors in the Changing Culture of a Zapotec Town

Although the investigation of cultural change has been a major anthropological endeavor for several decades, anthropologists periodically have expressed dissatisfaction with its progress. In 1953 Keesing noted that this area of theory and method was …weak and not well integrated.
On Making a Thriving Field Even Better: Acknowledging the Past and Looking to the Future

It is very exciting that research on interpersonal accuracy has gained such keen interest in psychology and in adjacent fields. And well it should have, because social life depends on the ability t...
SENSORY EVALUATION USED AS A TOOL FOR STUDYING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF A NEW SUN TEA BEVERAGE

Sensory panels were used to study the acceptability of a newly patented sun tea beverage developed by a small foodservice company. The sun tea was compared to a control tea brewed at a higher temperature and to a retail tea beverage packaged in a can using triangle tests for differences and by use of a consumer panel for acceptance. The artificial sweeteners saccharin and aspartame were compared in the sun tea by both difference and acceptance tests. Statistically significant differences were found between each pair of tea beverages. Acceptance by judges was affected by certain facts given to them between the first and second acceptance trials. Such information included form of purchase (bags versus bottles or cans) and type of sweetener in the saccharin versus aspartame comparisons. Implications for the sun tea company and for foodservice in general are discussed.
Response Of A Liver Tissue Slab To An Hyperosmotic Sucrose Boundary Condition: Microscale Cellular And Vascular Level Effectsa

Transport of a non-permeating CPA in liver tissue was studied by experimental and theoretical techniques. The system consisted of a 20 mm x 15 mm x 500 microns (thick) slab of liver tissue which was exposed to culture media and hyperosmotic sucrose (0.3 or 0.6 M) at the boundary. The volumetric changes of cell and vascular spaces within the tissue slab at 125 microns from one of the symmetric boundaries was studied by slam freezing followed by freeze substitution microscopy. The experimental data was then theoretically investigated using two models; one based on an effective diffusion coefficient for sucrose, and another which incorporated the convective flux of water out of the cells (and the tissue) while sucrose diffuses in. We estimate the effective diffusion of sucrose as 16-33% of the actual diffusivity of sucrose in bulk water. The role of convection of water out of the tissue is against the flow of sucrose and appears to be important in reducing the effective diffusivity of the sucrose. The role of vascular compliance, porosity and tortuosity are also discussed with respect to our results.
“Slow” active control of combustion instabilities by modification of liquid fuel spray properties

Abstract This paper describes an experimental investigation of the feasibility of using “slow” active control approaches, which “instantaneously” change liquid fuel spray properties, to suppress combustion instabilities. The objective of this control approach was to break up the feedback between the combustion process heat release and combustor pressure oscillations that drive the instability by changing the characteristics of the combustion process (e.g., the characteristic combustion time). To demonstrate the feasibility of such control, this study used a proprietary fuel injector (NanomiserTM), which can vary its fuel spray properties, to investigate the dependence of acoustics–combustion process coupling, i.e., the driving of combustion instabilities, upon the fuel spray properties. This study showed that by changing the spray characteristics it is possible to significantly damp combustion instabilities. Furthermore, using combustion zone chemiluminescence distributions, which were obtained by Abel’s deconvolution synchronized with measured acoustic data, it has been shown that the instabilities were mostly driven midway between the combustor centerline and wall, a short distance downstream from the flame holder, where the mean axial flow velocity is approximately zero in the vortex near the flame holder. The results of this study strongly suggest that a “slow” active control system that employs controllable fuel injectors could be effectively used to prevent the onset of detrimental combustion instabilities.
Antegrade visceral revascularisation via a thoracoabdominal approach for chronic mesenteric ischaemia.

