cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arsenic induces apoptosis in rat cerebellar neurons via activation of JNK3 and p38 MAP kinases.

Primary cultures of rat cerebellar neurons were used to study mechanisms of arsenic neurotoxicity. Exposure to 5, 10, or 15 μM sodium arsenite reduced cerebellar neuron viability and induced nuclear fragmentation and condensation as well as DNA degradation to oligonucleosome fragments. Exposure to 1 or 5 mM dimethylarsinic acid caused similar changes. Therefore, both inorganic arsenite and organic dimethylarsinic acid induce apoptosis in cerebellar neurons, with the inorganic form being more toxic. Cotreatment with cycloheximide or actinomycin D, inhibitors of protein or RNA synthesis, respectively, or with the caspase inhibitor zVAD, completely blocked arsenite-induced cerebellar neuron apoptosis. This implies that arsenite-induced cerebellar neuron apoptosis requires new gene expression and caspase activation. Interestingly, sodium arsenite selectively activated p38 and JNK3, but not JNK1 or JNK2 in cerebellar neurons. Blocking the p38 or JNK signaling pathways using the inhibitors SB203580 or CEP-1347 protected cerebellar neurons against arsenite-induced apoptosis. These data suggest that arsenite neurotoxicity may be due to apoptosis caused by activation of p38 and JNK3 MAP kinases.
Lymphangioma in the White-Tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus

Diseases of wildlife are increasing in incidence, thus creating a problem of diagnosis and control. Many parasites are known to infest wild animals and although the literature contains many surveys of parasites affecting these animals, few studies of other disease problems can be found, except for zoo animals. Neoplasms are being diagnosed with increased frequency in wild game, as well as in the human and domestic animal population. This report is a case history of a deer affected with a lymphangioma of the liver. Brooks (1906) reported a few neoplasms from a large number of autopsies. Fox (1923) examined 5356 specimens of …
A Dynamic Conflict Probe and Index of Collision Risk

We present a mathematical index of colllision risk and propose it as a candidate conflict probe for use in free flight. The index can be used to aid and measure ATC and pilot performance during simulated or real flight. The instantaneous value of the index is a relative (ordinal) measure of global situational risk. When the value of the index is graphed over time, conflicts can be easily identified and their severity estimated. Peak values indicate approximate times and degree of risk associated with the minimum separation of aircraft.
A pediatric survey for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: emergency medical services system re-assessments.

Emergency medical services for children, or EMSC, is still a relatively underdeveloped component of most state and local EMS systems. Advocacy and funding for EMSC from the federal EMSC Program, availability of many useful EMSC products, and the rapidly enlarging literature in EMSC have created heightened awareness and interest in improving systems for pediatric emergency, trauma, and critical care. The new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) EMS Technical Assistance (TA) re-assessment program, the second version of the successful original TA Program from 1988 to 1996, provides an ideal opportunity for state EMS professionals to evaluate EMSC capabilities and to integrate new EMSC products and services. The history of the TA Program reflects the evolution of EMS itself and indicates a historical inattention to children's issues, but re-assessment TA teams now have much useful intervening EMSC history to draw upon and a clear philosophical mandate to integrate children more fully in EMS ...
The value of computed tomography in the management of symptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abstract The use of computed tomographic (CT) scanning in the diagnosis of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm is controversial because the delay created by the procedure, it has been argued, may increase overall mortality. However, if emergency surgery can be avoided in the medically compromised patient, surgical results may improve. To assess the value of CT scanning, we studied the 1983 to 1988 records of 65 hemodynamically stable patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms, who underwent diagnostic CT scanning for acute abdominal or back pain. Twenty-one patients had a history of severe cardiac, renal, or pulmonary disease. The average duration of the examination was 63 minutes; no episodes of hypotension occurred. Subsequently, 17 of 18 patients with ruptured aneurysms had emergency surgery, with 31% morbidity and 29% mortality. Of 44 patients found to have nonruptured aneurysms, 13 had other causes for their pain, nine were not considered surgical candidates, and 24 had elective aneurysmectomies, with 8% morbidity and 0% mortality. In three patients CT scanning excluded the diagnosis of aneurysm. Additional information provided by CT scanning enhanced the safety of the perioperative management of four patients with rupture and 14 without. In conclusion, the delay imposed by obtaining a preoperative CT scan in patients with possible ruptured aneurysm did not adversely affect patient outcome, and the information obtained from it aided significantly in both preoperative and intraoperative management. (J VASC SURG 1990;12:28-33.)
Optimal cell connections for improved shading, reliability, and spectral performance of microsystem enabled photovoltaic (MEPV) modules

Microsystems enabled photovoltaics (MEPV) is a recently developed concept that promises benefits in efficiency, functionality, and cost compared to traditional PV approaches. MEPV modules consist of heterogeneously integrated arrays of ultra-thin (∼2 to 20 µm), small (∼100 µm to a few millimeters laterally) cells with either one-sun or micro-optics concentration configurations, flexible electrical configurations of individual cells, and potential integration with electronic circuits. Cells may be heterogeneously stacked and separated by dielectric layers to realize multi-junction designs without the constraints of lattice matching or series connections between different cell types. With cell lateral dimensions of a few millimeters or less, a module has tens to hundreds of thousands of cells, in contrast to today's PV modules with less than 100. Hence, MEPV modules can operate at high voltages without module DC to DC converters, reducing resistive losses, improving shading performance, and improving robustness to individual cell failures.
Political Legitimacy and Approval of Political Protest and Violence Among Children and Adolescents.