Abstract Objectives it has been suggested that patients with chronic visceral ischaemia are elderly and emaciated hence they may not tolerate antegrade visceral revascularisation via a thoracoabdominal approach. There are no studies to support this assumption. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of this approach for the treatment of chronic visceral ischaemia. Methods between 1988 and 1996, 10 patients underwent antegrade visceral revascularisation for chronic visceral ischaemia via a thoracoabdominal approach and were followed-up for a mean of 40 months. Eight patients were treated with aorto superior mesenteric artery bypass and implantation of the coeliac axis in the graft and two patients with aorto superior mesenteric bypass alone. Graft patency was monitored with duplex scanning. Results there were no postoperative deaths in this series. Two patients developed postoperative pulmonary infections and required intubation for a short period of time. All patients were discharged after a mean of 17 days (range 7–38). Follow up with duplex scanning revealed that all grafts were patent. One patient developed a high grade anastomotic stenosis which was followed by recurrence of the symptoms. This was dilated on three occasions by balloon angioplasty within a period of 17 months. On the last occasion a stent was placed and since then the patient remains asymptomatic. Conclusions antegrade visceral revascularisation via a thoracoabdominal approach is a durable and effective method of relieving symptoms of chronic visceral ischaemia. The low morbidity in this series justifies larger studies in order to establish the true incidence of complications.
Efficiency analysis of heat exchangers and heat exchanger networks

Abstract The concept of heat exchanger efficiency eliminates the need for charts, or complicated performance expressions, providing a convenient approach for solving heat exchanger rating, and sizing problems, as well as network of heat exchangers. The efficiency of all heat exchangers is determined from a single algebraic expression. This paper is comprehensive, and streamlined presentation of the approach. It also provides a new expression for solving sizing problems, provides a closed form expression for determining the minimum number of heat exchangers needed when one cannot meet the design specifications, presents a new methodology for analyzing network of heat exchangers connected in series, and provides closed form expressions for determining the size and the rate of heat transfer in individual heat exchangers of a network.
Polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by the redox system peroxydisulphate-isoamyl alcohol catalyzed by silver ion

Abstract The polymerization of acrylonitrile in aqueous media initiated by peroxydisulphate-isoamyl alcohol(IAA) redox pair catalyzed by silver ion was studied at low conversion. The polymerization had kinetic orders 1.5 with respect to monomer, 0.6 (peroxydisulphate) and 0.5 (silver ion). The reactions were carried out at various temperatures and the overall activation energy was found to be 5.5 kcal/mol. The effect of certain water-miscible organic solvents was also investigated. A mechanism of initiation is tentatively proposed.
Gastric pressures recorded by a telemetering capsule.

The gastric pressures of 4 human subjects in the fasting state were recorded by a pressure-sensitive telemetering capsule alone and in combination with an open-tipped intragastric catheter. Pressure elevations recorded by the capsule were similar in frequency and duration to those obtained in this and other studies by an intragastric catheter, in contrast to a very low rate of pressure elevations reported in an earlier study.
Spontaneous Mutation: Genetic Control of Mutation Rates in Bacteriophage T4

The following two articles are concerned with the genetic control of mutation rate. The first describes the anti-mutagenic effect of some DNA polymerase mutations on phage T4 mutation rates, and discusses the implications they hold for the mechanism of action of DNA polymerase. The second compares spontaneous mutation rates in different species, and considers the biological factors which may determine these rates.
Defining Psychological Abuse of Husbands Toward Wives Contexts, Behaviors, and Typologies

Little consensus exists regarding which particular behaviors constitute psychological abuse. In this study, a national sample of psychologists rated behaviors by a husband toward his wife as to whether each behavior constituted psychological abuse. For behaviors viewed as “possibly abusive,” psychologists indicated whether their judgments would depend on contextual factors of frequency/duration, intent to harm by the perpetrator, and/or perception of harm by the victim. Frequency/duration was more influential than intent to harm or perception of harm in determining whether a behavior was viewed as abusive. Cluster analyses revealed conceptual groups that were labeled (a) threats to physical health; (b) control over physical freedoms; (c) destabilization through intimidation, degradation, isolation/monopolizing, and control; (d) dominating/controlling behaviors; and (e) “inept” relationship behaviors. Threats to physical health, control over physical freedoms, and destabilization were most likely to be per...
Optimizing the method to calculate right ventricular ejection fraction from first-pass data acquired with a multicrystal camera.