A question of general theoretical relevance for political socialization research concerns the role played by basic political orientations in structuring specific political opinions. This report investigates the relationship between beliefs in the legitimacy of political objects and approval of political protest and violence among a sample of children and adolescents. The setting for the research was a Florida town. Four aspects of political legitimacy are defined and measured. Measures of approval of political protest and political violence are distinguished conceptually and empirically. Beliefs in political legitimacy are shown to be of considerable importance in structuring opinions about political violence but have little impact on opinions about protest.
Case study of micro-component design and industry integration

According to our three steps plan, enterprise integration requires ontology of elements, services transformation and virtualisation to reach the goal. Componentisation is critical and also the first step in component-based service design; it identifies each component in business, service and physical layers to build up the alignment and inter-layer interoperability. This research paper focuses on identification and specification of components and uses examples in the industry to demonstrate how services are derived from business components, and how they are designed and produced in achieving service virtualisation. This paper also reviews micro-component design in order to achieve macro-component-based service virtualisation.
Time-resolved Fourier spectroscopy for activated optical materials.

A low-cost add-on to commercial Fourier-transform spectrometers that have a continuously scanning Michelson interferometer has been developed for high-resolution, broadband, time-resolved spectroscopy. A number of innovations have been implemented to enable near-IR, visible, and UV photoluminescence studies. These include error correction and normalization of interferogram points to correct for laser intensity variations and missed shots, reduction of mirror-speed variations with recognition and avoidance of the timing mistakes they cause, and simple white-light-interferogram advancement optics that leave high-frequency modulation efficiency for the signal of interest unchanged in dynamically aligned systems. Application to energy-transfer phenomena in solid-state-laser media is described.
Social Work Students' Attitudes Concerning the Use of Religious and Spiritual Interventions in Social Work Practice

Abstract The importance of religion and spirituality for the social work profession is evident in many areas, including social work education. There is little empirical evidence that explores the importance of spirituality and religion for their students. This project surveyed three unique schools of social work in university settings in an attempt to provide information concerning the personal religious and spiritual beliefs of social work students as well as their attitudes toward religious and spiritual interventions in social work practice. Results indicate that religious and spiritual beliefs and regional culture are important for predicting attitudes toward use of religious and spiritual interventions.
A three-hour measurement to evaluate bone calcium turnover.

It is well established that short-term clearance of an intravenous calcium load in vivo reflects bone uptake. Using results from isotope-dilution experiments with 42Ca, a 3-h test has been developed to measure a quantity, γ, related to bone accretion. This test is proposed as a useful, clinically applicable measure of bone status. For early times, t, after a bolus of 42Ca, plasma tracer dilution was well approximated by t−γ, where γ is related to the fractional rate of loss of tracer, q, from blood into bone ((1/q)(dq/dt) = −γ/t). Gamma was evaluated from kinetic measurements on 91 normal female children, adolescents, and adult women in the age range 4–50 years. For t ⩽ 3 h, all clearance curves were well fit by a power function. Gamma was found to vary from 0.244 ± 0.031 for adult premenopausal women (N = 22) to 0.392 ± 0.056 for prepubertal children (N = 29). Using the Spearman rank-order correlation test, γ was correlated with bone accretion measured from classic calcium kinetic studies with a correlation coefficient of 0.721, significant at p < 0.005. In those cases in which accretion and resorption remain tightly linked, γ also provides information on the state of calcium loss from bone. Gamma was evaluated in 14 subjects with bone disease characterised by increased resorption (osteoporosis, Paget's disease) and in 27 subjects with decreased accretion (osteogenesis imperfecta, types I, III, IV; steroid-treated juvenile dermatomyositis). All subjects with Paget's disease and with osteoporosis showed increased γ, consistent with high bone turnover. The osteoporotic patients furthermore exhibited γ increasing monotonically by approximately 1% per year after age 55. The osteogenesis imperfecta patients consistently showed either normal or decreased γ, depending upon the severity of the disease. The steroid-treated dermatomyositis patients had consistently decreased γ, in concordance with previous studies demonstrating decreased accretion in disease states requiring steroid medication.
A utility perspective on the new Massachusetts DG interconnection tariff (summary of a panel session presentation)

In recent years, several state utility regulatory agencies have mandated creation of simplified policies and procedures for interconnection of customer-owned distributed generation (DG) to the utility distribution system (the "grid"). The primary focus of these efforts has been relatively small generating units (kW-scale) designed for residential or commercial sites. This paper reports on the new DG tariff in Massachusetts, which was created via a collaborative process involving utilities, DG suppliers, utility customers, public interest groups and other interested stakeholders over a two-year period. The tariff builds upon work done in California and New York as well as DG tariff development undertaken by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Finally, this paper is a preview of material to be presented at the conference. The presentation covers the topics noted here along with comments on experience with the tariff and plans for additional work by the ongoing DG tariff collaborative.
Pneumonic Plague Pathogenesis and Immunity in Brown Norway Rats

The Brown Norway rat was recently described as a bubonic plague model that closely mimics human disease. We therefore evaluated the Brown Norway rat as an alternative small animal model for pneumonic plague and characterized both the efficacy and potency of vaccine candidates. When infected by intranasal instillation, these rats rapidly developed fatal pneumonic plague within 2 to 4 days of infection. Plague disease was characterized by severe alveolar edema and vascular hemorrhage in the lung in addition to fulminant necrotizing pneumonia caused by massive bacterial replication and inflammation. Twenty-four hours before death, animals developed systemic disease with an apparent delayed inflammatory response. We evaluated the ability of the protective antigen, LcrV, and a mutant derivative, V10, to protect these rats from pneumonic plague. Both were highly effective vaccines because complete protection was observed at challenge doses of 7500 LD 50 . Antibody analyses suggested stronger potency of V10 immune sera compared with LcrV in the passive transfer of immunity to bubonic plague, with multiple neutralizing epitopes in LcrV. Taken together, these data demonstrate the effectiveness of inhibiting type III secretion in the prevention of pneumonic plague in rats and reveal critical contributions from both the cellular and humoral immune systems. Thus, the Brown Norway rat is an appealing alternative small animal model for the study of pneumonic plague pathogenesis and immunity.
Freeze-fracture studies of annulate lamellae in zebrafish oocytes

The zebrafish oocyte contains prominent stacks of annulate lamellae (AL) located primarily in a subcortical position of the ooplasm. Many lamellae comprising a stack eventually exhibit continuity with the rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum which is present in abundance in larger oocytes. Pore structure of both AL and nuclear envelope (NE) was studied and compared by use of freeze-fracture electron microscopy. In freeze-fracture replicas, the NE and AL pores were easily distinguished, and a variety of fracture planes with respect to the stacked AL were generated. The pore diameter of NE and AL is similar (∼100nm). The number of nuclear pores varied from an average of ∼40 pores/μm2 in early stage oocytes to nearly double this number in later stage oocytes. For AL, the center-to-center spacing (∼120–130 nm) and the number of pores per square micrometer (∼56–67) did not change markedly regardless of oocyte developmental stage examined. Hexagonal packing of AL pores is a common feature. The AL pores have an angular margin with octagonal symmetry suggested in some cases. The AL pore interior contains fibrillar and particulate components and, depending upon the fracture plane, may appear to be filled with a “plug” of material. Both P- and E-membrane fracture faces of AL have a relative scarcity of intramembranous particles. The non-porous membranes that extend from the AL, however, have a higher concentration of intramembranous particles.
Perturbation by the PCB Mixture Aroclor 1254 of GABAA Receptor-Mediated Calcium and Chloride Responses during Maturation in Vitro of Rat Neocortical Cells

GABAA receptors are targets of highly chlorinated environmental chemicals and have important roles in developing neurons. As such, we examined effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on GABAA receptor responses in primary cultures of rat neocortical cells using fluorescence imaging techniques. Between days in vitro (DIV) 5 and 8, the effect of GABAA receptor stimulation switched from excitatory (Ca2+ entry following a Cl− efflux; DIV ≤6) to inhibitory (Cl− influx without a Ca2+ rise; DIV ≥7). GABAA-receptor-stimulated increases in [Ca2+]i were diminished in a concentration-dependent (1–20 μM) manner following 1 h of exposure to the PCB mixture Aroclor 1254 (A1254), with significant reductions at concentrations as low as 2 μM. A1254 (1–20 μM) also led to concentration-dependent increases in basal [Ca2+]i, irrespective of DIV. A1254 (10 and 20 μM) significantly increased basal Ca2+i; the Ca2+i was elevated to 426 ± 39 nM by 20 μM A1254 but this concentration was not cytotoxic at 1 h. In addition, the mixture, A1254, as well as ortho- and non-ortho-chlorinated PCB congeners (IUPAC Nos. 4, 15, 126, and 138; 5–10 μM) individually decreased GABAA-stimulated Ca2+i responses and this tended not to depend on increases in basal Ca2+i. In cultures DIV 7 and older, A1254 (20 μM) also impaired inhibitory GABAA responses as evidenced by an ∼50% reduction of GABAA-stimulated Cl− influx (from ∼6 to 8 mM net accumulation in controls). The results demonstrate that: (1) GABAA receptor increases in Ca2+i and Cl−i are inhibited by 2–20 μM A1254, regardless of whether the responses are at excitatory or inhibitory stages of development; (2) Ca2+i homeostasis in cortical cells is disrupted by 10 μM A1254; yet (3) disruption of excitatory GABAA responses by A1254 or PCB congeners does not necessarily depend on impaired Ca2+ homeostasis. These novel observations suggest that GABAA receptor responses are a sensitive target for PCB effects in the rat developing nervous system.
Calpain-mediated Cleavage of the Cyclin-dependent Kinase-5 Activator p39 to p29