Background The advantage of radionuclide angiographic techniques used to measure right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) is geometry independence, but the weakness is right atrial (RA) overlap. To minimize the effect of RA counts on right ventricular time activity curve (TAC), two regions of interest (ROI), one drawn for the end-diastolic image and one for the end-systolic image, are used for the calculation of RVEF from equilibrium gated blood pool scans (GBPS) and from gated first-pass studies with an Anger camera. A multicrystal camera offers both temporal separation of the bolus to the right side of the heart and good count statistics; therefore first-pass studies performed on a multicrystal camera theoretically should yield the most accurate measurements of RVEF, but few studies have been performed to validate RVEF against a reliable gold standard.
The art of being fully in the present with young children

The different ways caregivers engage themselves with toddlers can transform daily interactions, for it is the quality of these innumerable experiences that form the basis of the very young child's “curriculum.” The authors discovered that “being fully in the present” has many benefits and rewards. They became more mindful and reflective using this technique, and their sensitivity toward caring for children grew.
Application of Artificial Neural Networks for the Prediction of Pollutant Emissions and Outlet Temperature in a Fuel-Staged Gas Turbine Combustion Rig

This study deals with artificial neural network (ANN) modelling of a fuel-staged gas turbine combustion rig to predict exhaust emissions and combustor outlet temperature. The data used for ANN training and testing was acquired from a natural gas burning test rig at various operating conditions. The ANN model uses a multi-layer feed-forward network architecture and was trained with experimental data using backpropagation. The ANN has 8 input neurons, 27 neurons in the hidden layer and 3 output neurons. The ANN model can predict the experimental results quite well with correlation coefficients in the range of 0.96 to 0.99. The ANN model was then used to create performance maps (response surfaces) and to predict two operating conditions that optimize the conflicting criteria of low emissions and high gas outlet temperature. The ANN predicted optimum operating conditions yielded NOx emissions below 20 ppm corrected to 15% O2 and a combustor outlet temperature of 1838 K. These optimum operating conditions were then experimental validated. The experimental validation showed that the first ANN predicted optimum operating condition was poorly predicted: the difference between the ANN predicted equivalence ratio and that of the experimental validation data for the optimum point was over 0.1. The second ANN predicted optimum operating condition was accurately predicted within the experimental uncertainty of the measurements. The difference in validity between the ANN predictions can be attributed to the sparsity of the data: for the first optimum operating condition there were 28 highly clustered training points, while the second optimum operating condition had 40 points that spanned a greater operating region.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
An evaluation of contamination from plasma immersion ion implantation on silicon device characteristics

Silicon devices including diodes, metal oxide semiconductor capacitors, and p-channel metal oxide semiconductor transistors were fabricated by plasma immersion ion implantation (PHI) doping technique using a microwave multipolar bucket plasma system. B2H6 diluted in helium (1%) was used as the gas source. The contamination by helium, hydrogen, iron, sodium, and aluminum impurities was evaluated by secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements. During PHI processing in an aluminum chamber with a stainless steel wafer holder, no aluminum and a dose of 4.1 x 1012/cm2 of Fe were detected. Most of Fe ions were shielded by a thin layer of SiO2 during the device fabrications. Good quality devices have been demonstrated including low reverse current of 15 nA/cm2 (VR = -5 V) in diodes and reasonable lifetimes of the minority carriers such as tg = 55.0 µsec and = τr 54.2 µsec.
Generation, cryopreservation, function and in vivo persistence of ex vivo expanded cynomolgus monkey regulatory T cells.