Abstract The activity of cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (Cdk5) is tightly regulated by binding of its neuronal activators p35 and p39. Upon neurotoxic insults, p35 is cleaved to p25 by the Ca2+-dependent protease calpain. p25 is accumulated in ischemic brains and in brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. p25 deregulates Cdk5 activity by causing prolonged activation and mislocalization of Cdk5. It is unknown whether p39, which is expressed throughout the adult rat brain, is cleaved by calpain, and whether this contributes to deregulation of Cdk5. Here, we show that calpain cleaved p39 in vitro, resulting in generation of a C-terminal p29 fragment. In vivo, p29 was generated in ischemic brain concomitant with increased calpain activity. In fresh brain lysates, generation of p29 was Ca2+-dependent, and calpain inhibitors abolished p29 production. The Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin and the excitotoxin glutamate induced production of p29 in cultures of cortical neurons in a calpain-dependent manner. Like p25, p29 was more stable than p39 and caused redistribution of Cdk5 in cortical neurons. Our data suggest that neurotoxic insults lead to calpain-mediated conversion of p39 to p29, which might contribute to deregulation of Cdk5.
Investment, property rights and political instability: Theory and evidence

Abstract This paper addresses the question why investment rates differ so markedly across countries. In the paper a model is laid out explaining why governments in unstable and polarized societies may not have sufficient incentives to undertake legal reform so as to fully protect property rights, and how this may hold back private investment. The model yields testable predictions regarding the link from political instability to the quality of property rights, as well as the link from property rights to investment. These predictions hold up when confronted with cross-country data for around 100 countries. In particular, once I control for the quality of property rights, the different measures of political instability and polarization employed have no direct effect on private investment. Thus, a possible link between political instability and investment is identified. Extensive sensitivity analyses show that the empirical results are robust to an ample of prospective statistical problems.
Increased aromatase activity in transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines from patients with the familial aromatase excess syndrome and normal controls is associated with novel alternative splicing of the 5′-end of P450arom mRNA † 631

The human aromatase gene (P450arom) is widely expressed; genetic defects in alternative use of promoters and/or splicing of its first exon might be involved in the pathogenesis of disorders with altered aromatase activity. Our laboratory recently reported the clinical findings in 4 individuals, members of a large kindred with the familial aromatase excess syndrome (FAES). In the present study, we investigated the transcribed and translated products of the P450arom gene in peripheral blood and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed lymphocytes from patients with FAES and normal individuals. Aromatase activity was present in lymphocytes and this was confirmed by Western analysis. Reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR demonstrated that, from the known promoters of this gene, only the ovarian (PII) and fetal liver (PI.3) promoters were used in lymphocytes from patients with FAES and normal controls. Rapid amplification of cDNA 5′-end (5′-RACE) showed a novel exon (NE) being exclusively present in patients with FAES, while normal controls expressed both the known exons 1c and 1d (promoters PI.3 and PII, respectively) and part of NE: 5′actgtacaGCACCCTCTGAAG CAACAGGAGCTATAGATGACCTTTTAGGGGGGATTCTGTAATTTTTCTGTCCCTTTGATTTCCACAGGAC-3′[lower case: intron, and upper case exon 1d (PII) sequences, in bold the sequence of exon 1 used in EBV-transformed lymphoblasts, bold and underlined the sequence used exclusively by patients with FAES, and underlined the first part of exon 2 of the P450arom gene]. We conclude that aromatase expression is present in EBV-transformed lymphocytes from patients with FAES and normal controls and associated with the use of cryptic splice sites in the 5′-end of the P450 gene, defining novel first exons of this gene.
Analog Circuit Design with Linearized DC Biasing

A new methodology is presented for the design of analog ICs. The method is based on a locally-biasing technique that DC-nullifies the ports. This entirely removes the general biasing of the circuit and applies it on each nonlinear devices individually. The method isolates the nonlinear devices from the rest of the circuit, and excludes them from the design procedure. It allows the circuit designer to select the optimal operating regions for the devices, and then start working on the rest of the (linear) circuit with no need to perform nonlinear iterations or to worry about a possible divergence. An example of an operational amplifier design demonstrates the procedure.
Water as Warning Medium: Food-Grade Dye Injection for Drinking Water Contamination Emergency Response

AbstractOnce contamination of a drinking water distribution system is suspected or known, emergency managers may take different actions in response to the perceived state of the system. This study explores performance of a novel protective response action—injection of food-grade dye directly into drinking water—for minimization of health impacts as a contamination threat unfolds. Dye injection acts as an alerting mechanism that discourages public consumption of potentially contaminated water. Considering the uncertainties in threat observations and the imperfection in system understanding, however, the action has potential for costly false alarms. These could occur when contamination has indeed happened but population segments residing in safe regions are mistakenly alerted or when suspected indications of contamination occurrence turn out to be entirely wrong. The emergency response is, thus, formulated as a multiobjective optimization problem for the minimization of risks to life with minimum public war...
Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging As an Imaging Biomarker

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) is being used in oncology as a noninvasive method for measuring properties of the tumor microvasculature. There is potential for DCE-MRI to be used as an imaging biomarker to measure antiangiogenic effects of cancer treatments. This article reviews the general methodology for performing DCE-MRI and discusses existing data and challenges to applying DCE-MRI for treatment response assessment in clinical trials.
ANODISING BATH: FOR MAGNESIUM ALLOYS

The present article briefly reviews the protective coatings available for magnesium alloys and gives details of the New Chrome process, together with the results of corrosion tests carried out on the coating. The advantages of the New Chrome process over the H.A.E. process are also discussed.
Responses of lactating Holstein cows to chilled drinking water in high ambient temperatures.

Abstract In Experiment 1, 12 lactating Holstein cows were provided drinking water of either 10.6 or 27.0°C for 24 h/d in a changeover design to examine the effects of water temperature on feed intake, water intake, respiration rate, rectal temperature, plasma thyroid hormone concentration, and milk yield. The 1st wk of each 3-wk treatment period was for adjustment and the next 2 wk were comparison periods. Least squares means for DM intake as a percentage of body weight were 3.68 and 3.57 for 10.6 and 27.0°C treatment groups. Water intakes in liters per kilogram of dry feed consumed as a percentage of body weight were 21.3 and 20.3. Respiration rates were 70.5 and 81.0 breaths per minute; rectal temperatures were 39.7 and 39.9°C, Triiodothyronine averaged .88 and .75 ng/ml; thyroxine. 42.4 and 39.2 ng/ml; cortisol, 3.03 and 2.06 ng/ml; and progesterone in milk, 4.58 and 3.15 ng/ml for the 10.6 and 27.0°C treatment groups. Milk yield averaged 25.9 and 24.7 kg/d and FCM averaged 25.6 and 23.6 kg/d, respectively. In Experiment 2, 24 cows given a choice of chilled or warm water showed a clear preference (about 98%) for the warm water. If cows are given chilled water of 10°C continuously, no warm drinking water should be available. Chilled drinking water lowered respiration rates and body temperatures and increased feed intake and milk yield.
DFT studies of biarylcarbenes and the carbene-biradical continuum.

We use electronic structure modeling, mainly density functional methods, to characterize a variety of long-lived bisaryl triplet carbenes. The bisaryl systems have a triplet ground state, favored by a substantial delocalization of the spin into the aromatic rings. One can imagine two extreme cases of the bonding in these species, representable as valence isomers. In the first case, spin delocalization is minor and incidental; the spin is predominantly located on the central carbene carbon. In the second case, spins are separated by large distances and are found primarily on the aromatic rings; the rings are linked by an allenic bridge. The bisphenyl carbenes tend toward the first limit. They can be kinetically stabilized by ortho substituents which shield the reactive center and para substituents which protect that site which has substantial spin density. The bond angle at carbene is opened from about 142° (the B3LYP/6-31G* value for the parent bis(phenyl)carbene) to 160° or more by these substituents. Bi...
Localization of uPAR and MMP-9 in lipid rafts is critical for migration, invasion and angiogenesis in human breast cancer cells.

Background uPAR and MMP-9, which play critical roles in tumor cell invasion, migration and angiogenesis, have been shown to be associated with lipid rafts.
Universal bases and greedy algorithms for anisotropic function classes

We suggest a three-step strategy to find a good basis (dictionary) for non-linear m-term approximation. The first step consists of solving an optimization problem of finding a near best basis for a given function class F, when we optimize over a collection D of bases (dictionaries). The second step is devoted to finding a universal basis (dictionary) Du ∈ D for a given pair (F, D) of collections: F of function classes and D of bases (dictionaries). This means that Du provides near optimal approximation for each class F from a collection F. The third step deals with constructing a theoretical algorithm that realizes near best m-term approximation with regard to Du for function classes from F.
EAGER: Deployment-Time API Governance for Modern PaaS Clouds

To track, control, and compel reuse of web APIs, we investigate a new approach to API governance -- combined policy, implementation, and deployment control of web APIs. Our approach, called EAGER, provides a software architecture that integrates into PaaS platforms to support systemwide, deployment-time enforcement of governance policies. Specifically, EAGER checks for and prevents backward incompatible API changes from being deployed into production PaaS clouds, enforces service reuse, and facilitates enforcement of other best practices in software maintenance via policies. Our experiments with an EAGER prototype show that enforcing API governance at deployment-time in PaaS clouds is efficient and scalable to thousands of APIs and policies.
SOME PROPERTIES OF ZINC OXIDE BODIES1