We expanded flow-sorted Foxp3+ cynomolgus monkey regulatory T cells (Treg) >1000-fold after three rounds of stimulation with anti-CD3 mAb-loaded artificial antigen-presenting cells, rapamycin (first round only) and IL-2. The expanded Treg maintained their expression of Treg signature markers, CD25, CD27, CD39, Foxp3, Helios, and CTLA-4, as well as CXCR3, which plays an important role in T cell migration to sites of inflammation. In contrast to expanded effector T cells (Teff), expanded Treg produced minimal IFN-γ and IL-17 and no IL-2 and potently suppressed Teff proliferation. Following cryopreservation, thawed Treg were less viable than their freshly-expanded counterparts, although no significant changes in phenotype or suppressive ability were observed. Additional rounds of stimulation/expansion restored maximal viability. Furthermore, adoptively-transferred autologous Treg expanded from cryopreserved second round stocks and labeled with CFSE or VPD450 were detected in blood and secondary lymphoid tissues of normal or immunosuppressed recipients at least two months after their systemic infusion.
Consummatory feeding behavior to amino acids in intact and anosmic channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus

The entire sequence of feeding behavior patterns exhibited by intact and anosmic channel catfish to food extracts was also released by single amino acids. L-arginine (> 10(-6) M), L-alanine (> 10(-6) M), and L-proline (> 10(-4) M) were each highly effective at releasing consummatory behavior patterns, such as turning, increasing pumping of water across the gill arches, and biting-snapping. Swallowing required solid objects, whereas rhythmic movement of the hyoid was released by > 10(-2) M L-arginine alone. For the biting-snapping behavior, the number of bites depended upon both the number of eddies containing the amino acid above the behavioral threshold concentration and the amino acid applied. Multiple eddies of > 10(-3) M L-proline and L-alanine provoked up to 25 bites per test; however, the most effective stimulus for releasing biting-snapping behavior at low concentrations was L-arginine (behavioral threshold 3 x 10(-7) M). In comparison to 10(-4) M L-alanine and L-arginine, other amino acids were less effective stimuli.
Distribution and Abundance of Zooplankton in the U.S. Waters of Lake St. Clair, 1973

Zooplankton were obtained in the U.S. waters of Lake St. Clair at 28 stations sampled monthly from July through September 1973. Distribution and abundance of zooplankton were compared with physicochemical data collected concurrently and with previous studies on Lake St. Clair zooplankton. Sixty five species of Rotifera were recorded. Brachionus angularis, Conochilus unicornis and Synchaeta stylata were the three most abundant species. Total rotifers, averaging 47.1 individuals per liter over the study period, were about 30 times more abundant than the micro-crustaceans. The Cladocera were represented by 28 species, while five species of cyclopoids, seven calanoids and four harpacticoids were recorded from the Copepoda. Bosmina longirostris was the predominant micro-crustacean. Spatial distribution of zooplankton was hypothesized to be primarily dependent on current patterns generated by prevailing winds. The Canadian portion of the lake has a persistent eddy structure which apparently allows build-up of nutrient levels encouraging high zooplankton biomass. The U.S. side, however, experiences more rapid flow-through of St. Clair River water which accounts for lower zooplankton abundance. Despite the fast flushing rate on the U.S. side, a localized patch of high zooplankton density and a community structure indicative of eutrophic situations was consistently observed off the Clinton River Cutoff Canal. This is presumably due to nutrient loading from the Clinton River watershed.
Pore-Scale Investigation of Colloid Retention and Mobilization in the Presence of a Moving Air–Water Interface

A review of current literature shows that considerable uncertainty exists concerning the role of the air–water interface (AWI) in colloid transport in unsaturated porous media. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms of colloid mobilization and retention at the AWI in a model dynamic system at the pore scale. The behavior of carboxylate-modified colloids during drainage and imbibition in a microfluidic channel was visualized with a con focal microscope. We found that dispersed hydrophilic colloids did not attach to the AWI under the investigated low ionic strength conditions, while colloids previously attached to the channel walls were mobilized by the contact line, retained at the AWI due to capillary forces, and thus were further transported. The study provides direct experimental evidence on the mechanisms by which colloid attachment to the AWI occurs and emphasizes the involvement of the moving contact line and AWI in colloid mobilization and transport in unsaturated porous media. Abbreviations: AWI, air–water interface; DLVO, Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek; PMMA, poly(methyl methacrylate).