Melting Point of ZnO.—The melting point of ZnO is above 1800° C and may be above its normal sublimation point. Volume Shrinkage and Porosity of ZnO Bodies.—A very hard and dense body composed of pure ZnO can be prepared. At high temperatures it exhibits the unusual phenomenon of volume shrinkage accompanied by an increasing porosity. Zinc Retort Bodies.—In the discussion the possible advantages of incorporating zinc oxide in a zinc retort body are mentioned.
Grouping-Based MAC Protocols for EV Charging Data Transmission in Smart Metering Network

The next-generation advanced metering infrastructure, with the aid of two-way smart meters, is expected to support advanced functions such as remote reading and control and demand response. In this paper, we thus focus on the design of a smart metering network (SMN) for a future scenario where data from residences/customer premises are dominated by electric vehicle charging traffic. Therefore, the well-suited multiple access control (MAC) protocol design for such event-driven data is an emerging research area. However, because the number of smart meters (communication nodes) involved in such a single SMN is much larger than those in today's local area networks, the traditional random access MAC protocol is unlikely to perform well. In order to solve this problem, we propose two grouping-based MAC protocols, namely, TDMA-DCF and group leader DCF-TDMA schemes, in this paper. These two schemes are directed at 802.11-type networks operating at frequencies below 1 GHz, which has been adopted by a new IEEE 802.11ah standardization task group. We also conduct the comprehensive throughput and delay analysis on these schemes for unsaturated traffic conditions and hidden node events. The numerical results show that these two grouping-based MAC protocols significantly outperform the traditional random access protocol DCF in a densely populated network with large coverage such as SMN.
Rhenium(I) Terpyridine π-Bases: Reversible η2-Coordination of Ketones, Aldehydes, and Olefins in the Terpyridine Plane

The complex trans-[Re(terpy)(Br)(PPh3)2][OTf] (2) (terpy = 2,2‘:6‘,2‘ ‘-terpyridine) is a convenient precursor to the electron-rich π-basic fragment {(terpy)(L)2Re}+ (L = tBuNC or PMe3). Reduction of 2 with activated magnesium in the presence of unsaturated organic molecules and an excess of either tBuNC or PMe3 yields complexes of the type trans-[(terpy)(L)2Re(η2-π)][OTf] (L = tBuNC or PMe3; π = olefin, aldehyde, or ketone). The dihapto-coordinated organic moieties show a preference for binding in the plane of the terpy ligand. Reaction of trans-[Re(terpy)(tBuNC)2(η2-acetone)][OTf] (9) with MeOTf yields an observable η2-ketonium complex. The electronic environment of these complexes has been probed by cyclic voltammetry, and the details of ligand exchange for the η2-ketone complexes are presented. Geometric features determined from X-ray crystal structure analyses of trans-[(terpy)(tBuNC)2Re(η2-cyclopentene)][OTf] (4) and trans-[(terpy)(tBuNC)2Re(η2-acetophenone)][OTf] (11) are reported.
Parametric sufficient optimality conditions and duality models for minmax fractional subset programming problems with generalized (F, ρ, θ) -convex functions

Abstract In this paper we present numerous sets of global parametric sufficient optimality conditions and duality results under various generalized (F, ρ, θ) -convexity assumptions for a discrete minmax fractional subset programming problem.
Short time semiclassical dynamics of optical processes in condensed phases

Abstract We describe a new semiclassical approximation of short time dynamics in a multidimensional system that explicitly includes multiple anharmonic wells in the ground electronic state. Coherent states are propagated in a locally quadratic approximation to the excited state potential using variationally optimized equations of motion for a common set of parameters for each ground state well. Initial applications of this method are to optical response of small van der Waals clusters.
Parametric and optimization study of a PEM fuel cell performance using three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model

A full three-dimensional, non-isothermal computational fluid dynamics model of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell with straight flow field channels has been developed. This comprehensive model accounts for the major transport phenomena in a PEM fuel cell: convective and diffusive heat and mass transfer, electrode kinetics, and potential fields. The new feature of the algorithm developed in this work is its capability for accurate calculation of the local activation overpotentials, which in turn results in improved prediction of the local current density distribution. The model is shown to be able to understand the many interacting, complex electrochemical, and transport phenomena that cannot be studied experimentally. This model is used to study the effects of several operating, design, and material parameters on fuel cell performance. Detailed analyses of the fuel cell performance under various operating conditions have been conducted and examined. The analysis helped identifying critical parameters and shed insight into the physical mechanisms leading to a fuel cell performance under various operating conditions.
Comparison of Discrete and Continuous Motion in Scanning Probe Microscopy Monitored via Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy

Confocal Raman imaging is a relatively new analytical technique that combines the strengths of Raman microspectroscopy and confocal optics. The images collected by the microscope are obtained by monitoring specific bands in the Raman spectra that are collected at many points in a sample, with the number of spectra usually numbering in the hundreds or thousands. Some commercially available systems acquire data while the sample is continuously moving with respect to the microscope objective. The distance that the stage moves during a single acquisition is a parameter that can be set prior to data acquisition. Data in this report was acquired with both a static and continuously moving sample for comparison, utilizing the 520 cm−1 Si phonon of a silicon wafer to monitor an edge. Scattering collected from each discrete step, i.e., no motion during spectral acquisition, showed excellent precision of location, but a loss in resolution was observed as the pixel size was increased beyond the maximum theoretical resolution of the instrument. A continuously moving stage contributed to erroneous position data as the pixel size was increased beyond the maximum theoretical resolution of the instrument.
Local flexibility in spending mitigation monies: a case study of successful social impact mitigation of the Intermountain Power Project in Delta, Utah

In 1978, an SIA, focusing on needs assessment and identification of attitudes, was conducted in the Delta, Utah (USA) region because of the proposed large coal-fired power plant which significantly altered the local physical, economic, and social environment. Local and plant officials developed a mitigation plan. Over $100 million was allocated to mitigation with considerable local control in spending the money. Longitudinal data collected prior to the announcement and during construction, and qualitative data collected 13 years later, allow an assessment of the short-and long-term impacts of the power project.
Influence of truncal vagotomy on canine gastric emptying of liquids.

Summary The gastric emptying of citrate and citrate-fat liquid test meals was unaltered by truncal vagotomy with or without pyloroplasty. Animals with truncal vagotomy alone retained solid meals. The intact vagus nerve is important in the gastric emptying of solids but not in the gastric emptying of liquids.
Phantom dark energy models with negative kinetic term

We examine phantom dark energy models derived from a scalar field with a negative kinetic term for which $V(\ensuremath{\phi})\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ asymptotically. All such models can be divided into three classes, corresponding to an equation of state parameter ${w}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}$ with asymptotic behavior ${w}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{-}1$, ${w}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{w}_{0}l\ensuremath{-}1$, and ${w}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\infty}$. We derive the conditions on the potential $V(\ensuremath{\phi})$ which lead to each of these three types of behavior. For models with ${w}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{-}1$, we derive the conditions on $V(\ensuremath{\phi})$ which determine whether or not such models produce a future big rip. Observational constraints are derived on two classes of these models: power-law potentials with $V(\ensuremath{\phi})=\ensuremath{\lambda}{\ensuremath{\phi}}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ (with $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ positive or negative) and exponential potentials of the form $V(\ensuremath{\phi})=\ensuremath{\beta}{e}^{\ensuremath{\lambda}{\ensuremath{\phi}}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}$. It is shown that these models spend more time in a state with ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{m}\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}$ than do corresponding models with a constant value of ${w}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}$, thus providing a more satisfactory solution to the coincidence problem.
'Whoever Saw a Country with Four Armies?': The Battle of Bulawayo Revisited*

Between November 1980 and February 1981, fissures in the new state of Zimbabwe became obvious to all. The lines between guerrilla, former guerrilla, soldier and civilian had blurred, and each group became heavily armed. In February 1981 there was a mutiny in the newly constructed Zimbabwe National Army that many thought could lead to wholesale civil war. The mutiny was put down in what is called the Battle of Bulawayo. In that battle mutinous troops were defeated by soldiers from the 1st Rhodesian African Rifles, renamed but not reconstituted as the 11-Battalion. These soldiers went into battle against former ZIPRA (and a few former ZANLA) cadres wearing the shoulder flashes and berets of their old Rhodesian uniforms. This article uses the Battle of Bulawayo, and the deployment of uniforms therein, to assess the power and legitimacy of Zimbabwe in its early years. If the new state could not monopolise the use of force, how could it claim to rule legitimately? This article argues that it was not the weakne...
Effect of oral glucose ingestion on renal phosphate reabsorption and clearance in vitamin D-resistant rickets.

The effect of oral glucose ingestion on renal phosphate reabsorption was studied in 13 patients with the inherited form of vitamin D-resistant rickets (VDRR) and 5 normal subjects. In contrast to the normal subjects, glycosuria developed in six VDRR patients after glucose ingestion and resulted in a further 43% decrease in renal phosphate reabsorption. This was accompanied by a 33% increase in phosphate clearance. This was not attended by differences in fasting glucose or phosphorus levels between groups, or in their respective values 1 h after glucose ingestion. Baseline renal phosphate reabsorption was less and baseline phosphate clearance was greater in those VDRR subjects who developed glycosuria. The accumulated data suggest that excessive glucose ingestion by some patients with VDRR may add an additional insult to the phosphaturia characteristic of this disorder. This, in turn, would further compromise the response of circulating phosphate to therapeutic attempts at oral phosphate supplementation, t...
Does the White Racial Identity Attitude Scale Measure Racial Identity

Competing interpretations of the structure of the White Racial Identity Attitude Scale (WRIAS; J. E. Helms & R. T. Carter, 1990) were assessed in 2 investigations. First, a meta-analysis of scale intercorrelations and internal reliability estimates indicated that, after correction for measurement error, intercorrelations between some scales were equal to unity, suggesting that the structure of the WRIAS is less complex than the theory of White racial identity it is assumed to measure. Second, confirmatory factor analysis of 2 data sets likewise revealed that scale structures found in the data are more parsimonious than those suggested by theory. Although it remains unclear which construct or constructs are actually measured by the instrument, interpretations of the WRIAS as composed of 5 meaningful dimensions are unsupported.
Dye-Induced Enhancement of Optical Nonlinearity in Liquids and Liquid Crystals

Optical nonlinearity of liquid crystals (LC) in the isotropic phase can be enhanced by 1 order of magnitude by dissolving 0.1% of anthraquinone dye in the LC. The enhancement decreases by $\ensuremath{\sim}30%$ when the LC transforms into the nematic phase. The same guest-host effect also exists in non-LC liquids. It can be explained by a model based on the change of guest-host interaction induced by optical excitations of the dye.
Novel Modeling Tool for Fixed-Bed Biomass Gasification Using High-Temperature Air

Gasification is one of the promising technologies for thermochemical conversion of biomass. Biomass gasification using high-temperature air/steam has many features superior to those of conventional gasification using low-temperature gases. To improve the conversion efficiency, it is important to understand transport phenomena in biomass gasification and optimize the packaging of biomass before its use in industry. A novel modeling tool has been developed to study biomass gasification process, and it consists of a system-level model and a pore-level model. Effects of feedstock packaging such as initial porosity, particle size, and distribution on the gasification rate will be investigated. The concept to design holes in the feedstock is proposed to increase the gasification rate. It is revealed that optimizing the size of the holes in the packed biomass can increase the biomass gasification rate significantly.
Detection and confirmation of 60 anabolic and androgenic steroids in equine plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with instant library searching.

In 2008, Pennsylvania (PA) became the first State in the USA to ban and enforce the ban on the use of anabolic and androgenic steroids (AAS) in equine athletes by using plasma for analysis. To enforce the ban, a rapid and high-throughput method for analysis of 60 AAS in equine plasma was developed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Analytes were recovered from plasma by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) using methyl tert-butyl ether, separated on a reversed-phase C18 column and analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) scan was employed for screening. When the MRM signal of an analyte exceeded 1000 counts per second (cps), information-dependent acquisition (IDA) triggered generation of an enhanced product ion (EPI) scan of the analyte. A library for the analytes was simultaneously established using the EPI spectrum. Unambiguous identification of any of the 60 AAS in a test sample was based on both the presence of MRM response within the correct retention time (tR) window and a qualitative match between EPI spectrum of the test sample and that of the reference drug standard stored in the library. Total analysis time was 7 min. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of confirmation (LOC) for most of the analytes were 0.01–2 ng/mL and 0.1–10 ng/mL, respectively. Recovery of the analytes from plasma by LLE was 74–138%. The method was successfully verified and is routinely used in the screening of post-race equine plasma samples for the presence of these 60 AAS. The method is rapid, sensitive, reproducible, and reliable. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of Carbon Nanotube Field Emitters for X-Ray Source

Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) have been shown excellent field emission emitters due to their unique properties. CNTs are a stable form of carbon; a graphite sheet rolls up forming a cylindrical shape with high aspect ratio, low turn-on field, high current density, high strength (1) and can generate quality x-ray radiation (2). These properties make carbon nanotubes very attractive for field emission applications. Field emission cathodes are the central part of field emission displays (FED) and carbon nanotubes field emission x-ray source. FED is a new flat panel display technology; this technology enables much thinner, lighter, and highest resolution displays than the cathode ray tubes (CRT). CNTs field emission x-ray source technology has applications in medical imaging and homeland security (2–7). The current thermionic cathodes have several disadvantages over CNT based field emission x-ray source such as slow response time, high power consumption, high operation temperature that reduces the lifetime of the x-ray tube (4) and large device size (3). Also CNT based field emission x-ray source offers improvement in high temporal resolution and capabilities for spatial and temporal modulation (7). CNT field emission x-ray source technology is available in single- and multi-beam imaging system. Multi-beam imaging system offers image of an object from multiple projection angles without mechanical motion (7).© 2007 ASME
Language Meaning (Gender Shaping) Among Blind and Sighted Students

Blind students showed significant differences from their sighted counterparts in assigning gender to 17 commonly used words out of 50. Language seems to help condition perception, and persons who a...
Heats of water vapor sorption in swelling biopolymers.

Heats of water vapor sorption by three biopolymers, polygalacturonic acid, sodium hyaluronate, and calcium salt of bovine submaxillary mucin, were determined calorimetrically. These calorimetric heats of sorption were compared with the isosteric heats of sorption as a function of water uptake. Maxima in both of these functions occur at “monolayer” coverage. The differences between the calorimetric and isosteric heats are explained in terms of the irreversibility of the sorption process, especially in terms of the structural changes that occur in the biopolymers during swelling.